cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Influenza A virus in vitro transcription: Roles of NS1 and NP proteins in regulating RNA synthesis

To study the mechanisms by which the influenza A virus RNA-dependent RNA polymerase switches from transcription to replication we have devised a riboprobe protection technique with which we analyzed the 3′ end sequence of (+)-strand RNA products of an in vitro transcription reaction containing purified virion-RNP complexes in the presence and the absence of the putative regulatory proteins NP and NS,. We found that the addition of these proteins did not result in the synthesis of full-length (+)-strand RNA products resulting from read-through of the polyadenylation signal or replication. Because NS, and NP are both phosphoproteins we searched for protein kinase activity that might play a role in regulating RNA synthesis. We showed that virion RNP complexes phosphorylated NS, but possessed no autophosphorylating activity. Soluble NP protein derived from RNP complexes did not phosphorylate NS1, but did phosphorylate casein. When NP protein was dephosphorylated, however, it no longer phosphorylated casein. We also showed that NS1 was an ssRNA-binding protein which binds nonspecifically to all ssRNA, and that this activity is not dependent on its state of phosphorylation.
Automatic control of arc furnace electrodes

ALL electric furnaces with the exception of a certain special type of resistance furnace, the induction furnace, require electrodes for conducting current to the active zone. These electrodes are either fixed or movable and, with very few exceptions, are made of carbon or graphite.
Plastic twisting of a circular ring sector

Abstract The fully plastic twisting of a circular ring sector of an arbitrary solid cross section is discussed. Graphical methods for the determination of the shear lines and the rate of warping are developed. Square and rectangular cross sections are treated as examples.
Cytogenetics of chronic myeloproliferative disorders and related myelodysplastic syndromes

The World Health Organization classifies myeloproliferative disorders (MPD) into chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), chronic neutrophilic leukemia (CNL), chronic eosinophilic leukemia/hypereosinophilic syndrome (CEL), polycythemia vera (PV), chronic idiopathic myelofibrosis (CIMF), essential thrombocythemia (ET), and unclassifiable chronic MPD (MPD-U) [1,2] .T he World Health Organization also recognizes four disorders that have a myelodysplastic and myeloproliferative component: chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML), atypical CML, juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML), and unclassifiable myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS)/MPD (MDS/MPD-U). This article discusses the cytogenetic anomalies associated with each of these MPD. Chromosomal anomalies associated with MPD can be detected by conventional chromosome studies by analyzing proliferating metaphase cells or by chromosome-specific and locus-specific DNA probes and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) by studying nonproliferating interphase nuclei [3]. Today, cytogenetic and FISH studies are used by physicians in the workup of patients with MPD to obtain evidence of abnormal clones, classify disease, and obtain prognostic information [3]. Cytogenetic studies can detect therapy-related leukemia, monitor remission, and establish success of engraftment after bone marrow transplantation [4]. In research, chromosome and FISH studies have helped to investigate the origin and progression of hematologic malignancies. FISH and cytogenetic studies also have helped to establish which hematopoietic compartments are involved in neoplastic processes [5].
Obscurins: Unassuming giants enter the spotlight

Discovered about a decade ago, obscurin (~720 kDa) is a member of a family of giant proteins expressed in striated muscle that are essential for normal muscle function. Much of what we understand about obscurin stems from its functions in cardiac and skeletal muscle. However, recent evidence has indicated that variants of obscurin ("obscurins") are expressed in diverse cell types, where they contribute to distinct cellular processes. Dysfunction or abrogation of obscurins has also been implicated in the development of several pathological conditions, including cardiac hypertrophy and cancer. Herein, we present an overview of obscurins with an emphasis on novel findings that demonstrate their heretofore-unsuspected importance in cell signaling and disease progression.
Finding Creative Potential on Intelligence Tests via Divergent Production

Assessing creative potential using a comprehensive battery of standardized tests requires a focus on how and why an individual responds in addition to how well they respond. Using the “intelligent ...
Discharging patients who are undergoing mechanical circulatory support.

Six patients supported by the Baxter Novacor left ventricular assist system have been discharged during the period of mechanical circulatory support at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Benefits of discharge couple qualify of life improvements and economic advantages for mechanical circulatory support patients. Limitations caused by regulations within current protocols have been shown to detract from patient and caregiver qualify of life. Eliminating the unnecessary regulations will improve discharge capabilities without increasing the risk for clinical complications.
Drug-metal interactions: copper(II) complex of the antidiabetic drug acetohexamide and pyridine.

