cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Annual Thermal Stress Increases a Soft Coral's Susceptibility to Bleaching

Like scleractinian corals, soft corals contain photosymbionts (Family Symbiodiniaceae) that provide energy for the host. Recent thermal events have resulted in soft coral bleaching in four of five years on Guam, where they dominated back-reef communities. Soft coral bleaching was examined in Sinularia maxima, S. polydactyla, and their hybrid S. maxima x polydactyla. Results from annual field surveys indicated that S. maxima and the hybrid were more susceptible to bleaching than S. polydactyla, and this was related to differences in their Symbiodiniaceae communities in 2016 and 2017. The photosymbionts of S. polydactyla were apparently more stress tolerant and maintained higher photosynthetic potential through three years of bleaching, in contrast to the other species that exhibited a decline in photosynthetic potential after the first year of bleaching. Nonetheless, by the 2017 bleaching event all soft coral populations exhibited significant bleaching-mediated declines and loss of photosynthetic efficiency suggesting a declining resiliency to annual thermal stress events. While S. polydactyla initially looked to succeed the other species as the dominant space occupying soft coral on Guam back-reefs, cumulative bleaching events ultimately turned this “winner” into a “loser”, suggesting the trajectory for coral reefs is towards continued loss of structure and function.
Mixed-Signal Spin/Charge Reconfigurable Array for Energy-Aware Compressive Signal Processing

Recently, significant attention has been given to hardware realization of Orthogonal Matching Pursuit (OMP) algorithms for signal reconstruction. Some CMOS-only approaches have been proposed in the literature which minimize overheads impacting throughput by exploiting parallelism within OMP techniques. Herein, an approach using hybrid spin-CMOS hardware is presented as a reconfigurable logic fabric utilizing a palette of spintronic and MOS components. The resulting fabric utilizes slice-organized analog blocks providing amplifiers, transistors, capacitors, and low-/high-barrier Magnetic Tunnel Junctions (MTJs) which are configurable to realize OMP's required squaring and square-root operations in analog. Digital functional blocks include 6-input fracturable look up tables, and a spin-based analog-to-digital converter to realize matrix inversion needed by OMP. These functional blocks are connectable via programmable interconnect to a non-volatile crossbar to perform low energy vector-matrix multiplication with reduced area. Simulation results indicate a 5-fold reduction in energy consumption and a 26-fold decrease in area requirement compared to CMOS-only approaches.
The Adaptive Right Ventricle in Eisenmenger Syndrome: Potential Therapeutic Targets for Pulmonary Hypertension?

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a rare disease with significant mortality despite targeted therapies. Among patients with PH, both survival and functional class are more closely correlated with right ventricular (RV) function than with the degree of pulmonary artery pressure elevation or pulmonary vascular resistance. Unfortunately, the RV is usually exquisitely sensitive to increases in afterload associated with PH, and progressive RV failure is the typical clinical course among most patients over time. However, in the subset of PH patients with congenital heart disease and Eisenmenger syndrome, survival is prolonged and RV function is preserved compared to patients with primary PH. This functional superiority may be due to a persistent RV fetal phenotype as patients continue to have a biventricular hypertrophy pattern which mimics fetal cardiac morphology. We have utilized an ovine model of congenital heart disease to demonstrate superior RV function following acute afterload stimulus—a unique RV Anrep effect. Further, we have shown shared gene expression patterns in the fetal and CHD model RV. In the future, understanding the underlying mechanisms of RV adaptation in CHD and PH may yield novel therapeutic strategies for all patients with pulmonary hypertension.
Herpes Simplex Virus 1 Strains 17 syn + and KOS(M) Differ Greatly in Their Ability To Reactivate from Human Neurons In Vitro .

Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) establishes a lifelong latent infection in peripheral nerve ganglia. Periodically, the virus reactivates from this latent reservoir and is transported to the original site of infection. Strains of HSV-1 have been noted to vary greatly in their virulence and reactivation efficiencies in animal models. While HSV-1 strain 17syn + can be readily reactivated, strain KOS(M) shows little to no reactivation in the mouse and rabbit models of induced reactivation. Additionally, 17syn + is markedly more virulent in vivo than KOS. This has raised questions regarding potential strain- specific differences in neuroinvasion and neurovirulence and their contribution to differences in the establishment of latency (or ability to spread back to the periphery) and to the reactivation phenotype. To determine if any difference in the ability to reactivate between strains 17syn + and KOS(M) is manifest at the level of neurons, we utilized a recently characterized human neuronal cell line model of HSV latency and reactivation (LUHMES). We found that KOS(M) established latency with a higher number of viral genomes compared to strain 17syn + Strikingly, we show that the KOS(M) viral genomes have a higher burden of heterochromatin marks compared to strain 17syn + The increased heterochromatin profile for KOS(M) correlates with reduced expression of viral lytic transcripts during latency and impaired induced-reactivation compared to 17syn + These results suggest that genomes entering neurons from HSV-1 infections with strain KOS(M) are more prone to rapid heterochromatinization than those of 17syn + and that this results in a reduced ability to reactivate from latency.IMPORTANCE Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) establishes a lifelong infection in neuronal cells. The virus periodically reactivates and causes recurrent disease. Strains of HSV-1 vary greatly in their virulence and potential to reactivate in animal models. Although these differences are phenotypically well defined, factors contributing to the strains' abilities to reactivate are largely unknown. We utilized a human neuronal cell line model of HSV latency and reactivation (LUHMES) to characterize the latent infection of two HSV-1 wild-type strains. We find that strain-specific differences in reactivation are recapitulated in LUHMES. Additionally, these differences correlate with the degree of heterochromatinization of the latent genomes. Our data suggest that the epigenetic state of the viral genome may be an important determinant of reactivation that varies in a strain-specific manner. This work also shows the first evidence of strain-specific differences in reactivation outside the context of the whole animal at a human neuronal cell level.
Still Head Waiters Who Are Occasionally Allowed to Sit? Heads of Mission after COVID-19

