cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The antecedents of women's crack cocaine abuse: Family substance abuse, sexual abuse, depression and illicit drug use

Young African-American women are the fastest growing group of crack cocaine users in the United States. Despite this increase, relatively little is known about women who use crack cocaine and the possible reasons for their drug use. This descriptive, exploratory study focused on data from a sample of 105, predominantly African-American women who use(d) crack cocaine, of whom 60 were in drug treatment and 45 were still using crack cocaine. Significant correlations were found between variables such as family drug use, first age of sexual abuse, age of first depressive symptoms and age of first illicit drug use. These data are consistent with other studies which have noted high rates of depression and sexual abuse in samples of predominantly Euro-American, alcoholic women. Implications for the treatment of women are discussed.
Services Management Research Review, Integration, and Future Directions

Several streams of management research have focused on the relationship between organizations, employees, and customers within the context of services. However, this body of work lacks integration and requires an internally consistent framework encompassing critical constructs, causal mechanisms, and levels of analyses. To address these gaps, we reviewed empirical studies with service-related outcomes published in management and organizational behavior journals as well as critical summative and theoretical works within the fields of management and marketing, and constructed an integrative framework for services management theory and research. This framework incorporates constructs and relationships within (individual and unit levels) and across (multilevel and microfoundations) levels of analyses and highlights areas that are ripe for future theoretical development and empirical inquiry.
New 'phantom' dinoflagellate is the causative agent of major estuarine fish kills

A worldwide increase in toxic phytoplankton blooms over the past 20 years has coincided with increasing reports of fish diseases and deaths of unknown cause. Among estuaries that have been repeatedly associated with unexplained fish kills on the western Atlantic Coast are the Pamlico and Neuse Estuaries of the southeastern United States. Here we describe a new toxic dinoflagellate with 'phantom-like' behaviour that has been identified as the causative agent of a significant portion of the fish kills in these estuaries, and which may also be active in other geographic regions. The alga requires live finfish or their fresh excreta for excystment and release of a potent toxin. Low cell densities cause neurotoxic signs and fish death, followed by rapid algal encystment and dormancy unless live fish are added. This dinoflagellate was abundant in the water during major fish kills in local estuaries, but only while fish were dying; within several hours of death where carcasses were still present, the flagellated vegetative algal population had encysted and settled back to the sediments. Isolates from each event were highly lethal to finfish and shellfish in laboratory bioassays. Given its broad temperature and salinity tolerance, and its stimulation by phosphate enrichment, this toxic phytoplankter may be a widespread but undetected source of fish mortality in nutrient-enriched estuaries.
The Columbia River flood Basalt Province : Current status

The Columbia River flood basalt province is smaller by an order of magnitude than the Deccan, Karoo, Parana, and Siberian continental flood basalt provinces. Its smaller size, relative youth (17-6 Ma), excellent exposure, and easy accessibility have allowed development of a flow-by-flow stratigraphy in which ' many flows can be traced across the Columbia Plateau, often linked directly to their strongly oriented feeder dikes in the southeast quadrant. The detailed stratigraphy provides a precise record of the changes in magma composition and volume with time and demonstrates more clearly here than in other provinces that single fissure eruptions had volumes in excess of 2,000 km 3 and flowed across the plateau for distances up to 600 km with negligible changes in chemical or mineralogical composition. Current evidence suggests that the Columbia River flood basalts resulted from impingement of a small mantle plume, the Yellowstone hotspot, on the base of the lithosphere near the Nevada-Oregon-Idaho border at 16.5 Ma and that the main focus of eruption then moved rapidly north to the Washington-Oregon-Idaho border from where the main eruptions occurred. The rapid northerly translation of the main eruptive activity may have been controlled by weakened or thinned zones in the lithosphere. The few earliest flows have typical mantle plume compositions and the last, small-volume flows are contaminated by continental crust. In between, the great majority of flows carry a strong lithospheric signature, the source of which remains controversial-either an enriched continental lithospheric mantle or assimilated continental crust. The physical nature and rate of magma eruption are also controversial. Recent work suggests flows grew by internal injection rather than by turbulent surface flow and this has been used to imply significantly lower eruption rates than previously envisaged. However, the chemical and mineralogical homogeneity of single Columbia River basalt flows across many hundreds of kilometers implies that eruption and flow rates were still exceptionally high.
A voice within: The prophetic experience of vocation.

When I was a child, I had an imaginary playmate. I kept him a secret because I thought other people would ridicule me if I told them he existed. But in my solitude I would converse with him as if he reaUy were another Uttle child sit ting or standing beside me. I remember that some of the most "serious" decisions I made as a child were formulated under the influence of his advice. I would caU to him and he would caU to me; I would laugh or cry with him; he would laugh or cry with me. There was no doubt in my mind that he was the best friend I would ever have. I sometimes wonder if that has not been the case.
Striatal glutamatergic mechanisms and extrapyramidal movement disorders.

