cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Result of adolescent acute lymphoblastic leukemia protocol (MCP 841) from a developing country

10046 Background: Acute Lymphatic Leukemia is a curable disease in the range of 80 - 90% in developed countries by aggressive protocol like BFM, St. Judes’ but result is much less in adolescence age group (60–70%). In developing countries like ours, patients can't tolerate that aggressive protocol because of socio-economic and nutritional factors. The less aggressive protocol like MCP841 is suitable in developing countries like ours. The aim of our study was to see outcome of adolescent ALL patient with protocol MCP 841 and tolerability of the protocol in Indian-Asian population. Methods: We treated 75 children with age range 13 - 18 years (median age of 15 yrs) with MCP 841 Protocol at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Cancer Research Institute, Kolkata, India, a tertiary cancer center from Eastern India during the period of April 1999 to Dec 2007. There was female preponderance in the study. Fever 48 (64.0%), lymphadenopathy 35 (46.7%), and haepatosplenomegaly 28 (37.3%) were the major clinical presentation. ...
Electrostatic interactions enable rapid penetration, enhanced uptake and retention of intra-articular injected avidin in rat knee joints.

Intra-articular (i.a.) drug delivery for local treatment of osteoarthritis remains inadequate due to rapid clearance by the vasculature or lymphatics. Local therapy targeting articular cartilage is further complicated by its dense meshwork of collagen and negatively charged proteoglycans, which can prevent even nano-sized solutes from entering. In a previous in vitro study, we showed that Avidin, due to its size (7 nm diameter) and high positive charge (pI 10.5), penetrated the full thickness of bovine cartilage and was retained for 15 days. With the goal of using Avidin as a nano-carrier for cartilage drug delivery, we investigated its transport properties within rat knee joints. Avidin penetrated the full thickness of articular cartilage within 6 h, with a half-life of 29 h, and stayed inside the joint for 7 days after i.a. injection. The highest concentration of Avidin was found in cartilage, the least in patellar tendon and none in the femoral bone; in contrast, negligible Neutravidin (neutral counterpart of Avidin) was present in cartilage after 24 h. A positive correlation between tissue sGAG content and Avidin uptake (R2 = 0.83) confirmed the effects of electrostatic interactions. Avidin doses up to at least 1 µM did not affect bovine cartilage explant cell viability, matrix catabolism or biosynthesis. © 2014 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 32:1044–1051, 2014.
Sad, blue, or depressed days, health behaviors and health-related quality of life, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 1995-2000.

Background Mood disorders are a major public health problem in the United States as well as globally. Less information exists however, about the health burden resulting from subsyndromal levels of depressive symptomatology, such as feeling sad, blue or depressed, among the general U.S. population.
Light Localization Induced by a Random Imaginary Refractive Index

We show the emergence of light localization in arrays of coupled optical waveguides with randomness only in the imaginary part of their refractive index and develop a one-parameter scaling theory for the normalized participation number of Floquet-Bloch modes. This localization introduces a different length scale in the decay of the autocorrelation function of a paraxial beam propagation. Our results are relevant to a vast family of systems with randomness in the dissipative part of their impedance spatial profile.
Conversion of amides to esters by the nickel-catalysed activation of amide C-N bonds

Amides are common functional groups that have been studied for more than a century. They are the key building blocks of proteins and are present in a broad range of other natural and synthetic compounds. Amides are known to be poor electrophiles, which is typically attributed to the resonance stability of the amide bond. Although amides can readily be cleaved by enzymes such as proteases, it is difficult to selectively break the carbon-nitrogen bond of an amide using synthetic chemistry. Here we demonstrate that amide carbon-nitrogen bonds can be activated and cleaved using nickel catalysts. We use this methodology to convert amides to esters, which is a challenging and underdeveloped transformation. The reaction methodology proceeds under exceptionally mild reaction conditions, and avoids the use of a large excess of an alcohol nucleophile. Density functional theory calculations provide insight into the thermodynamics and catalytic cycle of the amide-to-ester transformation. Our results provide a way to harness amide functional groups as synthetic building blocks and are expected to lead to the further use of amides in the construction of carbon-heteroatom or carbon-carbon bonds using non-precious-metal catalysis.
Metazoan meiofauna biomass, grazing, and weight-dependent respiration in the Northern Gulf of Mexico deep sea

Abstract Metazoan meiofauna are ubiquitous in marine soft sediments and play a pivotal role in diagenesis of particulate organic matter. However, the relative importance of meiofauna to the function of deep-sea benthic boundary layer communities has not been resolved. Here, meiofauna biomass, respiration, and grazing on aerobic heterotrophic bacteria were estimated and compared to standing stocks and fluxes of other benthic components (e.g., bacteria and macrofauna). Biomass and respiration declined with depth. Highest biomass and respiration occurred in the proximity of the Mississippi River on the upper continental slope of the central Gulf of Mexico. Meiofauna required 7% of their biomass per day to meet their metabolic energy budget, compared to approximately 24% day−1 in shallow water. Respiration accounted for 8–22% of whole sediment community respiration (SCOC), reflecting the importance of meiofauna in diagenesis, deep-sea carbon budgets, and global biogeochemical cycles.
THYROID HORMONE INFLUENCES GLUCOCORTICOID RECEPTOR LEVELS IN THE NEONATAL RAT LUNG

