cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Clinical nutrition : opportunity in a changing health care environment

This article summarizes presentations from a satellite symposium, "Clinical Nutrition: Opportunity in a Changing Health Care Environment," held July 26, 1997, at the 37th annual meeting of the American Society for Clinical Nutrition in Montreal. The symposium was cosponsored by the American Society for Clinical Nutrition and the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition. The diverse topics served as a practical forum for sharing information on innovative responses, concerns, and impediments in the rapidly evolving practice environment.
Temperature and Pain Perception

The sensory modalities of temperature and pain share a common homeostatic thread and a similar afferent neural organization. Sensory precision can be demonstrated under controlled laboratory conditions, but ultimately such precision is secondary to hedonic feelings of pleasantness and unpleasantness that motivate behaviors necessary to maintain the integrity of the organism. Thermal sensations of warmth and coolness are mediated by independent neural systems with differences in sensitivity, spatial summation, intensity, and spatial discrimination. Thermal adaptation is common to both systems. Within a restricted temperature range, feelings of coolness or warmth wane over a period of minutes (e.g. entering a hot bath) and may disappear, replaced by a state of neither warmth nor cold termed thermal neutrality. The hedonic feeling state is determined by a thermoregulatory system that maintains internal temperature. This system receives inputs from the body core and from the skin. If core temperature is disturbed, these inputs result in appropriate autonomic responses, in subjective feelings of unpleasantness (e.g., warm) and in feelings associated with a specific skin temperature (e.g., room temperature is unpleasant, cold air or water is pleasant). Keywords: hyperalgesia; pain modulation; pain psychophysics; placebo effect; temperature discrimination; temperature sensation
Literature Review Outline and Annotated Bibliography of Commuter Rail Service in New Mexico

This segment is a general review of the literature that will assist in the research to identify the leadership roles needed to implement commuter rail service in New Mexico. Although, specific literature on this topic is very limited, there are documents that are in existence that commonly focus on the commuter industry. Three areas will be highlighted in the literature included commuter rail perspectives in other areas of the country, international transit industry perceptions, and national transit industry issues. In the following annotated bibliography, I have listed six of the references that I will include in the document: The revival of commuter rail: The Boston experience (Massachusetts), Public Transportation and the Nation's Economy, Valuing Time and Reliability: Commuters' Mode Choice from a Real Time Congestion Pricing Experiment, Urban Public Transit Subsidies: Theory and Policy Analysis with an Assessment of Commuter Rail in the Greater Toronto Area, A systems approach to energy management and policy in commuter rail transportation, and Commuter Rail: Serving America's Emerging Suburban/Urban Economy.
Precision Oncology Framework for Investigation of Exercise As Treatment for Cancer

Promising discovery (epidemiologic) data have led to the provocative hypothesis that exercise treatment may improve cancer outcomes, fueling calls for the need for large phase III trials to definitively test this question. Emerging epidemiologic data suggest that the potential efficacy of exercise differs on the basis of tumor subtype. The heterogeneity in response creates the strong hypothesis that a precision oncology approach is required to optimize the benefit and safety of exercise as a candidate antitumor strategy. This commentary has presented one potential translational framework that may facilitate these efforts. It is hoped that the concepts described here will provide the platform for constructive dialogue and interdisciplinary collaboration to optimize the therapeutic promise of exercise treatment.
Ontology-based representation and analysis of host-Brucella interactions

Background Biomedical ontologies are representations of classes of entities in the biomedical domain and how these classes are related in computer- and human-interpretable formats. Ontologies support data standardization and exchange and provide a basis for computer-assisted automated reasoning. IDOBRU is an ontology in the domain of Brucella and brucellosis. Brucella is a Gram-negative intracellular bacterium that causes brucellosis, the most common zoonotic disease in the world. In this study, IDOBRU is used as a platform to model and analyze how the hosts, especially host macrophages, interact with virulent Brucella strains or live attenuated Brucella vaccine strains. Such a study allows us to better integrate and understand intricate Brucella pathogenesis and host immunity mechanisms.
Transaction safe nonblocking data structures

This brief announcement focuses on interoperability of software transactions with ad hoc nonblocking algorithms. Specifically, we modify arbitrary nonblocking operations so that (1) they can be used both inside and outside transactions, (2) external uses serialize with transactions, and (3) internal uses succeed if and only if the surrounding transaction commits. Interoperability enables seemless integration with legacy code, atomic composition of nonblocking operations, and the equivalent of hand-optimized, closed nested transactions.
OPERATIVE TECHNIQUES IN RECONSTRUCTION WITH THE LATERAL ARM FREE FLAP

The lateral arm provides a unique tool for reconstructive composite oropharyngeal defects. Herein are provided guidelines for use and techniques of harvest for this flap.
Closing in on the neural mechanisms of finger joint angle sense. Focus on "Quantitative analysis of dynamic strain sensitivity in human skin mechanoreceptors".

