cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Orphanin FQ/nociceptin and μ-opioid receptor mRNA levels in human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells: effects of activating the cAMP–PKA signal transduction pathway

Abstract Responses to opioid agonists vary, depending on past opioid exposure and the physiological state. The intracellular signaling pathway mediated by cAMP and protein kinase A (PKA) has been linked to regulation of opioid receptor responsiveness. The role of the cAMP–PKA pathway in regulating opioid receptor gene expression is incompletely defined. μ-Opioid receptor (MuOR) and orphanin FQ/nociceptin receptor (ORL 1 ) transcripts were measured after activating this pathway in human neuroblastoma cells. Human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells were maintained in continuous monolayer culture. Cells were incubated with combinations of agents which activate the cAMP–PKA signal transduction pathway, including forskolin and choleratoxin (CTX). MuOR and ORL 1 transcript levels were measured by hybridization to specific probes. Activation of the cAMP–PKA signal transduction pathway with forskolin in the presence of phosphodiesterase inhibitors was associated with a time-dependent decrease in the level of MuOR mRNA; partial recovery was observed with prolonged incubations. Forskolin effects were mimicked by CTX, but not by dideoxyforskolin. The PKA inhibitor H89 blunted the actions of forskolin. However, forskolin responses persisted despite coincubation with protein synthesis inhibitors. ORL 1 transcript levels did not significantly change, but vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) transcripts exhibited substantial increases, in the presence of forskolin or CTX. These observations support a role for cAMP in regulating MuOR responsiveness through actions at the level of receptor gene expression. ORL 1 transcript levels are not effected, suggesting that the cAMP–PKA pathway has differential effects on the expression of mRNA for different, but biochemically closely related, opioid receptor subtypes.
Analysis of procarbazine and metabolites by gas chromatography—mass spectrometry

Twelve compounds representing procarbazine, seven metabolites, and an internal standard were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry on a 3% OV-1 column. Procarbazine and four metabolites were derivatized with acetic anhydride. A sensitive, specific and quantitative assay was established by selected ion monitoring using a synthetic analogue of the drug as an internal standard. The limits of detection were approximately 1 ng/ml of plasma while the limits of quantitation were 10 ng/ml of plasma. Studies of the degradation of procarbazine . HCl in 0.05 M phosphate buffer (pH 7.4) were compared to in vivo studies. At 1 h after incubation of procarbazine . HCl in buffer, the azo and aldehyde metabolites were detected in the highest concentrations representing 27.2% and 20.3% of total drug and metabolites. In the in vivo studies, analyses of rat plasmas indicated that 1 h after an oral dose of procarbazine . HCl, the aldehyde metabolite represented 72% of the total drug and metabolites, and that relatively little of the azo metabolite was present.
NEPHRON SPARING MANAGEMENT OF FRALEY'S SYNDROME WITH A PYELOPYELOSTOMY

AbstractPurpose: We describe a new technique for nephron sparing management of functionally significant vascular compression of the upper pole infundibulocaliceal system (Fraley's syndrome).Materials and Methods: Two patients evaluated for debilitating, narcotic dependent flank pain had significant upper pole infundibulocaliceal obstruction resulting from aberrant major arterial branches entering the hilum dorsally. Reconstructive surgery consisted of dismembered pyelopyelostomy with transposition of the crossing vessels in both patients.Results: Pain relief was immediate and complete in both patients. Followup radiographic evaluation at 1 and 12 months, respectively, has also documented resolution of the obstruction.Conclusions: Vascular compression causing obstruction of the superior infundibulum can cause debilitating pain. Pathophysiologically operative intervention can be nephron sparing and gratifying for the surgeon and the patient.
A Nanomagnet Logic Field-Coupled Electrical Input

We report an electric, field-coupled input scheme for nanomagnet logic (NML). Furthermore, input structures are integrated with CMOS compatible clock structures for NML. This paper describes the controlled switching of the magnetization state of a nanomagnet by applying a locally generated biasing field to a device that has been placed in a 0°/metastable state by a clad, current carrying clock line. Fringing fields from the set device can then change the state of another, adjacent nanomagnet. This scheme can serve as an electric-magnetic interface between CMOS and an NML circuit.
Cocaine- and alcohol-mediated expression of inducible transcription factors is blocked by pentobarbital anesthesia.

