cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Non-human primates: a model for tuberculosis research

A variety of animals have been used for tuberculosis research, and each animal model has its strengths and weaknesses. We sought to develop a non-human primate model of tuberculosis to model aspects of human tuberculosis that are difficult to model in other animals, including the pathology in the lungs, various progression to disease, and immunologic correlates of infection or disease that are likely to be similar in humans. To date, we have infected 17 cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fasicularis) with a low dose (15-25CFU) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis strain Erdman. The monkeys were grouped into three categories on the basis of disease progression: rapid progression (advanced disease by 3 months post-infection), active/chronic infection (signs of disease but a slower progression), and latent infection (no signs of clinical disease). Animals were followed clinically post-infection, including blood work, physical examinations, serial bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and gastric aspirates for M. tuberculosis culture, chest radiographs, and tuberculin reactivity. Immunologic assays on cells from blood, BAL fluid, and tissue, have been performed, including proliferation, flow cytometry, ELIspot assays, cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) assays, and ELISAs. The spectrum of disease observed in these monkeys is similar to humans, and this model may be very useful for studying pathogenesis and immunology of tuberculosis, as well as testing vaccines, diagnostic reagents, and drugs prior to use in human populations.
Structural and Functional Studies of a Novel RNA-Binding Sm-Like Archaeal Protein

In all three domains of life, Sm oligomers interact with RNA, either as chaperones or as scaffolding to facilitate RNA···RNA and RNA···protein interactions. In bacteria and eukarya, Sm homologs are key for RNA metabolism, for instance in RNA-mediated post-transcriptional regulation in bacteria. However, the in vivo roles of Sm-like archaeal proteins (SmAPs) remain unknown. Sequence searches suggest that the hyperthermophilic crenarchaeote Pyrobaculum aerophilum (Pae) encodes three SmAPs. The two known Pae Sm structures illuminated Sm protein evolution and assembly, and implied that these homologs may represent an ancestral form of the heteromeric Sm complexes that pervade eukaryotic RNA processing, e.g. in the spliceosome and other RNPs. We have now characterized Pae SmAP2, the final putative Sm paralog from this species. Biophysical characterization suggests that this SmAP2 exists in multiple stable oligomeric states, which we also detect via chemical cross-linking and mass spectrometry. We have now determined the crystal structure of this SmAP in multiple space-groups, revealing unexpected and hitherto unseen Sm assembly states. Binding assays with various small RNA oligonucleotides show this SmAP to be able to bind U-rich RNA, but not adenine- or cytosine-rich RNAs.
Harmonic solutions of a mixed boundary problem arising in the modeling of macromolecular transport into vessel walls

The earliest events leading to atherosclerosis involve the transport of lpw density lipooprotein (LDL) cholesterol from the blood across endothelial cells that line the artery wall. Laplace's equation describes the steady state diffusion profile of a tracer through the vessel wall. This gives rise to a boundary value problem with mixed Dirichlet and Robin conditions. We construct a linear system of integral equations that approximate the coefficients of the series expansion of the solution. We prove the existence of the solution to this problem analytically by using Gershgorin's theorem on the location of the eigenvalues of the corresponding matrix. We give a uniqueness proof using Miranda's theorem [C. Miranda, P.D.E. of Elliptic Type, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1970]. The analytical construction method forms the basis for a numerical calculation algorithm. We apply our results to the transport problem above, and use them to interpret experimental observations of the growth of localized tracer leakage spots with tracer circulation time.
Object-based localization of buried objects using high-resolution array processing techniques

In this paper we explore the use of high-resolution array processing techniques for the detection and localization of buried objects with known shapes. A ground penetrating radar measurement geometry is considered where the scattered electric field due to an incident plane wave is observed over a linear receiver array positioned above the targets. We have modified the high-resolution algorithm MUSIC to explicitly account for the near-field physics and solved the target localization problem in two ways. The first method uses the MUSIC algorithm in a matched field processing scheme and determines both the bearing and the range of the targets. Under the second approach, the sensor array is divided into non-overlapping subarrays. The targets are assumed to lie in the far-field of each subarray ensuring a plane wave incidence over each partition. The DOAs are then found with the conventional plane wave MUSIC and the locations of the targets are determined by triangulation of the DOAs. Using simulated data we demonstrate that these techniques are quite useful for the detection and localization of metallic and dielectric mines as well as buried metallic drums. The favorable detection results are shown to hold over a wide range of soil conditions and signal to noise ratios.
Possible evolutions of rare isotope production methods and the associated instrumentation

Abstract In recent decades, an impressive progress was made in high intensity light and heavy ion accelerators, reaching now several hundreds kilowatts to megawatt average beam power. Simultaneously, large solid angle spectrometers were developed, preserving good resolution properties by the introduction of sophisticated high order corrections. For further progress in the study of the properties of nuclei far from stability, it will be important to optimize the global layout of the accelerator-experimental devices. It will be more and more important to take radiation safety concerns into account since the very conception of the devices. The global efficiency to obtain a result concerning the properties of a given nucleus depends not only on the detection efficiencies but also on the resolution of the measurement device. Another new frontier may open now, this is the optimization of the use of primary and secondary beams to avoid dumping of possibly useful beams, and utilize them for multiple purposes. Different aspects of this optimization will be discussed.
Famine and civil war in East Pakistan

