cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Computational processes, observers and Turing incompleteness

We propose a formal definition of Wolfram's notion of computational processes based on iterated transducers together with a weak observer, a model of computation that captures some aspects of physics-like computation. These processes admit a natural classification into decidable, intermediate and complete, where intermediate processes correspond to recursively enumerable sets of intermediate degree in the classical setting. It is shown that a standard finite injury priority argument will not suffice to establish the existence of an intermediate computational process.
The Gegenschein and Interplanetary Dust Outside the Earth's Orbit

Abstract The gegenschein has been observed in a four-year program including photographic observations and high-resolution photoelectric scans. The results of these observations are interpreted with the help of model calculations which theoretically consider (1) the apparent phase function of the particles producing the gegenschein; ( (2) the distribution of these particles with respect to distance from the Earth and the Sun; and (3) the effect of the Earth's shadow on the illumination of these particles. All previous explanations for the gegenschein found in the literature are considered; the only one found tenable is that the gegenschein is caused by light reflected from particles of dust in heliocentric orbits. Further, models for the zodiacal light that assume that the spatial distribution of particles follows an inverse power law R − P (where R is heliocentric distance and P ⩾ 0) cannot satisfactorily explain the gegenschein. There must be an increase in the spatial density of reflecting cross section (and hence presumably of reflecting material) outside the Earth's orbit. The asteroid belt is suggested as the source of the material.
Childhood and adolescent violent victimization and the risk of young adult intimate partner violence victimization

Using a nationally representative sample of participants, this study investigates childhood victimization in the home and adolescent violent victimization in the community on the risk of being a victim of intimate partner violence (IPV), general violence, or both during early adulthood. The study findings indicate being left home alone and being physically abused during childhood, and adolescent violent victimization in the community had strong independent effects on an individual's likelihood of becoming a victim of IPV, general violence, or both in early adulthood. The study findings suggest a consistent pattern of victimization across the life course, and intervention programs need to be developed that address the specific needs of children and adolescents at high risk for home and community violent victimization. Language: en
Relationship of Oxygen to the Activity of GR-S Reclaiming Agents

Abstract 1. An alkylphenol sulfide reclaiming agent was found to have little activity in the absence of oxygen ; conversely oxygen produced little activity without the reclaiming agent. Together, the oxygen and reclaiming agent showed exceptional activity in attacking a sulfur-cured GR-S gum vulcanizate to produce soluble, low molecular-weight fragments under relatively mild experimental conditions. 2. The solubilizing effects of oxygen with reclaiming oils and the alkylphenol sulfide reclaiming agent were produced without significant increase of the amount of combined oxygen in the acetone or chloroform insoluble portions of the vulcanizate. Large increases of oxygen content were produced quickly by subsequent exposure of the treated and extracted samples to an atmosphere of oxygen. 3. No significant quantity of combined sulfur was removed under experimental conditions involving an excess of liquid reclaiming oils and agents. However, a significant, constant amount of sulfur was removed under conditions ...
Fire Ecology and Management in the La Amistad Biosphere Reserve, Panama

Abstract The use of fire in the La Amistad Biosphere Reserve, Panama, is a complex issue, especially given its biophysical, cultural, and socioeconomic context. A geographic gradient exists, depicting the threat from fire to the reserve. Areas around Volcan Baru have a high potential fire threat due to the biophysical aspects of the area and land-use activities. Fire use has a long cultural history in Panama. It continues to be frequently employed to clear land for swidden agriculture, cattle ranching on the Atlantic side of the Talamancan mountain range, and agricultural development on the Pacific side. Land tenure insecurity and perverse policies also incite its utilization for claiming land. Set fires often escape their boundaries and burn property, structures, crops, and fire-sensitive ecosystems. If left unchecked, anthropogenic fires pose a significant threat to both the ecological and socioeconomic well being of the Biosphere Reserve. Recommendations for the reserve's fire management plan focus on ...
Frozen Section Analysis of Esophageal Endoscopic Mucosal Resection Specimens in the Real-Time Management of Barrett’s Esophagus

Background & Aims: The aim of this study was to assess the validity of frozen section analysis of endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) specimens from Barrett's esophagus as compared with permanent sections for the detection of neoplasia. Frozen sections help to give immediate feedback for surgical procedures. It has not been determined whether EMR can be adequately interpreted by using frozen sections to aid endoscopists in completely resecting neoplastic lesions. Methods: EMR specimens from Barrett's esophagus with high-grade dysplasia (HGD) and/or carcinoma were tested by frozen section. Pathologists evaluated EMR specimens for the depth of invasion as well as the appearance of clear margins of resection. The κ statistic was calculated to assess the degree of agreement between the frozen section and permanent section diagnoses. Results: Twenty-three consecutive patients underwent 30 EMRs with frozen section diagnosis. Frozen section revealed a carcinoma in 7 specimens (23%) and dysplasia in 20 (66%). Permanent sections found carcinoma in 8 specimens (26%), dysplasia in 19 specimens (63%), and normal or nondysplastic Barrett's esophagus in the remainder. The κ statistic for the depth of invasion of EMR specimens was 0.93 (near perfect agreement). The κ statistic for the margins of the EMR specimens was 0.80 (excellent agreement). Conclusions: This study indicated that frozen section analysis of esophageal EMR specimens is valid as compared with permanent section. This technique might allow rapid evaluation about the degree and depth of involvement of cancers. This allows physicians to make decisions regarding further therapy if margins are involved or decrease the use of EMR for histologically benign–appearing lesions.
Measurement of the Compressibility Factor of Gases: A Physical Chemistry Laboratory Experiment

