cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nucleic acid sequence based amplification for the rapid and sensitive detection of Salmonella enterica from foods

Aims: The purpose of this study was to apply nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (NASBA) for the detection of Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis (S. Enteritidis) in representative foods. Methods and Results: A previously reported primer and probe set based on mRNA sequences of the dnaK gene of Salmonella were used in this study. To test for possible food matrix inhibition and assay detection limits, 25-g samples of representative food commodities (fresh meats, poultry, fish, ready-to-eat salads and bakery products) were pre-enriched with and without S. Enteritidis inoculation. The NucliSens® Basic Kit, supplemented with enzymes from various other commercial sources, was used for RNA isolation, NASBA amplification and electrochemiluminescent (ECL) detection. The end point detection limit of the NASBA–ECL assay was equivalent to 101 CFU of S. Enteritidis per amplification reaction. When the assay was tested on noncontaminated foods, none of the food matrices produced false-positive results. Some of the food matrices inhibited the NASBA–ECL reaction unless the associated RNA was diluted 10-fold prior to amplification. Conclusions: For all food items tested, positive ECL signals were achieved after 18 h of pre-enrichment and subsequent NASBA at initial inoculum levels of 102 and 101 CFU per 25 g food sample. Significance and Impact of the Study: This rapid, semi-automated detection method has potential for use in the food, agricultural and public health sectors.
High-Level Exceptions Explained

Why are causal generalizations in the higher-level sciences “inexact”? That is, why do they have apparent exceptions? This paper offers one explanation: many causal generalizations cite as their antecedent—the $$F$$ in $$Fs\,\, {\textit{are}}\,\, G$$ —a property that is not causally relevant to the consequent, but which is rather “entangled” with a causally relevant property. Entanglement is a relation that may exist for many reasons, and that allows of exceptions. Causal generalizations that specify entangled but causally irrelevant antecedents therefore tolerate exceptions.
Purification of cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase by immunochromatography

Cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase (CGTase) was produced in recombinant Escherichia coli which contains the cgt gene of Bacillus macerans in the pTCGT1 plasmid. Antiserum against CGTase was prepared in rabbits. Anti-CGTase IgG in Serum was purified using an immobilized Protein A affinity column and an immobilized E. coli cell lysate affinity column. The purified anti-CGTase IgG was coupled to Sepharose 4B (5.3mg IgG/mL gel), which was activated with cyanogen bromide. Crude CGTase was purified with this immunoadsorbent with CGTase binding capacity of 0.27 mg/mL and eluted with 0.1M glycine buffer, pH 10.6. Approximately 65% of enzyme activity was recovered from the crude CGTase preparation by this method. The purified CGTase was electrophoretically and antigenically homogeneous, appearing as a single band. After 10 cycles, the recovery yield was not reduced significantly. There was no cross reaction between anti-CGTase IgG and other tested amylolytic enzymes. This immunoaffinity column is, therefore, effective, efficient, and convenient to use, and can be used widely to purify CGTase from various sources.
Creative work is still work

When HBO producer David Simon heard that he had won a MacArthur Genius Award in 2010, he quipped that his wife, a noted author herself, told him the morning after: ‘Hey Genius, you forgot to take t...
Fluorescent Dyes Modify Properties of Proteins Used in Microvascular Research

Objective:Fluorescent dyes, used frequently to label proteins for microvascular experiments, are assumed to not alter the protein's physicochemical characteristics. We tested the validity of that assumption for two probes, bovine serum albumin (BSA) and α-lactalbumin. Methods:Standard electrophoretic techniques were used to examine the influence of five fluorescent dyes on the following three properties of BSA: molecular size (sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis [PAGE]); relative molecular charge (native PAGE); and isoelectric point (pI) (i.e., isoelectric focusing). Also examined were the influence of the dyes on the relative charge of α-lactalbumin (native PAGE). Paired measures of single-vessel flux were made using two commercial preparations of dye-BSA on porcine coronary arterioles and venules. Results:The addition of fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) to BSA altered significantly its size (p< 0.01; n= 6), relative charge (p< 0.02; n= 7), and pI. The other dyes caused minimal, ye...
Assay and partial purification of factors from serum that control multiplication of human diploid fibroblasts.

Abstract The nature of the set of poorly characterized macromolecular factors from fetal bovine serum needed for sustained multiplication of isolated human diploid fibroblasts in vitro depends on the qualitative and quantitative composition of the set of defined small molecules used in the assay. The apparent multiplication-promoting activity of a subset of serum factors is interchangeable with multiple precisely defined modifications of the assay system. Use of optimized assay conditions that eliminate dependence on “replaceable” activities from serum reduces the number of crude fractions that affect multiplication. This facilitates quantification and purification of the remaining “nonreplaceable” multiplication-promoting activities, which can now be separated from fetuin and serum albumin and purified approximately 15-fold with 46 per cent recovery.
Readability of consumer-oriented geriatric depression information on the Internet

