cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Energy Expenditure in Infants with Pulmonary Insufficiency: Is There Evidence for Increased Energy Needs?

The observed growth failure in infants with pulmonary insufficiency is postulated to be a consequence of elevated rates of energy expenditure. Assessment of energy expenditure by the classical technique of indirect calorimetry has yielded conflicting results. The adoption of the newer, doubly labeled water technique has provided evidence to support increased rates of energy expenditure in infants with chronic lung disease, congenital heart disease and in minimally ill, extremely low birth weight infants. The doubly labeled water technique holds great promise for the detailed study of energy expenditure in a variety of clinical conditions, including very ill as well as free-living subjects.
The cytosolic fructose bisphosphatase of Brassica napus contains a new potential regulatory disulfide and is redox-sensitive

Abstract The deduced amino acid sequences of the Brassica napus and sugar cane ( Saccharum sp.) cytosolic fructose bisphosphatases (EC 3.1.3.11) have appeared recently. When the three-dimensional structure of the Brassica napus bisphosphatase was modeled residue 92, previously identified as a potential redox-sensitive regulatory cysteine in the cytosolic enzymes from potato, sugarbeet and spinach [L.E. Anderson, et al., Planta 196 (1995) 118–124], was a serine. (Numbering according to Protein Data Bank entry 4FBP.) Instead there is a Cys at position 110, close enough to Cys-114, the second member of the potential regulatory cysteine pair in the other cytosolic fructose bisphosphatases, to suggest the possibility of disulfide bond formation and the enzyme is redox-sensitive. The sugar cane enzyme, like the other three cytosolic fructose bisphosphatases, contains Cys-92 and Cys-114. It also is redox-sensitive. Apparently a disulfide anywhere in the region of Cys-114, -92 and -110 can function in the redox-modulation of the activity of this enzyme.
Theoretical ab Initio Calculation of Entropy, Heat Capacity, and Heat Content

This study describes the theoretical ab initio calculation of entropy, heat capacity, and heat content for a series of alkanes by procedures that make no use of adjustable parameters. Frequencies calculated with the basis sets, 3-21G, 6-31G*, and 6-31G** and scaled by factors of 0.89 and 0.90 were used to obtain theoretical entropy values that agree well with reported values. Over a temperature range from room temperature to at least 800 K the differences between TΔS based on calculated and literature values of ΔS are generally less than 0.3 kcal/mol. Agreement between theoretical and experimental heat capacities and heat contents (HT0 − H00) is also good. Results for compounds that exist as mixtures of conformers give as good results as do compounds that exist as a single conformer.
19. Electrode surface effects in the high voltage glow discharge

The production of focused electron beams using a high voltage glow discharge is described. It is shown that the beam stability is closely related to the cathode condition. The electron beam output is determined by secondary electron emission from the cathode surface and this can be controlled under certain conditions, by taking appropriate measures. Non self-sustained micro-arcing has also been observed and is consistent with the ‘electro-forming’ of conducting channels through surface oxides and their subsequent explosion by resistive heating.
Rescue of hypogonadotropic hypogonadism-causing and manufactured GnRH receptor mutants by a specific protein-folding template: misrouted proteins as a novel disease etiology and therapeutic target

In the present study, we demonstrate pharmacological rescue (assessed by ligand binding and restoration of receptor coupling to effector) of five naturally occurring GnRH receptor (GnRHR) mutants (T(32)I, E(90)K, C(200)Y, C(279)Y, and L(266)R), identified from patients with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, as well as rescue of other defective receptors intentionally manufactured with internal or terminal deletions or substitutions at sites expected to be involved in establishment of tertiary receptor structure. The pharmacological agent used is a small, membrane-permeant molecule, originally designed as an orally active, nonpeptide receptor antagonist, but is believed to function as a folding template, capable of correcting the structural defects caused by the mutations and thereby restoring function. After rescue, this agent can be demonstrably removed. The rescued receptor, now stabilized in the plasma membrane, couples ligand binding to activation of the appropriate effector system. For comparison, low-, intermediate-, or high-affinity peptide antagonists of GnRHR (that do not penetrate the cell) were unable to effect rescue, as was a nonbinding peptidomimetic congener of the rescue agent; this latter effect demonstrates specificity of the rescue agent. Our findings, taken in concert with an earlier study showing rescue of a mutant by modifications to the receptor structure that enhance plasma membrane expression of the GnRHR, suggest that mutant GnRHRs have frequently not lost intrinsic functionality and are subject to rescue by techniques that enhance membrane expression. The present findings demonstrate the efficacy of an approach based on pharmacological rescue and suggest the basis of new approaches for intervention in this and similar diseases.
Preliminary Evidence of Ubiquitin Proteasome System Dysregulation in Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder: Convergent Pathway Analysis Findings from Two Independent Samples

