cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
MR to ultrasound image registration with segmentation-based learning for HDR prostate brachytherapy.

PURPOSE Propagation of contours from high-quality magnetic resonance (MR) images to treatment planning ultrasound (US) images with severe needle artifacts is a challenging task, which can greatly aid the organ contouring in high dose rate (HDR) prostate brachytherapy. In this study, a deep learning approach was developed to automatize this registration procedure for HDR brachytherapy practice. METHODS Because of the lack of training labels and difficulty of accurate registration from inferior image quality, a new segmentation-based registration framework was proposed for this multi-modality image registration problem. The framework consisted of two segmentation networks and a deformable registration network, based on the weakly -supervised registration strategy. Specifically, two 3D V-Nets were trained for the prostate segmentation on the MR and US images separately, to generate the weak supervision labels for the registration network training. Besides the image pair, the corresponding prostate probability maps from the segmentation were further fed to the registration network to predict the deformation matrix, and an augmentation method was designed to randomly scale the input and label probability maps during the registration network training. The overlap between the deformed and fixed prostate contours was analyzed to evaluate the registration accuracy. Three datasets were collected from our institution for the MR and US image segmentation networks, and the registration network learning, which contained 121, 104, and 63 patient cases, respectively. RESULTS The mean Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) results of the two prostate segmentation networks are 0.86 ± 0.05 and 0.90 ± 0.03, for MR images and the US images after the needle insertion, respectively. The mean DSC, center-of-mass (COM) distance, Hausdorff distance (HD), and averaged symmetric surface distance (ASSD) results for the registration of manual prostate contours were 0.87 ± 0.05, 1.70 ± 0.89 mm, 7.21 ± 2.07 mm, 1.61 ± 0.64 mm, respectively. By providing the prostate probability map from the segmentation to the registration network, as well as applying the random map augmentation method, the evaluation results of the four metrics were all improved, such as an increase in DSC from 0.83 ± 0.08 to 0.86 ± 0.06 and from 0.86 ± 0.06 to 0.87 ± 0.05, respectively. CONCLUSIONS A novel segmentation-based registration framework was proposed to automatically register prostate MR images to the treatment planning US images with metal artifacts, which not only largely saved the labor work on the data preparation, but also improved the registration accuracy. The evaluation results showed the potential of this approach in HDR prostate brachytherapy practice.
Inhibitory and Stimulatory Micropeptides Preferentially Bind to Different Conformations of the Cardiac Calcium Pump

The ATP-dependent ion pump SERCA sequesters Ca2+ in the endoplasmic reticulum to establish a reservoir for cell signaling. Because of its central importance in physiology, this transporter is tightly controlled by physical interactions with tissue-specific regulatory micropeptides that tune SERCA function to match changing physiological conditions. In the heart, phospholamban (PLB) inhibits SERCA, while dwarf open reading frame (DWORF) stimulates SERCA. These competing interactions determine cardiac performance by modulating the amplitude of Ca2+ signals that drive the contraction/relaxation cycle. The distinct functions of these peptides may relate to their reciprocal preferences for SERCA binding. While SERCA binds PLB more avidly at low cytoplasmic Ca2+, it binds DWORF better at high Ca2+. In the present study, we determined that this opposing Ca2+ sensitivity is due to preferential binding of DWORF and PLB to different intermediate conformations that the pump samples during the Ca2+ transport cycle. The results suggest a mechanistic basis for inhibitory and stimulatory micropeptide function. In addition, fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) measurements revealed dynamic shifts in SERCA-micropeptide binding equilibria during cellular Ca2+ elevations. The data suggest Ca2+-dependent dynamic exchange of inhibitory and stimulatory micropeptides from SERCA during the cardiac cycle. Together, these mechanisms provide beat-to-beat modulation of cardiac Ca2+ handling and contribute to the hearts adaptation to the increased physiological demands of exercise. O_TEXTBOXSignificance Interactions between SERCA and its regulatory micropeptides modulate cardiac performance. A previous study demonstrated that while the SERCA inhibitor, phospholamban, loses affinity during intracellular Ca2+ elevations, its competitor DWORF stimulates SERCA and binds better at elevated Ca2+. Here, we found this Ca2+-dependent difference in affinity is driven by preferential micropeptide binding to different SERCA conformations sampled during its enzymatic cycle. Tight binding to different conformations of the pump may underly the distinct mechanistic functions of these regulators. Lower affinity during alternating phases of the cardiac cycle may drive dynamic exchange of inhibitory and stimulatory micropeptides during contraction and relaxation. Our results reveal mechanisms that modulate cardiac Ca2+ handling on a beat-to-beat basis and help the heart adapt to exercise. C_TEXTBOX
Regulation of specific neuronal and nonneuronal proteins during development and following injury in the rat central nervous system