The nonphysiologic stimulation of striatal dopaminergic receptors, as a result of disease- or drug-related denervation or intermittent excitation, triggers adaptive responses in the basal ganglia which contribute to the appearance of parkinsonian symptoms and later to the dyskinesias and other alterations in motor response associated with dopaminergic therapy. Current evidence suggests that these altered responses involve activation of signal transduction cascades in striatal medium spiny neurons linking dopaminergic to coexpressed ionotropic glutamatergic receptors of theN-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) and α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole proprionic acid (AMPA) classes. These intraneuronal signaling pathways appear capable of modifying the phosphorylation state of NMDA and AMPA receptor subunits; resultant sensitization enhances cortical glutamatergic input which in turn modifies striatal output in ways that compromise motor behavior. The regulation of these spiny neuron glutamate receptors can also be affected by the activation state of coexpressed nondopaminergic receptors as well as by changes associated with Huntington's disease. These observations lend new insight into molecular mechanisms contributing to the integration of synaptic inputs to spiny neurons. They also suggest novel approaches to the pharmacotherapy of extrapyramidal motor dysfunction.
Electrical Properties of Single Crystals and Thin Films of PbSe and PbTe

A comparison was made of the electrical properties of single crystals and subsequently formed thin films of PbTe and PbSe. Hall constants and resistivities were measured as a function of temperature from 300\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} to 77\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. Films were formed and measured without exposure to air. Regardless of whether the original crystal was $n$ or $p$ type, all films were $n$ type, having carrier concentrations within the same order of magnitude for most cases. This observation was attributed to a limited amount of dissociation during evaporation, resulting in an inhomogeneous distribution of Te (or Se) agglomerates throughout the film. Room temperature mobilities in annelated films were about $\frac{1}{5}$ that of the bulk values. In general carrier mobilities in films were markedly affected by substrate temperature during film formation, subsequent annealing, and limited oxygenation.
Industrial complexes and their relevance for pulp and paper mills

Advantages and disadvantages of the concept of an industrial complex are discussed. From an environmental standpoint an ideal industrial complex is one containing a group of compatible industrial plants utilizing completely each other's wastes and products as raw materials and manufacturing products with no adverse environmental impact and at a minimum of cost. A typical complex centering about a pulp and papermill is pictured in this paper. This complex produces six products for external sale and four products for internal use. In addition, all major wastes of suspended solids, cooking liquor, fillers, heat and bark are reused within the complex in the manufacture of these products. A literature review evolved typical concentrations of recoverable suspended solids in various process effluents. A mass balance was prepared assuming that the total production of fine paper is 907.2 kg × 103 (1000 tons) per day. Little or no air or water pollution results from this complex. In addition, it is anticipated that no expensive waste-water treatment plant would be required for this complex. Ten additional practices are described which, when used, will reduce operating costs even further. A continuing study with more precise data on the production requirements for the service plants in the complex will yield a more balanced and realistic system.
Microarray-based analysis of differential gene expression between infective and noninfective larvae of Strongyloides stercoralis.

Background Differences between noninfective first-stage (L1) and infective third-stage (L3i) larvae of parasitic nematode Strongyloides stercoralis at the molecular level are relatively uncharacterized. DNA microarrays were developed and utilized for this purpose.
Distribution of blood flow to the gastroutestinal tract of swine during t-2 toxin-induced shock

Abstract Swine (6 per group) were used to study gastrointestinal blood flow during T-2 toxin-induced shock. Low- and high-dose groups were given T-2 toxin at 0.6 or 2.4 mg/kg via the pulmonary artery; controls were given the ethanol vehicle. Radiolabeled microspheres were administered into the left atrium to assess organ blood flow predosing and at 90-min intervals for 6 hr. Gastric blood flow decreased in both T-2 groups, and at 6 hr the high-dose group's value was 17% of the predose value. In the low-dose group, the lowest gastric blood flow (30% of predose) was observed 3 hr postdosing. Small-intestinal blood flow of the control group declined to 64% of the predose value. In the high-dose group, small-intestinal blood flow at 3 hr was 174% of predose, followed by a reduction to 62% at 6 hr, coinciding with a severe decline in cardiac output. Small-intestinal blood flow of the low-dose group was 159% of predose at 1.5 hr, then declined to the control value. The high-dose group's large-intestinal blood flow increased to 177% of predose at 3 hr, then declined to 66% at 6 hr. The low-dose group's large-intestinal blood flow increased to 200% of the predose value. The severe decline in gastric blood flow is probably related to the development in swine (given high doses of T-2 toxin) of a grossly bright red gastric fundus, with histologic evidence of vascular congestion and mucosal deterioration. The initial increase in blood flow to the intestine may contribute to its tolerance to sublethal doses of T-2 toxin and may facilitate the rapid intestinal absorption of the toxin.
Rotational and hyperfine spectra for a sandwich titanium complex, C5H5TiC7H7

