cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characterization of mitochondrial function in human breast cancer cell lines and transmitochondrial cybrids

4480 Somatic mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations have long been suspected to play a role in the development of cancer. Although most cancer cells harbor altered mtDNA, whether such mtDNA alterations contribute to the development of cancer remains unclear. To understand the role of altered mitochondria and their involvement in pathogenic mechanism of cancer cells, we study the mitochondrial function in breast cancer cell lines and the transmitochondrial cybrid cells. By growing the breast cancer cells in galactose medium, the metabolic stress forces the cell to rely solely on the mitochondrial respiratorychain to produce ATP. Breast cancer cell lines demonstrate significant reduction in cell growth when grown in galactose medium compared to glucose medium. Cell death occurs in MDA-MB-468 and MDA-MB231 when galactose medium was used, suggesting mitochondrial dysfunction in these cell lines. The ATP synthesis rate is almost zero in MDA-MB-468 cells. All transmitochondrial cybrids containing mitochondria from normal or cancer cell lines grow at similar rate in galactose, although slower than in glucose medium, except MDA-MB-468 cybrid, that die in galactose medium. This observation is consistent with mitochondrial DNA defects. The rescue of MDA-MB231 cells in the cybrid, suggests that the mitochondrial dysfunction in this cell line is due to nuclear gene defect. ROS production is significantly increased in transmitochondrial cybrids containing breast cancer mitochondria when compared to cells containing normal breast epithelial mitochondria. Consistently, the MDA-MB-468 transmitochondrial cybrid demonstrates much lower ATP synthesis rate than other cybrids. The MDA-MB-468 cybrid also shows absence of cytochrome c release and caspase 3 activation. In the presence of ATP depletion and the blockage of caspase-dependent apoptotic pathway, the upstream proapoptotic signals induce necrotic cell death. In conclusion, our data illustrate that mitochondrial dysfunction plays a crucial role in regulating the growth of breast cancer cells. It also provides insights into the development of mitochondrial targeted cancer therapy.
Service Oriented iPhone Application Development using Xcode

In this research, an iPhone application has been developed using the latest IOS 5 operating system with the new feature storyboards, object-c, JSON, and Hpple parser using Xcode. The app will launch a splash screen for a web site where a list of icons will take the user to different screens. Some added features on the app are Map view, link to Sakai and feedback icons. The rich user interface in this app makes it more interesting with different gestures like swipe, tap and pinch. This app will be of a great use to the University students with the smart phones. It provides users easy access to the web site and the online materials who can view them anywhere with a handhold device.
Outdoor PCS MIMO wireless communication channel phenomenology

In this paper, experimental investigation of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) channel-probing estimation are reported for outdoor environments near the PCS frequency allocation (1.79 GHz). A simple channel parameterization and channel distance metrics are introduced. Channel complexity and channel stationarity are also investigated. Complexity is associated with channel-matrix singular value distributions. Stationarity is associated with the stability of channel singular value and singular vector structure over time.
Convergence conditions for an optimal solution in adaptive recursive filters

In this paper, a One Step Adaptive Recursive Prediction Filter (OSARPF) is described. OSARPF is an adaptive filter for recursive systems and is suitable for parameter estimation problems. By representing the recursion in matrix notation, blocks of input data are used for adaptation. Using the past reference input for recursion, the adaptive filter can be shown to converge to an optimal solution. Adaptation equations are then developed for updating the coefficients of the adaptive filter and the adaptation process can be shown to converge to the optimal solution.
Air-pressure-induced colon injury during diagnostic colonoscopy.

Abstract During colonoscopy, pressurized air is slowly introduced to distend the bowel lumen. This study describes the effect of colonoscopically introduced air pressure on dog, pig, and human cadaver colon and reports measurement of intraluminal air pressure during routine colonoscopy. Four commonly used endoscopic power sources delivered air at pressures in excess of 300 mmHg. Dog colon could not be ruptured by the maximal air pressure generated. In contrast, serosal tears, pneumatosis, and transmural rupture developed in both pig and human cadaver colon at air pressure Jess than 225 mmHg. In every instance, less air pressure was required to produce damage to the right as compared to the left colon. For example, human cadaver cecum ruptured at a mean intraluminal air pressure of only 81 mmHg, while a pressure of 169 mmHg was required for disruption of the sigmoid. During routine colonoscopy in 34 patients, intraluminal pressures ranged from 9–57 mmHg when the endoscope tip was free in the bowel lumen. Maximum pressures observed were usually recorded at a time when the endoscope tip was impacted against the bowel wall and pressures ranged between 34–138 mmHg. This investigation demonstrates that current standard colonoscopic equipment can deliver air at pressures great enough to damage the colon wall; and although intraluminal pressure usually remains low during colonoscopy, potentially it may exceed a level associated with serosal and mucosal tears.
The Challenge of Library Management: Leading with Emotional Engagement. Vanduinkerken, Wyoma, and Mosley, Pixey Anne

I review quite a few books and media every year; much of the content is rather normal, useful for the profession, and of value to library collections. It is rare that I come across a book that not ...
Optimal management of digital ulcers in systemic sclerosis

