cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tax Abolishes Histone H1 Repression of p300 Acetyltransferase Activity at the Human T-Cell Leukemia Virus Type 1 Promoter

Upon infection of human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1), the provirus is integrated into the host cell genome and subsequently packaged into chromatin that contains histone H1. Consequently, transcriptional activation of the virus requires overcoming the environment of chromatin and H1. To efficiently activate transcription, HTLV-1 requires the virally encoded protein Tax and cellular transcription factor CREB. Together Tax and CREB interact with three cis-acting promoter elements called viral cyclic-AMP response elements (vCREs). Binding of Tax and CREB to the vCREs promotes association of p300/CBP into the complex and leads to transcriptional activation. Therefore, to fully understand the mechanism of Tax transactivation, it is necessary to examine transcriptional activation from chromatin assembled with H1. Using a DNA template harboring the complete HTLV-1 promoter sequence and a highly defined recombinant assembly system, we demonstrate proper incorporation of histone H1 into chromatin. Addition of H1 to the chromatin template reduces HTLV-1 transcriptional activation through a novel mechanism. Specifically, H1 does not inhibit CREB or Tax binding to the vCREs or p300 recruitment to the promoter. Rather, H1 directly targets p300 acetyltransferase activity. Interestingly, in determining the mechanism of H1 repression, we have discovered a previously undefined function of Tax, overcoming the repressive effects of H1-chromatin. Tax specifically abrogates the H1 repression of p300 enzymatic activity in a manner independent of p300 recruitment and without displacement of H1 from the promoter.
Choline transporter hemizygosity results in diminished basal extracellular dopamine levels in nucleus accumbens and blunts dopamine elevations following cocaine or nicotine

Dopamine (DA) signaling in the central nervous system mediates the addictive capacities of multiple commonly abused substances, including cocaine, amphetamine, heroin and nicotine. The firing of DA neurons residing in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), and the release of DA by the projections of these neurons in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), is under tight control by cholinergic signaling mediated by nicotinic acetylcholine (ACh) receptors (nAChRs). The capacity for cholinergic signaling is dictated by the availability and activity of the presynaptic, high-affinity, choline transporter (CHT, SLC5A7) that acquires choline in an activity-dependent matter to sustain ACh synthesis. Here, we present evidence that a constitutive loss of CHT expression, mediated by genetic elimination of one copy of the Slc5a7 gene in mice (CHT+/), leads to a significant reduction in basal extracellular DA levels in the NAc, as measured by in vivo microdialysis. Moreover, CHT heterozygosity results in blunted DA elevations following systemic nicotine or cocaine administration. These findings reinforce a critical role of ACh signaling capacity in both tonic and drug-modulated DA signaling and argue that genetically imposed reductions in CHT that lead to diminished DA signaling may lead to poor responses to reinforcing stimuli, possibly contributing to disorders linked to perturbed cholinergic signaling including depression and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE BIOLOGY OF TISSUE CELLS : I. THE RELATION OF CELL CROWDING TO TISSUE GROWTH IN VITRO.

1. A method has been described by which it is possible to scatter isolated tissue cells in a suitable medium. 2. Experiments were undertaken to determine whether minute fragments of fibroblastic culture are able to persist and multiply when transferred into a new culture medium. 3. Cell divisions were not observed in isolated cells under the conditions of the experiment. Growth took place only when the tissue cells were numerous and close to one another.
Case study: visualization of an electric power transmission system

Visualization techniques are applied to an electric power system transmission network to create a graphical picture of network power flows and voltages. A geographic data map is used. Apparent power flow is encoded as the width of an arrow, with direction from real power flow. Flows are superposed on flow limits. Contour plots and color coding failed for representing bus voltages. A two-color thermometer encoding worked well. The resulting visualization is a significant improvement over current user interface practice in the power industry.
Regional Convergence: Evidence from a New State-by-State Capital Stock Series

This paper seeks to reconcile the growth empirics technique of Mankiw, Romer, and Weil (1992) with the empirical results of Barro and Sala-“i-Martin (1991) through the development of a new database covering the 1977-96 period. We create state-by-state capital stock and gross investment estimates by apportioning the national capital stock among the states. Using these estimates along with gross state product and employment data, we find evidence that the Solow growth model explains state-wide growth during this period. We consistently find a rate of convergence of around 2%. Our results, as a consequence, suggest that the empirical results of Barro and Sala-i-Martin are driven by the neoclassical growth process of Solow.
Development and validation of a survey-based COPD severity score.

