cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Advancing a rapid, high throughput screening platform for optimization of lentivirus production.

Background Lentiviral vectors (LVVs) hold great promise as delivery tools for gene therapy and chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy. Their ability to target difficult to transfect cells and deliver genetic payloads that integrate into the host genome makes them ideal delivery candidates. However, several challenges remain to be addressed before LVVs are more widely used as therapeutics including low viral vector concentrations and the absence of suitable scale-up methods for large-scale production. To address these challenges, we have developed a high throughput microscale HEK293 suspension culture platform that enables rapid screening of conditions for improving LVV productivity. Key results High density culture (40 million cells mL-1 ) of HEK293 suspension cells in commercially available media was achieved in microscale 96-deep well plate platform at liquid volumes of 200 μL. Comparable transfection and LVV production efficiencies were observed at the microscale, in conventional shake flasks and a 1-L bioreactor, indicating that significant scale-down does not affect LVV concentrations and predictivity of scale-up. Optimization of production step allowed for final yields of LVVs to reach 1.5 × 107 TU mL-1 . Conclusions The ability to test a large number of conditions simultaneously with minimal reagent use allows for the rapid optimization of LVV production in HEK293 suspension cells. Therefore, such a system may serve as a valuable tool in early stage process development and can be used as a screening tool to improve LVV concentrations for both batch and perfusion based systems.
Preferences for perceived attractiveness in modern dance

The role of attractiveness in the arts, an area that inherently deals with esthetics, is one way in which consumer decisions may have economic effects. Focusing on consumer (or audience member) preferences, this paper explores the relationship between audience members’ perceived attractiveness of dancers and their willingness to pay (WTP) for a modern dance performance. One of our contributions is through primary data collected using a series of four video recordings of self-choreographed modern dance solos. Using a dataset of 1,989 observations, we investigate the extent that the audience members’ perceived attractiveness of a dancer is related to their WTP for a modern dance performance using tobit and binomial logit models. The findings reveal evidence of a positive relationship between dancers’ perceived attractiveness and WTP for modern dance performances and an even stronger relationship between audience members’ perceived attractiveness of dancers and their willingness to re-watch or watch more of the performance. Aside from the performing dancer, the audience members’ perceived attractiveness of the other dancer also has a significant relationship with WTP and willingness to watch the performance.
Low vitamin D levels have become less common in primary hyperparathyroidism

Summary We compared temporal trends in serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and parathyroid hormone (PTH) in two primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) cohorts recruited 20 years apart. The prevalence of 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels <20 and <30 ng/mL declined by 30–50 %, respectively, and was accompanied by lower PTH. In the older cohort, higher PTH may be due to lower 25-hydroxyvitamin D.
Reasoning with Stratified Default Theories

Default logic is one of the principal formalisms for nonmonotonic, reasoning. In this paper, we study algorithms for computing extensions for a class of general propositional default theories. We focus on the problem of partitioning a given set of defaults into a family of its subsets. Then we investigate how the results obtained for these subsets can be put together to achieve the extensions of the original theory. The method we propose is designed to prune the search space and reduce the number of calls to propositional provability procedure. It also constitutes a simple and uniform framework for the design of parallel algorithms for computing extensions.
Whither data mining

The last decade has witnessed tremendous advances in data mining. We take a retrospective look at these developments, focusing on association rules discovery, and discuss the challenges and opportunities ahead.
Multinational (Global) Trial

Multinational clinical trials are trials conducted in more than one country using a common protocol. They have become increasingly common and have many advantages, such as access to a large patient population and the potential to obtain a broadly generalizable conclusion. However, these trials also have a number of practical difficulties, such as differences among the countries in language, import/export procedures, and regulatory and legal requirements. In addition, country-by-treatment interactions have frequently been found in these trials, leading to difficulties in interpreting the results. For example, the MERIT-HF trial, which evaluated metoprolol in patients with heart failure, found an overall hazard ratio for total mortality of 0.66, but a hazard ratio of 1.05 in the United States. There is particular concern that differences among countries hinder the ability to evaluate the cost effectiveness of an experimental treatment. Keywords: Cost effectiveness; country-by-treatment interaction; generalizability; health economic evaluation; MERIT-HF
Global Projections of Intense Tropical Cyclone Activity for the Late Twenty-First Century from Dynamical Downscaling of CMIP5/RCP4.5 Scenarios

AbstractGlobal projections of intense tropical cyclone activity are derived from the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) High Resolution Atmospheric Model (HiRAM; 50-km grid) and the GFDL hurricane model using a two-stage downscaling procedure. First, tropical cyclone genesis is simulated globally using HiRAM. Each storm is then downscaled into the GFDL hurricane model, with horizontal grid spacing near the storm of 6 km, including ocean coupling (e.g., “cold wake” generation). Simulations are performed using observed sea surface temperatures (SSTs) (1980–2008) for a “control run” with 20 repeating seasonal cycles and for a late-twenty-first-century projection using an altered SST seasonal cycle obtained from a phase 5 of CMIP (CMIP5)/representative concentration pathway 4.5 (RCP4.5) multimodel ensemble. In general agreement with most previous studies, projections with this framework indicate fewer tropical cyclones globally in a warmer late-twenty-first-century climate, but also an increase in a...
“Who polluted the Potomac?” The translation and implementation of a US environmental story in Brazilian and Turkish classrooms

