cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rfx2 is required for spermatogenesis in the mouse

Summary RFX transcription factors are key regulators of ciliogenesis in vertebrates. In Xenopus and zebrafish embryos, knockdown of Rfx2 causes defects in neural tube closure and in left–right axis patterning. To determine the essential role of the Rfx2 gene in mammalian development, we generated Rfx2-deficient mice using an embryonic stem cell clone containing a lacZ gene trap reporter inserted into the first intron of the Rfx2 gene. We found that the Rfx2 lacZ reporter is expressed in ciliated tissues during mouse development including the node, the floor plate and the dorsal neural tube. However, mice homozygous for the Rfx2 gene trap mutation did not have defects in neural tube closure or in organ situs. The gene trap insertion appears to create a null allele as Rfx2 mRNA was not detected in Rfx2gt/gt embryos. Although Rfx2-deficient mice do not have an obvious embryonic phenotype, we found that Rfx2gt/gt males are infertile because of a defect in spermatid maturation at or before the round and elongating spermatid stage. Our results indicate that Rfx2 is not essential for embryonic development in the mouse but is required for spermatogenesis. genesis 53:604–611, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Exercise training reverses insulin resistance in muscle by enhanced recruitment of GLUT-4 to the cell surface

The effects of exercise training on cell surface GLUT-4 in skeletal muscle of the obese (fa/fa) Zucker rat were investigated using the impermeant glucose transporter photoaffinity reagent 2-N-4-(1-azi-2,2,2-trifluoroethyl)-benzoyl-1,3-bis- (D-mannos-4-yloxy)-2-propylamine (ATB-BMPA). In the absence of insulin, 3-O-methyl-D-glucose transport activity was no different in either fast-twitch (epitrochlearis) or slow-twitch (soleus) muscles of trained and sedentary obese rats. Likewise, basal ATB-BMPA-labeled GLUT-4 was not altered in these muscles with training. In contrast, the trained group exhibited significantly greater insulin-stimulated (2 mU/ml) glucose transport activity in epitrochlearis muscles than the sedentary group (0.53 +/- 0.03 vs. 0.18 +/- 0.03 mumol.g-1 x 10 min-1 for trained and sedentary, respectively), which was paralleled by a significant enhancement of insulin-stimulated cell surface GLUT-4 (5.33 +/- 0.20 vs. 1.57 +/- 0.14 disintegrations.min-1.mg-1 for trained and sedentary, respectively). Exercise training, however, did not alter insulin-stimulated glucose transport activity or cell surface GLUT-4 in soleus muscles. Finally, exercise training did not alter the ability of muscle contraction to elevate glucose transport activity or cell surface GLUT-4 in either epitrochlearis or soleus muscles of the obese rat. These results indicate that training improves insulin-stimulated glucose transport in muscle of the obese Zucker rat by increasing GLUT-4 content and by altering the normal intracellular distribution of these transporters such that they are now capable of migrating to the cell surface in response to the insulin stimulus.
Neoplasms in the Adenohypophysis of Dogs: A Clinical and Pathologic Study.

Twenty-six neoplasms of the adenohypophysis were classified either as chromophobe adenomas (20 dogs) or adenomas of the pars intermedia (6 dogs). In 62% of the dogs the neoplasms were functionally ...
Co-expression of CD40 and EBV-associated latent membrane protein (LMP)1 results in altered downstream signaling responses in B cells (IRM11P.762)

The binding of CD40 on B cells to CD154 on activated CD4 T cells is essential for regulating humoral responses in antigen-primed B cells. The EBV transforming protein, LMP1 mimics many aspects of CD40 function through the binding of an overlapping set of TNF receptor-associated factor (TRAF) signaling molecules. Co-expression of LMP1 and CD40 occurs at distinct stages of EBV infection and in tumor cells in which EBV is an etiological agent. Although both molecules share functional homology, the signaling cross talk between LMP1 and CD40 is not well understood. Here we show that LMP1 directly increases both TRAF3 and CD40 in B cells through elevated RNA expression. Additionally, LMP1 enhances the association of CD40 and TRAF3 with lipid rafts. To better understand LMP1-specific changes in CD40 signaling we evaluated the activity of specific downstream targets in response to CD154 stimulation using phospho-specific flow cytometry. Stimulated B cells produced a greater signal for p38 and p65 than those constitutively expressing LMP1. Also, CD40 signaling reduced the activity of LMP1-induced pLCγ2 whereas LMP1 significantly lowered that of Akt in cells receiving both stimuli. Together, our results demonstrate that LMP1 increases expression of CD40 and TRAF3 and specifically modifies CD40 activation responses when both proteins are concurrently active. These changes have the potential of underlying differences in B cell activation, survival and differentiation.
Field‐portable Instrumentation