Schizophrenia (SCZ) and bipolar disorder (BPD) are polygenic disorders with many genes contributing to their etiologies. The aim of this investigation was to search for dysregulated molecular and cellular pathways for these disorders as well as psychosis. We conducted a blood-based microarray investigation in two independent samples with SCZ and BPD from San Diego (SCZ = 13, BPD = 9, control = 8) and Taiwan (SCZ = 11, BPD = 14, control = 16). Diagnostic groups were compared to controls, and subjects with a history of psychosis [PSYCH(+): San Diego (n = 6), Taiwan (n = 14)] were compared to subjects without such history [PSYCH(-): San Diego (n = 11), Taiwan (n = 14)]. Analyses of covariance comparing mean expression levels on a gene-by-gene basis were conducted to generate the top 100 significantly dysregulated gene lists for both samples by each diagnostic group. Gene lists were imported into Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) software. Results showed the ubiquitin proteasome pathway (UPS) was listed in the top ten canonical pathways for BPD and psychosis diagnostic groups across both samples with a considerably low likelihood of a chance occurrence (P = 0.001). No overlap in dysregulated genes populating these pathways was observed between the two independent samples. Findings provide preliminary evidence of UPS dysregulation in BPD and psychosis as well as support further investigation of the UPS and other molecular and cellular pathways for potential biomarkers for SCZ, BPD, and/or psychosis.
Fat-specific Protein 27 Inhibits Lipolysis by Facilitating the Inhibitory Effect of Transcription Factor Egr1 on Transcription of Adipose Triglyceride Lipase

Lipolysis in fat tissue represents a major source of circulating fatty acids. Previously, we have found that lipolysis in adipocytes is controlled by early growth response transcription factor Egr1 that directly inhibits transcription of adipose triglyceride lipase, ATGL (Chakrabarti, P., Kim, J. Y., Singh, M., Shin, Y. K., Kim, J., Kumbrink, J., Wu, Y., Lee, M. J., Kirsch, K. H., Fried, S. K., and Kandror, K. V. (2013) Mol. Cell. Biol. 33, 3659–3666). Here we demonstrate that knockdown of the lipid droplet protein FSP27 (a.k.a. CIDEC) in human adipocytes increases expression of ATGL at the level of transcription, whereas overexpression of FSP27 has the opposite effect. FSP27 suppresses the activity of the ATGL promoter in vitro, and the proximal Egr1 binding site is responsible for this effect. FSP27 co-immunoprecipitates with Egr1 and increases its association with and inhibition of the ATGL promoter. Knockdown of Egr1 attenuates the inhibitory effect of FSP27. These results provide a new model of transcriptional regulation of ATGL.
EU RoHS Recast — New requirements and impacts for the Information and Communications Technology industry

European Union (EU) Directive 2011/65/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 8 June 2011 on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances (RoHS) in electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) (recast) was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on July 1, 2011. This recast revises the previous RoHS Directive 2002/95/EC and its subsequent amendments. Member States must now adopt and publish laws, regulations and / or administrative provisions to comply with this Directive by January 2, 2013. This paper will provide a review of the new RoHS recast, identify the changes from the previous Directive, and outline new impacts for Information and Communications Technology (ICT) economic operators including manufacturers, importers and distributors, as well as the equipment they design, manufacture, and put on the market. This paper will outline the EU 2008 New Legislative Framework and its association with the RoHS Recast Directive. This paper is for information purposes only, entities regulated by this Directive must consult with their legal counsel and refer to the Directive and Member State national legislation directly for details and requirements applicable to their products.
Intertidal mesograzers in field microcosms: linking laboratory feeding rates to community dynamics

Mesograzers (herbivores <2.5 cm) are both diverse and abundant, but their relative effects on intertidal communities have rarely been quantified. Here I examine the effects of crustacean and polychaete mesograzers on two intertidal resources, the red alga Odonthalia floccosa Esp. (Falkenb.) and the epiphytic diatom Isthmia nervosa Kutz. The mesograzers were hermit crabs (Pagurus hirsutiusculus (Dana) and P. granosimanus (Benedict)), amphipods (Hyale frequens Stout and H. pugettensis (Dana)), isopod (Idotea wosnesenskii (Brandt)), juvenile kelp crab (Pugettia producta (Randall)), and polychaete worm (Platynereis bicanaliculata (Baird)). Feeding rates on Isthmia, measured in the laboratory for different consumer species and size classes, scaled allometrically with body mass. Consumption rates were 2–23% of body mass daily on a fresh weight basis. However, feeding rates on Odonthalia did not scale, suggesting that size will not always indicate per capita effect. Mesograzer densities were measured on Tatoosh Island, Washington, USA. The mesograzer predicted to have the largest total effect (P. hirsutiusculus), based on density×feeding rate, was neither the most abundant nor the most voracious. The validity of these sorts of predictions depends on how well feeding rates measured in the laboratory approximate per capita effects under field conditions. Predictions were compared to observed effects in field microcosms. Given known numbers of mesograzers, predictions were made about the amount of Isthmia biomass that should disappear over 2 weeks from microcosms (9×9×12 cm) anchored in tidepools. Average per capita effects in field microcosms were correlated with laboratory feeding rates, but, for three species with significant feeding on Isthmia, effects were lower than feeding rates predicted. Feeding trials may overestimate community impact because they fail to account for alternative food, search times, resource productivity and stimulation of growth, or interference from other consumers. Nevertheless, densities of mesograzers can reach sufficiently high levels so that even feeble per capita effects combine to alter biomass of epiphytes and perhaps other small algae.
Tracer Experiments in Eastern Devonian Shale

