cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Peptide chain growth of β-galactosidase in Escherichia coli

An experiment was carried out to test the notion that regulation of β-galactosidase synthesis in Escherichia coli involves an inducer-dependent growth period of the enzyme protein. The results of this experiment, in which the time elapsed between laying down an NH2-terminal threonine of the β-galactosidase polypeptide and its appearance in the intact enzyme molecule was measured directly in both maximally and submaximally induced culturess, provided strong evidence against an inducer-dependent growth period. For it was found that, in both maximally and 30% maximally induced cultures, the enzyme growth period is 80 seconds. This constant enzyme growth period indicates a peptide chain growth rate of 15 amino acids per second, a figure which is in reasonable agreement with an estimate of the average peptide chain growth rate per ribosome in the same bacterial strain.
Direct sensing of endothelial oxidants by vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 and c-Src.

Background ADPH oxidase-derived reactive oxygen species (ROS) play important roles in redox homeostasis and signal transduction in endothelial cells (ECs). We previously demonstrated that c-Src plays a key role in VEGF-induced, ROS-dependent selective activation of PI3K-Akt but not PLCγ-1-ERK1/2 signaling pathways. The aim of the present study was to understand how VEGFR-2-c-Src signaling axis ‘senses’ NADPH oxidase-derived ROS levels and couples VEGF activation of c-Src to the redox state of ECs. Methodology/Principal Findings Using biotinylated probe that detects oxidation of cysteine thiol (cys-OH) in intracellular proteins, we demonstrate that VEGF induced oxidative modification in c-Src and VEGFR-2, and that reduction in ROS levels using siRNA against p47phox subunit of Rac1-dependent NADPH oxidase inhibited this phenomenon. Co-immunoprecipitation studies using human coronary artery ECs (HCAEC) showed that VEGF-induced ROS-dependent interaction between VEGFR-2 and c-Src correlated with their thiol oxidation status. Immunofluorescence studies using antibodies against internalized VEGFR-2 and c-Src demonstrated that VEGF-induced subcellular co-localization of these tyrosine kinases were also dependent on NADPH oxidsase-derived ROS. Conclusion/Significance These results demonstrate that VEGF induces cysteine oxidation in VEGFR-2 and c-Src in an NADPH oxidase-derived ROS-dependent manner, suggesting that VEGFR-2 and c-Src can ‘sense’ redox levels in ECs. The data also suggest that thiol oxidation status of VEGFR-2 and c-Src correlates with their ability to physically interact with each other and c-Src activation. Taken together, these findings suggest that prior to activating downstream c-Src-PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, VEGFR-2-c-Src axis requires an NADPH oxidase-derived ROS threshold in ECs.
An Inverse Problem for the ac Magnetic Force Microscopy of Superconductors

A basic inversion problem for the magnetic force microscopy (MFM) of a semiinfinite superconductor in the Meissner state is formulated, ac Detection is assumed, with the MFM tip oscillating at angular frequency Ω. The coupling of all electrodynamic fields is treated, including a normal-current density in the superconductor. Under certain assumptions on the tip and superconductor geometry, a unique penetration depth λ(z) can be recovered from onedimensional force gradient measurements. This development opens new possibilities for the nondestructive evaluation of superconducting crystals and films.
Metabolic and genetic studies of a family with ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency.

Extract: We have described a patient with ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) deficiency. The clinical course and pedigree substantiate the X-linked transmission of the defect with varying degrees of illness in females. Because orotic aciduria accompanied hyperammonemia in the patient, orotic acid was measured as an indication of a partial OTG deficiency after ammonia and protein loading in members of the patient's family. Both the mother, an obligate carrier, and an aunt, the only symptomatic female in this pedigree, had hyperammonemia after the ingestion of ammonium chloride. They also had significant orotic aciduria after a protein load as did the two female cousins whose ammonium tolerance was normal. The maternal grandmother excreted a large amount of orotic acid in her urine relatively consistently. These data suggest that the two female cousins and the maternal grandmother are asymptomatic female heterozygotes despite their normal ammonium loading tests. Speculation: Protein loading in the form of a relatively palatable and innocuous meal, followed by determination of orotic acid content in urine, may prove to be a sensitive, noninvasive, and easy means to identify female carriers of ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency.
Chaos in Esperanto-Land: Echoes of the Holocaust

The Holocaust had a profound effect on the Esperanto movement. Many of the leading members of the Esperanto language community perished, and some survived. Recent years have seen a revival of interest in those who died and those who lived. Among the dead were most of the family of L. L. Zamenhof, author of Esperanto. Among the survivors was the father of the financier George Soros, Tivadar Soros, whose memoir of survival in Nazi-occupied Budapest, written originally in Esperanto and published in 1965, was published in English translation in the year 2000. An important player in the effort to protect the Jews of Budapest was the Esperantist Valdemar Langlet, of Sweden, whose memoir of his experiences was adapted and published, first in Swedish, then in Esperanto, by Nina Langlet, his widow. In 2003, Zofia Banet-Fornalowa published a memorial volume for six Esperantist victims of the Holocaust. Among other relatively recent Holocaust-related books in Esperanto are a translation of Imre Kertesz’s novel Fateless and a biography of Tilla Durieux.
PREDICTED DISEASE SUSCEPTIBILITY IN A PANAMANIAN AMPHIBIAN ASSEMBLAGE BASED ON SKIN PEPTIDE DEFENSES