Readability, or the ease with which written material is scanned and understood, is an important factor in the effectiveness of written communication. This study evaluated the readability of consumer-oriented information about geriatric depression on the Internet. The readability of material from 60 websites (e.g., the National Institute of Mental Health or www.nimh.nih.gov) was evaluated with standard readability indexes. The effects of type of search, type of site, and search engine on readability were assessed, and most sites were too difficult for most elders to read. Results show that consumers of geriatric depression information on the Internet may not be able to profit from it due to the low levels of readability of the material provided.
Electronic absorption and fluorescence spectrophotometry of quinacrine

Abstract The absorption and fluorescence spectra of quinacrine and its dealkylated derivative, 2-methoxy-6-chloro-9-aminoacridine, were studied as a function of pH and Hammett acidity. The relative stability and high quantum yield of the dication derived from quinacrine make it the most desirable species for fluorimetric determination. This species predominates in the region pH 8-H o -6. The alkylamino side-chain of quinacrine appears to interfere with excited state protonation and dissociation of the dication. Moreover, in the dication, the steric interaction between the side-chain and the 9-amino group may prevent coplanarity between the 9-amino group and the acridine ring, thereby favoring the aminoacridine over the iminoacridan structure.
Vision-based weld pool boundary extraction and width measurement during keyhole fiber laser welding

Abstract In keyhole fiber laser welding processes, the weld pool behavior is essential to determining welding quality. To better observe and control the welding process, the accurate extraction of the weld pool boundary as well as the width is required. This work presents a weld pool edge detection technique based on an off axial green illumination laser and a coaxial image capturing system that consists of a CMOS camera and optic filters. According to the difference of image quality, a complete developed edge detection algorithm is proposed based on the local maximum gradient of greyness searching approach and linear interpolation. The extracted weld pool geometry and the width are validated by the actual welding width measurement and predictions by a numerical multi-phase model.
The Mechanics of Perturbed Upper Limb Movement Control

The dependence of muscle force on muscle length gives rise to a “spring - like” behavior which has been shown to play an important role during movement. This study extended this concept and incorporated the influential factors of the mechanical behavior of the neural, muscular and skeletal system on the control of elbow movement. A significant question in motor control is determining how information about movement is used to modify control signals to achieve desired performance. One theory proposed and supported by Feldman et. is the equilibrium point hypothesis (EPH). In it the central nervous system (CNS) reacts to movement as a shift of the limb’s equilibrium posture. The EPH drastically simplified the requisite computations for multi-joint movements and mechanical interactions with complex dynamic objects in the context. Because the neuromuscular system is spring-like, the instantaneous difference between the arm’s actual position and the equilibrium position specified by the neural activity can generate the requisite torques, avoiding the complex “inverse dynamic” of computing the torques at the joints. Moreover, this instantaneous difference serves as a potential source of movement control related to limb dynamics and associated movement-dependent torques when perturbations are added. In this paper, we have used an EPH model to examine changes to control signals for arm movements in the context of adding perturbations in format of forces or torques. The mechanical properties and reflex actions of muscles crossing the elbow joint were examined during a planned 1 radian voluntary elbow flexion movement. Brief unexpected torque/force pulses of identical magnitude and time duration (4.5 N flexion switching to 50 N extension within 120ms) were introduced at various points of a movement in randomly selected trials. Single perturbation was implemented in different trials during early, mid, stages of the movement by pre-programmed 6DOF robotic arm (MOOG FCS HapticMaster). Changes in movement trajectory induced by a torque/ force perturbation determined over the first 120 ms by a position prediction formulation, and then a modified and optimization K-B-I (stiffness-damping-inertia) model was fit to the responses for predicting both non-perturbed and perturbed movement of elbow. The stiffness and damping coefficients estimate during voluntary movements were compared to values recorded of different subjects during trials. A least square nonlinear optimization model was designed to help determine the optimized impedance a subject could generate, and the identified of adapted of K-B-I in perturbed upper limb movements confirmed our assumption.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Female social dominance and basal metabolism in a malagasy primate, Propithecus verreauxi.

Tight energetic constraints on reproductively active females are hypothesized to be an important determinant of the phenomenon of female dominance in Propithecus verreauxi, a primate endemic to Madagascar. Five wild sifakas were captured in the Beza Mahafaly Special Reserve in southern Madagascar, and resting metabolic rates (RMR) were measured. Levels were low, as predicted, with the exception of a possibly pregnant female.; Although the data were not conclusive, they were consistent with the hypothesis.
Designing nanomaterial-enhanced electrochemical immunosensors for cancer biomarker proteins.

