cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Asymmetry and directionality in production of new cell types during clonal growth: the switching pattern of homothallic yeast

Homothallic Saccharomyces yeasts efficiently interconvert between two cell types, the mating types a and alpha. These interconversions have been proposed to occur by genetic rearrangement ("cassette" insertion) at the locus controlling cell type (the mating type locus). The pattern of switching from one cell type to the other during growth of a clone of homothallic cells has been followed by direct microscopic observation, and the results have been summarized as "rules" of switching. First, when a cell divides, it produces either two cells with the same mating type as the original cell or two cells that have switched to the other mating type. This observation suggests that the mating type locus is changed early in the cell cycle, in late Gl or during S. Second, the ability to produce cells that have switched mating type is restricted to cells that have previously divided ("experienced cells"). Spores and buds ("inexperienced cells") rarely if ever give rise to cells with changed mating type. A homothallic yeast cell thus exhibits asymmetric segregation of the potential for mating type interconversion--at each cell division, the mother, but not the daughter, is capable of switching cell types in its next division. Homothallic cells also exhibit directionality in switching: experienced cells switch to the opposite cell type in more than 50% of cell divisions. These results show that the process of mating type interconversion is itself controlled during growth of a clone of homothallic cells. By analogy and extension of these results, we propose that multiple cell types can be produced in a specific pattern during development of a higher eucaryote in a model involving sequential cassette insertion.
SEASONAL VARIATIONS IN THE GONADOTROPIC HORMONE CONTENT OF THE RABBIT PITUITARY

IN RECENT YEARS we have become more familiar with the seasonal expres′sion of environmental influences on reproduction. Studies on birds and mammals with obviously seasonal breeding habits have provided effective illustrations of such influences (i, i, 3, 4, 5). But we are apt to dismiss environmental factors from consideration in those species, such as the rabbit, which breed throughout the year. Nevertheless, an inspection of actual breeding records in laboratory colonies has revealed (6) a definite seasonalvariation in the incidence of estrus even in the isolated rabbit. In contrast to the isolated rabbit, the post′partum rabbit breeds with regularity at all times of the year. Consequently, we should not have expected any distinct seasonal variation in the pituitaries of post′partum females which were proven to be in estrus by actual mating. The findings reported in this paper came as an unwelcome surprise in the course of some other investigations.
Less Costly Catalysts for Controlling Engine Emissions

Lowering the fuel consumption of transportation vehicles could decrease both emissions of greenhouse gases and our dependence on fossil fuels. One way to increase the fuel efficiency of internal combustion engines is to run them 'lean,' in the presence of more air than needed to burn all of the fuel. It may seem strange that engines are usually designed to run with fuel and air at stoichiometric balance, or even fuel rich. However, the way emissions have been controlled with catalytic converters has required some unburned fuel in the exhaust, especially for controlling the nitrogen oxide pollutants NO and NO{sub 2} (called NO{sub x}). On page 1624 of this issue, Kim et al. (1) report encouraging results for catalysts that can process NO{sub x} in lean-burn engines. These perovskite oxide catalysts may help reduce or even eliminate the need for expensive and scarce platinum group metals (PGMs) in emission control catalysts.
Development and characterization of rabbit and mouse antibodies against ebolavirus envelope glycoproteins

Ebolaviruses are the etiologic agents of severe viral hemorrhagic fevers in primates, including humans, and could be misused for the development of biological weapons. The ability to rapidly detect and differentiate these viruses is therefore crucial. Antibodies that can detect reliably the ebolavirus surface envelope glycoprotein GP1,2 or a truncated variant that is secreted from infected cells (sGP) are required for advanced development of diagnostic assays such as sandwich ELISAs or Western blots (WB). We used a GP1,2 peptide conserved among Bundibugyo, Ebola, Reston, Sudan, and Tai Forest viruses and a mucin-like domain-deleted Sudan virus GP1,2 (SudanGPΔMuc) to immunize mice or rabbits, and developed a panel of antibodies that either cross-react or are virus-specific. These antibodies detected full-length GP1,2 and sGP in different assays such as ELISA, FACS, or WB. In addition, some of the antibodies were shown to have potential clinical relevance, as they detected ebolavirus-infected cells by immunofluorescence assay and gave a specific increase in signal by sandwich ELISA against sera from mouse-adapted Ebola virus-infected mice over uninfected mouse sera. Rabbit anti-SudanGPΔMuc polyclonal antibody neutralized gammaretroviral particles pseudotyped with Sudan virus GP1,2, but not particles pseudotyped with other ebolavirus GP1,2. Together, our results suggest that this panel of antibodies may prove useful for both in vitro analyses of ebolavirus GP1,2, as well as analysis of clinically relevant samples.
Optimal scheduling of just‐in‐time purchase deliveries

