cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tristetraprolin: roles in cancer and senescence.

Cancer and senescence are both complex transformative processes that dramatically alter many features of cell physiology and their interactions with surrounding tissues. Developing the wide range of cellular features characteristic of these conditions requires profound alterations in global gene expression patterns, which can be achieved by suppressing, activating, or uncoupling cellular gene regulatory pathways. Many genes associated with the initiation and development of tumors are regulated at the level of mRNA decay, frequently through the activity of AU-rich mRNA-destabilizing elements (AREs) located in their 3′-untranslated regions. As such, cellular factors that recognize and control the decay of ARE-containing mRNAs can influence tumorigenic or senescent phenotypes mediated by products of these transcripts. In this review, we discuss evidence showing how suppressed expression and/or activity of the ARE-binding protein tristetraprolin (TTP) can contribute to these processes. Next, we outline current findings linking TTP suppression to exacerbation of individual tumorigenic phenotypes, and the roles of specific TTP substrate mRNAs in mediating these effects. Finally, we survey potential mechanisms that cells may employ to suppress TTP expression in cancer, and propose potential diagnostic and therapeutic strategies that may exploit the relationship between TTP expression and tumor progression or senescence.
Septal olfactory organ in Peromyscus

Abstract 1. 1. Compound light and scanning electron microscopic examination of the septal olfactory organ revealed a mucosal structure similar to that of the olfactory recess. 2. 2. Structures observed in scanning electron micrographs were interpreted as olfactory cilia, secretory droplets and duct orifices of olfactory glands. 3. 3. The area of epithelium occupied by the septal organ was highly variable both between individual mice and between contralateral septal surfaces of the same animal.
Environmental policy reform on north-eastern Brazil’s agricultural frontier

Abstract The expansion of modern agriculture in developing countries presents numerous challenges for environmental policy makers. Environmental policies for agriculture in north-eastern Brazil’s soybean belt are analyzed, with emphasis on the role of a non-state actor in leading policy reforms. An organization representing large farmers is leading policy reforms to reduce the environmental impacts of modern agriculture. By contrast, state agencies are relatively weak and ineffective. The analysis situates this question conceptually in literatures stressing the political and structural causes of corporate environmentalism and literatures explaining the increasingly strong role of non-state actors in environmental governance. The case study focuses on the content of reforms, reasons why the non-state actor is so prominent, and the implications of policy reforms. State agencies face major challenges in environment–agriculture policy debates in places where environmental subsidies are unlikely, environmental information is poor, and organized private interests are influential.
An evaluation of interventions to decrease intimate partner violence to pregnant women

Prevention of abuse to women is a national priority; however, research has focused on identification of abuse rather than evaluating interventions. To evaluate the differential effectiveness of three levels of intervention, Brief, Counseling, and Outreach, a longitudinal study with repeated evaluation interviews at 2-, 6-, 12-, and 18-months postdelivery was completed at two urban public health prenatal clinics. The participants were 329 pregnant, physically abused Hispanic women. Both physical abuse and women's use of community resources were measured. Repeated measures ANOVA showed that severity of abuse decreased significantly (p < 0.001) across time for all intervention groups. Violence scores at 2-months postdelivery were significantly lower for the Outreach group (p < 0.05) compared to the Counseling only group, but not significantly lower than the Brief intervention group. At 6-, 12-, and 18-month follow-up there were no statistically significant differences among the intervention groups. The use of lay outreach for abused pregnant women merits further research. Abuse screening by itself, however, may be the most effective intervention to prevent abuse to pregnant women.
Membrane Asymmetry in Isolated Canine Cardiac Sarcoplasmic Reticulum: Comparison with Skeletal Muscle Sarcoplasmic Reticulum

Cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum (CSR), isolated from dog hearts, was shown to be asymmetric in the distribution of phospholipids across the CSR bilayer. Phosphatidylethanolamine was mostly resident in the outer leaflet, phosphatidylcholine was equally distributed across both monolayers and phosphatidylserine was found primarily in the inner monolayer. This distribution of headgroups is similar to that found in fast skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum (SSR); however, the asymmetry in CSR is not as striking as that in SSR.
In-Vivo Acquisition of Two Different Types of Aminoglycoside Resistance by a Single Strain of Klebsiella pneumoniae Causing Severe Infection

Abstract Multiple isolates ofKlebsiella pneumoniaeobtained from a patient were of the same biotype and capsular type and had three common plasmids. Initially, three isolates (from blood) were susce...
Type 2 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase messenger ribonucleic acid and activity in human placenta and fetal membranes: its relationship to birth weight and putative role in fetal adrenal steroidogenesis.

