cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On the mechanism of enzyme action. LIII. The amphoteric properties of trypsin.

Abstract Several methods were employed for the preparation of salt-free trypsin samples which were used to determine the electrometric titration curves of the enzyme. These curves point to a maximum acid-binding capacity below pH 2. Stoichiometric analysis indicates the presence of 6 carboxyl groups per 10,000 g. of proteins, 1 imidazole group, and 13 hydroxyl-binding groups. Calcium has a specific effect on the titration curves by increasing the acidity of the carboxyl groups in the pH range 3.5 – 5. This effect is not shown by potassium, sodium, or even the bivalent magnesium ion. It is attributed to the formation of a specific complex between the enzyme and the calcium ions, involving the carboxyl groups of the protein. The equally specific protective effect of calcium on the self-digestion of trypsin can therefore be explained by assuming the formation of a complex which stabilizes the enzyme. There is good qualitative agreement between the pH dependence of the electrophoretic mobility of the enzyme and the titration curves. In addition to stabilizing the enzyme, calcium also slightly increases its activity. The investigation of the dependence of the proteolytic activity of trypsin on the pH in the presence or absence of calcium at various temperatures indicates that both effects of calcium ions, the protective effect and the increase in activity, are due to a shift of the equilibrium between native and denatured enzyme in favor of the active form.
Calibration of the Penman wind function using the Bowen ratio energy balance method

Abstract The Bowen ratio energy balance (BREB) method was used to calibrate the wind function constants (Wf = aw + bwu2) in the aerodynamic term of the Penman equation for computation of the hourly and 24 h alfalfa-reference evapotranspiration (Etr) at an irrigated semi-arid valley in northern Utah during the 1991–1992 growing season. Statistical analysis of the 28 non-rainy days (when the conditions of alfalfa-reference evapotranspiration were met) showed that the hourly constants in the wind function were aw = 2.677 and bw = 0.127 (with u2 expressed in km h−1). The hourly relationship between the alfalfa-reference evapotranspiration estimated by the BREB method (Etr(BREB)) and that computed by the Penman method (Etr(Penman)) is Etr(Penman) = 0.976Etr(BREB), with the correlation coefficient (R) equal to 0.974. The daily (24 h) constants were aw = 1.00 and bw = 0.014 (with u2 expressed in km day−1). The 24 h relationship is Etr(Penman) = 1.009Etr(BREB), with R = 0.988. The wind function constants found here can be applied for computation of hourly and 24 h alfalfa-reference evapotranspiration and irrigation scheduling in this semi-arid valley.
Localized magnetic moments on very dilute Fe impurities in copper

Abstract The magnetic behavior of very dilute Fe impurities in Cu has been studied as a function of temperature between 1.1° and 310°K in applied magnetic fields up to 61 kOe by means of the Mossbauer hyperfine spectra of Fe 57 . The temperature dependence of the negative internal field is explained in terms of a localized moment on Fe which is coupled to the host lattice.
VSV Trans-Membrane Domain Promotes Content Mixing to occur Early in the Fusion Process

Polyethylene glycol (PEG)-mediated fusion of 25 nm vesicles was studied at different temperatures in the presence of the trans-membrane domain (TMD) of the G protein (fusion protein) of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV). Vesicles were composed of dioleyol-phosphatidylcholine (DOPC), dioleyol-phosphatidylethanolamine (DOPE), bovine brain sphingomyelin (SM), and cholesterol (CH) in a molar ratio of 35:30:15:20. Kinetic parameters of the fusion process were determined by fitting lipid mixing (LM), content mixing (CM), and content leakage (L) time courses globally to a three state sequential model that allowed for leakage from the final fusion pore state. This yielded the rate constants for conversion between different states as well as the probabilities of the occurrence of LM and CM in each state. The TMD enhanced the initial rate of lipid mixing and content mixing in agreement with our previous report (Biochemistry, 2002, 14925). This resulted partly from enhanced extent of CM, although the extent of LM remained unaltered. In addition, the rate of intermediate formation was increased slightly, although, the principal effect of TMD was to increase the probability of CM in the initial intermediate at the expense of the final step of the process. This suggests that the presence of TMD enhanced flickering pore formation, leading to an increase in CM early in the process. Supported by NIGMS grant 32707 to BRL.
OFF-RESONANCE PROTON-DECOUPLING IN OVERTONE NMR SPECTROSCOPY OF SOLIDS

Abstract An off-resonance proton-decoupling method is presented for the measurement of H–N dipolar couplings in 14N-overtone NMR spectroscopy of solids. This one-dimensional method employs magic-angle radio-frequency irradiation of protons in order to suppress the 1H–1H dipole interactions during the 14N-overtone signal acquisition. The one-dimensional dipolar-overtone-shift spectrum obtained allows the direct measurement of N–H dipolar couplings for the structure determination of single crystalline or uniaxially oriented peptides. Results are presented from experiments on a single crystal sample of N-acetyl-D,L-valine. The proposed method is easy to implement experimentally and the results are simple to interpret. This experiment is less time-consuming and therefore useful for the study of biological solids as compared to two-dimensional separated-local-field methods.
Histopathologic type: an independent prognostic factor in primary soft tissue sarcoma of the extremity?