Identifying the neurocircuitry involved in behavioral responses to drugs of abuse is an important step towards understanding the mechanisms of drug addiction. The present study sought to distinguish brain regions involved in pharmacological effects of cocaine and ethanol from secondary effects by administering these drugs in the presence or absence of pentobarbital anesthesia. Changes in neuronal activity were assessed by immunohistochemical analysis of expression of an inducible transcription factor (ITF), c-Fos, in the brain of rats habituated to repeated pentobarbital anesthesia or saline administration. Cocaine administration (15 mg/kg, i.v.) in non-anesthetized animals produced a strong induction of c-Fos in the striatum and large number of other brain areas. Ethanol administration (2 g/kg, i.p.) induced c-Fos in a smaller number of characteristic brain areas, including the central nucleus of amygdala and paraventricular nucleus of hypothalamus. However, neither of these drugs was able to induce c-Fos in pentobarbital-anesthetized rats (50 mg/kg, i.v.). The suppressive effects of pentobarbital were not specific to c-Fos, such that pentobarbital also suppressed expression of ITFs FosB and Egr1 in the striatum of cocaine-treated rats. On the other hand, pentobarbital by itself strongly induced c-Fos expression in the lateral habenula of saline-, cocaine-, and ethanol-injected rats. It is not clear whether the suppressive effects of anesthesia on ITF expression in other areas are mediated by activation of lateral habenula, or are independent of this event. Our data suggest that in the absence of conscious awareness of drug-associated cues, cocaine and alcohol activate only a fraction of the neural elements engaged in the unanesthetized state.
Vitamin C-Induced Increase of Dermatan Sulfate in Cultured Hurler's Fibroblasts

In fibroblasts taken from patients witli Hurler's syndromne and grown in cultlure, dermatan sulfate constituted a larger percentage of the total sulfated glycosaminoglycans than it did in cultured fibroblasts from unaffected individuals. Moreover, the addition of ascorbic acid (vitamnin C) to the culture medium markedly increased the concentration of dermatan sulfate in the Hurler's fibroblasts but not in the normal fibroblasts. The biochemical phenotype of the Hurler's cells persisted during 28 weeks of serial culture.
Tris(n-octyl)arsine oxide (tocaso) as a reagent for liquid-liquid extraction—1 extraction of mineral acids

Abstract Solutions of tris(n-octyl)arsine oxide (TOCASO), (n-C8H17)3AsO, in benzene have been equilibrated with aqueous solutions of perchloric, hydrochloric, hydrobromic, hydriodic and nitric acids. In the perchloric acid system, the co-extraction of water was noted and the adduct was of the type TOCASO·H3O+ClO4−. Hydrochloric acid formed a 2:1 adduct with TOCASO at aqueous acid concentrations ≧ 1 M. The hydrochloric acid adduct was presumably of the type TOCASOH+HCl2−. Hydrobromic and hydriodic acid formed 1:1 adducts at initial aqueous acid concentrations of 0·1 to 2·0M. The co-extraction of 1 mole of water with each mole of acid was observed under these conditions. At acid concentrations ≧4·0M and ≧7·0 M the adducts, TOCASOH+HBr2− and TOCASOH+HI2− were formed without co-extraction of water. Nitric acid formed a 1:1 adduct at initial acid concentrations of 0·1 to 1·0 M with co-extraction of water. As the nitric acid concentration was increased the ratio of acid to reagent increased while the ratio of water to acid decreased concurrently.
Review of Hyperuricemia as New Marker for Metabolic Syndrome

Hyperuricemia has long been established as the major etiologic factor in gout. In recent years, a large body of evidence has accumulated that suggests that hyperuricemia may play a role in the development and pathogenesis of a number of metabolic, hemodynamic, and systemic pathologic diseases, including metabolic syndrome, hypertension, stroke, and atherosclerosis. A number of epidemiologic studies have linked hyperuricemia with each of these disorders. In some studies, therapies that lower uric acid may prevent or improve certain components of the metabolic syndrome. There is an association between uric acid and the development of systemic lupus erythematosus; the connection between other rheumatic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis is less clear. The mechanism for the role of uric acid in disorders other than gout is not well established but recent investigations point towards systemic inflammation induced by urate, as the major pathophysiological event common to systemic diseases, including atherosclerosis.
The fifth plot of the Carcinogenic Potency Database: Results of animal bioassays published in the general literature through 1988 and by the National Toxicology Program through 1989

This paper is the fifth plot of the Carcinogenic Potency Database (CPDB) that first appeared in this journal in 1984 (1-5). We report here results of carcinogenesis bioassays published in the general literature between January 1987 and December 1988, and in technical reports of the National Toxicology Program between July 1987 and December 1989. This supplement includes results of 412 long-term, chronic experiments of 147 test compounds and reports the same information about each experiment in the same plot format as the earlier papers: the species and strain of test animal, the route and duration of compound administration, dose level and other aspects of experimental protocol, histopathology and tumor incidence, TD50 (carcinogenic potency) and its statistical significance, dose response, author's opinion about carcinogenicity, and literature citation. We refer the reader to the 1984 publications (1,5,6) for a guide to the plot of the database, a complete description of the numerical index of carcinogenic potency, and a discussion of the sources of data, the rationale for the inclusion of particular experiments and particular target sites, and the conventions adopted in summarizing the literature. The five plots of the database are to be used together, as results of individual experiments that were published earlier are not repeated. In all, the five plots include results of 4487 experiments on 1136 chemicals. Several analyses based on the CPDB that were published earlier are described briefly, and updated results based on all five plots are given for the following earlier analyses: the most potent TD50 value by species, reproducibility of bioassay results, positivity rates, and prediction between species.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Morphine dependent rats: Blockade of precipitated abstinence by calcium

