cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of chlorpromazine on l-methionine transport in the rat intestine

Abstract The inhibitory effect of chlorpromazine on l -methionine transport was studied in the everted sac preparation of the rat intestine. Chlorpromazine inhibits only the sodium-dependent active component of l -methionine transport, without affecting the sodium-independent diffusion component. Inhibition of methionine transport by chlorpromazine is time dependent and concentration dependent. Half-maximal inhibition was observed at 5.2 × 10 −4 M chlorpromazine in the medium. No significant metabolism of chlorpromazine was observed during the experiment, suggesting that the unchanged chlorpromazine was the active inhibitor. Studies on a few chlorpromazine metabolites showed that demethylation in the aminopropyl side chain or ring hydroxylation at the 7-position in the chlorpromazine molecule did not affect the inhibitory activity on methionine transport, while oxidation at the sulfur atom completely abolished it.
Doppelganger, Dreams, and Delusions: A Freudian Reading of Marie Eugenie delle Grazie's Der Schatten

Very few critics have dealt with delle Grazie’s play, and those who have, have not considered the character of the Shadow in the way I am analyzing it here. Maria Mayer- Flaschberger mentioned the drama in her biography on delle Grazie, but without critical commentary. Similarly, even though more thorough, Bernhard Munz dedicated a few pages to Der Schatten in his book on the author. However, he approached the play from an angle very different to my analysis. For those unfamiliar with delle Grazie’s drama, I will first give a short synopsis.
Phase II trial of pemetrexed as second-line therapy in patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma

Purpose: The purpose of this single-center phase II study was to determine the activity of pemetrexed administered as second-line therapy in patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma. Methods: Patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma that had relapsed after receiving perioperative chemotherapy, or progressed on first-line chemotherapy for metastatic disease, were eligible for enrollment. Patients received pemetrexed 500 mg/m2 every 21 days along with folic acid and vitamin B12 supplementation. Results: A total of 13 patients were enrolled. An objective response was achieved in 1/12 evaluable patients for an overall response rate of 8% (90% upper limit 29%). This level of activity did not meet criteria for expansion based on the pre-defined optimal 2-stage Simon design and the trial was concluded. Treatment was generally well tolerated, however, 2/13 patients developed febrile neutropenia. Non-hematologic grade ≥ 3 toxicity was rare. Conclusions: Pemetrexed as second-line therapy in advanced urothelial carcinoma is associated with modest activity. The role of this novel antifolate in chemotherapy-naive patients warrants further investigation.
Semiconductor tips with engineered electronic structure for spectroscopic scanning tunneling microscopy

Abstract III–V semiconductors are explored as a new class of materials for use as probe tips for scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). Compared to metal tips conventionally used in STM, semiconductors with carefully tuned electronic properties have the potential to significantly increase energy resolution and contrast in spectroscopic STM. We demonstrate atomic-resolution STM imaging on highly oriented pyrolitic graphite (HOPG) using cleaved InAs probes, and detect clear signatures of the band structure of the semiconductor tips in local tunneling conductance spectra on HOPG. These results point the way toward tailoring the STM tunneling distribution by careful adjustment of the electronic properties of a semiconductor tip.
Regulator of G protein signaling 2 mediates cardiac compensation to pressure overload and antihypertrophic effects of PDE5 inhibition in mice

The heart initially compensates for hypertension-mediated pressure overload by enhancing its contractile force and developing hypertrophy without dilation. Gq protein–coupled receptor pathways become activated and can depress function, leading to cardiac failure. Initial adaptation mechanisms to reduce cardiac damage during such stimulation remain largely unknown. Here we have shown that this initial adaptation requires regulator of G protein signaling 2 (RGS2). Mice lacking RGS2 had a normal basal cardiac phenotype, yet responded rapidly to pressure overload, with increased myocardial Gq signaling, marked cardiac hypertrophy and failure, and early mortality. Swimming exercise, which is not accompanied by Gq activation, induced a normal cardiac response, while Rgs2 deletion in Gαq-overexpressing hearts exacerbated hypertrophy and dilation. In vascular smooth muscle, RGS2 is activated by cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG), suppressing Gq-stimulated vascular contraction. In normal mice, but not Rgs2–/– mice, PKG activation by the chronic inhibition of cGMP-selective phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5) suppressed maladaptive cardiac hypertrophy, inhibiting Gq-coupled stimuli. Importantly, PKG was similarly activated by PDE5 inhibition in myocardium from both genotypes, but PKG plasma membrane translocation was more transient in Rgs2–/– myocytes than in controls and was unaffected by PDE5 inhibition. Thus, RGS2 is required for early myocardial compensation to pressure overload and mediates the initial antihypertrophic and cardioprotective effects of PDE5 inhibitors.
Local control and overall survival in atypical meningioma: a retrospective study.