Summary Within a ycar, East Pakistan has been struck by severe flooding, a devastating cyclone, and civil war. Food production has fallen in two successive years, and the food deficit is the largest since the Bengal famine of 1943. Imports of 2·9 million tons of grain will be needed to give an average per-caput consumption of 1600 calories, which is only just enough to prevent frank starvation. In the present situation, with transport services much disrupted, the chances of achieving this seem poor. Malnutrition, in a normal year, readies its worst in November; this year the food shortage may affect 25 million people. The Pakistan Government has not acknowledged this crisis, and the opportunity to prevent a major famine is fast slipping away. An international, neutral team is required in East Pakistan to assess the relief supplies required, to supervise the repair of transport facilities, and to ensure the fair and efficient distribution of food.
Forecasting compensatory control (FCC) of machining flatness

Abstract Forecasting Compensatory Control (FCC) was implemented to improve the flatness of three dimensional prismatic workpieces in an end-milling operation. The basic logic of the strategy is based on inprocess error measurement, stochastic modelling, and prediction and compensation of the cutting errors. The proposed FCC system consisted of a newly developed laser-based in-process flatness error measurement system, a hydraulic positioning servo system, and a digital microcomputer control system. Through the application of the FCC system to on-line cutting experiments, the workpiece flatness error was reduced by up to 80% during machining.
Effects of Early-Life Abuse Differ across Development: Infant Social Behavior Deficits Are Followed by Adolescent Depressive-Like Behaviors Mediated by the Amygdala

Abuse during early life, especially from the caregiver, increases vulnerability to develop later-life psychopathologies such as depression. Although signs of depression are typically not expressed until later life, signs of dysfunctional social behavior have been found earlier. How infant abuse alters the trajectory of brain development to produce pathways to pathology is not completely understood. Here we address this question using two different but complementary rat models of early-life abuse from postnatal day 8 (P8) to P12: a naturalistic paradigm, where the mother is provided with insufficient bedding for nest building; and a more controlled paradigm, where infants undergo olfactory classical conditioning. Amygdala neural assessment (c-Fos), as well as social behavior and forced swim tests were performed at preweaning (P20) and adolescence (P45). Our results show that both models of early-life abuse induce deficits in social behavior, even during the preweaning period; however, depressive-like behaviors were observed only during adolescence. Adolescent depressive-like behavior corresponds with an increase in amygdala neural activity in response to forced swim test. A causal relationship between the amygdala and depressive-like behavior was suggested through amygdala temporary deactivation (muscimol infusions), which rescued the depressive-like behavior in the forced swim test. Our results indicate that social behavior deficits in infancy could serve as an early marker for later psychopathology. Moreover, the implication of the amygdala in the ontogeny of depressive-like behaviors in infant abused animals is an important step toward understanding the underlying mechanisms of later-life mental disease associated with early-life abuse.
High Performance Liquid Chromatography Separation and Analysis of Metallotetra(Pentafluorophenyl)Porpholactone

Abstract The analytical separation and analysis of silver, nickel, zinc and palladium complexes of tetra(pentafluorophenyl)porpholactone (TFPL) from free bases is described. An isocratic mobile phase of n-hexane and diethyl ether was developed to separate these complexes using a normal phase μPorasil HPLC column (150 × 3.9 mm I. D.) at a flow rate of 1 mL/min. In addition, two porphodilactone isomers were also isolated from the reaction products, a result which we were unable to achieve with flash chromatography nor with a reversed phase C18 Ultrasphere HPLC column (250 × 4.6 mm I. D.). The optical absorption spectra of the metal derivatives show two bands in the visible region, compared to the four bands shown by the free base. The retention of these metal complexes on a normal phase column was found to be increasing in the order Pd(TFPL) < Ag(TFPL) < Zn(TFPL) < Ni(TFPL).
'Supernatural, or at Least Romantic': The Ancient Mariner and Parody

An ancient literary practice often aligned with satire, parody “comes of age as a major comic expression during the Romantic period,” as Marilyn Gaull has observed, the same era that celebrated and became known for the literary virtues of sincerity, authenticity, and originality. The era of Romantic poetry was also the era of biting parodies in the Anti-Jacobin and the radical weeklies, and in reviews such as Blackwood’s; of the politically influential parodies of the Bible or nursery rhymes by William Hone, as well as collections of poems such as Horace and James Smith’s Rejected Addresses (1812) and James Hogg’s Poetic Mirror (1816); and of novelistic parodies such as Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey or the “Menippean” satires of Thomas Love Peacock.
Ethical and legal implications of managed care

This article addresses several ethical, regulatory, and legal issues in managed care with attention to recent court cases that focus on physicians' responsibility, fiduciary duty, and the impact that these legal decisions have on physicians practicing in a managed care environment. Discussion of the impact of changes in the control of decision-making processes for physicians, the use of managed care protocols, restriction of resources, and gatekeeping systems are addressed as are the specific duties and obligations of physicians to their patients.
Mapping of the two coat protein genes on the middle RNA component of squash mosaic virus (comovirus group).