Two isoforms of 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11 beta HSD) have been described which catalyze the interconversion of cortisol (F) to cortisone (E). 11 beta HSD activity has previously been reported in placenta and fetal membranes, where its role may be to protect the developing fetus from glucocorticoid excess. Furthermore, in the rat, an association between placental 11 beta HSD activity and the subsequent development of hypertension in the offspring has been reported. We have characterized the isoforms of 11 beta HSD in human fetal membranes and dissected placental tissue at term and investigated the relationship between placental 11 beta HSD activity and fetal and placental weights. 11 beta HSD activity studies in the presence of 0.1 mumol/L F and NAD (indicative of type 2 isoform activity) revealed high levels of activity in trophoblast dissected free of vessels (561 +/- 87 pmol E/h.mg protein; n = 4) > undissected placenta > cotyledenous vessels dissected away from trophoblast > placental and reflected amnion. In contrast, in the presence of 2.5 mumol/L F and NADP (indicative of type 1 isoform activity), only decidua and chorion demonstrated significant levels of 11 beta HSD activity. Type 1 11 beta HSD activity in chorion was probably due to decidual contamination, in that it was absent in decidua-free fused chorion obtained from a twin pregnancy. In keeping with these data, type 1 11 beta HSD messenger ribonucleic acid (1.5 kilobases) was detected in decidua, but in no other tissue, and high levels of type 2 11 beta HSD messenger ribonucleic acid (1.9 kilobases) were found in undissected placenta and trophoblast. In 27 term placentas, 11 beta HSD activity varied from 194-448 pmol E/h.mg protein. There was a weak, but significant, positive correlation between term placental 11 beta HSD activity and fetal weight (r = 0.408; P = 0.034), but no correlation with placental weight. Thus, in man, the reported association of a small fetus and a large placenta predisposing to adult hypertension cannot be explained on the basis of defective 11 beta HSD activity. However, the placenta offers an immense reservoir for F clearance (1.73-7.95 mumol/min.placenta) and may be a principal factor driving fetal ACTH secretion and, hence, fetal adrenal steroidogenesis.
A design study of ultrasonic bonding tips

The standing wave on ultrasonic bonding tips and the tendency of the lower end to fold back upon itself, termed "lug-down," have been measured under actual bonding conditions. These phenomena have also been modeled on a computer. Lug-down can be a major contributor to bonding failures in designs halving an overly slim tip. One definition of a "bonding failure" is the production of a bond between wire and monolithic circuit pad which lifts, when the wire is pulled at 90° to the pad, under a wire tensile force less than 25% of the ultimate tensile strength of the wire. Improper location of nodes can also contribute to bonding failures. A tapered tip has been shown by mathematical analysis to possess a higher resonant frequency and fewer nodes than a tip of uniform cross section. Using the newly developed taper tip, means were found for minimizing lug-down. With judicious trade-offs, it is now possible to optimize tip geometry for a particular bonding application.
VAPOUR PHASE GROWTH OF GaAs BY THE HYDRIDE TECHNIQUE

The relative merits of the trichloride and hydride techniques for the preparation of GaAs epilayers are compared and the hydride technique is seen to offer some significant advantages for large scale production. The influence of growth conditions on growth rate and dopant incorporation in a commercially available hydride reactor is discussed. Uniformity measurements have been made on large area FET layers grown under optimised conditions, and the results are presented.
Cerebral‐cerebellar paroxysmal activity in experimental focal seizures

Focal seizures were induced in 14 monkeys by injection of 25,000 units of penicillin into area 4 of the right cerebral motor cortex. Prior to and throughout the development and propagation of the seizures, bipolar recording of the surface electrical activity was obtained from an array of four pairs of platinum electrodes over the right precentral gyrus of the cerebral cortex and a similar array over the paravermal area of the lobulus simplex and the anterior lobe of the left cerebellar cortex. There was a very close correlation between the initial and subsequent rhythmic spike activity from the right cerebral to the left cerebellar cortices, as evidenced by: (1) an identical time of onset of spike activity in 11 of 14 monkeys, as recorded by the ink-writing equipment; (2) a comparable increase in frequency and complexity of waveform with progression of paroxysmal activity; and (3) an appropriate and simultaneous somatotopic representation of initiation and progression of the paroxysmal activity along the motor strip of the right motor cortex and the left paravermal area of the cerebellar cortex. The activity in both was consonant with that from electromyograms of the left face, arm, and leg.
Efficient Signal Conditioning for Microcontroller Based Medical Solutions

Signal conditioning is an important aspect in almost all analog measurement applications such as blood pressure monitors, heart rate monitors, digital hearing aids, magnetic resonance imaging, pulsoximeters etc. While some of the high end medical applications need digital signal processors (DSP) for processing their complex algorithms, most portable medical applications need only a microcontroller. Power consumption is of primary interest for portable battery operated Medical equipments. The use of microcontrollers boasts of lower power consumption. Filtering is the fundamental aspect of any signal conditioning scheme and the choice of digital filters over analog filters has several proven advantages. This paper proposes an efficient way to implement digital filters on a microcontroller without the need to scale the filter coefficients. The method uses an extension of Horner's method to support an integer-float multiply. This method exhibits excellent accuracy when compared to implementations using floating point math libraries.
Doublet and burst firing patterns within the dorsal column nuclei of cat and man

