cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Detection of the rat adipose cell glucose transporter with antibody against the human red cell glucose transporter.

[ 125 1]-protein A and an affinity purified rabbit antibody against the purified human erythrocyte glucose transporter have been used to label rat adipose cell plasma and low-density microsomal membrane proteins after transfer from SDS-polyacrylamide gels to nitrocellulose paper. A major labeled band is observed in both membrane preparations with an apparent molecular weight (approximately 45,000) similar to that of the human erythrocyte glucose transporter. When membranes are prepared from cells incubated in the absence of insulin, the intensity of this band is roughly 2-fold greater in the microsomal membranes than in the plasma membranes. Incubation of cells with a maximally stimulating concentration of insulin, however, increases the intensity of this band in the plasma membranes and concomitantly decreases that in the microsomal membranes. In both cases, the intensity of this band roughly parallels the concentration of glucose transport systems determined by specific D-glucose-inhibitable [ 3 H] cytochalasin B binding. These results indicate that the rat adipose cell glucose transporter is immunologically similar to the human erythrocyte glucose transporter.
Subcellular Localization Of Surfactant Protein-B (SP-B) Processing Events In Human Type 2 Alveolar Cells • 270

Subcellular Localization Of Surfactant Protein-B (SP-B) Processing Events In Human Type 2 Alveolar Cells • 270
Ionic strength effects on the reduction of CoEDTA− by Fe(CN)4−6

Abstract The effect of ionic strength on the reduction of CoEDTA− by Fe(CN)4−6 is reported. The results are in direct contrast to expected behavior in that the rate constant initially increased, reaches a maximum at ionic strength 0.11 M, and then begins to decrease. The results are discussed in terms of ion-pairing between Na+ and Fe(CN)4−6 with the proposal that the observed decrease can be attributed to the increasing presence of the unreactive ion-triplet Na2Fe(CN)2−6 at higher ionic strenghts. The effect of the cyclic polyether 18-crown-6 is reported.
“Don’t Be Trying to Box Folks In” Older Women’s Sexuality

Youth-centeredness presents a “deficit model” of aging and stigmatizes elders. Social constructions reduce the aging process to illness and asexuality. Western conflations of beauty and youth rende...
Mechanisms of phase separation in gel-based synthesis of multicomponent metal oxides

Abstract The principles underlying metal oxide phase formation from multicomponent molecular gels are reviewed. The critical phase separation mechanisms operating at each stage of the gel process, viz. gel synthesis, gel thermolysis and oxide crystallization, are described with examples from the synthesis literature on aluminosilicates, cuprates and lead-based perovskites. It is demonstrated that direct crystallization of the equilibrium metal oxide requires synthesizing a cation-homogeneous gel, avoiding phase separation during thermolysis, and providing a low energy barrier for nucleation of the equilibrium phase. The influence of synthesis parameters and heating conditions on chemical phase separation are explained and guidelines for regulating the direct formation of metal oxides are outlined.
Assembly of endocytic machinery around individual influenza viruses during viral entry

Most viruses enter cells via receptor-mediated endocytosis. However, the entry mechanisms used by many of them remain unclear. Also largely unknown is the way in which viruses are targeted to cellular endocytic machinery. We have studied the entry mechanisms of influenza viruses by tracking the interaction of single viruses with cellular endocytic structures in real time using fluorescence microscopy. Our results show that influenza can exploit clathrin-mediated and clathrin- and caveolin-independent endocytic pathways in parallel, both pathways leading to viral fusion with similar efficiency. Remarkably, viruses taking the clathrin-mediated pathway enter cells via the de novo formation of clathrin-coated pits (CCPs) at viral-binding sites. CCP formation at these sites is much faster than elsewhere on the cell surface, suggesting a virus-induced CCP formation mechanism that may be commonly exploited by many other types of viruses.
Hemodynamic effects of intravenous cocaine on the pregnant ewe and fetus.

Cocaine is a potent vasoconstrictive agent that is currently the subject of widespread drug abuse. Because little is known of the physiologic responses to cocaine in pregnancy, the effects of intravenous cocaine on uterine blood flow and other maternal and fetal cardiovascular parameters were studied. Eight ewes in late pregnancy were equipped with electromagnetic flow probes around both uterine arteries and catheters were placed in the maternal and fetal inferior vena cavae and aortas. Bolus intravenous infusion of 0.5 and 1.0 mg/kg of maternal body, weight achieved peak plasma cocaine levels similar to those observed in human subjects after abuse of the drug (mean level = 229 to 400 ng/ml, n = 8). After bolus infusion of 0.5 or 1.0 mg/kg of cocaine, mean maternal arterial pressure increased 32% and 37%, respectively (p
Excitation of three isospin modes of the giant magnetic dipole resonance in mass 24 isobars

All three isospin modes of two T = 1, 1/sup +/ states in mass 24 have been studied by (/sup 3/He, t), (/sup 3/He, /sup 3/He'), and (t, /sup 3/He) reactions on /sup 24/Mg. The relative strengths of the two 1/sup +/ states in each reaction agree with the relative strengths of the electromagnetic transitions, but the shapes and magnitudes of the charge-exchange data are not as predicted by a one-step interaction with a central force. It is necessary to perform a two-step coupled-channel Born-approximation calculation via intermediate /sup 4/He channels using mixed wave functions to account for the results. (AIP)
The Tensile Ductility of Austenitic Steels in Air and Hydrogen

