cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mapping individual cosmid DNAs by direct AFM imaging

Individual cosmid clones have been restriction mapped by directly imaging, with the atomic force microscope (AFM), a mutant EcoRI endonuclease site-specifically bound to DNA. Images and data are presented that locate six restriction sites, predicted from gel electrophoresis, on a 35-kb cosmid isolated from mouse chromosome 7. Measured distances between endonuclease molecules bound to X DNA, when compared to known values, demonstrate the accuracy of AFM mapping to better than 1%. These results may be extended to identify other important site-specific protein-DNA interactions, such as transcription factor and mismatch repair enzyme binding, difficult to resolve by current techniques. 31 refs., 4 figs.
Beyond Ticks and Clicks: The Need for More Diverse and Broader Conceptualizations and Measures of Father Involvement

Father involvement has been conceptualized and measured primarily as a temporal and directly observable phenomenon. This paper describes the problems associated with this narrow conceptualization a...
Temperature fluctuations in a steady state

Abstract The spectrum of uncorrelated temperature fluctuations in a steady state is proposed using concepts of local equilibrium and microscopic reversibility of temperature fluctuations. Two one-dimensional examples show that as long as the linearity of the system can be assumed, the shape of the spectra will not change significantly with respect to the spectrum obtained for a system in equilibrium.
Accelerating convergence in automatic lens design

Among the various factors that slow lens optimization—insufficient performance targets, the absence of a unique solution, false local minima, a poorly scaled change vector, failure to find the optimum damping number, and failure to equalize the parameter gradients—the importance of parameter gradient equalization has been insufficiently recognized. Gradients can be approximately equalized by scaling the lens to a suitable size while it is being optimized. For best results, the size of the damping number should also be optimized during each iteration. If these two procedures are followed, scaling the change vector is usually not crucial. To illustrate the importance of parameter gradient equalization, a lens optimization is analyzed.
Open system behavior of olivine-hosted melt inclusions

Abstract It is commonly assumed that an olivine-hosted melt inclusion is chemically isolated from the melt surrounding its host crystal. This assumption is probably valid for slow-diffusing, incompatible trace elements, but for readily exchanged major elements such as Fe and Mg, it is much more tenuous. We used numerical simulations constrained by experimental data on olivine–liquid equilibrium and interdiffusion rates of Fe and Mg in olivine to assess the extent to which post-entrapment processes alter the major element compositions of olivine-hosted melt inclusions. The results indicate that extensive diffusive communication between a melt inclusion and the melt surrounding its host olivine occurs at cooling rates as rapid as 1–2°C/yr. An included melt undergoes significant and irreversible compositional changes in order to maintain Fe–Mg exchange equilibrium with the fractionating external melt. When a magnesian olivine containing an exotic liquid, such as an ultra-depleted melt, becomes entrained in a basalt and equilibrates with the new external melt by diffusive exchange, the ensuing compositional changes to the included melt cannot be removed simply by adding olivine back into the final (measured) melt composition. Observable disequilibrium between an inclusion and its host olivine is likely to have been produced during cooling of the erupted lava. Simulations, supplemented by experiments carried out on inclusion-bearing olivines, demonstrate that laboratory heating can reverse the effects of syn-eruptive crystallization on melt inclusion composition, and the presence or absence of compositional zoning in the immediately adjacent olivine can provide an indication of how closely the experiment reproduced the pre-eruptive temperature.
Fluctuations and Rheology in Active Bacterial Suspensions

We probe nonequilibrium properties of an active bacterial bath through measurements of correlations of passive tracer particles and the response function of a driven, optically trapped tracer. These measurements demonstrate violation of the fluctuation-dissipation theorem and enable us to extract the power spectrum of the active stress fluctuations. In some cases, we observe $1/\sqrt{\ensuremath{\omega}}$ scaling in the noise spectrum which we show can be derived from a theoretical model incorporating coupled stress, orientation, and concentration fluctuations of the bacteria.
Exogenous GM1 gangliosides induce partial recovery of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system in MPTP-treated young mice but not in aging mice.

The administration of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) to young (2-3 months) and aging (12 months) C57BL/6 mice (4 x 20 mg/kg, i.p., given 12 h apart) reduced tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-immunoreactive (IR) fibers in the striatum, and reduced dopamine (DA) concentration to 28% of controls in young, and 16% of controls in aging mouse brain five weeks after administration. Although GM1 ganglioside treatment (30 mg/kg, i.p., daily for 5 weeks) restored striatal dopamine concentration to 74% of the control concentration in young mice, such an apparent recovery was not seen in aging brain. Immunocytochemical analysis also showed marked recovery of TH-IR fibers in the striatum of MPTP-depleted young mice treated with GM1 ganglioside while TH-IR fibers in the striatum of MPTP-depleted aging mice showed no recovery with such treatment. We conclude that treatment of MPTP-depleted young mice with GM1 ganglioside results in partial recovery in the striatal DA system, but such benefits do not extend to aging mice.
On estimation of discrete processes under multiplicative and additive noise conditions

