cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Depression of phase-transition temperature by anesthetics: nonzero solid membrane binding

The anesthetic-induced depression of the main phase-transition temperature of phospholipid membranes is often analyzed according to the van't Hoff model on the freezing point depression. In this procedure, zero interaction between anesthetics and solid-gel membranes is assumed. Nevertheless, anesthetics bind to solid-gel membranes to a significant degree. It is necessary to analyze the difference in the anesthetic binding between the liquid-crystal and solid-gel membranes to probe the anesthetic action on the lipid membranes. This article describes a theory to estimate the anesthetic binding to each state at the phase-transition temperature. The equations derived here reveal the relation between the partition coefficients of anesthetics and the anesthetic effects on the transition characters: the change in the transition temperature, and the broadening of transition. The theory revealed that the width of transition temperature is determined primarily by the membrane/buffer partition coefficients of anesthetics. Our previous data on the local anesthetic action on the transition temperature of the dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine vesicle membrane (Ueda,I., Tashiro, C. and Arakawa, K. (1977) Anesthesiology 46, 327–332) are analyzed by this method. The numerical values for the partition of local anesthetics into the liquid-crystal and solid-gel dipalmitoyl-phosphatidylcholine vesicle membranes at the phase-transition temperature are: procaine 8.0·103 and 4.7·103, lidocaine, 3.7·103 and 2.3·103, bupivacaine 4.1·104 and 2.6·104, and tetracaine 7.3·104 and 4.7·104, respectively.
Kinetics of chick embryo cell types in culture

The growth kinetics and population doubling limits of chick embryonic fibroblasts, chondroblasts, and retinal pigment cells were compared. Chondroblasts were found to have a cumulative population doubling level (37 +/- 3 PDL) similar (p = 0.05) to that of control fibroblasts (42 +/- 2 PDL), in individual and pooled clones. While both cell types have similar doubling potential, the proportion of tritium-labeled nuclei decreases, and differs significantly as doubling level increases. This age-associated decline is due to an extension in the population doubling time. Direct cell-cycle analysis shows this increase to occur in the G1 phase. Furthermore, cartilage colonies maintain their phenotypic expression (metachromasia) throughout their lifespan under conditions of subcloning at sparse density. When fibroblasts derived from 15 day chick embryos are compared with fibroblasts from 10 day embryos (41 +/- 2 PDL) there is no significant difference (p = 0.05) in cumulative PDL or percent labeled nuclei, indicating that fibroblasts of different embryonic age have similar potential. The addition of hydrocortisone and insulin to the medium significantly shortens (25 +/- 2 PDL) the lifespan of 10 day chick fibroblasts. Kinetics of retinal pigment cells show a population doubling potential (29 +/- 1 PDL) different from fibroblasts and chondroblasts, suggesting that different cell types may not have similar limits on doubling potential when first determined in embryogenesis. Hydrocortisone and insulin have no effect on the growth kinetics or lifespan of retinal pigment cells in culture.
A Model for Multi-site Pacing of Fibrillation Using Nonlinear Dynamics Feedback

Traditionally, cardiac defibrillation requires a strong electric shock. Many unwanted side effects of this shock could be eliminated if defibrillation were performed using weak stimuli applied to several locations throughout the heart. Such multi-site pacing algorithms have been shown to defibrillate both experimentally (Pak et al., Am J Physiol 285:H2704–H2711, 2003) and theoretically (Puwal and Roth, J Biol Systems 14:101–112, 2006). Gauthier et al. (Chaos, 12:952–961, 2002) proposed a method to pace the heart using an algorithm based on nonlinear dynamics feedback applied through a single electrode. Our study applies a related but simpler algorithm, which essentially configures each electrode as a demand pacemaker, to simulate the multi-site pacing of fibrillating cardiac tissue. We use the numerical model developed by Fenton et al. (Chaos, 12:852–892, 2002) as the reaction term in a reaction–diffusion equation that we solve over a two-dimensional sheet of tissue. The defibrillation rate after pacing for 3 s is about 30%, which is significantly higher than the spontaneous defibrillation rate and is higher than observed in previous experimental and theoretical studies. Tuning the algorithm period can increase this rate to 45%.
Plecotus austriacus in Dorset.

UNTIL 1940 it was generally thought that there was but one species of long-eared bat in Europe—namely, Plecotus auritus L. However, between 1940 and 1960 several European bat workers described, quite independently, a new sub-species of this bat. In 1960 Bauer, an Austrian, came to the conclusion that these various descriptions referred, in fact, to a distinct species for which the prior name is Plecotus austriacus (Fischer 1829). Since then this new species has been recorded from the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, France, Spain, Italy, Corsica, Russia, Czechoslovakia and Hungary.
Development of a Filtering Technique for Planar Laser-Induced Fluorescence of the CH Radical with Diagonal Excitation/Observation

