cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Suberoylanilide Hydroxamic Acid Induces Akt-mediated Phosphorylation of p300, Which Promotes Acetylation and Transcriptional Activation of RelA/p65

We have previously demonstrated that the transcription factor NF-κB is activated by histone deacetylase inhibitors in a PI3K/Akt-dependent manner. The molecular mechanisms governing this process have not been well described. By virtue of their inhibitory action, it is unclear whether the addition of histone deacetylase inhibitors simply preserves the acetylation status of RelA/p65 or whether they actively stimulate signaling cascades that result in increased acetylation and transcription of NF-κB. Here we provide evidence that suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid stimulates NF-κB transcription through a signaling cascade that involves activation of both the serine/threonine kinase Akt and the p300 acetyltransferase. Using newly developed phosphospecific antibodies to p300 (pSer1834), and site-directed mutant proteins, we find that suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid stimulates Akt activity, which is required to phosphorylate p300 at Ser1834. Akt-mediated phosphorylation of p300 dramatically increases its acetyltransferase activity as measured by an increased acetylation of RelA/p65 at Lys310, a modification that is required for full NF-κB transcription. Importantly, coordinate activation of Akt/p300 pathway by suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid occurs at the chromatin level, resulting in recruitment of activated Akt (pSer473), p300 (pSer1834), acetylated RelA/p65 (Lys310), and RNA polymerase II to the NF-κB-dependent cIAP-2 and Bfl-1/A1 promoters. These studies provide evidence that histone deacetylase inhibitors, such as suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid, not only inhibit deacetylase activity but also stimulate active NF-κB transcription and cell survival through signaling pathways involving Akt and increased p300 acetyltransferase activity.
Ecological risk assessment in a large river-reservoir: 4. Piscivorous wildlife

Over 50 years of operations of facilities on the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR), Tennessee, has resulted in the release of contaminants into the water, sediment, and biota of the Clinch River and Poplar Creek, downstream of the ORR. An iterative, weight-of-evidence approach was employed to assess risks these contaminants present to four piscivorous wildlife species (osprey [Pandion haliaetus], great blue heron [Ardea herodias], mink [Mustela vison], and river otter [Lutra canadensis]) in the Clinch River/Poplar Creek (CR/PC) watershed. Available data consisted of literature-derived NOAELs and LOAELs, field surveys, and toxicity tests. Contaminants of potential ecological concern (COPECs) were identified by comparing point estimates of exposure to NOAELs and included mercury and PCBs. Exposure to COPECs was reestimated using Monte Carlo methods, first at individual locations, then over ecologically relevant spatial scales. These exposure distributions were compared to LOAELs. Estimated exposure for mink was not sufficient to present a risk from any COPEC. Mercury and PCBs presented a significant risk to river otter at one location each. Exposure of osprey and great blue herons to mercury represented a significant risk at one and two locations, respectively. Field surveys of heron rookeries and osprey nests indicated no adverse effects on reproduction. Mink fed fish from the Clinch River displayed reduced reproduction only in the most contaminated of five toxicity test diets; this reduction was not statistically significant, however. The maximum mercury and PCB exposures estimated for mink along the Clinch River were significantly lower than the toxicity test exposures associated with adverse effects The weight of evidence indicates that contaminants from the ORR do not present a risk to mink, great blue heron, or osprey along the Clinch River; river otter, however, may be at risk from mercury and PCBs.
Effect of leptin on liver alcohol dehydrogenase.

Abstract The effect of leptin on liver alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) was determined in male rats. Administration of one or three daily doses of leptin (1 μg/g of body weight intraperitoneally) increased ADH activity. Leptin enhanced ADH synthesis without an effect on ADH degradation. Leptin did not change ADH mRNA, indicating that the effect of leptin in enhancing ADH occurs at the post-transcriptional level. Leptin increased eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF) 2α, eIF2B activity, and the eIF4E–eIF4G complex, while it decreased the inhibitory complex of eIF4E with the eIF4E-binding protein-1 (4E-BP1). Leptin increased mammalian target of rapamycin (mTor) that phosphorylates 4E-BP1. In conclusion, leptin increases liver ADH activity and ADH protein due to an increase in synthesis which occurs at the post-transcriptional level. The effect of leptin in enhancing translational initiating factors may be of significance in the regulation not only of ADH but also of many other proteins.
A thermal multicomponent lattice Boltzmann model

