cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Expression of neurotrophin genes in human fibroblasts: Differential regulation of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), nerve growth factor (NGF) and neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) are structurally related survival and differentiation factors for distinct sets of peripheral and central neurons. We previously reported that BDNF and NGF gene expression are differentially regulated in mouse L929 fibroblasts. Here we examine expression of these three neurotrophins in human fibroblasts. Northern blots detected BDNF and NT-3 mRNAs in fibroblasts derived from lung (WI-38), calvarium and foreskin. WI-38 cells and foreskin fibroblasts expressed 1.6 kb as well as 4 kb BDNF mRNAs whereas only the smaller BDNF mRNA was detected in calvarium fibroblasts. NGF mRNA was present in foreskin and calvarium but not lung fibroblasts. In WI-38 cells serum treatment increased levels of BDNF mRNA within 2 hr. Cycloheximide did not inhibit the increase. Treatment with 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) transiently suppressed BDNF mRNA. Treatment with both serum and TPA first stimulated and then transiently suppressed BDNF mRNA. TPA and/or serum did not significantly affect BDNF mRNA in calvarium fibroblasts. These results show that human fibroblasts derived from different tissues express and regulate neurotrophin genes differentially.
Conditional volatility forecasting in a dynamic hedging model

This paper addresses several questions surrounding volatility forecasting and its use in the estimation of optimal hedging ratios. Specifically: Are there economic gains by nesting time-series econometric models (GARCH) and dynamic programming models (therefore forecasting volatility several periods out) in the estimation of hedging ratios whilst accounting for volatility in the futures bid‐ask spread? Are the forecasted hedging ratios (and wealth generated) from the nested bid‐ask model statistically and economically different than standard approaches? Are there times when a trader following a basic model that does not forecast outperforms a trader using the nested bid‐ask model? On all counts the results are encouraging—a trader that accounts for the bid‐ask spread and forecasts volatility several periods in the nested model will incur lower transactions costs and gain significantly when the market suddenly and abruptly turns. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Photo-Arbuzov rearrangements of 1-arylethyl phosphites: stereochemical studies and the question of radical-pair intermediates.

The direct UV irradiation of the 1-arylethyl phosphites 7, 8, and 9 was carried out in acetonitrile, benzene, and cyclohexane, as was the triphenylene-sensitized reaction of 9. Dimethyl 1-phenylethyl phosphite, 7, gives the photo-Arbuzov rearrangement product, dimethyl 1-phenylethylphosphonate (10), in 67% average yield and minor amounts (2%) of 2,3-diphenylbutane (11a) in quantum yields of 0.32 and 0.02, respectively. The photorearrangement of optically active, predominantly (R)-1-phenylethyl phosphite 7 (R/S = 97/3; 94% ee), at 35−40 °C proceeds with a high degree of stereospecificity at the stereogenic migratory carbon to give predominantly (R)-10 (R/S = 86/14, 72 ± 2% ee). Use of the nitroxide radical trap TEMPO affords phosphonate 10, presumably all cage product, from predominantly (R)-7 (R/S = 97/3; 94% ee) in 64% yield (80% ee, R/S = 90/10). By contrast, the 1-(4-acetylphenyl)-ethyl phosphite, predominantly (S)-8 (S/R = 98/2, 96% ee), on direct irradiation gives the corresponding phosphonate (12) i...
Structural constraints for proposed Fort Hancock low-level radioactive waste disposal site (NTP-S34), southern Hudspeth County, Texas

Structural complexities reduce the homogeneity necessary for a site characterization model to an unacceptable level for performance assessment for radioactive waste disposal sites. The proposed site lies between the northern, stable Diablo platform and the southern, mobile Mesozoic Chihuahua tectonic belt. Structural movement along this interface has been active for the past 14,000 years. In addition, the area lies along the northern margin of the Permian Marfa basin and the northeastern margin of the deeply faulted Hueco bolson segment of the late Cenozoic Rio Grande rift system. Recent seismic activity with extensive surface rupture in Quitman Canyon (30 mi southeast of the site) is also documented from the 1931 Valentine, Texas, earthquake (6.4 Richter scale). The site is underlain by either a thrust fault or the complex terminus of a Mesozoic thrust fault. This fault is a segment of the continuous thrust sheet extending from exposures in the Sierra Blanc area, 30 mi east (Devil Ridge fault), to the El Paso area west (Rio Grande fault). This segment of the Devil Ridge-Rio Grande thrust is documented by the Haymond Krupp No. 1 Thaxton wildcat drilled at Campogrande Mountain immediately south of the site. The recent rift fault scarp (Campo Grande)more » immediately south of the Thaxton well has a 17-mi surface trace and is, no doubt, related to the subsurface Clint fault to the west in the El Paso area. An additional complexity is the presence of a monoclinal flexure with a minimum of 900 ft of surface relief (2 mi northeast of NTP-S34). A 4.5-mi, east-west, down-to-the-south normal fault occurs near the top of the monocline with a small associated graben. These complexities seriously compromise the proposed Fort Hancock site.« less
Grain Surface Recombination of HCO