The success of a JIT system depends on the effective implementation of all its components, including JIT purchasing. Even after following all prescribed implementation procedures of the JIT purchasing system, many companies are frustrated owing to delayed or early delivery of materials to the work centres because of limited unloading facilities. Identifies this problem, develops a mathematical formulation and provides a methodology for obtaining optimal delivery schedules for JIT purchases by applying operations research techniques. An algorithm‐based decision support system is developed which gives optimal unloading schedules very quickly, making it suitable for daily JIT purchases delivery planning.
Mycobacterium chelonae infection following a total knee arthroplasty

Infection following total knee arthroplasty is a major cause of implant failure, with an incidence of infections between 1 and 12%. Although there have been no previously reported cases of infection with Mycobacterium chelonae following total knee arthroplasty, this mycobacterium appears to be a potential pathogen in arthroplasty. When infection following total knee arthroplasty is evident but standard cultures come back negative, atypical mycobacterium infection should be considered. Mycobacterium chelonae does not grow in the normally allotted culture time, so false negative results are common. Once identified, M. chelonae is difficult to treat because of its resistance to standard drug therapies. Details of the first reported successful diagnosis and treatment of an infection with M. chelonae following a total knee arthroplasty are reported.
Empirical Assessment of Geographically Based Surface Interpolation Methods for Adjusting Construction Cost Estimates by Project Location

AbstractThe accuracy of cost estimates is crucial to the success of construction projects with knowledge of project location being fundamental to the outcome of cost estimating. Location factors are commonly used to adjust construction cost estimates by project location, but these factors are not available for all locations. To date, the nearest neighbor (NN) method, based on simple, proximity-based interpolation has been used when a city lacks a sampled location factor even if this method was not empirically validated. This paper provides several contributions. First, the validity of the proximity-based method was substantially supported through the analysis of the global spatial autocorrelation of the changes in location factors from 2005 to 2009. Using two established cost index databases, it was found that there is spatial correlation between cost indexes for specific cities. Therefore, cost estimators can spatially interpolate values to understand cost indexes at places that are not listed in the dat...
Information and filtering

Abstract The joint information between a signal at the present and past observation values is calculated in the discrete-time case for a general nonlinear filtering problem. A steady-state condition on the nullity of the above information rate is used to derive sharp lower bounds for the sensor error covariance.
Medulloblastoma: Extradural metastasis to the jaw: Report of a case

Abstract A metastatic focus of medulloblastoma in the mandible of an 11-year-old girl is presented. This represents the second documented instance of remote spread to the jaws from a malignant tumor of the central nervous system.
Recent reflections on tumor markers

The necessity for monitoring serum levels of alphafetoprotein (AFP) and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in patients with testicular cancer is widely known, but a few questions remain unanswered. Cross-reactivity of commercial hCG assays with luteinizing hormone remains a problem; and as patients apparently cured of testicular cancer age, they become subject to other diseases that can elevated AFP or hCG levels, creating confusion. There still are no adequate studies of the role of markers in staging, a problem that has become acute with the introduction of expectant treatment for metastases in clinical stage A disease. Calculation of the metabolic half-life of markers can be helpful in staging postoperatively, but calculations of the actual half-life of markers during induction chemotherapy is less useful than had once been hoped. Attempts to capitalize on the molecular heterogeneity of AFP have had little success, although newer analytic methods may change this; but ultrasensitive assays for urinary hCG are beginning to show promise. Studies of radioimmunodetection with anti-marker antibodies have been both encouraging and frustrating; the newly available monoclonal anti-marker antibodies may improve the results and also offer a possible means of improving chemotherapy. Placental alkaline phosphatase continues to look like a useful marker for seminoma, and lactic dehydrogenase is often helpful in all types of testicular cancer, especially in high-stage disease.
With vaulted voice verification my voice is my key

Those who handle sensitive information from time to time need a device that can communicate securely. They also need the ability to verify the recipient of the information. For such secure communication to take place, they must securely exchange a key, often with someone they do not already know. Biometrics have been gaining widespread adoption in an effort to verify the end users identity. We extend this to key exchange. Vaulted Voice Verification, a recently introduced voice-based biometric protocol, has been shown to securely and remotely verify a user while also maintaining the privacy of the user. However Vaulted Voice Verification as originally proposed was not well suited for the exchange of larger keys. We present an index-based Vaulted Voice Verification which significantly reduces communication overhead and allows the transmission of keys that are suitable for biometrically authenticated secure communication.
Sedimentary Facies in Area of Mixed Terrigenous-Carbonate Deposition, Arlington Reef Complex and Adjacent Areas, Northern Great Barrier Reef: ABSTRACT