In this article, we describe an experiment for the undergraduate physical chemistry laboratory in which students measure the compressibility factor of two gases, helium and carbon dioxide, as a function of pressure at constant temperature. The experimental apparatus is relatively inexpensive to construct and is described and diagrammed in detail. Students analyze their data to determine values for the second virial coefficient for each gas, which may then be compared with the literature. The experiment demonstrates the nonideality of real gases.
Protection by an antioxidant of rotenone-induced neuromotor decline, reactive oxygen species generation and cellular stress in mouse brain.

Abstract Exposure to environmental toxins, including rotenone, results in central nervous system and systemic toxicity. Rotenone is a widely used pesticide and a mitochondrial complex I (CI) inhibitor. This study reports effectiveness of a synthetic lipoylcarnitine antioxidant compound, lipoylcarnitine methyl ester iodide (PMX-500 F), for treatment of chronic rotenone induced neurological deficits in mice. Mice (C57BL/6NTac; two months of age) received oral administration of rotenone (30 mg/kg/day) or vehicle, preceded by intraperitoneal injection of PMX-500 F (19 mg/kg) or vehicle for four weeks. In the Rota-rod test, rotenone treatment had no effect (P > 0.05); however, PMX-500 F treatment improved locomotor coordination and endurance (latency to fall time; P 0.05). Total SAPK/JNK was not altered by either rotenone or PMX-500 F treatment (P > 0.05). These results illustrate that an antioxidant, here PMX-500 F, provides protection against rotenone induced decline in neuromotor function, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and cellular stress.
Differential function of lip residues in the mechanism and biology of an anthrax hemophore.

To replicate in mammalian hosts, bacterial pathogens must acquire iron. The majority of iron is coordinated to the protoporphyrin ring of heme, which is further bound to hemoglobin. Pathogenic bacteria utilize secreted hemophores to acquire heme from heme sources such as hemoglobin. Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax disease, secretes two hemophores, IsdX1 and IsdX2, to acquire heme from host hemoglobin and enhance bacterial replication in iron-starved environments. Both proteins contain NEAr-iron Transporter (NEAT) domains, a conserved protein module that functions in heme acquisition in Gram-positive pathogens. Here, we report the structure of IsdX1, the first of a Gram-positive hemophore, with and without bound heme. Overall, IsdX1 forms an immunoglobin-like fold that contains, similar to other NEAT proteins, a 310-helix near the heme-binding site. Because the mechanistic function of this helix in NEAT proteins is not yet defined, we focused on the contribution of this region to hemophore and NEAT protein activity, both biochemically and biologically in cultured cells. Site-directed mutagenesis of amino acids in and adjacent to the helix identified residues important for heme and hemoglobin association, with some mutations affecting both properties and other mutations affecting only heme stabilization. IsdX1 with mutations that reduced the ability to associate with hemoglobin and bind heme failed to restore the growth of a hemophore-deficient strain of B. anthracis on hemoglobin as the sole iron source. These data indicate that not only is the 310-helix important for NEAT protein biology, but also that the processes of hemoglobin and heme binding can be both separate as well as coupled, the latter function being necessary for maximal heme-scavenging activity. These studies enhance our understanding of NEAT domain and hemophore function and set the stage for structure-based inhibitor design to block NEAT domain interaction with upstream ligands.
Endoscopic management of vesicoureteral reflux in women presenting with pyelonephritis.

Purpose: Vesicoureteral reflux is not usually considered a major cofactor in acute pyelonephritis in women. However, there is a subset of individuals in whom reflux must be considered in the evaluation of acute pyelonephritis. We sought to evaluate the effectiveness of endoscopic treatment for vesicoureteral reflux in this subset of patients.Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 13 female patients presenting with clinical pyelonephritis between 2001 and 2005. All of these patients had either a history of vesicoureteral reflux in childhood or a family history of reflux, or had previously undergone surgery for reflux. All patients underwent voiding cystourethrogram and dimercapto-succinic acid renal scan as part of the evaluation.Results: Of the 13 individuals evaluated 9 had vesicoureteral reflux. Of these patients 5 had been operated on previously for vesicoureteral reflux, 2 had a strong family history of reflux and 2 had reflux as a child with documented resolution. Six of th...
The effect of trunk flexion on lower-limb kinetics of able-bodied gait

