cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Positioning of Myosin-Binding Protein C in Skeletal Muscle

Frog striated muscle gives a pair of X-ray meridional reflections at spacings of ∼419A and ∼442A, which Offer (CSH Symp.37, 83-97, 1972) and Rome (ibid., 331-339) have shown are related to the disposition of C-protein in two sets of bands at ∼430A intervals on either side of the H-zone, giving rise to interference fringes that sample the underlying 430A reflection. However, there are problems with this simple interpretation.We have studied these reflections at high resolution on the BioCAT beam line at the Argonne National Lab., in both relaxed and contracting muscles, and during the onset of activation. In resting muscle, two main peaks can generally be seen in the relevant region, usually at ∼419A and ∼442A as previously described, but the latter peak is about 4 times more intense than the former, which would require an underlying sampled peak at ∼437A. It seems unlikely that the C-protein repeat is different from the helical repeat of the myosin filament to which it is attached (429.6A), and more probable that some second component is involved, namely a “forbidden” first order myosin meridional reflection, as discussed by Malinchik and Lednev (JMRCM 13, 406-419, 1992), The interference fringes generated by this repeat would interact in a complex way with those from C-protein, since the reflections would in general have different phases. We find that the observed patterns, with very strong ∼442A reflections, can be modeled very satisfactorily even when both underlying repeats are kept at 429.6A.Passive stretch of semitendinosus muscles to sarcomere lengths up to the 3.2 - 3.5 μm range, where overlap between the C-protein bands and actin becomes zero, has little effect on the spacing of these reflections. However, that does not mean there is no interaction between C-protein and actin.
Voyager observes magnetic field fluctuations in heliosheath

For the past several years, as the two Voyager spacecraft near the outer reaches of the solar system, they have been sending back observations that challenge scientists’ views of the physics at the edge of the heliosphere, the bubble created by charged particles flowing outward from the Sun. A new study looks at magnetic field fluctuations and cosmic ray intensity observed by Voyager 1.
Anion exchange studies of Sc(III) and V(IV). Separation of scandium, titanium and vanadium

Abstract The adsorption on Dowex-1 anion exchange resin of Sc(III) and V(IV) tracers has been studied in the presence of low concentrations of oxalate, citrate, fluoride, and carbonate ions. V(IV) forms strongly adsorbed complex anions with each of these reagents, as does Sc(III) with the first two. Both tracers are strongly adsorbed from oxalic acid solution, and their oxalate complexes are selectively destroyed by the addition of hydrochloric acid. These data have been used as the basis of a method for the anion exchange separation of Sc(III), V(IV), and Ti(IV) in oxalic acid-hydrochloric acid mixtures.
Reconsidering the Temporal Increase in Fathers’ Time with Children

Using the 1977 Quality of Employment Survey and the 1997 National Study of the Changing Workforce this study showed that the temporal increase in fathers’ time with children was three times larger on non-workdays than workdays. Multivariate analyses revealed that both work (e.g., job autonomy) and family (presence of young children, dependence on wives’ earnings) factors increased men’s time with children. A decomposition analysis showed that changes in men’s behavior accounted for 70% of the temporal increase in fathers’ time with children, and that structural change in work and family life (especially wives’ increased contributions to household income) accounted for the remaining 30%. The implications of these findings and the need for further study of these issues were briefly discussed.
Bile Salt Metabolism in Infants and Children after Protracted Infantile Diarrhea

Summary: Ten infants and children (mean age, 44 months), who had recovered from protracted infantile diarrhea with no sequelae, underwent detailed investigations of cholate metabolism using the isotope dilution technique. Cholate pool size was 1011 ± 73 mg/m2, (x ± S.E.), synthetic rate was 358 ± 58 mg/m2/day, and the fractional turnover rate was 0.359 ± 0.049 days-1. Pool size, unconnected for body surface area differences, was shown to increase directly with body size (r = 0.827; P = 0.002) and age (r = 0.724; P = 0.009). The fractional turnover rate varied inversely with age (r −0.656; P = 0.02), surface area (r = −0.642; P = 0.023), and pool size (r = −0.703; P = 0.012) and directly with synthesis (r = 0.878; P < 0.001). Infants and children have an intact enterohepatic circulation of cholate; the pool size and the mechanisms which regulate synthesis are similar to adults. The progressive enlargement of pool size with age is associated with an age-related increase in intraluminal bile salt concentrations which ensures normal intraluminal fat digestion and solubilization. Speculation: At birth, term and premature infants have contracted primary bile salt pools which contribute to the observed steatorrhea of the newborn. Rapid expansion of the cholic acid pool size in the first months of life demonstrated in the present study increases intraluminal bile salt concentrations which facilitates intraluminal fat digestion, but the mechanisms modulating the expansion in the neonate have been largely unexplored. Pool enlargement and enhanced fecal sterol excretion may be a homeostatic response of the developing organism to rising serum and hepatic cholesterol concentrations.
Skepticism, relevant alternatives, and deductive closure

