cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Changes in microphytobenthic chlorophyll a and EPS resulting from sediment compaction due to de-watering: opposing patterns in concentration and content

Abstract The study of estuarine microphytobenthos often involves the observation of data over diel, tidal and seasonal timescales. Algal biomass is usually measured using the proxy of chlorophyll a (Chl a ) content or concentration. However, during tidal emersion, exposed sediments often experience desiccation, leading to de-watering and an increase in sediment wet bulk density. If these changes are ignored, incorrect patterns can be attributed to the data obtained, such as an apparent increase or decrease in biomass over the emersion period. This study describes predicted changes in Chl a calculated due to de-watering over a 6 h emersion period and compares this data to observed diel and seasonal variation in sediment Chl a . Predicted Chl a content (μg g −1 dw sediment) significantly decreased due to de-watering by 13–16%, dependent upon the depth of sediment sampled. However, the same data expressed as Chl a concentration (μg cm −2 ) showed a significant increase (40–47%) in biomass. Over a 14 h diel incubation, under ambient light without tidal immersion, actual Chl a concentration in sediment cores showed a linear increase of 86%, probably as a result of de-watering. This change may mask a possible endogenous rhythm observed for the same data expressed as Chl a content. In contrast, seasonal Chl a content showed a significant positive correlation with percentage water content, while no pattern was observed for seasonal Chl a concentration. Extracellular polymeric substance (EPS), a water soluble carbohydrate, showed opposite patterns to Chl a over tidal emersion, with content showing a positive correlation and concentration a negative correlation with water content. This difference was attributed to EPS being a highly hydrated, soluble substance, whereas Chl a is independent of the aqueous phase. It is shown that changes in water content must be incorporated into calculation of all sediment data where de-watering over time may occur. In addition, care should be taken when expressing data as a content or concentration.
Semiconductivity of CdS as a function of s-vapor pressure during heat treatment between 500° and 700° C☆

Abstract The dark conductivity of CdS as a function of the sulfur vapor pressure is investigated during heat treatment in a temperature range 500° j ∼ p S −1 m with m = lx, l being the average number of sulfur atoms per sulfur molecule in the gas phase. For 500°
Starch granule-bound proteins and polypeptides: the influence of the waxy mutations

Proteins are found as integral components of starch granule structure. The starch granule-bound proteins from the endosperm of nonmutant (normal) and waxy (glutinous) cereals were extracted and subsequently separated by electrophoresis on denaturing SDS-polyacrylamide gels. The silver stained gels revealed that for cereals the waxy protein (starch granule-bound starch synthase) was approximately 60 kD. The cereals containing the waxy mutation do not show this protein. Compared to the nonmutant genotypes of other cereals, the waxy protein of barley, Hordeum vulgare is greatly diminished. Based on this observation, there may be reason to suspect that starch synthesis in barley varies from that of other cereals. There are minor homologous proteins among the cereals studied, including, maize, teosinte, rice, millet, sorghum, and barley. Starch granules from all cereal genotypes studied exhibited a minor protein at 68 kD. Most (81%) genotypes showed a 65 kD protein, which may correspond to a minor isozyme of starch granule-bound starch synthase. Minor proteins occurred at 70 kD and 72 kD in 71% and 57% of the genotypes studied, respectively. The minor proteins could be isozymes of starch granule-bound starch synthase or the proposed granule-bound forms of branching enzyme and oligosaccharide synthase. Starkekorngebundene Proteine und Polypeptide: Der Einflus der “waxy”-Mutationen. Proteine stellen einen integralen Bestandteil der Struktur des Starkekorns dar. Die starkekorngebundenen Proteine des Endosperms nicht mutierter Getreidearten und die der “waxy”-Mutationen wurden extrahiert und anschliesend mittels SDS-Elektrophorese getrennt. Nach Anfarbung der Gele mit Silbernitrat konnte das “waxy”-Protein in einer Bande lokalisiert werden, die einem Molekulargewicht von etwa 60 kD entspricht. Dieses Protein fehlt in Getreidearten, die die „waxy”-Mutation aufweisen. Im Vergleich zu dem nicht mutierten Genotyp anderer Getreide ist das “waxy”-Protein in Gerste, Hordeum vulgare, stark reduziert. Aufgrund dieser Beobachtung konnte angenommen werden, das die Starkesynthese in Gerste anders ablauft als in den bisher untersuchten Getreidearten. Schwache homologe Proteinbande wurden in Extrakten mehrerer anderer Getreidearten gefunden, einschlieslich Mais, Teosinte, Reis, Hirse, Sorghum und Gerste. Die Mehrzahl (81%) der untersuchten Getreide-Genotypen wiesen ein 65 kD-Protein auf, das mit einem Isoenzym der starkekorngebundenen Starkesynthase identisch sein konnte, welches nur in geringen Quantitaten auftritt. Schwache Proteinbanden des Molekulargewichtes 70 kD und 72 kD wurden in 71% und 58% der untersuchten Genotypen gefunden. Diese schwachen Banden konnten Isoenzyme der starkekorngebundenen Starkesynthase oder die postulierten starkekorngebundenen Formen des Verzweigungsenzyms und der Oligosaccharidsynthase darstellen.
Adhesion molecule expression in human synovial tissue