In many problems which arise in communication and control theory contexts, the stochastic process to be estimated has been subjected to multiplicative disturbances, in addition to being corrupted by additive noise. This work is concerned with the problem of recursive Bayesian estimation of discrete Gauss-Markov processes under additive and Markov multiplicative noise conditions. Optimal and suboptimal estimator algorithms, which can be computed recursively, are developed. Digital computer simulations of the estimators are also presented and their performances evaluated.
The nature of initiation and propagation S‐N curves at and below the fatigue limit

The traditional stress-life method of life prediction relies on an S-N curve of stress versus total life. However, the total life of a sample can be divided into two phases-an initiation phase and a propagation phase that leads to ultimate failure. Although this break-up of total life into two phases has been recognized in theory, there has been no experimental method to generate initiation and propagation S-N curves. In this paper a methodology to generate initiation and propagation S-N curves is presented. Acoustic emission technology is used to detect the transition from the initiation phase to the propagation phase. The phenomenon of fatigue limits is also explored and it is shown that the fatigue limit of the traditional S-N curve corresponds to the fatigue limit of the initiation phase and that initiated cracks continue to propagate at stress levels below the initiation endurance limit. It is also shown that no damage is accrued at stress levels below the fatigue limit. A method to extend the propagation life curve below the initiation endurance limit is also presented. The proposed two-phase S-N curve will greatly extend the life-predicting capability of the stress-life method and can explain some of the contradictions observed in experiments.
Organic field-effect transistors and unipolar logic gates on charged electrets from spin-on organosilsesquioxane resins

Controllable shifting of threshold voltage and modulation of current in organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) is demonstrated, resulting in the formation of unipolar inverters by making use of space-charge electrets. Prior to the deposition of the organic semiconductor (OSC), negative corona charges are injected and trapped in the bulk of the organosilsesquioxane glass resin gate dielectrics. The effective surface potential is controlled by the corona-charging and subsequent annealing process. It is found that the shift of the transfer characteristics is governed by the electrostatic induction effects of the charged gate electrets, and this observed shift can be related to the surface potential of the layer next to the transistor channel. The process control, efficiency, and long-term stability of charge storage in spin-on organosilsesquioxane glass resins are sufficient to enable the construction of simple unipolar inverters and to allow for circuit tuning. New OFET unipolar inverters with an enhancement-mode driver and a depletion-mode load are presented, composed of only two simple OFETs with the same channel dimensions and the same p-type OSC on charged electrets. This design allows the implementation of full-swing organic logic circuits and illustrates a potential process simplification for organic electronics.
The preejection period of the fetal cardiac cycle. II. Maternal common internal iliac artery occlusions

The preejection period (PEP) of the fetal cardiac cycle was studied in the chronically instrumented fetal lamb. An inflatable cuff occluder was positioned around the maternal common internal iliac artery, the pregnant ewe's main uterine blood-supplying vessel. Occlusion of the maternal common internal iliac artery produced a fall in pO2 and pH and a rise in pCO2. Fetal arterial blood pressure increased and PEP shortened, especially in the longer lasting occlusions. Fetal heart rate exhibited a bradycardia also during this type of occlusion. The fetal lamb's cardiovascular adjustments to biochemical changes caused by occlusion of the maternal uterine blood supply appear to be determined during the initial phase of occlusion by a chemoreceptor reflex-induced peripheral vasoconstriction mediated by the adrenergic nervous system. The condition is comparable to the one observed during the second part of the umbilical cord occlusions. The interaction between a supersensitive fetal myocardium and the adrenal release of catecholamines may play a dominant role during the second part of occlusion in the longer lasting experiments. Increase in peripheral resistance in the course of redistribution of blood flow during hypoxemia induces a prolongation of the PEP in the early phase of occlusion; overriding of this effect by an increase in myocardial contractility due to rising levels of adrenal catecholamines abbreviates the PEP in the later part of the longer lasting occlusions.
Teratoma generation in the testis capsule.

Pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) have the unique characteristic that they can differentiate into cells from all three germ layers. This makes them a potentially valuable tool for the treatment of many different diseases. With the advent of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and continuing research with human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) there is a need for assays that can demonstrate that a particular cell line is pluripotent. Germline transmission has been the gold standard for demonstrating the pluripotence of mouse embryonic stem cell (mESC) lines 1,2,3 . Using this assay, researchers can show that a mESC line can make all cell types in the embryo including germ cells 4 . With the generation of human ESC lines 5,6 , the appropriate assay to prove pluripotence of these cells was unclear since human ESCs cannot be tested for germline transmission. As a surrogate, the teratoma assay is currently used to demonstrate the pluripotency of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) 7,8,9 . Though this assay has recently come under scrutiny and new technologies are being actively explored, the teratoma assay is the current gold standard 7 . In this assay, the cells in question are injected into an immune compromised mouse. If the cells are pluripotent, a teratoma will eventually develop and sections of the tumor will show tissues from all 3 germ layers 10 . In the teratoma assay, hPSCs can be injected into different areas of the mouse. The most common injection sites include the testis capsule, the kidney capsule, the liver; or into the leg either subcutaneously or intramuscularly 11 . Here we describe a robust protocol for the generation of teratomas from hPSCs using the testis capsule as the site for tumor growth.
Sometimes a bloody nose is just a bloody nose: play and contest in boxing, wrestling, and ethnography

