cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Methadone treatment and hiv and hepatitis band C risk reduction among injectiors in the seattle area

Drug treatment has the potential to reduce incidence of blood-borne infections by helping injection drug users (IDUs) achieve abstinence or by decreasing the frequency of injection and sharing practices. We studied the associations between retention in methadone treatment and drug use behaviors and incidence of hepatitis B and C in a cohort of IDUs in the Seattle, Washington, area. Data on IDUs entering methadone treatment at four centers in King County, Washington, were collected through face-to-face interviews using a standardized questionnaire at baseline and 12-month follow-up between October 1994 and January 1998. Blood specimens were obtained and tested for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis B and C. Drug treatment status at follow-up was analyzed in relation to study enrollment characteristics and potential treatment outcomes, including injection risk behaviors, cessation or reduced frequency of injection, and incidence of hepatitis B and C. Of 716 IDUs, 292 (41%) left treatment, 198 (28%) disrupted (left and returned) treatment, and 226 (32%) continued treatment throughout the 1-year follow-up period. Compared to those who left treatment, subjects who disrupted or continued were less likely to inject at follow-up (odds ratio [OR]=0.5, 95% CI 0.3-0.7; and, OR=0.1, 95% CI 0.1-0.2, respectively). Among the 468 (65%) subjects who continued injecting, those who continued treatment injected less frequently, were less likely to pool money to buy drugs (OR=0.5, 95% CI 0.3-0.8) and inject with used needles (OR=0.5, 95%, CI 0.2-0.8) compared to those who left treatment. Cooker or cotton sharing was not associated with retention in treatment, but hepatitis B incidence was lowest among those who continued treatment. The results of this study suggest drug use risk reduction is more likely to be achieved by those who remain in drug treatment and by those who stop injecting, but that those who drop out and return and those who continue to inject while in treatment may also benefit. This supports the role of consistent drug treatment in an overall harmreduction strategy.
Characterizing Polymer Brushes via Surface Wrinkling

We apply surface wrinkling to measure the mechanical properties of poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) polymer brush layers tethered to the surface of a flexible poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) substrate. A facile modification scheme based on hydrochloric acid treatment was employed to introduce hydroxyl groups to the surface of PDMS, which served to covalently attach initiator groups for subsequent polymerization. Upon mechanical compression of the brush layer on PDMS, a wrinkling instability occurs whose wavelength yields a Young’s modulus for the brush layer that is comparable to the corresponding polymer in the bulk. Moreover, we show that the wrinkling wavelength can provide an accurate measure of the brush thickness, which is often difficult to assess on transparent, flexible substrates. When using thermal strain to generate wrinkled surfaces, the patterns are stable at room temperature but can be erased by solvent treatment, which relaxes the applied strain and thus imparts reversibility to the wrinkle...
New Media Urbanism: Grounding Ambient Information Technology:

The design challenge of pervasive computing demands new emphasis on ambient, embodied, and habitual experiences. This emphasis connects the younger field of interaction design with the more venerab...
Systemic inflammatory response syndrome score at admission independently predicts mortality and length of stay in trauma patients.

Background: Recent studies have documented that the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) score is a useful predictor of outcome in critical surgical illness. The duration and severity of SIRS are associated with posttrauma multiple organ dysfunction and mortality. We sought to determine whether the severity of SIRS at admission is an accurate predictor of mortality and length of stay (LOS) in trauma patients. Methods: Prospective data of 4,887 trauma admissions to a Level I trauma center over a 18-month period (January 1997 to July 1998) were analyzed. Patients were stratified by age and Injury Severity Score (ISS), and a SIRS severity score (1 to 4) was calculated at admission (1 point for each component present: fever or hypothermia, tachypnea, tachycardia, and leukocytosis). The SIRS score was evaluated as an independent predictor of mortality and LOS by X 2 and multivariate logistic regression. Results: Trauma patients (n = 4,887, 83% blunt injuries, 72% male) had the following characteristics: 73.1% were age 18 to 45 years, 17.5% were age 46 to 65 years, and 9.4% were age ≥66 years; 77.7% had ISS less than 15, 18.8% had ISS 16 to 29, and 3.5% had ISS greater than 29. Analysis of variance adjusting for age and ISS determined that SIRS score of 2 was a significant predictor of LOS. Furthermore, the relative risk of death increased significantly with SIRS score of 2 when age and ISS were held constant. Conclusion: Logistic regression analysis confirmed that a SIRS score of 2 was a significant independent predictor of increased mortality and LOS in trauma patients. These data suggest that admission SIRS scoring in trauma patients is a simple tool that may be used as a predictor of outcome and resource utilization.
Development of Infrared Scene Projectors for Testing Fire-Fighter Cameras