OBJECTIVE We have previously shown that E-selectin is expressed on endothelium in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) synovial tissues, and hence may be important in recruitment of leukocytes into the inflamed joint. In the present study, we determined whether other cellular adhesion molecules, including selectins and members of the integrin and immunoglobulin supergene families, are expressed in frozen synovium. METHODS We employed immunohistochemical staining to determine the distribution of CD31 (PECAM), CD44 (hyaluronate receptor), CD62 (P-selectin), Leu-8 (L-selectin), and the integrin subunits alpha 5 (VLA-5), alpha 6 (VLA-6), beta 1 (VLA 1-6), and beta 3 (vitro-nectin receptor), in synovial tissue from 9 RA and 9 osteoarthritis (OA) patients, and from 3 normal (NL) subjects. RESULTS P-selectin was expressed on vascular endothelium in all synovial tissues examined. L-selectin and alpha 5-integrin, while expressed on a variety of cell types, were not differentially expressed on RA synovial tissues. Integrin subunits alpha 6 and beta 1 were down-regulated on some RA synovial tissue components. In contrast, CD31 was expressed to a greater extent on RA than on OA lining cells and macrophages (P < 0.05). CD44 was expressed to a greater extent on RA or OA macrophages, lining cells, and fibroblasts compared with NL (P < 0.05). Integrin subunit beta 3 was strongly expressed on RA synovial blood vessels compared with NL (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION The expression of integrins VLA 1-6, and selectins P and L is not up-regulated in RA synovial tissues. CD31 and CD44 are up-regulated on RA macrophages and lining cells, CD44 on RA fibroblasts, and beta 3-integrin on RA blood vessels. The up-regulation of CD31, CD44, and beta 3-integrin in RA synovial tissues may help tip the balance of adhesive interactions toward passage and retention of leukocytes in the inflamed joint.
AMH induces mesonephric cell migration in XX gonads.

Migration of mesonephric cells into XY gonads is a critical early event in testis cord formation. Based on the fact that anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) can induce testis cord formation in XX gonads, we investigated whether AMH plays a role in the induction of cell migration. Addition of recombinant AMH induced mesonephric migration into XX gonads in culture. AMH-treated XX gonads displayed increased vascular development and altered morphology of the coelomic epithelium, both features of normal testis differentiation. AMH did not induce markers of Sertoli or Leydig cell differentiation. We examined early testis development in Amh-deficient mice, but found no abnormalities, suggesting that any function AMH may have in vivo is redundant. Other transforming growth factor (TGF-β) family proteins, bone morphogenetic proteins (BMP2 and BMP4) show similar inductive effects on XX gonads in culture. Although neither BMP2 nor BMP4 is expressed in embryonic XY gonads, our findings suggest that a TGF-β signalling pathway endogenous to the XY gonad may be involved in regulation of mesonephric cell migration. The factors involved in this process remain to be identified.
Sacred Sites: Nature and Nation in the U.S. National Parks

The U.S. National Parks, which first developed as the nation fragmented during the civil war, have played a central role in the unifying discourse of America. The parks are able to serve this role because of the close alliance between nature and nation in U.S. discourse. Nature ““set apart”” in the parks becomes the embodiment of an archetypal America, which is the ever-pristine source of the greatness of the nation and the people. As such, it serves as a sacred site and a unifying symbol in U.S. American culture. By approaching the parks as pilgrimage sites, we can examine the American values that have been embodied in them. Using a model that assumes the heterogeneity of any religio-cultural event, we can see the often conflicting values both in the spiritual, scientific, national and economic discourses that make up the parks and in the embodiment of those discourses in the physical developments in the parks. Central to both is the paradoxical ideal behind the parks: to preserve wilderness. The goal of the essay is two-fold: 1) as part of the comparative study of religions, to suggest the usefulness of a heterogeneous, spatialized model for analyzing sacred places and to apply the model to the study of American culture in order to understand more about how the embodiment of nature and nation in the National Parks has worked as a unifying symbol while at the same time disclosing contested and conflicting values in American society, and 2) to show how the meanings surrounding this symbol are being transformed today.
A survey of theoretical hydrologic optics

Abstract This paper describes the principles of radiative transfer as they have been applied to the theoretical study of light in the sea and other natural waters. Current mathematical models of the light fields deducible from the principles will be surveyed, ranging from models simple enough to be used with hand computations, to complex models requiring extensive programming on general purpose electronic computers and which have application to visibility, communication and biological problems in oceanography. An exposition of invariant imbedding techniques is given.
Distribution of cholinesterase within the sinus node and AV node of the human heart.

