cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of xylanase supplementation on nutrient and energy digestibility at three time periods in growing pigs fed diets based on corn or corn distillers dried grains with solubles

Abstract A digestibility trial was conducted to better understand how xylanase impacts diet utilization in pigs by measuring its impact on the digestibility of energy, nitrogen, fat, fiber, and starch in the small and large intestine and across the total tract at three collection periods. Thirty-two 16-week-old gilts (DNA 600 [DNA Genetics, Columbus, NE, USA] × C22 [PIC Inc., Hendersonville, TN, USA]) were surgically fitted with T-cannulae at the terminal ileum, housed individually, and assigned to 1 of 4 dietary treatments in a completely randomized design, providing 24 observations per treatment Diets were arranged in a 2 × 2 factorial:0 vs 165 mg xylanase/kg (27,225 birch xylan units (BXU)/kg) of finished feed to corn-soybean meal diets and 0 g/kg (lower fiber: LF) vs 300 g/kg (higher fiber: HF) corn distillers’ dried grains with solubles (DDGS). Prior to surgery, the body weight (BW) of the pigs averaged 37.3 ± 0.8 kg. Three collection periods consisting of a 2-day fecal collection followed by a 3-day ileal collection occurred at day 9–13, 19–23 and 39–43 when pigs averaged 46.0 ± 0.4, 54.1 ± 0.4, and 70.3 ± 0.5 kg, respectively. Ileal and fecal samples were analyzed to determine the apparent ileal digestibility (AID) and apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of gross energy (GE), dry matter (DM), neutral detergent fiber assayed with heat stable amylase (aNDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), and nitrogen (N), and the AID of starch and amino acids (AA). Apparent fat digestibility values were corrected for endogenous losses and reported as true ileal digestibility (TID) and true total tract digestibility (TTTD). Xylanase inclusion tended to decrease AID of aNDF and decreased ADF in LF diets, but had no impact in HF diets, resulting in a fiber level (FL) × xylanase interaction (P ≤ 0.100). The AID of nitrogen increased with xylanase in LF diets, but decreased in HF diets, resulting in a FL × xylanase interaction (P = 0.025). Xylanase inclusion tended to increase the hindgut disappearance of aNDF and ADF (P ≤ 0.100). In LF diets, xylanase decreased ATTD of ADF, but increased ATTD of ADF in HF diets resulting in a FL × xylanase interaction (P = 0.010). Xylanase inclusion changed the pattern of hindgut disappearance and ATTD of nitrogen over the three collection periods, resulting in a xylanase × collection period interaction. Overall, xylanase supplementation slightly increased digestibility in pigs fed lower fiber diets, and had no impact on digestibility in higher fiber diets.
Current Therapeutic Options in Aortic Stenosis

Aortic stenosis is the most common valvular disease requiring valve replacement. Valve replacement therapies have undergone progressive evolution since the 1960s. Over the last 20 years, transcatheter aortic valve replacement has radically transformed the care of aortic stenosis, such that it is now the treatment of choice for many, particularly elderly, patients. This review provides an overview of the pathophysiology, presentation, diagnosis, indications for intervention, and current therapeutic options for aortic stenosis.
Contrasting Images of Islam and Arab Societies in Western Secondary Textbooks

Western textbooks often offer contradictory portrayals of Islam and Arab societies: while medieval Islam and Arab societies are portrayed as important to the development of civilization and to academic knowledge, contemporary representations of Islam and Arab societies are dominated by violence and conflict. Prior content analyses informed contextualized curricula and textbook analyses, but the images presented in textbooks are influential because of the meanings that students visually infer from them. Textbook images also provide assumed contexts that may be misinterpreted or misunderstood if students and teachers do not connect these images with their corresponding text. This study analyzes images of Islam and Arab societies in Western secondary-level textbooks and confirms in them the types of dichotomized representations identified by previous content analyses. However, this study expands upon previous research by considering different types of images in Western textbooks and by describing the ways in which these images either reproduce or are impacted by political, cultural, social, and religious perspectives.
Focused jump-and-repair constraint handling for fixed-parameter tractable graph problems

Repair operators are often used for constraint handling in constrained combinatorial optimization. We investigate the (1+1) EA equipped with a tailored jump-and-repair operation that can be used to probabilistically repair infeasible offspring in graph problems. Instead of evolving candidate solutions to the entire graph, we expand the genotype to allow the (1+1) EA to develop in parallel a feasible solution together with a growing subset of the instance (an induced subgraph). With this approach, we prove that the EA is able to probabilistically simulate an iterative compression process used in classical fixed-parameter algorithmics to obtain a randomized FPT performance guarantee on two NP-hard graph problems. For k-VertexCover, we prove that the (1+1) EA using focused jump-and-repair can find a k-cover (if one exists) in O(2k n2 log n) iterations in expectation. This leads to an exponential (in k) improvement over the best-known parameterized bound for evolutionary algorithms on VertexCover. For the k-FeedbackVertexSet problem in tournaments, we prove that the EA finds a feasible feedback set in O(2kk!n2 log n) iterations in expectation. This is the first parameterized result for an evolutionary algorithm on this problem. We discuss how to generalize the framework to other parameterized graph problems closed under induced subgraphs and report experimental results that illustrate the behavior of the algorithm on a concrete instance class.
Resurrecting the Strong KSS Conjecture.