Publisher Summary This chapter presents studies on growth-associated protein, GAP-43, to further characterize this protein using both anatomical and biochemical methods. It discusses a specific antibody to the rat GAP-43 and this antibody is used as a probe to examine the developmentally regulated pattern of the expression of GAP-43 in the rat hippocampus. The most prominent neuronal protein whose synthesis and transport is selectively enhanced during nerve growth is a protein designated as GAP-43 for its apparent molecular weight by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. It was initially reported that the synthesis of this protein was enhanced 15- to 20-fold during the regeneration of the optic nerve of the toad as compared to the levels of this protein found in normal adult nerves. The increased transport of a newly synthesized protein of the same approximate molecular weight and isoelectric point was subsequently identified during the regeneration of the hypoglossal nerve in the rabbit and corticospinal tract in neonatal hamsters and during the development of the optic nerve in rabbits. The synthesis of a similar protein is also increased during the regeneration of the optic nerve in goldfish and during the development of the optic nerve in rats. Taken together, these results suggest that GAP-43 may play a special role in neuronal growth.
A new method for real radiation at next-to-next-to-leading order

We propose a new method of computing real emission contributions to hard QCD processes. Our approach uses sector decomposition of the exclusive final-state phase space to enable extraction of all singularities of the real emission matrix elements before integration over any kinematic variable. The exact kinematics of the real emission process are preserved in all regions of phase space. Traditional approaches to extracting singularities from real emission matrix elements, such as phase space slicing and dipole subtraction, require both the determination of counterterms for double real emission amplitudes in singular kinematic limits and the integration of these contributions analytically to cancel the resulting singularities against virtual corrections. Our method addresses both of these issues. The implementation of constraints on the final-state phase space, including various jet algorithms, is simple using our approach. We illustrate our method using ${e}^{+}{e}^{\ensuremath{-}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}$ jets at $O({\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{S}^{2})$ as an example.
Measurement of fetoplacental blood volume in the human previable fetus

Abstract Circulating fetoplacental blood volume (Vm) was measured in 19 previable human fetuses with 125 I-RISA. Fetal weight ranged from 130 to 464 grams and spanned a gestational age interval of six weeks. Mean Vm (±1 S.D.) was 16.2 ± 2.06 ml. per 100 grams of fetal weight. The increase in Vm appeared to be linear with increases in fetal weight.
The Language of Schooling: A Functional Linguistics Perspective

Contents: Preface. Characterizing the Language of Schooling. Language and Context. Linguistic Features of Academic Registers. Writing School Genres. Functional Grammar in School Subjects. Language Development in School.
On the virtues of not knowing [software testing]

One of the favorite slides in the software test course characterizes effective testers this way: "detail-oriented," "good with puzzles," "some programming background," "perpetual cynic," and so on. This can be applied to effective quality assurance analysts, too. We add one characteristic to the list: "may appear to be dumber than dirt." QA analysts and testers tend to know what they know and ask the question that needs asking. And they work hard to gain knowledge where they have gaps. The quality assurance and testing field truly requires life long learning. Many opportunities are available to analysts and testers who want to stay on top of industry developments or brush up on fundamentals.
Computer Assisted Methods for Nucleic Acid Sequencing

Eight years ago procedures such as pyrimidine tracts (1) and wandering spots (2) were the methods of choice for determining the sequence of short stretches of nucleic acids. The use of computers at that time to assist in the collection and analysis of these sequences would have seemed unnecessary. However, the development of more productive and technically simpler methods for DNA sequencing has caused a dramatic increase in the total volume of nucleic acid sequence data. For example, within a single journal (Nucleic Acids Research) published bi-weekly, newly determined sequence data, including more than 27,000 nucleotides, were published during the first five months of 1980. The accumulation of nucleotide sequence data in the near future will undoubtedly continue at an increased rate. Such large quantities of sequence data have provided the stimulus to establish centralized sequence storage banks.* The utilization of computers at these centers to store and catalog sequence data is one obvious but trivial way in which computer technology has been useful to those interested in nucleotide sequences.
Dietary fat influences Ia antigen expression and immune cell populations in the murine peritoneum and spleen

Peritoneal cells (PEC) and splenocytes were obtained from Listeria monocytogene (LM)-infected or noninfected mice fed a 20% fat diet rich in either (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids [(n-3) PUFA diet], linoleate [(n-6) PUFA diet], oleate (MONO diet), or saturated fatty acids (SAT diet) for 6 wk and were assessed for T cells, B cells, macrophages and Ia expression by flow cytometric analysis. In the peritoneum of noninfected mice, dietary fat did not affect total cell yield or the percentage of B cells, macrophages or Ia+ cells, but the (n-3) PUFA-fed group had a greater percentage of T cells than did the other groups. Among the LM-infected mice, the (n-3) PUFA-fed group generally had the highest percentage of B cells and the lowest percentages of T cells, macrophages and Ia+ cells in the peritoneum. Listeria monocytogene infection elevated peritoneal T cell numbers in all mice except the (n-3) PUFA-fed group. The density of Ia molecules on PEC was 40% lower in mice fed the (n-3) PUFA diet. In the spleen, dietary fat also influenced the immune cell populations and Ia+ cells. Two-color staining of spleen cells revealed that Ia+ splenocytes were predominately B cells. These data demonstrate that dietary fats influence Ia expression and immune cell populations and that the effects observed in one immune tissue or cell type may not be readily extrapolated to others.
Reduction of the two dimensional stationary Navier-Stokes problem to a sequence of Fredholm integral equations of the second kind