Raynaud’s phenomenon and digital ulcerations are two common clinical features seen in patients with systemic sclerosis. They are painful and lead to significant morbidity and altered hand function within this patient population. While currently there are no US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medications for the treatment of digital ulcerations in the United States, clinical trials have supported the use of pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic modalities in facilitating healing of existing digital ulcers and preventing formation of new ulcers. This article reviews the published data on these therapeutic options.
Ovidian Ambivalence and Responses to Myrrha in Zimmerman’s Metamorphoses and Bidart’s Desire

In the Metamorphoses Ovid authorizes opposing responses to the figure of Myrrha and her incestuous desire. While Ovid’s Orpheus (who narrates Myrrha’s story) condemns Myrrha at the outset of the tale, Ovid’s portrayal of Myrrha may invite an audience’s sympathy. The unclear cause of Myrrha’s desire and Myrrha’s own recognition of the social force of pudor allow her to be viewed as a mortal caught in an impossible predicament rather than as a unclean criminal. Ovid allows audience members to decide how they will respond to Myrrha. Mary Zimmerman’s Metamorphoses reshapes the story of Myrrha to fit an economy of reward and punishment. In Zimmerman’s play Myrrha becomes a representative of abnormal and culpable desire who is punished and then made to disappear, like a bad dream. Frank Bidart takes an opposite tack in his Desire. Bidart presents Myrrha as an embodiment of the difficulties of desire and encourages an audience to offer her not merely sympathy but even empathy, since her desire cannot be decisively distinguished from our own.
Abstract IA2: Accelerating natural product discovery with multivariate image-based screening

Multiparameter phenotypic profiling has emerged as a powerful tool for characterizing small molecules and their effects on complex biological systems. In particular, the union of high-throughput screening technologies with automated microscopy and image processing has enabled the development of multiparameter image-based profiling techniques (also called “cytological profiling”), in which cells are imaged in multiwell plate format using automated fluorescence microscopy and the resulting images are quantified in terms of various descriptors, or “features.” Rather than focusing on a specific phenotype or biological endpoint, CP strategies employ multiple cytological probes that are selected to cover a wide range of biological pathways. Although CP has been used successfully to classify diverse bioactive compounds, its application in the area of natural products (NP) discovery has been limited. Here we describe the use of cytological profiling to discover natural products with novel mechanisms of action (MOAs). The goal of this project is to invert the NP discovery process from the traditional approach, where compound identification and function are the final steps in the discovery process, to a new paradigm where identities and functions of active constituents are determined directly from primary screening data and lead compounds are selected based on chemical and biological novelty prior to isolation and full structural characterization. Futhermore, the integration of CP fingerprints with metabolomics data allows us to rapidly associate compounds with phenotypes and prioritize unique chemistries for follow up. Citation Format: Scott M. Lokey. Accelerating natural product discovery with multivariate image-based screening [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Chemical Systems Biology: Assembling and Interrogating Computational Models of the Cancer Cell by Chemical Perturbations; 2012 Jun 27-30; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(13 Suppl):Abstract nr IA2.
1066. A Novel Class of Miniature Stabilized Double-Stranded AAV (msdsAAV) Vectors for the In Vivo Expression of Short Hairpin RNAs

Top of pageAbstract Double-stranded adeno-associated viral (dsAAV) vectors are currently emerging as a powerful tool for the in vitro and in vivo expression of short hairpin RNA (shRNA), to induce RNAi-mediated gene silencing. In these vectors, the shRNA expression cassette is typically flanked by a full-length AAV-2 ITR (inverted terminal repeat) and a mutant form devoid of the terminal resolution site (trs), blocking the AAV DNA replication cycle and creating the ds phenotype. However, two inherent drawbacks have prevented the clinical evaluation of dsAAVs thus far: 1) the near sequence identity of the mutant and intact ITRs promotes their frequent recombination, resulting in repair of the mutation or in partial ITR deletion, and thus loss of the ds phenotype; and 2) the usually small size of shRNA expression cassettes, and the presumed lower DNA packaging limit of AAV capsids, require the additional and undesirable encapsidation of stuffer DNA. Here, we present an improved dsAAV vector design which overcomes both limitations and thus represents a better candidate for clinical evaluation. The major advance was replacement of the mutant AAV-2 ITR with a trs-deleted AAV-4 repeat, sharing 80% on protein level). Notably, both double-stranded vectors (sds/msds) were significantly more potent than an identical dose of a conventional single-stranded AAV-8 expressing the same shRNA. In conclusion, msdsAAVs represent a novel class of powerful vectors for persistent and robust in vivo shRNA expression, which should be particularly interesting for clinical development due to the uniqueabsence of stuffer DNA sequences.
Effects of various agents on the priming activity of DNA for Escherichia coli DNA polymerase

