cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
In vitro and in vivo studies on the degradation of metallothionein.

Degradation of metallothionein (MT) from rat liver was examined. Degradation of apo-MT by liver homogenate was greater than that by cytosol. At pH 5.5, degradation by homogenate was more than that at pH 7.2. These findings suggest that proteases that function at acidic pH are probably involved in MT degradation. Because lysosomes are the principal subcellular organelles that contain acid proteases (cathepsins), we compared the degradation of apo-MT by lysosomes and cytosol. Apo-MT was degraded about 400 times faster by lysosomal fraction than by cytosolic fraction. To determine the relative importance of different cathepsins, we used different inhibitors. Leupeptin, which inhibits cathepsins B and L, inhibited the degradation of apo-MT by 80%, implying that cathepsins B and/or L might be very important in the intracellular turnover of MT. Cathepsin D appeared to be the least significant, because apo-MT degradation was reduced by about 20% by inhibiting cathepsin D. When we extended this study with purified cathepsins, we obtained the same answer, i.e., the ability of different cathepsins to degrade apo-MT was in the following order: cathepsin B >> cathepsin C > cathepsin D. While apo-MT was susceptible to degradation, ZnMT and CdMT were highly resistant to degradation. Coincubation of ZnMT or CdMT with either lysosomal extract or purified cathepsins did not result in any appreciable degradation even after 16 hr. However, longer incubations did result in some degradation, especially by purified cathepsin B. Interestingly, CdMT degraded little faster than ZnMT by both lysosomal extract as well as purified cathepsin B.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Scaling behavior of the elastic properties of colloidal gels.

The scaling behavior of the elastic properties of colloidal gels that are well above the gelation threshold is studied both theoretically and experimentally. A scaling theory was developed by considering the structure of the gel network as a collection of flocs, which are fractal objects closely packed throughout the sample. Two regimes are found based on the relative value of the elastic constant of the interfloc links to that of the flocs. In the strong-link (interfloc) regime, the elastic constant of the gels increases but the limit of linearity decreases with increasing particle concentration, whereas in the weak-link regime both the elastic constant and the limit of linearity increase with increasing particle concentration. Rheological studies on the elastic behavior of two types of boehmite alumina gels, Catapal and Dispal powders, were performed. Both types of gels in the concentration range studied showed the strong-link behavior and the results are in good agreement with the theoretical predictions. The value of the fractal dimension of the flocs D\ensuremath{\simeq}1.95, deduced from the rheological measurements, is in agreement with the value D\ensuremath{\simeq}2.04 deduced from the static light-scattering measurements on dilute suspensions. Therefore the scaling theory we developed also enables us to extract structural information from the rheological measurements.
Renormalization-group analysis of turbulence.

Using renormalization-group methods and the postulated equivalence between the inertial-range structures of turbulent flows satisfying initial and boundary conditions and of flows driven by a random force, we evaluate the Kolmogorov constant (1.617) and Batchelor constant (1.161), skewness factor (0.4878), power-law exponent (1.3307) for the decay of homogeneous turbulence, turbulent Prandtl number (0.7179), and von K\'arm\'an constant (0.372). This renormalization-group technique has also been used to derive turbulent transport models.
Perception of flavor finish in model white wine: A time-intensity study

Abstract This study performed a time intensity trained panel ( n = 10) evaluation of flavor finish in model white wines. Four flavor compounds representing fruity, floral, coconut, and mushroom flavors were added to a model white wine in single-, two- and four-compounds combinations. Trained panelists executed time intensity analysis (TI) of these model white wines. TI analysis of single- and two-compound model wines showed that fruity flavor finished earlier than coconut, mushroom and floral flavors ( p p I max (maximum intensity), similar trends were observed for the single and two-compounds model wines in that mushroom was perceived as significantly more intense than fruity flavor. This difference was not apparent in the four-compound model wine, likely due to the complexity of the model wine. Predicted interactions among the flavor compounds indicated that the perceived intensity of coconut flavor was highly influenced by the presence of other flavor compounds, while the lengths of finish of mushroom and coconut flavors were highly influenced by interactions among flavor compounds. Overall, this study provided an approach to studying wine finish and through results in a model wine, suggested that different flavor compounds are perceived differently in wine finish.
Validation of personal exposure models for sulfate and aerosol strong acidity.

Personal exposure models for sulfates (SO4 =) and aerosol strong acidity (H+) were previously developed using concentration and activity pattern data collected from a personal monitoring study conducted in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, during the summer of 1990. Models were constructed based on time-weighted microenvironmental exposures. For SO4 =, the “best-fit” model included a correction factor, while for H+, it included both a correction factor and a neutralization term. In this paper, we present the validation of these models using data collected in a personal monitoring study conducted in State College, Pennsylvania, during the summer of 1991. Indoor and outdoor concentration and activity pattern data collected in this study were used as inputs for the “best-fit” models for SO4 = and H+. Predicted personal exposures subsequently were compared to the measured personal exposures from State College to determine their accuracy and precision. Predicted personal exposures for both SO4 = and H+ were in excellen...
The effect of transmitter antagonists on phasic respiratory neurons.

