cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Measurement of free electrophoretic mobility and retardation coefficient of protein-sodium dodecyl sulfate complexes by gel electrophoresis. A method to validate molecular weight estimates.

Abstract This paper describes the measurement of free electrophoretic mobility (M0) and retardation coefficient (Kr) for selected soluble proteins, maleylated soluble proteins, and membrane proteins in sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) gel electrophoresis. For the soluble proteins Kr increases linearly with molecular weight, while M0 is nearly the same. Reaction of soluble proteins with maleic anhydride causes increases in Kr and decreases in M0 which explain the anomalously low mobility of these proteins on SDS gels. Based on the results with maleylated proteins, measurement of M0 and Kr may allow detection of proteins that migrate anomalously on SDS gel without knowledge of their molecular weights. This approach was used as a means of validating molecular weight estimates for several membrane proteins.
Measurement of carbon for carbon sequestration and site monitoring

Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is basically an emission spectroscopy technique where atoms and ions are primarily formed in their excited states as a result of interaction between a tightly focused laser beam and the material sample. The interaction between matter and high-density photons generates a plasma plume, which evolves with time and may eventually acquire thermodynamic equilibrium. One of the important features of this technique is that it does not require any sample preparation, unlike conventional spectroscopic analytical techniques. Samples in the form of solids, liquids, gels, gases, plasmas and biological materials (like teeth, leaf or blood) can be studied with almost equal ease. LIBS has rapidly developed into a major analytical technology with the capability of detecting all chemical elements in a sample, of real- time response, and of close-contact or stand-off analysis of targets. The present book has been written by active specialists in this field, it includes the basic principles, the latest developments in instrumentation and the applications of LIBS . It will be useful to analytical chemists and spectroscopists as an important source of information and also to graduate students and researchers engaged in the fields of combustion, environmental science, and planetary and space exploration.
Long-term effects of changes in goose grazing intensity on arrowgrass populations: a spatially explicit model

Summary 1 Field studies on effects of geese on arrowgrass (Triglochin palustris) on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta (SW Alaska) have demonstrated that Pacific black brant geese (Brant bernicla nigricans) can have both positive and negative effects on arrowgrass populations, but cannot predict unambiguously the effects of increased goose numbers on arrowgrass demography. 2 A cellular automata model was used to predict effects of changes in goose grazing intensity on small-scale (within-patch) arrowgrass dynamics. We examined effects of making some of the plant competitors edible to geese, of goose faeces increasing arrowgrass reproduction but reducing size of ungrazed arrowgrass, and of the presence of other species protecting arrowgrass from grazing. We also compared the effects of a random vs. patchy distribution of geese, and of incorporating threshold numbers of arrowgrass below which grazing ceased. 3 The results indicate that arrowgrass populations are likely to be highest at medium to high levels of grazing. Inclusion of edible competitors and positive effects of faecal deposition resulted in greater changes in arrowgrass population dynamics than did inclusion of associative refuges. 4 For a given grazing intensity, models generally resulted in lower arrowgrass populations with increased aggregation if distributions of geese were patchy, suggesting that decreased colonization may result from lower dispersal. 5 Inclusion of a feedback effect (grazing only above a certain plant population) caused arrowgrass populations to persist for much longer. Temporal variability in whether plots were grazed (unrelated to arrowgrass numbers) could not account for this result. 6 The model results suggest that knowledge of both small-scale and large-scale foraging behaviour is needed to predict the long-term effects of goose grazing on arrowgrass. Small-scale effects on the population may be particularly important where dispersal distances are short. The ability of plant populations to persist locally may be increased if grazing is suspended when herbivory reduces forage plants below a threshold level.
Attitudes toward prenatal testing and pregnancy termination among a diverse population of parents of children with intellectual disabilities

Objective To determine how parents of children with intellectual disabilities view prenatal testing and pregnancy termination for their child's condition. Method We interviewed 201 English-speaking or Spanish-speaking caregivers of children aged 2 to 10 years. Primary outcomes were being disinclined to undergo prenatal testing or pregnancy termination for the child's condition in a future pregnancy. Results While only 33% of the sample indicated they would not have prenatal testing, 75% were disinclined to terminate their pregnancy if their fetus was affected. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, Asians were significantly less likely than White participants to say they would forego prenatal testing (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 0.08, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.01–0.86, p = 0.037), while Latinos had lower odds of being disinclined to terminate (aOR = 0.27, 95% CI = 0.07–0.99, p = 0.048). Participants who felt that abortion for their child's condition should not be available were more likely to say they would forego prenatal testing (aOR = 5.10, 95% CI = 2.09–12.43, p < 0.001) and, not surprisingly, they were also at higher odds of being disinclined to terminate pregnancy for this condition (aOR = 13.63, 95% = CI 4.19–44.34, p < 0.001). Greater life satisfaction also was associated with being disinclined to terminate pregnancy (aOR = 3.40, 95% CI = 1.34–8.61, p = 0.010). Conclusion Although many parents of children with intellectual disabilities believe they would desire information regarding their fetus in a future pregnancy, most feel they would not opt to terminate their pregnancy. As new tests for intellectual disabilities become available, determining what would be most useful to prospective parents should become a high priority. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Abundances in Interstellar Gas

