cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nuclear Pores in Plant Cells: Structure, Composition, and Functions

The nuclear pores form the gateways connecting the nucleoplasm of eukaryotic cells with the cytoplasm. They are essentially fusions of the inner and outer nuclear membranes forming a connecting pore membrane and a “hole” in the nuclear envelope. They are organized and anchored by a multi-protein complex termed the nuclear pore complex (NPC), which facilitates and regulates the transport of molecules across the barrier provided by the nuclear envelope. While proteomics analysis has unraveled the molecular composition of the vertebrate and yeast NPC, our knowledge of the plant nuclear pore is still far from comprehensive. However, several components of the plant NPC and nucleocytoplasmic transport machinery have emerged in recent mutant screens and were found to affect diverse processes ranging from plant–microbe interactions and hormone and stress responses to development and the regulation of flowering time. Taken together, these studies illustrate the importance of the NPC and nucleocytoplasmic transport in the regulation of plant growth and responses to the environment.
Synthesis of type 2 Adenovirus DNA in the Presence of Cycloheximide

Adenovirus type 2 DNA synthesis, either in permissive human cells or nonpermissive monkey cells, becomes independent of protein synthesis after the appearance of progeny viral DNA. In the presence of cycloheximide, semiconservative replication and initiation of progeny molecules can occur.
Do You Know Where Your Data's Been? --- Tamper-Evident Database Provenance

Database provenance chronicles the history of updates and modifications to data, and has received much attention due to its central role in scientific data management. However, the use of provenance information still requires a leap of faith. Without additional protections, provenance records are vulnerable to accidental corruption, and even malicious forgery, a problem that is most pronounced in the loosely-coupled multi-user environments often found in scientific research. This paper investigates the problem of providing integrity and tamper-detection for database provenance. We propose a checksum-based approach, which is well-suited to the unique characteristics of database provenance, including non-linear provenance objects and provenance associated with multiple fine granularities of data. We demonstrate that the proposed solution satisfies a set of desirable security properties, and that the additional time and space overhead incurred by the checksum approach is manageable, making the solution feasible in practice.
A rat bioassay for measuring the comparative availability of carbohydrates and its application to legume foods, pure carbohydrates and polyols.

An assay was developed to evaluate the bioavailability of dietary carbohydrate by slope-ratio analysis of weight gain and plasma ketones of rats fed a carbohydrate-free diet supplemented with glucose as a standard and selected food items, pure carbohydrates and polyols. The diet was based on 35% food grade oleic acid, 12% casein protein supplemented with methionine (0.3%) and arginine (0.2%), 7.5% soybean oil, 37% cellulose, minerals and vitamins. Glucose, as the reference standard, or test materials were incorporated in the diet by replacing equi-energetic amounts of oleic acid and adjusting cellulose to equalize total weight. Optimal levels of protein (casein) and triglyceride (soybean oil) in the basal diet were defined as those levels above which additional protein or fat would serve only to provide endogenous glucose from their glucogenic amino acids and glycerol constituents. A standard dose-response curve was obtained by feeding diets containing 0%, 1% and 2% glucose. Similar dose response curves were obtained by feeding test materials. Under these experimental conditions, additional glucose or additional protein were growth stimulating and casein had approximately 50% of the value of an equal weight of glucose, which was consistent with its content of glucogenic amino acids. The specific carbohydrate value of a food was estimated in the assay by subtracting the calculated glucogenic value of its digestible protein from the total response. The apparent availability of the carbohydrates (i.e., nitrogen-free extract) in soybean meal, lima bean (Phaseolus lumatus), and chick pea (Cicer arietinum) were 35, 70, and 80%, respectively, as available as glucose. Galactose, a 1:1 mixture of galactose + glucose, fractose and starch were as available as glucose. Lactose, ribose, sorbitol, and xylitol were 50 to 65% as available as glucose while mannitol and inulin were not available to a significant extent. Possible metabolic bases for these differences are discussed.
Product Development, Quality and Regulatory Issues

The Regulatory Process The Development Process Invention or Discovery Development Reports Good Laboratory Practices Product Design/Process Development Project Team Organization and Planning Product Design Product Specifications Assay Development Preclinical Studies Viral Validation IND/Clinical Studies CMC (Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls) Studies Facility/Equipment Issues Qualification and Validation Other Requirements Conformance Lots License Application and Review Routine Production Conclusion Bibliography To the R&D scientist or engineer the discovery of a potentially therapeutic protein and the development of a production method appear to be the major challenges in bringing a new biotechnology product to market. However, the subsequent task of gaining regulatory approval to market the product can be equally challenging and also require a great deal of technical input. These two areas are intimately linked. Satisfying the quality and regulatory requirements essentially involves proving that the scientific work is valid and comprehensive and can, in fact, produce a product that is safe and effective. This article is intended to provide the development scientist or engineer with the general concepts and with sources for further information concerning the quality and regulatory requirements for licensing a new product. Although the final judgments and interpretations should come from the organization's quality and regulatory professionals, understanding the general requirements and the approach can be a great help to the technical staff in streamlining product development. Following a typical project sequence, the activities and data required at various stages of development will be described. The focus will be mainly on the regulatory process in the United States for therapeutic biological products for human use. However, many other countries have similar requirements and procedures. Keywords: safety; efficacy; consistency; regulatory agency; specification; license
Types and time course of the alterations induced in monkey blink movements by botulinum toxin