My view is that the relevant alternative position should be conceived of as in two parts: (1) With respect to many propositions, to establish a knowledge claim is to be able to support it as opposed to a limited number of alternatives — i.e., only those which are relevant in the context. (2) With respect to many propositions — in particular those which are such that their negations are not relevant alternatives in the context in question — we simply know them to be true and do not need evidence, in the normal sense, that they, rather than their negations, are true. So conceived, the relevant alternative view neither supports the abandonment of deductive closure, nor is such abandonment in any way needed to provide the relevant alternative view with an answer to the skeptic, insofar as he can be answered.
Light-stimulated Production of a Chloroplast-localized System for Protein Synthesis in Euglena gracilis

Chloroplasts and proplastids isolated respectively from autotrophic and dark-adapted cells of Euglena gracilis strain Z incorporated (14)C-l-leucine into protein. In each case the incorporation was inhibited by chloramphenicol (50% inhibition at about 5 mug/ml for chloroplasts and 30 mug/ml for proplastids), but not appreciably by cycloheximide at concentrations up to 200 mug/ml. Chloroplasts from autotrophic cells incorporated leucine into protein at rates of about 10 pg leucine per mg RNA in one minute, but isolated proplastids were only 5 to 10% as active. When dark-adapted cells were illuminated there was little increase in the activity of the chloroplast fraction during the first 12 hr. Between 12 and 24 hr, when there was a rapid increase in the rate of synthesis of chlorophyll, the capacity of the chloroplast fraction for protein synthesis increased markedly. Suppression of the formation of a chloroplast-localized system for protein synthesis by treating the cells with chloramphenicol and the lack of such an effect with cycloheximide suggests that certain of the proteins which form part of a functional chloroplast system for protein synthesis are themselves synthesized within the chloroplasts.
The injection of plasticity by millinewton contacts

Abstract Diamond indentation of a surface with a thin passive film require s loads an order of magnitude smaller for Ni〈100〉 crystals than for Fe-3 wt% Si〈100〉 crystals. The load bearing capacity of the Fe-3 wt% Si can be reduced by two orders of magnitude by removing the 1- nm thick native oxide film. These phenomena can be explained by considering the equilibrium of forces associated with tip, image and friction stresses acting on dislocations emitted from the indenter tip. The key ingredient to this model is the nucleation and growth of dislocation loops at loads of only tens of micronewtons. Three types of critical contact experiments demonstrate that dislocations can be initiated at loads well below those previously thought to represent elastic loading only.
The fracture process zone in granite: evidence and effect

Abstract Evidence of the fracture process zone and its effect on fracture toughness were examined for Charcoal and Rockville granite, average grain sizes of 1 and 10mm. Fracture tests were conducted on wedge-loaded, double cantilever beam specimens, 500 mm long × 200 mm wide × 40 mm thick . The seismic techniques of ultrasonic probing and acoustic emission were utilized to measure the inelastic region. The beginning of the process zone was interpreted by a three-fold increase in transmission of ultrasound from an open crack to a partially closed crack; the end of the damage zone was found by comparing surface wave amplitudes before and after fracture. Following these procedures, the inelastic region in Charcoal granite was about 40 mm; whereas in Rockville granite, a region over 90 mm long was estimated. The major acoustic activity was located within the macrocrack, being released from unbroken or interlocked crystals. The experimental evidence indicated an effective crack to be composed of a traction free length and a ligament process zone, which was observed to form a single, multiconnected region within the macrocrack. The effective crack was used for an R-curve calculation, so that the energy consumed in the process zone was included in an approximate manner by elongating the crack length. A model of crack propagation in rock, consistent with measurements of the inelastic region, describes the effect of a process zone on fracture toughness testing.
Three-Dimensional Analysis of Normal Ankle and Foot Mobility:

We defined foot and ankle motion with respect to the neutral position. Thirteen normal fresh-frozen specimens of the human foot were used. The foot was placed in the extreme positions of pronation, supination, dorsiflexion, and plantar flexion, and positions of multiple bones were monitored simultaneously with a magnetic tracking device to determine rotation of the talocrural, subtalar, metatarsal-navicular, and talonavicular joints under the various conditions. In pronation, the most rotation occurred at the metatarsal-navicular level, followed by the navicular-talar, talar-tibial, and calcaneal-talar levels. In supination, most rotation occurred at the navicular-talar level, followed by the calcaneal-talar, talar-tibial, and metatarsal-navicular levels. In dorsiflexion, most rotation occurred at the talar-tibial level, followed by the navicular-talar, calcaneal-talar, and metatarsal-navicular levels. In plantar flexion, most rotation occurred at the talar-tibial level, but there was considerable motion at the navicular-talar, metatarsal-navicular, and calcaneal-talar levels. Understanding the specific joint motions that occur with various positions of the foot and ankle is important because measurements of joint mobility may assist in establishing diagnoses, monitoring clinical conditions, determining indications for operative treatment, assessing results of treatment, and following the progress of rehabilitation.
From paper to pixels: using Google Forms for collaboration and assessment