The atomic character, physical conditions, and transparency of diffuse interstellar clouds provide an ideal laboratory to measure gas-phase ISM elemental abundances through absorption-line studies of background stars. Recent ultraviolet observations of diffuse clouds with the Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph (GHRS) onboard the Hubble Space Telescope have yielded an accurate set of local ISM abundances for a number of key elements. In particular, observations of interstellar oxygen and krypton indicate that the overall (gas plus dust) metallicity of the local ISM is about 2/3 of the solar system value. There are no statistically significant variations in the measured O and Kr abundances from sightline to sightline and no evidence of density-dependent O and Kr depletion from the gas phase into dust grains. The implications of these results are discussed in concert with recent GHRS findings on other elements such as carbon, nitrogen, zinc, sulfur and tin.
Antibody CR1-2B11 recognizes a non-polymorphic epitope of human CR1 (CD35)

Measurement of erythrocyte [red blood cells (RBC)] complement receptor type 1 (CR1, CD35) has the potential to serve as a sensitive assessment of complement activation and immune complex clearance. All previously reported monoclonal antibodies (MoAb) to the extracellular region of CR1 recognize epitopes within the long homologous repeats (LHR) of CR1 and the epitopes for the most frequently used MoAbs are repeated at least twice per CR1 molecule. Furthermore, CR1 exhibits structural polymorphism characterized by a variable number of LHR per molecule. Thus, accurate enumeration of cell surface CR1 using currently available MoAb would require that the results be corrected for the number of antibody epitopes per CR1 molecule encoded by each individual's alleles. To obtain a MoAb to a non-polymorphic epitope on human CR1, hybridomas were generated from mice immunized with recombinant soluble CR1 (sCR1) and MoAb were screened for those that recognized the full-length extracellular domain but failed to bind to all four recombinant LHR fragments. A single antibody, CR1-2B11, was identified and was found to recognize an epitope located wholly within SCR29-30 of CR1, NH2-terminal to an elastase cleavage site. Like other CR1 MoAb, the CR1-2B11 epitope expression decreased on old erythrocytes compared to younger cells and CR1-2B11 did not identify a CR1 'stump' on RBC. Importantly, CR1-2B11 immunofluorescence did not change with storage or handling of RBC, unlike the apparent decrease in immunofluorescence observed with other MoAb. CR1-2B11 should be useful for the accurate enumeration of RBC CR1.
The Distributive Deficit in Law and Economics

Welfarist law and economics ignores the distributive consequences of legal rules to focus solely on efficiency, even though distribution unambiguously affects welfare, the normative maximand. The now-conventional justification for disregarding distribution is the claim of tax superiority: that the best means of influencing or correcting distribution is via tax-and-transfer. Critics have observed that optimal redistribution through tax may be politically infeasible, but have generally overlooked the rejoinder that the same political impediments to redistribution through tax will block redistribution through legal rules. This “invariance hypothesis,” as we label it, holds that there is only one distributive equilibrium and that Congress will offset through tax any deviations from it. We highlight the centrality of invariance to the conventional economic wisdom and assert that it is just as relevantly false as the zero transaction cost assumption. In contexts where political impediments to tax-based redistribution exceed the impediments to doctrinal redistribution, it may be possible to increase welfare by redistributing outside of tax. Welfarists should, therefore, devote as much scholarly attention to the “political action costs” of redistribution as they do to transaction costs.
Pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics during the transition from warfarin to rivaroxaban: a randomized study in healthy subjects

Aims This study investigated relevant pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic parameters during the transition from warfarin to rivaroxaban in healthy male subjects. Methods Ninety-six healthy men were randomized into the following three groups: warfarin [international normalized ratio (INR) 2.0–3.0] transitioned to rivaroxaban 20 mg once daily (od; group A); warfarin (INR 2.0–3.0) followed by placebo od (group B); and rivaroxaban alone 20 mg od (group C) for 4 days. Anti-factor Xa activity, inhibition of factor Xa activity, prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time, HepTest, prothrombinase-induced clotting time, factor VIIa activity, factor IIa activity, endogenous thrombin potential and pharmacokinetics were measured. Results An additive effect was observed on the PT and PT/INR during the initial transition period. The mean maximal prolongation of PT was 4.39-fold [coefficient of variation (CV) 18.03%; range 3.39–6.50] of the baseline value in group A, compared with 1.88-fold (CV 10.35%; range 1.53–2.21) in group B and 1.57-fold (CV 9.98%; range 1.37–2.09) in group C. Rivaroxaban had minimal influence on the PT/INR at trough levels. Inhibition of factor Xa activity, activated partial thromboplastin time and endogenous thrombin potential were also enhanced, but to a lesser extent. In contrast, the effects of rivaroxaban on anti-factor Xa activity, HepTest and prothrombinase-induced clotting time were not affected by pretreatment with warfarin. Conclusions Changes in pharmacodynamics during the transition from warfarin to rivaroxaban vary depending on the test used. A supra-additive effect on PT/INR is expected during the initial period of transition, but pretreatment with warfarin does not influence the effect of rivaroxaban on anti-factor Xa activity.
Effects of pregnancy and progestational agents on the urinary tract.