'A diplomat these days is nothing but a head waiter who is occasionally allowed to sit', the actor Peter Ustinov once quipped The paradox is that at the height of the current phase of globalisation, diplomacy and diplomats were sidelined rather than recognised for their key roles as 'hinges' of this process Will the COVID-19 pandemic, with its cutting back on travel and (most likely) the budgets of ministries of foreign affairs, and the blistering attacks of populists on diplomats lead to their further marginalisation? Looking at the newly emerging role of Chinese ambassadors, this essay argues that may not necessarily be the case
Behavioral Contrast of Electron and Hole Transport in High-Resolution Diamond Detectors: A Biparametric Correlation Study

In this letter we investigate for the first time the behavioral differences of transport properties of electrons and holes observed in high-resolution radiation detectors fabricated on high-purity single crystalline diamond using biparametric (BP) correlation studies. The chemical vapor deposition (CVD) grown $500~\mu \text{m}$ thick diamonds exhibited an excellent energy resolution of 0.5% for 5486 keV alpha particles for both electron and hole transport in a vertical electrode geometry. Interestingly, the behavior of the electron and hole transport were found to be vastly different at bias voltages less than 100 V. No discernable detector signal was observed due to electron transit below an applied bias of −100 V. The hole transit on the other hand, resulted in resolvable pulse height spectrum (PHS) from bias voltages as low as +10 V. Digital biparametric correlation studies of the rise-times and induced charge from each interaction of the incident alpha particles, revealed that the observed difference is due to the excessive electron trapping below bias voltages of −100 V. At lower biases, the width of the alpha peak in the PHS due to hole movement, was hardly affected by trapping and was observed to be limited due to lower hole drift velocities. The developed method with new insights of correlating the biparametric plots and the detector performance can be extended to vast range of semiconductor detectors.
Analysing the impact of dependency on conditional survival functions using copulas

Nowadays, insurance contract reserves for coupled lives are considered jointly, which has a significant influence on the process of determining...
Effect of trophic position on mercury concentrations in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) from the northern Gulf of Mexico.

Abstract Marine species from the Gulf of Mexico often have higher mercury (Hg) concentrations than conspecifics in the Atlantic Ocean. Spatial differences in Hg sources, environmental conditions, and microbial communities influence both Hg methylation rates and the bioavailability of Hg to organisms at the base of the food web. Mercury bioaccumulates within organisms and biomagnifies in marine food webs, and therefore reaches the greatest concentrations in long-lived marine carnivores, such as dolphins. In this study, we explored whether differences in trophic position and foraging habitat among bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) from the northern Gulf of Mexico (nGoM) contributed to the observed variation in skin total Hg (THg) concentrations. Using the δ13C and δ34S values in dolphin skin, we assigned deceased stranded dolphins from Florida (FL; n = 29) and Louisiana (LA; n = 72) to habitats (estuarine, barrier island, and coastal) east and west of the Mississippi River Delta (MRD). We estimated the mean trophic position of dolphins from each habitat using δ15N values from stranded dolphin skin and tissues of primary consumers taken from the literature following a Bayesian framework. Finally, we compared trophic positions and THg concentrations among dolphins from each habitat, accounting for sex and body length. Estimated marginal mean THg concentrations (μg/g dry weight) were greatest in dolphins assigned to the coastal habitat and estuarine habitats east of the MRD (range: 2.59–4.81), and lowest in dolphins assigned to estuarine and barrier island habitats west of the MRD (range: 0.675–0.993). On average, dolphins from habitats with greater THg concentrations also had higher estimated trophic positions, except for coastal dolphins. Our results suggest that differences in trophic positions and foraging habitats contribute to spatial variability in skin THg concentrations among nGoM bottlenose dolphins, however, the relative influence of these factors on THg concentrations are not easily partitioned.
SvPablo: A Multi-language Performance Analysis System