Abstract In rats made dependent on morphine, brain levels of calcium were significantly lowered. Naloxone administration to such rats produced characteristic abstinence signs. Prior treatment with calcium markedly reduced naloxone-induced abstinence signs and prevented morphine-induced lowering of brain calcium. It is suggested that the antagonistic actions of calcium and morphine may be related to their effects on morphine-sensitive adenylate cyclase activity.
Recent measurements of 36Cl in Yucca Mountain rock, soil and seepage

Samples of rock, soil and seepage were collected from Yucca Mountain, USA, and analyzed for 36Cl/Cl ratios by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). Rock excavated from the Drill Hole Wash fault at repository horizon depths produced a ratio suggesting that small amounts of water with “bomb-pulse” 36Cl had percolated to that site over the past 50 years. Rock from four other sites within the exploratory studies facility did not yield bomb-pulse ratios. Ratios in the soil varied depending on depth and location, with some samples producing bomb-pulse signatures. Ratios for seep water were slightly elevated above the present cosmogenic background value. This paper also discusses results from a column study mimicking the passage of 36Cl through volcanic rock and from an experiment using bromide instead of chloride as a carrier in sample preparation for AMS.
KNOWLEDGE, AWARENESS, PRACTICE AMONG ADOLESCENTS REGARDING SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES IN URBAN SLUMS

Background: Sexually transmitted diseases are very important health challenges for adolescents. Many national and international governmental and nongovernmental health agencies are running programmes to reduce the incidence of these diseases. We can provide an insight to the reproductive and sexual health needs of adolescents by assessing their knowledge, attitude and practice about these diseases. Research Question: What is the level of knowledge awareness and practice among adolescents regarding sexually transmitted diseases? Objectives: To assess the knowledge awareness and practice among adolescents regarding sexually transmitted diseases in an urban slum in Dehradun. Study Design: Cross-Sectional Settings and Participants: Adolescents belonging to registered families of Chandreshwar Nagar urban slum under the field practice area of Urban Health Training Centre (UHTC) of department of Community Medicine, Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences. Sample Size: 166 Adolescents i.e. Males-88 and Females-78. Study Period: May 2009 to October 2009 Study Variable: A predesigned, pretested, self-administered questionnaire was used for collecting information on Age, Sex, Knowledge and awareness regarding STDs, etc. Statistical Analysis: Standard statistical package i.e. SPSS, Microsoft Excel. Results: 51.2% of the adolescents were having knowledge about STD’s. Majority of (91.4%) the adolescents knew about AIDS as a type of STD. Their attitude cum practice towards prevention of STD was found to be 72.9% by use of condoms. Conclusions: Appropriate health care seeking behaviour and Information Education and Communication (IEC) activities should be promoted.
Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome in a child with recurrent seizures.

short PR interval on monitoring duringanaesthesia for tonsillectomy. Subsequenttwelve-lead electrocardiograms (Fig 1) showedWolff-Parkinson-White syndrome with delta wavesseen best in leads I, II, and V3–V5, and a broadQRS complex. This was confirmed by electrophy-siologic study, during which a left lateral accessorypathway with rapid antegrade conduction, down toa cycle length of 170milliseconds, was successfullycatheter ablated (arrow).At the age of 12 years, the patient experiencedthe onset of headache, vomiting, impaired visualacuity, and recurrent focal seizures. Blood and cere-brospinal fluid lactate were increased at 5.6millimolesper litres with a reference unit of 1.0–2.6millimolesper litres and 3.7millimoles per litres with a referenceunit of 0.9–2.2millimoles per litres, respectively.Electroencephalogram showed epileptic discharges onthe left occipital region, while magnetic resonanceimaging of the brain revealed localised T2-hyper-intensity of the left occipital cortex and cerebellaratrophy. The echocardiogram (Fig 2) in the parasternallong (a) and short (b) axis views demonstrated, for thefirst time, concentric left ventricular hypertrophy(arrows). The left ventricular posterior wall measured11 millimetres – the upper limit of normal was 8millimetres – and the ventricular function was normal,without outflow obstruction. MELAS syndrome(mitochondrial myopathy, encephalopathy, lacticacidosis, and stroke-like episodes) was suspected, andthe diagnostic A3243G mutation in mitochondrial
Biochemistry of an olfactory purinergic system: dephosphorylation of excitatory nucleotides and uptake of adenosine

The olfactory organ of the spiny lobster, Panulirus argus, is composed of chemosensory sensilla containing the dendrites of primary chemosensory neurons. Receptors on these dendrites are activated by the nucleotides AMP, ADP, and ATP but not by the nucleoside adenosine. It is shown here that the lobster chemosensory sensilla contain enzymes that dephosphorylate excitatory nucleotides and an uptake system that internalizes the nonexcitatory dephosphorylated product adenosine. The uptake of [3H]-adenosine is saturable with increasing concentration, linear with time for up to 3 h, sodium dependent, insensitive to moderate pH changes and has a Km of 7.1 microM and a Vmax of 5.2 fmol/sensillum/min (573 fmol/micrograms of protein/min). Double-label experiments show that sensilla dephosphorylate nucleotides extracellularly; 3H from adenine-labeled AMP or ATP is internalized, whereas 32P from phosphate-labeled nucleotides is not. The dephosphorylation of AMP is very rapid; 3H from AMP is internalized at the same rate as 3H from adenosine. Sensillar 5'-ectonucleotidase activity is inhibited by ADP and the ADP analog alpha, beta-methylene ADP. Collectively, these results indicate that the enzymes and the uptake system whereby chemosensory sensilla of the lobster inactivate excitatory nucleotides and clear adenosine from extracellular spaces are very similar to those present in the internal tissues of vertebrates, where nucleotides have many neuroactive effects.
Stimulation of muscle protein synthesis by somatotropin in pigs is independent of the somatotropin-induced increase in circulating insulin