This paper examines physical risk and epistemological authority in sport ethnography. Drawing on writing about boxing and pro wrestling, I draw parallels between sport ethnography and investigative journalism. This paper examines ethnography as a social relation similar to boxing and wrestling, containing elements of both play and contest. First, I attempt to deconstruct the bloody nose as a literary technique to establish authorial privilege in participatory sport journalism and ethnography. Next, I draw on experiences as a subject in ethnographic work on pro wrestling and as an 'observant participant' in pro wrestling to evoke the therapeutic potential of ethnographic play.
How do you approach the problem of TSH elevation in a patient on high‐dose thyroid hormone replacement?

Persistent elevation of TSH levels in patients under treatment for hypothyroidism is a relatively common clinical problem in endocrinology practice. The most common cause for this phenomenon is poor patient compliance with their thyroid hormone tablets. In the compliant patient, however, multiple aetiologies are possible and a methodological and stepwise approach to the patient's problem will uniformly identify a cause, or at least a resolution.
A multi-factorial model for examining racial and ethnic disparities in acute asthma visits by children.

Background Causes of children’s asthma health disparities are complex. Parents’ asthma illness representations may play a role.
Family change during an unwed teenage pregnancy.

Sixteen white intact families with unwed teenage daughters completed Olson, Portner, and Bell's Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scales III of 1985 and Cervera's Family Alliance Questionnaire of 1989 at the sixth and eight months of the pregnancy and one month after the baby's birth. In the first interview, subjects also responded retrospectively to the questionnaires. The results suggest that on average the families became more cohesive and had improved family functioning over the pregnancy. However, individual families showed different patterns. The implications for practice are discussed in the paper.
A Wild Life

Schaller reflects on three decades of his research and conservation efforts on the Tibetan Plateau.
Preliminary Development of a Kindergarten School Readiness Assessment for Latino Students

The low achievement of students from non–English-speaking households living in low socioeconomic contexts is associated with academic skill gaps evident at kindergarten entry. Yet, few cost-effective, valid instruments are available to assess these students’ school readiness. To examine this topic, this longitudinal study followed 1,069 primarily Latino students (536 males, 553 females) in a midsized school district. Teachers used the Kindergarten Student Entrance Profile (KSEP) to rate students’ school readiness at entry into kindergarten and measures of reading skills and of performance on state standardized assessments were collected through the end of Grade 2. Latent-variable path analysis examined whether students’ school readiness ratings predicted midkindergraten phonological awareness and reading fluency at the end of Grades 1 and 2. KSEP scores significantly predicted midkindergarten phonological awareness (standardized path coefficient of .40) and end of Grade 1 reading fluency (standardized pat...
Optoacoustic Technique for Non-invasive Continuous Monitoring of Blood Oxygenation

We propose to use an optoacoustic technique for non-invasive and continuous monitoring of blood oxygenation. Our results demonstrate that this technique can potentially provide absolute values of blood oxygenation with submillimeter spatial resolution in tissues.
Elder Patients with Closed Head Trauma: A Comparison with Nonelder Patients

. Objective: Little is known about the circumstances surrounding closed head trauma (CHT) in elders, and how they differ from nonelders. The study objective was to compare the 2 populations for outcome (positive cranial CT scan depicting traumatic injury, or the need for neurosurgery), mechanism of injury, and the value of the neurologic examination to predict a CT scan positive for traumatic injury or the need for neurosurgical intervention. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted by collecting a case series of patients with blunt head trauma who underwent CT scanning, and comparing elder (aged s60 years) with nonelder patients. The setting was the ED of a university-affiliated Level-1 trauma center. Results: Twenty percent of the elders and 13% of the nonelders had CT scans positive for traumatic injury, which conferred a risk ratio of 1.58 (95% CI 1.21–2.05). Older women were more at risk for the need for neurosurgery than were younger ones (3.1 vs 0.3%, RR 10.66, 95% CI 1.26–90.46). Among the elders, falls were the dominant mechanism of closed head trauma, followed by motor vehicle collisions (MVCs), then being struck as a pedestrian. In the nonelders, MVCs, falls, and assaults were the most important mechanisms of injury. A focally abnormal neurologic examination imparted an increased risk for both a CT scan positive for traumatic injury (elder 4.39, 95% CI 2.91–6.62; nonelder 7.75, 95% CI 5.53–10.72) and the need for neurosurgery (elder 35.68, 95% CI 4.58–275.89; nonelder 142.58, 95% CI 19.11–1064.22) in both age groups. Conclusions: Significant differences exist between elder and nonelder victims of CHT with respect to mechanisms of trauma and outcomes (CT scan positive for traumatic injury, or the need for neurosurgery).
The growth of Aeromonas hydrophila K144 in ground pork at 5°C

Abstract The influence of NaCl, pH, atmosphere, and background microflora on the growth and/or survival of Aeromonas hydrophila K144 was studied in ground pork held at 5°C. In ground pork, A hydrophila was sensitive to pH values below 6.0 in the form of either a low starting pH in the pork itself or induced by lactic acid bacteria action on added glucose. Growth of the organism is inhibited by NaCl levels of 3% (w/w) (approx. 4% brine content). A. hydrophila grew in vacuum-packaged ground pork; its growth was diminished by the presence of the naturally occurring meat microflora. Except for pH values below 6.0, conditions which inhibited growth permitted survival of the organisms for extended periods. Data indicate that the growth of A. hydrophila in ground pork can be controlled by factors such as NaCl, pH, and background microflora. In general, measures designed to control other foodborne pathogens appear adequate to limit A. hydrophila .
Vanadate-mediated photocleavage of rabbit skeletal myosin.

