cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Formation of metal-arsenate precipitates at the goethite-water interface.

Little information is available concerning cosorbing oxyanion and metal contaminants in the environment, yet in most metal-contaminated areas, cocontamination by arsenate [AsO4, As(V)] is common. This study investigated the cosorption of As(V) and Zn on goethite at pH 4 and 7 as a function of final solution concentration. Complimentary extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopic data were collected at the As and Zn K-edges in order to glean information about the coordination environment of As and Zn at the goethite−water interface. Macroscopic sorption studies revealed that As(V) and Zn sorption on goethite increased in cosorption experiments beyond that suggested by single sorption isotherms. At pH 4 and 7, As(V) surface saturation was 3.2 and 2.2 μmol m-2, respectively, and Zn surface saturation was absent at pH 4 and ∼ 1.0 μmol m-2 at pH 7. Arsenate sorption on goethite increased in the presence of Zn by 29% and by more than 500% at pH 4 and 7, respectively. In the presence of As(V),...
Effects of Alcohol on Simulated Driving and Perceived Driving Impairment in Binge Drinkers

Background: Binge drinking (heavy episodic alcohol use) is associated with high rates of impaired driving and myriad alcohol-related accidents. However, the underlying reasons for the heightened accident risk in this demographic group are not known. This research examined acute alcohol effects on simulated driving performance and subjective ratings of intoxication and driving ability in binge and nonbinge drinkers. Methods: Young social drinking college students (24 binge drinkers and 16 nonbinge drinkers) participated in this study. Participants attended a session during which they received a moderate dose of alcohol (0.65 g/kg) and a session during which they received a placebo. A simulated driving task measured participants' driving performance in response to each dose. Subjective responses to each dose were also assessed, including ratings of sedation, stimulation, and driving ability. Results: The acute dose of alcohol impaired multiple aspects of driving performance in both binge and nonbinge drinkers. Under alcohol, all participants had greater difficulty in maintaining their lane position, maintaining the appropriate speed and made multiple driving errors compared to placebo performance. By contrast, compared with nonbinge drinkers, binge drinkers reported feeling less sedated by the alcohol and reported having a greater ability to drive following the acute dose of alcohol. Conclusions: Reduced subjective intoxication and perceived driving impairment in binge drinkers may account for the greater accident risk in this demographic group. Binge drinkers may lack the internal sedation cue that helps them accurately assess that they are not able to effectively drive a vehicle after drinking. Language: en
IDENTIFYING TRANSMEMBRANE STATES AND DEFINING THE MEMBRANE INSERTION BOUNDARIES OF HYDROPHOBIC HELICES IN MEMBRANE-INSERTED DIPHTHERIA TOXIN T DOMAIN

The membrane topography of proteins that convert between soluble and membrane-inserted states has proven a challenging problem. In particular, it has been difficult to define both whether a transmembrane orientation is achieved and what are the boundaries of membrane-inserted segments. In this report the fluorescence of bimane-labeled Cys residues and the binding of anti-BODIPY antibodies to BODIPY-labeled Cys residues are combined to define these features for helices TH8 and TH9 of the T domain of diphtheria toxin. Using a series of labeled residues the topography of these helices was examined in both conformations of membrane-inserted T domain identified previously (Wang, Y., Malenbaum, S. E., Kachel, K., Zhan, H., Collier, R. J., and London, E. (1997) J. Biol. Chem. 272, 25091–25098). In the shallowly inserted conformation these helices are found to be aligned close to the cis surface of the bilayer all along their sequences. In contrast, in the more deeply inserted conformation most TH8 and TH9 residues examined located in a non-polar environment, with the boundaries of the membrane-inserted sequences close to residues 324 and 372–374 on the cis (insertion) side of the bilayer. It was also found that residues 348 and 349, which are in the loop connecting TH8 and TH9, reached the opposite trans side of the bilayer, but did not protrude fully into the aqueous environment. These boundaries suggest the membrane-inserted segments of TH8 and TH9 form transmembrane helices about 25 residues in length, and suggest that they are connected by a tight turn. It is concluded that this combination of fluorescent techniques can be combined to obtain transmembrane helix topography.
Ion-Implanted Silicon X-Ray Calorimeters: Present and Future

We now have about 25 years of experience with X-ray calorimeters based on doped semiconductor thermometers. Ion-implanted Si arrays have been used in astrophysics and laboratory atomic physics. The device properties and characteristics are sufficiently well understood to allow optimized designs for a wide variety of applications over the 0.1–100 keV range. With new absorber materials, approaches for absorber attachment and compact, low thermal conductance JFET arrays, it should be possible to advance this technology from the 36 pixel arrays of today to arrays that are about an order of magnitude larger, and with significantly improved energy resolution. These would enable new capabilities on instruments being considered now for missions that may fly in about five years.
In Search of Origins

Martin Bernal, Black Athena: The Afroasiatic Roots of Classical Civilization. 2 vols. Rutgers University Press, New Brunswick, 1987–1991. Vol. 1, pp. 575. Vol. 2, pp. 736. ISBN vol. 1 0–8135–1276‐X, 0–8135–1277 (paperback); vol. 2 0–8135–1583–1, 0–8135–1584‐X (paperback). Price: $17.95 per volume.
Cyclopropanes XL. A chiral cyclopropylcopper reagent

