cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Site-directed mutagenesis of the CP 47 protein of photosystem II: alteration of conserved charged residues which lie within lethal deletions of the large extrinsic loop E.

The intrinsic chlorophyll-protein CP 47 is a component of photosystem II which functions in both light-harvesting and oxygen evolution. The large extrinsic loop E of this protein has been shown to interact with the oxygen-evolving site. Previously, Vermaas and coworkers have produced a number of deletions within loop E which yielded mutants which were unable to grow photoautotrophically and which could not evolve oxygen at normal rates. During the course of our site-directed mutagenesis program in Synechocystis 6803, we have altered all of the conserved charged residues which were present within six of these deletions. All ten of these mutants were photoautotrophic and evolved oxygen at normal rates. We speculate that the severe phenotypes of the deletion mutants observed by Vermaas and coworkers in due to large structural perturbations in the extrinsic loop E of CP 47.
Function of glandular secretions in fragrance collection by male Euglossine bees (Apidae: Euglossini)

MaleEulaema cingulata (Fabricius) (Apidae: Euglossini) possess large cephalic labial glands that secrete a mixture of lipids. In the process of fragrance collection, males secrete the labial gland lipids onto the substrate. The mixture of lipids and fragrances is then taken up by the front tarsal brushes and transferred to the hind tibial organs. The labial gland secretions apparently serve as a nonpolar solvent and carrier that increases the efficiency of fragrance collection.
Assessing Role Conflict and Role Ambiguity: A Cross Validation Study:

The Rizzo, House, and Lirtzman (1970) Role Questionnaire (RQ) was developed to assess a person's perceived level of role conflict and role ambiguity. Although the RQ has been shown to possess reliability and validity when used with some occupations, these properties of the instrument have not been examined for teachers. This study was concerned with the construct validity of the RQ when used with teachers. A principal components analysis with oblique rotation confirmed that the RQ measured the separate constructs of role conflict and role ambiguity. In addition, role conflict could be separated into two factors, Intrarole/intrasender and Interrole/intersender conflict. Cronbach coefficient alpha internal consistency estimates of the reliabilities of each scale were considered to be satisfactory and were observed to be similar to those reported for other occupations. Questions as to the underlying reasons for the independence of the role conflict and role ambiguity factors as well as suggestions for future...
Pathological Outcomes of Candidates for Active Surveillance of Prostate Cancer

Purpose: Active surveillance of prostate cancer has emerged as a viable treatment option for men with features of low risk disease. Five prospective studies have enrolled patients for active surveillance with varying inclusion criteria. We evaluated the pathological outcomes of men meeting published criteria for active surveillance who elected immediate radical prostatectomy to assess the risk of under grading and under staging in candidates for active surveillance. Materials and Methods: Data were extracted from our institutional urological oncology database for all men who underwent radical prostatectomy between 1996 and 2007. The primary outcome was pathological up staging, defined as the occurrence of extracapsular extension or seminal vesicle involvement. Pathological upgrading was identified as a secondary outcome. We determined the proportion of men who would have qualified for each published active surveillance study and the respective rates of upgrading and up staging in each group. Results: We identified 1,097 men who underwent radical prostatectomy with a mean age of 59 years. Overall 28% of the men experienced a Gleason upgrade, 21% had extracapsular extension and 11% had seminal vesicle involvement. In men qualifying based on published active surveillance inclusion criteria, rates of upgrading varied between 23% and 35%, the incidence of extracapsular extension ranged from 7% to 19% and seminal vesicle involvement ranged from 2% to 9%. Conclusions: Varying entry criteria for active surveillance show different rates of adverse pathological features at radical prostatectomy. Predictably fewer men met the more stringent criteria but these men had a lower incidence of seminal vesicle involvement and extracapsular extension. Such data can be used to advise men of the risks of active surveillance.
Coal Hydrophobicity and its Role in Filtration and Dewatering

Abstract Surface hydrophobicity as indicated by the three-phase contact angle can be important in fine coal filtration and dewatering. Coal hydrophobicity is generally a maximum for low- and medium-volatile bituminous coals and a minimum for lower rank coals; It is reduced by surface oxidation. Theoretical considerations and experimental evidence suggest that residual filter cake moisture content is minimised when coal hydrophobicity is maximised. Coal hydrophobicity and dewaterability can be enhanced through adsorption of a surfactant or a film of oil.
Reversibly Cross-Linking Amino-Polysiloxanes by Simple Triatomic Molecules. Facile Methods for Tuning Thermal, Rheological, and Adhesive Properties†

