cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Further Observations on the Nature of Dermoid Cyst Fat1

The fatty material found in ovarian dermoid cysts has long been thought to be sebum (Sotnitchewsky (1)), and there are several cases in the literature (e.g. Plaut and Sobel (2)) where dermoid cyst fat has been used in place of sebum for experimental purposes. A direct comparison between the composition of dermoid cyst fat and human forearm sebum has already been made (Wheatley (3)) in which several differences in composition were observed, and it was concluded that the dermoid cyst fat represented a 'sebum' produced by a pathological process. The previous work was directed at an investigation of the over-all composition of the fat and of the nature of the unsaponifiable matter. No attempt was made to study the nature of the fatty acids present, indeed a detailed analysis of these acids has not yet been recorded. The recent introduction of gas-chromatography for the analysis of complex mixtures of fatty acids (James and Martin (4); James and Wheatley (5)) now makes this analysis possible, and from the pattern of the gas-chromatogram can be judged whether, in fact, the dermoid cyst fat is a sebaceous secretion.
Medical economic impact of tracheotomy patients on a hospital system

AbstractBackground:Tracheotomy patients are a small portion of hospitalizations, but account for disproportionately high risk and costs. There are many complex decisions that go into the care of these patients, and practice variation is expected to be compounded in a health system. This study sought to characterize the medical economic impact of tracheotomy patients on the hospital system.Methods:A retrospective review of the health system’s hospital billing software was performed for 2013, and pertinent outcomes measures were tabulated.Results:There were 829 tracheotomies performed in the health system of seven hospitals, with total costs of $128,883,865. Average length of stay was 36.74 days for principal procedures, and 43.36 days for tracheotomy as secondary procedures. Mortality was ∼18% overall, and re-admissions were 10.93% for primary, and 14.36% for secondary procedures. A fairly wide variation in each category among the different hospitals was observed.Conclusions:There are potentially many fact...
Treatment of Pediatric Hypertension: Lessons Learned from Recent Studies

Current consensus guidelines for the treatment of hypertension in children and adolescents provide expert opinion on the use of both lifestyle modification and antihypertensive medication, when indicated. We review recent literature which provides further insights into the management of hypertension in youth. We focus on lessons learned from recent studies on both nonpharmacologic (DASH diet, salt reduction, stress reduction) and pharmacologic therapy, including their efficacy in lowering blood pressure and their effect on reversing hypertensive target organ damage. We also address some limitations of recent studies and suggest future areas of research in order to continue to advance the field of pediatric hypertension.
The Rap1 GTPase functions as a regulator of morphogenesis in vivo

The Ras-related Rap GTPases are highly conserved across diverse species but their normal biological function is not well understood. Initial studies in mammalian cells suggested a role for Rap as a Ras antagonist. More recent experiments indicate functions in calcium- and cAMP-mediated signaling and it has been proposed that protein kinase A-mediated phosphorylation activates Rap in vivo. We show that Ras1-mediated signaling pathways in Drosophila are not influenced by Rap1 levels, suggesting that Ras1 and Rap1 function via distinct pathways. Moreover, a mutation that abolishes the putative cAMP-dependent kinase phosphorylation site of Drosophila Rap1 can still rescue the Rap1 mutant phenotype. Our experiments show that Rap1 is not needed for cell proliferation and cell-fate specification but demonstrate a critical function for Rap1 in regulating normal morphogenesis in the eye disk, the ovary and the embryo. Rap1 mutations also disrupt cell migrations and cause abnormalities in cell shape. These findings indicate a role for Rap proteins as regulators of morphogenesis in vivo.
Non-abelian Bose-Fermi equivalence in the background of Kaluza-Klein scalars and compactifications of closed bosonic strings

Abstract The two-dimensional non-abelian Bose-Fermi equivalence in the presence of background gauge fields and “Kaluza-Klein” scalar fields is derived. It is shown that a current-current interaction linear in the background scalar field in the Fermi version leads to interactions which involve all orders in the background scalar fields in the Bose version of the theory. Implications for the possible embedding of the heterotic string in the closed bosonic string with a special choice of background fields are discussed.
Gene expression in mycobacteria : transcriptional fusions based on xylE and analysis of the promoter region of the response regulator mtrA from Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Summary Understanding promoter regulation and signal-transduction systems in pathogenic mycobacteria is critical for uncovering the processes that govern interactions of these bacteria with the human host. In order to develop additional genetic tools for analysis of mycobacterial promoters, the xylE gene from Pseudomonas was tested as a transcriptional fusion reporter in fast- and slow-growing mycobacteria. initially, its utility was demonstrated by expression behind the hsp60 promoter in Mycobacterium smegmatis and Mycobacterium bovis BCG. The presence of an active promoter in front of the promoterless xylE cassette on a plasmid was scored by development of a bright yellow colour upon spraying of mycobacterial colonies on plates with a solution of catechol. The gene product of xylE, catechol 2,3 dioxygenase, was measurable in sonic extracts and whole cells, permitting quantitative determination of promoter activity in both fast- and slow-growing mycobacteria. The xylE-based mycobacterial transcriptional fusion plasmid pRCX3 was constructed and used to assess promoter activity within the sequences located upstream of the newly characterized Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv response regulator mtrA, a member of the superfamily of bacterial signal-transduction systems.
Transgenic overexpression of cardiac actin in the mouse heart suggests coregulation of cardiac, skeletal and vascular actin expression.