Abstract Microwave spectroscopy measurements and density functional theory calculations are reported for the cyclopentadienyl cycloheptatrienyl titanium complex, C 5 H 5 TiC 7 H 7 . Rotational transition frequencies for this symmetric-top complex were measured in the 4–13 GHz range using a Flygare–Balle-type pulsed beam spectrometer. The spectroscopic constants obtained for the normal C 5 H 5 48 TiC 7 H 7 isotopomer are B = 771.78907(38), D J = 0.0000295(41), and D JK = 0.001584(73) MHz. The quadrupole hyperfine splittings for C 5 H 5 47 TiC 7 H 7 were clearly observed and the measured constants are B = 771.79024(32) MHz, D J = 0.0000395(33), D JK = 0.001646(24), and eQq aa = 8.193(40) MHz. Analysis of the experimental and theoretical rotational constants indicates that the η 7 -C 7 H 7 Ti and η 5 -C 5 H 5 Ti bond lengths in the gas phase are about 0.02 A longer than those reported for the solid-state X-ray structure. The calculated Ti-C bond lengths are shorter for the C 7 H 7 ligand ( r (Ti-C) = 2.21 A) than for the C 5 H 5 ligand ( r (Ti-C) = 2.34 A), and the C 7 H 7 H atoms are displaced 0.15 A out of the C 7 plane, toward the Ti atom.
Events and times: a case study in means-ends metaphysics

There is a tradition, tracing back to Kant, of recasting metaphysical questions as questions about the utility of a conceptual scheme, linguistic framework, or methodological rule for achieving some particular end. Following in this tradition, I propose a ‘means-ends metaphysics’, in which one rigorously demonstrates the suitability of some conceptual framework for achieving a specified goal. I illustrate this approach using a debate about the nature of events. Specifically, the question is whether the time at which an event occurs is an essential property of that event. I argue that this question is naturally transformed into a question about the methodology of causal modeling. In this new framework, the question concerns what kind of variables to use to represent the effects of potential interventions on a system. This question has a demonstrably correct answer, which sheds new light on the original question.
A topological algorithm for identification of structural domains of proteins

Identification of the structural domains of proteins is important for our understanding of the organizational principles and mechanisms of protein folding, and for insights into protein function and evolution. Algorithmic methods of dissecting protein of known structure into domains developed so far are based on an examination of multiple geometrical, physical and topological features. Successful as many of these approaches are, they employ a lot of heuristics, and it is not clear whether they illuminate any deep underlying principles of protein domain organization. Other well-performing domain dissection methods rely on comparative sequence analysis. These methods are applicable to sequences with known and unknown structure alike, and their success highlights a fundamental principle of protein modularity, but this does not directly improve our understanding of protein spatial structure. We present a novel graph-theoretical algorithm for the identification of domains in proteins with known three-dimensional structure. We represent the protein structure as an undirected, unweighted and unlabeled graph whose nodes correspond to the secondary structure elements and edges represent physical proximity of at least one pair of alpha carbon atoms from two elements. Domains are identified as constrained partitions of the graph, corresponding to sets of vertices obtained by the maximization of the cycle distributions found in the graph. When a partition is found, the algorithm is iteratively applied to each of the resulting subgraphs. The decision to accept or reject a tentative cut position is based on a specific classifier. The algorithm is applied iteratively to each of the resulting subgraphs and terminates automatically if partitions are no longer accepted. The distribution of cycles is the only type of information on which the decision about protein dissection is based. Despite the barebone simplicity of the approach, our algorithm approaches the best heuristic algorithms in accuracy. Our graph-theoretical algorithm uses only topological information present in the protein structure itself to find the domains and does not rely on any geometrical or physical information about protein molecule. Perhaps unexpectedly, these drastic constraints on resources, which result in a seemingly approximate description of protein structures and leave only a handful of parameters available for analysis, do not lead to any significant deterioration of algorithm accuracy. It appears that protein structures can be rigorously treated as topological rather than geometrical objects and that the majority of information about protein domains can be inferred from the coarse-grained measure of pairwise proximity between elements of secondary structure elements.
Differential Sensitivity of Perceptual Identification for Words and Pseudowords to Test Expectations: Implications for the Locus of Word Frequency Effects

Experiments examine how subject's expectations about the kind of memory test they will receive influence repetition effects in perceptual identification.
Approach or avoid? The effect of regulatory focus on consumer behavioural responses to personal selling attempts

While salespeople use adaptive influence tactics in interactions with consumers, consumers can act as goal-oriented individuals attempting to manage those interactions. Prior research has documented a repertoire of consumer response behaviours, but little is known about the motivational forces. The present research examines the effects of regulatory focus on consumer behavioural tendencies in response to personal selling attempts. The findings suggest that the more promotion-focused consumers are more likely to engage in goal-seeking behaviours. This research not only addresses a void in the literature, but more importantly, sheds light on motivational antecedents driving consumer behaviours in customer–salesperson interactions.
Tools for making impossible changes - experiences with a tool for transforming large Smalltalk programs

In a commercial system, performing large, invasive changes, such as changing an entire infrastructure layer, is often impossible because development on a system cannot be halted for any significant amount of time. Performing such changes require tools that can perform mass transformations on the source code. One approach is to use tools that can do global search and replace on the entire program structure. However, simple text-based tools are too simplistic for program text. To make accurate changes in a large program the tool must be based on parsing the program text. The paper describes the requirements for such a tool, the shortcomings of this approach, and describes one such tool for the Smalltalk language. This tool, the Refactoring Browser Rewrite Engine, is based on pattern matching of parse trees. The paper then presents three case studies in the successful application of this tool in commercial settings and discusses the shortcomings of such an approach. "impossible adj. - 1 b felt to be incapable of being done, attained, or fulfiled : insuperably difficult. - Merriam-Webster Dictionary".
5'-guanylimidodiphosphate stimulation of slow Ca2+ current in myocardial cells.