The analysis of gas and vapors in the field is an important part of the remediation process. The purpose of this article is to familiarize the reader with some of the analytical instruments available today to determine the composition of gaseous samples. Although this section deals with portable instruments, it was found necessary to mention on-site measurements since this is an important part of field measurements. On-site measurements are done with conventional analytical instruments operating from recreational vehicles. The samples have to be collected and the first part of this article gives an overview of some of the techniques, such as canister and solid adsorbents, used for this purpose. Identification of compounds collected on-site or directly in the field can be done by gas chromatography (GC) and mass spectrometry (MS). A comprehensive description of the hardware used with these techniques is provided. An important part of the portable section covers direct-reading instruments such as gas sensors, electrochemical devices, ionization detectors and colorimetric detectors. These instruments provide only a limited amount of information and, most of the time, require a prior knowledge about the content of the sample. However, they are small, portable and cheaper than laboratory analytical instruments and therefore they have found a market. Portable instruments include miniaturized gas chromatographs and mass spectrometers. These instruments do not offer the high performance of their laboratory counterparts, but they give more information about the sample than direct-reading instruments. The next step in process measurement sophistication is to combine these techniques. The most popular hyphenated technique is certainly the coupling of a gas chromatograph with a mass spectrometer, but there are also powerful and lesser-known techniques such as GC combined with ion mobility spectrometry (IMS). IMS has found a market with military applications for the detection of chemical warfare agents. It offers less resolution than MS but operates at atmospheric pressure and is therefore truly portable. When combined with GC it offers some interesting features which will be described.
Autodetachment spectroscopy of metastable negative ions

Abstract This paper is a review of some of our recent measurements on the metastable negative ions, Be− and He2−, using the technique of fast-beam autodetachment spectroscopy.
Algeria as Postcolony? Rethinking the Colonial Legacy of Post-Structuralism

While there is little doubt that Algeria was of enormous importance to the theoretical output that is often recognized as French, here I would like to ask: what is at stake in re-inscribing these French intellectuals as postcolonial? In what ways did the particularities of Algerian history impact French philosophy? Indeed, if the term postcolonial is meant to describe those who were influenced by events in Algeria, then an entire generation of French thinkers might be considered postcolonial to varying degrees. Surely Derrida’s oeuvre was influenced by his experiences in Algeria, but does this make him postcolonial in the same way as Jean-Paul Sartre or Pierre Bourideu, who have also become important figures in postcolonial theory?
John Taylor, learning, attention, and consciousness

This invited talk will begin with an appreciation of John Taylor and then present a review of classical and recent research results on topics that were of particular interest to John Taylor, notably neural models that contribute to our understanding of how attention and consciousness work. This extended abstract summarizes some of the main themes of the talk.
ABC Transporters as Phenotypic Markers and Functional Regulators of Stem Cells

Characterization of molecules with tightly controlled expression patterns during differentiation represents an approach to understanding regulation of hematopoietic stem cell commitment. The multidrug resistance-1 (MDR1) gene product, P-glycoprotein, and the breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) are expressed differentially during hematopoiesis, with the highest levels in primitive bone marrow stem cell populations that are CD34(low) and CD34(-), respectively. Roles for ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter superfamily members in conferring drug resistance have been extensively described. However, recent hematopoietic overexpression studies have begun to reveal previously unknown roles for ABC transporter function in normal and malignant hematopoiesis. Expression of MDR1 and BCRP transporters in the myeloid lineage has been reported in blasts from acute myeloid leukemia, but very low to undetectable in normal myelomonocytic cells. Retroviral-mediated dysregulated expression of the MDR1 transporter resulted in increased hematopoietic repopulating activity and myeloproliferative disease in mice. A distinct functional role for the BCRP transporter as a negative regulator of hematopoietic repopulating activity has recently been demonstrated using the same approach. Additionally, the presence of BCRP expression specifically on hematopoietic side-population stem cells and neural stem/progenitors, makes BCRP an attractive candidate marker for isolation of stem cells with the ability to respond to diverse environmental cues. Regulation of stem cell biology by ABC transporters has emerged as an important new field of investigation. In light of these findings, it will be critical to further characterize this family of proteins in hematopoietic lineage-restricted stem cells and in pluripotent stem cells capable of crossing lineage barriers.
An investigation of highly pressurized transient fluid flow in pipelines

This paper discusses transient processes in natural gas pipelines. The method of characteristics (MOC) is applied for the analysis of two transient categories, where the governing one-dimensional, hyperbolic conservation equations are linearized and solved without neglecting any of their term. First, we present a parametric study of the pressurized flow encountered when pipelines are utilized for the transportation or the temporary storage of natural gas. The non-ideal compressibility of natural gas is included in the model and its impact on the thermo-hydraulic processes is elucidated. Second, we model the hydrodynamics of a pipeline whose downstream boundary is a periodic discharge rate. The results show that, in response to these boundary conditions, the pressure distribution in the pipeline also undergoes periodic variations. Furthermore, our simulation results confirm the usefulness of MOC for numerical simulation of flow phenomena in pipelines.
Isothermal Bainite Transformation in Aluminium Bearing TRIP Steel

In this work, the bainite transformation during isothermality of aluminium bearing TRIP steel was studied by dilatometric experiment on a pushrod Formastor-F highspeed dilatometer with radio frequency induction heating. The aluminium bearing TRIP steel consisted of the microstructure of austenite, ferrite and bainite in the form of laths which produced by intercritical annealing and isothermal transformation followed by rapid cooling. The effect of intercritical annealing temperature and isothermal transformation temperature were studied by dilatometric experiment and JEOL JXA-8530F Electron Probe Microscopic Analyzer (EPMA).
Crustal Research Group efforts

