cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Synthesis of phosphatidylcholine by two distinct methyltransferases in rat colonic brush-border membranes: evidence for extrinsic and intrinsic membrane activities.

The enzymatic synthesis of phosphatidylcholine from phosphatidylethanolamine via a transmethylation pathway has not been shown to occur in the small intestine and has been assumed to be absent from the entire gut. The existence of this pathway, however, has not been investigated in the large intestine. Utilizing a recently developed method for the isolation of brush-border membranes from rat colonocytes, the present studies were designed to determine whether phospholipid methylation activity was present in the large intestine. The results demonstrate that this pathway for synthesis of phosphatidylcholine exists in rat colonic plasma membranes and involves at least two distinct methyltransferases. The predominant product of the first enzyme (methyltransferase I) is phosphatidyl-N-monomethylethanolamine; phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidyl-N-monomethylethanolamine are the principal products of the second enzyme (methyltransferase II). Methyltransferase I has an apparent Km for S-adenosyl-l-methionine of 100.0; μM and a pH optimum of 8.0, while methyltransferase II has an apparent Km of 0.3 μM and a pH optimum of 6.0. Additional evidence to support the presence of two distinct enzymes includes the differential effects of ATP, Triton X-100, trypsin treatment, and temperature on their activities.
Alterations in mossy fiber physiology and GAP-43 expression and function in transgenic mice overexpressing HuD.

HuD is a neuronal RNA-binding protein associated with the stabilization of mRNAs for GAP-43 and other neuronal proteins that are important for nervous system development and learning and memory mechanisms. To better understand the function of this protein, we gener- ated transgenic mice expressing human HuD (HuD-Tg) in adult forebrain neurons. We have previously shown that expression of HuD in adult den- tate granule cells results in an abnormal accumulation of GAP-43 mRNA via posttranscriptional mechanisms. Here we show that this mRNA accu- mulation leads to the ectopic expression of GAP-43 protein in mossy fibers. Electrophysiological analyses of the mossy fiber to CA3 synapse of HuD-Tg mice revealed increases in paired-pulse facilitation (PPF) at short interpulse intervals and no change in long-term potentiation (LTP). Pre- synaptic calcium transients at the same synapses exhibited faster time constants of decay, suggesting a decrease in the endogenous Ca 21 buffer capacity of mossy fiber terminals of HuD-Tg mice. Under resting condi- tions, GAP-43 binds very tightly to calmodulin sequestering it and then releasing it upon PKC-dependent phosphorylation. Therefore, subsequent studies examined the extent of GAP-43 phosphorylation and its associa- tion to calmodulin. We found that despite the increased GAP-43 expres- sion in HuD-Tg mice, the levels of PKC-phosphorylated GAP-43 were decreased in these animals. Furthermore, in agreement with the increased proportion of nonphosphorylated GAP-43, HuD-Tg mice showed increased binding of calmodulin to this protein. These results suggest that a significant amount of calmodulin may be trapped in an inactive state, unable to bind free calcium, and activate downstream signaling path- ways. In conclusion, we propose that an unregulated expression of HuD disrupts mossy fiber physiology in adult mice in part by altering the expression and phosphorylation of GAP-43 and the amount of free cal- modulin available at the synaptic terminal. V C 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
CP-45,899, a Beta-Lactamase Inhibitor That Extends the Antibacterial Spectrum of Beta-Lactams: Initial Bacteriological Characterization

CP-45,899 {3,3-dimethyl-7-oxo-4-thia-1-azabicyclo(3.2.0)heptane-2-carboxylic acid, 4,4-dioxide, [2S-(2α,5α)]} is an irreversible inhibitor of several bacterial penicillinases and cephalosporinases. In the presence of low concentrations of CP-45,899, ampicillin and other β-lactams readily inhibit the growth of a variety of resistant bacteria that contain β-lactamases. CP-45,899 used alone displays only weak antibacterial activity, with the notable exception of its potent effects on susceptible and resistant strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae . CP-45,899 appears to be somewhat less potent but markedly more stable (in aqueous solution) than the recently described β-lactamase inhibitor clavulanic acid. The spectrum extensions provided by the two compounds are similar. A 1:1 mixture of CP-45,899 and ampicillin displays marked antimicrobial activity in mice experimentally infected with ampicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Haemophilus influenzae, Klebsiella pneumoniae , and Proteus vulgaris .
Stereochemically altered noncollagenous protein from human dentin.

