cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Electrostatic recognition between superoxide and copper, zinc superoxide dismutase

Electrostatic forces have been implicated in a variety of biologically important molecular interactions including drug orientation by DNA, protein folding and assembly, substrate binding and catalysis and macromolecular complementarity with inhibitors, drugs and hormones. To examine enzyme-substrate interactions in copper, zinc superoxide dismutase (SOD), we developed a method for the visualization and analysis of an enzyme's three-dimensional electrostatic vector field that allows the contributions of specific residues to be identified. We report here that the arrangement of electrostatic charges in SOD promotes productive enzyme-substrate interaction through substrate guidance and charge complementarity: sequence-conserved residues create an extensive electrostatic field that directs the negatively charged superoxide (O-2) substrate to the highly positive catalytic binding site at the bottom of the active-site channel. Dissection of the electrostatic potential gradient indicated the relative contributions of individual charged residues: Lys 134 and Glu 131 seem to have important roles in directing the long-range approach of O-2, while Arg 141 has local orienting effects. The reported methods of analysis may have general application for the elucidation of intermolecular recognition processes.
A Cross-Cultural Comparison of United States and Austrian Fashion Consumers

ABSTRACT This study investigated the purchase behavior of fashion leaders and fashion followers among U.S. and Austrian fashion consumers. Extending results from previous research on fashion adoption and cross-cultural studies of fashion behavior, hypotheses were developed relating timing of adoption and consumers' national culture. A survey instrument was constructed, tested, and administered to consumers in the U.S. and Austria. Evaluation of the hypotheses indicated fashion innovators in the U.S. are similar to fashion innovators in Austria. Innovators in each country are significantly different than fashion followers. Based on these findings, recommendations are provided for market segmentation, promotion, and retail strategy.
The effect of fibrillar matrix architecture on tumor cell invasion of physically challenging environments

Local invasion by and dissemination of cancer cells from a primary tumor are key initial steps of metastasis, the most lethal aspect of cancer. To study these processes in vitro, the invasion of cells from multicellular breast cancer aggregates embedded in three-dimensional (3D) extracellular matrix culture systems was studied. This work showed that in 3D fibrillar environments composed of collagen I, pore size--not the viscoelastic properties of the matrix--was the biophysical characteristic controlling breast cancer cell invasion efficiency. Furthermore, it was shown that fibrillar matrix architecture is a crucial factor that allows for efficient 3D invasion. In a 3D non-fibrillar environment composed of basement membrane extract (BME), invasion efficiency was greatly diminished, the mesenchymal individual mode of 3D invasion was abolished, and establishment of cell polarity and protrusions was compromised. These effects were seen even though the BME matrix has invasion permissive viscoelasticity and suitable adhesion ligands. The altered and limited invasive behavior observed in BME was rescued through introduction of fibrillar collagen into the non-fibrillar matrix. The biophysical cues of fibrillar collagen facilitated efficient invasion of sterically disadvantageous environments through assisting cell polarization and formation of stable cell protrusions. Finally, we suggest the composite matrices employed in this study consisting of fibrillar collagen I and BME in either a liquid-like or gelled state are suitable for a wide range of 3D cell studies, as these matrices combine fibrillar features that require cells to deploy integrin-dependent mechanotransduction machinery and a tunable non-fibrillar component that may require cells to adopt alternative migratory modes.
Nitric oxide density enhancements due to solar flares

Abstract A differential emission measure technique is used to determine flare spectra using solar observations from the soft X-ray instruments aboard the Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Energetics Dynamics and Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment satellites. We examine the effect of the solar flare soft X-ray energy input on the nitric oxide (NO) density in the lower thermosphere. The retrieved spectrum of the 28 October 2003 X18 flare is input to a photochemical thermospheric NO model to calculate the predicted flare NO enhancements. Model results are compared to Student Nitric Oxide Explorer Ultraviolet Spectrometer observations of this flare. We present results of this comparison and show that the model and data are in agreement. In addition, the NO density enhancements due to several flares are studied. We present results that show large solar flares can deposit the same amount of 0.1–2 and 0.1–7 nm energy to the thermosphere during a relatively short time as the Sun normally deposits in one day. The NO column density nearly doubles when the daily integrated energy above 5 J m −2 is doubled.
Attention, arousal, and memory in posttraumatic stress disorder

Vietnam combat veterans with current posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with other Axis-I disorders, or with no Axis-I disorders completed a series of tasks designed to elucidate the psychophysiological parameters of information-processing in PTSD. These tasks included a modified Stroop procedure (MSP), a standard Stroop procedure, a recognition memory task, and a threat rating task. Physiological responses were recorded throughout the study. Our data supported several predictions derived from information-processing models of PTSD. PTSD subjects exhibited greater MSP interference to high threat words than both comparison groups, and a liberal response bias toward recognizing military-related words. PTSD symptoms and threat reactions contributed to MSP interference effects for high-threat words after controlling for medications, depression, and baseline physiological activity.
Effects of α-eleostearic acid on asolectin liposomes dynamics: relevance to its antioxidant activity.

