cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of wheatgerm agglutinin and aging on the regional brain uptake of HIV-1GP120

HIV-1 is associated with infection and altered functions of the CNS, especially in the elderly. Most studies indicate that HIV-1 is not evenly distributed throughout the CNS but is concentrated in deep brain nuclei. This study examined whether regional or age-related differences in the permeability of the blood-brain barrier to gp120, the viral coat of HIV-1, exist. The initial concentration of gp120 in 10 brain regions correlated with vascular content in young and old mice. Susceptibility to wheatgerm agglutinin (WGA)-induced uptake of gp120, which relates to endothelial cell internalization, varied regionally, with no induction of uptake into the striatum or hypothalamus but with large increases in the cerebellum, cortex, and midbrain. Transport across the BBB, as measured by the unidirectional influx rate (Ki), also varied regionally with the hypothalamus, hippocampus, and pons-medulla showing the highest values for Ki and the striatum the lowest. These regional variations in the permeability of the BBB to gp120 could contribute to the inhomogeneous distribution of HIV-1 within the CNS whereas the failure to see differences with aging suggests other causes underlie the susceptibility of the elderly to the CNS manifestations of AIDS.
Electrogalvanic stimulation in the treatment of levator syndrome

The records of 102 patients with levator syndromes were reviewed. All had failed trials of conservative management prior to treatments with electrogalvanic stimulation. The symptoms of 12 patients were subsequently found not to be due to levator syndrome. Of 90 patients with correct diagnoses, 77 percent were relieved or improved after courses of electrogalvanic stimulation, a valuable adjunct to the management of this frustrating condition.
Direct facile screening of recombinant DNA vector constructs

Direct efficient facile screening of bacterial transformants with the goal of selecting, retrieving, and using recombinant DNA is exemplified by simple visual-based colorimetric inspections or fluorescent protein-based assays. We describe pRedScript, which introduces the constitutive expression of a very bright red fluorescent protein into transformants. On agar plates, red colonies are simply visualized in ambient white light in stark contrast to recombinant transformants that are white. In addition, the bright red fluorescence of the reporter protein can also be harnessed as a sensitive signal for screening bacterial promoters during the development of optimized fermentation conditions.
Evidence for a common precursor for αMSH and β-endorphin in the intermediate lobe of the pituitary of the reptile Anolis carolinensis

Abstract In order to investigate the biosynthesis of αMSH and β-endorphin in a non-mammalian vertebrate, individual lizard intermediate pituitaries were incubated in complete medium containing a radioactive amino acid, using either a steady label or a pulse/chase protocol. Following incubation, acid extracts of the tissue were immunoprecipitated with either an NH2-terminal ACTH antiserum or a β-endorphin antiserum and analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. After a 24 hr steady label in medium containing [3H]tyrosine, multiple molecular weight forms of β-endorphin-related and NH2-terminal ACTH-related radioactivity were detected. The major peak of β-endorphin-related radioactivity co-migrated with synthetic β-endorphin(1–31); minor peaks of βLPH-sized material and precursor-sized material were also detected. The major peak of NH2-terminal ACTH-related material co-migrated with synthetic αMSH; in addition, smaller amounts of material designated ACTH biosynthetic intermediate 1, ACTH biosynthetic intermediate 2, and precursor-sized material were detected. Sequential immunoprecipitation experiments revealed that the precursor-sized material had antigenic determinants for both αMSH and β-endorphin. Pulse/chase experiments established that this material is the common precursor for αMSH and β-endorphin. Based on gel filtration chromatography in 6 M guanidine HCl, the molecular weights of these various peptides are: common precursor, 23,300 daltons; ACTH biosynthetic intermediate 1, 12,200 daltons; ACTH biosynthetic intermediate 2, 4,200 daltons; αMSH, 1,500 daltons; βLPH, 8000 daltons; β-endorphin, 3,400 daltons. None of the peptides precipitated with either antiserum incorporated [3H]glucosamine; thus glycosylation does not appear to be involved in this biosynthetic pathway in the lizard. The results of the kinetic experiments and molecular weight determinations indicate that the major biosynthetic pathway involves the following events: common precursor is first cleaved to yield ACTH biosynthetic intermediate 1 plus βLPH; subsequently, βLPH is cleaved to produce β-endorphin; ACTH biosynthetic intermediate 1 is cleaved to produce ACTH biosynthetic intermediate 2 which is subsequently cleaved to produce αMSH. The pulse/chase experiments indicate minor pathways exist for cleaving β-endorphin directly from the common precursor or via a high molecular weight form intermediate in size between the common precursor and βLPH.
Late Ordovician environmental changes in Carnic Alps and central Nevada: a comparative study

