cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Functionally uncoupled transcription–translation in Bacillus subtilis

Tight coupling of transcription and translation is considered a defining feature of bacterial gene expression1,2. The pioneering ribosome can both physically associate and kinetically coordinate with RNA polymerase (RNAP)3–11, forming a signal-integration hub for co-transcriptional regulation that includes translation-based attenuation12,13 and RNA quality control2. However, it remains unclear whether transcription–translation coupling—together with its broad functional consequences—is indeed a fundamental characteristic of bacteria other than Escherichia coli. Here we show that RNAPs outpace pioneering ribosomes in the Gram-positive model bacterium Bacillus subtilis, and that this ‘runaway transcription’ creates alternative rules for both global RNA surveillance and translational control of nascent RNA. In particular, uncoupled RNAPs in B. subtilis explain the diminished role of Rho-dependent transcription termination, as well as the prevalence of mRNA leaders that use riboswitches and RNA-binding proteins. More broadly, we identified widespread genomic signatures of runaway transcription in distinct phyla across the bacterial domain. Our results show that coupled RNAP–ribosome movement is not a general hallmark of bacteria. Instead, translation-coupled transcription and runaway transcription constitute two principal modes of gene expression that determine genome-specific regulatory mechanisms in prokaryotes. In Bacillus subtilis, unlike in Escherichia coli, transcription and translation of genes are not tightly coupled, and pioneering ribosomes lag substantially behind RNA polymerases.
Understanding characteristics of forest professionals and small woodlot owners for communicating climate change adaptation

Abstract Forest stakeholders are a highly heterogeneous group with varied perceptions that are important to consider when engaging in dialog to increase climate change adaptation. We conducted an online survey of two forestry groups in Maine, U.S., classified as (1) forest professionals, and (2) small woodlot owners. We compared their climate change risk perceptions, socio-cultural influences, information sources, self-efficacy, barriers and incentives to adaptation, and management strategies. Small woodlot owners have much less knowledge of adaptation strategies, and greater perceived need for financial incentives, while forest professionals have higher social norms and more interest in market-based incentives. We found that both groups perceived climate change as a strong influencer on forest ecosystems, and that complexity of information was a key barrier to effective adaptation. The similarities that transcend forestry groups highlight several key perceptions of climate change that unify those working in diverse roles and positions. Implications for increasing implementation include framing communication messages to connect with specific audiences, such as discussing climate change in terms of forest health and wildlife concerns.
Selective N‐Terminal BET Bromodomain Inhibitors by Targeting Non‐Conserved Residues and Structured Water Displacement**

Bromodomain and extra-terminal (BET) family proteins, BRD2-4 and T, are important drug targets; however, the biological functions of each bromodomain remain ill-defined. Chemical probes that selectively inhibit a single BET bromodomain are lacking, although pan inhibitors of the first (D1), and second (D2), bromodomain are known. Here, we develop selective BET D1 inhibitors with preferred binding to BRD4 D1. In competitive inhibition assays, we show that our lead compound is 9-33 fold selective for BRD4 D1 over the other BET bromodomains. X-ray crystallography supports a role for the selectivity based on reorganization of a non-conserved lysine and displacement of an additional structured water in the BRD4 D1 binding site relative to our prior lead. Whereas pan-D1 inhibitors displace BRD4 from MYC enhancers, BRD4 D1 inhibition in MM.1S cells is insufficient for stopping Myc expression and may lead to its upregulation. Future analysis of BRD4 D1 gene regulation may shed light on differential BET bromodomain functions.
Mass Spectrometry Technologies to Advance Care for Cancer Patients in Clinical and Intraoperative Use

Developments in mass spectrometry technologies have driven a widespread interest and expanded their use in cancer-related research and clinical applications. In this review, we highlight the developments in mass spectrometry methods and instrumentation applied to direct tissue analysis that have been tailored at enhancing performance in clinical research as well as facilitating translation and implementation of mass spectrometry in clinical settings, with a focus on cancer-related studies. Notable studies demonstrating the capabilities of direct mass spectrometry analysis in biomarker discovery, cancer diagnosis and prognosis, tissue analysis during oncologic surgeries, and other clinically relevant problems that have the potential to substantially advance cancer patient care are discussed. Key challenges that need to be addressed before routine clinical implementation including regulatory efforts are also discussed. Overall, the studies highlighted in this review demonstrate the transformative potential of mass spectrometry technologies to advance clinical research and care for cancer patients. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Mass Spec Rev.
Optimizing Access to Preventive Reproductive Health Care: Meeting Patients Where They Are At

