cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mitochondrial D- -hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase. 3. Isolation and characterization

Abstract d-(-)-β-Hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase, an enzyme which is bound to the inner membrane of mitochondria has been purified approximately 80-fold from beef heart mitochondria. The enzyme is released by treatment with phospholipase A and then the addition of 0.4m LiBr. The stability of the enzyme is strongly enhanced by lowering the pH to 6.5 and by the addition of dithiothreitol and EDTA. The purification is achieved without the use of added detergents and the product is a water-soluble apodehydrogenase which contains neither detergent nor significant amounts of phospholipid. The purified enzyme preparation at each stage after release from the membrane has an absolute and specific requirement for phospholipid containing lecithin. Mitochondrial phospholipids, which contain approximately 40% lecithin, are more effective than purified lecithin in reactivating the soluble enzyme.
The effect of time delays in fuel pin failure on LOF-TOP transient calculations for a commercial-sized LMFBR

Various loss-of-flow cases have been calculated for a commercial-sized liquid-metal fast breeder reactor. Particular attention has been paid to the development of loss-of-flow-driven transient-overpower (LOF-TOP) conditions. In such conditions, it is crucial to consider when an initial cladding breach might occur in LOF-TOP pins and over what length of time the initial cladding breach might extend in fuel pins failing under burst pressure. This study shows that the neutronic energy deposition in transient calculations including LOF-TOP pin failures can increase substantially compared to a calculation excluding such LOF-TOP failures in two ways. First, there will be an increase if there is no extension of an initial cladding failure in LOF-TOP pins or if there is a relatively long delay in the extension. Secondly, when, in applying a fuel melt fraction criterion for pin failure, the same melt fraction is specified for failure extension as for initial failure, which implies a certain delay time for failure extension, there will be an increase in the energy deposition compared to the case without any LOF-TOP failures only when the specified fuel melt fraction becomes very large. However, even in the case with the largest failure melt fraction, there will be no increase inmore » energy deposition when a rapid enough failure extension is assumed. These calculations make a number of very conservative assumptions. The purpose of the study is not to provide a best estimate of accident conditions but to show how quickly an initial cladding breach must extend in such conservative calculations if it is to limit the increase in neutronic energy deposition.« less
Rescue of lesioned septal cholinergic neurons by nerve growth factor: specificity and requirement for chronic treatment

We earlier reported that chronic intraventricular injections of NGF into adult rats with partial transection of the fimbria prevent the lesion-induced disappearance of cholinergic neurons in the medial septal nucleus and the diagonal band of Broca (Hefti, 1986). The present study assessed the specificity and treatment requirements of this effect of NGF. Immunohistochemical visualization of NGF receptors (NGF-R) revealed that these molecules are selectively located in forebrain cholinergic neurons of unlesioned brains. Fimbrial transection resulted in transient accumulation of NGF-R in proximal stumps of lesioned axons but failed to induce the expression of NGF-R by other cells in the septal area or near the lesion. Two to three weeks after lesioning, the number of septal neurons expressing NGF-R was reduced by approximately 50% in parallel with the reduction of the number of neurons expressing cholinergic marker enzymes. Repeated intraventricular NGF injections during 4 weeks prevented the disappearance of these cells. Fimbrial transections also reduced the number of septal GABAergic neurons visualized by glutamate decarboxylase immunohistochemistry. The loss of GABAergic neurons was not prevented by NGF. These findings suggest that NGF prevents the lesion-induced degeneration of cholinergic neurons by directly acting on NGF-R expressed by cholinergic cells and that NGF does not affect any neuron with an axonal lesion. Delayed start of the NGF treatment failed to prevent the disappearance of lesioned cholinergic neurons, providing evidence that NGF treatment indeed promotes the survival of these cells rather than simply upregulating the expression of transmitter-specific enzymes. A single injection of NGF at the time of the lesion was not sufficient to prevent the lesion-induced degeneration of cholinergic neurons. Furthermore, termination of chronic NGF treatment after 4 weeks was followed by loss of septal cholinergic neurons after an additional 4 weeks. These findings suggest that the continuous presence of NGF during more than 4 weeks is required to prevent the degeneration of cholinergic cells. The data are discussed in the context of a possible physiological role of NGF in the function of adult forebrain cholinergic neurons.
DNA Evidence in the O.J. Simpson Trial

To draw appropriate lessons from the O.J. Simpson case, one must have an accurate appreciation of the strengths and weaknesses of the DNA evidence against Simpson. Much of the public discourse about the case begins with the premise that the DNA evidence proved Simpson’s guilt conclusively and proceeds quickly to an analysis of factors that might explain why the jury nevertheless voted to acquit. This line of analysis generally leads to unflattering conclusions about the fairness or intelligence of the Simpson jury and, more broadly, to cynical conclusions about the capacity of the criminal justice system, as currently constituted, to produce just results. The first section of this essay challenges the underlying premise of this analysis. I argue that the jury could quite reasonably have concluded that the DNA evidence against Simpson deserved little or no weight.
Reasoning about polymorphic behavior

The standard approach to dealing with OO polymorphism is to require subclasses to be behavioral subtypes of the base class. This ensures that reasoning that has been done about any client code that operates on base class objects will continue to be valid if instances of the subclasses are used in place of the base class objects. But often one is interested in stronger properties of the client code, in particular that its behavior will be appropriate to the specific subclass objects that are used, rather than just generic behavior that ignores the differences between the different subclasses. The authors present some examples to illustrate the problem, and propose a method of reasoning that allows one to establish stronger properties of the client code on the basis of the richer behavior provided by the appropriate derived classes.
Confocal microscopic analysis of morphogenetic movements.