At the meeting of the International Crustal Research Drilling Group (ICRDG) management panel at Orkustofnun (Icelandic National Energy Authority), Reykjavik, Iceland, on May 16, 1980, the following plans for crustal drilling investigations were formally adopted. An investigation of the Troodos ophiolite complex, Cyprus, in cooperation with the government of Cyprus, is the first target. Two drill holes, each 2 km deep, on the north flank of the complex, will give a complete section of crust of oceanic affinity from the top of the pillow basalts through the sheeted dike complex, plagiogranites, gabbros, and into cumulate gabbros. It is anticipated that nearly complete core recovery, via high-speed diamond drilling, will allow a complete reference section, yielding lithologic composition, hydrothermal alteration, tectonic state, and physical properties of this example of oceanic crust. A third, 1-km hole (starting from the base of the Agrokipia copper sulfide deposit) in conjunction with the 2-km hole through the pillow basalts will allow delineation of the hydrothermal convection system responsible for that ore deposit.
Spectrum of exercise thallium-201 myocardial perfusion imaging in patients with chest pain and normal coronary angiograms

Abstract Twenty-seven consecutive patients with chest pain and no significant obstructive coronary lesions on arteriography were studied with thallium-201 myocardial imaging during exercise and at rest. Fifteen of the patients had typical and 12 atypical angina pectoris. All underwent treadmill exercise electrocardiographic testing; the results were abnormal in 10 patients (37 percent), normal in 14 (52 percent) and uninterpretable in 3 (11 percent). The exercise and resting thallium-201 myocardial images were normal in 23 patients (85 percent); the results of exercise testing were normal in 12 of these patients, abnormal in 8 and uninterpretable in 3. Four patients had a perfusion defect on exercise thallium-201 myocardial imaging; the defect filled in by 4 hours in two patients but persisted in the other two. In contrast, when thallium-201 myocardial imaging was performed in 28 consecutive patients with angiographic coronary artery disease, only 5 patients (16 percent) had normal exercise and resting thallium-201 myocardial images. Therefore, thallium-201 myocardial imaging offers a more effective means of identifying patients with chest pain and no obstructive coronary artery disease than the clinical history or the exercise electrocardiographic test, or both. However, 15 percent of these patients will have abnormal exercise thallium-201 myocardial images because of factors that have not yet been identified.
Numerical Modeling of Tidal Effects in Polytropic Accretion Disks

A two-dimensional time-dependent hybrid Fourier-Chebyshev method of collocation is developed and used for the study of tidal effects in accretion disks, under the assumptions of a polytropic equation of state and a standard alpha viscosity prescription. Under the influence of the m = 1 azimuthal component of the tidal potential, viscous oscillations in the outer disk excite an m = 1 eccentric instability in the disk. While the m = 2 azimuthal component of the tidal potential excites a Papaloizou-Pringle instability in the inner disk (a saturated m = 2 azimuthal mode), with an elliptic pattern rotating at about a fraction (approx. = 1/3) of the local Keplerian velocity in the inner disk. The period of the elliptic mode corresponds well to the periods of the short-period oscillations observed in cataclysmic variables. In cold disks (r(Omega)/c(sub s) = M approx. = 40) we also find a critical value of the viscosity parameter (alpha approx. = 0.01), below which shock dissipation dominates and is balanced by the wave amplification due to the wave action conservation. In this case the double spiral shock propagates all the way to the inner boundary with a Mach number M(sub s) approx. = 1.3.
The 70-kDa heat shock protein chaperone nucleotide-binding domain in solution unveiled as a molecular machine that can reorient its functional subdomains.

The 70-kDa heat shock cognate (Hsc70) chaperone plays a crucial role in protein (re-)folding and triage in the mammalian cytosol. Here we study, by NMR, the 44-kDa nucleotide-binding domain (NBD) of this molecule, which allosterically regulates, by binding either ADP or ATP in a cleft between the two main lobes, the chaperoning affinity of the attached substrate-binding domain. The NBD is also a center of interaction with cochaperones that couple into the allostery. By measuring residual dipolar couplings by NMR, we show that the orientation of two lobes of the Hsc70 NBD in solution deviates up to 10° from their positions in 14 superimposing x-ray structures. Additional orientational differences of subdomains within the lobes unveil the Hsc70 NBD in solution as a flexible molecular machine that can adjust the relative positions of all of its four subdomains. Because the residues interacting with the nucleotide emanate from all four subdomains, adjustments in subdomain orientation should affect the nucleotide chemistry and vice versa. Our data suggest a hypothesis that cochaperone or substrate domain binding perturbs the relative subdomain orientations, thereby functionally and allosterically coupling to the nucleotide state of the NBD.
SC-KF Mobile Robot Localization: A Stochastic Cloning Kalman Filter for Processing Relative-State Measurements

