cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Structure of complexes of cationic lipids and poly(glutamic acid) polypeptides: A pinched lamellar phase

Complexes of cationic lipids with negatively charged biological polyelectrolytes such as DNA and proteins have elicited much interest recently because of their potential applications in gene delivery and in developing novel biomolecular materials. The authors report on the structure of complexes made from the anionic polypeptide poly-L-glutamic acid (PGA) and a positively charge lipid mixture consisting of the cationic lipid diododecyl dimethylammonium bromide (DDAB) and the neutral lipid dilauroyl-sn-glycero phosphocholine (DLPC). Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), small angle neutron scattering (SANS), and optical microscopy of the complexes are consistent with a condensed multilamellar structure with PGA macromolecules sandwiched between the bilayers of the lipids. At the isoelectric point of the complex, lipid dilution experiment at increasing ratios of the neutral lipid to the cationic lipid resulted in an unexpectedly large increase in the interlamellar ``d'' spacing from 39 {angstrom} for the pure DDAB membrane to 60 {angstrom} at very high dilutions. Significantly, SAXS data shows that the lamellar complexes remained single phase which indicates that PGA interchain interactions are repulsive with their average spacing increasing with increasing lipid dilution. The data are consistent with a model of a ``pinched lamellar'' phase of the lipid-PGA complex where the PGA macromolecule and DDAB more » associate to form localized pinched regions. Between PGA-membrane ``pinches'' large pockets of water stabilized by hydration repulsion are contained and the system behaves as a nearly pure DLPC membrane with a large equilibrium spacing of 60 {angstrom}. These results suggest that biologically active molecules could be incorporated in the large hydration domains between ``pinched'' regions for delivery applications. « less
The effect of clavicle malunion on shoulder biomechanics; a computational study.

Abstract Background Clavicle malunion affects the biomechanics of the shoulder joint. The purpose of this study is to establish the abduction, flexion, and internal (medial) rotation biomechanics of the shoulder after clavicle malunion. Methods A computational study was performed utilizing a three-dimensional, validated computational model of the upper extremity. Sequential shortening of the clavicle up to 20% was simulated. Muscle forces, moment arms, and moments were calculated for the surrounding musculature through a range of flexion, abduction, and internal rotation during the simulated shortening. Findings Shortening of the clavicle decreases the shoulder elevation moments of the upper extremity muscles during abduction. Internal rotation moments are also decreased with shortening. Flexion moments were affected less through physiologic range of motion. The observed effects are due to a combination of changes in moment arms of the individual muscles as well as a decrease in the force generating capacity of the muscles. Additionally, shortening of the clavicle increases coronal angulation of the clavicle at the sternoclavicular joint. Interpretation Shortening causes a decrease in the moment generating capacity as well as the total force generating capacity of the shoulder girdle muscles. The clinical significance of these computational results, which are consistent with recent clinical studies, is validation of the proposed functional deficit caused by clavicle malunion.
THE INFLUENCE OF ULTRASONIC VIBRATIONS ON HEAT TRANSFER TO WATER FLOWING IN ANNULI

Abstract An experimental study was conducted to determine the effects of high-intensity ultrasonic vibrations on heat transfer to water flowing in annuli. The inner tube of an annulus was electrically heated and cylindrical transducers were mounted on the outer tube to supply vibrational energy to the fluid in a direction normal to the heated surface. Heat transfer was improved with vibration to a degree dependent on the flow conditions and the extent of cavitation in the annular gap. The maximum local increase in heat-transfer coefficient of 40 per cent occurred with low flow velocities and high-heat-flux nonboiling conditions. Any vapor in the test section reduced the effect of vibration on heat transfer.
Changes in membrane structure following tenotomy of the rat soleus muscle.

Many of the histological characteristics of neuromuscular disorders, including central core lesions and nemaline rods, can be produced experimentally by tenotomy of the soleus muscle in the rat. Using the freeze fracture technique, a decrease in the number of intramembrane particles of both the P and E faces of the plasma membranes of tenotomized soleus muscle fibers was observed. While many of the degenerative changes which occur after tenotomy are known, the causes of the degeneration are still unknown. The decrease in intramembrane particles may reflect some significant change in the function of the plasma membrane resulting in the appearance of the degenerative changes which follow tenotomy.
The secretory response of hypothalamic β-endorphin neurons to acute and chronic nicotine treatments and following nicotine withdrawal

Abstract In the present study, we determined the effect of acute and chronic nicotine treatments on the secretion of immunoreactive β-endorphin (IR-β-EP) and cell viability of cultured hypothalamic neurons. Also, we determined the secretory response of IR-β-EP following withdrawal from a long-term nicotine treatment. Fetal hypothalamic cells were dissociated and maintained in cultures for 9 days and were treated with various doses of nicotine (1, 6,12 and 18 μM) for 6 h (acute treatment) or treated with nicotine at 12 h intervals for 96 h (chronic treatment). Determination of IR-β-EP concentrations in the media revealed that 6–18 μM doses of nicotine increased IR-β-EP secretion from these cultures for a period of 24 h; after this period, the cultured cells did not respond to these doses of nicotine. The desensitization of β-EP neurons 24 h after treatment with nicotine did not appear to be related to the loss of viable cells. Determination of withdrawal response after 72 h of constant nicotine (6 μM) treatments revealed that the hypothalamic neurons secrete elevated amounts of IR-β-EP for a period of 72 h after nicotine withdrawal. These results suggest that: 1) acute treatment with nicotine stimulates hypothalamic IR-β-EP release; 2) chronic nicotine treatment desensitizes β-EP-secreting neurons and, 3) β-EP neurons in primary culture show withdrawal response to nicotine.
The immunological properties of adult hippocampal progenitor cells.

