cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Implant Failure Following Posterior Spinal Fusion-Caudal Migration of a Fractured Rod: Case Report.

Abstract Study Design Case report. Objectives To describe a patient who experienced rod fracture with subsequent caudal migration into the gluteal region after minimally invasive posterior spinal fusion for adult idiopathic scoliosis. Summary of Background Data Rod fracture occurs in approximately 6.8% of patients who undergo multilevel instrumented arthrodesis for spinal deformity. Rod fracture can result in substantial morbidity including pain, loss of deformity correction, and pseudoarthrosis. Methods A retrospective chart review was used to describe the clinical course and radiographic findings after rod fracture. Previous methods of implant failure were reviewed in the literature. Results The patient underwent a minimally incisional posterior spinal fusion and experienced bilateral rod fracture caused by pseudarthrosis within 2 years. One of these fractured rods disengaged from the pedicle screw sleeves and migrated caudally to the gluteal region and proximal posterior thigh. The fractured rod was surgically removed from the gluteal region without complication. Conclusions The patient presented with a highly unusual method of implant failure after posterior spinal fusion. Although uncommon, spine surgeons should be aware of the possibility of caudal migration after rod fracture.
German dominance in the EMS

The paper assesses the merit of the view according to which the Bundesbank dominates monetary policy-making in the European Monetary System. Our tests give a strong rejection of German dominance and suggest, instead, that monetary policymaking in the EMS is interactive. There is evidence that the Bundesbank pursues her own policy goals in the longer run. But German independence does not imply German dominance.
Analysis of cartilage differentiation from skeletal muscle grown on bone matrix: II. Chondroitin sulfate synthesis and reaction to exogenous glycosaminoglycans

Abstract In the first paper in this series (Nathanson, M. A., and Hay, E. D. (1980). Develop. Biol. 78, 301–331), we described the ultrastructural alterations that take place when embryonic skeletal muscle is induced to form hyaline cartilage by demineralized bone matrix in vitro . In this paper, we analyze the pattern of appearance of chondroitin sulfates and dermatan sulfate in injured muscle in situ and in explants of muscle cultured either on bone matrix or on collagen gel. We also investigate the effects of exogenous glycosaminoglycans on the cultures to determine whether chondroitin sulfate (Ch-S) and hyaluronic acid (HA) can enhance or inhibit the biochemical differentiation of cartilage under these conditions. Our results indicate that during the first morphological phase, 1–3 days in vitro , there is an increased sulfate uptake, a shift in the relative abundance of Ch-S, and an increase in the ratio of chondroitin-4-sulfate (Ch-4-S) to chondroitin-6-sulfate (Ch-6-S); this change is correlated with the transformation of myoblasts to fibroblast-like cells in both types of cultures. A similar increase in the Ch-4-S Ch-6-S ratio occurs in injured muscle in situ , suggesting that phase I is a regenerative response. Explants on bone matrix sustain Ch-4-S levels between 4 and 5 days (phase II) and show a large increase in Ch-4-S and sulfate incorporation when they form cartilage at 6–10 days (phase III). Explants on collagen gels regenerate muscle at 4–10 days with decreasing Ch-4-S Ch-6-S ratios and decreasing sulfate incorporation. The data demonstrate that an environmental influence, such as trauma, is sufficient to alter the biosynthetic expression of skeletal muscle and that under appropriate conditions (such as the presence of bone matrix) this response may be augmented, leading to the synthesis of extracellular matrix components at ratios characteristic of cartilage. Exogenous Ch-S and HA did not significantly effect this overall pattern. These results are discussed in relation to the morphological observations presented in the preceding paper.
Covalent ligation studies on the human telomere quadruplex

Recent X-ray crystallographic studies on the human telomere sequence d[AGGG(TTAGGG)3] revealed a unimolecular, parallel quadruplex structure in the presence of potassium ions, while earlier NMR results in the presence of sodium ions indicated a unimolecular, antiparallel quadruplex. In an effort to identify and isolate the parallel form in solution, we have successfully ligated into circular products the single-stranded human telomere and several modified human telomere sequences in potassium-containing solutions. Using these sequences with one or two terminal phosphates, we have made chemically ligated products via creation of an additional loop. Circular products have been identified by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, enzymatic digestion with exonuclease VII and electrospray mass spectrometry in negative ion mode. Optimum pH for the ligation reaction of the human telomere sequence ranges from 4.5 to 6.0. Several buffers were also examined, with MES yielding the greatest ligation efficiency. Human telomere sequences with two phosphate groups, one each at the 3′ and 5′ ends, were more efficient at ligation, via pyrophosphate bond formation, than the corresponding sequences with only one phosphate group, at the 5′ end. Circular dichroism spectra showed that the ligation product was derived from an antiparallel, single-stranded guanine quadruplex rather than a parallel single-stranded guanine quadruplex structure.
The California IVHS program