Able-bodied individuals spontaneously adopt crouch gait when walking with induced anterior trunk flexion, but the effect of this adaptation on lower-limb kinetics is unknown. Sustained forward trunk displacement during walking can greatly alter body center-of-mass location and necessitate a motor control response to maintain upright balance. Understanding this response may provide insight into the biomechanical demands on the lower-limb joints of spinal pathology that alter trunk alignment (e.g., flatback). The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of sustained trunk flexion on lower-limb kinetics in able-bodied gait, facilitating understanding of the effects of spinal pathologies. Subjects walked with three postures: 0° (normal upright), 25±7°, and 50±7° trunk flexion. With increased trunk flexion, decreased peak ankle plantar flexor moments were observed with increased energy absorption during stance. Sustained knee flexion during mid- and terminal stance decreased knee flexor moments, but energy absorption/generation remained unchanged across postures. Increased trunk flexion placed significant demand on the hip extensors, thus increasing peak hip extensor moments and energy generation. The direct relationship between trunk flexion and energy absorption/generation at the ankle and hip, respectively, suggest increased muscular demand during gait. These findings on able-bodied subjects might shed light on muscular demands associated with individuals having pathology-induced positive sagittal spine balance.
Improving inferences from fisheries capture-recapture studies through remote detection of PIT tags

Models for capture-recapture data are commonly used in analyses of the dynamics of fish and wildlife populations, especially for estimating vital parameters such as survival. Capture-recapture methods provide more reliable inferences than other methods commonly used in fisheries studies. However, for rare or elusive fish species, parameter estimation is often hampered by small probabilities of re-encountering tagged fish when encounters are obtained through traditional sampling methods. We present a case study that demonstrates how remote antennas for passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags can increase encounter probabilities and the precision of survival estimates from capture-recapture models. Between 1999 and 2007, trammel nets were used to capture and tag over 8,400 endangered adult Lost River suckers (Deltistes luxatus) during the spawning season in Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon. Despite intensive sampling at relatively discrete spawning areas, encounter probabilities from Cormack-Jolly-Seber models ...
Overview — clay mineral applications

Abstract The applications of the clay minerals in the various process industries engineering, petroleum discovery, recovery and refining, and others, are closely related to their structure and composition. Important characteristics relating to applications of clay minerals are particle size, surface chemistry, particle shape, surface area, and other physical and chemical properties specific to a particular application such as viscosity; color; plasticity; green, dry and fired strength; absorption and adsorption; abrasion; and others. The discussion of the applications of clay materials is organized as follows: kaolins; smectites; palygorskite (attapulgite) and sepiolite; and miscellaneous. The largest volume applications in each category are discussed in general, leaving the more specific details to be covered in the papers in this symposium that cover a particular application. The major uses of kaolins are in the paper, ceramic, paint, plastic, rubber, and cracking catalyst industries. The major uses of smectites are in drilling fluids; as a bond for foundry sands and iron ore pellets; as a sealant in many engineering applications; and as absorbents for pet litter, agriculture chemicals, and oil and water. Palygorskite and sepiolite are used as absorbents in pet litter, agricultural chemicals, water and oil sorption, and as the suspending medium in many applications such as saltwater drilling fluids, paints, pharmaceuticals, and others. Miscellaneous applications include the uses of shales and other clay materials in structural ceramic products, cement, lightweight aggregate, asphalt emulsions, and other important uses. According to U.S. Bureau of Mines figures, approximately 50 million tons of clay materials are used annually with a total value of $1.1 billion. This high usage and value certainly attests to the importance of clays to the economy and welfare of the United States and to industry. Clay materials perform a function in most every application and are not just an inert component in the formulation. The abundance and availability of the clay materials and their relatively low cost guarantees their continued utilization in the future. Research and development will find new applications for clays in the future which has been the pattern in the past.
Behavioral effects in the mouse during and following withdrawal from ethanol ingestion and/or nicotine administration

The mechanism(s) by which ethanol or nicotine produces dependency and withdrawal symptoms during abstinence is poorly understood. In addition, it has been observed that a high correlation exists between ethanol intake and smoking. Therefore, studies were undertaken to evaluate aversion to the open arms of the elevated plus-maze and the modification of spontaneous locomotor activity during and following repeated ethanol and/or nicotine administration in mice. The ethanol plus nicotine treated animals increased time spent in the open arms of the maze during treatment relative to controls. Withdrawal from this combination treatment led to a rapid onset of intense aversion to the open arms of the maze and a concomitant reduction in locomotor activity which was greater than that produced by withdrawal from ethanol or nicotine treatment alone. The present results suggest that the combined effects of ethanol and nicotine reduced aversion to the open arms of the elevated plus-maze test system and may indicate an anti-aversive action. However, mice demonstrate an increased aversiveness to the open arms following sudden withdrawal of the combination treatment.
Teaching and Learning Guide for: Africa’s Linguistic Diversity

