cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Biological, immunological and biochemical characterization of cleaved prolactin generated by lactating mammary gland.

Abstract We have previously shown that rat prolactin is proteolytically cleaved in its loop by peripheral tissues of the rat. Of the tissues examined to date, lactating mammary gland exhibits the highest prolactin-cleaving activity. The objective of this study was to characterize cleaved prolactin, biologically, immunologically and chemically. By modifying an established analytical method, we were able to generate large (μg) amounts of cleaved rat prolactin from cell fractions of rat mammary gland which could then be assayed for biological and immunological activity relative to intact hormone. The cleaved product showed no significant difference relative to the intact rat prolactin when assayed for its ability to compete with 125 I-labelled ovine prolactin for the prolactin receptor and for its ability to stimulate the proliferation of rat Nb2 lymphoma cells. Cleaved rat prolactin, however, did show a 50–60% reduction in activity relative to intact rat prolactin when assayed by radioimmunoassay. Using Edman degradation and partial amino acid analysis, we determined that the second N-terminus of the cleaved rat prolactin begins at amino acid 149. The divergence of biological and immunological activity produced by proteolytic cleavage in the loop of rat prolactin suggests that biological and immunological sites differ in location. The possible physiological implications of a cleaved rat prolactin molecule generated by target tissue with maintained biological activity and reduced immunological activity are discussed.
Host proteins can stimulate Tn7 transposition: a novel role for the ribosomal protein L29 and the acyl carrier protein

The bacterial transposon Tn7 is distinguished by its ability to insert at a high frequency into a specific site in the Escherichia coli chromosome called attTn7. Tn7 insertion into attTn7 requires four Tn7-encoded transposition proteins: TnsA, TnsB, TnsC and TnsD. The selection of attTn7 is determined by TnsD, a sequence-specific DNA-binding protein. TnsD binds attTn7 and interacts with TnsABC, the core transposition machinery, which facilitates the insertion of Tn7 into attTn7. In this work, we report the identification of two host proteins, the ribosomal protein L29 and the acyl carrier protein (ACP), which together stimulate the binding of TnsD to attTn7. The combination of L29 and ACP also stimulates Tn7 transposition in vitro. Interestingly, mutations in L29 drastically decrease Tn7 transposition in vivo, and this effect of L29 on Tn7 transposition is specific for TnsABC+D reactions.
On an integro-differential model for pest control in a heterogeneous environment

Insect pests pose a major threat to a balanced ecology as it can threaten local species as well as spread human diseases; thus, making the study of pest control extremely important. In practice, the sterile insect release method (SIRM), where a sterile population is introduced into the wild population with the aim of significantly reducing the growth of the population, has been a popular technique used to control pest invasions. In this work we introduce an integro-differential equation to model the propagation of pests in a heterogeneous environment, where this environment is divided into three regions. In one region SIRM is not used making this environment conducive to propagation of the insects. A second region is the eradication zone where there is an intense release of sterile insects, leading to decay of the population in this region. In the final region we explore two scenarios. In the first case, there is a small release of sterile insects and we prove that if the eradication zone is sufficiently large the pests will not invade. In the second case, when SIRM is not used at all in this region we show that invasions always occur regardless of the size of the eradication zone. Finally, we consider the limiting equation of the integro-differential equation and prove that in this case there is a critical length of the eradication zone which separates propagation from obstruction. Moreover, we provide some upper and lower bound for the critical length.
Flow Field in the Secondary, Seal-Containing Passages of Centrifugal Pumps

We illustrate the impact of seal configuration of the through-flow leakage in centrifugal pumps with shrouded impellers. The flow model is based of the Petrov-Galerkin finite element method, and the computational domain permits the primary/secondary flow interaction at both ends of the clearance gap. The model is applied to a hydraulic pump with two different seal configurations for the purpose of comparison. The computed results show a strong dependency of the leakage flow percentage and swirl-velocity retention of the overallshape of the shroud-to-housing passage including, in particular, the seal geometry
A note on the equivalence of specification tests in the two-factor multivariate variance components model

Abstract This note offers a generalization of Hausman and Taylor's equivalence of specification tests in the single-equation variance (error) components model to the two-factor multivariate variance components case. The relationship between the specification tests and the hypothesis test in the model proposed by Mundlak is also discussed.
Biomechanics of Abdominal Injuries

Although considerable efforts have been advanced to investigate the biomechanical aspects of abdominal injuries, reviews have been very limited. The purpose of this article is to present a comprehensive review of the topic. Traumatic abdominal injuries occur due to penetrating or blunt loading. However, the present review is focused on blunt trauma. Because of the complexity of the abdomen, biomechanically relevant anatomical characteristics of the various abdominal organs are presented. The proposed mechanism of injury for these organs and methods for abdominal injury quantification are described. This is followed by a detailed analysis of the biomechanical literature with particular emphasis on experiments aimed to duplicate real world injuries and attempt to quantify trauma in terms of parameters such as force, deflection, viscous criteria, pressure criteria, and correlation of these variables with the severity of abdominal injury. Experimental studies include tests using primates, pigs, rats, beagles, and human cadavers. The effects of velocity, compression, padding, and impactor characteristics on tolerance; effects of pressurization and postmortem characteristics on abdominal injury; deduction of abdominal response corridors; and force-deflection responses (of the different abdominal regions and organs) are discussed. Output of initial research is presented on the development of a device to record the biomechanical parameters in an anthropomorphic test dummy during impact. Based on these studies and the current need for abdominal protection, recommendations are given for further research.
Novel combination regimens: Biologics and acitretin for the treatment of psoriasis – a case series