Abstract Numerous previous investigations have failed to demonstrate conclusively the etiology of hydroureter and hydronephrosis of pregnancy. A convincing argument has been made for both hormonal and mechanical factors. In the present study a total of 54 patients were studied, 44 of whom were pregnant and 10 of whom were receiving drug therapy. Those studied during the first trimester of pregnancy were admitted for therapeutic abortion. Employing intravenous pyelography and urometry, dilatation of the ureters was demonstrated in 2 of 17 patients in the first trimester, 4 of 7 in the second trimester, and 4 of 5 in the third trimester. Patients receiving large doses of the progestational agents and synthetic estrogen demonstrated no alteration in ureteral function and no dilatation of the ureters.
Chapter 15 - Hormonal regulation of ion transporters: the guard cell system

This chapter discusses hormonal regulation of ion transport in the context of stomatal guard cells, the system for which the most information is currently available, with allusions to other systems where appropriate. Indirect evidence for hormonal regulation of plant ion transport has been available for several decades. It has not been until recently, however, that the availability of sophisticated electrophysiological techniques has allowed to directly linking hormone action with alterations in ion channel and ion pump activity. The marriage of molecular biological techniques, mutant analysis, and electrophysiology will be crucial to further our understanding of ion transporters, as well as the receptors and signalling intermediates which are associated with them. The wealth of information available about hormonal signalling in guard cells, albeit only for ABA and auxin, highlights the fact that there is a paucity of other systems from which even the most rudimentary knowledge can be achieved. While the influence of plant hormones on stomatal aperture is crucial in terms of survival, their effects on plant development and growth are equally important. There are some clues about cell fate determination in relation to cytokinins and calcium channels in the moss, and the barley aleurone system is poised for the investigation of specific transport systems in relation to hormones.
The risk of angiosarcoma following primary breast cancer.

Lymphangiosarcoma of the upper extremity is a rare and aggressive tumour reported to occur following post-mastectomy lymphoedema (Stewart–Treves syndrome). Haemangiosarcoma, a related rare tumour, has occasionally been reported to occur in the breast following irradiation. We conducted a case-control study using the University of Southern California-Cancer Surveillance Program, the population-based cancer registry for Los Angeles County, to evaluate the relationship between invasive female breast cancer and subsequent upper extremity or chest lymphangiosarcoma and haemangiosarcoma together referred to as angiosarcoma. Cases were females diagnosed between 1972 and 1995 with angiosarcoma of the upper extremity (n = 20) or chest (n = 48) who were 25 years of age or older and residing in Los Angeles County when diagnosed. Other sarcomas at the same anatomic sites were also studied. Controls were females diagnosed with cancers other than sarcoma during the same time period (n = 266 444). Cases and controls were then compared with respect to history of a prior invasive epithelial breast cancer. A history of breast cancer increased the risk of upper extremity angiosarcoma by more than 59-fold (odds ratio [OR] = 59.3, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] = 21.9–152.8). A strong increase in risk after breast cancer was also observed for angiosarcoma of the chest and breast (OR = 11.6, 95% CI = 4.3–26.1) and for other sarcomas of the chest and breast (OR = 3.3, 95% CI = 1.1–1.7). © 1999 Cancer Research Campaign
CHRONIC STRESS ACCELERATES AGING INDUCED COLLATERAL DYSFUNCTION IN C57BL6 MOUSE MODEL OF HIND LIMB ISCHEMIA

Aging is a major vascular risk factor. Chronic stress is associated with impaired endothelial function. We hypothesized that chronic stress accelerates aging induced collateral dysfunction in mouse model of hind limb ischemia. 20 month–old C57Bl6 mice were subjected to chronic stress, either cold
Does chloroform exposure while showering pose a serious public health concern

The problem of organic chemicals in drinking water has been well known since 1974-1975 when the National Organics Reconnaissance Survey (NORS) and the National Organics Monitoring Survey (NOMS) showed that drinking water contaminated by organics could be found throughout the nation. Of special concern are the trihalomethanes (THMs) one of which, chloroform, is a suspected human carcinogen, and has been proven to be carcinogenic in test animals. In addition to chloroform exposure from drinking water, inhalation of chloroform from air while showering may constitute an additional source of exposure. Since the EPA has not included exposure to airborne chloroform in their risk-assessment calculations, the actual cancer risk to the population due to chloroform in drinking water may be significantly higher than the EPA estimated. It is suggested that a major research effort be directed at the determination of airborne chloroform levels in the domestic shower environment. Effort should also be made to determine what variables affect the magnitude of the chloroform levels if present. Once these variables are known it may be possible to educate the public about the potential hazard and ways to eliminate or reduce it.
SU-FF-T-489: Simulating the Effects of Anti-Angiogenic Therapy Using Voxel-Based Biological Parameters Derived From Functional Imaging

