cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Structural Calcium (Trypsin, Subtilisin)

The presence of structural calcium in trypsin and subtilisin does not play a role in catalysis, but instead, stabilizes the structures. Trypsin and subtilisin are two large families of serine proteases with different folds that take advantage of the stabilizing effects of binding calcium ions. Representative structures of the different calcium binding sites found in each protein family are described along with the implications for the presence of the ions. This article reviews the details, the energetics, and the roles that calcium plays in the structures of both these families of enzymes. 3D Structure Keywords: trypsin; subtilisin; hydrolase; endopeptidase; serine protease; chymotrypsin; elastase; blood coagulation factors; bacterial trypsin-like proteases; thermitase; proteinase K; Bacillus Ak.1 protease; serine–carboxyl proteinases; calcium binding, nonstructural calcium; structural stability; calcium site protein engineering
A First Step Towards the Automatic Generation of Security Protocols.

This paper describes automatic protocol generation (APG for short), a novel mechanism to generate security protocols automatically. With APG, the protocol designer inputs the specification of the desired security properties and the system requirements. The system requirements include a metric function which specifies the cost or overhead of protocol primitives, which defines an ordering over protocols with respect to the metric function. Based on this ordering, APG explores the protocol space and outputs the correct protocol which has minimal cost with respect to the metric function, as well as satisfies the security properties and system requirements. The APG approach has several advantages over the current protocol design process. It is fully automatic, and hence, more efficient than a manual process. The protocols generated by APG offer higher confidence, because they are verified by a powerful protocol analyzer. Another significant advantage is that, because APG search through the protocol space in the order of increasing cost with respect to the metric function, APG generates correct protocols with minimal cost which ideally suit the system This research was done while the authors were at Carnegie Mellon University. This publication was supported in part by Contract Number 102590-98-C-3513 from the United States Postal Service. The contents of this publication are solely the responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official views of the United States Postal Service. requirements. Furthermore, APG is flexible in the sense that it can handle different security properties and different system requirements. To gain experience with APG, we conduct a case study on the automatic generation of twoparty, mutual authentication protocols. In one experiment, APG generates authentication protocols that are simpler than the standard protocols documented in the literature (i.e., ISO standards [Int93]). In another experiment, the automatic protocol generation generates different protocols with minimal cost for varying requirements, hence demonstrating its capability to produce high quality protocols.
CBigInt class: an implementation of big integers in C++

A dynamic implementation of big integers in C++ is presented. A class that implements big integers of unlimited precision is developed and used to introduce the students to dynamic data structures, several algorithms, and several advanced features of C++. The big integer class is implemented using a doubly-linked list and various features of C++, such as, constructors, destructors, function overloading, operator overloading, and container classes. Several incremental programming assignments are also presented that can be used during a course focused on data structures.
Fish species‐environment and abundance relationships in a Great Plains river system

Fish assemblages in the upper Red River system of southwestern Oklahoma (USA) were predictable along measured environmental gradients Conductivity was the most important variable predicting structure of fish assemblages followed by stream size, alkalinity woody debris and water clarity Classification of abundance data identified four groups each of species and sites Species groups were separated on a habitat template indicating similar environmental responses within groups However, site groups showed considerable overlap on the template Correlations among species environmental preferences were significantly associated with correlations of species abundances Likewise, site correlations on the basis of measured environmental variables and on the basis of species abundances were significantly similar We tested abundance and distribution data for agreement with the hierarchical model of Kolasa Several testable predictions of the model described our data well specialist species outnumbered generalist species and were less abundant on average, than generalist species Average abundance of species was highly correlated with their ecological ranges and species were clumped along both ecological range and abundance axes
On-line microwave-induced helium plasma atomic emission detection for capillary zone electrophoresis

We report a feasibility study on using a microwave-induced helium plasma atomic emission detector (MIP-AED) as an on-line detector in capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE). To couple CZE to MIP-AED, we used an ion exchange membrane capillary to connect the separation capillary to the interfacing capillary. The outlet end of the interfacing capillary was placed directly in the discharge tube of the MIP-AED system. The electroosmotic flow generated in the separation capillary carried the analytes and the electrolyte buffer solution through the interfacing capillary into the MIP-AED discharge tube where the analytes were detected. The performance of the CZE/MIP-AED system was evaluated with trimethyltin chloride, dimethyltin dichloride, n-propanol, and 2-butanone. The preliminary results indicate that the MIP-AED can be used in CZE to provide element-specific detection for target analytes.
Progenitors of Interstitial Cells of Cajal in the Postnatal Murine Stomach