African languages have played an important role in the development of linguistic theory but their role in the fields of historical linguistics and linguistic typology has been less prominent. Africa’s linguistic diversity has been long underestimated given the dominance of the four-family model proposed by Joseph Greenberg. Criticism of this model has long held among specialists in some of Africa’s smaller and lesser-known language families, but has only recently become more widely acknowledged among linguists. Archaeologists, geneticists, and others continue to model African prehistory based on African linguistic classifications, which are outdated and which have failed to withstand scrutiny. This teaching and learning guide suggests a program to train scholars in recognizing and evaluating the standards by which various African language classifications have been made. Africa’s linguistic diversity will be shown to be far greater than what is suggested by the four-family model.
Oxidative stress increases blood―brain barrier permeability and induces alterations in occludin during hypoxia―reoxygenation

The blood–brain barrier (BBB) has a critical role in central nervous system homeostasis. Intercellular tight junction (TJ) protein complexes of the brain microvasculature limit paracellular diffusion of substances from the blood into the brain. Hypoxia and reoxygenation (HR) is a central component to numerous disease states and pathologic conditions. We have previously shown that HR can influence the permeability of the BBB as well as the critical TJ protein occludin. During HR, free radicals are produced, which may lead to oxidative stress. Using the free radical scavenger tempol (200 mg/kg, intraperitoneal), we show that oxidative stress produced during HR (6% O2 for 1 h, followed by room air for 20 min) mediates an increase in BBB permeability in vivo using in situ brain perfusion. We also show that these changes are associated with alterations in the structure and localization of occludin. Our data indicate that oxidative stress is associated with movement of occludin away from the TJ. Furthermore, subcellular fractionation of cerebral microvessels reveals alterations in occludin oligomeric assemblies in TJ associated with plasma membrane lipid rafts. Our data suggest that pharmacological inhibition of disease states with an HR component may help preserve BBB functional integrity.
Concurrent applicative implementations of nondeterministic algorithms

In this paper we introduce a methodology for utilizing concurrency in place of backtracking in the implementation of nondeterministic algorithms. This is achieved in an applicative setting through the use of the Friedman-Wise multiprogramming primitive frons, and a paradigm which views the action of nondeterministic algorithms as one of data structure construction. The element by element nondeterminism arising from a linearized search is replaced by a control structure which is oriented towards constructing sets of partial computations. This point of view is facilitated by the use of suspensions, which allow control disciplines to be embodied in the form of conceptual data structures that in reality manifest themselves only for purposes of control. We apply this methodology to the class of problems usually solved through the use of simple backtracking (e.g. ''eight queens''), and to a problem presented by Lindstrom to illustrate the use of coroutine controlled backtracking, to produce backtrack-free solutions. Our solution to the latter illustrates the coroutine capability of suspended structures, but also demonstrates a need for further investigations into resolving problems of process communication in applicative languages.
Epithelial-mesenchymal interactions in uterus and vagina alter the expression of the cell surface proteoglycan, syndecan.

Abstract The cell surface proteoglycan, syndecan, exhibits molecular and histological dimorphism in the mouse uterus and vagina. In the mature vagina, syndecan is localized at the surfaces of the basal and intermediate cells of the stratified epithelium and has a modal molecular mass of ca. 92 kDa. The uterus expresses a larger form of syndecan (ca. 110 kDa) which is detected at the basolateral surfaces of the simple columnar epithelial cells. We have investigated whether epithelial-mesenchymal interactions influence the expression of syndecan in these organs by analyzing tissue recombinants composed of mouse epithelium and rat mesenchyme or vice versa with monoclonal antibody 281-2, which recognizes mouse syndecan. In tissue recombinants composed of newborn mouse uterine epithelium and rat vaginal stroma, the uterine epithelium was induced to form a stratified vaginal epithelium which expressed syndecan in same the pattern and mass typical of vaginal epithelium. Likewise, rat uterine stroma induced newborn mouse vaginal epithelium to undergo uterine development, and this epithelium exhibited a uterine pattern of syndecan expression. Although stromal cells normally express little syndecan in most adult organs, analysis of recombinants composed of mouse stroma and rat epithelium revealed that both uterine and vaginal mouse stromata synthesized syndecan that was larger (ca. 170–190 kDa) than the epithelial syndecans. A quantitative increase in the amount of stromal syndecan was evident when stroma was grown in association with epithelium in comparison to stroma grown by itself. These data suggest that epithelial-mesenchymal interactions influence the amount, localization, and mass of both epithelial and stromal syndecan.
Injury to the sustentaculum tali

Abstract Fracture of the sustentaculum tali is a rare injury. Although treatment of acute injuries is well documented, subsequent treatment of delayed or non-union has not been previously described. We present the case reports of three patients who sustained injuries to the sustentacum tali associated with delayed union. The varied symptoms and treatments provided to these patients are described, and the treatment options, including open reduction, excision, and fusion are discussed. The surgical treatment of these injuries must address the relationship of the medial plantar nerve to the sustentaculum and its ligamentous and tendinous attachments.
Evidence for the Long-Term Stability of HIV Transmission–Associated Sexual Behavior After HIV Diagnosis

