cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dissociation of nucleoprotein complexes by chaotropic salts

Abstract The effect of various anions in destabilizing yeast nucleoprotein complexes followed the order F − − − − 4 ⋍ Cl 3 CCOO − . Treatment of yeast nucleoproteins with 0.5 M NaClO 4 resulted in removal of 80% of RNA. Based on the results, a simple method for effective separation of RNA from ribosomal particles is proposed and the mechanism of RNA dissociation by anions is also discussed.
Activation of p38 MAPK in CD4 T cells controls IL-17 production and autoimmune encephalomyelitis

Although several transcription factors have been shown to be critical for the induction and maintenance of IL-17 expression by CD4 Th cells, less is known about the role of nontranscriptional mechanisms. Here we show that the p38 MAPK signaling pathway is essential for in vitro and in vivo IL-17 production by regulating IL-17 synthesis in CD4 T cells through the activation of the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E/MAPK-interacting kinase (eIF-4E/MNK) pathway. We also show that p38 MAPK activation is required for the development and progression of both chronic and relapsing-remitting forms of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE), the principal autoimmune model of multiple sclerosis. Furthermore, we show that regulation of p38 MAPK activity specifically in T cells is sufficient to modulate EAE severity. Thus, mechanisms other than the regulation of gene expression also contribute to Th17 cell effector functions and, potentially, to the pathogenesis of other Th17 cell–mediated diseases.
Theory of Nanoparticle Diffusion in Unentangled and Entangled Polymer Melts.

We propose a statistical dynamical theory for the violation of the hydrodynamic Stokes-Einstein (SE) diffusion law for a spherical nanoparticle in entangled and unentangled polymer melts based on a combination of mode coupling, Brownian motion, and polymer physics ideas. The non-hydrodynamic friction coefficient is related to microscopic equilibrium structure and the length-scale-dependent polymer melt collective density fluctuation relaxation time. When local packing correlations are neglected, analytic scaling laws (with numerical prefactors) in various regimes are derived for the non-hydrodynamic diffusivity as a function of particle size, polymer radius-of-gyration, tube diameter, degree of entanglement, melt density, and temperature. Entanglement effects are the origin of large SE violations (orders of magnitude mobility enhancement) which smoothly increase as the ratio of particle radius to tube diameter decreases. Various crossover conditions for the recovery of the SE law are derived, which are qualitatively distinct for unentangled and entangled melts. The dynamical influence of packing correlations due to both repulsive and interfacial attractive forces is investigated. A central finding is that melt packing fraction, temperature, and interfacial attraction strength all influence the SE violation in qualitatively different directions depending on whether the polymers are entangled or not. Entangled systems exhibit seemingly anomalous trends as a function of these variables as a consequence of the non-diffusive nature of collective density fluctuation relaxation and the different response of polymer-particle structural correlations to adsorption on the mesoscopic entanglement length scale. The theory is in surprisingly good agreement with recent melt experiments, and new parametric studies are suggested.
Development of Multiampere Negative Ion Sources

The Neutral Beam Development Group at BNL is developing H-/D-surface plasma sources as part of a high energy neutral beam injector. Uncooled Penning and magnetron sources have operated at a maximum beam current of 1 A (10 ms pulses, Mk III) and a maximum pulse length of 200 ms (0.3 A, Mk IV). A magnetron source with focusing grooves on the cathode and an asymmetric anode-cathode geometry operates at a power efficiency of 8 kW/A and a 6% gas efficiency. As the next step, a water cooled magnetron, designed to give a steady state beam of 1-2 A, has been constructed. In initial tests in the hydrogen mode, we have obtained a steady state discharge current of 8 A at 500 V. In addition, experiments are in progress to test a modification of the magnetron which may significantly improve its performance. By injecting a sheet of plasma, produced by a highly gas efficient hollow cathode discharge, into a magnetron type anode-cathode geometry, we anticipate a reduction of the source operating pressure by at least three orders of magnitude. Initial experiments have given indications of H-production. The next plasma injection experiment is designed to give a steady state beam of ? 1 A.
Phonon-assisted energy migration in Pr3+ : LaF3

Abstract Applying the technique of time-resolved fluorescence line narrowing, we have observed directly the migration of energy within the 3P0 state of Pr : LaF3. The excitation transfers rapidly from the initial population to ions that fluoresce at other positions within the inhomogeneously broadened line. By comparing a 20% concentration sample to earlier 5% concentration measurements, we have verified the dipolar nature of the interaction. Our results also support a non-direct phonon-assisted transfer mechanism.
West Nile Virus encephalopathy in an allogeneic stem cell transplant recipient: use of quantitative PCR for diagnosis and assessment of viral clearance.

West Nile Virus encephalopathy in an allogeneic stem cell transplant recipient: use of quantitative PCR for diagnosis and assessment of viral clearance
Inactivation of the pseudorabies virus by dithiothreitol.

