cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Roles of Chondroitin-4-Sulfotransferase-1 in Development and Disease

The glycosaminoglycan chondroitin sulfate (CS) consists of long linear chains of repeating disaccharide units, which are covalently attached to core proteins to form CS-proteoglycans. These molecules have been shown to fulfill important biological functions in development, disease, and signaling. Biosynthesis of CS takes place in the Golgi apparatus. Concomitant to chondroitin chain elongation, sulfation of specific carbon residues by chondroitin sulfotransferase enzymes takes place. The sulfation balance and pattern of CS on specific carbon residues are tightly regulated during development, injury, and disease, with the temporal and spatial expression of chondroitin sulfotransferase genes believed to be a crucial determinant of this fine balance of chondroitin sulfation. Chondroitin-4-sulfotransferase-1 (C4ST-1)/carbohydrate sulfotransferase 11 (CHST11) is one of the enzymes involved in the sulfation of chondroitin by catalyzing the transfer of sulfate groups from a sulfate donor to the carbon-4 position of the N-acetylgalactosamine sugar of the repeating disaccharide units. Here, I summarize the significant recent advances in our understanding of the roles of C4ST-1 in vertebrate development, disease, and signaling pathways, and the transcriptional regulation of the C4ST-1 gene. Proper 4-sulfation of chondroitin by C4ST-1 plays a crucial role in the skeletal development and signaling events, and new evidence is suggestive of a potential role for C4ST-1 in human disease, including cancer.
Backscatter from porosity in cross-ply composites

The presence of porosity in a fiber-reinforced composite may have a critical effect on the composite’s mechanical properties and service performance. Detection and characterization of porosity by ultrasonic means have, therefore, received considerable attention in recent years. The frequency dependence of ultrasonic attenuation has been used to find the volume fraction and pore size of gas porosity in aluminum alloys, [1]–[3], and in graphite-epoxy composites [4], The use of ultrasonic backscatter measurements to characterize the volume fraction has been reported in Refs. [5]–[6]. A theoretical model to analyze the backscatter from a porous unidirectionally fiber-reinforced composite has been established in [7]. In the present paper, the approach of Ref. [7] is extended to multi-ply fiber-reinforced composites. It has been shown experimentally by several investigators, [8]–[9], that polar backscatter from a multi-ply composite shows an amplitude dependence on the azimuthal angle, which is characterized by a pattern of peaks and valleys. The peaks occur when the propagation vector of the incident pulse is normal to the direction of the fibers in one of the plies of the multi-ply layup.
Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Structural Disadvantage and Crime: White, Black, and Hispanic Comparisons ∗

Objectives The objective of this study is to advance knowledge on racial/ethnic disparities in violence and the structural sources of those disparities. We do so by extending scarce and limited research exploring the relationship between race/ethnic gaps in disadvantage and differences in violent crime across groups. Methods Using census place-level data from California and New York, we construct white, black, and Hispanic “gap” measures that take as a given the existence of disparities across race/ethnic groups in structural disadvantage and crime and subsequently utilize seemingly unrelated regression models to assess the extent to which gaps in disadvantage are predictive of gaps in homicide and index violence. Results Our results suggest that (1) there is considerable heterogeneity in the size of white–black, white–Hispanic, and black–Hispanic gaps in structural disadvantage and crime and (2) that race/ethnic disparities in structural disadvantage, particularly poverty and female headship, are positively associated with race/ethnic gaps in homicide and index violence. Conclusion In light of recent scholarship on the racial invariance hypothesis and on the relationship between structural inequality and crime, the current study demonstrates that disparities in disadvantage, particularly family structure and poverty, are important in driving racial and ethnic disparities in crime.
Biotechnological applications of supersonic cluster beam-deposited nanostructured thin films: bottom-up engineering to optimize cell-protein-surface interactions.

Technological innovations in biomaterial sciences harness nanoparticle (NP) production, manipulation, and deposition with supreme precision, enabling the development of industrial processes. This review first discusses the basic components of this approach, introducing cluster sources, experimental apparatus, and growth mechanisms for NP formation. The second part of this review provides an overview of how the nanoscale bottom-up engineering can control protein adsorption, which in turn determines the fate of nanostructured coating for prokaryotic and mammalian (primary and stem) cell interactions. In addition, we briefly address the implications of the cluster beam deposition technique for nanostructuration of biocompatible microdevices and its potential as a facile coating method to promote protein–surface interactions for microarray applications in biotechnology. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 101A:2994–3008, 2013.
Prominent glutamine oxidation activity in mitochondria of hematopoietic tumors.

