cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analysis of the role of CovR and CovS in the dissemination of Streptococcus pyogenes in invasive skin disease

The global regulatory two-component system CovR/S controls expression of about 15% of the Streptococcus pyogenes (group A streptococcus; GAS) genome. Recently, we found that CovS plays a pivotal role in general stress response of this strictly human pathogen. Therefore, we expected that both CovS and CovR might affect virulence. In this work, mice were inoculated subcutaneously with isogenic nonpolar covR and covS deletion-substitution mutants and the isogenic wild-type strain. The covS mutant behaved like the wild-type parental strain in terms of resulting lesion appearance and invasive disease leading to death. This is in agreement with previous results suggesting that the absence of its cognate sensor kinase does not affect the ability of CovR to become phosphorylated and cause repression of its regulon. However, two different covR deletion-substitution mutants caused significantly less invasive disease and death in the mice than the wild-type parental strain, although the local lesions produced by the covR mutants were more severe and purulent than those resulting from the wild-type GAS strain. Thus, it appears that production of CovR increases the ability of S. pyogenes to cause severe invasive disease in this mouse model and therefore is an important virulence factor for this organism.
Comment on spin wave excitations in amorphous ferromagnets

Abstract Recent calculations for the electronic structure of a tight binding model of a liquid metal have yielded structure similar to that observed by Mook in magnetic excitations of an amorphous ferromagnet.
Arterial grafts exhibiting unprecedented cellular infiltration and remodeling in vivo: The role of cells in the vascular wall

Objective To engineer and implant vascular grafts in the arterial circulation of a pre-clinical animal model and assess the role of donor medial cells in graft remodeling and function.
Protein phosphatase regulates the phosphorylation of NR2B subunit of NMDA receptors in rat spinal cord following intradermal injection of capsaicin

Central sensitization is sensory hypersensitivity in the central nervous system that can be induced by peripheral noxious stimulation. It can be mediated through the activation of several second messenger cascades, such as protein kinase A or protein kinase C. An opposing enzyme to protein kinases, serine/threonine protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A), which catalyzes dephosphorylation reactions, plays an important role in central sensitization. During central sensitization the function of the NMDA receptor is enhanced by increases in channel opening due to its phosphorylation. The effect of a specific inhibitor of PP2A, fostriecin, on the expression of NR2B and phospho-NR2B subunits of NMDA receptors in the spinal cord of rats following capsaicin injection were investigated in this study. After continually perfusing with ACSF or fostriecin (3 M) through a previously implanted microdialysis fiber for 30 minutes, central sensitization was initiated by injection of capsaicin into the plantar surface of the left paw of rats. The spinal cord was removed quickly at different time points (30, 60, 90, 120, 180 min) after intradermal injection of capsaicin. Western blots were performed to examine the expression of NR2B and phospho-NR2B subunits in spinal cord tissue by using specific antibodies. Both NR2B and phospho-NR2B expression were found in ACSFand fostriecintreated groups. At each time point after capsaicin injection, no significant difference was found in NR2B expression in either group. In the ACSF group, phospho-NR2B expression was increased at a time point of 30 minutes and the expression gradually decreased in a time dependent manner. In fostriecin group, phosphoNR2B expression was not significantly reduced until 180 minutes after capsaicin injection. These results suggest that PP2A has a regulatory effect on central sensitization induced by noxious stimuli in the periphery by modulating the phosphorylation state of NMDA receptors. Supported by NIH grant NS09743.
New solitary wave and periodic wave solutions to the (2+1)-dimensional Nizhnik-Novikov-Veselov system

In this work, the (2+1)-dimensional Nizhnik-Novikov-Veselov (NNV) system is studied. The tanh method, the extended tanh method, and the cosh-sinh method are used to investigate this system. By means of these methods, new solitary wave and periodic wave solutions are determined.
A simulation study of bias in estimation of variance by bootstrap linear regression model

The bootstrap is a computer based resampling procedure for estimating the correct variance of an estimator directly from the data obtained rather than from assumptions on the underlying error distribution. The objective of the research is to study the bias associated with the bootstrap and to consider several alternative procedures for correcting this bias. This is accomplished via an extensive Monte Carlo simulation study in the linear regression context. This simulation involves a range of underlying error distributions, a variety of structures for the design matrix, and a range of sample sizes. Three new corrections for the bias in estimation of the variance are considered, and a significant contribution of this research is that one of these is demonstrated to be an improvement over the usual Bickel and Freedman's correction. The remaining two are demonstrated to be less desirable, these are based on an inner/outer loop bootstrap procedure
Foamy virus as a gene transfer vector to the central nervous system

