cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The identification of poinsettia cultivars by HPLC analysis of their anthocyanin content

Abstract The anthocyanins of 28 cultivars of poinsettia were resolved by HPLC. The amount of each of the 5 anthocyanins was calculated, both by integration of the under their HPLC profile peaks and by second derivatives of the peaks. Comparisons of the two methods showed a correlation of 0.986. The amount and proportion oft he anthocyanins were affected by maturity, season of flowering, quality of irradiance and the specific area of the bract sampled. With careful selection of samples from plants grown under uniform conditions, there wre significant differences amongall 28 cultivars in the amount and proportion of the 5 anthocyanins.
A laboratory exercise in capsule making.

Objective. To create and implement a compounding laboratory exercise utilizing a variety of techniques and equipment. Design. A 3-hour laboratory exercise on preparing compound prescriptions for capsules was developed and taught to first-year doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) students. Students completed appropriate preparations and calculation of ingredients and prepared capsules using a hand-packing technique and a capsule-filling machine. The students then individually weighed the capsules and performed batch testing for uniformity. Assessment. Ninety-six percent of the students who completed the laboratory performed the necessary calculations for machine-prepared capsules correctly and 100% completed the calculations for the hand-filled capsules correctly. With the hand-filled capsules, 100% of the students processed all 4 units within ±5% of the stated capsule weight and capsules were deemed successful and accurate. Conclusion. Students acquired a firm grasp of basic compounding techniques and the skills t...
The St. Gothard Tunnel

THE news that the two advance borings had met in the middle of the mountain traversed by the St. Gothard tunnel resounded like a joyful echo in every civilised country. It announced the success of the greatest work hitherto attempted by man; and, on the completion of so important an event, the scientific public must with good reason insist on having some details of the gigantic labours which have excited the attention of all intelligent men, and which, though well nigh finished, still demand much skill and energy.
A critical analysis of theoretical models for the giant Raman effect from adsorbed molecules

Abstract We analyze several theoretical models which have recently been proposed in an attempt to explain the anomalously high Raman intensity from molecules adsorbed onto metal surfaces. We classify the theories according to their primary mechanism, pointing out similarities and differences, some which have not previously been recognized in print. We present a critical analysis of the conceptual basis and an outline of the experimental implications of each theory. We conclude that several theories have serious problems in their associated assumptions, and that other theories have been brought into question by recent experimental results. We propose additional experiments which would help clarify the situation.
Essential requirement of BMPs-2/4 for both osteoblast and osteoclast formation in murine bone marrow cultures from adult mice: antagonism by noggin.

Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) have been heretofore implicated in the induction of osteoblast differentiation from uncommitted progenitors during embryonic skeletogenesis and fracture healing. We have tested the hypothesis that BMPs are also involved in the osteoblastogenesis that takes place in the bone marrow in postnatal life. To do this, we took advantage of the properties of noggin, a recently discovered protein that binds BMP-2 and -4 and blocks their action. Addition of human recombinant noggin to bone marrow cell cultures from normal adult mice inhibited both osteoblast and osteoclast formation; these effects were reversed by exogenous BMP-2. Consistent with these findings, BMP-2 and -4 and BMP-2/4 receptor transcripts and proteins were detected in these primary cultures, in a bone marrow-derived stromal/osteoblastic cell line, as well as in murine adult whole bone; noggin expression was also documented in all these preparations. Moreover, addition of antinoggin antibody caused an increase in osteoblast progenitor formation. These findings suggest that BMP-2 and -4 are expressed in the bone marrow in postnatal life and serve to maintain the continuous supply of osteoblasts and osteoclasts; and that, in fact, BMP-2/4-induced commitment to the osteoblastic lineage is a prerequisite for osteoclast development. Hence, BMPs, perhaps in balance with noggin and possibly other antagonists, may provide the tonic baseline control of the rate of bone remodeling on which other inputs (e.g., hormonal, biomechanical, etc.) operate.
Order and charge collection correlations in organic materials for neutron detection

Organic materials, and in particular, poly(p-phenylene vinylene)s, are being investigated for solid state neutron detection. Semiconducting organics can offer direct detection because of high resistivity, high dielectric strength, natural gamma discrimination due to low Z, and room temperature operation. However, the effective charge collection is dependant on several material processing variables, including solvent choice and concentration, substrate, deposition method and conditions, post-deposition processing, and other factors, all of which can influence the local and bulk order of the material. We have investigated the effects of processing variables on the material order through infrared dichroism. The charge collection of the device was measured with visible laser excitation, and related to the order.
Biochemical profile of depressed adolescents.

