cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Microbe-Metal Interactions on Seafloor Basalts

This chapter considers mineral-microbe interactions at and below the ocean floor, the epilithic and endolithic microorganisms harbored in rock habitats in the dark ocean, and metal and redox cycling at rock and mineral surfaces. It discusses empirical studies on materials retrieved from the seafloor and subseafloor. The chapter talks about new research frontiers using novel in situ microbial observatories for time-series experiments in these environments. Laboratory and field studies have also indicated that alteration of rocks and minerals in the deep sea is connected to carbon fixation, and thereby dark ocean primary production. The chapter reviews recent insights into dark ocean mineral-mineral microbe interactions, principally as associated with potentially largest endolithic surface on Earth: seafloor and subseafloor basalt. Experimental lines of research on alteration and weathering of the igneous ocean crust conducted in recent years both at and below the seafloor are discussed. The chapter offers insights into new means for directly assessing the role of microbes in metal cycling and rock alteration. The ability to oxidize Fe(II) is shared across multiple proteobacterial lineages, including representatives from α-,ү- and e-proteobacteria, possibly indicating horizontal gene transfer of this ability, or perhaps hinting at the possibility that iron oxidation is an ancestral trait within the Proteobacteria. The recently developed new strategies for conducting time-series studies and conducting active experimentation at and below the seafloor can offer powerful means for studying these remote systems, and offer broad and extensive research results in scientific advancement.
Pre-service special and general educators' perceptions of bullying

Successful approaches for decreasing bullying among youth hinge on the competence of teachers, yet teachers’ perceptions of bullying often differ from those of students. This study used the Bullying Perceptions Scale—Revised to investigate perceptions of 221 pre-service teachers at a large university in the midwestern United States. Results suggested that pre-service teachers believe all topographies of bullying warrant intervention. Additionally, when asked to recall an episode of bullying, pre-service teachers typically recalled a scenario that involved verbal bullying (84.0%), occurred in the classroom (43.6%), in elementary (44.0%) or middle school (39.6%), when teachers were present (50.2%). The findings imply a need for increased focus on bully identification and prevention in the teacher preparation curriculum.
Factors Leading to Discrepancies in Accumulated Physical Activity During School Hours in Elementary School Students

Purpose:Current in-school physical activity (PA) policies lack regulation which testifies to the urgency of monitoring in-school moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA).This study quantifies demographical d...
Electroanatomic Mapping to determine Scar Regions in patients with Atrial Fibrillation

Left atrial voltage maps are routinely acquired during electroanatomic mapping in patients undergoing catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF). For patients, who have prior catheter ablation when they are in sinus rhythm (SR), the voltage map can be used to identify low voltage areas (LVAs) using a threshold of 0.2 - 0.45 mV. However, such a voltage threshold for maps acquired during AF has not been well established. A prerequisite for defining a voltage threshold is to maximize the topologically matched LVAs between the electroanatomic mapping acquired during AF and SR. This paper demonstrates a new technique to improve the sensitivity and specificity of the matched LVA. This is achieved by computing omni-directional bipolar voltages and applying Gaussian Process Regression based interpolation to derive the AF map. The proposed method is evaluated on a test cohort of 7 male patients, and a total of 46,589 data points were included in analysis. The LVAs in the posterior left atrium and pulmonary vein junction are determined using the standard method and the proposed method. Overall, the proposed method showed patient-specific sensitivity and specificity in matching LVAs of 75.70% and 65.55% for a geometric mean of 70.69%. On average, there was an improvement of 3.00% in the geometric mean, 7.88% improvement in sensitivity, 0.30% improvement in specificity compared to the standard method. The results show that the proposed method is an improvement in matching LVA. This may help develop the voltage threshold to better identify LVA in the left atrium for patients in AF.
Safety and efficacy of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube placement in patients with malignant peritoneal carcinomatosis induced bowel obstruction.

e14012 Background: Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy (PEG) tube placement in advanced peritoneal carcinomatosis with bowel obstruction is a feasible palliative procedure to help patients with obs...
A model Roseobacter employs a diffusible killing mechanism to eliminate competitors

Abstract The roseobacter clade is a group of α-proteobacteria that have diverse metabolic and regulatory capabilities. They are abundant in marine environments and have a substantial role in marine ecology and biogeochemistry. However, interactions between roseobacters and other bacterioplankton have not been extensively explored. In this study, we identify a killing mechanism in the model Roseobacter Ruegeria pomeroyi DSS-3 by competing it against a group of phylogenetically diverse bacteria. The killing mechanism involves an unidentified antimicrobial compound that is produced when cells are grown on both surfaces and in suspension and is dependent on cell density. A screen of random transposon mutants revealed the killing phenotype, as well as resistance to the antimicrobial, require genes within an ~8 kb putative γ-butyrolactone synthesis gene cluster, which resembles similar pheromone-sensing systems in actinomycetes that regulate secondary metabolite production. Transcriptomics revealed the gene cluster is highly upregulated in wild-type DSS-3 compared to a non-killer mutant when grown in liquid coculture with a roseobacter target. Our findings show that R. pomeroyi has the capability to eliminate closely- and distantly-related competitors, providing a mechanism to alter the community structure and function in its native habitats.
Monbiot’s Muddle

