cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multicopy FZF1 (SUL1) suppresses the sulfite sensitivity but not the glucose derepression or aberrant cell morphology of a grr1 mutant of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

An ssu2 mutation in Sacccharomyces cerevisiae, previously shown to cause sulfite sensitivity, was found to be allelic to GRR1, a gene previously implicated in glucose repression. The suppressor rgt1, which suppresses the growth defects of grr1 strains on glucose, did not fully suppress the sensitivity on glucose or nonglucose carbon sources, indicating that it is not strictly linked to a defect in glucose metabolism. Because the Cln1 protein was previously shown to be elevated in grr1 mutants, the effect of CLN1 overexpression on sulfite sensitivity was investigated. Overexpression in GRR1 cells resulted in sulfite sensitivity, suggesting a connection between CLN1 and sulfite metabolism. Multicopy FZF1, a putative transcription factor, was found to suppress the sulfite sensitive phenotype of grr1 strains, but not the glucose derepression or aberrant cell morphology. Multicopy FZF1 was also found to suppress the sensitivity of a number of other unrelated sulfite-sensitive mutants, but not that of ssu1 or met20, implying that FZF1 may act through Ssu1p and Met20p. Disruption of FZF1 resulted in sulfite sensitivity when the construct was introduced in single copy at the FZF1 locus in a GRR1 strain, providing evidence that FZF1 is involved in sulfite metabolism.
Towards a molecular biology of the circadian clock and sleep of mammals

Behavioral states of rest and activity are temporally organized. Since the beginning of life on Earth, plants and animals have been forced to adapt to the daily rhythm of the planet's rotation about its axis. In complex vertebrates (birds and mammals), rest and activity have evolved into the electrophysiologically and behaviorally distinct states of sleep and wakefulness. The evolutionary emergence of bouts of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep may be even more recent; the echidna, one of the earliest mammals, lacks this sleep stage (Siegel et al., 1994), The cycling of these behavioral states is under neural control, and much is known about their cellular basis, but the underlying events at the molecular level are virtually unknown. Here each of us highlights some of the new approaches for investigating the molecular substrate for behavioral state control of circadian rhythmicity (WJS) and sleep (PJS) in mammals.
P2P as a CDN: A new service model for file sharing

Traditional content distribution networks (CDNs), such as Akamai, replicate content at thousands of servers worldwide in an attempt to bring it closer to end users. Recent years have, however, brought a surge of peer-to-peer (p2p) systems that have demonstrated the ability both to help traditional CDN operations and to effectively disseminate content as independent applications. Unfortunately, this p2p surge has created significant problems to network operators by generating large volumes of inter-AS traffic. In this paper, we demonstrate that stepping back and applying traditional CDN design principles to p2p systems can help solve these emerging problems. In particular, focusing on the BitTorrent swarming protocol, we show that our new service model can, in the common case, reduce inter-AS traffic by 45-75%. Moreover, in scenarios when ISPs are shaping inter-AS traffic, it speeds up download times by 60% for the most popular torrents. Our approach bases on disproving the common wisdom that the current peer altruism in p2p systems (BitTorrent in particular) is insufficient. We thus abandon the common approach of deploying novel incentives for cooperation, and focus on designing methods to effectively utilize existing system resources. We show that controlled regional-based content replication, common for the traditional CDN design, can effectively achieve this goal. We implement our system and demonstrate that it effectively scales. Moreover, it is incrementally deployable and brings significant benefits in partial deployment scenarios. ISPs and network regions in which the system gets deployed can resolve their inter-AS traffic problems instantly and autonomously, i.e., without any inter-ISP collaboration and without requiring that the system gets deployed in the entire Internet.
The ocular surface phenotype of Muc5ac and Muc5b null mice.

PURPOSE Recent development of mice null for either Muc5ac or Muc5b mucin allows study of their specific roles at the mouse ocular surface. A recent report indicated that Muc5ac null mice show an ocular surface phenotype similar to that seen in dry eye syndrome. The purpose of our study was to determine the effect of lack of Muc5ac or Muc5b on the ocular surface, and to determine if environmental desiccating stress exacerbated a phenotype. METHODS Muc5ac null and Muc5b null mice, and their wild-type controls were examined for ocular surface defects by fluorescein staining. The number of goblet cells per area of conjunctival epithelium was counted, and levels of mucin gene expression and genes associated with epithelial stress, keratinization, and differentiation, known to be altered in dry eye syndrome, were assayed. To determine if the null mice would respond more to desiccating stress than their wild-type controls, they were challenged in a controlled environment chamber (CEC) and assessed for changes in fluorescein staining, tear volume, and inflammatory cells within the conjunctival and corneal epithelia. RESULTS Unlike the previous study, we found no ocular surface phenotype in the Muc5ac null mice, even after exposure to desiccating environmental stress. Similarly, no ocular surface phenotype was present in the Muc5b null mice, either before or after exposure to a dry environment in the CEC. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that deleting either the Muc5ac or Muc5b gene is insufficient to create an observable dry eye phenotype on the ocular surface of these mice.
Behavior and mechanisms of steel plate shear walls with coupling