Abstract Eighty‐four adolescents between the ages of 13 and 17 were investigated with the help of dexamethasone suppression test (DST), thyrotropin releasing hormone stimulation test (TRH), and 24‐hour urinary content of 3‐methoxy‐4 hydroxy‐phenethylene glycol (MHPG). This group included 33 depressed (major depression) and 51 nondepressed adolescents who were hospitalized in a psychiatric inpatient unit. DST was found to be a highly sensitive and fairly specific test (69.9% of the depressed group was DST positive, whereas 82% of the nondepressed group was DST negative). TRH stimulation test and urinary MHPG tests did not show significant sensitivity or specificity for major depression. Thirty‐three percent of the major depression and 17.6% of the nondepressed group showed blunted response on TRH stimulation test. Similarly, 56.6% of the major depression group and 41% of the nondepressed group had MHPG values beyond the normal range.
Nonstationary flows of viscous and ideal fluids in R3

Abstract The Cauchy problem for the nonstationary Navier-Stokes equation in R3 is considered. It is shown that the solution exists on a time interval independent of the viscosity v and tends as v → 0 to the solution of the limiting equation, provided that the initial velocity field and the external force field are sufficiently smooth and small at infinity (in the sense that they belong to the Sobolev space over R3 of order 3). Such a result is not altogether new but the proof, which depends on the theory of nonlinear evolution equation in Hilbert space, is simpler than the existing one due to Swann.
Against the Grain : Photojournalism in Transition-era Spain

During the fascist dictatorship (1939-75) in Spain, photojournalism was circumscribed by censorship, as were all other aspects of media and culture. In the early 1970s, however, in tandem with a growing opposition movement, pro-democracy journalists and periodicals sought to push the boundaries of censorship by giving voice and visibility to critics of the government. In this context, photography became a tool for denouncing and critiquing the regime. This article traces this shift by examining photographs of a pro-democracy demonstration held in Barcelona in February of 1976, three months after the death of dictator Francisco Franco. Drawing on personal interviews with photojournalists and analysis of photographs and publication context, the author analyzes photographic practices and the relationship between politics and aesthetics in photographs, and concludes that the examined photographs and practices during a period of censorship in Spain were effective tools for advocacy.
Cognitive Factors in Homeland Defense: The Role of Human Factors in the Novel Intelligence from Massive Data (NIMD) Program

The Intelligence Community's Advanced Research and Development Activity (ARDA) recently issued 17 contracts for innovative, creative, and high-risk research to advance the state-of-the-art in technologies and methods for supporting the intelligence analyst in discovering “novel intelligence from massive data” (NIMD). An important feature of this initiative is the role it gave to cognitive factors. The Call-for-Participation said, “Thus, NIMD is about human interaction with information in a way that permits intelligence analysts to spot the telltale signs of strategic surprise in massive data sources — building tools that capitalize on human strengths and compensate for human weaknesses to enhance and extend analytic capabilities.” This symposium will provide a brief overview of NIMD as well as project reports from four of the teams that won NIMD contracts. While the approaches and projects are diverse, all attempt to bring an understanding of cognitive factors and quantitative approaches to bear on improv...
Memory-influencing intra-basolateral amygdala drug infusions modulate expression of Arc protein in the hippocampus

Activation of β-adrenoceptors in the basolateral complex of the amygdala (BLA) modulates memory storage processes and long-term potentiation in downstream targets of BLA efferents, including the hippocampus. Here, we show that this activation also increases hippocampal levels of activity-regulated cytoskeletal protein (Arc), an immediate-early gene (also termed Arg 3.1) implicated in hippocampal synaptic plasticity and memory consolidation processes. Infusions of the β-adrenoreceptor agonist, clenbuterol, into the BLA immediately after training on an inhibitory avoidance task enhanced memory tested 48 h later. The same dose of clenbuterol significantly increased Arc protein levels in the dorsal hippocampus. Additionally, posttraining intra-BLA infusions of a memory-impairing dose of lidocaine significantly reduced Arc protein levels in the dorsal hippocampus. Increases in Arc protein levels were not accompanied by increases in Arc mRNA, suggesting that amygdala modulation of Arc protein and synaptic plasticity in efferent brain regions occurs at a posttranscriptional level. Finally, infusions of Arc antisense oligodeoxynucleotides into the dorsal hippocampus impaired performance of an inhibitory avoidance task, indicating that the changes in Arc protein expression are related to the observed changes in memory performance.
Discrimination and occupational mental health

Background: Racial and ethnic discrimination has been shown to occur in work organizations, yet little is known about the relationship of this stressor to occupational mental health.Aims: This paper explores the degree to which racial and ethnic groups may be subjected to discrimination at work and examines associations between discrimination and mental health indicators.Methods: In a national study, 1728 American workers were interviewed about aspects of their jobs, their exposure to racial and ethnic discrimination at work, and dimensions of their mental health.Results: American minorities reported perceptions of discrimination at work at greater frequencies than White Americans, and findings suggested some indication of institutional discrimination against minorities. Further, White, Black, and Hispanic-Americans, who reported that they had been discriminated against, were found to have poorer mental health outcomes than their same-race counterparts, who did not acknowledge being discriminated against....
The changing CARE for patients with food allergy