Distribution of cholinesterase within the sinus node, AV node and His bundle of the human heart was studied utilizing acetylthiocholine as the substrate. Cholinesterase is present in large amounts in the conduction system tissue, much smaller amounts in right atrial myocardium and was not observed in ventricular myocardium. The sinus node artery was devoid of cholinesterase, as was the sarcolemma and nucleus of cells in the conduction system. Cholinergic nerve endings stained the most heavily of all tissue studied and were more numerous in the sinus node than the AV node. Stellate-shaped cells previously suggested to be the pace-making site in the sinus node were found to contain abundant cholinesterase. Fibers in the AV nodal bypass tract, which lies between the AV node and right atrial endocardium, also contain cholinesterase. Within individual cells of the sinus node cholinesterase could be identified within myofibrils, with periodic absence in the linear staining most likely corresponding to the Z bands. Other organelles within the cells also contained cholinesterase, but their precise definition was impossible with the present technics. Possible functional significance of these histochemical observations were discussed.
Globalization and the Invasion of Iraq: State Power and the Enforcement of Neoliberalism

Abstract A number of critical theorists of capitalist globalization argue that the power of capital is based on a consensus for global neoliberalism generated by a transnational bloc of capitalists, state officials, and intellectuals. I argue in this paper that these theorists minimize the role that coercive state power has played in supporting capital accumulation, and, as a result, they underestimate the continued significance of the nation-state in capitalism. The U.S. invasion of Iraq illustrates the central role of the nation-state in global capitalism in two ways: first, by revealing intense levels of intercapitalist rivalry; and second, by demonstrating the determination of the United States to ensure that neoliberalism is imposed unilaterally, through force if necessary.
Effects of Essential Oils from Plants on Growth of Food Spoilage Yeasts

Thirty-two essential oils from plants were screened for inhibitory effects on 13 food-spoilage and industrial yeasts. Of these, essential oils of allspice, cinnamon, clove, garlic, onion, oregano, savory, and thyme were most inhibitory. Oils were subsequently tested for their effects on biomass production and pseudomycelium formation of eight genera of yeasts. Garlic oil was a potent inhibitor of yeast growth at concentrations as low as 25 ppm. The oils of onion, oregano and thyme were also strongly inhibitory. Essential oils (100 ppm) had no effect on pseudomycelium production by Candida lipolytica. However, all eight essential oils delayed pseudomycelium formation by Hansenula anomala, whereas six oils stimulated pseudomycelium production by Lodderomyces elongisporus. Cinnamon and clove oils were clearly stimulatory to pseudomycelium production by Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
Sex difference in induction of fatty liver in the rat by dietary orotic acid.

Male and female Wistar and Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a purified diet containing 1% orotic acid for 1–6 weeks. All animals developed a periportal fatty liver. After 1 week in Wistar rats and 3 weeks in Sprague-Dawley rats, the females developed a significantly greater degree of fatty change than males. Orchidectomized male animals developed a significantly greater degree of fatty change than intact males or castrate males given repeated injections of testosterone propionate. Ovariectomized females developed a marked fatty liver similar to that found in intact females. Castrate females given repeated injections of testosterone propionate or estradiol benzoate developed a significantly lesser degree of fatty change than intact or castrate females. Such evidence suggests that the basis of the sex difference may be related to the levels of androgen in the male.
Multiphoton excitation as a probe for biological fractionations

In this review of our work, we describe the application of multiphoton-excited fluorescence as a detection strategy for biological molecules fractionated in micrometer-diameter electrophoresis channels. By tightly focusing a modelocked titanium:sapphire laser beam at the outlet of such channels, spectroscopically similar components can be differentiated in analysis times that range from milliseconds to minutes. Moreover, the ability to excite different chromophores through the combined energies of different numbers of photons (e.g., two and three near-infrared quanta) provides a means to analyze species that are spectroscopically diverse. Finally, we demonstrate that multiphoton photochemistry can be used as a rapid 'photoderivatization' technique for hydroxyindoles and potentially other biological species, in some cases significantly improving the mass detectability of these analytes.
Further evaluation of the acoustical particle counter

Abstract Further research on the acoustic sensor was conducted with a smoke tracer experiment and a subminiature, high frequency response microphone. Smoke filament tests showed that the flow is laminar in the capillary and breaks up momentarily only along a local flow streamline when the sensor is triggered by a particle. The original signal is a shock wave because the signal trace has a rise time of 15/23 0 microseconds. It appears that the whole signal trace has to be examined for particle size information.
Surficial properties of landslides and surrounding units in Ophir Chasma, Mars

[1] We mapped the surface layers of the Ophir Chasma region using observations made by the Mars Global Surveyor's Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) and the Mars Odyssey's Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS). Our goal is to understand the surface physical characteristics and how they relate to the local geology. TES observations indicate that Ophir Chasma possesses some of the most diverse thermal properties on Mars where the approximate global maximum and minimum values of the derived thermal inertia have been detected within ∼100 km of each other. The thermal maps, used in conjunction with elevation data, meteorological modeling and high-resolution images, have led to many insights on how the thermal inertia relates to the local morphology and mineralogy. The landslide units on the northern margin of Ophir Chasma have a diverse range of characteristics. A fairly linear relation between elevation and thermal inertia was found that is consistent with the global trend. Recent and/or ongoing aeolian processes are likely closely linked to the current thermal properties of the canyon. These aeolian processes, in turn, are affected by the topography of not only Ophir, but Hebes and Candor Chasmata and neighboring regions. This study has confirmed previous geological interpretations as well as allowed new insights of how the thermal properties of a surface relates to its geology.
Neurofilament isoform alterations in the rat cerebellum following cytosine arabinoside administration.