Abstract The Steel Plate Shear Wall with Coupling (SPSW-WC) system consists of a pair of planar SPSWs linked together with coupling beams at the floor levels. The degree of coupling, which represents the level of interaction between the two piers, and the plastic strength for a SPSW-WC are important parameters in understanding behavior and developing designs for the system. This paper examines these two parameters using plastic analysis and numerical simulations of single story and multi-story SPSW-WC configurations. The focus is on desirable uniform-yielding mechanisms, but soft-story mechanisms are also briefly discussed, and analytical closed-form expressions are developed for ultimate strength and degree of coupling. Thirty-two SPSW-WC structures are designed with emphasis on varying the following parameters: height of the structure (number of stories), coupled length and coupling beam properties. These structures are studied with numerical models using monotonic nonlinear static analysis. Good agreement is observed between the numerical simulations and the analytical predictions for the ultimate strength and degree of coupling. The degree of coupling is shown to have a significant impact on structural weight, particularly for the taller structures studied, and the optimal degree of coupling to maximize material efficiency is found to be in the range of 0.4 to 0.6.
Dynamics of neural structures.

Neural nets are constructed of discrete populations of formal neurons. The dynamics of such systems are investigated beginning with the study of single probabilistic nets which are called netlets . The time course of neural activity is found by analytic methods and by computer simulation for a variety of parameters. A brief discussion of the problem of ergodicity brings out the fact that for the range of parameters considered in this study, a high probability exists for cycling, involving just two firing states of the netlet. The dynamics of netlets is extended to include steady or slowly varying excitatory or inhibitory inputs, spontaneous random activity and coupled pairs of netlets. Quantitative results are given for systems described by selected sets of parameters. Finally a formalism is presented for the quantitative discussion of systems combining arbitrary numbers of interconnected netlets.
Carbon monoxide hydrogenation on the Ru(001) surface at low temperature using gas-phase atomic hydrogen

Abstract Hydrogenation of carbon monoxide on the Ru(001) surface has been investigated using high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy. Exposing gas-phase atomic hydrogen to a saturated carbon monoxide overlayer on Ru(001) at 100 K results in reaction (via Eley-Rideal kinetics) under ultrahigh vacuum conditions. The mechanism of this reaction is believed to be a good representation of the actual Langmuir-Hinshelwood hydrogen migration reaction that would occur under industrial conditions. Both η1- and η2-formyl are clearly identified as initial reaction intermediates. Heating the surface to 180 K decomposes some of the η1-formyl, leading to adsorbed CO and hydrogen desorption, with the remainder of the η1-formyl converting to η2-formyl. Further annealing to 250 K leads to complete decomposition of the η2-formyl, resulting in hydrogen desorption and regeneration of the original CO overlayer. This work represents the first isolation and spectroscopic identification of any reaction intermediate for carbon monoxide hydrogenation on any well-characterized surface at low pressure and temperature.
Myogenic Reactivity of Coronary Resistance Arteries After Cardiopulmonary Bypass and Hyperkalemic Cardioplegia

Background Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and cardioplegia are associated with systemic hypotension and altered vascular responses, suggesting a defect in the smooth muscle control of vascular tone. Previous studies demonstrated alteration in neurohumoral control of the systemic and coronary circulation after CPB and cardioplegia; however, effects of CPB and cardioplegia on the intrinsic control of the vascular smooth muscle, especially in the coronary microcirculation, remain to be determined. Methods and Results Pigs were placed on CPB. Selected hearts were arrested with a cold, hyperkalemic ([K+]=25 mmol/L) crystalloid cardioplegic solution for 1 hour. In another group, hearts were arrested and then reperfused with warm blood for 1 hour. Coronary arterioles (70 to 149 μm) were studied in a pressurized, no-flow state with video microscopy. Myogenic reactivity was examined to stepwise increases in intraluminal pressure from 10 to 100 mm Hg. The vessel diameter was normalized to the diameter at 50 mm Hg aft...
SISAL: Initial MIMD Performance Results

SISAL is a parallel functional language developed for use on a variety of parallel processing architectures. In this report we discuss the implementation strategies that have allowed quick development of a reasonably portable system that can effectively exploit features of common target architectures. We outline the run time management software. Speedup data from a few representative benchmarks demonstrates that SISAL uses the available concurrency of the Denelcor HEP multiprocessor well via completely automatic detection and implementation of parallelism.
Diagnostic accuracy: sensitivity and specificity of the ScreenAssist Lumbar Questionnaire in comparison with primary care provider tests and measures of low back pain: a pilot study.

