cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Two grass species fail to display differing species-specific effects on soil bacterial community structures after one season of greenhouse growth

Background and aims Plant impacts on soil microbial community composition and function are believed to be important but remain poorly understood. We looked at thebacterialcommunityeffectsofgrowingtwodifferent plant species in soils with differing plant growth histories. Methods Big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii: Ag) and cereal rye (Secale cereale: Sc) plants were grown in six soils with different planting and management histories for 14 weeks in a greenhouse study. Both prior to planting and harvesting, soil was collected for analysis. Bacterial community DNA was extracted and analyzed via 454 pyrosequencing and soil edaphic characteristics were also measured. Results Significant shifts in composition were observed between pre-plant and post-plant bacterial communities in 23 of the 40 most abundant orders but only one order (Nitrospirales) differed significantly between the two plant species treatments (Ag vs. Sc). Compared to preplant communities, post-plant communities increased significantly in alpha diversity (within community) but exhibited an overall decrease in beta diversity (between community), indicating that soil communities became more similar after growth of either Ag or Sc. Soil pH was the strongest predictor of bacterial community ordination, followed by percent carbon, organic matter, phosphorous, nitrogen, and potassium. Conclusions Overall, the relative lack of significant differences between the soil bacterial communities of Ag- and Sc-planted soils suggests that potential plantspecies-specific effects are strongly modulated by growth conditions and edaphic soil characteristics.
Molecular Dynamics Studies of Interfacial Crack Propagation in Heterogeneous Media

The authors use molecular dynamics simulation to investigate the evolution of a crack front in interfacial fracture in three dimensions. They find that when a crack passes through a localized region of heterogeneous toughness, crack front waves are initiated and propagate laterally. They also investigate the development of roughness of the crack front when the crack propagates in a region of heterogeneous toughness. They find that in steady state the mean square width W of the front scales with system size L as W {approximately} L{sup 0.35}, in agreement with recent theoretical predictions.
LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF NEONATAL AXOPLASMIC TRANSPORT ATTENUATION ON THE ORGANIZATION OF THE RAT'S TRIGEMINAL SYSTEM

The current study examined the long-term effects of infraorbital nerve (ION) axoplasmic transport attenuation with vinblastine on the organization of trigeminal (V) primary afferents and central vibrissae-related patterns. Retrograde tracing and single unit recording were used to evaluate the innervation of vibrissae follicles in adult (P > 60) rats that sustained application of vinblastine to the ION at birth. Single units recorded from vinblastine-treated animals yielded responses to deflection of a single vibrissa, and a significantly (P < 0.001) higher percentage of these cells (85.7%) showed rapidly adapting responses compared with normal rats (42.2%). Retrograde tracing revealed a qualitatively and normal distribution of V ganglion cells innervating A-row and E-row vibrissae follicles in vinblastine-treated rats. Transganglionic tracing with horseradish peroxidase (HRP) demonstrated a qualitatively and quantitatively normal somatotopic organization of vibrissae follicle input to V nucleus principalis (PrV) and V subnucleus interpolaris (SpI) in the vinblastine-treated animals. Despite the nearly normal mapping of V ganglion cell axons onto the vibrissae follicles and brainstem, staining for either cytochrome oxidase (CO) or parvalbumin failed to reveal vibrissae-related patterns in PrV, SpI, or the magnocellular portion of V subnucleus caudalis in these animals. Labelling of thalamocortical afferents with HRP and staining for CO also failed to reveal a cortical vibrissae-related pattern in the vinblastine-treated rats. The present results indicate that although transient attenuation of axoplasmic transport with vinblastine has limited effects on the peripheral and central projections of surviving V primary afferents, it permanently disrupts the normal development and maintenance of central vibrissae-related patterns. J. Comp. Neurol. 381:219-229, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Knowledge regarding organ donation: identifying and overcoming barriers to organ donation.

