cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Plasma DNA-Based Molecular Diagnosis, Prognostication, and Monitoring of Patients With EWSR1 Fusion-Positive Sarcomas

PurposeEwing sarcoma (ES) and desmoplastic small round cell tumors (DSRCTs) are aggressive sarcomas molecularly characterized by EWSR1 gene fusions. As pathognomonic genomic events in these respective tumor types, EWSR1 fusions represent robust potential biomarkers for disease monitoring.MethodsTo investigate the feasibility of identifying EWSR1 fusions in plasma-derived cell-free DNA (cfDNA) from patients with ES and DSRCT, we evaluated two complementary approaches in samples from 17 patients with radiographic evidence of disease. The first approach involved identification of patient-specific genomic EWSR1 fusion breakpoints in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tumor DNA using a broad, hybridization capture-based next-generation sequencing (NGS) panel, followed by design of patient-specific droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) assays for plasma cfDNA interrogation. The second approach used a disease-tailored targeted hybridization capture-based NGS panel applied directly to cfDNA, which incl...
Gender and Critical Drug Studies: An Introduction and an Invitation

This introduction to conjoined special issues of Contemporary Drug Problems and Social History of Alcohol and Drugs, the journal of the Alcohol and Drugs History Society, began with a 2015 symposiu...
IMPACT OF SERUM LIPOPROTEIN(A) LEVELS ON CLINICAL OUTCOMES AFTER ENDOVASCULAR THERAPY FOR FEMORO-POPLITEAL ARTERY LESIONS

While the association between serum lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) levels and risk of coronary artery disease and stroke is well established, its role in risk of peripheral artery disease remains unclear. The aim of study is to determine the role of Lp(a) levels after endovascular therapy (EVT) for femoro-
Theileriosis in multiple neonatal white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in Delaware, USA.

Abstract Postmortem examination of 21 neonatal white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) from Delaware, US identified six fawns with Theileria spp. organisms or suspected infection.
A Conversation with Abbey

Abbey is a six-minute dancefilm produced in 2016, directed, photographed, and edited by Michael Sakamoto, and choreographed and performed by Angella Betina Carlos, who goes by her nickname, Abbey. The film was shot at University of Iowa, where Sakamoto is an Assistant Professor in Dance and Carlos was an MFA student. The following are excerpts from a conversation between the filmmaker and performer.
Real-time instability detection for a reconfigurable power amplifier

Frequency-agile wireless transmitters require tunable power amplifiers that can reconfigure to maximize gain, efficiency, and spectral performance at changing operating frequencies and spectral output requirements. However, stability of the amplifier must be maintained through the reconfiguration process. This paper presents a method for predicting potential instability during a real-time load impedance gain optimization. For each candidate load reflection coefficient, gain is measured at each of four neighboring points, and the acceleration of the gain is calculated. When the acceleration becomes positive, the likelihood of potential instability is detected, and the optimization is terminated to achieve high gain while remaining stable. This method is demonstrated for two different devices in simulation and measurement. While initially innovated for application in reconfigurable devices, this method is also expected to be useful in maintaining stability during bench-top load-pull measurements.
Marriage and the Dual-career Family: Cultural Concerns

The dual-career family consists of a husband and wife, both of whom pursue their own career. Both partners often devote full time or more to the work place. Each must juggle the demands of their own work against the competing demands of family, especially the care of children, and the demands of their spouse's job. The dual-career family faces many pressures but often has substantial resources with which to meet them. This article examines the growth of the dual-career family, the challenges it faces, and the strengths it brings to those challenges. It also looks at the impact of marriage on careers of both men and women.
Can you get the magic back? The moderating effect of passion decay beliefs on relationship commitment.

The present research introduces the construct of a decay theory of passion—a lay belief that romantic passion decline is irreversible—and investigates how this construct interacts with existing levels of passion for one’s romantic partner to predict lower relationship commitment and greater pursuit of romantic alternatives. Across three studies employing experimental and nonexperimental procedures—and a set of meta-analytic syntheses including additional studies—results generally supported the hypotheses that, although low passion is linked to lower commitment and greater pursuit of romantic alternatives, such effects are stronger when adherence to decay beliefs is high rather than low. These effects tended to be independent of effects of destiny and growth theories (Knee, 1998), a related set of lay theories in the domain of relationships. Mediated moderation analyses revealed that the moderating effect of decay theories on relationship commitment mediates the moderating effect of decay theories on the link between low passion and the pursuit of romantic alternatives. Discussion addresses the possibility that changing one’s beliefs surrounding the nature of romantic passion may be an important, but previously overlooked, means for preventing one from prematurely abandoning an otherwise satisfying relationship. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved)
Purification of phycocyanin from Arthrospira platensis by hydrophobic interaction membrane chromatography