Previous studies have shown that depletion of cardiac actin by targeted disruption is associated with increased expression of alternative actins in the mouse heart. Here we have studied the effects of transgenic overexpression of cardiac actin using the α-myosin heavy chain promoter. Lines carrying 7 or 8 copies of the transgene showed a 2-fold increase in cardiac actin mRNA and also displayed decreased expression of skeletal and vascular actin in their hearts. In contrast, a line with more than 250 copies of the transgene did not show a similar decrease in the expression of skeletal and vascular actin despite a 3-fold increase in cardiac actin mRNA. While the low copy number transgenic mice displayed hearts that were similar to non-transgenic controls, the high copy number transgenic line showed larger hearts with distinct atrial enlargement and cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. Further, while the low copy number transgenic mouse hearts were mildly hypocontractile when compared with non-transgenic mouse hearts, the high copy number transgenic mouse hearts were significantly so. We conclude that in the presence of a small number of copies of the cardiac actin transgene, homeostatic mechanisms involved in maintaining actin levels are active and negatively regulate skeletal and vascular actin levels in the heart in response to increased expression of cardiac actin. However, these putative mechanisms are either inoperative in the high copy number transgenic line or are countered by the enhanced expression of skeletal and vascular actin during cardiomyocyte hypertrophy.
Contributions of protein kinase A anchoring proteins to compartmentation of cAMP signaling in the heart.

The cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) transduces signals in the heart initiated by β 1 -adrenergic, G-protein-coupled receptors after norepinephrine, sympathetic stimulation. Signaling through this pathway results in a characteristic set of cellular responses, including increases in ion fluxes and contractile strength, mobilization of energy stores, and changes in gene expression. Not all receptors that activate adenylate cyclase and increase cAMP levels, however, cause the cardiac myocyte to react in this manner. Research in the field of signal transduction over the last 25 years has addressed this issue of specificity in signaling by diffusable second messengers. PKA is in part targeted to discrete cellular locations by A-kinase anchoring proteins. Through anchoring and formation of multienzyme complexes, specific, localized signal transduction is possible. I discuss in this review recent advances in the understanding of PKA signaling complexes in the cardiac myocyte.
On the Existence of Combinational Logic Circuits Exhibiting Multiple Redundancy

Multiple redundancy is a very complex form of redundancy about which little is known. This correspondence shows by construction that redundancy of any multiplicity can exist in an arbitrary combinational circuit, and that redundancy of any multiplicity ≥ 4 can exist in a tree circuit. Many examples are given. The correspondence concludes with a discussion of the effect multiple redundancy can have on multiple fault testing. It is shown that with a proper algorithm multiple redundancy can actually cause fewer problems than single redundancy does when single fault testing is being considered.
Probabilistic projections of agro‐climate indices in North America

[1] We develop probabilistic projections for three agro-climate indices (frost days, thermal time, and a heat stress index) for North America. The selected indices are important for understanding the potential impacts of future anthropogenic climate change on agricultural production. We use Bayesian Model Averaging (BMA) and bootstrapping to quantify the structural uncertainty in an ensemble of downscaled General Circulation Models (GCMs). The prior information contained in the observations and model hindcasts is used to construct physically meaningful temporal comparisons for the period 1961–2010. The comparisons are used to derive model-specific posterior weights to construct probabilistic projections of agro-climate change in the 21st century. A cross validation test covering the most recent 25 years of the observation period indicates considerable overconfidence in the projections when using the calibrated BMA approach. In contrast the probabilistic projections using equally weighted climate models are not overconfident. The strong consensus among the probabilistic projections that shows warming effects for all three agro-climate indices is tempered by the short 50-year calibration period and the small ensemble size. The short calibration period provides a relatively poor observational constraint on estimates of model weights and predictive variance, while the small ensemble size limits the climate sample space. However, the consensus that emerges in spite of the large uncertainties suggests large potential changes in the conditions that farmers will experience over the remainder of the 21st century. Of particular concern is the projected increase in the heat stress index which could lead to large crop damages and associated yield declines.
Incorporating finite element techniques to simplify the impedance modeling of active structures

