cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Clinical and Neuroimaging Profile of Children with Lesions in the Corpus Callosum.

PURPOSE T2-hyperintense signal changes in corpus callosum (CC) have been described in epilepsy and encephalitis/encephalopathy. Little is known about their pathophysiology. The aim of this study was to examine the clinical presentation and evolution of CC lesions and relationship to seizures. METHODS We identified 12 children among 29,634 patients from Radiology Database. We evaluated following characteristics: seizures and accompanying medical history, antiepileptic drug usage, presenting symptoms, and radiological evolution of lesions. RESULTS CC lesions were seen in patients with prior diagnosis of epilepsy (n = 5) or in those with new onset seizures (n = 3), or with encephalitis/encephalopathy without history of seizures (n = 4). Seizure clustering or disturbances of consciousness were the main presenting symptoms. No relationship was observed between CC lesion and AEDs. On imaging, ovoid lesions at presentation resolved on follow up imaging and linear lesions persisted. DTI showed that the fibers passing through splenial lesions originated from the posterior parietal cortex and occipital cortex bilaterally. CONCLUSION In patients with seizures, no clear relationship was demonstrated between seizure characteristics or AED use with CC lesions. Ovoid lesions resolved and may have different pathophysiologic mechanism when compared to linear lesions that persisted.
An important first step in the evaluation of venous thromboembolism after pulmonary resection.

From the Department of Surgery, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI. Disclosures: Author has nothing to disclose with regard to commercial support. Received for publication Aug 26, 2015; accepted for publication Aug 27, 2015; available ahead of print Oct 15, 2015. Address for reprints: Thomas Ng, MD, FRCSC, FACS, 2 Dudley St, Ste 470, Providence, RI 02905 (E-mail: tng@usasurg.org). J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2016;151:45-6 0022-5223/$36.00 Copyright 2016 by The American Association for Thoracic Surgery http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jtcvs.2015.08.100
A pilot tolerability and efficacy study of levetiracetam in patients with chronic myoclonus

Levetiracetam was recently approved as adjunctive therapy for partial onset seizures. The authors conducted an open-label trial of levetiracetam in eight patients with chronic myoclonus. Patients were assessed by using the Unified Myoclonus Rating Scale. Levetiracetam was well tolerated. Three of five patients with cortical myoclonus experienced reductions in their myoclonus scores, providing support for a larger, placebo-controlled trial in cortical myoclonus.
Formation and functions of high-surface-area fabrics

Non-woven fabrics made from fibres with submicron diameters have extremely high surface-to-volume ratios, which can be tailored and used in a variety of applications. In our research laboratories, fabrics have been made by the electrospinning process. The fabrication method can be adjusted to control the pore spacing between fabrics by controlling the density of fibre collection. By combining dissimilar materials including cellulose nanocrystals, nanoclay and biotin within the nano fibres, we have been able to adjust the strength and the surface properties of the fabrics. Fabrics have been created that can selectively capture biohazards from liquids and particles or volatile organic compounds from air.
Caeculus crossleyi n.sp. (Acari: Caeculidae) from granite outcrops in Georgia, U.S.A.

Abstract Caeculus crossleyi is described as new from beneath rocks on granite outcrops in DeKalb and Rockdale Counties, Georgia, U.S.A.
A fast multi-level boundary element method for the Helmholtz equation

Abstract Most recently, we have developed a novel multi-level boundary element method (MLBEM) for the solution of the steady heat diffusion equation involving asymptotically decaying non-oscillatory log-singular and strongly singular kernels. This hierarchical approach generalizes the pioneering work of Brandt and Lubrecht on multi-level multi-integration (MLMI) and C-cycle multi-grid to the broader class of mixed boundary value problems. The result is a fast, accurate and efficient boundary element method. The present paper extends this new computational methodology to the solution of the Helmholtz equation involving oscillatory log-singular and strongly singular kernels for two-dimensional problems. We consider a direct boundary element formulation and, due to the nature of the fundamental solutions, split the corresponding boundary integral equation into real and imaginary parts. Then, we introduce double-noded corners to facilitate a patch-by-patch application of the MLMI algorithm for fast matrix–vector and matrix-transpose–vector multiplications within bi-conjugate gradient methods. The performance of the proposed fast MLBEM is investigated using a numerical example that possesses an exact solution. For wave numbers κ=20 and below, we demonstrate that the fast MLBEM algorithm for the Helmholtz equation is robust, accurate, and exceptionally efficient.
Determinants of airway responses to cat allergen: Comparison of environmental challenge to quantitative nasal and bronchial allergen challenge