Investigation of the neural mechanisms of joint angle sense has a long, rich history in which the ideas have changed continually. The sense of joint angle was first thought to depend on joint receptors and then on muscle length receptors. More recently, skin receptors have been shown to be critical
Subthreshold π0-production in the Boltzmann-Uehling-Uhlenbeck theory

Abstract π0-production in medium energy heavy ion reactions is studied via the Boltzmann-Uehling-Uhlenbeck approach. The mass dependence and bombarding energy dependence of the calculated absolute pion cross sections agree remarkably well with the recent data of Noll et al. for 12 C (60, 75, 85 MeV/N ) + C , Ni , Au . Assuming a reabsorption length of 3 fm, pion reabsorption occurs in ⪆ 50% of the events. Shadowing is important for the angular distributions of pions produced in heavy systems and also changes the apparent velocity of the “pion emitting source”.
Comparison of the seed germination of native and non-native winter annual Apiaceae in North America, with particular focus on Cyclospermum leptophyllum naturalized from South America

To increase our knowledge of the seed dormancy breaking and germination requirements of native and non-native winter annual Apiaceae in temperate eastern North America, a study was conducted on seeds of Cyclospermum (Apium) leptophyllum, which is native to South America, but naturalized in North America and elsewhere. A high percentage of fresh seeds germinated over a narrow range of temperatures, but the range increased when seeds were incubated continuously in light or buried in soil at high summer temperatures, indicating the presence of conditional physiological dormancy (PD). Embryos grew from approximately 0.3 to 1.25 mm (316% increase in length) inside the seeds before the radicle emerged; thus, seeds had morphological dormancy (MD) as well as PD, that is, morphophysiological dormancy (MPD). Embryo growth did not occur during summer in seeds exposed to natural temperatures, but embryos did grow in autumn. For seeds sown in the field in June, both embryo growth and germination occurred in autumn. Thus, seeds have non-deep simple MPD, with PD being broken in summer and MD in autumn. A comparison of C. leptophyllum with native and non-native winter annual Apiaceae in the region reveals that all species have MD, but the proportion of fresh seeds that also has PD (thus, MPD) varies between species. A combination of factors, including PD, an inability to germinate at high summer temperatures, a relatively low temperature requirement for embryo growth and a lack of dispersal until autumn (in two non-natives), delays germination of both natives and non-natives until autumn, when conditions are favorable for both germination and seedling establishment.
The abundances and energy spectra of cosmic ray iron and nickel at energies from 1 to 10 GeV per amu

A scintillation-Cerenkov counter telescope has been used to measure the absolute flux and energy spectra of the nuclear components of the primary cosmic radiation. This instrument has been flown twice on high-altitude balloons launched from Muskogee, Okalahoma (vertical rigidity cutoff of 3.4 GV), and has provided a total exposure of 20 sq m sr hr. In this paper the measurements of the abundances and the differential energy spectra of iron and nickel in the energy interval from 1 to 10 GeV per amu are presented. The mean abundance of nickel relative to iron is found to be 0.050 + or - 0.003. This ratio is consistent with abundances at the source which are similar to those of the interstellar medium as estimated both by Meyer (1979) and by Cameron (1970). If the measured energy spectra are fit to single power laws in total energy, spectral indices of 2.44 + or - 0.07 for iron and 2.33 + or - 0.13 for nickel are obtained.
Real Time Control of the SSC String Magnets

The system described in this paper, called SECAR, was designed to control the excitation of a test string of magnets for the proposed Superconducting Super Collider (SSC) and will be used to upgrade the present Tevatron Excitation, Control and Regulation (TECAR) hardware and software . It resides in a VME crate and is controlled by a 68020/68881 based CPU running the application software under a real time operating system named VRTX.
Activation of heat-shock transcription factor by graded reductions in renal ATP, in vivo, in the rat.

Abstract Renal ischemia results in both a profound fall in cellular ATP and a rapid induction of the 70 kD heat-shock protein family, HSP-70. The present studies examined the relationship between cellular ATP and induction of the stress response in renal cortex. Cellular ATP, continuously monitored by in vivo 31P-NMR spectroscopy, was reduced and maintained at specific, stable levels in renal cortex by partial aortic occlusion for 45 min. Activation of heat-shock transcription factor (HSF) was detected by gel retardation assay and transcription was confirmed by Northern analysis. Activation of HSF was not present, and HSP-70 mRNA induction did not occur when ATP levels were maintained above 60% preocclusion (control) levels. Reduction in cortical ATP levels to 35-50% preocclusion values resulted in HSF activation and low-level expression of inducible HSP-70 mRNA. Cellular ATP of 20-25% control values resulted in a greater level of HSF activation and subsequent HSP-70 mRNA elaboration. HSF was activated at the end of 15 min of total occlusion. The studies indicate that a 50% reduction in cellular ATP in the renal cortex must occur before the stress response is detectable, that reduction of ATP below 25% control levels produces a more vigorous response, and that reperfusion is not required for initiation of a heat-shock response in the kidney. Cellular ATP, or the metabolic consequences associated with ATP depletion, may be a threshold factor for initiation of a stress response in the kidney.
Quantification in PET

