cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Obama effect

Many observers argued that Barack Obama’s candidacy in the U.S. presidential election of 2008 benefited from the financial crisis and recessionary economic conditions which voters blamed on the Republican administration. However, an empirical examination of stock price and public opinion data indicates that improvements in Obama’s electoral prospects led stock price declines and that gains by Obama were more likely to be followed by falling stock prices than by rising prices. This evidence suggests that the poor performance of the stock market in the days leading up to Obama’s victory was partly caused by, rather than causing, Obama’s success.
Seasonal variation in blood viscosity of the hibernating arctic ground squirrel (Spermophilus undulatus plesius).

Abstract 1. 1. The equation used to describe the flow properties of blood of man applies to the blood of the Arctic ground squirrel only at body temperature (37°C). 2. 2. At 10°C, a temperature observed in the ground squirrel during hibernation, its blood is less viscous than human blood for a given hematocrit suggesting an adaptative mechanism for tissue perfusion in the cold. 3. 3. No seasonal variation of blood viscosity in the Arctic ground squirrels was observed.
Are there options for nuclear waste

The problems of storage of nuclear wastes are reaching crisis proportions. Although conceding that a measure of the crises has been caused by the ‘enormous emotion’ of ‘protesting green ecologists,’ (ISR, Interdisciplinary Science Reviews, 5(4), 1980), the bottom line is that nuclear wastes have been and continue to be dumped into the oceans and scattered in leaking and leakable containers on the surface. There is a fear among members of the nuclear engineering community that the U.S., under recent government restrictions, has placed itself in a compromising position on the development of nuclear power facilities. One area of concern is that of nuclear waste disposal. Other countries are subject to the same problems and fears. For example, in the Federal Republic of Germany the term ‘Enstorgungszentrum’ has been coined to describe the total process of reprocessing and disposal of spent nuclear fuel elements. The concern is that spent fuel continues to accumulate because restrictions and laws have affected efforts to resolve the problems of reprocessing and disposal. Right now the environment is subject to damage from the inadequate storage practices of the past. Geoscientists working on the problem of waste disposal await the answers to questions about the projected quantity of waste to be disposed. The options to be explored depend on the volumes to be handled.
A technique for producing highly complex visual stimuli

The production of randomly generated polygons of high complexity is a very time-consuming process with presently available methods. A technique was developed for speeding this process, particularly when producing very complex figures (e.g., polygons with over 40 sides). A portion of this process was computerized to facilitate production further. The procedure was employed to produce polygons with up to 200 sides. The technique proved feasible in practice, and subsequently clear results were obtained with the polygons in research on visual exploratory behavior.
Production of cloned carboxypeptidase G2 by Escherichia coli: Genetic and environmental considerations

The optimum production of cloned carboxypeptidase G2 from plasmid pNM21 byEscherichiacoli was found to be strongly strain- and temperature-dependent. The superior host was strain RV308 and the preferred growth temperature 28°C. Copy number, which decreased during exponential growth of all strains examined, did not relate in these studies to the level of enzyme production: the strain with the highest enzyme yield also having the lowest overall copy number.
Cytotoxic Necrotizing Factor Type 1 of Uropathogenic Escherichia coli Kills Cultured Human Uroepithelial 5637 Cells by an Apoptotic Mechanism

Pathogenic Escherichia coli associated with urinary tract infections (UTIs) in otherwise healthy individuals frequently produce cytotoxic necrotizing factor type 1 (CNF1), a member of the family of bacterial toxins that target the Rho family of small GTP-binding proteins. To gain insight into the function of CNF1 in the development of E. coli-mediated UTIs, we examined the effects of CNF1 intoxication on a panel of human cell lines derived from physiologically relevant sites (bladder, ureters, and kidneys). We identified one uroepithelial cell line that exhibited a distinctly different CNF1 intoxication phenotype from the prototypic one of multinucleation without cell death that is seen when HEp-2 or other epithelial cells are treated with CNF1. The 5637 bladder cell line detached from the growth surface within 72 h of CNF1 intoxication, a finding that suggested frank cytotoxicity. To determine the basis for the unexpected toxic effect of CNF1 on 5637 cells, we compared the degree of toxin binding, actin fiber formation, and Rho modification with those CNF1-induced events in HEp-2 cells. We found no apparent difference in the amount of CNF1 bound to 5637 cells and HEp-2 cells. Moreover, CNF1 modified Rho, in vivo and in vitro, in both cell types. In contrast, one of the classic responses to CNF1 in HEp-2 and other epithelial cell lines, the formation of actin stress fibers, was markedly absent in 5637 cells. Indeed, actin stress fiber induction by CNF1 did not occur in any of the other human bladder cell lines that we tested (J82, SV-HUC-1, or T24). Furthermore, the appearance of lamellipodia and filopodia in 5637 cells suggested that CNF1 activated the Cdc42 and Rac proteins. Finally, apoptosis was observed in CNF1-intoxicated 5637 cells. If our results with 5637 cells reflect the interaction of CNF1 with the transitional uroepithelium in the human bladder, then CNF1 may be involved in the exfoliative process that occurs in that organ after infection with uropathogenic E. coli.
Trust in Second Life