Abstract Chiral ( R )-1-cuprous-1-isocyano-2,2-diphenylcyclopropane was prepared from the corresponding ( S )-1-lithio-1-isocyano-2,2-diphenylcyclopropane by reaction with cuprous iodide. In contrast to the lithium reagent the chiral copper(I) reagent was configurationally stable at room temperature. The effect of complexing reagents such as tri-n-butylphosphine, tetramethylethylenediamine and crown ethers (oxygen and sulfur) on the configurational stability and reactivity of the copper reagent discussed.
Molecular Optoelectronic Gates

In this paper we describe molecular devices where an electronic energy transfer process is selectively gated by one-electron alteration of the redox state of one spatially isolated pigment in a multipigment array. We demonstrate gating of a photonic signal in a molecular device via a spatially isolated redox switch. This gating process can be used for wires that involve energy migration as the basis for signal transmission, is particularly attractive as it does not involve changes in molecular conformation, and in principle also can be achieved by photochemical means. These molecular gates complement molecular sensors or switches where the luminescent readout of one chromophore is altered by conformational changes or the availability of photoinduced electron transfer processes to an adjacent site. Access to these gates is made possible by a modular approach that enables incorporation of a wide variety of metalloporphyrin building blocks with desired redox and photophysical properties. We anticipate that these types of gates could be used to transmit signals across lipid bilayers and other interfaces, could provide the basis for various types of sensors, and may be useful in future molecular-scale information processing systems. 12 refs., 1 fig.
Relationship of hertzian contact pressure to friction behavior of self-lubricating boric acid films

Abstract The effect of hertzian contact pressure on the friction coefficient of self-lubricating boric acid (H3BO3) films was investigated by sliding steel and ceramic balls against boric oxide (B2O3) coated steel and ceramic disks under a wide range of contact loads. Self-lubricating H3BO3 films result from a spontaneous chemical reaction between water molecules and B2O3 coatings in humid air. Mean initial hertzian contact pressures in the range 0.31–1.6 GPa were created between balls and B2O3-coated disks by varying the applied load and the radius of the balls. It was demonstrated that an inverse relationship exists between friction coefficient and hertzian contact pressure. Using the hertzian contact model, we estimated that the shear strength of H3BO3 films was approximately 22.9 MPa, which is comparable with 24.8 MPa reported for MoS2.
Pulmonary Gas Exchange During Histamine-induced Bronchoconstriction in Asthmatic Subjects

Bronchial provocation for testing airway hyperreactivity is now well-established. However, the effects of histamine-induced bronchoconstriction on pulmonary gas exchange in man have not been systematically studied. We empirically noted marked decreases in PaO2 in some asthmatic subjects following induced bronchoconstriction. Nine subjects with mild, stable asthma were studied, each on two separate days. The first determined the dose of inhaled histamine necessary to decrease FEV1 by 20 percent and the relationship to lung volume and to pulmonary resistance by the interrupter technique (Rint). On the second day arterial blood gases, ventilation, Rint, and the anatomic (VDan) and physiologic (VDphys) dead spaces were measured simultaneously. There was a significant (p less than 0.05), profound fall in PaO2 (mean, -21.8 mm Hg) and in P(A-a)O2 (mean +14.7 mm Hg) within 5 min after bronchoconstriction, associated with a significant (p less than 0.05) increase in respiratory frequency (mean +5.1 min-1); and decrease in tidal volume (mean, -0.3 L). The ratio VDphys/VT increased significantly (p less than 0.05; mean change, +0.08) even though VDan and VDphys did not. Bronchoconstriction induced the broadening of ventilation (V)/perfusion (Q) ratios, with, most likely, an increase in areas of high V/Q. Histamine-induced bronchoconstriction in mild asthma results in a marked fall in PaO2 due to induced V/Q inequality. Therefore, histamine airway challenge should be used with caution in patients with any preexisting hypoxemia.
Characterization of sphingosine-1-phosphate lyase activity by electrospray ionization-liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry quantitation of (2E)-hexadecenal

Abstract Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) is a sphingolipid signaling molecule crucial for cell survival and proliferation. S1P-mediated signaling is largely controlled through its biosynthesis and degradation, and S1P lyase (S1PL) is the only known enzyme that irreversibly degrades sphingoid base-1-phosphates to phosphoethanolamine and the corresponding fatty aldehydes. S1PL-mediated degradation of S1P results in the formation of (2E)-hexadecenal, whereas hexadecanal is the product of dihydrosphingosine-1-phosphate (DHS1P) degradation. Fatty aldehydes can undergo biotransformation to fatty acids and/or alcohols, making them elusive and rendering the task of fatty aldehyde quantitation challenging. We have developed a simple, highly sensitive, and high-throughput protocol for (2E)-hexadecenal quantitation as a semicarbazone derivative by liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization–tandem mass spectrometry. The approach was applied to determining S1PL activity in vitro with the ability to use as low as 0.25 μg of microsomal protein per assay. The method is also applicable to the use of total tissue homogenate as the source of S1PL. A correction for (2E)-hexadecenal disappearance due to its biotransformation during enzymatic reaction is required, especially at higher protein concentrations. The method was applied to confirm FTY720 as the inhibitor of S1PL with an IC50 value of 52.4 μM.
Internal wave—vortical mode interactions in strongly stratified flows