An impedance model is formulated for the prediction of the response of structures to induced-strain actuation. The approach utilizes finite element analysis (FEA) to determine the host- structure mechanical impedance. The method couples the numerically obtained impedance to an analytical vibration solution of the induced-strain actuator to determine the dynamic response of the active structure. The methodology is demonstrated in the computation of the dynamic response of a beam structure to induced-strain actuation. This system has been extensively explored by the active structures community. Comparisons of the predicted dynamic response of this structure are made to the predictions of models previously documented in the literature. Experiments are conducted for the purpose of model validation, and an excellent agreement is demonstrated between the predictions of the FEA-based impedance model and measurements made on physical systems. It is anticipated that the formulation extends the FEA-based impedance modeling approach to a broader class of active structures, those for which closed-form expressions of host-structure mechanical impedance are non- existent. Use of the FEA-based impedance approach is suggested when modeling generic distributed structures possessing material anisotropy, mass loading, and non-uniform boundary conditions.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Stabilisation of unstable trochanteric femoral fractures. Dynamic hip screw (DHS) with trochanteric stabilisation plate vs. proximal femur nail (PFN)

The dynamic hip screw (DHS) with trochanteric stabilisation plate (TSP) as the extramedullary power transmission system and the proximal femur nail (PFN) as the means of intramedullary stabilisation are both standard in the treatment of unstable trochanteric femoral fractures in the case of old people. A total of 129 patients (average age: 81,5 years) with 31 A2.2 and A2.3 as well as per-/subtrochanteric femoral fractures were treated by means of osteosynthesis with DHS and TSP (n=64) or with PFN (n=65),and the results plotted in a retro-/prospective study. At low complication rates, the radiological operation results are equally good. 6 revisions were necessary in the case of the DHS with TSP and 4 in the case of PFN. A significantly shorter operation time (44.3 vs. 57.3 min) and a considerably shorter in-patient stay (18.6 vs. 21.3 days) were common with PFN. The application of full-weightbearing immediately after the operation was possible for 97% of the PFN patients and 88% of the DHS patients. In a follow-up 6 months after the operation, the PFN patients displayed a significantly lower pain intensity in the operated leg at the same score for ambulation and the same subjective degree of satisfaction. Unstable pertrochanteric and per-/subtrochanteric femoral comminuted fractures can be treated just as well with PFN as with DHS and TSP. Our study results,however, lead us to recommend treatment with PFN.
Survival of ruffed grouse chicks in northern Michigan

Knowledge of the survival rates of ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus) chicks during the predispersal period is necessary for effective population management. We marked 76 ruffed grouse chicks using 2 radiotransmitter attachment procedures to determine the chick survival rate. Chick survival from near hatching (9-14 Jun) to fall dispersal (7 Sep) was 0.285 (SE = 0.098) in 1996 and 0.318 (SE = 0.087) in 1997. These rates were considerably lower than previous survival estimates for ruffed grouse chicks. Suturing transmitters externally was preferred over implanting them. Avian predators were the leading cause of chick mortality. Therefore, managers should consider the densities of avian predators when defining objectives for ruffed grouse recruitment.
The effects of damping on the amplitude and frequency response of a freely vibrating cylinder in cross-flow

We have studied the effects of controlled damping on the amplitude and frequency response profiles of an elastically mounted cylinder in cross-flow. The dimensionless damping parameter, b^*=2b/ρLDU, which is closely related to the traditional “mass-damping” parameter, m^*ζ, was varied over a wide range of values through the use of a variable magnetic eddy current damping system. For low damping and sufficiently high Reynolds number we observe the previously described large-amplitude, three-branch (initial, upper, lower) response profile, and for high damping or low Reynolds number we observe the small-amplitude, two-branch (initial and lower) response profile. However we find that, because of the influence of Reynolds number, the traditional labels of “high mass-damping” and “low mass-damping” are incomplete with regard to predicting a large or small-amplitude response profile. In our experiments, as damping is systematically increased, we observe a transition between these two profiles characterized by a gradual “erosion” and eventual disappearance of the large-amplitude section (upper branch) and the scaling down of the lower branch region. We find that jumps from the upper to the initial branch originate on the 2S/2P boundary in the Williamson–Roshko plane. Another new finding is a hysteresis between the lower branch and the desynchronized region, which only appears at low Reynolds numbers. We also explore changes in the frequency response profile, which are connected with the changes in the amplitude profile, for our upper branch cases. We observe that analogous to the three amplitude branches, there are three distinct branches for the frequency response.
T- and B-cell-derived supernatant factors enhance IgE synthesis by a myeloma cell line (U-266)

IgE synthesis by the human myeloma line U-266 was enhanced 3- to 15-fold in the presence of supernatants from cultures of mononuclear cells (MNC). The enhancing activity was concentration-dependent and was derived from cells that were cultured in the absence of serum and received no in vitro stimulation by exogenous mitogens or lymphokines. T- and B-lymphocyte-enriched populations isolated from MNC were found to generate the enhancing activity, but no enhancing activity was produced by monocytes. MNC from atopic and nonatopic donors were equally effective as sources for this activity. The enhancement of IgE synthesis was proportionally greater than the effect of the activity on cell proliferation. Furthermore, this enhancement of IgE synthesis was demonstrated to be isotype-specific in that the factor(s) had no effect on IgM- and IgG-secreting cell lines. It is suggested that augmentation of IgE synthesis by B cells at a late stage of differentiation may be accomplished by lymphokines constantly present in the cells' milieu and that the U-266 model may be useful for testing putative IgE regulatory factors.
Dinosaur eggshell and tooth enamel geochemistry as an indicator of Mongolian Late Cretaceous paleoenvironments