Abstract Squash mosaic virus, a member of the comovirus group, has a divided genome identified as middle-component RNA (M RNA; MW = 1.4 × 10 6 ) and bottom-component RNA (B RNA; MW = 2 × 108). The isometric capsid of squash mosaic virus is composed of two distinct protein monomers with molecular weights of 22,000 (22k) and 42k. The isolated RNA components were translated in a rabbit reticulocyte lysate system. Translation products of the B RNA had estimated molecular weights of 190k, 51k, and 32k, while the M RNA products ranged in estimated molecular weight from 22k to 112k. Products of the B RNA did not react with antisera prepared to the 22k and 42k coat proteins. All of the M RNA products reacted with antiserum to the 22k coat protein and all the products larger than 35k reacted with antiserum to the 42k coat protein. The 22k product of M RNA translation had a V-8 protease peptide pattern identical to that of the 22k coat protein. Protease peptide patterns of the M RNA 64k and 112k–105k translation products showed a number of peptide fragments similar to those produced by the 22k and 42k coat proteins, indicating that the translation products contained the sequences of the two coat proteins. The proposed gene order of translation for squash mosaic virus M RNA is as follows: 5′ end-22k coat protein gene-42k coat protein gene-48k unidentified protein gene-untranslated sequence-3′ end.
Meaningful performance evaluation conditions for fire service thermal imaging cameras

Abstract Thermal imaging cameras (TIC) are rapidly becoming integral equipment for the fire service for use in structure fires and other emergencies. The Building and Fire Research Laboratory (BFRL) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology has conducted research to establish test conditions that best represent the environment in which TIC are used. Firefighters may use TIC for field operations ranging from fire attack, search/rescue, hot spot detection, overhaul activities, to detecting the location of hazardous materials. To develop standardized TIC performance metrics and test methods that capture the harsh environment in which TIC may be used, information was collected from users, the literature, and from fire tests conducted at BFRL. A workshop was held to facilitate knowledge transfer from the fire service and TIC manufacturers. Full-scale and bench-scale experimental work focused on temperature extremes and the presence of obscuring media such as smoke, dust and water. Consolidation of fire environment data with fire fighting operations and imaging needs resulted in a set of performance metrics and test methods that relate to the conditions and tasks encountered by firefighters in structural fire fighting applications. This work is included in a new draft standard on fire service TIC.
Evaluation and implementation of control strategies for moving-bed coal gasifiers using mgas

Abstract The mgas (Morgantown Energy Technology Center gasifier advanced simulation) model can be used to simulate dynamically standard moving bed gasifiers and novel gasifier configurations. The mgas code is written in fortran and takes into account specifications such as reactor geometry, reaction schemes, kinetics and thermodynamics. In this paper, well-proven control methods are demonstrated on a standard moving-bed gasifier using mgas and its suitability for meaningful control studies is evaluated. Steady state analysis tools are used to uncover the optimal control strategies. Dynamic study is also undertaken and three controller schemes found to be the most suitable for the coal gasifier are implemented. The performance of the controller mechanism with optimal tuning parameters is shown for disturbance rejection and for setpoint tracking. With minor modification the mgas model is found to be very useful for designing control strategies for the conventional coal gasifier and therefore should be applied to evaluate the control of more complex novel gasifier configurations.
A Partnered Approach to Opioid Management, Guideline Concordant Care and the Stepped Care Model of Pain Management

BACKGROUND Pain is the most common presenting problem in primary care. Opioid therapy (OT) for chronic pain has increased dramatically over the past decade, as have related negative outcomes. Despite the development and dissemination of policy and clinical practice guidelines for pain management and OT, adoption has been variable. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) has established a Stepped Care Model of Pain Management (SCM-PM) as an evidence-based framework and single standard of pain care to promote guideline-concordant care, but to date its adoption and related outcomes have not been systematically examined.
Cognitive conjunction and cognitive functions

We argue that conjunction analysis does not solve the problems with subtraction analyses that it sets out to solve and that it has additional problems of its own. We argue that detailed analyses of the tasks set to identify cognitive functions are required for both conjunction and subtraction analyses to achieve their goals of localizing cognitive operations using functional neuroimaging techniques.
EFFECTS OF SUBLETHAL DOSES OF ENDOTOXIN AND ASPIRIN (ASA) ON RAT HEPATIC ENERGY METABOLISM: AN ANIMAL MODEL OF REYE SYNDROME