Engineered foamy virus (FV) vectors have been lauded for their superior safety profiles and stable integration patterns compared to their gammaretroviral counterparts. The drawback has been the belief that FV incorporation is cell cycle-dependent, thereby limiting its utility in post-mitotic tissues such as the central nervous system. In this brief communication, we challenged this theory by examining FV in vivo. We injected equal titers of FV and lentivirus (LV) into the adult rat brain and found that at 1 week, FV transduced a significantly greater volume of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU)-negative brain parenchyma than did LV. By 8 weeks, however, the volume of transduced tissue was greatly reduced--comparable to LV-and restricted to BrdU+. Taken together, these data implicate a role for FV in short-term gene delivery strategies to the CNS.
Ossiculoplasty: Long-Term Results in Sound-Conditioned Cats

Audiometric studies were obtained in three cats by the behavioral conditioning method. In the experimental ear of each animal the incus was replaced by a piece of cortical bone (autograft)Audiograms taken in the three animals after sugery on days 84, 49, and 44, respectively, were compared with the ones taken at the completion of the experiment, 33, 32½, and 31 months postoperativelyThe functional changes were correlated with the histopathological findings in the termporal bones
A dilemma: Adapt to nature's constraints or subdue the Earth?

Even the casual reader of Eos cannot fail to be impressed by the breathtaking details with which modern geophysics portrays the everchanging Earth, aided by advancements in many fields. Clearly, these successes are attributable to remarkable developments in the physical sciences, and stemming from them, technologies relating to instrumentation, measurement, quantification, and interpretation. Amidst these accomplishments, it is perhaps of value to reflect on what lies ahead for Earth sciences. We believe that with continued research, we will unravel the Earth's history with ever increasing precision and use the knowledge to develop Earth's natural resources for great benefit to society Until a few decades ago, our research efforts were fervently devoted to the discovery of new sites of natural resources, and efficient methods of extracting large quantities of various Earth materials to satisfy human needs. However, more recent geophysical findings around the world have brought into sharp focus the serious consequences of exploiting finite Earth systems on the resource infrastructure that enables human sustenance.
Calorimetric and spectroscopic examination of the solution phase structures of prekallikrein binding domain peptides of high molecular weight kininogen

Unique sequence-binding sites are exposed on the surface of high molecular weight kininogen which complex prekallikrein or factor XI with high affinity and specificity. A sequence comprising 31 residues of the mature kininogen molecule (Asp565-Lys595) retains full binding activity for prekallikrein (KD=20 nM) and assumes a complex folded structure in solution which is stabilized by long-range interactions between N- and C-terminal residues. The sequence Trp569-Lys595 (27 residues) shows only 28% of this binding affinity and lacks the key structural features required for protein recognition (Scarsale, J. N., and Harris, R. B.,J. Prot. Chem.9, 647–659, 1990). We were thus able to predict that N- or C-terminal truncations of the binding-site sequence would disrupt the conformational integrity required for binding. Two new peptides of 20- and 22- residues have now been synthesized and their solution phase structures examined. These peptides are N- and C-terminal truncations, respectively, of the 27-residue sequence and correspond to the sequences Asp576-Lys595 and Trp569-Asp590 of high molecular weight kininogen. The results of fluorescence emission and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopies in the range 25–90°C and from differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) all substantiate the idea that the C-terminal truncation peptide binds prekallikrein 35-fold poorer than the 31-residue peptide because it is relatively unoredered and possesses a less stable structure. Surprisingly, the N-terminal truncation peptide (20-mer) shows structural stability even at elevated temperatures and, like the 31-residue peptide, undergoes cold-induced denaturation observable in the DSC. 2D-NMR analysis of the 20-residue peptide revealed two distinct structures; one conformer possesses a more compact, folded structure than the other. However, the predicted structures assumed by either conformer are very different from those of either the 31- or 27-residue peptides. Hence, the binding affinity of the 20-residue peptide is 60-fold poorer than that for the 31-residue peptide because it assumes a nonproductive binding conformation(s).
Anion selective optodes: development of a fluorescent fiber optic sensor for the determination of nitrite activity

The response of state of the art anion optodes often cannot be described in a thermodynamically exact manner because the ionic strength within the membrane phase of such optodes changes during the course of a titration. Incorporating lipophilic charge sites in the anion optode membranes provides a constant ionic strength in the membrane phase, the ability to measure anion activities, and a more thermodynamically describable system. This configuration has been used to create a micrometer-sized nitrite-selective optode. Recent elucidation of the many biological roles of nitric oxide (NO) has spurred interest in sensitive and selective detection of this molecule. In biological systems NO is converted to NO2- within 30 sec and the biological concentration of NO2- is normally on the micromolar level. The optode we have prepared contains a selective vitamin B12 derivative ionophore, a fluorescent chromoionophore (ETH 2439 or ETH 5350), and lipophilic charge sites. These components are entrapped in a highly plasticized PVC matrix which is placed on the distal end of the fiber. Sensor characteristics such as limit of detection and reversibility are presented.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Human DIIIA Erythrocytes: RhD protein is associated with multiple dispersed amino acid variations