A computational design tool has been developed and applied to a new fluorescence filtering scheme for the CH A2Delta X2 Pi transition, which uses diagonal excitation and observation to provide the highest possible excitation and emission strengths in systems with high quenching. A holographic notch filter is proposed to reject elastic scatter while a 10 nm bandpass filter isolates CH fluorescence from other emissions. The computer simulation of the fluorescence process was employed to determine the combination of filters and excitation wavelengths that provided the highest fluorescence signal. Optimum filter configurations were determined for a spectrum of pressures, temperatures, and quenching environments. The analysis shows that this technique is best suited to high-pressure environments where saturation is not possible, and the signal strength of this diagonal excitation/observation technique in such environments is at least an order of magnitude greater than that for previous off-diagonal techniques.
Significance of Intraperitoneal Cytology in Patients Undergoing Radical Hysterectomy

Abstract The incidence and prognostic significance of positive intraperitoneal cytology taken during a radical hysterectomy was reviewed. A prospective study looking at intraperitoneal cytology was conducted by using 400 consecutive radical hysterectomies from January 1988 through June 1996. All selected patients had peritoneal washings performed prior to a radical hysterectomy with pelvic and para-aortic lymphadenectomy. A single pathologist reviewed all cytological and histologic specimens. A total of 400 patients were included in the study. Only 7 of 400 (1.8%) had positive intraperitoneal cytology. Four had squamous cell cancer and 3 had adenocarcinoma. Five had stage IB cervical cancer and the remainder were stage IIA. Three had positive nodes. Six of 7 had tumor size greater than 3 cm. Three of 7 had >50% invasion and 2 of 7 had lymphovascular space invasion. No other risk factors were present in these specimens. Six of 7 recurred within 18 months of surgery. Recurrences were local or retroperitoneal; none were upper abdomen or intraperitoneal. The incidence of positive peritoneal cytology during radical hysterectomy is 1.8%. The cost of these cytology specimens did not offer an advantage to the current surgical–pathological factors used to determine prognosis and adjuvant therapy.
Decreased cord blood IgM and IgA in trisomy 21.

: Disagreement as to whether Ig levels are high, low, or normal at different ages in different groups of trisomic children has interfered with defining the associated immunodeficiency state. Fetal Ig production was assessed by measuring cord blood IgM and IgA of five trisomy 21, 97 normal, and 37 control newborns with other birth defects. Trisomic infants showed significantly lower values. Cord blood IgG values showed no differences between groups when corrected for fetal birth weight. The data indicate that children with trisomy 21 have an impaired humoral immune response in utero.
KINETICS OF THE INHIBITION OF NEUROSPORA INVERTASE BY PRODUCTS AND ANILINE.

Abstract The kinetics of the inhibition of the invertase of Neurospora crassa by the products of the hydrolysis, sorbose, and the unusual inhibitor, aniline, have been investigated. The fructosyl transferase activity with glucose or fructose as acceptors of fructose was negligible. The kinetics of the inhibitions were interpreted in terms of a simple three-step mechanism with the enzyme in three forms: free enzyme (E), enzyme-substrate (EFA), and enzyme-fructose (EF). For fructose inhibition of sucrose hydrolysis reciprocal 1 v against 1 S plots showed that the slopes of the lines could be described as a parabolic function of fructose concentration. This was interpreted as nonspecific binding of fructose at the site which normally binds the afructone moiety. The inhibitions by sorbose and aniline were characterized as linear noncompetitive, while that by glucose could be either competitive or noncompetitive, since the effect on the intercepts ( 1 V ) of the lines was at the borderline of experimental error. By contrast, the effect of aniline was mainly on the intercepts of the lines, and was interpreted as a strong combination of aniline with the enzyme-fructose complex, with a much weaker interaction with the free enzyme form.
Herausforderungen für die „große Wasserkraft“

Die Wasserkraft hat im Freistaat Bayern mit einem Anteil von 16 % an der Stromerzeugung eine hohe energiepolitische Bedeutung. Die grosen Wasserkraftbetreiber haben in einer Untersuchung ein mogliches Ausbaupotenzial von weiteren zehn Prozent ermittelt. Zur Losung des Zielkonflikts – Ausbau der regenerativen Stromerzeugung einerseits und Anforderungen aus EG-Wasserrahmenrichtlinie, neues WHG und diverse Biodiversitatsstrategien andererseits – ist ein hohes Mas an Kompromissbereitschaft und neue Formen der Zusammenarbeit aller Beteiligten notwendig.
Deterministic hopping in a Josephson circuit described by a one-dimensional mapping.

Analog simulations of the hopping noise of a current-biased Josephson tunnel junction shunted with an inductor in series with a resistor reveal a 1/..omega.. spectral density over two decades of frequency ..omega.. for a narrow range of bias currents. The amplitude of the low-frequency part of the spectrum decreases when white noise, representing Nyquist noise in the resistor at a few degrees Kelvin, is added to the simulation. We explain the shape of the power spectrum and its dependence on bias current and added white noise in terms of a deterministic process, involving a one-dimensional mapping, that is analogous to that found in Pomeau-Manneville intermittency. Moreover, we are able to establish a detailed relationship between the origin of the mapping and the differential equation describing the dynamics of the system.
Age and sex related responsiveness of Tribolium castaneum (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) in novel behavioral bioassays.