Chytridiomycosis is an emerging infectious disease of amphibians caused by a chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. This panzootic does not equally affect all amphibian species within an assemblage; some populations decline, others persist. Little is known about the factors that affect disease resistance. Differences in behavior, life history, biogeography, or immune function may impact survival. We found that an innate immune defense, antimicrobial skin peptides, varied significantly among species within a rainforest stream amphibian assemblage that has not been exposed to B. dendrobatidis. If exposed, all amphibian species at this central Panamanian site are at risk of population declines. In vitro pathogen growth inhibition by peptides from Panamanian species compared with species with known resistance (Rana pipiens and Xenopus laevis) or susceptibility (Bufo boreas) suggests that of the nine species examined, two species (Centrolene prosoblepon and Phyllomedusa lemur) may demonstrate strong resistance, and the other species will have a higher risk of disease-associated population declines. We found little variation among geographically distinct B. dendrobatidis isolates in sensitivity to an amphibian skin peptide mixture. This supports the hypothesis that B. dendrobatidis is a generalist pathogen and that species possessing an innate immunologic defense at the time of disease emergence are more likely to survive.
Hypophysial and plasma LH levels in intact and castrate cockerels.

The OAAD method was used to estimate LH levels in plasma and adenohypophyses of castrated and intact White Leghorn cockerels as related to age. Hypophysial LH concentration in intact males rose steadily and significantly with increasing age, but decreased significantly in castrates and remained lower than in controls. Plasma LH concentration increased in both groups with age and was significantly higher in castrates. LH content of the whole pituitary was about the same in castrates as in controls at the time of sexual maturity of the controls. Hypophysial LH concentration per unit pituitary weight of controls was greater. This suggests that castrates not only release hypophysial LH faster but that they also synthesize it faster than do intact birds. In the controls there is a significant correlation between testes' weight and comb area and plasma LH level but not with hypophysial LH levels.(Endocrinology 77: 731, 1965)
A Study of Natural Wiggly Lines in Hydrology

Abstract The statistical characteristics of two river meander trains, two stretches of coast lines, and one watershed line are investigated. An attempt is then made to produce these characteristics by a stochastic model. To this end, the chain model previously applied to meanders has been generalized. It is shown that the required ensembles can be generated, if not only the sinuosity, but also the “degree of wiggliness” which is a new quantity defined here in the paper, is specified. It is shown that the above-mentioned natural hydrological wiggly lines are nothing but constrained random lines for which not only the sinuosity, but also the degree of wiggliness are a priori given.
Characterisation of headshaking syndrome −31 cases

Summary Headshaking is a maturity onset condition with the most commonly reported clinical signs being 'flipping' of the nose, nose rubbing, snorting or sneezing, and acting like a bee is flying up the nostril. A questionnaire was completed by owners of 31 horses with headshaking syndrome. The history, time of onset, clinical presentation and treatment of this condition were reported. Headshaking appeared to be light-stimulated in approximately 60% of the horses. The condition is seasonal and recurring in the majority of horses. Treatment with cyproheptadine produced improvement of symptoms in 76% of cases. The clinical signs are suggested to be compatible with neuropathic pain producing itching, tingling or electric like sensations in the face and muzzle area of affected horses.
Hydrogen/deuterium exchange of mass-selected peptide ions with ND3 in a tandem sector mass spectrometer

Abstract Hydrogen/deuterium exchange of mass-selected protonated peptide ions with ND3 is investigated in a four sector tandem mass spectrometer equipped with a high-pressure collision cell. The dependence of H/D exchange on the pressure of ND3, on collision energy and on proton affinities (PAs) of the peptides is examined. For leucine enkephalin, a peptide without strongly basic residues, the maximum number of H/D exchanges observed can correspond to the maximum number of active hydrogen atoms in the ions. In peptides with basic residues such as arginine, the H/D exchange proceeds more slowly and more selectively. H/D exchange is observed for renin substrate whose PA is estimated to be higher than ND3 by more than 50 kcal mol−. The pattern of H/D exchange of leucine enkephalin shows discrepancy with the number of hydrogen atoms in the peptide ion expected to undergo fast H/D exchange, thus indicating possible conformational effects. When protonated leucine enkephalin is reacted with ND3 under predominantly single-collision conditions, the incorporation of deuterium into fragment ions is found to vary, depending on the type of fragment ion. This differential incorporation of deuterium may be informative about the nature of the processes leading to the formation of fragment ions.
Discussion of "Model for Lateral Excitation of Footbridges by Synchronous Walking" by Shun-ichi Nakamura

