cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Propofol attenuates endotoxin-induced endothelial cell injury, angiotensin-converting enzyme shedding, and lung edema.

BACKGROUND: Acute lung injury (ALI) is a frequent complication in septic patients. Previously, we found that propofol, a highly lipid-soluble anesthetic, attenuates ischemia-reperfusion and oxidative lung injury in the isolated perfused rat lung. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of propofol on endotoxin-induced ALI and endothelial dysfunction. METHODS: The effect of propofol on endotoxin-induced lung endothelial injury was evaluated by plasma and lung tissue homogenate angiotensin I converting enzyme (ACE) activity, pulmonary vascular anti-ACE monoclonal antibody binding, and lung wet weight to body weight ratio (LW/BW). RESULTS: When injected IV into rats, endotoxin produced endothelial cell injury and lung edema, as indicated by: 1) an increase in plasma ACE activity, 2) a decrease in lung ACE activity and anti-ACE monoclonal antibody binding, and 3) an increase in LW/BW. Monoclonal antibody 1A2 was up to 1.8 times more sensitive than other anti-ACE monoclonal antibodies in detecting the decrease in ACE in lungs of endotoxin-treated rats. Pretreatment of rats with a bolus of propofol before endotoxin injection significantly inhibited the increase in ACE activity in the blood, the decrease in ACE activity in the lung, the decrease in anti-ACE monoclonal antibody binding in the lung, and the increase in LW/BW ratio. Importantly, propofol also significantly increased the survival rate of endotoxin-treated animals. The protective effect of propofol in endotoxin-treated animals in vivo was confirmed in vitro, i.e., propofol decreased endothelial cell injury and ACE shedding from endothelial cells in culture. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that propofol offers significant protection against endotoxin-induced pulmonary microvessel endothelial cell injury and that anti-ACE monoclonal antibody 1A2 is a sensitive probe for monitoring endothelial dysfunction and ALI during sepsis. (Anesth Analg 2007;105:1363‐70)
Identification and Characterization of Bacterial Cysteine Dioxygenases: a New Route of Cysteine Degradation for Eubacteria

In metazoa and fungi, the catabolic dissimilation of cysteine begins with its sulfoxidation to cysteine sulfinic acid by the enzyme cysteine dioxygenase (CDO). In these organisms, CDO plays an important role in the homeostatic regulation of steady-state cysteine levels and provides important oxidized metabolites of cysteine such as sulfate and taurine. To date, there has been no experimental evidence for the presence of CDO in prokaryotes. Using PSI-BLAST searches and crystallographic information about the active-site geometry of mammalian CDOs, we identified a total of four proteins from Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus, and Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) that shared low overall identity to CDO (13 to 21%) but nevertheless conserved important active-site residues. These four proteins were heterologously expressed and purified to homogeneity by a single-step immobilized metal affinity chromatography procedure. The ability of these proteins to oxidize cysteine to cysteine sulfinic acid was then compared against recombinant rat CDO. The kinetic data strongly indicate that these proteins are indeed bona fide CDOs. Phylogenetic analyses of putative bacterial CDO homologs also indicate that CDO is distributed among species within the phyla of Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria. Collectively, these data suggest that a large subset of eubacteria is capable of cysteine sulfoxidation. Suggestions are made for how this novel pathway of cysteine metabolism may play a role in the life cycle of the eubacteria that have it.
Geochemistry of burrow waters vented by a bioturbating shrimp in Bermudian sediments

Waters collected at various times from the burrows of Callianassa spp. shrimp are characterized chemically by concentrations of nutrients, sulfide and organic carbon, intermediate between those of pore waters and overlying waters of Coot Pond, Bermuda. Although the shrimp vigorously flush their burrows, irrigation events are insufficently frequent to maintain a burrow water composition completely like that of oxygenated overlying waters; in instances where departure is extensive, models describing the diffusion of interstitial-water solutes into the water column via burrows would have to take this into account. Measured oxidation potentials are substantially reduced with respect to those of the water column, and relatively high levels of reduced arsenic (As III) are encountered. Burrow irrigation provides a mechanism for the rapid, conservative advection of solutes across the sediment-water interface and therefore is at least partially responsible for the concentration and speciation variations typical of coastal seawater. Of the solutes tested, only total dissolved inorganic arsenic occurs at seawater concentration in the burrows, implying that some specialized mechanism intercepts the diffusion of pore water arsenic into the burrows.
Low marine terraces of Grand Cayman Island

Twenty levelling profiles across the shore zone of Grand Cayman Island reveal the presence of six low marine terraces above present sea level. The lowest and youngest one at about 2 m elevation is the most widespread and probably represents Sangamon interglacial high sea level. Higher terraces are much eroded and probably much older, but none provides evidence of post-terrace warping. Similarities in age and elevation of the 2 m terrace on this island to those in north-western Yucatan, northern Jamaica, the Bahamas and Florida suggest that vertical movements at Grand Cayman Island have been minor during at least the past 125 000 years, even with its nearness to the tectonically active Cayman Trough.
Factors That Control Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Calcium Release in Intact Ventricular Myocytesa