Four-hundred and fifty-five undergraduate students, 26 MBA students, and 465 people from the surrounding community responded to 21 true/false questions regarding factual knowledge about organ donation. The mean number of correct answers was 74.6%. The correct response rate, however, varied widely over questions. Four questions with very large error rates suggest possible 'barriers to donation'. Specifically, these questions concerned religious support for organ donation, the concept of brain death, the normally rigid separation of physician teams who are primarily responsible for the welfare of the donor and donee, and a mistaken belief that to be valid an organ donor card must be filed with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Knowledge of organ donation facts was found to be related to whether subjects carried or requested an organ donor card, their attitude towards organ donation and their willingness to donate their own organs or the organs of a deceased loved one. These findings suggest strategies for raising public support for organ donation.
Abstract LB-136: Creation of androgen independent prostate cancer cell lines using targeting nucleases.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC Understanding mechanisms by which advanced prostate cancer (PCa) progresses to a castration resistant PCa (CRPC) phenotype is crucial for tailoring targeted therapies for individual patients. Constitutively active androgen receptor (AR) splice variants that lack the ligand binding domain drive androgen independent growth in cell lines and xenograft models of PCa and their overexpression in CRPC metastases is associated with poor prognosis. However, the mechanism of AR splice variant overexpression in CRPC is not completely understood. We have shown that diverse genomic rearrangements within the AR gene are linked to AR splicing alterations in PCa cell lines, xenografts, and CRPC metastases. To test whether these AR gene rearrangements drive AR splice variant synthesis and a CRPC phenotype, we developed transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs) for precision genome engineering in androgen-sensitive PCa cells. Engineering of specific AR gene rearrangements induced splicing alterations and efficient expression of AR splice variants. Functionally, these genome-engineered cells displayed constitutive, ligand-independent AR transcriptional activity and an androgen-independent growth profile. These fundamental properties of CRPC were blocked following siRNA-mediated knock-down of truncated AR variants. Overall, these data demonstrate that AR gene rearrangements induce fundamental aspects of the CRPC phenotype including constitutive, ligand-independent, AR splice variant activity. Overall, these data advance the concept of AR splice variants as key drivers of advanced disease, and provide new genome-engineered models that could be used to develop agents targeted to these AR-derived species. Citation Format: Michael D. Nyquist, Yingming Li, Scott M. Dehm. Creation of androgen independent prostate cancer cell lines using targeting nucleases. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-136. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-LB-136
Tricyclic pyrone compounds prevent aggregation and reverse cellular phenotypes caused by expression of mutant huntingtin protein in striatal neurons

Huntington's disease (HD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG repeat expansion mutation in the coding region of a novel gene. The mechanism of HD is unknown. Most data suggest that polyglutamine-mediated aggregation associated with expression of mutant huntingtin protein (mhtt) contributes to the pathology. However, recent studies have identified early cellular dysfunctions that preclude aggregate formation. Suppression of aggregation is accepted as one of the markers of successful therapeutic approaches. Previously, we demonstrated that tricyclic pyrone (TP) compounds efficiently inhibited formation of amyloid-β (Aβ) aggregates in cell and mouse models representing Alzheimer's Disease (AD). In the present study, we aimed to determine whether TP compounds could prevent aggregation and restore early cellular defects in primary embryonic striatal neurons from animal model representing HD. TP compounds effectively inhibit aggregation caused by mhtt in neurons and glial cells. Treatment with TP compounds also alleviated cholesterol accumulation and restored clathrin-independent endocytosis in HD neurons. We have found that TP compounds not only blocked mhtt-induced aggregation, but also alleviated early cellular dysfunctions that preclude aggregate formation. Our data suggest TP molecules may be used as lead compounds for prevention or treatment of multiple neurodegenerative diseases including HD and AD.
Global structure changes associated with Ca2+ activation of full-length human plasma gelsolin

Abstract Gelsolin regulates the dynamic assembly and disassembly of the actin-based cytoskeleton in non-muscle cells and clears the circulation of filaments released following cell death. Gelsolin is a six-domain (G1-G6) protein activated by calcium via a multi-step process that involves unfolding from a compact form to a more open form in which the three actin-binding sites (on the G1, G2, and G4 subdomains) become exposed. To follow the global structural changes that accompany calcium activation of gelsolin, small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) data were collected for full-length human plasma gelsolin at nanomolar to millimolar concentrations of free Ca2+. Analysis of these data showed that, upon increasing free Ca2+ levels, the radius of gyration (Rg) increased nearly 12 A, from 31.1 ± 0.3 to 43 ± 2 A, and the maximum linear dimension (Dmax) of the gelsolin molecule increased 55 A, from 100 to 155A. Structural reconstruction of gelsolin from these data provided a striking visual tracking of the gradual Ca2+-induced opening of the gelsolin molecule and highlighted the critical role played by the flexible linkers between homologous domains. The tightly packed architecture of calcium-free gelsolin, seen from both SAXS and x-ray crystallographic models, is already partially opened up in as low as 0.5 nm Ca2+. Our data confirm that, although the molecule springs open from 0 to 1 μm free Ca2+, even higher calcium concentrations help to stabilize a more open structure, with increases in Rg and Dmax of ∼2 and ∼15 A, respectively. At these higher calcium levels, the SAXS-based models provide a molecular shape that is compatible with that of the crystal structures solved for Ca2+/gelsolin C-terminal and N-terminal halves ± monomeric G-actin. Placement of these crystal structures within the boundaries of the SAXS-based model suggests a movement of the G1/G2 subunits that would be required upon binding to actin.
Customer satisfaction with waits in multi‐stage services

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to examine the relative importance of customer perceptions of waits in a multi‐stage service.Design/methodology/approach – The stages included the wait at the point of service‐entry, the wait during the service stage in which the core service was experienced and the wait at the service‐exit stage as the customer was preparing to leave. Satisfaction with the waits and satisfaction with the core service product, employees' behavior and the physical setting were examined in relation to customers' perceptions of service quality. Four measures of customers' perceptions of service quality were used in this study. These included overall customer satisfaction, willingness to recommend the service to friends, willingness to bring friends to the service and repatronage intentions. A survey was developed based on a review of the literature and in collaboration with the manager of a full‐service restaurant. The survey was administered during the course of the meal by restaurant ...
Absolute fracture risk.