We have developed two types of infrared scene projectors for hardware-in-the-loop testing of thermal imaging cameras such as those used by fire-fighters. In one, direct projection, images are projected directly into the camera. In the other, indirect projection, images are projected onto a diffuse screen, which is then viewed by the camera. Both projectors use a digital micromirror array as the spatial light modulator, in the form of a Micromirror Array Projection System (MAPS) engine having resolution of 800 x 600 with mirrors on a 17 micrometer pitch, aluminum-coated mirrors, and a ZnSe protective window. Fire-fighter cameras are often based upon uncooled microbolometer arrays and typically have resolutions of 320 x 240 or lower. For direct projection, we use an argon-arc source, which provides spectral radiance equivalent to a 10,000 Kelvin blackbody over the 7 micrometer to 14 micrometer wavelength range, to illuminate the micromirror array. For indirect projection, an expanded 4 watt CO 2 laser beam at a wavelength of 10.6 micrometers illuminates the micromirror array and the scene formed by the first-order diffracted light from the array is projected onto a diffuse aluminum screen. In both projectors, a well-calibrated reference camera is used to provide non-uniformity correction and brightness calibration of the projected scenes, and the fire-fighter cameras alternately view the same scenes. In this paper, we compare the two methods for this application and report on our quantitative results. Indirect projection has an advantage of being able to more easily fill the wide field of view of the fire-fighter cameras, which typically is about 50 degrees. Direct projection more efficiently utilizes the available light, which will become important in emerging multispectral and hyperspectral applications.
Leaf phenolics of the fouquieriaceae

Abstract Leaf phenolics show no qualitative, interspecific variation among the 11 species of the Fouquieriaceae. All species contain ellagic acid, isoquercitrin, rutin, caffeic acid and scopolin.
Homeless Students and Academic Achievement: Evidence From a Large Urban Area

Child homelessness has recently reached levels unprecedented in the United States since the Great Depression. Contemporary research has attempted to isolate the effects of homelessness on education...
Focusing and Defocusing of Heat Flow by a Buried Sphere

Introduction The effect of heat-flow refraction across dis-similar media has been given recently by Lee & Henyey (1974) using solutions to Laplace's equation in various co-ordinate systems. Based on the bispherical co-ordinates, this note presents a solution for the case of a spherical body buried in an otherwise homogeneous half space. Because Laplace's equation is only partially separable, application of appropriate boundary conditions results in an inhomogeneous three-term recurrence relation through which the unknown coefficients are coupled. Such a relation is essentially equivalent to a set of n simultaneous equations with (n+ 1) unknowns (n ranging from 0 to 00). If one of the coefficients is independently determined, the problem can be easily solved. In the following the procedures to determine one of the coefficients are given on the basis that the net perturbation of heat flux over the entire ground surface due to the presence of a buried sphere vanishes identically.
Characterization and in vivo testing of mesenchymal stem cells derived from human embryonic stem cells

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been shown to contribute to the recovery of tissues through homing to injured areas, especially to hypoxic, apoptotic, or inflamed areas and releasing factors that hasten endogenous repair. In some cases genetic engineering of the MSC is desired, since they are excellent delivery vehicles. We have derived MSCs from the human embryonic stem cell (hESC) line H9 (H9-MSCs). They expressed CD105, CD90, CD73, and CD146, and lacked expression of CD45, CD34, CD14, CD31, and HLA-DR, the hESC pluripotency markers SSEA-4 and Tra-1-81, and the hESC early differentiation marker SSEA-1. Marrow-derived MSCs showed a similar phenotype. H9-MSCs did not form teratoma in our initial studies, whereas the parent H9 line did so robustly. H9-MSCs differentiated into bone, cartilage, and adipocytes in vitro, and displayed increased migration under hypoxic conditions. Finally, using a hindlimb ischemia model, H9-MSCs were shown to home to the hypoxic muscle, but not the contralateral limb, by 48 h after IV injection. In summary, we have defined methods for differentiation of hESCs into MSCs and have defined their characteristics and in vivo migratory properties.
THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF THE TARIFF CYCLE

How can protectionism and “free” trade succeed one another? Our answer focuses on the changing balance of private actors' political demands. These actors acquire interests in tariff policies because their assets are spatially concentrated, and trade in these assets is subject to various limitations. Actors in regions experiencing no new investment in an established industry (“old” regions) have interests that sometimes differ from those in regions where there is new investment. We show that old regions have no reason to be involved in tariff politics at business cycle peaks; during troughs, whether a state becomes more or less protectionist depends, ceteris paribus, on the relative political strength of old import-competing and old exporting interests. If old import-competing industries outweigh the old exporters, then protection will tend to increase at the trough and decrease at the peak of a business cycle; the opposite result occurs when old exporters are more influential.
The use of bacterial luciferase and a liquid scintillation spectrometer to assay the enzymatic synthesis of NAD.

Summary Low levels of NAD+ and the NAD+ synthesizing enzyme ATP:NMN adenylyltransferase can be measured with standard scintillation counting equipment in an assay based on quantitating the light emitted by bacterial luciferase in response to NADH. This assay is 100 to 1000 times more sensitive than the conventional assay based on absorbance at 340 nm. It has been particularly useful for following the purification of ATP/NMN adenylyltransferase, since the small amounts of available enzyme could be assayed in dilute fractions from gel filtration columns or in fractions from polyacrylamide gels.
A high-order low-Mach number AMR construction for chemically reacting flows

A high-order projection scheme was developed for the study of chemically reacting flows in the low-Mach number limit. The numerical approach for the momentum transport uses a combination of cell-centered/cell-averaged discretizations to achieve a fourth order formulation for the pressure projection algorithm. This scheme is coupled with a second order in time operator-split stiff approach for the species and energy equations. The code employs a fourth order, block-structured, adaptive mesh refinement approach to address the challenges posed by the large spectrum of spatial scales encountered in reacting flow computations. Results for advection-diffusion-reaction configurations are used to illustrate the performance of the numerical construction.
The neuropeptide bombesin improves IgA-mediated mucosal immunity with preservation of gut interleukin-4 in total parenteral nutrition-fed mice.

