cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interspersion of repetitive and non-repetitive DNA sequences in the sea urchin genome

Abstract Measurements are reported which lead to the conclusion that repetitive and nonrepetitive sequences are intimately interspersed in the majority of the DNA of the sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus. Labeled DNA was sheared to various lengths, reassociated with a great excess of 450 nucleotide-long fragments to cot 20, and the binding of the labeled DNA to hydroxyapatite was measured. Repetitive sequences measured in this way are present on about 42% of the 450 nucleotide-long fragments. As the DNA fragment length is increased, larger and larger fractions of the fragments contain repetitive sequences. Analysis of the measurements leads to the following estimate of the quantitative features of the pattern of interspersion of repetitive and nonrepetitive sequences. About 50% of the genome consists of a short-period pattern with 300–400 nucleotide average length repetitive segments interspersed with about 1000 nucleotide average length nonrepetitive segments. Another 20% or more consists of a longer period interspersed pattern. About 6% of the genome is made up of relatively long regions of repetitive sequences. The remaining 22% of the genome may be uninterrupted single copy DNA, or may have more widely spaced repeats interspersed. The similarity of these results to previous measurements with the DNA of an amphibian suggests that this interspersion pattern is of general occurrence and selective importance.
Do the Beginnings of Spoken Words Have a Special Status in Auditory Word Recognition

Abstract Six cross-modal priming experiments were conducted that investigated whether representations of spoken words in memory (base word) may be activated by similar-sounding nonwords. The experiments demonstrated that nonwords that differed in one or two linguistic features from a base word resulted in significant priming effects for semantic associates to the base word. Nonwords that deviated by more linguistic features from a base word showed no priming effects. Finally, nonwords in which either the medial or initial portions were altered showed comparable priming effects. This result held for a set of two-syllable words and for a group of longer words (at least three syllables). A model of auditory word recognition is discussed in which partial acoustic-phonetic information in a spoken word is mapped onto a lexical representation in memory based on goodness-of-fit. It is argued that this mapping process affords no particular status to word-initial phonemes.
Plant Proteins: Engineering for Improved Quality

Plant protein is the primary source of all dietary protein for humans and livestock. In 1992, world protein production was 137 million metric tons, of which 65% was obtained from plants directly and 35% through animal protein production.' In comparison to meat protein, plant protein is more economic to produce and convenient to transport and store. However, when used as a source of dietary protein for human and monogastric animals, most plant proteins are nutritionally incomplete because of their deficiency in certain essential amino acids. In general, cereal proteins are low in lysine (Lys) and tryptophan (Trp), and legume and most vegetable proteins are deficient in the sulfur amino acids methionine (Met) and cysteine (CYS).~ Amino acid deficiencies can be corrected in at least three ways, namely, supplementation with synthetic amino acids, supplementation with small amounts of protein which are a rich source of the deficient amino acid(s), or complementation with other protein(s) so that the combined protein sources will balance each other's deficiencies or excesses. The American animal feed industry annually spends 150 and 70 million dollars on synthetic Met and Lys, respectively, to supplement the protein base feeds. Conventional plant breeding methods have made some progress in identifying mutations with improved seed protein quality, such as high-Lys corn and barley.3 However, the undesirable traits associated with these mutations, such as lower yields and greater susceptibility to pests and diseases, have prevented their agronomic uti l i~ation.~ Because of a lack of genetic variability in Met content, efforts to breed legumes with increased levels of Met have not had significant success. Recent advances in biotechnology offer alternative approaches to improving the nutritional quality of plant proteins. These include sequence modifications, synthetic genes, overexpression of homologous genes, and transfer and expression of heterologous genes. Progress in this area of research and development was reviewed r e ~ e n t l y . ~ , ~
On the pillaring and delamination of smectite clay catalysts by polyoxo cations of aluminum

Abstract Two types of polyoxoaluminum solutions, base-hydrolyzed A1Cl 3 and aluminum chlorohydrate (ACH) with OH/A1 ratios of 2.42 and 2.50, respectively, have been used as reagents for the pillaring of the smectite clays montmorillonite and nontronite. Selective adsorption studies demonstrate that the method used to dry the flocculated clay layers is far more important than the choice of pillaring reagent or clay layer charge in determining the apparent pore size of pillared products. Air-drying leads to zeolite-like products with a pore opening ⪢6.2 A and 27 Al NMR spectroscopy indicates the polyoxo cation nuclearity to be larger in ACH than in base-hydrolyzed AlCl 3 , both reagents give pillared products with similar aluminum contents, pore sizes, thermal stabilities and catalytic properties. These similarities suggest the same type of oxo cations, probably Al 3 Keggin ions, are formed on the intracrystal surfaces. Also, the amount of Al bound per unit cell of pillared clay varies only over a small range (2.78 – 3.07), and the variation is not correlated with layer charge. This latter result suggests that a more or less uniform monolayer of hydrated polyoxo cations is formed in the interlayers, and that electrical neutrality is achieved through hydrolysis of the pillaring cations.
Is a Pressure Ulcer a Marker for Quality of Care