Background: We attempted to define the effect of tumor histotype on local recurrence, distant metastasis, and disease-specific survival in patients with surgically treated primary extremity sarcoma.
Fetal myelomeningocele repair: urologic aspects.

Purpose of review The notion that earlier surgical correction of congenital anomalies will lead to improved outcomes permeates throughout surgical literature. This review critically assesses some of the urologic evaluations in patients who have undergone fetal repair of their myelomeningoceles. Recent findings Thus far, there are limited data to determine the effects of such a repair with respect to urologic outcome. Early data, though, have suggested that improvements are being noted in a cohort of patients who have undergone fetal repair of their myelomeningocele with respect to neurodevelopmental outcome and lower extremity neuromotor function. Summary What remains to be seen is whether fetal surgery and the noted changes translate into long-term improvement. The efforts being put forth to critically assess the outcomes of such surgery are laudable and yet the end analysis may still leave the question unanswered.
Thermal Behavior and Geometry Model of Melt Pool in Laser Material Process

Melt pool geometry and thermal behavior control are essential in obtaining consistent building performances, such as geometrical accuracy, microstructure, and residual stress. In this paper, a three dimensional model is developed to predict the thermal behavior and geometry of the melt pool in the laser material interaction process. The evolution of the melt pool and effects of the process parameters are investigated through the simulations with stationary and moving laser beam cases. The roles of the convection and surface deformation on the heat dissipation and melt pool geometry are revealed by dimensionless analysis. The melt pool shape and fluid flow are considerably affected by interfacial forces such as thermocapillary force, surface tension, and recoil vapor pressure. Quantitative comparison of interfacial forces indicates that recoil vapor pressure is dominant under the melt pool center while thermocapillary force and surface tension are more important at the periphery of the melt pool. For verification purposes, the complementary metal oxide semiconductor camera has been utilized to acquire the melt pool image online and the melt pool geometries are measured by cross sectioning the samples obtained at various process conditions. Comparison of the experimental data and model prediction shows a good agreement.
High-performance liquid chromatography using electrochemical detection for the determination of prazosin in biological samples.

Abstract For the quantitation of prazosin a sensitive high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method was developed. This HPLC analysis method uses an electrochemical detection technique for the identification and quantitation of prazosin. In this assay the serum samples were deproteinized by using a simple acetonitrile precipitation technique that was followed by n -hexane extraction. Prazosin in the deproteinized serum sample was separated by an isocratic elution with an ODS Hypersil HPLC column (150 × 4.6 mm) using a mobile phase consisting of 0.05 M Na 2 HPO 4 -acetonitrile (60:40), pH 8.4. Prazosin that was eluted from the column was detected using a Coulochem II electrochemical detector. The precision of this assay method was assessed by performing inter- and intra-assay by spiking prazosin free fetal bovine serum samples with 20 and 40 ng/ml concentrations of prazosin. In the intra-assay the recovery was 95.40±4.82% and 97.80±3.40%, respectively, for 20 and 40 ng/ml concentrations of prazosin that were used to spike the serum samples. This electrochemical detection HPLC assay method could be very useful in monitoring plasma levels of prazosin.
Graded hypoxia and blood oxidative stress during exercise recovery.

AbstractAltitude exposure and exercise elicit oxidative stress in blood; however, exercise recovery at 5000 m attenuates oxidative stress. The purpose was to determine the altitude threshold at which blood oxidative stress is blunted during exercise recovery. Twelve males 18–28 years performed four-cycle ergometry bouts (60 min, 70% VO2max, at 975 m). In a randomised counterbalanced crossover design, participants recovered 6 h at 0, 1667, 3333 and 5000 m in a normobaric hypoxia chamber (recovery altitudes were simulated by using a computerised system in an environmental chamber by lowering the partial pressure of oxygen to match that of the respective altitude). Oxygen saturation was monitored throughout exercise recovery. Blood samples obtained pre-, post-, 1 h post- and 5 h post-exercise were assayed for ferric-reducing antioxidant plasma, Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity, uric acid, lipid hydroperoxides and protein carbonyls. Muscle biopsies obtained pre and 6 h were analysed by real-time polymer...
Cardiogenesis and the Complex Biology of Regenerative Cardiovascular Medicine

The heart is a complex organ system composed of a highly diverse set of muscle and nonmuscle cells. Understanding the pathways that drive the formation, migration, and assembly of these cells into the heart muscle tissue, the pacemaker and conduction system, and the coronary vasculature is a central problem in developmental biology. Efforts to unravel the biological complexity of in vivo cardiogenesis have identified a family of closely related multipotent cardiac progenitor cells. These progenitors must respond to non-cell-autonomous signaling cues to expand, differentiate, and ultimately integrate into the three-dimensional heart structures. Coupling tissue-engineering technologies with patient-specific cardiac progenitor biology holds great promise for the development of human cell models of human disease and may lay the foundation for novel approaches in regenerative cardiovascular medicine.
A longitudinal investigation of coping strategies and quality of life among younger women with breast cancer