The physical properties of five siloxane polymers with different types and frequencies of amino functional groups along the polymer side chains have been manipulated from flowing liquids to gels and to rubber-like materials by the simple addition or subtraction of a neutral triatomic molecule, CO 2 or CS 2 , at room temperature. The chemical changes, formation of ammonium carbamates and ammonium dithiocarbamates, create materials whose properties are totally different from those of the parent polymers as a result of the introduction of ionic cross-links. These materials can be returned to their original forms by heating (in the case of the CO 2 adducts) or to their protonated original forms by treatment with an acid (in the case of the CO 2 and CS 2 adducts). Heating the ammonium dithiocarbamates leads to loss of H 2 S and permanent (covalent) thiourea cross-links between the polymer chains. The new materials adhere strongly to other surfaces and can be swelled to several times their original volumes by different liquids. The rheological, swelling, and physical properties of the new materials have been correlated with the structures of the original polymers to provide a comprehensive picture of how changes at the nanometric length scale are translated to macroscopic changes. At least for the polysiloxanes examined here, the properties of the adducts do not correlate with the molecular weights of the original polymers, but do with the frequency of amino groups. The results demonstrate a simple, new method to cross-link polysiloxanes (and, in principle, a wide range of other polymers), transforming them into materials with totally different and potentially commercially useful properties.
Parallels and Pitfalls The Aftermath of Legal Reform for Sexual Assault, Marital Rape, and Domestic Violence Victims

Heightened awareness about the plight of victimized women has prompted sweeping legislative change over the past decade. Criminal statutes, civil laws, and criminal justice policies pertaining to rape in general, marital rape in particular, and domestic violence have all been altered. This article examines the outcomes of reform, revealing both successes and failures of ameliorative efforts. The problems discerned in the aftermath of reform are discussed as they preclude the full protection of violently victimized women. Conclusions explore the needs for further progress in this area.
“Expectations to Change” (E2C): A Participatory Method for Facilitating Stakeholder Engagement With Evaluation Findings

From a utilization-focused evaluation perspective, the success of an evaluation is rooted in the extent to which the evaluation was used by stakeholders. This paper details the “Expectations to Change” (E2C) process, an interactive, workshop-based method designed to engage primary users with their evaluation findings as a means of promoting evaluation use and building evaluation capacity. The process is uniquely suited for contexts in which the aim is to assess performance on a set of indicators by comparing actual performance to planned performance standards for the purpose of program improvement. The E2C process was originally developed for use in a participatory evaluation with a non-profit human service organization. Evidence from a one-year follow-up survey suggested that the method increased participants’ conceptual, instrumental, and process use. The general utility of the E2C process is discussed.
Reproductive Characteristics of Cloned Heifers Derived from Adult Somatic Cells

This study examined the onset of puberty, follicular dynamics, reproductive hormone profiles, and ability to maintain pregnancy in cloned heifers produced by somatic cell nuclear transfer. Four adult somatic cell-cloned heifers, derived from a 13yr-old Holstein cow, were compared to 4 individual age- and weight-matched heifers produced by artificial insemination (AI). From 7 to 9 mo of age, jugular venous blood samples were collected twice weekly, and from 10 to 11 or 12 mo of age, blood sampling was carried out every other day. After the heifers reached puberty (defined as the first of 3 consecutive blood samples with peripheral plasma progesterone concentrations of .1 ng/ml), ultrasound examination of ovaries and jugular plasma sample collection were carried out daily for 1 estrous cycle. Cloned heifers reached puberty later than controls (mean 6 SEM, 314.7 6 9.6 vs. 272 6 4.4 days and 336.7 6 13 vs. 302.8 6 4.5 kg for clones and controls, respectively; P , 0.05). However, cloned and control heifers were not different in estrous cycle length, ovulatory follicle diameter, number of follicular waves, or profiles of hormonal changes (LH, FSH, estradiol, and progesterone). Three of the 4 clones and all 4 control heifers became pregnant after AI. These results demonstrate that clones from an aged adult have normal reproductive development. developmental biology, embryo, follicular development, ovary, pregnancy, progesterone
An Optimal Algorithm for Computing Fourier Texture Descriptors

The description of texture is an important problem in image analysis. Several methods in the literature require that local two-dimensional discrete Fourier transforms be computed as a first step in the texture description process. A chief limitation in these approaches has been the computational complexity of the transform calculation which has tended to limit the resolution of subsequent description and/or segmentation. It is shown here that through a suitable ordering of calculations, the transforms over a complete set of overlapping "texture windows" can be obtained efficiently. An algorithm is given and is shown to be time-optimal to within a constant factor.
A novel route to meta-aminobenzotrifluoride

Abstract Product patterns can be altered in reactions of m -nitrobenzotrichloride [VI] with [AHF]x·NH4F complex. Side-chain fluorination predominates under ‘mild’ conditions. In contrast. ‘forcing’ conditions affected unexpected in - situ fluorination-reduction to give m -aminobenzotrifluoride [V] in high yield [75%] and purity [99.6%]. in - situ reduction is probably initiated by a combination of iron from the stainless steel autoclave and trace amounts of moisture. The transformation of [VI] to [V] represents another type of in - situ fluorination-reduction nitroaromatics, e.g. nitrobenzene [VII] to p -fluoroaniline [VIII]. o -Nitrobenzotrichloride [XI] degraded under ‘forcing’ conditions with [AHF]x·NH4F.
Locally bound constrained Newton-Raphson solution algorithms