As a partial D antigen of the Rh blood group system, the D category IIIa phenotype occurs mainly in Blacks, but its molecular basis has not been defined. Here we describe studies of the D category D(IIIa) and VS+ red blood cells (RBC) from two unrelated probands by Southern blot, cDNA PCR, and nucleotide sequencing. Rh haplotyping by Sph I restriction fragment length polymorphisms indicated that the two probands carried Dce/dCe and Dce/DcE genotypes, respectively. Sequence analysis of Rh cDNAs showed that their erythroid cells expressed both D and CE transcripts. Nevertheless, the D transcripts were found to contain four nucleotide changes scattered in three exons: nt455 A-to-C (exon 3), nt602 C-to-G (exon 4), nt 654 C-to-G (exon 5), and nt667 T-to-G (exon 5). These variations resulted in the following amino acid substitutions characteristic of RhCE polypeptides: 152 Asn-to-Thr, 201 Thr-to-Arg, 218 Ile-to-Met, and 223 Phe-to-Val. The 152Thr and 223Val residues were predicted to reside in proximity to the third and fourth extracellular loops, respectively. Together, these results establish a correlation of the four amino acid changes in the RhD protein with the expression of D(IIIa) as a partial D antigen on the RBC membrane. Since the varied nucleotides identified in D(IIIa) all pre-exist in CE, they are likely to have originated from CE by templated micro-conversion event(s). The identification of a specific nt736 C-to-G transversion in CE in the two probands suggests that 245Val may involve the expression of VS antigen.
Electronic Structure of the Tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ) Molecule

The electronic structure of an isolated TCNQ mulecule has been calculated by the self-consistent statistical-exchange multiple-scattering method. By using overlapping atomic spheres in place of nonoverlapping atomic spheres, a significant increase in physical realism has been achieved. The theoretical model provides a satisfactory account of the photoemission spectra of TCNQ vapor and solid TCNQ. The singlet-triplet splitting for the lowest optical transition is found to be 0.84 eV.
A knowledge-based approach to online document retrieval system design

A knowledge-based system approach is applied to the design of a document retrieval system for online retrieval of bibliographic material. The main components of the system are a language interface that understands user queries in pseudo natural language (i.e. queries that are restricted to subject domain concepts), a retrieval component that combines the expertise of subject-domain and retrieval experts, a help system that aids users in formulating and reformulating queries, and a user model builder that infers specific user characteristics. A comprehensive mathematical model based on fuzzy sets and fuzzy relations has been defined for the thesaurus and the retrieval mechanism and a prototypical system has been implemented in a modular fashion to test system response to changes in model parameters.
Increased error rates in preliminary reports issued by radiology residents working more than 10 consecutive hours overnight.

Rationale and Objectives To determine if the rate of major discrepancies between resident preliminary reports and faculty final reports increases during the final hours of consecutive 12-hour overnight call shifts. Materials and methods Institutional review board exemption status was obtained for this study. All overnight radiology reports interpreted by residents on-call between January 2010 and June 2010 were reviewed by board-certified faculty and categorized as major discrepancies if they contained a change in interpretation with the potential to impact patient management or outcome. Initial determination of a major discrepancy was at the discretion of individual faculty radiologists based on this general definition. Studies categorized as major discrepancies were secondarily reviewed by the residency program director (M.H.S.) to ensure consistent application of the major discrepancy designation. Multiple variables associated with each report were collected and analyzed, including the time of preliminary interpretation, time into shift study was interpreted, volume of studies interpreted during each shift, day of the week, patient location (inpatient or emergency department), block of shift (2-hour blocks for 12-hour shifts), imaging modality, patient age and gender, resident identification, and faculty identification. Univariate risk factor analysis was performed to determine the optimal data format of each variable (ie, continuous versus categorical). A multivariate logistic regression model was then constructed to account for confounding between variables and identify independent risk factors for major discrepancies. Results We analyzed 8062 preliminary resident reports with 79 major discrepancies (1.0%). There was a statistically significant increase in major discrepancy rate during the final 2 hours of consecutive 12-hour call shifts. Multivariate analysis confirmed that interpretation during the last 2 hours of 12-hour call shifts (odds ratio (OR) 1.94, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.18–3.21), cross-sectional imaging modality (OR 5.38, 95% CI 3.22–8.98), and inpatient location (OR 1.81, 95% CI 1.02–3.20) were independent risk factors for major discrepancy. Conclusions In a single academic medical center, major discrepancies in resident preliminary reports increased significantly during the final 2 hours of consecutive 12-hour overnight call shifts. This finding could be related to either fatigue or circadian desynchronization. Discrimination of these two potential etiologies requires additional investigation as major discrepancies in resident reports have the potential to negatively impact patient care/outcome. Cross-sectional imaging modalities including computed tomography and ultrasound (versus conventional radiography), as well as inpatient location (versus Emergency Department location), were also associated with significantly higher major discrepancy rates.
Neighbour recognition in two sister songbird species with a simple and complex repertoire – a playback study