Confocal microscopy is an excellent means of imaging cellular dynamics within living zebrafish embryos because it provides a means of optically sectioning tissues that have been labeled with specific fluorescent probe molecules. In order to study genetically encoded patterns of cell behavior that are involved in the formation of germ layers and various organ primordia, it is possible to vitally stain an entire zebrafish embryo with one or more fluorescent probe molecules and then examine morphogenetic behaviors within specific cell populations of interest using time-lapse confocal microscopy. There are two major advantages to this "bulk-labeling" approach: (1) the applied fluorescent probe (a contrast-enhancing agent) allows all of the cells within an intact zebrafish embryo to be rapidly stained; (2) the morphogenetic movements and shape changes of hundreds of cells can then be examined simultaneously in vivo using time-lapse confocal microscopy. The neutral fluorophore Bodipy 505/515 and its sphingolipid-derivative Bodipy-C5-ceramide are particularly useful, nonteratogenic vital stains for imaging cellular dynamics in living zebrafish embryos. These photostable fluorescent probes (when applied with 2% DMSO) percolate through the enveloping layer epithelium of the embryo, and localize in yolk-containing cytoplasm and interstitial space, respectively, owing to their different physiochemical characteristics. Bodipy-ceramide, for instance, remains highly localized to interstitial fluid once it accumulates within a zebrafish embryo, allowing the boundaries of deep cells to be clearly discerned throughout the entire embryo. Through the use of either of these fluorescent vital stains, it is possible to rapidly convert a developing zebrafish embryo into a strongly fluorescent specimen that is ideally suited for time-lapse confocal imaging. For zebrafish embryos whose deep cells have been intentionally "scatter-labeled" with fluorescent lineage tracers (e.g., fluorescent dextrans), sequential confocal z-series (i.e., focus-throughs) of the embryo can be rendered into uniquely informative 3D time-lapse movies using readily available image-processing programs. Similar time-lapse imaging, combined with rapidly advancing computer-assisted visualization techniques, may soon be applied to study the dynamics of GFP-fusion proteins in vivo, as well as other types of synthetic probe molecules designed to reveal the cytological processes associated with the patterning and morphological transformations of the zebrafish's embryonic tissues.
A cis-acting element accounts for a conserved methylation pattern upstream of the mouse adenine phosphoribosyltransferase gene.

A 2.1-kilobase pair region located just upstream of the mouse aprt (adenine phosphoribosyltransferase) gene has a methylation pattern that is conserved in mouse tissues and culture cell lines. This upstream region includes four HpaII/MspI sites. Two of these sites are fully methylated, one is partially methylated, and one is unmethylated. Transfection experiments have demonstrated that the conserved methylation pattern can be reproduced in a mouse embryonal carcinoma stem cell line via de novo methylation (Turker, M.S., Mummaneni, P., and Bishop, P.L. (1991) Somat. Cell Mol. Genet. 17, 151-157). To examine the molecular basis of the conserved methylation pattern, a plasmid-based deletion analysis was conducted by removing and rearranging specific portions of the upstream region. Unmethylated versions of these plasmid constructs were then transfected into the mouse stem cell line and the methylation status of the remaining HpaII/MspI sites determined with a Southern blot analysis. By using this approach, a cis-acting sequence within the upstream region of approximately 0.8 kilobase pairs was identified which appears responsible for the conserved methylation pattern. We use the term "de novo methylation center" to denote this sequence. Based on the results obtained, a model is offered to explain the formation of the conserved methylation pattern in the upstream region.
Hematolymphoid lesions of the sinonasal tract.

Various hematolymphoid lesions involve the sinonasal tract, including aggressive B, T, and NK-cell neoplasms; myeloid sarcoma; low-grade lymphomas; indolent T-lymphoblastic proliferations; and Rosai–Dorfman disease. Differentiating aggressive lymphomas from non-hematopoietic neoplasms such as poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma, olfactory neuroblastoma, or sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma may pose diagnostic challenges. In addition, the necrosis, vascular damage, and inflammatory infiltrates that are associated with some hematolymphoid disorders can result in misdiagnosis as infectious, autoimmune, or inflammatory conditions. Here, we review hematolymphoid disorders involving the sinonasal tract including their key clinical and histopathologic features.
Coordinated Histone H3 Methylation and Acetylation Regulate Physiologic and Pathologic Fas Ligand Gene Expression in Human CD4+ T Cells