Abstract Adult hippocampal progenitor cells (AHPCs) derived from mature rats were studied in mixed co-cultures and shown not to elicit a proliferative response from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) or allogeneic spleen cells. FACS analysis revealed low class I and no detectable class II (Ia) MHC expression by these cells. RT-PCR showed that AHPCs express the anti-inflammatory cytokine TGF-β1. AHPCs did not, however, significantly impede the proliferation of OKT3- or PHA-stimulated PBMCs. Taken together, these results indicate that AHPCs are non-immunogenic in vitro. This is consistent with their pattern of MHC expression and does not require an active immunosuppressive mechanism.
Stress alters adenylyl cyclase activity in the pituitary and frontal cortex of the rat.

Abstract We hypothesized that sustained biosynthesis of proopiomelanocortropin (POMC) from the anterior pituitary during chronic stress might result in enhanced membrane adenylyl cyclase (AC) activity, facilitating amplification of the CRH signal despite falling numbers of CRH receptors. Therefore, we investigated the effects of stress on AC activity in anterior pituitaries from Sprague-Dawley rats exposed to stress. Following 12 h of intermittent, cold, swim stress, stressed rats had plasma corticosterone levels that were 10 fold higher than in nonstressed animals and showed a 40% reduction in the specific binding of 125 I-CRH to anterior pituitary membranes. Moreover, stressed rats showed a 3 fold increase in anterior pituitary POMC mRNA levels. To test the hypothesis that factors released during stress enhanced the AC signal transduction system, thereby leading to increased POMC gene expression, we measured anterior pituitary cAMP and assayed AC activity from membranes prepared from anterior pituitary of control and stressed rats. Levels of cAMP were 2 fold higher in pituitaries from stressed rats compared to controls. The significant increase in cAMP was accompanied by a significant increase of AC activity. To test what component(s) of the AC complex are altered by stress, type I and II AC mRNA as well as Gsα, Gi(1–3)α and Gβ protein levels were determined. Type II AC mRNA was significantly increased 1.7 fold in stressed rats compared with controls, whereas no consistent alteration in G-protein levels were detected. Enhanced AC activity following cold swim stress was not limited to the pituitary, to one line of rat, nor one type of stress. In Fisher rats, both cold swim and restraint stress enhanced AC activity in the pituitary and in the frontal cortex. In summary, stress enhances AC activity in the anterior pituitary. The increase in AC activity is associated with increased steady state levels of type II AC mRNA. Factor(s) released during stress may enhance AC signal transduction and allow for persistent elevation in POMC gene expression despite the inhibitory influences of glucocorticoids.
A Fourier transform infrared spectrometry study of the reactions of phosphatidylcholines with gaseous N2O5 and NO2

The liquid lining of the alveolar region of the lung contains a surfactant which lowers the surface tension. The major active surface-tension-lowering compounds are phosphatidylcholines, some of which contain unsaturated fatty acid components. In order to determine whether these unsaturated moieties react with the gaseous air pollutant N2O5, which may be present in urban atmospheres at concentrations up to 15 ppb, phosphatidylcholines adsorbed on glass at 25 degrees C were exposed to mixtures of approximately 2 Toor (approximately 2600 ppm) N2O5 in 1 atm of air or argon in the gas phase. Nitronitrates were identified as products of the reactions of N2O5 with beta-oleoyl-gamma-palmitoyl L-alpha-phosphatidylcholine (OPPC) and dioleoyl L-alpha-phosphatidylcholine (DOPC) using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometry and in the case of DOPC, fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry. FTIR studies also show that 2 Torr (approximately 2600 ppm) NO2 in 1 atm of air reacts with OPPC and DOPC to give new bands tentatively identified as nitronitrates. Finally, HNO3 was shown to react with OPPC, DOPC, and the saturated dipalmitoyl L-alpha-phosphatidylcholine to give products tentatively identified as nitrate salts and glycerol. These studies suggest that inhaled N2O5, if it reaches the alveolar region, is likely to react with unsaturated C = C groups in surfactant to form nitronitrates.
EFFECTS OF CYCLIC ESTROGENS ON PREPUBERTAL & PUBERTAL GIRLS WITH EXCESSIVE HEIGHT