Abstract In this study, the effect of α-eleostearic acid (α-ESA) on the lipid peroxidation of soybean asolectin (ASO) liposomes was investigated. This effect was correlated to changes caused by the fatty acid in the membrane dynamics. The influence of α-ESA on the dynamic properties of liposomes, such as hydration, mobility and order, were followed by horizontal attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (HATR-FTIR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and UV–vis techniques. The α-ESA showed an in vitro antioxidant activity against the damage induced by hydroxyl radical ( OH) in ASO liposomes. The analysis of HATR-FTIR frequency shifts and bandwidths and 1 H NMR spin–lattice relaxation times, related to specific lipid groups, showed that α-ESA causes an ordering effect on the polar and interfacial regions of ASO liposomes, which may restrict the OH diffusion in the membrane. The DSC enthalpy variation analysis suggested that the fatty acid promoted a disordering effect on lipid hydrophobic regions, which may facilitate interactions between the reactive specie and α-ESA. Turbidity results showed that α-ESA induces a global disordering effect on ASO liposomes, which may be attributed to a change in the lipid geometry and shape. Results of this study may allow a more complete view of α-ESA antioxidant mode of action against OH, considering its influence on the membrane dynamics.
Retinoic acid affects the expression rate of the differentiation-related genes aryl hydrocarbon receptor, ARNT and keratin 4 in proliferative keratinocytes only.

Abstract The environmental contaminant dioxin exerts most of its effects by activating the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). The AhR is considered to play not only a role in the regulation of xenobiotic metabolism, but also for development, growth, and differentiation. The transcript levels of the AhR and its associated translocator protein (ARNT) were found to increase with ongoing differentiation in the human keratinocyte cell line HaCaT. Correspondingly, in situ hybridization studies in normal human skin revealed an absence of AhR-expression in proliferating basal cells and increasing transcript levels in upper cell layers, in dependence of keratinocyte differentiation. AhR expression in differentiation-deficient hyperproliferative psoriatic skin was markedly decreased. When keratinocytes were continuously treated with 1 μM retinoic acid (RA), the upregulation of AhR- and ARNT-mRNA levels was inhibited as was keratin 4-expression, a marker of HaCaT-keratinocyte differentiation. In contrast, treatment of already differentiated cells with RA did not down-regulate these transcript levels. The mRNA levels of the prevalent retinoic acid receptors in keratinocytes, RARγ and RXRα, were not influenced by the process of differentiation or by addition of RA. Our data suggest that the regulation of AhR-, ARNT- and keratin 4-expression by RA is indirect and mediated by a yet to be identified factor.
Specification error in causal models

A typology of model specification errors, initially devised for single-equation multiple-regression models, is extended to include systems of equations embodied in recursive causal models. Analytical results for the error forms identified are presented. On the basis of these results a number of inadequacies of traditional techniques of causal inference are identified. In place of the traditional techniques of causal inference an alternative strategy for constructing recursive causal models, based on specification error knowledge, is offered. An illustrative application is also included.
Elucidating the Process of Activation of Methyl-Coenzyme M Reductase

Methyl-coenzyme M reductase (MCR) catalyzes the reversible reduction of methyl-coenzyme M (CH3-S-CoM) and coenzyme B (HS-CoB) to methane and heterodisulfide CoM-S-S-CoB (HDS). MCR contains the hydroporphinoid nickel complex coenzyme F430 in its active site, and the Ni center has to be in its Ni(I) valence state for the enzyme to be active. Until now, no in vitro method that fully converted the inactive MCRsilent-Ni(II) form to the active MCRred1-Ni(I) form has been described. With the potential use of recombinant MCR in the production of biofuels and the need to better understand this enzyme and its activation process, we studied its activation under nonturnover conditions and achieved full MCR activation in the presence of dithiothreitol and protein components A2, an ATP carrier, and A3a. It was found that the presence of HDS promotes the inactivation of MCRred1, which makes it essential that the activation process is isolated from the methane formation assay, which tends to result in minimal activation rates. Component A3a is a multienzyme complex that includes the mcrC gene product, an Fe-protein homolog, an iron-sulfur flavoprotein, and protein components involved in electron bifurcation. A hypothetical model for the cellular activation process of MCR is presented.
Functional effects of periodic tryptophan substitutions in the alpha M4 transmembrane domain of the Torpedo californica nicotinic acetylcholine receptor.