The preparation, spectral properties, and crystal structure of a copper(II) complex of 4-acetyl-N-[(cyclohexylamino)carbonyl]benzenesulfonamide, which is known as acetohexamide, and pyridine are reported. The complex Cu(AH)2(py)2, where AH = acetohexamide and py = pyridine, was prepared and characterized by X-ray and ESR. The complex is monoclinic, space group P21/a, with a = 17.412(6), b = 9.039(2), c = 26.531(10) A , β = 102.24(2)°, and Z = 4. The final refinement used 3892 unique reflections and gave an R value of 0.0646. The copper atom is surrounded by four nitrogen atoms in a square-planar arrangement, two from the acetohexamide ligands (CuN = 2.009 A) and two from the pyridine molecules (CuN = 2.016 A) in a trans geometry. The ESR data support a similar coordination behavior of the copper (g∥ > g⊥ > ge) with the unpaired electron in the dx2−y2 orbital.
Theory of deformable substrates for cell motility studies

Linear theory is used to relate the tractions F applied by a cell to the resulting deformation of fluid, viscoelastic, or solid substrates. The theory is used to fit data in which the motion of a fluid surface in the neighborhood of a motile keratocyte is visualized with the aid of embedded beads. The data are best fit by modeling the surface layer as a two-dimensional, nearly incompressible fluid. The data favor this model over another plausible model, the planar free boundary of a three-dimensional fluid. In the resulting diagrams for the distribution of F, it is found that both curl F and div F are concentrated in the lateral extrema of the lamellipodium. In a second investigation, a nonlinear theory of weak wrinkles in a solid substrate is proposed. The in-plane stress tensor plays the role of a metric. Compression wrinkles are found in regions where this metric is negative definite. Tension wrinkles arise, in linear approximation, at points on the boundary between positive definite and indefinite regions, and are conjectured to be stabilized by nonlinear effects. Data for the wrinkles that would be produced by keratocyte traction are computed, and these agree qualitatively with observed keratocyte wrinkles.
Attachment of an anti-receptor antibody to non-target cells renders them susceptible to lysis by a clone of cytotoxic T lymphocytes.

Abstract The molecular basis for the dependence of antigen recognition by T cells on products of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is unknown, and the antigenic structures that are actually bound by T-cell receptors are ill-defined. In this study, we asked whether a monoclonal antibody (mAb) that reacts with the T-cell receptor of a clone of murine cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) and not with the receptors of other CTL clones can substitute for that clone's natural ligand in specific cytolytic reactions. To answer the question, a mAb (1B2) to the receptor of a CTL clone (2C) was attached covalently to 51Cr-labeled cells that were not otherwise susceptible to lysis by clone 2C, and the cells thus modified were then tested as targets for clone 2C and other CTL clones of similar specificity. All labeled cells modified in this way, including a murine cell line that expresses no cell-surface MHC class I molecules and a human cell line, were lysed by clone 2C but not by other CTL clones. If, however, instead of attaching the mAb to the receptor of clone 2C, the cells were modified by attaching to them mAbs to other surface antigens on CTL [lymphocyte function-associated antigen (LFA-1), Thy-1.2], they were not lysed. In cytolytic titrations, the cells that had been converted by attachment of mAb 1B2 into specific targets for clone 2C were just as susceptible to lysis by that clone as the clone's natural H-2d targets (e.g., P815 cells). However, some accessory surface molecules (LFA-1, Lyt-2) that are required for clone 2C to lyse its natural H-2d targets seemed not to be required for this clone to lyse the mAb-converted target cells. By demonstrating that a variety of different cell types can be thus converted into target cells for CTL, the approach described in this study may provide opportunities to analyze further the mechanisms by which CTL destroy target cells.
Improved indicators of cell membrane potential that use fluorescence resonance energy transfer

Abstract Background : Fluorescence detection of cell membrane potentials is an important technique in neurobiology, cell physiology and pharmaceutical screening, but traditional one-fluorophore indicators either respond too slowly or have limited sensitivity. Recently, we introduced two-component sensors based on the transfer of fluorescence resonance energy from fluorescent lectins bound on one side of the plasma membrane to highly fluorescent oxonol acceptors that electrophorese from one face of the membrane to the other in response to membrane potential. Results : We have found that fluorescent lectins can often be advantageously replaced in such sensors by fluorescently labeled phospholipids. A coumarin-labeled phosphatidylethanolamine donor and a bis(1,3-dihexyl-2-thiobarbiturate)trimethineoxonol acceptor gave the largest sensitivity of fluorescence ratio (> 50% per 100 mV) ever reported. The response was also speeded several-fold by lengthening the mobile dye to the pentamethineoxonol analog, the Conclusions : Voltage-sensitive fluorescence resonance energy transfer already gives record-setting performance on single cells and will continue to be rationally improvable.
Tight Coupling of R and Distributed Linear Algebra for High-Level Programming with Big Data

We present a new distributed programming extension of the R programming language. By tightly coupling R to the well-known ScaLAPACK and MPI libraries, we are able to achieve highly scalable implementations of common statistical methods, allowing the user to analyze bigger datasets with R than ever before. Early benchmarks show great optimism for the project and its future.
Three new members of the RNP protein family in Xenopus