SvPablo is a language independent performance analysis and visualization system that supports analysis of applications written in a variety of languages and executing on both sequential and parallel systems. In addition to capturing application data via software instrumentation, SvPablo also exploits hardware performance counters to capture the interaction of software and hardware. Both hardware and software performance data are summarized during program execution, enabling measurement of programs that execute for hours or days on hundreds of processors.
Budget deficits and the current account: An Intertemporal Disequilibrium Approach

The objective of the present paper is to develop an intertemporal disequilibrium model of a monetary economy to explain the effects of fiscal policy on the current account. We wish to emphasize the role of aggregate demand-determined output fluctuations and flexible exchange rates within a microtheoretic optimizing framework. Furthermore, the differing effects of monetary versus non-monetary (i.e. tax or bond) finance of government expenditures are considered.
Organisms Encountered in Urine Cultures over a 10-Year Period

Urinary isolates from 1961 to 1970 were surveyed. Forty-four different species were encountered in urine cultures. The most frequently isolated were Escherichia coli, Klebsiella, enterococci, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Proteus mirabilis.
Responses of annual runoff, evaporation, and storage change to climate variability at the watershed scale

[1] In this study, the impact of interannual variability of soil water storage change on the annual water balance is assessed for 277 watersheds located in a spectrum of climate regions. The annual water storage change is quantified on the basis of water balance closure given the available data of precipitation, runoff, and evaporation estimated from remote sensing data and meteorology reanalysis. The responses of annual runoff, evaporation, and storage change to the interannual variability of precipitation and potential evaporation are then analyzed. Both runoff and evaporation sensitivities to potential evaporation are higher under energy-limited conditions, but storage change seems to be more sensitive to potential evaporation under the conditions in which water and energy are balanced. Runoff sensitivity to precipitation is higher under energy-limited conditions, but both evaporation and storage change sensitivities to precipitation are higher under water-limited conditions. Therefore, under energy-limited conditions, most of the precipitation variability is transferred to runoff variability, but under water-limited conditions, most of the precipitation variability is transferred to storage change, and some of the precipitation variability is transferred to evaporation variability. The main finding is that evaporation variability will be overestimated by assuming negligible storage change in annual water balance, particularly under water-limited conditions.
Surgical ligation of an anomalous left coronary artery arising from the pulmonary artery in an adult. Report of a cose and review of the literature.

Abstract A case report of surgical ligation of an anomalous left coronary artery in an adult has been presented. This rarity in the adult has been compared to the other few reports noted in the literature and valuable prognostic signs are emphasized on the physical examination. With the limited case reports in the older individual, it appears that good retrograde flow from the right coronary artery through the collaterals and left coronary artery into the pulmonary artery is of extreme importance prior to consideration for surgical intervention. Additional long-term follow-up evaluation of older patients with this malformation is needed for definitive evaluation of the therapeutic procedures undertaken. The recent advances in the technique of coronary angiography promise to be an aid in solving this problem.
Comparative studies of MUSIC and MVDR location estimators for model perturbations

A comparative study of the statistical performance of the MUSIC and minimum variance distortionless response (MVDR) direction of arrival (DOA) estimators is presented. Their relative performance due to given modeling errors is studied. In particular, we study the sensitivity of the estimators to modeling errors in the signal and noise structures.
CHAPTER 46 – Multiple Sclerosis

Publisher Summary This chapter begins with the history of multiple sclerosis (MS), followed by its clinical feature. The symptoms and signs of MS are variable as the disease can affect the CNS anywhere. Demyelinating lesions may develop at any site along myelinated CNS white matter tracts. The most common symptoms and signs involve alteration or loss of sensation due to involvement of spinothalamic or posterior column fibers, visual loss from optic neuritis, limb weakness and spasticity related to disruption of corticospinal tracts, tremors, and incoordination of gait or limbs, largely related to cerebellar or spinocerebellar fiber involvement. MS may be divided into four clinical categories: clinically isolated syndrome (CIS), relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS), and primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS). Most patients change from a CIS to RRMS and then gradually become SPMS. Furthermore, the chapter focuses on the immunologic markers of MS. The CSF of patients with MS typically shows normal glucose, a few lymphocytes, normal to mildly elevated total protein, and oligoclonal immunoglobulin bands (OCBs). The chapter also discusses pathology, epidemiology, animal models, and treatments of MS.
Virulence of Venezuelan Equine Encephalomyelitis Virus Subtypes for Various Laboratory Hosts

Mice, guinea pigs, and duck embryo cell cultures were inoculated with known subtypes of Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis (VEE) virus and the attenuated (TC-83) strain of VEE. With the exception of TC-83, all strains were highly pathogenic for suckling mice by either intracranial or intraperitoneal routes of inoculation used. Virulence for older mice and guinea pigs provided a means to distinguish strains. In addition, virulence or lack of virulence for adult mice or guinea pigs provides a rapid method for separating epizootic subtype IB from TC-83 VEE virus isolates.
Thermology in the 21st century-the biomedical future of a technology based on defense oriented engineering