An empirical correlation of yield strength with reduction-in-area at fracture was demonstrated for austenitic stainless steel. The correlation is consistent with an existing fracture model that involves microvoid nucleation at isolated inclusions. Hydrogen effects on tensile ductility are also consistent with this model, if one assumes that hydrogen is transported by glide dislocations and that localized hydrogen accumulations lower the stress necessary to initiate fracture at particle-matrix interfaces. Smooth-bar tensile specimens of fourteen austenitic stainless steels were tested at room temperature in air, in 69-M Pa He, and in 69-M Pa H/sub 2/. Macroscopic reductions-in-area at fracture varied between 12 and 82 percent, and yield strengths were between 179 and 1069 MN/m/sup 2/. The resulting empirical correlation suggests that the ductility of austenitic stainless steels is limited by the interfacial stress required for microvoid nucleation and coalescence. For low strength steels, the required interfacial stress is reached only after extensive plastic deformation. However, as steel strength is increased, fracture occurs at lower strains.
Multi-modal in cellulo evaluation of NPR-C targeted C-ANF-peptide and C-ANF-comb nanoparticles

Natriuretic peptides (NPs) are clinical markers of heart disease that have anti-proliferative and anti-migratory effects on vascular smooth-muscle cells (VSMCs). In atherosclerosis, NPs participate in vascular remodeling, where the expression of NP clearance receptors (NPR-Cs) is upregulated both in the endothelium and in VSMCs[1-3]. In this study, we investigated the enhanced targeting potential of novel multifunctional nanoprobes conjugated with multiple copies of a C-type atrial natriuretic factor (C-ANF) peptide fragment to target NPR-C transfected cells. The cell binding results of the NPR-C targeted nanoprobes were compared with that of the C-ANF peptide fragment alone. The nanoprobe and peptide structures contain the chelator DOTA (1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid) for labeling with the PET tracer, 64 Cu, for radioactive assays and luminescent Eu (III) for confocal cell imaging. Cell assays performed with the radioactive nanoprobe and peptide demonstrated higher cell binding of the targeted nanoprobe comapred with the peptide alone (8.63±1.67 vs. 1.13±0.06). The targeting specificity of both moieties was tested by using the control cell lines NPR-A and NPR-B, and receptor mediated uptake was demonstrated by reduced uptake in the presence of excess unlabeled respective probes.
Selective attention fails to alter the dichotic listening lag effect: evidence that the lag effect is preattentional.

Abstract Berlin et al. (1973) reported that either stimulus from a dichotic pair of consonant–vowel syllables is processed preferentially when its presentation is delayed by 30–60 ms. In the first of three experiments with 60 normal right-handed adults, we replicated the Berlin et al. “lag effect,” but only for asynchronies between 60 and 90 ms. In Experiment 2 subjects focused attention selectively on one ear. The results indicated that focused attention and stimulus asynchrony have additive effects: Performance improved at the attended ear irrespective of stimulus asynchrony, but the lag effect remained unchanged relative to the divided-attention condition. Experiment 3 entailed a signal detection task that allowed separate analysis of detection and localization accuracy. As in previous studies, selective attention to one ear increased the accuracy of localization but not detection at the attended ear. Both dependent measures indicated a lag effect that remained invariant as attention was manipulated. These findings imply that the lag effect is attributable to a preattentional stage of auditory processing.
EUV mask absorber defect size requirement at 100-nm design rules

In this paper, the printability of Extreme UV (EUV) mask defects at 100 nm design rule is studied via top surface imaging (TSI) resist process. The EUV mask defect size requirement is determined by taking into account the wafer process critical dimension (CD) variability. In the experiment, a programmed EUV absorber defect mask was first fabricated by subtractive metal patterning on a Mo/Si multilayer-coated silicon wafer substrate. The 10X experimental EUV lithography system with 13.4 nm exposure wavelength and 0.08 NA imaging lens was used to expose the programmed defect mask. The resists CD response to the metal absorber mask defect area is measured under different process conditions, i.e., different exposure doses. It is found that similar to a single-layer DUV resist cases that have been studied before, the EUV resist CD responds to the mask defect area linearly for small mask defects. From such a set of CD-defect response lines, the allowable absorber mask defect requirement is assessed via the statistical explanation of the printable mask defect size, which is tied to the wafer process specifications and the actual wafer process CD controllability. Our results showed that a clear and an opaque intrusion absorber mask defect as small as 60- 80 nm is printable at 100 nm design rules. Based on the statistical defect printability analysis method that we have developed, the printable mask defect size can always be redefined without additional data collection when the process controllability or the process specification changes.
Spontaneous pituitary tumorigenesis and plasma oestradiol in ageing female C57BL/6J mice

