cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Measurement of water–amide proton exchange rates in the denatured state of staphylococcal nuclease by a magnetization transfer technique

The rates of hydrogen exchange were measured in a "physiological" denatured state of staphylococcal nuclease using a NMR magnetization transfer experiment suitable for the measurement of exchange rates faster than 0.5 s-1. The results are compared with predicted exchange rates (kex) for the random coil state (Bai et al., Proteins 17:75-86, 1993). No protection factors (= predicted rate/measured rate) larger than 2.4 were observed, consistent with other NMR data which strongly suggest only small amounts of residual secondary structure in this denatured state. Systematically low protection factors (0.51 +/- 0.23) were found for Asp and Glu residues, while high protection factors were observed for Gly (1.60 +/- 0.60). We conclude that the predicted exchange rates (kex) may have an uncertainty of 2- to 3-fold. Thus, for denatured proteins only protection factors with a value of 5 or larger can be assigned structural significance. These results also demonstrate that multidimensional magnetization transfer NMR techniques are powerful tools in this research field due to its ability to measure rapidly exchanging protons (> 05 s-1) with high accuracy.
Interpenetrating polymer networks, the state of the art

Interpenetrating polymer networks are combinations of two crosslinked polymers. Often, they exhibit dual phase continuity, meaning that both phases extend continuously throughout the sample. Recent research on IPNs has shown that both nucleation and spinodal decomposition mechanisms are important in the kinetics of phase separation. If the polymers are almost miscible, a microheterogeneous morphology will develop. Under these conditions, the glass transition of the IPN may be very broad, extending the range between the glass transition of the two homopolymers. Such materials are useful for sound and vibration damping. The loss and storage modulus, and tan δ behavior of polymers and IPNs in the glass transition region were evaluated on a quantitative basis, in order to characterize their damping behavior better. Corrections for background in dynamic mechanical spectroscopy studies will be discussed. The storage modulus of polystyrene at 25°C was selected as a standard. The development of a group contribution analysis of the integral area under the linear loss modulus-temperature curves, the loss area, LA, is reviewed, and applied to a number of acrylic, styrenic, and vinyl statistical copolymers and IPNs. Each moiety in a polymer is shown to contribute to LA on a simple, additive basis. New research emphasizes the role of morphology and phase continuity in determining LA. The system cross-poly(vinyl methyl ether)-inter-cross-polystyrene was selected, because its phase diagram in the blend state is well known, and it has become both a model and interesting system to investigate. Midrange IPN compositions exist as two phases at room temperature, as illustrated by dynamic mechanical spectroscopy.
Domestic Waste Inputs of Nitrogen and Phosphorus to Onondaga Lake, and Water Quality Implications

ABSTRACT The recent history of loading of total phosphorus (TP) and nitrogen (N) species to Onondaga Lake, NY, from an adjoining domestic waste treatment facility (METRO), and related impacts on die lake, are documented. The discharge from METRO represents an extraordinary contribution to the inflow of the lake; e.g., in most years it is the largest source of water during the month of August. Approximately a 20-fold reduction in effluent TP concentration has been achieved by METRO over die 1970–1993 period, in response to a detergent ban and increased levels of treatment. The TP loading from the facility decreased about 5-fold over the 1977–1992 interval. A significant level of nitrification has been achieved during die warmer mondis since the late 1980s, but this has been attended by increased effluent concentrations of nitrite (NO− 2). METRO presently contributes approximately 60, 90, and 80% of the total external loads of TP, ammonia, and total N, respectively. The extremely high prevailing external to...
MULTI-MODE ERROR FIELD CORRECTION ON THE DIII-D TOKAMAK

Error field optimization on DIII-D tokamak (Luxon J.L. 2002 Nucl. Fusion 42 814) plasma discharges has routinely been done for the last ten years with the use of the external `n = 1 coil' or the `C-coil'. The optimum level of correction coil current is determined by the ability to avoid the locked mode instability and access previously unstable parameter space at low densities. The locked mode typically has toroidal and poloidal mode numbers n = 1 and m = 2, respectively, and it is this component that initially determined the correction coil current and phase. Realization of the importance of nearby n = 1 mode components m = 1 and m = 3 has led to a revision of the error field correction algorithm. Viscous and toroidal mode coupling effects suggested the need for additional terms in the expression for the radial `penetration' field Bpen that can induce a locked mode. To incorporate these effects, the low density locked mode threshold database was expanded. A database of discharges at various toroidal fields, plasma currents, and safety factors was supplemented with data from an experiment in which the fields of the n = 1 coil and C-coil were combined, allowing the poloidal mode spectrum of the error field to be varied. Using this technique to optimize the error field reveals a new and clear low density limit determined by the onset of runaway electrons, not locked modes. A multi-variate regression analysis of this new low density locked mode database was done to determine the low density locked mode threshold scaling relationship ne∝BT−0.01q95−0.79Bpen and the coefficients of the poloidal mode components in the expression for Bpen. Improved plasma performance is achieved by optimizing Bpen by varying the applied correction coil currents.
INTESTINAL CHANGES IN PROTEIN-DEFICIENT RATS.