Clinical evaluation of patients with low bone mass attempts to determine which patients should be offered one of the effective therapies for fracture prevention. Current guidelines are primarily based on bone density. Risk factors are used, but their contribution to fracture risk is not easily assessed. The combination of bone density and risk factors can be used to assess absolute fracture risk, the risk of facture over a period of time expressed as a percent. This model will allow identification of patients who would benefit most from treatment.
Potential Applications of Population Viability Analysis to Risk Assessment for Invasive Species

ABSTRACT Population viability analysis, the use of ecological models to assess a population's risk of extinction, plays an important role in contemporary conservation biology. The premise of this review is that models, concepts, and data analyses that yield results on extinction risk of threatened and endangered species can also tell us about establishment risks of potentially invasive species. I briefly review important results for simple unstructured models, demographic models, and spatial models, giving examples of the application of each type of model to invasive species, and general conclusions about the applicability of each type of model to risk analysis for invasive species. The examples illustrate a portion of the range of potential applications of such models to invasive species, and some of the types of predictions that they can provide. They also highlight some of the limitations of such models. Finally, I present several conjectures and open research questions concerning the application of po...
Contributions of Inflammatory Processes to the Development of the Early Stages of Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetes causes metabolic and physiologic abnormalities in the retina, and these changes suggest a role for inflammation in the development of diabetic retinopathy. These changes include upregulation of iNOS, COX-2, ICAM-1, caspase 1, VEGF, and NF-kappaB, increased production of nitric oxide, prostaglandin E2, IL-1beta, and cytokines, as well as increased permeability and leukostasis. Using selective pharmacologic inhibitors or genetically modified animals, an increasing number of therapeutic approaches have been identified that significantly inhibit development of at least the early stages of diabetic retinopathy, especially occlusion and degeneration of retinal capillaries. A common feature of a number of these therapies is that they inhibit production of inflammatory mediators. The concept that localized inflammatory processes play a role in the development of diabetic retinopathy is relatively new, but evidence that supports the hypothesis is accumulating rapidly. This new hypothesis offers new insight into the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy, and offers novel targets to inhibit the ocular disease.
The chemistry of trichlorosilane in the presence of tertiary amines

Silane (Si—H) additions to unsaturated hydrocarbons constitute an important reaction for the formation of the silicon—carbon bond, both from a synthetic1 and industrial viewpoint2. Several catalyst systems have been employed and the literature is replete with reactions catalyzed by peroxideic, chioroplatinic acid and platinized charcoal. Less extensively covered has been the catalysis by organic tertiary bases. Trichiorosilane has been found to add to acrylonitrile using tertiary amines3a,C, tertiary phosphines3a, or substituted amides4 to give /3-cyanoethyltrichlorosilane. Pyridine5, however, was found not to catalyze the addition of trichlorosilane to styrene, 1-octene, or vinyltrichlorosilane. The mechanism of such reactions has been suggested as being akin to the cyanoethylation of chloroform by bases5, involving silicon—amine cornp1exes3b4, or a simple four-centred addition of trichiorosilane to the acetyleneSb. Accordingly, we decided to undertake a broad study of the tn-nbutylamine catalyzed addition of trichlorosilane to arylacetylenes in order to elucidate the general mechanism of such reactions.
Direct vs. Indirect Benefits of Caching by Gray Squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis)

Individuals of many species cache food to gain direct benefits from consuming their own caches, but individuals of a few species also gain indirect benefits by sharing caches with kin. We investigated whether gray squirrels cache primarily to gain direct benefits or if they also gain indirect benefits by sharing caches with kin. If squirrels share caches with kin, then genetically related squirrels should live near one another and cache near one another to facilitate cache sharing. In contrast, if squirrels cache primarily for direct benefits, then they should clump their caches near the center of their ranges to facilitate cache defense. This study was conducted with 140 squirrels in a 10 ha forest. DNA was extracted from blood samples taken from squirrels, and genetic similarity scores from randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) loci were used to measure relatedness. Squirrels were given piles of pecans for caching at six sites and observed from a blind. We recorded the direction squirrels took nuts from piles and at one site determined the location of caches. For male-female comparisons, related squirrels lived significantly closer to one another than unrelated squirrels, but this was not the case for female-female and male-male comparisons. The genetic similarity of neighboring squirrels did not influence the location of caches or the direction that squirrels took nuts from piles. Squirrels clumped their own caches and moved nuts toward their own home range centers. These results suggest that gray squirrels cache primarily to gain direct benefits rather than indirect benefits.
Core polarization and Coulomb displacement energies

