cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Injury of myelin sheaths in isolated rabbit vagus nerves by alpha-toxin of Staphylococcus aureus.

Abstract S. Szmigielski , M. Blankenship , J. P. Robinson and S. Harshman . Injury of myelin sheaths in isolated rabbit vagus nerves by α-toxin of Staphylococcus aureus . Toxicon 17, 363–371, 1979.—Dissected rabbit vagus nerves were incubated in vitro with 0·24-4 μg of purified staphylococcal α-toxin (17,000 H.U./mg protein) per ml. The release of 86 Rb from prelabeled nerves and the electrical activity of nerves (action potential) were measured and correlated with morphological changes observed by electron microscopy. At a concentration of α-toxin of 2 μg/ml, 30% of incorporated 86 Rb was released from the nerves after 30 min of incubation. The electrical activity was maintained over this time period and required an additional 30 min before failing completely. Concentrations of α-toxin below 2 μg/ml had no effect on either the release of 86 Rb or the electrical activity even after 60 min of incubation of the nerves. In contrast, dramatic changes in the morphology of the myelin sheaths are readily demonstrated after 30 min of incubation and can easily be observed at 0·2 μg/ml, a level of α-toxin which has no effect on 86 Rb release or electrical activity. Both non-myelinated nerve fibers and Schwann cell membranes appear to be more resistant to the action of α-toxin. We conclude that, of the parameters measured, disorganization of myelin sheaths is the first recognizable symptom of injury to peripheral nerves by staphylococcal α-toxin.
Development of CdTe on Si Heteroepilayers for Controlled PV Material and Device Studies

The objective of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s (NREL) current three-year CdTe plan under the U.S. Department of Energy’s SunShot Initiative is to identify primary mechanisms that limit the open-circuit voltage and fill factor of polycrystalline CdTe photovoltaic (PV) devices, and develop CdTe synthesis processes and/or device designs that avoid these limitations. Part of this project relies on analysis of crystalline materials and pseudocrystalline CdTe layers where point and extended defects can be introduced sequentially without the complications of extensive impurities and grain boundaries that are typical of present polycrystalline films. The ultimate goals of the project include producing CdTe PV devices that demonstrate ≥20% conversion efficiency, while significantly improving our understanding of processes and materials capable of attaining cost goals of <$0.50 per watt. While NREL is investigating several options for the routine fabrication of high-quality CdTe layers, one pathway involves CdTe molecular beam heteroepitaxy (MBE) on Si in collaboration with the University of Illinois at Chicago. Although CdTe/Si heteroepitaxy is relatively unfamiliar to researchers in the PV community, it has been used successfully for more than 20 years to produce high-quality CdTe surfaces required for commercial production of large-area single-crystal HgCdTe infrared detectors and focal-plane arrays. The process involves chemical and thermal preparation of Si (211) wafers, followed by deposition of As-passivation and ZnTeaccommodation layers. MBE-grown CdTe layers deposited on top of this “template” have been shown to demonstrate low etch-pit density (EPD, preferably ≤ ∼5x105 cm-2) and high structural quality (full width at half maximum ∼ 60 arcs). These initial studies indicate that 10-μm-thick CdTe layers on Si are indeed epitaxial with cathodoluminescence-determined dislocation density consistent with historic EPD measurements, and that recombination rates are distinct from either as-deposited polycrystalline or crystalline materials.
Representing story: shaping memory in Western India

This article comes from a womb nurtured by several nourishing streams of inquiry. It is premised on the anthropological concepts of enchantment and encaptivation as developed by Alfred Gell, as well as by the writings of Hocart on kingship and on the importance of the senses in making meaning by Paul Stoller. It builds on the concepts of ethnofiction developed by filmmaker Jean Rouch and of Goffman's ideas about the presentation of self in ethnographic encounter. It is supported by traditional historical writing on Western India by Western scholars (Bayley, Mcleod, Ramusack, Forbes, Wilberforce-Bell) and Indian historians (Nainsi, Shukla) and by local historical sources. This article aspires to present historical and anthropological information and insight in an alternate way, perhaps a new way. This article is emphatically illustrative; it presents complete tales to show emotion and sentiment rather than being traditionally analytical. This content positions the article to extend the Geertzian practice o...
A study of typical yields of metals

Some new yield models of polycrystalline metals based on the nonlinear irreversible multiplication of deformed grains are proposed. The kinetic yield equations and the upper and lower yield stress formulas are all given, which are in better agreement with the Hall-Petch formula and some experiments.
Integration and Response of Organic Electronics with Aqueous Microfluidics

We have successfully integrated microfluid flow channels, defined by surface energy differences, with thin-film organic field-effect transistors. The device performance is stable for specific semiconductors with water flowing over the channel region and the contacts protected by hydrophobic surface films, indicating that organic semiconductors are not necessarily degraded by water even when carrying current. In addition, a substantial response from dilute organic solutes, as low as 1 ppm in an aqueous environment, can be observed, with some degree of semiconductor−solute specificity.
Thyroxine, Triiodothyronine, and Reverse Triiodothyronine Processing in the Cerebellum: Autoradiographic Studies in Adult Rats*