Abstract Detection of multiple cancer biomarker proteins in human serum and tissue at point-of-care is a viable approach for early cancer detection, but presents a major challenge to bioanalytical device development. This article reviews recent approaches developed in our laboratories combining nanoparticle decorated electrodes and multilabeled secondary antibody labeled particles to achieve high sensitivity for the detection of cancer biomarker proteins. Two nanomaterial-based sensor platforms were used: (a) upright single wall carbon nanotube forests and (b) layers of densely packed 5 nm gold nanoparticles. Both platforms feature pendant carboxylate groups for easy attachment of enzymes or antibodies by amidization. In quality performance tests, the biocatalytic responses for determination of hydrogen peroxide of AuNP layers with attached horseradish peroxidase (HRP) on electrodes gave somewhat better detection limit and sensitivity than single wall carbon nanotube (SWNT) forest platforms with HRP attached. Evaluation of these sensors as platforms for sandwich immunoassays for cancer biomarker prostate specific antigen (PSA) in serum showed that both approaches gave accurate results for human serum samples from cancer patients. The best detection limit (0.5 pg mL − 1 ) and sensitivity were obtained by combining the AuNP immunosensors with binding of 1 μm diameter magnetic particles decorated with secondary antibodies and 7500 HRP labels.
Pornography and rape: An empirical analysis

Previous macrolevel sociological analyses have yielded considerable empirical support for a model that hypothesizes a causal relation between pornography and rape. A particularly problematic issue is that these studies have depended on states as the units of analysis. In a similar analysis using Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas, the pornography model was not supported.
Tubular silk scaffolds for small diameter vascular grafts

Vascular surgeries such as coronary artery bypass require small diameter vascular grafts with properties that are not available at this time. Approaches using synthetic biomaterials have been not completely successful in producing non-thrombogenic grafts with inner diameters less than 6 mm, and there is a need for new biomaterials and graft designs. We propose silk fibroin as a microvascular graft material and describe tubular silk scaffolds that demonstrate improved properties over existing vascular graft materials. Silk tubes produced using an aqueous gel spinning technique were first assessed in vitro in terms of thrombogenicity (thrombin and fibrinogen adsorption, platelet adhesion) and vascular cell responses (endothelial and smooth muscle cell attachment and proliferation) in comparison with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), a synthetic material most frequently used for vascular grafts. Silk tubes were then implanted into the abdominal aortas of Sprague-Dawley rats. At time points of 2 weeks and 4 weeks post implantation, tissue outcomes were assessed through gross observation (acute thrombosis, patency) and histological staining (H&E, Factor VIII, smooth muscle actin). Over the 4-week time period, we observed graft patency and endothelial cell lining of the lumen surfaces. These results demonstrate the feasibility of using silk fibroin as a vascular graft material and some advantages of silk tubes over the currently used synthetic grafts.
COMPARISON BETWEEN BIOACTIVITY AND IMMUNOREACTIVITY OF SERUM PROLACTIN IN URAEMIA

The lactogenic potency of sera from 24 male uraemic patients on regular haemodialysis and 14 control subjects was measured by Nb2 node rat lymphoma cell bioassay, and was compared to serum prolactin levels measured by radioimmunoassay. Sera with immunoreactive growth hormone levels exceeding 5 ng/ml were excluded from comparisons. The uraemic patients had a higher serum immunoreactive prolactin (48.2 +/- 10.5 ng/ml) than controls (13.3 +/- 1.3 ng/ml (P less than 0.01). Similarly the lactogenic potency of uraemic serum was higher than that of the control sera (25.5 +/- 3.9 vs 12.6 +/- 1.4 ng/ml, P less than 0.02). The ratio of immunoreactive serum prolactin to the lactogenic potency of the serum was significantly higher in the uraemic group (1.80 +/- 0.14 vs 1.10 +/- 0.10, P less than 0.01) suggesting decreased bioactivity of prolactin in uraemic serum. To examine whether low molecular weight inhibitory molecules were responsible for this discrepancy, the lactogenic potency of 8 uraemic sera was studied before and after 4 h of dialysis against 1 litre of haemodialysis medium. Two of the eleven sera studied showed a significant increment in lactogenic potency after dialysis (47% and 57%). We conclude that there is a disparity between the bioactive and the immunoreactive serum prolactin concentrations in patients with chronic renal failure and that a dialysable factor may be partly responsible for this discrepancy in some cases.
Expression of TGFβ3 and its effects on migratory and invasive behavior of prostate cancer cells: involvement of PI3-kinase/AKT signaling pathway

Transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ) is a secreted cytokine implicated as a factor in cancer cell migration and invasion. Previous studies have indicated that TGFβ isoforms may exert differential effects on cancer cells during different stages of the disease, however very little is known about the expression patterns and activity of the three isoforms in prostate cancer. Non-traditional signaling pathways including the PI3-Kinase have been associated with TGFβ-mediated effects on cancer cell invasion. In the present study, we have carried out expression analysis of TGFβ isoforms and signaling components in cell line models representing different stages of prostate cancer and studied the differential effects of specific isoforms on migratory and invasive behavior and induction of the PI3-kinase pathway. TGFβ1 and TGFβ3 were expressed in all cell lines, with TGFβ3 expression increasing in metastatic cell lines. Both TGFβ1 and TGFβ3 induced motility and invasive behavior in PC3 cells, however, TGFβ3 was significantly more potent than TGFβ1. TGFβRI and Smad3 inhibitors blocked TGFβ1 and TGFβ3 induced motility and invasion. TGFβ3 caused a significant increase in pAKTser473 in PC3 cells and PI3-kinase inhibitor LY294002 blocked TGFβ3 induced migration, invasion and phosphorylation of AKT. Both TGFβRI and Smad3 inhibitors blocked TGFβ3 induced pAKTser473. Based on these results, we conclude that TGFβ3 is expressed in metastatic prostate cancer cell lines and is involved in induction of invasive behavior in these cells. Furthermore, these effects of TGFβ3 are TGFβRI and Smad3 dependent and mediated via the PI3-kinase pathway.
The Link between Summertime Cloud Radiative Forcing and Extratropical Cyclones in the North Pacific

