cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Purification of RNA Polymerase from Actinomycin Producing and Nonproducing Cells of Streptomyces antibioticus

DNA-dependent RNA polymerase has been purified approximately 700-fold from 12-h-old cells of Streptomyces antibioticus and 400-fold from 48-h cells. Both enzymes appear nearly homogeneous as judged by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Both enzymes possess subunits corresponding to the p, p’, and (Y subunits of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase but no band corresponding to the cr subunit was observed on polyacrylamide gels. Moreover, neither enzyme appears to have (T activity as judged by the rifampicin and heparin challenge assays using T4 DNA as template. In addition to the p, p’, and (Y subunits, electrophoresis of the polymerase from 12-h cells reveals a 45,000 M, protein which is present at a level of 0.40 moYmo1 of p + p’. The polymerases from 12- and 48hS. antibioticus cells differ slightly in their template specificity, with the 48-h polymerase showing a slightly greater preference for calf thymus DNA as compared with several other native DNAs which were tested. Further, the polymerase from 48-h cells was slightly more active with poly (dA-dT) (relative to calf thymus DNA) than was the polymerase from 12-h cells. Neither polymerase was capable of catalyzing actinomycin-resistant transcription.
A 29-Year-Old Man With Multiple Sclerosis

DR DELBANCO: Mr J is a 29-year-old, married engineer who works in a biomedical laboratory. He was found to have multiple sclerosis (MS) 14 months prior to this conference. Shortly thereafter, he sought care from a general internist, Dr C, at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and a neurologist at another medical center. He has health insurance through a commercial managed care plan. A few months after Mr J developed Bell palsy, which resolved fully, he noted weakness in his right leg while skiing. The weakness progressed, and he consulted a neurologist when he returned home. Physical examination and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were compatible with demyelinating disease. During the subsequent year, Mr J noted slowly progressive weakness associated with exercise, again primarily involving the right leg. He experienced some difficulty with urination, in both initiating and ending the stream. He observed some tremor in his right foot. He experienced difficulty with sexual function on occasion, but his bowels have not been affected. There has never been diplopia or evidence for involvement in other parts of the body. Mr J’s father has Crohn disease and there is a history of hypertension in other family members but not MS or other chronic illnesses. The patient does not smoke and uses alcohol sparingly. Prior to his illness he felt entirely well, with no past history of infection, work exposures, or undue stress. On initial physical examination, Dr C noted a mild limp, weakness in the right lower extremity, clonus in the ankle, and up-going toes bilaterally. The patient was normotensive and mildly overweight, without other findings of note. Magnetic resonance imaging of the head was compatible with demyelinating disease. The patient, his neurologist, and Dr C have been considering the use of systemic medications. [Editor’s note: Shortly before the conference, Mr J began taking glatiramer acetate.]
Preparation of conjugated butadienyllead and -tin compounds

Abstract The preparation of a new class of compounds containing organolead substituents located at the 1 and 2 positions of butadiene is described: triethyl(1,3-butadien-2-yl)lead, triphenyl(1,3-butadien-2-yl)lead, triphenyl(1,3-butadien-1-yl)lead. The new technique developed for the preparation of these compounds from 1-chloro-1,3-butadiene was also effective in the preparation of the corresponding butadienyltin compounds.
A robust sequential quadratic programming method

The sequential quadratic programming method developed by Wilson, Han and Powell may fail if the quadratic programming subproblems become infeasible, or if the associated sequence of search directions is unbounded. This paper considers techniques which circumvent these difficulties by modifying the structure of the constraint region in the quadratic programming subproblems. Furthermore, questions concerning the occurrence of an unbounded sequence of multipliers and problem feasibility are also addressed.
Dopamine, addiction and reward

Abstract The role of dopamine was inferred in reward processes from early studies showing that psychomotor stimulants such as cocaine and amphetamine could facilitate intracranial self-stimulation. Subsequent studies showed that dopamine-receptor antagonists could attenuate brain stimulation reward and completely block the reinforcing effects of cocaine and amphetamine as measured by direct intravenous self-administration of these drugs. A specific dopaminergic substrate for both the facilitation of brain stimulation reward and the self-administration of psychomotor stimulants appears to be the region of the nucleus accumbens in the forebrain. This structure receives significant limbic afferents and has significant projections to the extrapyramidal motor system. Chronic administration of cocaine and amphetamine seem to have the opposite effects to acute injections and during withdrawal lead to increases in brain stimulation reward thresholds and decreases in dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens. This same nucleus accumbens dopamine projection seems to be critical for the motor activation associated with the anticipation of both drug and non-drug rewards. These results suggest that drugs that activate the mesolimbic dopamine system have such powerful reinforcing effects because they facilitate the attentional-motor systems critical for approach behaviour and the behavioural activation associated with incentive-motivation.
The implications of polymorphism for the systematics of Scenedesmus