Correlation of the late Ordovician stratigraphic and faunal successions in the Carnic Alps, which lay in a mid-latitude site at the time, with those in Nevada, which was in the tropics at the time, reveal certain similarities. During much of the late Ordovician glacial interval, deep shelves in both areas were sites of carbonate debris flow accumulations. The debris was derived from inner or shallow shelf environments. Karst topographies developed in inner or shallow shelves in both areas during the later phase of glaciation and sea level drawdown. A quartz sand spread widely at the end of the glacial interval on deep shelf-slope environments in both areas. Perhaps coincidently, shelves in both areas were uplifted and exposed by tectonism after the late Ordovician glacial episode.
Predicting faculty success in university graduate departments

This study tests a model of predicting faculty success in the different fields of chemistry, physics, sociology, and political science. The main hypotheses tested and confirmed are: (a) In a field with a low technological development, professional age is more important in predicting faculty success than in a field with a high technological development. (b) In a field with a high technological development, articles are more important in predicting faculty success than in a field with a low technological development. (c) In a field with a low technological development, books are more important in predicting faculty success than in a field with a high technological development.
Quantification of HCl from high-resolution, ground-based, infrared solar spectra in the 3000 cm-1 region

Recent ground-based infrared solar spectra at 0.02 per cm resolution in the 3000 per cm region have been analyzed for the atmospheric content of HCl. Nonlinear spectral least-squares fitting applied to spectra obtained at several zenith angles shows little sensitivity of the results to tropospheric HCl but provides an accurate measurement of the total column amount.
Elastic-Plastic Analysis of Cracks on Bimaterial Interfaces: Part II—Structure of Small-Scale Yielding Fields

Although the near tip fields of cracks on bimaterial interfaces do not have a separable form of the HRR type, they appear to be nearly separable in an annular zone within the plastic zone. We found that the small-scale yielding crack tip fields are members of a family parameterized by a near tip phase angle ζ, and that the fields nearly scale with the value of the J-integral, the original derivation of the mathematical structure of the small-scale yielding fields is elaborated upon. Over distances comparable to the size of the dominant plastic zone, the stress levels are limited by the yield stress of the weaker material. The stresses well within the plastic zone are governed by the strain-hardening behavior of the more plastically compliant material
Future Orientation of Adolescents in Foster Care: Relationship to Trauma, Mental Health, and HIV Risk Behaviors

Future orientation has been found to protect against risky behaviors in adolescents from diverse backgrounds. However, no studies have specifically examined future orientation as a potential protective factor against HIV risk behaviors in foster care adolescents. In this study, 343 foster care adolescents were interviewed about their future orientation, mental health, trauma histories, and cognitions related to HIV risk behaviors. Results indicated variability in future orientation, but there were no significant differences by race, gender, and age. Future orientation was significantly associated with mental health, trauma, HIV-related knowledge, attitudes, behavioral intentions, and number of sexual intercourse partners. Furthermore, externalizing behaviors and attitudes toward risky behaviors each partially mediated the relationship between future orientation and number of sexual intercourse partners.
Opioid ligands with mixed properties from substituted enantiomeric N-phenethyl-5-phenylmorphans. Synthesis of a µ-agonist δ-antagonist and δ-inverse agonists

Enantiomeric N-phenethyl-m-hydroxyphenylmorphans with various substituents in the ortho, meta or para positions of the aromatic ring in the phenethylamine side-chain (chloro, hydroxy, methoxy, nitro, methyl), as well as a pyridylethyl and a indolylethyl moiety on the nitrogen atom, were synthesized and their binding affinity to the µ-, δ-, and κ-opioid receptors was examined. The higher affinity ligands were further examined in the [35S]GTPγS assay to study their function and efficacy. 3-((1R,5S)-(−)-2-(4-Nitrophenethyl)-2-aza-bicyclo[3.3.1]nonan-5-yl)phenol ((−)-10m) was found to be a µ-agonist and δ-antagonist in that functional assay and was about 50 fold more potent than morphine in vivo. 3-((1R,5S)-(−)-2-(4-Chlorophenethyl)-2-aza-bicyclo[3.3.1]nonan-5-yl)phenol ((−)-10i) and several other ligands displayed inverse agonist activity at the δ-opioid receptor. The absolute configuration of all of the reported compounds was established by chemical conversion of (−)-6 to 1R,5S-(−)-8b·HBr.
Diagnostic problems in Huntington's chorea and tardive dyskinesia.

A 40-year-old married Caucasian woman came to the emergency room complaining of increasing nervousness, inability to control her temper, and involuntary movements, all of which had become progressively worse over the preceding several years. The patient was one of four children; her 22- and 26-year-old brothers were asymptomatic. She did, however, have a 39-year-old brother who was described as being an alcoholic and who had had several hospitalizations for this problem. The patient’s mother was alive and well at age 60, but her father had died at age 67 at a nearby state psychiatric hospital. The father’s old hospital records revealed his having been diagnosed differently several times, e.g., character disorder, paranoid schizophrenic, chronic organic brain syndrome, and chronic undifferentiated schizophrenic. He had been treated for an unknown period of time with thioridazine 100 mg q.i.d. On one physical examination a few years before his death, he had been noted to be ataxic and to have a slight tremor. A postmortem examination revealed left upper lobe pneumonia, advanced bilateral pulmonary emphysema, arteriosclerotic heart disease, and fatty infiltration of the liver. Unfortunately, his cranium was not opened. The father was one of ten siblings; the others by history did not reveal any pathology, but four died accidental premature deaths, two had alcoholic problems, one died of an unspecified cancer, and two were reportedly well adjusted and in good health. During the clinical examination, the patient’s tongue protruded, she had a facial grimace. and her head rolled first to the side and then backward. At other times her upper limbs had the appearance of flying through the air, and her trunk would gyrate. She had a prancing steppage in her gait, but did not fall despite what appeared to be. poor balance while walking. Neuropsychiatric examination revealed her to be oriented to person and place, but she did not know the date. She made frequent errors in calculations and could not spell the word “world” backward. She was able to abstract from proverbs,
Annual Cost of U.S. Hospital Visits for Pediatric Abusive Head Trauma