Abstract We have examined extracellularly the firing pattern of neurons in the cat external cuneate nucleus and in the human main cuneate nucleus, focusing upon both the spontaneous firing patterns and its modification by natural stimulation. Many of these neurons exhibit stereotyped doublet or burst firing patterns, e.g., the interval between the spikes might be 1.0 ± 0.1 msec in a given cell. For most cells, this characteristic doublet interval was between 0.8 and 2.0 msec, with a few extending to 5 msec. While doublets were most common, the number of spikes per burst ranged to six or more. When the external cuneate neurons were synaptically driven by forelimb position changes, the firing rate increased but the proportion of spikes occurring within bursts (the “burst index”) often fell. The doublets that occurred became broader during synaptic drive. This paradoxical behavior (the peak instantaneous firing rate falling as the average firing rate rises) is analogous to the doublet firing patterns occasionally observed in spinal motoneurons; there, the doublet is caused by a large depolarizing afterpotential (postspike hump) which rises through the falling threshold at the end of the relative refractory period to elicit an “extra spike.”
Impaired Modulation of Sympathetic Vasoconstriction in Contracting Skeletal Muscle of Rats With Chronic Myocardial Infarctions Role of Oxidative Stress

Skeletal muscle perfusion during exercise is impaired in heart failure, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. One possibility is that sympathetic vasoconstriction is enhanced in exercising muscle in heart failure as a result of impaired counterregulatory mechanisms that normally act to attenuate vasoconstrictor responses. In healthy animals, sympathetic vasoconstriction in contracting skeletal muscle is attenuated by endogenously produced nitric oxide (NO). Because the NO pathway may be dysfunctional in heart failure, we hypothesized that reduced NO in contracting muscle would result in enhanced sympathetic vasoconstriction. In sham rats and rats with chronic myocardial infarctions (MIs) produced by coronary artery ligation, we measured arterial pressure and femoral artery blood flow responses to sympathetic nerve stimulation (1, 2.5, and 5 Hz) in resting and contracting hindlimb. In resting hindlimb, sympathetic stimulation decreased femoral vascular conductance similarly in sham and MI rats. In contracting hindlimb, these vasoconstrictor responses were attenuated to a greater extent in sham than in MI rats. NO synthase inhibition enhanced sympathetic vasoconstriction in contracting hindlimb of sham, but not MI, rats. Conversely, infusion of L-arginine or a superoxide scavenger, tempol or tiron, attenuated sympathetic vasoconstriction in contracting hindlimb of MI rats. NO synthase expression was similar, but malondialdehyde (a marker of free radical damage) was greater in skeletal muscle from MI than from sham rats. These data suggest that impaired metabolic modulation of sympathetic vasoconstriction in contracting skeletal muscle of MI rats is a consequence of superoxide-mediated disruption of the NO pathway.
Conversion of fixed nitrogen to N2 in rich combustion

Equilibrium considerations indicate that the concentration of total fixed nitrogen species (other than molecular N 2 ) should reach a minimum under fuel rich combustion conditions. Increasing the combustion temperature should alleviate the kinetic constraints that prevent the fixed nitrogen concentration from approaching the low values predicted by equilibrium. In this study the concept of fuel rich combustion at high temperatures was explored, and the dependence of fixed nitrogen conversion to N 2 on the equivalence ratio, temperature and reaction time was determined in oxygen-enriched methane/air combustion doped with ammonia or nitric oxide. To maintain constant, high temperature conditions required for the fixed nitrogen to N 2 conversion, a tubular flow reactor with its walls heated to the adiabatic temperature of the premixed flames supplied by a flat flame burner was used for these reaction studies. The results indicate the validity of the concept of minimizing fixed nitrogen species (HCN+NH 3 +NO) concentration by increasing the temperature in the range of 1850 K to 2050 K at the optimum equivalence ratio of 1.7–1.9. The predominant initial nitrogen species is HCN which is converted to N 2 presumably through amine and NO intermediates. A comprehensive treatment of the mechanism of nitrogen chemistry in rich combustion led to a kinetic analysis of the results, which indicates that near the flame front fixed nitrogen conversion to N 2 follows a second order rate law because of the rate controlling nature of bimolecular reactions involving fixed nitrogen intermediates (NH 4 , N, NO). At the same temperatures, but longer reaction times HCN reaction with chain carrier radicals becomes rate controlling, as evidenced by the first order decay of HCN.
The REFINE multiprocessor—theoretical properties and algorithms

Abstract A reconfigurable interconnection network based on a multi-ring architecture called REFINE is described. REFINE embeds a single 1-factor of the Boolean hypercube in any given configuration. The mathematical properties of the REFINE topology and the hardware for the reconfiguration switch are described. The REFINE topology is scalable in the sense that the number of interprocessor communication links scales linearly with network size whereas the network diameter scales logarithmically with network size. Primitive parallel operations on the REFINE topology are described and analyzed. These primitive operations could be used as building blocks for more complex parallel algorithms. A large class of algorithms for the Boolean n-cube which includes the FFT and the Batcher's bitonic sort is shown to map efficiently on the REFINE topology. The REFINE multiprocessor is shown to offer a cost-effective alternative to the Boolean n-cube multiprocessor architecture without substantial loss in performance.
AN ACCOUNT OF THE SPECIES OF POLYSIPHONIA ON THE PACIFIC COAST OF NORTH AMERICA. I. OLIGOSIPHONIA