The northern Great Barrier shelf can be divided into 3 major bathymetric zones: (1) the nearshore zone, extending to depths of 5 fm; (2) the inner shelf, extending to depths of 20 fm; and (3) the marginal shelf extending to the shelf edge at 40-50 fm. In the area studied, reef development is concentrated on the inner two thirds of the marginal shelf. Sedimentary facies in this area reflect three major influences: (1) source (terrigenous and carbonate); (2) hydrography; and (3) relic facies. On the inner shelf, nearshore terrigenous sand is succeeded seaward by dominantly terrigenous mud which transgresses two pre-Recent facies: (1) terrigenous sand in the north and (2) shell gravel in the south. Mixing of pre-Recent sediments, terrigenous mud, and modern carbonates (molluscan and foraminiferal) complicates the basic pattern. Both pre-Recent facies extend to within 1 mi of the reef with no significant dilution by modern reef-derived debris. Major interreef channels are floored by fine-grained, mixed terrigenous-carbonate sediment. The terrigenous material (30-50 percent) is dominantly silt and clay size. The identifiable, carbonate fraction is composed mainly of planktonic and benthonic Foraminifera, juvenile and larval mollusks, and skeletal debris. Most of this channel-floor sediment apparently is derived either from the inner shelf or from the open ocean; little appears indigenous. The main reef complex is built on a 16-fm platform, and encloses a central area of about 64 sq mi. Much of the interior platform is covered by low coral growth or by dead coral with a thin cover of worn, broken, and stained skeletal grains, mainly large Foraminifera, Halimeda, and coralline algae. Major sediment accumulation occurs only in the lee of the main reef where quiet-water conditions allow the deposition of carbonate mud with up to 18 percent fine terrigenous detritus. The sparse coarse fraction is molluscan, Foraminifera increasing in abundance near the reef. Reef-derived sediment is abundant only on and directly adjacent to the reefs. End_of_Article - Last_Page 551------------
An approach to gathering undocumented information

The Software Engineering Institute is a Federally Funded Research and Development Center operated by Carnegie-Mellon University under contract to the Department of Defense. The views and conclusions contained in this paper are those of the authors and should not be construed as representing the official policies, either expressed or implied, of the Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie-Mellon University, or the Department of Defense.
Concept analysis of gender, feminist, and women's studies research in the communication literature

In recent decades a distinctive literature has accumulated discussing the role of gender, feminism, and women's studies‐related research (GFWS) in the communication field; however, questions have persisted about how this research is represented in the field's publications. Contributing to the literature on the sociology of the field's scholarship, the history of the GFWS literature was sketched in a field test of a concept mapping technique that tracks patterns of publication and isolates conceptual associations within the titles of GFWS articles. The data for the study were significant concepts extracted from titles of 31,500 articles appearing in 70 communication journals and annuals within the period 1970 to 1997. The study accomplished several goals. First, it examined the accuracy of historical arguments about GFWS scholarship, arguments that bear on the issue of fair treatment of GFWS scholarship within the field. Second, it examined GFWS articles by publication source to assess patterns of represen...
L-Asparaginase Induced Immunosuppression: Inhibition of Bone Marrow Derived Antibody Precursor Cells

The cooperation between bone marrow and thymus cells in restoring the hemolytic antibody response to sheep erythrocytes in immunosuppressed recipients was markedly inhibited when donor mice were treated with L-asparaginase, a known inhibitor of lymphocyte function. The marrow cell population was shown to be a major target for the immunosuppressive activity of asparaginase, since thymus cells from enzyme-treated animals interacted with marrow cells from normal animals to generate immunocompetent cells.
Vigorous exercise training improves reactivity of cerebral arterioles and reduces brain injury following transient focal ischemia.

Objective Our objective was to examine whether vigorous exercise training (VExT) could influence nitric oxide synthase (NOS)-dependent vasodilation and transient focal ischemia-induced brain injury. Rats were divided into sedentary (SED) or VExT groups. Materials and Methods Exercise was carried out 5 days/week for a period of 8–10 weeks. First, we measured responses of pial arterioles to an eNOS-dependent (ADP), an nNOS-dependent (NMDA) and a NOS-independent (nitroglycerin) agonist in SED and VExT rats. Second, we measured infarct volume in SED and VExT rats following middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Third, we measured superoxide levels in brain tissue of SED and VExT rats under basal and stimulated conditions. Results We found that eNOS- and nNOS-dependent, but not NOS-independent vasodilation, was increased in VExT compared to SED rats, and this could be inhibited with L-NMMA in both groups. In addition, we found that VExT reduced infarct volume following MCAO when compared to SED rats. Further, superoxide levels were similar in brain tissue from SED and VExT rats under basal and stimulated conditions. Conclusions We suggest that VExT potentiates NOS-dependent vascular reactivity and reduces infarct volume following MCAO via a mechanism that appears to be independent of oxidative stress, but presumably related to an increase in the contribution of nitric oxide.
Healing Pathways: Longitudinal Effects of Religious Coping and Social Support on PTSD Symptoms in African American Sexual Assault Survivors