In the early postnatal rat, the level of glucocorticoid receptors in the lung increases during the first week of life (5) when thyroid hormone ontogenesis occurs (6). Inhibition of thyroid function in neonatal rat pups by combined pre- and postnatal propylthiouracil treatment abolished the developmental rise in pulmonary glucocorticoid receptor levels. A single injection of 1 μg T3 to these pups caused an elevation in receptor concentration to euthyroid values in 48 h. These findings support the hypothesis that thyroid hormone promotes tissue receptivity to glucocorticoids in the developing lung of the infant rat.
Identification of myocardial extracellular matrix expansion by cardiac MRI in hypertensive patients

Background Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is an important marker of adverse prognosis in cardiovascular disease and commonly occurs in association with hypertension. While late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) reflects myocardial replacement fibrosis in hypertensive patients, we hypothesized that the myocardial extracellular volume fraction (MECVF) would better reflect the presence and severity of myocardial fibrosis, including diffuse fibrosis, in hypertensive patients with LVH. We sought to measure the MECVF directly using T1 imaging preand post-contrast.
Paradigms and Paradoxes in Paleoanthropology: A Response to C. Loring Brace

Tattersall, I., and N. Eldredge 1977 Fact, Theory, and Fantasy in Human Paleontology. American Scientist 65:204-211. Tobias, P. V. 1967 The Cranium and Maxillary Dentition ofAustralopithecus (Zinjanthropus) Boisei. Olduvai Gorge, vol. 2. L. S. B. Leakey, ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Tuttle, R. H. 1987 Review of Major Topics in Primate and Human Evolution, edited by B. Wood, L. Martin, and P. Andrews. American Anthropologist 89:572-573. Wiley, E. O. 1981 Phylogenetics: The Theory and Practice of Phylogenetic Systematics. New York: John Wiley and Sons. Wolpoff, M. H. 1968 "Telanthropus" and the Single Species Hypothesis. American Anthropologist 70:477-493.
Diagnostic yield of high-resolution computed tomography for pediatric sensorineural hearing loss.

Objectives/Hypothesis: In recent years, relatively subtle inner ear anomalies have become apparent using high-resolution computed tomography (CT). The purpose of this study was to determine the diagnostic yield of high-resolution CT for pediatric sensorineural hearing loss (HL) (SNHL). Methods: A review was performed on the records of all children ( .05). The rate of dysplasias did not correlate with SNHL severity, pattern of HL, or type of HL (mixed vs. sensorineural). Conclusions: These findings suggest that radiographic imaging has a relatively high diagnostic yield in children with SNHL. These findings may be of value in counseling patients and guiding the management of their SNHL.
A protein kinase homologue controls phosphorylation of ganciclovir in human cytomegalovirus-infected cells

HUMAN cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a major pathogen in immunosuppressed individuals, including patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome. The nucleoside analogue ganciclovir (9-(l,3-dihydroxy-2-propoxymethyl)-guanine) is one of the few drugs available to treat HCMV infections, but resistant virus is a growing problem in the clinic1 and there is a critical need for new drugs. The study of ganciclovir-resistant mutants has indicated that the selective action of ganciclovir depends largely on virus-controlled phosphorylation in HCMV-infected cells2–5. The enzyme(s) responsible have not been identified. Here we report that the HCMV gene UL97, whose predicted product shares regions of homology with protein kinases, guanylyl cyclase and bacterial phosphotransferases6–8, controls phosphorylation of ganciclovir in HCMV-infected cells. A four-amino-acid deletion of UL97 in a conserved region, which in cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase participates in substrate recognition9, causes impaired ganciclovir phosphorylation. The implications of these results for antiviral drug development and drug resistance are discussed.
Master equation approach to synchronization in diffusion-coupled nonlinear oscillators

We study the influence of internal fluctuations on phase synchronization in oscillatory reaction-diffusion systems through a master equation approach. In the limit of large system size, the probability density is analyzed by means of the eikonal approximation. This approximation yields a Hamilton-Jacobi equation for the stochastic potential, which may be reduced to coupled nonlinear diffusion equations for the phase of oscillation and (conjugate) ``momentum.'' We give explicit expressions for the coefficients of these equations in terms of averages over the deterministic periodic orbit. For one-dimensional systems, we obtain an explicit solution for the stationary stochastic potential: the width in phase, which is defined as the root mean square fluctuation in phase, characterizes the roughness of phase locking, and diverges with the system size L according to a power law $w\ensuremath{\sim}{L}^{\ensuremath{\alpha}},$ with $\ensuremath{\alpha}=1/2.$ To study higher-dimensional systems, we show that the eikonal approximations of the diffusion-coupled oscillator problem and the Kardar-Parisi-Zhang (KPZ) equation (in the limit of small noise intensity) are equivalent. The KPZ equation governs some forms of surface growth, and the height of a growing front corresponds to the phase (the $2\ensuremath{\pi}$ periodicity in phase is ignored) in the diffusion-coupled oscillator problem. From the equivalence, we obtain the result that spatially synchronized states may exist only in systems with a spatial dimension greater than or equal to 3; for dimensions 1 and 2, a ``rough'' state exists in which the width (in phase) diverges algebraically with the system size, $\ensuremath{\alpha}g0.$
A fast conformational search strategy for finding low energy structures of model proteins