It is generally assumed that coping strategies impact quality of life (QOL). It is plausible that QOL determines use of coping strategies. This research examines coping strategies over time and the reciprocal relationship between coping strategies and QOL among younger women with breast cancer. Women with breast cancer (N = 267; mean age = 43 years) completed surveys within 6 months of diagnosis and 6 weeks and 6 months later. Surveys included questions on coping strategies, QOL, medical factors, and sociodemographics. Positive cognitive restructuring was the most frequently used strategy. Over time, use of seeking social support, spirituality, and wishful thinking declined, while detachment increased. Prior QOL predicted three subsequent coping strategies (seeking social support, keeping feelings to self, wishful thinking). Coping strategies were minimally related to subsequent QOL. Coping strategies and QOL are dynamic processes. QOL may predict coping strategies equally or more than vice versa.
Evaluation of aerosol aspiration efficiency as a function of stokes number, velocity ratio and nozzle angle

Abstract Inertial effects in the aspiration of aerosols from a moving fluid are described in this experimental study. Aspiration coefficients were determined by comparing concentrations collected by two nozzles simultaneously sampling in a 10 cm wind tunnel. The control nozzle was aligned parallel to the axis of the duct and sampled isokinetically. The test nozzle was inserted at angles of 0, 30, 60 and 90° and sampled at a velocity ranging from one half to two times the isokinetic velocity. Particle size, nozzle diameter and free stream velocity were varied to produce a range of Stokes numbers from 0.007 to 3. Data obtained by Belyaev and Levin (1974) were incorporated with experimental data to develop an empirical expression describing the relationship between the aspiration coefficient and the Stokes number as a function of angle of misalignment and velocity ratio. An adjusted Stokes number is described which takes into account the effect of an apparent change in nozzle diameter due to misalignment of the nozzle to the flow stream. Analysis of the probe wash showed that from 15 to 60% of the total particulate matter entering the sampler inlet was lost on the nozzle walls. Implications of this phenomenon are described.
Depravity, divine responsibility and moral evil : a critique of a new free will defence

One of the most vexing problems in the philosophy of religion is the existence of moral evil in light of an omnipotent and wholly good deity. A popular mode of diffusing the argument from evil lies in the appeal to free will. Traditionally it is argued that there is a strong connection, even a necessary one, between the ability to exercise free will and the occurrence of wrong-doing. Transworld depravity, as characterized by Alvin Plantinga, is a concept which has gone far to explain this relationship. Essentially, the notion of transworld depravity involves the claim that in any world where a person is significantly free that person would, on some occasion, act morally wrongly, or as Plantinga phrases it: ‘If S' were actual, P would go wrong with respect to A’ (where S' is a possible world, P is a person and A is an action). Not only, Plantinga claims, is it possible that there are persons who suffer from transworld depravity, but ‘it is possible that everybody suffers from it’. If transworld depravity obtains, Plantinga notes, God ‘might have been able to create worlds in which moral evil is very considerably outweighed by moral good; but it was not within His power to create worlds containing moral good but no moral evil – and this despite the fact that He is omnipotent’. On this view, God could not instantiate perfect-person essences who would not ever sin. Although Plantinga argues that these instantiated beings are significantly free in that they could have done otherwise (i.e. not sinned), it does seem that his claim about transworld depravity amounts to a claim about transworld depravity amounts to a claim about the existence of a necessary connection obtaining between freedom and evil. For even though it makes sense to claim that an individual may have unactualized dispositions, to claim that everyone, past, present and future, has unactualized dispositions seems to be a significantly different claim. It is therefore difficult to see how this latter claim differs in substance from the claim of a necessary connection obtaining between the capacity for free will and the commission of evil acts.
Control of Combustor Instabilities Using an Artificial Neural Network

It is well-known that phase-shifting controllers used for active combustion control must be manually adjusted in order to maintain control over a broad range of operating combustor operating conditions. If one assumes that the thermoacoustic instabilities are linearly stabilizable, then what is needed is a method to determine, and ultimately predict, the frequency response of the plant for any range of operating conditions, so the controller design can be automatically updated to track the changing plant gain/phase relationships that are observed with changing heat release. A unique test-based, design process has been proposed to predict the gain/phase characteristics required of a proportional, phase-shifting controller that can stabilize the thermoacoustic instabilities. In this paper, that process is used to automate the design of a fixed-gain feedback controller that limits the amplitudes of any feedback induced instabilities (to some pre-specified level) while providing the best control of the targeted limit cycling pressure oscillations.The paper describes how a neural network was trained, using the suggested design process, to predict the frequency response of the thermoacoustics in a tube combustor at frequencies adjacent to the limit cycle frequency using certain operating conditions that included a sparsely-sampled temperature profile, total air/fuel flow rate, and equivalence ratio. The neural net training was performed using complex valued, open-loop frequency response function data as the desired signal with the previously mentioned operating conditions as the input signals. (The open loop data was collected for a narrow frequency range surrounding the limit cycle instability by performing a sine dwell at discrete frequencies). Once the neural network was trained, it was used to predict the approximate phase and gain margins as a function of temperature and flow conditions. The margins were then used to automatically update and design a fixed shape feedback controller having the proper phase and magnitude to ensure stability and control in the face of changing operating conditions. A companion paper describes the methodology that underlies the automated design of the feedback controller gain and phase delay.Copyright © 2000 by ASME
Molecular Mechanism Controlling the Incorporation of Fluorescent Nucleotides Into DNA by PCR