Highly phosphorylated noncollagenous proteins (NCP) with molecular weights of ∼70–100,000 daltons have been purified from rat and bovine dentin. Efforts to isolate phosphoprotein from human teeth have not yielded consistent results, and failures have been attributed to proteolysis due to preparative techniques. Diagenetic reactions affecting metabolically stable proteinsin vivo also can interfere in protein purification. Racemization is one of the reactions known to take place in human dentin. EDTA extraction of dentin from an age-graded series of human teeth has yielded an EDTA-soluble NCP fraction having an aspartic acid racemization rate 3 X that in unfractionated dentin and 8 X the rate in EDTA-insoluble protein. D-Aspartic acid is accumulating in EDTA-S protein at a rate of 0.22% yr−1. For humans, more than 13% of the aspartyl residues in NCP will be the D-enantiomer by 60 years of age. While racemization presents no problem for shorter lived mammals, such as rats, it could be partly responsible for purification difficulties with human dentin.
Atmospheric N Deposition Increases Bacterial Laccase-Like Multicopper Oxidases: Implications for Organic Matter Decay

Anthropogenic release of biologically available nitrogen (N) has increased dramatically over the last 150 years, which can alter the processes controlling carbon (C) storage in terrestrial ecosystems. In a northern hardwood forest ecosystem located in Michigan in the United States, nearly 20 years of experimentally increased atmospheric N deposition has reduced forest floor decay and increased soil C storage. This change occurred concomitantly with compositional changes in Basidiomycete fungi and in Actinobacteria, as well as the downregulation of fungal lignocelluloytic genes. Recently, laccase-like multicopper oxidases (LMCOs) have been discovered among bacteria which can oxidize β-O-4 linkages in phenolic compounds (e.g., lignin and humic compounds), resulting in the production of dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Here, we examined how nearly 2 decades of experimental N deposition has affected the abundance and composition of saprotrophic bacteria possessing LMCO genes. In our experiment, LMCO genes were more abundant in the forest floor under experimental N deposition whereas the abundances of bacteria and fungi were unchanged. Experimental N deposition also led to less-diverse, significantly altered bacterial and LMCO gene assemblages, with taxa implicated in organic matter decay (i.e., Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria) accounting for the majority of compositional changes. These results suggest that experimental N deposition favors bacteria in the forest floor that harbor the LMCO gene and represents a plausible mechanism by which anthropogenic N deposition has reduced decomposition, increased soil C storage, and accelerated phenolic DOC production in our field experiment. Our observations suggest that future rates of atmospheric N deposition could fundamentally alter the physiological potential of soil microbial communities.
Carbon monoxide inhibits apoptosis in vascular smooth muscle cells.

Objective: Carbon monoxide (CO) is generated from vascular smooth muscle cells via the degradation of heme by the enzyme heme oxygenase-1. Since smooth muscle cell apoptosis is associated with numerous vascular disorders, we investigated whether CO regulates apoptosis in vascular smooth muscle. Methods and Results: Treatment of cultured rat aortic smooth muscle cells with a combination of cytokines (interleukin-1β, 5 ng/ml; tumor necrosis factor-α, 20 ng/ml; interferon-γ, 200 U/ml) for 48 h stimulated apoptosis, as demonstrated by DNA laddering, annexin V binding, and caspase-3 activation. However, the exogenous administration of CO inhibited cytokine-mediated apoptosis. The antiapoptotic action of CO was partially dependent on the activation of soluble guanylate cyclase and was associated with the inhibition of mitochondrial cytochrome c release and with the suppression of p53 expression. Incubation of smooth muscle cells with the cytokines also resulted in a pronounced increase in heme oxygenase-1 protein after 24 h of stimulation. The addition of the heme oxygenase inhibitor, zinc protoporphyrin-IX, or the CO scavenger, hemoglobin, stimulated apoptosis following 24 h of cytokine exposure. Conclusions: These results demonstrate that CO, either administered exogenously or endogenously derived from heme oxygenase-1 activity, inhibits vascular smooth muscle cell apoptosis. The ability of CO to block smooth muscle cell apoptosis may play an important role in blocking lesion formation at sites of vascular injury.
Reynolds Number Effects in Wall-Bounded Turbulent Flows

This paper reviews the state of the art of Reynolds number effects in wall-bounded shear-flow turbulence, with particular emphasis on the canonical zero-pressure-gradient boundary layer and two-dimensional channel flow problems. The Reynolds numbers encountered in many practical situations are typically orders of magnitude higher than those studied computationally or even experimentally. High-Reynolds number research facilities are expensive to build and operate and the few existing are heavily scheduled with mostly developmental work. For wind tunnels, additional complications due to compressibility effects are introduced at high speeds. Full computational simulation of high-Reynolds number flows is beyond the reach of current capabilities. Understanding of turbulence and modeling will continue to play vital roles in the computation of high-Reynolds number practical flows using the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations. Since the existing knowledge base, accumulated mostly through physical as well as numerical experiments, is skewed towards the low Reynolds numbers, the key question in such high-Reynolds number modeling as well as in devising novel flow control strategies is: what are the Reynolds number effects on the mean and statistical turbulence quantities and on the organized motions? Since the mean flow review of Coles (1962), the coherent structures, in low-Reynolds number wall-bounded flows, have been reviewed several times. However, the Reynolds number effects on the higher-order statistical turbulence quantities and on the coherent structures have not been reviewed thus far, and there are some unresolved aspects of the effects on even the mean flow at very high Reynolds numbers. Furthermore, a considerable volume of experimental and full-simulation data have been accumulated since 1962. The present article aims at further assimilation of those data, pointing to obvious gaps in the present state of knowledge and highlighting the misunderstood as well as the ill-understood aspects of Reynolds number effects.
Bus crime in Los Angeles: I -- Measuring the incidence