The field of food allergy is continually changing, with advances in clinical care to better understand the mechanisms of disease and in possible new diagnostics and treatment models. The development of several new guidelines that focus on improving the standardization of the diagnosis and management of food allergy has helped to further guide clinicians in providing optimized care for children and adults with food allergy around the world. Much of this work has been made possible through the collaborative efforts of advocacy organizations, industry, and government with clinicians and researchers in the fields of allergy and immunology. We have been able to advance our understanding of disease mechanisms and to help close gaps in knowledge and resolve misconceptions in the treatment of food allergy. This review will focus on the concepts of a holistic approach to food allergy that is working to improve CARE for subjects with food allergy, including new advances in clinical care, advocacy, research, and education.
Pharmacists' acceptable levels of compensation for MTM services: a conjoint analysis.

Abstract Background The Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 requires prescription drug plans to provide medication therapy management (MTM) services to Medicare beneficiaries who are at high risk for inappropriate use of medications. However, inadequate compensation has been a barrier for MTM expansion among pharmacists. Objectives The objective of this study was to determine pharmacists' acceptable levels of compensation for MTM services. Methods A preference-based fractional factorial design of conjoint analysis was used by surveying 1524 active pharmacists in Tennessee. Pharmacists were asked to select between packages (scenarios) of MTM services that represented combinations of MTM attributes (characteristics). The MTM attributes included type of patient (new or returning), patient's number of chronic conditions (1, 3, or 6), patient's number of medications (4, 8, or 16), patient's annual drug costs ($2000, $3000, or $4000), service duration (15 minutes, 30 minutes, or 45 minutes), and price of MTM services ($30, $60, or $120). A survival analysis model was used to predict pharmacists' willingness to select 1 versus another MTM service package. Pharmacists' acceptable level of compensation was estimated as the marginal rate of substitution between the parameter estimates of an attribute and the price attribute of MTM. Results The parameter estimates were −0.0303 ( P P Conclusions Pharmacists' acceptable level of compensation is in the higher part of current ranges from $30 to $100/h. To increase participation in MTM services, pharmacist compensation needs to be increased. Future studies might continue to corroborate the generalizability of findings from this study.
Studies on the mechanism of action of isopropyl N-phenyl carbamate.

Abstract The binding of [ 14 C]isopropyl N -phenyl carbamate (IPC) to microtubular protein isolated from chick brains, and the effect of isopropyl N -phenyl carbamate (IPC) on the in vitro reassembly of microtubules was investigated. While [ 14 C]colchicine binds to microtubular protein, [ 14 C]IPC does not. Concentrations from 1 × 10 −4 M to 1 × 10 −3 M IPC do not prevent in vitro repolymerization of microtubular protein. IPC (1 × 10 −4 M) does not affect the rate of reassembly of microtubules. We conclude that IPC does not exert its effect through an interaction with microtubular protein; we suggest that IPC probably interacts with microtubule organizing centers.
Subunit a Facilitates Aqueous Access to a Membrane-embedded Region of Subunit c in Escherichia coli F1F0 ATP Synthase

Rotary catalysis in F1F0 ATP synthase is powered by proton translocation through the membrane-embedded F0 sector. Proton binding and release occurs in the middle of the membrane at Asp-61 on transmembrane helix 2 of subunit c. Previously, the reactivity of cysteines substituted into F0 subunit a revealed two regions of aqueous access, one extending from the periplasm to the middle of the membrane and a second extending from the middle of the membrane to the cytoplasm. To further characterize aqueous accessibility at the subunit a-c interface, we have substituted Cys for residues on the cytoplasmic side of transmembrane helix 2 of subunit c and probed the accessibility to these substituted positions using thiolate-reactive reagents. The Cys substitutions tested were uniformly inhibited by Ag+ treatment, which suggested widespread aqueous access to this generally hydrophobic region. Sensitivity to N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) and methanethiosulfonate reagents was localized to a membrane-embedded pocket surrounding Asp-61. The cG58C substitution was profoundly inhibited by all the reagents tested, including membrane impermeant methanethiosulfonate reagents. Further studies of the highly reactive cG58C substitution revealed that NEM modification of a single c subunit in the oligomeric c-ring was sufficient to cause complete inhibition. In addition, NEM modification of subunit c was dependent upon the presence of subunit a. The results described here provide further evidence for an aqueous-accessible region at the interface of subunits a and c extending from the middle of the membrane to the cytoplasm.
Functional Uncoupling of Linked Neurotransmitter Effects by Combinatorial Convergence

Physiological signaling pathways both diverge and converge—a single neurotransmitter can have multiple effects and multiple transmitters can have the same effects—in the same target cell. Divergence couples the effects of a transmitter together in a relatively fixed ratio. Different physiological circumstances may require a different ratio, however; the coupling must be made modifiable. This can be achieved through convergence. If two transmitters couple the effects in different ratios, then combinations of the transmitters can yield all intermediate ratios of the effects, thus functionally uncoupling them. This mechanism is analyzed in a well-understood, simple invertebrate neuromuscular circuit.
Paralysis following “freezing” to a wire