Background: Why allergic subjects may have asthma or rhinitis on allergen exposure remains unclear. Objective: This study was carried out to compare airway responses during environmental allergen challenge (EAC) with quantitative allergen provocation challenges of the upper and lower airways. Methods: Thirteen subjects with allergy to cats underwent EAC to cats. Lower airway responses during EAC were compared with bronchoprovocation with allergen. Nasal mucosal challenge with allergen-soaked disks were compared with EAC nasal responses. Nonspecific bronchial reactivity was assessed with methacholine; allergen sensitivity was assessed by skin prick tests, RAST, and end-point skin titration. Results: During EAC, the maximal fall in FEV 1 ranged from 6% to 57% (median, 18%) and correlated closely with allergen bronchoprovocation PD 20 (Spearman's correlation coefficient [ R s ]=−0.85, p 20 ( R s =−0.85, p =0.0002 and R s =0.83, p =0.0004, respectively). Nasal provocation and EAC nasal responses correlated with each other but not with lower airway responses. On the basis of EAC and allergen bronchoprovocation responses, seven participants with asthma were identified. This group was significantly more sensitive to inhaled methacholine but was similar to the nonasthmatic group in IgE-mediated sensitivity and nasal responses. Conclusions: The lower respiratory tract is less responsive to allergic and nonallergic stimuli in persons with allergic rhinitis. In persons with asthma during EAC, the response to nebulized cat allergen is also abnormal and correlates closely with their abnormal responsiveness to nonimmunologic stimuli.
A second best mechanism for marketing emissions reductions

The purpose of this paper is to present a strategy for pollution control, representing a hybrid of conventional “emission fees” and “standards” approaches, which is designed to meet the dual needs of many localities for sustained industrial growth and compliance with air quality standards. We evaluate several “second best” policy mechanisms and extend our focus from questions of relative efficiency loss to concerns for feasibility, compliance incentives, and local objectives. For each non-attainment area, we suggest that a Clean Air Management Unit (CAMU) be established to formalize and oversee markets in emissions reductions.
Contraction of guinea pig lung by synthetic oligopeptides related to human c3a

Complement-derived human C3a is a 77 residue protein whose biological activities include the contraction of guinea pig ileum and parenchymal lung strips. The C3a molecule is active at submicromolar concentrations and the spasmogenic activities are absolutely dependent on a carboxy-terminal arginyl residue. Studies with synthetic peptide analogues of C3a have localized the active site for all spasmogenic functions at the carboxy-terminal portion of the native molecule. Studies reported here demonstrate that the spasmogenic action of C3a on guinea pig parenchymal lung tissue is mimicked by synthetic peptides based on the carboxy-terminal sequence of C3a. Synthetic peptides with sequences corresponding to the 5, 8, 13 and 21 carboxy-terminal residues of C3a all possess spasmogenic activity on lung tissue. Molar activities of the synthetic peptides relative to that of C3a increase as the length of the peptide increases. The activity of the pentapeptide C3a 73-77 is only 0.5% that of C3a, while those of C3a 70-77 and C3a 65-77 are 3.8 and 7.8%, respectively. A 21 residue peptide, C3a 57-77, exhibits activity equivalent to native C3a. The synthetic peptides, unlike C3a, fail to produce tachyphylaxis. We compared C3a reactivity of guinea pig parenchymal lung strips with those of the synthetic C3a peptides in the presence of various inhibitor combinations. Responses of lung strips to C3a or the C3a peptides were not significantly inhibited by the antihistamine pyrilamine. However, lung responses to synthetic C3a peptides, like those to C3a, were inhibited by indomethacin. Complete inhibition of responses to C3a or the synthetic C3a peptides was produced in the presence of indomethacin, FPL55712 and pyrilamine.
A Classroom Experience in Control Systems Following an Intensive Nonlinear Control Design Research Project: Two Perspectives

It has been well documented in the engineering education literature that introductory linear control systems courses present unique pedagogical challenges. Similarly, it has been reported that engaging undergraduate students in control systems research is challenging. The control of nonlinear systems is the focus of much research; Therefore, a paradox exists; research programs involving undergraduate students are often conducted in a “nonlinear before linear” fashion. Prior research by the authors approached this paradox by investigating whether a meaningful research project in nonlinear control systems could be conducted. While the author and co-author were willing to execute this research (despite the intense time commitment), this type of project is not sustainable long-term unless the significant time invested results in Item 1) illumination of new pedagogical techniques that generalize to each student in the linear control systems course (not just participants in the research project). This manuscript will describe in detail Item 1) . Given the student and faculty mentors experience in the nonlinear controls research project and the student’s experience in the linear control systems course, pedagogical insights gained through this endeavor will be detailed by the faculty member. These are meant to close the loop of instructor assessment of the course during preparation for future offerings. Therefore, the undergraduate student directly provides an accounting of the experiences throughout the research program and introductory control systems course. The result is a proposed pedagogical approach to be implemented by three distinct methodologies. Methodology (1) Traditional lecture format, Methodology (2) Targeted physical or hands-on experiences where students are exposed to a controlled system/process commonly seen in industry, and Methodology (3) Direct student participation in the design of certain aspects of course materials.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Absence of oestradiol concentration in cell nuclei of LHRH-immunoreactive neurones

