cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Recruitment of Largemouth Bass in Alabama Reservoirs: Relations to Trophic State and Larval Shad Occurrence

Abstract Factors affecting recruitment of largemouth bass have frequently been evaluated, but few studies have assessed recruitment potential among a range for reservoirs of varying trophic states. We examined densities of larval threadfin shad Dorosoma petenense and gizzard shad D. cepedianum from Mar to Jul from nine Alabama impoundments. Using shoreline rotenone sampling and daily otolith rings, we estimated density, age, and growth of age-0 largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides in late Jun–Jul. Density and growth of larval gizzard shad, larval threadfin shad, and age-0 largemouth bass increased with chlorophyll a across impoundments. Duration of occurrence for larval gizzard shad and threadfin shad was positively related to chlorophyll a. Eutrophic reservoirs contained larval shad that were 40% or less of mean age-0 largemouth bass total length (i.e., the size at which they would probably be vulnerable to predation) in late Jun–Jul, whereas larval shad were generally not collected in late Jun or Jul i...
Female circumcision in southern Chad: Origins, meaning, and current practice

Female circumcision is widely practiced on the African continent; however, published reports describing genital operations on women in non-Islamic, sub-Saharan societies are scarce. This paper examines female circumcision as it is practiced by the Sara, one of Chad's largest ethnic groups. For the Sara, circumcision is an integral part of the female initiation ceremony, the rite of passage marking the transition from childhood to adulthood. Through in-depth interviews and archival research, we trace the origins of female circumcision among this group and examine its role and function in the context of contemporary Sara culture. Urban women's attitudes and practices regarding circumcision are also examined via household surveys. The data indicate that female circumcision has been recently incorporated into the Sara's cultural repertoire, and suggest strategies to reduce its incidence in this setting.
Postpolio syndrome--response to deprenyl (selegiline).

Two patients with postpolio syndrome are presented. The first case developed mild Parkinson's syndrome, for which she was treated with a levodopa/carbidopa combination followed by the institution of deprenyl. An unexpected improvement in the symptoms of postpolio syndrome was noted. The second patient who was unaffected by Parkinson's syndrome was started on deprenyl alone and reported a similar improvement in symptomatology
The Effect of the Earth's Rotation on the Velocity of Light

IN the Philosophical Magazine (6), 8, 716, 1904, an experiment was described, designed to test the effect of the earth's rotation on the velocity of light. In consequence of atmospheric disturbances, it was quite impossible to measure the interference fringes in the open air. Accordingly a twelve-inch water-pipe was laid on the surface of the ground in the form of a rectangle, 2010 ft. by 1113 ft. The residual pressure was reduced to about one-half an inch by means of a fifty horse-power pump. One of the ends was double, as shown in Fig. 1. At A, light from a carbon arc was divided by a plane parallel plate, thinly covered with gold, into two beams, one traversing the circuit in a clockwise, the other in a counter-clockwise direction.
Crystal structure of a protein phosphatase 2A heterotrimeric holoenzyme

Protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) is a principal Ser/Thr phosphatase, the deregulation of which is associated with multiple human cancers, Alzheimer's disease and increased susceptibility to pathogen infections. How PP2A is structurally organized and functionally regulated remains unclear. Here we report the crystal structure of an AB'C heterotrimeric PP2A holoenzyme. The structure reveals that the HEAT repeats of the scaffold A subunit form a horseshoe-shaped fold, holding the catalytic C and regulatory B' subunits together on the same side. The regulatory B' subunit forms pseudo-HEAT repeats and interacts with the C subunit near the active site, thereby defining substrate specificity. The methylated carboxy-terminal tail of the C subunit interacts with a highly negatively charged region at the interface between A and B' subunits, suggesting that the C-terminal carboxyl methylation of the C subunit promotes B' subunit recruitment by neutralizing charge repulsion. Together, our structural results establish a crucial foundation for understanding PP2A assembly, substrate recruitment and regulation.
A Multistep Chemical Modification Procedure To Create DNA Arrays on Gold Surfaces for the Study of Protein−DNA Interactions with Surface Plasmon Resonance Imaging

A multistep surface modification procedure for the creation of DNA arrays on chemically modified gold surfaces that can be used in surface plasmon resonance (SPR) imaging studies of protein−DNA interactions is demonstrated. The multistep procedure is required to create an array of spots that are surrounded first by a hydrophobic background which allows for the pinning of aqueous DNA solutions onto individual array elements and then to replace that hydrophobic background with one that resists the nonspecific adsorption of proteins during in situ SPR imaging measurements. An amine-terminated alkanethiol monolayer is employed as the base layer, and Fmoc and PEG modifiers are used to create the sequentially hydrophobic and protein adsorption-resistant surfaces, respectively. Specifically, the chemical modification steps are the following: (1) the adsorption and self-assembly of an 11-mercaptoundecylamine (MUAM) monolayer on an evaporated gold thin film, (2) the reaction of the MUAM monolayer with an Fmoc pro...
Bioresorbable distraction device for the treatment of airway problems for infants with Robin sequence