Background Most persons diagnosed as having HIV alter their sexual behavior in a way that reduces the risk of HIV transmission, but the durability of such behavior change is unknown. Methods We conducted annual anonymous cross-sectional surveys in randomly selected patients with appointments at a large, public hospital HIV clinic in Seattle, Washington, from 2005 to 2009. We used logistic regression to assess the association between time since HIV diagnosis and self-report of unprotected anal or vaginal intercourse (UAVI) with partners of negative or unknown HIV status (nonconcordant UAVI), and quantile regression to evaluate the association between time since HIV diagnosis and number of anal or vaginal sex partners. Results We analyzed 845 surveys collected for 5 years. Men who have sex with men (MSM) had been diagnosed as having HIV a mean (standard deviation) of 12 (7) years and non-MSM a mean of 11 (6) years. Among 597 MSM, longer time since HIV diagnosis was associated with lower age-adjusted odds of reporting nonconcordant UAVI (odds ratio, 0.96 [95% confidence interval, 0.92-0.99]) and a lower age-adjusted number of sex partners (β coefficient = -0.03, P = 0.007). Among 248 women and heterosexual men, time since HIV diagnosis was not significantly associated with age-adjusted odds of nonconcordant UAVI (odds ratio 0.99 [95% confidence interval, 0.93-1.04]) or number of sex partners (β coefficient = -0.01, P = 0.48). Conclusions These results indicate that HIV transmission-associated behavior is relatively stable following the first year after HIV diagnosis. Our findings suggest that behavior change in the first year after HIV diagnosis, reported in other studies, is durable.
The libration of Mercury

Numerical solutions for librational motion of Mercury obtained by applying Runge-Kutta integration
Spectroscopic evidence for site specific chemistry at a unique iron site of the [4Fe-4S] cluster in ferredoxin:thioredoxin reductase.

Ferredoxin:thioredoxin reductase (FTR) catalyzes the reduction of the disulfide in thioredoxin in two one-electron steps using an active site comprising a [4Fe-4S] in close proximity to a redox active disulfide. Mossbauer spectroscopy has been used to investigate the ligation and electronic properties of the [4Fe-4S] cluster in as-prepared FTR which has the active-site disulfide intact and in the N-ethylmaleimide (NEM)-modified form which provides a stable analogue of the one-electron-reduced heterodisulfide intermediate and has one of the cysteines of the active-site disulfide alkylated with NEM. The results reveal novel site-specific cluster chemistry involving weak interaction of the active-site disulfide with a unique Fe site of the [4Fe-4S]2+ cluster in the resting enzyme and cleavage of the active-site disulfide with concomitant coordination of one of the cysteines to yield a [4Fe-4S]3+ cluster with a five-coordinate Fe site ligated by two cysteine residues in the NEM-modified enzyme. The results provide molecular-level insight into the catalytic mechanism of FTR and other Fe-S-cluster-containing disulfide reductases, and suggest a possible mechanism for the reductive cleavage of S-adenosylmethionine by the radical SAM family of Fe-S enzymes.
En Bloc Aortic Resection for Bulky Metastatic Germ Cell Tumors

AbstractBetween 1989 and 1993, 97 patients with stages B3 and/or C nonseminomatous germ cell tumors of the testes underwent induction chemotherapy followed by retroperitoneal lymph node dissection. Of these patients 6 (ages 22 to 41 years) had gross extension of tumor into the aortic adventitia at operation, which necessitated en bloc aortic and, on 3 occasions, iliac artery resection for complete tumor removal. Aortic continuity was restored by a woven Dacron tube or bifurcated graft. All grafts were covered with omentum. There were no postoperative vascular complications. Pathological study of the residual retroperitoneal disease demonstrated that 2 patients had mature teratoma only, 2 had mature teratoma with occasional nests of immature teratoma and 2 had residual yolk sac, embryonal or choriocarcinoma elements. The latter 3 patients underwent postoperative salvage chemotherapy with varying combinations of bleomycin, etoposide, ifosfamide and cisplatin. At 4 to 55 months 4 patients were disease-free, ...
Cosmic masers and black holes

Many molecules exhibit very strong maser emission in cosmic sources. Because of their intensity and small angular sizes they are remarkably precise dynamical probes of astrophysical systems such as accretion disks around black holes
Effects of proximal unconditioned stimulus preexposure on ingestional aversions learned as a result of taste presentation following drug treatment