In this study we examine how elementary teachers in Brazil and Turkey approached the translation and subsequent classroom implementation of an instructional activity that promotes environmental awareness through a combination of student role playing and teacher oral delivery of an environmental story about river pollution. A discourse analysis showed that translation into Portuguese was literal, an approach that fostered a classroom implementation that emphasized detached transmission of knowledge (the teacher frequently interrupted her delivery to provide textual, contextual and recontextualizing information to students). In contrast, translation into Turkish was free, that is, with many modifications that led to a decontextualized and detached text. Implementation of this text was focused on the creation of student involvement, being dominated by oral strategies such as religious analogies (heaven and hell), and parallel repetitions of statements of shared guilt. Based on these findings, it was concluded that neither translation promoted an equivalent form of environmental instruction (i.e., involved transmission of environmental knowledge). Furthermore, an argument is made that effective translation requires that original and translated curricula foster analogous levels of involvement (or detachment) as well as equivalent forms of classroom relationships and social roles (pragmatic equivalence).
Radiative decay of the K∗−(890)

Abstract We report a measurement of the radiative decay of the K∗− (890). The width for the transition K∗− → K− γ is 62 ± 14 keV. The resulting ratio of decay probabilities (K∗0 → K0γ)/(K∗− → K−γ), while consistent with predictions of certain quark models, does not agree with expectations from unbroken SU(3) symmetry.
Multiplication of the agent of X‐disease in a non‐vector leafhopper Macrostelesfascifrons

SUMMARY The relative titre of the causal agent of X-disease of stone fruits in the non-vector leafhopper Macrosteles fascifrons was tested by injecting dilutions of M. fascifrons extracts into non-infective Colladonus montanus leafhopper vectors. The recipient C. montanus were fed on celery test plants which were then observed for X-disease symptoms. M. fascifrons were assayed at various intervals for up to 37 days after they were fed on X-diseased celery or injected with infectious extracts of the X-agent. Infectivity was detected in M. fascifrons only after 25 or 37 days in separate trials. Whole body extracts but not extracts from detached heads of M. fascifrons that had fed on X-diseased celery were infectious, whereas extracts prepared from the heads of M. fascifrons previously injected with X-agent extracts were infectious. This infectivity was retained for up to four serial passages in M. fascifrons. Electron microscopy of M. fascifrons that had been injected with extracts of the X-disease agent revealed mycoplasma-like organisms (MLO) only intercellularly and appressed to various organs in the haemocoele. No MLO were observed in uninjected M. fascifrons or those injected with extracts from non-infectious C. montanus. These results suggest that, despite multiplication of the X-agent in vivo. barriers in the gut and salivary glands prevent its transmission to plants by M. fascifrons.
Acrylamide: induction of heritable translocations in male mice

Acrylamide (AA), known to induce dominant lethals in male rodents, was studied in the mouse heritable translocation test by using intraperitoneal injections on 5 consecutive days. Matings on days 7-10 following the last injection yielded a high frequency of translocation carriers in the F/sub 1/ male population, which demonstrated that acrylamide is an effective inducer of translocations in postmeiotic germ cells. As an inducer of both dominant lethals and heritable translocations in late spermatids and early spermatozoa, AA is similar to alkylating agents such as ethylmethanesulfonate and ethylene oxide. However, AA's chemical structure, the nature of adducts formed with DNA, and its lack of mutagenicity in bacteria suggest a different mechanism as the basis for AA's germ cell mutagenicity.
Solid-state speed control of the repulsion motor

Abstract This paper investigates the solid-state speed control of the repulsion motor by placing a triac in either the stator winding of the motor or the rotor winding of the motor. The speed is changed by varying the firing angle of the triac. This method of control replaces the slow, mechanical brush shifting lever with a fast, electronically controlled triac, which controls the speed without shifting the brushes, thus allowing the brushes to be fixed at a position of maximum starting torque.
Geothermal resources of Burma

Abstract Burma is one of the countries with geothermal resources that could represent an additional source of energy for fulfilling its future requirements. Under the guidance of the Ministry of Energy preliminary investigations have recently begun on 43 hot springs in 16 areas. Based on the results geological and gravity surveys were then carried out. A brief description is given of the physiography and geology of Burma and geothermal exploratory activity with recent results.
Atrial Fibrillation: A Review of Recent Studies with a Focus on Those from the Duke Clinical Research Institute