Pierre Robin sequence is a well known craniofacial entity. There are numerous ways to treat the respiratory insufficiency, but sometimes surgical intervention is needed. Tracheotomy could be associated with morbidity, and distraction osteogenesis has been established as a stable method to obtain a safe airway. Distraction osteogenesis has traditionally been performed with an external device. In this manuscript we describe the feasibility of an internal bioresorbable device. Retrospective descriptive study was performed in a tertiary academic children’s hospital. After multidisciplinary team consultation, 12 consecutive patients with Robin sequence were treated with this internal distraction device. The mean age at surgery was 32 days, and the average amount of mandibular distraction was 18 mm. All patients were extubated after an average of 7.5 days after the surgery. The average length of stay in the hospital was 17 days after surgery. There were no major surgical complications. A tracheotomy was prevented in all our patients, and complications were limited. Long-term studies are needed to evaluate the influence that internal distraction has on the growth of the mandible and teeth. The internal distraction system seems safe for infants with micrognathia and has certain benefits when compared to the external distractor.
Producing highly charged ions without solvent using laserspray ionization: a total solvent-free analysis approach at atmospheric pressure.

First examples of highly charged ions in mass spectrometry (MS) produced from the solid state without using solvent during either sample preparation or mass measurement are reported. Matrix material, matrix/analyte homogenization time and frequency, atmospheric pressure (AP) to vacuum inlet temperature, and mass analyzer ion trap conditions are factors that influence the abundance of the highly charged ions created by laserspray ionization (LSI). LSI, like matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI), uses laser ablation of a matrix/analyte mixture from a surface to produce ions. Preparing the matrix/analyte sample without the use of solvent provides the ability to perform total solvent-free analysis (TSA) consisting of solvent-free ionization and solvent-free gas-phase separation using ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) MS. Peptides and small proteins such as non-β-amyloid components of Alzheimer’s disease and bovine insulin are examples in which LSI and TSA were combined to produce multiply charged ...
The vitamin D system: a view from basic science to the clinic*

Vitamin D produced in the skin and absorbed in the small intestine must be modified metabolically before it can function. It is ultimately converted to a hormone in the kidney that stimulates intestine, bone and kidney to mobilize calcium and phosphorus. This results in normal bone development and normal neuromuscular function. The vitamin D hormone appears to act by a nuclear mechanism to facilitate a target organ response. Finally the vitamin D hormone is produced in response to the need for calcium and phosphorus. The calcium need is interpreted by the parathyroid gland that in turn secretes parathyroid hormone. The parathyroid hormone stimulates production of the vitamin D hormone. This consitutes the vitamin D endocrine system that plays an important role not only in calcium homeostasis but in phosphate homeostasis and in calcium economy of the body. A number of disease states including hypoparathyroidism, pseudohypoparathyroidism, renal osteodystrophy, certain types of vitamin D-resistant rickets and osteoporosis can in part be related to disturbance in the vitamin D endocrine system. Thus measurement of the vitamin D hormone and its precursor will be of great value in diagnosis of metabolic bone disease and most importantly, the availability of new vitamin D compounds will play an important role in the treatment of these bone diseases.
Forage and Feed Testing Programs – Problems and Opportunities

Abstract A survey of the 50 United States and 9 Canadian provinces showed that most offer a feed testing service. During the past 5 yr, there has been a large increase in the array of tests available to dairymen and in the number of forages and feeds submitted to laboratories for chemical analyses. However, a number of states have no specific program to help farmers use results of the forage tests. Although new infrared technology eventually may replace more expensive wet chemistry for routine forage analysis, much greater effort should be directed toward using the information now being generated.
Structure-Function Analysis of Inositol Hexakisphosphate-induced Autoprocessing of the Vibrio cholerae Multifunctional Autoprocessing RTX Toxin

Vibrio cholerae secretes a large virulence-associated multifunctional autoprocessing RTX toxin (MARTXVc). Autoprocessing of this toxin by an embedded cysteine protease domain (CPD) is essential for this toxin to induce actin depolymerization in a broad range of cell types. A homologous CPD is also present in the large clostridial toxin TcdB and recent studies showed that inositol hexakisphosphate (Ins(1,2,3,4,5,6)P6 or InsP6) stimulated the autoprocessing of TcdB dependent upon the CPD (Egerer, M., Giesemann, T., Jank, T., Satchell, K. J., and Aktories, K. (2007) J. Biol. Chem. 282, 25314–25321). In this work, the autoprocessing activity of the CPD within MARTXVc is similarly found to be inducible by InsP6. The CPD is shown to bind InsP6 (Kd, 0.6 μm), and InsP6 is shown to stimulate intramolecular autoprocessing at both physiological concentrations and as low as 0.01 μm. Processed CPD did not bind InsP6 indicating that, subsequent to cleavage, the activated CPD may shift to an inactive conformation. To further pursue the mechanism of autoprocessing, conserved residues among 24 identified CPDs were mutagenized. In addition to cysteine and histidine residues that form the catalytic site, 2 lysine residues essential for InsP6 binding and 5 lysine and arginine residues resulting in loss of activity at low InsP6 concentrations were identified. Overall, our data support a model in which basic residues located across the CPD structure form an InsP6 binding pocket and that the binding of InsP6 stimulates processing by altering the CPD to an activated conformation. After processing, InsP6 is shown to be recycled, while the cleaved CPD becomes incapable of further binding of InsP6.
Suppression of feeding by intrahypothalamic implants of estradiol in male and female rats