For excessive height, 25 girls ages 8-10; 34, 10-12; and 34 over 12 were given 10 mg of estradiol valerate days 5, 9 and 16 of cycles; 250 mg 17 hydroprogesterone caproate was added on day 16. Therapy was one year or more in 91. Average yearly height increase in the groups was 10.73, 7.33, 3.67 cms; greatest was 13.3 cms. Average weight gain 8.18, 8.28, 4.98 kilograms; greatest was 16.8 kg. Average yearly bone age advance 36,7, 32.97, 27.41 months; greatest was 64 months in an 8-year-old. In the youngest group, axillary and pubic hair did not appear until 4-6 months after therapy. Side effects were gluteal striae, mild areolar pigmentation, and amenorrhea up to 13 months, in 18, following cessation of therapy; all have since menstruated normally. None have had infertility problems. Estradiol valerate is a strong genital and extragenital anabolic agent which is most efficacious in preventing excessive height in girls when started between ages 8-11, and becomes progressively less effective as the bone age approaches 14. The adrenarche does not appear to be initiated by an iatrogenic menarche.
Effect of past climatic changes on the thermal field of the earth

Abstract The effect of past climatic changes on the temperature distribution near the surface of the earth is investigated. It is concluded that a minimum disturbance to the thermal gradient ranging from 2.7°C/km to more than 5.4°C/km is likely to occur at depths less than 1 km from the surface. Careful corrections to terrestrial heat flow measurements in previously glaciated areas are necessary to evaluate the equality of the continental and oceanic heat flow averages.
Measuring the macroeconomic impact of workers’ remittances in a data-rich environment

This article uses 85 monthly time series from Mexico to study the macroeconomic impact of workers’ remittances. The estimation approach is based on the two-step factor augmented vector autoregression methodology used by Bernanke et al . (2005). The results show that Mexico's inward remittances have a positive impact on prices, the stock market, interest rates and various measures of economic activity.
Estradiol Represses Human T-cell Leukemia Virus Type 1 Tax Activation of Tumor Necrosis Factor-α Gene Transcription

Adult T-cell leukemia is caused by human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I). The HTLV-I Tax protein is essential for clinical manifestations because it activates viral and cellular gene transcription. Tax enhances production of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), which may lead to bone and joint destruction. Because estrogens might prevent osteoporosis by repressing TNF-alpha gene transcription, we investigated whether estrogens inhibit the transcriptional effects of Tax on the TNF-alpha promoter. Tax activated the -1044, -163, and -125 TNF-alpha promoters by 9-25-fold but not the -82 promoter, demonstrating that Tax activation requires the -125 to -82 region, known as the TNF response element (TNF-RE). Three copies of the TNF-RE upstream of the minimal thymidine kinase promoter conferred a similar magnitude of activation by Tax. We demonstrated that c-Jun, NFkappaB, p50, and p65 interact with and activate the TNF-RE by using mutational analysis of the TNF-RE, Tax mutants that selectively activate NFkappaB or the cAMP-response element binding protein/activating transcription factor pathway, and gel shift assays with nuclear extracts. Estradiol markedly repressed Tax-activated transcription of the TNF-alpha gene with estrogen receptor (ER) alpha or beta. Nuclear extracts from U2OS cells stably transfected with ER(alpha) demonstrated that ERs interact with the TNF-RE. Our studies provide evidence that ERs repress Tax-activated TNF-alpha transcription by interacting with a c-Jun and NFkappaB platform on the TNF-RE. Estrogens may ameliorate bone and inflammatory joint diseases in patients infected with HTLV-I by repressing transcription of the TNF-alpha gene.
A controlled evaluation of behavioral treatment of chronic headache in the elderly

The effects of a 12-session program combining relaxation training, cognitive therapy, and biofeedback, specifically tailored for an older population, were evaluated, using 14 elderly chronic headache (HA) patients (age range: 61–80) in 7 multiple-baseline-across-subjects design experiments. At the idiographic level, treatment was more effective than HA monitoring in 5 of 7 experiments. At the nomothetic level, tailored treatment was also significantly (p=.05) more effective than HA monitoring in reducing HA activity as measured by daily diary. Patients consumed significantly less HA medication after treatment and were significantly less depressed and less anxious at one-month follow-up.
Discrimination by olfactory cues in albino rats reflecting familiarity and relatedness among conspecifics

The present investigation sought to determine whether albino rat pups could discriminate among familiar siblings, nonfamiliar siblings, familiar nonsiblings (foster littermates), and nonfamiliar nonsiblings (unrelated agemates) using only olfactory cues. Pairing all possible combinations of familiarity and kinship variables (six), the odors were presented in paired combinations to each of twelve experimental subjects. Results from dependent t tests indicated that the albino rat pups could discriminate between the following pairs of odors using only the olfaction sensory modality: (a) familiar siblings and nonfamiliar siblings, (t = 3.41, p = .006); (b) familiar siblings and nonfamiliar nonsiblings, (t = 9.62, p = .001); (c) nonfamiliar siblings and nonfamiliar nonsiblings, (t = 3.15, p = .009); and (d) familiar nonsiblings and nonfamiliar nonsiblings (t = 2.58, p = .026).
Ein Beitrag zur Kenntnis der Refraktionskurve

