cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evidence Supporting a Role for Histidine-235 in Cation Binding to Human 3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA Lyase†

Histidine-235 of human 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA (HMG-CoA) lyase is the second basic residue in a conserved HXH motif. This residue is solvent accessible, readily reacting with the group specific reagent diethyl pyrocarbonate. Site-directed mutagenesis has been employed to substitute alanine or aspartate for H235. Characterization of the isolated H235A and H235D lyase mutants indicates that their tertiary structure is substantially intact. The mutant proteins, like the wild-type enzyme, are stoichiometrically modified by the affinity label, 2-butynoyl-CoA. Catalytic activity of the mutants is diminished by 15-fold and Km for HMG-CoA elevated approximately 4-fold in comparison with the values for wild-type enzyme. The function of H235 is suggested by investigation of the interaction of these enzymes with the dissociable divalent cation (e.g. Mg2+ or Mn2+) that is required for activity. ESR experiments show that wild-type enzyme forms a stable binary E*M complex. In contrast, H235A and H235D proteins do not efficiently form a binary complex. Significant interaction with cation (Mn2+) only occurs in the presence of the substrate analog, 3-hydroxyglutaryl-CoA. Similarly, when cation interaction is estimated in the presence of substrate using steady-state kinetic approaches, activator constants (Ka) and divalent cation Km values are measurable but are elevated by 15-90-fold over comparable estimates for the wild-type enzyme. The data confirm our earlier suggestion that both protein and substrate contribute ligands to HMG-CoA lyase's divalent cation activator. More specifically, the current observations suggest that H235 has an important function in cation binding.
Influence of Substrate Temperature and Post-Deposition Annealing on Material Properties of Ga-Doped ZnO Prepared by Pulsed Laser Deposition

Ga-doped ZnO films were prepared at 10 mTorr of oxygen over a broad temperature range using pulsed laser deposition. The carrier concentration of as-deposited films decreased monotonically with deposition temperature over a temperature range of 25°C to 450°C. Post-deposition annealing of as-deposited films in forming gas (5% H2 in argon) or vacuum resulted in a substantial increase in both carrier concentration and electron mobility. The figure of merit was highest for films deposited at 250°C then annealed in forming gas at 400°C. The optical transmittance was near 90% throughout the visible and near-infrared spectral regions. These results indicate that Ga-doped ZnO is a viable alternative to transparent indium-based conductive oxides.
The condition dependence and heritability of signaling and nonsignaling color traits in paper wasps

Research on quality signal development typically focuses on signals with production costs; less is known about signals that lack production costs (conventional signals). Here, I test the condition dependence and heritability of the facial patterns that function as a conventional signal of quality in Polistes dominulus wasps. Two aspects of facial patterns are compared: (1) amount of black pigment (no signal value) and (2) disruption in the black pigment's distribution (quality signal). When colonies received the same diet, they produced offspring with similar facial patterns and both traits were heritable. However, experimental diet manipulation substantially influenced quality signal development. Wasps fed unlimited caterpillars developed more disrupted facial patterns than wasps fed a restricted diet. Further, signal heritability was obscured following the diet treatment. In contrast, the nonsignaling trait was not influenced by the diet treatment and remained heritable. Overall, the quality signal in P. dominulus is condition dependent and heritable, but its heritability may be obscured by environmental variance. The nonsignaling aspect of wasp facial patterns is not condition dependent and is more consistently heritable across environments. Therefore, the information a signal conveys may be influenced by its developmental properties rather than its honesty-ensuring cost or the pigments that constitute it.
The effect of corticosteroids on methacholine inhalation in symptomatic bronchial asthma.

Abstract The airway responses of 11 symptomatic patients with asthma to metacholine inhalation were determined before and after a two-week course of corticosteroids and compared with those of 5 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and 4 individuals without respiratory illness. A significant increase in response to cholinergic stimulation as measured by a fall in the FEV 1 occurred after corticosteroids only in the asthmatic group. The mechanism of this response is not clear.
Rapid Activation of Nuclear Factor-κB in Airway Epithelium in a Murine Model of Allergic Airway Inflammation

Bronchiolar epithelium is postulated to play a critical role in the orchestration of responses to inhaled allergens, and may contribute to the pathogenesis of asthma. Using a murine model of allergic airway inflammation and hyperresponsiveness, we demonstrate in mice sensitized with ovalbumin (OVA) that following a single challenge with nebulized OVA, a rapid and protracted activation of inhibitor of kappa B kinase (IKK) occurred in lung tissue. IKK activation was followed by nuclear localization of nuclear factor (NF)-κB within the bronchiolar epithelium and increased luciferase activity in lungs of mice containing a NF-κB-dependent reporter gene. Challenge of sensitized mice with OVA also induced mRNA expression of the chemokines, macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (MIP-2) and eotaxin in lung tissue, which corresponded temporally with the observed influx of neutrophils and eosinophils, respectively, into the airspaces. Using laser capture microdissection and quantitative polymerase chain reaction, we demonstrated that MIP-2 and eotaxin were predominantly expressed in bronchiolar epithelium, in contrast to distal regions of the lungs, which expressed lower or undetectable levels of these mRNAs. These studies strengthen the potential importance of the bronchiolar epithelial cell as a source of production of NF-κB-dependent mediators that play a role in asthma.
Effect of added salt on the stability of hydrogen-bonded interpolymer complexes