The hardiness and mobile nature of Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) make them easy to work with but are the same factors that make their responses to behavior-modifying chemical stimuli difficult to evaluate. To overcome these difficulties two bioassays were developed: a two-choice test with airflow and a diffusion-based test to evaluate responses to chemical stimuli. The two-choice assay is excellent for rapidly comparing two stimuli or examining the response to one stimulus against a control. The diffusion assay determines differences in orientation behavior to multiple simultaneous stimuli and can examine other behaviors during exposure. Preparation of individuals for bioassay is also important, because disturbance increases the activity level of individual beetles beyond the duration of the disturbance. The age and the sex of beetles affect responsiveness to chemical cues. These bioassays and a better understanding of T. castaneum's activity have revealed approaches for evaluating its responsiveness to behavior-modifying chemicals.
Incorporation of proline‐C14 into the principal alkaloids of Datura stramonium var. tatula and Datura innoxia

Proline-C 14 made available to root cultures of Datura stramonium L. variety tatula Torrey and Datura innoxia Miller was incorporated into hyoscyamine and scopolamine. Root growth was affected in both species.
Model-free estimation of outdoor performance of a model epoxy coating system using accelerated test laboratory data

Laboratory and field exposure results for thin transparent films of a model epoxy coating system have been successfully linked using both dosage and dose, assuming only that the additivity law and the reciprocity law are valid. This paper describes the technique used in the linkage step. Laboratory exposures were carried out on the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Simulated Photodegradation by High Energy Radiant Exposures (SPHERE) using a factorial design of four temperatures, four relative humidities, four ultraviolet-visible ranges, and four neutral density filters. Similar specimens were exposed on the roof of a NIST laboratory in Gaithersburg, MD. The temperature and relative humidity of the outdoor exposures and the solar spectrum were used to characterize the roof environment at 12 min intervals. Chemical degradation of all specimens was followed by transmission Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectra. Dose, the radiation incident on the specimens, was estimated from lamp and filter spectra for the SPHERE exposures and from the solar spectra for outdoor exposures. Specimen UV–visible absorbance spectra were used with the estimates of dose to give estimates of dosage—the energy absorbed by the specimens. Using filter ranges for the SPHERE data allowed estimation of relative degradation efficiency over the range of the solar spectrum. This was used implicitly by the computer program to estimate the degradation in specimens exposed outdoors. The paper describes a model-free heuristic approach that automatically predicts chemical degradation outdoors using the outdoor environment parameters and the SPHERE laboratory data. That both dose and dosage are equally valid methods of successfully predicting outdoor degradation may be a consequence of all the films being approximately the same thickness (about 6 μm).
Optimization of work loading for the die and tool shop

Currently, in automobile tool and die shops, the typical practice for loading work is performed by trial and error using spreadsheet programs. This paper presents a decision support model using mixed integer programming to optimize the work loading. The model can be used to assign the tasks in each time period, to determine the ideal time to start activities, and to improve capacity planning and utilization.
Three-photon induced upconverted fluorescence from an organic compound : application to optical power limiting

Visible blue emission has been observed in a solution of an organic molecule, 6-propionyl-2-dimethylaminonaphthalene (PRODAN) when excited by laser radiation at 1064 nm. This upconverted emission has been shown to be due to three-photon absorption followed by fluorescence with a peak at 450 nm. The three-photon absorption cross section is estimated to be 5.2 × 10−77 cm6 s2. Optical power limiting based on three-photon absorption has been demonstrated.
Interpretation and use of glints from an electrospinning jet of polymer solutions

Abstract Optical observations of jets provide information useful for control of electrospinning of polymer solutions. Combinations of videography, stereography, and methods for illumination of the multiple coils of an electrospinning jet path, that depend on bright glints of reflected light from the jet, recorded quantitative information about the location, vector velocity, and rotation of selected segments of the jet. New bending coils were observed to form at rates of 200–1560 turns per second. This bending frequency decreased as the capillary number of the solutions increased. The polarization of light, in glints reflected at Brewster's angle, allows measurement of the index of refraction of the fluid jet, in flight. Asymmetric illumination of an electrospinning jet made both the handedness and changes in handedness of the electrical bending coils apparent to visual observation and in 2-dimensional images. Evidence was found, in the form of polarized ribbon-like glint traces, for the occurrence of undulations on the surface of some jets.
Impaired autophagy: A mechanism of mitochondrial dysfunction in anoxic rat hepatocytes.