African American women are at a slightly increased risk for sexual assault (A. Abbey, A. Jacques-Tiaura, & M. Parkhill, 2010). However, because of stigma, experiences of racism, and historical oppression, African American women are less likely to seek help from formal agencies compared to White women (Lewis et al., 2005; S. E. Ullman & H. H. Filipas, 2001) and/or women of other ethnic backgrounds (C. Ahrens, S. Abeling, S. Ahmad, & J. Himman, 2010). Therefore, the provision of culturally appropriate services, such as the inclusion of religion and spiritual coping, may be necessary when working with African American women survivors of sexual assault. Controlling for age and education, the current study explores the impact of religious coping and social support over 1 year for 252 African American adult female sexual assault survivors recruited from the Chicago metropolitan area. Results from hierarchical linear regression analyses reveal that high endorsement of religious coping and social support at Time 1 does not predict a reduction in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms at Time 2. However, high social support at Time 2 does predict lower PTSD at Time 2. Also, it is significant to note that survivors with high PTSD at Time 1 and Time 2 endorse greater use of social support and religious coping. Clinical and research implications are explored.
Left Nasal Discharge and Meningitis

This 29-year-old soldier had headache and fever. He had had intermittent, clear nasal discharge from the left nostril since a minor motor vehicle accident two years earlier.
Burnup simulations of different fuel grades using the MCNPX Monte Carlo code

Global energy problems range from the increasing cost of fuel to the unequal distribution of energy resources and the potential climate change resulting from the burning of fossil fuels. A sustainable nuclear energy would augment the current world energy supply and serve as a reliable future energy source. This research focuses on Monte Carlo simulations of pressurized water reactor systems. Three different fuel grades - mixed oxide fuel (MOX), uranium oxide fuel (UOX), and commercially enriched uranium or uranium metal (CEU) - are used in this simulation and their impact on the effective multiplication factor (Keff) and, hence, criticality and total radioactivity of the reactor core after fuel burnup analyzed. The effect of different clad materials on Keff is also studied. Burnup calculation results indicate a buildup of plutonium isotopes in UOX and CEU, as opposed to a decline in plutonium radioisotopes for MOX fuel burnup time. For MOX fuel, a decrease of 31.9% of the fissile plutonium isotope is observed, while for UOX and CEU, fissile plutonium isotopes increased by 82.3% and 83.8%, respectively. Keff results show zircaloy as a much more effective clad material in comparison to zirconium and stainless steel.
Rapid subsidence over oil fields measured by SAR interferometry

The Lost Hills and Belridge oilfields are in the San Joaquin Valley, California. The major oil reservoir is high porosity and low permeability diatomite. Extraction of large volumes from shallow depths causes reduction in pore pressure and subsequent compaction, forming a surface subsidence bowl. We measure this subsidence from space using interferometric analysis of SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) data collected by the European Space Agency Remote Sensing Satellites (ERS-1 and ERS-2). Maximum subsidence rates are as high as 40 mm in 35 days or >400 mm/yr, measured from interferograms with time separations ranging from one day to 26 months. The 8- and 26-month interferograms contain areas where the subsidence gradient exceeds the measurement possible with ERS SAR, but shows increased detail in areas of less rapid subsidence. Synoptic mapping of subsidence distribution from satellite data powerfully complements ground-based techniques, permits measurements where access is difficult, and aids identification of underlying causes.
Structural determination of bulk and surface tungsten oxides with UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and raman spectroscopy

Combined UV−vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) and Raman spectroscopy were applied to examine the electronic and molecular structures, respectively, of well-defined W(VI) bulk mixed oxide reference compounds consisting of (i) isolated WO4 or WO6 monomers, (ii) dimeric O3W−O−WO3, (iii) polymeric chain of alternating WO4/WO6 units, and (iv) WO6-coordinated W9−W18 clusters. Raman spectroscopy was employed to confirm the identity and phase purity of the different tungsten oxide structures. UV−vis DRS provided the corresponding electronic edge energy (Eg) of the ligand-to-metal charge transfer (LMCT) transitions of the W(VI) cations. A correlation between the edge energy and the number of covalent bridging W−O−W bonds around the central W(VI) cation was found with Eg linearly decreasing with increasing number of bridging W−O−W bonds. However, a direct relationship between Eg and the domain size, NW, for finite WOx clusters does not exist. Subsequently, UV−vis and Raman spectroscopy information were app...
Pretreating Channel Catfish with Copper Sulfate Affects Susceptibility to Columnaris Disease

Abstract Columnaris disease is one of the most important bacterial diseases affecting Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus commercially grown in the USA. This disease can greatly diminish the profitability of aquaculture operations by large-scale mortality events, particularly in the fingerling production phase. Three experiments were conducted to evaluate the susceptibility of Channel Catfish fingerlings to columnaris disease when they were preexposed to copper sulfate (CuSO4). In experiment 1, fish were exposed for 24 h to 0, 1, 2, or 4 mg/L CuSO4 and were challenged immediately with Flavobacterium columnare, the etiological agent of columnaris disease. The resulting survival data indicated that fish preexposed to CuSO4 and then challenged exhibited significantly lower survival than did fish not exposed and then challenged. Experiment 2 was designed as above, except after the 24-h static exposure to CuSO4, fish were subjected to an additional 24 h in flow-through water prior to the challenge with F. colu...
A free-volume, non-random-mixing theory for liquid mixtures