AbstractObjective: The purpose of this study was to estimate the diagnostic accuracy of the ScreenAssist Lumbar Questionnaire (SALQ) to determine the presence of non-musculoskeletal pain or emergent musculoskeletal pain, in terms of its sensitivity and specificity, when compared with the assessment and diagnosis made by primary care providers.Methods: Subjects were patients presenting to a primary care physician’s office with the main complaint of low back pain. SALQ data were collected within 24 hours of the appointment. A 2-month post-visit chart review was performed in order to compare scores and recommendations made by the questionnaire with the assessment and diagnosis made by the physician.Results: The SALQ demonstrated a sensitivity of 100% (95% CI = 0·445–1·0) and specificity of 92% (95% CI = 0·831–0·920). The negative likelihood ratio was 0·11 (95% CI = 0·01–1·54) and the positive likelihood ratio was 9·36 (95% CI = 2·78–32). If the SALQ was positive, the post-test probability was 0·60. If the SA...
Effect of ceria on the desulfation characteristics of model lean NOx trap catalysts

Abstract Using model powder catalysts and fully formulated monolithic lean NOx trap (LNT) catalysts, the effect of ceria on LNT desulfation behavior was investigated. TPR experiments performed on the model catalysts showed that each of the oxide phases present (BaO, CeO2, and Al2O3) is able to store sulfur and that they possess distinct behavior in terms of the temperatures at which desulfation occurs. For a Pt/BaO/Al2O3 catalyst, addition of ceria was found to reduce the degree of sulfur accumulation on the BaO phase, particularly at high sulfur loadings, by contributing to sulfur capture. The importance of maintaining the Pt and Ba phases in close proximity for efficient LNT desulfation was also demonstrated; physically separating the Pt and Ba sites resulted in a shift of the desulfation temperature of the surface BaSO4 by 20–40 °C towards higher temperature, i.e., towards the position characteristic of bulk BaSO4. From the monolith studies, it was found that relative to a sample containing no ceria, samples containing La-stabilized CeO2 or CeO2–ZrO2 showed a greater resistance to deactivation during sulfation (as reflected by the NOx storage efficiency), and required lower temperatures to restore the NOx storage efficiency to its pre-sulfation value. In addition to the ability of ceria to store sulfur and release it at relatively low temperatures under reducing conditions, these findings can be attributed to the high water–gas shift activity displayed Pt/CeO2, which result in increased intra-catalyst concentrations of H2 under rich conditions. The results also showed that precious metal loadings can significantly impact desulfation efficiency and that both high Rh and Pt loadings are beneficial for catalyst desulfation.
356 PERSISTANT INDUCTION OF A CYTOCHROME P450 DEPENDENT MICROSOMAL ENZYME, ESTROGEN – 2-HYDROXYLASE, IN BRAIN AND LIVER, BY PRENATALLY ADMINISTERED PHENOBARBITAL

356 PERSISTANT INDUCTION OF A CYTOCHROME P450 DEPENDENT MICROSOMAL ENZYME, ESTROGEN – 2-HYDROXYLASE, IN BRAIN AND LIVER, BY PRENATALLY ADMINISTERED PHENOBARBITAL
Contractual Integration of Physician and Hospital Services in the U.S.

Using a binary-choice, probabilistic model, this study analyzes data covering the institutional and market characteristics of 759 hospitals in 81 metropolitan statistical are as in the United States to understand why many of them have chosen to contractually integrate with physician and physician group practices. The results support the theory that the contractual integration of physician and hospital services in the U.S. during the 1990s occurred in response to market pressures to circumvent the transaction costs of monitoring physician utilization of hospital resources. They also support the views of Robinson (1997) and Shortell (1997) that the nature of the coordination, the governance structure, and the part to which market mechanisms play are largely determined by the demands for coordination from the market served by the hospital, the capabilities of the hospital to pull physicians into integration arrangements, and the historical context and constraints binding the hospital's decision making.
A Study of Perceived Need Fulfillment and Life Satisfaction Before and After Retirement.

Abstract This study examines the perceived need satisfaction, need importance, and overall life satisfaction of managerial and nonmanagerial individuals as a function of four periods of proximity to retirement: greater than 48 mo preretirement, 3–48 mo preretirement, 3–48 mo postretirement, and greater than 48 mo postretirement. Preretirees and retirees completed a modified Porter need satisfaction questionnaire and a Life Satisfaction Index. Significant differences were found among proximity to retirement groups in security satisfaction, being-in-the-know satisfaction, self-actualization importance, and autonomy importance. The results suggest that the period of 4–7 yr before retirement may be a critical time to institute retirement planning programs. Results also suggest that retirement can be a satisfying period of life.
In vivo blood oxygen binding in hypoxic lesser spear-nosed bats: relationship to control of breathing

The hypoxic ventilatory threshold of many mammals correlates with their hemoglobin-oxygen affinity (P50). Yet, in some small mammals ventilation actually declines, rather than increases, with exposure to decreasing PaO2; their air convection requirement (V(E)/V(O2)), however, is elevated in hypoxia. We propose that the threshold of the hypoxic V(E)/V(O2) of small mammals coincides with the inflection ('knee') of their in vivo O2 equilibrium curve (O2EC). In vivo blood gas and pH data were obtained from normoxic and hypoxic lesser-spear nosed bats, Phyllostomus discolor; in vitro blood O2EC were also generated for normoxic bats at 32 and 37 degrees C and at three P(CO2)'s. The hypoxic V(E)/V(O2) threshold of P. discolor occurs at PaO2 = 39 Torr; the corresponding in vivo O2 saturation is 0.70, approximating the inflection of the O2EC. This animal has a high blood O2 affinity (P50 = 27.5 Torr at pH 7.40 and 37 degrees C; P50 = 30.8 Torr at in vivo pH of 7.31 and TB of 37.4 degrees C). As PaO2 is reduced, a pronounced hypoxia-induced respiratory alkalosis and hypothermia help maintain SaO2 near the O2EC inflection (0.64-0.70 S(O2)).
Prenatal diagnosis of fetal disseminated intravascular coagulation associated with umbilical cord arteriovenous malformation