Many counterexamples to the proposed KSS bound $\frac\eta s \ge \frac 1 {4\pi}$ depend on constructing systems with large numbers of species. As a result, the entropy density grows large and $\frac \eta s$ can be made arbitrarily small. However, these constructions do not affect the dimensionless shear viscosity $\frac {\eta T}{\epsilon + P}$, which agrees with the traditional $\frac \eta s$ only for vanishing chemical potential. This raises the possibility that a KSS-like bound holds for all systems, not just UV-complete quantum field theories, contrary to the previous understanding.
Clinical and metabolic features of anorexia nervosa

Abstract A study of 42 patients with anorexia nervosa revealed that a specific symptom complex exists which is characteristic and can easily be differentiated from other causes of cachexia except pure starvation. Most of the patients were white, female, and in early adolescence. The hallmarks of this syndrome include amenorrhea and severe constipation with hypotension, bradycardia, and hypothermia. Leukopenia occurred in 38 per cent and was occasionally accompanied by pancytopenia and hypoplastic bone marrow. Azotemia was present in 40 per cent and hypercarotenemia in 38 per cent. Electrocardiogram changes include low voltage and nonspecific T wave changes. In patients with edema, hypoproteinemia was conspicuously absent. Endocrine findings often include low thyroxine by column, low plasma luteinizing hormone, and occasionally follicle-stimulating hormone but consistently normal to high plasma corticoids with occasional reversal in the circadian rhythm. All signs and symptoms appeared to be reversible with weight gain except the amenorrhea which persists in 46.7 per cent. Three patients died, and attention is drawn to the development of an electrolyte imbalance and sepsis with enterococcus in one. Some of the abnormalities including deranged temperature control, presumed deficient gonadotropin release, and disturbances in the dynamic patterns offecting cyclicity of adrenocorticotropic hormone probably originate in the central nervous system, most likely in the hypothalamus.
Vaccines against stimulants: cocaine and MA

While the worldwide prevalence of cocaine use remains significant, medications, or small molecule approaches, to treat drug addictions have met with limited success. Anti-addiction vaccines, on the other hand, have demonstrated great potential for treating drug abuse using a distinctly different mechanism of eliciting an antibody response that blocks the pharmacological effects of drugs. We provide a review of vaccine-based approaches to treating stimulant addictions; specifically and cocaine addictions. This selective review article focuses on the one cocaine vaccine that has been into clinical trials and presents new data related to pre-clinical development of a methamphetamine (MA) vaccine. We also review the mechanism of action for vaccine induced antibodies to abused drugs, which involves kinetic slowing of brain entry as well as simple blocking properties. We present pre-clinical innovations for MA vaccines including hapten design, linkage to carrier proteins and new adjuvants beyond alum. We provide some new information on hapten structures and linkers and variations in protein carriers. We consider a carrier, outer membrance polysaccharide coat protein (OMPC), that provides some self-adjuvant through lipopolysaccharide components and provide new results with a monophosopholipid adjuvant for the more standard carrier proteins with cocaine and MA. The review then covers the clinical trials with the cocaine vaccine TA-CD. The clinical prospects for advances in this field over the next few years include a multi-site cocaine vaccine clinical trial to be reported in 2013 and phase 1 clinical trials of a MA vaccine in 2014.
Studies on methemoglobin reductase: Immunochemical similarity of soluble methemoglobin reductase and cytochrome b5 of human erythrocytes with NADH-cytochrome b5 reductase and cytochrome b5 of rat liver microsomes

Abstract An antibody preparation elicited against purified, lysosomal-solubilized NADH-cytochrome b 5 reductase from rat liver microsomes was shown to interact with methemoglobin reductase of human erythrocytes by inhibiting the rate of erythrocyte cytochrome b 5 reduction by NADH. The ferricyanide reductase activity of the enzyme was not inhibited by the antibody, suggesting that the inhibition of methemoglobin reductase activity may be due to interference with the binding of cytochrorme b 5 to the flavoprotein. Under conditions of limiting concentrations of flavoprotein, the antibody inhibited the rate of methemoglobin reduction in a reconstituted system consisting of homogeneous methemoglobin reductase and cytochrome b 5 from human erythrocytes. This inhibition was due to the decreased level of reduced cytochrome b 5 during the steady state of methemoglobin reduction while the rate of methemoglobin reduction per reduced cytochrome b 5 stayed constant, suggesting that the enzyme was not concerned with an electron transport between the reduced cytochrome b 5 and methemoglobin. An antibody to purified, trypsin-solubilized cytochrome b 5 from rat liver microsomes was shown to inhibit erythrocyte cytochrome b 5 reduction by methemoglobin reductase and NADH to a lesser extent than microsomal cytochrome b 5 preparations from rat liver (trypsin solubilized or detergent solubilized) and pig liver (trypsin solubilized). The results presented establish that soluble methemoglobin reductase and cytochrome b 5 of human erythrocytes are immunochemically similar to NADH-cytochrome b 5 reductase and cytochrome b 5 of liver microsomes, respectively.
Clustering for hierarchical traffic grooming in large scale mesh WDM networks

