cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Postnatal Neospora caninum transmission and transient serologic responses in two dairies

Abstract Cattle on two typically managed drylot dairies were serologically monitored from birth through year 1 to year 4 of life to characterise congenital and postnatal Neospora caninum transmission. Of the 456 calves enrolled, 284 were classified as N. caninum negative and 172 were classified as N. caninum positive. Ninety-six percent of congenitally infected calves were seropositive for all samples tested. Seven (4%) of the 172 congenitally infected animals had a period that persisted for 9 to 18 months when they were seronegative; however, all returned to seropositive status by 25 months of age. In N. caninum - negative calves, colostral antibody decayed by 128 days, with an estimated half-life of 19.6±5.2 days. Of the 284 calves classified as negative, 18% had sporadic, isolated responses to N. caninum , typically between 29 and 35 months of age, without subsequent seroconversion or infection. During the study, 17 animals seroconverted and remained seropositive throughout the follow-up. Thirteen of the seroconversions occurred in the neonatal period; however, in nine of 10 where dam status was available, the dam was N. caninum positive, suggesting late gestation congenital infection rather than postnatal infection. Seroconversion was detected in an additional four animals, between 13 and 22 months of age. The estimate of postnatal infection rate was less than 1% per year despite a high N. caninum seroprevalence in the herds, and the presence of potential definitive and intermediate hosts on the dairy throughout the study. The extremely low rate of postnatal infection, as well as the lifelong persistence of congenital infection, emphasises the importance of congenital transmission in maintaining N. caninum infection in dairies.
VASCULAR SMOOTH MUSCLE SIGNALS UPREGULATE ENDOTHELIAL CYCLOOXYGENASE EXPRESSION IN THE NEWBORN PIG CEREBRAL CIRCULATION. † 1403

Cellular communication between vascular endothelium and smooth muscle are important in the regulation of vascular function. In the newborn cerebral circulation, endothelium-derived cyclooxygenase products participate in vascular smooth muscle responsiveness to many physiological stimuli. Our present data indicate that vascular smooth muscle, in turn, may influence functions of vascular endothelium. Endothelial cells from the newborn pig cerebral microvessels cultured separately or in coculture with microvascular smooth muscle cells were used to investigate a possible role of cellular communication in the regulation of endothelial cyclooxygenase expression. Microvascular endothelial cells (freshly isolated as well as confluent and quiescent primary cultures) constitutively express both cyclooxygenase isoforms, COX-1 and COX-2, as detected by Western blots and immunostaining with the isozyme-specific antibodies. Results with the isozyme-selective inhibitor NS-398 suggest that COX-2 provides a large portion of endothelial prostanoid production. Endothelial cells grown in non-contact coculture with smooth muscle cells for 24-48 hr show induction of COX-1 and COX-2 proteins. There are a 10-50-fold increases in endogenous prostanoid accumulation and cyclooxygenase activity that are inhibited by dexamethasone, cycloheximide and actinomycin D. Similar changes are induced in endothelial cells exposed to smooth muscle cell-conditioned media. These results indicate that cerebral microvascular smooth muscle cells produce a diffusable compound(s) that upregulate endothelial cyclooxygenase thus modifying endothelial cell function.
Purification and characterization of high molecular weight human epidermal growth factor from human urine.

Abstract High molecular weight human epidermal growth factor (HMW-hEGF) was purified to homogeneity from human urine. The purification was achieved exclusively by the use of immunoaffinity chromatography and reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The purified HMW-hEGF is composed of a single polypeptide chain with an apparent molecular weight of 30,000 and has pI of 4.0. Its N-terminal sequence was determined as Val-Ser-Asp-Gln-Asp-Asp-( )-Ala-Pro-Val-Gly-( )-Ser-Met-Tyr-Ala-Arg-( )-Ile-Ser-. The trypsin treatment of this protein gave hEGF like fragments. These results suggest that the obtained HMW-hEGF may play an important role in biosynthetic precursor of hEGF.
Basic math knowledge and prospective elementary teachers

(1991). Basic math knowledge and prospective elementary teachers. The Teacher Educator: Vol. 27, No. 2, pp. 25-31.
Function of a galactose-binding lectin from Spodoptera exigua larval haemolymph: Opsonization of blastospores from entomogenous hyphomycetes

Blastospores of some entomopathogenic hyphomycetes (e.g. Paecilomyces farinosus, Beauveria bassiana) apparently become opsonized when incubated in a galactose-binding haemagglutinin (lectin) purified from Spodoptera exigua larvae. Labelling with fluorescein isothiocyanate-peanut agglutinin demonstrated the presence of exposed galactose residues on the blastospore cell walls of both P. farinosus and B. bassiana and on the outer membrane surface of granulocytes of S. exigua. In in vitro tests using haemocyte monolayers, the number of S. exigua granulocytes with attached or endocytosed (associated) opsonized P. farinosus blastospores may be above 80% depending upon the haemagglutination titre of the lectin. This association is specifically inhibited by galactose. The number of granulocytes with associated non-opsonized blastospores is approx 5–10%. Interaction between granulocytes and P. farinosus blastospores treated with S. exgua sera with known haemagglutinin activity is similar to that observed when purified agglutinin was used. Nomuraea rileyi blastospores (hyphal bodies), which do not have exposed galactose residues, do not bind to S. exigua granulocytes even if pre-treated with the lectin. In vivo studies show that injected P. farinosus cells having galactose receptors are rapidly cleared from S. exigua haemolymph, whereas N. rileyi blastospores are not cleared.
X-ray interferometric observatory