Systematic treatment of the species of Scenedesmus has always been difficult because of the extensive polymorphism. Unicells, associated with all spine bearing species, are a developmental stage found in the early log phase of growth. We compare data from four clones of S. armatus, and present simultaneously the changing ecomorph population. In a batch culture, working with a low initial cell density, unicells form first; spiny colonies and finally colonies with short spines and extensive ridges of wall material are seen in the later stages of growth. The protologue (original description) of S. armatus did not represent the full range of ecomorphs, only select late log phase and stationary phase colonies. The unicell is demonstrated to be one of the more important morphs produced; it will aid in determining species limits. The shortcomings of numerous publications in the last two decades, with an absence of, or incomplete data on individual ecomorphs, now become clear. Both the importance of the various d...
Inhibition of major cationic inward currents prevents spreading depression-like hypoxic depolarization in rat hippocampal tissue slices

Hypoxia-induced spreading depression-like depolarization (hypoxic SD, or anoxic depolarization) is accompanied by the near-loss of membrane potential, severe reduction of membrane resistance, and influx of Na+, Ca2+, Cl- and water into neurons. The biophysical nature of these membrane changes is incompletely understood. In the present study we applied a pharmacological mixture (10 microM DNQX, 10 microM CPP, 1 microM TTX, and 2 mM Ni2+) to rat hippocampal tissue slices to inhibit major Na+ and Ca2+ inward currents. This inhibitory cocktail slightly depolarized CA1 pyramidal neurons and completely blocked all evoked potentials. In its presence severe hypoxia of up to 20 min duration failed to induce hypoxic SD and the accompanying intrinsic optical signal. Instead, only moderate, very slow negative shifts of the extracellular DC potential were observed. Following 10 min hypoxia and 1 hour wash-out of the inhibitors antidromic and orthodromic responses were still blocked but hypoxic SD with markedly delayed onset could be induced in most slices. In current-clamped CA1 pyramidal cells hypoxia induced a rapid, near-complete depolarization and decreased the input resistance by 89%. In the presence of the cocktail, however, hypoxia caused a gradual, partial depolarization, to about -40 mV; the membrane resistance decreased by only 37%. We conclude that simultaneous blockade of the known major Na+ and Ca2+ channels consistently prevents hypoxic SD. The hypothesis that SD initiation is the consequence of general loss of selective permeability or general membrane breakdown becomes unlikely. Instead, influx of Na+ and Ca2+ might play a crucial role in the generation of the rapid SD-like depolarization.
Comparative Rates of Division in Large and Small Cells of Developing Fruits.

important problem in any analysis of growth and differentiation. A simple way to attack it is to determine the increase in number of cells in large-celled and in small-celled tissues of the same organ during a given period of growth. The early developmental stages of the cucurbit ovary provide good material for such a study. Its tissues are clearly delimited, and their volumes may thus be determined with some accuracy. Most of their constituent cells are relatively undifferentiated parenchyma. Cell volumes differ markedly in different tissues. By dividing tissue volume by cell volume, the approximate number of cells may be calculated for each tissue, and thus the comparative increase in cell number in largecelled and small-celled tissues, as growth proceeds, may be found. In twelve inbred lines of cucurbits, belonging to four genera, tissue volumes and cell volumes were measured in ovaries with diameters of 2
The Geography of Religious Diversity in the United States

Religious pluralism is an important and contested topic within the literature on religion. This article explores the spatiality of religious diversity in the United States. It opens with a summary of major conceptual perspectives on the causes and consequences of religious diversity. Second, to unpack the geography of U.S. religious diversity, the article uses Glenmary and Polis data for 2000 to construct four indexes of diversity and presents these results with both choropleth maps and Dorling cartograms. It explores the relation between the distribution of denominations and county population size. The analysis reveals that the most diverse regions include the Pacific Northwest, a broad belt stretching from Denver to Pittsburgh, and central Florida, and the least diverse parts are dominated by Mormons, Baptists, and Catholics. Indexes more sophisticated than the simple number of denominations per county are sensitive to the internal configuration of adherents and reflect a more complex relationship in wh...
Diffusional vs. non-diffusional fluorescence quenching at the silica gel liquid-solid and vacuum-solid interfaces : pyrene fluorescence quenching by oxygen, nitromethane and nitropropionic acid

Abstract The effects of background solvent on the reactivity of 1 pyrene* with oxygen, nitromethane and nitropropionic acid at the liquid—solid and vacuum—solid interfaces or within the bulk structure of silica gel were studied by steady state and time-resolved fluorescence probing. Reactivity using the liquid bulk phase within the porous network of the silica follows diffusional pathways as in neat solutions. Isolation of one reactant of the quenching couple on the silica surface decreases the quenching efficiency ninefold. Surface-bound nitromethane and nitropropionic acid quench surface-bound 1 pyrene* via an electron tunneling mechanism. Critical 1 pyrene* quenching radii of 13.4 ± 0.1 and 12.7 ± 0.1 A and 15.2 ± 0.5 and 13.0 ± 2.4 A were determined for nitromethane and nitropropionic acid at the dry silica and cyclohexane—silica interfaces respectively.
Three new mermithids (Nematoda) from Guatemalan blackflies (Diptera: Simuliidae)