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss the use of Google Forms in the university library instruction classroom. Librarians at the Richard J. Daley Library at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) began using Google Forms as a way of increasing active learning and as an instrument of formative assessment. The paper describes the information literacy context at the UIC and gives examples of best practices for using Google Forms in library instruction. Design/methodology/approach – The authors collaborated with other instruction librarians at their institution to develop Google Forms for use in library instruction sessions and used them primarily in sessions geared toward first-year students. Findings – Google Forms provides an easy and inexpensive way to incorporate both active learning and assessment in library instruction sessions. Students and faculty were receptive to their use in the library classroom. These early findings will be incorporated into the longer assessment study by the au...
A pediatric case of neurofibromatosis type 2 presenting as a plexiform schwannoma of the intraparotid facial nerve A review of the world literature on the presenting pathology

Summary We report a case of a 12-year-old boy who presented with a 1-year history of left facial swelling. During surgical exploration of the parotid gland, a plexiform schwannoma of the facial nerve was discovered. Subsequently other features of neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) were unravelled—bilateral intracanalicular facial schwannomas, and ependymoma of the spine. We detail the course that led to achieving this extremely rare association. This is the eighth case of plexiform schwannoma associated with neurofibromatosis type 2 reported to date, the first ever to involve a cranial nerve, and the third to present in the pediatric population.
Method for functional MRI mapping of nonlinear response.

Abstract Nonlinear systems analysis combining blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD), functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and m-sequence stimulation paradigms are proposed as a new method for exploring neuronal responses and interactions. Previous studies of electrical activity in the human visual cortex have observed significant nonlinearities of task-induced activity with temporal dynamics on a timescale of 10–20 ms. Despite the confounding effect of the seconds-long hemodynamic response, it is demonstrated that BOLD fMRI can be used to probe neuronal interactions on a time scale of tens of ms. Visual activation experiments were performed with various stimuli, and amplitude maps of first and second order kernel coefficients were generated using correlation analysis. Second order nonlinearities in BOLD fMRI were observed and attributed to temporal contrast caused by transitions in the stimulus sequence. In addition, the kernel maps showed significant differences between second order nonlinearities of foveal and peripheral vision. By including a reference experiment with a slightly modified stimulus presentation, a distinction could be made between (fast) neuronal nonlinearities and hemodynamic effects on the time scale of the seconds. The results indicate that BOLD fMRI can probe fast neuronal nonlinearities.
TGT3, Thyroid Transcription Factor I, and Sp1 Elements Regulate Transcriptional Activity of the 1.3-Kilobase Pair Promoter ofT1α, a Lung Alveolar Type I Cell Gene

Alveolar type I epithelial cells form the major surface for gas exchange in the lung. To explore how type I cells differ in gene expression from their progenitor alveolar type II cells, we analyzed transcriptional regulation of T1α, a gene expressed by adult type I but not type II cells. In vivodevelopmental patterns of T1α expression in lung and brain suggest active gene regulation. We cloned and sequenced 1.25 kilobase pairs of the T1α promoter that can drive reporter expression in lung epithelial cell lines. Deletion analyses identified regions important for lung cell expression. The base pair (bp) −100 to −170 fragment conferred differential regulation in lung epithelial cells compared with fibroblasts. Sequence alignment of this fragment with type II-specific surfactant protein B and C promoters shows similar consensus elements arranged in a different order. Gel retardation studies with alveolar epithelial cell line nuclear extracts, thyroid transcription factor I (TTF-1) homeodomain, hepatic nuclear factor (HNF)-3β, or Sp1 proteins, and supershift assays were used to characterize TTF-1, HNF-3 (TGT3), and Sp1/Sp3 binding sites. The TGT3 site binds factors with binding properties similar to HNF-3/Fkh (hepatic nuclear factor-3/forkhead) proteins but different from HNF-3α or HNF-3β. Co-transfection with a TTF-1 expression vector moderately transactivated the −170 bp-reporter construct. Mutational analysis of these three binding sites showed reduced transcriptional activity of the −170 bp promoter. Therefore, several regulatory sequences involved in type II cell gene regulation are also present in the T1α promoter, suggesting that genes of the peripheral lung epithelium may be regulated by similar factors.
Islands in three-dimensional steady flows

We consider the problem of steady Euler flows in a torus. We show that in the absence of a direction of symmetry the solution for the vorticity contains δ-function singularities at the rational surfaces of the torus. We study the effect of a small but finite viscosity on these singularities. The solutions near a rational surface contain cat's eyes or islands, well known in the classical theory of critical layers. When the islands are small, their widths can be computed by a boundary-layer analysis. We show that the islands at neighbouring rational surfaces generally overlap. Thus, steady toroidal flows exhibit a tendency towards Beltramization.
Cytotoxicity and apoptosis produced by arachidonic acid in HepG2 cells overexpressing human cytochrome P-4502E1.