The activity of inspiratory neurons in the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) and of expiratory neurons in the nucleus retroambigualis (NRA) was recorded during the iontophoresis of L-glutamate, bicuculline, and strychnine in chloralose-urethane-anesthetized cat. Bicuculline methoxide caused increased activity of NTS and NRA neurons during their active or burst phases. Neither bicuculline nor strychnine caused increased activity during the silent phases of NTS or NRA neurons. When neurons were driven to fire during their silent phase by L-glutamate, the application of bicuculline methoxide caused a diminution of the evoked activity. It is concluded that both inspiratory and expiratory neurons receive inhibitory inputs during both their active and silent phases. Gamma-aminobutyric acid appears to be gating both the excitatory and inhibitory information to NTS and NRA neurons. Strychnine was generally ineffective in changing the firing patterns of inspiratory and expiratory neurons suggesting a limited role of glycine, taurine, and L-alanine in the respiratory network.
Contributions to Anthropocosmic Environmental Ethics

This essay is an articulation of various contributions to anthropocosmic environmental ethics—an approach to environmental ethics emerging within the study of religion and ecology. In an anthropocosmic approach to environmental ethics, humans are intimately intertwined with the environment. Rather than placing value on a particular center (e. g., anthropocentric, biocentric, ecocentric) and thus excluding and marginalizing something of peripheral value, an anthropocosmic approach to ethics seeks to facilitate the mutual implication of humanity and the natural world, thereby affirming the interconnectedness and mutual constitution of central and peripheral value. Although the adjective "anthropocosmic" may seem obscure or vague, an examination of the genealogy of the term, beginning with its appearance in the works of Mircea Eliade, discloses numerous resources that have important contributions to make to the development of viable environmental ethics.
Variational Monte Carlo study of pentaquark states

Accurate numerical solution of the five-body Schrodinger equation is effected via variational Monte Carlo calculations. The spectrum is assumed to exhibit a narrow resonance with strangeness S = +1. A fully antisymmetrized and pair-correlated five-quark wave function is obtained for the assumed nonrelativistic Hamiltonian, which has spin, isospin, and color dependent pair interactions and many-body confining terms, which are fixed by the nonexotic spectra. Gauge field dynamics are modeled via flux-tube exchange factors. The energy determined for the ground states with J(pi) = (1/2)- ((1/2)+) is 2.22 (2.50) GeV. A lower energy negative parity state is consistent with recent lattice results. The short-range structure of the state is analyzed via its diquark content.
Dual Inhibition: Combining Epidermal Growth Factor–Targeted Therapies in Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) pathway is an important target in the treatment of advanced non–small-cell lung cancer. Therapeutic modulation of this pathway has focused on inhibiting the EGFR tyrosine kinase or competitively binding the receptor. Each method of EGFR inhibition is imperfect, with alternate cellular mechanisms variably enabling continued proliferation and malignant growth. In addition, de novo or acquired resistance is common with either one of these approaches. The use of both strategies simultaneously to block the EGFR signaling cascade, so-called dual inhibition, might theoretically overcome these limitations and improve efficacy. Preclinical data support this concept, and clinical trials are under way to investigate the safety and efficacy of combined EGFR inhibition.
Determination of the orientation of short glass fibers in sheet molding compound (SMC)

A computer based semiautomatic procedure has been developed to measure the fiber orientation on the surface of Sheet Molding Compound (SMC) plaques. The principal orientation direction and the Hermans' orientation descriptor were used to summarize the fiber orientation distribution. The results show that only slight orientation was produced in the SMC plaque with a centrally placed charge occupying 40 percent of the area of the mold. Plaque to plaque, top surface to bottom surface, and region to region variability in the fiber orientation were observed. With a flow length of less than 3 fiber lengths in these plaques, the Hermans' orientation descriptor was in the range of 0.1 to 0.5. The descriptor varied appreciably with increasing sampling area and consistently displayed a sharp transition across the boundary of the original charge area, indicating distinct flow behaviors inside and outside the charge area. Likewise, the principal orientation direction varied with increasing sample area, albeit with some degree of coordination between the top and the bottom surfaces. Finally, the orientation of fibers in the four quadrants of the same plaque differed significantly. Based on the descriptor for each quadrant, the flow could be radial from the center of the plaque, rotational with the top and bottom surfaces in similar angular displacements, or twisted with the two surfaces moving in opposite directions, all indicating local nonuniformity of the flow.
Genetic and transgenic perturbations of carbon reserve production in Arabidopsis seeds reveal metabolic interactions of biochemical pathways