Background & Aims: Maintaining the integrity of networks of interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) is essential to preserve orderly contractile activity and neuroregulation in the gastrointestinal tract and to restore these functions after tissue damage or surgeries. Maintenance of ICC requires insulin-dependent or insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I)–dependent production of membrane-bound stem cell factor (SCF) and may involve regeneration from local progenitors. Our goal was to identify ICC precursors in postnatal murine gastric muscles. Methods: We used flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry to examine freshly dissected and cultured muscles for cells expressing CD34, an adhesion molecule expressed by stromal tumors; CD44, which occurs on mesenchymal stem cells; and receptors for SCF (Kit), insulin (Insr), and IGF-I (Igf1r). Slow waves were studied by intracellular recording. Results: In gastric muscles, we identified rare, KitlowCD44+CD34+Insr+Igf1r+ cells resembling common embryonic precursors of ICC and smooth muscle. These putative progenitors were absent from organotypic cultures lacking mature ICC (Kit+CD44+CD34−Insr−Igf1r−) due to prolonged insulin/IGF-I deprivation but were rescued by IGF-I that also prevented ICC loss. Soluble SCF failed to prevent the loss of mature ICC but dramatically expanded the putative progenitors, which supported robust slow wave activity despite retaining an immature, Kit+CD44+CD34+Insr+Igf1r+ phenotype. Differentiation of these cells into mature, network-forming ICC required IGF-I. Conversely, restoration of ICC networks by IGF-I after prolonged insulin and IGF-I deprivation required the survival of the presumed progenitors. Conclusions: KitlowCD44+CD34+Insr+Igf1r+ cells may be local progenitors for gastric ICC and stromal tumors. Loss of these cells may contribute to gastrointestinal dysmotilities.
Protein kinase C activation enhances K+-stimulated endogenous dopamine release from rat striatal synaptosomes in the absence of an increase in cytosolic Ca2+.

: The possibility that protein kinase C modulates neurotransmitter release in brain was investigated by examining the effects of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA) on Ca2+ transport and endogenous dopamine release from rat striatal synaptosomes. TPA (0.16 and 1.6 μM) significantly increased dopamine release by 24 and 33%, respectively, after a 20-min preincubation with TPA followed by 60 s of depolarization with 30 mM KCl. Depolarization-induced 45Ca2+ uptake, measured simultaneously with dopamine release, was not significantly increased by TPA. Neither 45Ca2+ uptake nor dopamine release was altered under resting conditions. When the time course of K+-stimulated 45Ca2+ uptake and dopamine release was examined, TPA (1.6 μM) enhanced dopamine release after 15, 30, and 60 s, but not 1, 3, or 5 s, of depolarization. A slight increase in 45Ca2+ uptake after 60 s of depolarization was also seen. The addition of 30 mM KCl to synaptosomes which had been preloaded with the Ca2+-sensitive fluorophore fura-2 increased the cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) from 445 nM to 506 nM after 10 s of depolarization and remained elevated after 60 s. TPA had no effect on [Ca2+]i under depolarizing or resting conditions. Replacing extracellular Ca2+ with 100 μM EGTA reduced K+-stimulated (60 s) endogenous dopamine release by 53% and decreased [Ca2+]i to 120 nM. In Ca2+-free medium, 30 mM KCl did not produce an increase in the [Ca2+]i. TPA (1.6 μM) did not alter the [Ca2+]i under resting or depolarizing conditions, but did increase K+-stimulated dopamine release in Ca2+-free medium. The inactive 4α-phorbol had no effect under any of the above experimental conditions. The demonstration that TPA induced an increase in dopamine release without an increase in the [Ca2+]i may suggest that protein kinase C increases the sensitivity of the exocytotic release process to Ca2+.
Age-dependent trehalase activity in adult tobacco hornworm tissues

Abstract Differences in specific trehalase activity and soluble protein were related to tissue-type, age, and sex of Manduca sexta moths. Trehalase activity in thoracic muscle and salivary glands was correlated with feeding, flight, and oviposition activity. Ovarial, testicular, and male accessory gland tissues showed only slight age-dependent changes in trehalase activity. The soluble protein concentration in thoracic muscle, testes, and male accessory glands varied only slightly with sex and age. Malpighian tubules and salivary glands showed a marked increase in soluble protein during the first part of adult life but the concentration then decreased.
Prognostic significance of Gleason score 3+4 versus Gleason score 4+3 tumor at radical prostatectomy.

Objectives. To determine the clinical significance of Gleason score 3+4 versus 4+3 on radical prostatectomy. Methods. Of 2390 men who underwent radical prostatectomy by a single surgeon, 570 had Gleason score 7 tumors without lymph node metastasis, seminal vesicle invasion, or tertiary Gleason pattern 5. Patients were evaluated for biochemical recurrence (prostate-specific antigen progression) and distant metastases. Results. Eighty percent of patients had Gleason score 3+4, 20% had 4+3. The rate of established extraprostatic extension at radical prostatectomy for Gleason score 3+4 and 4+3 tumors was 38.2% and 52.7%, respectively (P = 0.008). With a mean follow-up of 4.6 years for men without progression, Gleason score 4+3 tumors had an increased risk of progression independent of stage and margin status (P <0.0001). The 5-year actuarial risk of progression was 15% and 40% for Gleason score 3+4 and 4+3 tumors, respectively. The mean time to progression was 4.4 years for Gleason score 3+4 tumors and 3.2 years for Gleason score 4+3 tumors. We stratified the patients into four prognostic groups on the basis of organ-confined status, margin status, and Gleason score (3+4 versus 4+3). The 5-year actuarial risk of progression was 10%, 35%, 45%, and 61%, with 10-year progression rates of 29%, 42%, 69%, and 84%, for the four groups. 3.9% of patients with Gleason score 3+4 and 10.5% with Gleason score 4+3 tumors developed metastatic disease within a mean of 5.7 and 5.6 years, respectively. A Gleason score of 4+3 versus 3+4 was predictive of metastatic disease (P = 0.002) but not local recurrence. Conclusions. Gleason score 7 tumors are heterogeneous in their biologic behavior. The differences in prognosis for patients with Gleason scores 3+4 and 4+3 tumors at radical prostatectomy are significant. Although the assessment of the percentage of pattern 4 at radical prostatectomy is not likely to be reproducible, the distinction between Gleason score 3+4 and 4+3 should be easier for pathologists to perform.
Liberal Education and Liberal Democracy

