cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Acyclic stereoselection. 15. Sequential aldol-claisen as a method for 1,5-stereoselection. Total synthesis of the vitamin-E side chain

Alcohol 1, the side chain of α-tocopherol, has been synthesized in a stereoselective route involving an aldol condensation-Claisen rearrangement sequence. The synthesis require 11 steps and produces 1 in 17% overall yield. A complementary sequence employing reagent 14 provides isomer 18.
On the detection of greenhouse warming

Two facts that have been cited as evidence of the onset of greenhouse warming are the extent to which the most recent value in a global temperature series is unusually warm and the observation that the four warmest years on record occurred in the 1980's. We examine these results in more detail, and we address the question as to whether these facts constitute evidence in favor of the detection of greenhouse warming. We conclude that they do not support detection unless we are prepared to attribute all warming in the data to the greenhouse effect.
Early recognition of infantile autism

I N 1944 Kanner 1 described a clinical syndrome, early infantile autism, which he has come to regard as the earliest form of schizophrenia. The syndrome is characterized by inability to relate to persons in a normal fashion, muteness or other abnormalities of speech, an obsessive insistence on sameness, as, for example, in activities such as feeding and bathing and in environmental situations such as arrangement of toys and furniture, and a tendency to react with a paniclike state should any change occur. The condition is usually recognized at 3 to 4 years of age. In the child described here, arresting changes in behavior were noted during the early months of life. This, to our knowledge, is the youngest child ever reported to have infantile autism.
Resistant alcohol withdrawal: does an unexpectedly large sedative requirement identify these patients early?

Introduction While most patients with alcohol withdrawal (AW) respond to standard treatment that includes doses of benzo-diazepines, nutrition and good supportive care (non resistant alcohol withdrawal-NRAW), a subgroup may resist therapy (resistant alcohol withdrawal-RAW). This study describes a distinct group of AW patients, their sedative requirements, and hospital courses.
Estrogen and skin: The effects of estrogen, menopause, and hormone replacement therapy on the skin

Aging is associated with declining levels of several hormones, including estrogen. Although the effects of estrogen on the skin are still not fully understood, it is known that, in women, declining estrogen levels are associated with a variety of cutaneous changes, many of which can be reversed or improved by estrogen supplementation. Estrogens are C-18 steroids synthesized from cholesterol in the ovary premenopausally and in the peripheral tissue in postmenopausal women. Two estrogen receptors, α and β, have been cloned and found in various tissue types. Studies of postmenopausal women indicate that estrogen deprivation is associated with dryness, atrophy, fine wrinkling, poor healing, and hot flashes. Epidermal thinning, declining dermal collagen content, diminished skin moisture, decreased laxity, and impaired wound healing have been reported in postmenopausal women. This article reviews the effects of declining estrogen levels on the skin and the effects of estrogen supplementation. Learning objective At the conclusion of this learning activity, participants should be familiar with the pathways of estrogen synthesis, sites of estrogen receptors, age-dependent variations in serum estrogen concentration, the changes seen in postmenopausal skin, and the effects of estrogen supplementation.
Review of Daniel Callahan, In Search of the Good: A Life in Bioethics

1 Callahan's In Search of the Good is equal parts charming autobiography, primer in bioethics, and history of bioethics. His life story and work provide a skeleton for ethical analysis, and the his...
Imaging mechanism of piezoresponse force microscopy of ferroelectric surfaces

In order to determine the origin of image contrast in piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM), analytical descriptions of the complex interactions between a small tip and ferroelectric surface are derived for several sets of limiting conditions. Image charge calculations are used to determine potential and field distributions at the tip-surface junction between a spherical tip and an anisotropic dielectric half plane. Methods of Hertzian mechanics are used to calculate the response amplitude in the electrostatic regime. In the electromechanical regime, the limits of strong (classical) and weak (field-induced) indentation are established and the relative contributions of electroelastic constants are determined. These results are used to construct ``piezoresponse contrast mechanism maps'' that correlate the imaging conditions with the PFM contrast mechanisms. Conditions for quantitative PFM imaging are set forth. Variable-temperature PFM imaging of domain structures in ${\mathrm{BaTiO}}_{3}$ and the temperature dependence of the piezoresponse are compared with Ginzburg-Devonshire theory. An approach to the simultaneous acquisition of piezoresponse and surface potential images is proposed.
Pelvic Cancer Ten Years after Restorative Proctocolectomy in Indeterminate Colitis: Report of a Case

