cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mean field dynamics and non-equilibrium particle emission

Abstract A strong preference for the emission of nonequilibrium light particles in the reaction plane was observed, suggesting the existence of collective motion of the emitting source for intermediate energy heavy ion reactions. The sign of the average emission angle of non-equilibrium charged particles (1 ≤ Z ≤ 15) was determined for 14 N-induced reactions on 154 Sm at E/A = 35 MeV from the circular polarization of coincident γ-rays emitted from the residual nucleus. All the detected charged particles are preferentially emitted to negative angles. These effects are consistent with deflection of the particles to the reaction plane and to negative scattering angles by the attractive nuclear mean field. Numerical solutions of the Boltzmann-Uehling-Uhlenbeck equation demonstrate that the experimental result is sensitive to the interplay between nuclear mean field and nuc1eon-nuc1eon collisions. By extending the calculations to higher energies, the sign of the emission angles is predicted to change above E/A = 100 MeV.
Selective reduction by dexamethasone of stress-related hyperphagias.

Abstract Various types of stress-related feedings were studied in rats treated with dexamethasone (DEX), a potent glucocorticoid which inhibits synthesis and stress-induced release of pituitary β-endorphin. Six hr daytime feeding induced by 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG, 400 mg/kg) or 24 hr food deprivation (FD) were significantly decreased by DEX pretreatment (400 + 200 μg/kg 24 and 2 hr prior). A similar reduction of tail pinch induced eating was also observed. In contrast, 6 hr hyperphagia induced by insulin (10 U/kg) was not decreased by DEX. Night time 12 hr rat chow intake was attenuated by DEX treatment, while no change was observed in daytime 12 hr food intake. The feeding profile obtained following DEX is thus identical to that previously observed in naloxone treated rats. These results therefore suggest the involvement of endogenous opiates in these stress-induced hyperphagias (2-DG, FD, TP, night).
Identification of volatile components of bobcat (Lynx rufus) urine.

Bobcat (Lynx rufus) urine reduces scent-marking activity of woodchucks (Marmota monax) and feeding activity of snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) and deer (Odocoileus virginianus, O. hemionus). In order to identify the semiochemicals responsible for these behavior modifications, a dichloromethane extract of the bobcat urine was analyzed by GC-MS. Among the known compounds identified in the extract are phenol, indole, dimethyl sulfone, and 3-mercapto-3-methylbutanol. Compounds for which spectroscopic data are presented for the first time include one sulfide, two disulfides, and two trisulfides. The sulfur compounds are derived from an amino acid,S-(l,1-dimethyl-3-hydroxypropyl)cysteine (“felinine”), which was identified several years ago in the urine of the domestic cat (Felis domesticus).
Pouring liquids: A study in commonsense physical reasoning

This paper presents a theory that supports commonsense, qualitative reasoning about the flow of liquid around slowly moving solid objects; specifically, inferring that liquid can be poured from one container to another, given only qualitative information about the shapes and motions of the containers. It shows how the theory and the problem specification can be expressed in a first-order language; and demonstrates that this inference and other similar inferences can be justified as deductive conclusions from the theory and the problem specification.
Steering Into the Curve: Getting Real in the Classroom

Dozens and dozens of little deaths occur in college classrooms each day as teachers, mostly because of fear, steer themselves and their students away from what is alive and real and toward what is dead, safe, and boring. In this paper, I use a collection of stories to describe a practice that enlivens classroom dynamics that I call “Steering Into the Curve.”
Reducing consumption to avert catastrophic global climate change: The case of aviation

Avoiding potentially catastrophic global climate change is a moral imperative, demanding significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from all important transport sectors, including aviation. However, because passenger flights and freight traffic are increasing much faster than efficiency improvements, the aviation sector will not be able to reduce emissions, or even stabilize them at current levels, without direct, forceful action to reduce demand. This paper reviews the ethical principles and empirical realities supporting the case for reducing worldwide aviation traffic. It argues that most passenger air travel and air freight shipping represents unnecessary luxury consumption, which responsible moral agents should willingly reduce in order to mitigate global climate change. It considers several mechanisms for doing so, and contends that they may succeed, but only if combined with an explicit recognition and binding commitment that for the foreseeable future, aviation must be a slow-growth or no-growth sector of the world economy.
A Bayesian two-level model for fluctuation assay.

The fluctuation experiment is an essential tool for measuring microbial mutation rates in the laboratory. When inferring the mutation rate from an experiment, one assumes that the number of mutants in each test tube follows a common distribution. This assumption conceptually restricts the scope of applicability of fluctuation assay. We relax this assumption by proposing a Bayesian two-level model, under which an experiment-wide average mutation rate can be defined. The new model suggests a gamma mixture of the Luria-Delbruck distribution, which coincides with a recently discovered discrete distribution. While the mixture model is of considerable independent interest in fluctuation assay, it also offers a practical Markov chain Monte Carlo method for estimating mutation rates. We illustrate the Bayesian approach with a detailed analysis of an actual fluctuation experiment.
Cooking classes outperform cooking demonstrations for college sophomores.