Background: Congenital disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) has been reported in a variety of clinical settings, but to our knowledge, it has never been documented before birth. We describe prenatal identification of an umbilical cord vascular tumor and echogenic foci in the fetal liver leading to the diagnosis of fetal DIC by funipuncture. Case: A large vascular tumor of the umbilical cord was identified using prenatal sonography. At 31 weeks' gestation, echogenic areas, which were thought to represent infarcts or thrombi, were seen in the liver. When funipuncture revealed florid fetal DIC, delivery was accomplished by cesarean to prevent intracranial bleeding. Pathologic examination of the umbilical cord tumor showed it to be a large arteriovenous malformation. Conclusion: Arteriovenous malformations may cause fetal coagulopathy. This case illustrates that funipuncture may be used to diagnose this condition and that timely cesarean delivery may contribute to a favorable outcome.
Fighting Words Labor and the Limits of Communication at Staley, 1993 to 1996

This article performs a narrative analysis of a newsletter published over a period of 2 years by locked-out workers during an industrial conflict. The analysis of a unique archive of worker documen...
BEACONS IN PROGRAM COMPREHENSION

Beacons, as described by Brooks [1], are key features in a program that serve as typical indicators of a particular structure or operation. Beacons are highly recognizable and "carry a lot of the meaning" in the code.
Behavior of the Ce(Ni, Co)2, (Ce, Y)Co2 and (Ce, Y)Ni2 systems

Abstract Analysis of lattice constants, specific heats, susceptibility and resistivity data for Ce(Ni, Co) 2 , (Ce, Y)Co 2 and (Ce, Y)Ni 2 systems show that significant increases in Ce valence occur from CeNi 2 to CeCo 2 and from CeNi 2 to Ce 0.2 Y 0.8 Ni 2 . The valence of Ce is constant from CeCo 2 to Ce 0.2 Y 0.8 Co 2 ; however, the d electron spin fluctuations increase substantially.
Identification of Potential Pathway Mediation Targets in Toll-like Receptor Signaling

Recent advances in reconstruction and analytical methods for signaling networks have spurred the development of large-scale models that incorporate fully functional and biologically relevant features. An extended reconstruction of the human Toll-like receptor signaling network is presented herein. This reconstruction contains an extensive complement of kinases, phosphatases, and other associated proteins that mediate the signaling cascade along with a delineation of their associated chemical reactions. A computational framework based on the methods of large-scale convex analysis was developed and applied to this network to characterize input–output relationships. The input–output relationships enabled significant modularization of the network into ten pathways. The analysis identified potential candidates for inhibitory mediation of TLR signaling with respect to their specificity and potency. Subsequently, we were able to identify eight novel inhibition targets through constraint-based modeling methods. The results of this study are expected to yield meaningful avenues for further research in the task of mediating the Toll-like receptor signaling network and its effects.
Neurocognitive functioning in recently abstinent, cocaine-abusing schizophrenic patients.

Abstract Purpose . This report examined a broad range of cognitive functioning in a group of recently abstinent, cocaine-abusing schizophrenic patients (CA+SZ). Methods . Measures of selective and sustained attention, learning and memory, and executive functioning were administered to CA+SZ patients within 72 h of last cocaine use. A comparison group of non-substance-abusing schizophrenic patients (SZ) presenting for inpatient psychiatric treatment were also examined in an identical time frame. We hypothesized that the neurobiological impact of cocaine abuse and acute abstinence would cause CA+SZ to manifest deficits in all domains of cognitive functioning relative to non-abusing SZ patients. Results . Results revealed that CA+SZ displayed significant memory impairment relative to their non-abuser SZ counterparts. No group differences, however, were detected on any other neurocognitive measure. CA+SZ were able to selectively process digit strings during the presence and absence of distracting stimuli, sustain attention, and perform executive functions at performance levels equal to their non-abuser SZ counterparts. Implications . These results are consistent with many past studies that have found CA+SZ patients to manifest memory impairment but have relatively well perserved functioning in other cognitive domains. The results are discussed in terms of the biological concomitants of cocaine abuse and acute abstinence in schizophrenia.
A New Method of Contaminant Plume Analysis

This paper develops an analytical expression for contaminant transport from a finite source in a continuous flow regime. The model requires some numerical integration and its degree of accuracy for near-field problems depends on discretization procedures applied to the source boundary. A second model for a continuous source is developed by extending a well-known pulse model. This second model is particularly useful in that it permits the determination of several potential unknowns directly from a concentration distribution. These include the source concentration, source dimensions, the position of the center of mass which is the product of the seepage velocity and the time since the contaminant first entered the ground water, and up to three dispersivities for a three-dimensional problem. As a demonstration of its utility, this second model is applied with reasonable success to a well-defined field condition. A comparison of the two models indicates that, except for minor differences in the very near field, the results from each are virtually identical.
Between the sheets: a molecular sieve makes myelin membranes.