Present approaches to solving the stationary Navier-Stokes equations are of limited value; however, there does exist an equivalent representation of the problem that has significant potential in solving such problems. This is due to the fact that the equivalent representation consists of a sequence of Fredholm integral equations of the second kind, and the solving of this type of problem is very well developed. For the problem in this form, there is an excellent chance to also determine explicit error estimates, since bounded, rather than unbounded, linear operators are dealt with.
Recovering abstract data types and object instances from a conventional procedural language

As part of our investigations on recovering software architectural representations from source code, we have developed, implemented and tested an interactive approach to the recovery of implicit abstract data types (ADTs) and object instances from conventional procedural languages such as C. This approach includes automatic recognition and semi-automatic techniques that handle potential recognition pitfalls. We have also developed a scale with which to compare much of the work on recovering ADTs and object classes.
The Study of Local Public Economies: Multi‐organizational, Multi‐level Institutional Analysis and Development

One important extension of the IAD framework has been to the study of local public economies. These are multi-organizational, multi-level arrangements defined as the set of governmental jurisdictions, public and nonprofit agencies, and private firms that interact in various patterns to provide and produce public goods and services within a specific locality or region. Commonly, the localities or regions studied from this perspective have been U.S. metropolitan areas, often defined as a central city and its surrounding or adjoining county. Localities can be delineated, however, on various terms, and in the IAD framework, it is the geo-physical nature of a locality that, in substantial part, drives the analysis. One of the strengths of the approach is its capacity to explain local variations in public organization as a function of the geo-physical diversity of localities, while at the same time developing empirical generalizations and normative principles that apply across diverse regions. What, for example, might the organization and governance of a complex metropolitan area have in common with the organization and governance of a complex protected area, such as the greater Yellowstone eco-region or the Adirondack Park? Construing both sorts of regions as local public economies can enhance our overall understanding of public organization at the same time that it permits a more nuanced understanding of diverse localities. Such work contributes to the ongoing IAD project of “understanding institutional diversity.”
Writing to Learn in a Content Area

Although writing across the curriculum has been emphasized in the literature since the early 1980s, the National Assessment of Educational Progress found that student writing performance has shown little improvement over that period. When students were evaluated on informative, persuasive, and imaginative writing, only 25 percent of eleventh-grade students wrote adequate or better analyses, and only 28 percent performed adequately on persuasive writing in 1984 (Applebee, Langer, and Mullis 1986). Four years later, Applebee and others (1990) reported that writing performance levels in 1988 continued "to be substantially the same as in 1974. . . . Relatively few [students] performed at adequate or better levels" (6). The authors recommended that writing tasks be integrated throughout the curriculum in order to promote higher level thinking skills. Writing to learn emphasizes better thinking. The focus is on development of ideas, leaving mechanics and form to be dealt with after students have control of content (Pearce 1983). Carefully chosen tasks require active involvement of students in connecting and integrating ideas as they write (Emig 1977; Fulwiler 1986; Gere 1985; Tchudi and Huerta 1983). Frequent participation in write-to-learn activities also helps students improve their writing, even though this is not the main purpose. Although writing has often been used to assess learning in secondary classrooms, little time has been devoted to writing-to-learn activities such as journals or first-draft writing (Applebee 1981; Britton et al. 1975; Gere 1985). Langer and Applebee (1987) found that content area writing can be used to assist learning "in three primary ways: (1) to gain relevant knowledge and experience in
Self-consistent simulations of a von Kármán type dynamo in a spherical domain with metallic walls.

We have performed numerical simulations of boundary-driven dynamos using a three-dimensional nonlinear magnetohydrodynamical model in a spherical shell geometry. A conducting fluid of magnetic Prandtl number Pm=0.01 is driven into motion by the counter-rotation of the two hemispheric walls. The resulting flow is of von Karman type, consisting of a layer of zonal velocity close to the outer wall and a secondary meridional circulation. Above a certain forcing threshold, the mean flow is unstable to non-axisymmetric motions within an equatorial belt. For fixed forcing above this threshold, we have studied the dynamo properties of this flow. The presence of a conducting outer wall is essential to the existence of a dynamo at these parameters. We have therefore studied the effect of changing the material parameters of the wall (magnetic permeability, electrical conductivity, and thickness) on the dynamo. In common with previous studies, we find that dynamos are obtained only when either the conductivity or the permeability is sufficiently large. However, we find that the effect of these two parameters on the dynamo process are different and can even compete to the detriment of the dynamo. Our self-consistent approach allow us to analyze in detail the dynamo feedback loop. The dynamos we obtain are typically dominated by an axisymmetric toroidal magnetic field and an axial dipole component. We show that the ability of the outer shear layer to produce a strong toroidal field depends critically on the presence of a conducting outer wall, which shields the fluid from the vacuum outside. The generation of the axisymmetric poloidal field, on the other hand, occurs in the equatorial belt and does not depend on the wall properties.
Infrared Response of Pyrolyzed Organic Films