The development of a pressure ulcer is often associated with quality of care in long-term care facilities. Considerable effort has been directed to decreasing the incidence of pressure ulcers in nursing care facilities by guideline development, consensus statements, regulatory agencies, clinical trials, and use of specialized wound care teams. Quality indicators based on pressure ulcer prevalence rates have been developed, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services routinely disseminate results on most nursing homes in this country on their Web site. In this issue, Abel et al report an intervention to improve quality of care for pressure ulcers in facilities with Medicarecertified beds. The study involved an intervention in a nonrepresentative, convenience sample of 20 facilities in Austin, Texas. Twelve quality indicators were derived from expert opinion and data available in the Minimum Data Set. This intensive intervention, funded by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, included education, direct facility assistance, and multiple site visits by study personnel. The outcome measure was the relationship between a facility’s improvement on the quality indicators and the actual pressure ulcer incidence rate of that facility. The result of the intervention was positive; that is, the facilities showed improvement on 8 out of 12 quality indicators. The trial suggests that nursing facilities can improve documentation of care in relationship to pressure ulcers. However, there was no improvement in 4 of the 12 quality indicators. The proportion of skilled nursing facilities having a wound protocol did not change and there was no improvement in the number of facilities having an adequate care plan. Most importantly, there was no improvement in the incidence of pressure ulcers despite the relatively intense intervention. No difference was observed in the proportion of low-risk residents who developed a pressure ulcer during their
Short-term primary culture of acinar-intercalated duct complexes from rat submandibular glands

Acinar-intercalated duct complexes dissociated from rat submandibular glands have been shown to be an excellent model for studying secretory responses of salivary gland components. However, they are functionally normal for only a few hours. We undertook a systematic manipulation of primary culture conditions in an attempt to extend the useful life of the complexes. The major modifications that were tested were increased oxygenation in increments to 95%; substitution of norepinephrine or carbamylcholine or both for isoproterenol in the medium; different sources of collagen for and addition of laminin, fibronectin and/or type IV collagen to the matrix gel; and varying the thickness of the collagen gel, richness of the cell suspension inoculate, and sources and concentrations of sera in the medium. Progress was monitored by light microscopic evaluation of routine sections of specimens until improved maintenance of acinar and other cells warranted carrying parallel cultures for biochemical, histochemical, and ultrastructural analyses. Best results were obtained with 90% O2, laminin in rat tail collagen gel, 10% fetal bovine serum, and 3 microM isoproterenol. Morphologically, there was good survival of acini and intercalated ducts after 1 d, with decreased acinar size being correlated with secretory response to the isoproterenol. Reorganization and considerable mitotic activity were seen at 2, 3, and 4 d, with most clusters of cells becoming much larger than the original complexes. During this period acinar cells steadily became less differentiated and their numbers decreased in proportion to intercalated duct or undifferentiated cells. However, there was good overall survival through 7 d. Biochemical analysis indicated that the cells were able to maintain significant biosynthetic activity for 4 d, with DNA, RNA, protein, and glycoprotein synthetic rates increasing over the culture period, but the secretory capacity of the cells diminished during the primary culture period, with mucin biosynthesis and secretion decreasing significantly after 1 d in culture.
Influences of Situational Factors and Alcohol Expectancies on Sexual Desire and Arousal Among Heavy-Episodic Drinking Women: Acute Alcohol Intoxication and Condom Availability

Although studies suggest that alcohol increases women’s sexual desire, no studies to our knowledge have examined the effects of acute alcohol intoxication on women’s sexual desire. The majority of research examining alcohol’s effects on sexual arousal in women suggests that alcohol increases self-reported arousal. In an alcohol administration study in which women projected themselves into an eroticized scenario depicting a consensual sexual encounter with a new male partner, we examined the effects of alcohol and condom condition on women’s sexual desire and arousal. The moderating effects of sex-related alcohol expectancies were also examined. Results revealed that alcohol intoxication was related to less desire to engage in sex with a new partner and condom presence was related to more desire. Alcohol interacted with sexual disinhibition alcohol expectancies, indicating that more expectancy endorsement was associated with greater sexual desire and self-reported arousal in the alcohol condition, but not the control condition. Condom condition had no effect on self-reported sexual arousal. The present research suggests that sexual desire merits research attention in non-clinical samples, and experimental methodology can provide valuable information about alcohol’s influence on women’s sexual desire, thus advancing our understanding of this relationship beyond cross-sectional correlations. The current findings also provide evidence that sex-related alcohol expectancies may play an important role in alcohol-involved sexual experiences including desire and arousal.
Size control of gold nanoparticles produced by laser ablation of thin films in an aqueous environment

Abstract Nanoparticles have been produced by laser ablation of thin gold films on soda lime glass slides that are immersed in distilled and deionized water. The size of the nanoparticles, as determined by fitting the UV–vis absorption spectrum, shows that the average particle radius depends on the thin film thickness in the range of 50–200 nm. A heuristic model is developed to explain these results as being strongly dependent on the average temperature that is reached in the thin films, and the subsequent heating of the surrounding medium. The strong thermal mismatch at the film-substrate boundary appears to play a strong role as well.
Evaluation of phosphorus sources promoting bioremediation of diesel fuel in soil