Oestrogen, acting in both the brain and pituitary, has a critical role in regulating the reproductive cycle in most mammals1,2. In the brain, oestrogen regulates the release of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) partly through a mechanism that is blocked by inhibitors of DNA-dependent RNA synthesis3,4 or protein synthesis4. The distributions of oestrogen-concentrating neurones5 and of LHRH neurones6,7 overlap. The present study was undertaken to determine whether genomic effects of oestrogen mediated by nuclear oestradiol concentration include a direct effect on LHRH-containing neurones. During extensive studies in which the immunocytochemical method for localizing LHRH neurones was optimized and made compatible with the autoradiographic method for detecting oestrogen-concentrating neurones, doubly-labelled cells were very rarely seen. This suggests that genomic regulatory effects of oestrogen which depend on nuclear retention are not exerted directly on most LHRH neurones, but rather must be mediated by another class of neurones.
The unusual conformation adopted by the adenine tracts in kinetoplast DNA

To determine the structural features responsible for the curvature of kinetoplast DNA, we studied 13 adenine tracts in Crithidia fasciculata kinetoplast DNA. The structures of the A tracts were analyzed by cutting the DNA with hydroxyl radical. Reactivity of hydroxyl radical toward the DNA backbone progressively decreased in the 5'----3' direction of each A tract. The cutting pattern of the T-rich strand was offset by 1 or 2 bp from the pattern on the A-rich strand. An A tract in a restriction fragment from plasmid pBR322 had the same cutting pattern as the kinetoplast A tracts. We interpret these experiments to show that in A tracts the width of the minor groove decreases smoothly from the 5'----3' end of the A tract.
Bio-oil production and upgrading research: A review

Abstract Biomass can be utilized to produce bio-oil, a promising alternative energy source for the limited crude oil. There are mainly two processes involved in the conversion of biomass to bio-oil: flash pyrolysis and hydrothermal liquefaction. The cost of bio-oil production from biomass is relatively high based on current technologies, and the main challenges are the low yield and poor bio-oil quality. Considerable research efforts have been made to improve the bio-oil production from biomass. Scientific and technical developments towards improving bio-oil yield and quality to date are reviewed, with an emphasis on bio-oil upgrading research. Furthermore, the article covers some major issues that associated with bio-oil from biomass, which includes bio-oil basics (e.g., characteristics, chemistry), application, environmental and economic assessment. It also points out barriers to achieving improvements in the future.
High–throughput automated platform for nuclear magnetic resonance–based structural proteomics

The development of new systems and strategies capable of synthesizing any desired soluble, labeled protein or protein fragment on a preparative scale is one of the most important tasks in biotechnology today. The Center for Eukaryotic Structural Genomics (WI, USA), in co-operation with Ehime University (Matsuyama, Japan) and CellFree Sciences Co., Ltd, has developed an automated platform for nuclear magnetic resonance-based structural proteomics that employs wheat germ extracts for cell-free production of labeled protein. The platform utilizes a single construct for all targets without any redesign of the DNA or RNA. Therefore, it offers advantages over commercial cell-free methods utilizing Escherichia coli extracts that require multiple constructs or redesign of the open reading frame. The protein production and labeling protocol is no more costly than E. coli cell-based approaches, is robust and scalable for high-throughput applications. This protocol has been used in the authors’ center to screen euka...
Session 7: future directions

The following paragraphs were distributed to participants in advance of the workshop to describe this session:During the workshop we will have ranged over many topics related to "user-orientation". Some issues will have appeared and re-appeared in different discussions. This session will be our opportunity to tie together some recurring controversies as we from our perspective on where we are. We will not, however, attempt to recap the entire meeting.
Effect of Heat Treatment on Corrosion and Stress Corrosion Cracking of S32205 Duplex Stainless Steel in Caustic Solution

Duplex stainless steels (DSSs) have generally performed very well in caustic environments. However, some corrosion and stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of DSSs have been reported in different pulp mill environments employing caustic solutions. Studies have shown that the corrosion and SCC susceptibility of DSSs depend on the alloy composition and microstructure of the steel. In this study, the effect of a sulfide-containing caustic environment (pulping liquor) and material properties (DSS alloy composition and microstructure) on the corrosion and SCC of DSSs was evaluated. During metal fabrication processes, localized areas of DSSs may be exposed to different temperatures and cooling rates, which may lead to changes in the microstructure in these regions. This change in microstructure, in turn, may affect the general and localized corrosion or SCC susceptibility of the affected area as compared to the rest of the metal. Hence, the effect of different annealing and aging temperatures as well as cooling rates on the microstructure and corrosion behavior of S32205 DSSs in caustic environment was evaluated. The results showed that changes in the microstructure of S32205 DSSs due to selected heat treatments did not have a significant effect on the general corrosion susceptibility of the steel in caustic environment, but its SCC susceptibility varied with changes in microstructures.
Collective Strategy: Vice or Virtue?

