cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Avian seed preference and weight loss experiments: the effect of fungal endophyte-infected tall fescue seeds

The impact of endophytic fungus-infected seeds on seed predators is poorly understood. In this multiple trophic level investigation, seed preference experiments were conducted to determine whether five species of passerines (dark-eyed juncos, Junco hyemalis; American tree sparrows, Spizella arborea; song sparrows, Melospiza melodia; chipping sparrows, Spizella pusilla; and house sparrows, Passer domesticus) recognize and preferentially consume noninfected (NI) over infected (I) seeds of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea). We predicted that the birds would refrain from eating I seeds because those seeds contain high concentrations of fungal alkaloids. When given a choice of NI fescue seeds and control seeds (millet), all bird species showed a significant preference for millet. However, individuals of all species consumed some NI seeds. When given a choice of NI and I fescue seeds, all species except the chippig sparrow ate significatly more NI than I fescue seed and the chipping sparrow showed the same trend. Thus, birds were able to distinguish between the two seed types and preferred NI seeds in choice tests. Additional experiments investigated weight changes in dark-eyed juncos fed diets containing different proportions of millet, NI, and I fescue seed. Significant differences in weight loss were observed for the various diets. Juncos showed greater weight loss when the proportion of fescue seed, especially the proportion of I seed, in their diet was greater. The potential significance of the finding that abundant grass seeds are made unavailable to predators by fungal infection is discussed in relation to foraging and competition in avian communities.
Predictions of substituent effects in thermal azide 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions: implications for dynamic combinatorial (reversible) and click (irreversible) chemistry.

Substituent effects in 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions of azides with alkenes and alkynes were investigated with the high-accuracy CBS-QB3 method. The possibilities for noncatalytic activation and the reversibility or irreversibility of these reactions was explored; the possibilities for uses in dynamic combinatorial chemistry (DCC) or click chemistry were explored. The activation enthalpies for reactions of ethylene and acetylene with hydrazoic acid, formyl, phenyl-, methyl-, and methanesulfonylazides exhibit modest variation, with ΔH⧧ ranging from 17 to 20 kcal/mol. A detailed study of formylazide cycloadditions with various alkenes and alkynes reveals a narrow range of activation enthalpies (17−21 kcal/mol). The activation enthalpies for the reactions of azides with alkenes and alkynes are similar. FMO theory and distortion/interaction energy control have been used to rationalize the rates and regiochemistries of cycloadditions involving alkene dipolarophiles. Significantly, triazoles, formed from alkynes, ...
Increased accumbens Cdk5 expression in rats after short-access to self-administered cocaine, but not after long-access sessions

Upregulation of cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5) after chronic cocaine administration has led to speculation that Cdk5 plays an important role in drug addiction. However, as Cdk5 involvement is implicated in a variety of neural events, including neuronal development, synaptic plasticity and learning, a specific role in drug abuse is yet to be determined. The present study utilized cocaine self-administration and food-reinforced operant procedures to assess possible relationships between cocaine intake, food-reinforced operant responding, behavioral activity, and Cdk5 levels in the nucleus accumbens (NAcc), ventral tegmental area (VTA), and prefrontal cortex (PFC) in rats. In Experiment 1, animals undergoing daily cocaine self-administration (1-h/30 days) or food-reinforced operant sessions (20-min/30 days) showed significant between-group differences in operant responding and behavioral activity, but no significant differences in NAcc, VTA or PFC Cdk5 levels compared to a Handled Control group. In Experiment 2, animals that had self-administered cocaine in 10 daily 1-h sessions (Short-Access Cocaine) showed significantly greater NAcc Cdk5 expression compared to an Unhandled Control group, and no evidence of cocaine-induced behavioral sensitization. Animals given 4-h daily access to cocaine over the same number of sessions (Long-Access Cocaine) showed significantly enhanced cocaine-reinforced responding and locomotor activation by the end of the sessions, but no significant differences in Cdk5 expression compared to Control animals. These findings suggest that overexpression of Cdk5 may be a transient adaptation to cocaine experience that subsides with increased cocaine exposure and does not correspond with measures of cocaine-induced behavioral sensitization.
Improving New-Product Forecasting at Intel Corporation

Forecasting demand for new products is becoming increasingly difficult as the technology treadmill continually drives product life cycles shorter. The task is even more challenging for electronic goods; these products have life cycles measured in quarters, manufacturing processes measured in months, and market volatility that takes place on a day-to-day basis. We present a model that perpetually reduces forecast variance as new market information is acquired over time. Our model extends Bass' original idea of product diffusion [Bass, F. M. 1969. A new product growth for model consumer durables. Management Sci. 15(5) 215--227] to a more comprehensive theoretical setting. We first describe how forecast variances can be reduced when combining predictive information from multiple diffusion models. We then introduce the notion of demand-leading indicators in a Bayesian framework that reduces forecast variance by incorporating a wide variety of information emerging during the product life cycle. We describe a successful implementation of this model at Intel, where we tested one-third of the microprocessor products. When compared with the current forecasting method, our model reduced forecasting time from three days to two hours and decreased forecasting errors by 33 percent, leading to $11.8 million in cost savings over four months of demand realization.
College-Students Hypothetical Responses to Suicidal Individuals Who Are HIV Positive, Substance Abusing, Depressed, or Anxious

