cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Percutaneous ultrasonic lithotripsy (PUL) after shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) failure.

Objective Shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) is an attractive initial treatment for nephrolithiasis. Unfortunately, a significant number of stones are resistant to SWL therapy and require subsequent percutaneous ultrasonic lithotripsy (PUL) for definitive treatment. Our objective was to determine if previous SWL had adverse effects on PUL success and if there were differences between the patients undergoing primary PUL and those undergoing PUL after SWL failure. Materials and methods In 2001, 108 PULs were performed at our institution, of which 40 (37%) were performed after SWL failure. Stone location, anesthesia time, stone composition and size, and complication rates were compared between patients who had PUL alone and those who underwent PUL after SWL failure. Anesthesia time was considered a reflection of technical difficulty of the case. Results Stone composition differed between the SWL failure and primary PUL groups. Cystine stones were found to be more common in the ESWL failure group and calcium oxalate monohydrate stones more common in the primary PUL group. There was not a statistically significant difference in stone size, anesthesia time or complication rates, between the PUL alone and PUL after SWL failure groups. Conclusion PUL remains a reliable and safe treatment of nephrolithiasis. Prior SWL does not affect efficacy, technical difficulty, or postoperative complications of subsequent PUL. Based on our data, prior SWL should not be considered a negative factor in PUL outcomes. Stone composition should be considered a prognostic indicator of SWL failure and alert the surgeon that primary PUL may be indicated.
Abstract 224: Characterizing Quality of Life Responses and Physical Functioning Improvements to an Integrated Self-care Intervention for Persons With Co-morbid Heart Failure and Diabetes

Objectives: In the Quality HF-DM trial, which tested an integrated self-care intervention for persons with heart failure (HF) and diabetes (DM), improved perceived HF and general health-related qua...
Assessment of Variability in the SOMAscan Assay

SOMAscan is an aptamer-based proteomics assay capable of measuring 1,305 human protein analytes in serum, plasma, and other biological matrices with high sensitivity and specificity. In this work, we present a comprehensive meta-analysis of performance based on multiple serum and plasma runs using the current 1.3 k assay, as well as the previous 1.1 k version. We discuss normalization procedures and examine different strategies to minimize intra- and interplate nuisance effects. We implement a meta-analysis based on calibrator samples to characterize the coefficient of variation and signal-over-background intensity of each protein analyte. By incorporating coefficient of variation estimates into a theoretical model of statistical variability, we also provide a framework to enable rigorous statistical tests of significance in intervention studies and clinical trials, as well as quality control within and across laboratories. Furthermore, we investigate the stability of healthy subject baselines and determine the set of analytes that exhibit biologically stable baselines after technical variability is factored in. This work is accompanied by an interactive web-based tool, an initiative with the potential to become the cornerstone of a regularly updated, high quality repository with data sharing, reproducibility, and reusability as ultimate goals.
Team-Teaching with Colleagues in the Arts and Humanities

This panel will include experience reports from five computer science faculty members who have team-taught courses with professors from outside the sciences. Specifically, we will discuss lessons learned and best practices with collaborating with faculty from the arts and humanities. Courses that look outward have the potential to broaden participation and promote computing's role in the broader world beyond software engineering concerns. The panelists will highlight how to: find a topic, find a collaborator(s), design the course, maintain rigor in both disciplines, target the right audience, assess how well it worked, and do it more than once.
A decade analysis of residential LEED buildings market share in the United States: Trends for transitioning sustainable societies

Abstract Third-party verification and certification processes for low energy built environments have played a critical role in influencing transitioning sustainable societies to reduce their emissions footprint in both residential and commercial buildings. One prominent example is the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification program, which was conceived by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). Its residential platform, LEED for Homes, started as a pilot in 2004 and was fully implemented in 2008. This paper attempts to answer the question: what are the characteristics of growing sustainable LEED residential societies in the United States? The paper examines residential LEED market adoption trends in the United States by analyzing a decade-worth of data from 2005 to 2014 (71,438 certified units). The study implemented data visualization techniques and statistical analyses to explore predictors of residential LEED community adoption trends. The findings suggest that market share of LEED licensed residences in a state and the number of policies and incentives in that state are generally related. Overall market share for LEED Residential had a smaller effect (β = −0.03 with outliers, 0.11 without outliers) than for LEED for Homes overall (β = 0.06 with outliers, 0.12 without outliers). A significant positive relationship between LEED residential market share and number of LEED AP per capita was also found. The strongest relationship in this subset of variables was with LEED for Homes single-family homes, where one standard deviation increase in LEED AP per capita in year t was associated with a 0.15 standard deviation increase in market share in year t + 1. LEED Residential market share was not generally related to educational attainment, median household income, or political orientation (democrat vs. republican). The investigation proposes further research, specifically as related to local practice support as mechanisms of growing the transition to low-carbon societies.
Soil moisture response to white ash mortality following emerald ash borer invasion