The efficiency and yield of incorporation of fluorescent nucleotides into DNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) have been investigated with linear amplification (PCR with single-stranded template and single primer). In the present study, we prepared single-stranded templates with defined sequences and used dUTP attached to the fluorescent label with linkers of different lengths. Incorporation and yield of the modified dUTP were reduced when the sequence demanded that multiple dyes be inserted at adjacent sites. The interactions between the polymerase and cyanine-labeled sites on the extending strand probably terminated the chain extension. Thus, because labeling density was increased, the yield of PCR was reduced. We also found that the interactions between the primer and dye-labeled sites on template disturb primer annealing and lead to a decrease in PCR yield.
Tobacco smoke exposure and decreased serum and red blood cell folate levels: Data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to determine the effects of smoke exposure on serum and red blood cell folate levels. Data collected as part of the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were analyzed. Serum and red blood cell folate levels were measured in active smokers and nonsmokers with high, moderate, and low exposure to environmental tobacco smoke. After adjusting for dietary intake of folate and other covariates, we found that both smokers and nonsmokers with high smoke exposure had lower red blood cell folate levels than did nonsmokers with low smoke exposure (-86 nmol/l [95% confidence interval, CI, -101 to -71 nmol/l] for smokers; -50 nmol/l [95% CI -69 to -31 nmol/l] for nonsmokers with high smoke exposure, compared with nonsmokers with low smoke exposure). Similarly, after adjustment of dietary intake of folate and other covariates, the log serum folate level also was decreased (-0.29 log nmol/l [95% CI -0.33 to -0.25 log nmol/l] for smokers; -0.16 log nmol/l [95% CI -0.20 to -0.12 log nmol/l] for nonsmokers with high smoke exposure, compared with nonsmokers with low smoke exposure). Tobacco smoke exposure is associated with decreased folate levels, which may be a mechanism for some of the health effects of active and passive smoking.
Flexible Medical-Grade Networks

Healthcare organizations must test their network infrastructures for disaster recovery and emergency mode operations, yet most can't afford to operate the complicated protocols needed for safe testing. The Rapid Adjustable Network architecture offers a solution.
Bringing in diversity: Toward an inclusive theory of retirement

Abstract After noting the exclusion of considerations of gender relations in retirement research, I present a socialist-feminist approach to retirement, contending that the inclusiveness of this perspective allows us to understand different aging experiences. Specifically, I outline the ways in which gender, class, and racial/ethnic relations structure the interactions among family, work, and retirement. Finally, I argue that socialist feminism not only provides a way to embrace diversity but also challenges us to reformulate our concepts, including the notion of retirement itself, to make them more inclusive.
Intramolecular charge transfer in 1:1 Cu(II)/pyrenylcyclam dendrimer complexes.

Two newly synthesized pyrenylcyclam dendrons (1 and 2) exhibit a new emission band centered at 450 nm when coordinated with copper triflate. Observed fluorescence shifts induced by coordinative metalation indicate an unusual intramolecular charge transfer from a pyrenyl excited state to the coordinated metal ion that competes with pyrene excimer formation. This interaction likely proceeds by photoexcitation of a π-complex of the appended arene, followed by intramolecular charge transfer within the dendritic 1:1 cyclam/metal complex, effecting reduction of the bound Cu(II) metal ion. The appended dendritic groups not only decrease the equilibrium binding constant with Cu(II) but also participate in a new excited-state pathway as an alternative to energy-dissipative excimer formation.
Fluidized‐Bed Bioreactors Using a Flocculating Strain of Zymomonas mobilis for Ethanol Production

A recently isolated strain of Zymomonas mobilis (NRRL B-12526) has been shown to form stable floc particles that can effectively convert glucose to ethanol at rates in excess of 400 g/l/hr in a fluidized-bed bioreactor. Preliminary results indicate that such a system, yielding particles which are in the size range of 0.5 to 1mm, may have extremely high productivity, even higher than Saccharomyces cerevisiae. However, the system is so reactive that the CO/sub 2/ off-gas makes it difficult to maintain a high biomass loading in the upper part of the reactor. This lower biomass content results in a decreased ethanol productivity, which approaches 100 g/l/hr for the entire active reactor volume when over 95% of the glucose is metabolized.
Special aspects of renal osteodystrophy in children