PREVENTIVE REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE BARRIERS Today, we hear ourselves repeating this wise attending's words while working in our hospital's family planning clinic in response to a question we sometimes hear from learners: "Why do you think she waited so long to have her abortion?" Patients seeking abortion care and those pursuing preventive reproductive health care describe many of the same psychosocial, interpersonal, and structural barriers to obtaining care 1,2 Notable psychosocial challenges to obtaining care include medical mistrust and not prioritizing one's personal health amid competing demands;interpersonal barriers include parenting and caregiving for adult family members;and structural barriers include instability around insurance, transportation, and childcare 1 Although many barriers to seeking abortion and preventive reproductive health care coincide, those seeking abortion care face additional challenges, including stigma and antiabortion legal restrictions The Turnaway Study was a landmark five-year longitudinal study that followed individuals who presented for abortion just before or after the gestational age limits at 30 abortion clinics across the United States 2 Participants who presented after the clinics' gestational age limits and were unable to obtain a desired abortion were more likely to experience economic hardship and report being in fair or poor health years later, compared with those who presented in time to obtain their desired abortion 2,3 Furthermore, what is often called the "wellwoman visit," which we refer to as the "preventive reproductive health visit" in recognition that not all individuals assigned female at birth identify as women, is an important opportunity to provide health screening, counseling, immunizations, contraception, and preconception care to help address individual and population-level reproductive health disparities 1 INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO OVERCOMING BARRIERS Given the myriad interacting barriers individuals face in obtaining reproductive health care, innovative strategies to engage people in reproductive health care must prioritize meeting people where they are, figuratively and sometimes literally, to help them overcome their own context-specific barriers [ ]they implemented a program offering colocation of contraceptive services to mothers presenting for their young infants' well-baby visits Importantly, preventive reproductive health care offers many potential health benefits but remains a downstream intervention that cannot fully mitigate long-standing, underlying structural and environmental factors that negatively affect individuals' reproductive health and contribute to population-level reproductive health disparities
Online learning accessibility during the COVID-19 pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many elementary, middle, and high schools made an emergency transition to online learning. Students have faced numerous access issues during this time, but little is known about how well students with disabilities can access online course content. Many teachers are unfamiliar with adapting, developing, and creating accessible online course content and there is scant research on younger students' experiences with accessible online course content and platforms. Previous research, however, provides insights on how to identify and address challenges that students with disabilities face when accessing online learning in institutions of higher education. In this paper, we review and analyze 14 papers published in the past 11 years on e-learning accessibility to translate insights into actionable recommendations to improve the accessibility of platforms at the time of the COVID-19 crisis, as well as future pandemics. Based on the reviewed research, we present several recommendations including building organizational cultures of accessibility with support for educators as accessible content creators and increased awareness of the many types of disabilities that may affect students and how accessible content can prevent increasing opportunity gaps. Although emergency online learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic will likely and hopefully end in the near future, the lessons learned should continue to inform future improvements in accessible education for all learners.
Descriptions of the Thalamus in Representative Mammals

Figures 2.1A-L show a series of Nissl-stained frontal sections through the thalamus of a cat to illustrate the general configuration of the thalamic nuclei in a representative mammal. The cat introduces this descriptive account since its nuclear parcellation is clearer than in rodents but less subdivided than in primates. Most of the anterior surface of the thalamus is covered by the reticular nucleus which, more posteriorly, wraps around the lateral and ventral surfaces of the dorsal thalamus. The more medial part of the anterior surface is covered by the anterior paraventricular nucleus of the epithalamus, arching down the front of the thalamus, behind the fornix, to become continuous with the hypothalamus. At anterior levels of the dorsal thalamus (Figs. 2.1B,C), the three anterior nuclei are seen (anterodorsal, anteromedial, anteroventral), together with the parataenial nucleus lying always deep to the stria medullaris and probably best considered a component of the medial group of nuclei. The medial group also includes the mediodorsal nucleus (seen more posteriorly in Fig. 2.1D) and the medioventral or reuniens nucleus (Fig. 2.1C).
Judicial Toleration of Racial Bias in the Minnesota Justice System

This article examines four specific areas where the Minnesota Supreme Court has chosen to elevate other values above the deterrence of racial or cultural bias in the justice system. These four areas include the following: (1) cases involving claims of inadequate translation by non-English speaking defendants, (2) cases of racial and cultural stereotyping in the justice system including racial profiling in police stops and use of cultural evidence in criminal trials, (3) cases in which the court uses the harmless error doctrine to avoid overturning convictions tainted by racial bias, and (4) cases in which obvious pretexts are used to permit the exclusion of African American jurors.
Human epidemiologic studies of exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals and altered hormone levels

Abstract There is growing evidence that some chemicals which are commonly encountered by humans in the environment can alter endocrine function, potentially leading to reproductive, developmental, and other disorders. This chapter reviews findings from human studies that have been conducted to date on hormone levels in relation to exposure to phthalates, polychlorinated biphenyls, pesticides, metals, and other potential endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs). The chapter also discusses future trends and research needs in identifying risks associated with human exposure to known or suspected EDCs.
Clinical Therapeutic Conference