Restorative proctocolectomy is generally accepted as the procedure of choice for patients with chronic ulcerative colitis requiring surgery. Restorative proctocolectomy for patients with indeterminate colitis is somewhat more controversial because the reported complication rate is higher after this procedure. 1-4 For either diagnosis, most surgeons believe that restorative proctocolectomy greatly reduces or even eliminates the risk of inflammatory bowel disease-associated colorectal cancer. Although restorative proctocolectomy does seem to lower the cancer risk, it is not eliminated. Eighteen cases of postoperative "pouch-related" cancers after restorative proctocolectomy have been reported in the literature. 5-22 Most of these cancers were discovered fairly soon after restorative proctocolectomy, and all but two were found in patients with chronic ulcerative colitis. There have been no reports of pouch-related cancer in patients with indeterminate colitis. We present a patient with indeterminate colitis who developed pouch-related adenocarcinoma ten years after restorative proctocolectomy despite on-going pouch surveillance.
All nearest smaller values on the hypercube

Given a sequence of n elements, the All Nearest Smaller Values (ANSV) problem is to find, for each element in the sequence, the nearest element to the left (right) that is smaller, or to report that no such element exists. Time and work optimal algorithms for this problem are known on all the PRAM models but the running time of the best previous hypercube algorithm is optimal only when the number of processors p satisfies 1/spl les/p/spl les/n/((lg/sup 3/ n)(lg lg n)/sup 2/). In this paper, we prove that any normal hypercube algorithm requires /spl Omega/(M) processors to solve the ANSV problem in O(lg n) time, and we present the first normal hypercube ANSV algorithm that is optimal for all values of n and p. We use our ANSV algorithm to give the first O(lg n)-time n-processor normal hypercube algorithms for triangulating a monotone polygon and for constructing a Cartesian tree.
The Effect of Surface Finish on the Dislocation Density in Sublimation grown SiC Layers

The effect of the seed surface finish on the dislocation density of sublimation grown silicon carbide was investigated. Growth on seeds that were polished down to 1 μm diamond paste resulted in the nucleation of threading screw dislocations in a density of 106 cm−2 and threading edge dislocations in densities of 107 cm−2. Following the mechanical polish of the seeds with a hydrogen etch or chemo-mechanical polish prior to growth resulted in the screw dislocation density decreasing by four orders of magnitude and the threading edge dislocation density dropping two orders of magnitude. Using the dislocations density and the hydrogen etch rate, the depth of damage in mechanically damaged seeds was determined to be between 400 and 1000 A.
A genetically encoded metallocene containing amino acid

Redox active amino acids, cofactors, and metal ions are involved in a large number of catalytic, electron transfer, and regulatory processes in biology. Consequently, the ability to engineer redox active centers at defined sites in proteins would facilitate both the study and manipulation of a wide range of biological processes. Recently, we demonstrated that the redox active amino acid 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine could be efficiently and selectively incorporated into proteins in Escherichia coli using a nonsense codon and a corresponding orthogonal tRNA/aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase pair. We now report that ferrocene derivative 1 can be genetically encoded in Saccharomyces cerevisiae (S. cerevisiae) in good yield in response to the amber codon, TAG.
Colorectal Considerations in Pediatric Patients

Colorectal disease in pediatric patients includes a spectrum of diseases, many of which have a significant impact on quality of life and warrant long-term follow-up and treatment into adulthood. Although many diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease and colon cancer, are managed similar to adults, other disease processes are more common to pediatric patients and are the focus of this article.
SEC proposes investment adviser custody rule amendments to enhance safekeeping and oversight of client assets

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explain a recommendation from the SEC Division of Investment Management for new rules focused on strengthening control over client assets held by registered investment advisers (RIAs) or their affiliates.Design/methodology/approach – The paper describes Rule 206(4)‐2 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, known as the investment adviser “custody rule”; summarizes the three proposed amendments, which would require surprise examinations, written SAS‐70 reports, and delivery of account statements directly to advisory clients; and notes several concerns voiced by SEC commissioners.Findings – The proposed rule amendments respond to the recent discovery of a number of investment adviser Ponzi schemes and other frauds that evidence an urgent need to reassess the regulations governing RIA custody. The SEC staff will respond to public comments and expect to have an active dialog with both RIAs and custodians in the course of developing final rules.Originality/value – T...
Receptor Internalization-Independent Activation of Smad2 in Activin Signaling

Activin, a member of the TGFβ family of cytokines, signals through heteromeric transmembrane complexes composed of type I and type II Ser/Thr kinase receptors. Activated by type II receptors, the type I receptor phosphorylates, thereby activating its effectors Smad2 and Smad3. It has been shown that the ligand-bound TGFβ receptors endocytose to early endosomes, where they phosphorylate Smads. However, whether TGFβ and activin can signal without receptor internalization is still in question. We report that a mutation changing Trp477 to Ala in the kinase domain rendered the type I activin receptor Alk4 unable to undergo ligand-dependent internalization. However, the resultant receptor, named Alk4W477A, retained the ability to phosphorylate Smad2 and mediate activin-induced transcription activation. Also, a Trp477 to Ala mutation abolished the endocytosis of Alk4T206D, a constitutively active type I activin receptor. The action of the mutant Alk4T206D became activin dependent. Finally, blocking endocytosis b...
Extended high-angular-frequency analysis of turbulence effects on short-exposure imaging