This paper develops strategies which enable the automatic adjustment of the constraint surfaces recently used to extend the range and numerical stability/efficiency of nonlinear finite-element equation solvers. In addition to handling kinematic and material induced nonlinearity, both pre- and postbuckling behavior can be treated. The scheme developed employs localized bounds on various hierarchical partitions of the field variables. These are used to resize, shape, and orient the global constraint surface, thereby enabling essentially automatic load/deflection incrementation. Due to the generality of the approach taken, it can be implemented in conjunction with constraints of arbitrary functional type. To benchmark the method, several numerical experiments are presented. These include problems involving kinematic and material nonlinearity, as well as, pre- and postbuckling characteristics.
Desirable Therapeutic Characteristics of an Optimal Antihypertensive Agent

Hypertension affects 65 million people in the US, and is a major cause of morbidity and mortality, but less than one-third of patients with hypertension are treated to goal blood pressure. Multiple factors have been cited, and include suboptimal adherence to treatment and lifestyle modifications, limited access to healthcare services, and the failure of health professionals to treat hypertension aggressively. The Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (JNC 7) recommends a goal blood pressure of <140/90mm Hg for most patients and <130/80mm Hg for those with diabetes mellitus or chronic kidney disease. The ‘ideal’ antihypertensive agent would have a number of characteristics: (i) effective in lowering blood pressure to recommended goals; (ii) high efficacy as monotherapy; (iii) rapid onset of effect; (iv) convenient once-daily dose administration to maximise compliance; (v) sustained efficacy over 24 hours; (vi) response increases with higher doses (clear dose-response effect); and (vii) optimum tolerability profile. Although the ideal agent does not yet exist and will vary from patient to patient, drug development and new formulations have provided more options for clinicians and patients and certain drug classes appear to show promise because they possess many beneficial characteristics. Hypertension treatment needs to be tailored to individual patients’ age, race, socioeconomic situation, concomitant conditions and family history. Physicians and other clinical providers have an important role to play in hypertension management, particularly by combining culturally sensitive patient care with aggressive treatment. Regular follow-up that is directed at achieving goal blood pressure, while monitoring the patient for possible drug-related adverse effects, will help ensure and support adherence to treatment regimens. By supporting the integration of lifestyle changes into this plan, the clinician can further influence and have a positive impact on a patient’s overall cardiovascular profile.
Insights into checkpoint capacity.

A new study refines the current understanding of the precise nature by which a glycoprotein folding sensor contributes to the accuracy of a post-translational checkpoint in eukaryotic gene expression.
Lateralization of brain mechanisms underlying automatic and controlled forms of spatial orienting of attention.

Abstract GAINOTTI, G. Lateralization of brain mechanisms underlying automatic and controlled forms of spatial orienting of attention. NEUROSCI BIOBEHAV REV 20(4)617–622, 1996.—Unilateral Spatial Neglect (USN) can be considered as a defect in spatial orienting of attention toward the half space contralateral to the damaged hemisphere. Since the classical work of Brain, W. R. Brain 64:224–272 (1941), several authors have emphasized that this defect is definitely more frequent and severe in patients with right brain damage, but the reason for this hemispheric asymmetry has remained controversial. Several investigations conducted with different experimental paradigms in different laboratories have shown that only automatic orienting of attention toward stimuli arising in the half space contralateral to the damaged hemisphere is disrupted in USN, whereas controlled, volitional orienting can be more or less completely spared. The hypothesis that at the level of the right hemisphere, spatial orienting of attention may be mainly prompted by automatic mechanisms may, therefore, be advanced. By contrast, the left hemisphere might play a leading role in mechanisms underlying volitional orienting of attention. According to this model, recovery from USN could be due to the substitution of the lost automatic orienting mechanisms with the spared volitional orienting mechanisms subserved by the intact left hemisphere. Copyright © 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.
(πh11/2vh11/2 −1) 10+ isomers in N=81 nuclei146Tb,148Ho, and150Tm

Millisecond isomers in146Tb,148Ho and150Tm, observed in60Ni reactions on39Y,90Zr, and92Mo targets, are interpreted as (πh11/2vh11/2−1) 10+ isomers predicted by the shell model. Their decays are characterized.
Scalable min-register retiming under timing and initializability constraints

We demonstrate that a maximum-flow-based approach to register-minimization is a useful platform for incorporating varied design constraints. In this work, we extend the flow-based formulation to include timing constraints and to guarantee the existence of an equivalent initial state. Reducing the register count is motivated by positive consequences for physical design, verification, and power consumption, but it is critically necessary for synthesis that these timing and functionality requirements are also met. Our solution is optimum in the number of registers under either or both constraints and also possesses several other distinct advantages: the runtime is significantly faster than comparable techniques, the algorithm is capable of early termination with a timing-feasible solution, and both maximum and minimum path constraints can be specified.
When Children’s Literature Transcends its Genre : Translating Alice in Wonderland

A book such as Alice in Wonderland, written for a girl, but nowadays understandable only by adults, the translation of proper nouns can reveal the audience for which translators have addressed their works. This article looks at the translation of proper nouns. These cultural traits are first names, historical references, place names and names of languages: should these be changed to facilitate comprehension by children? This study is then used to evaluate some aspects of theories proposed by Shavit and Oittinen concerning adaptation and translation.
Effect of alpha interferon on glucose and alanine transport by rat renal brush border membrane vesicles