Emerald ash borer (EAB) (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire), an invasive forest insect first identified in southeastern Michigan in 2002, is established in at least 32 US states and three Canadian provinces. Ash (Fraxinus spp.) mortality rates in some forested areas exceed 90%, but to date, little is known about the potential effects of EAB-caused ash mortality on hydrological processes. More broadly, there is a need for information on the timing and magnitude of soil moisture response to species-specific mortality of overstory vegetation in deciduous forest systems. Soil moisture was examined in 28 forested sites where 0–100% of the white ash basal area (Fraxinus americana L.) was killed by EAB. Synoptic measurements of near-surface (0–6 cm depth) soil moisture were collected from 112 plots (18 m radius) within the sites. Three plots were also instrumented with soil moisture sensors at 10 and 25 cm depth to log hourly measurements from May to October. Synoptic data showing white ash mortality and soil moisture were positively correlated in the 34 plots with ≥ 5% mortality (by total basal area). In the intensively monitored plots, volumetric soil moisture declined from 37 to 16% between July and September where white ash mortality was low (0.6% of basal area killed), but remained near field capacity (~ 30%) throughout the monitoring period in the high mortality plot (8.6% of basal area killed), meriting further investigation to assess effects of white ash mortality on evapotranspiration and soil moisture dynamics in heterogeneous upland forests. Altered soil moisture may have implications for regrowth dynamics, infiltration/runoff partitioning, and nutrient cycling, but additional study to quantify the extent and duration of EAB-related ash mortality on hydrology at the plot and watershed scale is necessary.
Through the Lens Clearly: Using Films to Demonstrate Ethical Decision-Making in the Public Service

The practical implications of teaching public service values are of growing importance to educational programs across the country. Helping students understand ethics not only as abstract concepts b...
Differences in Appearance-Based Trait Inferences for Male and Female Political Candidates

Studies show that automatic trait inferences can predict outcomes of actual elections, but these studies generally include male candidates only. Substantial evidence also shows that female candidat...
Misinformation and Mass Audiences

Ever since the 2016 U.S. presidential election, the term “fake news” has become seemingly inescapable. Because the term lacks a consensus definition, it increasingly operates as a stand-in for what...
Second to None: Plant Secondary siRNAs as Defensive Agents against Phytophthora.

The eukaryotic plant pathogen Phytophthora encodes conserved effector proteins to eliminate host secondary siRNAs. In this issue of Cell Host & Microbe, Hou et al. (2019) report that reduction in secondary siRNA levels renders the host hypersusceptible to Phytophthora and plant secondary siRNAs likely serve as trans-species defensive molecules against pathogens.
Seasonal Irrigation Water Use Efficiency of Multi-Pot Box System

Abstract A Multi-Pot Box System (MPBS) was tested during three growing seasons (Fall 1996, Fall 1997, and Fall 1998) for efficient use of irrigation and rainfall in container-grown landscape plant ...
Characterizing the continuous degrees

The continuous degrees measure the computability-theoretic content of elements of computable metric spaces. They properly extend the Turing degrees and naturally embed into the enumeration degrees. Although nontotal (i.e., non-Turing) continuous degrees exist, they are all very close to total: joining a continuous degree with a total degree that is not below it always results in a total degree. We call this property almost totality. We prove that the almost total degrees coincide with the continuous degrees. Since the total degrees are definable in the partial order of enumeration degrees [1], we see that the continuous degrees are also definable. Applying earlier work on the continuous degrees [10], this shows that the relation “PA above” on the total degrees is definable in the enumeration degrees. In order to prove that every almost total degree is continuous, we pass through another characterization of the continuous degrees that slightly simplifies one of Kihara and Pauly [7]. We prove that the enumeration degree of A is continuous if and only if A is codable, meaning that A is enumeration above the complement of an infinite tree, every path of which enumerates A.
Social Partner Dance : Body, Sound, and Space

Social Partner Dance: Body, Sound, and Space is an ethnographic theory of social partner dancing built on participant observation and interviews with instructors of tango, lindy hop, salsa, blues, and various other forms. The work establishes a general analytical language for the study of these dances, based on the premise that a thorough understanding of any lead/follow form must consider in depth how it manages the four-part relationship between self, partner, music, and surroundings. Each chapter begins with a brief vignette on a distinct dance form and explores the focused worlds of partnered dancing done for the joy and entertainment of the dancers themselves. Grounded intellectually in embodiment studies and sensory ethnography, and empirically in ethnographic fieldwork, Social Partner Dance promotes scholarship that understands the social, cultural, and political functions of partner dance through its embodied practice.
The pyramid operator

This paper gives a concept of an integral operator defined on a manifold $M$ consisting of triple of points in $\mathbb{R}^{d}$ making up a regular $3$-simplex with the origin. The boundedness of such operator is investigated. The boundedness region contains more than the Banach range - a fact that mirrors the spherical $L^{p}$-improving estimate. The purpose of this paper is two-fold: one is to investigate into an integral operator over a manifold created from high-dimensional regular simplices, two is to start a maximal operator theory for such integral operator.
Speech Intervention Effects for Childhood Apraxia of Speech: Quality Appraisal of Systematic Reviews

Purpose A number of justification have examined the effects of speech interventions on outcomes in childhood apraxia of speech (CAS). The findings have been summarized in the form of systematic rev...
Pulmonary mucosal immunity mediated through CpG provides adequate protection against pulmonary Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in the mouse model. A role for type I interferon.