The following new species of Mermithidae (Nematoda) are described from Guatemalan blackflies: (a) Gastromermis cloacachilus from Gigantodax wrighti; (b) Isomernis vulvachila from Cnephia pacheco-lunai and (c) Mesomermis guatemalae from Simulium metallicum. All parasites were collected at Encuentros (Department of Totonicapan) in Guatemala. These are the first representatives of Gastromermis and Mesomermis from Central America and M. guatemalae represents the second mermithid species to be described from an American vector of Onchocerca volvulus, causal agent of river blindness. ac]19800728
Simple stochastic models for the sources and sinks of two aerosol types

The statistical properties of two time-dependent and steady-state aerosol concentration distributions are derived from simple stochastic models of the particle sources and sinks. The analysis is applied to statistics of area averaged aerosol concentrations in two examples: (a) anthropogenic sulfate particles, for which the source is assumed constant in time, and removal is by precipitation at random times, and (b) windblown dust) for which we assume the sources are a constant background plus randomly occurring dust storms, and the sinks are time independent advection and dry deposition. The models are solved both analytically and by numerical simulation. For both models the time-lagged autocorrelation function of the pollutant is a simple exponential, and the ratio of the steady-state variance to the squared mean concentration varies inversely with the effective lifetime. Application of data from the World Meteorological Organization to model (a) shows that the expected lifetimes for sulfates are between SO and 175 h, and the deposition distances are between 800 and 2000 km. DOI: 10.1111/j.2153-3490.1979.tb00880.x
Sodium Gentisate in the Treatment of Acute Rheumatic Fever

Five patients with acute rheumatic fever were treated with gentisate, the biologic oxidation product of salicylate. The clinical course of this group was contrasted with that of five patients who received salicylate. It was found that, in the doses employed, gentisate had an effect on the symptoms of acute rheumatic fever equal to that of salicylate, but that it produced none of the toxic reactions which were commonly found after salicylate administration. An oral dose of 2.0 Gm. of gentisate, every three hours, continued for at least ten days after the temperature became normal, was sufficient to control the symptoms of the disease.
On the structure of the set of fixed price equilibria

Working in the framework suggested by Dreze, this paper studies the number of fixed price equilibria and their continuity with respect to the price system. In an exchange economy, the concept of a rationing scheme is introduced, which specifies how shortages are shared among agents. For given utility functions and a given rationing scheme, under standard assumptions, an existence theorem is recalled, and it is shown that the graph of the equilibrium correspondence, when prices and initial endowments vary, is a piecewise continuously differentiable manifold. Moreover, generically, the number of equilibria for an economy, at given prices, is finite and the set of equilibria varies continuously with the price system and the initial endowments.
BACTERIAL RESISTANCE TO UNCOUPLERS

Uncoupler resistance presents a potential challenge to the conventional chemiosmotic coupling mechanism. In E. coli, an adaptive response to uncouplers was found in cell growing under conditions requiring oxidative phosphorylation. It is suggested that uncoupler-resistant mutants described in the earlier literature might represent a constitutive state of expression of this "low energy shock" adaptive response. In the environment, bacteria are confronted by nonclassical uncoupling factors such as organic solvents, heat, and extremes of pH. It is suggested that the low energy shock response will aid the cell in coping with the effects of natural uncoupling factors. The genetic analysis of uncoupler resistance has only recently began, and is yielding interesting and largely unexpected results. In Bacillus subtilis, a mutation in fatty acid desaturase causes an increased content of saturated fatty acids in the membrane and increased uncoupler resistance. The protonophoric efficiency of uncouplers remains unchanged in the mutants, inviting nonorthodox interpretations of the mechanism of resistance. In E. coli, two loci conferring resistance to CCCP and TSA were cloned and were found to encode multidrug resistance pumps. Resistance to one of the uncouplers, TTFB, remained unchanged in strains mutated for the MDRs, suggesting a resistance mechanism different from uncoupler extrusion.
“Perestroika” Lost: Why the Latest “Reform” Movement in Political Science Should Fail

Having been a political scientist since the mid-1960s, I have seen calls for disciplinary change come and go. The latest “revolution” is particularly disappointing. Dubbed the “Perestroika movement,” after the nom de plume of the “revolt's” conjurer, supporters of this latest “protest” often make sweeping claims, couched in apocalyptic imagery. Ultimately, Perestroikans alienate some who favor disciplinary changes. Those who rail against the profession's political irrelevance are themselves bad politicians.
WE‐C‐BRC‐04: Predictive Power of Various PET Measures for Treatment Response Assessment