For the purpose of characterizing the properties of the Eastern Devonian gas shale, a seven-day tracer experiment was carried out in August of 1981 by the Los Alamos National Laboratory as part of the DOE's Offset-Well Test. Two wells had been drilled in a Columbia Gas Company field in southeastern Ohio, each with a downhole separation of approximately 120 feet from an existing production well. The isoceles triangle formed by the three wells had an apex angle of approximately 110 degrees. About 56,000 SCF of nitrogen were injected into a producing zone located at a depth of 3300 feet in one of the wells. Gas was then produced from the various wells at different rates and pressures for the duration of the test. Both pressure and gas composition in the three wells were monitored throughout the test.
Plethystic Formulas for Macdonaldq, t-Kostka Coefficients

Abstract This work is concerned with the Macdonald q , t -analogue of the Kostka matrix. This matrix relates the two parameter Macdonald basis { P μ ( x ; q , t )} to the modified Schur basis { S λ [ X (1− t )]}. The entries in this matrix, which have come to be denoted by K λ , μ ( q , t ), have been conjectured by Macdonald to be polynomials in q , t with positive integral coefficients. Our main result here is an algorithm for the construction of explicit formulas for the K λ , μ ( q , t ). It is shown that this algorithm yields expressions which are polynomials with integer coefficients. Recent work of J. Remmel shows that the resulting formulas also yield positivity of the coefficients for a wide variety of entries in the Macdonald q , t -Kostka matrix. We also obtain in this manner new explicit expressions for the Macdonald polynomials.
Towards a theory of intellectuals and politics

"The intellectual," Vaclav Havel has written, "should constantly disturb, should bear witness to the misery of the world, should be provocative by being independent, should rebel against all hidden and open pressure and manipulations, should be the chief doubter of systems, of power and its incantations, should be a witness to their mendacity."1 In this wonderfully eloquent passage, composed in 1986 when Czechoslovakia's Communist regime still had the capacity to make life hellish for those who dared to oppose it, Havel provides a particularly vivid expression of the perspective that has dominated most thinking and writing about intellectuals: that they are "disturbers of the peace" whose ultimate responsibility is to tell the truth, even (and perhaps especially) if it arouses the ire of the established authorities. In so arguing, Havel joins a long tradition of discourse about intellectuals, beginning with Zola and extending through Benda and Orwell to Kolakowski and many others, that insists the proper function of intellect is, in the memorable words of Ignazio Silone, "the humble and courageous service of truth."2 That this viewpoint, which we shall call here the "moralist" tradition, retains vitality today is illustrated by no less a figure then Edward Said, who in delivering the prestigious Reith Lectures for the BBC in 1993, repeatedly emphasized that the tasks of the contemporary intellectual is "to speak the truth to power."3
CONTROLLING CONDENSED-PHASE VIBRATIONAL EXCITATION WITH TAILORED INFRARED PULSES

Abstract Vibrational population distributions within the CO-stretching T 1u manifold of W(CO) 6 in room-temperature n -hexane were created by using near-transform limited and linearly chirped picosecond infrared excitation pulses. These pulses were characterized using the second harmonic FROG (frequency-resolved optical gating) algorithm to determine the ∼8 cm −1 /ps chirp for both positively- and negatively-chirped 2 ps pulses. FROG and time-resolved transient difference spectra were obtained with an InSb focal plane array detector. While unchirped and positively-chirped excitation leads predominantly to v =1 population, negatively-chirped pulses produce excess population in the v =2 level. These results are compared to predictions from density matrix calculations for a model potential.
Failure mechanisms and damage evolutionin crossply ceramic-matrix composites

Abstract Failure mechanisms were studied under the microscope in a crossply silicon carbide/glass-ceramiccomposite under axial tensile loading. Failure initiation takes place in the 90° layer. It takes the form of radial matrix cracks around the fibers, followed by interfacial cracks, which in turn coalesce into transverse macrocracks. These transverse macrocracks in the 90° layer reach a characteristic saturation crack density with a minimum crack spacing of the order of the layer thickness. Subsequently, transverse matrix cracks are generated in the 0° layer, increasing in density up to a minimum crack spacing of the order of eight fiber diameters. This stage of failure is accompanied by fiber-matrix debonding and some fiber-failures in the 0° layer. In the third stage of damage development, the macrocracks of the 90dlayer branch off and connect with the 0° layer cracks in a characteristic “delta” pattern. This is finally followed by delamination and additional cracking in the 90° layer prior to ultimate failure. The various failure mechanisms and their interactions were discussed and compared with predictions of prior experimental and analytical studies of unidirectional and crossply composites.
Transient expression system to measure the efficiency of vaccinia promoter regions