The biosynthesis of seed oil and starch both depend on the supply of carbon from the maternal plant. The biochemical interactions between these two pathways are not fully understood. In the Arabidopsis mutant shrunken seed 1 (sse1)/pex16, a reduced rate of fatty acid synthesis leads to starch accumulation. To further understand the metabolic impact of the decrease in oil synthesis, we compared soluble metabolites in sse1 and wild type (WT) seeds. Sugars, sugar phosphates, alcohols, pyruvate, and many other organic acids accumulated in sse1 seeds as a likely consequence of the reduced carbon demand for lipid synthesis. The enlarged pool size of hexose-P, the metabolites at the crossroad of sugar metabolism, glycolysis, and starch synthesis, was likely a direct cause of the increased flow into starch. Downstream of glycolysis, more carbon entered the TCA cycle as an alternative to the fatty acid pathway, causing the total amount of TCA cycle intermediates to rise while moving the steady state of the cycle away from fumarate. To convert the excess carbon metabolites into starch, we introduced the Escherichia coli starch synthetic enzyme ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase) into sse1 seeds. Expression of AGPase enhanced net starch biosynthesis in the mutant, resulting in starch levels that reached 37% of seed weight. However, further increases above this level were not achieved and most of the carbon intermediates remained high in comparison with the WT, indicating that additional mechanisms limit starch deposition in Arabidopsis seeds.
Effects of feed-side solute polarization on pervaporative stripping of volatile organic solutes from dilute aqueous solution: a generalized analytical treatment

Abstract A simplified analytical model of solute and solvent transport for a dilute solution of a sparingly soluble volatile organic compound in aqueous solution during pervaporation through a solute-permselective membrane graphically demonstrates the importance of feed-side boundary layer resistance on the overall selectivity and capacity of the separation process. Nomographs allowing prediction of operating performance characteristics for pervaporation (e.g., enrichment ratio, process selectivity, and solute permeation flux) from a knowledge of a small number of readily-accessible thermodynamic and physicochemical properties of the liquid-phase components and membrane, and of feed-side hydrodynamic parameters, are presented. The analysis reveals that, even under the most favorable conditions for minimizing feed-side polarization, pervaporative separation of components in such systems is severely compromised by feed-side boundary layer transport resistance. Operating conditions needed to optimize pervaporative performance are proposed. It is suggested that, for such systems, a hybrid process comprising staged liquid/liquid extraction in combination with liquid/liquid separation by crossflow microfitration may be a more practical and economic approach to this important problem.
A Monitoring Probe for Radiochemistry Laboratories

Abstract : In order to detect contamination of equipment and to protect the health of workers in laboratories handling radioactive materials, it is necessary to have instruments capable of indicating small amounts of radiation at the working space and on the person and clothing of workers. Several excellent portable radiation meters are now on the market, but only the most recent ones are effective in detecting weak radiation, the older ones generally being designed for monitoring X-rays. As Libby points out, the isotopes emitting the least energetic radiation are among the most useful. By substituting a more sensitive GM tube for the one ordinarily furnished, older instruments easily may be changed to permit them to detect a fraction of these weak radiations large enough so that they may be of service in monitoring laboratories.
Preparation of a Microporous Organometallic Material

Zeolites and transition-metal organometallic complexes have found widespread application as heterogeneous and homogeneous catalysts, respectively, the former on account of their microporosity and the latter on account of their selective reactivity toward organic molecules under mild conditions. Materials combining the properties of both classes of compounds are therefore of great interest and have been studied in the form of zeolite-supported organometallic complexes. We report here a new approach to this type of material where the microporous framework itself is organometallic. This approach is based on the observation that many zeolite frameworks are comprised of large aluminosilicate cages linked together into cross-linked, three-dimensional polymers and the idea that microporous organometallic analogues might be prepared by linking together organic cages in a similar fashion using transition-metal complexes. We describe here a successful implementation of this approach using C{sub 60} cages and -Ir(C{sub 2}H{sub 4})({mu}{sub 2}-Cl){sub 2}(C{sub 2}H{sub 4})Ir-linkages. C{sub 60} was selected as the cage unit due to its large size and its ability to bind up to six transition metals octahedrally in molecular and possibly in polymeric systems; [(C{sub 2}H{sub 4})Ir({mu}{sub 2}-Cl){sub 2}Ir-(C{sub 2}H{sub 4}){sub 2}] was selected as the linkage precursor since its ethylene ligands are easily displaced by othermore » olefins. 23 refs., 3 figs.« less
The application of the cantilever bridge principle to silastic nasal support: a preliminary report.

