cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SOSIP trimer-specific antibodies isolated from a SHIV-infected monkey with versus without a pre-blocking step with gp41.

BG505 SOSIP.664 (hereafter referred to as SOSIP), a stabilized trimeric mimic of the HIV-1 envelope spike resembling the native viral spike, is a useful tool for isolating anti-HIV-1 neutralizing antibodies. We screened long-term SHIV-AD8 infected rhesus monkeys for potency and breadth of serum neutralizing activity against autologous and heterologous viruses: SHIV-AD8, HIV-1 YU2, HIV-1 JR-CSF, and HIV-1 NL4-3. Monkey rh2436 neutralized all viruses tested and showed strong reactivity to the SOSIP trimer, suggesting this was a promising candidate for attempts at monoclonal antibody (mAb) isolation. Monoclonal antibodies were isolated by performing single B-cell sorts from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) by FACS using the SOSIP trimer as a probe. An initial round of sorted cells revealed the majority of isolated mAbs were directed to the gp41 external domain portion of the SOSIP trimer and were mostly non-neutralizing against tested isolates. A second sort was performed, introducing a gp41 blocking step prior to PBMC staining and FACS sorting. These isolated mAbs bound SOSIP trimer but were no longer directed to the gp41 external domain portion. A significantly higher proportion of mAbs with neutralizing activity were obtained with this strategy. Our data show this pre-blocking step with gp41 greatly increases the yield of non-gp41 reactive, SOSIP- specific mAbs and increases the likelihood of isolating mAbs with neutralizing activity. Importance Recent advancements in the field have focused on the isolation and use of broadly neutralizing antibodies for both prophylaxis and therapy. Finding a useful probe to isolate broad potent neutralizing antibodies while avoiding non-neutralizing antibodies is important. The SOSIP trimer has been shown to be a great tool for this purpose because it binds known broadly neutralizing antibodies. However, the SOSIP trimer can isolate non-neutralizing antibodies as well, including gp41-specific mAbs. Introducing a pre-blocking step with gp41 recombinant protein decreased the percent of gp41-specific antibodies isolated with SOSIP probe, as well as increased the number of neutralizing antibodies isolated. This method could be used as a tool to increase the chances of isolating neutralizing antibodies.
The PTH Receptorsome and Transduction Pathways

The parathyroid hormone receptor (PTHR1) mediates the actions of PTH in bone and kidney cells. The PTHR1 is a seven transmembrane domain-containing, G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) and is a member of the “family B” subgroup of GPCRs that bind peptide hormones. PTH interacts with the PTHR1 via a “two-site” mechanism, by which the C-terminal portion of the bioactive PTH(1–34) peptide interacts with the amino-terminal extracellular domain (ECD) of the PTHR1 to establish binding affinity and the N-terminal portion of the ligand interacts with the transmembrane domain (TMD) region of the receptor to induce receptor activation and signal transduction. The activated PTHR1 couples strongly to the cAMP/PKA signaling pathway, but can also couple to other pathways, including the PLC/IP3/PKC and ERK-1/2 pathways. The activated PTHR1 is rapidly phosphorylated on its C-terminal tail and then internalizes via a β-arrestin-mediated mechanism leading to signal termination. Novel PTH ligands have been developed, however, that mediate prolonged signaling, possibly from an internalized endosomal domain. Such PTH analogs may offer new approaches for treating hypoparathyroidism.
Potential Mechanisms of Renoprotection in the Stenotic Kidney After Endothelin-type A Receptor Antagonism: Podocytes, VEGF and sFlt-1

Podocytes are major components of the filtration barrier and a source of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Renal artery stenosis (RAS) deteriorates stenotic kidney function and the renal m...
New test conditions extend potential for cetane rating

The reliability of the cetane rating of a diesel fuel as an indicator of combustion quality has been called into question in recent years, particularly for fuels that are significantly different in composition than nominal diesel fuel. In seeking a way to utilize the large installed base of fuel research engines, changes in apparatus and instrumentation were made to a CFR cetane engine to extend the operating and measurement capabilities of the system. These changes included installation of an inlet air system for enhanced temperature and pressure control, and modern instrumentation to determine combustion characteristics such as ignition delay and combustion period. Results from this preliminary test program are discussed in this paper.
Soviet Women in Combat: A History of Violence on the Eastern Front

Introduction: the woman veteran as a World War II memoirist Part I. Before the Front, 1930s: 1. A portrait of a young woman as the citizen soldier: the 'prewar generation' in popular culture, in school, and at the shooting range Part II. On the Way to the Front, 1941-5: 2. 'And this is exactly who we are - soldiers!': Women volunteers, local authorities, and the Stalinist government in 1941 3. The exceptional mobilization of 1941: the making of a female combat collective by state order 4. New gender landscapes for the army: from grassroots enlistments to the state-run mobilizations of 1942-5 Part III. At the Front, 1941-5: 5. Partners in violence: the woman soldier and the machine in the 1941 trenches 6. 'To be a woman-commander - that was great!: remechanizing and regendering in the Red Army, 1942-5 7. Bonded by combat: women and men sharing violence, authority, and romance in mechanized warfare, 1942-5 Conclusion Appendix.
Receptor and membrane interaction sites on Gβ: A receptor-derived peptide binds to the carboxyl terminus

