cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The ryanodine receptor-Ca2+ release channel complex of skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum. Evidence for a cooperatively coupled, negatively charged homotetramer.

Abstract The subunit structure of the rabbit skeletal muscle ryanodine receptor-Ca2+ release channel complex was examined following solubilization of heavy sarcoplasmic reticulum membranes in two zwitterionic detergents, 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulfonic acid (Chaps) and Zwittergent 3-14. High and low affinity [3H]ryanodine binding was retained upon solubilization of the complex in Chaps but was lost in Zwittergent 3-14. The purified complex migrated as a single peak with an apparent sedimentation coefficient of approximately 30 and approximately 9 S upon density gradient centrifugation and with isoelectric points of 3.7 and 3.9 upon two-dimensional gel electrophoresis in Chaps and Zwittergent 3-14, respectively. Electron microscopy of negatively stained samples indicated that the distinct four-leaf clover structure of the ryanodine receptor observed in Chaps disappeared following Zwittergent treatment of the 30 S complex and instead showed smaller, round particles. Ferguson plot analysis following sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of partial and fully cross-linked and incompletely denatured complexes suggested a stoichiometry of four Mr approximately 400,000 peptides/30 S ryanodine receptor oligomer. [3H]Ryanodine binding to the membrane-bound receptor in 50 microM--1 mM free Ca2+ revealed the presence of both high affinity (KD = 8 nM, Hill coefficient (nH) = 0.9) and low affinity (nH approximately 0.45) sites with a ratio of 1:3. Reduction in free Ca2+ to less than or equal to 0.1 microM or trypsin digestion of the membranes resulted in loss of high affinity but not low affinity ryanodine binding (Hill KD = 5,000 nM, nH = 0.9). Addition of 20 mM caffeine to the nanomolar Ca2+ medium decreased the Hill KD to 1,000 nM without changing the Hill coefficient. Occupation of the low affinity sites altered the rate of [3H]ryanodine dissociation from the high affinity sites. Single channel recordings of the purified ryanodine receptor channel incorporated into planar lipid bilayers also indicated the existence of high and low affinity sites for ryanodine, occupation of which resulted in formation of a subconducting and completely closed state of the channel, respectively. These results are compatible with a subunit structural model of the 30 S ryanodine receptor-Ca2+ release channel complex which comprises a homotetramer of negatively charged and allosterically coupled polypeptides of Mr approximately 400,000.
A comprehensive conceptualization of post-adoptive behaviors associated with information technology enabled work systems

For the last 25 years, organizations have invested heavily in information technology to support their work processes. In today's organizations, intra- and interorganizational work systems are increasingly IT-enabled. Available evidence, however, suggests the functional potential of these installed IT applications is underutilized. Most IT users apply a narrow band of features, operate at low levels of feature use, and rarely initiate extensions of the available features. We argue that organizations need aggressive tactics to encourage users to expand their use of installed IT-enabled work systems. This article strives to accomplish three primary research objectives. First, we offer a comprehensive research model aimed both at coalescing existing research on post-adoptive IT use behaviors and at directing future research on those factors that influence users to (continuously) exploit and extend the functionality built into IT applications. Second, in developing this comprehensive research model, we provide a window (for researchers across a variety of scientific disciplines interested in technology management) into the rich body of research regarding IT adoption, use, and diffusion. Finally, we discuss implications and recommend guidelines for research and practice.
Music's Dual Influence on Dyadic Behaviors

The current study tested a mechanism through which music serves as a model of intimate relationship behaviors for those from noncontinuously intact family structures. The current study theorized that music would both mediate and moderate the relationship between family structure and risky sexual behaviors. Participants included 357 emerging adults who came from married, divorced, reconstituted, and never-married households. Results of hierarchical regression analyses confirmed that sexual lyrical content serves as a moderator between parental marital status and sexual behaviors of participants from noncontinuously intact homes, supporting the notion that those from noncontinuously intact homes seek models of intimate relationship behaviors outside of their family unit. This was found especially for age at first date, number of dating partners, and number of sexual partners for those from reconstituted and never-married households. A Test of Joint Significance confirmed the mediational influence of music i...
Expression of the low affinity neurotrophin receptor, P75NGFR, in the rat forebrain, following unilateral bulbectomy.