Hepatocyte ischemia during liver transplantation, resection, and shock causes anoxia, depletion of glycolytic substrates, loss of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and acidosis.1 When blood flow returns to hepatocytes, the normal oxygen concentration and acid-base balance are restored; however, paradoxically, hepatocyte injury is prominent upon reperfusion.1 The mechanisms underlying ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury are multifactorial, including increased Ca2+, formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), activation of injurious catabolic enzymes, and mitochondrial dysfunction.2 Reperfusion causes onset of the mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT), leading to uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation and necrotic cell death.1,3-5 Onset of the MPT also induces large-amplitude swelling of mitochondria and apoptosis by releasing proapoptotic factors that are normally sequestered in the mitochondrial intermembrane space.6,7 Thus, MPT onset is the common mechanism that culminates in either necrosis or apoptosis after I/R of liver.3 Autophagy degrades both long-lived cytoplasmic proteins and surplus or dysfunctional organelles by lysosome-dependent mechanisms.8 Because nearly all liver proteins are long-lived, macroautophagy (referred to as autophagy hereafter) is a primary catabolic process of hepatic proteins.9 Recent evidence supports organelle-specific, selective autophagy, especially for clearance of peroxisomes (pexophagy) and mitochondria (mitophagy).10,11 Autophagy, much like apoptosis, is regulated by a number of proteins including autophagy-related protein 7 (Atg7).12 This ubiquitin E1-like protein activates both the Atg5-Atg12-Atg16 complex and the conjugation of phosphatidylethanolamine to microtubule-associated protein light chain 3 (LC3; Atg8).12 In addition, Beclin-1 is a mammalian orthologue of yeast Atg6 that promotes the formation of autophagosomes13 and may act as a tumor suppressor.13 The exact role of Atg7 and Beclin-1 in ischemic liver is, however, unknown. Because mitophagy is the endogenous quality control machinery of mitochondria, an important question has been posed: why do ischemic livers undergo mitochondrial dysfunction even in the presence of mitophagy? Accordingly, the aim of the present study was to investigate the relation between anoxia/reoxygenation (A/R)–induced hepatocyte mitochondrial injury and autophagy. Our results indicate that A/R injury results in increased calpain activity, decreased induction of autophagic regulatory proteins, and limited autophagosome formation with consequent onset of the MPT and hepatocyte death.
Fetal trisomy 21 and the risk of preeclampsia.

Objective. Microchimerism has been investigated as a possible contributor to the pathophysiology of preeclampsia. Although trisomy 21 is associated with pronounced microchimerism, it has not been connected with an increased risk of preeclampsia. Our objective was to readdress the relationship between preeclampsia and trisomy 21 in a large population.Methods. Using the Texas Birth Defects Registry for 1999–2003, a cohort of 2995 pregnancies with a trisomy 21 fetus was identified and compared with a control cohort of 1959 pregnancies with fetal isolated oral clefts. Chi-square test was used to estimate the significance of observed difference in the proportion of preeclampsia between groups. The interactive and confounding effects of covariates were examined by stratified analysis and the Mantel–Haenszel method.Results. We observed 84 cases of preeclampsia in the trisomy 21 cohort (3.7%) and 111 cases in the oral cleft cohort (5.7%). The crude OR for having preeclampsia in relation to trisomy 21 was 0.63 (95...
Design of a knowledge based generic control protocol generator for automatic assembly operations

The problem of designing the control structure of robotic workstations is typically solved by ad hoc means. The Generic Control Protocol Generator (GCPG) constitutes the first step towards the development of a more general procedure. The GCPG is a state-space problem-solver hierarchical planner, which decomposes English-like, high-level operational assembly commands into a set of programming instructions called the Control Protocol. The efficiency of the GCPG relies on its unique way of manipulating knowledge. The intrinsic knowledge of the assembly world was utilized to design a decentralized knowledge manipulation mechanism that controls the operations of the system. The generalization of the design principles utilized in this work constitutes the basis of the Knowledge Resource Management Theory. The development of this new theory led to further insight into knowledge use, specifically the manipulation and representation of knowledge and the use of knowledge contained in the workcell and workpiece.
Alpha-Lipoic Acid Reduces LDL-Particle Number and PCSK9 Concentrations in High-Fat Fed Obese Zucker Rats

We characterized the hypolipidemic effects of alpha-lipoic acid (LA, R-form) and examined the associated molecular mechanisms in a high fat fed Zucker rat model. Rats (n = 8) were assigned to a high fat (HF) diet or the HF diet with 0.25% LA (HF-LA) for 30 days and pair fed to remove confounding effects associated with the anorectic properties of LA. Compared with the HF controls, the HF-LA group was protected against diet-induced obesity (102.5±3.1 vs. 121.5±3.6,% change BW) and hypercholesterolemia with a reduction in total-C (−21%), non-HDL-C (−25%), LDL-C (−16%), and total LDL particle number (−46%) and an increase in total HDL particles (∼22%). This cholesterol-lowering response was associated with a reduction in plasma PCSK9 concentration (−70%) and an increase in hepatic LDLr receptor protein abundance (2 fold of HF). Compared with the HF-fed animals, livers of LA-supplemented animals were protected against TG accumulation (−46%), likely through multiple mechanisms including: a suppressed lipogenic response (down-regulation of hepatic acetyl-CoA carboxylase and fatty acid synthase expression); enhanced hepatic fat oxidation (increased carnitine palmitoyltransferase Iα expression); and enhanced VLDL export (increased hepatic diacylglycerol acyltransferase and microsomal triglyceride transfer protein expression and elevated plasma VLDL particle number). Study results also support an enhanced fatty acid uptake (2.8 fold increase in total lipase activity) and oxidation (increased CPT1β protein abundance) in muscle tissue in LA-supplemented animals compared with the HF group. In summary, in the absence of a change in caloric intake, LA was effective in protecting against hypercholesterolemia and hepatic fat accumulation under conditions of strong genetic and dietary predisposition toward obesity and dyslipidemia.
MODERN EUROPE Lokales Leben, atlantische Welt: Die Entscheidung zur Auswanderung vom Rhein nach Nordamerika im 18. Jahrhundert. By Georg Fertig. Osnabr??ck: Rasch, 2000. Pp. 466.