Abstract As energy densities in electronic devices rapidly increase, improved two-phase microchannel heat exchanger designs are of great interest. Similarly, with the implementation of phase separation as a method of flow manipulation in microdevices, understanding the flow dynamics of multiple phases in microchannels is vital. However, experimental studies have thus far shown a great deal of variety in the flow patterns and instabilities that develop at the microscale level. These phenomena are further complicated by the presence of multiple chemical components. Thus, numerical techniques capable of simulating such flow regimes are desirable. The lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) is gaining traction as a powerful approach to fluid flow simulation due to its ability to capture interfacial dynamics without complex interface tracking algorithms. However, existing approaches are currently inadequate for thermal flows with multiple components and multiple phases. In this work, an analysis of the stability region of the interparticle interaction parameters in a multiphase, immiscible, multicomponent, isothermal model is conducted. Informed by this analysis, a multiphase, immiscible, multicomponent, thermal (MPiMC-T) model is constructed using a density-weighted coupling of macroscopic properties. Validation of the model is performed using a static thermal conduction simulation and a steady-state droplet simulation. Conservation properties are maintained and physical consistency is met across component grids in the immiscible limit. Furthermore, a reduction of spurious currents is obtained utilizing the multicomponent framework.
SU‐E‐T‐643: HDR Brachytherapy for Cervical Cancer Using an Adaptive Simulated Annealing Optimization Algorithm with Physical Dose and GEUD Cost Functions

Purpose: An optimization program using Adaptive Simulated Annealing (ASA) algorithm was developed in Rush University Medical Center for HDR volumetric brachytherapy. The purpose of this paper is to benchmark our program against a well established commercial system (IPSA) and compare optimized plans using physical dose‐based IPSA and gEUD‐based cost functions. Methods: Eight cervical cancer Syed‐template cases were used. The prescribed dose was 35Gy in 5 fractions from HDR brachytherapy after 45Gy from external beam. Treatment plans were generated based on IPSA cost function using both IPSA and ASA programs and a gEUD‐based cost function using ASA program. The dosimetric parameters compared include V150% and V200% for PTV, V75%, for bladder and rectum, Homogeneity Index(HI), Conformity Index(COIN), gEUD of each ROIs, tumor control probability (TCP), and normal tissue complication probability (NTCP). Friedman rank test was used to analyze the statistical significance of these differences between plans. Results: For PTV dose distribution homogeneity and conformity, the ASA plans were slightly better than IPSA plans but the differences were not statistically significant. In IPSA plans, the average Bladder V75% was lower than that in ASA plans; but the average Rectum V75% was higher than that in ASA plans and the differences were significant. The average PTV_gEUD and TCP of gEUD‐based plans were larger than those of IPSA plans, but the differences were not significant. The Bladder gEUD and NTCP of IPSA plans were lower than those of gEUD‐ based plans, but the differences were not significant. The Rectum gEUD and NTCP of gEUD‐based plans were lower than those of IPSA plans, and the differences were significant. Conclusions: Our ASA optimization program can generate comparable optimized plans to IPSA. The dose distribution in gEUD‐based plans is less homogeneous and less conformal than in IPSA plans. However gEUD‐based plans have better OARs sparing than IPSA plans.
Metabolic and cardiovascular abnormalities in patients with peripheral arterial disease.

Abstract Twenty-eight consecutive patients of an average age of 63 years with intermittent claudication secondary to underlying peripheral arterial disease were studied for evidence of metabolic or other cardiovascular abnormalities and the results obtained were compared with those of 28 matched control subjects free of vascular disease. Patients with peripheral arterial disease had significantly higher levels of systolic and diastolic blood pressure, a greater incidence of ECG abnormalities, lipoprotein abnormalities, elevated serum triglycerides, and serum copper. the incidence of smoking and abnormal glucose tolerance, while higher in peripheral arterial disease patients, was not statistically significant. Hematocrit and serum cholesterol levels were nearly identical in both groups of patients. Twenty-six of the 28 patients with peripheral arterial disease had either a cardiovascular or a metabolic abnormality, indicating the high incidence of multisystem illness in this disorder. The epidemiologic data in peripheral arterial disease are similar to those in coronary artery disease but some measurements contrast sharply, such as the apparent normal level of serum cholesterol in patients with peripheral arterial disease.
Osmium impregnation of the Golgi apparatus

The Golgi complex consists of a heterogeneous assemblage of small vesicles, larger vacuoles and characteristic packets of flattened cisternae morphologically distinct from other membranous organelles of the cytoplasm. It is polarized with respect to its position in the cell and also shows recognizable polarity in the arrangement of structural components within the complex. This polarity holds for cells in which the Golgi complex seems to have quite different functions, such as in the epithelial cells of mouse epididymis and of Brunner's gland, and plasma cells in the lamina propria of the intestine examined in this study. The present investigation employs a classical method for impregnation of the Golgi apparatus with the objective of more accurately localizing with the electron microscope the sites of osmium reduction within this heterogeneous organelle and of comparing the distribution of these sites with morphological indications of polarization within the Golgi lamellar systems. The osmium impregnation procedure generally used in this study consisted of fixing the tissues in 1.3% osmium tetroxide buffered with s-collidine followed by osmication in 2% aqueous osmium tetroxide for 40 hours at 40°C. After osmication the three cell types studied consistently exhibited a selective localization of osmium in the cisternae and vesicles on one side of the Golgi complex. The observations that only the outer vesicles and cisternae contain osmium while other cytologically similar elements under the same conditions do not, emphasizes the heterogeneous, bipolar nature of the Golgi apparatus. The substances responsible for osmium reduction are quite dependent on the local environment provided are apparently formed during the prolonged phase of the exposure of the tissue to osmium and are most likely localized at the inner face of the membrane of the outer cisternae and vesicles.
Confocal Light Microscopy of Brain Cells and Tissue: Image Analysis & Quantitation