Association of macromolecules in aqueous media through hydrogen bonding results in the formation of discrete interpolymer complexes (IPCs). In this work, the effect of added salt on the stability of IPCs consisting of polyacrylic acid and either a flexible polymer (polyethylene oxide or polyvinylpyrrolidone) or a semirigid polymer (hydroxy propylcellulose) is examined by a combination of spectrophotometry, viscometry and potentiometry. Addition of a neutral salt (e.g., NaCl) typically results in IPC aggregation. The response of the IPCs to salts that promote “salting-in” (i.e., LiSCN, NaSCN and GuSCN, where Gu denotes guanidine) is strongly cation-dependent, since Li+ cations induce an increase in solution pH, whereas Gu+ cations compete with polyacrylic acid for complexation sites. The degree of complexation (θ), calculated from potentiometric data, is greatest for IPCs in the absence of salt and is found to decrease in the order NaCl>NaSCN>GuSCN. Addition of salts that induce “salting-in” at polymer solution concentrations favoring complexation is found to enhance IPC solubility (and reduce θ) until the IPC particles are either completely solubilized or dissociated.
Residual stress in silicon nitride films

The mechanical stress caused by Si3N4 films on (111) oriented Si wafers was studied as a function of the Si3N4 film thickness, deposition rate, deposition temperature and film composition. The Si3N4 films were prepared by the reaction of gaseous SiH4 and NH3 in the temperature range 700–1000°C. The curvature of the Si substrates caused by the Si3N4. films is related to the film stress; the substrate curvature was measured by an optical interference technique. The measured Si3N4. film stress was found to be highly tensile with a magnitude of about 1010 dynes/cm2. For the thickness range of 2000–5000A, there was no change in the measured stress. The total film stress was observed to decrease for decreasing deposition rate and increasing deposition temperature. A large change in film stress was observed for films containing excess Si; the stress decreased with increasing Si content. Based on published values for the thermal expansion coefficients for Si and Si3N4, a published value for Young’s Modulus for Si3N4, and the measured total stress values, a consistent argument is developed in which the total stress consists of a compressive component due to thermal expansion coefficient mismatch and a larger tensile intrinsic stress component. Both the thermal and intrinsic stress components vary with film deposition temperature in directions which decrease the total room temperature stress for higher deposition temperatures.
Developmental Changes in Sodium Nitroprusside and Atrial Natriuretic Factor Mediated Relaxation in the Guinea Pig Aorta

ABSTRACT: Sodium nitroprusside (SNP), a nonreceptor mediated stimulant of soluble guanylate cyclase, and atrial natriuretic factor, a receptor-dependent stimulator of particulate guanylate cyclase, mediate relaxation responses by increasing intracellular cGMP. This in vitro study was designed to compare the ontogeny of relaxation responses to SNP and atrial natriuretic factor in the guinea pig thoracic aorta. Aortic rings from fetuses at 55-60 d gestation (term = 68 d), 1- to 3-d-old newborn, and 12-wk-old adult Hartley guinea pigs were mounted in an organ bath, bathed in Kreb's solution, and connected to a force-displacement transducer to measure isometric tension. Relaxation responses to SNP and atriopeptin III were studied with the vessels at optimal resting tension and after preconstriction with an EC85 concentration of norepinephrine. SNP-mediated relaxation showed a significant increase in sensitivity with development among the three age groups (p < 0.05). Methylene blue, an inhibitor of soluble guanylate cyclase, produced no inhibition of relaxation to SNP in fetal aortae, significantly decreased responses along the straight portion of the concentration-response curve in newborn aortae (p < 0.05), and significantly shifted the concentration-response curve to the right (p < 0.05) in adult aortae; but did not prevent vessels from relaxing almost 100% in any age group. However, atriopeptin III-mediated responses were similar in the three age groups and were unaffected by methylene blue. These results suggest that 1) sensitivity to SNP increases with age from fetal through adult life; 2) relaxation mediated by atriopeptin III is similar during development; 3) methylene blue does not affect SNP mediated relaxation in fetuses but progressively decreases sensitivity to SNP in newborns and adults; and4) methylene blue does not affect atriopeptin III-mediated relaxation in any age group.
Preferential interaction among lens proteins as evidenced from accessibility of crystallins to ammonia gas.