Minimum inhibitory concentration testing is the most common standard used to evaluate antibacterial activity of antimicrobials against specific pathogens. The consideration of pharmacodynamic factors in conjunction with these tests can improve the management of bacterial infections. Further, the incorporation of MIC values into pharmacodynamic ratios may provide clinically useful tools for selecting optimal antibiotic selection, determining proper dosing strategies, and predicting therapeutic outcomes. Physiologic consequences of infection and antibiotic treatment, such as endotoxin release and initiation of the septic cascade, also must be considered when choosing appropriate anti-infective therapy. The introduction of adjuvant immunotherapy, along with improvement, validation, and implementation of pharmacodynamic predictors of antibiotic efficacy, undoubtedly will provide the medical community with an effective arsenal to further reduce the morbidity and mortality rates associated with bacterial infections.
State Constitutional Protections of Liberty and the Antebellum New Jersey Supreme Court: Chief Justice Hornblower and the Fugitive Slave Law

In this article, Professor Finkelman examines the significance of New Jersey Supreme Court Justice Hornblower’s decision in State v. The Sheriff of Burlington. Professor Finkelman discusses how the Hornblower decision relates to how modern Judges can protect civil liberties through state constitutions as well as a providing a context to New Jersey’s present day race relations. New Jersey was the last of the northern states to abolish slavery and, as is evident by Hornblower’s failure to publish his decision, often failed to protect the rights of its African-American citizens after slavery was abolished in the antebellum period.
A Cross-Validation of the Relational Entitlement and Proprietariness Scale

Relational entitlement and proprietariness refer to a set of beliefs supporting a view that a romantic partner is analogous to property and can be treated as such. This individual difference is expected to facilitate various forms of coercion and aggression in relationships. A means and covariance structures (MACS) approach within the framework of confirmatory factor analysis was conducted on two independent samples of undergraduate students (N A = 292, N B = 317) to cross-validate a previously developed six-factor structure of the Relational Entitlement and Proprietariness (REP) Scale. The analyses successfully validated the REP instrument, evidencing complete measurement invariance across the two samples. Additional tests were performed to explore potential sex differences in the scale. The first-order factor loading pattern of the hierarchical REP structure was largely invariant for the male and female samples. Similarly, the latent mean structure was equivalent for men and women with the exception of ...
Highly sensitive tunable diode laser spectrometers for in situ planetary exploration

This paper describes highly sensitive tunable diode laser spectrometers suitable for in situ planetary exploration. The technology developed at JPL is based on wavelength modulated cavity enhanced absorption spectroscopy. It is capable of sensitively detecting chemical signatures of life through the abundance of biogenic molecules and their isotopic composition, and chemicals such as water necessary for habitats of life. The technology would be suitable for searching for biomarkers, extinct life, potential habitats of extant life, and signatures of ancient climates on Mars; and for detecting biomarkers, prebiotic chemicals and habitats of life in the outer Solar System. It would be useful for prospecting for water on the Moon and asteroids, and characterizing its isotopic composition. Deployment on the Moon could provide ground truth to the recent remote measurements and help to uncover precious records of the early bombardment history of the inner Solar System buried at the shadowed poles, and elucidate the mechanism for the generation of near-surface water in the illuminated regions. The technology would also be useful for detecting other volatile molecules in planetary atmospheres and subsurface reservoirs, isotopic characterization of planetary materials, and searching for signatures of extinct life preserved in solid matrices.
New cardiotonic agents

D RUGS THAT INCREASE the positive inotropic (ie, cardiotonic) potential of the myocardium are used in a variety of clinical settings. All catecholamines exert their inotropic effects by stimulating adrenergic mediated receptors in the sympathetic nervous system. 1,2 Stimulation of these adrenergic receptors within the cardiovascular system generates predictable organ specific responses (Table 1). Catecholamines can act either directly or indirectly on these adrenergic receptors. Indirect acting catecholamines stimulate the release of stored neurotransmitters from sympathetic nerve terminals, whereas direct acting agents stimulate the adrenergic receptors directly. Director indirect-acting catecholamines exert their positive inotropic action by stimulation of the ill-receptor. This stimulation activates the "second messenger" pathway, facilitating the release of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). 3 The efficacy of any adrenergic agent is influenced by the availability (ie, density) and responsiveness (ie, affinity) of these beta receptors. A reduction in both the number and sensitivity of B-receptors has been noted with chronically elevated levels of plasma catecholamines (such as that occurring in congestive heart failure [CHF] or hypertension). This was described by Bristow et al4 as B-receptor "down regulation". Conversely, B-receptor "up regulation" has been described in patients undergoing long-term fl-adrenergic antagonist therapy, thus resulting in a significant increase in the numbers of B-receptors. Down regulation, initially thought to develop only when plasma catecholamine levels were chronically elevated, has now been observed with short-term exposure. Marty et al5 recently reported a significant increase in B-receptor density
Markovian equilibrium in a class of stochastic games: existence theorems for discounted and undiscounted models