Abstract Based on a large study of bus crime in Los Angeles, this article discusses a method for estimating the number of transit crimes and examines sources of information loss within existing transit crime statistics. Using data from a victimization survey of 1088 households in west central Los Angeles, it was estimated that there were about 23,000 bus and bus-related crimes occurring in the survey area during 1983. This is 25 to 30 times the number reported by the Southern California Rapid Transit District for their entire service area. Comparisons with the 1980 census were made to evaluate bias in the sample, and it was found that the sample has probably underestimated the total amount of bus crime in the survey area. Results consistent with Los Angeles Police Department records was shown. Bus and bus-related crimes account for 20 to 30% of all crimes experienced by the central city population. Major sources of information loss are (a) crimes occurring outside buses, but during a trip; (b) non-reporting of crimes by victims; (c) non-response by police even when crimes were reported; and (d) statistical “loss” from reports taken by local police; local police do not categorize crimes by transit use. It was recommended that transit agencies cross-classify existing police reports for more accurate information. Local police should be encouraged to systematically collect data on transit behavior for both victims and assailants.
Effects of long-term aging on ductility and microstructure of Cb and Mo alloys

A program was conducted to determine if aging embrittlement occurs in columbium-base alloys C-103, Cb-1Zr, and Cb-752 or in a molybdenum alloy, Mo-TZM. Results showed that aging embrittlement does not occur in C-103, Cb-1Zr, or Mo-TZM during long-term (1000 hour) aging at temperatures in the range of 700-1025 C. In comparison, aging embrittlement occurred in the Cb-752 alloy after similar aging at 900 C. A critical combination of the solute additions W and Zr led to Zr segregation at grain boundaries during long-term aging which subsequently resulted in embrittlement as indicated by an increase in the ductile-brittle transition temperature from below -196 C to about -150 C.
Age of onset of streptozocin diabetes determines the renal structural response in the rat.

Prepubertal years of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus are protected from the nephropathic effects of this disease, yet this effect of immaturity has not been investigated in an animal model. Male Munich-Wistar rats were made diabetic with streptozocin at two ages: weanling (≈4 wk) and pubescent(≈10 wk). After 5 wk of untreated diabetes, weanling diabetic animals showed relatively greater growth of the medulla, whereas relative proportions of these areas were constant in the older animals. Glomerular volume increased by ≈35% in older diabetic animals, but no glomerular enlargement was demonstrated in weanling rats with diabetes. Glomerular ultrastructure was not significantly altered during the short course of this study. The renal structural response to diabetes is age-dependent in the rat, with prepubertal animals protected from glomerular hypertrophy. Longer studies are needed to see if these differences will eventually parallel those demonstrated in patients with onset of diabetes before and after puberty. This model may ultimately prove to be valuable in determining the mechanism via which prepubertal kidneys are protected from the nephropathic effects of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.
Environmental Conditions Affecting the Athlete

The athlete is exposed to a number of environmental conditions that may affect performance and health. The sports physical therapist must be aware of the effects of these conditions on the performance and well-being of athletes under his/her care. Decisions about an individual's participation and decisions about the safety of holding an event are within the scope of practice of a sports physical therapist. Additionally, the athlete looks to the sports physical therapist for training guidelines for events in various environmental conditions. A literature search was performed to determine the relevant issues related to sports participation in hot and cold environments. The current body of knowledge in these areas is presented to guide sports physical therapists in training and advising athletes in their care. These areas include thermoregulation, heat, cold, fluid replacement, and clothing considerations.
Blood Glycerol Is an Important Precursor for Intramuscular Triacylglycerol Synthesis

The utilization of blood glycerol and glucose as precursors for intramuscular triglyceride synthesis was examined in rats using an intravenous infusion of [2-14C]glycerol and [6-3H]glucose or [6-14C]glucose. In 24-h fasted rats, more glycerol than glucose was incorporated into intramuscular triglyceride glycerol in soleus (69 ± 23 versus 4 ± 1 nmol/μmol triglyceride/h, respectively, p = 0.02 glycerol versus glucose) and in gastrocnemius (25 ± 5 versus 9 ± 2 nmol/μmol triglyceride/h, respectively, p = 0.02). Blood glucose was utilized more than blood glycerol for triglyceride glycerol synthesis in quadriceps. In fed rats, the blood glycerol incorporation rates (4 ± 2, 8 ± 3, and 9 ± 3 nmol/μmol triglyceride/h) were similar (p > 0.3) to those of glucose (5 ± 2, 8 ± 2, and 5 ± 2 nmol/μmol triglyceride/h for quadriceps, gastrocnemius, and soleus muscle, respectively). Glucose incorporation into intramuscular triglycerides was less with [6-3H]glucose than with [6-14C]glucose, suggesting an indirect pathway for glucose carbon entry into muscle triglyceride. The isotopic equilibrium between plasma and intramuscular free glycerol ([U-13C]glycerol) was complete in quadriceps and gastrocnemius, but not soleus, within 2 h after beginning the tracer infusion. We conclude that blood glycerol is a direct and important precursor for muscle triglyceride synthesis in rats, confirming the presence of functionally important amounts of glycerol kinase in skeletal muscle.
Clinical effectiveness, access to, and satisfaction with care using a telehomecare substitution intervention: a randomized controlled trial