Combination therapy has long been a mainstay of psoriasis treatment, particularly for those that suffer from moderate-to-severe disease. The biologics represent a new and exciting approach to psoriasis treatment though their use in combination regimens has not been adequately examined. This brief series reports on the combination of biologics with acitretin in the treatment of psoriasis.
Peptide mapping/Western immunoblot procedure for identification of a truncated mycoplasma protein expressed in Escherichia coli

Abstract The analysis of mycoplasma genes cloned into Escherichia coli is often difficult because gene products, if expressed at all, can be truncated due to unusual codon usage. Identification of cloned proteins can be further complicated in the absence of a known biological activity for which to screen. By combining two-dimensional sodium dodecylsulfate-polycrylamide gel electrophoresis, in situ proteolysis, and immunoblot analysis, we have developed a technique for analyzing clone proteins based upon their peptide profiles. While this concern is not new, our approach allows analysis directly by sodium dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and Western immunoblotting, without prior purification from comigrating proteins. Mycoplasma pneumoniae proteins and proteins from an E. coli clone expressing most of the mycoplasma protein HMW3 (HMW3) were compared following Staphylococcus aureus protease V8 digestion, yielding identical profiles of a single low molecular weight spot. Digestion with chymotrypsin gave similar profiles for clone and wild-type cells, with six common peptides identified. Minor differences observed in the peptide patterns can be expected when comparing a unit-length protein with its truncated homolog.
The human erythrocyte membrane contains a novel 12-kDa inositolphosphate-binding protein that is an immunophilin.

Abstract A 12-kDa inositolphosphate-binding protein has been identified as a component of the human erythrocyte membrane. Its robust peptidylprolyl cis-trans isomerase activity that is strongly inhibited by the immunosuppressant drugs FK506 and rapamycin indicates that it is an immunophilin belonging to the FKBP class. The finding that its peptidylprolyl cis-trans isomerase activity is also strongly inhibited by nanomolar concentrations of the second messengers inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP 3 ) and inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate (IP 4 ) suggests that IP 3 , and IP 4 , could be physiological ligands for this membrane-associated immunophilin.
Biochemical basis for the acquisition of resistance to benzo[a]pyrene in clones of mouse liver cells in culture☆

Abstract In a Namru mouse liver epithelial cell strain designated NMuLi, aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) activity peaked at 12 h post-induction with 1 μg/ml of benzo( a )pyrene (BaP) in both confluent and growing cells. Maximal levels of AHH activity were reached on day two post-plating. This induced activity was inhibited in vitro 78% by gassing the incubation mixture with carbon monoxide for 15 s, and inhibited 93% by addition of 40 μg/ml of 7,8 benzoflavone(BF). Induced AHH levels were higher in epithelial clones that were sensitive to the toxicity of BaP than in resistant clones. The survival fraction of clones from NMuLi and of subclones derived from a sensitive clone of NMuLi after BaP treatment was a negative exponential function of the maximal induced AHH activity in the clones. One of the clones, NMuLi cl 8, was extremely susceptible to the toxic effects of BaP, the ±( trans )-7α, 8β-dihydroxy-7,8-dihydro-BaP(7,8-diol), and the (±)-7α,8β-dihydroxy-9β,10β-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydro-BaP (diolepoxide), known metabolites of BaP. The toxicity of BaP and the 7,8 diol to this clone was inhibited by BF, suggesting that these cells possessed an enzyme activity inhibitable by BF that could epoxidize BaP to the 7,8 oxide and then epoxidize the resultant 7,8 diol to the diol-epoxide. Another clone derived from NMuLi, clone 7, was relatively resistant to the toxic effects of BaP and the 7,8-diol, but still extremely susceptible to the toxic effects of the diol-epoxide. The slight toxicity to BaP in this clone was inhibited by BF, but the toxicity of the 7,8-diol to this clone was not inhibited by BF. A typical cytochrome P 450 inhibitor, metyrapone, had no effect on the toxicity of BaP, the 7,8-diol, or the diol-epoxide to either clone 7 or clone 8. The results suggest that these liver cells possess two enzymes that play some role in polycyclic hydrocarbon-induced toxicity. Enzyme A, a BaP-inducible enzyme that is inhibitable by BF, efficiently metabolizes BaP to the 7,8-diol and the 7,8-diol to the diol-epoxide. It is responsible for most of the hydrocarbon toxicity. Enzyme B is not inhibitable by BF and metabolizes the 7,8-diol less efficiently to the diol-epoxide or efficiently to other, less toxic products.
Prevention or moderation of some ultrastructural changes in the RPE and retina of galactosemic rats by aldose reductase inhibition.