Abstract Liberal education was meant, and still ought, to be the education of free people, citizens, those who can rule themselves collectively. If, as practiced today, it is not the indoctrination of partisan political liberals, then it tends to be the inculcation of egalitarian values, which may amount to the same thing. One effect of the change on citizenship appears to be a decline in the intuitive understanding of reciprocity as fundamental to free government. Reciprocity is, as Aristotle says, what saves cities, because it creates a common identity among those who are diverse. As such, it is necessarily partly fictional, always fragile, and easily vulnerable to debunking critique. As a result of its decline, an older and simpler model, whereby the self-identified wise impose justice on everyone else, seems more and more the norm both among students and the ruling American elite. However egalitarian the content of what is thought to be wisdom, the mode of this approach is quasi-aristocratic. As such,...
The effect of tetrachloroethene on biological dechlorination of vinyl chloride: potential implication for natural bioattenuation

Abstract Whereas reductive dechlorination of tetrachloroethene (PCE) and trichloroethene to ethene (ETH) has been demonstrated, some laboratory and field studies indicate that partial dechlorination is often observed. Because partial dechlorination may produce compounds of equal or greater toxicity than starting compounds, it is important to identify factors that are responsible for complete dechlorination. A comparative study was completed to examine ethene production from a PCE-fed culture and a vinyl chloride (VC)-fed culture. Physiochemical conditions, nutrients and the electron donor (methanol) were identical for both cultures. PCE-fed cultures were able to sustain an ETH production rate of about 0.1 μ mol d −1 , whereas ETH production by a VC-fed culture declined to about 0.02 μ mol d −1 over 115 d. PCE additions to the VC-fed culture improved ETH production. Results suggest that VC dechlorination to ETH may not be sustainable in the absence of a higher chlorinated ethene. This could mean that for sites capable of partial reductive dechlorination (via natural bioattenuation or stimulated bioattenuation), differential retardation of higher chlorinated ethenes may result in a contaminant plume with VC at the leading edge. In such cases, the degree of VC dechlorination under anaerobic conditions may decline with time.
Substrate use of three epiphytic bromeliads

In the moist tropical forest of Barro Colorado Island, Panama, the distribution of three epiphytic bromeliads growing on the host tree species Annona glabra was studied with respect to size of the epiphyte, substrate height, diameter, branch inclination and position relative to the periphery of the crown. There were significant interspecific differences for almost all environmental variables, but there were no size-related changes in distribution patterns. The results suggest that a safe germination site is also a potential growing site for mature plants, and that mortality does not correlate with any of the measured parameters.
The structure of the surface hydration shell of bromide on Ag(110)

Abstract The interaction of water and bromine on Ag(110) has been studied in the temperature range 80–300 K, using ESDIAD (electron stimulated desorption ion angular distribution), LEED (low energy electron diffraction) and TDS (thermal desorption spectroscopy). Compared to the clean surface, water adjacent to surface bromide was characterized by a higher binding energy and pronounced orientational order. The mixed adlayers resulting from this surface hydration of bromide exhibited long-range order. The surface hydration number (nH2O/nBr) θBr ≲ 0.25 and decreased to a few tenths at the bromine saturation coverage θ Br ⋍ 0.75 . Comparison is made to the results of a recent similar study on Cu(110) and electrochemical aspects are briefly considered.
The Analogy between Stereo Depth and Brightness

Apparent depth in stereograms exhibits various simultaneous-contrast and induction effects analogous to those reported in the luminance domain. This behavior suggests that stereo depth, like brightness, is reconstructed, ie recovered from higher-order spatial derivatives or differences of the original signal. The extent to which depth is analogous to brightness is examined. There are similarities in terms of contrast effects but dissimilarities in terms of the lateral inhibition effects traditionally attributed to underlying spatial-differentiation operators.
Los negros como figura de negación y diferencia en el teatro barroco

Modernity in Europe and America has negated the existence of Blacks, making them invisible. Spanish Renaissance and Baroque theater represents the Black figure in three ways. Some Black characters embody the negation of humanity; other Blacks attempt to erase their skin color at the physical and metaphysical level, and thus their presence in society as difference and as beings in history; lastly, and this is the exception, some are individuals who confront this negation and demand their freedom against a society that sees them only as slaves. This is the case of the play Juan Latino (c. 1625) by Diego Ximenez de Enciso. Its protagonist affirms his presence in historical memory.
A Secondary Data Archive for Code-Level Debian Metrics