When a dilute solution of DNA was subjected to a dose of 1000 rontgens of X-rays, its priming activity for Escherichia coli DNA polymerase was decreased when assayed at high concentrations of DNA but was increased when low concentrations of DNA were used in the polymerase assay system. When other agents known to produce single- and double-strand breaks (DNase I, DNase II and ultrasound) were used to treat DNA to give the same decrease in the specific viscosity as that produced by 1000 rontgens, its priming activity was increased irrespective of the concentration of DNA used in the polymerase assay. Treatment of the primer with ultraviolet irradiation decreased priming activity at all concentrations of DNA used in the polymerase assay. Heat denaturation produced an effect upon priming activity similar to that of X-irradiation: a decrease in activity was observed only when high concentrations of DNA were used in the polymerase assay. It is possible, therefore, that single-stranded regions present in irradiated DNA account for the observed changes in priming activity. However, the possibility that X-irradiation produces more than one type of structural alteration in DNA cannot be excluded.
The effect of hemicholinium-3 on the in vivo formation of cerebral phosphatidylcholine

SUMMARY The effect of hemicholinium-3 on the incorporation of [Me-%]choline into the phospholipids of the subcellular fractions of the canine caudate nucleus was studied. A correlation between the amount of hemicholinium-3 administered and increased choline incorporation into phospholipids was obtained. The analysis of the labeled phospholipids revealed that 93% of the radioactivity was in phosphatidylcholine and the remainder in lysophosphatidyl choline and sphingomyelin + choline plasmalogens. The specific radioactivity of phosphatidylcholine (countslmin per ,ug phosphorus) determined after its isolation by thin-layer chromatography, increased markedly as a result of the administration of hemicholinium. An unequal time-dependence in the labeling of the phosphatidylcholine in the subcellular fraction containing nerve endings, mitochondria and lysosomes, as opposed to the phosphatidylcholine of the microsomal fraction was also noted, particularly after the administration of hemicholinium and choline in a weight ratio of 500. Discontinuous density gradient centrifugation of the fraction containing the nerve endings, the mitochondria and the lysosomes showed that phosphatidylcholine formation was most affected by hemicholinium in the fraction containing the “heavy” nerve endings, followed by the fraction containing the mitochondria + lysosomes. It is suggested that hemicholinium acts by accelerating the intracellular rate of movement of choline from the water-soluble into the lipid pool of the caudate nucleus where, by virtue of its presencelQ, it subsequently also stimulates the incorporation of choline into membrane phosphatidylcholine.
Youth's perceptions of HIV infection risk: a sex-specific test of two risk models.

The study examines the associations between the cumulative and additive risk models and Nigerian youth's likelihood of perceiving vulnerability to HIV infection. Both models of risk seem to provide unique contributions to such understanding. The analysis is based on data from the 2003 Demographic and Health survey in Nigeria. For males, the model of cumulative risk revealed a consistent and positive association between the number of risk factors experienced and perceived vulnerability to HIV infection. For females, the same model revealed that those who had experienced two risk factors perceived more vulnerability to HIV infection than those who had experienced three risk factors. The model of additive risk revealed that having had a sexually transmitted disease was associated with males' perceptions of vulnerability to HIV infection, whereas past sexual activity and having had multiple sexual partners were linked to females' perceptions of vulnerability. These sex-specific findings are highly relevant for HIV prevention and intervention programmes for youth in sub-Saharan Africa as we strive to reverse current trends in the epidemic. Keywords: additive risk model, Africa, cross-sectional study, cumulative risk model, high-risk behavioural factors, malefemale differentials, multiple partners, Nigeria, risk perception, sexual behaviour, vulnerability to HIV infection African Journal of AIDS Research 2007, 6(1): 1–8
Keck Spectroscopy of ROSAT Ultraluminous X-Ray Source Candidates

We present results of optical follow-up observations of ultraluminous X-ray source (ULX) candidates. A published ROSAT catalog of 87 ULX candidates named 19 of these as having optical counterparts in Digitized Sky Survey (DSS) images. Using Keck optical spectroscopy, we classify 16 ULX candidates in this subset as well as one other ULX candidate from the catalog with a counterpart in the DSS. This is one of the largest sets of optical identifications of such objects thus far. Fifteen are background active galactic nuclei (AGNs); two are foreground stars in our Galaxy. These findings are consistent with background and foreground object expectations, as derived from log N - log S relations. The logarithmic X-ray to optical flux ratios of these objects are also typical of background and foreground objects. Finally, we discuss the nature of ULX candidates outside the optical extent of their apparent host galaxies.
Effect of Heat Loss on Pulse-Detonation-Engine Flow Fields and Performance

The present study addresses the influence of convective heat losses on the flowfield and performance of pulse detonation engines (PDE). We investigate the simplest PDE configuration of a single-cycle straight detonation tube open at one end. The gasdynamics are modeled by a simple one-dimensional formulation and solved by the method of characteristics. Previous heat-flux measurements obtained in hydrogen-air and hydrogen-oxygen detonation experiments are used to calibrate the convective heat-flux model. The results are compared with previous experiments in hydrogen, propane, and ethylene mixtures with either oxygen or air. The present model is found in very good agreement with experiment and reveals how the influence of heat losses is manifested on the pressure profiles inside the detonation tube. It is shown that the nondimensional tube length L/D, where D is tube diameter, governs the amount of losses, the rate of pressure decay at the thrust wall, and hence the specific impulse. The present study reveals that the specific impulse losses vary quasi-linearly with L/D ,r eaching a deficit of approximately 20% in tube geometries of L/D = 50.
Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging in neuro-ophthalmology. Demonstration of a pontine glioma☆