An improved analysis of optical turbulence effects on short-exposure passive (SE) imaging is described, resulting in a new analytic expression for the SE modulation transfer function (MTF). This analysis expands on a 2011 study that examined characteristics of a tilt-phase component discovered in the standard theory of SE turbulence effects characterization. The analysis introduces an improved integration technique and a reformulated phase structure function, facilitating computation of a 38,007 element database of MTF results at low- to high-angular frequencies covering a wide range of diffraction and turbulence conditions. Analysis of this database is described, yielding a new analytic SE MTF, accurate to a root-mean-square error of 0.000218 versus the database. Comparisons show that the new expression is well correlated to an alternative computationally intensive method, and it is a factor 29 to 64 improvement over prior analytic expressions. Limits of applicability of the approach for incoherent imaging are also discussed. The low-computational cost of the new method is suit- able for systems performance modeling of turbulence impacts, including path-varying turbulence scenarios.©The Authors. Published by SPIE under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. Distribution or reproduction of this work in whole or in part
Cardiovascular and thermal responses in rats during 94 GHz irradiation

We investigated the thermal distribution and cardiovascular effects produced by sustained exposure of rats to 94 GHz radio-frequency electromagnetic radiation (RFR). Sixteen ketamine-anesthetized Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed individually at a power density of 75 mW/cm2 under far-field conditions in E orientation. Irradiation began when colonic temperature was 37 degrees C and continued until death. Large, immediate increases in subcutaneous temperature on the irradiated side were accompanied by more moderate, delayed increases in colonic temperature. These body-temperature responses were similar to previous results obtained during 35 GHz RFR exposure. During irradiation, arterial blood pressure initially increased and then precipitously decreased until death. The heart rate increased throughout the exposure period. When comparing the results of these 94 GHz exposures with those in previous studies of lower RFR frequencies, it appears that the patterns of heart-rate and blood-pressure changes that occur before death are similar. We conclude that exposure to 94 GHz RFR produces extreme peripheral heating without similar levels of core heating and that this pattern of heat deposition is sufficient to produce circulatory failure and subsequent death.
Contributions of chemical derivatization and spectroscopic studies to the characterization of the Ca2+ transport ATPase of sarcoplasmic reticulum.

III. Probes of catalytic and Ca = + binding domains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ~25 A. Probes of the nucleotide site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326 B. Fluorescein isothiocyanate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326 C, TNP-nuclcotides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326 D. Pyridoxal phosohate probes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327 E. Probes of calcium transport sites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327 F. ]ntramolecular crosslinking sludics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328
MR-based attenuation correction for PET/MRI neurological studies with continuous-valued attenuation coefficients for bone through a conversion from R2* to CT-Hounsfield units

Abstract Aim MR-based correction for photon attenuation in PET/MRI remains challenging, particularly for neurological applications requiring quantitation of data. Existing methods are either not sufficiently accurate or are limited by the computation time required. The goal of this study was to develop an MR-based attenuation correction method that accurately separates bone tissue from air and provides continuous-valued attenuation coefficients for bone. Materials and methods PET/MRI and CT datasets were obtained from 98 subjects (mean age [± SD]: 66 yrs [± 9.8], 57 females) using an IRB-approved protocol and with informed consent. Subjects were injected with 352 ± 29 MBq of 18 F-Florbetapir tracer, and PET acquisitions were begun either immediately or 50 min after injection. CT images of the head were acquired separately using a PET/CT system. Dual echo ultrashort echo-time (UTE) images and two-point Dixon images were acquired. Regions of air were segmented via a threshold of the voxel-wise multiplicative inverse of the UTE echo 1 image. Regions of bone were segmented via a threshold of the R2* image computed from the UTE echo 1 and UTE echo 2 images. Regions of fat and soft tissue were segmented using fat and water images decomposed from the Dixon images. Air, fat, and soft tissue were assigned linear attenuation coefficients (LACs) of 0, 0.092, and 0.1 cm − 1 , respectively. LACs for bone were derived from a regression analysis between corresponding R2* and CT values. PET images were reconstructed using the gold standard CT method and the proposed CAR-RiDR method. Results The RiDR segmentation method produces mean Dice coefficient ± SD across subjects of 0.75 ± 0.05 for bone and 0.60 ± 0.08 for air. The CAR model for bone LACs greatly improves accuracy in estimating CT values (28.2% ± 3.0 mean error) compared to the use of a constant CT value (46.9% ± 5.8, p − 6 ). Finally, the CAR-RiDR method provides a low whole-brain mean absolute percent-error (MAPE ± SD) in PET reconstructions across subjects of 2.55% ± 0.86. Regional PET errors were also low and ranged from 0.88% to 3.79% in 24 brain ROIs. Conclusion We propose an MR-based attenuation correction method (CAR-RiDR) for quantitative PET neurological imaging. The proposed method employs UTE and Dixon images and consists of two novel components: 1) accurate segmentation of air and bone using the inverse of the UTE1 image and the R2* image, respectively and 2) estimation of continuous LAC values for bone using a regression between R2* and CT-Hounsfield units. From our analysis, we conclude that the proposed method closely approaches (
Of Cowries and Crying: A Beng Guide to Managing Colic