Purpose: Assessment of treatment response in solid tumors is essential for disease management but typical response measures are limited and non‐robust. We compared the predictive power of several PET‐based measures in cancer patients receiving therapy. Method and Materials: Fourteen adult patients with advanced solid malignancies were treated with sunitinib malate, a molecular targeted agent. Using the cellularproliferation marker [ 18 F ]FLT, whole‐body PET/CT scans were acquired pre‐, mid‐, and post‐treatment. Lesions were segmented on PETimages and treatment response was assessed via percent change of the following measures: SUVmean, SUVmax, SUVpeak, SUVtotal, and PET defined tumor size: unidimensional, bidimensional, and volume. PET response assessment and clinical endpoint of therapy were used independently to classify patients into response categories: partial response (PR), stable disease (SD), or progressive disease (PD). Predictive power and robustness of PET measures were tested by varying response category cutoffs to generate ROC curves and Matthews correlation coefficients (MCC), a classification quality measure. Results: SUV measures demonstrated improved predictive power over PET defined size measures (MCCaverage: 0.27 vs. 0.21). Of all measures, SUVpeak was the most robust response predictor (MCCaverage: 0.30, MCCmax: 1.0), especially for prediction of PR. Of PET defined size measures, bidimensional size was the most robust response predictor. Changes in SUV measures pre‐ to mid‐treatment showed improved predictive power over pre‐ and mid‐ to post‐treatment changes (MCCaverage: 0.32, 0.27, and 0.22 respectively). Prediction of PR was vastly superior to that of SD and PD (MCCaverage: 0.44, 0.16, and 0.14 respectively). ROC analysis supported MCC results. Conclusion: Comparison of PET‐based measures revealed that SUV measures were more predictive of response than PET defined size measures. SUVpeak, a rarely used functional measure, demonstrated the most robust predictive power. Future treatment response studies should test and implement more robust measures, like SUVpeak, for improved response assessment.
A Fast Multichannel Analog Storage System

A Multichannel Analog Storage System based on a commercial 32-channel parallel in/serial out (PISO) analog shift register is described. The basic unit is a single width CAMAC module containing 512 analog cells and the associated logic for data storage and subsequent readout. At sampling rates of up to 30 MHz the signals are strobed directly into the PISO. At higher rates signals are strobed into a fast presampling stage and subsequently transferred in block form into an array of PISO's. Sampling rates of 300 MHz have been achieved with the present device and 1000 MHz are possible with improved signal drivers. The system is well suited for simultaneous handling of many signal channels with moderate numbers of samples in each channel. RMS noise over full scale signal has been measured as 1:3000 (?11 bit). However, nonlinearities in the response and differences in sensitivity of the analog cells require an elaborate calibration system in order to realize 11 bit accuracy for the analog information.
Acetylcholine neuroprotection against glutamate-induced excitotoxicity in adult pig retinal ganglion cells is partially mediated through α4 nAChRs

In the mammalian retina, excess glutamate release has been shown to be involved in retinal ganglion cell (RGC) death associated with various diseases. Recent studies have determined that activation of alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) partially protect isolated RGCs from glutamate-induced excitotoxicity. In this study, we further classify the types of nAChRs involved in neuroprotection against glutamate-induced excitotoxicity using isolated adult pig RGCs. Cells were isolated with a modified two-step immunoselective panning technique designed to isolate RGCs from other retinal neurons. Once isolated, nAChR subunits were identified using a combination of pharmacological and immunocytochemical techniques. In cell culture experiments, a variety of alpha4 nAChR specific agonists were found to have a partial neuroprotective against glutamate-induced excitotoxicity. This neuroprotection was abolished in the presence of the alpha4 nAChR antagonist, dihydro-beta-erythroidine (DHbetaE). Immunocytochemical results localized several nAChR subunits on isolated adult pig RGCs; in particular alpha4, alpha7 and beta2 nAChR subunits. Large RGCs exclusively immunostained with antibodies against alpha7 nAChR subunits whereas alpha4 and beta2 subunits exclusively immunostained only small RGCs. Double label experiments provided evidence that alpha4 and beta2 subunits co-localize on small RGCs. Knowledge of the receptor subtypes responsible for neuroprotection may lead to treatments associated with glutamate-induced excitotoxicity.
Studies of the thoracic duct lymph in experimental liver injury in dogs.

SummaryA method is described that allows collection of thoracic duct lymph over, a period of dayi. the lymph circulating through it. natural channel during the intervals in which it is not being collected. Liver injury caused by either CCl4 or MnCl2 nere qualitatively comparable in dogs, the change; being more marked with the latter.In elevation of the alkaline phosphatase activity and bilirubin content of both blood and thoracic duct lymph were noted. The main componeat of the bilirubin was the 1′ or prompt reacting type. 9, 10 The behavior of the injected bromsulfalein ma comparable tothat of the 32-hour stage, following common bile duct ligation. No significant changeswere observed as regards the bile acids, total cholesterol or cholester esters.
Drug addiction and the hippocampus.