The functional organization of Gbetagamma is poorly understood. Regions of bovine brain Gbetagamma that interact with a photoaffinity derivative of an alpha2-adrenergic receptor-derived peptide from the third intracellular loop (diazopyruvoyl-modified peptide Q (DAP-Q)) and a hydrophobic membrane probe (3-trifluoromethyl-3-(m-iodophenyl)diazirine (TID)) were examined. We previously showed that DAP-Q cross-links to specific, competable sites on both the alpha and beta subunits of Go/Gi but not on the gamma subunit and that betagamma subunit was required for stimulation of Go/Gi GTPase activity (Taylor, J. M., Jacob Mosier, G. G., Lawton, R. G., Remmers, A. E., and Neubig, R. R. (1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269, 27618-27624). Similarly, we show here that the membrane-associated photoprobe [125I]TID labels alpha and beta but not gamma. We have now mapped the sites of incorporation of DAP-Q and TID into the beta subunit. TID labels both the 14-kDa amino-terminal and the 23-kDa carboxyl-terminal fragments from a partial tryptic digest of beta while DAP-Q labels only the carboxyl-terminal fragment. Further mapping with endopeptidase Lys C reveals substantial labeling of multiple fragments by TID while DAP-Q labels predominantly a approximately 6-kDa fragment within the carboxyl-terminal 60 amino acids of beta1. Thus, regions within the 7th (or possibly 6th) WD-40 repeat of the beta subunit of G protein interact with the receptor-derived peptide while membrane interaction involves multiple sites throughout the beta subunit.
Finance, Ethical Issues in

Ethical issues are ubiquitous and important in finance. According to Adam Smith a capitalistic pursuit of self-interest must be constrained by expectations of moral behavior. Ethics act as important and cost-effective constraints on self-serving and other undesirable behavior by parties to a contract such as agents, (such as managers), who have preferential information and who are responsible for the management of assets that belong to others (principals). Ethics in finance are especially important as it is impractical for laws, regulations, and corporate rules of behavior to cover every contingency in financial transactions. Keywords: ethics; opportunistic behavior; asymmetric and costly information; imperfect contracts; agency problems; moral hazard
Inhibition by antibiotics of the growth of bacterial and yeast protoplasts.

Shockman, Gerald D. (Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pa.) and J. Oliver Lampen. Inhibition by antibiotics of the growth of bacterial and yeast protoplasts. J. Bacteriol. 84:508–512. 1962.—The characteristics and requirements for growth of bacterial (Streptococcus faecalis) and yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) protoplasts were established and the effect of a variety of antibacterial and antifungal antibiotics determined. A clear differentiation was obtained between such inhibitors of bacterial cell wall synthesis as penicillin and cycloserine, which did not prevent protoplast growth, and all others, antibacterial and antifungal, which inhibited protoplasts and intact organisms at the same range of concentration. Novobiocin, previously reported to inhibit bacterial wall synthesis, was also effective against a reaction(s) essential to the growth of S. faecalis protoplasts. The antibacterial action of streptomycin, neomycin, and kanamycin was essentially eliminated by the high salt concentration needed to maintain the protoplasts. Removal of the cell wall did not significantly increase antibiotic susceptibility of a resistant species. Protoplasts of Bacillus megaterium were insensitive to the antifungal agent, nystatin, and did not bind it to any detectable degree. Thus, the yeast or bacterial cell wall does not appear to play a major role in determining relative antibiotic susceptibility by masking internal sensitive target sites. A variety of antifungal antibiotics tested on the growth of log-phase yeast cells failed to produce osmotically fragile forms.
Effect of Albumin on Serum Digoxin Radioimmunoassays

The use of certain commercially available radioimmunoassay kits for measurement of digoxin results in errors in the determined digoxin concentration of patients when these kits are used according to manufacturers' directions. One factor that is, in part, responsible for these errors is a difference between standards and samples with respect to albumin concentration. Three of the four kits investigated showed a significant inverse relationship between the albumin concentration in the sample and the binding of radiolabeled digoxin by its antibody when the albumin concentration was varied over an extended range. It is apparent, however, that differences in albumin concentration do not completely explain the observed variations in the assay values.
The clinical predictors of aetiology and complications among 173 patients presenting to the Emergency Department with oesophageal food bolus impaction from 2004-2014.

Summary Background Oesophageal food bolus impaction (OFBI) is a common gastrointestinal emergency. Aim To describe contemporary aetiologies of OFBI, and variables that may predict eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) related OFBI as well as complications. Methods Patients presenting to the Emergency Department between 2004 and 2014 with OFBI who underwent oesophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) were included. Clinical and endoscopic variables, as well as complications, were recorded. Aetiology of OFBI was determined by reviewing endoscopy reports. A diagnosis of EoE was confirmed via pathology (>15 eosinophils/high-powered field) at the index or follow-up EGD. Logistic regression was used to report associations of variables and complications. Results Of the 173 patients with OFBI, 139 (80%) had an aetiology recognised, the most frequent being EoE (27%, n = 47), Schatzki's ring (20%, n = 34) and oesophageal stricture (13%, n = 22). Six patients (3%) had oesophageal cancer. Patients with EoE-related OFBI tended to be younger (42 vs. 69 years, P < 0.001), male (81% vs. 52%, P = 0.001), have a prior history of OFBI (45% vs. 18%, P = 0.001), and present during spring or summer (62% vs. 44%, P = 0.04). Eighteen patients (10%) had a complication associated with OFBI, with 3 (2%) perforations. On multivariate regression, patients with EoE-related OFBI were not more likely to have a complication (OR 1.07, P = 0.92), although hypoxia at presentation (OR 59.7, P = 0.006) was associated with complications. Conclusions Eosinophilic esophagitis accounts for over a quarter of patients with oesophageal food bolus impaction. Overall complication rate was 10%, with a 2% perforation rate. Clinical characteristics of patients with eosinophilic esophagitis differ from other patients with oesophageal food bolus impaction.
ON WEIGHTING AND CONGRUENCE