In this paper, weakly nonlinear interactions in a strongly-stratified, inviscid flow are re-examined, taking into account the presence of both internal waves and vortical modes. We use a multiple scale formulation, based on the two characteristic times of the problem. Ertel's potential vorticity motivates a splitting of the velocity into propagating (wave) and non-propagating (vortical) contributions. We focus on the three fundamental interactions: the wave/wave, wave/vortex and vortex/vortex interactions. The oft-studied wave/wave interaction illustrates the difference between potential and vertical vorticities. We then identify two additional resonances for the wave/vortex and vortex/vortex interactions respectively. The wave/vortex resonance provides a mechanism for redistributing energy in spectral space while the vortex/vortex interaction may give rise to an internal wave field.
Aspects of Social Context as Determinants of Black Women's Resistance to Challenges

In the past, social psychological researchers have generally treated sex and race as independent status characteristics. The utility of this unidimensional model is questioned. Literature examining sex and race differences in status which then predict behavior (specifically resistance to influence) is reviewed to demonstrate the inadequacy of separating the effects of these characteristics. The importance of sex and race as both personal and contextual characteristics is then discussed.
Base excitation in one-dimensional soil dynamics

Abstract The prescribed motion to be used as base excitation for shear wave propagation studies in soils is not well defined in the literature. This paper utilizes two methods to investigate the concept of utilizing one-half the rock surface velocity as the incident velocity at a transmitting boundary at the soil base. A range of material properties, thicknesses, and frequencies are used to explore the variation of the ratio: incident velocity to rock surface velocity. Although the ratio varies over a broad range recommendations are made to assist the analyst in selecting a conservative ratio suitable for engineering studies.
Not the “Dark Ages”

Nigel Williams (News & Comment, 17 May, [p. 946][1]) quotes Mike Waterfield as saying, “you could get by without SWISS-PROT if researchers wrote their own programs to search different databases, but it'd be like going back to the Dark Ages.” This misrepresents the state of the art.
News about TeV-scale black holes

Collider produced black holes are the most exciting prediction from models with large extra dimensions. These black holes exist in an extreme region, in which gravity meets quantum field theory, particle physics, and thermodynamics. An investigation of the formation and decay processes can therefore provide us with important insights about the underlying theory and open a window to the understanding of Physics at the Planck scale. The production and the evaporation of TeV-scale black holes yields distinct signatures that have been examined closely during the last years, with analytical approaches as well as by use of numerical simulations. I present new results for the LHC, which take into account that, instead of a final decay, a black hole remnant can be left.
Effect of the carbon concentration, blend concentration, and renewal rate in the growth kinetic of Chlorella sp.

The microalgae cultivation can be used as alternative sources of food, in agriculture, residual water treatment, and biofuels production. Semicontinuous cultivation is little studied but is more cost-effective than the discontinuous (batch) cultivation. In the semicontinuous cultivation, the microalga is maintained in better concentration of nutrients and the photoinhibition by excessive cell is reduced. Thus, biomass productivity and biocompounds of interest, such as lipid productivity, may be higher than in batch cultivation. The objective of this study was to examine the influence of blend concentration, medium renewal rate, and concentration of sodium bicarbonate on the growth of Chlorella sp. during semicontinuous cultivation. The cultivation was carried out in Raceway type bioreactors of 6 L, for 40 d at 30°C, 41.6 µmol m−2 s−1, and a 12 h light/dark photoperiod. Maximum specific growth rate (0.149 d−1) and generating biomass (2.89 g L−1) were obtained when the blend concentration was 0.80 g L−1, the medium renewal rate was 40%, and NaHCO3 was 1.60 g L−1. The average productivity (0.091 g L−1 d−1) was achieved with 0.8 g L−1 of blend concentration and NaHCO3 concentration of 1.6 g L−1, independent of the medium renewal rate.
ContextProvider: Context awareness for medical monitoring applications

Smartphones are sensor-rich and Internet-enabled. With their on-board sensors, web services, social media, and external biosensors, smartphones can provide contextual information about the device, user, and environment, thereby enabling the creation of rich, biologically driven applications. We introduce ContextProvider, a framework that offers a unified, query-able interface to contextual data on the device. Unlike other context-based frameworks, ContextProvider offers interactive user feedback, self-adaptive sensor polling, and minimal reliance on third-party infrastructure. ContextProvider also allows for rapid development of new context and bio-aware applications. Evaluation of ContextProvider shows the incorporation of an additional monitoring sensor into the framework with fewer than 100 lines of Java code. With adaptive sensor monitoring, power consumption per sensor can be reduced down to 1% overhead. Finally, through the use of context, accuracy of data interpretation can be improved by up to 80%.
Forced and Aeroelastic Responses of Bird-Damaged Fan Blades: A Comparison and Its Implications