: Much has been discovered studying sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca release channels in SR vesicles and lipid bilayers. We have focused on how SR Ca release is regulated in intact mammalian ventricular myocytes, using fluorescent Ca indicators, voltage clamp, and confocal microscopy. Three major factors appear to contribute to the probability of spontaneous localized SR Ca release events (or Ca “sparks”) in resting myocytes: (1) cytosolic [Ca], (2) SR Ca content, and (3) time after previous activity (i.e., recovery from adapted or inactivated state). These same three factors function during excitation-contraction (E-C) coupling and can explain rest potentiation of twitches, increased fractional SR Ca release at higher SR Ca loads, and Ca overload. Since SR Ca release is sensitive to both ICa and SR Ca load, we have controlled (and measured) these parameters. At constant SR Ca load and ICA in intact cells we have found that SR Ca release is increased by Ca-calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CaMKII) and FK506 (which may interfere with the interaction between the Ca release channel and the FK binding protein) and is reduced by the Ca channel agonist Bay K 8644, CaMKII inhibitors, and during ventricular hypertrophy. Thus the regulation of the SR Ca release channel in the intact cell is an important factor in cellular cardiac function.
Plastic Softening of Magnesium Oxide at High Temperatures by Nickel Oxide Addition

Magnesium oxide single crystals containing 0.3% nickel oxide were tested in tension at high temperatures. The stress-strain relationship and deformation modes were similar to those identified for pure magnesium oxide. Alloy specimens had lower yield and ultimate strengths than pure magnesia at all temperatures above 1200° C and showed a greater tendency for kinking, polygonization, and recrystallization. It is proposed that the reducing atmosphere in the furnace causes the alloy crystals to decompose by the removal of oxygen and internal precipitation of nickel. The excess vacancies so produced enhance the nonconservative mobility of dislocations.
Effects of pretreatment and aging on chromite flotation

Abstract Anionic and cationic flotation of a Stillwater Complex chromite was studied as a function of pH and various pretreatments of the mineral. Aging the ground mineral in air markedly decreased anionic (sodium dodecylsulfate) flotation below pH3 and enhanced it above pH 4–5. Such aging increased cationic (dodecylammonium chloride) flotation in the basic pH region. Mildly preheating the mineral enhanced anionic flotation. Increased conditioning time in collector solution decreased anionic flotation. Strongly acid pretreating the mineral caused it to behave like a simple charged oxide toward both anionic and cationic flotation. These phenomena appear to be related to the effect of aging on the amounts of Fe(II) and Fe(III), of Cr(III) and Cr(VI) and of Mg(II) on the mineral's surface.
A Review of Five Statistical Packages for Windows

idea of scale than provided by the cursor position. In accord with the output and comments in Baglivo's review, I believe that all symbolic algebra systems at present require a considerable learning effort before they can be used efficiently and effectively. This review took more effort than any other I have prepared. Yet I find myself intrigued that DERIVE, despite its small size, can do so much when properly commanded. [Received June 1994.]
Mediating confessions in central Europe: The ecumenical activity of Valerian Magni, 1586-1661

The Capuchin friar, Valerian Magni, was one of the most influential churchmen of the first half of the seventeenth century. A confidant of Pope Urban VIII, an advisor to the emperor Ferdinand II and an intimate of the Polish king Wladyslaw IV, Magni worked tirelessly as a religious mediator for nearly fifty years. This article investigates his ecumenical activity in two major arenas, Bohemia and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. In the Czech kingdom Magni collaborated with young Archbishop Harrach to counter the Jesuits' harsher policies of reCatholicisation while in Poland he endeavoured to reunite both Protestant and Orthodox communities with the Catholic Church.
‘Supreme Emergencies’, ontological holism, and rights to communal membership

This paper highlights the importance to just war theory of ontological questions about the constitution of personal identity. It does so through a critical reinterpretation of Michael Walzer’s invocation of a supreme emergency exemption to the principles of jus in bello. Walzer’s argument has been widely criticised for attaching more importance to communities than to individuals. I argue that his position normatively prioritises individuals, but is grounded in a holistic ontology. He valorises political community only because of its importance to the individuals who comprise it. On this view, each community forms a moral world and shapes individual identity. This gives individuals a highest order interest in being part of an autonomous community and makes threats to communal existence a form of moral disaster. The paper concludes that the debate about supreme emergency should engage with ontological questions, and that such engagement would mean problematising the study of what liberalism demands in inter...
Evaluating student team project experiences

The first two courses in the computer science major at Rose-Hulman (Algorithm & Program Design and Data Structures) each have a five-week team-programming project as a component of the course. At the end of the projects, in addition to their program code, each team has to submit a user's manual and a technical manual for their product, and give a 15-20 minute oral presentation. The students are also required to evaluate the project experience on an individual basis.To facilitate the project evaluation, I designed three forms. One form is given to each team leader to complete, one form is given to the other team members, and the third form is used by me to evaluate (i.e., grade) the project. The general team member evaluation form asks the student if, in the student's opinion, everyone contributed his or her fair share to the project, how they viewed their time commitment to the project, what the strengths and weaknesses of their team leader were, to summarize the team dynamics on the project, and to comment on how worthwhile the project was. The evaluation form the team leaders complete asks them about the contributions of their team members; recommendations for "pay raises," "promotions," and "dismissals;" team dynamics; their strengths and weaknesses as team leaders; and how worthwhile the project was. The form I use to evaluate the projects has areas for me to comment on their oral presentation, the software quality, the program design, and the documentation, as well as provide a numeric grade in each area.
Beyond Viral: Interpersonal Communication in the Internet Age