Atrial fibrillation is the most common arrhythmia and accounts for one-third of hospitalizations for rhythm disorders in the United States. The prevalence of atrial fibrillation averages 1% and increases with age. With the aging of the population, the number of patients with atrial fibrillation is expected to increase 150% by 2050, with more than 50% of atrial fibrillation patients being over the age of 80. This increasing burden of atrial fibrillation will lead to a higher incidence of stroke, as patients with atrial fibrillation have a five- to sevenfold greater risk of stroke than the general population. Strokes secondary to atrial fibrillation have a worse prognosis than in patients without atrial fibrillation. Vitamin K antagonists (e.g., warfarin), direct thrombin inhibitors (dabigatran), and factor Xa inhibitors (rivaroxaban and apixaban) are all oral anticoagulants that have been FDA approved for the prevention of stroke in atrial fibrillation. This review will summarize the experience of anticoagulants in patients with atrial fibrillation with a focus on the experience at the Duke Clinic Research Institute.
Characterization of CO in Rh6(CO)16/NaY Clusters and Isolated Rh+(CO)2/NaY by Solid-State 13C NMR Spectroscopy

Solid-state NMR spectroscopy of 13C is used to structurally characterize and quantify carbonyl groups in Rh6(CO)16 and Rh+(CO)2 complexes entrapped in NaY zeolite. MAS NMR line shape simulations show that the dicarbonyl groups present in Rh6(CO)16 and Rh+(CO)2 have the same shielding parameters (σiso ∼ 178 ppm, CSA ∼ 400 ppm, and η ∼ 0.2) but exhibit greatly different spin−lattice relaxation rates. Bridged groups exist only in clusters and are bonded to three Rh atoms. Their shielding parameters [σiso ∼ 251 ppm, CSA ∼ 180 ppm, and negligible anisotropy (η)] differ from bulk Rh6(CO)16 and from those found earlier for CO bridged between two Rh atoms. The Rh6:Rh+ ratio can be measured directly from the MAS spectra or from the relaxation data. The residual broadening of 150−200 Hz in the MAS spectra is due to distribution of isotropic resonances in the sample. All CO species are immobile at room temperature on the NMR time scale (of the order of a millisecond), whereas slow exchange between dicarbonyls on hex...
Nature and Nation in Emilia Pardo Bazán's Insolación

In Chapter 2 of Emilia Pardo Bazan's Insolacion (1889), Gabriel Pardo explains the lesson he has learned in the author's earlier novel, La madre naturaleza (1887), in which he also appears: Nature ...
Compensatory stepping in response to waist pulls in balance-impaired and unimpaired women.

Abstract An effective stepping response is often critical in avoiding a fall. Our objective was to study the effects of age and balance impairment on anterior and posterior compensatory stepping strategies in response to waist pull perturbations of 1–5% body weight (BW). Based on maximal unipedal stance time (UST), we tested 15 balance-impaired old (BI, UST 30 s, mean age = 71 years), and 13 healthy young women (Y, UST > 30 s, mean age = 23 years). Randomized anterior and posterior pulls of 1–5% body weight (BW) were applied to the waist while kinematic and kinetic recovery responses were recorded. Results show that O and BI required 0.5 more steps than Y to recover balance for posterior pulls of 4–5% BW (P
Estradiol 17β-dehydrogenase : full enzymatic activity in the absence of zinc

The precise catalytic mechanism of the steroid interconverting enzyme, human placental estradiol 17β-dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.62, estradiol-17β:NAD+17-oxidoreductase), is not known. Two general models for the catalytic mechanism of dehydrogenase have been defined. One model requires Zn2+ metal for the catalytic event, as has been shown for horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.1, alcohol: NAD+ oxidoreductase). Another model has been demonstrated for the 2-hydroxy acid dehydrogenases in which histidine residues are necessary for enzyme activity, without participation of a metal ion. In order to define which mechanism might be operative for the placental enzyme, it became important to determine whether Zn2+, or another metal ion, is associated with the macromolecule. Several homogeneous enzyme preparations, having protein concentrations from 5–80 μM, were extensively dialyzed in a buffer containing EDTA. Atomic absorption analysis of each sample demonstrated that no Zn2+ was present, although the enzymatic activity was maintained. In addition, there was no significant detection of Mg2+ or Mn2+ above background levels. When the isolated enzyme was dialyzed against buffer containing added 0.01–20 μM ZnCl2, no increase in specific activity of the enzyme was seen. The data indicate that the presence of zinc is not required for the catalytic event. These results, together with our previous affinity-labeling studies, which demonstrate a histidine residue in the catalytic region of the active site, allow us to propose that the catalytic mechanism of the human placental estradiol 17β-dehydrogenase is similar to that of the 2-hydroxy acid dehydrogenases.
Institutional Design for Value Capture and a Case: The Tel-Aviv Metropolitan Park

Two factors are critical for implementing strategic projects: institutional design and value capture. A brief introduction to institutional design is followed by an exposition of value capture: capturing the indirect benefits of public investments to fund the development and operation of public projects. Institutional design answers the question: how to institutionalize and effect value capture to enable a proposed project to be funded. Alternative modes of value capture are associated with different forms of institutional design, including levies, Special Districts and public–private partnerships. The case of the Ayalon Metropolitan Park in Tel-Aviv, Israel, illustrates the need for strategic project planning to include institutional design for value capture.
Electron nuclear double resonance of semiquinones in reaction centers of Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides.