The heavy chain of myosin from rabbit skeletal muscle can be cleaved at three sites by irradiation with nearultraviolet light in the presence of 0.1–1.0 mM vanadate. The sigmoidal dependence upon vanadate concentration, with half-mximal rate occurring at about 0.5 mM vanadate and a sigmoidicity of 2.7, is consistent with the chromophore responsible for cleavage being oligomeric vanadate. Cleavage occurs at two sites located within the head region of the molecule, 23 kDa and 75 kDa from the NH2-terminus; these sites are cleaved equally well in heavy meromyosin and subfragment 1. In the presence of 1 mM vanadate, the half-times for cleavage of the 23-kDa and 75kDa sites are about 15 and 10 min, respectively. The rate of cleavage at both these sites is retarded 2–3-fold by the presence of > 10 μM MgATP. The third photocleavage site is located about 5–10 kDa from the COOH terminus of the intact heavy chain, and cleaves equally well in the isolated rod and in light meromyosin. Cleavage at this site occurs with a half-time of 138 min, and its rate is unaffected by the presence of MgATP. The vanadate-mediated cleavage of the heavy chains is accompanied by characteristic changes in the myosin ATPase properties, with the Ca2+, Mg2+ and actin-activated Mg2+ ATPases becoming elevated, whereas the K+/EDTA ATPase becomes inactivated. The sites of photocleavage in the myosin heavy chain might be associated with sites of phosphate binding.
CORRELATIONS BETWEEN LOCAL STRUCTURE AND MAGNETISM, PLUS TEMPERATURE DEPENDENT CHANGES IN THE 3D BANDS IN THE COLOSSAL MAGNETORESISTIVE MATERIALS

Changes in the polaron-like local distortions are strongly correlated with the magnetization in the CMR manganites, for bulk powders, thin films and co-doped material. In addition the eg bands are temperature dependent near Tc - but only for CMR materials. These results emphasize the subtle balance of interactions in these systems.
Effects of altered cardiac ventricular chamber size on the electrocardiogram and position of the heart

It has been suggested that the electrocardiographic R-wave amplitude is related to the volume of blood in the left ventricle, the so-called Brody effect.le4 However, the evidence supporting this hypothesis is controversial, and the relation of the QRS complex to cardiac physiology has yet to be fully elucidated. Rather than by altering dipole formation, changes in ventricular volume may influence surface-recorded potentials indirectly by affecting cardiac position and orientation within the thorax.5 Other possible mechanisms include myocardial ischemia, left ventricular (LV) dyskinesis, changes in wall tension, altered conduction pathways and lung expansion.6y7 Determining the contribution of each of these factors to
Areal and laminar distribution of neurons interconnecting the central visual cortical areas 17, 18, 19, and MT in squirrel monkey (Saimiri)

The retrogradely transported horseradish peroxidase (HRP) method was used to study the areal and laminar distribution of neurons sending their axons to ipsilateral and contralateral visual cortical areas 17, 18, 19, and MT in the squirrel monkey. Further details regarding neuron type (stellate or pyramidal), size class, and spatial grouping of the cells making these corticocortical connections also were obtained. All interareal connections are reciprocal. Ipsilaterally, such connections exist between areas 17 and 18, 17 and MT, 18 and 19, 18 and MT, and 19 and MT. In addition, areas 18, 19, and MT receive association fibers from the ipsilateral frontal eye field; when combined with previous findings, these results indicate the existence of reciprocal connections between area 18 and the frontal eye field and between area MT and the frontal eye field. Each of areas 18, 19, and MT. Area 17 has only weak callosal connections. Both the ipsilateral and the contralateral connections are topographically organized such that they obey a hodological principle of visuotopic connectivity: that is, only representations of the same part of the visual field are interconnected. With regard to layers of origin, the callosal neurons of these visual areas conform to the general concept of corticocortical fibers arising from supragranular layers in that most of them are located in layer IIIb; only a few of them reside at the junction between layers V and VI. On the other hand, for all the visuocortical connections investigated, the anteriormost area of a reciprocally interconnected pair has its association neurons located predominantly in the infragranular layers while the posteriormost area has its association neurons located primarily in layer III. All callosal fibers and most association fibers arise from pyramidal cells. The callosal cells are larger and reside at a deeper level in layer III than neurons with ipsilateral corticocortical connections. However, some of the association cells at the junction of layers V and VI in area 17 which project to area MT are relatively large and may include the solitary cells of Meynert; but medium-sized pyramidal cells also participate in this projection. In area 17, some association neurons in layers IIIb and IIIc which project to area 18, as well as some in layer IIIc which project to area MT, are most likely stellate cells. Several different patterns of cell groupings were observed for the central representation interconnections. Neither ipsilateral area MT nor any of the contralateral visuocortical areas had multiple groupings of labeled neurons. The ipsilateral projections from area 17 to 18, 17 to MT, and 18 to 19 were arranged similarly according to a plan involving separate, multiple loci of origin for cells projecting to a small and isolated subregion of the central representation in the target cortical area; following larger injections, cells throughout the central representation of the projecting cortex were labeled...
What in the world are the ways things might have been

