cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Climate Swings Come into Focus

The last glacial period was far from quiet. During so-called Heinrich events, large armadas of icebergs were shed from the ice sheet that covered much of North America. The tracks of debris left by the melting icebergs can still be seen in sediment cores from the North Atlantic. In their Perspective, [Broecker and Hemming][1] report from a recent miniconference that attempted to chart the climatic impacts of these events. [1]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/short/294/5550/2308
pRIMing synaptic vesicles for fusion

A characterization of C. elegans lacking the gene for Rim suggests that this protein may be involved in priming synaptic vesicles for fusion, not in docking or organizing active zones.
Design of Compact, Lightweight Power Transmission Devices for Specialized High Power Applications

Abstract : The design of compact and lightweight power transmission devices was studied for specialized high power applications, including airborne with operating voltage fixed at 270 Volts and less than 30 meter length conductors. Only commercial-off-the-shelf components were considered for the design. It was found that by using superconducting wires operated at cryogenic temperatures instead of Cu conductors, a large increase of performance could be achieved; e.g. there is large reduction of heat loss; and for 5 MW-class or 20 kA power transmission there is a substantial reduction of weight of 80/kg per meter and an approximate 10x reduction of volume. A strong reduction of weight is achieved for 1000 Amp power transmission.
Charged dust in the outer planetary magnetospheres. II - Trajectories and spatial distribution

The dynamics of the electrostatic disruption products of fragile interplanetary dust aggregates which are initially electrically charged on entering the Jovian plasmasphere is considered. The detailed orbits of these charged particles, which are shown to be confined to the equatorial plane, are computed. It is found that the fragments with radii typically about 1 micron are magnetogravitationally trapped within the plasmasphere due to the velocity-induced oscillation of their surface potentials. It is suggested that the distribution of micrometeroid dust within the Jovian magnetosphere, observed by Pioneer 10 and the recent Voyager, is a result of the magnetogravitational trapping and subsequent orbital evolution of these charged dust particles.
The Cost of Conscience: Quantifying our Charitable Burden in an Era of Globalization

Development economists have long debated the proper targets for foreign aid contributions from wealthy countries. Philosophers like Peter Singer and Peter Unger now suggest that these countries' citizens have a parallel moral responsibility to tithe a portion of their income directly for the relief of the suffering of the poorest. These thinkers would prefer a systematic global redistribution of income - some public mechanism for accomplishing worldwide what the tax systems of egalitarian social democratic states accomplish. But they all realize that such global governance is unlikely to come about in any of our lifetimes. So they turn their attention to individuals, arguing that giving more to the poor is necessary and not simply supererogatory (i.e., something beyond duty that it would be especially admirable to do.). Unfortunately, both Singer and Unger avoid many of the hardest questions their approaches suggest. Neither convincingly draws a line between necessity, convenience, and luxury - essential distinctions for those urging others to rethink their unnecessary consumption. By failing to concretize their ethical arguments, they leave themselves vulnerable to attacks by pragmatists who find their worldviews absurdly demanding. A clearer theory of the ethics of consumption may help save tithing ethics from pragmatist critiques. An ethic of consumption and charity - based on either religious or secular humanist traditions - would give their ideas real weight and force. There is some middle ground between the saintly rigor of a Mother Teresa and the unreflective materialism so common in developed countries. The financial health of NGO's, and the fate of poverty relief generally, depends on the ability of the well-off to adopt such an ethic.
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectroscopy for Monitoring Molecular Dynamics in Solution

Biological macromolecules exhibit a wide range of dynamic motions. Analysis of relaxation rates of NMR signals allows these motions to be characterized throughout a macromolecule at an atomic level of detail. Keywords: NMR; heteronuclear; relaxation; dynamics; model-free
Sludge Treatment and Disposal

The management of sewage sludge is a major problem in wastewater treatment. Sludge amounts to about 2% by volume of processed sewage, but handling it accounts for up to 50% of total operating costs. Furthermore, during the last few years, there has been a worldwide movement toward a common strategy for any kind of waste; the priorities are reusing waste materials and taking advantage of their energy content. Treatment of sludge is aimed at rendering it suitable for use or disposal at minimum cost. The low solids concentration (2–3%), and the presence of pathogens, heavy metals, organic pollutants and potentially putrescible organic matter are the main problems to be faced and solved. Other factors influencing sludge processing technology are the need to extract as much energy and material as possible from the sludge itself and the introduction of stricter regulations that require higher levels of treatment before disposal. Keywords: agricultural use; codisposal; composting; conditioning; dewatering; digestion; disinfection; disposal; landfilling; sewage sludge; stabilization; thermal processes; thickening; treatment; utilization
Excitation functions and mass asymmetric fission barriers for compound nuclei 70,76Se

Abstract Excitation functions were measured for complex fragments with atomic number Z=5−20 emitted from the compound nuclei 70,76 Se produced in the reactions 58,64 Ni + 12 C. Mass asymmetric fission barriers were extracted by fitting the excitation functions with a transition state formalism. The extracted barriers were compared with those calculated from macroscopic nuclear models. The measured barriers for symmetric fission seem to support the hypothesis of a shape-dependent congruence energy, which doubles for fission of strongly indented saddle-point shapes. All of the measured excitation functions can be scaled onto a single straight line according to the transition state prediction.
Designing high-temperature steels via surface science and thermodynamics