Abstract To see if specific circumstances encourage or discourage helpful responses to suicide threats, 141 undergraduates read a one-paragraph vignette about a suicidal person with either AIDS, depression, drug abuse, anxiety, or adjustment problems. Students then wrote five responses, which on average were mildly unhelpful regardless of circumstance. A suicidal person who was HIV positive engendered significantly less helpful responses than a suicidal person who had panic attacks. Results suggest that, for suicidal persons, revealing life circumstances fails to engender increased empathy in college students.
Shape From A Single View: A Comparative Study

In this paper a proposed method for estimating the surface orientation of an object is introduced. The concept of using a calibration object to estimate the shape of unknown object is followed. In the proposed approach only one image of the calibration and the unknown object is used. This differs from the case of the known photometric stereo method, in which three images for each object are needed. The key idea in the proposed method is that, matching between a point in the image of the unknown object and another in the image of calibration object is done by using a similarity measure between two feature vectors constructed from the image irradiance values around the studied points according to certain masks. A comparison between the proposed method and photometeric stereo method is discussed. The performance of the proposed method is tested using synthetic image, and the experimental results of computer simulation is also discussed.
Reply to Dr. Kawada's letter.

Dear Editor, The main objective of our study was to evaluate the effects of methamphetamine self-administration and abstinence on sleep-like measures derived from Actiwatch monitors in rhesus monkeys under well-controlled experimental conditions (Andersen et al. 2013). We agree with Dr. Kawada that actigraphy is not a substitute for polysomnography. In fact, we clearly acknowledged in the discussion section that actigraphy is a complementary approach to polysomnography with limitations: “As hypothesized, methamphetamine produced marked impairments in sleep-like behavior. Because the Actiwatches used in the current study can only measure activity, it is assumed that during periods of low activity, the animals exhibited behavior that could be inferred as ‘sleep.’ However, only an objective measure (e.g., polysomnography) could indeed provide this definitive information.” There are several important similarities between humans and diurnal nonhuman primates favoring the use of nonhuman primate species to model alterations in human sleep (Zhdanova et al. 2002). We are aware of the relevant literature related to sleep–wake patterns in rhesus macaques. The available methods for monitoring neurophysiological activity underlying sleep are difficult and laborious to implement (Darbin et al. 2009) and pose a significant challenge for nonhuman primate studies. Actigraphy is less demanding of resources than conventional polysomnography, both in terms of equipment costs and the time required for analysis of extensive data, as discussed previously by Terrill et al. (2010). If sleep-related variables derived from behavioral activity are based on clear operational definitions of sleep-like behavior, then the use of actigraphy can provide a useful resource that is clearly warranted. We agree that the application of actigraphy to nonhuman primates needs additional validation through well-designed, multidisciplinary studies such as those reported by Andersen et al.
Role of sodium, potassium, quabain and reserpine in uptake, storage and metabolism of biogenic amines in synaptosomes

Abstract PREVIOUS reports have shown that after homogenization of rat brain in isotonic sucrose the apparently intact nerve endings are pinched off and can be separated by centrifugation in a discontinuous sucrose gradient (1,2). These so-called synaptosomes contain synaptic vesicles which store acetylcholine, norepinephrine (NE) and serotonin (5HT). However, the synaptosomes appeared to be functionally different from nerve endings in the intact brain in that at 37°C they rapidly lose their content of NE and 5HT (3). This laboratory has previously reported that the storage of NE in slices of rat heart is greatly enhanced by Na+ and impaired by K+ (4). In subsequent studies it was shown that Na+ is essential for the system that stores NE in sympathetic nerve endings and that this process is competitively inhibited by K+ (5,6). Other workers have also postulated that Na+ is required for the uptake of NE by sympathetic nerve endings (7,8). The present paper shows that Na+ is essential for the process that stores and accumulates NE and 5HT and that in synaptosomes the action of Na+ is inhibited by K+. Moreover, evidence is presented which suggests that biogenic amines in synaptosomes are synthesized from endogenous precursors.
Digital dermatoglyphics and breast cancer

Fingerprints of one hundred nineteen Caucasian females were obtained. Of these females, thirty-four had histologically proven breast cancer, fifty-three were at high risk for development of breast cancer, and thirty-two comprised a control group. The digital pattern frequencies and the pattern intensity index were significantly different between the three groups. The presence of six or more whorls appears significant as noted by 32.4% of breast cancer patients possessing this number of whorls as compared to 3.1% controls. Also of note is that 95% of subjects with six or more whorls either had cancer or were at high risk.
Linking HAZUS-MH Risk-Analysis Methodology to Contaminant-Release Models