We describe a new computer algorithm for finding low-energy conformations of proteins. It is a chain-growth method that uses a heuristic bias function to help assemble a hydrophobic core. We call it the Core-directed chain Growth method (CG). We test the CG method on several well-known literature examples of HP lattice model proteins [in which proteins are modeled as sequences of hydrophobic (H) and polar (P) monomers], ranging from 20-64 monomers in two dimensions, and up to 88-mers in three dimensions. Previous nonexhaustive methods--Monte Carlo, a Genetic Algorithm, Hydrophobic Zippers, and Contact Interactions--have been tried on these same model sequences. CG is substantially better at finding the global optima, and avoiding local optima, and it does so in comparable or shorter times. CG finds the global minimum energy of the longest HP lattice model chain for which the global optimum is known, a 3D 88-mer that has only been reachable before by the CHCC complete search method. CG has the potential advantage that it should have nonexponential scaling with chain length. We believe this is a promising method for conformational searching in protein folding algorithms.
Lead‐induced metabolic imbalances and feeding alterations in juvenile fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas)

Contaminant-induced feeding pattern changes may be a consequence or cause of changes in internal energy stores. Juvenile fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas; 25 ± 3 mm standard length) were exposed to 0.0., 0.5 or 1.0 ppm lead (Pb) during a 2-week preexposure and 2-week testing period (4 weeks total exposure). Changes in prey size selectivity, satiation levels, defecation rates, and weight were recorded. When simultaneously offered two prey sizes (10 2-day-old and 10 7-day-old Daphnia magna) control fish began switching from larger, more difficult-to-capture 7-day-old daphnids to smaller, easier-to-catch 2-day-old prey [analysis of variance (ANOVA) p < 0.06] by day 3. Fish exposed to 0.5 ppm Pb displayed a significant switching (ANOVA, p < 0.06) by day 10. Fish exposed to 1.0 ppm Pb did not significantly change their preference for 7-day-old daphnids. After 2 weeks of Pb exposure, control fish ate more flake food and did not satiate as quickly as exposed groups (ANOVA, p < 0.05). Fish exposed to 1.0 ppm Pb displayed reductions in amount of food remaining by day 4; control and 0.5 ppm Pb-exposed fish displayed a steady decline in the amount of food remaining. Daily defecation rates of Pb-exposed fish were significantly higher than controls (ANOVA, p < 0.05). Although all groups gained weight, there was a significantly smaller increase in Pb-exposed groups (ANOVA, p < 0.05). By altering prey size choices and rate of switching to energetically less costly prey, increasing perseveration (i.e., repeated efforts to capture single prey item) and visuo/psychomotor difficulty, shortening feeding bouts, and increasing defecation rates, Pb may cause metabolic imbalances in juvenile fish.
Use of Ce(IV) oxidizing agent for the derivatization of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons for liquid chromatography-electrochemical detection.

Abstract Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were oxidized with Ce(IV), and the resulting quinones were determined by reductive-mode liquid chromatography—electrochemical detection. This oxidation is a rapid, automatable step, involving addition of Ce(IV) reagent to the PAH sample and cleaning up the derivative with C18 solid-phase extraction. Using a C18 analytical column and a 2-propanol—phosphate buffer as the mobile phase, detection limits were in the ppb range for naphthalene, phenanthrene and anthracene, with linearity over 3–5 orders of magnitude. Method validation was performed by addition of the PAHs to tap water and determining the levels by references to a calibration curve. The three PAHs can be simultaneously derivatized and determined under the same chromatographic conditions. Analysis of a motor-oil sample is also shown.
Platelets in bloom.

Beginning with initial observations a century ago,[1][1] the complex events involved in platelet production from megakaryocytes have been characterized with increasing precision during the past decade.[2][2]–[4][3] In this issue of Blood , Schwertz and colleagues add surprising new findings that
Design, total synthesis, and evaluation of C13-C14 cyclopropane analogues of (+)-discodermolide.

The design, total synthesis, and biological evaluation of two C(13)−C(14)-cyclopropyl analogues [(+)-1 and (+)-2] of (+)-discodermolide have been achieved. Key features of the syntheses include highly stereoselective, hydroxyl-directed cyclopropanations of vinyl iodides and higher order cuprate-mediated cross-coupling reactions between cyclopropyl iodides and alkyl iodides. Biological evaluation revealed that neither orientation of the cyclopropyl methylene completely substitutes for the C(14) methyl found in (+)-discodermolide (3).
Social facilitation of the spontaneous meal size of humans occurs regardless of time, place, alcohol or snacks☆