We estimated the frequency and direct medical cost from the provider perspective of U.S. hospital visits for pediatric abusive head trauma (AHT). We identified treat-and-release hospital emergency department (ED) visits and admissions for AHT among patients aged 0-4 years in the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample and Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS), 2006-2011. We applied cost-to-charge ratios and estimated professional fee ratios from Truven Health MarketScan(®) to estimate per-visit and total population costs of AHT ED visits and admissions. Regression models assessed cost differences associated with selected patient and hospital characteristics. AHT was diagnosed during 6,827 (95% confidence interval [CI] [6,072, 7,582]) ED visits and 12,533 (95% CI [10,395, 14,671]) admissions (28% originating in the same hospital's ED) nationwide over the study period. The average medical cost per ED visit and admission were US$2,612 (error bound: 1,644-3,581) and US$31,901 (error bound: 29,266-34,536), respectively (2012 USD). The average total annual nationwide medical cost of AHT hospital visits was US$69.6 million (error bound: 56.9-82.3 million) over the study period. Factors associated with higher per-visit costs included patient age <1 year, males, coexisting chronic conditions, discharge to another facility, death, higher household income, public insurance payer, hospital trauma level, and teaching hospitals in urban locations. Study findings emphasize the importance of focused interventions to reduce this type of high-cost child abuse.
Frequent β-Catenin Nuclear Labeling in Sessile Serrated Polyps of the Colorectum With Neoplastic Potential

We obtained 22 sessile serrated adenomas (SSAs) and 19 hyperplastic polyps (HPs) and performed immunolabeling for cytokeratins (CKs) 7 and 20, CDX2, beta-catenin, and p53 to determine the role of these markers in aiding distinction of lesions with neoplastic potential. Patients with SSAs more frequently had a prior or coexistent tubular adenoma (P = .004) that was right-sided (P = .00001) and larger (P = .03). No difference in CK7, CK20, or p53 labeling was found after correction for colonic location. However, CDX2 labeling was significantly lower in SSAs (P = .02) and was predominantly confined to the crypt bases, whereas it was diffusely positive in HPs (P < .001). Surprisingly, aberrant nuclear labeling for beta-catenin was found in 9 (41%) of the SSAs but in none of the HPs (P < .002). We propose that beta-catenin and/or CDX2 immunolabeling may have diagnostic usefulness in the evaluation of serrated polyps. These findings also suggest that Wnt signaling has a role in SSA development.
Development of a Vaccine against Murine Cytomegalovirus (MCMV), Consisting of Plasmid DNA and Formalin-Inactivated MCMV, That Provides Long-Term, Complete Protection against Viral Replication

We previously demonstrated that immunization of mice with plasmid DNAs (pDNAs) expressing the murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) genes IE1-pp89 and M84 provided synergistic protection against sublethal viral challenge, while immunization with plasmids expressing putative virion proteins provided no or inconsistent protection. In this report, we sought to augment protection by increasing the breadth of the immune response. We identified another MCMV gene (m04 encoding gp34) that provided strong and consistent protection against viral replication in the spleen. We also found that immunization with a DNA pool containing 10 MCMV genes that individually were nonprotective elicited reproducible protection against low to intermediate doses of challenge virus. Moreover, inclusion of these plasmids into a mixture with gp34, pp89, and M84 DNAs provided even greater protection than did coimmunization with pp89 and M84. The highest level of protection was achieved by immunization of mice with the pool of 13 pDNAs, followed by formalin-inactivated MCMV (FI-MCMV). Immunization with FI-MCMV elicited neutralizing antibodies against salivary gland-derived MCMV, and of greatest importance, mice immunized with both the combined pDNA pool and FI-MCMV had undetectable levels of virus in the spleen and salivary glands after challenge. Intracellular cytokine staining of splenocytes from pDNA- and FI-MCMV-immunized mice showed that pDNA immunization elicited high levels of pp89- and M83-specific CD8+ T cells, whereas both pDNA and FI-MCMV immunizations generated strong CD8+-T-cell responses against virion-associated antigens. Taken together, these results show that immunization with pDNA and inactivated virus provides strong antibody and cell-mediated immunity against CMV infection.
Improved Linear Prediction Technique for Musical Onset Detection