Abstract The cyanobacterium Arthrospira platensis is an important source of phycocyanin, which has many commercial applications in foods, cosmetics and pharmaceutics. In this study, hydrophobic interaction membrane chromatography (HIMC) was used for the first time to separate phycocyanin from allophycocyanin and obtain analytical grade phycocyanin, avoiding packed bed (i.e., packed column) chromatography steps. The extraction of phycobiliproteins was carried out on freeze-dried biomass samples suspended in NaCl 0.1 M, and the phycobiliprotein crude extract was obtained by centrifuging the suspension to eliminate cell debris. The crude extract, after the addition of an appropriate amount of ammonium sulphate, was loaded on an ammonium sulphate responsive commercial hydrophilic polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane for the HIMC purification process. Applying a two-step HIMC purification procedure, a phycocyanin purity ratio of 4.20 and a yield of 67.0% was attained.
Amla, an Ayuervedic herb induces apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells by activating extracellular signal-regulated kinase

5471 Amla (Indian gooseberry) a member of genus Emblica officinalis is an important dietary source of vitamin C and phenolic compounds such as tannin and rutin. For decades, it has been used as Ayurvedic medicine for the treatment of inflammation and gastrointestinal related disorders. Here we report for the first time the anti-cancer effects of the aqueous extract of Amla on capan-2 human pancreatic cancer cells and further evaluated the molecular mechanisms of Amla-induced apoptosis. Our results demonstrate that treatment of capan-2 cells with the aqueous extract of Amla for 24h resulted in the significantly reduced survival of cells with an IC50 of about 60µg/ml. Amla also induced apoptosis in a concentration and time-dependent manner as exhibited by caspase-3 and PARP cleavage. Further, Amla treatment resulted in the activation of ERK at Thr-202/Tyr-204 and U0126, an ERK inhibitor offered significant protection against Amla-induced apoptosis in capan-2 cells. In order to determine the role of growth factor receptors in Amla mediated activation of ERK, cells were treated with suramin (growth factor receptor inhibitor) prior to Amla treatment. Suramin pretreatment not only markedly reduced the level of ERK phosphorylation in Amla treated cells but also completely protected the cells from Amla induced apoptosis as assessed by cell death assay and PARP cleavage. Taken together, our results suggest that Amla has a potential to be used as novel therapeutic agent for the treatment of pancreatic cancer. [Supported in part by RO1 grant CA 106953 (to S.K.S) awarded by the National Cancer Institute].
Essential Oil Emulsions as Postharvest Sanitizers To Mitigate Salmonella Cross-Contamination on Peppers

Alternative postharvest sanitizers to chlorine are of increasing interest for many organic growers and consumers. An emulsion of clove bud oil (CBO; 0.2 and 0.5%) or thyme oil (0.2 and 0.5%) was evaluated as a sanitizer for produce washing against a five-serovar cocktail of Salmonella on snacking peppers and compared for antimicrobial efficacy with sodium hypochlorite (200 ppm). To further evaluate these compounds, the sanitation efficacy of an emulsion was examined after the addition of 1% organic load (OL). Emulsion treatments at 0.2 and 0.5% thyme oil and 0.5% CBO were the least effected by OL and effectively reduced cross-contamination of Salmonella on clean peppers, in many cases to below the limit of detection (1 CFU/10 g; P < 0.05). Chlorine and 0.2% CBO were rendered ineffective by the addition of OL in preventing cross-contamination and performed similarly to the water control. For surface-inoculated peppers, none of the evaluated treatments performed better than a water-only wash. The antimicrobial efficacy of the essential oil emulsions in the presence of OL indicates these emulsions may be suitable replacements for chlorine in postharvest produce wash systems.
A Review of the Effect of Lower-Extremity Pathology on Automobile Driving Function.

The effect of lower-extremity pathology and surgical intervention on automobile driving function has been a topic of contemporary interest in the medical literature. The objective of this review wa...
Design of a Multilayer PCB Bus for Medium Voltage DC Converters

In this work, the design of a planar PCB-based power bus for operation at 6 kV is presented. A previous reported bus which reduced electromagnetic interference (EMI) was redesigned to allow use of Wolfspeed’s 10 kV XHV-6 and XHV-9 modules. A design method to control the peak electric field (E-field) in high field strength regions was then used to ensure the field strength in air and the PCB dielectric remain within an acceptable range. Using this method, adding a 1mm negative offset between the +/- DC power plane and MID conductor provided a 13% reduction in field strength alone with no other changes. Other optimization steps were taken to further reduce peak fields. The field strength in air was most efficiently controlled adding and external core to what would typically be the outermost layers of the PCB.
Relativistic Implications for Physical Copies of Conscious States

The possibility of algorithmic consciousness depends on the assumption that conscious states can be copied or repeated by sufficiently duplicating their underlying physical states, leading to a variety of paradoxes, including the problems of duplication, teleportation, simulation, self-location, the Boltzmann brain, and Wigner's Friend. In an effort to further elucidate the physical nature of consciousness, I challenge these assumptions by analyzing the implications of special relativity on evolutions of identical copies of a mental state, particularly the divergence of these evolutions due to quantum fluctuations. By assuming the supervenience of a conscious state on some sufficient underlying physical state, I show that the existence of two or more instances, whether spacelike or timelike, of the same conscious state leads to a logical contradiction, ultimately refuting the assumption that a conscious state can be physically reset to an earlier state or duplicated by any physical means. Several explanatory hypotheses and implications are addressed, particularly the relationships between consciousness, locality, physical irreversibility, and quantum no-cloning.
Conclusion: When We Were Greek American