Abstract Background. The Th2 cytokines, interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interleukin-10 (IL-10), stimulate IgA production. Total parenteral nutrition (TPN) reduces IL-4 and IL-10 messenger RNA in gut lamina propria lymphocytes, total IL-4 and IL-10 in gut homogenates, and IgA-mediated mucosal immunity. Bombesin (BBS) can maintain mucosal immunity in TPN-fed mice, but the effects of BBS on gut IL-4 and IL-10 levels and their mRNA expression in the lamina propria are unknown. Methods. In experiment 1, mice that were fed chow, TPN, or TPN + BBS (15 μg/kg intravenously-three times a day) for 5 days were killed, and respiratory tract IgA and intestinal IgA, IL-4, and IL-10 levels were measured. In experiment 2, IL-4 and IL-10 mRNA were measured in isolated lamina propria lymphocytes from chow-, TPN-, and TPN+BBS-fed mice by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Intestines were harvested 1 hour after injection of 100 7μg of lipopolysaccharide intraperitoneally. Samples were standardized to β-actin. Results. TPN-fed mice had significantly lower respiratory tract IgA levels than chow- or TPN + BBS-fed mice. TPN+BBS did not increase intestinal IL-10 or IL-10 lamina propria mRNA levels but maintained intestinal IL-4 levels and lamina propria IL-4 mRNA expression equal to those of chow-fed mice. Conclusions. BBS reverses the effects of TPN on intestinal and respiratory tract IgA levels and most effects on gut cytokines. Lamina propria cytokine mRNA levels reflect total gut cytokine concentration. (Surgery 2002;131:59-65.)
Numerical analysis of the influence of jets, fronts, and mountains on alpine lee cyclogenesis: More cases from the ALPEX SOP

In a recently published work it was shown that Alpine cyclone development depends on a short wave trough upstream of the Alps, the presence of an upper-level jet streak in this trough, and a low-level front interacting with the mountain barrier. Specifically, by modifying the strength of the upper baroclinic zone (potential vorticity) or by decreasing the strength of the low-level baroclinic zone impinging on the Alps in an initial field, the intensity of the resulting numerically predicted cyclogenesis could be modulated. The major finding of the work was that the ALPEX cyclones reacted differently to upper-level and lower-level modification, providing a basis for broadly classifying storms: that is, dependence on upper-level processes and on low-level processes.
Automatic creation of three-dimensional avatars

Highly accurate avatars of humans promise a new level of realism in engineering and entertainment applications, including areas such as computer animated movies, computer game development interactive virtual environments and tele-presence. In order to provide high-quality avatars, new techniques for the automatic acquisition and creation are required. A framework for the capture and construction of arbitrary avatars from image data is presented in this paper. Avatars are automatically reconstructed from multiple static images of a human subject by utilizing image information to reshape a synthetic three-dimensional articulated reference model. A pipeline is presented that combines a set of hardware-accelerated stages into one seamless system. Primary stages in this pipeline include pose estimation, skeleton fitting, body part segmentation, geometry construction and coloring, leading to avatars that can be animated and included into interactive environments. The presented system removes traditional constraints in the initial pose of the captured subject by using silhouette-based modification techniques in combination with a reference model. Results can be obtained in near-real time with very limited user intervention.
A 25.5% AM 0 gallium arsenide grating solar cell

Abstract Recent calculations have shown that significant open-circuit voltage gains are possible with a dot grating junction geometry. This paper investigates the feasibility of applying the dot geometry to a GaAs cell. This geometry is shown to result in voltages approaching 1.120 V and efficiencies well over 25% air mass 0 if good collection efficiency can be maintained. The latter is shown to be possible if the proper base resistivity and cell thickness are chosen. The above advances in efficiency are shown to be possible in a p-base cell with only minor improvements in existing technology.
Medial septal nucleus and delayed alternation in rats

The effects of small electrolytic lesions in the medial septal region on retention of a spatiotemporal task (contingently reinforced T-maze alternation) were determined in Long-Evans rats. With brief intertrial intervals (massed trials), control rats were only slightly (if at all) affected by the 17-day vacation from testing during the period of postoperative recovery.The experimental rats with medial septal lesions, on the other hand, dropped to chance levels of alternation and then recovered to a statistically significant but slight amount over nine sessions of postoperative testing. With long intertrial intervals produced by running the animals in squads of four, control rats dropped to chance levels of alternation and then recovered somewhat over seven additional sessions of testing. Animals with septal lesions tended to perseverate and showed no evidence of recovery. Results were interpreted to indicate that a major hippocampal afferent system (dorsal fornix) plays a crucial role in mediating the spatiotemporal construction and use by the brain of the “cognitive maps” necessary for successful T-maze alternation.
Exocytosis in the Adrenal Medulla Demonstrated by Freeze-Etching