In seismically active areas, waste-containment systems (WCS) can be damaged by earthquakes that generate significant ground acceleration. In such circumstances, contaminants can be released into the environment. Current state-of-the-art earthquake damage risk-assessment methodologies, Hazards U.S. Multi-Hazard (HAZUS-MH), need to incorporate contaminant-release models to enable more complete environmental impact assessments for existing and planned waste-containment systems. Contaminant-release and transport probabilities that determine the prospect of functional failure of waste-containment systems depend on a wider range of structural, geologic, hydrologic, and human factors than are covered by the structural failure probabilities of conventional structures such as buildings, roads, and bridges. The release of contaminants from WCS, and the cost of remediation depend on conditional probabilities that span the intensity and frequency of the initiating event, the structural damage of the WCS, and the fate and transport of the released contaminants in the subsurface. In this paper, the necessity and approach to linking HAZUS-MH to contaminant-release models are discussed along with relevant factors. The quantitative link that is advocated in this paper would expand the utility of HAZUS-MH in facilities design and environmental impact assessments.
The Epidemiologic Transition Model: Accomplishments and Challenges

Changes in population size and structure are determined by basic processes that can be summarized by the demographic equation (Fig. 1). While demographers and those concerned with population growth tend to emphasize fertility trends, and immigration policy is very much on the current political agenda, epidemiologists tend to concentrate their efforts studying the factors associated with the third part of the equation. Late in the nineteenth century, demographers, following Malthusian principles, developed several theories to describe how populations change over long periods of time. Dudley Kirk (1) points out that, in 1929, Warren Thompson categorized populations on the basis of fertility and mortality (2), followed in 1934 by the first use of the term ‘‘transition’’ by Adolphe Landry (3). But it is Frank Notestein who is given credit for the first full statement of the demographic transition model in 1945 (4). This model was expanded by Abdel Omran in a seminal article in 1971 in which he renamed the model the epidemiologic transition model (5). Whereas earlier demographers were concerned primarily with changes in fertility, Omran emphasized the mortality aspects. Omran renamed the four stages of the demographers’ transition model for population evolution to emphasize some epidemiologic aspects (Fig. 2): Stage 1, which demographers called pre-modern, he labeled the stage of pestilence and famine characterized by high death rates and high birth rates with low population size. Stage 2durbanizing and industrializingdhe described as the stage of receding pandemics resulting from a gradual conquest of disease primarily through better sanitation and nutrition and resulting in a reduction of mortality, especially child mortality, and a concomitant gradual increase in population size. Stage 3dmature industrialdhe called the stage of declining births with a peaking of the size of the population. Stage 4dpostindustrialdwas characterized as the stage of degenerative and man-made disease with a balance between birth and death rates, both at low levels, and a leveling off of the population size. It should be pointed out that the model is an idealized summary of the stages in a population’s development. It fits fairly well the demographic changes which occurred in Western Europe and the English-speaking countries during
Sleep and obesity

Purpose of reviewThis review summarizes the most recent evidence linking decreased sleep duration and poor sleep quality to obesity, focusing upon studies in adults.Recent findingsPublished and unpublished health examination surveys and epidemiological studies suggest that the worldwide prevalence o
Temporal dynamics of blood flow effects in half-Fourier fast spin echo (1)H magnetic resonance imaging of the human lungs.

A cardiac-triggered half-Fourier single-shot turbo spin echo (HASTE) technique is currently the method of choice for MR imaging of the lung parenchyma without the use of exogenous contrast agents. In this study, we specifically examined the effects of the cardiac cycle on the HASTE signal intensity of the lungs. Images were obtained from six healthy human volunteers at an end expiration breath-hold using a HASTE sequence and a variable cardiac-triggered delay time. Analysis of the data sets showed a 30% decrease in the lung signal intensity during systole, and a 15% decrease during mid-diastole. These decreases correlate with phases of the cardiac cycle when the blood flow in the lungs is expected to be greatest. Misregistration artifacts, particularly from the pulmonary arteries and aorta, are worse during these periods of signal decrease. To minimize cardiac dependent signal losses, HASTE lung imaging should be performed after systole but before rapid filling of the ventricles.J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2001;14:411–418. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
110 SOMATOMEDINS POTENTIATE INTERLEUKIN 2 INDUCED STIMULATION OF NATURAL KILLER CELL ACTIVITY