Abstract A systematic study of the core polarization correction to Coulomb displacement energies is carried out. A zero range density independent and density dependent force is used to calculate this correction in the A = 16, A = 40, and A = 208 regions. It is found that the core polarization correction does not increase the Coulomb displacement energies and, therefore, cannot resolve the existing discrepancy between theory and experiment. Moreover, when the mean square radius of the excess neutron distribution is decreased the core polarization correction to the Coulomb energy becomes attractive and cancels the gain resulting from the direct Coulomb term. Hence, it is concluded that the discrepancy cannot be resolved even when the excess neutron distribution has an anomalously small radius. It is also pointed out that when the core polarization term is added the discrepancy is almost equal in mirror nuclei with a single hole in the N = Z core and those with a single particle outside the same core. Evidently, additional charge asymmetric corrections are required to resolve the discrepancies in Coulomb displacement energies.
Review of The Mechanics of Scour in the Marine Environment by Mutlu Sumer and Jørgen Fredsøe

Scouring of the seabed around man-made structures is a perplexing problem for coastal and ocean engineers. Even robust structures can experience damage, or possibly failure, brought about by scour around the foundation. Ignoring potential consequences of scour and failing to provide adequate scour protection are unacceptable engineering practices. On the other hand, scour is very specific to structure type and hydrodynamic environment. Thus, it may be difficult to anticipate where scour might occur and whether the scour will put the structure at risk. Ideally, the engineer would like to provide scour protection only where needed to minimize cost, but our understanding of scour processes does not allow this option for all situations. It has long been recognized that scour occurs whenever the hydrodynamic forces of moving water exceed the resistive forces holding sediment particles at rest. However, developing theoretical relationships between fluid and sediment is still a challenge for all but the most simple cases. Quantifying scour at structures in terms of predictable hydrodynamic parameters remains the forte of experimentalists who observe the scouring action, recognize the dominant physical processes, and establish empirical engineering relationships for predicting scour. Anyone with even a casual interest in scour caused by waves and currents will have encountered the work of Mutlu Sumer and Jorgen Fredsoe. Over the past 20–25 years, these two industrious collaborators have studied scour phenomena and developed practical engineering guidance. Their new book, The Mechanics of Scour in the Marine Environment, collects their research findings, and the works of others, into a well organized and convenient volume that is part of the Advanced Series on Ocean Engineering published by World Scientific. It appears that the book is available only in hardback and not softback, which is a departure from previous volumes in this series. The bulk of material in this 500 plus page book pertains to scour of noncohesive sediment, but the authors have included available information and references related to cohesive sediment scour for specific situations. Throughout the book, the authors emphasize the need to understand the hydrodynamic processes producing scour as the most important step toward scour prediction. After introducing basic concepts ~Chapter 1!, the book’s remaining nine chapters cover pipeline scour ~Chapter 2!; scour at piles ~Chapters 3–6!; scour around coastal structures ~Chapters 7–8!; ship-propeller scour ~Chapter 9!; and the impact of liquefaction on pipelines and armor blocks ~Chapter 10!. Each chapter ends with references to literature cited within the chapter. An appendix provides a handy summary of key equations from linear wave theory, and the subject and author indexes round out the book. The list of symbols is placed directly after the table of contents. Well-drawn figures illustrating various scour concepts
Improved thermodynamic model for magnetic shape memory alloys

Magnetic shape memory alloys (MSMAs) are a class of materials that can exhibit up to 10% recoverable strain as a result of the application of either magnetic field or compressive stress. This unique property makes MSMAs potentially suitable for commercial applications such as sensors, power harvesters, or actuators. Before any commercial applications are fully realized, effective models capable of accurately predicting the magneto-mechanical behavior of MSMAs need to be developed. This paper builds on an existing thermodynamic based constitutive model for MSMAs by accounting for the three-dimensional nature of the demagnetization phenomenon. In particular, the importance of using a demagnetization factor that comes from a solution to the three-dimensional magneto-static boundary value problem is highlighted. Also, the magnetic field present in directions other than that applied because of demagnetization is included in the model. Finally, this work proposes a more flexible means of calibrating thermodynamic based constitutive models for MSMAs.
Immunological reactivities of rat and human α-lactalbumin

Abstract 1. 1. Antisera to rat α-lactalbumin immediately displayed precipitation bands to human, bovine, pig and goat α-lactalbumin, whereas antisera to human α-lactalbumin displayed similar cross reactivities only at a later time. 2. 2. Cross reactivity of the antisera was determined by radioimmune assays to rat and human α-lactalbumin.
Estrogen receptor alpha gene polymorphisms are associated with changes in bone remodeling markers and treatment response to estrogen

Objectives Association studies between estrogen receptor α (ERα) gene polymorphisms and bone mineral density (BMD) have yielded inconsistent results. In the present study we evaluated the influence of XbaI and PvuII ERα gene polymorphisms on BMD, biochemical markers, rates of bone loss and the response to estrogen/hormone therapy (ET/HT) in elderly postmenopausal women.
Congenitally abnormal visual pathways in mink (Mustela vison) with reduced retinal pigment