The alterations induced in eyelid movement metrics subsequent to unilateral injections of botulinum toxin type A into the orbicularis oculi muscle were studied in chronic alert monkeys using the search coil technique. Botulinum toxin caused rapid paralysis of blinks in the treated eyelid. The amplitude and peak velocity of blinks generated by this eyelid remained at or below 20% of that of the fellow, untreated eyelid for 10–20 days. Blink amplitude gain increased linearly thereafter, attaining control values by 40–60 days after injection. Recovery of blink peak velocity was slower. The adaptive alterations in blink duration that were observed during the acute phase of toxin paralysis suggest that the mechanisms responsible for blink reflex plasticity may produce bilateral adjustments in eyelid function. Taken together, these data establish a quantitative data base that can be exploited in order to: (1) better understand the neural adaptive mechanisms that operate during eyelid movements and (2) allow quantitative comparisons between current treatment protocols that employ botulinum toxin and protocols that may lead to improvements in the treatment of chronic eyelid spasm (blepharospasm).
The enhanced hypertensogenic effect of sea salt over sodium chloride.

T HE ROLE of ingested table salt (sodium chloride) in human hypertension has been subjected to extensive investigation in our laboratory.lPg Other investigators have used excessive salt intake to induce experimental hypertension in the chick,l” the rabbit” and the rat.12B13 In all of these studies interest centered primarily on the sodium ion. Several years ago14 we became interested in the possibility that the sodium effect might be potentiated by additional elements. This question arose on considering the historic role of this ancient food condiment and preservative, the purification of which has evolved differently, so that even today there are wide variations in the purity of sodium chloride used by various peoples. Further impetus to exploring the role of additional ions was obtained in 1958 from a study of hypertension among the Japanese in whom the disease is common,7s15 average salt consumption is high,15 and the salt, derived by processing sea water, is often relatively impure.16 The present paper deals with the question “are there elements which potentiate the hypertensogenic effect of sodium?” The answer is affirmative. It is based on chronic salt feeding experiments with rats, some of which were fed sodium chloride while the others were fed what was thought to be the most naturally diversified mixture of elements available, namely, sea salt.
Separation of modified nucleic acid constituents by micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography.

Abstract Micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography offers a high-resolution microanalytical technique useful for adducted and modified nucleic acid constituents. A mixture of 14 normal and modified deoxyribonucleosides, deoxyribomononucleotides, a ribonucleoside and a pyrimidine can be resolved in less than 40 min using 10 kV of separating voltage, 0.075 M sodium dodecylsulfate micelles in phosphate—borate buffer, and a 68.5 cm · 60 μm I.D. fused-silica column. Efficiencies up to 370 000 theoretical plates (540 000 plates/m) are achieved, but are highly dependent on solute concentration. The limit of detection for 2′-deoxyguanosine under high-resolution conditions is ca. 18 pg at a signal-to-noise ratio of 4, but the very small injection volumes (ca. nl) limit the minimum detectable sample solution concentration to ca. 42 nmol/ml.
Augmenting Rural Supply Chains with a Location-Enhanced Mobile Information System

In recent years, there has been increased interest in the market potential of rural communities in the developing world. In the developing world, the lack of information and communications infrastructure has left companies with manual paper-based information methods as the only means of analyzing and aggregating data. This primitive approach to rural supply chain management creates a barrier to efficiency and a barrier to entry for many companies. In this paper we discuss a field study conducted with a company involved in the marketing, sale, and distribution of products in rural India. We describe the participants in this company's rural supply chain, highlighting inefficiencies in the information and material flow. We show how a technology-based solution could help optimize distribution routes and reduce inefficiency. By knowing the location and details of transactions, the company can better direct rural marketing strategies and manage human and material resources. We present the high-level design of this system and enumerate the possible technologies that can be used to determine a user's location via a mobile device, including GPS, GSM triangulation and Placelab using GSM (LaMarca et al., 1999). To assess the potential of GSM-based methods, we describe the results of an experiment we conducted to determine the extent of GSM coverage along common rural sales routes. Our results indicate that GSM-based methods are sufficient for some purposes, but can not be used to determine the exact position of all rural transactions, especially those that occur in rural villages. We discuss scanning location-specific barcodes as a possible way of localizing transactions to individual villages and customers
Near-IR and color imaging for bruise detection on Golden Delicious apples

Digital images of reflected light in both the near-infrared (NIR) and visible wavelengths from the surface of bruised and unbruised Golden Delicious apples were captured for classifying bruise damage. Each of the attributes of two models for color representation, RGB and HSI, were compared to NIR for their ability to discriminate bruised from unbruised tissue. The surface reflectance for good tissue decreased from the fruit center outward, except saturation which increased. Reflectance of good tissue also varied adjacent to the bruised area compared to a location 60 degrees away. NIR, green, hue, and red were the features which showed the most contrast between bruised and undamaged tissue. This contrast did not decrease for green, red, and hue as storage time increased.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Adult Seat Belt Use: Does the Presence of Children in the Household Make a Difference?