Abstract It has been hypothesized that the main olfactory bulb, with its relatively rich source of neurotrophins, may provide trophic support for neurons that project to the bulb. We monitored expression of the common, low affinity receptor for neurotrophins, p75 NGFR , in the olfactory bulb and basal forebrain of unilaterally bulbectomized and sham-treated rats, 1–16 weeks post-surgery, using the monoclonal antibody MAb192. An induction of p75 NGFR -immunoreactivity was observed in both the glomerular and olfactory nerve layers of the right, contralateral main olfactory bulb of lesioned animals. The naturally occurring regeneration taking place in the olfactory neuroepithelium is known to be altered by olfactory bulbectomy, with subsequent changes in the sensory input to the remaining bulb. These changes in expression of p75 NGFR in the olfactory bulb support the hypothesis we have developed in previous papers, that changes in the extent of the peripheral input from the olfactory neuroepithelium to the main olfactory bulb regulate p75 NGFR expression in both the glomerular and the olfactory nerve layers. Expression of p75 NGFR in the basal forebrain of bulbectomized animals was found to be no different than sham-treated controls and does not support the hypothesis that the olfactory bulb provides trophic support to this region of the central nervous system.
Assembly, Activation, and Trafficking of the Fet3p·Ftr1p High Affinity Iron Permease Complex in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The high affinity iron uptake complex in the yeast plasma membrane (PM) consists of the ferroxidase, Fet3p, and the ferric iron permease, Ftr1p. We used a combination of yeast two-hybrid analysis, confocal fluorescence microscopy, and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) quantification to delineate the motifs in the two proteins required for assembly and maturation into an uptake-competent complex. The cytoplasmic, carboxyl-terminal domain of each protein contains a four-residue motif adjacent to the cytoplasm-PM interface that supports an interaction between the proteins. This interaction has been quantified by two-hybrid analysis and is required for assembly and trafficking of the complex to the PM and for the ∼13% maximum FRET efficiency determined. In contrast, the Fet3p transmembrane domain (TM) can be exchanged with the TM domain from the vacuolar ferroxidase, Fet5p, with no loss of assembly and trafficking. A carboxyl-terminal interaction between the vacuolar proteins, Fet5p and Fth1p, also was quantified. As a measure of the specificity of interaction, no interaction between heterologous ferroxidase permease pairs was observed. Also, whereas FRET was quantified between fluorescent fusions of the copper permease (monomers), Ctr1p, none was observed between Fet3p and Ctr1p. The results are consistent with a (minimal) heterodimer model of the Fet3p·Ftr1p complex that supports the trafficking of iron from Fet3p to Ftr1p for iron permeation across the yeast PM.
Precipitation evolution and kinetics in a magnesium-neodymium-zinc alloy

Abstract In this research, the precipitation sequence investigation and phase identification in Mg–3Nd–0.2Zn–0.46Zr (wt.%) system were performed using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. The results showed the precipitation sequence to be: Super saturated solid solution (SSSS) → Clustering of atoms/short range ordering → β ″ → β ′ → β which shows that low zinc content (less than 0.5 %wt) does not influence the precipitation sequence. TEM studies revealed that in addition to prismatic planes, β′′ precipitates lie on pyramidal planes in Mg matrix, which has not been reported previously in this system. Further investigation using TEM and aging experiments showed that these precipitates are responsible for the age hardening of the alloy. Furthermore, the kinetic studies showed that quenched-in vacancies play an important role in the early stage of precipitation and formation of β′′ while formation of β′ is dominantly diffusion controlled process and quenched-in vacancies are no longer effective.
Influence of the baseline 18F-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography results on survival and pathologic response in patients with gastroesophageal cancer undergoing chemoradiation

BACKGROUND: In patients with esophageal cancer who receive chemoradiation, tools to predict/prognosticate outcome before administering therapy are lacking. The authors evaluated initial standardized unit value (iSUV) of 18F-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography and its association with overall survival and the degree of pathologic response after surgery. METHODS: The authors analyzed 161 patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma who had chemoradiation followed by surgery. The log-rank test, univariate Cox proportional hazards model, Kaplan-Meier survival plot, and Fisher exact test were used to analyze dichotomized iSUV and its association with overall survival and pathologic response. RESULTS: The median age of 161 patients was 61 years (range, 26-80 years) and the majority of patients had lower esophageal or gastroesophageal junction involvement. All patients received fluoropyrimidine and, most commonly, a taxane or platinum compound with concomitant radiation. The median radiation dose was 45 grays (Gy) (range, 45 Gy-50.4 Gy). The median iSUV for all patients was 10.1 (range, 0-58). Using the Fisher exact test, iSUV was not found to be associated with the location of the primary cancer. iSUV higher than the median (10.1) was associated with a better pathologic response (P = .06). Patients with primary cancer with iSUV >10.1 had a lower risk for death (hazards ratio of 0.56) compared with those with iSUV ≤10.1. Higher iSUV was nonsignificantly associated with improved survival (P = .07). CONCLUSIONS: Data from the current study suggest that lower iSUV is associated with poor survival and lower probability of response to chemoradiation. iSUV needs to be further evaluated because it may be used to complement other imaging or biomarker assessments to individualize therapy. Cancer 2009. © 2009 American Cancer Society.
1031-36 Results of Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting in Patients with Chronic Congestive Heart Failure: A Ten-year Experience with 203 Patients

