cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract IA06: Colon cancer: Microbes and communities in microbiome translation

Intensive efforts are under way to understand how the colon microbiome contributes to the pathogenesis of colorectal cancer (CRC) and to determine if and how the microbiome can be utilized in the prevention and/or therapy of CRC. Both single microbes and microbial communities are proposed as contributors to human CRC. Among single microbes, attention to date has focused on enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis (ETBF), (pks+) Escherichia coli, and Fusobacterium spp., although other candidates are emerging. Among communities, one aspect has been the potential contribution of mucus-invasive, dense mucosal microbial communities termed biofilms to CRC disease pathogenesis. This talk will review select concepts within ETBF’s and biofilm contribution to colon carcinogenesis. While ETBF exposure is common, the risk of colon carcinogenesis in an individual is unknown but potentially influenced by colonization state, B. fragilis toxin isotype secreted by ETBF, colon site, and the underlying genomic state of the colonic epithelial cells. With respect to colon biofilms, about 50% of human sporadic colon cancer, particularly in the right colon, display polymicrobial biofilms with marked tumor infiltration with bacteria whereas ~15% of normal colonoscopy biopsies also reveal polymicrobial biofilms. These polymicrobial biofilms are typically composed of Bacteroidetes and Lachnospiraceae with a subset of tumors, but not biopsies, also displaying Fusobacterium. Further, samples from biofilm-positive human colon cancers induce assembly of biofilms in the distal germ-free mouse colon within a week following inoculation and are procarcinogenic (JCI 129:1699, 2019). One of the common hereditary human colon cancers (familial adenomatous polyposis; APC+/−) also displays biofilms but dominated by two bacteria, (pks+) E. coli and ETBF. A mouse model of (pks+) E. coli and ETBF cocolonization exhibited accelerated tumor formation and mortality when cocolonized with the cancer-inducing bacteria, potentially by fostering increased microbial adherence, IL-17, changes in gene expression, and enhanced colonic epithelial cell DNA damage (Science 2018;359:592-97). Current directions of translational research will be presented. Citation Format: Cynthia L. Sears. Colon cancer: Microbes and communities in microbiome translation [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on the Microbiome, Viruses, and Cancer; 2020 Feb 21-24; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(8 Suppl):Abstract nr IA06.
Excitatory GABAergic modulation of calyx terminals in the vestibular sensory end organ

GABAergic sources have been identified in the vestibular sensory neuroepithelium, mainly in the supporting cells. However, existence of GABA receptors or any possible GABAergic effects on vestibular nerve afferents has not been investigated. The current study was conducted to determine whether activation of GABAB receptors affects calyx afferent terminals in the central region of the cristae of the semicircular canals in rats. We used patch clamp recording in P13 to P18 Sprague Dawley rats of either sex. Application of GABA-B receptor agonist baclofen inhibited voltage activated outward potassium currents. This effect was blocked by selective GABAB receptor antagonist CGP 35348. Antagonists of small (SK) and large (BK) current potassium channels resulted in an almost complete block of baclofen effect. The remaining baclofen effect was due to inhibition of voltage gated calcium channels and was blocked by cadmium chloride. Furthermore, baclofen had no effect in the absence of calcium in the extracellular fluid. Inhibition of potassium currents by GABAB activation resulted in an excitatory effect on calyx terminal action potential firing. While in the control condition calyces could only fire a single action potential during step depolarizations, in the presence of baclofen they fired continuously during steps and a few even showed spontaneous discharge. We also found a decrease in threshold for action potential generation and a decrease in first spike latency during step depolarization. These results provide the first evidence for the presence of GABAB receptors on calyx terminals, show that their activation results in an unusual excitatory effect and that GABA inputs could be used to modulate calyx response properties.
A Process for Identifying Indicators With Public Data: An Example From Sexual Violence Prevention:

Despite advances in the sexual violence (SV) prevention field, practitioners still face challenges with identifying indicators to measure the impact of their prevention strategies. Public data, such as existing administrative and surveillance system data, may be a good option for organizations to examine trends in indicators for the purpose of program evaluation. In this article, we describe a framework and a process for identifying indicators with public data. Specifically, we present the SV Indicator Framework and a five-step indicator review process, which we used to identify indicators for a national SV prevention program. We present the findings of the indicator review and explain how the process could be used by evaluators and program planners within other developing topic areas. Tracking indicators with public data, in conjunction with other evaluation methods, may be a viable option for state-level program evaluations. We discuss limitations and implications for practice and research.
Homosexuality: Sin, Crime, Pathology, Identity, Behavior*

Same-sex sexual relations have been variously labeled as a sin, a crime, a pathological condition and, most recently, as one of many variants within the spectrum of sexual behavior, and as a component of individual identity. This chapter begins with a review of previous understandings of same-sex sexual behavior, demonstrating the interplay between currents in societal and religious perceptions and understandings of same-sex behavior and biomedical responses to homosexuality. The chapter then discusses current religious and societal views of homosexuality and same-sex behavior as well as medical understandings of same-sex orientation and behavior. The bioethical implications of medicine’s past and current views of homosexuality and homosexuals are addressed within the larger framework of societal mores and religious perspectives. The focus of the chapter is primarily on this interplay within the United States, with reference to other countries where relevant.
Sacrectomy for sacral tumors: perioperative outcomes in a large-volume comprehensive cancer center.