Some issues are raised with regard to conducting economic decision-making experiments in virtual worlds. The issues are illustrated via a visit to an experimental laboratory on Second Life. Some suggestions for addressing these issues are proposed.
VOLUNTEERISM, CHARITABLE GIVING, AND RELIGION: THE U.S. EXAMPLE

Abstract The United States serves as a helpful case study for countries experiencing religious resurgence at the same time that their governments struggle to meet growing needs for social services. The rate of giving and volunteerism in the United States is relatively high compared to many other industrialized countries, and religious groups are the single largest recipients of donated money and time. Charitable giving and volunteerism in the United States is enhanced due to the prevalence of religiously motivated humanitarianism. The legal system does much to encourage charitable giving, including to religious groups, especially through the mechanism of the tax code.
Donation after cardiac death liver transplantation is associated with increased risk of end-stage renal disease.

Summary Limited organ supply has led to greater use of liver allografts with higher donor risk indices (DRI) and/or donated after cardiac death (DCD). DCD status is associated with acute kidney injury after liver transplantation; however, less is known about the association between donor quality and end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Using SRTR data, we assembled a cohort of liver transplant recipients from 2/2002 to 12/2010. We fit multivariable Cox regression models for ESRD. Model 1 included total DRI; model 2 included components of DRI, including DCD, as separate variables. Forty thousand four hundred and sixty-three liver transplant recipients were included. Median DRI was 1.40 (IQR 1.14, 1.72); 1822 (5%) received DCD livers. During median follow-up of 3.93 years, ESRD occurred in 2008 (5%) and death in 11 075 (27%) subjects. There was a stepwise increase in ESRD risk with higher DRI (DRI ≥1.14 and <1.40: HR 1.17, P = 0.06; DRI ≥1.40 and <1.72: HR 1.29, P = 0.003; DRI ≥1.72: HR 1.39, P < 0.001, compared with DRI <1.14). Adjusting for DRI components separately, DCD status was most strongly associated with ESRD (HR 1.40, P = 0.008). Higher DRI is associated with ESRD after liver transplantation, driven in part by DCD status. Donor quality is an important predictor of long-term renal outcomes in liver transplant recipients.
Strain monitoring by evanascent wave spectroscopy

Prior interferometric fiber sensors and evanescent wave fiber sensors have proven useful in obtaining information about portions of the lifetime of a composite materials. The overall goal of this research is to develop an IR evanescent wave sensor system that can be used to monitor lifetime of a polymer matrix composite. In this regard, a single fused silica core fiber was placed across a miniature materials tester, while simultaneously having the fiber ends attached to an IR spectrometer. The fiber was strained in increments by the MINIMAT, while the IR spectrometer allowed simultaneous determination of the IR spectrum. An increase in baseline absorbance across the entire IR spectrum occurred as the strain increased. The increase in absorbance is relate to an increase in strain in the fiber. From regression analysis of independent measurements of fiber strain and absorbance, a strong relation between the change in absorbance and change in strain energy was found. Future work will involve incorporation of the strain sensing approach with evanescent wave chemical sensing to allow total lifetime monitoring of polymer matrix composites.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
An approach to automated longwall mining

The longwall system of mining coal, providing advantages in the areas of productivity as well as health and safety, is described, and technological developments leading to a full automation of the system are discussed. In the longwall system large blocks of coal (up to 600 feet wide and up to 5000 feet long) are developed, with each block mined out by taking successive slices across the short dimension of the block and loading the broken coal onto a conveyor. A self-advancing system supports the roof over the length of the face throughout cutting and loading, with the supports advanced with the face, and the roof allowed to collapse behind them. A double-ranging drum longwall shearer provides the system with an efficient yaw, roll, and variable-thickness vertical control. Currently two machine operators function as error detectors and controllers. It is shown that electronic sensors can lead to a fully automated vertical control system, and automatic roll control is achievable with available instruments and machine tilt actuators.
Experimental deformation of muscovite

Abstract The strength and mechanical anisotropy of muscovite have been investigated by shortening single crystals at 45°, 0° and 90° to the basal plane (001) at temperatures T from 20 to 400°C, confining pressures Pc from 10 to 400 MPa, and strain rates e from 2.5 × 10−7 to 2.3 × 10−4 s−1. Samples deformed as 45° to (001) exhibit smooth undulatory extinction in thin section associated with dislocation glide, with few well developed low-angle kink boundaries. Basal shear strengths depend on confining pressure at Pc e = A exp (aσ) exp (-Q/ RT) , results from temperature- and strain rate-stepping experiments performed at Pc = 200 MPa yield an activation energy Q of 47 ± 19 kJ mol−1 and an exponential constant a of 0.5 ± 0.2 MPa−1. Samples loaded parallel to the basal plane shorten by the development of sharply defined kink bands. Strengths associated with kink band formation are higher than those associated with glide in samples compressed at 45° to (001) and exhibit significant pressure dependence ( μ ≊ 0.8 ) up to confining pressures of 200 MPa. Kink bands are generated at the ends of samples where contact is made with the pistons. Samples loaded at 90° to (001) are much stronger than samples of all other orientations and deformation is accomplished by fracture. Fracture strengths exhibit a strong dependence on confining pressure ( μ ≊ 0.9 ), similar in magnitude to other silicates that are brittle at the same conditions. By comparison with biotite, muscovite is weaker in shear on (001) at the experimental conditions tested with an activation energy for glide, Q, that is significantly smaller than that for glide in biotite.
Photoreactions of radicals during polyolefin photooxidation

Polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) peroxy radicals undergo photoreactions, but under commonly encountered photodegradation conditions these reaction rates are much lower than those of conventional radical reactions; for example, for PP peroxy radicals in noon summer sunlight at 25°C their rate of photolysis to alkyl radicals is less than one-tenth of their rate of hydrogen abstraction from the polymer. At lower temperatures( < −10°C) or when more intense radiation is used, however, peroxy radical photolysis becomes a proportionately more important source of alkyl radicals. In addition, occurrence of photoinduced radical combination is confirmed but is shown to be important only when photolysis generates an alkyl radical sufficiently close to a peroxy radical that termination can occur before oxygen reconverts the alkyl radical to a peroxy radical. This termination mechanism therefore becomes more important for radicals generated at lower temperatures when the average separation of a radical pair is lower.
Effect of systemic calcium deficiency on the expression of transforming growth factor-β in chick embryonic calvaria

The developmental process of intramembranous ossification involves bone for- mation directly from mesenchymal differentiation without a cartilage intermediate. We have previ- ously observed that systemic calcium deficiency in the developing chick embryo, produced by long-term shell-less culture, results in the appear- ance of chondrocyte-like cells in the calvarium, a parietal bone which normally develops via in- tramembranous ossification. This investigation aims to analyze the mechanism underlying this calcium deficiency-related, aberrant appearance of cartilage phenotype in the chick embryonic cal- varium. In view of the reported involvement of transforming growth factor p (TGF-P) in osteogen- esis and chondrogenesis, we have examined and compared here the expression of TGF-p in the chick embryonic calvaria of normal (in ovo devel- opment, NL), shell-less (SL), and calcium-supple- mented SL (SL + Ca) embryos. TGF-f3 expression was analyzed at the mRNA level by blot and in situ cDNA hybridization, and at the protein level by immunohistochemistry and immunoblotting. The results presented here indicate that: 1) TGF-p is expressed in the chick embryonic calvarium by both periosteal cells and osteocytes, as revealed by in situ hybridization and immunohistochemis- try; 2) TGF-P expression is significantly increased in SL calvarium compared to NL calvarium, at both protein and mRNA levels; 3) the number of TGF-f3 expressing cells increases in the SL calva- rium, particularly along the central, subcambial core region of the bone; and 4) exogenous calcium repletion to the SL embryo affects the expression of TGF-P such that the pattern approaches that in the NL embryo. Taken together, these results in- dicate that altered TGF-f3 expression accompanies the aberrant appearance of cartilage phenotype caused by systemic calcium deficiency. We postu- late that normal cellular differentiation along the osteogenic pathway during embryonic intramem- branous ossification is crucially dependent on regulated TGF-0 expression.
Structure/Function Analysis of the Murine CD95L Promoter Reveals the Identification of a Novel Transcriptional Repressor and Functional CD28 Response Element

CD28 costimulation, an important second signal for antigen-mediated T cell activation, is known to enhance expression of several genes important for the regulation of CD4+ T cell effector function including interleukin-2 and CD154. Previous studies demonstrate CD28-mediated enhancement of the transcription and expression of Fas ligand (CD95L) in T cell lines, suggesting a regulatory link between CD28 and CD95L expression. These results served as the basis for structure/function analysis of the CD95L promoter to elucidate the mechanism for CD28-mediated enhancement of CD95L. In this report, we describe a novel response element, located at -210 to -201 bp upstream of the transcription start site, that confers CD28 responsiveness to the CD95L gene. This response element is homologous to the CD28 response element (CD28RE) previously identified in the IL-2 promoter and bears structural similarities to a newly identified CD28RE in the CD154 promoter. We further demonstrate that CD28-mediated enhancement of promoter activity correlates with enhanced expression of CD95L mRNA, cell surface expression of CD95L protein, and increased apoptosis of CD95+ target cells. These results demonstrate a direct transcriptional regulatory role for CD28 in CD95L-mediated functional activity in CD4+ T cells. Mutational analysis of the CD95L promoter also reveals a novel transcriptional repressor element located ∼60 bp 5′ of the CD28RE. The repressor element bears sequence homology to an activator protein-1 element, constitutively binds c-Fos but not c-Jun, and is activation-independent.
Axon injury and stress trigger a microtubule-based neuroprotective pathway