From 1983 to 1992, 203 patients with preoperative symptoms of chronic CHF and not angina underwent primary CABG for ischemic cardiomyopathy. This represented 3% of all patients undergoing CABG, however, this figure rose to 8% over the last two years of the study. Patients with valvular lesions, left ventricular aneurysms or those with acute post infarction heart failure were excluded. The mean age was 67 years and 63% of the patients were male. 92% of the patients were in NYHA Class III or IV prior to undergoing CABG. The mean preoperative ejection fraction was 34% ± 13% and the mean LVEDPwas 20.7 mmHg ± 8.4 mmHg. A LIMA graft was used in 68% of the patients. Follow-up was 98% complete. The hospital mortality was 6.0% and the actuarial survival at 5 years was 59%. An improvement in NYHA class occurred in 75% of the surviving patients with a mean improvement of 1.6 ± 0.6 NYHA classes; 18% of the survivors remained the same and 7% were worse. Univariate analysis identified risk factors for hospital death as emergency operation, recent myocardial infarction l 30 days), the need for IABP and non use of a LIMA graft. Use of the LIMA did predict late survival (p = 0.02), however did not affect NYHA class in the surviving patients. We conclude that CABG is effective in ameliorating symptoms of chronic congestive heart failure in patients suffering from chronic ischemic cardiomyopathy and can be performed with acceptable early and late mortality.
Environmental Soil Physics

On a global scale, the soil represents just the skin of the Earth. This thin layer, however, is critical to the functioning of the hydrological cycle, the sustainability and adequacy of food production, and the maintenance of a quality environment. Soil functions are frequently split into biological, chemical, and physical components to ease study and understanding. Daniel Hillel develops the physical aspects of the soil in its broadest sense in this latest textbook, Environmental Soil Physics, which updates and expands his earlier works.
INCREASED SEVERITY OF LYME DISEASE ILLNESS IN CHILDREN DUE TO CONCURRENT BABESIOSIS. |[bull]| 1042

Since the causative agents of human babesiosis (B) and Lyme disease (LD) are maintained by the same vector ticks in North American sites, human coinfection may occur. To determine whether coinfection is responsible for an increased severity of disease in children, as we have previously found in adults, we compared the clinical manifestations of LD and B alone with that of coinfection in residents of Block Island, RI and southeastern CT. Subjects completed a questionnaire and submitted blood for serological and PCR testing during five successive spring and autumn serosurveys and when they developed symptoms of LD or B from 1990 through 1994. Nineteen percent of the 224 children whose sera reacted against spirochete antigen also were seroreactive against babesial antigen. Of 33 children diagnosed with LD, 21 percent were coinfected. Coinfected children suffered fever, myalgia, chills, headache and cough (P<0.05) more frequently than those suffering from LD alone. The mean number of symptoms in coinfected children was 6 ± 2 compared with 3± 2 in children with LD alone (P<0.01). About 20 percent of children with LD in New England are coinfected with B in sites where both diseases are zoonotic. The severity of illness accompanying concurrent LD and B is greater than with either infection alone. Where Lyme disease and babesiosis have been reported, the possibility of concomitant babesial infection should be considered when moderate to severe Lyme disease has been diagnosed.
Lack of effect of folic acid on scurvy in guinea pigs.

ConclusionsUnder conditions of vit. C deprivation, folic acid has no apparent antiscorbutic effect in guinea pigs.
Scene Segmentation and Attention in Primate Cortical Areas V1 and V2

The responses of many neurons in primary visual cortex are modulated by stimuli outside the classical receptive field in ways that may contribute to integrative processes like scene segmentation. T...
Optimal Recycling Policy for Used Lubricating Oil: The Case of California’s Used Oil Management Policy

This paper develops a conceptual framework for the management of used oil that encompasses a tax (deposit) on manufactured oil and sector-specific subsidies (refunds) on producers who purchase recycled oil as an input in production. The framework mirrors the deposit-refund systems implemented in the used oil recycling programs of Italy, Spain, Australia and in the US State of California that favor re-refining uses over re-processing routes that lead to combustion of recycled oil as fuel. Our analysis considers environmental damage to arise jointly from improper disposal of used oil and from air pollution created by combustion of used oil. We demonstrate that the optimal policy involves a tax on manufactured oil and a subsidy of equal value on used oil collection irrespective of the ultimate end-use of used oil as re-refined lubricating oil or fuel oil. We derive policy implications to evaluate recently proposed changes to the management system for used oil in California.
Progress on the hydrogen selective emitter for N-type solar cells

A novel, one-step and self-aligned selective emitter process has been tested on n-type solar cells. Results indicate that the electrical activity of acceptor impurities near the surface are responsible for increased surface recombination, not their physical presence. Lab-scale n-type solar cell efficiencies have been increased by up to 18.4%. Quantum efficiency measurements on these cells show dramatic increase in short wavelength response up to 750 nm.
Kinetics of peritoneal dialysis in children: Role of lymphatics

Kinetics of peritoneal dialysis in children: Role of lymphatics. Intraperitoneal fluid is absorbed continuously by convective flow into the peritoneal cavity lymphatics. We evaluated the role of lymphatic absorption in the kinetics of peritoneal dialysis during standardized four hour exchanges in six children using 40 ml/kg of 2.5% dextrose dialysis solution. Cumulative lymphatic absorption averaged 10.4 ± 1.6 ml/kg and reduced the total net transcapillary ultrafiltration during the dwell time by 73 ± 10%. Due to the considerable lymphatic absorption rate, maximum intraperitoneal volume was observed before osmolar equilibrium. Extrapolated to four study exchanges per day, lymphatic absorption decreased the potential daily drain volumes in the children by 27 ± 5% and daily peritoneal urea and creatinine clearances by 24 ± 4% and 22 ± 5%, respectively. Compared with four hour exchanges using two liters of 2.5% dextrose dialysis solution in 10 adult CAPD patients with average peritoneal transport, the children had more rapid equilibration of urea, greater absorption of dialysate glucose, higher lymphatic absorption and lower net ultrafiltration (P
Syntactic and semantic structure in the recall of orders of approximation to English