Georg Fertig's Lokales Leben, atlantische Welt is an in-depth account of eighteenth-century migration from Southwest Germany to North America. Above all, the author seeks to explain the nature of migration decisions. Section 1 discusses theories of migration that have been entertained by historians and economists. Section 2 offers a comprehensive characterization of eighteenth-century migration from Germany to North America. Section 3, the monograph's centerpiece, concerns local migration behavior in the village of Gobrichen, located in Baden. Migration decisions in the eighteenth century were made for the most part at the individual and family level; it is at this “micro” level that Fertig explores the many aspects of migration behavior. Much of this section is devoted to explaining, in the manner of David Sabean, the social and economic relationships in this village and how they changed over time. With a motto that the best stuff lies in the details, Fertig provides a plethora of possible demographic, economic, and social reasons why Gobrichen residents might want to leave town.
Die Inlet Contour Impact on the Pressure Rise in a Pultrusion Die

The quality of a pultruded composite depends on many process control parameters and variables. The pressure rise in the pultrusion die inlet is one such variable which can impact the quality of a pultruded product. An appreciable die inlet pressure rise can suppress void formation and enhance fiber "wet out." In this study, a model based on Darcy's law for flow in a porous medium and which employs the finite volume solution method is developed to predict the pressure and velocity fields as a function of various die inlet contours. Investigating the behavior of the pressure rise in the pultrusion die inlet as a function of the shape of the die inlet contour can be a very useful and effective tool for analyzing and designing pultrusion die inlets. Various die inlet contours such as the wedge, circular tapered die inlet, and some hypothetical die inlet contours were investigated to determine the impact on die inlet pressure rise. The original contributions of this paper are results which are useful for desig...
Enhancement of nano titanium dioxide photocatalysis in transparent coatings by polyhydroxy fullerene

Abstract Microbe transmission via surfaces is a common mode for the spreading of infectious diseases. A simple way to combat disease transmission via surfaces is to apply antimicrobial coatings. We have developed a thin, transparent, photocatalytic coating for rapid destruction of microbes. The coating uses polyhydroxy fullerene (PHF) as an enhancer for nano TiO 2 photocatalysis. A nanocomposite of PHF and TiO 2 was synthesized through physical mixing of the two components in aqueous suspension. The nanocomposite was characterized by dynamic light scattering, zeta potential and Langmuir adsorption isotherm. A coating of the PHF/TiO 2 nanocomposite was characterized by scanning electron microscopy. Photocatalytic activity of the nanocomposite coating, as indicated by degradation of organic dye (Procion red MX-5B) under UVA illumination, was optimal at a PHF/TiO 2 ratio of 0.01. The nanocomposite coating degraded the organic dye twice as fast as a coating of TiO 2 that contained no PHF. The nanocomposite coating was then applied to photocatalytically inactivate spores of Aspergillus niger , a household fungus commonly implicated in asthma. The nanocomposite inactivated spores three times as fast as a coating of TiO 2 containing no PHF. Changes to the morphology of A. niger spores due to photocatalysis were investigated using scanning electron microscopy.
Family formation and marital selectivity among Colombian and Dominican immigrants in New York City.

Utilizing data from a 1981 survey of Dominican and Colombian immigrants to New York City and from 1975 marriage certificates for the entire city this article describes the extent of family formation in the U.S. and patterns of marital selectivity of recent Hispanic immigrants residing in New York City. A core goal of the analysis is the provision of indicators of the extent of and nature of integration processes at an early stage of the immigration. It is found first that "Hispanic immigrants in New York City are clearly long-term settlers although not necessarily permanent ones. They are forming nuclear families in this country to a considerably greater extent than they are either transferring families from the origin country or residing as unattached temporary migrants. Second a significant minority of marriages contracted in this country are with spouses of different national origin groups indicating an openness in ethnic boundaries in the host society context." (EXCERPT)
Chromosomal localization of the gene for human glucosamine-6-sulphatase to 12q14

Glucosamine-6-sulphatase (G6S), a lysosomal enzyme found in all cells, is involved in the catabolism of heparin, heparan sulphate, and keratan sulphate. Deficiency of G6S results in the accumulation of undegraded substrate and the lysosomal storage disorder mucopolysaccharidosis type IIID (Sanfilippo D syndrome). Regional mapping by in situ hybridization of a 3H-labelled human G6S cDNA probe to human metaphase chromosomes indicated that the G6S gene is localized to chromosome 12 at q14. The localization of the G6S gene to chromosome 12 was confirmed using the G6S cDNA clone in Southern blot hybridization analysis of DNA from human x mouse hybrid cell lines.
Effects of multiple-choice item-writing guideline utilization on item and student performance