Myelin is a lipid-rich, spiraled membrane structure that allows for rapid propagation of action potentials through axons. In this issue, Aggarwal et al. (2011) present evidence that myelin basic protein, essential for myelination by oligodendrocytes, regulates the biosynthesis of myelin membranes by restricting diffusion of membrane-bound proteins into compact myelin.
Nonexistence of singular pseudo-self-similar solutions of the Navier–Stokes system

We show that there are no singular pseudo-self-similar solutions of the Navier-Stokes system with finite energy.
Synapsins: Mosaics of Shared and Individual Domains in a Family of Synaptic Vesicle Phosphoproteins

Synapsins are neuronal phosphoproteins that coat synaptic vesicles, bind to the cytoskeleton, and are believed to function in the regulation of neurotransmitter release. Molecular cloning reveals that the synapsins comprise a family of four homologous proteins whose messenger RNA's are generated by differential splicing of transcripts from two genes. Each synapsin is a mosaic composed of homologous amino-terminal domains common to all synapsins and different combinations of distinct carboxyl-terminal domains. Immunocytochemical studies demonstrate that all four synapsins are widely distributed in nerve terminals, but that their relative amounts vary among different kinds of synapses. The structural diversity and differential distribution of the four synapsins suggest common and different roles of each in the integration of distinct signal transduction pathways that modulate neurotransmitter release in various types of neurons.
Capsule Commentary on Garg et al., Resident Duty Hours: A Survey of Internal Medicine Program Directors

The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) implemented new Common Program Requirements in 2011 that regulate resident duty hours, updated from 2003. The new regulations aim to achieve greater safety and quality for patients under residents’ care and promote a learning environment in which physicians can engage in a healing relationship with their patients. Garg et al. explored perceptions of the duty hour requirements in a national sample of Internal Medicine Program Directors (IMPDs) 1 year after implementation.1 One of the most contentious pieces of the new regulations is the shift limit of 16 h. In this study, although a small majority of IMPDs reported overall approval of the duty hour regulations, only 17 % approved of the 16-h shift limit. This finding aligns with recent commentaries and studies that voice concern about a potential increase in a “shift mentality” and decline in professionalism in new physicians, as evidenced by residents not putting their patients’ needs above their own rest and recovery.2–4 This topic warrants further discourse among physicians and within the interdisciplinary healthcare team. Transitioning from a care model that is physician centric, where s/he perceives ownership of the patient, to one where the entire team of providers is responsible for the care of the patient is key to the achieve full compliance and uptake of the duty hour regulations. These findings and other work from this group5 could be complemented by a qualitative analysis that provides a more detailed understanding of the perceptions of the duty hour regulations and the nuances that arise across specialties. Finally, one finding that could have been contextualized further in the discussion by Garg et al. is that nearly three in four (72 %) IMPDs reported an increased workload as a result of the duty hour regulations. Increased workloads typically carry a negative connotation and may have biased the IMPDs responses on other items in the survey. Using objective measures to evaluate quality and safety related to duty hour regulations is also an area for future research.
Horizontal rectus muscle tenotomy in children with infantile nystagmus syndrome: a pilot study.

Purpose We wished to determine the effectiveness of horizontal rectus tenotomy in changing the nystagmus of children with infantile nystagmus syndrome. Design This was a prospective, noncomparative, interventional case series in five children with varied sensory and oculographic subtypes of congenital nystagmus (including asymmetric (a)periodic alternating nystagmus) and no nystagmus treatment options. Simple tenotomy of all four horizontal recti with reattachment at the original insertion was accomplished. Search-coil and infrared eye movement recordings and clinical examinations were performed before and 1, 6, 26, and 52 weeks after surgery. Outcome measures included masked pre- and postoperative expanded nystagmus acuity function (NAFX), foveation time obtained directly from ocular motility recordings, and masked measures of visual acuity. Results At 1 year after tenotomy and under binocular conditions, two of the three patients for whom the NAFX could be measured had persistent, significant postoperative increases in the NAFX of their fixating eye. Average foveation times increased in these patients' fixating eyes. Measured binocular visual acuity increased in four patients; the remaining patient had retinal dystrophy. There were no adverse events due to surgery. Conclusions In the two children who could fixate the targets for several seconds and for whom we could obtain accurate measurements of their infantile nystagmus, tenotomy resulted in significant improvements in nystagmus foveation measures. In those patients plus two others (four of five), measured visual function improved.
Plasma aldosterone concentrations in neonatal spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Abstract Plasma aldosterone concentrations were found to be higher in the newborn, presumably prehypertensive, spontaneously hypertensive rat at 5, 10 and 20 days of age compared to age-matched normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY). In addition, plasma aldosterone concentrations were seen to rise in newborn WKY in contrast to findings in Wistar rats and other mammalian species.
Structure and Energetics of the Samarium Diiodide-HMPA Complex in Tetrahydrofuran.