Abstract Background Context Sacral tumors are incredibly rare lesions affecting fewer than one in every 10,000 persons. Reported perioperative morbidity rates range widely, varying from 30% to 70%, due to the relatively low volumes seen by most centers. Factors affecting perioperative outcome following sacrectomy remain ill-defined. Purpose To characterize perioperative outcomes of sacral tumor patients undergoing sacrectomy and identify independent risk factors of perioperative morbidity Study Design/Setting Retrospective cohort study at a single comprehensive cancer center Patient Sample Consecutively treated sacral tumor patients (primary or metastatic) undergoing sacrectomy for oncologic resection between April 2013 and April 2020 Outcome Measures Perioperative complications, hospital length of stay, non-home discharge, 30-day readmission, and 30-day reoperation Methods Details were gathered about tumor pathology and morphology, surgery performed, baseline medical comorbidities, preoperative lab data, and patient demographics. Stepwise multivariable regressions were conducted to identify independent risk factors of perioperative outcomes while evaluating predictive accuracy. Results 57 sacral tumor patients were included (mean age 55.5±13.0 years; 60% female). The complication, non-home discharge, 30-day readmission, and 30-day reoperation rates were 39%, 56%, 16%, and 14%, respectively. Independent predictors of perioperative complications included ASA>2 (OR=10.7; 95%CI [1.3, 86.0]; p=0.026), radicular pain (OR=10.9; p=0.014), platelet count (OR=0.989 per 10³/μL; p=0.049), and instrumentation (OR=10.7; p=0.009). Independent predictors of length of stay included iliac vessel involvement (β=15.8; p=0.005), larger tumor volume (β=0.027 per cm³; p 0.8 and R2>0.7). Conclusion Clinical and operative factors were important predictors of complications and 30-day readmission, while tumor-related and operative factors accounted for most of the variability in length of stay and non-home discharge.
Technique for Sonography of Muscles and Tendons of the Extremities

As early as 1965, a transverse sonographic scan of a normal leg was published by Howry [13]. The technological development of sonographic equipment since that date is well known. The high quality of today’s real-time machines has rendered B-mode static equipment obsolete [4–11]. Real-time examination is faster, more convenient, and, above all, more complete since continuous scanning leaves no blind area. Also, real-time capability allows dynamic examination of muscles during flexion/extension maneuvers or palpation.
Reconstituted blood reduces blood donor exposures in children undergoing craniofacial reconstruction surgery.

Summary Objective/Aims: To assess the effect of prophylactic administration of fresh-frozen plasma (FFP) in the form of reconstituted blood in children undergoing craniofacial reconstruction. The outcomes of interest included immediate postoperative coagulation laboratory test results, postoperative surgical drain output, and the number of unique blood donor exposures incurred. Background: We recently changed our intraoperative transfusion strategy in children undergoing craniofacial reconstruction surgery to one in which blood loss is replaced with donor-matched reconstituted blood rather than traditional blood component therapy. Methods: We performed a query of our prospective craniofacial surgery perioperative registry for children who underwent fronto-orbital advancement or posterior cranial vault reconstruction. Registry data from this query were compared to data from a historical cohort. Results: Data for 46 registry cases were compared to 150 historical cohort cases. The median number of unique donor exposures for the reconstituted blood group was 2 vs 3 in the historical cohort (P = 0.004). The reconstituted blood group had a decreased incidence of postoperative derangements in soluble clotting factor tests (fibrinogen, PT, or aPTT; 2% vs 24%, P = 0.001), while there was no evidence for a difference in the incidence of thrombocytopenia. There was no evidence for differences in postoperative surgical drain output in the reconstituted blood group and historical cohort over the first 12, 24, and 48 h. Conclusions: Prophylactic administration of FFP in the form of donor-matched reconstituted blood in children undergoing craniofacial reconstruction was associated with improved postoperative coagulation parameters, reduced blood donor exposures, and unchanged postoperative surgical drain output.
Lateral field excitation predictions for plates of langasite and isomorphs driven in simple thickness modes

Lateral-field-excitation calculations have been carried out for several members of the langasite family, using the extended Christoffel-Bechmann method. Calculations were made using published materials constants. The results are presented in terms of the lateral piezoelectric coupling coefficients as functions of in-plane (azimuthal) rotation angle for the three simple thickness vibration modes of some non-rotated, singly rotated and doubly rotated orientations. Results are compared and contrasted between materials and to thickness-field-excitation.
A Self-Describing Data File Structure for Large Data Sets

A major goal of the Analysis of Large Data Sets (ALDS) research project at Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) is to provide efficient data organization, storage, and access capabilities for statistical applications involving large amounts of data. As part of the effort to achieve this goal, a self-describing binary (SDB) data file structure has been designed and implemented together with a set of data manipulation functions and supporting SDB data access routines. Logical and physical data descriptors are stored in SDB files preceding the data values. SDB files thus provide a common data representation for interfacing diverse software components. This paper describes the data descriptors and data structures permitted by the file design. Data buffering, file segmentation and a segment overflow handler are also discussed.
Removal of algal-derived organic material by preozonation and coagulation: Monitoring changes in organic quality by pyrolysis-GC-MS

