cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Information Phage Therapy Research Should Report

Bacteriophages, or phages, are viruses which infect bacteria. A large subset of phages infect bactericidally and, consequently, for nearly one hundred years have been employed as antibacterial agents both within and outside of medicine. Clinically these applications are described as phage or bacteriophage therapy. Alternatively, and especially in the treatment of environments, this practice instead may be described as a phage-mediated biocontrol of bacteria. Though the history of phage therapy has involved substantial clinical experimentation, current standards along with drug regulations have placed a premium on preclinical approaches, i.e., animal experiments. As such, it is important for preclinical experiments not only to be held to high standards but also to be reported in a manner which improves translation to clinical utility. Here I address this latter issue, that of optimization of reporting of preclinical as well as clinical experiments. I do this by providing a list of pertinent information and data which, in my opinion, phage therapy experiments ought to present in publications, along with tips for best practices. The goal is to improve the ability of readers to gain relevant information from reports on phage therapy research, to allow other researchers greater potential to repeat or extend findings, to ease transitions from preclinical to clinical development, and otherwise simply to improve phage therapy experiments. Targeted are not just authors but also reviewers, other critical readers, writers of commentaries, and, perhaps, formulators of guidelines or policy. Though emphasizing therapy, many points are applicable to phage-mediated biocontrol of bacteria more generally.
Promoting Nurturing Environments in Afterschool Settings

Given the rise in dual-career and single-parent families, and the need for monitoring and supervision during out-of-school time, afterschool settings are becoming important contexts for the prevention of problem behaviors and the promotion of the positive development of youth. Research indicates that high-quality afterschool programs can have positive effects on children's academic, socio-emotional, and behavioral outcomes. But less is known about how these influences occur and potential mechanisms involved in this nurturing and promotion process. This paper draws upon the current theoretical and empirical literature in school settings and beyond to examine ways in which afterschool settings can be leveraged as a potential nurturing environment. We apply the conceptualization of nurturing environments put forth by Biglan et al. (Am Psychol 67(4):257-271, 2012. doi: 10.1037/a0026796 ), which attends to the minimization of toxic social and biological conditions, reinforcement of diverse prosocial behaviors, limiting opportunities and influences for problem behavior, and promoting psychological flexibility in the pursuit of one's values and goals. This paper concludes by identifying potential future research directions and practice implications regarding afterschool settings as nurturing environments for all youth.
Dapper Dan Flood: The Controversial Life of a Congressional Power Broker by William C. Kashatus

Historians often relate tales of bizarre organizations and individuals who tried to restrict their access to archival documents. Until I read Dapper Dan Flood , however, I never imagined a situation in which witnesses to historical events were reluctant to speak because they feared criminal prosecution by the U.S. Department of Justice. It is a tribute to William Kashatus’s perseverance that he soldiered on to chronicle the career of one of America’s most ethically flexible twentieth-century politicians.
SO2 adsorption and desorption characteristics of bimetallic Pd-Pt catalysts: Pd:Pt ratio dependency

Abstract SO 2 adsorption and desorption, and species formed, on Pd/Pt bimetallic, γ-Al 2 O 3 supported catalysts were characterized as a function of Pd/Pt ratio using DRIFTS and TPD studies. Catalysts with a high Pd content tended to form a greater amount of aluminum sulfate species, which decomposed at high temperature. In contrast, low Pd content catalysts tended to form a greater amount of low-temperature decomposing and desorbing species, such as molecular SO 2 and alumina surface sulfite. The amount of SO 2 adsorbed and later desorbed during TPD decreased with increasing Pt content in the bimetallic Pd-Pt/Al 2 O 3 catalysts.
Multiple Recess Periods per Day: Creatively Scheduling Instructional Time

This article describes the positive outcomes that one elementary school saw in students' academic, social and behavioral performance after adopting a two-recess-per-day policy last school year.
Social Influence and Similarities in Supplier Codes of Conduct

While supplier codes of conduct have become widely adopted in industry, there has been little research into their content and how they vary between firms. This study seeks to identify the common th...
Grotthuss versus Vehicular Transport of Hydroxide in Anion-Exchange Membranes: Insight from Combined Reactive and Nonreactive Molecular Simulations.