The aeroelastic response of a bird-damaged fan stage at the inlet of a high-bypass ratio turbofan engine is examined using a combined computational fluid dynamics and computational structural dynamics framework. The damaged fan sector consists of five blades obtained from accurate numerical simulation of the bird impact. Forced and aeroelastic response calculations are performed and compared to assess the role of aeroelastic coupling. The calculations are performed at 100, 75, and 60% throttle settings to investigate the role of engine speed on the fan response. Results from the forced response and aeroelastic response calculations indicate that the undamaged blades opposite the damaged sector exhibit the highest level of structural response. Comparing the forced response with the aeroelastic response shows increased participation of the higher structural modes, especially for the damaged blades, that grow in time or exhibit beating. Examination of the work performed by the aerodynamic forces suggests tha...
Effect of Langmuir cells on bubble dissolution and air‐sea gas exchange

[1] Gases are exchanged between the atmosphere and ocean by diffusion through the sea surface and by dissolution of air bubbles injected by breaking wind waves. Langmuir cells enhance the contribution from bubbles by keeping them under water for longer thus increasing their dissolution. We determine the importance of Langmuir cells by using a bubble model to calculate the amount of gas that dissolves from bubbles as a function of wind speed, gas saturation, and injection depth and a Langmuir cell model to estimate the effect of the associated downwelling currents on bubble dissolution. The calculations are preformed for the eight gases N2, O2, CO2, He, Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe, and the results are then compared with the total gas exchange determined by common descriptions of air-sea gas exchange. The contribution of gas bubbles to air-sea gas exchange increases with wind speed and can reach 77% for O2, 98% for N2, and 16% for CO2 at a wind speed of 20 m s−1 and a gas saturation of 95%. The additional effect of Langmuir cells on the total gas exchange at a gas saturation of 95% is 19% for O2, 35% for N2, and 0.7% for CO2. The importance of Langmuir cells for air-sea gas exchange generally increases with gas saturation and decreases with the solubility of the gas.
Analysis of chlorinated hydrocarbons with the gas chromatograph.

Abstract The qualitative and quantitative behavior of eleven chlorinated hydrocarbons on the gas chromatograph was investigated for possible application to the analysis of their vapors in air. Relative retention volumes and quantitative standardization curves are given. Methods for the sampling and measurement of chlorinated hydrocarbons in air are described.
Keeping Your Distance: Group Membership, Personal Space, and Requests for Small Favors1

The effects of group membership and interpersonal distance on interpersonal anxiety and compliance with a small request were explored. In a field experiment, people seated alone in the public eating area or a shopping mall were approached by one of two female confederates: an in-group member or an out-group member. Three different interpersonal distances were assumed by the confederates: near, medium, and far. The “medium” distance was the normative distance for interactions between strangers in the experimental situation. Although the out-group confederate aroused greater anxiety and obtained less compliance than the in-group confederate overall, these differences completely disappeared in the far-distance condition. It is suggested that one reason why out-group members are less likely to elicit compliance with a small request is that they arouse interpersonal anxiety on the part of potential helpers. The results of the present experiment indicate that this anxiety can be reduced (and compliance thereby increased) if the out-group member assumes a somewhat greater distance than is normally deemed appropriate for interactions between strangers.
POLICY ANALYSIS AS ARGUMENT

Numerous authors have attested to the incompleteness of most policy arguments. Until now, however, the machinery has not been available for dealing with complex and open-ended policy arguments. This paper synthesizes and extends recent developments in the logic of argumentation and symbolic logic to create a methodology for treating complex arguments.
On the category Supralaryngeal

In this essay I suggest that the conventional bifurcation of geometrically organised feature bundles into ‘Laryngeal’ and ‘Supralaryngeal’ categories, advocated most prominently in the provocative work of Clements (1985, 1987), Sagey (1986) and Archangeli & Pulleyblank (forthcoming), should be modified to eliminate the Supralaryngeal element altogether. Specifically, the proposal is that the category Place and the features of manner be removed from subordination under the Supralaryngeal node, as in the conventional configuration displayed in (1), and instead be subsumed directly under Root, as depicted in (2):1
Investigation of negative refractive index in reciprocal chiral materials

It is well known that there exist both natural materials (such as milk or sugar solution) possessing chiral (or handed) properties, as well as an increasing list of man-made materials (such as sodium bromate) that exhibit chirality. One of the principal properties of chirality is that light of any arbitrary polarization, when propagating through a chiral material, splits up into two circular polarizations propagating in different directions. In the past decade or longer, researchers have investigated electromagnetic transverse (plane) wave propagation across a non-chiral/chiral interface, and determined the electromagnetic Fresnel coefficients for such propagation. Traditionally, such coefficients are derived under the assumption that the transmitted circular polarizations in the chiral material have wave numbers that are numerically positive, and nominally point in the direction of electromagnetic energy flow. However, it turns out that the actual solution for the wavenumbers obtained from applying Maxwell’s equations to an unbounded, isotropic chiral material yields four possible values dependent upon the chirality parameter. In this paper, we examine the emergence of these wavenumbers, and thereafter explore the conditions necessary for the resulting field solutions to have counter-propagating energy flow and wave vector. Such conditions, if feasible, represent an environment leading to an effectively negative refractive index being generated within the chiral material. Accordingly, propagation within a chiral medium through the mechanism of negative refractive indices may be studied in order to better understand the corresponding optical properties of such materials vis-a-vis transmission of an electromagnetic wave into and out of such a region. The results obtained may be applied to compare negative index chiral materials with the broader emerging field of negative index metamaterials, and explore possible applications.
Histochemical localization of mushroom tyrosinase in whole tissue sections on nitrocellulose.