Robert Stalnaker is an actualist who holds that merely possible worlds are uninstantiated properties that might have been instantiated. Stalnaker also holds that there are no metaphysically impossible worlds: uninstantiated properties that couldn't have been instantiated. These views motivate Stalnaker's "two dimensional" account of the necessary a posteriori on which there is no single proposition that is both necessary and a posteriori. For a (metaphysically) necessary proposition is true in all (metaphysically) possible worlds. If there were necessary a posteriori propositions, that would mean that there were propositions true in all possible worlds but which could only be known to be true by acquiring empirical evidence. Consider such a purported proposition P. The role of empirical evidence for establishing P's truth would have to be to rule out worlds in which P is false. If there were no such worlds to be ruled out, we would not require evidence for P. But by hypothesis, P is necessary and so true in all metaphysically possible worlds. And on Stalnaker's view, the metaphysically possible worlds are all the worlds there are. So there can be no proposition that is true in all possible worlds, but that we require evidence to know. In this way, the motivation for Stalnaker's two dimensional account of the necessary a posteriori rests on his denying that there are metaphysically impossible Worlds. I argue that given his view of what possible worlds are, Stalnaker has no principled reason for denying that there are metaphysically impossible worlds. If I am right, this undercuts Stalnaker's motivation for his two dimensional account of the necessary a posteriori.
Skill level, vision, and proprioception in simple one-hand catching.

Two experiments examined the interaction of vision and articular proprioception in simple one-hand catching. In Experiment 1 (N = 18) skilled baseball and Softball players used the left and right hands to catch slowly moving tennis balls, while Experiment 2(N = 16) used novice catchers as subjects. In half the trials, sight of the catching hand was prevented by placing a screen alongside the subjects’ face. Results of Experiment 1 revealed that the screen caused minimal disruption of the positioning phase of the catch, with moderate disruption of the grasping phase. However, for the unskilled subjects of Experiment 2, the screen caused considerable disruption of positioning. The data provide only minimal support for Smyth and Marriott’s (1982) contention that limb position is inadequately specified by articular proprioception. It is argued that skill level serves as a mediator in the ability to use proprioception for limb positioning, but vision appears necessary to control the precise temporal organizati...
Adduct formation in hemoglobin of the newborn mouse exposed in utero to benzo[a]pyrene.

The administration of benzo[a]pyrene topically to pregnant mice during days 13–17 of gestation results in adduct formation in the hemoglobin of the mother and progeny. Thus, exposure to a total maternal body burden of 500 μg of benzo[a]pyrene during the last 5 days before delivery resulted in an average level of 6.35 (±0.70 S.E.M.) pg of anti-diolepoxide metabolite covalently attached per mg of hemoglobin analyzed in the mother and 1.40 (± 0.23 S.E.M.) in the newborn animals. These data indicate that benzo[a]pyrene administered to the skin of the mother passed across the placental membrane, either as benzo[a]pyrene or some metabolite(s), and was present in the fetal tissue as the “ultimate” carcinogenic form (anti-diolepoxide metabolite) before binding to the hemoglobin. Concomitant adduct formation in the DNA of the skin with benzo[a]pyrene i the progeny was not observed and was probably due to the small amount of carcinogen applied to the mother. The data obtained, along with previously published results [Toxicology, 34 (1985) 211], suggest the suitability of hemoglobin as a molecular dosimeter for estimating carcinogenic risk to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
Effects of lipid association on lomustine (CCNU) administered intracerebrally to syngeneic 36B-10 rat brain tumors.

Abstract A syngeneic, intracerebral rat brain tumor model was developed and characterized and then used to evaluate the therapeutic enhancement of lipid-associated 1-(2-chloroethyl)-3-cyclohexyl-1-nitrosourea (CCNU). The Fisher rat glioma cell 36B-10 (100,000–500,000 cells) was implanted intracranially to Fisher F-344 rats into the caudate nucleus. Animals treated with lipid-associated CCNU showed a 2- to 10-fold decrease in tumor size compared with animals treated with free CCNU, indicating that lipid association increases the therapeutic index of intracerebral CCNU treatment. Moreover, the syngeneic rat brain tumor model may be useful for evaluation of other therapeutic modalities.
Synchronous gastric and ampullary adenocarcinomas in a hairy cell leukemia patient treated with pentostatin eight years prior