In this paper, we describe a new process to collect, calculate, archive, and distribute interesting metrics for all the packages in the standard Debian GNU/Linux installation. Our method replicates and extends previous work done by other groups studying free and open source software systems (FLOSS) in three important ways. First, although there have been other previous studies that attempted to collect a large set of code-level metrics for a small set of projects, and there have been studies that generated a small set of metrics for the large Debian codebase, our project does both: we generate a larger set of metrics for the entire set of Debian packages. Second, our integration of new Debian metadata and additional code-level metrics not gathered before adds several additional layers for exploration. Finally, and most importantly, because we integrate our collection and analysis process into the automated FLOSSmole data store, we ensure timely, repeatable, and very easy comparison, replication and analysis by other groups. Thus our collection activity will continue in an automated fashion even after this paper is published, providing the foundation for additional studies to be conducted later, all freely accessible to any interested research group. After outlining our process, we discuss a few observations about the data, we outline some implications for the research community, and we present opportunities for further research.
Evidence for near instability against gamma deformation in /sup 128/Ba

The decay of 5.2-min $^{128}\mathrm{La}$ to levels in $^{128}\mathrm{Ba}$ has been investigated by $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray and conversion-electron spectroscopy. Of 78 $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ rays assigned to the decay, 69 have been placed in a decay scheme consisting of 31 excited states. The $^{128}\mathrm{La}$ ground state is probably ${5}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ and is interpreted as the ($\ensuremath{\nu}{\frac{7}{2}}^{\ensuremath{-}}[523]+\ensuremath{\pi}{\frac{3}{2}}^{+}[411]$) configuration. $\mathrm{EC}+{\ensuremath{\beta}}^{+}$ decays with $log\mathrm{ft}$ values in the allowed range to states at 2425.5 and 2878.3 keV are explained by ${(\ensuremath{\nu}{\frac{7}{2}}^{\ensuremath{-}}[523]+\ensuremath{\nu}{\frac{1}{2}}^{+}[411])}_{4\ensuremath{-}}$ and ${(\ensuremath{\nu}{\frac{7}{2}}^{\ensuremath{-}}[523]+\ensuremath{\nu}{\frac{3}{2}}^{+}[402])}_{5\ensuremath{-}}$ configurations, respectively. A quasi-$\ensuremath{\gamma}$ band is proposed with levels at 884.5 keV (${2}^{+}$), 1324.5 keV (${3}^{+}$), 1372.4 keV (${4}^{+}$), and 1931.4 keV (${5}^{+}$). A state at 1939.4 keV is possibly the ${6}^{+}$ band member. The properties of $^{128}\mathrm{Ba}$ were calculated using the microscopic boson-expansion code of Kishimoto and Tamura and found to be in rather good agreement with experiment. The small experimentally observed splitting (48 keV) between the ${3}_{\ensuremath{\gamma}}$ and ${4}_{\ensuremath{\gamma}}$ states is a signature of $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ instability. The prolate-oblate difference, consistent with the experimental data, is estimated to be 0.5 MeV, a value in good agreement with potential-surface calculations.[RADIOACTIVITY $^{128}\mathrm{La}$ [from $^{118}\mathrm{Sn}(^{14}\mathrm{N},4n)$], measured ${T}_{\frac{1}{2}}$, ${E}_{\ensuremath{\gamma}}$, ${I}_{\ensuremath{\gamma}}$, ${I}_{\mathrm{ce}}$, $\ensuremath{\gamma}\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\gamma}$ coin; deduced $log\mathrm{ft}$. $^{128}\mathrm{Ba}$ deduced levels, ICC, $J$, $\ensuremath{\pi}$. Enriched target, Ge(Li) and Si(Li) detectors.]
Observations on Questing Activity of Adult Ixodes brunneus Koch (Acari: Ixodidae) in Mississippi

Abstract: The tick Ixodes brunneus Koch is a rare species occurring primarily in North America, where it feeds on many species of passeriform birds. Virtually nothing is known about the questing activity of this tick, although adults often stand with their front legs straight up, suggesting that they quest from a horizontal position. The present study analyzed I. brunneus questing behavior based on field data from drag cloth collections in northern Mississippi, as well as observational laboratory data from 10 I. brunneus ticks released into an experimental “questing apparatus.” Ten ticks of a related species, I. scapularis Say, were used for comparison, and there were 3 replications each trial. Eight I. brunneus adults were collected along a nature trail in a northern Mississippi park during 20 total swaths with a drag cloth over a 2-day period (each time 5 swaths in the middle of the trail, with little or no vegetation; and 5 swaths along the edge of the trail, with taller vegetation). All 8 ticks were c...
Compressive detection of frequency-hopping spread spectrum signals

In this paper, compressive detection strategies for FHSS signals are introduced. Rapid switching of the carrier frequency among many channels using a pseudorandom sequence makes detection of FHSS signals challenging. The conventional approach to detect these signals is to rapidly scan small segments of the spectrum sequentially. However, such a scanner has the inherent risk of never overlapping with the transmitted signal depending on factors such as rate of hopping and scanning. In this paper, we propose compressive detection strategies that sample the full spectrum in a compressive manner. Theory and simulations are presented to illustrate the benefits of the proposed framework.
Narratives of the Constitutional Covenant