Abstract The virucidal nature of reduced dithiothreitol (DTT) for the pseudorabies (PR) virus (PRV) is presented. The rate of decay of PRV in DTT increased exponentially as the pH rose from 6.5 to 8. Effective virucidal concentrations of DTT decreased in concentration as the pH was elevated. The reaction rate was temperature dependent under mild alkaline conditions, being essentially nil at 0° and at 20°, but progressively more rapid from 30° to 41°. Electron micrographs indicated substantial disruption of the architecture of the DTT inactivated virions. Preincubation of DTT with catalytic amounts of Cu 2+ or with high concentrations of Mg 2+ decreased the virucidal activity; preincubation with catalytic levels of Fe 3+ lowered activity slightly. Thirteen additional compounds, mostly thiols, were tested for virucidal activities. Reduced dithioerythritol (DTE), an asymmetric isomer of DTT, was considerably less active than DTT. British anti-lewisite (BAL), (2,3-dimercapto-1-propanol), was of the same order of activity as DTE, but 1,3-dimercapto-2-propanol, an isomer of BAL, was essentially nonvirucidal. Thimerosal and iodoacetamide at 0.01 M were virucidal, but 2-mercaptoethanol at 0.01 M was inactive. Trithiodiglycol at 0.01 M , pH 8.0, was moderately virucidal. Oxidized dithiothreitol was nonvirucidal.
An examination of the implications of void growth in submicrometer and nanocrystalline structures

Abstract Tensile experiments were conducted on fully dense tetragonal zirconia stabilized with approximately 3 mol% yttria and with a submicrometer grain size. Examination of the specimens after superplastic-like flow revealed the development of internal cavitation and the extent of the cavitation increased with increasing strain rate. Nanocrystalline materials have an apparent potential for superplastic forming operations but this potential may be limited because of the presence of residual porosity from the fabrication process or because of the nucleation and growth of cavities during superplastic flow. It is shown by calculation that diffusion will play a dominant role in the growth of internal voids in nanocrystalline structures because each grain boundary impinging on a void provides a path for rapid diffusion.
Chelation control in the intramolecular addition of allylsilanes to carbonyl electrophiles

Abstract Use of chelation control to direct the stereochemical outcome of intramolecular additions of allylsilanes to β-dicarbonyl substrates is described. Excellent diastereoselectivity is achieved by titanium tetrachloride promoted cyclization of a wide variety of β-dicarbonyl substrates, and these reactions also proceed in high yield. Cyclizations occur under mild conditions and are highly chemoselectivc, providing direct routes to highly functionalized five-, six- and seven-membered carbocycles.
Kinetics of the interconversions among the electron-transfer-linked forms of ferricytochrome c

Abstract Kinetics and equilibria of the electron-transfer linked protonic dissociation of ferricytochrome c has been investigated by rapid photometric measurements at 633 mμ, a pronounced shoulder of the 695 mμ-band. It has been found that the ordinary electron transfer linked pKI of 9.1 consists of the two terms pKH′ = 10.4 and pK1,2 = −1.3. The dimensionless equilibrium constant K1,2 refers to a structural interconversion between forms with and without the 695 mμ-band. The (pH-independent) rate constant for the disappearance of the compound with this band was found to be 1.4 sec−1. Although a cyclic model (of four steps) is also consistent with the results (pH ≧ 8), the two-step sequential model is preferred, as it is simpler (requiring one less form of ferricytochrome c). The asymmetry of the protonic dissociations between ferro- and ferricytochrome c is utilized to develop a model for the quantitative description of the linking of oxidative phosphorylation to electron transfer. The above-mentioned pKH′ is suggested to be directly involved together with the previously proposed compound “YH”. Previously suggested schemes become thereby simplified. The high pKH′ requires that the postulated proton-release in the first linking-step is caused either by a localized high pH or by an internal modification making p K H ∗ ⪡ p K H′ . The detailsof these two variations are discussed as well as the connections to the recently published “Compromise Proposal” of E. Racker.
Karma2: Provenance Management for Data-Driven Workflows

The increasing ability for the sciences to sense the world around us is resulting in a growing need for datadriven e-Science applications that are under the control of workflows composed of services on the Grid. The focus of our work is on provenance collection for these workflows that are necessary to validate the workflow and to determine quality of generated data products. The challenge we address is to record uniform and usable provenance metadata that meets the domain needs while minimizing the modification burden on the service authors and the performance overhead on the workflow engine and the services. The framework is based on generating discrete provenance activities during the lifecycle of a workflow execution that can be aggregated to form complex data and process provenance graphs that can span across workflows. The implementation uses a loosely coupled publish-subscribe architecture for propagating these activities, and the capabilities of the system satisfy the needs of detailed provenance collection. A performance evaluation of a prototype finds a minimal performance overhead (in the range of 1% for an eight-service workflow using 271 data products).
Learning from past experiences to enhance decision support in IT change management