Purpose: Although anti‐angiogenic agents are being used in combination with standard radiotherapy or radiochemotherapy, the biological response mechanisms are currently not well understood. This study investigates therapeutic response to bevacizumab, a monoclonal antibody to VEGF‐A, using a functional imaging‐basedtumor simulation model.Method and Materials: A multiscale tumor growth and radiation therapy response model based upon patient‐specific parameters was extended by implementing response mechanisms to bevacizumab. PET/CT images of cellularproliferation ([ 18 F ]FLT) and hypoxia ([ 61 Cu ]Cu‐ATSM) in human HNSCC tumors served as simulation input. Treatment with bevacizumab according to a clinical treatment regimen was simulated as an example of anti‐angiogenic therapy. Heterogeneous drug delivery within the tumors was simulated using a four‐compartment pharmacokinetic model coupled with perfusion parameters assessed by DCE‐CT. Within each voxel, response was modeled based on changes in VEGF‐A levels, simulated changes in microvessel density (MVD), and resulting changes in oxygenation levels. Results were compared to follow‐up PET/CT scans of hypoxia and proliferation.Results: Simulating response to a single bevacizumab dose of 10 mg/kg yielded decreased [ 18 F ]FLT uptake values as observed in all follow‐up scans. The mean correlation coefficient between simulated and follow‐up [ 18 F ]FLT scans was 0.79. However, trends in [ 61 Cu ]Cu‐ATSM uptake values could not be reproduced in all simulation cases, indicating that response time, as well as quantitative changes in hypoxia might depend on additional patient‐specific biological parameters. Simulated MVDs were found to be highly time‐dependent. Conclusion: The implemented model successfully reproduced trends in proliferative response following bevacizumab monotherapy and can be readily integrated into a previously developed radiation response model. Results also suggest that MVD should be used carefully when characterizing treatment response to anti‐angiogenic therapy due to a strong time‐dependence. Upon successful validation, the implemented model could serve as a prospective tool to help identify personalized dosing and sequencing of combination therapies.
Determination of enthalpy of ionization of water from 250 to 350° C

The enthalpy changes at zero ionic strength (ΔH°) for the ionization of water (H2O=H++OH−) were determined by flow calorimetry from the heats of mixing of aqueous NaOH and HCl solutions in the temperature range 250 to 350°C. Pitzer ion-interaction models developed by other workers were used to calculate enthalpies of dilution of aqueous NaOH, HCl, and NaCl solutions for the extrapolation of ΔH values from the conditions of the experiment to infinite dilution. Equations are derived for thermodynamic quantities (log K, ΔH°, ΔS°, ΔC p ° and ΔV°) for the ionization of water using the ΔH° values determined in this study from 250 to 350°C and literature log K and ΔH° values from 0 to 225°C. Smoothed values of log K, ΔH°, ΔS°, ΔC p ° , and ΔV° are presented at rounded temperatures from 0 to 350°C and at the saturation pressure of water for each temperature. The equations in the present study provide a better representation of experimental thermodynamic data from 0 to 350°C than the Marshall-Franck equation.
Adenosinetriphosphatase activity in gills of salmonids: seasonal variations and salt water influence in coho salmon, Oncorhynchus kisutch

Abstract 1. 1. ATPase activities in gills of yearling coho salmon were monitored from February to October. 2. 2. Na+, K+-activated ATPase activity increased during the last 2 weeks of March and remained constant until July, when a decrease was observed. 3. 3. Na+, K+-activated ATPase began to increase 3 to 4 days after coho salmon were placed in salt water and continued to increase for 30 to 35 days. Mg2+-dependent ATPase decreased during this same period of time. 4. 4. Dietary sodium chloride caused an increase in Na+, K+-ATPase and a decrease in Mg2+-dependent ATPase activity.
Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopic Characterization of Olefin Complexation by Silver Salts in Solution

Complex formation between 1-hexene and silver salts in chloroform solution has been characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Silver tetrafluoroborate, AgBF4, and silver triflate, AgCF3SO3, form 1:2 Ag+:1-hexene complexes in solution. The olefinic CC vibrational stretching frequency at 1640 cm-1 in 1-hexene shifts to approximately 1580 cm-1 upon complexation with these silver salts. Silver trifluoroacetate, AgCF3CO2, exhibits limited complexation and silver nitrate, AgNO3, exhibits no measurable complexation. Salts with the larger BF4- and CF3SO3- anions have a much stronger tendency to form complexes than those with the smaller NO3- and CF3CO2- anions. The tendency of these salts to form complexes in solution was most strongly correlated with anion size and was not well-correlated with measures of anion-donor electron density or softness parameter. The effect of ether-containing compounds, such as triethylene glycol (TEG) and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), on the silver−olefin interactio...
GPDs AND TMDs

For transversely polarized nucleons the distribution of quarks in the transverse plane is transversely shifted and that shift can be described in terms of Generalized Parton Distributions (GPDs). This observation provides a 'partonic' derivation of the Ji-relation for the quark angular momentum in terms of GPDs. Wigner distributions are used to show that the difference between the Jaffe-Manohar definiton of quark orbital angular momentum and that of Ji is equal to the change of orbital angular momentum due to the final state interactions as the struck quark leaves the target in a DIS experiment.
Hannah Arendt, identity and the politics of visibility

(1997). Hannah Arendt, identity and the politics of visibility. Contemporary Politics: Vol. 3, No. 4, pp. 321-339.
Elevated expression of cav-1 in a subset of SSc fibroblasts contributes to constitutive Alk1/Smad1 activation