Chronic treatment of growing pigs with porcine somatotropin (pST) promotes protein synthesis and doubles postprandial levels of insulin, a hormone that stimulates translation initiation. This study...
Mechanism of β4 subunit modulation of BK channels

Large-conductance (BK-type) Ca2+-activated potassium channels are activated by membrane depolarization and cytoplasmic Ca2+. BK channels are expressed in a broad variety of cells and have a corresponding diversity in properties. Underlying much of the functional diversity is a family of four tissue-specific accessory subunits (β1–β4). Biophysical characterization has shown that the β4 subunit confers properties of the so-called “type II” BK channel isotypes seen in brain. These properties include slow gating kinetics and resistance to iberiotoxin and charybdotoxin blockade. In addition, the β4 subunit reduces the apparent voltage sensitivity of channel activation and has complex effects on apparent Ca2+ sensitivity. Specifically, channel activity at low Ca2+ is inhibited, while at high Ca2+, activity is enhanced. The goal of this study is to understand the mechanism underlying β4 subunit action in the context of a dual allosteric model for BK channel gating. We observed that β4's most profound effect is a decrease in Po (at least 11-fold) in the absence of calcium binding and voltage sensor activation. However, β4 promotes channel opening by increasing voltage dependence of Po-V relations at negative membrane potentials. In the context of the dual allosteric model for BK channels, we find these properties are explained by distinct and opposing actions of β4 on BK channels. β4 reduces channel opening by decreasing the intrinsic gating equilibrium (L0), and decreasing the allosteric coupling between calcium binding and voltage sensor activation (E). However, β4 has a compensatory effect on channel opening following depolarization by shifting open channel voltage sensor activation (Vho) to more negative membrane potentials. The consequence is that β4 causes a net positive shift of the G-V relationship (relative to α subunit alone) at low calcium. At higher calcium, the contribution by Vho and an increase in allosteric coupling to Ca2+ binding (C) promotes a negative G-V shift of α+β4 channels as compared to α subunits alone. This manner of modulation predicts that type II BK channels are downregulated by β4 at resting voltages through effects on L0. However, β4 confers a compensatory effect on voltage sensor activation that increases channel opening during depolarization.
Stress-Free with Rpd3: a Unique Chromatin Complex Mediates the Response to Oxidative Stress

Eukaryotic cells are constantly bombarded with a plethora of extracellular and intracellular stresses that they must quickly respond to in order to survive (1). These stresses can come in the form of changes in temperature, nutrient availability, osmotic changes, and DNA-damaging events (extracellular), as well as oxidative stress from normal metabolism and replicative/transcriptional DNA damage (intracellular). In order to respond to a wide range of stresses, cells must be able to rapidly translate a stress response signal into a specific transcriptional program (2). While there are some common themes that underlie the general “environmental stress response” (ESR), the transcriptional programs each stressor initiates are unique and tailored to deal with each specific type of stress (3). The exact mechanisms underlying the cellular response to a particular stress are poorly defined and continue to be an exciting area of active research. A question of particular significance is how the cell is able to modulatethechromatinenvironmentsurroundingthegenesnec
IMPACT OF BLACKBIRD DAMAGE TO SUNFLOWER: BIOENERGETIC AND ECONOMIC MODELS

We constructed bioenergetic and economic models to estimate the potential impact of Red-winged Blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus), Common Grackles (Quiscalus quiscula), and Yellow-headed Blackbirds (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) on production yields of sunflower in the northern Great Plains of North America. The amount of sunflower consumed annually by males and females, after considering field metabolic rates, energy value and moisture content of achenes, and percentage of sunflower in diets was, respec- tively: Red-winged Blackbirds 277 g and 168 g; Common Grackles 267 g and 230 g; and Yellow-headed Blackbirds 248 g and 139 g. The per capita annual economic damage was: male Red-winged Blackbirds $0.09 (U.S. dollars), females $0.05; male Common Grackles $0.09, females $0.07; and male Yellow-headed Blackbirds $0.08, females $0.05. Annual loss was $5.4 + 1.3 X 106 for all three species in aggregate, with Red-winged Blackbirds accounting for 52% of the loss. Blackbird damage represented 1.7% of the dollar value of the 1999 sunflower harvest in the northern Great Plains. This loss would be inconsequential if damage were distributed evenly; however, bird damage is often localized around wetlands and can be economically debilitating to individual producers. Although our model was based on regional population estimates, it should perform well at local scales, provided that a local population can be defined, accurately estimated, and remains stable in size over the six-week length of the damage period. Because of the large numbers of blackbirds that congregate in the region during August and September prior to migration, sunflower pro- ducers should expect some crop losses. The solution to the conflict appears to be one that focuses not on eliminating all damage, but on preventing it from exceeding 5% per field.
Effect of static compression on proteoglycan biosynthesis by chondrocytes transplanted to articular cartilage in vitro