Objective: To develop a comprehensive disease-specific COPD severity instrument for survey-based epidemiologic research. Study design and setting: Using a population-based sample of 383 US adults with self-reported physiciandiagnosed COPD, we developed a disease-specific COPD severity instrument. The severity score was based on structured telephone interview responses and included five overall aspects of COPD severity: respiratory symptoms, systemic corticosteroid use, other COPD medication use, previous hospitalization or intubation, and home oxygen use. We evaluated concurrent validity by examining the association between the COPD severity score and three health status domains: pulmonary function, physical health-related quality of life (HRQL), and physical disability. Pulmonary function was available for a subgroup of the sample (FEV1 ,n 49; peak expiratory flow rate [PEFR], n 93). Results: The COPD severity score had high internal consistency reliability (Cronbach 0.80). Among the 49 subjects with FEV1 data, higher COPD severity scores were associated with poorer percentage of predicted FEV1 (r0.40, p 0.005). In the 93 subjects with available PEFR measurements, greater COPD severity was also related to worse percentage of predicted PEFR (r0.35, p <0.001). Higher COPD severity scores were strongly associated with poorer physical HRQL (r0.58, p <0.0001) and greater restricted activity attributed to a respiratory condition (r0.59, p <0.0001). Higher COPD severity scores were also associated with a greater risk of difficulty with activities of daily living (odds ratio [OR], 2.3; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.8 to 3.0) and inability to work (OR, 4.2; 95% CI, 3.0 to 5.8). Conclusion: The COPD severity score is a reliable and valid measure of disease severity, making it a useful research tool. The severity score, which does not require pulmonary function measurement, can be used as a study outcome or to adjust for disease severity. (CHEST 2005; 127:1890–1897)
Studying the impact of application-level optimizations on the power consumption of multi-core architectures

This paper studies the overall system power variations of two multi-core architectures, an 8-core Intel and a 32-core AMD workstation, while using these machines to execute a wide variety of sequential and multi-threaded benchmarks using varying compiler optimization settings and runtime configurations. Our extensive experimental study provides insights for answering two questions: 1) what degrees of impact can application level optimizations have on reducing the overall system power consumption of modern CMP architectures; and 2) what strategies can compilers and application developers adopt to achieve a balanced performance and power efficiency for applications from a variety of science and embedded systems domains.
Pharmacy consultation and over‐the‐counter medication purchasing outcomes

Summary A demonstration project was conducted within 23 community pharmacies located throughout the state of Washington to: (1) assess the effects of pharmacy consultation on over-the-counter (OTC) medication purchasing decisions and costs, (2) to identify factors influencing those intending to purchase a brand name medication to change to a generic or private label product, or to a different brand name product, and (3)to quantify prevented adverse medication outcomes. Pharmacy students in their final year of training provided consultation to 745 consumers intending to purchase an OTC product. The consultations averaged 4–6 min in length, and resulted in 42.6% of consumers changing their intended purchase. These changes reduced OTC expenditures by an average of US 1.53 per customer, primarily as a result of movement from brand name products to lower priced generic or private label equivalents. Nearly 8% of consumers made no purchase after consultation, and 4.3% were referred to a physician. Logistic regression analysis identified gender of the consultant being female (odds ratio = 3·87, 95% CI= 1·58-9·45), and an increasing length of consultation (odds ratio= 1–30, 95% CI= 1–08- 1·57) as being significant factors influencing consumers to change their final purchase from a brand name OTC product to a generic or private label, or to a different brand name product. Potential adverse outcomes (disease-medication interaction; medication-medication interaction; additive side-effects; or duplication in therapeutic category) were prevented in 7·1% of the study population. This study documents consumer need for pharmacy consultation in order to optimize both the therapeutic appropriateness of, and pharmaceutical expenditures for OTC medication.
A schema-matching tool for Alzheimer's disease data integration

We provide a working demonstration of a software tool that we have developed for schema-matching across multiple, heterogeneous datasets of Alzheimer's disease data.
Quantifying EM noise coupling to antenna coax cable placed in a digital device

We clarified a coupling mechanism through the air of electromagnetic noise generated a LSI mounted in the printed circuit board to the antenna coaxial cable placed in the same digital device. It is quantified with experiment and numeric simulation that how much noise power can be transferred to the coaxial cable and its terminal ends. Shield characteristics of the coaxial cable placed near a noise source is also examined and presented interesting results that will be usable for product design.
Statistical Modeling of Images with Fields of Gaussian Scale Mixtures

The local statistical properties of photographic images, when represented in a multi-scale basis, have been described using Gaussian scale mixtures (GSMs). Here, we use this local description to construct a global field of Gaussian scale mixtures (FoGSM). Specifically, we model subbands of wavelet coefficients as a product of an exponentiated homogeneous Gaussian Markov random field (hGMRF) and a second independent hGMRF. We show that parameter estimation for FoGSM is feasible, and that samples drawn from an estimated FoGSM model have marginal and joint statistics similar to wavelet coefficients of photographic images. We develop an algorithm for image denoising based on the FoGSM model, and demonstrate substantial improvements over current state-of-the-art denoising method based on the local GSM model.
Extension of Lagrange interpolation to 2-D nonuniform samples in polar coordinates

The reconstruction of a bandlimited 2-D signal from a set of nonuniform samples is discussed. The Lagrange interpolation is extended to 2-D signals using polar coordinates. >
American Attitudes Toward Economic Inequality