The development of clinical applications based on infrared telethermometry of human skin has been slower than anticipated from a risk free. Inexpensive technique that is applicable to a very large variety of clinical situations. In addition to expected antagonism from older technologies, there are three major reasons for this. First, in spite of offering quantitative information, most thermological tests have remained qualitative and subjective. Second, it has not been fully realized that abnormal thermal behavior, depicted in thermal imaging, often represents a physiological rather than an anatomical dysfunction. Most of the diagnostic information exists, therefore, in the time domain, rather than in the spatial distribution of temperature. A dynamic approach is needed, therefore, to study thermoregulatory dysfunction. Third, relatively little attention was given to mechanisms of physiological dysfunctions that manifest thermal abnormalities. Once these shortcomings are realized, thermological testing can be substantially improved by optimizing the testing conditions, including the hardware and software used. These points are illustrated by examining the case of breast cancer hyperthermia. It is concluded that breast-cancer-induced hyperthermia involves a thermoregulatory dysfunction rather than hypermetabolism or hypervascularization. Consequently, breast cancer induced hyperthermia is expected to be associated with a characteristic dynamic thermal behavior. To make them more sensitive and specific, screening tests for breast cancer must be substantially changed, including the equipment, the software and the interpretation of the thermal data. Following the same rationale, quantitative and dynamic telethermometry is expected to be extensively used in the diagnosis and management of diabetes mellitus, liver disease, arthritis, dermatology, neonatology, and neurological disorders. All of which involve thermoregulatory dysfunctions, in addition to open heart surgery, kidney transplant vascular and reconstructive surgery, where telethermometry provides real time information on perfusion or reperfusion. >
Autonomous Control Strategies for Very High Temperature Reactor Based Systems for Hydrogen Production

This paper is focused on feasible autonomous control strategies for Generation IV very high temperature reactors (VHTRs)-based systems for hydrogen production. Various burnable poison distributions and fuel compositions are considered. In particular, utilization of transuranium nuclides (TRUs) in VHTRs is explored as the core self-stabilization approach. Both direct cycle and indirect cycle energy conversion approaches are discussed. It is assumed that small-scale VHTRs may be considered for international deployment as grid-appropriate variable-scale self-contained systems addressing emerging demands for hydrogen. A Monte Carlo-deterministic analysis methodology has been implemented for coupled design studies of VHTRs with TRUs using the ORNL SCALE 5.1 code system. The developed modeling approach provides an exact-geometry 3D representation of the VHTR core details properly capturing VHTR physics. The discussed studies are being performed within the scope of the U.S. DOE Nuclear Energy Research Initiative project on utilization of higher actinides (TRUs and partitioned minor actinides) as a fuel component for extended-life VHTR configurations.
The Use of Salicylic Acid as a Fixative

The following salicylic acid-containing fixatives are useful for cytological studies in plants. The first, here designated HFC, is recommended for studies on somatic mitosis and chromosome individuality. The second, denoted HFP, is recommended for studies on plastids.HFC is made up in two solutions. Sol. A: 100 cc. sat. aq. sol. salicylic acid, slight excess copper hydroxide, 20 cc. formaldehyde, 30 cc. normal ortho-phosphoric acid, 200 cc. water, 1 g. saponin; pH 1.8 to 1.9. Fix in Sol. A 15 to 30 minutes in partial vacuum of 35 cms. Then add Sol. B: 1% aq. chromic acid in equal parts. Continue fixation for period of 18 to 24 hours.HFP is also made up in two solutions which are used in equal parts. Sol. A: 100 cc. sat. aq. sol. salicylic acid, slight excess copper hydroxide, 10 cc. normal ortho-phosphoric acid, 1/2 g. saponin. Sol. B: 187.5 cc. 1% aq. chromic acid, 50 cc. 2% osmic acid. Fixation technic as HFC.Dehydrate and infiltrate with paraffin after Zirkle. Stain with crystal-violet-iodine.
Consumer reasons for store ‘walkouts' and the impact on future store patronage

This study addresses ‘walkouts’, one of the major issues identified by the Skaggs Institute of Retail Management for 1990–1993. Walkouts are dissatisfaction responses of consumers who enter a store with the intention of making a purchase but who eventually leave without doing so. A more severe situation occurs when the consumer becomes a store defector, one not willing to patronize the store in the future. Results of this study indicated that customers walked out three times more often because of poor merchandise assortment than for lack of, or discourteous, service. However, the consequences of poor merchandise assortments were less detrimental to the retailer/consumer relationship than poor service. Findings revealed that half of the consumers who walked out because of poor service indicated they would not shop in the store in the future - store defectors.
Ability emotional intelligence of nurse managers in the Midwestern United States.