Abstract This research examined the roles that algal populations, as sources of dissolved organic material (DOC), and water quality play in DOC removal during ozonation and coagulation processes. Algal monocultures were grown as suspensions in continuous-flow reactors to simulate bloom conditions and to provide a distinct type of DOC for treatment experiments. Jar tests were conducted with and without preozonation to assess DOC removal as a function of algal source, coagulant type and dose, pH and bicarbonate concentration. Overall, algal-derived DOC was difficult to remove; high coagulant doses were required and removal was strongly influenced by solution pH and algal source. Preozonation enhanced DOC removal to varying degrees depending on organic quality which was determined by the algal source. These results suggest that the unpredictable nature of ozone's ability to enhance coagulation in actual treatment practice may be related to changes in DOC caused by seasonal shifts in algal speciation and dominance. The technique of Pyrolysis (PY)-GC-MS was employed to explore the chemical basis for these differences in treatment performance. Preozonation produced dramatic changes in the chemical character of the organic matrix produced by algae as revealed by PY-GC-MS. These results suggest that, although use of ozone may not improve DOC removals in all cases, there may be advantages to ozone use which are related to desirable quality changes in the residual DOC. Furthermore, these results illustrate that PY-GC-MS is a powerful technique with which to characterize and monitor changes in organic quality so as to better understand chemical interactions in treatment.
Similarity, Sex, and Requests for Small Favors1

To determine whether correspondence in appearance between helper and helped will increase the rate of helping behavior, two types (Hippie and Straight) and two sexes of experimenters approached each of the four corresponding types of subjects and asked to borrow a dime for a telephone call. As predicted, a significantly greater number of persons were willing to lend money to someone who resembled them in appearance. Furthermore, as predicted, his tendency to match on the basis of appearance was stronger for male subjects than for female subjects. It was hypothesized that dress styles, like race, provide a basis for assumptions about other areas of similarity and create a greater willingness to help a similar other.
Clostridium butyricum neurotoxin: partial amino acid sequence of major proteolytic fragments and intracellular activity in PC12 cells.

Abstract The ∼ 150 kDa single-chain neurotoxin produced by Clostridium butyricum , reported to be similar to C. botulinum neurotoxin serotype E ( Gimenez and Sugiyama , Infect. Immun. 54, 926–929, 1988), was probed with trypsin and endoproteinase Lys-C. The two proteases cleaved the butyricum neurotoxin between residues Arg 421-Lys 422 and Lys 418-Gly 419, respectively. Cleavage at this region, highly susceptible to proteolysis, generated ∼ 50 kDa light and ∼ 100 kDa heavy chains, whose identities were established by amino acid sequence determination. In the ∼ 150 kDa dichain neurotoxin these two chains remained linked by an interchain disulfide bond. The endoproteinase Lys-C also cleaved the heavy chain between residues Lys 594-Ile 595, yielding a ∼ 73 kDa fragment. A total of 77 amino acid residues was identified by Edman degradation of the major fragments generated by proteolysis. By analogy with other botulinum neurotoxin serotypes, the light chain contains the intracellular inhibitory domain and the heavy chain the receptor-binding and channel-forming domains. Butyricum neurotoxin, whether in single-chain or dichain form, inhibited ∼ 70% of the Ca 2+ stimulated [ 3 H]norepinephrine release from permeabilized PC12 cells. Reduction with 5 mM dithiothreitol enhanced the intracellular inhibitory activity of dichain neurotoxin about 30-fold and increased the extent of inhibition to about 80%, while the activity of single-chain neurotoxin was slightly affected. Increase in the intracellular inhibitory activity of butyricum neurotoxin following mild treatment with trypsin (i.e. conversion of the single-chain protein to the dichain form) was virtually complete within 6 min.
Randomized Prospective Study Comparing Radical Prostatectomy Alone Versus Radical Prostatectomy Preceded by Androgen Blockage in Clinical Stage B2 (T2bNxM0) Prostate Cancer

AbstractPurpose: Nonrandomized clinical trials have suggested that preoperative androgen deprivation can decrease the likelihood of positive surgical margins in patients with clinically localized prostate cancer. A multicenter prospective randomized trial compared radical prostatectomy alone to radical prostatectomy after 3 months of leuprolide acetate depot and flutamide in patients with stage cT2bNxM0 prostate cancer and a serum prostate specific antigen level less than 50 ng./ml.Materials and Methods: We randomized 149 patients to undergo androgen deprivation and 138 to undergo lymphadenectomy with (137) or without (1) prostatectomy. Of the 154 patients randomized to the surgery alone group 144 underwent pelvic node dissection with (138) or without (6) prostatectomy.Results: There was no statistically significant difference between the 2 groups in operating time, blood loss, need for transfusion, postoperative morbidity or length of hospital stay. There were 4 rectal and 2 ureteral injuries in the surg...
Use of a smaller counterion results in an 'inverse sandwich' diindium cation

