cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction studies of NusG, a protein shared by the transcription and translation machines.

N-utilization factor G (NusG) from Aquifex aeolicus (Aa) was overexpressed in Escherichia coli, purified and crystallized using the hanging-drop vapor-diffusion technique. The drops consisted of 2.5 µl protein solution (∼30 mg ml−1 in 20 mM Tris–HCl pH 8.0, 200 mM NaCl, 2 mM EDTA and 10 mM DTT) and 2.5 µl reservoir solution (0.085 M Na HEPES pH 7.5, 15% glycerol, 11% 2-propanol and 20% PEG 4000) derived from condition number 41 of the Hampton Cryo Screen. The crystals grew at 291 ± 1 K and reached dimensions of 0.2 × 0.1 × 0.05 mm in 5–7 d. The crystals, which diffracted to 2.45 A resolution, belonged to space group C2221, with unit-cell parameters a = 65.95, b = 124.58, c = 83.60 A. One AaNusG molecule is present in the asymmetric unit, corresponding to a solvent content of 59.80% (Matthews coefficient = 3.06 A3 Da−1). Crystal structure determination is in progress.
The West Los Angeles Preterm Birth Prevention Project. I. Program impact on high-risk women

Abstract OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of this prospective study was to test whether preterm birth prevention education plus increased clinic visits and selected prophylactic interventions reduce preterm birth. STUDY DESIGN: Eight West Los Angeles prenatal county clinics, comparable with respect to selected demographics, were randomized to be either experimental or control clinics. High-risk patients in all clinics were identified with a risk scoring system derived from a similar population. High-risk patients ( N = 1774) in experimental clinics were offered a program of education and more frequent visits and were randomized to receive various secondary intervention protocols in addition to the basic interventions of education and more frequent visits. Control clinic patients ( N = 880) received standard county care. RESULTS: Preterm birth rates were 19% lower among the experimental high-risk patients (7.4% vs 9.1%), and differences were significant ( p CONCLUSION: The 19% reduction in preterm birth rate observed in the experimental clinics suggest an overall program benefit from a protocol that offered education, more frequent visits, and greater attention given to patients while the selected interventions were applied. (AM J OBSTET GYNECOL 1994;170:54-62.)
An interdigitated functionally rigid [2]rotaxane

The synthesis of a functionally rigid [2]rotaxane incorporating π-electron rich 1,5-disubstituted naphthalene (NP) ring systems, encircled by the π-electron deficient tetracationic cyclophane, cyclobis(paraquat-p-phenylene), is described; in the solid state, the molecules of this donor–acceptor [2]rotaxane line themselves up in parallel π–π stacks of alternating NP ring systems and bipyridinium units, affording an interdigitated superstructure.
A mechanism-dependent material model for the effects of grain growth and anisotropy on plastic deformation of magnesium alloy AZ31 sheet at 450 °C

Abstract Utilization of wrought magnesium sheet alloys for structural components in transportation industries has been severely limited by poor room-temperature formability, a result of the slip behaviors inherent to Mg’s hexagonal close-packed crystal structure. Today, the only production technology to clearly overcome this limitation uses hot forming to activate additional (non-basal) slip systems in Mg alloy sheet. The absence of an accurate material constitutive model that captures the complex mechanical response of Mg sheet alloys at elevated temperatures has been a persistent barrier to accurate forming simulations. This study addresses that issue using experimental measurements and mechanism-based modeling. The mechanisms of plastic deformation in a Mg AZ31 wrought alloy sheet at 450 °C across strain rates from 10−4 to 10−1 s−1 are identified as grain-boundary-sliding (GBS) creep and five-power dislocation-climb (DC) creep. GBS creep is subject to hardening from grain growth, and DC creep produces texture-dependent plastic anisotropy. Based on these mechanisms, a new material constitutive model for Mg AZ31 at 450 °C is constructed to predict plastic response under general multiaxial loading. A unique aspect of this new model is that it accounts for hardening and plastic anisotropy by linking these effects to the two mechanisms controlling deformation. The model is validated against independent experimental data and provides accurate predictions for hot forming of a simple test shape. The new material model is the first for Mg AZ31 sheet that accurately predicts deformation at an elevated temperature under both uniaxial and biaxial stress states.
A capital investment model for elastic demand and non-linear production capacity

Abstract A methodology is developed that determines the most desirable capital investment under the conditions of an elastic demand that is time dependent and a non-linear production function. The methodology also identifies the optimum yearly production rates and unit selling prices. The methodology is implemented by a computer program.
Yttrium-90 radioembolization stops progression of targeted breast cancer liver metastases after failed chemotherapy.