This article comments on a research study of a pedestrian footbridge. The researcher (Nakamura, 2004) observed that on a pedestrian cable-stayed bridge that the girder vibrated laterally with a frequency of about 0.9 Hz, the natural frequency of the first lateral mode, when a large number of people crossed the bridge. Once the bridge started to vibrate, some of the pedestrians synchronized with the girder vibration, which further increased the girder response. However, when the vibration reached a certain level, pedestrians modified their walking and the girder response stayed at that level. The researcher proposed a dynamic model to evaluate the pedestrians' synchronized dynamic forces. This commentary author contends that the researcher's equation in the form of a nonlinear, second-order differential equation has no analytical solution; each individual case must be solved by numerical methods. This can be daunting to a design engineer. The commentary author then offers a solution that falls within an "amplitude envelope." The commentary author concludes that both the original model and his proposed equations are correct; the choice of approach should be governed by ease of practical use.
Propionate catabolism in the housefly Musca domestica and the termite Zootermopsis nevadensis

Abstract The catabolism of propionate was examined in the housefly Musca domestica (which does not contain detectable amounts of vitamin B 12 ) and the termite Zootermopsis nevadensis (which contains large amounts of vitamin B 12 ). The products from carbon-14 labeled propionate were separated by HPLC and radioactivity was determined by liquid scintillation counting. In vivo studies as a function of time showed that, in both species, products of [2- 14 C]propionate were acetate and 3-hydroxypropionate. [2- 14 C]Propionate was not efficiently converted to methylmalonate or succinate, as would occur in mammals. Studies with sub-cellular fractions in both species showed that only the mitochondrial fraction efficiently converted propionate to acetate. Radioactivity from [1- 14 C]propionate incubated with housefly mitochondria was recovered only in fractions corresponding to propionate and 3-hydroxypropionate. The data obtained are consistent with a metabolic pathway in which propionate is converted to 3-hydroxypropionate and then to acetate. The results presented here demonstrate this pathway in insects which have high vitamin B 12 levels and undetectable vitamin B 12 levels, suggesting that this may be a common pathway for propionate metabolism in insects.
Local distance metric learning for efficient conformal predictors

Conformal prediction is a relatively recent approach to classification that offers a theoretical framework for generating predictions with precise levels of confidence. For each new object encountered, a conformal predictor outputs a set of class labels that contains the true label with probability at least 1 − ∈, where ∈ is a user-specified error rate. The ability to predict with confidence can be extremely useful, but in many real-world applications unambiguous predictions consisting of a single class label are preferred. Hence it is desirable to design conformal predictors to maximize the rate of singleton predictions, termed the efficiency of the predictor. In this paper we derive a novel criterion for maximizing efficiency for a certain class of conformal predictors, show how concepts from local distance metric learning can provide a useful bound for maximizing this criterion, and demonstrate efficiency gains on real-world datasets.
Clinical comparison of cast gold crowns with acrylic and with fused porcelain veneer facings

Widespread use of the acrylic veneer crown in the past has been the result of the relatively simple fabricating technic required, the initial esthetic qualities of the material, and lack of a better mate­ rial. The porcelain veneer crown, in which porcelain is fused to gold, repre­ sents a step in the right direction. Fused porcelain is more esthetic than acrylic resin; it is more permanent and more resistant to wear. Both acrylic and por­ celain facings are difficult to repair.
Purification and some properties of cytosine deaminase from Salmonella typhimurium.

Abstract Cytosine deaminase (EC 3.5.4.1) from Salmonella typhimurium has been purified 419-fold to apparent homogeneity. SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis indicated that the final cytosine deaminase preparation was homogenous. The molecular weight of cytosine deaminase was determined to be approx. 230 000 containing four identical subunits with each subunit having a molecular weight of 54 000. Cytosine deaminase has a pH optimum of 7.30 to 7.50 and a temperature optimum of 45 to 50°C. Cytosine was deaminated specifically; 5-fluorocytosine was deaminated to a lesser extent. The K m and V values for cytosine were 0.74 mM and 47.16 μmole/min, respectively. As effectors of enzyme activity, PP i stimulated the deamination while metal ions and orotidine monophosphate inhibited it. The physical characteristics of cytosine deaminase lend credence to its proposed salvage role in pyrimidine metabolism as indicated previously by physiological studies (West, T.P. and O'Donovan, G.A., J. Bacteriol. (1982) 149, 1171–1174).
Head Coverings for Newborns under Radiant Warmers

