cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bellerophon: a hybrid method for detecting interchromo-somal rearrangements at base pair resolution using next-generation sequencing data

Background Somatically-acquired translocations may serve as important markers for assessing the cause and nature of diseases like cancer. Algorithms to locate translocations may use next-generation sequencing (NGS) platform data. However, paired-end strategies do not accurately predict precise translocation breakpoints, and "split-read" methods may lose sensitivity if a translocation boundary is not captured by many sequenced reads. To address these challenges, we have developed "Bellerophon", a method that uses discordant read pairs to identify potential translocations, and subsequently uses "soft-clipped" reads to predict the location of the precise breakpoints. Furthermore, for each chimeric breakpoint, our method attempts to classify it as a participant in an unbalanced translocation, balanced translocation, or interchromosomal insertion.
Comparative impacts of glutathione peroxidase-1 gene knockout on oxidative stress induced by reactive oxygen and nitrogen species in mouse hepatocytes

Selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidase-1 (GPX1) protects against reactive-oxygen-species (ROS)-induced oxidative stress in vivo, but its role in coping with reactive nitrogen species (RNS) is unclear. Our objective was to compare the protection of GPX1 against cytotoxicity of superoxide generator diquat (DQ), NO donor S-nitroso-N-acetyl-penicillamine (SNAP) and peroxynitrite generator 3-morpholinosydnonimine (SIN-1). Primary hepatocytes were isolated from GPX1-knockout (KO) and wild-type (WT) mice and cultured in complete Williams's medium E with various levels of these agents alone or in combination for up to 12 h. While the KO cells were more susceptible to cell death, DNA fragmentation and protein carbonyl formation induced by 0.25-1 mM DQ, these cells were as tolerant as the WT cells to cytotoxicity of 0.1-1 mM SNAP or 0.5-2 mM SIN-1. Treating cells with SNAP (0.1 or 0.25 mM) in addition to DQ produced synergistic cytotoxicity that minimized differences in apoptotic cell death and oxidative injuries between the KO and WT cells. Less protein nitrotyrosine was induced by 0.05-0.5 mM DQ+0.25 mM SNAP in the KO than in the WT cells. Total GPX activity in the WT cells was reduced by 65 and 25% by 0.5 mM DQ+0.1 mM SNAP and 0.5 mM DQ, respectively. Decreases in Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and increases in Mn-SOD activity in response to DQ or DQ+SNAP were greater in the KO cells than in the WT cells. In conclusion, GPX1 was more effective in protecting hepatocytes against oxidative injuries mediated by ROS alone than by ROS and RNS together. Knockout of GPX1 did not enhance cell susceptibility to RNS-associated cytotoxicity. Instead, it attenuated protein nitration induced by DQ+SNAP.
Fracture behavior of flawed zircaloy-2 pressure tubes

Abstract Fracture tests were conducted on two sizes of zircaloy-2 pressure tubes. It was found that failures produced from a sharp fatique crack occurred at considerably lower stress levels than those produced from machined flaws of the same length. The test results from this study were applied to an empirical failure criterion and found to agree reasonably well with published values of fracture toughness.
Fv-1 locus restriction of mouse retroviruses in glucocorticoid-treated cells.

Abstract Treatment of mouse embryo cells with hydrocortisone (10 −6 M ) or dexamethasone (10 4 −10 −6 M ) increases virus synthesis whether the cells are permissive or restrictive at the Fv-1 locus. However, the number of cells infected was not increased in either permissive or restrictive cells by treatment with either glucocorticoid, and the two-hit titration pattern in restrictive cells remained unaltered. Therefore, the enhancement of virus replication by the glucocorticoids is independent of Fv-1 restriction and appears to occur after the Fv-I locus-sensitive step in virus synthesis.
Protein kinase C stimulates dense tubular Ca2+ uptake in the intact human platelet by increasing the Vm of the Ca2+-ATPase pump: stimulation by phorbol ester, inhibition by calphostin C

The effects of protein kinase C (PKC) on Ca2+ transport were investigated in human intact platelets. The indicator quin2 was used to measure the free cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]cyt) and to search for possible PKC effects on the Ca(2+)-ATPase extrusion pump located in the plasma membrane. The Ca2+ indicator chlorotetracycline (CTC) was used to study PKC effects on the dense tubular Ca(2+)-ATPase uptake pump. The activity of PKC was stimulated by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) and was inhibited with calphostin C. Neither PKC activation nor inhibition had any effect on [Ca2+]cyt or the Ca2+ extrusion pump. Substantial activation of the dense tubular pump was observed with PMA. In resting platelets bathed in 2 mM external Ca2+ giving [Ca2+]cyt = 102-106 nM, activation of PKC by PMA (100 nM) increases the rate and extent of dense tubular Ca2+ uptake to 1.62 +/- 0.35 and 1.25 +/- 0.3 times control value (respectively). The Vm of the dense tubular pump was measured by using ionomycin to manipulate [Ca2+]cyt. It is shown that PMA increases the Vm by a factor of 1.7 +/- 0.4 but has no effect on the Km value (= 180 nM). An unexpected finding was that PKC activity supports a portion of the basal activity of the dense tubular Ca2+ pump in resting platelets. Preincubation with the inhibitor calphostin C (100 nM) decreases the rate and extent of dense tubular Ca2+ uptake in resting platelets by 38 +/- 5% and 29 +/- 21% (respectively). This is due to a 28 +/- 9% decrease in the Vm of the dense tubular pump. This suggests that there is a low level of stimulation of dense tubular Ca2+ pump mediated by PKC in resting platelets.
Differences in Response to a Dietary Intervention Between the General Population and First-Degree Relatives of Colorectal Cancer Patients