Mushrooms were cut into vertical and horizontal sections. These sections were blotted onto nitrocellulose sheets and the sheets were then stained for tyrosinase using l-dopa. Tyrosinase was localized throughout the mushroom tissues but more enzyme was located in the epidermis of the cap, the gill region, and the stipe. Preincubation of the nitrocellulose sheets in specific inhibitors of tyrosinase completely blocked enzyme staining, suggesting that the enzyme stained areas on the nitrocellulose blots were regions of tyrosinase activity. Immunochemical localization of tyrosinase was similar to that observed by histochemical staining. Nitrocellulose blotting of mushrooms allows localizations of enzyme at the whole tissue level and may be useful for other enzymes in mushrooms as well.
Bcl-3-mediated nuclear regulation of the NF-кB trans-activating factor

The NF-kappa B factor governs the expression of many genes encoding immunoregulatory molecules. This activity is itself controlled. In this article, novel nuclear pathways for NF-kappa B regulation are described.
Radial nerve injury associated with application of a hinged elbow external fixator: a report of 2 cases.

involving open reduction and internal fixation of the distal humerus with an iliac crest autograft for the missing trochlea, open reduction and internal fixation of the proximal ulna, and external fixation followed by a staged proximal ulnar allograft reconstruction. In the first stage of the procedure, a posterior extensile approach of the elbow was used. The elbow was found to be unstable even after completion of fracture reduction and fixation. A DJD II external fixator (Stryker Trauma) was applied according to the manufacturer’s instructions. 1 Following the insertion of the central axis pin through the distal humerus, the posterior skin incision was approximatedusingafewnylonsutures.Thiswasdonetolocatethe appropriate skin incision sites for the humeral half pins. The rods, hinge, and drill guide were mounted over the axis pin, and the proximal humeral half-pin site was determined. A 1.5-cm skin incisionwas madeon thelateralaspect of the armapproximately 10 cmproximalfromthejoint,andastraightclampwasusedtobluntly dissect to the lateral aspect of the humerus. A self-drilling 4.0-mm humeral half-pin was then drilled into the humerus making the proximal humeral half-pin (Fig. 2). The drill guide was applied to the rodonce againto locatethedistalhumeralhalf-pinsite.Another 1.5-cm skin incision was made 80 mm proximal to the joint, and blunt dissection was carriedout down to the humerus.Upon drilling the distal humeral half-pin, it became obvious that the half-pin had engagedtheradialnerve.Thenervewascarefullyremovedfromthe pin and inspected for the extent of damage. The nerve was found to have severe avulsion at a more proximal location from the fast spinning half-pin. A small portion of the fascicle bundle was found to maintain the continuity. The fascicles from the both ends were repairedinanend-to-endfashionandthenwrappedinaNeuroflexII (Stryker Trauma) collagen conduit.The distal humeral half-pin was thenplacedwhiletheradialnervewasprotectedunderdirectvision. Two 3.0-mm ulnar half-pins were placed. The external fixator was immobilizedat90 flexionusingabarattachedtoboththerods.The wound was closed and a posterior long-arm splint was applied. Postoperatively, the patient was found to be unable to extend her wrist or fingers and have decreased sensation on the dorsum of the
Comparison of the Frontal Systems Behavior Scale and Neuropsychological Tests of Executive Functioning in Predicting Instrumental Activities of Daily Living

Both neuropsychological tests of executive functioning and the Frontal Systems Behavior Scale (FrSBe) consistently predict instrumental activity-of-daily-living capacity. However, the nature of the predictive relationship between the FrSBe and neuropsychological tests of executive functioning has received limited attention. The current study was designed to assess the incremental validity of the FrSBe in predicting instrumental activity-of-daily-living functioning when added to comprehensive testing of executive functioning in a sample of 100 adult general neuropsychological referrals. A composite measure of executive test performance was calculated, and a family member completed the FrSBe and an instrumental activity-of-daily-living measure. Stepwise multiple regression analysis using the executive composite measure and the FrSBe accounted for 44% of the variance in instrumental activity capacity, and the addition of the FrSBe increased predictive ability by approximately 50%. The current results also in...
Cell to cell contact is not required for bystander cell killing by Escherichia coli purine nucleoside phosphorylase.