We study a strategic version of the neoclassical growth model under possible production uncertainty. For a general specification of the problem, we establish (i) the existence of stationary Markov equilibria in pure strategies for the discounted game, and (ii) the convergence, under a boundedness condition, of discounted equilibrium strategies to a pure strategy stationary Markovian equilibrium of the undiscounted game as the discount factor tends to unity. The same techniques can be used to prove that such convergence also obtains in all finitestate, finite-action stochastic games satisfying a certain “full communicability” condition. These results are of special interest since there are well known examples in the literature in which the limit of discounted equilibria fails to be an equilibrium of the undiscounted game.
Wave-induced responses in a fluid-filled poro-elastic solid with a free surface : A boundary layer theory

Summary. Wave-induced stress in a porous elastic medium is studied on the basis of Biot's linearized theory which is a special case of the mixture theory. For sufficiently high frequencies which are pertinent to ocean waves and seismic waves, a boundary layer of Stokes' type is shown to exist near the free surface of the solid. Outside the boundary layer, fluid and the solid skeleton move together according to the laws of classical elasticity for a single phase. This division simplifies the analysis of the equations governing the two phases; and several examples of potential interest to geophysics and foundation mechanics are treated analytically.
Oxalate extraction of Pb and Zn from polluted soils: Solubility limitations

Oxalate (Ox) was used to extract Pb and Zn from industrially contaminated soils. Although Ox effectively releases metals bound by hydrous oxide soil components, it forms insoluble salts with some heavy metals unlike conventional extractants (e.g., EDTA). The insolubility of PbOx(s) (Ksp=2.74 × 10−11) precluded the use of Ox as a single-step extractant even for soils mildly contaminated with Pb. The usefulness of Ox as a Zn extractant, however, depends on the level of soil contamination. A Zn solubility model, based on published equilibrium constants, was developed to assess Ox suitability as a function of system conditions. Precipitation of ZnOx(s) hindered Zn recovery under acidic conditions where formation of soluble oxalato complexes was small. For pH<3, the presence of 1 M Ox actually reduced Zn release compared to simple acid washing. Although Ox displaces oxide-bound metals and thus is potentially useful in soil washing, solubility limitations must be defined for effective remediation of metal-laden...
Exploring the political dimensions of information literacy through popular film.

Certain popular films contextualize the access, use, and interpretation of information within a political and social framework. As a result, these films function as alternative pedagogical sites for analysis and critique, facilitating critical thinking about information beyond the library and the classroom, and leading students to a deeper understanding of the fundamental need for information literacy. A conceptual basis for the consideration of film in politically engaged information literacy instruction is provided, supported by a discussion of three relevant films: Jason Reitman’s Thank You for Smoking (2006), Joel and Ethan Coen’s Burn after Reading (2008), and Oliver Stone’s W. (2008).
NMR Reveals the Absence of Hydrogen Bonding in Adjacent UU and AG Mismatches in an Isolated Internal Loop from Ribosomal RNA

NMR studies provide insights into structural features of internal loops. These insights can be combined with thermodynamic studies to generate models for predicting structure and energetics. The tandem mismatch internal loop, 5'GUGG3'(3'CUAC5'), has been studied by NMR. The NMR structure reveals an internal loop with no hydrogen bonding between the loop bases and with the G in the AG mismatch flipped out of the helix. The sequence of this internal loop is highly conserved in rRNA. The loop is located in the large ribosomal subunit and is part of a conserved 58-nt fragment that is the binding domain of ribosomal protein L11. Structural comparisons between variants of this internal loop in crystal structures of the 58-nt domain complexed with L11 protein and of the large ribosomal subunit (LSU) suggest that this thermodynamically destabilizing internal loop is partially preorganized for tertiary interactions and for binding L11. A model for predicting the base pairing and free energy of 2 x 2 nucleotide internal loops with a purine-purine mismatch next to a pyrimidine-pyrimidine mismatch is proposed on the basis of the present NMR structure and previously reported thermodynamics.
Agribusiness education in the United States: Past trends and future

This article builds a historical perspective for agribusiness education, primarily through the legacy of the Land Grant System in the US. Wallace points out that the legislation that provided for agricultural education in the US (namely Morrill, Hatch, and Smith-Lever) has been amended and has evolved over time to include many activities other than production agriculture. Also included in the historical perspective on agribusiness education is the evolution and role of the business schools. Finally, Wallace discusses the need to understand and participate in agribusiness leadership efforts.
Cryosensitivity of Escherichia coli and the Involvement of Cyclopropane Fatty Acids