Abstract Young male rats fed ad libitum with a protein-free diet developed intestinal atrophy resembling that described in human or experimental kwashiorkor. The intestinal mucosa changes were studied with dissecting, light, and electron microscopy. The earliest pathological changes could be recognized by dissecting and light microscopy, but no ultrastructural changes were present at this stage. Intestinal mucosae with advanced pathological alterations showed ultrastructural abnormalities. These changes were more prominent in the jejunum than in the ileum. Atrophy of the Paneth cells and goblet cells was observed throughout the intestine. The ultrastructural changes of the epithelial cells of the jejunum were a decrease in number and length of the microvilli, thinness of the terminal web, narrowness of the subcuticular zone, swelling of mitochondria, decrease in number of the complex bodies (possible lysosomes), less prominent endoplasmic reticulum (in absorptive cells), and fewer RNA granules.
Situación actual de la prevención hormonal de la enfermedad coronaria en la menopausia

The increased incidence and prevalence of coronary heart disease among older women, coupled with the less favorable prognosis for women who sustain coronary events than for men, has resulted in the medical community’s attention to the potential beneficial effects of hormone therapy in menopausal women. Much biological evidence supports a protective mechanism of estrogen; nevertheless, some aspects are contradictory. Although observational studies have shown a clear cardiovascular benefit associated with hormone therapy, the significant skew inherent in these data has resulted in overestimation of benefits and underestimation of risks. Recent reanalysis of these observational data controlling for confounding variables failed to show cardiovascular benefit. Several randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies have failed to show improvement in clinical cardiovascular outcomes with menopausal hormone therapy both in healthy women and in women with established coronary heart disease. Current research has also focused on pharmacologic agents that selectively modulate estrogen receptors, such as raloxifene, which are useful for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis without increasing the risk of breast cancer. A clinical trial is now underway to evaluate the effects of raloxifene on coronary events and on the incidence of invasive breast cancer in menopausal women both with established coronary heart disease and at increased risk for coronary events. Current recommendations do not advocate the initiation of menopausal hormone therapy for the primary or secondary prevention of coronary events. The proven lifestyle interventions of smoking cessation, heart healthy diet, weight control, and physical activity should be undertaken, with statin use for control of elevated LDL cholesterol levels and pharmacologic blood pressure control when appropriate.
Absence of substantial bending in Xenopus laevis transcription factor IIIA-DNA complexes

The extent and location of DNA-bending induced in the Xenopus laevis transcription factor IIIA-oocyte 5S RNA gene complex was determined by the gel retardation method. The electrophoretic mobilities of TFIIIA complexed with restriction fragments of 160, 177, 282 and 300 bp that contain the sequence of the major oocyte 5S RNA gene were compared. In these fragments the 120-bp gene is positioned either in the middle or at the end. Minor differences in the mobility of the complexes indicate that the degree of DNA bending is only slight. To determine the bending angle more precisely, a bending vector system, pBend3, was used to examine the complex of TFIIIA with the internal control region (ICR) of the 5S RNA gene. A 61-bp synthetic duplex corresponding to the ICR sequence was cloned into pBend3. Duplicated circular permuted restriction sites allow several 186-bp fragments to be generated in which the position of the ICR can be varied. Gel retardation of TFIIIA-DNA complexes with the ICR sequence contained in pBend3 indicates a bending angle of only 30 degrees and shows that interaction in the ICR could account for all of the bending found in the complete oocyte 5S RNA gene.
Pathways to Understand Help-Seeking Behaviors Among Haitians

The earthquake in Haiti led to an outpouring of outreach from groups of the Haitian international community as well as to residents of the island. Thus, an understanding of the help-seeking behavior patterns of this group is necessary to make meaning of their receptivity of assistance in a time of need. This paper summarizes help-seeking behavior patterns of 150 Haitian immigrants residing in the US. The results indicate that, overall, this sample was more likely to go to their family for assistance, regardless of the nature of the problem. In contrast, they were least likely to go to professionals for help, even when in need of emotional assistance. Given the increased rate of Haitians living outside of Haiti and around the world, a more comprehensive understanding of their mental health needs, coping patterns, and barriers to seeking help from mental health professionals is warranted.
Perspectives on Rural and Urban Music Teaching: Developing Contextual Awareness in Music Education

This constructivist research aimed to learn key stakeholders' perspectives on the role of music programs and teachers in rural and urban school districts. Nine participants, including music teacher...
Comparisons of Two-Fluid Plasma Models