Vorel et al . ([1][1]) reported that stimulation of the hippocampus at theta frequency caused reinstatement of drug-taking behavior, in rats that had learned to lever-press for cocaine and subsequently had had this behavior extinguished by substituting saline for cocaine. They suggested that the
Angiotensin II activates distinct signal transduction pathways in astrocytes isolated from neonatal rat brain

In previous studies, we showed that angiotensin II (Ang II) and its congener peptides-angiotensin-(2-8) [Ang-(2-8)] and angiotensin-(1-7) [Ang-(1-7)]-activate 2 distinct signal transduction pathways in a mixed population of human cortical astrocytoma cells. This suggested that different populations of astrocytes could be heterogeneous with respect to their expression of Ang II receptors or the responses to which these receptors are coupled. To compare the responses which are activated by Ang II and its congener peptides in astrocytes from different brain regions, we measured phospholipase C (PLC) activity and prostaglandin release in isolated astrocytes from 4 different areas of neonatal rat brain. In medullary and cerebellar astrocytes, Ang II activated a phosphoinositide-specific PLC in a dose-dependent manner with EC50s of 1.74 and 1.86 nM, respectively. Ang-(2-8) also caused an increase in inositol phosphate release. PLC activity was coupled to an AT1 receptor in both medullary and cerebellar astrocytes, as demonstrated by the inhibition of Ang II-activation of inositol phosphate release by the AT1 antagonist losartan. The AT2 antagonist PD 123319 was ineffective. Ang II and Ang-(2-8) also released prostacyclin from medullary and cerebellar astrocytes, measured as the release of its stable metabolite 6-keto-PGF1 alpha. In contrast, Ang II did not activate PLC or release prostaglandins in astrocytes isolated from the cortex or hypothalamus. In addition, Ang-(1-7) did not stimulate the release of inositol phosphates or prostacyclin in astrocytes from any of the neonatal rat brain regions examined. However, bradykinin (1 microM) activated PLC or released prostacyclin in astrocytes isolated from all 4 brain regions. These results suggest that Ang II receptors on region-specific astrocytes activate distinct signal transduction mechanisms in response to different angiotensin peptides.
SU-E-T-367: Optimization of DLG Using TG-119 Test Cases and a Weighted Mean Approach

Purpose: Optimization of the dosimetric leaf gap (DLG) is an important step in commissioning the Eclipse treatment planning system for sliding window intensity-modulated radiation therapy (SW-IMRT) and RapidArc. Often the values needed for optimal dose delivery differ markedly from those measured at commissioning. We present a method to optimize this value using the AAPM TG-119 test cases. Methods: For SW-IMRT and RapidArc, TG-119 based test plans were created using a water-equivalent phantom. Dose distributions measured on film and ion chamber (IC) readings taken in low-gradient regions within the targets were analyzed separately. Since DLG is a single value per energy, SW-IMRT and RapidArc must be considered simultaneously. Plans were recalculated using a linear sweep from 0.02cm (the minimum DLG) to 0.3 cm. The calculated point doses were compared to the measured doses for each plan, and based on these comparisons an optimal DLG value was computed for each plan. TG-119 cases are designed to push the system in various ways, thus, a weighted mean of the DLG was computed where the relative importance of each type of plan was given a score from 0.0 to 1.0. Finally, SW-IMRT and RapidArc are assigned an overall weight based on clinical utilization. Ourmore » routine patient-QA (PQA) process was performed as independent validation. Results: For a Varian TrueBeam, the optimized DLG varied with σ = 0.044cm for SW-IMRT and σ = 0.035cm for RapidArc. The difference between the weighted mean SW-IMRT and RapidArc value was 0.038cm. We predicted utilization of 25% SW-IMRT and 75% RapidArc. The resulting DLG was ~1mm different than that found by commissioning and produced an average error of <1% for SW-IMRT and RapidArc PQA test cases separately. Conclusion: The weighted mean method presented is a useful tool for determining an optimal DLG value for commissioning Eclipse.« less
Selective intellectual deficits in children with temporal lobe or centrencephalic epilepsy

Abstract Specific patterns of intellectual impairment were observed in children with unilateral temporal lobe or centrencephalic epilepsy. The left temporal patients showed learning and memory deficits on verbal tasks while their performance on nonverbal tasks was unaffected. The converse was true for children with right temporal involvement. In contrast to the two temporal groups, the centrencephalic patients were without significant memory defect; instead, they showed lower scores on a test of sustained attention. The results are similar to those obtained in studies of adults with comparable cerebral dysfunction. The findings suggest that cerebral differentiation of intellectual processes is established in childhood.
Circular permutation of the Trp-cage: fold rescue upon addition of a hydrophobic staple

The Trp-cage, at 20 residues in length, is generally acknowledged as the smallest fully protein-like folding motif. Linking the termini by a two-residue unit and excising one residue affords circularly permuted sequences that adopt the same structure. This represents the first successful circular permutation of any fold of less than 50-residue length. As was observed for the original topology, a hydrophobic staple near the chain termini is required for enhanced fold stability.
Anatomy of Prostaglandin Signals

Membrane metabolism generates many lipid signals that regulate diverse cellular processes. Although most membrane-metabolizing enzymes are specific to one lipid family, some act on a range of substrates and produce lipid signals with different bioactivities. These multisubstrate enzymes act as nodes that can change the flow of information carried by the lipid signaling network by, for example, boosting the production of one family of lipids while dampening that of another. On page 809 of this issue, Nomura et al. ( 1 ) show that the enzyme monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) ( 2 ) is a critical node within the lipid signaling network, coordinating the brain's defense mechanism to neurodegeneration. They also show that inhibiting MAGL prevents neurodegeneration and chronic neuroinflammation in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease, opening a new potential avenue for treating neurodegenerative diseases.
Multi-faceted quality and defect measurement for web software and source contents