The administration of a sublethal dose of endotoxin (LPS) to fasted rats results in biochemical and histopathological perturbations similar to Reye Syndrome (RS), ie. hyperammonemia, elevated serum lactate and free fatty acids, and hepatic microvesicular fat deposition and swollen mitochondria in the absence of cellular necrosis (Yoder et al, Infect. Immun., 1985). In this study, hepatic energy metabolism was assessed in freeze clamped liver samples (12 hrs post treatment) obtained from (250-300 gm Sprague-Dawley) rats which had received an intraperitoneal injection of placebo-5% dextrose (C), 0.25mg LPS/kg (LPS), placebo + 1hr later 50mg ASA/kg (ASA) or 0.25mg LPS/kg + 1hr later 50 mg ASA/kg (LPS/ASA). In both LPS and LPS/ASA, ATP/ADP declined by 31% (p<0.005), [total ketones] decreased by 40% (p<0.0005) and [acetyl CoA] declined by 37% (p<0.005) as compared to C and ASA. In LPS/ASA, there were increases in [isovaleryl CoA], [isobutyryl CoA] and [B-methylcrotonyl CoA] as compared with ASA (60%, p<0.01) and LPS (90%, p<.005). These results suggest inhibition of fatty acid oxidation and abnormal branch chain amino acid (BCAA) oxidation and are analogous to data obtained in patients with RS showing hyperammonemia, compromised FA oxidation and accumulation of intermediates of BCAA oxidation. Accumulation of BCAA intermediates with LPS/ASA is a possible mechanism for the potentiation of RS by ASA. These findings provide further biochemical evidence that a sublethal dose of LPS administered to fasted rats produces an animal model of RS, (Supported by NS 17752)
Morphological consequences of early reperfusion following thrombotic or mechanical occlusion of the rat middle cerebral artery

The early morphological consequences of recirculation following middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion were studied in two rat models. The proximal MCA was occluded for 1 h by either a surgical clip or platelet thrombus; subsequently, 1 h of recirculation was facilitated. Following clip occlusion and recirculation, mild astrocytic swelling, especially around blood vessels, was detected in reperfused cortical and striatal areas. Neuronal changes included slight chromatin clumping and dilation of the rough endoplasmic reticulum. In contrast, severe structural abnormalities were detected following recanalization of the thrombosed MCA segment. Marked astrocytic swelling of cell bodies and perivascular processes with neuropil vacuolation were commonly seen. A heterogeneous pattern of neuronal alterations, including a high frequency of dense shrunken neurons surrounded by swollen astrocytic processes was documented in cortical and striatal regions. Severe neuronal changes were documented in brain regions exhibiting a well-perfused microcirculation. Vascular endothelial cells contained large numbers of pinocytotic vesicles associated with luminal and abluminal surfaces. Pronounced and rapid morphological changes evolve with reperfusion when thrombotic and ischemic events occur simultaneously. The basis for these rapid parenchymal changes following vascular thrombosis may involve acute alterations in cerebral microvascular permeability which exacerbate ischemic consequences.
Analysis and Measurement of the Visual Resolution from Shadow Mask CRT Displays

A linear systems model has been developed for determining resolution capabilities provided by any shadow mask (SM) CRT-observer configuration. A square wave model is used to simulate both the sampling of the SM and the spatial phase difference between the displayed image and the SM holes. Due to the spatial phase differences for a selected SM CRT-observer configuration, distributions of calculated modulation depths are obtained. This analysis supports the notion that to meaningfully specify and measure the resolution of SM CRTs, characteristic of the luminance profiles prior to SM sampling must be obtained. To this end efficient measurement techniques were developed that provide accurate modulation depth values of the unsampled luminance profiles from the sampled luminance profiles obtained at the CRT surface.
Enhanced vibration based energy harvesting using embedded acoustic black holes

In this paper, we investigate the use of dynamic structural tailoring via the concept of an Acoustic Black Hole (ABH) to enhance the performance of piezoelectric based energy harvesting from operational mechanical vibrations. The ABH is a variable thickness structural feature that can be embedded in the host structure allowing a smooth reduction of the phase velocity while minimizing the amplitude of reflected waves. The ABH thickness variation is typically designed according to power-law profiles. As a propagating wave enters the ABH, it is progressively slowed down while its wavelength is compressed. This effect results in structural areas with high energy density that can be exploited effectively for energy harvesting. The potential of ABH for energy harvesting is shown via a numerical study based on fully coupled finite element electromechanical models of an ABH tapered plate with surface mounted piezo-transducers. The performances of the novel design are evaluated by direct comparison with a non-tapered structure in terms of energy ratios and attenuation indices. Results show that the tailored structural design allows a drastic increase in the harvested energy both for steady state and transient excitation. Performance dependencies of key design parameters are also investigated.
Severe lower limb defects in exstrophy of the cloaca

We present here a patient with exstrophy of the cloaca associated with severe lower limb defects. The limb malformations include, on the right, a split foot with distal separation of the tibia and fibula, and on the left, attachment of the lower half of the left leg with a two-toed foot at nearly a right angle to the mid left thigh. A review of the literature indicates that 17-26% of patients with cloacal exstrophy also have lower limb defects. We hypothesize that cloacal exstrophy and associated lower limb defects have a related pathogenesis and that both are related to deficiencies of caudal mesoderm or mesodermal differentiation signals. More cases of exstrophy of the cloaca with limb defects need to be reported to better characterize the limb anomalies and to more precisely determine their frequency.
High Power LED Integrated With Silicon-Based Thermoelectric Cooler Package