12. Plants with 5-6 pericentral cells 13 12. Plants with 7 or more pericentral cells ...... 17 13. Plants somewhat corticated below P. guadalupensis S. & G. 13. Plants not corticated 14 14. Segments in main branches mostly less than half as long as wide ...... P. concinna sp. nov. 14. Segments in main branches mostly as long as broad or longer 15 15. Smaller branches widely divergent; pericentral cells mostly 5 ......... P. Marchantae S. & G. 15. Smaller branches not widely divergent; pericentral cells 5-6 .... 16 16. Branching frequent; trichoblasts or scar-cells occurring regularly one per segment P. Johnstonii S. & G. 16. Branching infrequent, 15-25 or more segments occurring between successive branches; trichoblasts and scar-cells occurring at irregular intervals P. homoia S. & G. 17. Plants fully corticated except for smaller branches; pericentral cells mostly 7 P. Brodiaei (Dillw.) Grev. 17. Plants without cortication 18 18. Branching strictly dichotomous; pericentral cells 20-24 P. dichotoma sp. nov. 18. Branching not strictly dichotomous; pericentral cells fewer 19 19. Trichoblasts wanting; main axes sparsely branched, except for numerous crowded and very short lateral branchlets P. Dictyurus J. Ag. 19. Trichoblasts usually abundant; main axes often considerably branched 20 20. Trichoblasts and scar-cells always occurring one segment distant and one-fourth spiral turn from each branch base 21 20. Trichoblasts and scar-cells rarely occurring in the described positions 22 21. Plants mostly under 2 cm. high P. iniconspicua sp. nov. 21. Plants commonly 10-20 cm. high.. P. paniculata Mont. 22. Plants rarely over 1 cm. high, epiphytic P. Hendryi Gardner 22. Plants usually over 2 cm. high, mostly saxicolous .. P. Collinsii sp. nov.
Are somatic stem cells pluripotent or lineage-restricted?

The finding that fetal mouse neural stem cells do not differentiate into hematopoietic cells contradicts findings from earlier reports and adds to the controversy regarding the rigor of the experimental methods used to demonstrate the differentiation repertoire of stem cells. ( pages 268–273 )
ANALYSIS OF FORM IMAGES

Automatic analysis of images of forms is a problem of both practical and theoretical interest; due to its importance in office automation, and due to the conceptual challenges posed for document image analysis, respectively. We describe an approach to the extraction of text, both typed and handwritten, from scanned and digitized images of filled-out forms. In decomposing a filled-out form into three basic components of boxes, line segments and the remainder (handwritten and typed characters, words, and logos), the method does not use a priori knowledge of form structure. The input binary image is first segmented into small and large connected components. Complex boxes are decomposed into elementary regions using an approach based on key-point analysis. Handwritten and machine-printed text that touches or overlaps guide lines and boxes are separated by removing lines. Characters broken by line removal are rejoined using a character patching method. Experimental results with filled-out forms, from several different domains (insurance, banking, tax, retail and postal) are given.
Leydig Cell-Specific Expression of DAX1 Improves Fertility of the Dax1-Deficient Mouse

Abstract Dax1 is an orphan nuclear receptor expressed in both Leydig and Sertoli cells of the testis. Mutation of DAX1 in humans causes adrenal failure and hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. Targeted mutagenesis of Dax1 in mice reveals a primary gonadal defect characterized by overexpression of aromatase and cellular obstruction of the seminiferous tubules and efferent ductules, leading to germ cell death and infertility. Transgenic expression of DAX1 under the control of the mullerian-inhibiting substance promoter, which is selectively expressed in Sertoli cells, improves fertility but does not fully correct the histological abnormalities in the testes of Dax1 knockout (Dax1KO) mice. We therefore hypothesized that Dax1 may also play a crucial role in other somatic cells of the testis, namely the Leydig cells. A 2.1-kilobase fragment of the murine LH receptor 5′-promoter (LHR-DAX1) was used to generate transgenic mice that selectively express DAX1 in Leydig cells. Expression of the LHR-DAX1 transgene caused n...
Kinetics and mechanism of the ligand hydrolysis of (hexafluoroacetylacetonato)(tetraamine)cobalt(III) complexes. Reactivity pattern

Abstract The kinetics of the ligand hydrolysis of (hexafluoroacetylacetonato)(tetraamine)cobalt(III) perchlorate complexes, [Co(N 4 )(hfac)](ClO 4 ) 2 , where N 4 =(NH 3 ) 4 , (en) 2 , (tn) 2 , tren and trpn, and hfac=hexafluoroacetylacetonate anion were examined by stopped-flow at 25 °C and 1.0 M ionic strength (NaClO 4 ). Each system was studied in two different basic buffer media. The rate constants for OH − addition to the carbonyl carbon of the coordinated hfac ligand ( k 1 ) were almost independent on the nature of the coordinated amine(s), except for N 4 =trpn, and rates showed no correlation with neither the average basicity of the amines nor the equilibrium constant ( K 1 ). The results are discussed in terms of distortion and ring strain in the hfac chelate, induced by the requirement of the amine chelates, especially with tripod trpn amine.
Where is the profit in a library team

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to resolve my aversion to the concept of teamwork. Design/methodology/approach – Opinion. Findings – There is a difference in how I perceive different groups referred to as teams, and in how I think each of those would function in a library setting. Originality/value – In a literature search about disliking teamwork or the word team, I found little to address my reaction to the concept, either in libraries or in the greater work world. The articles or editorials I did find had more to do with particular teambuilding exercises.
Defining the functional footprint for recognition and repair of deaminated DNA