Following our previous work in [8] where a music signal is decomposed into multiple subband signals and the forward linear prediction errors of all subbands are combined to give the detection function to localize the onset position, two enhanced features are examined in this work. First, we propose a new method to decide the stepsize, which is a critical parameter in LPEF adaptation. Second, we consider a more flexible and robust subband decomposition scheme that is adaptive to the characteristics of the music signal. It will be shown by experimental results that these modifications enhance the accuracy of the onset detection scheme.
Filtering: the case for "noisier" data

Suppose there is some discrete variable X of interest, which can only be observed after passing through 2 channels (Q and R). You are limited to n noisy observations of X and then must estimate the value of X. Your one control is a parameter k which determines the level of correlation in your observed data. Specifically, X is first transmitted through the channel Q n/k times to yield variables Y/sub 1/,..., Y/sub n/k/ and then each Y/sub i/ is transmitted through channel R k times to yield variables Z/sub i/,/sub 1/,..., Z/sub I,k/. How should k be chosen to maximize the probability of successfully guessing the correct value of X? While k /spl equiv/ 1 yields data points Z/sub i,1/ which are conditionally independent given the value of X, we find that this does not always mean that k /spl equiv/ 1 is the optimal choice. In fact, many simple situations yield cases where the optimal value of k is greater than 1. We explore this phenomenon and present both theoretical and empirical results.
Bub1p Kinase Activates the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Spindle Assembly Checkpoint

Saccharomyces cerevisiae BUB1 encodes a protein kinase required for spindle assembly checkpoint function. In the presence of spindle damage, BUB1 is required to prevent cell cycle progression into anaphase. We have identified a dominantly acting BUB1 allele that appears to activate the spindle assembly checkpoint pathway in cells with undamaged spindles. High-level expression of BUB1-5 did not cause detectable spindle damage, yet it delayed yeast cells in mitosis at a stage following bipolar spindle assembly but prior to anaphase spindle elongation. Delayed cells possessed a G2 DNA content and elevated Clb2p mitotic cyclin levels. Unlike cells delayed in mitosis by spindle damage or MPS1 kinase overexpression, hyperphosphorylated forms of the Mad1p checkpoint protein did not accumulate. Similar to cells overexpressing MPS1, the BUB1-5 delay was dependent upon the functions of the other checkpoint genes, including BUB2 and BUB3 and MAD1, MAD2, and MAD3. We found that the mitotic delay caused by BUB1-5 or MPS1 overexpression was interdependent upon the function of the other. This suggests that the Bub1p and Mps1p kinases act together at an early step in generating the spindle damage signal.
Sequential Labeling Using Deep-Structured Conditional Random Fields

We develop and present the deep-structured conditional random field (CRF), a multi-layer CRF model in which each higher layer's input observation sequence consists of the previous layer's observation sequence and the resulted frame-level marginal probabilities. Such a structure can closely approximate the long-range state dependency using only linear-chain or zeroth-order CRFs by constructing features on the previous layer's output (belief). Although the final layer is trained to maximize the log-likelihood of the state (label) sequence, each lower layer is optimized by maximizing the frame-level marginal probabilities. In this deep-structured CRF, both parameter estimation and state sequence inference are carried out efficiently layer-by-layer from bottom to top. We evaluate the deep-structured CRF on two natural language processing tasks: search query tagging and advertisement field segmentation. The experimental results demonstrate that the deep-structured CRF achieves word labeling accuracies that are significantly higher than the best results reported on these tasks using the same labeled training set.
Production of unusual bacterial polyesters by Pseudomonas oleovorans through cometabolism

Abstract Pseudomonas oleovorans is an adaptable, aerobic bacterium that can produce a wide range of storage polyesters (poly-β-hydroxyalkanoates, PHAs). With few exceptions, the PHAs obtained when this bacterium is grown with single organic substrates capable of polymer production are generally copolymers. With two different polymer-producing substrates the copolymers formed contain units derived from each substrate often in direct proportion to the amounts in the medium. With such substrates or with non-producing substrates, or with non-growth substrates, the ability of P. oleovorans to utilize different types of individual organic compounds can be classified into three different categories, as follows: group A — the organic compound can support both growth and polymer production; or group B — the organic compound can support growth but not polymer production; or group C — the organic compounds cannot support growth. For organic compounds in groups B and C, new and unusual copolymers containing units derived from these substrates can often be obtained if that compound is cofed with a good polymer-producing substrate for P. oleovorans , such as either octanoic acid or nonanoic acid. The PHAs obtained by this type of cometabolism from a variety of such substrates are described.
Two adaptor proteins differentially modulate the phosphorylation and biophysics of Kv1.3 ion channel by SRC kinase.