A new thermal management application of silicon-based thermoelectric (TE) cooler integrated with high power light emitting diode (LED) is investigated in present study. The silicon-based TE cooler herein is fabricated by MEMS fabrication technology and flip-chip assembly process that is used for high power LED cooling. An electrical-thermal conversion method is used to estimate the junction temperature of LED. Moreover, the Integrating Sphere is also used to measure the light efficiency of LED. The thermal images photographed by infrared camera demonstrated the cooling function of the silicon-based TE devices. The results also show that high power LED integrated with silicon-based thermoelectric cooler package can effectively reduce the thermal resistance to zero. In addition, the light efficiency of the LED (1W) will increase under low TE cooler input power (0.55W), which is about 1.3 times of that without TE cooler packaging.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Testing for equivalence of diagnostic tests.

T he technology of diagnostic radiology is changing rapidly. Associated with these changes is a need to compare technologies with one another in an appropriate and valid fashion. To make meaningful comparisons, appropriate questions must be asked and tested. However, in comparing diagnostic technologies, we ot’ten ask and test the wrong question. In this article, an example is described in which the objective of the study is to show equivalence between technologies. Equivalence studies are common in diagnostic radiology; yet equivalence is often poorly defined. and the statistical methods for testing equivalence are rarely applied. The appropriate statistical methods for testing equivalence are presented here along with a methodologic approach for defining equivalence. Equivalence is defined here in terms of patient outcomes (e.g.. end points such as the quality and quantity of life), rather than intermediate end points, such as image contrast and resolution or sensitivity and specificity [11.
Real-time adjustment of ventricular restraint therapy in heart failure §

Objective: Current ventricular restraint devices do not allow for either the measurement or adjustment of ventricular restraint level. Periodic adjustment of restraint level post-device implantation may improve therapeutic efficacy. We evaluated the feasibility of an adjustable quantitative ventricular restraint (QVR) technique utilizing a fluid-filled polyurethane epicardial balloon to measure and adjust restraint level post-implantation guided by physiologic parameters. Methods: QVR balloons were implanted in nine ovine with post-infarction dilated heart failure. Restraint level was defined by the maximum restraint pressure applied by the balloon to the epicardium at end-diastole. An access line connected the balloon lumen to a subcutaneous portacath to allow percutaneous access. Restraint level was adjusted while left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic volume (EDV) and cardiac output was assessed with simultaneous transthoracic echocardiography. Results: All nine ovine successfully underwent QVR balloon implantation. Post-implantation, restraint level could be measured percutaneously in real-time and dynamically adjusted by instillation and withdrawal of fluid from the balloon lumen. Using simultaneous echocardiography, restraint level could be adjusted based on LV EDVand cardiac output. After QVR therapy for 21 days, LV EDV decreased from 133 � 15 ml to 113 � 17 ml (p < 0.05). Conclusion: QVR permits real-time measurement and physiologic adjustment of ventricular restraint therapy after device implantation. # 2008 European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Lifespan Regulation by Evolutionarily Conserved Genes Essential for Viability

Evolutionarily conserved mechanisms that control aging are predicted to have prereproductive functions in order to be subject to natural selection. Genes that are essential for growth and development are highly conserved in evolution, but their role in longevity has not previously been assessed. We screened 2,700 genes essential for Caenorhabditis elegans development and identified 64 genes that extend lifespan when inactivated postdevelopmentally. These candidate lifespan regulators are highly conserved from yeast to humans. Classification of the candidate lifespan regulators into functional groups identified the expected insulin and metabolic pathways but also revealed enrichment for translation, RNA, and chromatin factors. Many of these essential gene inactivations extend lifespan as much as the strongest known regulators of aging. Early gene inactivations of these essential genes caused growth arrest at larval stages, and some of these arrested animals live much longer than wild-type adults. daf-16 is required for the enhanced survival of arrested larvae, suggesting that the increased longevity is a physiological response to the essential gene inactivation. These results suggest that insulin-signaling pathways play a role in regulation of aging at any stage in life.
Genetic Basis of Streptococcin A-FF22 Production

Spontaneous, low-frequency loss of ability to produce streptococcin A-FF22 (SA) by group A streptococcus strain FF22 was observed. The proportion of non-SA-producing (SA − ) derivatives occurring in strain FF22 cultures grown in Todd Hewitt broth supplemented with 1% of yeast extract (THBY) was increased on treatment with ethidium bromide, acriflavin, or rifampin. The highest incidence of SA − organisms, however, was found in untreated THBY cultures that had been aging by incubation at 37°C for several months. The possibility of selective effects in these experiments, operating to enhance the apparent frequency of SA − bacteria, was discounted. The survival of SA − derivatives in association with populations of SA + bacteria was dependent upon the use of culture conditions inimical to SA activity, since a consistent finding was that the loss of ability to produce SA was associated with loss of immunity to the killing action of this bacteriocin. Whereas selective killing of SA − derivatives was evident in mixed cultures of SA + and SA − strains in tryptic soy broth, no such effect was demonstrable in THBY. In these experiments, elimination of SA − cells seemed directly related to the presence of active SA. Purified clones of SA − substrains did not seem revertible to SA production, either spontaneously or on treatment with nitrosoguanidine. It is suggested that the property of production of SA by group A streptococcus strain FF22, together with that of host cell immunity to the homologous bacteriocin, may be mediated by plasmid-borne genetic determinants. Images
Unbiased estimation of curve length in 3‐D using vertical slices