The Internet has had a huge impact on human behavior. From meeting spouses and purchasing cars to interacting with friends and watching movies, the web has changed almost every facet of life. Along...
Exploring Adaptive Expertise as a Target for Engineering Design Education

In this paper we present the concept of adaptive expertise and relate this concept to the design curriculum offered by the Institute for Design Engineering and Applications (IDEA) at Northwestern University. The model of adaptive expertise suggests that instruction and assessment include a balance of “efficiency” and “innovation”. These two dimensions are first described from a theoretical perspective, then are discussed in more concrete terms in the context of the design experiences provided in IDEA. The model of adaptive expertise suggests that by providing learning experiences that balance these two dimensions we better prepare students to flexibly apply their knowledge in innovative ways. Since these aims are so closely aligned with the goals of design, we offer adaptive expertise as the target for engineering design education.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
High strain behavior of composite thin film piezoelectric membranes

The behavior of thin-film piezoelectric membranes at high deflections and strains for use as generators is examined. Experiments are conducted with a bulge tester to obtain pressure-deflection relationships, residual stresses, and electrical output characteristics of the piezoelectric membranes. A model is developed using an energy minimization technique. The experimental results are compared to the modeled results. Experimental results have shown that increasing PZT thickness and the Ti ratio of the PZT chemistry lead to increased power output for a given deflection. The presence of tensile residual stress in the composite structure can result in lower deflections for a given force and thus impact electrical output. Increasing the Ti ratio leads to a reduction in residual stress.
Potassium and phosphorus uptake by corn genotypes grown in the field as influenced by root characteristics

Root parameters of three corn (Zea mays L.) genotypes influencing P and K uptake were investigated in solution culture and field experiments. The data for these parameters were used to simulate P and K uptake by plants grown in the field using the Claassen-Barber model5. Root characteristics for ion influx, maximum rate of influx,Imax; Michaelis-Menten constant,Km; and minimum concentration of solution below which no further net influx occurs,Cmin were determined in solution culture. These kinetic parameters varied 2 to 3 fold among genotypes. Variations among genotypes were different for K than for P. Three corn genotypes were grown in the field and harvested 47, 54 and 68 days after emergence. Yield and root surface per plant increased about 3 fold during this time. At 47 days, 2/3 of the total root surface was in the top soil whereas 3 weeks later, it was less than 50%. Genotypes differed in distribution of roots between the topsoil and subsoil as well as in root surface per unit of shoot. K uptake predicted by the Claassen-Barber model was 2 to 3 times the observed. The overprediction could be related to high root density (length of root per unit soil volume) which indicated that competition between roots occurred that was not considered in the simulation model. The predicted P uptake (y) was correlated (r=0.91) to observed uptake (x) byy=0.98+0.67x, indicating underprediction of P uptake. The presence of root hairs may have been the cause of the underprediction. The calculated contribution of the subsoil to the observed uptake was 10% for K and 1% in the case of P. It was concluded that the plant parameters used to simulate nutrient uptake were rated accurately when allowance was made for root competition and presence of root hairs.
Mathematical modeling of Turbulent Reacting Plumes—II. Application to the NONO2O3 system

Abstract Calculations performed with the Turbulent Reacting Plume Model (TRPM) developed in Part I are compared with the experimental data of Builtjes (1981, Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research, Div. of Technology for Soc., Ref. No. 81-013563) for the reaction between NO in a point source plume and ambient O 3 , taking place in a wind tunnel simulating a neutral atmospheric boundary layer. The comparison shows the TRPM capable of quantitatively predicting the retardation imposed on the evolution of nonlinear plume chemistry by incomplete mixing.
A weighted estimating equation for linear regression with missing covariate data.

Linear regression is one of the most popular statistical techniques. In linear regression analysis, missing covariate data occur often. A recent approach to analyse such data is a weighted estimating equation. With weighted estimating equations, the contribution to the estimating equation from a complete observation is weighted by the inverse 'probability of being observed'. In this paper, we propose a weighted estimating equation in which we wrongly assume that the missing covariates are multivariate normal, but still produces consistent estimates as long as the probability of being observed is correctly modelled. In simulations, these weighted estimating equations appear to be highly efficient when compared to the most efficient weighted estimating equation as proposed by Robins et al. and Lipsitz et al. However, these weighted estimating equations, in which we wrongly assume that the missing covariates are multivariate normal, are much less computationally intensive than the weighted estimating equations given by Lipsitz et al. We compare the weighted estimating equations proposed in this paper to the efficient weighted estimating equations via an example and a simulation study. We only consider missing data which are missing at random; non-ignorably missing data are not addressed in this paper.
Diuretic therapy in children.