Abstract Treatment of In(C5Me5) with [(toluene)H[[B(C6F5)4] affords the salt [In(η5-C5Me5)In][B(C6F5)4]. X-ray analysis indicates that the cation possesses an inverse sandwich structure, one indium atom of which experiences a close contact with a meta-fluorine of a C6F5 group of a [B(C6F5)4]− counterion. The other indium atom exhibits a weak η6-interaction with a C6F5 group of a different [B(C6F5)4]− anion.
Radiation Therapy as Exclusive Treatment for Medically Inoperable Patients with Stage I and II Endometrioid Carcinoma of the Endometrium

From 1975 to 1992, 54 patients with clinical Stage I and II endometrioid carcinoma of the endometrium, representing 3.5% of all such patients, were deemed medically inoperable and exclusively received radiation therapy. A cohort of 108 operable patients adjusted for age, clinical stage, and grade served as a control group. The 5-year actuarial cancer-specific survivals for patients with Stage I inoperable, Stage 11 inoperable, Stage I operable, and Stage II operable disease were 80, 85, 98, and 100%. The corresponding 5-year overall survival rates were 30, 24, 88, and 85%. Inoperable patients had a median disease-free interval of 36 months for clinical Stage I and 50 months for Stage II disease versus 74.5 and 77 months for the operable patients (P = 0.001). Inoperable patients with Stage I disease had a median survival of 37 months versus 50 months for Stage II (P = NS), with only 7 (13%) of these patients dying with endometrial cancer. Operable patients had a median survival of 75 and 79 months in Stage I and II, respectively, with 14 patients dying with endometrial carcinoma (13%). Stage I and II inoperable patients had significantly shorter survival than operable patients (P < 0.0001). More deaths from intercurrent disease occurred within the inoperable Stage I group than with the operable group (28 of 32 vs 3 of 15, P < 0.0001). Inoperable patients had a significantly shorter overall survival and more deaths due to intercurrent disease than operable patients (P < 0.0001). However, inoperable patients who did not die from intercurrent disease had a median 5-year survival which approaches that of operable patients. Our study demonstrates that exclusive radiation therapy is a well-tolerated and effective treatment for medically inoperable patients.
Linguistic and nonlinguistic impairments in writing: A comparison of patients with focal and multifocal CNS disorders

The hypothesis that the language disorder in Alzheimer's disease (AD) depends on degenerative brain changes in classical left-hemisphere language zones was tested by comparing the written language performances of a group of AD patients with mild-moderate dementia and left-hemisphere stroke patients with equally severe naming and auditory comprehension deficits who were in varying stages of recovery from Wernicke's aphasia. The results indicated significant qualitative group differences in performances between tasks and in errors within tasks. The findings are consistent with hypothesized disruption of more diffusely organized neurolinguistic systems in AD. The hypothesis that the language disorder in AD represents an exaggeration of the pattern of language change in normal aging was also examined by comparing the performances of AD patients to the changes that occur with very advanced normal aging. The data indicate convergence between AD and very elderly healthy subjects in some aspects of written language production.
Sex Effects in Evaluating Applicant Qualifications: A Reexamination.

It has been hypothesized that female applicants for male sex-typed jobs are evaluated using different selection criteria than males for the same jobs (E. A. Cecil, R. J. Paul, and R. A. Olins, “Perceived Importance of Selected Variables Used to Evaluate Male and Female Job Applicants,” Personnel Psychology, 1973, 26, 397–404). The present study examined this hypothesis in two separate experiments, in an attempt to replicate the findings and conclusions of Cecil et al. Results do not support the hypothesis that applicant sex affects the ratings of importance of applicant qualifications for sex-typed jobs, although raters do appear to stereotype the kinds of jobs for which males and females are likely to apply. Type of job for which applicants apply is a stronger determinant of what qualifications are evaluated as important in an interview situation. Use of selection criteria (e.g., tests) that validly predict later job performance and that are standardized for all job applicants, might prevent sex discrimination more than training raters to be wary of sex stereotyping of required applicant qualifications.
1374 CARBON MONOXIDE EFFECT ON BRAIN OXIDATIVE METABOLISM IN NEWBORN PIGLETS

The effect of carbon monoxide on brain oxidative metabolism was studied in 5 anesthetized newborn piglets during mechanical ventilation, at normoxic and normocarbic steady-state. Surface coil 31-Phosphorus (31-P) spectra (ATP, phosphocreatine (PCr), inorganic phosphoate (Pi), phosphomonoesters, and phosphodiesters), measured by NMR, were obtained every 4 min over a period of 2 hrs with a gradual increase of blood carboxyhemoglobin [COHb]. Measurements of blood gases, acidbase, and regional CBF were obtained at baseline, 30-40%, 50-60%, and 70-80% of blood [COHb] level, respectively. PCr/Pi decreased in all piglets from a mean of 1.65 to 0.5 in a linear relationship as a function of the gradual increase in [COHb] from 6.3 to 80.3%. CBF increased from 78 ml/min/lOOg to 172 to 220 parallel to increasing levels of [COHb] in all piglets. Oxygen delivery remained relatively unchanged from 466 umol/min/lOOg to 416 to 391, and decreased at [COHb] of 70-80% to 287 umol/min/100g. In contrast to previous data in our laboratory where PCr/Pi abruptly decreased when oxygen content reached 4%, PCr/Pi in the present studies remained relatively high for comparable decreased O2 content due to hypercarboxyhemoglobinemia, because blood flow remained relatively high in the presence of decreased oxygen content, whereas in hypoxic hypoxia flow was decreased at extreme hypoxemia. These data suggest that cerebral perfusion is better maintained in carbon monoxide than hypoxic hypoxia, possibly reflecting altered responsivity of brain vessels or adrenergic mechanisms capable of altering CBF as seen in hypoxic hypoxia.
Dielectric properties of fluorinated polymers