the number of changes that IT departments have to deal with is growing at a fast pace in response to changing business needs of enterprises. As changes are getting executed and deployed, knowledge is being created and stored. It is of paramount importance to the success of the business to re-use that knowledge for future changes. In fact, those who do not learn from past experiences are doomed to repeat the same mistakes as well as not bear the fruit of the ones that were successful. This paper addresses this concern by providing for every change being worked out the most similar past changes. Our solution combines data mining and optimization paradigms to model the problem of finding past similar changes by designing and learning similarity functions. Our approach enhances the efficiency and effectiveness of dealing with changes, by reducing the risk and shortening the time of introducing new changes.
Structure of air-water bubbly flow in a vertical pipe—II. Void fraction, bubble velocity and bubble size distribution

Abstract In a companion paper (Liu and Bankoff, Int. J. Heat Mass Transfer 36, 1049–1060 (1993)) measurements were presented of liquid-phase velocity and turbulence properties in air-water bubbly upflow under a range of flow conditions. In this paper measurements of the radial profiles of void fraction, bubble velocity and bubbly size, using a miniature dual-sensor resistivity probe, under the same conditions are presented. A new digital processing method, based on threshold combinations of level and slope, was developed for phase identification by the resistivity probe. Local mean bubble sizes ranged from 2 to 4 mm. The profiles of void fraction, bubble frequency and bubble size are found to show distinct peaks near the wall, becoming flat at the core. Experimental findings and parametric trends based on the effects of superficial velocities of both phases are summarized and discussed.
The Effects of Hand-Finger Exercise on Human Handwriting Performance

Two experiments with twelve subjects each were conducted to study the effects of exhaustive hand-finger exercise on the pace and accuracy of fine motor performance in a pattern tracing task. In Experiment I, subjects performed for ten trials without exercise preceeding five trials with exercise. In Experiment II, the reversed order was used. Results show that while for average adults, hand-finger exercise did not interfere with the task accuracy in both experiments, performance pace was significantly accelerated under the exercise conditions. Some implications are discussed.
Mechanistic studies of combustion-stimulated hydrogen generation from sodium borohydride

Abstract The mechanism of hydrogen evolution from sodium borohydride reaction with water is investigated for the case where the process is stimulated by metal (magnesium or aluminum) combustion in water, with H 2 yield ∼ 7 wt % . With this goal, process temperature, combustion velocity, reaction rates and product composition were studied experimentally using direct thermocouple measurements, video recording, TGA and XRD analysis. Both combustion temperature (950–1600 °C) and front velocity (0.05–0.4 cm/s) were found to increase with the amount of metal fuel in the mixture, correlating with the overall reaction heat effect. Kinetic parameters were estimated based on TGA measurements for temperatures 400–700 °C. Experiments demonstrate that mixtures of Mg / NaBH 4 / H 2 O exhibit higher conversion than Al / NaBH 4 / H 2 O . Using deuterated water and mass-spectral analysis of the HD to DD ratio in the evolved hydrogen, it was determined that combustion favors borohydride pyrolysis over hydrolysis.
Role of urine in coordinating reproduction in a desert rodent (Dipodomys merriami)

Abstract Detection of reproductive status from chemical signals in the urine of a desert rodent was examined. Intact and castrated male and estrous (induced) and nonestrous (ovariectomized) female Dipodomys merriami were tested for their preferences for various combinations of water and urine from intact males, estrous females, castrated males, and nonestrous females. Intact and castrated males were also tested for their responses to urine from females at different stages of the reproductive cycle: proestrus, estrus, and diestrus. Neither intact nor castrated males exhibited a preference for urine from females in may stage of the estrous cycle. Urine from intact males, however, was preferred by both intact males and estrous females. Urine from reproductively active males, rather than from estrous females, seems to contain information for coordinating reproduction in D. merriami .
A variational principle on certain operators in general and the density matrix in particular

Abstract Approximate solutions of first order operator equations of motion may be obtained variationaly, We present a variational principle which, applied to the density matrix reduces to Frenkel's principle in some special cases.
Friction reduction degradation in dilute poly(ethylene oxide) solutions

Degradation of friction-reducing effectiveness of dilute poly(ethylene oxide) solutions subjected to continuous agitation is examined in disk flow. A residual or steady-state effectiveness is observed which disappears only at a sufficiently high Reynolds number. The onset of friction reduction appears to occur within the transition region and seems to be independent of solution concentration. The onset of degradation also appears to be independent of concentration. Prior shear working is shown to have a significant effect on residual friction-reducing effectiveness only when the shear working is performed in a more intense shear field than that in which the friction-reducing effectiveness is evaluated. Degradation of friction-reducing effectiveness is compared to corresponding changes in viscosity-average molecular weight. The experimental results are interpreted in terms of a model of the interaction between polymer molecules and the turbulent flow field.
Prosodic fusion and minimality in Kabardian