Microorganisms require phosphorus (P) in the biosynthesis of nucleic acids (DNA, RNA), ATP, and other cellular components (e.g., teichoic acids and phospholipids). Generally, P is added in petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated soil to bring the C:P close to the bacterial biomass. The proposed C:P ratio for mixed microbial biomass in soil is 100:1. However, complete assimilation of petroleum hydrocarbons into biomass is not achievable under natural conditions. Some components of petroleum hydrocarbons are recalcitrant to degradation and may be metabolized overlong periods of time. Under most conditions, about half of the C available for growth is eventually converted into cellular biomass. Petroleum hydrocarbons readily degraded and mineralized into CO[sub 2]. Several studies have shown that the addition of P can stimulate the biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons. However, the addition on inorganic P sources can result in precipitation of calcium and iron phosphates making the P unavailable to the microbes. In this study, we wanted to compare the addition or organic vs. inorganic P fertilizers on the mineralization of diesel fuel. Organic P fertilizers are much more mobile in soil than inorganic P sources since they do not precipitate with alkaline earth cations. However, they must be mineralized to be available as amore » P source in the oxidation of hydrocarbons. In this experiment, the effectiveness of diethylphosphate, methylphosphonic acid, and potassium phosphate (K[sub 2]HPO[sub 4]) were compared as P fertilizers to stimulate the biodegradation of diesel fuel in soil. 7 refs., 2 figs.« less
Overview of fast breeder reactors

A brief overview is presented of the history and status of advanced fast breeder reactors (FBRs). The first eight papers of this special issue, from seven countries where FBRs have been built and operated, are summarized.
MO-G-18C-06: MRI QC: Effects of Multi-Channel Coil Element Failure On Image Quality

Purpose: To quantitatively evaluate changes in phantom quality control (QC) measurements resulting from malfunctioning channels in multichannel brain coils during routine MRI QC. Methods: The large ACR MRI phantom was scanned on a 1.5T GE HDXt scanner using an 8-channel brain array and on a 1.5T Siemens Aera using a 20-channel head-neck array. For the 8-channel array, images were acquired by sequentially turning off an increasing number of adjacent channels. For the 20-channel array, images were acquired with various combinations of active coil elements. Percent integral uniformity (PIU), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and ghosting ratio were measured with and without uniformity correction (UC). Results: For the 8-channel array, SNR and PIU decreased with the number of inactive coil elements (57% and 34%, respectively). UC increased PIU to >82% and SNR to 80%, but also increased apparent ghosting due to background nonuniformity. For the 20-channel array, the central pair of element groups (H3-H4) closest to the phantom had the greatest impact on image quality. Without UC, PIU and SNR were similar when all groups or both H3-H4 were active. Without UC, PIU decreased by 50% when either H3 or H4 was deactivated. Noise greatly decreased resulting in a ∼500% increase in SNR. Without UC, SNR decreased by 60% and PIU increased when both H3-H4 were deactivated. PIU was most affected by UC (50%–160% increase). For both coils, ghosting ratio generally increased with UC but not above ACR limit (2.5%). With UC applied, PIU failed the ACR limit (87.5%) when 2 elements of the 8-channel array or H3-H4 were inactive. Conclusion: Channel failure for the two multichannel arrays tested was reflected in changes in SNR and PIU. For daily MR QC, setting coil-specific SNR, PIU and ghosting QC limits to ensure the detection of malfunctioning elements is necessary due to coil design variations.
Glycinergic and GABAergic calcium responses in the developing lateral superior olive.

The lateral superior olive (LSO), a binaural nucleus involved in sound localization, receives tonotopically organized inhibitory inputs from the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body (MNTB). During development, the tonotopic organization of this glycinergic/GABAergic MNTB–LSO pathway is established by activity-dependent axonal reorganization. However, the underlying mechanisms by which this reorganization takes place have remained largely unknown. As cytosolic calcium is one of the most important second messengers responsible for inducing synaptic plasticity and reorganization, we examined whether and how activity in the MNTB–LSO pathway changes the intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) in developing LSO neurons. By applying calcium imaging techniques to Fura-2-labelled slices from neonatal rats and mice, we found that glycine and GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid) affect [Ca2+]i in LSO neurons in an age-dependent manner; during the first postnatal week, the period at which glycine and GABA are depolarizing in the LSO, glycine and GABA always increased [Ca2+]i. However, in 2-week-old animals, the time around hearing onset when glycine and GABA are hyperpolarizing, glycine and GABA slightly decreased [Ca2+]i. Calcium responses could also be elicited by stimulation of afferent fibres from the MNTB, and these synaptic responses were mediated by glycine and GABAA receptors. Furthermore, GABA, which is a neurotransmitter only in the immature MNTB–LSO pathway, played a major role in generating MNTB-elicited Ca2+ responses. The direct link of glycinergic/GABAergic synaptic activity to intracellular calcium signalling during the period of inhibitory synaptic plasticity could be one of the mechanisms by which tonotopic MNTB–LSO connections become established.
Discovery of Jupiter's 'gossamer' ring.