Previous amino acid substitutions at the M4 domain of the Torpedo californica and mouse acetylcholine receptor suggested that the location of the substitution relative to the membrane−lipid interface and perhaps to the ion pore can be critical to the channel gating mechanism [Lasalde, J. A., Tamamizu, S., Butler, D. H., Vibat, C. R. T., Hung, B., and McNamee, M. G. (1996) Biochemistry 35, 14139−14148; Ortiz-Miranda, S. I., Lasalde, J. A., Pappone, P. A., and McNamee, M. G. (1997) J. Membr. Biol. 158, 17−30; Tamamizu, S., Lee, Y. H., Hung, B., McNamee, M. G., and Lasalde-Dominicci, J. A. (1999) J. Membr. Biol. 170, 157−164]. In this study, we introduce tryptophan substitutions at 12 positions (C412W, M415W, L416W, I417W, C418W, I419W, I420W, G421W, T422W, V423W, S424W, and V425W) along this postulated lipid-exposed segment M4 so that we can examine functional consequences on channel gating. The expression levels of mutants C412W, G421W, S424W, and V425W were almost the same as that of the wild type, wherea...
The next generation electronic library—capturing the experience

The first wave of digital library research and implementation had to do with advancing the infrastructure for organizing and accessing the vast stores of archival and emerging information abundant in all media (text, image and video). Current research ambitions relate to the application of cognitive technologies for extracting the information content from within the linear media (e.g., the quotation from a book, the crescendos of a symphony, the underwater scenes within a movie, the clip from last night’s TV news) and indexing it for subsequent fullcontent search and retrieval. Information accessibility is increasing through interoperability of resources and information content is growing through contemporaneous indexing and incorporation of content as it is created. Automated subject identification and classification techniques for the sub-documents will evolve to improve browsing by subject over searching by keyword. Natural language technology will be applied to comparison of retrieved documents so that duplication of content is eliminated or minimized in the resultant set, when desired.
Identification of Two Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in Exon 8 of PAX2

Abstract We estimate the allele frequencies of two single nucleotide polymorphisms (1410 C → T) and (1521 A → C) in the coding region of PAX2. The coding region single nucleotide polymorphisms (cSNPs) were identified by sequencing of amplimers of PAX2 exon 8 exhibiting variant migration patterns in the course of genomic DNA mutation screening from patients with renal-coloboma syndrome. Allele frequencies of the two polymorphisms were 0.94 for 1410C and 0.72 for 1521A. Cosegregation analyses of both alleles suggest that they are each in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and jointly in linkage equilibrium and may represent ancient polymorphisms. Characterization of PAX2 exon 8 cSNPs will serve as useful tools for mapping at the PAX2 locus.
X‐RAY DETERMINATION OF CHONDRIOL, A RE‐ASSIGNMENT OF STRUCTURE

Das aus der Alge Chondria oppositiclada Dawson isolierte Chondriol besitzt nach seinem 13C-NMR-Spektrum nicht die Struktur (I), sondern die eines Achtringes (II).
Tropomyosin-containing Actin Cables Direct the Myo2p-dependent Polarized Delivery of Secretory Vesicles in Budding Yeast

The actin cytoskeleton in budding yeast consists of cortical patches and cables, both of which polarize toward regions of cell growth. Tropomyosin localizes specifically to actin cables and not cortical patches. Upon shifting cells with conditionally defective tropomyosin to restrictive temperatures, actin cables disappear within 1 min and both the unconventional class V myosin Myo2p and the secretory vesicle–associated Rab GTPase Sec4p depolarize rapidly. Bud growth ceases and the mother cell grows isotropically. When returned to permissive temperatures, tropomyosin-containing cables reform within 1 min in polarized arrays. Cable reassembly permits rapid enrichment of Myo2p at the focus of nascent cables as well as the Myo2p-dependent recruitment of Sec4p and the exocyst protein Sec8p, and the initiation of bud emergence. With the loss of actin cables, cortical patches slowly assume an isotropic distribution within the cell and will repolarize only after restoration of cables. Therefore, actin cables respond to polarity cues independently of the overall distribution of cortical patches and are able to directly target the Myo2p-dependent delivery of secretory vesicles and polarization of growth.
WW domain binding protein-2, an E6-associated protein interacting protein, acts as a coactivator of estrogen and progesterone receptors.

WW domain binding protein-2 (WBP-2) was cloned as an E6-associated protein interacting protein, and its role in steroid hormone receptors functions was investigated. We show that WBP-2 specifically enhanced the transactivation functions of progesterone receptor (PR) and estrogen receptor (ER), whereas it did not have any significant effect on the androgen receptor, glucocorticoid receptor, or the activation functions of p53 and VP-16. Depletion of endogenous WBP-2 with small interfering RNAs indicated that WBP-2 was required for the proper functioning of PR and ER. We also demonstrated that WBP-2 contains an intrinsic activation domain. Moreover, chromatin immunoprecipitation assays demonstrate the hormone-dependent recruitment of WBP-2 onto an estrogen-responsive promoter. Mutational analysis suggests that one of three polyproline (PY) motifs of WBP-2 is essential for its coactivation and intrinsic activation functions. We show that WBP-2 and E6-associated protein each enhance PR function, and their effe...
Analytical Solutions for Periodic Motions in a Hardening Mathieu-Duffing Oscillator