Abstract Replacement of Fe 2+ by Zn 2+ in reaction centers of Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides enabled us to perform ENDOR (electron nuclear double resonance) experiments on the anion radicals of the primary and secondary ubiquinone acceptors Q − A and Q − B . Differences between the Q A and Q B sites, hydrogen bonding to the oxygens, interactions with the protons of the proteins and some symmetry properties of the binding sites were deduced from an analysis of the ENDOR spectra.
PARAMETER STUDIES FOR PLANE STRESS IN-PLANE VIBRATION OF RECTANGULAR PLATES

Abstract Free in-plane vibration of rectangular plates undergoing plane stress deformation is investigated through Ritz discretization of the Rayleigh quotient. Of particular interest is the manner in which the plate's natural frequencies and coupled longitudinal–lateral vibration modes evolve as its length-to-width aspect ratio is varied. Vibration modes are grouped into families or classes based on (1) common asymptotic behavior of natural frequency loci with increasing aspect ratio, (2) reflective symmetry of the displacement field about the plate's centerline, and (3) the presence of nodal points on or off the plate's centerline. The applicability of the traditional strength-of-materials bending and longitudinal vibration models for predicting the lower in-plane modes is also discussed, and the range of aspect ratios for which those simpler models provide acceptable accuracy is quantified. In-plane twisting and higher order modes having nodal points off the plate's centerline are not predicted by those traditional theories, and these are also discussed in several parameter studies.
Could Nonsteroidal Antiinflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) Enhance the Progression of Bacterial Infections to Toxic Shock Syndrome

Anecdotal reports suggest an association between the use of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and the progression of invasive group A streptococcal infections to shock and multiorgan failure. There is a biochemical rationale that could support this theory. Though NSAIDs are frequently used to relieve pain or reduce fever, they also attenuate granulocyte functions such as chemotaxis, phagocytosis, and bacterial killing. In addition, findings in recent studies involving human volunteers injected with endotoxin suggest that pretreatment with NSAIDs enhances production of tumor necrosis factor, which leads to higher blood levels of this cytokine, probably by preventing feedback inhibition by prostaglandin E2. Thus, NSAIDs may contribute to the sudden onset of shock, organ failure, and aggressive infection by inhibiting neutrophil function, augmenting cytokine production, and attenuating the cardinal manifestations of inflammation.
Contribution of endothelium-derived nitric oxide to exercise-induced vasodilation.

BACKGROUNDEndothelium-derived nitric oxide is an important modulator of resting vascular tone in animals and humans. However, the contribution of nitric oxide to exercise-induced vasodilation is un...
Left Heart Growth, Function, and Reintervention After Balloon Aortic Valvuloplasty for Neonatal Aortic Stenosis

Background— Transcatheter balloon aortic valvuloplasty (BAVP) has become the first-line treatment for critical aortic stenosis (AS) in neonates. However, little is known about the growth and function of left heart structures or about patterns of reintervention on the left heart after neonatal BAVP. Methods and Results— Between 1985 and 2002, 113 patients underwent neonatal BAVP at ≤60 days of age. There were 16 early deaths (14%), with a significant decrease from 1985 to 1993 (22%) to 1994 to 2002 (4%), and 6 patients had successful early conversion to a univentricular circulation. In the short term, the mean relative gradient reduction was 54±26%, and significant aortic regurgitation (AR) developed in 15% of patients. The 91 early survivors with a biventricular circulation were followed up for 6.3±5.3 years, during which time there was a steady increase in the frequency of significant AR. Freedom from moderate or severe AR was 65% at 5 years. In almost all patients with a baseline aortic annulus z score ...
Studies on insulin antagonism in plasma.

ONE group of diabetic patients, besides having hyperglycemia and glycosuria, usually develop ketosis and rapidly lose weight unless given insulin treatment. In a study of the plasma-insulin activity in these patients it has been shown that if the blood sugar is elevated at the time of the test no plasma-insulin activity is found. Moreover, when insulin is added to the plasma of these patients in vitro, its activity is apparently inhibited (1). When such patients are controlled, however, plasma-insulin activity is found essentially in the normal range and now the activity of added insulin is not diminished. It seemed more likely that the inhibition reported in these patients was hormonal in origin rather than due to antibodies, as these diabetics were receiving up to but usually less than 100 units of insulin daily. This indicates no insulin resistance in the accepted sense of the term and also there were no allergic manifestations. Moreover, several severely diabetic patients had such plasma-insulin antag...
N-dimension and n-critical modules.application to artinian modules

(1980). N-dimension and n-critical modules.application to artinian modules. Communications in Algebra: Vol. 8, No. 16, pp. 1561-1592.
GRASSLAND TO WOODLAND TRANSITIONS: INTEGRATING CHANGES IN LANDSCAPE STRUCTURE AND BIOGEOCHEMISTRY