Natural killer (NK) activity of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) is reduced in GHD. We, therefore, investigated whether or not IGF-I and IGF-II have any influence on NK activity in the presence or absence of interleukin 2 (IL-2). PBL were obtained by fractionation of blood cells on a Ficoll gradient. After incubation in RPMI )640 medium with or without IL-2 (100 U/ml), IGF-I and/or IGF-II (25 ng/ml) for 15 h cytotoxicity was measured by a 4-h 51-Cr-release assay utilizing the cell line K562. IGF-I and IGF-II alone or in combination had no effect on NK activity. The stimulatory effect of IL-2 (100%) was not significantly enhanced by further addition of IGF-I ( 123 ± 48%) or IGF-II (118 ± 36%), if inter-individual means (N=11) were regarded, although in some individuals a significant potentiation (p<0.00l) was observed (maximal values with IGF-I: 232%, IGF-II: 194%). In contrast, addition of both IGF-I and -II potentiated the IL-2 effect significantly (p<0.001) even if the inter-individual mean was regarded (146 ± 125%). In 7 out of 11 individuals the combined effect of IGF-I and -II was clearly more than additive. Dose-response curves of IGF-I and -II in the presence of IL-2 exhibited a significant increase of NK activity between 0.1 and 10 ng/ml. It is concluded that (1) somatomedins are modulators of NK cell function and (2) that IGF-I and -II may act synergistically in particular systems.
Electron-energy-loss spectra of vanadium, niobium, molybdenum, and tantalum

Electron-energy-loss spectra were obtained out to approximately 80 eV in the reflection mode from atomically clean foil samples of vanadium, niobium, molybdenum, and tantalum. Results are compared with previous ultraviolet optical work and electron-energy-loss spectroscopy (ELS) studies on these materials. Resolution of structure is improved over many previous ELS investigations by using synchronous detection techniques in determining energy locations. Origins of the various observed structures are discussed in light of previous studies, particularly ultraviolet optical work leading to the determination of the complex dielectric function. We comment on discrepancies existing in the literature about plasmon energies in these materials estimated from infrared optical measurements.
Automated internetworking using HF radio links

The automation, usability, throughput, and reliability of HF radio links has now been raised to the point where an HF link can act as a network component, allowing normal network services in ways and configurations not previously economically or operationally possible. This paper describes the capabilities and expected performance of such a system, and describes a vision of the future of HF radio in networking. A system currently under development will connect to an Ethernet LAN (using TCP/IP) and act as a gateway to other LANs. These systems accept requests from users through TCP/IP and forward those requests through an ALE-managed HF radio network. They then deliver the information to the destination LAN, where it is sent to the intended user or machine. The first implementation will include file transfer (text and binary) and electronic mail service, using the tools and interfaces that the users are currently accustomed to. >
Mild cognitive impairment: to treat or not to treat.

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) refers to memory deficits in excess of normal aging, but not sufficient for the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In general, patients with MCI are not disabled and have no other obvious cognitive deficits other than memory. Many studies have shown that patients with MCI are more likely to progress to AD than age-matched controls. Drug therapy to prevent or delay deterioration in patients with MCI has been tested only very recently. The results of three clinical trials are discussed. One of two trials with donepizil suggests that donepizil may delay onset of AD, but the effect is modest and the side effects are problematic. Galantamine appeared to be associated with excess deaths, and vitamin E was not effective. No medications are currently indicated for the prevention of dementia in patients with MCI.
Perception vs. Reality: An Investigation of the Misperceptions concerning the Extent of Peer Novel Drug Use

Misperceptions of peer substance use have previously been implicated as significant influences on individual use of both alcohol and illicit drugs. However, research on perceived social norms and related interventions are typically limited to binge drinking and marijuana and no empirical studies have explored misperceptions related to "novel drugs." The present study explored the extent of use and perceptions of use among a college sample (N = 2,349) for three categories of novel drugs: synthetic cannabinoids (Spice, K2, Mr. Miyagi, Pot-Pourri, etc.), synthetic cathinones (commonly known as "bath salts"), and Salvia divinorum. Results indicate that overall perceived use was significantly higher than actual reported use. The frequency of overestimation of peer use was particularly large for the emerging drugs when compared to alcohol and marijuana. This finding is concerning as these misperceptions have the potential to influence students toward experimentation with these substances and suggests that a possible target for intervention is misperceptions of emerging novel substances.
Drug-Induced Lung Toxicity

The number of blood-borne chemotherapeutic agents implicated in drug-induced lung toxicity continues to increase, although problems in detection remain. The initiation of drug-induced lung injury can have an immunologic or nonimmunologic basis. If endothelial cells are injured, interstitial pulmonary edema may result. Regardless of the source of injury, the progression of drug-induced lung toxicity is often quite similar, involving (1) parenchymal damage, (2) recruitment of inflammatory cells, and (3) progression of the inflammatory process. If the inflammatory reponse is sufficiently severe and disperse, increased collagen can be deposited in interstitial and intra-alveolar areas. The resulting attenuation of gas exchange can induce dyspnea and possibly death. Recent research suggests mediation of the fibrogenic process via cytokines such as transforming growth factor-β and tumor necrosis factor. Preliminary results demonstrating amelioration of cytokine mediated lung-induced fibrosis in animal models wi...
Constitutive activity of a UV cone opsin