Rational approach to the use of diuretics in the pediatric cardiac patient requires initial attention to basic factors such as underlying hemodynamic state, presence of potentially remediable structural abnormalities, expected duration of treatment, as well as more general considerations such as bioavailability, level of renal function and ability to monitor baseline parameters of electrolytes and acid-base balance.
The influence of hydrogen on deformation and fracture processes in high-strength aluminum alloys

Abstract Hydrogen-enhanced fracture of age-hardened 7050 and 7075 AlZnMg alloys has been studied by an in situ environmental-cell TEM deformation technique. The effects of both gaseous and solute hydrogen were investigated. The effects of high-fugacity gaseous hydrogen atmospheres on the behavior of dislocations and crack tips in these alloys were monitored by video recording of dynamic events. It is concluded that hydrogen enhances dislocation mobility and reduces the flow stress. Fracture in hydrogen was similar to that observed in vacuum except that it occurred at lower stresses due to the hydrogen-enhanced dislocation mobility. Hydrogen concentrated in the high-stress region ahead of the crack promoted highly localized ductile fracture. Large silicon- and iron-rich precipitates influenced cracking in cathodically precharged specimens as a result of hydrogen accumulation in their vicinity.
The separation and determination of thiamin and its phosphate esters in brain

Abstract A new procedure to separate thiamin and its phosphate esters is described. Using SP-Sephadex column chromatography, quantitative recovery of each form of thiamin from rat brain can be achieved without prior purification and without involving a separate procedure to determine free thiamin and thiamin monophosphate. The applicability of the assay in determining the form of thiamin in brain subfractions is demonstrated.
The Torre syndrome with gastrointestinal polyposis.

• Multiple cutaneous sebaceous neoplasms with or without keratoacanthomas are associated with internal low-grade malignant neoplasms, usually of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract (Torre syndrome). We describe a 75-year-old man with multiple sebaceous adenomas, sebaceous epitheliomas, and keratoacanthomas in association with multiple colonic polyps. In one polypoid lesion, an adenocarcinoma was noted histologically. Although GI tract carcinoma is clearly established with the Torre syndrome, the occurrence of multiple GI polyps has not been recognized to our knowledge. (Arch Dermatol116:312-314, 1980)
Knowledge for Statecraft Lecture Given by the Winner of the Johan Skytte Prize in Political Science, Uppsala, October 3, 1998

The occasion of receiving the Johan Skytte Prize in Political Science is perhaps an appropriate occasion to recall the origins of my interest in developing knowledge for statecraft. During the course of my years as a member of the RAND Corporation in Santa Monica, I became aware that much academic research on international relations was not providing the type of theory and knowledge needed for dealing with the challenges the United States was facing during the Cold War. I felt it necessary to undertake the challenging task of devising a new approach for producing the type of knowledge that would come closer to meeting the needs of policy makers who were trying to avoid getting into dangerous war-threatening crises and, when such crises nonetheless occurred, to manage and terminate them without triggering escalation to war.
On the gravitational analogue of Larmor's theorem

Abstract The gravitational analogue of Larmor's theorem is formulated; the result is then used to study the graviational coupling of the helicity of electromagnetic radiation with the angular momentum of a rotating mass. In particular, the differential gravitational deflection of polarized radiation is investigated in the eikonal approximation.
Trade Unionists Against Terror: Guatemala City, 1954-1985

Deborah Levenson-Estrada provides the first comprehensive analysis of how urban labor unions took shape in Guatemala under conditions of state terrorism. In Trade Unionists against Terror , she explores how workers made sense of their struggle for rights in the face of death squads and other forms of violent opposition from the state. Levenson-Estrada focuses especially on the case of 400 workers at the Coca-Cola bottling plant in Guatemala City, who, in order to protect their union, successfully occupied the factory for over a year beginning in 1984 while the country was under a state of siege. According to Levenson-Estrada, religion provided the language of resistance, and workers who were engaged in what seemed to be a dead-end battle constructed an identity for themselves as powerful agents of change. Based on oral histories as well as documentary sources, Trade Unionists against Terror also illuminates complex relationships between urban popular culture, gender, family, and workplace activism in Guatemala.
Locomotor muscle fatigue modifies central motor drive in healthy humans and imposes a limitation to exercise performance