Abstract Objective To determine if cooking classes improve subjects' knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors toward cooking. Design Comparison of outcomes of 2 treatment groups (demonstration vs hands-on cooking classes) using preand posttests. Setting University cooking laboratories. Participants First-semester sophomores (n = 65) who were 25% male with a mean age of 19.7 years. Intervention The intervention group (n = 33) attended 4 2-hour cooking classes, based on Social Learning Theory, and a supermarket tour. The demonstration group (n = 32) attended a cooking demonstration. Subjects completed 6 surveys. Main Outcome Measures Changes in attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors regarding cooking. Analysis Descriptive statistics were used to compare demographic variables. Analysis of covariance and chi-square analyses were used to compare outcome variables. Results Analysis revealed no gender differences. Participants displayed positive shifts on attitude scales. The intervention group had a pattern of larger positive shifts (0.4–0.7 vs 0.1–0.5 gain), some of which were statistically significant. Participants displayed positive, but not statistically significant, shifts in knowledge and some behaviors. Conclusion and Implications The intervention group experienced more statistically significant gains in attitudes and appeared to have a better pattern of gains in cooking-related knowledge and behaviors. Given limited resources, demonstration cooking classes could reach larger audiences in varied settings, but the impact would likely be weaker than that of cooking classes.
Colour Discrimination And Monitoring Theories of Consciousness

According to the monitoring theory of consciousness, a mental state is conscious in virtue of being represented in the right way by a monitoring state. David Rosenthal, William Lycan, and Uriah Kriegel have developed three different influential versions of this theory. In order to explain colour experiences, each of these authors combines his version of the monitoring theory of consciousness with a specific account of colour representation. Even though Rosenthal, Lycan, and Kriegel disagree on the specifics, they all hold that colours are represented by a single type of mental state. The main goal of this paper is to show that a more complex account of colour representation is needed for the monitoring theory of consciousness to do justice to the phenomenology of colour experiences. In particular, I will argue that the fine-grained character of colour experience—that is, the fact that perceivers can become conscious of small differences between colours—requires that colour representation be construed in t...
Retail services and firm profit in a dual-channel market

Abstract With the rapid development of the Internet, many manufacturers nowadays use online technology to engage in direct sales. The mix of retailing with a direct channel adds a new dimension of competition and complementarity to a product's distribution channels. Our model focuses on the strategic role played by the retail services in a dual-channel competitive market. The manufacturer uses a direct channel as an effective tool to motivate the retailer to improve its retail services and profits from it. While operated by the manufacturer to motivate retailer to perform more effectively from the manufacturer's perspective, the direct channel may not always be detrimental to the retailer because the retailer can obtain a lower wholesale price from the manufacturer and a higher sales volume from the improved retail services. In our research, our results suggest that the improved retail services effectively alleviate the channel competition and conflict and improve the supply chain performance in a competitive market.
Particle Physics: the first axion?

For almost 30 years, the hunt has been on for a ghostly particle proposed to plug a gap in the standard model of particle physics. The detection of a tiny optical effect might be the first positive sighting.
Conformational behavior of ethyloxirane from infrared and Raman spectra, temperature dependent FT-IR spectra of xenon solutions, and ab initio calculations

Abstract Infrared spectra (3500-400 cm −1 ) of gaseous ethyloxirane, c -OC 2 H 3 C 2 H 5 , (1,2-epoxybutane) and xenon solutions of this molecule at temperatures from −60 to −100°C have been recorded. In addition, Raman spectra of the liquid and polycrystalline phases have been obtained, and variable temperature Raman spectra (25 to −89°C) of the liquid were also recorded. Spectroscopic evidence for the co-existence of the gauche-1 and gauche-2 conformers of the title compound is found in the fluid phases, along with small amounts of the cis rotameric form. In xenon solutions, the enthalpy difference between the gauche-1 and gauche-2 conformers has been determined to be 217 ± 34 cm −1 (620 ± 97 cal mol −1 ), with the gauche-1 rotamer the more stable form, whereas in the liquid phase this quantity is estimated to be 95 ± 6 cm −1 (272 ± 17 cal mol −1 ). In the annealed solid phase, only the gauche-1 conformer is found. Ab initio calculations, have been carried with different basis sets up to MP 2 6-31 G ∗ from which structural parameters and conformation stabilities have been determined. These calculations support the experimental conformational conclusions. A force field from these calculations is used to support the vibrational assignments and simulate the observed infrared and Raman spectra. These results are compared to the corresponding quantities for some similar molecules.
BAYESIAN ANALYSIS OF GUMBEL DISTRIBUTED DATA

The form and conditions are delineated for a Bayesian conjugate prior probability density function for Gumbel distributed data. The solution is provided for the posterior normalization constant along with the marginal distribution for the Gumbel scale factor parameter, δ. Moreover, an exact Monte Carlo algorithm is provided to evaluate the properties of the posterior distribution for the location and scale factor parameters along with their correlation. The method for analyzing Gumbel distributed data is illustrated with several applications.
Remembering the 1978 and 1990 task forces on self-help therapies