The amount eaten by humans in spontaneously ingested meals is positively correlated with the number of other people present. This could be due to a social facilitation or may be produced as an artifact of a covariation produced by a third factor. Possible covariations produced by time and location of eating, alcohol intake, and snack/meal ingestion were investigated by paying 78 adult humans to maintain 7-day diaries of everything they ingested, when and where they ingested it, and the number of other people present. The results demonstrate that, although the covariances exist, they could not account for the social correlation. Strong, positive and significant correlations between meal size and the number of other people present were found separately for meals eaten during the breakfast period, the lunch period and the dinner period, eaten in restaurants, at home and elsewhere, eaten accompanied by alcohol intake or without alcohol, and for only snacks or only meals. The results suggest that the correlation results from a true social facilitation of eating and that this facilitation is an important determinant of eating regardless of whether alcohol is ingested with the meal, a snack or a meal is eaten and regardless of when or where it is eaten.
Speeding up database applications with Pyxis

We propose to demonstrate Pyxis, a system that optimizes database applications by pushing computation to the database server. Our system applies program analysis techniques to the application source code to determine pieces of application logic that should be moved to the database server to improve performance. This frees the developer from the need to understand the intricacies of database operations or learn a new programming language for stored procedures. In addition, by dynamically monitoring resource utilization on the database server, Pyxis can migrate computation between application and database in response to workload changes. Our previous experiments have shown that Pyxis can decrease latency up to 3x for transactional applications, and improve throughput up to 1.7x when compared to a standard implementation using embedded SQL statements in application logic. We will demonstrate these capabilities via a visualization of real-time performance as well as an interactive code partitioning tool we have developed.
Effects of Beet Pulp and Animal By-Products on Milk Yield and In Vitro Fermentation by Rumen Microorganisms

Abstract Forty-six Holstein cows (30 primiparous) were assigned to one of four dietary treatments arranged as a 2 × 2 factorial experiment during wk 4 to 17 of lactation. Main effects were corn versus dried sugar beet pulp and soybean meal versus animal by-product meal (mixture of meat and bone meal, feather meal, and blood meal). Beet pulp replaced half of the corn at 15% of dietary DM. Diet DM (mean of four treatments) contained 18% alfalfa pellets, 17.4% alfalfa hay, 17.2% corn silage, and 47.1% concentrate. Milk yield did not differ among treatments (mean 32.0 kg/d). Dry matter intake, milk CP percentage, and milk CP yield decreased 5.6, 3.7 and 5.2%, respectively, but milk fat percentage increased 4.7% when beet pulp replaced corn. Animal by-products did not affect DMI or milk fat, but milk CP percentage decreased 3.0%. The same diets were evaluated in a continuous culture system. Fungal extract ( Aspergillus oryzae ), added as the third treatment, had little effect on fermentation. Digestion of DM, OM, NDF, and ADF were not affected by dietary treatments. Molar proportion of acetate was greater when corn was replaced by beet pulp. Although flow of NAN from fermenters increased by 3.2% with beet pulp and 3.1% with animal by-products, milk CP percentages decreased.
Relation of Body Mass to Respiration in Rodent Incisor Pulp

The mean QO2 of pooled incisor pulps from four species of rodents that ranged in mean weight from 18.6 to 714.0 gm was determined at 10, 20, 30, and 40 C. An approximately linear inverse relation between the QO2 at 40 C and body mass was found. The estimated QO2 values at 38° for rat and rabbit incisor pulp demonstrated the inverse relation more emphatically.
Identification and characterization of conserved cis-regulatory elements in the human keratocan gene promoter.

Abstract Keratocan, along with lumican and mimecan, represent the keratan sulfate-containing proteoglycans of the vertebrate cornea that play a key role in development and maintenance of corneal transparency. In this study, we cloned 4.1 kb of the human Kera 5′-flanking region and characterized the promoter structure. Using primer extension and ribonuclease protection assay, we identify two major transcriptional start sites in the first exon. Using luciferase reporter gene transfection analysis of 5′-deletion and mutation constructs, we demonstrate positive and negative regulatory elements within a 1.3 kb upstream sequence. Comparison of human and bovine 5′-flanking sequences reveals three highly conserved regions: a 450 bp region in the first exon, a 92 bp promoter proximal conserved regulatory region identified as an enhancer in the natural context, and a 223 bp promoter distal conserved regulatory region identified as a silencer both in the natural context and in a heterologous promoter system. In addition, a conserved CArG-box residing 851 bp upstream of the first transcription start site also can lead to the repression of Kera expression in cultured corneal keratocytes. DNaseI footprinting and electrophoretic mobility shift assay demonstrate that cell type-specific factors bind to regulatory elements located in the conserved regions. Competition experiments indicate that the CTC factor and a protein that binds to the CAGA motif are likely to be among the multiple factors involved in the transcriptional regulation of the human Kera gene.
The fast is positive, now what? Derivation of a clinical decision rule to determine the need for therapeutic laparotomy in adults with blunt torso trauma and a positive trauma ultrasound.