This study investigated the contribution of the syntactic, as opposed to semantic, component in the recall of orders of approximation to English. When recall was scored simply as number of words correctly recalled, it was found that differences in syntactic structure alone accounted for the observed increase in recall from the 1st order to the 2nd and 3rd. On the other hand, it was found that differences in semantic structure alone accounted for the observed increase beyond the 3rd order. It was further observed that, while semantic structure did not affect the total number of words recalled at the 2nd and 3rd orders, it did affect the length of correctly recalled sequences at all orders beyond the 1st. Further analysis indicated that syntactic and semantic structure facilitated recall primarily by enabling S s to group words into units or chunks of varying lengths, while the number of chunks recalled remains relatively constant.
Child Maltreatment Among Asian Americans: Characteristics and Explanatory Framework

This article systematically reviews the characteristics of child maltreatment among Asian Americans and provides a theoretical explanatory framework. The reported rate of child maltreatment among Asian Americans is disproportionately low. A high rate of physical abuse and low rates of neglect and sexual abuse are found among Asian American victims. Some protective factors (e.g., the emphasis on family harmony and reputation and the indulgence to infants and toddlers) may lead to low probability of child maltreatment among Asian Americans. Some others (e.g., parental authority and beliefs in physical punishment) may be risk factors of child maltreatment, especially physical abuse. Meanwhile, many other coexisting factors (e.g., children's obedience to parents and families' invisibility to authorities) may prohibit child maltreatment from being disclosed. Therefore, the overall low reported rate of child maltreatment among Asian Americans may be a combination of low incidence and underreporting. Implications for practice and research are discussed.
Conformational Changes in BID, a Pro-apoptotic BCL-2 Family Member, upon Membrane Binding A SITE-DIRECTED SPIN LABELING STUDY

The BCL-2 family proteins constitute a critical control point in apoptosis. BCL-2 family proteins display structural homology to channel-forming bacterial toxins, such as colicins, transmembrane domain of diphtheria toxin, and the N-terminal domain of δ-endotoxin. By analogy, it has been hypothesized the BCL-2 family proteins would unfold and insert into the lipid bilayer upon membrane association. We applied the site-directed spin labeling method of electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy to the pro-apoptotic member BID. Here we show that helices 6-8 maintain an α-helical conformation in membranes with a lipid composition resembling mitochondrial outer membrane contact sites. However, unlike colicins and the transmembrane domain of diphtheria toxin, these helices of BID are bound to the lipid bilayer without adopting a transmembrane orientation. Our study presents a more detailed model for the reorganization of the structure of tBID on membranes.
Gauge field theory of a continuum with dislocations and disclinations

Abstract The geometrical structure of a material manifold with dislocations and disclinations is explored by applying vielbein theory and gauge field theory. Two kinds of connections, namely the affine and the gauge connection are introduced for describing the characteristics of plastic imperfections. As a result, the torsion tensor can be decomposed into a pure vielbein pan and a gauge potential part. The gauge field tensor constructed based on the gauge connection is shown to be equivalent to the curvature tensor, and is directly related to disclinations. Taking the displacement fields, the vielbein and the connection as three basic parameters, the constitutive equations and governing equations are obtained based on a variational principle for the stationary problem. It is emphasized that the physical quantities appearing in the Lagrangian function must be covariant not only in the coordinate transformation but in the gauge transformation as well. Furthermore, when the elastic strain tensor, the dislocation and disclination densities are regarded as such quantities, the governing equations are shown to be covariant for the combined transformation. For practical application, two specific forms of the internal energy density function are proposed, and specifically, only nine material constants are needed for a full description of a macroscopically isotropic material with dislocations and disclinations.
Fuel preheat effects on soot-field structure in laminar gas jet diffusion flames burning in 0-g and 1-g

An experimental investigation conducted at the 2.2-s drop tower of the NASA Lewis Research Center is presented to quantify the influence of moderate fuel preheat on soot-field structure within 0-g laminar gas jet diffusion flames. Parallel work in 1-g is also presented to delineate the effect of elevated fuel temperatures on soot-field structure in buoyant flames. The experimental methodology implements jet diffusion flames of nitrogen-diluted acetylene fuel burning in quiescent air at atmospheric pressure. Fuel preheat of approximately 100 K in the 0-g laminar jet diffusion flames is found to reduce soot loadings in the annular region, but causes an increase in soot volume fractions at the centerline. In addition, fuel preheat reduces the radial extent of the soot field in 0-g. In 1-g, the same fuel preheat levels have a more moderated influence on soot loadings in the annular region, but are also seen to enhance soot concentrations near the axis low in the flame. The increased soot loadings near the flame centerline, as caused by fuel preheat, are consistent with the hypothesis that preheat levels of approximately 100 K enhance fuel pyrolysis rates. The results show that the growth stage of particles transported along the soot annulus is shortened both in 1-g and 0-g when elevated fuel temperatures are used.
Pulse processing system for the RADMAP radiation modulation aperture imager