Abstract Purpose: To evaluate local control and overall survival after primary surgery for patients with atypical meningiomas. Methods and Materials: From the Department of Pathology database, we identified 491 cases of meningioma treated at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation from 1979 through 1995. Thirty-three were diagnosed with atypical meningioma. Eleven of the excluded patients had incomplete records, were lost to follow-up, or received treatment elsewhere. Of the 22 evaluable patients, 15 underwent gross total resection (GTR), 4 had a subtotal resection (STR), and 3 had a resection of unknown extent. Eight patients received radiation therapy (2 after initial resection and 6 after at least one recurrence). The median radiation dose was 5,400 cGy (range 3,500–5,940). The median age at presentation was 55.5 years, the male:female ratio was 14:8, and 19/22 patients had a Karnofsky performance score (KPS) ≥ 80. The independent variables analyzed for overall survival and local control were gender, KPS (≥ 80 vs. Results: Median survival was 10.6 years, with a median follow-up of 5.5 years (range 1.5–14.8). Eight of the 22 patients had local recurrence, including 2/15 with GTR, 3/4 with STR, and all 3 patients who underwent resection of unknown extent. At 10 years, patients with GTR had a higher local control rate than those who had either a STR or a resection of unknown extent (87% vs. 17%; p = 0.02). The 5- and 10-year overall survival rates for the entire group were 91% and 76%, respectively. Patients who had GTR had 5- and 10-year overall survival of 87% and 87%, respectively. Patients with STR or resection of unknown extent had 5- and 10-year overall survival rates of 100% and 75%, respectively. Conclusion: In patients with atypical meningiomas, gross total resection is associated with a lower recurrence rate than in subtotal resection.
Slow Inversion at the Nitrogen Atom in Certain Amides

IT has long been considered that nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) should be a suitable technique for the demonstration of slow inversion in trivalent nitrogen compounds. However, only in the case of cyclic imines, such as N-ethylethyleneimine, has it been possible to demonstrate slow inversion by NMR1. Recently, Saunders and Yamata2 searched for evidence of slow inversion in dibenzyl methylamine, but found no evidence for non-equivalence of methylene protons in the amine itself. They were successful, however, in observing non-equivalence in the amine hydrochloride.
What Is Different About Patients With Hematologic Malignancies? A Retrospective Cohort Study of Cancer Patients Referred to a Hospice Research Network

Abstract Context Although much is known about solid tumor patients who use hospice, the hematologic malignancies hospice population is inadequately described. Objectives To compare the characteristics and outcomes of hospice patients with hematologic malignancies to those with solid tumors. Methods We extracted electronic patient data (2008–2012) from a large hospice network (Coalition of Hospices Organized to Investigate Comparative Effectiveness) and used bivariate analyses to describe between-group differences. Results In total, 48,147 patients with cancer were admitted during the study period; 3518 (7.3%) had a hematologic malignancy. These patients had significantly worse Palliative Performance Scale scores (32% vs. 24% were below 40; P P P P P P P = 0.002). Conclusion Hospice patients with hematologic malignancies are more seriously ill at the time of admission, with worse functional status and shorter lengths of stay than other cancer patients. Differences in outcomes suggest the need for targeted interventions to optimize hospice services for the hematologic malignancies population, especially those with leukemia.
Elliptic equations with diffusion coefficient vanishing at the boundary: Theoretical and computational aspects

A class of degenerate elliptic PDEs is considered. Specifically, it is assumed that the diffusion coefficient vanishes on the boundary of the domain. It is shown that if the diffusion coefficient vanishes fast enough, then the problem has a unique solution in the class of smooth functions even if no boundary conditions are supplied. A numerical method is derived to compute solutions for such degenerate equations. The problem is motivated by a certain approach to the recovery of the phase of a wave from intensity measurements.
Ultrastructural morphometric analysis of cultured neonatal and adult rat ventricular cardiac muscle cells.

Neonatal and adult rat ventricular cardiac muscle cells cultured on laininin differed from similar myocytes grown on plastic in the amount and distribution of their mitochondria and transverse tubules. Point-count morphometry was used at the electron microscopic level to quantify these differences. Adult myocytes grown on laminin contained more mitochondria per unit volume than adult myocytes grown on plastic. No significant differences were observed in the volume percent of myofibrils in either adult or neonatal ventricular myocytes when grown on laminin and compared to those grown on plastic. The transverse tubule system in neonatal and adult myocytes was reduced significantly when both groups were cultured on laminin. Furthermore, neonatal and adult myocytes cultured on laminin were flatter than those cultured on plastic. This may indicate a relationship between the surface/volume ratio and transverse tubule development in cultured myocytes. These studies establish that point-count morphometry can be used to quantify changes in the organelle volume densities of cultured cardiac muscle cells.
Control-Oriented Model of a Vanadium Redox Flow Battery With Crossover Effects

The vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) is an attractive grid scale energy storage option, but high operating cost impedes widespread commercialization. One way of mitigating cost is to optimize system performance, which requires an accurate model capable of predicting cell voltage under different operating conditions such as current, temperature, flow rate, and state of charge. This paper presents an isothermal VRFB model based on principles of mass transfer and electrochemical kinetics that can predict transient performance with respect to the aforementioned operating conditions. The model captures two important physical phenomena that occur at significantly different time scales as a result of vanadium crossover: (1) rapid self discharge reactions and (2) capacity loss after long term cycling. A gap metric analysis showed that a linear controller for the flow rate may be suitable near the 50% SOC range.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Consequences of pruning in morphometry of coronary vasculature.