George Monbiot’s recent conclusion that capitalism is the real problem is long overdue, but he fails to deconstruct economic growth with respect to its qualitative versus quantitative aspects, like...
Now You See Me, Now You Mishear Me: Raciolinguistic accounts of speech perception in different English varieties

Listeners can access information about a speaker such as age, gender identity, socioeconomic status, and their linguistic background upon hearing their speech. However, it is still not clear if lis...
An Affordable and Easily Recreated Ultrasound Phantom for Deep Vein Thrombosis

Evaluating a patient for a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) using ultrasound is a common procedure in the emergency department. Teaching a clinician to identify a DVT on ultrasound is often done on a pha...
1,2,3, MHC: a review of mass-spectrometry-based immunopeptidomics methods for relative and absolute quantification of pMHCs

Quantitative mass-spectrometry-based methods to perform relative and absolute quantification of peptides in the immunopeptidome are growing in popularity as researchers aim to measure the dynamic nature of the peptide major histocompatibility complex repertoire and make copies-per-cell estimations of target antigens of interest. Multiple methods to carry out these experiments have been reported, each with unique advantages and limitations. This article describes existing methods and recent applications, offering guidance for improving quantitative accuracy and selecting an appropriate experimental set-up to maximize data quality and quantity.
Comparative study of therapy-related and de novo adult b-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.

We report a comparative analysis of patients with therapy-related acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (tr-ALL) vs de novo ALL. We identified 331 patients with B-ALL; 69 (21%) were classified as tr-ALL. The most common prior malignancies were breast (23·2%) and plasma cell disorders (20·3%). Patients with tr-ALL were older (median 63·2 vs. 46·2 years, P < 0.001), more often female (66·7% vs. 43·5%, P < 0·001), and more likely to have hypodiploid cytogenetics (18·8% vs. 5·0%, P < 0·001). In multivariable analysis, patients with tr-ALL were less likely to achieve complete remission [odds ratio (OR) = 0·16, P < 0·001] and more likely to be minimal residual disease-positive (OR = 4·86, P = 0·01) but had similar OS after diagnosis and allo-haematopoietic cell transplantation.
Avoid Missing Variables or Conditions

This chapter continues the discussion of errors that can be avoided so that the ­outcome of the user study is maximized. While the previous chapter focused on the existing variables and how they can be optimized without changing the design of the study, this chapter demonstrates how an inferior study design and inappro­priate analysis can lead to erroneous conclusions. First, the effects of missing an ­independent variable are explained by demonstrating how a missed interaction can lead to effects being cancelled out. Second, missing an important condition may also result in no effect being found at all. Finally, using ANOVA and its omnibus F-test may also lead to missing effects when the arrangement of conditions is important, for example, when the conditions represent a linear trend.
The effects of skin temperature on the detection and discrimination of tactile stimulation

Detection thresholds and intensity-difference thresholds were measured on four subjects ranging in age from 19 to 22 years. The stimuli were 250-Hz bursts of vibration applied through a 3.0 cm2 contactor to the thenar eminence of the right hand. Detection thresholds were substantially higher at 20 degrees C than at 30 degrees or 40 degrees C and were only slightly higher at 40 degrees C than 30 degrees C. When the intensity-difference threshold was expressed in relative terms, as the proportion by which two stimuli must differ in amplitude to be discriminated (delta phi/phi), discrimination capacities were unaffected by surface-skin temperature. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that surface-skin temperature alters the sensitivity of tactile receptors, and that, because of the 'near miss' to Weber's law, the relative difference threshold is unaffected substantially by skin temperature. It was concluded that, at least a partial explanation of the 'near miss' lies in the fact that, at low to moderate sensation levels, the P channel is exclusively activated whereas, at moderate to high sensation levels, because of recruitment of activity in Non-Pacinian channels, neural information for intensity discrimination is additionally provided by channels with superior discriminative capacities.
The commercialization of satellite imagery: Implications for cross-border conflict

Abstract The proliferation of commercial observation satellites offers opportunities to enhance regional stability as well as destabilizing possibilities for cross-border conflicts in the developing world. It is virtually impossible to anticipate whether observation satellites will be exploited for peaceful or destabilizing purposes, but there are clear benefits in maintaining symmetry in such capabilities. An International Satellite Monitoring Agency could be the best way to promote the positive aspects of satellite technology while minimizing the negative.
Characterization of Na++K+-ATPases and Mg2+-ATPases from the gill and the kidney of the goldfish (Carassius auratus L.)