Abstract Purpose To determine, in an open-label, retrospective report, the safety and effectiveness of locoregional therapy with yttrium-90 ( 90 Y) radioembolization for patients with progressing breast cancer liver metastases (BCLMs) despite multi-agent chemotherapy. Materials and Methods Seventy-five patients with progressing BCLMs and stable extrahepatic disease were treated with radioembolization at a single institution. Retrospective review of a prospectively collected database was performed to evaluate clinical and biochemical toxicities, tumor response, overall survival (OS), and time to progression. Radiologic response assessments included Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors in primary index lesions and metabolic activity on positron emission tomography (PET). Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed. Results The mortality rate at 30 days was 4% (n = 3). Clinical toxicity and hyperbilirubinemia of grade 3 or worse occurred in 7.6% (n = 5) and 5.9% of patients (n = 4), respectively. Partial response (PR) was seen in 35.3% of patients (n = 24), stable disease (SD) in 63.2% (n = 43), and progressive disease in 1.5% (n = 1). PET imaging was available in 25 patients, and 21 (84%) had a complete response, PR, or SD. The median OS was 6.6 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 5.0–9.2 mo). The hazard ratio (HR) for OS on multivariate analysis was 0.39 (95% CI, 0.23–0.66) for tumor burden less than 25% compared with greater burden. Elevated bilirubin levels were shown to reduce OS. The HR for hepatic progression was 0.22 (95% CI, 0.05–0.98) for solitary versus multifocal disease. Conclusions Locoregional therapy with 90 Y radioembolization is safe and stops or delays the progression of targeted chemorefractory BCLMs. Adverse prognosticators were identified.
Perfluorinated polymer electrolytes hybridized with in situ grown titania quasi-networks.

Perfluorinated Nafion membranes, neutralized to various extents, were hybridized with titania quasi-networks that were grown in situ via catalyzed sol–gel reactions of an titanium isopropoxide precursor. The formation of Ti–O–Ti groups within the ionomer was verified by FTIR-ATR spectroscopy. EDAX studies confirmed that the extent of propagation of titania quasi-networks into the bulk of the ionomer film increased with ionomer neutralization. Compared to the unmodified control membrane, the hybrid membranes exhibited superior dimensional stability, modulus, stress, and strain at break and gas barrier properties. All hybrid membranes exhibited superior resistance to degradation when subjected to an accelerated stress test in an operating fuel cell environment, as a resultant of the better dimensional stability and gas barrier properties induced through addition of the inorganic titania phase.
Cytopathic Changes associated with Poliomyelitis Infections in Human Amnion Cells.

Abstract The cellular changes associated with polio virus infections in human amnion cultures differ from previously studied cells (HeLa, monkey kidney, and human fetal cells) in that (1) the release of newly formed virus occurs 4–8 hours later, (2) the nucleolus becomes indistinguishable before other gross cellular changes occur, (3) spherical projections, or nodules, appear over the free surface of cells, (4) the time of appearance of such nodular cells is coincidental with the time of virus release, and (5) occasional cultures of amnion undergo different terminal degenerative changes in which the cells become very highly vacuolated.
Adenine phosphoribosyltransferase deficiency in Iceland.

. Two children and two adults of four unrelated families were on regular light microscopic examination found to exhibit identical, spherical urine crystals. Their characteristic appearance led to the diagnosis of 2,8-dihydroxyadenine crystalluria by spectrophotometric or gas-chromatographic/mass-spectrometric analysis. Total deficiency of adenine phosphoribosyltransferase was confirmed by direct measurements of the enzyme activity in lysed red blood cells. Close family members were also examined for the enzyme defect, revealing no additional homozygotes, but 13 heterzygotes among 14 relatives. We suggest that round, brownish urine crystals, even without radiolucent kidney stones, should alert the physician to search for the existence of 2,8-dihydroxyadenine. Proper treatment could then be instituted without delay, preventing eventual kidney damage.
Meshfree simulations of thermo-mechanical ductile fracture

In this work, a meshfree method is used to simulate thermo-mechanical ductile fracture under finite deformation. A Galerkin meshfree formulation incorporating the Johnson-Cook damage model is implemented in numerical computations. We are interested in the simulation of thermo-mechanical effects on ductile fracture under large scale yielding. A rate form adiabatic split is proposed in the constitutive update. Meshfree techniques, such as the visibility criterion, are used to modify the particle connectivity based on evolving crack surface morphology. The numerical results have shown that the proposed meshfree algorithm works well, the meshfree crack adaptivity and re-interpolation procedure is versatile in numerical simulations, and it enables us to predict thermo-mechanical effects on ductile fracture.
Neuroanatomical plasticity in the gonadotropin‐releasing hormone system of the ewe: Seasonal variation in glutamatergic and γ‐aminobutyric acidergic afferents