A special series on self-administered therapies was edited by Forrest R. Scogin for the Journal of Clinical Psychology (Volume 59, Number 3). Articles in the edited series failed to mention two task forces on self-help therapies that were sponsored by groups within the American Psychological Association in 1978 and 1990. Consideration of the work by these task forces provides an historical perspective for the issues and recommendations provided in Scogin's series.
Irreversible inhibition of sodium entry sites in frog skin by a photosensitive amiloride analog

A photosensitive binding reaction is described in which an analog of amiloride is bound to sites that control sodium entry into frog skin. This reaction results in irreversible inhibition of net sodium transport.
Inhibition of eicosanoid formation by prazosin in the rabbit renal cortex

The influence of the oral administration of prazosin (an alphal-adrenergic blocker) and propranolol (a beta-adronergic blocker) on eicosanoid formation in renal cortices and papillae was evaluated in rabbits maintained on a high cholesterol diet. Rabbit renal microsomal fractions were incubated with radiolabeled arachidonic acid (AA) and glutethione (GSH) and the levels of metabolites were determined by thin layer chromatography (TLC), autoradiography and reverse phase-high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). Rabbits on a high cholesterol diet showed no significant differences in total eicosanoid production compared to rabbits on a normal diet. Prazosin was found to significantly inhibit the formation of all sicoaanoida in the renal cortex. In contrast, propranolol had no such inhibitory effect in the renal cortex.Neither drug had a significant effect on eicosanoid formation in the renal papilla. While oral administration of prazosin effectively inhibited the formation of all sicosanoids in the cortex, the addition of prazosin in vitro at physiological concentrations showed no such effect.These findings may have reflected alpha-receptor mediated event(a) which resulted in an alteration in eicosanoid formation in the kidney, suggesting an interaction between the sympathetic nervous system and the AA cascade.
On interpreting results of multiple regression procedures: A cautionary note for researchers and reviewers

There appears to be increasing use of multiple regression procedures in clinically related research. The present paper discusses two problems regarding inappropriate use of, or reporting of results from, such data analyses. In particular, researchers and reviewers are alerted to the needs to partial the overlapping effects of predictor variables from one another in a conceptually meaningful order, and to report F values and their probabilities for the effects of individual independent variables, when interpretations are to be made about such effects, rather than reporting the F value for the entire equation at each step. Care also needs to be taken to correctly report the degrees of freedom of the F ratio. Two recent articles from this journal are used to illustrate these points.
BIOASSAY OF ADRENOCORTICOTROPIC HORMONE

FROM the time that Smith (1930) showed that atrophy of the adrenal cortex followed hypophysectomy of the rat, and showed that pituitary implants would reinstate the adrenal cortex, a method was available for measuring the adrenocorticotropic hormone content of pituitary extracts. Although repair of the adrenal of the hypophysectomized rat has been used in this laboratory since 1932 as a measure of the adrenocorticotropic content of various extracts, a unit has not been proposed. Collip and co-workers (1933) recommended removal of one adrenal from the hypophysectomized rat as a control, the weight of which was to be compared with the weight of the remaining adrenal after the animal was subjected to the influence of injected adrenal cortex-stimulating substances. Moon (1937) proposed a unit, employing the normal rat, defined as a 50 per cent increase in the weight of the adrenals of 21-day-old male rats injected intraperitoneally once daily for 3 days and killed
Anaerobic degradation of benzoate to methane by a microbial consortium.

A stabilized consortium of microbes which anaerobically degraded benzoate and produced CH4 was established by inoculation of a benzoate-mineral salts medium with sewage sludge; the consortium was routinely subcultured anaerobically in this medium for 3 years. Acetate, formate, H2 and CO2 were identified as intermediates in the overall conversion of benzoate to CH4 by the culture. Radioactivity was equally divided between the CH4 and CO2 from the degradation of uniformly ring-labeled [14C]benzoate. The methyl group of acetate was stoichiometrically converted to CH4. Acetate, cyclohexanecarboxylate, 2-hydroxycyclohexanecarboxylate, o-hydroxybenzoic acid and pimelic acid were converted to CH4 without a lag suggesting that benzoate was degraded by a reductive pathway. Addition of o-chlorobenzoate inhibited benzoate degradation but not acetate degradation or methane formation. Two methanogenic organisms were isolated from the mixed culture, neither organism was able to degrade benzoate, showing that the methanogenic bacteria served as terminal organisms of a metabolic food chain composed of several organisms. Removal of intermediates by the methanogenic bacteria provided thermodynamically favorable conditions for benzoate degradation.
The hemopexin gene maps to the same location as the beta-globin gene cluster on human chromosome 11.