Abstract Flory's partition function for pure liquids is extended to binary mixtures using the two-fluid theory of mixtures and local compositions to allow for non-randomness and to take into account changes in molecular rotation and vibration which accompany the mixing process. This extension requires only two binary parameters: one for potential energy and the other for liquid structure (packing of molecules). For associated and/or solvated solutions, a chemical contribution is required to represent the mixture's Gibbs energy. Calculated activity coefficients agree well with experiment. For engineering work, this molecular theory offers no significant advantages over phenomenological equations now in common use. The theory, however, contributes toward the molecular understanding required to establish a truly satisfactory description of liquid mixtures.
Predictive modeling of flank wear in turning under flood cooling

The objective of this paper is to present physical and quantitative models for the rate of tool flank wear in turning under flood cooling conditions. The resulting models can serve as a basis to predict tool life and to plan for optimal machining process parameters. Analytical models including cutting force analysis, cutting temperature prediction, and tool wear mechanics are presented in order to achieve a thermo-mechanical understanding of the tool wear process. The cutting force analysis leverages upon Oxley's model with modifications for lubricating and cooling effect of overhead fluid application. The cutting temperature was obtained by considering workpiece shear deformation, friction, and heat loss along with a moving or stationary heat source in the tool. The tool wear mechanics incorporate the considerations of abrasive, adhesion, and diffusion mechanisms as governed by contact stresses and temperatures. A model of built-up edge formation due to dynamic strain aging has been included to quantify its effects on the wear mechanisms. A set of cutting experiments using carbide tools on AISI 1045 steels were performed to calibrate the material-dependent coefficients in the models. Experimental cutting data were also used to validate the predictive models by comparing cutting forces, cutting temperatures, and tool lives under various process conditions. The results showed that the predicted tool lives were close to the experimental data when the built-up edge formation model appropriately captured this phenomenon in metal cutting.
Printed embedded data graphical user interfaces

In a graphical user interface (GUI), interaction is based upon selection and action at positions in the graphical display, guided by graphical content and the user's intent. Printed embedded data GUIs (PEDGUIs) generalize the interaction domain to images and objects in order to enable interaction with passive objects and active displays throughout the user environment. The interface can be almost any object. The selection and control tool is an image capture device. The embedded data helps to establish the selection location and gesture, as well as the identity or context of the chosen substrate and links to other resources. Even in the case of multiple active and passive display substrates, the GUI system captures and interprets user interactions throughout the workspace. DataGlyph technology, based on self-clocking glyph code, is a particularly efiective and flexible encoding technology for embedded data GUIs.
Serological analysis of sperm of antigenically cross-reactingT/t-haplotypes and their recombinants

ThreeT/t-locus haplotypes (t9,t0, andtw2), which specifiy cross-reacting antigens on sperm, were examined by absorption analysis and found to contain a minimum of six specificities. Some specificities were common to more than one haplotype but each haplotype contained a unique specificity. Exceptional recombinant haplotypes fromt0 andtw2 retained some of the common specificities but all had lost the unique specificity of the parental haplotype.T/t genes specifying antigens on sperm are apparently complex, and can be separated by recombination into at least two serologically detectable regions.
Periodicity in generations of automata

A class of automata which build other automata is defined. These automata are called Turing machine automata because each one contains a Turing machine which acts as its computer-brain and which completely determines what its offspring, if any, will be. We show that for the descendants of an arbitrary progenitor Turing machine automaton there are exactly three possibilities: (1) there is a sterile descendant after an arbitrary number of generations, (2) after a delay of an arbitrary number of generations, the descendants repeat in generations with an arbitrary period, or (3) the descendants are aperiodic. We also show what sort of computing ability may be realized by the descendants in each of the possibilities. Furthermore, it is determined whether there are effective procedures for distinguishing between the various possibilities, and the exact degree of unsolvability is computed for those decision problems for which there is no effective procedure. Lastly, we discuss the relevance of the results to biology and pose several questions.
Factors influencing male sexual impotence after renal transplantation.

Abstract Sexual impotence has been reported sixfold after sequential renal transplantation. The effects of race, age, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, uremia, arteriosclerosis (by ABI = ankle BP/brachial BP), penile blood flow (by PBI = penile BP/brachial BP), length of dialysis and transplantation, and patency of hypogastric arteries (by angiogram and operative description) on impotence were examined in a retrospective study of 61 male transplant patients followed from six to 108 months and a prospective study of 15 patients evaluated before and after transplantation with a six-month follow-up. Age (> forty years) was the only factor deleterious to male potency (potent patients 40.1 ± 10.40 years vs impotent patients 48.6 ± 10.06 years significant at p
Effect of polymyxin B nonapeptide on daptomycin permeability and cell surface properties in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and Pasteurella multocida