Temperate zone animals time the onset of reproductive events to coincide with specific portions of the sidereal year. Although the neural mechanisms involved remain poorly understood, a marked annual variation in the brain's sensitivity to estradiol negative feedback is thought to mediate many of the changes in neuroendocrine hormone secretion, especially that of the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons, via neural afferents. The aim of the present study was to determine whether glutamatergic inputs to GnRH neurons in sheep vary seasonally and to expand our previous observations of seasonal changes in gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic inputs. Brains from adult sheep were collected during the breeding season (N = 8) or the nonbreeding season (anestrus; N = 7). Confocal microscopy and optical sectioning were used to quantify the density of labeled VGLUT2 and VGAT immunoreactivity onto GnRH neurons. The results reveal a significantly greater number of VGLUT2-ir inputs to GnRH dendrites during the breeding season vs. the nonbreeding season but no seasonal changes on GnRH cell somas. The number of VGAT-ir terminals onto GnRH dendrites was reduced in the breeding season compared with the nonbreeding season. GnRH neurons were also found to receive dual-phenotype (VGLUT + VGAT) inputs; these varied with season in a manner similar to VGAT inputs. Morphologically, the numbers of branches of proximal dendrites increased significantly in a subset of GnRH neurons located near the midline. Together these results reveal a dynamic seasonal reorganization of identified inputs onto GnRH neurons and lend additional support to the overall hypothesis that seasonal modulation of GnRH neurons involves glutamatergic and GABAergic neural plasticity.
Trends in renal cancer surgery and patient provider characteristics associated with partial nephrectomy in the United States.

Abstract Objective Many renal tumors are amenable to either partial or total nephrectomy, but little is known about the relative frequency that these procedures are performed in the United States. We describe recent temporal trends in surgery for renal neoplasm and identified factors associated with partial nephrectomy. Methods Data from the 1998 through 2002 National Inpatient Sample was analyzed to identify adult patients discharged after renal cancer surgery. The frequency of partial and total nephrectomy in the United States was estimated, and multivariate regression was used to examine patient and provider factors associated with partial nephrectomy. Results The number of nephrectomies performed for tumor in the United States increased yearly, with an estimated 23,375 total nephrectomies and 4272 partial nephrectomies performed in 2002. The ratio of partial nephrectomies to total nephrectomies also increased (P Conclusions The total number of nephrectomies and the proportion of partial nephrectomies performed in the United States increased yearly from 1998 to 2002. Male sex, hospital teaching status, higher hospital and surgeon volume, and insurance status are associated with receiving partial nephrectomy.
Immunohistochemistry in diagnostic surgical pathology of the prostate.

Immunohistochemistry (IHC) can play an important role in diagnostic surgical pathology of the prostate. Basal cell markers, such as the 34βE12 antibody and antibodies directed against cytokeratin 5 and 6 or p63, are very useful for demonstration of basal cells as their presence argues against a diagnosis of invasive prostatic carcinoma (PC). However, several benign mimickers of PC, including atrophy, atypical adenomatous hyperplasia (AAH), nephrogenic adenoma, and mesonephric hyperplasia, can stain negatively with these markers, and thus, a negative basal cell marker immunostain alone does not exclude a diagnosis of benignancy. Although there are examples in the literature of high grade PC that stain focally with some of the basal cell markers, these cases are usually readily diagnosed based on H&E appearances and are unlikely to be confused with these benign mimickers. Alpha-methylacyl-coenzyme-A racemase (AMACR) is a sensitive marker of PC (except for a few uncommon variants: atrophic, foamy gland, and pseudohyperplastic variants), and its detection by immunohistochemical staining in atypical prostatic lesions can be very useful in confirming an impression of adenocarcinoma. AMACR expression can also be identified in high grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN), prostatic atrophy, AAH, and benign prostatic glands, and accordingly, a diagnosis of PC should not be based solely on a positive AMACR immunostain, especially when the luminal staining is weak and/or noncircumferential. The use of AMACR/basal cell antibody cocktails has been found to greatly facilitate the distinction between PC and its benign mimickers, especially when only limited tissue is available for staining. Prostate specific antigen (PSA) and prostate specific acid phosphatase (PSAP) are both quite sensitive and fairly specific markers of PC (there are a few nonprostatic tumors that can express one or both), and are both very helpful in establishing or confirming the diagnosis of PC when the differential diagnosis includes other tumors that can involve the prostate such as urinary bladder urothelial carcinoma. 34βE12, p63, thrombomodulin, and uroplakin III are additional urothelial associated markers useful in this differential diagnosis. CDX2 and villin are useful markers to diagnostically separate colonic adenocarcinoma from PC. AMACR positivity and negative basal cell marker reactions are useful to confirm the presence of residual PC after hormonal or radiation therapy. Pan-cytokeratin, PSA, and PSAP can also highlight subtle infiltrates of PC with hormonal or radiation therapy effect. PSA and PSAP immunohistochemical stains are valuable in confirming metastatic carcinoma as being of prostatic origin and should always be utilized in the diagnostic evaluation of metastatic adenocarcinoma of unknown primary origin in males.
Can programmed cell death be induced in post-ejaculatory bull and stallion spermatozoa?