In this piece I pose what appears to be perhaps the simplest of questions having to do with the experience of infancy: What do caregivers do when the seemingly healthy babies for whom they are responsible simply will not stop crying?
Circulation in the Bering Sea basin observed by satellite-tracked drifters : 1986-1993

Abstract From 1986 through April 1993, 86 satellite-tracked buoys were deployed in the North Pacific and Bering Sea. Most of the buoys were drogued at 40 m. A composite current pattern is derived using these data. The two principal currents (the Alaskan Stream and Kamchatka Current) are clearly evident. Eddy kinetic-mean kinetic energy ratios are low in the stream and along the western Bering Sea basin. An eastward flowing current occurred along the north flank of the Aleutian Islands, this flow was modified by inflow at the passes. Westward flow occurred north of 56°N; its source was the Bering Slope Current. The Kamchatka Current originated near 175°E along the Russian coast. Numerous eddies and meanders were observed in the Kamchatka Current; eddies were also present on the eastern side of the basin.
Liver pyridine nucleotide content as related to dietary tryptophan and nicotinic acid in the chick.

Abstract There is no correlation between liver pyridine nucleotide level and growth rate. At normal dietary levels of tryptophan and niacin, the former contributes more to the storage of pyridine nucleotides in the liver. At equimolar levels of feeding, niacin is more efficient than tryptophan in increasing the storage of liver pyridine nucelotides.
Rhythmic oscillations in amygdala excitability during kindling.

Abstract Unilateral amygdala electrodes were implanted in male Sprague-Dawley rats stimulated once daily with a 200 μamp pulse of 500 millisecond duration to produce kindling. Forty-six percent (12 of 26) of the animals that eventually developed after-discharges demonstrated rhythmic oscillations in after-discharge duration. The presence or absence of generalized bilateral clonic seizures also showed rhythmic oscillations in close association with after-discharge duration. It is suggested that during kindling some animals, independent of electrode placement, develop rhythmic oscillations in excitability of the amygdala. This model may represent a means of experimentally eliciting or uncovering neuronal substrates which show regular alterations in excitability and may be relevant to the oscillations in mood and behavior observed in the affective disorders.
Intrauterine disseminated intravascularcoagulation: A syndrome of multiple pregnancy with a dead twin fetus

Three infants with intrauterine disseminated intravascular coagulation are presented.Each was the product of a twin pregnancy with a macerated sibling. Renal cortical and cerebral necrosis were the predominant features. Two other similar patients have been previously reported. It appears likely that the feto-fetal exchange of thromboplastic material from a dead fetus through vascular shunts in a monochorionic placenta is responsible for this syndrome. With conservative management, the renal cortical necrosis may not necessarily be fatal, but the prognosis is probably poor because of the severity of the cerebral damage.
A new class of ideal clocks.

We have found a new class of ideal clocks within general relativity. They are self-gravitating systems such as rotating stars, rotating black holes, and binary star systems. The gravitational red shift of the observed period of rotation of such clocks in a given, weak external gravitational field is shown to be the same as that of an ideal atomic clock. Because the clocks have structure and dynamics determined by gravitational interactions, the full nonlinear machinery of general relativity must be used. This result is important for the binary pulsar PSR 1913+16, where the gravitational red shift of the pulsar's frequency caused by the companion's gravitational field is an observable effect.
Application of a stochastic distributed delay simulation model to the epidemiology of clinical respiratory disease in a dairy cattle population

Abstract A stochastic distributed delay simulation model was applied in studying the epidemiology of clinical respiratory disease in a dairy cattle population. The predictive ability of the model was tested against data from the National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS) in Michigan. Using the annual incidence density (aID) as outcome, model predicted aIDs were compared with those observed from the actual data. The model results did not significantly differ from the observed 66% of the time. Observations of model behavior and applications of this modeling approach are discussed.
The Association between Gravidity and Primary Biliary Cirrhosis

Abstract PURPOSE: Primary biliary cirrhosis is an autoimmune disease with female predominance that leads to liver failure. The goal of this study was to identify reproductive risk factors associated with this disease. METHODS: We compared 182 cases of PBC with 225 age- and sex-matched friend controls to examine the role of reproductive factors. The survey instrument was developed using standardized questions obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) III. RESULTS: A total of 126/182 cases (69%) and 141/225 (62.6%) friend controls responded to the survey. More cases than controls reported ever having genitourinary infection [adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 2.12, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01, 4.42] among those without a personal or family history of autoimmune disease. The most notable finding was that cases reported significantly more pregnancies than controls (p = 0.008). The adjusted OR for each additional pregnancy among those without a personal or family history of autoimmune disease was 1.40 (95% CI 1.14, 1.7). More controls (24.4%) than cases (16.0%) were nulliparous. Cases reported having five or more children (16.0%) with double the frequency of controls (8.2%). CONCLUSIONS: The association reported herein, between primary biliary cirrhosis and gravidity, is particularly significant because of the overwhelming female predominance.
Planning for Meals-on-Wheels: Algorithms and Application