Previous studies have shown that the transforming growth factor (TGF)β/Alk1/Smad1 signaling pathway is constitutively activated in a subset of systemic sclerosis (SSc) fibroblasts and this pathway is a critical regulator of CCN2 gene expression. Caveolin-1 (cav-1), an integral membrane protein and the main component of caveolae, has also been implicated in SSc pathogenesis. This study was undertaken to evaluate the role of caveolin-1 in Smad1 signaling and CCN2 expression in healthy and SSc dermal fibroblasts. We show that a significant subset of SSc dermal fibroblasts has up-regulated cav-1 expression in vitro, and that cav-1 up-regulation correlates with constitutive Smad1 phosphorylation. In addition, basal levels of phospho-Smad1 were down-regulated after inhibition of cav-1 in SSc dermal fibroblasts. Caveolin-1 formed a protein complex with Alk1 in dermal fibroblasts, and this association was enhanced by TGFβ. By using siRNA against cav-1 and adenoviral cav-1 overexpression we demonstrate that activation of Smad1 in response to TGFβ requires cav-1 and that cav-1 is sufficient for Smad-1 phosphorylation. We also show that cav-1 is a positive regulator of CCN2 gene expression, and that it is required for the basal and TGFβ-induced CCN2 levels. In conclusion, this study has revealed an important role of cav-1 in mediating TGFβ/Smad1 signaling and CCN2 gene expression in healthy and SSc dermal fibroblasts.
Inclusion: Why the Confusion?

(2000). Inclusion: Why the Confusion? Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance: Vol. 71, No. 4, pp. 32-36.
Execution publicity and homicide in Georgia

A requisite of both general deterrence and brutalization theories of capital punishment is citizen awareness of executions. Yet this dimension is frequently left unmeasured in the literature on executions and homicide. Further, the current literature utilizes nationwide data, which introduces aggregation bias. The present study deals with these issues, testing the brutalization theory with data on publicized executions in the state of Georgia. Monthly data are used in order to capture any short-term brutalization effect. The results of a multivariate time-series model find that a publicized execution is associated with an increase of 2.6 homicides, or 6.8%, in the month of the publicized execution. Publicized executions were associated with an increase of 55 homicides during the time period analyzed. The results provide no support for the deterrence, victim mobilization, and normative validation perspectives on homicide. The findings can be interpreted, however, from several different varieties of brutalization theory.
The integral K -theoretic Novikov conjecture for groups with finite asymptotic dimension

The integral assembly map in algebraic K-theory is split injective for any geometrically finite discrete group with finite asymptotic dimension.
Long waves in shallow water over a layer of bingham-plastic fluid-mud—II. Mathematical derivation of long wave equations

In this part we give a systematic derivation of the long wave equations in water and fluid mud layers. Based on the assumption of small depth/wave-length ratio, a perturbation analysis is carried out for a fluid-mud modeled by a generalized Bingham fluid with two viscosities. The results confirm the heuristic derivation given in Part I, and clarifies the regime of validity.
Site-specific characterization of the N-linked oligosaccharides of a murine immunoglobulin M by high-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray mass spectrometry

Immunoglobulin M is an especially important product of the immune system because it plays a critical role in early protection against infections. In this report, the glycosylation pattern of the protective murine monoclonal IgM 12A1 to Cryptococcus neoformans polysaccharide was analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Peptide mapping studies covering 88% of the deduced amino acid sequence indicated that of the six potential N-glycosylation sites in this antibody only five were utilized, as the tryptic peptide derived from monoclonal IgM 12A1 containing Asn-260 was recovered without carbohydrates. The oligosaccharide side chains of monoclonal IgM 12A1 were characterized at each of the N-glycosylation sites. Asn-166 possessed 20 monosialylated and nonsialylated, and fucosylated and nonfucosylated complex- and hybrid-type oligosaccharides and one high-mannose-type oligosaccharide. Thirteen oligosaccharides were attached to the site at Asn-401, including six complex-type, four hybrid-type, and three high-mannose-type oligosaccharides. Twelve hybrid-type oligosaccharides were attached to Asn-378, three of which had terminal sialic acids. Eleven hybrid-type oligosaccharides were attached to Asn-331, seven of which had terminal sialic acids. Only two high-mannose type oligosaccharides were attached to Asn-363. These results indicated great complexity in the structure and composition of oligosaccharides attached to individual IgM glycosylation sites.
Folding of the Thiamine Pyrophosphate (TPP) Riboswitch