The development of nuclear magnetic resonance imaging techniques provides the physician with a non-invasive means of obtaining anatomic, physiologic and biochemical information about neuro-ophthalmic disorders. The authors summarize the principles of nuclear magnetic resonance imaging and present a case report illustrating its particular application to the demonstration of a pontine glioma.
Hepatic nuclear envelope cytochrome P-450 in rats fed 2-acetylaminofluorene. Effect of dietary fats and butylated hydroxytoluene

Abstract Early losses of nuclear envelope (NE) cytochrome P-450 occur during 2-acetylaminofluorene (AAF)-hepatocarcinogenesis. Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), which protects against AAF in rats fed high fat diets, preserves NE P-450 suggesting that the latter may be required for AAF detoxification. AAF-hepatocarcinogenesis is enhanced by increasing the amount or degree of unsaturation of dietary fats. The present studies show that in rats fed AAF in high fat diets BHT preservation of NE P-450 is considerably shorter (3 weeks) with polyunsaturated than with saturated fat (9 weeks). In rats fed AAF in a low fat diet, where BHT does not modify the low tumor incidence, there is a bimodal effect on NE P-450. In controls and AAF-fed rats, BHT causes significantinduction of NE P-450 at 1 – 3 weeks. At 9 – 16 weeks BHT has no effect on controls and only partially preserves NE P-450 in AAF-fed rats. Due to time constraints, livers could not be utilized fresh, but they were kept frozen at −80°C until processed. Thus, specimens from all groups underwent identical treatment for purposes of comparative studies.
A Micromechanical Basis for Constitutive Equations With Internal State Variables

Developpement d'un tel modele, base sur le glissement et l'interaction de dislocations, pour rationaliser les caracteristiques phenomenologiques de la deformation inelastique
Impact of liver disease after the fontan operation

Liver disease is being reported with increased frequency in survivors of the Fontan operation. The clinical impact of structural hepatic abnormalities in these patients remains largely unknown. We sought to assess if, and how, cardiologists are screening for hepatic disease in these patients to evaluate for clinical or laboratory correlates of structural hepatic disease and determine the prevalence and clinical impact of such disease. Retrospective data analysis from tertiary institutions was performed. Hepatic imaging studies and serology performed over the last decade were reviewed and clinical and laboratory correlates of structural hepatic alterations on liver imaging or biopsy were sought. Outcomes were determined. In this cohort study, 53 of 60 adult survivors (88%) underwent hepatic imaging with computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, or ultrasound with a median number of 2 (0 to 10) studies over the past decade. The frequency of hepatic imaging varied widely with 70% of patients undergoing serial studies. Cirrhosis with or without abnormal hepatic nodules was seen in 29 of 53 patients (55%) at 18.4 ± 5.6 years after the Fontan procedure. Adverse hepatic-related outcome occurred in 22% of the entire patient cohort and was unrelated to time from Fontan operation. In conclusion, there exists significant variability in the type and timing of testing for hepatic complications after the Fontan procedure. Structural hepatic alterations are common and can be associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Routine imaging, and serologic evaluation, is recommended in all Fontan survivors.
Application of Amphipols for Structure–Functional Analysis of TRP Channels

Amphipathic polymers (amphipols), such as A8-35 and SApol, are a new tool for stabilizing integral membrane proteins in detergent-free conditions for structural and functional studies. Transient receptor potential (TRP) ion channels function as tetrameric protein complexes in a diverse range of cellular processes including sensory transduction. Mammalian TRP channels share ~20 % sequence similarity and are categorized into six subfamilies: TRPC (canonical), TRPV (vanilloid), TRPA (ankyrin), TRPM (melastatin), TRPP (polycystin), and TRPML (mucolipin). Due to the inherent difficulties in purifying eukaryotic membrane proteins, structural studies of TRP channels have been limited. Recently, A8-35 was essential in resolving the molecular architecture of the nociceptor TRPA1 and led to the determination of a high-resolution structure of the thermosensitive TRPV1 channel by cryo-EM. Newly developed maltose-neopentyl glycol (MNG) detergents have also proven to be useful in stabilizing TRP channels for structural analysis. In this review, we will discuss the impacts of amphipols and MNG detergents on structural studies of TRP channels by cryo-EM. We will compare how A8-35 and MNG detergents interact with the hydrophobic transmembrane domains of TRP channels. In addition, we will discuss what these cryo-EM studies reveal on the importance of screening different types of surfactants toward determining high-resolution structures of TRP channels.
Imaging the neural substrates involved in the genesis of pentylenetetrazol-induced seizures.