Calcott, P.H. Oliver, J.D. Dickey, K. & Calcott Katherine, 1984. Cryosensitivity of Escherichia coli and the involvement of cyclopropane fatty acids. Journal of Applied Bacteriology56, 165–172. Strains of Escherichia coli proficient and deficient in cylopropane fatty acid synthesis were compared for fatty acid content, cryosensitivity, presence of freeze-thaw-induced wall and membrane damage, resistance to detergent-stimulated lysis and tolerance to salt and detergents during growth. The mutant populations synthesized much less cyclopropane fatty acids and were more resistant than the wild type to freezing and thawing in saline only, exhibiting less viability loss and less wall and membrane damage. While the resistance of the mutants to NaCl was unaltered, their detergent resistance was decreased under both growth and non-growth conditions. Although these physiological changes were associated with a lower cyclopropane fatty acid content in the mutant strains, it is proposed that the responses were due to the altered membrane fluidity of the mutants due to changes in their unsaturated fatty acid content.
Can we detect or predict the presence of occult nodal metastases in patients with squamous carcinoma of the oral tongue

Background When to do a neck dissection as part of the surgical treatment for a patient with squamous carcinoma of the oral tongue is controversial, particularly when the primary can be resected without entering the neck. If the patient who is at high risk for having occult nodal disease in the neck can be identified, node dissection with the glossectomy could be justified. To better identify patients for this procedure, we correlated various tumor and patient factors along with preoperative diagnostic studies with the presence or absence of pathologically positive nodes in a group of patients who underwent node dissection. Methods Ninety-one previously untreated patients with biopsy-proved squamous carcinoma of the oral tongue were prospectively studied. All patients had a glossectomy and neck dissection as their initial treatment. The pathology findings (ie, lymph nodes with squamous cancer) were correlated with many preoperative and intraoperative factors, and a statistical analysis was made. Results The use of computed tomography and ultrasound was not better than the clinical examination in determining the presence or absence of nodal metastases. The best predictors were depth of muscle invasion, double DNA aneuploidy, and histologic differentiation of the tumor. Conclusions All patients with stage T2–T4 squamous cancers of the oral tongue should have an elective dissection of the neck. Patients with T1N0 cancer who have a double DNA-aneuploid tumor, depth of muscle invasion >4 mm, or have a poorly differentiated cancer should definitely undergo elective neck dissection. Ultrasound and computed tomography are of little value in predicting which patients have positive nodes. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Head Neck20: 138– 144. 1998.
Diffusion of palliative care in nursing homes: lessons from the culture change movement.

Abstract Context Studies have found that nursing homes (NHs) that rely heavily on Medicaid funding are less likely to implement innovative approaches to care, such as palliative care (PC) or resident-centered approaches commonly referred to as "culture change" (CC). However, a nationally representative survey we previously conducted found that some high Medicaid facilities have implemented these innovative approaches. Objectives The purpose of this study was to identify the factors that enable some high Medicaid NHs to implement innovative approaches to care. Methods We conducted telephone interviews with 16 NH administrators in four categories of facilities: 1) low PC and low CC, 2) low PC and high CC, 3) high PC and low CC, and 4) high PC and high CC. Interviews explored strategies used to overcome barriers to implementation and the resources needed for implementation. Results We had expected to find differences between low and high NHs but instead found differences in NHs' experiences with CC and PC. Since the time of our national survey in 2009–2010, most previously low CC NHs had implemented at least some CC practices; however, we did not find similar changes around PC. Administrators reported numerous ways in which they had received information and assistance from outside entities for implementing CC. This was not the case for PC where administrators reported relying exclusively and heavily on hospices for both their residents' PC needs and information related to PC. Conclusion PC advocates could learn much from the CC model in which advocates have used multipronged efforts to institute reform.
British Hegemony and Militarized Interstate Disputes, 1815-1939

In this paper, we examine some competing explanations of the Pax Britannia, the long era of relative peace that marks the 19th century. We test hypotheses derived from balance of power theory and from theories of hegemonic order (including the hegemonic stability theory of Gilpin, the political long-cycle theory of Modelski, Thompson and their associates, world systems theory, and the economic long-cycle theory of Kondratieff) regarding the occurrence of militarized interstate disputes (MIDs) for 1815-1939. Using indicators of British economic and military capacity, the regression analyses indicate that the rise and fall of British military and economic capacity associates inversely some measures of major power MIDs. From the theoretical models of phases of hegemonic order, we find no support for the implications of the Gilpin and the World systems models. Support for the double cobweb model (Modelski) exists, but the model is very sensitive to a single data point. Finally, eras of world economic expansio...
Infiltrating cancer of the bladder involving the trigone—Treatment

Abstract Early infiltrating carcinoma of the trigone is a highly malignant disease. Metastases may be expected in 50 per cent of the cases within one year. The obstructing tumor is attended by infection and renal insufficiency of sufficient degree to result in death in the majority of cases. These cases should be regarded as palliative problems until they are definitely proved otherwise by the absence of detectable metastasis or the symptoms thereof, by the control of infection, and by evidence of a sufficient degree of renal function to withstand any procedure proposed in the way of treatment. In rare suitable cases a five-year cure may be obtained by a variety of methods, the selection of which must depend upon the individual case and the preferences of the surgeon.
Molten-salt corrosion of silicon nitride. I: Sodium carbonate