We investigate the recombination of the HCO+ ion on grain surfaces. This process is a key reaction in dense regions such as protoplanetary disks. The branching fraction among intact desorption, dissociation, and desorption with dissociation has been analyzed by a classical trajectory approach. It is found that dissociation (with or without desorption) dominates over intact desorption.
Steps Per Day Among Persons With Multiple Sclerosis: Variation by Demographic, Clinical, and Device Characteristics

Abstract Objectives To identify steps per day in a large sample of persons with multiple sclerosis (MS) and to describe variation by demographic and clinical characteristics and device type. Design Cross-sectional design. Setting General community. Participants Convenience sample of persons with multiple sclerosis (N=645) recruited from the general community who were ambulatory and relapse free for 30 days. Mean age ± SD of the participants was 46.3±10.6 years old. Participants were mostly women (85%), white (93%), and employed (64%). Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measure Step counts measured by a motion sensor during a 7-day period. Results The average value for the entire sample was 5903±3185 steps per day. This value varied by demographic and clinical characteristics, but not device type, and indicated that men, participants who were unemployed, had a high school education or less, progressive MS, a longer disease duration, and higher disability were less physically active based on the metric of steps per day. Conclusions This study provides an expected value for average steps per day among persons with MS. Such an expected value for this population is an important first step to help researchers and clinicians interested in improving the overall health of persons with MS through physical activity promotion.
Pricing effects on foraging in a simulated Internet shopping mall

Abstract Consumers shopped for compact disks in a simulated Internet mall in a successive-choice procedure over 10 sessions. The procedure extended that of two previous consumer behavior experiments [DiClemente & Hantula, Psychol. Market. (in press); Rajala & Hantula, Managerial Decis. Econom. 21 (2000) 145] by assessing the influence of pricing on consumer preferences. Across five virtual stores, mean CD prices were $9.99, $11.99, $13.99, $15.99, and $17.99. Within-store prices were generated randomly from a $4 range around the mean. Preference was measured as the total proportion of purchases made within each store. Consistent with previous studies of delay manipulations, a hyperbolic function provided the best fit to the store preference data. The results offer evidence of congruence between the effects of price and delay on consumer preferences, and support the contention that the price of goods may be interpretable as contributing to total delay time to primary reinforcement. Integrating evolutionary theory and the procedures of operant psychology, this research contributes to the development of a behavioral ecology of consumption and advances the experimental analysis of consumer behavior.
Efficient implementation of the plaid language

The Plaid language introduces native support for state abstractions and state change. While efficient language implementation typically relies on stable object members, state change alters members at runtime. We built a JavaScript compilation target with a novel state representation, which enables fast member access. Cross-language performance comparisons are used for evaluation.
Elastic deformation of membrane bilayers probed by deuterium NMR relaxation.

In deuterium (2H) NMR spectroscopy of fluid lipid bilayers, the average structure is manifested in the segmental order parameters (SCD) of the flexible molecules. The corresponding spin−lattice relaxation rates (R1Z) depend on both the amplitudes and the rates of the segmental fluctuations, and indicate the types of lipid motions. By combining 2H NMR order parameter measurements with relaxation studies, we have obtained a more comprehensive picture of lipids in the liquid-crystalline (Lα) state than formerly possible. Our data suggest that a lipid bilayer constitutes an ordered fluid, in which the phospholipids are grafted to the aqueous interface via their polar headgroups, whereas the fatty acyl chains are in effect liquid hydrocarbon. Studies of 2H-labeled saturated lipids indicate their R1Z rates and SCD order parameters are correlated by a model-free, square-law functional dependence, signifying the presence of relatively slow bilayer fluctuations. A new composite membrane deformation model explains ...
Developing an Air/Ground Robots for Disaster Response as a Project for a Senior Capstone Design Course

Robots for disaster response require a multi-disciplinary engineering approach in order to solve the constraints and requirements of operating within a disaster environment for one or multiple missions. At Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the senior capstone design course for the Department of Electrical, Computer, Software, and Systems Engineering brings together a multi-disciplinary team of students to solve complex engineering problems as part of their capstone senior design experience. During the 2009-2010 and 2011-2012 academic years, students were challenged to develop robotic systems for human-robot teaming for the task of post-disaster search-and-rescue. This paper discusses how disaster robotics was used to support project-based learning for these capstone design experience.
An event-related FMRI study of exogenous orienting across vision and audition.

The orienting of attention to the spatial location of sensory stimuli in one modality based on sensory stimuli presented in another modality (i.e., cross-modal orienting) is a common mechanism for controlling attentional shifts. The neuronal mechanisms of top-down cross-modal orienting have been studied extensively. However, the neuronal substrates of bottom-up audio-visual cross-modal spatial orienting remain to be elucidated. Therefore, behavioral and event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI) data were collected while healthy volunteers (N = 26) performed a spatial cross-modal localization task modeled after the Posner cuing paradigm. Behavioral results indicated that although both visual and auditory cues were effective in producing bottom-up shifts of cross-modal spatial attention, reorienting effects were greater for the visual cues condition. Statistically significant evidence of inhibition of return was not observed for either condition. Functional results also indicated that visual cues with auditory targets resulted in greater activation within ventral and dorsal frontoparietal attention networks, visual and auditory “where” streams, primary auditory cortex, and thalamus during reorienting across both short and long stimulus onset asynchronys. In contrast, no areas of unique activation were associated with reorienting following auditory cues with visual targets. In summary, current results question whether audio-visual cross-modal orienting is supramodal in nature, suggesting rather that the initial modality of cue presentation heavily influences both behavioral and functional results. In the context of localization tasks, reorienting effects accompanied by the activation of the frontoparietal reorienting network are more robust for visual cues with auditory targets than for auditory cues with visual targets. Hum Brain Mapp 35:964–974, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A 2.5-V, 1-W monolithic CMOS RF power amplifier