Analytical solutions for period-m motions in a hardening Mathieu-Duffing oscillator are obtained using the finite Fourier series solutions, and the stability and bifurcation analysis of such periodic motions are completed. To verify the approximate analytical solutions of periodic motions, numerical simulations of the hardening Mathieu-Duffing oscillator are presented. Period-1 asymmetric and period-2 symmetric motions are illustrated.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Formation of thin film circuits using preferential nucleation

Abstract The binding energy for many metals on polymeric surfaces is dependent upon the degree of polymerisation of the substrate. It has been demonstrated for lead, tin, and silver that this difference can be made sufficiently great to allow images formed by electron or ultraviolet polymerisation to be developed by coating the entire substrate with metal; the metal adhering only to the developed portion of the polymer film. A thin layer of the polymer material is then deposited over the metal layer to form a reliable insulation film and the preferential nucleation process again used to form a second metal film pattern. Multilayer circuit patterns have been fabricated with resolution of several microns. The technique is compatible with conventional thin film evaporation techniques and should be suited for the fabrication of high density, multilayer circuits.
Impact of Water Fluoridation on Dental Practice and Dental Manpower

Data were obtained on dental practices and on the characteristics of patients and nature of treatment obtained in seven matched pairs of mid-western communities. The results of the survey indicated that fluoridation did not affect dentists’ incomes, fees, and nature of treatment to any significant degree. However, it appeared to help extend the existing dental manpower to cover a substantially larger patient load.
Numbers of Microorganisms Falling from the Air in Dairy Plants

The air has long been recognized as one of the sources of the microorganisms in dairy products. The data reported in the literature (e.g., 9) indicate that the numbers of organisms falling into milk from the air in stables are relatively small, especially when the air is reasonably free from dust, and it seems probable that in dairy plants comparatively few organisms fall into the various products from the air. However, under certain conditions, a small number of organisms may be of great importance. The organisms may fall into a product in which they can grow or they may fall on equipment where moisture and nutrients permit growth so that the con~amination from this equipment is relatively heavy. I t is sometimes assumed that the microorganisms in the air of a dairy plant originate largely in the plant itself and in some cases attempts are made to reduce the numbers of organisms in the air by the treatment of certain rooms in a plant. For example, some butter printing rooms are fumigated in order to reduce the danger of the butter developing mold growth. Commonly, such treated rooms are thrown open to the outside air so that the comparative numbers of microorganisms in the air inside and outside a plant become of importance.
Addressing Limitations of Pareto Front in Design Under Uncertainty

Engineering design reconciles design constraints with decision maker preferences. The task of eliciting and encoding decision maker preferences is, however, extremely difficult. A Pareto front representing the locus of the non-dominated designs is therefore, often generated to help a decision maker select the best design. In this paper, we show that this method has a shortcoming. We show that when there is uncertainty in both the decision problem variables and in the decision maker’s preferences, this methodology is inconsistent with multi-attribute utility theory, unless the decision maker trades off attributes or some functions of them linearly. This is a strong restriction. To account for this, we propose a methodology that enables a decision maker to select the best design on a modified Pareto front which is acquired using envelopes of a set of certainty equivalent surfaces. This methodology does not require separability of the multi-attribute utility function into single attribute utilities, nor does it require the decision maker to trade the attributes (or any function of them) linearly. We demonstrate this methodology on a simple optimization problem and in design of a reduction gear.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Difficulties accepting the loss of a spouse: a precursor for intensified grieving among widowed older adults.

Previous research has identified three distinct factors that make up the Texas Revised Inventory of Grief—Present (TRIG-Present) scale, which tap into grief-related thoughts, emotional response, and nonacceptance regarding a loss. In the present study, the authors sought to identify which of these core grief experiences in the early aftermath of loss are predictive of subsequent intensified grieving. Information was collected from 169 conjugally bereaved older adults at 2- and 12-months following the loss of their spouse. Using a cross-lagged panel design, early experiences of nonacceptance were found to significantly predict more intense grief experiences later on; whereas grief-related thoughts and emotional response were not strongly related to grief at 12-months postloss, after accounting for synchronous (cross-sectional) and autoregressive (stability in the same factor over time) associations. These findings suggest that practitioners working with bereaved clients should pay close attention to early ...
Comparison of the effect of midthoracic spinal hemisection at birth or in adulthood on motor behavior in the adult rat

Abstract Commonly it is believed that a lesion of the central nervous system at birth will result in fewer and less severe persisting behavioral deficits than a similar lesion in adulthood. We examined this belief by comparing the effects on motor behavior in adult rats of a T6–7 spinal hemisection made at birth or in adulthood. Behavior examined included general posture, postural reflexes (placing, monopedal hopping, and hind limb support) and locomotion (spontaneous and conditioned on three runways and on two grids of increasing “difficulty”). The effects of the lesion at the two ages were not uniform because the deficits in some aspects of motor behavior were greater in the newborn-operated rat, whereas the deficits in other aspects of motor behavior were greater in the adult-operated rat. For example, accurate stepping on the most difficult (narrowest) runway and on both grids was not spared in the rats operated neonatally but recovered in the adult-operated rats. In contrast, in all neonatally operated rats, hopping was spared. In the adult-operated, 77.0% recovered the ability to hop and some of them developed hopping in the medial (abnormal) direction. Tactile placing in the hind limb ipsilateral to the lesion was never elicited in either group. These results demonstrate that after similar spinal surgery at birth and in adulthood, motor behavior is not consistently superior in adults which sustain the lesion at birth. Our results further suggest that development without the influence of supraspinal tracts may affect some motor behavior differently from loss of those same tracts at maturity.
Analytical and Numerical Study of the Anderson Localization Length and Residual Resistivity