Transplantation of chondrocytes by injection or within carrier matrices has shown promise for augmenting the repair of articular cartilage defects. In vivo, transplanted chondrocytes are exposed to mechanical forces. This in vitro study examined the effect of a step application of compressive load to chondrocytes after the cells had been seeded onto a cartilage surface. Bovine chondrocytes were transplanted onto bovine cartilage disks, allowed to attach for 1 hour or 4 days, and subjected to compression through overlying cartilage disks in a confined compression configuration. Before use, the disks were lyophilized to lyse the endogenous chondrocytes and thereby allow assessment of the metabolic activity of the transplanted cells. During a 16-hour application of compressive stress of 0.24-0.72 MPa, proteoglycan synthesis, assessed as [35S]sulfate incorporation into macromolecules, was inhibited by approximately 68% after the 1-hour attachment and by approximately 45% after the 4-day attachment. Cell retention after the application of load was assessed by use of [3H]thymidine-tagged chondrocytes and quantitation of the displacement of radioactivity. After the 1-hour seeding period, loading induced a dose-dependent dislodgment of [3H]radioactivity (as much as 35%) from the tissue bilayer. In contrast, after the 4-day seeding period, there was no detectable effect of loading on chondrocyte dislodgment with an 8-12% release of radioactivity. The inhibitory effect of a 16-hour compression of 0.48 MPa applied after the 4-day seeding period was studied further. This protocol did not appear to have an irreversible effect on chondrocyte metabolism; at 2 days after the release of load, proteoglycan synthesis by the loaded cells was stimulated by 41% compared with transplanted cells that were not subjected to loading. These results suggest that the application of static compressive stress to chondrocytes at a cartilage surface may affect biosynthesis by these cells and thus subsequent integrative cartilage repair. Such an effect may have implications for optimization of the tightness of the press fit of a cell-laden cartilaginous construct into an articular defect.
The Association Between Prepregnancy Parental Support and Control and Adolescent Girls' Pregnancy Resolution Decisions

Abstract Purpose To examine the influence of prepregnancy parental support and control on adolescent girls' pregnancy resolution decisions. Methods Data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health were analyzed. Girls whose first pregnancy reported in wave IV occurred after wave I and before age 20 were included (n = 1,107). Participants self-reported pregnancy disposition (abortion, ectopic or tubal pregnancy, miscarriage, stillbirth, live birth) for each pregnancy; responses were dichotomized as abortion versus other. Girls' perceptions of parental support and control were measured at wave I. Controls were included for wave I age, age at pregnancy, year at the end of pregnancy, race/ethnicity, and parent characteristics (i.e., education, religious affiliation, age at first marriage, and educational expectations). Weighted multivariable logistic regression models were performed. Results Approximately 18% of girls reporting a teen pregnancy reported having an abortion. In crude analyses, parental support was marginally negatively related to abortion (odds ratio [OR] = .83, p = .06) and parental control was significantly negatively related to abortion (OR = .78, p = .02). In multivariable analyses, higher parental control was significantly negatively related to abortion versus other pregnancy outcomes (adjusted OR .80, 95% confidence interval .66–.98). Perceived parental support was unassociated with pregnancy resolution decisions. The only other factor associated with abortion decisions was parent education: odds of choosing abortion versus other pregnancy outcomes were significantly higher for adolescent girls whose parents had a bachelor's degree or greater versus those with lower educational attainment. Conclusions Pregnant adolescents with less educated parents or parents exercising greater control were less likely to have an abortion.
σS Controls Multiple Pathways Associated with Intracellular Multiplication of Legionella pneumophila

Legionella pneumophila is the causative agent of the severe and potentially fatal pneumonia Legionnaires' disease. L. pneumophila is able to replicate within macrophages and protozoa by establishing a replicative compartment in a process that requires the Icm/Dot type IVB secretion system. The signals and regulatory pathways required for Legionella infection and intracellular replication are poorly understood. Mutation of the rpoS gene, which encodes sigma(S), does not affect growth in rich medium but severely decreases L. pneumophila intracellular multiplication within protozoan hosts. To gain insight into the intracellular multiplication defect of an rpoS mutant, we examined its pattern of gene expression during exponential and postexponential growth. We found that sigma(S) affects distinct groups of genes that contribute to Legionella intracellular multiplication. We demonstrate that rpoS mutants have a functional Icm/Dot system yet are defective for the expression of many genes encoding Icm/Dot-translocated substrates. We also show that sigma(S) affects the transcription of the cpxR and pmrA genes, which encode two-component response regulators that directly affect the transcription of Icm/Dot substrates. Our characterization of the L. pneumophila small RNA csrB homologs, rsmY and rsmZ, introduces a link between sigma(S) and the posttranscriptional regulator CsrA. We analyzed the network of sigma(S)-controlled genes by mutational analysis of transcriptional regulators affected by sigma(S). One of these, encoding the L. pneumophila arginine repressor homolog gene, argR, is required for maximal intracellular growth in amoebae. These data show that sigma(S) is a key regulator of multiple pathways required for L. pneumophila intracellular multiplication.
Sliding-mode MRAS speed estimators for sensorless vector control of induction Machine