Abstract A transient expression system has been developed to compare the relative efficiency of expression of various vaccinia virus DNA sequences containing transcriptional regulatory elements. A plasmid vector was constructed containing both the Escherichia coli galactokinase gene (galK) and the guanine phosphoribosyltransferase gene (gpt). To direct the expression of gpt within this vector, a vaccinia virus promoter region was isolated from the HindIII-F fragment of the genome and inserted 5′ to gpt coding sequence. Four unique cloning sites in front of galK allow simple and precise fusion of various vaccinia virus DNA fragments that contain the regulatory site of interest to galK. Sequences containing promoter regions were ligated to the coding segment of the galK to create four recombinant plasmids, which were introduced into vaccinia virus-infected cells by transfection. Both galK and gpt were thus expressed under the control of vaccinia virus transcriptional units, and the enzymatic activities were measured in the same cell extract with a filter-binding assay. The major advantage of this transient expression system is that the variations in galK expression are always measured relative to the internal gpt standard. Changes in the galK gpt ratio resulting from different vaccinia promoters of galK are thus a quantitative measurement of promoter strength.
Age-Related Susceptibility to Chlordecone-Potentiated Carbon Tetrachloride Hepatotoxicity and Lethality Is Due to Hepatic Quiescence

ABSTRACT: Previous studies revealed that postnatally developing rats are resilient to the lethal effects of chlordecone (CD) + carbon letrachloride (CCI4) combination. The objective of this study was to investigate the underlying mechanism. We hypothesized that ongoing cell division and cell cycle progression as well as additional toxicant-induced stimulation of tissue repair help in restraining the progression of injury on the one hand, and in recovery through speedy healing on the other. Postnatally developing (20− and 45-d) and adult (60-d) male Sprague-Dawley rats were challenged with a nontoxic single dose of CCI4 (100 μL/kg. i.p.) or corn oil after pretreatment with either dietary CD (10 ppm) or normal diet (ND) for 15 d. Hepatocellular injury was assessed by measuring serum enzymes [alanine transaminase (ALT), sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH)], and bilirubin, as well as by histopathologic examination of liver sections during a time course of 0–96 h after the administration of CCI4 or corn oil. Hepatocellular regeneration was assessed by [3H]thymidine ([3H]T) incorporation into hepatic nuclear DNA. In CD + CCI4 treatment, ALT, SDH, and bilirubin levels peaked between 36 and 48 h after CCI4. All 20-d-old rats survived the challenge of CD + CCI4. CD-potentiated hepatotoxicity and lethality of CCI4 begin to be manifested in 45-d-old rats at 48 h and later times (25% mortality), whereas adult rats experience progressive hepatotoxic injury and 100% mortality by 72 h. In contrast, regardless of pretreatment, 20-d-old rats recover fully from injury by 72 h after CCI4 treatment. The rapid recovery of 20-d-old rats was associated with a combination of higher level of ongoing cell division and additional sustained stimulation of [3H]T incorporation from 24 to 72 h after the administration of CCI4. In the older rats (45− or 60-d-old) this response was significantly delayed and attenuated. Ongoing cell division and CCI4-stimulated regeneration were inversely related to postnatal development (20-, 45-, or 60-d). These biochemical, histopathological, and [3H]T incorporation studies suggest that the liver of younger rats has greater plasticity for repair after toxic injury whereas adult liver is much more quiescent in this regard.
Minireview: hey U(PS): metabolic and proteolytic homeostasis linked via AMPK and the ubiquitin proteasome system.

One of the master regulators of both glucose and lipid cellular metabolism is 5′-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). As a metabolic pivot that dynamically responds to shifts in nutrient availability and stress, AMPK dysregulation is implicated in the underlying molecular pathology of a variety of diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, neurological diseases, and aging. Although the regulation of AMPK enzymatic activity by upstream kinases is an active area of research, less is known about regulation of AMPK protein stability and activity by components of the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS), the cellular machinery responsible for both the recognition and degradation of proteins. Furthermore, there is growing evidence that AMPK regulates overall proteasome activity and individual components of the UPS. This review serves to identify the current understanding of the interplay between AMPK and the UPS and to promote further exploration of the relationship between these regulators of energy use and amino acid availability within the cell.
Deficits In Visual Performance After Long-Term Light Exposure

Selective loss of sensitivity to blue and green parts of the spectrum following intermit-tent, repeated exposures to intense spectral lights persists longer than three years following blue lights and between 18 and 40 days following green lights. The "blue-blindness" involves complete and sole loss of the response of the short-wavelength responsive cones. The "green-blindness" complete and sole loss of response of middle-wavelength sensitive cones. Histo-pathology of cones in a "blue-blinded" retina in comparison with cytochemical labeling of short-wavelength cones, reveals that they follow a similar distribution: are sparse in the foveola, reach a peak of about 16 percent of the cones near 1° and fall to 8-12 percent of the cones at 7°. Continuous as distinct from intermittent exposures to similar blue lights produces a wholly different pricture of gross pigment-epithelial damage with little photoreceptor degeneration.
Sample Size Considerations for Multilevel Surveys