Abstract A systematic study of the dielectric properties of successively substituted polyolefins has shown that the crankshaft type of local mode motions occurs in some, but not all, fluoropolymers; a con-formational analysis has shown the crankshaft to be of the Boyer form. The introduction of nonplanarity into the polymer chain has been identified as the single reason why the magnitudes of the glass transition dissipation factor peaks are all significantly lower than those of the local mode peaks.
Wavelet smoothing of functional magnetic resonance images: a preliminary report

Functional (time-dependent) Magnetic Resonance Imaging can be used to determine which parts of the brain are active during various limited activities; these parts of the brain are called activation regions. In this preliminary study we describe some experiments that are suggested from the following questions: Does one get improved results by analyzing the complex image data rather than just the real magnitude image data? Does wavelet shrinkage smoothing improve images? Should one smooth in time as well as within and between slices? If so, how should one model the relationship between time smoothness (or correlations) and spatial smoothness (or correlations). The measured data is really the Fourier coefficients of the complex image---should we remove noise in the Fourier domain before computing the complex images? In this preliminary study we describe some experiments related to these questions.
ANTIVIRAL SUBSTANCES FROM CALIFORNIA MARINE ALGAE1

Extracts of 28 species of marine macroscopic algae collected from various coastal habitats of northern California were examined for antiviral activity against a broad spectrum of mammalian viruses. Ten members of Rhodophyta contained substance(s) which caused greater than a 2 log reduction in the infectivity of herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2. In addition, anti-Coxsackie Bs virus activity was detected in extracts of Constantinea simplex Setchell. The physical and chemical properties of the substance in extracts of Farlowia mollis (Harvey and Bailey) Farlow and Setchell and C. simplex indicated the active agent was a structural polysaccharide.
The TRTGn Motif Stabilizes the Transcription Initiation Open Complex

The effect on transcription initiation by the extended -10 motif (5'-TRTG(n)-3'), positioned upstream of the -10 region, was investigated using a series of base substitution mutations in the alpha-amylase promoter (amyP). The extended -10 motif, previously referred to as the -16 region, is found frequently in Gram-positive bacterial promoters and several extended -10 promoters from Escherichia coli. The inhibitory effects of the non-productive promoter site (amyP2), which overlaps the upstream region of amyP, were eliminated by mutagenesis of the -35 region and the TRTG motif of amyP2. Removal by mutagenesis of the competitive effects of amyP2 resulted in a reduced dependence of amyP on the TRTG motif. In the absence of the second promoter, mutations in the TRTG motif of amyP destabilized the open complex and prevented the maintenance of open complexes at low temperatures. The open complex half-life was up to 26-fold shorter in the mutant TRTG motif promoters than in the wild-type promoter. We demonstrate that the amyP TRTG motif dramatically stabilizes the open complex intermediate during transcription initiation. Even though the open complex is less stable in the mutant promoters, the region of melted DNA is the same in the wild-type and mutant promoters. However, upon addition of the first three nucleotides, which trap RNAP (RNA polymerase) in a stable initiating complex, the melted DNA region contracts at the 5'-end in a TRTG motif promoter mutant but not at the wild-type promoter, indicating that the motif contributes to maintaining DNA-strand separation.
Experimental probes of localized gravity: On and off the wall

The phenomenology of the Randall-Sundrum model of localized gravity is analyzed in detail for the two scenarios where the Standard Model (SM) gauge and matte fields are either confined to a TeV scale 3-brane or may propagate in a slice of five dimensional anti-deSitter space. In the latter instance, the authors derive the interactions of the graviton, gauge, and fermion Kaluza-Klein (KK) states. The resulting phenomenological signatures are shown to be highly dependent on the value of the 5-dimensional fermion mass and differ substantially from the case where the SM fields lie on the TeV-brane. In both scenarios, they examine the collider signatures for direct production of the graviton and gauge KK towers as well as their induced contributions to precision electroweak observables. These direct and indirect signatures are found to play a complementary role in the exploration of the model parameter space. In the case where the SM field content resides on the TeV-brane, they show that the LHC can probe the full parameter space and hence will either discover or exclude this model if the scale of electroweak physics on the 3-brane is less than 10 TeV. They also show that spontaneous electroweak symmetry breaking of the SMmore » must take place on the TeV-brane.« less
Optimization of the enzymatic hydrolysis and analysis of plasma conjugated gamma-CEHC and sulfated long-chain carboxychromanols, metabolites of vitamin E.