The brain is an inherently three-dimensional (3-D) structure with tissue regions that occupy large complex volumes and cells that have complicated morphologies, e. g. branching fields of dendrites and axons extending in all three dimensions. The linear dimensions range from micrometers to tens of millimeters. The Confocal light microscope can image relatively large volumes of tissue, and is therefore an ideal imaging tool for studying the brain and its cells. We have used histochemical and immunohistochemical labels to delineate structure at the tissue, cellular, and subcellular levels. The 3-D images are analyzed by custom software that automatically segments and counts nuclei over large tissue regions, automatically montages any number of 3-D images, and traces branching structures such as neuronal processes or blood vessels. Examples of nuclear detection in the rat hippocampus, where the cell density is high and nuclear images are close together, and of tracings of the dendritic field of a dye-filled neuron from the visual cortex of the kitten are shown. Complete penetration of thick tissue sections by large immunolabeling molecular complexes is demonstrated in tissue double-labeled for glial fibrillary protein and laminin. The ability to correlate multiple labels in 3-D space is another strong point for Confocal light microscopy. The influence of deconvolution on the quality of 3-D images is also demonstrated.
Age-related differences in the time course of encoding

The speed with which normal elderly and young subjects encoded digits in a speeded same/different matching task was investigated. One condition required a judgment based on physical identity, while in a second condition judgments were based on an odd/even dichotomy. The pattern of results demonstrated a slowing in the speed of encoding in the older subjects. This effect, while statistically significant, was slight.
Issues of clinical trial design and data interpretations in hypertension.

There are many drug studies for the treatment of hypertension. Most studies compare one drug with another to determine if a drug or class of drugs have unique benefits. In evaluating drug trials, separation of hypertension as compared with atherosclerotic events is important. Trials that focus on prevention of hypertension, especially with new noninvasive markers, may have a bigger part in reducing morbidity and mortality due to elevated blood pressure
The nonoperative treatment of meconium ileus by Gastrografin enema

Four consecutive cases of meconium ileus not complicated by volvulus, perforation, peritonitis, or atresia were treated by Gastrografin enema and parenteral fluid therapy. The enema was carried out successfully with complete relief of obstruction; no anesthesia was needed, and there were no major respiratory complications during the time of observation in the hospital.
Background impurity effects on grain boundary migration in LiF

Abstract Grain boundary migration rates during discontinuous recrystallization of deformed LiF UV-grade single crystals are reported and compared with those characterizing crystals prepared from zone-refined material. Considerable changes in behavior result from modest changes in the nature of trace-level background impurities. Samples containing Al3+ as the primary aliovalent impurity exhibited lower mobilities and lower nucleation rates than samples for which Mg2+ was the major impurity. Migration behavior is not adequately described by an “average” mobility; significant variability in the grain boundary mobility was observed.
Effect of Host Instar on Successful Parasitism by Pholetesor ornigis (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), Parasitoid of Phyllonorycter blancardella (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae)

Pholetesor ornigis (Weed) is capable of parasitizing tissue-feeding larvae (fourth and fifth instars) as well as sap-feeding larvae (first, second, and third instars) of Phyllonorycter blancardella (F). In no-choice tests, similar numbers of offspring were produced on first-fourth instars hut fewer on fifth instars. In choice tests P. ornigis produced similar numbers of offspring on first, second, and third instars, but fewer on fourth instars and none on fifth instars. In the field primarily sap-feeding larvae were available during the first three P. ornigis flight periods. However, tissue feeders were predominant during the partial fourth-generation flight period.
Editorial: Jaundice: medical or surgical?

Excerpt We are entering a new era in the approach to the question always asked about the patient with puzzling jaundice: is it medical or surgical? In past years the answer has often been sought in...
A theorem providing bounds on digital filter scaling factors

A theorem which gives a lower bound on the magnitude of a rational function H(z) when evaluated on the unit circle in the complex plane is proved. In the special case of biquadratic H(z), the theorem yields valuable insights and bounds which are useful for digital filter scaling. Two examples with zeros on the unit circle are given. >
Fuzzy Logic Based Intelligent Control and Optimal Control of a Rotary Inverted Pendulum System

In this paper a fuzzy logic based control strategy has been applied to balance an inverted pendulum. An inverted pendulum in itself is a highly unstable system since there is always some external disturbance present that makes it to fall. Therefore, to maintain it in an upright position, a control input is needed, that could be in the form of torque, moment or force. Here an inverted pendulum with a rotary arm is chosen for study. The arm is driven in the direction of fall of the pendulum. This action attempts to stabilize the pendulum in the upright configuration. The fuzzy control action controls the torque applied to the actuator and thus controls the pendulum. A fuzzy inference system is constructed using Matlab. This is used to compute the output torque for a given set of angle and velocity. The same system is subjected to a Quadratic Optimal Control scheme, and the simulation results obtained from the fuzzy control system and Linear Quadratic Regulator control (LQR) scheme are compared.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Lipid order and composition of synaptic membranes in experimental diabetes mellitus.