A monolithic CMOS RF power amplifier has been designed and fabricated in a standard 0.8-/spl mu/m CMOS technology and shown to provide l-W of output power at 824-849 MHz to a 50-ohm load from a single 2.5-V supply. The prototype amplifier has a measured drain efficiency of 62%, an overall power-added efficiency of 42%, a power gain of 25 dB, and a total die area of 1.5 mm/sup 2/.
Total Hg and methyl Hg distribution in sediments of selected Louisiana water bodies.

Sediment samples (543) collected from selected Louisiana streams and lakes were analyzed for total Hg and methyl Hg content. The average total Hg content among 543 samples was 92.3 ± 95.1 μg kg−1. The average methyl Hg content in the samples was 0.68 ± 0.80 μg kg−1. Methyl Hg accounted for an average of 0.73% of the total Hg in sediment. Linear regression analysis of total Hg versus methyl Hg content of the sediment showed methyl Hg content was significantly correlated to total Hg content of sediment (P > 0.01, n = 537) and sediment organic matter content. (P > 0.01, n = 536) Methyl Hg was also positively correlated to clay (P > 0.01, n = 537) and inversely correlated to sand content of sediment (P > 0.01, n = 537). Total Hg and methyl Hg content in these sediments was within the normal range reported elsewhere indicating no significant industrial or municipal Hg contamination. A comparison of selected water bodies with fishing advisories showed no relationship to total Hg and methyl Hg in sediment.
The Recruitment of Paraeducators Into the Special Education Profession: A Review of Progress, Select Evaluation Outcomes, and New Initiatives

This article provides a review of the arguments for and the history of recruitment of paraeducators into teacher education and special education. Paraeducator recruitment is portrayed as an effective response to the problems of teacher shortages in special education and the problem of inadequate diversity of students in teacher education. Evaluation outcomes, including performance outcomes for four cohorts of paraeducators attending the University of North Carolina at Charlotte's special education teacher education programs from 1988 to the present, are presented and compared to a major national study of paraeducator-to-teacher programs. New national initiatives in the area of paraeducator recruitment and recommendations for strengthening this recruitment effort are provided.
Specificity of cognate ligand-receptor interactions: fusion proteins of human chorionic gonadotropin and the heptahelical receptors for human luteinizing hormone, thyroid-stimulating hormone, and follicle-stimulating hormone

The family of glycoprotein hormones and their homologous heptahelical receptors represent an excellent system for comparative structure-function studies. We have engineered single chain molecules of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) fused to its cognate receptor, LH receptor (LHR), and to the noncognate receptors, TSH receptor (TSHR) and FSH receptor (FSHR; N-beta-alpha-receptor-C), to create the yoked (Y) complexes YCG/LHR, YCG/TSHR, and YCG/FSHR. The expression and bioactivity of these fusion proteins were examined in transiently transfected HEK 293 cells. Western blot analysis and antibody binding assays demonstrated that each of the proteins was expressed. In the case of YCG/LHR, minimal binding of exogenous hormone was observed due to the continued occupation of receptor by the fused ligand. The presence of hCG in the YCG/TSHR and YCG/FSHR, however, did not prevent binding of exogenous cognate ligand, presumably due to the lower affinity of hCG. The basal cAMP levels in cells expressing the YCG/LHR complex was approximately 20-fold higher than that in cells expressing LHR. Increases in basal cAMP production were also observed with YCG/TSHR and YCG/FSHR, e.g. 13- and 4-fold increases, respectively. Whereas the affinity and specificity of hCG for LHR are extraordinarily high, the hormone is capable of binding to and activating both TSHR and FSHR under these conditions that mimic high ligand concentrations. These findings were confirmed by adding high concentrations of hCG to cells expressing TSHR and FSHR. Although the functional interaction of hCG and TSHR has been recognized in gestational hyperthyroidism, there are no reports linking hCG to FSHR activation. This study, however, suggests that such a functional interaction is capable of occurring under conditions of high circulating levels of hCG, e.g. the first trimester of pregnancy and in patients with hCG-secreting tumors.
Constrictive pericarditis in the modern era: a diagnostic dilemma