This chapter helps conclude this edited volume on Greek American education. Several questions arise, such as what is the future of Greek American education in the United States and more broadly what is the future of the Greek American community? What will the Greek American community look like 20, 30, or even 50 years from now? Will the Greek American community be able to retain some of its Greek cultural character through institutions such as the Greek language schools, the Greek Orthodox Church, and other organizations and programs? Or will the community be absorbed into mainstream American culture? Such questions are addressed in this concluding chapter. This chapter also offers some suggestions on how the community may redefine itself to preserve a Greek American identity.
The Brain-Cognitive Behavior Problem: A Retrospective.

ABSTRACT Cross-reactive responses elicited by exposure to nontuberculous mycobacteria often confound the interpretation of antemortem tests for Mycobacterium bovis infection of cattle. The use of specific proteins (e.g., ESAT-6, CFP-10, and MPB83), however, generally enhances the specificity of bovine tuberculosis tests. While genes for these proteins are absent from many nontuberculous mycobacteria, they are present in M. kansasii. Instillation of M. kansasii into the tonsillar crypts of calves elicited delayed-type hypersensitivity and in vitro gamma interferon and nitrite concentration responses of leukocytes to M. avium and M. bovis purified protein derivatives (PPDs). While the responses of M. kansasii-inoculated calves to M. avium and M. bovis PPDs were approximately equivalent, the responses of M. bovis-inoculated calves to M. bovis PPD exceeded their respective responses to M. avium PPD. The gamma interferon and nitrite responses of M. kansasii-inoculated calves to recombinant ESAT-6-CFP-10 (rESAT-6-CFP-10) exceeded corresponding responses of noninoculated calves as early as 15 and 30 days after inoculation, respectively, and persisted throughout the study. The gamma interferon and nitrite responses of M. bovis-inoculated calves to rESAT-6-CFP-10 exceeded the corresponding responses of M. kansasii-inoculated calves beginning 30 days after inoculation. By using a lipoarabinomannan-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, specific serum antibodies were detected as early as 50 days after challenge with M. kansasii. By a multiantigen print immunoassay and immunoblotting, serum antibodies to MPB83, but not ESAT-6 or CFP-10, were detected in M. kansasii-inoculated calves; however, responses to MPB83 were notably weaker than those elicited by M. bovis infection. These findings indicate that M. kansasii infection of calves elicits specific responses that may confound the interpretation of bovine tuberculosis tests.
Amplifying effect of chronic lisinopril therapy on diastolic function and the angiotensin-(1-7) Axis by the G1 agonist in ovariectomized spontaneously hypertensive rats.

G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) activation by G1 attenuates diastolic dysfunction from estrogen loss, which may be partly due to suppression of angiotensin II pathological actions. We aimed to determine the independent effects of 8 weeks of G1 (100 µg/kg/d, subcutaneous pellet), ACE-inhibition (ACEi; lisinopril 10 mg/kg, drinking water), or combination therapy versus vehicle in the ovariectomized (OVX) spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) on cardiac function and morphometrics (echocardiography), serum equilibrium of angiotensins (mass spectroscopy) and cardiac components of the RAS (Western blotting). G1 alone and when combined with ACEi enhanced myocardial relaxation (e: 30 and 17%) and diastolic wall strain (DWS: 76 and 68%) while reducing relative wall thickness (RWT: 20 and 33%) and filling pressures (E/e: 30 and 37%). Cardiac expression levels of Mas receptor (Mas-R) and ACE2 also increased in the presence of G1. Strong antihypertensive effects of lisinopril monotherapy were associated with reductions in RWT, collagen deposition and E/e without overtly altering e or DWS. Chronic ACEi also increased cardiac levels of Mas-R and AT1-R and tilted the circulating RAS toward the formation of Ang-(1-7), which was amplified in the presence of G1. In vitro studies further revealed that an inhibitor to prolyl endopeptidase (PEP), but not to neprilysin, significantly reduced serum Ang-(1-7) levels in G1-treated rats, suggesting that G1 might be increasing Ang-(1-7) formation via PEP. We conclude that activating GPER with G1 augments components of the cardiac RAS and improves diastolic function without lowering blood pressure, and that lisinopril-induced blood pressure control and cardiac alterations in OVX SHR are permissive in facilitating G1 to augment Ang-(1-7) in serum, thereby strengthening its cardioprotective benefits.
Newcomers as Teachers: Enacting Linguistic Ideologies and Practices in an Internship Setting

This paper explores the experiences of two high school newcomers who chose to participate in an internship program, assisting elementary school students, some of whom were also emergent bilinguals....
Multi-scale entropic depletion phenomena in polymer liquids