HOW LONG will you be “frozen” to an energized wire after the circuit is interrupted? Failure to utilize the correct answer in design might result in your being a victim the next time you inadvertently grasp an electric fence. Information on the probable length of time it takes a person to release his grasp of a wire after being subjected to currents above his “let-go” limit is important in establishing the minimum allowable “off” period for electric fences and is of concern to the ASA (American Standards Association) Sectional Committee on Electric Fences, C69. Death is to be an expected result should a victim suffer a sufficient number of shocks due to his inability to release his grasp of an electrified fence during the “off” period between consecutive shocks.
The comparison of dose modification factors for two multi-lumen brachytherapy applicators used in partial breast irradiation

Purpose: When using a multi‐lumen applicator for partial breast irradiation, the desired result may be to produce an asymmetric dose distribution. An asymmetric dose distribution is necessary when the distance between the applicator and/or chest wall is small (<7mm). This small distance causes the air outside the skin and in the lung to act as a low density and poorly scattering medium. This may be problematic since most treatment planning systems do not account for tissue heterogeneity corrections. The purpose of this investigation is to quantify the inaccuracies of the treatment planning system by utilizing a parameter known as the dose modification factor (DMF). Methods: The DMF is defined as the ratio of the dose rate at 1 cm beyond the applicator's surface (PTV) with full scatter to the dose rate with a finite tissue thickness beyond the PTV. The two applicators used were Contura (SensoRx, Inc.) and SAVI (Cianna Medical, Inc.). The treatment planning system used to create symmetric and asymmetric plans was BrachyVision (Varian Medical Systems, Inc.). Results: For both applicators, the DMF increased exponentially as the thickness of tissue beyond the PTV decreased. The maximum measured DMFs for the symmetric plans using the Contura and SAVI applicators are 1.0878 and 1.0962, respectively. The maximum measured DMFs for the asymmetric plans are 1.0858 and 1.1148, respectively. Relative error for all measurements of DMF was less than or equal to ±0.005. Conclusions: With the DMFs mentioned above, it is obvious that there is a difference between the planned and measured dose distributions. The difference is due to the lack of heterogeneity corrections of the treatment planning system. Depending on the amount of tissue beyond the PTV, the planning system may over‐predict the dose by as much as 11%.
"Weapons of the Meek": Ecstatic Ritualism and Strategic Ecumenism among Tamil Hindus in Malaysia

This article examines the politics of Hindu revivalism among Tamils in Malaysia. In examining the dramatic pilgrimage and ritual of Thaipusam and the activities of a leading Hindu reform and performing arts organization, it is argued that the present resurgence of Hinduism is related to a growing sense of displacement experienced by Tamils in Malaysia. Thaipusam, while representing a collective assertion of Tamil and Hindu identity, also signifies "Indian" within an Islamic-modernist discourse of the Malaysian nation. Becoming an ethnic subject within a multicultural nationalist discourse, in turn, produces ambivalence among some Tamils which is manifested in status concerns and social distancing within the Tamil community. Many elite Hindus, in turn, are drawn to the apparently ecumenical and modernist teachings within Hindu reform organizations. The vicissitudes of Malaysian Hinduism bring into focus some of the complex ways that diasporic sentiments are produced and differentiated along lines of status...
Iodination of docosahexaenoic acid by lactoperoxidase and thyroid gland in vitro: Formation of an lodolactone

In the presence of iodide, hydrogen peroxide and lactoperoxidase, docosahexaenoic acid (22∶6ω3) was converted into iodinated compounds. The major product was identified as 5-iodo-4-hydroxy-7, 10,13,16,19-docosapentaenoic acid, γ-lactone, on the basis of125I incorporation, mass spectrometry, chemical modifications and proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Iodolactonization of docosahexaenoic acid occurred in the rat thyroid in vitro and was inhibited by the peroxidase inhibitor methimazole. These data indicate that formation of an idolactone constitutes one pathway of docosahexaenoic acid metabolism which could be expressed in tissues containing an iodide peroxidase.
Looking Beyond Dragons and Pandas: On the Challenges of Teaching About Chinese Foreign Relations

This article reflects upon the challenges and opportunities involved in teaching contemporary Chinese foreign relations to undergraduate students in the United States. Intended for both specialists in the field and those with a broader interest in international relations who occasionally deal with China, it draws upon the author’s extensive experience leading lectures and seminars on Chinese foreign policy and national security. The article contends that the chief goal for those teaching about this aspect of Chinese politics should be to correct students’ misperceptions about China and assist them in developing more empirically nuanced descriptions and theoretically grounded analyses of the way Beijing is approaching the rest of the world. It further argues that most students are able to accomplish this task.
Measurement of the absorption strength of the methane 3v3, J-manifolds at 9050 cm-1☆

Abstract The absorption strengths of the J -manifolds in the R branch of the 3 v 3 band of methane at 9050 cm -1 have been measured. A technique has been developed which satisfactorily treats the problem of the complex blending of the fine structure in the J -manifolds. The rotational temperature of the methane sample is calculated and is in good agreement with the laboratory temperature. The uncertainties in the results introduced by blending of extraneous lines and unaccounted J dependence of the half-width is discussed.
Messerschmidt v. Millender: Expanding Probable Cause and Restricting Liability

In a 6-3 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court addressed the issue of whether police officers are entitled to qualified immunity when their conduct does not violate any clearly established right of whic...
Translocation t(8;13)(p11;q11-12) in stem cell leukemia/lymphoma of T-cell and myeloid lineages.