A priori differential weighting of molecular characters is a common methodological practice in molecular phylogenetics and evolution. This has been a largely subjective exercise with few criteria for deciding which characters to down-weight and how much to do so. A priori differential weighting is conducted to remove heterogeneity from the data sets and to improve the congruence among the informative, and usually more conservative characters. Herein, we test whether congruence is improved with a priori differential weighting by using the incongruence length difference test on a linked genetic data set consisting of 14 mammalian taxa and the 13 protein coding genes of the mitochondrial genome. Weighting by omitting the third codon position did not improve congruence with respect to the equally weighted data, while weighting transversions did improve the congruence between the 13 protein coding genes. Nonetheless, the most parsimonious tree found from transversion weighting did not differ from one using all of the data equally weighted.
CLEO tutorial Optical coherence tomography: Technology and applications

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) performs resolution imaging in biological tissues and materials. Recent advances enable order of magnitude increases in imaging speed as well as resolutions, enabling a wide range of materials and medical applications.
THE NATURE OF LONG RUN COST SAVINGS DUE TO WATER CONSERVATION

Savings in capital, operation, and maintenance costs of new water supply facilities are referred to as “long run foregone costs.” Any conservation measure leads to reduction of water use or loss, however, significant long run foregone costs are realized only when reductions in size or delays in construction of facilities result. In order to accurately evaluate these costs it is necessary to know which facilities are affected and how they are affected (i.e., eliminated, downsized, or delayed). The effects of several levels of conservation on long run fore gone costs for an actual study are presented and some easy to use equations that may be used to calculate such savings are then derived. Some rules are presented to determine if it is more economical to delay construction or downsize facilities.
An improved method for determining enantiomeric excess by 13C‐NMR in chiral liquid crystal media

By using a combination of inverse gated (1)H decoupled (13)C-NMR experiments1 with short acquisition times and NMR Cryo-probe technology, the sample requirements and experimental times necessary to accurately measure enantiomeric excess of small chiral molecules has been reduced 16-fold. Quality (13)C-NMR spectra can now be obtained from a 1 to 5 mg sample in 12 minutes. The enantiomeric excess determination achieved from the average integration of all the (13)C-resonances in the spectrum is comparable to enantiomeric excess measured by chiral SFC. The advantage of the NMR method is that enantiomeric excess can rapidly be measured in situ on practical amounts of enantioselective reaction products without the need for chromatographic separation or chemical modification and with substantially less solvent waste.
Discriminative stimulus properties of idazoxan: mediation by both α2 adrenoceptor antagonism and 5-HT1A receptor agonism

Idazoxan is reference α2 adrenoceptor antagonist and has been extensively used preclinically to support the “α2/D2 receptor hypothesis” for atypical antipsychotic effects. However, previous studies have shown that the anticataleptic and discriminative stimulus properties of idazoxan may be mediated by 5-HT1A receptor agonism. The present study was conducted to further assess the role of α2 adrenoceptor antagonism and 5-HT1A receptor agonism in the discriminative stimulus properties of idazoxan using a 5.0-mg/kg training dose in rats. Idazoxan produced full-stimulus generalization to itself, the α2 adrenoceptor antagonist yohimbine, and the 5-HT1A receptor partial agonist, 8-OH-DPAT. Both the α2 adrenoceptor agonists clonidine and guanfacine, and the 5-HT1A receptor antagonist WAY100635, partially blocked the discriminative stimulus effects of idazoxan. Finally, partial stimulus generalization occurred to the atypical antipsychotic drug clozapine. On the basis of these findings, both α2 adrenoceptor antagonism and 5-HT1A receptor agonism appear to contribute to the discriminative stimulus effects of idazoxan. Thus, the role of 5-HT1A receptor agonism should be considered when evaluating the behavioral effects of idazoxan. Drug Dev Res 71: 261–267, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The Spectral Properties of Temporomandibular Joint Sounds

Spectral analyses were performed on sounds recorded from TMJ's that had previously been classified into different intracapsular categories, in an attempt to determine whether the inherent properties of these sounds were unique for each different disorder. A total of 55 joints was studied: 32 were diagnosed as displaced disc with reduction [DDR], 10 were diagnosed as displaced disc without reduction [DDN], and 13 were diagnosed as degenerative joint disease [DJD]. The spectral analysis for each recorded joint sound was performed using a Fast Fourier transform routine, the results of which were plotted as a frequency vs. amplitude envelope. These analyses showed that different intracapsular TMJ disorders were characterized by sounds whose energy distribution patterns, while showing certain across-group differences, usually shared significant common spectral properties. The joint-propagated noises associated with DDR, DDN, and DJD were each characterized by a spectral envelope whose primary band of energy was centered around a peak at approximately 1 kHz, and which dropped off from that point to background levels. These patterns presumably reflect the resonance characteristics of the disordered joint as defined by the mass and stiffness of its articulating surfaces. Based on the findings of this study, it would appear that comparisons of the spectral envelopes of joint-propagated sounds would have only limited application in the differential diagnosis of intracapsular TMJ disorders.
A thermodynamic study of the partition of n-hexane into phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylcholinecholesterol bilayers

