cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
GH3 rat pituitary tumor cells are deficient in hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase activity.

A deficiency of hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase (HPRT), a DNA salvage enzyme, was demonstrated in GH3 rat pituitary tumor cells. Plating efficiency, cell replication and hormone production by these cells were inhibited in a dose-dependent fashion by aminopterin (50–200 nM), an inhibitor of de novo DNA synthesis. The cells were resistant to doses of 6 thioguanine, a toxic purine analog, which are normally lethal to cells containing intact purine enzyme salvage pathways. 3[H]-hypoxanthine incorporation into acid-precipitable DNA was virtually absent in the GH3 cells, further confirming their lack of HPRT activity. Aminopterin-resistance, 6-thioguanine sensitivity and 3[H]-hypoxanthine incorporation were restored by hybridizing the GH3 cells with mouse fibroblast LMTK− cells containing the active HPRT gene. The results show that the stable expression of HPRT deficiency in GH3 cells, together with the expression of stable species-specific hormone markers, renders them uniquely suitable as wild type parental cells in interspecific gene transfer studies.
Long strange segments, ruin probabilities and the effect of memory on moving average processes

We obtain the rate of growth of long strange segments and the rate of decay of infinite horizon ruin probabilities for a class of infinite moving average processes with exponentially light tails. The rates are computed explicitly. We show that the rates are very similar to those of an i.i.d. process as long as the moving average coefficients decay fast enough. If they do not, then the rates are significantly different. This demonstrates the change in the length of memory in a moving average process associated with certain changes in the rate of decay of the coefficients.
Predicting the impact of interspecific competition in young loblolly pine plantations with diameter distribution models

Abstract A system of prediction equations was developed to examine the effects of interspecific competition on diameter distributions for young loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) plantations in the piedmont of Georgia, USA. Very little difference was detected among three types of models to predict the effects of hardwoods and total vegetation control on quadratic mean diameter (15 cm agove ground level). The percentile-based parameter recovery system for a three-parameter Weibull distribution function included direct and indirect effects of competition. Diameter distributions were compared among specific site preparation treatments and by systematically varying the amount of one hardwood species. The effects of increasing interspecific competition included skewing the distributions toward smaller diameters, decreasing the variation in diameters, and increasing the coefficient of variation in diameters. The system was sensitive to differences in interspecific competition at early ages, and could be adapted to young plantations of other commercial species.
An infinite family of Hadamard matrices of Williamson type

Abstract In this paper a new proof is given of the following theorem of Turyn: Let q = 2 n − 1 be a prime power ≡1 (mod 4); then there exists an Hadamard matrix of order 4 n that is of the Williamson type.
SCN5A-linked disease syndromes: complex monogenic disorders of cardiac rhythm.

Significant advances in the field of molecular biology have enabled the identification of genes that confer susceptibility to disease. Inherited arrhythmia syndromes resulting from genetic alterations of various cardiac ion channels and proteins have been invaluable to further our understanding of the molecular basis of cardiac excitability. Mutations in SCN5A, the gene encoding the pore-forming subunit of the cardiac sodium channel, have been associated with distinct life-threatening cardiac rhythm syndromes. While electrophysiological characterization of mutant sodium channels in dissociated systems have revealed abnormalities in channel function, significant overlap between aberrant rhythm phenotypes suggests a complex relationship between mutations and disease phenotype. These new insights not only enhance our understanding of the structure-–unction relationships of ion channels, but also highlight the complexities involved in linking single mutations, ion-channel behavior, and cardiac rhythm.
An Empirical Test of General Strain Theory

This paper tests Agnew's (1992) general strain theory (GST) of crime and delinquency. GST argues that strain occurs when others (1) prevent or threaten to prevent you from achieving positively valued goals, (2) remove or threaten to remove positively valued stimuli that you possess, or (3) present or threaten to present you with noxious or negatively valued stimuli. The impact of such strain on delinquency is said to be conditioned by several variables, such as association with delinquent peers and self-efficacy. Data from a sample of 1,380 New Jersey adolescents provide qualified support for the theory; strain measures of the type described above have a relatively substantial effect on delinquency and drug use. Further, the effect of these strain measures is conditioned by delinquent peers and self-efficacy, as predicted by GST.
Properties of the optical isomers and metabolites of ketamine on the high affinity transport and catabolism of monoamines

Abstract Racemic ketamine HCl, its optical isomers and the metabolites of the parent drug were incubated with synaptosomal-rich fractions obtained from rat cerebral cortex to evaluate the effect of these agents on the high affinity transport processes of the monoamine neurotransmitters. Each of the agents caused a concentration-dependent inhibition of the transport processes. The (+) isomer of ketamine HCl was about four times more potent than the (−) isomer on catecholamine transport while the (−) isomer appeared slightly more effective against serotonin transport. Both metabolite I and II of ketamine were weaker inhibitors than the parent drug. Metabolite I was shown to be a competitive inhibitor as had previously been demonstrated for ketamine, and was also found to inhibit the oxidative deamination of the monoamines more effectively than ketamine. The possible significance of the effects of the optical isomers and the metabolites of ketamine on monoamine metabolism is discussed in relation to quantitative differences observed in the pharmacological activity of the agents.
Electrical resistivity recovery of cold-worked high purity nickel