Home-delivered meals provision, also known as meals-on-wheels, is a volunteer-staffed activity for which little strategic planning is performed. We develop a Memetic Algorithm to solve the Home Delivered Meals Location-Routing Problem. This planning model addresses facility location, allocation of demand to facilities, and design of delivery routes, while balancing efficiency and effectiveness considerations. The case study presented on a large data set shows how trade-off curves, which are very useful for decision making, can be obtained by the method developed.
Treediagonal matrices and their inverses

Abstract A generalization of tridiagonal matrices is considered, namely treediagonal matrices, which have nonzero off-diagonal elements only in positions where the adjacency matrix of a tree has nonzero elements. Some properties of treediagonal matrices are given, and their inverses are characterized and shown to have an interesting structure.
Perception of intensional and extensional meaning domains in a semantic differential application

Subjects were asked to rate five intensional and five extensional concepts on a battery of fifteen intensional and fifteen extensional semantic differential scales. An extra measurement was added to the usual semantic differential instrument so that subjects could indicate whether they were using each scale in an intensional or an extensional manner. Results supported previous findings that subjects have more difficulty rating scale‐concept pairs with mixed than with matched meaning domains, and indicated considerable subject‐scale interaction in the measuring instrument.
Cluster-Impact Fusion with Cluster Beams

Recent experiments in which beams of D2O clusters impact on deuterated targets have been observed to produce higher than expected deuterium-deuterium (D-D) fusion rates, whereas similar experiments with pure D clusters produced no observable D-D fusion. We present a theoretical model capable of explaining these apparently conflicting experimental results. Our calculations indicate that heavy atoms such as O in the cluster, and Ti, Zr, or C in the target are essential for obtaining high fusion rates and D energy enhancement by double Rutherford backscattering in the experiments as conducted. We predict the conditions for obtaining comparable yields from D, D2O, and H2O clusters and propose a set of experimental tests.
Synthesis of copper silicide nanocrystallites embedded in silicon nanowires for enhanced transport properties

Here we report the in situ doping of Si nanowires with Cu, which results in nanowires containing nanocrystalline inclusions of Cu3Si and significantly enhanced electrical conductivity. These nanowires are of interest for use in secondary Li batteries as well as nanowire arrays that can be directly sensitized for photovoltaic applications. This synthesis route is based on controlling the vapour-phase flux of precursor materials into the catalyst tip whereby the flux of the Cu is much less than that of Si. A compositional study utilizing SEM–EDS, XRD, and TEM–EDS techniques of vapour–liquid–solid (VLS) grown Si nanowires in the presence of Cu vapour confirms that the bulk nanowire matrix is Si doped with crystalline Cu3Si and low concentrations of Cu. The electronic transport measurements conducted on single nanowires indicate that the electronic resistivity of the doped nanowires is several orders of magnitude lower than undoped Si, thereby making them more conductive. Based on the data collected from the nanowire growth in conjunction with the in situ VLS doping mechanism, the doping density can be controlled by varying the gas-phase concentration of the dopant or the thermodynamic conditions of the nanowire growth. Both approaches will result in a change in the relative fluxes from the gas phase into the VLS catalyst as well as the kinetics for Cu3Si formation. This is advantageous because dopant density can be used to tune both the electronic and the optical properties of the nanowires.
The Global Epidemiology, Public Health Outcomes, Management, and Prevention of Re-Emerging Ectoparasitic Diseases

The ancient ectoparasitic diseases share many features in common with newly emerging infectious diseases, such as Lyme disease, including hyperendemic causative agents afforded selective advantages by changing ecological or socioeconomic conditions; origination as zoonoses; transmission by competent arthropod vectors; and introduction into new, susceptible host populations. Many ectoparasites are also developing increased resistance to medical therapies, including the safest insecticides. Over the past two decades, there have been several reports of outbreaks of ectoparasitic diseases, principally myiasis, scabies, and tungiasis, both in regional communities and in travelers returning from developing nations. Today ectoparasitic diseases infest not only executives and tourists returning from travel to developed and developing nations, but also individuals immunocompromised by advancing age and institutionalization, chronic infectious and malignant disease, malnutrition and homelessness. Ectoparasitic diseases are no longer infestations of children and socioeconomically disadvantaged populations in tropical countries; they have re-emerged as unusual, but not uncommon, infectious diseases worldwide.
Identification of bovine viral diarrhea virus receptor in different cell types