Abstract This paper examines the role of extratropical cyclones in determining the cloud radiative forcing over the North Pacific during summer. Specifically, this study uses daily and monthly ERBE cloud radiative forcing, monthly ISCCP cloud-type distributions and optical depth, daily ECMWF meteorological analyses, and a climatology of cloud-type distributions based on surface observations. The geographic correspondence between monthly mean fields of cloud radiative forcing, cloud type and optical depth, and quantities such as baroclinicity and transient eddy flux suggests that large-scale, stratiform cloud systems associated with traveling cyclones are largely responsible for the band of strongly negative shortwave cloud forcing (Cs) over the Pacific between 40° and 60°N. Analysis of daily ERBE cloud forcing for July 1985, in conjunction with daily ECMWF geopotential, demonstrates the evolution of highly reflective cloud systems associated with several traveling, closed lows. The southwest to northeast ...
Integration—Who Benefits?

Abstract Old ideas give way slowly; for they arc more than abstract logical forms and categories. They are habits, predispositions, deeply engrained attitudes of aversions and preference.
A Quantitative Metabolic Defect in Lipid Metabolism Associated with Abnormal Serum Lipoproteins in Man

Tritium-labeled cholesterol has been fed to a selected series of patients to demonstrate a quantitative metabolic defect in lipid metabolism in the presence of abnormal serum lipoprotein spectra. Patients with abnormal serum lipoprotein spectra carry a greater fraction of their newly absorbed cholesterol in the esterified form than do normals.
Outcomes using lower vs higher hemoglobin thresholds for red blood cell transfusion.

Clinical Question: Is a lower vs higher hemoglobin threshold best for minimizing both red blood cell use and adverse clinical outcomes when used to trigger red blood cell transfusions in anemic patients in critical care and acute care settings? Bottom Line: Compared with higher hemoglobin thresholds, a hemoglobin threshold of 7 or 8 g/dL is associated with fewer red blood cell units transfused without adverse associations with mortality, cardiac morbidity, functional recovery, or length of hospital stay.
Vancomycin architecture dependence on the capture efficiency of antibody-modified microbeads by magnetic nanoparticles

We show that the ability to control the architecture/orientation of vancomycin on the surface of magnetic nanoparticles has a drastic effect on the ability of the nanoparticles to magnetically confine vancomycin-antibody modified polystyrene microbeads.
Thrombokinetics in idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura.

Summary Measurements of platelet production in 16 patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) demonstrate that megakaryocytopoiesis (total thrombopoiesis) and platelet turnover (effective thrombopoiesis) are increased in parallel to as much as 8 times normal. The marrow megakaryocytes show changes characteristic of stimulated thrombopoiesis.
Science Signaling Podcast: 7 January 2014

This Podcast features an interview with Michaela Gack, author of a Research Article that appears in the 7 January 2014 issue of Science Signaling , about a posttranslational modification that affects the response to viral infection. Ubiquitination is a reversible posttranslational modification that controls the stability, activity, or localization of proteins. There are several chemically distinct types of ubiquitination, and target proteins may be ubiquitinated on multiple sites. Where and how ubiquitin is attached to a substrate can have profoundly different effects on that substrate, so the regulation of protein function by ubiquitination is complex and dynamic. Pauli et al . report that the ubiquitin-specific protease USP15 promotes interferon production to prolong the antiviral response by stabilizing the ubiquitin E3 ligase TRIM25.
Detection of active human herpesvirus-6 infection in the brain : Correlation with polymerase chain reaction detection in cerebrospinal fluid

One-half of bone-marrow transplant (BMT) and stem-cell transplant recipients have reactivation of latent human herpesvirus (HHV)-6 2-4 weeks after transplant. Although the detection of viral DNA, RNA, and antigen in brain material confirmed active HHV-6 variant B infection, peak viral loads in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum occurred 2-4 weeks before death and decreased to low levels before or at autopsy. All autopsy samples consistently demonstrated HHV-6 active infection in the hippocampus. Astrocytic cells positive for viral antigen provided support for an HHV-6-specific tropism for hippocampal astrocytes. HHV-6 DNA in CSF and serum may not reflect the level of active viral infection in the brain after BMT.
ASSOCIATION BETWEEN FIRE RETURN INTERVAL AND POPULATION DYNAMICS IN FOUR CALIFORNIA POPULATIONS OF TECATE CYPRESS (CUPRESSUS FORBESII)