Well-coupled mitochondria of hematopoietic tumors were isolated from mouse erythroleukemia and rat chloroma tumors grown in male DBA/2J mice and Long-Evans rats, respectively. We used erythroleukemia and chloroma mitochondria to determine their ability to utilize glutamine as an energy source for adenosine triphosphate formation. Oxypolarographic tests showed the following. ( a ) Presence of a prominent glutaminase activity in erythroleukemia and chloroma mitochondria is evidenced by their active glutamine-supported respiratory state 3. ( b ) Glutamine oxidation is mediated through a nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-linked reaction inhibited by rotenone. ( c ) Under similar conditions, mitochondria isolated from rabbit bone marrow have shown a feeble glutamine oxidation activity, while in mitochondria from rat liver the activity was not detectable and in those from rat kidney it was prominent as expected. ( d ) The determination of apparent Km and Vmax values for substrate-supported adenosine triphosphate formation has shown 8- to 10-fold lower Km values for glutamine oxidation as compared to that of glutamate, with virtually the same Vmax for each substrate in each mitochondria. These results clearly show the presence of a high glutamine oxidation activity in erythroleukemia and chloroma mitochondria and suggest that one of the glutamine hydrolysis products in those mitochondria may have an important role in supplying adenosine triphosphate in the corresponding malignant cells.
There's an App for That! Part II.

As academic librarians’ professional and personal lives become busier and more varied, the need for tools to assist with accomplishing a myriad of tasks in a short time becomes even more necessary....
Hepatic artery pseudoaneurysm complicating laparoscopic cholecystectomy: Management with transcatheter embolisation

SummaryVascular complications of laparoscopic cholecystectomy are encountered with increasing frequency. We report a patient with a pseudoaneurysm of the right hepatic artery who presented with haemobilia following laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The patient was managed successfully with transarterial selective embolisation and remains free of symptoms 11 months later.
Aortic regurgitation due to aortic valve prolapse.

Abstract Myxomatous degeneration is recognized as the underlying pathologic state in mitral valve prolapse. Similar pathologic changes have been noted in excised aortic valve cusps.1–3 Aortic regurgitation (AR) may be caused by aortic valve prolapse (AVP). Recent echocardiographic studies have described criteria for the diagnosis of AVP and have documented its frequent association with mitral valve prolapse.4,5 The entity of AR without apparent cause and its possible relation to AVP has assumed increasing clinical importance. We present the clinical, hemodynamic and echocardiographic findings in 6 patients with AR and AVP.
Linear Response of a Stratified Tropical Atmosphere to Convective Forcing

Abstract The three-dimensional response of the tropical atmosphere to an isolated heat source is investigated using a primitive equation model linearized about a resting basic state on an equatorial β-plane. The model equations are solved by applying vertical and horizontal normal mode transforms. The thermal forcing was chosen to simulate the convection which occurs over tropical South America during the Southern Hemisphere summer. The vertical dependence of the forcing is such that the heating is zero at the top and bottom boundaries with a variable level of maximum beating. The model results with steady forcing are compared with the average circulation over tropical South America for a 19-day period in the Southern Hemisphere summer of 1979, and it is shown that the model reproduces many aspects of the observed circulation. The partition of the energy of the steady state response between the vertical modes is calculated, and it is shown that the internal mode with an equivalent depth of 208 m is domina...
Metal-1,4-dithio-2,3-dihydroxybutane chelates: novel inhibitors of the Rho transcription termination factor.

Rho is an enzyme that is essential for the growth and survival of Escherichia coli, and bicyclomycin (1) is its only known selective inhibitor. We show that metal (Cd2+, Ni2+, and Zn2+) complexes of 1,4-dithio-2,3-dihydroxybutanes (2) serve as effective and potent rho inhibitors with I50 values that can exceed that of 1. Maximal inhibition for ZnCl2 and l-dithiothreitol (2a) corresponded to Zn2:l-DTT stoichiometry. The I50 value for the 2:1 Zn−l-DTT solution was 20 μM, which made it 3 times more potent than 1 (I50 = 60 μM). Kinetic studies showed that a Zn−l-DTT solution functioned as a noncompetitive inhibitor with respect to ATP in the rho poly(C)-dependent ATPase assay and as a competitive inhibitor with respect to ribo(C)10 in the poly(dC)·ribo(C)10-stimulated ATPase assay. These findings demonstrated that both 1 and a Zn−l-DTT solution disrupted rho-mediated ATP hydrolysis but that they inhibit using different mechanisms. Substitution of l-DTT with 1,2-ethanedithiol in ZnCl2 solutions led to a compar...
Coherent angular motion in the establishment of multicellular architecture of glandular tissues