The effect of diabetes in rats on lipid composition and order of synaptosomal membranes (SM) was determined in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats after 6 weeks of chronic hyperglycemia. The cholesterol content was slightly, but not significantly, higher in diabetic SM (0.287 +/- 0.042 vs. 0.209 +/- 0.061 mumol/mg protein). The phospholipid concentration in diabetic SM was significantly increased (0.515 +/- 0.042 vs. 0.305 +/- 0.041 mumol/mg protein; P less than 0.005). Neither the molar ratios of cholesterol to phospholipids in the SM nor the fatty acid composition of the SM was significantly altered with diabetes. Diabetes did not affect membrane order or the thermotropic transition temperature of the SM as determined fluorometrically. On the other hand, the SM of diabetic rats had significantly increased concentration of lipid peroxidation products, namely conjugated dienes (the calculated O.D./mumol phospholipids was 11.56 +/- 1.83 in controls and 19.95 +/- 4.1 in diabetic rats P less than 0.01). Despite the accumulation of lipid peroxidation byproducts in SM of diabetic rats the overall membrane order and the cholesterol to phospholipid molar ratio do not appear to be significantly altered.
Phase equilibrium calculation by using large-scale optimization technique

Abstract A new multicomponent solid—liquid phase equilibrium calculation algorithm is described. The algorithm has the following features: (1) the phase selection procedure is easy (no stability test is needed); (2) the Gibbs phase rule is guaranteed; and (3) the mathematical procedures have thermodynamic meanings. Numerical examples for NaClKClMgCl 2 CaCl 2 H 2 O quinary system and its quaternary subsystems illustrate the capability of this algorithm. The comparison between this algorithm and the SQP (sequential quadratic programming) method for NaClKClMgCl 2 H 2 O system at 298.15 K and 273.15 K demonstrates the advantage of the new algorithm ovre SQP method.
Immunologic consequences of vasectomy.

Abstract A group of men who had vasectomy for contraceptive purposes were available as a model to study the in situ autoantigenicity of human spermatozoa. Bleedings were obtained before, and at several intervals after, the surgery, and the sera were analyzed for spermagglutinins by the Kibrick method. Titers were measured, considering a minimum of 1:8 as positive. Most titers were moderate, although one was 1:1024. A positive result was found in approximately 55% of the 22 cases. The activity generally appeared about 3 to 6 months after surgery, although in some cases, it developed later. Apparently, two patterns of time-response may occur. Three men had pre-vasectomy antibodies to sperm, but in two of these, the titers increased after the operation.
Sampling considerations in supercritical fluid chromatography

Packed column supercritical fluid chromatography, like HPLC, utilizes a sample loop to introduce materials onto the column for analysis. Unlike HPLC the mobile phase in SFC cannot be used to dissolve the sample. In practice, this causes a solvent peak, which can create a problem in the chromatographic interpretation. This paper describes one approach to solving this problem. A valving scheme is used to extract materials with the supercritical CO2 mobile phase and introduce them onto the column with no external handling. The viability of this method is demonstrated and separations of the CO2 extracts for several materials are shown on various columns. Comparisons are made for coal and coffee extracts using this on-line method and conventional off-line CH2Cl2 extracts. Advantages of the on-line procedure as they apply to chromatography and high information detectors are also discussed.
Lattice, time-dependent Schrödinger equation approach for charge transfer in collisions of Be4+ with atomic hydrogen

A test of the lattice, time-dependent Schrodinger equation (LTDSE) method for treating inelastic ion–atom collisions is performed by treating state-selective charge transfer in 10–1000 keV/u Be4+ + H collisions. This system possesses a greater charge asymmetry of the colliding nuclei than has been treated in previous applications of the method. Consequently, its ability to represent well the dynamical evolution of the electronic wavefunction within the combination of a shallow and a deep potential well with a single coordinate- and momentum-space discretization is tested. New results are also computed using other, standard approaches, the atomic-orbital close-coupling and classical trajectory Monte Carlo methods, to provide comparisons with the LTDSE results owing to their well-established regimes of applicability and behaviours.
Embryos Created for Research Purposes

The creation of embryos for research use has drawn a great deal of criticism. It is difficult to defend an ethical distinction between what one can do to "spare" embryos and what one can do to "research" embryos. The strongest ground on which to argue against the creation of embryos for research is a symbolic one, having to do with respect for human life. Ronald Dworkin's work in Life's Dominion on the symbolic meaning of the abortion debate throws a helpful light on this dispute. By understanding the basic question to be, Does the creation of research embryos weaken or insult our communal respect for the sanctity of human life in some way that in vitro fertilization (IVF) or the experimental use of "spare" embryos does not?, the debate can move in a more constructive direction.
Some developmental observations on the effects of prolonged deprivation of low-voltage fast-wave sleep in the deermouse, Peromyscus maniculatus bairdi.