Objective: The aim of this study was to describe the emotional intelligence (EI) and examine the corresponding demographic characteristics of front-line Nurse Managers in acute care settings. Methods: This quantitative descriptive study was conducted in eight acute care hospitals in the Midwestern United States. The Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT) was used to measure the EI of 87 front-line Nurse Managers. Demographic characteristics of the participants were captured on a second tool, the Nurse Manager Demographic Characteristics questionnaire. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for analysis. Results: Significant correlations were found between the perceiving and using branches of the model and total EI score and nurses certified in a specialty. No significant correlations were found between EI and graduate education, age, years in management, percentage of time in management or number of direct reports. Considerations for future research are discussed. Conclusions: Opportunity exists to develop EI in front-line Nurse Managers.
Concepts of similarity for utility functions

Abstract A generalization of the compact-open topology is defined for a space of utility functions with different choice sets. The space is a complete separable metric space. A continuous representation theorem of Levin (1983) gives a homeomorphism between this space and the space of preference relations, topologized by closed convergence. A map into the space is measurable with regard to the Borel algebra iff the choice set correspondence is measurable and the utility function is measurable on its graph. A coarser topology (that of subgraph convergence) is also studied. This topology is coarser than the compact-open topology when the utility functions are defined on the same choice set. However the demand correspondence is still upper-hemicontinuous. A homeomorphism is given between this space and the space of preference relations, with the latter given a certain topology coarser than closed convergence.
The effect of cross-linking on fracto-emission from elastomers

During the fracture of elastomers in vacuum, one frequently observes the emission of particles such as electrons, ions, neutral molecules, and photons, which we call fracto-emission. We report here measurements of electron emission and positive ion emission accompanying and following the fracture of polybutadiene (BR) and a styrene-butadiene copolymer (SBR), where the degree of cross-linking has been altered either by varying the concentration of the cross-linking agent or by exposure of the material to ultraviolet or γ-ray radiation. Our results show that over the range of cross-link densities studied, both electron and positive ion emission increase with increasing cross-link density.
Parametrization of the Two-Electron Reduced Density Matrix for its Direct Calculation without the Many-Electron Wave Function

Parametrization of a molecular two-electron reduced density matrix (2-RDM) enables energies and properties to be directly computed at a highly efficient computational cost. In this Letter an improved 2-RDM parametrization yields energies and properties that are markedly better than those calculated with a similar computational scaling by traditional ab initio methods. Computed 2-RDMs very nearly satisfy well-known N-representability conditions. Applications are made to ground-state energies of several molecules and equilibrium bond distances and harmonic frequencies of HF, F2, and CO. The method for single-bond breaking in HF and CH4 yields similar accuracy at equilibrium and nonequilibrium geometries.
Effect of antibacterial home cleaning and handwashing products on infectious disease symptoms: a randomized, double-blind trial.

Background: Despite the widespread household use of leaning and personal hygiene products containing antibacterial ingredients, their effects on the incidence of infectious disease symptoms have not been studied. Objective: To evaluate the effect of antibacterial cleaning and handwashing products for consumers on the occurrence of infectious disease symptoms in households. Design: Randomized, double-blind clinical trial. Setting: Northern Manhattan inner-city neighborhood, New York. Participants: 238 primarily Hispanic households (1178 persons) that included at least one preschool-age child. Interventions: Households were randomly assigned to use either antibacterial or nonantibacterial products for general cleaning, laundry, and handwashing. All products were commercially available, but the packaging was blinded and the products were provided free to participants. Measurements: Hygiene practices and infectious disease symptoms were monitored by weekly telephone calls, monthly home visits, and quarterly interviews for 48 weeks. Results: Symptoms were primarily respiratory: During 26.2% (717 of 2736) of household-months, 23.3% (640 of 2737) of household-months, and 10.2% (278 of 2737) of household-months, one or more members of the household had a runny nose, cough, or sore throat, respectively. Fever was present during 11% (301 of 2737) of household-months, vomiting was present in 2.2% (61 of 2737), diarrhea was present in 2.5% (69 of 2737), and boils or conjunctivitis were present in 0.77% (21 of 2737). Differences between intervention and control groups were not significant for any symptoms (all unadjusted and adjusted relative risks included 1.0) or for numbers of symptoms (overall incidence density ratio, 0.96 [95% Cl, 0.82 to 1.12]). Conclusions: The tested antibacterial products did not reduce the risk for symptoms of viral infectious diseases in households that included essentially healthy persons. This does not preclude the potential contribution of these products to reducing symptoms of bacterial diseases in the home. Ann Intern Med. 2004;140:321-329. www.annals.org For author affiliations, see end of text. See editorial comment on pp 397-398.
Effects of feline hyperthyroidism on kidney function: a review

Chronic kidney disease and hyperthyroidism are two commonly diagnosed conditions in the geriatric feline population, and are often seen concurrently. Management of both diseases is recommended; however, the physiologic implications of both diseases must be understood to ensure the most favorable outcome for each patient. This report reviews the complex interplay between hyperthyroidism and kidney function, as well as the effects of hyperthyroid therapy on kidney function.
[35S]-labeling of the Salmonella typhimurium glutathione pool to assess glutathione-mediated DNA binding by 1,2-dibromoethane