Abstract Objective To determine whether response to a dietary intervention is greater among people with family history of colorectal cancer (CRC) compared with a general population. Design Cohort study examining participants from 2 related studies. Setting Rural Virginia. Participants Seventy people with first-degree relatives with CRC and 113 participants from the intervention arm of a trial in the general population. Intervention Both studies implemented a low-intensity intervention delivered via telephone and mail, including low-literacy self-help booklets and personalized dietary feedback. Main Outcome Measures Fat, fiber, and fruit and vegetable behavior. Analysis Propensity score matching controlled for confounders. Mixed-model ANOVAs compared samples; mediation by perceived cancer risk was assessed. Results Participants in both groups significantly improved fat, fiber, and fruit and vegetable behavior at 1-month follow-up; there was significantly greater improvement in the general population sample. Cancer risk perception did not mediate the relationship between study sample and dietary change. Conclusions and Implications Contrary to expectations, first-degree relatives of CRC patients did not respond better to a dietary intervention than the general population, nor was risk perception related to dietary change. Given the role of diet in CRC risk, additional research should investigate targeted strategies to improve dietary intakes of people at higher cancer risk.
Teaching Vocabulary with Students with Learning Disabilities Using Classwide Peer Tutoring and Constant Time Delay

This study examined the effectiveness and efficiency of combining classwide peer tutoring (CWPT) and constant time delay (CTD) on the academic performance of 3 students with learning disabilities (LD) and 15 students without LD enrolled in an inclusive sixth-grade language arts class. Treatment integrity checklists were used to measure the extent to which the tutors with LD used the constant time delay procedure correctly. A multiple-probe design across behaviors replicated across students was used to examine the effectiveness of the CTD peer tutoring procedures. The results indicated that students with LD reliably implemented the CTD peer tutoring procedures with a high degree of treatment integrity. When implemented by students without LD, the procedures were effective and efficient for teaching targeted vocabulary words to students with LD. Similarly, students without LD mastered the targeted vocabulary words when tutored by peers with LD and by peers without LD using the CTD peer tutoring procedures. Additionally, students with LD and without LD maintained the targeted vocabulary words over time, generalized the words across context, and generalized the CTD peer tutoring procedures across content. Finally, measures of social validity indicate that students and teachers involved in this study were satisfied with the CTD peer tutoring procedures.
The Patronage of Difference: Making Indian Art “Art, Not Ethnology”

When the Exposition of Indian Tribal Arts opened at Grand Central Art Galleries in Manhattan in 1931, critics announced the "first truly American art exposition." The Exposition brochure described the event as the first exhibition of "Indian art as art, not ethnology," and quoted one critic's statement that 'the cry for 'American' art has been answered." According to John Sloan, the New Yorkbased painter and one of the key organizers of the Exposition, "Spreading the consciousness of Indian art in America affords [a] means by which American artists and patrons of art can contribute to the culture of their own continent, to enrich the product and keep it American" (SAR, AEWC, a). Such statements suggest connections between a popular acceptance of relativist notions of culture associated with anthropology and attempts to use art-an honorific category intimately related to class-structured distinctions1-and taste as a way of reimagining American national and regional identities. These newly imagined identities celebrated cultural pluralism, particularly as expressed through commodities validated as art. In this article I explore how such a utopian affirmation of cultural difference-an early, more colonial version of multiculturalism-reflected elite responses to the rise of consumer capitalism. The 1920s and 1930s were a period of heightened concern with representations of the national identity as well as with the implications of mass consumption (Alexander 1980; Susman 1973, 1984). For patrons of Indian art, including those who sponsored the 1931 Exposition, commodity consumption represented both problem and solution in matters of identity; part of the solution involved recasting carefully selected commodities, produced by ethnic and racial Others, as art.2 Relationships among art, national identity, and class-related distinctions have been neglected in some of the more influential examinations of Primitivism
Computing with Ambiguity

In a previous paper, emergence and ways of computing with emergence were discussed. Emergence goes hand in hand with ambiguity. Ambiguity, of a particular kind, is foundational in shape grammars. Shape grammars compute with shapes that have ambiguous or indefinite parts. This part ambiguity is exploited easily and well in shape grammar computations. Another kind of ambiguity is considered here. This is representational ambiguity—an ambiguity of the nature of the elements that make up shapes. Shapes are represented with elements—points, lines, planes, and solids—that can have ambiguous and fluid interpretations as material, conceptual, symbolic, or other entities. Like part ambiguity, representational ambiguity is integral to the beginning, exploratory stages of a design process. Among the best and most explicit treatments of representational ambiguity were those given by two prominent design theorists of the 20th century, Wassily Kandinsky and Paul Klee. Informal examples of representational ambiguity fro...
Development of the Mouse Circadian Pacemaker: Independence from Environmental Cycles.