We are currently developing a portable radiation imager for emergency responders. The instrument contains a position-sensitive photomultiplier tube with a thin CsI(Na) scintillator and a tungsten radiation modulation aperture. As part of this project, we have designed a novel pulse processing system to record the amplitude and position of incident events. This system consists of four charge-to-pulse-width converters that transfer time-modulated digital pulses to a field- programmable gate array. The design can process data at count rates exceeding 40,000 events per second and transmit data over an Ethernet link at 1 Gb/sec.
Multiwavelength mode-locked InGaAsP laser operating at 12 ch/spl times/2 GHz and 16 ch/spl times/10 GHz

In this letter, we report on the development and characterization of an InGaAsP semiconductor optical amplifier-(SOA) based ring cavity laser that emits up to 16 wavelengths in the 1550-nm region. The laser is loss modulation mode locked at up to 10 GHz with temporal pulses of /spl sim/25 ps. Spectral control of the emission is accomplished by an intracavity 4-f spectral pulse shaper with a programmable liquid crystal spatial light modulator (SLM) in the Fourier plane. Voltage control of the transmissibility of the pixels of the SLM defines the wavelength channels and allows flattening of channels to produce a uniform intensity of channel outputs.
Effects of Light and Copper Ions on Volatile Aldehydes of Milk and Milk Fractions

Raw, laboratory-pasteurized and plant-pasteurized homogenized milks were exposed to copper ions (5 ppm), to sunlight or fluorescent light and the effects determined on the composition of volatile aldehydes. The greatest change due to copper treatment was an increase in n-hexanal; acetaldehyde showed the least response in each of the sources of milk. The responses were similar from all three sources of milk with laboratory-pasteurized milk samples showing the greatest responses for each aldehyde analyzed. Similar milk samples exposed to sunlight also showed an increase in volatile aldehydes from all milk sources but with the greatest response being acetaldehyde and n-pentanal components. The milk fraction most susceptible to changes in the presence of light was neutralized whey, whereas resuspended cream was most susceptible to copper exposure. Overall, dialyzed whey appeared to be influenced more than other milk fractions by both light and copper ions.
The impact of a marriage enrichment program on relationship factors

This study represented a continuing effort to assess the effects of a marriage enrichment program previously used by Kilmann, Moreault, and Robinson. Eleven couples who responded to newspaper and radio announcements received fair-fight training followed by sexual enhancement. Six couples recruited in the same manner received no treatment but responded to the measures at the same time intervals as the experimental couples. In comparison with the control couples the experimental couples reported a significant increase in marital adjustment and significantly greater actualized relationship. From a videotaped problem-solving task the experimental couples were rated as exhibiting significantly more positive communication patterns than the control couples. The findings offer support for the marriage enrichment program, although larger samples are needed to determine which treatment components are most beneficial for defined couples.
Stabilization of Plakoglobin and Enhanced Keratinocyte Cell-Cell Adhesion by Intracellular O-Glycosylation

O-Glycosylation modifies and regulates a variety of intracellular proteins. Plakoglobin, which functions in both cell-cell adhesion and signal transduction, is modified by O-glycosylation; however, the significance is unknown. To investigate the functional consequence of plakoglobin O-glycosylation, we cloned and overexpressed in keratinocytes murine O-GlcNAc transferase (mOGT). Over expression of mOGT in murine keratinocytes resulted in (i) glycosylation of plakoglobin and (ii) increased levels of plakoglobin due to post-translational stabilization of plakoglobin. Additionally, overexpression of mOGT in keratinocytes correlated with increased staining for cell-cell adhesion proteins and greater cell-cell adhesion. These observations suggest that O-glycosylation functions to regulate the post-translational stability of plakoglobin and keratinocyte cell-cell adhesion.
Full integration of subtyping and if-expression

The combination of full subsumption and conditional expression is a challenging problem, because in such a system, a term might not have a type which is a representative of all types of the term. Therefore, the traditional type checking technique fails. Due to such a difficulty, Java typing rule for if-expression uses only a restricted form of subtyping. In this paper, we propose a type system which includes both of the above mentioned features and enjoys decidable type checking. We also show that the system has the subject reduction property. It is expected that this technique could be used to improve the type system of Java with full subsumption.
Long-Acting Opioids and Short-Acting Opioids: Appropriate Use in Chronic Pain Management

In recent years, opioid therapy for the management of chronic noncancer pain has become more widely accepted following the publication of data demonstrating the efficacy of this class of drugs in a variety of pain conditions, including osteoarthritis, neuropathic pain, and low back pain. An array of short-acting and long-acting opioids has been formulated to help prescribers more effectively tailor the management of chronic pain based on the quality and temporal profile of the pain as well as the functional goals of the individual patient. Evidence suggests that both of these groups of medications offer unique benefits to individual patients and that neither is more efficacious than the other. Rather, both short-acting and long-acting opioids should be considered in the overall pharmacotherapeutic treatment of patients with chronic noncancer pain.
Flavor Constituents of Beef as Influenced by Forage‐ and Grain‐Feeding