The effect of intrahypothalamic implants of crystalline estradiol benzoate (EB) on feeding was examined in gonadectomized male and female rats. With the exception of one animal, whose cannula terminated in the third ventricle, all sites at which EB produced substantial suppression of feeding were located in the ventromedial hypothalamic nuclei (VMH). There was no sex difference in the proportion of sites within the VMH at which EB implants suppressed feeding.
PERTURBATION THEORY WITH HARTREE--FOCK STATES.

Abstract The use of Hartree-Fock states for perturbation calculations is discussed. An approximate method for summing hole-particle interactions is given.
Effect of Proline Mutations on the Monomer Conformations of Amylin

The formation of human islet amyloid polypeptide (hIAPP) is implicated in the loss of pancreatic β-cells in type II diabetes. Rat amylin, which differs from human amylin at six residues, does not lead to formation of amyloid fibrils. Pramlintide is a synthetic analog of human amylin that shares three proline substitutions with rat amylin. Pramlintide has a much smaller propensity to form amyloid aggregates and has been widely prescribed in amylin replacement treatment. It is known that the three prolines attenuate β-sheet formation. However, the detailed effects of these proline substitutions on full-length hIAPP remain poorly understood. In this work, we use molecular simulations and bias-exchange metadynamics to investigate the effect of proline substitutions on the conformation of the hIAPP monomer. Our results demonstrate that hIAPP can adopt various β-sheet conformations, some of which have been reported in experiments. The proline substitutions perturb the formation of long β-sheets and reduce their stability. More importantly, we find that all three proline substitutions of pramlintide are required to inhibit β conformations and stabilize the α-helical conformation. Fewer substitutions do not have a significant inhibiting effect.
Cross-national differences in mathematics attitude and achievement among seventeen-year-olds

Abstract A re-analysis of the cross-national data gathered by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) was undertaken to determine the magnitude, direction, and nature of differences in 17-year-old boys' and girls' attitudes and achievement in mathematics. A 10-item attitude scale and a 70-item achievement test were administered to 13,056 students attending school in ten countries. Sex differences in both attitude and achievement were small, but with few exceptions they favored males. Considerable variation existed between countries in the extent to which the achievement of boys exceeded that of girls, and in many cases, the magnitude of the differences was associated with psychosocial patterns found in the diverse cultures.
Crisis in German Decentralized Production: Unexpected Rigidity and the Challenge of an Alternative Form of Flexible Organization in Baden Württemberg

This paper discusses the current crisis in the German industrial district of Baden Wurttemberg. Considered to be a flagship example of flexibility and international competitiveness for European man...
Copper metallic substrates for high temperature superconducting coated conductors

Biaxially cube textured polycrystalline Cu(200) substrate tapes were produced for high temperature superconducting (HTS) coated conductor applications. A comparison is made between Cu substrates fabricated by reverse cold rolling followed by recrystallization, from stock materials that were obtained in the form of extruded rod and rolled plate. Detailed x-ray diffraction (XRD) studies and orientation imaging microscopy (OIM) were performed to measure the in-plane alignment, out-of-plane alignment, and microtexture at various deformation levels and annealing temperatures. The rod starting geometry proved to have superior biaxial alignment with a predominant (220) deformation texture after rolling. Phi (Φ) scan and psi (Ψ) scan XRD reveals that the best in-plane and out-of-plane alignment, measured in terms of full width half maximum (FWHM) values of 5.4° and 5.8°, were obtained at 99.5% reduction in thickness and 750 °C annealing temperature. OIM microtexture results indicate that more than 97.5% of grains had less than 10° misorientation with no observable twinning.
Production and reproduction: A reprise

Charsley, Simon R. Rites of Marriage: The Wedding Industry in Scotland. Manchester, England: Manchester University Press, 1991. viii + 227 pp. including notes, appendix, references, and index. $59.95 cloth. Goody, Jack. The Oriental, the Ancient, and the Primitive: Systems of Marriage and the Family in the Pre‐industrial Societies of Eurasia. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1990. xix + 542 pp. including notes, references, and index. $49.50 cloth, $14.95 paper. Gutierrez, Ramon A. When Jesus Came, the Corn Mothers Went Away: Marriage, Sexuality, and Power in New Mexico, 1550–1846. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1991. xxxi + 424 pp. including notes, bibliography, and index. $49.50 cloth, $16.95 paper.
A pecan-enriched diet increases γ-tocopherol/cholesterol and decreases thiobarbituric acid reactive substances in plasma of adults