Abstract Using human hemopexin cDNA clones isolated from λgt11 cDNA library as probes, we have carried out Southern blot analysis of a series of human-Chinese hamster somatic cell hybrids containing different combinations of human chromosomes. Synteny analysis revealed 100% concordance between the hemopexin gene and human chromosome 11. In situ hybridization of 3H-labeled hemopexin cDNA to metaphase chromosomes prepared from human lymphocytes further localized the gene to the region p15.4–p15.5, the same location as the β-globin gene cluster.
Divanillates and polymerizable vanillates as ingredients of dental cements

Vanillate esters with multifunctional groups that react with metal oxides to give chainextended molecules have been synthesized. Divanillates were obtained from vanillic acid and the corresponding polymethylenediols. Methacryloylethyl vanillate (MEV) and vanillyl methacrylates were prepared respectively from hydroxyethyl vanillate or vanillyl alcohol and methacryloyl chloride. The properties of cements prepared with liquids incorporating these compounds were determined. Liquids containing divanillates dissolved in the reactive chelating agent o-ethoxybenzoic acid (EBA) when mixed with zinc oxide powders harden within a few minutes. The resulting cements have a tensile strength much higher than the commonly used zinc oxide–eugenol cements, have low solubility, do not inhibit polymerization, and adhere well to metallic substrates. Similarly, liquids with MEV as an ingredient yield cements with excellent strength and good adhesion to stainless steel and composites. Their brittleness can be overcome by addition of an oligomeric methacryloylethyl vanillate to the liquid or silanized glass to the powder ingredient. These cements, subject to their biocompatibility to oral tissues, could be most useful for a number of dental applications.
Impact of comorbidity on outcome of young patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Background. Comorbid conditions have a significant impact on the actuarial survival of patients with head and neck cancer. However, no studies have evaluated the impact of comorbidity on tumor- and treatment-specific outcomes. This study was performed to evaluate the impact of comorbidity, graded by the Kaplan-Feinstein comorbidity index (KFI) on the incidence and severity of complications, disease-free interval, and tumor-specific survival in patients undergoing curative treatment for head and neck cancer. Methods. A multi-institutional, retrospective cohort of 70 patients 45 years of age and under with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) presenting over an 11-year period was studied. Results. Advanced comorbidity (KFI grade 2 or 3) was present in 21 patients (30%). Patients with advanced comorbidity did not differ from patients with low-level comorbidity (KFI grades 0 or 1) in sex distribution, race, presence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, tobacco use, location of primary lesion, stage at presentation, pathologic differentiation of the tumor, or type of initial treatment. The overall incidence of treatment-associated complications was similar between the groups (57% versus 49%; p > 0.05), but a higher proportion of patients with advanced comorbidity developed high-grade complications (24% versus 6%; p =.04). The median disease-free interval (11.1 months versus 21.6 months; p =.045) and tumor-specific survival (13.7 months versus 57.6 months; p =.03) was poorer for patients with advanced comorbidity. The effects of comorbidity on survival remained significant even after adjusting for the confounding effects of HIV status and tumor stage (p =.05). Conclusions. The presence of comorbid conditions has a significant impact on tumor- and treatment-specific outcomes. Although the presence of advanced comorbid conditions is not associated with an increase in the rate of treatment-associated complications, complications tend to be more severe in this population. More importantly, advanced comorbidity has a detrimental effect on the disease-free interval and tumor-specific survival in patients with head and neck cancer, independent of other factors. This suggests that comorbidity may impact on tumor behavior, presumably by altering the host's response to cancer. Accordingly, to be more predictive and reliable, the current staging system for head and neck cancer should include a description of the patient's comorbidity.
Glutathione content of cultured cells and rodent brain regions: a specific fluorometric assay

The glutathione contents of cultured cells and rodent brain were determined by a fluorometric procedure which eliminates the interference of endogenous histidine-containing compounds. Cultured neonatal rat and hamster astrocytes, human dermal fibroblasts, and mouse and rat brain regions were assayed. o-Phthalaldehyde forms a fluorescent complex with glutathione, oxidized glutathione, and histidyl compounds in the absence of added thiol. The reaction of histidyl compounds can be abolished by the addition of formaldehyde to the reaction mixtures. A 10-pmol quantity of glutathione can be measured in dilute formic acid extracts of milligram quantities of tissue.
Phase 2 trial of carboplatin, paclitaxel, and irinotecan in ovarian, fallopian tube, and primary peritoneal cancers.