Glandular tissues form ducts (tubes) and acini (spheres) in multicellular organisms. This process is best demonstrated in the organization of the ductal tree of the mammary gland and in 3D models of morphogenesis in culture. Here, we asked a fundamental question: How do single adult epithelial cells generate polarized acini when placed in a surrogate basement membrane 3D gel? Using human breast epithelial cells from either reduction mammoplasty or nonmalignant breast cell lines, we observed a unique cellular movement where single cells undergo multiple rotations and then maintain it cohesively as they divide to assemble into acini. This coherent angular motion (CAMo) was observed in both primary cells and breast cell lines. If CAMo was disrupted, the final geometry was not a sphere. The malignant counterparts of the human breast cell lines in 3D were randomly motile, did not display CAMo, and did not form spheres. Upon “phenotypic reversion” of malignant cells, both CAMo and spherical architecture were restored. We show that cell-cell adhesion and tissue polarity are essential for the formation of acini and link the functional relevance of CAMo to the establishment of spherical architecture rather than to multicellular aggregation or growth. We propose that CAMo is an integral step in the formation of the tissue architecture and that its disruption is involved in malignant transformation.
Distribution of aflatoxin in non-irrigated peanuts

The aflatoxin B1 and total aflatoxin distribution in Georgia Green peanuts has been measured. Sample distributions were measured in approximately 400 small samples each of jumbo, medium and small other kernels sublots, containing 20, 10, and 5 kernels, respectively. Results were converted to single kernel probability density distributions, p(c), using methods previously published. This constitutes the first direct small sample experimental establishment of p(c) in USA peanuts. All three sublots show evidence in the single kernel probability density of peaks at about concentrations of 105 and 5×103 ng/g, and a partial peak at a concentration <5×102 ng/g. The first and last of these are similar to peaks seen in tree nuts.
The Impact of the Development of Organophosphorus Insecticides upon Basic and Applied Science

Few scientific discoveries have had as far reaching and dramatic consequences to our profession of entomology as the discovery of the biological activity of the pentavalent phosphorus atom, properly surrounded by lipophilic groups and possessing the requisite chemical instability. The story of this achievement began over a quarter century ago and, like the famous 1001 Nights Entertainment of Queen Scheherazade, is still growing vigorously despite daily recitals. In our story there are chapters of direct interest to nearly every entomological specialist from the insect physiologist and ecologist to the insecticide chemist and economic entomologist. I have chosen to summarize it on this occasion not only because of my comparative familiarity with a field which has been the subject of personal research interest over the past dozen years, but also because it demonstrates most admirably the impact of the science of entomology upon research and discovery in other scientific fields, upon commercial enterprise and even upon human conflict.
Pictamine, a quinolizidine alkaloid from the tunicate Clavelina picta

Abstract The tunicate Clavelina picta , which was collected in Venezuela, contains the quinolizidine alkaloid pictamine ( 1 ), the structure of which was elucidated by interpretation of spectral data.
Catalase and superoxide dismutase gene expression and distribution during stem development in maize

The temporal and spatial patterns of expression of the Cat and Sod genes encoding the multiple catalases and superoxide dismutases in maize have been examined throughout stem development. Three stages of stem development have been defined based upon catalase activity profiles and stem internode elongation. At stage 1, catalase activity is low and internodes remain short; at stage 2, catalase activity dramatically increases and internodes rapidly elongate; and at stage 3, catalase activity decreases to levels intermediate to stage 1 and 2, and internode elongation ceases. Zymogram analysis and immunoassays show that only the CAT-3 catalase isozyme is present in the stem, even though both Cat1 and Cat3 mRNAs accumulate throughout stem development. Cat2 mRNA is not detectable in the developing stem. In full-grown stems catalase is localized primarily in the sclerenchyma beneath the epidermis and around the vascular bundles and may possibly play a role in lignification. Unlike catalase, all the superoxide dismutase (SOD) isozymes and transcripts are present in the developing stem. Thus, these two major antioxidant gene-enzyme systems show differential patterns of expression during stem development in maize. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Belief systems today

Abstract My purpose is to offer an assessment of the scientific legacy of Converse's “Belief Systems” by reviewing five productive lines of research stimulated by his authoritative analysis and unsettling conclusions. First I recount the later life history of Converse's notion of “nonattitudes,” and suggest that as important as nonattitudes are, we should be paying at least as much attention to their opposite: attitudes held with conviction. Second, I argue that the problem of insufficient information that resides at the center of Converse's analysis has not gone away, and that newly fashioned models of information processing offer only partial remedies. Third, I suggest that the concept of the “average voter” is a malicious fiction, as it blinds us to the enormous variation in political attention, interest, and knowledge that characterizes mass publics, in Converse's time as in our own. Fourth, I develop an affirmative aspect of Converse's analysis that has mostly been overlooked: namely, that if ideolog...
ReverbaProp: simultaneous learning of credit and weight

We introduce a supervised learning method for feed-forward networks that solves the credit assignment problem for error in concert with solving the error reduction problem normally associated with methods such as backpropagation. The method reverberates between forward and reverse activations of the network. Forward activation using an exemplar computes output for each node in the network using the connection weights as usual. Reverse activation using output error as input computes local error at each node using reverse weights, or responsibilities, on the reverse connections. Reverse-reverse activation (the same as forward activation with linear output functions) using reverse output error as input computes local reverse error at each node. Once local error and local reverse error have been assigned to each node, weights and responsibilities are modified using the standard delta rule and local error and local reverse error, respectively. The method relies on convergence toward an optimal set of responsibilities for reverse error distribution in concert with convergence toward an optimal set of weights, and thus avoids calculation of nonlinear terms in the usual error backpropagation method. Thus the method is free of derivative evaluations, and by allowing credit assignment to optimize simultaneously with error reduction, it promotes clustering of responsibility among the nodes. © (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Cocaine abuse in North America: a milestone in history.