Abstract The electrical resistivity of high purity nickel deformed at −196°C shows a stage II recovery with an activation energy of 0.54 eV, stage III with an activation energy of 0.86 eV and stage IV with an activation energy of 1.32 eV. The data are interpreted in terms of stage III recovery being due primarily to interstitials annihilating vacancies, and stage IV recovery being due to vacancies going to dislocations. The results suggest that during plastic deformation the number of vacancies generated is appreciably greater than the number of interstitials.
Dentistry’s commitment to Head Start: an evaluation of selected programs

The effectiveness of seven randomly selected dental Head Start programs in meeting national and regional standards is evaluated. The dental health education component, topical fluoride application, and classroom oral hygiene aspects, except for in one program, were being conducted in an outstanding manner.
The roles of Cys124 and Ser239 in the functional properties of human βIII tubulin

Tubulin is the target for some very powerful anti-mitotic and anti-tumor drugs. The βIII tubulin isotype is found in very few normal tissues, but is often found in tumors, where it has been implicated in resistance to anti-tumor drugs. The βIII isotype occurs in fish, amphibians, birds and mammals and its unique features are highly conserved in evolution. One of these features is the replacement of cys239 by ser239. Cys239 is unusual in being highly sensitive to oxidation; in fact, oxidation of this residue inhibits microtubule assembly. The βIII isotype also has a very unusual cys124, where other β isotypes have ser/ala124. The striking conservation in βIII of vertebrates strongly suggests that cys124 and ser239 play functional roles. We have prepared the C124S and S239C mutants of βIII and tested their effects on the functional properties of tubulin. We have found that both the βIII C124S and βIII S239C mutants bind colchicine less well than does wild-type αβIII, and also make transfected HeLa cells more resistant to colchicine. However, the double mutant, βIII C124S/S239C, binds colchicine still less well than do either of the single mutants, but in contrast to the former, the double mutant increases the cells' sensitivity to colchicine. Our results indicate that the roles that these residues play in colchicine binding and microtubule integrity are far more complex than previously imagined and that the specific residues at which βIII differs from the other isotypes act collectively to keep βIII in a functional conformation. Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Both the epithelial cells and the nerve cells are involved in the head inhibition properties in Hydra attenuata.

Abstract The aberrant, a morphological mutant of Hydra attenuata, has been shown to have altered inhibition properties (D. I. Rubin and H. R. Bode, 1982, Develop. Biol. 89, 316–331) . Based on transplantation experiments, the inhibition gradient in the aberrant is steeper and higher near the head than that in the normal. Also, the amount of inhibition transmitted by the aberrant head is higher. Both epithelial cells and nerve cells have been implicated in the patterning process of hydra. The cell types involved in the altered inhibition properties of the aberrant were determined by making chimeras consisting of epithelial cells from one strain and nerve cells from the other. Experiments with these chimeras demonstrated that the epithelial cells were responsible for the altered inhibition gradient of the aberrant. In contrast, both the epithelial cells and the nerve cells were involved in the higher amount of inhibition transmitted by the aberrant head. Thus, both cell types are involved in this aspect of patterning.
Statistical Inference and Forensic Evidence: Evaluating a Bullet Lead Match

This experiment tested the ability of undergraduate mock jurors (N=295) to draw appropriate conclusions from statistical data on the diagnostic value of forensic evidence. Jurors read a summary of a homicide trial in which the key evidence was a bullet lead “match” that was either highly diagnostic, non-diagnostic, or of unknown diagnostic value. There was also a control condition in which the forensic “match” was not presented. The results indicate that jurors as a group used the statistics appropriately to distinguish diagnostic from non-diagnostic forensic evidence, giving considerable weight to the former and little or no weight to the latter. However, this effect was attributable to responses of a subset of jurors who expressed confidence in their ability to use statistical data. Jurors who lacked confidence in their statistical ability failed to distinguish highly diagnostic from non-diagnostic forensic evidence; they gave no weight to the forensic evidence regardless of its diagnostic value. Confident jurors also gave more weight to evidence of unknown diagnostic value. Theoretical and legal implications are discussed.
Planetary boundaries: Identifying abrupt change

Five per cent is a reasonable limit for acceptable ozone depletion, but it doesn't represent a tipping point.
Status of IFE safety and environmental activities in the US