Background. Hospitalization accounts for 70% of heart failure (HF) costs; readmission rates at 30 days are 24% and rise to 50% by 90 days. Agencies anticipate that telehomecare will provide the close monitoring necessary to prevent HF readmissions. Methods and Results. Randomized controlled trial to compare a telehomecare intervention for patients 55 and older following hospital discharge for HF to usual skilled home care. Primary endpoints were 30- and 60-day all-cause and HF readmission, hospital days, and time to readmission or death. Secondary outcomes were access to care, emergency department (ED) use, and satisfaction with care. All-cause readmissions at 30 days (16% versus 19%) and over six months (46% versus 52%) were lower in the telehomecare group but were not statistically significant. Access to care and satisfaction were significantly higher for the telehomecare patients, including the number of in-person visits and days in home care. Conclusions. Patient acceptance of the technology and current home care policies and processes of care were barriers to gaining clinical effectiveness and efficiency.
Large-scale molecular dynamics simulations of particulate ejection and Richtmyer-Meshkov instability development in shocked copper

We present the results of recent large-scale, non-equilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD) simulations of shock-induced surface instability development. We consider single crystal Cu described by an embedded atom method potential and driven by a shock wave along the (111) crystallographic direction, impinging upon a roughened Cu/vacuum or Cu/Ne interface. The NEMD simulation cell is a quasi-2D 2.23 mmr 5.67 mm slab geometry, 1.5 nm thick in the (peri- odic) third dimension. The first third of the sample length (1.89 mm) is occupied by Cu (530 million atoms), and the remainder either empty vacuum or Ne gas (195 million atoms). The Cu/Ne (or Cu/vacuum) interface has an initial perturbation with average amplitude 30 nm and dominant wavelength of 0.74 mm. A shock wave is created by driving the front end of the Cu slab at a fixed particle velocity up= 2.0 to 3.5 km/s. Single-mode and multi-mode interfaces were considered using 212,992 CPUs of the LLNL BlueGene/L supercomputer for times on the order of 1 ns. The higher particle velocities studied here span shock Hugoniot and release states from solid to liquid, including the fluid-solid mixed phase.
Ozone-induced hypothermia and bradycardia in rats and guinea pigs in nose-only or whole-body inhalation systems

Abstract 1. Ozone (O 3 ) inhalation induces a hypothermic response in rodents characterized primarily by core body temperature ( T CO ) and heart rate (HR) decreases. 2. This preliminary study examined T CO , HR, and electrocardiographic changes in rats and guinea pigs during whole-body or nose-only exposure to 1 ppm 18 O 3 . 3. Rats exposed whole-body demonstrated an immediate hypothermic response, while that of the nose-only exposed rats was delayed ≈60 min; guinea pigs showed no hypothermic response to 18 O 3 . 4. 18 O content in lavage fluid samples suggests that dose is greater in nose-only exposures than whole-body exposures, and that guinea pigs received higher doses than rats. 5. These initial findings suggest that dosimetric differences may result from differences in species responses and exposure scenarios.
Proper functioning and warrant after seven vodka martinis

In his books Warrant: The Current Debate and Warrant and Proper Function,' Alvin Plantinga proposes and defends a new approach to the analysis of warrant. Warrant, according to Plantinga, is "that, whatever precisely it is, which together with truth makes the difference between knowledge and mere true belief."2 This is a noteworthy departure from the treatment that has dominated epistemology for the last three decades. Ever since Edmund Gettier's famous paper "Is Justified True Belief Knowledge?"3 there has been fairly broad agreement among epistemologists that in order to get knowledge, what we must add to true belief isn't one, but in fact two things: (i) justification, and (ii) a further condition which, so to speak, "degettierizes" cases of justified true belief. Plantinga, in contrast, thinks it's just one condition we need to add to true belief in order to get knowledge: warrant. So, rejecting what many epistemologists have taken to be the lesson Gettier taught, Plantinga proposes a tri-partite analysis of knowledge. This, however, is not the only way in which his approach to epistemology is revisionary. He also argues against that epistemological tradition which can be characterized as deontological and internalist.4 According to this tradition, whether or not a belief is justified is a matter of meeting one's epistemic duty (the deontological element), and whether or not one has met one's epistemic duty can be determined by no other things than those to which one has appropriate forms of cognitive access (the intemalist element).5 Plantinga contends that justification, thus understood, is an important and interesting affair, but has virtually nothing to do with knowledge, and accordingly chooses an approach which is neither deontological nor internalist.6 According to Plantinga, whether or not a belief is warranted is a matter of whether
LIFE HISTORY OF A GLAZE: II, MEASUREMENT OF STRESS IN A COOLING GLAZE