Corrosion of Si3N4 under thin films of Na2CO3 was investigated at 1000°C. Pure Si3N4 and Si3N4 with various additives were examined. Thermogravimetric analysis and morphology observations lead to the following detailed reaction mechanism: (I) decomposition of Na2CO3 and formation of Na2SiO3, (II) rapid oxidation, and (III) formation of a protective silica layer below the silicate and a slowing of the reaction. For Si3N4 with Y2O3 additions, preferential attack of the grain-boundary phase occurred. The corrosion of pure Si and SiC was also studied for comparison to Si3N4. The corrosion mechanism generally applies to all three materials. Silicon reacted substantially faster than Si3N4 and SiC.
Measuring the visual angle of the mind's eye.

Abstract People in these experiments claimed to be able to imagine moving only a given distance toward some imaged object before it seemed to “overflow,” not remaining all visible at once in their mental images. In addition, the larger the imaged object, the further away it seemed at the point of overflow. Although the angle subtended by the imaged objects at the point of overflow did not vary systematically with the size of the object, it did vary with different stimuli and instructions. These disparities in the size of the angle estimated seemed partly due to differences in criterion of “overflow”: Images seem to fade off gradually toward the periphery and not to occur in a spatial medium with sharply defined edges. When subjects were given a relatively strict definition of “overflow,” similar estimates of the “visual angle of the mind's eye” were obtained with three distinct methods: (1) Asking subjects to estimate the apparent distance at which an imaged horizontal ruler began to overflow; (2) Measuring how much time subjects required to scan across each degree of an imaged line, and then inferring the maximal angle from the time required to scan an image of a longest nonoverflowing line; and, (3) Simply asking subjects to hold up their hands to indicate the subjective size of an image of the longest possible nonoverflowing line. Finally, the maximal subjective size of images seemed related to the scope of “focal” vision, and images tended to be constructed spontaneously at about the maximal size.
Long-term engraftment of precultured post-5-fluorouracil allogeneic marrow in mice conditioned with a nonmyeloablative regimen: relevance for a gene therapy approach to tolerance induction.

Abstract Introduction of MHC class I Kb cDNA via recombinant retrovirus into B10.AKM (Kk) bone marrow cells (BMC) has been shown to confer specific hyporesponsiveness to B10.MBR (Kb) allogeneic skin grafts in lethally irradiated B10.AKM recipients of the transduced syngeneic BMC. We have recently developed a nonmyeloablative conditioning regimen that allows engraftment of fully MHC-mismatched allogeneic bone marrow and the induction of donor-specific tolerance. We ultimately plan to adapt this nonmyeloablative regimen for the use of retroviral transfer of the Kb gene to syngeneic marrow. As a step toward this goal, we have assessed the effects of our current BMC transduction protocol on engraftment of class I mismatched marrow in mice prepared using the nonmyeloablative regimen. BMC from B10.MBR (KbIkDq) mice treated 2 days earlier with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) were cultured for 4 days with rIL-3 and rIL-6, and then injected into B10.AKM (KkIkDq) recipients conditioned with anti-CD4 and anti-CD8 mAbs, 7 Gy of thymic irradiation and 3 Gy of whole body irradiation. Engraftment was comparable to that of freshly prepared normal B10.MBR marrow. All recipients of 106 precultured BMC developed long-term multilineage mixed WBC (white blood cells) chimerism, and six of seven of these animals showed long-term specific tolerance to B10.MBR skin grafts. Four of seven recipients of 2 × 105 precultured BMC showed long-term repopulation by the donor of > 1% multiple WBC lineages and four of five recipients showed specific tolerance to B10.MBR tail skin. These data suggest that our previously described nonmyeloablative conditioning regimen could be applicable to the gene therapy approach for the induction of donor-specific transplantation tolerance.
Alloisoleucine formation in maple syrup urine disease: isotopic evidence for the mechanism.

Summary: Of the four possible stereoisomers of isoleucine, only L-alloisoleucine and L-isoleucine were found by capillary gas chromatography in the plasma of two maple syrup urine disease (MSUD) patients, one with classical and one with variant MSUD. The relative plasma concentration ratios of L-alloisoleucine/L-isoleucine were 0.795 ± 0.025 (±95% confidence limits) and 0.637 ± 0.016 in the classical- and variant-MSUD patients, respectively. The patients were also studied in the postabsorptive state with a 6-hr continuous infusion of L-[15N]leucine. In each patient plasma leucine 15N enrichment approximated plateau after 150 min, and there was rapid appearance of [15N]isoleucine and [15N]alloisoleucine which were identical at plateau, although in the variant-MSUD patient [15N]alloisoleucine enrichment did not equal that of [15N]isoleucine until 240 min of infusion. These results offer direct in vivo evidence for the rapid equilibrium of plasma isoleucine and alloisoleucine through keto-enol tautomerization of α-keto-β-methylvalerate.
Three-dimensional modeling of the right ventricle from two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiographic images: utility of knowledge-based reconstruction in pulmonary arterial hypertension