This paper presents an overview of recent progress in the area of inertial fusion energy (IFE) safety and environment (S&E) in the US. Over the past several years, a significant effort has been devoted towards the development of S&E analyses for future IFE power plants. We have completed the safety assessment of various baseline IFE power plant concepts, including simulation of accident scenarios and accident consequences analyses, S&E studies of candidate target materials and discussions on waste management issues. The results from this work have allowed for a better understanding of the behaviour of radioactive sources and hazardous materials within the IFE power plant, identification of the energy sources that could mobilize those materials in case of an accident and assessment of waste management options for IFE. Currently, ongoing S&E studies for IFE are focusing on emerging design concepts, which include support to the high average power laser (HAPL) program for development of a dry-wall, laser-driven IFE power plant and collaboration with the Z-pinch IFE program for the production of an economically attractive power plant using high-yield Z-pinch-driven targets. In this paper, the main safety issues related to the HAPL and Z-IFE programs are reviewed, some recent safety highlights are presented and future directions in the IFE S&E area are proposed.
Effect of insertional inactivation of the genes encoding pneumolysin and autolysin on the virulence of Streptococcus pneumoniae type 3.

Derivatives of Streptococcus pneumoniae type 3 deficient in production of either pneumolysin or autolysin were constructed. This was achieved by transformation of type 3 pneumococci with DNA from derivatives of a rough strain (R×1), in which the respective genes had been interrupted by insertion-duplication mutagenesis using internal fragments of the cloned genes in the vector pVA891. Southern blot analysis confirmed that the pneumolysin or autolysin genes in the respective transformants had been interrupted by insertion of the plasmid-derived sequences. Both the pneumolysin-negative and the autolysin-negative strains had significantly reduced (P < 0.0001) virulence in mice, as judged by survival time after intraperitoneal challenge. The median survival time of mice challenged with type 3 pneumococci in which either pneumolysin or autolysin production had been reconstituted by back-transformation of the mutants with an intact copy of the respective cloned gene (with concomitant elimination of plasmid-derived sequences), was indistinguishable from that of mice challenged with the wild-type strain. These results establish the importance of both pneumolysin and autolysin to the virulence of type 3 pneumococci.
Reactions of N-Propylbenzene During Gas Phase Oxidation

Abstract Flow reactor data from the oxidation of n-propylbenzene near 1060 K are analyzed to deduce the reactions involved in removing the n-propyl group. Three major routes are found: (i) abstraction of a hydrogen from the propyl group followed by decomposition of the radical and oxidative reactions, (ii) displacement of the propyl group by a radical species, and (iii) direct cleavage of the sidechain followed by the oxidation of the benzyl radical. The reaction sequences beginning with the abstraction of primary and benzylic hydrogens from the propyl group show a strong analogy to results for the oxidation of propane. However, the products predicted based on the analogy to propane for the abstraction of secondary hydrogens from the propyl group were not detected in significant quantities. The absence of expected products led to the recognition that a rapid phenyl shift isomerization of the beta-phenyl propyl radical occurs prior to the decomposition of the radical.
Experimental fetal tracheal ligation reverses the structural and physiological effects of pulmonary hypoplasia in congenital diaphragmatic hernia

Infants with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (DH) and profound pulmonary hypoplasia are currently unsalvageable. The authors previously demonstrated that tracheal ligation (TL) accelerates fetal lung growth and reverses the pulmonary hypoplasia of fetal nephrectomy. The purpose of this study was to determine if the pulmonary hypoplasia of experimental DH could be similarly reversed and, if so, whether the resulting lungs would show better function than those of their DH counterparts. Eighteen fetal lambs were divided into three experimental groups of six animals each. In group 1, DH was created at 90 days' gestation. In group 2, DH was created at 90 days' gestation and TL performed during the same operation. Group 3 consisted of sham-operated controls. These animals were delivered near full-term, and their lungs analyzed by standard morphometric techniques. Ten additional fetal lambs were divided into two experimental groups of five animals each. In group 4, DH was created at 90 days' gestation. In group 5, DH was created at 90 days' gestation and TL performed 20 days later, at 110 days' gestation. These animals were pressure-ventilated via tracheostomy over a 2-hour period in which PaO2, PaCO2, and compliance were measured. Intratracheal pressure (ITP) was measured at the time of delivery in all groups. Upon retrieval, DH animals had abdominal viscera in the chest and small lungs; in contrast, DH/TL animals had the herniated viscera reduced from the chest by enlarged lungs. DH/TL lungs showed markedly increased growth, with significant increases in lung volume:body weight ratio (LV:BW; P = .0001), alveolar surface area (ALV.SA; P = .0001), and alveolar number (ALV#) (P = .0001) when compared with those of the DH or control group. This growth was associated with a normal maturation pattern based on histological appearance, normal airspace fraction, and normal alveolar numerical density. ITP in the DH/TL group was increased when compared with that of DH and control animals (P = .0001). Total lung DNA and protein were both elevated in the DH/TL animals (P = .0001). However, the DNA:protein ratio remained normal, suggesting lung growth had occurred through cell proliferation, not by hypertrophy. When ventilated over a range of settings, DH/TL lungs were more compliant (P = .0001) and achieved higher PaO2s (P < .003) and lower PaCO2s (P = .0001) than their DH counterparts. From these data, the authors conclude: (1) Experimental fetal DH produces hypoplastic lungs that are not capable of adequate gas exchange with conventional ventilation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Conscientious objection: A pharmacist’s right or professional negligence?