Abstract Rats were maintained on a 50% galactose diet with and without the aldose reductase inhibitor, Sorbinil, or on a normal diet of rat chow, and the retinas and retinal pigment epithelium were examined ultrastructurally at time points ranging from 4 weeks to 20 months. Several ultrastructural changes were observed in the retinal pigment epithelium and retinal capillaries of galactosemic rats that were not seen in rats on a normal diet. Only some of these changes are similar to those that have been previously noted in diabetic (glucosemic) rats. As in diabetics, galactosemic rats demonstrated thickening of the basal laminae of the retinal pigment epithelium and retinal capillaries. They also manifested vacuolization and degenerative foci in the retinal pigment epithelium that were similar, but not identical, to changes seen in diabetic rats. Each of these changes was significantly inhibited by Sorbinil. Unlike diabetics, galactosemic rats did not have dilated basal infoldings, but did have outer retinal folds and a significant increase in large lipofuscin-like aggregates in the retinal pigment epithelium, both of which were partly prevented by Sorbinil. These data suggest that multiple mechanisms may be involved in retinal and retinal pigment epithelium changes in diabetic and galactosemic rats, and that enhanced polyol metabolism is likely to be involved in some of the changes in both.
Study of the B0 semileptonic decay spectrum at the ϒ (4S) resonance

We have made a first measurement of the lepton momentum spectrum in a sample of events enriched in neutral B's through a partial reconstruction of B{sup 0} {yields} D*{sup -}{ell}{sup +}{nu}. This spectrum, measured with 2.38 fb{sup -1} of data collected at the {Upsilon}(4S) resonance by the CLEO II detector, is compared directly to the inclusive lepton spectrum from all {Upsilon}(4S) events in the same data set. These two spectra are consistent with having the same shape above 1.5 GeV/c. From the two spectra and two other CLEO measurements, we obtain the B{sup 0} and B{sup +} semileptonic branching fractions, b{sub 0} and b{sub +}, their ratio, and the production ratio f{sub +-}/f{sub 00} of B{sup +} and B{sup 0} pairs at the {Upsilon}(4S). We report b{sub +}/b{sub 0} = 0.950{sub -0.080}{sup +0.117} {+-} 0.091, b{sub 0} = (10.78 {+-} 0.60 {+-} 0.69)%, and b{sub +} = (10.25 {+-} 0.57 {+-} 0.65)%. b{sub +}/b{sub 0} is equivalent to the ratio of charged to neutral B lifetimes, {tau}{sub +}/{tau}{sub 0}.
The utility of the general practice research database to examine selected congenital heart defects: a validation study.

Objective The purpose of this research was (1) to validate that ventricular septal defect (VSD), tetralogy of Fallot (TOF), and coarctation of the aorta (COA) can be studied in the UK General practice research database (GPRD) and (2) to understand which of the available GPRD components (computerized medical records, questionnaires, and maternal/infant free text) provide maximal information about these heart defects. Methods Using a practitioner questionnaire, the positive predictive value (PPV) of the computerized medical record for VSD, TOF, and COA were determined. Both infant and maternal free text was examined. Concordance between the infant free text information and questionnaires was calculated. The proportion of infant information captured in the maternal free text was determined. Results A 93% response rate was achieved. Based on questionnaire responses, an overall PPV of 93.5% was achieved (VSD = 95%, TOF = 90%, COA = 100%). Approximately half of the records contained infant free text information including information on the type and size of VSD, echocardiogram findings, and surgery. Concordance between the infant's free text and questionnaire information occurred in most of the cases (92–100%). The proportion of infant information in the maternal free text was low (4–19%). Conclusion The GPRD computerized medical records are sufficient to assess VSD, TOF, and COA. This study confirms that maternal free text provides a low yield of limited information pertaining to the infants' defect, while the infant free text may provide an additional information usually obtainable from practitioner questionnaires. The information provided by an infant free text may limit the need for practitioner questionnaire validation. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
NIR laser tissue welding of in vitro porcine of cornea and sclera tissue

In this study, an NIR fiber laser with an eye safe wavelength of 1.455 μm was used to successfully weld in vitro porcine cornea and sclera tissue. The emission wavelength overlaps an absorption band of water. The laser system was used in combination with a motorized translational system and shutter to control the laser exposure on the tissue being welded. Different welding conditions were analyzed for the porcine cornea and sclera. The welded tissues were examined using histopathology and tensile strength analysis. The NIR welding technique provides strong, full thickness welds and does not require the use of extrinsic dyes, chromophores, or solders. The NIR laser system used in this study can effectively weld cornea and sclera tissue, and this laser tissue welding (LTW) methodology typically causes minimal disruption of tissue, and thus, avoids opacities and irregularities in the tissue which may result in decreased visual acuity.
Strong uniqueness, Lipschitz continuity, and continuous selections for metric projections