Combined reactive and nonreactive polarizable molecular dynamics simulations were used to probe the transport mechanisms of hydroxide in hydrated anion-exchange membranes (AEMs) composed of poly(p-...
Systems Analysis╌The Next Phase for Computer Development in Petroleum Engineering

The main purpose of this paper is to identify and to discuss new thrust lines for computer applications in petroleum engineering. A review of new directions and past accomplishments has indicated a rationale for computation in petroleum engineering, namely the systems analysis approach to problem solving.
The Epidemiology and Risk Assessment of Mucositis

OM is among the most common and dreaded toxicities of cancer therapy [1]. It occurs in almost all patients who receive radiation therapy in which areas of the oral or oropharyngeal mucosa are included in the treatment field. Thus for patients with cancers of the mouth, oropharynx, hypopharynx, larynx, nasopharynx, and salivary glands, clinically significant OM occurs in about 70 % of patients [2].
Liquid Barrier and Thermal Comfort Properties of Surgical Gowns

For many years, protective garments have been worn by surgical personnel to prevent the contamination of the patient from microorganisms. More recently, medical personnel have been concerned about being exposed to diseases from the body fluids of the patient [e.g., hepatitis B (HBV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)]. The Association of Operating Room Nurses and testimony at the preliminary hearings of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration have recommended that surgical gowns repel all of the body fluids typically found in the surgical setting (1,2). Consequently, the liquid barrier properties of fabrics used to produce these protective garments need to be measured so that these products can be compared by hospital personnel.
Diffeomorphic Point Matching with Applications in Biomedical Image Registration

The need for 3D diffeomorphic matching of unlabeled point sets arises in numerous registration and shape analysis oriented biomedical imaging applications. The correspondence problem coupled with the need for estimating a diffeomorphism in 3D space makes it a very difficult problem. In the present work, we show that a joint clustering and diffeomorphism estimation strategy is capable of simultaneously estimating correspondences and a diffeomorphism in 3D space to interpolate the two unlabeled point sets. Correspondence is established between the cluster centers. Cluster centers for the two point sets having the same labels are always in correspondence. Essentially, as the cluster centers evolve during the iterations of an incremental EM algorithm, we estimate a diffeomorphism in 3D space. The approach is completely symmetric w.r.t. inversion of the two point sets being matched. We demonstrate our approach on 3D hippocampal data.
The Role of Endogenous Luminal Bacteria and Bacterial Products in the Pathogenesis of Experimental Enterocolitis and Systemic Inflammation

Publisher Summary Although ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease appear to be the result of an unrestrained inflammatory response, the antigen(s) which initiate and perpetuate these chronic, relapsing disorders remain uncertain. Clinicians have a longstanding belief that the normal enteric microbial flora were somehow involved in the pathogenesis of these diseases because inflammation occurs in the distal ileum and colon, antibiotics and bowel rest benefit patients with Crohn's disease, and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients have increased immune responses to ubiquitous luminal bacteria. Recent investigations using the older induced models of intestinal inflammation and new genetically engineered rodent models that develop spontaneous enterocolitis provide compelling evidence to support the hypothesis that normal luminal bacteria and their products can induce and perpetuate chronic intestinal and systemic inflammation in genetically susceptible hosts. This hypothesis is rational, given the high concentrations of predominantly anaerobic bacteria and bacterial components in the distal ileum and colon. Mucosal inflammation enhances mucosal uptake and systemic transport of luminal bacterial components and promotes secondary invasion of mucosal ulcers and fistulae by enteric bacteria. These phlogistic bacterial constituents activate mucosal phagocytic cells and lymphocytes to secrete proinflammatory cytokines and soluble inflammatory mediators and stimulate specific immune responses which perpetuate the inflammatory process. This chapter summarizes evidence generated in animal models of enterocolitis which supports this hypothesis.
Adverse impacts of hypoxia on aquatic invertebrates: A meta-analysis

Hypoxia in aquatic ecosystems is often a result of anthropogenic activities, such as increased nutrient loading, originating from agriculture or urbanization, as well as global warming. Aquatic invertebrates are especially important in ecosystems due to their central role in secondary production and in dynamics of food webs. To better understand impacts of oxygen availability on key physiological processes in invertebrates, we conducted a literature search and synthesized the findings of published studies. We found 55 studies that quantified impacts of hypoxia on feeding, growth, reproduction and respiration rates in 54 different aquatic invertebrate species. We applied non-linear regression models which took into account phylogenetic correlation in the data set. Fitting Michaelis-Menten models, we found that there were differences in how different processes responded to a decline in oxygen availability. Respiration rates were halved at highest oxygen concentration (6.44 mg O2/L), followed by reproductive (3.66 mg O2/L), growth (1.77 mg O2/L) and, finally, feeding rates (0.77 mg O2/L). Our findings confirm observations that reproduction is highly sensitive as organisms quickly reduce their reproductive output when exposed to stressful conditions. As long as they have sufficient reserves, organisms continue growing even under stressful conditions, and we confirmed that growth was not very sensitive to a decline in oxygen availability. We discuss potential impacts of global warming on oxygen availability and demand for aquatic macroinvertebrates. Given that oxygen availability is declining in many ecosystems, we can expect that organismal responses will be increasingly compromised with potential consequences for ecosystems and the services they deliver.
lapdMouse: associating lung anatomy with local particle deposition in mice

Computer simulations of particle deposition in mouse lungs play an important role in computational toxicology. Until now, a limiting factor was the lack of high-resolution mouse lung models and mea...
Advances in delivery vectors for gene therapy in liver cancer