Spontaneous deamination of DNA is mutagenic, if it is not repaired by the base excision repair (BER) pathway. Crystallographic data suggest that each BER enzyme has a compact DNA binding site. However, these structures lack information about poorly ordered termini, and the energetic contributions of specific protein–DNA contacts cannot be inferred. Furthermore, these structures do not reveal how DNA repair intermediates are passed between enzyme active sites. We used a functional footprinting approach to define the binding sites of the first two enzymes of the human BER pathway for the repair of deaminated purines, alkyladenine DNA glycosylase (AAG) and AP endonuclease (APE1). Although the functional footprint for full-length AAG is explained by crystal structures of truncated AAG, the footprint for full-length APE1 indicates a much larger binding site than is observed in crystal structures. AAG turnover is stimulated in the presence of APE1, indicating rapid exchange of AAG and APE1 at the abasic site produced by the AAG reaction. The coordinated reaction does not require an extended footprint, suggesting that each enzyme engages the site independently. Functional footprinting provides unique information relative to traditional footprinting approaches and is generally applicable to any DNA modifying enzyme or system of enzymes.
Permutation statistics and ( k , l )-hook Schur functions

Generalisation des relations entre les statistiques de permutations et les fonctions de Schur, etablies par Desarmenien et Fouta
Postoperative Wound Infection Rates in Dermatologic Surgery

BACKGROUNDMultiple factors related to the nature of the surgical procedure can influence the risk of wound infection in dermatologic surgery. Despite that, wound infection rates in dermatologic surgical procedures tire believed to be low.OBJECTIVEThis study was conducted: 1) to determine wound infec
Effects of anticipated central bank actions on Tobin's Q, share prices and exchange rate in a small open economy

Abstract Qualitative features of response patterns of domestic share price, the exchange rate and Tobin's Q are analyzed to compare the effects of three types of anticipated central bank policies in a small open economy: exchange of domestic money with domestic shares; exchange of domestic money with foreign bonds; and exchange of domestic shares with foreign bonds, all of equal values in domestic currency. Tobin's Q adjusts monotonically to a new equilibrium in response to all three anticipated actions, aside from the initial discontinuous changes when anticipated actions are first announced. Under a set of plausible assumptions on the model parameters, the exchange rate and the share price are shown to respond non-monotonically to the announced exchange of domestic money with foreign bonds, if the announcement is made sufficiently far in advance. The paper also demonstrates that the exchange of domestic shares with foreign bonds is most effective in moving the terms of trade. The paper establishes conditions for nonmonotone response patterns in terms of real rate of return to the domestic shares, after distinguishing overshooting response pattern from another non-monotone pattern, called misadjusting in this paper, where the initial response of a variable to a shock is a movement away from equilibrium. These response patterns are characterized in terms of two parameters and their relative sizes with respect to the implementation lags of announced actions.
LXXXV. On electrostriction

(1911). LXXXV. On electrostriction. The London, Edinburgh, and Dublin Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science: Vol. 22, No. 132, pp. 889-900.
Growth hormone reduces the severity of fibrosis associated with chronic intestinal inflammation.

Background & Aims: Growth hormone (GH) is used to treat growth delay in children with Crohn's disease and in patients with short-bowel syndrome. GH can increase collagen accumulation in intestinal mesenchymal cells, raising concern that GH therapy could exacerbate fibrosis in patients with Crohn's disease. We tested if GH treatment altered inflammation or fibrosis during chronic, experimental granulomatous enterocolitis. Methods: Ileum and cecum of Lewis rats were subserosally injected with peptidoglycan-polysaccharide (PG-APS) or control human serum albumin. At the onset of chronic PG-APS-induced inflammation, rats were administered recombinant human GH or vehicle for 14 days. Fibrosis and inflammation were quantified by gross gut disease scoring, histologic scoring, type I collagen, and cytokine expression in cecum. Abundance and localization of suppressor of cytokine signaling-3 (SOCS-3) messenger RNA and/or protein were determined in cecum. Effect of GH, cytokines, or PG-APS on SOCS-3 synthesis was measured in intestinal myofibroblasts. Myofibroblasts overexpressing SOCS-3 were used to test whether SOCS-3 inhibits collagen accumulation. Results: In PG-APS-injected rats, GH modestly reduced gross adhesions and mesenteric contractions, cecal fibrosis score, and collagen expression, but had no effect on intestinal inflammation. GH increased SOCS-3 messenger RNA and protein abundance in PG-APS rats and SOCS-3 messenger RNA was localized to the periphery of granulomas. GH in combination with cytokines or PG-APS, but not alone, induced SOCS-3 synthesis in intestinal myofibroblasts. Myofibroblasts overexpressing SOCS-3 showed reduced cytokine-induced collagen accumulation. Conclusions: GH modestly reduces intestinal fibrosis associated with chronic experimental enterocolitis and stimulates expression of antifibrogenic SOCS-3, suggesting that GH therapy in inflammatory bowel disease should not exacerbate fibrosis.
Influence of Factors on the Drying of Cassava in a Solar Simulator

In tropical countries, sun drying is still the most popular method used for processing root and tuber crops like cassava and yam. Relatively very little has been done on studying the kinetics of sun drying a bed of chips of cassava and similar crops, but this information is invaluable in finding options for reducing drying time and costs, and increasing tonnage produced. This project studied some factors that have an effect on the sun drying rate of cassava chips. The factors were ambient temperature, relative humidity, radiation intensity, air velocity, and loading density. A solar simulation chamber was constructed so that drying could be achieved under controllable conditions similar to those obtained in sun drying. Experiments carried out in the simulator revealed that temperature had the most significant effect on drying rate, followed by air velocity, and radiation intensity. Regression equations were developed relating the drying rate with the factors studied.
Interplay of Rad51 with NF-κB pathway stimulates expression of HIV-1.