1. 1. Goldfish gill and kidney ATPases are sensitive to ionic strength. 2. 2. The optimal conditions for goldfish gill Na+ + K+-ATPase activity at 37°C are pH 7.5, 2 mM magnesium, 3 mM ATP, 18 mM potassium, 12 mM sodium. 3. 3. The optimal conditions for goldfish kidney Na+ + K+-ATPase activity at 37°C are pH 7.0, 2 mM magnesium, 2 mM ATP, 12 mM potassium, and 48 mM sodium. 4. 4. Under optimal conditions, the Na+ + K+-ATPase activity in the gill is 2.82 μmol Pi/mg protein/hr and in the kidney 15.95 μmol Pi/mg protein/hr. Under these conditions, the Mg2+-ATPase activity is 17.92 μmol Pi/mg protein/hr in the gill and 13.29 μmol Pi/mg protein/hr in the kidney. 5. 5. The described methodology provides ouabain sensitive active goldfish enzyme without use of detergents or sodium iodide.
Celebrating Twenty-five Years of the Legal Writing Institute

Throughout its existence and through the work of its members, the Legal Writing Institute (LWI) has enhanced the professionalism and quality of legal writing programs. The markers of the growth in professionalism include increased status, enhanced legal writing programs that include classes beyond the first year, and increased opportunities and expectations for LRW professionals as scholars. The Legal Writing Institute has much to celebrate. LWI members are teaching a wide array of courses, in addition to the traditional, first-year, required course. LWI members are producing scholarship. LWI members are enjoying hard-earned status improvements. In the next twenty-five years, LWI members may not always agree on the next steps to take, but LWI members will work collaboratively to set and reach goals.
Separation of protein X from the dihydrolipoyl transacetylase component of the mammalian pyruvate dehydrogenase complex and function of protein X.

Abstract The dihydrolipoyl transacetylase (E2)-protein X-kinase subcomplex was resolved to produce an oligomeric transacetylase that was free of protein X and kinase subunits. We investigated the properties of this transacetylase E2 oligomer and of a form of the subcomplex from which only the lipoyl-bearing domain of protein X (XL) was removed. While retaining other catalytic and binding properties of the native subcomplex, the oligomeric transacetylase and the subcomplex lacking the XL domain had greatly reduced capacities both to support the overall reaction of the complex (upon reconstitution with other components) and to bind the dihydrolipoyl dehydrogenase component. Our results indicate that protein X, in part through its XL domain, contributes to the binding of the dihydrolipoyl dehydrogenase component and to the overall reaction of the complex.
A run time interpretation approach for creating custom accelerators

The world of software development has the notion of just-in-time compilation, run time binary translation, and language interpretation. These dynamic run time techniques support increased code portability and designer productivity. There are no such equivalences to increase the productivity or portability of creating new hardware components within Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs). Instead, creating a new hardware component requires hardware design skills and the overhead of running through synthesis, place and route. If a change is made to even a single line of code, the synthesis, place and route steps must be repeated. In this paper we present a new approach that allows hardware accelerators to be built and run using compilation and run time interpretation. Our results show the approach can enable software programmers without any hardware skills to create hardware accelerators at productivity levels consistent with software development and compilation. The same accelerator can be compiled 100× faster than synthesis. Even though the approach is focused on productivity, our observed performance results are promising. Our initial application test cases show the same accelerator written by a software programmer and synthesized through Vivado HLS or written using our DSL and compiled within our approach achieves equivalent performance.
Policy, Precedent, and Power: A Positive Theory of Supreme Court Decision-making

Although it can be argued that legislative and judicial decision-makers preside over similar issue areas, the effects of the rules emanating from the two types of policy-makers can differ dramatically. The absence of consideration of this difference represents a major shortcoming in the literature. When Congress passes a law, that law affects everyone in the same way. That is, any individual engaged in an activity regulated by the law is constrained in the same way. Any law that discriminates arbitrarily among individuals is considered to be unconstitutional. Judicial policy decisions, however, need not demonstrate this universalistic quality. The actual decision handed down in a particular case is binding only on the participants in the case. The effect that the ruling will have on other
Urodynamic effects of retropubic urethropexy in genuine stress incontinence

Abstract Literature reports of preoperative and postoperative urodynamic evaluations of women with genuine stress incontinence note a lack of effect of the surgical procedure on urethral functional length and closure pressure. This report indicates a different experience. Postoperative urodynamics 4 to 12 months following retropubic urethropexy in this group of patients demonstrated consistent and significant increases in urethral functional length and closure pressure with different patient positions and bladder volumes, when compared to preoperative studies. Postoperative stress testing also became normal. This augmentation of normal urethral function is most likely due to avoidance of midline periurethral dissection, which allows the normal urethra and urethrovesical junction to augment their functional capabilities unencumbered by iatrogenic periurethral scarification.
Report on an Interagency Workshop on the Radiobiology of Nuclear Terrorism

Abstract Moulder, J. E. Report on an Interagency Workshop on the Radiobiology of Nuclear Terrorism. Molecular and Cellular Biology of Moderate Dose (1–10 Sv) Radiation and Potential Mechanisms of Radiation Protection (Bethesda, Maryland, December 17–18, 2001) Radiat. Res. 158, 118–124 (2002). The events of September 11, 2001 have focused attention on the possibility of nuclear terrorism, and 1–10 Sv is arguably the dose range of biological interest, since doses in this range both pose a risk of acute effects and are potentially survivable. Because of this interest, a coalition of U.S. government agencies (NCI, DOD, DOE) and the Radiation Research Society convened a workshop in December 2001 “to focus on molecular, cellular and tissue changes that occur [at doses of 1–10 Sv] and potential mechanisms of radioprotection”. A draft report of this workshop was posted on the NCI website in February 2002. According to the draft, the workshop was also intended to “determine the research opportunities and resources...
Lobular Carcinoma in Situ: A 29-Year Longitudinal Experience Evaluating Clinicopathologic Features and Breast Cancer Risk