The results of studies of the dependence of the photoresponse of films prepared by pyrolysis of cellophane and polyacrylonitrile (Orlon) films on the dark current, wavelength, temperature, construction details of cell mounting, and intensity and frequency of illumination are reported. Films heat treated to 600°C have an energy gap between the full band and the conduction band of about 0.25 ev and a resistivity of approximately 104 ohm-cm. The infrared response decreases quite sharply at the limit of the electronic absorption band (λ~5 microns). However, a photoresponse is also found for longer wavelengths in regions of strong molecular vibrational absorptions. The time constant of the photoresponse of the films is found to be the same in both the regions of electronic absorption and of the vibrational absorption. A decrease in time constant with increase in heat dissipation is observed. It is concluded that the photoresponse of the films studied is of a thermistor-bolometric nature.
Gentamicin pharmacokinetics during hemodialysis

Gentamicin pharmacokinetics during hemodialysis. Previous research has permitted the development of a method for the estimation of gentamicin dosage requirement for varying degrees of renal insufficiency. In the present study we have undertaken precise measurement of the Kiil hemodialyzer clearance of gentamicin and have extended earlier kinetic models to facilitate gentamicin administration to dialysis patients. Due to the dialysis characteristics of gentamicin, the results can be extrapolated to gentamicin administration when other hemodialyzers are employed. Our findings also demonstrate the significance of residual renal function in dialysis patients in the determination of gentamicin dosage requirements. Pharmacocinetique de la gentamycine au cours de l'hemodialyse. Des travaux anterieurs ont permis le developpement d'une methode d'estimation de la posologie de gentamycine necessaire a differents degres d'unsuffisance renale. Ce travail comparte des mesures precises de la clearance de la gentamycine dans l'hemodialyseur de Kiil et a developpe des modeles cinetiques anterieurs afin de faciliter l'administration de gentamycine aux malades soumis a l'hemodialyse. Du fait des caracteristiques de dialyse de la gentamycine les resultats peuvent etre extrapoles a l'administration de gentamycine meme quand d'autres modeles d'hemodialyseurs sont employes. Cette etude demontre aussi l'importance d'une fonction renale residuelle dans la determination de la posologie de la gentamycine pour les malades soumis a l'hemodialyse.
Apolipoprotein A-1 mimetic D-4F enhances isoflurane-induced eNOS signaling and cardioprotection during acute hyperglycemia

Acute hyperglycemia (AHG) decreases the availability of nitric oxide (NO) and impairs anesthetic preconditioning (APC)-elicited protection against myocardial infarction. We investigated whether D-4F, an apolipoprotein A-1 mimetic, rescues the myocardium by promoting APC-induced endothelial NO signaling during AHG. Myocardial infarct size was measured in mice in the absence or presence of APC [isoflurane (1.4%)] with or without AHG [dextrose (2 g/kg ip)] and D-4F (0.12 or 0.6 mg/kg ip). NO production, superoxide generation, protein compartmentalization, and posttranslational endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) modifications were assessed in human coronary artery endothelial cells cultured in 5.5 or 20 mM glucose with or without isoflurane (0.5 mM) in the presence or absence of D-4F (0.5 μg/ml). Myocardial infarct size was significantly decreased by APC (36 ± 3% of risk area) compared with control (54 ± 3%) in the absence, but not presence, of AHG (49 ± 4%). D-4F restored the cardioprotective effect of APC during AHG (36 ± 3% and 30 ± 3%, 0.12 and 0.6 mg/kg, respectively), although D-4F alone had no effect on infarct size (53 ± 3%). Isoflurane promoted caveolin-1 and eNOS compartmentalization within endothelial cell caveolae and eNOS dimerization, concomitant with increased NO production (411 ± 28 vs. 68 ± 10 pmol/mg protein in control). These actions were attenuated by AHG (NO production: 264 ± 18 pmol/mg protein). D-4F reduced superoxide generation and enhanced caveolin-1 and eNOS caveolar compartmentalization and posttranslational eNOS modifications, thus restoring NO production during isoflurane and AHG (418 ± 36 pmol/mg protein). In conclusion, D-4F restored the cardioprotective effect of APC during AHG, possibly by decreasing superoxide generation, which promoted isoflurane-induced eNOS signaling and NO biosynthesis.
Viability of Culex pipiens pipiens eggs affected by nutrition and aposymbiosis