X-ray interferometry has the potential for observations of unprecedented angular resolution and far-reaching astrophysical consequences. A new concept for an x-ray interferometric observatory that obtains an angular resolution 105 times better than AXAF is presented. Using a grazing incidence fringe spectrum design, the x-ray interferometer operates over a broad band (0.2 - 8 keV), with on the order of magnitude 18 concentric Wolter-Schwarzschild mirror shells of diameter 0.6 - 2.4 m. A fringe-sensitive detector measures the closely spaced Fizeau fringes in the focal plane. Fringe phasing is maintained using an optical metrology system and two optical Michelson stellar interferometers to provide absolute inertial reference for the phase tracking center. Mirror phasing is maintained with active control of low spatial frequency figure errors. The interferometer is capable of obtaining detailed images of nearby stellar coronae, imaging the broad-line regions and jets of many AGNs, and resolving the accretion disks of a selection of bright AGNs and QSOs.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Macromia hamata sp. nov. from Guizhou, China (Odonata: Corduliidae)

Abstract The new species (holotype ♂ 01 August 2001, Fanjingshan, Guizhou, China) is described and illustrated from a single male, deposited at the Zhejiang Museum of Natural History.
The Teach Web 2.0 Consortium: a tool to promote educational social networking and Web 2.0 use among educators

Social networking is changing the way children communicate. Most of this communication takes place outside of school, though countless Web 2.0 applications are emerging with educational potential. Students may benefit from exposure to the twenty‐first century learning principles obtained through the use of emerging web applications. This article describes the design, and implementation of the Teach Web 2.0 Consortium, a wisdom community of educators working together to explore the potential of Web 2.0 tools. Recommendations for establishing similar wisdom communities are also provided. Le Consortium d'enseignement du Web 2.0: un outil pour promouvoir la creation de reseaux humains et l'usage du Web 2.0 chez les educateurs La communication humaine en reseau est en train de changer la facon de communiquer chez les enfants. Cette communication se deroule surtout hors de l'ecole en depit de l'apparition de tres nombreuses applications du Web 2.0 dotees d'un potentiel educatif. Les eleves peuvent tirer profit ...
Single cell genomics of uncultured, health-associated Tannerella BU063 (Oral Taxon 286) and comparison to the closely related pathogen Tannerella forsythia.

The uncultivated bacterium Tannerella BU063 (oral taxon 286) is the closest relative to the periodontal pathogen Tannerella forsythia, but is not disease-associated itself. Using a single cell genomics approach, we isolated 12 individual BU063 cells by flow cytometry, and we amplified and sequenced their genomes. Comparative analyses of the assembled genomic scaffolds and their gene contents allowed us to study the diversity of this taxon within the oral community of a single human donor that provided the sample. Eight different BU063 genotypes were represented, all about 5% divergent at the nucleotide level. There were 2 pairs of cells and one group of three that were more highly identical, and may represent clonal populations. We did pooled assemblies on the nearly identical genomes to increase the assembled genomic coverage. The presence of a set of 66 “core” housekeeping genes showed that two of the single cell assemblies and the assembly derived from the three putatively identical cells were essentially complete. As expected, the genome of BU063 is more similar to Tannerella forsythia than any other known genome, although there are significant differences, including a 44% difference in gene content, changes in metabolic pathways, loss of synteny, and an 8–9% difference in GC content. Several identified virulence genes of T. forsythia are not found in BU063 including karilysin, prtH, and bspA. The absence of these genes may explain the lack of periodontal pathogenesis by this species and provides a new foundation to further understand the genome evolution and mechanisms of bacterial-host interaction in closely related oral microbes with different pathogenicity potential.
Midgut epithelium of the American cockroach: Probable mechanisms of water secretion

Abstract Solute molecules move out of the hyperosmotic midgut lumen without a concurrent flow of water across the epithelium. Dinitrophenol permits a change in lumen volume proportional to the concentration gradient, which indicates that a DNP-sensitive process is correlated with the exclusion of water molecules. In order to construct a model to explain these physiological processes, the ultrastructure of the midgut epithelia has been studied. Electron micrographs show both numerous infoldings of the basal membrane and lateral intercellular spaces which are characteristic features of secretory or reabsorptive epithelia. It is postulated that these channels provide the enclosed compartments necessary for the formation of local osmotic gradients via active transport of ions. Using the current concept that fluid transport involves the passive movement of water down an osmotic gradient it can be hypothesized that water secretion takes place within these structures.
The Academic ‘Patras’ of the Arab World: Creating a Climate of Academic Apartheid