A modification of the Steger method is described for measuring the stress in a glaze. The test specimen consists of a double-pronged fork glazed on the outside so that the distance between the ends of the prongs gives a measure of the glaze stress. A method has been devised to calculate the actual stress in the glaze from the deflection of the prongs. Actual stress curves are given for several body combinations when the specimens are cooled, and the influence of aging and treatment in the autoclave is discussed.
Temperature fluctuations (flickering) of catalytic wires and gauzes—I Theoretical investigation

Abstract When chemical reactions occur on catalytic wires or gauzes random surface temperature fluctuations are sometimes observed, and this “flickering” is most predominant in ammonia oxidation convertors. It is shown that the large temperature oscillations of the catalytic surface are most probably due to the coupling between the chemical reaction and the fluctuating turbulent transport coefficients. The computations indicate that the flickering should be rather sensitive to the frequency of the turbulence and dependent on the turbulence intensity and the heat capacity of the wire, as well as on the operating conditions and specific reaction. Large temperature fluctuations are most likely to occur at conditions close to the extinction temperature and they may cause a premature extinction.
Engineering Tools for Studying the Interplay Between Mechanics and Biology in Lymphatic Lipid Transport

The lymphatic vasculature extends through most tissues of the body and plays an essential role in maintaining fluid balance, immune cell trafficking, and lipid transport. Nearly all dietary lipid is transported from the intestine to the circulation via the lymphatic system in the form of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins called chylomicrons. This process can be described through two different mechanisms: 1) entry of the chylomicron into the initial lymphatic vessels of the small intestine, known as lacteals, and 2) the transport of these chylomicrons through the larger collecting lymphatics by a complex and coordinated system of individual contracting vessel units (lymphangions) and valve leaflets. We describe here a set of in vitro and in vivo tools we have developed to study the mechanisms that modulate lipid transport under these two different paradigms and show how these tools are uncovering important biological features involved in these mechanisms. Lymphatic pump function is known to be sensitive to the mechanical load on the vessel as the contractility of isolated vessels has been shown to be both shear and stretch sensitive [1], yet whether these mechanisms are important in regulating contractile function in vivo remains uncertain.© 2010 ASME
Phase Transitions in Ionic Gels

The polymer network of a gel, under certain conditions, undergoes a discrete transition in equilibrium volume with changes in solvent composition or temperature. This Letter demonstrates that ionization of the gel network plays an essential role in the phase transition. The volume collapse is also observed when the $p\mathrm{H}$ within the gel is varied.
Foreign Affairs and the 2008 Election

Much of the commentary in the wake of last month’s presidential election has focused on the magnitude and historic aspects of Barack Obama’s victory and the deteriorating economic environment in which it played out. Little thought has been given to the influence of foreign affairs in the election. Yet even in this year’s contest, which appears to lend considerable support to economic-based theories of elections, international events clearly played an important role by shaping the nomination process for both major parties and in Obama’s selection of Joseph Biden as his running mate.
Analysis of Skeletal Muscle Defects in Larval Zebrafish by Birefringence and Touch-evoke Escape Response Assays

Zebrafish (Danio rerio) have become a particularly effective tool for modeling human diseases affecting skeletal muscle, including muscular dystrophies, congenital myopathies, and disruptions in sarcomeric assembly, due to high genomic and structural conservation with mammals. Muscular disorganization and locomotive impairment can be quickly assessed in the zebrafish over the first few days post-fertilization. Two assays to help characterize skeletal muscle defects in zebrafish are birefringence (structural) and touch-evoked escape response (behavioral). Birefringence is a physical property in which light is rotated as it passes through ordered matter, such as the pseudo-crystalline array of muscle sarcomeres. It is a simple, noninvasive approach to assess muscle integrity in translucent zebrafish larvae early in development. Wild-type zebrafish with highly organized skeletal muscle appear very bright amidst a dark background when visualized between two polarized light filters, whereas muscle mutants have birefringence patterns specific to the primary muscular disorder they model. Zebrafish modeling muscular dystrophies, diseases characterized by myofiber degeneration followed by repeated rounds of regeneration, exhibit degenerative dark patches in skeletal muscle under polarized light. Nondystrophic myopathies are not associated with necrosis or regenerative changes, but result in disorganized myofibers and skeletal muscle weakness. Myopathic zebrafish typically show an overall reduction in birefringence, reflecting the disorganization of sarcomeres. The touch-evoked escape assay involves observing an embryo's swimming behavior in response to tactile stimulation. In comparison to wild-type larvae, mutant larvae frequently display a weak escape contraction, followed by slow swimming or other type of impaired motion that fails to propel the larvae more than a short distance. The advantage of these assays is that disease progression in the same fish type can be monitored in vivo for several days, and that large numbers of fish can be analyzed in a short time relative to higher vertebrates.
Neuronal differentiation in PC12 cells is inhibited by chlorpyrifos and its metabolites : Is acetylcholinesterase inhibition the site of action?