Activation-induced Fas ligand (FasL) mRNA expression in CD4+ T cells is mainly controlled at transcriptional initiation. To elucidate the epigenetic mechanisms regulating physiologic and pathologic FasL transcription, TCR stimulation–responsive promoter histone modifications in normal and alcohol-exposed primary human CD4+ T cells were examined. TCR stimulation of normal and alcohol-exposed cells led to discernible changes in promoter histone H3 lysine trimethylation, as documented by an increase in the levels of transcriptionally permissive histone 3 lysine 4 trimethylation and a concomitant decrease in the repressive histone 3 lysine 9 trimethylation. Moreover, acetylation of histone 3 lysine 9 (H3K9), a critical feature of the active promoter state that is opposed by histone 3 lysine 9 trimethylation, was significantly increased and was essentially mediated by the p300-histone acetyltransferase. Notably, the degree of these coordinated histone modifications and subsequent recruitment of transcription factors and RNA polymerase II were significantly enhanced in alcohol-exposed CD4+ T cells and were commensurate with the pathologic increase in the levels of FasL mRNA. The clinical relevance of these findings is further supported by CD4+ T cells obtained from individuals with a history of heavy alcohol consumption, which demonstrate significantly greater p300-dependent H3K9 acetylation and FasL expression. Overall, these data show that, in human CD4+ T cells, TCR stimulation induces a distinct promoter histone profile involving a coordinated cross-talk between histone 3 lysine 4 and H3K9 methylation and acetylation that dictates the transcriptional activation of FasL under physiologic, as well as pathologic, conditions of alcohol exposure.
Effect of metal films on the photostabilities of emissive organic layers as probed by fluorescence microscopy

Realization of energy efficient and cost effective electroluminescence applications of conjugated polymers, like organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs), requires a complete understanding of photo-chemical processes at metal-polymer interfaces. Therefore it is useful to study the effects of metal films on the photoluminescence of emissive organic layer fabricated on it. While investigating these processes we observed an interesting and unexpected phenomenon that, when conjugated polymer is deposited on thin gold film substrates, it exhibits remarkable photo-stability relative to that deposited on glass, even in the presence of molecular oxygen. This paper addresses the photo-stability enhancement by thin Au films and explores the photochemical mechanism behind it.
Vibrational spectroscopy and conformation of peptides, polypeptides, and proteins.

Publisher Summary The vibrational spectrum of a molecule is determined by its three-dimensional structure and its vibrational force field. An analysis of this (usually infrared (IR) and Raman) spectrum can therefore provide information on the structure and on intramolecular and intermolecular interactions. The more probing the analysis, the more detailed is the information that can be obtained. Detailed analyses of the vibrational spectra of macromolecules, however, have provided a deeper understanding of structure and interactions in these systems. An important advance in this direction for proteins came with the determination of the normal modes of vibration of the peptide group in N-methylacetamide, and the characterization of several specific amide vibrations in polypeptide systems. Extensive use has been made of spectra-structure correlations based on some of these amide modes, including attempts to determine secondary structure composition in proteins. Polypeptide molecules exhibit many more vibrational frequencies than the amide modes. Over the years, some normal-mode calculations have provided greater insight into the spectra of particular molecules. However, these have often been based on approximate structures or have employed limited force fields. These force fields can now serve as a basis for detailed analyses of spectral and structural questions in other polypeptide molecules. The aim of this chapter is to present these recent developments in the vibrational spectroscopy of peptides, polypeptides, and proteins.
Account-Making and Confiding as Acts of Meaning in Response to Sexual Assault

A study was conducted to compare the interpretive and coping responses of female and male survivors of incest and female survivors of sexual assault by a nonrelative. Twenty-eight persons responded to a questionnaire that asked them to provide an account of the nature of an assault(s), the role of confidants in helping them cope with the assault, how they coped and tried to understand the assault over time, how they felt the assault affected their close relationships, and how they evaluated their current state of recovery. The results for male and female incest groups were similar in revealing great difficulty in coping and in having adult close relationships. These two groups showed more continuing lack of resolution than did the female nonfamilial survivors. The male group of incest survivors showed the greatest overall difficulty. The findings are discussed in terms of the roles of searching for meaning via account-making and confiding as ways of dealing with long-term, major stressors in people's lives.
Family Therapy for Cancer Patients: Clinical Issues and Interventions

Cancer can have a dramatic impact on family life. As a result of changes in cancer detection and survival, a growing number of families have been touched by this illness. This article reviews some of the challenges these families face. An initial conceptual model is offered, which describes how family adjustment is influenced by medical, developmental, and family-systems factors, including phase of treatment, family structure, life-cycle tasks, personal constructions of illness, and family resources. The authors consider which families might be most vulnerable or resilient to distress and describe family interventions.
Genetic control of chlorophyll biosynthesis: Effect of increased δ-aminolevulinic acid synthesis on the phenotype of the y-1 mutant of Chlamydomonas