In a democratic society, changes in policy or outcomes are expected to be a product of the people’s preferences. To what extent do the American people support policies that reduce income inequality? This paper investigates whether Americans are supportive of large gaps in income, and finds that, contrary to popular perception, the American public is unsupportive of reducing income differences, a majority favor reductions in inequality. In examining the reasons for this support, I find that partisan and ideological attachments, along with economic self-interest are substantively and most consistently the strongest predictors of an individual’s support for reducing income inequality. These findings suggest that in light of increases in wealth inequality, elected officials’ failure to reduce this growth spurns the public will.
Reliability of clinical estrogen receptor assays performed on tumor tissue biopsied from sites previously treated with radiotherapy

The present retrospective analysis was done to determine whether previous radiotherapy to a biopsy site could be a source offalse-negative estrogen receptor assays as suggested in earlier reports. The present study population included 56 women who had estrogen receptor assays done on tumor tissue obtainedfrom skin, subcutaneous, or bmph node metastases. Tissue was taken from a previously irradiated area in I4 patients andfrom an unirradiated area in 42. Fifty-seven percent of the former and 50% of the latter patients had positive estrogen receptor assays, and quantitative levels of estrogen receptor also were comparable between the two populations. Other potential variables, including age, menopausal status, disease-free interval, dominant metastatic site, prior cytotoxic chemotherapy, and extent of disease, also were analyzed, but did not signt$cantly alter interpretation of results. Patients in both irradiated and unirradiated groups who had low tumor-to-stroma ratios histopathologically were less likely to have positive estradiol receptor assays than patients with more cellular tumors (25% vs. 70%). In the present series it did not appear that prior radiotherapy to a site biopsiedfor estrogen receptor assay resulted in false-negative determinations. These observations require conjrmation in large comparative series of patients.
Designing a predictable backbone network using valiant load-balancing

The backbones form the core of the Internet and carry large volumes of data across long distances. Designing a backbone network with performance guarantees is important but difficult due to the uncertainty in the traffic matrix, the need to accommodate component failures, and the desire to avoid congestion. Backbone networks today are highly over-provisioned but cannot guarantee to support all traffic matrices. In this thesis we propose using Valiant Load-Balancing (VLB, named after L.G. Valiant) to design backbone networks that can support all traffic matrices efficiently, even under a number of failures. Chapter 2 shows that VLB is efficient for any network. A simple scheme, the Gravity Full Mesh, requires a total capacity no more than twice the theoretical lower bound, and another scheme, Minimum Network Fanout, requires a total capacity at most 20% more than the theoretical lower bound. The path diversity in VLB enables the network to tolerate failures efficiently. Chapter 3 shows that in order to tolerate k arbitrary failures, the fraction of extra capacity required is only approximately kN . In addition, VLB provides fast rerouting after failure. In Chapter 4 we first argue that most applications will not be affected by the extra propagation delay caused by VLB. Then we propose adaptive VLB, which adjusts the amount of load-balancing according to the traffic condition in order to minimize packet delay. In Chapter 5 we propose using VLB to route traffic between two networks. VLB can efficiently utilize the peering links so that there is no congestion unless the total peering traffic rate exceeds the total peering capacity. It can further ensure that peering packets receive the same quality of service as non-peering tragic. We derive the optimal load-balancing parameters for routing local traffic and peering traffic. We finally apply VLB to designing circuit-switched networks with performance guarantees. Current circuit-switched networks use heuristics to minimize average blocking probability. The heuristics require parameters that depend on the traffic metrics, are hard to analyze, and cannot give performance guarantees. Valiant Load-Balancing, on the other hand, can give theoretical bounds on blocking probabilities for all flows under worst case traffic.
Research and development of hybrid photovoltaic thermal solar air heaters

Solar energy is used mainly in two forms, as thermal energy and as electrical energy. On the one hand, in most applications where thermal energy is used, electrical energy is also required. On the other hand, photovoltaic systems utilise only a fraction of the incident solar energy, and the rest is wasted in the form of heat. Besides, silicon cells perform poorly at high operating temperatures, thus cooling of the cells is beneficial. Though concentration of sunlight enhances photovoltaic cell output, the high temperature associated with it prohibits its effective application. A hybrid collector is designed in such a way that the surface of the collector is partially or completely covered by photovoltaic cells, while a circulating fluid stream passes through the top and/or bottom sides of the collector plate, carrying away the excess heat and thus maintaining the cells at their optimum operating temperature. For the past twenty years very few studies of actual experimentations of the photovoltaic thermal air heaters have been conducted. Most studies have concentrated on simulations to determine the performance of such systems.
Inhibition of GSH efflux from rat liver by methionine: effects of GSH synthesis in cells and perfused organ