Many RNP proteins contain one or more copies of the RNA recognition motif (RRM) and are thought to be involved in cellular RNA metabolism. We have previously characterized in Xenopus a nervous system specific gene, nrp1, that is more similar to the hnRNP A/B proteins than to other known proteins (K. Richter, P. J. Good, and I. B. Dawid (1990), New Biol. 2, 556-565). PCR amplification with degenerate primers was used to identify additional cDNAs encoding two RRMs in Xenopus. Three previously uncharacterized genes were identified. Two genes encode hnRNP A/B proteins with two RRMs and a glycine-rich domain. One of these is the Xenopus homolog of the human A2/B1 gene; the other, named hnRNP A3, is similar to both the A1 and A2 hnRNP genes. The Xenopus hnRNP A1, A2 and A3 genes are expressed throughout development and in all adult tissues. Multiple protein isoforms for the hnRNP A2 gene are predicted that differ by the insertion of short peptide sequences in the glycine-rich domain. The third newly isolated gene, named xrp1, encodes a protein that is related by sequence to the nrp1 protein but is expressed ubiquitously. Despite the similarity to nuclear RNP proteins, both the nrp1 and xrp1 proteins are localized to the cytoplasm in the Xenopus oocyte. The xrp1 gene may have a function in all cells that is similar to that executed by nrp1 specifically within the nervous system.
Effects of Antibiotics on Proteinase-Positive and Proteinase-Negative Variants of Streptococcus cremoris

Abstract The growth and acid-producing ability of proteinase-positive and proteinase-negative starter cultures were studied in the presence of several antibiotics commonly used in treating bovine mastitis. Proteinase-positive and proteinase-negative variants of two different strains of Streptococcus cremoris were inoculated separately into heat-sterilized, reconstituted nonfat milk containing a range of concentrations of either dihydrostreptomycin, erythromycin, or penicillin G. Generation times and pH changes were determined for each sample following incubation at 38°C for 5h. At 2% inoculation, proteinase-positive cultures produced more pH change than their proteinase-negative counterparts at all concentrations of all three antibiotics. Proteinase-negative cultures at 8% inoculation produced more acid than proteinase-positives did when inoculated at 2%. Generation times for proteinase positives and proteinase negatives were the same when both cultures were inoculated at 2%, but 8% inoculation of proteinase negatives produced significantly shorter generation times. Increases in antibiotic concentrations affected proteinase-positives more than proteinase-negatives in both pH change and generation time. Penicillin affected both proteinase positives and negatives more than the other two antibiotics did but affected positives more than negatives.
Plant regeneration from suspension cultures of Allium fistulosum and an A. fistulosum × A. cepa interspecific hybrid☆

Abstract Suspension cultures were initiated from friable nodule-forming calluses of five onion genotypes, two of Allium fistulosum L. and three of A. cepa L., and an interspecific A. fistulosum × A. cepa F 1 diploid hybrid. Eight liquid BDS (basal Dunstan and Short [2]) media supplemented with factorial combinations of plant growth regulators 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), abscisic acid (ABA), or 6-benzylaminopurine (6-BAP) were used for initiating suspension cultures. More suspension cultures were initiated from A. fistulosum cultivars (30.0%) and the interspecific A. fistulosum × A. cepa diploid F 1 hybrid (25.0%) than from A. cepa cultivars (21.6%). Cell clumps cultured in liquid BDS medium with 0.5 mg/l ABA and 1.0 or 2.0 mg/l 2,4-D without 6-BAP were more finely dispersed than clumps cultured with 6-BAP in all genotypes. It was difficult to recover shoots from suspension cultures of A. cepa , but clumps from suspension cultures of the hybrid and A. fistulosum regenerated shoots which subsequently developed into plants.
Self-reported Ecstasy (MDMA) Use and Past Occurrence of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) in a Cohort Juvenile Detainees in the USA

The current study was designed to determine the extent to which self-reported ecstasy use in a population of juvenile adolescent detainees in a southern state is associated with high-risk health behaviors pertaining to sexually transmitted infection (STI) symptomology and past history of STI occurrence. Participants were 2,260 juvenile offenders housed at selected Youth Development Campuses in the state of Georgia. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) with 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) are presented. Juveniles who reported having used ecstasy previously were more likely to report that they had sore bumps of blisters near their sex organs before (OR 1.28, 95 % CI 0.74–2.21), with males who had used ecstasy prior incarceration being more than two times more likely to indicated that they had experienced having a drip or drainage from the penis (OR 1.76, 95 % CI 0.72–4.32), having vaginal discharge or odor from their vagina (OR 2.33, 95 % CI 1.16–4.65).
SH-1 modification of rabbit myosin interferes with calcium regulation.