In this paper, we examine external failures and internal faults traceable to web software and source contents. We develop related defect and quality measurements based on different perspectives of customers, users, information or service hosts, maintainers, developers, integrators, and managers. These measurements can help web information and service providers with their quality assessment and improvement activities to meet the quality expectations of their customers and users. The different usages of our measurement framework by different stakeholders of web sites and web applications are also outlined and discussed. The data sources include existing web server logs and statistics reports, defect repositories from web application development and maintenance activities, and source files. We applied our approach to four diverse websites: one educational website, one open source software project website, one online catalog showroom for a small company, and one e-Commerce website for a large company. The results demonstrated the viability and effectiveness of our approach.
Improving power quality in distribution feeders with high PV penetration through inverter controls

Voltage fluctuations caused cloud transients in distribution systems with a high level of distributed photovolaic systems is of concern to electric utility companies since this can lead to power quality issues. This article proposes a scheme that can minimize this problem by allowing grid-tie inverters to generate controllable amounts of reactive current in a way to neutralize the change in active current. Inverter oversizing is not required by the implementation of this method. The performance of this technique is verified through computer simulations using PSCAD software. (4 pages)
Monitoring the condition of liquid-lubricated mechanical seals

Abstract This feature provides details of a monitoring system for liquid-lubricated seals. The system avoids the drawbacks that are associated with techniques based on acoustic emission, and other monitoring systems that rely on the use of sound-intensity and proximity probes.
Improved methodology for surface and atmospheric soundings, error estimates, and quality control procedures: the atmospheric infrared sounder science team version-6 retrieval algorithm

The atmospheric infrared sounder (AIRS) science team version-6 AIRS/advanced microwave sounding unit (AMSU) retrieval algorithm is now operational at the Goddard Data and Information Services Center (DISC). AIRS version-6 level-2 products are generated near real time at the Goddard DISC and all level-2 and level-3 products are available starting from September 2002. Some of the significant improvements in retrieval methodology contained in the version-6 retrieval algorithm compared to that previously used in version-5 are described. In particular, the AIRS science team made major improvements with regard to the algorithms used to (1) derive surface skin temperature and surface spectral emissivity; (2) generate the initial state used to start the cloud clearing and retrieval procedures; and (3) derive error estimates and use them for quality control. Significant improvements have also been made in the generation of cloud parameters. In addition to the basic AIRS/AMSU mode, version-6 also operates in an AIRS only (AO) mode, which produces results almost as good as those of the full AIRS/AMSU mode. The improvements of some AIRS version-6 and version-6 AO products compared to those obtained using version-5 are also demonstrated.
Developing vasculature and stroma in engineered human myocardium.

We recently developed a scaffold-free patch of human myocardium with human embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes and showed that stromal and endothelial cells form vascular networks in vitro and improve cardiomyocyte engraftment. Here, we hypothesize that stromal cells regulate the angiogenic phenotype by modulating the extracellular matrix (ECM). Human marrow stromal cells (hMSCs) support the greatest degree of endothelial cell organization, at 1.3- to 2.4-fold higher than other stromal cells tested. Stromal cells produce abundant ECM components in patches, including fibrillar collagen, hyaluronan, and versican. We identified two clonal hMSC lines that supported endothelial networks poorly and robustly. Interestingly, the pro-angiogenic hMSCs express high levels of versican, a chondroitin sulfate proteglycan that modulates angiogenesis and wound healing, whereas poorly angiogenic hMSCs produce little versican. When transplanted onto uninjured athymic rat hearts, patches with proangiogenic hMSCs deve...
Nuclear DNA analysis of maize seedlings treated with the triazole fungicide, triticonazole

Maize kernels were treated with the fungicide triticonazole (RP-727), belonging to the triazole family. The nuclear DNA content was analyzed in various maize plant organs by using flow cytometry. Two fluorochromes with different DNA binding mechanisms were used for probing nuclear DNA and chromatin structure. Results indicated nuclear alterations with the use of triticonazole and the alterations observed were different in the various tissues analyzed. Active meristematic plant organs, such as root tip, did not show any significant change in nuclear DNA, but chromatin structure was altered with increasing concentrations of fungicide. Stem and mesocotyl showed both DNA and chromatin condensation changes with triticonazole concentration, but the trends observed in these two plant organs were opposite. The magnitude of the alterations was minute in the different plant organs studied. These alterations do not appear to be deleterious for normal plant development.
7.2: Presentation session: Poster session and reception: “Applying deep-layered clustering to mammography image analytics”