Natural forms of vitamin E are metabolized by ω-hydroxylation and β-oxidation of the hydrophobic side chain to generate urinary-excreted 2-(β-carboxyethyl)-6-hydroxychroman (CEHC) and CEHC conjugates (sulfate, glucuronide or glucoside). We have recently shown that sulfated long-chain carboxychromanols, the conjugated intermediate β-oxidation products, are formed from tocopherols and tocotrienols in human cells and in rats. CEHC conjugates have been quantified after being converted to its un-conjugated counterpart by sulfatase/glucuronidase. Although the enzymatic hydrolysis is critical for appropriate quantification of conjugated CEHC, it is not clear whether brief incubation of the plasma with sulfatases/glucuronidases results in complete de-conjugation of conjugated CEHC. Here we show that quantitative hydrolysis of the conjugated vitamin E metabolites in the plasma requires an extraction procedure using methanol/hexane (2ml/5mL) and an overnight sulfatase/glucuronidase hydrolysis. Using this procedure, we demonstrate that conjugated γ-CEHC and some sulfated long-chain carboxychromanols are fully deconjugated. In contrast, direct enzymatic hydrolysis of the whole plasma underestimates the conjugated metabolites by, at least, three fold. This protocol may be useful for the analysis of other conjugated phenolic compounds in complicated biological matrixes like plasma.
Numerical simulations of flux-line lattices in layered superconductors

Abstract A model of the effective interaction between the magnetic flux-lines in a layered superconductor is derived from the Lawrence–Doniach model. We show analytically that the intralayer interaction energy can be evaluated using the Ewald summation technique. To illustrate the usefulness of the simulation technique, the isothermal shear modulus c 66 of flux-line lattices with various values of the interlayer coupling strength was obtained with a Langevin dynamics simulation.
The superoperonal organization of genes for pigment biosynthesis and reaction center proteins is a conserved feature in Rhodobacter capsulatus: analysis of overlapping bchB and puhA transcripts.

Most of the essential biosynthetic and structural genes involved in bacterial photosynthesis are clustered in a 46 kb region of the Rhodobacter capsulatus genome. Previous analyses have demonstrated that the puf operon, which encodes light harvesting and reaction center structural genes as well as a regulatory gene for bacteriochlorophyll biosynthesis, is expressed from a complex set of overlapping transcripts. Differential initiation and processing of these transcripts is thought to be involved in regulating expression of puf-encoded genes. In this study we demonstrate that the puh operon, which is located 39 kb away from the puf operon, also contains overlapping transcripts. One large 11 kb puhA transcript is shown to be a product of read-through from an upstream operon (bchB) which encodes numerous bacteriochlorophyll biosynthesis genes. A second 1.1 kb mRNA is shown to be derived from the 11 kb bchB transcript by processing and a third, highly expressed, 0.95 kb transcript is shown to be initiated from a promoter located within the distal gene of the bchB operon. The occurrence of overlapping transcripts for the puf and puh operons was further shown to influence development of the photochemical apparatus during conditions of environmental shifts in oxygen tension. Evidence for the occurrence of a “superoperonal” organization of overlapping operons in several different species of purple photosynthetic bacteria is discussed.
Source characterization of ambient fine particles at multiple sites in the Seattle area

Abstract To identify major PM2.5 (particulate matter ≤2.5 μm in aerodynamic diameter) sources with a particular emphasis on the ship engine emissions from a major port, integrated 24 h PM2.5 speciation data collected between 2000 and 2005 at five United State Environmental Protection Agency's Speciation Trends Network monitoring sites in Seattle, WA were analyzed. Seven to ten PM2.5 sources were identified through the application of positive matrix factorization (PMF). Secondary particles (12–26% for secondary nitrate; 17–20% for secondary sulfate) and gasoline vehicle emissions (13–31%) made the largest contributions to the PM2.5 mass concentrations at all of the monitoring sites except for the residential Lake Forest site, where wood smoke contributed the most PM2.5 mass (31%). Other identified sources include diesel vehicle emissions, airborne soil, residual oil combustion, sea salt, aged sea salt, metal processing, and cement kiln. Residual oil combustion sources identified at multiple monitoring sites point clearly to the Port of Seattle suggesting ship emissions as the source of oil combustion particles. In addition, the relationship between sulfate concentrations and the oil combustion emissions indicated contributions of ship emissions to the local sulfate concentrations. The analysis of spatial variability of PM2.5 sources shows that the spatial distributions of several PM2.5 sources were heterogeneous within a given air shed.
Molecular cytometry: analysis of proteins in single cells