The euphoric effects of coca leaves have been known to mankind for thousands of years. Yet the first epidemic of cocaine use in America occurred during the late 19th century. Initially, there were no laws restricting the consumption or sale of cocaine. In fact, cocaine was freely available in drug stores, saloons, from mail-order vendors, and even in grocery stores, it is reported that one drug manufacturer, in 1885, was selling cocaine in 15 different forms, including cigarettes, cheroots, inhalants, cordials, crystals, and solutions. Many famous imported wines, such as “Vin Mariani,” contained a mixture of wine and coca. For consumers on budgets, the wonder drug was available as Coca-Cola and dozens of other soda pops and pick-me-up drinks. One of them even had a simple and direct name, Dope. Soon enough, the ill effects of cocaine became apparent, and by the 1920s cocaine was the most feared of all illicit drugs. Most states began enacting laws against cocaine use. President William Taft proclaimed cocaine as Public Enemy No. 1, and in 1914 the Congress passed the Harrison act, which tightly regulated the distribution and sale of cocaine. By the late 1950s, cocaine use in the United States was simply considered a problem in the past. Unfortunately, the people who were aware of the nation's first cocaine epidemic gradually passed away, and America once again was ready for its fling with cocaine in the 1960s. Today, it is estimated that upwards of 50 million Americans, that is one in four, have used cocaine. In addition, another fifty thousand people use this substance for the first time each day. More than 6 million Americans use cocaine on a regular basis. Little wonder, then, that America as well as the other countries have declared a “War on Drugs.” In this review, pharmacology of cocaine, major complications arising from its use, and efforts to curb its abuse are discussed.
Energy Storage, Growth, and Maturation of Yellow Perch from Different Locations in Saginaw Bay, Michigan

Abstract The growth and abundance of yellow perch Perca flavescens in Saginaw Bay have varied historically. Changes in growth have been ascribed to many causes, including density and genetic composition of the fish stock, both of which are also believed to vary with location in the bay. The objectives of this study were to compare growth and maturation of yellow perch from inner and outer Saginaw Bay, to investigate the existence of different fish stocks, and to compare growth of yellow perch in Saginaw Bay to growth in other locations to determine the degree of stunting. Yellow perch were collected from four sites in inner and outer Saginaw Bay from 1983 to 1985. Size distributions differed between the inner and outer bay sites: larger and older fish were more common in the outer bay. Percentage of body water, body energy density, gonadosomatic index, and age at maturation did not differ between the inner and outer bay sites. Growth in weight, total body energy, and condition factors differed significant...
The maximum modulus function of a polynomial

We establish certain relationships between pairs of polynomials which have the same maximum modulus on an infinite set of concentric circles.
Use of cyanopropyl-bonded HPLC column for bioassay-directed fractionation of organic extracts from incinerator emissions

Abstract The present study has shown that cyanopropyl- (CN) bonded silica may be applicable for the fractionation by high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) of mass and mutagenic activity of organic extracts from some incinerator emissions. Dichloromethane-extractable organics from particles emitted by two different municipal waste incinerators and by a pilot-scale rotary kiln incinerator that was combusting polyethylene plastic were fractionated by HPLC, and the mutagenicity of the collected fractions was determined by means of a microsuspension mutagenicity assay with Salmonella TA98. The CN-bonded silica column provided high (80–100%) mass and mutagenicity recoveries for most emission extracts, and it fractionated the mutagenic activity. The results suggest that the emissions from municipal waste incinerators contain a high amount of direct-acting (-S9) mutagenic activity that is resolvable by HPLC using CN-bonded silica. Sub-fractionation of selected mutagenic HPLC fractions and subsequent analysis...
Experience with community academic practice: Strategies for the ambulatory education of residents

The expectation that training programs will place more of their physician graduates into primary care has caused internal medicine programs to explore different educational experiences for their residents. One proposal is to transfer the ambulatory training site for residents from the hospital clinic to a community academic practice (CAP) site. We discuss the theoretical aspects, the practical considerations, and our experience with one CAP site, including the problems that have been solved and the problems remaining.
Therapy for Fungal Infections