This paper presents a new method to optimally combine motion measurements provided by proprioceptive sensors, with relative-state estimates inferred from feature-based matching. Two key challenges arise in such pose tracking problems: 1) the displacement estimates relate the state of the robot at two different time instants and 2) the same exteroceptive measurements are often used for computing consecutive displacement estimates, a process that renders the errors in these correlated. We present a novel stochastic cloning Kalman filtering (SC-KF) estimation algorithm that successfully addresses these challenges, while still allowing for efficient calculation of the filter gains and covariances. The proposed algorithm is not intended to compete with simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) approaches. Instead, it can be merged with any extended-Kalman- filter-based SLAM algorithm to increase its precision. In this respect, the SC-KF provides a robust framework for leveraging additional motion information extracted from dense point features that most SLAM algorithms do not treat as landmarks. Extensive experimental and simulation results are presented to verify the validity of the proposed method and to demonstrate that its performance is superior to that of alternative position-tracking approaches.
The modern theory of alloys

The purpose of the present treatise is to make the structure of the modern theory of alloys available to as wide an audience as possible. The theoretical framework developed here provides the basis for dealing with disordered systems other than metallic alloys, such as liquids, amorphous solids, semiconductor alloys, etc. Some of these systems are discussed explicitly.The only input parameters in a completely first-principles calculation are the atomic number and mass of the constituent atoms. These parameters are inserted into equations derived in a clear and systematic way from the fundamental equation of quantum theory, the Schroedinger equation, and the properties are calculated. Even if this process is shortened by taking the crystal structure and lattice spacing of the alloy from experiment, the calculations will require the use of large electronic computers. Of course, whenever possible the first-principles calculations should be supplemented by simpler model calculations that exhibit the proper trends and illustrate the major influences on a given property. It will be seen that the most reliable models are those that are derived from the first-principles equations by making suitable approximations.
Self-Concept and Skill Development in Youth Soccer Players:

The purpose of this study was to examine multidimensional self-concept and skill development changes in soccer players after a 15-hr. soccer camp (3 hr. per day, 5 days a week). Players (n = 54), 8...
Multiple Effects of Messages with Multiple Goals Some Perceived Outcomes of Responses to Sexual Harassment

Sexual amassment of employees by organizational superiors is a significant and all too common problem in the workplace. Victims of harassment typically want to achieve a variety of instrumental, relational, and identity management goals. The present study tested the perceived effectiveness of different messages with respect to several of these goals. Messages varied systematically with respect to what O'Keefe (1988) has termed “design logic” and “goal structure.” Participants (N= 577) generally perceived messages reflecting advanced design logics and goal structures as being most effective at projecting desired identities and preserving relationships. However, the effects for goal structure were qualified by interactions with gender and interpersonal cognitive complexity. Significantly, none of the messages were perceived as particularly effective at stopping the Liarasser's offensive conduct. These results are discussed in terms of their implications for both O'Keefe's analysis of messages and the management of sexual harassment in the workplace.
Brazelton scale and physical size correlates of neonatal cry features

Pain cries and Brazelton scale performance were studied in 40 on-to two-day-old neonates. Multiple regression analysis showed that poor performance on the Brazelton scale, plus a low ponderal index and short gestation, were associated with infant cries of short duration, a high fundamental frequency, a high maximum frequency, and fewer harmonics in the cry sound. It was suggested that certain cry features may be sensitive to central nervous system stress and reflect the risk status of the neonate.
Program CC's implementation of pole‐placement and lqg algorithms using diophantine equations

Polynomial Diophantine equations can be used to solve pole-placement problems and linear quadratic Gaussian (LQG) optimal control problems, for both analogue and digital single-input-single-output (SISO) systems. A description is presented of the how these algorithms are implemented in Program CC, a user-friendly, command driven, computer-aided-control-system-design (CACSD) package.
Understanding How Inequality in the Distribution of Income Affects Health

Research on the determinants of health has almost exclusively focused on the individual but it seems clear we cannot understand or improve patterns of population health without engaging structural determinants at the societal level. This article traces the development of research on income distribution and health to the most recent epidemiologic studies from the USA that show how income inequality is related to age- adjusted mortality within the 50 States. (r = -0.62, p = 0.0001) even after accounting for absolute levels of income. We discuss potential material, psychological, social and behavioral pathways through which income distribution might be linked to health status. Distributional aspects of the economy are important determinants of health and may well provide one of the most pertinent indicators of overall social well-being.
A Re-examination of Calcium Activation in the Huxley Cross-Bridge Model

This paper investigates mathematical relations between models of calcium activation kinetics and Huxley-type models of cross-bridge dynamics in muscle. It is found that different calcium-activation schemes lead to the same form of generalized Huxley rate equation with calcium activation ∂n/∂t - ∂n/∂x = rf (α - n) - gn if it is assumed that calcium-troponin interaction rates are fast compared to the rates of transition associated with force-generating cross-bridge states. Calcium affects cross-bridge dynamics by modifying the bonding rate f, but does not affect the number of interacting cross bridges a or the unbonding rate g; this occurs through the appearance in the equation of an activation factor, r, which is a pure function of sarcoplasmic free calcium concentration. In particular, it is shown that bath the tight-coupling and loose-coupling calcium-activation schemes introduced by Zahalak and Ma [1] lead to the same rate equation with the same activation factor; the difference between them appears in the calcium mass-balance equation. While both of these activation models can be made to fit simple twitch and force-velocity data equally well, experimentally observed load-dependent shifts in the free calcium concentration are compatible with the tight-coupling scheme, but not with loose coupling.
Regional serotonin1A receptors in the CNS of alcohol-preferring and -nonpreferring rats.