In Texas, three pharmacists are fired for refusing to fill a rape victim’s prescription for emergency contraception because it “violated [their] morals.”[1][1] A Wisconsin pharmacist refuses to fill, or transfer out, a similar prescription and is put on trial for violating the state’s
Conformation of the gramicidin A transmembrane channel: A 13C nuclear magnetic resonance study of 13C-enriched gramicidin in phosphatidylcholine vesicles.

Abstract We have determined the orientation and organization of the channel-forming polypeptide antibiotic, gramicidin A, in phosphatidylcholine vesicles using 13 C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. This is the first direct structural evidence demonstrating the conformation of the molecule as found in membranes. The models previously proposed for the conformation of the dimer channel differ in the surface localization of the N and C termini. The N-terminal to N-terminal helical dimer has only the C termini on the surfaces of the membrane, while the C-terminal to C-terminal helical dimer has only the N termini on the surfaces. Parallel and antiparallel β-double helices have both the N and C termini on the surfaces. We have incorporated specific 13 C nuclei at both the N and C termini of gramicidin and have used 13 C chemical shifts and spin lattice relaxation time, T 1 , measurements to determine the accessibility of these labels to three paramagnetic nuclear magnetic resonance probes. 1. (1) The water-soluble thulium ion causes a large change in chemical shift for the choline methyl groups, but little or no change for the fatty acid carbons even near the carbonyl end. The C-terminal gramicidin labels have changes in chemical shifts three- to fourfold greater than those of the N-terminal labels. 2. (2) The water-soluble manganous ion induces a T 1 rate enhancement for the fatty acid carbonyl that is no less than that for the choline methyls; while carbons 2 and 3 also have large rate enhancements, low values are obtained at the distal end of the chain. The C-terminal gramicidin label has a rate enhancement three- to fourfold greater than that of the N-terminal labels. 3. (3) Phosphatidylcholine labeled with a nitroxide spin label near the distal end of one chain induces T 1 rate enhancements in the distal 12 carbons of the fatty acid chain with little or no rate enhancement for the carbonyl and the choline head group. The gramicidin N-terminal valine methyls have the highest rate enhancement of any carbons in the experiment, while the C-terminal acetyl methyl has zero rate enhancement. All of our results indicate that the C-terminus of gramicidin in the channel is located near the surface of the membrane and the N-terminus is buried deep within the lipid bilayer. These findings strongly favor an N-terminal to N-terminal helical dimer, as originally proposed by Urry (1971), as the major conformation for the gramicidin channel in phosphatidylcholine vesicles.
Inappropriate Shock Therapy for Nonsustained Ventricular Tachycardia in a Dual Chamber Pacemaker Defibrillator

We report a patient who received a CPI Ventak AV II DR ICD for ventricular tachycardia and complete heart block without an escape rhythm. During induced nonsustained ventricular tachycardia, the device, although programmed to deliver noncommitted shocks, acted like a committed device. This phenomenon is due to undocumented behavior that is likely to occur in any patient who is pacemaker dependent and has nonsustained ventricular tachycardia.
Distinct relationships of parietal and prefrontal cortices to evidence accumulation

Gradual accumulation of evidence is thought to be fundamental for decision-making, and its neural correlates have been found in several brain regions. Here we develop a generalizable method to measure tuning curves that specify the relationship between neural responses and mentally accumulated evidence, and apply it to distinguish the encoding of decision variables in posterior parietal cortex and prefrontal cortex (frontal orienting fields, FOF). We recorded the firing rates of neurons in posterior parietal cortex and FOF from rats performing a perceptual decision-making task. Classical analyses uncovered correlates of accumulating evidence, similar to previous observations in primates and also similar across the two regions. However, tuning curve assays revealed that while the posterior parietal cortex encodes a graded value of the accumulating evidence, the FOF has a more categorical encoding that indicates, throughout the trial, the decision provisionally favoured by the evidence accumulated so far. Contrary to current views, this suggests that premotor activity in the frontal cortex does not have a role in the accumulation process, but instead has a more categorical function, such as transforming accumulated evidence into a discrete choice. To probe causally the role of FOF activity, we optogenetically silenced it during different time points of the trial. Consistent with a role in committing to a categorical choice at the end of the evidence accumulation process, but not consistent with a role during the accumulation itself, a behavioural effect was observed only when FOF silencing occurred at the end of the perceptual stimulus. Our results place important constraints on the circuit logic of brain regions involved in decision-making.
An open-labelled study of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor in the treatment of active Crohn's disease.