The retinogeniculate pathways of several different genotypes of mink have been studied by the Nauta and Fink-Heimer methods. An abnormal retinogeniculate pathway has been found in all mink in which the retinal pigment is reduced. Most of the abnormally routed nerve fibers arise in the temporal retina and cross in the chiasm, instead of staying ipsilateral as is normal. Some abnormal fibers in some of the mink also appear to arise in the nasal retina close to the line of decussation, and these pass ipsilaterally instead of following their normal crossed pathway. A lack of pigment in the coat is not by itself associated with a pathway abnormality. In general, the size of the abnormal fiber component is related to the severity of the retinal pigment deficit. The abnormality is not related specifically to one gene or gene combination. We have found eight different gene combinations which produce a reduction of retinal pigment associated with a pathway abnormality.
“Men of Stone and Children of Struggle”: Latin American Liberationists at the End of History

This article critiques the political theory of Latin American liberationists and suggests a theological source of resistance to the regnant capitalist order. Drawing on the work of Raymond Williams, the liberationists’' commitment to “politcs as statecraft,” manifest originally in the hopes of seizing the state and more recently in the praise of an emergent civil society, is shown to be unable to resist “paranational hyper capitalism.” Instead, liberationists should reconsider the church as a “public”, as a social, political, economic formation in its own right. Toward this end they might learn from the Christian base communities.
Tumorigenesis in p27/p53- and p18/p53-double null mice: functional collaboration between the pRb and p53 pathways.

Mice lacking both p18 I n k 4 c and p27 K i p 1 develop a tumor spectrum similar to pRb + / - mice, and loss of p53 function accelerates tumorigenesis in pRb + / - mice. We hypothesized that codeletion of either p18 or p27 in conjunction with p53 deletion will also accelerate tumorigenesis. Mice lacking both p18 and p53 develop several tumors not reported in either single null genotype, including hepatocellular carcinoma, testicular choriocarcinoma, hemangiosarcoma, leiomyosarcoma, fibrosarcoma, and osteosarcoma. Mice lacking both p27 and p53 exhibit a decreased lifespan and develop unique tumors, including papillary carcinoma of the colon, hemangiosarcoma, and leiomyosarcoma. In both p18/p53 and p27/p53 double null genotypes, the incidence and spectra of tissues that develop lymphoma are also increased, as compared to the single null genotypes. The development of p27/p53 double null colon tumors correlates with secondary changes in cell-cycle protein expression and CDK (cyclin-dependent kinase) activity, perhaps contributing to the progression of colorectal cancer. We concluded that p18 and p27 can, not only functionally collaborate with one another, but also can independently collaborate with p53 to modulate the cell cycle and suppress tumorigenesis in a tissue-specific manner.
Unusual Presentation of Caustic Ingestion and its Surgical Treatment: A Case Report

Treatment and reconstruction of oral scar contracture, is always a challenging procedure to restore structure and functions of the oral cavity. We present a case of a patient with limited mouth opening who sustained extensive oral scar contracture with complete adhesion of tongue to floor of mouth following ingestion of caustic soda without his knowledge 4 years back. We performed a surgical release of the scar contractures from buccal mucosa on both sides, along with a release of the tongue from the floor of the mouth, followed by reconstruction of all sites using split skin grafts. Adequate mouth opening and tongue movement was achieved. There was a follow up period of 1 month with excellent mouth opening and tongue function.
Ingredients Necessary for Proton Transfer in Enzymes

The transfer of a proton across a hydrogen bond can be influenced by a number of factors, including H-bond length, intramolecular angles, and the presence of neighboring groups. The ability of different factors to push a proton across the H-bond is examined for a specific and very important pair of catalytic groups, Ser-195 and His-57, within the context of a serine proteinase enzyme. The influence of residue Asp-102 is considered for different charge states, as is the nature of the surrounding medium. Also examined are the perturbations introduced by the substrate and external ions and dipoles.
In the Eye of the Beholder: Cross-Cultural Lesson in Leadership from Project GLOBE: A Response Viewed from the Third Culture Bonding (TCB) Model of Cross-Cultural Leadership

The article discusses cross-cultural leadership and cultural bias in surveys. The author critiques the GLOBE study methodology and suggests that researchers can influence survey conclusions by omitting regionally specific alternatives. He argues that sample sizes are too small to generalize about leadership styles. He offers an alternative method in the Third Culture Bonding (TCB) model which focuses on identifying potential cross-cultural conflicts in Sino-American ventures and developing groups to cope with those sensitivities. The author cautions against applying either GLOBE or TCB methods generally to other cultures.
Factor H Binding to Bone Sialoprotein and Osteopontin Enables Tumor Cell Evasion of Complement-mediated Attack