To investigate the pathogenetic mechanisms of interferon nephrotoxicity, we studied the effect of recombinant interferon alfa-2b on the uptake of {sup 14}C-D-glucose and {sup 14}C-L-alanine by rat renal brush-border-membrane vesicles. Interferon significantly inhibited 20 sec. sodium-dependent and 5 and 10 min. equilibrium uptake of both glucose and alanine. The inhibitory effect was dose dependent with maximum effect achieved at interferon concentration of 5 {times} 10{sup {minus}8}M in the uptake media. The half-maximal inhibitory concentrations, IC{sub 50}, of interferon on glucose uptake was 1.8 {times} 10{sup {minus}8}M, and 5.4 {times} 10{sup {minus}9}M on alanine uptake. Dixon plot analysis of uptake data was consistent with pure non-competitive inhibition. The inhibition constants, K{sub i}, 1.5 {times} 10{sup {minus}8}M for glucose uptake, and 7.3 {times} 10{sup {minus}9}M for alanine uptake, derived from Dixon plots were in close agreement with the IC{sub 50}s calculated from the semilog dose response curves. These observations reveal that direct interactions at the proximal tubule cell membrane are involved in the pathogenesis of interferon nephrotoxicity, and that its mechanism of nephrotoxicity is similar to that of other low molecular weight proteins.
Negotiation, Mediation and other Non-Juridical Ways of Managing Conflicts in Pre-Colonial West African Societies

African societies developed a wide range of conflict management, prevention, and termination methods as a basis for the negotiation of disputes well before the arrival of colonial rule. Many of these methods are similar to those practiced elsewhere, whereas others are indigenous to Africa.
Real-time dissolution measurement of sized and unsized calcium phosphate glass fibers.

The objective of this study was to develop an efficient “real time” measurement system able to directly measure, with microgram resolution, the dissolution rate of absorbable glass fibers, and utilize the system to evaluate the effectiveness of silane-based sizing as a means to delay the fiber dissolution process. The absorbable glass fiber used was calcium phosphate (CaP), with tetramethoxysilane selected as the sizing agent. E-glass fiber was used as a relatively nondegrading control. Both the unsized-CaP and sized-CaP degraded linearly at both the 37°C and 60°C test temperature levels used. No significant decrease in weight-loss rate was recorded when the CaP fiber tows were pretreated, using conventional application methods, with the tetramethoxysilane sizing for either temperature condition. The unsized-CaP and sized-CaP weight loss rates were each significantly higher at 60 than at 37°C (both p < 0.02), as expected from dissolution kinetics. In terms of actual weight loss rate measured using our system for phosphate glass fiber, the unsized-CaP fiber we studied dissolved at a rate of 10.90 × 10−09 and 41.20 × 10−09 g/min-cm2 at 37°C and 60°C, respectively. Considering performance validation of the developed system, the slope of the weight loss vs. time plot for the tested E-glass fiber was not significantly different compared to a slope equal to zero for both test temperatures. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res (Appl Biomater) 48: 833–840, 1999
Protection of elm groves by surrounding them with multilure-baited sticky traps.

Since 1975 we have been testing the concept of protecting groves of elms with pheromone-baited traps that attract beetles and interrupt their immigration to healthy elms. Here I will present a summary of results that shows multilure (Pearce et al. 1975) to be a very potent attractant and indicates that its use for mass-trapping can contribute to the control of Dutch elm disease (DED). This procedure differs from, but is not in conflict with, the prophylactic protection of individual elm trees by insecticides and fungicides.
A possible association between house pets and multiple sclerosis.

29 patients with multiple sclerosis (M.S.) from families in New Jersey believed to have more than 1 member with this disease and 29 controls matched for age, sex, neighbourhood, and socio-economic status were questioned about their ownership of pets. No difference in ownership of cats or dogs was found. Exposure to small indoor pets (cats or dogs), however, was significantly higher in the M.S. group (P less than 0-001). Exposure to small indoor pets was particularly striking during the ten years before onset of initial symptoms of M.S. when the M.S. group was compared to the control group (P less than 0.01). 33 of 49 M.S. patients in these families had a cat or dog in the house within one year before onset of the first neurological symptom. 3 families had more than 1 member in whom initial symptoms of M.S. developed in the same year despite wide age ranges. These results suggest that exposure to house pets may sometimes be associated with subsequent M.S. Our findings should be interpreted with caution until they are confirmed by others.
Genetic analysis of carbon isotope discrimination and agronomic characters in a bread wheat cross