Abstract Macroscopic pituitary tumours occur with increasing frequency in ageing female C57BL/6J mice. Tumour incidence rises steadily between 14 and 30 months from 6 to 61%. Two stepwise increments in pituitary weight, indicative of hyperplasia, occur prior to the appearance of tumours. The first, at 5 months, coincides with the onset of regular estrous cyclicity, and hence maximal exposure to plasma oestradiol (E 2 ). Average plasma E 2 concentration in cycling mice is 15.4 pg/ml ± 1.73 SE. The second increment, at 14 months, coincides with the first appearance of tumours and with the onset of cycle irregularity, which is characterized by persistent vaginal cornification and a 50% reduction in exposure to E 2 . Although exogenous E 2 can induce pituitary tumours, its reduced concentration during the initial phase of tumorigenesis suggests that altered sensitivity or other factors are involved.
Baseline Particle Reduction of Downstream Oxide Etchers Etching Contacts and Vias

In the process of etching contact and via openings with a downstream oxide etcher, plasma etch byproducts form polymer that collects on process chamber components. Polymer build up over time will begin to separate from chamber components and deposit on the wafer, blocking the etch and creating incomplete contact and via openings, which result in device failure. When this phenomena occurs, complete disassembling and cleaning of the chamber (wet clean) is required before particle levels are acceptable again for processing wafers. Over half of the time wet cleans are performed at or before 1500 wafers processed. Experimentation was performed to isolate one particular chamber component causing particle deposition on the wafer. Once a chamber component was isolated, possible solutions were designed so that original process parameters were not altered. The first experiment was a maintenance procedure to disassemble and clean one chamber component at set intervals between wet cleans. The second was a no wafer, high concentration Oxygen plasma chamber clean. It was found that changing a particular chamber component after 1250 wafers processed, and then again after 2500 wafers, made it possible to run to 3750 wafers before performing a wet clean. Overall particle levels were also reduced by 30% with the plasma cleans after every 100 wafers processed. The combined solutions resulted in a greater than 30% reduction in overall particle counts. Also, maintenance down time for particle failures was reduced from 57% to 19%. During the time frame of implementation of these solutions, overall factory defectivity of finished product wafers was reduced up to 25%, which relates to a 15 to 25% yield increase. The reduction of defects on the downstream oxide etcher is a contributing factor to device yield improvements.
Management of Low-Grade Glioma

The optimal management of patients with low-grade glioma (LGG) is controversial. The controversy largely stems from the lack of well-designed clinical trials with adequate follow-up to account for the relatively long progression-free survival and overall survival of patients with LGG. Nonetheless, the literature increasingly suggests that expectant management is no longer optimal. Rather, there is mounting evidence supporting active management including consideration of surgical resection, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, molecular and histopathologic characterization, and use of modern imaging techniques for monitoring and prognostication. In particular, there is growing evidence favoring extensive surgical resection and increasing interest in the role of chemotherapy (especially temozolomide) in the management of these tumors. In this review, we critically analyze emerging trends in the literature with respect to management of LGG, with particular emphasis on reports published during the past year.
Glucuronidation of 2-hydroxyamino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine by human microsomal UDP-glucuronosyltransferases: identification of specific UGT1A family isoforms involved

2-Amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine is a heterocyclic aromatic amine found in cooked meats and dietary exposure to PhIP has been implicated in the etiology of colon cancer in humans. PhIP, along with other heterocyclic aromatic amines, requires metabolic activation to exhibit genotoxic effects. PhIP is initially oxidized by the activity of cytochrome P4501A2 to produce 2-hydroxyamino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (N-OH-PhIP), a reaction occurring primarily in the liver. Whereas subsequent biotransformation of N-OH-PhIP via acetylation or sulfation can produce reactive electrophiles that readily bind to DNA, N-glucuronidation, catalyzed by UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs), functions as a detoxification mechanism. Although hepatic glucuronidation of N-OH-PhIP has been well characterized, the extrahepatic metabolism of this compound is poorly understood. Studies in our laboratory now indicate that the intestinal tract, and particularly the colon, is a significant site of glucuronidation of N-OH-PhIP. When assays were performed with microsomes prepared from the mucosa of the intestinal tract, it was determined that glucuronidation of N-OH-PhIP occurs throughout the intestinal tract, with activity approximately three times higher in the colon as that found in the upper intestine. Glucuronidation rates from colon microsomes showed considerable interindividual variability and incubation with N-OH-PhIP yielded two glucuronides. HPLC analysis showed that the predominant product formed is the N-OH-PhIP-N 2 -glucuronide, while the N3-glucuronide accounts for <10% of the total glucuronidation product. These rates approach the rates found in human liver microsomes, demonstrating the significance of extrahepatic metabolism of this food-borne carcinogen. Subsequent assays with human recombinant UGTs demonstrated that at least four human UGT isoforms, all from the UGT1A subfamily, are capable of catalyzing the biotransformation of N-OH-PhIP. Members of the UGT2B family available for this study did not conjugate N-OH-PhIP, although immunoinhibition studies in human liver microsomes strongly suggest the involvement of a UGT2B isoform(s) in this organ.
An Evaluation of Intensive Intervention for Students with Persistent Reading Difficulties