Quantification provides the link between the concentrations of radioactivity measured in tissue and the underlying physiologic processes occurring in the organ. It relates the rate at which radioactivity levels in the body change over time to quantitative parameters such as absolute rate glucose metabolism, regional blood flow, or concentrations of receptors or other binding sites. Absolute measurement of physiologic parameters generally requires accurate measurement of activity concentrations in arterial blood, which provides the input function to the kinetic model. Although absolute quantification can be a difficult process, simplifications of these invasive techniques, involving reference tissues or normalization approaches (eg, SUV), have been applied with some success. Any simplified model of tracer behavior must be validated against the full model to test for bias and systematic errors.
Magnetic reversals of Jupiter and Saturn

The possibility that the gas-giant planets Jupiter and Saturn undergo solar-type magnetic reversals is examined using dynamo theory and radiotelescope data on decametriic emissions from Jupiter. Possible values are found for the effects of the fluctuating velocity field, the magnetic diffusivity, and change in the rotation rate of a dynamo over a characteristic length. The radio emissions from Jupiter decreased in intensity from 1961-72 and rose steadily to the end of 1978, which could have been caused by a change in the Jovian magnetic field. Since Jupiter may have a small rocky core embedded in metallic hydrogen which comprises 75 percent of the radius of the planet, the planetary magnetic field may extend into the cores of its satellites. The dynamo characteristics, like those of Saturn, would be chaotic, although quasi-periodic reversals could occur over intervals on the order of centuries instead of decades such as with the sun and much longer periods such as with the earth.
Calcium and cardiac arrest.

Excerpt To the editor: Stempien and coworkers (1) recently reviewed the potential deleterious effects of calcium chloride administration during cardiopulmonary resuscitation. They cited retrospecti...
HIV/AIDS Prevention Education: Considerations for American Indian/Alaska Native Youth.

American Indians/Alaska Natives represent slightly less than 0.9% of the total U.S. population, yet they account for one percent of the reported HIV and AIDS cases nationwide. Approximately 2537 cumulative AIDS cases have been identified in the American Indian/ Alaska Native community; AIDS related deaths account for about half of the cumulative cases among Native Peoples. The number of HIV/ AIDS cases is swelling as evidenced by the 122 new HIV infections and 190 new AIDS cases reported in 2001. Increases in HIV infection among American Indians/Alaska Natives result primarily from unprotected sexual activity and injection drug use. The information in this article considers cultural and family traits and values that should be addressed in HIV/AIDS prevention education and culturally competent instruction that complements these variables.
Is CURE a cure for acute coronary syndromes? Statistical versus clinical significance.

Abstract Clopidogrel has been recently approved for treatment of non–ST-elevation acute coronary syndromes based on the Clopidogrel in Unstable Angina to Prevent Recurrent Events (CURE) trial. However, the trial’s findings are confounded by issues that lessen its clinical significance. Clopidogrel did not reduce mortality; its benefit was limited to preventing myocardial infarction, which was defined less stringently than in previous trials. Clopidogrel led to an increase in major and minor bleeding. Furthermore, clopidogrel increased bleeding risk in early cardiac surgery. Thus, widespread usage of clopidogrel, especially in centers with an early revascularization strategy, will have limited clinical benefit with considerable risk.
Enthalpies of Vaporization of Some Aliphatic Alcohols

Abstract : A new calorimeter for measuring enthalpies of vaporization of pure liquids is described. Enthalpies of vaporization were determined over the temperature range 25 to 60C for the series of alcohols: methanol, ethanol, propanol, isopropanol, butanol, isobutanol, sec-butanol, and tert-butanol. (Author)
On divergence and probability of error in pattern recognition

An upperbound on the probability of error in classifying a pattern using Bayesian decision criterion is obtained in terms of its divergence and it is shown that the maximization of the divergence of the pattern minimizes this upperbound. Furthermore, a relationship between the divergence of a pattern and its nearest neighbor classification risk is presented.
Behavioral Differences between Archaic and Modern Humans in the Levantine Mousterian

Early modern and archaic humans are associated with similar lithic industries in the Middle Paleolithic of the southern Levant, but new data suggest that they used the environment in different ways. Evidence from analyses of seasonally deposited increments of the teeth of the animals they hunted suggests that modern humans primarily practiced a strategy ofcirculating seasonal mobility, while archaic humans in the same region 30,000 years later were more residentially mobile. Analyses of their lithic hunting technology further suggest that archaic humans hunted more frequently than did modern humans. We argue that this greater hunting intensity may have been a strategy for coping with the consequences of resource biodepletion resulting from long-term, multiseasonal occupation of sites. These behavioral contrasts may be related to some of the morphological differences between early modern and archaic humans.
Idiopathic retinal degeneration in the dog: differential patterns of [3H]uridine incorporation and HIOMT-like immunoreactivity in surviving photoreceptors.