We asked whether the central effects of fatiguing locomotor muscle fatigue exert an inhibitory influence on central motor drive to regulate the total degree of peripheral fatigue development. Eight cyclists performed constant-workload prefatigue trials (a) to exhaustion (83% of peak power output (Wpeak), 10 ± 1 min; PFT83%), and (b) for an identical duration but at 67%Wpeak (PFT67%). Exercise-induced peripheral quadriceps fatigue was assessed via changes in potentiated quadriceps twitch force (ΔQtw,pot) from pre- to post-exercise in response to supra-maximal femoral nerve stimulation (ΔQtw,pot). On different days, each subject randomly performed three 5 km time trials (TTs). First, subjects repeated PFT83% and the TT was started 4 min later with a known level of pre-existing locomotor muscle fatigue (ΔQtw,pot−36%) (PFT83%-TT). Second, subjects repeated PFT67% and the TT was started 4 min later with a known level of pre-existing locomotor muscle fatigue (ΔQtw,pot−20%) (PFT67%-TT). Finally, a control TT was performed without any pre-existing level of fatigue. Central neural drive during the three TTs was estimated via quadriceps EMG. Increases in pre-existing locomotor muscle fatigue from control TT to PFT83%-TT resulted in significant dose-dependent changes in central motor drive (−23%), power output (−14%), and performance time (+6%) during the TTs. However, the magnitude of locomotor muscle fatigue following various TTs was not different (ΔQtw,pot of −35 to −37%, P= 0.35). We suggest that feedback from fatiguing muscle plays an important role in the determination of central motor drive and force output, so that the development of peripheral muscle fatigue is confined to a certain level.
THERMAL STRESSES IN MULTILEVEL INTERCONNECTIONS : ALUMINUM LINES AT DIFFERENT LEVELS

Numerical results on the evolution of thermal stresses in multilevel interconnects are presented. Two levels of aluminum lines with an aspect ratio of unity, aligned vertically or arranged in a staggered manner, are considered by recourse to the finite element analysis. The stresses are found to be significantly higher in the lower-level lines than in the upper-level lines, for both the aligned and staggered arrangements. The stress magnitudes are generally smaller in lines of staggered arrangement, compared to the case of aligned lines. Implications of the present findings are discussed, with directions of future studies highlighted.
Adipose Tissue Macrophages Are Innate to the Immunological Awareness of Adipose Tissue

The antigen-presentation process constitutes a fundamental basis of the functional immune system in vertebrates. The late Ralph Steinman, who discovered antigen-presenting dendritic cells, commented about the immune system that, “it is diverse beyond compare, tolerant without fail, and capable of behaving appropriately with a myriad of infections and other challenges ” (1). Significant progress has been made in understanding the classical immune response to infections and rare failings of tolerance to self (2). However the underlying mechanisms of how the immune system processes and responds to “ other challenges,” such as sensing and storage of caloric excess in adipose tissue and the integration of immune system with metabolism, remains largely unknown. Multiple studies during the past decade have identified visceral adipose tissue as an important site of residence of leukocytes, including cells of the innate (macrophages and neutrophils) and adaptive immune system (T and B cells) (3–5). It is clear that adipose tissue is a major endocrine organ that controls energy homeostasis. In addition, the presence of a significant number of hematopoietic cells in adipose tissue suggests that immune cells may impart unique immunological properties to the adipose tissue (4). For example, 1 g of enzymatically dispersed adipose tissues can contain up to 5 million stromal vascular fraction (SVF) cells, and after exclusion of adipocytes, ∼50–65% of SVF cells are leukocytes (6). Considering that in severe obesity in humans, the total fat content can constitute up to 50% of the total body mass, adipose tissue thus represents an uncharacterized immunological organ. For such an immunological characterization, specific cells in adipose tissue must be able to capture, process, and present antigens to T cells and mount a functional immunological response. In this issue, Morris et al. (7) further the hypothesis that adipose tissue is immunologically aware by providing tantalizing …
Unveiling positions of privilege: A hands-on approach to understanding racism

In this article, I describe a classroom exercise used to assist White undergraduates in recognizing their racial privilege and the effects of institutional racism. While working in collaborative groups to construct mobiles, students unknowingly assume roles and behaviors analogous to those held by members of dominant and nondominant racial and social-class groups in the larger society. Students' written reflections at the conclusion of the class session provide evidence of the activity's effectiveness in helping students gain new insights about the privileged positions they hold in society and the ways those positions influence their perceptions of others.
Total hip replacement in renal transplant patients

Avascular necrosis of the femoral head creates considerable morbidity in successful renal transplant recipients who are generally young and expect active lifestyles. Total hip replacement is considered the treatment of choice in these patients, but surgeons may be wary because of a supposed increase in the risk of infection and other complications. A review of the literature reveals that cemented hip arthroplasty provides good to excellent functional outcomes for renal transplant patients. Most authors have found that the risk of infection is not increased despite chronic immunosuppression, but the rates of general complications are and should be anticipated and treated. There is a high rate of early failure in these patients because of their young age and diffuse osteopenia as a result of secondary hyperparathyroidism related to the underlying renal disease and chronic steroid use. Recent studies have found that despite decreased bone stock in these patients, porous-coated prostheses are not contraindicated.
Lysine Residues at Positions 234 and 236 in Yeast Porin Are Involved in Its Assembly into the Mitochondrial Outer Membrane (