Hereford yearling steers (N= 144) were alloted to one of three pasture systems: tall fescue, smooth bromegrass-red clover or orchardgrass-red clover. After the grazing period, steers were finished in drylot and then serially slaughtered at 0, 56, 84 and 112 days. Carcass quality grades and yield grade numbers increased when steers were fed grain up to 112 days. Tenderness of loin steaks increased up to 84 days, after which no improvements were observed. Sensory panel scores for grassy flavor of steaks and ground beef decreased up to 112 days. Fifty-three compounds were identified in the volatiles of melted subcutaneous fat by direct sampling-gas chromatography/mass spectro-metry. The major differences between volatiles from fat of forage-fed compared to grain-fed steers were the higher concentrations of 2,3-octanedione and various diterpenoids present in the samples of the forage-fed animals.
A dual role for RNA splicing signals.

Growing evidence suggests that the splicing of pre-mRNAs may be imperfect. Do quality control mechanisms exist to eliminate RNA molecules that have escaped the splicing process?
Mechanism of flavin reduction in the class 1A dihydroorotate dehydrogenase from Lactococcus lactis.

Dihydroorotate dehydrogenases (DHODs) oxidize dihydroorotate (DHO) to orotate (OA) using the FMN prosthetic group to abstract a hydride equivalent from C6 and a protein residue (cysteine for class 1A DHODs) to deprotonate C5. The fundamental question of whether the scission of the two DHO C−H bonds is concerted or stepwise was addressed for the class 1A enzyme from Lactococcus lactis by determining kinetic isotope effects (KIEs) on flavin reduction in anaerobic stopped-flow experiments. Isotope effects were determined at two pH values. At pH 7.0, KIEs were ∼2-fold for DHO labeled singly at the 5-position or the 6-position and ∼4-fold for DHO labeled at both the 5- and 6-positions. At pH 8.5, the KIEs observed for DHO labeled at the 5-position, the 6-position, and the 5- and 6-positions were ∼2-, ∼3-, and ∼6-fold, respectively. These isotope effects are consistent with a concerted oxidation of DHO. The pH dependence of reduction was also determined, and a pKa of 8.3 was found. This pKa can be attributed to...
Diffusion of trajectories in a simple Hamiltonian system with slow periodic forcing

Abstract The dynamics of phase-space trajectories in a sinusoidal potential with slowly modulated amplitude is considered. It is shown that trapping and detrapping of trajectories in the potential causes diffusion of the adiabatic invariant. An approximate diffusion coefficient is calculated and is shown to scale as e3, where ϵ ⪡ 1 is the modulation frequency. Numerical simulations are used to test the analytic results, showing that phase correlations significantly affect the magnitude and shape of the diffusion coefficient, although they do not alter its scaling with e.
Interactions between bacterial endotoxin and other stimulators of bone resorption in organ culture.

Four agents which have been implicated in the pathogenesis of alveolar bone loss. In periodontaI disease, endotoxin, prostagandin E2 (PGE2), parathyroid hormone (PTH) and osteoclast activating factor (OAF), were studied for their effects on bone resorption as measured by the release of previously incorporated 45Ca from long bone shafts of 19 day fetal rats. Endotoxin at concentrations of 4 to 25 ng/ml caused little increase in 45Ca release but was able to enhance the response to submaximal concentrations of PGE2, PTH, and OAF. The response appeared synergistic, that is, it was greater than the sum of the individual responses when the agents were added singly. PTH and PGE2 do not show such apparent synergism when added together. The effects of endotoxin were not inhibited by three structurally unrelated inhibitors of prostaglandin synthesis, indomethacin, flufenamic acid and RO 20–5720, and synergistic responses were similar when PGE2 and endotoxin were added in the presence of indomethacin. We conclude that interactions between endotoxin and other bone resorbers can produce unexpectedly large resorptive responses and suggest that these interactions may be important in the pathogenesis of bone loss in periodontaJ disease and other forms of pathologic osteolysis.
HONORIFICATION AS AGREEMENT

Bobaljik and Yatsushiro (this volume) take issue with Boeckx and Niinuma’s (2004) claim that object honorification in Japanese can (and should) be assimilated to more familiar instances of (verb–object) agreement. I show that Bobaljik and Yatsushiro’s criticism is too weak to abandon the kind of analysis Boeckx and Niinuma proposed. First, Bobaljik and Yatsushiro offer no alternative analysis. I claim that in the absence of a full-fledged alternative conception of honorification, Boeckx and Niinuma’s kind of analysis is the null hypothesis. Second, the details they take issue with are not nearly as lethal to Boeckx and Niinuma’s original analysis as Bobaljik and Yatsushiro suggest.
Mock radiology oral examination1

Rationale and objective To organize and implement a mock oral examination for radiology residents in an attempt to prepare them for the American Board of Radiology Oral Examination. Materials and methods A mock oral examination was administered to junior and senior radiology residents by radiology faculty. All participants completed postexamination surveys. Results The mock oral examination process not only provided practice for preboard residents, but also determined areas of deficiency in their fund of knowledge and presenting skills. Additionally, it provided faculty members with areas of curricular weakness. Conclusion Administration of a mock oral examination reaps multiple benefits, which far exceed the task of its implementation.
An Introductory Dye Laser Experiment