To evaluate the effects of an intensive tertiary reading intervention, 27 students with severe reading difficulties and disabilities, 14 of whom had demonstrated an inadequate response to 1-2 tiers of prior reading instruction, received a 16-week intervention package involving decoding and fluency skills. The decoding intervention was provided for 2 hours per day for 8 weeks and was based on the Phono-Graphix program. The fluency intervention followed the decoding intervention and involved 1 hour of daily instruction for 8 weeks based on the Read Naturally program. The 16-week intervention resulted in significant improvement in reading decoding, fluency, and comprehension. Although individual responses to the intervention were variable, 12 of the 27 students showed a significant response to these interventions. Students who had participated in previous Tier 1 plus Tier 2 interventions but remained impaired had a stronger response to intervention in the current study than students who had previously participated only in Tier 1 intervention and students who had not received prior intervention outside of special education.
Rank Methods for Two Rank Variables

Most of the variables mentioned so far have been categorical or metric variables, and by now you are used to distinguishing between them. Have you ever wondered how you might measure variables such as class rank, runners in a race, or an attitude? These variables are neither categorical nor metric but rank variables.
A LBI based emitter location estimator with platform trajectory optimality

When trying to estimate the location of a non-cooperative non-coherent emitter using intercepted signal measurements from a single airborne platform, the doppler-based techniques, such as the Frequency of Arrival (FOA) is not applicable. In this paper, we propose a single platform long baseline interferometry (LBI) based emitter location estimator which achieves optimal estimation accuracy on average without any prior information such as a rough emitter location estimate or a reference point. The novelty of the proposed approach is that it tackles the “phase wrapping” problem inherited in the LBI by exploring the spatial diversity and requiring the platform to fly along a spiral-shaped trajectory. We demonstrate that an arbitrary platform trajectory can be evaluated in terms of the ability of getting accurate estimation using an entropy-based diversity measure. The robustness of the proposed scheme is also explored. This work intends to provide a different angle for single platform emitter location estimation accuracy improvements.
Labeling of Dopamine Transporter Transmembrane Domain 1 with the Tropane Ligand N-[4-(4-Azido-3-[125I]iodophenyl)butyl]-2β-carbomethoxy-3β-(4-chlorophenyl)tropane Implicates Proximity of Cocaine and Substrate Active Sites

The novel photoaffinity ligand N-[4-(4-azido-3- 125 I-iodophenyl)butyl]-2--carbomethoxy-3-(4-chlorophenyl) tropane ([ 125 I]MFZ 2-24) was used to investigate the site for cocaine binding on the dopamine transporter (DAT). [ 125 I]MFZ 2-24 irreversibly labeled both rat striatal and expressed human DAT with high affinity and appropriate pharmacological specificity. Tryptic proteolysis of [ 125 I]MFZ 2-24 labeled DAT followed by epitope-specific immunoprecipitation demonstrated that the ligand becomes adducted almost exclusively to transmembrane domains (TMs) 1–2. Further localization of [ 125 I]MFZ 2-24 incorporation achieved by proteolyzing labeled wild-type and methionine mutant DATs with cyanogen bromide identified the sequence between residues 68 and 80 in TM1 as the ligand adduction site. This is in marked contrast to the previously identified attachment of the photoaffinity label [ 125 I]RTI 82 in TM6. Because [ 125 I]MFZ 2-24 and [ 125 I]RTI 82 possess identical tropane pharmacophores and differ only in the placement of the reactive azido moieties, their distinct incorporation profiles identify the regions of the protein adjacent to different aspects of the cocaine molecule. These findings thus strongly support the direct interaction of cocaine on DAT with TM1 and TM6, both of which have been implicated by mutagenesis and homology to a bacterial leucine transporter as active sites for substrates. These results directly establish the proximity of TMs 1 and 6 in DAT and suggest that the mechanism of transport inhibition by cocaine involves close interactions with multiple regions of the substrate permeation pathway.
Expression of γ-tocopherol methyltransferase in chloroplasts results in massive proliferation of the inner envelope membrane and decreases susceptibility to salt and metal-induced oxidative stresses by reducing reactive oxygen species.

Summary The γ-tocopherol methyltransferase (γ-TMT) is an important enzyme regulating synthesis of four tocopherols (α, γ, β and δ). In this report, we investigated the role of γ-TMT in regulating abiotic stress within chloroplasts. The At γ-tmt overexpressed via the tobacco chloroplast genome accumulated up to 7.7% of the total leaf protein, resulting in massive proliferation of the inner envelope membrane (IEM, up to eight layers). Such high-level expression of γ-TMT converted most of γ-tocopherol to α-tocopherol in transplastomic seeds (~10-fold higher) in the absence of abiotic stress. When grown in 400 mm NaCl, α-tocopherol content in transplastomic TMT leaves increased up to 8.2-fold and 2.4-fold higher than wild-type leaves. Likewise, under heavy metal stress, α-tocopherol content in the TMT leaves increased up to 7.5-fold, twice higher than in the wild type. Under extreme salt stress, the wild type accumulated higher starch and total soluble sugars, but TMT plants were able to regulate sugar transport. Hydrogen peroxide and superoxide content in wild type increased up to 3-fold within 48 h of NaCl stress when compared to TMT plants. The ion leakage from TMT leaves was significantly less than wild-type plants under abiotic stress and with less malondialdehyde, indicating lower lipid peroxidation. Taken together, these studies show that α-tocopherol plays a crucial role in the alleviation of salt and heavy metal stresses by decreasing ROS, lipid peroxidation and ion leakage, in addition to enhancing vitamin E conversion. Increased proliferation of the IEM should facilitate studies on retrograde signalling from chloroplast to the nucleus.
The differential impact of physical disorder and collective efficacy: a geographically weighted regression on violent crime