Most Plastic Surgeons would agree that all the materials used in bridge line reconstruction may cause trouble. This is usually the direct result of the inexperience of the surgeon, a bad choice of technique or material or his lack of appreciation of the stresses and strains that the graft or implant will have to bear in an anatomical site that may be heavily infiltrated with scar and is easily subject to injury. Since the construction of an L-shaped graft of cartilage or bone at the time of operation is never as easy or as satisfactory as the pictures in the books and journals might appear to indicate, it was decided to incorporate the cantilever bridge principle into a pre-fabricated silastic L-shaped implant (Fig. 1). This modification of the L-shaped strut may overcome one of the major complications of a short length implant, namely necrosis of the skin over the nasal bridge line and exposure of the implant.
The effects of polychlorinated biphenyls (Aroclors® 1016 and 1254) on mortality, reproduction, and regeneration inHydra oligactis

Budding and tentacle regeneration were observed inHydra oligactis following exposure to the commercial PCB mixtures Aroclor 1016 and 1254. The acute toxicity of these PCB s was also compared by determining their respective 72-hr LC50s. The animals were exposed to the PCBs as a component of an artificial pond water medium with PCB dilutions being made from a 49:1, reagent grade acetone:PCB solution. All exposures were continuous with the medium being replaced daily. Animals used in studying the effects of these chemicals on tentacle regeneration had their heads transected at the time of initial exposure to the PCBs. Observation were taken at 24, 48, 72, and 96-hr of incubation at 19 ±0.2°C.
Cognitive functions in schizotypal personality disorder.

Objective: Schizophrenia spectrum subjects have cognitive deficits in a variety of domains. Schizotypal personality disordered (SPD) subjects do not have many of the confounds seen in schizophrenic patients, but may have the same pattern of cognitive deficits in attention and executive functioning. Hypotheses: We hypothesized that SPD subjects would have impairments on measures of attention, abstract reasoning, cognitive inhibition, working memory and verbal recognition memory when compared to normal subjects, and that these deficits would be intermediate to those observed in schizophrenic patients. Method: SPD subjects (N=20) were compared to age-, gender- and education-matched schizophrenic patients (N=20) and normal comparison subjects (N=20) on a battery of cognitive measures. Results: The data were analyzed using standard statistical methods, including effect sizes. Using a conservative alpha level of 0.01, schizophrenic patients had deficits on many of these measures compared to normal subjects. Although the SPD subjects did not significantly differ from normal comparison subjects at the p<0.01 level, there were trends (p<0.019–0.028) toward impairment on measures of working memory and general intellectual functioning. On further effect size analysis, SPD subjects performed intermediate to normals and schizophrenic patients on measures of attention, abstract reasoning, cognitive inhibition, verbal working memory, recognition memory, and general intellectual functioning, with moderate to large effect sizes separating groups. Conclusions: These results suggest that SPD subjects have possible widespread cognitive deficits that are of lesser magnitude than those observed in schizophrenic patients.
A nearly optimal auction for an uninformed seller

Abstract This paper describes a nearly optimal auction mechanism that does not require previous knowledge of the distribution of values of potential buyers. The mechanism we propose builds on the new literature on the elicitation of information from experts. We extend the latter to the case where the secret information shared by the experts–potential buyers in our model–can be used against them if it becomes public knowledge.
Iterative Modeling and Identification of a CO2 Air Conditioning System

This paper uses an air conditioning system to illustrate the benefits of iteratively combining first principles and system identification techniques to develop control-oriented models of complex systems. A transcritical vapor compression system is initially modeled with first principles and then verified with experimental data. Both SISO and MIMO system identification techniques are then used to construct locally linear models. Motivated by the ability to capture the salient dynamic characteristics with low order identified models, the physical model is evaluated for essentially nonminimal dynamics. A singular perturbation model reduction approach is then applied to obtain a minimal representation of the dynamics more suitable for control design, and yielding insight to the underlying system dynamics previously unavailable in the literature. The results demonstrate that iteratively modeling a complex system with first principles and system identification techniques gives greater confidence in the first principles model, and better understanding of the underlying physical dynamics. Although this iterative process requires more time and effort, significant insight and model improvements can be realized.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
The multiple baseline design across exemplars

Three variations of the multiple baseline design (MBD) have been identified in the behavioral literature: MBD across behaviors, subjects and situations. This analysis proposes an important variant of the MBD across behaviors, namely the MBD across exemplars. In this variant, two or more components (exemplars) of the behavior class form the baselines of the design. Thus, intervention is applied separately and sequentially to each target exemplar. The implicit rule of the MBD across exemplars can be seen in several published papers in the behavioral literature. The value of recognizing this variant of the MBD across behaviors is its usefulness as an alternative experimental intervention in clinical settings where the possibility of a convincing research design might not otherwise be seen.
Packing motifs as predictors of the propensity of antibody fragments to crystallize