A number of neurotoxic agents could potentially exert their action by degrading or modifying cytoskeleton components like neurofilaments (NF). Cytosine arabinoside (AraC) is an anticancer drug commonly used in leukemia treatment. Its side effects include neuronal cell death in the cerebellum and severe motor coordination deficits. We have previously shown that AraC administration (400 mg/kg bw) in adult rats reduced NF immunostaining in cerebellar neurons. To further delineate the susceptibility of individual NF isoforms (NF-H, NF-M, NF-L) to AraC, in the present study we used Western blot analysis to quantify their level. A significant and selective reduction of NF-H isoform was observed in the cerebellum of AraC-treated animals, compared to the controls. Administration of the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) for a period of 14 days (prior to and during AraC treatment), which was previously shown to ameliorate the AraC-induced motor deficits in these animals, largely prevented the reduction in NF-H isoform. Given the significant role of NF proteins and particularly NF-H in maintaining structural integrity and synaptic transport, the observed loss of this isoform may be a key-target of AraC action in cerebellar neurons. Moreover, this study provides further data on the neuroprophylactic role of NAC in vivo against chemotherapy-induced toxicity.
Inhibition of melanoma cell binding to type IV collagen by analogs of cell adhesion regulator.

Integrin-mediated tumor cell adhesion to type IV collagen is believed to play a role in the invasion of basement membrane proteins and the subsequent metastatic process. The cellular protein CAR (cell adhesion regulator) has been proposed to influence integrin-mediated binding to extracellular matrix proteins, including basement membrane (type IV) collagen. Three analogs of the CAR138-142 have been tested for activity. The first contains the 138−142 sequence (CAR138-142, Val-Glu-Ile-Leu-Tyr-NH2), the second contains the 138−142 sequence with a phosphorylated Tyr [pCAR138-142, Val-Glu-Ile-Leu-Tyr(PO3H2)-NH2], and the third contains the reversed 138−142 sequence (rCAR138-142, Tyr-Leu-Ile-Glu-Val-NH2). When added extracellularly, none of the analogs had a significant affect on cell adhesion to type IV collagen. Using a novel reversible cell permeabilization method, we found that intracellular incorporation of both CAR138-142 and pCAR138-142 resulted in inhibition of cell adhesion in a dose-dependent fashion....
Sociocultural influences on eating attitudes and behaviors, body image, and psychological functioning: A comparison of African‐American, Asian‐American, and Caucasian college women

Eating attitudes and behaviors, body image, and psychological functioning were evaluated in 98 female college students: 36 African-Americans, 34 Asian-Americans, and 28 Caucasians. African-Americans had significantly higher body mass index than either Asian-American or Caucasians. In contrast, Caucasians reported greater levels of disordered eating and dieting behaviors and attitudes and greater body dissatisfaction than did Asian-Americans and African-Americans who differed little on these measures. The nature of variability in these eating behaviors and attitudes and body image was also examined within each of the three groups. A generally consistent pattern emerged within each racial group: low self-esteem and high public self-consciousness were associated with greater levels of problematic eating behaviors and attitudes and body dissatisfaction. A history of being teased about weight and size was associated with problematic eating behaviors and attitudes and body dissatisfaction in African-Americans and Caucasians but not in Asian-Americans. The findings suggest that there exist important racial differences on various aspects of eating, dieting, and body image in college women. Contrary to hypothesis, the degree of acculturation and assimilation within the African-American and Asian-American groups was unrelated to variability in these domains.
An Ion Trap Interface for ESI−Ion Mobility Experiments

A method for improving the sensitivity of ion mobility measurements of ions generated from continuous ionization sources such as electrospray ionization is described. The method involves an ion trap interface between the continuous source and the pulsed experiment. The trap allows the electrosprayed ion beam to be accumulated between pulses of the mobility experiment and provides tightly focused (both spatially and temporally) ion pulses for initiating experiments. Using this method, we have improved signal-to-noise ratios by factors of ∼10−30 compared with those of existing approaches and achieved experimental duty cycles of nearly 100%. With these improvements, it is possible to record complex ion mobility distributions in less than 10 s, and we have obtained detection limits of 1.3 pmol for the oligosaccharide maltotetraose. A detailed description of the experimental arrangement is given. An application of the improved methods in which collision-induced fragmentation of biomolecules is monitored by ion...
The Amino Acid Following an Asn-X-Ser/Thr Sequon Is an Important Determinant of N-Linked Core Glycosylation Efficiency