A Mendelian mutant r-1 in chlamydomonas reinhardtii has been shown to make the synthesis of δ-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) insensitive to inhibition by protoporphyrin. We have now combined the r-1 mutant with the protochlorophyllideaccumulating mutant y-1. From the phenotype of the double mutant y-1 r-1 and the phenocopy produced by feeding ALA to y-1, we conclude that r-1 also makes the synthesis of ALA insensitive to the inhibition by protochlorophyllide. To explain the fact that both ALA-fed y-1 and y-1 r-1 accumulate large amounts of protoporphyrin and smaller amounts of protochlorophyllide, we propose a new control feedback loop in the porphyrin biosynthetic pathway from protochlorophyllide to the step which converts protoporphyrin to magnesium protoporphyrin.
Analyticity constraints and residue functions of E2 pole exchange

Abstract We consider the analyticity constraints of the spectral functions of the E 2 representation of unequal mass scattering amplitudes at light-like momentum transfers. Using these constraints we reduce the number of independent couplings, or residue functions, of the E 2 representation poles.
Prediction of Creep Stiffness of Asphalt Mixture with Micromechanical Finite-Element and Discrete-Element Models

This study presents micromechanical finite-element (FE) and discrete-element (DE) models for the prediction of viscoelastic creep stiffness of asphalt mixture. Asphalt mixture is composed of graded aggregates bound with mastic (asphalt mixed with fines and fine aggregates) and air voids. The two-dimensional (2D) microstructure of asphalt mixture was obtained by optically scanning the smoothly sawn surface of superpave gyratory compacted asphalt mixture specimens. For the FE method, the micromechanical model of asphalt mixture uses an equivalent lattice network structure whereby interparticle load transfer is simulated through an effective asphalt mastic zone. The ABAQUS FE model integrates a user material subroutine that combines continuum elements with viscoelastic properties for the effective asphalt mastic and rigid body elements for each aggregate. An incremental FE algorithm was employed in an ABAQUS user material model for the asphalt mastic to predict global viscoelastic behavior of asphalt mixture. In regard to the DE model, the outlines of aggregates were converted into polygons based on a 2D scanned mixture microstructure. The polygons were then mapped onto a sheet of uniformly sized disks, and the intrinsic and interface properties of the aggregates and mastic were assigned for the simulation. An experimental program was developed to measure the properties of sand mastic for simulation inputs. The laboratory measurements of the mixture creep stiffness were compared with FE and DE model predictions over a reduced time. The results indicated both methods were applicable for mixture creep stiffness prediction.
Communication Uses and the Social Activity Constant

Analysis of longitudinal data has detected exchanges between social behaviors, including attention to the media of mass communication, that are obscured by the magnitude of individual differences in cross-sectional data. In the past neither general "modes" of social activities nor multiple relationships among particular communication behaviors have been empirically demonstrated Cluster analysis has provided a technique for developing an inductive typology of modes of social activity, and a typology emerged from analysis which confirmed and extended the concepts of primary and secondary association and classified mass media in a third form of social association. Further analysis of multiple relationships among behaviors within and between such modes of activity provided heuristic findings in support of behavior exchange hypotheses. These findings synthesize existing perspectives on personal changes in communication behavior into a new paradigm for research.
N=1/2 Wess-Zumino model is renormalizable

The Wess-Zumino model on $\mathcal{N}=\frac{1}{2}$ nonanticommutative superspace, which contains the dimension-6 term ${F}^{3}$, is shown to be renormalizable to all orders in perturbation theory, upon adding $F$ and ${F}^{2}$ terms to the original Lagrangian. The renormalizability is possible, even with this higher-dimension operator, because the Lagrangian is not Hermitian. Such deformed field theories arise naturally in string theory with a graviphoton background.
Factors Influencing Differences between Survey and Market-based Environmental Value Measures

A unique US database combining survey and housing data is used to obtain household-level stated and market-based willingness-to-pay (WTP) measures to avoid living near landfills. Systematic differe...
The 21st century chemistry journal

Internet publication will radically alter how chemists will publish their research in the next century. In this article, we describe two fundamental changes: enhanced chemical publication which allows chemists to publish materials that cannot be published on paper and end-user customization which allows readers to read articles prepared to meet their specifications. These concepts have been implemented within the Internet Journal of Chemistry, a new journal designed to employ the latest technologies for chemical publications.
The electoral geographies of two segregationist (“Jim Crow”) referenda in Alabama

Abstract At the conclusion of the American Civil War, the states of the former Confederacy rapidly added sections to their state constitutions and legal statutes to codify racial segregation and limit the social, economic and political options for their African American citizens. These laws became the foundation for the Jim Crow system of racial segregation. Although such laws have been found unconstitutional, some have survived in state constitutions and statutes as legal relicts. Using the traditionalist–modernizer model and Thomas Frank’s concept of the Great Backlash, we examine the electoral geographies of two referenda in Alabama to delete Jim Crow era provisions from the state’s constitution. Although 59% of Alabama voters supported deleting the state’s constitutional ban on interracial marriage in 2000, a slight majority supported maintaining the unenforceable constitutional sections requiring poll taxes and segregated schools in 2004. We find the geographic pattern of voting on both referenda was substantially associated with the traditionalist–modernizer model and Great Backlash as they pertain to race, religious conservatism, and views towards public education and taxes.
Nonequilibrium Effects During Spontaneous Imbibition