An unusual hematologic neoplasia has been described recently in which the predominant clinical features include T-cell lymphoma, myeloid hyperplasia, and eosinophilia. The multilineage involvement in this disorder suggests transformation of a primitive stem cell. Abnormal karyotypes have been described in three such cases, including one case with t(8;13)(p11.2;q12) and a second case with t(8;13)(p23;q14). We report translocation of chromosomes 8 and 13 in lymph node karyotypes from two patients with this syndrome. Fluorescence in situ hybridization confirmed an identical translocation, t(8;13)(p11;q11-12), in lymphoma cells from each patient. The translocation breakpoints are of particular interest because the FLT3 receptor tyrosine kinase gene has been mapped to 13q12. FLT3 is expressed highly in hematopoietic progenitor cells and in myeloid and lymphoid acute leukemias.
Pediatric Genitourinary Intervention

Percutaneous techniques offer several advantages over open surgery in the treatment of many pediatric genitourinary diseases. The pediatric interventionalist routinely treats patients with conscious sedation on an outpatient basis that would require general anesthesia and lengthy hospital admissions if treated surgically. The minimally invasive nature of percutaneous therapy also results in cost reduction. The outcomes of percutaneous techniques have now been established as equal to or better than the corresponding surgical technique in many instances. In spite of this, pediatric genitourinary intervention has grown relatively slowly over the past decade. Limited growth in this area is likely due to a variety of factors, especially the preference of urologists to perform combined percutaneous and surgical procedures in the operating room. Most referrals to pediatric interventional radiologists are cases which are difficult to treat operatively or with endoscopic techniques. Consequently, a minority of children are referred for routine procedures.
Impact of process variations on multicore performance symmetry

Multi-core architectures introduce a new granularity at which process variations may occur, yielding asymmetry among cores that were designed---and that software expects---to be symmetric in performance. The chief source of this phenomenon are highly correlated, "systematic" within-die variations such as optical imperfections yielding variations across the exposure field. Per-core voltages can be used to bring all cores to the same performance level, but this compensation strategy also affects power, chiefly due to leakage power. Boosting a core's frequency may therefore boost its leakage sufficiently to engage thermal throttling. This sets up a tradeoff between static performance asymmetry due to frequency variation versus dynamic performance asymmetry due to thermal throttling. This paper explores the potential magnitude of these effects.
Diacetyl Emissions and Airborne Dust from Butter Flavorings Used in Microwave Popcorn Production

In microwave popcorn workers, exposure to butter flavorings has been associated with fixed obstructive lung disease resembling bronchiolitis obliterans. Inhalation toxicology studies have shown severe respiratory effects in rats exposed to vapors from a paste butter flavoring, and to diacetyl, a diketone found in most butter flavorings. To gain a better understanding of worker exposures, we assessed diacetyl emissions and airborne dust levels from butter flavorings used by several microwave popcorn manufacturing companies. We heated bulk samples of 40 different butter flavorings (liquids, pastes, and powders) to approximately 50°C and used gas chromatography, with a mass selective detector, to measure the relative abundance of volatile organic compounds emitted. Air sampling was conducted for diacetyl and for total and respirable dust during the mixing of powder, liquid, or paste flavorings with heated soybean oil at a microwave popcorn plant. To further examine the potential for respiratory exposures to ...
Simulation Study on Traffic Control Performance in Combined Input and Crosspoint Queuing Switches

A wide range of emerging networking applications demand computer networks to provide quality of service (QoS). Packet switches play one of the most crucial roles in computer communication systems and traffic control in packet switches is the key to QoS provisioning. The combined input and cross-point queuing (CICQ) switch is a newly developed switch architecture that employs the crossbar-based switching fabric and a variant of the combined input and output queuing scheme with distributed output buffer at each crosspoint. The CICQ switch is being widely deployed in computer networks, therefore how to control traffic in a CICQ switch to provide QoS guarantees becomes an important issue. In this paper, we investigate the QoS performance of a variety of traffic control algorithms applied in CICQ switches. Since it is well known that the OQ switch is an ideal case that provides the optimal QoS performance, we compare the achievable performance of the CICQ switch under each packet scheduling policy with the performance that can be achieved by an Output Queuing (OQ) switch with the same scheduling algorithm. The performance analysis in this paper is based on a simulation system that we develop using OPNET modeler.
The bkdR Gene of Streptomyces coelicolor Is Required for Morphogenesis and Antibiotic Production and Encodes a Transcriptional Regulator of a Branched-Chain Amino Acid Dehydrogenase Complex