Vertebrate visual pigment proteins contain a conserved carboxylic acid residue in the third transmembrane helix. In rhodopsin, Glu113 serves as a counterion to the positively charged protonated Schiff base formed by 11-cis retinal attached to Lys296. Activation involves breaking of this ion pair. In UV cone pigments, the retinyl Schiff base is unprotonated, and hence such a salt bridge is not present; yet the pigment is inactive in the dark. Mutation of Glu108, which corresponds to rhodopsin's Glu113, to Gln yields a pigment that remains inactive in the dark. The apoproteins of both the wild-type and mutant, however, are constitutively active with the mutant being of significantly higher activity. Thus, one important role for preserving the negatively charged glutamate in the third helix of UV pigments is to maintain a less active opsin in a manner similar to rhodopsin. Ligand binding itself in the absence of a salt bridge is sufficient for deactivation.
Effects of shoreline stabilization and environmental variables on benthic infaunal communities in the Lynnhaven River System of Chesapeake Bay

Abstract Coastlines worldwide are being altered due to shoreline hardening and stabilization and while highly altered systems are subject to change, variability exists in how shoreline hardening affects benthic communities depending on the landscape features of the system and regional production. Oyster reefs have been used to stabilize shorelines and offer a potentially positive effect on shoreline communities. In a field survey, we used 29 sites throughout the Lynnhaven River System, a highly developed yet productive subestuary of Chesapeake Bay, to determine effects of shoreline type (natural marsh, oyster shell reef, rip-rap, and bulkhead), sediment characteristics (grain size and total organic carbon and total nitrogen), and predators on benthic infaunal density, biomass, and diversity. An information-theoretic approach was used to determine which of several hypothesized Generalized Linear Models were supported by the data. Shoreline type was the best predictor of benthic infaunal density, with oyster reefs having the highest benthic density and bulkhead the lowest. In contrast, sediment characteristics and predators were the best predictors of benthic infaunal biomass and diversity. The Lynnhaven system is shallow (~ 2.5 m), and nearly 78% of the shoreline is natural marsh, which promotes high regional benthic productivity that may mask small-scale effects of shoreline stabilization on infauna. Our findings contrast with previous studies in moderately productive systems where altered shorelines had substantial direct effects on the benthos, suggesting that further studies need to take place across various systems among a range of upland usages to help clarify the impact of local shoreline stabilization versus regional watershed usage on benthic communities. Our results highlight that high ecosystem productivity is important for resilience to local shoreline modification.
Strongyloides stercoralis: hyperinfection in immunosuppressed dogs.

Hyperinfective strongyloidiasis involving the threadworm , Strongyloides stercoralis, is well known in humans and primates. Although this nematode also frequently parasitizes dogs, canine hyperinfective strongyloidiasis has not been reported. To determine whether a fulminant pattern of nematode development can occur in dogs, and to test the S. stercoralis/dog system for suitability as a model for human hyperinfective and disseminated strongyloidiasis, five canine infections with a dog-derived strain of S. stercoralis were monitored by the quantitative recovery of larvae from feces. Even 3-month-old pups controlled their initial infections successfully, the number of larvae excreted declining to near zero in 90 days. Immunosuppressive treatment with prednisolone, prednisolone and azathiaprine , or niridazole resulted in a rapid return to former or greater intensities of infection, as judged by larval output. Only first stage ( rhabditiform ) larvae were passed in the feces, although third stage (filariform) larvae occurred in the intestinal contents of dogs when they were examined at necropsy. In 3 of the 5 dogs, the adult worm recovery exceeded the inoculated dose greatly and, in one of these, adults and rhabditiform larvae were found in distant, extraintestinal sites. In the remaining 2 of the 5 dogs, the adult worm population was less than the inoculated dose, but, in both, the infection was terminated by the host's death before hyperinfection could have developed. The observations demonstrate that autoinfection occurs in dogs infected with S. stercoralis and that, if it is allowed to continue for a sufficiently long time in immunosuppressed hosts, massive hyperinfection, and even disseminated infection, may occur. This spectrum of increasingly invasive parasitism closely resembles strongyloidiasis in humans. Therefore, the S. stercoralis/dog system has excellent potential as a model for human hyperinfective and disseminated strongyloidiasis.
Abstract 3235: Identification of the potential inhibitors of DNA polymerase kappa

Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA Background and Purpose: The therapeutic effect of many anticancer agents is due to induction of replication-blocking DNA lesions. Human DNA polymerase kappa (pol κ) is a trans-lesion synthesis polymerase that can catalyze direct replication past minor groove lesions, such as the one induced by mitomycin C. Pol κ has been found to be upregulated in ∼70% of gliomas and its upregulation associated with poorer prognosis in glioma patients. Therefore, small molecule inhibitors of pol κ in combination with chemotherapy may be useful in the treatment of cancer with upregulated pol κ expression. Methodology: Lead hits were initially identified from a screen of a library of ∼400,000 compounds at 5 different concentrations, using a strand-displacement DNA synthesis approach. From several thousand potential hits, these were systematically triaged, with 335 potential inhibitors of pol κ identified for further analyses. A direct, gel-based primer extension assay was used to test for inhibitory effects of these 335 bioactive compounds. In this assay, pol κ was preincubated with individual compounds, and added to 32P-labeled DNA substrate to initiate primer extensions. The reactions were incubated for 30 minutes at room temperature and terminated by the addition of a DNA-denaturing solution. The products were then separated through a 15% acrylamide gel and visualized with a PhosphorImager screen. Compounds that significantly inhibited the polymerization activity of pol κ were further tested for the ability to intercalate into DNA by incubation with double-stranded DNA for 15 minutes at room temperature, followed by separation through a 1% agarose gel. DNA was stained with ethidium bromide and visualized by Alpha Innotech ChemiImager. Results: Through a series of rigorous triaging procedures, this investigation identified a total of 42 small molecule inhibitors of pol κ with the estimated potencies being the low micromolar range or less. All 42 compounds were confirmed not to exhibit their inhibitory effects through DNA intercalation. These compounds need to be further tested with other members of the Y family polymerase to ensure their specificity to pol κ and determine if they are amenable to medicinal chemistry. Conclusion: Further investigation and characterization of these compounds will allow for a more efficient therapeutic approach in patients who have upregulated pol κ receiving chemotherapy. Citation Format: Christopher B. Sullivan, Irina G. Minko, Kinrin Yamanaka, Amanda K. McCullough, Stephen Lloyd. Identification of the potential inhibitors of DNA polymerase kappa. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 3235. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-3235
Self-Excitation and Feedback Cooling of an Isolated Proton

The first one-proton self-excited oscillator (SEO) and one-proton feedback cooling are demonstrated. In a Penning trap with a large magnetic gradient, the SEO frequency is resolved to the high precision needed to detect a one-proton spin flip. This is after undamped magnetron motion is sideband cooled to a 14 mK theoretical limit, and despite random frequency shifts (typically larger than those from a spin flip) that take place every time sideband cooling is applied. The observations open a possible path towards a million-fold improved comparison of the p and p magnetic moments.
Reorder buffer-occupancy density and its application for measurement and evaluation of packet reordering

Increasing internal parallelism within nodes due to increase in links speeds, and external parallelism among the links due to QoS, ad hoc routing in wireless, etc., point to a significant increase in packet reordering. Application performance also degrades considerably due to out-of-order arrivals. The concept of ''Reorder Buffer-occupancy Density'' (RBD) is defined, which provides the statistics of occupancy of a buffer used to recover from reordering. RBD also captures and measures reordering effectively, helps relate causes of reordering to observations, and allows the development of models for packet reordering. A formal representation and analysis of reordering is presented along with the derivation of RBD models for basic reordering patterns, such as independent, overlapping and embedded reordering. Measurements associate most of the packet reordering occurrences in the Internet to such patterns. The RBD models for these patterns are used to build a buffer-occupancy model with a scenario associated with traffic splitting or bandwidth aggregation as an example. Such models can aid in determining the resource requirements for mitigating effects due to reordering, as well as performance characteristics of underlying network. Developed models are verified using measurements on emulated networks.
Activation of yeast enolase by Cd(II).

Abstract Activation of yeast enolase by Cd2+ exhibits properties similar to activation by the physiological cofactor Mg2+. The activity is weakly stimulated, then inhibited by increasing ionic strength. The activity increases, then falls with increasing Cd2+ concentration. The effect of pH on activity produced by Cd2+ is very similar to that produced by Mg2+, except that the Cd2+ profile is shifted one pH unit to more alkaline values, and the maximum activity of the Cd2+-enzyme is about 10% of that of the Mg2+-enzyme. The apparent kinetic parameters of Cd2+ activation show little effect of pH except for inhibition by high concentrations of Cd2+: the apparent Ki increases sharply with pH. This is interpreted as the result of Cd2+ being a less effective “catalytic” metal ion, and Cd2+ being more effective in stabilizing the enzyme at alkaline pH's. The similarity of effects of ionic strength, divalent cation, and pH may be due to interaction with the same six sites per mole of enzyme. We also characterized the dependence of what is believed to be the enzyme-catalyzed enolization of a substrate analog, D-tartronate semialdehyde-2-phosphate (TSP) on similar parameters of pH, ionic strength, etc. The putative enolization is dependent on catalytic metal ion, although the TSP binds to the conformational Cd2+ - enzyme complex. The reaction is very slow and very pH dependent, increasing with pH with a midpoint of reaction velocity at pH 8.7. There is a strong qualitative correlation between pH dependencies of reaction velocity of substrate conversion and TSP enolization and absorbance of the enzyme-bound TSP enolate, whether with Mg2+ or Cd2+ as cofactor. The slowness of the Cd2+-TSP reaction is not limited by proton release or any reaction involving covalent bonds to hydrogen. The apparent reaction rate constant increases linearly with Cd2+ concentration. Addition of excess ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid reverses the TSP reaction, but again very slowly. The binding of Cd2+ to the catalytic sites is characterized by low association and dissociation rate constants.
A retinotopic analysis of the central connections of the optic nerve in the frog.