A recurring theme in the crystallization of antibody fragments in our laboratory has been a packing pattern involving formation of intermolecular, antiparallel β-pleated sheets across two-fold axes. The most common motif is the antiparallel stacking of constant (C) domains of light (L) chain dimers or Fab molecules. Here, cross-molecule six-stranded sheets are produced by hydrogen-bonding interactions of three-residue polypeptide segments (triads). in the i, i + 2 and i + 4 positions of the final strands (designated 3-3) of the three-chain layers from two adjacent molecules. In the variable (V) domains the triads are supplied by the first strands (4-1) of the four-chain layers and the resulting cross-molecule sheets contain eight strands. The latter type of packing is more likely to be seen in crystals of Fv fragments (V domains only) than in those of L chain dimers or Fabs. Amongst the triads from either the V or C domains, there are on average four sets of backbone carbonyl and amide groups within hydrogen bonding distance < 3.2 A) of each other. In at least one example, the adjacent antiparallel strands are sterically aligned, but only two of the appropriate sets of atoms are sufficiently close to meet the distance criteria for intermolecular hydrogen bonding. These observations have been used to construct a list of rules for predicting which types of L chain dimers. Fab and Fvs are likely to crystallize in these packing patterns.
Growth and Development of a Woman Scientist and Educator

Isabel Fothergill Smith (November 15, 1890-September 16, 1990), Professor Emcrita of Geology and History of Science, Scripps College, Claremont California, began her career in geology and education with the tutelage and mentoring of Florence Bascom at Bryn Mawr College. After receiving her Ph.D. from that institution, Smith embarked upon her career in education as a geology professor at Smith College. In 1929, she became the first Dean at Scripps College, a newly founded women's college in southern California. After six years as Dean and a sabbatical studying history of science at Columbia and Harvard Universities, Smith returned to Scripps and taught history of science and geology there, as well as at Pomona College. She retired from teaching in 1954 and later wrote a biographical memoir of her mentor Florence Bascom.
Cataract extraction and risk of breast cancer.

Objective: To prospectively examine the association between cataract extraction and breast cancer risk among 66,782 postmenopausal women who were 50 years or older in the Nurses' Health Study cohort from 1984 to 1998.
Comments on "Estimation using a multirate filter

The present author offers precedents for use of the Bar-Itzhack filter formulation, as recently recast in a multirate parallel Kalman filter framework discussed by D. Andrisani, II and C.-F. Gau (see ibid., vol.AC-32, p.653-6, Jul. 1987). >
The Significance of the Placenta in Assessment of the Newborn

The placenta may harbor many diagnostic tools available for the care of ill neonates. Such tools enable fine-tuning of diagnoses or even the establishment of diagnoses not considered during the investigation and care of the newborn. For this reason, obstetricians, pediatricians, and pathologists should all be familiar with common placental diagnoses so that sharing of the available data among these specialists may, in many cases, provide supportive and diagnostic information critical to the management of the newborn.
Studies of pollen and spores in rivers and other bodies of water, in terms of source-vegetation and sedimentation, with special reference to Trinity River and Bay, Texas

Abstract The palynomorph load of various bodies of water shows a concentration in the order of 10 3 /100 1 or less in marine water far from shore, 10 4 in most streams, 10 5 in some deltas and estuaries, 10 6 in a few exceptional cases of streams and lakes in flood stage. Studies of the Trinity River and Bay, Texas, show that relationships between palynomorph-load and the producing vegetation are complex, although some seasonality related to flowering peaks is evident. The sedimentary regime of the river is of critical importance in understanding the dynamics of palynomorph-load. This is demonstrated especially by recycling of extant pollen and spores, which repeatedly re-enter the stream load in times of peak flow, and by reworked palynomorphs that weather out of rocks in the drainage basin.
A Tale of Two Rhythms: The Emerging Roles of Oxytocin in Rhythmic Prolactin Release

Hormone secretion often occurs in a pulsatile manner. In this review, we discuss two rhythms of in vivo prolactin release in female rats and the ongoing research that we and others have performed aiming to understand the mechanisms underlying them. The peptide hormone oxytocin appears to play an important role in both rhythms. One rhythm occurs during the first half of pregnancy, but can also be induced in ovariectomised rats. This is characterised by a circadian pattern with two prolactin surges per day. Two methods for triggering this rhythm are discussed, each utilising a unique physiological pathway that includes oxytocin action, presumably on pituitary lactotrophs. The second rhythm occurs during the oestrous cycle and is characterised by a surge of prolactin on the afternoon of pro-oestrus. We discuss recent findings that oxytocin is more effective at stimulating prolactin release from lactotrophs taken from animals on the afternoon of pro-oestrus than from those of animals on the morning of dioestrus 1, raising the possibility that this hormone plays a physiological role in the regulation of prolactin secretion during the oestrous cycle.
Test-based classification: A linkage between classification and statistical testing

Abstract The purpose of this article is to introduce a new classification methodology. The methodology uses a connection, which we uncover, between classification and testing, and is called Test-based classification . Although the main focus of this article is the binary classification with the univariate and the multivariate data, an extension to the multiclass classification is also covered. Several simulated and real data sets are used to demonstrate how this new methodology works. We argue that our new idea is competitive with the linear and quadratic discriminant analysis when the observed data are normally distributed, but it can outperform them when the data are not normally distributed. Lanchenbruch's holdout misclassification rate is used to judge the performance of classification.
The Divisible Code Bound Revisited