Abstract Metastatic cancer cells, like trophoblasts of the developing placenta, are invasive and must escape immune surveillance to survive. Complement has long been thought to play a significant role in the tumor surveillance mechanism. Bone sialoprotein (BSP) and osteopontin (OPN, ETA-1) are expressed by trophoblasts and are strongly up-regulated by many tumors. Indeed, BSP has been shown to be a positive indicator of the invasive potential of some tumors. In this report, we show that BSP and OPN form rapid and tight complexes with complement Factor H. Besides its key role in regulating complement-mediated cell lysis, Factor H also appears to play a role when “hijacked” by invading organisms in enabling cellular evasion of complement. We have investigated whether BSP and OPN may play a similar role in tumor cell complement evasion by testing to see whether these glycoproteins could promote tumor cell survival. Recombinant OPN and BSP can protect murine erythroleukemia cells from attack by human complement as well as human MCF-7 breast cancer cells and U-266 myeloma cells from attack by guinea pig complement. The mechanism of this gain of function by tumor cell expression of BSP or OPN has been defined using specific peptides and antibodies to block BSP and OPN protective activity. The expression of BSP and OPN in tumor cells provides a selective advantage for survival via initial binding to αVβ3 integrin (both) or CD44 (OPN) on the cell surface, followed by sequestration of Factor H to the cell surface and inhibition of complement-mediated cell lysis.
THE MANIFESTATION OF GROUP ENDS IN THE TODD–COXETER COSET ENUMERATION PROCEDURE

The issue of recognizing group properties, such as the cardinality of the group, directly from the dynamics of an incomplete coset enumeration is discussed. In particular, it is shown that the property of having two ends is recognizable in such a way. Further, sufficient conditions are given for termination of a coset enumeration with the declaration that the group under consideration has infinitely-many ends.
A Phenotype at Last: Essential Role for the Yersinia enterocolitica Ysa Type III Secretion System in a Drosophila melanogaster S2 Cell Model

ABSTRACT The highly pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica strains have a chromosomally encoded type III secretion system (T3SS) that is expressed and functional in vitro only when the bacteria are cultured at 26°C. Mutations that render this system nonfunctional are slightly attenuated in the mouse model of infection only following an oral inoculation and only at early time points postinfection. The discrepancy between the temperature required for the Ysa gene expression and the physiological temperature required for mammalian model systems has made defining the role of this T3SS challenging. Therefore, we explored the use of Drosophila S2 cells as a model system for studying Ysa function. We show here that Y. enterocolitica is capable of infecting S2 cells and replicating intracellularly to high levels, an unusual feature of this pathogen. Importantly, we show that the Ysa T3SS is required for robust intracellular replication. A secretion-deficient mutant lacking the secretin gene, ysaC , is defective in replication within S2 cells, marking the first demonstration of a pronounced Ysa-dependent virulence phenotype. Establishment of S2 cells as a model for Y. enterocolitica infection provides a versatile tool to elucidate the role of the Ysa T3SS in the life cycle of this gastrointestinal pathogen.
Sleepiness and residual sleepiness in adults with obstructive sleep apnea

Sleepiness is a common, but not necessary symptom of the obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSA) and is a frequent chief complaint of patients with OSA who seek medical attention. While sleepiness may seem simple in nature, the underlying mechanisms producing daytime sleepiness in OSA are complex and poorly characterized. Moreover, the meaningful assessment of pathological sleepiness is frequently far from straightforward. Effective treatment of OSA is generally expected to resolve or ameliorate daytime sleepiness. An unknown percentage of treated OSA patients, however, remain sleepy during waking hours. The assessment and treatment of residual sleepiness in treated OSA can range from simple to difficult, depending on the nature and causes of the continued sleepiness. Recently, however, data from clinical trials have been generated which provide direction in the evaluation and management of the OSA patient suffering residual daytime sleepiness.
Low-Frequency Resonance Raman Characterization of the Oxygen-Evolving Complex of Photosystem II

The O2-evolving complex (OEC) of photosystem II (PSII) contains a tetramanganese (Mn4) cluster, a redox-active tyrosine, and Ca2+/Cl- ions, but its molecular structure has not been determined. Vibrational spectroscopy has the potential of providing new structural information for the OEC, particularly the Mn4 cluster. Toward this goal, the vibrational characteristics of the OEC of PSII were examined using near-infrared (NIR) excitation Raman spectroscopy. NIR excitation decreases the background contribution from chlorophyll emission/Raman scattering and affords the opportunity of probing selectively low-energy electronic transitions of the Mn4 cluster. The primary emphasis of the Raman study was on the low-frequency range of the spectrum (220−620 cm-1) where Mn−ligand vibrational modes are expected to occur. The low-frequency region was examined for both the S1 and S2 oxidation states of the Mn4 cluster. A particular effort was made to probe a NIR transition of the S2 state that has been reported to mediat...
Diagenesis of magnetic minerals in Recent haemipelagic sediments