We apply numerical polymer integral equation theory to study the entropic depletion problem for hard spheres dissolved in flexible chain polymer melts and concentrated solutions over an exceptionally wide range of polymer radius of gyration to particle diameter ratios (Rg/D), particle-monomer diameter ratios (D/d), and chain lengths (N) including the monomer and oligomer regimes. Calculations are performed based on a calibration of the effective melt packing fraction that reproduces the isobaric dimensionless isothermal compressibility of real polymer liquids. Three regimes of the polymer-mediated interparticle potential of mean force (PMF) are identified and analyzed in depth. (i) The magnitude of the contact attraction that dominates thermodynamic stability scales linearly with D/d and exhibits a monotonic and nonperturbative logarithmic increase with N ultimately saturating in the long chain limit. (ii) A close to contact repulsive barrier emerges that grows linearly with D/d and can attain values far in excess of thermal energy for experimentally relevant particle sizes and chain lengths. This raises the possibility of kinetic stabilization of particles in nanocomposites. The barrier grows initially logarithmically with N, attains a maximum when 2Rg ∼ D/2, and then decreases towards its asymptotic long chain limit as 2Rg ≫ D. (iii) A long range (of order Rg) repulsive, exponentially decaying component of the depletion potential emerges when polymer coils are smaller than, or of order, the nanoparticle diameter. Its amplitude is effectively constant for 2Rg ≤ D. As the polymer becomes larger than the particle, the amplitude of this feature decreases extremely rapidly and becomes negligible. A weak long range and N-dependent component of the monomer-particle pair correlation function is found which is suggested to be the origin of the long range repulsive PMF. Implications of our results for thermodynamics and miscibility are discussed.
Business, Consumers and Sustainable Living in an Interconnected World: A Multilateral Ecocentric Approach

Current conceptualizations of environmental responsibility follow a human-centered approach wherein the natural environment is seen as instrumental to human ends. Environmental responsibility, in this context, emerges primarily as the preservation and sustenance of nature in a manner that would limit waste, enhance the aesthetic and spiritual value of nature, and confer psychological and economic rewards upon individuals and businesses that follow a sustainable course of interaction with nature. In contrast, this paper advances an ecocentric approach to sustainable living that ensures the dialectic between human systems and natural and technical systems by explicitly recognizing nature as central to survival and progress. Environmental responsibility within this approach is viewed to be multilateral and institutional rather than merely as moral responsibility of business or of governments.
Subcultural Differences among Direct Marketing Television Shoppers

A national mail survey was used to gather information from direct marketing television shoppers about their attitudes, motivations, social environment, and attributions about their shopping behaviors. Subcultural differences between Black, White and Hispanic shoppers were analyzed by means of multiple discriminant analysis. The data revealed more differences between Black and White shoppers than between Blacks and Hispanics or Hi-spanics and Whites.
Concurrency, Synchronization, and Scheduling to Support High-assurance Write-up in Multilevel Object-based Computing

We discuss concurrency, synchronization, and scheduling issues that arise with the support of high-assurance RPC-based (synchronous) write-up actions in multilevel object-based environments. Such environments are characterized by objects classified at varying security levels (called classifications) and accessed by subjects with varying security clearances. A write-up action occurs when a low level object sends a message to a higher one, triggering an update in the latter. While such actions do not directly violate the security policy, their abstract nature in object-based systems poses confidentiality leaks by opening up signaling channels. We present an approach to closing such channels by executing the methods in the sender and receiver objects concurrently, whenever a write-up action is issued. However, these concurrent computations have to be synchronized and scheduled so that they preserve the semantics of the original and synchronous (sequential) execution. We utilize a multi-version synchronization scheme and various scheduling strategies to achieve this.
Observation of J c oscillations in bitextured YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ films

A series of in-plane bitextured ${\mathrm{YBa}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}$${\mathrm{O}}_{7\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{\ensuremath{\delta}}}$ thin films were obtained on yttria-stabilized ${\mathrm{ZrO}}_{2}$ substrates with various ratios of [100] and [110] grains. Their critical-current-density properties were measured in an applied magnetic field of up to 4 T. A diffraction pattern in ${\mathit{J}}_{\mathit{c}}$(H)\ensuremath{\sim}H is observed at high magnetic fields in thin-film samples. This diffraction pattern is due to the weak-link character of 45\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} grain boundaries. The volume-pinning-force densities were calculated, with two separate mechanisms governing thin-film ${\mathit{J}}_{\mathit{c}}$ behavior in the magnetic fields identified. In the range of H0.5 T, weak-link properties of 45\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} grain boundary dominated. At fields above 1 T, flux flow along strongly coupled grains was determined to be the main mechanism of dissipation.
Antigenic analysis of the developmental stages of Ascaris suum: II. Host components

Abstract Antisera against host serum and tissues were used in gel-diffusion and hemagglutination tests to detect host components in extracts of eggs, larvae, and adults of Ascaris suum . The perienteric fluid of adult A. suum reacted with antiserum to normal porcine serum, but no reactions were observed with extracts of the eggs or the larval stages. Extracts of third stage larvae from the lungs of rabbits reacted with antisera to rabbit serum proteins as did the supernatant fluid from in vitro cultures of these larvae. No reactions were observed between antisera to rabbit serum and extracts of eggs or second stage larvae, and antisera to rabbit liver and lung tissues did not react wth extracts of larvae derived from these sources. These findings are discussed in the light of recent reports on the sharing of antigenic determinants between host and parasite.
Performance on a Test of Categorical Perception of Speech in Normal and Communication Disordered Children.