The reactive thiol of the myosin head, SH-1, can be selectively labelled in glycerinated rabbit muscle fibres. This residue has been used as an attachment site for either fluorescent or spectroscopic probes which report on head movements and orientations in various functional states of muscle. We have specifically modified SH-1in vitro, using purified rabbit myosin and conditions similar to those employed in the labelling of muscle fibres (low ionic strength [40mM NaCl] at 4°C), with stoichiometric amounts of either [14C]-iodoacetamide, 5-(2((iodoacetyl)amino)ethyl) aminonaphthalene-1-sulphonic acid (IAEDANS), or 4-(2-iodoacetamido-2,2,6,6-tetramethyl piperidinooxyl (IASL). The specificity of modification was determined by measuring the well-defined alterations in the high salt ATPase activities of myosin and by localizing both IAAm and IAEDANS to the 20-kDa C-terminal subfragment 1 (S1) which contains SH-1. The low ionic strength actin-activated Mg2+-ATPase of SH-1-modified rabbit myosin was measured in the presence of the thin filament regulatory, complex, troponin-tropomyosin. A significant increase in this activity in the absence of calcium, concomitant with a decrease in activity in the presence of calcium, was observed as the extent of SH-1 modification was incrementally increased from zero to one mole of label bound per mole of SH-1. The elevated myosin Mg2+-ATPase, which results from SH-1 modification, does not account for the increased actin-activated Mg2+-ATPase in resting conditions (i.e. in the absence of calcium). Thein vitro actin-activated Mg2+-ATPase activities become equal in both active and resting conditions when one mole of SH-1 is modified per mole of myosin head. These results demonstrate that SH-1 is located in a region of the myosin head which plays a part in the calcium-sensitive regulation of the actin-activated Mg2+-ATPase by troponin-tropomyosin. These studies also indicate that SH-1-labelled preparations may not be suitable for the analysis of myosin head motion and/or orientation in the resting state.
Average Case Network Lifetime on an Interval with Adjustable Sensing Ranges

Given n sensors on an interval, each of which is equipped with an adjustable sensing radius and a unit battery charge that drains in inverse linear proportion to its radius, what schedule will maximize the lifetime of a network that covers the entire interval? Trivially, any reasonable algorithm is at least a 2-approximation for this Sensor Strip Cover problem, so we focus on developing an efficient algorithm that maximizes the expected network lifetime under a random uniform model of sensor distribution. We demonstrate one such algorithm that achieves an expected network lifetime within 12 % of the theoretical maximum. Most of the algorithms that we consider come from a particular family of RoundRobin coverage, in which sensors take turns covering predefined areas until their battery runs out.
CD2 is expressed by a subpopulation of normal B cells and is frequently present in mature B-cell neoplasms.

Background CD2 is expressed by T and natural killer (NK) cells and has been reported in T/NK cell lineage neoplasms as well as in immature B-lymphoblastic and myeloid leukemias. Although CD2+ B-cells have been identified in normal fetal and postnatal thymus, they have not been reported in adults. Methods We retrospectively reviewed flow cytometric immunophenotypic data on consecutive low-grade B-cell leukemias and lymphomas to investigate the frequency of CD2 expression. We also reviewed samples from normal healthy donors to determine whether there is a normal CD2+ B-cell population. Results CD2 expression (partial or complete) was observed in 13 of 83 (16%) chronic lymphocytic leukemias (CLL), 16 of 29 (55%) follicle center lymphomas (FCL), 3 of 12 (25%) hairy cell leukemias (HCL), 0 of 6 mantle cell lymphomas (MCL), 8 of 28 (29%) large cell lymphomas (LCL), and in 0 of 5 marginal zone/mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphomas (MZL/MALT). We determined that 5.74 ± 2.46% (mean ± SD) of normal peripheral blood B cells and 6.48 ± 1.62 % (mean ± SD) of normal bone marrow B cells coexpress CD2. Conclusions CD2 expression in B-cell neoplasia is a more prevalent phenomenon than previously appreciated. Normal CD2+ B-cell populations are observed in adults and may represent the nonmalignant counterpart of CD2+ B-cell neoplasms. Cytometry (Clin. Cytometry) 50:243–248, 2002. Published 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
TU‐A‐BRB‐10: Ultrasonic Imaging of Dose to Water from a 1.5 MeV Electron Beam

Purpose: To use an ultrasonicsensor array to obtain thermal images produced by absorbed ‐dose distributions in a water phantom. Method and Materials: An array of 128 PVDF ultrasonictransducers arranged in a circle with radius 177.8 mm is used to image the heating of water in a phantom irradiated by a vertical, 1.5 ‐MeV electron beam capable of delivering dose rates ranging from Gy/min to kGy/min. Fan ‐beam sampling and reconstruction are managed by a double ‐multiplexer system that selects one transducer to emit a short pulse and scans the corresponding transducers across the tank to receive the propagated pulse. Time ‐of ‐flight measurements between transmitter/receiver pairs are then converted to temperature and passed to a filtered back projection algorithm to reconstruct the desired thermal distributions. Since dose from the beam is deposited mostly within the top cm layer of water, the array is located just below the water surface. A small, 4 ‐cm diameter Al mask is placed just above the water surface to aperture the beam. Results: Preliminary measurements involving therapy ‐level radiation were obscured by system noise, but higher doses, of order 1000 Gy/min, produced detectable images within seconds. Conclusion:Imaging of absorbed dose to water has been achieved for the first time, although at dose rates that are considerably above therapy level. Planned improvements in signal processing are expected to bring the detection limit into the therapy regime. Other uses of the array, e.g. triangulation of thermoacoustic disturbances caused by pulsed radiation sources, are also being investigated.
The Role of Glutamine Synthetase and Glutamate Dehydrogenase in Cerebral Ammonia Homeostasis