This paper discusses factors that are contributing to the rise of what we refer to as an ethos of “academic apartheid” in Arab institutions of higher education. The paper examines the failure of these institutions to overcome their alienation from indigenous epistemology, to emancipate the education they provide from its colonial past, and to move towards the modern information age. The difficult position of Arab academics striving to rediscover, reintegrate and reorganize an epistemological framework to serve the indigenous world is also discussed. Current institutional approaches have deleterious effects on the performance of Arab academics, including arresting the process of transition to development. The paper concludes that Arab academics have a range of choices in determining how to establish a course of corrective action.
Sharp probes of varying acuity: Instrumented indentation and fracture behavior

The fracture and instrumented indentation behavior of a range of materials subjected to indentation by four sharp probes varying in acuity from the Berkovich to the cube-corner was studied. Quantities derived from load, displacement, and continuous stiffness measurements were evaluated for their ability to detect “pop-in”—sudden displacement excursions associated with fracture. It was found that gross unloading character was sensitive to the presence of fracture, even when no pop-in was detected. This may be useful in the development of fracture toughness estimation models that do not rely on the imaging of cracks.
Solid-state NMR line narrowing methods for quadrupolar nuclei: double rotation and dynamic-angle spinning.

Among the features of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy that have made it such a versatile and powerful collection of analytical methods is the freedom to manipulate independently both spin and spatial components of the nuclear spin interaction tensors. This imparts enormous flexibility and selectivity to the type of structural and dynamical information that can be obtained about a chemical system at a molecular level. Depending on the information desired, experiments can be designed to measure, remove, or correlate one or more of the principal spin interactions, including the chemical shift, spin-spin scalar (J) coupling, electric quadrupole coupling, and magnetic dipole-dipole coupling, each of which depends on molecular orientation. Often one of the chief aims of such intervention is to enhance spectral resolution, and thereby augment the information content of the NMR spectrum, through judicious control of time-dependent radiofrequency (B 1) fields and/or manipulation of sample orientation with respect to a large static field (B 0). In low-viscosity liquids, fast isotropic molecular motion averages all anisotropic interactions, so that narrow line widths are readily obtained for each distinguishable site in a molecular system. Narrow spectral lines in these systems reflect, for example, the isotropic value of each site-specific chemical shift tensor (modified potentially by an isotropic.J-coupling contribution as well), which is averaged over all possible orientations by rapid molecular motion on the NMR time scale. Such an isotropic sampling criterion is equivalent to averaging all nuclear spin interactions over a sphere, whereby only those contributions that are independent of molecular orientation remain, namely the isotropic terms.
CD4-class II major histocompatibility complex interaction does not enhance killing by a class I-restricted CD4+CD8+ cytotoxic T cell clone

As unusual tumor-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) clone was isolated which expressed both CD4 and CD8 molecules. The target cells for this CTL can be induced to express either class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC) alone (with dimethylsulfoxide) or both class I and class II MHC (with interferon-gamma). Lysis of the tumor target depends on expression of class I MHC molecules, but does not require expression of class II MHC molecules. Furthermore, the lysis of target cells expressing both class I and class II is inhibited only by antibodies to class I (Kd), and not by antibodies to class II, demonstrating that the T cell receptor is class I restricted. We have used this CTL to assess the role of the interaction between CD4 and class II MHC in the absence of a class II-restricted T cell receptor. Our data indicate that CD4-class II interaction does not contribute to recognition by T cells in the absence of binding of the T cell receptor to class II molecules.
A distributed approach to accounting for carbon in wood products

With an evolving political environment of commitments to limit emissions of greenhouse gases, and of markets to trade in emissions permits, there is growing scientific, political, and economic need to accurately evaluate carbon (C) stocks and flows—especially those related to human activities. One component of the global carbon cycle that has been contentious is the stock of carbon that is physically held in harvested wood products. The carbon stored in wood products has been sometimes overlooked, but the amount of carbon contained in wood products is not trivial, it is increasing with time, and it is significant to some Parties. This paper is concerned with accurate treatment of harvested wood products in inventories of CO2 emissions to the atmosphere. The methodologies outlined demonstrate a flexible way to expand current methods beyond the assumption of a simple, first-order decay to include the use of more accurate and detailed data while retaining the simplicity of simple formulas. The paper demonstrates that a more accurate representation of decay time can have significant economic implications in a system where emissions are taxed or emissions permits are traded. The method can be easily applied using only data on annual production of wood products and two parameters to characterize their expected lifetime. These methods are not specific to wood products but can be applied to long-lived, carbon-containing products from sources other than wood, e.g. long-lived petrochemical products. A single unifying approach that is both simple and flexible has the potential to be both more accurate in its results, more efficient in its implementation, and economically important to some Parties.
Subband structures of strained AlSb/InAs/AlSb quantum wells.