Abstract Consumption of nuts is associated with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease, and dietary intervention studies incorporating pecans show improved lipid profiles. The unsaturated fats in pecans are protected against oxidation by the high concentrations of γ -tocopherol and polymeric flavanols. The aim of this study was to determine whether plasma concentrations of tocopherols and measures of antioxidant capacity and of oxidative stress are affected by incorporation of pecans in the diet. In a randomized, controlled, crossover feeding study, 24 subjects were assigned to 2 diets, each for 4 weeks: a control diet and a pecan-enriched (20% of energy) diet. Cholesterol-adjusted plasma γ -tocopherol increased by 10.1% ( P α -tocopherol decreased by 4.6% ( P P
Particle migration analysis in iterative classification of cryo-EM single-particle data.

Recently developed classification methods have enabled resolving multiple biological structures from cryo-EM data collected on heterogeneous biological samples. However, there remains the problem of how to base the decisions in the classification on the statistics of the cryo-EM data, to reduce the subjectivity in the process. Here, we propose a quantitative analysis to determine the iteration of convergence and the number of distinguishable classes, based on the statistics of the single particles in an iterative classification scheme. We start the classification with more number of classes than anticipated based on prior knowledge, and then combine the classes that yield similar reconstructions. The classes yielding similar reconstructions can be identified from the migrating particles (jumpers) during consecutive iterations after the iteration of convergence. We therefore termed the method “jumper analysis”, and applied it to the output of RELION 3D classification of a benchmark experimental dataset. This work is a step forward toward fully automated single-particle reconstruction and classification of cryo-EM data.
Trypanosoma cruzi: Correlation of resistance and susceptibility in infected inbred mice with the in vivo primary antibody response to sheep red blood cells

Abstract Nonspecific immune responses during the course of murine Trypanosoma cruzi infection were examined in mouse strains genetically resistant or susceptible to the Brazil strain of T. cruzi . Spleen cells from infected susceptible (C3H) or resistant [C57 B1/10 and FI (C3H × C57)]mice at various points during the course of infection exhibited a reduced response to concanavalin A and lipopolysaccharide in vitro . Since this reduced response occurred in both susceptible and resistant mice, it was not predictive of resistance or susceptibility in vivo . We next examined the kinetics of in vivo primary antibody response to sheep red blood cells (SRBC) in infected C3H and C57 mice. C3H mice exhibited inhibition of the direct plaque-forming cell assay (d-PFC) which persisted until death. In contrast C57 mice exhibited no inhibition of the response at Day 5 and subsequently a markedly augmented response was observed. Other strains of mice were similarly investigated: all the susceptible mice examined (A/J, BALB/c) showed inhibition or depression of the primary antibody response and resistant mice [B10Br, C57B1/10, SJL, F1 (C3H × C57)]demonstrated either no inhibition or considerable augmentation of this response. CS7 mice resistant to the Brazil strain were susceptible to the Tulahuen strain. The mice in this latter group exhibited a markedly significant inhibition of the in vivo primary antibody response to SRBC. Culture forms of the Brazil strain protected C3H mice from a virulent challenge. This immunization resulted in a markedly augmented antibody response. The data reported herein are consistent with the notion that inhibition of the primary antibody response to SRBC correlates with susceptibility whereas no inhibition or, indeed, augmentation of the response correlates with natural as well as acquired resistance.
Cosmic-Ray Production and the Role of Supernovae in NGC 6946

We present a study of 35 radio-selected supernova remnant (SNR) candidates in the nearby spiral galaxy NGC 6946. In this study, an optically selected sample of 27 SNRs from Matonick & Fesen is compared to our sample of radio-selected SNRs. The optically selected SNRs are found to have almost no overlap with the radio-selected sample. This dichotomy is further enhanced by the observation that the optically selected SNRs favor the interarm regions, while the radio-emitting SNRs lie predominately on the spiral arms in or near regions of high star formation. The separation of the two samples of SNRs is discussed in terms of selection effects and differences in cosmic-ray production. The optical sample of SNRs is probably biased toward those SNRs located in areas of NGC 6946 where the confusion of Hα emission by H II regions is relatively low and the SNRs are easier to identify by their emission-line signatures. The radio-selected sample is also subject to selection biases such that these SNRs favor the arms. However, the absence of radio emission from the optically selected, largely interarm SNRs and the relatively large number of radio-detected SNRs in the arms require additional explanation. The properties of the radio-selected SNRs are discussed in the context of diffusive shock acceleration theory. We find that the theory can account for the range in radio flux densities and the nondetection of the optically selected SNRs. The differences in the radio properties between the arm and interarm population of SNRs can be explained by differences in the average gas densities and magnetic fields since the latter affect both the cosmic-ray yield and the radio properties of the SNRs. The possibility that the arm and interarm SNRs arise from different stellar populations is also addressed.
Evaluating missing-letter effects and comprehension in proficient and nonproficient languages