Advanced physics fluid models of plasmas are explored. Euler equations are used to model ion and electron fluids, while Maxwellpsilas equations are used to model the electric and magnetic fields. This constitutes the ideal two-fluid plasma model. Asymptotic approximations are applied to the ideal two-fluid plasma model to obtain Hall-magnetohydrodynamics (Hall-MHD). The two-fluid plasma model is compared to Hall-MHD to study the physics that is lost by applying the approximations in addition to comparing the simplicity of implementation of the models. The two models are compared for their abilities to capture two-fluid effects for applications of magnetic reconnection and the axisymmetric Z-pinch. It is observed that both models are able to capture two-fluid effects but Hall-MHD requires greater computational effort compared to the two-fluid model.
The Difficulties of a Minority Researcher in Minority Communities

A minority researcher is not immune to various problems in approaching minority communities. This paper examines some of the problems encountered by a Japanese researcher in Japanese communities and in Mennonite communities in California and Ontario, Canada. Emphasis is placed on the fluctuation of social distance between the minority researcher and the community in the course of research. This fluctuation is partially due to the status of the researcher as insider or outsider in relationship to the community.
CONNECTS communities: making connections for success

The CONNECTS communities consist of first generation, high ability, low socio-economic students. CONNECTS has two primary concerns: 1) providing financial support and 2) creating a community of scholars to help in the transition to college and the commitment to academic excellence. The program consists of several components that are designed to address these concerns: 1) financial support - a scholarship is provided for those students who have high financial need. Other considerations of scholarship awards are: first generation, math SAT, parents educational attainment, location of high school, and size of graduating class, 2) community - students attend mandatory weekly discussions facilitated by faculty mentors. Discussion topics address the social need and impact of engineering; globalization; and personal development and learning. These discussions allow students to better understand who they are, form connection to an engineering career; and form an academic community. Research, literature and behavior profiles are utilized during seminars to further explore these topics. Future plans include clustering students in the same residence hall and course learning community (LC). These LC clustered students are in the same science, mathematics, and engineering courses. In addition, students will attend the same Fish Camp and the Engineering Welcome and participate in mentoring activities with upper division peers and/or industry engineers. In the pilot year of the program 39 students participated. All the students were Pell grant eligible and sixty percent were also first generation college students. The first semester retention rate of these students was 87.2%, while the college-wide retention rate for first semester students is 75%. The average CPA for CONNECTS participants was 2.8 while the average for all first year students in the College of Engineering is 2.54. In this paper, we will present this model program's components and plans for the future.
Assessment of flicker impact of fluctuating loads prior to connection

With the acceptance of IEEE Std. 1453, many utility companies in North America are facing problems in applying the recommended concepts. These problems center around difficulties in predicting flicker produced by specific customers or loads before they are connected. The discussions in this paper are intended to serve as an overview of some of the methods that are commonly used, mostly outside North America, to perform pre-connection flicker assessments of fluctuating loads.
Transient profiles in ion-exchange displacement chromatography

A theoretical and experimental study of displacement development in cation-exchange displacement chromatography is carried out. Simulated displacement chromatograms are generated using a numericl model of displacement chromatography, which employs the steric mass action (SMA) formalism to describe the multicomponent nonlinear adsorption of proteins and polyelectrolytes. Simulated profiles of transient displacement chromatography are compared with experimentla displacement over a ranve of operating conditions, and the model accurately predicts transient displacement behaviour. The success of the model indicates that the SMA formalism is an appropriate tool for prechromatograms indicate that significantly higher throughputs can be achieved by operating these protein displacement systems under nondeveloped conditions. In addition, displacement development proceeds faster at lower salt concentration, indicating that a reduction of the displacement systems. This work sets the stage for the optimization of protien displacement chromatography.
Recursivity in Legal Change: Lawyers and Reforms of China's Criminal Procedure Law

This article employs a new framework for legal change, the recursivity of law, to explain why China's criminal procedure law has cycled through numerous reforms between 1979 and 2008 without improving the conditions of lawyers' criminal defense work. The authors argue that Chinese lawyers' difficulties in criminal defense have deep roots in the recursive nature of the criminal procedure reforms. In particular, those difficulties were produced by interactions of the four mechanisms of recursivity (indeterminacy of law, contradictions, diagnostic struggles, and actor mismatch) in both lawmaking and implementation. The empirical analysis shows that these mechanisms are linked in pairs and in sequence. This logic of change offers an integrated interdisciplinary approach to the enactment and implementation of law in other times, places, and areas of law.
Transgenic Rabbit Model for Human Troponin I–Based Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Background— Transgenic and gene-targeted models have focused on the mouse. Fundamental differences between the mouse and human exist in Ca2+ handling during contraction/relaxation and in alterations in Ca2+ flux during heart failure, with the rabbit more accurately reflecting the human system. Methods and Results— Cardiac troponin I (cTnI) mutations can cause familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. An inhibitory domain mutation, arginine146→glycine (cTnI146Gly), was modeled with the use of transgenic expression in the rabbit ventricle. cTnI146Gly levels >40% of total cTnI were perinatally lethal, whereas replacement levels of 15% to 25% were well tolerated. cTnI146Gly expression led to a leftward shift in the force-pCa2+ curves with cardiomyocyte disarray, fibrosis, and altered connexin43 organization. In isolated cTnI146Gly myocytes, twitch relaxation amplitudes were smaller than in normal cells, but [Ca]i transients and sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ load were not different. Detrended fluctuation analysis of...
Prosthetics in the developing world: a review of the literature