Abstract Well confirmed evidence has demonstrated that the cerebellum is an important target of thyroid hormone action during development. Moreover, the presence of nuclear receptors and strong 5′-deiodinase activity in cerebella of adult rats have suggested that this region may continue to respond to thyroid hormones during maturity. Recent autoradiographic observations have focused attention on the cerebellar granular layer, in that [125I]T3 administered iv to adult rats was found to be selectively and saturably concentrated there. To determine the specificity of iodothyronine localization in the granular layer, we have now compared film autoradiographic observations made after iv [125I]T4 and iv [125I]rT3 with those found after iv [125I]T3. The results demonstrated that, as in the case of the latter hormone, labeling within the cerebellar cortex after iv [mI]T4 was both selective and saturable. Moreover, except for a lag in time to resolution and a longer retention time, the distribution of cerebellar ...
Occupational stress and receipt of professional counseling in special education.

Summasy.-This investigation examined the receipt of professional counseling services in response to problems related to stress in one state-wide sample of special education teachers. An analysis of variance was conducted for each stress variable to estimate the significance of mean differences between groups of counseling recipients and nonrecipients. Most comparisons indicated significantly stronger and more frequent stressful experiences for counseling recipients than for nonrecipients with respect to scores on Professional Distress, Emotional Manifestations, Physiological-Fatigue Manifestations, and Total Stress. Empirical evidence confirming the relationship between the receipt of professional counseling services and the experience of occupational stress has been noticeably lacking. A review of some 1,200 articles and books on stress among teachers suggests the issue has yet to be directly addressed. A handful of these references do discuss this relationship, but do so in a nonempirical manner. Edilwich (2), for example, observed that stressed human resource workers, including teachers, frequently resort to counseling or employee assistance programs to "work out" job-related problems. Similarly, both Cox (1) and Truch (8) noted the apparent yet often-assumed relationship between stress and receipt of services-those teachers not under stress infrequently encounter problems at work and rarely resort to counseling services. Those under stress do. Since most teachers work about 1,800 hours annually, their professional world becomes a major part of their waking hours. When problems occur on the job, it is not surprising that some source of assistance would be sought. What has not been established as yet from an empirical perspective is whether this actually does occur. The present purposes were (a) to assess the relationship, if any, between the receipt of counseling services and the strength and frequency of stress among teachers and (b) to determine differences, if any, in terms of the strength and frequency of stress for counseled and noncounseled teachers.
Distribution of alpha 1-antitrypsin (PI) phenotypes in chromosome abnormalities.

PI phenotypes (including subtypes) were determined for 168 individuals with chromosomal abnormalities ascertained in Adelaide. These included patients with mosaicism, trisomy 21, trisomy 13, trisomy 18, and various sex chromosome aberrations (45,X, 47,XXX, 47,XXY, 47,XYY, and 48,XXXY). Data did not support an existing proposition that mildly deficient PI phenotypes predispose to abnormal chromosome segregation during mitosis or meiosis. Phenotypic distributions of each group were statistically similar to control populations of cord bloods and bloods donors.
Seebeck Coefficient Metrology: Do Contemporary Protocols Measure Up?

Comparative measurements of the Seebeck coefficient are challenging due to the diversity of instrumentation and measurement protocols. With the implementation of standardized measurement protocols and the use of Standard Reference Materials (SRMs®), for example, the recently certified National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) SRM® 3451 ‘‘Low Temperature Seebeck Coefficient Standard (10–390 K)’’, researchers can reliably analyze and compare data, both intra- and inter-laboratory, thereby accelerating the development of more efficient thermoelectric materials and devices. We present a comparative overview of commonly adopted Seebeck coefficient measurement practices. First, we examine the influence of asynchronous temporal and spatial measurement of electric potential and temperature. Temporal asynchronicity introduces error in the absolute Seebeck coefficient of the order of ≈10%, whereas spatial asynchronicity introduces error of the order of a few percent. Second, we examine the influence of poor thermal contact between the measurement probes and the sample. This is especially critical at high temperature, wherein the prevalent mode of measuring surface temperature is facilitated by pressure contact. Each topic will include the comparison of data measured using different measurement techniques and using different probe arrangements. We demonstrate that the probe arrangement is the primary limit to high accuracy, wherein the Seebeck coefficients measured by the 2-probe arrangement and those measured by the 4-probe arrangement diverge with the increase in temperature, approaching ≈14% at 900 K. Using these analyses, we provide recommended measurement protocols to guide members of the thermoelectric materials community in performing more accurate measurements and in evaluating more comprehensive uncertainty limits.
A Photocell Linearity Tester

Illumination provided by an apparatus with nine pairs of apertures may be used conveniently to test the linearity of photometers. The apertures increase in area from one pair to the next by a factor of two. Thus the range covered is 512 to 1. The apertures are selected individually or in pairs by holes in a rotatable disk. The photometer reading on each illumination level in a pair is determined, and the numerical sum of these is compared with the reading on the two together. The ratio can be used to correct the photometric scale of the receiver. The advantage of this apparatus is the straightforward method of selecting illumination levels, the wide range of illumination, and the easily arranged equipment.
Between neoliberalism and cultural conservatism: spatial divisions and multiplications of hospice labor in the United States