In the past, few pharmacologic agents were available for management of fungal disease. After the early introduction of amphotericin B and miconazole, the more recent advent of several new antifungal agents, including ketoconazole, fluconazole, and itraconazole has expanded the options for treatment of fungal infections. The dramatic increase in number of immunocompromised patients—both those with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and those with immunosuppression for other reasons, such as organ transplantation—emphasizes the importance of therapeutic strategies for combating systemic mycoses. In this article, we review our personal recommendations for treating histoplasmosis, blastomycosis, coccidioidomycosis, and cryptococcosis, along with other less common fungal infections, and discuss the efficacy and toxic effects of the various antifungal drugs.
Evaluation of a Chimney Drain Design in an Earthfill Dam

Two earthfill sections of Wallace Dam on the Oconee River near Eatonton, Georgia were constructed with vertical drainage filters (chimney drains) in a clay fill zone. In order to evaluate the performance of the filter in the west dike of Wallace Dam, the finite element Galerkin method was utilized in formulating a numerical model to study the steady-state saturated-unsaturated seepage characteristics through the earth dam. The resulting model is applied to Station 58+00 of the west dike of Wallace Dam. Numerical results for the four cases analyzed in this study describe the location of the zero pressure isobar and total hydraulic head values ranging from 425 feet (130 m) to 365 feet (111 m). Model results indicate a maximum seepage velocity of 2.62 feet per day (0.80 m/day) using a saturated horizontal hydraulic conductivity of 0.283 foot per day (8.64 cm/day). A maximum seepage rate is calculated to be 0.266 cubic foot per second (7.52 × 10−3 m3/sec). Analysis of the hydrostatic uplift forces along the base of the dam indicates an average pressure head reduction of 51 feet (16 m) from the upstream to the downstream side of the dam. Comparison of local seepage velocities to the critical seepage velocity upstream of the filter and inside the filter indicate a factor of safety against piping (a factor of safety against a quick condition arising in the soil) ranging from 0.3 to 3.7.
The effect of cluster size imbalance and covariates on the estimation performance of quadratic inference functions

Generalized estimating equations (GEE) are commonly used for the analysis of correlated data. However, use of quadratic inference functions (QIFs) is becoming popular because it increases efficiency relative to GEE when the working covariance structure is misspecified. Although shown to be advantageous in the literature, the impacts of covariates and imbalanced cluster sizes on the estimation performance of the QIF method in finite samples have not been studied. This cluster size variation causes QIF's estimating equations and GEE to be in separate classes when an exchangeable correlation structure is implemented, causing QIF and GEE to be incomparable in terms of efficiency. When utilizing this structure and the number of clusters is not large, we discuss how covariates and cluster size imbalance can cause QIF, rather than GEE, to produce estimates with the larger variability. This occurrence is mainly due to the empirical nature of weighting QIF employs, rather than differences in estimating equations classes. We demonstrate QIF's lost estimation precision through simulation studies covering a variety of general cluster randomized trial scenarios and compare QIF and GEE in the analysis of data from a cluster randomized trial.
An Administrator and Teacher Perspective on Program Quality Indicators for Students with Severe Disabilities

This study investigated the perceptions of 48 teachers and 41 program administrators relative to the importance of 123 items representing program quality for learners with severe disabilities. The purpose of this study was to extend the original validation study (Meyer, Eichinger, & Park-Lee, 1987) of the 123 program quality indicators to include these two groups of service providers considered critical to quality programming. Both groups consistently rated the majority of the 123 items high (between the important and very important anchors). There was only one item that was rated significantly different by the two groups. The unit mean scores for these two groups were compared with those of the six groups in the earlier study (Meyer et al., 1987). The two dimensions considered most important by all eight groups were the criterion of ultimate functioning and professional practices/home-school collaboration. While this study served to further validate these indicators, anecdotal data and ongoing changes in...
Application of the hot wire anemometer to temperature measurement in transient gas flows

Abstract The application of the hot wire anemometer to the measurement of temperature in transient gas flows is developed and demonstrated. Corrections for temperature dependent gas properties and heat loss to the hot wire supports are discussed and incorporated in the analysis. Design criteria are developed to minimize errors and allow static calibration of the wires. Operational characteristics of the anemometer are considered, and an error analysis demonstrates main areas of improvement. Sample data traces and reduced data for expansions of dry argon and water saturated argon in a Wilson cloud chamber are provided.
Induction with Lopinavir-Based Treatment Followed by Switch to Nevirapine-Based Regimen versus Non-Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors-Based Treatment for First Line Antiretroviral Therapy in HIV Infected Children Three Years and Older

Background The World Health Organization recommends non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs)-based antiretroviral therapy (ART) for children three years and older. In younger children, starting ART with lopinavir boosted with ritonavir (LPVr) results in lower risk of virological failure, but data in children three years and older are scarce, and long-term ART with LPVr is problematic in resource-poor settings.
A Field-Based Biomimicry Exercise Helps Students Discover Connections among Biodiversity, Form and Function, and Species Conservation during Earth's Sixth Extinction.