Enhancement of Voyager 2's parting shot of the Jupiter system reveals an additional ring. This ring is far fainter than either of the components previously identified, and extends to a radius of 210,000 km. The possible sources of this 'gossamer' ring are discussed.
Preserving cultures of wood-decaying Basidiomycotina using sterile distilled water in cryovials

Prior to 1985, cultures at the Center for Forest Mycology Research were maintained on 1.5% malt extract agar test-tube slants. This system not only made it necessary to transfer the entire collection ev? ery year but also permitted genetic change because continual growth occurred. In 1985, the method of storing fungal cultures in sterile distilled water in cryovials was introduced. This study reports on the use of this method for long-term fungal storage. For varying periods up to 7 years, 151 miscellaneous spe? cies of wood-decaying Basidiomycotina were stored in sterile distilled water. Water storage has numerous advantages: culture viability or growth rate is not sig? nificantly influenced; isolates can be stored longer; genetic stability is greater; the method is quick, easy, and inexpensive, and requires less space.
From "Dragonology" to Meteorology: Aristotelian Natural Philosophy and the Beginning of the Decline of the Dragon in China

The cult of the dragon in China, which expressed itself not only in the ritual sacrifices to the dragon kings during drought and floods but also in the rationalization of the dragon's power to make rain by many serious thinkers from diverse intellectual persuasions, was first subjected to sustained criticism during the early modern era as part of an "enlightenment" drive against popular cults and "superstitions" led by some of the Jesuit-inspired Chinese scholars. This paper examines how these critics drew on Aristotelian conceptions of nature and meteorological theories introduced by the Jesuit missionaries to attack the core ideas of the traditional dragon lore and their underlying cosmology. It argues that the de-animated and rigidly stratified view of nature articulated by this small but clearly discernable group of Chinese critics can be seen as marking the beginning of the decline of the dragon, the allegedly semi-divine aquatic animal which swims, walks, flies, and makes rain.
Level-repetition effects in hierarchical stimulus processing: timing and location of cortical activity.

Abstract The specific mechanisms that underlie repetition priming effects are only partly understood. We examined the timing and extent of brain activity in response to level-repeated and level-shifted conditions during hierarchical stimulus processing. A response cost in behavioral reaction times was evident for level-shifted compared to level-repeated conditions. Larger event-related potentials amplitudes for level-shifted conditions were evident over occipital scalp regions for an early component peaking at 132 ms post-stimulus onset. A negative potential over posterior temporal electrodes that peaked at 204 ms showed asymmetries in amplitudes that were consistent with lateralized differences in global and local level processing. A positive potential peaking at 290 ms also showed differences between level-repeated and level-shifted conditions over left parietal and left posterior temporal scalp regions. The study demonstrates cortical activity related to repetition priming for both local and global level targets. Early sensory (‘P1’) and later cortical processing can be affected by the need to shift attention across hierarchical levels. The results support the existence of multiple processes underlying level-repetition effects.
Alopecia in three women of Southeast Asian descent with chronic renal failure: possible association with erythropoietin use.

c Recombinant human erythropoietin (Epo) has been used successfully to correct the anemia caused by chronic renal failure in patients undergoing dialysis, as well as the anemia associated with other conditions, including cancer therapy. Despite its benefits, it can be associated with adverse side effects. These include hypertension, headaches, increased seizure activity, clotted vascular access, and occasional thromboembolic events, such as myocardial infarction or stroke. We report a potentially new side effect associated with Epo of a cosmetic nature. Three Southeast Asian women with chronic renal failure developed diffuse, nearly total, hair loss during erythropoietin use. Two cases were strongly associated with Epo use, and a third had other intercurrent illnesses as well. Alopecia may be associated with Epo use in certain ethnic populations. © 2001 by the National Kidney Foundation, Inc.
Emergency department triage of patients infected with HIV.