Expression of Escherichia coli purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP) activates prodrugs and kills entire populations of mammalian cells, even when as few as 1% of the cells express this gene. This phenomenon of bystander killing has been previously investigated for herpes simplex virus-thymidine kinase (HSV-TK) and has been shown to require cell to cell contact. Using silicon rings to separate E. coli PNP expressing cells from non-expressing cells sharing the same medium, we demonstrate that bystander cell killing by E. coli PNP does not require cell-cell contact. Initially, cells expressing E. coli PNP convert the non-toxic prodrug, 6-methylpurine-2′-deoxyriboside (MeP-dR) to the highly toxic membrane permeable toxin, 6-methylpurine (MeP). As the expressing cells die, E. coli PNP is released into the culture medium, retains activity, and continues precursor conversion extracellularly (as determined by reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography of both prodrug and toxin). Bystander killing can also be observed in the absence of extracellular E. coli PNP by removing the MeP-dR prior to death of the expressing cells. In this case, 100% of cultured cells die when as few as 3% of the cells of a population express E. coli PNP. Blocking nucleoside transport with nitrobenzylthioinosine reduces MeP-dR mediated cell killing but not MeP cell killing. These mechanisms differ fundamentally from those previously reported for the HSV-TK gene.
IRC XDCC - Red Alert for University Administrators

As technology has advanced and become more sophisticated, so has the number of cyber criminals. This trend will undoubtedly continue. Hacking for XDCC (Xabi DCC or eXtended DCC) [3] Bots through IRC (Internet Relay Chat) [4] is one of the highly weighted cyber crimes and is a nightmare for ".edu" administrators. In this paper, I will describe exactly what is happening, how this is being done, and who these people behind all of these attacks are. I will also show tricks how to check if you are a victim and how to prevent your network from attackers.
Redistribution of tosylarginine methylester hydrolase activity after fertilization of sea urchin (Arbacia punctulata) eggs.

Low speed residues (750g) from unfertilized sea urchin egg homogenates contain an enzyme capable of hydrolysing tosylarginine methylester (TAME)1. Enrichment of this particulate fraction by differential centrifugation, followed by discontinuous sucrose gradient centrifugation, made it possible to distinguish visually about seventeen bands within the gradient (Fig. 1). Each band was carefully removed with a Pasteur pipette and assayed for total TAME hydrolase activity. As shown in Fig. 1, most of the enzyme was in a single narrow zone (fraction 5). This fraction banded at the interface between 1.00 and 1.55 M sucrose, indicating that the particles contained within this region of the gradient had a density of 1.14–1.19. When a similar fractionating procedure was carried out with 5-min-old sea urchin embryos TAME hydrolase activity in the particulate fraction isolated by differential centrifugation decreased to about 30% of that found in unfertilized egg preparations. As the particulate fraction contains 80% or more of the total TAME hydrolase activity in unfertilized eggs, there must be considerable redistribution of this enzyme to account for the 70% loss in activity of this fraction after fertilization.
X-ray Tomography to Characterize Air Void Distribution in Superpave Gyratory Compacted Specimens

Air void distribution has considerable influence on the mechanical properties of asphalt mixtures. Several factors such as the compaction effort, method of compaction, aggregate gradation, and aggregate shape control the air void distribution. An X-ray computed tomography (CT) system along with image analysis techniques are used in this study for non-destructive characterization of air void distribution in gyratory specimens prepared using different gradations and compaction efforts. The air void distributions in gyratory specimens are quantified using parameters that describe the change in percent and volume of air voids along the horizontal and vertical directions. Air voids are shown to be more concentrated in the top and bottom regions that are in contact with the base plates, as well as in the outer region that is in contact with the mold. The non-uniformity of the distribution increases with an increase in compaction effort. The difference in aggregate gradations used in this study is shown to have ...
Development of a Korean version of a core self-evaluations scale.

The present study tested a scale which measures core self-evaluation and was applied to two samples of Korean military members (Sample 1 N= 181; Sample 2 N = 280). Analysis indicated that seven items of the original 12-item scale developed by Judge, Erez, Bono, and Thoresen loaded on one factor and were internally consistent. Moreover, scores were correlated, as expected, with the four core traits which have been used as indirect measures of core self-evaluations (viz., self-esteem, generalized self-efficacy, neuroticism, and locus of control), as well as affect and job satisfaction. In sum, results suggest that core self-evaluation can be measured validly in an Eastern culture, and the results should serve as a basis for extending this research in an international setting.
Accurate Determination of Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction by Transesophageal Echocardiography With a Nonvolumetric Method

The multiple diameter method previously described and validated for transthoracic echocardiography (TIT) determines ejection fraction (EF) by use of the average of several left ventricular (LV) diameters from multiple views measured at the base, midthird, and distal third of the LV combined with an estimate of the shortening fraction of the long axis (AL). This method may be ideal for transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) because it does not require tracing of the endocardial contour or volume determinations. Accordingly, EF was calculated with the multiple diameter method in 20 patients in whom TTE and TEE were performed within 1 hour of each other. EF by TTE averaged 49% ± 20% and ranged from 14% to 80%. The multiple diameter method was modified for TEE as follows: (1) three diameters were taken from the four-chamber view (base, mid-LV, and distal LV) and four from the transgastric view (approximately at 45 degrees from each other), (2) because the LV apex is not well seen by TEE, AL was estimated from the descent of the mitral anulus towards the apex as 0.15, 0.10, 0.05, or 0 for a descent of ≥ 10, 6 to 9, 3 to 5 or ≤2 mm, respectively. EF by TEE averaged 48% ± 21% and correlated very well with EF by TTE ( r = 0.98; y = 1.03x - 2.7). The diameter method was tested prospectively in 30 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery. TEE and TTE were performed within 5 minutes of each other with the patients asleep before initiation of surgery. Regional wall motion abnormalities were present in nine patients. EF averaged 57.7% ± 14.5% by TEE and 56.5% ± 14.4% by TEE ( n = 26). The correlation coefficient between the two ( r = 0.83), although good, was not as high as in the initial population, partly because of the limitation of TEE in detecting wall motion abnormalities at the apex and inferior base. Thus EF can be determined by TEE with a modification of the multiple diameter method. Results are accurate even in the presence of regional wall motion abnormalities. Because of its ease of use, this method is particularly well suited for application in critically ill patients or during surgery.
Effective moduli of finite anisotropic media with cracks