The constitutional narrative plays perhaps a surprisingly important role in American society. It claims to unfold present judgment from past precedent, according to the doctrine of stare decisis, given an eloquent exposition by the Supreme Court in Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey, where the Constitution is referred to as a “covenant” among generations. Analysis of this and other covenantal narratives spun by the Court suggests that despite the emphasis on precedent they may work according to the retrospective logic of narrative itself, in which elements become functional in terms of what follows them. Plots work from end to beginning, reinterpreting the past in terms of the present. The Supreme Court opinion, when subjected to an analysis sensitive to its narrative rhetoric, suggests something akin to the structure of prophecy and fulfillment in its composition of the covenantal narrative.
METABOLISM OF THE STEROID HORMONES: THE ISOLATION OF AN ANDROSTENOL-3(α)-17-ONE, AN ANDROGEN, FROM THE URINE OF A GIRL SUFFERING FROM VIRILISM1

WOLFE, FIESEK AND FRIEDGOOD (1941) isolated an androstenol-3(α)-17-one from the urine of a ten-year-old girl who was suffering from a malignant adrenocortical tumor. The evidence presented by these investigarors did not establish the position of the double bond, but indicated that it was in one of four positions: 6,7-, 7,8-, 9,11-, or 11,12-. They isolated this substance in a concentration of 8 mg. per liter. We have been able to isolate the same androstenol-3(α)-17-one from the urine of a woman suffering from virilism, and to show that this substance is an androgen. The patient (Wisconsin General Hospital, No. 127483) was first seen at age 17½ years because of primary amenorrhea and a suspicion of masculine traits. An older sister had a very similar condition and had been studied in the same hospital a few years earlier. The important features on physical examination were a rather large and square type of jaw, heavy musculature about the neck and shoulders, lack of mammary development; there was slight h...
Producer Preference for Price Stability

Producer preference for product price variability vis-a-vis price stability at the mean has been analyzed extensively. Turnovsky has surveyed this literature. Oi assumed that all producer decisions are executed after the actual price is revealed. He showed that riskneutral producers prefer price variability to price stability.1 Schmitz, Shalit, and Turnovsky relaxed the assumption of risk neutrality and showed that risk-averse producers may prefer price stability. Tisdell (1963), on the other hand, criticized Oi's assumption that all decisions are made ex post and instead assumed that all producer decisions must be made before the actual price is observed. He showed that risk-neutral producers are indifferent between price variability and price stability.
New Orleans’s Unique School Reform Effort and Its Potential Implications for Special Education:

Four years following the decimation of the New Orleans Public Schools by Hurricane Katrina the city has been described as the center of a unique urban public school reform effort. This effort is a combination of events that transpired just before the storm and those that have occurred as a result of it. In particular some claim that the emerging public school configuration seeks to be one that is comprised entirely of charter schools, thereby allowing public schools in New Orleans to become a “system of schools” as opposed to a traditional school system. While a fundamental operating principle of charter schools is increased student academic achievement in exchange for school autonomy and innovative practices, an additional responsibility of the charter schools in New Orleans is identical to that of their counterpart traditional public schools: the provision of special education services in accordance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act. Accordingly, this article presents an o...
Boron isotope exchange between seawater and the oceanic crust

Abstract Dissolved boron in seawater from the Atlantic and Pacific is isotopically homogeneous at 39.5 per mil ( 11 B 10 B ratios are expressed as per mil deviations from NBS SRM 951). Unaltered mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORE) from the crest of the East Pacific Rise (EPR) at 21° and 13°N have B contents of 0.39 ± 0.03 and 0.46 ± 0.03 ppm (about one order of magnitude lower than previous estimates) and δ11B of −3.6 ± 0.4 and −2.2 ± 0.6 per mil respectively. Large scale B exchange between seawater and the oceanic crust has been demonstrated at both high and low temperature. Hydrothermal solutions from nine separate vent fields at 21° and 13°N (EPR) have variable B enrichments, relative to seawater (416 μmoles/kg), of between 8 and 32% and have δ11B values between 30.0 ± 0.4 and 36.8 ± 0.4 per mil. Boron has been extracted from the basalts with no resolvable isotopic fractionation. High temperature water rock ratios, based on the B concentrations, are between 0.28 and 3.0. The hydrothermal flux of B into the oceans is between 0.4 and 0.8 × 109 moles/yr, assuming that only pristine basalts are present in the reaction zone. Basalts altered at low temperature and serpentinites are variably enriched in B. The B content of altered whole rocks correlates strongly with δ18O, and increases with degree of alteration. Altered basalts (n = 7) containing between 8.9 and 69 ppm B have δ11B between 0.1 and 9.2 ± 0.4 per mil. Model calculations give water rock ratios greater than 100 for rocks recovered from DSDP Hole 418A. Serpentinized peridotites (n = 4) with between 50 and 81 ppm B have δ11B between 8.3 ± 0.4 and 12.6 ± 0.4 per mil. The flux of B into the crust during low temperature alteration is about 13 × 109 moles/yr. The maximum diffusive flux of B into the crust from sediment pore waters is 0.8 × 109 moles/yr with a δ11B less than 43 per mil.
Biochemical and fine structure studies on the water-insoluble components of the calf lens.