Abstract The Late Cretaceous fossiliferous beds of Mongolia's Gobi Desert have yielded spectacular articulated remains of a remarkable diversity of fossil mammals, lizards, turtles, birds, and non-avian dinosaurs. Paleoenvironmental interpretations of the deposits at these localities have ranged from arid wind-blown dune fields to more mesic, moist environments. Among the diversity of fossils, dinosaur eggshells and teeth are commonly found at these localities. Dinosaur eggs, like modern avian eggs, are constructed of biomineralized calcite (CaCO3) and proteins, allowing carbon and oxygen stable isotopes to be quantified to provide information about the environment in which the egg-laying animals were living. Here it is shown that dinosaur eggshell and teeth from the Djadokhta and Nemegt Formations have not been significantly altered and reflect an environment of dry dunes during deposition of the Djadokhta Formation and a more mesic stream environment for conditions in the Nemegt Formation. Carbonate nodules from the same eggshell-bearing layers also independently reflect a similar environmental signal. This study represents the first geochemical analysis of dinosaur remains from the Cretaceous of Mongolia and illustrates the potential of utilizing dinosaur fossil geochemistry of both eggs and teeth to reconstruct Mesozoic environments.
CHARACTERIZATION OF RAT HYPERPLASTIC BILE DUCTULAR EPITHELIAL CELLS IN CULTURE AND IN VIVO

A novel intrahepatic biliary cell culture/in vivo transplantation system has been developed with an essentially pure population of bile ductular epithelial cells isolated from rat liver 6–12 weeks after bile duct ligation. In primary culture, these cells retain staining strongly for γ-glutamyltranspeptidase and glutathione S-transferase P. The cytoplasm of cultured bile ductular cells reacts with an anti-laminin antibody, but loses immunoreactivity with a monoclonal anti-cytokeratin 19 antibody. Semiconservative DNA synthesis in the cultured cells was dependent upon the continued presence of 10% fetal calf serum in the medium. Replicating bile ductular cells could be subcultured for a finite number of passages. In addition, freshly isolated bile ductular epithelial cells gave rise to well differentiated bile ductular structures when transplanted into the interscapular fat pads of syngeneic recipient rats.
Antibody reactivation of OS-ATPase from house fly (Musca domestica L.) inhibited by organochlorine pesticides.

Abstract Antibody reactivation of ATPase activity inhibited by organochlorine pesticides was investigated using preparations from the thorax of house flies (Musca domestica L). Purified anti-Kelevan antibody from chicken serum was used for reactivation of OS-ATPase activity inhibited by in vivo or in vitro exposure to Kepone, DDT, and aldrin. Results indicate that the antibody was capable of removing the pesticides from the inhibitory site(s) on the enzyme, whether inhibition occurred in vivo or in vitro.
Three‐dimensional fractal modeling of intracloud lightning discharge in a New Mexico thunderstorm and comparison with lightning mapping observations

[1] The direct comparison of lightning mapping observations by the New Mexico Tech Lightning Mapping Array (LMA) with realistic models of thundercloud electrical structures and lightning discharges represents a useful tool for studies of electrification mechanisms in thunderstorms, initiation and propagation mechanisms of different types of lightning discharges as well as for understanding of electrical and energetic effects of tropospheric thunderstorms on the upper regions of the Earth's atmosphere. This paper presents the formulation of a new three-dimensional probabilistic model for investigating the structure and development of bidirectional positive and negative lightning leaders. The results closely resemble structures observed by the LMA during intracloud discharges. The model represents a synthesis of the original dielectric breakdown model based on fractal approach proposed by Niemeyer et al. (1984) and the equipotential lightning channel hypothesis advanced by Kasemir (1960) and places special emphasis on obtaining self-consistent solutions preserving complete charge neutrality of the discharge trees at any stage of the simulation. A representative simulation run is compared to a typical intracloud discharge measured by LMA in a New Mexico thunderstorm on 31 July 1999. Following the conclusions from Coleman et al. (2003), the comparison of the model and observed discharges reveals that an adequate choice of the electrical structure of the model thundercloud permits the development of a model intracloud discharge reproducing principal features of the observed event including the initial vertical extension of the discharge between the main negative and upper positive charge regions of the thundercloud, and the subsequent horizontal propagations in these regions. Also consistent with observations (e.g., Coleman et al., 2003), negative and positive leaders mainly develop in the upper positive and main negative charge regions, respectively. For the particular model case presented in this paper, the total charge transfer, the vertical dipole moment and the average linear charge density associated with the development of bidirectional structure of leader channels are estimated to be 37.5 C, 122 C·km, and 0.5 mC/m, respectively, in good agreement with related data reported in the refereed literature. The model results also demonstrate that the bulk charge carried by the integral action of positive and negative leaders leads to a significant (up to 80%) reduction of the electric field values inside the thundercloud, significantly below the lightning initiation threshold.
Hypergammaglobulinemia and Corneal Opacities in Patients with Human T-Cell Lymphotrophic Virus Type–1