Purpose The increased breast cancer risk conferred by a diagnosis of lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) is poorly understood. Here, we review our 29-year longitudinal experience with LCIS to evaluate factors associated with breast cancer risk. Patients and Methods Patients participating in surveillance after an LCIS diagnosis are observed in a prospectively maintained database. Comparisons were made among women choosing surveillance, with or without chemoprevention, and those undergoing bilateral prophylactic mastectomies between 1980 and 2009. Results One thousand sixty patients with LCIS without concurrent breast cancer were identified. Median age at LCIS diagnosis was 50 years (range, 27 to 83 years). Fifty-six patients (5%) underwent bilateral prophylactic mastectomy; 1,004 chose surveillance with (n = 173) or without (n = 831) chemoprevention. At a median follow-up of 81 months (range, 6 to 368 months), 150 patients developed 168 breast cancers (63% ipsilateral, 25% contralateral, 12% bilateral), with ...
History of Martian volatiles: Implications for organic synthesis☆

A theoretical reconstruction of the history of Martian volatiles indicates that Mars probably possessed a substantial reducing atmosphere at the outset of its history, and that its present tenuous and more oxidized atmosphere is the result of extensive chemical evolution. As a consequence, it is probable that Martian atmospheric chemical conditions, now hostile with respect to abiotic organic synthesis in the gas phase, were initially favorable. Evidence indicating the chronology and degradational history of Martian surface features, surface mineralogy, bulk volatile content, internal mass distribution, and thermal history suggests that Mars catastrophically developed a substantial reducing atmosphere as the result of rapid accretion.
Choosing a transfer pricing method: A study of the domestic and international decision-making process

Abstract Multinational corporations (MNCs) often transfer goods between the parent and its domestic and/or international subsidiaries. Theoretically, the objectives and the choice of a domestic transfer pricing method are determined separately from the objectives and choice of an international method. How an individual MNC actually chooses methods when it has both types of transfers has not been investigated. In the present research, the factors affecting the domestic and international transfer pricing decision-making process and the objectives of transfer pricing methods in MNCs are investigated using both full-sample and matched-pairs analyses. This research identifies differences in some of the organizational and environmental characteristics affecting the decision-making process regarding transfer pricing. However, in a matched pairs sample, transfer pricing choices do not reflect these differences. Most MNCs choose the same transfer pricing method for both domestic and international transfers, seemingly disregarding these differences and IRC Sec. 482 regulations. Many objectives of trasnsfer pricing are similar for both domestic and international transfers, contradicting prior research. There are significant differences in the importance of the criteria defining performance evaluation for domestic and international managers. A third analysis compares companies by method chosen, disregarding the nature of the transfer. Findings suggest that the choice of a transfer pricing method is indeed contingent upon specific organizational and environmental characteristics, but not upon the nature of the transfer. In many cases, the domestic or international aspect of the transfer is secondary to other factors.
On the cardinality of intersection sets in inversive planes

Intersection sets and blocking sets play an important role in contemporary finite geometry. There are cryptographic applications depending on their construction and combinatorial properties. This paper contributes to this topic by answering the question: how many circles of an inversive plane will be blocked by a d-element set of points that has successively been constructed using a greedy type algorithm? We derive a lower bound for this number and thus obtain an upper bound for the cardinality of an intersection set of smallest size. Defining a coefficient called greedy index, we finally give an asymptotic analysis for the blocking capabilities of circles and subplanes of inversive planes.
Implantable neural spike detection using lifting-based stationary wavelet transform

Spike detection from high data rate neural recordings is desired to ease the bandwidth bottleneck of bio-telemetry. An appropriate spike detection method should be able to detect spikes under low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) while meeting the power and area constraints of implantation. This paper introduces a spike detection system utilizing lifting-based stationary wavelet transform (SWT) that decomposes neural signals into 2 levels using ‘symmlet2’ wavelet basis. This approach enables accurate spike detection down to an SNR of only 2. The lifting-based SWT architecture permits a hardware implementation consuming only 6.6 μW power and 0.07mm2 area for 32 channels with 3.2 MHz master clock.
Use of Xenogeneic (Heterologous) Sera for Cultivation of Rabbit Lymphocytes in vitro.