An analytical procedure has been developed for calculating the localization length describing the exponential growth of the representative resistance in a one-dimensional disordered system and the associated residual resistance. The present results are compared to numerical simulations performed using a novel set of recurrence relations which provide a rapid and accurate method for computer studies of one-dimensional systems.
Infants learning algebraic rules.

Gary F. Marcus et al. (Reports, 1 Jan., p. [77][1]) habituated 7-month-old infants to sequences (sentences) of nonsense syllables (words) conforming either to the pattern ABA or to the pattern ABB (for example, “ga ti ga” or “ga ti ti”). Subsequently, infants were presented with additional
Transcranial magnetic stimulation reveals a hemispheric asymmetry correlate of intermanual differences in motor performance

Hemispheric asymmetries in the threshold for eliciting motor evoked potentials (MEPs) with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) are associated with hand preference. We posited that hemispheric asymmetries in TMS thresholds may be strongly correlated with some hand-differences in motor performance. MEPs result from the activation of neuronal networks targeting large cortical motoneurons. Thus, MEP thresholds might reflect physiological features of the corticospinal motor system. Considering the role of corticospinal pathways in the control of independent finger movement, we hypothesized that MEP thresholds would better predict speed and dexterity than strength. In 30 right-handers and 30 left-handers, we correlated right and left hand-differences in the threshold for eliciting MEPs with hand-differences in the performance of three manual tasks: finger-tapping speed, pegboard dexterity, and grip strength. Correlations of hand-differences in TMS thresholds with hand-differences in performance indicated that a lower TMS threshold for one hand is strongly associated with greater ability with that hand. The correlations of hand-differences in TMS thresholds with hand-differences in finger-tapping and pegboard dexterity were significantly larger than the correlation of hand-differences in TMS thresholds with hand-differences in grip strength. Our results indicate that hemispheric asymmetries in MEP thresholds may have functional significance related to basic parameters of movement. These results are consistent with the critical role of the corticospinal motor system in the control of independent finger movement. Furthermore, they imply that asymmetry in the corticospinal motor system may be an important substrate for asymmetries in hand preference and performance.
Protection of marine benthic habitats in the Pacific islands. A case study of Guam

Abstract Guam consists of a single main island surrounded by shallow fringing coral reefs. The marine species and ecology of Guam's coral reefs have been studied extensively, especially through programs of the University of Guam's Marine Laboratory. In addition to overfishing and destructive fishing practices, the marine benthic communities of Guam have been damaged by major storm waves; loss of corals to crown of thorns starfish predation; damage by recreational swimmers, divers and watercraft operators; grounding of ships and pollutant discharges of sewage and of stormwater. But the most serious damage is due to accelerated siltation, sedimentation and turbidity due to erosion related to land use practices. Steps are being taken to protect Guam's coral reefs and coastal waters through legislation, regulations, permit systems and policies. Environmental impact assessments, Guam's Coral Reef Initiative and controls by the Guam Seashore Protection Commission help greatly in the protection of Guam's marine benthic environment, while new legislation and research to protect Guam's coral reefs is underway.
The effects of convective cooling and rewarming on systemic and central nervous system physiology in isoflurane-anesthetized dogs.