Summary Social and economic data commonly have a nested structure (for example, households nested within neighborhoods). Recently techniques and computer programs have become available for dealing with such data, permitting the formulation of explicit multilevel models with hypotheses about effects occurring at each level and across levels. If data users are planning to analyze survey data using multilevel models rather than concentrating on means, totals, and proportions, this needs to be accounted for in the survey design. The implications for determining sample sizes (for example, the number of neighborhoods in the sample and the number of households sampled within each neighborhood) are explored. Resume Les donnees sociales et economiques ont generalement une structure emboitee (par exemple, menages emboites dans des voisinages). Recemment les techniques et les programmes machine sont devenus disponibles pour traiter de telles donees, permettant la formulation des modeles a multiniveaux explicites avec des hypotheses au sujet des effets se produisant a chaque niveau et a travers des niveaux. Si les utilisateurs de donnees projettent analyser des donnees d'etude en utilisant les modeles a multiniveaux plutot que de se concentrer sur des moyens, des totaux, et des proportions, ceci doitetre explique dans la conception d'etude. Les implications pour determiner des dimensions de l'echantillon (par exemple, le nombre de voisinages dans l'echantillon et le nombre de menages echantillonnes dans chaque voisinage) sont explorees.
3‐PYRROL‐2‐ONES FROM PYRUVAMIDES: MECHANISTIC AND SYNTHETIC ASPECTS

Abstract 3-pyrrol-2-ones, 4, and 2-butynamides, 5, are formed by reaction of N,N-dialkylated pyruvamides, 2, with diethyl (diazomethyl)phosphonate (1). The selectivity of the C-H insertion reaction to give 4 and the basis for it are discussed.
A practical method for analysing heavy tailed data.

An important practical issue of applying heavy tailed distributions is how to choose the sample fraction or threshold, since only a fraction of upper order statistics can be employed in the inference. Recently, Guillou & Hall (2001; Journal of Royal Statistical Society B, 63, 293–305) proposed a simple way to choose the threshold in estimating a tail index. In this article, the author first gives an intuitive explanation of the approach in Guillou & Hall (2001; it Journal of Royal Statistical Society B, 63, 293–305) and then proposes an alternative method, which can be extended to other settings like extreme value index estimation and tail dependence function estimation. Further the author proposes to combine this method for selecting a threshold with a bias reduction estimator to improve the performance of the tail index estimation, interval estimation of a tail index, and high quantile estimation. Simulation studies on both point estimation and interval estimation for a tail index show that both selection procedures are comparable and bias reduction estimation with the threshold selected by either method is preferred. The Canadian Journal of Statistics © 2009 Statistical Society of Canada
Tripodal titanium silsesquioxane complexes immobilized in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membrane: Selective catalysts for epoxidation of cyclohexene and 1-octene with aqueous hydrogen peroxide

Abstract We investigated the activity, epoxide selectivity, H 2 O 2 efficiency, and recyclability of heterogeneous alkene epoxidation catalysts prepared by encapsulation of tripodal Ti silsesquioxane complexes in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membrane. We found that [Ti(NMe 2 ){( c -C 6 H 11 ) 7 Si 7 O 12 }]/PDMS ( 3 ) and [Ti(NMe 2 ){( i -C 4 H 9 ) 7 Si 7 O 12 }]/PDMS ( 4 ) displayed high activity, epoxide selectivity (⩾97%), and H 2 O 2 efficiency (⩾97%) in cyclohexene- and 1-octene epoxidation with aqueous H 2 O 2 . Moreover, these catalysts were highly recyclable. The high H 2 O 2 efficiency can be attributed to the uniformly non-polar environment provided about the Ti silsesquioxane complex in 3 and 4 by the PDMS membrane, which presumably results in low local water concentrations and higher [alkene]:[H 2 O 2 ] ratios at the Ti center than in the bulk reaction medium; both of these effects favor the epoxide selectivity and minimal leaching of titanium. Our study of the effect of solvent on catalyst activity revealed that acetonitrile is to be preferred as solvent, since methanol inhibits the epoxidation at long reaction times.
Infanticide and madness

I am, of course, aware that infanticide was accepted and practiced in ancient Greece and Rome, and is still practiced (usually secretly, with winks and nods from public authorities, and with guilty denials by those who perform the killings and those officials who tolerate and sometimes even encourage them) in places like India and China today; just as I am aware that slavery was accepted and practiced in ancient Greece and Rome (and in the American south until 1865), and is still practiced in some places (eg, Mauritania) today. But if philosophers, no matter how sophisticated, were to step forward today to argue that slavery is morally acceptable (eg, because some people would have better lives as slaves than the lives they will lead in circumstances of freedom—you can easily imagine how a clever argument might be constructed), I would call that madness. Of course, the ‘madness’ I am referring to in condemning the advocacy of infanticide and slavery or their moral permissibility is moral madness. I am not making a clinical diagnosis of a psychiatric condition. I take it that this was obvious, but that Charles Camosy is nevertheless troubled that I would say such a thing. But I do say it. And at the risk of giving offense, I will say it again: advocating the moral permissibility of killing healthy newborn infants is moral madness; and it is scandalous, especially in a journal (the Journal of Medical Ethics ) expressly directed not merely to philosophers (who—and I confess to being one—enjoy playing with every manner of shocking idea) but to physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals—people whose attitudes shape decisions they make about the lives of real people, including real infants. Whatever errors of fact and judgment are made possible by the complexities of human development or a prenatal …
Isospin breaking in nuclear physics: The Nolen-Schiffer effect