Abstract Electricity in many countries such as the US and China is produced by burning fossil fuels in steam-turbine-driven power plants. The efficiency of these power plants can be improved by increasing the operating temperature of the steam generator. In this work, we adopted a combined surface science and computational thermodynamics approach to the design of high-temperature, corrosion-resistant steels for this application. The result is a low-carbon ferritic steel with nanosized transition metal monocarbide precipitates that are thermally stable, as verified by atom probe tomography. High-temperature Vickers hardness measurements demonstrated that these steels maintain their strength for extended periods at 700 °C. We hypothesize that the improved strength of these steels is derived from the semi-coherent interfaces of these thermally stable, nanosized precipitates exerting drag forces on impinging dislocations, thus maintaining strength at elevated temperatures.
Photolysis of CH4-NH3 mixtures and PH3 as models for the photochemical transformations on the primitive earth and Jupiter

Methane, ammonia and phosphine are some of the possible constituents of the atmospheres of the Jovian planets and their satellites. Photolysis of NH3 in the presence of CH4 at 185 nm in the temperature range of 25°C to −100°C results in the decomposition of CH4. The reaction is inhibited by added H2 or SFg. These findings are consistent with the reaction of hot hydrogen atoms with CH4 to give CH3. P2H4 is the initial product formed by the photolysis of PH3 at 206 nm. Kinetic studies established that it is the intermediate in the formation of P4 from PH3. The potential significance of these reactions to the atmospheric photochemistry of the Jovian planets and moons will be discussed.
A Case of Diabetic Ketoacidosis Following Chikungunya Virus Infection.

Abstract. Chikungunya is a mosquito-borne viral disease that has recently become endemic in the Caribbean, including the island of Puerto Rico. We present the case of a 50-year-old Puerto Rican man who traveled to St. Louis for business and was diagnosed with acute chikungunya virus infection with atypical features causing diabetic ketoacidosis. This case highlights the need to keep tropical infectious diseases on the differential diagnosis in appropriate individuals and the ways in which tropical infectious diseases can masquerade as part of common presentations.
Cities and Suburbs: New Metropolitan Realities in the US by Bernadette Hanlon, John R. Short, and Thomas J. Vicino Once the American Dream: Inner Ring Suburbs of the Metropolitan United States by Bernadette Hanlon

Bernadette Hanlon, John R. Short, and Thomas J. Vicino, Cities and Suburbs: New Metropolitan Realities in the US (New York: Routledge, 2010). Bernadette Hanlon, Once the American Dream: Inner Ring...
Requirements of Slm proteins for proper eisosome organization, endocytic trafficking and recycling in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Eisosomes are large immobile assemblies at the cortex of a cell under the membrane compartment of Can1 (MCC) in yeast. Slm1 has recently been identified as an MCC component that acts downstream of Mss4 in a pathway that regulates actin cytoskeleton organization in response to stress. In this study, we showed that inactivation of Slm proteins disrupts proper localization of the primary eisosome marker Pil1, providing evidence that Slm proteins play a role in eisosome organization. Furthermore, we found that slmts mutant cells exhibit actin defects in both the ability to polarize cortical F-actin and the formation of cytoplasmic actin cables even at the permissive temperature (30°C). We further demonstrated that the actin defect accounts for the slow traffic of FM4-64-labelled endosome in the cytoplasm, supporting the notion that intact actin is essential for endosome trafficking. However, our real-time microscopic analysis of Abp1-RFP revealed that the actin defect in slmts cells was not accompanied by a noticeable defect in actin patch internalization during receptor-mediated endocytosis. In addition, we found that slmts cells displayed impaired membrane recycling and that recycling occurred in an actin-independent manner. Our data provide evidence for the requirement of Slm proteins in eisosome organization and endosome trafficking and recycling.
Occupied and unoccupied electronic states of solid C70 with comparison to C60

Abstract The distribution of the valence and conduction band electronic states of solid C70 have been studied with synchrotron radiation photoemission and inverse photoemission. The results show 16 features in the valence band and 10 in the conduction band. The s- and p-character of these states is identified, with those closest to the Fermi level being attributed to pπ-derived levels. Comparison to results for C60 shows differences due to molecular symmetry and configurational disorder of the solid.
The family in Reformation Germany: the bearing and rearing of children.

The article examines the most popular sixteenth-century guide to gynecology, obstetrics, and childcare and the most popular seventeenth-century "housefather" book for information about and attitudes toward childbearing. A deep concern for both pre- and postnatal care of mother and child is evident and the practical advice and remedies offered to expectant and new mothers and to midwives are generally sensible and effective. A variety of educational, sermonic, and catechetical materials is examined to glean child-rearing principles and techniques. Especially important was the inculcation of self-discipline and self- confidence in the child and the nurturing of altruism. Both severity and in dulgence were roundly condemned, although too little discipline was considered to be worse than too much. If the self-conscious comments of contemporaries are to be believed, the theological doctrine of original sin and the experience of high infant and child mortality had a negligible effect on the positive affection p...
The partial metrics system: modeling the stepwise refinement process using partial metrics

The Partial Metrics System design is explained, with an emphasis on the refinement process. A model, with its three phases, shows that the pseudocode refinement process can be monitored in partial metric terms.
Impact of ocular hypotensive lipids on clinically significant diabetic macular edema.

