cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transducin-Dependent Protonation of Glutamic Acid 134 in Rhodopsin†

A highly conserved carboxylic acid residue in rhodopsin, Glu(134), modulates transducin (G(t)) interaction. It has been postulated that Glu(134) becomes protonated upon receptor activation. We studied the interaction between rhodopsin and G(t) using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) difference spectroscopy combined with attenuated total reflection (ATR). Formation of the complex between G(t) and photoactivated rhodopsin reconstituted into phosphatidylcholine vesicles caused prominent infrared absorption increases at 1641, 1550, and 1517 cm(-)(1). The rhodopsin mutant E134Q was also studied. When measured in the presence of G(t), replacement of Glu(134) by glutamine abolished the low-frequency part of a broad absorption band at 1735 cm(-)(1) that is normally superimposed on the light-induced absorption changes of Asp(83) and Glu(122) of rhodopsin. In addition, a negative absorption band at 1400 cm(-)(1) that is evoked by interaction of native metarhodopsin II (MII) with G(t) was not observed in the difference spectrum of the E134Q mutant. Thus, Glu(134) is ionized in the dark and exhibits a symmetrical COO(-) stretching vibration at 1400 cm(-)(1). Glu(134) becomes protonated in the G(t)-MII complex and displays a C=O stretching mode near 1730 cm(-)(1). The E134Q mutation also affects absorption changes attributable to lipids, suggesting that the protonation of Glu(134) is linked to transfer of the carboxylic acid side chain from a polar to a nonpolar environment by becoming exposed to the lipid phase when G(t) binds. These results show directly that Glu(134) becomes protonated in MII upon G(t) binding and suggest that changes in receptor conformation affect lipid-protein interactions.
Cataract Formation by a Semiquinone Metabolite of Acetaminophen in Mice: Possible Involvement of Ca2+and Calpain Activation

Abstract Acetaminophen, an analgesic/antipyretic, is metabolized by hepatic cytochrome P450 to N -acetyl- p -benzoquinone imine (NAPQI), which is transported by blood circulation to the eye and induces anterior cortical cataract in mice. In this study we injected NAPQI into the anterior chamber of mouse eye and investigated time-dependent cellular responses in the lens. After a lag period of about 2 hr following NAPQI injection, lens opacification as determined by measurement of light scattering by the lens became evident and progressively increased thereafter. There was no difference in the profile of opacity development between a P450-inducer responsive mouse strain and a non-responsive strain. During the lag period, a marked increase in free intracellular Ca 2+ in the lens epithelium was observed at 1 hr by confocal fluorescence microscopy with a Ca 2+ probe. Concurrent with the free Ca 2+ increase, there was a 300% rise in the activity of the non-lysosomal neutral protease calpain in the lens at 1 hr after NAPQI injection. Evidence indicated degradation of vimentin in the lens in which calpain activity was enhanced. Co-injection of calpain inhibitors (N-Ac-Leu-Leu-norleucinol and N-Ac-Leu-Leu-methioninal) with NAPQI protected animals completely from cataract development, although a rise in free intracellular Ca 2+ in the lens epithelium was still observed. Lenses from the protected mice did not exhibit enhanced calpain activity. These results suggest the following sequence of events as a possible mechanism of NAPQI-induced cataract. NAPQI introduced in the anterior chamber of the eye enters the lens epithelial cells and disturbs Ca 2+ homeostasis with a resultant rise in free intracellular Ca 2+ which in turn activates calpain in the epithelium. The neutral protease then degrades cellular proteins (e.g. cytoskeletal proteins) and initiates anterior cortical cataract formation.
Working fluid composition effects on methane oxycombustion in an SI-engine: EGR vs. CO2

Abstract Reducing greenhouse-gas production through carbon capture is a key strategy in addressing global climate change. Oxycombustion using carbon dioxide, water, or a combination of the two as the diluent when burning hydrocarbon fuels with pure oxygen is an approach that allows for easy post-combustion carbon capture. In this work, oxycombustion experiments in a spark ignited engine using methane were conducted using carbon dioxide or EGR (in which exhaust water is not condensed out) as the working fluid. Between the two cases, EGR produced higher brake efficiencies and a lower coefficient of variation of the indicated mean effective pressure for similar operating conditions. For both working fluids it was necessary to have the oxygen concentration higher than 21%. Numerical modeling, using several mechanisms for comparison, indicates that the computed laminar flame speed with EGR is more than twice that using only carbon dioxide. However, for both EGR and carbon dioxide, laminar flame speeds were reduced significantly relative to methane-in-air combustion. Numerical modeling of the methane and oxygen with EGR working fluid provided good agreement with engine results. Based on this work, the use of oxycombustion in engines and other devices should consider including water in the working fluid to improve flame speed and combustion performance.
Large-angle grain-boundary structures in hexagonal close-packed metals

Abstract We present a set of observations of large-angle grain-boundary structures in zinc, obtained by transmission electron microscopy. The necessary formalisms for relating experimental observations to theoretical predictions of the boundary structures are given. Dislocation structures are observed in several boundaries, indicating a ‘crystalline’ character. The structures can be related, in most cases, to coincident site lattices formed either by simple rotations of the crystals or by combinations of rotation and constraint of the c/a ratio to some special value. The Burgers vectors of the dislocations are found to be DSC vectors, and good agreement is obtained between the observed and calculated dislocation array structures.
Determination of extracellular bicarbonate and carbon dioxide concentrations in brain slices using carbonate and pH-selective microelectrodes.