Many eukaryotic proteins are modified by Asn-linked (N-linked) glycosylation. The number and position of oligosaccharides added to a protein by the enzyme oligosaccharyltransferase can influence its expression and function. N-Linked glycosylation usually occurs at Asn residues in Asn-X-Ser/Thr sequons where X not equal Pro. However, many Asn-X-Ser/Thr sequons are not glycosylated or are glycosylated inefficiently. Inefficient glycosylation at one or more Asn-X-Ser/Thr sequons in a protein results in the production of heterogeneous glycoprotein products. These glycoforms may differ from one another in their level of expression, stability, antigenicity, or function. The signals which control the efficiency of N-linked glycosylation at individual Asn residues have not been fully defined. In this report, we use a site-directed mutagenesis approach to investigate the influence of the amino acid at the position following a sequon (the Y position, Asn-X-Ser/Thr-Y). Variants of rabies virus glycoprotein containing a single Asn-X-Ser/Thr sequon at Asn37 were generated. Variants were designed with each of the twenty common amino acids at the Y position, with either Ser or Thr at the hydroxy (Ser/Thr) position. The core glycosylation efficiency of each variant was quantified using a cell-free translation/glycosylation system. These studies reveal that the amino acid at the Y position is an important determinant of core glycosylation efficiency.
Optical Associative Processors With Controlled Nonlinearity In The Fourier Domain

Two types of optical associative memory for two-dimensional image retrieval using nonlinear correlation is described. The product between the input image and the stored images is obtained by nonlinear correlation technique which has a superior performance compared with the conventional optical correlation techniques in the areas of the light efficiency, the correlation peak to sidelobe ratio and correlation spot size. We show that for some noisy inputs, it is necessary to use nonlinearity at the Fourier plane to improve the correlation SNR. Using this technique, better quality images can be reconstructed and the need for optical gain and the optical feedback may be eliminated.
Invited Review: Adjunctive Therapy for Nutritional Support in Hospitalized Patients

It would be unrealistic to expect that a single adjuvant modality may be applicable to all patients receiving nutritional support, either IV or enterally. Further characterization of the optimal application of each adjuvant modality may establish the precise role of adjuvant anabolic stimulation throughout the clinical course. Better definition of IV formulas with addition of stable glutamine dipeptides may be of benefit in patients at high risk for sepsis and significant skeletal muscle wasting, while use of met-hGH may improve nitrogen retention and whole-body net protein accrual under these circumstances. Chronic, low- to moderate-intensity exercise may be applicable in a select group of patients, particularly patients at risk for developing complications after surgical intervention in whom aggressive nutritional support has been shown to improve operative outcome.
Effects of salicylate and other benzoates on oxidative enzymes of the tricarboxylic acid cycle in rat tissue homogenates.

Abstract Salicylate and related compounds inhibit the Krebs cycle in kidney and liver homogenates. The oxidative enzymes inhibited to the greatest extent are α-ketoglutaric dehydrogenase and succinic dehydrogenase. Inhibition of the former is reversed by the presence of an excess of magnesium ions. The two enzymes also differ in the relative inhibitory effects of other substances chemically related to salicylate. Inhibition of oxidation of succinate is also reversible, but the factor which reverses this inhibition is unknown. When magnesium is present in excess, salicylate may enhance oxidative activity.
Status of the MINOS experiment

Abstract MINOS is designed to explore the neutrino oscillation parameter space favored by the SuperKamiokande Experiment. Presented is a description of MINOS and the status of the effort at this time.
The A2aR adenosine receptor controls cytokine production in iNKT cells

The purine nucleoside adenosine is an important anti-inflammatory molecule, inhibiting a variety of immune cells by adenosine receptor-mediated mechanisms. Invariant NKT (iNKT) cells recognize glycolipids presented on CD1d molecules and produce vigorous amounts of cytokines upon activation, hence regulating immune reactions. The mechanisms polarizing their cytokine pattern are elusive. Previous studies demonstrated that adenosine can suppress IFN-gamma production by iNKT cells. We describe the expression of all four known adenosine receptors A1R, A2aR, A2bR and A3R on mouse iNKT cells. We show that IL-4 production in primary mouse iNKT cells and a human iNKT line is efficiently inhibited by A2aR blockade with an inverse relation to IL-4. These data are supported by A2aR-deficient mice, which exhibit largely decreased levels of IL-4, IL-10 and TGF-beta concomitantly with an increase of IFN-gamma upon alpha-galactosylceramide administration in vivo. While A2aR inhibits other lymphocyte populations, A2aR is required for the secretion of IL-4 and IL-10 by iNKT cells. These data suggest adenosine:A2aR-mediated mechanisms can control the cytokine secretion pattern of iNKT cells.
The Flash Press: Sporting Male Weeklies in 1840s New York – By Patricia Cline Cohen, Timothy J. Gilfoyle, and Helen Lefkowitz Horowitz

This work centers on a collection of nineteenth‐century newspapers that became available to scholars after their 1985 purchase from a private individual by the American Antiquarian Society. These “...
Significant Improvement in Activity and Stability of Pt/TiO2 Catalyst for Water Gas Shift Reaction Via Controlling the Amount of Na Addition

Na promoted Pt/TiO2 catalysts have been studied under high severity, near equilibrium, conditions for use as a single stage WGS catalyst. Addition of 3 wt% Na to a 1 wt% Pt/TiO2 catalyst has been found to improve water gas shift activity significantly compared to Pt/TiO2, Pt/CeO2, and Pt–Re/TiO2 catalysts. This catalyst is stable when the reaction temperature is higher than 250 °C. Deactivation occurred when the reaction temperature was lower than 250 °C, however, returning the temperature to higher than 250 °C fully recovered activity. TEM observations revealed that addition of Na inhibited Pt particle sintering. These results suggest that Na promoted Pt/TiO2 is a promising single stage water gas shift catalyst for small scale hydrogen production.
Identification and analysis of moderator variables