The Shaker family K+channel protein, Kv1.3, is tyrosine phosphorylated by v-Src kinase at Tyr137 and Tyr449 to modulate current magnitude and kinetic properties. Despite two proline rich sequences and these phosphotyrosines contained in the carboxyl and amino terminals of the channel, v-Src kinase fails to co-immunoprecipitate with Kv1.3 as expressed in HEK 293 cells, indicating a lack of direct Src homology 3- or Src homology 2-mediated protein-protein interaction between the channel and the kinase. We show that the adaptor proteins, n-Shc and Grb10, are expressed in the olfactory bulb, a region of the brain where Kv1.3 is highly expressed. In HEK 293 cells, co-expression of Kv1.3 plus v-Src with Grb10 causes a decrease in v-Src-induced Kv1.3 tyrosine phosphorylation and a reversal of v-Src-induced Kv1.3 current suppression, increase in inactivation time constant (τinact), and disruption of cumulative inactivation properties. Co-expression of Kv1.3 plus v-Src with n-Shc did not significantly alter v-Src-induced Kv1.3 current suppression but reversed v-Src induced increased τinact and restored the right-shifted voltage at half-activation (V1/2) induced by v-Src. The v-Src-induced shift in V1/2 and increased τinact was retained when Tyr220, Tyr221, and Tyr304 in the CH domain of n-Shc were mutated to Phe (triple Shc mutant) but was reversed back to control values when either wild-type Shc or the family member Sck, which is not a substrate for Src kinase, was substituted for the triple Shc mutant. Thus the portion of the CH domain that includes Tyr220, Tyr221, and Tyr304 may regulate a shift in Kv1.3 voltage dependence and inactivation kinetics produced by n-Shc in the presence of v-Src. Collectively these data indicate that Grb10 and n-Shc adaptor molecules differentially modulate the degree of Kv1.3 tyrosine phosphorylation, the channel's biophysical properties, and the physical complexes associated with Kv1.3 in the presence of Src kinase.
A New Aspect of the Stochastic Nature of Carding

A stochastic theory is proposed which takes into account changes in the transfer probability at a carding point upon collection by a worker and redeposition on the cylinder. This theory reduces to an earlier work of Monfort, if such changes are ignored. The theory explains quantitatively the observed nature of fiber movement in roller-top cards. This new approach is then coupled with the work of Baturin to successfully predict the behavior at different speed conditions. The present theory "fits" the observed speed effects over a two- to three-fold range of worker velocities, while the older theory yields a systematic deviation between the observed and calculated collection probabilities. Indices are formulated which describe blending, mixing and equalizing as it occurs in the carding process. These formulations, based in part upon previous literature, are modified in the light of the new theory developed in this paper.
The Effect of Vitamin A on the Course of Mycoplasma Infection in Chicks

Abstract ERASMUS et al. (1960) found that coccidia-infected chicks fed high levels of vitamin A recovered faster and weighed more than those on low levels of the vitamin. The infected chicks also had lower liver storage levels of vitamin A. Abbott et al. (1960) reported an increased incidence of Mycoplasma lesions in embryos from eggs from vitamin A-deficient turkeys over those from turkeys fed adequate levels. Squibb and Veros (1961) showed that vitamin A therapy of chicks with adequate body reserves of vitamin A did not improve weight gain or lessen mortality during the period of Newcastle disease involvement. Previous work by Edwards and Boyd (1960) has shown that chickens contaminated by the addition of droppings to the ration or by oral inoculation of various cultures had higher requirements for certain mineral nutrients. Vitamin A is concerned with maintaining the integrity of epithelial tissue in the chicken (Biester and Schwarte, 1959) …
Autonomic Security and Self-Protection based on Feature-Recognition with Virtual Neurons

The Internet and networks are not security-oriented by design so that myriad problems are compromising today?s computer systems. This paper presented an autonomic security mechanism based on the virtual neurons and feature recognition. A prototype model of the virtual neuron is designed and the distributed virtual neurons are organized in a compound peer-topeer and hierarchical structure. Then, the autonomic security mechanism is implemented via features recognized by the distributed virtual neurons. The paper presented how the feature recognition and virtual neurons work to automatically detect various security problems that are currently hard to defend against, including Eavesdropping, Replay, Masquerading, Spoofing, and DoS. A simulation system was developed and different cases were studied.
Cooperative resource bartering on internet overlay for urban-scale smart sensing applications

The majority of advancements in wireless sensor network research have been focusing on the development of a series of specialized application over a small-scaled testbed. We envision that an urban-scale sensing network will take place, and connect many daily applications together. Most importantly, the new paradigm is people-centric, as opposed to people being bystanders of the system. We present the challenges in this new area, particularly, the information relay over ad-hoc connections, and proposed solutions to our ongoing design. We adopted the ideas from peer-to-peer networks, where contribution from individual users determine the overall performance of the whole network, and proposed a bartering-based, incentive-provisioning middleware for this new paradigm.
Multicenter Evaluation of the BDProbeTec ET System for Detection of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae in Urine Specimens, Female Endocervical Swabs, and Male Urethral Swabs