This paper details a methodology and preliminary results for applying a hierarchy of clustering units to mammographic image data. The identification of patients with breast cancer through the detection of microcalcifications and masses is a demanding classification problem; minimal false negatives are desired while simultaneously avoiding false positives that cause unnecessary cost to patients and health institutions. This research examines a segmented look at mammograms for computer aided detection with the goal of reliably labeling regions of interest requiring the attention of a radiologist. Classification is achieved by employing the building blocks, namely unsupervised clustering, of a deep learning architecture in tandem with a standard feed-forward neural network. Early results show promise for creating a classification engine that handles high-dimensional data with minimum engineering of image features, with a high per-image patch sensitivity and specificity. We further present the challenges for scaling our scheme with larger image patches and larger datasets and potential avenues for additional research.
HIGH-YIELD PREPARATION OF ISOLATED RAT LIVER PARENCHYMAL CELLS: A Biochemical and Fine Structural Study

A new technique employing continuous recirculating perfusion of the rat liver in situ, shaking of the liver in buffer in vitro, and filtration of the tissue through nylon mesh, results in the conversion of about 50% of the liver into intact, isolated parenchymal cells. The perfusion media consist of: (a) calcium-free Hanks' solution containing 0.05% collagenase and 0.10% hyaluronidase, and (b) magnesium and calcium-free Hanks' solution containing 2 mM ethylenediaminetetraacetate. Biochemical and morphologic studies indicate that the isolated cells are viable. They respire in a medium containing calcium ions, synthesize glucose from lactate, are impermeable to inulin, do not stain with trypan blue, and retain their structural integrity. Electron microscopy of biopsies taken during and after perfusion reveals that desmosomes are quickly cleaved. Hemidesmosome-containing areas of the cell membrane invaginate and appear to pinch off and migrate centrally. Tight and gap junctions, however, persist on the intact, isolated cells, retaining small segments of cytoplasm from formerly apposing parenchymal cells. Cells which do not retain tight and gap junctions display swelling of Golgi vacuoles and vacuoles in the peripheral cytoplasm. Cytoplasmic vacuolization in a small percentage of cells and potassium loss are the only indications of cell injury detected. By other parameters measured, the isolated cells are comparable to normal hepatic parenchymal cells in situ in appearance and function.
Admission chest radiograph lacks sensitivity in the diagnosis of community-acquired pneumonia.

Abstract Introduction The clinical and epidemiological significance of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) with a chest radiograph demonstrating no parenchymal infiltrate has not been studied. We determined the percentage of patients with a clinical diagnosis of CAP who did not have radiographic opacifications and compared this group with patients with CAP and radiographic infiltrates. Methods Patients admitted with a diagnosis of CAP were identified. Clinical history, physical examination, laboratory studies, and microbiological cultures were reviewed in a random sample of 105 patients. Admission and subsequent chest radiographs were interpreted without knowledge of the clinical data. Results Twenty-one percent (22/105) of patients with a clinical diagnosis of CAP had negative chest radiographs at presentation. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were the same in both groups. Fifty-five percent of patients with initially negative chest radiographs who had follow-up studies developed an infiltrate within 48 hours. Conclusions In patients admitted with a clinical diagnosis of CAP, the initial chest radiograph lacks sensitivity and may not demonstrate parenchymal opacifications in 21% of patients. Moreover, greater than half of patients admitted with a negative chest radiograph will develop radiographic infiltrates within 48 hours. Further studies are needed to develop evidence-based criteria for the diagnosis of CAP.
Analysis of sex and gonadectomy differences in β-endorphin antinociception elicited from the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray in rats

Abstract Male rats exhibit significantly greater antinociception following central administration of morphine than female rats. The present study examined potential differences in β-endorphin (5.2–26 μg) antinociception elicited from the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray in adult sham-operated and gonadectomized male and female rats. Male rats displayed significantly greater peak (30 min) tail-flick latencies across the entire range of β-endorphin doses administered into the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray than female rats tested during the estrous phase of the estrous cycle. Adult gonadectomy failed to appreciably change the pattern of this effect in either males of females. Thus, antinociception elicited from the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray by β-endorphin, like morphine, is sensitive to sex differences.
An update of the Bosniak renal cyst classification system.

w m s [ i s m t n he Bosniak renal cyst classification was first introduced in 19861 and has been accepted by rologists and radiologists as a way of diagnosing, iscussing, and determining the management aproach to cystic renal masses.2–4 Using the lesion’s orphology and enhancement characteristics, ach lesion can be categorized into one of five roups (categories I, II, IIF, III, and IV; Table I), ith associated recommendations for patient treatent. With additional experience during the past wo decades, the Bosniak renal cyst classification as been updated and refined.5,6 However, pubished reports have incorrectly described and aplied the classification system,7–10 leading to conusion in its use that could be detrimental to atient care. Therefore, the purpose of this comentary is to present an up-to-date version of the osniak renal cyst classification, point out potenial errors in its use, and present our approach to he evaluation of cystic lesions of the kidney. We elieve that this is particularly relevant in this age f laparoscopic surgery and ablative techniques. ecause these procedures are less invasive, there ay be a tendency to treat patients using these techiques on the basis of imaging studies that are not echnically adequate or have been interpreted incorectly. High-quality imaging studies are needed for ccurate characterization of renal masses to avoid unecessary surgery, even if it is minimally invasive. One of the major changes in the original classifiation was the introduction of category IIF (F for ollow-up), which was added to include cystic leions that are slightly more complex than category I, but not complex enough to fulfill the criteria for ategory III.6,11–13 This category was introduced on he basis of experience gained after the removal of enign category III cysts. Category IIF lesions are
Loss of organized fibronectin matrix from the surface of aging diploid fibroblasts (IMR-90)