Abstract Toll-Like Receptor (TLR) 9 stimulation is required for induction of potent immune responses against pathogen invasion. The use of unmethylated CpG as adjuvants in vaccines provides an excellent means of stimulating adaptive immunity. Our data demonstrate that CpG-C provided prolonged immune responses in the mouse model of tuberculosis when formulated with liposomes and the Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigen ESAT-6. A reduction in the mycobacterial burden was best achieved when administered as an intranasal vaccine and was dependent on type I interferon (IFN). There was a significant difference between CpG-C inoculated wild type and IFN-αR1−/− mice, indicating that type I IFN plays a role in the immune response following CpG-C inoculation. Further analysis showed that early NK cell presence was not an absolute requirement, although elevated IFN-γ levels were detected in the lungs of mice within 48 h. The reduction in mycobacterial burden was MyD88-independent as CpG-C inoculated MyD88−/− mice showed comparable mycobacterial burdens to wild type mice with no detriment due to the lack of MyD88. Together our data show that pulmonary stimulation of TLR9 bearing antigen presenting cells resulted in the induction of protective immunity against M. tuberculosis infection that was dependent on type I IFN signaling.
Investigating the effect of fatigue on muscle microvasculature blood flow during intermittent isometric contraction

Localized muscle fatigue (LMF) decreases muscular strength, while affects the performance and potentially increases the risk of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD). An important mechanism in recovering from muscle fatigue is blood flow (BF). The BF response to muscle contraction and fatigue is highly dynamic and difficult to predict, as it depends on both metabolic demand and intramuscular pressure. The aim of this study was to measure both fatigue and BF during intermittent exertion of the first dorsal interosseous (FDI) muscle, in order to better characterize the relationship between BF and LMF during muscle contraction and rest. This study utilized Diffuse Correlation Spectroscopy (DCS) for BF measurement within the microvasculature of the FDI muscle. Exertion levels (EL) for intermittent fatiguing contraction were set to 20%, 30%, and 40% of an individual’s maximum voluntary contraction (MVC). Our results showed that as an individual fatigued, relative BF rates increased, on average, by ~66% during exertion periods and ~330% during rest periods. Differences between exerting and resting BF increased over time for every EL (p<0.04), increasing by up to 11 times the baseline BF. At the same levels of muscle capacity (%MVC), resting BF was also found to increase with EL consistently. Our findings highlight BF dependence on both EL and history of muscle contraction. These results imply a variable recovery rate based on both the current state of contraction, (i.e., exertion vs. rest), and the muscle contraction history. The outcome of our study may facilitate the estimation of BF, thus, the muscle recovery rate, which can be implemented in the fatigue models to improve the prediction of muscle capacity to generate force/power.
Berry Phenolic and Volatile Extracts Inhibit Pro-Inflammatory Cytokine Secretion in LPS-Stimulated RAW264.7 Cells through Suppression of NF-κB Signaling Pathway

Berries are a rich source of phytochemicals, especially phenolics well known for protective activity against many chronic diseases. Berries also contain a complex mixture of volatile compounds that are responsible for the unique aromas of berries. However, there is very limited information on the composition and potential health benefits of berry volatiles. In this study, we isolated phenolic and volatile fractions from six common berries and characterized them by HPLC/HPLC-MS and GC/GC-MS, respectively. Berry phenolic and volatile fractions were evaluated for an anti-inflammatory effect using lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophage cells by measuring levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway. Results showed that LPS-induced excessive production of nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), which were inhibited by berry phenolic and volatile extracts. Moreover, berry phenolic and volatile extracts reduced the nuclear translocation of NF-κB by blocking the phosphorylation of p65 and degradation of IκBα. These findings showed that berry volatiles from six berries had comparable anti-inflammatory effects to berry phenolics through the suppression of pro-inflammatory mediators and cytokines expression via NF-κB down-regulation, despite being present in the fruit at a lower concentration.
Existence and stability of hole solutions to complex Ginzburg-Landau equations

We consider the existence and stability of the hole, or dark soliton, solution to a Ginzburg-Landau perturbation of the defocusing nonlinear Schroedinger equation (NLS), and to the nearly real complex Ginzburg-Landau equation (CGL). By using dynamical systems techniques, it is shown that the dark soliton can persist as either a regular perturbation or a singular perturbation of that which exists for the NLS. When considering the stability of the soliton, a major difficulty which must be overcome is that eigenvalues may bifurcate out of the continuous spectrum, i.e., an edge bifurcation may occur. Since the continuous spectrum for the NLS covers the imaginary axis, and since for the CGL it touches the origin, such a bifurcation may lead to an unstable wave. An additional important consideration is that an edge bifurcation can happen even if there are no eigenvalues embedded in the continuous spectrum. Building on and refining ideas first presented in Kapitula and Sandstede (Physica D, 1998) and Kapitula (SIAM J. Math. Anal., 1999), we show that when the wave persists as a regular perturbation, at most three eigenvalues will bifurcate out of the continuous spectrum. Furthermore, we precisely track these bifurcating eigenvalues, and thus are able to give conditions for which the perturbed wave will be stable. For the NLS the results are an improvement and refinement of previous work, while the results for the CGL are new. The techniques presented are very general and are therefore applicable to a much larger class of problems than those considered here.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa Infection Predicts Need for Surgical Incision and Drainage in LVAD Patients with Driveline Infection