Axon injury elicits profound cellular changes, including axon regeneration. However, the full range of neuronal injury responses remains to be elucidated. Surprisingly, after axons of Drosophila dendritic arborization neurons were severed, dendrites were more resistant to injury-induced degeneration. Concomitant with stabilization, microtubule dynamics in dendrites increased. Moreover, dendrite stabilization was suppressed when microtubule dynamics was dampened, which was achieved by lowering levels of the microtubule nucleation protein γ-tubulin. Increased microtubule dynamics and global neuronal stabilization were also activated by expression of expanded polyglutamine (poly-Q) proteins SCA1, SCA3, and huntingtin. In all cases, dynamics were increased through microtubule nucleation and depended on JNK signaling, indicating that acute axon injury and long-term neuronal stress activate a common cytoskeleton-based stabilization program. Reducing levels of γ-tubulin exacerbated long-term degeneration induced by SCA3 in branched sensory neurons and in a well established Drosophila eye model of poly-Q–induced neurodegeneration. Thus, increased microtubule dynamics can delay short-term injury-induced degeneration, and, in the case of poly-Q proteins, can counteract progressive longer-term degeneration. We conclude that axon injury or stress triggers a microtubule-based neuroprotective pathway that stabilizes neurons against degeneration.
Prostaglandins do not contribute to the nitric oxide-mediated compensatory vasodilation in hypoperfused exercising muscle

We tested the hypothesis that 1) prostaglandins (PGs) contribute to compensatory vasodilation in contracting human forearm subjected to acute hypoperfusion, and 2) the combined inhibition of PGs an...
Reorientational and intermolecular dynamics in binary liquid mixtures of hexafluorobenzene and benzene: femtosecond optical Kerr effect measurements

Abstract The molecular dynamics of binary liquid mixtures of C 6 F 6 and C 6 H 6 were studied by using optical heterodyne-detected Raman-induced Kerr effect spectroscopy (OHD-RIKES) with 45 fs laser pulses at room temperature and ambient pressure. The data give evidence for the effect of interspecies interactions in the short-time, nondiffusive part of the OHD-RIKES response.
Quartz fibers as templates for biopolymers.

The polymerization of silica in water solution to form quartz fibers proceeds by a dehydration process, analogous to condensation polymerization in organic high-polymers, in which monomeric Si(OH)4 groups unite through Si−O−Si bonds with the elimination of H2O. The resulting fibers are structurally polar along the direction of elongation, are enantiomorphous, and generally shown stereospecific twisting around the direction of elongation. In these regards the fibers are analogues of biopolymers such as RNA and DNA. Quartz also possesses specific adsorptive relations to a wide range of organic substances including monomer amino acids, short-chain polypeptides, and proteins. These involve hydrogen-bonding between (OH) or silanoi groups on the surface of the quartz with active side-groups on the organic molecules and in part are epitaxial through dimensional coincidences in the interface.
Non-invasive hyperthermic necrosis of cancer cells using a nanosecond pulsed electric field

Summary form only given. Invasive ablation of cancer cells using radiofrequency-heating techniques has been demonstrated clinically, but the current methodology still has many flaws, including inconsistent tumor ablation, and significant healthy cell death1. Research has been done to develop a method that is both non-invasive and more selective for the cancer cells using metallic nanoparticles and constant electric field exposure2,3. The mechanism by which cell necrosis is achieved in these studies is the heating of functionalized metallic nanoparticles, which are attached to the cancer cells via antibody conjugation. Our approach to studying this phenomenon is to use similarly functionalized metallic nanoparticles that are specific for the T47D breast cancer cell line, but expose these nanoparticle-cell conjugates to a nanosecond pulsed electric field. The percentage of cells killed from hyperthermia can then be assessed using hemacytometer cell staining and counting techniques.
Chromate concentration bias in primer paint particles.

Chromate-containing primer paints are used to prevent corrosion on metal surfaces. Chromate contains hexavalent chromium (Cr6+), a human carcinogen. The objective of this research was to determine if there is a bias in the fraction of chromate found in various particle sizes generated during primer painting operations. A solvent-based, aviation primer paint was sprayed using a high-volume, low-pressure spray gun. Paint particles were collected and separated by size with seven-stage cascade impactors. It was determined that particles with a mass aerodynamic diameter 2.0 microm (P 2.0 microm is 70 microg of Cr/mg of dry paint. The mixed paint contains 18.75% strontium chromate, which equates to a ratio of 67 microg of Cr/mg of dry paint. Particles > 2.0 microm are more likely to impact in the upper tracheobronchial regions of the lung where mucociliary clearance is relatively rapid. Additionally, chromate emissions from spraying operations may be overestimated because larger particles, which are more easily trapped on an air filter, contain more chromate than the smaller particles, which are more likely to bypass an air filter.
INFLUENZA B/ANN ARBOR: CLINICAL, LABORATORY, AND EPIDEMIOLOGIC DETECTION