Summary Background : Immunodeficiency syndromes associated with a Crohn's-like illness suggest innate immune defects may lead to Crohn's disease. Anecdotal cases using haemopoietic colony-stimulating factors report improvement in intestinal disease associated with these syndromes. Aim : To test the safety and efficacy of recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor in active Crohn's disease. Methods : In an open-labelled 12-week trial, patients with a Crohn's Disease Activity Index between 220 and 450 were treated with recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (filgrastim, Neupogen). Concomitant immunosuppressants were prohibited except prednisone ≤20 mg/day. Patient's received recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor 300 mcg daily subcutaneously adjusted to achieve an absolute neutrophil count between 25 and 35 × 109/L. Results : Twenty patients were enrolled with a mean initial Crohn's Disease Activity Index of 307 (range: 234–428). Fifteen patients (75%) completed 8 weeks; 13 patients (65%) completed 12 weeks with the mean Crohn's Disease Activity Index for patients continuing through those times of 196 (range: 36–343) and 162 (range: 20–308), respectively. At week 12, 11 patients (55%) demonstrated a decrease of at least 70 points; five (25%) achieved a sustained remission. The mean decrease was statistically significant at each assessment time-point. Three of four patients with fistulae had a positive response. Adverse effects included bone pain, mostly mild resolving with continued treatment. One patient was hospitalized with a viral-like syndrome but it is uncertain if this was treatment related. Conclusion : Recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor is safe and potentially effective therapy for active Crohn's disease.
Recent progress in national policy against influenza in Japan

Abstract Fundamental policies against influenza in Japan have been severely cut back since the obligatory annual immunization program to all school children was withdrawn in 1994. After that, the number of vaccines was extremely reduced in Japan and the manufacturing facilities were also cut down accordingly. In 1997, the Ministry of Health recognized the impact of influenza pandemics as a matter of crisis management and decided to reconstruct comprehensive national influenza politics. National Influenza Pandemics Committee was organized to discuss influenza issues from many aspects. The document of the committee concluded that pandemic planning should be based on year-to-year measures against annual influenza epidemics. The committee made a blueprint of influenza planning and guidelines to carry out the measures. In 1999, the Law of Infectious Diseases Control and Prevention was amended drastically, in which influenza is underlined as a specifically important infectious disease that requires extensive national measures. Vaccinations to elderly persons are strongly recommended by the government, and the Preventive Immunization Law will be amended again to facilitate the new policy. Many plans have been put into practice gradually and the general attitude to influenza in Japan has been improved greatly.
Tissue-specific changes in glutathione and cysteine after buthionine sulfoximine treatment of rats and the potential for artifacts in thiol levels resulting from tissue preparation

L-Buthionine-S,R-sulfoximine (BSO), a potent inhibitor of gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase, is commonly used as an experimental tool for the specific depletion of glutathione. Since cysteine is a key precursor for glutathione biosynthesis, we investigated the possibility that BSO might also affect the free cysteine pool in rat liver and kidney tissues in vivo. Male CD(SD)BR rats (150-200 g) were injected ip with various doses of BSO (0.25-4.0 mmol/kg), and glutathione and cysteine were measured in liver and kidney using HPLC with electrochemical detection and/or spectroscopic techniques. No hepatotoxicity or nephrotoxicity was observed at the highest BSO dose (4.0 mmol/kg) used. BSO caused the expected decreases of hepatic and renal glutathione at all doses, although glutathione depletion was more rapid, was achieved at a lower BSO dose, and was more sustained in kidney than in liver. Hepatic cysteine levels nearly doubled 20 min after BSO treatment (1.0 mmol/kg, ip), but were not significantly different from control at later time points. In contrast, renal cysteine was significantly depleted from 20 min to 25 hr postinjection with a time course closely paralleling that of renal glutathione depletion. These changes are discussed in the context of models for inter- and intraorgan transport of glutathione and cysteine. We also provide evidence that an artifact, most likely the gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase (GGT)-initiated breakdown of glutathione, leads to a rapid postmortem increase of cysteine levels in liver and particularly in kidney of rats. Simultaneous decreases in GSH levels can be demonstrated in kidney. This artifact needs to be minimized in toxicological studies of glutathione and cysteine in kidney and other GGT-rich organs, as the measured levels of these thiols may not reflect the true concentrations occurring in vivo.
Observations on the faceted initiation site in the dwell-fatigue tested Ti-6242 alloy : Crystallographic orientation and size effects