A theoretical study of the electronic subband structure in a single quantum well of strained AlSb/InAs/AlSb has been carried out. A full four-band model has been used to incorporate the effects of strain, nonparabolicity, mass renormalization, and band bending. Subband energies and cyclotron masses of the InAs quantum wells for different well widths have been calculated explicitly. It is found that the biaxial tensile strain in the InAs well increases the subband energies and lowers the electron cyclotron mass as a result of the reduction of the direct gap and the splitting of the heavy-hole--light-hole bands. The mass renormalization and barrier effects, on the other hand, increase the cyclotron mass. Space charges in the well increase the ground subband energy, and the change is greater for wider wells. Better agreement with cyclotron resonance experiments is obtained when all of the above effects are included in the calculations of the cyclotron masses.
Relative Success? Determinants of College Graduation Rates in Public and Private Colleges in the U.S.

Amid growing criticism of public universities, there is little discussion of what appropriate institutional evaluation would entail. Six-year graduation rates are commonly used, and public bachelors granting institutions have lower rates than private institutions, but with the growth in non-traditional college attendance, these can be misleading. We develop a regression analysis as a way to evaluate institutions serving vastly different populations. We do this with a dataset constructed from publicly available sources and focus on the evaluation of public colleges. We show that public colleges are able to do more with less: our models suggest that with equivalent resources and student populations, public schools would graduate a slightly larger percentage of students than privates. Since financial resources come from very different sources, we evaluate this finding closely.
Tin-polyimide and indium-polyimide thin-film composites as soft x-ray bandpass filters.

A tin-polyimide and an indium-polyimide soft X-ray bandpass filter were fabricated with thicknesses of 1400 and 1750 A for the metal and polyimide components, respectively. The transmission of each filter was measured at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory. The transmission of the tin-polyimide filter was found to be about 40 percent for radiation with wavelengths between 60 and 80 A. The transmission of the indium-polyimide filter was greater than 40 percent between 70 and 90 A. The indium was about 5 percent more transmissive than the tin and attained a maximum transmission of about 48 percent at 76 A. Such filters have potential applications to soft X-ray telescopes that operate in this region. They might also be of interest to investigators who work with X-ray microscopes that image live biological specimens in the 23-44-A water window.
Just War and the Peaceable Kingdom

Nations love to go to war, argue leftist pacifists in democratic Western societies. By this account, governments cannot resist the temptation to assert their selfish interests by violent means. Political leaders use the language of just war to hide their real intentions: imperialistic domination and economic profit. These pacifists charge that with the Iraq war, the disastrous consequences of such politics have become hideously clear again.
Ocean acidification and warming decrease calcification in the crustose coralline alga Hydrolithon onkodes and increase susceptibility to grazing

article i nfo Anthropogenic CO2 emissions have exacerbated two environmental stressors, global climate warming and ocean acidification (OA), that have serious implications for marine ecosystems. Coral reefs are vulnerable to climate change yet few studies have explored the potential for interactive effects of warming temperature and OA on an important coral reef calcifier, crustose coralline algae (CCA). Coralline algae serve many impor- tant ecosystem functions on coral reefs and are one of the most sensitive organisms to ocean acidification. We investigated the effects of elevated pCO2 and temperature on calcification of Hydrolithon onkodes, an impor- tant species of reef-building coralline algae, and the subsequent effects on susceptibility to grazing by sea ur- chins. H. onkodes was exposed to a fully factorial combination of pCO2 (420, 530, 830 μatm) and temperature (26, 29 °C) treatments, and calcification was measured by the change in buoyant weight after 21 days of treatment exposure. Temperature and pCO2 had a significant interactive effect on net calcification of H. onkodes that was driven by the increased calcification response to moderately elevated pCO2. We demon- strate that the CCA calcification response was variable and non-linear, and that there was a trend for highest calcification at ambient temperature. H. onkodes then was exposed to grazing by the sea urchin Echinothrix diadema, and grazing was quantified by the change in CCA buoyant weight from grazing trials. E. diadema re- moved 60% more CaCO3 from H. onkodes grown at high temperature and high pCO2 than at ambient temper- ature and low pCO2. The increased susceptibility to grazing in the high pCO2 treatment is among the first evidence indicating the potential for cascading effects of OA and temperature on coral reef organisms and their ecological interactions.
The genetics and natural history of hereditary colon cancer.

Objectives: To provide an overview of the genetics, natural history, surveillance and management of hereditary colorectal cancer with emphasis on hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC). Data sources: Published research and review articles, clinical summaries, and personal experience. Conclusion: Hereditary factors may account for approximately 10% of colorectal cancer cases. Genes responsible for some of these disorders have been identified and cloned, making it possible to test family members for gene carrier status. Identification of individuals at highest risk for cancer could lead to more effective prevention and early detection. However, there are potential medical, psychological, and insurance problems inherent in predisposition testing that must be addressed. Implications for nursing practice: Nurses can play a key role in identifying patients who may be at high risk for colorectal cancer by recognizing a significant cancer family history. A well-informed nurse can assist in counseling the patient so that he/she can be knowledgeable about all aspects of genetic testing. When a cancer genetic diagnosis has been established, nurses can be emotionally supportive and reinforce the importance for continued surveillance or prophylactic surgery.
Muscle Spindles in the Human Levator Veli Palatini and Palatoglossus Muscles