Anti-idiotypic antibodies (anti-ids) have been used successfully in studies on bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) receptor(s) in our laboratory. The anti-ids specifically bound to cultured cells and identified a 50 kDa cellular membrane protein, which is thought to be a specific receptor for BVDV. In this study, flow cytometric analyses demonstrated that the anti-ids also specifically bound to different cell types, namely MDBK, EBK, BT, PK15, MA104, and Vero. Experiments on virus attachment and replication showed that BVDV adsorbed to all cells and replicated in them except monkey kidney cells MA104 and Vero (non-permissive). Results from plaque reduction assays indicated that cellular membrane proteins from all cell lines competitively inhibited BVDV attachment to cultured MDBK cells, suggesting the presence of BVDV receptor on all cells. Immunoblotting of cell membrane proteins with the anti-ids revealed a 50 kDa protein in both permissive and nonpermissive cells. Subcloned or synchronized MDBK cells demonstrated no significant difference of binding with anti-ids as compared to normal cultured cells.
Tracking sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) dive profiles using a towed passive acoustic array

A passive acoustic method is presented for tracking sperm whale dive profiles, using two or three hydrophones deployed as either a vertical or large-aperture towed array. The relative arrival times between the direct and surface-reflected acoustic paths are used to obtain the ranges and depths of animals with respect to the array, provided that the hydrophone depths are independently measured. Besides reducing the number of hydrophones required, exploiting surface reflections simplifies automation of the data processing. Experimental results are shown from 2002 and 2003 cruises in the Gulf of Mexico for two different towed array deployments. The 2002 deployment consisted of two short-aperture towed arrays separated by 170 m, while the 2003 deployment placed an autonomous acoustic recorder in tandem with a short-aperture towed array, and used ship noise to time-align the acoustic data. The resulting dive profiles were independently checked using single-hydrophone localizations, whenever multipath reflections from the ocean bottom could be exploited to effectively create a large-aperture vertical array. This technique may have applications for basic research and for real-time mitigation for seismic airgun surveys.
Drosophila gain-of-function mutant RTK torso triggers ectopic Dpp and STAT signaling.

Overactivation of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) has been linked to tumorigenesis. To understand how a hyperactivated RTK functions differently from wild-type RTK, we conducted a genome-wide systematic survey for genes that are required for signaling by a gain-of-function mutant Drosophila RTK Torso (Tor). We screened chromosomal deficiencies for suppression of a gain-of-function mutation tor ( tor GOF ), which led to the identification of 26 genomic regions that, when in half dosage, suppressed the defects caused by tor GOF . Testing of candidate genes in these regions revealed many genes known to be involved in Tor signaling (such as those encoding the Ras-MAPK cassette, adaptor and structural molecules of RTK signaling, and downstream target genes of Tor), confirming the specificity of this genetic screen. Importantly, this screen also identified components of the TGFβ (Dpp) and JAK/STAT pathways as being required for Tor GOF signaling. Specifically, we found that reducing the dosage of thickveins ( tkv ), Mothers against dpp ( Mad ), or STAT92E (aka marelle ), respectively, suppressed tor GOF phenotypes. Furthermore, we demonstrate that in tor GOF embryos, dpp is ectopically expressed and thus may contribute to the patterning defects. These results demonstrate an essential requirement of noncanonical signaling pathways for a persistently activated RTK to cause pathological defects in an organism.
Perioperative outcomes of adolescents undergoing bariatric surgery: the Teen-Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery (Teen-LABS) study.

Importance Severe obesity in childhood is a major health problem with few effective treatments. Weight-loss surgery (WLS) is being used to treat severely obese adolescents, although with very limited data regarding surgical safety for currently used, minimally invasive procedures. Objective To assess the preoperative clinical characteristics and perioperative safety outcomes of severely obese adolescents undergoing WLS. Design, Setting, and Participants This prospective, multisite observational study enrolled patients from February 28, 2007, through December 30, 2011. Consecutive patients aged 19 years or younger who were approved to undergo WLS (n = 277) were offered enrollment into the study at 5 academic referral centers in the United States; 13 declined participation and 22 did not undergo surgery after enrollment, thus the final analysis cohort consisted of 242 individuals. There were no withdrawals. Main Outcomes and Measures This analysis examined preoperative anthropometrics, comorbid conditions, and major and minor complications occurring within 30 days of operation. All data were collected in a standardized fashion. Reoperations and hospital readmissions were adjudicated by independent reviewers to assess relatedness to the WLS procedure. Results The mean (SD) age of participants was 17.1 (1.6) years and the median body mass index (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared) was 50.5. Fifty-one percent demonstrated 4 or more major comorbid conditions. Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, vertical sleeve gastrectomy, and adjustable gastric banding were performed in 66%, 28%, and 6% of patients, respectively. There were no deaths during the initial hospitalization or within 30 days of operation; major complications (eg, reoperation) were seen in 19 patients (8%). Minor complications (eg, readmission for dehydration) were noted in 36 patients (15%). All reoperations and 85% of readmissions were related to WLS. Conclusions and Relevance In this series, adolescents with severe obesity presented with abundant comorbid conditions. We observed a favorable short-term complication profile, supporting the early postoperative safety of WLS in select adolescents. Further longitudinal study of this cohort will permit accurate assessment of long-term outcomes for adolescents undergoing bariatric surgery. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier:NCT00474318
Expression of a new type high molecular weight receptor (type V receptor) of transforming growth factor β in normal and transformed cells