Replicas of fractured chromaffin cells are indicative of a range of activities thought to characterize exocytosis, including attachment of secretory vesicles to the plasma membrane, fusion, extrusion of contents, and membrane retrieval. Exocytosis sites are abundant on stimulated cells but are infrequent when calcium is omitted from the system.
Structure of siderite FeCO3 to 56 GPa and hysteresis of its spin-pairing transition

The structure of siderite, ${\text{FeCO}}_{3}$, was determined to 56 GPa, beyond the spin-pairing transition of its iron $d$ electrons. ${\text{Fe}}^{2+}$ in the siderite structure is in the high-spin state at low pressures and transforms to the low-spin (LS) state over a narrow pressure range, 44 to 45 GPa, that is concomitant with a shrinkage of the octahedral bond distance by 4%, and a volume collapse of 10%. The structural rearrangements associated with the electronic transition are nearly isotropic in contrast with other properties of siderite, which mostly are highly anisotropic. Robust refinements of the crystal structure from single-crystal x-ray diffraction data were performed at small pressure intervals in order to accurately evaluate the variation in the interatomic distances and to define the geometry of the carbonate hosting ${\text{LS-Fe}}^{2+}$. Thermal vibrations are remarkably lowered in the LS-Sd as shown by atomic displacement parameters. The formation of like-spin domains at the transition shows a hysteresis of more than 3 GPa, compatible with a strong cooperative contribution of neighboring clusters to the transition.
A Method for Forecasting Cloud Condensation Nuclei Using Predictions of Aerosol Physical and Chemical Properties from WRF/Chem

AbstractModel investigations of aerosol–cloud interactions across spatial scales are necessary to advance basic understanding of aerosol impacts on climate and the hydrological cycle. Yet these interactions are complex, involving numerous physical and chemical processes. Models capable of combining aerosol dynamics and chemistry with detailed cloud microphysics are recent developments. In this study, predictions of aerosol characteristics from the Weather Research and Forecasting Model with Chemistry (WRF/Chem) are integrated into the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System microphysics package to form the basis of a coupled model that is capable of predicting the evolution of atmospheric aerosols from gas-phase emissions to droplet activation. The new integrated system is evaluated against measurements of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) from a land-based field campaign and an aircraft-based field campaign in Colorado. The model results show the ability to capture vertical variations in CCN number concentrat...
Home on the Wide-Open Range of Gender

Kate Bornstein and S. Bear Bergman's Gender Outlaws: The Next Generation is a collection of narratives written by individuals with a wide range of gender identities and expressions from around the world. The text shows how gender-nonconforming people are changing how society looks at gender. As many of the individuals who are challenging gender norms are youth, the work provides important insights into the experiences of this generation.
Brain Imaging Applications in Psychiatry

Computed tomography. Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging. Computerized EEG and evoked potential mapping. Imaging brain function by single photon emission computer tomography. Positron-emission tomography: measuring the metabolic and neurochemical characteristics of the living human nervous system. Index.
Design for worker safety: an expert systems approach

Hazardous waste remediation often requires the application of new technologies. In recent years, these technologies have undergone rapid development. Intensely scrutinized in terms of design, new technologies surprisingly receive little attention when assessing the hazards they might pose to worker health and safety. A readily available and user friendly safety and health assessment tool for design evaluation can help assure the safety for operators and the public. This concept involves obtaining data for defining a technology, identifying and defining the elements and the hazards associated with these technology elements in terms of sources and types, evaluating the process to identify potential for human errors, building queries to suggest for removing or controlling the hazards, evaluating the interaction of technology elements, and finally, providing a summary of the hazards identified and suggested corrective measures. Thus far, the system was prototyped to a small existing technology of very limited scope. It showed that design-for-safety can indeed be possible using computer systems that are linked to the Internet. The system was researched for its robustness, design integrity, and the advantage of using expert systems for `What-If' scenarios.
Chemoradiation therapy and resection for carcinoma of the esophagus: Short-term results

Abstract The purpose of this report is to record the results of a treatment protocol for patients with carcinoma of the esophagus. In May, 1980, we initiated a program of chemoradiation therapy preliminary to resection in patients in whom the protocol was applicable. The chemotherapy consisted of mitomycin-C, 10 mg as a bolus intravenous injection on day 1, and 5-fluorouracil, 1,000 mg per square meter of body surface area in 1,000 ml of 5% glucose solution in distilled water given intravenously on each of days 1 through 4. The radiation therapy consisted of 3,000 rads in three weeks using cobalt 60 or 6 MeV or greater, with ports to cover the tumor and mediastinum. This protocol was given to patients with primary carcinoma of the esophagus whose disease remained or became operable during or following the course of the chemoradiation. Among the patients treated according to the protocol, the operability rate was increased. The resectability rate remained about the same as in our previous experience. The operative mortality was lessened appreciably. The percentage of resected specimens of the esophagus showing residual tumor decreased. However, the absence of any residual tumor in the surgical specimen has not conferred any improved chance of long-term survival to date. There has been a two-year survival of 33% (7/21) among the small group having chemoradiation therapy prior to resection, and this figure is roughly the same as that in our previously reported series of patients treated by preoperative irradiation (4,500 rads in three weeks) and resection without the chemotherapeutic adjunct. The observations are short term, but 12 of 31 patients (39%) having chemoradiation therapy followed by resection are still alive. This may be an encouraging portent.
Mitochondrial trafficking and anchoring in neurons: New insight and implications