This study examines opportunities and risks of collective strategies. Some dysfunctional outcomes of collective strategies include their tendencies: to reduce strategic flexibility; to increase the impact of external disturbances; to lower organizational adaptability; and to attract new entrants. A model is developed which provides an integrated analysis of the consequences of collective strategy; it highlights the dialectical relationship between collective and competitive strategies. Possibilities for avoiding or muting the dysfunctions of collective strategies are discussed.
Stabilization Role of Crustose Coralline Algae During Late Pleistocene Reef Development on Isla Cerralvo, Baja California Sur (Mexico)

Abstract TIERNEY, P.W. and JOHNSON, M.E., 2012. Stabilization role of crustose coralline algae during Late Pleistocene reef development on Isla Cerralvo, Baja California Sur (Mexico). Crustose coralline algae played a fundamental role in reef establishment during the Late Pleistocene (122,143 ± 175 YBP) on Isla Cerralvo in the southern Gulf of California. Transported cobbles with a generally elongated clast shape (mean sphericity: 0.6) were encrusted by coralline red algae before locking in a N–S alignment (mean N2°W) and providing a fixed substrate for colonization by Porites and Pocillopora corals. A fringing reef grew on this pavement of clast-encrusting rhodoliths and was succeeded by additional cobble-coral cycles. Out of five stratigraphically repetitive cycles, only the second and third offer sufficient exposure to be quantified with any confidence. Census data, cobble orientations, and measurements of algal rinds were collected to characterize the transition from rhodoliths to corals. Clasts in th...
Cardiac computed tomography imaging: a history and some future possibilities

Cardiac computed tomography (CT) is a special subset of CT, a subject about which much has been written in terms of the underlying concepts and mathematics and the sociologic impact. Cardiac CT has passed through three, chronologically overlapping, developmental stages and is now in its fourth stage of development. The first stage was fluoroscopy-based CT (1972-1995) stimulated by physiologic research needs, and the next was clinical CT-based exploration (1975-1980) of the potential of clinical CT in cardiology. This was followed by the electron beam CT-based stage (1980-present), which was the first CT approach applicable to clinical cardiology. Finally, volume-scanning CT imaging methods achieved with multislice scanning approaches of helical CT and by flat panel-based CT (1990-present), show great promise for clinically applicable CT of the cardiovascular system.
A Comparative Study of Unilateral and Bilateral Communication

“Two-way communication” has become an administrative cliche. And, as with many other apparent truisms, it is blandly preached and infrequently (and imperfectly) practiced. The issue, nonetheless, i...
The organism is dead. Long live the organism

On June 26, 2000 President Clinton announced the completion of a arst draft of the Human Genome in a White House ceremony.2 Attending the ceremony were Francis Collins, the head of the publicly funded Human Genome Project and J. Craig Venter, renegade scientiac entrepreneur and president of Celera Genomics of Rockville, Maryland. Prime Minister Tony Blair also attended, albeit virtually via satellite broadcast from London. By everybody’s account the impact of this carefully staged public announcement was mainly symbolical. President Clinton called the still rather preliminary map of the human genome the “most wondrous map ever produced by humankind” and an “epic-making triumph of science and reason.” The joint appearance of Collins and Venter was intended to symbolize the end of the animosities between the public and the private Genome Projects. This would be all the more important in the future because, as President Clinton suggested, “there is much hard work yet to be done.” Also mending the heated divisions between the two projects was Eric Lander, director of MIT’s Whitehead Institute, who—not for the arst
Characterizing Effects of Subthalamic Nucleus Deep Brain Stimulation on Methamphetamine-Induced Circling Behavior in Hemi-Parkinsonian Rats

The unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesioned rat model is frequently used to study the effects of subthalamic nucleus (STN) deep brain stimulation (DBS) for the treatment of Parkinson's disease. However, systematic knowledge of the effects of DBS parameters on behavior in this animal model is lacking. The goal of this study was to characterize the effects of DBS on methamphetamine-induced circling in the unilateral 6-OHDA lesioned rat. DBS parameters tested include stimulation amplitude, stimulation frequency, methamphetamine dose, stimulation polarity, and anatomical location of the electrode. When an appropriate stimulation amplitude and dose of methamphetamine were applied, high-frequency stimulation (>; 130 Hz), but not low frequency stimulation (<; 10 Hz), reversed the bias in ipsilateral circling without inhibiting movement. This characteristic frequency tuning profile was only generated when at least one electrode used during bipolar stimulation was located within the STN. No difference was found between bipolar stimulation and monopolar stimulation when the most effective electrode contact was selected, indicating that monopolar stimulation could be used in future experiments. Methamphetamine-induced circling is a simple, reliable, and sensitive behavioral test and holds potential for high-throughput study of the effects of STN DBS in unilaterally lesioned rats.
Legitimacy, access, and the gridlock of tiger conservation: lessons from Melghat and the history of central India