Abstract Objective To measure differences in student performance on multiple-choice items based on multiple-choice item-writing guideline adherence and non-adherence. Methods All test items and item statistics for four examinations given in a single course were retrospectively analyzed for adherence to multiple-choice item-writing guidelines. Mean item difficulty and point biserial correlations were analyzed and compared between two scales: guideline-adherent and guideline-non-adherent items. Results Overall, 48.1% ( n = 90) of items were classified as adherent and 51.8% ( n = 97) as non-adherent. Of the 31 guidelines, 17 were breached. The majority of guideline deviations involved writing the choices. Mean difficulties between the two scales were 83.7% and 76.3% ( p = 0.01) for adherent and non-adherent, respectively. Mean point biserial correlation were 0.242 (adherent) and 0.255 (non-adherent) ( p = 0.6). Conclusions Breaching multiple-choice writing guidelines may negatively affect student performance with no beneficial effects on item discrimination. Further research into this area is warranted.
The Animal Axis

Soft-bodied animals are an answer to the problem, solved for each species over evolutionary time, to design a cylindrical, motile machine composed of pliant polymeric materials (collagen and glycoproteins) and actuated by a contractile polymer (actomyosin). The vertebrate body is a cylindrical set of pliant collagenous membranes. Axial notochords and backbones occur where membranes intersect. The basis for all vertebrate architecture is the collagen fiber that best functions to resist tension. Axial compressive forces in notochords and backbones occur as tensile stresses in collagen fibers in intervertebral discs and zygapohyseal ligaments. Bone provides local stiffening where muscles pull. Large muscle masses apply large forces via tendons thus allowing for leverage in the function of axes of bodies and appendages. Although isolated species in invertebrate phyla have notochord- or backbone-like structures, only echinoderms and vertebrates have a central axis to resist axial compression. Design is a useful tool in forming scientific hypotheses.
Impact of open-access scheduling on realized access.

Open-access or advanced-access scheduling, which opens the clinic calendar to patients without requiring them to schedule far in advance of the visit, is being introduced in primary care for the purpose of improving access. None of the evaluations reported to date have measured differences in actual visits that might be associated with different scheduling systems. The purpose of this study was to compare utilization of visits to primary care providers for patients served by an open-access clinic with utilization patterns of patients served at clinics not using open-access scheduling. We hypothesized that the odds that a continuing patient received more than one primary care visit would be greater in the clinic where open-access scheduling was in use than in comparison clinics. Our study provides mixed support for the hypotheses. After adjustment for case mix, stable chronic patients treated in open-access clinics may sometimes have greater odds of receiving two or more preventive care visits. However, th...
Schistosoma japonicum: Highly irradiated cercariae as a test for specific immunity in rhesus monkeys

Abstract A knowledge of the prechallenge state of immunity to schistosomes in immunized hosts is important for the study of immunoprophylaxis. In rhesus monkeys immunized with highly X-irradiated Schistosoma japonicum cercariae, the state of immunity can be determined by studying the lesions in skin which has been biopsied after a test inoculation with cercariae exposed to 48,000 R. If eosinophilic vesicles or pustules in the dermis are found at 12 hr, and if neither schistosomula nor giant cells are encountered on Day 6, the monkey may be regarded as having acquired a solid immunity. This test has been verified in three monkeys having a strong acquired resistance to schistosomes and appears to be harmless, because the cercariae used in the test die in the skin without involvement of other organs.
Maladaptive Proximal Tubule Repair: Cell Cycle Arrest

Acute kidney injury (AKI) leads to worsening of chronic kidney disease (CKD), and CKD predisposes to the clinical entity of AKI. The tubules of the kidney play a central role in the fibrotic response, which ultimately leads to progressive kidney disease. The cellular mechanisms responsible for the epidemiological association between AKI and CKD are complex. In order to unravel characteristics of this direct involvement of the tubules, in particular the proximal tubules, we established a model to specifically target injury to the proximal tubule using a genetic approach to express the simian diphtheria toxin (DT) receptor in the proximal tubule. A single administration of DT to the proximal tubule resulted in inflammation, reversible injury, and adaptive repair. By contrast, thrice repeated injury led to maladaptive repair with sustained tubule injury, vascular rarefaction, proliferation of interstitial myofibroblasts, interstitial fibrosis, and glomerular sclerosis. An important feature of the maladaptive repair process after severe injury is the development of cell cycle arrest in G2/M. There is a subsequent activation of the DNA repair response with activation of a secretory phenotype whereby profibrotic factors are released. This insight introduces a number of potential new targets for therapeutic intervention to prevent and/or arrest CKD progression.
Dietary Recommendations for Obese Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease

For optimal management of chronic kidney disease (CKD), dietary modification should be an integral part of patient care. Dietary considerations for obese patients with CKD are numerous and complicated and involve modification of intake of calories, protein, fat, phosphorus, and electrolytes. General principles for dietary management of obese patients include (1) ensuring adequate monitoring of nutritional status through assessment of diet, nutrition-related laboratory parameters, and anthropometrics; (2) creation of an individualized diet plan that meets clinical guidelines and has favorable effects on obesity-related conditions such as blood pressure and lipids; (3) careful attention to patients' food choices, portion size, and food-preparation methods; (4) recommending adjustment of overall energy intake to promote weight loss, yet maintain good nutritional status; and (5) modification of diet as the patient's nutritional status changes and CKD progresses. The basic objectives of dietary modification are to lighten the excretory load of products of metabolism and to help the kidney maintain normal equilibrium of the body's internal environment. Dietary modifications must be individualized and appropriate to the stage of CKD. This review describes dietary factors important in optimizing nutritional status of obese patients with CKD. Additionally, current clinical practice guidelines and strategies for meeting them are discussed.
SEQUENTIAL VOTING WITH ENDOGENOUS VOTER FORECASTS

We investigate a sequential voting model in which voters' forecasts of outcomes on future issues are determined endogenously. Voters are assumed to make decisions in an environment in which future outcomes are uncertain. The uncertainty arises from two possible sources. Voters may be uncertain of other voters' preferences. In addition, events that occur before future issues are decided may affect voters' preferences on future votes. Information available to voters at each point in time is characterized. An equilibrium to the voting problem, if one exists, is one for which the outcome on the issue currently being decided and voters' forecasts of outcomes on future issues are determined simultaneously. We show that an equilibrium exists under a particular voting institution and characterize voters' forecasts for this equilibrium.
Electromagnetic scattering by a semielliptical trench filled with DNG metamaterial

A semielliptical trench flush-mounted under an infinite perfect electric conductor plane is considered. The trench is slotted along the interfocal distance of its cross-section, and is filled with a double-negative (DNG) metamaterial that is isoimpedance to the material filling the half-space above the trench. The primary field is a plane wave that is obliquely incident upon the trench from the half-space above it, in a direction perpendicular to the trench axis and polarized either parallel or perpendicular to the axis. This two-dimensional boundary-value problem is solved exactly by separation of variables. The field components are written as infinite series of products of radial and angular Mathieu functions. Since the indexes of refraction inside and outside the trench are real and of opposite sign, the properties of the angular Mathieu functions permit the explicit, analytical determination of the modal expansion coefficients, thus yielding a canonical solution to the problem. Numerical results are exhibited and discussed.
Association of fibrillin-3 and transcription factor-7-like 2 gene variants with metabolic phenotypes in PCOS.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a complex genetic disease characterized by heritable reproductive and metabolic abnormalities. Genetic variants associated with the reproductive phenotype have been mapped to the fibrillin-3 (FBN3) gene and to a novel transcription factor-7-like 2 (TCF7L2) locus (rs11196236 G). The association of these genetic variants with metabolic phenotypes was investigated in 31 PCOS and 18 control women of European ancestry. The insulinogenic index during an oral glucose tolerance test (I30/G30) and insulin secretion rates at the maximal dose during a graded-glucose infusion (ISRmax) were used as indices of insulin secretion. Endogenous glucose production (EGP) and insulin sensitivity (M/I) were determined during a euglycemic clamp. The disposition index (DI) was calculated using M/I and I30/G30 or ISRmax. Compared with noncarriers (n=10) and control (n=10), M/I was decreased (P=1.1 × 10−5) in heterozygous and homozygous PCOS carriers (n=14) of rs11196236 G and this variant predicted M/I (partial r2=0.34, P=0.005) in a regression analysis. Post-absorptive EGP tended to be higher (P=0.040) in heterozygous and homozygous PCOS carriers of the FBN3-associated allele (n=12), allele 8 of D19S884 (FBN3+), compared to PCOS noncarriers (n=19). PCOS carriers of the rs12255372 T (TCF7L2 Caucasian type 2 diabetes mellitus locus) had no significant associated metabolic phenotypes. We conclude that rs11196236 G TCF7L2 variant is associated with peripheral insulin resistance in PCOS but this effect is not seen in control women. The FBN3 risk allele may be associated with changes in basal glucose homeostasis in PCOS. These findings require replication in additional PCOS cohorts.
Intramolluscan trematode antagonism in a genetically susceptible strain of Biomphalaria glabrata.

Abstract Antagonistic larval trematode interactions between Schistosoma mansoni and Ribeiroia marini in concurrent infections of the snail Biomphalaria glabrata are described. B. glabrata having a genetic susceptibility to infection with S. mansoni were used in this experiment which involved: (1) the experimental induction of concurrent infections through alternation of exposures of snails to both species of trematodes, (2) counts of the numbers and types of cercariae shed on days 25 to 29 post infection, and (3) locating and counting the various larval stages found in snail tissue. In concurrent infections resulting from exposure to R. marini first followed by S. mansoni 24 hours later, dominance of R. marini was shown by: (1) decrease in the production of S. mansoni cercariae, (2) difficulty in establishment of S. mansoni infections, and (3) reduction of the numbers of sporocysts. When S. mansoni was given first R. marini was partially dominant over S. mansoni causing a reduction of sporocysts and release of fewer cercariae of S. mansoni . However, S. mansoni showed a limited indirect antagonism; manifest as a significant reduction of cercarial production by rediae of R. marini in doubly infected snails.
Sequence Effects on RNA Bulge-Induced Helix Bending and a Conserved Five-Nucleotide Bulge from the Group I Introns†