Ein klinisches Material von 2229 unter Atropin skiaskopierten Augen, die nicht mehr als 0,5 Dioptrien Astigmatismus aufwiesen und deren Trager nicht unter 25 und nicht uber 50 Jahre alt waren, wurde zur Konstruktion einer neuen Refraktionskurve verwendet. Die resultierende Kurve wich von der vonScheerer-Betsch veroffentlichten insofern ab, als sie relativ mehr Augen mit einer Refraktion von — 2 bis — 4 enthielt. Wurde der myope Schenkel der Kurve entsprechend den ZahlenScheerers korrigiert (ohne die mit Conus behafteten Augen auszuschliesen), so resultierte eine fast symmetrische Kurve. Die Schiefheit betrug + 0,31, war demnach sehr gering und konnte sowohl Anlagefaktoren wie auch Umweltfaktoren ihre Entstehung verdanken.
Analysis and simulation of noise in correlated double sampling imager circuits

Noise is an important factor in determining the sensitivity of CMOS imagers at low light levels. Both device or transistor thermal noise and l/f noise are contributing factors, correlated double sampling reduces the effect of both thermal noise and l/f noise but is less effective in reducing l/f noise as sampling time increases. Techniques to simulate noise in sampling circuits have only recently become available and are compared here to the older analytical techniques.
Elastic-plastic transition in three-dimensional random materials: Massively parallel simulations, fractal morphogenesis and scaling functions

Elastic–plastic transitions were investigated in three-dimensional (3D) macroscopically homogeneous materials, with microscale randomness in constitutive properties, subjected to monotonically increasing, macroscopically uniform loadings. The materials are cubic-shaped domains (of up to 100 × 100 × 100 grains), each grain being cubic-shaped, homogeneous, isotropic and exhibiting elastic–plastic hardening with a J 2 flow rule. The spatial assignment of the grains’ elastic moduli and/or plastic properties is a strict-white-noise random field. Using massively parallel simulations, we find the set of plastic grains to grow in a partially space-filling fractal pattern with the fractal dimension reaching 3, whereby the sharp kink in the stress–strain curve of individual grains is replaced by a smooth transition in the macroscopically effective stress–strain curve. The randomness in material yield limits is found to have a stronger effect than that in elastic moduli. The elastic–plastic transitions in 3D simulat...
Scale Attributes From Continuous Wavelet Transform

Average instantaneous attributes of time-frequency decompositions are useful in revealing the time varying spectral properties of seismic data. In the continuous wavelet transform (CWT), a time signal is decomposed into a time-scale spectrum or a scalogram; unlike a timefrequency spectrum or a spectrogram from the short time Fourier transform (STFT). Although there are various approaches of converting a time-scale spectrum into a timefrequency spectrum we introduce new mathematical formulas to calculate spectral attributes from the scalogram. In this process, we bypass the conversion of a scalogram into a time-frequency spectrum and provide average spectral attributes based on scale. The attributes are: center frequency, dominant frequency, and spectral bandwidth. Since these attributes are based on the CWT, computation of these attributes avoids subjective choice of a window length.
Stochastic properties of enroute air traffic - An empirical investigation

This paper presents results of a recent research project into the nature of enroute air traffic. Characteristics of air traffic on a single airway and of traffic passing through an air traffic control (ATC) sector are considered. Flight-strip data for 26 days from the Bradford-High sector were used to investigate these characteristics. Airline flights operating according to a seven-day-per-week schedule comprised a large percentage of the air traffic data studied. It is shown that, despite this underlying daily schedule, air traffic on a single airway and flight level, and even the traffic passing through an ATC sector as a whole, during short-time intervals varies greatly from day to day and can, in fact, be approximated by a Poisson process. Empirical investigations are made of the extent of daily repetition of scheduled airline flights passing through an ATC sector in a given time period. In addition, the distribution of aircraft arrival times at an enroute fix and stochastic properties of successive aircraft separations in an air traffic stream are examined. It is argued that, for short time intervals, the epochs at which aircraft pass a point on an airway are, approximately, the points of a Poisson process. Theoretical and experimental evidence for this argument is presented. Findings of this research are applicable to airspace capacity analysis and ATC system design.
Supportive-Expressive Psychodynamic Therapy for Cocaine Dependence: A Closer Look

Using data from the National Institute on Drug Abuse Collaborative Cocaine Treatment Study, this article focuses on the outcomes of patients who received supportive-expressive (SE) psychodynamically-oriented psychotherapy (plus group drug counseling; GDC). Short-term SE for cocaine dependent individuals, while not the most efficacious treatment examined in the study (individual drug counseling [IDC] plus GDC was), produced large improvements in cocaine use. In addition, there was evidence that SE was superior to IDC on change in family/social problems at the 12 month follow-up assessment, particularly for those patients with relatively more severe difficulties in this domain at baseline. For patients who achieved abstinence early in treatment, SE produced comparable drug use outcomes to IDC, with mean drug use scores numerically lower for SE at all of the follow-up assessments (9, 12, 15, and 18 months). SE patients who achieved initial abstinence decreased cocaine use from a mean 10.1 days per month at baseline to a mean of 1.3 days at 12 months.
Rolling contact fatigue tests of 52100 bearing steel using a modified NASA ball test rig

Abstract A new test was devised in order to obtain a better measure of the rolling contact fatigue lives of experimental materials. This test employs a NASA five-ball fatigue test rig, modified to accept a conical-ended test specimen in place of the upper ball. With this equipment, the fatigue lives of 52100 bearing steel given three different heat treatments were determined. While the hardnesses of all three test lots were nearly the same, the two lots characterized by high retained austenite content and fine prior austenite grains were significantly superior in fatigue resistance to steel heat treated in the conventional manner.
The kidney in liver transplantation.