Developmental expression of AChE has been associated with neuronal differentiation (P. G. Layer and E. Willbold, Prog. Histochem. Cytochem. 29, 1-94, 1995). In this study we used pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells, a noncholinergic cell line, rich in acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, to examine the effects of cholinesterase-inhibiting pesticides on neural differentiation. The experimental paradigm was focused on whether alterations in cholinesterase (ChE) activity by a pesticide or its metabolites would affect neurite outgrowth, a morphological marker of neuronal differentiation. Results indicated that (1) in controls, both total ChE and AChE activities were significantly increased in NGF-primed PC12 cells compared to NGF-unprimed cells, while the basal expression of butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) activity was much lower (1.3-7% of total ChE activity) in either the presence or the absence of NGF; (2) an increase in AChE activity was highly correlated (r(2) = 0.99) with the extension of neurite outgrowth, suggesting a link between the expression of AChE activity and the elaboration of neurite outgrowth; (3) NGF increased neurite outgrowth in a time- and concentration-dependent manner; and (4) either chlorpyrifos (CPF) or its metabolites (CPF oxon and TCP) inhibited NGF-induced neurite outgrowth (branches per cell, fragments per cell, total neurite outgrowth per cell) in PC12 cells. These data suggest that the expression of AChE activity is associated with the extension of neurite outgrowth. Both enzyme activity and neurite branching were disrupted by CPF oxon; however, CPF and its other metabolite TCP (1 microgram/ml) caused inhibition of neurite outgrowth in the absence of ChE inhibition, suggesting an alternative mechanism(s) may be involved in pesticide-induced inhibition of differentiation.
An analytical scanning transmission electron microscopy study of the support effects on Mn-promoted Co Fischer–Tropsch catalysts

The metal–support interaction in supported heterogeneous catalyst systems has been long known to affect the activity and selectivity of the catalyst. In this paper, we will combine scanning transmission electron microscopy with electron energy-loss spectroscopy to investigate the interaction between the Mn promoter, the Co nano-catalysts, and the SiO2 support. By comparing these results with similar catalysts on TiO2 supports, we will discuss the effect of metal–support interaction and interfacial oxygen vacancies on the catalyst morphology.
SU-E-P-05: A New Delivery Model for Linear Accelerator Support and Service

Purpose: A new model of service and support has been developed between our institution and a linear accelerator vendor. Previously, a user would report machine breakdown events verbally by telephone to a dispatch center, which then coordinated repair actions with the technical helpdesk and local service engineer. In the new model, events are reported electronically directly to the vendor technical helpdesk, who can then contact the user immediately to coordinate a response. The purpose of this work is to report on a new model for vendor/institution collaboration to improve clinical operations. Methods: We developed a new on‐line event recording system that connected our clinic events directly to the linear accelerator vendor. Between February 2012 and 2013, our institutional electronic quality reporting database was reviewed. A machine down event was defined as a technical problem with the linear accelerator that interrupted, prevented, or required rescheduling or cancellation of patient treatments. Machine down time, vendor support response time, and whether the event was resolved by a service engineer visit or by physicists liaising with the technical helpdesk, were recorded. Results: Over 259 clinical days, there were 76 machine down events, with 45 before introduction of the new service model and 31 after. Under the new model, the average time for service response decreased by 92%, from 128 to 10 minutes and the number of times a service engineer had to be dispatched decreased by 70%. The down time per event decreased by 47% from 135 minutes to 71 minutes. Treatment cancellations or rescheduling decreased by 54%. Conclusion: A new model of linear accelerator support and service delivery was implemented and was found to decrease vendor response time and reduce the number of on‐site visits required by service engineers. These performance gains resulted in decreased machine downtime and decreased patient treatment cancellations. The work was undertaken in cooperation with Varian Medical Systems.
Renal and adrenal surgery during pregnancy

Retroperitoneal surgery during pregnancy is rarely indicated. Major considerations are the optimal timing of surgery and the consequences of nonoperative management on mother and fetus. We report on the first partial nephrectomy performed during pregnancy and one nephroadrenalectomy. When indicated, the second trimester is the ideal time to perform nonobstetric surgery during gestation.
Attitudes toward groups and behavioral intentions toward individual group members: The impact of nondiagnostic information

Abstract The current research examined the impact that nondiagnostic individuating information has on the consistency between subjects' attitudes toward a group and their behavioral intentions toward individual group members. Consistent with predictions, nondiagnostic individuating information reduced the consistency between subjects' intentions to vote for a political candidate and their attitudes toward the candidate's political party to a greater degree if the information was relatively high in typical diagnosticity (i.e., useful across many social judgment and behavioral tasks) than if it was relatively low in typical diagnosticity (i.e., useful across few social judgment and behavioral tasks). In addition, the information that was relatively high in typical diagnosticity reduced the perceived representativeness of the party member more than did the information that was low in typical diagnosticity. Moreover, the effect that individuating information had on the representativeness of the party member was correlated significantly with the impact that the information had on the consistency between subjects' attitudes toward the party and their voting intentions regarding the party member. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Numerical methods for particle simulations at extreme densities and temperatures: Weighted particles, relativistic collisions and reduced currents