We present a clustering algorithm for hierarchical traffic grooming in large WDM networks. In hierarchical grooming, the network is decomposed into clusters, and one hub node in each cluster is responsible for grooming traffic from and to the cluster. Hierarchical grooming scales to large network sizes and facilitates the control and management of traffic and network resources. Yet determining the size and composition of clusters so as to yield good grooming solutions is a challenging task. We identify the grooming-specific factors affecting the selection of clusters, and we develop a parameterized clustering algorithm that can achieve a desired tradeoff among various goals.
Photodissociation of (SO2)m(H2O)n clusters employing femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy

A femtosecond pump-probe technique was employed to study the photodissociation dynamics of (SO2)m(H2O)n clusters in real time for clusters, where m=1, 2 and n as large as 11. The pump (excitation) step occurs through a multiphoton process which populates the dissociative E state as well as a lower-lying bound state of the sulfur dioxide (SO2) chromosphore. Dissociation of the SO2 monomer occurs through the E state and the decay is fit to a lifetime of 230 fs. The present study is in agreement with our previous investigations of homogeneous (SO2)m clusters that have shown that cluster formation inhibits the dissociation process owing to a steric effect induced by the cluster environment [K. L. Knappenberger, Jr. and A. W. Castleman, Jr., J. Chem. Phys. 121, 3540 (2004)]. The E state lifetime increases sequentially as a function of cluster size to as much as 668 fs when 11 water molecules solvate the chromophore. We have employed a method to compare the ratio of amplitude coefficients, which reflect a respe...
The Role(s) of Image for Young Bilinguals Reading Multimodal Informational Texts

The purpose of this study was to examine how young bilinguals construct meaning with multimodal informational texts. The most frequently used literacy practice to support the meaning construction involved viewing an image. The function of image played four distinct, but important roles: image as access to meaning and content; image as prompt for discussion; image as a catalyst to seek access to printed text; image as a multimodal complement to printed text. The roles were examined using a case study approach that drew on multiple levels of analysis in order to describe content knowledge and language development among first-grade bilinguals over an academic year.
On the Convergence and the Stability of the Parareal Algorithm to Solve Partial Differential Equations

After stating an abstract convergence result for the parareal algorithm used in the parallelization in time of general partial differential equations, we analyze the stability and convergence properties of the algorithm for equations with constant coefficients. We show that suitably damping coarse schemes ensure unconditional stability of the parareal algorithm and analyze how the regularity of the initial condition influences convergence in the absence of sufficient damping.
Finite element modeling of a full-scale five-girder bridge for structural health monitoring:

Finite element modeling is commonly used to simulate the effect of damage on in-service bridges to facilitate the study of vibration-based damage detection techniques. This study describes the fiel...
Interactions between HIV-1 reverse transcriptase and the downstream template strand in stable complexes with primer-template.

Background: Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 reverse transcriptase (HIV-1 RT) forms stable ternary complexes in which RT is bound tightly at fixed positions on the primer-template (P/T). We have probed downstream interactions between RT and the template strand in the complex containing the incoming dNTP (+1 dNTPNRTNP/T complex) and in the complex containing the pyrophosphate analog, foscarnet (foscarnetNRTNP/T complex). Methods and Results: UV-induced cross-linking between RT and the DNA template strand was most efficient when a bromodeoxyuridine residue was placed in the +2 position (the first template position downstream from the incoming dNTP). Furthermore, formation of the +1 dNTPNRTNP/T complex on a biotin-containing template inhibited binding of streptavidin when biotin was in the +2 position on the template but not when the biotin was in the +3 position. Streptavidin pre-bound to a biotin residue in the template caused RT to stall two to three nucleotides upstream from the biotin residue. The downstream border of the complex formed by the stalled RT was mapped by digestion with exonuclease RecJF. UV-induced cross-linking of the complex formed by the pyrophosphate analog, foscarnet, with RT and P/T occurred preferentially with bromodeoxyuridine in the +1 position on the template in keeping with the location of RT one base upstream in the foscarnetNRTNP/T complex (i.e., in the pre-translocation position). Conclusions: For +1 dNTPNRTNP/T and foscarnetNRTNP/T stable complexes, tight interactions were observed between RT and the first unpaired template nucleotide following the bound dNTP or the primer terminus, respectively.
Dissecting a Social Autopsy

In this provocative and engaging book, Eric Klinenberg seeks to answer the question of why so many Chicago residents died in the heat wave of 1995. The basic patterns of mortality for this, and other heat waves, were well established before he began his work. Victims of heat waves are overwhelming poor, African American, and elderly. The CDC report on the Chicago heat wave adds detail to these patterns, finding that the victims tended to be social isolates, people who had medical problems, who were confined to bed, and who lacked air conditioners and access to reliable transportation. Klinenberg's primary aim is to go beyond these basic facts to analyze their social origins. He asks, why did so many Chicago residents live, and die, alone? How did social conditions in the city foster social isolation? How did the city government contribute to the deaths of its citi-
A frequency selective adaptive algorithm