Important advances in immunosuppressive therapy over the past two decades have allowed orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) to become definitive therapyfor patients with end stage liver disease (ESLD). The pretransplant evaluation process often involves assessment of pulmonary, cardiac, and renal function. This article describes a systematic approach to the evaluation of renal dysfunction and the electrolyte and acid-base disturbances complicating the course of advanced liver disease, the pathogenic mechanism and current recommendations for the treatment of the hepatorenal syndrome, and the indications for combined liver-kidney transplantation. Renal insufficiency of diverse causes continues to be a cause of morbidity and mortality both in the immediate and long-term postoperative period. The potential intraoperative and perioperative factors contributing to postoperative renal failure, the long-term consequences of renal insufficiency posttransplantation, and the impact of renal insufficiency on ultimate liver allograft and patient survival are also reviewed.
Complex subcellular distribution of sodium-dependent amino acid transport systems in kidney cortex and LLC-PK1/Cl4 cells.

Complex subcellular distribution of sodium-dependent amino acid transport systems in kidney cortex and LLC-PK 1 /Cl 4 cells. To characterize the amino acid transport system in basalateral membranes and to test for possible intracellular loci of amino acid transport activity, we surveyed the distribution of L-alanine transport activity in rabbit proximal tubular cells and LLC-PK 1 /Cl 4 cells. A three-dimensional separation procedure based on differential sedimentation, density gradient centrifugation, and counter-current distribution resolved 21 physically and biochemically distinct membrane populations from rabbit cortex. Inhibition of L-alanine transport by phenylalanine and N-(methylamino)isobutyric acid was used to delineate parallel amino acid transport pathways. Population n was identified as brush border membranes by virtue of its 16-fold maltase enrichment; 94% of its Na + -dependent alanine transport activity was mediated by systems previously shown to be characteristic of brush border membranes. Two populations, c ′ and c ″, which accounted for 25% of the total Na,K-ATPase activity, were identified as basalateral membranes on the basis of Na,K-ATPase cumulative enrichment factors of 15 and 21; 82% of the total alanine transport in these populations was mediated by a Na + -independent system similar to the classical system L. Na,K-ATPase, Na + -independent and Na + -dependent alanine transport activities were associated with intracellular membrane populations as well as with the plasma membranes. The major intracellular locus of Na,K-ATPase activity, population i accounted for roughly 31% of the Na,K-ATPase, maximally enriched ninefold; it contained 29% of the total system L transport activity. Population l , which was identified as endoplasmic reticulum because it was the major locus of membrane-bound NADPH cytochrome c reductase activity, contained 44% of the total system A transport. Three distinct Golgi-derived populations, m ′, m ″, and o , accounted for 39% of the total system A transport. A survey of the amino acid transport systems in LLC-PK 1 /Cl 4 cells showed that the majority of system A-mediated amino acid transport was present in membranes of intracellular and possibly apical origin. The presence of large intracellular pools of amino acid transport activities might reflect newly synthesized transport proteins, ongoing membrane recycling or, perhaps, intracellular reserves available for rapid recruitment to the plasma membrane.
Global-local visual processing in schizophrenia: evidence for an early visual processing deficit.

Background Abnormalities in early-stage visual processing might contribute to observed higher neurocognitive deficits in schizophrenia, but to date no clear link has been established. Schizophrenia has been associated with deficits in the magnocellular visual pathway, suggesting a relative bias for processing elemental (local) as opposed to configural (global) aspects of a hierarchical stimulus; however, global–local paradigm studies in schizophrenia have yielded mixed results. Methods In the current study, global–local and event-related potential (ERP) procedures were concomitantly used to assess temporal and spatial characteristics of hierarchical visual stimulus processing abnormalities. Results Patients ( n = 24) had slower and less accurate responses to global stimuli than a healthy comparison group ( n = 29). They exhibited a marked decrement in N150 ERP amplitude, which correlated with speed of response to global stimuli. They also failed to show an augmented P300 response to local stimuli. Conclusions Behavioral and physiological data are consistent and support a global visual processing deficit in schizophrenia. This is manifest at a relatively early stage of visual processing and might relate to physiological disturbances in areas V3/V3a of the extrastriate cortex.
Advances in instrumentation for non-destructive testing and prognostics

There is growing interest in longer-term operation of the current US nuclear power plant fleet. This paper will discuss technologies needed to ensure safe and effective operation of the existing fleet. There will be an increased need for condition-based maintenance applied to active components. It is increasingly recognized that new and advanced sensors and systems will be needed to enable the move from current NDE, with periodic inspections and a find-and-fix approach, to prognostics: using online monitoring to enable operators to proactively manage systems with prediction of remaining useful life.
Alteration of gene conversion tract length and associated crossing over during plasmid gap repair in nuclease-deficient strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