Abstract Different crystallins (α, β H , β L and low molecular weight—LMW) were isolated from bovine lenses. The study of accessibility of the lyophilized solid proteins to ammonia gas was conducted in a high-vacuum vapor sorption apparatus. The sorption and desorption isotherms obtained were used to calculate the sorptive capacity and retentive capacity (hysteresis and irreversibly sorbed ammonia gas) of the different proteins. Individual crystallins were used to study the accessibility of the self-aggregates. Protein mixtures ( β H + β H ; α + LMW, etc.) were employed to study the accessibility of binary, tertiary and finally quaternary systems to ammonia vapor. Finally lyophilized thin sections of the bovine lenses were exposed to ammonia vapor. Comparing the sorptive and retentive capacities of self- and hetero-aggregates gave an indication of the preferred interactions among lens proteins in free solution, and by inference in situ, in the lens fibers.
Some Critical Reflections on the Principles and Instruments of the Welfare State

: The crisis of the welfare state continues to be associated with the ‘hypertrophic‘ growth of social expenditure in public sector budgets and with the fiscal crisis of the state. This approach is refuted in this paper and preference is given to an explanation of the problems of the welfare state which attributes them to a complex set of (interrelated) causes, among which the most salient are: the crisis of principles and objectives; the inability to combine social principles and objectives with those of the market; and the limits of a system which, although capable of enormous ‘churning‘, only succeeds in producing, in most circumstances, zero-sum games. In order to corroborate these theses, a number of reflections are developed on six themes which can be regarded as illustrative of the main ailments afflicting current social policy systems in industrialized countries. If every individual were reared in conditions as favourable to health as science can make them, received an equally thorough and stimulating education up to sixteen, and knew on reaching manhood that, given a reasonable measure of hard work and good fortune, he and his family could face the risks of life without being crushed by them, the most shocking of existing inequalities would be on the way to disappear. Sharp contrasts of pecuniary income might indeed remain, as long as society were too imperfectly civilized to put an end to them. But the range of life corrupted by their influence would be narrower than today. It would cease to be the rule for the rich to be rewarded, not only with riches, but with a preferential share of health and life, and for the penalty of the poor to be not merely poverty, but ignorance, sickness and premature death (K.H. Tawney) 1.
On Maximizing Coverage in Gaussian Relay Networks

Results for Gaussian relay channels typically focus on maximizing transmission rates for given locations of the source, relay and destination. We consider an alternative approach, focusing on maximizing coverage for a given rate. This novel perspective enables treatment of the relay location as a design parameter, producing an extra degree of freedom that may be optimized. Focusing on coverage, we evaluate existing approaches, like decode and forward (DF), compress and forward (CF) and compare them with upper bounds. In the process, we obtain some surprising insights on the performance of these approaches.
Early Interventionists’ Perspectives on Teaching Caregivers:

Relatively little is known about the role of early interventionists as teachers of caregivers. The current study was conducted to better understand interventionists’ perspectives about teaching car...
Established and Emerging Markers of Kidney Function

BACKGROUND: The kidney performs a multitude of essential functions to maintain homeostasis. In clinical medicine, glomerular filtration rate (GFR) provides the best index of overall kidney function, and proteinuria adds additional information on renal and nonrenal prognosis. Several novel biomarkers of kidney injury and function are under investigation. CONTENT: Plasma creatinine concentration is the most widely used measure for estimation of GFR. Plasma cystatin C and β-trace protein may eventually prove to be superior to creatinine. GFR may be measured directly by use of exogenous filtration markers, although their role is primarily limited to the research setting. Real-time, noninvasive measurement of GFR by using fluorescently labeled markers may be available in the future. Novel biomarkers of tubular injury such as neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin, kidney injury molecule-1, liver-type fatty acid binding protein, N-acetyl-β-(D)-glucosaminidase, and interleukin-18 may enable the early detection of acute kidney injury before or in the absence of a change in GFR. SUMMARY: A variety of methods are available to assist clinicians in the assessment of kidney function and injury. Ongoing investigation will help determine the utility of several new markers and clarify their role in the care of patients with and at risk for kidney disease.
The Impact of Incorporating of Pharmacogenomics into the Pharmacy Curriculum on Student Interest

Background: Pharmacogenomics content in the pharmacy curriculum has increased since AACP adopted NCHPEG guidelines in 2001. Aims: To evaluate how program level curricular changes impact pharmacy student opinions regarding pharmacogenomics, and gauge student interest in pursuing a career in pharmacogenomics. Methods: First and third year students from eight pharmacy schools in California completed a survey indicating their attitudes towards pharmacogenomics. Results: The survey concluded that the presence of a stand - alone pharmacogenomics course did not impact student perceived preparedness for a career in pharmacogenomics. Furthermore, the presence of a course did not influence student interest in pursuing a residency, fellowship, or career in pharmacogenomics. While the presence of a faculty specialising in pharmacogenomics increased student awareness, it did not increase student interest in pursuing a pharmacogenomics career. Conclusion: The integration of pharmacogenomics into the pharmacy curriculum resulted in positive perceptions regarding student preparedness for a pharmacy career in pharmacogenomics, but did not cultivate student interest.
Combining Data and Mathematical Models of Language Change

English noun/verb (N/V) pairs (contract, cement) have undergone complex patterns of change between 3 stress patterns for several centuries. We describe a longitudinal dataset of N/V pair pronunciations, leading to a set of properties to be accounted for by any computational model. We analyze the dynamics of 5 dynamical systems models of linguistic populations, each derived from a model of learning by individuals. We compare each model's dynamics to a set of properties observed in the N/V data, and reason about how assumptions about individual learning affect population-level dynamics.
The Creation And Implementation Of A Student Civility Code