Abstract Introduction: The object of this study was to derive a clinical decision rule for therapeutic laparotomy among adult blunt trauma patients with a positive abdominal ultrasound for trauma (FAST) examination. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the trauma registry and medical records of all critical trauma patients who underwent a FAST examination in the emergency department (ED) in a university Level I trauma center over a 3-year period. Blunt trauma patients aged >16 years who had a positive FAST examination (defined as the presence of intraperitoneal fluid) were eligible. We selected seven clinical and ultrasound variables available during ED resuscitation for analysis: age, presence of an episode of hypotension (systolic blood pressure
Soil Carbon Characteristics in Two Mississippi River Deltaic Marshland Profiles

Current understanding of the soil organic matter (SOM) transformation pathways and mechanisms in coastal wetland ecosystems is limited. This study was carried out to characterize and compare chemical composition of belowground SOM from a freshwater marsh and a saline marsh in coastal Louisiana. Composite samples at three depths (0–50, 50–100, and 100–150 cm) from each site were collected and characterized by solid state 13C NMR spectroscopy. The 13C NMR spectral composition of three soil depths of the freshwater marsh was similar and dominated by contribution from polysaccharide carbon (C), followed by equal contributions from aliphatic C and total aromatic C. A steady and more pronounced drop in polysaccharide C with depth, accompanied by the de-methoxylation of lignin moieties, was observed in the profiles of the saline marsh. The δ13C signature of these marsh soils suggested that much of the C in the saline profile was likely derived from the mixed debris of previous freshwater and saline marsh vegetation rather than from the current salt-tolerant Spartina species alone. It was concluded that the chemical composition of SOM was determined more by the difference between the freshwater and the saline soil environment than by the C source in the coastal wetland ecosystems.
Reworkable Epoxies: Thermosets with Thermally Cleavable Groups for Controlled Network Breakdown

A series of new cycloaliphatic epoxies were synthesized which have either secondary or tertiary ester bonds between cross-link sites. Thermal analysis data shows that the anhydride-cured epoxies wi...
CENTRAL GOVERNMENT BUDGET DEFICITS AND EX ANTE REAL LONG TERM INTEREST RATES IN ITALY: AN EMPIRICAL NOTE FOR 1955-1989

This paper empirically investigates the impact of central government budget deficits upon interest rates in Italy. The period studied runs from 1955 to 1989, and annual data are used. The interest rate measure is the ex ante real rate of interest. It is found, using an instrumental variables technique to control for the endogeneity of the budget deficit, that the budget deficit raises the ex ante real interest rate in Italy.
Cyclic AMP induces rapid increases in gap junction permeability and changes in the cellular distribution of connexin43.

The rapid effects of cAMP on gap junction-mediated intercellular communication were examined in several cell types which express different levels of the gap junction protein, connexin43 (Cx43), including immortalized rat hepatocyte and granulosa cells, bovine coronary venular endothelial cells, primary rat myometrial and equine uterine epithelial cells. Functional analysis of changes in junctional communication induced by 8-bromo-cAMP was monitored by a fluorescence recovery after photobleaching assay in subconfluent cultures in the presence or absence of 1.0 mm 1-octanol (an agent which uncouples cells by closing gap junction channels). Communicating cells treated with 1.0 mm 8-bromo-cAMP alone exhibited significant increases in the percent of fluorescence recovery which were detected within 1–3 min depending on cell type, and junctional communication remained significantly elevated for up to 24 hr. Addition of 1.0 mm 8-bromo-cAMP to cultured cells, which were uncoupled with 1.0 mm octanol for 1 min, exhibited partial restoration of gap junctional permeability beginning within 3–5 min. Identical treatments were performed on cultures that were subsequently processed for indirect immunofluorescence to monitor Cx43 distribution. The changes in junctional permeability of cells correlated with changes in the distribution of immunoreactive Cx43. Cells treated for 2 hr with 10 μm monensin exhibited a reduced communication rate which was accompanied by increased vesicular cytoplasmic Cx43 staining and reduced punctate surface staining of junctional plaques. Addition of 1.0 mm 8-bromo-cAMP to these cultures had no effect on the rate of communication or the distribution of Cx43 compared to cultures treated with monensin alone. These data suggest that an effect of cyclic AMP on Cx43 gap junctions is to promote increases in gap junctional permeability by increasing trafficking and/or assembly of Cx43 to plasma membrane gap junctional plaques.
Rad51, the lead in mitotic recombinational DNA repair, plays a supporting role in budding yeast meiosis.

Proteins of the RecA family carry out the central reaction in homologous recombination by forming stretches of hybrid DNA that connect two identical or closely related DNA duplexes. During the mitotic cell cycle, formation of hybrid DNA can serve to align sequences for accurate repair of DNA double-strand breaks or damaged replication forks. During meiosis, recombination serves to create new combinations of alleles and to create connections between homologous chromosomes as required for reductional chromosome segregation. In all eukaryotic organisms, Rad51, a relative of the E. coli RecA protein, is the sole strand exchange protein responsible for mitotic recombinational repair of DNA. Rad51 is also critical for meiotic recombination, and thus rad51 mutants are sterile. Many eukaryotic organisms, including fungi, plants and vertebrates, encode a second RecA-like strand exchange protein, Dmc1, which is meiosis-specific. A key area of research in the recombination field is to determine the functional relationship between Rad51 and Dmc1 during normal meiosis. Earlier studies used mutant strains to show that Rad51 and Dmc1 each can act alone to promote meiotic recombination, but also provided evidence that they often cooperate during a single recombination event.1-3 Biochemical studies showed that both proteins have RecA-like homology search and strand exchange activity.4
Conical emissions and phase conjugation in atomic sodium vapor

Observations of a new type of conical emission in atomic sodium provide the motivation for a series of phase conjugation experiments. These experiments show large variations in the reflectivity as a function of probe angle, which are not explained by existing theory. Analysis which includes self-induced refractive index changes leads to numerical calculations, which agree well with the observations. >
Worksite smoking control activities: prevalence and related worksite characteristics from the COMMIT Study, 1990.