Constrictive pericarditis is caused by fibrosis and calcification of the pericardium, processes that inhibit diastolic filling of the heart. This condition has posed a diagnostic dilemma since it was first recognised clinically.1 Although many diagnostic approaches have become available subsequently, the diagnostic challenge remains.2 Because surgical intervention can provide complete relief of symptoms in many patients, accurate diagnosis of this disorder is important.3 In the past, it was necessary to differentiate constrictive pericarditis from other causes of right sided heart failure, such as pulmonary embolism, pulmonary hypertension, right ventricular infarction, mitral stenosis, and left ventricular systolic dysfunction. Now, with two dimensional and Doppler echocardiography, these other causes of right sided heart failure can be diagnosed or excluded. Imaging methods such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance scanning can measure pericardial thickness, which is usually increased in patients with constrictive pericarditis.4 However, the aetiology of constrictive pericarditis has changed during the past few decades, leading to further diagnostic uncertainties.3 In the past, many patients with constrictive pericarditis had severe calcification of the entire pericardium, usually secondary to tuberculous pericarditis. Today, other causes of constrictive pericarditis are common, such as mantle chest radiation and open heart surgical procedures. Diffuse calcification of the pericardium occurs much less commonly in these patients with constrictive pericarditis and the pericardial thickness may even be normal. After radiation therapy or an open heart operation, constrictive pericarditis, myocardial restrictive disease, or a combination of both may develop.3 Thus, patients today have signs and symptoms of right sided heart failure that are disproportionate to left ventricular dysfunction or valvar disease. The challenge is to determine whether abnormalities are caused by pericardial restraint, myocardial restriction, or both.2 5 6 If pericardial and myocardial disease are present, the decision to proceed with the operation …
Cis-Acting Sequences of Bacillus subtilis pyrG mRNA Essential for Regulation by Antitermination

Expression of the Bacillus subtilis pyrG gene, which encodes CTP synthetase, is repressed by cytidine nucleotides. Regulation involves a termination-antitermination mechanism acting at a transcription terminator located within the 5' untranslated pyrG leader sequence. Deletion and substitution mutagenesis of a series of pyrG'-lacZ transcriptional fusions integrated into the B. subtilis chromosome demonstrated that only the terminator stem-loop and two specific 4- to 6-nucleotide RNA sequences were required for derepression of pyrG by starvation for cytidine nucleotides. The first sequence, GGGC/U, comprises the first four nucleotides at the 5' end of the pyrG transcript, and the second, GCUCCC, forms the first six nucleotides of the 5' strand of the terminator stem. All of the nucleotides lying between the two required RNA sequences can be deleted without loss of regulation. We propose that an as-yet-unidentified regulatory protein binds to these two RNA segments and prevents termination of transcription in the pyrG leader region when intracellular CTP levels are low.
Superior colliculus neurons use distinct operational modes in the integration of multisensory stimuli

Many neurons in the superior colliculus (SC) integrate sensory information from multiple modalities, giving rise to significant response enhancements. Although enhanced multisensory responses have been shown to depend on the spatial and temporal relationships of the stimuli as well as on their relative effectiveness, these factors alone do not appear sufficient to account for the substantial heterogeneity in the magnitude of the multisensory products that have been observed. Toward this end, the present experiments have revealed that there are substantial differences in the operations used by different multisensory SC neurons to integrate their cross-modal inputs, suggesting that intrinsic differences in these neurons may also play an important deterministic role in multisensory integration. In addition, the integrative operation employed by a given neuron was found to be well correlated with the neuron's dynamic range. In total, four categories of SC neurons were identified based on how their multisensory responses changed relative to the predicted addition of the two unisensory inputs as stimulus effectiveness was altered. Despite the presence of these categories, a general rule was that the most robust multisensory enhancements were seen with combinations of the least effective unisensory stimuli. Together, these results provide a better quantitative picture of the integrative operations performed by multisensory SC neurons and suggest mechanistic differences in the way in which these neurons synthesize cross-modal information.
Relation of Schizophrenia Prevalence to Latitude, Climate, Fish Consumption, Infant Mortality, and Skin Color: A Role for Prenatal Vitamin D Deficiency and Infections?

Previous surveys found a large (>10-fold) variation in schizophrenia prevalence at different geographic sites and a tendency for prevalence to increase with latitude. We conducted meta-analyses of prevalence studies to investigate whether these findings pointed to underlying etiologic factors in schizophrenia or were the result of methodological artifacts or the confounding of sites' latitude with level of healthcare at those sites. We found that these patterns were still present after controlling for an index of healthcare--infant mortality--and focusing on 49 studies that used similar diagnostic and ascertainment methods. The tendencies for schizophrenia prevalence to increase with both latitude and colder climate were still large and significant and present on several continents. The increase in prevalence with latitude was greater for groups with low fish consumption, darker skin, and higher infant mortality--consistent with a role of prenatal vitamin D deficiency in schizophrenia. Previous research indicates that poor prenatal healthcare and nutrition increase risk for schizophrenia within the same region. These adverse conditions are more prevalent in developing countries concentrated near the equator, but schizophrenia prevalence is lowest at sites near the equator. This suggests that schizophrenia-producing environmental factors associated with higher latitude may be so powerful they overwhelm protective effects of better healthcare in industrialized countries. The observed patterns of correlations of risk factors with prevalence are consistent with an etiologic role for prenatal vitamin D deficiency and exposure to certain infectious diseases. Research to elucidate environmental factors that underlie variations in schizophrenia prevalence deserves high priority.
Formation of Stylet Sheaths in āere (in air) from eight species of phytophagous hemipterans from six families (Suborders: Auchenorrhyncha and Sternorrhyncha).