Abstract Raisins were a better source of carbohydrate than sucrose for reproduction by autogenous Culex pipiens . A blood meal increased the number of eggs per raft from 49 autogenously to 114. Eggs of aposymbiotic females produced autogenously did not hatch, but 34% of the eggs were viable if the mosquitoes fed on chickens. With repeated blood meals the number of eggs per raft and the rate of embryonation and hatching declined in each successive gonotrophic cycle. In about 1 4 of the unhatched eggs of normal females there were no fully developed embryos, while many more of the unhatched eggs of aposymbiotic females contained no evidence of embryonic development. After the fifth blood meal, neither normal nor aposymbiotic insects oviposited. The ovaries of the nulliparous females contained approximately 10% of the potential number of mature terminal oocytes. Proximally in the ovarioles there were dilatations and coiled tracheoles indicating egg resorption. There were fewer parous follicles in aposymbiotic than in normal females. Larval rearing water, i.e., infusion in which larvae had been reared, was more attractive than fresh infusion for oviposition by normal, autogenous mosquitoes. The degree of embryonation of the eggs was lower and the hatching success rate was poorer in fresh infusion than in larval rearing water.
Wnt gene expression in the post-natal growth plate: Regulation with chondrocyte differentiation

Longitudinal growth of long bones occurs at the growth plate by endochondral ossification. In the embryonic mouse, this process is regulated by Wnt signaling. Little is known about which members of the Wnt family of secreted signaling proteins might be involved in the regulation of the postnatal growth plate. We used microdissection and real-time PCR to study mRNA expression of Wnt genes in the mouse growth plate. Of the 19 known members of the Wnt family, only six were expressed in postnatal growth plate. Of these, Wnts -2b, -4, and -10b signal through the canonical beta-catenin pathway and Wnts -5a, -5b, and -11 signal through the noncanonical calcium pathway. The spatial expression for these six Wnts was remarkably similar, showing low mRNA expression in the resting zone, increasing expression as the chondrocytes differentiated into the proliferative and prehypertrophic state and then (except Wnt-2b) decreasing expression as the chondrocytes underwent hypertrophic differentiation. This overall pattern is broadly consistent with previous studies of embryonic mouse growth cartilage suggesting that Wnt signaling modulates chondrocyte proliferation and hypertrophic differentiation. We also found that mRNA expression of these Wnt genes persisted at similar levels at 4 weeks, when longitudinal bone growth is waning. In conclusion, we have identified for the first time the specific Wnt genes that are expressed in the postnatal mammalian growth plate. The six identified Wnt genes showed a similar pattern of expression during chondrocyte differentiation, suggesting overlapping or interacting roles in postnatal endochondral bone formation.
Using script fading to promote natural environment stimulus control of verbal interactions among youths with autism

Abstract Script fading was used to teach three youths with autism to initiate and sustain verbal interactions under stimulus control consistent with the natural environment. The youths learned to engage in verbal interactions during simulated shopping trips and during visits to community stores. The effectiveness of script fading was examined using a multiple-baseline-across-settings experimental design. During pre-test trips to community stores and during baseline sessions, all three youths demonstrated near zero rates of verbal interactions. With the introduction of the script-fading procedure, all three youths successfully learned to use the scripted statements in conversations during a series of simulated shopping trips. As the scripts were faded, from last word to first word, rates of unscripted statements systematically increased. All three participants also demonstrated generalization of their newly acquired conversation skills to untrained stimuli. In addition, all three youths demonstrated generalization of their conversation skills during community shopping trips to local retail stores. These results suggest that the script-fading procedure brought verbal interactions under the stimulus control of environmental, as opposed to teacher-controlled stimuli.
Relationship of iodine ingestion to iodine excretion in pregnancy.

An iodine balance study has been carried out on 5 pregnant and 2 nonpregnant women as well as 2 men, all euthyroid. For the studies, which were of 1–7 months' duration, all subjects were inpatients on a metabolic ward. Iodine measurements were obtained once a week for dietary intake and daily for urinary excretion; analyses of stool excretion were always on 6-day pooled samples. No significant difference in iodine balance was found between the pregnant and nonpregnant patients or between the antepartum or postpartum months in the pregnant patients. The usual method of calculating balances was of little use in interpreting balance data because of the fluctuations in dietary intake and therefore an additional method of data analysis was developed. With use of a 3-compartmen mathematical model of iodine metabolism, a linear relationship was predicted between the mean daily iodine balance and the iodine intake; this fits the observed data quite well and can be considered to be an iodine response curve. The sl...
Expression and purification of the HTLV-1 transforming protein Tax