A novel use of the electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) characterization technique for study of fracture has been demonstrated. This new approach has been employed for characterization and analysis that contribute to the understanding of crack initiation in Ti-6242 under dwell-fatigue loading conditions. A faceted crack initiation site is typically observed on the dwell-fatigue fracture surface of Ti-6242. The level of microtexture has a major influence on the dwell-fatigue failures in near-α titanium alloys, such as Ti-6242. In this study, serial sectioning and EBSD techniques were used to obtain the orientation images of almost the entire specimen cross section at different depths below the fracture surface. The orientation images are color coded on three different bases: the angle between the loading axis and basal plane normal, the Schmid factor for prism slip, and the Schmid factor for basal slip. The aim was to determine the important aspects of the crystallographic orientation and the size of the microtextured region that is associated with the faceted initiation site. The results of this study are used to explain the possible locations of crack initiation in a test specimen under dwell-fatigue loading condition. These results are also used to better understand the role of size of microtextured regions in determining which crack will outgrow the other cracks (for the case of multiple cracking typically observed in the alloy of current study under the dwell-fatigue loading conditions) to become the dominant crack that leads to eventual specimen failure. This understanding has important practical implications because the dominant crack effectively determines the specimen life.
Aldosterone, parathyroid hormone, and the use of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors: the multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis.

Context: Aldosterone and PTH are implicated in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular and skeletal diseases. An expanding body of evidence supports a bidirectional and positive physiologic relationship between aldosterone and PTH. Large population-based studies confirming this relationship, and whether it may be targeted as a potential method to mitigate the clinical consequences associated with excess aldosterone and PTH, are needed. Objective: We hypothesized that higher aldosterone levels would associate with higher PTH, and that the use of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) inhibitors would predict lower PTH in a large, multi-ethnic, community-based cohort. Design, Setting, Participants: We conducted cross-sectional analyses of participants in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis without apparent primary hyperparathyroidism or chronic kidney disease (n = 5668). We evaluated associations of RAAS inhibitor use with PTH concentration among 1888 treated hypertensive participants. We also tested ...
The correspondence between the molecular orbital and differential ionization energies methods

The correspondence between Self-Consistent Huckel MO methods and Differential Ionization Energies methods is discussed in terms of the approximations used for the diagonal matrix elements. The two methods are shown to be equivalent if electronic correlation is neglected. Ground-state properties of the hydrogen halides are calculated by these simple methods and shown to be in good overall agreement with experimental data.
EVE: verifying correct execution of cloud-hostedweb applications

We present a new approach to verifying that a completely untrusted, platform-as-a-service cloud is correctly executing an outsourced Web application.
A prescriptive formal model for data-path hardware

The authors present a formal representation for register-level digital designs. The formalism is expressed in term of three models of a design, the data-flow structure, and timing models, and by bindings that express the interrelationships of the three models. The authors describe the desiderata that led to the particular choice of representation: a uniform representation for specification and implementation, the ability to express detailed implementation constraints, formality, descriptiveness, ease of testing, ease of encoding, executability, and prescriptiveness. They then describe related work and describe the representation and correctness constraints. Formal semantics for the representation are given, and a brief overview of a system that implements them is presented. >
Human Disturbance, Natural Resilience and Management Futures: The Coral Reefs of Todos Os Santos Bay, Bahia, Brazil

Between 1962 and 2003 significant coral species changes within reef assemblages at Todos os Santos Bay (TSB), Bahia (Brazil) have taken place, following what appears to have been a 400 year contraction of coral reefs from the inner, landward reaches of the bay. The last 40 years in particular encompassed rapid and extensive urban and industrial development its surrounding lands, which contributed to coral reef changes. However, changes in this environment have influenced coral reef resilience since the arrival of the Portuguese in the XVI century, creating knock-on effects that modified and simplified coral reef ecosystems in the bay. Clues to the limits of coral resilience may be found in natural and human disturbance regimes to which the corals have been subjected in the past, and for that reason we listed and categorized what little is known about Holocene and historical conditions in TSB, proposing alternatives for a resilience management of the bay.
Facilitated diffusion of myoglobin and creatine kinase and reaction–diffusion constraints of aerobic metabolism under steady‐state conditions in skeletal muscle

The roles of creatine kinase (CK) and myoglobin (Mb) on steady-state facilitated diffusion and temporal buffering of ATP and oxygen, respectively, are assessed within the context of a reaction–diffusion model of muscle energetics. Comparison of the reaction–diffusion model with experimental data from a wide range of muscle fibers shows that the experimentally observed skeletal muscle fibers are generally not limited by diffusion, and the model further indicates that while some muscle fibers operate near the edge of diffusion limitation, no detectable effects of Mb and CK on the effectiveness factor, a measure of diffusion constraints, are observed under steady-state conditions. However, CK had a significant effect on average ATP concentration over a wide range of rates and length scales within the reaction limited regime. The facilitated diffusion functions of Mb and CK become observable in the model for larger size cells with low mitochondrial volume fraction and for low boundary O2 concentration and high ATP demand, where the fibers may be limited by diffusion. From the transient analysis it may be concluded that CK primarily functions to temporally buffer ATP as opposed to facilitating diffusion while Mb has a small temporal buffering effect on oxygen but does not play any significant role in steady-state facilitated diffusion in skeletal muscle fibers under most physiologically relevant regions. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2012; 109:545–558. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Sp110 Localizes to the PML-Sp100 Nuclear Body and May Function as a Nuclear Hormone Receptor Transcriptional Coactivator