Bulge loops introduce bends in RNA double helices. Thus, a role for bulge loops in the tertiary folding of RNA is to orient helical elements. The location, size, and sequence of a five-nucleotide b...
Cell kinase activity assay based on surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Kinases control many important aspects of cell behavior, such as signal transduction, growth/differentiation, and tumorogenesis. Current methods for assessing kinase activity often require specific antibodies, and/or radioactive labeling. Here we demonstrated a novel detection method to assess kinase activity based on surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). Raman signal was obtained after amplification by silver nanoparticles. The sensitivity of this method was comparable to fluorescence measurement of peptide concentration. When purified kinase enzyme was used, the detection limit was comparable to conventional radio-labeling method. We further demonstrated the feasibility to measure kinase activity in crude cell lysate. We suggested this SERS-based kinase activity assay could be a new tool for biomedical research and application.
The social context of narrative disruption in The Letter of Alexander to Aristotle

David Williams has recently argued that medieval representations of the monster give humans an image of divinity, but one which can never be totally understood or described. Positive theology, the via positiva, attempts to take what is known of divinity and then to derive more precise statements about the nature of God; it attempts to contain God in human thought and language. The via negativa, by contrast, forces humans to discard the idea of any positive knowledge about God, since reason and language are inadequate to the task of containing or describing a being so totally other to humans. Alexander the Great, the narrator of the Old English Letter of Alexander to Aristotle, experiences such a negation in his campaign in India; he attempts to describe the wondrous beings and races which he encounters with his army, and his narrative of conquest functions as a metaphor for containing the encountered world in thought, description and mental order. However, he is resisted at every turn by natives, monsters and classical divinities; he is forced to realize that his reason and his force are incapable of containing divine power as manifested in the natural world of India.
Performance of Publicly Traded Agricultural Companies Since 2000: Construction of the AgIndex

The crop farming sector has been relatively profitable in the past several years, whereas the general economy has gone through a great deal of turmoil. In this research, we constructed an Aglndex, which tracked the stock prices of publicly traded companies dealing with agriculture performed since 2000. As a group, the market values of publicly traded firms within the Aglndex exceeded those of Standard & Poors 500 (S&P 500) since 2000. Returns were higher for agricultural firms compared with S&P 500 firms. Performance varied across agricultural sectors with fertilizer and seed companies performing the best.
Compensation for partial lipectomy in mice with genetic alterations of leptin and its receptor subtypes.

One hypothesis for the regulation of total body fat suggests that leptin is a lipostatic feedback signal that acts at brain sites involved in regulation of energy balance. The importance of leptin ...
Heat and mass transfer in gas metal arc welding. Part II: The metal

A unified comprehensive model was developed to simulate the transport phenomena occurring during the gas metal arc welding process. An interactive coupling between arc plasma; melting of the electrode; droplet formation, detachment, transfer, and impingement onto the workpiece; and weld pool dynamics all were considered. Based on the unified model, a thorough investigation of the plasma arc characteristics during the gas metal arc welding process was conducted. It was found that the droplet transfer and the deformed weld pool surface have significant effects on the transient distributions of current density, arc temperature and arc pressure, which were normally assumed to be constant Gaussian profiles.
CIETAC Arbitration Clause Revisited

CHINA INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC AND TRADE ARBITRATION COMMISSION (CIETAC), the world’s largest arbitration centre in terms of the number of cases received,1 adopted new arbitration rules (‘New Rules’) in May 2005. The Chinese Supreme Court issued Certain Interpretations of Chinese Arbitration Law Application (‘New Interpretation’) to be effective in September 2006. In addition, Chinese courts have made a series of judicial decisions in the past few years in the area of arbitration law. The New Rules, New Interpretation and new decisions have brought changes to CIETAC arbitration. This article revisits the issue of CIETAC arbitration clause drafting in light of these changes. Judicial decisions in recent years have shown Chinese courts’ formalistic approach to determining the validity of an arbitration clause. An otherwise valid arbitration clause can be held null and void on purely minor technical grounds, such as inaccuracy of the name of the arbitration institution, even though all the parties involved clearly knew which institution the clause referred to. In one case,2 the court held an arbitration clause invalid because it described CIETAC in Beijing as ‘CIETAC Beijing branch’, which is technically wrong, as it is the headquarters, instead of a ‘branch’. In another case,3 an arbitration clause to submit a dispute to ‘Qingdao economic and trade arbitration commission’ was held invalid because the institution’s name should have been ‘Qingdao arbitration commission’, even though this is the only arbitration commission in the city of Qingdao and the parties clearly had it in mind when the clause was drafted. This formality-over-substance attitude is not only in conflict with the general practice of international arbitration, but also in violation of the Chinese Contract Law, which requires a court to seek the parties’ true intention in interpreting a contract. The New Interpretation, with 31 articles in total, includes four …