We present a fully relativistic energy-conserving binary collision model for particle simulations with large density scale plasmas. Our model deals with collisions between weighted particles of arbitrary species, conserving energy perfectly in each collision while momentum is conserved on the average. We also discuss a new method to model extremely high densities, applicable to a wide range of plasmas from the cold, non-relativistic to the ultra-relativistic regime in the high energy density physics.
Detection system for charged particles produced by neutrons

Abstract Systems consisting of two or three magnetic quadropole lenses and detectors were developed for studying charged particles produced by 15 MeV neutrons. The lenses transport the charged particles from a radiator near the neutron source to the detectors located about 2.6 m away in order to reduce the neutron-induced background in the detectors.
Differences in exposure and biological markers of fluoride among White and African American children

Objective: To determine differences in self-reported fluoride exposure and fluoride exposure biomarkers between two racial groups. Methods: Questionnaires regarding fluoride exposure, urine and water collection kits were distributed to African American and White 7-14-year-old children. Children received a dental exam for fluorosis. Water, urine, and saliva were analyzed for fluoride content. Questionnaire responses and results of sample analyses were compared and observed differences were analyzed. Results: 83 African American and 109 White children completed the study. Dental fluorosis was observed in 62.5 percent White and 80.1 percent African American children. Significant differences were found for fluorosis prevalence and severity between the groups (P < 0.05). Less African American children reported having used fluoride supplements in the past. White children began brushing their teeth at an earlier age. More White children visited a dentist for the first time before age 3. African American children reported currently using larger amounts of toothpaste. More Whites than African Americans had received topical fluoride treatments over the previous year. All of these differences were significant. Multivariate models showed that supplement use and amount of toothpaste used for brushing had significant associations to a child's fluorosis scores. Fluoride concentration of water and saliva was not different for the two groups; however, the fluoride content in urine was significantly higher in African Americans than in Whites [P < 0.05; 1.40 ± standard deviation (SD) 0.65 ppm versus 1.08 ± SD 0.28 ppm]. Conclusions: Differences in fluoride exposure between two racial groups were observed. These differences are complex and need to be better defined.
A Citizen-Sensitive Approach to Retrenching Services in the Public Sector:

The prevailing approaches to retrenchment are across-the-board-cuts, voluntary attrition, and expenditure deferment. Frequently these are adopted because they are expedient, but they do not represent a sensitive response to citizen priorities. The paper presents a procedure for allocating resources during periods of retrenchment, so they reflect citizens' wants and needs. The procedure consists of four sequential stages: (1) identifying those services that should be considered as possible candidates for retrenchment; (2) evaluating each of these services to determine if retrenchment is appropriate; (3) retrenchment implementation; and (4) facilitating the implementation decision.
The Value of Ideas: The Immersion Approach to the Development of Thinking

In this paper I examine three approaches to fostering higher level thinking in students: the stand-alone approach, in which thinking skills are taught separately from subject matter content; the embedding approach, in which these skills are explicitly taught in the context of subject matter content; and the immersion approach. Advocates of this third approach argue that it is counter-productive to devote too much attention to the explicit teaching of thinking; they believe that it develops naturally in classrooms where students are engaged, as members of a discourse community, in the pursuit of common understanding. The immersion approach is treated in greater depth in the present article. It represents an important alternative view within cognitive psychology because it assigns an active role to perception, thus downplaying the importance of information-processing skills in the development of thought and understanding.
The Trade-Off between Dietary Salt and Cardiovascular Disease; A Role for Na/K-ATPase Signaling?

It has been postulated for some time that endogenous digitalis-like substances, also called cardiotonic steroids (CTS), exist, and that these substances are involved in sodium handling. Within the past 20 years, these substances have been unequivocally identified and measurements of circulating and tissue concentrations have been made. More recently, it has been identified that CTS also mediate signal transduction through the Na/K-ATPase, and consequently been implicated in profibrotic pathways. This review will discuss the mechanism of CTS in renal sodium handling and a potential “trade-off” effect from their role in inducing tissue fibrosis.
Approach Spaces, Limit Tower Spaces, and Probabilistic Convergence Spaces

The category LTS of limit tower spaces is defined and shown to be isomorphic to the category CAP of convergence approach spaces. The full subcategory of LTS determined by the objects satisfying a diagonal axiom due to Cook and Fischer is shown to be isomorphic to the category AP of approach spaces. A family of isomorphisms is also obtained between LTS and certain full subcategories of the category PCS of probabilistic convergence spaces.
Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy Restores Sympathovagal Balance in the Failing Heart by Differential Remodeling of Cholinergic Signaling