Purpose Driveline infection (DLI) is a frequent cause of morbidity and mortality in LVAD pts. Infections caused by Pseudomonas (P) aeruginosa, an organism that is widespread in water, are difficult to treat due to limited antibiotic susceptibility and tendency to form biofilms. Surgical incision and drainage (ID and ii) recurrent ID 81% M; 63% HMII, 27% HM3, 10% other) were studied. DLI occurred in 87 (15%) pts. Baseline characteristics were similar in pts with and without DLI. 116 organisms were cultured from the 87 pts. The most common were Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA 27%, MRSA 9%) and P. aeruginosa (19%). Median [IQR] time to initiation of antibiotics was 0[3]d. Initial antibiotic strategy was oral in 51 (58.6%) pts and intravenous in 36 (41.4%) pts. 59 (68%) pts were placed on chronic suppressive antibiotics. 31 (36%) pts required ID Table 1a). A positive association was also found between P. aeruginosa and bacteremia with need for recurrent I&D or death (Table 1b). Conclusion Need for I&D is associated with poor survival. P. aeruginosa independently predicts need for initial I&D. Reinforcement of strict no showering/bathing policy may help decrease the risk of P. aeruginosa DLI and improve outcomes in this population.
Alcohol-Related Behavioral Research and Its Integration into Primary and Secondary HIV Preventive Interventions: A Summing Up.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a brief introduction to and description of the contents of this special issue of AIDS and Behavior. The article begins with a description of the rationale for the special issue and the origin of its compilation. This background information is followed by a brief description of the main articles that are included in the special issue, which is structured by Gaist and Stirrat's [4] definitions of types of behavioral and social science research for HIV-AIDS research. The "bookend" article to this introduction is by Robert Freeman and identifies future directions for research and clinical practice that the special issue articles' content suggests.
Post-Traumatic Stress and Autobiographical Memory Accuracy in Young Children: Traumatic Events versus Stressful and Pleasant Events

This study examined the influence of trauma exposure and posttraumatic stress (PTS) severity on accuracy of recall of autobiographical memory of traumatic events and pleasant events in very young c...
Persistent and distressing psychotic-like experiences using adolescent brain cognitive development℠ study data.

Childhood psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) are associated with a range of impairments; a subset of children experiencing PLEs will develop psychiatric disorders, including psychotic disorders. A potential distinguishing factor between benign PLEs versus PLEs that are clinically relevant is whether PLEs are distressing and/or persistent. The current study used three waves of Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development℠ (ABCD) study PLEs assessments to examine the extent to which persistent and/or distressing PLEs were associated with relevant baseline risk factors (e.g., cognition) and functioning/mental health service utilization domains. Four groups varying in PLE persistence and distress endorsement were created based on all available data in ABCD Release 3.0, with group membership not contingent on complete data: persistent distressing PLEs (n = 272), transient distressing PLEs (n = 298), persistent non-distressing PLEs (n = 221), and transient non-distressing PLEs (n = 536) groups. Using hierarchical linear models, results indicated youth with distressing PLEs, whether transient or persistent, showed delayed developmental milestones (β = 0.074, 95%CI:0.013,0.134) and altered structural MRI metrics (β = -0.0525, 95%CI:-0.100,-0.005). Importantly, distress interacted with PLEs persistence for the domains of functioning/mental health service utilization (β = 0.079, 95%CI:0.016,0.141), other reported psychopathology (β = 0.101, 95%CI:0.030,0.170), cognition (β = -0.052, 95%CI:0.-0.099,-0.002), and environmental adversity (β = 0.045, 95%CI:0.003,0.0.86; although no family history effects), with the interaction characterized by greatest impairment in the persistent distressing PLEs group. These results have implications for disentangling the importance of distress and persistence for PLEs with regards to impairments, including functional, pathophysiological, and environmental outcomes. These novel longitudinal data underscore that it is often only in the context of distress that persistent PLEs were related to impairments.
“A Highly Accessible Text :” A Review of Pat Bazeley’s Qualitative Data Analysis: Practical Strategies

Pat Bazeley’s book advances the procedures of qualitative data coding and analysis. Her work provides a highly accessible framework for both new and seasoned researchers to consider in the analysis of interview, survey, photo and video data collected in qualitative studies. In her work Bazeley acknowledges the use of technology to support data analysis (i.e., NVivo), but also promotes the use of more traditional paper and pencil methods. This text would be a great addition to a graduate level course in qualitative research.
New onset of hydroceles in boys over 1 year of age