This article offers a critical geographic understanding of hospice work in Seattle Washington, and the US generally. It highlights the spatial divisions of labor between home and institutions in hospice care, as well as divisions within the home (where the majority of hospice occurs). It further shows how these divisions produce multiplications of labor for women carers in the home. I interpret these divisions and multiplications of labor as manifestations of neoliberal welfare state restructuring. A certain cultural conservatism, however, is also potentially reproduced by these geographies. These interpretations situate hospice work in a social theoretical context, and look beyond neoliberalism as the singular rightward keel of social policy.
The Dynamics of Campaign Issue Agendas

I argue that candidates shape their issue agendas—the sets of related issues on which they focus—in part in response to the issue agendas of their opponents and that competitive campaigns stimulate candidates to respond to one another at higher rates. I test my theory of candidate interaction using weekly advertising data at the media market level from 146 statewide elections—54 gubernatorial and 92 U.S. Senate contests—from six election years and across all 50 states. I find that candidates systematically respond to one another’s issue agendas and do so to a greater extent in competitive elections than in noncompetitive elections.
Optimal Bayesian Randomization

Randomization is a puzzle for Bayesians. The intuitive need for randomization is clear, but there is a standard result that Bayesians need not randomize. In this paper we propose a model in which randomization is a strictly optimal procedure. The most important aspect of our model is that there are several parties who make different decisions and observe different data. The result also sheds light on the ethical considerations involving randomization in a clinical trial.
Phencyclidine block of Ca2+ ATPase in rat heart sarcoplasmic reticulum.

Abstract Phencyclidine hydrochloride (PCP) also known as Angel Dust is a very potent psychotomimetic drug of abuse. Besides its central nervous system (CNS) effects PCP produces a number of adverse effects in a variety of tissues including the cardiovascular system. Since PCP is known to alter the cellular calcium homeostasis the present studies were initiated to determine the changes in cardiac Ca 2+ ATPase activity in rats treated with PCP. For in vitro studies the cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) fractions prepared from normal rats were incubated with 25, 50 and 100 μM PCP and the enzyme activities were estimated. Whereas, for in vivo studies the cardiac SR fractions prepared from rats treated with PCP (10 mg/kg body wt. single dose, intra-peritoneally (i.p.)) and sacrificed at different time intervals were used. PCP reduced the Ca 2+ ATPase activity significantly both in vitro and in vivo. A 50% inhibition of the enzyme activity was obtained with 100 μM PCP in vitro. A significant reduction of SR Ca 2+ ATPase was also evident as early as 1 h after treatment of rats with PCP. The reduction of Ca 2+ ATPase activity in SR was irreversible even at 12 h after treatment. The in vitro kinetic studies revealed that PCP was found to be a competitive inhibitor of Ca 2+ ATPase with respect to the substrate, ATP, and non-competitive with respect to Ca 2+ activation. These results indicate that PCP alters the myocardial Ca 2+ homeostasis by inhibiting the Ca 2+ ATPase in cardiac SR in rats. Inhibition of SR Ca 2+ ATPase may result in the impairment of contraction and relaxation coupling processes in the myocardium.
Local graft-versus-host reaction suppressed by immuno-blocking antibody secreted by antibody-forming cells transferred with the graft.

Abstract The graft-versus-host reactivity of Lewis rat spleen cells was measured using a popliteal lymph node assay in Lewis-Brown Norway (LBN) recipient rats. Specific sensitization of donors with a single iv injection of Lewis-Brown Norway spleen cells 7–14 days prior to assay resulted in a significant decrease in graft-versus-host reactivity. Third party sensitization of donors with Lewis-Buffalo spleen cells did not alter graft-versus-host reactivity. Lewis spleen cells suspended in Lewis anti-LBN serum were equally as reactive in the popliteal lymph node assay as Lewis spleen cells suspended in normal Lewis serum. An association was observed between the degree of immunosuppression as a function of time after sensitization and the titer of cytotoxic antibody in the donor serum. This association was not shown in a study of graft-versus-host reactivity and serum cytotoxic antibody titer as a function of the number of cells used. Velocity sedimentation was used to separate spleen cells obtained from specifically sensitized Lewis rats into fractions either enriched or depleted of antibody-forming cells. The addition of 105 or 106 sensitized cells from the antibody-forming cells enriched fraction to 107 normal spleen cells resulted in a significant decrease in graft-versus-host reactivity. The addition of 106 sensitized cells depleted in antibody-forming cells did not significantly change the graft-versus-host reactivity of 107 normal Lewis spleen cells. From these data we conclude that the suppression in graft-versus-host reactivity produced by donor sensitization can be accounted for by immunoblocking antibodies secreted by cells transferred with the graft.
C–N rotational barriers in aromatically substituted styrylformamides: an AM1 study utilizing the conductor like screening model for real solvents