Products from the degradation of the branched-chain amino acids valine, leucine, and isoleucine contribute to the production of a number of important cellular metabolites, including branched-chain fatty acids, ATP and other energy production, cell-cell signaling for morphological development, and the synthesis of precursors for polyketide antibiotics. The first nonreversible reactions in the degradation of all three amino acids are catalyzed by the same branched-chain α-keto acid dehydrogenase (BCDH) complex. Actinomycetes are apparently unique among bacteria in that they contain two separate gene clusters, each of which encodes a BCDH enzyme complex. Here, we show that one of these clusters in Streptomyces coelicolor is regulated, at least in part, at the level of transcription by the product of the bkdR gene. The predicted product of this gene is a protein with similarity to a family of proteins that respond to leucine and serve to activate transcription of amino acid utilization operons. Unlike most other members of this class, however, the S. coelicolor bkdR gene product serves to repress transcription, suggesting that the branched-chain amino acids act as inducers rather than coactivators of transcription. BkdR likely responds to the presence of branched-chain amino acids. Its role in transcriptional regulation may be rationalized by the fact that transition from vegetative growth to aerial mycelium production, the first stage of morphological development in these complex bacteria, is coincident with extensive cellular lysis generating abundant amounts of protein that likely serve as the predominant source of carbon and nitrogen for metabolism. We suggest that bkdR plays a key role in the ability of Streptomyces species to sense nutrient availability and redirect metabolism for the utilization of branched-chain amino acids for energy, carbon, and perhaps even morphogen synthesis. A null mutant of bkdR is itself defective in morphogenesis and antibiotic production, suggesting that the role of the bkdR gene product may be more global than specific nutrient utilization.
Active Versus Passive Course Designs: The Impact on Student Outcomes

The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of course design on both actual and self-reported student outcomes. The authors examined data gathered from three courses, each with a different design, during one semester at a major university in the Southwest. One passive design was used and was patterned after the traditional method of lecture, notetaking, and multiple-choice exams. Two active designs were used. One active design was a participative course where students helped plan the course by developing the syllabus and deciding what criteria should be graded. The other active design was experiential in nature where students were exposed to assignments and activities designed to simulate real-world tasks and experiences. Results indicated that students perceived active course designs to be more useful to their future than passive designs. However, course design appeared to have no impact on student grades, satisfaction, or perceptions of how a course was conducted.
Surfactant effects on buoyancy-driven viscous interactions of deformable drops

Abstract Buoyancy-driven interactions of two deformable drops with a bulk-insoluble, nonionic surfactant are studied with a curvatureless boundary-integral algorithm. At moderate drop-to-medium viscosity ratios with a linear equation of state, the surfactant causes breakup of the larger drop to become dominant over breakup of the smaller drop at O ( 0.1 ) values of the dimensionless gas constant β for a surface Peclet number P e s of 100. For P e s ≤ 10 , the surfactant has little effect on breakup for β ≤ 0.2 . For P e s = 1000 , critical horizontal offsets for breakup of the larger drop exceed those for breakup of the smaller drop at β = O ( 0.01 ) . The influence of surfactant on the deformation and breakup of the smaller drop increases when it becomes closer in size to that of the larger drop. Surfactant effects are less significant when the drop-to-medium viscosity ratio is greater than unity. For the case of bubbles, at P e s = 100 , the surfactant is swept to the trailing edges early in the trajectories and leads to cusp formation at β = O ( 0.01 ) .
Ammonium persulfate: a safe alternative oxidizing reagent for measuring urinary iodine

The chloric acid method is most commonly used to obtain accurate and reproducible measurements of iodine and remove interfering substances. Unfortunately chloric acid is a potential hazard, requiring an explosion-proof hood, among other precautions. We have developed a simple, convenient, and economic method for measuring urinary iodine by using 1 mol/L ammonium persulfate, a nonexplosive, nonhazardous chemical, as the oxidizing reagent. The oxidation procedure can be completed in 30 min at a temperature of 91-95 degrees C. The iodine in the urine is then measured by a modification of the traditional colorimetric method of Sandell and Kolthoff. Urine samples (110) collected from a mixed population of healthy males and females, ranging in age from 6 to 79 years and living in the US, were analyzed for urine iodine content by two methods: the proposed ammonium persulfate method and the chloric acid method. The ammonium persulfate method has an intraassay CV of 9.1% at 0.42 +/- 0.04 micromol/L (mean +/- SD), 7.8% at 1.46 +/- 0.11 micromol/L, and 4.0% at 3.54 +/- 0.14 micromol/L. The interassay CV is 10.2% at 0.46 +/- 0.05 micromol/L, and 7.9% at 3.27 +/- 0.26 micromol/L. Recovery of iodine added to urine in vitro was 107%, 94%, and 97% for 0.42 micromol/L, 0.77 micromol/L and 3.64 micromol/L, respectively. The lower limit of detectability was 0.0034 microgram of iodine. Values for iodine in 110 urines measured by the reference chloric acid method ranged from 0.06 to 8.03 micromol/L and by the ammonium persulfate method from 0.05 to 7.4 micromol/L. The persulfate method (y) correlated extremely closely with the reference chloric acid method (x) by the Pearson correlation (y = 0.923x + 0.810 micromol/L, and r = 0.994, Sy/x = 1.841).
Applications of random sampling to virtual screening of combinatorial libraries.