Renal osteodystrophy represents a spectrum of skeletal lesions that range from high-turnover to low-turnover bone disease. Similar factors are involved in the pathogenesis of renal osteodystrophy in adult and pediatric patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, growth retardation and the development of bone deformities are specific complications that occurred in pediatric patients with CKD. Metabolic acidosis, renal osteodystrophy, malnutrition, and disturbances in the insulin growth factor (IGF)/growth hormone (GH) are among the main factors involved and they are discussed briefly in this article. In addition to disturbances in bone remodeling, longitudinal bone growth occurs at the growth plate cartilage by endochondral ossification. Although young rats with experimental CKD have growth retardation, the characteristics of the growth plate are markedly different between animals with severe secondary hyperparathyroidism and those with calcium-induced adynamic osteodystrophy. These disturbances may suggest potential molecular mechanisms by which endochondral bone formation may be altered in renal failure, consequently leading to growth retardation.
Fractionalization, topological order, and cuprate superconductivity

This paper is concerned with the idea that the electron is fractionalized in the cuprate high-${T}_{c}$ materials. We show how the notion of topological order may be used to develop a precise theoretical characterization of a fractionalized phase in spatial dimension higher than 1. Apart from the fractional particles into which the electron breaks apart, there are nontrivial gapped topological excitations---dubbed ``visons.'' A cylindrical sample that is fractionalized exhibits two disconnected topological sectors depending on whether a vison is trapped in the ``hole'' or not. Indeed, ``vison expulsion'' is to fractionalization what the Meissner effect (``flux expulsion'') is to superconductivity. This understanding enables us to address a number of conceptual issues that need to be confronted by any theory of the cuprates based on fractionalization ideas. We argue that whether or not the electron fractionalizes in the cuprates is a sharp and well-posed question with a definite answer. We elaborate on our recent proposal for an experiment to unambiguously settle this issue.
Plasma spraying induced changes of calcium phosphate ceramic characteristics and the effect on in vitro stability

Plasma spraying is a commonly used technique to apply thin calcium phosphate ceramic coatings. Special consideration is given to retaining the original structure of CPC particles. However, changes are possible. Thus this study focused on plasma spraying induced changes in material characteristics of commercial coatings and their influence onin vitro dissolution. All analysed coatings were found to undergo significant plasma spraying induced changes in phase composition, crystal structure, and specific surface area. The phase transformations depended on the starting particle characteristics. Specifically, β-TCP transformed to α-TCP. HA was dehydroxylated and transformed to oxyhydroxyapatite (OHA), and partly decomposed to α-TCP and tetra calcium phosphate. These transformations lead to a considerable increase ofin vitro dissolution rates at physiological pH.
Post and core systems: Which one is best?

Teeth with nonvital pulps or pulpless teeth demand special restorative attention. Post and core fabrication for these teeth can be handled in many ways. This article has described some of the prefabricated post systems currently available. The relative advantages and disadvantages have been compard. Prefabricated post systems in many instances can simplify and expedite restorative dentistry. Which system is best? The answer varies according to the restorative situation and the skills and preference of the dentist. A post and core should not jeopardize the remaining tooth structure, and the particular system mus be manageable.
Scanning light spot scan and electron-beam-induced current studies of CdS/CuxS solar cells formed on rough and smooth single-crystal CdS substrates

Abstract CdS/CuxS solar cells prepared on a single-crystal CdS substrate, half of which has been roughened by an HCl etch, are examined using scanning light spot and electron-beam-induced current scans. It is shown that the roughened side of the cell has a greater response than the smooth side and that the response of the rough side is improved by an anneal whereas there is no improvement on the smooth side. We suggest that this is because the structure of the CuxS on the rough surface side is different from that on the smooth surface side and is improved after an anneal. We also show that the response of a cell fabricated on a CdS bicrystal is lower in the crystallite with more internal stress and that the response on the smooth surface side of the cell decays more slowly.
Matching observations to model resolution for future weather and climate applications

High spatial resolution sounding observations will improve initialization and assimilation into the next generation forecast models and validation of the next generation of climate models. One such advanced sounder concept for low earth orbit is the Advanced Remote-sensing Imaging Emission Spectrometer (ARIES) which proposes to provide highvspatial hyperspectral resolution observations in the mid to longwave infrared. This paper explores the effects of spatial resolution on the errors expected from the combined use of models and observations for representing scene information. We calculate the frequency response of the instrument and model and determine the error at any given spatial frequency. The results show that it is vital to have observations match the spatial resolution of models to minimize the uncertainty in the representation of the scene contents.
Removal of exogenous haem or haemoglobin from rat liver microsomes