Abstract Biotransformation of drugs and environmental chemicals to reactive intermediates is often studied with the use of radiolabeled compounds that are synthesized by expensive and technically difficult procedures. In general, glutathione (GSH) conjugation serves as a detoxification mechanism, and conjugation of reactive intermediates with GSH is often a surrogate marker of reactive species formation. However, several halogenated alkanes can be bioactivated by GSH to yield highly reactive GSH conjugates, some of which are DNA-reactive (e.g. conjugates of 1,2-dibromoethane). The purpose of this study was to metabolically radiolabel the in vivo GSH pool of Salmonella typhimurium with a [35S]-label and to examine the GSH-mediated bioactivation of a model haloalkane, 1,2-dibromoethane, by measuring the binding of [35S]-label to DNA. The strain of Salmonella used in this study had been transformed previously with the gene that codes for rat glutathione transferase theta 1-1 (GSTT1-1), an enzyme that can catalyze formation of genotoxic GSH conjugates. Bacteria were grown to mid-log phase and then incubated with [35S]- l -cysteine in minimal medium (thio-free) until stationary phase of growth was reached. At this stage, the specific activity of Salmonella GSH was estimated to be 7.1 mCi/mmol by derivatization and subsequent HPLC analysis, and GSTT1-1 enzyme activity was still demonstrable in Salmonella cytosol following growth in a minimal medium. The [35S]-labeled bacteria were then exposed to 1,2-dibromoethane (1 mM), and the Salmonella DNA was subsequently purified to quantify [35S]-binding to DNA. The amount of [35S]-label that was covalently bound to DNA in the GSTT1-1-expressing Salmonella strain (33.2 nmol/mg DNA) was sevenfold greater than that of the control strain that does not express GSTT1-1. Neutral thermal hydrolysis of the DNA yielded a single [35S]-labeled adduct with a similar tR as S-[2-(N7-guanyl)ethyl]GSH, following HPLC analysis of the hydrolysate. This adduct accounted for 95% of the total [35S]-label bound to DNA. Thus, this [35S]-radiolabeling protocol may prove useful for studying the DNA reactivity of GSH conjugates of other halogenated alkanes in a cellular context that maintains GSH at normal physiological levels. This is also, to our knowledge, the first demonstration of de novo incorporation of [35S]- l -cysteine into the bacterial GSH pool.
Phase-Shift Optical Model Calculations for the Elastic Scattering of Pions on Aluminum

Theoretical optical-model exact phase-shift calculations are given for the predicted elastic scattering of pions from aluminum at the energy used (79 Mev) in the experimental studies described in the preceding paper. The predicted curves show strong diffraction minima, not present in the experimental curves. We have emphasized a comparison of the results of these calculations with those of more approximate methods. Sixteen choices of constant complex potentials were used for $rl{R}_{0}$ for both ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}$ and ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ mesons, with a Coulomb potential for $rg{R}_{0}=3.600\ensuremath{\lambda}$. Here $\ensuremath{\hbar}{k}_{0}=\frac{\ensuremath{\hbar}}{\ensuremath{\lambda}}$ is the momentum at infinity and $\ensuremath{\hbar}({k}_{1}+i{k}_{2})$ is the momentum for $rl{R}_{0}$. It is found that the predicted incoherent cross section ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{a}$ and positions of the diffraction minima depend strongly on $\frac{{k}_{1}}{{k}_{0}}$ for a fixed ${k}_{2}$. Values of ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{a}g\ensuremath{\pi}{{R}_{0}}^{2}$ are obtained for relatively long nuclear mean free paths ${(2{k}_{2})}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ for incoherent processes for the attractive potentials which give best fit to experiment. The results of various modified Born approximation calculations are compared with the results of the exact calculations.
Oligonucleotide gas-phase hydrogen/deuterium exchange with D2S in the collision cell of a quadrupole-Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer.

We have implemented gas-phase hydrogen/deuterium exchange (HDX) experiments in the external collision cell of a hybrid quadrupole-Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer. In this configuration, multiply charged oligonucleotide anions undergo significant exchange with D2S at reaction intervals ranging from 0.11 to 60.1 s. For DNA homohexamers, relative exchange rates were dC6 ∼ dA6 > dG6 > dT6, correlating with the gas-phase acidities of nucleobases (C > A > T > G), except for guanine. Our results are consistent with a relay mechanism in which D2S interacts with both a backbone phosphate group and a neutral nucleobase through hydrogen bonding. We propose that the faster exchange of polyguanosine compared to polythymidine is due to the larger size of guanine and the orientation of its labile hydrogens, which may result in gas-phase conformations more favorable for forming complexes with D2S. Similar trends were observed for RNA homohexamers, although their HDX rates were faster than for ...
Endocrine late effects in survivors of pediatric brain tumors.