Transportation is in a state of flux called IVHS (intelligent vehicle highway systems). No longer is the greatest demand upon civil engineers and the general construction industry to provide improvements to the system, but rather upon electronics and electrical engineers, computer scientists and transportation operators to find the proper mix of technological tools and operator integration to make the system work uniformly, consistently and efficiently. The New Technology Development Program, which includes the IVHS program, is a significant effort by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to tap technology's potential by conducting research and development in partnership with other governmental agencies, academia, non-profit organizations and private industry. In pursuing new technology opportunities, the Department's goals are to substantially improve mobility, safety and air quality and to reduce oil dependency in California.
Prevalence and Correlates of Lifetime Disordered Gambling in Cambodian Refugees Residing in Long Beach, CA

Background Research has suggested that disordered gambling is endemic to Cambodian refugees. Whereas earlier study of the prevalence and correlates of disordered gambling has relied on convenience sampling, this investigation used a subset of a sample representative of the largest Cambodian refugee community in the US. Methods Face-to-face interviews assessing gambling disorder were conducted with a subsample of persons (N = 127) participating in a broader study of the mental health of this community. Results 13.9% of participants met screening criteria for lifetime disordered gambling, in contrast to previous research suggesting that prevalence rates may exceed 70%. After adjusting for a range of covariates, breadth of trauma exposure and marital status emerged as significant predictors of disordered gambling. Discussion Given the myriad mental health challenges facing the Cambodian refugee community, these data indicate that scarce prevention and treatment resources may be more productively channeled toward addressing other mental health and social service needs.
Transcriptional expression of non-repetitive DNA during normal and BUdR-mediated inhibition of myogenesis in culture.

Abstract In order to estimate the proportion of White Leghorn chicken non-repetitive DNA which is transcriptionally expressed during terminal cytodifferentiation of a single cell type, RNA-driven DNA-RNA hybridization studies were carried out utilizing total cell RNA extracted from prefusion and post-fusion skeletal muscle cells grown in tissue culture. The results suggest that the percent of the non-repetitive genome which is transcriptionally expressed during myogenesis in culture increases from 7–8% in the proliferative pre-fusion myoblast stage to 9–10% in the post-fusion myotube stage of development. In contrast, RNA extracted from cells which had been inhibited from expressing their myogenic phenotype by growth in the thymidine analog 5-bromo-2′deoxyuridine (BUdR) displays slower kinetics of hybridization. Also, the maximum percent hybridization attained with RNA from cells treated with the analog for 2 days and 6 days in culture was 4–5 and 5–6%, respectively.
Altered expression of delayed excitation in medial NTS neurons of spontaneously hypertensive rats

Abstract The spontaneously hypertensive (SH) rat has an exaggerated sympathetic discharge which may result from an enhanced neuronal excitability in the central nervous system. To test this hypothesis, we examined the electrophysiological properties of neurons in the medial region of the nucleus of the solitary tract (mNTS), a central nucleus involved in the processing of baroreceptor afferent information, in SH rats and normotensive Sprague–Dawley (SD) rats. An in vitro brainstem slice preparation was used to record intracellularly from 18 neurons in 4–5-month-old SH rats and 16 neurons in 4–5-month-old SD rats. Between the two groups there were no significant differences in resting membrane potential, input resistance, and spontaneous firing frequency, or in action potential amplitude, duration, and after-hyperpolarization (AHP). There were also no significant differences in spike frequency adaptation and post-tetanic hyperpolarization (PTH). Delayed excitation (DE), a manifestation of A-current, occurred in 88% of SH and SD mNTS neurons, but the duration of DE was significantly ( P
Application of anisotropic elasticity theory to the plastic deformation in hexagonal zinc

Abstract The elastic energies of dislocations in the edge orientation are calculated for the various possible slip systems and the type twin in hexagonal close-packed zinc crystal by applying anisotropic elasticity theory. The interaction between a pair of twin dislocations is derived from the stress field around a twin dislocation and is found to be non-centrosymmetrical unless they lie on the same atomic plane. The results are applied to a discussion of the feasibility of dislocation dissociation processes and interpreting the shapes of advancing twin boundaries. Certain dislocation dissociation processes which are energetically indeterminate from the isotropic elasticity point of view become feasible. The observed shapes of some twin boundaries agree with the calculated results. The energy associated with a coherent twin boundary is estimated from the observed angle between a coherent and an incoherent twin boundary to be 1·4±+0·4 ergs/cm2.
Pressure-dependent diffusion in velocity sedimentation

We have calculated approximate profiles for the concentration gradient in velocity sedimentation of a homogeneous solute when both the diffusion and the sedimentation coefficient depend on pressure. Pressure dependence of the diffusion coefficient narrows the peak but does not seem to shift the maximum appreciably.
Optical Absorption and Photoconductivity in the K Band of Some Colored Alkali Halides

The optical absorption of various alkali halides colored by different methods was measured in the $K$-band region at liquid-nitrogen and liquid-helium temperatures. Particular attention was devoted to RbCl, in which the $K$ band is well resolved at liquid-helium temperature. It was found that the $K$ band in RbCl is neither symmetric nor Gaussian and that the band has a relatively long high-energy tail. Photoconductivity studies on RbCl demonstrated that there is appreciable photoconductivity only in this high-energy tail. It is concluded that these data support the Mott-Gurney model of the $K$ band which attributes the main part of the $K$ absorption to allowed transitions of the $F$ center to a series of bound excited states beneath the conduction band.
POLLUTANT AEROSOL DEPOSITION INTO SOUTHERN LAKE MICHIGAN

Current estimates of pollutant aerosol input to southern Lake Michigan are based on a single calculated emission inventory and various estimates of the fraction of emissions that enter the Lake. Alternative, but still crude, estimates of urban elemental emissions and their wet and dry deposition in the lake are made here. Observed elemental concentrations in urban air are used to calculate emissions and recently measured wet and dry deposition parameters are used to calculate deposition.
Rapid deployment of the five founding Amerind mtDNA haplogroups via coastal and riverine colonization.