A plasmid gap repair assay was used to assess the role of three known nucleases, Exo1, Mre11 and Rad1, in the processing of DNA ends and resolution of recombination intermediates during double-strand gap repair. In this assay, alterations in end processing or branch migration are reflected by the frequency of co-conversion of a chromosomal marker 200 bp from the gap. Gap repair associated with crossing over results in integration at the homologous chromosomal locus, whereas the plasmid remains episomal for non-crossover repair events. In mre11 strains, the frequency of gap repair was reduced 3- to 10-fold and conversion tracts were shorter than in the wild-type strain, consistent with a role for this nuclease in processing double-strand breaks. However, conversion tracts were longer in a strain containing the nuclease deficient allele, mre11-H125N, suggesting increased end processing by redundant nucleases. The frequency of gap repair was reduced 2-fold in rad1 mutants and crossing over was reduced, consistent with a role for Rad1 in cleaving recombination intermediates. The frequency of gap repair was increased in exo1 mutants with a significant increase in crossing over. In exo1 mre11 double mutants gap repair was reduced to below the mre11 single mutant level.
Destabilizing Protein Polymorphisms in the Genetic Background Direct Phenotypic Expression of Mutant SOD1 Toxicity

Genetic background exerts a strong modulatory effect on the toxicity of aggregation-prone proteins in conformational diseases. In addition to influencing the misfolding and aggregation behavior of the mutant proteins, polymorphisms in putative modifier genes may affect the molecular processes leading to the disease phenotype. Mutations in SOD1 in a subset of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) cases confer dominant but clinically variable toxicity, thought to be mediated by misfolding and aggregation of mutant SOD1 protein. While the mechanism of toxicity remains unknown, both the nature of the SOD1 mutation and the genetic background in which it is expressed appear important. To address this, we established a Caenorhabditis elegans model to systematically examine the aggregation behavior and genetic interactions of mutant forms of SOD1. Expression of three structurally distinct SOD1 mutants in C. elegans muscle cells resulted in the appearance of heterogeneous populations of aggregates and was associated with only mild cellular dysfunction. However, introduction of destabilizing temperature-sensitive mutations into the genetic background strongly enhanced the toxicity of SOD1 mutants, resulting in exposure of several deleterious phenotypes at permissive conditions in a manner dependent on the specific SOD1 mutation. The nature of the observed phenotype was dependent on the temperature-sensitive mutation present, while its penetrance reflected the specific combination of temperature-sensitive and SOD1 mutations. Thus, the specific toxic phenotypes of conformational disease may not be simply due to misfolding/aggregation toxicity of the causative mutant proteins, but may be defined by their genetic interactions with cellular pathways harboring mildly destabilizing missense alleles.
Identifying adverse drug events: development of a computer-based monitor and comparison with chart review and stimulated voluntary report.

Background: Adverse drug events (ADEs) are both common and costly. Most hospitals identify ADEs using spontaneous reporting, but this approach lacks sensitivity; chart review identifies more events but is expensive. Computer-based approaches to ADE identification appear promising, but they have not been directly compared with chart review and they are not widely used. Objectives: To develop a computer-based ADE monitor, and to compare the rate and type of ADEs found with the monitor with those discovered by chart review and by stimulated voluntary report. Design: Prospective cohort study in one tertiary-care hospital. Participants: All patients admitted to nine medical and surgical units in a tertiary-care hospital over an eight-month period. Main Outcome Measure: Adverse drug events identified by the computer-based monitor, by chart review, and by stimulated voluntary report. Methods: A computer-based monitoring program identified alerts, which were situations suggesting that an ADE might be present (e.g., an order for an antidote such as naloxone). A trained reviewer then examined patients' hospital records to determine whether an ADE had occurred. The results of the computer-based monitoring strategy were compared with two other ADE detection strategies: intensive chart review and stimulated voluntary report by nurses and pharmacists. The monitor and the chart review strategies were independent, and the reviewers were blinded. Results: The computer monitoring strategy identified 2,620 alerts, of which 275 were determined to be ADEs. The chart review found 398 ADEs, whereas voluntary report detected 23. Of the 617 ADEs detected by at least one method, 76 ADEs were detected by both computer monitor and chart review. The computer monitor identified 45 percent; chart review, 65 percent; and voluntary report, 4 percent. The ADEs identified by computer monitor were more likely to be classified as “severe” than were those identified by chart review (51 versus 42 percent, p =.04). The positive predictive value of computer-generated alerts was 16 percent during the first eight weeks of the study; rule modifications increased this to 23 percent in the final eight weeks. The computer strategy required 11 person-hours per week to execute, whereas chart review required 55 person-hours per week and voluntary report strategy required 5. Conclusions: The computer-based monitor identified fewer ADEs than did chart review but many more ADEs than did stimulated voluntary report. The overlap among the ADEs identified using different methods was small, suggesting that the incidence of ADEs may be higher than previously reported and that different detection methods capture different events. The computer-based monitoring system represents an efficient approach for measuring ADE frequency and gauging the effectiveness of ADE prevention programs.
Design-Build :: Build-Design