Purpose To investigate the relationship between serum immunoglobulin levels and corneal opacities in a cohort of patients with human T-cell lymphotrophic virus type-1 (HTLV-1). Design Retrospective case series. Methods Complete ophthalmologic examination was performed on 44 patients with HTLV-1 infection (25 patients with adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma [ATL], 18 patients with HTLV-1 that was associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis [HAM/TSP], and one patient who was asymptomatic). Corneal opacities were described by shape, size, color, and location. Serum immunoglobulin (Ig) levels (IgG, IgM, and IgA) were measured by nephelometry. Results Corneal opacities were identified in 15 of 25 patients (60%) with ATL and five of 18 patients (28%) with HAM/TSP. The prevalence of corneal opacities was associated statistically with elevated IgG level ( P = .023) in patients with ATL, but not in patients with HAM/TSP ( P > .99). Conclusion Although the mechanism remains unclear, hypergammaglobulinemia is associated with the development of the corneal opacities in patients of African descent with ATL.
Structure and speciation in hydrous silica melts. 2. Pressure effects.

The effect of pressure on structure and water speciation in hydrated liquid silica is examined over a range of temperatures and compositions. The Feuston−Garofalini (FG) potential is used in isobaric−isothermal Monte Carlo simulations carried out at four pressures (0.25, 1.0, 2.5, and 10 GPa) for seven temperatures (2000 ≤ T ≤ 9000 K) and five compositions (0.0 ≤ xw ≤ 0.4). The FG potential yields a stable melt phase for p ≥ 1.0 GPa and/or xw ≤ 0.1 for all temperatures. The volume minimum seen in previous simulations of pure and hydrated liquid silica using the FG potential persists up to 2.5 GPa but is no longer evident at 10 GPa. This is correlated with gradual structural changes of the liquid up to 2.5 GPa and with more significant changes at 10 GPa. Even at high overall concentrations of water (xw = 0.4), only about 2% of oxygen atoms are present as molecular water species at the lowest temperature. This percentage decreases with increasing pressure and temperature.
CDS and the Resolution of Financial Distress

The dramatic growth of Credit Default Swaps (CDS)—contracts that allow creditors to hedge their default exposure or take leveraged credit positions—threatens to complicate the resolution of financial distress in ways that existing reorganization methods and institutions have yet to adapt to. CDS contracts undermine a major premise that underlies current reorganization methods—namely, that the holder of legal rights has, and is motivated by, corresponding economic interests. Because hedging in the CDS markets immunizes creditors from the debtor's financial condition, they effectively separate their legal rights and economic interests. In this article, the authors discuss the challenges this separation poses for the resolution of distress both in and out of bankruptcy, and consider ways in which “on-ground” realities may be reconciled with the legal structure that underlies the resolution of distress. At a minimum, disclosure of CDS positions in times of financial distress—along the lines of the disclosures presently required of equity investors under the Williams Act—are an essential first step toward a solution.
Clinical Blood Flow Measurement with [15O] Water and Positron Emission Tomography (PET)

[15O]-labeled water has been used to measure brain blood flow for many years (Herscovitch, et al. 1983). While now considered a common procedure, it remains difficult to consistently perform quantitative PET blood flow measurements at most institutions. Blood flow as measured with [15O] H2O remains the only technique, in the majority of clinical PET centers, that can be performed very quickly and repeatedly to assess the cognitive state of a patient or research subject. The most widely used PET radiopharmaceutical, 2-[18F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose ([18F] FDG) clearly shows metabolic function of brain, heart or tumor. However, its long half-life (110 min) precludes performing repeat studies on the same day. Only one temporal assessment of function with [18F] FDG can be obtained when the patient is at the PET Center. The short half-life of [15O] (122 sec) permits multiple assessments to occur especially if intervention is planned (drug or cognitive activation). [15O] water can easily be produced on demand within a short time without significant radiochemistry involvement. Blood flow to other organs and tissues (bone marrow, heart or tumor) is also possible and is routinely performed at this institution.
A framework to detect and classify activity transitions in low-power applications

Minimizing the number of computations a low-power device makes is important to achieve long battery life. In this paper we present a framework for a low-power device to minimize the number of calculations needed to detect and classify simple activities of daily living such as sitting, standing, walking, reaching, and eating. This technique uses wavelet analysis as part of the feature set extracted from accelerometer data. A log-likelihood ratio test and Hidden Markov Models (HMM) are used to detect transitions and classify different activities. A tradeoff is made between power and accuracy.
Profiling of β-Lactam Selectivity for Penicillin-Binding Proteins in Escherichia coli Strain DC2

Penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) are integral players in bacterial cell division, and their catalytic activities can be monitored with β-lactam-containing chemical probes. Compounds that target a single PBP could provide important information about the specific role(s) of each enzyme, making identification of such molecules important. We evaluated 22 commercially available β-lactams for inhibition of the PBPs in live Escherichia coli strain DC2. Whole cells were titrated with β-lactam antibiotics and subsequently incubated with a fluorescent penicillin derivative, Bocillin-FL (Boc-FL), to label uninhibited PBPs. Protein visualization was accomplished by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) separation and fluorescent scanning. The examined β-lactams exhibited diverse PBP selectivities, with amdinocillin (mecillinam) showing selectivity for PBP2, aztreonam, piperacillin, cefuroxime, cefotaxime, and ceftriaxone for PBP3, and amoxicillin and cephalexin for PBP4. The remaining β-lactams did not block any PBPs in the DC2 strain of E. coli or inhibited more than one PBP at all examined concentrations in this Gram-negative organism.
Technologies for federation and interoperation of coalition networks

When data from two or more coalition members is used in a joint mission, the flow of any information over the respective networks must be tightly controlled. Data sent over the networks would be routed through nodes that should enforce policies concerning: what information about each coalition member's assets will be exchanged with other coalition members; who, with what authentication, and under what conditions can access the information, and in what form it can be provided. We discuss the requirements of such a policy-enabled federated network, in which any node could be responsible for enforcement of all policies applicable to it and the data that flows through it. We describe the high-level architecture of the system currently under development, and the design trade-offs that were made to balance ease of deployability and flexibility in policy enforcement. We also present our initial implementation with performance evaluation results that showcase its applicability to the scenario considered.
Differential activation of eIF2 kinases in response to cellular stresses in Schizosaccharomyces pombe.

Phosphorylation of eukaryotic initiation factor-2 (eIF2) is an important mechanism mitigating cellular injury in response to diverse environmental stresses. While all eukaryotic organisms characterized to date contain an eIF2 kinase stress response pathway, the composition of eIF2 kinases differs, with mammals containing four distinct family members and the well-studied lower eukaryote Saccharomyces cerevisiae expressing only a single eIF2 kinase. We are interested in the mechanisms by which multiple eIF2 kinases interface with complex stress signals and elicit response pathways. In this report we find that in addition to two previously described eIF2 kinases related to mammalian HRI, designated Hri1p and Hri2p, the yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe expresses a third eIF2 kinase, a Gcn2p ortholog. To delineate the roles of each eIF2 kinase, we constructed S. pombe strains expressing only a single eIF2 kinase gene or deleted for the entire eIF2 kinase family. We find that Hri2p is the primary activated eIF2 kinase in response to exposure to heat shock, arsenite, or cadmium. Gcn2p serves as the primary eIF2 kinase induced during a nutrient downshift, treatment with the amino acid biosynthetic inhibitor 3-aminotriazole, or upon exposure to high concentrations of sodium chloride. In one stress example, exposure to H2O2, there is early tandem activation of both Hri2p and Gcn2p. Interestingly, with extended stress conditions there is activation of alternative secondary eIF2 kinases, suggesting that eukaryotes have mechanisms of coordinate activation of eIF2 kinase in their stress remediation responses. Deletion of these eIF2 kinases renders S. pombe more sensitive to many of these stress conditions.
The Development of Linguistic Complexity: A Functional Continuum.

Following the No Child Left Behind Act (2001), which mandates standards-based accountability for the academic progress of all students, much attention has been given to integrating language and content instruction for English learners (ELs) in K-12 classrooms in the US. Although TESOL and other state-approved language proficiency standards acknowledge that academic English requires progressive linguistic complexity to tackle progressively complex content, they give no indicators for this progression beyond some generalizations about increased sentential variety. An enlightening characterization of linguistic complexity comes from Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL), specifying how grammatical choices actually construct meaning, making a strong case for explicit, proactive instruction, and calling for a systematic analysis of the language our English learners need to master. This paper describes an ongoing project to answer this call by charting a developmental continuum of complexity for school-age English learners. Its preliminary analysis is based on some 90 compositions, collected over the course of a year from more than 30 students in a New England middle school classroom.
A link based alternative routing scheme for network restoration under failure

We present an alternative routing scheme which ensures that the network restores itself under any single link failure. In addition, our scheme has the advantage that restoration of the network occurs immediately on discovery of failure (without waiting for time consuming exchange of messages). An efficient heuristic algorithm, based on maximal-flow algorithm, is first used to partition the network into two parts (one carries the regular or primary traffic and the other is reserved to carry re-routed traffic in the event of failure). Then, we show how to use the results of the algorithm to actually find the alternative routes for a given call at the time of call setup.
Nanomagnetic levitation three-dimensional cultures of breast and colorectal cancers