The role of HMPA as a ligand for SmI2 and the stoichiometry and energetics of formation for the SmI2-HMPA complex in THF were investigated employing UV-vis spectroscopy, isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), and vapor pressure osmometry (VPO). The aggregation number for SmI2 in THF was found to be 0.98 ± 0.09 over the entire concentration range studied (6.71-84.0 mM), indicating that SmI2 is monomeric. The UV-vis data suggest that four HMPA ligands coordinate to SmI2, and this was supported by ITC experiments. The combined results are consistent with [SmI2(HMPA)4] being the reductant responsible for the unique reactivity exhibited by SmI2-HMPA cosolvent combinations.
Effects of cholesterol on acyl chain dynamics in multilamellar vesicles of various phosphatidylcholines

Abstract Phase modulation fluorescence spectroscopy was used to investigate the influence of cholesterol (0 to 50 mol%) on acyl chain dynamics in multilamellar vesicles of phosphatidylcholine. Four different phosphatidylcholines (DPPC, DOPC, POPC, and egg PC) and six different fluorescent probes (diphenylhexatriene and five anthroyloxy fatty acids) were employed. We found that: (1) Increased cholesterol content had only slight effects on fluorescence lifetimes of the six probes. (2) Increased cholesterol content increased the steady-state fluorescence anisotropy (r) of all the probes except 16-anthroyloxy palmitate (16-AP) in each of the four phosphatidylcholines. (3) Added cholesterol tended to limit the extent of probe rotation (as reflected by r ∞ , the infinite-time anisotropy) to a much greater extent than it altered the rate of probe rotation. (4) The tendency for cholesterol to order the structure of the bilayer was greatest in the proximal half of the acyl chains and diminished toward the center of the bilayer. (5) In some phosphatidylcholines the rotation rates of probes located near the bilayer center (diphenylhexatriene and 16-AP) were apparently increased by increasing levels of cholesterol. (6) In several respects dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) vesicles responded differently to increased cholesterol than vesicles of the other three phosphatidylcholines. (7) A single second-order equation described the relationship between r ∞ and r for the five anthroyloxy fatty acid probes in the four different phosphatidylcholines over a wide range of cholesterol content. The data for diphenylhexatriene in the different phosphatidylcholines could not be fit by a single equation.
A Hybrid Electrochemical/Chemical Synthesis of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles and Optically Intrinsic Thin Films

A hybrid electrochemical/chemical (E/C) synthesis of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles and films is described. The E/C procedure involves two steps: Zinc metal was first electrochemically deposited at basal-plane oriented graphite electrode surfaces from dilute aqueous solutions; then this deposit was permitted to spontaneously oxidize and dehydrate at open circuit in the pH = 1.0 plating solution. Deposition was size-selective, and wurtzite phase ZnO nanocrystallites having mean diameters in the range from 15 to 100 A were obtained using this approach. Relative standard deviations of the particle diameter for ZnO particle dispersions varied from 25 to 50%. Polycrystalline ZnO films of 100−400 A in thickness were also obtained by depositing larger quantities of zinc metal in the first step of the synthesis. For ZnO particles (dia. < 80 A), electron diffraction analysis revealed a preferred orientation for ZnO crystallites where the c-axis of the wurtzite unit cell was oriented perpendicular to the plane of ...
Functional Annotation of Hierarchical Modularity

In biological networks of molecular interactions in a cell, network motifs that are biologically relevant are also functionally coherent, or form functional modules. These functionally coherent modules combine in a hierarchical manner into larger, less cohesive subsystems, thus revealing one of the essential design principles of system-level cellular organization and function-hierarchical modularity. Arguably, hierarchical modularity has not been explicitly taken into consideration by most, if not all, functional annotation systems. As a result, the existing methods would often fail to assign a statistically significant functional coherence score to biologically relevant molecular machines. We developed a methodology for hierarchical functional annotation. Given the hierarchical taxonomy of functional concepts (e.g., Gene Ontology) and the association of individual genes or proteins with these concepts (e.g., GO terms), our method will assign a Hierarchical Modularity Score (HMS) to each node in the hierarchy of functional modules; the HMS score and its p-value measure functional coherence of each module in the hierarchy. While existing methods annotate each module with a set of "enriched" functional terms in a bag of genes, our complementary method provides the hierarchical functional annotation of the modules and their hierarchically organized components. A hierarchical organization of functional modules often comes as a bi-product of cluster analysis of gene expression data or protein interaction data. Otherwise, our method will automatically build such a hierarchy by directly incorporating the functional taxonomy information into the hierarchy search process and by allowing multi-functional genes to be part of more than one component in the hierarchy. In addition, its underlying HMS scoring metric ensures that functional specificity of the terms across different levels of the hierarchical taxonomy is properly treated. We have evaluated our method using Saccharomyces cerevisiae data from KEGG and MIPS databases and several other computationally derived and curated datasets. The code and additional supplemental files can be obtained from http://code.google.com/p/functional-annotation-of-hierarchical-modularity/ (Accessed 2012 March 13).
Dynorphin B and spinal analgesia : induction of antinociception by the cannabinoids CP55,940, Δ9-THC and anandamide