Objective. To obtain prevalence estimates of seat belt use among adults with and without at least one child in the household and to examine whether having at least one child in the household is associated with adult seat belt use. Methods. The Second Injury Control and Risk Survey (ICARIS-2) was a nationwide cross-sectional, list-assisted random-digit-dialing telephone survey of individuals who were at least 18 years old and who spoke either English or Spanish. ICARIS-2 was carried out from 2001 to 2003; a similar study, ICARIS-1, had been conducted in 1994. National estimates were calculated for the prevalence of adult seat belt use and stratified according to the presence or absence of children in the household. Prevalence estimates for the two ICARIS surveys were compared using t-tests. Multivariable logistic regression was used to explore the association between having at least one child in the household and self-reported adult seat belt use. Results. Based on the 9,684 completed household interviews ...
Leadership in the research environment: An application of leader-member exchange theory

Abstract The Leader-Member Exchange theory of leadership was explored for its applicability to the turbulent and informal environment which characterizes research settings. It was hypothesized that the quality of the leader-member relationship would be positively associated with member's (1) intention to remain in the organization, (2) job satisfaction, (3) organizational commitment, (4) working relationship with the manager, and (5) job performance. With the exception of the relationship between the leader-member relationship and member performance, all hypothesized relationships were strongly supported.
Chlorhexidine-based antiseptic solutions effectively reduce catheter-related bacteremia.

The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate if the application of chlorhexidine-based solutions (ChloraPrep®) to the exit site and the hub of long-term hemodialysis catheters could prevent catheter-related bacteremia (CRB) and prolong catheter survival when compared with povidone–iodine solutions. There were 20,784 catheter days observed. Povidone–iodine solutions (Betadine®) were used in the first half of the study and ChloraPrep® was used in the second half for all the patients. Both groups received chlorhexidine-impregnated dressings at the exit sites. The use of Chloraprep® significantly decreased the incidence of CRB (1.0 vs 2.2/1,000 catheter days, respectively, P = 0.0415), and hospitalization due to CRB (1.8 days vs 4.1 days/1,000 catheter days, respectively, P = 0.0416). The incidence of exit site infection was similar for the two groups. Both the period of overall catheter survival (207.6 days vs 161.1 days, P = 0.0535) and that of infection-free catheter survival (122.0 days vs 106.9 days, P = 0.1100) tended to be longer for the catheters cleansed with ChloraPrep®, with no statistical significance. In conclusion, chlorhexidine-based solutions are more effective for the prevention of CRB than povidone–iodine solutions. This positive impact cannot be explained by decreased number of exit site infections. This study supports the notion that the catheter hub is the entry site for CRB.
Mechanisms Controlling the Permeability of Clays

Coefficients of permeability, calculated using Terzaghi’s theory of one-dimensional consolidation, are reported for smectite, illite, and kaolinite, in water, methyl and ethyl alcohol, benzene, and carbontetrachloride. When the pore fluid was water the clays were homoionized to either the sodium or calcium form and the pore water electrolyte concentration was varied. The coefficients of permeability are evaluated in terms of both mechanical and physico-chemical variables. It appears that the coefficients of permeability are mainly influenced by mechanical effects, particularly the distribution of void sizes and the tortuosity of the channels. The coefficient of permeability is maximized if the flow channels consist of many small channels and a relatively few large ones, through which the main flow occurs. Physico-chemical variables exert great influence on the coefficient of permeability through their influence on dispersion or aggregation of the clay particles.
Culture and the limits of Catholicism: A Chinese response toCentesimus Annus

However much the Catholic Church may wish to free the peoples of the world from the excessive atheistic rationalism of the Englihtenment that has pitted science against religion, it is still in most other ways solidly on the side of modernity.Centesimus Annus endorses aform of democracy, akind of capitalism, asort of technological development, all of which are strongly undergirded by a resolute belief in human beings as rights-bearing individuals possessed of individual autonomy and a legitimate appetite for private property. The themes of liberal democracy, capitalist free enterprise, and the proliferation of rational technologies form the common focus of both the Enlightenment and Anti-Enlightenment sensibilities.
The resilience in illness model, part 1: exploratory evaluation in adolescents and young adults with cancer.