Previous electrophysiological work with adult deermice (P. m. bairdi) (Mitler & Levine, 1970) indicated that: three states of arousal could be reliably distinguished: low-voltage, fast-wave sleep (LVF), high-voltage, slow-wave sleep (HVS), and waking (W); low-electromyograph (EMG) activity was concomitant with LVF; and time in LVF was radically reduced in mice perched above a shock-grid on a pedestal too small to permit total loss of muscle tonus. A preliminary aim of the present research was to gather electrophysiological data on juvenile deermice to construct some estimate of developmental sleep changes. Electrocorticograph (ECoG) and (EMG) records, from three 20-day-old mice while motionless with eyes closed, also reflected LVF, HVS, and W, but in proportions different from those reported by Mitler and Levine. Juvenile mice showed 1/3 more LVF than did adults. The main goal of this research was to explore the effects of long-term LVF-deprivation on juvenile and adult mice. Litters were selected at either 20 or 53 days of age. Littermates were assigned to one of four 14-day treatment conditions in an Age × Treatment design with 3 subjects per cell. The 1st treatment, LVF-deprivation, consisted of perching on a pedestal over a shock-grid. The remaining 3 conditions ran simulataneously with the former. Mice in the yoked control condition had approximately equal free movement volume as those mice restricted to the pedestal, and were ‘yoked’ to those animals with respect to shock. Mice in the sleep deprivation condition were confined to a treadmill in motion 19 of each 24 hr. Finally, mice in the isolated condition were caged alone. After treatment, animals were placed in activity recording cages for 21 days. Dependent variables included body weight before treatment, after treatment, and after procedure, brain weight, brain/body weight ratios, activity, and regularity of activity for the 21 days posttreatment. Major findings indicated that animals LVF-deprived from 20 to 34 days of age were more active than controls while animals LVF-deprived from 53 to 67 days of age were less active than controls. There were no interpretable differences among treatments in regularity of activity, body weight, or brain weight. Results were discussed in terms of input requirements for CNS development and/or maintenance. Directions for future research were suggested.
A model for the objective assessment of automobile restraint systems

A model was presented to demonstrate how one could objectively evaluate the alternatives of occupant restraint systems (air bags, passive seat belts, and active seat belts) in passenger vehicles. The effectiveness of each alternative was computed as a function of the vehicle collision characteristics. Cost was computed as a function of the possibility of injury and death attributed to the characteristics of the restraint system. Both the effectiveness and the cost functions were converted into a person-years of life index for comparison purposes. Passive lap and shoulder belts were found to be a preferable alternative to air bags in their potential for saving lives.
Quantum cascade lasers: a game changer for defense and homeland security IR photonics

I will describe recent developments of continuous wave, room temperature (CW/RT) high power QCLs at wavelengths 12 μm. QCLs now provide, on a commercial basis, CW/RT power of over 3 W at 4.6 μm, with a wall plug efficiency of over 15%, over 2 W at 4.0 μm, and over 1.2 W at 7.1 μm, with a wallplug efficiency >8%. I will describe insertion of QCLs into applications including MWIR countermeasures (IRCM), MWIR and LWIR target illuminators and designators, MWIR beacons (IFF), test equipment for measuring the efficacy of IRCM and sources for MWIR and LWIR radiation for detection of chemical warfare agents and explosives.
CHARACTERISTICS OF URBAN WOODLANDS AFFECTING BREEDING BIRD DIVERSITY AND ABUNDANCE

Abstract Breeding bird communities were studied in 32 forest islands surrounded by urban development. These isolated woodlands in Springfield, Massachusetts, provided breeding habitats for a wider variety of birds (77 species) than previously described for other urban habitats (e.g. four times as many species as found in urban residential areas in the same city in a previous study). The size of the woodland was the primary influence on bird diversity in these woodlands, explaining 79 and 75% of the variation in total species richness and the Shannon-Weaver index of bird species diversity, respectively. Other woodland characteristics that played a significant role in determining the variety of bird species were the density of buildings in the area immediately adjacent to the woods, density of shrubs within the woods, distance to the nearest trail, distance to the nearest body of water and average canopy height. Percentage of coniferous tree cover was the most important variable in explaining the variation in the number of birds detected at a sampling point (R 2 =0.26). Information on the distance to the nearest trail, distance to the nearest body of water and distance to the nearest extensive forest area were also important in determining the number of bird sightings. The size of the woodland (1–69 ha) played an important role in the distribution of individual bird species. About half of all species observed in these woodlands were more commonly found in the larger woods (43–69 ha). Eight species were more abundant in the smallest woodlands (1–5 ha), and a few others were apparently insensitive to the size of the woodland. Specific recommendations are made to improve the design and management of urban woodlands for enrichment of the avifauna within a city.
The effect of binders and agricultural by-products on physical and chemical properties of granular activated carbons