There is a paucity of data on the branching pattern and dimensions of the blood vessels in various organs. The reason for the paucity is undoubtedly the tremendous effort needed to obtain the morphometric data. For those organs whose morphometric data have been determined, pruning was introduced: cutting off branches at succesive generations, measuring what remained, using the statistical data to estimate what were cut off, and adding the estimated data to the measured data to obtain the final results. Evaluation of the effects of pruning was not possible, however, because a full set of precise data did not exist. Now a complete set of morphometric data on the coronary arteries is presented by Kassabet al. (8). Hence we are in a position to evaluate pruningversus accuracy. Among several pruning protocols tried we found a simple, easy-to-follow scheme that seemed to be reasonable. It reduced the labor by 79% when it was applied to the left anterior descending (LAD) artery of the pig, and it caused the following percentage errors based on comparison with the unpruned data. The largest error incurred in the mean diameters of all orders of tree is 7.6%. The corresponding maximum errors in the length and number of elements in all orders are −9.8% and 30.0%, respectively. The estimated error of the total equivalent Poiseuille's resistance for the LAD artery computed from pruned data was 25.2% when compared with that computed from unpruned data.
A Ganglioside-Based Assay for Cholera Toxin Using an Array Biosensor

Abstract A rapid assay for cholera toxin (CT) has been developed using a fluorescence-based biosensor. This sensor was capable of analyzing six samples simultaneously for CT in 20 min with few manipulations required by the operator. The biochemical assays utilized a ganglioside-“capture” format: ganglioside GM1, utilized for capture of analyte, was immobilized in discrete locations on the surface of the optical waveguide. Binding of CT to immobilized GM1 was demonstrated with direct assays (using fluorescently labeled CT) and “sandwich” immunoassays (using fluorescently labeled tracer antibodies). Limits of detection for CT were 200 ng/ml in direct assays and 40 ng/ml and 1 μg/ml in sandwich-type assays performed using rabbit and goat tracer antibodies. Binding of CT to other glycolipid capture reagents was also observed. While significant CT binding was observed to loci patterned with GD1b, Gb3, and Gb4, CT did not bind significantly to immobilized GT1b at the concentrations tested. This is the first description of such a non-antibody-based recognition system in a multi-specific planar array sensor.
Connection Between Adolescent's Exposure to Community Violence and Future Civic Engagement Behaviors During Their Young Adulthood

With a sample of 10,298 individuals who participated in three waves of interviews from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health conducted between 1994 and 2002, this study examines how exposure to community violence during adolescence could affect individual’s subsequent engagement in civic activities during their young adulthood. Exposure to violence in the community during adolescence decreased the likelihood for a young adult to participate in volunteering for community services. A positive parent–child relationship would promote the likelihood for individual’s civic engagement during young adulthood but there was no significant buffering effect from such relationship against the negative influence from violence exposure on young adults’ civic engagement. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.
Teacher support for collective argumentation: A framework for examining how teachers support students’ engagement in mathematical activities

We propose a framework for examining how teachers may support collective argumentation in secondary mathematics classrooms, including teachers’ direct contributions to arguments, the kinds of questions teachers ask, and teachers’ other supportive actions. We illustrate our framework with examples from episodes of collective argumentation occurring across 2 days in a teacher’s classroom. Following from these examples, we discuss how the framework can be used to examine mathematical aspects of conversations in mathematics classrooms. We propose that the framework is useful for investigating and possibly enhancing how teachers support students’ reasoning and argumentation as fundamentally mathematical activities.
Religion, Spirituality, and the Workplace: Challenges for Public Administration

The relationship between religion and politics in the United States is a much-studied academic area, particularly evident in political institutional and behavioral venues such as interest groups, electoral behavior, and political culture. One academic area that has not received much attention is the influence of religion on public administration. Recently, however, public administration scholars have begun to mimic their counterparts in the business world by examining the role of religion and spirituality in the public workplace, especially with regard to organizational performance, ethical behavior patterns, decision making, and the personal spiritual health of employees. This article examines the role and impact of religion and spirituality in the workplace, reviews court cases and political measures regarding religious expression in the public sector, explores a private sector model to explain the interrelationship between religion and spirituality in the public workplace, and challenges public administrators to consider the positive role that religion and spirituality can play in the public workplace.
Waste, Landfills, and an Environmental Ethic of Vulnerability

Western landfills are sites of forgetting made possible through legislative decision, regulative decree, risk models, community accession, and engineering practice. Despite this forgetting, waste doesn’t really go away—it flows over time and through space. This paper considers landfills as living natural flows where multitudes of bacteria collaborate with human debris and geological forces in creating assemblages of known, unknown, and unknowable entities. Through an exploration of leachate—putrescible and organic landfill material transported by water—I suggest geo-bacterial processes across strata necessitates an environmental ethic of vulnerability, sensitive to human and nonhuman asymmetrical vulnerability to an unknowable future, and focused on remembering and bearing witness to the waste we want to forget.
Autolanding Trajectory Design for the X-34