Aim: The presentation, and medical and surgical management of all new onset non-congenital hydroceles in boys older than 1 year of age were examined. Of particular interest was the outcome of those patients who presented with a non-communicating hydrocele that developed after the first year of life and was managed conservatively. Methods: All patients older than 12 months of age who were evaluated as outpatients with the diagnosis of hydrocele from January 1994 to January 2001 were identified. Possible risk factors and predisposing conditions were determined. For the patients who had surgical correction, surgical indications were identified. For non-surgical patients, long-term outcomes were recorded. Results: A total of 302 patients older than 12 months of age with the diagnosis of new onset hydrocele were identified. Of these, 35% were non-communicating, 59% were communicating, and 6% were hydroceles of the spermatic cord. In terms of surgery, 97% of communicating hydroceles, 71% of hydroceles of the spermatic cord, and 34% of non-communicating hydroceles had operative management. Seventy patients with non-communicating hydroceles did not receive surgery and 51 (73%) were contacted for long term follow-up. In these 51 patients, 76% of non-communicating hydroceles resolved completely, 6% decreased in size but were still present, 14% remained the same size, and 4% had an unknown status. The average time to resolution was 5.6 months with a median time of 3 months. The time range to resolution was from 1 day to 24 months. Follow-up averaged 73.7 months with a range of 33 to 120 months. Conclusions: Approximately 75% of new onset, non-congenital, non-communicating hydroceles resolve spontaneously irrespective of size. An observation period of 6–12 months would be appropriate prior to repair.
Learning string patterns and tree patterns from examples

Abstract A (string) pattern is a non-null string over an alphabet and a set of variables. A pattern language is the set of all strings obtained by substituting non-null constant strings for variables in a pattern. We investigate learning pattern languages in three new directions. First we prove that to decide whether there is a string pattern consistent with given positive and negative samples is NP-hard. Thus it is not polynomial-time learnable under Valiant's probabilistic learning model unless RP = NP. Then we discuss extensions of examples and string patterns: incomplete examples and tree patterns. We prove that to decide whether there is a common k-variable string pattern for given incomplete positive examples is NP-complete for any fixed integer k ≳ 2. We give polynomial-time algorithms to find common k-variable tree patterns for non-associative, non-commutative constant trees for any fixed integer k ≳ 1. We also prove that to decide whether there is a common k-variable tree pattern for associative, commutative constant trees is NP-complete for any fixed integer k ≳2.
Vasoactve intestinal polypeptide gene expression is characteristically higher in opossum gastrointestinal sphincters

Abstract Background/Aims: Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) has been suggested to be an inhibitory neuro-transmitter in the sphincteric and nonsphincteric smooth muscles of the gut. However, the relative gene expression of VIP in these functionally diverse regions is not known. Methods: The gastrointestinal smooth muscle sphincters of opossums were excised from the adjoining nonsphincteric smooth muscles. RNAs were isolated and subjected to blot hybridizations with VIP complementary DNA probe. Relative expression of VIP gene was quantitated using the densitometric scanning of the VIP messenger RNA (mRNA) transcripts. The cellular specificity of VIP gene expression was investigated in cultures of neuroblastoma cells and myenteric plexuses and compared with those of the smooth muscle cells. Results: The data showed higher levels of VIP mRNA in the sphincteric than the adjoining nonsphincteric tissues. VIP mRNA were found in significantly higher amounts in the myenteric neurons and neuroblastoma cells than in the smooth muscle cells. Conclusions: VIP gene expression was significantly higher in the sphincteric smooth muscle regions than in the nonsphincteric regions of the gut. The studies provide further evidence for the role of VIP in neurotransmission of the gut.
The Elimination algorithm for the problem of optimal stopping

We present a new algorithm for solving the optimal stopping problem. The algorithm is based on the idea of elimination of states where stopping is nonoptimal and the corresponding correction of transition probabilities. The formal justification of this method is given by one of two presented theorems. The other theorem describes the situation when an aggregation of states is possible in the optimal stopping problem.
Overlapping and CpG methylation-sensitive protein-DNA interactions at the histone H4 transcriptional cell cycle domain: distinctions between two human H4 gene promoters.