In a first-year seminar on mass extinctions, a field-based, paleontology-focused exercise promotes active learning about Earth's biodiversity, form and function, and the biomimicry potential of anc...
Protection against zinc toxicity by metallothionein and zinc transporter 1

Cells protect themselves from zinc toxicity by inducing proteins such as metallothionein (MT) that bind it tightly, by sequestering it in organelles, or by exporting it. In this study, the interplay between zinc binding by MT and its efflux by zinc transporter 1 (ZnT1) was examined genetically. Inactivation of the Znt1 gene in baby hamster kidney (BHK) cells that do not express their Mt genes results in a zinc-sensitive phenotype and a high level of “free” zinc. Restoration of Mt gene expression increases resistance to zinc toxicity ≈4-fold, but only slightly reduces free zinc levels. Expression of ZnT1 provides greater protection (≈7-fold) and lowers free zinc substantially. Selection for zinc resistance in BHK cells that cannot synthesize either MT or ZnT1 is ineffective. However, parental BHK cells that grow in high concentrations (>500 μM) of zinc can be selected; these cells have amplified their endogenous Znt1 genes. The Znt1 gene is also amplified in zinc-resistant mouse cells that cannot induce their Mt genes. However, if Mt genes can be expressed, then they are preferentially amplified. Thus, both ZnT1 and MT genes contribute to zinc resistance in BHK cells, whereas ZnT1 plays a larger role in regulating free zinc levels.
Overview of bladder cancer trials in the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group.

In the United States, radical cystectomy is viewed as the gold standard and, with few exceptions, is the only treatment recommended for patients with invasive bladder cancer. In many areas of cancer treatment, however, the trend in the 1990s has been toward organ conservation using combined chemotherapy and radiation with or without conservative local surgery. For patients with breast, esophageal, anal, and laryngeal cancers as well as limb sarcomas, conservative therapy often is recommended. However, invasive bladder cancer has not been viewed generally as a condition that allows for conservative management. In the past 15 years, the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) has completed six prospective protocols of combined-modality therapy for patients with muscle-invasive cancer who were candidates for cystectomy. Bladder preservation with intravesical surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy were combined as initial treatment, with radical cystectomy recommended for incomplete responders. Five of the RTOG protocols were Phase I-II trials of concurrent chemotherapy and radiation therapy, and one protocol was a Phase III trial that tested the efficacy of adjuvant chemotherapy with methotrexate, cisplatin, and vinblastine. A total of 415 patients were entered on these trials. The 5-year overall survival rate was approximately 50%, with three-quarters of those patients achieving a cure for their bladder cancer while maintaining a functioning bladder. The current RTOG protocol and its successor are directed toward better tolerated and potentially more effective chemotherapy regimens that may result in a high protocol compliance rate and, possibly, a higher overall survival rate. The trimodality therapeutic approach used in all of these RTOG protocols was more effective compared with the radiation monotherapy offered in the 1970s and with protocols that used only chemotherapy. Trimodality therapy with selective bladder preservation is not designed to take the place of radical cystectomy; however, it may be offered as a reasonable alternative to patients with invasive bladder cancer who are not willing to undergo radical cystectomy and urinary diversion. A bladder-sparing strategy may be offered appropriately to highly selected patients with the understanding that radical cystectomy is an available option in those who fail combined radiation and chemotherapy with no diminution in survival related to the delay in cystectomy.
Bioinspired assembly of nanoplatelets for reinforced polymer nanocomposites

ABSTRACT Bio-inspired assembly of platelet particles and polyelectrolytes into ordered layered nanocomposites, which mimic the brick-and-mortar nanostructure found in the nacreous layer of mollusk shells, is of great technological importance in developing light-weight reinforced materials, separation memb ranes, and gas-barrier coatings. Unfortunately, the widely utilized layer-by-layer self-assembly technology is tedious in creating thick multilayered coatings. Here we report a simple filtration technology that enables the scalable production of inorganic nanoplatelets-polymer nanocomposites with layered structures. Water suspended montmorillonite (MTM) nanoclay platelets are pre-mixed with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) aqueous solution to make stable colloidal susp ensions. By using a simple vacuum filtration setup, ordered layered MTM nanoclay-PVA nanocomposites with controlled thickness can be easily prepared. The resulting self-standing films exhibit higher tensile strength and toughness than those of natural inorganic-organic nanocomposites including nacre, bone, and dentin. Keywords: nanocomposites, self-assembly, nacre, bi oinspiration, nanoplatelets, filtration
The present value of population growth in the western world.