Abstract Since the early 1990s, the design-build program at Virginia Tech's Washington-Alexandria Architecture Center (WAAC) has introduced the idea of prudence into architecture students' education. The primary vehicle for this undertaking has been the WAAC building itself, a load-bearing brick and timber structure built in the early 20th century in Alexandria, Virginia. Here, design-build projects are all, in some way, permanent modifications to the building or its immediate landscape.
Electrochemical Oxidation of Phenol Using Boron-Doped Diamond Electrodes

Boron-doped diamond electrodes prepared by chemical vapor deposition were used to determine if phenol could be oxidized to CO 2 . Cyclic voltammetry showed that phenol was oxidized by the diamond electrodes and remained electroactive after multiple cycles Experiments were also run with a flow cell in which I L of 10 mM phenol in 0.1 M H 2 SO 4 was circulated through the cell and the total organic carbon (TOC) was monitored as a function of time and cell current. The TOC in solution was reduced from ∼ 1% to <0. I % with no observable decrease in decomposition rate. This means that the reacted phenol was converted completely to CO 2 .
Human Asset Accounting And Measurement: Moving Forward

Changes in the accounting profession and in the way organizations are managed and operated over the past several decades have led to the identification of a new factor that makes up a substantial part of the value of an organization: human capital. The value that employees add to organizations, however, has been difficult to measure because of the many elements that comprise it and aspects of human nature and free will that are involved. Many models have been proposed to capture the value that organizations gain from employees, but none have succeeded in full. Additionally, strict financial reporting regulations would require an accurate and uniform method of accounting for human capital in order to give much relevance to the data collected. Despite its complex nature, the field of human asset accounting continues to gain momentum and is headed in the right direction. The development of a universal method of accounting for human capital would provide a much more exact valuation of organizations and have deep benefits for owners, managers, investors, accountants, and human resource employees. This paper examines the history of human asset accounting and its feasibility in current financial reporting environments. Additionally, it demonstrates the importance of human asset accounting, different approaches toward human asset accounting, and how beneficial an accurate method could prove to be in financial reporting. Finally, the paper recommends that, as a precursor to measurement, the development of general quantitative and qualitative human capital disclosures, with real company examples, be included in a company’s sustainability reporting.
Asynchronous Duplication of Chromosomes in Cultured Cells of Chinese Hamster

Chromosome duplication (DNA synthesis) was studied in cultured cells of Chinese hamsters by means of autoradiography following thymidine-H(3) incorporation. The technique used was to expose an asynchronously dividing population of rapidly growing cells for a 10 minute interval to a medium with thymidine-H(3). Cells were then transferred to a medium with excess unlabeled thymidine. The population was sampled at intervals thereafter and studies made of the frequency of labeled interphases and division figures, and the patterns of labeling of specific chromosomes. The average generation time during these experiments was about 14 hours. DNA synthesis occurred during an interval of about 6 hours and stopped 2 to 3 hours before metaphase. After metaphase the chromosomes usually begin duplication again within 5 to 6 hours. Grain counting, to estimate the amount of tritium incorporated after a short contact with thymidine-H(3) and at intervals after transfer to a medium with excess unlabeled thymidine, indicated that the intracellular pool of labeled precursors was diluted within less than a minute so that further labeling would not be detected. The chromosomes labeled during the contact period retained their precise pattern of labeling through another duplication cycle and no turnover of DNA or loss of tritium was detectable. Five or 6 chromosomes of the complement have segments typically late in duplication. Two of these are the X and Y chromosomes. The long arm of the X chromosome and the whole Y chromosome are duplicated in the last half of the interval of DNA synthesis. The short arm of the X chromosome in a male strain is duplicated in the first half of the interval. In another strain (female), one X chromosome had the same timing, but the other one was all duplicated in the last half of the period of DNA synthesis. The DNA in the short arms of 2 medium sized chromosomes, as well as most of the DNA in 1 or 2 of the smallest chromosomes of the complement was replicated late. The study has led to the hypothesis that various chromosomes or parts of chromosomes have a genetically controlled sequence in duplication which may have some functional significance.
Entropy-based image fusion with continuous genetic algorithm

This paper proposes a novel image fusion method that uses continuous Genetic Algorithm (CGA). Image fusion provides a single output image from a set of input images, captured from different viewing conditions, by different sensors, and at different times. Image fusion can be divided into three processing levels: pixel, feature and decision. Genetic algorithms are a nonlinear optimization technique that seeks the optimum solution by modifying the input vectors. In the pixel level image fusion (PLIF) process, the weights used for fusion need to be optimized to form a new composite image with extended information content. In this paper, we present a novel, entropy-based image fusion algorithm that uses CGA. Experimental results show that CGA based image fusion outperforms other point-rules based PLIF algorithms.
New perspectives of curcumin in cancer prevention