Abstract Apoptosis is common during spermatogenesis. Here, it was tested whether apoptosis could be induced in sperm after ejaculation. There were several lines of evidence to indicate that sperm are resistant to induction of apoptosis. First, incubation of bull sperm at temperatures characteristic of normothermia (38.5 °C) or heat shock (40 and 41 °C) for 4 h did not increase the proportion of sperm positive for the TUNEL reaction. There was also no reduction in mitochondrial polarity caused by exposure to 40 or 41 °C. Incubation at 38.5 °C (least-squares mean ± SEM = 4.0 ± 1.4%), 40 °C (6.2 ± 1.4%), and 41 °C (7.0 ± 1.4%) for 24 h did increase the proportion of sperm that were TUNEL positive slightly as compared to non-incubated control sperm (1.0 ± 1.4%). However, the increase in TUNEL labeling was not affected by incubation temperature and occurred even in the presence of the group II caspase inhibitor, z-DEVD-fmk. In addition, exposure of bull sperm to carbonyl cyanide 3-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP), which depolarizes mitochondrial membranes, did not increase TUNEL labeling. Stallion sperm were also resistant to increased TUNEL labeling in response to incubation at 41 °C for 4 h or exposure to CCCP. Western blotting was performed to determine whether failure of induction of apoptosis was due to aberrant caspase activation. Procaspase-9 was detected in bull sperm, but cleavage to caspase-9 was not induced by short-term aging at 38.5, 40, or 41 °C, or exposure to CCCP. Procaspase-3 was not detected in bull spermatozoa. In conclusion, post-ejaculatory bull and stallion sperm were resistant to induction of apoptosis; this resistance, at least in bulls, was due to refractoriness of mitochondria to heat shock-induced depolarization, lack of activation of procaspase-9, and an absence of procaspase-3.
Sites of Platelet Destruction in Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura

Summary: Platelet life span and sites of platelet sequestration were studied on 20 occasions in 15 patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) using 51Cr-labelled cells and external scintillation scanning. In 16 cases when platelet concentrations were greater than 5000 per cu.mm., labelled cells were destroyed predominantly in the spleen. Only in four patients with platelet levels less than 2500 per cu.mm. was significant hepatic sequestration observed. In the latter group, half-disappearance times of labelled cells were extremely short, ranging from 2 to 9 minutes. The data suggest that in ITP, as in other clinical and experimental situations where circulating cells are sequestered following their reaction with antibodies, lightly sensitized cells are removed from the circulation at a relatively slow rate by the spleen, while more heavily sensitized cells are liable to rapid destruction in the liver. Thus, in ITP, the site in which labelled cells are sequestered appears related to the severity of the disease at the time of study, rather than to any qualitative difference in the nature of the disease among individual patients.
Immune Protection of Infants against Rotavirus Gastroenteritis by a Serotype 1 Reassortant of Bovine Rotavirus WC3

The safety and protective efficacy of a serotype 1 reassortant of bovine rotavirus WC3, disignated strain WI79-9, was evaluated in a double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Rotavirus reassortant WI79-9 contains a gene segment 9 coding for the surface structural protein vp7 of a human serotype 1 rotavirus, with all other gene segments derived from WC3 rotavirus, which had previously been shown to be safe and immunogenic in infants. Infants 2-11 months of age were given two doses of vaccine (10(7.3) plaque-forming units/dose) or of placebo 28 days apart. Adverse reactions to the vaccine were not detected. The incidence of serum plaque reduction neutralization antibody responses to two doses of vaccine was serotype 6, 97%; serotype 3, 68%; and serotype 1, 22%. Active surveillance during the subsequent rotavirus season revealed 8 cases of rotavirus gastroenteritis in 39 placebo control infants and no cases in 38 WI79-9 vaccine recipients (protection = 100%, P = .003). Six cases of rotavirus gastroenteritis were caused by type 1 and two by type 3 virus. Although vaccination with WI79-9 affected only the incidence of rotavirus gastroenteritis, the vaccinated infants exhibited a significantly reduced incidence of total days of diarrhea, fever, and illness associated with gastroenteritis in general.
A p53-type response element in the GDF15 promoter confers high specificity for p53 activation

GDF15 is a transcriptional target gene for p53 and its family members, p63 and p73. Its promoter region contains two p53-type response elements, RE1 and RE2, and RE2 confers p53-specific transactivation. RE2 contains several mismatches from the canonical p53 response element (RRRCWWGYYY). Two mismatches in the RRR span and T base of the RE2 core sequence in the most 3' quarter-site are critical for inhibiting the binding affinity to p63 and p73 and corresponding promoter activity. Our results strongly suggest that differential DNA-binding affinities between p53 family member proteins act, at least in part, to confer specific target gene activation.
Specific gene amplification associated with consistent chromosomal abnormality in independently established multidrug-resistant Chinese hamster ovary cells.