In conventional steady-state growth theory with technical progress exogenous faster population growth causes lower consumption. This conclusion has influenced national policies. With technical progress endogenous however higher population growth causes higher consumption. Steady-state equilibrium analysis is not appropriate for policy decisions though. Rather appropriate analysis compares two or more growth rates beginning from equal initial positions with comparison of the present value of consumption streams per person. In the paper the supply of and demand for knowledge is first analysed and the most plausible technical progress functions are derived. Various population growth rates are then simulated with different specifications and parameters. With virtually every variant faster population growth shows better consumption with discount rates up to between five and ten per cent above the long-run adjusted riskless rate. With pensions included in the analysis faster population growth would seem even more beneficial. Even at very high discount rates lower population growth rates imply present values only a little higher than those for higher population growth rates. The advantage is overwhelmingly with higher population growth in this growth-theoretic analysis. (authors)
The role of radiologic studies in the evaluation and management of primary hyperaldosteronism

Background Surgical treatment of primary hyperaldosteronism (PHA) requires demonstration of unilateral adrenal hypersecretion. Optimal methods for interpretation of imaging and invasive testing are still in development. Methods A retrospective review from 1996–2007 of 106 patients with PHA was undertaken. Patient demographics, biochemical studies, radiologic imaging, operative reports, and pathology were reviewed and comparisons made. Optimal ratios for adrenal vein sampling were tested with regard to sensitivity and specificity. Preoperative and postoperative medication requirements and blood pressures were compared among different treatment groups. Results Seventy-eight patients (62 surgically treated) met criteria for inclusion. Median arterial blood pressure at diagnosis was 150/86 mm Hg while taking 3 antihypertensive medications. 69.2% required potassium supplementation. Median aldosterone:renin ratio was 107.0. Forty-two AVS procedures changed the management of 15 patients (35.7%) when compared to CT results. AVS accuracy was 96.6 vs 88.9% for NP-59 scintigraphy. Operative patients remained on fewer antihypertensive medications (1 vs 3), and mean systolic pressure was lower (130 vs 146 mm Hg) compared with medically managed patients. Conclusion When used together, pre-ACTH aldosterone ratios, normalized A/C:A/C ratios, ratios to define contralateral suppression, and post-ACTH stimulated values allowed for capture of episodically secreting tumors and subtle unilateral or bilateral hyperaldosteronism.
Elective production of thymine-less mutants.

THYMINE-LESS (thy −) mutants of micro-organisms have not been easy to obtain. They die rapidly in the absence of thymine1 so that, when penicillin is used to concentrate them, none survives the treatment. To discover them after mutagenic treatment requires direct detection methods and this, in turn, either good fortune2,3 or a very high frequency of thy − mutants among the survivors4. We have recently discovered a method whereby thy − mutants of some strains of Escherichia coli 15 and K 12 can be produced in frequencies of the order of 50 per cent. Although no success was obtained with Salmonella typhimurium, the method seems to involve the general principle of differential growth-rates. With E. coli both the thy − and thy + strains are inhibited by aminopterin, but it seems that only in the thy − can thymidine completely overcome that inhibition.
Plasma propranolol before, during, and after cardiopulmonary bypass

We evaluated changes in propranolol plasma levels before, during, and after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Two groups of patients were studied, all of whom had been on long-term propranolol and had received their last oral dose 10 to 15 hr before surgery. Approximately 100 min before CPB began group 1 patients (n = 7) received 0.1 mglkg propranolol intravenously while group 11 patients (n = 7) received a placebo. Before CPB the plasma propranolol levels fell in accordance with published descriptions for nonsurgical patients receiving oral and intravenous propranolol. Thereafter, the changes in the plasma levels were much the same in both groups. With the onset of CPB, the plasma levels decreased by approximately 50%. There was an insignificant fall in plasma levels during CPB, but the most interesting observation was made after: in each patient, the plasma levels obtained 5, 60, 120, and 240 min after CPB were higher than the last level during CPB. Mean plasma levels did not decline in either group during the 4-hr period. Although the reason for the sustained rise in the propranolol levels after CPB is not known, we suggest that it is due to the redistribution of propranolol from the lungs to the plasma coupled with reduction in hepatic elimination. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (1981) 30, 745–751; doi:10.1038/clpt.1981.233
Insulin-like growth factor-I and bone: lessons from mice and men

Studies of humans and animals have illustrated a strong association between insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I and skeletal acquisition. However, the precise molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying this effect still largely remain unknown. Recent advances in molecular and genetic techniques for in vivo studies provide excellent tools for us to explore how circulating and skeletal insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) may affect not only peak bone mass but also bone loss. This review highlights recent findings that shed new light on the interaction of the IGF-I signaling pathway with other skeletal networks, and the role of IGF-I in the bone marrow milieu.
The discovery of isoxazoline oxime ethers as a new class of ectoparasiticides for the control of Haematobia irritans (horn fly) in cattle

Haematobia irritans (horn fly) infestation in cattle is responsible for over a billion dollars a year in global economic loss due to decreased milk production and lower feed conversion. There is significant need for new insecticidal agents since current treatments such as organophosphates and pyrethroids suffer from field resistance. Isoxazoline oxime ethers represent a new class of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor channel blockers which show good activity (LD(90) = 1.0 μg/mL) against horn flies in an in vitro feed assay and have demonstrated efficacy (>90% reduction at 1.0mg/kg) as a topical treatment in a field study.
LABOR SEGMENTATION, ETHNIC DIVISION OF LABOR, AND RESIDENTIAL SEGREGATION IN AMERICAN CITIES IN THE EARLY TWENTIETH CENTURY*