Numerous studies of variation in mtDNA in Amerindian populations established that four haplogroups are present throughout both North and South America. These four haplogroups (A, B, C, and D) and perhaps a fifth (X) in North America are postulated to be present in the initial founding migration to the Americas. Furthermore, studies of ancient mtDNA in North America suggested long-term regional continuity of the frequencies of these founding haplogroups. Present-day tribal groups possess high frequencies of private mtDNA haplotypes (variants within the major haplogroups), consistent with early establishment of local isolation of regional populations. Clearly these patterns have implications for the mode of colonization of the hemisphere. Recently, the earlier consensus among archaeologists for an initial colonization by Clovis hunters arriving through an ice-free corridor and expanding in a “blitzkrieg ” wave was shown to be inconsistent with extensive genetic variability in Native Americans; a coastal migration route avoids this problem. The present paper demonstrates through a computer simulation model how colonization along coasts and rivers could have rapidly spread the founding lineages widely through North America. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2005. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Exchange-coupled Sm–Co/Nd–Co nanomagnets: correlation between soft phase anisotropy and exchange field

The effect of the magnetic anisotropy of the Nd–Co soft phase on its exchange field (Hex) is reported for epitaxial Sm–Co/Nd–Co bilayers. It is found that Hex gradually increases with anisotropy K of the soft phase. The experimental values of Hex as well as its variation with K are quantitatively interpreted using an analytical model based on the formation of a partial domain wall on the soft phase side of the interface. The results suggest that one can enhance Hex, and hence, the volume fraction of the soft phase for effective exchange spring coupling between the hard and soft phases, by tailoring the anisotropy of the soft phase.
Commissioning an animal preference chamber for behavioral studies with laying hens exposed to atmospheric ammonia

An environmental preference chamber (EPC) with four double-tiered compartments (C1-C4), each capable of being controlled to distinct ammonia (NH"3) concentrations and temperature, was designed, fabricated and commissioned. Preference chambers are commonly used to assess perceptions of small animals such as poultry and young pigs via behavioral feedback response. The stability, control precision and repeatability of an EPC are important for appropriate interpretation of animal response. Thus, EPC commissioning was assessed prior to experimentation with animals. Commissioning performance metrics included: (a) ventilation rate (VR) accuracy, stability, and uniformity among compartments; (b) temperature accuracy, control precision, and uniformity among compartments, and; (c) ammonia concentration accuracy, control precision, and degree of cross-contamination among compartments. Ventilation rate and NH"3 concentration metrics were also used to assess the adequacy of an automated control system. Prior to adding automated controls to the EPC, VR of C1 was 2.0-2.1 air changes per hour (ACH) higher (P=0.001) than those of C2, C3, and C4; excessive NH"3 cross-contamination was detected from C1 (P=0.032) to C2, and from C3 (P=0.024) to C4. After the automated control system was added, VR was uniform among compartments (13.0+/-0.1 ACH) and minimal cross-contamination (4.5+/-0.3ppm"v NH"3) occurred when applying NH"3 to one compartment at a time (P<0.0001). This minimal cross-contamination (<5ppm"v) was considered acceptable for future preference studies. No measurable difference (<1ppm"v) was found in NH"3 concentrations between top and bottom tiers. The EPC design and automated control system together proved capable of: maintaining a constant mean temperature of 23.1+/-0.4^oC (set-point=23^oC) among its compartments; and providing distinct simultaneous NH"3 concentrations (2.5+/-1.1ppm"v, 10.4+/-2.2ppm"v, 22.2+/-1.5ppm"v, and 37.9+/-1.4ppm"v) during a series of tests in which nominal concentrations of 0, 10, 20, and 40ppm"v were randomly applied to all compartments. The EPC was demonstrated to automatically provide consistent, repeatable and uniform thermal and gaseous environments.
Cholesterol and fatty acid synthesis in swine.