Various point mutations of lysyl residues in yeast mitochondrial porin (283 residues) were tested for their ability to assemble in vitro into the outer membranes of intact yeast mitochondria. Assembly was evaluated by protection from proteinases. The extent of assembly of two of the mutants, K234E and K236E porins, was much less than for wild-type in either post-translational or co-translational assembly assays. Lysine to glutamate mutants at other positions and K234R porin assembled as well as wild-type, but K234Q porin was poorly inserted. When both Lys-234 and Lys-236 were mutated, K234R/K236R porin was inserted better than K234Q/K236Q porin, which was inserted better than K234E/K236E; however, none of these mutants assembled as well as wild-type porin. It was concluded that optimal assembly of yeast porin depended on the presence of positively charged residues at both positions 234 and 236 and a lysine at one of these positions. After undergoing the assembly reaction, mutants that were vulnerable to proteinase K (i.e. K234E, K234Q, and K236E porins) seemed to be incompletely digested and were, to varying degrees, resistant to extraction by Na2CO3 (pH 11.5). These experiments suggested that these mutants were incompletely inserted into the outer membrane. Both Lys-234 and Lys-236 are included in an internal pentapeptide, VKAKV, that is conserved in porins from protists, plants, and animals, and it is possible that, at least, the lysines in this tract are one of the signals for the membrane assembly of these proteins.
Altered regulation of parathyroid hormone secretion by calcium in pregnant and lactating rats.

We have previously shown that the serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) concentration in lactating (L) rats is not suppressed by high serum Ca2+ to the same extent as in nonmated (NM) rats. To investigate further Ca2+ regulation of PTH secretion, parathyroid cells from NM rats and rats in late pregnancy and at peak lactation were dispersed and incubated for 2 h in medium containing 0.52–2.05 mM Ca2+. Medium PTH was assayed with a homologous immunoradiometric assay (IRMA). At the two highest Ca2+ levels (1.81 and 2.05 mM), medium PTH was significantly higher (p = 0.031) for cells from L rats than for cells from NM rats. In contrast, significantly less (p 40 pg/ml) in L rats occurred only at serum Ca2+ values below 1.27 mM. Elevated serum PTH at lower serum Ca2+ levels was also seen in pregnant rats. Dispersed parathyroid cells from 20− to 21-day pregnant rats secreted significantly more PTH (p = 0.028) than cells from NM rats at all Ca2+ levels tested (1.1–1.6 mM). In conclusion, the relationship between extracellular Ca2+ and PTH secretion is altered in rats during late pregnancy and at peak lactation, perhaps as part of the adaptation to the demands for calcium for pre- and postnatal growth.
A symmetry-breaking generative model of a simple-cell/complex-cell hierarchy

We present a generative model for a three-layer hierarchy consisting of a retinal layer, a simple-cell layer, and a complex-cell layer. The weights in the model are trained using supervised learning on the retinal layer and complex cells. Once the weights are learned, the model is able to perform bottom-up classification of images, as well as top-down reconstruction from a specified category. The symmetry-breaking aspect of the model prevents the top-down reconstruction from generating images with a mixture of incompatible features. We illustrate the performance of this model with an image space consisting of vertical and horizontal bars in varying positions, in which the complex-cell layer learns the invariance that groups all horizontal bars into one category and all vertical into another.
Hand trigger system for bi-lateral gripping control in teleoperation

A new device for human operator control of a robotic gripper has been developed and preliminary evaluation has been performed. The JPL Force Reflecting Hand Trigger system features: an instrumented index finger trigger with load cell detection of finger force. A servo controlled, lead screw driven backdrive capability by which the trigger's position can be made to follow that of the remotely controlled gripper. And a novel feedback mechanism by which clamping force or some other signal can be fed back via a swiveling motion, also servo controlled, of the trigger surface (force reflection). This system has undergone preliminary testing in which the amount of force reflection is varied and dynamic force tracking response is observed.
Managing episodes of care: strategies for orthopaedic surgeons in the era of reform.

While the demand for hip and knee replacements is on the rise, reimbursement from public payers continues to decline. As Medicare experiments with payment reform strategies, such as the National Pilot Program on Payment Bundling outlined in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), orthopaedic surgeons will need to identify ways to cut costs, maintain quality measures, and manage post-acute care to survive in a changing marketplace. This article seeks to demystify the episode-of-care bundled payment methodology, provide a roadmap of what orthopaedic surgeons can do to participate in this demonstration project, and present strategies to mitigate the inherent risks. ### Fiscal Underpinnings In the last twenty years, orthopaedic surgeons have experienced declining Medicare reimbursement, with surgeon payments for total hip and knee replacement decreasing by 69% and 66%, respectively1. Without a permanent fix to the flawed Medicare sustainable growth rate formula, physicians’ reimbursement will continue to decline2. Medicare reimbursement is also a challenge for hospitals. Sixty-three percent of all U.S. hospitals have negative margins on Medicare patients, with one-quarter sustaining inpatient margins of –20% or lower3. As the U.S. population ages, a growing number of patients requiring total hip and total knee replacements will come from the Medicare population. Additionally, an estimated thirty-two million previously uninsured Americans will be insured under plans that reimburse at Medicaid or Medicare-equivalent rates under PPACA coverage expansions by 20144. Orthopaedic surgeons and hospitals will need to find ways to more efficiently treat this population to protect market share and achieve positive margins on Medicare payments. In an attempt to bend the cost curve, Medicare has begun experimenting with innovative payment methodologies that encourage coordinated, high-quality, and efficient care. Such methodologies are being tested as alternatives to the traditional fee-for-service arrangement criticized for rewarding the overuse and duplication …
Human-in-the-Loop: A Feedback-Driven Model for Authoring Knowledge-Based Interactive Learning Environments