Students measure the visible absorption spectrum, the fluorescence spectrum, and the dye laser emission curve of one or more laser dyes. The absorption and fluorescence spectra are measured using commercial spectrometers and the laser emission curve is measured with a nitrogen-pumped dye laser and an energy meter. While this experiment produces qualitative results, its investigative flavor allows students to figure out for themselves the nature of the energy levels of the dye molecule and how the dye laser works. They must draw on a variety of spectroscopic and kinetic concepts to understand the meaning of the three spectra and the relationship between them. In addition, the students particularly enjoy maximizing the dye laser energy by making adjustments to the optics in the laser cavity. This allows them to "tinker" with the inner workings of an instrument in a more direct way than they have experienced before.
Far-infrared magneto-optical studies of D− ions and many-electron effects on donor impurities in quasi-2D semiconductor structures

Abstract A systematic study of shallow donor states in the presence of excess electrons has been carried out on a series of Si-doped GaAs/AlGaAs multiple quantum well samples by far-infrared magneto-spectroscopy. The evolution of the occupancy of the one-electron (D0) and two-electron (D−) impurity bound states with increasing population of electrons in the well has been clearly observed through the use of a controllable photon-dose technique and a sequence of modulation and well-center doped samples. After all impurities become D−ions, increasing the density of two-dimensional electrons in the wells shifts the ‘D−’ transition to higher energy, opposite to predictions for static screening of D0 states. The magnetic field dependence of the D− transitions and the dependence of the transition energies on the filling factor are also described.
Levodopa-responsive parkinsonism in a patient with Down's syndrome.

We report a patient with Down’s syndrome (DS) who developed progressive parkinsonian symptomatology at the age of 43 years. His parkinsonism was responsive to levodopa/carbidopa, but he developed end
The coulomb force and five solid-state phases of metals

Abstract With only the two-body Coulomb repulsion taken into account, a theoretical phase diagram for any metal includes the following phases (at least): an ordinary paramagnetic Fermi liquid, itinerant ferromagnetism, a CDW phase and an antiferromagnetic phase (either of which can become an insulator), and — surprisingly — a superconducting phase. With specific reference to CuO2 -based solids, it will be shown that the screened Coulomb force in a layered metal is not necessarily inimical to superconductivity, and can even account for the new phenomenon of high Tc superconductivity. Under certain circumstances, the two particles in each Cooper pair are in a relative s-state, but on adjacent layers, and Tc can exceed 100K.
Perception of fault in patients with chronic pain

Abstract The beliefs and expectancies of chronic pain patients have been shown to be critical cognitive facilitators or impediments to the recovery process. In the present study patients presenting to an outpatient pain center were classified according to their response to the questionnaire item “Who do you think is at fault for your pain?”. Patients were then grouped according to the responses ‘employer’, ‘other’, or ‘no one’. The resulting 3 groups of patients did riot differ in current pain intensity or activity limitation, but the fault conditions, relative to the no-fault patients, reported greater concurrent mood distress and behavioral disturbance, as well as poorer response to past treatments, and lessor expectations of future benefits. The negative effects were more pronounced in the Employer-Fault group, than for the Other-Fault group (primarily ‘doctors’ and ‘other drivers’). On balance, the present data suggest: that attribution of blame may be an under-recognized cognitive correlate of pain behavior, mood disturbance, and poor response to treatment.
Boosting with stereo features for building facade detection on mobile platforms

Boosting has been widely used for discriminative modeling of objects in images. Conventionally, pixel- and patch-based features have been used, but recently, features defined on multilevel aggregate regions were incorporated into the boosting framework, and demonstrated significant improvement in object labeling tasks. In this paper, we further extend the boosting on multilevel aggregates method to incorporate features based on stereo images. Our underlying application is building facade detection on mobile stereo vision platforms. Example features we propose exploit the algebraic constraints of the planar building facades and depth gradient statistics. We've implemented the features and tested the framework on real stereo data.
System design and cataloging meet the user: User interfaces to online public access catalogs

Current research on user interfaces to online public access catalogs is reviewed in an attempt to identify research methods and findings applicable to the design of effective user interfaces to online public access catalogs. A broad definition of user interface is employed which includes data structures, in addition to searching and indexing software. The following features of online public access catalogs are discussed: the demonstration of relationships between records, the provision of entry vocabularies, the arrangement of multiple entries on the screen, the provision of access points, the display of single records, and the division of the catalog into separate files or indexes. For each feature, user studies and other research on online public access catalogs are reviewed and those findings summarized which provide insight into user needs concerning that particular feature; issues are identified and directions for future research are suggested. Implications for cataloging codes and standards and system design are discussed.
Radial inertia effects on an ideally plastic circular plate under impulsive axial compression