Background Empirically derived and tested models are necessary to develop effective, holistic interventions to improve positive health outcomes in adolescents and young adults (AYA) with cancer, yet few exist. This article is the second of 2 articles reporting on evaluation of the Resilience in Illness Model (RIM) as a predictive model to guide positive health research and practice. Objective The aim of this study was to report the confirmatory model evaluation of the RIM. Methods A confirmatory evaluation of RIM was done using baseline data from a sample of 113 AYA aged 11 to 24 years who were undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplant and enrolled in a randomized controlled trial of a behavioral intervention to enhance resilience. Data were analyzed using latent variable structural equation modeling. Results Goodness-of-fit indices supported RIM as a confirmed model that accounted for large amounts of variance in the outcomes of self-transcendence (62%) and resilience (72%), and in 3 of 5 mediators, specifically social integration (74%), courageous coping (80%), and hope-derived meaning (87%), as well as small to moderate amounts of variance in the remaining mediators of defensive coping (1%) and family environment (35%). Conclusions Findings establish the RIM as a plausible predictive framework for explaining ways AYA with cancer transcend their illness and achieve resilience resolution and for guiding intervention studies in this population. Additional research is needed to explore RIM's transferability based on stage of illness, other chronic diseases, and cultural diversity. Implications for practice Results support the RIM as an appropriate guide for developing and evaluating interventions to foster positive adjustment in AYA with cancer.
Understanding the Properties of Interactive Televised Characters.

Abstract Children's television programming frequently uses interactive characters that appear to directly engage the viewers. These characters encourage children to answer questions and perform actions to help the characters solve problems in the televised world. Children readily engage in these interactions; however, it is unclear why they do so. To investigate this issue, 53 5-, 7-, and 9-year-olds made decisions about events occurring in the real world based on information provided by a live individual and by a televised interactive computer-generated character. Five-year-olds followed the advice of both the live individual and the televised computer-generated character, whereas 7- and 9-year-olds only followed the advice of the live individual. Results are discussed in terms of a transition from children believing that interactive televised characters can engage in a real communicative interaction to children understanding that this apparent interaction is an illusion.
Musculoskeletal tissue engineering with human umbilical cord mesenchymal stromal cells

Multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) hold tremendous promise for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, yet with so many sources of MSCs, what are the primary criteria for selecting leading candidates? Ideally, the cells will be multipotent, inexpensive, lack donor site morbidity, donor materials should be readily available in large numbers, immunocompatible, politically benign and expandable in vitro for several passages. Bone marrow MSCs do not meet all of these criteria and neither do embryonic stem cells. However, a promising new cell source is emerging in tissue engineering that appears to meet these criteria: MSCs derived from Wharton's jelly of umbilical cord MSCs. Exposed to appropriate conditions, umbilical cord MSCs can differentiate in vitro along several cell lineages such as the chondrocyte, osteoblast, adipocyte, myocyte, neuronal, pancreatic or hepatocyte lineages. In animal models, umbilical cord MSCs have demonstrated in vivo differentiation ability and promising immunocompatibility with host organs/tissues, even in xenotransplantation. In this article, we address their cellular characteristics, multipotent differentiation ability and potential for tissue engineering with an emphasis on musculoskeletal tissue engineering.
A New Approach to System Identification and State Estimation

An effective on-line procedure is presented for system identification and state estimation for multiple-input multiple-output linear systems. The proposed solution offers consistent system identification, bounding of the steady-state covariance, and computational savings. Also, this solution is applicable to a larger class of problems than previously proposed solutions.
The Role of Surface Chemistry in Adhesion and Wetting of Gecko Toe Pads

An array of micron-sized setal hairs offers geckos a unique ability to walk on vertical surfaces using van der Waals interactions. Although many studies have focused on the role of surface morphology of the hairs, very little is known about the role of surface chemistry on wetting and adhesion. We expect that both surface chemistry and morphology are important, not only to achieve optimum dry adhesion but also for increased efficiency in self-cleaning of water and adhesion under wet conditions. Here, we used a plasma-based vapor deposition process to coat the hairy patterns on gecko toe pad sheds with polar and non-polar coatings without significantly perturbing the setal morphology. By a comparison of wetting across treatments, we show that the intrinsic surface of gecko setae has a water contact angle between 70–90°. As expected, under wet conditions, adhesion on a hydrophilic surface (glass) was lower than that on a hydrophobic surface (alkyl-silane monolayer on glass). Surprisingly under wet and dry conditions the adhesion was comparable on the hydrophobic surface, independent of the surface chemistry of the setal hairs. This work highlights the need to utilize morphology and surface chemistry in developing successful synthetic adhesives with desirable adhesion and self-cleaning properties.
Prevalence of Urinary Incontinence in Men: Results From the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Purpose: We estimated the prevalence of urinary incontinence in the United States adult male population and identified associated factors.Materials and Methods: Data were analyzed for 5,297 men 20 years old or older who participated in the 2005 to 2006 and 2007 to 2008 cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a cross-sectional, nationally representative survey of the United States noninstitutionalized population. Urinary incontinence (score of 3 or greater on a validated incontinence severity index, indicating moderate to severe leakage) was assessed. Potential associated factors included age, race/ethnicity, education, self-reported health status, prior diagnosis of prostate cancer and/or enlarged prostate (men 40 years old or older), chronic diseases and depression status. Prevalence ORs were estimated from a multivariable logistic regression analysis using appropriate sampling weights.Results: The prevalence of moderate/severe urinary incontinence was 4.5% (95% CI 3.8, 5.4). Prev...
Rounding errors to knock your stocks off.