Abstract Background Innovative technologies for drug discovery and development, cancer models, stem cell research, tissue engineering, and drug testing in various cell-based platforms require an application similar to the in vivo system. Materials and methods We developed for the first time nanomagnetically levitated three-dimensional (3-D) cultures of breast cancer (BC) and colorectal cancer (CRC) cells using carbon-encapsulated cobalt magnetic nanoparticles. BC and CRC xenografts grown in severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice were evaluated for N-cadherin and epidermal growth factor receptor expressions. These phenotypes were compared with two-dimensional and 3-D cultures grown in a gel matrix. Results The BC and CRC cells grown by magnetic levitation formed microtissues. The levitated cultures had high viability and were maintained in culture for long periods of time. It has been observed that N-cadherin and epidermal growth factor receptor activities were highly expressed in the levitated 3-D tumor spheres and xenografts of CRC and BC cells. Conclusions Nanomagnetically levitated 3-D cultures tend to form stable microtissues of BC and CRC and maybe more feasible for a range of applications in drug discovery or regenerative medicine.
CFD Study on Compound Impaction in a Jet-in-Well Impactor

In a classical jet impactor, the jet is assumed to impact on an infinite plate; however, the typical construction of an impactor necessitates that a wall surrounds the jet. If the wall is close to the jet, secondary impaction can take place on the wall. Also, for some impactor designs, e.g., large particle scalping devices in air sampling inlets, the jet is purposefully placed in a well and the overall performance of the impactor is the compound effect of the jet impacting on a collection plate and on the wall of the well. In this study we primarily use CFD to examine the performance of compound round jet impactors, where the ratio of well diameter to jet diameter is from 3 to 15 and the particle size is in the range of 5 to 15 μm AD. The onset of the secondary impaction occurs at a ratio of well diameter to jet diameter of about eight with the collection on the side wall increasing for smaller ratios. Compound impaction can significantly enhance the overall particle collection and can result in a much sm...
Fabrication and performance of mesa interconnect

This paper explores the decrease in interconnect capacitance that can be achieved by the use of mesa-shaped wires. A methodology for creating mesa interconnect is described that uses simple postprocessing steps following standard CMOS IC foundry processes. By removing the oxide between metal lines and replacing it with air, the fringing capacitance between metal lines and the substrate is reduced as is the capacitance between adjacent metal lines. The decrease in capacitance resulting from the removal of the oxide between metal conductors is predicted using a 2-D electrostatic field solver and verified by measurements on test structures fabricated in an 0.5 /spl mu/m HP CMOS process. Capacitance of mesa interconnect structures was reduced by roughly 40% for these test structures. For circuits dominated by interconnect capacitance, cutting the parasitic capacitance by 40% cuts the power dissipation by 40% and cuts the gate delay by 40%. Therefore the power-delay product is reduced by roughly 65% and the energy-delay product is reduced by roughly 80%. Although many issues must still be addressed to make this form of interconnect practical, the results presented in this paper suggest that the rewards in terms of decreasing capacitance could well be worth investing the effort to solve these issues.
An Integrative Approach for Label Evaluation and Design

Assessing label effectiveness requires knowing how consumers currently use a product, what strategies for risk mitigation are most effective, and how label reading, comprehension and compliance relate to mitigatory behavior. W***c offer an integrative approach for determining the information content of warnings. It begins with a product risk assessment. Structured, open-ended interviews with consumers then identify gaps in knowledge, whose criticality is determined by the risk assessment. The approach is applied to reducing risk from methylene chloride paint strippers. Consumer interviews indicate prevalent mitigation behaviors, while a quantitative exposure model identifies which actions are most effective in reducing risk. Labels are then evaluated for content and presentation, using the model to estimate exposure to methylene chloride. The results are used to develop recommendations for improving the effectiveness of paint-stripper labels.
The Effects of Self-Efficacy on Depression and Pain in Fibromyalgia Syndrome: Does Initial Depression Matter?

AbstractObjective: Fibromyalgia syndrome [FMS] is a chronic pain condition of unknown etiology. Non-myalgic aspects of the disorder have become increasingly focal in its evaluation. Research has suggested that subgrouping FMS patients based on factors other than pain may abet diagnostic and interventional processes. Self-efficacy and depression are two such constructs that appear to be important in FMS. However, it is not known whether the consequentiality of self-efficacy in FMS is dependent on depression. The present study examined the pathways among depression, self-efficacy and pain, in a large sample of depressed and non-depressed FMS patients over a one-year timeframe to determine whether differential relationships existed.Method: Participants completed assessments of pain intensity, depression and self-efficacy at baseline, 6 months and 1 year as part of an intervention study. Approximately half of the participants met the cutoff for depression in chronic pain populations on the Centers for Epidemi...
Metaphor and the Reshaping of Our Cognitive Fabric