The endogenous opioid dynorphin B was evaluated for its role in cannabinoid-induced antinociception. Previous work in our laboratory has shown that the synthetic, bicyclic cannabinoid, CP55,940, induces the release of dynorphin B whilst the naturally occurring cannabinoid, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), releases dynorphin A. The dynorphins contribute in part to the antinociceptive effects of both cannabinoids at the level of the spinal cord. The present study compares dynorphin B released from perfused rat spinal cord in response to acute administration of anandamide (AEA), Δ9-THC and CP55,940 at two time points, 10 min and 30 min post administration, and attempts to correlate such release with antinociceptive effects of the drugs. Dynorphin B was collected from spinal perfusates of rats pretreated with Δ9-THC, CP55,940 or AEA. The supernatant was lyophilized and the concentrations of dynorphin B were measured via radioimmunoassay. At a peak time of antinociception (10 min), CP55,940 and Δ9-THC induced significant two-fold increases in the release of dynorphin B. AEA did not significantly release dynorphin B. Upon a 30-min pretreatment with the drugs, no significant dynorphin B release was observed, although antinociceptive effects persisted for CP55,940 and Δ9-THC. Previous work indicates that Δ9-THC releases dynorphin A while AEA releases no dynorphin A. This study confirms that although all three test drugs produced significant antinociception at 10 min, the endocannabinoid, AEA, does not induce antinociception via dynorphin release. Thus, our data indicate a distinct mechanism which underlies AEA-induced antinociception.
Community-Based Service-Learning for Youth Empowerment in Palestine

Abstract Palestinian youth face developmental, cultural, and political barriers that impede them from fully engaging in civic life. Non-traditional, youth-centered pedagogies of engagement, like community-based service-learning (CBSL), have shown promise to motivate marginalized populations and provide space and roles for them to form individual identities while developing civic skills. Using data collected through focus group interviews, this paper reports how West Bank youth who participated in a non-governmental organization's CBSL leadership program were impacted.
MMPI-2 F scale as a predictor of acute versus chronic disorder classification.

This study examined the relation between elevation of the infrequency (F) scale on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) and the classification of psychological disorders as chronic or acute in an outpatient mental health setting. MMPI-2 and clinician rating data at time of intake were considered for 158 adult patients from an outpatient clinic. The results indicate that elevation on the F scale is associated with more chronic disorders even after the influence of other variables, such as age and comorbidity of other disorders, is statistically accounted for. These results are discussed in terms of the utility and incremental validity of including the F scale as part of diagnostic screening.
Lattice and Molecular Vibrations in Single Crystal I2 at 77 K by Inelastic Neutron Scattering

Abstract Phonon dispersion curves of single crystal iodine at 77 K have been measured by one-phonon coherent inelastic neutron scattering techniques. The data are analysed in terms of two Buckingham-six intermolecular potentials; one to represent the shortest intermolecular interaction (3.5 A) and the other to represent the more distant interactions. Moderate agreement is obtained between the observed and calculated frequencies, but it also oappears necessary to treat the second-nearest-neighbor interaction (3.97 A) separately from the van der Waals interactions (distances ⩾ 4.2 A).
Temperature-dependent absorption spectrum of betaine-30 in methanol

The absorption spectrum of the strongly solvatochromic dye betaine-30 was examined in methanol as a function of temperature. In contrast to previous studies of betaine-30 in acetonitrile, the temperature-dependent spectrum in methanol displays an isosbestic point, suggestive of two forms of betaine-30 in equilibrium. We propose that the two species are betaine hydrogen-bonded to one and two methanol molecules, and we discuss the implications of the isosbestic point in view of the expected thermo-solvatochromic behavior. The absorption spectrum of betaine-30 in several binary solvent mixtures is examined to investigate the importance of specific interactions between betaine-30 and methanol and ethanol.
TA UoverSupermon : low-overhead online parallel performance monitoring

Online application performance monitoring allows tracking performance characteristics during execution as opposed to doing so post-mortem. This opens up several possibilities otherwise unavailable such as real-time visualization and application performance steering that can be useful in the context of long-running applications. As HPC systems grow in size and complexity, the key challenge is to keep the online performance monitor scalable and low overhead while still providing a useful performance reporting capability. Two fundamental components that constitute such a performance monitor are the measurement and transport systems. We adapt and combine two existing, mature systems - TAU and Supermon - to address this problem. TAU performs the measurement while Supermon is used to collect the distributed measurement state. Our experiments show that this novel approach leads to very lowoverhead application monitoring as well as other benefits unavailable from using a transport such as NFS.
Accounting for quality in food manufacturing firms