Abstract This paper describes a method for density gradient fractionation of cell organelles of the lens using the lens own soluble proteins as medium. When calf lenses, freed of capsule and epithelium, are homogenized in nitrogen or air atmosphere without the addition of any solvent and the homogenate is centrifuged at 200,000 g for 1 hr, an opaque bouyant layer develops. When the homogenate is slightly diluted several opaque layers of different bouyancy develop, depending on the degree of dilution, length of centrifugation and centrifugal force. The opaque bouyant layers, after they are thoroughly washed in water and dried, constitute approximately 2% ( w w ) of the wet weight of the lens, and contain membranes, cell organelles, filaments and aggregates of spherical particles 10–15 nm in diameter. It appears that the filaments and the spherical particles are associated with a beaded network which forms a continuous intracellular matrix. This continuous matrix is attached to the cell membrane. The matrix can be separated from the cell membrane by sodium deoxycholate treatment. The matrix is insoluble in water and salt solutions. The aggregated spherical particles disperse and the filaments dissolve in urea or guanidine HCl. The spherical particles remain individual distinct particles after removal of the urea, and their size and shape is the same as that of α-crystallin. Seventy-five per cent of the matrix solubilized in urea consists of a protein which, on gel chromatographic, ultracentrifugal, disk electrophoretic and immunoelectrophoretic studies, behaves like α-crystallin. The other 25% of the urea-soluble fraction consists of at least ten proteins of the β- and γ-crystallin fractions. Sixty per cent ( w w ) of the opaque bouyant layer is made up of membranes that are predominantly quintuple-layered tight junctions. The tight junction character of the membranes is unaltered by urea, guanidine or sodium deoxycholate treatment. The cell membranes and the matrix (aggregates of spherical particles and filaments) float on a transparent viscous liquid which contains the water-soluble proteins and has a density of 1·032. Both the membranes and the matrix sediment when the homogenate is diluted to a density of 1·0281 or less. The membranes and the matrix, after rehomogenization in the presence of sodium deoxycholate and centrifugation on sucrose gradient, can be separated into a lighter (membrane) and a heavier (matrix) fraction. The relationship between the cell membranes, the filaments and the aggregates of spherical particles is discussed, and it is suggested that the word albuminoid should be used only in connection with the urea- and guanidine HCl-soluble intracellular matrix of the lens.
Electronic structure of non-stoichiometric cubic hydrides

Abstract Using the supercell approach we calculated the electronic structures of Y 4 H 8 , Y 4 H 9 , Y 4 H 11 and Y 4 H 12 as prototypes of non-stoichiometric cubic dihydrides and trihydrides. The nature of the interaction between the yttrium atoms and the octahedral and tetrahedral hydrogen atoms is shown by the relative amount of charge contained in the crystal spheres. Each added hydrogen atom lowers one band which was already partially filled. The charge on the octahedral and tetrahedral sites is very similar and is significantly more than that contained in a comparable atomic sphere.
Social and economic burden of mood disorders.

Social and economic effects of mood disorders include functional impairment, disability or lost work productivity, and increased use of health services. Evidence for these impacts includes cross-sectional studies, longitudinal studies, and true experiments (randomized trials of specific treatments or treatment programs). With respect to unipolar depression, strong evidence demonstrates that depression is associated with significant functional impairment and that effective treatment helps to restore function. Studies of the effect of depression on work disability and health care costs show strong cross-sectional associations (i.e., greater disability and higher costs among those with depression) and longitudinal associations (i.e., improvement in depression is associated with reduced disability and lower costs). All of these findings regarding unipolar depression seem as consistent in the subgroup of patients with comorbid chronic medical illness as in the total population with depressive disorders. Fewer data are available regarding social and economic burden of bipolar disorder, but available data show cross-sectional associations between mood symptoms and functional impairment, disability, and health care costs. Taken together, these data describe the substantial social and economic burden of mood disorders and the potential benefits of more effective treatment. We must recall, however, that economic benefits of treatment for mood disorders are secondary to the principal objective of relieving human suffering.
Network anatomy and in vivo physiology of visual cortical neurons

In the cerebral cortex, local circuits consist of tens of thousands of neurons, each of which makes thousands of synaptic connections. Perhaps the biggest impediment to understanding these networks is that we have no wiring diagrams of their interconnections. Even if we had a partial or complete wiring diagram, however, understanding the network would also require information about each neuron's function. Here we show that the relationship between structure and function can be studied in the cortex with a combination of in vivo physiology and network anatomy. We used two-photon calcium imaging to characterize a functional property--the preferred stimulus orientation--of a group of neurons in the mouse primary visual cortex. Large-scale electron microscopy of serial thin sections was then used to trace a portion of these neurons' local network. Consistent with a prediction from recent physiological experiments, inhibitory interneurons received convergent anatomical input from nearby excitatory neurons with a broad range of preferred orientations, although weak biases could not be rejected.
Early Diagnosis and Successful Management of Periodontosis

Early diagnosis and cooperation by patients can prevent massive periodontal destruction from periodontosis.
Rewriting The Regional Contingency Plan: Meeting The Needs of The Response Community

ABSTRACT The Regional Response Team (RRT) is tasked to develop and document regional goals and policies in one Regional Contingency Plan (RCP) in the format of the National Contingency Plan (NCP.) ...
Finite-amplitude oscillations in a Kelvin-Helmholtz flow