Mitochondria are essential organelles for neuronal growth, survival, and function. Neurons use specialized mechanisms to drive mitochondria transport and to anchor them in axons and at synapses. Stationary mitochondria buffer intracellular Ca2+ and serve as a local energy source by supplying ATP. The balance between motile and stationary mitochondria responds quickly to changes in axonal and synaptic physiology. Defects in mitochondrial transport are implicated in the pathogenesis of several major neurological disorders. Recent work has provided new insight in the regulation of microtubule-based mitochondrial trafficking and anchoring, and on how mitochondrial motility influences neuron growth, synaptic function, and mitophagy.
Delays for customers from different arrival streams to a queue

In a queue with several different arrival streams, in general, the expected delay for customers from one stream is not equal to the expected delay for customers from the other streams. Two approximations are presented here for the expected delay for customers from a particular arrival stream in an arrival process that is the superposition of independent renewal processes. Both approximations yield errors less than 10 percent, on average, when compared to simulation estimates. One approximation, extended from Holtzman Holtzman, J. M. 1982. Mean delays of individual streams into a queue: the ΣGIi/M/1 queue. Applied Probability-Computer Science: The Interface, I, Proc. Conf. in Boca Raton, 417-430., yields better results for very sparse arrival streams and the other, empirically derived, is easier to calculate. These approximations are useful in comparing the expected delays for customers from different arrival processes to a single queue and for customers with different routes through a network of queues.
Endodermal differentiation of murine embryonic carcinoma cells by retinoic acid requires JLP, a JNK‐scaffolding protein

Retinoic acid (RA) is a morphogen that induces endodermal differentiation of murine P19 embryonic carcinoma cells. RA-induced differentiation of P19 cells has been used as a model system to define the differentiation programs of pluripotent stem cells. Using this system it has been shown that G alpha13--the alpha-subunit of the heterotrimeric G protein G13--and its activation of JNK-module are critically required for the endodermal differentiation of P19 cells. However, the mechanism through which G alpha13 is linked to JNK-module is unknown. Here, we report that RA stimulates the expression of JNK-interacting leucine zipper protein (JLP), a newly identified JNK-scaffolding protein and its critical role in RA-mediated endodermal differentiation. Our results indicate that there is a physical association between JLP and G alpha13 in RA-stimulated P19 cells. More interestingly, silencing JLP abrogates RA-mediated endodermal differentiation of P19 cells analogous to the effects seen with the silencing of G alpha13 or JNK. Therefore, our studies presented here identify for the first time, a novel role for a newly identified scaffolding protein in RA-mediated endodermal differentiation, providing a new signaling conduit to transmit signals from RA to JNK module.
Comparison between S/1 and R/1 tests and damage density vs. fluence (rho(phi)) results for unconditioned and sub-nanosecond laser-conditioned KD2PO4 crystals

ABSTRACT We present S/1 and R/1 test results on unconditioned and 355 nm (3 Z ), 500 ps laser conditioned DKDP. We find up to ~2.5X improvement in fluence in the S/1 performance after 3 Z , 500 ps conditioning to 5 J/cm 2 . For the first time, we observe a shift to higher fluences in the R/1 results for DKDP at 3Z , 7 ns due to 500 ps laser conditioning. The S/1 results are compared to U (I) results previously measured on the same DKDP crystal [1]. A consistent behavior in fluence was found between the S/1 and U (I) results for unconditioned and 500 ps conditioned DKDP. We were successful at using Poisson statistics to derive a connection between the S/1 and U (I) results that could be tested with our data sets by trying to predict the shape of the U (I) curve. The value for the power dependence on fluence of U (I) derived from the S/1 data was ~11 ± 50%. The results presented and discussed here imply a strong correlation between the damage probability (S/1) test and U (I). We find a consistent description of the two test types in terms of a power law U (I) and that this basic shape held for all cases, i.e. the shape was invariant between unconditioned and conditioned results. Keywords: DKDP, bulk damage, laser-conditioning, sub- nanosecond laser, damage density, damage probability
Spider Egg Case Core Fibers: Trimeric Complexes Assembled from TuSp1, ECP-1, and ECP-2 †