In the brain, glutamine synthetase (GS), which is located predominantly in astrocytes, is largely responsible for the removal of both blood-derived and metabolically generated ammonia. Thus, studies with [13N]ammonia have shown that about 25 % of blood-derived ammonia is removed in a single pass through the rat brain and that this ammonia is incorporated primarily into glutamine (amide) in astrocytes. Major pathways for cerebral ammonia generation include the glutaminase reaction and the glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) reaction. The equilibrium position of the GDH-catalyzed reaction in vitro favors reductive amination of α-ketoglutarate at pH 7.4. Nevertheless, only a small amount of label derived from [13N]ammonia in rat brain is incorporated into glutamate and the α-amine of glutamine in vivo. Most likely the cerebral GDH reaction is drawn normally in the direction of glutamate oxidation (ammonia production) by rapid removal of ammonia as glutamine. Linkage of glutamate/α-ketoglutarate-utilizing aminotransferases with the GDH reaction channels excess amino acid nitrogen toward ammonia for glutamine synthesis. At high ammonia levels and/or when GS is inhibited the GDH reaction coupled with glutamate/α-ketoglutarate-linked aminotransferases may, however, promote the flow of ammonia nitrogen toward synthesis of amino acids. Preliminary evidence suggests an important role for the purine nucleotide cycle (PNC) as an additional source of ammonia in neurons (Net reaction: l-Aspartate + GTP + H2O → Fumarate + GDP + Pi + NH3) and in the beat cycle of ependyma cilia. The link of the PNC to aminotransferases and GDH/GS and its role in cerebral nitrogen metabolism under both normal and pathological (e.g. hyperammonemic encephalopathy) conditions should be a productive area for future research.
The number of superhelical turns in native Virion SV40 DNA and Minicol DNA determined by the band counting method

By a method of overlapping the results obtained after agarose gel electrophoresis under two different sets of conditions, it has become possible to determine the number of superhelical turns in a given DNA by counting the bands present after partially relaxing the DNA (Keller and Wendel, 1974) with highly purified nicking-closing (N-C) enzyme from LA9 mouse cell nuclei. Because native supercoiled DNA is heterogeneous with respect to superhelix density, an average number of superhelical turns was determined. Virion SV40 DNA contains 26 +/- 0.5 superhelical turns, and native Minicol DNA contains 19 +/- 0.5 superhelical turns. The above are values at 0.2 M NaCl and at 37 degrees C, the condition under which the enzymatic relaxations were performed. The superhelix densities determined by the band counting method have been compared with superhelix densities determined by buoyant equilibrium in PDl-CsCl gradients. The Gray, Upholt, and Vinograd (1971) calculation procedure has been used for evaluating the superhelix densities by the latter method with the new statement, however, that relaxed DNA has zero superhelical turns. Comparison of the superhelix densities obtained by both methods permits a calculation of an unwinding angle for ethidium. The mean value from experiments with SV40 DNA is 23 +/- 3 degree. The average number of superhelical turns in SV40, 26, combined with the value, 21, obtained by both Griffith (1975) and Germond et al. (1975) for the average number of nucleosomes per SV40 genome, yields an average of 1.25 superhelical turns per 1/21 of the SV40 genome. If the regions of internucleosomal DNA are fully relaxed, 1.25 correesponds to the average number of superhelical turns with a nucleosome. When analyzed under identical conditions, the limit product generated by ligating a nicked circular substrate in the presence of 0.001 M Mg2+ at 37 degrees C (ligation conditions) is slightly more positively supercoiled than the limit product obtained when the N-C reaction is performed in 0.2 M NaCl at 37 degrees C. The difference in superhelix density as measured in gels between the two sets of limit products for both Minicol and SV40 DNAs is 0.0059 +/- 0.0005. This result indicates that the DNA duplex is overwound in the ligation solvent relative to its state in 0.2 M NaCl.
Effects of acidosis and ATP depletion on cardiac muscle electron transfer complex I.

Abstract The loss of NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase activity, the activity of mitochondrial electron transfer complex I, underlies the loss of mitochondrial phosphorylating respiration with NAD-linked substrates observed during myocardial ischemia. In the present study the loss of complex I activity was found to be considerably more rapid during zero-flow ischemia in rat heart, a fast heart-rate heart, than in dog heart, a slow heart-rate heart. Moreover, the greater rapidity of the loss of complex I activity in the ischemic rat heart appeared to reflect the more rapid and more severe decreases in tissue pH and in tissue ATP characteristic of the zero-flow ischemic rat heart compared to zero-flow ischemic dog heart. In vitro enzyme inactivation studies on dog heart electron transfer complex I showed that the enzyme was approximately 40% inactivated after 1 minute by incubation at pH 6.0 in the absence of added ATP. The effect of low pH upon enzyme activity was mitigated considerably by the presence of one to two m m MgATP in the incubation mixtures. Moreover, a portion of the activity-sparing effect of MgATP was still observed in the presence of the uncoupler, FCCP. This latter observation suggests that part of the function-stabilizing effect of ATP was attributable to inner membrane energization and part appeared to have been due to a direct protective effect of ATP upon the complex.
EXCITONIC SINGLET-TRIPLET RATIO IN A SEMICONDUCTING ORGANIC THIN FILM