The goal of the current study was to evaluate the effects of arachidonic acid, as a representative polyunsaturated fatty acid, on the viability of a HepG2 cell line, which has been transduced to express human cytochrome P4502E1 (CYP2E1). Arachldonic acid produced a concentration- and time-dependent toxicity to HepG2-MV2E1-9 cells, which express CYP2E1, but little or no toxicity was found with control cells. In contrast to arachidonic acid, oleic acid was not toxic to the HepG2-MV2E1-9 cells. The cytotoxicity of arachidonic acid involved a lipid peroxidation type of mechanism since toxicity was enhanced after depletion of cellular glutathione; formation of malondialdehyde and 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal was markedly elevated In the cells expressing CYP2E1, and toxicity was prevented by antioxidants and the iron chelator desferrioxamine. The CYP2E1-dependent arachidonic acid toxicity appeared to involve apoptosis, as demonstrated by terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling and DNA laddering experiments. Trolox, which prevented toxicity of arachidonic acid, also prevented the apoptosis. Transfection with a plasmid containing bcl-2 resulted in complete protection against the CYP2E1-dependent arachidonic acid toxicity. It is proposed that elevated production of reactive oxygen intermediates by cells expressing CYP2E1 can cause lipid peroxidation, which subsequently promotes apoptosis and cell toxicity when the cells are enriched with polyunsaturated fatty acids such as arachidonic acid.
Of torques, forces, and protein machines.

Since the publication of the classical studies of the Dutch scientist J.D. van der Waals in 1873, physical scientists have known that many—if not most—properties of matter can be rationalized by the strength and direction of the forces that molecules exert on each other. Even strictly macroscopic phenomena, such as the elasticity and the melting points of solids, the viscosity and boiling points of liquids, or the compressibility of gases, are macroscopic manifestations of the myriad of small interactions between molecules, and of the forces that molecules exert on one another. Moreover, in 1889, Svante Arrhenius proposed that reactions between molecular species follow pathways that involve the formation of some type of strained, largely unstable, high-energy transition state whose accessibility along the reaction coordinate controls the rate of the reaction. Since then, chemists have recognized that chemical affinity results from the attractive interactions between chemical entities and that stresses and strains often develop within and between these entities in the course of chemical reactions. Until very recently, chemists and biochemists have had to rely on bulk methods to investigate the properties of molecules and their reactions. These methods did not make it possible to directly investigate the nature, strength, and direction of intermolecular forces and torques. During the last few years, however, the advent of novel methods of single-molecule manipulation have begun to offer researchers, for the first time, the opportunity to measure directly the forces holding molecular structures together, to measure the stresses and strains generated in the course of chemical and biochemical reactions, to exert external forces to alter the fate of these reactions, and to reveal the rules that govern the interconversion of mechanical and chemical energy in these reactions. This area of research can be rightly called mechanochemistry. Biochemical processes as diverse as protein folding, DNA elasticity, the protein-induced bending of DNA, the stress-induced catalysis of enzymes, the mechanical properties of protein motors, and even the ubiquitous process of induced-fit molecular recognition of proteins for their ligands, are all examples in which stresses and strains develop in molecules as they move along a reaction coordinate. In 1992, we published the results of the first experiments in which a single DNA molecule was mechanically manipulated and stretched to determine its bending and extensional properties (Smith et al. 1992). This work was the basis of a number of assays of DNA-dependent protein machines and laid the experimental and conceptual groundwork for studies of enzyme mechanism at the single molecule level. In what follows, I describe some of the recent and ongoing projects currently being carried out in our laboratory using these novel methods.
Electrochemical Dehalogenation of Organic Pollutants

This review summarizes our own research, published since 2004, dealing with electrochemical reduction of halogenated organic compounds that are environmental pollutants. Included are sections surveying the direct and mediated reduction of the following species: (a) chlorofluorocarbons; (b) pesticides, fungicides, and bactericides; (c) flame retardants; and (d) disinfection by-products arising from the chlorination of water. To provide the reader with a perspective of these topics beyond our own work, a total of 238 literature citations, pertaining to studies conducted in numerous laboratories around the world, appears at the end of this review.
The Taylor column problem

We consider here flow past an obstacle on the lower of two rotating horizontal planes which bound a viscous fluid. It is found that when the Taylor number is large viscous effects are confined to Ekman boundary layers on the solid surfaces and to a free shear layer coincident with the vertical cylinder circumscribing the bottom obstacle. The flow in the main body of the fluid outside the cylinder proves to be two-dimensional with zero relative vorticity, while inside the cylinder the fluid is stagnant in the rotating frame. The shear layer provides a continuous transition between the exterior and interior of the cylinder, and in addition provides a means by which fluid from the Ekman layers on the horizontal planes is exchanged with fluid outside the Ekman layers and exterior to the circumscribing cylinder. The predicted flow proves to be in agreement with many of the experimental results.
Adding Intelligence To Robot arm Path Planning Using A Graph-match Analogical Reasoning System .