The ability of individuals to recognize others based on vocalizations has been proven in many species of birds. However, we are still far from understanding important aspects of the discrimination process. For example, it is still not fully understood whether, and why, repertoire size hinders discrimination between individuals. Further, the strategies and vocal cues used for discrimination between individuals are largely unexplored. In this study, we tested the ability of chiffchaffs Phylloscopus collybita and willow warblers Phylloscopus trochilus, two closely related species with different repertoire sizes and song organization, to differentiate between their neighbours on the basis of a single song of a neighbouring male. We did playback experiments within the ‘dear enemy’ paradigm in which we tested resident males with a single song of a neighbour broadcast from the correct and opposite, incorrect territory border. Both species displayed a strong ability to discriminate between their neighbours representing further evidence that repertoire size per se has no negative impact on individual recognition in songbirds. Using a single song for playback allowed us to speculate about the nature of the possible cues used by males for recognition. Individual recognition in both species is most likely based on the modulation of syllables or on general voice characteristics. We suggest that specific changes in song organization, for example the tendency of individuals to insert a distinct phrase at the beginning of each song, may facilitate individual recognition and compensate for increased repertoire size in willow warblers.
Thermal Behavior of Resistant Starches RS 2, RS 3, and RS 4

The thermal behaviors of 3 resistant starch types-RS 2, RS 3, and RS 4-were investigated. Samples were heated in excess water to specific temperatures, from 35 to 85 degrees C at 5 degrees C intervals, and freeze-dried. The treated samples were analyzed using SEM, DSC, XRD, and HPSEC to determine the structural changes at granular and molecular levels. Light microscopy was used to determine real-time thermal behavior of the starches. Although the resistant starches did not show significant morphological changes, as revealed by microscopy, they underwent internal structural changes at low temperatures before complete phase transitions occurred. The structural changes were less in RS 2 compared to the other 2 starches studied. The nongranular material of RS 3's crystallinity decreased gradually from 35 to 85 degrees C and showed microscopically visible changes at >80 degrees C. Cross-linking might have prevented RS 4 from becoming completely amorphous within the temperature range (35 to 85 degrees C) tested. The study indicated that the extent of structural changes depended on the treatment temperature and RS type.
Role of N-Linked Glycosylation in Human Osteonectin EFFECT OF CARBOHYDRATE REMOVAL BY N-GLYCANASE AND SITE-DIRECTED MUTAGENESIS ON STRUCTURE AND BINDING OF TYPE V COLLAGEN

In this study we demonstrate that the binding region of recombinant truncated human bone osteonectin (tHON) for type V collagen resides between amino acids 1 and 146. After removal of oligosaccharide chain structures from tHON, bovine bone osteonectin (BBON) and human platelet osteonectin (HPON) by N-glycanase, their ability to bind to type V collagen is increased, and HPON affinity to collagen V is the same as that of BBON. These data suggest that glycosylation of osteonectin has a direct or regulatory effect on osteonectin binding to collagen V and that the increase in tHON binding upon removal of carbohydrate is the result of a loss of a down-regulation site or direct interference of the carbohydrate at the binding site. To determine the specific role of each N-glycosylation site in tHON, Asn71 and Asn99 were mutated to Gln (N71Q, N99Q) and Thr73 and Thr101 mutated to Ala (T73A, T101A) to selectively inhibit oligosaccharide attachment. The binding affinity of N99Q and T101Q to collagen V is markedly increased over wild-type tHON, whereas N71Q and T73A are the same as wild-type tHON. The doubled mutant (N71,99Q) binds identically to collagen V as N99Q and T101A. These data suggest that only the position 99 glycosylation site (Asn99-X-Thr101) in tHON is important in the reduction of binding of osteonectin to collagen V. Consistent with the binding data is the observation that both the N71Q and T73A mutant proteins migrate on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis gels identically to wild-type tHON, suggesting that there is little or no N-glycosylation of residue 71 in wild-type osteonectin.
Synthesis by Spray Pyrolysis of Mesoporous NbRuyOz as Electrocatalyst Supports in Fuel Cells

In this study, spray pyrolysis was used to produce two mesoporous powders, niobium oxide and niobium oxide with 12% ruthenium (by weight, metal basis, based on precursor mixture), as potential catalytic supports in fuel cells. Niobium oxide and ruthenium-modified niobium oxide powders displayed spherical particle morphology with internal mesoporosity introduced by surfactant templating, providing surface areas as high as 183 and 167 m2/g, respectively, after postprocessing that included an acid etch and calcination. The incorporation of ruthenium into niobium oxide, coupled with appropriate postsynthesis treatment, resulted in a material with electrical resistance that was reduced by roughly 5 orders of magnitude relative to unmodified niobium oxide. The structure and properties of these two materials subject to different postprocessing treatments were extensively characterized, and dynamic factors related to aerosol and subsequent thermal processing of these materials are discussed. Cyclic voltammetry sh...
‘That really hit me hard’: moving beyond passive anti‐racism to engage with critical race literacy pedagogy