Abstract A frequency selective adaptive algorithm (FSAA) is proposed. This frequency-domain algorithm is based on a weighted least squares (WLS) criterion, and is developed for short-time pole-zero selective spectral matching. First, we give the optimal solution for the parameters of the selective spectral envelope characterizing an N -point windowed sequence. A gradient algorithm, namely the FSAA, is then given for sample-by-sample and block-by-block updates of the envelope. The FSAA can be used in speech processing applications, such as efficient harmonic voice representation and vocal tract characterization. Results are given for the spectral matching (selective and non-selective) of the short-time speech spectrum. These are compared to those obtained using the classical adaptive predictor.
The kinase activity of the Helicobacter pylori Asp-tRNAAsn/Glu-tRNAGln amidotransferase is sensitive to distal mutations in its putative ammonia tunnel

The Helicobacter pylori (Hp) Asp-tRNAAsn/Glu-tRNAGln amidotransferase (AdT) plays important roles in indirect aminoacylation and translational fidelity. AdT has two active sites, in two separate subunits. Kinetic studies have suggested that interdomain communication occurs between these subunits; however, this mechanism is not well understood. To explore domain–domain communication in AdT, we adapted an assay and optimized it to kinetically characterize the kinase activity of Hp AdT. This assay was applied to the analysis of a series of point mutations at conserved positions throughout the putative AdT ammonia tunnel that connects the two active sites. Several mutations that caused significant decreases in AdT’s kinase activity (reduced by 55–75%) were identified. Mutations at Thr149 (37 A distal to the GatB kinase active site) and Lys89 (located at the interface of GatA and GatB) were detrimental to AdT’s kinase activity, suggesting that these mutations have disrupted interdomain communication between th...
A Microworld Simulator for Process Control Research and Training

We introduce and will demonstrate a new software tool for creating simulations of simplified process control tasks—what Vincente (2000) termed microworlds—for research and training applications. This tool builds on previous software tools, such as the synthetic task environment DURESS, but provides more flexibility in simulation design, a more realistic physics model, and additional components for representing complex processes, such as auditory and visual alarms for nuclear power plants. Further, our microworld simulation tool can be used for a variety of tasks, from flexibly specifying a synthetic environment for research on a desktop computer to scaling up to large format touch displays with realistic controls typical of high-fidelity process control simulators. Potential applications of the microworld simulator include research on the cognitive engineering of human-machine interfaces used in process control, training of process control operators and other personnel, and rapid prototyping and testing o...
The determinants of nonresidential urban land values

Abstract This paper presents the results of an empirical study of nonresidential urban land values in the Dallas metropolitan area. The data base consists of 467 vacant land transactions from 1978 to 1982. By concentrating on sales prices of vacant land rather than improved property, problems normally encountered from use of appraised values or improved properties are eliminated. Separate models are developed for industrial, commercial, and office land. The study focuses on the tendency toward agglomeration for consumers of each land use as measured by the impact on land values in the central business district, suburban nodes, and other employment concentrations. The results provide insight into a number of influences on urban land value and offer evidence that office land derives greater benefit from agglomeration than does commercial or industrial land.
Increased anterior brain activation to correct responses on high-conflict Stroop task in obsessive–compulsive disorder

Abstract Objective An abnormally increased activation in anterior brain networks, accompanied by normal task performance, has been reported in studies on biological mechanisms of obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). We test a hypothesis, that this phenomenon, deemed specific to OCD, will be compromised by a very difficult task, which may lead to reduced cortical information processing and erroneous performance, as found in other disorders such as schizophrenia. Methods We designed a new variant of high-conflict Stroop-word-color interference task (Stroop-WCIT) with each incongruent (INC) trial preceded by multiple congruent trials. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were acquired from subjects with OCD and case-matched healthy controls (C). We analyzed ERPs elicited by correct responses to conflict-related INC trials. Results Our hypothesis found no support. Although the anterior ERPs N200, a negative component within 140–300 ms latency window, was significantly abnormally increased in OCD subjects, their performance accuracy remained normal. Conclusions Current findings suggest an enhanced adaptive top-down control in OCD mediated by the prefrontal lateral and dorsal anterior cingulate networks. Significance Further studies are warranted to test the hypothesis that increased activity within the anterior network for top-down inhibitory control in OCD may be a part of an adaptive compensatory neural mechanism.
Evaluation of freestanding GaN as an alpha and neutron detector