TPP riboswitches regulate the expression of thiamine-synthesis (thi) genes through a variety of mechanisms, all of which involve binding of TPP to a structured aptamer formed in the untranslated region (UTR) of a thi mRNA. We used a high-resolution, single-molecule optical trapping assay to characterize mechanically the folding of the TPP riboswitch aptamer located in the 3’UTR of the thiC gene of Arabidopsis thaliana. Each RNA molecule, containing either the complete aptamer sequence or a portion thereof, was transcribed in vitro, annealed to DNA handles via single-stranded overhangs, and placed in a “dumbbell” experimental geometry1. By applying tension to the ends of the RNA molecule under equilibrium conditions and measuring the corresponding extensions, we observed transitions among several well-defined folding states, which we discuss in the context of secondary and tertiary structures formed by the aptamer2. One low-force state of the full aptamer, corresponding to the formation of structural elements located near the three-helix junction, was abolished by mutating a single nucleotide believed to participate in specific tertiary contacts within the junction2,3. We observed that the mutant aptamer does not bind TPP or other substrates (thiamine, thiamine monophosphate), and that the wild-type aptamer only binds substrates concomitant with entry into the fully-folded state. We also studied the energetics of substrate binding under non-equilibrium conditions by rapidly increasing or decreasing the extension of the aptamer and measuring the hysteresis in force. The number of phosphates on the substrate modulated the amount of work required to induce substrate unbinding, the height and location of the energy barrier to substrate unbinding, and the amount of RNA released.1. Greenleaf WJ, et al (2005). PRL 95, 208102.2. Thore S, et al (2006). Science 312, 1208-1211.3. Sudarsan N, et al (2005). Chemistry & Biology 12, 1325-1335.
The convergence of iterative solutions to the Electric Field Integral Equation

Abstract The Jacobi iterative method is applied to the system of linear equations arising from the discretization of the Electric Field Integral Equation (EFIE). It is shown that the resulting matrix equation is a contraction mapping, guaranteeing monotonic mean square convergence, for any initial guess, and for a preferred choice of a relaxation parameter (α). Both the criterion for convergence and for the generation of the initial guess are discussed in detail. Results are shown for the 2-dimensional TM scattering by a perfectly conducting strip which illustrates the major points of this paper. The mathematical criterion herein may be applied to any electromagnetic problem employing the EFIE for perfectly conducting surfaces.
Renal support for pediatric patients with acute kidney injury after cardiac surgery. What do we know now

81 children with a mean age of 50-54 months who received continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) after CS. These children had a higher mortality rate (43%) than those who received CRRT for noncardiac causes (4%). There were 14 patients on ECLS with 3 of them having the CRRT circuit directly connecting to the ECLS circuit. CRRT was initiated when the fluid balance was positive and there was oliguria, or a serum creatinine concentration double that of normal levels for age. Compared with patients receiving CRRT for other causes, those with CS had a higher incidence of CRRT, lower blood pressure, a longer duration of CRRT, and more frequent need for mechanical ventilation. Risk factors associated with mortality were hypotension at the start of CRRT, Pediatric Risk of Mortality Score21, and the use of hemofiltration.
An approximate analysis for general film condensation transients

This work presents a simple, powerful technique for analyzing a broad class of film condensation transients. The analysis shows that general film condensation transients are governed by the propagation of a kinematic wave along the film. Scaling arguments establish conditions for the use of quasi-steady profiles in the integral conservation equations. An elementary method permits simple solutions of the governing hyperbolic equation for time-step changes with arbitrary initial conditions. The application of this method yields closed-form solutions for step changes of body force, vapor shear, and wall temperature for a laminar film and for step changes of body force and wall temperature for a film within a porous medium. These approximate results agree excellently with numerical solutions of the complete boundary-layer equations. This technique has applications to a wide class of film condensation transients and to film boiling and convective vaporization transients.
Acetylene reduction byDaviesia mimosoides under Eucalyptus

Daviesia mimosoides is a common understorey legume in Eucalyptus forests of the Brindabella Range in southeastern Australia, capable of fixing atmospheric nitrogen. Rates of N fixation were measured by the acetylene-reduction technique over a growing season in the field. Pot trials under controlled conditions were also carried out to elucidate effects of soil moisture, temperature, and light. Average rates in the field varied from about 1–5 μ mol C2H4/g/h (wet weight of nodule), but rates up to 14 μ mol C2H4/g/h were measured in optimum controlled conditions. Annual N-fixation rates approximate 4.5–7.0 kg/ha. In pot trials, rate of acetylene reduction decreased with soil moisture to about−10 MPa tension, with a marked depression at about−6 MPa, but within the normal field range of soil moisture there was little correlation of moisture with average acetylene reduction rate. Rates were similar in the temperature range of 20–30°C, but were depressed by either low or high temperature ( 30°C). Diurnal fluctuations in acetylene reduction rates were not correlated with solar radiation, but rates were limited by high mid-day temperatures.
The Dock-and-Coalesce Mechanism for the Association of Intrinsically Disordered WASP with the Cdc42 GTPase

Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) play key roles in signaling and regulation. Many IDPs undergo folding upon binding to their targets. We have proposed that coupled folding and binding of IDPs generally follow the dock-and-coalesce mechanism, whereby a segment of the IDP through diffusion docks to its cognate subsite and subsequently the remaining segments coalesce around their subsites [PCCP 14:10466(2012)]. Here we tested the validity of this mechanism on the association between the intrinsically disordered GTPase binding domain (GBD) of the Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome protein (WASP) and the Cdc42 GTPase, by both experiment and computation. The association rate constants (ka) were measured by stop-flow fluorescence under various solvent conditions and temperatures. ka reaches 107 M-1s-1 at physiological ionic strength and has a strong salt dependence, suggesting that an electrostatically enhanced, diffusion-controlled docking step is rate-limiting. Diffusion control is supported by an inversely proportional relation between ka and the solvent viscosity with glucose as the viscogen. ka increases with increasing temperature; though the increase is larger than expected from the effect of temperature on the protein diffusion constants, the discrepancy may be accounted for by the effect of temperature in decreasing the solvent dielectric constant, leading to stronger electrostatic rate enhancement. Similarly, a modest decrease in ka by urea may be rationalized by the latter's effect in increasing the solvent dielectric constant. Our computation, based on the transient-complex theory [Structure 19:1744(2011)], identified the N-terminal basic region of the GBD as the docking segment, which has strong electrostatic complementarity with the cognate subsite. Our study suggests that the dock-and-coalesce mechanism allows WASP and other IDPs to code electrostatic complementarity into the docking segment to gain binding speed and use additional interactions formed by the coalescing segments to reinforce binding affinity.
Some time change representations of stable integrals, via predictable transformations of local martingales