Though tiger conservationists almost ubiquitously acknowledge the necessity of landscape approaches and the involvement of local people for effective tiger conservation, reconciling these two needs presents certain challenges for practitioners. Seeking to address both local exigencies and conservation goals, state-sponsored ecodevelopment initiatives have become commonly associated with Project Tiger reserves in India. However, in this essay I argue that by focusing on the proximate sources of tension between tiger conservation and local people (i.e., human–tiger conflict, habitat degradation, and prey depletion), these programs have reinforced the ultimate causes of such tension: the structural inequalities that exists between local people and state organizations. By linking the historical literature with my own fieldwork in the Melghat Tiger Reserve of the Central Indian Highlands, I show how the current structure of ecodevelopment largely mirrors that of colonial forestry by attempting to enforce natural resource property rights in a way that privileges the state and delegitimizes local relational mechanisms of access to natural resources. In doing so, ecodevelopment reflects the political structure that facilitated the rise of conflicts between tigers and people and reinforces the “gridlock of tiger conservation” (Rastogi et al. 2012). With this political ecology perspective, I advocate solidarity between conservation practitioners, local people, and state organizations in addressing these structural problems to further conservation efforts. Emphasizing co-management’s ability to accommodate multi-scalar forms of authority, I end by offering three lessons for conservation from Melghat’s experience with colonial forestry and ecodevelopment.
Modification of in-vitro digestibility and cell-wall composition of cocksfoot, ryegrass and timothy by imazethapyr

Recent studies have shown that the compound imazethapyr (5-ethyl-2-(4-isopropyl-4-methyl-5-oxo-2-imidazolin-2-yl)nicotinic acid) possesses growth regulatory activity and can be used to enhance nutritive value of grasses. However, little is known about possible effects of this material on fibre composition or potential fibre utilisation by ruminants. The objective of this research was to examine imazethapyr-treated cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata L), ryegrass (Lolium perenne L × L multiflorum Lam), and timothy (Phleum pratense L) for possible treatment-induced changes in in-vitro digestibility and in concentrations of selected fibre constituents. Replicated field plots treated with imazethapyr at 0 (control) or 100 g ai ha−1 during the vegetative (pre-elongation) stage of growth were harvested when controls were in the early stage of inflorescence emergence. Samples taken from treated plots 4 weeks post-treatment had higher in-vitro dry matter disappearance (IVDMD), lower neutral detergent fibre (NDF), lower acid detergent fibre (ADF), lower cellulose, lignin, and higher hemicellulose concentrations compared with controls. Imazethapyr treatment also reduced the concentration of p-coumaric acid in NDF, but had no effect on ferulic acid. The treatment effect on in-vitro NDF disappearance, however, was inconsistent among the grass species and was statistically non-significant (P = 0·10), implying that, under the conditions of this study, imazethapyr-related enhancements in IVDMD can be attributed primarily to a reduction in the amount of NDF and its associated constituents, as opposed to qualitative differences in NDF composition.
Optical two-dimensional alarm system using electron trapping optical material

An alarm system was constructed and tested to demonstrate for the first time an all-optical system that uses electron trapping material with unsupervised learning. The alarm system provides an output when there is a deviation from a time weighted average of a 2-D input image. Classic Hebbian unsupervised learning is used to update the 2-D time weighted average weight array recursively with an all-optical loop. The fabrication of micrometer resolution nanosecond response electron trapping material is described and equations derived to show for the first time that electron trapping materials correctly multiply in parallel elements in a 2-D input image with corresponding elements in a second 2-D weight array. The alarm system equations and associated optic implementation are modified for a binary system instead of a bipolar one because of positivity of intensity. The system uses two electron trapping spatial light rebroadcasters (SLRs), one stores the 2-D weight array and the other the scalar output for synchronization and delay of the all-optical loop. The experiment uses a folded configuration to save cost by using only one image intensifier and liquid crystal light valve for both SLRs. Optical experimental results show the correct functioning of the system.
Tension-compression fatigue behaviour of fibre-reinforced ceramic matrix composite with circular hole

Abstract The tension-compression fatigue behaviour of a silicon carbide fibre-reinforced glass ceramic matrix composite, SiC/1723, with a circular hole was investigated at room temperature. Two laminate lay-ups were studied: cross-ply, [0/90]2s, and unidirectional, [0]8. At first, the fatigue limit based on one million cycles was established for the tension-tension fatigue condition. Then, the fatigue response under fully reversed (tension-compression) cycling loading with a maximum stress equal to the tension-tension fatigue limit was investigated. This tension-compression loading resulted in an increased amount of damage and ultimately led to the specimen failure well before one million cycles. In the cross-ply laminate, the damage mechanisms in the 90° plies involved transverse cracks only during tension-tension cycling, and transverse and longitudinal cracks during tension-compression cycling. In the unidirectional laminate, the longitudinal cracks which initiated at the hole periphery grew longer in tension-compression fatigue than in tension-tension fatigue. On the other hand, no damage and consequently no effect on fatigue life was observed during the compression-compression fatigue condition only.
Subcellular fractionation of prohormone processing products in the bag cell neurons.