Abstract The extracellular pH of the brain is subject to shifts during neural activity. To understand these pH changes, it is necessary to measure [H+], [HCO3−], [CO32−] and [CO2]. In principle, this can be accomplished using CO32− and pH-sensitive microelectrodes; however, interference from HCO3− and Cl−, and physiological changes in [HCO3−], complicate measurements with CO32− electrodes. Calibration requires knowledge of slope response, interference constants and corrections for [HCO3−] shifts. We show that when [HCO3−] is altered at constant [CO2] in the absence of Cl−, the HCO3 interference cancels and the Nikolsky equation reduces to the Nernst equation for CO3−. Measurement of CO3− slope response by this method yielded a value of 28.5 ± 0.72 mV per decade change in [CO32−]. In Cl−-containing solutions, interference coefficients for HCO3− and Cl− were determined by altering [HCO3] at constant [CO2], changing [CO2] at constant [HCO3], then solving the simultaneous Nikolsky equations for each transition. The mean interference constants corresponded to selectivity ratios of 245:1 and 1150:1 for CO32− over HCO3− and Cl− respectively. To correct for possible changes in [HCO32−], the equilibrium relation between CO32 and HCO3− was substituted into the Nikolsky equation to yield an equation in [CO32−] and [H+]. By simultaneously measuring shifts in [H+] with a pH microelectrode, this equation is readily solved for [CO32−]. These methods were tested by measuring [HCO3−] and [CO2] in experimental solutions, and in the extracellular fluid of rat hippocampal slices.
Gene therapy for Parkinson’s disease: current approaches and future directions

Guy Schwartz & Andrew Feigin† †Author for correspondence The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, North Shore – LIJ Health System, 350 Community Drive, Manhasset, NY 11030, USA Tel.: +1 516 562 2410; Fax: +1 516 562 2441; afeigin@nshs.edu ‘...future therapies could be directed towards inactivating genes that have been identified in familial PD such as the parkin, LRKK2 and PINK1 gene mutations.’
Single-machine scheduling with maintenance and repair rate-modifying activities

Abstract Most papers in the scheduling field are based on the assumption that machines are always available at constant speed. However, in industry applications, it is very common for a machine to be in subnormal condition after running for a certain period of time. Motivated by a problem commonly found in the surface-mount technology of electronic assembly lines, this paper deals with scheduling problems involving repair and maintenance rate-modifying activities. When a machine is running at less than an efficient speed, a production planner can decide to stop the machine and maintain it or wait and maintain it later. If the choice is made to continue running the machine without fixing it, it is possible that the machine will break down and repair will be required immediately. Both maintenance and repair activities can change the machine speed from a sub-normal production rate to a normal one. Hence, we call them rate-modifying activities. Our purpose here is to simultaneously sequence jobs and schedule maintenance activity to optimize regular performance measures. In this paper, we assume that processing time is deterministic, while machine break down is a random process following certain distributions. We consider two types of processing cases: resumable and nonresumable. We study problems with objective functions such as expected makespan, total expected completion time, maximum expected lateness, and expected maximum lateness, respectively. Several interesting results are obtained, especially for the nonresumable case.
The role of hydrogen in the electrical conductivity of the upper mantle

INTERPRETATIONS of the observed electrical conductivity of the upper mantle have relied on laboratory studies of dry olivine and basaltic melts1,2. These studies indicate that the conductivity of the asthenosphere is higher than that of olivine, suggesting that partial melting or other high-conductivity mechanisms such as grain-boundary phases are required2,3. Recent experimental studies4–6, however, have demonstrated that various kinetic processes in silicate minerals are greatly enhanced by the dissolution of hydrogen. As hydrogen is probably present in the upper mantle, studies on dry olivine may not therefore be relevant to the real Earth. Here I use experimental data on the solubility and diff usivity of hydrogen in olivine5,7 to estimate its effect on the electrical conductivity. I conclude that the observed high conductivity in the asthenosphere can be attributed to solid-state conductivity in olivine if a small amount of hydrogen is present. Partial melting of the asthenosphere on a global scale is therefore not required.
Interactive effects of salinity and nitrogen on growth and yield of tomato plants

Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum var. VF 145) plants were grown with Typic Xerofluvents soil in a greenhouse irrigated with recycled nutrient solutions having increasing levels of N and salinity. Positive response of plants to increasing levels of N was obtained at the lowest initial salinity level of 1 dS/m (dS/m=mmho/cm, referenced at 25°C). At the higher initial salinity levels of 5 and 9 dS/m, increasing N was ineffective in counteracting adverse effects on growth and yield caused by the presence of enhanced salt concentrations of the nutrient solution. Total N uptake was linearly correlated with the total water uptake and was severely suppressed by impaired growth associated with the two higher initial salinity levels, irrespective of N levels. The effect of salinity on leaf N concentrations changed over time. Leaf Cl and P concentrations indicated a possible suppressing effect of Cl on P uptake into plant tops.
Protein Phosphatase 2A and Phosphoprotein SET Regulate Androgen Production by P450c17