Four binders (coal tar, sugarcane molasses, sugar beet molasses, corn syrup) were mixed with three agricultural by-products (rice hulls, rice straw, sugarcane bagasse) in different combinations and these mixtures transformed into granular activated carbons (GACs). GACs were evaluated for the physical properties of burn-off/yield, surface area, bulk density and hardness and the chemical properties of pH and ash. These properties, except for burn-off/yield, were compared to the same properties of two commercial reference carbons made from bituminous coal with coal tar binder. The results show that GACs made with corn syrup as binder exhibited surface areas, bulk densities, hardness, pH and ash values closest to the reference carbons. The presence of a specific by-product appeared less important than the presence of a specific binder in determining the physical and chemical characteristics of the GACs.
An iterative solution strategy for boundary element equations from mixed boundary value problems

Abstract An iterative solution strategy is presented for mixed boundary value problems from the direct boundary element method, where both Dirichlet and Neumann constraints are prescribed on the boundary. In the mixed boundary value problem constraints are imposed upon the BEM system of equations Hu = Gq to Ax = b . The A matrix is fully-populated, unsymmetric, and made up of columns from H and G , corresponding to the Neumann and Dirichlet boundary conditions, respectively. In this work, the coefficient matrix A is rearranged to place the columns from H in the left-most columns of A and the columns from G in the right-most columns of A . The diagonal submatrix in A containing terms from G is then reduced by elimination while the diagonal submatrix containing terms from H is retained for iteration. Jacobi, Gauss-Seidel adn conjugate gradient normal iterative solvers are considered. Convergence of the proposed solution strategy is studied using four, two-dimensional potential and elasticity problems.
Isolation of a Negative Control Mutant of the Nitrogen Assimilation Control Protein, NAC, in Klebsiella aerogenes

A negative control mutant of the nitrogen assimilation control protein, NAC, has been isolated. Mutants with the leucine at position 111 changed to a nonhydrophobic residue activate transcription from hut and ure promoters, but fail to repress gdhA expression. This failure does not result from failure to bind to either of the two sites required for gdhA repression, but the binding at those sites is altered in the mutant. It appears that the NAC negative control mutants fail to form the complex structures (probably tetramers) formed by wild-type NAC at the gdhA promoter.
Cell geometry for cluster-based quasicrystal models

A new model of the geometrical structure of icosahedral quasicrystals is discussed that is based on icosahedral clusters connected by linkages (consistent with currently accepted motifs of the atomic structure), yet that is also a tiling by four kinds of ``canonical cells.'' Such a geometry is convenient for complete atomic structure models defined by decoration, especially if configurational disorder is to be included. The canonical-cell tiling is related and compared with previous models such as packings of Ammann rhombohedra, sphere packings on Penrose tilings, and two decoration models of Audier. The frequency of occurrence is estimated for each kind of cell or other geometrical object---the basis for stoichiometry calculations of decoration models. The 32 distinct local environments around a given cluster are described. Many useful periodic tilings of this class are described providing useful ``rational approximants'' of the true structure and hypothetical structure models for some recently discovered approximant crystal phases.
Saturable transport of the neurokinin-1 non-peptide antagonist LY303870 across the rat blood-brain barrier after intravenous administration

LY303870 (LY) is a non-peptide neurokinin-1 receptor antagonist that has effects on the brain after peripheral administration. We determined whether LY given by intravenous (iv) injection can cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Multiple-time regression analysis showed the unidirectional influx rate (Ki) from blood to brain for LY labeled with tritium to be 6.41+/-0.85 microl/g-min and influx was inhibited by unlabeled LY. HPLC and mass spectrometry showed LY was stable in blood and brain. LY reached a brain/serum ratio of 190+/-12 microl/g with about 0.07% of the injected dose entering each gram of brain. These results show that LY is transported across the BBB from serum into brain by a saturable system.
Variability in the gut contents of individual A cartia tonsa from waters off Southern California

The gut contents of 169 individual Acartia tonsa from Los Angeles Harbor, California, USA, were measured during a 24 h period (16–17 June 1986) by gut pigment (fluorescence) and microscopic analyses. Individual gut-pigment levels varied 10-fold or more within sampling intervals. Some copepods with moderate (0.2 to 0.5 ng) to high (>0.5 ng) gut-pigment levels were present in samples from both day and night collections. While the percentage of copepods containing>0.5 ng pigment was about the same during the day (8%) as at night (10%), the percentage of copepods with 0.2 to 0.5 ng pigment rose from 17% during the day to 55% at night. Significant differences between pigment levels in copepods collected before and after evening twilight were suggestive of a nocturnal feeding habit regardless of intense individual variability in gut-pigment content. Food in the gut was distributed in parcels, indicative of intermittent feeding that potentially contributes to individual variability. Feeding was not synchronized during most of the day and night, but synchrony increased at evening and morning twilights. Although synchrony declined after evening twilight, individual gut-pigment contents were relatively elevated in most of the nighttime samples. Thus, active feeding seems neither to require nor to imply synchrony.
Luminescence resonance energy transfer analysis of RNA polymerase complexes.