Abstract Positive inotropic agents which elevate cyclic AMP, such as catecholamines, histamine, and methylxanthines, increase the number of membrane slow cationic channels available for voltage activation. 5′-Guanylimidodiphosphate (GPP(NH)P), an agent known to directly activate adenylate cyclase in a variety of broken cell preparations, was tested for its ability to induce slow Ca 2+ channels in embryonic chick ventricular myocardial cells. The preparations used were reaggregated cell culture and intact noncultured ventricular myocardium. When the myocardial cells were rendered inexcitable by tetrodotoxin (which blocks the fast Na + channels), addition of any of the positive inotropic agents stated above gives rise to slowly-rising overshooting electrical responses (the “slow response”) accompanied by contractions within 1 to 3 min. The addition of GPP(NH)P (10 −5 to 10 −3 m ) also induced the slow response within 5 to 30 min. The slow responses induced by GPP(NH)P were blocked by agents known to block slow channels and Ca 2+ current, such as Mn 2+ (1 m m ) and verapamil (10 −6 m ). GTP did not induce the slow response. These results support the hypothesis that the intracellular level of cyclic AMP controls the availability of the slow Ca 2+ channels in the myocardial sarcolemma.
Ethnic survival differences after gastrectomy for gastric cancer are better explained by factors specific for disease location and individual patient comorbidity

Abstract Introduction: Different outcomes after resection of gastric cancer between various ethnic patient groups have been described. It remains unclear whether disparity of treatment forms, disease-related variables, or individual patients accounts for this effect. Methods: In the 10 years between 1989 and 1999, 75 patients with gastric adenocarcinoma underwent gastrectomy at a single institution, with constant surgical standards during this time period, including complete (R0) resection attempt and extended lymphadenectomy. Ethnicity, disease characteristics, and treatment variables were analysed for their impact on survival. Results: There were 40 males and 35 females, with a median age of 67 years (range 31–97). The gastrectomy extent was total (n=25), proximal (n=18), subtotal (n=17), distal (n=14), and segmental (n=1). The mean lymph-node count was 25±17 (SD). There was one post-operative death, and an overall complication rate of 27%; the median hospital stay was 11 days. Overall actuarial 5-year survival was 33% (95% CI: 19–47); potentially curable disease (stage 1A–IIIB) led to a median survival of 49 months. Asian (n=18) and Hispanic patients (n=20) had significantly better survival than Caucasian (n=31) or other patients (n=6) (P=0.01). Ethnicity was linked to the location of the primary tumour ( P=0.002), the gastrectomy extent (P=0.003), and the patient's prior abdominal operation (P=0.01) or tobacco history (P=0.03), but not to resection extent parameters (such as number of lymph nodes retrieved) or differences in pathologic characteristics. When controlling for differences of disease site, stage, R status, and patient comorbidity, ethnicity did not retain an independent prognostic impact on survival. Conclusions: Obvious survival differences after gastrectomy for gastric adenocarcinoma favouring Asian and Hispanic patients in this experience can be explained by different disease patterns (distal location), the related need for fewer extensive procedures (such as total gastrectomy), and diminished patient risks (tobacco, prior operations, non-cancer deaths). Our therapeutic approach remains an aggressive gastrectomy/lymphadenectomy combination for potentially curable gastric cancer, irrespective of ethnic patient factors.
Analysis of chemical contamination within a canal in a Mexican border colonia.

Abstract This study examines urban pollution within Derechos Humanos, a colonia popular in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. General water quality indicators (coliform bacteria, total dissolved solids, ecologically relevant cations and anions), heavy metals (copper, lead, nickel, zinc, iron and cadmium), and volatile organic compounds (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, styrene, and dichlorobenzene and xylene isomers) were quantified within a wastewater canal running adjacent to the community. Water samples were collected at multiple sites along the banks of the canal and evidence of anthropogenic emissions existed at each sampling location. Sample site 2, approximately 10 m upstream of the colonia, contained both the widest range of hazardous pollutants and the greatest number exceeding US Environmental Protection Agency surface water standards. At each sampling location, high concentrations of total coliform (>104 colonies/100 mL sample), lead (ranging from 0.05 to 0.40 mg/L), nickel (levels from 0.21 to 1.45 mg/L), and benzene (up to 9.80 mg/L) were noted.
Ethics of surgical innovation to treat rare diseases.