The present study was carried out to determine if sensitization of Gram-negative bacteria to the polyanionic antibiotic daptomycin by cationic molecules can be explained on the basis of decreased cell surface charge in order to better understand intrinsic resistance. Turbidimetric assessments of batch cultural growth kinetics revealed the outer membrane permeabilizer polymyxin B nonapeptide sensitized Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli to the hydrophobic probe novobiocin, whereas little or no sensitization was observed for two surface hydrophobicity variants of Pasteurella multocida. Polymyxin B nonapeptide and daptomycin synergistically inhibited growth of P. aeruginosa only. A hydrocarbon adherence assay revealed permeabilizing concentrations of polymyxin B nonapeptide increased cell surface hydrophobicity of P. aeruginosa and the hydrophobic P. multocida variant, while E. coli and the hydrophilic P. multocida variant remained unaffected. Measurement of cellular electrophoretic mobility showed polymyxin B nonapeptide permeabilization of P. aeruginosa to daptomycin occurred concomitantly with a significant decrease in cell surface charge, while no such sensitization occurred in organisms which failed to undergo polymyxin B nonapeptide-induced surface charge decreases. These data suggest that sensitization of Gram-negative bacteria to polyanionic lipopeptides by growth in the presence of polycationic outer membrane permeabilizers such as polymyxin B nonapeptide is dependent on diminution of overall cell surface charge and polarity, thereby allowing outer cell envelope permeation.
Design guidelines for learner-centered handheld tools

Handheld computers are mobile, flexible devices that can provide real-time, one-to-one support for students from within the context of their learning activities. This paper describes the design of three learner-centered handheld tools used as part of a nine-month classroom study involving thirty-three eighth grade students. A review of related work identifies some of the challenges of building educational software within the constraints of handheld screens, and two broad design guidelines are synthesized to help address these challenges. The first design guideline focuses on decomposing the learning activity to identify salient tasks and the type of supports (or scaffolds) students need to engage in these tasks, then building separate handheld workspaces to support each task. The second guideline focuses on methods for implementing scaffolds within these task-based workspaces while preserving the usability of the overall handheld software.
Aspirin hydrolyzing esterases from rat liver cytosol.

Abstract Unlike most esterases, which are predominantly bound to the microsomal fraction, the enzymes hydrolyzing acetylsalicylic acid are present in an equal amount in the cytosol. Two soluble isozymes were purified to homogeneity from rat liver and characterized as serine esterases with a M r , of 35,000. Both had the wide substrate spectrum characteristic of enzymes active in detoxication. Both had a very low K m for acetylsalicylate. Three other cytoplasmic enzymes active with aspirin were observed but these differed in their high M r (about 220,000) and their lack of reactivity with antibody to one of the homogeneous isozymes.
Patch size but not short-term isolation influences occurrence of westslope cutthroat trout above human-made barriers

Habitat fragmentation in aquatic systems has led to widespread isolation of stream fishes. Metapopulation theory predicts that persistence is directly related to local patch size and its characteristics, but because these relationships tend to be taxon-specific, empirical data are important. We assembled 246 observations of occurrence of westslope cutthroat trout (WCT), a taxon of concern in the western U.S. and Canada, in stream networks isolated for up to 100 years (median 40 years) above human-made barriers, mostly culverts, at road crossings within U.S. National Forests. We used logistic regression to analyse how WCT occurrence varied with patch size, isolation time and stream-level covariates. Occurrence was positively related to stream length and habitat quality within the isolated stream network and negatively related to elevation and channel gradient. Unexpectedly, the probability of occurrence was not related to how long a habitat patch had been isolated. At the median elevation (1354 m) and channel gradient (14%), and where habitat quality was poor, WCT were likely to occur (probability >0.5) if an isolated stream network was at least 1.7 km. If habitat quality was high, about 0.2 km of habitat produced the same probability. Although there are important limitations, this analysis provides the first empirical estimate for how patch size and patch-level characteristics influence persistence of WCT in isolated stream networks.
A tour construction heuristic for the travelling salesman problem

The tour construction heuristic that generates initial tours for the tour improvement heuristics plays an important role in solving the travelling salesman problem (TSP). With the help of an effective tour construction heuristic, the performance of a heuristic can be improved. In this study we present a new tour construction algorithm, the construction priority (CP). We incorporate the performance of the CP into metaheuristics such as tabu search, genetic algorithm, space smoothing, and noising methods. The performance of the CP is empirically compared with the nearest neighbour (NN) approach. Extensive computational comparison shows that the CP is considerably more effective compared to NN.
Substrate specificity of the protein tyrosine phosphatases.