Abstract A new type high molecular weight receptor (type V receptor) of transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) was recently purified from bovine liver plasma membranes and appears not to be related to receptors previously described for TGF-β (Pauline O'Grady, Ming-Der Kuo, Joseph J. Baldassare, Shuan Shian Huang and Jung San Huang [1991] J. Biol. Chem. 266: 8583–8589). This type V receptor may be important in the regulation of cell growth by TGF-β. We examined its distribution in a wide range of normal and transformed cells. The type V receptor was found to be expressed in many normal cells including cells of epithelial, endothelial, fibroblastic and chondrocytic origins. However, a number of human epithelial tumor cells (5 out of 6 examined) did not express detectable levels of the type V TGF-β receptor. These results suggest that loss of the type V receptor may potentially contribute to the transformed state of certain epithelial tumor cells.
Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia

Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, a malignant disorder of lymphoid progenitor cells, affects both children and adults, with peak prevalence between the ages of 2 and 5 years. Steady progress in development of effective treatments has led to a cure rate of more than 80% in children, creating opportunities for innovative approaches that would preserve past gains in leukaemia-free survival while reducing the toxic side-effects of current intensive regimens. Advances in our understanding of the pathobiology of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, fuelled by emerging molecular technologies, suggest that drugs specifically targeting the genetic defects of leukaemic cells could revolutionise management of this disease. Meanwhile, studies are underway to ascertain the precise events that take place in the genesis of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, to enhance the clinical application of known risk factors and antileukaemic agents, and to identify treatment regimens that might boost the generally low cure rates in adults and subgroups of children with high-risk leukaemia.
Initiation of a database of functional micro- and nanostructures.

15 ] Although there are extensive ongoing investigations on func-tional micro- and nanoperiodic structures, there is at present no system to comprehensively classify, store, process, and analyze the various functional structures that are continually emerging from these exciting research areas. Structure database systems have been established for proteins,
On the role of turbulence and compositional fluctuations in rapid compression machines: Autoignition of syngas mixtures

Abstract With the increasing interest in utilizing syngas in gas turbine applications, the characterization of H2/CO combustion and reaction chemistry under high-pressure and moderate-temperature operating conditions has been the focus of recent investigations. Different chemical-kinetics and hydrodynamic processes have been identified as being responsible for the discrepancies between experimental measurements and kinetic predictions of syngas ignition delay times. This contribution complements previous studies, and provides improved understanding about the role of turbulence and fluctuations in temperature and mixture composition on the syngas combustion process in rapid compression machines (RCMs). To this end, a self-contained model is developed that describes the ignition and combustion process by considering the interaction between turbulence, detailed reaction chemistry, and wall heat loss effects. Different mechanisms can be identified as being responsible for the generation of inhomogeneities in flow-field, temperature, and mixture composition, including turbulence-generation during the filling process, corner vortices, wall-generated turbulence, and mixing between fluid in the core region and the boundary layer. In the present model, these contributions are parametrically represented in terms of initial turbulence levels, and the mean-strain amplification of these perturbations during the compression phase is described using rapid distortion theory. The model is applied to different syngas mixtures and operating conditions, including pressures up to 20 atm and temperatures between 600 and 1300 K. Parametric studies show that the model captures experimentally observed trends of reduced ignition delay and prolonged reaction progress during the ignition phase. A Damkohler criterion is proposed in order to characterize the sensitivity of the induction chemistry to turbulence fluctuations. Results suggest that syngas mixtures with Damkohler numbers below 50 exhibit increasing sensitivity to turbulence and mixture fluctuations. This parametric study indicates that the turbulence/chemistry interaction can play an equally important role in affecting the syngas ignition chemistry, and requires consideration in addition to chemical-kinetics and hydrodynamic processes previously identified as leading mechanisms for the observed discrepancy in syngas ignition.
Cerebral blood flow velocity and language functioning in pediatric sickle cell disease