Stylet sheath formation is a common feature among phytophagous hemipterans. These sheaths are considered essential to promote a successful feeding event. Stylet sheath compositions are largely unknown and their mode of solidification remains to be elucidated. This report demonstrates the formation and solidification of in āere (in air) produced stylet sheaths by six hemipteran families: Diaphorina citri (Psyllidae, Asian citrus psyllid), Aphis nerii (Aphididae, oleander/milkweed aphid), Toxoptera citricida (Aphididae, brown citrus aphid), Aphis gossypii (Aphididae, cotton melon aphid), Bemisia tabaci biotype B (Aleyrodidae, whitefly), Homalodisca vitripennis (Cicadellidae, glassy-winged sharpshooter), Ferrisia virgata (Pseudococcidae, striped mealybug), and Protopulvinaria pyriformis (Coccidae, pyriform scale). Examination of in āere produced stylet sheaths by confocal and scanning electron microscopy shows a common morphology of an initial flange laid down on the surface of the membrane followed by continuous hollow core structures with sequentially stacked hardened bulbous droplets. Single and multi-branched sheaths were common, whereas mealybug and scale insects typically produced multi-branched sheaths. Micrographs of the in āere formed flanges indicate flange sealing upon stylet bundle extraction in D. citri and the aphids, while the B. tabaci whitefly and H. vitripennis glassy-winged sharpshooter flanges remain unsealed. Structural similarity of in āere sheaths are apparent in stylet sheaths formed in planta, in artificial diets, or in water. The use of ‘Solvy’, a dissolvable membrane, for intact stylet sheath isolation is reported. These observations illustrate for the first time this mode of stylet sheath synthesis adding to the understanding of stylet sheath formation in phytophagous hemipterans and providing tools for future use in structural and compositional analysis.
Regional carbon dynamics in the southeastern U.S. coastal plain : Balancing land cover type, timber harvesting, fire, and environmental variation

[1] Understanding regional carbon budgets is a leading issue in carbon cycling research, but issues of measurement difficulty, scale, boundaries, and logistics compromise estimates at areas larger than stands or research plots. We studied four 15 15 km sample areas to examine land management and wildfire effects on carbon storage dynamics in the forested southeastern U.S. coastal plain region from 1975 to 2001. Carbon exchange and storage rates were estimated using satellite remote-sensing methods coupled with micrometeorological and biomass measurements. Carbon losses occurred by timber harvesting and fire, and carbon release continued for four years following clearing, suppressing landscape carbon gain proportional to the cleared area. Carbon accumulated at an average rate of 90,000 t C yr 1 in the landscape (total area 900 km 2 ) from 1975–2000, or 1tCh a 1 yr 1 . Interannual variation was related mainly to the magnitude of annual plantation timber harvesting. Wildfires were rare and their effects on carbon balances consequently small, despite having large local impact. Previous studies in the area demonstrated that environmental fluctuations had little direct effect on the net landscape exchange of carbon, although indirect effects included higher probability of fire during droughts and shifts in harvesting to drier sites during wet periods. Although this study was a simple aggregation of carbon cycle components from fine spatial scale (Landsat images) to the landscape, the extrapolation incorporated important spatial and temporal environmental heterogeneities and led to the unexpected suggestion that the industrial forests of the southeast U.S. Coastal plain are a long-term carbon sink. The analysis also revealed specific uncertainties in our scaling efforts that point to future research needs.
Involvement of coenzyme A thioesters in anaerobic metabolism of 4-hydroxybenzoate by Rhodopseudomonas palustris

Abstract The initial steps of anaerobic 4-hydroxybenzoate degradation were studied in whole cells and cell extracts of the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodopseudomonas palustris. Illuminated suspensions of cells that had been grown anaerobically on 4-hydroxybenzoate and were assayed under anaerobic conditions took up [U-14C]4-hydroxybenzoate at a rate of 0.6 nmol min-1 mg of protein-1. Uptake occurred with high affinity (apparent Km = 0.3 microM), was energy dependent, and was insensitive to external pH in the range of 6.5 to 8.2 Very little free 4-hydroxybenzoate was found associated with cells, but a range of intracellular products was formed after 20-s incubations of whole cells with labeled substrate. When anaerobic pulse-chase experiments were carried out with cells incubated on ice or in darkness, 4-hydroxybenzoyl coenzyme A (4-hydroxybenzoyl-CoA) was formed early and disappeared immediately after addition of excess unlabeled substrate, as would be expected of an early intermediate in 4-hydroxybenzoate metabolism. A 4-hydroxybenzoate-CoA ligase activity with an average specific activity of 0.7 nmol min-1 mg of protein-1 was measured in the soluble protein fraction of cells grown anaerobically on 4-hydroxybenzoate. 4-Hydroxybenzoyl-CoA was the sole product formed from labeled 4-hydroxybenzoate in the ligase reaction mixture. 4-Hydroxybenzoate uptake and ligase activities were present in cells grown anaerobically with benzoate, 4-hydroxybenzoate, and 4-aminobenzoate and were not detected in succinate-grown cells. These results indicate that the high-affinity uptake of 4-hydroxybenzoate by R. palustris is due to rapid conversion of the free acid to its CoA derivative by a CoA ligase and that this is also the initial step of anaerobic 4-hydroxybenzoate degradation.
The future of point-of-care testing in emergency departments.