The freerunning period (τ) of the circadian pacemaker underlying the wheel-running activity rhythm of Mus musculus was found to be unaffected by the periods of environmental cycles (maternal and light/dark) under which the mice are raised. Mice born to mothers entrained to periods (T) of 28 or 20 h (ratio of light to dark of 14/10) and maintained on those cycle until beyond puberty showed only a temporary difference in freerunning period when placed into constant darkness. Such temporary 'after-effects ' of entrainment were shown, as had been previously, to occur in animals exposed to non-24-h cycles as adults only.After-effects on the ratio of activity to rest (α/ρ) were not even temporarily different in animals raised on T = 28 or T = 20.Rearing on T = 28 or T = 20 did not affect the abilities of animals to entrain to these cycles later in life.Measurements from young and old animals as well as remeasurement of the young animals later in their lives revealed several effects of age on the pacemaker: a) After-effects on freerunning period after T = 28 or T = 20 are not greater but last longer in older animals; b) Freerunning period is shorter in younger animals; and c) The ratio of activity to rest changes over time in constant darkness and is greater in young animals. Together these suggest that pacemaker 'plasticity' reflected in changes in τ and α/ρ over time in constant darkness decreases with age.The length of gestation measured in 'real' time was the same in mice entrained to T = 28 or T = 20, demonstrating that gestation is not measured in circadian cycles.
Thoracic Ganglioneuromas Resulting in Nonimmune Hydrops Fetalis

Introduction Most often, ganglioneuromas affect older pediatric and adult patients. They are typically slow growing tumors that remain clinically silent until they become large enough to cause symptoms by compression of adjacent structures. Case We report a case of a 22-year-old Hispanic gravida 2 para 1 female patient who was found to have massive hydrops fetalis at 20 completed gestational weeks. Fetal echocardiography revealed a narrowed distal ductal arch and proximal descending aorta. Cesarean delivery was undertaken at 29 completed gestational weeks for refractory labor and nonreassuring fetal status. The neonate expired at 47 minutes of life despite aggressive resuscitation. At autopsy, multiple thoracic masses were found adjacent to a compressed proximal descending aorta. Histological and immunohistochemical analysis confirmed the diagnosis of a ganglioneuroma, a rare type of neural crest tumor. Discussion A variety of intrathoracic masses have previously been reported to cause hydrops fetalis including teratomas, fibrosarcomas, and lymphangiomas. To our knowledge, this case is the first description of hydrops fetalis caused by ganglioneuromas. We propose that multiple thoracic ganglioneuromas led to biventricular distal outflow tract obstruction and hydrops fetalis.
An empirical study on the specification and selection of components using fuzzy logic

The rigorous specification of components is necessary to support their selection, adaptation, and integration in component-based software engineering techniques. The specification needs to include the functional and non-functional attributes. The non-functional part of the specification is particularly challenging, as these attributes are often described subjectively, such as Fast Performance or Low Memory. Here, we propose the use of infinite value logic, fuzzy logic, to formally specify components. A significant advantage of fuzzy logic is that it supports linguistic variables, or hedges (e.g., terms such as slow, fast, very fast, etc.), which are convenient for describing non-functional attributes. In this paper, a new systematic approach for the specification of components using fuzzy logic is presented. First, an empirical study is conducted to gather data on five components that provide data compression capabilities; each uses a different algorithm (Arithmetic Encoding, Huffman, Wavelet, Fractal, and Burrows-Wheeler Transform). Data on the response time performance, memory use, compression ratio, and root mean square error are collected by executing the components on a collection of 75 images with different file formats and sizes. The data are fuzzified and represented as membership functions. The fuzzy component specifications are ranked using a set of test queries. Fuzzy multi-criteria decision making algorithms are going to be investigated for the selection of components in the next phase of the work.
Absolute photo-emission cross section of the BClA 1? ?X 1?+ system produced by dissociative electron impact on BCl3

We measured the absolute photo-emission cross section of the BC l A → X system around 2720 A produced by electron-impact dissociation of BCl3. The cross section reaches a maximum around 40 eV with a value of 2.5±0.5 × 10−18 cm2. A double-onset structure with onsets around 14 eV and 26 eV indicates that the excited BCl fragments are produced via two different dissociation channels.
Stabilization mechanism of colloidal suspensions by gum tragacanth: The influence of pH on stability

An acidic polyelectrolyte, gum tragacanth (GT), was found to stabilize polystyrene latex particles due to a steric stabilization mechanism. The stability depends significantly on the pH of the solution. To elucidate the stabilization mechanism, a number of parameters, such as the adsorption isotherm, the zeta potential, and the conformation were measured as a function of pH. The adsorption isotherms showed that pH has little effect on the amount of GT adsorbed on the surface. Photon correlation spectroscopy studies showed that the steric layer thickness increases as pH decreases, demonstrating that the pH dependence of stability is attributed to the conformational change of GT with pH. Finally, the degree of dissociation of carboxyl groups of GT molecules (i.e., pH) has a significant effect on the flocculation behavior of latex particles and can be modulated to bring about spontaneous deflocculation of latex particles. © 1988 Academic Press, Inc.
Multi-wavelength diffusive optical tomography using independent component analysis and time reversal algorithms