Abstract: A categorical perception paradigm was administered to a group of communication disordered children (mean age 7–0) divided into articulation, language, and articulation/language deficit subgroups and to a matched control group (mean age 6–11). The purpose was to assess the relationship between production deficits and speech perception abilities. Subjects were required to identify and discriminate bilabial stop consonants /ba/ and /pa/ from a synthetic series varying in 10 ms steps along a voice onset time continuum. Dependent variables analyzed were mean and variability data concerning phoneme boundary, boundary width, and correlations between predicted and obtained discrimination functions. Identification of end point stimuli were highly reliable for both groups (94–99% accuracy). Identification and discrimination functions for the two groups did not differ significantly in terms of mean values, but rather in variability. Standard deviation values for phoneme boundary and boundary width were two to six times greater in the disordered group than the normal group. The disordered group showed a greater discrepancy between predicted and obtained peak discrimination levels. Group results are tentatively interpreted as showing a moderate perceptual deficit in the communication disordered children of this study while more severe deficits are only observed upon examining individual cases.
High levels of expression of a minigene version of the human pro alpha 1 (I) collagen gene in stably transfected mouse fibroblasts. Effects of deleting putative regulatory sequences in the first intron.

Abstract A minigene version of the human gene for the pro alpha(I) chain of type I procollagen (COL1A1) was prepared that contained -2.3 kilobases of the 5'-flanking sequence, the first 5 exons and introns, the last 6 exons and introns, and about 2 kilobases of the 3'-flanking sequence. The gene was then used for stable transfection experiments with mouse NIH 3T3 fibroblasts. Because the products of the minigene were shorter, it was possible to compare expression of the minigene with expression of the endogenous pro alpha 1 (I) gene by Northern and Western blot analyses. The results demonstrated that the construct contained enough of the gene to obtain high levels of expression in many of the stably transfected cells. Since previous observations suggested that the first intron of the pro alpha 1 (I) gene contained important cis-regulatory elements, two versions of the minigene were prepared in which most of the first intron was deleted. Comparison of expression of the minigene with expression of two deleted versions of the same gene established that 85% of the total sequences in the first intron are not essential for high levels of expression of the gene in stably transfected mouse fibroblasts.
‘Living Wills’: Putting the Caboose Before the Engine and Designing a Better Engine

Current proposals for regulatory reform of the financial system to reduce the probability of and damage from the failure of large banks and other complex financial institutions frequently include a requirement for these institutions to prepare a living will. These wills describe how the institutions will unwind themselves when they become insolvent to minimize inefficient and costly failures and must be approved by the regulators. But these plans depend greatly on the resolution regime expected to be in place. Thus, development of an efficient resolution regime needs to precede the development of a living will. Most proposed resolutions regimes build on the existing special bank resolution regime under the Federal Deposit Insurance Act. However, this administrative-based regime has been unable to prevent costly “too big to fail” resolutions by protecting uninsured creditors. The alternative judicial-based bankruptcy regime that applies to most other corporations is less likely to protect these counterparties but has its disadvantages when applied to banks. This paper develops a hybrid Chapter 11-type resolution regime that chooses the best of both regimes and promises to reduce the cost of TBTF resolutions.
Chromosomal relocation of prophage-associated bacterial genes.

Taylor, M. W. (Stanford University, Stanford, Calif.), and C. Yanofsky. Chromosomal relocation of prophage-associated bacterial genes. J. Bacteriol. 91: 1469–1476. 1966.—Two distinguishable colony types, rough-edged and smooth-edged, were observed when tryptophan auxotrophs of Escherichia coli were transformed to tryptophan independence with DNA from the hybrid nondefective transducing phage i λ h φ80 T 1 S tryp A + B + , and with the helper phage λi 434 . P1kc transduction experiments with cells of the two types of colonies as genetic donors showed that the i λ h φ80 T 1 S tryp A + B + prophage was located at different regions of the E. coli chromosome. In cells of rough-edged colonies, the prophage was linked to the tryp-cys region, its normal location, whereas in cells of smooth-edged colonies the prophage was associated with the gal region. When transformation experiments were performed with a T 1 R tryp − deletion mutant as recipient, and phage λi 434 as helper, prophage localization was only detected at the gal region. Localization of λ h φ80 T 1 S tryp A + B + prophage near gal does not appear to be due to the formation of a recombinant phage carrying tryp A + B + , but is due to some type of interaction between the genomes of i λ h φ80 T 1 S tryp A + B + and the helper phage. When conditions comparable to those used in transformation studies were employed in transduction experiments, including the use of helper phage, two classes of transductants with either cys or gal linkage were also observed. To examine whether the location of the prophage on the E. coli chromosome had any effect on the ability of the prophage-associated tryp A + and tryp B + genes to function or respond to different repression conditions, specific activities of the A and B subunits of tryptophan synthetase specified by the phage genome were measured. Similar values were obtained regardless of the location of the prophage-associated tryp genes. Furthermore, the prophage-associated tryp genes, free from their normal operator region, permitted enzyme formation which was unaffected by repression or derepression conditions. Images
Effectiveness of the Parnes particle repositioning manoeuvre for posterior canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo

BACKGROUND Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo is a common vestibular disorder that negatively affects an individual's health-related quality of life. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of the Parnes particle repositioning manoeuvre as an intervention for individuals with posterior canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. METHODS The de-identified records of 155 individuals treated with the Parnes manoeuvre were examined. Descriptive statistics were calculated, including the frequency and valid per cent of participants whose nystagmus was resolved with the Parnes manoeuvre. RESULTS In all, nystagmus was resolved with the Parnes manoeuvre in 145 participants (93.5 per cent). The mean number of manoeuvres needed to resolve the nystagmus was 1.3. CONCLUSION The Parnes manoeuvre proved to be as effective as the Epley canalith repositioning manoeuvre, currently the most common intervention, in treating individuals with posterior canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.
Beliefs Versus Actions: Assessing Abortion Views and Behaviors at Two Colleges

The study assesses discrepancies between people’s beliefs and behaviors with regard to abortion. Participants in this research were two college student populations who have strong, but opposite views, about abortion. Both groups were surveyed regarding their beliefs about abortion and a subset of students was subsequently selected and asked to volunteer an hour of their time at a local Crisis Pregnancy or Planned Parenthood Center. The respective reported views did not predict behavior relative to actually assisting at Crisis Pregnancy or at Planned Parenthood. Thus we concluded that while students may hold strong beliefs about issues such as abortion, they are reluctant to take action regarding these reported attitudes.
Dreams as a Meta-Conceptual or Existential Experience

The paper argues that dreams (or the recollected experience of dreams) consist partly in an awareness or experience of the conceptual fabric of our existence. Since what we mean by reality is intimately tied to the concepts given in our experience, dreams are therefore also partly an awareness of the fabric of what we mean by being itself and in general, that is, by objective as well as subjective reality. Further, the paper argues that this characteristic of dreams accounts for several other, more specific aspects of dreams and their possible interpretation, and that it allows us to see how these aspects are related to each other. These more specific aspects are the peculiar types of conceptual or logical relations and transitions that occur within dreams, dreams’ distinctive feeling texture, and some dimensions of the grounds and nature of suitable methods of interpreting dreams.
Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) regulates the expression of progelatinase B (MMP-9) in breast epithelial cells.

Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) play a major role in the mitogenic signal transduction pathway and are essential components of both growth and differentiation. Constitutive activation of the MAPK cascade is associated with the carcinogenesis and metastasis of human breast and renal cell carcinomas. The gelatinases B (MMP-9) and A (MMP-2) are 2 members of the matrix metalloproteinase (MMPs) family which are expressed in human cancers and thought to play a critical role in tumor cell invasion and metastasis. In a previous study, we have shown that EGF and amphiregulin upregulate MMP-9 in metastatic SKBR-3 cells but have no effect on MMP-2 secretion. We now investigated specific step(s) in EGF-induced signalling associated with regulation of cell proliferation and MMP-9 induction. EGF-induced signalling in SKBR-3 cells was blocked by relatively specific inhibitors either on ras (FPT inhibitor-I) or PI3 kinase (Wortmannin) or by reduction in EGF-induced tyrosine kinase activity (RG 13022). Blocking these signalling pathways significantly inhibited of EGF-induced cell proliferation but only partially reduced in EGF-induced MMP-9 secretion. In contrast, when SKBR-3 cells were exposed to MEK inhibitor (PD 98059) or MAPK inhibitors (Apigenin or MAPK antisense phosphorothioate oligodeoxynucleotides), EGF-induced cell proliferation, MMP-9 induction and invasion through reconstituted basement membrane were significantly reduced. Our results suggest that interfering with MAPK activity may provide a novel means of controlling growth and invasiveness of tumors in which the signalling cascade is activated. Int. J. Cancer 82:268–273, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The Neuropsychiatric Complications of Glucocorticoid Use: Steroid Psychosis Revisited