Carbon isotope discrimination (Δ) has been suggested as a selection criterion to improve transpiration efficiency (W) in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Cultivars ‘Chinese Spring’ with low A (high W) and ‘Yecora Rojo’ with high Δ (low W) were crossed to develop F1, F2, BC1, and BC2 populations for genetic analysis of Δ and other agronomic characters under well-watered (wet) and water-stressed (dry) field conditions. Significant variation was observed among the generations for Δ only under the wet environment. Generation x irrigation interactions were not significant for Δ. Generation means analysis indicated that additive gene action is of primary importance in the expression of Δ under nonstress conditions. Dominance gene action was also detected for Δ, and the direction of dominance was toward higher values of Δ. The broad-sense and the narrow-sense heritabilities for Δ were 61 % and 57% under the wet conditions, but were 48% and 12% under the draughted conditions, respectively. The narrow-sense heritabilities for grain yield, above-ground dry matter, and harvest index were 36%, 39%, and 60% under the wet conditions and 21%, 44%, and 20% under dry conditions, respectively. The significant additive genetic variation and moderate estimate of the narrow-sense heritability observed for Δ indicated that selection under wet environments should be effective in changing Δ in spring bread wheat.
MASSIVE PERICARDIAL EFFUSION TREATED WITH IN UTERO PERICARDIOAMNIOTIC SHUNT IN A FETUS WITH INTRAPERICARDIAL TERATOMA

Teratoma is the leading neoplasm diagnosed in neonates and infants. Although over 99% of teratomas found in the fetus and newborn are histologically benign, those tumors may cause death if vital structures are involved or if the airway is compromised. We review the literature on antenatal intrapericardial teratomas and report a case of intrapericardial teratoma, with massive pericardial effusion and fetal hydrops, diagnosed on antenatal ultrasound at 21 weeks of gestation. Pericardioamniotic shunt was placed at 22 weeks and 6 days gestational age. In spite of successful drainage of the pericardial effusion, fetal demise was documented 8 days later, likely due to tumor compression of the heart.
DNA Binding and Unwinding Activities Associated with Intracytoplasmic A Particles Isolated from Mouse Mammary Tumours

Summary Intracytoplasmic A particles (CAP), previously identified as probable cytoplasmic nucleocapsid precursor structures to mouse mammary tumour virus (MMTV), possess both DNA binding and DNA unwinding activities. CAP proteins bind to both single-stranded (ss)- and double-stranded (ds)DNA, with the ssDNA slightly preferred. This activity was linear over a 30-fold concentration of A particle protein and was not affected by NaCl concentrations as high as 0.6 m or pH changes over a wide range. DNA binding by CAP proteins was sensitive to heat or addition of sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) and was neutralized by pre-incubation of CAP with anti-MMTV p14, but not by anti-MMTV p27, p10 or anti-mouse casein. Incubation of CAP with dsDNA led to unwinding of the double helix as measured by its increased sensitivity to S1 nuclease digestion. This activity was also linear over a several-fold concentration of A particle protein and was heat labile. It was not inhibited by pre-incubation of CAP with either anti-MMTV p14 or with anti-MMTV, anti-MMTV p27 and anti-MMTV p10. DNA unwinding was inhibited by anti-A particle antiserum and to a lesser extent by anti-CAP p20-18.
Quality control studies of 99mTc-labeled radiopharmaceuticals by high-performance liquid chromatography.

Abstract Efficacy of HPLC in the quality control of commonly-used 99mTc-labeled radiopharmaceuticals has been evaluated using different columns. μ-Bondagel and μ-Bondapak columns were found to be suitable for the separation of 99mTcO4− from 99mTc-labeled HSA and HIDA, respectively. Both of these columns offered marginal utility for DTPA, MDP and PPi.
Secondary osteon population densities: An algorithm for estimating the missing osteons

A given number of secondary osteons—an osteon population—reflects two kinds of direct influences: the length of time during which new osteons were being created and the mean annual number of such creations. While in principle dividing an observed osteon population by the age of the background bone would provide the mean annual creations, as the number of secondary osteons increases in a given diaphyseal cross section, new ones can begin to remove all microscopic evidence of older ones. As a result increasing numbers of observed osteons tend to become progressively smaller fractions of all osteons created in that domain. This algorithm suggests a way to estimate the total osteon creations from an observed osteon population. It begins by normalizing an observed osteon population to a decimal fraction of its corresponding maximum possible value. Entering that result in a simple equation then provides an estimate of the corresponding total osteon creations. Dividing the total osteon creations in a bone domain by the latter's mean age then provides the number of new osteons being created annually, averaged over the lifetime of the bone in which the creations occurred. This annual creation is influenced by many pathophysiologic factors of interest in skeletal (including anthropological and paleontological) research, including local and systemic disease, nutrition, sex, age, species, physical activity, trauma, drugs, and toxic agents.
901-105 Cardiac Structure and Function in Fetuses of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-Infected Mothers: The Prospective NHLBI P2C2 Study