While much of the research on neighborhood crime considers the neighborhood as a whole, this study utilizes spatial analysis techniques to examine how the presence of disorder and collective efficacy create unique pockets of opportunities for criminal behavior within neighborhoods. This spatial perspective reveals how the effect of disorder and efficacy upon crime patterns itself varies across a neighborhood. Physical disorder is measured through systematic social observations and the level of collective efficacy is evaluated through survey responses of neighborhood residents. The indices of disorder and efficacy are compared to crime data from police call logs using geographically weighted regression. Our findings demonstrate a complex spatial relationship between disorder and efficacy. The effects of disorder and efficacy are not consistent across an entire neighborhood, but rather display local variations in small geographical areas within neighborhoods, including some pockets of the neighborhood where the relationships between disorder, efficacy, and crime were contrary to the expected relationships. Based upon these findings, we conclude opportunity is central to understanding crime, and emphasize the role of informal social control in neighborhoods.
Analysis of software cohesion attribute and test case development complexity

In this paper we report on some of our findings in our on-going research in relating Object Oriented code cohesion to test case development complexity. It is conjectured that the more cohesive the code is the easier it should be to develop test cases for the code. We studied a small ATM application software and measured the cohesion attribute using two existing cohesion metrics, LCOM5 and ITRA-C [6, 12, 14]. We then measured the test case development effort using TCD-Complexity metric [13]. Our measurements showed high correlation between ITRA-C and TCD-Complexity for OO Classes of relatively large size, but not between LCOM5 and TCD-Complexity. This result shows high potential for using certain code cohesion metric as an indicator for test complexity.
A mammalian ortholog of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Vac14 that associates with and up-regulates PIKfyve phosphoinositide 5-kinase activity.

Multivesicular body morphology and size are controlled in part by PtdIns(3,5)P2, produced in mammalian cells by PIKfyve-directed phosphorylation of PtdIns(3)P. Here we identify human Vac14 (hVac14), an evolutionarily conserved protein, present in all eukaryotes but studied principally in yeast thus far, as a novel positive regulator of PIKfyve enzymatic activity. In mammalian cells and tissues, Vac14 is a low-abundance 82-kDa protein, but its endogenous levels could be up-regulated upon ectopic expression of hVac14. PIKfyve and hVac14 largely cofractionated, populated similar intracellular locales, and physically associated. A small-interfering RNA-directed gene-silencing approach to selectively eliminate endogenous hVac14 rendered HEK293 cells susceptible to morphological alterations similar to those observed upon expression of PIKfyve mutants deficient in PtdIns(3,5)P2 production. Largely decreased in vitro PIKfyve kinase activity and unaltered PIKfyve protein levels were detected under these conditions. Conversely, ectopic expression of hVac14 increased the intrinsic PIKfyve lipid kinase activity. Concordantly, intracellular PtdIns(3)P-to-PtdIns(3,5)P2 conversion was perturbed by hVac14 depletion and was elevated upon ectopic expression of hVac14. These data demonstrate a major role of the PIKfyve-associated hVac14 protein in activating PIKfyve and thereby regulating PtdIns(3,5)P2 synthesis and endomembrane homeostasis in mammalian cells.
Generalized series dynamic imaging with deformable references [MRI application]

Many imaging applications require the acquisition of a time series of images. Conventional full-scan methods acquire each of these images independently, resulting in a tradeoff between spatial resolution and temporal resolution. To address this problem, a generalized series-based reduced-encoding method has been proposed, which collects one or a few high-resolution references and a sequence of reduced data sets. This paper extends this imaging scheme to allow deformable references to be used to compensate for possible geometric variations between the references and the reduced data sets. The deformable references are constructed using a thin-plate spline model and a mutual information-based registration algorithm. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed method can handle large geometric changes such as those encountered in cardiac imaging.
A 9 b charge-to-digital converter for integrated image sensors

Charge-to-digital conversion offers advantages over conventional charge readout techniques because it performs digitization directly in the charge domain. The approach consolidates hardware, reduces power and weight, and eliminates many sources of noise and nonlinearity. This paper introduces an architecture for a charge-to-digital converter (CDC) that is tailored toward a charge-coupled device (CCD) implementation. New methods of generating charge, sensing charge, and comparing charge packets are described that improve conversion accuracy. Factors limiting device performance are discussed. Measured results are presented for two prototype CDCs. The first, using buried channel CCDs, is optimized for resolution. It achieves 56 dB spurious free dynamic range (SFDR) at a 2 MHz sampling rate and operates from 5 V. The second, using surface channel CCDs, is optimized for power and speed. It achieves 49 dB SFDR at a 15 MHz sampling rate and consumes 13 mW power at its maximum sampling rate of 22 MHz.
High-Throughput and Quantitative Procedure for Determining Sources of Escherichia coli in Waterways by Using Host-Specific DNA Marker Genes