Objective: The emergency department (ED) and HIV specialty clinics are primary sources of care for persons infected with HIV. HIV disease may be complicated by vague and complex symptomatology, and determining the degree of illness at triage is often difficult. The goals of this project were to characterize the ED presentation of HIV-related conditions, to develop a clinical decision rule to triage HIV-infected patients, and to validate the rule in clinical practice. Methods: The study population consisted of ambulatory patients with self-reported HIV infection who presented for care to the ED of a 553-bed public hospital that serves a medically indigent, minority population. An Illness Severity Instrument was developed by an expert panel to serve as the criterion standard for defining medical urgency for HIV-infected patients presenting to the ED for care. Two phases of the study were conducted. Data from the first phase, a noninterventional cohort study, were used to develop a clinical decision rule for the ED triage of HIV-infected patients. The second phase was a prospective validation of the clinical decision rule. Results: During phase I, data from 542 patient visits were collected. Data from 441 (81%) patient visits were used in a classification and regression tree (CART) analysis to produce a decision rule, the Clinical Triage Instrument. During phase II, the prospective validation of the Clinical Triage Instrument, 156 patient visits occurred. Of these, 88 (56%) patient visits were triaged using the Clinical Triage Instrument and could be scored using the Illness Severity Instrument. The Clinical Triage Instrument accurately triaged 45 [51%; 95% confidence interval (95% CI) = 40% to 62%] patient visits, undertriaged 11 (13%; 95% CI = 6% to 21%) patient visits, and overtriaged 32 (36%; 95% CI = 26% to 47%) patient visits. Sensitivities and specificities for determining emergent, urgent, and nonurgent medical conditions by the Clinical Triage Instrument were 56% (95% CI = 31% to 75%) and 84% (95% CI = 74% to 92%), 71% (95% CI = 55% to 84%) and 39% (95% CI = 25% to 55%), and 18% (95% CI = 6% to 37%) and 93% (95% CI = 84% to 98%), respectively. The positive and negative predictive values for determining an emergent medical condition using the Clinical Triage Instrument were 48% (95% CI = 26% to 70%) and 88% (95% CI = 78% to 95%), respectively. The positive and negative predictive values for determining a nonurgent medical condition using the Clinical Triage Instrument were 56% (95% CI = 21% to 86%) and 71% (95% CI = 60% to 81%), respectively. Conclusions: The Clinical Triage Instrument was not sufficiently accurate for clinical use. Until accurate and reliable triage methods are developed, all patients infected with HIV who present to the ED for care should receive timely evaluation and care.
Carbon Source Quality and Placement Effects on Soil Organic Carbon Status

Improved management of agricultural soils has potential for sequestering carbon (C) and reducing the accumulation of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Development of management practices to increase C sequestration is dependent on improved understanding of soil processes influencing long-term storage of C. A field study was conducted to compare surface C source quality and above- vs. belowground addition of annual or perennial plant biomass effects on particulate organic matter (POM), total labile C (TLC), and total organic C (TOC). Since microaggregate stabilization within macroaggregates is the main mechanism for sequestering C, aggregate size distribution, expressed as mean weight diameter (MWD), and wet aggregate stability (WAS) was also measured. After 5 years, POM decreased in plots receiving surface application of readily available substrate (sucrose and alfalfa pellets) and the bare surface control. Plots receiving plant additions [wood chips, growing wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) crop, growing switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) crop, and fallow receiving either wheat or switchgrass residue] exhibited higher TLC and TOC content. Plots receiving plant residue maintained MWD, and those supporting live plants exhibited increasing WAS. Surface plant residue protected the soil against raindrop impact and reduced the intensity of wetting and drying cycles allowing the development of larger more stable aggregates resulting in C accrual.
The Making of a Radical: The Case of James Burgh

During the decade before the American Revolution, the dissenting schoolmaster, James Burgh, became one of England's foremost propagandists for radical reform. All of the recent works on English radicalism and the ideological origins of the American Revolution recognize the important place of Burgh's magnum opus , the Political Disquisitions , in these movements. Burgh himself, however, has remained a shadowy figure. The process whereby he became a radical has not been explored; important nuances of his political philosophy are unknown; the scope of his radical actions are insufficiently appreciated; and the extent of his influence has not been fully evaluated. In short, there exist some rather incredible gaps in our understanding of the author of a work uniformly agreed to be the “standard source book for reform propagandists in the 1780's,” and “perhaps the most important political treatise which appeared in England in the first half of the reign of George III.” More importantly, in rectifying this situation it becomes obvious that Burgh's career raises some important questions about the character and development of late eighteenth-century English radicalism and suggests the need to qualify or modify certain current perceptions of that movement. One of eleven children, Burgh was born in late 1714 in the rural Scottish community of Madderty, Perthshire. His father Andrew was minister of the parish Church of Scotland. His mother Margaret was an aunt of the famous Scottish historian William Robertson. Although almost nothing is known of James's youth, his writing indicates that his childhood was happy and the force of his parents' example was considerable.
Insulin-Induced Insulin Resistance of Lipolysis in Human Adipocytes in Organ Culture*

Adipose tissue derived from open biopsies was used to develop a system for studying insulin resistance in human tissue in vitro. Subcutaneous adipose tissue obtained from obese donors was incubated in Parker’s medium 199 in the absence or presence of insulin for 24 h under sterile conditions. Adipocytes were then isolated by collagenase digestion, washed thoroughly, and incubated for 2 h with multiple insulin concentrations in Krebs-Ringer phosphate buffer with 4% bovine serum albumin. Lipolysis was estimated by measuring glycerol. Basal lipolysis in adipocytes cultured with insulin did not differ significantly from that of adipocytes cultured without insulin (2.49 ± 0.18 us. 2.67 ± 0.58 µmol glycerol/mmol triglyceride). The maximum acute response in adipocytes prepared from tissue exposed to insulin during culture was 55% inhibition of basal lipolysis, whereas the maximum response in cells prepared from tissue not exposed to insulin chronically was 80%. Statistical analysis by paired t test showed a sign...
Preparation of large volumes of linear gradient solutions for zonal ultracentrifugation.