An Autolanding I-load Program (ALIP) is developed to design unpowered autolanding trajectories for the X-34 Mach 8 vehicle. The trajectory is comprised of geometric flight segments that are based on the shuttle approach and landing design (steep glideslope, circular flare, exponential flare to shallow glideslope). Enforcing physical constraints such as loads, vertical descent rate, continuity and smoothness reduces the design problem to a two point boundary value problem with conditions on the initial and final dynamic pressure. Finding a solution required the development of trajectory simulation techniques that constrained the flight profile to a prescribed geometry. The design methodology can be extended beyond the autolanding flight regime by repeating the series of geometric segments and solving multiple two-point boundary values problems (one for each series). The techniques described in this paper facilitate rapid design of reference trajectories.
2,4-Diamino-5-cyano-6-halopyridines: A new class of cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase inhibitors with therapeutic potential

Abstract 2,4-Diamino-5-cyano-6-halopyridines have been described previously as oral insulinotropic agents and have been found recently to have bronchodilatory properties. In the present report the synthesis of the iodo compound is newly described, and it is established that HI- or HBr-mediated condensation and cyclization of malononitrile in 1,2-dichloroethane yield selectively the 5-cyanopyridine derivatives. The pyridine derivatives were found to constitute a new class of potent cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase inhibitors. Inhibition of purified dog kidney cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase was of the mixed type. Since cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase inhibitors are known to enhance glucose-induced insulin secretion and to activate glucose production by the liver, the finding that the pyridine derivatives described here inhibited cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase opens new avenues of interpretation for their insulinotropic actions as well as for the paradoxical lack of improvement of glucose disposal by elevation of insulin after oral drug administration. Cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase inhibition also has the potential of explaining the bronchodilatory effects of these drugs.
On Extending Semigroup Characters

The principal result of this paper is a characterisation of those commutative semigroups S which have the property that each character of each subsemigroup of S can be extended to a character of S. This work was partially inspired by the discovery that Theorem 5.65 of (1) is incorrect; it is related to that of Hill,who has obtained a different solution of the problem (2). Warne and Williams proved in (4) that any bounded character defined on an inverse subsemigroup of an inverse semigroup can be extended to the semigroup.
FURTHER STUDIES IN EXPERIMENTAL ATHEROSCLEROSIS

Cholesterol dissolved in sesame oil and injected regularly for a period of from 7 to 8 months into the jugular vein of four young dogs has caused in each animal larger and smaller nodules protruding to some degree into the lumen of the pulmonary artery and also here and there some diffuse thickenings, the whole closely resembling human arteriosclerosis. These changes commence at the origin of the pulmonary artery immediately behind the semilunar valves. They seem a little more pronounced in those dogs that had the aorta tied. Microscopically the lesions are seen to be primary in the media. They consist of a more or less violent disorganization of the elastic elements and displacement of the muscular tissue. As a consequence wide gaps, apparently filled with plasma, are formed in the media. The entire process is localized principally in the inner third of the media. There is no evidence of fatty degeneration either in the elastic elements or the muscle. Typical sclerotic hyperplasia of the intima is found over some of the prominent median nodulations while over others the intima is normal. Hyperplastic sclerosis of the intima is also found in places where the media is intact or only slightly damaged. Some of the larger branches of the pulmonary artery well within the lung tissue are somewhat dilated and show extensive hyperplasia of the intima over almost normal media. Peculiar small nodules are seen in the media of the two main branches of the pulmonary artery which are found to consist of frank hyperplasia of the elastic and muscular elements arranged in more or less regular concentric circles. The capillaries and smaller and smallest arteries within the lungs are not affected. Cholesterol in phagocytes and in droplets between the tissue elements is present in very small quantities and does not take any active part in the process. The entire process represents in all probability an early stage of arteriosclerosis, a result of purely mechanical stress brought about by the very extensive but more or less intermittent blocking of the pulmonary circulation by the oil. The musculature of the artery appears to be the main force applied to overcome the resistance in the circulation. In no case has hypertrophy of the right heart been found. The lesions in the pulmonary arteries of the dogs produced experimentally are closely analogous to atherosclerosis of the human pulmonary artery.
Some Criteria For Determining When A Walsh Series is a Walsh-Fourier Series

We show that a general Walsh series is the Walsh-Fourier series of a function  ∈ L p [0,1] for 1 ≤ p 〈 ∞ if and only if its sequence of partial sums contains a relatively weakly compact subsequence. Several other criteria are established for the case where  ∈ L Φ [0,1], the Orlicz space generated by an N -function Φ. Mathematics Subject Classification (2000): 42C10, 46E30 Key words: Walsh series, Orlicz spaces Quaestiones Mathematicae 26(2003), 267278
Semantic indexing for a complete subject discipline