Spider silk proteins are well-known for their extraordinary mechanical properties, displaying remarkable strength and toughness. In this study, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) tandem time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometry (MS/MS) and reverse genetics were used to isolate a new cDNA sequence that encodes for a protein assembled into egg case silk from the black widow spider, Latrodectus hesperus. Analysis of the primary sequence of this protein reveals approximately 52% identity to the egg case protein 1 (ECP-1) fibroin-like family member. On the basis of the similarity in the primary sequence and expression pattern, we have named this factor egg case protein 2 (ECP-2). Alignments of ECP-1 and ECP-2 demonstrate highly conserved N termini, with 16 Cys residues found within the first 153 amino acids. Traditional ensemble repeats found within reported fibroins were poorly represented in the primary sequence of ECP-2, but scattered blocks of polyalanine were present, along with a C terminus rich in GA repeats. Reverse transcription quantitative PCR analysis showed that ECP-2 is predominantly expressed in the tubuliform gland. Relative to ECP-1, ECP-2 mRNA levels were determined to be >2-fold higher. MALDI MS/MS analysis of peptide fragments generated from the large-diameter core fiber after enzymatic digestion and acid hydrolysis demonstrated the presence of a fiber that is trimeric in nature, containing tubuliform spidroin 1 (TuSp1), ECP-1, and ECP-2. We also report an additional primary sequence for TuSp1, demonstrating that TuSp1 contains two Cys residues within a nonrepetitive N-terminal region. In combination with the distinctive protein architectures of ECP-1 and ECP-2, along with their co-localization with TuSp1 in the core fiber, our findings suggest that ECP-1 and ECP-2 play important structural roles in the egg case silk fiber.
e-Analysis of High-Rise Buildings Subjected to Wind Loads

The NatHaz Aerodynamic Loads Database NALDhttp://aerodata.ce.nd.edu introduced in 2000 has served an important first step in establishing an on-line experimental archive of high-frequency base balance HFBB data for use in the preliminary design of high-rise buildings subjected to wind loads. As a result, NALD was recently introduced in the Commentary of ASCE 7-05 C6.5.8 as an alternative means of assessing the dynamic wind load effects on high-rise buildings. This paper presents NALD version 2.0 v. 2.0, integrating the latest advances in data management and mining for interactive queries of aerodynamic load data and an integrated on-line analysis framework for determining the resulting base moments, displacements, and equivalent static wind loads for survivability and accelerations for serviceability habitability. The key feature of NALD v. 2.0 is the flexibility its analysis module offers: Users may select not only the data from the on-line NatHaz aerodynamic loads database, but also may input desired power spectral density PSD expression or wind tunnel-derived PSD data set obtained from a HFBB experiment for the evaluation of wind load effects on high-rise buildings. Thus, it serves as a stand-alone analysis engine. Examples illustrate the capabilities of NALD v. 2.0 and provide comparisons of response estimates to demonstrate the flexibility of the analysis engine to provide a platform that can be readily expanded and supplemented to yield a comprehensive, simplified, and efficient avenue for e-analysis of high-rise buildings.
Mitochondrial expression of the human equilibrative nucleoside transporter 1 (hENT1) results in enhanced mitochondrial toxicity of antiviral drugs

Abstract Many antiviral drugs (e.g. fialuridine; FIAU) produce clinically significant mitochondrial toxicity that limits their dose or prevents their use in the clinic. Because the majority of nucleoside drugs is too hydrophilic to cross the highly impermeable mitochondrial membrane, we have hypothesized that they must be transported into the mitochondria to produce their toxicity. To test this hypothesis, we have sought to determine whether the nucleoside transporters, human equilibrative nucleoside transporter 1 (hENT1) or human concentrative nucleoside transporter 1 (hCNT1), when stably expressed in Madin-Darby canine kidney cells as yellow fluorescent fusion protein (YFP), are localized to the mitochondria. By using organelle-selective dyes and confocal microscopy, we have found that hENT1-YFP is localized to the mitochondria as well as the plasma membrane, whereas hCNT1-YFP was found predominantly on the plasma membrane. hENT1-YFP was not localized to the nuclear envelope, endosomes, lysosomes, or Golgi complex. Western blotting confirmed the presence of hENT1-YFP or endogenous hENT1 in mitochondria isolated from hENT1-YFP-expressing cells and human livers, respectively. In agreement with these localization data, [14C]FIAU was efficiently transported into the mitochondria of cells expressing hENT1-YFP but not of cells expressing hCNT1-YFP. The mitochondrial toxicity of FIAU to Madin-Darby canine kidney cells was enhanced by hENT1-YFP, even when hENT1 activity on the plasma membrane was selectively blocked by 10 nm nitrobenzylthioinosine. Moreover, FIAU (50 μm) produced significant mitochondrial toxicity (∼70% decrease in mitochondrial DNA synthesis) when it was directly incubated with mitochondria isolated from hENT1-expressing cells. In conclusion, we have identified for the first time that hENT1 is expressed on the mitochondrial membrane and that this expression enhances the mitochondrial toxicity of nucleoside drugs such as FIAU. Mitochondrial expression of hENTs may explain the clinically significant mitochondrial toxicity caused by the anti-HIV nucleoside drugs such as zidovudine, stavudine, and didanosine.
Measurements of electron-transfer rates of charge-storage molecular monolayers on Si(100). Toward hybrid molecular/semiconductor information storage devices.