Abstract In this paper, we investigate the possible occurrence of periodic waves of finite-amplitude at the interface of two streams having different densities and velocities. A power-series expansion technique is utilized wherein the solutions obtained are perturbations about the neutrally stable wave of linearized theory. It is found that periodic finite-amplitude motions are possible for wave numbers that lie in the region that is unstable on a linear basis. Although we are unable to find a unique expression for the equilibrium amplitude of such waves, a definite lower-bound is determined. The correction to the linear wave speed is computed and it is found that an O(e2) perturbation about the neutral wave number causes an O(e) correction to the wave speed, where e is an amplitude parameter. The latter result, however, is only true as the stability boundary is approached. For smaller (i.e. more stable) wave numbers, it is shown that the first-order wave speed correction is zero.
Pneumonectomy After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy and Radiation for Advanced-Stage Lung Cancer

Intergroup 0139 Trial suggests an increase in mortality after pneumonectomy in patients receiving preoperative chemotherapy and radiation. We evaluate our outcomes with pneumonectomy after neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiation. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiation consisted of cisplatin 50 mg/m2 on days 1, 8, 29, and 36 and etoposide 50 mg/m2 on days 1–5 and 29–33 given concurrently with 5,040 cGy radiation. From a prospective database, results after pneumonectomy were compared between patients receiving and not receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiation during the same time period. Over 7 years, 50 pneumonectomies were performed for non-small-cell carcinoma; 18 received neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiation (group A) and 32 did not (group B). Comparing group A with group B, there was no significant difference in patient demographics, blood loss, transfusion requirements or pneumonectomy side. Group A had more patients with stage III disease [17/18 (94%) versus 15/32 (47%), P = 0.001] and also more often had vascularized flap for bronchial stump coverage [17/18 (94%) versus 4/32 (13%), P < 0.001]. There was no significant difference in operative morbidity or mortality. Mortality for group A was 0/18 and for group B was 2/32 (6.3%) (P = 0.530). Group A patients with IIIA(N2) disease (n = 13) had median recurrence-free survival of 12.4 months, median overall survival of 25 months, and 3-year overall survival of 22.2%. Using a multidisciplinary team approach at a tertiary care center, pneumonectomy can be performed successfully after neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiation for advanced-stage lung cancer. Vascularized flap for bronchial stump coverage may be important in this regard.
Response to comments in: Statin use is associated with reduced incidence and progression of knee osteoarthritis in the Rotterdam study by Clockaerts et al

We thank Clockaerts et al for their thoughtful commentary on our paper and will address a number of their comments. They expressed concern regarding lack of verification of our data related to statin use, duration of use and dosage, and indicated these data were based on self-report. While we acknowledged in our paper1 that we did not have dosage data, the verification was that participants brought their medications with them during yearly follow-up visits and we were able to confirm that statins were prescribed for these patients. This approach was not as valid as a pill count but, in our view, is more rigorous than self-report. Clockaerts et al accounted for duration of statin use by examining effects for those with 1–119 days, 120–364 days and 365 days or greater of statin use at 50% or more of the recommended daily dosage. Our approach was to use the yearly follow-up visit prescription data indicating 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4 years of statin use to examine the effects on changes in …
Mutual occlusion of P2X ATP receptors and nicotinic receptors on sympathetic neurons of the guinea‐pig

1. The interaction of ion channels activated by nicotinic receptor agonists with ion channels gated by extracellular ATP (i.e. P2X receptors) was studied on sympathetic neurons acutely dissociated from coeliac ganglia of the guinea-pig. Patch clamp methods were used to measure the inward current generated through these non-selective cationic channels under voltage clamp. 2. At the whole cell level, the specific nicotinic receptor agonists nicotine (5-100 microM) or cytisine (50-75 microM) and the P2X receptor agonists ATP (0.1-7 microM) or alpha,beta-methylene ATP (6 microM) were examined separately and in the presence of the other receptor activator. When a nicotinic and P2X receptor agonist were applied together, mutually occlusive effects were generally observed. This occurred even with concentrations of agonists that in themselves generated little to no inward current. 3. The occlusive effects of nicotinic agonists on ATP-gated currents were blocked by the nicotinic receptor/ion channel blocker hexamethonium (150 microM). The occlusive effects of ATP analogues on inward currents generated by nicotinic agonists were blocked by the P2X receptor antagonist suramin (100 microM). 4. Mutual occlusion of the effects of nicotinic agonists and ATP analogues were also observed when currents through single channels were studied in excised (outside-out) patches. 5. The results suggest that nicotinic receptors and P2X ATP receptors do not act independently in these sympathetic neurons.
Role of aromaticity of agonist switches of angiotensin II in the activation of the AT1 receptor