In incubation studies with swine tissue slices, acetate-1-14C or glucose-U-14C as substrates were incorporated more readily into fatty acids and cholesterol in adipose tissue than other tissues tested. Cholesterol and fatty acid synthesizing activity was substantial in the small intestine. When acetate was available, liver, small intestine, and adipose tissue were important sites for cholesterol synthesis. Heart and aortic tissue had marginal levels of cholesterol synthesizing ability. Lipogenesis in adult swine liver, heart, and aortic tissue was extremely low. As in tissue slices, incorporation of acetyl-1-14C CoA into fatty acids by adipose homogenates indicated high lipogenic activity. Subcellular fractionations of heart and aortic tissue indicated that the heart microsomal fraction had the highest lipogenic activity as measured by the incorporation of acetyl-1-14C CoA into fatty acids. In adult swine adipose tissue, the incorporation of glucose-U-14C into fatty acid was higher than its incorporation into glyceride-glycerol. The synthesis of glyceride-glycerol from glucose-U-14C or acetate-1-14C in liver was higher than for fatty acid synthesis. The activity of acetyl CoA carboxylase, fatty acid synthetase, citrate cleavage enzyme, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-malate dehydrogenase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase was considerably higher in adipose tissue than in other tissues tested, paralleling its high lipogenic capacity.
Sex differences in perceived attributes of computer-mediated communication.

Researchers have pointed to the influence of sex with respect to the attributes of the computer medium. The author elaborates upon possible sex differences in reference to perceived attributes of the computer medium, i.e., Richness, Accessibility, Velocity, Interactivity, Plasticity, and Immediacy. Data from both a pilot and main study are reported and interpreted. The pilot study included 78 participants, while the main study involved 211. The independent samples were composed of Communication Studies students enrolled at two Mid-Atlantic universities. Nine items with anchors of 1: strongly disagree and 7: strongly agree were taken from the 2000 Computer Mediated Communication Competence Scale of Spitzberg to assess the attributes of computer-mediated interaction. The results indicate that women scored higher than men on perceptions of Accessibility, Velocity, Interactivity, and Immediacy.
Radiating beyond the bandwidth using direct antenna modulation

A broadband transmitter design concept is proposed based on an antenna's nonlinear transient responses when integrated with switching devices. The switches are placed on special locations on the anttenna so that they are able to shut off and turn on the antenna's radiation slots in real time to produce the radiation of narrow pulses. The resonant antenna's bandpass phenomenon, which limits the antenna's bandwidth and further the system bandwidth, can be overcome. Experimental results show that a patch antenna with a resonant frequency of 2.4 GHz and a 30 MHz bandwidth can transmit a digital modulated signal with more than 400 MHz bandwidth.
TRANSPORTATION RESOURCE ALLOCATION BASED ON NEW METHODS OF ACCIDENT REPORTING

A METHOD OF DETERMINING THE BEST SPLIT OF TRANSPORTATION FUNDS AMONG COMPETING HIGHWAY PROJECTS IS PRESENTED. THE METHOD CAN BE APPLIED EQUALLY WELL TO INDUSTRIAL, FARM AND HOME ACCIDENTS OR FIRES. SOME OF THE CONFLICTS WHICH PRESENTLY ARISE BECAUSE OF DATA TAKEN OR SUPPLIED IN ISOLATION FROM REALISTIC SITUATIONS CAN BE RESOLVED BY THE USE OF A PROPOSED NEW METHOD OF ACCIDENT REPORTING. A COMPUTER PROGRAM IS USED TO SHOW HOW FUNDS SHOULD BE REALLOCATED AS THE AVAILABLE RESOURCES GROW OR SHRINK. /AUTHOR/
Word norms for blind and sighted subjects: Familiarity, concreteness, meaningfulness, imageability, imagery modality, and word associations

Normative values for word characteristics were obtained from a sample of 12 college-educated, totally congenitally blind subjects on the basis of their ratings of 161 nouns on scales of familiarity, concreteness, meaningfulness, and imageability. The dominant modality of imagery for each image-evoking word and the strongest word associate for each item also were recorded. The same data were collected for a group of sighted subjects, both to provide a comparison group for the blind subjects and to test the comparability of sighted subjects’ ratings with existing norms. Ratings for sighted subjects correlated strongly with those norms, although the coefficients were slightly higher for ratings of concreteness and imageability than for ratings of familiarity and meaningfulness. Ratings of blind subjects correlated only slightly lower with existing norms for imagery and concreteness, but considerably lower for familiarity and meaningfulness.
Folding and unfolding of chromophoric foldamers show unusual colorful single molecule spectral dynamics.

A series of well-defined linear multichromophoric foldamers with a specific sequence of alternating rigid perylene chromophores and flexible ethylene glycol chains were studied by single molecule fluorescence spectroscopy. Monomer showed minor spectral fluctuations compared to trimer and hexamer, which showed unusual and colorful spectral dynamics attributed to a stochastic photoinduced unfolding/folding phenomenon. The range of spectral shapes observed indicates varying degrees of π−π interaction between adjacent chromophores, with vibronically resolved green emission indicating completely unfolded structures and broad red emission indicating highly coupled and extensively folded π-stacks. The rate of switching between different spectral shapes in the spectral trajectories suggests the existence of multiple pathways between the folded and unfolded states.
On a class of simultaneous rank order tests in MANOCOVA

For the one-criterion multivariate analysis of covariance (MANOCOVA) model, the rank order tests for the overall hypothesis of no treatment effect considered by Quade [9], Puri and Sen [7] and Sen and Puri [11] are extended here to some simultaneous tests for various component hypotheses. The theory is based on an extension of rank order estimates of contrasts in multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) developed by Puri and Sen [6] to the MANOCOVA problem, and is formulated in the set up of Gabriel and Sen [1] and Krishnaiah [3], [4].
Whole cell biosensing via recA::mCherry and LED-based flow-through fluorometry