An epidemic of influenza B occurring between Jan-Mar 1986 allowed analysis of this illness in 325 participants in an efficacy trial of influenza A vaccines. Eighty-six individuals with respiratory illness were cultured. Ninety-one randomly selected pairs of sera bracketing the epidemic were assayed for seroresponse to influenza B. To determine the optimal serologic assay, 32 paired sera from people with culture proven influenza B were run using 3 assays (Figure). An ELISA using purified hemagglutinin-neuraminidase was the most sensitive although 31% of individuals with proven influenza B did not have an antibody rise. Thirty percent of the illnesses were influenza B by culture. Of those ill, 26% had a serologic rise; however, 48% of those with no recorded illness also had a serologic rise. The overall seroresponse rate was 42% by ELISA, which was equal in adults and children. A higher percent of culture proven influenza B illnesses were febrile (64% v. 32%, p=.004). Children (1-16 yrs) had more frequent influenza B culture positive illness than adults (17% v. 6%, p=.007). Efforts to identify influenza B illness during a winter season depends heavily on culture documentation. Neither clinical illness nor serologic assessment would fully characterize the epidemic. However, the latter determination emphasizes the high rate of apparently asymptomatic or minor illness with influenza B, particularly in adults.
Self-Assembly of Poly(oxybutylene)−Poly(oxyethylene)−Poly(oxybutylene) (B6E46B6) Triblock Copolymer in Aqueous Solution

Laser light scattering and small-angle neutron scattering were used to study poly(oxybutylene)−poly(oxyethylene)−poly(oxybutylene) triblock copolymers (B6E46B6) in aqueous solution from low to high concentrations and over a range of temperatures from 5 to 35 °C. B6E46B6 molecules exist as unimers at low concentrations and low temperatures. At higher concentrations and at low temperature (≤15 °C), they associate in small numbers and scattering evidence shows that molecular associates with open structures might form. At higher temperatures, typical flowerlike micelles form. The critical micelle concentration decreases with increasing temperature while the association number increases. At high polymer concentrations (e.g., at 35% in mass), further entanglements form among the micelles, yielding another slow mode in dynamic light scattering, which can be attributed to the bridging of two hydrophobic end blocks located in two different hydrophobic clusters by the hydrophilic middle block. However, these cross-...
A major determinant of the immunogenicity of factor VIII in a murine model is independent of its procoagulant function

A main complication of treatment of patients with hemophilia A is the development of anti–factor VIII (fVIII) antibodies. The immunogenicity of fVIII potentially is a function of its procoagulant activity, which may result in danger signals that drive the immune response. Alternatively, intrinsic structural elements in fVIII may be particularly immunogenic. Finally, VWF, the carrier protein for fVIII in plasma, may play a role in immune recognition. We compared the immunogenicity of wild-type (wt) B domain–deleted fVIII and 2 inactive fVIII molecules, R372A/R1689A fVIII and V634M fVIII in fVIII−/− and fVIII−/−/VWF−/− mice. R372A/R1689A fVIII lacks proteolytic recognition sites and is not released from VWF. In contrast, V634M fVIII undergoes proteolytic cleavage and dissociation from VWF. No significant difference was observed in the immunogenicity of wt fVIII and V634M fVIII. R372A/R1689A fVIII was slightly less immunogenic in a subset of immunization regimens tested. High doses of wt fVIII were required to produce an immune response in fVIII−/−/VWF−/− mice. Our results indicate that a main component of the immune response to fVIII is independent of its procoagulant function, is both positively and negatively affected by its association with VWF, and may involve intrinsic elements of fVIII structure.
Disorders of phospholipid metabolism: an emerging class of mitochondrial disease due to defects in nuclear genes

The human nuclear and mitochondrial genomes co-exist within each cell. While the mitochondrial genome encodes for a limited number of proteins, transfer RNAs, and ribosomal RNAs, the vast majority of mitochondrial proteins are encoded in the nuclear genome. Of the multitude of mitochondrial disorders known to date, only a fifth are maternally inherited. The recent characterization of the mitochondrial proteome therefore serves as an important step towards delineating the nosology of a large spectrum of phenotypically heterogeneous diseases. Following the identification of the first nuclear gene defect to underlie a mitochondrial disorder, a plenitude of genetic variants that provoke mitochondrial pathophysiology have been molecularly elucidated and classified into six categories that impact: 1) oxidative phosphorylation (subunits and assembly factors); 2) mitochondrial DNA maintenance and expression; 3) mitochondrial protein import and assembly; 4) mitochondrial quality control (chaperones and proteases); 5) iron-sulfur cluster homeostasis; and 6) mitochondrial dynamics (fission and fusion). Here, we propose that an additional class of genetic variant be included in the classification schema to acknowledge the role of genetic defects in phospholipid biosynthesis, remodeling, and metabolism in mitochondrial pathophysiology. This seventh class includes a small but notable group of nuclear-encoded proteins whose dysfunction impacts normal mitochondrial phospholipid metabolism. The resulting human disorders present with a diverse array of pathologic consequences that reflect the variety of functions that phospholipids have in mitochondria and highlight the important role of proper membrane homeostasis in mitochondrial biology.
In vitro enrofloxacin binding in human fecal slurries.