An experimental study was conducted to compare the heat loss prevention capability of three head treatment modalities: no head covering, a stockinette, and a fabric‐insulated bonnet. Each modality was employed in conjunction with a radiant warmer. Rectal temperatures of 90 neonates, 30 randomly selected to each treatment group, were recorded at 5, 15, and 30 minutes after birth. The data were analyzed, employing an analysis of variance technique and Tukey method for multiple comparisons. The stockinette was significantly less effective in preventing heat loss than were the bonnet and no head covering modalities.
Systematic investigation of the benchtop surface wrinkling process by corona discharge

Periodic micro/nanostructures with the characteristic dimensions at single or two length scales have manifested their strengths in providing contact cues to regulate cell alignment and motility, creating diffractive gratings for wavelength selection and pulse compression, and producing tailored surface wettability and adhesion. The currently used lithographic and surface wrinkling methods often require substantial use of special fabrication facilities and a cleanroom environment, and are accompanied by complicated fabrication processes. This paper systematically examines a facile benchtop wrinkling process to produce periodic micro/nanostructures and hierarchical topographies on elastomeric substrates in a general wet laboratory. Atmospheric electric discharge generated by a hand-held corona surface treater produces a rigid thin film atop an elastomeric foundation containing an initial tensile strain. Periodic sinusoidal wrinkled deformations with tailored wavelengths and amplitudes form spontaneously upon stress removal. This process is compatible with commercial tensile test machines and can create elastomeric micro/nanowrinkled structures within minutes. It can also be coupled with softlithography and/or photolithography to generate hierarchical wrinkled topographies with various degrees of anisotropy. This work provides a technical basis for versatile manufacturing of periodic and hierarchical wrinkled topographies at different length scales for various applications.
Central NMDA enhances hepatic glucose output and non-insulin-mediated glucose uptake by a nonadrenergic mechanism.

One of the hallmarks of the stress response is an increased rate of hepatic glucose production (HGP) which, in conjunction with the presence of insulin resistance, leads to hyperglycemia. Excitatory amino acids (EAA) within the brain mediate some of the cardiovascular responses to stress, but their role in the hormonal and metabolic alterations is poorly defined. The aim of the present study was to determine whether the intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection of either N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) or kainate would produce metabolic alterations comparable to those observed under stress conditions. An i.c.v. cannula and vascular catheters were placed in rats prior to the experiment. After an overnight fast, HGP and peripheral glucose utilization (GU) were assessed in conscious unrestrained rats using [3-3H]glucose. Arterial glucose levels were increased 34% by 15 min after the i.c.v. injection of NMDA (1 μg) and remained elevated throughout the 3-h protocol. The hyperglycemia resulted from an early increase in HGP (84%) that exceeded a smaller elevation (66%) in GU. The increased glucose flux was associated with sustained insulinopenia (−30%), and elevated levels of corticosterone (40–100%) and epinephrine (75–216%). The hormonal and glucose metabolic responses were quantitatively similar, although of shorter duration, in rats injected with kainate (10 ng). Intravenous adrenergic blockade completely prevented the NMDA-induced hyperglycemia. Adrenergic blockade blunted the early rise in HGP, so that in this group the NMDA-induced increase in HGP was offset by a comparable elevation in GU. These data indicate that NMDA and kainate, two EAA that bind to different receptor subtypes, act centrally to increase circulating levels of stress hormones and enhance glucose flux. EAA increase HGP and noninsulin-mediated GU by peripheral tissues, with the later response being influenced by both the mass action effect of hyperglycemia as well as an increased avidity of tissues for glucose. These data support the involvement of EAA in the central control of glucoregulation following brain injury.
Calmodulin Release from the IQ Domain of Cav1.3 Channels During Calcium Dependent Inactivation

Calmodulin (CaM) regulation of CaV channels has long fascinated biophysicists, with structure-function analysis mostly focused on an IQ domain in the carboxy-terminus of channels. It is clear that Ca2+-free CaM (apoCaM) preassociates with the IQ domain before Ca2+ entry through channels (see Liu X et al this meeting), and that Ca2+/CaM has the potential to bind the IQ. Hence, Ca2+-dependent inactivation (CDI) of channels has been thought to result by transducing Ca2+-dependent conformational changes of CaM, all while bound to the IQ. By contrast, functional analysis of our structure of Ca2+/CaM complexed with the IQ domain of CaV2.1 (Structure 16:607) hints that Ca2+/CaM may depart from the IQ domain during channel regulation. To generalize this hypothesis, we here alanine scanned the entire IQ domain of CaV1.3, an exemplary prototype of CaV1 channels with high homology to long-studied CaV1.2. Importantly, alanine substitution likely preserves backbone fold, whereas prior studies often used more disruptive mutations targeting specific loci. As before, alanine substitution of the signature isoleucine strongly suppressed CDI. Suprisingly, however, CDI was strongly diminished only at one other residue, upstream of the central isoleucine. Altering many other sites, presumed important for Ca2+/CaM-IQ binding in crystal structures, left CDI unscathed. Moreover, we homology modeled Ca2+/CaM bound to the CaV1.3 IQ domain, based on x-ray structures of CaV1.2. We then computed (Robetta) the energetic cost of alanine mutations (ΔΔG for binding). If Ca2+/CaM-IQ binding begets CDI, plots of CDI versus ΔΔG should define a Boltzmann function. Instead, a highly scattered relationship was produced. Thus, CDI may involve (partial) departure of Ca2+/CaM from the IQ domain of CaV1.3, to interact with alternative sites (Yang, Ben Johny, & Yue, this meeting). This departure would fundamentally transform our understanding of CaM/channel regulation.
Glycine exists mainly as monomers, not dimers, in supersaturated aqueous solutions: implications for understanding its crystallization and polymorphism.