Abstract The densities of serotonin1A (5-HT1A) receptors, labeled with [ 3 H ]8- hydroxy -2-( di -n- propylamino ) tetralin (8-OH-DPAT), were examined in the CNS of alcohol-naive adult male alcohol-preferring (P) and -nonpreferring (NP) rats using quantitative autoradiography. The densities of sites labeled with 2 nM [3H]8-OH-DPAT were a) 20–30% higher in the medial prefrontal, frontal (layers 1, 2, and layers 3–6), parietal (layers 3–6), and cingulate cortex; b) 35–40% higher in the retrosplenial, occipital (all layers), temporal (all layers) cortex; and c) 15% higher in the entorhinal cortex of the P compared with the NP rat. Within the hippocampus, significant differences between the rat lines were observed only in the posterior portion where the densities of [3H]8-OH-DPAT labeled sites were a) 10–15% higher in the dorsal dentate gyrus, dorsal CA1, and dorsal CA3 regions; and b) 15–25% higher in the anterior ventral hippocampal area and ventral dentate gyrus of the P relative to the NP line. In contrast to the above results, the densities of [3H]8-OH-DPAT labeled sites were 15–20% lower in the dorsal, paradorsal, and median raphe nuclei of the P compared with the NP rat. No differences in [3H]8-OH-DPAT binding between the rat lines were found in several basal ganglia, limbic, and brain stem regions. The data indicate that there are greater numbers of postsynaptic 5-HT1A receptors in certain parts of the cerebral cortex and hippocampus of the P compared with the NP rat. In addition, the lower densities of 5-HT1A cell body autoreceptors in the raphe nuclei suggest that there are fewer 5-HT neurons in the raphe nuclei of the P than of the NP rat.
Beta-adrenergic Receptors and Calcium Cycling Proteins in Non-failing, Hypertrophied and Failing Human Hearts: Transition from Hypertrophy to Failure

Left ventricular hypertrophy may lead to heart failure. The transition between hypertrophy and heart failure is, however, incompletely understood. On the cellular level, human heart failure is characterized by alterations in Ca(2+)-cycling proteins and beta-adrenergic receptor density, but the hypertrophied human heart remains largely under studied. In this investigation, 21 donor hearts which could not be used for transplantation were studied. Ten of these hearts came from organ donors with documented left ventricular hypertrophy and normal cardiac function. Eleven of the hearts were non-failing, obtained from individuals with no evidence of cardiac disease. Nine failing hearts from transplant recipients were also studied. beta-adrenergic receptor density was determined by radioligand binding. mRNA for atrial natriuretic factor, calsequestrin, sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase, and phospholamban was measured by Northern blot. Actin, calsequestrin, sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase, and phospholamban proteins were quantified by Western blot. In both hypertrophied and failing ventricles, mRNA for atrial natriuretic factor was expressed, as compared to no expression in non-failing hearts. In failing hearts, beta -adrenergic receptor density and both mRNA and protein levels of the Ca(2+)-ATPase were significantly decreased v non-failing hearts. By comparison, hypertrophied hearts showed a reduction in mRNA expression for both the Ca(2+)-ATPase and phospholamban with no change in the corresponding protein levels, and no change in beta-receptors. These data suggest that the previously demonstrated reduction in beta-adrenergic receptors and Ca(2+)-cycling proteins in the failing human heart may be features of the decompensated state, but are not found in human hearts with left ventricular hypertrophy and preserved systolic function.
Gastric H,K-ATPase as a Drug Target

The Gastric H,K-ATPase as a Drug Target Jai Moo Shin and George Sachs* Department of Physiology and Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, and VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California, CA90073, USA * To whom correspondence should be addressed: at Membrane Biology Laboratory, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, 11301 Wilshire Blvd., Bldg. 113, Rm. 324, Los Angeles, CA 90073 Tel: (310) 268-4672 Fax: (310) 312-9478 e-mail: gsachs@ucla.edu
Dissociation and Sexual Addiction/Compulsivity: A Contextual Approach to Conceptualization and Treatment

SUMMARY The possible relationship of dissociation to sexual addiction/compulsivity (SAC) among childhood sexual abuse (CSA) survivors is explored. In applying a treatment procedure based on functional behavioral analysis to CSA survivors exhibiting SAC it was frequently observed that SAC patterns of behavior were not sexually gratifying, but that clients had been previously unaware of this. These clients often had poor recall of even recent instances of SAC and described a subjective sense of being in a daze, truncated awareness, and absence of a sense of agency during SAC episodes. Repeated detailed description of recent incidents of SAC in session helped clients become less dissociative when subsequently participating in SAC behaviors and gradually reduced the appeal of engaging in them. On the basis of these observations it is argued that recognition of the dissociative quality of SAC behavior in CSA survivors is essential to adequately understanding it, and that targeting the dissociative elements of ...
Photodissociation dynamics of DMZn at 193 nm: implications for the growth of ZnSe films by laser-assisted metalorganic chemical vapor deposition