A gynecologist has referred you a 50-year-old woman with extensive intravenous leiomyomatosis. A tissue diagnosis of invasive low-grade malignancy is available, and the tumor extends into the renal and hepatic veins. You propose removing the tumor by hysterectomy, to be combined if necessary with an extensive venectomy. The patient has had multiple vascular procedures which have exhausted all her available autologous graft material. You will try to excise the tumor through a venotomy, but it is likely that reconstruction will require venous replacement with prosthetic material, for which you have chosen externally supported polytetrafluoroethylene. What is the ethical course of action?
Flash Flood Forecasting: An Ingredients-Based Methodology

Abstract An approach to forecasting the potential for flash flood-producing storms is developed, using the notion of basic ingredients. Heavy precipitation is the result of sustained high rainfall rates. In turn, high rainfall rates involve the rapid ascent of air containing substantial water vapor and also depend on the precipitation efficiency. The duration of an event is associated with its speed of movement and the size of the system causing the event along the direction of system movement. This leads naturally to a consideration of the meteorological processes by which these basic ingredients are brought together. A description of those processes and of the types of heavy precipitation-producing storms suggests some of the variety of ways in which heavy precipitation occurs. Since the right mixture of these ingredients can be found in a wide variety of synoptic and mesoscale situations, it is necessary to know which of the ingredients is critical in any given case. By knowing which of the ingredients...
The New Zealand School Dental Service: lesson in radical conservatism.

The regular care that New Zealand children receive from the school dental service, established more than 50 years ago, has significantly improved their oral health status. In the program, school dental nurses perform rigidly prescribed duties, including oral examination, cavity preparation and restoration of deciduous and permanent teeth, and simple extractions. Patients who require more complex procedures may be referred to private practitioners. In the time that the school dental service has been operating, the behavior and attitudes of the adults to dental care have altered.
Pouchitis After Ileal Pouch-Anal Anastomosis: A Pouchitis Disease Activity Index

Objective To develop a "Pouchitis Disease Activity Index" (PDAI) and to compare it with other diagnostic scoring systems for pouchitis. Design We compared patients who had an optimal outcome with those who had a poor result attributable to recurrent pouchitis after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) for ulcerative colitis at the Mayo Clinic. Material and Methods We evaluated the applicability of a PDAI that quantitated clinical findings and the endoscopic and histologic features of acute inflammation in four groups of patients: (1) 10 who underwent IPAA for ulcerative colitis and had symptoms compatible with a clinical diagnosis of pouchitis, (2) 5 who underwent IPAA for ulcerative colitis and did not have pouchitis, (3) 5 who underwent IPAA for familial adenomatous polyposis and had no symptoms of pouchitis, and (4) 5 who had a Brooke ileostomy for ulcerative colitis (control group). Results The PDAI was significantly greater in patients with the clinical features of pouchitis than it was for patients in the other three groups. All 10 patients with pouchitis fulfilled the PDAI criteria for a diagnosis of pouchitis; in contrast, only 1 of these 10 patients met the diagnostic criteria for pouchitis by application of previously established scoring systems. No asymptomatic patient qualified for a diagnosis of pouchitis by the PDAI criteria. Conclusion The PDAI provides simple, objective, and quantitative criteria for pouch inflammation after IPAA and is more sensitive than prior scoring systems.
A Novel Route to the F-Ring of Halichondrin B. Diastereoselection in Pd(0)-Mediated meso and C2 Diol Desymmetrization

Both σ and C2 symmetric diol diacetates were synthesized via two-directional chain elongation. A palladium-mediated, ligand-controlled C2 diol desymmetrization provided the desired tetrahydrofuran with the correct relative and absolute stereochemistries. Simple functional group manipulation led to the desired F-ring of halichondrin B. Desymmetrization of the meso substrate enantioselectively provided the diastereomer, leading to a refinement of our understanding of the transition state model.
Image Reconstruction Of Acoustic Holograms For Moving Objects

In an underwater acoustic holographic imaging system, relative motion between the imaged objects and the recording plane may destroy the image. If the relative motion is known, the recorded hologram may be corrected so that the degraded image can be recovered. The system used in the study consisted of a linear scanning receiving array and a perpendicularly-oriented cylindrical insonifier. The signals detected by each receiving element are com-pared with electronic reference signals, thus generating in-phase and quadrature components. In this paper, uniform relative motion of translation between an object and the recording plane is computer simulated. Both horizontal and vertical motions are considered. An algo-rithm for image restoration and reconstruction is then applied to these data. Three-dimen-sional perspective plots are used to illustrate the results.
Critical reanalysis of CP asymmetries in B0 decays to CP eigenstates

Abstract The time integrated CP asymmetry in the decay of a neutral B meson to a CP eigenstate has been claimed to be free of uncertainties arising from hadronic matrix elements (modulo the mixing parameter Δ m Λ ). That is, it is a direct measure of KM angles. We scrutinize this claim, and question its generality. To this end we compute the effective hamiltonian for ΔB =1, charm and up conserving processes, in the leading logarithmic approximation. Enhancement of hadronic matrix elements of “penguin” operators could easily invalidate the claim.
Studying the Salt Dependence of the Binding of σ70 and σ32 to Core RNA Polymerase Using Luminescence Resonance Energy Transfer