Introduction Publications about prosthetics in the developing world reflect the multiple concerns of health care providers working in those countries. Following a RECAL search of related literature from 1961 to 1994, over 130 publications were collected and reviewed. Although each geographical region, country, province or city poses unique challenges, there is much overlap in the literature and most of these publications may be grouped into the following general categories:
Polarization-Induced Atomic Reconfigurations of Glycine on a Metal Surface

The atomic reconfigurations of the simplest amino acid, glycine, at a realistic metal surface including a step and real surface charge are calculated. A boundary-element method for determining the polarization-induced binding of molecules to surfaces in the presence of a dielectric is coupled to quantum-chemical calculations of the gas-phase molecule. Enthalpies and potentially derived fractional charges are determined using 6-31G** basis functions and MP2 level of theory for 216 different configurations of glycine. A parameterized model captures the quantum results as a function of bond lengths, angles, and dihedrals (average deviation of <1 kcal/mol). The molecule interacts with a discretized substrate, a face-centered cubic metal slab. The slab is treated as an explicit region of lattice atoms which may includerealcharge, requiring the boundary conditions and hence the formalism of R. J. Zauhar and R. S. Morgan [J. Mol. Biol.186,815 (1985)] to be modified. The results indicate that anionic glycine is bound to a Cu 〈100〉 surface by ∼1.6 eV in the presence of a step of atomic dimensions in a geometric configuration in agreement with the experiments of K. Uvdal, P. Bodo, A. Ihs, B. Liedberg, and W. R. Salaneck [J. Colloid Interface Sci.140,207 (1990)]. Neutral glycine and zwitterionic glycine are found to be oriented with their N ends toward a neutral surface in agreement with experiment. These molecules are furthermore found to undergo a critical phenomenon: Their molecular orientation “flips” by 180° with the introduction of a small,criticalmagnitude of real surface charge.
Flow Field and Acoustic Measurements of Rectangular Supersonic Jets

Acoustic and flow measurements from nozzles representative of modern military aircraft jet engines are scarce, due to the expense of making measurements with the full scale engines and the uncertainty in the accuracy of model scale measurements. The present study focuses on Pitot probe and acoustic measurements from jets issuing from a rectangular nozzle designed as a scaled model of a F-22 aircraft engine exhaust nozzle. Refined flow field measurements in supersonic under-, over- and fully expanded cold jets were performed with a Pitot probe and quantities such as the local Mach number and velocities were extracted. The presence of axis switching was observed from these, as well as the influence of the presence of shocks on the distance at which the switching occurs. Acoustic measurements in cold and heat-simulated jets issuing from the same nozzle were performed and showed a modest reduction in the measured sound levels for the rectangular jet. Addition of paddles similar to the thrust vectors from the real aircraft show additional reduction of the propagated sound levels.
Fuzzy game theory and Internet commerce: e-strategy and metarationality

Many decisions by humans, businesses, and automated agents in Internet transactions can be modeled in traditional game-theoretic terms. Examples include B-to-B price negotiations, B-to-C competition for customers, and C-to-C online auctions. When multiple viewpoints, uncertainty, and interval values are considered, these game theory situations become examples of fuzzy games. In addition, the payoff values weighed during a strategy or e-competition are often not exclusively monetary. Web site visitors have budgets of time, attention, and patience that also have a generalized utility value. Uniquely Internet factors frequently become paramount, such as visual aesthetics, sensory-motor interactivity, and social interplay, as well as affective, habit-based, and loss-prospect-avoidance determiners of their competitive and strategic e-consumer behaviors. These weighed tradeoffs that determine user persistence and Web business success are quite unlike the traditional rational summations in games. A fuzzy game-theoretic approach is explored here that begins to deal with some of the above e-commerce peculiarities.
Twice-Exceptional Learners: Effects of Teacher Preparation and Disability Labels on Gifted Referrals

The goal of this mixed methods study was to explore differences among teachers (n = 52 special education teachers, n = 195 general education teachers, and n = 30 gifted education teachers) on their perceptions of students with disabilities and their willingness to refer them to a gifted and talented program. In this follow-up to an earlier work, data reveal that teachers’ decisions for referral are significantly influenced by their teaching credentials and by the presence or absence of a disability label. When compared to teachers of gifted students and general education teachers, special education teachers are least likely to refer students to a gifted program, with disabilities and without. Results further indicate that all teachers are much less willing to refer students with disability labels to gifted programs than identically described students with no disability labels.
John Virgo and the Best Undergraduate Paper Competition