Transcriptional regulation of vertebrate histone genes during the cell cycle is mediated by several factors interacting with a series of cis-acting elements located in the 5' regions of these genes. The arrangement of these promoter elements is different for each gene. However, most histone H4 gene promoters contain a highly conserved sequence immediately upstream of the TATA box (H4 subtype consensus sequence), and this region in the human H4 gene FO108 is involved in cell cycle control. The sequence-specific interaction of nuclear factor HiNF-D with this key proximal promoter element of the H4-FO108 gene is cell cycle regulated in normal diploid cells (J. Holthuis, T.A. Owen, A.J. van Wijnen, K.L. Wright, A. Ramsey-Ewing, M.B. Kennedy, R. Carter, S.C. Cosenza, K.J. Soprano, J.B. Lian, J.L. Stein, and G.S. Stein, Science, 247:1454-1457, 1990). Here, we show that this region of the H4-FO108 gene represents a composite protein-DNA interaction domain for several distinct sequence-specific DNA-binding activities, including HiNF-D, HiNF-M, and HiNF-P. Factor HiNF-P is similar to H4TF-2, a DNA-binding activity that is not cell cycle regulated and that interacts with the analogous region of the H4 gene H4.A (F. LaBella and N. Heintz, Mol. Cell. Biol. 11:5825-5831, 1991). The H4.A gene fails to interact with factors HiNF-M and HiNF-D owing to two independent sets of specific nucleotide variants, indicating differences in protein-DNA interactions between these H4 genes. Cytosine methylation of a highly conserved CpG dinucleotide interferes with binding of HiNF-P/H4TF-2 to both the H4-FO108 and H4.A promoters, but no effect is observed for either HiNF-M or HiNF-D binding to the H4-FO108 gene. Thus, strong evolutionary conservation of the H4 consensus sequence may be related to combinatorial interactions involving overlapping and interdigitated recognition nucleotides for several proteins, whose activities are regulated independently. Our results also suggest molecular complexity in the transcriptional regulation of distinct human H4 genes.
The relationship between the incorporation of 32P into phosphatidic acid and phosphatidylinositol in rat parotid acinar cells

Abstract Muscarinic and α-adrenergic stimulation of rat parotid acinar cells increases the turnover of phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidic acid. It is thought that this is initiated by hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositol, which would predict an increase in 32 P incorporation into phosphatidic acid before phosphatidylinositol. We have demonstrated an increase in 32 P incorporation into the former within 1 minute and into the latter by 2 minutes. The initial rapid rate of 32 P incorporation into phosphatidic acid slows, and the 32 P content reaches a steady state after 15 minutes. During the first 2 minutes after the addition of atropine to carbamylcholine stimulated cells, 32 P is lost from phosphatidic acid, and an equal amount is gained by phosphatidylinositol, after which 32 P incorporation equals that of the control. In cells prelabelled with 32 P, carbamylcholine, in the presence of oligomycin stimulated the loss of 32 P from phosphatidylinositol but had no effect on phosphatidic acid.
Influence of Mycoplasma arginini infection on the induction of aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase by TCDD in rat hepatoma cell cultures.

Abstract Mycoplasma arginini was eliminated from a rat hepatoma cell line (H-4-II-E) by plating at low cell density and treatment with chlortetracycline (250 μ g/ml), kanamycin (25 μ g/ml), tylosin (100 μ g/ml), 3% M. arginini antiserum and 5% fresh guinea-pig serum. The induction of AHH activity in the cell culture was measured in response to increasing concentrations of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo- p -dioxin (TCDD). The ED 50 values (estimated doses that produce 50% maximum enzyme induction) were calculated to be 0·256, 0·452 and 0·344 pmol TCDD/plate for original, mycoplasma-free and reinfected cells, respectively. Although the absence of M. arginini in the rat hepatoma cell line makes the cells slightly less responsive to AHH induction by TCDD, this decrease does not detract from the use of the method to screen food extracts and environmental samples for the presence of certain toxic planar organic compounds.
Membrane organization of the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex

The stoichiometry, cellular location, glycosylation, and hydrophobic properties of the components in the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex were examined. The 156, 59, 50, 43, and 35 kd dystrophin-associated proteins each possess unique antigenic determinants, enrich quantitatively with dystrophin, and were localized to the skeletal muscle sarcolemma. The 156, 50, 43, and 35 kd dystrophin-associated proteins contained Asn-linked oligosaccharides. The 156 kd dystrophin-associated glycoprotein contained terminally sialylated Ser/Thr-linked oligosaccharides. Dystrophin, the 156 kd, and the 59 kd dystrophin-associated proteins were found to be peripheral membrane proteins, while the 50 kd, 43 kd, and 35 kd dystrophin-associated glycoproteins and the 25 kd dystrophin-associated protein were confirmed as integral membrane proteins. These results demonstrate that dystrophin and its 59 kd associated protein are cytoskeletal elements that are tightly linked to a 156 kd extracellular glycoprotein by way of a complex of transmembrane proteins.
Loki: a ground-layer adaptive optics high-resolution near-infrared survey camera

We present the design of a new high-resolution near-infrared survey camera that will take advantage of the wide corrected field afforded by the 6.5 m MMT's new multi-laser ground-layer adaptive optics (GLAO) system. GLAO technology will correct for turbulence close to the telescope aperture where typically 1/2 to 2/3 of the total atmospheric turbulence lies and is expected to deliver image widths of 0.1-0.2 arc seconds in the near-infrared across a wide range of seeing conditions. The new camera will use a 2 by 2 mosaic of JWST NIRCam detectors, 2048 x 2048 arrays sensitive from 0.6 - 2.5 μm based on Teledyne's HgCdTe HAWAII-2RG detector technology. The camera has a 4 arc minute square field, giving a plate scale of approximately 0.06 arc seconds/pixel, critically sampling the GLAO PSF. In addition, high resolution (0.25 arc seconds or better) multi-object spectroscopy can be supported with cold slit masks inside the dewar; allowing potentially hundreds of spectra to be obtained at once with resolutions of up to 10,000.
On sequential comparisons of means of first-order autoregressive models