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third most common cause of cancer death globally, mainly due to lack of effective treatments – a problem that gene therapy is poised to solve. Successful gene ...
Optimism, Innovativeness, and Competitiveness: The Relationship between Entrepreneurial Orientations and the Development of Science Identity in Scientists:

We contend that the work scientists do is entrepreneurial because they are in the business of discovering, evaluating, and exploiting opportunities to create new knowledge. In this article, we exam...
From bedside-to-bench: What disease-associated variants are teaching us about the NMDA receptor

NMDA receptors (NMDARs) are glutamate-gated ion channels that contribute to nearly all brain processes. Not surprisingly then, genetic variations in the genes encoding NMDAR subunits can be associated with neurodevelopmental, neurological and psychiatric disorders. These disease-associated variants (DAVs) present challenges, such as defining how DAV-induced alterations in receptor function contribute to disease progression and how to treat the affected individual clinically. As a starting point to overcome these challenges, we need to refine our understanding of the complexity of NMDAR structure function. In this regard, DAVs have expanded our knowledge of NMDARs because they do not just target well-known structure-function motifs, but rather give an unbiased view of structural elements that are important to the biology of NMDARs. Indeed, established NMDAR structure-function motifs have been validated by the appearance of disorders in patients where these motifs have been altered, and DAVs have identified novel structural features in NMDARs such as gating triads and hinges in the gating machinery. Still, the majority of DAVs remain unexplored and occur at sites in the protein with unidentified function or alter receptor properties in multiple and unanticipated ways. Detailed mechanistic and structural investigations are required of both established and novel motifs to develop a highly refined pathomechanistic model that accounts for the complex machinery that regulates NMDARs. Such a model would provide a template for rational drug design and a starting point for personalized medicine.
Integrative Physical Activity Intervention Strategies and Influencing Factors for Latina women

Latinas are at risk for not engaging in optimal levels of physical activity and are at greater risk than other ethnic groups for being overweight and suffering deleterious health consequences. Motivation to engage in physical activity is a complex issue for Latinas, and future research needs to examine the mechanisms of becoming more Americanized that may adversely affect Latinas’ physical activity levels. The concept and measurement of self-regulation is vital in addressing the significant health disparity attributable to sub-optimal exercise. Sustainable and successful interventions should be family-centered, social, and culturally tailored as well as derived from triangulating data from multi-method research. By analyzing multiple methods together from different types of data, triangulation leads to a broader understanding and increases the overall applicability of the data gathered. Interventions meeting these criteria are, by nature, integrative as they encompass multiple aspects of motivation to engage in physical activity. This chapter will discuss effective strategies and factors associated with increasing engagement in physical activity among Latinas and the importance of understanding motivation in an integrative health context.
The Utility of Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Detecting Unstable Cervical Spine Injuries in the Neurologically Intact Traumatized Patient Following Negative Computed Tomography Imaging.

ABSTRACT Background: Neurologically intact blunt trauma patients with persistent neck pain and negative computed tomography (CT) imaging frequently undergo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for evaluation of occult cervical spine injury. There is a paucity of data to support or refute this practice. This study was therefore performed to evaluate the utility of cervical spine MRI in neurologically intact blunt trauma patients with negative CT imaging. Methods: A retrospective review was performed of all neurologically intact blunt trauma patients presenting to a level 1 trauma center from 2005 to 2015 with persistent neck pain and negative CT imaging. The proportion of patients with positive MRI findings, subsequent treatment, and time required to obtain MRI results was evaluated. Results: Of 223 patients meeting inclusion criteria, 11 had positive MRI findings; however, no patients were found to have unstable injuries requiring surgical treatment. The process for a complete evaluation of unstable cervical spine injury from the time of obtaining a CT scan was 19 hours and 43 minutes. Conclusions: Eleven patients had positive MRI findings, yet these findings did not alter treatment. In contrast, the time required to obtain MRI results may substantially delay patient care. Level of Evidence: IV (retrospective case series) Clinical Relevance: Our results demonstrate that MRI has limited utility in neurologically intact blunt trauma patients with negative CT imaging.
A Home of Our Own: The National Patient Safety Foundation

Prior to the first Annenberg Conference, none of us who were interested in patient safety had given any thought to forming a national organization—except for Marty Hatlie, the AMA’s legal counsel. Marty was intrigued by the success of the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation (APSF) that Jeep Pierce and Jeff Cooper had founded. He envisioned the formation of a similar national organization as the centerpiece of the refashioning of the AMA’s stance on patient safety after its stinging legislative defeat of tort reform.
UNDERWATER STOCK OPTIONS AND VOLUNTARY EXECUTIVE TURNOVER: A MULTIDISCIPLINARY PERSPECTIVE INTEGRATING BEHAVIORAL AND ECONOMIC THEORIES

In a study of top U.S. executives between 1996 and 2006, we examined the impact of underwater stock options on voluntary turnover. Financial and economic logic suggests that underwater options may carry a positive valuation based on Black–Scholes (BS) pricing, even when the current market price is below the exercise price. However, a variety of psychological and behavioral theories suggest that underwater option portfolios may motivate voluntary turnover to a greater extent than what can be captured by Black–Scholes valuation. Findings supported these perspectives, as underwater options were associated with voluntary executive turnover, after controlling for the BS value of the options and other factors. Moreover, we found evidence that voluntary turnover dynamics differed substantially between CEOs and non-CEOs.
Case 26-2021: A 49-Year-Old Man with Relapsed Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

A Man with Relapsed Acute Myeloid Leukemia A 49-year-old man was evaluated because of relapsed acute myeloid leukemia that occurred 14 months after the initial diagnosis and treatment. Molecular ge...
Aluminium speciation in biology.