We investigated the association of increased cerebral blood flow velocity with specific language abilities in children with sickle cell disease (SCD). Thirty-nine children ages 5 to 8 years old with high-risk genotypes of SCD underwent cognitive testing, which included tests of language skills, visual motor skills, and attention/working memory as part of a routine hematology health-maintenance visit. Transcranial Doppler (TCD) velocities were obtained from review of medical records, with the velocities that were in closest temporal proximity to the cognitive assessment used in the analysis. TCD velocities predicted scores on tests of syntactical skills, even when controlling for anemia severity. Semantic and phonological ability and other cognitive skills were not strongly related to TCD velocities. Elevated blood flow velocities in children with high-risk SCD may contribute to a specific language impairment or to a broader dysfunction of short-term and/or working memory. This study underscores the need for clinicians to monitor language skills of children with SCD who have elevated TCD velocities, as these cognitive abilities might be particularly sensitive to cerebrovascular disruption related to their disease.
Is Being Gifted a Social Handicap

The paper explores the question of how gifted and talented adolescents experience being gifted in high school. Fifteen subjects were interviewed twice while attending a special summer program in order to answer this general question. The data were analyzed and interpreted using a set of research questions which postulated that the subjects would voice feelings of difference and would make statements indicating recognition that being gifted interfered with full social acceptance. The results support the notion that many, but not all, gifted and talented adolescents experience giftedness as a social handicap. The data also suggested that some students manage information about themselves to minimize their visibility as gifted students to others.
Electrophoretic studies of muscle proteins. II. Complex formation between delta protein, myogen and myosin.

In actin-free extracts of rabbit white muscles complexes form between delta protein, myogen (mainly glycolytic enzymes) and myosin, detectable in electrophoretic patterns of both limbs. The complexes are concentration sensitive, nearly absent when total protein is below 5 mgm/ml, but increasing at higher concentrations. At 65 mgm/ml about 60% is bound at 1°C. Complex concentrations can be calculated by making Rayleigh fringe counts on two portions of the same solution, one more concentrated, the other diluted with buffer. A “fringe balance” can then be constructed which measures the forward movement, in the concentrated descending pattern, of those portions of myogen and myosin which have united with delta and moved with it in a fast position. Similar calculations are possible for the ascending limb. When commercial aldolase or lactic dehydrogenase solutions are mixed with concentrated extracts from which most free myogen has been removed the patterns show that portions of the added enzymes have complexed with myosin and delta and move with them in fast positions. Mixtures of pure aldolase and nearly pure myosin solutions also show com-plexing, less well developed than when other enzymes are present. The glycolytic enzymes may have to unite with each other before they can readily complex with myosin and delta. There may be a lineal order of the glycolytic enzymes laid out along the fibrous proteins, permitting a rapid handling of their substrates.
Effect of Met66 allele of the BDNF rs6265 SNP on regional gray matter volumes in patients with multiple sclerosis: A voxel-based morphometry study.

Abstract The rs6265 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) is a genetic variation in the brain-derived neurotrophic factor ( BDNF ) gene wherein the presence of the A-allele at rs6265 causes replacement of a valine (Val) at position 66 by methionine (Met). We reported recently that the Met66 allele was associated with lower brain damage as evidenced by measurement of gray matter (GM) volume in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. The objective of this study was to determine the voxel-wise regional GM differences between the Val66Val and Met66 allele groups in MS patients by using voxel-based morphometry (VBM)-optimized analysis corrected for lesion misclassification in Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM5). High-resolution 3D-T1-weighted SPGR images from a total of 188 MS patients were acquired on a 1.5T MRI. The Val66Val group included 129 MS patients and the Met66 allele group (comprised of Val66Met or Met66Met genotypes) included 59 MS patients. The SPM analysis of covariance tool was used to assess group differences after controlling for variation in head size, MS disease course and gender. VBM analysis did not yield significant family wise error (FWE) corrected results. This was also confirmed with the non-parametric analysis using threshold-free cluster enhancement (TFCE) method. However, the results from VBM as well as the TFCE analyses ( p BDNF rs6265 SNP in relation to specific GM regions.
Structural Similarities Between a Glass and Its Melt

It is suggested that the large expansion coefficient increase that occurs near Tg, for mixed oxide glasses is related to cooperative thermal displacements involving polyanionic clusters in the liquid state. This is illustrated by the striking relation between melt isoexpansion coefficient contours and structure for these ternary oxide systems. It is also shown that the molar volume dependence on composition for a series of oxide glasses can be quite similar to that observed for their liquid state analogs. The adjusted melt partial molar volume models can be used to develop realistic glass models, suggesting structural similarities between an oxide glass and its corresponding high-temperature melt. Recently acquired evidence for alkali borogermanate compositions indicates a shift toward the right for the GeO6⇄GeO4 equilibrium in GeO2−rich melts at relatively high temperatures. Thus, an exact structural correlation between an oxide melt and its corresponding glass may, in some cases, be limited to temperatures below Tg+ΔT (where ΔT ~300° to 400°C).
ENaC proteins are required for NGF-induced neurite growth

Neurite growth is required for nervous system development and repair. Multiple signals, including neurotrophic factors and intact mechanosensing mechanisms, interact to regulate neurite growth. Deg...