Muscle spindles are present in many muscles of the speech mechanism including those of the jaw, tongue, larynx, and respiratory system. Past investigations that have examined muscles of the velopharynx for the presence of muscle spindles have reported their existence only in the tensor veli palatini and palatoglossus muscles. The present investigation has demonstrated the existence of muscle spindles in two muscles of the human velopharynx--the levator veli palatini (LVP) and palatoglossus muscles. Seven LVP and two palatoglossus muscles were embedded in paraffin blocks, serially sectioned at 8 microns, and selected slides were stained by a modified Gomori trichrome technique. Scanning by light microscopy at 40x revealed spindles in all of the muscles examined. This positive finding likely reflects the use of a more chromatically distinctive staining procedure and a higher scanning magnification than were used in prior investigations. The potential roles of muscle spindles in velopharyngeal function are addressed.
Mössbauer Spectroscopy: Some Views:

Some views are presented of the present status of Mossbauer spectroscopy and its future developments. The basic phenomenon and equipment are described. Analytical aspects, both qualitative and quantitative, are discussed. Illustrations are given of the applications to structural chemistry, surface chemistry and catalysis, metallurgy, terrestrial and extraterrestrial minerals, and biological systems.
Biological properties and radiosensitivity of tumours: determination of the cell-cycle and time of synthesis of deoxyribonucleic acid using tritiated thymidine and autoradiography

Biological Properties and Radiosensitivity of Tumours: Determination of the Cell-Cycle and Time of Synthesis of Deoxyribonucleic Acid Using Tritiated Thymidine and Autoradiography
Quantitative proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy and spectroscopic imaging of the brain: a didactic review.

This article presents background information related to methodology for estimating brain metabolite concentration from Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) and Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopic Imaging (MRSI) measurements of living human brain tissue. It reviews progress related to this methodology with emphasis placed on progress reported during the past ten years. It is written for a target audience composed of radiologists and MRI technologists. It describes in general terms the relationship between MRS signal amplitude and concentration. It then presents an overview of the many practical problems associated with deriving concentration solely from absolute measured signal amplitudes and demonstrates how a various signal calibration approaches can be successfully used. The concept of integrated signal amplitude is presented with examples that are helpful for qualitative reading of MRS data as well as for understanding the methodology used for quantitative measurements. The problems associated with the accurate measurement of individual signal amplitudes in brain spectra having overlapping signals from other metabolites and overlapping nuisance signals from water and lipid is presented. Current approaches to obtaining accurate amplitude estimates with least squares fitting software are summarized.
Single Bubble Dynamics During Flow Boiling on a Horizontal Surface at Different Gravity Levels

Complete numerical simulations of bubble dynamics including bubble growth, sliding motion, and bubble lift-off from a horizontal surface have been carried out for different gravity levels and flow velocities. In the model, the region of interest is divided into micro and macro regions. The micro region is the ultra thin liquid film that forms between the solid and evolving vapor-liquid interface. The region occupied by vapor and liquid—excluding the micro layer—is designated as the macro region. Complete conservation equations of mass, momentum, and energy for both phases are solved in this region. The interface shape is obtained by solving for the Level-Set function. The advancing and receding contact angles obtained from experiments are used as input to the model. The predictions are compared with data from experiments. The functional dependence of bubble diameter at departure and growth period on gravity is found to weaken with the increase in flow velocity.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
2,5-anhydro-1-deoxy-d-lyxitol, 2,5-anhydro-1-deoxy-d-mannitol, and 2,5-anhydro-1-deoxy-d-talitol. Synthesis and enzymic studies

Abstract 2,5-Anhydro-1-deoxy- d -mannitol (4), 2,5-anhydro-1-deoxy- d -talitol (8), and 2,5-anhydro-1-deoxy- d -lyxitol (12) were prepared by Raney-nickel desulfurization of 2,5-anhydro- d -mannose dihexyl dithioacetal (3), 2,5-anhydro- d -talose dihexyl dithioacetal (7), and 2,5-anhydro- d -lyxose diethyl dithioacetal (11), respectively, in 64% yield based on starting thioacetal. Compounds 3 and 7 were prepared in 42% yield, by the acid-catalyzed condensation of 2,5-anhydro- d -mannose and 2,5-anhydro- d -talose, respectively, with hexanethiol. Compound 11 was prepared in 66% yield, by treatment of d -lyxose diethyl dithioacetal with p-toluenesulfonyl chloride-pyridine. Compounds 4, 8, and 12 were examined as substrates and inhibitors for yeast hexokinase and bovine-liver fructokinase. Hexokinase and fructokinase phosphorylated 4 with Km values of 25 and 1.94m m , and Vmax (4)/Vmax ( d -fructose) 0.007 and 0.13, respectively. Fructokinase was competitively inhibited by 8 and 12, with Ki values of 17 and 99m m , respectively.
Heart rate response during dipyridamole stress as a predictor of mortality in patients with normal myocardial perfusion and normal electrocardiograms.