Before we can understand the role of Al3+ in living organisms we need to learn how it interacts with molecules found in biological systems. The only aluminium oxidation state in biology is 3+. In aqueous solutions there are only two main Al(III) species: the hexahydrate Al3+ at pH 6.2. In the blood plasma, citrate is the main small molecule carrier and transferrin the main protein carrier of Al3+. In fluids where the concentrations of these two ligands are low, nucleoside di- and triphosphates become Al3+ binders. Under these conditions Al3+ easily displaces Mg2+ from nucleotides. When all three classes of ligands are at low concentrations, catecholamines become likely Al3+ binders. Double-helical DNA binds Al3+ weakly and under no conditions should it compete with other ligands. Al(III) in the cell nucleus probably binds to nucleotides or phosphorylated proteins. Al3+ undergoes ligand exchange much more slowly than most metal ions: 10(5) times slower than Mg2+.
Precipitation strengthening and thermally activated plastic flow in polycrystalline Al−Zn alloys

The influence of G. P. zone size and volume fraction on the yield strength of polycrystalline Al−Zn alloys has been determined. The data obtained at 77°K plot linearly against both R1/3 f 2/3 and R1/2 f 1/2, but the slope of the latter plot corresponds most closely to the value expected if coherency strains between the G. P. zones and the matrix are determinant. The data also show that precipitation occurs in the early stages of aging. Yield stess studies as a function of temperature for fully aged specimens indicate thatUc, the energy of thermally activated flow, is about 0.5 ev, nearly identical with the value obtained for unalloyed aluminum. This may indicate that thermally activated cutting of G. P. zones does not occur in these alloys.
Charge Transfer and Surface Acoustic-Wave Signal-Processing Techniques

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the charge transfer and surface acoustic-wave signal-processing techniques. The signal processors discussed are the charge-coupled device (CCD) and the surface acoustic-wave (SAW) device are based on new electronic design principles. CCDs and SAWS use an analog representation of information that moves along a path on a planar surface of the device. In CCD, the charge packets move in a semiconductor and in SAW, elastic-wave energy propagates. CCDs and SAWS are in similar stages of evolution. Their development until recently has been primarily in research laboratories that were perfecting the device technologies. Both the technologies are now sufficiently well understood so that the devices are beginning to be designed into commercial and military electronic systems. A few of these new system applications and the advantages obtained from using either a CCD or a SAW are presented. A CCD is an array of closely spaced capacitors fabricated using the metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) technology. In SAWs, the information is represented by ultrasonic acoustic waves propagating freely along the surface of a planar solid, rather than by the charge packets moved along by an external energy source as in the CCD.
Let-7i: Lethal Weapon Against Angiotensin II–Induced Cardiac Injury

See related article, p 776–785 Chronic systemic angiotensin II (Ang II) administration causes cardiac fibrosis, inflammation, hypertrophy, and hypertension, which leads to cardiac dysfunction and failure. Although our knowledge of the molecular mechanisms that lead to cardiovascular disease states has significantly expanded during recent decades, there are still missing pieces to fully explain, and even more importantly to therapeutically modulate, cardiac disease. MicroRNAs are endogenous small noncoding RNAs that control gene expression by promoting degradation or translational repression of target mRNAs. In recent years, a continuously growing body of evidence has accumulated associating microRNAs with multiple health and disease states. The cardiovascular system is no exception, and microRNAs have been implicated in cardiac hypertrophy, fibrosis, inflammation, angiogenesis, and dysfunction.1 In this issue of Hypertension , Wang et al2 performed a parallel time-series whole-genome cardiac gene and microRNA expression analysis in mice treated with Ang II to identify microRNAs that mediate Ang II–induced cardiac injury and dysfunction. As expected for any screening, multiple candidates were identified, and prioritizing them is always a big dilemma. In this study, the authors applied an experimental and educated guess combination approach. They used gene and microRNA profiles to identify putative microRNA–mRNA targets with opposite regulation and gene ontology analysis to identify target mRNAs involved in cardiac pathophysiology. Let-7i, a member of the let-7 family, was identified as the cardiac microRNA targeting the highest number of mRNA targets known to play critical roles in cardiac injury and dysfunction. The lethal-7 ( let-7 ) gene was initially discovered as an essential developmental gene in C. elegans .3 During evolution, the let-7 gene has been conserved and amplified to generate the let-7 family. In humans, the let-7 family consists of 10 mature let-7 sequences that are produced from 13 precursor sequences distributed across 9 chromosomes. Multiple let-7 …
Direct thermomagnetic splitting of water