In many of the world's drylands, human-induced alteration of grazing and fire regimes over the past century has promoted the replacement of grasses by woody vegetation. Here, we evaluate the magnitude of changes in plant and soil carbon and nitrogen pools in a subtropical landscape undergoing succession from grassland to thorn woodland in southern Texas. Our approach involved linking a process-based ecosystem model to a transition matrix model. Grass and forest production submodels of CENTURY were parameterized with field data collected from herbaceous and wooded landscape elements broadly representative of habitats in global savanna systems. The Markov (transition matrix) model simulated the displacement of grassland communities under land use practices typical of many modern grasslands and savannas (heavy livestock grazing; no fire) and climate events. The modeled landscape was initialized for pre-Anglo-European settlement grassland conditions and then subjected to heavy, continuous livestock grazing an...
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: Mechanisms and therapeutics in the epigenomic era

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) involves a complex interaction between genetic susceptibility and environmental insults. In this Review, Paez-Colasante and colleagues discuss various disease mechanisms that might apply to ALS, with particular emphasis on epigenetic factors. To date, only one treatment even modestly improves survival in patients with ALS, and the authors discuss several potential new therapeutic targets.
Optical Spectroscopy of f-Element Compounds

The energies and intensities of transitions observed in the optical spectra of lanthanide (Ln) and actinide (An) compounds can typically be measured with a high degree of accuracy. The observed transitions can then be directly represented as upper state energy levels where the structure is induced by the environment. We discuss here the systematic theoretical interpretation of these transitions both in terms of energy level structure and transition probability. Particularly for the trivalent lanthanides and actinides, the detail to which the interpretation can be carried is unique in the periodic table. Although we will emphasize the electronic structure of organometallic lanthanides and actinides in the present discussion, it will be clear that this type of ligand does not present any unique interpretive problems. The basic framework of the interpretation is not dependent upon the specific ionic environment. On the other hand, organometallic compounds represent a particularly interesting group in which to study excited state relaxation.
Somatic Mutations in SQSTM1 Detected in Affected Tissues From Patients With Sporadic Paget's Disease of Bone

Paget's disease of bone (PDB) is a focal disorder of bone remodeling that leads to overgrowth of affected bone, with rare progression to osteosarcoma. Extensive studies of familial PDB showed that a majority of cases harbor germline mutations in the Sequestosome1 gene (SQSTM1). In contrast, little is known about the mutational status of SQSTM1 in sporadic PDB. We hypothesized that somatic SQSTM1 mutations might occur in the affected tissues of sporadic PDB and pagetic osteosarcoma. We used laser capture microdissection to capture homogeneous populations of cells from the affected bone or tumor of patients with sporadic PDB or pagetic osteosarcoma, respectively. DNA from these samples and appropriate controls was used for sequence analysis and allelic discrimination analysis. Two of five patients with sporadic PDB had SQSTM1C1215T mutations detected in their affected bone but not in their blood samples, indicating a somatic origin of the mutations. Samples from three of five sporadic pagetic osteosarcoma patients had the SQSTM1C1215T mutation, whereas the normal adjacent tissue from two of these tumors clearly lacked the mutation, again indicating an occurrence of somatic events. No SQSTM1 mutations were found in primary adolescent osteosarcomas. The discovery of somatic SQSTM1 mutations in sporadic PDB and pagetic osteosarcoma shows a role for SQSTM1 in both sporadic and inherited PDB. The discovery of somatically acquired mutations in both the diseased bone and tumor samples suggests a paradigm shift in our understanding of this disease.
A longitudinal study of cardiac component analysis

The purpose of this study was to examine the reliability of a physiological event over several weeks. The physiology analyzed was the electrical event of the heart. Two operationally defined components of the typical heart response were examined. The technique gave very reliable data within a given day. Moreover, when the data for 20 weeks were added, the overall standard deviation was very small, but there were unpredictable physiological variations from day to day. The data suggest that comparisons between psychological tasks using physiological events as the dependent measure are best done in close temporal contiguity.
Renormalization corrections to matrix elements of operators with heavy colored scalar fields

Abstract QCD corrections are calculated for the relations, discussed by Georgi and Wise, that follow from flavor symmetry between heavy colored scalar triplets.
Mirror of virtue: The role of Cassio in Othello

(1976). Mirror of virtue: The role of Cassio in Othello. English Studies: Vol. 57, No. 2, pp. 115-127.
A Petrified Basidiomycete From Patagonia

DURING THE first months of 1956, S. Archangelsky visited the southern part of the Province of Patagonia (formerly Gobernacion of Santa Cruz), Argentina, in order to carry out a series of paleobotanical studies. At this opportunity, Dr. Jose M. de Giusto, geologist of the Y.P.F. (Yacimientos Petroliferos Fiscales), was kind enough to give him a number of fossil cones of Araucaria belonging to the petrified forests of Santa Cruz. Together with this material, and originating from the same locality, went a fossil organism which was suspected to be a fungus growing on the wood of Araucaria, and, indeed, turned out to be a carpophore of an aphyllophoraceous basidiomycete belonging in the porebearing group usually referred to as polypores, and more specifically in the former form genus Fomes.
Inhibition of tryptophan pyrrolase by serotonin, epinephrine and tryptophan analogs.