This paper examines the design and implementation of a student civility code at a regional campus of a Big Ten University. The paper also provides some guidelines to address student incivility in both the classroom and service offices throughout a higher education institution. The communication of such a student code to promote civility was critical and has also been discussed.
ULTRASTRUCTURAL ORGANIZATION OF OBLIQUELY STRIATED MUSCLE FIBERS IN ASCARIS LUMBRICOIDES

The somatic musculature of the nematode, Ascaris, is currently thought to consist of smooth muscle fibers, which contain intracellular supporting fibrils arranged in a regular pattern. Electron microscopic examination shows that the muscle fibers are, in fact, comparable to the striated muscles of vertebrates in that they contain interdigitating arrays of thick and thin myofilaments which form H, A, and I bands. In the A bands each thick filament is surrounded by about 10 to 12 thin filaments. The earlier confusion about the classification of this muscle probably arose from the fact that in one longitudinal plane the myofilaments are markedly staggered and, as a result, the striations in that plane of section are not transverse but oblique, forming an angle of only about 6° with the filament axis. The apparent direction of the striations changes with the plane of the section and may vary all the way from radial to longitudinal. A three-dimensional model is proposed which accounts for the appearance of this muscle in various planes. Z lines as such are absent but are replaced by smaller, less orderly, counterpart "Z bundles" to which thin filaments attach. These bundles are closely associated with fibrillar dense bodies and with deep infoldings of the plasma membrane. The invaginations of the plasma membrane together with intracellular, flattened, membranous cisternae form dyads and triads. It is suggested that these complexes, which also occur at the cell surface, may constitute strategically located, low-impedance patches through which local currents are channeled selectively.
Growth in the basicranial synchondroses of adolescent Macaca mulatta

Tritiated thymidine was administered to five Macaca mulatta monkeys ranging in skeletal age from 39 to 48 months. The animals were then serially sacrificed according to the following postinjection schedule: 6 hours, 12 hours, 2, 4, and 7 days. Each animal was given oxytetracycline 370, 103, and 7 days prior to sacrifice. The spheno-occipital and midsphenoidal synchondroses were excised and sectioned midsagittally for histologic preparation and undecalcified “ground” sections. Results from this investigation indicate that from 39 to 48 months of age growth occurs primarily in the spheno-occipital synchrondroses. The greatest mitotic activity occurs within the proliferative zones, while the central zone appears to be relatively inactive. The surface remodeling pattern, which tends to flex the basiocciput relative to the basisphenoid, appears to be compensated for by a supero-inferior growth rate differential within the spheno-occipital cartilage.
XXIV.—On the structure and affinities of the genus Tristychius, Agass

(1883). XXIV.—On the structure and affinities of the genus Tristychius, Agass. Annals and Magazine of Natural History: Vol. 12, No. 69, pp. 177-190.
Scalable and fault-tolerant network-on-chip design usingthe quartered recursive diagonal torus topology

Network-on-a-chip (NoC) is an effective approach to connect and manage the communication between the variety of design elements and intellectual property blocks required in large and complex system-on-chips. In this paper, we propose a new NoC architecture, referred as the Quartered Recursive Diagonal Torus (QRDT), which is constructed by overlaying diagonal torus. Due to its small diameter and rich routing recourses, QRDT is determined to be well suitable to construct highly scalable NoCs.In QRDT, data packets can be routed through a proposed minimal routing algorithm based on the Johnson codes that have traditionally been used in finite state machine designs. It has been shown that this proposed routing algorithm with minor modifications is capable of handling the single link/node failure. The hardware cost of the proposed QRDT architecture and its associated routing algorithm is revealed by designing two QRDT routers which have been synthesized using TSMC 0.18¼m CMOS technology.
Organization and Regulatory Aspects of the Human Intestinal Mucin Gene (MUC2) Locus

The human MUC2 gene maps to chromosome 11p15, where three additional mucin genes have been located, and encodes the most abundant gastrointestinal mucin normally expressed in the intestinal goblet cell lineage. However, in pathological conditions, including colorectal cancer, MUC2 can be abnormally expressed. Therefore, it is of considerable interest to understand the regulation of the MUC2 gene and how the mechanism is altered in colon cancer. Toward this goal, we have isolated a group of overlapping clones (contig) spanning 85 kilobases harboring the entire MUC2 locus, including sequences located upstream of the gene. Detection of two DNase I-hypersensitive sites in the 5ʹ region of the MUC2 gene suggests the presence of DNA regulatory elements. To better characterize this region, we have sequenced 12 kilobases of the upstream region and analyzed it for functional activity by cloning portions of it into a luciferase reporter vector and assaying for promoter/enhancer activity using a transient transfection assay. A fragment from the AUG translational initiation codon +1 to -848 confers maximal transcriptional activity in several intestinal cell lines. Elements located further upstream exert a negative effect on the expression of the reporter gene when tested in conjunction with homologous or heterologous promoters. The same pattern of expression is observed when the MUC2/luciferase constructs are transfected into HeLa cells, which do not express the endogenous MUC2 gene. However, the level of activity in HeLa cells is at least an order of magnitude higher, suggesting that additional sequences singularly or in combination are responsible for the tissue- and cell lineage-specific expression of MUC2 Finally, we have identified an additional mucin-like gene (MUCX), located upstream of MUC2 We show that this MUCX gene, that is transcribed in opposite orientation to that of MUC2, is expressed with a pattern distinct from that of MUC2, yet similar to that of MUC5B and MUC6, two additional mucin genes located at chromosome 11p15. Recent information on the order of the mucin genes at chromosome 11p15 suggests that MUCX may be MUC6, one of the already identified mucin genes, or a novel one, yet to be fully characterized.
Boarding of Pediatric Psychiatric Patients Is a No-Fly Zone for Value