Although it is well established that a blunted chronotropic response to exercise is associated with a higher risk of death, recent data suggest a similar association between mortality risk and blunted heart rate response to vasodilatory stress. We investigated the heart rate response to dipyridamole-induced stress as a predictor of death in the setting of normal myocardial perfusion and a normal electrocardiogram. We followed 1,087 patients for 8 years (range 5.7 to 11.8) who underwent dipyridamole vasodilator stress and had normal perfusion scans and electrocardiograms. None had heart failure, known left ventricular systolic dysfunction, pacemaker implantation, or valve disease. Heart rate response was assessed as the ratio of heart rate at peak stress to heart rate at rest. The primary end point was all-cause mortality. Quartile values for the peak-to-rest heart rate ratio were 1.44. There were 246 deaths. Death rates according to quartiles of heart rate ratio were 103 of 271 (38%), 64 of 272 (24%), 52 of 272 (19%), and 27 of 272 (10%). After adjusting for age, gender, heart rate at rest, blood pressure response, standard cardiovascular risk factors, and other confounders, a blunted heart rate response remained predictive of death (adjusted hazard ratio for lowest vs highest quartile 3.3, 95% confidence interval 2.1 to 5.1, p <0.0001). When considered as a continuous variable, the logarithm of the heart rate ratio was the strongest predictor of death, aside from age. Thus, among patients who have normal myocardial perfusion and normal electrocardiograms, a blunted heart rate response to vasodilator stress is predictive of a marked increase in risk of death.
Inhibition of eucaryotic DNA polymerases by phosphonoacetate and phosphonoformate.

Abstract Phosphonoacetate was found to be an inhibitor of the DNA polymerase α from three human cells, HeLa, Wi-38, and phytohemagglutinin-stimulated lymphocytes. The inhibition patterns were determined. The apparent inhibition constants (Kii) were about 30 μ m . Thus the DNA polymerase α is 15 to 30 times less sensitive to Phosphonoacetate than the herpesvirus-induced DNA polymerase. The DNA polymerase α from Chinese hamster ovary cells and calf thymus was also inhibited. The DNA polymerases β and γ from the eucaryotic cells were relatively insensitive to phosphonoacetate. The sensitivity of the DNA polymerase α and the relative insensitivity of the DNA polymerase β and γ appeared to be general characteristics of the vertebrate polymerases, DNA polymerases from two other eucaryotic cells, yeast DNA polymerase A and B and tobacco cell DNA polymerase, were inhibited by phosphonoacetate, and to about the same extent as the α-polymerases. Fourteen phosphonate analogs were examined for inhibition of the HeLa DNA polymerase α. Only one, phosphonoformate, was an inhibitor. The mechanism of inhibition for phosphonoformate was analogous to that for phosphonoacetate.
Abstract 3134: Oncogenic functions of Secreted Frizzled-Related Protein 2 (sFRP2) in human renal cancer

Proceedings: AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010‐‐ Apr 17‐21, 2010; Washington, DC The secreted Frizzled-related proteins (sFRPs) are modulators of the Wnt signaling pathway which is involved in embryonic development and tumor progression. The functions of secreted frizzled-related protein 2 (sFRP2) have not been studied in renal cancer. Human renal cancer tissue microarray revealed that the level of sFRP2 expression was high in normal kidney, low in primary renal cancer tissues and high in metastatic renal cancer tissues, suggesting different roles of the sFRP2 gene in different grades of renal cancer. To study the functions of sFRP2 gene in renal carcinoma cells, we established A498 renal cancer cell lines which stably expressed sFRP2. Stably expressed sFRP2 significantly promoted cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo tumor growth. The stably expressed sFRP2 cells were also found to reduce UV-induced apoptosis and increase in the G2 phase of the cell cycle. In the stable sFRP2 cell lines, expression of c-Fos, Bcl2, Bcl-w, cyclinB2 and cyclinE2 genes was significantly increased and p53 expression was decreased. In metastatic Caki1 cells, sFRP2 knockdown inhibited invasion and reduced expression of CD146, MMP2 and Rac1/2/3 genes. This is the first report documenting that sFRP2 modulates proliferation and invasion pathways by altering various genes in renal cancer cells. This data may provide better strategies for the management of renal cancer through regulation of sFRP2 pathways. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3134.
Geopotential resonances on vanguard orbits

Since their establishment in 1959 the orbits of Vanguard 3 (1959-7A) and the Vanguard 2 rocket (1959-2B) have been slowly contracting through at least five strong resonances of eleventh order. Tracking with Baker-Nunn cameras and the U.S. Navy space surveillance (radio interferometer) system over a 14-year period has revealed resonant fluctuations on them of up to 0.035 deg in inclination (peak to peak). Six geopotential terms (lumped coefficients) of eleventh order and three of twenty-second order have been measured by using orbit inclinations derived from this tracking record. The terms of eleventh order are significantly smaller than is predicted by Kaula's rule. (The lumped coefficients are sensitive to geopotential effects as high as thirty-seventh degree.) These observed terms are compatible with a recent 27-satellite geopotential solution (GEM 7) whose formal coefficent errors are increased by a factor of 3.3.
The costs of work-related musculoskeletal disorders in automotive manufacturing.