Taste aversions were conditioned by exposing subjects to a 1.0% saccharin solution 30 min after an injection of lithium chloride. The aversion learning was disrupted if subjects had also received an additional lithium injection some time earlier (Experiments 1–3). This interference effect of US preexposure was a decreasing function of the preexposure interval, beyond the optimal interval (105 min) for observing the phenomenon (Experiment 1), and was directly related to the dose of the preexposure injection (Experiment 2). No interference with conditioning occurred at short (e.g., 30-min) preexposure intervals (Experiment 1), probably because under these circumstances the preexposure injection itself conditioned a strong aversion (Experiment 4). At moderate (105-min) but not at short (30-min) preexposure intervals, the interference with aversions learned as a result of taste exposure following drug injection was comparable to the interference with learning in a more conventional forward conditioning procedure (Experiments 3 and 4). These findings are similar to previously documented effects of proximal CS- and US-preexposure and are consistent with recent stimulus rehearsal and opponent-process theories.
Interactions of a fungal thioglucoside glucohydrolase and cruciferous plant epithiospecifier protein to form 1-cyanoepithioalkanes: implications of an allosteric mechanism

Abstract Allylglucosinolate is converted to 1-cyano-2,3-epithiopropane by interaction of the thioglucoside glucohydrolase from the fungus Aspergillus sydowi QM 31c and the epithiospecifier protein from Crambe abyssinica . The kinetic evidence presented supports the hypothesis that the epithiospecifier protein interacts with thioglucoside glucohydrolase in an allosteric manner.
What matters most: quantifying an epidemiology of consequence

Risk factor epidemiology has contributed to substantial public health success. In this essay, we argue, however, that the focus on risk factor epidemiology has led epidemiology to ever increasing focus on the estimation of precise causal effects of exposures on an outcome at the expense of engagement with the broader causal architecture that produces population health. To conduct an epidemiology of consequence, a systematic effort is needed to engage our science in a critical reflection both about how well and under what conditions or assumptions we can assess causal effects and also on what will truly matter most for changing population health. Such an approach changes the priorities and values of the discipline and requires reorientation of how we structure the questions we ask and the methods we use, as well as how we teach epidemiology to our emerging scholars.
A solar radiation model for use in biological applications in the South and Southeastern USA

Abstract The application of a previously developed stochastic solar radiation model, the Hodges model (Hodges, T., French, V. and LeDuc, S., 1985. Estimating solar radiation for plant simulation models. AgRISTARS Technical Report JSC-20239; YM-15-00403, 21 pp.) was modified using the Solar and Meteorological Surface Observation Network (SAMSON) data base. Model parameters were re-estimated and a geographic stratification scheme was developed that more accurately reflects climatologic variability in radiation on rainy and on dry days. Daily solar radiation from the model was adjusted further to reflect observations at 59 sites throughout the South and Southeastern USA based on the average and the standard deviation. Errors in averages and standard deviations of model estimates made while using this modified application approach were summarized. Estimates of average model output for all days, wet days only or dry days only were within 10% of SAMSON estimates. Standard deviation estimates were also within 10%. The impact of this modified application approach on corn yield estimated with the Erosion/Productivity Impact Calculator (EPIC) crop simulation model was examined at a sample location in North Carolina. Yield estimates generated using the original application approach, the modified approach and the existing EPIC solar radiation generator were compared. Each method of radiation estimation produced yield time series that were significantly different from one another in a pair-wise comparison. Using data for 1961 through 1988, a further comparison of yield time series indicated that the Hodges model used with the application modifications suggested by this research provided a superior estimate of daily radiation.
Reply to "Comment on `(p,n) and (n,p) reactions as probes of isovector giant monopole resonances' "

The role of medium corrections in isovector excitations induced by the (p,n) reaction near 120 MeV is examined in light of the preceding Comment by Bauhoff which addresses the issue of making reliable estimates of the sizes of (p,n) cross sections for exciting isovector monopole resonances. To establish confidence in such estimates it is important to examine in parallel the much better understood isobaric analog of the ground state and the relative importance of medium modifications on these monopole transitions. Our examination using both density-independent and density-dependent transition operators supports the assertion of Bauhoff.
Me and us: differential relationships among goal‐setting training, efficacy and effectiveness at the individual and team level

Efficacy-effectiveness relationships were examined for individual nurses and nursing teams who were either trained or untrained in goal-setting. At the individual level, positive direct relationships were demonstrated between self-efficacy and effectiveness, between training and subsequent self-efficacy, and between training and effectiveness. Initial self-efficacy also moderated the training-effectiveness relationship. Nurses low in initial self-efficacy realized greater effectiveness gains from the training than did nurses high in initial self-efficacy. At the team level, group efficacy was related to effectiveness, and training was related to subsequent group efficacy, but training was not related to effectiveness, and there were no moderation effects for initial group efficacy. Collective cognition and behavioral plasticity are potential explanations for different effects at the individual and team level and avenues for theory development and future research. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Reduction of stress-induced analgesia following ethanol exposure in mice