Molecular cytometry refers to ultrasensitive analysis tools that are used to separate and identify entire classes of molecules in single cells. Recently, we described two molecular cytometry methods to analyze proteins at the single cell level. The first one was based on capillary gel electrophoresis with sheath-flow cuvette laser-induced fluorescence (LIF). A vacuum pulse was employed to introduce a single HT29 human colon cancer cell into the capillary. Once the cell was lysed, proteins were denatured with SDS, labeled with 3-(2-furoyl)-quinoline-2-carboxaldehyde (FQ), and then separated according to their size by using pullulan as the sieving matrix. The second one was based on submicellar capillary electrophoresis with sheath-flow cuvette LIF. Once a single cell was introduced and lysed, the cellular proteins were labeled with FQ and then separated in a submicellar buffer. This method has been applied to analysis of proteins in a single HT29 human cancer cell as well as single-cell stage Caenorhabditis elegans embryo.
The genetic basis of pear-shaped tomato fruit

Molecular-marker analysis of a cross between yellow pear, a tomato variety bearing small, pear-shaped fruit, and the round-fruited, wild species, Lycopersicon pimpinellifolium LA1589, revealed that pear-shaped fruit is determined largely by a major QTL on chromosome 2 and, to a lesser extent, a minor QTL on chromosome 10. The locus on chromosome 2 was also detected in a cross between yellow pear and the round-fruited introgression line (IL2–5) which carried the distal portion of chromosome 2 from the Lycopersicon pennellii genome. Based on its map position, we propose that the locus detected on chromosome 2 is the same as a locus referred to as ovate in the early tomato literature (Linstrom 1926, 1927). The fruit-shape index (length/diameter) and neck constriction were highly correlated in both populations suggesting that ovate exerts control over both traits or that the genes for these traits are tightly linked on chromosome 2. Using two-way ANOVA test, the minor QTL on chromosome 10 showed no significant interaction with the ovate locus on chromosome 2 with respect to the fruit-shape index. For ovate round fruit was dominant to elongated fruit in the L. pimpinellifolium populations, but additive in the IL2–5 population. Thus far, no genes controlling fruit shape have been cloned. The molecular mapping of the ovate locus may ultimately lead to its isolation via map-based cloning.
A Critique of the Metaphysics of Ontological Poesis : Responding to Theology and the Political

AbstractA common set of metaphysical assumptions inform the theological proposals of many contributors to Theology and the Political: The New Debate. Those assumptions are orientated toward grounding the possibility of genuine ontological creativity (poesis) in a particular construal of nature's mediation of the supernatural. Applying the claims of Bernard Lonergan's early work on grace and freedom to those assumptions, the argument is made that this position repeats the most fundamental flaws of the Banezian position in the de Auxiliis controversy: namely, a basic confusion of form with act, which gives rise to the misguided assumption that a "third" (i.e., physical premotion, causal influx, sophia) must be posited to mediate divine grace to the world and within it. It is argued that this confusion reveals that a competitive understanding of the God/world relation is presumed in this proposal, which itself is the result of a failure to affirm the absolute and immediate dependence implied by the doctrine ...
Finding “Me” Again: Women's Postdivorce Identity Shifts

The purpose of this study was to explore women's identity shifts as they navigate their postdivorce lives. We conducted in-depth, loosely structured interviews with 31 women who had been through at least 1 divorce. Interviews included questions about how women experienced life after divorce, specifically addressing changes they made to separate from the marriage and form a postdivorce identity. Patterns emerged regarding the process of identity change in 3 distinct domains: physical appearance, physical surroundings, and marital artifacts. Results are discussed in terms of the interplay between internal and external changes and the retrospective nature of the identity shifts.
Two-dimensional nanolithography using atom interferometry

We propose a scheme for the lithography of arbitrary, two-dimensional nanostructures via matter-wave interference. The required quantum control is provided by a p /2- p-p / 2 atom interferometer with an integrated atom lens system. The lens system is developed such that it allows simultaneous control over the atomic wave-packet spatial extent, trajectory, and phase signature. We demonstrate arbitrary pattern formations with two-dimensional 87 Rb wave packets through numerical simulations of the scheme in a practical parameter space. Prospects for experimental realizations of the lithography scheme are also discussed.
A “Civilizing” Industry: Leo Dolan, Canadian Tourism Promotion, and the Celebration of Mass Culture

Scholarship examining public pronouncements on “mass culture” in Canada during the post-World War Two period has focused overwhelmingly on the pessimistic voices of the cultural critics who feared mass culture's deleterious effects upon national identity, democracy, and intellectual freedom. A more accurate understanding of the extent to which mass culture was contested terrain in post-war Canada requires an analysis of the optimistic pronouncements offered by business leaders and government officials. This article examines the rhetoric of Canada's leading post-war tourism promoter, Leo Dolan, and highlights the extent to which he viewed mass culture as a positive force that could achieve many of the same ends that the cultural critics endorsed. While cultural critics saw mass culture as a barrier to progress, Leo Dolan and other tourism promoters in North America championed tourism as an element of mass culture that would facilitate international understanding, strengthen national unity, and contribute t...
STI571 (Gleevec) improves tumor growth delay and survival in irradiated mouse models of glioblastoma.