Abstract The wide bandgap (3.39) eV and large dislocation energy of the III–V semiconductor gallium nitride (GaN) make this a desirable material for charged particle spectroscopy in high temperature, high radiation environments. While other research groups have established that charged particle detectors can be fabricated from high quality, thin films of molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) grown GaN, this work demonstrates the feasibility of ionizing radiation detectors created from significantly thicker freestanding n-type GaN, grown via hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE). Detectors were fabricated by depositing Ni/Au pads on n-type GaN, forming a Schottky barrier diode. Capacitance–voltage measurements on the detectors showed an intrinsic carrier concentration in the range of 10 −16 cm −3 –10 –15 cm −3 , and indicated an inhomogeneous distribution between diodes on the same wafer. The radiation sensitivity of the fabricated detectors was analyzed using alpha particles from an 241 Am source. Charge collection efficiency (CCE) calculations from these experiments indicate an efficiency of 100 percent. The detectors were also successfully used to detect neutron induced charged particles using a Li 2 O foil in a neutron beam.
Binding of Placental Lactogen and Growth Hormone to Fetal Sheep Fibroblasts

Growth hormone(GH) regulates growth and development in the postnatal period but lacks somatotropic activity in the fetus. In contrast, the placental hormone placental lactogen (PL) stimulates amino acid transport, DNA synthesis, and somatomedin production in isolated fetal tissues, suggesting that PL may function as a "fetal GH ." To elucidate the mechanisms by which PL exerts GH-like effects in fetal tissues, we examined the binding of PL, GH, and prolactin to cultured skin fibroblasts obtained from midgestational fetal lambs. Ovine fetal fi­ broblasts bound radiolabeled ovine PL (oPL) specifically and with high affinity (ECso 0.20 nM). In competitive displacement assays using 12sI_oPL as the radioligand, the potency of unlabeled oPL was eight to 12 times greater than that of ovine GH and ""'1000 times greater than that of ovine prolactin. Covalent cross-linking of 12sI_oPL (22 kD) to ovine fetal fibroblasts revealed a specific hormone­ receptor complex with an apparent M, of 130 000, sug­ gesting that the high affinity oPL binding site has a mo­ lecular mass of approximately 108 kD. The specific bind­ ings of radiolabeled ovine GH (0.6 % per 250 ILg protein) and ovine prolactin (0.04% per 250 ILg protein) were only 1/15 and 11230 that of radiolabeled oPL (9.1 % per 250 ILg protein), and no specific cross-linking of 125I-ovine GH or 125I-ovine prolactin to ovine fetal fibroblasts was detected. These findings demonstrate preferential binding of PL by isolated fetal sheep fibroblasts in culture, providing a cel­ lular mechanism whereby PL may exert growth-promoting effects in the fetus . (Pediatr Res 32: 200-203, 1992)
Polarization as a Tool in Calorimetry

Abstract The signals from a high- Z scintillating crystal (BSO) are studied to characterize Cherenkov light polarization and to measure the longitudinal polarization profile of Cherenkov light in electromagnetic showers. The scintillation and Cherenkov lights can be separated by making use of the fact that the latter is polarized in the context of dual-readout calorimetry. In addition, this unique characteristic of Cherenkov light opens up a new set of possibilities that range from high-energy calorimetry to atmospheric air showers.
Occurrence of Occupational Asthma

To estimate the percentage of adult asthmatics with occupational asthma in Michigan, a sample of 94 patients, aged 20 to 65 years, who were discharged from one of three Michigan hospitals in 1990 with the primary diagnosis of asthma were interviewed. The patients were classified using the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) criteria as having either probable occupational asthma, possible occupational asthma, or not having occupational asthma. Three percent of the adult asthmatics interviewed met the criteria for having probable occupational asthma. One patient from each hospital had probable occupational asthma. Fifteen of 60 patients (25 percent) from hospital A, 3 of 25 patients (12 percent) from hospital B, and 2 of the 9 patients (22 percent) from hospital C had probable or possible occupational asthma. After adjusting for the difference in response rate among patients from the three hospitals, the percentage of adult asthmatics in Michigan whose asthma is caused by work exposure is estimated to be between 3 percent and 20.2 percent. In contrast, 25.5 percent of the patients stated their asthma was caused by bad working conditions. If these percentages were generalizable to the whole state, then according to our survey 330 to 2,222 or by self-reports of the patients, 2,800 of the 11,000 hospital discharges per year in Michigan for asthma among adults could be attributed to a work exposure.
Collective-wave spin-off and the gyroballistic continuum in gyroresonant absorption

Abstract Employing ray phase-space for wave propagation, we derive the first analytic formulas for energy transfer from a magnetosonic wave to the minority Bernstein wave, and the absorption profile, for plasma heating via minority gyroresonance. The profile stems from: (1) gyroresonant damping of the Bernstein wave; (2) phase mixing of the kinetic residue.
Relationship of iron metabolism to tumor cell toxicity of stable gallium salts.