Abstract The relations between the lower semicontinuity of the metric projection P G onto a finite-dimensional subspace G of L 1 , the Lipschitz continuity of P G , the existence of continuous selections for P G , and uniform strong uniqueness of P G are studied. In particular, the lower semicontinuity of P G , the Lipschitz continuity of P G , and the uniform strong uniqueness of P G are all equivalent. If P G is lower semicontinuous, then P G has a Lipschitz continuous selection. Moreover, if G is one-dimensional, P G has a continuous selection if and only if it has a Lipschitz continuous selection.
Regulation of Sar1 NH2 terminus by GTP binding and hydrolysis promotes membrane deformation to control COPII vesicle fission

The mechanisms by which the coat complex II (COPII) coat mediates membrane deformation and vesicle fission are unknown. Sar1 is a structural component of the membrane-binding inner layer of COPII (Bi, X., R.A. Corpina, and J. Goldberg. 2002. Nature. 419:271–277). Using model liposomes we found that Sar1 uses GTP-regulated exposure of its NH2-terminal tail, an amphipathic peptide domain, to bind, deform, constrict, and destabilize membranes. Although Sar1 activation leads to constriction of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membranes, progression to effective vesicle fission requires a functional Sar1 NH2 terminus and guanosine triphosphate (GTP) hydrolysis. Inhibition of Sar1 GTP hydrolysis, which stabilizes Sar1 membrane binding, resulted in the formation of coated COPII vesicles that fail to detach from the ER. Thus Sar1-mediated GTP binding and hydrolysis regulates the NH2-terminal tail to perturb membrane packing, promote membrane deformation, and control vesicle fission.
Evaluation of constraint stabilization procedures for multibody dynamical systems

Comparative numerical studies of four constraint treatment techniques for the simulation of general multibody dynamic systems are presented, and results are presented for the example of a classical crank mechanism and for a simplified version of the seven-link manipulator deployment problem. The staggered stabilization technique (Park, 1986) is found to yield improved accuracy and robustness over Baumgarte's (1972) technique, the singular decomposition technique (Walton and Steeves, 1969), and the penalty technique (Lotstedt, 1979). Furthermore, the staggered stabilization technique offers software modularity, and the only data each solution module needs to exchange with the other is a set of vectors plus a common module to generate the gradient matrix of the constraints, B.
NOD2-expressing bone marrow-derived cells appear to regulate epithelial innate immunity of the transplanted human small intestine

Background: Intestinal allograft rejection resembles Crohn’s disease clinically and pathologically. An understanding of its mechanism could impact this life saving procedure, as well as our insight into the pathophysiology of inflammatory bowel disease. The NOD2 protein has been implicated as a key player in intestinal immune health, as a consequence of the discovery of three polymorphisms linked with Crohn’s disease. We investigated whether epithelial immune function and graft survival were influenced by NOD2 mutations in our intestinal transplant population. Methods: We determined the NOD2 genotypes of 34 transplants performed consecutively at our center over the past 3 years. We related the NOD2 genotypes to clinical outcomes and the expression of certain intestinal antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) believed to protect the epithelium. Results: An unexpectedly high percentage of recipients, 35%, possessed NOD2 polymorphisms, while 8.6% of donors had comparable mutations. The likelihood of allograft failure was about 100-fold higher in recipients with mutant NOD2 alleles compared to recipients with wild type NOD2 loci. Rejection in NOD2 mutant recipients was characterized by decreased expression of certain Paneth cell and enterocyte AMPs, prior to the onset of epithelial injury and inflammation. Conclusions: CD-associated polymorphisms in the NOD2 gene in the recipient represent a critical immunologic risk factor for intestinal allograft rejection. Compromised epithelial defenses precede visible epithelial injury and inflammatory infiltration. The association of impaired epithelial immunity with the recipient’s genotype suggests that certain NOD2 expressing cells of hematopoietic origin play a role in the process, perhaps by regulating expression of certain epithelial antimicrobial peptides within the allograft.
Cosmic String Lensing and Closed Timelike Curves

In an analysis of the gravitational lensing by two relativistic cosmic strings, we argue that the formation of closed timelike curves proposed by Gott is unstable in the presence of particles (e.g. the cosmic microwave background radiation). Because of the attractorlike behavior of the closed timelike curve, we argue that this instability is very generic. A single graviton or photon in the vicinity, no matter how soft, is sufficient to bend the strings and prevent the formation of closed timelike curves. We also show that the gravitational lensing due to a moving cosmic string is enhanced by its motion, not suppressed.
A new coding scheme for the noisy-channel Slepian-Wolf problem: separate design and joint decoding

A new scheme for solving the Slepian-Wolf problem over noisy channels using serially concatenated codes is proposed. An outer low density parity check code is used to perform distributed source coding, and an inner convolutional code adds error protecting capability to the compressed data. A soft iterative joint source-channel decoder is performed, where the decoder side information is provided to the sub outer decoder instead of the sub inner decoder. The scheme is attractive since separate refining of compression rate (outer code) and error protection power (inner code) makes the design easy and the performance controllable, and joint iterative decoding exploits the power of the serial concatenated structure as much as possible. Simulations reveal encouraging joint decoding gain especially at low signal-to-noise ratios.
ARTIFACTUAL BIAS IN CONSUMER RESEARCH