PURPOSE To study the impact of ocular hypotensive lipids (OHL) on the incidence, progression, and response to treatment of clinically significant diabetic macular edema (CSDME). METHODS A total of 379 patients (232 female, 147 male) with a history of diabetes mellitus (DM) and primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) were identified and included in the study. Patients were stratified into groups based on CSDME development and OHL exposure. Main outcome measures included time to development of CSDME, total duration of OHL exposure, and duration of DM and POAG. RESULTS Seven patients (1.8%) developed CSDME after OHL exposure (group 1A), 15 (4.0%) developed CSDME prior to OHL exposure (group 1B), and 197 (52.0%) were treated with OHL but never developed CSDME (group 2). Of patients not exposed to OHL, 22 (5.8%) developed CSDME (group 3) and 138 (36.4%) did not (group 4). Mean duration of DM was longer (p<0.0001) in patients who developed CSDME (20.2 years) compared to patients who did not (12.4 years). There was no difference (p=0.67) in the amount of OHL exposure between patients who developed CSDME (4.1 years) and patients who did not (4.6 years). Once developed, there was no difference in the interval until CSDME resolution between OHL treated (17.8 mo) and untreated (12.7 mo) patients (p=0.36). CONCLUSIONS The CSDME development correlated most strongly with the duration of diabetes, irrespective of OHL use. Ocular hypotensive lipids treatment of POAG seems not to affect the incidence, progression, or response to treatment of CSDME in diabetes.
Working Sandwiched-Generation Caregivers: Prevalence, Characteristics, and Outcomes

Some workers today are caring for family members at both ends of the life span—children and elders. This first national study specifically of dual-earner couples in the sandwiched generation examined their prevalence and their work and family characteristics and outcomes. Couples who were married or living together for at least 1 year who met additional study qualifications were identified using computer-assisted telephone interviewing; both members of 309 couples from across the United States independently completed mail surveys. Screening results indicated that between 9% and 13% of U.S. households contain adults aged 30 or over who work and who provide care to both aging parents and children. This paper (a) presents an overview of existing literature concerning the sandwiched generation; (b) describes key characteristics and outcomes for dual-earner couples caring for children and aging parents; (c) compares the findings for husbands and wives; and (d) discusses the implications of these findings both ...
Identification of RegA protein from Pseudomonas aeruginosa using anti-RegA antibody.

Abstract The product of Pseudomonas aeruginosa regA gene acts as a positive regulator of exotoxin A expression. The protein, RegA, was overproduced in E. coli transformed with an expression vector containing the regA gene. The overproduced RegA accumulated in E. coli in the form of inclusion bodies. The latter were isolated and served as a source of antigen for raising polyclonal antibodies. The antibodies reacted specifically with a P. aerugtnosa protein whose molecular weight corresponded to that predicted for RegA from its known DNA sequence, and whose response to modulating factors matched that expected for RegA. The immunodetectable RegA was localized in the membrane fraction of P. aeruginosa strain PA103.
Biosynthesis and local sequence specific degradation of poly(3-hydroxyvalerate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate) in Hydrogenophaga pseudoflava.

A novel copolymer that consisted of 3-hydroxyvalerate and 4-hydroxybutyrate, P(3HV-co-4HB), was synthesized in Hydrogenophaga pseudoflava by growing it in media containing γ-valerolactone and γ-butyrolactone as a carbon source. The monomer ratio in the copolymer was changed by altering the feed ratio of the two lactones. The cultivation technique was composed of three steps: the first-step for high cell production in Luria−Bertani medium, the second-step for intracellular degrading removal of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (P(3HB)), which was formed in the first step, by culturing the cells in carbon-source-free medium, and the final step for accumulation of P(3HV-co-4HB) in a mixed lactone medium. All the P(3HV-co-4HB) copolymers contained less than 1 mol % of 3HB unit. These copolymers were characterized by NMR spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, wide-angle X-ray diffraction, and first-order kinetic analysis of intracellular degradation. The copolymer with an approximately equal ratio of the como...
Dicentric (9;20)(p11;q11) identified by fluorescence in situ hybridization in four pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients

Abstract Four children with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) and a dic(9;20) are described. All four patients were diagnosed with pre-B-cell ALL, and the three for whom information was available were CD10+. Age at diagnosis ranged from 23 months to 12 years. All patients achieved remission, with two in continuous remission for 2 years 6 months and 3 years, one patient relapsed, dying 3 years 2 months after diagnosis, and one patient was lost to follow-up. These four patients were initially diagnosed as having a deletion of 9p and loss of one chromosome 20. Re-examination of the karyotypes indicated a possible dic(9;20). The dicentric chromosome was verified using dual-color fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with centromeric probes for chromosomes 9 and 20 on interphase nuclei. Three of the four patients had multiple chromosomal abnormalities in addition to the translocation; one was hypedploid, one was pseudodiploid, and two were hyperdiploid. This dicentric chromosome was recently described in four adult and nine pediatric patients with ALL [8, 9]. All reported patients had CD10+ pre-B-cell ALL, and achieved remission, as was the case for our four pediatric dic(9;20) patients. Two of our three patients for whom follow-up is available are in continuous remission as were two adults and jive pediatric patients in the previous reports. These studies confirm the dic(9;20) as a recurring abnormality in ALL. Due to the subtle nature of the translocation, FISH is very useful in confirming the chromosomal abnormality.
Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Resin Composite Materials Using Carboxylate-Alumoxanes as Cross-Linking Agents

Chemically functionalized alumina nanoparticles (carboxylate-alumoxanes) are used as the inorganic component of a new class of inorganic-organic hybrid materials. Lysine- or para- hydroxybenzoic acid-derivatized alumoxanes are readily prepared from the reaction of boehmite, [Al(O)(OH)]n, with the appropriate carboxylic acid. The peripheral organic hydroxides and amines of these carboxylate-alumoxanes either react directly with epoxide resins, such as the diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A (DER 332), to form a hybrid material, or in the presence of an organic resin and hardener system to form a composite material. SEM and AFM show a uniform distribution of alumina nanoparticles within the resin matrix. The properties and cure times of the alumoxane hybrid and composite materials are distinct from both the pure resins and from a physical blend of the resins with traditional ceramic fillers. A significant increase in thermal stability and tensile strength is observed for both the hybrid and composite resin systems. In addition, both carbon fiber and carbon/Kevlar® matting have been successfully incorporated into the hybrid resin systems resulting in further property improvements.
A New Nanometer-Sized Ga(III)-Oxyhydroxide Cation

A new 30-center Ga(III)-oxy-hydroxide cation cluster was synthesized by hydrolysis of an aqueous GaCl3 solution near pH = 2.5 and crystallized using 2,6-napthalene disulfonate (NDS). The cluster has 30 metal centers and a nominal stoichiometry: [Ga30(μ4-O)12(μ3-O)4(μ3-OH)4(μ2-OH)42(H2O)16](2,6-NDS)6, where 2,6-NDS = 2,6-napthalene disulfonate This cluster augments the very small library of Group 13 clusters that have been isolated from aqueous solution and closely resembles one other Ga(III) cluster with 32 metal centers that had been isolated using curcurbit ligands. These clusters have uncommon linked Ga(O)4 centers and sets of both protonated and unprotonated μ3-oxo.
Ion beam analysis of silver thin films on cobalt silicides

Abstract Using a bilayer technique, cobalt disilicide films were grown on (1 0 0) silicon. Silver thin films were subsequently deposited on the silicide layers for evaluation of their thermal stability during vacuum annealing. Rutherford backscattering spectrometry of the annealed films reveals film coarsening at 400 °C after which no changes are intelligible until 700 °C. Scanning electron microscopy of annealed films also shows grain coarsening of the Ag film with increasing anneal temperature. At 650 °C, voids begin to appear in the film. Complete film agglomeration occurs at 700 °C. X-ray diffraction glancing angle scans show no phase changes in the annealed films. Scans from the as-deposited case and the 700 °C, both contain the same reflection peaks. Secondary ion mass spectroscopy depth profiling reveals trace amounts of Ag at the silicide/silicon interface following any amount of heat treatment. Equal amounts of Ag were discovered at the silicide interfaces for all samples annealed from 450 to 700 °C.
Institutional and Cultural Political Resistance: Necessary Conditions for the Transformative Intellectual.

This naturalistic case study of a group of eighth grade middle school teachers depicts them asresistant in two areas: institutional politics and cultural politics. These resistances are first described and then analyzed. Resistance is then connected to what counts as the transformative intellectual. The conclusion suggests that both types of resistances may lead to a teacher commitment in acting to counter ideological barriers. Counterhegemonic possibilities, then, becomes a real potentiality.
Molecular diagnosis of orbital inflammatory disease

Orbital inflammatory diseases include thyroid eye disease (TED), granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA), sarcoidosis, and nonspecific orbital inflammation (NSOI). Histopathological diagnosis usually relies on the clinical context and is not always definitive. Gene expression profiling provides diagnostic and therapeutic information in several malignancies, but its role in evaluating nonmalignant disease is relatively untested. We hypothesized that gene expression profiling could provide diagnostic information for NSOI. We collected formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded orbital biopsies from 10 institutions and 83 subjects including 25 with thyroid eye disease, 25 nonspecific orbital inflammation, 20 healthy controls, 6 with granulomatosis with polyangiitis, and 7 with sarcoidosis. Tissues were divided into discovery and validation sets. Gene expression was quantified using Affymetrix U133 Plus 2.0 microarrays. A random forest statistical algorithm based on data from 39 probe sets identified controls, GPA, or TED with an average accuracy of 76% (p=0.02). Random forest analysis indicated that 52% of tissues from patients with nonspecific inflammation were consistent with a diagnosis of GPA. Molecular diagnosis by gene expression profiling will augment clinical data and histopathology in differentiating forms of orbital inflammatory disease.
Activation energy and entropy for intramolecular excimer formation in a dipyrenylphosphatidylcholine probe in lamellar and hexagonal lipid phases.