Abstract Objective . Our goal in this nonrandomized phase 2 trial was to evaluate the toxicity and obtain preliminary data on the potential efficacy of a novel three-drug combination regimen (carboplatin–paclitaxel–irinotecan) when employed as initial therapy of advanced ovarian cancer or as second-line treatment in the setting of a prolonged (≥12 months) treatment-free interval. Methods . Patients with a histologically confirmed diagnosis of advanced ovarian cancer, primary adenocarcinoma of the peritoneum, or fallopian tube cancer were enrolled in the study. Patients received carboplatin (AUC 5), paclitaxel (150 mg/m 2 over 3 h), and irinotecan (100 mg/m 2 over 90 min). The three-drug combination was initially administered on an every 21-day schedule, but due to toxicity was subsequently changed to a 28-day program. Results . A total of 30 patients were enrolled into this phase 2 trial. Twenty-three patients were chemotherapy naive, while 7 had received prior chemotherapy. Seventeen patients completed all six cycles of treatment. Eight patients (27%) were removed from the study after a median of three cycles due to toxicities. Seventeen patients (57%) experienced grade 4 neutropenia, with three individuals requiring hospitalization for neutropenic fever and dehydration. Grades 3 and 4 thrombocytopenia were experienced by three patients each. The principal nonhematologic toxicities were diarrhea (grade 3: three patients) and fatigue. The overall objective clinical response rate was 83%. Conclusions . The combination of carboplatin–paclitaxel–irinotecan can be administered to women with advanced ovarian cancer with significant, but overall acceptable toxicity. Modification of the regimen from a 3-week to a 4-week schedule permits a greater percentage of patients to complete the program without experiencing excessive toxicity. The overall objective response rate observed in this trial is comparable to other combination regimens employed in this setting. Defining a place for this three-drug program in the standard management of ovarian cancer will require the conduct of an appropriately designed randomized trial.
Volumetric assessment of tumour response using functional MR imaging in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma treated with a combination of doxorubicin-eluting beads and sorafenib

Objective To prospectively assess treatment response using volumetric functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) metrics in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated with the combination of doxorubicin-eluting bead–transarterial chemoembolization (DEB TACE) and sorafenib.
"Multivalent" saccharides: development of new approaches for inhibiting the effects of glycosphingolipid-binding pathogens.

A number of diseases are initiated by the adherence of viruses, bacteria, or bacterial toxins to cell surface carbohydrates, a number of which are components of glycosphingolipids (GSLs). Studies of the binding of lectins indicated that many adhered weakly to monomeric carbohydrate ligands. The seminal observation that lectins adhered more strongly to a ligand with multiple carbohydrate binding sites initiated a plethora of studies designed to identify effective "multivalent" carbohydrate ligands for pathogens expressing multiple carbohydrate-binding sites. In addition to more completely defining ligand specificity of the carbohydrate-binding pathogen, identification of "multivalent" carbohydrate ligands has led to studies of their efficacy as pathogen inhibitors. This commentary focuses on pathogens that recognize the carbohydrate portion of GSLs. Because many GSL-binding pathogens have been shown to bind "multivalent" saccharides, approaches for identifying and preparing them as well as methods for characterizing their effectiveness as ligands are reviewed. Also discussed are areas of promise that should be investigated and pitfalls that might be encountered in the development of "multivalent" saccharides as pharmacologic agents.
The essential functions of coenzyme Q

The essential role of coenzyme Q in biological energy transduction is well established. Coenzyme Q is a unique carrier for two-electron transfer within the lipid phase of the mitochondrial membrane. The function is essential for proton-based energy coupling. The sites of entry and exit of electrons into the quinone are at specific quinone-binding sites which are constructed to allow only two-electron transfer and thus prevent damaging free radical formation by direct reaction of oxygen with the semiquinone. Failure of proper function with diminished energy supply can be related to insufficient quinone, modification of lipid fluidity, or lipid protein interaction and damage or poisoning in binding sites. Supplementation with coenzyme Q can act by reversal of deficiency or decreased mobility, or by overcoming binding site modification. Coenzyme Q has also been shown to increase antioxidant protection in membranes. New sites for coenzyme Q function in Golgi and plasma membrane show evidence for a role in growth control and secretion-related membrane flow.
Factors influencing the induction of DNA single strand breaks in rats by 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD)

Abstract The ability of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo- p -dioxin (TCDD) to induce lipid peroxidation and DNA damage in rat hepatic nuclei was investigated. In addition, the role of iron in hepatic DNA damage was examined. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with a single dose of 25–100 μg TCDD/kg orally, and sacrificed 3–14 days after treatment. Liver nuclei were isolated, and DNA single strand breaks (DNA-SSB) and lipid peroxidation were determined. Lipid peroxidation was assessed by measuring the content and production of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) while DNA-SSB were determined by the alkaline elution technique. The results demonstrate that TCDD dose and time-dependent increases in hepatic nuclear TBARS content and production occur in conjunction with an increase in DNA-SSB. The administration of the dithiolthione antioxidant oltipraz (30 mg/kg/day for 10 days) resulted in a significant decrease (47%) in the incidence of TCDD-induced DNA-SSB. Clofibrate administration (100 mg/kg/day for 12 days) and pair feeding had no effect on TCDD-induced DNA-SSB. The incubation of hepatic microsomes and mitochondria from TCDD-treated rats with nuclei from untreated animals for one hr at 37°C resulted in enhanced DNA damage which was abolished by the addition of 0.10 mM desferrioxamine (DFX). Incubation with cytosol had no significant effect. Incubation of 0.10 mM Fe 2+ or Fe 3+ with isolated hepatic nuclei from untreated rats produced significant increases in DNA-SSB, which were abolished by the addition of 0.10 mM DFX to the incubation medium. TCDD may produce an increased bioavailability of iron which leads to enhanced DNA single strand breaks and lipid peroxidation in hepatic nuclei.
The cell wall-targeting antibiotic stimulon of Enterococcus faecalis