Background Glucocorticoids are widely prescribed for a variety of diseases and are known to cause neuropsychiatric as well as somatic side effects. Objective This article will review the incidence, clinical characteristics, course, and treatment of neuropsychiatric effects of glucocorticoids. Methods We performed a literature review of the neuropsychiatric complications of glucocorticoids using the PubMed database. Results The neuropsychiatric effects of glucocorticoids involve affective, behavioral, and cognitive manifestations. Serious neuropsychiatric effects occur in about 6% of patients who receive steroids. Although the effects of glucocorticoids are unpredictable, the administered dose is the most significant risk factor for the development of neuropsychiatric symptoms. Dosage reduction typically results in clinical recovery. Although evidence from controlled trials is sparse, administration of antipsychotics or mood stabilizers may be beneficial in the prevention and treatment of neuropsychiatric effects of steroids. Conclusion The neuropsychiatric effects of glucocorticoids are more diverse than the often-misleading term "steroid psychosis" suggests. This label should be limited to those patients who are truly psychotic, and specific designations applied to patients with other effects. The adverse neuropsychiatric effects of glucocorticoids remain poorly characterized in the literature (which consists largely of case reports and case series). Reliable risk factors (other than dose) that identify individuals at risk are lacking; guidelines for the prevention of neuropsychiatric effects are not evidence-based. Further controlled clinical studies are needed to elucidate the optimal management of glucocorticoid-induced neuropsychiatric symptoms.
“Comrades, Start Your Engines!”: Mobility, Legitimacy, and Roads to Socialism in the Soviet Interwar Period

This article discusses how the early Soviet government domesticated what is arguably the twentieth century’s most hegemonic technology, the automobile. It uses official reports, popular literature, and cartoons to investigate the complex, changing and contradictory relationship between mobility and authority during the late 1920s and early 1930s. It reveals that automobile and motorcycle rallies, many of which were sponsored by the Avtodor Society, served to project official power into the countryside. It opens a discussion of the long term implications, especially in rural areas, of early Soviet transportation policies and practices. Ultimately, the article argues that using mobility as a category of historical analysis adds a new and vital dimension to our understanding of Russian history.
Using forms to develop research projects.

This article is the 16 th in a multipart series designed to assist readers, particularly novices, in the area of clinical research. This article is focused on the process of developing a new research project. It provides tools to help those involved in beginning their own research projects.
LONG TERM IMPROVEMENT IN RENAL FUNCTION DURING CONTINUOUS FLOW LEFT VENTRICULAR ASSIST DEVICE SUPPORT IS ASSOCIATED WITH USAGE OF ANGIOTENSIN CONVERTING ENZYME INHIBITORS (ACEIS) OR ANGIOTENSIN RECEPTOR BLOCKERS (ARBS)

The effect of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) on renal function during continuous flow left ventricular assist device support is unknown. A retrospective analysis was conducted in all patients who underwent CF LVAD placement at our center
Mitral cell responses to the odors of reward and nonreward

The purpose of this investigation was to determine if there were specific odor components in the goalbox of a straight alleyway following reward and nonreward trials. Behavioral research has convincingly demonstrated that, unless the goalbox is cleaned between animals, a pattern of slow running on nonreward trials and fast running on reward trials soon develops. It has been proposed that the rat emits an odor in the goalbox following nonreward which allows following conspecifics to predict the upcoming goal event before reaching the goalbox. Behavioral research has been unable to determine if there are specific odors associated with reward and nonreward, or if there is only one odor of varying concentration, or if only one odor is present and the cue for the other condition is merely the absence of that odor. The results of this study strongly suggest that there are specific odors in the goalbox as a result of nonreward and reward. They further suggest that these “reward” and “nonreward” odors are different from the odors of food and urine, and that the “reward” and “nonreward” odors, although different, may possibly be similar in chemical structure.
Local induction of tumor necrosis factor as a molecular mechanism of mucosal damage by gonococci

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is an endogenously produced cytokine that plays a critical role in mediating septic shock and multi-organ failure, but previous studies of the role TNF in disease have not examined its role in mucosal disease processes. In an experimental model of acute gonococcal salpingitis, gonococcal infection of human fallopian tube mucosa resulted in increased mucosal production of TNF. Recombinant human TNF-alpha damaged fallopian tube mucosa in a dose-response manner and produced epithelial damage with the same ultrastructural features as those observed in gonococcal infection. Blocking production of TNF during gonococcal infection diminished the extent of damage to fallopian tube mucosa. In addition to mediating systemic disease, such as septic shock, TNF is also produced locally, and can play a critical role in mediating mucosal disease processes, such as acute gonococcal salpingitis.
Expression of Na+,K+-ATPase α1 subunit mRNA in the developing rat cochlea

Abstract The distribution of Na + ,K + -ATPase α1 subunit mRNA was identified using in situ hybridization in the developing rat cochlea. The expression of α1 subunit mRNA in stria vascularis (SV) was observed in all time points studied, 1 to 30 postnatal day (pnd) rats. The adult expression level was attained between 11 to 14 pnd. Surprisingly, α1 subunit mRNA in spiral ligament (SL) and spiral limbus (SLi) was expressed in a more distinct time-dependent manner. At 7 pnd, the α1 subunit mRNA expression was observed initially in the tissues of the SL. At 11 pnd, α1 subunit expression appeared in SLi. Between 11 and 14 pnd, an adult-like pattern of Na + ,K + -ATPase α1 subunit mRNA expression was attained in the SL and SLi. These data suggest that the expression of Na + ,K + -ATPase α1 subunit mRNA in these areas are closely related to the development of the rat EP, as its expression in the stria vascularis.
Growth and characterization of SiGe layers on Ge-lattice-matched substrates by MBE for long wavelength optical devices