SUMMARY An efficient sampling procedure is presented for estimation of total line length per unit volume Lv. It involves the following steps: (1) choose a vertical axis in the specimen, and cut the specimen to obtain VUR vertical slices of constant thickness Δ such that parallel planes of the slices contain the vertical direction; (2) observe the projected image of a vertical slice using transmission microscopy such that beam direction is perpendicular to the slice; (3) count the number of intersections of the projected images of the lineal features of interest with cycloid-shaped test lines whose minor axis is perpendicular to the vertical axis. The expected value of the number of intersections per unit length prj is related to Lv as follows: Thus, Lv can be estimated from the measurements performed on the projected images of VUR vertical slices.
Pain and wound healing in surgical patients.

Background: Human and animal laboratory studies have shown that stress delays healing of standardized punch biopsy wounds. Purpose: This 5-week prospective study of 17 women who underwent elective gastric bypass surgery addressed the association between postsurgical pain intensity and subsequent healing of a standard 2.0-mm punch biopsy wound. Methods: Participants were assessed 1 week before surgery, within 3 hr before surgery, 1 to 3 days postsurgery, and at weekly intervals for 4 weeks following surgery. Results: Patient ratings of greater acute postsurgical pain, averaged over Days 1 and 2 postsurgery, and greater persistent postsurgical pain, averaged over 4 weekly postsurgery pain ratings, were significantly associated with subsequent delayed healing of the punch biopsy wound. Presence of depressive symptoms on the day of surgery, pre-existing persistent pain, and medical complications following initial discharge from the hospital were not related to wound healing. Depressive symptoms on the day of surgery and pre-existing persistent pain did predict persistent postsurgical pain intensity. Conclusions: These findings extend the previous laboratory models of wound healing to a surgical population, providing the first evidence that pain plays an important role in postsurgery wound healing, a key variable in postsurgical recovery.
Production of hydrogen gas from light and the inorganic electron donor thiosulfate by Rhodopseudomonas palustris.

A challenge for photobiological production of hydrogen gas (H2) as a potential biofuel is to find suitable electron-donating feedstocks. Here, we examined the inorganic compound thiosulfate as a possible electron donor for nitrogenase-catalyzed H2 production by the purple nonsulfur phototrophic bacterium (PNSB) Rhodopseudomonas palustris. Thiosulfate is an intermediate of microbial sulfur metabolism in nature and is also generated in industrial processes. We found that R. palustris grew photoautotrophically with thiosulfate and bicarbonate and produced H2 when nitrogen gas was the sole nitrogen source (nitrogen-fixing conditions). In addition, illuminated nongrowing R. palustris cells converted about 80% of available electrons from thiosulfate to H2. H2 production with acetate and succinate as electron donors was less efficient (40 to 60%), partly because nongrowing cells excreted the intermediary metabolite α-ketoglutarate into the culture medium. The fixABCX operon (RPA4602 to RPA4605) encoding a predicted electron-transfer complex is necessary for growth using thiosulfate under nitrogen-fixing conditions and may serve as a point of engineering to control rates of H2 production. The possibility to use thiosulfate expands the range of electron-donating compounds for H2 production by PNSBs beyond biomass-based electron donors.
The wild thing goes local

Suppose you are on a mobile device with no keyboard (e.g., a cell phone) and you want to perform a "near me" search. Where is the nearest pizza? How do you enter queries quickly? T9? The Wild Thing encourages users to enter patterns with implicit and explicit wild cards (regular expressions). The search engine uses Microsoft Local Live logs to find the most likely queries for a particular location. For example, 7#6 is short-hand for the regular expression: /^[PQRS].*[ ][MNO].*/, which matches "post office" in many places (but "Space Needle" in Seattle). Some queries are more local than others. Pizza is likely everywhere, whereas "Boeing Company," is very likely in Seattle and Chicago, moderately likely nearby, and somewhat likely elsewhere. Smoothing is important. Not every query is observed everywhere.
Generalized Non-Abelian Reciprocity Laws: a Context for Wiles' Proof