Abstract Many tryptophan analogs were found to effectively block the conversion of tryptophan to kynurenine in the tryptophan pyrrolase reaction. Side-chain variants such as indole-3-acrylic acid were competitive inhibitors of tryptophan. Substitution of the indole ring produced several noncompetitive inhibitors, of which serotonin was the most effective. Epinephrine and certain other phenols were also potent noncompetitive antagonists. The inhibition by epinephrine and other phenols may be due to interaction at the heme site for this enzyme. None of the inhibitors tested induced tryptophan pyrrolase in the adrenalectomized rat when administered in vivo .
c-Kit and CD38 are expressed by long-term reconstituting hematopoietic cells present in the murine yolk sac.

Abstract Murine fetal liver (FL) and adult bone marrow (BM) hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are characterized by cell surface expression of CD38 and c-kit. Because murine yolk sac (YS) HSC activity precedes the initiation of FL hematopoiesis, we investigated whether YS-derived HSCs also expressed c-kit and CD38. c-Kit+ CD38+ lineage- cells derived from day 9 YS as well as adult BM were found to be enriched in high proliferative potential colony-forming cells. c-Kit+ CD38+ lineage- YS or adult BM cells were capable of long-term reconstitution (>6 months) of busulfan-conditioned newborn or lethally irradiated adult mice, respectively. In contrast, c-kit+ CD38- lineage- populations from both tissues were enriched in lineage-committed progenitors and had no long-term HSC activity. We concluded that c-kit and CD38 are cell surface markers of HSCs expressed throughout murine ontogeny. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant 1998;4(2):69-74.
The adjunctive use of power Doppler imaging in the preoperative assessment of prostate cancer.

Study Type – Diagnostic (exploratory cohort) Level of Evidence 2b OBJECTIVE To determine if the adjunctive use of power Doppler imaging (PDI) could provide prognostic utility in the treatment of prostate cancer, as an accurate prediction of the clinical behaviour of prostate cancer is important to determine appropriate treatment. PATIENTS AND METHODS Most centres rely on a digital rectal examination or transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS) to assess the clinical stage of patients. In 2002, we began using a standardized form to evaluate TRUS findings and PDI findings. We compared preoperative clinical findings with those from pathological analysis of 620 radical prostatectomy specimens from 2002 to 2007. RESULTS The mean (sd) patient age was 58 (6.6) years with a mean prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level of 7.0 (4.5) ng/mL. Of the 620 specimens 157 (25.3%) had evidence of extracapsular extension on pathological evaluation; 443 (71.5%) men had a hypervascular lesion seen on TRUS, while 177 (28.5%) patients had none. There was no difference in preoperative PSA level, grade or stage of tumour. Furthermore, rates of biochemical recurrence or secondary treatment did not differ based on PDI findings. As a tool to help locate prostate tumours, PDI improved the specificity of TRUS but did not improve the overall accuracy or sensitivity. CONCLUSION PDI provides little prognostic utility to assess risk in prostate cancer. However, PDI might improve the specificity of TRUS in identifying prostate tumours and could have a role in image guidance for focal therapy of prostate cancer.
The treatment of essential thromobocytosis revisited

To the editor: In “How I treat essential thrombocythemia,” Beer et al[1][1] unfortunately chose not to use all the evidence available to them. Essential thrombocytosis (ET) and its companion myeloproliferative disorders (MPDs), polycythemia vera (PV), and primary myelofibrosis (PMF) exhibit
Reliability study of a MEMS array under varying temperature and humidity conditions

ABSTRACT In this work, we quantify and analyze the rate of accrual of stiction and mechanical fatigue in a MEMS micro-mirror device to understand its reliability under a set of controlled temperature and humidity splits. An a ccelerated aging system was employed by using a non-standard actuation procedure to more rapidly induce failure of the micro-mirrors. The array is hermetically packaged with a low surface energy self-assembled-monolayer (SAM) based anti-stiction coating, along with an encapsulated source of this anti-stiction coating that serves as a reservoir. Exposure of the micro-mirror array to the environmental conditions was made possible by drilling two 1 mm holes in the hermetic package. This enabled the retention of the encapsulated SAM source in the package which was vital to understanding the effects of SAM re-deposition on the surface in the operating environment. The fastest accrual of stiction was seen in the 90 o C, 80% RH split with approximately 80% of the micro-mirrors failing within 4.4 × 10
A New Mechanism for Cement Hydration Inhibition: Solid-State Chemistry of Calcium Nitrilotris(methylene)triphosphonate

The reaction of the cement retarder nitrilo-tris(methylene)phosphonic acid, N[CH2PO(OH)2]3 (H6ntmp) with calcium oxide, tricalcium silicate (C3S), tricalcium aluminate (C3A), and tetracalcium aluminoferrite (C4AF) has been studied individually, and in the case of C3A in the presence of gypsum, to gain an understanding of the effect on the individual minerals prior to studying a typical sample of Portland cement. The reaction of H6ntmp with calcium oxide results in the initial formation of soluble [Ca(Hnntmp)](4-n)-, which precipitates over time as [Ca(H4ntmp)(H2O)]∞, whose sheetlike structure has been confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The study of the hydration of C3S in the presence of H6ntmp indicates that no C−S−H forms, and the surface changes from silicon-rich to calcium-rich associated with the formation of various calcium phosphonates. The hydration of C3A is severely inhibited in the presence of H6ntmp, with the phosphonic acid reacting primarily with calcium as opposed to aluminum to...
The use of polarized neutrons in determining the magnetic scattering by iron and nickel