Inadequate application of ergonomic principles to the design of workplaces and individual jobs has adverse consequences for worker health and safety, especially in terms of strains, sprains, and ot...
Single-cell transcriptional analysis of taste sensory neuron pair in Caenorhabditis elegans

The nervous system is composed of a wide variety of neurons. A description of the transcriptional profiles of each neuron would yield enormous information about the molecular mechanisms that define morphological or functional characteristics. Here we show that RNA isolation from single neurons is feasible by using an optimized mRNA tagging method. This method extracts transcripts in the target cells by co-immunoprecipitation of the complexes of RNA and epitope-tagged poly(A) binding protein expressed specifically in the cells. With this method and genome-wide microarray, we compared the transcriptional profiles of two functionally different neurons in the main C. elegans gustatory neuron class ASE. Eight of the 13 known subtype-specific genes were successfully detected. Additionally, we identified nine novel genes including a receptor guanylyl cyclase, secreted proteins, a TRPC channel and uncharacterized genes conserved among nematodes, suggesting the two neurons are substantially different than previously thought. The expression of these novel genes was controlled by the previously known regulatory network for subtype differentiation. We also describe unique motif organization within individual gene groups classified by the expression patterns in ASE. Our study paves the way to the complete catalog of the expression profiles of individual C. elegans neurons.
Pete Grimwood--oil cargo seafaring and longshoring.

Pete Grimwood was a 50-year-old tankerman and a member of the Inland Boatmen's Union (IBU) San Francisco Bay Region since the early 1980s. Like so many other tankermen—the workers who load and unload petroleum products on barges and ships—he died of cancer from exposure to the noxious fumes at work. The employers continue to get away with not paying for safety equipment and with not being held liable for the workers' early deaths.Grimwood's story reflects the grim reality of tankermen—the long hours of hard physical work with severe physical, chemical, and biological hazards, decades of stagnant wages and insufficient health care, working for employers who don't care about worker health and safety. His story is also one of human and union struggle for dignity, for better working conditions, and for a better life.This interview was conducted by fellow IBU tankerman Jeff Quam-Wickham on Dec. 22–23, 1999, just two weeks before Grimwood's death on Jan. 8, 2000. Although his body was wracked by chemotherapy, h...
The Veto Power of the State Governor

The term “veto” has been traced from the power of the tribune of the plebs in ancient Rome to annul or suspend the acts of other public authorities. From the establishment of the Roman tribune, that official had the right of intercession (intercessio), to cancel any command of a consul which infringed the liberties of a citizen; and this was gradually extended to other administrative acts and even to decrees of the senate. The word veto (I forbid) was at least occasionally used by the tribune in such cases.But historically what is called the veto power of American executives is derived from the legislative power of the British Crown. Until the fifteenth century statutes in England were enacted by the king on his own initiative or in response to petitions. From that time parliament presented bills in place of petitions; and statutes were enacted by the king “by and with the advice and consent of the lords …. and the commons …. and by the authority of the same.” The king's assent was still necessary; and without this assent a bill was not law. For two hundred years the Crown continued to exercise the negative power of declining to accept bills, not by any formal act of disapproval, but by the polite response in old Norman French, “le roy s'avisera.” Since the beginning of the eighteenth century no bill which has passed parliament has failed to receive the royal assent; but the old form of enacting laws is still in use.
Review of recent research (2000–2010) on learning and instruction with specific reference to L2 Japanese

This review aims to identify major issues in and the direction of recent L2 Japanese research by reviewing over 200 empirical studies published in English or Japanese between 2000 and 2010. The first part of this article examines topics in second language acquisition (SLA) research with regard to L2 Japanese, including vocabulary and kanji (Chinese characters transferred into Japanese) learning, syntactic development, reading and writing in L2 Japanese, interlanguage pragmatics and language socialization, affective factors, and multilingualism and the acquisition of Japanese as a heritage language. The second part offers an overview of issues and problems in pedagogical practices, including curriculum design, culture in language education, classroom discourse, and study abroad. The review of these themes illustrates a broad picture of current research in L2 Japanese learning and instruction inspired by general trends in SLA and applied linguistics research, as well as unique features of Japanese language and social contexts.
Down‐regulation of trkA mRNA within nucleus basalis neurons in individuals with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease

Recent studies indicate that trkA expression is reduced in end-stage Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, understanding the neuropathologic correlates of early cognitive decline, as well as the changes that underlie the transition from nondemented mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to AD, are more critical neurobiological challenges. In these regards, the present study examined the expression of trkA mRNA in individuals diagnosed with MCI and AD from a cohort of people enrolled in a Religious Orders Study. Individuals with MCI and AD displayed significant reductions in trkA mRNA relative to aged-matched controls, indicating that alterations in trkA gene expression occur early in the disease process. The magnitude of change was similar in MCI and AD cases, suggesting that further loss of trkA mRNA is not necessarily associated with the transition of individuals from nondemented MCI to AD. The loss of trkA mRNA was not associated with education, apolipoprotein E allele status, gender, Braak score, global cognitive score or Mini-Mental Status Examination. In contrast, the loss of trkA mRNA in MCI and AD was significantly correlated with function on a variety of episodic memory tests.
Dynamic Simulation of the Superfluid/Normal Fluid Interface Motion in 4He