Background Right ventricular (RV) volume and functional assessments are essential in the management of pulmonary arterial hypertension but are often difficult to perform. Three-dimensional (3D) echocardiography is limited by acoustic dropout of the RV free wall in dilated ventricles. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that knowledge-based reconstruction, a novel method for 3D modeling of RV endocardium from two-dimensional echocardiographic images, could provide accurate measurements of RV volumes and systolic function. Methods Twenty-seven patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension were prospectively recruited for same-day echocardiography and cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR), which was used as a reference standard. Two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiographic images were acquired with 3D spatial localization equipment to allow 3D reconstruction. Image analysis was performed with dedicated software to obtain end-diastolic volume (EDV) and end-systolic volume (ESV) and RV ejection fraction (EF). The method of disks was used to determine RV volumes on CMR. Results Echocardiographic RV volumes correlated well with CMR (EDV, R = 0.87; ESV, R = 0.88; EF, R = 0.75). For interobserver analyses, coefficients of variability were 7.8 ± 7.0% for EDV, 10.2 ± 8.0% for ESV, and 15.4 ± 13.8% for EF. For intraobserver analyses, coefficients of variability were 7.1 ± 5.1% for EDV, 8.3 ± 7.0% for ESV, and 10.9 ± 9.2% for EF. On Bland-Altman analyses, volumes obtained on transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) were slightly larger than those obtained by CMR (ΔEDV TTE-CMR , 5.8 ± 33.7 mL; ΔESV TTE-CMR , 3.5 ± 27.8 mL), whereas EFs tended to be slightly higher by CMR (ΔEF CMR-TTE , 0.5 ± 6.5%). Conclusions Knowledge-based reconstruction provides accurate and reproducible measurements of RV volumes in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension. Larger studies are needed to confirm these results and to determine the practicality of this approach in daily practice and as an end point in clinical trials.
A novel loss-of-function mutation in TP53 in an endometrial cancer cell line and uterine papillary serous carcinoma model

The etiology of carcinoma of the uterine endometrium (ECa) is poorly understood. However, loss of apoptosis is one of the major factors that allow cancer cells to survive and progress. Hec50co, a poorly differentiated human ECa cell line, is widely used in the investigation of ECa. Previously, Hec50co xenograft tumor model in nude mice developed an advanced phenotype, similar to that of uterine papillary serous carcinoma (UPSC). Importantly, loss-of-function mutation in tumor suppressor TP53 was found in 20–30% of all ECa and >90% of UPSC. Thus, understanding the status of TP53 in Hec50co is essential for using Heco50co as a model for UPSC. To obtain an accurate genotype–phenotype status of TP53 in Hec50co, we performed mutation and functional analysis of TP53 gene of Hec50co by RT-PCR, genomic-PCR, and cloning and expression of mutant and wildtype TP53 alleles. We found a novel 42-bp deletion mutation in the exon6–intron6 splice junction of TP53 (TP53.del42bp) leading to a 113-bp exon6-deleted/skipped transcript was identified in Hec50co. In addition, the other TP53 allele in Hec50co is inactivated through a large deletion. Adenovirus (AD) harboring wildtype full-length TP53 cDNA induces caspase-dependent apoptosis; while the AD-TP53.del42bp allele does not. In addition, messenger RNA of TP53.del42bp allele is stable whereas the protein product of TP53.del42bp allele is made but not stable. Taken together, we demonstrate that Hec50co is a TP53-null cell line possessing one TP53.del42bp allele and the other lost allele and therefore provides an excellent model to dissect the molecular and cellular bases of UPSC and other p53-null cancers.
Russian Democracy: Still Not a Lost Cause

Although Russians may be slow to acquire the values of liberal democracy, they have acquired the habits of electoral democracy with surprising speed. The set of political ground rules that Yeltsin imposed in 1993 has survived numerous challenges and, in fact, gained strength even as his weakened presidency draws to a close.
Fiber bundles, sheaf theory, and generalization of differentiable manifolds in physics

Some aspects of fiber bundles, sheaf theory, and possible generalizations of the notion of differentiable manifolds are discussed.
Broadband transmit/receive circuit for NMR.