Summary: Purpose: Functional imaging of animal models makes it possible to map the functional neuroanatomy contributing to the genesis of seizures. Pentylenetetrazol (PTZ)-induced seizure in rats, a relevant model of human absence and of generalized tonic–clonic epilepsy, was used to stimulate seizure activity within 30 s of administration while collecting continuous, high-resolution, multislice images at subsecond intervals. Methods: Pilot studies were conducted to establish a quick and effective PTZ model for the imaging experiments. PTZ was then used to stimulate seizure activity in rats while collecting multislice functional MRI (fMRI) images from the entire forebrain at 4.7 Tesla. Ethosuximide (ESM) also was used to block seizure activity. Results: Within 2–4 s of PTZ administration, a rapid increase in blood oxygen level–dependent (BOLD) signal intensity was noted in the thalamus, especially the anterior thalamic nuclei. Activity in the anterior thalamus peaked ∼15 s before seizure onset and was more than twofold greater than that in all other thalamic areas. The retrosplenial cortex showed a twofold greater increase in activity as compared with other cortical areas, also peaking at ∼15 s. The dentate gyrus was twice as active as other hippocampal areas but peaked just before seizure onset. Treatment with ESM blocked seizures, decreasing PTZ-induced activation in most forebrain areas. The anterior thalamus and retrosplenial cortex were essentially blocked by pretreatment with ESM. Conclusions: The anterior thalamus, retrosplenial cortex, and dentate gyrus show the greatest increases in BOLD signal activity before seizure onset. Neurons in these areas may contribute to the neural network controlling the initiation of generalized tonic–clonic seizure.
Anesthetic sensitivity: learning to fly.

Our ever-increasing knowledge of the human genome has revealed the genetic basis underlying many diseases while simultaneously providing us with a greater understanding of normal intraspecies genetic variability. This raises the possibility that as twenty-first century physicians, we will be able to practice a personalized form of medicine specifically tailored to the genetic makeup of each patient. One key question for anesthesiology is how clinically relevant is genetic diversity in the day-to-day practice of anesthesia. In the present issue of the journal, Alone and colleagues studied the effect of genomic copy number variation (CNV) on volatile anesthetic sensitivity. 1 Recent work has demonstrated that CNV is one of the most important determinants of genetic variability in humans. 2 CNV is a type of polymorphism defined as a segment of DNA, measuring several thousand to several million base pairs, whose number of copies encoded in the genome differ among two or more individuals of the same species. 3 Chromosomal duplications, deletions, rearrangements, and insertions all give rise to CNV. It is thought that predisposition to a growing number of complex diseases might be explained by CNV, including some forms of neuropsychiatric illnesses, malaria, and human immunodeficiency virus susceptibility. 4 Despite the overall small phenotypic variability in a population's volatile anesthetic responsiveness, reflected by the familiar steep slopes intrinsic to anesthetic dose-response curves, phenotypic variation to anesthetics does exist. This variation arises both from environmental and genetic factors. 5 It is conceivable that CNV might contribute to the diversity in anesthetic responsiveness including rare phenotypes such as partial resistance or hypersensitivity. Among the many interesting ways such extreme phenotypes could manifest are awareness under anesthesia or delayed emergence. From a practical standpoint, however, genotyping CNV and determining the allelic state of any given individual in human studies remains technically challenging. Therefore, to study the impact of CNV on anesthetic sensitivity, Alone and collaborators have made use of the many advantages available for the Drosophila model system. 1 The fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, might at first seem like an unusual choice organism to study a human problem. Most are more familiar with modeling human conditions in mammals. Several tantalizing genetic sites are already known to affect sensitivity in rodents. Mice bred for differential sensitivity to alcohol also display differential sensitivity to a variety
Uniqueness theorems for finite elastodynamics

Described in this paper is a study of the uniqueness of solutions to the boundary-initial value problems of nonlinear dynamical elasticity. Particular consideration is given to the uniqueness implications of certain well-known a priori restrictions on the material response.
Comparative photochemical analysis of highly purified 124 kilodalton oat and rye phytochromes in vitro

A direct comparison of the photochemical interconversions between red (Pr-) and far-red (Pfr-) absorbing forms of highly-purified 124 kDa oat and rye phytochromes under identical experimental conditions was performed. In two different buffer systems at 5°C, the quantum yields for the Pr to Ptr and Pfr to Pr phototransformations under constant red and far-red illumination, φr and φfr respectively, were determined to be 0.152-0.154 and 0.060-0.065 for oat preparations and 0.172-0.174 and 0.074-0.078 for rye preparations. These values as well as the wavelength dependence of the photoequilibrium produced under continuous illumination throughout the visible and near-ultraviolet spectrum were based on the absorption spectra of the two phytochrome preparations and revised molar absorption coefficients. The molar absorption coefficients were estimated by quantitative amino acid analysis and shown to be identical for the two monocot phytochromes (i.e. 132 mM−1 cm−1 at the red absorption maximum for the Pr form). Because these measurements were performed under identical experimental conditions, including buffer, temperature, light fluence rate, and instrumentation, the differences observed must reflect structural features inherent to the two different monocotyledonous phytochromes.
Time in the Gutter: Temporal Structures in Watchmen