The performance of the Becton Dickinson BDProbe Tec ET System Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae Amplified DNA Assays (BD Biosciences, Sparks, Md.) was evaluated in a multicenter study. Specimens were collected from 2,109 men and women, with or without symptoms, attending sexually transmitted disease, family planning, and obstetrics and gynecology clinics. Both swab and urine samples were collected, and the results obtained from 4,131 specimens were compared to those from culture and the LCx nucleic acid amplification test (Abbott Industries, Abbott Park, Ill.). PCR and cytospin of the culture transport medium with chlamydia direct fluorescent antibody staining were used to adjudicate chlamydia culture-negative results. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated both with and without use of the amplification control (AC), with little apparent difference in the results. Without the AC result, sensitivity for C. trachomatis and N. gonorrhoeae were 92.8 and 96.6%, respectively, for cervical swabs and 80.5 and 84.9% for urine from women. C. trachomatis and N. gonorrhoeae sensitivities were 92.5 and 98.5%, respectively, for male urethral swabs and 93.1 and 97.9% for urine from men. This amplified DNA system for simultaneous detection of chlamydial and gonococcal infections demonstrated superior sensitivity compared to chlamydia culture and has performance characteristics comparable to those of other commercially available nucleic acid-based assays for these organisms. Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae infections are the most common bacterial sexually transmitted infections both in the United States and worldwide. The Centers for
Controlling the thermal stability of thin films by interfacial engineering.

As electronic device miniaturization descends further toward the atomic realm it becomes increasingly imperative to comprehend the quantum physics that dominates the regime. Thin films are of special interest in this regard as they are the basic building blocks for devices, and their simple geometry makes them ideal models for fundamental scientific studies. As the thickness of a film decreases to the atomic scale, the confinement of the film’s electrons by its boundaries gives rise to discrete electronic states, known as quantum well states [1‐3]. As a result, the total electronic energy of the system can change substantially and nonmonotonically as a function of the film thickness N in terms of monolayers. For Pb films deposited on Si(111), the system investigated in this work, the electronic energy is expected to oscillate as a function of film thickness N with an approximately bilayer period. The thermal stability of the film, which is related to the total energy (or the second derivative of the total energy as a function of film thickness), is expected to oscillate correspondingly [4‐7]. In fact, a host of other physical properties are also expected to oscillate [8,9]. The situation is similar to the shell effect associated with elements in the periodic table— periodic filling of the atomic shells with increasing atomic number leads to periodic property variations. In thin films with increasing film thicknesses, the electrons fill onedimensional ‘‘shells’’ that correspond to the quantum well states or subbands, and the properties oscillate for the same reason. A critical issue for thin film applications is property control at the quantum level. This Letter explores the use of interfactants to modify the boundary condition at the interface and thereby to modify the electronic structure and thermal stability. Specifically, we compare Pb films, with the same thickness, prepared on three interfactantterminated Si(111) surfaces, with In, Au, and Pb being the interfactants. While the bilayer oscillations, being related to the electronic structure of Pb, are not expected to change, the phase of the oscillations, being sensitive to the boundary conditions, should be amenable to modification by the use of interfactants. Indeed, the phase of the bilayer stability oscillation is seen to differ markedly among the three cases by as much as � , thus implying a phase reversal. Specifically, Pb films on In=Si� 111� made of odd numbers of atomic layers (N � 5, 7, and 9) are more stable than the even ones. This trend is reversed for the other two cases. This work therefore demonstrates that quantum control of physical properties is feasible via interfacial engineering, and the results shed light on the relationship between the electronic structure and thermal stability.
Analysis of multiple off-axis ply cracks in composite laminates

Abstract This paper presents a synergistic methodology to analyze damage behavior in composite laminates with transverse matrix cracks in plies of multiple orientations. The approach combines the strengths of micro-damage mechanics (MDM) and continuum damage mechanics (CDM) in predicting the stiffness degradation due to presence of transverse cracks. The micromechanics is performed on a representative unit cell using a three-dimensional finite element analysis to calculate the crack opening displacement (COD) accounting for the influence of the surrounding plies, the so-called constraint effect. This information is then incorporated in the CDM formulation dealing with laminates containing cracks in different ply orientations through a ‘constraint parameter’. In CDM, a separate damage mode is defined for each type of crack and the expressions for engineering moduli of the damaged laminate are derived in terms of crack density and the constraint parameter. The COD and stiffness degradation predictions agree well with published experimental data for [ 0 / ± θ 4 / 0 1 / 2 ] s laminate configuration. To enable damage analysis of other configurations of [ 0 m / ± θ n / 0 m / 2 ] s laminate, a parametric study of the CODs is performed and using the computations a master equation is developed.
A comparative political economy of diversified business groups, or how states organize big business

ABSTRACT Diversified business groups are present in nearly all economies and dominate the private sector in most developing countries. This article seeks to add to existing theories, primarily economic and sociological, by analyzing the policies and state actions that promote and sustain business groups, and contribute to significant cross-national variations among them along dimensions of size, range of diversification, and reactions to globalization. The political economy explanation presented here emphasizes the role of politics and policy – especially regulatory policies and overall development strategies – in setting the external parameters of variation among groups, and also incorporates additional internal economic logics (economies of scope and risk reduction). This political economic approach helps distinguish the core logics of three main kinds of business groups – organic, portfolio, and policy-induced – that have reacted differently to recent trends in market reform and globalization.
Age-dependent Resistance to Viral Encephalitis: Studies of Infections Due to Sindbis Virus in Mice