The nuclear body is a multiprotein complex that may have a role in the regulation of gene transcription. This structure is disrupted in a variety of human disorders including acute promyelocytic leukemia and viral infections, suggesting that alterations in the nuclear body may have an important role in the pathogenesis of these diseases. In this study, we identified a cDNA encoding a leukocyte-specific nuclear body component designated Sp110. The N-terminal portion of Sp110 was homologous to two previously characterized components of the nuclear body (Sp100 and Sp140). The C-terminal region of Sp110 was homologous to the transcription intermediary factor 1 (TIF1) family of proteins. High levels of Sp110 mRNA were detected in human peripheral blood leukocytes and spleen but not in other tissues. The levels of Sp110 mRNA and protein in the human promyelocytic leukemia cell line NB4 increased following treatment with all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA), and Sp110 localized to PML-Sp100 nuclear bodies in ATRA-treated NB4 cells. Because of the structural similarities between Sp110 and TIF1 proteins, the effect of Sp110 on gene transcription was examined. An Sp110 DNA-binding domain fusion protein activated transcription of a reporter gene in transfected mammalian cells. In addition, Sp110 produced a marked increase in ATRA-mediated expression of a reporter gene containing a retinoic acid response element. Taken together, the results of this study demonstrate that Sp110 is a member of the Sp100/Sp140 family of nuclear body components and that Sp110 may function as a nuclear hormone receptor transcriptional coactivator. The predominant expression of Sp110 in leukocytes and the enhanced expression of Sp110 in NB4 cells treated with ATRA raise the possibility that Sp110 has a role in inducing differentiation of myeloid cells.
Microhabitat variation in an African savanna: effects of woody cover and herbivores in Kenya

Effects of extreme livestock pressure on the abundance and distribution of a drought-deciduous shrub Sericocomopsis pallida, and effects of the shrub canopy on microclimate, soil fertility and grass production, were studied in savanna grasslands of southern Kenya. Canopy volume declined with increasing herbivore pressure, but shrub density was not systematically affected, suggesting strong resilience against destruction by herbivores. However, shrubs became more aggregated with increasing herbivory, suggesting that clumps of individuals are more resilient to destruction than are isolated individuals. Grass production was three times greater under the canopy of S. pallida than in the open. Comparisons of physical-chemical properties among soils derived from four microsites revealed far higher nutrient levels in sub-canopy soil than in soil derived from open ground between canopies, and radically different properties compared to soil heavily enriched with livestock dung and urine. Higher nutrient levels beneath the canopy most likely resulted from Utter decomposition.A pot experiment, designed to simulate shading and soil conditions in the field, showed that grass growth promotion was largely due to a substantial increase in soil fertility beneath the canopy of S. pallida, comparable to grass productivity in soil enriched with livestock excreta. However, this increase in sub-canopy grass production did not significantly increase regional grass layer production.
Hematopoietic Function in the Elderly

• Very little information is available on the effect of aging on human bone marrow function. In reviewing both murine and human studies on bone marrow function in the elderly, it may be concluded at present that there is an increasing incidence of anemia that develops with aging in humans. Extensive animal and limited human data support decreased marrow reserve capacity with decreased hormonal responsiveness to hematologic stress as the most likely cause. In normal human life spans, marrow stem cells do not appear to wear out, and, finally, clinicians are cautioned not to attribute anemia per se simply to aging. Any elderly individual with unexplained anemia must be fully evaluated for the possibility of occult gastrointestinal blood loss, marrow failure syndrome, or hemolytic state before his/her anemia is attributed to age alone. Much additional research remains to be done on hematopoietic function in aged individuals. (Arch Intern Med1988;148:2544-2546)
Role of intracellular antioxidant enzymes after in vivo myocardial ischemia and reperfusion

Reactive oxygen species induce myocardial damage after ischemia and reperfusion in experimental animal models. Numerous studies have investigated the deleterious effects of ischemia-reperfusion (I/...
Surgeon-controlled robotic partial nephrectomy for a rare renal epithelioid angiomyolipoma using near-infrared fluorescence imaging using indocyanine green dye: A case report and literature review.