This study interrogates how understandings about racism and anti‐racism are constructed through interactions with students as well as peers in preservice teacher education contexts towards a closer understanding of racial literacy as both a personal and pedagogical tool. Critical race literacy pedagogy – a subset of the approaches known as multicultural education, culturally responsive teaching, and anti‐racist teaching – is a set of tools to practice racial literacy in school settings with children, peers, colleagues, and so forth. In this article, I explore the construction of critical race literacy pedagogy for one white preservice teacher in a U.S. teacher education program through two engagements with literacy pedagogy: a reading lesson with two African American students and the discussion of a children's literature text in a teacher education book club. Through the critical, mediated discourse analysis of these two engagements, we see that for Kelly, the process of enacting racial literacy in a read...
Coating of superplastic Ti-alloy substrates with Ti and TiO films by magnetron DC sputtering

Abstract In order to improve the biocompatibility of superplastic Ti-alloys such as Ti–6Al–4V or Ti–4.5Al–3V–2Fe–2Mo, coating of the alloy with pure titanium and TiO films by magnetron DC sputtering was examined. The sputter-deposition of the pure titanium film and the TiO films were carried out in Ar gas and in ArO 2 gas mixtures, respectively. Both the pure titanium film deposited in Ar and the TiO films deposited in ArO 2 appeared to be uniform and adhesive. Under AES, the Ti/O ratio in depth direction was nearly constant in each of the films and oxygen concentration increased with increasing oxygen content of the sputter gas. Based on XRD, it was concluded that oxygen atoms dissolved into α-titanium crystals at lower oxygen contents, while suboxides such as Ti 4 O 7 and Ti 6 O 11 and oxides such as TiO 2 (anatase) were formed at higher oxygen contents. It was found that the orientation of the α-titanium phase formed in the TiO films changed from (002) dominant to (011) dominant with increasing oxygen content. The Vickers hardness of the films increased linearly with increasing oxygen content, and the maximum hardness reached over Hv=1600. Furthermore, it was found that the ductility of the deposited pure titanium film was improved under such high temperatures as 800°C and that its elongation reached over 160%, while the TiO films were still brittle under such a high temperature.
Development of a maize molecular evolutionary genomic database

PANZEA is the first public database for studying maize genomic diversity. It was initiated as a repository of genomic diversity for an NSF Plant Genome project on ‘Maize Evolutionary Genomics’. PANZEA is hosted at the Bioinformatics Research Center, North Carolina State University, and is open to the public (http://statgen.ncsu.edu/panzea). PANZEA is designed to capture the interrelationships between germplasm, molecular diversity, phenotypic diversity and genome structure. It has the ability to store, integrate and visualize DNA sequence, enzymatic, SSR (simple sequence repeat) marker, germplasm and phenotypic data. The relational data model is selected and implemented in Oracle. An automated DNA sequence data submission tool has been created that allows project researchers to remotely submit their DNA sequence data directly to PANZEA. On-line database search forms and reports have been created to allow users to search or download germplasm, DNA sequence, gene/locus data and much more, directly from the web.
Localization of deformations in elastic-plastic solids

Localization of deformation in elastic-plastic solids subject to plane strain deformation are investigated numerically. It is shown that the localization may be captured accurately in finite element models by employing (1) the elastic-plastic material stiffness to form the global stiffness, (2) in the case of symmetrical configurations, an imperfection in the form of a weak element, and (3) in the case of incompressible materials, a reduced selective integration scheme which alleviates mesh ‘locking’. Accuracy of the technique is demonstrated by applying it to analyse the classical punch and slope stability problems. Its versatility is illustrated by applying it to analyse finite deformation problems and shear bands formations in associative and non-associative elastic-plastic solids.
An in vitro comparison of vertical marginal gaps of CAD/CAM titanium and conventional cast restorations.

Purpose To determine if there was a significant difference between the vertical marginal openings of cast restorations, computer-aided design, and computer-aided machining restorations. Materials and methods Ten working dies were created from a single master die and used to fabricate ten restorations in each of the following groups: computer-aided design/computer-assisted machining (CAD/CAM), WAX/CAM, and WAX/CAST. The CAD/CAM titanium restorations were fabricated using the scanning and crown design modules of the KaVo Everest system. The WAX/CAM titanium restorations were fabricated using the double scan technique with the KaVo Everest system. The WAX/CAST high noble copings were fabricated using the conventional lost wax casting technique. The restorations were seated on the master die, and high-resolution digital photographs were made of the marginal area on all four sides. The vertical marginal opening was then measured using a calibrated digital software program. One-way ANOVA and Tukey's post hoc tests were used to determine the presence of statistically significant differences. Results The vertical margin openings were CAD/CAM: 79.43 +/- 25.46 microm; WAX/CAM: 73.12 +/- 24.15 microm; WAX/CAST: 23.91 +/- 9.80 microm. There was a statistically significant difference between the WAX/CAST group and the remaining groups. Conclusions There was no difference between the vertical marginal gaps of the CAD/CAM and WAX/CAM. The WAX/CAST technique resulted in smaller vertical marginal gaps than either CAD/CAM or WAX/CAM.
Assignment of low-molecular-weight human (2′, 5′)a synthetase to chromosome 11