This paper presents two novel sliding mode (SM) model reference adaptive system (MRAS) observers for speed estimation in a sensorless-vector-controlled induction-machine drive. Both methods use the flux estimated by the voltage model observer as the reference and construct SM flux observers that allow speed estimation. Stability and dynamics of the two proposed SM flux observers are discussed. The observers are compared with the classical MRAS observer. The proposed estimators seem very robust and easy to tune. Unlike the classical MRAS, the speed-estimation process is based on algebraic calculations that do not exhibit underdamped poles or zeros on the right-hand plane. Simulations and experimental results on a 1/4-hp three-phase induction machine confirm the validity of the approaches.
Humidity Effects on PFPE Lubricant Bonding to a-CHx Overcoats

The continued reduction in the head-disk separation of magnetic data storage systems and the corresponding increase in the frequency of head-disk contacts will place severe stress on the lubricant and overcoat used to protect the surfaces of magnetic media. With decreasing fly heights, environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity that influence the lubricant-overcoat interactions become increasingly important to the tribological performance of the head-disk interface. It is essential to obtain a fundamental understanding of the molecular interactions at the lubricant-overcoat interface in order to maintain the reliability of future hard disk drives. The coadsorption of model fluoro alcohols and fluoro ethers with water was studied to gain a fundamental understanding of the effects of humidity on the bonding of perfluoropolyalkyl ether (PFPE) lubricants to amorphous hydrogenated carbon (a-CHx) overcoats. Temperature-programmed desorption experiments were performed using 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol (CF3CH2OH) coadsorbed with water and perfluorodiethyl ether [(CF3CF2)2O] coadsorbed with water. The results indicate that the presence of water increases the desorption energy of CF3CH2OH on the a-CHx overcoat but decreases the desorption energy of (CF3CF2)2O on a-CHx overcoats. The implication of these results is that there is a net increase in the mobility of PFPE lubricant films when exposed to humid environments.
Acute hypoxia increases intracellular [Ca2+] in pulmonary arterial smooth muscle by enhancing capacitative Ca2+ entry.

Hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction (HPV) requires influx of extracellular Ca2+ in pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs). To determine whether capacitative Ca2+ entry (CCE) through store-o...
Electrostatically tunable piezoelectric-on- silicon micromechanical resonator for real-time clock

This paper reports on the design, fabrication, and characterization of a small form factor, piezoelectrically transduced, tunable micromechanical resonator for real-time clock (RTC) applications (32.768 kHz). The device was designed to resonate in an out-of-plane flexural mode to simultaneously achieve low-frequency operation and reduced motional resistance in a small die area. Finite element simulations were extensively used to optimize the structure in terms of size, insertion loss, spurious-mode rejection, and frequency tuning. Microresonators with an overall die area of only 350 × 350 μm were implemented on a thin-film AlN on silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate with AlN thickness of 0.5 μm, device layer of 1.5 μm, and an electrostatic tuning gap size of 1 μm. A frequency tuning range of 3100 ppm was measured using dc voltages of less than 4 V. This range is sufficient to compensate for frequency variations of the microresonator across temperature from -20°C to 100°C. The device exhibits low motional impedance that is completely independent of the frequency tuning potential. Discrete electronics were used in conjunction with the resonator to implement an oscillator, verifying its functionality as a timing reference.
Rhythms of the brain

Prelude. Cycle 1. Introduction. Cycle 2. Structure defines function. Cycle 3. Diversity of cortical functions is provided by inhibition. Cycle 4. Windows on the brain. Cycle 5. A system of rhythms: from simple to complex dynamics. Cycle 6. Synchronization by oscillation. Cycle 7. The brain's default state: self-organized oscillations in rest and sleep. Cycle 8. Perturbation of the default patterns by experience. Cycle 9. The gamma buzz: gluing by oscillations in the waking brain. Cycle 10. Perceptions and actions are brain state-dependent. Cycle 11. Oscillations in the "other cortex:" navigation in real and memory space. Cycle 12. Coupling of systems by oscillations. Cycle 13. The tough problem. References.
In the Spotlight: Tissue and Molecular Engineering

This article reviews the current technical advances and challenges in the fields of tissue engineering, molecular engineering, and regenerative medicine. Research in engineering 3D in vitro tissue models that capture in vivo tissue properties and cellular response to these in vitro tissue constructs are discussed in particular.
Mechanisms of decision making during contests in green anole lizards: prior experience and assessment