Renal epithelioid angiomyolipoma (E-AML) is a rare variant of angiomyolipoma (AML). It is a mesenchymal tumour believed to originate from the perivascular epithelioid cell (PEC). Unlike conventional AML which are benign, E-AML has a rare aggressive behaviour. Conventional AML is typically triphasic containing adipose tissue, smooth muscle and dystrophic vessels in variable proportions, while E-AML are generally composed of plump spindled and polygonal-shaped “epithelioid cells” showing clear or eosinophilic cytoplasm and occasional pleomorphic multinucleated giant cells. E-AML can be misdiagnosed as renal cell carcinoma (RCC) when these “epithelioid cells” show clearing. Only a small number of cases of E-AML have been reported with the standard treatment being radical or partial nephrectomy. We report the first case report of a surgeon-controlled robotic partial nephrectomy using a near infrared fluorescence imaging using indocyanine green dye on a 25-year-old woman with a T1B (6.6 cm) right renal mass. The final pathology revealed the diagnosis of E-AML. There was no recurrence and metastases after the 6-month follow-up.
AMBACA SOCIETY AND THE SLAVE TRADE c . 1760–1845

The slave trade in Angola, specifically in the district of Ambaca, transformed the social organization of its inhabitants at the grass-roots level by introducing an ever increasing quantity of coveted commodities and by providing credit in counterpart for pawnship. The trade provoked both the emergence of a new structure, the corporate matrilineage and the apparition of a new elite, when colonial chiefs coopted their commercial rivals, including local leaders who had efficiently used the assets of their corporate matrilineages to further their individual ambitions.
Milliamp-class field emission devices based on free-standing, two-dimensional carbon nanostructures

Recent results using carbon nanosheets (CNS) as the field emission source in a backgated device for high current applications are presented. The device inherently eliminates arcing between the gate and the cathode and also creates a much more open cathode configuration for better vacuum conductance and getter pumping. The device allows for emission site burn out and turn-on of secondary sites. Modelling results also suggest that devices with line widths 10 mA/mm/sup 2/. Devices with 3 /spl mu/m wide lines have been fabricated and are currently being tested. The maximum current and modulation results from these devices will also be presented.
Development of Subsonic Transports With Natural Laminar Flow Wings

The two main sources of drag that can account for more than 80 % of the total drag for current subsonic aircraft are friction and induced drag. A new Natural Laminar Flow (NLF) wing design methodology has been established to minimize these two important sources of drag. According to this method, a synthesis and sizing code, is used to estimate the benefits of NLF technology at the system level, and determine optimal wing planfonn geometry and wing area for a given mission requirement. Then, the chordwise pressure distribution and the spanwise lift distribution of the previously optimized NLF wing planform from the sizing code are parameterized carefiilly on the basis of physical insights. Inverse Aerodynamic Design Technique is then used to find the corresponding airfoil geometry for a given pressure distribution. Finally, a metamodel building method called Response Surface Methodology (RSM) is used to minimize the drag of the wing at the design cruise condition, given by the sizing code, with respect to the parameters related to the chordwise pressure distribution and the spanwise lift distribution of the NLF wing simultaneously. In this procedure, the accurate prediction of the onset of laminar-to-turbulent transition is crucial to estimate the skin friction drag. A reasonable approximation is achieved by initially computing the mean flow by means of a Navier-Stokes code, CFL3D, then a compressible linear stability analysis code, COSAL3D, to estimate transition location and, finally, CFL3D is executed again. At this time, a turbulence model is applied after the predicted transition point for a more accurate skin friction drag prediction. The paper outlines this method and applies it to the design of a subsonic transport configuration.
Actomyosin Dynamics in 3D Traction Force Generation

The generation and coordination of cellular traction forces plays important roles in cell adhesion, cell migration, and extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling, and hence in the development and repair of biological tissues. Historically, models for how cells generate and sense mechanical force have been derived from observations of cells grown on hard, two-dimensional (2D) surfaces. However, the cytoskeletal geometry of cells embedded in porous, 3D environments is inherently different than those found in 2D. Here we seek to understand the spatio-temporal regulation of cellular traction forces in a 3D environment. We embed primary human fibroblasts in a fluorescently labeled fibrin matrix, and use multicolor, time-lapse confocal microscopy to simultaneously image matrix deformation induced by cellular traction and the dynamics of the acto-myosin cytoskeleton and paxillin-rich cell-matrix adhesions. We observe significant traction forces transduced to the matrix through dynamic actomyosin-rich protrusions. Flux analysis of myosin concentrations in the protrusions reveals recruitment of myosin towards the protrusion tip during extension, and localization of myosin farther from the tip during retraction. Moreover, we observe both retrograde and anterograde movement of F-actin and myosin during cell traction generation, as well as similar bi-directional dynamics for paxillin-rich adhesions. Our data suggests a model of force generation and mechanotransduction different from the canonical continuous lamellipodial retrograde flow implicated in 2D cell migration. Ongoing work examines the role of signal transduction pathways in regulating cellular force generation, with the end goal of understanding how cells couple force generation and mechanotransduction in fully 3D environments.
Jimmy Carter, Public Policy, and the Public Interest

By most assessments, Jimmy Carter's presidency was a failure. The popular image of Carter is that of a president who was politically naive, an inept manager, a well-meaning but nettlesome scold, and an unsuccessful leader. According to two recent scholarly evaluations, Carter was an ineffective leader who ranks in the bottom quintile of the thirty-nine presidents who have preceded George Bush.