Hairy cell leukemia patients are at increased risk for second malignancies, including both solid and lymphoid neoplasms. Along with other factors, multiple immune defects present in hairy cell leukemia likely contribute to subsequent carcinogenesis. We report herein a case of synchronous high-grade gastric and ampullary adenocarcinomas in a patient with a history of hairy cell leukemia treated eight years prior with pentostatin. We include a review of immune alterations induced by both hairy cell leukemia and its therapies, and link them with the occurrence of second cancers in these patients.
Structural insights into the U-box, a domain associated with multi-ubiquitination

The structure of the U-box in the essential Saccharomyces cerevisiae pre-mRNA splicing factor Prp19p has been determined by NMR. The conserved zinc-binding sites supporting the cross-brace arrangement in RING-finger domains are replaced by hydrogen-bonding networks in the U-box. These hydrogen-bonding networks are necessary for the structural stabilization and activity of the U-box. A conservative Val→Ile point mutation in the Prp19p U-box domain leads to pre-mRNA splicing defects in vivo. NMR analysis of this mutant shows that the substitution disrupts structural integrity of the U-box domain. Furthermore, comparison of the Prp19p U-box domain with known RING–E2 complex structures demonstrates that both U-box and RING-fingers contain a conserved interaction surface. Mutagenesis of residues at this interface, while not perturbing the structure of the U-box, abrogates Prp19p function in vivo. These comparative structural and functional analyses imply that the U-box and its associated ubiquitin ligase activity are critical for Prp19p function in vivo.
MORTALITY AND PLATELET DEPLETION OCCUR INDEPENDENTLY OF FIBRINOGEN CONSUMPTION IN MURINE MODELS OF TUMOUR NECROSIS FACTOR-MEDIATED SYSTEMIC INFLAMMATORY RESPONSES

Tumour necrosis factor (TNF) is known to have procoagulant activity, and platelet depletion is a feature of TNF-mediated systemic inflammatory responses. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of fibrinogen consumption in the development of TNF-mediated systemic inflammatory responses and in the associated depletion of platelets. Three murine models of TNF-mediated systemic inflammatory responses were examined: the systemic toxicity reactions (STR) induced by TNF or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and severe malaria (SM), a prominently neurological complication of Plasmodium berghei ANKA infection in susceptible mice. There was an acceleration in the consumption of fibrinogen during TNF-STR but not during LPS-STR or SM. However, a concomitant reduction in platelet count was found in all conditions. Mice preliminarily depleted in fibrinogen by treatment with ancrod, an enzyme that specifically degrades fibrinogen, showed no protection against mortality during TNF- or LPS-STR or SM, although they were protected against tissue damage during a modification of the classical local Shwartzman reaction. During TNF- and LPS-STR platelets were even lower in ancrod-treated than control mice and during SM they were not significantly different. This study shows that fibrinogen consumption, although accelerated by the direct injection of TNF, is not necessary for the development of TNF-mediated systemic inflammatory responses in mice, at variance with local pathology, and does not contribute to the associated depletion of platelets.
Assessment leaders’ perspectives of institutional cultures of assessment: a Delphi study

Institutional cultures of assessment are praised as beneficial to student learning. Yet, extant studies have not explored the theoretical foundations and pragmatic approaches to shaping cultures of assessment. The researchers used the Delphi method to explore 10 higher education assessment leaders’ attitudes and theoretical perspectives regarding cultures of assessment. These expert assessment leaders were iteratively surveyed until a reasonable threshold of consensus was reached. Study participants viewed buy-in as a necessary component of a positive campus culture of assessment, and advice on reshaping negative cultures was offered. Assessment leaders’ guiding theoretical frameworks were implied and loosely defined with metaphors. Finally, advice is offered for improving cultures of assessment by symbolically connecting assessment to student learning through dialogue.
Reversal of sterilization in the male and female. Report of a workshop.

In a time when sterilization is becoming more and more the contraceptive method of choice the question of reversibility is becoming increasingly important. Tubal reanastomoses were successful in 60% of 150 cases of microsurgical reversal found in the English literature. Overwhelming technical problems have halted research into intravasal devices but intratubal devices are still under investigation. As demand for sterilization reversal increases reversal-of-sterilization centers could be established on a national basis which would make available the necessary examinations counseling and microsurgical techniques.
Artificial Neural Network Model: Prediction of Mechanical Properties in Beta-Titanium Biomaterial

Theoretical prediction of mechanical properties using Artificial Neural Network (ANN) of a new beta-titanium alloy was investigated and compared with the experimental results obtained as a function of heat treatment. The cold worked biomaterial was subjected to different thermal processing cycles. The experimental values of mechanical properties were determined using MTS Landmark-servo hydraulic UTS machine. The new beta-titanium alloy demonstrated an excellent combination of strength and ductility for β-annealing and solution treatment plus aging thermal processing treatments. This data was used to train an artificial neural network (ANN) model to predict hardness. The predicted hardness values were found to demonstrate very good agreement with the experimental values.
A Theoretical Framework for Understanding Neuromuscular Response to Lower Extremity Joint Injury

Background: Neuromuscular alterations are common following lower extremity joint injury and often lead to decreased function and disability. These neuromuscular alterations manifest in inhibition o...
Wideband dual-polarized omnidirectional antenna with very high isolation across 1.65–2.7 GHz

Wideband dual polarized omni-directional antenna is proposed. The design includes concentric ring and monopole antennas, placed over a square ground plane. Both of the antennas retain 10dB return loss across the 1.65 - 2.7 GHz range. Of importance is that port isolation is 70dB across the frequency band of interest in spite of collocation of antennas. The overall antenna dimensions are 4cm × 18cm × 18cm. Radiation pattern and high isolation make it useful for simultaneous transmit (TX) / receive (RX).
The macrophage--a cell for all seasons.