Resonance energy transfer allows measurement of atomic-scale distances under a variety of solution conditions. Luminescence resonance energy transfer (LRET) is a variant of energy transfer measurement in which lanthanide chelates are used as the probes. The unusual properties of lanthanide emission, in particular their long microsecond-scale lifetimes, offer several advantages for energy transfer measurements with biological samples. One of the unique features of LRET is the ability to measure energy transfer under conditions where severe heterogeneity of labeled macromolecules exists. This feature of LRET is the special emphasis of this article. We describe here LRET methodology with a particular attention to using sensitized acceptor emission to determine efficiency of energy transfer. Although we employed this technique in the characterization of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase complexes it is readily compatible with the study of essentially any protein.
Reactivity of a Well-Characterized Titananorbornadiene (η6-Arene) Complex with Ketones and Aldehydes

The reaction between the titananorbornadiene complex [(DMSC)Ti(η6-1,2,4-(Me3Si)3C6H3)] (2) and ketones or aldehydes proceeds by insertion of a ketone or aldehyde molecule into a Ti−C bond of 2, yielding 2,5-dioxatitanacyclopentane or 2-oxatitanacycloheptene compounds. The intermediacy of a 2-oxatitanacycloheptene species en route to arene loss from 2 and the formation of 2,5-dioxatitanacyclopentane compounds are indicated.
A thermal tool for direct investigation of the interior of the earth

Direct access to the crust and the upper portion of the mantle may be achieved by letting a high temperature (>1100°C) reactor core melt the rock in which it is placed and fall through the resulting magma. Data gathering and retrieval seem feasible. A schematic design of the proposed instrument is given. There are many problems concerning the composition and conditions of the interior of the earth which will not be solved upon completion of the projectedMohole Project. Comparison of the continental crust with the oceanic crust, relative distribution of radioactivity under continents and oceans, and the investigation of the mantle itself require access to greater depths than the present drilling techniques permit. To achieve these aims, it is recommended that a dense, heatgenerating object (such as a nuclear reactor core) be placed in the top of a salt dome. The hot object would melt the salt and fall downward through the moten salt. The sinking object would pass out of the source salt bed into rock at such a depth, say 35 000 feet, that if a few percent of H2O is present at that depth, then a granitic rock would melt at about 700°C. However, encounter with SiO2 containing no water would require a much higher temperature of about 1700°C. The type of rock that actually exists immediately below the source salt bed is unknown, but it is probably not a granitic rock. Thermal considerations indicate that the hole will freeze shut after downward passage of the tool, leaving the tool inside a liquid bubble. If the tool can generate heat long enough to melt its way up, as well as down, it may be possible to obtain magma samples. Instrumentation for control and telemetry purposes appears extremely difficult. Initial emphasis is placed on attaining the depth of interest.
Security and trust in mobile ad hoc networks

Many routing protocols have been proposed by researchers for possible practical implementation of a mobile ad-hoc network (MANET) in military, government and commercial environments. We also have reactive and proactive routing protocols. In most of these routing protocols, security is built on top of the protocol. In many cases, this turn out not to be the best approach in terms of being fully secured. Therefore, we propose a new security feature that will be designed from the ground up considering the routing concepts with the security and trust integrated. We call this new protocol model "trust-aware routing protocol (TARP)." TARP focuses more on the trusted availability and quality of trust as important factors in securing ad hoc networks. In this talk, we review the current ad-hoc routing protocols and investigate their security features. Then, we discuss the details of the new proposed protocol, TARP, and show how we believe that it will resolve some the current security problems that ad-hoc networks are facing today.
Nationalism and international politics: Identity and sovereignty in the Russian‐Ukrainian conflict

International politics in the former Soviet Union are difficult to understand in terms of contemporary international relations theories, because these theories accord little role to nationalism, one of the most important factors in the region. This article uses a constructivist approach to examine the effects of national identity disputes on international politics. In the case of Ukraine and Russia, dispute over the two states’ distinctiveness leads to a Ukrainian fixation on sovereignty, the main marker of identity in the international realm. The focus on sovereignty leads to policies unexplainable by conventional international relations theories.
Genomic Antagonism between Retinoic Acid and Estrogen Signaling in Breast Cancer

Retinoic acid (RA) triggers antiproliferative effects in tumor cells, and therefore RA and its synthetic analogs have great potential as anticarcinogenic agents. Retinoic acid receptors (RARs) mediate RA effects by directly regulating gene expression. To define the genetic network regulated by RARs in breast cancer, we identified RAR genomic targets using chromatin immunoprecipitation and expression analysis. We found that RAR binding throughout the genome is highly coincident with estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) binding, resulting in a widespread crosstalk of RA and estrogen signaling to antagonistically regulate breast cancer-associated genes. ERalpha- and RAR-binding sites appear to be coevolved on a large scale throughout the human genome, often resulting in competitive binding activity at nearby or overlapping cis-regulatory elements. The highly coordinated intersection between these two critical nuclear hormone receptor signaling pathways provides a global mechanism for balancing gene expression output via local regulatory interactions dispersed throughout the genome.
Characteristics of carcinoid tumor kallikrein: Identification of lysyl-bradykinin as a peptide it produces in vitro