The chemical dynamics of the photodissociation of dimethylzinc (DMZn) have been investigated using VUV absorption spectroscopy. An ArF excimer laser (193 nm) was used to photodissociate DMZn in a hydrogen atmosphere. A broadband pulsed VUV plasma light source was used to obtain absorption profiles of the resulting photoproducts as a function of time after the dissociation pulse. The time-resolved absorption profiles indicate that ground state Zn atoms remain unreacted for at least several milliseconds, while the only other species detected in absorption, methyl radicals, disappear within a few hundred microseconds. There was no indication of monomethylzinc (MMZn) or zinc hydride (ZnH) formation. The methyl radical decay followed a second-order reaction rate, indicating that the main by-product is ethane. This conclusion is supported by mass spectrometer data. Fluorescence from CH* radicals was also detected after the ArF laser pulse. Due to the high reactivity of CH radicals, it is likely that they combine with hydrogen to form methyl radicals within several microseconds. A model for the methyl radical diffusion to the growth surface is discussed. The possible carbon containing intermediates (MMZn, CH3, CH) are unlikely to reach the growth surface in significant concentrations. Thus, carbon incorporation should be minimal using laser-assisted metalorganic chemical vapor deposition growth technique.
Investigating Differences in Public Support for Gay Rights Issues

Public opinion surrounding two of the most well-known gay rights issues—same-sex marriage and adoption by gays and lesbians—varies widely: About 30% of the public favors same-sex marriage, while ab...
Why We Cannot Conclude That Sexual Orientation Is Primarily a Biological Phenomenon

While all mental phenomena must have an ultimate biological substrate, the precise contribution of biological factors to the development of sexual orientation remains to be elucidated. Does biology merely provide the slate of neural circuitry upon which sexual orientation is inscribed by experience? Do biological factors directly wire the brain so that it will support a particular orientation? Or do biological factors influence sexual orientation only indirectly, perhaps by influencing personality variables that in turn influence how one interacts with and shapes the environment as it contributes to the social relationships and experiences that shape sexual orientation as it emerges developmentally? Recent neurostructural and genetic linkage evidence pertaining to sexual orientation must be viewed tentatively until it has been adequately corroborated and integrated with psychological and cultural models. Moreover, even a reliable and robust correlation between a biological marker and sexual orientation would be equally compatible with the second and third possibilities delineated above. Yet if the third possibility more closely approximates reality, the search for predisposing biological factors will result in incomplete and misleading findings until their interactions with environmental factors are taken into account and controlled for in adequate longitudinal studies.
Selective oxidation of thioethers to sulfoxides with molecular oxygen mediated by rhodium(III)–dimethylsulfoxide complexes

A rhodium–dimethylsulfoxide-promoted catalytic oxidation of a thioether to sulfoxide is studied. Screening of different rhodium complexes reveals moderate to excellent catalytic properties for the oxidation of thioethers using molecular oxygen as an oxidant. The scope of this reaction is discussed. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Glucocorticoid receptor binding: a biphasic dependence on molecular size as revealed by the bilinear LinBiExp model.

Abstract For corticosteroids, receptor-binding affinity (RBA) at the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) is a major determinant of therapeutic potential. Here, the results of a comprehensive quantitative analysis of relative RBA (rRBA) data obtained from more than a hundred active structures are reported. Because of a clear biphasic size-dependence, the recently introduced linearized biexponential (LinBiExp) model provided very good fit: for steroids that satisfy the main binding criteria at the GR, it accounts for close to 80% of the variability in the free energy of binding ΔG0 (or log rRBA) data by using only two descriptors: calculated molecular volume and an indicator variable for the presence of 6α/9α-halogen or cyclic 16,17-acetal moieties. Accordingly, binding is strongest for corticosteroids close to an ideal size that is large enough to provide as large nonspecific (van der Waals-type) interactions as possible, but is not too large to have difficulty fitting due to size-limitations at the binding site. Binding affinity is dramatically increased by 6α- or 9α-halogenation or introduction of a cyclic 16,17-acetal moiety (in average, about 7-fold), but there is no significant increase after the first substitution. Known highly active glucocorticoids, such as betamethasone 17-monopropionate, fluticasone propionate, or mometasone furoate, indeed satisfy both of these criteria. For small-enough structures, the obtained size-dependency (slope) of the free energy of binding suggest that, as long as only nonspecific interactions are involved, addition of a methylene-sized non-hydrogen atom to the ligand structure increases ΔG0 on average by about 1.5 kJ/mol, corresponding to an almost doubling of the binding affinity.
Molecular Mechanisms of Electrogenic Sodium Bicarbonate Cotransport: Structural and Equilibrium Thermodynamic Considerations