Cytochrome P450c17 catalyzes 17 alpha-hydroxylation needed for cortisol synthesis and 17,20 lyase activity needed to produce sex steroids. Serine phosphorylation of P450c17 specifically increases 17,20 lyase activity, but the physiological factors regulating this effect remain unknown. Treating human adrenal NCI-H295A cells with the phosphatase inhibitors okadaic acid, fostriecin, and cantharidin increased 17,20 lyase activity, suggesting involvement of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) or 4 (PP4). PP2A but not PP4 inhibited 17,20 lyase activity in microsomes from cultured cells, but neither affected 17 alpha-hydroxylation. Inhibition of 17,20 lyase activity by PP2A was concentration-dependent, could be inhibited by okadaic acid, and was restored by endogenous protein kinases. PP2A but not PP4 coimmunoprecipitated with P450c17, and suppression of PP2A by small interfering RNA increased 17,20 lyase activity. Phosphoprotein SET found in adrenals inhibited PP2A, but not PP4, and fostered 17,20 lyase activity. The identification of PP2A and SET as post-translational regulators of androgen biosynthesis suggests potential additional mechanisms contributing to adrenarche and hyperandrogenic disorders such as polycystic ovary syndrome.
A new paracolletine bee from Colombia (Hymenoptera: Colletidae), with an updated checklist of the tropical Andean bee fauna

A new species of the paracolletine genus Lonchopria Vachal, Lonchopria ( Biglossa ) comforti Gonzalez & Engel, new species, from high elevations in the Central Andes of Colombia is described and figured. A preliminary key to the species of the Lonchopria subgenus Biglossa Friese is presented. Recent records of bees occurring at elevations above 2500 m in Colombia and other Andean countries are also summarized.
Beyond Certainty: The Changing Worlds of Organizations

The article reviews the book “Beyond Certainty: The Changing Worlds of Organizations,” by Charles Handy.
An experimental model for intraamniotic infection and preterm labor in rhesus monkeys

Abstract OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to describe the temporal and quantitative relationship between intraamniotic infection and preterm labor in a nonhuman primate model. STUDY DESIGN: On day 130 of gestation (term 167 days) four chronically instrumented rhesus monkeys ( Macaca mulatta ) were infected with an intraamniotic inoculation of 10 6 colony-forming units of group B streptococci. Four additional noninfected monkeys were followed up to spontaneous parturition as controls. Amniotic fluid was serially sampled in all monkeys both before and after inoculation for bacterial growth, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, prostaglandin E 2 , and prostaglandin F 2α , and uterine activity was continuously recorded. RESULTS: Increases in uterine contractility occurred 28 hours (range 14 to 40 hours) after inoculation and were preceded by increases in amniotic fluid cytokines and prostaglandins. Intraamniotic concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6, and interleukin-1β all rose dramatically 9, 15, and 18 hours after infection and 10 to 20 hours before increases in uterine contractility. In spontaneous parturition only interleukin-6 concentrations rose moderately (from 0.1 to 1.2 ng/ml). Increases in prostaglandin E 2 and prostaglandin F 2α paralleled those of the cytokines. Peak prostaglandin concentrations in intraamniotic infection exceeded by severalfold concentrations seen in spontaneous parturition (16,046 pg/ml vs 2765 pg/ml for prostaglandin E 2 , p 2α , p CONCLUSION: In the rhesus monkey, after intraamniotic infection, there is a predictable and sequential increase in amniotic fluid tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1β, and interleukin-6; followed by increases in prostaglandin E 2 and prostaglandin F 2α . These increases all occur before an increase in uterine contractility and before clinical signs of infection. Our data provide evidence for a cause-and-effect relationship between intraamniotic infection and preterm labor and support the utility of measuring interleukin-6 or other cytokines in the diagnosis of intraamniotic infection.
A new intermediate-Tc oxide superconductor with a double perovskite structure: The “1-2-1” phase (Tl, Bi)1(Sr, Ca)2Cu1O4.5+δ

Abstract We have prepared a new cuprate superconductor with T c (onset) = 50 K and a hitherto unreported, double perovskite structure (“1-2-1” phase) with alternating single copper octahedron sheets and single (Tl, Bi) sheets. This structure is closely related to those of the 4-2 phase (La 1− x Sr x ) 4 Cu 2 O 4+δ and the (semiconducting) 2-2-1 phase Bi 2 (Sr, Ca) 2 Cu 1 O 6+δ .
Identification of phosphocaveolin-1 as a novel protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B substrate.

Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) is implicated in a number of signaling pathways including those mediated by insulin, epidermal growth factor (EGF), and the Src family kinases. The scaffolding protein caveolin-1 is also a participant in these pathways and is specifically phosphorylated on tyrosine 14, when these pathways are activated. Here, we provide evidence that PTP1B can efficiently catalyze the removal of the phosphoryl group from phosphocaveolin-1. Overexpression of PTP1B decreases tyrosine 14 phosphorylation in caveolin-1, while expression of the substrate-trapping mutant PTP1B/D181A causes the accumulation of phosphocaveolin-1 and prevents its dephosphorylation by endogenous PTPs. We further demonstrate that PTP1B physically associates with caveolin-1. Finally, we show that inhibition of PTP1B activity with a potent and specific small molecule PTP1B inhibitor blocks the PTP1B-catalyzed caveolin-1 dephosphorylation both in vitro and in vivo. Taken together, the results strongly suggest that...
The half-life and radiations of Kr76

Abstract The half-life of Kr 76 was determined by parent-daughter separation and by growth and decay of Br 76 . The value of t 1 2 = 14.8±0.1 h was obtained. Observation of the γ spectrum indicated peaks at ≈ 0.040, 0.073, 0.104, 0.135, 0.197, 0.267, 0.316, 0.360, 0.407 and 0.452 MeV. The most prominent γ rays are those at ≈0.040, 0.267 and 0.316 MeV. The rate of decay of the γ spectrum gave a half-life in reasonable agreement with that determined above. The Kr 76 nucleus seems to decay almost entirely by electron capture.
PSA Lo and Behold: Prostate Cancer Stem Cells

Human prostate cancers contain multiple cell populations marked by varying levels of the differentiation marker prostate-specific antigen (PSA). In this issue of Cell Stem Cell , Qin et al. (2012) show that PSA −/lo cells are enriched for cells with tumor-initiating characteristics and may participate in resistance to androgen-ablative therapies.
An evaluation of population projection errors for census tracts.

Abstract Population projections are widely used in both the public and private sectors for planning, budgeting, and analysis. For these purposes, projections are often needed for small areas such as census tracts, zip code areas or traffic analysis zones. Population size, growth constraints, shifting boundaries, and data availability create special problems for small-area projections, however, and very little is known about their forecasting performance. In this article we evaluate the accuracy and bias of projections of total population and population by age group for census tracts in three counties in Florida. We use data from 1970 and 1980 and several simple extrapolation techniques to produce projections for 1990; we then compare these projections with 1990 census counts and evaluate the differences. For the total sample, we find mean absolute errors of 17%-20% for the three most accurate techniques for projecting total population and find no indication of overall bias. For individual age groups, mean...
Endogenous voltage-gated potassium channels in human embryonic kidney (HEK293) cells.

Endogenous voltage-gated potassium currents were investigated in human embryonic kidney (HEK293) and Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells using whole-cell voltage clamp recording. Depolarizing voltage steps from −70 mV triggered an outwardly rectified current in nontransfected HEK293 cells. This current had an amplitude of 296 pA at +40 mV and a current density of 19.2 pA/pF. The outward current was eliminated by replacing internal K+ with Cs+ and suppressed by the K+ channel blockers tetraethylammonium and 4-aminopyridine. Raising external K+ attenuated the outward current and shifted the reversal potential towards positive potentials as predicted by the Nernst equation. The current had a fast activation phase but inactivated slowly. These features implicate delayed rectifier (IK)-like channels as mediators of the observed current, which was comparable in size to IK currents in many other cells. A small native inward rectifier current but no transient outward current IA, the M current IM, or Ca2+-dependent K+ currents were detected in HEK293 cells. In contrast to these findings in HEK293 cells, little or no IK-like current was detected in CHO cells. The difference in endogenous voltage-activated currents in HEK293 and CHO cells suggest that CHO cell lines are a preferred system for exogenous K+ channel expression. J. Neurosci. Res. 52:612–617, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Higher-dimensional wavelet transforms for hyperspectral data compression and feature recognition

The dominant image processing tasks for hyperspectral data are compression and feature recognition. These tasks go hand-in-hand. Hyperspectral data contains a huge amount of information that need to be processed (and often very quickly) depending on the application. The discrete wavelet transform is the ideal tool for this type of data structure. There are applications that require such processing (especially feature recognition or identification) be done extremely fast and efficiently. Furthermore the higher number of dimensions implies a number of different ways to do these transforms. Much of the work in this area to the present time has been focused on JPEG2000 type compression of each component image involving fairly sophisticated coding techniques; relatively little attention has been paid to other configurations of wavelet transforms of such data, as well as rapid feature identification where compression may not be necessary at all. This paper describes other versions of the 3D wavelet transform that allow the resolution in both the spatial domain and spectral domain to be adjusted separately. Other issues associated with low complexity feature recognition with and without compression using versions of the 3D hyperspectral wavelet transforms will be discussed along with some illustrative calculations.
Phenotypic differentiation and seeding dispersal in non-mucoid and mucoid Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms

There is growing evidence that Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms exhibit a multicellular developmental life cycle analogous to that of the myxobacteria. In non-mucoid PAO1 biofilms cultured in glass flow cells the phenotypic differentiation of microcolonies into a motile phenotype in the interior of the microcolony and a non-motile surrounding 'wall phenotype' are described. After differentiation the interior cells coordinately evacuated the microcolony from local break out points and spread over the wall of the flow cell, suggesting that the specialized microcolonies were analogous to crude fruiting bodies. A microcolony diameter of approximately 80 microm was required for differentiation, suggesting that regulation was related to cell density and mass transfer conditions. This phenomenon was termed 'seeding dispersal' to differentiate it from 'erosion' which is the passive removal of single cells by fluid shear. Using the flow cell culturing method, in which reproducible seeding phenotype in PAO1 wild-type was demonstrated, the effects of quorum sensing (QS) and rhamnolipid production (factors previously identified as important in determining biofilm structure) on seeding dispersal using knockout mutants isogenic with PAO1 was investigated. Rhamnolipid (rhlA) was not required for seeding dispersal but las/rhl QS (PAO1-JP2) was, in our system. To assess the clinical relevance of these data, mucoid P. aeruginosa cystic fibrosis isolate FRD1 was also investigated and was seeding-dispersal-negative.
A power-efficient 33 GHz 2:1 static frequency divider in 0.12-/spl mu/m SOI CMOS

A 2:1 static frequency divider was fabricated in a 0.12-/spl mu/m SOI CMOS technology. The divider exhibits a maximum operating frequency of 33 GHz. When the power consumption is scaled down to 2.7 mW, a maximum operating frequency of 25 GHz is measured.
Interpreting compounds with two intercalated species as pseudoternary systems

Abstract We show that compounds with two intercalated species are most naturally described as pseudoternary systems and that phase diagrams for these systems can be presented on the Gibbs triangle. Using results for Li x Cu y Mo 6 S 8 , we show the complex behaviour possible in solids with two intercalants. We discuss possible sources of confusion in the interpretation of experimental results on pseudoternary intercalation compounds.
Bank concentration, competition, and crises: First results

Motivated by public policy debates about bank consolidation and conflicting theoretical predictions about the relationship between bank concentration, bank competition and banking system fragility, this paper studies the impact of national bank concentration, bank regulations, and national institutions on the likelihood of a country suffering a systemic banking crisis. Using data on 69 countries from 1980 to 1997, we find that crises are less likely in economies with more concentrated banking systems even after controlling for differences in commercial bank regulatory policies, national institutions affecting competition, macroeconomic conditions, and shocks to the economy. Furthermore, the data indicate that regulatory policies and institutions that thwart competition are associated with greater banking system fragility.
Moral Pluralism in Business Ethics Education: It is About Time

The teaching of business ethics is almost inherently pluralistic, but little evidence of explicitly pluralistic approaches exists in teaching materials besides the available decision-making frameworks. In this article, it is argued that the field needs to acknowledge and adopt pluralism as the standard pedagogical approach, whether the individual teacher uses a philosophical approach or a more applied approach, to best serve students and society. Examples of teaching approaches are offered, including attempts instructors have made to teach ethics in a pluralistic manner.
Short paper: the NetSANI framework for analysis and fine-tuning of network trace sanitization

Anonymization is critical prior to sharing wireless-network traces within the research community, to protect both personal and organizational sensitive information from disclosure. One difficulty in anonymization, or more generally, sanitization, is that users lack information about the quality of a sanitization result, such as how much privacy risk a sanitized trace may expose, and how much research utility the sanitized trace may retain. We propose a framework, NetSANI, that allows users to analyze and control the privacy/utility tradeoff in network sanitization. NetSANI can accommodate most of the currently available privacy and utility metrics for network trace sanitization. This framework provides a set of APIs for analyzing the privacy/utility tradeoff by comparing the changes in privacy and utility levels of a trace for a sanitization operation. We demonstrate the framework with an quantitative evaluation on wireless-network traces.
A Filtering Approach to Stochastic Variational Inference

Stochastic variational inference (SVI) uses stochastic optimization to scale up Bayesian computation to massive data. We present an alternative perspective on SVI as approximate parallel coordinate ascent. SVI trades-off bias and variance to step close to the unknown true coordinate optimum given by batch variational Bayes (VB). We define a model to automate this process. The model infers the location of the next VB optimum from a sequence of noisy realizations. As a consequence of this construction, we update the variational parameters using Bayes rule, rather than a hand-crafted optimization schedule. When our model is a Kalman filter this procedure can recover the original SVI algorithm and SVI with adaptive steps. We may also encode additional assumptions in the model, such as heavy-tailed noise. By doing so, our algorithm outperforms the original SVI schedule and a state-of-the-art adaptive SVI algorithm in two diverse domains.
Influence of Moisture on Density and Distribution of Grassland Birds in North Dakota

Abstract High annual variation in grassland bird populations in the Great Plains has often been attributed to changes in moisture levels, but most previous assessments of variation in grassland bird numbers have been of short duration, have occurred during a limited range of moisture levels, have been limited in geographic scope, have considered few species, or have sampled only one or few habitat types. Data from the long-term North American Breeding Bird Survey have the potential to overcome some of these shortcomings. We used linear models and information-theoretic methods to examine associations between moisture levels and populations of 17 species of grassland passerine and two species of wetland passerine in northern North Dakota from 1980 to 2004. We used data from 13 Breeding Bird Survey routes to provide indices of bird abundance and regional dispersion; we used numbers of ponds containing water identified on annual May waterfowl surveys and the Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) as regional mo...
A Cryogenic Pumping System Proposed for the Bevatron