The inhibition of efflux of intracellular reduced glutathione (GSH) by methionine was determined in isolated rat hepatocytes suspended either in Krebs-Henseleit buffer or in modified Fisher's medium. Methionine (1 mM) added to Krebs-Henseleit suspensions of isolated rat hepatocytes inhibited GSH efflux, with greater retention of GSH in the cells compared with control. Results were similar with methionine and 0.3 mM propargylglycine cystathionase inhibitor), suggesting no net synthesis of GSH from methionine. In Fisher's medium, the inhibitory effect of methionine on GSH efflux was masked due to increasing cellular GSH; however, the inhibitory effect of methionine was unmasked by propargylglycine, which prevented the utilization of methionine for GSH synthesis. The addition of serine (0.1 mM) to methionine in Krebs-Henseleit buffer raised cellular GSH, overcoming the inhibition of GSH efflux. In the perfused liver, infusion of 1 and 5 mM methionine initially inhibited GSH efflux, but the inhibition was reversed with continued methionine infusion. After removal of methionine, GSH efflux increased immediately. The reversal and rebound were blocked by propargylglycine, revealing concentration-dependent inhibition of sinusoidal GSH efflux by methionine. Thus, when methionine is utilized to promote GSH synthesis, its inhibitory effect on GSH efflux tends to be overcome.
Container for Irradiation of Stable Flies for a Mass-Release Program

An insulated container that utilizes liquid urethane foam molded between plastic cartons was designed to hold adult Stomoxys calcitrans (L.) for irradiation. The flies were knocked down by cold and placed in the container which kept them cold and immobilized during irradiation. The container also was designed to hold the flies in the most consistent dose area of the irradiator. The sterility of irradiated males was 4.8% higher with this container than with other containers used under the same conditions.
The retinoblastoma gene family members pRB and p107 coactivate the AP-1-dependent mouse tissue factor promoter in fibroblasts.

Serum-stimulation of quiescent mouse fibroblasts results in transcriptional activation of tissue factor (TF), the cellular initiator of blood coagulation. This requires the rapid entry of c-Fos into specific AP-1 DNA-binding complexes and can be strongly inhibited by the adenovirus E1A 12S gene product. In this study, we utilized a panel of E1A mutants deficient in cellular protein binding to analyse the molecular basis for E1A inhibition of a minimal, c-Fos-dependent TF promoter/reporter construct in mouse AKR-2B fibroblasts. Mutations which impaired binding of the retinoblastoma tumor suppressor protein family members pRB, p107, and p130 relieved E1A-mediated inhibition of transcription in response to serum-stimulation or c-Fos overexpression. Inhibition was restricted to the G0 to G1 transition, consistent with the specificity of E1A for hypophosphorylated forms of RB proteins. Although E1A mutants deficient in CBP/p300 binding retained the ability to inhibit TF transcription, deletion of the amino-terminal portion of the CBP/p300 interaction domain was required to permit rescue of TF promoter activity by coexpression of pRB. Moreover, ectopic p107 could effectively substitute for pRB in relieving E1A-mediated repression. In primary mouse embryo fibroblasts, activity of the minimal AP-1-dependent TF promoter was suppressed in Rb−/− cells compared to parallel Rb+/− and Rb+/+ transfectants. Ectopic expression of either pRB or p107 markedly enhanced TF promoter activity in Rb−/− fibroblasts. Collectively, these data imply that pRB and p107 can cooperate with c-Fos to activate TF gene transcription in fibroblasts and suggest a requirement for another, as yet unidentified, E1A-binding protein.
The Kinetics of the Aerobic Reduction of Nitrofurantoin by NADPH-Cytochrome P-450 (c) Reductase

In vivo studies have indicated that mammalian organisms can reduce nitro aromatic compounds. This reduction occurs primarily in liver. On the other hand, nitro reductase activity is not observed in vitro for liver preparations under the aerobic conditions found in mammalian tissues. Studies from our laboratory suggest that this inhibition is due to the rapid reoxidation of the first reduction product, the nitro aromatic anion radical. We now find that physiological concentrations of detergent-solubilized microsomal NADPH-cytochrome P-450 (c) reductase can reduce nitrofurantoin aerobically. The rate is about 14% of the anaerobic rate of metabolism. This reduction is second-order in both substrate and enzyme, in agreement with the concept that it proceeds through the initial formation of the 5-nitrofuran anion radical. This radical then disproportionates to form the nitroso and reform the parent drug. These data indicate that the rate of disproportionation of the anion radical is comparable to the rate of reoxidation of the radical by oxygen. Furthermore, since these results demonstrate rapid nitroreduction in an aerobic mammalian system, they lend support to the hypothesis that the nitroaromatic carcinogens and radiosensitizers are metabolically activated in vivo by reduction to their nitroso and hydroxylamine derivatives.
An Illuminating Dialogue

It is a privilege to receive feedback from five such distinguished scholars and practitioners. In this brief reply, I aim to address their main critiques of the book in general and of my conclusions specifically. Their claims include the following: constitutional design has little to do with conflict management; one of the book's case studies is incorrectly coded; integrative constitutional design is exclusionary and thus causes conflict; partial accommodation is better than none; extensive accommodation is feasible; and the book's research is too complex to yield practical benefits.
Adherence evaluation of vented chest seals in a swine skin model.