A miniature flow-through optical cell has been developed with the potential for integration into a stand-alone, potentially disposable whole-cell biosensor platform. The compact and inexpensive optical system is comprised of closely coupled light-emitting diodes (LEDs), light-to-frequency (LTF) photodiodes, and celluloid filters. The system has been optimized to measure fluorescent reporters produced by cultures of biosensor cells in liquid suspension. As demonstration subjects, Escherichia coli cells carrying medium-copy plasmids with fluorescent reporter fusions to the rec promoter were exposed to the DNA-damaging agent mitomycin C (MMC). As reporter proteins, green fluorescent protein (GFP) and red fluorescent protein (RFP) were compared for suitability in the compact instrument. The RFP mCherry outperformed GFP (GFPmut3.1) as a reporter protein in the developed system on two counts. First, measurement distortions due to high optical density suspensions are minimal using RFP compared to GFP. Second, the limit of detection for MMC is estimated at 0.25 nM for recA::mCherry and 2.0 nM for recA::gfpmut3.1. Finally, a measurement method is presented whereby multiple channels of optical data are calibrated in an integrated fashion to allow simultaneous measurement of fluorescence and biomass concentration. The method substantially eliminates optical distortions due to dense samples and thus obviates the conventional need for sample dilution prior to measurement.
Doubleshot: an interactive user-aided segmentation tool

In this paper, we describe an intelligent user interface designed for camera phones to allow mobile users to specify the object of interest in the scene simply by taking two pictures: one with the object and one without the object. By comparing these two images, the system can reliably extract the visual appearance of the object, which can be useful to a wide-range of applications such as content-based image retrieval and object recognition.
Aspirin and thymosin increase interleukin-2 and interferon-γ production by human peripheral blood lymphocytes

Interleukin-2 (IL-2) and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) have recently been added to the arsenal of synthetic biological response modifiers with important immunomodulatory activities. In this paper we have assessed the effects of acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin), thymosin alpha and thymosin fraction 5 (TF5), a partially purified calf thymic preparation, on production of IFN-gamma in vitro. Stimulation by oral aspirin of IL-2 and IFN-gamma production by peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) was also studied in healthy human volunteers. Aspirin, thymosin alpha 1 and TF5 were all observed to enhance phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-stimulated production of IFN-gamma. Peak IFN-gamma production by PHA-stimulated PBLs was observed after 24 h of incubation with TF5 and after 72 h with aspirin. Stimulation by aspirin and TF5 required the presence of macrophages, and was additive and dose-dependent. The additive effects of aspirin and TF5 suggest that these agents act by different mechanisms. Oral administration of aspirin in normal volunteers significantly enhanced production of both IFN-gamma and IL-2. PHA-stimulated IFN-gamma production was greatest 24 h after aspirin ingestion; in contrast, IL-2 production was optimal 10 h after aspirin ingestion. These observations suggest that oral aspirin is an effective biological response modifier in humans and raise the possibility of a novel combination approach to immunomodulation involving cyclooxygenase inhibitors and thymosins.
ENVIRONMENTAL HYDROCARBONS AND THE ROLE OF GAS STERILIZED EQUIPMENT IN THE ICN. • 1297

In our study of invivo lipid peroxidation, we measured levels of expired alkane gases in preterm neonates using respiratory circuits. Ethane, pentane, butane, propane and hexane levels were measured by gas chromatography(Shimadzu 14A with a flame ionization detector, silica gel and Poropak-Q® columns, H2 carrier gas) with aliquots of 50ml collected in hydrocarbon(HC) free gas tight glass syringes. Propane cannot be distinguished by our technique unless C3-C5 analyte levels are <50ppb. At the outset, we noted a persistent, frequent and often unpredictable background contamination. Thus, we conducted a systematic evaluation of both gas sterilized (ethylene dioxide) and cold sterilized (H2O2) equipment (such as syringes, respiratory circuits, etc), the neonate's micro-environment (isolette with various gas sterilized equipments e.g. bag and mask), the ICN macro environment (Intensive and Transitional rooms ventilated with recirculated filtered air) and the wall outlet gas supplies. The HC levels in ppb at several sites are listed below: Table The consistently highest HC concentrations were measured in equipment that had undergone gas sterilization. The presence of significant HC pollution both in the micro and macro environment is of concern and further studies are needed to evaluate risk/benefit of gas sterilization of equipment and its contribution to environmental hydrocarbons.
MEK/ERK regulates adherens junctions and migration through Rac1.