Abstract The application of a magnetic field to water tends to cause its decomposition into hydrogen and oxygen. Based upon the thermomagnetochemistry of the phenomenon, a process is suggested for carrying out the reaction and separating the product hydrogen and oxygen. The process would have nearly Carnot efficiency, although the requisite magnetic field (∼ 10 4 tesla) is not at present attainable.
Comparison of lower stratospheric tropical mean vertical velocities

[1] We have analyzed 13 years (1993–2005) of tropical stratospheric water vapor data from the Halogen Occultation Experiment and over 3 years of data (October 2004 through November 2007) from the Aura Microwave Limb Sounder. By correlating the phase lag of the water vapor “tape recorder” signal between levels we estimate the time mean vertical velocity. Our estimated vertical velocity compares well with calculations from the Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) chemistry-climate model (CCM) and from the GEOS data assimilation system. Between 18 and 26 km both the GEOS CCM simulations and water vapor observations agree that the vertical velocity is below 0.04 cm/s, with a minimum near 20 km of 0.03 cm/s. Vertical velocities deduced from water vapor observations are higher than those from the GEOS CCM in the region 16–18 km (0.04 cm/s) and above 26–30 km (up to 0.07 cm/s). These estimates are close to earlier estimates from a shorter water vapor record and radiative transfer models. No evidence is found for velocities as high as 0.15 cm/s as was recently estimated from aircraft CO2 measurements in the upper troposphere/lower stratosphere. Further diagnosis of the aircraft CO2 data and model simulations of CO2 show that while the CO2 data give an apparent upward transport velocity of ∼0.06 cm/s, about half of this is due to vertical and horizontal eddy transport. Accounting for the eddy terms gives a CO2-based estimate of the vertical velocity of ∼0.03 cm/s, in much closer agreement with that estimated from water vapor.
Anomalous Motion of Radiating Particles in Strong Fields

The effect of radiative reaction on the motion of particles is evaluated for pulsars with electromagnetic fields as strong as 10 to the twelfth power G, assuming that the pulsars are sources of high-energy particles. The analysis is limited to the specific motion of the particles. A simple method of solution, suitable for solving other similar problems, is proposed. The significance of particle motion to astronomical problems is examined.
Effects of Acute Hypoxia on the Volume of Blood in the Thorax

Two different methods were used to study the effect of acute hypoxia on the volume of blood in the thorax. The first method entailed estimating the central blood volume by the Stewart-Hamilton dye-dilution technic; the second involved the use of a teeter-board. The 2 methods gave comparable results. Both indicated that the volume of blood in the thorax is not appreciably altered by hypoxia.
On the role of the eshelby energy-momentum tensor in materials with multiple natural configurations

We discuss the connection between two important parallel developments in continuum mechanics that has gone unnoticed despite intense activity in both these seemingly disparate areas: the first stems from the pioneering work of Eckart on the role of the evolution of “natural configurations” in the inelastic response of solids; the second stems from the seminal work of Eshelby concerning the energy-momentum tensor associated with the driving forces that arise as a consequence of inhomogeneities and defects during the deformations of solids. We show that a variety of driving forces manifest themselves as a consequence of the evolution of natural configurations, depending on the particular process under consideration. Our study makes it clear that no new balance laws need be invoked in order to accommodate such driving forces, the usual balances laws of mechanics being sufficient.
Diet and risk of multiple myeloma in Connecticut women

Multiple myeloma accounts for an estimated 19,900 incident cancer cases per year in the United States. A population-based case–control study, consisting of 179 incident cases and 691 controls, was conducted to examine the impact of diet on multiple myeloma risk. Diet was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire and odds ratios, 95% confidence intervals, and P-trends were calculated across quartiles of consumption. After controlling for potential confounders, we observed inverse associations for cooked tomatoes (P-trend = 0.002), cruciferous vegetables (P-trend = 0.01), fresh fish (P-trend < 0.001), alcohol (P-trend < 0.001), and vitamin A (P-trend < 0.001) with multiple myeloma risk. In contrast, consumption of cream soups (P-trend = 0.01), jello (P-trend = 0.01), ice cream (P-trend = 0.01), and pudding (P-trend < 0.001) were positively associated with multiple myeloma. Furthermore, there was a suggestion that carbohydrate intake may be positively associated, whereas vitamin D and calcium intake may be inversely associated, with multiple myeloma risk. Despite very limited data on dietary factors in relation to multiple myeloma, the findings from this study concur with previously published studies, suggesting an inverse association for consumption of fish, cruciferous vegetables and green vegetables, and a positive association for some dairy products.
Special Issue Honoring Professor James R. Rice