Abstract The partition coefficient of n- hexane from water to bilayers of dioleoyl phosphatidylcholine and egg lecithin were measured as a function of temperature. Over a 50° C temperature range, the partition coefficient decreased linearly with temperature. The addition of cholesterol (1 : 1 mol ratio) to those bilayers reduced the partition coefficient by, at most, a factor of 2.5 at 25° C. The thermodynamic transfer parameters so obtained were compared to those of bulk hydrocarbon liquids and sodium dodecyl sulphate micelles. The results indicate that a bulk hydrocarbon liquid is not a good model for the interior of a bilayer whereas sodium dodecyl sulphate has approximately the same thermodynamic transfer parameters as egg lecithin. A comparison of the thermodynamic transfer parameters of n- hexane from a hydrocarbon liquid to either egg lecithin or dioleoyl phosphatidylcholine at 25° C shows that energetically and entropically the n- hexane prefers the bulk hydrocarbon phase whereas enthalpically it prefers the bilayer. These data imply that the n- hexane is aligned, on the average, parallel to the acyl chains. The partition coefficient, K , of n- hexane from water into various solvents follows the sequence K HC > K EL ≈ K SDS ⩾ K DP > K Oct , where the subscript HC represents hydrocarbon; EL, egg lecithin; SDS, sodium dodecyl sulfate; DP, dioleoyl phosphatidlcholine; DPC, dioleoyl phosphatidylcholine cholesterol; and Oct, n- octanol .
Clinical application of the Nd-YAG and Ho-YAG lasers in otolaryngology: head and neck surgery

The authors present their clinical experience regarding the possibilities of application of Nd:YAG and Ho:YAG lasers for the treatment of disorders in the area of the upper respiratory tract sinuses and ears. This technique makes it possible to perform a number of procedures in local anesthesia which considerably improves the economic effectiveness of the treatment. In case of the Nd:YAG laser they have also utilized the effect of deep coagulation of the soft tissues, whereas the Ho:YAG laser energy was applied for the surgery of bone tissue. The surgeries performed using laser beam enabled very good effect of treatment. They are competitive compared wit the methods used by traditional surgery.
Structural and quantum chemical studies of 8-aryl-sulfanyl adenine class Hsp90 inhibitors.

Hsp90 chaperones play a critical role in modulating the activity of many cell signaling proteins and are an attractive target for anti-cancer therapeutics. We report here the structures of the wate...
Genetic analysis of nitric oxide synthase isoforms: targeted mutation in mice

Since the discovery that nitric oxide is an endogenous vasodilator responsible for endothelium-derived relaxing factor activity, nitric oxide has been found in many different cell types and implicated in many diverse biological processes. Because pharmacological blockade does not distinguish between the three major isoforms of nitric oxide synthase, the tissue and enzyme source of nitric oxide is unclear in many situations. Targeted disruption of the genes for the various isoforms of nitric oxide synthase offers a useful genetic approach to study the roles of each isoform and to examine the effects of their deletion on physiological processes in intact animals. Here we review the phenotypes of the various nitric oxide synthase mutant mice and examine what they reveal about the complexities of the nitric oxide signaling system and about molecular and physiological compensations brought into play in the absence of individual isoforms.
Factors Affecting Readmission After Pancreaticoduodenectomy

PD continues to be associated with a high rate of failed discharges, despite significant improvements in techniques and postoperative care at high-volume centers. Even in the best hands, 1 in 5 patients undergoing PD can be expected to require readmission in the early postoperative period. Efforts to minimize readmissions must be aimed at identifying high-risk patients, addressing patient expectations, establishing patient care plans, and using outpatient resources to address anticipated problems and complications.
Initiation factor 3-induced structural changes in the 30 S ribosomal subunit and in complexes containing tRNA(f)(Met) and mRNA.

Initiation factor 3 (IF3) acts to switch the decoding preference of the small ribosomal subunit from elongator to initiator tRNA. The effects of IF3 on the 30 S ribosomal subunit and on the 30 S.mRNA. tRNA(f)(Met) complex were determined by UV-induced RNA crosslinking. Three intramolecular crosslinks in the 16 S rRNA (of the 14 that were monitored by gel electrophoresis) are affected by IF3. These are the crosslinks between C1402 and C1501 within the decoding region, between C967xC1400 joining the end loop of a helix of 16 S rRNA domain III and the decoding region, and between U793 and G1517 joining the 790 end loop of 16 S rRNA domain II and the end loop of the terminal helix. These changes occur even in the 30 S.IF3 complex, indicating they are not mediated through tRNA(f)(Met) or mRNA. UV-induced crosslinks occur between 16 S rRNA position C1400 and tRNA(f)(Met) position U34, in tRNA(f)(Met) the nucleotide adjacent to the 5' anticodon nucleotide, and between 16 S rRNA position C1397 and the mRNA at positions +9 and +10 (where A of the initiator AUG codon is +1). The presence of IF3 reduces both of these crosslinks by twofold and fourfold, respectively. The binding site for IF3 involves the 790 region, some other parts of the 16 S rRNA domain II and the terminal stem/loop region. These are located in the front bottom part of the platform structure in the 30 S subunit, a short distance from the decoding region. The changes that occur in the decoding region, even in the absence of mRNA and tRNA, may be induced by IF3 from a short distance or could be caused by the second IF3 structural domain.
Timing with thin-film detectors in a perturbed angular correlations experiment