Polyamine depletion with the ornithine decarboxylase inhibitor α-difluoromethyl ornithine (DFMO), prevents Rac1 activation causing the formation of a thick actin cortex at the cell periphery and inhibits migration of intestinal epithelial cells. In the present study, we demonstrate that MEK activation by EGF increased Rac1 activation, dissociation of intercellular contacts, and migration in both control and polyamine-depleted cells, while U0126, a specific inhibitor of MEK1, prevented disruption of junctions as well as EGF-induced Rac1 activation. Constitutively active MEK1 (CA-MEK) expression altered cell–cell contacts in control and polyamine depleted cells. The expression of constitutively active Rac1 (CA-Rac1) restored β-catenin to the cell periphery and prevented the formation of actin cortex and caused the appearance of F-actin stress fibers in polyamine-depleted cells. Inhibition of Rac activation by NSC23766, a specific inhibitor of Tiam1, an upstream guanidine nucleotide exchange factor for Rac1, reproduced the β-catenin localization and actin structure of polyamine-depleted cells. Tiam1 localized more extensively with β-catenin at the cell periphery in CA-Rac1 cells compared to vector cells. Polyamine depletion decreased the expression of E-cadherin to a greater extent compared to β-catenin. Subcellular fractionation further confirmed our immuno-localization and western blotting observations. These data suggest that EGF acting through MEK1/ERK to activate Rac1 regulates cell–cell contacts. Thus, decreased migration in polyamine depleted cells may be due to the inhibition of Tiam1 activation of Rac1 and the subsequent decreased expression of β-catenin and E-cadherin leading to reduced cell–cell contacts. Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 2007. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Frequencies of low-degree solar acoustic oscillations and the phase of the solar cycle

A study of the solar total irradiance data of the Active Cavity Radiometer Irradiance Monitor on the SMM satellite shows a small but formally significant shift in the frequencies of solar acoustic (p-mode) oscillations between the epochs of maximum and minimum solar activity. Specifically, the mean frequency of the strongest p-mode resonances of low spherical-harmonic degree (l = 0-2) is approximately 1.3 parts in 10,000 higher in 1980, near the time of sunspot maximum, than at around 1985, near sunspot minimum. The observed frequency shift may be an 11-yr effect but the precise mechanism is not clear.
Two-photon excitation improves multifocal structured illumination microscopy in thick scattering tissue

Multifocal structured illumination microscopy (MSIM) provides a twofold resolution enhancement beyond the diffraction limit at sample depths up to 50 µm, but scattered and out-of-focus light in thick samples degrades MSIM performance. Here we implement MSIM with a microlens array to enable efficient two-photon excitation. Two-photon MSIM gives resolution-doubled images with better sectioning and contrast in thick scattering samples such as Caenorhabditis elegans embryos, Drosophila melanogaster larval salivary glands, and mouse liver tissue.
FUBAI: differing Chinese views of corruption since Tiananmen: does a road paved with corruption lead to socialism?

Corruption, particularly in the public official based definition which is dominant in reform China, involves the violation of administrative ethics and responsibilities for private gain. Corruption has long been a key factor in analyzing and understanding modernization in Communist and Third World countries. Corruption has the potential to undermine a regime's legitimacy and power as well as a nation's economy. Moreover, by contributing to both economic and political polarization, it also has the potential to significantly influence the social stratification and overall social structure of societies in the midst of significant political, economic and social transformation; in other words, how they ‘modernize’. While the majority of Chinese analyses of corruption recognize the threat posed by corruption, they disagree on the sources and consequences of such corruption, and thus on the means for controlling and/or eliminating it. The success of any anti-corruption process is determined by a) the causes and ...
The Effects of Obesity and Workload on Hand Grip Endurance

The present study examined the relationship between obesity and workload on hand grip strength and endurance. Twenty-two participants (11 non-obese and 11 obese) attended four experimental sessions, each session involving hand grip strength testing and sustained endurance task at a specified relative workload level (20, 40, 60, and 80% of maximum voluntary contraction (MVC)). Dependent measures included absolute hand grip strength, endurance time, and rate of strength loss. Results indicated that obesity was associated with higher absolute hand grip strength and faster rate of strength loss during the endurance task. Additionally, shorter endurance times were observed for the obese group (~26-53% reduction from non-obese group) during the higher workload tasks in both males and females. Findings from this study suggest that obesity impairs hand grip fatigability, and that this relationship is augmented at higher workload levels.
Near-complete pathological response of chordoma to high-dose single-fraction radiotherapy: case report.

OBJECTIVE High-dose, single-fraction radiotherapy, also known as radiosurgery, has theoretical advantages for the treatment of chordoma, which is considered resistant to conventional radiation therapy. Demonstration of biological effectiveness, as indicated by pathological response of a chordoma specimen after such radiotherapy, has not previously been reported. CLINICAL PRESENTATION A 72-year-old man presented with lower back pain and was found to have an L3 vertebral mass. Open biopsy yielded chordoma. He was considered for en bloc resection, but definitive radiation therapy was preferred owing to medical comorbidities and concern for field contamination from the previous biopsy. INTERVENTION The patient underwent single-fraction, high-dose, image-guided radiation therapy to the tumor. Two months later, he underwent kyphoplasty because of recurrent pain. A core biopsy performed at that time showed viable chordoma. Four months after treatment, he underwent L3 corpectomy because of symptoms of mechanical instability. Pathology now showed near-complete necrosis of the resected chordoma. CONCLUSION Preoperative, single-fraction radiotherapy for chordoma induced a near-complete pathological response in this patient. That the effect was seen at 4 months but not 2 months after treatment suggests a time-dependent effect. This case suggests a promising role for single-fraction, image-guided radiation therapy in the treatment of chordoma.
Development and Validation of a Negative-Strand-Specific Reverse Transcription-PCR Assay for Detection of a Chicken Strain of Hepatitis E Virus: Identification of Nonliver Replication Sites