Human T cell lymphotropic virus, type 1 (HTLV-1), is the causative agent of adult T cell leukemia (ATL), a debilitating disease with a poor prognosis and no cure. HTLV-1 is a retrovirus which contains a 9 kb ssRNA genome, encoding the classic retroviral genes gag, pol, and env. HTLV-1 also encodes several regulatory genes, including tax. Tax is a 353 amino-acid, 40 kiloDalton (kDa) protein, located predominantly in the nucleus although a small percentage is isolated in the cytoplasm. Tax functions to regulate viral gene expression by interacting with the host transcription factor family, CREB/ATF. The Tax/CREB complex is formed on the 5’ LTR CRE site and activates viral gene transcription. In ATL cells (CD4+, CD8-), Tax also associates with two host transcription factors, NF-κB and SRF (serum response factor), resulting in the over-expression of host genes containing the NF-κB responsive element and the SRE (serum response element). The host genes, such as IL-2 and c-fos, are activated constitutively in the presence of Tax and result in cell proliferation of HTLV-1+ T cells, potentially leading to leukemia in the HTLV-1 patient. We believe that Tax activation of the SRF pathway serves as the initial transformation event of infected T cells. Thus, we are interested in the biochemical properties of Tax interactions with SRF, SRF/DNA, TCF (ternary complex factor, a binding partner with SRF), SRF/TCF, and SRF/TCF/DNA. Prior to conducting biochemical experiments, however, we need to express and purify Tax which has been difficult to accomplish in the HTLV-1 field and has impeded any progress toward studying the biophysical properties, including structure determination, of Tax. We present data showing our initial protein purification techniques that result in the isolation of a 99% pure, untagged, full-length Tax as well as the expression and purification of full-length, untagged human SRF.
Body-contact sports: Catharsis or reinforcement?

The increasing recognition of the morbidity and mortality produced by competitive body-contact sports leads to a reassessment of the benefits alleged to accrue to the participants. Although advocates continue to assert that participation improves both moral character and physical health, there is increasing evidence that for some players it reinforces aggression, exacts a severe toll in physical injury, and may produce a general response pattern that is dysfunctional in a modern industrialized society.
Fourier transforms of smooth functions on certain nilpotent Lie groups

The authors consider irreducible representations π ϵ N of a nilpotent Lie group and define a Fourier transform for Schwartz class (and other) functions φ on N by forming the kernels Kφ(x, y) of the trace class operations πφ = ∝N φ(n)πn dn, regarding the π as modeled in L2(Rk) for all π in general position. For a special class of groups they show that the models, and parameters λ labeling the representations in general position, can be chosen so the joint behavior of the kernels Kφ(x, y, λ) can be interpreted in a useful way. The variables (x, y, λ) run through a Zariski open set in Rn, n = dim N. The authors show there is a polynomial map u = A(x, y, λ) that is a birational isomorphism A: Rn → Rn with the following properties. The Fourier transforms F1φ = Kφ(x, y, λ) all factor through A to give “rationalized” Fourier transforms Fφ(u) such that Fφ ∘ A = F1φ. On the rationalized parameter space a function f(u) is of the form Fφ = f ⇔ f is Schwartz class on Rn. If polynomial operators T ϵ P(N) are transferred to operators T on Rn such that F(Tφ) = T(Fφ), P(N) is transformed isomorphically to P(Rn).
The Tao of a peaceful mind: the representation of emotional health and healing in traditional Chinese literature

This paper explores the representation of emotional health and healing in traditional Chinese literature, and the holistic relationship between traditional Chinese mental medicine and literature as well as philosophy. The philosophical, moral and aesthetic significance assigned to emotional health and healing not only inspired but also mandated the representation of these subjects in Chinese literature. For many Chinese readers, emotional health is more than a medical concern but is integral to their moral and spiritual wholesomeness, the attainment of which necessarily involves the edifying role of literature. The literary representation of emotional health and healing gave rise to a subculture of emotional health and a medical dilettantism in Chinese society. The mutual inclusivity of the professional and the amateurish is peculiar to traditional Chinese mental medicine. While facilitating popular appreciation of emotional health and helping to validate the legitimacy and efficacy of emotional healing, ...
Understanding the development and prevention of type 2 diabetes in youth (part 1).

Abstract The prevalence of being at risk of overweight, overweight, pre-diabetes, and type 2 diabetes is increasing in the United States in youth. Primary care providers must understand how the emerging epidemic of type 2 diabetes developed during the past several decades to accurately diagnose it in young patients. Primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention interventions are needed to address the emerging epidemic of type 2 diabetes in youth. Primary prevention involves delaying the development of type 2 diabetes by reducing the prevalence of overweight. Secondary prevention is aimed at preventing those with pre-diabetes from developing diabetes, and tertiary prevention is aimed at preventing the complications of type 2 diabetes.
Egg production and oviposition in the tobacco budworm: effect of age at mating