Analogical plaiining provides a. nieaiis of solving problems in some situations where other ma.chine lea,riiing methods fail, because it, does not, require iiuinerous previous examples or a rich doiiia.in theory. Given a problem in an unfamiliar doiimiu (tlie target ca.se) ~ an analogical planning system locates a. succ fill 11la.n in a similar domain (the base case), a.nd uses the siinihrities t.0 generate the target plan. One planning doinain which can ma.ke use of analogical planning to improve performance is robot arm path planning. In the Intelligent, Mechanisms Group at NASA Ames Research Center, algorithms are designed to guide a Puma. robot arm with 7 degrees of freedom through a 3dimensional workspace. The search spa.ce is immense, a.nd current inotion planning techniques do not t,alie advant,age of the fact that many planning situatioiis are similar. This paper describes a method of using analogies to improve the performance of robot arm path planning. C' veil an enviroiiiiient description, tjhe system looks for a siinilar previous case with a. successful plan. Thatm plan is ina.pped to the current problem environment^ tmo suggest a. possible path for the robot. An example of how the robot a.rm at, NASA Anies can iimke use of amlogies to generate plans is detailed.
Voltammetric measurement of arsenic in natural waters.

There are several U.S. EPA approved methodologies for the determination of arsenic in ground water. Such technologies are lab-based, time intensive and can lead to a large capital cost for multi-sample analysis. In light of the number of sites found to contain arsenic at levels higher than the maximum contaminant level (MCL), on-site screening and monitoring systems are an attractive alternative. This review article summarizes several examples in the recent literature to illustrate the breadth of work in voltammetric analysis of arsenic in environmental samples. Also, included are recent voltammetric results, obtained with a microfabricated gold array and a field portable potentiostat, at an arsenic contaminated site in southern New Jersey.
More employers, more jobs, more money: An empirical analysis of local economic development policy impacts in US cities

Local government leaders in the U. S. employ a multitude of programs and policies in the name of economic development to increase the number of firms, employment, wages, and, of course, the tax base. The past few decades have seen a surge in local economic development policies, yet research analyzing their effectiveness is sparse. This study analyzes the relationship between local economic development policy and economic growth in a data set of 412 U. S. cities. Results indicate that policy has only has a weak correlation with economic growth, suggesting that growth is determined more by market conditions rather than government intervention. The article concludes with an entrepreneurial policy approach this author believes may yield development results in an era of limited policy effectiveness.
A MULTILOCUS PERSPECTIVE ON COLONIZATION ACCOMPANIED BY SELECTION AND GENE FLOW

The colonization of novel habitats involves complex interactions between founder events, selection, and ongoing migration, and can lead to diverse evolutionary outcomes from local extinction to adaptation to speciation. Although there have been several studies of the demography of colonization of remote habitats, less is known about the demographic consequences of colonization of novel habitats within a continuous species range. Populations of the Eastern Fence Lizard, Sceloporus undulatus, are continuously distributed across two dramatic transitions in substrate color in southern New Mexico and have undergone rapid adaptation following colonization of these novel environments. Blanched forms inhabit the gypsum sand dunes of White Sands and melanic forms are found on the black basalt rocks of the Carrizozo lava flow. Each of these habitats formed within the last 10,000 years, allowing comparison of genetic signatures of population history for two independent colonizations from the same source population. We present evidence on phenotypic variation in lizard color, environmental variation in substrate color, and sequence variation for mitochondrial DNA and 19 independent nuclear loci. To confirm the influence of natural selection and gene flow in this system, we show that phenotypic variation is best explained by environmental variation and that neutral genetic variation is related to distance between populations, not partitioned by habitat. The historical demography of colonization was inferred using an Approximate Bayesian Computation (ABC) framework that incorporates known geological information and allows for ongoing migration with the source population. The inferences differed somewhat between mtDNA and nuclear markers, but overall provided strong evidence of historical size reductions in both white sand and black lava populations at the time of colonization. Populations in both novel habitats appear to have undergone partial but incomplete recovery from the initial bottleneck. Both ABC analyses and measures of mtDNA sequence diversity also suggested that population reductions were more severe in the black lava compared to the white sands habitat. Differences observed between habitats may be explained by differences in colonization time, habitat geometry, and strength or response to natural selection for substrate matching. Finally, effective population size reductions in this system appear to be more dramatic when colonization is accompanied by a change in selection regime. Our analyses are consistent with a demographic cost of adaptation to novel environments and show that it is possible to infer aspects of the historical demography of local adaptation even in the presence of ongoing gene flow.
EXPRESSION OF ORGANOMERCURIAL LYASE IN EASTERN COTTONWOOD ENHANCES ORGANOMERCURY RESISTANCE