A technique is presented to determine the spin statistics of excitons formed by electrical injection in a semiconducting organic thin film. With the aid of selective addition of luminescent dyes, we generate either fluorescence or phosphorescence from the archetype organic host material aluminum tris (8-hydroxyquinoline) $({\mathrm{Alq}}_{3}).$ Spin statistics are calculated from the ratio of fluorescence to phosphorescence in the films under electrical excitation. After accounting for varying photoluminescent efficiencies, we find a singlet fraction of excitons in ${\mathrm{Alq}}_{3}$ of $(22\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}3)%.$
Towards intelligent search support for web services evolution identifying the right abstractions

Services Oriented Architecture (SOA) is becoming a popular style for building complex systems-of-systems that allow businesses to work together across organizational boundaries. However concerns have been raised about the comprehensibility and maintainability of SOA composite applications. Integrating and deploying SOA applications requires artifacts in a variety of web-based languages (WSDL, XSD, BPEL, etc.) often produced by code-generation tools. It becomes difficult for a human to discover and understand the dependencies between these artifacts in an existing system. In this paper, we describe ongoing research on using search techniques to facilitate SOA maintenance by allowing users to query collections of artifacts making up a SOA composite application. The main focus in this paper is a case study using our prototype search tool SOAMiner to identify a set of abstractions that extract useful and critical information for maintainers, thereby bridging the heterogeneity of SOA artifacts while opportunistically exploiting their structure. Results of the study indicate that the highest priority abstractions for SOA are datatype summaries, service invocation (calling) relationships, and data usage relationships.
Scrub Typhus: A Frequently Overlooked Cause of Acute Renal Failure

Acute renal failure associated with scrub typhus infection is not rare as previously thought. The possibility of scrub typhus should be borne in mind when patients present with fever and varying degrees of acute renal failure, particularly if an eschar exists, along with a history of environmental exposure in an area like Taiwan, where scrub typhus is endemic. Prompt diagnosis and the use of appropriate antibiotics can rapidly alter the clinical course of the disease and prevent the development of serious or fatal complications. To illustrate the above point, this study reports 3 cases of scrub typhus associated with acute renal failure. They were seen at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in a 2-year interval. Case 1 was referred from district hospital with clinical features of multiple organ dysfunctions, including shock, fever, acute respiratory failure, acute renal failure, and acute hepatitis. Case 2 was admitted with the chief problems of shock, fever, acute renal failure, and DIC. Case 3 visited our outpatient clinic due to fever, maculopapular rash and acute renal failure. In all these patients, the diagnosis was confirmed using immunofluorescence techniques, which showed that Orientia tsutsugamushi had an IgM titer of 1:80 or greater. Notably, despite having varying degrees of acute renal deterioration, the patients responded very well to doxycycline therapy and recovered completely. Additionally, a total of 4 similar cases of scrub typhus associated with acute renal failure were reviewed from the past literature.
Cartel failure: A mistake or do they do it to each other on purpose?

Abstract The common explanation for the instability of cartels is that a successful cartel agreement creates strong incentives for individual members to cheat. Cheating invites retaliation and the result is that the cartel often fails. This paper describes a series of experiments where previously collusive duopoly pairs were placed in an uncertain monitoring situation that made cheating the dominant strategy. Most of these duopolists did not cheat or retaliate against their counterpart until the evidence of non-collusive behavior by their counterpart was overwhelming. We suggest that cartel failures may therefore begin more by mistake or random demand shocks than by deliberate chiseling by firms.
As Others See Plant Pathologists

Industrial concerns engaged in research, development, and sales of agricultural pesticides and processors of food and feed are concerned about the public image of all agricultural disciplines. They believe sociopolitical implications will be of utmost importance to the successful marketing of potentially useful pesticides. Since the voice of agriculture is waning socially and politically, new strength may be needed from the leaders of the scientific disciplines which comprise the whole of agriculture. A director of the Agriculture Division of a National Trade Association stated "I believe agriculture in general is struggling with the same problems, and I don't believe any of the groups with which I am associated have come up with a real solution to the problem." As far as his organization was concerned, the image of plant pathologists is excellent. This association at one time spent $100,000 a year employing a public relations firm to develop material and programs that would present their image in a favorable light, but the program did not develop to their satisfaction and now they conduct their own public relations program.
Response factors in intermodality localization under conflict conditions

The role of response modality in resolving visual-proprioceptive spatial conflict was evaluated. Subjects responded to either the felt or the seen locations of their forefingers viewed through an ll-deg laterally displacing wedge prism. Four response conditions were used: pointing with the contralateral hand either (1) during target presentation or (2) after target offset, (3)pointing with the ipsilateral (target) hand after target offset, and (4) making a visual localization response after target offset. Using the contralateral hand produced a compromise between vision and proprioception that fell about two-thirds of the way toward the optical location. Using the visual response increased visual influence. Using the ipsilateral response decreased visual influence. It was concluded that visual-proprioceptive interaction in spatial localization is not immune to response modality effects. A possible explanation of the response modality effect, based on differential attention, is discussed.
Simplified treatment strategies to fluid therapy in diarrhea