Female tobacco budworms, Heliothis virescens (F.) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), that emerged in the laboratory contained no mature eggs, although ooecyte development had proceeded as far as yolk deposition in the ultimate egg of each ovariole. After 18 h, ca. one mature egg per ovariole was present. If the females subsequently remained unmated, maturation of additional eggs was curvilinear with age and leveled off at ca. 500 eggs per female at 120 h. If the females mated, there was an inverse relationship between egg production and age mated; maximal production occurred when females mated the first night postemergence (ca. 30 h), and production then diminished until females mating at 5 days or more laid only slightly more eggs than virgin females. However, there was also a direct relationship between length of life and age of mating. Females that mated at 1 or 2 days showed a signficant correlation between numbers of eggs produced and longevity and between numbers of eggs and pupal weight. Virgin females and females that mated at 3 days showed a significant correlation between eggs and longevity but not between eggs and pupal weight. There was no significant correlation between eggs and pupal weight or longevity for females thatmore » mated at 5 days or later.« less
Prevalence of Mycoplasma haemofelis, 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum', Bartonella species, Ehrlichia species, and Anaplasma phagocytophilum DNA in the blood of cats with anemia.

Hemoplasmas are known causes of anemia in some cats and some Bartonella species have been associated with anemia in people and in dogs. In this retrospective study, we used polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays to determine the prevalence rates of Mycoplasma haemofelis, ‘Candidatus M haemominutum’, A phagocytophilum, Ehrlichia species, and Bartonella species DNA in the blood of cats with anemia and a control group of healthy cats. DNA of the organisms was amplified from 22 of 89 cats with anemia (24.7%) and 20 of 87 healthy cats (23.0%). DNA of a hemoplasma was amplified from 18 of 89 cats with anemia (20.2%) and 13 of 87 healthy cats (14.9%); DNA of a Bartonella species was amplified from five of 89 cats with anemia (5.6%) and seven of 87 healthy cats (8.0%). There were no statistically significant differences detected between groups.
Hepatitis C transmission due to contamination of multidose medication vials: Summary of an outbreak and a call to action

In May 2001, The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene was informed of a cluster of 4 patients treated at an outpatient gastroenterology center who developed acute hepatitis C virus infection. An investigation identified a total of 12 clinic-associated hepatitis C virus transmissions and the outbreak and was traced to unsafe handling of multidose anesthetic vials and possible re-use of contaminated needles. This report typifies the types of outbreaks that continue to occur despite safe injection guidelines.
Robot-assisted energy-efficient data collection from high-fidelity sensor networks

As sensor technology advances, the availability of high resolution data and complex sensor readings become more commonplace, and the range of potential sensor network applications, accuracy, and data collection efforts expands. As a result, there is an increased need for tiered sensor network architectures and energy efficient data collection mechanisms in order to maintain network feasibility and operation. We propose a two-tiered multi-hop hybrid WSN architecture, where static wireless sensors collect high-fidelity data and robots act as mobile data collectors traversing the field. This architecture elongates the lifetime of the network by reducing the largest energy consumer, wireless communications. We present a feasibility study of the use of mobile robots for retrieval of high resolution data from within an event-driven tiered sensor network architecture. We also illustrate the trade-off between event density and network lifetime. Finally, we show that by using robots for data collection, the lifetime of the network can be extended by 2.3 times in average:.
Effects of GHS Hazard Category, Signal Words, and Pictograms on an Individual's Assessment of Perceived Risk:

This preliminary investigation evaluates the impact of pictograms and signal words that would be present on chemical product labels following the modification of the Hazard Communication Standard b...
Polarization of protons scattered by 14N

Abstract The polarization of protons elastically scattered by 14N was measured by observing the left-right asymmetry in scattered beam intensity when the polarized proton beam from the Wisconsin tandem accelerator was scattered from a gaseous nitrogen target. Measurements were made at 45° (lab) from 4.9 MeV to 6.9 MeV in 100 keV steps with 120 keV target thickness, and from 7.1 to 10.1 MeV in 200 keV steps with 220 keV target thickness. The polarization is always negative, averages about −0.6 but shows considerable variation with energy. The uncertainties of the measurements are of the order of ±0.02. Measurements of the asymmetry for the inelastic scattering of protons leaving 14N in its first excited state were obtained between 7.1 MeV and 8.3 MeV.
Effects of duration of type 2 diabetes mellitus on insulin secretion.

Objective: To gain insight into the effects of duration of type 2 diabetes on insulin secretion in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Methods: C-peptide concentrations were measured every 2 years before and after intravenous injection of 1 mg of glucagon in 89 patients with type 2 diabetes (51 men and 38 women) as part of the Rochester Diabetic Neuropathy Study in those subjects who participated in follow-up (median, 12 years; range, 6 to 14). Results: Although insulin secretion decreased over time (P<0.001) in the group as a whole, both the pattern and the rate of decline in C-peptide concentration differed considerably among the study subjects. Insulin secretion, whether measured as fasting C-peptide, 6-minute C-peptide, or postglucagon increment in C-peptide concentrations, declined with increasing duration of diabetes in approximately half of the patients but either increased or remained essentially constant over time in the other half. The decrease in insulin secretion was not associated with a deterioration in glycemic control because hemoglobin A1c also declined (P<0.005) during the same interval. Conclusion: We conclude that insulin secretion decreases over time in many patients with type 2 diabetes. Because the rate of decline is variable, the predictive value of any single measurement is limited. These data indicate that although a decrease in insulin secretion over time is characteristic of type 2 diabetes mellitus, it is not inevitable. (Less)
Advertising in English in Nonnative English-Speaking Markets: The Effect of Language and Self-Referencing in Advertising in Romania on Ad Attitudes