Release of inorganic mercury pollutants into shallow aquatic environments has resulted in the bacterial production of a more toxic organic mercury species, methylmercury. The bacterial organomercurial lyase (MerB) catalyses the protonolysis of the carbon-mercury bond and releases Hg(II), a less toxic, non-biomagnified form of mercury. Our objective was to engineer eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoides), a fast-growing tree adapted to growth in riparian environments, with the merB gene to explore its potential for phytoremediation of mercury. We produced multiple eastern cottonwood clones expressing a modified bacterial merB gene, confirmed that the gene was expressed in the transclones and tested the regenerated plants for their ability to tolerate exposure to an organic mercury source, phenylmercuric acetate (PMA), in vitro and in hydroponic culture, compared to wild-type control trees. Transgenic merB plants expressed high levels of MerB protein and showed some evidence of higher resistance to the organic mercury than wild-type plants, producing longer roots under exposure to PMA in vitro, although hydroponic culture results were inconclusive. Our results indicate that in order for merB to be useful in eastern cottonwood trees designed to degrade methylmercury at mercury-contaminated aquatic sites, it will probably need to be combined with other genes such as merA.
Effects of hypoxia on heparan sulfate in bovine aortic and pulmonary artery endothelial cells

Newly synthesized heparan sulfates purified from the cell layer of bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAECs) and main pulmonary artery endothelial cells (BPAECs) cultured under either normoxic (21% oxygen) or hypoxic (3% oxygen) conditions were characterized by size, charge, and capacity to bind to antithrombin III. Incorporation of radiolabeled sulfate into cell layer-associated heparan sulfate was reduced by 70% in BAECs and by 45% in BPAECs during exposure to 3% oxygen; degradation of radiolabeled heparan sulfate was not affected by hypoxia. However, the percentage of total radiolabeled heparan sulfate that bound to antithrombin III was increased by 33% for BAECs and by 120% for BPAECs when compared with radiolabeled heparan sulfate synthesized during the 21% oxygen exposure. Both the high- and low-antithrombin III affinity radiolabeled heparan sulfate consisted of two components of different sizes; the low-affinity components (mean sizes, 60 and 40 kd) generated under normoxic conditions were smaller than their respective high-affinity components (mean sizes, 70 and 55 kd) by molecular sieve chromatography. The components of low-antithrombin III affinity heparan sulfate generated during exposure to 3% oxygen were increased in size compared with the corresponding low-affinity components generated during the 21% oxygen exposure for both BPAECs and BAECs. In addition, the amount of the larger high-antithrombin III affinity component was reduced in both cell types exposed to hypoxia. There was no difference in functional heparin-like activity per dish between cells cultured at 3% and 21% oxygen; BAECs had twofold to threefold greater activity per dish than did BPAECs at both levels of oxygen.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Evaluation of Orange Removable Rumble Strips for Highway Work Zones

Rumble strips can be effective in alerting drivers to road conditions that merit special attention. The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) requires the deployment of rumble strips on state routes during maintenance work that necessitates the closure of a lane on a two-lane highway. In such a case, a temporary signal is placed at each end of the work zone, and rumble strips are used to alert drivers that they may need to stop. Currently, cold-mix asphalt is used to create the rumble strips. A new product, orange removable rumble strips, promises to reduce significantly the effort required to apply and to remove rumble strips, while improving safety by increased conspicuity. These removable rumble strips were evaluated at a bridge repair site in rural Kansas. Vehicle speeds were recorded with only the standard asphalt rumble strips in place; then the removable rumble strips were installed and more speed data were collected. Installation and removal times also were compared. Strips were easily applie...
Wi-Fi-Based Indoor Positioning Using Human-Centric Collaborative Feedback

In recent years, ``folksonomy''-like systems such as Delicious Social Bookmarking have achieved huge success. User collaboration is the defining characteristic of such systems. For indoor positioning mechanisms, we argue that it is also possible to incorporate collaboration in order to improve system performance, especially for fingerprinting based approaches. In this paper, we propose a robust and efficient model for integrating human-centric collaborative feedback within a baseline Wi-Fi fingerprinting-based indoor positioning system. Experiments show that the baseline system performance (i.e., positioning error) is improved by collecting both positive and negative feedback from users. Moreover, the feedback model is robust with respect to malicious feedback, quickly self-correcting based on subsequent helpful feedback from users.
A Framework for Reusing and Repurposing Knowledge Work in Organisations

This article describes a framework for managing the life cycle of knowledge in organisations and to utilise this framework for reusing and repurposing knowledge work. The framework emerges from years of work with the laboratories and facilities that are under the direction of the US Department of Energy (DOE). The article begins by describing the phases in the life cycle of knowledge in organisations. Next, the article describes the theoretical foundation for the framework, the Collaborative Cognition Model, followed by sections that detail the implementation of the framework. Finally, a discussion section summarises the framework and discusses future directions to enhance and extend the framework for reusing and repurposing knowledge work in organisations.
CHARACTERISTICS OF WALL IMPINGEMENT AT ELEVATED TEMPERATURE CONDITIONS ON GDI SPRAY

The direct injection gasoline spray-wall interaction was characterized inside a heated pressurized chamber using various visualization techniques. including high-speed laser-sheet macroscopic and microscopic movies up to 25,000 frames per second. shadowgraph. and double-spark particle image velocimetry. Two hollow cone high-pressure swirl injectors having different cone angles were used to inject gasoline onto a heated plate at two different impingement angles. Based on the visualization results, the overall transient spray impingement structure, fuel film formation, and preliminary droplet size and velocity were analyzed. The results show that upward spray vortex inside the spray is more obvious at elevated temperature condition, particularly for the wide-cane-angle injector, due to the vaporization of small droplets and decreased air density. Film build-up on the surface is clearly observed at both ambient and elevated temperature. especially for narrow cone spray. Vapor phase appears at both ambient and elevated temperature conditions, particularly in the toroidal vortex and impingement plume. More rapid impingement and faster horizontal spread after impingement are observed for elevated temperature conditions. Droplet rebounding and film break-up are clearly observed. Post-impingement droplets are significantly smaller than pre-impingement droplets with a more horizontal velocity component regardless of the wall temperature and impingement angle condition.
mGlu5 Receptors and Relapse to Cocaine-Seeking: The Role of Receptor Trafficking in Postrelapse Extinction Learning Deficits.