Using the QCD sum rules we calculate the neutron-proton mass difference at zero density as a function of the difference in bare quark massmd—mu. We confirm results of Hatsuda, Hogaasen and Prakash that the largest term results from the difference in up and down quark condensates, the explicitC(md—mu) entering with the opposite sign. The quark condensates are then extended to finite density to estimate the Nolen-Schiffer effect. The neutron-proton mass difference is extremely density dependent, going to zero at roughly nuclear matter density.
At the Intersection of Public Health and Fat Studies: Critical Perspectives on the Measurement of Body Size

Public health and fat studies intersect around documenting varied body sizes, and both disciplines claim that body size is relevant to their research. However, current body size measures are problematic, and nonstigmatizing measures of body size are needed. In particular, means of documenting lived body size that are decoupled from health are desirable for both disciplines. This commentary aims to begin conversations about social justice–oriented means of documenting body diversity, to critically discuss how these measures are used, and potential next steps for body size measurement.
The Minimum Wage Law and Teenage Crime: Evidence From the US

What is the effect of minimum wage regulation on youth crime? Masanori Hashimoto, of Ohio State University, argues that in the USA the evidence suggests that the minimum wage causes both unemployment and teenage crime.
Emerging Molecular Mechanisms that Power and Regulate the Anastral Mitotic Spindle of Flowering Plants

Flowering plants, lacking centrosomes as well as dynein, assemble their mitotic spindle via a pathway that is distinct visually and molecularly from that of animals and yeast. The molecular components underlying mitotic spindle assembly and function in plants are beginning to be discovered. Here, we review recent evidence suggesting the preprophase band in plants functions analogously to the centrosome in animals in establishing spindle bipolarity, and we review recent progress characterizing the roles of specific motor proteins in plant mitosis. Loss of function of certain minus-end-directed KIN-14 motor proteins causes a broadening of the spindle pole; whereas, loss of function of a KIN-5 causes the formation of monopolar spindles, resembling those formed when the homologous motor protein (e.g., Eg5) is knocked out in animal cells. We present a phylogeny of the kinesin-5 motor domain, which shows deep divergence among plant sequences, highlighting possibilities for specialization. Finally, we review information concerning the roles of selected structural proteins at mitosis as well as recent findings concerning regulation of M-phase in plants. Insight into the mitotic spindle will be obtained through continued comparison of mitotic mechanisms in a diversity of cells. Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 2008. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Enhancement of heterogeneous immunoassays using AC electroosmosis

Abstract Enhancing the transport of analyte to a transducer surface is of critical importance to many biosensors, especially for those designed to capture and detect large biomolecules (nucleic acids, proteins, etc.) which diffuse slowly and therefore cause inordinately long detection times. For microfluidic-based sensors, which are characterized by low Reynolds number flow, the mass transport is purely diffusive in nature, which eliminates the possibility of turbulent mixing. In this article, enhancement of heterogeneous immunoassays using AC electroosmosis was studied through the use of finite element modeling and fluorescent immunoassays. Simulations of interdigitated planar electrodes indicate that optimum electrode geometry (electrode width and spacing) scales with the chamber height and that binding times can be reduced by up to a factor of 6. Optimum frequency of electrical excitation of the electrodes was between 100 and 200 Hz, which was confirmed by fluorescent immunoassays. Immunoassays also show that binding of secondary antibody on a functionalized surface can be significantly enhanced, especially at the ends of each electrode without noticeable nonspecific binding. Unexpectedly, the antibody binding was not uniformly distributed across the surface but patterned preferentially on the edges of the electrode, which indicates the presence of dielectrophoresis. Analysis of fluorescent intensity shows an enhancement of about 1.9 times at the center of the device and an enhancement of about 6.7 times at the edges of the best device type compared to a non-mixed counterpart. This work contributes to the growing field of electrokinetic enhancement of biosensors through the use of microelectrodes built directly onto, or near the binding region of a transducer.
Drop-port study of microresonator frequency combs: power transfer, spectra and time-domain characterization

We use a drop-port geometry to characterize frequency combs generated from silicon nitride on-chip microresonators in the normal group velocity regime. In sharp contrast with the traditional transmission geometry, we observe smooth output spectra with comparable powers in the pump and adjacent comb lines. The power transfer into the comb may be explained to a large extent by the coupling parameters characterizing the linear operation of the resonances studied. Furthermore, comparison of thru- and drop-port spectra shows that much of the ASE noise is filtered out by transmission to the drop-port. Autocorrelation measurements are performed on the drop-port output, without the need to filter out or suppress the strong pump line as is necessary in thru-port experiments. Passively mode-locked pulses with low background are observed in a normal dispersion microcavity.
Radioimmunoassay of Arthrobacter neuraminidase: applications to catalytic and taxonomic studies.