Abstract Most antibiotic inactivation studies have been conducted through in vitro incubations of human use aminoglycosides, beta-lactams, and fluoroquinolones, usually at fecal concentrations expected with therapeutic dose regimens in humans and animals. Less is known about the inactivation of these molecules when ingested at concentrations consistent with residue levels present in animal-derived foods from antibiotic treated animals. In this investigation, we used the fluoroquinolone, enrofloxacin which is specifically marketed for veterinary medicine as test compound. Fecal suspensions at 10%, 25%, and 50% (w/v) were subjected to physicochemical and molecular characterization and used in the drug binding studies. The fecal binding of enrofloxacin added at concentrations of 0.06, 0.1, 1, 5, 15, 50, and 150 mg/L was determined in various fecal slurry suspensions using analytical chemistry and microbiological assay methods. There was consistent correlation between both assay methods. By the analytical chemistry assay, the 10%, 25% and 50% diluted autoclaved fecal samples dosed with enrofloxacin showed binding of 50 ± 4.6%, 54 ± 6.5% and 56 ± 6.8% of the enrofloxacin, respectively. Binding of enrofloxacin to fecal contents occurred rapidly within 10 min and remained constant over the incubation period. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoreses and pyrosequencing analysis showed varied profiles of the bacterial composition of the human intestinal microbiota for fecal samples from different individuals. This study provided information on methodological questions that have concerned regulatory authorities on in vitro testing to determine if concentrations of veterinary antimicrobial agent residues entering the human colon remain microbiologically active.
Late Ordovician Benthic Community Structures in St. Lawrence Lowlands, Quebec: ABSTRACT

Invertebrate faunas in the shale, siltstone, and sandstone of the Nicolet River and Pontgrave River Formations in the St. Lawrence lowlands, Quebec, represent the northernmost expression of Late Ordovician Appalachian clastic-facies, benthic marine communities. Strata exposed along the axis of the Chambly-Fortierville syncline have bedding, texture, and primary structures characteristic of a regressional sequence, a pattern that is mirrored in well-defined onshore-to-offshore faunal assemblages. About 50 species dominate the Nicolet-Pontgrave fauna, mainly articulate brachiopods, bellerophontid gastropods, bivalve mollusks, crinoids, and trilobites. There are benthic marine communities, recognized on the basis of species, which consistently occur together. The Dalmanella-Cryptolithus community is widespread and lived on or in muddy silt and mud of the outer infralittoral zone. The community has high faunal diversity, especially nuculoid bivalve mollusks and trilobites, but normally has low density. The Leptaena-Sowerbyella community has patchy distribution. This dominantly strophomenid brachiopod fauna, sporadically associated with diverse praecardioid bivalve mollusk populations, lived on fine silt bottoms of the inner and outer infralittoral zone. The Ambonychia-Modiolopsis community has low faunal diversity but many epifaunal, suspension-feeding, bivalve mollusks, especially pterioids and modiomorphids. The community lived on fine sand and silt of the inner infralittoral zone and has patchy distribution. The Rhynchotrema-Catazyga community, which has very patchy distribution, lived on muddy silt of the inner infralittoral zone, has very low faunal diversity, and contains coquinites of mono-specific character, dominantly rhynchonellid. The pattern of high-diversity, low-density offshore communities transitional shoreward into low-diversity, high-density communities may be explained most simply by differences in the degree of environmental fluctuations. End_of_Article - Last_Page 837------------
Investigation of moth-eye antireflection coatings for photovoltaic cover glass using fdtd modeling method

The need for photovoltaic coverglass coatings that are both broadband antireflective and omni-directional has led to the development of biomimetic moth-eye type graded index of refraction surfaces. In this study, we evaluate generic nanostructured coatings derived using both top-down and bottom-up approaches. It is found that top-down coatings are able to achieve an average reflectance of 0.10%, while bottom-up approaches only achieve an average reflectance of 0.7%. However, the decreased reflectance may not be compelling enough to justify the cost-intensive processing in top-down approaches.
Serum Testosterone of Neonatal Male and Female Dogs

Serum testosterone (T) was determined for male and female dogs from Day 2 (48-72 h after birth) through Day 49. For the first 20 days of life, the T levels of both sexes were relatively stable and very low by adult male standards. The level for males was “-‘0.15 ng/mI and was significantly higher than that for females which was ‘\,O.lO ng/ml. The levels for both males and females, however, may be so low postnatally that they are not biologically significant. If there was a “masculinizing” perinatal surge in T secretion in males, it undoubtedly occurred prenatally.
Limit Theorems for Additive Learning Models)

In the learning models considered, the events that occur on successive trials act additively. New derivations are given of a criterion for recurrence or transience of response probability, and a formula for the asymptotic response frequency in the recurrent case. It is shown that there are stationary probability distributions in the recurrent case, and that they are approximately normal with small variance when learning occurs by small steps.
Socioeconomic Inequalities in Injury: Critical Issues in Design and Analysis