Escherichia coli is currently used as an indicator of fecal pollution and to assess water quality. While several genotypic techniques have been used to determine potential sources of fecal bacteria impacting waterways and beaches, they do not allow for the rapid analysis of a large number of samples in a relatively short period of time. Here we report that gene probes identified by Hamilton and colleagues (M. J. Hamilton, T. Yan, and M. J. Sadowsky, Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 72:4012-4019, 2006) were useful for the development of a high-throughput and quantitative macroarray hybridization system to determine numbers of E. coli bacteria originating from geese/ducks. The procedure we developed, using a QBot robot for picking and arraying of colonies, allowed us to simultaneously analyze up to 20,736 E. coli colonies from water samples, with minimal time and human input. Statistically significant results were obtained by analyzing 700 E. coli colonies per water sample, allowing for the analysis of approximately 30 sites per macroarray. Macroarray hybridization studies done on E. coli collected from water samples obtained from two urban Minnesota lakes and one rural South Carolina lake indicated that geese/ducks contributed up to 51% of the fecal bacteria in the urban lake water samples, and the level was below the detection limit in the rural lake water sample. This technique, coupled with the use of other host source-specific gene probes, holds great promise as a new quantitative microbial source tracking tool to rapidly determine the origins of E. coli in waterways and on beaches.
Excision of Reprogramming Transgenes Improves the Differentiation Potential of iPS Cells Generated with a Single Excisable Vector

The residual presence of integrated transgenes following the derivation of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells is highly undesirable. Here we demonstrate efficient derivation of iPS cells free of exogenous reprogramming transgenes using an excisable polycistronic lentiviral vector. A novel version of this vector containing a reporter fluorochrome allows direct visualization of vector excision in living iPS cells in real time. We find that removal of the reprogramming vector markedly improves the developmental potential of iPS cells and significantly augments their capacity to undergo directed differentiation in vitro. We further propose that methods to efficiently excise reprogramming transgenes with minimal culture passaging, such as those demonstrated here, are critical since we find that iPS cells may acquire chromosomal abnormalities, such as trisomy of chromosome 8, similar to embryonic stem cells after expansion in culture. Our findings illustrate an efficient method for the generation of transgene-free iPS cells and emphasize the potential beneficial effects that may result from elimination of integrated reprogramming factors. In addition, our results underscore the consequences of long-term culture that will need to be taken into account for the clinical application of iPS cells.
A pixel scale digital to analog converter array for liquid crystal on VLSI displays

A pixel scale digital to analog converter and driver for liquid crystal (LC) cells is presented. The circuit is a compact CMOS logic gate that sums pulse density modulation (pdm) signals. Low pass filtering of the pdm signal is done by the LC material. The circuit is suitable to implement large arrays of converters as, for example, in display applications. It is applicable in LC on silicon displays where gray scale data are stored and converted at each pixel site. Advantages over the commonly used active matrix technology include the removal of all analog circuitry, no need for refresh, reduced interconnect complexity, no capacitive loading of analog lines, and the ability to build larger scale or smart displays that combine memory, processing, and drive circuitry. Experimental results from a CMOS implementation are presented. >
Impact of blood pressure perturbations on arterial stiffness

Although the associations between chronic levels of arterial stiffness and blood pressure (BP) have been fairly well studied, it is not clear whether and how much arterial stiffness is influenced by acute perturbations in BP. The primary aim of this study was to determine magnitudes of BP dependence of various measures of arterial stiffness during acute BP perturbation maneuvers. Fifty apparently healthy subjects, including 25 young (20-40 yr) and 25 older adults (60-80 yr), were studied. A variety of BP perturbations, including head-up tilt, head-down tilt, mental stress, isometric handgrip exercise, and cold pressor test, were used to encompass BP changes induced by physical, mental, and/or mechanical stimuli. When each index of arterial stiffness was plotted with mean BP, all arterial stiffness indices, including cardio-ankle vascular index or CAVI (r = 0.50), carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity or cfPWV (r = 0.51), brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity or baPWV (r = 0.61), arterial compliance (r = -0.42), elastic modulus (r = 0.52), arterial distensibility (r = -0.32), β-stiffness index (r = 0.19), and Young's modulus (r = 0.35) were related to mean BP (all P < 0.01). Changes in CAVI, cfPWV, baPWV, and elastic modulus were significantly associated with changes in mean BP in the pooled conditions, while changes in arterial compliance, arterial distensibility, β-stiffness index, and Young's modulus were not. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that BP changes in response to various forms of pressor stimuli were associated with the corresponding changes in arterial stiffness indices and that the strengths of associations with BP varied widely depending on what arterial stiffness indices were examined.
Do Psycholegal Abilities Mediate the Relationship between Psychiatric Diagnoses and Competence to Stand Trial Opinions