Abstract Semi-empirical calculations at the AM1 level utilizing the Conductor Like Screening Model for Real Solvents (COSMO-RS) are performed on a series of styrylformamides in their E, Z and transition state conformations to determine barriers to rotation (BIR) about the amide bond. Comparison is made with experimental data from two-dimensional exchange correlation spectroscopy NMR experiments (2D EXSY). Equilibrium and transition state structures are analyzed to explain the observed decrease in rotational barriers with electron withdrawing substituents. Calculations of nonexperimentally determined structures are performed to predict rotational barriers. The theoretically observed trends correspond well with chemical intuition.
Modeling Sorbent Injection for Mercury Control in Baghouse Filters: I—Model Development and Sensitivity Analysis

A two-stage mathematical model for Hg removal using powdered activated carbon injection upstream of a baghouse filter was developed, with the first stage accounting for removal in the ductwork and the second stage accounting for additional removal caused by the retention of carbon particles on the filter. The model shows that removal in the ductwork is minimal, and the additional carbon detention time from the entrapment of the carbon particles in the fabric filter enhances the Hg removal from the gas phase. A sensitivity analysis on the model shows that Hg removal is dependent on the isotherm parameters, the carbon pore radius and tortuosity, the C/Hg ratio, and the carbon particle radius.
Effects of concentrated separator by-product (desugared molasses) on intake, site of digestion, microbial efficiency, and nitrogen balance in ruminants fed forage-based diets

In Exp. 1, 4 ruminally and duodenally cannulated beef steers (444.0 +/- 9.8 kg) were used in a 4 x 4 Latin square with a 2 x 2 factorial treatment arrangement to evaluate the effects of forage type (alfalfa or corn stover) and concentrated separator byproduct (CSB) supplementation (0 or 10% of dietary DM) on intake, site of digestion, and microbial efficiency. In Exp. 2, 5 wethers (44 +/- 1.5 kg) were used in a 5 x 5 Latin square to evaluate the effects of CSB on intake, digestion, and N balance. Treatments were 0, 10, and 20% CSB (DM basis) mixed with forage; 10% CSB offered separately from the forage; and a urea control, in which urea was added to the forage at equal N compared with the 10% CSB treatment. In Exp. 1, intakes of OM and N (g/kg of BW) were greater (P 0.25) by forage type or CSB supplementation. In Exp. 2, forage and total intake increased (linear; P < 0.01) as CSB increased and were greater (P < 0.04) in 10% CSB mixed with forage compared with 10% CSB fed separately. Feeding 10% CSB separately resulted in similar DM and OM apparent total tract digestibility compared with 10% CSB fed mixed. Increasing CSB led to an increase (linear; P < 0.02) in DM, OM, apparent N digestion, and water intake. Nitrogen balance (g and percentage of N intake) increased (linear; P < 0.08) with CSB addition. Feeding 10% CSB separately resulted in greater (P < 0.01) N balance compared with 10% CSB fed mixed. Using urea resulted in similar (P = 0.30) N balance compared with 10% CSB fed mixed. Inclusion of CSB improves intake, digestion, and increases microbial N production in ruminants fed forage-based diets.
Pulmonary artery balloon counterpulsation for intraoperative right ventricular failure

Abstract Two cases of severe low cardiac output and right ventricular failure after coronary artery bypass grafting necessitated pulmonary artery balloon counterpulsation after intraaortic balloon pumping and maximal inotropic/ pressor support were unsuccessful in maintaining a satisfactory cardiac output. Hemodynamic improvement was sufficient to allow removal of the device 2 and 3 days postoperatively, with survival in 1 patient. Pulmonary artery counterpulsation is less morbid in comparison with other mechanical methods of right ventricular support and is applicable in right ventricular failure of intermediate severity.
Prevalent and incident use of androgen deprivation therapy among men with prostate cancer in the United States.

Purpose Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for prostate cancer increased substantially through the 1990s, but more recent national trends regarding incident and prevalent use have been incompletely characterized.
Cellulase production by Trichoderma reesei immobilized on κ-carrageenan

Cellulase production by Trichoderma reesei mutant RUT-C30, immobilized on 4% κ-carrageenan beads, was monitored in continuous culture for 13 days. Cellulase production averaged 26.0 Filter Paper Units (FPU)/l/hr; carbon and nitrogen requirements per FPU produced were reduced to 1/4-1/2 those of conventional continuous culture.
Thermophotovoltaic and thermoelectric portable power generators

The quest for developing clean, quiet, and portable high energy density, and ultra-compact power sources continues. Although batteries offer a well known solution, limits on the chemistry developed to date constrain the energy density to 0.2 kWh/kg, whereas many hydrocarbon fuels have energy densities closer to 13 kWh/kg. The fundamental challenge remains: how efficiently and robustly can these widely available chemical fuels be converted into electricity in a millimeter to centimeter scale systems? Here we explore two promising technologies for high energy density power generators: thermophotovoltaics (TPV) and thermoelectrics (TE). These heat to electricity conversion processes are appealing because they are fully static leading to quiet and robust operation, allow for multifuel operation due to the ease of generating heat, and offer high power densities. We will present some previous work done in the TPV and TE fields. In addition we will outline the common technological barriers facing both approaches, as well as outline the main differences. Performance for state of the art research generators will be compared as well as projections for future practically achievable systems. A viable TPV or TE power source for a ten watt for one week mission can be built from a <10% efficient device which is achievable with current state of the art technology such as photonic crystals or advanced TE materials.
Diffusing Colloidal Probes of Protein and Synthetic Macromolecule Interactions