Numerous natural compounds have been extensively investigated for their potential for cancer prevention over decades. Curcumin, from Curcuma longa, is a highly promising natural compound that can be potentially used for chemoprevention of multiple cancers. Curcumin modulates multiple molecular pathways involved in the lengthy carcinogenesis process to exert its chemopreventive effects through several mechanisms: promoting apoptosis, inhibiting survival signals, scavenging reactive oxidative species (ROS), and reducing the inflammatory cancer microenvironment. Curcumin fulfills the characteristics for an ideal chemopreventive agent with its low toxicity, affordability, and easy accessibility. Nevertheless, the clinical application of curcumin is currently compromised by its poor bioavailability. Here we review the potential of curcumin in cancer prevention, its molecular targets, and action mechanisms. Finally, we suggest specific recommendations to improve its efficacy and bioavailability for clinical applications.
Functional link between the hypocretin and serotonin systems in the neural control of breathing and central chemosensitivity.

Serotonin (5-HT)-synthesizing neurons of the medullary raphe are putative central chemoreceptors, proposed to be one of potentially multiple brain stem chemosensitive cell types and loci interactin...
Plastic Bronchitis and the Role of Bronchoscopy in the Acute Chest Syndrome of Sickle Cell Disease

Study objectives To review the prevalence, clinical features, and role of bronchoscopy in patients with plastic bronchitis during the acute chest syndrome (ACS) of sickle cell disease (SCD). Design Eight-year review of clinical experience. Setting Tertiary referral children's hospital. Patients Twenty-six pediatric inpatients with 29 ACS episodes requiring diagnostic bronchoscopy. Results Of the pediatric inpatients with ACS who underwent bronchoscopy, plastic bronchitis was diagnosed in 21 of 29 episodes (72%). There was no difference in clinical features between the patients with and without plastic bronchitis. Bronchoscopy was an essential diagnostic tool, but its therapeutic benefits were doubtful. Conclusions This is the first report of the prevalence of plastic bronchitis in patients with ACS of SCD. In our patient population, this condition was found to be common. The role of diagnostic bronchoscopy is essential. A large series, multicenter study is required to determine whether bronchoscopy and BAL are therapeutically beneficial when added to currently practiced supportive care.
The Loss of Happiness in Market Democracies. By Robert E. Lane. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2000. 466p. $42.00 cloth, $19.00 paper.

Happiness, unhappiness, and depression are not the usual foci of political science or economics, but Robert Lane demonstrates their importance. The Loss of Happiness in Market Democracies is a worthy companion to and extension of Lane's earlier work, especially The Market Experience (1991). Lane employs psychology, genetics, evolutionary theory, and medical research to convince economists and democratic theorists that biological and psychological research can enrich their often unrealistic assumptions about well-being and behavior. He argues that in affluent societies there is growing unhappiness, growing depression, and declining marginal utility of income to produce happiness. These are accompanied by mistrust and increasing political negativity, which further undermine happiness. The dominant Western image of individualism ignores that people often do not know what makes them happy, which undermines prevailing market and democratic premises (p. 284).
Parallel phase accumulator architecture for DDFS

A parallel architecture is described for a phase accumulator (PA) in a direct digital frequency synthesizer (DDFS) intended for space-based applications. A comparison is made between the parallel and pipelined PA architectures in a 0.18 mum CMOS technology. The parallel architecture dissipates about 1/3 less power while achieving performance at least as high as the pipelined architecture. The accumulator designs are hardened against latch-up, total dose effects and single-event upsets through the use of guard rings, FET gate geometry and triple-mode redundancy (TMR) hardware
XYZ: a scalable, partially centralized lookup service for large-scale peer-to-peer systems

Peer-to-peer (P2P) systems are characterized by direct access between peer computers, rather than through a centralized server. File sharing is the dominant P2P application on the Internet, allowing users to easily contribute, search and obtain content. P2P systems can be categorized by the degrees of centralization. For fully centralized systems, the lookup service will not be available when the central directory server is down. For purely decentralized and unstructured systems, since there is no information about which nodes are likely to have the relevant files, searching essentially amounts to random search. This makes the lookup service unscalable and unpredictable. The objective of this paper is to design a partially centralized, scalable and self-organizing lookup service (XYZ) for wide area P2P systems. A clustering method is used to create the system backbone by connecting the cluster heads together and a color clustering method is adopted to create color overlays and minimize the searching space. Simulations and analysis are also provided. Extensions are proposed to achieve better performance.
Horizontal Hostility; Relations Between Similar Minority Groups

Two studies were conducted to examine the relations between similar minority groups. We predicted that minority group members would show horizontal hostility, a form of prejudice, against members of a similar, but more mainstream, minority group. The results of both studies confirmed this hypothesis. In Study 1, members of 3 Jewish congregations (reform, conservative, orthodox) showed prejudice against a member of a similar but slightly more secular congregation. In Study 2, members of a college varsity soccer team showed prejudice against junior varsity players. We conclude by suggesting that horizontal hostility is the result of social changes since Allport (1954) wrote The Nature of Prejudice. Members of minority groups value their minority social identity, even when the group is stigmatized. The positive value of minority social identity causes group members to look down on members of similar, more mainstream groups.