Optical imaging using independent component analysis (OPTICA) and time reversal optical tomography (TROT) approaches are used to detect, locate, and obtain cross-section images of two tumor pieces inside a model human breast assembled using ex vivo human breast tissues and configured as a semi-cylindrical slab of uniform thickness. The experimental arrangement realized a multi-source probing scheme to illuminate an end face (source plane) of the slab sample using 750 nm, 800 nm and 830 nm beams of laser light. A multi-detector signal acquisition scheme measured transmitted light intensity distribution on the other end face (detection plane). This combined multi-source probing and multi-detector sensing approach culminated in multiple spatial and angular views of the sample necessary for target localization. The perturbations in light intensity distribution in the detection plane were analyzed using both the OPTICA and the TROT approaches to obtain locations of the tumor pieces. A back-projection technique with OPTICA provided cross-section images and estimates of cross section of the targets within the sample. The estimated locations and dimensions of targets are in good agreement with the results of a corroborating magnetic resonance imaging experiment and known values.
Modified barrier functions (theory and methods)

The nonlinear rescaling principle employs monotone and sufficiently smooth functions to transform the constraints and/or the objective function into an equivalent problem, the classical Lagrangian which has important properties on the primal and the dual spaces. The application of the nonlinear rescaling principle to constrained optimization problems leads to a class of modified barrier functions (MBF's) and MBF Methods (MBFM's). Being classical Lagrangians (CL's) for an equivalent problem, the MBF's combine the best properties of the CL's and classical barrier functions (CBF's) but at the same time are free of their most essential deficiencies. Due to the excellent MBF properties, new characteristics of the dual pair convex programming problems have been found and the duality theory for nonconvex constrained optimization has been developed. The MBFM have up to a superlinear rate of convergence and are to the classical barrier functions (CBF's) method as the Multipliers Method for Augmented Lagrangians is to the Classical Penalty Function Method. Based on the dual theory associated with MBF, the method for the simultaneous solution of the dual pair convex programming problems with up to quadratic rates of convergence have been developed. The application of the MBF to linear (LP) and quadratic (QP) programming leads to a new type of multipliers methods which have a much better rate of convergence under lower computational complexity at each step as compared to the CBF methods. The numerical realization of the MBFM leads to the Newton Modified Barrier Method (NMBM). The excellent MBF properties allow us to discover that for any nondegenerate constrained optimization problem, there exists a "hot" start, from which the NMBM has a better rate of convergence, a better complexity bound, and is more stable than the interior point methods, which are based on the classical barrier functions.
Nuclear magnetic resonance studies of nanocomposite gel electrolytes

Abstract Polymer gel electrolytes based on poly(vinylidene fluoride co-hexafluoropropylene), and containing layered nanoparticles such as fluorohectorite were investigated by pulsed gradient spin-echo nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), as well as line shape and relaxation studies. Diffusion coefficients of Li + ions, anions, and electrolyte solvent were measured by 7 Li, 19 F, and 1 H NMR, respectively. All results indicate heterogeneous ionic environments in the nanocomposite materials.
Situating Teacher Development: The View from Two Teachers' Perspectives.

Abstract Using a narrative inquiry methodology, this 10-year study examined the situated nature of two teachers’ development. Research questions examined how the teachers situated their own learning, how they developed discourse communities for teaching and learning, and how they used tools in their work. Findings suggest that the following elements of situational learning were central to their development: questions that they drew from their practice; a balance between autonomy and collaboration found in peer collaboration focused on questions drawn from practice; the use of language and inclusion of new perspectives within discourse communities; improvisation and experimentation in practice, and support from administrators. A striking finding was that these teachers’ practice developed among multiple and sometimes contradictory pathways.
A standardized online clinical education and assessment tool for neurology clerkship students assigned to multiple sites

The Drexel neurology clerkship experience can vary from large groups at a university hospital inpatient unit to smaller groups at private physician offices. Evaluations are based on the site director’s subjective assessment and performance on the National Board of Medical Examiners neurology shelf examination. We are developing a standardized online clinical neurology course and quiz for the whole clerkship. We piloted the course and quiz at a single site for one academic year and compared their test scores with a control group of students at other clerkship sites who took the online quiz without viewing the course. Students at the pilot site achieved higher scores both on the neurology shelf examination and the clinical quiz and also reported higher teaching satisfaction scores than students at all other sites. There was a 97 % participation rate in the online quiz from the other sites. Use of this online course and quiz provides effective standardized clinical neurology teaching and evaluation that can be applied to students across multiple sites. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s40037-013-0097-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Susceptibility of Longleaf Pine Forest Associations in South Mississippi to Invasion by Cogongrass [Imperata cylindrica (L.) Beauv.]