Glycine, the simplest amino acid, is described as existing as hydrogen-bonded cyclic dimers in supersaturated aqueous solutions and, as a result, crystallizing in a centrosymmetric polymorph (polymorph α) for which the dimer can be viewed as the building unit, in favor of other polymorphs of polar structures. In exhibiting this relation between polymorphic selectivity and self-association in solution, glycine is thought to illustrate a general principle. We measured the freezing-point depression of glycine−water up to 30% supersaturation and found that glycine exists mainly as monomers, not dimers, and that the dimer stability constant KD is smaller than 0.1 kg of H2O/mol if the observed osmotic abnormality is attributed to dimerization. We also revisited a report cited as evidence for glycine dimerization: the slowdown of glycine diffusion with solution age. Pulsed gradient spin−echo NMR spectroscopy was used in place of the previous method of Gouy interferometry to avoid perturbations to sloution struct...
Pruning of training sets used for synthetic discriminant function (SDF) filter design by relaxing the correlation plane constraints

Conventional synthetic discriminant function (SDF) filter designs use all available training images by requiring that the designed SDF filter yield prespecified values at the origin of the correlation plane when various training images are used in the input. In this paper, we show that we can reduce the number of training images being used and improve the filter performance by relaxing the correlation plane constraints when threshold detection is employed in the output correlation plane.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Computer-aided design: Part 3 decision variable selection to avoid hidden singularities in resulting recycle calculations

Abstract The chemical engineer is often faced with the task of choosing an appropriate set of variables to be used as input information in the analysis of a process design. The problem can be considered as solving a set of N equations with M variables ( M ≥ N ). The engineer must therefore choose MN variables to be decision variables, and these must then be externally fixed to allow calculation of the remaining N state variables. In design each equation will contain only a few of the system variables. Such sparse systems of equations lend themselves to precedence ordering and tearing techniques as effective solution procedures. The concept of an output variable assignment for each equation is basic to these techniques. This paper presents an algorithm for automatically choosing an appropriate set of decision variables. It chooses a set which avoids leaving singular or nearly singular N × N equation sets for solution. Simultaneously the algorithm also chooses an output set for each N × N system so that the solution of any cyclic subset of equations by the iterative method of successive substitutions has good convergence properties. This technique extends earlier work by the authors on locating output sets for N × N cyclic equation sets. This extension is an effective method for evaluating sparse embedded systems of determinants thus permitting one to avoid singularities. The paper concludes with two examples including a binary flash distillation system.
The static quadrupole moment of the first excited state of 60Ni

Abstract From measurements of the Coulomb excitation of the 1.3325 MeV first excited state in 60 Ni using sulphur and oxygen ions, it has been possible to obtain a value for the static quadrupole moment of this state. Analysis of the data using a coupled-channel computer code yields the results: B (E2; 0 + → 2 + ) = 0.0914±0.0020 ( e · b ) 2 and a first excited state static quadrupole moment of Q = 0.00±0.13 e · b . These results are in good agreement with both microscopic- and macroscopic-model predictions. Uncertainty in the signs of the interference terms due to virtual excitation through higher excited 2 + states contributed 40% of the error assigned to Q . The 16 O scattering data deviated markedly from Coulomb excitation theory for incident energies above 30 MeV presumably due to the occurrence of nuclear interactions. These deviations were indistinguishable from those produced by the reorientation effect assuming a large negative static quadrupole moment for the first excited state.
Unusual Evolution of ST Elevation Acute Myocardial Infarction

We report a case of acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction with an unusual evolution of ST-segment elevation. Several possible explanations of this progression are discussed with supportive evidence for each explaination. The clinical, electrocardiographic, and angiographic features of this case are also illustrated.
Evidence for a platelet-activating factor receptor on human lymphoblastoid B cells: activation of the phosphatidylinositol cycle and induction of calcium mobilization.