Competitive food manufacturers and processors must establish and maintain a high level of product quality. Statistical quality control (SQC) is a tool for establishing quality standards and measuring deviations from these standards. Cost variance analysis is an accounting technique that measures the importance of deviations from production standards in terms of firm level objectives. The method presented in this article links quality control and cost accounting by (a) defining quality standards based upon the firm's profit maximization objective, and (b) measuring the importance of nonstandard quality by its effect on profit. The method is compared to traditional cost accounting techniques.
Retained drugs in the gastrointestinal tracts of deceased victims of oral drug overdose

Context. The extent of non-absorbed drug burden in the GI tract following overdose is unknown. Patients who present with clinical signs of toxicity may not undergo decontamination due to assumption...
Surface-Mediated NH and N Addition to Styrene on Ag(110)

In this paper, we report the investigation of the reaction of adsorbed NH and N with styrene on Ag(110) using temperature-programmed reaction spectroscopy. Using O2 and NH3 as the starting reagents, NH and N species were deposited on a Ag surface. The reaction of styrene on NH- and N-covered Ag surface appears to yield 2-phenylaziridine and benzonitrile, with additional products HCN and NH3. The formation of aziridine, the nitrogenous analogue of styrene epoxide, is proposed to be due to the cycloaddition of adsorbed NH to the carbon−carbon double bond. These results suggest that Ag-based heterogeneous catalysts may be useful for the aziridination of olefins.
The influence of microslip on vibratory response, Part II: A comparison with experimental results

Abstract The influence of microslip on the resonant response of structures that are restrained by a friction contact is discussed. Microslip or partial slip of the friction interface becomes important and needs to be taken into account when the friction contact pressure is large. A new model of microslip described in the companion paper [1] is used in simulating the vibratory response of three sets of experiments; in each case partial slip of the friction interface resolves anomalies that could not be explained by the simple point contact model of friction that has been used in the past to analyze these types of problems.
The art of bedside rounds: a multi-center qualitative study of strategies used by experienced bedside teachers.

BACKGROUND Medical educators believe bedside rounds are effective for the delivery of patient-centered care, and are necessary in helping trainees acquire competence in clinical care. Although recommendations for bedside rounds have been reported, a recent, systematic assessment of strategies used by current-day bedside teachers was needed to advance knowledge of this teaching method.
A metallothionein-like protein in the hepatic cytosol of the term rat fetus.

Endogenous zinc levels in the cytosol of normal fetal rat liver were found to be 4.5- to 7-fold higher than levels found in the cytosol of the corresponding maternal liver. When the fetal cytosol was subjected to gel-filtration, 50 to 60% of the zinc was found to be associated with a peak not present in maternal cytosol. In vitro addition of CdCl 2 to fetal cytosol prior to gel-filtration caused a displacement of zinc from the peak and an accumulation of cadmium. Pretreatment of the pregnant female with CdCl 2 48 hr prior to term led to the appearance of a peak in the maternal hepatic cytosol with an elution volume similar to the fetal peak. The peak contained both cadmium and zinc which is characteristic of metallothionein. The results suggest the presence of a metallothionein-like protein in the cytosol of term fetal liver which is not normally found in maternal liver and which appears to function as a storage depot for endogenous zinc.
Salt Bridges Stabilize the Folded Structure of Barnase

Formation of salt bridges entails desolvation, and whether they stabilize protein structures is an open question. In this paper, the role of three Arg−Asp salt bridges in barnase was studied by extensive continuum-electrostatics calculations. Twelve mutations of the salt bridges were built on the X-ray structure of barnase. The electrostatic component, ΔΔGel, of the mutations' effects on the folding stability was found to make the protein less stable by 0.5−5.4 kcal/mol. These agreed well with experimental results of Fersht and co-workers for the mutations' overall effects, ΔΔG, on the folding stability (RMS deviation = 1.0 kcal/mol). The coupling energy for the Arg69−Asp93 salt bridge, −3.2 kcal/mol, was reproduced. Apparently, the three salt bridges stabilize the structure of barnase because the electrostatic interactions involving the ionic partners overcome the desolvating costs. We suggest that earlier work of Tidor and co-workers indicating a destabilizing role for salt bridges is based on a protoco...
Asymmetric dystonia with frontal white matter lesions in Wilson's disease

Asymmetrical manifestation of dystonia was investigated in 26 patients with Wilson's disease with modified dystonia rating scale and correlated with the asymmetricity of CT and/or MRI findings. Ten patients (eight men and two women) had dystonia. The age of disease onset ranged from 11 to 30 years with a mean of 18.6 ± 5.2 years. The duration of the illness was from 2 to 15 years (mean 7.0; S.D. 3.6). Six patients had subcortical white matter lesions in the frontal and/or parietal lobes, as well as lesions in the basal ganglia. Five patients, who had asymmetrical white matter lesions in the frontal lobes and symmetrical lesions in the basal ganglia and the thalamus, developed more severe contralateral dystonia. The other four patients with symmetric lesions in the basal ganglia and the thalamus had nearly-symmetrical dystonia. One patient with symmetrical lesions in the frontal lobes and the basal ganglia also had symmetrical manifestation of dystonia. We suggest that the interruption of the loop between the thalamus and premotor cortex by subcortical white matter lesions may enhance contralateral dystonia.