Accurate models of multiphase flow in porous media and predictions of oil recovery require a thorough understanding of the physics of fluid flow. Current simulators assume, generally, that local capillary equilibrium is reached instantaneously during any flow mode. Consequently, capillary pressure and relative permeability curves are functions solely of water saturation. In the case of imbibition, the assumption of instantaneous local capillary equilibrium allows the balance equations to be cast in the form of a self-similar, diffusion-like problem. Li et al. [J. Petrol. Sci. Eng. 39(3) (2003), 309–326] analyzed oil production data from spontaneous countercurrent imbibition experiments and inferred that they observed the self-similar behavior expected from the mathematical equations. Others (Barenblatt et al. [Soc. Petrol. Eng. J. 8(4) (2002), 409–416]; Silin and Patzek [Transport in Porous Media 54 (2004), 297–322]) assert that local equilibirum is not reached in porous media during spontaneous imbibition and nonequilibirium effects should be taken into account. Simulations and definitive experiments are conducted at core scale in this work to reveal unequivocally nonequilbirium effects. Experimental in-situ saturation data obtained with a computerized tomography scanner illustrate significant deviation from the numerical local-equilibrium based results. The data indicates: (i) capillary imbibition is an inherently nonequilibrium process and (ii) the traditional, multi-phase, reservoir simulation equations may not well represent the true physics of the process.
Cytoplasmic polyadenylation element (CPE)- and CPE-binding protein (CPEB)-independent mechanisms regulate early class maternal mRNA translational activation in Xenopus oocytes

Meiotic cell cycle progression during vertebrate oocyte maturation requires the correct temporal translation of maternal mRNAs encoding key regulatory proteins. The mechanism by which specific mRNAs are temporally activated is unknown, although both cytoplasmic polyadenylation elements (CPE) within the 3′-untranslated region (3′-UTR) of mRNAs and the CPE-binding protein (CPEB) have been implicated. We report that in progesterone-stimulated Xenopus oocytes, the early cytoplasmic polyadenylation and translational activation of multiple maternal mRNAs occur in a CPE- and CPEB-independent manner. We demonstrate that polyadenylation response elements, originally identified in the 3′-UTR of the mRNA encoding the Mos proto-oncogene, direct CPE- and CPEB-independent polyadenylation of an early class of Xenopus maternal mRNAs. Our findings refute the hypothesis that CPE sequences alone account for the range of temporal inductions of maternal mRNAs observed during Xenopus oocyte maturation. Rather, our data indicate that the sequential action of distinct 3′-UTR-directed translational control mechanisms coordinates the complex temporal patterns and extent of protein synthesis during vertebrate meiotic cell cycle progression.
Relationship between Probability of Breakage to Maximum Principal Stresses in Window Glass

Currently, the ASTM design methodology to determine the load resistance of annealed window glass incorporates a probability distribution to model glass load resistance. A probability of 8 lites per 1,000 broken at the first occurrence of the design load was selected to match a load resistance consistent with a historical design factor of 2.5. The historical use of a factor relationship leads to the misconception that the design methodology follows an allowable stress procedure. The misconception has led to another common misconception among architects and engineers that a constant maximum principal stress exists, associated with the load resistance for any combination of lite thickness, aspect ratio, and surface area. This paper presents the relationship between the maximum principal stress in glass lites associated with their design loads for a probability of breakage of 8 lites per 1,000. The relationship clearly shows that the maximum principal stress is not constant for a single lite thickness for varying rectangular dimensions much less for all lite geometry combinations. A series of charts illustrates the trends in magnitude and location of the maximum principal stress as a function of lite thickness, aspect ratio, and surface area.
Torsional-impact apparatus: Two torsional-impact machines, developed to investigate the dynamic behavior of metals at large strains and high-strain rates, are described by the author

A torsional-impact machine has been developed to investigate the dynamic behavior of metals at large strains and high strain rates. Two machines are described; the first was used to continuously monitor stress, strain profile and temperature profile during deformation; the second was designed specifically to investigate the thermal-instability strain. In both machines, the use of a shear pin made independent control of the ultimate strain possible, permitting essentially constant strain rate throughout the test. Shear-strain rates of up to 2300/sec and ultimate shear strains of up to 400 percent were obtained on machine No. 1. Some experimental results are presented to indicate the type of data obtained and the error limits on measurements.
Squares of Non-Standard-Normal or Non-Student's-t1 RVs Which Have Chi-Square1 or F1,1 Distributions: A Return Visit