We have shown previously that the octapeptide angiotensin II (Ang II) activates the AT1 receptor through an induced-fit mechanism (Noda, K., Feng, Y. H., Liu, X. P., Saad, Y., Husain, A., and Karnik, S. S. (1996)Biochemistry 35, 16435–16442). In this activation process, interactions between Tyr4 and Phe8 of Ang II with Asn111 and His256 of the AT1receptor, respectively, are essential for agonism. Here we show that aromaticity, primarily, and size, secondarily, of the Tyr4side chain are important in activating the receptor. Activation analysis of AT1 receptor position 111 mutants by various Ang II position 4 analogues suggests that an amino-aromatic bonding interaction operates between the residue Asn111 of the AT1 receptor and Tyr4 of Ang II. Degree and potency of AT1 receptor activation by Ang II can be recreated by a reciprocal exchange of aromatic and amide groups between positions 4 and 111 of Ang II and the AT1 receptor, respectively. In several other bonding combinations, set up between Ang II position 4 analogues and receptor mutants, the gain of affinity is not accompanied by gain of function. Activation analysis of position 256 receptor mutants by Ang II position 8 analogues suggests that aromaticity of Phe8 and His256 side chains is crucial for receptor activation; however, a stacked rather than an amino-aromatic interaction appears to operate at this switch locus. Interaction between these residues, unlike the Tyr4:Asn111 interaction, plays an insignificant role in ligand docking.
Progressive cervical myelopathy as presentation of sarcoidosis.

A 44-year-old African-American woman was admitted with four months of intermittent “shock-like” sensations in her chest radiating to both arms; she developed left arm weakness just prior to admission. A cervical spine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrated intramedullary enhancement from C1 to T1 (Fig. 1 Panel a). Figure 1. Cervical spine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of a 44-year-old African-American woman. Panel a: MRI with gadolinium contrast 3 weeks prior to admission. Panel b: MRI with gadolinium contrast after 8 weeks of corticosteroid therapy. Neurologic examination showed 4/5 strength of left wrist flexors and extensors, decreased bilateral light touch and pinprick sensation from C5 to T5, and hyperalgesia bilaterally from T1 to T3. Chest x-ray showed hilar adenopathy. Serum angiotensin converting enzyme level was 191 U/L (normal 9–67). Lumbar puncture was remarkable for a protein of 54 mg/dl (normal 15–45) and glucose of 30 mg/dl (normal 45–80; serum glucose 106). Transbronchial biopsy showed non-caseating granulomas. Sarcoidosis is an idiopathic inflammatory disease characterized by non-caseating granulomas affecting any organ. Neurologic involvement occurs in 5–17 % of sarcoidosis patients, with 0.43 % having spinal cord involvement.1 The most common cerebrospinal fluid findings are elevated protein and hypoglycorrhachia, presumably a manifestation of chronic meningeal inflammation.2 Owing to the invasive nature of spinal cord biopsy, neurosarcoidosis is often diagnosed with extraneural tissue and the appropriate clinical syndrome.3,4 Treatment generally includes immunosuppressive agents. This patient’s neurological deficits and radiographic abnormalities improved with corticosteroids (Fig. ​(Fig.11 Panel b).
Study of Raman-Ramsey fringes for enhanced precision in a chip scale Rb clock

We report observation of high contrast Raman-Ramsey fringes using time delayed optical pulse pairs in a rubidium vapor cell. The width of these fringes are not limited by saturation and provides a simpler means to produce narrow atomic linewidths using a thermal vapor medium for compact atomic clock applications. We also demonstrate phasescanned Raman-Ramsey fringes, with potential application to sensitive detection of trace vapors.
Size effect on the stability of Cu–Ag nanoalloys

Classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are used to study the phase stability of Cu–Ag nanoalloys based on the analysis of their thermodynamic mixing properties for both random and core-shell clusters as functions of nanoparticle size, temperature and composition. At 298 K, results for nanoalloys of increasing size at fixed composition suggest that alloying Cu and Ag is thermodynamically feasible only for a nanocluster size range, excluding very small ( < 1.8 nm) and large clusters (≳4 nm). In the size range of favourable alloy formation, Cu–Ag core-shell structures are more stable than random configurations, and the same conclusion holds for most of the composition range at fixed cluster size and 298 K. Varying temperature at fixed nanocluster size and fixed composition, core-shell structures are preferred up to the melting temperature of the nanoparticle. Also, we test an analytical model to predict the thermodynamic properties of mixing of nanoalloys using bulk enthalpies of mixing of the pure co...
Modification, degradation, and stability of polymeric surfaces treated with reactive plasmas

The degradation, modification, and stability of polymeric surfaces exposed to chemically reactive O2 and H2O-vapor plasmas were investigated. Specifically, the effects of these plasmas on etching rate, surface morphology, wetting instability, and fluid-holding capability were studied. Wetting instability is reflected by hydrophobic recovery and can be examined by the Wilhelmy balance method. Although hydrophobic recovery is usually attributed to surface configuration change, there are actually two types: reversible and permanent. Reversible hydrophobic recovery is caused by surface configuration change, whereas permanent hydrophobic recovery is caused by the cre- ation of oxidized surface oligomers. This study distinguishes the two by identifying differences in the shapes of the corresponding Wilhelmy force loops and in the fluid- holding parameter. The presence of surface oligomers was most detrimental to wetting stability and fluid-holding capability but could be controlled via the type of reactive gas, the discharge conditions, and the polymer substrate. In general, polymers most sus- ceptible to O2-plasma etching had the least surface oligomers and vice versa, whereas H2O-vapor plasma suppressed surface oligomers on polymers less susceptible to etch- ing. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 3028 -3042, 2000