Abstract Background . There is a pressing need for current information on worksite smoking policies and stop-smoking activities. To address these needs and identify worksite characteristics associated with such activities, a computer-assisted telephone interview was administered to 793 worksites having at least 50 employees. Methods . Within each of the 11 COMMIT intervention communities, attempts were made to survey 30 worksites within each of three size strata: 50-99 employees, 100-249 employees, and 250+ employees. Response to the survey was good, with a screening rate of 95% and a response rate of 90%. Results . Overall, 69% of responding worksites reported having written smoking policies, but only 15% banned all indoor smoking. Smaller worksites and manufacturing and wholesale/retail companies were less likely than other organizations to be smoke-free or have representatives attend smoking policy workshops. Thirty-five percent of worksites reported offering smoking cessation resources or assistance for employees, but only 20% offered both cessation resources and restrictive or smoke-free policies. Smaller worksites as well as wholesale/retail sales and manufacturing worksites were less likely to offer cessation resources or to participate in community wide stop-smoking events. Conclusion . Although the level of worksite smoking control activities was higher than that reported in earlier surveys, there is still a substantial need to increase the level of such activities, especially at smaller worksites and in manufacturing and sales organizations.
Evidence that anandamide‐signaling regulates human sperm functions required for fertilization

Ejaculated mammalian sperm require several hours exposure to secretions in female reproductive tracts, or incubation in appropriate culture medium in vitro, before acquiring the capacity to fertilize eggs. Arachidonylethanolamide (AEA), also known as anandamide, is a novel lipid-signal molecule that is an endogenous agonist (endocannabinoid) for cannabinoid receptors. We now report that AEA is present in human seminal plasma, mid-cycle oviductal fluid, and follicular fluid analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. Sperm are sequentially exposed to these reproductive fluids as they move from the vagina to the site of fertilization in the oviduct. Specific binding of the potent cannabinoid agonist [(3)H]CP-55,940 to human sperm was saturable (K(D) 9.71 +/- 1.04 nM), suggesting that they express cannabinoid receptors. R-methanandamide [AM-356], a potent and metabolically stable AEA analog, and (-)delta(9) tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the major psychoactive constituent of Cannabis, modulated capacitation and fertilizing potential of human sperm in vitro. AM-356 elicited biphasic effects on the incidence of hyperactivated sperm motility (HA) between 1 and 6 hr of incubation: at (2.5 nM) it inhibited HA, while at (0.25 nM) it stimulated HA. Both AM-356 and THC inhibited morphological alterations over acrosomal caps between 2 and 6 hr (IC(50) 5.9 +/- 0.6 pM and 3.5 +/- 1.5 nM, respectively). Sperm fertilizing capacity, measured in the Hemizona Assay, was reduced 50% by (1 nM) AM-356. These findings suggest that AEA-signaling may regulate sperm functions required for fertilization in human reproductive tracts, and imply that smoking of marijuana could impact these processes. This study has potential medical and public policy ramifications because of the incidence of marijuana abuse by adults in our society, previously documented reproductive effects of marijuana, and the ongoing debate about medicinal use of marijuana and cannabinoids.
Enhancement of Kerr nonlinearity by multiphoton coherence

We propose a new method of resonant enhancement of optical Kerr nonlinearity that uses multilevel atomic coherence. The enhancement is accompanied by suppression of the other linear and nonlinear susceptibility terms of the medium. We show that the effect results in a modification of the nonlinear Faraday rotation of light propagating in an Rb87 vapor cell by changing the ellipticity of the light.
Classification of Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment by pattern recognition of EEG power and coherence

This paper describes a methodology used to classify Alzheimer's disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) with high accuracy using EEG data. The sequential forward floating search (SFFS) was used to select features from relative average power for channel locations in frequency bands delta, theta, alpha, and beta, and coherence between intrahemispheric channel pairs for the same frequency ranges. The selected feature sets allowed us to achieve close to 90% classifier accuracy when classifying MCI patients and normal subjects. Our results showed that selecting features from a combined set of power and coherence features produced better results than the use of either feature independently. The combined feature set also showed better classification rates than a Bayesian classifier fusion approach.
Orbital stability zones about asteroids