A cryogenic pumping system capable of pumping 300, 000 1/sec of nitrogen is proposed for the Bevatron to decrease the base pressure from ~2x10-6 to ~2 x 10-7 torr. The Bevatron consists of approximately 10,000 ft3 of free volume with approximately 15,000 ft2 of free outgassing area. The magnet pole tips, which consists of 1/2-in. laminations, add a potential 80,000 ft2 of outgassing area. The design calls for an approximately 360-ft-long, 20°K surface shielded by an 80°K surface strung along the inside perimeter of the Bevatron. Initial design considerations indicate that radiant heat flux from the 80°K surface is a prime design factor which could greatly affect the operating and installation costs of 80°K refrigeration. A two-dimensional Monte Carlo type program was devised and used to optimize designs with maximum nitrogen pumping speed and minimum 80°K shield area to reduce the refrigeration costs.
Utilization of active canopy sensors for nitrogen fertilizer management in corn

Identifying factors that can significantly affect optical sensor performance is important if active canopy remote sensing technology is to be used in production agriculture. The objectives of this research were to determine the effects of different lighting conditions on active sensor values, vertical depth penetration of active sensor light into a corn (Zea mays L.) canopy, and differences between canopy reflectance values from single vs. multiple active sensors units. Corn was sensed at the V10 growth stage with the GreenSeeker Green model 506 (GS-506) and Crop Circle ACS-210 (CC-210) active canopy sensors. Canopy sensing was conducted during the day and at night, and with and without artificial light. The bottom 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 leaves of corn plants were removed and canopy sensing was conducted after each leaf removal treatment. A three-sensor CC-210 unit was used to determine differences between individual sensors and to compare means when sensor reflectance values were combined. Near-infrared (NIR) and visible (VIS) reflectance values from the CC-210 were not affected by different lighting conditions. The GS-506 generated greater reflectance values during the day, indicating the sensor measured some passive reflectance via sunlight. The GS-506 had greater vertical light penetration into the corn canopy compared to the CC-210, likely due to a more concentrated field of view. Different NIR reflectance values were found with each of the CC-210 active sensor units and with
MANAGEMENT OF HERPES SIMPLEX KERATITIS: PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH EPITHELIAL DISEASE

The management of active viral replication in the corneal epithelium is not always straightforward despite the availability of effective topical antiviral agents. The list of lesions that may mimic epithelial infection with herpes simplex virus is long and now includes Acanthamoeba infection. Problems with antiviral agent toxicity and corticosteroid administration may also at times obscure the diagnosis while at the same time making management difficult.
Cardiac Alternans and Ventricular Fibrillation: A Bad Case of Ryanodine Receptors Reneging on Their Duty

Since the first description in 1872 of cardiac alternans by Traube1 in a patient with alcoholic cardiomyopathy, there has been significant progress in understanding the significance of this clinical sign of heart disease. Traube reported this phenomenon before Einthoven invented the ECG in 1903. Thus, he actually described pulsus alternans in his patient, a strong–weak arterial pulse alternation perceptible by unaided finger tact. The patient died shortly after diagnosis, but because he had severe cardiomyopathy, cardiac alternans was not recognized as an ancillary index of disease severity or as a harbinger of mortality. Later, the introduction of ECGs in the routine examination of patients made it clear that cardiac alternans, in the form of T-wave alternans, was a common sign in several cardiomyopathies, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, genetic and acquired channelopathies, and even in electrolyte disturbances of the body. However, an unequivocal association between cardiac alternans and arrhythmia risk was not recognized until the 1990s,2 and only recently a multicenter clinical trial established that patients with moderate cardiac dysfunction but lacking T-wave alternans may not need an implantable cardiac defibrillator to improve their odds of avoiding sudden cardiac death.3 Thus, from the peculiar weak–strong arterial stroke oscillation detected by Traube to a critical risk stratification factor for sudden cardiac death, cardiac alternans have come a long way as diagnostic and prognostic manifestation of cardiac disease. Article see p 1410 If the pathway of cardiac alternans in the clinical arena has been a smoothly ascending line, explaining its precise cellular mechanisms has resulted in a more tortuous process, reflecting the complexity of the phenomenon. The ability to induce mechanical alternans by rapidly stimulating the heart was recognized early as an inherent ability of all mammalian ventricular muscles.4 Initially, researchers relied on traditional whole heart …
Aerogel nanocomposites of ZnO–SnO2 as efficient photocatalysts for the degradation of rhodamine B

For the first time, aerogel nanocomposites containing ZnO and SnO2 were successfully prepared through a facile, sol–gel method without the use of a template or supporting matrix. These nanoparticles exhibit high potential for application as a photocatalyst for wastewater remediation.
The Biology and Chemistry of Epstein-Barr Virus