Abstract We present a character-free proof of the divisible code bound and some applications.
IGF-I prevents glutamate-induced motor neuron programmed cell death

Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) is currently in clinical trials for treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), but little is known about how it promotes the survival of motor neurons. In the current study, we examined IGF-I-mediated neuroprotection in an in vitro model of ALS utilizing enriched cultures of embryonic rat spinal cord motor neurons. IGF-I binds to the IGF-I receptor (IGF-IR) in motor neurons and activates MAPK and the downstream effector of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI-3K) signaling, Akt. IGF-I:IGF-IR signaling involves phosphorylation of IRS-1 and Shc, but not IRS-2. Glutamate, which is elevated in the cerebrospinal fluid of ALS patients, induced DNA fragmentation and caspase-3 cleavage in the spinal cord motor neurons. These effects of glutamate were blocked by co-treatment with IGF-I. However, a delay of IGF-I treatment for as little as 30 min eliminated its neuroprotective effect. Finally, alone, neither the MAPK pathway inhibitor PD98059 nor the PI-3K inhibitor LY294002 blocked the neuroprotective effect of IGF-I, but both inhibitors together were effective in this regard. These results suggest that the dose and timing of IGF-I administration are critical for producing a neuroprotective effect, and also suggest that both the MAPK and PI-3K/Akt pathways can promote the survival of motor neurons. We discuss our results in terms of novel strategies for ALS therapy.
Lactate injection by electric currents for bioremediation of tetrachloroethylene in clay

Abstract Biological transformation of tetrachloroethylene (PCE) in silty clay samples by ionic injection of lactate under electric fields is evaluated. To prepare contaminated samples, a silty clay slurry was mixed with PCE, inoculated with KB-1 ® dechlorinators and was consolidated in a 40 cm long cell. A current density between 5.3 and 13.3 A m −2 was applied across treated soil samples while circulating electrolytes containing 10 mg L −1 lactate concentration between the anode and cathode compartments to maintain neutral pH and chemically reducing boundary conditions. The total adsorbed and aqueous PCE was degraded in the soil to trichloroethylene (TCE), cis -1,2-dichloroethene ( cis -DCE), vinyl chloride (VC) and ethene in 120 d, which is about double the time expected for transformation. Lactate was delivered into the soil by a reactive transport rate of 3.7 cm 2 d −1 V −1 . PCE degradation in the clay samples followed zero order transformation rates ranging from 1.5 to 5 mg L −1 d −1 without any significant formation of TCE. cis -DCE transformation followed first order transformation rates of 0.06–0.10 per day. A control experiment conducted with KB-1 and lactate, but without electricity did not show any significant lactate buildup or cis -DCE transformation because the soil was practically impermeable (hydraulic conductivity of 2 × 10 −7 cm s −1 ). It is concluded that ionic migration will deliver organic additives and induce biological activity and complete PCE transformation in clay, even though the transformation occurs under slower rates compared to ideal conditions.
The Impact of Salesperson Perception of Firm Market Orientation on Behaviors and Consulting Effectiveness

The purpose of this study was to study market orientation as an antecedent of salespersons' behaviors that should, in turn, influence the ability of the salesperson to add value to the product or service. There have been many studies of personal antecedents of salespersons behaviors and performance, with little predictive success. But there are few studies of firm-level influences on salesperson behaviors and their outcomes. A survey was sent to non-retail salespeople utilizing previously validated scales for all constructs of interest. The survey responses were analyzed using structural equation modeling to test hypotheses. Results suggest that market orientation has an indirect influence on salesperson consulting through adaptive selling and active listening behaviors. Active listening fully mediates the relationship between customer orientation and salesperson consulting, while salesperson consulting fully mediates the relationship between active listening and consulting effectiveness. Half of the infl...
A chromosome study of thirty Japanese heteropterans (Heteroptera)

The chromosomes of thirty Japanese heteropterans were studied in male or female germ cells and embryo cells in acetic orcein squashes or air-dried slides stained with Giemsa. This work revealed the chromosome formula and the sex-mechanism of Rhopalidae for the first time. New data on the chromosomes of the Acanthosomatidae, Alydidae, Belostomatidae, Cydnidae, Plataspidae and Urostylidae are presented.
Synergistic effects of soil microstructure and bacterial EPS on drying rate in emulated soil micromodels