This issue of the Journal of Applied Mechanics is dedicated, with our admiration and affection, to Professor Jim Rice of Harvard University. It serves as the proceedings of the 3 days symposium on Mechanics in Geophysical and Materials Sciences, which was held at the California Institute of Technology during Jan. 20–22, 2011 to celebrate Jim’s brilliant career on the occasion of his 70th birthday.
Reliability of surface EMG as an assessment tool for trunk activity and potential to determine neurorecovery in SCI

Reliability and validity study. This study investigates the responsiveness and reliability of the brain motor control assessment (BMCA) as a standardized neurophysiological assessment tool to: (i) characterize trunk neural activity in neurologically-intact controls; (ii) measure and quantify neurorecovery of trunk after spinal cord injury (SCI). Kessler Foundation Research Center, West Orange, NJ. A standardized BMCA protocol was performed to measure surface electromyography (sEMG) recordings for seven bilateral trunk muscles on 15 able-bodied controls during six maneuvers (inhalation, exhalation, neck flexion, jendrassik, unilateral grip). Additionally, sEMG recordings were analyzed for one chronic SCI individual before electrical stimulation (ES), after ES of the lower extremities while supine, and after active stand training using body-weight support with bilateral ES. sEMG recordings were collected on bilateral erector spinae, internal and external obliques, upper and middle trapezius, biceps and triceps. For each maneuver a voluntary response index was calculated: incorporating the magnitude of sEMG signal and a similarity index (SI), which quantifies the distribution of activity across all muscles. Among all maneuvers, the SI presented reproducible assessment of trunk-motor function within (ICC: 0.860–0.997) and among (P⩾0.22) able-bodied individuals. In addition, potential changes were measured in a chronic SCI individual after undergoing two intensive ES protocols. The BMCA provides reproducible characterization of trunk activity in able-bodied individuals, lending credence for its use in neurophysiological assessment of motor control. Additionally, the BMCA as an assessment tool to measure neurorecovery in an individual with chronic SCI after intense ES interventions was demonstrated.
Photochemical tools for studying metal ion signaling and homeostasis.

Metal ions have well-established catalytic and structural roles in proteins. Much of the knowledge acquired about metalloenzymes has been derived using spectroscopic techniques and X-ray crystallography, but these methodologies are less effective for studying metal ions that are not tightly bound to biomacromolecules. In order to prevent deleterious chemistry, cells tightly regulate the uptake, distribution, and intracellular concentrations of metal ions. Investigation into these homeostasis mechanisms has necessitated the development of alternative ways to study metal ions. Photochemical tools such as small molecule and protein-based fluorescent sensors as well as photocaged complexes have provided insight into the homeostasis and signaling mechanisms of Ca2+, Zn2+, and Cu+, but a comprehensive picture of metal ions in biology will require additional development of these techniques, which are reviewed in this Current Topics article.
Further clinical delineation and increased morbidity in males with osteopathia striata with cranial sclerosis: An X‐linked disorder?

Osteopathia striata with cranial sclerosis (OS-CS) is a bone dysplasia characterized by hypertelorism, macrocephaly, frontal bossing, broad nasal bridge, palate anomalies, hearing deficits, and mental retardation. The radiographic findings include cranial sclerosis, linear striations in the long bones and iliac wings, small poorly aerated sinuses, scoliosis, and increased bone density. The sensory deficits are disabling, but the condition generally is not life threatening. We describe 4 brothers with the characteristics of OS-CS, 3 of whom have died from more serious complications of the disorder. The mother of these children, and her only daughter, have the mildest phenotype with the typical linear striations in the long bones and macrocephaly. OS-CS is thought to be autosomal dominant with complete penetrance and variable expressivity. Our observations could be consistent with X-linkage, since there is milder expression in the female relatives. In addition, we recognize absent fibulae, malrotation, and omphalocele as new manifestations as well as congenital heart disease.
Proline Dehydrogenase Activity of the Transcriptional Repressor PutA Is Required for Induction of the put Operon by Proline (

The proline utilization (put) operon from Salmonella typhimurium consists of the putP gene, encoding a proline transporter, and the putA gene, encoding an enzyme with both proline dehydrogenase and 1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate dehydrogenase activities. In addition to these two enzymatic activities, the PutA protein is a transcriptional repressor that regulates the expression of putP and putA in response to the availability of proline. We report the isolation of super-repressor mutants of PutA that decrease expression from the putA promoter in the presence or absence of proline. None of the mutants exhibited increased affinity for the DNA in the put regulatory region in vitro. Although DNA binding by wild-type PutA was prevented by the addition of proline and an artificial electron acceptor, DNA binding by the two strongest super-repressors was not prevented under identical conditions. The proline dehydrogenase activity of the purified mutant proteins showed altered kinetic properties (increased Km(Pro), reduced Vmax, or a completely null phenotype). The observation that these mutations simultaneously affect induction by proline and proline dehydrogenase activity suggests that a single proline-binding site is involved in both proline dehydrogenase activity and induction of the expression of the put operon. Furthermore, the results indicate that the proline dehydrogenase activity of PutA is essential for induction of the put operon by proline.
Assay for nanogram quantities of DNA in cellular homogenates