ABSTRACT: If fire affects spread of cogongrass (Imperata cylindrica), a non-native grass that displaces native plants, managers can determine best use of resources to restore and maintain the diverse herbaceous groundcovers of longleaf pine-bluestem (Pinus palustris - Andropogon spp. and Schizachyrium spp.) forests of the southeastern United States. In 2003 and 2004, we measured rates of vegetative encroachment of cogongrass into burned and unburned pine-bluestem and pine-shrub forests one and two years post-burning on Camp Shelby Training Site, Mississippi. Linear growth and tiller production were significantly greater in pine-bluestem forests compared to pine-shrub forests for both time periods. Cogongrass growth was not affected by burning in either forest type one-year post-burning, but was significantly greater in burned forests after two years of growth. Two-years post-burning, mean linear growth of cogongrass was 235 cm in burned pine-bluestem, 139 cm in unburned pine-bluestem, 177 cm in burned pin...
Alfred Wegener and the Specialists

Accueil de la theorie de Wegener par les geologues anglophones (1915 et annees suivantes). Comparaison entre cette theorie et d'autres theories voisines: Chamberlin, Wallis, Van der Gracht. Application des programmes de recherche de Lakatos.
Physiologically relevant one‐compartment pharmacokinetic models for skin. 1. Development of models

Many studies have used pharmacokinetic (compartment) models for skin to predict or analyze absorption of chemicals through skin. In these studies, several different definitions of the rate constants were used. The purpose of this study was to develop a general procedure for relating compartment model rate constants to dermal absorption parameters, such as permeability and partition coefficients, and to assess whether different definitions of the rate constants produce different results. Rate constant expressions were developed by requiring a one-compartment model to match a one-membrane model at specific conditions. Because a membrane model contains more information than a compartment model, a compartment model cannot match the membrane model in all respects. Consequently, many compartment models (i.e., different definitions of the rate constants) can be developed which match the membrane model for different conditions. Using this procedure, 11 different compartment models were developed and compared to the membrane model for four different dermal absorption scenarios. The compartment model that most closely matches the membrane model depends on the specific exposure scenario and what is to be predicted. One of the new compartment models agrees reasonably well with the membrane model, for the cases considered.
The effect of cyanide on vitamin C uptake by human polymorphonuclear leukocytes.

Abstract 1. 1. Cyanide inhibited the uptake of vitamin C by human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs). 2. 2. Preincubation of PMNs with cyanide had no effect on cytochalasin B-inhibitable uptake of dehydroascorbic acid (DHA) (the reversibly oxidized and transportable form of vitamin C). 3. 3. Preincubation of DHA with cyanide resulted in inhibition of DHA uptake. 4. 4. Vitamin C uptake was decreased by cyanide to the same degree as it was by glutathione (GSH), which effectively reduces DHA to ascorbic acid. The effects of cyanide and GSH were not additive. 5. 5. The data are consistent with the hypothesis that cyanide inhibition of vitamin C uptake represents the chemical elimination of extracellular DHA rather than the inhibition of active transport in these cells.
Optically oriented and detected electron spin resonance in a lightly doped n-GaAs layer

Spin resonance of localized electrons bound to donors in a specially designed n-GaAs layer has been performed at 236 MHz and 41 mT, using circular polarized light to polarize the electrons and photoluminescence to detect the electronic polarization. The polarization was diminished under the resonance condition. The electronic g factor obtained by this measurement is $\ensuremath{-}0.41\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.01.$ The resonance linewidth of 2 mT corresponds to a spin lifetime of 28 ns. In order to observe the electronic spin resonance, nuclear effects were eliminated by application of rf fields to simultaneously resonate the nuclear spins.
Stable water-oil emulsions from the new insoluble surfactant sodium 5-(1-dodecylaminocarbonyl) picolinate

Abstract The new compound sodium 5-(1-dodecylaminocarbonyl) picolinate (NaDPA) has been prepared and found to have the unusual surfactant property of forming stable water–oil (w/o) emulsions in the presence of water and a variety of organic liquids. A study of droplet size (diameters=0.1–1.0 mm) as a function of the amount of surfactant used shows that a near constant coverage of surfactant molecules exists at the water–oil interface and that the interface is made up of multiple layers. The structure of NaDPA, with its multiple hydrogen-bonding possibilities, probably contributes to the observed stability of the emulsions. The emulsions are made up of droplets that are stable for months and can be filled with dyes, buffers, and solutions of high ionic strength.
Iron Differentially Stimulates Translation of Mitochondrial Aconitase and Ferritin mRNAs in Mammalian Cells IMPLICATIONS FOR IRON REGULATORY PROTEINS AS REGULATORS OF MITOCHONDRIAL CITRATE UTILIZATION