Enterococcus faecalis is an opportunistic nosocomial pathogen that is highly resistant to a variety of environmental insults, including an intrinsic tolerance to antimicrobials that target the cell wall (CW). With the goal of determining the CW-stress stimulon of E. faecalis, the global transcriptional profile of E. faecalis OG1RF exposed to ampicillin, bacitracin, cephalotin or vancomycin was obtained via microarrays. Exposure to the β-lactams ampicillin and cephalotin resulted in the fewest transcriptional changes with 50 and 192 genes differentially expressed 60 min after treatment, respectively. On the other hand, treatment with bacitracin or vancomycin for 60 min affected the expression of, respectively, 377 and 297 genes. Despite the differences in the total number of genes affected, all antibiotics induced a very similar gene expression pattern with an overrepresentation of genes encoding hypothetical proteins, followed by genes encoding proteins associated with cell envelope metabolism as well as transport and binding proteins. In particular, all drug treatments, most notably bacitracin and vancomycin, resulted in an apparent metabolic downshift based on the repression of genes involved in translation, energy metabolism, transport and binding. Only 19 genes were up-regulated by all conditions at both the 30 and 60 min time points. Among those 19 genes, 4 genes encoding hypothetical proteins (EF0026, EF0797, EF1533 and EF3245) were inactivated and the respective mutant strains characterized in relation to antibiotic tolerance and virulence in the Galleria mellonella model. The phenotypes obtained for two of these mutants, ΔEF1533 and ΔEF3245, support further characterization of these genes as potential candidates for the development of novel preventive or therapeutic approaches.
Work in progress - aligning educational experiences with ways of knowing engineering: Understanding the engineering profession

Engineering practice in the United States is changing and education needs to match those changes. One strategy for improving engineering education is to utilize a better understanding of the engineering profession. By the completion of this three year NSF project in 2010, a more refined and updated picture of engineering practice will emerge. To investigate engineering practice, we will triangulate data from surveys, interviews and ethnographic observations. To date, pilot data has been collected from thirteen surveys and three interviews. By October 2008, it is expected that five hundred surveys, forty interviews, and studies of two engineering firms will be complete. Data collected so far indicates that engineers have a strong, core identification as analytic thinkers and problem solvers. It also indicates engineerspsila desire to express creativity and learn new things in their work. As this study will examine the epistemic frame of engineering-what makes an engineer, an engineer-the research group plans to have practicing engineers evaluate how well it succeeds in documenting what it means to be an engineer. Just as these practicing engineers provide feedback on this study, we hope our work will strengthen the ties between engineering practice and engineering education.
World Non-Oil Primary Commodity Markets: Reply to Sephton

ATHER THAN COMMENTING on our paper (Staff Papers, Vol. 33, March 1986, pp. 139-84), Sephton introduces a small analytical model in which monetary policy affects primary commodity prices. The purpose of our paper was to show the role of basic demand and supply-side variables in the medium-term fluctuation of world commodity prices. It is unclear what Sephton is attempting to explain with his model. Are the commodity prices in his model world prices in U.S. dollars or domestic currency prices in a primary-commodity-exporting country? Sephton's model appears to be intended to explain how domestic commodity prices are influenced by monetary policy rules in a primary-exporting country, but these latter prices are not what we dealt with in our paper. If this interpretation is correct, then what Sephton is trying to explain would be only one of several factors influencing the global supply of commodities.
Dynamics of Reciprocal Collaborative Trust in Sensitive Information Repositories

One of the primary rationales offered by practitioners for rejection or significant adaptation of systems after fielding is lack of “trust.” As others have noted, the “trust” concept covers a vast territory and it is challenging to translate the literature into targeted design guidance for building and maintaining trust. In this paper, we specifically examine dynamic relationships of reciprocity and its effect on trust. This will be examined by considering five sensitive information repositories. We posit several concepts and relationships that may provide some traction in analyzing, measuring, and predicting effective and ineffective design of sensitive information repositories. Advances in our understanding of what variables foster desirable “reciprocal” interactions (increasing trust) might be particularly helpful for systems that do not have time for long deliberations or have serious consequences for leaking highly sensitive information.
Allosteric inhibition of the Ca2+-activated hydrophilic channel of the mitochondrial inner membrane by nucleotides

The control by nucleotides of the Ca2+ -activated channel which regulates the nonspecific permeability of the mitochondrial inner membrane has been investigated quantitatively. The cooperative binding of two molecules of ADP to the internal (matrix) side of the channel causes a mixed-type inhibition of channel activity. ATP, AMP, cAMP and GDP are all ineffective. NADH shows a pattern of inhibition similar to that of ADP, though the apparent KI is higher by a factor of 200. NADPH relieves the inhibition by NADH. NAD+ also inhibits, b,t its affinity is a factor of 10 less than that of NADH. When ADP and NADH are added together, they act synergistically to inhibit the Ca2+-activated channel. It is concluded that the concept of the modification of enzyme activity by the allosteric binding of nucleotides, which is well established for soluble enzyme systems, also has application to the regulation of channels that control membrane permeability.
Colonoscopist and Primary Care Physician Supply and Disparities in Colorectal Cancer Screening