Introduction As the total value of all daily stock transactions on the Vancouver Stock Exchange kept rising in 1982 and 1983, the exchange's index kept falling. How could this be happening? The cause of the divergence between the mathematical and computed averages consisted in an erroneous algorithm to round the last digits during the computation of the index. Public documents, e.g., Quinn's article [2] include the following pieces of information. The index is the arithmetic average of the selling prices of the nearly 1400 stocks listed on the Vancouver Stock Exchange. The computation of the index started in January of 1982, with the index then pegged to 1000. In about November of 1983, exchange officials estimated that the index should have been at least at 900 and perhaps above 1000, but the computed value of the index was down near 520. The index was computed every time the price of a stock changed, which occurred about 2800 times per day. The computer carried a total of eight decimal digits during the computation, but it truncated the last two digits to display and record the index with only three decimal digits past the decimal point. Thus, if it computed the value 540.32567, then it would record 540.325 for the index. The magnitude of the discrepancy-about 520 instead of 1000 or so-indicated that the cause involved more than only an erroneous rounding of an otherwise correct computation. Indeed, with a computer carrying eight decimal digits, the relative rounding error caused by each addition cannot exceed one half of one unit in tlhe last digit, which is (1/2) X 101-8. In the worst case, if all 1399 additions of all 1400 stock prices suffered from the maximum relative error, errors would compound to at most
Acoustic loading in straight pipes

Based on linear one-dimensional acoustics, a geometrically perfect elastic waveguide would respond to an oscillatory internal pressure only in the presence of path deflectors (elbows and branches). In practice, a significant elasto-acoustic interaction results even in straight conduits as a result of manufacturing tolerances. A theoretical model of the linear acoustic loading in straight pipes is developed that considers the acoustic wave distortion due to perimeter, axial, and wall thickness nonuniformities.
Hierarchical crystal plasticity FE model for nickel-based superalloys: Sub-grain microstructures to polycrystalline aggregates

Abstract A hierarchical crystal plasticity constitutive model, comprising three different scales for polycrystalline microstructures of Ni-based superalloys, is developed in this paper. Three scales, dominant in models of polycrystalline Ni-based superalloys, are: (i) the sub-grain scale of γ - γ ′ microstructure, characterized by γ ′ precipitate size and their spacing; (ii) grain-scale characterized by the size of single crystals; and (iii) the scale of polycrystalline representative volume elements. A homogenized activation energy-based crystal plasticity (AE-CP) FEM model is developed for the grain-scale, accounting for characteristic parameters of the sub-grain scale γ - γ ′ morphology. A significant advantage of this AE-CP model is that its high efficiency enables it to be effectively incorporated in polycrystalline crystal plasticity FE simulations, while retaining the accuracy of detailed sub-grain level representative volume element (SG-RVE) models. The SG-RVE models are created for variable morphology, e.g., volume fraction, precipitate shape and channel-widths. The sub-grain crystal plasticity model incorporates a dislocation density-based crystal plasticity model augmented with mechanisms of anti-phase boundary (APB) shearing of precipitates. The sub-grain model is homogenized for developing parametric functions of morphological variables in evolution laws of the AE-CP model. Micro-twinning initiation and evolution models are incorporated in the single crystal AE-CP finite element models for manifesting tension–compression asymmetry. In the next ascending scale, a polycrystalline microstructure of Ni-based superalloys is simulated using an augmented AE-CP FE model with micro-twinning. Statistically equivalent virtual polycrystals of the alloy CMSX-4 are created for simulations with the homogenized model. The results of simulations at each scale are compared with experimental data with good agreement.
A comparative study of new truncation error estimates and intrinsic accuracies of some higher order Runge-Kutta algorithms

Abstract Runge-Kutta algorithms are tools for the numerical solution of ordinary differential equations. In this paper a comparison is made of the “Classical”, Gill, Merson, England, Nystrom, Fehlberg, and Butcher algorithms, all of fourth order or higher, as to intrinsic accuracy of the native algorithm and accuracy of newly proposed and older truncation error estimates. A new test problem is suggested which can distinguish quantitatively between algorithms. The Butcher is demonstrated to have the highest accuracy and the best truncation error estimate.
Quantitative Imaging of Immunocytochemical (PAP) Estrogen Receptor Staining Patterns in Breast Cancer Sections