Utilization of mRNAs containing iron-responsive elements (IREs) is modulated by iron-regulated RNA-binding proteins (iron regulatory proteins). We examine herein whether iron differentially affects translation of ferritin and mitochondrial aconitase (m-Acon) mRNAs because they contain a similar but not identical IRE in their 5′-untranslated regions. First, we demonstrate that m-Acon synthesis is iron-regulated in mammalian cells. In HL-60 cells, hemin (an iron source) stimulated m-Acon synthesis 3-fold after 4 h compared with cells treated with an iron chelator (Desferal). Furthermore, hemin stimulated m-Acon synthesis 2–4-fold in several cell lines. Second, we show that iron modulates the polysomal association of m-Acon mRNA. We observed m-Acon mRNA in both ribonucleoprotein and polyribosomal fractions of HL-60 cells. Hemin significantly increased the polyribosomal association and decreased the ribonucleoprotein abundance of m-Acon mRNA in HL-60 cells. Third, our results indicate that iron differentially regulates translation of m-Acon and ferritin mRNAs. A dose response to hemin in HL-60 cells elicited a 2–2.4-fold increase in m-Acon synthesis within 5 h compared with untreated cells, whereas ferritin synthesis was stimulated 20–100-fold. We conclude that iron modulates m-Acon synthesis at the translational level and that iron regulatory proteins appear to differentially affect translation of IRE-containing mRNAs.
The design and implementation of a relational materials property data base

The choice of the proper material for a specific design is a critical issue not only from a materials property standpoint, but also from manufacturing, availability, and cost standpoints. Functions such as design, engineering analysis, manufacturing, and testing share in the production and use of this common data. A centrally located, computerized data base will provide the needed accessibility and flexibility to serve these groups. The flow of materials property data between the various engineering functions in a large manufacturer was studied and analyzed. A relational materials property data base was designed, implemented, and demonstrated. The relational model was chosen because it was the only one that could serve the diverse engineering functions with the plethora of information and still provide the flexibility and reasonable retrieval times required. The materials information necessary for all of these engineering functions and the resulting data dependencies were modeled using rigorous dependency diagrams and tables. This method allows the true qualities of and relationships between the data to be modeled, not just a description of the data flow. A relational data base was then developed using the Ingres data base management system (DBMS). Applications were also developed using Ingres, which provide the design engineers with an intelligent way to access the data base.
US trends in disability and institutionalization among older Blacks and Whites.

OBJECTIVES: This study estimated and compared the prevalence of disability and institutionalization in 1982, 1984, and 1989 among the older Black and White populations of the United States. METHODS: Data on over 1100 Blacks and 14,000 Whites in each of a series of three National Long Term Care Surveys were used. RESULTS: Diverging trends for Blacks and Whites led to statistically significant increases in the age- and sex-adjusted odds of disability (19%) and institutionalization (31%) for Blacks relative to Whites. CONCLUSIONS: Black and White disparities in disability appear to have widened, while disparities in institutionalization appear to have narrowed during the decade of the 1980s.
Generic symmetry breaking and the Landau expansion

Abstract A new type of “generic” symmetry breaking is predicted using group theory selection rules. Using a Landau expansion, the new phase is generated by a symmetry breaking term of eighth degree. Since low degree anisotropic terms are absent, the associated continuous transition is called “Curie” critical. A two component order parameter Landau expansion is explicitly analysed. The phase diagram is presented.
Evidence that phosphorylation of iron regulatory protein 1 at Serine 138 destabilizes the [4Fe-4S] cluster in cytosolic aconitase by enhancing 4Fe-3Fe cycling.

Iron-sulfur cluster-dependent interconversion of iron regulatory protein 1 (IRP1) between its RNA binding and cytosolic aconitase (c-acon) forms controls vertebrate iron homeostasis. Cluster removal from c-acon is thought to include oxidative demetallation as a required step, but little else is understood about the process of conversion to IRP1. In comparison with c-aconWT, Ser138 phosphomimetic mutants of c-acon contain an unstable [4Fe-4S] cluster and were used as tools to further define the pathway(s) of iron-sulfur cluster disassembly. Under anaerobic conditions cluster insertion into purified IRP1S138E and cluster loss on treatment with NO regulated aconitase and RNA binding activity over a similar range as observed for IRP1WT. However, activation of RNA binding of c-aconS138E was an order of magnitude more sensitive to NO than for c-aconWT. Consistent with this, an altered set point between RNA-binding and aconitase forms was observed for IRP1S138E when expressed in HEK cells. Active c-aconS138E could only accumulate under hypoxic conditions, suggesting enhanced cluster disassembly in normoxia. Cluster disassembly mechanisms were further probed by determining the impact of iron chelation on acon activity. Unexpectedly EDTA rapidly inhibited c-aconS138E activity without affecting c-aconWT. Additional chelator experiments suggested that cluster loss can be initiated in c-aconS138E through a spontaneous nonoxidative demetallation process. Taken together, our results support a model wherein Ser138 phosphorylation sensitizes IRP1/c-acon to decreased iron availability by allowing the [4Fe-4S]2+ cluster to cycle with [3Fe-4S]0 in the absence of cluster perturbants, indicating that regulation can be initiated merely by changes in iron availability.
Stratigraphy, Zonation, and Age of Schaghticoke, Deepkill, and Normanskill Shales, Eastern New York