ABSTRACTStudies have examined relationships between (a) diagnoses and evaluator opinion of competence to stand trial (CST), (b) evaluator opinion and psycholegal abilities, and (c) diagnoses and psycholegal abilities. The present study adds to the literature by exploring the mediating role of psycholegal abilities between diagnoses and CST opinions through the examination of 119 CST reports. Findings indicate deficits in psycholegal abilities mediated the relationship between psychotic disorders and opinion of incompetence, but only among unmedicated defendants. Results regarding psycholegal abilities’ mediating role in the relationship between cognitive disorder and opinion of incompetence are less clear. We offered several hypotheses for the differences in results, as well as suggestions for future research.
Generating Infrastructural Invisibility: Insulation, Interconnection, and Avian Excrement in the Southern California Power Grid

The fact that industrial infrastructures are embedded in complex environments animated by unexpected agencies is often invisible to their users—at least those who live in rich, industrialized societies with reliable systems for distributing water, power, and other goods and services. This article investigates how that invisibility is generated through a case study of electric power transmission in California in the early twentieth century. In the 1910s, the Pacific Light and Power Company constructed a 150,000-volt transmission line that delivered power from the Big Creek hydroelectric complex in the Sierra Nevada to customers in Los Angeles, more than 240 miles (386 kilometers) away. When the Southern California Edison Company upgraded this line to 220,000 volts in the early 1920s, the rate of disruptive "flashovers" on the line jumped dramatically. After months of investigation, the cause was determined to be excrement from birds perching on the transmission towers. To render this and other sources of interruption invisible to users, two techniques were used: insulation and interconnection. These kinds of humble techniques of separation and resilience are ubiquitous in modern infrastructure. By creating and maintaining divisions, they make it possible for new kinds of agency to emerge. Infrastructures become animate: responsive to their environments in ways that allow them to persist in the face of continual change.
Feeding modes in stream salmonid population models: is drift feeding the whole story?

Drift-feeding models are essential components of broader models that link stream habitat to salmonid populations and community dynamics. But is an additional feeding mode needed for understanding and predicting salmonid population responses to streamflow and other environmental factors? We addressed this question by applying two versions of the individual-based model inSTREAM to a field experiment in which streamflow was varied in experimental units that each contained a stream pool and the adjacent upstream riffle. The two model versions differed only in the feeding options available to fish. Both versions of inSTREAM included drift feeding; one also included a search feeding mode to represent feeding in which food availability is largely independent of streamflow, such as feeding from the benthos, or feeding from the water column or the water’s surface in low water velocities. We compared the abilities of the two model versions to fit the observed distributions of growth by individual rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in the field experiment. The version giving fish the daily choice between drift or search feeding better fit observations than the version in which fish fed only on drift. Values for drift and search food availability from calibration to the individual mass changes of fish in experimental units with unaltered streamflow yielded realistic distributions of individual growth when applied to experimental units in which streamflow was reduced by 80 %. These results correspond with empirical studies that show search feeding can be an important alternative to drift feeding for salmonids in some settings, and indicate that relatively simple formulations of both processes in individual-based population models can be useful in predicting the effects of environmental alterations on fish populations.
Activation of an Aryl C−H Bond Converts Chelating Diphenolate Ligands Bound to Zirconium into Trianionic Pincer Ligands: σ-Donor Ligand Effects versus Thermolysis

This report describes the synthesis and characterization of new zirconium benzyl complexes supported by a trianionic pincer ligand. Treating Zr(CH2Ph)4 with the terphenyldiol [tBuOCO]H3 (1) in benz...
Mammary Gland Growth during Pseudopregnancy and Pregnancy in the Rat

SummaryGrowth of the mammary gland of the rat during normal pseudopregnancy was only 18% of the growth found at day 18 of normal pregnancy as measured by DNA. This suggests that the corpora lutea of pseudopregnancy function at approximately one-fifth the level of those in pregnancy. Hysterectomy, which resulted in a 6-day extension of pseudopregnancy, was without effect in the enhancement of mammary gland growth over normal pseudopregnancy. However, the ratio of RNA to DNA in the mammary glands of these animals was raised significantly. The production of deciduomata concomitant with pseudopregnancy resulted in a 9-day extension of pseudopregnancy and a slight increase in mammary gland growth over that of normal pseudopregnancy. It was only 30% of that at day 18 of pregnancy and 76% of that at day 12 of pregnancy when DNA was standardized to body weight.
American Crucifixion: The Murder of Joseph Smith and the Fate of the Mormon Church

Review of: "American Crucifixion: The Murder of Joseph Smith and the Fate of the Mormon Church," by Alex Beam.
A urologist’s perspective on prostate cancer imaging: past, present, and future