A new approach is described for measuring kT and nanometer scale protein-protein and protein-synthetic macromolecule interactions. The utility of this method is demonstrated by measuring interactions of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and copolymers with exposed polyethyleneoxide (PEO) moieties adsorbed to hydrophobically modified colloids and surfaces. Total internal reflection and video microscopy are used to track three-dimensional trajectories of many single diffusing colloids that are analyzed to yield interaction potentials, mean-square displacements, and colloid-surface association lifetimes. A criterion is developed to identify colloids as being levitated, associated, or deposited based on energetic, spatial, statistical, and temporal information. Whereas levitation and deposition occur for strongly repulsive or attractive potentials, association is exponentially sensitive to weak interactions influenced by adsorbed layer architectures and surface heterogeneity. Systematic experiments reveal how BSA orientation and PEO molecular weight produce adsorbed layers that either conceal or expose substrate heterogeneities to generate a continuum of colloid-surface association lifetimes. These measurements provide simultaneous access to a broad range of information that consistently indicates purely repulsive BSA and PEO interactions and a role for surface heterogeneity in colloid-surface association. The demonstrated capability to measure nonspecific protein interactions provides a basis for future measurements of specific protein interactions.
Coherent spectral bandwidth combining by optical pulse injection locking in quantum dot modelocked semiconductor diode lasers

An optical pulse injection locking technique is employed to generate shorter pulses from a passively modelocked quantum dot laser. The optical pulse injection locking enables the coherent addition of phase-locked longitudinal mode groups from two separate modelocked lasers without the use of stabilisation control loops, thus increasing the spectral bandwidth output resulting in optical pulses with shorter temporal duration.
Measuring human brain GABA in vivo: effects of GABA-transaminase inhibition with vigabatrin.

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) plays a pivotal role in suppressing the origin and spread of seizure activity. Low occipital lobe GABA was associated with poor seizure control in patients with complex partial seizures. Vigabatrin irreversibly inhibits GABA-transaminase, raising brain and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) GABA concentrations. The effect of vigabatrin on occipital lobe GABA concentrations was measured by in vivo nuclear magnetic-resonance spectroscopy. Using a single oral dose of vigabatrin, the rate of GABA synthesis in human brain was estimated at 17% of the Krebs cycle rate. As the daily dose of vigabatrin was increased to up to 3 g, the fractional elevation of brain GABA was similar to CSF increase. Doubling the daily dose from 3 to 6g failed to increase brain GABA further. Increased GABA concentrations appear to reduce GABA synthesis in humans as it does in animals. With traditional antiepileptic drugs, remission of the seizure disorder was associated with normal GABA levels. With vigabatrin, elevated CSF and brain GABA was associated with improved seizure control. Vigabatrin enhances the vesicular and nonvesicular release of GABA. The release of GABA during seizures may be mediated in part by transporter reversal that may serve as an important protective mechanism. During a seizure, this mechanism may be critical in stopping the seizure or preventing its spread.
Effect of obstruction on longitudinal left ventricular shortening in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Effect of Obstruction on Longitudinal Left Ventricular Shortening in Hypertrophic CardiomyopathyIvan Barac, Shrikanth Upadya, Robert Pilchik, Glenda Winson, Michael Passick, Farooq Chaudhry, Mark V...
Spatio-temporal association of fossil fuel CO2 emissions from crop production across US counties

This article offers a spatio-temporal analysis of the distribution of CO2 emissions, the main cause for greenhouse gases, due to agricultural activities across US counties. Based on a novel database, we investigate how crop production output (measured in carbon) relates to CO2 emitted in the production and transportation process of the inputs needed for crop production. Various spatial statistics are used to highlight the clusters of counties with similarities in the levels and growth of output per area, input per area and productivity. At the same time, significant levels of heterogeneity are highlighted for all variables. A decomposition method allows us to uncover that the origin of interregional differences in productivity differs across the clusters of counties. Our results indicate that future mitigation policies should not fail to recognize interregional differences in the location, spatial extent and origin of carbon emissions due to the crop production process.
Development of cell-free protein synthesis platforms for disulfide bonded proteins.

The use of cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) for recombinant protein production is emerging as an important technology. For example, the openness of the cell-free system allows control of the reaction environment to promote folding of disulfide bonded proteins in a rapid and economically feasible format. These advantages make cell-free protein expression systems particularly well suited for producing patient specific therapeutic vaccines or antidotes in response to threats from natural and man-made biological agents and for pharmaceutical proteins that are difficult to produce in living cells. In this work we assess the versatility of modern cell-free methods, optimize expression and folding parameters, and highlight the importance of rationally designed plasmid templates for producing mammalian secreted proteins, fusion proteins, and antibody fragments in our E. coli-based CFPS system. Two unique CFPS platforms were established by developing standardized extract preparation protocols and generic cell-free reaction conditions. Generic reaction conditions enabled all proteins to express well with the best therapeutic protein yield at 710 µg/mL, an antibody fragment at 230 µg/mL, and a vaccine fusion protein at 300 µg/mL; with the majority correctly folded. Better yields were obtained when cell-free reaction conditions were optimized for each protein. Establishing general CFPS platforms enhances the potential for cell-free protein synthesis to reliably produce complex protein products at low production and capital costs with very rapid process development timelines. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2008;99: 351–367. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The photodimerization of aceanthrylene