Graptolite-bearing black shales in eastern New York have served as the standard of reference for Ordovician graptolite successions in North America. The Schaghticoke, Deepkill, and Normanskill shales do not include a continuous sequence of Early and Middle Ordovician graptolite zones, as previously thought. The Schaghticoke Shale bears a fauna characterized by Dictyonema flabelliforme flabelliforme and Staurograptus dichotomous. An earliest Ordovician graptolite zone encompasses it. Four zonal assemblages can be delimited in the Deepkill Shale. Two are latest Early Ordovician; one is earliest Middle Ordovician; the highest is Middle Ordovician and is separated from the others by a structural discordance and a faunal gap of one zone. The Normanskill Shale bears graptolite assemblages typical of two zones and is of late Middle Ordovician age. It can be divided into four lithic members. A lithic unit comprised of huge blocks of Normanskill Shale and other older formations in a black shale matrix, which bears graptolites typical of the Canajoharie Shale, overlies the Normanskill Shale on the eastern side of the Hudson River throughout Rensselaer County and the southern part of Washington County, New York. Its exposure belt may be the western limit of the “Taconic Klippe.” The unit separates apparent autochthonous from allochthonous portions of the Normanskill Shale.
Impaired axonal transport and neurofilament compaction occur in separate populations of injured axons following diffuse brain injury in the immature rat

Diffuse brain injury is a leading cause of mortality in infants and children under 4 years of age and results in cognitive deficits in survivors. The anatomic basis for these behavioral deficits may be traumatic axonal injury (TAI), which manifests as impaired axonal transport (IAT) and neurofilament compaction (NFC), and may occur as a result of glutamate receptor activation. The extent of IAT and NFC was evaluated at 6, 24 and 72 h following non-contusive brain trauma in the 17 day-old rat to examine the causal relationship between these two pathologic entities; in addition, the effect of antagonists to the ionotropic glutamate receptors on TAI was evaluated. At 6 h post-injury, NFC was observed primarily in the cingulum, and appeared as swollen axons and terminal bulbs. By 24 h, swollen axons were additionally present in the corpus callosum and lateral white matter tracts, and appeared to increase in diameter. At 72 h, the extent of axonal swellings exhibiting compacted neurofilaments appeared to decrease, and was accompanied by punctate immunoreactivity within axon tracts suggestive of axonal degeneration. Although NFC was present in the same anatomical locations where axonal accumulation of amyloid precursor protein (APP) has been observed, double-label immunohistochemistry revealed no evidence of colocalization of compacted neurofilament and APP. Pre-injury treatment with either the NMDA receptor antagonist, ifenprodil, or the AMPA receptor antagonist, NBQX, had no significant effect on the extent of TAI, suggesting that excitotoxicity may not be a primary mechanism underlying TAI. Importantly, these data are indicative of the heterogeneity of mechanisms underlying TAI in the traumatically-injured immature brain.
Van Hove scenario for cuprate superconductivity

Abstract The cuprate superconductor problem is approached from the conventional metallic standpoint, valid at dopings near the Tc maximum and beyond. There is strong evidence that the Tc maximum corresponds to EF lying at a van Hove singularity, a special situation leading to marginal Fermi liquid behavior, and also to a minimum in the isotope shift, as observed. The superconducting properties are discussed in the light of phononic and electronic pairing models.
Temperature dependence of polariton dispersion in LiTaO3

Abstract Temperature tunability of a polariton mode is reported for the first time. Using spontaneous, as well as stimulated near-forward Raman scattering experiments, we have observed the shift of the polariton dispersion curve associated with the 200 cm-1 ferroelectric mode in LiTaO3 towards lower frequencies, as temperature is raised from room temperature to 306°C. This behavior can be quantitatively explained through the classical-oscillator dispersion theory.
Reliability and validity of the mercury in rubber strain gauge measure of penile circumference

Three investigations of the mercury-in-rubber (MIR) strain gauge were completed to study its mensural properties under typical laboratory conditions. Study I found that basal penile circumference measurement was highly reliable ( r =.94); Study II showed that at full erection reliability was somewhat lower ( r =.75). Study III compared MIR circumference measures to videotaped records of erectile angle. The two measures were generally highly correlated over the initial arousal phase but were less so once circumference reached its asymptote. Overall, the MIR strain gauge can be used with some confidence, especially if its limitations are carefully considered.
Immunoelectrophoretic detection of double-stranded ribonucleic acid from Agaricus bisporus

Multiple molecular forms of double-stranded ribonucleic acid (dsRNA) are present in viral-infected strains of Agaricus bisporus (Lange) Imbach. Submicrogram levels of this dsRNA can be detected by agarose-film immunoelectrophoresis employing antiserum to a synthetic dsRNA, polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid [poly(I):poly(C)]. The sensitivity of the method is improved by fluorescent staining of immunoprecipitation lines with ethidium bromide. The dsRNA species examined, despite differences in molecular weight, exhibit serological identity and, in turn, cross-react with poly(I):poly(C).
Synthesis of Imidazo[4,5-b]pyridines and Imidazo[4,5-b]pyrazines by Palladium Catalyzed Amidation of 2-Chloro-3-amino-heterocycles