In the spirit of the Leiden Conferences, the first Keystone Meeting on Macrophage Biology brought together scientists from a wide range of disciplines. Precisely because macrophages perform such diverse functions, this meeting had an extraordinarily broad scope. While this was exhilarating to experience, it is impossible to report in full. We have highlighted, therefore, only a few themes and have had to omit many outstanding presentations that fell outside of these boundaries.
Performance evaluation of urban water supply in Tanzania: the case of Dar Es Salaam city.

Despite its importance, performance evaluation of urban water supplies in the developing countries is very inadequately dealt with in the economic literature. This paper is an attempt to draw attention to this topic. We analyse the equity and efficiency aspects of performance evaluation of urban water supplies in the city of Dar Es Salaam in Tanzania in terms of between and within the three administrative districts in the city, and the five Dar Es Salaam Water and Sewerage Authority (DAWASA) branches and wards. The results show a very serious water supply problem for the city. Currently, water is unevenly distributed at all levels and it is expected that inequality between and within districts will increase over time.
The energetics of fluorinated species: estimation, enthalpies of formation, and electronegativity☆

Abstract The literature estimation approach of assuming a near zero difference of the enthalpies of formation of condensed phase fluor and hydroxy compounds (YF and YOH) is discussed. Reasoning based on phase change enthalpies, substituent effects, and our AM1 calculations reported here, show that the difference depends strongly on the electronegativity of the element Y with comparatively little effect on its local environment. The assumption of a near constant difference of enthalpies of formation of organic fluorine compounds and their oxygen analogs is legitimized. Related, but admittedly more preliminary, regularities for the enthalpies of fluorinated species are also presented.
Bronchoalveolar lavage and other methods to define the human respiratory tract milieu in health and disease.

During fiber-optic bronchoscopy (FOB), surface sampling of the human respiratory airways and alveolar unit can be done with bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), plus selective sites can be brushed for cells and transbronchial biopsies made in adjacent tissue. This permits analysis of the respiratory tract’s milieu in healthy normals, in those with disease, and in control subjects. These combined procedures have been an established approach for obtaining specimens for research and for clinical assessment for over four decades. However, now new less invasive sampling methods are emerging. This review emphasizes BAL and the cellular and noncellular components recovered in fluid that have contributed to improving knowledge of how the respiratory tree’s innate immunity can protect, and how airway structures can become deranged and manifest disease. After a discussion of training for FOB and procedural issues, a spectrum of respiratory diseases studied with BAL is presented, including airway illness (asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), diffuse interstitial lung diseases [idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, rheumatoid interstitial lung disease (ILD), granulomatous ILDs], lung infections, lung malignancy, and upper and lower tract airway problems. Some recent studies with exhaled breath condensate analyses are given.
Reminder letter, tailored stepped-care, and self-choice comparison for repeat mammography

Abstract Background The main benefits of mammography come from regular on-schedule screening. However, few studies have examined interventions to achieve repeat screening. Setting and participants Participants were women aged 50 to 74, recruited through one setting in Rhode Island and another in North Carolina. Participants had a mammogram already scheduled at recruitment, and had to keep that appointment in order to be eligible for the repeat mammography intervention. A total of 1614 women were in the intervention sample. Design A four-group randomized design was used: Group 1, a simple reminder letter; Group 2, a 2-month, tailored, stepped intervention delivered 2 months after the completed mammogram; Group 3, a 10-month, tailored, stepped intervention delivered 2 months before the repeat mammogram was due; and Group 4, self-choice of one of the above three strategies. Intervention The intervention took place between June 1996 and May 1997. The reminder letter and two levels of the stepped intervention were delivered by mail. The third level of the stepped strategy was a counselor telephone call. Groups 2 and 3 were identical, except for timing. Outcome measure Obtaining the next due mammogram within 15 months, based on clinic records. Results There were no statistically significant differences among the four groups, both in the total sample and at the two sites separately. Conclusions On average, a simple reminder may be as effective as more complex strategies for women with a prior on-schedule exam. However, attention is still needed to identify women at risk of lapsing from screening. Some women may require more-intensive interventions.
Acute Gastrointestinal Disease in 27 New World Camelids: Clinical and Surgical Findings