Human low-molecular-weight (2', 5')A synthetase is induced in certain human X mouse somatic hybrid cell lines when these cells are treated with mouse interferon. We have assigned the gene coding for this interferon-inducible antiviral enzyme to human chromosome 11 by somatic cell genetic techniques (1). Fluorescence-activated cell sorting for cells expressing or lacking 4F2 antigen in two independently derived, chromosome 11-containing hybrid cell lines separated the cells into subpopulations of cells that had retained or segregated chromosome 11, respectively (2). We used these subpopulations to confirm our gene assignment by demonstrating that retention of chromosome 11 was required for expression of human (2', 5')A synthetase.
A shamanic etiology of affliction from western Nepal.

As a central feature of every ceremony, Nepali shamans (jhakris) publicly recite lengthy oral texts, whose meticulous memorization constitutes the core of shamanic training. These texts include passages that explain the origins of diseases and afflictions, and provide elaborate instructions for their alleviation. Through a discursive analysis of key passages, I demonstrate that shamans possess a coherent etiology of affliction. These concepts are articulated as integrated parts of the treatments that shamans perform. Rather than attributing all afflictions to ambiguous other worldly causes, these shamanic etiologies identify precise sources and effects that cover a spectrum ranging from the purely physical to the purely metaphysical, intersecting the natural and supernatural worlds. Patients and the public are repeatedly instructed in this unambiguous system of affliction in every diagnostic and healing session, since these ceremonies always incorporate recitations of the relevant texts. Accessible to non-specialists, the system conveyed by these recitations acts to validate shamanic intervention as a significant and intelligible activity. Using their oral texts, shamans effectively reproduce worlds that require shamanic interventions.
Mitral valve replacement and endocavitary patch repair for a giant left ventricular pseudoaneurysm

We present a case of a giant inferior left ventricular (LV) wall pseudoaneurysm. The patient had New York Heart Association class IV heart failure due to severe mitral valve regurgitation and poor LV function. Our operative approach included right thoracotomy, excision of the mitral valve, and patch repair of the pseudoaneurysm neck from inside of the dilated LV cavity followed by mitral valve replacement. Surgery was performed without aortic cross-clamping on a normothermic perfused beating heart. The patient had an uncomplicated cardiac recovery and is doing well 15 months after surgery.
The neural network as a renormalizer of information

We characterize the behavior of information in neural processing as the neuronal circuitry itself agglomerates into assemblies of increasing size and complexity. The basic synaptic stage of this processing is interpreted as the observer feature of a measurement process, a quality that extends up the assembly hierarchy. Renormalization techniques are employed, and they supply features of emergence to the information. Renormalization also supplies each observer feature with a measurable physical quantity called a token, the latter supplying quantitative aspects to the entire development. This development is used to frame an analytic theory of phenomenal consciousness, featuring emergent aspects. The tokens furnish the means for the various predictions and explanations of that theory to be subjected to measurement and experimental verification.
The role of frictional stress in misfit dislocation generation

An evaluation is undertaken of the implications of the friction and frictionless models of misfit dislocation generation in view of: (1) experimental measurements of the critical thickness above which misfit dislocation generation occurs; and (2) the amount of strain relaxation that occurs as a function of layer thickness, time, and temperature. Some of the frictional force terms that were expected to exhibit a strong temperature dependence are shown to be independent of temperature.
JNK-induced apoptosis, compensatory growth, and cancer stem cells

Overwhelming are a set of key stress-responsive kinases that mediate cell apoptosis, which is an important process for tumor suppression. However, JNKs have also been implicated in the malignant transformation and tumorigenesis of cells. This review attempts to reconcile these 2 contradictory functions of JNKs with recent discoveries on the role of JNKs in compensatory growth of neighboring cells and stem cells, which may provide new mechanistic understanding about the role of JNKs in the regulation of cancer stem cells and the pathogenesis of cancers.
A simple implicit and unconditionally stable FDTD method by changing only one time instant

This paper presents a simple implicit FDTD method that is unconditionally stable. This method only requires the change of one time instant in the Yee's algorithm to achieve the unconditional stability which is both theoretically proved and numerically verified. The resultant time step can be orders of magnitude larger than the time step allowed by the CFL condition without sacrificing the accuracy.
Studies with a cell-free system of proline incorporation into protein cleaved by collagenase.