To determine whether maternal HIV infection is associated with altered fetal cardiac structure and function, echocardiography was performed at 5 centers in 174 fetuses of HIV-infected mothers (FHIM) (mean gestational age = 32.9, SD = 3.7 wks). Studies were analyzed by a single reviewer blinded to gestational age. Noncardiac and cardiac measurements from 2D images and Doppler velocities through AV and semilunar valves and the umbilical artery were converted to Z-scores based on published normal data. FHIM had increased LV and RV end-diastolic wall thickness and reduced LV enddiastolic dimension (p l 0.001) compared to normal controls. Peak AV and semilunar valve velocities, mitral and tricuspid peak N/E velocity ratios (A = atrial systole, E = early ventricular diastole), and umbilical artery systolic/ diastolic velocity ratios were higher in FHIM (p l 0.05). Heart rates, however, were slower in FHIM ( l 0.001). RV diastolic dimension and femur length also tended to be smaller in the HIV+ group, but were not statistically different between the groups. When 22 FHIM with postnatally confirmed HIV infection (HIV+) were compared to 123 uninfected FHIM, LV diastolic dimension (p = 0.019) was smaller in the HIV+group. Other 2D measurements and Doppler velocities did not differ for the two groups. When maternal factors were analyzed, a correlation existed between maternal hemoglobin and fetal LV end-diastolic dimension. Conclusions Cardiovascular changes in FHIM suggest a state of increased placental vascula r resistance and reduced ventricular compliance. Vertically transmitted HIV infection may be associated with altered ventricular size in utero but does not appear to alter fetal cardiac function. The observed changes may be secondary to maternal factors.
Comparative analysis to validate benefits of formal and informal software model transformations

In object-oriented development, the Unified Modeling Language (UML) is the ISO/IEC standard modeling language. In relational database development, entity-relationship models are traditionally been use for modeling. Transforming from one model to the other is of great importance in developmental environments where this is required. There are several techniques for transforming UML models to object-relational database systems. Prior research effort examined the benefits of two such approaches. That work, sought to determine the benefits of one approach (formal technique) versus the benefits of the other approach (informal technique), by way of comparative analysis. The results of such work have to be validated, in order for it to become acceptable and its implication applied in software development decision making. In this work, an attempt to apply a similar comparative analysis on a model from a different application domain (Kalman Filter Program Representation), from that which was used in the first study an (Airline Flight Reservation System) was conducted. The goal of this research is to provide validation of the usefulness of this type of transformation.
Surface-Damage-Induced Threading Dislocations in 6 H ­ SiC Layers Grown by Physical Vapor Transport

Several characteristic features of surface-damage-related threading dislocations in SiC epitaxial layers have been investigated by transmission electron microscopy. Most of the observed threading dislocations are perfect-edge type with line direction along [0001] and Burgers vector of The edge dislocations are arranged in form of cellular structures with cell walls aligned preferentially along 〈1-100〉 directions. Some small isolated cells were also observed in the areas of lower dislocation density. The density of elementary screw dislocations in the overgrowth was approximately and is about two orders of magnitude lower than the edge dislocation density. The screw dislocations appeared in pairs with the opposite sign of Burgers vectors separated by about 0.3 μm. The formation of threading dislocations is associated with the subsurface damages caused by plastic deformation during the mechanical polishing process. © 2003 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved.
Cell-surface density of complement restriction factors (CD46, CD55, and CD59): oral squamous cell carcinoma versus other solid tumors.

Objective Complement restriction factors (CD46, membrane cofactor; CD55, decay accelerating factor; and CD59, protectin) are overexpressed on tumor cells, and they enable tumor cells to escape from complement-dependent and antibody-mediated killing. Cell-surface density of complement restriction factors (CRFs) on oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is compared with that found on other solid tumors (breast, pancreas, colon carcinomas, and melanoma) to understand the significance of their diversity. Study design The cell-surface expression of CRFs on tumor cells was confirmed with confocal laser scan fluorescent microscopy. Cell suspension enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cs-ELISA), which measures the density of cell-surface antigens, was utilized to study CRFs on the cell surface of tumor cells (OSCC, 2 cell lines; breast, 5 cell lines; pancreas, 3 cell lines; colon, 3 cell lines; and melanoma, 9 cell lines). Results Confocal laser scan fluorescent microscopy confirmed the expression of CD46, CD55, and CD59 on the cell surface of OSCC cell lines SCC12 and SCC71. The relative densities of cell-surface expression obtained from cs-ELISAs of CRFs on OSCCs are as follows: CD59 > CD55 > CD46. The relative densities of the 3 CRFs in breast and pancreatic carcinomas were similar to those found in OSCCs, whereas the profile of CRFs in melanoma (CD59 > CD55 CD55 > CD59) were different. Conclusions These findings indicate diverse strategies adopted by tumor types to resist antibody-mediated complement-dependent cytotoxicity; possibly the factors (exogenous and endogenous) in their respective microenvironments may play a role in the diversity.
Effect of growth and recovery temperatures on pressure resistance of Listeria monocytogenes.