Abstract From the predictable reduction of a marked point process to Poisson, we derive a similar reduction theorem for purely discontinuous martingales to processes with independent increments. Both results are then used to examine the existence of stochastic integrals with respect to stable Levy processes, and to prove a variety of time change representations for such integrals. The Knight phenomenon, where possibly dependent but orthogonal processes become independent after individual time changes, emerges as a general principle.
Activity, exposure rate and spectrum prediction with Java programming

In order to envision the radiation exposure during Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA) experiments, a software called Activity Predictor is developed using JavaTM programming language. The Activity Predictor calculates activities, exposure rates and gamma spectra of activated samples for NAA experiments performed at Radiation Science and Engineering Center (RSEC), Penn State Breazeale Reactor (PSBR). The calculation procedure for predictions involves both analytical and Monte Carlo methods. The Activity Predictor software is validated with a series of activation experiments. It has been found that Activity Predictor software calculates the activities and exposure rates precisely. The software also predicts gamma spectrum for each measurement. The predicted spectra agreed partially with measured spectra. The error in net photo peak areas varied from 4.8 to 51.29%, which is considered to be due to simplistic modeling, statistical fluctuations and unknown contaminants in the samples.
A Small-Molecule Inhibitor of Mps1 Blocks the Spindle-Checkpoint Response to a Lack of Tension on Mitotic Chromosomes

Summary The spindle checkpoint prevents chromosome loss by preventing chromosome segregation in cells with improperly attached chromosomes [1–3]. The checkpoint senses defects in the attachment of chromosomes to the mitotic spindle [4] and the tension exerted on chromosomes by spindle forces in mitosis [5–7]. Because many cancers have defects in chromosome segregation, this checkpoint may be required for survival of tumor cells and may be a target for chemotherapy. We performed a phenotype-based chemical-genetic screen in budding yeast and identified an inhibitor of the spindle checkpoint, called cincreasin. We used a genome-wide collection of yeast gene-deletion strains and traditional genetic and biochemical analysis to show that the target of cincreasin is Mps1, a protein kinase required for checkpoint function [8]. Despite the requirement for Mps1 for sensing both the lack of microtubule attachment and tension at kinetochores, we find concentrations of cincreasin that selectively inhibit the tension-sensitive branch of the spindle checkpoint. At these concentrations, cincreasin causes lethal chromosome missegregation in mutants that display chromosomal instability. Our results demonstrate that Mps1 can be exploited as a target and that inhibiting the tension-sensitive branch of the spindle checkpoint may be a way of selectively killing cancer cells that display chromosomal instability.
Location Trumps Length: Polyglutamine-Mediated Changes in Folding and Aggregation of a Host Protein

Expanded CAG diseases are progressive neurodegenerative disorders in which specific proteins have an unusually long polyglutamine stretch. Although these proteins share no other sequence or structural homologies, they all aggregate into intracellular inclusions that are believed to be pathological. We sought to determine what impact the position and number of glutamines have on the structure and aggregation of the host protein, apomyoglobin. Variable-length polyQ tracts were inserted either into the loop between the C- and D-helices (QnCD) or at the N-terminus (QnNT). The QnCD mutants lost some α-helix and gained unordered and/or β-sheet in a length-dependent manner. These mutants were partially unfolded and rapidly assembled into soluble chain-like oligomers. In sharp contrast, the QnNT mutants largely retained wild-type tertiary structure but associated into long, fibrillar aggregates. Control proteins with glycine-serine repeats (GS8CD and GS8NT) were produced. GS8CD exhibited similar structural perturbations and aggregation characteristics to an analogously sized Q16CD, indicating that the observed effects are independent of amino acid composition. In contrast to Q16NT, GS8NT did not form fibrillar aggregates. Thus, soluble oligomers are produced through structural perturbation and do not require polyQ, whereas classic fibrils arise from specific polyQ intermolecular interactions in the absence of misfolding.
Altered synthesis of the 26‐kDa heat stress protein family and thermotolerance in cell lines with elevated levels of calcium‐binding proteins