Abstract In this report we demonstrate evidence which strongly suggests that a receptor for platelet-activating factor (PAF) exists on a lymphoblastoid B cell line, LA350. PAF ranging in concentration from 10 −6 –10 −9 M initiated the incorporation of 32 P into phosphatidic acid (PA) and phosphatidylinositol (PI) with no change in phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and phosphatidylcholine (PC) over baseline. Lyso-PAF, the inactive precursor, at 10 −7 M had no effect on membrane phospholipid metabolism. In addition, PAF from 10 −6 –10 −8 M when added to Fura-2 containing B cells induced a rapid and significant rise of calcium within the cell, with lyso-PAF having no effect. These data suggest that PAF binds to a receptor on B cells and induces the hydrolysis of PI and a subsequent increase of intracellular calcium.
Paying attention to adult learners online: The pedagogy and politics of community

Abstract Our article profiles the evolution of a fully online writing course designed for adult learners in our university's Prior Learning Assessment Program. Based on our own observations and experiences teaching adult learners online, we question if the virtual learning environment presents different challenges and prospects for the adult learner versus the traditional student learner, along with an extension and complication of the more social metaphors of “virtual community.” Moreover, because of the changing demographic from traditional to adult students, we argue that this change also fosters a change in the relationship between teachers and students. In chronicling this relationship, we note problems when the labor of adult education becomes invisible to those supervising online instructors. Because of these “invisible” labor issues, we argue that successful online instruction must include a range of interactions between students and instructors that extend the more public concept of community to better acknowledge the importance of personal, private interaction. Thus, we conclude with a call to rethink our online writing pedagogies to be more flexible to adult learner needs and learning styles, simultaneously recognizing the impact of adult online education on faculty workload.
Comparison of various procedures for removing proteins and nucleic acids from cell walls of bacillus subtilis

Abstract Several procedures were used i n an attempt to prepare clean cell walls from Bacillus subtilis. The results indicate that protein and nucleic acids are tightly bound tothe walls. cleanest wall preparations were found following trichloroacetic acid extraction at 60° or by extraction with 0.lN NaOH under a nitrogen atmosphere for 10 hrs. Protein denaturants, such as sodium dodecyl sulfate and concentrated guanidine hydrochloride were relatively ineffective in removing proteins and nucleic acids from the cell walls. Cell wall-bound DNA was biologically The active i n transformation assays.
Improved heart rate recovery after marked weight loss induced by gastric bypass surgery: Two-year follow up in the Utah Obesity Study

Background Obesity is associated with significantly increased cardiovascular mortality that has been attributed, in part, to sympathetic activation. Gastric bypass surgery (GBS) appears to increase long-term survival in the severely obese, but the mechanisms responsible for this increase are still being sought. Heart rate (HR) recovery after exercise reflects the balance of cardiac autonomic input from the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems. Blunted HR recovery is a very powerful predictor of increased mortality, whereas enhanced HR recovery portends a good prognosis. Objective The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of marked weight loss achieved via GBS on HR recovery. Methods Severely obese patients underwent submaximal exercise testing (80% predicted maximum HR) at baseline and 2 years after GBS (n = 153) or nonsurgical treatment (n = 188). Results Patients in the GBS group lost an average of 100 ± 37 lb compared to 3 ± 22 lb in the nonsurgical group ( P P P Conclusion Marked weight loss 2 years after GBS resulted in a significant decrease in resting HR and an enhancement in HR recovery after exercise. These changes likely are attributable to improvement in insulin sensitivity and cardiac autonomic balance. Whether and to what extent this contributes to a reduction in cardiovascular mortality with GBS remains to be determined.
Tracing the origin of US brown marmorated stink bugs, Halyomorpha halys

Identifying the origin of a biological invasion has important applications to the effective control of the invaders. This is more critical for invasive agricultural pests that cause severe economic losses. The brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys, originally from East Asia, has become a principal agricultural pest in the US since its first detection in Pennsylvania in 1996. This species is responsible for crop failures on many mid-Atlantic farms and current control efforts rely on heavy insecticide applications because no other options are available. To examine the genetic diversity and identify the source region of the US introductions, we sequenced portions of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit II gene, 12S ribosomal RNA gene and control region in populations from the US, China, South Korea and Japan. We detected high genetic divergence among native populations and traced the origin of US H. halys to the Beijing area in China. We observed much lower genetic diversity in exotic compared to native populations—two mitochondrial haplotypes in 55 US specimens versus 43 haplotypes in 77 native specimens. A single introduction of small propagule size matches the invasion history in the US. For the effective control of the US population, we suggest that surveys on egg parasitoids and insecticide resistance in natives should focus on the Beijing area in China.
U(1)-R symmetric supersymmetry

Abstract An alternative class of models to the supersymmetric standard model (SSM) in which R -parity is extended to a continuous U(1) R symmetry is explored. These models have a much more predictive gaugino spectrum than SSM. We exhibit the minimal such model. We show that the recent LEP constraints on the Z branching ratio to invisible neutrals and to a light Higgs are just adequate to exclude the minimal model at the 2σ level. However, a class of U(1) R invariant models is not excluded by this data and retains many of the advantages of the minimal model such as gaugino mass predictions. One example of such a simple extension is presented. The cross sections for several processes which yield experimental signatures for the gauginos are calculated. We find that it will be challenging to discover the wino and zino at present colliders, but they could readily be discovered at LEP II. The main advantages of U(1) R invariant models over the SSM are that electroweak gaugino masses are predicted and there is no one-loop contribution to the neutron electric dipole moment.
Immunohistochemical localization of intracellular plasma proteins in the human central nervous system.