Abstract Experimental conditions can affect the outcome of bacterial stress-tolerance assays. Growth conditions that optimize microbial recovery should be established to help evaluate the effectiveness of treatment conditions for food safety. The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of growth and recovery temperatures on pressure resistance of early stationary-phase Listeria monocytogenes in milk. The tested conditions were the following: (1) L. monocytogenes was grown at various temperatures (10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 and 43 °C), suspended in ultra-high temperature (UHT) -processed whole milk, pressure-treated at 400 MPa for 2 min at 21 °C and recovered on Tryptic Soy Agar supplemented with 0.6% yeast extract (TSAYE) at 35 °C; (2) L. monocytogenes was grown at 35 and 43 °C, pressure treated in milk (400 and 500 MPa, respectively, for 2 min at 21 °C) and recovered on TSAYE at various temperatures (4, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 °C); (3) L. monocytogenes originally grown at 35 °C, was pressure treated in milk (400 or 450 MPa for 2 min at 21 °C), and recovered on TSAYE at 10 °C for various time intervals (1, 2, 3, 6, 9 and 12 days) then at 35 °C for 5 days. There was no significant difference ( P > 0.05) in pressure-resistance of L. monocytogenes grown at 10 to 25 °C with approximately 6.5-log CFU/ml population reductions. At growth temperatures greater than 25 °C, pressure resistance increased with less than 1-log CFU/ml reduction observed for L. monocytogenes originally grown at 43 °C. After pressure treatment, regardless of growth temperature and pressure treatment, the greatest recovery of L. monocytogenes was within the 4 to 20 °C range; maximum recovery at 10 °C required approximately 24 days. The time for comparable post-pressure treatment recovery could be reduced by incubation at 10 °C for at least 2 days followed by incubation at 35 °C for 5 days. The findings of the present study indicate that growth and recovery temperatures affect the pressure resistance of L. monocytogenes and should, therefore, be taken into account when assessing the adequacy of inactivation treatments.
Fluid-structure modeling of flow-induced alveolar epithelial cell deformation

Fluid buildup in the small pulmonary airways can exert injurious stresses on the epithelial cells which line airway walls. Under these conditions, the amount of deformation-induced cell injury may depend on the magnitude of the hydrodynamic stresses and the cells' mechanical properties. In this study, we present 2D and 3D fluid-structure interaction models of flow-induced cell deformation. We report wall shear stress on the cells and cell membrane strain for a range of cell and membrane stiffness values. Results indicate that more compliant cells experience lower wall shear stresses but higher membrane strains. We correlate our results to experimental studies of cellular injury under airway reopening conditions and validate our computational method by comparison to an analytical solution of flow over a rigid protrusion in a channel.
Noninvasive evaluation of systolic and diastolic function in severe congestive heart failure secondary to coronary artery disease or idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy

Abstract The usefulness of systolic time intervals, diastolic time intervals and echocardiography in evaluating left ventricular (LV) function was determined in 69 patients with severe congestive heart failure. All systolic time intervals were markedly abnormal (preejection period/LV ejection time 0.59 ± 0.18 vs 0.30 ± 0.04, preejection period index 170 ± 37 vs 117 ± 11, LV ejection time index 372 ± 26 vs 410 ± 17; patients vs control subjects, p
Rust Infection protects Beans against Heat Injury

THE greater tolerance of rusted (uredinial stage of Uromyces phaesoli on Phaseolus vulgaris var. ‘Pinto’) than healthy bean tissue to heat has been reported1. This study shows that with a properly chosen age of infection, heat dosage and period in darkness, rusted plants may outyield healthy plants, and may survive when healthy plants are killed by the same heat dosage (Fig. 1).
Personal Excursions: Investigating the Dynamics of Student Engagement

We investigate the dynamics of student engagement as it is manifest in self-directed, self-motivated, relatively long-term, computer-based scientific image processing activities. The raw data for the study are video records of 19 students, grades 7 to 11, who participated in intensive 6-week, extension summer courses. From this raw data we select episodes in which students appear to be highly engaged with the subject matter. We then attend to the fine-grained texture of students’ actions, identifying a core set of phenomena that cut across engagement episodes. Analyzed as a whole, these phenomena suggest that when working in self-directed, self-motivated mode, students pursue proposed activities but sporadically and spontaneously venture into self-initiated activities. Students’ recurring self-initiated activities – which we call personal excursions – are detours from proposed activities, but which align to a greater or lesser extent with the goals of such activities. Because of the deeply personal nature of excursions, they often result in students collecting resources that feed back into both subsequent excursions and framed activities. Having developed an understanding of students’ patterns of self-directed, self-motivated engagement, we then identify four factors that seem to bear most strongly on such patterns: (1) students’ competence (broadly construed); (2) features of the software-based activities, and how such features allowed students to express their competence; (3) the time allotted for students to pursue proposed activities, as well as self-initiated ones; and (4) the flexibility of the computational environment within which the activities were implemented.
Michel de Montaigne : Du Discours sur la mort de La Boétie aux Essais: Une poétique de l’amitié

Montaigne prefaces the works of Etienne de la Boetie with a letter that Montaigne supposedly wrote shortly after the sudden death of his friend, whose last enigmatic words to Montaigne were: “make a place for me”. A close examination of the intertexts and rhetoric of the letter reveals that it can be read as a failed attempt by Montaigne to respond to his friend’s wish. The letter, indeed, fails to offer a true literary place to his friend who ceased to be a privileged addressee or reader, to become an absent object of discourse mentioned in the third person. Montaigne will try to “make a place” for his dead friend elsewhere, while writing his Essais, by developing a polyphonic mode of writing functioning as a substitute to the lost friendship. It will be argued that in the Essais, friendship, more that a mere content of discourse, becomes a form of expression.
Nonlinear transient responses of initially stressed composite plates