The possibility of retinotopic organization in the optic nerve projections to the contralateral and ipsilateral diencephalon was studied by means of partial retinal lesions and staining for terminal degeneration by the Fink-Heimer technique. A retinotopic pattern of projection was observed in the nucleus of Bellonci, the corpus geniculatum thalamicum and the posterior thalamic nucleus. The temporal quadrant of the retina, and, to a lesser extent, the ventral quadrant projected to the ipsilateral side as well as to the contralateral side. In each diencephalic region noted above, the temporal and dorsal quadrants of the retina were represented more posteriorly (posteroventrally), and ventral and nasal quadrants projected more anteriorly (anterodorsally). The areas of representation for the temporal and ventral quadrants were located superior (superoposterior) to those for the dorsal and nasal quadrants. In their overall configuration and orientation, the retino-diencephalic maps show mirror-image reversal with respect to the retino-tectal projection. Since, in their areal extent, both the retino-diencephalic maps and the retino-tectal map are approximately parallel to the ventricular surface, their mirror-image reversal appears to indicate a reversal in the polarity of developmental processes across the di-mesencephalic junction. The retinotopic organization within the optic tract in the diencephalon and tectum was also analyzed. In the optic tract, the quadrants of the retina are reassembled such that the dorsal and nasal quadrants are widely separated in, respectively, the ventral and dorsal edges of the tract; the temporal and ventral quadrants are systematically represented in intermediate levels in the tract, the temporal quadrant above the dorsal, and the ventral quadrant below the nasal. When the optic tract bifurcates to encircle the tectum, the fibers from the ventral and nasal quadrants enter the dorsomedial arm and the fibers from the temporal and dorsal quadrants enter the ventrolateral arm of the optic tract. The paths taken by optic fibers in traversing the tectum to reach their areas of termination were reconstructed. Many optic fibers show an alignment parallel to an anteroventral posterodorsal axis as they cross the surface of the tectum, but the OS vs IS characterization of the fibroarchitecture of the tectum appears to be an oversimplification.
The use of bovine hemoglobin glutamer-250 (Hemopure) in surgical patients: results of a multicenter, randomized, single-blinded trial.

Hemoglobin-based oxygen carrier-201 (HBOC-201, hemoglobin glutamer-250 [bovine], Hemopure ® ; Biopure Corporation, Cambridge, MA) is polymerized hemoglobin of bovine origin being developed as an oxygen therapeutic. In this study, we evaluated the tolerability of a single intraoperative dose of HBOC-201 in surgical patients. In a single-blinded, multicenter study, 81 patients were randomized to receive either a single infusion of HBOC201 (55 patients) or an equivalent volume of lactated Ringer’s solution (26 patients). Forty-two patients originally assigned to the HBOC-201 group received the entire planned treatment of only one of the following doses: 0.6, 0.9, 1.2, 1.5, 2.0, or 2.5 g/kg of body weight. Thirteen of the 55 patients in the HBOC-201-assigned group did not reach the trigger point for transfusion administration, and they were not included in the analysis. We studied clinical outcomes and compared hematologic findings, blood chemistry values, and blood use in the two treatment groups. There were no patient deaths in this study. No pattern of clinically significant laboratory abnormalities could be attributed to exposure to HBOC-201. In the HBOC-201 group, 2 patients had a transient increased concentration of serum transaminases and 6 had transient skin discoloration. One patient in the HBOC-201 group had mast cell degranulation with hypotension. Postoperatively, methemoglobin plasma concentrations increased in the HBOC-201 group in a dose-dependent manner, reaching maximal values of 3.7% 3.2% (average of all doses given) on postoperative day 3. There was no difference in the mean number of allogeneic blood units transfused in the 2 groups (3.3 1.8 and 3.7 4.1 for the lactated Ringer’s solution and HBOC-201 groups, respectively) over the course of hospitalization. The intraoperative administration of HBOC-201, up to a maximum of 245 g, was generally well tolerated. There was no relationship between HBOC-201 use and the number of allogeneic blood units transfused over the entire hospitalization course. The administration of HBOC-201 was associated with a delayed (third postoperative day) dose-dependent increase in the plasma methemoglobin concentration. We conclude that the intraoperative use of HBOC-201 was generally well tolerated.
N,N'-Ethylenedi-L-cysteine (EC) and Its Metal Complexes: Synthesis, Characterization, Crystal Structures, and Equilibrium Constants.

N,N‘-ethylenedi-l-cysteine (EC) and its indium(III) and gallium(III) complexes have been synthesized and characterized. The crystal structures of the ligand and the complexes have been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. EC·2HBr·2H2O (C8H22Br2N2O6S2) crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group P21212 with a = 12.776(3) A, b = 13.735(2) A, c = 5.1340 (10) A, Z = 2, and V = 900.9(3) A3. The complexes Na[M(III)EC]·2H2O (C8H16MN2O6S2Na) are isostructural for M = In and Ga, crystallizing in the tetragonal space group P42212 with the following lattice constants for In, (Ga): a = 10.068(2) A, (9.802(2) A), b = 10.068(2) A, (9.802(2) A), c = 14.932(2) A, (15.170(11) A), Z = 4 (4), and V = 1513.6(5) A3, (1457.5(11) A3). In both metal complexes, the metal atoms (In and Ga) are coordinated by six donor atoms (N2S2O2) in distorted octahedral coordination geometries in which two sulfur atoms and two nitrogen atoms occupy the equatorial positions, and the axial positions are occupied by two oxygen atoms o...
Scholarly reviews of U.S. history books