"Receptogram Analysis" has been developed as a pattern-oriented approach for predicting endocrine response in breast cancer based upon quantification of the estrogen receptor immunocytochemical assay (ERICA), using a Quantimet Imaging System. Response prediction was evaluated in 58 stage III and IV patients receiving endocrine therapy (primarily Tamoxifen). The Receptogram is a composite of the univariate distributions of nuclear receptor content, IOD(S), and concentration (MOD), and their bivariate contour plot; where (S) is the calculated nuclear radius in section. MOD distributions were classified into four types based upon peak modality and kurtosis (I-IV), and contour plots were classified into four subtypes (A-D) based upon contour slope. Patients failing therapy were ERICA--or their receptogram revealed co-existent ER+ and ER- tumor cells (type II), highly skewed MOD distributions lacking defined peaks (type IV), or contours with nearly horizontal slope (type C). Response was realized in 9/16 type I patients, with a single positive MOD peak, and in 9/15 type III patients, with discrete, multimodal MOD peaks. In contrast, 0/8 type II, 0/12 type IV, and 0/10 type C patients were responders. Receptogram analysis was superior to cytosol assay (DCC) as a response discriminant: positive predictive value, 53% vs. 33%; negative predictive value, 100% vs. 75%; sensitivity, 100% vs. 83%; specificity, 68% vs. 23%; and accuracy, 78% vs. 41%, respectively. Alternately, patients were assigned to potentially responsive or non-responsive groups based upon thresholded mean receptor parameters: field MOD, mean nuclear MOD (NMOD), and mean NMOD(PF) where PF is the ER+ nuclear fraction. While these parameters correlated with DCC (r = .72, 0.69, and 0.69), they were only marginally better in predictive value.
The role of intraoperative auditory brainstem response testing for infants and difficult-to-test children.

Abstract Objective To assess the validity of intraoperative auditory brainstem response in infants and difficult-to-treat older children. Study Design Case series with chart review. Setting Tertiary-level children's hospital. Subjects and Methods Twenty-six patients were identified (mean age, 20 ± 18 months) who underwent both intraoperative auditory brainstem response (ioABR) testing and a follow-up hearing evaluation at five (standard deviation 4) months. Ears were analyzed separately for mean threshold change, and a sub-analysis was performed accounting for the presence or absence of fluid at the time of surgery. Results A paired t test analysis indicated a statistically significant difference at 1 kHz. There was not a statistically significant difference between the two groups with click or 4-kHz testing. Fifteen ears (58%) at 1 kHz and 17 ears (49%) at 4 kHz frequencies, however, improved by 10 dB or more; 67 percent and 65 percent of these ears, respectively, had middle ear fluid intraoperatively. Eight ears (35%) in the click ABR group had a similar improvement, four of which had fluid at the time of surgery. Four ears in the 1-kHz (11.5%), in the 4-kHz (11.4%), and in the click ABR group (17.4%) demonstrated a 10-dB or worse threshold. The range of the discrepancy varied from a worsening in thresholds up to 20 dB and improvement in thresholds up to 45 dB. Conclusions We observed a significant discrepancy between ioABR and follow-up hearing thresholds. If ioABR indicates a hearing loss, audiologic testing should be performed at least several weeks later to confirm the results.
Sympathy for the Devil: Killing the Other in Milk and The Reader

Two recent, highly rated movies depict central characters who are involved in killing members of groups despised in their societies. In Milk and The Reader, the characters of Dan White and Hanna Schmitz, respectively, are treated with empathy and a search for understanding. Their personal sufferings and confusions are highlighted, and the audience is invited to view them as our fellow creatures. Because their victims are themselves pariah groups, there is some unease about the sympathy shown to the perpetrators. This discomfort distinguishes these movies from other popular culture efforts to identify with people who commit bad acts.
Rapid PCR detection of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) in bovine food products and feces

Although Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7 is a major cause of foodborne illness, other types of E. coli can also cause illness. E. coli that possess the eae gene for attachment and effacing have the potential to cause disease. Many real-time, molecular-based assays have been developed to detect Enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) including E. coli O157:H7. However, no assay currently exists to detect the eae gene present in E. coli O157:H7 and other EHEC strains with a confirmed positive or negative result in less than 12 h. Raw beef food products (raw ground beef and raw boneless beef) at 25 and 375 g samples and bovine fecal samples at 2 g were inoculated with 10(1), 10(3), 10(4), and 10(5) organisms of E. coli O157:H7 to test the sensitivity of this assay. Fourteen different foodborne bacteria (including E. coli O157:H7) and 19 various E. coli strains, obtained from the United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) were tested for specificity. E. coli O157:H7 was detected at the level of 10(1) organisms in both 25 and 375 g samples of raw ground and raw boneless beef products as well as 2 g samples of bovine feces after pre-enrichment and concentration. None of the 14 foodborne bacteria screened for cross-reactivity was detected. All USDA E. coli strains confirmed to contain the eae gene were detected.
Experimental evidence for the existence of intimate valance alternation pair defects in GeO2 glasses