Mary Gerhart and Allan Russell view our world of meanings as a fabric of concepts and relations. Metaphor bends this fabric, superimposing one concept on another. While Gerhart and Russell are right to view metaphor as a cognitive rather than a purely linguistic phenomenon, their model misses the danger inherent in a cognitive restructuring that leaves some features of a concept highlighted and others backgrounded. When the bending of the conceptual fabric becomes permanent, the essential metaphorical insight is lost, leaving a skewed understanding of reality. We have a tendency to retain the metaphorically altered cognitive topography while forgetting its nonliteral genesis. Thus, the metaphoric process is one from which proceeds not only insight but also, necessarily, misconception.
Efficient nearest neighbor searching for motion planning

We present and implement an efficient algorithm for performing nearest-neighbor queries in topological spaces that usually arise in the context of motion planning. Our approach extends the Kd tree-based ANN algorithm, which was developed by Arya and Mount (1993) for Euclidean spaces. We argue the correctness of the algorithm and illustrate its efficiency through computed examples. We have applied the algorithm to both probabilistic roadmaps (PRMs) and rapidly-exploring random trees (RRTs). Substantial performance improvements are shown for motion planning examples.
Detection of antigen‐specific T cells on p/MHC microarrays

The development of high-throughput protein microarrays for rapidly determining antigen-specific T-cell receptor repertoires of diverse T-cell populations can enable comprehensive, broad-based analyses of T-cell responses. Promising applications include medical diagnostics, vaccine development, treatment of autoimmune diseases and detection of potential agents of bioterrorism. In this study, we examined the feasibility of using peptide/major histocompatibility complex (p/MHC) microarrays to selectively capture and enumerate antigen-specific T cells. Results are presented for p/MHC microarrays consisting of a dimeric MHC-immunoglobulin complex, K(b)-Ig, loaded with either a cognate or non-cognate peptide for binding CD8(+) T cells. We quantified the sensitivity of these K(b)-Ig microarrays by measuring a lower detection limit of 0.05% antigen-specific CD8(+) T cells mixed with splenocytes from C57BL/6J mouse. A fivefold increase in this lower detection limit (0.01%) was achieved using a secondary capture anti-Ig antibody to coat the microarray surface. This higher sensitivity is comparable to that obtained using standard state-of-the-art fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) instruments. We also found that contacting the T-cell suspension with the K(b)-Ig microarrays under mild shear flow conditions produced more uniform distributions of captured T cells on the individual spots and better spot-to-spot reproducibility across the entire microarray.
Allometric Growth of the Flowers in Five Genera of the Marantaceae and in Canna (Cannaceae)

Allometry was used to compare differential growth of the floral organs in seven species of the Marantaceae and in Canna indica. Different relative sizes of the floral parts arose through changes in the allometric growth rates, not by extension or truncation of the period of allometric growth. Cor-relations were found between the allometric growth rates of the various floral organs and the relative sizes of these organs. Relative size of the floral parts that function in pollination showed the best correlations with their growth rates, suggesting that selection for the relative sizes of floral organs can influence the allometric growth rates of these organs. Principal component analysis showed that growth rates of those floral members that function in pollination do not change independently. Two methods of pollinator action are suggested to account for this phenomenon. Similarity in allometric growth rates did not reflect the traditional taxonomic treatment of the Marantaceae at the generic level.
Opening an Outpatient Facility

It was amazing how involved the nurses became in playing the roles. Throughout the entire mock run, they were cooperative, followed the rules of the game, and worked together as a team. The nurses were glad to have a chance to run through the various problems because it enabled them to become more comfortable with their new unit. The benefits of the mock run were realized by all involved. At the discussion group meetings, problems were identified and proposed solutions discussed. Also, a list of duties for opening the unit was developed. Some problems identified were not considered routine, such as: Where is the crash cart? Who takes the ECG (electrocardiogram)? Where are the narcotics kept? How does the new autoclave work? How and where is the patient discharged? Based on the discussion, educational needs were identified such as instructions on operating the autoclave and the new OR beds. Even in the final group discussion, many routine operational questions came up.
Extracting Uranium from Seawater: Promising AF Series Adsorbents

A new family of high-surface-area polyethylene fiber adsorbents named the AF series was recently developed at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The AF series adsorbents were synthesized by radiation-induced graft polymerization of acrylonitrile and itaconic acid (at different monomer/comonomer mol ratios) onto high surface area polyethylene fibers. The degree of grafting (%DOG) of AF series adsorbents was found to be 154–354%. The grafted nitrile groups were converted to amidoxime groups by treating with hydroxylamine. The amidoximated adsorbents were then conditioned with 0.44 M KOH at 80 °C followed by screening at ORNL with sodium-based synthetic aqueous solution, spiked with 8 ppm uranium. The uranium adsorption capacity in simulated seawater screening ranged from 170 to 200 g-U/kg-ads irrespective of %DOG. A monomer/comonomer molar ratio in the range of 7.57–10.14 seemed to be optimum for highest uranium loading capacity. Subsequently, the adsorbents were also tested with natural seawater at ...