Abstract The DNA concentration of a crude cellular homogenate can be measured accurately in the nanogram range using the fluorescence enhancement of 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) or bisbenzimidazole (Hoechst H 33258) complexed with DNA. A simple assay has been devised including an internal standard, which allows reliable measurement and compensates for any quenching due to cellular components or buffer. The fluorescence enhancement is highly specific for DNA; no other cell component produces significant fluorescence. The response is linear over a broad dynamic range making the measurement of unknown DNA concentrations convenient.
An Eighteenth-Century Woman

Lately I've found myself spending quite a bit of time in the 18th century, beginning in 2007 with the tercentenary of Carol Linnaeu's birth (Uddenberg, 2007). Then I read a little book with the rather interesting title Sex, Botany, and Empire (Fara, 2003). It's about how the activities of Linnaeus and Joseph Banks changed the way the world saw plants. Linnaeus (1707——1778), who created the fundamental principles of our system of classification, used the sexual organs of plants as the basis for ordering them. Banks, who traveled on the first of Captain James Cook's voyages around the world, went on to emphasize the importance of the plants to the economic and territorial conquest of the world by the British. More recent books have fanned the flames of my interest in Banks and others of this era. Richard Holme's (2008) The Age of Wonder, a study of science in the development of British romanticism, has Joseph Banks as one of its main subjects, and Andrea Wulf's (2008) The Brother Gardeners deals not only with Banks but with such American figures as John Bartram and Benjamin Franklin. But it was a lesser-known yet intriguing figure who really made me linger in the 18th century: Mary Granville Pendarves Delany, better known simply as Mrs. Delany. She was born in 1700 and died in 1788, so she really is an 18th-century woman, and she knew many of the leading scientific figures of the day, either personally or through their work. She has been receiving quite a bit of attention lately because of a beautiful exhibit, ““Mrs. Delany and Her Circle,”” at the Yale Center for British Art (YCBA). I've had a fascination with Mary Delany for some time, so I decided it was worth a trip to New Haven to learn more about her …
A Bayesian inference approach to the inverse heat conduction problem

Abstract A Bayesian inference approach is presented for the solution of the inverse heat conduction problem. The posterior probability density function (PPDF) of the boundary heat flux is computed given temperature measurements within a conducting solid. Uncertainty in temperature measurements is modeled as stationary zero-mean white noise. The inverse solution is obtained by computing the expectation of the PPDF. The posterior state space is exploited using Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithms in order to obtain estimates of the statistics of the unknown heat flux. The MCMC sampling strategy enables the extension of the Bayesian inference approach to inverse problems having high-dimensional, non-standard distribution, and/or complex PPDFs. The ill-posedness (un-identifiability) of the inverse problem is cured through prior distribution modeling (Bayesian prior regularization) of the unknown heat flux. A special model of Markov random field (MRF) is adopted for prior distribution modeling of the unknown heat flux. An augmented Bayesian model is proposed for estimating the statistics of the measurement noise as well as the unknown heat flux. Two inverse heat conduction examples are presented to demonstrate the potential of the MCMC-based Bayesian approach. The simulation results indicate that MRF provides an effective prior regularization, the estimates using MCMC samples are accurate and the Bayesian approach captures very well the probability distribution of the unknown heat flux.
Incidence of microduplication 22q11.2 in patients referred for FISH testing for velo cardiofacial and DiGeorge syndromes.

Incidence of microduplication 22q11.2 in patients referred for FISH testing for velo cardiofacial and DiGeorge syndromes
Performance analysis of a generalized receiver collision avoidance (RCA) protocol for single-hop WDM local lightwave networks

A single-hop wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) based local lightwave network employing a passive star topology is considered. The system consists of a single control channel and a number of data channels. Each station is equipped with a transmitter and a receiver, both of which are tunable over all the channels. Nodes employ the control channel to arbitrate (coordinate) their access to the data channels. The attractiveness of this architecture is its extreme simplicity. We have previously proposed a Receiver Collision Avoidance (RCA) protocol for such a system in which all nodes are equidistant from the passive star. Under the RCA protocol, access to the control channel is provided via a variation of slotted ALOHA, which includes a simple mechanism that can dynamically detect and avoid receiver collisions. The protocol is scalable and can support a large number of bursty nodes with a relatively small number of data channels. In this paper, we consider an extended RCA protocol (E-RCA) to incorporate nonuniform distances, while maintaining all of the protocol's original attractive features. The analytical model for the E-RCA protocol is difficult to formulate; therefore, extensive simulations were conducted under various distance distributions. Results indicate that the E-RCA protocol performs almost as well as the RCA protocol under the same average distance conditions. Also, like the RCA protocol, the E-RCA protocol is simple, based on practical assumptions, and can be readily implemented with current lightwave technology.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Transurethral ultrasound-guided laser-induced prostatectomy (TULIP): past, present, and future.