In 1986 writer Alan Moore and illustrator Dave Gibbons produced a graphic novel called Watchmen. In 2005 Time Magazine produced a list of the 100 best English-language novels from 1923 to the present. To many surprised readers a comic book was among the top ten. It was Watchmen. The story of former crime-fighters brought out of retirement to solve a world destroying mystery is told with a ruthless realism. The style is cinematic with repeating motifs, flashbacks and overlapping subplots. One of the characters in Watchmen, Jon Osterman, as a result of a nuclear accident, receives typical superhuman powers; more importantly to the character he begins to live in a quantum consciousness in which events occur simultaneously rather than sequentially. In chapter four of Watchmen, Moore and Gibbons brilliantly use the sequential art medium to express the subjective and personal nature of that consciousness. This paper will explicate and analyze the way they simulate Jon Osterman's non-temporal consciousness.
Variation in suicide and homicide by latitude and longitude.

Lester (1973) reported that homicide rates were higher in the southern states of the USA than in the northern states, while suicide rates were slightly higher in the northern states than the southern states and much higher in the western states than in the eastern states. The present study sought to examine this relationship in various subgroups of the population. Using suicide and homicide rates for 1959-1961 as in earlier papers (Langberg, 1967; Massey, 1967) and the latitude and longitude of the capitals of each of the 48 continental states, the following results were obtained. The homicide rate varied with latitude for the total homicide rate ( r = 0.83, twotailed $ < 0.001), for the males' homicide rate (r = 0.84, p < 0.001), for the females' homicide rate ( r = 0.76, p < 0.001), and for the homicide rates of all age groups from 15 to 84 yr. There was no variation for age groups 0 to 14 yr. Homicide showed no variation with longitude, except that the homicide rate for those aged 75 to 84 yr. was higher in the west than in the east ( 7 = 0.30, p < 0.05). The suicide rate varied with longitude, being higher in the west than in the east for the total suicide rate ( r = 0.47, p < 0.01), for males ( r = 0.44, 9 <' 0.01), for females ( r = 0.43, p < 0.01), and for all age groups from 15 to 84 yr. (reaching statistical significance for all age groups except that for 65 to 74 yr.). The suicide rate was slightly higher in the northern states than in the southern states, but the correlation reached significance only for age groups 65 to 74 yr. ( r = 0.36, p < 0.02) and 75 to 84 yr. ( r = 0.30, p < 0.05). Thus, the variation with latitude and longitude in suicide and homicide rates appears to be a general phenomenon, except for the homicide rates of infants and children which show no such variation Explanations of these geographic variations will be explored in subsequent research.
An instrument to determine the magnetophoretic mobility of labeled, biological cells and paramagnetic particles

Abstract An instrument is described and discussed which can determine the magnetophoretic mobility of immunomagnetically labeled cells and paramagnetic particles. Through the use of a well-characterized magnetic energy gradient and a computer algorithm, cell tracking velocimetry, it is possible to obtain the mean and distribution of the magnetophoretic mobility for samples with greater than 10 3 individuals.
A comparison of microscope slide substrates for use in transfected cell microarrays

Abstract Transfected cell microarrays, arrays of mammalian cells expressing defined genes, offer enormous potential for the development of high-throughput cell-based detection technologies to monitor the presence of biological agents or environmental toxicants. The signals generated from these arrays are intimately linked to the efficiency of DNA uptake by the cells located on the micrometer-sized spots. However, quantitative analysis of the transfection efficiency on cellular microarrays has been limited. Further, little regard has been given to the role of the substrate in influencing the transfection efficiency of mammalian cells on transfected microarrays. In this report, we have quantified the transfection efficiency of mammalian cells on different microscope slide substrates. Using commercially available microscope slides bearing substrates that mediate cellular attachment (polystyrene, 3-aminopropylsilane, and poly- l -lysine), we have demonstrated the role of substrate hydrophobicity in determining the resulting spot size and the local DNA concentration when plasmid DNA is dispensed in a printing buffer containing gelatin and sucrose using a noncontact microarray printer. The mean spot diameter varied inversely with the substrate water contact angle (r2=0.970). Further, the relative local plasmid DNA concentration was a function of the mean spot diameter. The deposition of Rhodamine Red-labeled plasmid DNA revealed that, across all substrates, the average fluorescence signal within the spots varied inversely with the mean spot diameter (r2=0.976). The transfection efficiency of HEK 293T/17 cells varied in accord with the mean spot diameter, demonstrating that the uptake of DNA was a function of the local DNA concentration on each substrate.
Critical pedagogy as interrupting Thingification

This article suggests that a critical pedagogy meets students where they are and recognizes the ideological conditions of existence of both teachers and students as subjects. Using a set of examples that range from the author’s own experiences both inside and outside of the classroom, an Emile Zola novel (The Ladies Paradise) and Timothy Mitchell’s world-as-exhibition, the article suggests that critical pedagogies expose, and potentially disrupt, contemporary knowledge practices. They are experiments in intimacy designed to unseat practices that yield to processes of thingification.
Sonography for the detection and follow-up of primary nonsarcomatous bladder tumors in children.