The Tecate cypress (Cupressus forbesii) is a tree species associated with chaparral ecosystems in southern California and northern Baja California, Mexico. It is fire-adapted, its regeneration triggered by the opening of serotinous cones when adult trees are burned. Surveys made in the 1980s by others suggested that some Tecate cypress populations were declining, and some authors suggested that increased fire frequency in southern California was a major factor for this decline. We asked whether current population trends were still negative for Tecate cypress 20 years later, and whether population growth was associated with fire return interval length. Based on demographic, survival, and growth-rate data, we calculated the rate of population increase (l) for the 4 known California populations of Tecate cypress (Coal Canyon-Sierra Peak in Orange County and Guatay Mountain, Otay Mountain, and Tecate Peak in San Diego County). The rate of population increase was positively associated with fire return interval length, which varied among populations. A 40-year or longer fire return interval corresponded to l . 1, suggesting the population trend is positive, while a fire return interval shorter than 40 years corresponded to l , 1, suggesting that populations burning more often than once every 40 years are declining.
Review: Following you home from school: A critical review and synthesis of research on cyberbullying victimization

More than 97% of youths in the United States are connected to the Internet in some way. An unintended outcome of the Internet's pervasive reach is the growing rate of harmful offenses against children and teens. Cyberbullying victimization is one such offense that has recently received a fair amount of attention. The present report synthesizes findings from quantitative research on cyberbullying victimization. An integrative definition for the term cyberbullying is provided, differences between traditional bullying and cyberbullying are explained, areas of convergence and divergence are offered, and sampling and/or methodological explanations for the inconsistencies in the literature are considered. About 20-40% of all youths have experienced cyberbullying at least once in their lives. Demographic variables such as age and gender do not appear to predict cyberbullying victimization. Evidence suggests that victimization is associated with serious psychosocial, affective, and academic problems. The report concludes by outlining several areas of concern in cyberbullying research and discusses ways that future research can remedy them.
Accumulation of Deleterious Mutations in Small Abiotic Populations of RNA

The accumulation of slightly deleterious mutations in populations leads to the buildup of a genetic load and can cause the extinction of populations of small size. Mutation-accumulation experiments have been used to study this process in a wide variety of organisms, yet the exact mutational underpinnings of genetic loads and their fitness consequences remain poorly characterized. Here, we use an abiotic system of RNA populations evolving continuously in vitro to examine the molecular events that can instigate a genetic load. By tracking the fitness decline of ligase ribozyme populations with bottleneck sizes between 100 and 3000 molecules, we detected the appearance and subsequent fixation of both slightly deleterious mutations and advantageous mutations. Smaller populations went extinct in significantly fewer generations than did larger ones, supporting the notion of a mutational meltdown. These data suggest that mutation accumulation was an important evolutionary force in the prebiotic RNA world and that mechanisms such as recombination to ameliorate genetic loads may have been in place early in the history of life.
Transformation of truncated gold octahedrons into triangular nanoprisms through the heterogeneous nucleation of silver

Described is a straightforward procedure for forming organized substrate-immobilized nanoprisms which are single crystalline, surfactant-free and which form a heteroepitaxial relationship with the underlying substrate. The devised route utilizes truncated Au octahedrons formed through solid state dewetting techniques as high temperature heterogeneous nucleation sites for Ag adatoms which are arriving to the substrate surface in the vapour phase. Observed is a morphological and compositional transformation of the Au structures to triangular nanoprisms comprised of a homogeneous AuAg alloy. During this transformation, the localized surface plasmon resonance red-shifts, broadens and increases in strength. The shape transformation, which cannot be rationalized using thermodynamic arguments dependent on the surface energy minimization, is described in terms of a kinetically driven growth mode, previously predicted by molecular dynamic simulations. The so-formed structures, when coated with a thin layer of Pd, are demonstrated as plasmonic sensing elements for hydrogen detection.
Large Area Image Sensor Arrays

The development of large area 2-dimensional amorphous silicon image sensor arrays has taken nearly ten years. At the time of writing, these devices are being introduced into the market for digital X-ray imaging applications such as medical radiography and non-destructive testing. This chapter describes the arrays, the range of applications and why the amorphous silicon technology is well matched to the particular needs of X-ray imaging.
Multiplicity of Progesterone's Actions and Receptors in the Mammalian Ovary

This minireview summarizes the role that progesterone (P4) plays in regulating granulosa and luteal cell function. These actions include the stimulation of P4 synthesis and the inhibition of estrogen synthesis, mitosis, and apoptosis. P4 also plays a key role in the ovulatory process. Although P4's actions are well documented, the mechanism or mechanisms that mediate all of these actions have not been defined. In addition to P4-induced gene transcription that is mediated by the nuclear P4 receptors (PGR-A and PGR-B), three other receptor/signal transduction pathways could account for P4's intraovarian actions. These pathways could be mediated by 1) the PGR localizing at or near the plasma membrane and activating SRC family kinases, 2) a membrane progestin receptor that responds to P4 by lowering intracellular cAMP and increasing MAPK 3/1 activity, and 3) a membrane receptor complex composed of serpine 1 mRNA binding protein (also known as PAIRBP1 or RDA288) and progesterone receptor membrane component 1. Ligand activation of this complex likely leads to an increase in protein kinase G activity, the maintenance of low basal intracellular free calcium, and the inhibition of granulosa and luteal cell mitosis and apoptosis. Given the complexity of P4's actions within the ovary, it is likely that all of these receptor/signal transduction pathways influence some aspect of ovarian function with the specific P4 response dependent on 1) the expression pattern of these putative P4 receptors, 2) the P4 binding affinity of each receptor system, and 3) the amount of available P4.
Evaluating the Patient’s Current Situation and Personality Traits