Multidrug-resistant (MDR) Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell lines were established by selection for resistance to the toxicities of vinblastine (VB) and Adriamycin (AD) in progressively increasing drug concentrations. These cell lines have amplified the DNA sequence that has previously been shown to be amplified in another MDR CHO cell line which was selected with vincristine (VC). An overproduced 4.5 kb mRNA was detected in these MDR cell lines. We report here that the levels of DNA amplification and the 4.5 kb transcript do not correlate with the levels of drug resistance, suggesting that either translational control for the expression of the amplified gene is involved or multiple genes are participating in conferring drug resistance in these cell lines. The amplified DNA sequence was used as a probe and localized by in situ hybridization to chromosome 1q 26–28 (middle portion of the long arm) in the drug-sensitive CHO line, but proximal to the telomere of chromosome 1q in both VB- and AD-selected MDR cell lines. This is consistent with results that have been previously reported for the VC-selected MDR cell lines. Cytogenetic analyses revealed abnormal chromosomal banding patterns or homogenously staining regions (HSR) between 1q 26–28 and the 1q ter in these independently established MDR lines. These results, taken together, suggest that chromosomal rearrangements leading to gene translocation have consistently accompanied gene amplification in these MDR cell lines. The mechanisms of translocation and its implication in multidrug resistance in these cell lines are discussed.
Hybrid finite element/volume method for 3D incompressible flows with heat transfer

An implicit hybrid finite element (FE)/volume solver has been extended to incompressible flows coupled with the energy equation. The solver is based on the segregated pressure correction or projection method on staggered unstructured hybrid meshes. An intermediate velocity field is first obtained by solving the momentum equations with the matrix-free implicit cell-centred finite volume (FV) method. The pressure Poisson equation is solved by the node-based Galerkin FE method for an auxiliary variable. The auxiliary variable is used to update the velocity field and the pressure field. The pressure field is carefully updated by taking into account the velocity divergence field. Our current staggered-mesh scheme is distinct from other conventional ones in that we store the velocity components at cell centres and the auxiliary variable at vertices. The Generalized Minimal Residual (GMRES) matrix-free strategy is adapted to solve the governing equations in both FE and FV methods. The presented 2D and 3D numerical examples show the robustness and accuracy of the numerical method.
Ontogeny of class II MHC mRNA in the mouse small intestinal epithelium

Abstract MHC Class II (Ia) and invariant chain cooperate in the presentation of exogenous antigen by antigen presenting cells to T-helper cells. Both glycoproteins have been identified in the small intestine of the mature mouse. In this study, we examine the ontogeny of mRNA for three molecules; (Ii31, Ii41 and I-Aβ) in whole intestine and in isolated epithelial cells. When RNA from whole intestine was analysed in northern blots using cDNA probe, Ii31 mRNA was present in Day 10 mice and at each 5 day time point thereafter; Ii41 and I-Aβ were not detected by this technique. To examine ontogeny of Ii chain mRNA in enterocytes, RNA was purified from an enriched population of epithelial cells isolated after systemic perfusion with 30 mM EDTA in Day 21 and Day 28 and adult mice. Ii chain mRNA was not detected until Day 28 by blot hybridization. Reverse transcription of mRNA and amplification of the resultant cDNA by PCR revealed Ii41 and I-Aβ as well as Ii31. RNA from Day 21 epithelial cells required five additional amplification cycles to attain cDNA levels equivalent to those found in Day 28 cells for Ii chain, and 10 additional cycles for I-Aβ. In conclusion, Ii31, Ii41 and I-Aβ mRNA increase rapidly in the enterocyte after weaning.
Assisting coordination during crisis: a domain ontology based approach to infer resource needs from tweets

Ubiquitous social media during crises provides citizen reports on the situation, needs and supplies. Previous research extracts resource needs directly from the text (e.g. "Power cut to Coney Island and Brighton beach" indicates a power need). This approach assumes that citizens derive and write about specific needs from their observations, properly specified for the emergency response system, an assumption that is not consistent with general conversational behavior. In our study, Twitter messages (tweets) from Hurricane Sandy in 2012 clearly indicate power blackouts, but not their probable implications (e.g. loss of power to hospital life support systems). We use a domain model to capture such interdependencies between resources and needs. We represent these dependencies in an ontology that specifies the functional association between resources. Accurate interpretation of resource need/supply also depends on the location of a message. We show how inference based on a domain model combined with location detection and interpretation in the social data can enhance situational awareness, e.g., predicting a medical emergency before it is reported as critical.
A Theoretical Integration of Social Learning Theory with Terror Management Theory: Towards an Explanation of Police Shootings of Unarmed Suspects

Each year in the United States, an unknown number of individuals are shot by law enforcement officers. Many of the suspects shot by officers are suspects who pose a lethal threat to officers or others, and thus the officers were legally justified in using deadly force. However, some estimates indicate that as many as 40 % of those shot by law enforcement each year are unarmed at the time of the encounter (Roy, 2004). Here, we present a theoretical model that integrates a traditional criminological theory (social learning theory) and a social psychological theory (terror management theory) in an effort to explain police shootings of unarmed suspects. Independently, neither theory can effectively or consistently explain the phenomena. However, when the two theories are integrated, a strong conceptual base is developed for explaining law enforcement shootings of unarmed suspects.
Highly reduced carbonyls of the early transition metals

Abstract Pioneering ventures in low valent carbonyl and related chemistry of titanium, zirconium, hafnium and other early transition elements have been undertaken to discover new classes of organometallic and inorganic materials. Useful synthetic methodology—involving a two step reductive carbonylation of a variety of group 4 halides by alkali metal naphthalenides at low temperatures—has been developed recently in our laboratory. By this procedure the first carbocyclic and anionic derivatives of the unknown Ti(CO)7, Zr(CO)7 and Hf(CO)7 have been obtained. Also, this method provides the first general route to organophosphine carbonyls of zerovalent titanium, zirconium and hafnium. Very recently the initial stabilized “pure” carbonyl complexes of these elements have been obtained in the form of the hexacarbonylmetallate(2−) ions, M(CO)62−.
Naloxone suppresses food/water consumption in the deprived cat