Intramolecular excimer formation in pyrene-labeled phosphatidylcholine was used as a tool to determine thermodynamic characteristics of the lamellar to hexagonal phase transitions in a binary lipid system dilinoleoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DLPE)/palmitoyloleoylphosphatidylcholine (POPC). Upon an L alpha/HII phase transition, the activation energy Ea for excimer formation increased from 5.6 +/- 0.2 kcal/mol to 6.3 +/- 0.2 kcal/mol, while the activation entropy delta S decreased from -40.0 +/- 0.8 cal/K.mol to -38.4 +/- 0.8 cal/K.mol. The results are consistent with the idea of molecular splaying of the acyl chains in the hexagonal phase. It is estimated that the molecular area at the terminal carbon of the lipid acyl chains increases by a factor of 2.2 upon the L alpha HII transition in DLPE/POPC.
Simple Technique to Facilitate Tissue Sampling for Electron Microscopy

The need to examine certain components of a specimen with the electron microscope is frequently recognized only after study of the paraffin sections, by which time the total specimen has usually been fixed in Formalin. Such specimens are frequently large, with the result that representative samples for electron microscopy may be difficult to isolate. A simple, quick, and inexpensive method for overcoming this sampling problem is described. This technique is best employed in laboratories that routinely use a single tissue fixative suitable for both light and electron microscopy. The specimen is taken direct from the Formalin. and very thin slices are prepared by hand with a blade, stained with methylene blue, and examined in the wet state under the microscope. On identification, representative tissue is removed by microdissection and processed further for electron microscopy.
Neuropeptides, Including Neuropeptide Y and Melanocortins, Mediate Lipolysis in Murine Adipocytes

OBJECTIVE To determine whether key appetite-regulating neuropeptides such as melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH), neuropeptide Y (NPY), and alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH), which are known to mediate energy balance through centrally mediated pathways, also have direct acute effects on the lipolytic activity of murine adipocytes. RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES Fully differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes serum starved overnight in Dulbecco's modified Eagle medium containing 2% bovine serum albumin or freshly isolated mouse adipocytes were incubated for up to 2 hours in the absence and presence of 100 nM each of NPY, MCH, alpha-MSH, the melanocortin receptor agonist MTII, or isoproterenol as a control. Free fatty acids secreted into the incubation medium were measured using a commercially available nonesterified fatty acid C test kit. RESULTS Treatment of 3T3-L1 cells with 100 nM NPY decreased basal free fatty acid secretion (basal, 0.006 +/- 0.001 vs. NPY, 0.001 +/- 0.0003 nM at 90 minutes; p < 0.05), whereas both alpha-MSH and MTII stimulated up to a 7-fold increase in free fatty acid release (MTII, 0.238 +/- 0.004 vs. basal, 0.024 +/- 0.002 nM at 2 hours; p < 0.05; and alpha-MSH, 0.22 +/- 0.005 vs. basal, 0.04 +/- 0.003 nM at 2 hours; p < 0.05). Treatment with 100 nM MCH had no effect on basal free fatty acid release or on alpha-MSH-induced lipolysis during concurrent treatment. Conversely, concurrent treatment with 100 nM NPY dramatically inhibited (by approximately 90%) alpha-MSH-induced lipolysis. Similar treatment of freshly isolated mouse adipocytes showed virtually identical results. DISCUSSION In addition to their centrally mediated actions, appetite-regulating neuropeptides modulate adipose tissue mass through direct peripheral effects. Systemic administration of pharmacological agents altering the effects of these neuropeptides may form the basis of future obesity therapies. Thus, some of these agents will likely have direct effects on adipocytes that may serve to alter their therapeutic effectiveness.
Sds22p is a subunit of a stable isolatable form of protein phosphatase 1 (Glc7p) from Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Abstract Protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) is one of the major protein phosphatases in eukaryotic cells. PP1 activity is believed to be controlled by the interaction of PP1 catalytic subunit with various regulatory subunits. The essential gene GLC7 encodes the PP1 catalytic subunit in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In this study, full-length GLC7 (1–312), C-terminal deletion mutants, and C-terminally poly-his tagged mutants were constructed and expressed in a GLC7 knockout strain of S. cerevisiae. Viability studies of the GLC7 knockout strains carrying the plasmids expressing GLC7 C-terminal deletion mutants and their tagged forms showed that the mutants 1–295 and 1–304 were functional, whereas the mutant 1–245 was not. The C-terminally poly-his tagged Glc7p with and without an N-terminal hemagglutinin (HA) tag was partially purified by immobilized Ni 2+ affinity chromatography and further analyzed by gel filtration and ion exchange chromatography. Phosphatase activity assays, SDS–PAGE, and Western blot analyses of the chromatographic fractions suggested that the Glc7p associated with regulatory subunits in vivo. A 40-kDa protein was copurified with tagged Glc7p through several chromatographic procedures. Monoclonal antibody against the HA tag coimmunoprecipitated the tagged Glc7p and the 40-kDa protein. This protein was further purified by a reverse phase HPLC column. Analysis by CNBr digestion, peptide sequencing, and electrospray mass spectrometry showed that this 40-kDa protein is Sds22p, one of the proteins proposed to be a regulatory subunit of Glc7. These results demonstrate that Sds22p forms a complex with Glc7p and that Sds22p:Glc7p is a stable isolatable form of yeast PP1.
Formation and use of covariation assessments in the real world