Abstract A cell-free incubation system containing skin microsomes was found to incorporate proline-C 14 into ribosomal protein. The collagen content of this protein was low, and the conversion of proline to hydroxyproline could not be demonstrated. However, the ribosomal protein was found to act as a substrate for purified bacterial collagenase with the resultant release of dialyzable peptides. Two of these peptides were shown to be Gly-Pro-Hypro and Gly-Pro-Ala which are known to occur in collagen. Both were found to contain C 14 activity, indicating that the proline-C 14 was incorporated into a collagen precursor or peptide sequences characteristic of collagen.
Speciation of Pu(Vi) in Near-Neutral to Basic Solutions via Spectroscopy

The high sensitivity technique of laser photoacoustic spectroscopy and optical absorption spectroscopy were utilized to investigate the hydrolysis of Pu(VI) in perchlorate media. Absorption bands attributed to the hydrolysis of Pu(VI) were characterized in the pH = 6–8 regime which is of most interest to the proposed repository site at Yucca Mountain. Evidence was presented that supported the assignment of the polynuclear species (640 nm species) reported previously [1] as (PuO2)3(OH)5+1. Some temperature-dependent LPAS spectra are reported. The results obtained were compared to the predicted speciation of the geochemical code EQ3NR using the associated data base.
SC ePortfolio System: Improving technology proficiency in South Carolina schools

The United States Congress enacted the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 that had as its goal “every student be technologically literate by the time the student finishes the eighth grade, regardless of the student's race, ethnicity, gender, family income, geographic location, or disability”1. The State of South Carolina's Department of Education, located in the southeastern region of the United States of America (USA), has developed and used a web-based, comprehensive, and evidence-basedtechnology proficiency system — The SC ePortfolio System — that forms the bedrock of South Carolina's plan for improving teaching and learning in the United States and ensuring that every South Carolina student is technologically proficient by the time the student finishes the eighth grade, regardless of the student's race, ethnicity, gender, family income, geographic location, or disability2.
INH-A21: a donor-selected Staphylococcal human immune globulin for the prevention of late-onset neonatal Staphylococcal infection.

INH-A21 is an experimental human immune globulin for intravenous infusion (IGIV) derived from donors specifically selected for elevated levels of antibodies against the Staphylococcal fibrinogen-binding proteins, serine aspartate dipeptide repeat G and clumping factor A. Phase II results demonstrated that infusions of INH-A21 were well tolerated and there were no trends for increasing adverse events, or the common morbidities associated with prematurity. Enrolment has been completed in (but no results have been released from) a Phase III human trial testing INH-A21 as a prophylactic agent against staphylococcal infection in very low birth weight infants (500 – 1250 g).
The Effects of Extraction Solvents on the Yields and Structures of Brassica sp. Meal Proteins

Abstract The chromatographic and electrophoretic behavior of the 12S globulin and 1.7S protein fraction extracted from rapeseed meal with a variety of solvents snowed that the globulin had a relatively stable structure between pH 8.0 and 12.0. No evidence was obtained to suggest that it underwent a “polymerization“ to yield forms of higher sedimentation coefficient through the formation of intermolecular disulfide bonds. These bonds do not appear to have a major role in the recovery of the globulin from the meal. The results also indicated that disulfide interchange between the globulin polypeptides and other reserve proteins was not easily initiated
Optimizing Millennials’ Communication Styles:

Millennials, those individuals born between 1980 and 2000, compose the largest cohort of college students in the United States. Stereotypical views of millennials characterize them as technological...
Hippus and Other Spontaneous Rhythmic Pupillary Waves

In total darkness, the pupils of persons who are alert are large and do not change in size. The pupils are small during sleep, and they are intermediate in size when the sub­ ject is between these two extremes. In addi­ tion, waves of constriction and dilatation of the pupils appear when the subject is not alert. These pupillary waves generally are arrhythmic but may become rhythmic. These rhythmic waves, recorded in darkness, form the basis for this paper. The term "hippus" has been used to de­ scribe the rhythmic constrictions and dilata­ tions of the pupils observed in some persons under constant illumination. The etiology of this phenomenon is obscure. We have sug­ gested that the occasional high-amplitude rhythmic waves observed in total darkness by infrared illumination, and related to drowsiness, might be called "physiologic hippus." We implied that similar waves might appear in ordinary light in sleepy persons and might be indistinguishable from the pu­ pillary movements called hippus. By means of infrared pupillography, we' have studied the pupils as they become smaller and begin to exhibit pupillary waves during decreasing alertness, increasing drowsiness, and sleep.
Pairing interaction in CuO clusters

We examine the tendency to pairing of holes added on CuO clusters with one hole per Cu as the reference state, for a variety of cluster geometries. The model Hamiltonian considered contains on-site and short-range Coulomb repulsion terms. Confirming and extending our previous results, we find a tendency to pairing for a wide range of parameters in the model Hamiltonian. The tendency to pairing arises from a disruption of the local order in the insulating system (with one hole per Cu) by addition of the extra holes. We discuss to what extent it is possible to identify the pairing mechanism as ''charge mediated'' or ''spin mediated'' as a function of the parameters. We examine the stability of the system with respect to real condensation (phase separation) in the regime where the pair interaction is attractive. Finally, we discuss the possible connection of our results to the superconductivity mechanism in high-T/sub c/ oxides.
Selective Cultivation of Human Melanocytes from Newborn and Adult Epidermis