: Multiple biologically active peptides arising from a common prohormone are sorted into distinct classes of dense core vesicles within the bag cell neurons of Aplysia californica. In this study, pulse-chase analysis, combined with subcellular fractionation on Percoll gradients, are used to define the location of the prohormone processing events within the secretory pathway. Initial cleavage of the prohormone occurs in a light cellular compartment associated with the Golgi apparatus. The amino-terminal processing intermediate then accumulates in a denser compartment containing small dense cores enclosed in membranous sacs, as well as larger immature vesicles. After 4 h, amino-terminai products are found primarily in a much denser compartment which consists of large and small dense core vesicles. These large and small vesicles can be separated from each other using Percoll gradient centrifugation and are found to be enriched in amino- and carboxy-terminal products, respectively. Lastly, membrane association experiments suggest differential binding to membranes, or integral membrane proteins, as a possible mechanism for sorting of amino- and carboxy-terminal products.
Tem observations of crack tip — Cavity interactions

Crack tip-cavity interactions have been studied by performing room temperature deformation experiments in a transmission electron microscope on ion-irradiated type 316 stainless steel with small helium containing cavities. Slip dislocations emitted from a crack tip cut, sheared, and thereby elongated cavities without a volume enlargement. As the crack tip approached, a cavity volume enlargement occurred. Instead of the cavities continuing to enlarge until they touch, the walls between the cavities fractured. Fracture surface dimples do not correlate in size or density with these enlarged cavities.
Polymorphism of metabolizing genes and lung cancer histology: Prevalence of CYP2E1 in adenocarcinoma

Abstract The relationship between genetic predisposition and development of specific cancers has not been adequately elucidated. In this study, the involvement of three polymorphic genes (CYP2E1, GSTM1, and GSTT1) in the development of different histological types of lung cancer was investigated. DNA was extracted from peripheral blood lymphocytes of lung cancer patients who have been long-term cigarette smokers ( n = 52). Allelic variants of CYP2E1 were detected using PCR followed by PstI restriction enzyme digest and RFLP analysis, which detects a specific mutation causing over-expression of the gene. GSTM1 and GSTT1 genotypes were detected using two separate differential PCR methods. Our results indicate a 13.5% allele frequency for the CYP2E1 rare PstI site among the lung cancer patients which represents a 3.4-fold increase over the normal controls (OR = 3.5, 95% CL = 0.65–25.8). A novel observation is that all the patients with this polymorphism had adenocarcinomas only, resulting in a significant association between them (OR = 16.17, 95% CL = 0.95–73, P = 0.02). The frequency of the null GSTM1 gene was 42.3% among the lung cancer patients with no preferential tendency towards developing squamous cell carcinoma versus adenocarcinoma (OR = 1.10, 95% CL = 0.3–4.14, P = 0.5). The GSTT1 gene was absent in 21.1% of the patients with a non-significant tendency towards developing squamous cell carcinoma (OR = 1.23, 95% CL = 0.25–6.1, P = 0.5). Another important observation is the significant predominance of the three predisposing polymorphic alleles among the adenocarcinoma patients (OR = 3.4, 95% CL = 0.78–16.1, P = 0.05) compared with the squamous cell carcinoma patients. The results of this study indicate that the inheritance of several polymorphic metabolizing genes, particularly the CYP2E1 gene, contributes not only to the development of lung cancer but also to the development of specific types of cancer.
A seasonal pattern of hospital medication errors in Alaska

Specific behavioral consequences of seasonal affective disorder have not been closely examined. Length of daylight is evaluated in relation to medication errors in a medical center located in the far north. Factors such as numbers of patient admissions, discharges, and deaths were controlled with data collected in Anchorage, Alaska, over 5 consecutive years, 1985-89. These data revealed that 58% of all medication errors occurred during the first quarter of the year. Medication errors were 1.95 times more likely in December than September. The best statistical prediction was for errors associated with levels of darkness 2 months earlier. There may be not only an impairment of work performance among hospital nursing staff that reaches a peak in late winter but, more importantly, medication errors appear to follow a pattern that is closely associated with the annual cycle of daylight and darkness.
Candidate tumor suppressor genes at FRA7G are coamplified with MET and do not suppress malignancy in a gastric cancer

Common fragile sites predispose to specific chromosomal breakage associated with deletion, amplification, and/or translocation in certain forms of cancer. Chromosomal fragile sites not only are susceptible to DNA instability in cancer cells, but may also be associated with genes that contribute to the neoplastic process. FRA7G is a common fragile site containing the candidate tumor suppressor genes CAV1, CAV2, and TESTIN (TES). The human gastric cancer cell line GTL-16 has an amplification of this genomic region and was used to seek evidence for the suppressor candidacy of one of these genes. Our results demonstrate that CAV1, CAV2, and TESTIN are coamplified with the MET oncogene and overexpressed in GTL-16. Somatic mutation was not detected in the coding regions of these genes, although they were each overexpressed. The results show that CAV1, CAV2, and TESTIN are not tumor suppressor genes in this gastric cancer.
Growth of SE polyoma virus in primary and established cell cultures.

SummaryPropagation of SE polyoma virus in 4 different cell systems in vitro has been studied. Mouse embryo cells support multiplication of this virus with CPE. Growth occurs to a lesser extent in L cells without CPE, while it does not take place in HeLa and rabbit cells.
Analytical chemistry: The matrix neutralized.