Abstract Sensitized photodimerization of aceanthrylene ( AA ) with Rose Bengal in methanol produced both syn and anti head-to-head and head-to-tail stereoisomers with slight preference for syn adducts. The stereochemical configurations were assigned by deuterium labeling and by high field homonuclear shift correlation (COSY) experiments and these compare favorably with the assignments made for the photodimers of 1-substituted acenaphthylenes. Currently, AA has photodimerized under direct irradiation only in carbon disulfide.
Ring Coolers and Muon Colliders/Higgs Factories

We describe the progress in the simulation of 6D cooling of μ beams for use in neutrino factories and muon colliders. We concentrate on the final cooling needed to reach the emmittance required for a SUSY Higgs factory using high-pressure gas ring coolers and Li lens ring coolers.
Exchange of ideas for global studies

An all-day Union session at the upcoming AGU Spring Meeting will provide a forum for discussing the present-day advances and the new syntheses that may soon be possible through study of the earth as a system. According to session chairman Raymond A. Price of the Geological Survey of Canada (Ottawa), the goal of the session is to bring together speakers from a wide range of disciplines “to share some of the excitement that is being generated [through global studies] and to stimulate some synergism.” The “Earth as a System” session will be held on Tuesday, May 19, at the Baltimore, Md., meeting.
Poroelasticity-II: On the Equilibrium State of the Fluid-Filled Penetrable Poroelastic Body

Part-II of the paper titled “Poroelasticity-II” is devoted to defining the joint equilibrium state of a fluid and elastic penetrable material, encapsulated in a rigid volume, Ω. One can ask different questions in respect to such an equilibrium state, such as: (1) In what physical state will the fluid be, if the porous volume of the poroelastic material is filled with a given mass of fluid? (2) What is the capacity of a volume filled with a penetrable sponge in respect to the fluid being in specific state? etc. The point is that, in the frame of the most popular theory of poroelastic materials, Biot’s theory, such a question cannot be addressed because this theory is formulated as a linear theory in the neighborhood of some equilibrium state. In this article, we continue to describe our theory that can be applied to solve such problems. We consider a simplified case of a linear-elastic matrix and a fluid having a Van der Waals equation of state and address the problem of the equilibrium state.
Macrodystrophia lipomatosa with associated fibrolipomatous hamartoma of the median nerve

Macrodystrophia lipomatosa (MDL) is a rare disease typically causing localized gigantism and is often associated with a fibrolipomatous hamartoma (FH) of the median or plantar nerve. A previously unreported case of MDL with associated FH of the median nerve is presented.
Interaction between enkephalin and γ‐aminobutyric acid in the chicken retina: A double‐label immunoelectron microscopic analysis

In the present study, double-label immunoelectron microscopy was used to examine the synaptic relationships between amacrine cell populations in the chicken retina that contain either enkephalin or γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) or both enkephalin and GABA. The objectives of the present study were twofold. First, the ultrastructural features and synaptic organization of enkephalin and enkephalin/GABA amacrine cells were compared. Second, the synaptic interactions between these populations and the population of GABA amacrine cells were examined. A total of 475 synaptic arrangements were observed to involve enkephalin or enkephalin/GABA amacrine cell processes. The synaptic relationships of enkephalin and enkephalin/GABA amacrine cells were quite similar. Each population was pre- and postsynaptic to amacrine cells, postsynaptic to bipolar cells, and presynaptic to processes possibly originating from ganglion cells. A substantial percentage of each population's pre- and postsynaptic relationships were with the processes of GABAergic amacrine cells. Moreover, when enkephalin and enkephalin/ GABA amacrine cell processes were postsynaptic to bipolar cells, their dyadic partner was observed frequently to be a GABA amacrine cell process. The present study suggests a diversity in the population of chicken enkephalin amacrine cells with respect to their expression of the classical inhibitory transmitter GABA. Moreover, a functional relationship between enkephalinergic and GABAergic pathways is indicated by studies showing that both enkephalin and enkephalin/GABA amacrine cells exhibit substantial synaptic interaction with GABA amacrine cells. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Subchronic/chronic toxicity of a mixture of four chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins in rats. II. Biochemical effects.