We have previously demonstrated that MTEP, an allosteric antagonist of mGlu5, infused into the nucleus accumbens attenuates relapse after abstinence from cocaine self-administration. MTEP infused into the dorsolateral striatum (dlSTR) does not alter relapse but has long-lasting effects on subsequent extinction learning. Here we tested whether systemic MTEP would prevent relapse after abstinence or alter extinction learning. We also investigated the mechanism of action by which intra-dlSTR MTEP on test day alters extinction on subsequent days. Animals self-administered cocaine for 12 days followed by abstinence for 20-21 days. MTEP (0.5–5 mg/kg IP) was administered prior to placement into the operant chamber for a context-primed relapse test. A separate group of animals received intra-dlSTR MTEP prior to the relapse test and were sacrificed day later. Systemic administration of MTEP attenuated abstinent-relapse without significantly affecting extinction learning. Surface biotinylation analysis of protein expression in the dlSTR revealed that, in cocaine animals, intra-dlSTR MTEP administration decreased mGlu5 surface expression and prevented changes in Arc and GluA1/GluA2 observed in their vehicle counterparts. Thus, blockade of mGlu5 receptors may be utilized in future treatment strategies for relapse prevention in humans, although the effects of chronic blockade on extinction learning should be further evaluated.
The Daubert Trilogy in the States

The Daubert trilogy of Supreme Court cases - Daubert, Joiner, and Kumho Tire, codified in Federal Rule of Evidence 702 - has established new rules for the admissibility of scientific evidence in federal court. The situation in state courts is far more unsettled. First, a significant number of courts have continued to adhere to the tests they used before Daubert, either the Frye general acceptance test or some other test. Even among those states that have adopted Daubert, its application has been decidedly nonuniform. Only a few states have adopted the Daubert trilogy in its entirety. Some states have adopted Daubert, but have not yet adopted Kumho Tire or Joiner. Others have adopted Daubert and Kumho Tire, but not Joiner, or have adopted only part of Joiner. Still other states view the Daubert trilogy as only instructive, or as consistent with their own traditional state tests but not binding. This article analyzes the degree to which the holdings of the Daubert trilogy have been adopted by state courts. This analysis shows that there is a rich diversity of tests within the states. Indeed, contrary to the prevailing wisdom, the Daubert trilogy is not yet the majority standard even among the states that have rejected Frye.
Watching hydrogen-bonded structures in an alcohol convert from rings to chains.

In hydrogen-bonded liquids including monohydroxy alcohols, the prominent Debye process that often dominates the dielectric relaxation behavior is associated with hydrogen bonding, but its microscopic origin has remained unclear to date. High electric field impedance spectroscopy on 5-methyl-3-heptanol reveals a field-induced change in the Kirkwood-Fr\"ohlich correlation factor ${g}_{K}$, viewed as evidence for an electric field driven conversion from ring- to chain-type hydrogen-bonded structures. The concomitant rearrangement of the chain structure is observed to occur on the time scale of the Debye process, suggesting that the Debye peak of monohydroxy alcohols originates from a fluctuation of the net dipole moment via ${g}_{K}$ of the chain structures on a time scale that is largely controlled by viscosity.
Emotional Intelligence Partially Mediates the Association between Anxiety Sensitivity and Anxiety Symptoms1,2.

Anxiety Sensitivity (AS), the propensity to fear the somatic, mental, and social consequences of anxiety, is associated with an elevated risk of developing anxiety disorders. It was hypothesized th...
Identification and genotyping analysis of human enterovirus 96 isolated from healthy children in the border area of Yunnan province with Myanmar

Objective To identify the enterovirus strains isolated from stool specimens of 4 healthy children in the border areas of Yunnan province with Myanmar.Methods RT-PCR was done using 292/222 primers described in Oberste′s methods and the amplified VP1 region products were sequenced for genotyping analysis.Phylogenetic classification was performed together with other available reference enterovirus strains in GenBank.Results Four enterovirus strains were isolated and identified as human enterovirus 96(HEV96) by RT-PCR and sequencing analysis.Four strains share nucleotide homology between 82.7% and 95.7%,and they also showed very high similarities to previous strains isolated in Yunnan.Phylogenetic analysis of these 4 strains together with all currently available strains from GenBank divided HEV96 into 3 genotypes,and the genetic distances were 0.193,0.205 and 0.220 between genotype I and II,I and III,II and III,respectively with our 4 strains grouped as genotype I.Conclusions Four strains of enterovirus isolated in the border area of Yunan province were classified into genotype I in the family of EV96.Phylogenetic analysis indicated that these 4 strains were further sub-grouped into different branches,suggesting that there might be different transmission chains of HEV96 co-circulating in Yunnan province.Efficient identification of human enterovirus will be helpful in the surveillance and control of HEV96 infection.
An investigation of domoic acid content in shellfish in Zhoushan islands