Abstract The substrate specificity of a recombinant protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTPase) was probed using synthetic phosphotyrosine-containing peptides corresponding to several of the autophosphorylation sites in epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). The peptide corresponding to the autophosphorylation site, EGFR988-998, was chosen for further study due to its favorable kinetic constants. The contribution of individual amino acid side chains to the binding and catalysis was ascertained utilizing a strategy in which each amino acid within the undecapeptide EGFR988-998 (DADEpYLIPQQG) was sequentially substituted by an Ala residue (Ala-scan). The resulting effects due to singular Ala substitution were assessed by kinetic analysis with two widely divergent homogeneous PTPases. A "consensus sequence" for PTPase recognition may be suggested from the Ala-scan data as DADEpYAAPA, and the presence of acidic residues proximate to the NH2-terminal side of phosphorylation is critical for high-affinity binding and catalysis. The Km value for EGFR988-998 decreased as the pH increased, suggesting that phosphate dianion is favored for substrate binding. The results demonstrate that chemical features in the primary structure surrounding the dephosphorylation site contribute to PTPase substrate specificity.
Bilateral nontraumatic iliofemoral thrombophlebitis in a child

Abstract A case of bilateral nontraumatic iliofemoral thrombophlebitis in a 6-year-old child is presented. The etiology, management, and prognosis of this case are discussed.
Partial Decomposition Bases and Warfield Modules

We consider the class of ℤp -modules with partial decomposition bases. This class was developed in order to extend Barwise and Eklof's classification of torsion groups in L ∞ω to Warfield modules. We prove that this class is the natural generalization of Warfield modules in L ∞ω, is strictly larger than the class of Warfield modules, and in fact strictly larger than the class of modules partially isomorphic to Warfield modules. We prove that this class is identical to the class of k-modules of Hill and Megibben, and, as such, closed under direct summands.
Social Networks and Network-Friendly Housing in the U.S

Whenever households find themselves deprived of participation in the mainstream Benchmark family paradigm, they tend to be vulnerable to a number of social ills. One solution to their isolation and vulnerability is to construct networks of mutual support. Under certain conditions, those networks may develop into what is called "families we choose" or social families. The question facing today's designers and housing-planners is how to create the sorts of physical spaces that facilitate patterns of "helping out," i.e., network-friendly housing. Many U.S. public housing units are renovated each year. Simultaneously, many self-help groups are organized among public housing residents. This paper argues that coalescing these two realities is in the best interests of those citizens. Public policies are redefined to facilitate the generation and maintenance of social families. Those families are assisted in designing their own cohousing using a state-of-the-art technique for the collaborative design.
Review Article:House Dust Mites

The most common mites found in the contents of vacuum cleaner sweepings are members of a family of Acaridei, the Pyroglyphidae. Techniques for collecting them effectively were first described in 1964. Since that time, systems for extracting mites from vacuumed dust using sieves and flotation or sedimentation have been improved. The species found in homes are readily cultured. Successful methods utilize high protein foods, an area-enlarging substrate, 25°C and a humidity in equilibrium with saturated NaCl (aw = 0.75, RH = 75%). Development from egg through larva, protonymph, tritonymph to adult requires about a month in cultures under optimum conditions. Pyroglyphids have the reduced setation of parasitic Acaridei but most live as nidicoles. There are 35 species now recognized and 12 of these are associated with man. Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, D. farinae and Euroglyphus maynei most common on a world basis but other species are significant in some areas, such as Hirstia domicola in Japan. Both D. farinae and D. pteronyssinus have facultative quiescent protonymphs that can survive harsh conditions. These species have a critical equilibrium activity (CEA) below 0.75 and thus can maintain their water content as long as they have access to air as humid as 75% rh during at least part of the time. The favored site for the association of these mites with man is his bed. Populations maintain themselves in beds on a continuing basis. When temperatures and humidities are favorable, these mites also develop in other areas of the house. Their association with man is significant because they either produce or concentrate allergens that are responsible for house dust allergy, which is prevalent on a global basis. In the U. S. it is estimated that 4% of the population is involved. Both mites and house dust can be held at low levels by use of non-fibrous materials and frequent vacuuming. These measures alleviate suffering from house dust allergy. In persistent cases, extracts of house dust or house dust mites have been used in desensitizing patients. House dust mites seem to be resistant to most pesticides, but they are susceptible to low concentrations of lindane.
Distinct activity phases during the recent geologic history of a Gulf of Mexico mud volcano

Abstract Laser line scan imaging and chirp sub-bottom profiling were used to detail the morphology of a submarine mud volcano and brine-filled crater at 652 m water depth in the northern Gulf of Mexico. The mud volcano has a relief of 6 m and a basal diameter of about 80 m. The feature comprises a central, brine-filled crater (253 m 2 ) surrounded by a continuous bed of methanotrophic mussels ( Bathymodiolus childressi ) covering 434 m 2 and a patchy bed covering an additional 214 m 2 of the periphery. The brine pool was mostly 28 m and 12 m deep, respectively at the northern end of the pool which emitted continual streams of small clear bubbles. Sub-bottom profiles indicated three distinct strata beneath the present surface of the mud volcano. Integration of 17 profiles shows that the mud volcano has been built in at least three successive stages: the lowest stage deposited 35,400 m 3 , while the middle and upper stages deposited 7700 and 20,400 m 3 , respectively. Piston cores were taken at the northern edge of the mussel bed and a site ∼100 m southwest of the pool. Mussel and lucinid shells were recovered from the closer core, lucinid shells from the distant core. A mussel shell from 3.4 m sub-bottom had a Δ 14 C age of 16.2 ka. Mixture of modern carbon with “carbon dead” reservoir material would produce actual ages ∼2 ka less than the radiocarbon ages.
Electropolymerization of vinylbipyridine complexes of ruthenium(II) and osmium(II) in SiO2 sol-gel films.