Abstract Groups of 20 male and 20 female rats were given five different oral doses of a mixture of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo- p -dioxin (TCDD), 1,2,3,7,8-pentaCDD, (PCDD) 1,2,3,4,7,8-hexaCDD (HxCDD), and 1,2,3,4,6,7,8-heptaCDD (HpCDD) divided into four daily loading doses and six biweekly maintenance doses. PCDD and HxCDD were used as positive controls. The dosing period was 13 weeks, after which half of the rats were necropsied and the rest provided with an off-dose period of another 13 weeks. Liver ethoxyresorufin O -deethylase (EROD) activity was dose-dependently increased in rats dosed with the mixture starting at the lowest dose (13- to 16-fold increase), with the effect reaching maximum at the middle dosage (74- to 112-fold increase), as well as in the positive control groups. There was some indication of reversibility at the lower doses and in positive controls during the off-dose period. The activity of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) in liver was dose-dependently decreased (maximally by 51%). This effect was more distinct in males than in females. Liver tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (TdO) activity decreased maximally by 53% at the two highest doses. This effect was more distinct in females than in males. Serum tryptophan concentrations were increased in rats moribund due to wasting. Some reversibility was apparent by the end of the off-dose period regarding all three biochemical markers of CDD toxicity. Serum glucose concentrations were decreased at the three highest doses of the mixture and in positive controls, maximally by 30%, with some reversibility during the off-dose period. There was a dose-dependent decrease of serum thyroxine (T4) concentrations in rats given the mixture and in the PCDD and HxCDD dosage groups (maximally by 69%), with some reversibility in males during the off-dose period. Serum triiodothyronine (T3) levels were not much affected, except that they tended to be decreased in rats moribund with hemorrhage or anemia. The results demonstrate that comparable biochemical changes occur after multiple as after single dosing with CDDs and that TEFs derived from acute studies can be used to predict the toxicity of mixtures of CDDs regardless whether they are administered as single compounds or as a mixture. This study supports the validity of the toxic equivalency factor (TEF) method and the notion of additive toxicity for CDDs as currently used in the risk assessment of these compounds.
HDO in the Martian atmosphere: Implications for the abundance of crustal water

The physical and chemical processes that lead to the preferential escape of hydrogen over deuterium in the Martian atmosphere are studied in detail using a one-dimensional photochemical model. Comparison of our theory with recent observations of HDO suggests that, averaged over the planet, Mars contains 0.2 m of crustal water that is exchangeable with the atmosphere. Our estimate is considerably lower than recent estimates of subsurface water on Mars based on geomorphological analysis of Viking images. The estimate can be reconciled if only a small fraction of crustal water can exchange with the atmosphere.
IA− Macrophages and Cytokine Networks Contribute to Tumor-Induced Suppression of CD4+ Autoreactive T Cells

Tumor growth changes the functions and phenotypes of macrophages (M phi) and T cells. Suppression of CD4+ T cell autoresponses during tumor growth was contributed primarily by M phi. Tumor-induced alterations in the abilities of these cells to mediate autorecognition were assessed through syngeneic mixed lymphocyte reaction (SMLR) assays. Tumor-bearing host (TBH) M phi were significantly more suppressive (60-90%) than normal host (NH) M phi, and this suppression was caused partly by reduced Ia expression. TBH Ia- M phi were significantly more suppressive (50-80%) than their NH counterparts. The suppression mechanism was controlled partly by prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), because treating cultures with indomethacin and titrated NH and TBH Ia- M phi led to increased T-cell responsiveness, although responsiveness never reached levels of assays containing unseparated M phi. Blocking studies using anti-interferon-gamma (anti-IFN-gamma) monoclonal antibodies (mAb), anti-interleukin 4 (anti-IL-4) mAb, and indomethacin suggested that IFN-gamma, IL-4, and PGE2 contributed to tumor-induced M phi-mediated suppression. Our results suggested that a quantitative shift in M phi phenotype and a qualitative shift in M phi function in addition to differences in cytokine-directed accessory activities are partly responsible for tumor-induced suppression CD4+ T cell autoresponses.
Location transparent connection management: a survey of protocol issues

The authors examine one aspect of connection management currently receiving attention: dynamic, location-independent addressing. They offer a proposed clarification of relevant terminology, outline the location transparency problem, and explore both existing and potential approaches to its implementation. Underlying the exploration is the fundamental premise that addressing and routing in a location transparent environment necessitates considering a virtual addressing capability, which allows a device to have an unchanging virtual address at one level, and a physical address at a lower level, which dynamically changes according to the position of the device. >
Inhibition of protein synthesis and cell proliferation in cultured human breast cancer cells treated with mitoxantrone.

Abstract Mitoxantrone suppresses cell proliferation, inhibits protein synthesis and induces ultrastructural alterations in the T-47D and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines. After 24 h treatment with 10 −9 , 10 −7 and 10 −5 M drug and 8 h incubation with [ 35 S]methionine, protein synthesis declined rapidly. While a 10–15% decrease in protein synthesis at 10 −9 M was observed, more than 95% inhibition of protein synthesis occurred at 10 −5 M mitoxantrone in both cell lines. Sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) gel electrophoresis of labeled proteins revealed no qualitative changes in either cell line. However, only trace amounts of several proteins were present in T-47D cells treated with 10 −5 M drug. At 10 −9 M mitoxantrone had little effect on cell proliferation. At 10 −7 M, 25% and 35% growth inhibition in T-47D and MDA-MB-231 cells was observed, respectively. Cell growth at 10 −5 M was abolished. Cytotoxicity was evident at drug concentrations above 10 −5 M. Ultrastructural alterations in the nucleoli of both cell lines included disintegration and segregation of granular and fibrillar components and the disappearance of nucleolar organizers at 10 −7 –10 −5 M mitoxantrone.
A comparison of three methods for the management of vocal fold nodules