As a potent symbol of globalization, English has become one of the most popular foreign languages used in advertising in many nonnative English-speaking markets. This study aims to explore the effect of language used in advertising (English versus local) and self-referencing on consumers' ad attitudes in Romania, a country where the population is not necessarily speaking English fluently. The results indicate that multinational brands benefit from using English in advertising, whether a high or a low level of self-referencing is used. For local brands, different language formats do not vary in their advertising effectiveness. However, if English is to be used to advertise a local brand to give a “modern” flavor to the product, a high self-referencing format should be used.
A CAI Approach to Teaching an Office Technology Course.

Computerized instruction has already affected our accepted notions of “teaching” to a considerable extent, and is certain to have increasing influence in the future. As we cultivate computerized technology into our educational systems, care must be taken to insure that these new computerized methods are in accordance with our hard-earned knowledge concerning teaching and learning. This study investigates the difference between Computer-assisted Instruction (CAI) and the more traditional lecture instruction in teaching an office technology course. Results using t-tests indicated that students in the CAI group performed better on achievement tests than those students in the lecture group. There was also a significant positive change in students' attitudes toward CAI.
Variant of the fluorescence pattern in an abnormal human Y chromosome.

WILSON et al.1 and Morillo-Cucci and German2 have reported on large Y chromosomes with a terminal non-fluorescent segment of the long arms. We have found another variant of the fluorescence pattern in a large Y.
Tomato spotted wilt virus glycoprotein GC is cleaved at acidic pH

Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) is a plant-infecting member of the family Bunyaviridae. TSWV encodes two envelope glycoproteins, G(N) and G(C), which are required for virus infection of the arthropod vector. Other members of the Bunyaviridae enter host cells by pH-dependent endocytosis. During this process, the glycoproteins are exposed to conditions of acidic pH within endocytic vesicles causing the G(C) protein to change conformation. This conformational change renders G(C) more sensitive to protease cleavage. We subjected TSWV virions to varying pH conditions and determined that TSWV G(C), but not G(N), was cleaved under acidic pH conditions, and that this phenomenon did not occur at neutral or alkaline pH. This data provides evidence that G(C) changes conformation at low pH which results in altered protease sensitivity. Furthermore, sequence analysis of G(C) predicts the presence of internal hydrophobic domains, regions that are characteristic of fusion proteins. Like studies with other members of the Bunyaviridae, this study is the first step towards characterizing the nature of cell entry by TSWV.
Cyclotrimerization of Alkynes on Reduced TiO2(001) Surfaces

The reactivity of simple alkynes (acetylene, propyne, and 2-butyne) on various reduced TiO 2 (001) surfaces was investigated using temperature-programmed desorption (TPD). The predominant reaction pathway in each case was cyclotrimerization to form aromatic compounds (benzene from acetylene, trimethylbenzene from propyne, and hexamethylbenzene from 2-butyne) with selectivities between 51% and 86%. Other less prevalent reactions included reductive dimerization to open chain dienes and hydrogenation to olefins. The selectivity for cyclization increased with reactant carbon number for the series above, while those of the olefin and diene products decreased, as did the fraction of the alkyne adlayer converted
NOD protein expression and function in first trimester trophoblast cells

Problem Through the expression of pattern recognition receptors, the trophoblast can recognize and respond to infectious microorganisms and, therefore, participate in the control of pathogens that may compromise fetal well-being. We hypothesize that the trophoblast has the ability to sense invasive intracellular bacteria through the cytoplasmic-based nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (NOD) proteins. The aim of this study was to characterize the expression and function of NOD proteins in first trimester trophoblast cells. Method of study NOD1 and NOD2 expressions by first trimester trophoblast cells were evaluated by immunohistochemistry, Western blot analysis and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The effect of NOD2 activation on trophoblast cells was determined by analyzing the cytokine response following treatment with muramyl dipeptide (MDP). Results Both NOD1 and NOD2 were expressed by first trimester placental villi and localized to trophoblast cells. Moreover, NOD1, NOD2 and the signaling effector protein, RIP-like interacting CLARP kinase (RICK), were all expressed by isolated trophoblast cells. Following exposure to the NOD2 ligand, MDP, trophoblast cells generated a pro-inflammatory cytokine response. This response was confirmed to be specific, as an NOD2-deficient trophoblast cell line failed to respond to MDP unless transfected with NOD2. Conclusion These findings suggest that, through the expression and function of NOD proteins, first trimester trophoblast cells are able to recognize and respond to invasive intracellular pathogens that may have evaded other forms of pattern recognition.