We report on the development of a fully time-dependent computer simulation of the 4He normal fluid/superfluid (He-I/He-II) interface dynamics. Both the diverging thermal conductivity and the rapidly changing heat capacity of 4He near the lamda point present a challenge to traditional numerical methods for integrating the heat diffusion equation. We use the Dupont-II three-time-level method known for its good convergence properties for strong nonlinear models. Still, this algorithm does not conserve energy precisely, so a supplementary convergence criterion based on absolute enthalpy error is developed. We report on the underlying theoretical model, the numerical algorithm and its implementation, and simulation results. We compare the results with experimental data and discuss the error analysis and the balance between simulation fidelity and convergence.
Characterization of yeast clathrin and anticlathrin heavy‐chain monoclonal antibodies

Clathrin-coated vesicles (CVs) were isolated from Saccharomyces cerevisiae by using procedures developed by Mueller and Branton [17]. Triskelions were purified from this material by extraction of CVs to release clathrin and by subsequent fractionation on Sepharose CL-4B. Triskelions were composed of ∼ 180,000 Mr heavy chains and a single light-chain type of ∼ 38,000 Mr and were able to undergo self-assembly into polyhedral cages. Trypsin digestion of such reassembled cages showed a peptide pattern very similar to that obtained for mammalian clathrin with two fragments of 125,000 and 110,000 Mr, which represent the major portion of the heavy-chain arm, and a polypeptide of ∼ 43,000 Mr, which is the presumptive terminal domain. Eight monoclonal antibodies reacting with yeast clathrin heavy chains were produced. All eight bind to the major portion of the heavy-chain arm, and none bind to the terminal domain fragment. Peptide digestion experiments also indicated that at least three major regions on the arm are recognized by these antibodies. These will be useful in further structural and functional studies of clathrin from yeast.
Non-English language neighborhoods in Chicago, Illinois: 2000

Abstract We use data from the 2000 U.S. Census to investigate the spatial patterns and characteristics of non-English language neighborhoods in Chicago Illinois, a major immigrant gateway city. We seek to answer three research questions. First, do non-English language speakers live close enough to form spatially bounded neighborhoods? Second, where are these neighborhoods—in the historical central city of Chicago or in suburbs? Third, what are these neighborhoods like? We use the technique of exploratory spatial data analysis, spatial autocorrelation analysis, to describe and visualize neighborhoods. Our analyses show that non-English language neighborhoods exist in suburbs as well as the central city and that the linguistic, demographic, and socioeconomic characteristics of language neighborhoods vary strongly by site and language group.
Distributed query adaptation and its trade-offs

Adaptive query processing in large distributed systems has seen increasing importance due to the rising environmental fluctuations in a growing Internet. We describe Ginga, an adaptive query processing engine that combines proactive (compile-time) alternative query plan generation with reactive (run-time) monitoring of network delays. The core of Ginga approach is the notion of adaptation space and mechanisms for coordinating and integrating different kinds of query adaptation. An adaptation space consists of a set of adaptation triggers and a set of adaptation cases associated with the triggers. Each adaptation case describes a specific adaptation opportunity of the query execution when changes to the runtime environment are detected. Our experimental results show that Ginga query adaptation can achieve significant performance improvements (up to 40% of response time gain) for processing distributed queries over the Internet.
Identification of a common PEX1 mutation in Zellweger syndrome.

The Zellweger spectrum of disease, encompassing Zellweger syndrome and the progressively milder phenotypes of neonatal adrenoleukodystrophy and infantile Refsum disease, is due to a failure to form functional peroxisomes. Cell fusion complementation studies demonstrated that these diseases are genetically heterogeneous, with two-thirds of all patients lying within a single complementation group, CG1. Molecular genetic and cell biology studies have shown that PEX1 is deficient in many CG1 patients. However, previous studies have focused on mildly affected patients and there is still no report of two mutant PEX1 alleles in any Zellweger syndrome patient. Furthermore, mutations in the PMP70 gene have also been identified in two Zellweger syndrome patients from CG1, raising the possibility that CG1 patients may represent a mixture of PEX1-deficient and PMP70-deficient individuals. To address the molecular basis of disease in Zellweger syndrome patients from CG1, we examined all 24 PEX1 exons in four patients, including both patients that have mutations in PMP70. PEX1 mutations were detected in all four patients, including a 1-bp insertion (c.2097insT) in exon 13 that was present in three of the four patients. Subsequent studies demonstrated that this mutation is present in one-half of all CG1 patients and correlates with the Zellweger syndrome phenotype. As this mutation leads to a loss of protein function its frequency makes it the most common cause of Zellweger syndrome, helping to explain the high percentage of patients that belong to CG1. Hum Mutat 14:45–53, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.