In as elementary a way as possible, we place Wiles's proof of Fermat's Last Theorem into the context of a general description of reciprocity conjectured to obtain between algebraic varieties dened over Q and Hecke eigenvectors in the homology of the spaces of lattices in R n . eld of number theory has been increasingly permeated by the theory of automorphic forms and automorphic representations. This phenomenon often goes under the rubric of the \Langlands program," although it involves the work of many mathematicians, including R. Langlands, J.-P. Serre, and G. Shimura, to name only three of many. Recently, this program became especially prominent because it forms a background to Wiles's proof of Fermat's last theorem. As explained by Langlands in (14), parts of this program can be viewed as a vast generalization of reciprocity laws familiar in number theory, such as quadratic reciprocity and Artin reciprocity. Some of the ultimate conjectures along these lines are spelled out in Clozel's article (4), linking up motives and automorphic representations; see also Gelbart (11). Both of the italicized terms in the previous sentence are rather technical objects. Our goal in this article is to describe a version of these generalized nonabelian reciprocity conjectures: a version accessible to a reader who knows nothing beyond basic algebra and the denition of homology groups. Because of these self-imposed limitations, we shall be unable to state the conjectures in their full strength or with total precision. To compensate for these necessary shortcomings, we have included three basic examples that should give the avor of the conjectures. The rst involves quadratic reciprocity, the second a modular elliptic curve, and the third a (probably) automorphic algebraic surface. Moreover, the conjecture we do state is strong enough to allow its application to Fermat's last theorem. At the appropriate place, we shall discuss the term \reciprocity" and what may be thought of as being reciprocated. By reducing the prerequisites, we hope we have increased the number of readers who can obtain some glimpses of this beautiful landscape of generalized reciprocity. We also believe the formulation of the conjectures in terms of spaces of lattices in R n has a certain surprising beauty of its own. We should point out, however, that it is very unlikely that progress can be made in proving the conjectures on this elementary level. We begin with a quick review of Wiles's proof of Fermat's last theorem. For a good survey of this together with references to the work of Wiles and his predecessors necessary to the proof, see (15).
A Comparison of Cognitive and Everyday Functional Performance among Older Adults With and Without Hypertension.

Secondary data analyses examined the differences in cognitive and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) performance among hypertensive individuals taking one of four classes of antihypertensive medications, hypertensive individuals not taking any antihypertensive medications, and normotensive individuals (N = 770). After adjusting for covariates, significant group differences were evident on all measures (speed of processing, motor speed, reaction time, p .05). Follow-up a priori planned comparisons compared hypertensive individuals not on medications to each of the four antihypertensive medication groups. Results indicated that only those on beta-blockers were significantly slower in speed of processing (p < .05). A priori planned comparisons also revealed that normotensive individuals had better cognitive performance on measures of processing speed, motor speed, and reaction time than hypertensive individuals regardless of antihypertensive medication use...
Escherichia coli YqjA, a Member of the Conserved DedA/Tvp38 Membrane Protein Family, Is a Putative Osmosensing Transporter Required for Growth at Alkaline pH.

ABSTRACT The ability to persist and grow under alkaline conditions is an important characteristic of many bacteria. In order to survive at alkaline pH, Escherichia coli must maintain a stable cytoplasmic pH of about 7.6. Membrane cation/proton antiporters play a major role in alkaline pH homeostasis by catalyzing active inward proton transport. The DedA/Tvp38 family is a highly conserved membrane protein family of unknown function present in most sequenced genomes. YqjA and YghB are members of the E. coli DedA family with 62% amino acid identity and partially redundant functions. We have shown that E. coli with Δ yqjA and Δ yghB mutations cannot properly maintain the proton motive force (PMF) and is compromised in PMF-dependent drug efflux and other PMF-dependent functions. Furthermore, the functions of YqjA and YghB are dependent upon membrane-embedded acidic amino acids, a hallmark of several families of proton-dependent transporters. Here, we show that the Δ yqjA mutant (but not Δ yghB ) cannot grow under alkaline conditions (ranging from pH 8.5 to 9.5), unlike the parent E. coli. Overexpression of yqjA restores growth at alkaline pH, but only when more than ∼100 mM sodium or potassium is present in the growth medium. Increasing the osmotic pressure by the addition of sucrose enhances the ability of YqjA to support growth under alkaline conditions in the presence of low salt concentrations, consistent with YqjA functioning as an osmosensor. We suggest that YqjA possesses proton-dependent transport activity that is stimulated by osmolarity and that it plays a significant role in the survival of E. coli at alkaline pH. IMPORTANCE The ability to survive under alkaline conditions is important for many species of bacteria. Escherichia coli can grow at pH 5.5 to 9.5 while maintaining a constant cytoplasmic pH of about 7.6. Under alkaline conditions, bacteria rely upon proton-dependent transporters to maintain a constant cytoplasmic pH. The DedA/Tvp38 protein family is a highly conserved but poorly characterized family of membrane proteins. Here, we show that the DedA/Tvp38 protein YqjA is critical for E. coli to survive at pH 8.5 to 9.5. YqjA requires sodium and potassium for this function. At low cation concentrations, osmolytes, including sucrose, can facilitate rescue of E. coli growth by YqjA at high pH. These data are consistent with YqjA functioning as an osmosensing cation-dependent proton transporter.
Parameters Affecting Telomere-Mediated Chromosomal Truncation in Arabidopsis