In the course of taking the patient’s recent history, the physician gradually moves into inquiries about the patient’s current situation. The description of the patient’s current situation could be viewed either as part of the history (the recent history) or as a separate and distinct aspect of the evaluation. The approach recommended here is that the clinician think about the various elements that make up the patient’s present situation as a separate aspect of the evaluation.
Comparison of the Flow Properties of Rocks at Crustal Conditions

It is inferred that, although both primary and tertiary creep may be important in certain regions, large-scale ductile deformation in the Earth’s crust must be governed by secondary creep (steady state). This flow involves plastic deformation resulting from dislocation motion and diffusion. Geological, geophysical and geochemical observations constrain the temperature ( T ), strain rate (i), and stress difference (cr) for rocks undergoing secondary creep to: — 30-800 °C, 10_7-10-15 s-1, and up to 300 MPa (3 kbar). The actual conditions of secondary creep are strongly dependent on rock type and depth of deformation. Useful laboratory data on rocks obtained over wide ranges of T, e and cr are limited to ice, halite, marble, dolomite, quartzite and dunite. Steady-state flow results are available for both wet and dry rocks; H2O strongly affects the behaviour of both quartzite and dunite, but has a negligible effect on halite and marble. Secondary creep data for each rock are well fitted by exp ( ) crn, where Q is an activation energy for creep (diffusion) and A, R, n are constants. Comparison between those rocks expected in the deep crust indicates that at the highest T and at e of 10~12-10-15 s_1, cr is largest for dry dunite and dolomite, followed by dry quartzite, marble and wet quartzite. Equivalent viscosities ( ) range from 1018-1022 Pa s (1019-1023 P). At intermediate depths (at T = 300-500 °G), o9 in dolomite is slightly greater than dry quartzite; both are much stronger than marble. In the shallow crust, secondary creep is expected only in marble >250 °C) and in halite (T >2 5 °C). The y of halite at 25-250 °C, range from 1021—1017 Pas. At the surface and at e of 10~7—10_1° s-1 (glacier flow), of ice would be 1015 to 1012 Pa s between — 30 and 0 °C. Values of y for all rocks examined appear insensitive to T except wet quartzite and all dunite.
Quantitative comparison of clumping factor- and coagulase-mediated Staphylococcus aureus adhesion to surface-bound fibrinogen under flow

The contributions of clumping factor and coagulase in mediating Staphylococcus aureus adhesion to surface-adsorbed fibrinogen have been quantified by using a new methodology and analysis. The attachment or detachment kinetics of bacteria were directly observed in a radial flow chamber with a well-defined laminar flow field and a spatially varying shear rate and were quantified by recursively scanning the chamber surface and counting cells via automated video microscopy and image analysis with a motorized stage and focus control. Intrinsic rate constants for attachment or detachment were estimated as functions of shear rate for the wild-type Newman strain of S. aureus and for mutants lacking clumping factor, coagulase, or both proteins on surfaces coated with plasma, fibrinogen, or albumin. Clumping factor, but not coagulase, increased the probability of attachment and decreased the probability of detachment of S. aureus on plasma-coated surfaces; however, both clumping factor and, to a lesser extent, coagulase increased the probability of attachment on the purified-fibrinogen-coated surface. All mutants were resistant to detachment on the purified-fibrinogen-coated surface, suggesting the possibility of an additional adhesion mechanism which was independent of coagulase or clumping factor and effective only for fully attached cells. Together, these results suggest that the presence of clumping factor plays the primary role in enhancing adhesion to surfaces with adsorbed fibrinogen, not only by enhancing the probability of cell attachment but also by increasing the strength of the resulting adhesion.
Asymmetric dimethylarginine induces oxidative and nitrosative stress in murine lung epithelial cells.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) produced by epithelial and inflammatory cells are key mediators of the chronic airway inflammation of asthma. Low L-arginine levels can result in the uncoupling of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) leading to production of both ROS and RNS. Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) is a competitive endogenous inhibitor of all NOS isoforms and has been demonstrated to inhibit NO formation and increase oxidative stress in vascular endothelial and smooth muscle cells. The effect of ADMA on inducible NOS (iNOS) activity in epithelial cells has not been explored. In this study, we investigated whether addition of exogenous ADMA alters the generation of NO and superoxide anion (\batchmode \documentclass[fleqn,10pt,legalpaper]{article} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amsmath} \pagestyle{empty} \begin{document} \(\mathrm{O}_{2}^{{-}}\) \end{document}), leading to peroxynitrite (ONOO−) formation in a mouse epithelial cell line. In stimulat...
In the safety net: a tale of ticking clocks and tricky diagnoses.