Objective:To investigate the contents of domoic acid in shellfish in Zhoushan islands.Methods: The shellfish in Zhoushan islands were collected and the contents of the domoic acid in these shellfish were detected with HPLC.Results: The total detectable rate of domoic acid in shellfish was 64% with the content range from 0 to1.68 mg/kg,and the median was 0.21 mg/kg.The content of domoic acid in mussels was relatively high.Conclusion: The contents of domoic acid in shellfish in Zhoushan islands were lower than the hygienic standard.So there was no risk involved with shellfish.
Monitoring Marcellus: A Case Study of a Collaborative Volunteer Monitoring Project to Document the Impact of Unconventional Shale Gas Extraction on Small Streams

The rapid growth of the natural gas extraction industry in Pennsylvania and neighboring states has stirred concerned citizens to seek ways to collect data on water quality impacts from the extraction activi- ties. As a response to requests from community members, the Alliance for Aquatic Resource Monitoring (ALLARM) developed a volunteer-friendly protocol in 2010 for early detection and reporting of surface water contamination by shale gas extraction activities in small streams. To date, ALLARM has trained more than 2,000 volunteers in Pennsylvania, New York, and West Virginia to monitor water quality (conductivity, barium, strontium, and total dissolved solids) and physical parameters (stream stage and visual observations) prior to, during, and after shale gas wells have been developed. This paper documents the operational models of Public Participation in Scientific Research (PPSR) used by ALLARM, describes the volunteer monitoring protocol developed, and examines three years of water quality results from hundreds of monitoring sites in Pennsylvania and New York. The majority of watersheds monitored are small, forested, headwater streams. Results indicate that mean conductivity in streams is strongly and positively related to the percentage of development and the percentage of limestone in the watersheds. Mean conductivity is not significantly related to number or density of drilled wells, although the dataset did not lend itself to finding a signal from shale gas activities because only 20% of the watersheds had wells drilled at the time of sampling. This fact enables the use of these data as baseline data for future documentation of shale gas impacts on water quality. Volunteers have reported multiple cases of visual pollution related to shale gas activities, but have not identified water contamination events based on stream water chemistry. The results of the volunteer dataset are compared with results from the scientific literature, affirming the credibility and usefulness of the data. Some lessons learned from this project include: The importance of strong and timely support to volunteers to ensure accurate reporting in real-time; the unique role that citi- zen scientists can play in a rural landscape where well sites are remote and government oversight is not prac- tical; and the importance of customizing a PPSR operational model to fit the goals and scale of the project. Recommendations for continued collection and analysis of data include: 1) develop and implement an intentional study design to monitor those watersheds that now have baseline data once drilling begins, 2) target watersheds whose characteristics are under-represented in this dataset, 3) consider the analysis of additional parameters and the monitoring of high risk systems, 4) develop a central, user-friendly data- base for volunteers to submit their own data and receive preliminary analyses, and 5) partner with other volunteer data collectors to collaborate with data analysis and interpretation.
G413(P) Sources of infection in a tertiary care Neonatal unit and role of fumigation and disinfection

Background Environmental contamination is a major concern for nosocomial infections in neonatal units. Sources of contamination are multiple and contamination with pathogens occurs during routine medical care. Diverse types of pathogens have been found to cause nosocomial infections. Environmental disinfection and fumigation for their eradication have shown conflicting results. Aim This study was designed to find out the potential sources of infection in our set-up and role of various methods in its eradication. Methods This was a cross sectional study and conducted at tertiary care Neonatal unit from March 2007 to October 2012. We obtained samples for culture from air, liquid materials like Oxygen flow metre water and solid materials like equipment, walls and windows of the unit before and after disinfection and fumigation with formalin solution and carbolic acid. Data was entered and analysed in SPSS 16. Chi square test was applied to determine the significance and P value Results Total 556 cultures were taken from various environmental sources. In the pre fumigation and disinfection stage 227 out of 288 cultures were positive while only 94 isolates were detected from 268 samples after fumigation and disinfection (Figure 1) (P Conclusion Pathogenic microorganisms were isolated from various sources of neonatal ward and were potential reservoirs for nosocomial infections. Environmental disinfection and fumigation was effective in reducing their burden. However fumigation was unsuccessful in disinfecting the environmental air.
A philosophical assessment of TK's autopsy report: Implications for the debate over the brain death criteria.

In recent years, there has been increasing evidence that the totally brain-dead patient is able to continue to live and to maintain some integrated functions, albeit with the necessary assistance o...