Photoreceptor cell pathology was investigated in an 8-yr-old mixed-breed dog which had displayed visual symptoms of 1 month duration. An electroretinogram detected no light-evoked responses. Light and electron microscopic features showed marked thinning and atrophy of the outer retina; both the tapetal and non-tapetal retina appeared to be involved. In the non-tapetal region, a majority of the rod inner segments were missing, while scattered mitochondria-filled stubby inner segments of cones were readily identified. Inner segments of both rods and cones were observed in the tapetal region. Photoreceptor outer segments were completely absent from the affected retina, and no outer segment debris was observed between the photoreceptor layer and the retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE). Autoradiographic analysis of 3-mm retinal disks from the degenerate retina following incubation with [ 3 H]uridine indicated that only 61% ± 13 s.d. of the remaining nuclei of rod photoreceptors were undergoing RNA synthesis, whereas more than 99% of cone nuclei incorporated the label. Normal and degenerate retina were also analysed for localization of hydroxyindole- O -methyltransferase (HIOMT)-like immunoreactivity. While the normal retina showed immunoreactivity in both rod and cone photoreceptors with more intense immunoreactivity present in cones, the degenerate retina showed HIOMT-like immunoreactivity only in the remaining cone photoreceptors. The results of this study of idiopathic photoreceptor degeneration of the canine retina suggest that although both photoreceptor types are involved, rods are more severely affected than cones.
THE USE OF RESPONSE SURFACE DESIGNS IN THE SELECTION OF OPTIMUM TOLERANCE ALLOCATION

Tolerance allocation has been one of the central issues in the area of quality engineering. Most previous studies on this issue have been based on a set of given functional forms associated with production cost and component tolerances that lack design ..
Comprehensive analysis of functional outcomes and survival after microvascular reconstruction of glossectomy defects

Few studies on tongue reconstruction provide a comprehensive, multidisciplinary analysis examining defect size, flap selection, function, and long-term survival. This report presents the largest study in the literature evaluating free flap reconstruction after glossectomy. A retrospective review of patients undergoing free flap glossectomy reconstruction from 2000 to 2012 was performed. In this review, 268 patients were identified. Resections involving the tongue only included 59 partial glossectomies, 86 hemiglossectomies, 28 subtotal glossectomies, and 24 total glossectomies. Glossectomies performed with mandibulectomies were analyzed independently for speech and swallowing function (32 partial glossectomies, 18 hemiglossectomies, 8 subtotal glossectomies, and 13 total glossectomies with mandibulectomy). A total of 299 free flaps were performed, with 30 patients receiving two free flaps. Multivariate analysis demonstrating smoking (p = 0.018), composite resections (p < 0.001), and larger resections (total and subtotal glossectomies; p < 0.001) were associated with significantly worse speech results. Advanced age (p = 0.002), radiation (p = 0.003), and larger or composite resections had significantly worse swallowing function (p < 0.001). Patients with a persistent tracheostomy had significantly worse speech and swallowing function (p < 0.001), whereas innervated flaps were associated with superior speech (p = 0.049) and better swallowing function (p = 0.004). The surgical complication rate was 23.5 %, with only one total flap loss. Tumor stage (p = 0.003), positive margins (p < 0.001), lymphovascular invasion (p = 0.023), and chemotherapy (p < 0.001) were associated with significantly worse overall survival. The median overall survival time was 50.5 months (range 39–79 months). Although comorbidities and the extent of resection impair both speech and swallowing, reconstruction, particularly with innervated free flaps, still affords the majority of patients’ reasonable function.
The Jubilee Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education: An Essay Review

On May 17, 2004 the nation will commemorate the Jubilee Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, the 1954 Supreme Court decision ordering the desegregation of America's public schools. Criticized and openly defied when first handed down, over the past fifty years Brown has become perhaps the most time-honored decision in American constitutional law. Indeed, Brown has become a symbol and a theory, not only of racial equality, but also of equality in general. In vital respects, Brown redefined the meaning of equality of opportunity, establishing the principle that all children had a constitutional right to attend school without discrimination. In time the theoretical principles of equality established in Brown extended beyond desegregation to disability, gender, sexuality, bilingual education, the children of undocumented immigrants, and related issues of civil equality. Its meaning, however, remains as contested as the case is venerated. Consequently, the Brown decision has generated a large volume of writings aimed at comprehending the frill meaning of the decision, ranging from the Supreme Court's powers of judicial review to the true meaning of the decision for issues of school resegregation and academic achievement in the twenty-first century. Two recent books contribute significantly to our historical and legal understanding of Brown and to our understanding of current debates over its legacy.
The development of a university foodservice quality survey instrument: a culture different perspective

Abstract Cross-cultural and service quality research supports the theory that there is a difference in customer service expectations and perceptions as related to cultural orientation from a variety of service settings; however, a domain that has yet to be explored is culture's impact on service quality perceptions in university foodservices. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to develop a survey instrument of campus dining facilities that measures service quality perceptions experienced by international students. Input was collected through focus groups with international students enrolled at The University of Southern Mississippi's English Learning Institute (ELI). The instrument was refined using input from a panel of eight foodservice and cross-cultural industry experts. During the instrument's pilot test, two cognitive interviewing techniques were used to assess content validity as well as cognitive validity and equivalency. The final survey was completed by a total of 141 of the 342 internatio...
Transforming growth factor β1 transduced mouse prostate reconstitutions: I. Induction of neuronal phenotypes