In the present study, we examined the effects of ethanol treatment on the subsequent expression of opioid and nonopioid forms of swim stress-induced analgesia (SSIA). In Experiment 1, mice were injected with ethanol (2.5 g/kg, i.p.) or an equal volume of saline once a day for two days. Animals received no treatment on day 3. On day 4, the animals were tested for opioid (3-min swim in water maintained at 32 degrees C) or nonopioid (3-min swim in water maintained at 20 degrees C) SSIA in the hotplate test (52 degrees C). Mice pretreated with ethanol injections showed a decrease in nonopioid SSIA, but not in opioid SSIA. In Experiment 2, mice were given an ethanol solution (10%) or tap water to drink for 15 days. On day 16, all animals were given tap water to drink. On day 17, the animals were tested for opioid or nonopioid SSIA. Neither form of SSIA was modified in mice that drank the ethanol solution. These results show that ethanol pretreatment can modify nonopioid endogenous analgesic responses in mice. Further, the route of administration influences the effects of ethanol pretreatment on SSIA.
Effect of bovine somatotropin and food deprivation on β-adrenergic and A1 adenosine receptor binding in adipose tissue of lactating cows

Lactating Holstein cows were used to assess the effect of bovine somatotropin (bST; n = 8) and fasting (FAST; n = 4) on ligand binding to β-adrenergic (BAR) and TYP e-1 adenosine (A1R) receptors in adipose tissue. Cows received exogenous bST (sometribove; 40 mg/d) or no hormone (control) for 4 d in a single-reversal design with a 7-d interval between treatment periods. Subcutaneous adipose tissue biopsies were taken on day 4 of each treatment. Eight d after the bST regimen, 4 cows were fasted for 3 d and adipose biopsies were taken. Ligand binding was quantified with a postnuclear, total adipose tissue membrane preparation (100,000 × g pellet). Binding to BAR and A1R was assessed with the antagonists [125I]iodocyanopindolol (ICP) and [3H]8-cyclopentyl-1,3-dipropylxanthine (DCPCX), respectively. The binding affinity (Kd) of BAR for ICP was not affected by bST but was enhanced by FAST; maximal binding (Bmax) was increased with bST treatment (P < 0.06) and reduced by FAST (61%, P < 0.01). Kd values for DCPCX binding to A1R were not changed by bST or FAST. bST did not affect Bmax for A1R; however, FAST reduced the Bmax by 38%. Data highlight the differential regulation of BAR and A1R by bST and FAST.
Electron-Spin Polarization in Photoemission Experiments and Current-Carrying States in Ferromagnets

Correlation between electron-spin polarization in photoelectric emission and current-carrying states (spontaneous Hall effect) in Fe, Co, and Ni is investigated.
Letter: comparative efficacy of biological therapy in patients with ulcerative colitis.

SIRS We read, with great interest, the recent article titled ‘Systematic review with network meta-analysis: the efficacy of anti-tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) agents for the treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC)” by Stidham and colleagues. In their Bayesian network meta-analysis, they compared the relative efficacy of different anti-TNF agents in induction and maintenance of clinical remission and response in patients with UC. They included all patients, regardless of previous anti-TNF exposure status in their analysis, did not report comparative efficacy for mucosal healing and did not include all biological agents (such as vedolizumab [VEDO]) studied for UC. We have performed a network meta-analysis of all approved (and likely to be approved) biological agents for the treatment of UC, in a subset of biological-na€ive patients. Through a systematic literature search, we identified two additional studies on the efficacy of vedolizumab in UC. 4 We abstracted data on induction of clinical remission and mucosal healing (Mayo endoscopy subscore 0 or 1, Baron score 0), in a subset of first-time users of biologicals. We performed an indirect treatment comparison network meta-analysis using Lumley’s network regression model. Our results are summarised in Table 1. On indirect comparison of nine trials, no single agent was superior to others. Anti-TNF agents were comparable to VEDO for both induction of clinical remission and mucosal healing. Although patients on infliximab (IFX) were twice as likely to achieve induction of remission as those on adalimumab (ADA) [Odds ratio (OR), 1.88; 95% Confidence interval (CI), 0.76–4.65], this difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.17). A nonsignificant trend was observed suggesting that IFX may be more efficacious than ADA in inducing mucosal healing (OR, 2.04; 95% CI, 0.97–4.27, P = 0.06). Due to differences in trial design, indirect treatment comparison of these agents for maintenance of remission had limited validity. Hence, similar to observations by Stidham and colleagues, we observed that IFX, ADA, GLM and VEDO had comparable efficacy, with no agent being clearly superior to others, in first-time biological users.
Virus-immune cytotoxic T cells recognize structural differences between serologically indistinguishable HLA-A2 molecules.