Thermally stimulated depolarization current (TSDC) technique was employed to study the electrical properties of a series of high purity GeO 2 glasses with principal impurities being Cl(1600ppm), OH(5–200 ppm), and Na(3–30 ppm). A single TSDC peak was observed the intensity of which was invariant against changes in the concentration of Cl, OH and Na. This peak is attributed to the polarization caused by intrinsic dipolar defects in the glass structure. The concentration of these remains unchanged with variations in melt equilibration temperature of the glass (T φ ) and fluctuations in sodium, hydroxyl and chlorine contents. The concentration of dipoles computed from the experimental peak charge is in agreement with previous theoretical estimates of the concentration of intimate valence alternation pairs.
Binding of herpes simplex virus to regional areas of the rodent brain

The binding of 3H-thymidine labeled herpes simplex virus to homogenates of rodent brain regions and liver was examined. The results indicated that binding sites in the brain are distributed in a non-uniform manner, the specific pattern observed depending upon the age of the animal. In addition, binding was found to be reduced by pretreatment of the labeled virus with specific antiserum or trypsin. These results suggest that the distribution of herpes simplex virus receptors is one of the factors determining neurotropism and the localization of infection within the brain.
Use of a Capture-Based Pathogen Transcript Enrichment Strategy for RNA-Seq Analysis of the Francisella Tularensis LVS Transcriptome during Infection of Murine Macrophages

Francisella tularensis is a zoonotic intracellular pathogen that is capable of causing potentially fatal human infections. Like all successful bacterial pathogens, F. tularensis rapidly responds to changes in its environment during infection of host cells, and upon encountering different microenvironments within those cells. This ability to appropriately respond to the challenges of infection requires rapid and global shifts in gene expression patterns. In this study, we use a novel pathogen transcript enrichment strategy and whole transcriptome sequencing (RNA-Seq) to perform a detailed characterization of the rapid and global shifts in F. tularensis LVS gene expression during infection of murine macrophages. We performed differential gene expression analysis on all bacterial genes at two key stages of infection: phagosomal escape, and cytosolic replication. By comparing the F. tularensis transcriptome at these two stages of infection to that of the bacteria grown in culture, we were able to identify sets of genes that are differentially expressed over the course of infection. This analysis revealed the temporally dynamic expression of a number of known and putative transcriptional regulators and virulence factors, providing insight into their role during infection. In addition, we identified several F. tularensis genes that are significantly up-regulated during infection but had not been previously identified as virulence factors. These unknown genes may make attractive therapeutic or vaccine targets.
Trauma exposure and PTSD among older adolescents in foster care

Purpose Youth in foster care represent a highly traumatized population. However, trauma research on this population has focused primarily on maltreatment rather than the full spectrum of trauma experiences identified within the DSM-IV. The current study aims to fill this gap by reporting the prevalence of exposure to specific types of traumatic events for a large sample of youth with foster care experience. The study also reports the likelihood of lifetime PTSD diagnoses associated with each specific type of trauma.
The role of chemoprevention in modifying the risk of breast cancer in women with atypical breast lesions

Women with atypical ductal hyperplasia (ADH), atypical lobular hyperplasia (ALH), lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS), and severe ADH are at increased risk of breast cancer, but a systematic quantification of this risk and the efficacy of chemoprevention in the clinical setting is still lacking. The objective of this study is to evaluate a woman’s risk of breast cancer based on atypia type and to determine the effect of chemoprevention in decreasing this risk. Review of 76,333 breast pathology reports from three institutions within Partners Healthcare System, Boston, from 1987 to 2010 using natural language processing was carried out. This approach identified 2,938 women diagnosed with atypical breast lesions. The main outcome of this study is breast cancer occurrence. Of the 2,938 patients with atypical breast lesions, 1,658 were documented to have received no chemoprevention, and 184/1,658 (11.1 %) developed breast cancer at a mean follow-up of 68 months. Estimated 10-year cancer risks were 17.3 % with ADH, 20.7 % with ALH, 23.7 % with LCIS, and 26.0 % with severe ADH. In a subset of patients treated from 1999 on (the chemoprevention era), those who received no chemoprevention had an estimated 10-year breast cancer risk of 21.3 %, whereas those treated with chemoprevention had a 10-year risk of 7.5 % (p < 0.001). Chemoprevention use significantly reduced breast cancer risk for all atypia types (p < 0.05). The risk of breast cancer with atypical breast lesions is substantial. Physicians should counsel patients with ADH, ALH, LCIS, and severe ADH about the benefit of chemoprevention in decreasing their breast cancer risk.
Cytosolic bile acid binding protein in rat liver: Radioimmunoassay, molecular forms, developmental characteristics and organ distribution