Purpose: Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a devastating brain neoplasm that is essentially incurable. Although radiation therapy prolongs survival, GBMs progress within areas of irradiation. Recent studies in invertebrates have shown that STI571 (Gleevec; Novartis, East Hanover, NJ) enhances the cytotoxicity of ionizing radiation. In the present study, the effectiveness of STI571 in combination with radiation was studied in mouse models of GBM. Methods and Materials: Murine GL261 and human D54 GBM cell lines formed tumors in brains and hind limbs of C57BL6 and nude mice, respectively. GL261 and D54 cells were treated with 5 μmol/L of STI571 for 1 h and/or irradiated with 3 Gy. Protein was analyzed by Western immunoblots probed with antibodies to caspase 3, cleaved caspase 3, phospho-Akt, Akt, and platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR) α and β. Tumor volumes were assessed in mice bearing GL261 or D54 tumors treated with 21 Gy administered in seven fractionated doses. Histologic sections from STI571-treated mice were stained with phospho-Akt and phospho-PDGFR β antibodies. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were used to study the response of mice bearing intracranial implants of GL261. Results: STI571 penetrated the blood–brain barrier, which resulted in a reduction in phospho-PDGFR in GBM. STI571-induced apoptosis in GBM was significantly enhanced by irradiation. STI571 combined with irradiation induced caspase 3 cleavage in GBM cells. Glioblastoma multiforme response to therapy correlated with an increase in tumor growth delay and survival when STI571 was administered in conjunction with daily irradiation. Conclusion: These findings suggest that STI571 has the potential to augment radiotherapy and thereby improve median survival.
Tetrazole-catalyzed synthesis of phosphonamidate esters

Abstract 1H-Tetrazole selectively catalyzed sequential monoaddition of alcohol and amine to phosphonic dichlorides and provided phosphonamidate esters under mild conditions.
Opportunity theory and agricultural crime victimization

Abstract A growing body of research lends support to opportunity theory and its variants, but has yet to focus systematically on a number of specific offenses and contexts. Typically, the more crimes and contexts to which a theory applies, the broader its scope and range, respectively, and thus generalizability. In this paper, we focus on agricultural crime victimization— including theft of farm equipment, crops, livestock, and chemicals—an offense that opportunity theory appears well-situated to explain. Specifically, we examine whether key dimensions of the theory are empirically associated with the likelihood of victimization and also examine factors associated with farmers' use of guardianship measures. In contrast to much previous research, we combine multiple individual-level measures of these dimensions. We conclude that the theory partially accounts for variation in agricultural crime victimization, depending on the type of crime, and that greater work is needed investigating how key dimensions of opportunity theory should be conceptualized and operationalized in rural contexts. The study's implications for theory and practice are discussed.
Finite-element analysis of left ventricular myocardial stresses.

A versatile method of finite-element analysis is presented for the determination of the stress distributions in the left ventricular myocardial wall. The instantaneous shapes of the left ventricular myocardial wall, measured at 0,5 mm intervals and at a rate 0f 60 images/sec during a cardiac cycle, are approximated by axisymmetric shells following the approach of Gould et al. and analysed by the method of incremental loadings to account for the changing transmural pressure. The ventricular wall is mathematically divided up into coaxial rings of triagular cross sections so that determination of the stresses at any point within the wall can be achieved by assigning increased number of nodes across the wall thickness in the regions of the left ventricular wall where particular attention is needed. Appropriate boundary conditions are defined at the base of the left ventricle so that it can be treated as a shell with an open end. The computer program, which implements all the stress calculations involved, depends on the dimensions of the left ventricular wall measured from an operator-interactive roengen videometry system. It carries out the sequential formation of the nodes and elements and includes a CALCOMP subroutine to plot the finite-element partitioning of the instantaneous shape. Illustrative results of the end-diastolic stress distributions within the myocardial wall of a metabolically-supported, isolated, working canine left ventricle are given. This technique predicts higher endocardial meridional and hoop wall stresses relative to the stresses in the middle and epicardial region than those obtained with previous models.
Kramers-Kronig Dispersion-Analysis Method for Treating Infrared Transmittance Data

Published Kramers–Kronig dispersion-analysis methods have been evaluated and a new technique has been developed for determining the optical indices from transmittance data obtained from thin films supported by a transparent substrate. To solve the problem of the treatment of the phase-shift integral in the observed wings, a previously suggested mean-value-theorem method has been adopted. The unique feature of the new method is the reduction of systematic errors introduced by using the k = 0 approximation. These errors are reduced by the use of a Cauchy relation to generate acceptable k values in the observed wings.
Responses in the avian midbrain, thalamus and forebrain evoked by click stimuli.

Abstract Electrophysiological studies of the brain potentials of urethane-anesthetized chickens revealed regions in midbrain, 'tween brain and forebrain that responded to clicks. Response latencies ranged from 2–6 msec in the lateral lemniscus and the region of nucleus isthmi, pars principalis, to 2–10 msec in nucleus mesencephalicus lateralis, pars dorsalis. In the thalamus shortest latencies were found in the vicinity of tractus nucleus ovoidalis (4–12 msec), those in nucleus ovoidalis (10–12 msec) were intermediate, and those in the dorsal nuclear complex (10–16 msec) exhibited longest delays. Nucleus rotundus was not activated by clicks. In the paleostriatum latencies were 9–10 msec, in caudal neostriatum 11–32 msec, and 5.5 msec or more in the frontal neostriatum.