Transcription from the HIV-1 promoter is controlled by a series of ubiquitous and inducible cellular proteins with the ability to enter the nucleus and interact with the promoter. A DNA sequence spanning nucleotides −120 to −80, which supports the association of the inducible NF-κB transcription factor, has received much attention. Here we demonstrate that the interplay between Rad51, a key regulator of the homologous recombination pathway of DNA repair and whose level is induced upon HIV-1 infection, with the NF-κB pathway, augments transcription of the viral promoter. Evidently, stimulation of the NF-κB pathway by PMA and/or TSA promotes association of Rad51 with the LTR DNA sequence and that the p65 subunit of NF-κB is important for this event. Our results also demonstrate that, similar to p65, Rad51 utilizes the NF-κB pathway to position itself in the nucleus as ectopic expression of an IκB mutant impedes its nuclear appearance and transcriptional activity upon the HIV-1 LTR. Treatment of peripheral blood mononuclear cells with small molecules that inhibit Rad51 activity results in greater than 50% decrease in the HIV-1 infection of cells. These observations provide evidence for the involvement of DNA repair factors in control of HIV-1 gene activation and offer a new avenue for the development of anti-viral therapeutics that affect viral gene transcription in latently infected cells.
Microwave ignition and combustion synthesis of composites

Abstract Microwave processing and combustion synthesis have been united to fabricate composite materials. The internal heating with microwave energy initiates the ignition in the center of the sample and the combustion wave font propagates radially outward. Under suitable processing conditions the wave front can be controlled in contrast with the self-propagation in conventional combustion synthesis. The exothermic energy released during the combustion reaction assists in microwave heating (microwave absorption increases with increasing temperature). Thus microwave ignition, controlled combustion and sintering of dense compacts allows fabrication of composites which are difficult to obtain with conventional self-propagating high-temperature synthesis.
Cytotoxic Effects of Eleutherococcus senticosus Aqueous Extracts in Combination with N6(Δ2-Isopentenyl)-adenosine and 1-β-D-Arabinofuranosylcytosine Against L1210 Leukemia Cells

The use of the aqueous extracts of Eleutherococcus senticosus in combination with either cytarabine or N6-(delta 2-isopentenyl)-adenosine gave additive antiproliferative effects against L1210 murine leukemia. The ED50 for E. senticosus root extracts against L1210 cells was approximately 75 micrograms/mL. E. senticosus appears to be potentially useful for reducing the concentration of conventional antimetabolites used for their antiproliferative effects on tumor cells.
Career Choice Readiness Moderates the Effects of Interest Inventory Interpretation

Career development theory postulates that a client's career choice readiness influences the experience of an interest inventory. This study examined career choice readiness as it related to satisfaction with, retention of, and use of a videotaped interpretation of the Strong Interest Inventory (SII; Hansen & Campbell, 1985). Students (N = 186) from two urban midwestern universities participated in this study. Results indicated that two attitudinal factors of career choice readiness, namely attitudes toward career planning and attitudes toward career exploration, predicted how much and how well clients used their interest inventories. Career choice readiness did not predict immediate satisfaction with the inventory interpretation nor cognitive retention of the inventory results. The discussion of these findings emphasizes differential use of interest inventory results based on the client's degree of career choice readiness.
On the constancy of real interest rates

Abstract In the context of a small structural model, we show that the autocorrelation and the variance of the ex ante real rate of interest can be uniquely estimated; the random forecasting errors need not confound the problem of identifying variations in the real rate.
THE STATISTICS OF BURGERS TURBULENCE INITIALIZED WITH FRACTIONAL BROWNIAN NOISE DATA

The statistics of the solution to the inviscid Burgers equation are investigated when the initial velocity potential is fractional Brownian motion. Using the theory of large deviations for Gaussian processes, we characterize the tails of the probability distribution functions (PDFs) of the velocity, the distance between shocks, and the shock strength. These PDFs are shown to decay like “stretched” exponentials of the form \(\). Our method of proof can also be used to extend these results to a much larger class of Gaussian potentials. This work generalizes the results of Avellaneda and E [2, 3] on the inviscid Burgers equation with white-noise initial data.
Prevalence of substance use among US physicians.