Fully-strained and high-quality Ge-rich SiGe films are grown on Ge-lattice-matched substrates by molecular beam epitaxy. Ge/SiGe quantum well structures are characterized by low-temperature photoluminescence and exhibit efficient quantum confinement and band edge emission.
Scaling laws for barotropic vortex beta-drift

A steady-state formulation of dimensional analysis is used to consolidate vortex beta drift data from over 100 single-layer numerical simulations. The physical problem of beta drift considered here includes 5 parameters: vortex radius, vortex maximum wind, beta, a dimensionless vortex profile exponent and the strength of the meridional shear of the zonal environmental wind. The use of dimensional analysis reduces these 5 parameters to 3, and the further use of the square root scaling proposed by Smith reduces the problem to 2 parameters, the vortex exponent b and a shear parameter S . The nondimensional speed and direction of beta drift are given by V = C ( b , S ) B −1/2 and θ d = D ( b , S ), where the functions C ( b , S ) and D ( b , S ) are determined empirically. The quantity B is a nondimensional beta parameter. The proportionality between drift velocity and the square root of beta arises because the magnitude of the beta gyre vorticity is proportional to the square root of beta. An application of an empirical barotropic drift law to ensemble hurricane track forecasting is proposed. DOI: 10.1034/j.1600-0870.1997.t01-3-00005.x
Interaction between the retinoblastoma protein and the oncoprotein MDM2

Inactivation of tumour-suppressor genes leads to deregulated cell proliferation and is a key factor in human tumorigenesis. Both p53 and retinoblastoma genes are frequently mutated in human cancers, and the simultaneous inactivation of RB and p53 is frequently observed in a variety of naturally occurring human tumours. Furthermore, three distinct DNA tumour virus groups--papovaviruses, adenoviruses and human papillomaviruses--transform cells by targeting and inactivating certain functions of both the p53 and retinoblastoma proteins. The cellular oncoprotein, Mdm2, binds to and downmodulates p53 function; its human homologue, MDM2, is amplified in certain human tumours, including sarcomas and gliomas. Overproduction of Mdm2 is both tumorigenic and capable of immortalizing primary rat embryo fibroblasts. Here we show that MDM2 interacts physically and functionally with pRB and, as with p53, inhibits pRB growth regulatory function. Therefore, both pRB and p53 can be subjected to negative regulation by the product of a single cellular protooncogene.
On the anisotropy of the cosmological background matter and radiation distribution. I - The radiation anisotropy in a spatially flat universe

The expected anisotropy in the microwave background radiation on both large and small angular scales has been calculated. Primordial adiabatic and isothermal fluctuations are considered for a variety of initial power-law fluctuation spectra Vertical Bard/sub m/(k)Vertical Bar/sup 2/proportionalk/sup n/ in a spatially flat universe. The calculated temperature anisotropy on small angular scales is below the current observational upper limits if W> or approx. =1. An appreciable dipole and smaller quadrupole anisotropy are also produced. These are generated by fluctuations in the mean gravitational potential associated with small-amplitude large-wavelength fluctuations in the matter distribution on scales > or approx. =10--100 Mpc. Most of the observed dipole anisotropy could be attributed to this effect, as could the possible detection of a quadrupole anisotropy. More generally, the large-scale radiation anisotropy measurements constrain the index of the initial fluctuation spectrum: n> or approx. =0 for isothermal fluctuatons, and n> or approx. =3 for adiabatic fluctuations. A further implication is that, in general, our peculiar velocity relative to distance shells of matter only coincides with that measured relative to the background radiation (inferred from the dipole moment) at a redshift z> or approx. =0.1. At small redshifts there can be significant deviations in both directionmore » and amplitude.« less
Two kinds of "recombination nodules" in Neurospora crassa.

Two morphological types of recombination nodules, termed early and late, are recognized in Neurospora crassa. Eighty nuclei at different substages were used to determine numbers of nodules per nucleus, distribution of nodules along the nucleolus-organizing chromosome, and distribution of nodules among the two largest chromosomes. Early nodules appear at the synaptonemal complex at early zygotene and increase in number during zygotene until a dramatic reduction occurs at zygotene – pachytene transition. Thereafter early nodules are steadily eliminated until they disappear by diplotene. Late nodules are also present during zygotene. Their number doubles at the zygotene – pachytene transition and stays at this level until diplotene. The total number of nodules is rather constant through zygotene and pachytene. Distribution of bivalents with 0, 1, 2, etc. nodules follows a Poisson distribution at zygotene, but not at pachytene, where variance is less than the mean, indicating positive interference. Nodules ar...
Application of mass spectrometry to protein chemistry. II. Chemical ionization studies on acetylated permethylated peptides.

Abstract A number of acetylated and permethylated peptides gave excellent chemical ionization spectra using methane reagent gas. Spectra were characterized by predominant cleavage at peptide bonds with rather uniform intensity of sequence-determining peaks. This results in high sensitivity of sequence analysis, and simple interpretation of spectra. The spectra provide unambiguous sequence information and are clearly superior to electron impact spectra of the same derivatives.