PF6- salts of the complexes [Ru(vbpy)3]2+ and [Os(vbpy)3]2+ (vbpy = 4-methyl-4‘-vinyl-2,2‘-bipyridine) have been electropolymerized into the pores of SiO2 sol−gel films deposited on conductive Tin(IV)-doped indium oxide-coated glass slides (ITO, In2O3:Sn). The resulting transparent composites represent a new class of materials of general formulas ITO/SG-poly-[Ru(vbpy)3](PF6)2 and ITO/SG-poly-[Os(vbpy)3](PF6)2. The composites are stable with respect to loss of complexes to the external solution and demonstrate several interesting phenomena: (1) Sol−gel pores, serving as diffusion channels for the vbpy complexes and counterions, play a key role in the formation of the polymer and dictate the electrochemical properties of the resulting composite. (2) Dynamic polymer growth occurs within individual diffusion channels creating parallel structures of filled and unfilled channels. (3) Unidirectional charge transfer and a “bilayer” effect have been shown to operate in ITO/SG-poly-[Ru(vbpy)3](PF6)2 films exposed ...
The Influence of IVIS Distractions on Tactical and Control Levels of Driving Performance

Computer, software, telecommunications, and automotive companies have begun to develop In-Vehicle Information System (IVIS) functions despite the potential for these devices to distract drivers. A ...
Comparative sexual side effects of bupropion, fluoxetine, paroxetine, and sertraline.

Objective To investigate patient reported prosexual side effects of the aminoketone antidepressant bupropion (INN, amfebutamone) and to compare directly the sexual side effects of bupropion and the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants fluoxetine, paroxetine, and sertraline. Methods One hundred seven psychiatric outpatient respondents receiving current treatment with one of the above antidepressants anonymously completed questionnaires that allowed reporting of both decreases and increases in sexual function. The main outcome measures were antidepressant-associated changes in libido, arousal, duration of time from arousal to orgasm, intensity of orgasm, and duration of orgasm relative to that experienced before the onset of the patients' psychiatric illnesses. Results Bupropion-treated patients reported significant increases in libido, level of arousal, intensity of orgasm, and duration of orgasm beyond levels experienced premorbidly. The three SSRIs to an equal degree significantly decreased libido, arousal, duration of orgasm, and intensity of orgasm below levels experienced premorbidly. Overall, 27% of the SSRI-treated patients had no adverse sexual side effects; in contrast, 86% of patients treated with bupropion had no adverse sexual effects, and 77% of bupropion-treated patients reported at least one aspect of heightened sexual functioning. Conclusions SSRI-induced adverse sexual effects appear to be the rule rather than the exception and may be substantially underreported unless patients are specifically asked about the effects of these medications on various aspects of sexual function. In contrast, prosexual effects were reported by the majority of patients treated with bupropion. The findings are reviewed in light of the neurochemistry of these agents and the sexual response. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (1997) 61, 478–487; doi:
Molecular Simulation Study on the Influence of Dimethylsulfoxide on the Structure of Phospholipid Bilayers

Molecular dynamics simulations of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) lipid bilayer/water systems were performed in the presence of dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) at 2, 5, 10, and 100 mol % DMSO (lipid-free basis). The equilibrium structure and several dynamic properties were determined for these systems. Results show that DMSO penetrates much deeper into the bilayer than water does. It is also found that DMSO molecules do not interact with the polar groups of the lipid headgroup, but exhibit a preference to remain either directly below the headgroup or in the aqueous phase, which is a consequence of the chemical characteristics of DMSO. As the temperature increases, a higher DMSO concentration is observed in the bilayer side of the interface. The area per headgroup in the presence of DMSO is significantly increased from 66.8 A2 for the pure bilayer to as high as 87.0 A2 at 10 mol % DMSO at 350 K. DMSO hydrogen-bonds strongly with water and exhibits unfavorable interactions with the polar headgroups of DPPC, thereby inducing a dehydration of the headgroups.
Surgical menopause and cardiovascular risks.

Objective and design To review the relevant literature on the effect of surgical menopause on cardiovascular disease (CVD). Results and conclusions Early menopause (before age 50) is associated with an increased risk of CVD. Bilateral oophorectomy around the time of menopause may impart either a small influence or no effect on increasing the risk of CVD; however, bilateral oophorectomy before menopause significantly increases the risk. Some data suggest a protective effect of estrogen therapy in this setting exist. The CVD risk is principally that of coronary heart disease and not cerebrovascular disease. Mortality rates may be increased in women with early menopause, either spontaneous or surgically induced. Hysterectomy per se, without bilateral oophorectomy, does not seem to increase CVD risk.
Energy efficient drying, evaporation and similar processes☆

Abstract With the assistance of examples taken from the UK Energy Efficiency Demonstration Scheme, this paper describes energy efficient technologies which can benefit drying, evaporation and distillation processes.