As part of the Illinois Digital Library Initiative (DLI) project we developed “scalable semantics” technologies. These statistical techniques enabled us to index large collections for deeper search than word matching. Through the auspices of the DARPA Information Management program, we are developing an integrated analysis environment, the Interspace Prototype, that uses “semantic indexing” as the foundation for supporting concept navigation. These semantic indexes record the contextual correlation of noun phrases, and are computed generically, independent of subject domain. Using this technology, we were able to compute semantic indexes for a subject discipline. In particular, in the summer of 1998, we computed concept spaces for 9.3M MEDLINE bibliographic records from the National Library of Medicine (NLM) which extensively covered the biomedical literature for the period from 1966 to 1997. In this experiment, we first partitioned the collection into smaller collections (repositories) by subject, extracted noun phrases from titles and abstracts, then performed semantic indexing on these subcollections by creating a concept space for each repository. The computation required 2 days on a 128-node SGI/CRAY Origin 2000 at the National Center for Supercomputer Applications (NCSA). This experiment demonstrated the feasibility of scalable semantics techniques for large collections. With the rapid increase in computing power, we believe this indexing technology will shortly be feasible on personal computers.
Control of breathing in the newborn.

Anatomical differences between infants and adults (e.g., fetal hemoglobin, central nervous system maturation) imply that with regard to control of breathing, the newborn infant cannot be considered simply a small adult. Resting breathing of the neonate may be regular or quiet variable. Although breathing patterns are different in rapid eye movement and quiet sleep states, it is not clear whether ventilation is different. Both resting ventilation and CO2 sensitivity increase with postnatal age. The ventilatory response to hypoxia in the neonate is unusual in that there is a transient increase in ventilation at the onset of hypoxia, but this response is not sustained in the steady state. The reasons for this difference from the adult response to hypoxia are uncertain. A possible association between abnormal control of respiration which might predispose to respiratory failure and the occurrence of apneas or periodic breathing has been sought in many studies, but results are inconclusive. It is speculated that respiratory responsiveness to transient changes in chemical stimuli might be important for the long-term well-being of the infant. Furthermore, it is suggested that modelling of respiratory behavior of the neonate may be quite useful because of ethical limits on the experimental protocols that are applicable to the human infant.
Graduate Record Examinations Aptitude Test Scores as a Predictor of Graduate Grade Point Average

A literature review was carried out to determine existing knowledge regarding the relationship of Graduate Record Examinations Aptitude Test (GRE) scores and graduate grade point average (GGPA). Bu...
Partial muting leads to age-dependent modification of motor patterns underlying crystallized zebra finch song

The crystallized structure of adult zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) song is modifiable if sensory feedback is altered during sound production. Such song plasticity has been studied by examining acoustic modifications to the motif; however, the underlying changes to the vocal motor patterns of these acoustic modifications have not been addressed. Adult birds in two age categories (young=90-120 days or middle aged 150-250 days) that sang crystallized song were used in the experiment. Vocal motor patterns were monitored by recording respiratory air sac pressure before, during, and after song plasticity was induced by partial or complete reduction of phonation (i.e., "partial muting"). Birds were recorded until changes in air sac pressure patterns underlying the song structure were observed (up to 160 days). Young adult birds were more likely to insert shorter duration (<125 ms) expiratory pulses (EPs) into the motif than middle-aged adults. These shorter duration EPs were produced with a unique pressure pattern relative to the intact song, and therefore appeared to be generated by novel motor gestures. Stuttering (atypical repetition of an EP) was observed when these novel EPs were inserted into the motif, regardless of age. The EP of the distance call, which is also a learned vocalization in zebra finches, showed a similar reduction in duration if EPs were also shortened in the song. The emergence of shorter duration EPs was not related to sound production, or nonspecific effects of the surgical procedure, which suggests an age-dependent neural process for song plasticity.
Uses and gratifications of the World Wide Web: From couch potato to web potato

This study investigates uses and gratifications of the World Wide Web and its impact on traditional mass media, especially television. Uses and gratifications of the Word Wide Web are compared to television viewing motivations identified by Rubin (1981, 1983). Principal component analyses identified six Web use motivations: entertainment, social interaction, pass time, escape, information, and Web site preference. Relationships between each use motivation and Web affinity, perceived realism, and ease of use are examined, as is the association between the amount of time spent on the Web and media use. About one‐fourth of all respondents reported spending less time watching television, using their VCR, reading magazines, and reading newspapers since discovering the Web.
A Bacillus anthracis S-Layer Homology Protein That Binds Heme and Mediates Heme Delivery to IsdC