Central nervous system tumors are the most common solid tumor diagnosed in children under the age of 14 years. Chronic health conditions related to endocrine and metabolic late effects are one of the most common medical late effects seen in childhood cancer survivors. Over the past 2 decades, outcomes have improved significantly for children diagnosed with a brain tumor. Curative therapy for childhood brain tumors survivors places them at significant risk for complex multi-organ medical late effects.These late effects can create a negative effect on cognition, growth, organ function, body image, sexual function and quality of life. Treatment related complications can occur many years after completion of therapy. Close monitoring is necessary so that early detection and intervention can hopefully decrease the full negative impact of many of these effects. Lifelong medical surveillance with a multidisciplinary team approach is essential to maximize health and improve the quality of life of survivors of pedi...
Anticonvulsant activities of Δ-8 and Δ-9 tetrahydrocanabinol and uridine☆

Abstract Both Δ-8 and Δ-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and uridine protect against pentylenetetrazol (PTZ)-induced convulsions in mice. Neither uridine nor Δ-8 and Δ-9 THC protect against maximal electric shock-induced convulsions. Δ-8 THC and Δ-9 THC are equipotent as anticonvulsants. The anticonvulsant activities of Δ-8 THC and Δ-9 THC are not additive. Marihuana extract also protects against PTZ-induced convulsions. Anticonvulsant activity of Δ-8 THC, Δ-9 THC, and uridine are not additive with diphenylhydantoin anticonvulsant activity. Their anticonvulsant activity is additive with phenobarbital anticonvulsant activity. The mechanism of anticonvulsant activity of Δ-8 THC, Δ-9 THC, and uridine may be similar to diphenylhydantoin, but different from phenobarbital. These compounds are similar to diphenylhydantoin in that neither are effective in elevating the threshold for seizures induced by electrical stimulation. However, both compounds are unlike diphenylhydantoin because they are more effective against PTZ-induced seizures.
A Characteristics Analysis of Manipulator Dynamics using Principal Transformations

A new approach to the geometrical representation of manipulator dynamics is presented. Inertia ellipsoid, which is used to represent dynamic characteristics of a single rigid body, is extended to a general ellipsoid for a series of rigid bodies in order to represent the manipulator dynamics. By drawing the generalized inertia ellipsoid in space, we can visualize the characteristics of manipulator. The definition and properties of generalized inertia ellispoid are presented along with examples.
“Problem deflation” and the ethnographic record: Interpretation and introspection in anthropological studies of alcohol

A controversy that has continued over the past 5 years concerning whether ethnographic studies of alcohol systematically "deflate" alcohol-related problems is discussed and critiqued. This debate harbors some fundamentally significant matters that have important implications for the future of alcohol and culture studies. These matters concern the epistemological basis of ethnography, and the reliability of ethnographic research methods. Drawing upon data from Truk, Federated States of Micronesia, these issues are explored in detail. It is suggested that the presence or absence of "alcohol problems" in ethnographic accounts is largely a result of particular interpretations made at specific historical moments in the changing, open-ended systems that anthropologists study. It is concluded that by alerting us to likely biases in the ethnographic record, Room has performed a signal service to the anthropology of alcohol.
Gene talk in sociobiology

Abstract Terminology within the biological sciences gets its import not just from semantic meaning, but also from the way it functions within the rhetorics of the various disciplinary practices. The ‘sociobiology’ of human behavior inherits three distinct rhetorics from the genetic disciplines. Sociobiologists use population genetic, biometrical genetic, and molecular genetic rhetorics, without acknowledging the conceptual and experimental constraints that are assumed by geneticists. The eclectic blending of these three rhetorics obscures important differences of context and meaning. Sociobiologists use foundational terms in genetics, such as ‘gene’, ‘fitness’, ‘evolution’, ‘heritability’, ‘trait’ and ‘polygenic inheritance’, in starkly different ways from geneticists, while basing their analysis of human behavior on the implied authority of genetics. As a free‐floating ‘gene talk’ moves across different disciplinary contexts, and before different audiences, it takes the form of an over‐simplified and mis...
Reduction of iodine transfer to milk of cows after perchlorate ingestion

Abstract These experiments quantitate the relation between amount of perchlorate ingested and radioiodine transferred to milk of the cow when radioiodine is fed daily or after radioiodine administration ceases. When radioiodine was given daily, graded doses of perchlorate, from 10 to 4,000 mg/day, increased plasma iodine in accord with Y=88.1 X.052 (Y = % of control value and X is the daily dose of perchlorate in milligrams.) Curves for iodine-125 in milk and ratio of milk to plasma iodine-125 between the limits of 50 and 1,000mg perchlorate daily were fitted by Y=794.8 X-.525 and Y=1,046.5 X-.601 ; these same curves between 10 and 50mg perchlorate daily were fitted by Y=85.6 + .37 X and Y=82.3 + .28 X. Between 1,000 and 4,000mg perchlorate, these curves had a slope of 0. These data indicate that perchlorate can inhibit the iodide-transfer mechanism of the mammary gland of the cow and that a ratio of milk to iodine of .2 indicates complete blockage of this transfer. Administration of 1g of perchlorate daily leads to 55% less radioiodine being transferred to milk after administration of iodine 125 has ceased.
Information, Power and Academic Responsibility: Comment