Microbial extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) have been shown to alter soil moisture retention and to improve seedling survival and plant growth at the bulk scale. The mechanisms of EPS-mediated water retention include reversible swelling of the cross-linked polymer matrix and the promotion of an aggregated soil structure. However, the effects of EPS on water retention have never been directly observed at the pore scale. Here, emulated soil micromodels were developed to directly observe the effects of physical, chemical, and biological factors on pore-scale water retention. In this demonstration, a pseudo-2D pore structure was created to represent physical features of a fine sandy loam. Replicate micromodels were initially saturated with suspensions of different soil bacteria, and pore-scale air infiltration was directly imaged over time. External evaporativity was held constant through the use of a custom constant-humidity environmental chamber. Micromodels filled with suspensions of highly mucoid Sinorhizobium meliloti retained moisture about twice as long as physically identical micromodels filled with suspensions of non-mucoid S. meliloti. Relative drying rates in six replicate experiments ranged from 1.1 to 2.5 times slower for mucoid suspensions. Patterns of air infiltration were similar but not identical across replicates. The results suggest that pore fluid EPS and micromodel geometry act together to limit evaporation at pore throats. Advantages of the micromodel approach include direct observation of pore-scale dynamic process, and the ability to systematically replicate complex physical structures. These abilities will enable users to screen benefits from different structures and from microbial compositions, and build predictive understanding of the overall function of microbe-habitat systems.
Ureteral Complications in Renal Transplantation: A Comparison of the Lich-Gregoir Versus the Taguchi Technique

Abstract Objective Modifications of the Lich-Gregoir extravesical ureteroneocystostomy have become the standard technique for management of the ureter during renal transplantation. We performed a comparative outcome examination of the standard Lich-Gregoir technique and the Taguchi or “one-stitch” technique. Methods We reviewed our experience at the University of Washington with the Taguchi (one-stitch, Minnesota) extravesical reimplant technique that involves tacking the distal ureter to the bladder mucosa with a single absorbable stitch. Results During a 3.5-year period, 330 renal transplants were performed and in 73 cases a Taguchi ureteral anastomosis was employed rather than the Lich-Gregoir technique (238 cases). The overall complication rate for the Taguchi technique was 23% (n = 16) as opposed to 7.1% for the Lich-Gregoir technique. When comparing the Taguchi to the Lich-Gregoir technique, there was a significant increase in hematuria and ureteral complications (P = .002, .012). In a multivariate analysis, the Taguchi technique was a significant risk factor for both hematuria and ureteral complications. Conclusions In summary, our limited experience with Taguchi ureteroneocystostomy resulted in dramatically higher complication rates than the modified the Lich-Gregoir technique.
Cephalometric evaluation of the changes in patients wearing complete dentures: A 20-year study

The purpose of this continuing longitudinal investigation was to study the changes on the craniofacial complex in complete denture wearers; herein are reported the 20-year findings. At the onset of the study complete dentures were made for 64 persons. Two dentures techniques were employed: a complex method of construction and a simplified method. At the start of the project the patients' ages ranged from 30 to 60 years (average age 53 years) and all had been edentulous for at least 1 year (range 1 to 30 years). Lateral cephalometric radiographs were made immediately after initial placement of the dentures and during subsequent years (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 10, 15, and 20). The same cephalostat was used throughout and all films were exposed with the teeth in centric occlusion. Thirty-four subjects presented for the 20-year follow-up. Of this number, the radiographs of 24 subjects (14 women and 10 men; average age 65.5 years [range 50-83 years]) (12 complex denture wearers; 12 simplified technique denture wearers) were used in this report (10 had denture alterations over the 20-year period that excluded them). The 20-year observations corroborate earlier findings. There is a loss of the vertical dimension of occlusion as viewed from the right profile, and the mandible rotates in a counterclockwise fashion resulting in an increase in relative prognathism. The maxillary alveolus was stable, the mandibular alveolus resorbed, and the dentures rotated counterclockwise and shifted slightly forward. The observed changes were not significantly affected by the sex of the patient or by the denture technique employed.
POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS EXPOSED TO VIOLENCE

Research on children and adolescents exposed to community violence has consistently demonstrated that young people are significantly affected by their experiences with violence. Much of the work has focused on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and related symptoms as outcomes of violence exposure. PTSD first appeared as a psychiatric diagnosis in the third edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III). 3 The DSM-IV 4 criteria for PTSD are listed in Table 1. The severity, duration, and proximity of an individual's exposure to the traumatic event are the most important factors affecting the likelihood of developing the disorder. Community-based studies have shown a lifetime prevalence of PTSD ranging from 1 to 14 percent, while studies of at-risk populations have yielded prevalence rates ranging from 3% to 58%. 4 DSM-IV introduced the diagnosis Acute Stress Disorder in recognition of difficulties often encountered in the month immediately following a trauma. Terr 54 emphasizes four PTSD-specific symptoms that children consistently display, regardless of the source of the trauma: (1) repeatedly perceiving memories of the event through visualization or "re-seeing" aspects of the trauma; (2) engagement in behavioral reenactments and repetitive play related to aspects of the trauma; (3) trauma-specific fears, and (4) pessimistic attitudes about people, life, and future, manifesting as a sense of hopelessness and difficulty forming close relationships. Terr also makes the useful distinction between traumas that result from "unanticipated single events" (Type I Trauma) and those that result from longstanding or repeated exposure to multiple events (Type II Trauma). While brief traumas may have only limited effects on the individual, repeated trauma may lead to anger, despair, profound psychic numbing, and dissociation, resulting in major personality changes. PTSD is unique among psychiatric disorders in that the acute symptoms (i.e., re-experiencing, avoidance, and hyperarousal) are generally considered expectable and even "normal" in the context of the "abnormal" event of traumatization. 35 Briere 6 theorizes that: Flashbacks, intrusive thoughts, and nightmares … may represent the mind's automatic attempt to desensitize and integrate affectively-laden material by repeatedly exposing itself to small, moderately distressing fragments of an otherwise overwhelming trauma. … From this perspective, flashbacks and related intrusive experiences, as well as avoidant symptoms such as numbing and cognitive disengagement, represent the mind's desensitization and processing activities more than they reflect underlying pathology, per se. (p. 144)
Development of Electromagnetic Stimulation System to Aid Patients Suffering From Vocal Fold Paralysis