On decrit la construction d'un appareil a chambre close pour la preparation de gros volumes de solutions a gradients de densite lineaire. Ces solutions de sucre ou d'autres substances sont generalement utilisees pour l'ultracentrifugation zonale en gradient de densite.
Ethanol consumption following recovery from unilateral damage to the forelimb area of the sensorimotor cortex: reinstatement of deficits and prevention of dendritic pruning.

Abstract Unilateral injury to the forelimb-representation area of the sensorimotor cortex (FL-SMC) in adult rats results in use-dependent proliferation of dendritic processes, followed by partial pruning, of layer V pyramidal neurons of the contralateral homotopic cortex. In development, `exuberant' growth of neurons is often followed by pruning, a process that has been associated with a glutamatergic-NMDA receptor mechanism. A related mechanism may play a role in injury-related pruning of dendrites in adults. The N -methyl- d -aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist MK801, administered throughout the pruning phase to adult animals with FL-SMC lesions, prevents dendritic pruning and disrupts behavioral recovery. Ethanol (ETOH) also acts as an NMDA receptor antagonist. It has been shown to reduce NMDA-active ion currents, inhibit NMDA-evoked electrophysiological responses, and decrease glutamate-binding in the hippocampus and cortex. ETOH also affects neuromorphology in the developing and adult cerebellum, hippocampus, and cortex. Ethanol's involvement with NMDA receptor function and its influence on dendritic morphology led us to examine its effect on dendritic pruning and behavioral recovery following unilateral FL-SMC lesions. Lesioned animals were exposed to moderate doses of ethanol in a liquid diet only during the period of dendritic pruning. As with MK801, ETOH prevented pruning and reinstated chronic behavioral asymmetries.
Supra-Annular Mitral Valve Replacement in Children

Background Despite improved mitral repair techniques, some children need mitral valve replacement (MVR). Due to small annulus size, supra-annular MVR is useful. Methods From 2003 to 2010, 15 children had 23 supra-annular MVRs. At first supra-annular MVR, median age was 6.5 months (28 days to 47 months); median weight was 5.4 kg (3.3-11.8 kg). Twelve (80%) had prior operations, 8 (53%) had previous mitral repair. Eight had congenital mitral anomalies (4 with Shone's), 5 had atrioventricular septal defects, 1 had endocarditis, and 1 had a repaired anomalous left coronary artery. All primary MVRs used mechanical valves (≤ 17 mm in 9 patients). Results There was one early death (93% survival) in an 11-month-old with congenital pulmonary vein stenosis. One intraoperative conversion from annular to supra-annular MVR developed heart block. Three pacemakers were implanted for supraventricular rhythm disturbances. Three children had valve thrombosis early postoperatively treated medically. On follow-up of 4.3 ± 2.8 years, 8 had reoperation including redo MVR in 6 for pannus formation or thrombus (1 had three redo MVRs). At redo, a larger valve was used in 5 and a bioprosthetic valve in 4 patients. There was one late death after third redo MVR with pulmonary vein stenosis relief (overall survival 87%). Conclusions Supra-annular MVR is useful for children with a small annulus. Operative survival is good with infrequent heart block. Complications are common, including redo MVR and need for left ventricular outflow tract obstruction relief. Pulmonary vein stenosis is a marker for poor outcome; all patients without pulmonary vein stenosis survive long term.
Institutionalizing delay: foundation funding and the creation of U.S. climate change counter-movement organizations

This paper conducts an analysis of the financial resource mobilization of the organizations that make up the climate change counter-movement (CCCM) in the United States. Utilizing IRS data, total annual income is compiled for a sample of CCCM organizations (including advocacy organizations, think tanks, and trade associations). These data are coupled with IRS data on philanthropic foundation funding of these CCCM organizations contained in the Foundation Center’s data base. This results in a data sample that contains financial information for the time period 2003 to 2010 on the annual income of 91 CCCM organizations funded by 140 different foundations. An examination of these data shows that these 91 CCCM organizations have an annual income of just over $900 million, with an annual average of $64 million in identifiable foundation support. The overwhelming majority of the philanthropic support comes from conservative foundations. Additionally, there is evidence of a trend toward concealing the sources of CCCM funding through the use of donor directed philanthropies.
The MRS in Oak Ridge

Abstract The storage, either temporary or permanent, of high-level nuclear wastes in the form of spent fuel from reactors has been a source of controversy for decades. When Congress passed the National Waste Policy Act of 1982, it thought it was finally solving the problem. This turned out to be a mirage. One of the most unusual aspects of the arguments which have raged since 1982 has been Monitored Retrievable Storage (MRS). Originally only a little-known provision of the NWPA, it became a major issue in Tennessee. One town, Oak Ridge, was the first community in the United States to vote officially to accept high-level wastes under any conditions. This paper outlines some of the debates and the considerations going into this decision, from a social viewpoint.
Morphological changes in Ag nanocrystals triggered by citrate photoreduction and governed by oxidative etching

The shape of a nanocrystal undergoes significant changes in response to variations in the surrounding environment. In this communication, it has been demonstrated that introduction of citric acid into the system of Ag nanocubes can trigger their shape evolution into nanospheres.
Thiaminase I of Bacillus thiaminolyticus.