The study of protein-protein interactions is becoming increasingly important for understanding the regulation of many cellular processes. The ability to quantify the strength with which two binding partners interact is desirable but the accurate determination of equilibrium binding constants is a difficult process. The use of Luminescence Resonance Energy Transfer (LRET) provides a homogeneous binding assay that can be used for the detection of protein-protein interactions. Previously, we developed an LRET assay to screen for small molecule inhibitors of the interaction of σ70 with theβ' coiled-coil fragment (amino acids 100–309). Here we describe an LRET binding assay used to monitor the interaction of E. coli σ70 and σ32 with core RNA polymerase along with the controls to verify the system. This approach generates fluorescently labeled proteins through the random labeling of lysine residues which enables the use of the LRET assay for proteins for which the creation of single cysteine mutants is not feasible. With the LRET binding assay, we are able to show that the interaction of σ70 with core RNAP is much more sensitive to NaCl than to potassium glutamate (KGlu), whereas the σ32 interaction with core RNAP is insensitive to both salts even at concentrations >500 mM. We also find that the interaction of σ32 with core RNAP is stronger than σ70 with core RNAP, under all conditions tested. This work establishes a consistent set of conditions for the comparison of the binding affinities of the E.coli sigma factors with core RNA polymerase. The examination of the importance of salt conditions in the binding of these proteins could have implications in both in vitro assay conditions and in vivo function.
Distribution of shell model reduced transition probabilities in 22Na

Abstract The distribution of reduced transition probabilities in 22Na has been studied using the shell model. B(M1) and B(E2) values have been calculated for transitions among the first 25 states with each spin from J = 0 to J = 8, positive parity, and isospins T = 0 or T = 1. No dependence on spin, isospin, electromagnetic character, or excitation energy was found. The results were consistent with a χ2(ν) distribution with ν = 1, suggesting that 22Na is chaotic in the energy range studied.
Stimulation of mitochondrial functions by glucagon treatment, starvation and by treatment of isolated mitochondria with glycogen-bound enzymes

Liver mitochondria isolated from rats starved overnight, or fed rats injected with glucagon, exhibited a similar increase of the respiration rate with succinate (by 30-40%) and glutamate plus malate (by 20-30%), as compared to mitochondria from control fed animals. The content of mitochondrial adenine nucleotides was elevated by 30-45% by glucagon treatment or starvation. Mitochondrial respiration and citrulline synthesis were stimulated by 30-40% when mitochondria isolated from fed rats were briefly preincubated with the extract from liver glycogen granules, ATP and MgCl2. This effect was abolished by heating the extract at 100 degrees C.
Collective Spontaneous Emission and Tripartite Entanglement of Driven, Damped Atoms in Free Space

We calculate the bipartite and tripartite entanglement of three damped two-level atoms in free space with one atom driven. There are two sources of the entanglement: dipole-dipole coupling and collective spontaneous emission.
Diversification of the yellow-shouldered bats, genus Sturnira (Chiroptera, Phyllostomidae), in the New World tropics.

The Yellow-shouldered bats, Genus Sturnira, are widespread, diverse, and abundant throughout the Neotropical Region, but little is known of their phylogeny and biogeography. We collected 4409 bp of DNA from three mitochondrial (cyt-b, ND2, D-loop) and two nuclear (RAG1, RAG2) sequences from 138 individuals representing all but two recognized species of Sturnira and five other phyllostomid bats used as outgroups. The sequence data were subjected to maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian inference analyses. Results overwhelmingly support the monophyly of the genus Sturnira but not continued recognition of Corvira as a subgenus; the two species (bidens and nana) allocated to that group constitute separate, basal branches on the phylogeny. A total of 21 monophyletic putatively species-level groups were recovered; pairs were separated by an average 7.09% (SD=1.61) pairwise genetic distance in cyt-b, and three of these groups are apparently unnamed. Several well-supported clades are evident, including a complex of seven species formerly confused with S. lilium, a species that is actually limited to the Brazilian Shield. We used four calibration points to construct a time-tree for Sturnira, using BEAST. Sturnira diverged from other stenodermatines in the mid-Miocene, and by the end of that epoch (5.3 Ma), three basal lineages were present. Most living species belong to one of two clades, A and B, which appeared and diversified shortly afterwards, during the Pliocene. Both parsimony (DIVA) and likelihood (Lagrange) methods for reconstructing ancestral ranges indicate that the radiation of Sturnira is rooted in the Andes; all three basal lineages (in order, bidens, nana, and aratathomasi) have strictly or mainly Andean distributions. Only later did Sturnira colonize the Pacific lowlands (Choco) and thence Central America. Sturnira species that are endemic to Central America appeared after the final emergence of the Panamanian landbridge ~3 Ma. Despite its ability to fly and to colonize the Antilles overwater, this genus probably accompanied the "legions" of South American taxa that moved overland during the Great American Biotic Interchange. Its eventual colonization of the Lesser Antilles and the appearance of two endemic lineages there did not take place until the Pleistocene. Because of its continual residence and diversification in South America, Andean assemblages of Sturnira contain both basal and highly derived members of the genus.
Raman Spectra of Rings in Silicate Materials