In some quarters, especially beginners learning statistics and probability, one generally accepts a claim such as a ${\chi _{1}^{2}}$ random variable (rv) must be the square of a standard normal rv or a F 1,1 rv must be the square of a Student’s t 1 rv. This feeds into more misconceptions later. Hence, we begin with a brief but general construct and then illustrate a number of rvs explicitly which are drastically different from a standard normal or Student’s t 1 rv whose squares are distributed as $\chi _{1}^{2}$ or F 1,1 respectively. This simply presented note reinforces basic understanding of lessons in such core topics covered in classrooms for both undergraduate and graduate students.
Lung mechanical properties in the West Indian Manatee (Trichechus manatus)

Abstract Airway dimensions, extent of cartilage reinforcements and lung mechanical properties were examined in excised lungs of the West Indian Manatee (Trichechus manatus). All airways with a mean inside diameter of more than 0.6 mm had complete cartilaginous rings in their walls, and cartilage reinforcement extended into the respiratory bronchi. Expiratory flow rates over the vital capacity range were higher than those encountered in humans varying between 20 and 50% of peak flow at 25% of vital capacity. They were, however, lower than in other marine mammals. The ratio of lung compliance to lung weight was found to be 0.67 ml/(g · cm H2O) compared to 0.18 ml/(g · cm H2O) in terrestrial mammals. This together with a high gas-tissue ratio of 11 mg/g for the inflated manatee lung indicates that strong airway reinforcements are necessary to prevent airway collapse during exhalation.
Moving GeoPQL: a pictorial language towards spatio-temporal queries

Nowadays, two of the main challenges involving spatio-temporal databases concern the integration of their spatial and temporal features to store and query spatial objects changing over time, and the development of a simple and friendly language to query spatio-temporal data. In this paper we gather these two challenges by proposing Moving GeoPQL, a language defined in order to express spatio-temporal queries, extending the Geographical Pictorial Query language (GeoPQL). The proposed evolution is based on the concept of temporal layer that allows specifying the spatial configuration of moving objects in a time interval. More layers allow representing changes in terms of spatial configurations. Some examples of query formulation and system operation are described in the article. Finally, an experiment has been carried out for evaluating the usability of the Moving GeoPQL system. Results of this experiment showed that it facilitates the spatio-temporal query formulation since it is more user-friendly and ease to use compared to textual query languages.
A demand side management based simulation platform incorporating heuristic optimization for management of household appliances

Abstract Demand-Side Management (DSM) can be defined as the implementation of policies and measures to control, regulate, and reduce energy consumption. This paper introduces dynamic distributed resource management and optimized operation of household appliances in a DSM based simulation tool. The principal purpose of the simulation tool is to illustrate customer-driven DSM operation, and evaluate an estimate for home electricity consumption while minimizing the customer’s cost. A heuristic optimization algorithm i.e. Binary Particle Swarm Optimization (BPSO) is used for the optimization of DSM operation in the tool. The tool also simulates the operation of household appliances as a Hybrid Renewable Energy System (HRES). The resource management technique is implemented using an optimization algorithm, i.e. Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), which determines the distribution of energy obtained from various sources depending on the load. The validity of the tool is illustrated through an example case study for various household situations.
Transcriptional mutagenesis and DNA strand asymmetrical mutations expressed in Escherichia coli under restrictive metabolic conditions.

Mutagenesis by C-to-U events specifically in either DNA strand assayed with ung uvrA defective Escherichia coli on a metabolically restrictive medium produces more glutamine tRNA suppressor mutations from U occurring in the non-transcribed DNA strand than from U in the transcribed (template) DNA strand. This bias is the reverse of what might be expected from transcriptional mutagenesis (mutation expression utilizing mutated RNA transcribed from damaged template strand DNA). The results and related ideas are discussed.
Distribution, composition, and orientation of down deadwood in riparian old-growth woodlands of Zoar Valley Canyon, western New York State, USA

Abstract During 2005, we catalogued down deadwood (DDW) in forty-one 30-m × 30-m quadrats on 10 riparian upper terraces within the minimally disturbed Zoar Valley Canyon of western New York State. Woodlands on these former floodplains represent late-successional stages of a diversity of broadleaf ecotypes, with increment core-based stand ages up to 351 years. Volume of DDW averaged 84.9 ± 9.7 (±S.E.) m3/ha among all quadrats, and ranged up to 145.3 ± 43.2 m3/ha on individual terraces. Abundance of downed sugar maple reflected this species’ prevalence in the live overstory, but American beech deadwood was markedly overabundant due to beech bark disease mortality. Prevalence of very-shade-tolerant (sugar maple, American beech, eastern hemlock) DDW was modest for northern hardwood old growth (46.4 ± 4.3% among all quadrats), and was not related to stand age. We speculate this may reflect the floodplain origin of these woodlands. Down deadwood volume was positively associated with stand age among terraces (R2 = 0.446, P = 0.035), but not at the neighborhood scale of 30-m quadrats (R2 = 0.027), where individual tree mortality may obscure broader patterns. Orientation of DDW was non-uniform (Kolmogorov–Smirnov goodness-of-fit, P
Ethical decision-making in bioscience firms

A survey of the ethical practices of bioscience companies suggests that although most firms feature ethics in their mission statement or code of conduct, fewer than half of the companies surveyed have made any formal efforts to assess how well these approaches are working.
New Identity/Identities Formulation in a Post‐Nomadic Community: The Case of the Bedouin of the Negev