Abstract A radioimmunoassay capable of measuring nanogram quantities of Arthrobacter sialophilus neuraminidase was developed. Neuraminidases from several influenza viruses, Clostridium perfringens, Vibrio cholerae, Diplococcus pneumoniae , several group B streptococcal isolates, and human fibroblasts each failed to react with antisera raised in guinea pigs against the homogeneous A. sialophilus enzyme. Cross-reactivity was limited to neuraminidases from other Arthrobacter isolates and weakly, also with a Corynebacterium diphtheria enzyme preparation. Among the Arthrobacter -derived enzymes examined, that obtained from A. ureafaciens appeared nearly identical by this immunochemical criterion. Other designated Arthrobacter strains produced isofunctional proteins which exhibited distinct serological differences. The monospecific antibody also inhibited enzymatic activity of Arthrobacter neuraminidases. In the case of enzyme from A. sialophilus , inhibition by homologous antibody ranged from almost complete with Collocalia mucoid (a high-molecular-weight substrate) to none using sialyllactose. This substrate-dependent differential inhibition supports a steric model for inhibition of enzyme catalysis. Each of the cross-reacting Arthrobacter enzymes showed differential inhibition with sialyllactose, indicating variation in the positioning of one or more determinants with respect to their active sites. Further applications for this radioimmunoassay in relation to the use of neuraminidase in cell and molecular biology are discussed.
Serum analysis of tryptophan catabolism pathway: Correlation with Crohn's disease activity

BACKGROUND Indoleamine 2,3 dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) is a tryptophan catabolizing enzyme with immunotolerance promoting functions. We sought to determine if increased gut expression of IDO1 in Crohn’s disease (CD) would result in detectable changes in serum levels of tryptophan and the initial IDO1 pathway catabolite, kynurenine.
Contribution of hydrouracil and its derivatives to pyrimidine biosynthesis. I. Scope of contribution and some properties of the incorporating system.

Abstract HU and CβA have been shown to be utilized for RNA biosynthesis and to be pyrimidine precursors although less specifically and extensively so than orotate or its precursors under the conditions described. The partial discrimination between sequences involving orotate and HU for RNA biogenesis has been achieved by the use of acetone fractions of avian liver supernate.
HIGH RAD51 MRNA LEVELS IN YOUNG RABBIT APPENDIX. A ROLE IN B-CELL GENE CONVERSION ?

The rabbit has a limited number of VH genes that rearrange. As in the chicken, the 3'-most VH1 gene is rearranged in most B lymphocytes. This laboratory reported that by 6 weeks after birth, diversification of rearranged VH genes occurs, at least in part, by gene conversion-like events in the appendix, suggesting that this organ is a homologue of the avian bursa of Fabricius. Rad51 contributes to the repair of double-strand breaks in DNA during somatic and meiotic recombination. The gene was first identified in lower eukaryotes, and later in vertebrates including chicken, as encoding an Escherichia coli RecA-like protein. We report the cloning and sequencing of RAD51 from the rabbit. Because the chicken bursa was shown to express high levels of RAD51 message, we investigated the expression of RAD51 in the rabbit appendix and other tissues. Using a quantitative polymerase chain reaction mimic assay and conventional northern analyses, we found high RAD51 expression in young rabbit appendix comparable to levels in testis where there is an abundance of meiotic recombination. RAD51 levels were three times higher in appendix B lymphocytes compared with T lymphocytes and were lower in adult appendix, as well as in spleen and Peyer's patches of young rabbits. We measured the levels of message in several appendix cell sub-populations obtained by fluorescence-activated cell sorting and found that sub-populations of B lymphocytes corresponding to different stages of B-cell development as well as B cells undergoing isotype switch did not have significantly different mRNA levels.
Computer Analysis of Electrocardiograms Using a Linear Regression Technique

The paper describes some results of statistical analysis and classification of electrocardiograms (ECG) on a digital computer. The linear regression method is chosen for the analysis mainly because of its conceptual and mathematical simplicity. The analysis is based on the ECG waveform itself rather than the special criteria established by the experience of physicians. Three-lead ECGs for each subject were used. Each ECG was approximated efficiently by 12 orthonormal exponentials. Nine direction cosines were used to describe the spatial orientation of the vectorcardiographic loop. These 45 parameters (3×12+9=45) were regarded as coordinates in a 45-dimensional vector space, and the statistical analysis was aimed at relating certain portions of the vector space with the pathological categories. This procedure is intended primarily as a research tool. With ECGs of 53 subjects, the method has been quite promising. However, demonstration of clinical significance will require additional experimental investigation.
What determines whether a wave function is inherently necessary

The inherent necessity of wave functions may be determined in either of two ways. One way, frequently presupposed, states that the fundamental validity of wave functions is determined generically: The nature of the system determines the assignability of inherently necessary wave functions. The other approach holds that it is the specific experiment which determines the systems for which description by use of wave functions is fundamentally valid. A guideline based on this contextual approach is proposed and tested in three experimental situations.
Tumor cell-specific loss of p53 protein in a unique in vitro model of human breast tumor progression