Intraperitoneal administration of the opiate antagonist, naloxone hydrochloride, resulted in decreased food and water consumption in drug-naive cats. In a cross-over Latin Square design, food consumed by six cats in a one hour period following 23 hours of deprivation, was decreased significantly below control (p<0.05) in linear relation to increasing dose (1 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg) of naloxone. Non-linear and time/order effects were not significant. Water consumption was decreased below control in a linear relation to increasing dose (1 and 10 mg/kg) for 5 of 6 cats at the 0.05 significance level. Non-linear and time/order effects on water consumption were not statistically significant for the same 5 cats. These results, and behavioral signs (i.e., vomiting, persistant vocalization, heavy salivation, mydriasis, moderate catatonia, and hissing) occasionally exhibited by four of the six cats in a 1-hr period following injection of the high dose, suggest a malaise-effect of naloxone.
Fluorescence of 9-aminoacridine in water to 30 kbar

The effect of pressure on the fluorescence spectrum of 9-aminoacridine has been measured in liquid and frozen aqueous solution at room temperature. A significant change in fluorescent properties identifies the water-ice transformation; this change is attributed to aggregation of the dye in the frozen system.
Structure, evolution, and regulation of a fast skeletal muscle troponin I gene.

Abstract The complete structure of a quail fast skeletal muscle troponin I gene was determined by nucleotide sequence comparison of troponin I genomic and cDNA sequences. This 4.5-kilobase troponin I gene has eight exons. The actin-binding domain of troponin I is encoded by a single exon, whereas the troponin C-binding domain is split into at least two exons. The exon organization of the fast troponin I gene suggests that gene conversion directs the nonrandom conservation of the carboxyl-terminal halves of troponin I isoforms and that the amino-terminal extension of the cardiac isoform originated by splice-junction sliding. Comparison of the structure of the troponin I gene with the structures of other contractile protein genes reveals homologous sequences in their 5' flanking regions and similar large introns that separate protein-coding exons from 5' nontranslated exons. These common structural features may function to coordinate the activation of contractile-protein genes during myogenesis.
NO EASY RESOLUTION: FEMINIST PASTORAL THEOLOGY AND THE CHALLENGE OF IDENTITY

Caring for persons and populations who are marginalized, oppressed, and dispossessed is not a new mandate for feminist pastoral theologians. However, finding an adequate framework that does not rely completely on a single identity or an intersectional (“gender plus”) approach poses challenges to feminist pastoral theology. This paper proposes the use of a social justice examen to understand what lies behind identity.
Passive wireless strain and pH sensing using carbon nanotube-gold nanocomposite thin films

The recent development of wireless sensors for structural health monitoring has revealed their strong dependency on portable, limited battery supplies. Unlike current wireless sensors, passive radio frequency identification (RFID) systems based on inductive coupling can wirelessly receive power from a portable reader while transmitting collected data back. In this paper, preliminary results of a novel inductively coupled strain and corrosion sensor based upon material fabrication techniques from the nanotechnology field are presented. By varying polyelectrolyte species during a layer-by-layer fabrication process, carbon nanotube-polyelectrolyte multilayer thin film sensors sensitive to different mechanical (e.g. strain) and chemical (e.g. pH) stimuli can be produced. Validation studies conducted with different carbon nanotube thin films designed as either strain or pH sensors reveal high sensitivity and linear performance. When coupled with a copper inductive coil antenna, resulting RFID-based sensors exhibit wirelessly readable changes in resonant frequency and bandwidth. Furthermore, a carbon nanotube-gold nanocomposite thin film is fabricated and patterned into a highly conductive coil structure to realize a novel thin film inductive antenna. Preliminary results indicate that nanotube-gold nanocomposites exhibit resonance conditions, holding great promise for future RFID applications.
Homologous Pairing Preceding SPO11-Mediated Double-Strand Breaks in Mice

How homologous chromosomes (homologs) find their partner, pair, and recombine during meiosis constitutes the central phenomenon in eukaryotic genetics. It is widely believed that, in most organisms, SPO11-mediated DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) introduced during prophase I precede and are required for efficient homolog pairing. We now show that, in the mouse, a significant level of homolog pairing precedes programmed DNA cleavage. Strikingly, this early chromosome pairing still requires SPO11 but is not dependent on its ability to make DSBs or homologous recombination proteins. Intriguingly, SUN1, a protein required for telomere attachment to the nuclear envelope and for post-DSB synapsis, is also required for early pre-DSB homolog pairing. Furthermore, pre-DSB pairing at telomeres persists upon entry into prophase I and is most likely important for initiation of synapsis. Our findings suggest that the DSB-triggered homology search may mainly serve to proofread and stabilize the pre-DSB pairing of homologous chromosomes.
Making games a "snap" with Stencyl: a summer computing workshop for K-12 teachers