In the aftermath of Dr. John Virgo’s unfortunate and untimely death, many of us who knew him have paused to reflect on the many contributions he has made to economics. Most people probably know of his work founding the International Atlantic Economic Society, the first and most significant organization to bring economists together from both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. In so doing, he was hugely successful, as the society has had significant participation every year since its founding in 1973. With two annual conferences, one on each side of the Atlantic, and with two refereed publications, he more than accomplished his goal of “increasing global communication among economists across continents.”What most people don’t know, however, is the impact that John had on a generation of much younger and, we hope, future economists. It all started in an IAES executive committee meeting during the fall of 2004 when we were discussing things we could do to make the economics profession attractive to undergraduate students. After some debate, there was agreement that a competition featuring undergraduate authored papers would be possible, but there were several major obstacles that had to be overcome. First, the competition had to feature a decent cash reward to make it attractive to students. So, it was decided that an annual $500 award, along with commemorative plaques to the winner and the runners-up, would be sufficient. While seemingly the most difficult problem, it was also the easiest to solve, as the owner of the www.EconSources.com website offered a modest endowment to the Society to cover the expenses for a period of approximately ten years. It was also decided that the competition would feature a presentation of the very best papers to a panel of judges who would make the overall best undergraduate paper selection. When we talked about the problem of what to do with the winning paper, John Virgo graciously offered to publish it in the Atlantic Economic Journal at no Atl Econ J (2013) 41:343–348 DOI 10.1007/s11293-013-9368-0
Modeling Accounting Processes Using UML: The Drifters Example

This paper includes a comprehensive case that details a simplified business system for the Drifters Snowboard Company. We include a description of the business processes of Drifters relative to the data needs which includes an entity-relationship (ER) dia-gram and a unified modeling language (UML) diagram. Both diagrams are con-structed to compare and contrast each method and to give those that perform modeling tasks a sense of some of the real world issues that are involved. In the past ten years, object-orientation has become viable and important in both the modeling and implementation arenas. Programming languages such as C++ and Java incorporate object-oriented (O-O) features and database management systems (DBMS) such as O2, ObjectStore, Poet, etc. and are advertised as "pure" O-O DBMS. Conversely, some systems such as Oracle, DB2, Sybase, SQL Serve,r etc. have incorporated some O-O features into essentially relational database technology in order to remain competitive. On the modeling dimension, the entity-relationship (E/R) diagramming method with its notable variants has been dominant for more than 20 years. This is probably due to its simplicity and its power to accurately represent the data needs of nearly all applica-tions. In the last 10 years however, O-O modeling has become increasingly popular because it correlates nicely to O-O implementations and because its modeling power is requisite for the greater complexity inherit in contemporary information systems. Re-cently, UML has become the de facto O-O modeling variant, so hence, we illustrate UML in the same case we use ER diagramming. The comparison and contrast is useful to those who are migrating to UML data modeling.
Numerical modeling of self-pressurization and pressure control by a thermodynamic vent system in a cryogenic tank

Abstract This paper presents a numerical model of a system-level test bed—the multipurpose hydrogen test bed (MHTB) using the Generalized Fluid System Simulation Program (GFSSP). MHTB is representative in size and shape of a space transportation vehicle liquid hydrogen propellant tank, and ground-based testing was performed at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) to generate data for cryogenic storage. GFSSP is a finite volume-based network flow analysis software developed at MSFC and used for thermofluid analysis of propulsion systems. GFSSP has been used to model the self-pressurization and ullage pressure control by the Thermodynamic Vent System (TVS). A TVS typically includes a Joule–Thompson (J–T) expansion device, a two-phase heat exchanger (HEX), and a mixing pump and liquid injector to extract thermal energy from the tank without significant loss of liquid propellant. For the MHTB tank, the HEX and liquid injector are combined into a vertical spray bar assembly. Two GFSSP models (Self-Pressurization and TVS) were separately developed and tested and then integrated to simulate the entire system. The Self-Pressurization model consists of multiple ullage nodes, a propellant node, and solid nodes; it computes the heat transfer through multilayer insulation blankets and calculates heat and mass transfer between the ullage and liquid propellant and the ullage and tank wall. A TVS model calculates the flow through a J–T valve, HEX, and spray and vent systems. Two models are integrated by exchanging data through User Subroutines of both models. Results of the integrated models have been compared with MHTB test data at a 50% fill level. Satisfactory comparison was observed between tests and numerical predictions.
Growth and Characterization of PbSe and Pb1-xSnxSe Layers on Si (100)

Crack-free layers of PbSe were grown on Si (100) by a combination of liquid phase epitaxy (LPE) and molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) techniques. The PbSe layer was grown by LPE on Si (100) using a MBE-grown PbSe/BaF2/CaF2 buffer layer structure. Pb1-xSnxSe layers with tin contents in the liquid growth solution equal to 3%, 5%, 6%, 7%, and 10%, respectively, were also grown by LPE on Si (100) substrates using similar buffer layer structures. The LPE-grown PbSe and Pb1-xSnxSe layers were characterized by optical Nomarski microscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Optical Nomarski characterization of the layers revealed their excellent surface morphologies and good growth solution wipe-offs. FTIR transmission experiments showed that the absorption edge of the Pb1-xSnxSe layers shifted to lower energies with increasing tin contents. The PbSe epilayers were also lifted-off from the Si substrate by dissolving the MBE-grown BaF2 buffer layer. SEM micrographs of the cleaved edges revealed that the lifted-off layers formed structures suitable for laser fabrication.
Amphiregulin is an estrogen-responsive gene which predicts recurrence-free survival in patients with estrogen receptor positive breast tumors.