In this study we examined covariation assessments made using real-world information held by individual participants about an important preventive health behaviour: receiving an influenza vaccine (‘flu shot’). Four hundred and seventy-seven healthy adult participants completed a questionnaire, indicating both their personal experience and vicarious experience (knowledge of other people's experiences) with the flu shot and the flu. Additionally, participants provided a covariation assessment by indicating how effective they thought the flu shot is in preventing the flu. We examined whether the experience information was related to the covariation assessment, and whether it in turn was related to the decision to receive a flu shot. Our results indicated that people use a simple intuitive strategy to combine their personal experience information. For vicarious experience information, we found evidence for use of a normative strategy, as well as simpler intuitive strategies. Consistent with our hypothesis, both types of experience information were associated with the effectiveness judgement, which was subsequently related to the decision to obtain a flu shot. Practical applications of these findings are discussed. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Raman spectroscopy: The effect of field gradient on SERS

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy is normally associated with the enhanced electric fields that arise near metal nanoparticle surfaces. The contribution of field gradients has been unclear, but new research provides insights into their effect.
Ligase-based detection of mononucleotide repeat sequences

Up to 15% of all colorectal cancers are considered to be replication error positive (RER(+)) and contain mutations at hundreds of thousands of microsatellite repeat sequences. Recently, a number of intragenic mononucleotide repeat sequences have been demonstrated to be targets for inactivating genes in RER(+)colorectal tumors. In this study, thermostable DNA ligases were tested for the ability to detect alterations in microsatellite sequences in colon tumor samples. Ligation profiles on mononucleotide repeat sequences were determined for four related thermostable DNA ligases, Thermus thermophilus ( Tth ) ligase, Thermus sp. AK16D ligase, Aquifex aeolicus ligase and the K294R mutant of the Tth ligase. While the limit of detection for point mutations was one mutation in 1000 wild-type sequences, the ability to detect a single base deletion in a 10 base mononucleotide repeat was one mutation in 100 wild-type sequences. Furthermore, the misligation error increased exponentially as the length of the mono-nucleotide repeat increased, and was 10% of the correct signal for a 19 base mononucleotide repeat. A fluorescent ligase-based assay [polymerase chain reaction/ligase detection reaction (PCR/LDR)] correlated with results obtained using a radioactive assay to detect instability within the TGF-beta Type II receptor gene. PCR/LDR was also used to detect the APCI1307K mononucleotide repeat allele which has a carrier frequency of 6.1% in Ashkenazi Jewish individuals. In a blind study, 30 samples that had been typed for the presence of the APCI1307K allele were tested. The PCR/LDR results correlated with those obtained using sequencing and allele-specific oligonucleotide hybridization for 16 samples carrying the mutation and 13 wild-type samples. Ligation assays that characterize mononucleotide repeats can be used to rapidly detect somatic mutations in tumors, and to screen for individuals who have a hereditary predisposition to develop colon cancer.
Effect of Angiotensin II Blockade on Renal Injury in Mineralocorticoid-Salt Hypertension

Abstract —Kidney function and structure were compared in control rats (group 1) and in 3 groups of rats made hypertensive by administration of aldosterone and saline for 8 weeks (groups 2, 3, and 4). Group 2 rats received only aldosterone and saline, while group 3 also received losartan and group 4 also received enalapril. Rats in all groups were subjected to uninephrectomy before beginning the experiment. Hypertension and proteinuria in rats given aldosterone and saline were not affected by losartan or enalapril (8-week values for blood pressure in mm Hg: 135±3 group 1, 193±4 group 2, 189±4 group 3, 189±5 group 4; P P P P
Dietary Selenium Supplementation and Whole Blood Gene Expression in Healthy North American Men

Selenium (Se) is a trace nutrient required in microgram amounts, with a recommended dietary allowance of 55 μg/day in humans. The nutritional functions of Se are performed by a group of 25 selenoproteins containing the unusual amino acid selenocysteine at their active sites. The selenoproteins with known activities are oxidation–reduction enzymes with roles in antioxidant protection, redox homeostasis and signaling, and thyroid hormone metabolism. Both deficiencies and excesses of Se are associated with impaired innate and adaptive immune responses. We supplemented 16 healthy men for 1 year with 300 μg Se/day as high-Se yeast or placebo yeast and measured whole blood gene expression with DNA microarrays before and after supplementation. Protein phosphorylation was the main biological process in common among the Se-responsive genes, which included a prominent cluster of protein kinases, suggesting that protein phosphorylation in leukocytes is sensitive to Se supplementation. We found highly ranked clusters of genes associated with RNA processing and protein transport, suggesting that dietary Se may regulate protein expression in leukocytes at both the posttranscriptional and posttranslational levels. The main functional pathway affected by Se supplementation was FAS apoptosis signaling, and expression of genes associated with T cell and natural killer cell cytotoxicity was increased. At the same time, the numbers of circulating natural killer and T cells expressing activation markers decreased. These changes are consistent with an anti-inflammatory effect of Se supplementation exerted through regulation of protein phosphorylation.
A strategy for the education of 21st century physicians.