The TULIP system was the first apparatus designed specifically for laser ablation of the prostate. Laser energy is delivered under ultrasound guidance with the probe moved distally from the bladder...
Determining the refractive index of shocked [100] lithium fluoride to the limit of transmissibility

Lithium fluoride (LiF) is a common window material used in shock- and ramp-compression experiments because it displays a host of positive attributes in these applications. Most commonly, it is used to maintain stress at an interface and velocimetry techniques are used to record the particle velocity at that interface. In this application, LiF remains transparent to stresses up to 200 GPa. In this stress range, LiF has an elastic-plastic response with a very low (<0.5 GPa) elastic precursor and exhibits no known solid-solid phase transformations. However, because the density dependence of the refractive index of LiF does not follow the Gladstone-Dale relation, the measured particle velocity at this interface is not the true particle velocity and must be corrected. For that reason, the measured velocity is often referred to as the apparent velocity in these types of experiments. In this article, we describe a series of shock-compression experiments that have been performed to determine the refractive index of LiF at the two most commonly used wavelengths (532 nm and 1550 nm) between 35 and 200 GPa to high precision. A modified form of the Gladstone-Dale relation was found to work best to fit the determined values of refractive index. In addition, we provide a direct relationship between the apparent and true particle velocity to correct experimentally obtained wave profiles by others using these velocimetry techniques.
Missed Opportunities: Use of the Web to Promote the Local Television Newscast

ABSTRACT Local broadcast stations earn much of their advertising revenue from the newscasts they create about their own communities. A body of research has been established on how stations promote these newscasts on-air. However, less work has been done on how stations can use their website to promote the revenue-generating newscast. To address that shortage a content analysis of the websites for each of the top four networks in the top 100 markets examined three sets of traditional promotional features-newscast availability, station/newscast credibility, past stories-to test hypotheses predicting that stations would use these well-researched features online. Overall, the hypotheses were not supported. There was little emphasis on these 372 websites of the newscasts availability, credibility, or quality. A set of interactive promotional features was also examined to test a hypothesis that stations would use interactivity on their websites to promote the newscast. There was limited support for this hypothe...
Looking to the future: The next-generation hot mix asphalt dynamic modulus prediction models

This paper describes an innovative approach related to the development of a new hot mix asphalt (HMA) dynamic modulus (|E *|) prediction model by employing the artificial neural networks (ANNs) methodology. Many studies have been conducted over the last 50 years related to the development of HMA |E *| prediction models based on the regression analysis of laboratory measurements. The current study is an attempt to replace the regression analysis with the ANNs that have proved useful for solving certain types of problems that are too complex, poorly understood or resource intensive to tackle using more traditional numerical and statistical methods. The ANN |E *| prediction models were developed using the latest comprehensive |E *| database that is available to the researchers (from the NCHRP Report 547) containing 7400 data points from 346 HMA mixtures. The ANN model predictions were compared with the 1999 version of the Witczak |E *| prediction model, which is included in the mechanistic–empirical pavement...
Effect of Hypermagnesemia on Cardiorespiratory Recordings of Neonates Born to Preeclamptic Mothers

Effect of Hypermagnesemia on Cardiorespiratory Recordings of Neonates Born to Preeclamptic Mothers
Polyphyletic ancestry of historic gray wolves inhabiting U.S. Pacific states

Given the recent re-colonization of gray wolves (Canis lupus) to the Pacific northwest, USA, and subsequent migration into northern California, understanding how well natural migration has restored historic diversity can inform management decisions. In this study, we report the mitochondrial DNA control region haplotypes of nine museum specimens that curators identified as C. lupus from Oregon, Nevada, and California. Among the nine samples currently available for genetic analysis of historic genetic diversity of C. l. spp. in the U.S. Pacific states, we found six previously described haplotypes including two domestic dog (C. l. familiaris) haplotypes. Notably, we present the first evidence of Mexican wolf (C. l. baileyi) ancestry in southern California while the northern Californian specimen, as well as one individual from Nevada, present a haplotype common to wolves from the historic American West and extant Canadian wolf populations. Finally, the three Oregon specimens shared a haplotype that is only observed in extant wolves from coastal British Columbia (the “coastal rainforest” wolf ecotype), indicating that the historical range of this haplotype reached as far south as southwestern Oregon. In conclusion, our results indicate that the genetic composition of historic wolf populations in the Pacific northwest and southwest states was polyphyletic and included wolves that share maternal ancestry with current populations from adjacent regions. These findings, in addition with future nuclear analyses, reveal more accurate historic range delimitations, which is critical information when designing appropriate management plans for wolves naturally re-colonizing the U.S. Pacific northwest and southwest regions.