Abstract Thin-film particle detectors in connection with NaI detectors have been used to measure time-differentially the perturbed particle-gamma angular correlation of projectile-excited 19 F -( 5 2 + ) in electric field gradients using a 19F beam from a tandem accelerator. The technique applied uses implantation of the excited projectile through vacuum. It results in a strong polarization of the nuclear state by the Coulomb excitation process which in connection with a noncubic single crystal is used to determine sign and magnitude of the electric quadrupole interaction.
Characteristics of composite carbon resistors used for measuring accelerator terminal voltages

Composite carbon resistor characteristics used for accelerator terminal voltage measurement
Resonance-Raman evidence for anomalous heme structures in cytochrome c′ from Rhodopseudomonas palustris

Abstract Resonance Raman spectra have been obtained for cytochrome c′ from Rhodopseudomonas palustris, using laser excitation frequencies in the region of both the Soret band and the α-β bands. The porphyrin-ring vibrational frequencies are compared with those of other heme proteins which are in well-defined spin and oxidation states. In alkaline solution (pH > 11.5) both oxidized and reduced forms show normal low-spin heme vibrational patterns. At lower pH the reduced form (high spin) shows a pattern similar to that of deoxyhemoglobin, i.e. that of a high-spin five-coordinate ferroheme. The lower pH forms of the oxidized protein exhibit anomalous spectra, with frequencies which are closer to expected low-spin than high-spin values, although their magnetic moments, while intermediate, are closer to expected high-spin values. Mixtures of high- and low-spin forms can be ruled out by the absence of two sets of vibrational frequencies, which are seen for hydroxymethemoglobin, an authentic mixed-spin heme protein. It is suggested that the heme groups are closer to being planar than are normal high-spin hemes, and that the spin state may be intermediate, s = 3 2 . At pH 10.3 the inferred structure is less planar than at pH 6.9, consistent with trends in the absorption spectrum. The depolarization ratios of the polarized approx. 1370-cm−1 Raman band indicate a lowering of 4-fold symmetry of the heme chromophore in the lower pH forms of both oxidized and reduced cytochrome c′, consistent with the observed splittings of the Soret band.
Integration problems and turnaround strategies in a cross-border merger A clinical examination of the Pharmacia-Upjohn merger

Abstract With the increasing globalization brought about by consolidation, crossborder mergers are growing increasingly popular as means of rapidly achieving size-related economies of scale and scope as well as global reach. However, integration issues such as culture clashes, which are problematic in domestic mergers, are often more severe when the merging companies are headquartered in separate countries with widely differing social mores. This study is an examination of one such merger—the 1995 merger between pharmaceutical companies Upjohn of the United States and Pharmacia of Sweden. The clinical study explores the many initial integration problems experienced in this merger and the turnaround strategy used to counteract the problems.
Nanostructure-Directed Chemical Sensing: The IHSAB Principle and the Effect of Nitrogen and Sulfur Functionalization on Metal Oxide Decorated Interface Response

The response matrix, as metal oxide nanostructure decorated n-type semiconductor interfaces are modified in situ through direct amination and through treatment with organic sulfides and thiols, is demonstrated. Nanostructured TiO₂, SnOx, NiO and CuxO (x = 1,2), in order of decreasing Lewis acidity, are deposited to a porous silicon interface to direct a dominant electron transduction process for reversible chemical sensing in the absence of significant chemical bond formation. The metal oxide sensing sites can be modified to decrease their Lewis acidity in a process appearing to substitute nitrogen or sulfur, providing a weak interaction to form the oxynitrides and oxysulfides. Treatment with triethylamine and diethyl sulfide decreases the Lewis acidity of the metal oxide sites. Treatment with acidic ethane thiol modifies the sensor response in an opposite sense, suggesting that there are thiol (SH) groups present on the surface that provide a Bronsted acidity to the surface. The in situ modification of the metal oxides deposited to the interface changes the reversible interaction with the analytes, NH₃ and NO. The observed change for either the more basic oxynitrides or oxysulfides or the apparent Bronsted acid sites produced from the interaction of the thiols do not represent a simple increase in surface basicity or acidity, but appear to involve a change in molecular electronic structure, which is well explained using the recently developed inverse hard and soft acids and bases (IHSAB) model.
Geometry of D1–D5–P bound states

Abstract Supersymmetric solutions of 6D supergravity (with two translation symmetries) can be written as a hyper-Kahler base times a 2D fiber. The subset of these solutions which correspond to true bound states of D1–D5–P charges give microstates of the 3-charge extremal black hole. To understand the characteristics shared by the bound states we decompose known bound state geometries into base–fiber form. The axial symmetry of the solutions make the base Gibbons–Hawking. We find the base to be actually ‘pseudo-hyper-Kahler’: The signature changes from ( 4 , 0 ) to ( 0 , 4 ) across a hypersurface. 2-charge D1–D5 geometries are characterized by a ‘central curve’ S 1 ; the analogue for 3-charge appears to be a hypersurface that for our metrics is an orbifold of S 1 × S 3 .
Epigenetic Influences on Sensory Regeneration: Histone Deacetylases Regulate Supporting Cell Proliferation in the Avian Utricle