Abstract Objectives Perforation of the chest (open pneumothorax) with and without lung injury can cause air accumulation in the chest, positive intrapleural pressure and lead to tension pneumothorax if untreated. The performance of chest seals to prevent tension physiology depends partially on their ability to adhere to the skin and seal the chest wound. Novel non-occlusive vented chest seals were assessed for their adhesiveness on skin of live swine under normal and extreme environmental conditions to simulate austere battlefield conditions. Methods Chest seals were applied on the back of the swine on skin that was soiled by various environmental contaminants to represent battlefield situations. A peeling (horizontal rim peeling) and detachment and breaching (vertical pulling) techniques were used to quantify the adhesive performance of vented chest seals. Among eight initially selected vented seals, five (Bolin, Russell, Fast breathe, Hyfin and SAM) were further down-selected based on their superior adherence scores at ambient temperatures. The adherence of these seals was then assessed after approximately 17h storage at extreme cold (−19.5°C) and hot (71.5°C) temperatures. Results Adherence scores for peeling (above 90%) and detachment scores (less than 25%) were comparable for four vented chest seals when tested at ambient temperature, except for the Bolin seal which had higher breaching. Under extreme storage temperatures, adherence peeling scores were comparable to those at ambient temperatures for four chest seals. Scores were significantly lower for the Bolin seal at extreme temperatures. This seal also had the highest detachment and breaching scores. In contrast, the Russell, Fast breathe, Hyfin and SAM seals showed similar ability to stay air tight without breaching after hot storage. Conclusion No significant difference was found in skin adherence of the five vented chest seals at ambient temperature and the four seals (Russell, Fast breathe, Hyfin and SAM) maintained superior adherence even after exposure to extreme temperatures compared to the Bolin. To select the most effective product from the 5 selected vented chest seals, further functional evaluation of the valve of these chest seals on a chest wound with the potential for tension in the pneumothorax or hemopneumothorax is warranted.
Abundance, Control and Water! Water! Water! : The Work of Eating at Work

Working in the workplace requires a labor all of its own. In addition to the work of simply provisioning food, the twenty-five university office workers interviewed in this interdisciplinary study also put considerable labor into developing and maintaining complex systems for making choices about what, how and where to eat while working. These systems, which were designed to meet varying individual definitions of “health,” were then strained and frequently sabotaged by food that simply materialized in the workplace through catered meals and office “food altars.” The work of avoiding and compensating for these appeared foods emerged as a central theme in the research. For many, the consumption of water offered a virtuous solution to the conundrum. Articulated as a chant and a dictum, “Water! Water! Water!” propelled workers toward self-described “good choices” in their patterns of workplace consumption and navigation.
Theory of the Geodynamo

The physical principles governing self-excited dynamos are illustrated by a simple example. The idea that these principles explain the existence of the Earth's magnetic field is advanced. This `geodynamo hypothesis' is investigated through magnetohydrodynamics (MHD), which combines the electrodynamics and fluid mechanics of the Earth's electrically conducting fluid core. The first part of the chapter presents kinematic theory, which studies the non-relativistic electrodynamics of dynamos. Processes are identified that allow core motions to sustain magnetic field despite energy losses due to the core's finite electrical conductivity. These processes rely on reconnection of magnetic field lines, which occurs because the core is not a perfect electrical conductor. Magnetic field regeneration depends on the flow's lack of mirror-symmetry. Specific models of kinematic dynamos are presented in which the inducing flow is laminar. Mean field theory describes the creation of a mean magnetic field when the inducing flow is turbulent. Its lack of mirror-symmetry, usually described by its helicity, creates the so-called ‘alpha effect' that can sustain the mean magnetic field. Types of mean field dynamos are discussed.
Membrane mechanical properties of synthetic asymmetric phospholipid vesicles

Synthetic lipid vesicles have served as important model systems to study cellular membrane biology. Research has shown that the mechanical properties of bilayer membranes significantly affects their biological behavior. The properties of a lipid bilayer are governed by lipid acyl chain length, headgroup type, and the presence of membrane proteins. However, few studies have explored how membrane architecture, in particular trans-bilayer lipid asymmetry, influences membrane mechanical properties. In this study, we investigated the effects of lipid bilayer architecture (i.e. asymmetry) on the mechanical properties of biological membranes. This was achieved using a customized micropipette aspiration system and a novel microfluidic technique previously developed by our team for building asymmetric phospholipid vesicles with tailored bilayer architecture. We found that the bending modulus and area expansion modulus of the synthetic asymmetric bilayers were up to 50% larger than the values acquired for symmetric bilayers. This was caused by the dissimilar lipid distribution in each leaflet of the bilayer for the asymmetric membrane. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the impact of trans-bilayer asymmetry on the area expansion modulus of synthetic bilayer membranes. Since the mechanical properties of bilayer membranes play an important role in numerous cellular processes, these results have significant implications for membrane biology studies.
MICROFLORA OF THE INTESTINE | Detection and Enumeration of Probiotic Cultures