BACKGROUND We previously showed that retroviral transduction of transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) induces focally hyperplastic lesions resembling benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and an increase in the number of ganglion-like cells in the mouse prostate reconstitution (MPR) model in vivo. In the present study we further characterize the neuronal phenotypes induced by TGF-β1 retroviral transduction in MPRs. METHODS Computer-assisted morphometric analysis was used to evaluate neuronal density. Neuronal cell markers, including neurofilament, neuron-specific enolase, tyrosine hydroxylase, choline acetyltransferase, L-met enkaphaline, and serotonin, were detected by immunostaining. RESULTS A fourfold increase in neuronal density was observed in TGF-β1 retrovirus-transduced MPRs. The relative frequencies of neuronal subtypes remained similar, with catecholaminergic and cholinergic neurons presenting as the most abundant. We found no evidence of infection of neurons; therefore, increased neuronal density was likely due to paracrine activities. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that enforced TGF-β1 expression leads to growth and/or survival of both catecholaminergic and cholinergic neuronal cells in mouse prostate reconstitutions. Prostate 33:151–156, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
MODIFIED ATMOSPHERE PACKAGING of SWEET CORN ON COB

Respiration rates (RR) of two varieties of sweet corn on cob were determined at O 2 concentrations: 5, 10, 15, and 21% and CO 2 : 0, 5, and 10%, and temperatures: 2, 12, and 25C. Temperature and O 2 had strong influence on RR. Activation energies for effect of temperature on RR(O 2 ) and RR(CO 2 ) were, 44.6 and 104.4 kJ/mole, respectively. At 12C, to maintain 4% O 2 and 6% CO 2 in a package 10.8 cm 2 area, with 1.12 kg of corn, the estimated film permeabilities were 14 ml O 2 /h.cm 2 and 65 ml CO 2 /h.cm 2 , respectively. Experimental and theoretical transient gas concentrations using microporous films were in reasonable agreement, but the desired O 2 and CO 2 levels were not achieved
Satake and Martin compactifications of symmetric spaces are topological balls

Symmetric spaces of noncompact type form a very important class of simply connected nonpositively curved Riemannian manifolds with connection to Lie group theory and harmonic analysis. For many applications, it is important to compactify the symmetric spaces. Several compactifications of symmetric spaces have been defined from different points of view. For example, in [17], in order to understand the boundaries which arise in the study of automorphic forms, Satake defined finitely many compactifications of a symmetric space by embedding it into the space of positive definite Hermitian matrices of determinant 1 and then the associated projective space. Another important compactification is the Martin compactification from potential theory. In [10], the Martin compactification of the symmetric space is described in terms of geodesics and the maximal Satake compactification (see Theorem 2.5 below for a precise statement; and see the book [10] for definitions of other compactifications and relations between the various compactifications.) Both the Satake compactifications and the Martin compactification of a symmetric space are topological compactifications. In this note, we prove that they are topologically a closed ball (2.4 and 2.6). In the proof (§4), we use the convexity result of Atiyah [3] that the image of the moment map of a Hamiltonian torus action is a convex polytope (3.1) in order to identify the closure of a flat in the compactifications of the symmetric space (4.1). We also formulate a conjecture on the Martin compactification of simply connected and nonpositively curved Riemannian manifolds (5.1).
A case of paraneoplastic myelopathy associated with the neuromyelitis optica antibody

This Case Study describes a 63-year-old woman with a history of metastatic breast cancer who presented with rapidly progressing myelopathic symptoms and an elevated titer for the neuromyelitis optic antibody. The appearance of myelopathy correlated with recurrence of the patient's breast cancer on two separate occasions, and the authors suggest this case represents a possible paraneoplastic syndrome associated with the neuromyelitis antibody. Background A 63-year-old woman with a history of metastatic breast cancer presented to the emergency department with chest pain in a band-like distribution. Within 1 day of presentation the patient developed bilateral lower-extremity weakness and urinary retention. The emergence of these symptoms coincided with the recurrence of her metastatic breast cancer. Fifteen months before presentation the patient had experienced a similar episode of myelopathy in the setting of recurrence of her breast cancer, from which she recovered completely following treatment with steroids. Investigations General and neurological examination, routine laboratory testing, MRI of the brain and spine, tests for serum autoimmune antibodies, infectious serology testing, lumbar puncture, paraneoplastic panel, neuromyelitis optica antibody testing, evaluation for celiac disease, CT scans of the chest, abdomen and pelvis, whole-body [18F]fluoro-2-deoxyglucose PET scan, lymph node biopsy, electroencephalography observing visual and brainstem auditory evoked potentials, and neuro-ophthalmological examination. Diagnosis Myelopathy, possibly paraneoplastic, associated with the neuromyelitis optica antibody in the setting of metastatic breast cancer. Management Corticosteroids to treat the myelopathy and chemotherapy for the breast cancer.
Properties of ribosomes and ribosomal RNA formed by a relaxed mutant of Escherichia coli during growth with ethionine