This study was conducted to examine whether word recognition and comprehension processes change as a function of language proficiency. Participants were highly proficient in English but at a low proficiency level in Spanish. The participants read texts presented in English and Spanish while reading normally or while performing a letter-detection task and then answered comprehension questions that tested their mental representations of the surface form, text base, and situational model. Overall letter-detection error rates were lower when texts were presented in the nonproficient Spanish language. There was a typical missing-letter effect in English, such that more detection errors were made on function than content words. In Spanish, the missing-letter effect was reversed, with more errors on content than function words. Overall comprehension was substantially better when reading English passages than Spanish passages and best at the situation model level. For the English passages, comprehension was reduced during letter detection compared to normal reading. For the Spanish passages, comprehension was similar for letter detection and normal reading. Question type did not systematically vary as a function of language proficiency or task type. These findings highlight differences in cognitive processes during reading as a function of language proficiency and enhance our understanding of the letter-detection task itself.
A Middle English Satirical Letter in Brogyntyn MS II.1

(2005). A Middle English Satirical Letter in Brogyntyn MS II.1. ANQ: A Quarterly Journal of Short Articles, Notes and Reviews: Vol. 18, No. 3, pp. 38-42.
The retinol esterifying enzyme LRAT supports cell signaling by retinol-binding protein and its receptor STRA6

Vitamin A, retinol, circulates in blood bound to retinol-binding protein (RBP). At some tissues, holo-RBP is recognized by a plasma membrane receptor termed STRA6, which serves a dual role: it mediates transport of retinol from RBP into cells, and it functions as a cytokine receptor that, on binding holo-RBP, activates JAK2/STAT5 signaling. As STAT target genes include SOCS3, an inhibitor of insulin receptor, holo-RBP suppresses insulin responses in STRA6-expressing cells. We have shown previously that the two functions of STRA6 are interdependent. These observations suggest factors that regulate STRA6-mediated retinol transport may also control STRA6-mediated cell signaling. One such factor is retinol metabolism, which enables cellular uptake of retinol by maintaining an inward-directed concentration gradient. We show here that lecithin:retinol acyl transferase (LRAT), which catalyzes esterification of retinol to its storage species retinyl esters, is necessary for activation of the STRA6/JAK2/STAT5 cascade by holo-RBP. In accordance, LRAT-null mice are protected from holo-RBP-induced suppression of insulin responses. Hence, STRA6 signaling, which requires STRA6-mediated retinol transport, is supported by LRAT-catalyzed retinol metabolism. The observations demonstrate that STRA6 regulates key cellular processes by coupling circulating holo-RBP levels and intracellular retinol metabolism to cell signaling.—Marwarha, G., Berry, D.C., Croniger, C.M., Noy, N. The retinol esterifying enzyme LRAT supports cell signaling by retinol-binding protein and its receptor STRA6.
"An Invisible Elephant: Ethnicity, Board Interlocks, and the Under-performing Kenyan Housing Sector"

An important unattained goal in Kenya is low-cost housing provision which is typically attributed to a lack of resources. This paper shows that it is more of a governance issue as it is related to ...
Child care quality, family background, and children's development

The purpose of the study was to determine the contribution of family background and child care quality to preschool children's cognitive, language, and social development. One hundred 3- to 5-year-old children from 10 different child care centers participated. The mothers of each child were interviewed to obtain information regarding family background, and child care quality was measured via several state licensing instruments and the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (Harms & Clifford, 1980). Results revealed that family background variables were significant predictors of three measures of children's cognitive and language development. Child care quality variables significantly predicted social adjustment and were a marginal predictor of sociability.
Circadian rhythms from flies to human

In this era of jet travel, our body 'remembers' the previous time zone, such that when we travel, our sleep wake pattern, mental alertness, eating habits and many other physiological processes temporarily suffer the consequences of time displacement until we adjust to the new time zone. Although the existence of a circadian clock in humans had been postulated for decades, an understanding of the molecular mechanisms has required the full complement of research tools. To gain the initial insights into circadian mechanisms, researchers turned to genetically tractable model organisms such as Drosophila.
Advancements in Large Animal Embryo Transfer and Related Biotechnologies

Embryo transfer has been an inherent part of cattle breeding for more than 35 years and has also gained remarkable interest from the equine industry after several breeds allowed registration of more than one foal per year. In both large animal species, non-surgical embryo recovery and transfer are well-established techniques. However, success rates after superovulation and cryopreservation of embryos in horses are still lagging behind those of cattle, and more research is needed to address these areas. To address the problem of freezing large equine embryos, we offer a preliminary demonstration of a new cryopreservation method which involves reduction of the blastocoelic volume and microinjection of cryopreservative. Successful cryopreservation will improve the ability of practitioners to preserve and implant embryos in recipient mares. Recent advances in the use of equine FSH to induce superovulation in mares brings to the forefront the issue of how to best preserve the large number of embryos that are produced. Finally, the use of sexed semen after superovulation will provide the bovine and equine breeding industry the offspring of the desired sex.
Hydrotropic action of a diacid