Although the concept of moderator variables has been used extensively in marketing-related studies, much confusion persists as to how they are defined and identified. To alleviate this confusion, t...
A SHORT PROOF OF THE LOCAL ATIYAH-SINGER INDEX THEOREM*

(Received 24 April 1985) IN THIS paper, we will give a simple proof of the local Atiyah-Singer index theorem first proved by Patodi [9]; in fact, his earlier proof of the Gauss-Bonnet-Chern theorem (Patodi [8]) is quite close to ours. (Perhaps he did not find the proof for Dirac operators given in this paper because he was unaware of the symbol calculus for Clifford algebras.) A paper of Kotake [S] contains a proof of the Riemann-Roth theorem for Riemann surfaces along similar lines, and a recent paper of Bismut [3] is also very closely related. It might be helpful to give a short history of this theorem. As explained in Atiyah et al. [l], all of the common geometric complexes, namely, the twisted Dirac operators, &operators, signature operators and the De Rham complex, are, locally, Dirac operators. We shall refer to all of these operators as Dirac operators, although this is not globally correct on non-spin manifolds. The index theorem for Dirac operators was first proven, at least for Kahler manifolds, by Hirzebruch using cobordism theory. A few years later, McKean and Singer gave their famous formula for the index of the Dirac operator: Index (D) = Str efo2( = Tr erp-e’ - Tr erpcm-)
Isolation and characterization of stable hybrid mRNA molecules transcribed from ribosomal protein promoters in E. coli.

Abstract The promoters from the str and spc operons of ribosomal proteins from E. coli were inserted into the Hind II cleavage site of mini-Col E1 (pVH51) plasmid. For both promoters, strains with the hybrid plasmid accumulated a small RNA species not present in strains carrying the vector. These RNAs were analyzed by RNA sequencing techniques and compared to DNA sequences. In both cases, synthesis of the new RNA species is initiated by the cloned r protein promoter at the site predicted by previous in vitro experiments. The RNAs extend across the Hind II site used for cloning and terminate specifically in the vector sequences. The termination site was localized to six consecutive thymine nucleotides preceded by a sequence with dyad symmetry. We found that the RNA from the str promoter was 205 (± 3) nucleotides long and that from the spc promoter was 177 (±3) nucleotides long. These "hybrid mRNAs" are much more stable than ordinary mRNA. The str hybrid mRNA has a half-life of about 8 min, and the spc hybrid mRNA has a half-life of about 18 min at 37°C. These hybrid mRNAs provide an in vivo system with which to examine directly the discrete transcription products from ribosomal protein promoters, and to study promoter function and mRNA metabolism in vivo.
Factors Influencing Quantity of Cantharidin Transferred to Alfalfa from Epicauta occidentalis Werner (Coleoptera: Meloidae)

Blister beetles, including Epicauta occidentalis Werner, contain cantharidin, which is a toxin that may cause severe irritation of the digestive tract and even death of livestock that ingest contaminated alfalfa. During harvest, alfalfa is easily contaminated by fluids and bodies of blister beetles, either by the crushing action of mechanical conditioning or by running over beetles with tractor tires when using sicklebar mowers for cutting. We developed a thin-layer chromatographic cleanup procedure followed by gas chromatographic analysis to quantify how cantharidin transfer to alfalfa is influenced by the condition and location of beetles in the crop. During the harvest process, living E. occidentalis located on top of cut alfalfa transferred 6.51% (93 μg per beetle) of their total cantharidin content to the hay. After all body parts were removed, 34 ppm of cantharidin was present in a 500-g sample of alfalfa contaminated by crushing 50 beetles onto the hay. Living beetles located below the cut alfalfa transferred less (4.44% or 63 μg per beetle) of their cantharidin to the hay. Recently killed and living beetles transferred significantly greater percentages of cantharidin to hay than beetles that were dead and dried. Male E. occidentalis contained greater amounts of cantharidin (1.28 mg per beetle or 6% body dry weight) than did female beetles (0.87 mg per beetle or 3% body dry weight). Dead beetles, stored for 9 mo at room temperature (25 ± 5°C), contained 34% less cantharidin on a body dry weight basis than did dead beetles kept at -10°C, underscoring the stability of cantharidin and the attendant long-term risk to livestock.
Rough-fuzzy functions in classification

This paper generalizes the concept of rough membership functions in pattern classification tasks to rough-fuzzy membership functions and rough-fuzzy ownership functions. Unlike the rough membership value of a pattern, which is sensitive only towards the rough uncertainty associated with the pattern, the rough-fuzzy membership (or ownership) value of the pattern signifies the rough uncertainty as well as the fuzzy uncertainty associated with the pattern. In this paper, various set theoretic properties of the rough-fuzzy functions are exploited to characterize the concept of rough-fuzzy sets. These properties are also used to measure the rough-fuzzy uncertainty associated with the given output class. Finally, a few possible applications of the rough-fuzzy functions are mentioned.
Laser rangefinder calibration for a walking robot