Conversion of a double-strand break into a telomere is a dangerous, potentially lethal event. However, little is known about the mechanism and control of de novo telomere formation (DNTF). DNTF can be instigated by the insertion of a telomere repeat array (TRA) into the host genome, which seeds the formation of a new telomere, resulting in chromosome truncation. Such events are rare and concentrated at chromosome ends. Here, we introduce tetraploid Arabidopsis thaliana as a robust genetic model for DNTF. Transformation of a 2.6-kb TRA into tetraploid plants resulted in a DNTF efficiency of 56%, fivefold higher than in diploid plants and 50-fold higher than in human cells. DNTF events were recovered across the entire genome, indicating that genetic redundancy facilitates recovery of DNTF events. Although TRAs as short as 100 bp seeded new telomeres, these tracts were unstable unless they were extended above a 1-kb size threshold. Unexpectedly, DNTF efficiency increased in plants lacking telomerase, and DNTF rates were lower in plants null for Ku70 or Lig4, components of the nonhomologous end-joining repair pathway. We conclude that multiple competing pathways modulate DNTF, and that tetraploid Arabidopsis will be a powerful model for elucidating the molecular details of these processes.
Stable evolutionary signal in a Yeast protein interaction network

The recently emerged protein interaction network paradigm can provide novel and important insights into the innerworkings of a cell. Yet, the heavy burden of both false positive and false negative protein-protein interaction data casts doubt on the broader usefulness of these interaction sets. Approaches focusing on one-protein-at-a-time have been powerfully employed to demonstrate the high degree of conservation of proteins participating in numerous interactions; here, we expand his 'node' focused paradigm to investigate the relative persistence of 'link' based evolutionary signals in a protein interaction network of S. cerevisiae and point out the value of this relatively untapped source of information. The trend for highly connected proteins to be preferably conserved in evolution is stable, even in the context of tremendous noise in the underlying protein interactions as well as in the assignment of orthology among five higher eukaryotes. We find that local clustering around interactions correlates with preferred evolutionary conservation of the participating proteins; furthermore the correlation between high local clustering and evolutionary conservation is accompanied by a stable elevated degree of coexpression of the interacting proteins. We use this conserved interaction data, combined with P. falciparum /Yeast orthologs, as proof-of-principle that high-order network topology can be used comparatively to deduce local network structure in non-model organisms. High local clustering is a criterion for the reliability of an interaction and coincides with preferred evolutionary conservation and significant coexpression. These strong and stable correlations indicate that evolutionary units go beyond a single protein to include the interactions among them. In particular, the stability of these signals in the face of extreme noise suggests that empirical protein interaction data can be integrated with orthologous clustering around these protein interactions to reliably infer local network structures in non-model organisms.
Modeling the Dynamics of Evaluation A Multilevel Neural Network Implementation of the Iterative Reprocessing Model

We present a neural network implementation of central components of the iterative reprocessing (IR) model. The IR model argues that the evaluation of social stimuli (attitudes, stereotypes) is the result of the IR of stimuli in a hierarchy of neural systems: The evaluation of social stimuli develops and changes over processing. The network has a multilevel, bidirectional feedback evaluation system that integrates initial perceptual processing and later developing semantic processing. The network processes stimuli (e.g., an individual’s appearance) over repeated iterations, with increasingly higher levels of semantic processing over time. As a result, the network’s evaluations of stimuli evolve. We discuss the implications of the network for a number of different issues involved in attitudes and social evaluation. The success of the network supports the IR model framework and provides new insights into attitude theory.
Japanese American Responses to Race Relations: The Formation of Nisei Perspectives

(1982). Japanese American Responses to Race Relations: The Formation of Nisei Perspectives. Amerasia Journal: Vol. 9, No. 1, pp. 29-57.
Selecting Solid Waste Disposal Facilities

Planning the selection of solid waste disposal facilities requires an assessment of many complex interactions among transportation systems, land use patterns, urban growth and development, and public health considerations. Much attention has been given to system analysis and mathematical modeling techniques for sorting out various available alternatives. This paper presents a mathematical model that will aid in selecting from among various disposal alternatives. The problem is formulated as a fixed charge problem that is solved by use of an adjacent extreme point algorithm.
Applied Information Theory

The information theory based on the concept of entropy has a long history in statistical theremodynamics, quantum physics and communications engineering (see e.g., Jaynes 1957, Middleton 1964). The entropy concept has been defined in various ways (e.g., Hartley 1928, Shannon 1948, Wiener 1961, Renyi 1961) and used to characterize models of communication where signals are mixed with random noise and by using various codes the messages are sent through different information channels. In the engineering literature e.g., signal processing and optical imaging, various types of filtering and smoothing devices e.g., Kalman-Bucy filters, Wiener and Butterworth filters (see e.g., Pitas and Venetsanopoulos 1990) are analyzed in terms of their efficiency in filtering various noise characteristics so that an optimal filter can be chosen for modeling and estimating the true state of a dynamical system. Economists have been using Kalman-type filtering methods in their control-theoretic models of economic policy for over the last two decades.