An investigation to evaluate the mechanism of the hydrotropic action of a long chain diacid was made by determining the coassociation structures with a straight chain amphiphilic molecule of sufficient size to form long range order structures. The hydrotropic mechanism was found in the transition of a liquid crystalline struture to an isotropic solution. The mechanism was identical for aqueous solutions and water-poor inverse micellar solutions.
An Enquiry Into the Role and Importance of Ethics in Scientific Research

In this essay the importance of spirituality (or ethics) in the life of a research scientist is explored. The following four questions are considered: a) Why should the problem be studied? What are the benefits? and For whom? b) How should we approach this problem? c) What if the results of this investigation contradict other theories? What should we do in case of disagreements? and, d) What are the consequences of this study? Who or what is going to be harmed? What are the effects on the environment?
Factors Influencing Adherence of Streptococcus dysgalactiae to Bovine Mammary Epithelial Cell Monolayers

Summary Factors that affected adherence of Streptococcus dysgalactiae to monolayers of primary bovine mammary epithelial cells and to a bovine mammary epithelial transformed cell line were evaluated. Cell culture medium inhibited more than 99% of binding of S. dysgalactiae to plastic and was as effective as several blocking agents in decreasing adventitious adherence of this organism to plastic. Adherence of two strains of S. dysgalactiae (UT516 and UT519) was higher to a transformed mammary epithelial cell line (2.85% and 0.83%, respectively) than to primary bovine mammary epithelial cells (0.45% and 0.52%, respectively). Measurement of the extent of bacterial adherence to cell monolayers showed that adherence was affected by inoculum size. This indicated that the process was mediated by saturable cell receptors and allowed selection of bacteria:epithelial cell ratios not approaching saturating conditions (< 1500:1). In addition, reduction of bacterial adherence by more than 90% following cell fixation indicated that cell surface proteins played a major role in this process. Delineation of bacterial and epithelial cell factors influencing adherence of S. dysgalactiae to mammary epithelial cell monolayers resulted in the development of an in vitro method for quantifying bacterial adherence to cell monolayers.
Individual differences in working memory capacity and the Stroop effect: Do high spans block the words?☆

Abstract The present study examined whether the mechanism that links working memory capacity (WMC) and controlled attention is better construed as suppression of distracting information or as efficient selection of critical information, in the face of distraction. We examined WMC-related differences in the Stroop task, in which participants must ignore word-information and instead name the hue in which a word has been printed. The present Stroop task included several neutral words (i.e., non-color) that were subsequently incorporated in a recognition memory test. Participants were either warned or not warned of this test. High WMC individuals who were warned displayed better memory of neutral words, relative to the no-warning group; suggesting they had actively monitored Stroop-words for relevant information. However, this increased attention to word-content was not associated with increased Stroop interference. We conclude that WMC-related attention is more flexible than early or late selection accounts suggest.
Bilateral pneumothorax with pneumomediastinum under anaesthesia in a healthy female.

A case of bilateral pneumothorax and Pneumomediastinum developing under general anaesthesia without apparent cause is reported. Possible aetiologic factors and mechanisms of the condition are outlined. Clinical signs and the immediate management of pneumothorax and Pneumomediastinum are discussed.
Analysis of Multicomponent Evaporation in Electron Beam Melting and Refining of Titanium Alloys

Experimental evidence and a mathematical model are presented to evaluate the effect of beam-scan frequency on composition change in electron-beam melting of titanium alloys. Experiments characterized the evaporation rate of commercially pure (CP) titanium and vapor composition over titanium alloy with up to 6 wt pct aluminum and 4.5 wt pct vanadium, as a function of beam power, scan frequency, and background pressure. These data and thermal mapping of the hearth melt surface are used to estimate activity coefficients of aluminum and vanadium in the hearth. The model describes transient heat transfer in the surface of the melt and provides a means of estimating enhancement of pure titanium evaporation and change in final aluminum composition due to local heating at moderate beam-scan frequencies.
Many-body effects on surface stress, surface energy and surface relaxation of fcc metals

Abstract The results of an investigation aimed at isolating the role played by pair-wise and many-body contributions in determining the surface stress, surface energy and surface relaxation for clean, low-index fcc metal surfaces are presented. General expressions for surface stress and surface energy are developed for generic embedded atom method (EAM) potentials and are contrasted with results derived from central-force pair potentials. Calculations are presented for specific forms. We find that these pair-wise and many-body contributions usually act in opposition to each other. Pair potentials tend to produce compressive surface stress contributions and favor outward surface relaxations, while the many-body component produces tensile surface stress contributions and favors inward relaxations. We also bring to light certain relationships between surface and bulk thermodynamic properties within the framework of these models. It is shown how surface stress can be expressed in an approximate form involving terms proportional to the product of an elastic modulus and the neighbor spacing characteristic of the material, and constants of proportionality that depend only on surface orientation. This form provides a good fit to a set of first-principles results as well. Finally, we demonstrate how various surface properties display a strong correlation with the ratio of bulk-to-shear moduli, Beq/Geq.
High-performance displacement chromatography of nucleic acid fragments in a tandem enzyme reactor—liquid chromatograph system