The nonlinear transient response of initially stressed composite plates is investigated using the finite element method. A nine-node isoparametric quadrilateral element is developed to model laminated plates under initial deformation and initial stress according to the Mindlin plate theory and von Karman large deflection assumptions. In the time integration, the Newmark constant acceleration method in conjunction with an efficient and accurate iteration scheme is used. Numerical results for deflections and bending moments for isotropic and laminated plates are obtained.
Information System Costs of Utilizing Electronic Product Codes in Achieving Global Data Synchronization within the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Network

Numerous benefits of implementation of global data synchronization (GDSN) in the pharmaceutical supply chain have been identified, including reduced counterfeiting, decreased medication errors, increased supply chain efficiency, and standardized regulatory evolution. For this study, a complete GDSN supply chain framework was developed as a model for the industry to achieve Global Standard (GS1) standards. Each supply chain member must have a strong enterprise resource planning (ERP) information system to accommodate the initial electronic product code information services (EPCIS). A web-based Datapoolâ€”which connects the manufacturer, distributor, and retailerâ€”will assist in reaching the data synchronization stage. The most important step is to have an open standard of GS1 global registry to enable the Epedigree to be traced through the supply chain system. When combined with EPCIS, as well as electronic product code global (EPCglobal) standardization and GS1 Global Registry, the supply chain can achieve global data synchronization and traceability. The comprehensive GDSN framework provided in this study provides the pharmaceutical industry an estimate of the total costs of attaining a global data synchronization network.
Modulation of Cardiac Ryanodine Receptors by Sorcin

Sorcin is a widely expressed, 22-kDa Ca2+-binding protein initially identified in multidrug-resistant cells. In the heart, sorcin localizes to the dyadic junctions of transverse tubules and sarcoplasmic reticulum and coimmunoprecipitates with the Ca2+ release channel/ryanodine receptor (RyR) (Meyers, M. B., Pickel, V. M., Sheu, S.-S., Sharma, V. K., Scotto, K. W., and Fishman, G. I. (1995) J. Biol. Chem. 270, 26411-26418). We have investigated a possible functional interaction between sorcin and cardiac RyR using purified recombinant sorcin in [3H]ryanodine binding experiments and single channel recordings of RyR. The open probability of single RyR was decreased significantly by the addition of sorcin to the cytoplasmic side of the channel (IC50 approximately 480 nM). In addition, sorcin completely inhibited [3H]ryanodine binding with an IC50 approximately 700 nM. Inhibition occurred over a wide range of [Ca2+], and sorcin-modulated RyR remained Ca2+-dependent. Furthermore, caffeine-activated RyRs were also inhibited by sorcin at low [Ca2+] (pCa 7), suggesting that Ca2+ is not an obligatory factor for sorcin inhibition of RyR. Comparisons of these inhibitory effects with those of calmodulin and calpain, proteins structurally related to sorcin, suggested that the interaction of sorcin with cardiac RyR was distinct from and independent of either of these modulatory proteins. Phosphorylation of sorcin with the catalytic subunit of protein kinase A significantly decreased the ability of sorcin to modulate RyR. These results suggest that sorcin may modulate RyR function in a normal cell environment and that the level of modulation is in turn influenced by signaling pathways that increase protein kinase A activity.
A case of structure determination using pseudosymmetry

Here, a case is presented of an unusual structure determination which was facilitated by the use of pseudosymmetry. Group A streptococcus uses cysteine protease Mac-1 (also known as IdeS) to evade the host immune system. Native Mac-1 was crystallized in the orthorhombic space group P2(1)2(1)2. Surprisingly, crystals of the inactive C94A mutant of Mac-1 displayed monoclinic symmetry with space group P2(1), despite the use of native orthorhombic Mac-1 microcrystals for seeding. Attempts to solve the structure of the C94A mutant by MAD phasing in the monoclinic space group did not produce an interpretable map. The native Patterson map of the C94A mutant showed two strong peaks along the (1 0 1) diagonal, indicating possible translational pseudosymmetry in space group P2(1). Interestingly, one-third of the monoclinic reflections obeyed pseudo-orthorhombic P2(1)2(1)2 symmetry similar to that of the wild-type crystals and could be indexed and processed in this space group. The pseudo-orthorhombic and monoclinic unit cells were related by the following vector operations: a(m) = b(o) - c(o), b(m) = a(o) and c(m) = -2c(o) - b(o). The pseudo-orthorhombic subset of data produced good SAD phases, leading to structure determination with one monomer in the asymmetric unit. Subsequently, the structure of the Mac-1 mutant in the monoclinic form was determined by molecular replacement, which showed six molecules forming three translationally related dimers aligned along the (1 0 1) diagonal. Knowing the geometric relationship between the pseudo-orthorhombic and the monoclinic unit cells, all six molecules can be generated in the monoclinic unit cell directly without the use of molecular replacement. The current case provides a successful example of the use of pseudosymmetry as a powerful phase-averaging method for structure determination by anomalous diffraction techniques. In particular, a structure can be solved in a higher pseudosymmetry subcell in which an NCS operator becomes a crystallographic operator. The geometrical relationships between the subcell and parental cell can be used to generate a complete molecular representation of the parental asymmetric unit for refinement.