Abstract Procedures to remove noncytochrome haem or haemoglobin from rat liver microsomal preparations are described. Over 80% of the radioactive label due to exogenous [14C]haemoglobin could be removed by washing the microsomal suspension. In contrast, only about 50% of noncytochrome [14C]haem was removed by washing microsomes with either buffer or albumin solutions at 0 to 4°C. The most effective procedure to remove noncytochrome haem was to incubate the microsomal suspension for 5 to 6 min at 37°C in the presence of human serum albumin and dithioerythritol. Under these conditions, over 90% of the radioactive label was removed. This procedure brought about no reduction in the concentration of microsomal cytochrome b5 or P-450, or the integrity of the mixed function oxidases, as judged by the hydroxylation of aniline or the N-demethylation of aminopyrene. Under similar conditions human apohemopexin was no more effective than albumin in bringing about the removal of haem from the microsomal suspension.
Scattering in the Atmosphere of Venus. I. Line profiles and curves of growth for isotropic scattering

We have computed line profiles and curves of growth for both reflected and transmitted radiation for typical lines in CO2 bands (in the photographic infrared) which occur in the spectrum of Venus. In our model the pressure variation with altitude was considered and the base of the cloud deck was set at the 2 bar level. The temperature was held constant at 250K and a Voigt profile was used for the lineshape. We also assumed that the scale height of the cloud particles was equal to the scale height of the gas. The calculations were made for four values of the scattering optical thickness (τc = 0.1, 1.0, 10, and 100) using a continuum single scattering albedo ωc = 0.9975 (which gives a Bond albedo of 0.896 for τc = 100, the value observed for Venus at these wavelengths). Curves of growth are also presented for reflected radiation which has been averaged over the visible disk for three values of the Venus phase angle (0, 86, and 166°).
Ab Initio Investigation of Dissolution Mechanisms in Aluminosilicate Minerals

The reactions of aluminosilicate clusters with water are investigated using ab initio calculations. There are several reaction sites on a mineral surface, and, in the case of aluminosilicates, the dissolution chemistry is dictated by chemically distinct surface termination sites: Al and Si. Environmental factors such as pH determine the protonation state and configuration around these terminal sites. The dissolution mechanisms for Al- and Si-terminated sites in protonated, neutral, and deprotonated states are determined using density functional theory calculations. In all protonation states, Si are tetra-coordinated; however, the ability of Al to exist in tetra-, penta-, and hexa-coordination states makes the dissolution mechanisms for the two types of terminal sites fundamentally different. The calculated barrier heights for Al-terminated sites are predicted to be lower than those for Si-terminated sites, a trend that has been observed in experimental studies. The sensitivity of the calculations on the c...
Gibberellic acid and the castor bean fructose-1,6-diphosphatases

Abstract Fructose-1,6-diphosphatase (FDPase) activity increases in the castor bean during germination. The increase is due to de novo synthesis of a second FDPase and is induced by gibberellic acid. Isolation and partial purification of these FDPases provide a comparison of their respective properties. FDPase I has a neutral pH optimum, is AMP-sensitive, and is present in the ungerminated bean. FDPase II also has a neutral pH optimum, is AMP-insensitive, and is synthesized in the endosperm during germination as described above. FDPase III has been isolated from the mature leaf, has an alkaline pH optimum and is present only in the photosynthetic tissue.
Echo Particle Image Velocimetry

The transport of mass, momentum, and energy in fluid flows is ultimately determined by spatiotemporal distributions of the fluid velocity field.1 Consequently, a prerequisite for understanding, predicting, and controlling fluid flows is the capability to measure the velocity field with adequate spatial and temporal resolution.2 For velocity measurements in optically opaque fluids or through optically opaque geometries, echo particle image velocimetry (EPIV) is an attractive diagnostic technique to generate "instantaneous" two-dimensional fields of velocity.3,4,5,6 In this paper, the operating protocol for an EPIV system built by integrating a commercial medical ultrasound machine7 with a PC running commercial particle image velocimetry (PIV) software8 is described, and validation measurements in Hagen-Poiseuille (i.e., laminar pipe) flow are reported. For the EPIV measurements, a phased array probe connected to the medical ultrasound machine is used to generate a two-dimensional ultrasound image by pulsing the piezoelectric probe elements at different times. Each probe element transmits an ultrasound pulse into the fluid, and tracer particles in the fluid (either naturally occurring or seeded) reflect ultrasound echoes back to the probe where they are recorded. The amplitude of the reflected ultrasound waves and their time delay relative to transmission are used to create what is known as B-mode (brightness mode) two-dimensional ultrasound images. Specifically, the time delay is used to determine the position of the scatterer in the fluid and the amplitude is used to assign intensity to the scatterer. The time required to obtain a single B-mode image, t, is determined by the time it take to pulse all the elements of the phased array probe. For acquiring multiple B-mode images, the frame rate of the system in frames per second (fps) = 1/δt. (See 9 for a review of ultrasound imaging.) For a typical EPIV experiment, the frame rate is between 20-60 fps, depending on flow conditions, and 100-1000 B-mode images of the spatial distribution of the tracer particles in the flow are acquired. Once acquired, the B-mode ultrasound images are transmitted via an ethernet connection to the PC running the PIV commercial software. Using the PIV software, tracer particle displacement fields, D(x,y)[pixels], (where x and y denote horizontal and vertical spatial position in the ultrasound image, respectively) are acquired by applying cross correlation algorithms to successive ultrasound B-mode images.10 The velocity fields, u(x,y)[m/s], are determined from the displacements fields, knowing the time step between image pairs, ΔT[s], and the image magnification, M[meter/pixel], i.e., u(x,y) = MD(x,y)/ΔT. The time step between images ΔT = 1/fps + D(x,y)/B, where B[pixels/s] is the time it takes for the ultrasound probe to sweep across the image width. In the present study, M = 77[μm/pixel], fps = 49.5[1/s], and B = 25,047[pixels/s]. Once acquired, the velocity fields can be analyzed to compute flow quantities of interest.
Highlights from PHENIX: I