Abstract The polarized neutron-beam technique is discussed and utilized in determining the magnetic scattering by iron and nickel. Procedures for obtaining and using polarized beams of monochromatic neutrons are outlined, and experimental data are presented on the performance of two polarizing crystals, Fe3O4 and 92 Co-8 Fe alloy. The reflectivity of neutrons of different polarization states by single crystals of iron and nickel has been studied and used for determining the magnetic scattering amplitudes at various scattering angles. Comparison is then made between the observed magnetic form values and theoretical values derived from calculated 3d wave functions.
Molecular sub-group-specific immunophenotypic changes are associated with outcome in recurrent posterior fossa ependymoma

Better understanding of ependymoma (EPN) biology at relapse is needed to improve therapy at this critical event. Convincing data exist defining transcriptionally distinct posterior fossa (PF) sub-groups A and B at diagnosis. The clinical and biological consequence of these sub-groups at recurrence has not yet been defined. Genome and transcriptome microarray profiles and clinical variables of matched primary and first recurrent PF EPN pairs were used to identify biologically distinct patterns of progression between EPN sub-groups at recurrence. Key findings were validated by histology and immune function assays. Transcriptomic profiles were partially conserved at recurrence. However, 4 of 14 paired samples changed sub-groups at recurrence, and significant sub-group-specific transcriptomic changes between primary and recurrent tumors were identified, which were predominantly immune-related. Further examination revealed that Group A primary tumors harbor an immune gene signature and cellular functionality consistent with an immunosuppressive phenotype associated with tissue remodeling and wound healing. Conversely, Group B tumors develop an adaptive, antigen-specific immune response signature and increased T-cell infiltration at recurrence. Clinical distinctions between sub-groups become more apparent after first recurrence. Group A tumors were more often sub-totally resected and had a significantly shorter time to subsequent progression and worse overall survival. Minimal tumor-specific genomic changes were observed for either PF Groups A or B at recurrence. Molecular sub-groups of PF EPN convey distinct immunobiologic signatures at diagnosis and recurrence, providing potential biologic rationale to their disparate clinical outcomes. Immunotherapeutic approaches may be warranted, particularly in Group A PF EPN.
Frisking the whiskers: Patterned sensory input in the rat vibrissa system

How are two prominent environmental features, surface texture and object location, transduced and encoded as rats whisk? Recent papers show that textures may excite intrinsic mechanical vibrations of the vibrissae. Although these vibrations are too rapid to be directly followed by cortical neurons, there is evidence that their speed is encoded by contact-dependent sensory signals. In addition to contact, sensory signals exist that report the angular position of the vibrissae. The combination of contact and reference signals may be used to decode spatial variations in the environment, particularly the location of objects in head-centered coordinates.
Geometric coupling in the wheel/rail contact formulations: A comparative study

AbstractThe wheel/rail contact conditions can be formulated using three- or two-dimensional theories. In the three-dimensional theory, four geometric parameters that describe the wheel and rail surfaces are introduced. The contact conditions, which are formulated in terms of these four surface parameters, are used to predict online the location of the points of contact between the wheels and rails. In the two-dimensional theory, which is used in most specialized railroad vehicle computer algorithms, the contact conditions are formulated in terms of only two geometric parameters that describe the wheel and rail profiles. These contact conditions are defined by a projection on a wheel plane that intersects the rail surface, thereby defining a curve on which the contact point lies. In this study, the planar and spatial contact conditions are implemented in a general multi-body system algorithm that can be used in the computer-aided analysis of railroad vehicle systems. This computer algorithm is used to comp...
A Grammar of Institutions

The institutional grammar introduced here is based on a view that institutions are enduring regularities of human action in situations structured by rules, norms, and shared strategies, as well as by the physical world. The rules, norms, and shared strategies are constituted and reconstituted by human interaction in frequently occurring or repetitive situations. The syntax of the grammar identifies components of institutions and sorts them into three types of institutional statements: rules, norms, and shared strategies. We introduce the grammar, outline methods for operationalizing the syntax, apply the syntax to an analysis of cooperation in collective dilemma situations, and discuss the pragmatics of the grammar for analyses of behavior within complex institutional settings.
Orientation imaging: The emergence of a new microscopy

A new microscopy, called orientation imaging microscopy, is described. Imaging results from precise measurements of local lattice orientation facilitated by backscattered Kikuchi diffraction. The hardware configuration of the microscope is described, and a formal description of image formation is developed. Application of the method to several cubic materials and material conditions is described. Emphasis is given to those areas of application where new insight into polycrystalline microstructures has begun to emerge.
Violence in the workplace, 1970–1995: A review of the literature