The sequestration of iron by mammalian hosts represents a significant obstacle to the establishment of a bacterial infection. In response, pathogenic bacteria have evolved mechanisms to acquire iron from host heme. Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax, utilizes secreted hemophores to scavenge heme from host hemoglobin, thereby facilitating iron acquisition from extracellular heme pools and delivery to iron-regulated surface determinant (Isd) proteins covalently attached to the cell wall. However, several Gram-positive pathogens, including B. anthracis, contain genes that encode near iron transporter (NEAT) proteins that are genomically distant from the genetically linked Isd locus. NEAT domains are protein modules that partake in several functions related to heme transport, including binding heme and hemoglobin. This finding raises interesting questions concerning the relative role of these NEAT proteins, relative to hemophores and the Isd system, in iron uptake. Here, we present evidence that a B. anthracis S-layer homology (SLH) protein harboring a NEAT domain binds and directionally transfers heme to the Isd system via the cell wall protein IsdC. This finding suggests that the Isd system can receive heme from multiple inputs and may reflect an adaptation of B. anthracis to changing iron reservoirs during an infection. Understanding the mechanism of heme uptake in pathogenic bacteria is important for the development of novel therapeutics to prevent and treat bacterial infections.
CFU-GM-Derived Cells Form Osteoclasts at a Very High Efficiency

The granulocyte-macrophage progenitor (CFU-GM) is a multipotent cell that can differentiate to osteoclasts (OCLs), macrophages, or granulocytes. However, the relative potential of CFU-GM to efficiently form OCLs is unknown. In this report we demonstrate that granulocyte-macrophage colony-forming unit (CFU-GM)-derived cells represent an easily obtainable highly purified source of human OCL precursors that form OCLs at very high efficiency (greater than 90%) when cultured with RANK ligand (RANKL), macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF), and dexamethasone. The OCLs that formed have high bone-resorbing activity and form multiple resorption lacunae per OCL on dentin slices. Similarly, murine marrow-derived CFU-GM also formed OCLs at a high efficiency (>80%) when treated with RANKL, M-CSF, and dexamethasone. In contrast, more committed macrophage colony-forming unit (CFU-M)-derived cells form few OCLs under these conditions.
Repudiating or Rewarding Neoliberalism? How Broken Campaign Promises Condition Economic Voting in Latin America

Why do voters reward or punish the incumbent government? A number of studies show that economic performance often drives support, though the strength of this relationship is often conditional. This article suggests that economic voting may also be conditioned by the breaking and keeping of campaign promises. A number of presidents throughout Latin America have campaigned explicitly against neoliberal economic policies, only to pursue them aggressively once in office. This study argues that presidents who abandon their promises assert the executive's responsibility for the economy and raise the salience of economic issues in the next election. Consequently, voters respond rationally to these policy switches, rewarding them when they succeed and punishing them when they fail. Using data from 78 presidential elections across 18 countries, this study finds substantial evidence that broken promises exacerbate the consequences of poor economic performance and magnify the benefits of good economic performance.
Effects of Early Pregnancy and Acute 17β-Estradiol Administration on Porcine Uterine Secretion, Cyclic Nucleotides, and Catecholamines*

This study investigated acute effects of 17β-estradiol (E) on ions, cyclic nucleotides, and catecholamines and their association with temporal changes in uterine secretory products in pregnant, cyclic, and nonpregnant gilts. Uterine flushings (UTF) and endometrium (ENDOM) from one uterine horn of nonpregnant and pregnant gilts (n = 9) were collected on days 10, 12, and 14 (n = 3). Protein, plasma inhibitor (P < 0.05), Na+, and K+ (P < 0.01) increased linearly in UTF of pregnant gilts. Ca2+ changed biphasically, with higher concentrations (P < 0.01) in pregnant gilts on day 12. Endometrial cAMP and cGMP (P < 0.05) increased between days 12 and 14 of pregnancy. The UTF norepinephrine (NE) concentrations increased (P < 0.01) in cyclic gilts between days 12 and 14, while endometrial NE increased between days 10 and 12 and then decreased on day 14. The UTF of pregnant gilts had higher (P < 0.05) concentrations of dopamine (DA), which peaked on day 12 and then decreased (P < 0.01) by day 14. DA in UTF of nonpre...
Consequences of Neutralization on the Proliferation and Cytoskeletal Organization of Chondrocytes on Chitosan-Based Matrices

In tissue engineering strategies that seek to repair or regenerate native tissues, adhesion of cells to scaffolds or matrices is essential and has the potential to influence subsequent cellular events. Our focus in this paper is to better understand the impact of cellular seeding and adhesion in the context of cartilage tissue engineering. When scaffolds or surfaces are constructed from chitosan, the scaffolds must be first neutralized with sodium hydroxide and then washed copiously to render the surface, cell compatible. We seek to better understand the effect of surface pretreatment regimen on the cellular response to chitosan-based surfaces. In the present paper, sodium hydroxide concentration was varied between 0.1 M and 0.5 M and two different contacting times were studied: 10 minutes and 30 minutes. The different pretreatment conditions were noted to affect cell proliferation, morphology, and cytoskeletal distribution. An optimal set of experimental parameters were noted for improving cell growth on scaffolds.
Automation in the Home: The Development of an Appropriate System Representation and its Effects on Reliance