SummaryNormal xenogeneic (heterolo-gous) sera from adult animals are toxic or do not support the growth of the peripheral lymphocyte of rabbits in vitro. Fetal bovine or calf sera are able to maintain rabbit lymphocytes satisfactorily in culture. The effects of antisera to rabbit serum proteins produced in adult sheep on rabbit lymphocytes in vitro can be studied using cultures enriched with calf serum. The sheep sera must be decomplemented and absorbed with rabbit lymphocytes prior to the addition of these sera to lymphocyte cultures.
Motherhood and Sexuality in Flaubert's Madame Bovary

In her article "Motherhood and Sexuality in Flaubert's Madame Bovary" Amanda Kane Rooks examines the narration of relationships in Gustave Flaubert's Madame Bovary between Emma's role as mother and her sexuality. Rooks argues that this narrative relationship provides a space where the association between the oppressions of motherhood and women's sexuality can be better understood. Further, Rooks posits that Flaubert's narrative condemns the nineteenth-century Western predilection for constructing a relationship of mutual exclusivity between motherhood and sexuality, while it exposes socially sanctioned performances of motherhood and sexuality as allied, perverse manifestations of the same repressive ideological system. Amanda Kane Rooks, "Motherhood and Sexuality in Flaubert's Madame Bovary" page 2 of 10 CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture 16.3 (2014): Thematic Cluster Love, Sexualities, and Marriage in Literature
Laser Trimming Tree-Ring Cores for Dendrochemistry of Metals

This article discusses the application of laser to trim the outer surface from tree-ring increment cores in preparation for dendrochemistry of certain metals. A source of contamination specific to dendrochemistry of metals is metal constituents, such as iron, tungsten, chromium, nickel, and cobalt, coming off tools used to collect and process cores and adhering to the sample surface. One method to eliminate this contamination is to trim off the outer surface of cores using laser. To test this application of laser, three tree-ring increment cores were collected from each of three trees. For each tree, one core was trimmed using a CO2 laser, one core was trimmed using a stainless steel razor blade, and one core was left untrimmed. The resultant cores were measured for metals using acid dissolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy. Trimmed cores had on average one-third the content of iron, tungsten, and chromium than that of untrimmed cores. Laser-trimmed cores had less of these metals than razo...
ALTERED GABAA RECEPTOR EXPRESSION DURING EPILEPTOGENESIS

γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain. GABA(A) receptors are heteropentamers formed by assembly of multiple subunits that generate a wide array of receptors with particular distribution and pharmacological profiles. Malfunction of these receptors has been associated with the pathophysiology of epilepsy and contribute to an imbalance of excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission. The process of epilepsy development (epileptogenesis) is associated with changes in the expression and function of a large number of gene products. One of the major challenges is to effectively determine which changes directly contribute to epilepsy development versus those that are compensatory or not involved in the pathology. Substantial evidence suggests that changes in the expression and function of GABA(A) receptors are involved in the pathogenesis of epilepsy. Identification of the mechanisms involved in GABA(A) receptor malfunction during epileptogenesis and the ability to reverse this malfunction are crucial steps towards definitively answering this question and developing specific and effective therapies.
The effect of iodides on Hashimoto's thyroiditis.

Eighteen patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis and 4 with a solitary hyperfunctioning thyroidal nodule were given I131 before and after administration of 2000 μg. of stable iodide as potassium iodide. The difference between the 24-hour thyroidal uptakes of the pre-potassium iodide and post-potassium iodide tracers was reduced to a percentage in the manner described by Feinberg and associates. The percentage inhibition of thyroidal I131 uptake in all the cases studied was striking, and differed appreciably from the values for normal persons. It simulated the findings in Graves' disease and iodide goiter. The administration of TSH to normal subjects did not consistently alter the pattern of response to the “iodide inhibition test.” From these preliminary studies it is postulated that iodides enhance a pre-existing intrathyroidal defect that is conceivably related to the organification of iodide.
Present and future R measurements at CLEO

Abstract The CLEO collaboration has recently taken data for R at energies 7.0–11.3 GeV. These data are under analysisand will be discussed here. Scans in the energy region 3.8–4.5 GeV are under active consideration for OLEO-c.
A role for helical intermediates in amyloid formation by natively unfolded polypeptides

Amyloid formation and aberrant protein aggregation have been implicated in more than 15 different human diseases and an even wider range of proteins form amyloid in vitro. From a structural perspective the proteins which form amyloid can be divided into two classes: those which adopt a compact globular fold and must presumably at least partially unfold to form amyloid and those which are unstructured in their monomeric state. Important examples of the latter include the Abeta peptide of Alzheimer's disease, atrial natriuretic factor, calcitonin, pro-calcitonin, islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP, amylin), alpha-synuclein and the medin polypeptide. The kinetics of amyloid assembly are complex and typically involve a lag phase during which little or no fibril material is formed, followed by a rapid growth stage leading to the beta-sheet-rich amyloid structure. Increasing evidence suggests that some natively unfolded polypeptides populate a helical intermediate during the lag phase. We propose a model in which early oligomerization is linked to helix formation and is promoted by helix-helix association. Recent work has highlighted the potential importance of polypeptide membrane interactions in amyloid formation and helical intermediates appear to play an important role here as well. Characterization of helical intermediates is experimentally challenging but new spectroscopic techniques are emerging which hold considerable promise and even have the potential to provide residue specific information.
ESTIMATED STUDENT SCORE GAIN ON THE ACT COMP EXAM: Valid Tool for Institutional Assessment?