Objective. —To estimate the prevalence of substance use among US physicians. Design. —A mailed, anonymous, self-report survey that assessed use of 13 substances and permitted comparison with results of the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse. Rates of physician substance use were weighted to provide national prevalence estimates. Participants. —A national sample of 9600 physicians, stratified by specialty and career stage, and randomly selected from the American Medical Association master file. The response rate after three mailings was 59%. Demographic characteristics of respondents closely reflected those of the US physician population. Main Outcome Measures. —Subjects' self-reported use of 13 substances in their lifetime, the past year, and the past month; reasons for use; self-admitted substance abuse or dependence; and whether treatment was received. For controlled prescription substances, respondents were asked to report only use "not prescribed by another physician for a legitimate medical or psychiatric condition." Results. —Physicians were less likely to have used cigarettes and illicit substances, such as marijuana, cocaine, and heroin, in the past year than their age and gender counterparts in the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse. They were more likely to have used alcohol and two types of prescription medications—minor opiates and benzodiazepine tranquilizers. Prescription substances were used primarily for self-treatment, whereas illicit substances and alcohol were used primarily for recreation. Current daily use of illicit or controlled substances was rare. Conclusions. —Although physicians were as likely to have experimented with illicit substances in their lifetime as their age and gender peers in society, they were far less likely to be current users of illicit substances. The higher prevalence of alcohol use among respondents may be more a characteristic of their socioeconomic class than of their profession. A unique concern for physicians, however, is their high rate of self-treatment with controlled medications—a practice that could increase their risk of drug abuse or dependence. Uniform national guidelines are needed to sensitize medical students and physicians to the dangers of self-treatment with controlled prescription substances. (JAMA. 1992;267:2333-2339)
The work of Chris Argyris as critical organization practice

This essay examines the broad thesis of organizational learning theorist Chris Argyris in terms of communicative action, and finds his critical understanding of Model I and the emancipatory potential embedded in double‐loop learning consistent with prominent themes in critical organization study.
Coverings of dehn fillings of surface bundles

Abstract This paper is a continuation of the study of those 3-manifolds which are obtained by Dehn filling on a surface bundle, N , over S 1 and directed toward the question: which 3-manifolds, M , have fundamental group, π 1 ( M ), virtually Z - -representable (have a finite sheeted covering space M → M with β 1 ( M )=rank H 1 ( M )>0) ? We note that β 1 ( N )− β 0 ( ∂N ) is a lower bound for {β 1 ( M ): M a filling of N } and show that any excess over this lower bound occurs only when the filling parameters include the boundary curves of an incompressible, boundary incompressible surface in N . The existence of an orientation reversing involution on a closed 3-manifold, M , is almost enough to imply that π 1 ( M ) be virtually Z -representable. We show that if k is any knot in S 3 which is invariant under an orientation reversing involution τ of S 3 with Fix τ⊂ k (such as the figure eight knot), and M is a branched cover of S 3 , branched over k , then there is an orientation reversing involution on M covering τ if and only if the monodromy representation π 1 ( S 3 − k )→ S q of M factors through π 1 (( S 3 − k )/ τ ). We apply this to several general classes of branched coverings of S 3 , branched over the figure eight knot.
Pure-Rotational Raman Scattering in a CO 2 Electric Discharge

We wish to report the observation of pure-rotational Raman scattering in a low-pressure CO2 electric discharge. The results were obtained by use of an argon-ion laser and a sensitive photon-counting detection system. The spectrum clearly shows pure-rotational Raman scattering originating in the 0110 vibrational state of CO2 superimposed on the ground-state pure-rotational Raman spectrum. In unexcited CO2 gas at a pressure of 40 torr, the pure-rotational scattering in the 0110 state has been observed photoelectrically. In addition, high-resolution photographic studies of this effect were carried out using an He-Ne laser and a sample pressure of 1 atm. The rotational constants deduced from this study are B0000= 0.39027±0.000007 cm-1, D0000 = (12.9±0.3)×10-8 cm-1, B0110c = 0.39065±0.00004 cm-1, and D0110c= (8.2±4)×10-8 cm-1. These values are in good agreement with previous infrared measurements.
Photometrische Bestimmung kleiner Kupfergehalte mit 6-Methyl-pyridin-2-aldoxim

Kleine Kupfergehalte lassen sich mit 6-Methyl-pyridin-2-aldoxim sowohl in schwach sauren als auch in stark alkalischen Losungen weitgehend selektiv bestimmen. Die Selektivitat wird auf eine sterische Behinderung der Reaktion von 6-Methyl-pyridin-2-aldoxim mit anderen Metallionen zuruckgefuhrt. Die Meswerte sind von Schwankungen der Versuchsbedingungen weitgehend unabhangig. Die Bestimmungen lassen sich rasch durchfuhren.
LUMBAR SPINE MAXIMUM EFFORTS AND MUSCLE RECRUITMENT PATTERNS PREDICTED BY A MODEL WITH MULTIJOINT MUSCLES AND JOINTS WITH STIFFNESS