Emergency physicians and administrators continue to face operational challenges as they attempt to increase emergency department (ED) efficiency and throughput to meet the growing demand for emergency health services. Point-of-care (POC) testing technology can provide clinicians with accurate and reliable results with at least a 50% reduction in turnaround time. Despite the near perfect alignment of POC technology goals with ED operational strategy, there has been a relatively slow adoption of comprehensive POC systems. The authors discuss current market trends for the POC products in the ED and review trends in outcomes data (including operational, clinical and financial). The authors also discuss observed managerial obstacles to implementation. The goal of this paper is to provide readers with a business psychology perspective on the current challenges that organizations face in adopting a new technology and provide an evaluation of the key drivers that influence institutional-level decisions to impleme...
Generalized Hierarchical Multivariate CAR Models for Areal Data

In the fields of medicine and public health, a common application of areal data models is the study of geographical patterns of disease. When we have several measurements recorded at each spatial location (for example, information on p>/= 2 diseases from the same population groups or regions), we need to consider multivariate areal data models in order to handle the dependence among the multivariate components as well as the spatial dependence between sites. In this article, we propose a flexible new class of generalized multivariate conditionally autoregressive (GMCAR) models for areal data, and show how it enriches the MCAR class. Our approach differs from earlier ones in that it directly specifies the joint distribution for a multivariate Markov random field (MRF) through the specification of simpler conditional and marginal models. This in turn leads to a significant reduction in the computational burden in hierarchical spatial random effect modeling, where posterior summaries are computed using Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC). We compare our approach with existing MCAR models in the literature via simulation, using average mean square error (AMSE) and a convenient hierarchical model selection criterion, the deviance information criterion (DIC; Spiegelhalter et al., 2002, Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, Series B64, 583-639). Finally, we offer a real-data application of our proposed GMCAR approach that models lung and esophagus cancer death rates during 1991-1998 in Minnesota counties.
An application using micro TCA for real-time event assembly

The Electronic Systems Engineering Department of the Computing Sector at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory has undertaken the effort of designing an AMC that meets the specifications within the MicroTCA framework. The application chosen to demonstrate the hardware is the real-time event assembly of data taken by a particle tracking pixel telescope. In the past, the telescope would push all of its data to a PC where the data was stored to disk. Then event assembly, geometry inference, and particle tracking were all done at a later time. This approach made it difficult to efficiently assess the quality of the data as it was being taken - at times, resulting in wasted test beam time. Now, we can insert in the data path, between the telescope and the PC, a commercial MicroTCA crate housing our AMC. The AMC receives, buffers, and processes the data from the tracking telescope and transmits complete, assembled events to the PC in real-time. In this paper, we report on the design approach and the results achieved when the MicroTCA hardware was employed for the first time during a test beam run at the Fermi Test Beam Facility in 2012.
Analysis of wave propagation in unbounded media

Abstract A new procedure is presented to account for the radiation condition of unbounded media analysed using the finite-element method in the time domain. The medium is divided into a finite region that is of interest in the analysis, and the remaining unbounded medium. The stiffness contribution of the latter is properly represented by its boundary influence matrix, which is directly calculated in the time domain. This procedure is suited for situations in which many analyses of the finite region must be performed.
Autobiography as Fiction: Uwe Johnson's Skizze eines Verunglückten

Uwe Johnson (1934-1984) has experimented with narrative technique in each of his novels. His first publication Mutmasungen uber Jakob (Speculations about Jakob, 1959) sought by way of eliminating the problematic presence of a judgmental narrator to reproduce reality; in effect the reader tells himself the story of Jakob by overhearing the conversations and musings (monologues) of Jakob's friends as they ponder over him and his fate. In Johnson's second book, Das dritte Buch uber Achim (The Third Book about Achim, 1961), the narrator reappears in the guise of a reporter, who in preparing to write Achim's biography gives the narrative its focus and point of view; however, the readers are still represented in the form of questions, supposedly put by friends, curious about the project, which introduce the novel's various sections. Yet another variety of approach to the narrative, although almost a conventional one, is evident in Zwei Ansichten (Two Views, 1965), which does indeed present two different points of view but as they are explicated by a single narrator, who makes a brief and rather inconsequential appearance as "I" in the story's final pages. Vastly more sophisticated is the narrative technique in Johnson's monumental, four-volume novel Jahrestage (Days of the Year/Anniversaries, 1970 ff.); the story consists in part of the observations and recollections of the principal character Gesine Cresspahl (who has already played a prominent role in Mutmasungen uber Jakob). The relationship between Johnson and Gesine is, however, extraordinarily complex, for he identifies completely with Gesine. In addition, roughly a third of the narrative consists of excerpts from the New York Times, translated into German, which Gesine has collected, or Johnson for her, in order to juxtapose present event and personal memoir.
The continued search for the perfect analgesic.