The higher education community needs measures of the value added to student development by the college experience. ACT provides a quick, easy method for estimating the extent of student growth in general education. An institution can test seniors with the ACT College Outcome Measures Project (COMP) exam, then subtract from the senior score anestimated freshman score obtained from a “concordance table” that is based on the known relationship between freshman ACT Assessment composite score and freshman COMP Total score. Studies using scores for 4,200 seniors and 2,100 freshmen tested during a two-year period at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, indicate that this method is not sufficiently reliable or valid to serve as the basis for making precise judgments about the quality of general education programs.
Analytic orbits in any central potential

Stable central orbits in any central potential are well approximated by a simple analytical expression whose parameters are readily determined from the potential and its gradient. The method yields better than 1 per cent accuracy for the angle between pericentre and apocentre but is somewhat less accurate for the periods of highly eccentric orbits when the logarithmic gradient of the potential changes rapidly over the orbit. A related method is proposed for unbound orbits.
Elusiveness of menstrual cycle effects on mate preferences: Comment on Gildersleeve, Haselton, and Fales (2014).

This comment uses meta-analytic techniques to reconcile the apparent conflict between Gildersleeve, Haselton, and Fales�s (2014) conclusion of �robust� effects of menstrual cycles on women�s preferences for men of purported genetic quality and Wood, Kressel, Joshi, and Louie�s (2014) assessment that the few, limited effects in this literature appear to be research artifacts. Despite these divergent conclusions, the literature in both reviews shows a broad distribution of effects, with fully one third of findings countering evolutionary psychology predictions. We demonstrate that Gildersleeve et al.�s conclusions were influenced by a small minority of supportive studies. Furthermore, we show that in both reviews, these supportive studies used imprecise estimates of women�s cycle phase by failing to validate cycle day (e.g., with hormonal tests) or by including a large number of days in the fertile phase. More recently, as published studies have used more precise methods to estimate menstrual phase, the effect has declined to zero. Additionally, publication status proved important in both reviews, with published but not unpublished studies showing the predicted effects. In general, the limited evidence for evolutionary psychology predictions calls for more sophisticated models of hormonal processes in human mating. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved)
Proconvulsant and anticonvulsant properties of ethanol: studies of electrographic seizures in vitro

Recent studies have demonstrated that ethanol is a potent blocker of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor mediated responses. It is well known that neuroplasticity processes depend on the activation of the NMDA type of excitatory amino acid receptor. We have used an in vitro model of electrographic seizures (EGS), a neuroplasticity process, to examine the effect of varying ethanol concentrations. In the present experiment, slices of rat hippocampus were electrically stimulated to produce stimulus train-induced epileptiform bursting in area CA3. EGS duration and intensity was enhanced by 10 mM ethanol, whereas increasing the concentration of ethanol (60-300 mM) attenuated established EGSs. Ethanol also raised the threshold to elicit an EGS. Removal of low ethanol concentrations resulted in a hyperexcitable state, with increased EGS duration and intensity. These results reflect acute biphasic effects of ethanol across concentrations, and withdrawal hyperexcitability. The effects of ethanol on EGSs, at concentrations which elicit intoxication but not anesthesia (< 75 mM), resemble the actions produced by NMDA antagonists on EGSs. Therefore the effects of ethanol on stimulus train-induced EGSs may be mediated through an action at the NMDA receptor complex.
Cyanoacrylate Microbial Sealant May Reduce the Prevalence of Positive Cultures in Revision Shoulder Arthroplasty

Background Cyanoacrylate-based, microbial sealant is an adhesive skin barrier designed to prevent bacterial contamination in surgical wounds. This type of adhesive barrier could have use in decreasing the incidence of positive cultures and subsequent infection in shoulder arthroplasty.
A linear friction welding process model for Carpenter Custom 465 precipitation-hardened martensitic stainless steel: A weld microstructure-evolution analysis

Our recently developed fully coupled thermo-mechanical finite element–based process model for linear friction welding has been combined with a newly constructed microstructure-evolution model in or...
Divertor plasma characterization using Langmuir probes in DIII-D

Abstract We report here measurements of the divertor electron density and temperature profiles for ohmic, NBI heated L-mode, and H-mode discharges in DIII-D. The scaling of peak divertor plasma parameters with discharge current, line average density, and input power has also been obtained. The measurements were made using two fixed, single-tipped Langmuir probes mounted at the outboard (larger major radius) divertor strike point. Complete profile information is obtained by scanning the separatrix intercept across the probes on either a shot-by-shot basis, or during a single discharge. Electron temperatures as high as 50 eV have been observed during the L-mode; densities are in the range of a few times 10 13 cm 3 . Large negative floating potentials, on the order of kT e , have been observed at the strike point. The temperature and density profiles peak inside the magnetically determined strike point location for L- and H-mode and are more peaked during H-mode, consistent with the improvement in radial transport.
Oxidized Mitochondrial DNA Activates the NLRP3 Inflammasome during Apoptosis

