cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bacterial and Parasitic Cholangitis

Bacterial cholangitis is a clinically defined syndrome caused by the regurgitation of infected bile into the circulation. The pathogenic mechanism is unclear, and systemic sepsis may not occur. Prerequisite conditions are the presence of microorganisms in the bile and increased biliary pressure. Bacteria that commonly cause cholangitis are Escherichia coli, Klebsiella, Enterococcus, Enterobacter, Pseudomonas, and anaerobes. Although most infections are polymicrobial, this situation may not always prevail. Successful treatment depends on relieving biliary obstruction and administering antibiotics effective against bacteria in the circulation and the bile. The causes of biliary obstruction that predispose to bacterial cholangitis are myriad. Common conditions include biliary stones and benign strictures. In many parts of the world, biliary parasites are an important factor. Biliary parasites cause necrosis, inflammation, fibrosis, strictures, and cholangi-ectasis of the bile ducts by several mechanisms: (1) as a direct result of the irritating chemical composition of the parasite, parasitic secretions, or eggs; (2) physical obstruction of the bile ducts; (3) induction of formation of biliary stones; and (4) introduction of bacteria into the biliary system during migration from the duodenum. Therefore, bacterial cholangitis has an important and frequently dominant role in the pathogenesis and clinical course of biliary disease due to these parasitic infestations. Common biliary parasites include the nematode Ascaris lumbricoides, the trematodes Opisthorchis viverrini and felineus, Clonorchis sinensis, and Fasciola hepatica, and the cestodes Echinococcus granulosus and multilocularis. The epidemiologic, pathologic, and clinical manifestations of these parasitic infestations are reviewed.
Psychiatric Diagnoses of Previous Suicide Attempters, First-Time Attempters, and Repeat Attempters on an Adolescent Inpatient Psychiatry Unit

ABSTRACT Objective To compare psychiatric diagnoses of hospitalized adolescents who (a) have made previous but no recent suicide attempts, (b) have recently made their first suicide attempt, (c) have recently made a second or subsequent attempt, or (d) have never made an attempt. Method Semistructured psychiatric diagnostic interviews were used to determine psychiatric diagnoses and history of recent and previous suicidal behavior of 269 consecutively admitted adolescents to an inpatient psychiatric facility. Forty-nine previously suicidal youths, 28 first-time attempters, and 33 repeat attempters were compared with 159 nonsuicidal youths in prevalence of Axis I psychiatric disorders and psychiatric comorbidity with affective disorder. Result Previous attempters and repeat attempters both reported more affective disorders, whereas first-time attempters reported more adjustment disorders than nonsuicidal youths. Previous attempters and nonsuicidal youths reported the most externalizing disorders. Conclusion Previous attempters on an inpatient unit have multiple psychiatric problems. Like repeat attempters, they often are depressed, but like nonsuicidal youths, they also exhibit significant externalizing behaviors. Interventions with these adolescents should focus not only on immediate presenting problems, but also on ameliorating their long-term risk of posthospitalization suicidal behavior.
Optimized predictions for heats of formation of transition-metal alloys II

Abstract A simple electron band theory model of the heat of formation ΔH, of transition metal alloys is used to predict Δ for 276 transition metal alloys at equiatomic composition. The model employs a rectangular d-band electron density of states. Some of the input parameters, namely bandwidth, Fermi level position, and number of electrons in the band, are allowed to vary within certain constraints, to closely approximate any known value of ΔH. The resulting predictions are considered to have errors of the same order as the experiments.
Bone lysozyme: partial purification, properties and depression of activity by parathyroid extract.

DURING an investigation of the metabolism of bone, high levels of lysozyme activity were found which could be markedly decreased by parathyroid extract, an agent known to induce fundamental changes in this tissue1. It was also observed that parathyroid extract caused the lysozyme content of other tissues to change. This report details these findings and describes a partial purification of the bone enzyme.
Conditioned invariant and locally conditioned invariant distributions

Abstract We define the concepts of conditioned invariant and locally conditioned invariant distributions for nonlinear system and show how they can be used to solve the problem of tracking an output signal of a nonlinear system in spite of unknown disturbances.
Chronotropic Response to Exercise in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation

The exercise chronotropic response of patients with chronic atrial fibrillation requiring pacemaker therapy for bradycardia was assessed to characterize the chronotropic response and identify patients who would potentially benefit from a rate adaptive pacemaker. The population consisted of all patients who received a VVI pacemaker between January 1980 and November 1987 who underwent exercise tolerance testing (n = 130) and were in atrial fibrillation (n = 19). There were 11 males and 8 females with a mean age of 62 +/- 14 years. Left ventricular function was normal in eight patients, mildly impaired in three, and severely impaired in two. Long-term medications were continued until the morning of the test; digoxin 73%, beta blockers 21%, calcium channel blockers 26%, and nitrates 21%. Maximal exercise tolerance tests were performed. Parameters assessed were: (a) heart rate at rest, the end of each stage, and at peak exercise; (b) percent heart rate reserve per stage; and (c) percent metabolic reserve per stage. Results were compared to 100 normal subjects on no medications and without evidence of medical illness or cardiac disease. Heart rates were depressed in 58% of the study patients (21% early, 53% late) and elevated in 74% (74% early, 32% late). All 19 (100%) patients had abnormal heart rate responses at some point during the exercise test. Only four patients (21%) had a response within one standard deviation from the mean of the normal population during either the early or late segment of the exercise test. Patients in chronic atrial fibrillation requiring pacemakers for bradycardiac support at rest have an abnormal chronotropic response to exercise.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Note on the frequency distribution of geothermal gradients

Tables of temperature gradients observed in the Earth's crust have been compiled by H. C. Spicer [see “References” at end of paper, Spicer, 1942], These data cover several pages, and it was considered convenient to summarize them for teaching purposes. This was done by obtaining the frequency of various geothermal gradients for intervals of 2°C/km for the three intervals of depths given in the original tables, that is, 30.5 to 305 m, 305 to 610 m, and more than 610 m. Three frequency polygons were obtained, shown in Figure 1. Eight odd values over 62°C/km were omitted. The histograms for the two upper levels show distinctly bimodal distributions. In the 30.5–305–m group (198 observations) the maximal frequencies are the steps 18 to 20°C/km and 34 to 36°C/km. In the 305–610 m group (175 observations) the second mode is in the same interval as in the first group, but the first maximum lies in the somewhat lower interval of 14 to 16°C/km. The third group of data (138 observations), taken at depths of more than 610 m shows a main mode in approximately the same range as the other two groups with several minor modes. The irregularities in this last histogram might be attributed, in part, to the smaller number of observations in the third group.
Preferential transport of iga and iga-immune complexes to bile compared with other external secretions.

When radiolabeled dinitrophenyl-human serum albumin was injected intravenously in mice together with M315 IgA, labeled antigen was specifically transported into bile, but not into saliva, urine, milk or bronchial and intestinal secretions. Ultracentrifugal analysis showed that the antigen transported into bile was intact and partly complexed with IgA. The radioactivity that was present in other secretions regardless of M315 IgA, represented free and degraded fragments of antigen. M315 IgA alone was readily transported into bile, where it was detected at high titer by hemagglutination, but not into other secretions, apart from milk which contained only very low titers. The liver therefore appears to be singularly capable of transporting both free and complexed IgA into its secretion, the bile.
Modeling gelled fluid flow with thixotropy and rheological hysteresis effects

Abstract A new model has been developed for describing the rheology of thixotropic fluids. The model accounts for hysteresis effects when the fluid goes through multiple shearing events. To demonstrate the model capability, a series of unsteady, three-dimensional simulations are presented for flow through a plain orifice passage. The thixotropic liquid simulation showed the behavior generally bounded by Newtonian and shear-thinning liquids limits. For high Reynolds number injection conditions, quasi-periodic behavior is noted as in prior studies with Newtonian and shear-thinning fluids. The effect of fluid rheology and response rates is also parametrically considered to demonstrate the role of the model parameters.
In and about the poetic line

The present paper defends the relatively greater importance of punctuation over lineation for the prediction of pauses, and consequently for the temporal unitization of oral readings of poetry. Nine poems of Seamus Heaney, read by the author himself, are analyzed. In terms of two response measures, percentage of available positions used for pauses and mean duration of these pauses, the greater importance of punctuated relative to line-end positions is dramatically confirmed. More than 90% of the overall pause time is accounted for by punctuation. In each of the poems, both response measures are accounted for by punctuation rather than line-end position.
Attachment with parents and peers in late adolescence : Links with emotional competence and social behavior

The goal of this study was to examine whether the links between attachment security and social behavior in late adolescence were mediated by emotional competence. One hundred and seventeen late adolescents completed self-report measures of parent and peer attachment, social behavior, and emotional competence. Attachment security with both parents and peers was significantly related to aspects of adolescent emotional and social competence. A path model revealed that parent and peer attachment had no direct links with social behavior. Instead, the links between parent and peer attachment and social behavior were indirect, mediated through aspects of emotional competence. These findings suggest that secure attachment relationships foster appropriate social behavior by promoting high levels of emotional awareness, empathy, positive expressiveness, and low levels of negative dominant expressiveness.
Tandem mass spectrometry of integral membrane proteins for top-down proteomics