Redox kinetics were measured for two electroactive molecules attached to Si(100) surfaces, a ferrocene (Fc-BzOH) and a Zn(II) trimesitylporphyrin (Por-BzOH). Each molecule was derivatized with a benzyl alcohol linker for attachment to the Si surface via the formation of a Si−O bond. A complete protocol was developed for the preparation of stable Si(100) surfaces derivatized with the electroactive molecules. The redox-kinetic measurements were performed on the resulting Fc-BzOH and Por-BzOH monolayers to probe (1) the rate of electron transfer (k0) for oxidation in the presence of applied potentials and (2) the rate of charge dissipation after the applied potential is disconnected (in the form of a charge-retention half-life t1/2). The k0 values for the two types of monolayers were found to be similar to one another as were the t1/2 values. Perhaps more importantly, the electron-transfer rates for both the Fc-BzOH and the Por-BzOH monolayers differ from the charge-dissipation rates by ∼6 orders of magnitud...
Anxiety and pain response changes across treatment: sensory decision analysis.

Abstract Relationships between anxiety and pain perception were investigated by comparing pre- and post-pain reactions of highly anxious detoxified substance abusers categorized on the basis of anxiety level changes over treatment. Sensory decision theory methodology was applied to measure discriminative and decisional aspects of pain response. Men exhibiting significant pre-postanxiety state decreases showed greater discriminability index increases and greater response bias index decreases at post-test, compared to their counterparts exhibiting minimal changes in severe anxiety levels across treatment. Findings have relevance for understanding pain perception and interventions in clinical samples.
Effect of controlled local acetylsalicylic acid release on in vitro platelet adhesion to vascular grafts.

Thrombosis is the most serious acute problem for small diameter arterial bypass grafts. In this research, small diameter expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (e-PTFE) vascular grafts were coated with acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) loaded poly (d,1-lactide) (PLA) by a solvent casting method. The feasibility and efficacy of this approach were evaluated by ASA release studies and platelet adhesion tests. First, the ASA release kinetics were evaluated from the ASA/PLA coated vascular grafts in an in vitro steady flow loop model. ASA release was measured by a spectrophotometric technique. Finally, the efficacy of local ASA release to reduce in vitro canine platelet adhesion to grafts was determined with epifluorescent video microscopy and quantitative image analysis. The steady state release rates from the 5%, 10%, and 15% ASA/PLA coated grafts were 13.2 × 10-5, 32.0 × 10-5, and 41.5 × 10-5 μg/cm2. sec, respectively. Platelet adhesion to 10% and 15% ASA/PLA coated grafts was reduced with respect to the control and 5% ...
Recent developments in lorentz electron microscopy

Several different methods of obtaining contrast for electron microscopy of magnetic specimens are reviewed. For the investigation of magnetization ripple and the structure of domain walls in magnetic films, two questions must be considered: the correct wave optical interpretation of Lorentz micrographs and the experimental attainment of coherence of the electron beam. Both questions have been sufficiently explored so that experimental results on magnetic film microstructure may be expected in the near future.
Alloying and Dealloying Processes Involved in the Preparation of Metal Nanoshells through a Galvanic Replacement Reaction

The galvanic replacement reaction between Ag nanoparticles and an aqueous HAuCl4 solution has recently been demonstrated as a simple and convenient route to metal nanostructures with hollow interiors and highly crystalline walls (see, for example, Sun, Y.; Mayers, B. T.; Xia, Y. Nano Lett. 2002, 2, 481. Sun, Y.; Xia, Y. Science, 2002, 298, 2176). However, the details of morphological, compositional, structural, and spectral changes involved in the entire process of this template-engaged reaction is yet to be elucidated. The experimental results described in this letter indicate that the templating process proceeded through two distinctive steps: (i) formation of pinhole-free nanoshells with homogeneous, uniform walls of Au/Ag alloys via a combination of the replacement reaction and alloying; and (ii) formation of porous nanoshells (nanocages) through a dealloying process, in which Ag was selectively dissolved from the walls made of Au/Ag alloys. As alloying and dealloying proceeded, the surface plasmon r...
A 0.2 to 1.7 GHz low-jitter integer-N QPLL for power efficient direct digital RF modulator

A wide lock-range supply regulated integer-N QPLL is proposed to reduce power consumption of the wideband direct digital RF modulator. SINC roll-off characteristic for supply noise of the inverter-based ring-VCOs in frequency domain maximizes loop bandwidth of the wide lock-range PLL. The proposed charge pump keeps loop bandwidth for all integer-N divider ratio. The fabricated QPLL achieves 0.2 to 1.7GHz lock rage with 10MHz bandwidth, 100MHz reference, and on-chip loop filter. The RMS jitter is 1.28ps, maximum supply noise sensitivity is 0.34rad/V, and power consumption is 13.2mW from 1V supply at 1.7GHz PLL output frequency. The active area is 0.064mm2.
Why ritualized behavior? Precaution systems and action parsing in developmental, pathological and cultural rituals.