Prostate cancer is unique in that unlike other solid organ malignancies, only recently has imaging been employed to routinely detect and localize disease. The introduction of transrectal ultrasound was a significant development, transitioning digitally guided prostate biopsies to ultrasound guidance. The arrival of multiparametric MRI has become the next major step, transforming the way Urologist’s diagnose, stage, and treat prostate cancer. Recent recommendations against PSA screening have changed the landscape of urologic oncology with the changing needs being reflected in the initiation of additional robust imaging techniques at different time points in prostate cancer care. The current review aims to provide a clinical perspective in the history, current standard of care, and novel imaging modalities in the evaluation of prostate cancer.
Morbidity and mortality of influenza in Japan

Influenza is reportable in Japan since 1947. The current sentinel surveillance system for influenza started in 1987. Influenza morbidity is clearly correlated with increased influenza and pneumonia mortality and mortality from other major underlying diseases, which results in an increased overall mortality. The expected mortality was calculated from a seasonal ARIMA model for influenza and pneumonia. Excess mortality is defined as the number of deaths exceeding the upper confidence limit that was calculated from the model. During the 1998/1999 season, the estimated number of excess deaths from pneumonia and influenza was about 10,000 and from all causes about 40,000. More than 90% of these deaths occurred among elderly.
Artifacts from pulsatile flow in MR imaging.

Previous investigators have examined the effect of blood flow on the apparent blood vessel signal intensity. These studies reported flow brightening and darkening effects within vessels. In this paper we have investigated another type of flow artifact, which originates from the pulsatile nature of blood flow. These flow artifacts have characteristic bright and dark "ghosting" patterns which appear close to small vessels, usually arteries, which are bright in slow flow. Similar to the amplitude-of-motion artifacts caused by patient motion (e.g., breathing and cardiac motion) the ghosting artifacts due to pulsatile flow are best characterized as frequency modulated spectral sidebands. The pulsatile artifacts can have both dark and bright structures and usually appear close to the "moving" vessel that generates the artifact. In this paper we present a study of the chief features of these pulsatile flow artifacts, and we develop a theoretical description of their origins in terms of "accidental" velocity-encodings that occur strongly in most magnetic resonance imaging sequences.
Recent Detections of Spilogale putorius (Eastern Spotted Skunk) in South Carolina

Abstract Spilogale putorius (Eastern Spotted Skunk), once a fairly common furbearer across the eastern and mid-western US, is estimated to have undergone a >90% population decline across its range since the 1950s. In South Carolina, only 17 sightings of the Eastern Spotted Skunk have ever been reported, with the most recent sighting in 1998. The objective of our study was to investigate whether this species still occurs in South Carolina. We set camera traps at 56 locations on public land in the Appalachian region of South Carolina during January–March 2015, including sites of historic records. We detected 5 individual Eastern Spotted Skunks at 5 sites between the hours of 20:00 and 03:00 during 1326 trap nights in February and March. Our findings highlight the potential for Eastern Spotted Skunks to persist in other portions of their range despite a lack of recent records, and the need for future monitoring to address whether this species is cryptic or rare throughout portions of its historic range.
Hematopoiesis and Stem Cell Biology

This chapter covers hematopoiesis and the methodologies used to study maturation of bone marrow precursors into mature blood elements. The roles of particular genes and signaling pathways are highlighted.
Checking Linear Regression Models Taking Time into Account

Linear regression models are usually checked by a lack-of-fit (LOF) test to be sure that the model is at least approximately true. In many practical cases data can only be sampled sequentially. Such a situation can appear in industrial production when goods are produced one after the other. So as time goes by, the mean may also depend on time, i.e., the mean is not only a function of the covariates, but it may be also a function of time. This dependence over time is difficult to detect by a conventional LOF test. Tests based on the residual partial sum process are then more suitable. Therefore, in such a situation we suggest applying both an LOF test, e.g., the F-test, and a test based on the residual partial sum process, e.g., a test of Kolmogorov type. When the linear regression model is not rejected by either test, least squares estimation can be used to estimate the parameters of the linear regression model. For the situation just discussed, we are here interested in a design with which we can efficiently run the two tests and estimate the linear model. Usually, classical optimal designs and LOF-optimal designs do not have these properties.
A New Laboratory Setup for Phase Equilibria Studies of Methane Hydrate in Porous Media

Naturally-occurring hydrates are promising energy resource with abundant reserves that easily surpass the other resources all combined. Much work has been done in predicting the properties of gas hydrates. This is especially true for laboratory formed pure gas hydrates. But many physical properties of hydrates in reservoir are not completely understood yet. In effort to research the hydrate behavior in the subsurface conditions, a new laboratory technique is developed to effectively measure the formation and dissociation of the hydrates in pore space. This newly-developed method has other advantages, when compared with the conventional setup. Details of the experimental design and measurement procedure will be discussed. This chapter will also present the findings of the conducted experimental studies and test results on methane hydrate to illustrate the new technique’s usefulness. It was found that the solution in the pore space retains a memory-effect when metane hydrate is melt at moderate temperatures. This can be eliminated only when the system is heated to sufficiently high temperature.
A Bayesian analysis of clustered discrete and continuous outcomes

ABSTRACTMany study designs yield a variety of outcomes from each subject clustered within an experimental unit. When these outcomes are of mixed data types, it is challenging to jointly model the e...