We describe statistical techniques for effective evaluation of large virtual combinatorial libraries (> 10(10) potential compounds). The methods described are used for computationally evaluating templates (prioritization of candidate libraries for synthesis and screening) and for the design of individual combinatorial libraries (e.g., for a given diversity site, reagents can be selected based on the estimated frequency with which they appear in products that pass a computational filter). These statistical methods are powerful because they provide a simple way to estimate the properties of the overall library without explicitly enumerating all of the possible products. In addition, they are fast and simple, and the amount of sampling required to achieve a desired precision is calculable. In this article, we discuss the computational methods that allow random product selection from a combinatorial library and the statistics involved in estimating errors from quantities obtained from such samples. We then describe three examples: (1) an estimate of average molecular weight for the several billion possible products in a four-component Ugi reaction, a quantity that can be calculated exactly for comparison; (2) the prioritization of four templates for combinatorial synthesis using a computational filter based on four-point pharmacophores; and (3) selection of reagents for the four-component Ugi reaction based on their frequency of occurrence in products that pass a pharmacophore filter.
Distal landing zone open fenestration facilitates endovascular elephant trunk completion and false lumen thrombosis.

Background Controversy surrounds the endovascular treatment of chronic dissection because of inconsistent remodeling of the aorta. The purpose of this study was to assess efficacy and safety of a novel technique for repairing aneurysmal change associated with chronic descending aortic dissection. Methods From July 2007 to April 2011, 24 patients with descending aortic aneurysmal change, consequent to previously repaired ascending aortic dissection or medically treated descending dissection, underwent combined open first-stage elephant trunk (ET) insertion and fenestration of the descending aorta intimal flap. Second-stage ET endovascular completion was performed with the index operation in 4 patients and later in 20 patients (median, 62 days). Repair was elective in 14 patients and urgent in 10 patients. Concomitant procedures were aortic valve replacement in 3 patients and coronary revascularization in 3 patients, and 16 procedures were reoperations. Chart review and analysis of 3-dimensional computed tomography (CT) scans were performed. Imaging follow-up was complete in 89% of patients during a median of 18 months (interquartile range [IQR], 10 to 28 months). Results Technical success was achieved in all patients. Moderate reduction in aortic size occurred in most patients, with no retrograde false lumen flow. Late reintervention was required in 5 patients: endovascular for distal type I endoleak in 2 patients, type II endoleak in 1 patient, pseudoaneurysm of the abdominal aorta in 1 patient, and 1 open repair for aneurysm of the untreated distal segment in 1 patient. One patient died of pulmonary embolism on postoperative day 19 after 1-stage repair (4.0%) and 1 patient (4%) had a transient stroke, but there was no renal failure, respiratory failure, or permanent spinal cord injury. Median length of stay was 13 days (IQR, 8 to 16 days) after first-stage ET and 8 days (IQR, 5 to 12 days) after endovascular ET completion. One patient died during a mean of 23 ± 11 months of follow-up. Conclusions Open distal landing zone fenestration during first-stage ET facilitates endovascular completion for aneurysm associated with chronic distal dissection. Early results suggest that this technique is efficacious in eliminating retrograde false lumen filling and promoting aortic size reduction and is safe for patients.
Biochemical aberrations in otosclerosis. Activity and control of phosphofructokinase from human ossicles.

Phosphofructokinase activity was determined in extracts from ossicles of otosclerotic and non-otosclerotic individuals. The assay was varied to determine the influence of adenosine triphosphate and citrate on bone phosphofructokinase activity, especially in otosclerotic stapedes. Phosphofructokinase from ossicles is not inhibited by levels of adenosine triphosphate which normally inhibit the enzyme from skeletal muscle, heart, liver and brain tissue. The phosphofructokinase activity in stapedes is greater than the other ossicles, but the activity from otosclerotic stapedes is similar to the activity from non-otosclerotic controls. However, otosclerotic stapedes phosphofructokinase responds differently and with less sensitivity to increasing citrate concentrations than non-otosclerotic controls. Glucose-6-phosphate, replacing fructose-6-phosphate in the phosphofructokinase reaction mixture, yields rates similar to fructose-6-phosphate, indicating hexose isomerase is functioning to the same capacity in otos...
Families Enriched for Exceptional Longevity also have Increased Health-Span: Findings from the Long Life Family Study