To achieve an appropriate level of reliance on an automated system, the operator must have an accurate system representation such that he/she is aware of the capabilities and limitations of the system. The appropriate use of an automated system can lead to optimal performance by the human-machine dyad. This study investigates the relationship between an accurate system representation and behaviors associated with human-automation interaction (e.g., reliance). Furthermore, age-related effects are also included in the investigation. A cooking memory aid (Cook's Collage) is used as an automated aid that keeps track of the ingredients used in a specific recipe. Participants are asked to interact with the automated device for 5 sessions (each on different days). Tasks are structured to simulate those in a real kitchen. Preliminary results suggest that that there is a different pattern of interaction with the aid as a function of age. Older adults tend to rely on the aid for real-time feedback while younger adu...
A new Fe/Mn geothermometer for hydrothermal systems: Implications for high-salinity fluids at 13°N on the East Pacific Rise

Abstract Field and experimental investigations demonstrate the chemistry of mid-ocean ridge hydrothermal vent fluids reflects fluid–mineral reaction at higher temperatures than those typically measured at the seafloor. To account for this and, in turn, be able to better constrain sub-seafloor hydrothermal processes, we have developed an empirical geothermometer based on the dissolved Fe/Mn ratio in high-temperature fluids. Using data from basalt alteration experiments, the relationship; T (°C) = 331.24 + 112.41*log[Fe/Mn] has been calibrated between 350 and 450 °C. The apparent Fe–Mn equilibrium demonstrated by the experimental data is in good agreement with natural vent fluids, suggesting broad applicability. When used in conjunction with constraints imposed by quartz solubility, associated sub-seafloor pressures can be estimated for basalt-hosted systems. As an example, this methodology is used to interpret new data from 13°N on the East Pacific Rise, where high-temperature fluids both enriched and depleted in chloride (339–646 mmol/kg), relative to seawater, are actively venting within a close proximity. Accounting for these variable salinities, active phase separation is clearly taking place at 13°N, yet the fluid Fe/Mn ratios and the silica concentrations suggest equilibration at temperatures less than those coinciding with the two-phase region. These data show the chloride-enriched fluid reflects the highest temperature and pressure (∼432 °C, 400 bars) of equilibration, consistent with circulation near the top of the inferred magma chamber. This is in agreement with the elevated CO 2 concentration relative to the chloride-depleted fluids. The noted temperature derived from the Fe/Mn geothermometer is higher than the critical temperature for a fluid of equivalent salinity. This carries the important implication that, despite being chloride-enriched relative to seawater, these fluids evolved as the vapor component of even higher salinity brine.
Pregnancy, delivery and infancy complications and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: issues of gene-environment interaction.

We evaluated the role of pregnancy, delivery, and infancy complications (PDICs) in the etiology of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and addressed issues of comorbidity and familiarity by testing multiple hypotheses. Subjects were 6–17-year-old boys with DSM-III-R ADHD ( n = 140) and normal controls ( n = 120) and their first-degree biologic relatives. Information on PDICs was obtained from mothers in a standardized manner blind to the proband's clinical status. Using linear and logistic regression models, a positive association was found between ADHD and PDICs in the probands. Additionally, PDICs were associated with the correlates of ADHD (i.e., impaired cognitive functioning and poor school performance). Moreover, it was those specific complications that reflect chronic exposure, such as maternal bleeding, smoking, family problems, and illicit drug use during pregnancy that accounted for these findings. No interaction between genetic factors and PDICs were found. Our findings add to the literature supporting an association between ADHD and PDICs. Our results may help clinicians focus on particular complications rather than the wide range of possible perinatal complications.
Bilingual education: an introductory reader

Bilingual education: an introductory reader, edited by Ofelia Garcia and Colin Baker, Clevedon, UK, Multilingual Matters Ltd, x + 301 pp., US$34.95 (paperback), ISBN 13-978-1-85359-907-1 As the wor...
A Haptic System for Educational Games: Design and Application-Specific Kinematic Optimization

HAPTIC PONG is a force-feedback version of the classic arcade game “Pong”, conceived as an educational game that can teach physics and controls concepts to high school students. Our design incorporates two identical linear one-degree-of-freedom haptic paddles, each with a four-bar linkage transforming motor rotation to linear motion. Virtual environments were designed to incorporate dynamic systems describing the force-displacement relationships of each paddle. At a demonstration with 50 high school students, a prototype of the device was rated as both educational and fun to use. After the initial proof of concept, a design optimization study was conducted to improve the kinematic performance of the linear haptic devices based on the device constraints for the application. Optimization considered both the linearity of the coupler point and Jacobian minimum singular value. While maintaining a satisfactory level of linearity, the optimized linkage lengths produced an estimated 160% improvement in the maximum consistent force output.© 2013 ASME
Field and laboratory evidence for intrinsic biodegradation of vinyl chloride contamination in a Fe(III)-reducing aquifer