This study of reviews in six scholarly journals of books on U.S. history examines the sources of books reviewed; their prices, length, and other characteristics; the affiliations of the reviewers; and the timeliness and coverage of reviews. The findings indicate that, although historians rely on reviews in scholarly journals for information on current publications, these reviews are in some ways inadequate for their purposes.
Two stepping information technology with visualization: a viewpoint from the U.S. EPA Scientific Visualization Center

Interactive visualization techniques facilitate the examination of unknown data sets. At the United States Environmental Protection Agency's (U.S. EPA) Scientific Visualization Center, we are exploring the combination of 3D visual displays with emerging information technologies. The following discussion highlights prototype efforts in three arenas: (1) Integrating Visualization into Data Mining Techniques; (2) Exploring Policy Analysis Visualization and (3) Combining Object-Relational Databases, Visualization and Web Technologies. The three prototypes are still in embryotic form. We anticipate it will take three to five years for actualization of these concepts and precise implementation details will change over time.The U.S. EPA is currently designing and implementing a new high profile Office of Environmental Information that will advocate the use and management of information as a strategic resource to enhance public health and environmental protection. New information technologies will be applied to facilitate the collection and dissemination of environmental data. We are hopeful that interactive visualization tools will be successfully used across the entire range of users, computing platforms and World Wide Web (Web) technologies that support the information life cycle.
Interpretion error in mammography: taxonomy and measurement

Abstract Human error in the interpretation of screening and diagnostic mammograms is now recognized to be a significant problem in the United States. Obviously, problems that are not well understood, well characterized, or well measured cannot be effectively remedied. It is the goal of this article to provide the basic conceptual elements required for science to effectively attack the problem of error in the interpretation of screening mammograms. These essential elements form a taxonomy for describing the varieties of human error and a conceptual model for measurement. The taxonomy builds on seminal work performed in the area of perception research in radiology. The conceptual model for measurement enumerates key varieties of different measurement endpoints and their purpose. The article concludes by pointing out where the next round of this important new area of research must focus.
Practice patterns in high-risk bariatric venous thromboembolism prophylaxis.

Background In the morbidly obese population that undergoes bariatric surgery, venous thromboembolism (VTE) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Certain factors place a patient at higher risk for VTE. No consensus exists on VTE screening or prophylaxis for the high-risk patient. This report describes the results of a survey on VTE screening and prophylaxis patterns in high-risk bariatric surgery.
Establishment of Neospora caninum antigen-specific T cell lines of primarily CD4 + T cells

SUMMARY Neosporosis is an important cause of pregnancy loss in cattle worldwide. Protective immunity against Neospora caninum infection may include both cell-mediated (CMI) and humoral immune responses. This study was to establish short-term antigen-specific T cell lines composed of primarily CD4 + T cells from peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) of infected cows, which may be used to identify immunodominant antigens for the development of N. caninum vaccines. Crude N. caninum tachyzoite antigen was prepared from in vitro derived N. caninum tachyzoites. Multiple T cell lines were established and maintained for 11 weeks by weekly re-stimulation with N. caninum antigen and antigen-presenting cells. All cell lines responded highly to antigen between weeks 3 and 11. Phenotypically, these cells were composed primarily of CD4 + T cells between weeks 2‐8, with a gradual expansion of gamma/delta + T cells thereafter. The results indicate that N. caninum specific T cell lines can be established and maintained without exogenous T cell growth factors and may be used to identify N. caninum antigens. This research will enhance our understanding of bovine CMI to neosporosis and may facilitate development of a proven neosporosis vaccine. RESEARCH NOTE
Overexpression of TGFα in transgenic mice: Induction of epithelial hyperplasia, pancreatic metaplasia, and carcinoma of the breast

Metallothionein-directed expression of TGF alpha in transgenic mice induced a spectrum of changes in the growth and differentiation of certain adult tissues. First, TGF alpha promoted a uniform epithelial hyperplasia of several organs without otherwise causing major alterations in tissue architecture. Second, in pancreas it promoted proliferation of both acinar cells and fibroblasts and focally altered acinar cell differentiation. The magnitude of this response was proportional to the level of local, tissue-specific TGF alpha expression and was reproduced when expression of TGF alpha was placed under the control of the elastase promoter, implying an autocrine or paracrine mechanism. Third, TGF alpha was oncogenic in vivo. It caused dramatic hyperplasia and dysplasia of the coagulation gland epithelium, which displayed evidence of carcinoma in situ, and in postlactational mammary gland it induced secretory mammary adenocarcinomas. Thus, TGF alpha displays characteristics of both a potent epithelial cell mitogen and an oncogenic protein in vivo.