Hypothesizing that members of families enriched for longevity delay morbidity compared to population controls and approximate the health-span of centenarians, we compared the health-spans of older generation subjects of the Long Life Family Study (LLFS) to controls without family history of longevity and to centenarians of the New England Centenarian Study (NECS) using Bayesian parametric survival analysis. We estimated hazard ratios, the ages at which specific percentiles of subjects had onsets of diseases, and the gain of years of disease-free survival in the different cohorts compared to referent controls. Compared to controls, LLFS subjects had lower hazards for cancer, cardiovascular disease, severe dementia, diabetes, hypertension, osteoporosis, and stroke. The age at which 20% of the LLFS siblings and probands had one or more age-related diseases was approximately 10 years later than NECS controls. While female NECS controls generally delayed the onset of age-related diseases compared with males controls, these gender differences became much less in the older generation of the LLFS and disappeared amongst the centenarians of the NECS. The analyses demonstrate extended health-span in the older subjects of the LLFS and suggest that this aging cohort provides an important resource to discover genetic and environmental factors that promote prolonged health-span in addition to longer life-span.
Promoting Resilience in Stress Management: A Pilot Study of a Novel Resilience-Promoting Intervention for Adolescents and Young Adults With Serious Illness

Objective To examine the feasibility and format of the Promoting Resilience in Stress Management (PRISM) intervention among two groups of adolescents and young adults (AYAs) at-risk for poor outcomes: those with Type 1 diabetes (T1D) or cancer. Methods PRISM consists of two long or four short skills-based modules. English-speaking patients 12-25 years old were eligible if they had T1D for >6 months or cancer for >2 weeks. Feasibility was defined as an 80% completion rate and high satisfaction. Ongoing monitoring shaped iterative refinement of disease-specific approach. Results 12 of 15 patients with T1D (80%) completed the two-session intervention. 3 of 15 patients with cancer declined to complete the two-session version, citing prohibitive length of individual sessions. 12 (80%) completed the four-session version. Patient-reported satisfaction was high across groups. Conclusions The PRISM intervention is feasible and well-accepted by AYAs with cancer or T1D. Differences in patient populations warrant differences in approach.
Developmental Effects of Serotonin 1A Autoreceptors on Anxiety and Social Behavior

The serotonin 1A receptor (5-HT1A) has a major role in modulating the effects of serotonin on mood and behavior. Previous studies have shown that knockout of 5-HT1A selectively in the raphe leads to higher levels of anxiety during adulthood. However, it remains unclear whether this phenotype is due to variation in receptor levels specifically during development or throughout life. To test the hypothesis that developmental sensitivity may underlie the effects of 5-HT1A on anxiety, we used an inducible transgenic system to selectively suppress 5-HT1A levels in serotonergic raphe neurons from post-natal days (P) 14 to P30, with a maximal reduction of 40% at P21 and return to regular levels by P30. This developmental decrease in receptor levels has long-lasting consequences, increasing anxiety and decreasing social investigation in adulthood. In addition, post-natal knockdown of autoreceptors leads to long-term increases in the excitability of serotonergic neurons, which may represent a mechanism underlying the effects of post-natal receptor variation on behavior later in life. Finally, we also examined the interplay between receptor variation and juvenile exposure to stress (applied from P14 to P21). Similar to receptor knockdown, juvenile exposure to stress led to increased anxiety phenotypes but did not exacerbate 5-HT1A knockdown-mediated anxiety levels. This work indicates that the effects of 5-HT1A autoreceptors on anxiety and social behaviors are developmentally mediated and suggests that natural variations in the expression of 5-HT1A may act during development to influence individual anxiety levels and contribute to susceptibility to anxiety disorders.
Relativistic Images in Randall-Sundrum II Braneworld Lensing

In this paper, we explore the properties of gravitational lensing by black holes in the Randall-Sundrum II braneworld. We use numerical techniques to calculate lensing observables using the tidal Reissner-Nordstrom (TRN) and Garriga-Tanaka metrics to examine supermassive black holes and primordial black holes. We introduce a new way to parametrize tidal charge in the TRN metric which results in a large increase in image magnifications for braneworld primordial black holes compared to their 4-dimensional analogs. Finally, we offer a mathematical analysis that allows us to assess the validity of the logarithmic approximation of the bending angle for any static, spherically symmetric metric. We apply this to the TRN metric and show that it is valid for any amount of tidal charge.
Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis and gadolinium: a perfect storm.

AJR:191, October 2008 las [18]. That study reported no significant worsening of renal function in 15 patients who were not immediately treated with hemodialysis, with 2and 6-month “monitoring” [18]. Because of this apparent safety, most radiology practices did not require serum creatinine measurements before the administration of GBCAs. This absence of data increased the difficulty in retrospective analysis of the relationship of NSF cases to preexisting renal dysfunction.