Abstract #3039 Estradiol is a potent growth factor in estrogen receptor positive breast disease. Activated estrogen receptors have been reported to activate many hundreds of genes, yet the key effector genes for breast cancer cell proliferation remain poorly understood. Here, we have focused on one such target gene, Amphiregulin, which encodes a ligand for the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor. We report that Amphiregulin is induced by estrogens and repressed by estrogen receptor antagonists in several breast cancer cell lines (MCF7, ZR75B and T47D), and that it promotes breast epithelial cell proliferation. Using microarray analysis of primary tumors, we find that Amphiregulin and ER-alpha expression are highly positively correlated in human breast cancer cases (n = 295). Additionally, in a cohort of women with ER+ breast tumors (n = 60), high levels of Amphiregulin predicted response to tamoxifen. We further demonstrate that Amphiregulin production can be blocked by inhibiting TACE/ADAM17, a metalloproteinase which regulates the shedding of Amphiregulin from the cell surface. Collectively, these data suggest that Amphiregulin may be a key transcriptional target of estrogen receptor signaling and a marker for Estrogen Receptor positive tumors that are especially dependent on estrogen and, therefore, particularly sensitive to tamoxifen. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(2 Suppl):Abstract nr 3039.
Another examination of authoritarianism and college major.

Stern, Stein, and Bloom (1956) have suggested that individuals exhibiting authoritarian tendencies would demonstrate preference for college majors in non-abstract, practical areas such as engineering, business, and law and non-authoritarian individuals would prefer abstract majors such as the humanities and social sciences. Previous research (Greenberg & Fare, 1959; Martoccia, 1964; Hanson. 1967) has generally supported the hypothesis. To test the hypothesis further, the California F-Scale (Adorno, et d., 1950) was given to 220 males and 198 females enrolled at Tennessee Technological University. Lower division students (freshman and sophomores) and upper division students (juniors and seniors) were categorized according to academic major. Table 1 shows a summary of the number of Ss and the means and standard deviations of the F-Scale scores by major ' and division.
EFFECTS OF MICROBIAL FLORA ON CARDIAC OUTPUT AND OTHER ELEMENTS OF BLOOD CIRCULATION.

SummaryCardiac output in young adult germfree rats was found to be approximately 30% lower than in conventional controls. Concomitantly, signs of mild hemoconcentration were observed in the germfree group, which may be linked to changed water balance in these animals. The reduced work performance of the heart indicated in the germfree group is associated with the absence of a microbial flora.
Abstract 2021: MicroRNA affinity assay

Proceedings: AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010‐‐ Apr 17‐21, 2010; Washington, DC Introduction: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs functioning in gene regulation. In animal cells, miRNAs bind to target sites in the 3’ UTR of mRNAs, causing posttranscriptional repression or degradation of mRNAs. The identification of specific miRNAs to target a 3′UTR of a given gene is essential for studies in gene regulation. However, the sequence software programs conventionally used to predict binding of individual microRNAs to a given mRNA transcript are notoriously unreliable, and specific microRNA-mRNA binding is very difficult to directly affirm using currently available techniques. We have developed a microRNA affinity assay that addresses this need. Methods: We chose a candidate gene that had been extensively studied experimentally for microRNA regulation; it is known that miR-200c and miR-200b can bind to 3′UTR RNA of TCF8 [Hurteau 2007]. Here, a 500bp fragment of the 3′UTR RNA of TCF8 was generated by IVT, and used as a bait sequence to identify miRNAs that bind a mixture of known miRNA composition, and alternately a naturally produced cellular miRNA pool. After separation, miRNA qPCR was used to check recovery rate of miRNA, and cloning and sequencing was used to identify miRNAs. Results: Specific miRNAs from a synthetic mixture miRNAs, miRNA qPCR results displayed excellent recovery rates (151.57% with pipetting error, for miR-200c), 88.88% for the closely related miR-200b, 0.31% for the sequence-unrelated miR-9, 0.67% (miR-10a), 0.1% (miR-20a), 8.78% (miR-34a with some 3′UTR homology), 0.11% (miR-100), 0.16% (miR-140-5p), 0.98% (miR-144), 0.33% (miR-802) and 1.58% (miR-1234). After cloning the captured miRNAs, there were 10 sequences from miR-200c, 7 sequences from miR-200b, and one other sequence in 18 sequenced clones. When separating specific miRNAs from naturally produced NHBE cell miRNA pool, miRNA qPCR results show that their recovery rates are 88.88% (miR-200c), 80% (miR-200b), 0.07% (miR-20a), less than 0.006% (miR-34a) and 0.01% (miR-100). Conclusions: For both simple known and complex unknown microRNA pools, this pull-down strategy is effective in determining microRNA-mRNA binding. In future work, we will use other 3′UTR RNA sequences of candidate genes as bait sequence, for microRNA-related discovery and confirmation. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2021.
Meeting the Criteria of Delighting Customers