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is the human prototype of a family of closely related herpesviruses of Old World primates. These agents probably evolved and spread among the Old World primates since the divergence of apes from monkeys about 30 million years ago. Although the DNAs of the EBV family have no sequence homology to other herpesviruses, there are some features in common with other herpesviral genomes. EBV DNA is unusual in having five tandem direct repeat elements which divide the genome into five unique sequence domains. The tandem direct repeats at the ends of the linear virion DNA probably mediate circularization of the viral DNA to form the circular episomal viral DNA which is characteristic of EBV-infected cells. In latent transforming infection, messenger RNAs are encoded by three widely separate regions of the EBV genome. The remainder of the viral genome encodes many RNAs and proteins which are expressed in productive infection. Early and late viral genes are intermixed along the full length of EBV DNA.
Facile Plasma‐Enhanced Deposition of Ultrathin Crosslinked Amino Acid Films for Conformal Biometallization

A novel method for the facile fabrication of conformal, ultrathin, and uniform synthetic amino acid coatings on a variety of practical surfaces by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition is introduced. Tyrosine, which is utilized as an agent to reduce gold nanoparticles from solution, is sublimed into the plasma field and directly deposited on a variety of substrates to form a homogeneous, conformal, and robust polyamino acid coating in a one-step, solvent-free process. This approach is applicable to many practical surfaces and allows surface-induced biometallization while avoiding multiple wet-chemistry treatments that can damage many soft materials. Moreover, by placing a mask over the substrate during deposition, the tyrosine coating can be micropatterned. Upon its exposure to a solution of gold chloride, a network of gold nanoparticles forms on the surface, replicating the initial micropattern. This method of templated biometallization is adaptable to a variety of practical inorganic and organic substrates, such as silicon, glass, nitrocellulose, polystyrene, polydimethylsiloxane, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyethylene, and woven silk fibers. No special pretreatment is necessary, and the technique results in a rapid, conformal amino acid coating that can be utilized for further biometallization.
Methods to prioritize placement of riparian buffers for improved water quality

Agroforestry buffers in riparian zones can improve stream water quality, provided they intercept and remove contaminants from surface runoff and/or shallow groundwater. Soils, topography, surficial geology, and hydrology determine the capability of forest buffers to intercept and treat these flows. This paper describes two landscape analysis techniques for identifying and mapping locations where agroforestry buffers can effectively improve water quality. One technique employs soil survey information to rank soil map units for how effectively a buffer, when sited on them, would trap sediment from adjacent cropped fields. Results allow soil map units to be compared for relative effectiveness of buffers for improving water quality and, thereby, to prioritize locations for buffer establishment. A second technique uses topographic and streamflow information to help identify locations where buffers are most likely to intercept water moving towards streams. For example, the topographic wetness index, an indicator of potential soil saturation on given terrain, identifies where buffers can readily intercept surface runoff and/or shallow groundwater flows. Maps based on this index can be useful for site-specific buffer placement at farm and small-watershed scales. A case study utilizing this technique shows that riparian forests likely have the greatest potential to improve water quality along first-order streams, rather than larger streams. The two methods are complementary and could be combined, pending the outcome of future research. Both approaches also use data that are publicly available in the US. The information can guide projects and programs at scales ranging from farm-scale planning to regional policy implementation.
Ethics, the Illegality of Physician Assisted Suicide in the United States, and the Role and Ordeal of Dr. Jack Kevorkian before His Death

The paper tries to argue that physician-assisted suicide (PAS), which is opposed by the AMA and all US states except Oregon, is a moral and ethical dilemma that faces physicians, ethicists, legal experts, and others. To demonstrate this, the various dimensions of the debate are explored. This is accomplished by discussing the legal, ethical, medical and political ordeals of its most infamous practitioner, Dr. Jack Kevorkian of Michigan (1928-2011). As the paper argues, Dr. Kevorkian’s belief in the practice of PAS led him to assist in the suicide of James Adkins in 1998. This began his legal problems, which lasted for about ten years (while continuing this practice, causing the state of Michigan to pass stricter laws against PAS). However, it was his more active administration of the suicide of Thomas York (who had Lou Gehrig’s disease), and its demonstration on CBS’ 60-Minutes program, that led to his most severe legal ordeal in 1998 that landed him a prison sentence of 10 to 25 years (of which he served 8).In the paper, various ethical, moral, and legal arguments, evoked by ethicists, philosophers and legal experts are presented. However, the paper begins with the ordeal of Dr. Kevorkian and the reaction to the 60-Minutes piece by the media, religious authors, and others are presented.
Valid Coordinate Systems for Linearized Plasma Shape Response Models in Tokamaks

We examine the issue of definition of coordinates used for plasma shape control simulations and real-time implementations and their relation to the validity of linearized plasma shape response mode...
Exploring democracy and ethnic diversity as sociopolitical moderators for the relationship between age and generalized trust

Abstract Prior research has identified a positive relationship between age and generalized trust, which is not moderated by sociopolitical factors such as the Gini coefficient, the Human Development Index, and individualism, raising the question whether the age–trust relationship is free from sociopolitical influence. The current study re-examined this issue by taking an exploratory and cross-societal approach. I examined two sociopolitical factors—democracy and ethnic diversity—as potential moderators for the age–trust relationship. Multilevel random coefficient analyses of 86 societies' World Values Survey (1981–2008) data reveal that the age–trust relationship is positive across societies, thus replicating prior findings. However, ethnic diversity moderates (strengthens) this relationship, whereas democracy does not. Specifically, the age–trust relationship is positive in more ethnically diverse societies but null in more ethnically homogeneous ones. The current findings suggest that the age–trust relationship is not free from sociopolitical influence and that socioemotional selectivity theory alone is limited in explaining this relationship.
Inferences of Korscheltellus gracilis (Lepidoptera: Hepialidae) Habitat Utilization from Sticky Trap Catches on Camels Hump Mountain, Vermont