This note describes a circuit being used in a 5–60 MHz pulsed FT NMR system to deliver the transmitter pulse efficiently to the sample probe and then with good signal‐to‐noise ratio to couple the resulting NMR signal from the probe into the preamplifier.
Domains of Chronic Stress, Lifestyle Factors, and Allostatic Load in Middle-Aged Mexican-American Women

Background Little research has examined how chronic stress in different domains relates to allostatic load (AL).
Conceptions of God and the Devil Across the Lifespan: A Cultural-Developmental Study of Religious Liberals and Conservatives

Utilizing a cultural-developmental approach, this interview study examined how children, adolescents, and adults from religiously liberal and conservative groups conceptualize God and the Devil. Participants (N = 120) conceptualized God and the Devil along similar dimensions, including number (e.g., one, many), gender, central attributes (e.g., physical, supernatural), and evaluation (e.g., positive, neutral). Within-subject differentiations of God and the Devil occurred on all dimensions. Religiously liberal and conservative groups differed on attributes, evaluations, and degree of control ascribed to God and the Devil. With respect to age, results suggest a rethinking of the Piagetian interpretation that children’s conceptions of supernatural entities are more concrete, more anthropomorphic, and less abstract than those of adolescents and adults. The results instead point to the usefulness of a cultural-developmental approach. God is just God. He’s not male or female. God is amazing. He helps you through your troubles. He’s powerful. I think more powerful than we know. He’s beyond what we know. —13-year-old religiously liberal interviewee There is a fallen spiritual being who rebelled against God and [who] is influential. He’s nothing like what Hollywood portrays him to be or the painters of the Renaissance. Yet he’s there. He exists. He is a deceiver, a liar, an accuser. And he has influence in people’s thinking. —48-year-old religiously conservative interviewee
Levels of 17-hydroxycorticosteroids and 17-ketosteroids in maternal and cord plasma in term anencephaly.

In plasma samples obtained from blood drawn simultaneously from the mother and the umbilical cord in 5 cases of term anencephalic infants the concentrations of 17-OH-CS were similar to those observed in normal infants, the cord levels being approximately half to a fourth the levels in the corresponding mother. Since the anencephalic infant has an atrophic adrenal devoid of fetal zone, it is concluded that 17-OH-CS in the normal infant are not produced by the fetal zone of the adrenal cortex. In 1 case of anencephaly, no 17-KS were detected in the plasma of either the mother or the umbilical cord. In another case the levels were lower than normal. A case of anencephaly is presented with a “normal” pharyngeal pituitary and with the usual atrophic adrenals, further suggesting that the fetal zone is not directly under the influence of the pituitary gland or that the pituitary is not secreting hormone.
A solid state polymerization initiated by high-energy electrons

Hexamethylcyclotrisiloxane monomer polymerizes when exposed to high-energy electrons. The greatest yield of polymer occurs when the monomer is irradiated in the solid state. Above the crystal melting temperature, the yield of polymer is almost zero for equal irradiation. The polymer obtained is crosslinked. This is unlike the polymerization of acrylamide in which there is extensive polymerization both in the solid and in the liquid state by high-energy electrons.
DEVELOPMENT OF AN INTERACTIVE HYPERSONIC FLOW SOLVER FRAMEWORK FOR AEROTHERMODYNAMIC ANALYSIS

AbstractSparta is a three-dimensional finite volume compressible Java based flow solver on multiple block structured grids. The flow solver is graphical user interface driven and platform independent as well. Finite-rate reaction kinetics, thermal and chemical non-equilibrium and high temperature transport coefficients are all developed and incorporated into the solver. Zero, one and two equation turbulence models have been implemented in the solver for turbulence modeling. The flow domain is discretized by a structured grid and a finite-volume approach is used to discretize the conservation equations. One of several schemes can be chosen from the user interface to calculate inviscid fluxes across cell faces while central differences schemes are used to calculate the viscous fluxes. The CFD solver includes a geometry engine to generate surface and volume grids, a trajectory engine to generate trajectory data given the appropriate atmospheric models, an aerodynamic flow solver to calculate the aerodynamic ...
Management of fluid and electrolyte therapy in the newborn.

The fluid balance can be monitored with a system that is fairly simple but requires meticulous collection of patient data. Appropriate organization of this data into a tabulated form, and daily interpretation of these data is given in Table X. The pertinent data includes previous fluid and electrolyte balance, intake, output, trends in changes in urine specific gravity, changes in body weight, serum electrolytes, calcium phosphorus, blood gases, and vital signs. It should be emphasized that the goal of fluid balance in the first week of life is to achieve a negative balance with an anticipated weight loss of approximately 10% during the first week of life. This allowance for 1 to 2% per day of weight loss and 1–1.5 mEq/day of sodium loss during the first week of life is essential specifically in premature and sick infants to avoid overload or dehydration.
Study of early-stage precipitation in Al-4%Cu by microdiffraction and stem

Abstract The form of the electron microdiffraction pattern for G-P(I) zones in Al-Cu alloys has been derived using a kinematical approximation for the electron wave function and displacements of the Al atoms derived from classical elastic theory by numerical integration. Microdiffraction patterns and STEM bright-field and dark-field images obtained from G-P(I) zone, θ″ and θ′ show their structure, shape and size and reveal the coherence or incoherence with the matrix, and the associated strain fields.