Recent studies have demonstrated that small (i.e., 2-5 degrees C) reductions in temperature may protect the brain and spinal cord from ischemic injury. The present study evaluated the physiologic response of anesthetized animals to convective-based cooling and warming. Six shaved, isoflurane-anesthetized (1.50% end-expired; 1 MAC), pancuronium-paralyzed dogs were subjected to temperature manipulation. The flow of cool (13-14 degrees C) or warm (39-41 degrees C) air was uniformly applied to the the dorsal and lateral surfaces of the dog using an inflatable blanket with perforations in the interior surface. Convective cooling reduced pulmonary artery temperature (Tpa) from 37.0 +/- 0.2 degrees C (Mean +/- S.D.) to 33.0 +/- 0.0 degrees C over a 93 +/- 18 min period. Thereafter, the active cooling was discontinued and passive cooling resulted in a further reduction in Tpa to 32.4 +/- 0.3 degrees C over the next 60 min. Institution of convective warming resulted in an increase in Tpa from 32.4 +/- 0.3 to 33.0 +/- 0.0 degrees C in 23 +/- 14 min and from 33.0 to 37.0 +/- 0.0 in an additional 137 +/- 26 min. During the periods of active cooling, passive cooling and active warming, there were strong correlations between Tpa and temperature within the brain, cisterna magna, parietal epidural space, lumbar subarachnoid space and other commonly used temperature measurement sites non-invasively monitored (e.g. tympanic membrane, esophagus, rectum) r greater than or equal to 0.97; P less than 0.0001). The combination of isoflurane anesthesia (a potent EEG-suppressor) plus mild hypothermia (less than 34 degrees C) resulted in an EEG attenuation in five dogs, two of which progressed to burst suppression. The magnitude of EEG changes correlated with the degree of temperature reduction. Upon rewarming to 37 degrees C, all dogs had normal EEG activity and normal brain concentrations of high energy phosphates, glucose and lactate. Blood pressure and cardiac output did not change during the study and no dog exhibited acid-based anomalies or blood lactate accumulation. Whole body oxygen consumption and heart rate decreased in a temperature-dependent fashion. Cardiac rhythm disturbances were rare. The authors conclude that convection-based corporeal cooling and rewarming are efficacious methods for non-invasively and uniformly altering CNS temperatures without adversely affecting cerebral or systemic physiology.
Synthesis and characterization ofM 2(CCR)4(PMe3)4 dimetallapolyynes

The reaction betweenM 2Cl4(PMe3)4 (M = Mo, W) and four equivalents of LiCCR (R = Me,i-Pr,t-Bu, SiMe3, Ph) in dimethoxyethane solution yields alkynyl-substituted, quadruply bonded complexes of the type M2(CCR )4(PMe3)4 in 10–90% yield. The electronic-absorption and1H-,13 13C-, and31P-NMR spectroscopic data for these dimetallapolyyne complexes indicate that they are uncontaminated by chloride-containing impurities, and that they possess theD 2d geometry expected of compounds of the M2X4L4 type. A single-crystal X-ray diffraction study of Mo2(CCPr i )4(PMe3)4 confirms this latter conclusion, and also reveals that the Mo2 core of the complex is three-way disordered within the ordered quasi-cubic array of ligating atoms.
Vortex Dynamics for the Nonlinear Maxwell–Klein–Gordon Equation

We derive the vortex dynamics for the nonlinear Maxwell–Klein–Gordon equation with the Ginzburg–Landau type potential. In particular, we consider the case when the external electric fields are of order \({O( | \log \epsilon |^{\frac{1}{2}})}\). We study the convergence of the space–time Jacobian \({\partial_t \psi \cdot i \nabla \psi}\) as an interaction term between the vortices and electric fields. An explicit form of the limiting vector measure is shown.
Amino Acid Transporter CAATCH1 Is Also an Amino Acid-gated Cation Channel

CAATCH1 (cation-amino acid transporter/channel) is a recently cloned insect epithelial membrane protein related to mammalian Na(+)-, Cl(-)-coupled neurotransmitter transporters (Feldman, D. H., Harvey, W. R., and Stevens, B. R. (2000) J. Biol. Chem. 275, 24518-24526). In the present study we analyze the relationship between CAATCH1-mediated amino acid transport and ion fluxes by utilizing the Xenopus oocyte expression system in conjunction with electrophysiology and radiotracer uptake. Simultaneous flux measurements reveal that electrical currents and amino acid transport are thermodynamically uncoupled. This observation is supported by measuring significant uptake even in the absence of external alkali cations. Remarkably, CAATCH1-associated Na(+) or K(+) currents are large and do not saturate with voltage nor with cation concentration. These currents reverse in Nernstian fashion, thereby conferring channel activity in CAATCH1. Upon step-changes in the membrane potential, CAATCH1-expressing oocytes exhibit transient currents. Detailed analyses of these transients in the absence and presence of amino acids reveal direct ligand-protein interaction, demonstrating that binding by different amino acids (e.g. proline, threonine, methionine) differentially affects the state probability of CAATCH1 but has no effect on the maximal charge movement (Q(max)). Together these data suggest that CAATCH1 is a multifunction membrane protein that mediates thermodynamically uncoupled amino acid uptake but functions predominantly as an amino acid-gated alkali cation channel.
Kamlolenic acid and other conjugated fatty acids in certain seed oils

The major fatty acid of the seed oil ofTrewia nudiflora is shown to be α-kamlolenic acid, not α-eleostearic acid as believed earlier. Other conjugated acids were found and identified in seed oils not previously studied, viz., α-eleostearic acid inParinari insularum andRicinodendron rautanenii; trans,8-trans,10-cis,12-octadecatrienoic acid inCalendula stellata.
Analysis of Microstrip Resonators

An accurate and efficient method was developed for computing the resonant frequencies of microstrip resonators. The formulation of the problem was carried out rigorously using the full-wave analysis rather than the quasi-static approximation. The characteristic equation was derived using Galerkin's method applied in the Fourier transform domain. The accuracy of the method has been proven by comparing the numerical results with the experimental data. Numerical data have been provided for the microstrip resonators with different structural parameters. Finally, the results for microstrip resonators have been used for predicting the end effect at the open end of microstrip structures.
Indirect network-wide energy/emissions benefits from dynamic eco-driving on signalized corridors