Abstract The antitumor properties of citrated gallium nitrate (NSC 15200) have been tested using the EMT-6/UW mouse sarcoma growing in vitro or in vivo . This tumor system has been used in both growth forms in our studies which led to the transferrin receptor hypothesis of the mechanism of uptake of tracer levels of gallium-67 citrate. Gallium nitrate is both cytostatic and lethal in vitro with some growth inhibition occurring after chronic exposure to low doses (10 μg per ml) which kill essentially no cells. Cell kill and growth inhibition were both observed if cells were exposed for longer times at higher doses. The effects of gallium nitrate were enhanced by the addition of human transferrin to the culture medium. The enhanced toxicity was consistent with, and proportional to, increased gallium uptake in the presence of transferrin. The addition of ferric citrate greatly reduced the toxic effect of the gallium salt. The enhancing effect of transferrin and protective action of ferric citrate are consistent with our studies of the effect of these two agents on concentration of tracer levels of the tumor-imaging radiopharmaceutical, carrier-free gallium-67 citrate. Tumors in vivo were largely resistant to 10 daily doses of 90 mg kg −1 of gallium nitrate. Ga may mimic Fe in some aspects of cell metabolism. Competition between the two metals occurs at the initial uptake step (binding to transferrin) and possibly to a lesser extent at other points in cellular incorporation and deposition. Iron has been implicated as a regulatory factor in cell growth and may be essential for cell proliferation. The toxicity of stable gallium is interpreted in the context of similarities of metabolism of the two metals.
Abstract 2059: Kinase library siRNA screen identifies KSR1 as a synergistic therapeutic target in combination with TIC10.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC Apo2L/TRAIL is an endogenous antitumor protein that possesses efficacy-limiting properties such as short serum half-life, stability, cost, and limitations in delivery when used as a recombinant protein therapeutic. TIC10 is a first-in-class small molecule inducer of the human TRAIL gene that improves these unfavorable drug properties to ultimately increase the efficacy and utility of TRAIL. TIC10 upregulates TRAIL gene transcription by activating the pro-apoptotic transcription factor Foxo3a, which is achieved through dual inhibition of Akt and MEK/ERK. We conducted a siRNA screen using a kinase library to identify kinases that affect TIC10 response in cancer cells assayed by cell viability assays to gain mechanistic insight into the molecular mechanisms of TIC10 and potentially identify a combinatorial target to improve the activity of TIC10. Execution and validation of the siRNA screen revealed 4 kinases (DGKD, SGKL, STK23, KSR) that improved the therapeutic response to TIC10 upon siRNA-mediated knockdown at 36 hours, but not 12 hours, post-treatment in HCT116 human colon cancer cells. We next assayed the effect of knocking down these 4 kinases on cancer cell cytotoxic response to recombinant human TRAIL. These studies revealed no effect with kinase knockdowns, suggesting that the mechanisms of sensitization lie upstream of TIC10-mediated TRAIL production. Network analysis of the “hit” kinases and the previously described mechanism of TIC10 revealed rational overlap of signaling pathways and kinetics. Among the 4 identified kinases, KSR1 possessed the most direct connection to the putative mechanism of TIC10 that involves the dual inhibition of Akt and the MAPK pathway. KSR1 is a MAPK scaffold protein that positively regulates the MAPK signaling pathway. Based on these observations, we are testing the hypothesis that inhibiting KSR1 in combination with TIC10 cooperatively inhibits MAPK signaling to increase TRAIL production. Together, these results suggest that KSR1 is a key player in the cytotoxic response to TIC10 and that combining TIC10 and an inhibitor of KSR1 may result in improved therapeutic response. Citation Format: Joshua E. Allen, Wafik S. El-Deiry. Kinase library siRNA screen identifies KSR1 as a synergistic therapeutic target in combination with TIC10. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2059. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-2059
Cytokinetic activities in a human cell line: the midbody and intracellular bridge

Abstract The midbody and intercellular bridge of D-98S cells were studied by time lapse cinemicrography. Before separation interconnected daughter cells tended to move in opposition to each other, maintaining tension across the bridge and, in some cases, lengthening the bridge. Cell separation was preceded by a reduction in width of the bridge, on one or both sides of the midbody, to a cytoplasmic strand less than 0-5 μ wide, which was then stretched and broken by movements of the daughter cells, completing cytokinesis. Wave-like movements were observed to pass along longer intercellular bridges from the midbody to the daughter cells. This activity was judged to be involved with the retraction of cytoplasm from the bridge into the daughter cells. Wave activity was disrupted by the drug cytochalasin B.
Speech-as-data technologies for personal information devices

For small, portable devices, speech input has the advantages of low-cost and small hardware, can be used on the move or whilst the eyes & hands are busy, and is natural and quick. Rather than rely on imperfect speech recognition we propose that information entered as speech is kept as speech and suitable tools are provided to allow quick and easy access to the speech-as-data records. This paper summarises our work on the technologies needed for these tools – for organising, browsing, searching and compressing the stored speech. These technologies go a long way towards giving stored speech the characteristics of text without the associated input problems.
The role of deubiquitinating enzymes in chromatin regulation

Post-translational modifications of the histones are centrally involved in the regulation of all DNA-templated processes, including gene transcription, DNA replication, recombination, and repair. These modifications are often dynamic, and their removal is just as important as their addition in proper regulation of cellular functions. Although histone acetylation/deacetylation and histone methylation/demethylation are highly studied, the functions and regulation of histone ubiquitination and deubiquitination are less well understood. This review highlights our current understanding of how histone ubiquitination impacts gene transcription, DNA repair, and cell cycle progression, and stresses the importance of deubiquitinases to normal cellular functions as well as to disease states such as cancer.
Heart block complicating acute inferior wall myocardial infarction.