Vocal fold paralysis affects approximately 7.5 million Americans. Paralysis can be caused by numerous conditions, including head, neck or surgical trauma, endotracheal intubation, neurological conditions, cancer, tumors, just to mention a few. Currently, vocal fold paralysis treatment involves surgery and voice therapy. The vocal folds are composed of a three part material stretched along the larynx, which enables frequency change. Intrinsic laryngeal muscles coordinate the motion of vocal folds during respiration, vocalization, and aid in airway protection. Sensory information is carried by the Superior Laryngeal Nerve (SLN) and the Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve (RLN). Injury to the RLN results in paralysis of all laryngeal muscles excluding the cricothyroid muscle [1]. Although optimal larynx reinnervation has been extensively researched and implemented to improve voice paralysis [2], voice electrotherapy offers an alternative to effectively stimulate the larynx muscles for voice production, breathing and airway protection. One of the main causes of voice disorders is neurological in nature and causes abnormal vocal fold vibration. Of particular importance to this research is paralysis due to RLN injury, which causes acute temporary paralysis [3]. Currently, invasive electrical stimulus is used to activate muscle function; however, abnormal activation of muscle patterns causes muscles to function out of synchronization resulting in low vocal output [4]. For this reason, our work focuses on the development of an effective electromagnetic stimulation system to aid patients with unilateral vocal fold paralysis by stimulating the RLN and in turn reinnervating the adequate laryngeal muscles involved in the vocal fold motion for the purposes of sound vocalization, respiration, and airway protection. So far, a proof of principle has been developed and evaluated to assess the system’s feasibility. The preliminary experiments have been conducted using BioMetal Fibers (BMF) (Toki Corporation, Japan), which are fiber-like solid state actuators designed to contract and extend similar to muscles. BMF contracts when stimulated through a current generated in this case through an electromagnetic field.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
LINE-1 retrotransposons: modulators of quantity and quality of mammalian gene expression?

LINE-1 (L1) retrotransposons are replicating repetitive elements that, by mass, are the most-abundant sequences in the human genome. Over one-third of mammalian genomes are the result, directly or indirectly, of L1 retrotransposition. L1 encodes two proteins: ORF1, an RNA-binding protein, and ORF2, an endonuclease/reverse transcriptase. Both proteins are required for L1 mobilization. Apart from the obvious function of self-replication, it is not clear what other roles, if any, L1 plays within its host. The sheer magnitude of L1 sequences in our genome has fueled speculation that over evolutionary time L1 insertions may structurally modify endogenous genes and regulate gene expression. Here we provide a review of L1 replication and its potential functional consequences. BioEssays 27:775–784, 2005. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Introduction: Commemorating the Sixtieth Anniversary of the President's Commission Report, Higher Education for Democracy

In July of 1946, President Harry S Truman invited thirty prominent educational and civic leaders to serve on the Presidential Commission on Higher Education, creating the first official body to address federal higher education policy. Truman asked the Commission to broadly consider ‘‘the functions of higher education in our democracy and of the means by which they can best be performed.’’ First among his specific charges, Truman directed members to examine ‘‘ways and means of expanding educational opportunities for all able young people.’’ The commissioners, led by George F. Zook, then President of the American Council on Education, took this request very seriously. The Commission’s report, Higher Education for Democracy, issued in six volumes between December 1947 and March of 1948, called for a dramatic expansion of enrollments in American colleges and universities, and recommended a wide-ranging set of policies to facilitate this growth. Viewed as the harbinger of mass higher education in the United States, the Zook report is considered one of the most influential documents in the history of American higher education. The Commission’s report was, in many ways, prescient. In addition to foreseeing an incredible growth in interest on the part of Americans in college attendance, commissioners lobbied for a number of policies that would become important features of American higher education in the late twentieth century, including the expansion of public higher education, particularly two-year institutions which the Commission renamed ‘‘Community Colleges’’ rather than ‘‘Junior Colleges,’’ federal financial aid programs, and the end to discrimination based on religion