Objective—To describe clinical and surgical findings from New World camelids with acute gastrointestinal disease. Study Design—Retrospective study. Animal Population—20 llamas and 7 alpacas. Methods—Camelids were grouped based on surgical lesions. Clinical and surgical findings were compared between groups and between surviving and nonsurviving camelids. Results—Twelve of 27 initial celiotomies and 3 of 4 repeat celiotomies were successful. Death occurred from euthanasia during surgery (nine camelids), peritonitis or sepsis (five), aspiration pneumonia (one), and respiratory distress (one). Survival was lowest after celiotomy for proximal obstruction (3 of 10 camelids), ruptured viscus (0 of 4), and necrotizing enteritis (0 of 2) and highest after celiotomy for distal obstruction (10 of 13) and septic peritonitis without ruptured viscus (2 of 2). Before surgery, camelids with proximal obstruction had significantly lower (P < .05) serum chloride concentrations (median, 97 mEq/L) than those with distal obstruction (median, 109 mEq/L) or ruptured viscus (median, 117 mEq/L). Serum bicarbonate concentration also was highest (median, 34.6 mEq/L) and often greater than 28 mEq/L in camelids with proximal obstruction. Camelids with distal obstruction had significantly lower (P < .05) nucleated cell counts in peritoneal fluid (median, 700 cells/μL) than those with ruptured viscus (median, 20,600 cells/μL) or septic peritonitis (median, 88,300 cells/μL). Conclusions—Camelids with proximal obstruction often had hypochloremic metabolic alkalosis. Camelids with distal obstruction had less metabolic derangement and tissue compromise and a higher survival rate. Clinical Relevance—Awareness of the characteristics of the various types of acute gastrointestinal disease in camelids will augment veterinarians' ability to diagnose and treat these disorders.
Replication in Saccharomyces cerevisiae of plasmid pBR313 carrying DNA from the yeast trpl region.

Abstract Plasmid pBR313 carrying a 1.4 kb Eco RI fragment from the yeast TRP1 region (designated pLC544) is capable of transforming yeast trp1 mutants to Trp + at high frequency (10 3 –10 4 transformants/μg DNA). Transformation can be achieved either by using purified plasmid DNA or by fusion of yeast shperoplasts with partially lysed Escherihia coli [pLC544] photoplast preparations. The Trp + yeast transformants are highly unstable, segregating Trp − cells at frequencies of 0.18 percell per generation (haploids) and 0.056 per cell per generation (diploids) in media containing tryptophan. Plasmid pLC544 replicates autonomously in the nucleus of yeast cells and segregation of Trp − cells is associated with the complete loss of plasmid sequences. In genetic crosses, pLC544 is randomly assorted during meiosis and is carried unchanged through the mating process into haploid recombinants.
Fracture incidence in HIV-infected women: results from the Women's Interagency HIV Study.

BACKGROUND The clinical importance of the association of HIV infection and antiretroviral therapy (ART) with low bone mineral density (BMD) in premenopausal women is uncertain because BMD stabilizes on established ART and fracture data are limited. METHODS We measured time to first new fracture at any site with median follow-up of 5.4 years in 2391 (1728 HIV-infected, 663 HIV-uninfected) participants in the Women's Interagency HIV Study (WIHS). Self-report of fracture was recorded at semiannual visits. Proportional hazard models assessed predictors of incident fracture. RESULTS At baseline, HIV-infected women were older (40 ± 9 vs. 36 ± 10 years, P < 0.0001), more likely to report postmenopausal status and be hepatitis C virus-infected, and weighed less than HIV-uninfected women. Among HIV-infected women, mean CD4(+) cell count was 482 cells/μl; 66% were taking ART. Unadjusted incidence of fracture did not differ between HIV-infected and uninfected women (1.8 vs. 1.4/100 person-years, respectively, P = 0.18). In multivariate models, white (vs. African-American) race, hepatitis C virus infection, and higher serum creatinine, but not HIV serostatus, were statistically significant predictors of incident fracture. Among HIV-infected women, older age, white race, current cigarette use, and history of AIDS-defining illness were associated with incidence of new fracture. CONCLUSION Among predominantly premenopausal women, there was little difference in fracture incidence rates by HIV status, rather traditional risk factors were important predictors. Further research is necessary to characterize fracture risk in HIV-infected women during and after the menopausal transition.
Fire Management and Carbon Sequestration in Pine Barren Forests

Prescribed burning is the major viable option that land managers have for reducing hazardous fuels and ensuring the regeneration of fire-dependent species in a cost-effective manner in Pine Barren ecosystems. Fuels management activities are directly linked to carbon (C) storage and rates of C sequestration by forests. To evaluate the effects of prescribed burning on forest C dynamics, we quantified consumption and accumulation of the forest floor and understory vegetation and measured net CO2 exchange in upland forest stands in the New Jersey Pinelands burned with prescribed fires. Prescribed fires released an average of 470 ± 137 g C m−2 from the litter layer and understory, equivalent to approximately 2–3 yr of sequestered C in undisturbed upland forests. Canopy and understory foliage averaged 85% of preburn periods, and CO2 uptake at near-full sunlight conditions averaged 79% of preburn levels during the following growing season. On an annual basis, stands lost C during the year of the burn, but releas...