Ritualized behavior, intuitively recognizable by its stereotypy, rigidity, repetition, and apparent lack of rational motivation, is found in a variety of life conditions, customs, and everyday practices: in cultural rituals, whether religious or non-religious; in many children's complicated routines; in the pathology of obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD); in normal adults around certain stages of the life-cycle, birthing in particular. Combining evidence from evolutionary anthropology, neuropsychology and neuroimaging, we propose an explanation of ritualized behavior in terms of an evolved Precaution System geared to the detection of and reaction to inferred threats to fitness. This system, distinct from fear-systems geared to respond to manifest danger, includes a repertoire of clues for potential danger as well as a repertoire of species-typical precautions. In OCD pathology, this system does not supply a negative feedback to the appraisal of potential threats, resulting in doubts about the proper performance of precautions, and repetition of action. Also, anxiety levels focus the attention on low-level gestural units of behavior rather than on the goal-related higher-level units normally used in parsing the action-flow. Normally automatized actions are submitted to cognitive control. This "swamps" working memory, an effect of which is a temporary relief from intrusions but also their long-term strengthening. Normal activation of this Precaution System explains intrusions and ritual behaviors in normal adults. Gradual calibration of the system occurs through childhood rituals. Cultural mimicry of this system's normal input makes cultural rituals attention-grabbing and compelling. A number of empirical predictions follow from this synthetic model.
Maintaining Prior Distributions across Evolving Eigenspaces: An Application to Portfolio Construction

Temporal evolution in the generative distribution of nonstationary sequential data is challenging to model. This paper presents a method for retaining the information in prior distributions of matrix variate dynamic linear models (MVDLMs) as the eigenspace of sequential data evolves. The method starts by constructing sliding windows &#x00E2;" matrices composed of a fixed number of columns containing the most recent point-in-time multivariate observation vectors. Characteristic time series, the right singular vectors, are extracted from a window using singular value decomposition (SVD). Then, a sequence of matrices capturing the rotation and scaling of the eigenspace is specified as a function of adjacent windows&#x00E2; characteristic time series. The method is tested on observations derived from daily US stock prices spanning 25 years. The results indicate that models constructed using sliding window SVD and MVDLMs, as extended in this paper, are resistant to over-fitting and perform well when used in portfolio construction applications.
The Community-Oriented Programs Environment Scale: A methodology for the facilitation and evaluation of social change

This paper describes the rationale and illustrates the utilization of a scale, the Community-Oriented Programs Environment Scale (COPES), which attempts to assess systematically the psychosocial environments of transitional community-oriented psychiatric treatment programs such as halfway houses, rehabilitation centers, day care centers, and community care homes. Applications for facilitating and evaluating social systems change are discussed.
An Example for Teaching Some Basic Concepts in Multidimensional Contingency Table Analysis

Abstract A data set in the form of a 2 × 2 × 2 contingency table is presented and analyzed in detail. For instructional purposes, the analysis of the data can be used to illustrate some basic concepts in the loglinear model approach to the analysis of multidimensional contingency tables.
Further studies on configuration interaction in the molecular orbital theory of π-systems

The effect of triply-excited configurations on the calculated energies for sixteen electronic transitions in eleven unsaturated hydrocarbons has been investigated. The spectra were calculated using a Pariser-Parr-Pople approach modified by a variable electronegativity self-consistent field treatment. The agreement with experiment is improved, but not as dramatically as expected. The implications of these results for other types of semi-empirical calculations are discussed.
VEGF Gene Delivery to Muscle: Potential Role for Vasculogenesis in Adults

Constitutive expression of VEGF after implantation of genetically engineered myoblasts into non-ischemic muscle led to an increase in vascular structures. Previously, effects of VEGF delivery to adult muscle have only been reported in ischemic tissues. The resulting vascular structures were reminiscent of those formed during embryonic vasculogenesis, rather than angiogenesis, sprouting from preexisting vessels. Initially, VEGF caused an accumulation of endothelial cells and macrophages, followed by networks of vascular channels and hemangiomas with locally high serum VEGF levels. No effects were evident in adjacent tissue or contralateral legs, where low serum VEGF was detected. These data suggest that the induction by VEGF of angiogenesis or vasculogenesis may be dose-dependent. Furthermore, VEGF expression must be carefully modulated, as overexpression is deleterious.
Natural evolution and pathological alterations of lymphoid cell proteins. Immunochemical characteristics of soluble antigens.

Abstract Lymphoid cells carefully separated, thoroughly washed, and tested to insure freedom from noncellular protein contamination, were extracted to prepare soluble proteins for immunodiffusion assays. IgG was detected in all samples from subjects between two weeks and 60 years of age, but it was absent in most neoplastic extracts. IgA showed a comparable pattern except for its later initial appearance in thymic extracts. IgM was absent in all extracts except neonatal and neoplastic lymphocytes. It was suggested that lymphoid organs pass through sequential stages of evolution which are most marked during the first few years of life, and that neoplasia represents reversion to a chronologically immature state at which time lymphocytes either lose their pertinent biosynthetic function or the capacity to release products important in host defense. The transferrin pattern suggested a selective nonhomogeneous lymphocyte function. Disappearance of the normally present α 2 -macroglobulin with malignancy probably represents a balance between fibrin deposition and lysis achieved when this plasmin inhibitor is removed. There was no evidence of evolutionary or pathological changes in the lymphoid cell albumin content. The results indicate that the intralymphocyte protein patterns are related to lymphocyte origin, age and disease state of cell donor. The purpose of this study was to define certain immunochemical features of proteins found in cells of various lymphoid organs, and to relate these characteristics to evolutionary changes which occur during phases of normal tissue growth and development of lymphoreticular neoplasms.