This article is a revision of the previous edition article by G. Klantzopoulos, volume 2, pp 1373–1379, © 1999, Elsevier Ltd.
Perceptual-Motor Deficits and Congenital MD

Fine motor and perceptuo-motor abilities in 22 children with congenital muscular dystrophy, with and without MRI changes, were evaluated at the Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK.
SANITARY CONDITIONS IN TWELVE FLUID MILK PROCESSING PLANTS AS DETERMINED BY USE OF THE RINSE FILTER METHOD

Experiments were done in 12 fluid milk processing plants to determine their sanitary condition. Tap water was sterilized by membrane filtration and sodium thiosulfate was added to inactivate residual sanitizer. This water was used to rinse the pasteurized milk storage tank, filler bowls and filled containers. Samples of rinse water were filtered through membrane filters which were incubated on media to produce colonies. Total and coliform counts were made. Storage tanks contributed fewer bacteria to the water than other equipment. About 60% of the first cartons taken from fillers were contaminated with at least 1 bacterium per 100 ml of rinse water and 37% contained at least 1 coliform per 100 ml. The method appears useful to evaluate the sanitary conditions of equipment.
Gefitinib (’Iressa’, ZD1839) inhibits the expression of COX-2 and the growth of experimental head and neck squamous-cell carcinoma

4645 Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) are believed to contribute to the growth of head and neck squamous-cell carcinoma (HNSCC). In this study, we investigated the antitumor properties of gefitinib (‘Iressa’, ZD1839), an orally active EGFR-TKI (EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor), in experimental HNSCC. Studies were carried out in 1483 cells, an EGFR overexpressing human HNSCC cell line. Initially, we evaluated whether gefitinib inhibited the growth of 1483 xenografts in nude mice. Gefitinib at doses of 10, 50, and 100 mg/kg/day administered by oral gavage caused dose-dependent inhibition of tumor growth. Tumor growth was almost completely inhibited by 100 mg/kg/day gefitinib. To determine whether growth inhibition reflected a change in cell proliferation, immunohistochemistry for Ki-67 was carried out. Treatment with 100 mg/kg/day gefitinib caused more than a 60% decrease in cell proliferation in 1483 xenografts. Subsequently, in vitro studies were performed to further elucidate the mechanism underlying the growth inhibitory effect of gefitinib. Gefitinib caused dose- and time-dependent inhibition of 1483 cell growth with an IC50 of 1 μM. Growth inhibition was a consequence of reduced DNA synthesis and a G0/G1 cell cycle arrest. These inhibitory effects were associated with a marked reduction in levels of phospho-Rb and cyclin D1. Selective inhibitors of COX-2 also suppress the growth of HNSCC. Activation of EGFR signaling has been observed to induce COX-2 in vitro. It was of interest, therefore, to determine whether treatment with gefitinib suppressed the expression of COX-2 in vitro and in vivo. Gefitinib caused dose-dependent inhibition of EGF-mediated induction of COX-2 in 1483 cells in vitro. Moreover, acute treatment of mice bearing 1483 xenografts caused nearly complete suppression of intratumoral COX-2 expression. Taken together, these results support the evaluation of gefitinib in the treatment of HNSCC. Inhibition of COX-2 expression is likely to contribute to the antitumor activity of gefitinib.
The impact of teachings on sexuality in Islam on HPV vaccine acceptability in the Middle East and North Africa region.

The human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine is the recommended prevention strategy for viruses-related cancers, but its acceptability remains controversial, primarily because of the relationship between sexual activity and HPV infection. Countries in the Middle East and North Africa are conservative vis-a-vis sexual behaviors, where Islam shapes people's practices including sexual health, and imposes that sex be carried out within lawful context. Many sexually transmitted infections can be prevented if the rules of Islam are unfailingly applied by Muslims in that region. However, this is not guaranteed and a noticeable shift in the sexual behavior of the youth has been detected, including a drastic increase in unofficial sexual practices, which in the long-term increase HPV incidence and its related diseases. This study examines the available epidemiological data as well as the teachings in Islam's sacred texts and scholars' perspectives to describe the tensions that exist in Muslim cultures around sexuality. Understanding their influence and the function of these tensions can help illuminate the factors that contribute to barriers to accepting the vaccine.
Role of fluctuations on the pairing properties of nuclei in the random spacing model

The influence of thermal fluctuations on fermion pairing is investigated using a semiclassical treatment of fluctuations. When the average pairing gaps along with those differing by one standard deviation are used, the characteristic discontinuity of the specific heat at the critical temperature Tc in the BCS formalism with its most probable gap becomes smooth. This indicates the suppression of a second order phase transition as experimentally observed in nanoparticles and several nuclei. Illustrative calculations using the constant spacing model and the recently introduced random spacing model are presented.
Vascular and Neural Complications in Type 2 Diabetic Rats: Improvement by Sacubitril/Valsartan Greater Than Valsartan Alone