OBJECTIVE. : To determine whether racial/ethnic disparities in colonoscopy use vary by physician availability. DATA SOURCE. : We used 100 percent Texas Medicare claims data for 2003-2007. STUDY DESIGN. : We identified beneficiaries aged 66-79 in 2007, examined racial/ethnic differences in colonoscopy use from 2003 to 2007, and estimated the percentage of white, black, and Hispanic beneficiaries who underwent colonoscopy by level of physician availability and area income. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS. : For the 974,879 beneficiaries, colonoscopy use was higher in whites (40.7 percent) compared to blacks (35.0 percent) and Hispanics (28.7 percent, p< .001). For whites, increasing availability of colonoscopists and primary care physicians (PCPs) was associated with higher colonoscopy use. For blacks and Hispanics, colonoscopy use was unchanged or decreased with increases in colonoscopist and PCP availability. In multilevel models, the odds of colonoscopy were 20 percent lower for blacks (OR 0.80, 95 percent CI 0.79-0.82) and 32 percent lower for Hispanics (OR 0.68, 95 percent CI 0.66-0.69) compared to whites; adjusting for availability of colonoscopists or PCPs did not attenuate racial/ethnic disparities. We found greater racial/ethnic disparities in areas with greater colonoscopist and PCP availability. CONCLUSIONS. : Greater area availability of colonoscopists and PCPs is associated with increased use of colonoscopy in whites but decreased use in minorities, resulting in larger racial/ethnic disparities.
Dissecting the Energies that Stabilize Sickle Hemoglobin Polymers

Sickle hemoglobin forms long, multistranded polymers that account for the pathophysiology of the disease. The molecules in these polymers make significant contacts along the polymer axis (i.e., axial contacts) as well as making diagonally directed contacts (i.e., lateral contacts). The axial contacts do not engage the mutant β6 Val and its nonmutant receptor region on an adjacent molecule, in contrast to the lateral contacts which do involve the mutation site. We have studied the association process by elastic light scattering measurements as a function of temperature, concentration, and primary and quaternary structure, employing an instrument of our own construction. Even well below the solubility for polymer formation, we find a difference between the association behavior of deoxy sickle hemoglobin molecules (HbS), which can polymerize at higher concentration, in comparison to COHbS, COHbA, or deoxygenated Hemoglobin A (HbA), none of which have the capacity to form polymers. The nonpolymerizable species are all quite similar to one another, and show much less association than deoxy HbS. We conclude that axial contacts are significantly weaker than the lateral ones. All the associations are entropically favored, and enthalpically disfavored, typical of hydrophobic interactions. For nonpolymerizable Hemoglobin, ΔH(o) was 35 ± 4 kcal/mol, and ΔS was 102.7 ± 0.5 cal/(mol-K). For deoxyHbS, ΔH(o) was 19 ± 2 kcal/mol, and ΔS was 56.9 ± 0.5 cal/(mol-K). The results are quantitatively consistent with the thermodynamics of polymer assembly, suggesting that the dimer contacts and polymer contacts are very similar, and they explain a previously documented significant anisotropy between bending and torsional moduli. Unexpectedly, the results also imply that a substantial fraction of the hemoglobin has associated into dimeric species at physiological conditions.
Cross-Linking and Physical Characteristics of a Water-Based Nonstick Hydrophobic Coating

This study is directed at determining the influence of cross-linking on the physical properties of a water-based nonstick hydrophobic coating. The extent of cross-linking was determined using FT-IR spectroscopy and correlated with important surface properties of the coatings: surface hydrophobicity (contact angle hysteresis of water), friction, and hardness. It was found that the contact angle hysteresis of water decreases with increasing cross-linking, achieving a constant value of 20−25° at 40−50% of cross-linking. Although the coefficient of friction is independent of the extent of cross-linking, the scratch hardness of the coating increases with the extent of cross-linking.
ATPase in ripening strawberries.