Summary The improvement of the voices of 59 patients following the diagnosis of vocal fold nodules was evaluated according to the type of treatment, i.e., therapy, therapy following surgery, or combined management by an otolaryngologist-speech pathologist. Pre- and post-voice therapy recordings were judged by two experienced listeners and rated on a four-point scale of improvement. Posttreatment judgments indicated that the overall improvement was greatest in the combined management group followed by the group treated by voice therapy only and finally by the group that had the nodules removed prior to treatment. The results of the study suggest that satisfactory improvement of the voice can be obtained using any of the three approaches. Because of potential complications of surgery, the removal of vocal fold nodules is indicated only after other approaches fail to produce the desired results.
The carrying capacity of a region: A planning model

Abstract While traditional planning often assumes unlimited growth potential, in reality such growth has absolute limits in terms of resources available and maintenance of the ecosystem. These limits (the region's carrying capacity) can be modeled; one such model, the State-of-the-System (SOS) Model, is described in this paper and is designed to test various assumptions about the desired growth of an area under explicit side conditions or limitations. Such a model could be used to test the validity of establishing comprehensive plans, to identify critical growth constraints, and to weight policy choices.
An Experimental Investigation of Combined Convection From a Short Vertical Cylinder in a Crossflow

An experimental investigation of combined convective heat transfer from a smooth, isothermal vertical cylinder to a surrounding gas medium is described. The study was motivated by the desire to predict the convective heat loss from the 10-MWe pilot plant solar receiver in Barstow, California. Hence emphasis is placed on the supercritical (Reynolds number Re greater than 105 , turbulent (Rayleigh number RaL greater than 109 ) regime. The influences of the Reynolds number, the Rayleigh number, the Richardson number, and Tw /T∞ —the ratio of the surface temperature, Tw to the ambient air temperature T∞ —are deduced. Large ranges of these dimensionless parameters are covered with a single model by using a variable ambient temperature, cryogenic wind tunnel over the temperature range 80 K ≤ T∞ ≤ 300 K. The cryogenic facility also enables the simultaneous generation of large Rayleigh numbers and large Reynolds numbers.
Association of B-type natriuretic peptide activation to left ventricular end-systolic remodeling in organic and functional mitral regurgitation

B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is activated with mitral regurgitation (MR), but it is unclear whether BNP activation is uniform in organic and functional MR and whether it merely reflects symptoms or is a biomarker of left ventricular (LV) geometric and functional alterations. Comprehensive Doppler echocardiography and hormonal measurements were performed prospectively in 99 patients, 50 with organic MR, 28 with functional MR (with similar LV enlargement 130 ± 21 vs 141 ± 40, p = 0.18, and age 64 ± 13 vs 66 ± 12 years, p = 0.56) and 21 controls subjects of similar age. Compared with the controls, the patients with MR displayed LV remodeling and BNP activation. In those with functional MR compared with those with organic MR, despite a lower regurgitant volume (25 ± 25 vs 96 ± 29 ml), higher BNP levels were noted (385 ± 388 vs 70 ± 97 pg/ml, p 90 pg/ml, the odds ratio of an end-systolic volume index value of ≥60 ml/m 2 was 16 (95% confidence interval 5.5 to 45). In conclusion, BNP activation with MR is more pronounced in those with functional than those with organic MR, even after stratification for functional class, and independently reflects the severity of the LV alteration. Pronounced BNP activation is linked to a higher end-systolic volume index, for which it is a biomarker, irrespective of MR etiology and symptoms.
WHY THE BEST ISN'T SO BAD: MODERATION AND IDEALS IN EDUCATIONAL REFORM

In Moderating the Debate: Rationality and the Promise of American Education, Michael Feuer counsels reformers to “satisfice”: moderate their expectations and accept that flawed reforms can be good enough. Implicit in Feuer's view of satisficing is the assumption that moderating expectations entails eschewing ideals and replacing optimal goals with modest, real-world solutions. In this essay, Deborah Kerdeman agrees with Feuer that moderation is vital for reform, but maintains that embracing moderation does not contradict pursuing goals. To show how goals and moderation work in concert to promote reform, Kerdeman examines and reframes Feuer's assumptions about ideals. She also distinguishes moderation from satisficing and argues that satisficing, not ideals, can be deleterious to reform. Kerdeman concludes that sensible policy and research, while important, will not necessarily help reformers embrace moderation; cultivating moderation instead requires ongoing self-examination.
S-adenosylhomocysteine analogues with the carbon-5' and sulfur atoms replaced by a vinyl unit.

Cross-metathesis of suitably protected 5‘-deoxy-5‘-methyleneadenosines with racemic and chiral N-Boc-protected six-carbon amino acids bearing a terminal double bond in the presence of the Hoveyda−Grubbs catalyst gave adenosylhomocysteine analogues with the C5‘−C6‘ double bond. Bromination with pyridinium tribromide and dehydrobromination with DBU followed by standard deprotections yielded the 5‘-(bromo)vinyl analogue.