Heart block was noted in 60 (35 complete and 25 second-degree) of 410 patients with acute inferior wall myocardial infarction. This group with heart block was compared to a control group of 30 patients with acute inferior wall infarction without heart block. The incidences of prior myocardial infarction and hypertension, in addition to the highest level of serum creatine phosphokinase and a maximum degree of ST-segment elevation in the inferior leads, were all greater in patients with heart block, as compared to the controls. The incidences of various complications, including dizziness and syncope, transient hypotension, cardiogenic shock, and congestive heart failure, were also higher in the group with heart block, while sinus nodal disturbances and atrial arrhythmias occurred with equal frequency. The mortality in those with heart block was 28 percent compared to 13 percent for the control. It is concluded that patients with heart block complicating acute inferior myocardial infarction have a greater amount of myocardial necrosis, a higher incidence of complications, and a higher mortality. Insertion of a temporary pacemaker should be considered when specific indications are present and not routinely.
Disorganization in mice and humans and its relation to sporadic birth defects.

Disorganization (Ds) is a mouse mutant best known for producing an exceptional variety of unusual developmental anomalies, such as mirror-limb duplications and hamartomatous skin papillae. So great is the range of malformations that no two affected mice are identical. Several patients with a similar variety of exceptional anomalies have been reported, raising the possibility of the existence of a human homologue ofDs. However, although these human cases represent the most striking findings seen in Ds mice, they do not represent the full range of defects. Most affected mice have only a single malformation, and most of these malformations are similar to both common (neural tube defects, orofacial clefting, gastroschisis, limb reductions) and rare (anophthalmia, duplicated rectum) human birth defects. It is therefore possible that the full spectrum of the human homologue of Ds includes not only patients with the unusual combination of anomalies but also common sporadic birth defects. We suggest that the low penetrance (0-30%) and highly variable expression ofDs make it a paradigm for understanding the genetic basis for many seemingly sporadic birth defects.
Cerebral glucose metabolism in adults with hyperactivity of childhood onset

Abstract Background and Methods. The cause of childhood hyperactivity (attention deficit–hyperactivity disorder) is unknown. We investigated the hypothesis that cerebral glucose metabolism might di...
Modified Spin Splitting of Landau Levels Observed in a Kondo System

The de Haas-van Alphen effect has been studied in the Kondo system Cu:Cr in magnetic fields up to 55 kG at 1.0 K. In alloys containing \ensuremath{\sim}30 ppm Cr "beat" minima and shifts of the spin-splitting zeros are observed for several orbits. These observations are explained by supposing the normal spin splitting of the Landau levels to be modified by an antiferromagnetic exchange term, so that the effective $g$ factor becomes $g\ensuremath{-}\frac{\ensuremath{\Delta}{\ensuremath{\epsilon}}_{\mathrm{ex}}}{{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{\mathrm{B}}H}$.
Resource-constrained product development: Implications for green marketing and green supply chains

Abstract While academic debates and practical approaches to green marketing have matured over the past few decades, one central conundrum that has remained unresolved has been the trade-off between the higher prices of green products and the objectives of environmental sustainability. In general, it has been observed that green products are priced at a premium to account for their environmentally friendly consumption and use. We argue that resource-constrained product development approaches (alternatively labeled jugaad) that are observed in emerging countries such as China and India have the potential to change the traditional models of green product development. In addition to the competitive advantage that resource-constrained product development approaches provide, we suggest that these practices have sustainability and supply chain benefits. We show that the innovation process relies primarily on frugal engineering that reduces material use (thereby reducing burden on supply chain) and meets green marketing objectives at much lower, and therefore, more affordable prices. We draw out several implications for theory and practice.
Effective use of laparoscopy for long-term peritoneal dialysis access

BACKGROUND Laparoscopy is an underused modality for peritoneal dialysis access procedures. The strengths of laparoscopy are that it can both prevent and resolve the common mechanical problems that adversely effect dialysis catheter outcomes. METHOD Laparoscopically enabled catheter implantation and rescue procedures included rectus sheath catheter tunneling, omentopexy, adhesiolysis, resection of epiploic appendices, colopexy, salpingectomy, and appendectomy. Using these techniques, the outcomes of 428 laparoscopically implanted catheters were studied. RESULTS During a mean follow-up of 21.6 months, mechanical obstruction complicated 3.7% of implantation procedures. The incidence of pericatheter leak was 2.6%. There were no occurrences of pericatheter hernia or subcutaneous cuff extrusion. Laparoscopic salvage procedures limited losses from mechanical catheter problems to .9%. Cumulative revision-free and assisted catheter survival probabilities for loss from mechanical complications at 5 years were .96 and .99, respectively. COMMENTS Because it is enabled by techniques not available to other catheter-placement methods, laparoscopy produces superior outcomes.
Nuclear entry of the Drosophila melanogaster nuclear lamina protein YA correlates with developmentally regulated changes in its phosphorylation state.