Resistance to Sindbis-virus encephalitis was studied in mice of various ages. Resistance developed abruptly during the second week of life in mice that received either intracerebral or subcutaneous inoculation. In weanling mice, limited replication of virus occurred in the inoculated tissues, and staining with fluorescent antibody showed that the same types of cells became infected in weanlings as in newborns. In weanling mice, infection did not spread; this limitation of viral replication and dissemination was evident by 24 hr. The development of neutralizing antibody at three days and of mononuclear cell infiltrates at four to five days did not appear to determine resistance. Furthermore, fibroblasts from weanling mice were grown in vitro and were found to be resistant to infection, whereas fibroblasts derived from newborn mice were susceptible. In viral infections of man and animals, resistance to disease often develops with increasing age [1, 2]. However, experimental studies of viruses that cause acute encephalitis have shown that the maturing host animal usually remains susceptible to intracerebral infection, while it develops resistance to encephalitis after extraneural inoculation [3-8]. For this reason, age has frequently been used as an experimental variable in investigations of the host determinants of encephalitis. Such investigations have implicated the development of anatomic barriers of resistant cells [4], maturational changes in the reticuloendothelial system [9, 10], acceleration of immune responses [11, 12], and enhanced production of interferon [13] in the limitation of the spread of virus into the adult nervous system. Sindbis virus, a group A arbovirus, causes acute encephalitis in newborn mice after either
Training elementary school students to manage conflict.

The effectiveness of a peer mediation program in a midwestern, suburban school in the United States was examined. Six classes (one combination second/third grade, one third grade, two fourth grades, and two fifth grades) containing 144 students received 9 hr of training in negotiating integrative agreements to their conflicts and mediating their classmates' conflicts. Eighty-three untrained third-, fourth-, and fifth-graders served as a control group. A peer mediation program was implemented. The role of mediator was rotated equally among all class members. A pretest/posttest, experimental/control group design was used. The results indicate that students successfully learned the negotiation and mediation procedures, were able to apply the procedures in actual conflict situations, and maintained this knowledge throughout the academic year.
Depresión: Theory, assessment, and new directions in practice

Este articulo describe el fenomeno de la depresion y el uso de la terapia cognitiva como tratamiento. Se explora la naturaleza de la depresion, la terapia cognitiva, asi como instrumentos de evaluacion cognitiva. La depresion se muestra en cinco manifestaciones diferentes (emocional, cognitiva, motivacional, vegetativa y fisico, y delusorio), aunque es la manifestacion emocional la que solemos considerar como depresion. Tres niveles de cognicion son discutidos: autoverbalizaciones, distorsiones cognitivas y creencias cognitivos. La modificacion de autoverbalizaciones (o contenido cognitivo) se enfoca en la evaluacion y en el cambio de los actuales pensamientos automaticos. Las distorsiones cognitivas (o procesos cognitivos) son errores sistematicos de la logica y el razonamiento que dan resultado a pensamientos negativos automaticos. Las creencias cognitivas o esquemas son grupos de autoverbalizaciones cognitivas basadas en uno o mas temas y que tambien se refieren a creencias condicionales o estructuras de conocimiento tactico. Se describen diversos instrumentos de evaluacion cognitiva de la depresion: Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire, el Beck Depression Inventory, el Dysfunctional Attitude Scale, etc. Se presenta una gran variedad de intervenciones terapeuticas para superar la depresion y se advierte al lector que la pauta de recaida de la depresion es alta.
The New Caledonia–D’Entrecasteaux orocline and its role in clockwise rotation of the Vanuatu–New Hebrides Arc and formation of the North Fiji Basin

The origin of map-view bends of orogenic belts and arcs remains enigmatic. Here I summarize geological evidence indicating that a bend of the northern end of a ribbon continent extending north from the Northland Peninsula, New Zealand, through New Caledonia and the Loyalty Islands and into the submarine d’Entrecasteaux ridge (the NNNCd’E ribbon continent) is an orocline that has formed as a result of oroclinal orogeny (buckling about vertical axes of rotation due to pinning of the leading edge of a migrating lithospheric beam). An analogue model is used to investigate the geometric relationship between orocline development, the rotation of the Vanuatu–New Hebrides arc, and the origin of the North Fiji basin. The NNNCd’E ribbon continent terminates to the northeast in the Vanuatu–New Hebrides arc. The asymmetric, triangular, northwest-tapering North Fiji lies northeast of (behind) the arc. Paleomagnetic, geological, and geodetic data imply that since 10 Ma the Vanuatu–New Hebrides arc has rotated ~60° clockwise about a pole of rotation located at its northwest end, opening the North Fiji basin. The analogue model demonstrates that the arc was forced to rotate clockwise due to its southward advance being impeded by the NNNCd’E ribbon continent. In this model, the ribbon continent originated as a linear, north-trending feature that ended in the arc, just west of its midpoint. Southward advance of the arc buckled the ribbon continent, giving rise to the orocline. Buckling forced the arc to rotate clockwise, opening the asymmetric North Fiji basin. The lithospheric-scale of buckling is consistent with orocline formation controlling the clockwise rotation of the Vanuatu–New Hebrides arc and formation of the North Fiji basin. Buckling of the NNNCd’E ribbon continent against the migrating Vanuatu–New Hebrides arc explains the curved ribbon continent, the clockwise rotation of the arc, and the origin of the North Fiji basin. This ongoing oroclinal orogeny provides us with an opportunity to further understand the processes responsible for and involved in the buckling of lithospheric beams and to refi ne interpretations of ancient orogens that are thought to be the products of oroclinal orogeny.
A novel RGD-independent fibronectin assembly pathway initiated by alpha4beta1 integrin binding to the alternatively spliced V region