Abstract The self-specificity of human influenza virus-immune cytotoxic T cells has been analyzed in order to identify the relationship between the self-determinants which they recognize and the serologically defined HLA-A and -B antigenic determinants. Virus-immune T cells were generated in vitro by culture of normal adult peripheral blood lymphocytes with A/HK influenza virus. Virus-immune effectors from HLA-A2 positive donors were tested on panels of virus-infected target cells from donors who were either HLA-mismatched or matched only for the HLA-A2 specificity. Virus-immune T cells from 11/11 A2-positive donors lysed all 2A-matched virus-infected target cells (and no HLA-mismatched targets), except that each of these effector cell populations consistently failed to lyse the virus-infected target cells from ove A2-positive donor (designated M7). Although the A2 antigen of donor M7 could also be distinguished from the A2 antigen of other donors by alloimmune cytotoxic T cells, no differences in the A2 antigen of donor M7 could be defined by extensive serological analyses. Results of iscelectric focusing of A2 molecules from three individuals plus M7 demonstrated that the M7 A2 heavy polypeptide chain is structurally distinct. These results indicate that: 1) there is a strong but incomplete associatione between a self antigen recognized by virus-immune T cells and the serologically defined HLA-A2 specificity; and 2) there may be at least two structurally and functionally distinct epitopes on the same A2 molecule: one is the serologically defined HLA-A2 antigenic determinant; the other is the self determinant recognized by T cells on HLA-A2 molecules.
Emerging methods for providing clinicians with timely feedback on treatment effectiveness: An introduction

This article introduces the issue of Journal of Clinical Psychology/In Session devoted to the need for, and value of, providing psychotherapists with feedback about client progress during the course of treatment. After an introduction that sets articles in the series in the context of improving psychotherapy outcome, the seven articles in this special issue are briefly summarized. The articles that follow this introduction provide general principles for effective feedback, highlight therapist difficulties in predicting treatment failure, provide “lab tests” for recognition of poorly responding clients, and demonstrate the powerful effects of providing therapists with feedback on client progress. The articles argue that coupling of statistical modeling techniques with currently available information technology is an innovation to routine clinical practice that clinicians can ill afford to overlook. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Psychol/In Session.
Concentration statistics for dispersive media

This report demonstrates the basis for and some applications of an integral method to describethe statistics of concentration fluctuations in dispersive media. The integral approach isderived by using and then extending Lagrange's method for solving the continuity equation.Illustrative applications of the theory deal with diffusion parallel and perpendicular to themean motion of the host fluid, with consequences of different stochastic loss processes, andwith predictions of concentration fluctuations caused by turbulent diffusion and sourcestrengthvariations. DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0889.1988.tb00291.x
class in America: Qualitative distinctions and quantitative data

Recognizing the need for an objective basis for choosing political strategies within the context of the debates concerning the intermediary strata in modern capitalistic societies, this article examines both qualitative theoretical distinctions and quantitative data as a means to clarify issues and to defend alternative positions. Noting that the question of class is essentially qualitative, but that attempts to delineate classes in societies are based on quantitative dimensions (i.e. numbers of people in each class, political attitudes, etc.) the article seeks to test qualitative definitions of class in terms of these quantitative dimensions.
The effect of skin temperature on vibrotactile sensitivity

The effect of skin temperature on detection of vibrotactile stimuli was measured for vibrations of 30 and 250 Hz. Data for the 250-Hz stimulus supported the results of Weitz (1941), who found that thresholds for 100-, 256-, and 900-Hz vibration varied as a If-shape function of skin temperature with a minimum at about 37°C. Temperature had a negligible effect on sensitivity at 30 Hz. A second experiment examined a range of frequencies between 30 and 250 Hz. Cooling greatly lowered sensitivity only to 150- and 250-Hz stimuli. Warming reduced sensitivity less, but more uniformly across frequencies. It was concluded that cooling may affect vibrotactile thresholds by decreasing the sensitivity of Pacinian corpuscles; the reason for the decrease in sensitivity due to warming is unclear.
Thermo-kinetic analysis of reactions involved in the manufacture of o-nitroaniline

Exothermic reaction processing must be concerned with potential consequences when heat released by the reaction exceeds that removed by the reactor coolant system, a situation known commonly as a runaway reaction. We have investigated a complicated reaction process in which two exotherms can occur—the process of making the desired product, o-nitroaniline (o-NA), from ammonia and o-chloronitrobenzene (T Onset around 140°C), and the decomposition of the product, o-NA (T Onset around 225°C). A severe industrial loss occurred in 1971 at a plant producing o-nitroaniline, an incident that has been the subject of several AIChE loss prevention presentations and papers. In this article, we take a closer look at the chemistry involved, and the ability to use thermo-kinetic analyses to understand the reactions involved, and how these influenced the accident that occurred. Further, we present the progress we've made towards predictive models for the kinetics and the pressure-time data. Several useful generalizations have evolved. First, is the need to include experiments that use stoichiometric mixtures when assessing exothermic reactions. Second, is the need to understand the role of reaction intermediates, and how they may influence the operation of the plant.
Drug testing and corporate responsibility: The “ought implies can” argument

Most of the debate about drug testing in the workplace has focused on the right to privacy. Proponents of testing have had to tackle difficult questions concerning the nature, extent, and weight of the privacy rights of employees. This paper examines a different kind of argument — the claim that because corporations are “responsible” for harms committed by employees while under the influence of drugs, they are entitled to test for drug use. This argument has considerable intuitive appeal, because it seems, at least at first glance, to bypass the issue of privacy rights altogether. The argument turns, not on rights, but on the nature and conditions of responsibility. We may therefore call it an “ought implies can” argument.