Abstract We have numerically investigated a three-body problem consisting of the Sun, an asteroid, and an infinitesimal particle initially placed about the asteroid. We assume that the asteroid has the following properties: a circular heliocentric orbit at R = 2.55 AU, an asteroid/Sun mass ratio of μ = 5 × 10 −12 , and a spherical shape with radius R A = 100 km; these values are close to those of the minor planet 29 Amphitrite. In order to describe the zone in which circum-asteroidal debris could be stably trapped, we pay particular attention to the orbits of particles that are on the verge of escape. We consider particles to be stable or trapped if they remain in the asteroid's vicinity for at least 5 asteroid orbits about the Sun, or about 20 years. Applying this criterion to particles started on circular orbits around the asteroid, we find that, as the starting distance from the asteroid is varied, a fairly abrupt transition between trapped and untrapped objects occurs. We define the distance where the transition occurs to be the critical distance . Our orbital plots for Amphitrite can be scaled for application to other asteroids using the same functional dependence as the Hill radius which is r H = ( μ 3 ) 1 3 R ; for Amphitrite r H ∼ 450 R A . We find empirically that initially circular prograde orbits remain bound out to a critical distance of about ( r H )/2 = 225 R A , while initially circular retrograde orbits remain bound out to nearly twice that distance. Particle orbits that start out circular and are inclined with respect to the asteroid's orbital plane have critical distances between these two extremes. Note that our choice of initially circular orbits is arbitrary; different initial conditions would generally lead to different critical distances. This study explores the three-dimensional aspects of stability more thoroughly than previous studies. To first order, particles that are on stable orbits reside within a region that is approximately spherical for angles | θ | latitude in a spherical coordinate system) such that | z | R A , but is fairly flat and parallel to the x − y plane at z = ±285 R A over the poles. The radius of the spherical surface is roughly 480 R A . These distances would be reduced if the model included the asteroid's orbital eccentricity or other perturbations such as those from Jupiter. This result does not address whether any mechanisms exist to populate such orbits.
All high-risk patients should not be screened with computed tomographic angiography.

On the basis of the most recent American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology guidelines for assessment of cardiac risk,1 high-risk patients are defined as those with a 10-year coronary heart disease risk of >20% based on Framingham risk criteria or the presence of diabetes mellitus. The major independent risk factors for coronary heart disease comprising the Framingham Risk Score are cigarette smoking, hypertension, elevated total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, diabetes mellitus, advanced age, and male gender.1 Derived from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey statistics from 1999 to 2000,2 the prevalence of risk factors in patients aged 20 to 74 years is 17% for total cholesterol ≥240 mg/dL, 14.9% for hypertension, 26.4% for smoking, and 8% for diabetes (including undiagnosed). Data from the 2003 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey of 103 191 adults aged >18 years3 show that >37% of the population surveyed had ≥2 risk factors for coronary heart disease and thus are considered to be at high risk. These figures together suggest that the number of high-risk patients who are potential candidates for screening programs is quite high. Response by Gottlieb p 1339 Multiple studies over the last 2 decades have confirmed the prognostic utility of coronary artery calcium (CAC) measurements primarily with electron-beam computed tomography (EBCT) and more recently with multidetector CT (MDCT) technology (Figures 1 and 2⇓). The 2 techniques are fairly equivalent as long as the latter is performed with at least a 4-detector scanner.4,5 The reproducibility of MDCT, however, may not be as good as EBCT at lower calcium scores.4 Figure 1. Noncontrast ECG-gated CT for CAC scoring in a single axial plane demonstrating dense calcification of the left anterior descending artery. Figure 2. Noncontrast ECG-gated CT for CAC scoring …
Diffusing software-engineering methods

The problems that surround software technology transfer are examined. It is suggested that for software engineers to understand these problems, they need to identify a conceptual framework that can provide a systematic understanding of diffusion processes and to identify priority areas through which the software-engineering community can effect the successful diffusion of its innovations. E.M. Roger's framework for diffusion of innovations (The Diffusion of Innovations, Free Press, NY, 1983) is discussed, and two ways to use it, as a descriptive model or as a prescriptive model, are described. A case study is presented to illustrate the arguments. >
A new method for fabricating transparent barrier layers

The Polymer Multi-Layer (PML) process for the vacuum flash evaporation of acrylic monomers has been combined with conventional oxide sputtering and evaporation processes to produce multilayer barrier coatings in a vacuum web coating process. Polymer/oxide/polymer layers have been deposited on 2 mil polyester substrates. For a 1 μm polymer layer over the substrate, followed by a 255 A Al2O3 layer capped by a 0.24 μm polymer layer, O2 permeation rates were below 0.0155 cc m−2 (24 h)−1 and H2O permeation rates were less than 0.0155 g m−2 (24 h)−1. These exceptional permeation rates are believed to result from the substrate smoothing effect of the initial polymer layer. This layer eliminates substrate defects, prior to deposition of the oxide layer, and permits the oxide layer to grow with a minimum of pinholes. The capping polymer layer protects the oxide film during wind-up and subsequent handling.
TEMPERATURE‐GROWTH RESPONSES OF ALGAL ISOLATES FROM ANTARCTIC OASES1

Thirty-five taxa (128 clonal cultures) of Antarctic algae isolated from various habitats were assayed for growth over a range of 2–34°C. Isolates, all unialgal and two axenic, varied markedly in their temperature-growth responses. Only four taxa belonging to either the Chlamydomonadaceae or Ulotrichaceae were obligately cold-adapted and incapable of growth at ≥20°C. All isolates grew at temperatures ranging from 7.5 to 18°C, and a few were incapable of growth at ≤5°C. Over one-third of the isolates grew at 30°C, but none grew at 34°C. Percentages of cold-adapted clones correlated well with the more stable low temperature habitats. Four chlamydomonad isolates displayed optimum temperatures for growth near their maximum temperatures for growth, both temperatures being well above those of the native habitats. This temperature-growth response suggests a closer relationship to algae from more moderate thermal regions than one might have supposed. However, the ability to grow at low temperatures and the inability to grow at 34°C suggest that these Antarctic algae are cold temperature adapted. Growth capability at low in situ temperatures is considered more useful ecologically than physiologically-defined categories for algae based on their maximum temperature for growth.
Equilibrium fluctuations in fluid layers: Effects of elastic solid boundaries