Injuries continue to place a tremendous burden on the public's health and rates vary widely among different groups in the population. Increasing attention has recently been given to the effects of socioeconomic status (SES) as a determinant of health among both individuals and communities. However, relatively few studies have focused on the influence of SES and injuries. Furthermore, those that have, and the other injury studies that have included measures of SES in their analysis, have varying degrees of conceptual and methodological rigor in their use of this measure. Recent advances in data linkage and analytic techniques have, however, provided new and improved methods to assess the relationship between SES and injuries. This review summarizes the relevant literature on SES and injuries, with particular attention to study design, and the measurement and interpretation of SES. We found that increasing SES has a strong inverse association with the risk of both homicide and fatal unintentional injuries, although the results for suicide were mixed. However, the relationship between SES and nonfatal injuries was less consistent than for fatal injuries. We offer potential explanatory mechanisms for the relationship between SES and injuries and make recommendations for future research in this area.
The Kidney Androgen-regulated Protein Promoter Confers Renal Proximal Tubule Cell-specific and Highly Androgen-responsive Expression on the Human Angiotensinogen Gene in Transgenic Mice*

Transgenic mice were generated containing a 1542-base pair fragment of the kidney androgen-regulated protein (KAP) promoter fused to the human angiotensinogen (HAGT) gene with the goal of specifically targeting inducible expression of renin-angiotensin system components to the kidney. High level expression of both KAP-HAGT and endogenous KAP mRNA was evident in the kidney of male mice from two independent transgenic lines. Renal expression of the transgene in female mice was undetectable under basal conditions but could be strongly induced by administration of testosterone. Testosterone treatment did not cause a transcriptional induction in any other tissues examined. However, an analysis of six androgen target tissues in males revealed that the transgene was expressed in epididymis. No other extra-renal expression of the transgene was detected. In situ hybridization demonstrated that expression ofHAGT (and KAP) mRNA in males and testosterone-treated females was restricted to proximal tubule epithelial cells in the renal cortex. Although there was no detectable human angiotensinogen protein in plasma, it was evident in the urine, consistent with a pathway of synthesis in proximal tubule cells and release into the tubular lumen. These results demonstrate that 1542 base pairs of the KAP promoter is sufficient to drive expression of a heterologous reporter gene in a tissue-specific, cell-specific, and androgen-regulated fashion in transgenic mice.
What practitioners need to know to evaluate research

Practitioners can base design decisions on existing research once they are able to evaluate the rigor and relevance of studies. By understanding research settings, the assessment of causality, and the strength of findings, practitioners can optimally apply research results to practical design decisions.
Physician-Assisted Suicide: Considering the Evidence, Existential Distress, and an Emerging Role for Psychiatry

Physician-assisted suicide (PAS) is one of the most provocative topics facing society today. Given the great responsibility conferred on physicians by recent laws allowing PAS, a careful examination of this subject is warranted by psychiatrists and other specialists who may be consulted during a patient's request for PAS. In this article, recent evidence regarding the implementation of PAS in the United States and The Netherlands is reviewed. Support is found for some concerns about PAS, such as the possibility that mental illness occurs at higher rates in patients requesting PAS, but not for other concerns, such as the fear that PAS will be practiced more frequently on vulnerable populations (the slippery-slope argument). These data and common arguments for and against PAS are discussed with an emphasis on the tension between values, such as maximizing patient autonomy and adhering to professional obligations, as well as the need for additional research that focuses more directly on the patient-centered perspective. Implications of the available evidence are discussed and lead to a consideration of mental anguish in terminally ill patients including aspects of existential distress and an acknowledgment of the importance of tailoring end-of-life care to the distinct set of values and experiences that shape each patient's perspective. The article concludes with a discussion of an expanding role for psychiatrists in evaluating patients who request PAS.
Contesting Free Trade: The Development of the Anti-FTAA Movement in the Streets and in the Corridors of State Power

The effort to unite the economies of the western hemisphere into a single free trade agreement was initiated at the Summit of the Americas in Miami in 1994. The timetable established was for completion of the agreement by 2005. This article analyzes the efforts that have arisen over the last six years in opposition to the proposed Free Trade Agreement of the Americas (FTAA). Opposition coming from both governments in Latin America and civil society throughout the hemisphere have threatened to derail the whole process. This article details the political arguments that have been mounted against the FTAA and also provides an analysis of the myriad tactics employed by the anti-FTAA movement.
Current and future management of bilateral loss of vestibular sensation - an update on the Johns Hopkins Multichannel Vestibular Prosthesis Project.