Research conducted by the author in the mid‐1990s found that while the bedouin culture and lifestyle in Israel's Negev Desert has been altered significantly as community members were resettled in stone houses, surrendered their camels for automobiles and entered the wage labour workforce, an expressed ‘bedouin’ identity remained strong. Indeed, it was found that rather than integrate the bedouin into the Jewish‐Israeli social mainstream, coerced settlement only served, if anything, to Arabise and Islamicise communal identity. Using evidence gathered in 2000 in the planned bedouin town of Segev Shalom/Shqeb, this study serves as a follow‐up analysis of more recent changes found in bedouin identity formulation. The data will reveal that ‘bedouin’ identity remains, but that it is on the slow decline. In its place, two new identity/identities matrices have formed: the Arab/Palestinian/Muslim matrix and the bedouin/Israeli matrix. It will be shown that these expressed identity/identities matrices are not rando...
Simultaneous determination of common mono- and divalent cations in natural water samples by conductimetric detection ion chromatography with an unmodified silica gel column and oxalic acid/18-crown-6 as eluent

Abstract An unmodified silica gel (Super Micro Beads Silica Gel B-5: SMBSG B-5) was used for the ion chromatographic (IC) separation of common mono- and divalent cations (Na + , NH + 4 , K + , Mg 2+ and Ca 2+ ) in various natural water samples with strongly acidic eluents. When using 1 mM oxalic acid as the eluent, the SMBSG B-5 silica gel acted as a cation-exchange stationary phase and incomplete separation of these cations was achieved. Therefore, the effect of 18-crown-6 (1,4,7,10,13,16-hexaoxacyclooctadecane) added to 1 mM oxalic acid as the eluent was investigated for the achievement of complete separation of these cations. As a result, when using 1 mM oxalic acid/3 mM 18-crown-6 as the eluent and a 15 cm SMBSG B-5 column, highly sensitive and excellent separation for these cations was achieved in 15 min. The proposed IC method was successfully applied to the determination of these cations in various natural water samples.
Visual illusion induced by sound

We present the first cross-modal modification of visual perception which involves a phenomenological change in the quality-as opposed to a small, gradual, or quantitative change-of the percept of a non-ambiguous visual stimulus. We report a visual illusion which is induced by sound: when a single flash of light is accompanied by multiple auditory beeps, the single flash is perceived as multiple flashes. We present two experiments as well as several observations which establish that this alteration of the visual percept is due to cross-modal perceptual interactions as opposed to cognitive, attentional, or other origins. The results of the second experiment also reveal that the temporal window of these audio-visual interactions is approximately 100 ms.
Characterization of mitogen-stimulated porcine lymphocytes using a stable fluorescent dye (PKH2) and multicolor flow cytometry.

Abstract Stimulation of lymphocyte proliferation using mitogens or specific antigens is a method that is used frequently to assess immune responsiveness. While useful, lymphocyte blastogenesis, or [ 3 H ] -thymidine incorporation, provides little information regarding the response of specific subsets to the stimulant. Here, we report that the fluorescent cell membrane probe, PKH2, is a useful tool for measuring the proliferation of porcine lymphocyte subpopulations by utilizing multicolor flow cytometry. For this study, mitogen-induced proliferation of porcine peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was measured using [ 3 H ] -thymidine incorporation as well as a flow cytometric-based proliferation assay. From the [ 3 H ] -thymidine incorporation data alone, it was observed that PBMC stimulated with either concanavalin A (Con A), phytohemagglutinin (PHA) or pokeweed mitogen (PWM) demonstrated greater proliferation on day 3 than on day 5 of culture. Using the PKH dye and flow cytometric analysis, the responsiveness of specific lymphocyte subsets to mitogen stimulation was detected. The predominant subsets of porcine lymphocytes responding to Con A or PHA stimulation were CD4 + CD8 + , CD4 − CD8α hi , CD4 − CD8α lo and γδ TCR + cells. PWM stimulation induced responses by CD4 + CD8 + , CD4CD8α hi but not by CD4 − CD8α lo or γδ TCR + cells. Con A stimulation resulted in a sustained proliferation of CD8α hi cells over the 5-day period while PHA stimulation resulted in proliferation that peaked within the first 3 days. Little or no proliferative responses were detected within the IgM + population (e.g. B cells). This is the first study to define the contribution of individual lymphocyte subsets to mitogen-induced proliferation of porcine PBMCs.
Increased erythrocyte glutathione reductase activity in diabetes mellitus

Abstract During investigation of conditions for spectrophotometric assay of glutathione reductase in hemolyzates, several blood samples from diabetic individuals were found to have unusually high glutathione reductase activity. Further study was stimulated by Langdon's report (1960) on the inhibition of glutathione reductase of rat adipose tissue by the phenylalanyl chain of insulin.
Legal Issues in Caring for Patients With Kidney Disease by Selectively Integrating Complementary Therapies