Abstract ATPase was found in 1000 g , 13 000 g and 80 00O g fractions from strawberry fruits. The optima pH for ATPase was the same (i.e. 6) for the 3 fractions, which also showed similar substrate specificity. However, the enzyme associated with the 80 000 g fraction showed the highest affinity for ATP and the maximum V max / K m value. As the fruit ripened, from the green to dark-red stage, ATPase activity in the 80 000 g fraction increased more than three times. The ATP content of the fruit pulp, which was high at the green stage, decreased as the fruit matured and ripened. Na + and K + slightly stimulated enzyme activity associated with the 1000 g ,80 000 g and soluble fractions, whereas, Ca 2+ and Mg 2+ inhibited the enzyme activity in all fractions. However, the extent of inhibition due to divalent cations lessened as the fruit ripened.
Structural Neuroimaging Research Methods in Geriatric Depression

Geriatric depression consists of complex and heterogeneous behaviors unlikely to be caused by a single brain lesion. However, there is evidence that abnormalities in specific brain structures and their interconnections confer vulnerability to the development of late-life depression. Structural magnetic resonance imaging methods can be used to identify and quantify brain abnormalities predisposing to geriatric depression and in prediction of treatment response. This article reviews several techniques, including morphometric approaches, study of white matter hyperintensities, diffusion tensor imaging, magnetization transfer imaging, t2 relaxography, and spectroscopy, that have been used to examine these brain abnormalities with a focus on the type of information obtained by each method as well as each method's limitations. The authors argue that the available methods provide complementary information and that, when combined judiciously, can increase the knowledge gained from neuroimaging findings and conceptually advance the field of geriatric depression.
Toughening of thermoset/thermoplastic composites via reaction-induced phase separation: Epoxy/phenoxy blends

Phase morphology and phase separation behavior of amine-cured bisphenol-A diglycidyl ether epoxy and phenoxy mixtures have been investigated by means of time-resolved small angle light scattering, optical microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The starting reactant mixtures composed of epoxy, phenoxy, and curing agents such as diaminodiphenyl sulfone (DDS) and methylene dianiline (MDA) were found to be completely miscible. Upon curing with DDS at 180°C, phase separation took place in various epoxy/phenoxy blends (compositions ranging from 10–40% phenoxy), whereas the MDA curing showed no indication of phase separation. The mechanical and physical properties of single-phase and two-phase networks were examined, in that the DDS-cured epoxy/phenoxy blends having a two-phase morphology showed improved ductility and toughness without significantly losing other mechanical and thermal properties such as modulus, tensile strength, glass transition and heat deflection temperatures. The energy absorbed to failure during the drop weight impact event was also found to improve relative to those of the single-phase MDA-cured blend as well as of the neat epoxy. Such property enhancement of the DDS-cured blends has been discussed in relation to the two-phase morphology obtained via scanning electron microscopy micrographs of fractured surfaces. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 77: 1257–1268, 2000
Colony inhibition studies on blocking and non-blocking serum effects on cellular immunity to moloney sarcomas.

Moloney-virus-induced sarcomas, originating in BALB/c and A/Sn mice, were studied with the colony inhibition (CI) assay. Mice inoculated with the virus as adults developed tumors which spontaneously regressed (regressors) while mice inoculated with the same virus dose at an age of 21 days or less died from progressively growing tumors (progressors). Serum from progressors blocked the colony inhibitory effect of lymph-node cells (LNC) from the regressors. Serum from mice inoculated with the virus as adults had a similar blocking effect as long as the mice carried progressively growing tumors, but it did not block the LNC effect when harvested at the onset of regression or after its completion. When regressor sera were mixed with progressor sera the blocking effect of the latter decreased.
When consumer behavior dictates life cycle performance beyond the use phase: case study of inkjet cartridge end-of-life management

Purpose Conventional wisdom suggests that product reuse can provide environmental savings. The purpose of this study is to first compare the environmental impacts of retail refilling and remanufactured inkjet cartridge alternatives to production of new inkjet cartridges, and then determine the extent to which consumer behavior can influence life cycle outcomes. Methods A life cycle inventory was developed for an inkjet cartridge with an integral print head using material composition data collected from cartridge disassembly and material processing, product manufacturing, and transportation inputs estimated from market data and the ecoinvent database in SimaPro 7.3. Although previous comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) studies for printer cartridges typically use “pages printed” or a variation thereof for the functional unit, “cartridge use cycles” is more suitable for examining reused inkjet cartridge alternatives that depend on the inkjet cartridge end-of-life (EOL) route chosen by the consumer. Since multiple reuse cycles achieved from refilling by a retailer was of specific interest, a functional unit defined in the form of “five use cycles” included the mode and manner in which consumers purchased inkjet cartridge use cycles. Results and discussion Cartridge refills present the lowest environmental impact, offering a 76 % savings in global warming potential (GWP) impact compared to production and purchase of a new inkjet cartridge alternative, followed by the remanufacturing case, which provided a 36 % savings in GWP impact compared to the new inkjet cartridge. However, results varied widely, even switching to favor new cartridge purchase, depending on how consumer transport was modeled,specifically the mode of travel, travel patterns (number of trips), and method of allocating impact to each trip. Conclusions Refilling an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) cartridge four consecutive times provides the best alternative for reducing environmental impact for those consumers that purchase inkjet cartridges one at a time. On the other hand, consumers that purchase multiple cartridges in a single trip to a retailer reduce environmental impact more by transport minimization than by refilling. Results reinforce the need for more comprehensive inclusion of consumer behavior when modeling life cycle environmental impact of product alternatives.
Maternal infection and autism

A protein linked to inflammation is elevated in the amniotic fluid of embryos that go on to become autistic.