He strongly recommends the avoidance of impact distortion which he defines, "in the context of the scholarly provision of information, as the provision of more complete information about some aspects of a choice situation than others" (p. 231). It seems to me that, in a very fundamental sense, impact distortion cannot be avoided. (I do, however, recognize the possibility of reducing it.) Impact distortion results from the same factor that justifies economics as a field of study. It exists, unavoidably, because of a scarcity of resources. One cannot define a research project that is amenable to the complete investigation of every aspect, ramification, and implication of the central problem. Therefore, distortion must remain.
Constitutive Expression of Major Histocompatibility Complex Class II Antigens on Monocytes and B Cells Correlates with Disease in Simian Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Rhesus Macaques

Constitutive host factors that influence progression to AIDS are understood poorly. In the macaque model for AIDS, 35 animals infected with simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) were analyzed for major histocompatibility complex class II antigen expression on blood monocytes and B cells by immunostaining and flow cytometry. Expression varied widely between animals but was constant with time. Level of expression and the proportion of monocytes and B cells that expressed class II were not affected by SIV infection. Significantly more animals developed AIDS in the group with low class II expression than in the group with high expression (P < .001). Progression to disease was faster in animals that expressed poorly (P < .01), and opportunistic pathogens were more common (P < .05). Thus, the constitutive level of class II antigen expression may be a useful prognostic indicator for human immunodeficiency virus disease in humans and may be an important factor in the design of vaccine trials.
Patterned gene expression directs bipolar planar polarity in Drosophila

During convergent extension in Drosophila, polarized cell movements cause the germband to narrow along the dorsal-ventral (D-V) axis and more than double in length along the anterior-posterior (A-P) axis. This tissue remodeling requires the correct patterning of gene expression along the A-P axis, perpendicular to the direction of cell movement. Here, we demonstrate that A-P patterning information results in the polarized localization of cortical proteins in intercalating cells. In particular, cell fate differences conferred by striped expression of the even-skipped and runt pair-rule genes are both necessary and sufficient to orient planar polarity. This polarity consists of an enrichment of nonmuscle myosin II at A-P cell borders and Bazooka/PAR-3 protein at the reciprocal D-V cell borders. Moreover, bazooka mutants are defective for germband extension. These results indicate that spatial patterns of gene expression coordinate planar polarity across a multicellular population through the localized distribution of proteins required for cell movement.
Racial/Ethnic Differences in Clinical Characteristics among Patients Hospitalized With Acute Decompensated Heart Failure

Background: Racial/Ethnic differences in clinical characteristics have been reported in patients with heart failure. We report these differences among hospitalized patients with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) to an urban medical center. Methods: We studied 789 patients consecutively hospitalized with ADHF to an urban medical center between Jan and Aug 2007. Variables analyzed included baseline clinical characteristics and admission lab findings. Chi-square test for categorical values and ttest for continuous variables were used to analyze the data. Results: The following variables were identified as significant differences between African Americans (AA) and non -AA:
Surfactant Templated Assembly of Cubic Mesostructured Semiconductors Based on [Sn2Se6] 4- and Pt2+ in Single-Crystal Form.

Mesostructured non-oxidic materials with cubic Ia-3d symmetry were prepared by linking [Sn2Se6] 4- clusters with Pt2+ in the presence of surfactant molecules. The use of long chain pyridinium-based surfactants (octadecyl- and eicosadecyl) afforded materials with exceptionally high cubic pore order and single-crystal particle morphology. By contrast trimethylammonium-based surfactants produced cubic mesostructured solids with inferior overall quality. We have also synthesized materials with significantly lower surfactant content by increasing the Pt2+:[Sn2Se6] 4- molar ratio, while maintaining the cubic pore symmetry. All materials are semiconductors with energy band-gap in the range 0.9<Eg <1.8 eV.
Graph-based retrospective 4D image construction from free-breathing MRI slice acquisitions

4D or dynamic imaging of the thorax has many potential applications [1, 2]. CT and MRI offer sufficient speed to acquire motion information via 4D imaging. However they have different constraints and requirements. For both modalities both prospective and retrospective respiratory gating and tracking techniques have been developed [3, 4]. For pediatric imaging, x-ray radiation becomes a primary concern and MRI remains as the de facto choice. The pediatric subjects we deal with often suffer from extreme malformations of their chest wall, diaphragm, and/or spine, as such patient cooperation needed by some of the gating and tracking techniques are difficult to realize without causing patient discomfort. Moreover, we are interested in the mechanical function of their thorax in its natural form in tidal breathing. Therefore free-breathing MRI acquisition is the ideal modality of imaging for these patients. In our set up, for each coronal (or sagittal) slice position, slice images are acquired at a rate of about 200-300 ms/slice over several natural breathing cycles. This produces typically several thousands of slices which contain both the anatomic and dynamic information. However, it is not trivial to form a consistent and well defined 4D volume from these data. In this paper, we present a novel graph-based combinatorial optimization solution for constructing the best possible 4D scene from such data entirely in the digital domain. Our proposed method is purely image-based and does not need breath holding or any external surrogates or instruments to record respiratory motion or tidal volume. Both adult and children patients’ data are used to illustrate the performance of the proposed method. Experimental results show that the reconstructed 4D scenes are smooth and consistent spatially and temporally, agreeing with known shape and motion of the lungs.