The hydrodynamic theory of the dynamics of equilibrium fluctuations in one-component fluid layers confined by two identical elastic solid boundaries is presented. The dynamic structure factor for a fluid layer and the interfacial modes are analyzed under assumptions of continuity of stresses (no interfacial stress) and velocities ("stick" boundary condition) across the fluid-solid interfaces. There are four interfacial modes in such a system with dispersion relations which depend on the component of the wave vector parallel to the interfaces, ${k}_{\ensuremath{\parallel}}$. In the limit of $\frac{\overline{\ensuremath{\rho}}}{{\ensuremath{\rho}}_{s}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}0$, where $\overline{\ensuremath{\rho}}$ and ${\ensuremath{\rho}}_{s}$ are the mean densities of the fluid and solid, respectively, two of these modes are just the well-known Rayleigh waves and the remaining two are the interfacial fluid modes found previously in the case of rigid solid walls [D. Gutkowicz-Krusin and I. Procaccia, Phys. Rev. Lett. 48, 417 (1982); Phys. Rev. A 27, 2585 (1983)]. For finite small values of $\frac{\overline{\ensuremath{\rho}}}{{\ensuremath{\rho}}_{s}}$ the attenuation of the interfacial fluid modes is due to dissipative interfacial transport and varies as ${k}_{\ensuremath{\parallel}}^{\frac{3}{2}}\frac{\overline{\ensuremath{\rho}}}{{\ensuremath{\rho}}_{s}}$, provided that $cl{c}_{t}$, where $c$ is the speed of sound in the fluid and ${c}_{t}$ is the transverse sound speed in the solid. If, however, $cg{c}_{t}$, the energy of the interfacial fluid mode is radiated into the solid and the resulting attenuation along the interface varies as ${k}_{\ensuremath{\parallel}}{(\frac{\overline{\ensuremath{\rho}}}{{\ensuremath{\rho}}_{s}})}^{2}$, for small ${k}_{\ensuremath{\parallel}}$. Since the speed of the interfacial fluid modes is less than $c$, the corresponding peaks in the dynamic structure factor are better separated from the unbounded fluid Brillouin peaks and thus easier to observe experimentally than would have been the case with rigid solid walls.
Aristotelianism, Newtonianism and the physics of the layman.

Written and visual surveys were administered in order to assess people's models of the physical world. A comparison was made between scientific theories and the layman's philosophy of nature on the one hand, and between people's conceptions and perceptions on the other hand. The findings suggest that there are discrepancies on both levels: people do not conceive the world as physicists do, and their conceptions are different from their perceptions.
Independent Research Projects Using Protein Extraction: Affordable Ways to Inquire, Discover & Publish for Undergraduate Students

This article describes how to use protein extraction, quantification, and analysis in the undergraduate teaching laboratory to engage students in inquiry-based, discovery-driven learning. Detailed instructions for obtaining proteins from animal tissues, using BCA assay to quantify the proteins, and data analysis are provided. The experimental procedure requires laboratory equipment and supplies that can be found in most biology teaching labs. Suggestions for successful implementation that can lead to original research published in peer-reviewed journals are outlined.
A shared HL-A haplotype seems to make a cadaver donor satisfactory for kidney transplantation.

. Genetically related donor-recipient kidney transplant pairs who share 1 HL-A haplotype have a high incidence of successful outcome. We present evidence that unrelated pairs who appear to be possible sharers of an HL-A haplotype also are satisfactory. Although there is some uncertainty, in an unrelated pair, whether they do, in fact, share an HL-A haplotype, because there are usually alternative possibilities, the probabilities usually favor that they do share a haplotype.
Routine newborn screening for histidinemia. Clinical and biochemical results.

Abstract Routine Chromatographic screening of filter-paper urine specimens identified histidinemia in 20 newborn infants, or 1:20,000 in a screened population of 400,488. This relatively high incid...
Dancing in time

The Great American Biotic Interchange. Edited by Francis G. Stehli and S. David Webb. Plenum:1985. Pp.532. 75, 61.64.
Waste in the Sewer: The Collapse of Accountability and Transparency in Public Finance in Jefferson County, Alabama

Following failed auctions for sewer debt in April 2008, major bond rating companies downgraded Jefferson County, Alabama’s bond rating to D (default) triggering massive mandatory payments by the county to its creditors. At the time of writing, the county teeters on the brink of actual default and bankruptcy, unable to pay service on its $3.3 billion sewer debt portfolio. If the county defaults, it will be the largest municipal bankruptcy in United States history, eclipsing Orange County, California’s 1994 default. The intriguingly complex tale of the Jefferson County debt crisis is recounted here by identifying and examining failures of transparency and accountability by local bureaucratic and political actors, private financial institutions, as well as the larger regulatory framework governing public finance. Enhanced regulation of local government and the financial sector plus greater local government capacity to close accountability gaps and thus prevent future crises of similar scale in this or other jurisdictions are recommended.