Abstract An analysis is presented here of the dynamic problem of a circular rigid-perfectly-plastic plate forged between two rigid plates under a number of input conditions. It is shown that the radial inertia of the deforming plate has a significant effect, and hence the results of this dynamic solution differ for instance, for high axial strain rates from those which would have been obtained under static conditions, for which an exact mathematical solution already exists [1]. The approach used is that of finite element analysis. The analysis is applied to some cases of practical interest. Input conditions treated are (a) prescribed axial strain rate, (b) axial strain rate dependent on plate thickness and time, (c) constant forging power and (d) constant compression total force. A previously known static solution [1] is obtained with excellent agreement, as a special case of this analysis, by taking very small axial strain rates.
Analyzing partially randomized nucleic acid pools: straight dope on doping

Partially randomized (doped) pools are important for optimizing activities initially isolated by selection-amplification or SELEX, and for locating nucleotides critical for function. Here we present a method for calculating the number of unique sequences in a pool, and the expected copy number of each unique sequence with a specified number of changes from the original sequence. Surprisingly, small differences in doping can have large consequences for the number of copies of sequences with certain numbers of changes from the original sequence. We demonstrate the effects of pool size, percentage doping, length of the random region and taking aliquots from the original pool on the exploration of sequence space in a doped reselection experiment. A web form is provided for customized calculations.
Detection of drilling mud-base oil in the bile of trout, Salmo gairdneri.

Crude and refined petroleum oils contain saturated as well as polyaromatic hydrocarbons, and the latter exist in minor amounts. However, drilling mud-base oils have predominantly and in the present case, almost exclusively saturated components. Studies on the fate and effects of petroleum oil in fish have concentrated on the aromatics. A recent investigation of the mutagenicity vs toxicity of the various water soluble fractions of Kuwait crude oil suggests that much of the toxicity of that fractionated oil is due to alkanes, alkenes, aliphatics and one-ring cyclic compounds. Aliphatic molecules such as dodecane and docosane have been shown to bioaccumulate in fish with a bioaccumulation factor of 50 and 10, which is close to that found for aromatic molecules. In view of all these observations and since /sup 13/C NMR analysis of the metabolites found in the gall bladder bile of cunners exposed to No. 2 fuel oil indicated the presence of an aliphatic moiety in the bile mixture, it was deemed of interest to determine if the gall bladder bile would act as a bioconcentrator of an oil quasi-free of aromatics.
Planar and textured heterojunction organic photovoltaics based on chloroindium phthalocyanine (ClInPc) versus titanyl phthalocyanine (TiOPc) donor layers

Abstract Planar and textured heterojunction solar cells (OPVs) are reported for vacuum deposited chloroindium phthalocyanine (ClInPc)/C 60 heterojunctions, and their response compared to previously explored OPVs based on titanyl phthalocyanine (TiOPc)/C 60 heterojunctions. As for TiOPc/C 60 OPVs, the photoelectrical activity of ClInPc/C 60 OPVs extends well into the near infrared, with good activity out to ca. 900 nm. As-deposited ClInPc films (Phase I) produce open-circuit photopotentials, V OC as high as ca. 0.8 V (Phase I form of ClInPc), ca. 0.15 V larger than previously observed for Phase I TiOPc/C 60 OPVs. The offsets in frontier orbital energies ( E HOMO Pc – E LUMO C 60 ) revealed by UV-photoemission studies (UPS) are slightly smaller for ClInPc/C 60 versus TiOPc/C 60 heterojunctions, and the interface dipole contribution (shift in local vacuum level) to these offsets is in the opposite direction for ClInPc/C 60 versus TiOPc/C 60 heterojunctions, or missing altogether, suggesting differences in molecular interaction at the Pc/C 60 interface. Higher V OC values are correlated with lower reverse saturation currents, J o , for ClInPc/C 60 , versus other Pc or pentacene/C 60 heterojunctions, suggesting weak intermolecular interactions at the ClInPc/C 60 interface and large barriers to dark charge injection. Solvent annealing of the ClInPc films enhances the near-IR response, and textures the Pc film, enhancing the Pc/C 60 interfacial contact area and the short-circuit photocurrent, J SC . J SC under AM 1.5 illumination conditions was estimated by integration of the incident photon current efficiency (IPCE) response, to compare relative power conversion efficiencies for the two different device types. The estimated efficiency of Phase I ClInPc/C 60 OPVs is ca. 2.6%. The estimated AM 1.5 efficiency of ClInPc/C 60 OPVs with solvent annealed Pc layers is estimated to be ca. 3.3%, arising from the extensive texturing achieved of the Pc layer, which nearly doubles J SC for the Phase II versus Phase I Pc films.
Single-mode-fiber 1 × N directional coupler

We report the development of an adjustable single-mode-fiber multiterminal directional coupler that exhibits efficient coupling and uniform terminal output over a wide range of coupling coefficients. The device is made using a new technique that employs silicon V-groove substrates in the fabrication of arrays of evanescently coupled taps on single-mode fibers. The coupler is highly directional and polarization independent and exhibits excess loss as low as 0.09 dB per terminal in a 1 × 7 device. The fabrication technique may be extended to produce devices having large numbers of terminals. Applications include use in fiber data-bus systems and as a tapped delay line for broadband signal processing.