Bilateral loss of vestibular sensation can disable individuals whose vestibular hair cells are injured by ototoxic medications, infection, Meniere's disease or other insults to the labyrinth including surgical trauma during cochlear implantation. Without input to vestibulo-ocular and vestibulo-spinal reflexes that normally stabilize the eyes and body, affected patients suffer blurred vision during head movement, postural instability, and chronic disequilibrium. While individuals with some residual sensation often compensate for their loss through rehabilitation exercises, those who fail to do so are left with no adequate treatment options. An implantable neuroelectronic vestibular prosthesis that emulates the normal labyrinth by sensing head movement and modulating activity on appropriate branches of the vestibular nerve could significantly improve quality of life for these otherwise chronically dizzy patients. This brief review describes the impact and current management of bilateral loss of vestibular sensation, animal studies supporting the feasibility of prosthetic vestibular stimulation, and a vestibular prosthesis designed to restore sensation of head rotation in all directions. Similar to a cochlear implant in concept and size, the Johns Hopkins Multichannel Vestibular Prosthesis (MVP) includes miniature gyroscopes to sense head rotation, a microcontroller to process inputs and control stimulus timing, and current sources switched between pairs of electrodes implanted within the vestibular labyrinth. In rodents and rhesus monkeys rendered bilaterally vestibulardeficient via treatment with gentamicin and/or plugging of semicircular canals, the MVP partially restores the vestibulo-ocular reflex for head rotations about any axis of rotation in 3-dimensional space. Our efforts now focus on addressing issues prerequisite to human implantation, including refinement of electrode designs and surgical technique to enhance stimulus selectivity and preserve cochlear function, optimization of stimulus protocols, and reduction of device size and power consumption.
Structure and function of cardiac gap junctions

Abstract Electrical activation of the myocardium requires conduction of impulses from one discrete cardiac myocyte to another. This process occurs at gap junctions, specialized membrane regions containing arrays of intercellular channels composed of protein subunits referred to as connexins. More than 15 distinct connexins have been described in mammals. Most differentiated cells, including cardiac myocytes, express multiple connexins. The 3 principal connexins expressed in cardiac myocytes are Cx43, Cx40, and Cx45, each of which forms channels with distinct biophysical properties. A potentially large number of hybrid channels composed of 2 or more connexins and having specialized functions may occur in the heart. Functionally distinct conductive tissues of the heart, such as the nodes and bundles of the conduction system and atrial and ventricular myocardium, express different combinations of the three cardiac connexins and are interconnected by gap junctions in specific three-dimensional patterns that are consistent with the anisotropic conduction properties of each tissue. Recent studies in mouse models with genetically altered connexin expression have shown that Cx43 is the principal coupling protein in ventricular myocardium, whereas Cx40 fulfills this function in the atria. Cx43-deficient mice exhibit no overt phenotype, although ventricular conduction is modestly slowed. Under pathophysiological conditions such as acute ischemia, however, Cx43-deficient mice exhibit increased incidence and earlier onset of ventricular arrhythmias. Cardiac myocytes can rapidly adjust their level of intercellular coupling. Cx43 has a relatively short half-life ([sim ]1.5 hr). Modulation of connexin turnover kinetics, perhaps related to changes in connexin phosphorylation, may be a major mechanism by which cells can rapidly adjust levels of coupling. Development of new therapies designed to modulate gap junctional coupling could be effective in reducing the risk of lethal arrhythmias in patients with heart disease.
Fluoride resistance and transport by riboswitch-controlled CLC antiporters.

A subclass of bacterial CLC anion-transporting proteins, phylogenetically distant from long-studied CLCs, was recently shown to be specifically up-regulated by F-. We establish here that a set of randomly selected representatives from this “CLCF” clade protect Escherichia coli from F- toxicity, and that the purified proteins catalyze transport of F- in liposomes. Sequence alignments and membrane transport experiments using 19F NMR, osmotic response assays, and planar lipid bilayer recordings reveal four mechanistic traits that set CLCF proteins apart from all other known CLCs. First, CLCFs lack conserved residues that form the anion binding site in canonical CLCs. Second, CLCFs exhibit high anion selectivity for F- over Cl-. Third, at a residue thought to distinguish CLC channels and transporters, CLCFs bear a channel-like valine rather than a transporter-like glutamate, and yet are F-/H+ antiporters. Finally, F-/H+ exchange occurs with 1∶1 stoichiometry, in contrast to the usual value of 2∶1.
The release of forensic patients

Abstract Working with persons who become hospitalised in maximum security environments may seem incompatible with social work values, such as self-determination. Social workers can contribute to the humane and effective treatment of such persons as by actively participating in mul-tidisciplinary treatment, as well as by providing the necessary perspective of social justice. A central and often problematic issue in the treatment of forensic patients is their release from hospital. To date little attention has been directed toward understanding the factors mental health staff take into account in making release judgments. To examine factors which staff use in judging suitability for release forty mental health staff were interviewed. Content analysis of the constructs generated by participants revealed that the five most commonly used constructs were mental health factors. Practice and research applications arising out of the research are also discussed.
Immunonutrition: the role of carbohydrates

The major role for carbohydrates in the diet is for the provision of energy. Most non-energy-related effects of carbohydrates can be related to short-chain fatty acid production or other effects of bacterial fermentation in the colon. More complex or slowly absorbed carbohydrates may also reduce glycemic index and insulin production and therefore may have a less profound effect on modification of lipid metabolism. Certain carbohydrates may promote fermentation in the colon, increasing short-chain fatty acid production and may alter bacterial flora in the small bowel and colon. Increased insoluble fiber will increase fecal bulk. Further immunomodulary effects of carbohydrates have had little attention in the literature. This would be a potential opportunity for further investigation.