Prior contest experiences can predictably alter an individual's contest performance and probability of contest success. Although winner and loser effects have been well studied across many animal taxa, the mechanisms underlying these effects and their adaptive value currently are topics of intense interest. Two predominant hypotheses posit that contest experiences alter either an individual's perceived fighting ability or its actual fighting ability. We addressed these hypotheses, and potential physiological and behavioural mechanisms driving experience effects in the green anole lizard, Anolis carolinensis. Prior losers went on to lose a significant proportion of future contests while prior winners were equally likely to win or lose against size-matched opponents. Further analysis revealed that the loser effect arose as a result of individuals updating their perceived fighting ability following a loss. Both prior losing and winning experiences influenced future contest performance with prior losers decreasing and prior winners increasing their aggressiveness in subsequent contests. Status-dependent changes in metabolic physiology were not associated with the presence of the observed loser effect. However, contest status and contest performance interacted to influence metabolic physiology. Plasma glucose concentrations decreased as a function of the frequency of high-risk, escalated behaviours performed by eventual losers, and muscle lactate concentrations increased as a function of the frequency of low-risk threat displays performed by eventual winners. Our results support the notion that prior contest experiences influence an individual's perceived, not actual, fighting ability and that status-dependent changes in metabolic physiology are not a likely mechanism underlying the presence/magnitude of experience effects.
Modern Management Applied to Academic Decisions

Modern management has much to offer academic administrators who seek new ways to deal with complex institutional problems. There is a danger, however, in applying quantitative, mathematical tools to educational issues which are substantive and non-quantitative. Care should be exercised in applying such techniques as: cost-benefit analysis, linear programming, management by objectives and systems analysis.
Kinematics-Based Detection and Localization of Contacts Along Multisegment Continuum Robots

In this paper, we present a novel kinematic-based framework for collision detection and estimation of contact location along multisegment continuum robots. Screw theory is used to define a screw motion deviation (SMD) as the distance between the expected and the actual instantaneous screw axis (ISA) of motion. The expected ISA is computed based on the unconstrained kinematics model of the robot, while the actual ISA is computed based on sensory information. Collisions with rigid environments at any point along the robot are detected by monitoring the SMD. Contact locations are estimated by the minimization of the SMD between the ISA that is obtained from a constrained kinematic model of the continuum robot and the one that is obtained from sensor data. The proposed contact detection and localization methods only require the relative motion of each continuum segment with respect to its own base. This strategy allows the straightforward generalization of these algorithms for an n -segment continuum robot. The framework is evaluated via simulations and experimentally on a three-segment multibackbone continuum robot. Results show that the collision-detection algorithm is capable of detecting a single collision at any segment, multiple collisions occurring at multiple segments, and total-arm constraint. It is also shown that the estimation of contact location is possible at any location along the continuum robot with an accuracy better than 20% of the segment nominal length. We believe this study will enhance manipulation safety in unstructured environments and confined spaces.
Repositioning of cells by mechanotaxis on surfaces with micropatterned Young's modulus

Adherent cells are strongly influenced by the mechanical aspects of biomaterials, but little is known about the cellular effects of spatial variations in these properties. This work describes a novel method to produce polymeric cell culture surfaces containing micrometer-scale regions of variable stiffness. Substrates made of acrylamide or poly- (dimethylsiloxane) were patterned with 100- or 10-m res- olution, respectively. Cells were cultured on fibronectin- coated acrylamide having Young's moduli of 34 kPa and 1.8 kPa, or fibronectin-coated PDMS having moduli of 2.5 MPa and 12 kPa. Over several days, NIH/3T3 cells and bovine pulmonary arterial endothelial cells accumulated preferen- tially on stiffer regions of substrates. The migration, not proliferation, of cells in response to mechanical patterning (mechanotaxis) was responsible for the accumulation of cells on stiffer regions. Differential remodeling of extracellular matrix protein on stiff versus compliant regions was ob- served by immunofluorescence staining, and may have been responsible for the observed mechanotaxis. These results suggest that mechanically patterned substrates might pro- vide a general means to study mechanotaxis, and a new approach to patterning cells. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res 66A: 605- 614, 2003
Experimental and theoretical investigations of CB8−: towards rational design of hypercoordinated planar chemical species

We demonstrated in our joint photoelectron spectroscopic and ab initio study that wheel-type structures with a boron ring are not appropriate for designing planar molecules with a hypercoordinate central carbon based on the example of CB8, and CB8−clusters. We presented a chemical bonding model, derived from the adaptive natural density partitioning analysis, capable of rationalizing and predicting planar structures either with a boron ring or with a carbon atom occupying the central hypercoordinate position. According to our chemical bonding model, in the wheel-type structures the central atom is involved in delocalized bonding, while peripheral atoms are involved in both delocalized bonding and two-center two-electron (2c–2e) σ-bonding. Since carbon is more electronegative than boron it favors peripheral positions where it can participate in 2c–2e σ-bonding. To design a chemical species with a central hypercoordinate carbon atom, one should consider electropositive ligands, which would have lone pairs instead of 2c–2e peripheral bonds. Using our extensive chemical bonding model that considers both σ- and π-bonding we also discuss why the AlB9 and FeB9− species with octacoordinate Al and Fe are the global minima or low-lying isomers, as well as why carbon atom fits well into the central cavity of CAl42− and CAl5+. This represents the first step toward rational design of nano- and subnano-structures with tailored properties.
Recommendations for immunizations in stem cell transplantation.