The regional distribution of plasma protein immunoreactivity was studied in the postmortem central nervous system (CNS) of normal subjects 18 to 78 years old. Samples taken from various areas of brain and spinal cord were processed for peroxidase-antiperoxidase immunocytochemistry using polyclonal antibodies against plasma albumin, prealbumin, α1-acid glycoprotein, α1-macroglobulin, IgG, transferrin, haptoglobin, hemopexin, fibrinogen, as well against the glial fibrillary acidic and S-100 proteins. Many neurons of the spinal cord, cranial nerve nuclei, pontine nuclei, cerebellar dentate nucleus, red nucleus, thalamus and hypothalamus showed strong immunostaining for albumin and moderate to strong staining for α1-acid, IgG, transferrin, haptoglobin, as well as relatively weak immunoreactivity against other plasma proteins. Less intense staining was seen in the nucleus basalis, putamen and Purkinje cells. In contrast, most cerebral cortical neurons were negative except for a few positively stained pyramidal neurons in the hippocampus and in layers III and V of the association neocortex, although more positive pyramidal neurons were observed in the motor and sensory neocortices. Reaction products were also seen in axons of motor and sensory long tracts. These findings suggest that plasma proteins may be transported to spinal cord and brain stem neurons by peripherally projecting nerves and that a series of anterograde and retrograde transneuronal transfers are responsible for the accumulation of plasma proteins in relay nuclei and in other CNS neurons.
Nonconvex and relaxed infinite-horizon optimal control problems

In this paper, we consider the Lagrange problem of optimal control defined on an unbounded time interval in which the traditional convexity hypotheses are not met. Models of this form have been introduced into the economics literature to investigate the exploitation of a renewable resource and to treat various aspects of continuous-time investment. An additional distinguishing feature in the models considered is that we do not assume a priori that the objective functional (described by an improper integral) is finite, and so we are led to consider the weaker notions of overtaking and weakly overtaking optimality. To treat these models, we introduce a relaxed optimal control problem through the introduction of chattering controls. This leads us naturally to consider the relationship between the original problem and the convexified relaxed problem. In particular, we show that the relaxed problem may be viewed as a limiting case for the original problem. We also present several examples demonstrating the applicability of our results.
A Heuristic Neural Network Initialization Scheme for Modeling Nonlinear Functions in Engineering Mechanics - Continuous Development

This paper introduces a continuous effort towards the development of a heuristic initialization methodology for constructing multilayer feedforward neural networks to model nonlinear functions. In this and previous studies that this work is built upon, including the one presented at SPIE 2006, the authors do not presume to provide a universal method to approximate arbitrary functions, rather the focus is given to the development of a rational and unambiguous initialization procedure that applies to the approximation of nonlinear functions in the specific domain of engineering mechanics. The applications of this exploratory work can be numerous including those associated with potential correlation and interpretation of the inner workings of neural networks, such as damage detection. The goal of this study is fulfilled by utilizing the governing physics and mathematics of nonlinear functions and the strength of the sigmoidal basis function. A step-by-step graphical procedure utilizing a few neural network prototypes as "templates" to approximate commonly seen memoryless nonlinear functions of one or two variables is further developed in this study. Decomposition of complex nonlinear functions into a summation of some simpler nonlinear functions is utilized to exploit this prototype-based initialization methodology. Training examples are presented to demonstrate the rationality and effciency of the proposed methodology when compared with the popular Nguyen-Widrow initialization algorithm. Future work is also identfied.
Active Control of a High Reynolds Number Mach 0.9 Axisymmetric Jet

Active control of aMach 0.9 circular jet with a Reynolds number of 7:6 10 was conducted using eight localized arc filament plasma actuators, equally spaced azimuthally just upstream of the nozzle exit. Detailed two-component particle image velocimetrymeasurements were carried out on a streamwise plane passing through the jet centerline. The forcing Strouhal number was varied from 0.09 to 3.08 at azimuthal modes m 0–3, 1, 2, and 4, the attainable modes with eight actuators. The spreading of the jet with downstream distance was used as a metric for determining the optimum forcing Strouhal number at a given azimuthal mode. For all azimuthal modes except m 3, the most effective forcing was at a Strouhal number of about 0.3, which is in agreement with the results in the literature for low-Reynolds-number and low-speed flows. For am 3 mode, the maximum spreading was achieved at a forcing Strouhal number of 0.09. For a fixed Strouhal number at about 0.3, the flappingmode (m 1) resulted in best entrainment and mixing, or jet spreading. Conditionally sampled velocity contours were used to obtain Galilean velocityfield and streamlines, whichwere used to reveal the evolution and interaction of the generated largescale structures and their roles in the jet development and spreading. The nature of jet spreading and development are explained by the dynamics of large-scale structures, including the mutually and self-induced velocity field. The convection velocity of the generated large-scale structureswas determinedusing the spatial correlation of the velocity field for various forcing Strouhal numbers and modes, which varied from approximately 0:55Uj to 0:75Uj for lower to higher forcing Strouhal numbers, respectively.
Median lobe in robot-assisted radical prostatectomy: evaluation and management.