In recent years there has been significant interest in intelligent transportation technology that has specific energy and environmental benefits. Among these, dynamic eco-driving techniques on signalized corridors are being developed and employed with energy and environmental benefits (e.g., lower fuel consumption and emissions) in the general range of 5% to 20% for the individual vehicles that have the technology (the vehicles that are able to plan their velocity trajectories before they approaching an intersection, basing on the signal phase and timing (SPAT) information through dedicated short-range communication (DSRC)). The topic of this paper addresses the question on whether there are any additional network-wide energy/emissions benefits for the overall traffic from initial low-penetration rates of the technology. To this end, we have carried out a research study consisting of an extensive set of traffic simulations for an arterial corridor with different levels of congestion and different penetration rates of dynamic eco-driving technology. It is found that there are indeed indirect network-wide energy and emissions benefits for the overall traffic, even at low penetration rates of the dynamic eco-driving technology-equipped vehicles. In the experiments, the maximum fuel saving and emission reduction occurs during medium congestion (corresponding to traffic volume of 300 vehicles/lane/hour) and with low penetration rates (5%, 10% and 20%). Under these conditions, the total traffic energy/emissions typically triple what is saved from the technology-equipped vehicles alone (e.g., total 4% savings compared to 1.3% savings).
The influence of magnesium and some other divalent cations on hepatic microsomal drug metabolism in vitro

Abstract The addition of Mg 2+ caused marked increases in rat liver microsomal metabolism in vitro of several drug substrates. The substrates studied have been grouped according to the responses seen with increasing concentrations of Mg 2+ : (1) no effect or a decrease in enzyme activity; (2) increased enzyme activity with increased Mg 2+ concentrations; and (3) peak enzyme activity with 6 mM Mg 2+ or less, followed by a decreased activity with higher concentrations of Mg 2+ . Enhanced drug metabolism appeared to be caused by the Mg 2+ ion rather than by ionic strength or associated anion. Although Mg 2+ may affect the NADPH-generating system, it also enhanced the microsomal drug-metabolizing enzyme systems directly (Mg 2+ enhanced activity in the absence of an NADPH-generating system). Other divalent cations (Mn 2+ , Ca 2+ and Sr 2+ ) caused a marked enhancement of hepatic microsomal metabolism similar to that caused by Mg 2+ with all substrates studied. Divalent cobalt in low concentration caused enhanced microsomal metabolism of hexobarbital, but was inhibitory with other substrates. Ferrous ion, Cu 2+ and Zn 2+ did not enhance any of the microsomal drug metabolisms studied. The monovalent cations, K + and Na + , had little if any effect on drug metabolism. The effects of the various cations studied were qualitatively the same with hepatic microsomal preparations from both control and phenobarbital-treated rats.
On generalized-vortex boundary layers

We define a generalized vortex to have azimuthal velocity proportional to a power of radius r−n. The properties of the steady laminar boundary layer generated by such a vortex over a fixed coaxial disk of radius a are examined. Though the boundary-layer thickness is zero a t the edge of the disk, reversals of the radial component of velocity u must occur, so that an extra boundary condition is needed at any interior boundary radius rE to make the structure unique. Numerical integrations of the unsteady governing equations were carried out for n = − 1, 0, ½ and 1. When n = 0 and − 1 solutions of the self-similar equations are known for an infinite disk. Assuming terminal similarity to fix the boundary conditions at r = rE when ur > 0, a consistent solution was found which agrees with those of the self-similar equations when rE is small. However, if n = ½ and 1, no similarity solutions are known, although the terminal structure for n = 1 was deduced earlier by the present authors. From the numerical integration for n = ½, we are able to deduce the limit structure for r → 0 by using a combination of analytic and numerical techniques with the proviso of a consistent self-similar form as rE → 0. The structure is then analogous to a ladder consisting of an infinite number of regions where viscosity may be neglected, each separated by much thinner viscous transitional regions playing the role of the rungs. This structure appears to be characteristic of all generalized vortices for which 0.1217 < n < 1.
Long-wavelength stagnant lid convection with hemispheric variation in lithospheric thickness: Link between Martian crustal dichotomy and Tharsis?