As a positive-strand RNA virus, hepatitis E virus (HEV) produces an intermediate negative-strand RNA when it replicates. Thus, the detection of negative-strand viral RNA is indicative of HEV replication. The objective of this study was to develop a negative-strand-specific reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) assay for the identification of extrahepatic sites of HEV replication. Briefly, a 494-bp fragment within the orf1 gene of a chicken strain of HEV (designated avian HEV) was amplified and cloned into a pSK plasmid. A synthetic negative-strand viral RNA was generated from the plasmid by in vitro transcription and was used to standardize the assay. A nested set of primers was designed to amplify a 232-bp fragment of the negative-strand viral RNA. The assay was found to detect up to 10 pg and 10−5 pg of negative-strand HEV RNA in first- and second-round PCRs, respectively. The standardized negative-strand-specific RT-PCR assay was subsequently used to test 13 conveniently obtained tissue specimens collected sequentially on different days postinoculation from chickens experimentally infected with avian HEV. In addition to the liver, the negative-strand-specific RT-PCR assay identified replicative viral RNA in gastrointestinal tissues, including the colorectal, cecal, jejunal, ileal, duodenal, and cecal tonsil tissues. The detection of replicative viral RNA in these tissues indicates that after oral ingestion of the virus, HEV replicates in the gastrointestinal tract before it reaches the liver. This is the first report on the identification of extrahepatic sites of HEV replication in animals after experimental infection via the natural route. The assay should be of value for studying HEV replication and pathogenesis.
The First Colonization of the Meditterranean Islands: A Review of Recent Research

This paper attempts to synthesize the significant developments that have taken place during the 1980s in the study of the earliest occupation of the Mediterranean islands. It has become clear that there do exist a few instances of Paleolithic occupation of true islands, but many similar claims have been refuted, remain contentious, or are irrelevant to the issue of insular colonization. A ninth millennium BP human presence can now be demonstrated, admittedly with data of very variable quality, on all the larger islands or island groups; on Cyprus, the Aktrotiri Aetokremmos site offers evidence one or two millennia earlier. The main colonization phase for smaller islands, however, lies between the seventh and fourth millennia BP, beginning in the Aegean slightly earlier than had previously been supposed. Important interpretative advances have been made in areas such as the late Pleistocene and early Holocene palaeogeography of the Mediterranean islands, the relationship of man to faunal extinctions or introduction, and the predictive modelling of island colonization.
Postdoctoral education in prosthodontics

Abstract My interest is in educating rather than training prosthodontic postdoctoral students. My interest is in seeing that students are aware of all of the methods of treatment available in all of the phases of fixed and removable prosthodontics. I think that it is most important that postdoctoral students develop creative and critical thinking abilities so that they never suffer from the nonsense of useless memorization. Demonstrate to them that prosthodontics can be an engaging intellectual pursuit and not merely a muscle exercise. Do everything possible to create in postdoctoral students an interest in and an affinity toward the propagation of prosthodontic information, and encourage them in every way to become teachers. They should become institutional teachers and/or teachers from the lecture platforms at the dental meetings of the world. I have made no attempt here to expose the details of course content. My plea is a general one. It is to raise intellectualism in prosthodontic education above the level of interest at which outsiders believe we have too long held techniques and to include in our plans a growing, demanding need for teachers in prosthodontics. This is no selfish plea for propagation of our species to serve our interests but, rather, a concern that our fellow citizens may not receive full value at the hands of well meaning but slimly informed legislators and administrators whom we have not educated.
Extended tests for non-zero between-study variance

The ANOVA F-test, James tests and generalized F-test are extended to test hypotheses on the between-study variance for values greater than zero. Using simulations, we compare the performance of extended test procedures with respect to the actual attained type I error rate. Examples are provided to demonstrate the application of the procedures in ANOVA models and meta-analysis.
Relative changes in F-actin during the first cell cycle: evidence for two distinct pools of F-actin in the sea urchin egg.

The cortical actin cytoskeleton undergoes dramatic rearrangements during fertilization of sea urchin eggs. To characterize these changes further, we quantified the relative changes in filamentous actin (F-actin) during fertilization and the first cell cycle in both intact eggs and in isolated cortices by quantitative fluorescence microscopy. The level of F-actin in the intact egg decreased after fertilization and continued to decrease throughout the first cell cycle. By 60 min after fertilization, the level of F-actin had decreased to 50% of the unfertilized sea urchin egg. By cytokinesis, the level of F-actin had decreased to 30% of the unfertilized egg. After completion of cell division, individual blastomeres had 10% of the F-actin in the unfertilized egg. In contrast, there was an increase in cortical F-actin to 370% of the level in the unfertilized egg after fertilization. This increase corresponded to the formation of microvilli. There was little change in the level of cortical F-actin during the first cell cycle. We draw parallels to other systems that increase the amount of F-actin in the Triton-insoluble cytoskeleton by recruiting actin from a Triton-soluble pool of F-actin. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Automatic counting of chromosome fragments for the determination of radiation dose