Many of the best methods available for monitoring biological binding events can't be used in a diverse range of clinical samples. An ultrasensitive assay based on magnetic signals overcomes this problem.
Evaluation of Flow and Solute Transport Parameters for Heap Leach Recovery Materials

Mining low-grade precious metals deposits often involves the bulk processing of ore by leaching with cyanide. Once the precious metals concentration in the leachate fluid drops to an economic cutoff point, processing ceases and the mine is required to meet drinking water standards for the latent leachate fluid that continues to drain from the heap. A common closure method is to rinse the heap with relatively clean water until the those requirements are met. However, it has been observed that concentrations of constituents, cyanide in particular, remain elevated at rinse times that exceed those times predicted with a simple advective-dispersive type of transport model. To quantify the flow and transport behavior of spent heaps, the hydraulic and solute transport characteristics of several heap-leach materials from northern Nevada have been determined. Data from the U.S. Bureau of Mines laboratory column tracer tests and new data collected from a series of tracer experiments with sodium Br - on heap material collected from the a large-scale heap in the Carlin Trend, Elko County, Nevada, are presented. A 6-m scale column incorporating time domain reflectometry was used to investigate the rinsing characteristics of spent heap-leach material. The breakthrough curve data from these experiments are analyzed using the traditional advection-dispersion equation and a dual-porosity model. The dual-porosity model provided significantly improved fits to the observed data compared with the advection-dispersion model. Data from the experimental results are used to show optimal rinsing strategies can be developed when heap hydraulic properties are considered.
Antisense RNA directed against the major capsid protein of Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris bacteriophage 4-1 confers partial resistance to the host

Antisense RNA targeted against the major capsid protein (MCP) of Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris bacteriophage F4-1 reduced bacteriophage replication by up to 50%. The region containing the mcp gene was oriented to transcribe the antisense strand using a L. lactis subsp. cremoris Wg2 promoter. The size of the mcp insert transcribed affected the level of bacteriophage inhibition and the greatest level of inhibition was achieved using a 301-bp fragment from the 5′ end of the mcp. Antisense mcp RNA constructs were stable and did not alter the endogenous plasmid profile in the host, L. lactis subsp. cremoris F4-1. There were, however, some adverse effects on the host during the stationary phase as exhibited by a decline in cell density.
Defective DNA double‐strand break repair in pediatric systemic lupus erythematosus

Objective Previous reports of cells from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) note that repair of single-strand breaks is delayed, and these lesions may be converted to double-strand breaks (DSBs) at DNA replication forks. We undertook this study to assess the integrity of DSB recognition, signaling, and repair mechanisms in B lymphoblastoid cell lines derived from patients with pediatric SLE. Methods Nine assays were used to interrogate DSB repair and recognition in lymphoblastoid cell lines from patients with pediatric SLE, including the neutral comet assay (NCA), colony survival assay (CSA), irradiation-induced foci formation for γ-H2AX and 53BP1 proteins, kinetics of phosphorylation of structural maintenance of chromosomes protein 1 (SMC1), postirradiation bromodeoxyuridine incorporation to evaluate S phase checkpoint integrity, monoubiquitination of Fanconi protein D2, ATM protein expression, and non-homologous DNA end joining protein expression and function. Results Three of the 9 assays revealed abnormal patterns of response to irradiation-induced DNA damage. The NCA and CSA yielded aberrant results in the majority of SLE lymphoblastoid cell lines. Abnormal prolongation of SMC1 phosphorylation was also noted in 2 of 16 SLE lymphoblastoid cell lines. Conclusion Our data suggest that DSB repair is defective in some lymphoblastoid cell lines from pediatric patients with SLE, especially when assessed by both NCA and CSA. Since these studies are nonspecific, further studies of DNA repair and kinetics are indicated to further delineate the underlying pathogenesis of SLE and possibly identify therapeutic targets.
What is the role of adjuvant radiotherapy in the treatment of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma with perineural invasion

BACKGROUND. Perineural invasion (PNI) in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is infrequent, occurring in 2.5% to 14% of patients, but it is important prognostically, because it carries an increased risk of recurrence and metastasis. Although both excision and Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) are used to treat SCC with PNI, postoperative radiation therapy (XRT) often is recommended to minimize the risk of recurrence. To date, the effectiveness of adjuvant XRT in this setting has not been determined definitively. METHODS. The authors evaluated the effectiveness of adjuvant XRT in treating SCC with PNI by performing a thorough literature review. RESULTS. For SCC with PNI, the local control rate after MMS with or without XRT was from 92% to 100% compared with a control rate from 38% to 100% after standard excision with or without XRT. A better prognosis was associated with negative pretreatment magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography findings than with positive radiographic evidence of PNI. Primary SCC with PNI was associated with better local control than recurrent SCC with PNI. When treatment outcomes were stratified by PNI type, SCC with microscopic PNI and SCC with extensive PNI had local control rates from 78% to 87% and from 50% to 55%, respectively. Adjuvant XRT was associated in selected patients with 100% local control. CONCLUSIONS. Few studies addressed the effectiveness of adjuvant XRT in patients who have SCC with PNI. Although XRT has been established as an adjuvant treatment for selected patients, the extent of nerve involvement by tumor, particularly in the setting of other high-risk features, may be helpful in defining its role. In the future, a multicentered, prospective, randomized clinical trial will be needed to assess the true efficacy of adjuvant XRT in the treatment of patients with SCC and PNI. Cancer 2007 © 2007 American Cancer Society.
The Lowdown on Heavy Fermions