Violence is increasing both in society and in the workplace. Such episodes of violence may result in psychological trauma and in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in employee victims. This article reviews the published peer-reviewed literature in four areas of worksite violence: corporations and industry, police and corrections, schools and colleges, and healthcare settings. The review examines the nature and extent of worksite violence as well as the current interventions that are in place to facilitate employees response to and recovery from these events. Five preliminary findings emerge from the data and their implications are discussed.
Membrane Permeability of a Peptide Drug CAI that is Hydrocarbon-Stapled to a Helix(NYAD-1)

A 12-mer peptide (CAI) has been found to disrupt capsid particle assembly of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1(HIV-1) in vitro; however it failed to inhibit HIV-1 in cell culture due to its inability to penetrate cells. Zhang et al. (2008) has converted CAI into a cell-penetrating peptide by stabilizing its helical structure with a hydrocarbon staple and called the new peptide NYAD-1. That NYAD-1 has shown potent anti-HIV-1 activity in cell culture demonstrates a strategy for overcoming the problem of cell permeability and enhancing the stability of peptide/protein based drugs. In this report, we have performed experiments attempting to understand the membrane permeability of NYAD-1. Hydrated NYAD-1/lipid mixtures form well-ordered lipid bilayers. However the oriented circular dichroism is not conclusive, probably because the helix is too short to have a well-defined orientation bound in lipid bilayers. X-ray diffraction showed an unusual extent of membrane thinning to a total of 2.2 A at P/L equals to 1/20. The thinning is approximately proportional to P/L up to 1/20, which yields a membrane area expansion of ∼111 A∧2 per peptide, unusually large for a small peptide. Correspondingly giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) exposed to NYAD-1 in solution showed a maximum fractional area expansion of delta A/A more than 6%, in quantitative agreement with the maximum thinning measured by X-ray diffraction. However the experiment of dye leakage showed a behavior unlike the typical leakage by many pore forming peptides. The lipid bilayer appears to be leaky (to dye molecules and sugar) as soon as NYAD-1 binding. However, after the binding causes the maximum area expansion, the GUV becomes more permeable.We tentatively conclude that NYAD-1 modified the permeability property of the lipid bilayers, rather than forming well-defined pores.
Three-dimensional MRI of the glenoid labrum.

The objective of this study was to assess the accuracy of three-dimensional (3D) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) reformation in the evaluation of tears of the glenoid labrum complex (GLC). Fifty-five shoulders were evaluated by MRI using standard spin-echo sequences. Gradient-refocused-echo axial projections were used to assess the GLC on the two-dimensional (2D) studies. Three-dimensional Fourier transform multiplanar gradient-recalled imaging with a resolution of 0.7 mm was also performed in all patients. Independent analyses of the anterior and posterior labra were performed in a blinded manner for both the 2D and 3D studies by three experienced musculoskeletal radiologists. Observations of the imaging studies were compared with the videoarthroscopic findings. The appearance of the GLC was rated on a scale of 0 to 4 (0–2=normal, 3, 4=abnormal or torn). The diagnostic confidence was averaged from the three reader's scores. Anterior labral tears were effectively detected with sensitivities of 89% and 96% and specificities of 96% and 100% (P<0.0001) for the 2D and 3D studies, respectively. For posterior labral tears, the sensitivity and specificity of the 2D method were 47% and 98%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of the 3D volume sequence were 53% and 98%, respectively. The lower sensitivity of both imaging methods for detecting posterior labral tears may be influenced by the smaller number (n=5) of arthroscopically confirmed cases in our study and reflects the difficulty of viusalizing the posteroinferior borders of the GLC with present MRI techniques.
917 IS DISPROPORTIONATE VENTRICULAR SEPTAL THICKENING A RELIABLE MARKER OF HYPERTROPHIC CARDIOMYOPATHY IN INFANTS

Disproportionate septal thickening (DST) (septal-free wall thickness ratio ≥1.3) is the most characteristic anatomic feature of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). To assess prevalence of DST in infants with congenital heart diseases, and to determine whether septal-free wall ratio ≥1.3 should be utilized as the diagnostic criteria of DST in infancy (when absolute wall thicknesses are small), 129 patients <2 yrs old were studied at necropsy. DST was present in 33 (25%) of 129 patients; in these patients septal-free wall ratios ranged from 1.3-2.5 but were ≤1.7 in 32. DST was not common in patients with any particular cardiac malformation. Of note, if a septal-free wall ratio ≥1.5 was used as the criteria for DST, only 7% of patients were abnormal. In only 3 of 33 patients with septal-free wall ratio ≥1.3 was marked disorganization of septal myocardium, characteristic of HCM, present. Hence: 1) DST is common in infants with congenital heart diseases studied at necropsy; 2) the vast majority of such patients with septal-free wall ratios of ≥1.3 do not have typical necropsy findings of HCM, since disorganization of septal myocardium is rarely present; and 3) septal-free wall ratio ≥1.3 alone is not reliable in identifying associated HCM in infants with congenital heart disease, especially if marked absolute septal thickening or disorganization of septal myocardium are absent.