Abstract: Investigations over the past decade have documented that there is a decline in immunity to vaccine preventable diseases in many SCT recipients. The majority of immunization studies conducted in SCT recipients to date support the use of multi-dose regimens for most protein and polysaccharide-conjugate vaccine antigens. The consensus immunization schedule recommended by ACIP/IDSA/ASBMT provides guidance for centers to utilize available vaccines in their SCT populations. With the exception of pneumococcal disease, a schedule beginning at 12 months after SCT is reasonable given the low incidence of disease in HSCT recipients for most of the recommended vaccines and improved immune reconstitution in most recipients by one year post transplant. SCT recipients respond poorly to unconjugated pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine and the development of polysaccharide-protein conjugate vaccines against S. pneumoniae holds promise to impact potentially on clinical disease in this population. In addition, the strategy of donor immunization may also be effective in eliciting early protective immune responses to vaccine antigens. Future challenges will be the development of safe and effective vaccines against the viral pathogens responsible for considerable morbidity and mortality after SCT.
Influence of pH and dissolved Si on Fe isotope fractionation during dissimilatory microbial reduction of hematite

Microbial dissimilatory iron reduction (DIR) has been identified as a mechanism for production of aqueous Fe(II) that has low 56 Fe/ 54 Fe ratios in modern and ancient suboxic environments that contain ferric oxides or hydroxides. These studies suggest that DIR could have played an important role in producing distinct Fe isotope compositions in Precambrian banded iron formations or other marine sedimentary rocks. However, the applicability of experimental studies of Fe isotope fractionation produced by DIR in geochemically simple systems to ancient marine environments remains unclear. Here we report Fe isotope fractionations produced during dissimilatory microbial reduction of hematite by Geobacter sulfurreducens in the presence and absence of dissolved Si at neutral and alkaline pH. Hematite reduction was significantly decreased by Si at alkaline (but not neutral) pH, presumably due to Si polymerization at the hematite surface. The presence of Si altered Fe isotope fractionation factors between aqueous Fe(II) or sorbed Fe(II) and reactive Fe(III), reflecting changes in bonding environment of the reactive Fe(III) component at the oxide surface. Despite these changes in isotopic fractionations, our results demonstrate that microbial Fe(III) oxide reduction produces Fe(II) with negative d 56 Fe values under conditions of variable pH and dissolved Si, similar to the large inventory of negative d 56 Fe in Neoarchean and Paleoproterozoic age marine sedimentary rocks.
Turnaround initiatives and auditors' going-concern judgment: Memory for audit evidence

SUMMARY: This study uses an experiment to investigate how management turnaround initiatives influence auditors' going-concern decisions for financially distressed firms. Using mediation analysis, we are able to distinguish between a direct effect of strategic and operating turnaround initiatives on going-concern judgment and a mediated effect through auditors' evaluation of subsequent financial evidence. Results from the experiment indicate that operating turnaround initiatives (e.g., cost cutting) are associated with lower relative recall of positive financial evidence and a higher likelihood of receiving a going-concern opinion. Further, we find no evidence of a direct link between client operating or strategic initiatives and an auditor's going-concern judgment. Data Availability: Data are available from the authors upon request.
Rigor mortis development at elevated temperatures induces pale exudative turkey meat characteristics

Development of rigor mortis at elevated post-mortem temperatures may contribute to turkey meat characteristics that are similar to those found in pale, soft, exudative pork. To evaluate this effect, 36 Nicholas tom turkeys were processed at 19 wk of age and placed in water at 40, 20, and 0 C immediately after evisceration. Pectoralis muscle samples were taken at 15 min, 30 min, 1 h, 2 h, and 4 h post-mortem and analyzed for R-value (an indirect measure of adenosine triphosphate), glycogen, pH, color, and sarcomere length. At 4 h, the remaining intact Pectoralis muscle was harvested, and aged on ice 23 h, and analyzed for drip loss, cook loss, shear values, and sarcomere length. By 15 min post-mortem, the 40 C treatment had higher R-values, which persisted through 4 h. By 1 h, the 40 C treatment pH and glycogen levels were lower than the 0 C treatment; however, they did not differ from those of the 20 C treatment. Increased L* values indicated that color became more pale by 2 h post-mortem in the 40 C treatment when compared to the 20 and 0 C treatments. Drip loss, cook loss, and shear value were increased whereas sarcomere lengths were decreased as a result of the 40 C treatment. These findings suggested that elevated post-mortem temperatures during processing resulted in acceleration of rigor mortis and biochemical changes in the muscle that produced pale, exudative meat characteristics in turkey.
Shuttle mask floorplanning

A shuttle mask has different chips on the same mask. The chips are not electrically connected. Alliance and foundry customers can utilize shuttle masks to share the rising cost of mask and wafer manufacturing. This paper studies the shuttle mask floorplan problem, which is formulated as a rectangle-packing problem with constraints of final die sawing strategy and die-to-die mask inspection. For our formulation, we offer a "merging" method that reduces the problem to an unconstrained slicing floorplan problem. Excellent results are obtained from the experiment with real industry data. We also study a "general" method and discuss the reason why it does not work very well.