Abstract Objectives. To report the use of a dedicated renal-bladder sonogram for the detection and follow-up of primary nonsarcomatous bladder tumors in children. Methods. Three children (aged 6 to 12 years) recently presented with nontraumatic gross painless hematuria. All were evaluated initially with renal-bladder sonography. Results. Two transitional cell papillomas and one inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor were easily detected initially by sonography in the 3 children. Two were treated with transurethral resection at the time of the confirmatory cystoscopy and one, with an endoscopically unresectable tumor, was treated with excisional biopsy. The use of sonography as the diagnostic tool obviated more invasive and expensive studies, as well as exposure to ionizing radiation. Conclusions. Renal-bladder sonography is the initial imaging modality of choice in the workup for nontraumatic gross painless hematuria in children. Not only is it an excellent screening tool for congenital malformations and renal calculi, it is also very sensitive for identifying primary bladder tumors in children.
Chemorheology of model filled rubber compounds during curing

The rheological behavior and crosslinking kinetics of model filled rubber compounds during curing were investigated. The effect of chemical composition of monodisperse size particles, prepared by emulsifier-free emulsion polymerization, on dynamic moduli and gelation time of the filled compounds was studied. All filled systems showed much shorter gelation times than the pure matrix in the order PSVP < PS < PMMA « Pure Matrix. The dynamic moduli during curing increased with increasing interactions between particles and matrix. Physical crosslinking, due to either particle clustering or a network of filler particles with an adsorbed polymer layer, made a significant contribution to the overall crosslink density and the gelation of rubber compounds. As a result, the dynamic mechanical properties and curing kinetics of the rubber compounds varied with the chemical nature of the filler particles.
A detailed look at the recent drought situation in the Greater Horn of Africa

Abstract News reports have described a crisis situation in several countries in the Greater Horn of eastern Africa. Reportedly, drought has prevailed during much of the period 2008–2011, resulting in extreme food shortages and massive migration. This article presents the first detailed meteorological analysis of the situation. The analysis shows that during the years 2008 through 2010 and the first half of 2011 rainfall was 30%–75% below normal over the Horn of Africa, northern Kenya and most of the Sudan. This followed intense drought in 2005/2006. The drought situation became increasingly severe during late 2010 and early 2011, with rainfall being at least 50%–75% below normal in near roughly half of the drought-stricken region. The drought ended in during the last half of 2011, giving way to flood conditions that may have created a more critical situation. During 2012 the situation was mixed, with good adequate rainfall during the summer rainy season but strong deficits during the equatorial rainy seasons of the boreal summer and autumn.
Integrated cell biology/biochemistry/molecular genetics laboratories: the cytoplasmic genome projects

This paper describes an integrated laboratory project for intermediate to advanced undergraduate students. The project spans an entire academic quarter (10 weeks) and involves a series of operations that give students experience with fundamental techniques in cell biology, molecular biology, biochemistry, genomics, and bioinformatics. In the process, the student learning community is strengthened, students gain increasing confidence in their abilities in the laboratory, and data are collected toward the eventual sequencing of a cytoplasmic genome. The culmination of the project is the preparation by students of a paper written in the format of a particularly accessible online journal. Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology (2000) 24, 339–344.
Impurity-phonon interaction effect on the phonon density of states in MgO: V2+

Abstract The effective phonon density of states of MgO: V2+ is obtained from the emission vibronic structure of the V2+ impurity ion under the assumption that the vibronic transition is mainly a single-phonon process. The validity for doing so is supported by the consistent fitting of the temperature dependences of the width and the shift of the zero-phonon line of MgO: V2+ and the specific heat of pure MgO. The phonon softening and phonon stiffening is found by comparing the effective phonon density of states to the theoretically calculated one of the pure MgO lattice.
Posthyperventilation Apnea Associated with Severe Hypoxemia

We studied a 14-year-old girl who suffered fractures of her mandible and tegmen following a fall from a balance beam. Thirteen days after hospitalization, she developed severe, protracted, recurrent episodes of hyperventilation; subsequently, she suffered posthyperventilation apnea, which at times was prolonged and associated with severe hypoxemia with an arterial oxygen pressure as low as 25 mm Hg. The patient was treated with added dead space and chlorpromazine hydrochloride (Thorazine). Postulated mechanisms for her disorder are discussed. The importance of close clinical and laboratory observation in similar cases is stressed.
Ab Initio Study of CO Hydrogenation to Oxygenates on Reduced Rh Terraces and Stepped Surfaces

Previously reported syngas conversion experiments on silica-supported Rh nanoparticles show that CO conversion and oxygenate selectivity vary as a function of nanoparticle size. Theoretical studies in the literature have examined the effect of steps on CO dissociation, but structure sensitivity for C1 and C2 oxygenates has not been systematically investigated. In this study, density functional theory-based reaction energetics and kinetics for C−H, C−C, C−O, and O−H bond formation on flat Rh(111) and stepped Rh(211) surfaces are reported and compared. Multiple paths for methanol and ethanol formation are considered to ascertain the lowest energy pathways. Nearly an identical methanol formation route via CO → CHO → CH2O → CH3O → CH3OH is found to be favored on both Rh terrace and (211) sites. CO insertion into CH2 is deduced to be the precursor for C2 oxygenate formation irrespective of site structure. Ethanol formation pathways, however, are determined to be markedly different on flat and stepped Rh surfac...
Handling Valuation Models