Dehydration resulting from diarrhea remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality among infants and children worldwide. Although it is well established that rapid and generous intravenous restoration of extracellular fluid, followed by oral rehydration therapy (ORT) should be used in children with severe dehydration, physicians continue to be reluctant to use such therapy. Applying the principle of body fluid physiology to the current treatment of dehydration, we developed a simple and yet effective treatment strategy to fluid therapy for children with diarrheal dehydration using commercially manufactured solutions. Children with mild-to-moderate dehydration are best treated with ORT using commercially available oral solutions containing 45–75 mEq/l of Na+. Children who have clinical evidence of severe dehydration should receive intravenous fluids, 60–100 ml/kg of 0.9% saline in the first 2–4 h to restore circulation. Oliguric patients with severe acidosis should receive a physiological dose of bicarbonate to correct blood pH level to 7.25. Once circulation is restored, the ORT should be given in small quantities to replace losses of water and Na+ over 6–8 h. Age-appropriate diet should be started as soon as tolerated. Those who cannot tolerate ORT should receive intravenous rehydration for the remainder of the deficit and maintenance. Addition of 20 mEq/l K+ to rehydration solutions permits repair of cellular K+ deficits without risk of hyperkalemia. The amount of Na+ given to replace maintenance and deficit fluids varies with the forms of dehydration. Isonatremic dehydration is best treated with 5% dextrose in 0.45% saline containing 20 mEq/l KCl over 24 h. Hyponatremic dehydration is best treated with 0.9% saline and 0.45% saline alternately in a 1:1 ratio in 5% dextrose containing 20 mEq/l KCl over 24 h. Hypernatremic dehydration is best treated with 5% dextrose in 0.2% saline containing 20 mEq/l KCl over 2–3 days to avoid cerebral edema. Maintenance hydration is best treated with 5% dextrose in 0.2% saline containing 20 mEq/l KCl. Ideal commercial intravenous maintenance and deficit solutions have yet to appear.
Early Indications of Resilience and Their Relation to Experiences in the Home Environments of Low Birthweight, Premature Children Living in Poverty

The caregiving environment experienced by 243 premature, low birthweight (LBW) children living in poverty was examined to determine whether the quality of care such children receive affords them some measure of protection from the generally deleterious consequences of poverty and prematurity. Only 26 children were identified as functioning in the normal range for cognitive, social/adaptive, health, and growth parameters at age 3. These children, who showed early signs of resiliency, differed from nonresilient children in that they were receiving more responsive, accepting, stimulating, and organized care. They were also living in safer, less crowded homes. 6 "protective" aspects of caregiving were identified and used as part of a cumulative protection index. Children with less than 3 protective aspects of caregiving present at age 1 had only a 2% probability of being resilient, and only a 6% probability if fewer than 3 were present at age 3. Overall, premature LBW children born into conditions of poverty have a very poor prognosis of functioning within normal ranges across all the dimensions of health and development assessed. However, those raised in a setting with 3 or more protective factors were more likely to show early signs of resiliency.
Evolution of a spectrally local disturbance in grid-generated, nearly isotropic turbulence

A grid-generated ‘isotropic’ turbulent flow has been subjected to a spectrally local perturbation in the form of a high wavenumber, sinusoidal ripple in the mean velocity. It is introduced as the wake of a fine wire, low solidity screen (a ‘zither’), operating below its vortex-shedding Reynolds numbers. The perturbation appears most clearly downstream as a strongly periodic component in the transverse correlation of streamwise turbulent velocity, R11(r2). Its Fourier transform, E11(k2, a ‘one-dimensional spectrum’, shows a corresponding local ‘spike’. The downstream evolution of this perturbation has been chronicled for four different spectral locations. Their decays are approximately exponential. Measurements of the one-dimensional spectrum E11(k1) at several downstream stations show evidence of energy transfer to other wavenumber regions.The decay of the velocity correlation ripple is approximately consistent with the decrease in time of the narrow-band correlation function presented by Comte-Bellot & Corrsin (1971). It is also found that the linear perturbation response calculated by Kraichnan (1959) for a disturbance wavenumber larger than those of the incident turbulence shows fair agreement with this decay.
Reduced Cognitive Ability in Alcohol Dependence: Examining the Role of Covarying Externalizing Psychopathology

Reduced executive cognitive ability is associated with alcohol dependence (AD) and other comorbid externalizing disorders. Working memory capacity, short-term memory, conditional associative learning, and intelligence were assessed in a sample (N = 477) with variation in lifetime histories of externalizing problems (conduct disorder, adult antisocial behavior, substance problems); this included a subsample (n = 285) with a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.; American Psychiatric Association, 1994) diagnosis of AD. Individuals with both AD and a history of childhood conduct disorder (CCD) scored lower on cognitive measures compared to those with AD and no history of CCD. Structural equation models showed that reduced ability in all cognitive domains was predicted by a latent externalizing factor reflecting covariation among lifetime problems with alcohol, drugs, childhood conduct, and adult antisocial behavior and was not uniquely related to any one problem. Further, for those with AD, the externalizing factor was associated with reductions in all the domains of cognitive ability. The results suggest that the reduced executive cognitive ability observed in AD individuals is partly accounted for by a general latent externalizing factor rather than alcohol-related problems per se.
EDM: Earned Duration Management, a new approach to schedule performance management and measurement