Mutations of the p53 gene are the most frequent genetic lesion in breast cancer. Here, we examined p53 expression in a unique in vitro model of tumor progression derived from a single breast cancer patient (21T series). While the normal mammary epithelial, fibroblast and mesothelial cells derived from this patient expressed easily detectable functional p53 protein, the primary as well as metastatic tumor cell lines demonstrated a lack of p53 protein synthesis. 21T tumor cells failed to exhibit G1 cell cycle arrest upon exposure to gamma-irradiation, and their growth was suppressed by transfection of a normal p53 cDNA, demonstrating a lack of p53-mediated function in these cells. No p53 gene deletion or rearrangements were detectable. PCR and sequence analysis of the entire coding region of p53 gene revealed a novel mutation, an insertion of a single T within codon 33, which resulted in a frame-shift and early termination. The same mutation was observed in all 21T tumor cell lines. These results demonstrate a tumor cell-specific loss of p53 protein due to a frame-shift mutation, and suggest that p53 loss may occur at a relatively early step in breast tumorigenesis before metastatic seeding or emergence of tumor heterogeneity. In addition, the availability of normal and tumor-derived epithelial cells with known p53 sequences from a single breast cancer patient should facilitate understanding of the p53 regulation in mammary cells.
Throughput and delay limits of IEEE 802.11

The IEEE 802.11 protocol family provides up to 54-Mbps data rate, whereas the industry is seeking higher data rates. This paper shows that a theoretical throughput upper limit and a theoretical delay lower limit exist for the IEEE 802.11 protocols. The existence of such limits indicates that by simply increasing the data rate without reducing overhead, the enhanced performance, in terms of throughput and delay, is bounded even when the data rate goes into infinitely high. Reducing overhead is vital for good performance.
Dysfunctional Effects of Formal Planning: Two Theoretical Explanations.

Kuhn's (1970, 1974) concept of paradigm development and the concept of dialectical materialism are used to demonstrate how formal planning may cause intraorganizational contradictions and endanger an organization's viability. These concepts are integrated by a model of planning dysfunctionalities. Ways to resolve such contradictions are discussed, and questions are suggested for empirical investigation.
Internal symmetry and the semiclassical method in quantum field theory

We apply the methods of Dashen, Hasslacher, and Neveu to quantum field theories with continuous global symmetries. With a U(1) symmetry we show that it is possible to project out a subspace of fixed charge, and to reformulate the theory as one with internal symmetry, but with centrifugal terms arising from rotation in the internal-symmetry space; in the weak-coupling regime, static solutions of this equivalent problem determine the energies of the bound states. Within a particular model in one spatial dimension we demonstrate the existence of such bound states and examine the dependence of their energies upon the charge. The extension of the method to non-Abelian groups is illustrated with SU(2) examples.
Potent transforming activity of the small GTP-binding protein Rit in NIH 3T3 cells: evidence for a role of a p38γ-dependent signaling pathway

A novel branch of the Ras family, Rit, was recently identified. Rit exhibits a distinct C-terminus and effector domain, and does not activate mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) but can cooperate with Raf to transform fibroblasts. Here, we found that when overexpressed, activated mutants of Rit transform NIH 3T3 cells efficiently, and stimulate p38γ but not MAPK, p38α, p38β, p38δ, or ERK5. Furthermore, we provide evidence that p38γ activation is required for the ability of Rit to stimulate gene expression and cellular transformation. These findings suggest that this unique GTPase stimulates proliferative pathways distinct from those regulated by other Ras family members.
Sensitivity of location-sharing services data: evidence from American travel pattern

This paper investigates sensitivity of location-sharing services (LSS) data with a focus on understanding American daily travel pattern using three LSS datasets: Brightkite, Gowalla and Foursquare. Through a systematic data refining process, person miles of travel and daily person trip are created and compared both among themselves and with the US National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) of 2009. The results suggest that LSS data provides a better estimation of person miles of travel than daily person trip on average. In addition, the comparison with the NHTS reveals that LSS data tends to have a better reflection of daily travel behavior among metro areas with high population density.
In vitro acetylcholine synthesis and oxidative metabolism during development of normal and brindled mouse brain.

Abstract During early development normal and brindled mouse brain use 3-hydroxy-butyrate preferentially to glucose as a source for biosynthetic carbon units. On postnatal days 5–60, CO 2 and acetylcholine production from 3-hydroxybutyrate decrease while that from glucose increases. Glucose metabolism exceeds that of 3-hydroxybutyrate after weaning (day 21). These findings indicate that the immature brain uses 3-hydroxybutyrate to support effectively oxidative metabolism and acetylcholine synthesis. Deficits in oxidative and acetylcholine metabolism occur in the developing brindled mouse, a genetic mutant with a defect in copper homeostasis. In the brindled mouse forebrain and cerebellum, the incorporation of either substrate into CO 2 and acetylcholine was decreased 15%, 50% and 80% at days 5, 10 and 15 postnatal, respectively, when compared to the normal littermates. The brindled mouse demonstrates deficits in both oxidative metabolism and acetylcholine synthesis before the appearance of neuropathology.