Valuation models are useful tools, but they need to be handled with care. When taking the form of mathematical formulas, they can easily be made to convey a false sense of precision. In particular, selective choice of long-term growth rates and discount rates can be used to justify almost any desired valuation. The author shows how relatively simple valuation models can be applied by active investors in a way that honors the fundamentalist dictum of building valuations on the foundation of “what we know” and avoiding speculation about long-term growth rates. The article also emphasizes the role of accounting in discovering what we know, and shows how to use accounting results in a way that not only minimizes speculation about growth rates and discount rates, but actually challenges the speculation about those rates that is implicit in current stock prices. Accounting-based valuation models are “reverse-engineered” to discover the forecasts of future operating performance that are effectively built into current prices, so the plausibility of such forecasts can be evaluated with fundamental analysis. In this sense, valuation models are used not so much to discover the “right” price as to identify, and then subject to critical examination, the market's current expectations about future performance.
The role of pH in phosphate inhibition of calcite and aragonite precipitation rates in seawater

Abstract Seeded growth experiments were used to investigate carbonate precipitation kinetics in natural seawater spiked with 5 to 100μmol/kg dissolved inorganic phosphate. Precipitation rates of calcite and aragonite were measured using a constant disequilibrium technique (pH-stat) (S = 35, 25°C, and 1 atm total pressure) at three CO 2 partial pressures (10 −1 , 10 −2 , and 10 −3.5 atm). Over solution pH values from 6.9 to 8.6, aragonite growth rates decrease with increasing PO 4 3− concentration, whereas decreases in calcite rates are dependent on increasing concentrations of both HPO 4 2− and PO 4 3− . Linear least-squares minimization modeling of rate data indicates that calcite and aragonite precipitation rates depend on both the calcium carbonate ion molal product ( mCa 2+ mCO 3 2− ) (saturation state), and phosphate species concentrations. In phosphate-free seawater, aragonite grows two to three times faster than calcite regardless of solution pH and carbonate ion concentration. In seawater containing phosphate, the relative rates of calcite and aragonite precipitation are determined by the ratio of PO 4 3− to HPO 4 2− concentrations, and are essentially independent of total dissolved phosphate and carbonate ion concentrations. These results suggest that pH fluctuations in phosphate-enriched marine pore waters may be responsible for controlling microscale variations in cement mineralogies.
Permeation of a straight oil metalworking fluid through disposable nitrile, chloroprene, vinyl, and latex gloves.

Abstract The aim was to investigate the permeation of a straight oil metalworking fluid (MWF) through four types of glove materials using the gravimetric method and the modified American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) F739-99a method with perfluorohexane and hexane as collection solvents. The residual masses on the collection side were determined after solvent evaporation for both MWF and blank (air) challenges. With perfluorohexane, the permeated MWF through gloves after 8 h was around the lower quantifiable limit for nitrile, 0.7 ± 0.2 mg/cm2 for vinyl, 10.0 ± 1.2 mg/cm2 for chloroprene, and 33.0 ± 0.7 mg/cm2 for latex. Hexane increased the amounts and rates of MWF permeating all gloves 39–73 times, except for vinyl where extractable mass was so high that the residues for MWF challenges and for hexane blanks were indistinguishable. Hexane as a collection solvent also extracted more glove components than did perfluorohexane, and back-permeated gloves in much larger amounts. Perfluorohexane allows better estimates of the real permeation rates and breakthrough times than does hexane. Recommendations based on breakthrough times and permeation rates with hexane collection are thus too conservative, although the relative ranking of these four types of gloves was the same with either collection solvent.
A pattern system of underlying theories for process improvement

An underlying theory is a framework of goals, solutions, and assumptions that guide how we observe situations and define problems. In science, the underlying theories, like particles, waves, relativity, plate tectonics, and evolution, are well known and well understood. In process improvement, the underlying theories are not so well understood. To address that problem, we present a system of patterns. The system includes six patterns for theories that underlie many of the well known practices in process improvement. The patterns are Plan, Best Practices, Flow, Feedback, Systems Thinking, and Living System. These patterns are found in ISO 9000, PMBOK, CMMI, SPICE, Lean, TQM, Six Sigma, and Agile. Like all patterns, the patterns in this system are structural configurations that solve a problem in a context.
GOLEMS IN THE BIOTECH CENTURY

. The legend of the golem, the creation of life through mystical and magical means, is the most famous postbiblical Jewish legend. After noting recent references to the golem legend in fiction, film, art, and scientific literature, I outline three stages of the development of the legend, including its relationship to the story of Frankenstein. I apply teachings about the golem in classical Jewish religious literature to implications of the legend for ethical issues relating to bioengineering, reproductive biotechnology, robotics, artificial intelligence, artificial life, and corporate ethics. The golem legend emerges as a source of prudent guidance through the minefield of ethical and spiritual problems emerging from current and expected developments in biotechnology.