[1] A dynamic link between the early evolution of Tharsis and the crustal dichotomy on Mars was recently proposed by Zhong (2009). We address in detail the fundamental aspects of the proposed model using 3-D spherical shell modeling of convection. We investigate the conditions under which a spherical harmonic degree 1 flow is produced in the mantle of Mars in layered viscosity models with different depths of viscosity layering and different viscosity ratios between the bottom and top layers. We find that a thinner weak layer requires a larger viscosity decrease in order to produce degree-1 planform, in qualitative accordance with existing analytical studies. A lithospheric keel of hemispheric extent, which may represent melt residue after dichotomy formation process, is then introduced in the models. As a consequence, thermal upwellings are first formed and oriented below the center of the melt residue cap. For keels of maximum thickness ≳100 km, a rotation of the entire single-plate lithosphere relative to the underlying mantle follows until the plume is stabilized near the edge of the keel, which can be identified as the dichotomy boundary. This model may explain the early migration of the Tharsis volcanic center from southern latitudes to the vicinity of the dichotomy boundary. For keels ≳200 km thick, the modeled time scales agree with observationally inferred migration rate. If the Tharsis migration is caused by the rotation of the lithosphere, the requirement on the amount and location of upper mantle melting would argue for an endogenic origin of the dichotomy.
Analyzing the Proximity and Interactions of Friends in Communities in Gowalla

We collected friendship information and location data from a social media website called Gowalla to analyze the relationship between geographical space and friendship. First, we analyzed how geographic proximity shapes the structure of the social network by limiting joined activities among distant users. Second, we incorporated information about geographic locations that users visited into three selected community detection algorithms (Clique Percolation Method, Inference Algorithm, and GANXiS) to detect friendship communities where members are on average separated by one friendship link and also likely to be close to each other geographically. Third, we proposed a technique to generate covers of fixed sizes by using a combination of social and geographic information for the purpose of comparing them to communities detected by the selected algorithms. Finally, we used community quality measurements based on friendship link connectivity and geographic locations visited by users to examine detected communities.
Allosteric sodium in class A GPCR signaling

Despite their functional and structural diversity, G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) share a common mechanism of signal transduction via conformational changes in the seven-transmembrane (7TM) helical domain. New major insights into this mechanism come from the recent crystallographic discoveries of a partially hydrated sodium ion that is specifically bound in the middle of the 7TM bundle of multiple class A GPCRs. This review discusses the remarkable structural conservation and distinct features of the Na(+) pocket in this most populous GPCR class, as well as the conformational collapse of the pocket upon receptor activation. New insights help to explain allosteric effects of sodium on GPCR agonist binding and activation, and sodium's role as a potential co-factor in class A GPCR function.
Understanding Insurgency Violence: A Quantitative Analysis of the Political Violence in Northern Ireland 1969–1999

The main argument examined in this article is that the escalation of political violence in Northern Ireland between 1969–1999 resulted because of the state's reliance on repression and this had conflicting effects contributing to the rise in violence. Perhaps the most important finding reached by this research was that a state's reliance on repression is positively associated with more insurgent violence. This research suggests that variations in outcomes to the use of force by a democratic state may result because one may assume a linear model exists when in reality the true relationship maybe curvilinear.
Reelin in the Years: Controlling Neuronal Migration and Maturation in the Mammalian Brain

The extracellular protein Reelin was initially identified as an essential factor in the control of neuronal migration and layer formation in the developing mammalian brain. In the years following its discovery, however, it became clear that Reelin is a multifunctional protein that controls not only the positioning of neurons in the developing brain, but also their growth, maturation, and synaptic activity in the adult brain. In this review, we will highlight the major discoveries of the biological activities of Reelin and the underlying molecular mechanisms that affect the development and function of the mammalian brain, from embryonic ages to adulthood.
Roles for FGF8 in the Induction, Initiation, and Maintenance of Chick Limb Development

We provide evidence that FGF8 serves as an endogenous inducer of chick limb formation and that its expression in the intermediate mesoderm at the appropriate time and place to trigger forelimb development is directly linked to the mechanism of embryonic kidney differentiation. One function of the limb inducer is to initiate Fgf8 gene expression in the ectoderm overlying the prospective limb-forming territories. FGF8 secreted by the ectoderm then appears to initiate limb bud formation by promoting outgrowth of and Sonic hedgehog expression in the underlying lateral plate mesoderm. FGF8 also maintains mesoderm outgrowth and Sonic hedgehog expression in the established limb bud. Our data thus point to FGF8 as a key regulator of limb development that not only induces and initiates the formation of a limb bud, but also sustains its subsequent development.
MOC SOLUTIONS OF CONVECTIVE‐DISPERSION PROBLEMS

. The method of characteristics is used to solve the one- and two-dimensional convective-dispersion equations in steady, uniform flow fields. Fully documented listings of the FORTRAN programs are presented. Comparison of numerical results with existing analytical solutions show excellent agreement.
Kinetic energy functions for the ring-bending and ring-twisting vibrations of asymmetrically substituted six-membered rings

Abstract Vector models were developed for calculating the kinetic energy (reciprocal reduced mass) expressions for the ring-bending and single bond ring-twisting vibrations of six-membered rings with one double bond. These models are valid for asymmetrically substituted rings. A two-dimensional kinetic energy calculation was carried out and the twist-bend cross terms were also calculated. The reduced masses calculated for several oxygen-containing analogs of cyclohexene increase as the ring bends or twists. Kinetic energy expressions as functions of the vibrational coordinates were derived.