Evolving concepts about the interwoven nature of physical and mental health have slowly, but incompletely, chipped away at the “reductionistic anachronism of mind/body dualism”1 that has historically separated them. The article, “Impact of Boarding Pediatric Psychiatric Patients on a Medical Ward,” in this edition of Hospital Pediatrics , however, highlights a series of challenges in which a patient’s body occupies a medical bed, but the mind is not getting the therapy it needs. The authors describe how psychiatric patients boarding on a medical floor receive little of the care they need while incurring high costs. Psychiatric boarding, which delays treatment when patients are most vulnerable, directly compromises all domains of quality (including safety, effectiveness, efficiency, timeliness, patient-centeredness, and equity) and is far from the high-value care we seek to deliver. The root of the problem, which must be addressed to ameliorate the situation, is that mental health care is grossly underfunded, which has led to insufficient physical and professional capacity. Since the 1960s, an appropriate emphasis on deinstitutionalization has led to a reduction in the number of psychiatric beds. Yet despite a desire to shift to outpatient and …
Robust control of a morphing airfoil structure

This paper presents several robust control designs for a MIMO morphing airfoil concept. A linear aeroelastic model of the morphing wing is utilized to design an H/sub /spl infin// controller and a two degree of freedom H/sub /spl infin// loop shaping controller that track commanded lift and roll moments. These methodologies are developed, along with the robustness conditions for input multiplicative, and real parametric uncertainty in /spl omega//sub n/ and /spl sigmav//sub n/. The robustness of each of these controllers is then evaluated using these conditions and the structured singular value (SSV). Comments and discussion on these control methodologies are then drawn presented.
Examining the Culture of Fatherhood in American Children's Literature: Presence, Interactions, and Nurturing Behaviors of Fathers in Caldecott Award Winning Picture Books (1938-2002)

This research examines the cultural scenarios of American fatherhood by measuring father presence and interactions with children in Caldecott award winning picture books from 1938 to 2002. Comparisons of fathers and mothers are measured and examined for changes over time. Fathers are found to be present in relatively the same number of books as mothers yet are depicted as engaging in significantly fewer interactions with children than mothers. The 1960s were found to be a period of time in which changes occurred in the presence of fathers in the books, supporting prior research which posits a "shifting" pattern in fatherhood imagery. This study also finds concurrence with a "fluctuating" pattern of changes in the culture of fatherhood in media with regard to father interactions. Further, findings point to the possibility of a "new father" image occurring during the 1980s. Language: en
Practical reasoning with transaction logic programming for knowledge base dynamics

Transaction Logic is an extension of classical predicate calculus for representing declarative and procedural knowledge in logic programming, databases, and artificial intelligence. Since it provides a logical foundation for the phenomenon of state changes, it has been successful in areas as diverse as workflows, planning, reasoning about actions, Web services, security policies, active databases and more. Although a number of implementations of Transaction Logic exist, none is logically complete due to the time and space complexity of such implementations. In the first part of this thesis, we describe an approach for performing actions in the logic, which has better complexity and termination properties via a logically complete tabling evaluation strategy. Then we describe a series of optimizations, which make this algorithm practical and analyze their performance on a set of benchmarks. Our performance evaluation study shows that the tabling algorithm can scale well both in time and space. In the second part of the thesis, we extend Transaction Logic in the direction of defeasible reasoning, which has a number of interesting applications, including specification of defaults in action theories and heuristics for directed search in planning. In this setting we show that heuristics expressed as defeasible actions can significantly reduce the search space and thus the execution time and space requirements.
Non-exponential tunneling in water near an electrode

Abstract We have measured the inverse decay length (κ) for tunneling in water between a Pt-Ir tip and an Au(111) surface. At 10 9 Ω κ = 0.92 ± 0.16 A −1 (Au negative), almost independent of electrochemical potential. An unexpected drop is observed as the gap resistance is reduced below 10 8 Ω. The tunnel gap at 10 9 Ω is about 20 A, 12 A more than predicted by ab initio calculations. It is Ohmic for resistances between 10 9 and 10 6 Ω and voltages less than 0.1 V, implying that sharp resonances do not play a role.
PHYSICAL CHEMICAL STUDIES ON THE SPECIFIC INTERACTION OF AN ACRIFLAVINE-PHOSPHOTUNGSTIC ACID COMPLEX WITH DOUBLE-STRANDED NUCLEIC ACIDS