Abstract Bacillus thiaminolyticus Matsukawa and Misawa grows well on a synthetic medium. Its growth is stimulated by thiamine. Pyrithiamine and oxythiamine are not inhibitory at the concentrations tested. A spectrophotometric assay for thiaminase I activity was developed and used to follow the production and distribution of this enzyme as a function of growth time. Thiaminase I is found predominantly (>90%) outside the cells throughout the entire growth cycle. Thus it appears to be an exoenzyme.
Effect of silicone gel breast prosthesis on electron and photon dose distributions

The effect of a silicone gel breast prosthesis on the absorbed dose distribution of 9--20 MeV electron beams and 1.25--15 MV photon beams was studied. Compared to water measurements, at depths smaller than the practical range of the electron beams, the central axis depth dose values below the prothesis were lower for all energies by as much as 3.5%. However, at depths near the practical range, the central axis depth dose values for the prosthesis were greater than that of water by as much as 33%. Since this occurs near the end of the electron range, the resultant difference may not be clinically significant. Results of the effect of breast prosthesis on photon depth dose distributions reveal that no clinically significant perturbation is produced by the breast prosthesis using Co-60, 6- and 15-MV radiations.
Prehospital delay time in acute myocardial infarction: an exploratory study on relation to hospital outcomes and cost.

Abstract Background Short prehospital delay is associated with improved outcomes in myocardial infarction, but the impact on cost has not been tested. Shortening delay time could reduce health care expenditures. Methods and Results Two hundred ninety-eight patients were examined with the use of a historic prospective design at 2 hospital sites. A secondary analysis was performed that used patients with confirmed myocardial infarction from the National Register of Myocardial Infarction and direct and indirect costs from the accounting system at the hospitals. Chisquare, Mann Whitney U , and Fisher exact tests were used for comparisons. Delay and 4 sets of variables were regressed on cost with the significant predictors used to construct a final model. The mean age was 71 ± 14 years old; 62% were men. There were no major differences in demographics, cardiac history, risk factors, and admission characteristics between short and long delayers. Resource utilization and clinical outcomes were similar between the 2 groups; there was no difference in cost. Additional diagnostic procedures (odds ratio 2.92; 95% confidence interval 1.65–5.15) and complications (odds ratio 3.43; 95% confidence interval 2.03–5.82) were significant predictors of cost. Delay was not a predictor of high cost. Conclusions Short prehospital delay was not associated with improved clinical outcomes, nor did it predict cost. Explanations include (1) the low utilization of early reperfusion therapy in the short delay group, (2) the study lacked sufficient power to detect a difference in cost between short and long delayers, and (3) the severity of illness could not be adequately measured. This issue warrants further study because of the potential impacts on health care expenditures.
Synthesis, Biophysical and Biological Evaluations of Novel Antisense Oligonucleosides Containing Dephosphono-Internucleosidic Linkages

Abstract Efficient large-scale syntheses of methylene(methylimino) (MMI) linked mixed base nucleosidic dimers have been accomplished. These dimers were successfully incorporated into deoxyoligonucleotides by automated solid-support synthesis. The hybridization properties, nuclease stability, RNase H mediated cleavage and in vitro biological activity of novel chimeric oligomers have been studied. The biophysical and biological evaluation of these chimeric oligomers containing MMI linkages suggests that MMI is a promising chemical modification of the backbone linkage for the construction of antisense molecules useful as therapeutics.
Urinary dihydrodiol metabolites of phenytoin: high-performance liquid chromatographic assay of diastereomeric composition.

Abstract Diastereomeric dihydrodiol metabolites of phenytoin, (5 S )-5-[(3 R ,4 R )-3,4-dihydroxy-1,5-cyclohexadien-1-yl]-5-phenylhydantoin, ( S )-DHD, and (5 R )-5-[(3 R ,4 R )-3,4-dihydroxy-1,5-cyclohexadien-1-yl]-5-phenylhydantoin, ( R )-DHD, have been resolved from each other and from urinary constituents with reversed-phase HPLC columns and acetonitrile—water gradients. Recoveries of DHD isomers from urine averaged 99.1% and it was demonstrated that known mixtures of DHD diastereomers added to blank urine were not altered by the assay procedures. The relative diastereomeric content of DHD was determined from integration of the chromatographic peaks. Assay of urine samples from patients on chronic phenytoin therapy and from volunteers indicated that both DHD isomers were present in all samples, and stereoselectivity favored the production of ( S )-DHD.
Whose fault is it? Effects of relational self-views and outcome counterfactuals on self-serving attribution biases following brand policy changes

Many consumers view their relationships with brands as part of their identity and this affects how they react to a brand's behavior that negatively impacts them. In assigning responsibility for negative outcomes, individuals often demonstrate a self-serving bias by assigning more responsibility to their partner and less to themselves. In three studies, we demonstrate that this tendency is resisted among consumers holding a strong relational self-view. However, their self-serving bias emerges when the outcome represents a near-miss situation in which a more favorable counterfactual alternative outcome was highly possible. This change in attributions is associated with increased feelings of being betrayed and perceived unfairness by the brand even though its actions are identical in the near-miss and far-miss situations.
Laparoscopy should be the approach of choice for acute appendicitis in the morbidly obese.