Abstract Approximate expressions are developed for the effective compliance of finite anisotropic plates containing multiple interacting cracks. The development is based on the simultaneous application of two theoretical schemes which involve the superposition of polynomial crack line tractions and of concentrated forces and couples, respectively. The results for both parallel and arbitrarily oriented crack arrays show that the interactions between cracks and the solid boundary have a significant and complex effect on the effective compliance. It is further shown that the components of the effective compliance generally have different sensitivities to the variation in crack location statistics and initial material anisotropy.
Perceived Seriousness of Child Abuse and Neglect

Despite pleas for refinement in the use of the term child maltreatment, researchers have overlooked public perceptions of seriousness as an information source. While borrowing heavily from the literature on seriousness of crime and building upon the pioneering efforts of several child abuse researchers, the present study asks 221 college students in a large southeastern public university to indicate how seriously they regard 83 child maltreat ment items. The results indicate that respondents differentiate various types of maltreatment and that consensus exists across demographic groups. Suggestions are offered in order to refine research concerning patterns of mal treatment and consequences of such victimization.
PKD3 Is the Predominant Protein Kinase D Isoform in Mouse Exocrine Pancreas and Promotes Hormone-induced Amylase Secretion

The protein kinase D (PKD) family of serine/threonine kinases, which can be activated by gastrointestinal hormones, consists of three distinct isoforms that modulate a variety of cellular processes including intracellular protein transport as well as constitutive and regulated secretion. Although isoform-specific functions have been identified in a variety of cell lines, the expression and function of PKD isoforms in normal, differentiated secretory tissues is unknown. Here, we demonstrate that PKD isoforms are differentially expressed in the exocrine and endocrine cells of the pancreas. Specifically, PKD3 is the predominant isoform expressed in exocrine cells of the mouse and human pancreas, whereas PKD1 and PKD2 are more abundantly expressed in the pancreatic islets. Within isolated mouse pancreatic acinar cells, PKD3 undergoes rapid membrane translocation, trans-activating phosphorylation, and kinase activation after gastrointestinal hormone or cholinergic stimulation. PKD phosphorylation in pancreatic acinar cells occurs viaaCa2+-independent, diacylglycerol- and protein kinase C-dependent mechanism. PKD phosphorylation can also be induced by physiologic concentrations of secretagogues and by in vivo stimulation of the pancreas. Furthermore, activation of PKD3 potentiates MEK/ERK/RSK (RSK, ribosomal S6 kinase) signaling and significantly enhances cholecystokinin-mediated pancreatic amylase secretion. These findings reveal a novel distinction between the exocrine and endocrine cells of the pancreas and further identify PKD3 as a signaling molecule that promotes hormone-stimulated amylase secretion.
Ulcerative colitis neoplasia is not associated with common inflammatory bowel disease single-nucleotide polymorphisms

Background Neoplasia complicating ulcerative colitis (UC-neoplasia) is a problem that is poorly addressed by present surveillance techniques. The association of greater than 300 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) suggests the possibility that certain genetic polymorphisms might identify patients with UC destined for malignant degeneration. This present study tested the hypothesis that presently known IBD-associated SNPs may correlate with UC-neoplasia. Materials and methods A total of 41 patients with UC-neoplasia (mean age 56 ± 2.1 years) were identified from our divisional IBD Biobank (low-grade dysplasia n = 13, high-grade dysplasia n = 8, colorectal cancer [CRC] n = 20). These patients were individually age, sex, and disease duration matched with UC patients without neoplasia. Primary sclerosing cholangitis and family history of CRC were recorded. Patients were genotyped for 314 of the most commonly IBD-associated SNPs by a custom SNP microarray. Logistic regression and Fischer exact test were used for statistical analysis. Results After Bonferroni correction, none of the 314 IBD-associated SNPs correlated with UC-neoplasia when compared with matched UC controls. The incidence of primary sclerosing cholangitis was greater in the UC-neoplasia group (10/41, 24% vs 3/41, 7%; P = .03) compared with UC controls. The severity of neoplasia (low grade dysplasia versus high grade dysplasia versus CRC) correlated with disease duration (7.9 vs 13.4 vs 20.7 years, respectively). Conclusion The lack of correlation between well-known IBD-associated SNPs and UC-neoplasia demonstrated in this study suggests that the development of neoplasia in patients with UC is associated with genetic determinants other than those that predispose to inflammation or results from posttranslational modifications or epigenetic factors rather than germline polymorphisms.
Is Self-Esteem an Important Outcome in Hyperactive Children?