Clinical integration of complementary and alternative medical (CAM) therapies, such as acupuncture and traditional oriental medicine, chiropractic, herbal medicine, massage therapy, and "mind-body" therapies, into conventional health care raises important legal and risk management issues. Understanding which CAM therapies patients use is legally prudent, as conventional treatment advice may interact with patients' own efforts toward self-care. In addition, nephrologists may limit potential liability for medical malpractice by classifying any given therapy as follows: (1) the medical evidence supports both safety and efficacy--recommend; (2) the medical evidence supports safety, but evidence regarding efficacy is inconclusive-accept but monitor; (3) the medical evidence supports efficacy, but evidence regarding safety is inconclusive-accept but monitor; and (4) the medical evidence indicates either serious risk or inefficacy--avoid and discourage. Applying this framework whether a therapy is labeled "conventional" or "CAM" is consistent with the key recommendation of the recent report by the Institute of Medicine at the National Academy of Sciences on Complementary and Alternative Medicine, namely, to apply the same principles and standards of evidence of treatment effectiveness to all treatments. Liability risk management also includes going beyond legal and ethical informed consent requirements by engaging the patient in shared decision making concerning all material treatment options, including CAM therapies, if supported by evidence. Physicians further should familiarize themselves with documentation standards suggested by the Federation of State Medical Board Guidelines and whether these are applicable in their state or home institution. These steps aim to enable nephrologists to respond to patient interest in CAM therapies in a way that is clinically responsible, ethically appropriate, and legally defensible.
Team learning developing interdisciplinary project teams

Teachers of STEM students and employers of graduates recognize that success in many professions requires effective multi-disciplinary team performance. While there is abundant evidence that having "diversity" on a team can contribute to greater creativity and innovation, it is not clear how a group of individuals come to function as a team or how they learn from one other [1,2]. To better understand how university students learn in multi-disciplinary teams, 256 undergraduate students participating in teams in the spring of 2010 at a Midwest university were studied. Data collection included self-reported efficacy for cross-disciplinary team learning (CDTL), as well as self-reported attitudes toward team processes and outcomes, and individual characteristics. During the course of the semester, overall self-efficacy for CDTL increased across all respondents. However, a large number of individual students also displayed decreases in self-efficacy from the beginning to the end of the semester. A previously developed framework for CDTL [2] was further tested and modified as part of this study. Individuals with a high “identity” score at the start of the semester tended to report a smaller increase in this score at the end semester, probably for two reasons: they had less room for improvement, and greater likelihood of overestimating their abilities at the start. Several other findings related to team processes and characteristics were identified and will be discussed.
Survey of clinical pharmacology training in the United States and Canada.

A survey of 139 medical schools in the United States and Canada was conducted in 1993-1994 to determine where active training programs in clinical pharmacology were located. A secondary survey of clinical pharmacology program directors followed in 1994-1995. Thirty-nine active programs were identified where 113 fellows (84 physicians and 29 nonphysicians) were enrolled. Sixty-eight percent of current physician fellows were trained in internal medicine before they entered their clinical pharmacology program. Forty-four percent of trainees were reported to be U.S. citizens. Fewer than 20 fellows complete training each year. The reported content of training programs was 12% didactic, 72% research, 12% clinical service, and 9% supervised teaching. Funding sources for trainees varied considerably. Nearly 50% of trainees were supported all or in part by funds from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and approximately 40% relied on international sources of support. No correlation between salary and funding source or fellow degree was found. Nearly two-thirds of recent program graduates obtained employment in an academic setting, whereas 15% entered the pharmaceutical industry. These data indicate that subspecialty training in clinical pharmacology is available at 39 medical schools in the United States and Canada. Current fellowship training is primarily research based and nearly equally supported by NIH and international sources.
The Criminal Procedure Political Connection: Miranda Before and After

Liva Baker's book on the "crime, law and politics" surrounding the Miranda case opens with a detailed account of the crime committed by Miranda and closes with his death in 1976 in a barroom fight as his assailant is being given his Miranda rights. In between, using the Miranda case as a centerpiece, Liva Baker, who earlier wrote a biography of Felix Frankfurter,' has woven a tapestry of the social and political forces and events preceding and following that case. Into that skein, she was wound the life stories of the chief participants; the broad social trends; a paralegal course on criminal procedure; and an analysis of how the political, legal, and economic elites manipulate the legal system to their benefit. Baker shows the connections and interrelationships between the lives and fortunes of individuals and the power struggles in which they (largely men) engage. She is able to relate-and this is certainly her major object-individual cases to the political system from which they emerge. More particularly, the book leads to a better understanding of the current assault on the exclusionary rule and the way the rule became the focus of political campaigns of the 1970s. The work is marvelously nontechnical, yet answers almost every question one is likely to pose about the workings of the United States Supreme Court. Along the way, Baker provides both recent historical background and legal analysis of criminal-procedure cases emanating from the Warren and Burger Courts. Her main emphasis is on the political machinations surrounding these decisions, especially their attempted manipulation for political purposes. Although by no means pathbreaking in placing law in a political setting, or