This contribution highlights recent results from the PHENIX Collaboration at RHIC. It covers global variables, flow and 2-particle correlations. A second contribution in this issue, by T C Awes (2008 J. Phys. G: Nucl. Part. Phys. 35 104007), covers PHENIX results on heavy quarks, leptons and photons.
Insights from academic participation in the FAF's Initial PIR: : the PIR of FIN 48

SYNOPSIS: In 2009, the Financial Accounting Foundation (FAF) determined that the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) standard setting process required a formal review to monitor and address issues that can arise after the implementation of accounting standards. The FAF selected FASB Interpretation No. 48 (FIN 48), Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes, as the initial post-implementation review (PIR) standard. This paper informs the academic community about the PIR process and provides an academic perspective on the initial PIR of FIN 48. In particular, we demonstrate the role of the academic literature using the FIN 48 literature review prepared as part of the PIR process.
Effects of food form on appetite and energy balance

Abstract The sensory properties of food influence food choice, digestion and metabolism. The properties arising from a food’s form, in particular, can alter nutritional outcomes through multiple mechanisms operating at cognitive, orosensory, gastric and intestinal levels of food processing. Expectations regarding a food’s form can influence satiety, sensory ratings of products, digestive processes and post-absorptive metabolism. In the oral cavity, the structure of food influences mastication efforts affecting appetite and energy and nutrient bioavailability in the GI tract. In the GI tract, the physical form of food influences gastric emptying, intestinal transit time and nutrient absorption. Hence, the physical form of food holds important implications for ingestive behavior and health outcomes.
Lipochromosome mediated gene transfer: identification and probable specificity of localization of human chromosomal material and stability of the transferents.

Using lipochromosomes (phospholipid-entrapped chromosomes) we have transferred the human HGPRT gene into HGPRT deficient mouse cells (A9) with a frequency of approximately 1×10−5 (Mukherjee et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 75: 1361–1365; 1978). Two other genes located on the long arm of the human X-chromosome were also expressed in two independently derived populations of transferents (A9/GT3 and A9/GT4). We report here the chromosomal and enzymatic composition of human HGPRT-positive clones from each subpopulation analyzed in detail with alkaline Giemsa-11 staining.
Pacing during ventricular fibrillation: factors influencing the ability to capture.

Pacing During Ventricular Fibrillation.Introduction: Recent studies showed that pacing atrial and ventricular fibrillation (VF) is possible. The studies presented here determined which parameters influence the efficacy of a pacing train to capture fibrillating ventricular myocardium. Electrode type, current strength, order of pacing trains, polarity, and VF morphology preceding the pacing trains were investigated. Methods and Results: A 504-electrode recording plaque sutured to the right ventricle of pig hearts was used to record the activations of VF and those resulting from the pacing stimulation. Capture of VF by pacing was determined by observing an animated display of the first temporal derivative of the electrograms. A series of electrodes in a line captured the heart more frequently during VF than did a point electrode. Increasing the current strength to 10× diastolic pacing threshold increased the incidence of capture, but increasing this strength further did not. The second or third train of 40 stimuli had greater capture rates than did the first train during the same VF episode. Anodal and cathodal unipolar, and bipolar stimulation were equally efficacious in capturing VF. VF activation during the 1-second interval preceding pacing was more organized for pacing trains that captured than those that did not. The highest incidence of capture, 46% to 61% of pacing trains, occurred with a line of electrodes at 10× diastolic pacing threshold delivered by the second or third train. Conclusion: The probability of a pacing train capturing fibrillating myocardium can be influenced by the pacing protocol parameters.
The stipitate hydnums (Thelephoraceae) of Florida

A taxonomic study of the stipitate terrestrial hydnums of Florida was undertaken. Eleven species belonging toHydnellum, Phellodon, andSarcodon were found. Of these,Phellodon implicatus is described as new and a microscopic analysis showed that this species is the second knownPhellodon with abundant clamp connections in the tramal tissue.
Relationship between binding affinity and functional activity of nociceptin/orphanin FQ