Cognitive complexity has been found to affect the scope and quality of consumer information search. This research demonstrates that the characteristics that define cognitive complexity may result in an unintended subject bias in consumer information studies using college students as subject populations.
Group Trauma-Informed Treatment for Adolescent Psychiatric Inpatients: A Preliminary Uncontrolled Trial

Despite high rates of trauma exposure (46%-96%) and significant posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD; 21%-29%) symptoms in adolescent psychiatric inpatients, there is a dearth of research on effective interventions delivered in inpatient settings. The current report describes the development of Brief STAIR-A, a repeatable 3-module version of skills training in affective and interpersonal regulation (STAIR) developed for adolescents in inpatient care. An uncontrolled design was used to conduct a preliminary examination of the group intervention's effectiveness. Adolescent psychiatric inpatients (N = 38; ages 12 years-17 years) admitted to a public hospital participated in Brief STAIR-A and attended a median of 6 sessions (range 3-36). They completed measures of PTSD and depressive symptom severity, coping skill use, and coping efficacy upon admission and again prior to discharge. Participants reported significant reductions in symptom severity (d = 0.65-0.67), no change in the absolute level of coping skills used (d = 0.16), but greater coping efficacy when discharged from care (d = 0.75). Results from this pilot study suggest that this brief group treatment shows promise for treating adolescents' trauma-related difficulties in inpatient psychiatry settings, but additional research examining its effectiveness is essential.
Formation and validation of a telephone battery to assess cognitive function in acute respiratory distress syndrome survivors

Abstract Purpose Describe initial development and validation of a test battery composed of established instruments designed to detect, via telephone interview, cognitive abnormalities in survivors of acute respiratory distress syndrome. Methods Two cross-sectional studies were performed, including the following phases: (1) initial battery construction, (2) feasibility, (3) item reduction, (4) convergent and divergent validity, and (5) telephone administration compared with in-face interviews in a separate population. Results There was a broad range of cognitive function detected in the derivation population, and all subjects completed the interview. There was convergence of cognitive impairment with moderate/severe anxiety (P = .008), the Sickness Impact Profile Psychosocial Summary Score (mean difference, 15.3; 95% CI, 7.74-22.9; P = .0001), and the mental health domains of the Short Form 36. Subjects with cognitive impairment had no detectable difference in the physical function domains of the Short Form 36. When administered to the validation population, telephone tests of memory, attention, reasoning, and executive functions had good intraclass correlation with the in-face interviews (P Conclusions Detection of cognitive abnormalities in acute respiratory distress syndrome survivors using a telephone-administered test battery derived from standard cognitive tests is feasible and has evidence of construct validity. This battery may be useful as a research tool when in-face interviews are not feasible.
Proposed Method for Determining the Interval for Hands-on Inspection of Steel Bridges with Fracture Critical Members

The proposed assessment procedure presented in this paper may be used to establish inspection intervals for steel bridges with fracture critical members (FCMs) (if adopted by the Federal Highway Administration). The procedure proposed herein only applies to FCM inspections which are defined as follows: a hands-on inspection of a FCM or member components that may include visual and other nondestructive evaluations. The method is rather simple and provides an alternative procedure to the pure calendar based inspection methodology currently specified in the Code of Federal Regulations for all FCMs. There are only two requirements which must first be satisfied in order to use the assessment. The first is that the routine 24-month inspection must continue to be performed on the bridge under evaluation. The second is that a FCM inspection must be performed on the bridge or the FCM under evaluation prior to the implementation of the resulting inspection intervals given from this assessment. The “initial inspecti...
First approach to the frondosin C ring system via a tandem cyclization/Claisen rearrangement sequence.

A one-pot tandem 5-exo cyclization/Claisen rearrangement strategy is utilized as the key step in the straightforward construction of the tetracyclic ring system of frondosin C. This reaction is done under microwave irradiation in the presence of catalytic MeLi.
Biomarkers for detection of prenatal alcohol exposure: a critical review of fatty acid ethyl esters in meconium.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was a review of published studies utilizing measurement of fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEE) in meconium as biomarkers for prenatal alcohol exposure. METHODS: We completed a literature search of PubMed using the terms meconium, fatty acid ethyl esters, biomarkers, and prenatal alcohol exposure. We included only peer reviewed studies utilizing analysis of meconium for the presence of FAEE in humans through the year 2007. RESULTS: We found 10 articles reporting on original research examining the relationship of FAEE from meconium and prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE). The 10 articles used six different PAE assessment strategies and four different analytical techniques for determining FAEE endpoints. The articles included 2,221 subjects (range 4 to 725) with 455 (20.5%) subjects identified as exposed using the methods stated in the articles. FAEE levels above the studies' respective cutoffs were reported for 502 (22.6%) subjects. CONCLUSIONS: The accurate identification of alcohol-exposed pregnancies represents a significant challenge in the development of FAEE detection cutoffs to maximize the sensitivity and specificity of the test. We present several options for the improvement of exposure assessment in future studies of FAEE as biomarkers for PAE. Birth Defects Research (Part A), 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The necessity of and strategies for improving confidence in the accuracy of western blots