The author presents techniques for calibrating scanning laser range finders to legged robots. The procedure accommodates two scanners, one manufactured by Erim and the other by Perceptron, and two walkers, a one-legged robot and a six-legged robot. The technique acquires two sets of corresponding three-dimensional points and identifies the rigid transformation that maps one onto the other with least squared error, i.e. it solves the absolute orientation problem. Experimental results are reported with the two different scanners and vehicles. For the Erim and the one-legged robot, the technique achieves an accuracy of 6-12 cm with a precision no lower than 2-5 cm. For the Perceptron and the Ambler, the accuracy is 2-7 with a precision no lower than 2-5 cm. These results have proven to be satisfactory for constructing terrain maps and using them to select footholds during rough terrain walking experiments. >
SDF-1 Increases Recruitment of Osteoclast Precursors by Upregulation of Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 Activity

Although chemokines play essential roles in the trafficking and homing of many circulating hematopoietic cell types, their potential influences on osteoclast (OC) recruitment or bone remodeling are not well known. Therefore, chemokine receptor expression was analyzed by RNase protection assay during OC formation induced by RANKL in a murine mononuclear cell line (RAW 264.7). Relatively high CXCR4 expression was detected in RAW cells (pre-OCs), whereas CXCR4 levels were downregulated during RAW-OC development. SDF-1, the unique ligand for CXCR4, stimulated RAW cell production of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 activity, a matrix-degrading enzyme essential for pre-OC migration into the developing bone marrow cavity. Induced MMP-9 activity in RAW cells was associated with their increased MMP-dependent transmigration through a collagen gel in response to SDF-1. We conclude that SDF-1 stimulation of MMP-9 activity in pre-OCs may be a key aspect of their recruitment to bone and migration within the marrow to sites for OC differentiation and bone resorption.
On optimun turning configurations with fixed-fin stabilization

Linear turning theory is applied to find the fixed fin size and location that optimize turning performance, for a given degree of stability. It is shown that configuration having the same stability can be designed with a range of turning ability, and vice versa.
Should business simulation designers be constrained by conventional economic wisdom?: a reply to Gold and Pray

This article is a reply to a critique by Gold and Pray (1995, this issue) of the previous article wherein a new proof process and a new market demand function were presented. Gold and Pray's critique suggests that simulation designers ought to be bound by "conventional economic wisdom" when designing computerized business simulations. Several issues of importance to simulation designers and users are discussed.
Toward wellness: women seeking health information

As health information seekers pursue their "right to know" when investigating medical options, the question of reliable health information resources becomes paramount. Previous research has not addressed widely the connection between women as the health information seeker and quality health information, nor has women's awareness of specific health and medical resources been adequately evaluated. A study with a convenience sample of 119 women assessed the process of seeking health information (women's health information needs, the search strategies they employed for filling the information need, and the use of the health information found), and their awareness of specific health and medical information resources. Our survey instrument was based on Kuhlthau's Information Search Process (ISP) model. Results appeared to address the uncertainty stage of the ISP model, as there were conflicting responses regarding the facility of locating information, the usefulness of the information found, and whether or not the subjects' health questions were answered. The study also identified a low awareness by our respondents of specific health and medical information resources. There is an opportunity for health information providers to play a role in mediating at this uncertainty stage to connect health information seekers with reliable information.
Clinical experiences during preclinical training: the function of modeled behavior and the evidence of professionalism principles

Objectives: Following the fundamental tenets of Bandura’s social learning theory, this study examines the functions of modeled behavior during clinical experiences in the first two years of medical training from the students’ perspective, and explores the potential presence of professionalism principles in students’ narratives. Methods: Data were gathered through in-depth interviews with ten first year and ten second year medical students. Data were analyzed utilizing a subset of deductive codes extracted from previous literature, as well as inductive codes and particular categories and themes that followed from subsequent analysis procedures. Results: Although not explicitly prompted during interviews, students offered basic principles of professionalism through their descriptions of behaviors and attributes exhibited by shadowed physicians and preceptors as characteristics that they found appealing and desirable to emulate. Also, students not only actively distinguish between role models and anti-models, but the data suggests that antimodels may even serve as effective mechanisms of social learning processes during these early clinical experiences. Furthermore, the data point to the probable influence of anticipatory socialization processes prior to medical training in that students present, as early as their first week of training, conceptions of how a doctor should act towards patients and other health care professionals. Conclusions: Students actively engage in the social learning process, and early clinical exposure provides opportunities for students to refine their understandings and perceptions of their future role through analysis of the attitudes and behaviors displayed by physicians they deem as positive and negative models of the physician role.
Activation of dimethyl ether with barium and strontium atoms

Abstract Organometallic compounds are produced when barium and strontium atoms are cocondensed with dimethyl ether at −196°C; hydrolysis of the cocondensation products from both reactions yields mainly C1—C8 alkanes, alkenes, and alkynes.
Noninvasive ventilation using bilevel positive airway pressure to treat impending respiratory failure in the postanesthesia care unit

The author presents the use of noninvasive positive pressure ventilation using bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP) to treat respiratory insufficiency and hypoxemia in three patients in the postanesthesia care unit. BiPAP improved respiratory function with a decreased respiratory rate, decreased PaCO2, and improved oxygenation in the three patients. The applications of these techniques and equipment required are reviewed.
Retrograde metamorphism of eclogite in the southern Appalachian Mountains, U.S.A.–A case involving seamount subduction?