The sensory hair cells of the cochlea and vestibular organs are essential for normal hearing and balance function. The mammalian ear possesses a very limited ability to regenerate hair cells and their loss can lead to permanent sensory impairment. In contrast, hair cells in the avian ear are quickly regenerated after acoustic trauma or ototoxic injury. The very different regenerative abilities of the avian vs. mammalian ear can be attributed to differences in injury-evoked expression of genes that either promote or inhibit the production of new hair cells. Gene expression is regulated both by the binding of cis-regulatory molecules to promoter regions as well as through structural modifications of chromatin (e.g., methylation and acetylation). This study examined effects of histone deacetylases (HDACs), whose main function is to modify histone acetylation, on the regulation of regenerative proliferation in the chick utricle. Cultures of regenerating utricles and dissociated cells from the utricular sensory epithelia were treated with the HDAC inhibitors valproic acid, trichostatin A, sodium butyrate, and MS-275. All of these molecules prevent the enzymatic removal of acetyl groups from histones, thus maintaining nuclear chromatin in a “relaxed” (open) configuration. Treatment with all inhibitors resulted in comparable decreases in supporting cell proliferation. We also observed that treatment with the HDAC1-, 2-, and 3-specific inhibitor MS-275 was sufficient to reduce proliferation and that two class I HDACs—HDAC1 and HDAC2—were expressed in the sensory epithelium of the utricle. These results suggest that inhibition of specific type I HDACs is sufficient to prevent cell cycle entry in supporting cells. Notably, treatment with HDAC inhibitors did not affect the differentiation of replacement hair cells. We conclude that histone deacetylation is a positive regulator of regenerative proliferation but is not critical for avian hair cell differentiation.
The growth of the brain and skull in children

Abstract Published data for brain weight and head circumference in children were examined to determine whether there was evidence for development of brain size in ‘spurts’ rather than continuously. Graphical methods and various statistical analyses were used to detect significant deviations from a smooth progression in growth of the brain or skull. No convincing evidence for other than normal statistical sampling variations was found for either brain size or head circumference. It is premature to begin reorganization of school curriculae on the grounds that the brains of children grow in spurts.
Detecting neoplastic development in the hamster cheek pouch using Fourier domain low coherence interferometry

Fourier Domain Low Coherence Interferometry (fLCI) is an optical technique that recovers depth-resolved spectroscopic information about scatterers. The current fLCI system utilizes a white light Xe arc lamp source, a 4-f interferometer, and an imaging spectrometer at the detection plane to acquire spectra from 256 adjacent spatial points. This configuration permits the acquisition of ultrahigh depth resolution Fourier domain OCT images without the need for any beam scanning. fLCI has traditionally obtained depth-resolved spectral information by performing a short-time Fourier transform (STFT) on the detected spectra, similar to the processing techniques of spectroscopic OCT. We now employ a dual Gaussian window processing method which simultaneously obtains high spectral and temporal resolution, thus avoiding the resolution trade-off normally associated with the STFT. Wavelength dependent variations in scattering intensity are analyzed as a function of depth to obtain structural information about the probed scatterers. We now verify fLCI’s ability to distinguish between normal and dysplastic epithelial tissue using the hamster cheek pouch model. Thirty hamsters will have one cheek pouch treated with the known carcinogen DMBA. At the conclusion of the 24 week treatment period the animals will be anesthetized and the cheek pouches will be extracted. We will use the fLCI optical system to measure the neoplastic transformation of the in situ subsurface tissue layers in both the normal and DMBA-treated cheek pouches. Traditional histological analysis will be used to verify the fLCI measurements. Our results will further establish fLCI as an effective method for distinguishing between normal and dysplastic epithelial tissues.
Genetic analysis of yeast RAS1 and RAS2 genes.

We present a genetic analysis of RAS1 and RAS2 of S. cerevisiae, two genes that are highly homologous to mammalian ras genes. By constructing in vitro ras genes disrupted by selectable genes and introducing these by gene replacement into the respective ras loci, we have determined that neither RAS1 nor RAS2 are by themselves essential genes. However, ras1 - ras2 - spores of doubly heterozygous diploids are incapable of resuming vegetative growth. We have determined that RAS1 is located on chromosome XV, 7 cM from ade2 and 63 cM from his3; and RAS2 is located on chromosome XIV, 2 cM from met4 . We have also constructed by site-directed mutagenesis a missense mutant, RAS2val19 , which encodes valine in place of glycine at the nineteenth amino acid position, the same sort of missense mutation that is found in some transforming alleles of mammalian ras genes. Diploid yeast cells that contain this mutation are incapable of sporulating efficiently, even when they contain wild-type alleles.
Cash grants in humanitarian assistance: a nongovernmental organization experience in Aceh, Indonesia, following the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami.