While computer-based interactive learning environments can provide authentic and supportive settings for problem-based learning, they are very difficult to build. The traditional development model requires significant upfront development and results in systems that are hard to deploy and customize. In this article, we describe a feedback-driven authoring model that aims to reduce the development difficulty by including teachers in the feedback loop to complement system feedback and incrementally author the content in the learning environment during real use. We discuss the design of INDIE, a learning environment authoring toolkit, for supporting the incremental authoring model. We present empirical results obtained from the development and use of Corrosion Investigator, a learning environment delivered by INDIE, as an example to show how the incremental authoring model is implemented in educational settings.
Organized Labor and the Housing Question: Public Housing, Suburbanization, and Urban Renewal

This paper examines those public-housing, suburbanization, and urban renewal policies in the United States of America that have evolved as a consequence of intraclass struggle. It is argued that the powerful constituency of organized labor was able, in the 1950s, to impose suburbanization as a valid answer to the housing question of the unions, while subsuming the housing demands, needs, and wants of less-powerful women and blacks. By the 1960s, the growing movements of women and blacks were able to challenge the dominance of the labor-liberal coalition and to successfully oppose the union-advocated policies of urban renewal and suburbanization.
Post-mortem Correlates of in Vivo PiB-PET Amyloid Imaging in a Typical Case of Alzheimer's Disease

The positron emission tomography (PET) radiotracer Pittsburgh Compound-B (PiB) binds with high affinity to β-pleated sheet aggregates of the amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide in vitro . The in vivo retention of PiB in brains of people with Alzheimer's disease shows a regional distribution that is very similar to distribution of Aβ deposits observed post-mortem. However, the basis for regional variations in PiB binding in vivo , and the extent to which it binds to different types of Aβ-containing plaques and tau-containing neurofibrillary tangles (NFT), has not been thoroughly investigated. The present study examined 28 clinically diagnosed and autopsy-confirmed Alzheimer's disease subjects, including one Alzheimer's disease subject who had undergone PiB-PET imaging 10 months prior to death, to evaluate region- and substrate-specific binding of the highly fluorescent PiB derivative 6-CN-PiB. These data were then correlated with region-matched Aβ plaque load and peptide levels, [3H]PiB binding in vitro , and in vivo PET retention levels. We found that in Alzheimer's disease brain tissue sections, the preponderance of 6-CN-PiB binding is in plaques immunoreactive to either Aβ42 or Aβ40, and to vascular Aβ deposits. 6-CN-PiB labelling was most robust in compact/cored plaques in the prefrontal and temporal cortices. While diffuse plaques, including those in caudate nucleus and presubiculum, were less prominently labelled, amorphous Aβ plaques in the cerebellum were not detectable with 6-CN-PiB. Only a small subset of NFT were 6-CN-PiB positive; these resembled extracellular ‘ghost’ NFT. In Alzheimer's disease brain tissue homogenates, there was a direct correlation between [3H]PiB binding and insoluble Aβ peptide levels. In the Alzheimer's disease subject who underwent PiB-PET prior to death, in vivo PiB retention levels correlated directly with region-matched post-mortem measures of [3H]PiB binding, insoluble Aβ peptide levels, 6-CN-PiB- and Aβ plaque load, but not with measures of NFT. These results demonstrate, in a typical Alzheimer's disease brain, that PiB binding is highly selective for insoluble (fibrillar) Aβ deposits, and not for neurofibrillary pathology. The strong direct correlation of in vivo PiB retention with region-matched quantitative analyses of Aβ plaques in the same subject supports the validity of PiB-PET imaging as a method for in vivo evaluation of Aβ plaque burden.
Aerosolized Vaccine as an Unexpected Source of False-Positive Bordetella pertussis PCR Results

When 13 of 13 nasal wash specimens from a single pediatrician's office tested positive for low quantities of Bordetella pertussis DNA, we suspected prelaboratory contamination. Investigation revealed that Pentacel and Adacel vaccines contain high copy numbers of B. pertussis DNA, which can be aerosolized, causing false-positive B. pertussis PCR results.
Ethanol stimulates ciliary beating by dual cyclic nucleotide kinase activation in bovine bronchial epithelial cells.

Previously, we have shown that ethanol (EtOH) stimulates a rapid increase in the ciliary beat frequency (CBF) of bovine bronchial epithelial cells (BBECs) via the activation of PKA. We have also shown that inhibitors of nitric oxide synthase block EtOH-stimulated increases in CBF. We hypothesize that EtOH acutely stimulates CBF via the activation of both PKA and PKG pathways. Using chemiluminescence detection of nitric oxide (NO), we directly measured increases in NO production in BBECs treated with 100 mmol/L of EtOH beginning at 25 minutes. Pretreatment of BBECs with guanylyl cyclase inhibitors, ODQ or LY83583, resulted in the inhibition of EtOH-stimulated CBF. Low concentrations (1 nmol/L) of cyclic nucleotide analogues do not stimulate CBF increases. However, a combination of both 1 nmol/L of 8Br-cAMP and 8Br-cGMP stimulates a significant increase over baseline CBF. This effect could be blocked by pretreating BBECs with inhibitors of either PKA or PKG. Very high concentrations of either 8Br-cAMP or 8Br-cGMP (≥100 μmol/L) were required to cross-activate both PKA and PKG. This suggests that cross-activation of PKA by cGMP is not occurring at the concentrations (1 nmol/L) capable of stimulating CBF. 8-pCPT-cGMPS, an antagonist analogue to cGMP, blocked EtOH-stimulated PKA activity increases. These data support that EtOH-stimulated increases in CBF require the dual activation of both PKA (via cAMP) and PKG (via NO).
Synthesis, Characterization, and Hydrotreating Activity of Several Iron Group Transition Metal Phosphides