The Northwest Caucasian language Kabardian displays a typologically unusual process of word formation, whereby two lexical roots fuse to form a single prosodic word whose phonological behaviour is parallel to prosodic words containing a single root. It is shown that this process of fusion, which is subject to a number of phonological and morphosyntactic restrictions, reflects a typologically unusual response to a cross-linguistically common minimal word requirement banning monomoraic prosodic words. Rather than employing segmental lengthening or insertion to ensure that minimality is satisfied, Kabardian chooses to violate the one-to-one mapping between grammatical and prosodic words. A further complication is the scalar nature of minimality in Kabardian: while the impossibility of fusion in certain prosodic and morphosyntactic contexts allows monomoraic prosodic words to surface, a more stringent minimality restriction ensures that all prosodic words have at least one mora.
Measurement of Molecular Mobility in Mammalian Cells

Preservation of mammalian cells requires establishing a reversible stasis condition by reducing the intra/extracellular molecular mobility ensuring reduced chemical reaction and deterioration rates. Molecular mobility may be reduced by various techniques. For example, in cryopreservation, mobility within and surrounding the cell is reduced through freezing the free water that constitutes 70–90% of the cell’s composition. In dried-state preservation applied successfully to preserve seeds, pharmacological materials and foodstuff (mimicking the anhydrobiosis phenomenon seen in nature), reduction in molecular mobility is established by removing intra/extracellular water. Certain carbohydrates (such as trehalose and sucrose) can be artificially uploaded into mammalian cells to replace the removed water and to form an intra/extracellular glass. In this research, a fluorescent rotor is utilized to determine the changes in intracellular molecular mobility during carbohydrate uploading of mammalian cells. It was shown that using this technique, it is feasible to make real-time mobility measurements at a single cell level.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
SU-E-I-07: Average Cross Sectional Dose for a CT Phantom through Fourth Order and Implications for 180° + Fan Angle Acquisition

Purpose: To determine spatial average dose over the central plane of a cylindrical phantom through the 4th order from three measurements and also to determine spatial average dose for an arbitrary angle of irradiation. This has general applicability but is especially important for those cone beam CT installations where the irradiation angle is restricted to less than a full rotation. Methods: Assuming a uniform cylindrical cylinder and cylindrically symmetric conditions of irradiation, the dose distribution can be described using a radial function. Because of symmetry, the function must be even and thus when expanded as a polynomial can only have terms with even powers of the radial coordinate. Expanding to the fourth power and integrating leaves us with an expression for average dose which we have compared to our own measurements and Monte Carlo calculations. Application to cone‐beam CT presents a difficulty because oftentimes less than a full rotation is used during the irradiation process. Results: The results show that there is often an improvement over the use of a second order function; however, the additional complexity requires dose measurements at three radii instead of two. Though these results apply to all CT phantom measurements, sub full‐rotation acquisitions common in cone beam CT violate the symmetry in the irradiation pattern. However, we are interested only in the average dose and not the details of the dose distribution throughout the cross sectional area. With this restriction, we provide a proof along with recommended methodology that allows for the determination of average dose even if it is not possible to perform a full gantry rotation. Conclusions: The accuracy of phantom calculations has been extended to fourth order but at the expense of an additional measurement. The validity is extended to partial rotations.
Epidemiology of Pneumococcal Disease in a National Cohort of Older Adults

Introduction Streptococcus pneumoniae is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. We sought to describe the epidemiology of non-invasive and invasive pneumococcal disease in a national Veterans Affairs population within the United States.
Attitudes, knowledge and practices affecting the Critically Endangered Mariana crow Corvus kubaryi and its conservation on Rota, Mariana Islands

The population of the Critically Endangered Mariana crow Corvus kubaryi on the island of Rota, Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands, has decreased dramatically in recent years. It is unclear to what extent negative practices by people, such as inappropriate land use or persecution of crows, have contributed to this decline. We conducted a public opinion survey to document ongoing practices towards the crows on Rota, to assess residents’ knowledge of and attitudes towards the birds, and to gauge potential responses to a government-instituted land incentive programme. Enumerators administered surveys in person during August 2011. Most of the 573 respondents were native Chamorro residents (75%) and more than half were landowners (62%). A majority of respondents (72%) considered environmental issues ‘very important’ and 76% knew of the Mariana crow's Critically Endangered status. Fewer respondents (55%) expressed concern about the bird going extinct. A number of respondents condoned shooting and chasing crows (17 and 52%, respectively), suggesting that residents may be harassing the birds. Chamorro landowners on the island were more likely to have negative attitudes towards the crows and to know people who persecute the crows than other island residents. Education was positively correlated with knowledge and concern about the crow and environmental issues, suggesting that new educational programmes on Rota may help improve residents’ attitudes towards the species. In addition, we recommend a revision of current land-use regulations and implementation of a monetary compensation programme for owners of crow nesting habitat to improve landowners’ attitudes and practices.
Response to Letter by Testa et al