Rapidly deposited sediments from marine and lake environments are being used increasingly to study decadal to millennial fluctuations in the Earth's magnetic field. The objectives are to gain more fundamental understanding of the geodynamo and to establish a new dating technique for sediments. While lacustrine sections are generally restricted to temperate latitude glacial lakes (≤ 20,000 yr old), rapidly deposited marine sediments along continental margins potentially offer continuous high resolution, yet long-term records of geomagnetic secular variation. However, to interpret the sedimentary magnetic record accurately, geochemical processes that affect the reliability of the magnetic signal must be understood. We now report downcore magnetic profiles from undisturbed Kasten cores taken in rapidly deposited laminated sediments from the Gulf of California and in bioturbated haemipelagic muds on the Oregon continental slope which give apparently reliable directions, but show dramatic decreases in the intensities of natural (NRM) and artificial (ARM, IRM) remanences with depth. Downcore porewater and solid sulphur analyses show concave-down decreases in porewater sulphate and systematic increases in pyrite and metastable monosulphides. The maximum curvature of the sulphide profile occurs directly below the high magnetization zone. Combined with other compositional and mineralogical analyses, these data suggest that due to oxidative decomposition of organic matter, magnetites and other iron oxides become progressively reduced and subsequently sulphidized and pyritized with depth. Iron reduction seems to occur before sulphide formation. Changes in magnetic stability parameters are consistent with selective dissolution of the finer-sized grains causing downcore coarsening of the magnetic fraction.
Exact analysis of maximum available gain and unilateral gain including phase angle of S21

Exact formulae are presented for both maximum available gain (G/sub ma/) and unilateral gain (U), which include both the magnitude and phase angle of the S/sub 21/ parameter. The result for G/sub ma/ is not unique since there are many possible solutions to simultaneously match S/sub 11/ and S/sub 22/ when k>1. For the phase angle of U, the result tends to become 180/spl deg/ when using the topology of a variable coupler, a line stretcher, and a feedback amplifier. From the verifications, an amplifier using the unilateralizing technique will achieve 4-6 dB higher gain than that of the G/sub ma/ amplifier.
The Story of Pickering v. Bd. of Education: Unconstitutional Conditions and Public Employment

The story of Pickering v. Bd. of Education, a foundational case in public employment law, prominently foreshadows more generally the coming prominence of the doctrine of unconstitutional conditions in constitutional law. Under that doctrine, the Supreme Court limits a government actor, like a government employer, from being able to condition governmental benefits, like public employment, on the basis of individuals forfeiting their constitutional rights. It would thus seem to follow that a public employee should not have to sacrifice constitutionally-protected rights in order to enjoy the benefits and privileges of public employment. Yet, today, that is far from the actual case. So why have First Amendment public employee speech rights, which have traditionally enjoyed protection under the doctrine of unconstitutional conditions, suddenly diminished in recent years? I want to suggest in this contribution to First Amendment Law Stories that a certain jurisprudential school of thought – the “subsidy school” – has significantly undermined the vitality of the unconstitutional conditions doctrine through its largely successful sparring with an alternative school of thought, the “penalty school.” Under the subsidy school of thought, in contexts as different as abortion funding to the provision of tax exemptions, the unconstitutional conditions doctrine has become largely toothless, as government actors can simply compel a given result by saying they are doing nothing but subsidizing (or not subsidizing) a right a citizen or public employee already has under the Constitution. In order to more concretely illustrate the genesis of the unconstitutional conditions doctrine, and its recent distortions, this Chapter returns to an in-depth exploration of the case that started it all: Pickering v. Bd. of Education. Although the Court decided this case in Marvin Pickering’s favor, the resulting framework has, over the years, been interpreted by the Supreme Court in a manner that significantly limits public employee free speech rights.
A 3D Fax Machine based on Claytronics

This paper presents a novel application of modular robotic technology. Many researchers expect manufacturing technology will allow robot modules to be built at smaller and smaller scales, but movement and actuation are increasingly difficult as dimensions shrink. We describe an application ? a 3D fax machine ? which exploits inter-module communication and computation without requiring self-reconfiguration. As a result, this application may be feasible sooner than applications which depend upon modules being able to move themselves. In our new approach to 3D faxing, a large number of submillimeter robot modules form an intelligent "clay" which can be reshaped via the external application of mechanical forces. This clay can act as a novel input device, using intermodule localization techniques to acquire the shape of a 3D object by casting. We describe software for such digital clay. We also describe how, when equipped with simple inter-module latches, such clay can be used as a 3D output device. Finally, we evaluate results from simulations which test how well our approach can replicate particular objects.
A proposed model of the bursting process in turbulent boundary layers