Raman spectroscopic studies on gel-derived silicates have confirmed that narrow bands near 607 cm-1 and 492 cm-1, first observed in the Raman spectrum of fused silica, are associated with three- and four-fold siloxane rings. Using these results, we have identified three- and four-fold siloxane rings in other high-surface-area silica materials, including leached glasses and Cab-OSil. This Raman spectroscopic evidence not only shows that small siloxane rings are a common characteristic of a number of silica materials but also suggests that they form preferentially at silica surfaces. This paper reviews the Raman spectroscopic evidence that led to the identification of the vibrational frequencies of the small siloxane rings and presents the results of Raman experiments on high-surface-area silica materials in which the concentration of small siloxane rings is enhanced compared to fused silica.
A passenger comfort controller for an autonomous ground vehicle

Trajectory-following controllers for autonomous ground vehicles must carefully consider the possibility of vehicle instability. Previous approaches have provided a reference velocity along with a trajectory to follow, and a supervisory controller selects low velocity if turns are anticipated. However, such an approach is not robust across different vehicle platforms, and does not take into account passenger comfort. This paper provides a controller and design methodology to couple an existing trajectory controller with a speed limiting controller, where the speed-limiting controller is created based on user driving data. The result is a controller that can be optimized using a set of linearized controllers, and which is also demonstrated to remain below the velocity/turnrate thresholds established by human drivers: a conservative approximation for stability thresholds to prevent rollovers and skidding. Analysis is performed on data gathered using velocities between 0–18 m/s gathered in driving on surface streets as well as maneuvers in an open area, to demonstrate the validity of the thresholds in various conditions.
A Bone-Breaking Case of Syncope Due to Glossopharyngeal Neuralgia

Glossopharyngeal neuralgia is an uncommon cause of intense facial pain, and is rarely associated with syncope. We present a patient with malignant syncope precipitated by glossopharyngeal neuralgia (GPN), who sustained lower extremity fractures. A 64-year-old Caucasian female with hypertension, diabetes mellitus type 2 and dyslipidemia, presented to the emergency department (ED) after a witnessed syncopal event. Over the preceding 9 months, she experienced multiple syncopal episodes triggered by neck pain, and was diagnosed with GPN by an ENT specialist. She reported a severe, stabbing pain in the right side of her neck prior to the event. Her vital signs and physical examination were unremarkable, except for bilateral leg tenderness. Laboratory data were within normal limits. Electrocardiogram revealed normal sinus rhythm, a rate of 72 beats per minute (BPM), and otherwise normal. Lower extremity X-rays revealed bilateral non-displaced fibular fractures. In the ED, she sustained another syncopal event, and bradycardia with transient heart rates as low as 22 BPM were documented. A temporary transvenous pacemaker was placed. She required pacing repeatedly for repeated bradycardic episodes preceded by right-sided neck pain. She was started on carbamazepine, without complete resolution of her symptoms on escalating doses. Due to recurrent bradycardia with frequent neck pains, requiring temporary pacing, an MRI-compatible permanent pacemaker was placed, to allow for further MRI recommended by neurology service. At 8-week follow-up, she had fully recovered from her neuralgic pain and fractures, without further syncope. This case emphasizes the potentially serious morbidity of GPN-induced syncope and importance of a prompt clinical diagnosis and treatment. J Med Cases. 2014;5(8):459-462 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14740/jmc1875w
Dirhodium Catalysts That Bear Redox Noninnocent Chelating Dicarboxylate Ligands and Their Performance in Intra- and Intermolecular C–H Amination

We report two new analogues of the well-known C–H amination catalyst [Rh2(esp)2] (1) (esp = α,α,α′,α′-tetramethyl-1,3-benzenedipropanoate) that bear redox-active supporting ligands that are structurally similar to esp. The redox-active ligands are 2-[3-(1-carboxy-1-methylethoxy)phenoxy]-2-methylpropanoic acid (H2L1) and (3-methoxycarbonyl-2,5-di-tert-butylphenoxy)ethanoic acid (H2L2), which react with Rh2(OAc)4 to form the catalysts [Rh2(L1)2] (2) and [Rh2(L2)2] (3). Both 2 and 3 have been characterized by X-ray crystallography and cyclic voltammetry, inter alia. Compounds 2 and 3 are structurally similar to 1 but show more complex electrochemical features. Whereas 1 has a single reversible redox wave that corresponds to the Rh2II,II/Rh2II,III couple, 2 and 3 show multiple oxidations that are characteristic of ligand-centered oxidation. Catalysts 1, 2, and 3 perform well in a model intramolecular C–H amination reaction, and all three catalysts perform equally well during the first four hours of a model intermolecular reaction. After this point, 2 and 3 cease to function, whereas 1 continues to be active. These results support the hypothesis that intermolecular C–H amination utilizes two distinct mechanisms: (1) a nitrene interception/insertion mechanism that is fast but ceases to be operative after four hours, and (2) a one-electron mechanism that is more robust over extended time periods, but requires the catalyst to be able to undergo Rh2-centered oxidation.
Messenger RNA affinity column fractionation of eukaryotic initiation factor and the translation of myosin messenger RNA.