Background: Historically, cash interventions, as opposed to material or in-kind aid, have been relatively uncommon in the humanitarian response to emergencies. The widespread implementation of cash-based programs following the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami provided an opportunity to examine cash distributions following disasters. The Mercy Corps cash grant program in Aceh, Indonesia, was a short-term intervention intended to assist in recompensing losses from the December 2004 tsunami.Methods: An evaluation of the Mercy Corps cash grant program was conducted for the 12-month period following the tsunami using program monitoring data and a systematic survey of cash grant beneficiaries.Results: in 2005, the cash grant program disbursed more than US6390, which was shared by an average of 108 beneficiaries. In a beneficiary survey, more than 95% of respondents reported the grant allocation processes were fair and transparent and that grant funds were received.Conclusions: The Mercy Corps experience with cash programs suggests that cash interventions in the emergency context, when properly administered, can have an immediate impact and serve as an efficient mechanism for providing assistance. Organizations involved in humanitarian relief, particularly donors and nongovernmental organizations, should consider incorporating cash-based interventions as an element of their response in future emergencies. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2008;2:95–103)
Educational financing and government spending

(1978). Educational financing and government spending. Theory Into Practice: Vol. 17, The Schools and The Courts, pp. 341-347.
Threshold corrections in K3 × T2 heterotic string compactifications

Abstract We consider compactifications of the heterotic string on K 3 × T 2 so that the resulting theory in d = 4 space-time dimensions has N = 2 supersymmetry. The gravitational and gauge coupling constants of the low-energy effective theory receive threshold corrections from loops of superheavy string states. We calculate these corrections for the case when the K 3 surface is a Z n orbifold of a four-torus T 4. The results are used to determine the one-loop prepotential F 0 (1) for the vector multiplets and the gravitational coupling F 1 (1) .
Temperature‐programmed microcolumn liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry

A temperature-programmed microcolumn liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) system has been developed as a practical alternative to conventional solvent-programmed LC/MS. Good reproducibility of solute retention was achieved in a specially modified oven that permitted linear temperature programming between 40 and 100°C at rates of 0.1 to 0.5°C min−1. Through theoretical modelling studies performed under isocratic and isothermal conditions, the optimum separation under temperature-programmed conditions was rapidly and accurately predicted. This method enabled the complete resolution of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids in a fish oil dietary supplement with identification from their characteristic fragmentation patterns under electron-impact MS conditions. The mass spectra from the LC/MS system correlated very well with those from a standard reference library to facilitate spectral searching methods.
Cellular uptake of stearic, oleic, linoleic, and linolenic acid and their effects on synthesis and secretion of lipids in Hep-G2 cells

Abstract The present study was undertaken to examine the cellular uptake of stearic (18:0), oleic (18:1), linoleic (18:2), and linolenic acid (18:3), and their effects on synthesis and secretion of lipids in Hep-G2 cells. The cells were grown for 6 days in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (DMEM) supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum. On day 7, cells were incubated in a serum-free DMEM containing 0.25–1.0 mM of 18:0, 18:1, 18:2 or 18:3. The cellular uptake of these fatty acids was almost linear during the 4 hr incubation period, and no significant differences were noted among the fatty acids tested, regardless of their degree of unsaturation. The treatment of cells with 1.0 mM of these fatty acids stimulated triglyceride (TG) synthesis nearly ten-fold and phospholipid (PL) synthesis approx. two-fold compared with those of the control. The lipoprotein-TG secretion also increased and was the highest with 18:1 followed in descending order by 18:2, 18:3, and 18:0. The fatty acid treatment of cells also significantly increased the incorporation of 14C-acetate into the cellular and lipoprotein cholesterol compared with that of the control (p
Cytomegaloviruria in Children with Acute Leukemia and in Other Children.

SummaryVirus isolations were attempted during a 2 year yeriod (1961-1963) from urine samples of 101 children: 42 with acute leukemia, 30 with diseases other than leukemia and 29 healthy children, most of them 2 to 10 years old. Thirty-nine cytomegalo-virus isolations were made—18 from 7 of the 42 children with acute leukemia, 12 from 6 of 30 children in the “other disease” group and 9 from 6 of the 29 control children. In addition 5 isolates were obtained from 7 urines of 4 infants with cytomegalic inclusion disease. Adenovirus type 3, the only other virus found in the urine samples, was isolated from 8 of 12 specimens collected over a 5 month period from a child with hypoplastic anemia. Enterovirus recoveries from the throat and stools of the leukemic patients yielded normal patterns for children of the age group studied. Coxsackievirus A9, echo-virus 7, and polioviruses 1, 2, and 3 were isolated; the polioviruses were found with high frequency as oral poliovaccines were widely distributed in the communi...
Direct deterrence—An analysis of the effectiveness of police patrol and other crime prevention technologies

Abstract A new concept of deterrence useful to the analysis of crime control strategies is proposed—direct deterrence. Models of police patrol offered by Blumstein, Larson, Elliot, and Sardino and their utility to the analysis of police direct deterrence are discussed. An analysis is performed that develops, first, the relationship between the use of a crime prevention technology and the amount of direct deterrence provided and, second, the relationship between criminal activity and the application of direct deterrence.
Scheme-based web programming as a basis for a CS0 curriculum