Customer delight is an experience, an epiphany, a surprise, something you never experienced before. Those happy moments can be unpredicted moments or the result of a specific strategy.Barry Berman’s study describes the phenomenon with accuracy and in a very comprehensive way. The application can remain vague and probably difficult to describe in an exhaustive way. We will attempt to describe the dynamic and some possibilities for marketing campaigns aiming to overcome the classic “customer satisfaction” approach, verifying the possibility and effectiveness of customer delight as a goal or a method for achieving brand loyalty and not as a random and ultimately unpredictable series of events.
In vitro establishment and characterization of a human megakaryoblastic cell line

A human megakaryoblastic cell line, designated CHRF-288-11, has been established in vitro through the use of adherent stromal cells in long-term human bone marrow culture. Long-term bone marrow cultures were required for the initial adaptation of the megakaryoblastic cells to culture conditions; however, once adapted, the cells were weaned from the stromal layer until they proliferated in the complete absence of any feeder layers. The seed cells for the establishment of this line were derived from a solid tumor; the cloned cell line derived from this tumor exhibits markers characteristic of megakaryocytes and platelets. Specifically, the cells express platelet peroxidase, platelet factor 4, and platelet Ca+(+)-adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase), glycoprotein IIb-IIIa (CDw41), factor VIII antigen, and the MY7 (CD13) and MY9 (CD33) antigens. The cells do not express the erythroid markers glycophorin A and hemoglobin, the myeloid marker myeloperoxidase, nor markers specific for T and/or B cells. The established cell line produces both basic fibroblast growth factor and transforming growth factor-beta, properties demonstrated previously for the solid tumor. The clonal cell population exhibited a unique, singular karyotype, indicating cellular homogeneity. The cells display a doubling time of approximately 33 hours in either 25% horse or calf serum. Treatment of the cells with 1 X 10(-8) mol/L phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) leads to the induction of multi-nucleation and hyperploidy in the cells, with approximately 35% of the cells exhibiting two or more nuclei per cell, and greater than 80% of the cells enlarging in size. The establishment of this unique cell line under defined culture conditions will be beneficial for the future study of megakaryocytic properties expressed by this cell line.
Shifting the Transition Paradigm

The preceding examination of the impact of local leadership in internationally led democratic transition has provided various levels of analysis. While the main purpose of this study is to determine if the current democratic transition paradigm and its treatment of local leadership is effective in producing liberal democracy, it also illuminates the ways in which the leadership acts and effects change. The current transition paradigm assumes the appropriateness of the institutionalism model of leadership — that institutions fostered by the international community would control the behavior of the resulting leadership — and treats leadership as an output that can be transitioned itself. This analysis demonstrates an opposite reality.
Heterologous Immunity and Persistent Murine Cytomegalovirus Infection.

One's history of infections can affect the immune response to unrelated pathogens and influence disease outcome through the process of heterologous immunity. This can occur after acute viral infections, such as infections with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) and vaccinia virus, where the pathogens are cleared, but it becomes a more complex issue in the context of persistent infections. In this study, murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) was used as a persistent infection model to study heterologous immunity with LCMV. If mice were previously immune to LCMV and then infected with MCMV (LCMV+MCMV), they had more severe immunopathology, enhanced viral burden in multiple organs, and suppression of MCMV-specific T cell memory inflation. MCMV infection initially reduced the numbers of LCMV-specific memory T cells, but continued MCMV persistence did not further erode memory T cells specific to LCMV. When MCMV infection was given first (MCMV+LCMV), the magnitude of the acute T cell response to LCMV declined with age though this age-dependent decline was not dependent on MCMV. However, some of these MCMV persistently infected mice with acute LCMV infection (7 of 36) developed a robust immunodominant CD8 T cell response apparently cross-reactive between a newly defined putative MCMV epitope sequence, M57727–734, and the normally subdominant LCMV epitope L2062–2069, indicating a profound private specificity effect in heterologous immunity between these two viruses. These results further illustrate how a history of an acute or a persistent virus infection can substantially influence the immune responses and immune pathology associated with acute or persistent infections with an unrelated virus. IMPORTANCE This study extends our understanding of heterologous immunity in the context of persistent viral infection. The phenomenon has been studied mostly with viruses such as LCMV that are cleared, but the situation can be more complex with a persistent virus such as MCMV. We found that the history of LCMV infection intensifies MCMV immunopathology, enhances MCMV burden in multiple organs, and suppresses MCMV-specific T cell memory inflation. In the reverse infection sequence, we show that some of the long-term MCMV-immune mice mount a robust CD8 T cell cross-reactive response between a newly defined putative MCMV epitope sequence and a normally subdominant LCMV epitope. These results further illustrate how a history of infection can substantially influence the immune responses and immune pathology associated with infections with an unrelated virus.
Short-term distribution system state forecast based on optimal synchrophasor sensor placement and extreme learning machine