Abstract The concept of schedule monitoring and control as one of the most important functions of project and program management has not been fully exploited. One possible explanation could be the dominance of the Earned Value Management System (EVMS, also known as EVM). EVM was originally developed as a cost management and control tool which was extended to track the schedule as well. EVM and its derivatives (e.g. Earned Schedule) use cost as a proxy to measure schedule performance to control the duration of the project. While there is a correlation between schedule, cost, quality, and scope of a project, using cost to control duration has proven to be misleading. In contrast to Earned Value and Earned Schedule, the authors have developed the Earned Duration Management (EDM) in which they have decoupled schedule and cost performance measures and developed a number of indices to measure progress and performance of schedule and cost, as well as the efficacy and efficiency of the plan at any level of the project. These new indices are easy to understand, have wider applications, and can be used by contractors, clients and the scheduling offices to assess and measure schedule performance. The newly developed duration performance measures are all schedule-based and can be used for forecasting the finish date of the project.
Nonlinear optical properties of the first series transition metal substituted phthalocyanines

Degenerate four-wave mixing was used to determine the nonlinear optical properties of the first series transition metal phthalocyanines at 532 nm. Metal phthalocyanines consisting of titanium, vanadium, chromium, manganese, cobalt, nickel, copper and zinc were investigated. For these compounds /spl chi//sup 3/ values ranged from 4.0/spl times/10/sup -13/ esu for vanadium to 2.8/spl times/10/sup -12/ for copper.
Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 Induces Lipid Production in Human SEB-1 Sebocytes Via Sterol Response Element-Binding Protein-1

An understanding of the molecular signaling involved in sebaceous gland lipid production is needed to develop therapeutic targets to improve acne. Treatment with methylisobutylxanthine, dexamethasone, and a high dose of insulin (MDI) has been shown to differentiate 3T3-L1 preadipocytes into adipocytes, a differentiation marked by an increase in lipid production. The present study has the following aims: (1) Since high doses of insulin, as found in MDI, will activate the IGF-1 receptor, we sought to determine if IGF-1 is capable of reproducing the lipogenic effect seen with MDI treatment, and (2) to determine if the sterol response element-binding protein-1 (SREBP-1) pathway mediates the increase in lipogenesis. Here we report that MDI increases lipogenesis and that this effect can be attributed wholly to the high-dose insulin in SEB-1 cells. Further, we show that a physiologically relevant dose of IGF-1 or high-dose (1 microM) insulin induces an increase in SREBP-1 mRNA, protein, and total lipid production; while 100 nM insulin induces lipogenesis yet the SREBP protein levels remain unchanged. These data indicate that activation of the IGF-1 receptor increases lipogenesis in SEB-1 cells through both SREBP-dependent and SREBP-independent pathways.
The Effects of Diversity Awareness Training on Differential Treatment

A quasi-experimental design was used to evaluate the effects of cultural diversity awareness training among 125 managers and supervisors. Approximately half of the participants attended a cultural diversity awareness training session where as the other half served as a matched comparison group. A coworker specifically designated for each participant evaluated the extent to which the participant engaged in differential treatment of culturally different individuals. Trainees’ reactions to the training program were positive. However, there was an interaction between training and coworker’s ethnicity, such that trainees received higher ratings of differential treatment from non-White coworkers than did matched controls. Post training interviews suggested that such difference was due to a resentful demoralization of trainees. The results should warn organizations that diversity awareness training may not have the desired effects in the absence of a supportive work context.
Pseudohypertrophic muscular dystrophy

Summary 1.The metabolic and therapeutic effect of glycine and other substances has been reported in fourteen cases of pseudohypertrophic muscular dystrophy, with comments on our early observations of a few cases treated with theelin and glycine. 2.The dosage and chemistry of the substance, glycine, has been reviewed. 3.The therapeutic effects of other glandular products and other drugs are recorded.
Extracting the emics of diversity

Abstract Part 1 of the paper presents a theoretical framework that includes some of the major variables that need to be considered in diversity training. A key point is that each diversity relationship, for example men-women or African-vs European-Americans, has its own “culture” (institutionalized ways of thinking and acting derived from historical/experiential events involving that particular relationship). Since the number of these relationships is very large, an efficient method of extracting the culture-specific (emic) themes that characterize each relationship is required. Part 2 presents one empirical study that extracts such themes, using focus groups and a computer-based approach that can also generate directly culture assimilator-type items. Thus, an efficient method of extracting the emics of diversity becomes available for each relationship.
Older women, their children, and grandchildren: a feminist perspective on family relationships.

SUMMARY Using gerontological and feminist frameworks, we explored the relationships older women have with their children and grandchildren. In-depth, qualitative interviews were conducted with 34 women, ranging in age from 55 to 88. From our analyses of the women's perceptions of their family relationships, two themes were prevalent: the centrality of children and the peripherality of grandchildren in their everyday lives. The women had varying degrees of involvement with their children and grandchildren, and these relationships contributed to their sense of self and family. Their relationships were not stagnant, but were continually reshaped as both the women and their family members proceeded through the life course.