Game design is becoming increasingly popular among K-12 teachers and students. In this paper, we present our experience, findings, and lessons learned from conducting a one-week Stencyl Game Design Summer Computing Workshop for K-12 teachers. Our workshop focused on introducing fundamental computing concepts to K-12 teachers using Stencyl, a drag-and-drop game development environment. During the workshop, the teachers developed curriculum games for the subjects they will teach in the following semesters with the help of our workshop tutors. Our assessment results show that the average score of Stencyl knowledge in the pre-workshop survey was 1.26 out of 5, which was increased to 3.76 in the post-workshop survey and the average score of computing knowledge was improved by 61%.
Temperature-dependent demagnetization behaviour in perpendicular exchange-coupled SmCo5/FeCo multilayers

We study with finite temperature Monte Carlo simulation the temperature-dependent demagnetization behaviour of exchange-coupled multilayers of hard (SmCo5) and soft (FeCo) magnetic materials. The easy axis of the hard phase is perpendicular to the layers, as is motivated by recent experimental results. We perform simulations with and without the dipolar interaction and study the effect of finite temperature on the coercivity, the remanence and the energy density of the composites. We investigate these properties as functions of the soft layer thickness. We find that as the temperature is increased, the increase in the energy product with the addition of soft material becomes progressively smaller than expected because the increase in the remanent magnetization is less than anticipated for two reasons. Because of the different magnetization densities between the hard and the soft phases, magnetic charges are created at the hard–soft boundaries. To reduce the corresponding dipolar energy, at moderate temperatures the magnetization of the soft phase becomes tilted with respect to that of the hard phase; at relatively high temperatures vortex-like structures are created in the soft phase. Furthermore, the addition of soft material reduces the spin wave stiffness and increases the amount of thermal fluctuation. These two effects reduce the rate of increase of the magnetic moment and hence the maximum energy product. At low temperatures, the hysteresis curve shows a two-stage magnetization reversal process. Simulation results for the first instability field Hc1 are in reasonable agreement with theoretical nucleation field Hn estimates for a moderate amount of soft materials. The difference between Hc1 and Hn when the amount of soft material is small is explained. As the temperature is increased, the two-stage process disappears, most likely due to the formation of vortex-like structures in the soft phase.
Alphabet cues can be degraded in speech supplementation without significant change in speech intelligibility improvement1

Is there a difference in intelligibility between habitual speech and various forms of alphabet supplementation when selected alphabet cues are omitted? 1 Abstracted from: Hanson, EK., & Beukelman,...
Complications of Intrathoracic Nissen Fundoplication

Abstract This report details our experience with 30 patients who had Nissen fundoplication. Six underwent transabdominal Nissen fundoplication, and 10 had transthoracic Collis-Nissen with the gastric wrap in a subdiaphragmatic position. Ten patients had a transthoracic Nissen with the wrap in a supradiaphragmatic position. Four patients had a transthoracic Thal-Nissen procedure. In 1 of 4 patients with a Thal-Nissen procedure, intrathoracic rupture of the stomach with gastrobronchial fistula developed and necessitated left lower lobectomy. Four of 10 patients in whom the gastric wrap was left in the chest experienced severe complications: in 1 patient a lesser curvature ulcer developed and required hemigastrectomy; 1 patient had herniation of the fundoplication with gastric outlet obstruction and required operation for its correction; 2 patients had intrathoracic rupture of the gastric wrap and ultimately died. The 6 patients with transabdominal Nissen and the 10 with transthoracic Collis-Nissen with wrap placed in the abdomen did well. This experience severely condemns the practice of leaving the fundoplication above the diaphragm.
A Simple Approximate Procedure for Constructing Binomial and Poisson Tolerance Intervals

The problems of constructing tolerance intervals for the binomial and Poisson distributions are considered. Closed-form approximate equal-tailed tolerance intervals (that control percentages in both tails) are proposed for both distributions. Exact coverage probabilities and expected widths are evaluated for the proposed equal-tailed tolerance intervals and the existing intervals. Furthermore, an adjustment to the nominal confidence level is suggested so that an equal-tailed tolerance interval can be used as a tolerance interval which includes a specified proportion of the population, but does not necessarily control percentages in both tails. Comparison of such coverage-adjusted tolerance intervals with respect to coverage probabilities and expected widths indicates that the closed-form approximate tolerance intervals are comparable with others, and less conservative, with minimum coverage probabilities close to the nominal level in most cases. The approximate tolerance intervals are simple and easy to compute using a calculator, and they can be recommended for practical applications. The methods are illustrated using two practical examples.
An evaluation of mitochondrial heterosis and in vitro mitochondrial complementation in wheat, barley and maize