Abstract When the methionine-requiring relaxed-mutant strain of Escherichia coli K12 is incubated with ethionine in place of methionine, growth, protein synthesis and RNA synthesis continue at a reduced rate. Ethionine is incorporated into protein, and ribosomes are produced which have the following properties. (a) The extent of association of the subunits to form 70 s and 100 s particles is less than for normal ribosomes over a range of Mg 2+ concentrations; (b) in 10 −4 m-Mg 2+ the ethionine ribosomal subunits in the 50 s region sediment more slowly than the normal 50 s subunits. There are more particles in the 30 s region than in the 50 s region and some of these contain 23 s RNA; (c) the RNA from ethionine ribosomes is submethylated to the same extent as the RNA from the subribosomal particles produced during methionine starvation; (d) if the E. coli are grown first with ethionine and then with methionine, the sedimentation properties of the ethionine ribosomes return to normal, but the ribosomal RNA remains submethylated.
Soybean Development and Yield Are Influenced by Planting Date and Environmental Conditions in the Southeastern Coastal Plain, United States

Variation of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] growth and yield with planting date may be a response to changes in the plant, the environment, or a combination of both. This 2-yr experiment studied the effects of planting date on durations of vegetative and reproductive stages, and duration, temperature, and precipitation on yield of five soybean cultivars each representing a maturity group (MG IV-VIII) under dryland conditions. Planting dates were scheduled for 14-d intervals from late April to mid-July, 2008 and 2009. Length of growing season shortened with later planting dates, and the shortening was greater for vegetative stages compared with reproductive stages, especially for later MGs. Duration of flowering decreased with later planting date more rapidly for MG V through VIII (-0.60 to 1.18 d per planting date delay) than MG IV (insignificant). Pod-set duration declined with later planting date slowly for all MGs and insignificantly for MG IV and V in 2008. There was no conclusive relationship between seed-fill duration and later planting date. Duration of vegetative stage was positively correlated with yield of each MG. At flowering stage, yield ofMG IV was positively correlated with temperature, while yields ofMG V to VIII were positively correlated with duration, temperature, and precipitation. Precipitation during pod-set was the main factor in determining yields of all MGs. Temperature during seed-fill was positively correlated with yields of all MGs. These results suggest that May planting dates would achieve greater yield potential for all MGs by extending duration of development stages and avoiding cooler temperature during seed-fill.
Ethanol Elevates c‐Myc Levels in Cultured Mouse Preimplantation Embryos

A brief exposure to ethanol accelerates the rate of early mouse embryonic development in vitro, increasing blastocyst formation, trophoblast outgrowth, and implantation rates after embryo transfer. The physiological effects of ethanol during preimplantation development are associated with rapid changes in gene expression and apparently arise from the ability of ethanol to elevate cytoplasmic free Ca2+ and alter cellular signaling pathways. The purpose of this study was to examine whether the abundance of c-Myc, a transcription factor that promotes cell proliferation and is required for blastocyst development, is upregulated in mouse blastocysts challenged with ethanol. After exposure of mouse blastocysts to 0.1% (17.5 mM) ethanol, wc determined the levels of: 1) c-Myc mRNA, using reverse transcription and the polymerase chain reaction; and 2) c-Myc protein levels, using specific monoclonal antibodies. Within 10 min of exposure to ethanol, the relative abundance of c-Myc mRNA increased 6-fold, then rapidly returned to baseline levels within 1 hr. As expected, elevation of c-Myc mRNA by ethanol was attenuated in embryos that were first treated with the intracellular Ca2+ chelator, BAPTA-AM. Western blot analysis of solubilized embryos revealed that c-Myc mRNA was translated into a single 62-kD protein that increased in intensity 30 min after treatment with ethanol. Immunocytochemical staining demonstrated that c-Myc was localized exclusively in nuclei and that staining intensity increased significantly after 10 min. Peak levels of c-Myc protein were found 30 min after ethanol exposure and persisted for at least 2 hr. The c-myc proto-oncogene seems to be an immediate early response gene for ethanol that may regulate the transcription of other genes that influence early embryogenesis and growth.
An improved solvent-extraction based procedure for the gas chromatographic analysis of resin and fatty acids in pulp mill effluents

Abstract An analytical procedure for the determination of resin and fatty acids in pulp mill effluents is described. The procedure involves isolation of the resin and fatty acids from the effluent sample by solvent extraction with an equal volume of methyl tert.-butyl ether under alkaline (pH 9) conditions, derivatization of the extract with diazomethane, and subsequent analysis of the methylated extracts by gas chromatography on a 25 m × 0.20 mm I.D. OV-17 fused-silica capillary column using a flame ionization detector. The method of isolation, that is, extraction of the effluent sample at pH 9 with an equal volume of solvent, is a key feature of the new analytical procedure. These conditions overcome many of the major problems commonly associated with the application of a solvent extraction isolation technique to pulp mill effluents, such as emulsion formation, lignin precipitation, and resin acid isomerization.
III-V Quantum Well Field Effect Transistors on Silicon for Future High Performance and Low Power Logic Applications