Previously, we had shown that a vasopeptidase inhibitor drug containing ACE and neprilysin inhibitors was an effective treatment for diabetic vascular and neural complications. However, side effects prevented further development. This led to the development of sacubitril/valsartan, a drug containing angiotensin II receptor blocker and neprilysin inhibitor that we hypothesized would be an effective treatment for diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Using early and late intervention protocols (4 and 12 weeks posthyperglycemia, respectively), type 2 diabetic rats were treated with valsartan or sacubitril/valsartan for 12 weeks followed by an extensive evaluation of vascular and neural end points. The results demonstrated efficacy of sacubitril/valsartan in improving vascular and neural function was superior to valsartan alone. In the early intervention protocol, sacubitril/valsartan treatment was found to slow progression of these deficits and, with late intervention treatment, was found to stimulate restoration of vascular reactivity, motor and sensory nerve conduction velocities, and sensitivity/regeneration of sensory nerves of the skin and cornea in a rat model of type 2 diabetes. These preclinical studies suggest that sacubitril/valsartan may be an effective treatment for diabetic peripheral neuropathy, but additional studies will be needed to investigate these effects further.
Proton Flux and ATP Formation in Chloroplasts

Current work in our laboratory deals with some aspects of the relation between electron transport and proton translocation across chloroplast thylakoid membranes, and its regulation; and further with the beginning of some insight into the function of the chloroplast coupling factor (CF1) during ATP formation.
Pyrimidine biosynthesis in Pseudomonas stutzeri ATCC 17588

The de novo pyrimidine biosynthetic enzymes in the denitrifying bacterium Pseudomonas stutzeri ATCC 17588 were assayed and their activities were lower in glucose-grown cells than in succinate-grown cells. When P. stutzeri was grown in the presence of uracil, the de novo enzyme activities in succinate-grown cells were lowered while they remained largely unchanged in glucose-grown cells. A uracil auxotroph of P. stutzeri, deficient for aspartate transcarbamoylase activity, was isolated and its auxotrophic requirement was met by only uracil and cytosine. The inability of pyrimidine ribonucleosides to meet the auxotrophic requirement was related to the limited ability of P. stutzeri to transport uridine and cytidine. Pyrimidine limitation of the auxotroph elevated the de novo enzyme activities indicating that this pathway may be repressible by a uracil-related compound in succinate-grown P. stutzeri cells. Regulation of pyrimidine synthesis in P. stutzeri was similar to that observed for other pseudomonads classified within rRNA homology group I.
Justicia salasiae, A New Species of Acanthaceae from Oaxaca, Mexico

Justicia salasiae, a new species from tropical deciduous forests in the Sierra Madre del Sur of southern Oaxaca, Mexico is described and illustrated. The species is distinctive by its panicles of spikes bearing elongate bracts and its tuberculate seeds that bear minute trichomes on the tubercles.
DART: distributed adaptive radix tree for efficient affix-based keyword search on HPC systems

Affix-based search is a fundamental functionality for storage systems. It allows users to find desired datasets, where attributes of a dataset match an affix. While building inverted index to facilitate efficient affix-based keyword search is a common practice for standalone databases and for desktop file systems, building local indexes or adopting indexing techniques used in a standalone data store is insufficient for high-performance computing (HPC) systems due to the massive amount of data and distributed nature of the storage devices within a system. In this paper, we propose Distributed Adaptive Radix Tree (DART), to address the challenge of distributed affix-based keyword search on HPC systems. This trie-based approach is scalable in achieving efficient affix-based search and alleviating imbalanced keyword distribution and excessive requests on keywords at scale. Our evaluation at different scales shows that, comparing with the "full string hashing" use case of the most popular distributed indexing technique - Distributed Hash Table (DHT), DART achieves up to 55× better throughput with prefix search and with suffix search, while achieving comparable throughput with exact and infix searches. Also, comparing to the "initial hashing" use case of DHT, DART maintains a balanced keyword distribution on distributed nodes and alleviates excessive query workload against popular keywords.
Electrolyte Confinement Alters Lithium Electrodeposition

The metastability of lithium electrodeposition continues to be a scientific mystery. Local ionic depletion has been conventionally argued to be a root cause for nonlinear morphological manifestations. Given the bulk nature of electrolyte transport limitation, it should be absent for very small interelectrode separations; however, even under such conditions, sustained electrodeposition is not observed. We find that the passivating film formed due to lithium’s high reactivity alters the surface energies and in turn deposition preference for fresh lithium. This asymmetry in deposition preference leads to nonuniform surface structure growth and traps the electrolyte layer. Such electrolyte confinement causes polarization, even at subcritical currents. The existence of confined electrolyte and associated electrochemical complexations is proved through temperature-controlled electrodeposition experiments.
Long-term real-life glycaemic outcomes with a hybrid closed-loop system compared with sensor-augmented pump therapy in patients with type 1 diabetes.