George Washington University Medical Center has incrementally instituted a series of curriculum changes over the last 10 years which together constitute a strategy for preparing students with skills to deal with the technological, epidemiological, and social issues which they will face in future medical practice.This article reviews the content of required curriculum revisions which include: a first year course in Methods for Reading the Medical Literature; second year courses in Issues in Health Care, Epidemiology, and Medical Decision Making; third year primary care rotation, preventive medicine and cost containment curriculums; and a recently approved fourth year course which will integrate these activities to develop continuing education skills.
Review: β-agonists increase asthma-related intubations and deaths in patients with asthma

Source Citation Salpeter SR, Wall AJ, Buckley NS. Long-acting beta-agonists with and without inhaled corticosteroids and catastrophic asthma events. Am J Med. 2010;123:322-8. 20176343
In Situ Transmission Electron Microscope Studies of Ion Irradiation-Induced and Irradiation-Enhanced Phase Changes

Motivated at least initially by materials needs for nuclear reactor development, extensive irradiation effects studies employing TEMs have been performed for several decades, involving irradiation-induced and irradiation-enhanced, microstructural changes, including phase transformations such as precipitation, dissolution, crystallization, amorphization, and order-disorder phenomena. From the introduction of commercial high voltage electron microscopes (HVEM) in the mid-1960s, studies of electron irradiation effects have constituted a major aspect of HVEM application in materials science. For irradiation effects studies two additional developments have had particularly significant impact: (1) The availability of TEM specimen holders in which specimen temperature can be controlled in the range 10--2200 K; and (2) the interfacing of ion accelerators which allows in situ TEM studies of irradiation effects and the ion beam modification of materials within this broad temperature range. This paper treats several aspects of in situ studies of electron and ion beam-induced and enhanced phase changes, including the current state of in situ ion beam capability internationally, and presents two case studies involving in situ experiments performed in an HVEM to illustrate the dynamics of such an approach in materials research.
Uranium comminution ages: Sediment transport and deposition time scales

Abstract The uranium isotope comminution age is determined from the 234 U/ 238 U ratio and reflects the timescale associated with the transformation of bedrock to sediment. The comminution age is applicable to Late Pleistocene sediments and measures the amount of time elapsed since sediment generation by mechanical weathering and erosion. The age significance of the 234 U/ 238 U ratios is based on physical disruption of the 238 U-decay series by recoil loss of 234 Th that occurs in mineral grains smaller than 50 μm. Results from study of fine-grained deep sea sediments in the North Atlantic Ocean, alluvial sediments in California and Australia, and modern glacial outwash are encouraging, but critical aspects of the method require further investigation. Particular issues are the effects of laboratory chemical leaching treatment on sediment samples and estimation of 234 U loss rates as a function of grain size. In the North Atlantic marine environment the U isotope variations are inferred to reflect differences in the transport time of the sediment–the time elapsed between the generation of the small sediment particles by glacial action in Iceland and Fennoscandian source areas, and the time of deposition on the seafloor in the North Atlantic Ocean at a drift site south of Iceland. Calculated transport times vary from less than 10 kyr to about 400 kyr, and correlate with provenance and glacial cycles. Application to alluvial sediments in California and Australia suggests that where sediments are glacially-derived and transported short distances, the U comminution age may approximate the sedimentation age, but in larger basins that are not glaciated the sediments retain information about residence/transport times that can extend to ca. 400 kyr. To verify that initial 234 U/ 238 U ratios for glacial sediments are close to the secular equilibrium ratio, outwash from several major glaciers around the world was measured and found to be within ± 1% of the accepted equilibrium 234 U/ 238 U value.
Testing of mixing models for Monte Carlo probability density function simulations

Testing of mixing models widely used for Monte Carlo probability density function simulations of turbulent diffusion flames is performed using the data obtained from direct numerical simulations (DNS) that are specifically designed for the study of local flame extinction and reignition. In particular, the interaction by exchange with the mean (IEM) [J. Villermaux and J. C. Devillon, “Representation de la coalescence et de la redispersion des domaines de segregation dans un fluide per modele d’interaction phenomenologique,” in Proceedings of the Second International Symposia on Chemical Reaction Engineering (ISCRE, Netherlands, 1972), p. B1], the modified Curl [J. Janicka, W. Kolbe, and W. Kollmann, J. Non-Equilib. Thermodyn. 4, 47 (1979)], and the Euclidean minimum spanning tree (EMST) [S. Subramaniam and S. B. Pope, Combust. Flame 115, 487 (1998)] mixing models are tested. The tests are designed to examine the mixing model performance when implemented in both Reynolds-averaged simulations and large-eddy ...
Along the Cancer Continuum: Integrating Therapeutic Support and Bereavement Groups for Children and Teens of Terminally Ill Cancer Patients