A facile synthesis of imidazo[4,5-b]pyridines and -pyrazines is described using a Pd-catalyzed amide coupling reaction. This reaction provides quick access to products with substitution at N1 and C2. A model system relevant to the natural product pentosidine has been demonstrated, as well as the total synthesis of the mutagen 1-Me-5-PhIP.
Inhibiting the Initiation of Clostridium difficile Spore Germination using Analogs of Chenodeoxycholic Acid, a Bile Acid

To cause disease, Clostridium difficile spores must germinate in the host gastrointestinal tract. Germination is initiated upon exposure to glycine and certain bile acids, e.g., taurocholate. Chenodeoxycholate, another bile acid, inhibits taurocholate-mediated germination. By applying Michaelis-Menten kinetic analysis to C. difficile spore germination, we found that chenodeoxycholate is a competitive inhibitor of taurocholate-mediated germination and appears to interact with the spores with greater apparent affinity than does taurocholate. We also report that several analogs of chenodeoxycholate are even more effective inhibitors. Some of these compounds resist 7α-dehydroxylation by Clostridium scindens, a core member of the normal human colonic microbiota, suggesting that they are more stable than chenodeoxycholate in the colonic environment.
Shoplifting of Everyday Products That Serve Illicit Drug Uses

Objectives:Some everyday products, particularly over-the-counter drugs, which are sold in supermarkets and other stores can produce a “high” or serve other roles in illicit drug use. Informed by CRAVED, a model of theft choices derived from crime opportunity theory, this study explores whether products with known roles in drug use are shoplifted at higher rates than other products.Methods:Products that serve a variety of roles in illicit drug use were identified through a review of the medical literature and web sources. Data from 204 supermarkets yielded theft rates for 551 of these products, which were compared with theft rates for 7,887 products sold by the same stores without known roles in drug abuse.Results:Theft rates of products with roles in drug use were significantly higher than theft rates of other products.Conclusions:Knowing which products are shoplifted can provide only limited information about the shoplifter’s “craft.” In this case, more information was needed about the security given to ...
Dominance, access to colonies, and queues for mating opportunities by male boat-tailed grackles

Species characterized by female-defense polygyny have extreme variance in male mating success. Many studies have considered alternative male strategies for access to females, but few have considered age-specific strategies. Male boat-tailed grackles (Quiscalus major) compete for access to colonies of females and form linear dominance hierarchies. I observed two groups of males that competed for females at seven colonies. Dominance rank was significantly correlated with mass, but not after controlling for age. In contrast, the correlation between dominance rank and age remained significant after controlling for mass. Older males dominated younger males and dominance relationships were very stable. Thus, dominance hierarchies represent queues for mating opportunities. A male's rank in the hierarchy determined how closely he approached a colony. Furthermore, males of all ranks prevented lower-ranked individuals from approaching the colonies. Dominance rank thus determined access to nesting females. One top-ranking male's loss of mass over the course of the breeding season presumably reflected the energetic cost of defending females, but he maintained his position in the hierarchy despite the small loss of mass. One alpha male held a colony for at least 4 years, and the ages of males from two queues indicated that males wait 6 or more years before becoming an alpha male. Therefore, most males die before acquiring a colony of females. Spatial structure such as that documented here could obscure recognition of queues and explain why they have not been documented in more species.
A sensitive HPLC-MS-MS method for the determination of raltegravir in human plasma

Abstract This work describes an assay system that has been developed to quantify raltegravir concentrations in human plasma using a liquid–liquid extraction technique paired with HPLC separation and MS–MS detection. The dynamic range of this assay extends from 1 to 3000 ng/mL, with a coefficient of determination (r2, mean ± SD) of 0.9992 ± 0.0002. The mean precision values for calibration standards ranged from 0.6% to 3.0%, while accuracy values were 96.5–104.3%. This procedure is an accurate, precise, and sensitive method for raltegravir quantitation and was successfully validated using external proficiency testing.
Chemoprevention of Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck: No Time to Lose Momentum

The prospects for chemoprevention to reduce the incidence of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) are great. The tissue at risk for harboring disease is relatively accessible for examination and biopsy. Patients appropriate for study can be easily identified by their risk factors and the presence of premalignant lesions. Our understanding of the pathogenesis of SCCHN is ever increasing, and offers new opportunities to explore strategies for prevention therapies. In this issue of Cancer Prevention Research, Saba and colleagues report on a phase Ib trial of celecoxib plus erlotinib to prevent progression to higher-grade dysplasia or invasive carcinoma in patients with oral premalignant lesions. The overall response rate was 57%, though by the time of last analysis, 85% of patients relapsed. In this commentary, challenges to the success of chemoprevention clinical trials for SCCHN, such as pitfalls in using surrogate biomarkers and reversal of histologic premalignant changes as study endpoints, are discussed. In addition, strategies to help ensure further development in the field of head and neck cancer prevention are reviewed. These include focusing efforts on tobacco cessation and human papillomavirus vaccination, targeting key molecular drivers of head and neck carcinogenesis, and focusing on combination strategies that have the potential to eradicate premalignant clones, even if some toxicity is encountered.