When queried about perioperative concerns, patients have rated postoperative pain as being of greater concern than making a full surgical recovery1. A study of >10,000 ambulatory surgery patients demonstrated that orthopaedic patients had the highest incidence of severe postoperative pain2. Therefore, finding safe, effective, and efficient means of perioperative pain control is of paramount importance to both anesthesiologists and orthopaedic surgeons. In the current study, Singh et al. examined the use of ultrasound-guided interscalene brachial plexus block in patients undergoing arthroscopic shoulder surgery. Their approach was ambitious; they prospectively followed 1319 patients with the goal of evaluating ultrasound-guided interscalene block in terms of safety, efficacy, and patient satisfaction. The most striking strengths of this study are the large patient cohort and the exclusive use of ultrasound guidance, thus making this the largest prospective study to date on the use of this modality for interscalene block. In the competitive era of “customer service,” patient satisfaction is a valuable addition to the study design. The authors concluded that 99% of patients were either very satisfied or satisfied with the interscalene block, but, probably more telling, 98% of patients who were queried stated that they would undergo an interscalene block again. As all of the blocks had likely worn off at the time of the follow-up telephone interview and the patients were facing the painful truth of surgery “post-block,” this is an impressively high percentage. The authors’ finding of 99.6% efficacy of ultrasound-guided interscalene block remains somewhat unclear. Their definition of efficacy is block failure; that is, inadequate sensory blockade after thirty minutes of block placement. Unfortunately, these metrics are never defined further. Were all nerves of …
Kinetic and chemical mechanism of the dihydrofolate reductase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Dihydrofolate reductase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MtDHFR) catalyzes the NAD(P)-dependent reduction of dihydrofolate, yielding NAD(P)(+) and tetrahydrofolate, the primary one-carbon unit carrier in biology. Tetrahydrofolate needs to be recycled so that reactions involved in dTMP synthesis and purine metabolism are maintained. In this work, we report the kinetic characterization of the MtDHFR. This enzyme has a sequential steady-state random kinetic mechanism, probably with a preferred pathway with NADPH binding first. A pK(a) value for an enzymic acid of approximately 7.0 was identified from the pH dependence of V, and the analysis of the primary kinetic isotope effects revealed that the hydride transfer step is at least partly rate-limiting throughout the pH range analyzed. Additionally, solvent and multiple kinetic isotope effects were determined and analyzed, and equilibrium isotope effects were measured on the equilibrium constant. (D(2)O)V and (D(2)O)V/K([4R-4-(2)H]NADH) were slightly inverse at pH 6.0, and inverse values for (D(2)O)V([4R-4-(2)H]NADH) and (D(2)O)V/K([4R-4-(2)H]NADH) suggested that a pre-equilibrium protonation is occurring before the hydride transfer step, indicating a stepwise mechanism for proton and hydride transfer. The same value was obtained for (D)k(H) at pH 5.5 and 7.5, reaffirming the rate-limiting nature of the hydride transfer step. A chemical mechanism is proposed on the basis of the results obtained here.
Oxygen uptake and lactate formation of HeLa cells.

SummaryGey's strain HeLa cells were cultured in Earle T-60 flasks for almost a year in media composed of 0.25 g. yeast and 0.25 g. lactalbumin hydrolysate/1 Earle solution with 10% human or horse serum. Respiration was determined manometrically and lactate formation chemically. In preliminary experiments, 0.25% Difco trypsin (1:250) when used to separate cells, depressed respiration in some instances. Respiration of suspensions of HeLa was constant for an hour but decreased slightly after first hour. Metabolism of two lines of HeLa cells was compared. Respiration and glycolysis of cells grown in media containing homologous human serum was higher than that of cells grown in media containing horse serum. Human HeLa cells had a metabolism like that reported for tumor tissue in that respiration was low (Qo2 = 6.0) and aerobic glycolysis moderate (QO2LA = 12.0). They differed from tumor tissue in that anerobic glycolysis was low (QN2LA = 5.5) and p-phenylenediamine stimulated respiration 338% (Qo2 = 26.3). The...
Investigating rennet coagulation properties of recombined highly concentrated micellar casein concentrate and cream for use in cheese making