Using a prospective design, this study examined (a) whether hyperactive children suffer from low self-esteem as adolescents; (b) whether low self-esteem is associated with poor functioning in adolescence; (c) whether hyperactive children exhibit a positive illusory bias, in which self-esteem is independent of level of functioning; and (d) whether self-esteem in adolescence is associated with poor functioning in adulthood. Subjects were 65 children diagnosed as hyperactive in childhood, and 62 matched controls sampled from a medical clinic. After controlling for current mental disorder, the hyperactive cohort reported lower self-esteem in adolescence, was judged by clinicians to have lower levels of overall adjustment in adolescence, and had lower educational achievement and occupational rank in adulthood, as compared to controls.
Optical testing of layered microstructures with and without underlying vias.

The response of microsystem components to laser irradiation is relevant to the use of laser processing, optical diagnostics, and optical microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) device design and performance. The dimensions of MEMS are on the same order as infrared laser wavelengths which results in interference phenomena when the parts are partially transparent. Four distinct polycrystalline structures were designed and irradiated with 808 nm laser light to determine the effect of layers and the presence of a substrate via on the laser power threshold for damage. The presence of a substrate via resulted in lower damage thresholds, and interference phenomena resulted in a single layer structure having the highest damage threshold.
Incidence and predictors of very late recurrence of atrial fibrillation after ablation.

Introduction Radiofrequency catheter ablation can effectively treat patients with refractory atrial fibrillation (AF). Very late AF recurrence (> or = 12 months post-ablation) is uncommon and may represent a unique patient cohort. Methods and results A nested case-control study was performed in the cohort who underwent AF ablation at the University of Pennsylvania to characterize patients who develop very late AF recurrence after ablation. The procedure consisted of isolation of pulmonary veins (PVs) demonstrating triggers and elimination of non-PV triggers initiating AF. Twenty-seven (7.9%) patients with very late recurrence were compared to 219 patients without recurrence and > or = 12 months of follow-up. The mean age was 54.6 +/- 11.3 years and 79% were men. Very late recurrence patients more likely weighed >200 lbs (70% vs 55%, P = 0.01); during initial ablation had fewer PVs isolated (2.8 +/- 1.1 vs 3.3 +/- 1.0, P = 0.03); and were less likely to have right inferior PV isolation (37% vs 61%, P = 0.02), less likely to have isolation of all PVs (30% vs 56%, P = 0.01), and more likely to have non-PV triggers (30% vs 11% OR 3.4(95% CI, 1.3-8.7), P = 0.01). PV reconnectivity and new triggers were found in the majority of patients with very late recurrence of AF who underwent repeat ablation. Conclusion Very late recurrence of AF more likely occurred in patients >200 lbs who demonstrated non-PV triggers and did not undergo right inferior PV isolation. The majority of patients undergoing repeat ablation for very late recurrence demonstrated PV reconnectivity and new non-PV and PV triggers not observed during the initial ablation.
The concentrations of stable RNA and ribosomes in Rickettsia prowazekii

Summary The obligate Intracellular parasite, Rickettsia prowazekii, is a slow-growing bacterium with a doubling time of about 10h. In the present study, DNA and RNA were obtained from the rickettsiae by two independent methods, i.e. simultaneous isolation of DNA and RNA from the same sample by phenol:chloroform extraction and CsCI gradient centrifugation. In addition, ribosomal RNA was obtained by sedimentation of partially purified ribosomes from the rickettsiae. The results demonstrated that, after correction for the cell volumes, the concentrations of stable RNA and ribosomes in R prowazekii, a slow-growing organism, were about 62fg μm−3 and 17000 per μm3, respectively, which were very simitar (66fg μm−3 and 21 000 per μm3) to those in Escherichia coli with a generation time of 40min. However, on a per cell basis, R. prowazekii had 5.6 fg of RNA and 1500 ribosomes per cell, which was only about 8% of the amount of both stable RNA (71.2 fg) and ribosomes (24000) per cell as was found in E. coli. These results indicated that R. prowazekii possesses a ribosome concentration greater than might have been predicted from its slow growth rate. This high concentration of ribosomes could be due to a large population of non-functioning ribosomes, a low efficiency of amino acid production, or a high rate of protein turnover. However, this study also demonstrated that the rickettsiae have very limited protein turnover. Knowledge of the kinetics and control mechanisms for protein synthesis in R. prowazekii remains to be established to determine the logic of the extra rickettsial ribosomes.
Multiplexed Programmable Release of Captured DNA

Nucleic-acid hybridization is widely used for the specific capture of complementary sequences from complex samples. It is useful for both analytical methodologies, such as array hybridization (e.g. transcriptome analysis, genetic-variation analysis), and preparative strategies such as exome sequencing and sequence-specific proteome capture and analysis (PICh, HyCCAPP). It has not generally been possible to selectively elute particular captured subsequences, however, as the conditions employed for disruption of a duplex can lack the specificity needed to discriminate between different sequences. We show here that it is possible to bind and selectively release multiple sets of sequences by using toehold-mediated DNA branch migration. The strategy is illustrated for simple mixtures of oligonucleotides, for the sequence-specific capture and specific release of crosslinked yeast chromatin, and for the specific release of oligonucleotides hybridized to DNA microarrays.