We report that in the presence of signal 1 (NF-κB), the NLRP3 inflammasome was activated by mitochondrial apoptotic signaling that licensed production of interleukin-1β (IL-1β). NLRP3 secondary signal activators such as ATP induced mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis, resulting in release of oxidized mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) into the cytosol, where it bound to and activated the NLRP3 inflammasome. The antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2 inversely regulated mitochondrial dysfunction and NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Mitochondrial DNA directly induced NLRP3 inflammasome activation, because macrophages lacking mtDNA had severely attenuated IL-1β production, yet still underwent apoptosis. Both binding of oxidized mtDNA to the NLRP3 inflammasome and IL-1β secretion could be competitively inhibited by the oxidized nucleoside 8-OH-dG. Thus, our data reveal that oxidized mtDNA released during programmed cell death causes activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome. These results provide a missing link between apoptosis and inflammasome activation, via binding of cytosolic oxidized mtDNA to the NLRP3 inflammasome.
Hyperkalemia as a Constraint to Therapy With Combination Renin‐Angiotensin System Blockade: The Elephant in the Room

The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) is an established mediator of progressive renal and cardiovascular disease. Angiotensin II plays a key role in the progression of cardiovascular and renal disease, and drugs that interfere with angiotensin II actions such as angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) can offer cardiovascular and renal protection beyond their effects on blood pressure. 1–6 Recently, a number of experimental and clinical investigations have implicated aldosterone, independent of angiotensin II, in the pathogenesis of progressive cardiovascular and renal disease. 7–9 These studies have generated intense interest in aldosterone receptor antagonism, either alone or in combination with an ACEI or an ARB, in the treatment of a wide range of cardiovascular diseases as well as progressive renal injury. Blockade of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) with either an ACEI or an ARB is important in patients with hypertension, heart failure, myocardial infarction, stroke, and various forms of nephropathy, the most common of which is due to diabetes mellitus. Support for RAS blockade derives from large randomized, controlled, clinical trials demonstrating that these agents attenuate progression of renal disease. 1–6 Lowering blood pressure
The γ134.5 Protein of Herpes Simplex Virus 1 Has the Structural and Functional Attributes of a Protein Phosphatase 1 Regulatory Subunit and Is Present in a High Molecular Weight Complex with the Enzyme in Infected Cells

The carboxyl-terminal domain of the gamma134.5 protein of the herpes simplex virus 1 binds to protein phosphatase 1alpha (PP1) and is required to prevent the shut-off of protein synthesis resulting from phosphorylation of the alpha subunit of eIF-2 by the double-stranded RNA-activated protein kinase. The corresponding domain of the conserved GADD34 protein homologous to gamma134.5 functionally substitutes for gamma134.5. This report shows that gamma134.5 and PP1 form a complex in the infected cells, that fractions containing this complex specifically dephosphorylate eIF-2alpha, and that both gamma134.5 and GADD34 proteins contain the amino acid sequence motif common to subunits of PP1 that is required for binding to the PP1 catalytic subunit. An oligopeptide containing this motif competes with gamma134.5 for binding to PP1. Substitution of Val193 and Phe195 in the PP1-binding motif abolished activity. These results suggest that the carboxyl-terminal domain of gamma134.5 protein has the structural and functional attributes of a subunit of PP1 specific for eIF-2alpha, that it has evolved to preclude shut-off of protein synthesis, and that GADD34 may have a similar function.
Analysis of hybrids between an H-2+, TL− lymphoma and an H-2+, TL+ lymphoma and its H-2−, TL− variant subline

Hybrids between an H-2+, TL+ lymphoma and an H-2+, TL− lymphoma were studied for their expression of H-2 and TL antigens. The H-2 antigens of both parents were expressed, the TL specificity of the TL+ parent was retained, and the TL specificity characteristic of the mouse strain from which the TL− lymphoma was derived was not expressed. There was no evidence that the genome of either parent altered the expression of the TL antigens coded for by the genome of the opposite parent. Hybrids between the H-2+, TL− lymphoma and an H-2−, TL− variant line derived from the H-2+, TL+ cell line expressed both theK- andD-regioncoded H-2 antigens and the TL specificity characteristic of the parental cell line from which the variant cell was derived. This result is consistent with the defect in the variant cell's being the result of a mutation affecting a gene coding for a positive element necessary for expression of both TL and the serologically detectable H-2 antigens on the cell surface.
Comment on “Trip illumines lightning” by R. D. Hill

In his interesting article, “TRIP Illumines Lightning” [Eos, Vol. 67, May 20, 1986], Hill has performed a valuable service by bringing together and discussing over two dozen of the various mechanisms that have been proposed to explain the origin of the electrical energy responsible for lightning. It is worth noting, however, that this article perpetuates some misconceptions that continue to interfere with a satisfactory understanding of thunderstorms. Following Chalmers [1967], Hill divides explanations of electrification into two classes: those that rely on gravitation and those that do not. He mistakenly places theories that transport charge by convection instead of by falling precipitation into the non-gravitational class. It should be recognized, however, that the mechanisms that carry charge by updrafts and downdrafts depend on gravity just as much as those that carry charge by falling precipitation particles.
Interaction of 1,4-Dihydropyridine and Pyridine Derivatives with Adenosine Receptors: Selectivity for A3 Receptors