Aim To compare glycaemic metrics at 3 and 6 months in patients with type 1 diabetes on a 670G hybrid closed-loop (HCL) system after using a sensor-augmented pump (SAP) for at least 3 months. Materials and methods A retrospective study from a centre that has the largest number of 670G users in the United States was conducted. Data from 202 SAP users were reviewed. Sixty-one patients were excluded (two for steroid use, four for pregnancy, 27 for previous Enlite use, and 28 for non-continuous use of 670G). Out of 141 patients who met the inclusion criteria, 127 (aged 21-68 years) had complete data. Results HbA1c levels decreased by 0.4% at 3 months and were maintained at 6 months (7.6 ± 0.07 vs. 7.2 ± 0.08, P 180 mg/dL) were reduced by 30% (2.2% ± 0.2% vs. 3.2% ± 0.2%; P Conclusions The HCL system improved HbA1c levels and time-in-range, and decreased time spent in hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia at 6 months. Auto-mode use was significantly correlated with continuous glucose monitoring metrics and glycaemic outcomes.
Iron metabolism and oxygen tension: effect on hypoxia inducible factor (HIF) stabilization

1133 Iron is an element essential for functions of many enzymes as well as DNA synthesis in the human body. It has long been suspected that iron contributes to cancer development by oxidative DNA and protein damage, which therefore has been the focus of cancer research related to this metal. Recent studies indicate that iron is an important co-factor of HIF-prolyl hydroxylase, an enzyme involved in HIF degradation. HIF is the most recognized for controlling the regulation of an array of genes helping cells adapt to low oxygen conditions. The goal of this research has been to examine how cellular iron participates in oxygen sensing and cellular hypoxic response. We hypothesized changes in cellular iron levels during hypoxia contribute to HIF stabilization and downstream biological events. For the experiments in this study, we have used MDA-MB-231 human breast carcinoma cells as our model. We have shown that cells exposed to 1% O2 for 6 h responded with significant decreases in cellular iron bound to low molecular weight chelators (LMW-Fe;81.9 vs. 31 nmol/mg protein; p
Co-locating remote collaborators in immersive virtual environments using telematic systems

The rapid shift to remote work has forever changed the dynamic of teams, which require the best tools to work collaboratively across any distance. Rensselaer is home to two immersive virtual environments, intelligent rooms with panoramic, human-scale projection screens, spatial audio loudspeaker arrays, and networks of time-of-flight and acoustical tracking sensors. This project seeks to “colocate” teams across both sites such that the experience mimics collaborating within the same room. Simple video conferencing software are rarely well-configured for large groups and do not consider users’ spatial arrangements. This approach captures ultra-low-latency video and audio feeds of each space for presentation at either end, enabling a group at each location to communicate at 1-to-1 scale with the other. A spherical microphone array tracks multiple simultaneous speakers and adjusts their spatial positions across a Wave Field Synthesis loudspeaker array, maintaining audio-visual congruency. Users at each site can use the panoramic displays to present panoramic imagery or immersive data to be explored simultaneously by each group, facilitating a collaborative immersive experience, and interactions with the screen at one site may be echoed at the other to create the appearance of a single space. [Work supported by CISL, NSF No. 1229391, Army DURIP No. 68604-CS-RIP.]
Testing the effects of species interactions and water limitation on tree seedling biomass allocation and physiology.

Species interactions mediate tree responses to water limitation because competition and/or facilitation alter plant physiology and growth. However, because it is difficult to isolate the effects of plant-plant interactions and water limitation from other environmental factors, the mechanisms underlying tree physiology and growth in coexisting plants under drought are poorly understood. We investigated how species interactions and water limitation impact the physiology and growth of trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides), narrowleaf cottonwood (Populus angustifolia), and ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) seedlings in a controlled environment growth chamber, using aspen as a focal species. Seedlings were grown in pots alone or with a con- or hetero-specific seedling and were subjected to a water limitation treatment. Growth, water status, and physiological traits were measured before, during, and after the treatment. Under well-watered conditions, the presence of another seedling affected growth or biomass allocation in all species, but did not impact the physiological traits we measured. Under water limitation, the presence of a competing seedling had a marginal impact on seedling growth and physiological traits in all species. Throughout the study, the magnitude and direction of seedling responses were complex and often species-specific. Our study serves as an important step towards testing how species' interactions modify physiological responses and growth in well-watered and water limited periods.
Early estimates of SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 variant emergence in a university setting

Recent identification of the highly transmissible novel SARS-CoV-2 variant in the United Kingdom (B.1.1.7) has raised concerns for renewed pandemic surges worldwide 1,2. B.1.1.7 was first identified in the US on December 29, 2020 and may become dominant by March 2021 3. However, the regional prevalence of B.1.1.7 is largely unknown because of limited molecular surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 4. Quantitative PCR data from a surveillance testing program on a large university campus with roughly 30,000 students provides local situational awareness at a pivotal moment in the COVID-19 pandemic.