Abstract Separation of the reaction mixture in the ribonuclease T1-catalyzed synthesis of GpU from cyclic GMP in the presence of a large excess of uridine was carried out by displacement chromatography on octadecyl-silica columns with 0.25 M n-butanol in the carrier buffer (50 mM phosphate, pH 3.0) as the displacer. The tandem reaction and separation was performed with an instrument assembled from parts customary in analytical high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The enzyme was immobilized on microparticulate amino-silica by glutaraldehyde coupling and used in a short packed-bed reactor. The conditions of the reaction that reaches equilibrium after approximately half of the cyclic GMP is converted and the results of displacement chromatography were evaluated by HPLC analysis. The synthesis took place in a 2.5 mm long × 4.6 mm I.D. packed-bed reactor used in the recirculating mode and the product was introduced directly into the chromatographic unit consisting of two 4.6 mm I.D. columns, 150 and 250 mm in lengths, in series. The bulk of the uridine separated by frontal chromatography in the first column was withdrawn and displacement development in the second column was used in order to isolate the product from other components. Nearly 100 mg of GpU with a purity of 99.7% could be achieved in a chromatographic experiment of 2.4 h. By returning unreacted starting materials to the reactor the process can be carried out in a continual fashion and the system readily leads itself to automation. The combination of similar enzyme reactors with the liquid chromatograph operated in the displacement mode offers an efficient means for laboratory-scale separation of complex biochemical substances.
Calculation of non-linear vibration of rotating beams by using tetrahedral and solid finite elements

Abstract A development is presented of the non-linear dynamic equations that govern the motion of the tetrahedral and solid finite elements that undergo large displacements. The development presented is exemplified by using the four-node, 12-degree-of-freedom tetrahedral element and the eight-node, 24-degree-of-freedom solid element. It is shown that the element shape functions used in this investigation can be used to describe large translations and finite rigid body rotations. Accordingly, the non-linear formulation presented in this paper can be used in the analysis of small as well as large deformation. The element configuration is identified by using four co-ordinate systems. These co-ordinate systems are the global, body, element and intermediate element co-ordinate systems. The large displacement of the tetrahedral and solid elements is described by using a set of absolute co-ordinates that define the location and orientation of the deformable body co-ordinate systems. The non-linear differential equations of motion of the tetrahedral and solid finite elements are developed by using the principle of virtual work in dynamics. The use of the non-linear dynamic formulation presented in this investigation is demonstrated by using a flexible single robotic arm manipulator that undergoes large displacements. The results obtained by using the four-node tetrahedral elements and the eight-node solid elements are compared with the results obtained by using the three-dimensional beam element. This comparison shows that the discrepancy between the results obtained by using the solid and tetrahedral elements in beam problems is more significant in the dynamic analysis as compared to the discrepancy of 10% reported in the literature for the static analysis.
A high‐order triangular discontinuous Galerkin oceanic shallow water model

A high-order triangular discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method is applied to the two-dimensional oceanic shallow water equations. The DG method can be characterized as the fusion of finite elements with finite volumes. This DG formulation uses high-order Lagrange polynomials on the triangle using nodal sets up to 15th order. Both the area and boundary integrals are evaluated using order 2N Gauss cubature rules. The use of exact integration for the area integrals leads naturally to a full mass matrix; however, by using straight-edged triangles we eliminate the mass matrix completely from the discrete equations. Besides obviating the need for a mass matrix, triangular elements offer other obvious advantages in the construction of oceanic shallow water models, specifically the ability to use unstructured grids in order to better represent the continental coastlines for use in tsunami modeling. In this paper, we focus primarily on testing the discrete spatial operators by using six test cases—three of which have analytic solutions. The three tests having analytic solutions show that the high-order triangular DG method exhibits exponential convergence. Furthermore, comparisons with a spectral element model show that the DG model is superior for all polynomial orders and test cases considered. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Schizophrenia: signals from the other side

Animal models of schizophrenia are incomplete, and human brain tissue has been difficult to study. Results from postmortem human tissue begin to overcome these hurdles and find a role for modulation of NMDA type glutamate receptors ( pages 824 – 828 ).
MK-801 blocks the development of sensitization to the locomotor effects of methylphenidate.

Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided to three groups (each n = 8) and were housed in test cages where motor activity was recorded continuously for 16 days using a computerized motor activity monitoring system to determine whether repeated administration of MK-801 could block the development and/or the expression of sensitization to the locomotor effects of methylphenidate (MPD). One group of rats received six daily injections (days 4-9) of 0.30 mg/kg MK-801, followed by 5 days without injection (days 10-14) and re-challenged (day 15) with 0.30 mg/kg MK-801. The second group received a challenge dose of 2.5 mg/kg MPD (day 4) followed by 5 days of co-treatment with MK-801 (0.30 mg/kg) given 1 h prior to MPD (days 5-9). This group was then re-challenged with MPD (2.5 mg/kg) on day 15. The last group received six daily injections of 2.5 mg/kg MPD (days 4-9). They were then split into two subgroups of rats which received either no treatment (control) or five daily injections of 0.30 mg/kg MK-801 (days 10-14) before being re-challenged on day 15 with 2.5 mg/kg MPD. MK-801 sensitized to its own locomotor effects. MK-801 given after sensitization had developed (i.e., days 10-14) was able to mask the expression of a sensitized response on day 15, but the effect was only transient since the sensitized response was present 3 weeks later. Moreover, MK-801, when coadministered during the repeated treatment phase was able to block the development of a sensitized response, which suggest that NMDA receptors involved in the process of MPD sensitization.
An investigation into the suitability of a commercial real‐time PCR assay to screen for Taylorella equigenitalis in routine prebreeding equine genital swabs

Summary Reasons for performing study: Standard bacteriological methods for identifying Taylorella equigenitalis in cervical smears are time consuming. Therefore, a more rapid real-time PCR assay was evaluated for its suitability in screening swabs. Objective: To compare the results of a commercially available real-time PCR assay with routine microbiological culture for the identification of T. equigenitalis, the causative organism of contagious equine metritis, in equine genital swab samples, under ‘field trial’ conditions. Materials and methods: Routine prebreeding genital swabs (n = 2072) collected from Thoroughbred mares and stallions during 2009 were examined together with stored T. equigenitalis positive material. Swabs were cultured for T. equigenitalis using standard microbiological techniques. Bacterial lysates were isolated from the swabs and examined for the presence of a 16S DNA fragment of T. equigenitalis, using a commercial multiplex real-time PCR assay system. Results: There was complete concordance between positive and negative results obtained by the 2 methods. Real-time PCR also detected T. equigenitalis DNA from swabs that were negative using standard microbiological culture after 6 months' storage at +4°C but from which T. equigenitalis had been isolated following collection. The sensitivities of realtime PCR and bacterial culture were both 10−3 (equivalent to 3 colony-forming units). Conclusion and clinical relevance: Routine bacterial culture of T. equigenitalis requires an incubation period of not less than 7 days before a conclusive negative result can be obtained, whereas bacterial extraction and real-time PCR assay can be completed in less than 6 h. The commercially-available PCR assay tested provided a rapid and reliable method for the identification of T. equigenitalis from equine genital swabs and could be usefully employed for the screening of mares and stallions for preseason Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB) Code of Practice and in other situations such as for bloodstock sales screening requirements, overcoming the current delays imposed by bacterial culture requirements. Its use could be quality assured by the existing HBLB biannual testing scheme for designated laboratories.
A coordinatively saturated sulfate encapsulated in a metal–organic framework functionalized with urea hydrogen-bonding groups

A functional coordination polymer decorated with urea hydrogen-bonding donor groups has been designed for optimal binding of sulfate; self-assembly of a tripodal tris-urea linker with Ag2SO4 resulted in the formation of a 1D metal–organic framework that encapsulates SO42− anions via twelve complementary hydrogen bonds, which represents the highest coordination number observed for sulfate in a natural or synthetic host.
Evaluation of gridded snow water equivalent and satellite snow cover products for mountain basins in a hydrologic model

The USGS precipitation-runoff modelling system (PRMS) hydrologic model was used to evaluate experimental, gridded, 1 km 2 snow-covered area (SCA) and snow water equivalent (SWE) products for two headwater basins within the Rio Grande (i.e. upper Rio Grande River basin) and Salt River (i.e. Black River basin) drainages in the southwestern USA. The SCA product was the fraction of each 1 km 2 pixel covered by snow and was derived from NOAA advanced very high-resolution radiometer imagery. The SWE product was developed by multiplying the SCA product by SWE estimates interpolated from National Resources Conservation Service snow telemetry point measurements for a 6 year period (1995-2000). Measured SCA and SWE estimates were consistently lower than values estimated from temperature and precipitation within PRMS. The greatest differences occurred in the relatively complex terrain of the Rio Grande basin, as opposed to the relatively homogeneous terrain of the Black River basin, where differences were small. Differences between modelled and measured snow were different for the accumulation period versus the ablation period and had an elevational trend. Assimilating the measured snowfields into a version of PRMS calibrated to achieve water balance without assimilation led to reduced performance in estimating streamflow for the Rio Grande and increased performance in estimating streamflow for the Black River basin. Correcting the measured SCA and SWE for canopy effects improved simulations by adding snow mostly in the mid-to-high elevations, where satellite estimates of SCA are lower than model estimates. Copyright  2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.