Development of adequate culture systems for the human epidermal melanocyte is critical to further advances in pigment cell biology. We now report selective growth and long-term maintenance of melanocytes derived from both newborn and adult skin specimens. Disaggregated epidermal cell suspensions were plated in a hormone-supplemented medium containing cholera toxin and a hypothalamic extract treated to remove keratinocyte growth-promoting activity. After 3–4 weeks, pure melanocyte populations could be harvested and serially passaged up to 6 times over several months for a total of 10 or more cumulative population doublings in vitro. Electron microscopic studies revealed metabolically active cells with abundant melanosomes in various stages of melanization throughout the culture lifespan. Differences in size and number of melanosomes attributable to race of the tissue donor were readily apparent, and pigment content of melanocytes from both black and Caucasian donors appeared to increase with time in culture. Newborn melanocytes proliferated more rapidly and survived longer than did adult melanocytes, but there were no consistent morphologic differences as a function of donor age. Comparison of growth potential for the 3 major skin-derived cell types in this hormone-supplemented medium revealed striking specificity for melanocytes, with total elimination of keratinocytes over 1–2 weeks, and no fibroblast proliferation whatever in the absence of serum supplementation. This system promises to facilitate in vitro investigation of epidermal melanocytes in normal and diseased human skin.
Ethnicity in 25 years of published sexuality research: 1971–1995

We investigated the degree to which ethnicity has been a focus of sexuality research by coding all research reports published in The Journal of Sex Research (n = 454) and Archives of Sexual Behavio...
Creep of polycrystalline alumina, pure and doped with transition metal impurities

Grain size effects were used to evaluate the relative contributions of aluminium lattice and oxygen grain boundary diffusion to the high temperature (1350 to 1550° C) steady state creep of polycrystalline alumina, pure and doped with transition metal impurities (Cr, Fe). Divalent iron in solid solution was found to enhance both aluminium lattice and oxygen grain-boundary diffusion. Large concentrations of divalent iron led to viscous Coble creep which was rate-limited entirely by oxygen grain-boundary diffusion. Nabarro-Herring creep which was rate-limited by aluminium lattice diffusion was observed in pure and chromium-doped material. Chromium additions had no effect on diffusional creep rates but significantly depressed non-viscous creep modes of deformation. Creep deformation maps were constructed at various iron dopant concentrations to illustrate the relative contributions of aluminium grain boundary, aluminium lattice, and oxygen grain-boundary diffusion to the diffusional creep of polycrystalline alumina.
Gas–liquid two-phase flow in microchannels Part I: two-phase flow patterns

Abstract Capillary gas–liquid two-phase flow occurs in increasingly more modern industrial applications. The existing relevant data are limited and are inconsistent with respect to the reported flow patterns and their transition boundaries. A systematic experimental investigation of two-phase flow patterns in microchannels was the objective of this study. Using air and water, experiments were conducted in circular microchannels with 1.1 and 1.45 mm inner diameters, and in microchannels with semi-triangular (triangular with one corner smoothed) cross-sections with hydraulic diameters 1.09 and 1.49 mm. The gas and liquid superficial velocity ranges were 0.02–80 and 0.02–8 m/s, respectively. Overall, flow patterns and flow pattern maps using gas and liquid superficial velocities as coordinates, were similar for all the test sections. The discernible flow patterns were bubbly, churn, slug, slug–annular and annular. The obtained data were compared with existing experimental data. They were also compared with relevant flow regime transition models and correlations, generally with poor agreement.
The pituitary gland mediates acute and chronic pain responsiveness in stressed and non-stressed rats.

Abstract The effect of hypophysectomy on the responsiveness of rats to acute (hot plate test) and chronic (formalin test) pain was studied. Hypophysectomy did not alter hot plate behavior but increased the duration of the paw withdrawal in the formalin test. Pre-exposure of rats to immobilization stress caused a transient yet significant increase in escape latencies from a hot plate as well as a significant decrease in the duration of paw withdrawal in the formalin test. Hypophysectomy blocked the effect of stress on these behavioral manifestations of acute and chronic pain. The effect of hypophysectomy was not reversed by adrenocorticotropin pretreatment. These results suggest that centrally acting pituitary hormones may have a requisite function in normal and adaptive pain control in mammals.
Impact of flexibility on the clock controller of the galileo spacecraft

This paper presents a study of the effects of structural flexibility on one of the control loops that constitute the Attitude and Articulation Control Subsystem of the Galileo Spacecraft. Both stability analysis and time domain simulation studies are discussed. Results obtained indicate that the control loop of interest-the Clock Controller-will interact stably with the spacecraft structure as long as the spacecraft scan platform boresight points at least 30 deg away from the spacecraft spin axis (poles). Flexibility effects become more and more pronounced with proximity of the bore-sight to the poles as several structural modes become excitable to resonance