Response: We appreciate the thoughtful comments of Testa et al, particularly regarding the pivotal issue of stroke prevention among elderly individuals with atrial fibrillation. In our study, patients with planned cardioversion were treated with warfarin consistent with current guidelines.1 Antiplatelet agents would not be used in this setting. Based on risk factors, the patients in our study were predominantly classified as high risk for stroke. Aspirin in this group would not be considered a surrogate for warfarin. For each patient who was not discharged on warfarin, we ascertained the reason directly either from the discharge record or the treating physician. Among patients considered to have …
Higher growth temperatures decreased net carbon assimilation and biomass accumulation of northern red oak seedlings near the southern limit of the species range

If an increase in temperature will limit the growth of a species, it will be in the warmest portion of the species distribution. Therefore, in this study we examined the effects of elevated temperature on net carbon assimilation and biomass production of northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.) seedlings grown near the southern limit of the species distribution. Seedlings were grown in chambers in elevated CO2 (700 µmol mol −1 ) at three temperature conditions, ambient (tracking diurnal and seasonal variation in outdoor temperature), ambient +3 °C and ambient +6 °C, which produced mean growing season temperatures of 23, 26 and 29 °C, respectively. A group of seedlings was also grown in ambient [CO2] and ambient temperature as a check of the growth response to elevated [CO2]. Net photosynthesis and leaf respiration, photosynthetic capacity (Vcmax, Jmax and triose phosphate utilization (TPU)) and chlorophyll fluorescence, as well as seedling height, diameter and biomass, were mea sured during one growing season. Higher growth temperatures reduced net photosynthesis, increased respiration and reduced height, diameter and biomass production. Maximum net photosynthesis at saturating [CO2] and maximum rate of electron transport (Jmax) were lowest throughout the growing season in seedlings grown in the highest temperature regime. These parameters were also lower in June, but not in July or September, in seedlings grown at +3 °C above ambient, compared with those grown in ambient temperature, indicating no impairment of photosynthetic capacity with a moderate increase in air temperature. An unusual and potentially important observation was that foliar respiration did not acclimate to growth temperature, resulting in substantially higher leaf respiration at the higher growth temperatures. Lower net carbon assimilation was correlated with lower growth at higher temperatures. Total biomass at the end of the growing season decreased in direct proportion to the increase in growth temperature, declining by 6% per 1 °C increase in mean growing season temperature. Our observations suggest that increases in air temperature above current ambient conditions will be detrimental to Q. rubra seedlings growing near the southern limit of the species range.
Dynamics and Potentials of Israel's Megalopolitan Processes

The notion of 'megalopolis' is used, following Gottmann, as a metaphor adopted from the ancient Greek city of Megalopolis situated at the heart of the Peloponnisos peninsula, to describe a linearly...
Fluid inclusion gas chemistry as a potential minerals exploration tool: Case studies from Creede, CO, Jerritt Canyon, NV, Coeur d'Alene district, ID and MT, southern Alaska mesothermal veins, and mid-continent MVT's

Recent advances in instrumentation now permit quantitative analysis of gas species from individual fluid inclusions. Fluid inclusion gas data can be applied to minerals exploration empirically to establish chemical (gas composition) signatures of the ore fluids, and conceptually through the development of genetic models of ore formation from a framework of integrated geologic, geochemical, and isotopic investigations. Case studies of fluid inclusion gas chemistry from ore deposits representing a spectrum of ore-forming processes and environments are presented to illustrate both the empirical and conceptual approaches. We consider epithermal silver-gold deposits of Creede, Colorado, Carlin-type sediment-hosted disseminated gold deposits of Jerritt Canyon, Nevada, metamorphic silver-base-metal veins of the Coeur d'Alene district, Idaho and Montana, gold-quartz veins in accreted terranes of southern Alaska, and the mid-continent base-metal sulfide deposits of Mississippi Valley-Type (MVT's). Variations in gas chemistry determine the redox state of the ore fluids, provide compositional input for gas geothermometers, characterize ore fluid chemistry (e.g., CH4CO2, H2SSO2, CO2/H2S, organic-rich fluids, gas-rich and gas-poor fluids), identify magmatic, meteoric, metamorphic, shallow and deep basin fluids in ore systems, locate upwelling plumes of magmatic-derived volatiles, zones of boiling and volatile separation, interfaces between contrasting fluids, and important zones of fluid mixing. Present techniques are immediately applicable to exploration programsas empirical studies that monitor fluid inclusion gas threshold concentration levels, presence or absence of certain gases, or changes in gas ratios. We suggest that the greater contribution of fluid inclusion gas analysis is in the integrated and comprehensive chemical dimension that gas data impart to genetic models, and in the exploration concepts based on processes and environments of ore formation derived from these genetic models.
Should Cities Go for the Gold? The Long-Term Impacts of Hosting the Olympics