Western blotting is one of the most commonly used laboratory techniques for identifying proteins and semi-quantifying protein amounts; however, several recent findings suggest that western blots may not be as reliable as previously assumed. This is not surprising since many labs are unaware of the limitations of western blotting. In this manuscript, we review essential strategies for improving confidence in the accuracy of western blots. These strategies include selecting the best normalization standard, proper sample preparation, determining the linear range for antibodies and protein stains relevant to the sample of interest, confirming the quality of the primary antibody, preventing signal saturation and accurately quantifying the signal intensity of the target protein. Although western blotting is a powerful and indispensable scientific technique that can be used to accurately quantify relative protein levels, it is necessary that proper experimental techniques and strategies are employed.
A STUDY ON THE DIRECT INTERPRETATION OF RESISTIVITY SOUNDING DATA MEASURED BY WENNER ELECTRODE CONFIGURATION

This paper describes certain procedures for deriving from the apparent resistivity data as measured by the Wenner electrode configuration two functions, known as the kernel and the associated kernel respectively, both of which are functions dependent on the layer resistivities and thicknesses. It is shown that the solution of the integral equation for the Wenner electrode configuration leads directly to the associated kernel, from which an integral expression expressing the kernel explicitly in terms of the apparent resistivity function can be derived. The kernel is related to the associated kernel by a simple functional equation where K1(λ) is the kernel and B1(λ) the associated kernel. Composite numerical quadrature formulas and also integration formulas based on partial approximation of the integrand by a parabolic arc within a small interval are developed for the calculation of the kernel and the associated kernel from apparent resistivity data. Both techniques of integration require knowledge of the values of the apparent resistivity function at points lying between the input data points. It is shown that such unknown values of the apparent resistivity function can satisfactorily be obtained by interpolation using the least-squares method. The least-squares method involves the approximation of the observed set of apparent resistivity data by orthogonal polynomials generated by Forsythe's method (Forsythe 1956). Values of the kernel and of the associated kernel obtained by numerical integration compare favourably with the corresponding theoretical values of these functions.
Principal feature classification

The concept, structures, and algorithms of principal feature classification (PFC) are presented in this paper. PFC is intended to solve complex classification problems with large data sets. A PFC network is designed by sequentially finding principal features and removing training data which has already been correctly classified. PFC combines advantages of statistical pattern recognition, decision trees, and artificial neural networks (ANNs) and provides fast learning with good performance and a simple network structure. For the real-world applications of this paper, PFC provides better performance than conventional statistical pattern recognition, avoids the long training times of backpropagation and other gradient-descent algorithms for ANNs, and provides a low-complexity structure for realization.
An Assessment of Yellow Sticky Card Traps as Indicators of the Abundance of Adult Diaphorina citri (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) in Citrus

Yellow sticky card traps were assessed as a tool for estimating absolute densities of adult Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) in citrus. Weekly trapping was conducted in young and mature trees with traps deployed directly in trees, one trap per tree. In addition, a comparison was made between one and three traps per tree in the mature trees. Solar radiation was positively correlated with numbers of adults trapped per week in both groups of trees. Air temperature was positively correlated with captures of adults in the mature trees. The value of traps as indicators of absolute densities of adults was therefore reduced by changes in sunlight and temperature. Captures of adults were not reduced by rain. A positive correlation was found for data from the young trees between trap captures of adults and maximum daily wind speed. Significant correlations were found between numbers of adults on leaves and traps. However, little confidence could be placed on individual predictions of adult densities on leaves based on numbers of adults on traps. Increasing the number of traps per tree from one to three did not improve individual estimates, although detection of adults in trees was improved using three traps when adult population levels were low. A better quantitative relationship between adults on traps and leaves might have been determined if greater sample sizes had been used to estimate densities. Regardless, day-to-day differences in sunlight and air temperature will influence numbers of adults captured on traps, thus reducing the value of traps as indicators of absolute densities.
Prosodic disambiguation of scopally ambiguous quantificational sentences in a discourse context