The transmission of load through the lumbar spine was analyzed in a model of the five lumbar vertebrae, the sacrum/pelvis and the thorax, and 66 symmetric pairs of multijoint muscles. The model was used to test the hypotheses that (1) the need to maintain equilibrium simultaneously at all vertebral levels precludes simultaneous maximum activation of synergistic muscles and (2) that the maximum loads which could be carried by the spine and the degree of muscle activation increases with increasing motion segment stiffness. Maximum moments applied to T12 were calculated for moments in three principal directions, subject to equilibrium at all six joints and to constraints on the maximum muscle stress and intervertebral displacements. A model with realistic motion segment stiffness predicted maximum efforts between 1.4 and 3.3 times greater than a model with 'ball-and-socket' joints, and in better agreement with published results from maximum effort experiments. The differences in maximal effort were greater than the moments transmitted through the joints. While muscle activation levels were greater, many synergistic muscles were still submaximally activated. Antagonistic muscles were recruited to maintain multijoint equilibrium. We concluded that (1) muscle activations permitted in single anatomic level analyses are generally not compatible with equilibrium at other levels; (2) the effect of moment transmission in the joints gives a more realistic representation of the lumbar spine.
Development of Submicrometer-Grained Highly Transparent Sesquioxide Ceramics

This paper discusses rare earth doped transparent sesquioxide ceramics with average grain size of 0.3 µm using a two-step sintering approach followed by hot isostatic pressing as well as properties of these ceramics.
Aesthetic Labia Minora and Clitoral Hood Reduction Using Extended Central Wedge Resection

Background:The central wedge excision to reduce the labia minora was reported in 1998. The purpose of this article is to present recent modifications and results of this technique.Methods:A central wedge or V is removed from the most protuberant portion of each labium minus. The outer portion of the
Migration inhibitory factor (MIF) production by skin fibroblast cultures from patients with severe combined immunodeficiency.

Abstract The supernatants of fibroblast cultures derived from skin biopsies of each of two patients with severe combined immunodeficiency were studied for the presence of migration inhibitory activity (MIF). The supernatants of both of these fibroblast cultures were found to contain inhibitory activity for the migration of cultured human lymphoid cells (PGLC-33H). This MIF activity was found to share chromatographic similarities with the MIF contained in the supernatants of a lymphoid cell line (PGLC-33H) and phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and tuberculin (PPD) stimulated human peripheral lymphocytes. These data suggest that MIF is not solely a lymphoid product and that severe combined immunodeficiency does not represent a gene deletion for MIF production.
Midterm outcomes of off-pump and on-pump coronary artery revascularization in renal transplant recipients.

Objectives: Renal transplant recipients have high mortality from cardiac causes and are frequently in need of coronary interventions. Surgical coronary revascularization is associated with significant morbidity and mortality in this patient population. This study was undertaken to evaluate outcomes of on-pump versus off-pump revascularization in renal transplant recipients. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 43 renal transplant recipients who underwent surgical coronary revascularization with functioning allografts. Revascularization was performed on-pump [coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG)] in 21 patients and off-pump [off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB)] in 22 patients. Results: Preoperative characteristics did not differ between the two groups except for age and incidence of prior sternotomy. Total operative time and transfusion requirements were similar. The on-pump group received a higher number of bypass grafts (p = 0.03). Overall 30-day, one-year, five-year, and eight-year survival was 90%, 76%, 61%, and 32% for CABG group, and 95%, 86%, 62%, and 48% for OPCAB group (p = 0.53). The postoperative peak creatinine was higher in the CABG patients than in OPCAB patients (p = 0.04). At discharge, there was no difference in mean creatinine between the two groups. The rate of return to permanent dialysis after revascularization was similar (28% for CABG and 22% for OPCAB, p = 0.73). There was no difference in dialysis-free survival up to eight-years postrevascularization (p = 0.63). Conclusions: Despite higher mortality risk, surgical coronary revascularization can be performed safely in renal transplant recipients. OPCAB resulted in no improvement in patient survival or renal allograft function compared to on-pump revascularization. (J Card Surg 2011;26:591-595)
Substrate Controlled Divergence in Polyketide Synthase Catalysis

Biochemical characterization of polyketide synthases (PKSs) has relied on synthetic substrates functionalized as electrophilic esters to acylate the enzyme and initiate the catalytic cycle. In these efforts, N-acetylcysteamine thioesters have typically been employed for in vitro studies of full PKS modules as well as excised domains. However, substrate engineering approaches to control the catalytic cycle of a full PKS module harboring multiple domains remain underexplored. This study examines a series of alternatively activated native hexaketide substrates on the catalytic outcome of PikAIV, the sixth and final module of the pikromycin (Pik) pathway. We demonstrate the ability to control product formation with greater than 10:1 selectivity for either full module catalysis, leading to a 14-membered macrolactone, or direct cyclization to a 12-membered ring. This outcome was achieved through modifying the type of hexaketide ester employed, demonstrating the utility of substrate engineering in PKS functional...
Accuracy of serum human chorionic gonadotropin concentrations and ultrasonic fetal measurements in determining gestational age

Abstract Prior to 60 days' gestation, the maternal serum concentration of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) can predict the estimated date of confinement, but later in pregnancy, hCG concentrations vary widely. The current study was performed to compare the accuracy of hCG measurements with other determinants of gestational age. Fifteen patients in whom gestational age was documented were monitored prospectively throughout pregnancy. One to two determinations of hCG (β subunit) were obtained during the first 60 days. Then, ultrasonographic measurements of crown-rump length were obtained between 8 and 16 weeks' gestation and two measurements of biparietal diameter were performed between 18 and 32 weeks. These results were compared to actual dates of gestation. The mean (±SD) difference between gestational age predicted by single measurements of hCG and actual gestational age was 3.2 ± 2.5 days (r = 0.94, p