The problem of estimating a linear combination,μ, of means ofp-independent, first-order autoregressive models is considered. Sequential procedures are derived (i) to estimateμ pointwise using the linear combination of sample means, subject to a loss function (squared error plus cost per observation), and (ii) to arrive at a fixed-width confidence interval forμ. It is observed that in the case of point estimation we do not require a sampling scheme, where as in the case of interval estimation we do require a sampling scheme and a scheme similar to the one given in Mukhopadhyay and Liberman (1989) is proposed. All the first order efficiency properties of the sequential procedures involved here are derived. This paper is an extension of results of Sriram (1987) involving one time series to multiple time series.
Ultrastructural localization of dialyzed iron-reactive mucosubstance in rabbit heterophils, basophils, and eosinophils.

For ultrastructural localization of acid mucosubstances in rabbit granulocytes, bone marrow and buffy coat specimens were fixed with formalin, glutaraldehyde, or osmium tetroxide, sectioned at 40 µ, and stained with the Rinehart and Abul-Haj solution of dialyzed iron (DI). Heterophils revealed DI staining on the outer surface of the plasma membrane, in the Golgi complex involved in primary granulogenesis, and in primary granules. The intragranular distribution of DI-stained material varied at different stages in the maturation of primary granules. Immature granules of heterophils fixed by any of the three methods contained a peripheral concentric band of DI-positive material; however, fully mature primary granules possessed a core of DI-reactive material in heterophils fixed with osmium tetroxide, but they contained little or no staining in heterophils fixed with formalin or glutaraldehyde. Secondary granules of rabbit heterophils failed to stain with DI. Tertiary granules, observed only in late heterophils, contained distinct DI-positive particles. Basophil granules exhibited intensely DI-stained material distributed in an orderly pattern throughout the granule. In eosinophils, DI staining was localized in the Golgi complex and in the rims of a few immature cytoplasmic granules.
Expanding the metabolic engineering toolbox: more options to engineer cells.

Metabolic engineering exploits an integrated, systems-level approach for optimizing a desired cellular property or phenotype; and great strides have been made within this scope and context during the past fifteen years. However, due to limitations in the concepts and techniques, these have relied on a focused, pathway-oriented view. Recent advances in ‘omics’ technologies and computational systems biology have brought the foundational systems approach of metabolic engineering into focus. At the same time, protein engineering and synthetic biology have expanded the breadth and precision of the methods available to metabolic engineers to improve strain properties. Examples are presented that illustrate this broader perspective of tools and concepts, including a recent approach for global transcriptional machinery engineering (gTME), which has demonstrated the ability to elicit multigenic transcriptional changes that have improved phenotypes compared with single-gene perturbations.
Re-Placing Indigenous Territory: Villagization and the Transformation of Amerindian Environments Under “Cooperative Socialism” in Guyana

This article explores the development of Guyana's interior during cooperative socialism between 1970 and 1986 and its lasting influence on Amerindian environmental politics. The richness of this ca...
In vivo enantioselectivity of epibatidine interaction with calcium-modulating drugs.

Several recent studies have implicated the involvement of calcium ion fluxes in the response to nicotine on a cellular level. The influence of a calcium agonist (BAY K 8644) and calcium blockers on (+)- and (-)-epibatidine-induced antinociception was investigated in mice using the tail-flick test. The effect of (+)-epibatidine but not (-)-epibatidine was significantly increased by BAY K 8644 pretreatment. This potentiation by BAY K 8644 was blocked by pretreating the animals with nifedipine at 2 mg/kg. The calcium channel antagonist, nimodipine, reduced significantly the antinociception induced by (+)-epibatidine but not (-)-epibatidine (12 microg/kg, s.c.). Similar results were also observed with the calcium chelator EGTA. Thus, epibatidine isomers pharmacological effect was differentially modulated by calcium signaling process secondary to receptor activation.
QUANTITATION OF THE β‐ELIMINATION REACTION AS USED ON GLYCOPROTEINS

The carbohydrate side chains of mucus-type glycoproteins are O-glycosidic bonds between N-acetylgalactosamine to the hydroxyl groups of serine and threonine in the protein core. The alkaline catalyzed beta-elimination reaction, in the presence of sodium borohydride, is used for determining the number of side chains. The present paper presents a study of the quantitativeness of the alkaline borohydride procedure, using four parameters: the loss of seryl and threonyl residues, the formation of alanine and 2-aminobutanoic acid; the decrease in N-acetylhexosamine and the recovery of the amino sugar alcohols. Bovine, ovine and porcine submandibular glycoproteins were studied. Evidence is presented for the existence of N-acetylglucosamine involvement in O-glycosidic linkages to serine and threonine. Results for the relative rates of beta-elimination indicate that serine-linked glycosides are released more rapidly than threonine-linked glycosides.
Extracellular matrix dynamics associated with tissue-engineered intravascular sclerotherapy.