The detailed definition of the structure of DNA in chromosomes and in interphase chromatin is important for correlating the structure of the genetic material with various states of physiological activity. A general approach to developing specific reagents for a variety of such studies in solution and in tissues is to combine a chemically specific organic cation with the electron-opaque phosphotungstic acid (PTA) molecule. The reagent described in this paper was made from the interaction of acriflavine and phosphotungstic acid. The acriflavine-PTA complex (a) displays some unique absorption and fluorescence properties, (b) binds specifically to DNA and RNA by intercalation of the acriflavine moiety, and (c) is electron opaque. In addition, it binds to double-stranded synthetic polynucleotides, but not to a variety of proteins, nucleoproteins, or polysaccharides.
Levenson's IPC (Internal-External Control) Scale A Comparison of Chinese and American Students

To examine further the cross-cultural feasibility of the internal-external control of reinforcement construct, one part of the study was conducted in Taiwan, using 517 Chinese college students, and the other part consisted of 423 American college students. Levenson's IPC Scale and an information questionnaire were used to compare the two groups. After translating the materials into Chinese for the Chinese subjects, comparisons of the locus of control concept between the two cultures and between sexes were made. In general, similar patterns between males and females on the IPC were found for both American and Chinese students, and I, P, and C were also found to correlate with a similar number of confidence and expectancy variables for the two cultures. These results, taken together and compared with data from previous studies, suggest that the locus of control variable may be tapping some basic psychological dimension common to both cultures.
Endosulfan and Metabolites

α-Endosulfan, β-endosulfan, and endosulfan sulfate are the compounds included in this category.
Effect of nandrolone decanoate administration on recovery from bupivacaine-induced muscle injury

Although testosterone administration elicits well-documented anabolic effects on skeletal muscle mass, the enhancement of muscle regeneration after injury has not been widely examined. The purpose of this study was to determine whether anabolic steroid administration improves skeletal muscle regeneration from bupivacaine-induced injury. Male C57BL/6 mice were castrated 2 wk before muscle injury induced by an intramuscular bupivacaine injection into the tibialis anterior (TA) muscle. Control mice received an intramuscular PBS injection. Anabolic steroid [nandrolone decanoate (ND), 6 mg/kg] or sesame seed oil was administered at the time of initial injury and continued every 7 days for the study's duration. Mice were randomly assigned to one of four treatment groups for 5, 14, or 42 days of recovery, as follows: 1) control (uninjured); 2) ND only (uninjured + ND); 3) bupivacaine only (injured); or 4) bupivacaine + ND (injured + ND). TA morphology, protein, and gene expression were analyzed at 14 and 42 days after injury; protein expression was analyzed at 5 days after injury. After 14 days of recovery, the injury and injury + ND treatments induced small-diameter myofiber incidence and also decreased mean myofiber area. The increase in small-myofiber incidence was 65% greater in injury + ND muscle compared with injury alone. At 14 days, injury + ND induced a fivefold increase in muscle IGF-I mRNA expression, which was greater than injury alone. Muscle Akt activity and glycogen synthetase kinase-3β activity were also induced by injury + ND at 14 days of recovery, but not by injury alone. ND had a main effect for increasing muscle MyoD and cyclin D1 mRNA expression at 14 days. After 42 days of recovery, injury + ND increased large-diameter myofiber incidence compared with injury only. Nandrolone decanoate (ND) administration can enhance castrated mouse muscle regeneration during the recovery from bupivacaine-induced injury.
Feasible products in batch reactive distillation

A systematic feasibility evaluation for batch reactive distillation systems is addressed. In each batch configuration, feasibility criteria are obtained for ternary reactive systems by using residual curve maps (RCMs) and reaction equilibrium manifolds. If one of the reaction products is an unstable node (UN) and is reachable from all distillation regions, a rectifier can be used for producing pure products. Even if this unstable node is only reachable from one specific distillation region, a rectifier can still be used when a part of the reaction equilibrium curve lies within the same distillation region as the product. Symmetric results are conserved for a batch stripper with one stable node (SN) product. Finally, pure products are produced in middle-vessel columns when the UN and SN products share the same distillation region with a part of the reaction equilibrium curve. Although these criteria are obtained for ternary systems, they can be extended to multicomponent reactive systems.
Paying Employers to Hire Local Workers in Distressed Places

Many tax incentive zones encourage employers to hire workers in distressed places. A well-developed literature on hiring low-skilled workers has much to say about why such zones have resulted in little employment for nearby residents of distressed areas but has not informed evaluation or policy for zones. Using the Detroit Empowerment Zone experience as a case, this article finds that referrals, usually from employees, determined hiring, resulting in industrial districts with few local workers and retail districts with many more, with workplaces segregated by race and ethnicity. Although skill requirements and screening approaches should not have excluded many qualified local workers, employers in industrial areas had negative stereotypes of workers from nearby neighborhoods. Trusted intermediaries such as community-based organizations may enable tax incentive zones to produce jobs for local workers by breaking down stereotypes and inserting a new “mouth” in the word-of-mouth hiring practices.
Phosphorus acquisition and use: critical adaptations by plants for securing a nonrenewable resource