1,4-Dihydropyridine and pyridine derivatives bound to three subtypes of adenosine receptors in the micromolar range. Affinity was determined in radioligand binding assays at rat brain A1 and A2A receptors using [3H]-(R)-PIA [[3H]-(R)-N6-(phenylisopropyl)adenosine] and [3H]CGS 21680 [[3H]-2-[[4-(2-carboxyethyl)phenyl]ethylamino]-5'-(N-ethylcarbamoyl++ +) adenosine], respectively. Affinity was determined at cloned human and rat A3 receptors using [125I]AB-MECA [N6-(4-amino-3-iodobenzyl)-5'-(N-methylcarbamoyl)adenosine]. Structure-activity analysis at adenosine receptors indicated that sterically bulky groups at the 4-, 5-, and 6-positions are tolerated. (R,S)-Nicardipine, 12, displayed Ki values of 19.6 and 63.8 microM at rat A1 and A2A receptors, respectively, and 3.25 microM at human A3 receptors. Similarly, (R)-niguldipine, 14, displayed Ki values of 41.3 and 1.90 microM at A1 and A3 receptors, respectively, and was inactive at A2A receptors. A preference for the R- vs the S-enantiomer was observed for several dihydropyridines at adenosine receptors, in contrast with the selectivity at L-type Ca2+ channels. A 4-trans-beta-styryl derivative, 24, with a Ki value of 0.670 microM at A3 receptors, was 24-fold selective vs A1 receptors (Ki = 16.1 microM) and 74-fold vs A2A receptors (Ki = 49.3 microM). The affinity of 24 at L-type Ca2+ channels, measured in rat brain membranes using [3H]isradipine, indicated a Ki value of 0.694 microM, and the compound is thus nonselective between A3 receptors and L-type Ca2+ channels. Inclusion of a 6-phenyl group enhanced A3 receptor selectivity: Compound 28 (MRS1097; 3,5-diethyl 2-methyl-6-phenyl-4-(trans-2-phenylvinyl)-1,4(R,S)-dihydro-pyridin e-3, 5-dicarboxylate) was 55-fold selective vs A1 receptors, 44-fold selective vs A2A receptors, and over 1000-fold selective vs L-type Ca2+ channels. In addition, compound 28 attenuated the A3 agonist-elicited inhibitory effect on adenylyl cyclase. Furthermore, whereas nicardipine, 12, displaced radioligand from the Na(+)-independent adenosine transporter with an apparent affinity of 5.36 +/- 1.51 microM, compound 28 displaced less than 10% of total binding at a concentration of 100 microM. Pyridine derivatives, when bearing a 4-alkyl but not a 4-phenyl group, maintained affinity for adenosine receptors. These findings indicate that the dihydropyridines may provide leads for the development of novel, selective A3 adenosine antagonists.
Analysis of particle size generated during plaque ablation with a flashlamp pumped pulsed dye laser

Purpose To examine debris size generated duringin vitro plaque ablation by laser energy and estimate the risk of peripheral embolization following laser angioplasty.
Cutting plane algorithms for the inverse mixed integer linear programming problem

We present cutting plane algorithms for the inverse mixed integer linear programming problem (InvMILP), which is to minimally perturb the objective function of a mixed integer linear program in order to make a given feasible solution optimal.
Nuclear factor-kappaB and IkappaB kinase are constitutively active in human pancreatic cells, and their down-regulation by curcumin (diferuloylmethane) is associated with the suppression of proliferation and the induction of apoptosis.

BACKGROUND Pancreatic carcinoma is a lethal malignancy, with the best available therapeutic option—gemcitabine—yielding response rates of < 10%. Because nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) has been determined to play a role in cell survival/proliferation in human pancreatic carcinoma, this transcription factor is a potential therapeutic target. METHODS The authors investigated the ability of curcumin (diferuloylmethane), an agent that is pharmacologically safe in humans, to modulate NF-κB activity. RESULTS NF-κB and IκB kinase (IKK) were constitutively active in all human pancreatic carcinoma cell lines examined, and curcumin consistently suppressed NF-κB binding (as assessed using an electrophoretic mobility gel-shift assay) and IKK activity. Curcumin decreased the expression of NF-κB–regulated gene products, including cyclooxygenase-2 (as assessed using immunoblot analysis), prostaglandin E2, and interleukin-8 (as assessed using an enzyme-linked immunoassay), all of which have been implicated in the growth and invasiveness of pancreatic carcinoma. These changes were associated with concentration- and time-dependent antiproliferative activity (as assessed using a 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide [MTT] assay) and proapoptotic effects (as assessed via annexin V/propidium iodide staining [fluorescence-activated cell sorting, as well as with the induction of polyadenosine-5′-diphosphate-ribose polymerase cleavage). CONCLUSIONS Curcumin down-regulated NF-κB and growth control molecules induced by NF-κB in human pancreatic cells. These effects were accompanied by marked growth inhibition and apoptosis. Through these findings, the authors provided a biologic rationale for the treatment of patients with pancreatic carcinoma using this nontoxic phytochemical. Cancer 2004. © 2004 American Cancer Society.