In a time-crunched clinic, a physician and her resident battle the clock to uncover a potentially fatal diagnosis.
Inverse optimality of cooperative control for networked systems

In this paper, inverse optimal control design is applied to quantify performance of linear cooperative systems. It is known that a cooperative control consists of an individual negative feedback and a network positive feedback and that, if the sensing/communication matrix sequence is sequentially complete (or the graph has a globally reachable node or a spanning tree), the corresponding network system is cooperatively asymptotically stable (or convergent to a consensus). It is shown that, for any given topology, the individual negative feedback control part by itself is inversely optimal and so are the pair of individual negative feedback and network positive feedback parts. It is also established that a cooperative system of varying topologies is inversely optimal with respect to a quadratic performance index. Since the optimal performance index depends upon future changes of network topology, an online algorithm is also proposed to estimate the cost incurred up to any instant of time. These results are useful to quantify performance of a cooperative networked system, and they could also be used to improve the choices of weights in the nonnegative row-stochastic network feedback matrix.
Silicon-carbide high-voltage (400 V) Schottky barrier diodes

The authors describe the fabrication and characteristics of the first high-voltage (400-V) silicon-carbide (6H-SiC) Schottky barrier diodes. Measurements of the forward I-V characteristics of these diodes demonstrate a low forward voltage drop of approximately 1.1 V at an on-state current density of 100 A/cm/sup 2/ for a temperature range of 25 to 200 degrees C. The reverse I-V characteristics of these devices exhibit a sharp breakdown, with breakdown voltages exceeding 400 V at 25 degrees C. In addition, these diodes are shown to have superior reverse recovery characteristics when compared with high-speed silicon P-i-N rectifiers. >
Mass media vs. personal sources of information about the presidential assassination: A comparison of six investigations

John Milton said “Where there is much desire to learn, there will of necessity be much arguing, much writing, and many opinions, for opinion in good men is but knowledge in the making.” One of the most unsettled parts of the field of communication research and theory is the area of “ricochet” or “two‐step” information flow (briefly, the mass media tell the opinion leaders who tell others face‐to‐face). The assassination of President Kennedy provided an opportunity for a number of researchers to investigate the diffusion of information in a crisis situation. One of these studies, by Harold Mendelsohn, was published in the Spring 1964 issue of the Journal under the title “Broadcast vs. Personal Sources of Information in Emergent Public Crises: The Presidential Assassination.” In the present article, Stephen Spitzer compares the results of six different studies of information dissemination in connection with the presidential assassination. Because his conclusions directly contradicted Dr. Mendelsohn's study,...
Prestack suppression of high frequency ground roll using a 3D multiwindow KL filter: Application to a legacy Mississippi Lime survey

Summary Recently the Mississippi Lime has become one of the most active resource plays. Our study area falls in-between the Fort Worth and Midland Basins. The main production comes from high porosity tripolitic chert. Our objective is to use 3D seismic data to map the areal distribution of discontinuous tripolitic facies. In the early 1990s several 3D surveys were shot in the study area to image shallower objectives. With the advent of the Mississippi Lime play, four of these surveys were merged and reprocessed using careful statics and velocity analysis. Even after prestack time migration, the target zone is contaminated with the acquisition footprint. The data are low (~15) fold and contaminated by highly aliased, high frequency, high amplitude ground roll. Given the sparsity of the survey, modern f-kx-ky filters were not able to remove ground roll prompting the development of a new ground roll suppression workflow. In workflow, we first window and low-pass filter (f<50 Hz) the data, 3D patch by 3D patch. We then apply linear moveout to approximately flatten the ground roll phases, estimate the dip about this reference moveout, and compute coherence within a 3channel by 3-shot by 20 ms window for each sample. Using a Kuwahara algorithm, we choose the most coherent window within which we apply a structure-oriented KL filter. At the end we simply modeled the ground roll from the original data. This 3D filter preserves signal amplitude and is flexible enough to model the piece wise continuous ground roll pattern common with irregular topography.
Management of Thyroid carcinoma: Hahnemann experience

The primary treatment of thyroid carcinoma is surgery and the outcome depends on its extent. The post-operative management alternatives in thyroid carcinoma include thyroid hormone, radio-iodine ablation (I-131 Na), external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) and occasionally adjuvant chemotherapy. This retrospective study analyzes the managements of 153 patients (102, 51), age range 10-96 years, mean age 50.2 years treated for thyroid carcinoma. The range of follow-up was 1.0-294 months with median follow-up for 60.4 months. Twenty patients without therapy were excluded. Group A included 87 patients treated with I-131. Group B consisted of 13 patients received EBRT. Group C included both therapies in 33 patients. The therapies in all different stages of thyroid carcinoma and with various histopathologies were reviewed.
Genome sequence of the chemolithoautotrophic bacterium Oligotropha carboxidovorans OM5T