Objectives To determine whether the presence of a median lobe can be predicted preoperatively and whether its presence affects postoperative urinary function and immediate pathologic outcomes after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy. Methods A retrospective review of 345 consecutive patients who underwent robot-assisted radical prostatectomy at our institution from August 2004 to March 2007 was performed. Of these 345 patients, 29 (8%) were found at surgery to have a median lobe. All 29 patients were compared with 29 consecutive patients without a median lobe in terms of preoperative parameters, intraoperative parameters, and the pathologic and clinical outcomes. Results Of the preoperative parameters, the two groups were similar in age, race, preoperative Gleason score, and urinary bother score. Of the 10 patients with a median lobe who had undergone preoperative computed tomography scans, 7 (70%) had a visible median lobe. The presence of a median lobe did not increase the operative time required for bladder neck dissection or anastomosis (including reconstruction). Of the 29 patients with a median lobe, 16 (55%) required bladder neck reconstruction compared with 1 (4%) without a median lobe. Postoperatively, the two groups had similar Gleason score, but patients with a median lobe had larger prostates (60 cm 3 versus 26 cm 3 ; P = 0.003). The surgical margins were similar between the two groups. No significant difference was found in the postoperative urinary bother score or the interval to social or perfect continence between the two groups. Conclusions The results of this study have shown that the presence of a median lobe does not alter the outcomes in patients who undergo robot-assisted prostatectomy.
Interference of hexosamines in the Lowry reaction.

Abstract Glucosamine and galactosamine react with the reagents in the Lowry test for protein and give a similar, though not identical, blue-colored product. When present in solution with albumin, they give erroneously high values in the Lowry reaction and thus interfer with protein determination. It is likely that they will interfere with the determination of other proteins by the Lowry reaction, but this has not been shown. The presence of hexosamines in AMPS should not interfere with the determinations of the protein content of unhydrolyzed AMPS since hexosamines in unhydrolyzed AMPS are mostly acetylated and the acetylated hexosamines react imperceptibly at the concentrations encountered in the mucopolysaccharide analyses. If protein determinations by the Lowry method are performed on AMPS hydrolyzed in strong acids, as for amino acid analysis, the result could be erroneously high due to the free hexosamines liberated by the hydrolysis.
Association between treatment with central nervous system stimulants and Raynaud's syndrome in children: a retrospective case-control study of rheumatology patients.

Objective To investigate whether central nervous system (CNS) stimulants used for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are associated with the development of Raynaud's syndrome (RS). Methods A case–control design was used for this study. All patients seen in a pediatric rheumatology practice during a 5-year period who had signs and symptoms of RS and met diagnostic criteria for RS as determined by pulse volume recording were studied as cases. Controls were randomly selected patients at the same clinic who did not have signs or symptoms of RS. They were matched to the cases for age, sex, and time of presentation. We tested for associations between various CNS medications and presence of RS. We also evaluated differences in laboratory test results between RS cases and matched controls. Results Sixty-four patients were enrolled in the study (32 cases with RS [23 female, 9 male] and 32 control patients). McNemar's test showed a significant association between the presence of RS and past or current use of ADHD stimulants (methylphenidate and dextroamphetamine) (χ2 = 5.00, P = 0.01). The use of other CNS medications was not found to be significantly associated with RS (χ2 = 1.33, P = 0.25 by McNemar's test). C-reactive protein levels and erythrocyte sedimentation rates were significantly higher in controls than in cases. Conclusion The results of this study indicate that there is a significant association between development of RS and therapy with CNS stimulants used for the treatment of ADHD. Although this was a small study, these findings provide preliminary evidence of an adverse effect of CNS stimulant medications in patients seen in rheumatology practice.
On Miettinen's Multivariate Confounder Score

Consider a regression model for the effect of a treatment on an outcome variable in the presence of potential confounders. It is common to test for main effects and interactions of the treatment variable; if the confounding variables are discrete, one might then compare the treatment groups within strata formed by suitable covariate patterns. An alternative, due to Miettinen, is to stratify according to a "multivariate confounder score" and test for treatment effects within strata. This test has been shown to be flawed, and the method appears largely to have fallen into disuse. Here we show that such stratification nevertheless provides a sound and often useful graphical comparison of treatment and control groups.