A model is proposed which attempts to explain the complete ‘burst cycle’. This model views the wall streak as a sub-boundary layer, within the conventionally defined boundary layer, and the lift-up stage of bursting either as an upwelling motion of this sub-boundary layer which is similar to a local, convected separation or, equivalently, as the consequence of a vortex roll-up. ‘Sweeps’ are thought to represent the passage of a previous burst from further upstream. They appear either to impress on the wall streak the temporary adverse pressure gradient required to bring about its lifting or, alternatively, to provide the outer vortex which rolls up with the vortex associated with the wall streak. The model is also used to explain how the interactions between a burst and a sweep bring about (i) breakup, as well as (ii) new wall streaks further downstream.Arguments are presented to demonstrate that the three kinds of oscillatory growth reported by Kim, Kline & Reynolds (1971) may be associated with just one type of flow structure: the stretched and lifted vortex described by Kline et al. (1967).
Stimulant and Sedative Effects of Alcohol

Alcohol produces both stimulant and sedating effects in humans. These two seemingly opposite effects are central to the understanding of much of the literature on alcohol use and misuse. In this chapter we review studies that describe and attempt to measure various aspects of alcohol’s subjective, autonomic, motor, cognitive and behavioral effects from the perspective of stimulation and sedation. Although subjective sedative and stimulatory effects can be measured, it is not entirely clear if all motor, cognitive and behavioral effects can be unambiguously assigned to either one or the other category. Increased heart rate and aggression seem strongly associated with stimulation, but motor slowing and cognitive impairment can also show a similar time course to stimulation, making their relation to sedation problematic. There is good agreement that alcohol’s ability to induce striatal dopamine release is the mechanism underlying alcohol’s stimulatory effects; however, the change in brain function underlying sedation is less well understood. In general, stimulatory effects are thought to be more rewarding than sedative effects, but this may not be true for anxiolytic effects which seem more closely related to sedation than stimulation. The two major theories of how response to alcohol predicts risk for alcoholism both postulate that individuals at high risk for alcohol use disorders have a reduced sedative response to alcohol compared to individuals not at high risk. In addition one theory proposes that alcoholism risk is also associated with a larger stimulatory response to alcohol.
Automated process planning: Reasoning from first principles based on geometric relation constraints

While previous work in automated process planning established plan ordering on an empirical basis alone, we derive our process plans based on the Holding-Under-Uncertainty Principle. We will introduce the principle, and we will describe the operational requirements needed to make this principle implementable in practice. The principle takes into account the form and geometric tolerances needed to locate features in deriving plan steps. Rather than just focusing on technological features, our planning strategy is controlled by the geometric relationships among features. By implementing a constraint propagation paradigm, we ensure that the tolerances accumulated in generating the part geometry remain within the tolerances specified by the design.
Finding the right facts in the crowd: factoid question answering over social media

Community Question Answering has emerged as a popular and effective paradigm for a wide range of information needs. For example, to find out an obscure piece of trivia, it is now possible and even very effective to post a question on a popular community QA site such as Yahoo! Answers, and to rely on other users to provide answers, often within minutes. The importance of such community QA sites is magnified as they create archives of millions of questions and hundreds of millions of answers, many of which are invaluable for the information needs of other searchers. However, to make this immense body of knowledge accessible, effective answer retrieval is required. In particular, as any user can contribute an answer to a question, the majority of the content reflects personal, often unsubstantiated opinions. A ranking that combines both relevance and quality is required to make such archives usable for factual information retrieval. This task is challenging, as the structure and the contents of community QA archives differ significantly from the web setting. To address this problem we present a general ranking framework for factual information retrieval from social media. Results of a large scale evaluation demonstrate that our method is highly effective at retrieving well-formed, factual answers to questions, as evaluated on a standard factoid QA benchmark. We also show that our learning framework can be tuned with the minimum of manual labeling. Finally, we provide result analysis to gain deeper understanding of which features are significant for social media search and retrieval. Our system can be used as a crucial building block for combining results from a variety of social media content with general web search results, and to better integrate social media content for effective information access.
AN AROMATIC AMINO ACID TRANSAMINASE FROM MUNG BEAN

A transaminase has been isolated and purified from young mung bean plants (Phaseolus aureus Roxb.). The enzyme catalyzes the transamination of phenylalanine in the presence of α-ketoglutarate with ...
Plasmid RP1-mediated susceptibility of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus to rat polymorphonuclear leukocyte granule contents.

Abstract The resistance plasmid RP1 was transferred by conjugation to a plasmidless strain of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus. Acquisition and expression of RP1 by A. calcoaceticus HO1-N was associated with an increase in sensitivity to the antimicrobial activity of extracted contents from rat polymorphonuclear leukocyte granules. Plasmid RP1-associated antibiotic resistance and sensitivity to granule contents were cured by exposure to acridine orange. Assays with granule extract fractions separated by fast protein liquid chromatography showed myeloperoxidase, protease, and lysozyme fractions to possess little or no antimicrobial activity against the A. calcoaceticus strains. A protein fraction designated peak D, containing two low-molecular-weight cationic peptides (M. J. Loeffelholz and M. C. Modrzakowski, Anal. Biochem., in press), did possess antimicrobial activity against both HO1-N and Ho1-N(RP1) strains, with the HO1-N(RP1) strain being significantly more sensitive.