Oligotropha carboxidovorans OM5(T) (DSM 1227, ATCC 49405) is a chemolithoautotrophic bacterium with the capability to utilize carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen. It is also capable of heterotrophic growth under appropriate environmental conditions. Here we report the annotated genome sequence of the circular chromosome of this organism.
Low-Altitude Digital Photogrammetry Technique to Assess Ephemeral Gully Erosion

Recent development in digital imaging makes it feasible to employ photogrammetry procedures to delineate landscape and erosion features. We evaluated the feasibility of using low-altitude photogrammetry to assess ephemeral gully erosion at agricultural fields. We tested an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and a ground based technology to acquire low-altitude surface images to create digital elevation models (DEMs). Collaborators at Wuhan and Yangling in China also used the LIDAR technology on a steep slope for DEM acquisition. We found (1) current DEMs derived from airplane flights are not accurate enough to delineate ephemeral gully channels; (2) a ground-based LIDAR system is capable of generating an accurate DEM and gully channels at steep hillslopes; and (3) at gentle slope situations, low altitude photogrammetry has the potential for acquiring DEMs. Nevertheless, proper deployment of a camera at a suitable height to have sufficient aerial coverage while maintaining the resolution at the Z (elevation) scale to assess rill ephemeral gully development is still a challenge.
Campylobacter jejuni-Mediated Induction of CC and CXC Chemokines and Chemokine Receptors in Human Dendritic Cells

Campylobacter jejuni is a leading worldwide bacterial cause of human diarrheal disease. Although the specific molecular mechanisms of C. jejuni pathogenesis have not been characterized in detail, host inflammatory responses are thought to be major contributing factors to the resulting typical acute colitis. The intestinal mucosal chemokine response is particularly important in the initial stages of bacterium-induced gut inflammation. Chemokines attract blood phagocytes and lymphocytes to the site of infection and regulate immune cell maturation and the development of localized lymphoid tissues. The production of chemokines by dendritic cells (DCs) following Campylobacter infection has not yet been analyzed. In the current study, we infected human monocyte-derived DCs with C. jejuni to examine the production of key proinflammatory chemokines and chemokine receptors. The chemokines, including CC families (macrophage inflammatory protein 1α [MIP-1α], MIP-1β, RANTES) and CXC families (growth-related oncogene α [GRO-α], IP-10, and monokine induced by gamma interferon [MIG]), were upregulated in Campylobacter-infected DCs. Chemokine receptors CCR6 and CCR7, with roles in DC trafficking, were also induced in Campylobacter-infected DCs. Further, Campylobacter infection stimulated the phosphorylation of P38, P44/42, and stress-activated protein kinase/Jun N-terminal kinase (SAPK/JNK) mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) in DCs. NF-κB activation was specifically involved in chemokine induction in DCs infected with C. jejuni. Additionally, STAT3 was significantly increased in Campylobacter-infected DCs compared to that in uninfected DCs. These results suggest that DCs play a significant role in the initiation and modulation of the inflammatory response by enlisting monocytes, neutrophils, and T lymphocytes during human intestinal infection with Campylobacter.
NIFTY: a system for large scale information flow tracking and clustering

The real-time information on news sites, blogs and social networking sites changes dynamically and spreads rapidly through the Web. Developing methods for handling such information at a massive scale requires that we think about how information content varies over time, how it is transmitted, and how it mutates as it spreads. We describe the News Information Flow Tracking, Yay! (NIFTY) system for large scale real-time tracking of "memes" - short textual phrases that travel and mutate through the Web. NIFTY is based on a novel highly-scalable incremental meme-clustering algorithm that efficiently extracts and identifies mutational variants of a single meme. NIFTY runs orders of magnitude faster than our previous Memetracker system, while also maintaining better consistency and quality of extracted memes. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach by processing a 20 terabyte dataset of 6.1 billion blog posts and news articles that we have been continuously collecting for the last four years. NIFTY extracted 2.9 billion unique textual phrases and identified more than 9 million memes. Our meme-tracking algorithm was able to process the entire dataset in less than five days using a single machine. Furthermore, we also provide a live deployment of the NIFTY system that allows users to explore the dynamics of online news in near real-time.
Inclusionary Zoning and Exclusionary Development: The Politics of ‘Affordable Housing' in North Brooklyn

A key element of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's New Housing Marketplace program has been the use of voluntary inclusionary zoning, through which private developers have been offered tax breaks and density bonuses to develop affordable housing on newly rezoned land. While this program has failed to alleviate the housing affordability crisis in New York City, little attention has been paid to its political effects on community-based struggles over housing. This article addresses this question by examining the 2005 Greenpoint-Williamsburg Waterfront Rezoning, which combined a voluntary inclusionary zoning program with a tenant services contract intended to mitigate the residential displacement effects of the rezoning. I critically examine its design, execution and monitoring, based on two years of work as an organizer and administrator of the tenant services contract. I argue that technologies of consent and control have reshaped the politics of housing in North Brooklyn by replacing resistance to gentrification with amelioration of its effects, through the anticipated creation of affordable housing. The upshot has been an emergent politics of housing in which real estate-led development is regarded not as a cause of gentrification but as its solution.