BACKGROUND: The current study compared the outcome of morbidly obese patients undergoing laparoscopic versus open appendectomy. METHODS: We obtained data from the University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC) database on 1,943 morbidly obese patients who underwent appendectomy for acute or perforated appendicitis between 2002 and 2007. RESULTS: Compared to open appendectomy, laparoscopic appendectomy was associated with a shorter length of stay (3 vs 4 days) and a lower overall complication rate (9% vs 17%). Most notably, a lower rate of wound infection was noted (1% vs 3%). Within a subset analysis of morbidly obese patients who underwent appendectomy for perforated appendicitis, there was a higher overall complication rate (27% vs 18%) and cost ($16,600 vs $12,300) in the open appendectomy group. CONCLUSION: In the morbidly obese, laparoscopic appendectomy performed for acute and perforated appendicitis is associated with a shorter length of stay and lower morbidity and costs. Laparoscopic appendectomy should be the procedure of choice for the treatment of acute appendicitis in the morbidly obese population.
Distributed computing in mobile environments

Abstract Rapid progress in hardware has led to the availability of portable personal computers ranging from laptops to hand held computers (PDAs, Internet terminals). Presence of wireless connectivity gives these hand held units the capability of accessing information anywhere anytime. These mobile units can be considered to be part of a world wide distributed information system. Distributed computing in mobile environments faces new challenges as more and more mobile hosts become an integral part of a distributed system. Problems in distributed computing in mobile environments are due to: (1) mobility, (2) wireless and (3) resource constraints at the mobile host. In this paper, we discuss the impact of these factors and research issues that need to be addressed in mobile distributed systems.
Analysis of real-time programs with simple time Petri nets

We present a first report on our PARTS toolset for the automated static analysis of real-time systems. The PARTS toolset is based upon a timed extension of Petri nets.Our simple time Petri nets or STP nets are specifically aimed at facilitating real-time analysis. Our analysis approach uses the state space of an STP net in order to answer queries about the concurrency and timing behavior of the corresponding system. An attractive feature of STP nets is that they support a variety of techniques for controlling the number of states that must be explicitly enumerated. These techniques were originally defined for the analysis of concurrency properties of untimed systems, and in this paper we discuss the extension of each to the timed domain.We also report on some preliminary experimental results that we obtained by running our toolset on examples of real-time systems.
Unintegrated ribosomal genes and their relation to position effect variegation in Drosophila melanogaster

THE variegated expression of genes is most often associated with a chromosomal rearrangement having one or both breakpoints within a heterochromatic region1–3 and as a result, the genes lying near the breakpoint are usually suppressed. In Drosophila melanogaster, the genes coding for ribosomal RNA (rRNA) at the nucleolus organiser region are also situated in heterochromatin4. Ribosomal genes which are not integrated into the DNA of the chromosome have been found in D. melanogaster females heterozygous for an X chromosome inversion which transposes the nucleolus organiser to the tip of the X (refs 5, 6). It was proposed that these unintegrated ribosomal genos (∼3×108 daltons) might be involved in position effect variegation5. This study was initiated to determine if a correlation exists between the presence of unintegrated ribosomal genes and the extent of position effect variegation in general. DNA from inversion-bearing male genotypes undergoing position-effect variegation was examined by sucrose gradient sedimentation and DNA–rRNA hybridisation. The resulting data further support a variegation association.
Converting 9-methyldipyrrinones to 9-H and 9-CHO dipyrrinones

Yellow 9-methyldipyrrinones can be converted readily and in high yields to symmetric linear tetrapyrroles, blue biliverdinoids, which are cleaved in half, smoothly at room temperature to afford yellow 9-H dipyrrinones, and 9-CHO dipyrrinones as their violet to orange colored adducts with the carbon acid used for the scission: thiobarbituric acid (TBA), N,N'-diethylthiobarbituric acid, barbituric acid, N,N'-dimethylbarbituric acid and Meldrum's acid. The adducts, usually only of passing interest, are formally Knovenagel condensation products of a 9-CHO dipyrrinone with TBA and other carbon acids of this work, and a reverse Knovenagel reaction of such adducts leads to 9-CHO dipyrrinones. Under a set of improved reaction conditions the sequence thus efficiently converts 9-CH(3) dipyrrinones to 9-H and 9-CHO dipyrrinones.