A series of iron, cobalt, and nickel metal phosphides of chemical formula Fe2P, CoP, and Ni2P with specific surface areas of around 3 m2 g−1 were synthesized by means of temperature-programmed reduction (TPR) of the corresponding phosphates. These phosphides were also successfully prepared in dispersed form on a silica support (90 m2 g−1) for use as catalysts. The phase purity of these materials was established by X-ray diffraction (XRD), and surface properties were determined by N2 BET specific surface area (Sg) measurements and CO uptake determinations. The activity of the silica-supported catalysts in hydrodenitrogenation (HDN) and hydrodesulfurization (HDS) was evaluated in a three-phase trickle-bed reactor using a model liquid feed containing 2000 ppm nitrogen as quinoline, 3000 ppm sulfur as dibenzothiophene, 500 ppm oxygen as benzofuran, 20 wt% aromatics as tetralin, and balance aliphatics as tetradecane. The reactivity study showed that the HDS activity sequence for the three samples was Ni2P/SiO2>CoP/SiO2>Fe2P/SiO2, while the HDN activity followed the sequence CoP/SiO2>Ni2P/SiO2>Fe2P/SiO2. Compared with a commercial Ni–Mo–S/γ-Al2O3 catalyst, Ni2P/SiO2 had a higher HDS activity (90 vs 76%), but a lower HDN activity (14 vs 38%), based on equal sites loaded in the reactor. The sites were determined by CO chemisorption for the phosphide and low-temperature O2 chemisorption for the sulfide. XRD and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy characterizations of the spent catalysts indicated that the Ni2P/SiO2 catalyst was tolerant of sulfur.
Endoscopic and Angiographic Diagnosis and Management of a Gastric Arteriovenous Malformation

Introduction: Gastric arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is an uncommon cause of upper gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding. Methods and results: We describe a case of gastric AVM which was diagnosed endoscopically and successfully managed by endoclip application and percutaneous transarterial coil embolization. Conclusions: We propose that these two minimally invasive technologies can be used to manage AVM in the gut: endoscopic therapy to control luminal bleeding and interventional radiology to define the full extent of the malformation and to decrease arterial pressure and flow to the point that hemostasis can occur, without creating symptomatic ischemia. & 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier GmbH. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).
Priestley Rings and Priestley Order-Compactifications

We introduce Priestley rings of upsets (of a poset) and prove that inequivalent Priestley ring representations of a bounded distributive lattice L are in 1-1 correspondence with dense subspaces of the Priestley space of L. This generalizes a 1955 result of Bauer that inequivalent reduced field representations of a Boolean algebra B are in 1-1 correspondence with dense subspaces of the Stone space of B. We also introduce Priestley order-compactifications and Priestley bases of an ordered topological space, and show that they are in 1-1 correspondence. This generalizes a 1961 result of Dwinger that zero-dimensional compactifications of a topological space are in 1-1 correspondence with its Boolean bases.
A Comparison of Maintenance-Tailored Therapy (MTT) and Standard Behavior Therapy (SBT) for the Treatment of Obesity

Abstract Objective To evaluate a maintenance-tailored therapy (MTT) compared to standard behavior therapy (SBT) for treatment of obesity. Main outcome measure: change in body weight. Method A non-blinded, randomized trial comparing effectiveness of MTT and SBT in facilitating sustained weight loss over 18 months; 213 adult volunteers ≥ 18 years participated. SBT had fixed behavioral goals, MTT goals varied over time. Study conducted at the University of Minnesota, School of Public Health, January 2005 through September 2007. Results Mean (SD) weight losses at 6, 12, and 18 months were 5.7 (5.0) kg, 8.2 (8.6) kg and 8.3 (8.9) kg for MTT and 7.4 (3.9) kg, 10.7 (8.2) kg and 9.3 (8.8) kg for SBT. Total weight loss did not differ by group at 18 months, but the time pattern differed significantly ( p Conclusions The MTT approach produced sustained weight loss for an unusually long period of time and not achieved in previous trials of behavioral treatment for weight loss. The MTT approach, therefore, deserves further study.
Polyamine depletion is associated with an increase in JunD/AP-1 activity in small intestinal crypt cells

Activator protein 1 (AP-1) is a group of dimeric transcription factors composed of protooncogene (Jun and Fos) subunits that bind to a common DNA site, the AP-1 binding site. The proteins of c-Jun,...