Family life is altered irrevocably when a young parent is diagnosed with or dies from cancer. This article tracks the genesis and transformation of a comprehensive psychoeducational support and bereavement program for children, adolescents, and parents affected by cancer. From the inception of the program, families with parents in active treatment participated in time-limited support groups. When a parent died, families transitioned out of support and into bereavement groups. As the cancer experience became more chronic, families remained in these respective groups for longer periods of time. This required clinicians to reconsider group structure to avoid the additional losses incurred as newly bereaved families transitioned from one group to another. Restructuring the program allowed participants to remain in familiar environments and to experience greater support and continuity in their care. Children, teens, and parents made clinical gains in communicating their needs and feelings to loved ones. Furthe...
The mechanical properties of the superplastic AI- 33 Pct Cu eutectic alloy

Experiments were conducted to determine the mechanical properties of the superplastic Al-33 Pct Cu eutectic alloy at temperatures from 673 to 723 K. Specimens were tested in a well-annealed condition and there was no evidence for grain growth even at the lowest experimental strain rate of 6.7 × 1(10-7 s-1. It is shown that the stress-strain curves rapidly attain a steady-state value at strain rates below ′10-4 s-1, and there is a sigmoidal relationship between stress and strain rate which may be obtained using several different testing procedures. The maximum elongation to failure recorded in these experiments was 1475 Pct at an initial strain rate of 1.3 × 10-5 s-1. The true activation energy for plastic flow is 175 ±11 kJ mol-1 in the superplastic region II, but it increases to 299 ± 18 kJ mol-1 at low strain rates in region I. The exponent of the inverse grain size is 2.1 ±0.3 in region II. These results show that, when the grains size is stable, there is a genuine region I in the Al-33 Pct Cu alloy at initial strain rates below ∼10-5 s-1.
The structure of the ILLIAC IV operating system

The paper outlines the structure of the operating system for the ILLIAC IV, a large array computer being built by the University of Illinois. The system is unique in that it resides primarily on a second control computer and distributes operating system functions among independent programs in a multi-programming, multi-processing mix, where inter-program communication is accomplished by buffer files. The job control language interpreter and hardware interrupt dispatcher are independent modules which may be user defined, invoked dynamically, and co-exist with the standard system modules.
Attitude change and Turkish modernization

Theories of modernization and attitude change have generally assumed that the growth of education and the mass media will aid in significantly changing mass attitudes. This proposition is contradicted by the findings from a projection of likely changes in Turkish villager attitudes as education and the mass media become more widespread. Data from two large nationwide sample surveys performed in 1962 and 1963 were used as inputs for the projection. Outputs were estimates of villager attitudes in 1972 and 1982 given various assumptions regarding the spread of education and the mass media. Partial validation of the model was achieved by using cross-sectional data from 1963 to develop “villager types” which predicted 1963 urban attitudes relatively well; the projected 1982 village levels of mass media and education were well below the 1963 urban distribution of these facilities. The model outcomes indicated that attitude change due to the spread of education and the mass media was likely to proceed quite slowly. On the other hand, a comparison of 1962 and 1963 trend data seemed to indicate significant attitude change over this one year period. Social and political changes in this one year period were forwarded as possible reasons for the attitudinal differences.
Serological detection of an x-associated antigen in the mouse using a cellular radioimmunobinding assay.

Abstract Skin grafts between inbred strains of mice that differ with respect to an X-linked histocompatibility locus are generally rejected. Using a cellular radioimmunobinding assay, we have serologically demonstrated the presence of an X-associated antigen on lymphocytes of A/J female mice.
Prevalence and Associations of Asymptomatic Retinal Emboli in Latinos: The Los Angeles Latino Eye Study (LALES)

Purpose To study the prevalence and associations of asymptomatic retinal emboli in a cohort of Latinos and to compare these findings with those of previous population studies. Design Population-based cross-sectional study. Methods All participants in this study underwent a comprehensive eye examination, including fundus photography. Photographs were graded by trained masked graders. Lifestyle factors and medical history were obtained during extensive interviews. Blood pressure, serum glucose, and glycosylated hemoglobin were measured. Age- and gender-specific prevalence rates were calculated. Odds ratios (ORs) were calculated using stepwise logistic regression analyses to identify independent risk factor associated with asymptomatic retinal emboli. Results Photographs gradable for retinal emboli were obtained from 5,959 participants. For all participants, the prevalence of definite asymptomatic retinal emboli was 0.4% (n = 26). Stepwise logistic regression analyses identified smoking (> five pack years; OR, 4.3) and history of coronary artery disease (OR, 2.8) to be associated independently with retinal emboli ( P Conclusions We found a lower prevalence of asymptomatic retinal emboli compared with previous population-based studies. This could be secondary to the Los Angeles Latino Eye Study (LALES) population being younger, having lower blood pressure, and having fewer smokers than other studies. As in other studies, smoking emerges as the strongest association with retinal emboli.
Penetrating neck trauma in children: an urban hospital's experience.

OBJECTIVE: As the incidence of violent crime increases in our society, the rate of penetrating head and neck trauma in children also rises. The methods of management of pediatric penetrating neck w...