Researchers have long sought to determine the strength of the relation between prosody and the interpretation of scopally ambiguous sentences in English involving quantification and negation (e.g. All the men didn't go). While Jackendoff (1972) proposed a one-to-one mapping between sentence-final contour and the scope of negation (falling contour: narrow scope, fall-rise contour: wide scope), in subsequent work, researchers (e.g. Ladd 1980; Ward & Hirschberg 1985; Kadmon & Roberts 1986) disentangled the link between prosody and scope. Even though these pragmatic accounts predict variability in production, they still allow for some correlation between scope and prosody. To date, we lack systematic evidence to bear on this discussion. Here, we present findings from two perception experiments aimed at investigating whether prosodic information – including, but not limited to, sentence-final contour – can successfully disambiguate such sentences. We show that when speakers provide consistent auditory cues to sentential interpretation, hearers can successfully recruit these cues to arrive at the correct interpretation as intended by the speaker. In light of these results, we argue that psycholinguistic studies (including language acquisition studies) investigating participants’ ability to access multiple interpretations of scopally ambiguous sentences – quantificational and otherwise – should carefully control for prosody.
Optimal Imaging of the Sacrum: The Role of Spiral CT and 3D CT Imaging—A Pictorial Review

(2002). Optimal Imaging of the Sacrum: The Role of Spiral CT and 3D CT Imaging—A Pictorial Review. Critical Reviews in Computed Tomography: Vol. 43, No. 1, pp. 39-67.
Reconstruct modular phenotype-specific gene networks by knowledge-driven matrix factorization

Motivation: Reconstructing gene networks from microarray data has provided mechanistic information on cellular processes. A popular structure learning method, Bayesian network inference, has been used to determine network topology despite its shortcomings, i.e. the high-computational cost when analyzing a large number of genes and the inefficiency in exploiting prior knowledge, such as the co-regulation information of the genes. To address these limitations, we are introducing an alternative method, knowledge-driven matrix factorization (KMF) framework, to reconstruct phenotype-specific modular gene networks. Results: Considering the reconstruction of gene network as a matrix factorization problem, we first use the gene expression data to estimate a correlation matrix, and then factorize the correlation matrix to recover the gene modules and the interactions between them. Prior knowledge from Gene Ontology is integrated into the matrix factorization. We applied this KMF algorithm to hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cells treated with free fatty acids (FFAs). By comparing the module networks for the different conditions, we identified the specific modules that are involved in conferring the cytotoxic phenotype induced by palmitate. Further analysis of the gene modules of the different conditions suggested individual genes that play important roles in palmitate-induced cytotoxicity. In summary, KMF can efficiently integrate gene expression data with prior knowledge, thereby providing a powerful method of reconstructing phenotype-specific gene networks and valuable insights into the mechanisms that govern the phenotype. Contact: krischan@msu.edu Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Role of an acidic compartment in synthesis of disaturated phosphatidylcholine by rat granular pneumocytes.

A possible role for an acidic subcellular compartment in biosynthesis of lung surfactant phospholipids was evaluated with granular pneumocytes in primary culture. Incubation with chloroquine (100μm) was used to perturb this compartment. With control cells, incorporation of [9,10-3H]palmitic acid into total lipids and into total phosphatidylcholines increased linearly with time up to 4h. Total incorporation into phosphatidylcholine during a 1h incubation was 999+85pmol of [9,10-3H]palmitic acid, 458±18pmol of [1-14C]oleic acid and 252±15pmol of [U-14C]glucose per μg of phosphatidylcholine phosphorus. The cellular content of either disaturated phosphatidylcholine or total phosphatidylcholines did not change during a 2h incubation with chloroquine. In the presence of chloroquine, the specific radioactivity of [3H]palmitic acid in disaturated phosphatidylcholine increased by 40%, and that of disaturated-phosphatidylcholine fatty acids from [U-14C]glucose increased by 125%. Incorporation of [1-14C]oleic acid into phosphatidylcholine was decreased by chloroquine by 79% and 33% in the presence or absence of palmitic acid respectively. Chloroquine stimulated phospholipase activity in intact cells, and in sonicated cells at pH4.0, but not at pH8.5. The observations indicate that chloroquine stimulates synthesis of disaturated phosphatidylcholine in granular pneumocytes from fatty acids, both exogenous and synthesized de novo, which can be due to stimulation of acidic phospholipase. This stimulation of acidic phospholipase A activity by chloroquine appears to be coupled to the synthesis of disaturated phosphatidylcholine, thereby enhancing remodelling of phosphatidylcholine synthesized de novo. Our findings, therefore, implicate the involvement of an acidic subcellular compartment in the remodelling pathway of disaturated phosphatidylcholine synthesis by granular pneumocytes.
Osmotic Compressibility and Linewidth of (NBS-705) Polystyrene in Methyl Acetate

Static and dynamic properties of polymer solutions have recently been investigated by laser light scattering.1 The concentrations studied have ranged from the very dilute to the semi-dilute and concentrated regions. In our case, we have chosen to characterize polystyrene (NBS 705 standard, Mw = 179,300, Mw/Mn = 1.07) dissolved in methyl acetate. In this system, the upper and lower critical solution temperatures differ by only ~125°C and the theta temperatures by only ~70°C.2,3 Consequently, one can monitor the change in quality of the solvent over a range of temperatures which are experimentally accessible.
Measuring Failure Stress of RTM6 Epoxy Resin under Purely Hydrostatic Tensile Stress using Constrained Tube Method