This work summarizes the advantages and challenges of III-V channel transistors for high performance and low power logic applications with respect to Si CMOS. The challenge of heterogeneous integration of III-V on Si is addressed by integration of In0.7Ga0.3As QWFETs on Si substrates with a total composite buffer thickness successfully scaled down to 1.3um. The main advantages are demonstrated with Schottky-Gate In0.7Ga0.3As QWFET on Si substrate showing 4.6X to 3.3X effective velocity gain over Si n-MOSFET for a VCC range of 0.5V to 1.0V, and 65% intrinsic drive current gain over Si nMOSFET at VCC = 0.5V. In addition, the challenge of further scaling and reduction of the high gate leakage that occurs in Schottky-gate devices is addressed by successful integration of an advanced composite high-K gate stack in the In0.7Ga0.3As QWFET.
Structure-based Design of a Second-generation Lyme Disease Vaccine Based on a C-terminal Fragment of Borrelia burgdorferi OspA

Here, we describe a structure-based approach to reduce the size of an antigen protein for a subunit vaccine. Our method consists of (i) determining the three-dimensional structure of an antigen, (ii) identifying protective epitopes, (iii) generation of an antigen fragment that contains the protective epitope, and (iv) rational design to compensate for destabilization caused by truncation. Using this approach we have successfully developed a second-generation Lyme disease vaccine. Outer surface protein A (OspA) from the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi elicits protective immunity that blocks transmission of Borrelia from the tick vector to the vaccinated animal, and thus has been a focus of vaccine development. OspA has two globular domains that are connected via a unique single-layer beta-sheet. All anti-OspA monoclonal antibodies that block Borrelia transmission bind to conformational epitopes in the C-terminal domain of OspA, suggesting the possibility of using the C-terminal domain alone as a recombinant protein-based vaccine. The removal of ineffective parts from the OspA antigen may reduce side effects and lead to a safer vaccine. We prepared a C-terminal fragment of OspA by removing approximately 45% of residues from the N terminus. Although the fragment retained the native conformation and affinity to a protective antibody, its vaccine efficacy and conformational stability were significantly reduced with respect to full-length OspA. We successfully stabilized the fragment by replacing amino acid residues involved in buried salt-bridges with residues promoting hydrophobic interactions. The mutations promoted the vaccine efficacy of the redesigned fragment to a level comparable to that of the full-length protein, demonstrating the importance of the antigen stability for OspA's vaccine efficacy. Our strategy should be useful for further refining OspA-based vaccines and developing recombinant vaccines for other diseases.
Diagnosis of Feline Viral Infection

A diagnosis of a specific viral disease in the cat involves a combination of an accurate history, careful observation of disease signs, demonstration of characteristic clinical pathologic changes, and isolation or identification of the virus. Isolation or identification of a virus from the patient does not establish that the disease observed was caused by the virus so isolated or identified; correlation and proper interpretation of all findings are necessary to establish a diagnosis. Virus identification may involve office laboratory tests, such as cytology or ELISA, or more specialized procedures. Whether specimens are to be sent out for specialized tests or office laboratory procedures are to be used, the veterinary practitioner must not only know what specimens are required but must also understand the test and be able to properly interpret the results in light of the patient's observed condition.
Cutting work in thick section cryomicrotomy

The forces during cryosectioning were measured using miniature strain gauges attached to a load cell fitted to the drive arm of the Porter-Blum MT-2 cryomicrotome. Work was calculated and the data normalized to a standard (1 mm X 1 mm X 0.5 micrometer) section. Thermal energy generated was also calculated. Five parameters were studied: cutting angle, thickness, temperature, hardness, and block shape. Force patterns could be divided into three major groups thought to represent cutting (Type I), large fracture planes greater than 10 micrometer in length (Type II), and small fracture planes less than 10 micrometer in length (Type III). Type I and Type II produced satisfactory sections. Work in cutting ranged from an average of 78.4 muJ to 568.8 muJ. Cutting angle and temperature had the greatest effect on sectioning. Heat generated would be sufficient to cause through-section melting for 0.5 micrometer thick sections assuming the worst possible case, namely that all heat went into the section without loss. Presence of a Type II pattern (large fracture pattern) is thought to be presumptive evidence against thawing.
Giant Thienylene-Acetylene-Ethylene Macrocycles with Large Two-Photon Absorption Cross Section and Semishape-Persistence

Giant π-conjugated macrocycles composed of thiophene, acetylene, and ethylene subunits arranged as 72π, 108π, 144π, and 180π electron systems were synthesized and analyzed for their one- and two-photon absorbance properties. Increasing π-conjugation showed an increase in the two-photon absorption cross section with magnitudes as high as 100 000 GM in the visible spectral region.
Comparison of Estrone and 17β-Estradiol Levels in Commercial Goat and Cow Milk

Increased levels of estrogen metabolites are believed to be associated with cancers of the reproductive system. One potential dietary source of these metabolites that is commonly consumed worldwide is milk. In North America, dairy cows are the most common source of milk; however, goats are the primary source of milk worldwide. In this study, the absolute concentrations of unconjugated and total (unconjugated plus conjugated) estrone (E(1)) and 17β-estradiol (E(2)) were compared in a variety of commercial cow milks (regular and organic) and goat milk. A lower combined concentration of E(1) and E(2) was found in goat milk than in any of the cow milk products tested. The differences in E(1) and E(2) levels between regular and organic cow milks were not as significant as the differences between goat milk and any of the cow milk products. Goat milk represents a better dietary choice for individuals concerned with limiting their estrogen intake.
Mass spectrometric investigation of polyfluorinated C60. Evidence for the existence of C60F2n (n = 0–30)