Numbers of Korscheltellus gracilis (Grote) adults caught on sticky traps are compared between: east and west aspects of Camels Hump Mountain, open canopy gaps and mature conifer stands at 1,000 m elevation, and within dense conifer stands, glades, and glade edges. Numbers trapped were significantly higher on the west aspect and in mature open understory conifer stands. More moths were trapped in glades and along glade edges than in dense conifer stands. Males were caught most often at ground level in dense conifers, at 1 and 2 m height in glades, and at 1 m on glade edges. We suggest that males fly through glades and small gaps searching for female pheromone plumes, and mated females deposit their eggs while perching between short flights.
On the erythropoietic principle in the blood of rabbits made severely anemic with phenylhydrazine.

1. An assay for erythropoietic factor is described based on reticulocytosis in normal, adult mice. The advantages of the method are the short time required (4 days), the small amount of test material needed and the facility with which many tests may be run simultaneously. 2. For the measurement of uptake of Fe 59 a procedure is described which allows counting of whole dried blood with an end-window Geiger-Muller tube. 3. A procedure is described for preparing highly active erythropoietic filtrates from the boiled plasma of rabbits made severely anemic with phenylhydrazine. 4. Evidence is presented that the ineffectiveness of whole plasma (anemic) on the one hand, and the effectiveness of the filtrate after the plasma is boiled on the other hand, is associated with respective presence and absence of antibody-provoking antigens. 5. A fractionation procedure is described whereby a fraction was obtained which, on the basis of amount of protein, is much more potent than unfractionated plasma filtrate, by tests based on reticulocytosis in mice, uptake of Fe 59 in starved rats and polycythemia in normal rats. When this material was subjected to zone electrophoresis two-thirds of its protein and all the activity was found confined to one band. It is noteworthy that the material which gave the positive responses to the three tests has so far remained together in one fraction. 6. Some physical and chemical properties of erythropoietically active plasma fractions are described. So far erythropoietic activity has been inseparable from protein. 7. A number of hormones, vitamins and other growth-promoting materials were tested for erythropoietic activity and were found to be negative by the tests employed.
Differential regulation of intracellular glucose metabolism by glucose and insulin in human muscle

Insulin and glucose stimulate glucose uptake in human muscle by different mechanisms. Insulin has well-known effects on glucose transport, glycogen synthesis, and glucose oxidation, but the effects of hyperglycemia on the intracellular routing of glucose are less well characterized. We used euglycemic and hyperglycemic clamps with leg balance measurements to determine how hyperglycemia affects skeletal muscle glucose storage, glycolysis, and glucose oxidation in normal human subjects. Glycogen synthase (GS) and pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDHC) activities were determined using muscle biopsies. During basal insulin replacement, hyperglycemia (11.6 +/- 0.31 mM) increased leg muscle glucose uptake (0.522 +/- 0.129 vs. 0.261 +/- 0.071 mumol.min-1 x 100 ml leg tissue-1, P < 0.05), storage (0.159 +/- 0.082 vs. -0.061 +/- 0.055, P < 0.05), and oxidation (0.409 +/- 0.080 vs. 0.243 +/- 0.085, P < 0.05) compared with euglycemia (6.63 +/- 0.33 mM). The increase in basal glucose oxidation due to hyperglycemia was associated with increased muscle PDHC activity (0.499 +/- 0.087 vs. 0.276 +/- 0.049, P < 0.05). However, the increase in leg glucose storage was not accompanied by an increase in muscle GS activity. During hyperinsulinemia, hyperglycemia (11.9 +/- 0.49 mM) also caused an additional increase in leg glucose uptake over euglycemia (6.14 +/- 0.42 mM) alone (5.75 +/- 1.25 vs. 3.75 +/- 0.58 mumol.min-1 x 100 ml leg-1, P < 0.05). In this case the major intracellular effect of hyperglycemia was to increase glucose storage (5.03 +/- 1.16 vs. 2.39 +/- 0.37, P < 0.05). At hyperinsulinemia, hyperglycemia had no effect on muscle GS or PDHC activity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Radiative Heat Transfer in High-Pressure Combustion Systems

Many practical turbulent combustion systems operate at pressures higher than atmospheric, and the general trend in many applications is toward higher operating pressures. On the other hand, most detailed experimental data are limited to atmospheric pressure laboratory turbulent flames, such as those discussed in the previous chapter, and relatively little work to date has focused on radiative heat transfer and TRI at elevated pressures. High-pressure specific issues in combustion and radiation heat transfer are first reviewed briefly. This is followed by an example of a modeling study for a high-pressure laminar flame. Many practical combustion systems use fuels that are introduced as a liquid fuel spray, and spray/radiation coupling is discussed next. Finally, recent work in modeling radiative heat transfer in piston engines and in high-speed combustion systems is reviewed in the final two subsections.