The thesis of this paper is that Scheme-based web programming is a worthy organizing topic for CS0 computer literacy courses. We describe an approach to introducing non-science majors to Computer Science by teaching them to write webpages using HTML and CSS and to also write applets and servlets using Scheme. The programming component of our approach is completed in about nine weeks of a thirteen week course, leaving time for a treatment of more traditional CS0 topics such as intellectual property, privacy, artificial intelligence, the limits of computability, PC architecture, Operating Systems, CMOS and logic circuits. We argue that the use of a high level scripting language (like Scheme) is essential to the success of this approach. We also argue that wide scale success in teaching web programming to non-majors could enhance the students productivity when they enter the job market, and hence this approach deserves further study.
Peroxidative Responses of Leaves in Two Soybean Genotypes Injured by Twospotted Spider Mites (Acari: Tetranychidae)

Levels of resistance in soybean genotypes to the twospotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch, and cumulative lipid peroxidation of the tissues were strongly related. Both were also correlated with loss of carotenoids and chlorophyll. Activity of the prooxidant enzyme lipoxygenase (LOX) and of peroxidase increased in parallel with T. urticae population levels and lipid peroxidation. Antioxidant enzymes catalase and superoxide dismutase did not change with increasing T. urticae population levels and lipid peroxidation. The mite-resistant soybean cultivar showed greater loss of carotenoids and chlorophyll and greater lipid peroxidation with initial T. urticae infestation than the mite-susceptible soybean cultivar. Increased resistance could be induced in remote tissues of the mite-resistant soybean cultivar by brief exposure to T. urticae feeding. Possible direct and indirect roles of lipid oxidation and LOX in pest resistance are discussed.
Foam droplet separation for nanoparticle synthesis

A novel approach to nanoparticle synthesis was developed whereby foam bubble bursting produced aerosol droplets, an approach patterned after the marine foam aerosol cycle. The droplets were dried to remove solvent, leaving nanometer-sized particles composed of precursor material. Nanoparticles composed of sodium chloride (mean diameter, \(\bar{D}_{\rm p}\approx\) 100 nm), phosphotungstic acid (\(\bar{D}_{\rm p}\approx\) 55 nm), and bovine insulin (\({D}_{\rm p}\approx\) 5–30 nm) were synthesized. Foam droplet separation can be carried out at ambient temperature and pressure. The ‘soft’ nature of the process makes it compatible with a wide range of materials.
Surface and superconducting properties of cleaved high-temperature superconductors

High-resolution electron-energy-loss spectroscopy is used to characterize the resistivity, vibrations, and electronic structure of ${\mathrm{YBa}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}$${\mathrm{O}}_{7}$ and ${\mathrm{Bi}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Sr}}_{2}$${\mathrm{CaCu}}_{2}$${\mathrm{O}}_{8}$ single crystals cleaved in ultrahigh vacuum. Cleaved surfaces show a variety of terminations with different properties. Spectroscopy on superconducting regions reveal energy gaps in the ab plane corresponding to 7.8\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.3${k}_{B}$${T}_{c}$. The superconducting gap in ${\mathrm{YBa}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}$${\mathrm{O}}_{7}$ shows a non-BCS temperature dependence and appears to be related to a delocalized excitation near 45 meV that persists well above ${T}_{c}$.
Crystallization of glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase, triosephosphate dehydrogenase, arginine kinase, and cytochrome c from a single extract of honeybees.

Abstract The isolation of homogeneous preparations of four proteins in high yields from a single extract of honeybee thoraces is described. The four proteins are: glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.8), triosephosphate dehydrogenase (EC 1.2.1.12), arginine kinase (EC 2.7.3.3), and cytochrome c. This is the first reported isolation of arginine kinase from an insect source.
5-{[Aryl or Aryloxy (or thio)]methyl}-3-(1 H-imidazol-1-ylmethyl)-3-(2-thienyl)-2-methylisoxazolidine Derivatives as Novel Antifungal Agents

The in vitro antifungal activity of a novel series of cis- and trans-5-{[aryl or aryloxy (or thio)]methyl}-3-(1 H-imidazol-1-ylmethyl)-3-(2-thienyl)-2-methylisoxazolidines (13–24) was evaluated and compared with ketoconazole. The title series of compounds was prepared via a 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction of 1-(2-thienyl)-2-(1 H-imidazol-1-yl)-N-methylethanimine N-oxides with appropriate styrenes, allyl phenyl ethers, or allyl phenyl thioether precursors. The resulting products were mixtures of the corresponding cis- and trans-diastereomers which were readily separated by flash chromatography on neutral silica gel. The majority of compounds 13–24, when tested in solid agar cultures, exhibited moderate to potent activity against Trichophyton rubrum, Aspergillus fumigatus, and Candida albicansat concentrations ranging between ≦2.0 and 70.0 μg/mL.
Sea-floor spreading rate changes in the South Atlantic

A computer correlation technique was used to deduce the spreading history of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge from 5 magnetic profiles between 28°S and 43°S. In general, several possible histories are indicated for each profile involving changes of spreading rate and faulting, some of which are easily overlooked by the visual method. The only spreading history that was consistent will all the profiles required spreading at approximately 2.2 cm yr-1 from 11 m.y.b.p. to approximately 5.5 m.y.b.p., followed by a decrease in rate to 1.7 cm yr-1 relative to the Vine (1966) magnetic reversal model based on the South Pacific. Comparison of the data with other reported spreading rate discontinuities suggests that the South Pacific may be reponsible for the reported spreading rate changes.