This work supports a growing body of evidence that the Ashe Metamorphic Suite (AMS) of the eastern Blue Ridge province in North Carolina has an ensimatic origin and is part of a subduction-related accretionary melange, marking the Taconic suture between the North American craton and the Inner Piedmont. In a palinspastic reconstruction, the thrust fault at the base of the AMS appears to have intercepted the greatest depths (i.e. highest-P metamorphic rocks) beneath parts of the AMS now exposed adjacent to the Grandfather Mountain window. The greatest volume of mafic rock is found in these same areas. We suggest that the nascent, subduction-related, basal thrust fault was deflected downward by an obstacle in the form of an isolated, mafic volcanic edifice on the oceanic crust–a sea mount. Pelitic and mafic rocks dominate the AMS. North of the Grandfather Mountain window, retrograded eclogite occurs in the amphibolite near the base of the AMS. Textures and mineralogy indicate that an original eclogite assemblage was subjected to the following sequence of parageneses: (a) Eclogite(I) facies: omphacite+garnet+quartz, (b) Eclogite(II) facies: omphacite+garnet+epidote+quartz, (c) Symplectic (diopside+plagioclase)+garnet+epidote+quartz, (d) Amphibolite facies: (diopside+plagioclase)+garnet+epidote+hornblende+quartz, (e) Amphibolite facies: plagioclase+garnet+epidote+hornblende+quartz. P–T conditions, estimated from geothermobarometry applied to relevant mineral compositions, are c.720 °C and c.16 kbar for (b) eclogite(II) facies; c.655 °C and c.8.5 kbar for (e) amphibolite facies.
Deficiency of MGAT2 increases energy expenditure without high-fat feeding and protects genetically obese mice from excessive weight gain

Acyl CoA:monoacylglycerol acyltransferase 2 (MGAT2) is thought to be crucial for dietary fat absorption. Indeed, mice lacking the enzyme (Mogat2−/−) are resistant to obesity and other metabolic disorders induced by high-fat feeding. However, these mice absorb normal quantities of fat. To explore whether a high level of dietary fat is an essential part of the underlying mechanism(s), we examined metabolic responses of Mogat2−/− mice to diets containing varying levels of fat. Mogat2−/− mice exhibited 10−15% increases in energy expenditure compared with wild-type littermates; although high levels of dietary fat exacerbated the effect, this phenotype was expressed even on a fat-free diet. When deprived of food, Mogat2−/− mice expended energy and lost weight like wild-type controls. To determine whether MGAT2 deficiency protects against obesity in the absence of high-fat feeding, we crossed Mogat2−/− mice with genetically obese Agouti mice. MGAT2 deficiency increased energy expenditure and prevented these mice from gaining excess weight. Our results suggest that MGAT2 modulates energy expenditure through multiple mechanisms, including one independent of dietary fat; these findings also raise the prospect of inhibiting MGAT2 as a strategy for combating obesity and related metabolic disorders resulting from excessive calorie intake.
Proteomic Characterization of Pseudorabies Virus Extracellular Virions

Pseudorabies virus (PRV), a member of the Alphaherpesvirinae, has a complex multilayered extracellular virion that is structurally conserved among other herpesviruses. PRV virions contain a double-stranded DNA genome within a proteinaceous capsid surrounded by the tegument, a layer of viral and cellular proteins. The envelope layer, which encloses the capsid and tegument, contains viral transmembrane proteins anchored in a phospholipid bilayer. The viral and host proteins contained within virions execute important functions during viral spread and pathogenesis, but a detailed understanding of the composition of PRV virions has been lacking. In this report, we present the first comprehensive proteomic characterization of purified PRV virions by mass spectrometry using two complementary approaches. To exclude proteins present in the extracellular medium that may nonspecifically associate with virions, we also analyzed virions treated with proteinase K and samples prepared from mock-infected cells. Overall, we identified 47 viral proteins associated with PRV virions, 40 of which were previously localized to the capsid, tegument, and envelope layers using traditional biochemical approaches. Additionally, we identified seven viral proteins that were previously undetected in virions, including pUL8, pUL20, pUL32, pUL40 (RR2), pUL42, pUL50 (dUTPase), and Rsp40/ICP22. Furthermore, although we did not enrich for posttranslational modifications, we detected phosphorylation of four virion proteins: pUL26, pUL36, pUL46, and pUL48. Finally, we identified 48 host proteins associated with PRV virions, many of which have known functions in important cellular pathways such as intracellular signaling, mRNA translation and processing, cytoskeletal dynamics, and membrane organization. This analysis extends previous work aimed at determining the composition of herpesvirus virions and provides novel insights critical for understanding the mechanisms underlying PRV entry, assembly, egress, spread, and pathogenesis.