Fibronectin (FN) matrix assembly is a multi-step process that involves binding to integrin receptors, FN-FN interactions and connections to the actin cytoskeleton. Ultimately, FN is converted into stable matrix fibrils that are detergent-insoluble. RGD-binding integrins such as alpha5beta1 play a major role in the assembly of fibrillar FN. Here we show that alpha4beta1 binding to the alternatively spliced V (IIICS) region of FN initiates an alternative assembly pathway. Activation of alpha4beta1 with exogenous agents such as Mn(2+) or a beta1-stimulatory antibody TS2/16 was sufficient to induce initiation of FN fibrillogenesis by Ramos B lymphoma cells and by CHO(B2)alpha4 cells. Using recombinant FNs lacking specific sequences, we show that assembly is independent of the RGD sequence but requires the V25/CS-1 segment. Previously, we have characterized an activated recombinant FN (FN III(1–7)) that rapidly forms detergent-insoluble multimers upon binding to alpha5beta1 integrin. Alpha4beta1 also formed FNdeltaIII(1–7) multimers without the aid of exogenous stimulants, suggesting that an activated form of FN can override the need for activation of the integrin. In contrast to assembly by alpha5beta1, actin filaments remained largely cortical and no change in cell growth rate was observed with alpha4beta1-mediated assembly. These results show that binding sites on FN other than the RGD sequence/synergy site and distant from the cell binding domain can promote FN assembly. Thus, there appear to be multiple, integrin-specific mechanisms for assembly of FN matrix.
Integrating circadian dynamics with physiological processes in plants

The plant circadian clock coordinates the responses to multiple and often simultaneous environmental challenges that the sessile plant cannot avoid. These responses must be integrated efficiently into dynamic metabolic and physiological networks essential for growth and reproduction. Many of the output pathways regulated by the circadian clock feed back to modulate clock function, leading to the appreciation of the clock as a central hub in a sophisticated regulatory network. In this Review, we discuss the circadian regulation of growth, flowering time, abiotic and biotic stress responses, and metabolism, as well as why temporal 'gating' of these processes is important to plant fitness.
Natural sunlight shapes crude oil-degrading bacterial communities in northern Gulf of Mexico surface waters

Following the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) spill in 2010, an enormous amount of oil was observed in the deep and surface waters of the northern Gulf of Mexico. Surface waters are characterized by intense sunlight and high temperature during summer. While the oil-degrading bacterial communities in the deep-sea plume have been widely investigated, the effect of natural sunlight on those in oil polluted surface waters remains unexplored to date. In this study, we incubated surface water from the DWH site with amendments of crude oil, Corexit dispersant, or both for 36 days under natural sunlight in the northern Gulf of Mexico. The bacterial community was analyzed over time for total abundance, density of alkane and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon degraders, and community composition via pyrosequencing. Our results showed that, for treatments with oil and/or Corexit, sunlight significantly reduced bacterial diversity and evenness and was a key driver of shifts in bacterial community structure. In samples containing oil or dispersant, sunlight greatly reduced abundance of the Cyanobacterium Synechococcus but increased the relative abundances of Alteromonas, Marinobacter, Labrenzia, Sandarakinotalea, Bartonella, and Halomonas. Dark samples with oil were represented by members of Thalassobius, Winogradskyella, Alcanivorax, Formosa, Pseudomonas, Eubacterium, Erythrobacter, Natronocella, and Coxiella. Both oil and Corexit inhibited the Candidatus Pelagibacter with or without sunlight exposure. For the first time, we demonstrated the effects of light in structuring microbial communities in water with oil and/or Corexit. Overall, our findings improve understanding of oil pollution in surface water, and provide unequivocal evidence that sunlight is a key factor in determining bacterial community composition and dynamics in oil polluted marine waters.
Characterization of Magnetic Nanoparticles in Biological Matrices

This Feature describes several methods for the characterization of magnetic nanoparticles in biological matrices such as cells and tissues. The Feature focuses on sample preparation and includes several case studies where multiple techniques were used in conjunction.