A correlation exists between chromosome breakage and radiation exposure so that counting chromosome fragments can provide a measure of the radiation dose to an organism. We describe our method for automatically counting prematurely condensed chromosome fragments from microscope images of the exploded nucleus. An alternative perhaps more promising non-imaging approach using flow karyotyping is also discussed. 1 .© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
On the systematic bias in skeletal sexing

Comparison of a large series of sexed adult skeletal populations and a similar series of adult pre-industrial peoples shows that there is a regular and systematic bias in the sexing of adult skeletons. This bias, which is about 12% in favor of males, is due to the nature of secondary sex characteristics in bone. It should be corrected in skeletal series before demographic analysis is made of them. Application of this knowledge and the same data to problems of age-specific male and female mortality rates is inconclusive, but points to an area for important future investigation. Application to the fossil record confirms some ecological ideas about human evolution.
Improving the retrieval effectiveness of very short queries

Abstract This paper describes an automatic approach designed to improve the retrieval effectiveness of very short queries such as those used in web searching. The method is based on the observation that stemming, which is designed to maximize recall, often results in depressed precision. Our approach is based on pseudo-feedback and attempts to increase the number of relevant documents in the pseudo-relevant set by reranking those documents based on the presence of unstemmed query terms in the document text. The original experiments underlying this work were carried out using Smart 11.0 and the lnc.ltc weighting scheme on three sets of documents from the TREC collection with corresponding TREC (title only) topics as queries. (The average length of these queries after stoplisting ranges from 2.4 to 4.5 terms.) Results, evaluated in terms of P@20 and non-interpolated average precision, showed clearly that pseudo-feedback (PF) based on this approach was effective in increasing the number of relevant documents in the top ranks. Subsequent experiments, performed on the same data sets using Smart 13.0 and the improved Lnu.ltu weighting scheme, indicate that these results hold up even over the much higher baseline provided by the new weights. Query drift analysis presents a more detailed picture of the improvements produced by this process.
Einstein's equivalence principle. An explicit statement and its derivation from special relativistic presymmetry

We propose a statement of the observable implications of the equivalence principle that is precise and general rather than allusive and illustrative. This statement is derived from previously formulated principles of special-relativistic presymmetry. The substantial identity of our result with Einstein's curved-space formulation is exhibited.
Theoretical solution for the cool-down or warm-up process of a pipeline or a packed bed

For planning the start-up procedure of a pipeline under realistic conditions the cool-down or warm-up behaviour should be known in advance. The relation between the cool-down or warm-up time and the mass-flow rate in the pipeline should be known in particular. Based on heat balances theoretical relations had been derived to enable appropriate estimations. These derived theoretical relations are also valid for the cool-down or warm-up of packed beds used as heat accumulators, e.g., in regenerators. A simple experimental method is suggested to determine the heat transfer coefficient in a packed bed using the theoretical relation for the gas temperature as a function of time and length. As all variables in the formulae are dimensionless, normalized diagrams have been developed, which are valid for all the cases discussed.
Electrophysiological analysis of the hippocampal septal projections. II. Functional characteristics.

1. The septum and dorsal hippocampus were exposed in rats by the ablation of the overlying cortex and corpus callosum. The hippocampal efferent system, fornix and fimbria, were stimulated with either single or paired shocks and field potentials, extra- and intra-cellular unitary potentials were recorded in the lateral septal nucleus. 2. The double-shock pairing within the same hippocampal system resulted in facilitation of the monosynaptic test field response. 3. Pairing across systems resulted in long-term suppressions of the mono-synaptic test field response. 4. IPSPs and lack of convergence of excitatory input are responsible for the long-term suppression. 5. It is suggested that the IPSPs are mediated via interneurons, and that some of which at least are activated recurrently. 6. Hippocampal stimulation suppresses the amygdaloid evoked field response for very long periods, often beyond 1000 msec.
Phosphorescence Spectra and Analyses of Some Indole Derivatives.

Phosphorescence spectra of solutions frozen and at low temperatures (77°K) possess more characteristic structure and detail than fluorescence spectra. They contain no background due to scattering of the exciting radiation. Thus greater analytical specificity and sensitivity are obtained. Some indole derivatives indistinguishable by spectrofluorimetry are easily differentiated by spectrophosphorimetry.
μ-Opioid receptor binding in intact SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells

Abstract In order to determine affinities at the μ opioid receptor binding was conducted to intact SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells using the μ-selective ligand [3H][H-D-Phe-Cys-Tyr-D-Trp-Orn-Thr-Pen-Thr-NH2] ([3H]CTOP). Binding appeared to be to a single receptor site, and a single state of the μ receptor. Under intact cell conditions, some but not all μ agonists display low affinity binding, while antagonists maintain high affinity for the μ receptor. These studies indicate the usefulness of [3H]CTOP for the determination of affinities at the μ receptor under physiological conditions.