One of the quests of condensed matter physics is to discover materials with new types of collective electronic properties, such as the giant magnetoresistance materials ( 1 ) now used for memory storage or high-temperature superconductors ( 2 ). Such “strongly correlated electron” materials challenge our understanding and provide the grist for future technologies. However, identifying new kinds of electronic behavior is still serendipitous, largely because the materials structures of greatest interest do not crystallize to order. On page 980 of this issue, Shishido et al. ( 3 ) introduce a systematic approach based on molecular beam epitaxy for the preparation of complex interacting electron materials, thus opening up the possibility of making available many new structures not currently accessible to direct chemical synthesis.
Venus night airglow: Ground-based detection of OH, observations of O2 emissions, and photochemical model

Abstract Venus nightglow was observed at NASA IRTF using a high-resolution long-slit spectrograph CSHELL at LT = 21:30 and 4:00 on Venus. Variations of the O2 airglow at 1.27 μm and its rotational temperature are extracted from the observed spectra. The mean O2 nightglow is 0.57 MR at 21:30 at 35°S–35°N, and the temperature increases from 171 K near the equator to ∼200 K at ±35°. We have found a narrow window that covers the OH (1–0) P1(4.5) and (2–1) Q1(1.5) airglow lines. The detected line intensities are converted into the (1–0) and (2–1) band intensities of 7.2 ± 1.8 kR and 3) in CO2 only to v ⩽ 2 is assumed. According to the model, the nightside-mean O2 emission of 0.52 MR from the VEX and our observations requires an O flux of 2.9 × 1012 cm−2 s−1 which is 45% of the dayside production above 80 km. This makes questionable the nightside-mean O2 intensities of ∼1 MR from some observations. Bright nightglow patches are not ruled out; however, the mean nightglow is ∼0.5 MR as observed by VEX and supported by the model. The NO nightglow of 425 R needs an N flux of 1.2 × 109 cm−2 s−1, which is close to that from VTGCM at solar minimum. However, the dayside supply of N at solar maximum is half that required to explain the NO nightglow in the PV observations. The limited data on the OH nightglow variations from the VEX and our observations are in reasonable agreement with the model. The calculated intensities and peak altitudes of the O2, NO, and OH nightglow agree with the observations. Relationships for the nightglow intensities as functions of the O, N, and H fluxes are derived.
Bovine viral diarrhea viruses differentially alter the expression of the protein kinases and related proteins affecting the development of infection and anti-viral mechanisms in bovine monocytes

Using a proteomics approach, we evaluated the effect of cytopathic (cp), and non-cytopathic (ncp) bovine viral diarrhea viruses (BVDV) on the expression of protein kinases and related proteins in bovine monocytes. Proteins were isolated from membrane and cytosolic fractions with the differential detergent fractionation (DDF) method and identified with 2D-LC ESI MS2. Of approximately 10,000 proteins identified, 378 proteins had homology with known protein kinases or related proteins. Eighteen proteins involved in cell differentiation and activation, migration, anti-viral mechanisms (interferon/apoptosis), biosynthesis, sugar metabolism and oncogenic transformation were significantly altered in BVDV-infected monocytes compared to the uninfected controls. Six proteins, mostly related to cell migration, anti-viral mechanisms, sugar metabolism and possibly tumor resistance were differentially expressed between the ncp and cp BVDV-infected monocytes. Particularly, the expression of the receptor of activated C kinase (RACK), of pyridoxal kinase (PK), diacyglycerol kinase (DGK) and Brutons tyrosine kinase (BTK) was decreased in monocytes infected with cp BVDV compared to ncp BVDV, possibly contributing to the cytopathic effect of the virus. This and other findings are discussed in view of the possible role the identified proteins play in the development of viral infection and oncogenic transformation of cells.
Public sector perspectives and policy implications for the Pitons Management Area World Heritage Site, St. Lucia

St. Lucia faces numerous challenges associated with striking a balance between its economic and conservation goals with respect to the Pitons Management Area (PMA) World Heritage Site. Among the various stakeholders, the public sector, which largely constitutes the administrative authorities representing the general public, plays an instrumental role in site management. They are primarily responsible for policy formulation as well as the provision of fiscal incentives and funds to assist in the maintenance of the site. Based on a qualitative inquiry approach, this study explored the perspectives of key persons among pertinent public and non-profit organizations. Semi-structured interviews were conducted among local and national representatives from the public sector. Results revealed that the designation of the PMA as a World Heritage Site has presented both opportunities and challenges to the management of the site. Findings strongly indicate that the integrity and sustainability of the site is at stake ...