Highly concentrated micellar casein concentrate (HC-MCC) contains ∼18% casein with ∼70% of whey proteins removed by microfiltration and diafiltration of skim milk, followed by vacuum evaporation for further concentration. When blended with cream, HC-MCC forms recombined concentrated milk (RCM), which could be used as a starting material in cheese making. Our objective was to investigate the rennet coagulation properties of RCM while varying parameters such as casein level, pH, rennet level, and coagulation temperature. The HC-MCC was mixed with cream using low shear at 50°C for 10 min, followed by cooling to 31, 28, or 25°C and adding rennet, and rheological properties were determined. Rennet coagulation time [RCT, the time at which storage modulus (G') = loss modulus (G″)] decreased from 8.7 to 7.4 min as casein level increased from 3.2 to 5.7%, without a significant additional difference in RCT at casein levels >5.7%. The initial G″ (G″0) increased about 10-fold when casein levels were increased from 3.2 to 10.9%, whereas no change in initial G' (G'0) was observed. When G' was measured relative to RCT (i.e., 1, 1.5, or 2 times RCT after RCT was reached, and expressed as G'1, G'1.5, and G'2), log relationship was found between relative G' and casein level (R2 > 0.94). Lowering coagulation temperature from 31 to 25°C increased G″0 by 6 fold and extended RCT from 7.4 to 9.5 min. After coagulation, relative G' was initially higher at the lower temperature with G'1 of 3.6 Pa at 25°C and 2.0 Pa at 31°C, but delayed in further development with G'2 of 0.8 kPa at 25°C and 1.1 kPa at 31°C. Lowering pH of RCM from 6.6 to 6.2 resulted in reduced RCT from 11.9 to 6.5 min with increased relative G' after coagulation. When less rennet was used, RCT increased in a linear inverse relationship without changes in relative G' or G″. The microstructure of RCM coagulum (∼11% casein), observed using transmission electron microscopy, confirmed that RCM curd had a rigid protein matrix containing extensively cross-linked protein strands.
Effects of breed type and accelerated fat removal on subprimal yields and carcass values.

Nine Brown Swiss and nine English crossbred steers representing the industry standard were slaughtered to determine the effects of cattle type and hot fat removal on subprimal yields and carcass value. After dressing, cod fat, kidney, pelvic, and heart fat (KPHF), and subcutaneous fat thicker than.6 cm was removed from the right side of each carcass (HFT). The left side was not hot-fat trimmed (NFT). Both sides were fabricated into subprimal cuts with no more than.6 cm of subcutaneous fat. Carcass side values were adjusted to a 300-kg chilled carcass weight basis. All comparisons were made for the carcasses using a USDA Select quality grade end point. English crossbred steer carcasses had more (P<.05) subcutaneous fat on the loin and chuck and more (P<.05) total hot fat trim, when KPHF was not included, than Brown Swiss steers (P<.05). Brown Swiss steers had more (P<.05) KPHF. Hot-fat trimmed sides had higher (P<.05) percentage yields from the chuck, brisket, foreshank, rib, plate, round primal cuts, and most of the subprimal cuts than NFT sides, but the primal loin percentage was higher (P<.05) in the NFT sides. The total subprimal cuts yield was approximately 5% higher for the HFT sides than for the NFT sides, and the total fat trim during fabrication was more than 6% less. When the value of the sides was calculated from unadjusted weights, the NFT sides were approximately $26.50 more valuable than the HFT sides. However, when the carcass weight was adjusted to 300 kg, the HFT sides were approximately $40 more valuable than the NFT sides. This study showed that hot fat trimming will be more beneficial if the product is sold on a subprimal cut yield basis with.6 cm of fat. The current price structure would have to be altered to compensate for the loss of weight by removing the fat before the carcass is chilled
Effect of hypoxia on trophoblast in organ culture: A morphologic and autoradiographic study☆

Abstract Villi from mature human placentas were maintained in organ culture in 26 per cent oxygen and showed little morphologic change over a period of 10 days; others, grown in 6 per cent oxygen, showed variable syncytial degeneration and a marked increase in the number of cytotrophoblastic cells. Under hypoxic conditions the incorporation of tritiated thymidine into cytotrophoblastic cells was much increased and labeling of syncytial nuclei with this compound was considerably greater than in fully oxygenated villi. It is suggested that the cytotrophoblast proliferates under conditions of hypoxia in an attempt to repair damaged syncytium and that the findings mimic those frequently seen in placentas from toxemic patients.
TCP performance over mobile ad hoc networks: a quantitative study: Research Articles

In this paper, we study the performance of the transmission control protocol (TCP) over mobile ad-hoc networks. We present a comprehensive set of simulation results and identify the key factors that impact TCP's performance over ad-hoc networks. We use a variety of parameters including link failure detection latency, route computation latency, packet level route unavailability index, and flow level route unavailability index to capture the impact of mobility. We relate the impact of mobility on the different parameters to TCP's performance by studying the throughput, loss-rate and retransmission timeout values at the TCP layer. We conclude from our results that existing approaches to improve TCP performance over mobile ad-hoc networks have identified and hence focused only on a subset of the affecting factors. In the process, we identify a comprehensive set of factors influencing TCP performance. Finally, using the insights gained through the performance evaluations, we propose a framework called Atra consisting of three simple and easily implementable mechanisms at the MAC and routing layers to improve TCP's performance over ad-hoc networks. We demonstrate that Atra improves on the throughput performance of a default protocol stack by 50p–100p. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Organization of Infectious Retrovirus Genes

Transmission of RNA tumor viruses begins when virogenes are expressed and the gene products are packaged in an extracellular particle. The virus released usually grows more readily in cells from a new animal species (secondary cells) than in cells from the species that released them. The capacity to produce virus is transmitted vertically by both the first and second hosts. Expression of type-C virus information represents a spectrum of biological activities; secondarily-infected cells can produce biologically active virus, biologically inactive particles or produce no particles even though infected.