Two families each of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and maize (Zea mays L.) were studied for mitochondrial heterosis and in vitro mitochondrial complementation. Inbred parents and their hybrids were compared for seedling heights and rate of oxygen uptake by the whole tissue to find out if the hybrids showed greater growth and respiratory activity at the seedling stage. Further comparisons were made by isolating mitochondria from the seedling tissues and measuring their ADP∶0 ratio, respiratory control ratio and cytochrome c oxidase activity for mitochondrial heterosis. Mixtures of parental mitochondria were similarly compared with parental and hybrid mitochondria for in vitro mitochondrial complementation. No evidence for mitochondrial heterosis or in vitro mitochondrial complementation was found, nor any correlation between the different mitochondrial parameters, seedling heights or rates of oxygen uptake by seedling tissue. The suggested use of mitochondrial heterosis and in vitro mitochondrial complementation for plant breeding is discussed.
Rat GluR7 and a Carboxy-Terminal Splice Variant, GluR7b, Are Functional Kainate Receptor Subunits with a Low Sensitivity to Glutamate

Glutamate receptors of the kainate-preferring subtype have recently been shown to mediate synaptic transmission in the hippocampus. The low-affinity kainate receptor subunit GluR7 was found to be nonfunctional in previous studies. We report here that the GluR7 subunit and a novel carboxy-terminal splice variant, GluR7b, are functional glutamate receptors with unique pharmacological properties. In particular, glutamate exhibits a 10-fold lower potency for (non-desensitized) GluR7-mediated currents as compared to other non-NMDA receptor channels. These data will facilitate understanding of the distinct role played by GluR7 receptors in synaptic transmission.
Increased alkaline phosphatase in the tissues and hemolymph of the snail Biomphalaria glabrata infected with Schistosoma mansoni.

Abstract 1. 1. Using polyacrylic gel electrophoresis, we demonstrated the presence of alkaline phosphatase in some hemolymph samples and in all digestive gland extracts prepared from two strains of Biomphalaria glabrata . 2. 2. All hemolymph samples from Schistosoma mansoni -infected snails showed two slow-moving bands of enzyme; in one-third of the hemolymph samples from normal snails, however, alkaline phosphatase activity was undetectable by electrophoresis. 3. 3. Extracts of digestive gland from both normal and infected snails showed electrophoretic patterns similar to those obtained from hemolymph. 4. 4. Colorimetric techniques demonstrated increased alkaline phosphatase levels in both the hemolymph and digestive glands from infected snails.
Tail distortion risk and its asymptotic analysis

Abstract A distortion risk measure used in finance and insurance is defined as the expected value of potential loss under a scenario probability measure. In this paper, the tail distortion risk measure is introduced to assess tail risks of excess losses modeled by the right tails of loss distributions. The asymptotic linear relation between tail distortion and value-at-risk is derived for heavy-tailed losses with the linear proportionality constant depending only on the distortion function and the tail index. Various examples involving tail distortions for location-invariant, scale-invariant, and shape-invariant loss distribution families are also presented to illustrate the results.
E/M coding and the OIG: Not so reliable after all***

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) in the Department of Health and Human Services has launched an aggressive campaign to curb fraud and abuse within federal health care programs. This enforcement regime has recovered billions of dollars from providers, with the threat of exclusion from the Medicare program serving as a powerful incentive for compliance. Recoveries from the initiative nearly doubled each of the past 3 years, and the OIG’s work plan for 2002 indicates that fraud and abuse enforcement could be a growth industry for some time to come.1 One of the key components of the work plan is OIG oversight of coding for physician evaluation and management (E/M) services. The E/M coding system, which accounts for approximately $18 billion in Medicare payments per year, is supposed to be a reproducible method for determining physician payments based on the type and complexity of services delivered. However, as Bentley et al2 point out in this issue of Annals, E/M coding methods might not be reliable enough to support the OIG’s investigative fervor. These findings raise many public policy questions, including 2 that will be the focus of this editorial: What is the public policy rationale for the OIG’s fraud and abuse enforcement program? And, in light of the findings by Bentley et al, how should the OIG respond to questions about the reliability of E/M coding? P H Y S I C I A N R E I M B U R S E M E N T / E D I T O R I A L
Heat flux determination from measured heating rates using thermographic phosphors

A new method for measuring the heating rate (defined as the time rate of change of temperature) and estimating heat flux from the heating rate is proposed. The example problem involves analytic heat conduction in a one-dimensional slab, where the measurement location of temperature or heating rate coincides with the location of the estimated heat flux. The new method involves the solution to a Volterra equation of the second kind, which is inherently more stable than Volterra equations of the first kind. The solution for heat flux from a measured temperature is generally a first kind Volterra equation. Estimates from the new approach are compared to estimates from measured temperatures. The heating rate measurements are accomplished by leveraging the temperature dependent decay rate of thermographic phosphors (TGP). Results indicate that the new data-reduction method is far more stable than the usual minimization of temperature residuals, which results in errors that are 1.5–12 times larger than those of the new approach. Furthermore, noise in TGP measurements was found to give an uncertainty of 4% in the heating rate measurement, which is comparable to the noise introduced in the test case data. Results of the simulations and the level of noise in TGP measurements suggest that this novel approach to heat flux determination is viable.