The relationship between binding affinity and functional activity of nociceptin/orphanin FQ binding was studied in brain membranes, membranes of Chinese hamster ovary cells transfected with ORL1, and intact CHO-ORL1 cells. Binding affinities were compared with potency for the stimulation of [35S]GTP gamma S binding in cell membranes, and inhibition of forskolin-stimulated cAMP accumulation in intact cells. Binding was conducted with [3H]14-Tyr-nociceptin, and in brain or cell membranes the affinity was found to be 50-100 pM. The binding of [3H]14-Tyr-nociceptin was found to be regulated by Na+ and GTP, as expected for an opioid-like receptor. In intact cells, saturation produced a curvilinear Scatchard Plot. Non-linear analysis indicated two states of the receptor, with the vast majority of binding being to a low affinity state of approximately 8 nM. This low affinity component is consistent with the lower potency derived from the inhibition of cAMP accumulation, stimulation of [35S]GTP gamma S binding, and other functional assays.
The cranial anatomy of the neornithischian dinosaur Thescelosaurus neglectus.

Though the dinosaur Thescelosaurus neglectus was first described in 1913 and is known from the relatively fossiliferous Lance and Hell Creek formations in the Western Interior Basin of North America, the cranial anatomy of this species remains poorly understood. The only cranial material confidently referred to this species are three fragmentary bones preserved with the paratype, hindering attempts to understand the systematic relationships of this taxon within Neornithischia. Here the cranial anatomy of T. neglectus is fully described for the first time based on two specimens that include well-preserved cranial material (NCSM 15728 and TLAM.BA.2014.027.0001). Visual inspection of exposed cranial elements of these specimens is supplemented by detailed CT data from NCSM 15728 that enabled the examination of otherwise unexposed surfaces, facilitating a complete description of the cranial anatomy of this species. The skull of T. neglectus displays a unique combination of plesiomorphic and apomorphic traits. The premaxillary and ‘cheek’ tooth morphologies are relatively derived, though less so than the condition seen in basal iguanodontians, suggesting that the high tooth count present in the premaxillae, maxillae, and dentaries may be related to the extreme elongation of the skull of this species rather than a retention of the plesiomorphic condition. The morphology of the braincase most closely resembles the iguanodontians Dryosaurus and Dysalotosaurus, especially with regard to the morphology of the prootic. One autapomorphic feature is recognized for the first time, along with several additional cranial features that diff erentiate this species from the closely related and contemporaneous Thescelosaurus assiniboiensis. Published phylogenetic hypotheses of neornithischian dinosaur relationships often diff er in the placement of the North American taxon Parksosaurus, with some recovering a close relationship with Thescelosaurus and others with the South American taxon Gasparinisaura, but never both at the same time. The new morphological observations presented herein, combined with re-examination of the holotype of Parksosaurus, suggest that Parksosaurus shares a closer relationship with Thescelosaurus than with Gasparinisaura, and that many of the features previously cited to support a relationship with the latter taxon are either also present in Thescelosaurus, are artifacts of preservation, or are the result of incomplete preparation and inaccurate interpretation of specimens. Additionally, the overall morphology of the skull and lower jaws of both Thescelosaurus and Parksosaurus also closely resemble the Asian taxa Changchunsaurus and Haya, though the interrelationships of these taxa have yet to be tested in a phylogenetic analysis that includes these new morphological data for T. neglectus.
Male infertility and erectile dysfunction in spinal cord injury: A review☆

Abstract Objective: To review the pathophysiology, evaluation, and management of erectile dysfunction and infertility in spinal cord injury (SCI). Study Selections: Studies that covered various treatment options and their contraindications, complications, or side effects, including sildenafil (Viagra®), intracavernosal injection therapy, topical medications and a urethral delivery system, a vacuum erection device, and penile prostheses. Other studies covered the effects of SCI on reproduction: spermatogenesis and testicular function, and seminal constitutents. In addition, assisted reproductive techniques were compared: external vibratory stimulation, electroejaculation, testicular sperm aspiration, and intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Conclusion: Goal-directed therapy is the mainstay of treatment of erectile dysfunction in men with or without SCI. The choice of therapy is often defined more by the needs of the patient's sexual relationship than by his erectile dysfunction. The majority of men with SCI are infertile because of a combination of ejaculatory dysfunction, impaired spermatogenesis, and poor semen quality. Although many technological advances have evolved to overcome ejaculatory dysfunction, the sperm density, motility, and function remain poor. Until these parameters are improved, men with SCI will have to pursue more financially and emotionally taxing procedures. Further studies to elucidate the cellular and molecular mechanisms of diminished sperm quality are needed. Addressing the issues of erectile dysfunction and male infertility may help to preserve the relationship between the patient and his partner.
Human processing of inconclusive evidence from multinomial probability distributions

Abstract In a probabilistic inference task involving evidence generated from one of six sets of multinomial probability distributions, subjective posterior odds favoring a reference hypothesis were found to be a simple power function of corresponding Bayesian posterior odds. The value of the exponent is related to the diagnostic impact of individual evidence items. The results support the notion that, for small evidence sets when processing load or stress is not a factor, subjects aggregate evidence in a near-optimal manner but distort the diagnostic impact of the evidence.