Electron-capture negative ion chemical ionization (EC-NICI) and field desorption (FD) mass spectrometric techniques were utilized to examine polyfluorinated C60. Two different samples from the same preparation, one prior to sublimation and the other sublimed material, were investigated. From the raw non-sublimed product in EC-NCI six series of ions corresponding to different numbers of attached oxygen atoms were obtained, which are represented by the formula [C60F2nOm]−, where n ranged from 0 to 30 and m from 0 to 5. The sublimed material in EC-NICI produced the same six series of ions with up to 48 fluorine atoms attached to C60. The field desorption of the same sample produced similar results, but the signal-to-noise ratios of the spectra were low. Both samples, in the two different techniques examined, yielded C60F60 ions with only an even number of fluorine atoms attached. The present investigation, for the first time, provides direct experimental evidence for the existence of higher fluorinated C60 up to C60F60 and multiple oxides of polyfluoro-C60 with up to five oxygen atoms attached.
Disruption of an M. tuberculosis membrane protein causes a magnesium-dependent cell division defect and failure to persist in mice.

The identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis genes necessary for persistence in vivo provides insight into bacterial biology as well as host defense strategies. We show that disruption of M. tuberculosis membrane protein PerM (Rv0955) resulted in an IFN-γ-dependent persistence defect in chronic mouse infection despite the mutant’s near normal growth during acute infection. The perM mutant required increased magnesium for replication and survival; incubation in low magnesium media resulted in cell elongation and lysis. Transcriptome analysis of the perM mutant grown in reduced magnesium revealed upregulation of cell division and cell wall biosynthesis genes, and live cell imaging showed PerM accumulation at the division septa in M. smegmatis. The mutant was acutely sensitive to β-lactam antibiotics, including specific inhibitors of cell division-associated peptidoglycan transpeptidase FtsI. Together, these data implicate PerM as a novel player in mycobacterial cell division and pathogenesis, and are consistent with the hypothesis that immune activation deprives M. tuberculosis of magnesium.
Selective β-antagonists are equally and highly potent at 5-HT sites in the rat hippocampus

Abstract Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) and various tryptamine-related drugs were equi-potent to known β-antagonists in competition experiments of 125 Iodo-cyanopindolol binding in the rat hippocampus. IC 50 values for all the tryptamine related drugs (5,7-DHT, 5-MT, 5-MEO, DMT) were very similar to those obtained for (−)-propranolol, (±)-cyanopindolol, zinterol and atenolol and were all in the nanomolar range. Saturation experiments demonstrated that in the rat hippocampus, a subpopulation of serotonin recognition sites comprised 50% of 125 I-CYP binding. The K d was 140 ± 30 pM and the B max was 71 ± 7 fmole/mg protein. This suggests that 125 I-CYP binding studies for the quantitation of β-adrenergic receptors should be re-evaluated and caution should be exercised in the choice of the displacing agent for the definition of non-specific binding. (±)-[ 125 Iodo]cyanopindolol (I-CYP) has been used as a radioligand which binds with high affinity and specificity to β-adrenoceptors (Engel, Hoyer, Berthold and Wagner, 1981). The reported low dissociation constant (27–40 pM) of 125 I-CYP for β-adrenoceptors in various tissues, in combination with its high specific radioactivity (2175 Ci mmole −1 ) allowed binding studies to be carried out with low protein and ligand concentrations. These factors have established 125 I-CYP as the choice ligand for the quantitation of β-adrenoceptors in our laboratory (Edwards and Henn, 1985). Although other β-antagonists, in particular 125 Iodo-hydroxybenzylpindolol, had been reported to bind to multiple sites other than β-adrenoceptors (Willcocks and Nahorski, 1983), the specificity of 125 I-CYP had not been questioned until a recent autoradiographic study (Pazos, Engel and Palacios, 1985). In that study, 125 I-CYP binding in specific rat brain regions was blocked by various serotonergic drugs. Radioligand binding assays and detailed competition experiments, can be used to separate the components of ligand binding (Whitaker et al., 1983). With this method we have characterized the binding of 125 Iodo-cyanopindolol in the rat hippocampus. Our results show that in addition to β-adrenergic receptors, 125 I-CYP is an equally potent label for 5-HT 1 receptors.
Cycloaldol Approach to the Isobenzofuran Core of Eunicellin Diterpenes

A novel cycloaldol approach to the isobenzofuran core common to many of the eunicellin diterpenes is described. The cycloaldol precursor was prepared by aldol addition of (S)-(+)-carvone and methacrolein followed by etherification to a glycolate ester. Chemoselective enolization of the glycolate ester led to the cycloaldol adduct in high yield and diastereoselectivity. An oxidative rearrangement−allylic diazene rearrangement sequence established the requisite cis ring fusion.