Abstract TheDrosophila melanogasterYA protein is a maternally provided nuclear lamina component that is essential during the transition from meiosis to mitosis at the beginning of embryogenesis. Localization of YA to the nuclear envelope is required for its function; this localization is cell cycle-dependent during embryogenesis. Here we show that the ability of YA to enter nuclei is modulated during development. In developing egg chambers, YA protein is made but excluded from nuclei of nurse cells and oocytes; upon egg activation, YA acquires the ability to enter nuclei and becomes incorporated into the nuclear lamina in unfertilized eggs and embryos. This localization switch correlates with changes in the phosphorylation state of YA. YA in ovaries is hyperphosphorylated relative to YA in unfertilized eggs and embryos. Through site-directed mutagenesis, we identified443T, a potential phosphorylation site for both cyclin-dependent protein kinase and mitogen-activated-protein kinase, as one of the sites likely involved in this developmental control. Our results suggest that phosphorylation plays a role in modulating the localization of YA during development. A model for developmental regulation of the nuclear entry of YA is proposed and implications for understandingDrosophilaegg activation are discussed.
Improving Voting Systems through Service‐Operations Management

We apply service-operations-management concepts to improve the efficiency and equity of voting systems. Recent elections in the United States and elsewhere have been plagued by long lines, excessive waiting times, and perceptions of unfairness. We build models for the waiting lines at voting precincts using both traditional steady-state queueing methods and simulation models. We develop solution methods to allocate voting machines optimally to precincts. Our objective functions consider both the efficiency and the equity of the voting system. We compare our allocation algorithm to several competing methods, including those used in practice. We examine several different strategies for improving voting operations on both the demand and the capacity side of voting systems, and we present a complete case study of applying our method to data from the 2008 election for Franklin County, Ohio. We conclude that our method is superior to existing polices in terms of efficiency and equity and that it is robust in terms of uncertainties regarding turnout rates on Election Day. We also suggest several operational improvements to the voting process drawn from the service-operations literature.
A new reporter gene for transient transfection of Plasmodium falciparum

Transfection of Plasmodium falciparum has remained difficult and laborious due to a lack of suitable reporter genes and low transfection efficiency. Therefore, the luciferase gene of Renilla reniformis, a sensitive mammalian reporter gene, was evaluated as a reporter gene in this system. Our studies indicate that the R. reniformis luciferase gene can be expressed in P. falciparum and is easily detected by luminometry. P. falciparum extracts do not contain endogenous R. reniformis luciferase activity, which is essential for its use as a reporter gene in this organism. Moreover, both firefly and R. reniformis luciferase genes can be co-expressed in P. falciparum and their respective enzyme activities can be measured from the same sample. Thus, the R. reniformis luciferase gene can be used as an experimental reporter gene and/or used in conjunction with the firefly luciferase gene where one gene would be used to control transfection efficiency. The R. reniformis luciferase gene thus provides a valuable tool to facilitate transient transfection analysis in P. falciparum.
The Colossal Neuron: Acting Out Physiological Psychology.

Increasing enrollments in such survey courses as Introductory Psychology create special problems for the instructor interested in alternatives to traditional lecture methods. Although in-class demo...
THE CASCADE DECOMPOSITIONS OF A GIVEN SYSTEM VS THE LINEAR FRACTIONAL DECOMPOSITIONS OF ITS TRANSFER FUNCTION

The external description of a system [A,B,C,D] is given by its transfer function W(λ). Classically in designing a system with given transfer function the key step is to express W(λ) as a linear functional combination of simpler functions. Naturally such a decomposition of a transfer function must correspond to some type of decomposition of the system [A,B,C,D] into smaller subsystems. In this article we describe the correspondence precisely. It leads us to define a reducing pair of subspaces S1 ⊕ S2 for a system with state space X to be a pair which gives a direct sum decomposition X = S1 ⊕ S2 for X such that S1 is (A,B) invariant and S2 is (C,A) invariant. It turns out that each reducing pair for a system gives rise to a small family of linear fractional decompositions of the transfer function. Conversely, any non-trivial "minimal" decomposition of the transfer function of a minimal system corresponds to a reducing pair for that system.
Nitric oxide synthase activity in muscle foods

Abstract Nitric oxide is enzymatically produced in animals by nitric oxide synthase (NOS). Nitric oxide reacts with superoxide to form peroxynitrite, which initiates oxidative reactions. To assess the potential for nitric oxide formation in muscle, NOS activity was determined in fresh muscle (
Recovery from prolonged barbiturate sleep in the rat

Prolonged sleep was produced by periodic injections of pentobarbital. This sleep consisted predominantly of slow waves and spindles. No paradoxical sleep waves were observable in the cortex during the drug treatment. Following discontinuation of the drug, the amount of slow wave sleep decreased and paradoxical sleep increased when compared to a control period, suggesting a partial satiation of slow wave sleep and deprivation of paradoxical sleep by the treatment.