This paper proposes an approach for distribution system state forecasting, which aims to provide an accurate and high speed state forecasting with an optimal synchrophasor sensor placement (OSSP) based state estimator and an extreme learning machine (ELM) based forecaster.
EFFECT OF PRE-FREEZING HAMS ON QUALITY ATTRIBUTES OF DRY-CURED PRODUCT

Hams were frozen, stored, and thawed before dry-curing to study the profiles of quality as related to environmental conditions. Quality appraisals and sampling were done after thawing, after curing, and after 30 days aging in an atmosphere where temperature and relative humidity were controlled at about 34.5 C and 62.5%, respectively. The pH, water, NaCl, and fat contents were determined. Surface pH of hams increased from the thawed fresh state to the unstored cured state, but decreased generally after the aging period (stored cured ham). The pH was higher on the surface than that of corresponding internal areas. The pH of the internal tissue was lower for thawed product than cured or aged product. The average percent water decreased during curing and aging periods. Water loss after curing and after aging in the prefrozen hams was greater than that reported for unfrozen hams. The quantity of water, NaCl, and fat varied among the several muscle areas and reasons for variation are discussed. All hams were o...
Photo-Reactive and Non-Natural Amino Acid Epitopes of Human WT1 Enhance Immunogenicity and Allow Kinetic Study of Antigen Processing.

Abstract Wilms tumor protein (WT1) is a transcription factor selectively over expressed in several types of leukemia and solid tumors, making it a promising potential target antigen for immunotherapy. Several open clinical trials use native or altered peptide sequences derived from the WT1 protein in order to overcome the weak immunogenicity of the self-antigen. Here we report a new strategy to circumvent tolerance by designing peptides that incorporate non-natural amino acids into the native sequence of WT1 peptides. Starting from the nonamer sequences WT1 187–195 and WT1 235–243, eight peptides containing natural amino acids and nine peptides in which different chemical modifications (fluorination, photo-reactive azido groups or benzophenone groups) were introduced at major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and T cell receptor binding positions, were synthesized. The new non-natural peptides could stabilize MHC class I molecules better than the native sequences and were also able to elicit strong specific T-cell responses. Photo-reactive peptides were additionally modified with biotin handles to allow streptavidin-biotin pull down and western blot analysis of kinetics of binding and catabolism. Upon UV irradiation, these peptides covalently bound to MHC molecules on the live cells; clearance of the peptide-MHC covalent complex occurred over 24 hours, consistent with the T2 thermo-stabilization data for the same peptide. Further catabolic studies may elucidate the important or novel cellular proteins involved in antigenic peptide processing and cross presentation and should aid in vaccine development. We are investigating whether covalent interaction with the MHC may lead to alterations in immune responses as well. T cells stimulated with one of the synthetic peptides (WT1J-W4WF) cross-reacted with the native WT1J sequence and were able to kill WT1 positive HLA-A0201 matched acute lymphoblastic leukemia cell lines. In conclusion, this study shows that peptides with non-natural amino acids can be successfully incorporated into T cell epitopes to provide increased immunogenicity and novel biological information.
Abstract 549: Angiotensin II Attenuates Apelin-36 Release from Human Placental Chorionic Villi

Angiotensin II (Ang II) and apelin have opposing actions in the regulation of blood pressure, vascular tone and angiogenesis, factors known to be important in pregnancy. Chorionic villi (CV) are essential for the transport of oxygen and metabolites in the maternal-fetal interface. Previous studies from our group demonstrated the upregulation of Ang II in the CV of preeclamptic women. Since the interaction between Ang II and apelin have been suggested in the cardiovascular system, we determined whether Ang II alters the release of apelin from the placental CV obtained from normotensive pregnant (NP) and preeclamptic (PRE) women. We also established whether Ang-(1-7) influences apelin release from the same set of tissue samples. CV were dissected from the placental tissue, washed and incubated for 0, 2 and 16 hours in DMEM/F12 media with or without Ang II (1 nM and 1 μM) or Ang-(1-7) (1 nM and 1 μM) under controlled O2 and CO2 tensions. The unstimulated release of apelin measured by a competitive radioimmunoassay was significantly reduced in the conditioned media from PRE compared to NP chorionic villi at 2 hrs (PRE: 181.1 ± 31 vs. NP: 309.5 ± 51.4 pg/ml, p