Rat liver efficiently extracts bile acids from the portal blood and rapidly excretes them into bile. Little is known about the process by which bile acids traverse the liver cell from the sinusoidal to the canalicular membrane. In order to begin to define this process, we recently identified a pair of similar monomeric (33 kilodalton) cytosolic bile acid binding proteins (bile acid binders I and II, J. Biol. Chem. 1983; 258:3602–3607, Abstract). These bile acid binders have comparable binding affinities for bile acid as the YaYa and YaYc members of the family of glutathione S-transferases, the previously recognized cytoplasmic bile acid binding protein. We now report the establishment of a sensitive and specific radioimmunoassay which equally detects both bile acid binders I and II. Specificity of the antiserum was verified by the co-purification of bile acid binder immunoreactivity with the bile acid binders. Liver contained the greatest concentration of bile acid binder, where it constituted 0.33% of the total cytosolic proteins. Phenobarbital administration and lithocholate feeding had no significant effect on hepatic bile acid binder content. Examination of the ontogeny of bile acid binder revealed a rapid increase after birth to near adult levels by Day 14. In summary, we have established a sensitive radioimmunoassay for the bile acid binders. Its localization mainly in liver and its increase after birth parallel bile acid transport in the liver.
Mixed dispersal strategies and clonal spreading of risk: Predictions from a branching process model

Abstract We present a branching process model of dimorphic dispersal and growth of a clonal lineage in order to predict the optimal proportion of dispersed offspring. This stochastic model incorporates the notions of intraspecific variation in dispersal capabilities and the statistical independence of dispersed offspring, but not intraspecific competition for sites. We show how some dispersal may be advantageous, even when the survivorship of dispersed offspring is substantially less than that of nondispersed offspring. Using a procedure which minimizes the extinction probability for the lineage (hence maximizing survivorship of the genetic individual), we predict that a high proportion of dispersed offspring should be associated with high numbers of asexual offspring, a low risk of mortality to offspring during dispersal, and high local survivorship of offspring. We give supportive evidence for the first prediction using data from the freshwater bryozoan Plumatella repens and suggest that future theoretical work on dispersal dimorphisms might profitably use a probabilistic approach such as the one presented here.
The geographic origins of radical technological paradigms: : A configurational study

Abstract History and place matter for the emergence of new technological paradigms. However, limited empirical evidence exists that reflects the characteristics that support or hinder the development of radical technologies within regions. In this study, we theorize geographic regions as distinct socio-economic-political systems with different resources for radical technological development. We integrate evolutionary economic geography and technology management literatures with universities positioned as key drivers for radical technology development within regions. We use the creation of a university research center for a radical technological design as evidence of new technology paradigm emergence. The framework explains the influence of intellectual, industry, social, and political characteristics on the geographic origins of radical technological paradigms. It is tested using a configurational approach – fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis – in the emerging fuel cell technology context, which is a radical paradigm for energy generation. The sampling frame includes 48 metropolitan statistical areas in the United States. The findings reveal five unique configurations that lead to the presence of a new paradigm within regions, and five different configurations that are associated with its absence.
A comparison of approximate dynamic programming and simple genetic algorithm for traffic control in oversaturated conditions — Case study of a simple symmetric network

The performance of two algorithms for finding traffic signal timings in a small symmetric network with oversaturated conditions was analyzed. The two algorithms include an approximate dynamic programming approach using a “post-decision” state variable (ADP) and a simple genetic algorithm (GA). Results were found by using microscopic simulation and compared based on typical measures of performance (delay, throughput, number of stops) and also on measures that considered the efficiency of green time utilization and queue occupancy of the links. The symmetric characteristics of the small network allowed a straightforward analysis of the operation of the signals, providing some insights on the quality of the solutions. Results showed that even though the solutions from ADP were very different from those in GA, the network performance for both methods was similar, used green time efficiently preventing queue backups, and served all approaches according to current demands. The potential of ADP using the “post-decision” state variable is currently under further analysis using more challenging conditions, additional constraints, and domain knowledge as part of the algorithm formulation.
Resistance of Certain Bacteria to Cottage Cheese Cooking Procedures

Summary Heat resistance in Cottage cheese whey at pH 4.6 was determined for selected strains of Pseudomonas fragi, Escherichia coli, Streptococcus cremoris , and Streptococcus lactis . Strains were selected for study on the basis of high heat resistance. Survivor curves in whey at various temperatures and thermal resistance curves were calculated. The time-temperature treatments used for cooking Cottage cheese curd in seven representative California plants and one hypothetical procedure were evaluated as to lethality for each of the selected cultures. Cooking procedures that did not have a maximum temperature of at least 130° F., and a holding time of at least 18min. at 130° F., proved unsatisfactory.