Abstract Both myosin mRNA (26 S) and globin mRNA (9 S) have been bound to activated Sepharose 4B. The affinity of initiation factors derived from native 40 S ribosomal subunits from embryonic chick muscle for these messengers has been determined. Although both messengers bind the major components of the muscle factor preparation with the same affinity, some differences are noted in the minor components. There is an enrichment of components which bind myosin mRNA with a high affinity when the 15–18 S initiation factor complex is prepared from initiating 40 S ribosomal subunits found on myosin synthesizing polysomes rather than from total cellular factor preparations. The proteins which have a high binding affinity to myosin mRNA also have a discriminating effect when added to a wheat germ system containing myosin and globin mRNA. This is demonstrated by the fact that the synthesis of myosin heavy chain is specifically stimulated and the number of ribosomes found on myosin mRNA increase five to seven-fold; whereas neither the synthesis of globin nor the number of ribosomes associated with globin mRNA is increased. The components of an impure reticulocyte eukaryotic initiation factor 3 prepared in a similar manner as the muscle factor, do not bind myosin mRNA with the same high affinity, and these fractions separated on the myosin mRNA affinity column did not show a discriminatory effect. These results suggest that specific components of muscle 15–18 S initiation factor preparations have a higher binding affinity for myosin mRNA than globin mRNA and that these proteins may be those factors previously reported to be present which discriminate between mRNAs.
YEZID SAYIGH, Armed Struggle and the Search for State: The Palestinian National Movement, 1949–1993 (Washington, D.C.: Institute for Palestine Studies, and Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1997). Pp. 96. £70.00 cloth.

Yezid Sayigh's encylopedic history focuses on the role that the idea of armed struggle played in the Palestinian national movement as it evolved over the past half-century. His central thesis is that “armed struggle provided the political impulse and organisational dynamic in the evolution of Palestinian national identity and in the formation of parastatal institutions and a bureaucratic elite, the nucleus of government” (p. vii). The concept of armed struggle reforged Palestinian national identity, mobilized Palestinians, provided political legitimization to the Palestinian movement, made the Palestinians a distinct political actor in relation to the Arab states, helped to create institutions that could form the basis of a government, and established a well-defined political elite. Thus, even though Palestinian leaders never transformed the armed struggle into a people's war along the lines of Algeria or Vietnam, and never liberated any part of Palestine by force, armed struggle served other important, statist functions.
In Vitro Evaluation of Shoulder External Rotation After a Bankart Reconstruction

The Bankart procedure is a commonly performed an terior shoulder reconstruction that may shorten the anterior capsule. In this study, biomechanical testing was performed to evaluate the effect of the classic Bankart reconstruction on external rotation of the shoulder. The procedure was performed on six fresh- frozen cadaveric specimens that were free of intraar ticular pathologic changes. With the arm in 0° of ab duction, resisting torques about the vertical axis were measured while the humerus was externally rotated. The intact specimens demonstrated a nonlinear load displacement behavior in which little resisting torque was measured until a moderate amount of external rotation was applied. Shortening the capsule by 2 mm resulted in a 40% decrease in the low-tension zone of external rotation, and shortening the capsule an addi tional 5 mm resulted in a 67% decrease in the low- tension zone. This study demonstrates that the normal shoulder capsule is quite sensitive to anterior capsular shortening and sug...
Gas chromatographic estimation of malathion in seven vegetables

Abstract A simple and rapid gas Chromatographic method was developed to determine the residue levels in the vegetables. This method proved to be accurate and reliable for total residue estimation, giving recoveries of 90–94% with exception of tomato, from fortified vegetable samples. Residues level on these vegetables sprayed with malathion (2.7 1b ai/acre) were well below the tolerance limit of 8 ppm established by EPA.
A mixture-site model for edge-preserving image restoration

The paper summarizes a new Bayesian method for edge-preserving image restoration from noisy measurements. The line-site method of Geman and Geman (1984) forces region boundaries to lie along pixel boundaries, which is unnatural, particularly for 3D data. The present authors augment the intensity process with a binary "mixture site" process, which has one parameter for each pixel indicating the presence of a boundary at some unknown location within that pixel. The method was motivated by the PET and SPECT transmission images with partial volume effects, and is easily extended to 3D data sets. >
Calculation of selected ordinates of fourier spectra

A method is presented for calculating single or, by repeated use, selected ordinates of Fourier spectra rapidly and efficiently. The approach differs from standard methods in that any frequency consistent with the interval of digitization may be chosen and records of arbitrary length may be analysed. The method is based on the relation between Fourier spectra of an accelerogram and the final response of an undamped oscillator to the same accelerogram. This relation is reviewed and extended to aid the development of the computing method and to assist in the interpretation of Fourier spectrum techniques in earthquake engineering. Because only the terminal values of the response of an undamped oscillator are required to define the Fourier spectra, repeated application of superposition is used to form equivalent excitations with durations of only one-quarter of the period of the oscillator.