The temperature dependence of the failure stress of RTM6 resin under nearly pure hydrostatic tension was measured for two standard curing cycles. The stress in the resin was achieved by confining the resin in capped quartz tubes while cooling from the curing temperature. The stress was estimated from the deflection of the outer wall of the quartz tube relative to its unstressed diameter assuming linear elasticity. The failure stress increased monotonically on cooling from the curing temperature and reached a maximum value of 28 MPa at 108 °C. This value is roughly consistent with the failure stress estimated from a void initiation failure criterion using room temperature tensile strength.
Theoretical predictions on efficiency of bi-exciton formation and dissociation in chiral carbon nanotubes

Efficient multiple exciton generation (MEG) in chiral single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) is present within the solar spectrum range as shown by the many-body perturbation theory calculations combined with the density functional theory simulations. To describe the impact ionization process, we calculate exciton-to-biexciton decay rates R1→2 and biexciton-to-exciton rates R2→1 in the (6,2) and (10,5) SWCNTs. Within the solar energy range, we predict R1→2 ∼ 1014 s-1, while biexciton-to-exciton recombination is weak with R2→1/R1→2 ≤ 10-2. Also we calculate quantum efficiency (QE), the average number of excitons created by a single absorbed photon, for which we find QE ≃ 1.2-1.6, that is 20%-60%. However, MEG strength in these SWCNTs varies strongly with the excitation energy due to highly non-uniform density of states at the low energy. We hypothesize that MEG efficiency in the chiral SWCNTs can be enhanced by altering the low-energy electronic spectrum via surface functionalization, or by mixing SWCNTs of different chiralities.
Sparse alignment for video analysis in discriminant Tensor space

RGB-D action streams have aroused impressive attentions for recognition task, for its geometric characteristic and less influence of illumination. However, there exists large divergences of intra-class actions performed between sub-action, multi-subject and multi-modality, which may affect the result of action recognition. In order to solve these three problems, we propose a Sparse alignment guided Non-negative Tensor Factorization (SaNTF) framework with non-negative tensor factorization (NTF) for subspace learning. SaNTF selects the key frames from two intra-class action sequences by sparse regression, and aligns them to mitigate the diversity in the new tensor subspace. In this paper, the high-dimensional RGB-D action sequence is represented as a third-order tensor to preserve the original spatiotemporal structure, and we employ NTF to find a common tensor subspace for realistic action recognition. The experiments on MSRDailyActivity3D action and MSRPair3D action datasets show the higher accuracy compared with the state-of-the-art temporal alignment methods.
The Development of the Consecration Rite for Abbesses and Abbots in Central Medieval England

This article identifies, details, and contextualizes three stages in the development of the consecration rites for abbesses and abbots in liturgical books produced for bishops in England from 900 to 1200. It shows how these rites, through the prayers recited, insignia bestowed, chants sung, and bodily gestures performed, sought to articulate and impress the normative ideals of monastic leadership on those who were elected to exercise it and how liturgists variously altered these rites in response to changing ecclesiastical pressures. Most significantly, for much of the late Anglo-Saxon period, the consecration rites for abbesses and abbots were the same, but, over the course of the late eleventh and twelfth centuries, the rites were split along gender lines with the dissemination, adoption, and adaptation of the ordines found in episcopal books affiliated with the tradition commonly identified by scholars as the Pontifical Romano-Germanique. In sharp contrast to their predecessors, the new rites envisioned dramatically different spiritual and temporal authorities for abbesses and abbots, clearly subordinating the former's office to the latter's by thoroughly feminizing its exemplary form. Yet, as close study of the material remains from communities of women religious during this period reveals, the consecration rite for abbesses was limited in its effect on how they actually fashioned and displayed their own authorities.
A longitudinal study of DNA methylation as a potential mediator of age-related diabetes risk

DNA methylation (DNAm) has been found to show robust and widespread age-related changes across the genome. DNAm profiles from whole blood can be used to predict human aging rates with great accuracy. We sought to test whether DNAm-based predictions of age are related to phenotypes associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D), with the goal of identifying risk factors potentially mediated by DNAm. Our participants were 43 women enrolled in the Women’s Health Initiative. We obtained methylation data via the Illumina 450K Methylation array on whole blood samples from participants at three timepoints, covering on average 16 years per participant. We employed the method and software of Horvath, which uses DNAm at 353 CpGs to form a DNAm-based estimate of chronological age. We then calculated the epigenetic age acceleration, or Δage, at each timepoint. We fit linear mixed models to characterize how Δage contributed to a longitudinal model of aging and diabetes-related phenotypes and risk factors. For most participants, Δage remained constant, indicating that age acceleration is generally stable over time. We found that Δage associated with body mass index (p = 0.0012), waist circumference (p = 0.033), and fasting glucose (p = 0.0073), with the relationship with BMI maintaining significance after correction for multiple testing. Replication in a larger cohort of 157 WHI participants spanning 3 years was unsuccessful, possibly due to the shorter time frame covered. Our results suggest that DNAm has the potential to act as a mediator between aging and diabetes-related phenotypes, or alternatively, may serve as a biomarker of these phenotypes.