The Summer Olympics bring hundreds of thousands of visitors and generate upward of $10 billion in spending for the host city. This large influx of tourism dollars is only part of the overall impact of hosting the Olympic Games. In order to host the visitors and sporting events, cities must make sizable investments in infrastructure such as airports, arenas, and highways. Additionally, the publicity and international exposure of a host city may benefit international trade and capital flows. Proponents argue that this investment will pay off through increased economic growth, but research confirming these claims is lacking. This paper examines whether hosting an Olympiad improves a city's long‐term growth. In order to control for the self‐selection of cities that host Olympic Games, this paper matches Olympic host cities with cities that were finalists for the Olympic Games, but were not selected by the International Olympic Committee. A difference‐in‐difference estimator examines post‐Olympic impacts for host cities between 1950 and 2005. Regression results provide no long‐term impacts of hosting an Olympics on two measures of population, real Gross Domestic Product per capita and trade openness.
Biallelic somatic and germline mutations in cerebral cavernous malformations (CCMs): evidence for a two-hit mechanism of CCM pathogenesis

Cerebral cavernous malformations (CCMs) are vascular anomalies of the central nervous system, comprising dilated blood-filled capillaries lacking structural support. The lesions are prone to rupture, resulting in seizures or hemorrhagic stroke. CCM can occur sporadically, manifesting as solitary lesions, but also in families, where multiple lesions generally occur. Familial cases follow autosomal-dominant inheritance due to mutations in one of three genes, CCM1/KRIT1, CCM2/malcavernin or CCM3/PDCD10. The difference in lesion burden between familial and sporadic CCM, combined with limited molecular data, suggests that CCM pathogenesis may follow a two-hit molecular mechanism, similar to that seen for tumor suppressor genes. In this study, we investigate the two-hit hypothesis for CCM pathogenesis. Through repeated cycles of amplification, subcloning and sequencing of multiple clones per amplicon, we identify somatic mutations that are otherwise invisible by direct sequencing of the bulk amplicon. Biallelic germline and somatic mutations were identified in CCM lesions from all three forms of inherited CCMs. The somatic mutations are found only in a subset of the endothelial cells lining the cavernous vessels and not in interstitial lesion cells. These data suggest that CCM lesion genesis requires complete loss of function for one of the CCM genes. Although widely expressed in the different cell types of the brain, these data also suggest a unique role for the CCM proteins in endothelial cell biology.
Land use, water and Mediterranean landscapes: modelling long-term dynamics of complex socio-ecological systems

The evolution of Mediterranean landscapes during the Holocene has been increasingly governed by the complex interactions of water and human land use. Different land-use practices change the amount of water flowing across the surface and infiltrating the soil, and change water’s ability to move surface sediments. Conversely, water amplifies the impacts of human land use and extends the ecological footprint of human activities far beyond the borders of towns and fields. Advances in computational modelling offer new tools to study the complex feedbacks between land use, land cover, topography and surface water. The Mediterranean Landscape Dynamics project (MedLand) is building a modelling laboratory where experiments can be carried out on the long-term impacts of agropastoral land use, and whose results can be tested against the archaeological record. These computational experiments are providing new insights into the socio-ecological consequences of human decisions at varying temporal and spatial scales.
Introns of the chicken ovalbumin gene promote nucleosome alignment in vitro

Abstract A defined in vitro chromatin assembly system was used to examine the nucleosome alignment induced by histone H5 throughout a 12 kilobase pair chicken genomic DNA fragment containing the ovalbumin gene. In contrast with total fragmented chicken DNA and several anonymous cloned fragments, much of the gene permitted histone H5 to space nucleosomes at physiological intervals in an extended array. Nucleosomes at the 3'-end of the gene and on approximately 4 kilobase pairs of 5'-flanking ovalbumin sequence did not become aligned to appreciable extents. Analysis of cloned 2-3 kilobase pair subfragments suggested that a strong nucleosome alignment signal, specifying a 196 +/- 5 base pair repeat exists in intron E. A second discrete region of the gene, which mapped approximately to intron A, exhibited nucleosome alignment with a spacing periodicity of about 200 base pairs. The ovalbumin cDNA did not permit nucleosome alignment. These findings suggest that some of the introns contain signals that direct nucleosome alignment over the ovalbumin gene in a way conducive to its regulation.
Activities of the triazole SCH 51048 against Coccidioides immitis in vitro and in vivo.