The electrogenic Na+-HCO3 − cotransporters play an essential role in regulating intracellular pH and extracellular acid-base homeostasis. Of the known members of the bicarbonate transporter superfamily (BTS), NBC1 and NBC4 proteins have been shown to be electrogenic. The electrogenic nature of these transporters results from the unequal coupling of anionic and cationic fluxes during each transport cycle. This unique property distinguishes NBC1 and NBC4 proteins from other sodium bicarbonate cotransporters and members of the bicarbonate transporter superfamily that are known to be electroneutral. Structure-function studies have played an essential role in revealing the basis for the modulation of the coupling ratio of NBC1 proteins. In addition, the recent transmembrane topographic analysis of pNBC1 has shed light on the potential structural determinants that are responsible for ion permeation through the cotransporter. The experimentally difficult problem of determining the nature of anionic species being transported by these proteins (HCO3 − versus CO3 2−) is analyzed using a theoretical equilibrium thermodynamics approach. Finally, our current understanding of the molecular mechanisms responsible for the regulation of ion coupling and flux through electrogenic sodium bicarbonate cotransporters is reviewed in detail.
Statistical and Constraint Loss Size Effects on Cleavage Fracture–Implications to Measuring Toughness in the Transition

A systematic investigation of the effects of specimen size on the cleavage fracture toughness of a typical pressure vessel steel is reported. Size dependence arises both from: i) statistical effects, related to the volume of highly stressed material near the crack tip, that scales with the crack front length (B); and ii) constraint loss, primarily associated with the scale of plastic deformation compared to the uncracked ligament dimension (b). Previously, it has been difficult to quantify the individual contributions of statistical versus constraint loss to size effects. Thus, we developed a single variable database for a plate section from the Shoreham pressure vessel using a full matrix of bend specimens, with B from 8 to 254 mm and b from 3.2 to 25.4 mm, that were tested at a common set of conditions. The University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB) b-B database was analyzed using three-dimensional finite element simulations of the crack tip fields combined with a cleavage model calibrated to the local fracture properties of the Shoreham steel. This paper focuses on the possible significance of these results to the Master Curve Method Standard as formulated ASTM E 1921-97. The statistical scaling procedure used in E 1921-97 to treat variations in B was found to be reasonably consistent with the UCSB b-B database. However, constraint loss for bend specimens begins at a deformation level that is much lower than the censoring limit specified in E 1921-97. Unrecognized constraint loss leads to a non-conservative, negative bias in the evaluation of To , estimated to be typically on the order of a −10°C for pre-cracked Charpy specimens.© 2003 ASME
A Tribute to Professor Roger A. Layton

My reflections are focused on Roger Layton as a professional colleague and gentleman rather than on his research contributions. They deal first with my early interactions with him in the 1960s and ...
Liquid and subcritical CO2 separations of enantiomers on a broadly applicable polysiloxane chiral stationary phase

Abstract Incorporation of chiral selector 1 into a polysiloxane which is then immobilized on silica affords chiral stationary phase (CSP 1) capable of resolving a broad array of enantiomers by either high-performance liquid chromatography or supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC). Like its brush-type analog, the commercial version of which is known as the Whelk-O 1, CSP 1, the “polyWhelk-O”, is stable to normal and reversed-phase conditions and to a wide range of temperatures, mobile phases and additives. In most cases, the polyWhelk-O affords greater enantioselectivity and less retention than does the brush-type Whelk-O 1 under the same conditions. An extensive collection of separations of the enantiomers of a variety of types of compounds is presented to illustrate the scope and level of performance typically afforded by the polyWhelk-O columns.
A review of self-assembled monolayers as potential terahertz frequency tunnel diodes

In this review, we describe the principles of the tunnel junction, self-assembled monolayer (SAM) application techniques, experimental testbed fabrication, and characterization of the films and devices. In addition, techniques for directed application, removal, and functionalization of the monolayers are discussed. Bottom-up fabrication techniques have seen increased attention because of their versatility and ease of use. These films see mechanical uses as surface modifiers and micro-scale lubricants. Advances in nanowatt electronics and ultra-low power sensors have opened up an energy harvesting niche for solutions which would have proven ineffective just some years ago. The focus of this study is the two-terminal junction which has potential applications in THz rectification for energy harvesting, medical imaging, and defense sensing. The quantum theory of operation behind these devices is touched on briefly—describing tunneling through the organic monolayers. Commentary on trends in research and potential future work are presented as well. Open image in new window
An efficient iridium catalyst for reduction of carbon dioxide to methane with trialkylsilanes.

Cationic silane complexes of general structure (POCOP)Ir(H)(HSiR3) {POCOP = 2,6-[OP(tBu)2]2C6H3} catalyze hydrosilylations of CO2. Using bulky silanes results in formation of bis(silyl)acetals and methyl silyl ethers as well as siloxanes and CH4. Using less bulky silanes such as Me2EtSiH or Me2PhSiH results in rapid formation of CH4 and siloxane with no detection of bis(silyl)acetal and methyl silyl ether intermediates. The catalyst system is long-lived, and 8300 turnovers can be achieved using Me2PhSiH with a 0.0077 mol % loading of iridium. The proposed mechanism for the conversion of CO2 to CH4 involves initial formation of the unobserved HCOOSiR3. This formate ester is then reduced sequentially to R3SiOCH2OSiR3, then R3SiOCH3, and finally to R3SiOSiR3 and CH4.
Measurement of Hearing Handicap