Rationale: Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is the only heart failure (HF) therapy documented to improve left ventricular (LV) function and reduce mortality. The underlying mechanisms are incompletely understood. While β-adrenergic signaling has been studied extensively, the effect of CRT on cholinergic signaling is unexplored. Objective: We hypothesized that remodeling of cholinergic signaling plays an important role in the aberrant calcium signaling and depressed contractile and β-adrenergic responsiveness in dyssynchronous HF (DHF) that are restored by CRT. Methods and Results: Canine tachypaced DHF and CRT models were generated to interrogate responses specific to dyssynchronous vs. resynchronized ventricular contraction during hemodynamic decompensation. Echocardiographic, electrocardiographic and invasive hemodynamic data were collected from normal controls, DHF and CRT models. LV tissue was used for biochemical analyses and functional measurements (calcium transient, sarcomere shortening) from isolated myocytes (N=42-104 myocytes/model; 6-9 hearts/model). Human LV myocardium was obtained for biochemical analyses from explanted failing (N=18) and non-failing (N=7) hearts. The M2 subtype of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (M2-mAChR) was upregulated in human and canine HF compared to non-failing controls. CRT attenuated the increased M2-mAChR expression and Gαi-coupling, and enhanced M3-mAChR expression in association with enhanced calcium cycling, sarcomere shortening and β-adrenergic responsiveness. Despite model-dependent remodeling, cholinergic stimulation completely abolished isoproterenol-induced triggered activity in both DHF and CRT myocytes. Conclusions: Remodeling of cholinergic signaling is a critical pathological component of human and canine HF. Differential remodeling of cholinergic signaling represents a novel mechanism for enhancing sympathovagal balance with CRT and may identify new targets for treatment of systolic HF.
Factoring nonnegative matrices with linear programs

This paper describes a new approach, based on linear programming, for computing nonnegative matrix factorizations (NMFs). The key idea is a data-driven model for the factorization where the most salient features in the data are used to express the remaining features. More precisely, given a data matrix X, the algorithm identifies a matrix C that satisfies X ≈ CX and some linear constraints. The constraints are chosen to ensure that the matrix C selects features; these features can then be used to find a low-rank NMF of X. A theoretical analysis demonstrates that this approach has guarantees similar to those of the recent NMF algorithm of Arora et al. (2012). In contrast with this earlier work, the proposed method extends to more general noise models and leads to efficient, scalable algorithms. Experiments with synthetic and real datasets provide evidence that the new approach is also superior in practice. An optimized C++ implementation can factor a multigigabyte matrix in a matter of minutes.
Why Trees Are Important

The Tree of Life is the result of the interplay of changes in information and speciation. Almost 100 years after publication of Darwin’s Origin, the inception of Phylogenetic Systematics has resulted in a revolution in data inference. I briefly trace the development of this revolution and show examples of how data are interpreted relative to phylogenetic trees. I then provide brief discussions of how to read tree diagrams and the need to access the quality of phylogenetic inference.
Internal and external laser-induced avalanche breakdown of single droplets in an argon atmosphere

Laser-induced breakdown of a transparent micrometer-sized H2O droplet can be initiated only in the Ar gas in a strip outside the droplet shadow face. At a higher-input 0.532-μm Q-switched laser intensity, breakdown can also occur within the droplet. The resultant internal plasma blocks the laser from reaching the region outside the shadow face and absorbs more of the laser pulse to produce a shock wave and/or a laser-supported detonation wave. Various combinations of liquid and surrounding gas were investigated at different input intensities in order to provide information on the breakdown processes in a transparent droplet.
CORD-a WDMA optical network: subcarrier-based signaling and control scheme

CORD (COntention Resolution using Delay lines) is a 2.5-Gb/s//spl lambda/ wavelength-division multiple-access (WDMA) packet-switched network experiment. We experimentally demonstrated the simultaneous transmission of a 2.5-Gb/s packet-switched payload data and an 80-Mb/s control channel using the multichannel subcarrier multiplexing (MSCM) signaling scheme with 3 and 3.5 GHz subcarriers. We optimized the control channel modulation depth at the transmitter to 0.4, and the splitting ratio to a 90/10 payload data/control channel split at the receiver, to obtain the optimal receiver sensitivity of -12.9 dBm. >
Wide-angle wavelength-selective multilayer optical metasurfaces robust to interlayer misalignment

Multilayer plasmonic optical metasurfaces are demonstrated and analyzed that provide highly wavelength-selective reflectance that is robust to variation in angle of incidence and highly tolerant of misalignment of features between vertically stacked layers. Structures containing two layers of Ag nanostructure arrays separated by a dielectric layer are shown to provide reflectance >75% and transmittance <1% over a bandwidth of ∼100 nm, with minimal variation for angles of incidence varying from 0° to 30°. These characteristics are shown to be robust to variations in vertical alignment between layers comparable to the array period. An analysis of these characteristics in terms of plasmonic behavior of individual Ag nanostructures, interference effects between multiple layers of nanostructure arrays, and phase shifts produced at each array layer is presented.
A mature mixed-mode simulator

A simulator that is routinely used to simulate MOS VLSI circuits at the transistor level is described. The analog simulation technique has been built into a digital simulator to allow circuits to be simulated with digital or analog models or a mixture of the two. The simulator provides a natural interface between the analog and digital portions of a circuit. >