This essay suggests a new analytical framework for the study of residential segregation in the early twentieth century. Labor segmentation under corporate capitalism forms the basis for understanding the division of labor in the workplace among southern and eastern European immigrants. Social characteristics of the industrial workplace and the nature of European immigration are crucial factors in the formation of the immigrant working-class residential community.
Developmental Variation in the Isoenzymes of Human Liver and Gastric Alcohol Dehydrogenase

The isoenzyme patterns of alcohol dehydrogenase from human liver and stomach are different in the fetal, newborn, childhood, and adult periods of life. This provides additional evidence that the fetal and adult alcohol dehydrogenases are qualitatively different. Gastric and hepatic isoenzyme patterns also differed from each other.
Transient plasma analyzer for hypervelcoty impact experiments

We describe a novel flat panel electrostatic Transient Plasma Analyzer (TPA) designed for Cubesat-based measurements of micrometeoroid hypervelocity impact (HVI) plasma plumes from intentional targets.
Innocent Victim, Deserved Victim and Martyr: Observers' Reaction:

Observers' reactions to, and internal justification of, the perceived victimization of another individual were investigated. Utilizing a “just world” model, three “perceived” conditions of victimization are employed: the innocent victim, the deserved victim, and the martyr. Several hypotheses are tested through the application of a two-way analysis of variance and several independent sample t tests. Only partial support for the “just world” model was demonstrated.
CONTINUOUS GAMMA-RADIATION ACCOMPANYING INTERNAL CONVERSION IN Ba$sup 137$m

A weak continuous gamma-radiation accompanying internal conversion has been observed from the decay of the isomeric state of ${\mathrm{Ba}}^{137}$. The probability of this emission is (1.17\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.27)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$ photons in the energy range 50 to 100 kev per conversion electron, and (3.4\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.8)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$ photons in the energy range 50 to 200 kev per conversion electron. The angular distribution of the continuous radiation in the energy range 50 to 200 kev has been measured at angles from 90\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} to 160\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} with the electron direction. There appears to be no deviation from isotropy.
A “Double Overlap” Suture Technique for the Proximal Attachment of a Composite Graft to the Aortic Annulus

Repair of an aortic root aneurysm using a composite graft is sometimes complicated by proximal suture line bleeding, which may be very difficult to control. We adopted a previously described technique of "double overlap" sutures on the annulus and the prosthetic cuff, which has virtually eliminated this complication.
Theoretical and Practical Imperatives for Reflective Social Work Organizations in Health and Mental Health : The Place of Practice-Based Research

Summary This article describes the common challenges to health and mental health organizations that require these agencies to become more “reflective” in their culture and structures. This necessitates integrating practice and research at all organizational levels. Schon's concept of reflective practice to health and mental health organizations is extended to develop the construct of a reflective organization, in which direct practitioners are integral to organizational learning through ongoing service evaluation and redesign. The theoretical and practical reasons why social work administrators and clinicians alike are obliged to integrate practice and research are discussed. University-based models of practice-research integration impede this process; Epstein's Practice-Based Research approach facilitates it.
Frequency-Doubling of High-Power CW Laser Light in PPKTP, PPMgSLT, and PPMgLN

Frequency-doubing in PPKTP, PPMgSLT, and PPMgLN is studied for CW fundamental powers up to 10 W. Effects such as pump depletion and thermal dephasing are found to reduce conversion efficiency by 50% or more.
Suspended sediment transport and deposition in a high arctic meromictic lake

A study of sedimentary processes and sediment yields in a high arctic meromictic lake (Lake C2, Taconite Inlet, Northern Ellesemere Island, Canada) was undertaken from May 1990 through August 1992 to understand the links between climatic controls, hydrology, and the laminated sediment record preserved in the lake. Understanding the relationships between processes and the sediment record is critical for interpreting the climatic significance of the laminated sediments in a region where high resolution climate proxy records are quite limited. Sediment transport to Lake C2 is dominated by fluvial processes. During the early part of the melt season slushflows transport sediment to the lake surface. Subsequently, suspended sediment is delivered to the lake by the main inlet stream and distributed lakeward by a plume emanating the main inlet channel. Due to the strong density stratification of the water column the plume distributes sediment downlake by overflows and interflows in the epilimnion. In general, overflows are generated by lower discharge events whereas interflows penetrate to the halocline during high discharge with increased suspended sediment concentration. Sediment trap analysis demonstrates that suspended sediment transport and deposition responds to diurnal through annual changes in stream discharge. Seasonal and annual sediment trap yields agree with average accumulation rates determined from varve thickness measurements and cumulative suspended sediment discharge from the main inlet stream indicating a close link between climatological, hydrological, and sedimentological controls and varve deposition.