The activity of the novel triazole SCH 51048 was tested against Coccidioides immitis. SCH 51048 inhibited C. immitis in vitro; MICs for 13 isolates ranged from 14 micrograms/ml, with an estimated half-life of > 12 h. SCH 51048 was 5- to 50-fold or more superior to fluconazole or itraconazole.
Twenty-First-Century Engineering Projects—More than Bricks, Mortar, and Money

How will postmodern engineers deal with the increasingly complex social issues facing nearly every new engineering project and decision? A philosophy is outlined that seeks to synthesize these disparate interests. It is contended that the integral philosophy and what is called the spiral of development offer approaches that can include all parties, reduce conflict, and help create consensus. The philosophy transcends and includes issues bearing on the environment, preservation, and growth and includes the human being in a profound new way.
Analytical behavior of rectangular electrostatic torsion actuators with nonlinear spring bending

In this paper, we study the pull-in effect for rectangular electrostatic torsion actuators by using analytical calculations that include the higher order effects of nonlinear spring bending. The calculation approach speeds the design of such systems. The method is found to be suitable for actuators with single long beam springs where the ratio of the resonant frequencies for the torsion and bending modes is up to at least 3.5, in the region where bending dominates torsion. After fitting the theory in this paper to Coventor simulation results with three nonphysical coefficients, the fractional differences between Coventor simulation and analytical calculation results are smaller than 6%. The method is also suitable for at least one class of folded spring designs, with greatly decreased bending mode displacement. The main results are also verified by comparing them with published experimental results.
Temporal relationship between use of NSAIDs, including selective COX-2 inhibitors, and cardiovascular risk.

Background and Objective: The search for NSAIDs with less gastrointestinal toxicity led to the introduction of the selective cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors. However, following their introduction into the market, concerns have developed regarding their safety, particularly their cardiovascular safety. The purpose of this study was to assess the cardiovascular risk (events included were myocardial infarction, stroke and myocardial infarction-related deaths) associated with long-term (>180 days of exposure) and short-term (≤180 days of exposure) use of non-selective NSAIDs, including ‘preferential COX-2 inhibitors’ (i.e. etodolac, nabumetone and salsalate), and selective COX-2 inhibitors.
Comparison of real-time polymerase chain reaction and conventional biochemical methods for identification of Mycobacterium chelonae–Mycobacterium abscessus group to the species level

The Mycobacterium chelonae-Mycobacterium abscessus group (MCAG) is the most common cause of infections because of rapidly growing mycobacteria. Rapid identification of MCAG to the species level is essential for choosing empiric antibiotic treatment and for public health measures. In this study, we compared the performance of a single-tube multiplex, real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay to 3 biochemical tests for species-level identification of 46 MCAG isolates. We show that real-time PCR provides the most accurate results for rapid species-level identification of MCAG.
Model for avulsion injury in the rat brachial plexus using passive acceleration.

We have developed an experimental model for brachial plexus injuries in the rat that closely simulates the characteristics of human injury. This model produces avulsion injuries in a noninvasive manner. A prototype apparatus was designed that allowed a force to be transmitted to a restrained limb by passive acceleration. Reproducible results were obtained in 32 rats. A significant correlation was found between the test weight and the number of roots avulsed (r = 0.92; P < 0.05). The amount of force also correlated to the pattern of avulsion injury: a 230-g weight produced either C6 (54%), C7 (15%), or C6 and C7 (31%) avulsions; a 330-g weight produced C6 (18%), C7 (9%), or C6 and C7 (73%) avulsions; a 530-g weight produced C5 through C8 (75%) or C6 through T1 (25%) avulsions. This model of brachial plexus injury may be useful to further our understanding of the cellular response to this incapacitating injury and to develop therapeutic strategies with behavioral correlates.
Evolution of an attitude control system for body-stabilized communication spacecraft

Improvements in attitude control system autonomy and beam pointing accuracy are reviewed. The ten-year history is based on the implementation and performance of geosynchronous satellites, which utilize a momentum biased concept to provide a body-stabilized spacecraft for the communication payload. Innovations and advances in microprocessor technology enabled the attainment of improved pointing and greater autonomy. Decreasing structural frequencies associated with ever larger solar arrays are accommodated by higher order filtering and control estimators; thus, stable and accurate control performance is attained during both normal and stationkeeping operations.
Disposable smart lab on a chip for point-of-care clinical diagnostics

This paper presents the development of a disposable plastic biochip incorporating smart passive microfluidics with embedded on-chip power sources and integrated biosensor array for applications in clinical diagnostics and point-of-care testing. The fully integrated disposable biochip is capable of precise volume control with smart microfluidic manipulation without costly on-chip microfluidic components. The biochip has a unique power source using on-chip pressurized air reservoirs, for microfluidic manipulation, avoiding the need for complex microfluidic pumps. In addition, the disposable plastic biochip has successfully been tested for the measurements of partial oxygen concentration, glucose, and lactate level in human blood using an integrated biosensor array. This paper presents details of the smart passive microfluidic system, the on-chip power source, and the biosensor array together with a detailed discussion of the plastic micromachining techniques used for chip fabrication. A handheld analyzer capable of multiparameter detection of clinically relevant parameters has also been developed to detect the signals from the cartridge type disposable biochip. The handheld analyzer developed in this work is currently the smallest analyzer capable of multiparameter detection for point-of-care testing.
Do children use the big five, too? Content and structural form in personality description.