Abstract Carcinoid tumors appear to contain a specific kallikrein. The kallikrein enzyme from a single metastatic carcinoid tumor was isolated and purified 40 fold. On incubation with kallidinogen purified from human plasma, two peptides capable of contracting the estrus rat uterus were obtained. More than 98% of the peptide formed was identified as the decapeptide, lysyl-bradykinin. These studies implicate further the lysyl-bradykinin-bradykinin (kallidin) system in the flush of carcinoid patients.
Determination of adsorption isotherms and solute activities from spreading pressure-surface charge data

Abstract A method has been developed to obtain adsorption isotherms by analyzing spreading pressure-surface charge data obtained throughout a range of potentials. The Gibbs adsorption equation is used to infer solute activities of uracil and of caffeine in aqueous electrolyte solutions. Activities of uracil vary nearly in direct proportion with concentrations; activities for caffeine deviate considerably from linearity with concentration in the 10 to 50 m M range. Activity data are compared with literature results and with activities obtained in this laboratory from partition experiments.
Discontinuity of Shannon information entropy for two-electron atoms

Abstract Atomic Shannon information entropies are computed using Hyllerass-type basis functions for the helium isoelectronic series. As one varies the nuclear charge Z for the two-electron atoms, finite size scaling analysis shows that the system exhibits a critical point of the ground state energy at λc = 1/Zc = 1.0971 ± 0.0005 with a critical exponent α = 1, E(λ) ∼ (λ − λc)α. At the critical point, the ground state energy becomes degenerate with the hydrogenic threshold. The Shannon information entropy develops a step-like discontinuity at λc. Further analysis indicates that the entropy as a function of λ is proportional to the first derivative of the energy with respect to λ. The critical exponent for the entropy αs = 0, S ( λ ) ∼ ( λ - λ c ) α s .
On two-dimensinal self-consistent micromechanical damage models for brittle solids

Abstract Two-dimensional self-consistent micromechanical damage models are presented for microcrack-weakedned brittle solids under “cleavage l” deformation processes. The proposed frame-work basically follows the previous work of Horii and Nemat-Nasser (1983. J. Mech. Phys. Solids 31 (2). 155–171) and Sumarac and Krajcinovic (1987, Mech. Mater . 6 . 39–52). Thermodynamics basis, microcrack opening displacements and damage-induced inelastic compliances are derived. Microcrack evolutions (growth) are characterized through the use of fracture mechanics stability criteria and microstructural microcrack geometry. Mode I, mode ll and mixed mode microcrack growth are considered. Simple and efficient computational algorithms as well as three detailed numerical simulations are also presented to illustrate the potential capability of the proposed micromechanical damage models. In particular, no fitted “material parameters” are needed. More-over loading unloading stress paths and microcks status changes in opening closing are trivially accommodated in this work.
Breeding-site Fidelity of Southeastern American Kestrels (Falco sparverius paulus)

Resumen La fidelidad a los sitios de cria en las rapaces ha sido estudiada principalmente en las poblaciones migratorias, sin embargo, se sabe relativamente poco sobre las poblaciones no migratorias. Examinamos la fidelidad a los sitios de cria en la especie no migratoria Falco sparverius paulus en el centro-norte de Florida. Las hembras exhibieron una mayor tendencia que los machos a cambiar territorios en anos consecutivos; la ocupacion de los machos cambio en 4 de 10 (40%) casos, mientras que la ocupacion de las hembras cambio en 21 de 28 (75%) casos (P = 0.055). En todos los casos donde los nidos fallaron, la propiedad territorial en el ano siguiente cambio; sin embargo, tanto para los machos como para las hembras los cambios en la ocupacion de territorios no se relacionaron significativamente con el resultado de los nidos, debido probablemente al tamano pequeno de la muestra. Las diferencias entre los sexo en la fidelidad a los sitios de cria en nuestra area de estudio fueron mayores que aquellas d...
Relationship of diagnostic nutrient expressions to soybean phosphorus and potassium diagnoses

Research is lacking as to whether forms of nutrient expression (e.g., N/P vs. P/N, etc.) and placement of nutrient variables (N, P, K, etc.) and/or dry matter (DM) exclusively in the numerator vs. the denominator of function values effects nutrient diagnoses by the modified-diagnosis and recommendation integrated system (M-DRIS) using the Jones (J) and Traditional (T) methods. Consequently, a soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] cultivar-by-P-by-K-by-limestone soil fertility field study conducted on a Cresco loam (fine loamy mixed, mesic Typic Argiudoll) was used to determine whether these variations affect P and K diagnoses (...)