The relation between Hearing Handicap Scale (HHS) scores and selected measures of both sensitivity loss and speech discrimination loss was studied on 60 hearing-impaired patients (5 conductive, 6 m...
Functional testing of computer hardware and data-transmission channels based on minimising the magnitude of undetected errors

The paper introduces a criterion for test generation based on minimising the expected magnitude of undetected errors. This criterion is used to develop a best strategy for testing, using the linear checks approach. The detailed analysis is carried out for single unidirectional and bidirectional errors and for multiple unidirectional errors. Specific results concerning the efficiency of the approach are given for basic arithmetical and logical instructions. This approach may be useful in the field testing of hardware which carries out data manipulation and in which small numerical errors can be tolerated; it may also be useful for testing digital transmission channels.
The Real Problem with Equipoise

The equipoise requirement in clinical research demands that, if patients are to be randomly assigned to one of two interventions in a clinical trial, there must be genuine doubt about which is better. This reflects the traditional view that physicians must never knowingly compromise the care of their patients, even for the sake of future patients. Equipoise has proven to be deeply problematic, especially in the Third World. Some recent critics have argued against equipoise on the grounds that clinical research is fundamentally distinct from clinical care, and thus should be governed by different norms. I argue against this "difference position," and instead take issue with the traditional, exclusively patient-centered account of physicians' obligations that equipoise presupposes. In place of this traditional view, I propose a Kantian test for the reasonable partiality that physicians should show their patients, focusing on its application in clinical research and medical education.
Ion-selective electrodes in organic analysis-determination of xanthate.

Abstract A PVC membrane xanthate-selective electrode has been developed for the direct determination of xanthates of primary and secondary alcohols. The xanthate electrode is highly selective and exhibits a Nernstian response in the range 5.0 × 10 −2 -7.1 × 10 −5 M xanthate with a slope of 58.6 mV per concentration decade. The electrode has a wide working pH range (5.0–11.5), a fast response time (less than 30 sec) and is stable for at least two months.
Simple anion-exchange chromatography for the determination of adenine nucleotides by using AG MP-1 resin

Abstract A simple ion-exchange chromatography with AG MP-1 resin (a strong basic anion-exchange resin of macroporous copolymer of styrene and divinylbenzene) for the assay of adenine nucleotides is described. AMP, ADP and ATP can be quantitatively resolved in a linear HCl gradient (0–0.08 N ). A milder HCl gradient between 0 and 0.02 N is able to separate cyclic AMP from AMP. The described method is not only useful in the purification of the nucleotides but also convenient in the detection of other contaminated nucleotides.
Absence of metabolic turnover of N-methyl groups in non-histone and high mobility group chromosomal proteins

Turnover of N-methyl groups in non-histone chromosomal (NHC) and high mobility group (HMG) proteins from chinese hamster ovary cell nuclei was compared with that of the peptide backbone. Cells grown with tritiated amino-acids and methionine (Me-14C) were resuspended in unlabeled medium, and aliquots removed at 4 time points. Halflives were calculated from the decay of the respective specific activities by the method of least squares. Ratios of halflives for 14C and 3H calculated from the first order rate decay curves of the specific activities were shown to be close to unity.
Serum cytokine response to iron reduction in chronic hepatitis C patients

Removal of iron by means of phlebotomy has been shown to reduce serum transaminase levels in chronic hepatitis C. If initial studies indicating no effect of phlebotomy therapy on serum viral RNA concentrations are proven to be correct, then other mechanisms such as cell membrane stabilization or alterations in immune response must be responsible for this salutory effect. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of iron reduction therapy by means of phlebotomy on serum Th1 and Th2 cytokines. In addition, serum TGF-β1 levels were determined as a marker of fibrogenesis. Twelve patients with interferon-resistant chronic hepatitis C were phlebotomized weekly until mild iron deficiency anemia was achieved. Serum ALT, HCV-RNA, and serum IL2, IL4, IL10, interferon γ, and TGF-β1 were measured. Phlebotomy achieved a significant reduction in serum transaminases without reducing the viral load. Serum IL4 was undetectable before and after phlebotomy. Serum IL10 levels increased modestly after iron reduction therapy, whereas both Th1 cytokines decreased with phlebotomy therapy. These changes in serum cytokines resulted in a significant reduction of the Th1/Th2 cytokine ratio (1.13 ± 0.33 before phlebotomy vs 0.45 ± 0.16 after phlebotomy, P = 0.03). TGF-β1 levels were lower in 9 of 12 patients after iron reduction therapy. The relative increase in Th2 over Th1 cytokines may explain, at least in part, the improvement in transaminases (without effects on viral replication) observed after iron reduction therapy. A Th2 predominance should predispose to immune tolerance with less cellular/cytokine-mediated cytotoxicity, thus contributing to attenuated hepatocellular injury without a change in viral load. Lesser inflammatory activity could, in turn, reduce fibrogenic stimuli and therefore increase the time required to develop cirrhosis. J. Trace Elem. Exp. Med. 13:327–331, 2000. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.