Abstract Intrinsic bioremediation of chlorinated ethenes in anaerobic aquifers previously has not been considered feasible, due, in large part, to 1) the production of vinyl chloride during microbial reductive dechlorination of higher chlorinated contaminants and 2) the apparent poor biodegradability of vinyl chloride under anaerobic conditions. In this study, a combination of field geochemical analyses and laboratory radiotracer ([1,2- 14 C] vinyl chloride) experiments was utilized to assess the potential for intrinsic biodegradation of vinyl chloride contamination in an Fe(III)-reducing, anaerobic aquifer. Microcosm experiments conducted under Fe(III)-reducing conditions with material from the Fe(III)-reducing, chlorinated-ethene contaminated aquifer demonstrated significant oxidation of [1,2- 14 C] vinyl chloride to 14 CO 2 with no detectable production of ethene or other reductive dehalogenation products. Rates of degradation derived from the microcosm experiments (0.9–1.3% d −1 ) were consistent with field-estimated rates (0.03–0.2% d −1 ) of apparent vinyl chloride degradation. Field estimates of apparent vinyl chloride biodegradation were calculated using two distinct approaches; 1) a solute dispersion model and 2) a mass balance assessment. These findings demonstrate that degradation under Fe(III) reducing conditions can be an environmentally significant mechanism for intrinsic bioremediation of vinyl chloride in anaerobic ground-water systems.
Antigenic Modulation and Rituximab Resistance

Several types of B-cell lymphoma have been successfully treated with rituximab, and approval by the US Food and Drug Administration for use of rituximab in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis has increased interest in targeting CD20 on B cells for other indications. Although large amounts of rituximab can be infused into humans with no apparent dose-limiting toxicity, recent evidence suggests that the body's effector mechanisms, including complement-mediated cytotoxicity and natural killer (NK) cell-mediated killing, can be saturated or exhausted at high burdens of rituximab-opsonized B cells. One of the consequences of this saturation phenomenon is that the opsonized B cells are instead processed by a different pathway mediated by FcgammaR on effector cells. In this alternative pathway, both rituximab and CD20 are removed ("shaved") from the B cells and are taken up by monocytes/macrophages. This process, formerly called antigenic modulation, appears to occur in several compartments in the body and may play a key role in the development of resistance to rituximab therapy.
Criterion for Negative Refraction with Low Optical Losses from a Fundamental Principle of Causality

From the fundamental requirement of causality, we derive a rigorous criterion of negative refraction (left handedness). This criterion imposes the lower limits on the electric and magnetic losses in the region of the negative refraction. If these losses are eliminated or significantly reduced by any means, including the compensation by active (gain) media, then the negative refraction will disappear. This theory can be particularly useful in designing new left-handed materials: testing the expected polarizabilities of a medium against this criterion would check the compliance with the causality and verify the design feasibility.
Heritability Estimates for First Lactation Milk Yield of Registered and Nonregistered Holstein Cows

Abstract Heritabilities of milk yield and fat test were estimated from first lactation records of 196,672 Holstein daughter-dam pairs separately for registered and nonregistered cows for four milk yield groups and by years of freshening of the daughter. The model included herd-season and sire of the daughter. Heritability estimates were similar for registered and nonregistered cows averaging about .33 for milk yield and .62 for fat test. Estimates of heritability increased slightly over time for both milk yield and fat test. Heritability of fat test was similar for all groups. Heritability estimates for milk yield, however, averaged about .25 in low, about .35 in middle, and about .40 in high groups.
The K1 Serotype Capsular Polysaccharide of Porphyromonas gingivalis Elicits Chemokine Production from Murine Macrophages That Facilitates Cell Migration

Porphyromonas gingivalis is the principal organism associated with aggressive forms of generalized periodontal disease. Previous reports have suggested that encapsulated P. gingivalis strains are more virulent than unencapsulated strains; however, the contribution of capsular polysaccharide (CPS) to the virulence of this organism is poorly understood. Since periodontal disease presents with a complex inflammatory cell lesion comprised of neutrophils and monocytes, we cultured murine peritoneal macrophages with heat-killed P. gingivalis W83, CPS purified from P. gingivalis strain W83, and the seven known serotype-specific P. gingivalis CPS and assessed the ability of supernatant fluids produced by challenged macrophages to attract naive inflammatory cells. We also defined JE/MCP-1, KC, MIP-2, and RANTES production in response to the P. gingivalis CPS antigens. We observed that supernatant fluids collected from macrophages incubated with P. gingivalis W83 and serotype K1 CPS stimulated the migration of naive murine bone marrow-derived polymorphonuclear leukocytes in an in vitro cell migration chamber. CPS from W83 and the K1 serotype elicited potent chemokine secretion patterns for macrophages, while those specific to serotypes K2 to K7 were significantly less stimulatory. Reverse transcription-PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay revealed JE/MCP-1, KC, MIP-2, and RANTES expression from murine macrophages which had been challenged with purified P. gingivalis W83 CPS. Chemokine production appeared to be dependent on both the dose of and time of exposure to P. gingivalis W83 CPS. These data demonstrate that the P. gingivalis serotype K1 CPS elicits chemokine production from phagocytic cells. Furthermore, these data suggest that the host response to this antigen may contribute to the formation of the inflammatory cell lesion observed during P. gingivalis-elicited periodontal disease.