Abstract Background The extracellular dynamics after intravascular sclerotherapy with an injectable, fibroblast-based engineered construct is unknown. Methods Rabbits underwent ethanol sclerotherapy of a jugular vein segment. Control animals (n = 40) underwent no further treatment or an acellular collagen hydrogel was injected. Experimental animals (n = 20) received a tissue-engineered construct. After 1, 2, 4, and 20 to 24 weeks, segments were evaluated for collagen, glycosaminoglycan (GAG), matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) 2 and 9, and tissue inhibitors of MMP (TIMPs) 1 and 2 and scored on a scale of 0 to 3. Groups and time points were compared using nonparametric statistical analysis. Results Collagen content was higher in animals that received fibroblasts ( P P P Conclusion Enhancement of intravascular sclerotherapy by tissue engineering stems, at least in part, from increased local deposition of collagen and GAG. MMP and TIMPs may play a role in recanalization after experimental sclerotherapy. Tissue engineering may be a valuable adjunct for the treatment of vascular malformations.
Thermal analysis of an in-reactor LMFBR irradiation creep experiment

Abstract Thermal analyses of an in-reactor liquid metal fast breeder reactor (LMFBR) irradiation creep experiment and the test probe experiment which preceded it have been performed with the aid of a finite-difference heat transfer computer code. The calculated axial temperature distribution for the probe experiment is compared with the measured distribution. Although there is a 15% overprediction, the relative axial temperature distributions agree rather well. The thermal response of both experiments to a loss-of-flow transient is also analyzed.
Atypical Spermiogenesis in Thermobia domestica, a Thysanuran Insect

MATHUR (preceding communication and ref. 1), in his communications, has again stressed that the thysanuran sperm is a typical flagellate one, having the acrosome and the centriole located at the proximal and distal end of the nucleus. I disagree with him and have the following comments to make in this context.
Yield, market quality and petiole nitrate concentration of non-irrigated Russet Burbank and Shepody potatoes in response to sidedressed nitrogen

Russet Burbank and Shepody potatoes were grown with the following four nitrogen treatments: 1) 90 kg ha−1 at planting; 2) 180 kg ha−1 at planting; 3) 90 kg ha−1 at planting followed by an additional 90 kg ha−1 side-dressed after tuber initiation; or 4) 90 kg ha−1 at planting followed by an additional 45 kg ha−1 sidedressing. When compared to the 90 kg ha−1 at-planting treatment, petiole NO3-N concentrations increased rapidly after sidedressing and were relatively constant through mid-season. Sidedressed N significantly increased total yields relative to the 90 kg N ha−1 at-planting treatment by an average of 5.0 t ha−1 in three of nine experiments. Three of the experiments, where yields did not significantly increase, were on sites which were not expected to respond to supplemental N based on petiole NO3-N testing. A red clover green manure crop was the previous crop for two of these experimental sites. Petiole NO3-N testing criteria were only partially effective in detecting sites where response to sidedressed N occurred. When compared to a single application of 180 kg N ha−1 at planting, split application of 90 kg N ha−1 at planting followed by a 90 kg N ha−1 sidedressing significantly reduced total yields in one of nine experiments and did not affect yields in the remaining eight experiments. Tuber uniformity was improved in three of nine experiments by the split-N treatment. Specific gravity was not significantly affected. Use of 45 kg N ha−1 at side-dressing resulted in similar yield as the 90 kg N ha−1 sidedressing, although yield of large-sized tubers was often decreased with the lower N rate. Use of reduced at-planting N rates followed by sidedressed N does not appear to increase yields of non-irrigated Russet Burbank and Shepody potatoes when compared to the at-planting N rates that are currently recommended. This management approach can maintain yields at levels comparable to at-planting N programs and does provide an opportunity to reduce N application rates on sites where soil N reserves and soil amendments may make a substantial N contribution to the potato crop. Side-dressed N application can frequently improve yields and tuber size when potatoes have been underfertilized at planting; however, some inconsistency in response can be expected in regions that rely on unpredictable natural rainfall.
Latin squares with no proper subsquares

Abstract We construct Latin squares of order n = pq which have no proper subsquares when p and q are distinct primes and n ≠ 6.
A comparison of queue disciplines when service orientation times occur

A single manufacturing facility (server) is confronted with stationary Poisson demands. Each demand belongs to one of two classes, A or B. Manufacturing (service) times are independently and arbitrarily distributed random variables. In addition, orientation times are required when a switch is made from A customers to B customers. Two disciplines describing the order of service are discussed: “first-come, first-served,” and a preemptive priority procedure. Long-run delays for the “first-come, first-served” disciplines are given. It is shown that, when orientation times occur, “first-come, first-served” may cause the system to saturate for smaller total demand rate than will a priority discipline that economizes on orientations.