Free personality descriptions generated by 11-year-olds in the Role Construct Repertory Test (Kelly, 1955) were content-analyzed. The children's personality constructs were coded according to structural form (e.g., habits, preferences, traits) and "Big Five" personality content domain (e.g., Agreeableness, Conscientiousness). Findings showed that the children generated constructs from all of the Big Five personality domains. Agreeableness constructs were used most frequently, replicating the prevalence of that domain in studies of adult trait attribution (Peabody & Goldberg, 1989). However, in contrast to adults, less than half of the children's Big Five constructs were expressed as personality traits. The children's use of structural forms varied systematically with the personality domain they were describing. Target likability and age were also found to be related to the personality domains and structural forms of the children's constructs.
Extent of lymph node dissection and overall survival in patients with uterine carcinosarcoma, papillary serous and endometrioid adenocarcinoma: A retrospective cohort study.

Abstract Objective To evaluate the interaction between extent of lymph node dissection (LND) and overall survival (OS) in patients with various histologic types of uterine cancer. Methods We retrospectively identified 834 patients who had primary surgery in our institution for uterine carcinosarcoma (CS), papillary serous (UPSC) and endometrioid adenocarcinoma between 1984 and 2009. Stage, grade, total lymph node count (LNC), positive LNC, adjuvant therapy, age, race and OS were collected. OS was calculated using the Kaplan–Meier method. Predictive factors were compared with the log rank test and Cox regression analysis. Results Our cohort included 158 patients with CS, 115 patients with UPSC and 561 patients with endometrioid adenocarcinoma. Of the cohort, 38% of the patients had Stage III or IV disease. LND was performed in 73% of patients with CS, 68% of patients with UPSC and 79% of patients with endometrioid adenocarcinoma. LND was performed in 82% of Stage I–II and in 68% of Stage III–IV cases. The median total LNC was 13 (range 1–75) and there was no significant difference in the total LNC between the different histologies. Median OS was 21 months for CS, 18 months for UPSC and 200 months for patients with endometrioid adenocarcinoma. A positive association between the total and positive LNC was present in all three histologic types (Spearman coefficient, p 17 nodes. Doubling the total LNC was associated with 28% risk of death reduction (HR 0.724, CI 0.66–0.794, p Conclusions In our cohort, the performance of LND is associated with improved OS. This effect appears to be uniform across pathology types. The extent of the LND is inversely correlated with the risk of death for the first 2 years.
Critical elements in fellowship training

In this article, we present the critical elements of fellowship training for the urologic oncologist. As an example, the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center experience is outlined in detail, including the clinical experience, research curriculum, laparoscopic and minimally invasive exposure, and didactic lecture series.
Inpatient management of guillain-barré syndrome.

Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) is the most common cause of acute flaccid paralysis in the developed world. Guillain-Barre syndrome typically presents with ascending paralysis and is usually severe enough to warrant hospital admission for management. In the United States alone, GBS results in more than 6000 hospitalizations each year. Although GBS patients were historically cared for at tertiary referral centers, changing treatment practices have broadened the number of neurologists who care for the disease. This article provides a review of key issues in the inpatient management of GBS. A survey of the evidence base for treatment with plasma exchange or intravenous immunoglobulins is presented. Although either of these treatments can limit the severity of GBS, patients are still at risk for a broad range of complications, including respiratory failure, autonomic dysfunction, thromboembolic disease, pain, and psychiatric disorders. Awareness of these complications, their detection and management, may help limit the morbidity of GBS.
BREEDING BIRD ABUNDANCE IN BOTTOMLAND HARDWOOD FORESTS: HABITAT, EDGE, AND PATCH SIZE EFFECTS

Abstract We studied breeding bird communities in extensive bottomland hardwood forests along the lower Roanoke River in North Carolina during 1992 and 1993. We documented a rich avian community and recorded exceptionally high densities of two species (Prothonotary Warbler Protonotaria citrea, Acadian Flycatcher Empidonax virescens), as well as modest densities of three species rarely encountered elsewhere in the region (Cerulean Warbler Dendroica cerulea, Swainson's Warbler Limnothlypis swainsonii, American Redstart Setophaga ruticilla). The effects of patch size and edge on bird abundance were small in this forested landscape, but forest type had a large effect. We found half of the species analyzed to differ in abundance between the two primary habitat types, swamp forest and levee forest. In contrast, no species was consistently more abundant at patch interiors than near edges, and only two forest birds were more common in large compared with small patches. Species analyzed included permanent residents...