Contents I. Introduction 424 II. The phosphorus conundrum 424 III. Adaptations to low P 424 IV. Uptake of P 424 V. P deficiency alters root development and function 426 VI. P deficiency modifies carbon metabolism 431 VII. Acid phosphatase 436 VIII. Genetic regulation of P responsive genes 437 IX. Improving P acquisition 439 X. Synopsis 440 Summary Phosphorus (P) is limiting for crop yield on > 30% of the world's arable land and, by some estimates, world resources of inexpensive P may be depleted by 2050. Improvement of P acquisition and use by plants is critical for economic, humanitarian and environmental reasons. Plants have evolved a diverse array of strategies to obtain adequate P under limiting conditions, including modifications to root architecture, carbon metabolism and membrane structure, exudation of low molecular weight organic acids, protons and enzymes, and enhanced expression of the numerous genes involved in low-P adaptation. These adaptations may be less pronounced in mycorrhizal-associated plants. The formation of cluster roots under P-stress by the nonmycorrhizal species white lupin (Lupinus albus), and the accompanying biochemical changes exemplify many of the plant adaptations that enhance P acquisition and use. Physiological, biochemical, and molecular studies of white lupin and other species response to P-deficiency have identified targets that may be useful for plant improvement. Genomic approaches involving identification of expressed sequence tags (ESTs) found under low-P stress may also yield target sites for plant improvement. Interdisciplinary studies uniting plant breeding, biochemistry, soil science, and genetics under the large umbrella of genomics are prerequisite for rapid progress in improving nutrient acquisition and use in plants.
Coprolites from the Pipe Creek Sinkhole (Late Neogene, Grant County, Indiana, U.S.A.)

ABSTRACT Screen-washing of unconsolidated fossiliferous sediments from the late Neogene Pipe Creek Sinkhole (Grant County, Indiana) yielded two coprolites. Maximum preserved diameter of both is about 26 mm, and both are apatitic in composition. Although one coprolite is largely amorphous internally, the other preserves remnants of hair and at least two teeth of a small carnivoran. The crowns of both teeth are highly corroded, and the enamel of one of the teeth has been completely removed. Although large turtles cannot be excluded as the scat-makers, the most likely candidate is a wolf-sized carnivoran, possibly a canid.
Two‐dimensional numerical study of cross‐flow filtration combustion

Transition metal nitrides can be synthesized in the combustion regime using a self-propagating, high-temperature synthesis by the process of filtration combustion. A detailed two-dimensional numerical study for the filtration combustion process in the cross-flow configuration is presented. The process is modeled by a two-dimensional pseudohomogenous model. The model equations, which are very stiff and exhibit varying time and length scales, are solved using finite differences on a two-dimensional orthogonal adaptive mesh. The effects of pressure, bed height and bed porosity on combustion front propagation and final conversion are studied. A series of full simulations for the titanium-nitrogen system shows good agreement between theoretical predictions and experimental observations.
Fatal miliary Coccidioidomycosis in a patient receiving infliximab therapy: a case report

A 78-year-old white male from Iowa in the United States of America receiving the anti- tumor necrois factor (TNF) agent infliximab therapy for rheumatoid arthritis developed a cheek ulcer which failed to respond to empiric antibiotic therapy. He subsequently presented with progressive respiratory failure from miliary coccidioidomycosis which proved fatal. The patient vacationed in Arizona 6 months previously and likely contracted the organism there as Iowa is not an endemic area for coccidioidomycosis. Respiratory failure from miliary infiltration is an uncommon presentation of coccidioidomycosis. Physicians should be aware of the importance of travel history and potential for life-threatening coccidioidomycosis in patients receiving tumor necrosis factor inhibitors.
Molybdenum Catalyzed Reductions of Small Molecules: Requirements of the Activated State

It is commonly assumed that the active site in nitrogenase con tains molybdenum in one of its higher oxidation states. Biological reduction of nitrogen to ammonia occurs without formation of detectable intermediates and is accompanied by the hydrolysis of several molecules of ATP per mole of nitrogen reduced. This paper will examine the role of molybdenum and similar elements in known catalytic processes involving the reduction of oxidized nonmetals, and also in the hydrolysis of polyphosphates to determine the most likely kinetic properties to be found in molybdenum-containing active sites in enzymes. Kinetic requirements will be coupled to recently acquired structural information on molybdenum environments in enzymes in the pursuit of knowledge of the active site.
Structural and electrochemical investigation of Na+ insertion into λ-Mn1-xNixO2

Increased demand for low cost energy storage options has expanded the scope of Na+ batteries considerably; and with the growing interest in Na-based chemistries, the importance of high voltage positive electrodes is quickly realized as the Na/Na+ redox introduces lower operating voltages as compared to Li/Li+ based electrochemical cells. The 4.7V LiMn1.5Ni0.5O4 spinel has exhibited considerable properties as a high voltage Li+ positive electrode, with a host structure (λ-Mn0.75Ni0.25O2) that may provide an analogous high voltage Na+ positive electrode. Structural and electrochemical properties of NaxMn1.56Ni0.44O4 and NaxMn2O4 are investigated for the first time[1] utilizing ex-situ, in-situ X-ray diffraction, and high-resolution electrochemical techniques to provide an insightful study of the Na+ insertion mechanism.
The AP lever for boosting access, success, and equity:

Four New Jersey school districts worked together to increase student achievement by applying a number of strategies focused on getting traditionally underrepresented students to take more AP course...
The First Human Asteroid Mission: Target Selection and Conceptual Mission Design

President Obama has recently declared that NASA will pursue a crewed mission to an asteroid by 2025. This paper identifies the optimum target candidates of near-Earth objects (NEOs) for a first crewed mission between 2018 and 2030. Target asteroids in the NEO database with orbital elements that meet predetermined requirements are analyzed for mission design. System architectures are then proposed to meet the requirements for five designated NEO candidates. Additional technology which can be applied to crewed NEO missions in the future is also discussed, and a previous NEO target selection study is analyzed. Although some development of heavy launch vehicles is still required for the first NEO mission, design examples show that a first mission can be achieved by 2025. The Ares V and the Orion CEV are used as the baseline system architecture for this study.
Receptors in the canine lung which respond to vascular pressure changes.

SummaryIntrapulmonary neural receptors responding to pulmonary vascular pressure changes were studied. Intrapulmonary receptors which could not be classified asirritant, Hering-Breuer, or Type J were identified electrophysiologically. These receptors increased impulse frequency in a linear fashion with elevations of pulmonary vascular pressure. Receptors which responded to elevation of pulmonary arterial pressure and receptors responding to elevation of pulmonary venous pressure were identified. In addition, several Hering-Breuer stretch receptors which responded in a linear fashion to elevated pulmonary venous pressure were found. We conclude that elevation of pulmonary pressure can increase nerve impulse frequency from Hering-Breuer stretch receptors and from bar-oreceptors located in the intrapulmonary vasculature. Stimulation of these receptors may play a role in the reflex alterations of respiration during cardiac failure.
Modeling the atomistic growth behavior of gold nanoparticles in solution

The properties of gold nanoparticles strongly depend on their three-dimensional atomic structure, leading to an increased emphasis on controlling and predicting nanoparticle structural evolution during the synthesis process. In order to provide this atomistic-level insight and establish a link to the experimentally-observed growth behavior, a kinetic Monte Carlo simulation (KMC) approach is developed for capturing Au nanoparticle growth characteristics. The advantage of this approach is that, compared to traditional molecular dynamics simulations, the atomistic nanoparticle structural evolution can be tracked on time scales that approach the actual experiments. This has enabled several different comparisons against experimental benchmarks, and it has helped transition the KMC simulations from a hypothetical toy model into a more experimentally-relevant test-bed. The model is initially parameterized by performing a series of automated comparisons of Au nanoparticle growth curves versus the experimental observations, and then the refined model allows for detailed structural analysis of the nanoparticle growth behavior. Although the Au nanoparticles are roughly spherical, the maximum/minimum dimensions deviate from the average by approximately 12.5%, which is consistent with the corresponding experiments. Also, a surface texture analysis highlights the changes in the surface structure as a function of time. While the nanoparticles show similar surface structures throughout the growth process, there can be some significant differences during the initial growth at different synthesis conditions.
Activation of Dioxygen by a TAML Activator in Reverse Micelles: Characterization of an FeIIIFeIV Dimer and Associated Catalytic Chemistry

Iron TAML activators of peroxides are functional catalase-peroxidase mimics. Switching from hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to dioxygen (O2) as the primary oxidant was achieved by using a system of reverse micelles of Aerosol OT (AOT) in n-octane. Hydrophilic TAML activators are localized in the aqueous microreactors of reverse micelles where water is present in much lower abundance than in bulk water. n-Octane serves as a proximate reservoir supplying O2 to result in partial oxidation of FeIII to FeIV-containing species, mostly the FeIIIFeIV (major) and FeIVFeIV (minor) dimers which coexist with the FeIII TAML monomeric species. The speciation depends on the pH and the degree of hydration w0, viz., the amount of water in the reverse micelles. The previously unknown FeIIIFeIV dimer has been characterized by UV–vis, EPR, and Mossbauer spectroscopies. Reactive electron donors such as NADH, pinacyanol chloride, and hydroquinone undergo the TAML-catalyzed oxidation by O2. The oxidation of NADH, studied in most detai...
Isolated hydatid cyst of adrenal gland with hypertension mimicking Conn’s syndrome: a very rare case

Hydatid cyst of the adrenal gland is one of the rare conditions caused by the larval stage of Echinococcus granulosus . The incidence of adrenal gland involvement is less than 1% of all hydatid disease in humans and isolated adrenal involvement is extremely rare. Hydatid disease is frequent in endemic regions and sheep farming areas with equal sex distribution. Here, a case of 23 year old female with isolated adrenal gland hydatid cyst is presented, that was evaluated clinically, investigated radiographicaly and by blood investigations and finally histopathology confirmed the diagnosis. No complications occurred at peri and postoperative period. The patient was given 6 cycles of albendazole (10 mg/kg in two divided doses), each for a period of four weeks followed by a week’s rest. The patient is on regular follow-up without recurrence in last 1 year.