Using a bovine papilloma virus-based vector, mouse mammary adenocarcinoma cells have been transformed to express elevated amounts of functional calmodulin (CaM) (Rasmussen and Means, 1987) and another Ca2(+)-binding protein, parvalbumin (PV) (Rasmussen and Means, 1989) that is not normally synthesized in these cells. Parental cells (C127) and cells transformed by the vector alone (BPV-1), the vector containing a CaM gene (CM-1), or the vector containing parvalbumin (PV-1) were used to study the effect of increased synthesis of Ca2(+)-binding proteins on heat-stress protein (HSP) synthesis and cell survival following heating at 43 degrees C. The induction, stability, and repression of the synthesis of most HSPs after 43 degrees C heating was not significantly affected by increased amounts of Ca2(+)-binding proteins, but the rate of synthesis of all three isoforms of the 26-kDa HSP (HSP26) was greatly reduced. C127 cells, which have about one half as much CaM as do BPV-1 cells, synthesized the most HSP26. CM-1 cells, which have more than fourfold higher levels of CaM than do BPV-1 cells, had a rate of synthesis of HSP26 approaching that of unheated cells. BPV-1 cells, with a two-fold increase in CaM, were intermediate in HSP26 synthesis. This effect on HSP26 synthesis may be largely related to the Ca2(+)-binding capacity of CaM rather than to a specific CaM-regulated function, since PV-1 cells also showed reduced rates of HSP26 synthesis. Survival experiments showed that reduced HSP26 synthesis in cells with increased amounts of Ca2(+)-binding proteins did not significantly alter intrinsic resistance to continuous 43 degrees C heating. Thermotolerance was not reduced and appeared to develop more rapidly in CM-1 and PV-1 cells. These results suggest that (1) the signal for HSP26 synthesis can be largely abrogated by elevated Ca2+ binding protein levels, and (2) if these HSPs are involved in thermotolerance development, that function may be associated with intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis.
Picturing Wilde: Christopher Millard’s “Iconography of Oscar Wilde”

The Wilde family album […] if only it had been so simple. Oh, it existed—three of them in fact—alongside the three volumes of press cuttings, caricatures of him and parodies of his work: you would ...
Expression and purification of BmrI restriction endonuclease and its N-terminal cleavage domain variants

BmrI (ACTGGG N5/N4) is one of the few metal-independent restriction endonucleases (REases) found in bacteria. The BmrI restriction-modification system was cloned by the methylase selection method, inverse PCR, and PCR. BmrI REase shows significant amino acid sequence identity to BfiI and a putative endonuclease MspBNCORF3798 from the sequenced Mesorhizobium sp. BNC1 genome. The EDTA-resistant BmrI REase was successfully over-expressed in a pre-modified E. coli strain from pET21a or pBAC-expIQ vectors. The recombinant BmrI REase shows strong promiscuous activity (star activity) in NEB buffers 1, 4, and an EDTA buffer. Star activity was diminished in buffers with 100–150 mM NaCl and 10 mM MgCl2. His-tagged BmrI192, the N-terminal cleavage domain of BmrI, was expressed in E. coli and purified from inclusion bodies. The refolded BmrI192 protein possesses non-specific endonuclease activity. BmrI192 variants with a single Ser to Cys substitution (S76C or S90C) and BmrI200 (T200C) with a single Cys at the C-terminal end were also constructed and purified. BmrI200 digests both single-strand (ss) and double-strand (ds) DNA and the nuclease activity on ss DNA is at least 5-fold higher than that on ds DNA. The Cys-containing BmrI192 and BmrI200 nuclease variants may be useful for coupling to other DNA binding elements such as synthetic zinc fingers, thio-containing locked nucleic acids (LNA) or peptide nucleic acids (PNA).
Test of a Convective Wake Parameterization in the Single-Column Version of CCM3

Abstract A convective wake parameterization incorporated into the single-column (SCM) version of the NCAR Community Climate Model CCM3 is tested using observational data from 12 squall line cases to determine whether it can successfully reproduce convectively driven wakes in a global climate model. The key spatial, thermodynamic, and kinematic properties of the modeled versus the observed wakes are examined, as these features determine the effects of the wakes on surface fluxes and the initiation of convection, effects that should be simulated correctly in general circulation models if deep convection and the resulting earth–atmosphere energy exchanges are to be adequately represented. Results from these simulations indicate that, while the SCM–convective wake scheme combination generally produced long-lasting squall/wake systems, the wakes were often too shallow, too warm, and too moist. These differences occurred despite the ability of CCM3’s standard cumulus parameterization to provide the wake scheme ...
Novel nuclear phosphoprotein pp32 is highly expressed in intermediate‐ and high‐grade prostate cancer

BACKGROUND pp32 is a differentiation-regulated nuclear phosphoprotein that is highly expressed in many cancers, but is restricted to self-renewing and long-lived normal cell populations. During murine embryogenesis, pp32 is expressed in primitive cell populations, diminishing as tissues terminally differentiate. Functionally, pp32 confers resistance to programmed cell death and, paradoxically, inhibits transformation mediated in vitro by a broad range of oncogenes, suggesting that pp32 is a multifunctional molecule with potentially complex activities in cancer. METHODS We studied pp32 expression in prostatic adenocarcinomas and benign prostatic hyperplasia by in situ hybridization. RESULTS In benign prostatic tissues, moderate pp32 expression occurs only in the basal cells. This study found elevated pp32 expression in 98% (54/55) of prostatic adenocarcinomas of Gleason score ⩾5 (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that pp32 may be diagnostically useful and may contribute mechanistically to prostate tumor development. In comparison to other molecular alterations, increased pp32 expression is one of the most frequent events in primary prostate cancer. Prostate 34:231–237, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.