Indirect immunofluorescence was used to investigate the production of a fibrillar fibronectin matrix by human diploid fibroblasts (IMR-90) as cells progress through their in vitro lifespan. Early and mid-passage cultures displayed a prominent fibrillar reticulum over the cell layer which formed within 24 hours of seeding. Even sparsely seeded early-passage cells exhibited fibrils of fibronectin on external surfaces. In contrast, fibrillar fibronectin was reduced or absent on surfaces of late-passage cells. However, the larger, non-proliferating, late-passage cells were producing fibronectin, 1h determined by radioimmunoassay of the medium.
Predicting the “Wits” appraisal from the ANB angle

Abstract Lateral cephalometric radiographs were taken of twenty-five boys and twenty-five girls between the ages of 10 and 14. Each subject had either a Class I or Class II malocclusion, a good growth pattern, and an ANB range of 1 to 8 degrees. The Wits appraisal for these patients ranged from −4 to 9 mm. Ten patients had a negative Wits value, ranging from −0.5 to −4 mm. and an ANB range of 1 to 4 degrees. Forty patients had a positive Wits value, ranging from 0.5 to 9 mm., and an ANB range of 1.5 to 8 degrees. Twelve of the patients with a positive Wits value had the same ANB range as those with negative Wits values. The Pearson product moment correlation coefficient was performed on both the negative and positive Wits groups. No statistically significant correlation was found between ANB values and the Wits values for the negative Wits group (r = 0.08, t = 27, df = 8). A statistically significant correlation was found for the positive Wits group (r = 0.62, t = 4.87, df = 38, p
Comparison of a combination pH electrode and field effect transistor electrode for the determination of soil pH and lime requirement

Abstract A commercial laboratory robot has been used to compare the responses of two different types of electrode for the determination of soil in water pH (pHw), and soil in SMP buffer solution pH (pHSMP). The latter is integral to a popular method for the determination of soil lime requirement. A combination pH electrode is compared with a solid state, ion selective field effect transistor electrode. Response times and hysteresis effects are discussed.
Effects of amphetamine and 6-hydroxydopamine lesions on reserpine-induced oral dyskinesia.

Abstract The present study examined whether reserpine-induced oral dyskinesia is mediated by release of residual endogenous dopamine. Amphetamine produced a dose-dependent change in reserpine-induced oral dyskinesia in which the response was exacerbated by 0.6 mg/kg amphetamine and inhibited by 1 mg/kg. The latter dose also produced stereotypy that may have interfered with expression of reserpine-induced oral dyskinesia. Nigrostriatal 6-hydroxydopamine lesions attenuated expression of reserpine-induced oral dyskinesia. These lesions did not reduce locomotor activity, however, indicating that the attenuation of reserpine-induced oral dyskinesia was not due to a general depressant effect of the lesions on motor behavior. These results suggest that increasing dopamine release by administration of amphetamine exacerbates reserpine-induced oral dyskinesia, whereas decreasing the amount of releasable dopamine in the striatum by 6-hydroxydopamine lesions attenuates reserpine-induced oral dyskinsia. These findings may have implications for understanding tardive dyskinesia and l -3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine ( l -DOPA)-induced dyskinesia.
The Impact of Mindfulness on Supportive Communication Skills: Three Exploratory Studies

Supportive communication, which conveys care, empathy, and encouragement, plays a crucial role in how well people are able to cope with difficult emotions and aversive situations. But supportive communication can be conveyed more or less skilled. One possible mechanism that may link nonverbally and verbally conveyed emotional support and improved affective outcomes is mindfulness, conceived as enhanced nonreactive attention to and awareness of current internal and external stimuli. We present a theoretical model of mindful supportive communication and report the results of three exploratory studies that test the relationship between mindfulness and three factors that influence the supportive communication process, namely social skills, communicative coping, and reappraisals. Study 1 detected relationships between mindfulness facets and social skills. Studies 2 and 3 examine the impact of brief mindful interventions on social skills, communicative coping skills, and reappraisals.
Antifungal Antibiotics and Breakthrough Bacteremias

Patients with fever and neutropenia are at high risk for infection (∼50%) and bacteremia (∼20%). As a result, most are treated with antibacterial prophylaxis until their absolute neutrophil count exceeds 500 cells/mm 3 and their temperature returns to normal. The 1997 guidelines of the Infectious Diseases Society of America suggested 1 of 3 regimens: vancomycin plus ceftazidime, monotherapy with ceftazidime or imipenem (possibly cefepime or meropenem), or dual therapy with an aminoglycoside plus an antipseudomonal β-lactam [1].