Abstract Transmembrane domains of integral membrane proteins present a formidable analytical challenge due to their general lack of polarity; recovery is enhanced by maintaining their association with polar-loop regions. Multi-dimensional separations of intact integral membrane proteins coupled with high-resolution electrospray-ionization mass spectrometers enable “top-down” proteomics, with coverage of bilayer domains.
Toward a Culturally Inclusive Understanding of Wisdom: Historical Roots in the East and West

To establish a clearer definition of wisdom as a psychological concept, Western and Eastern historical literatures were reviewed and assessed within a general analytical/synthetic framework. In the West, either in an ancient Egyptian, biblical, or philosophical sense, wisdom had been often identified as a form of analytical ability such as an increase in the knowledge database or an increase in information processing efficiency. By contrast, the Eastern understanding of wisdom, primarily derived from the ancient Vedic text, had been more inclusive, with both analytical and synthetic domains regarded as necessary moments to the whole of wisdom. The inclusive account was also discussed with respect to two important Eastern themes of wisdom: "void" and "codependence."
Comparison of the inhibitory effects of retinoids on 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-induced epidermal ornithine decarboxylase activities in CD-1 and Sencar mice.

Abstract Linear regression analysis of the dose levels of a series of retinoids required ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) induction by 50% indicated that there was no significant difference in inhibitory activity between CD-1 and Sencar mice (r = 0.9699; P
Recall and recognition of brand names: A comparison of word and nonword name types

Despite the common recommendation that brand names be memorable, little is known about the effect of brand name type on various forms of memory processing such as recall and recognition. As such, this article extends prior research by comparing recall and recognition for three sets of brand names: words versus nonwords, relevant (i.e., related to a product attribute) words versus irrelevant (i.e., unrelated to a product attribute) words, and relevant words cuing an advertised attribute versus relevant words cuing an unadvertised attribute. The results of an experimental study indicate that memory for these brand name types depends on whether it is accessed via recall or recognition. Based on these results, implications for naming new products are discussed. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Anelastic relaxation in silicon doped with lithium and boron

Abstract Single crystals of Si doped interstitially with Li and substitutionally with B (up to 3.7 × 1019 atoms cm 3 ) exhibit a well-defined internal friction peak at 150°C for a frequency of 1.2 kHz. The peak is governed by a single relaxation time, and has an activation energy Q of 0.83 ± 0.015 eV. The temperature and concentration dependence of the relaxation strength conform to a mass-action equation based on the reaction Li+ + B−ai Li+B−, and indicate that the relaxation is produced by the reorientation of bound Li+B− pairs rather than by unassociated Li+ ions. The binding enthalpy Δhb is found to be 0.28±0.025 eV/pair. From measurements on 〈100〉 and 〈111〉 oriented samples, the symmetry of the Li+B− pair is found to be trigonal. The dipole shape factor ¦λ1 − λ2¦ has the value 0.1. The defect symmetry indicates that the pair is composed of a Li+ ion occupying a tetrahedral interstitial site in a nearest neighbor position to a substitutional B− ion. All the available evidence is contrary to Weiser's suggestion that free Li+ ions in Si enter the hexagonally coordinated interstitial sites which lie midway between the tetrahedral sites.
A field test of the effects of mesopredators and landscape setting on juvenile oyster, Crassostrea virginica, consumption on intertidal reefs

Oyster populations are often structured by both biotic interactions and abiotic stresses. Juvenile oysters, i.e., those most vulnerable to predation, face a wide range of predatory characteristics (size, mobility) such that predator identity might exert a strong influence on oyster populations. Likewise, oyster reef location, either as isolated patch reefs or saltmarsh-fringing reefs, can strongly influence the ecological processes impacting oyster populations. Therefore, this study sought to quantify the contribution of predator identity, in particular mesopredators, to oyster survival in the field, while also examining the role of landscape setting in predation. Using a multiple mesh size cage design, oyster survival was measured by excluding access to different groups of predators at both patch and fringing reef and reference sites in Hewlett’s Creek, Wilmington, North Carolina, in August/September 2013, while also monitoring settlement and recruitment at both reef locations from May to August 2013. The results indicated a significant cage by location interaction, indicating that the predator identity or modality was not the same across all sites. Despite this, at either reef location, oyster survival did not differ between 37-mm mesh cages, which allowed access only by mesopredators, and no-cage treatments, which allowed access to all predators, while survival was reduced by >20 % on fringing reefs relative to patch reefs. This study demonstrates the significant contribution of mesopredators, likely xanthid crabs, to oyster predation in the field at ambient predator densities and suggests that the differences in oyster abundance between patch and fringing reef locations are likely due to differential predation.
A Review of Shamosuchus and Paralligator (Crocodyliformes, Neosuchia) from the Cretaceous of Asia

The crocodyliform Shamosuchus is known from numerous Late Cretaceous localities in southern and eastern Mongolia and fragmentary remains from Uzbekistan. Seven species of Shamosuchus have been named from six localities in Mongolia and three in Uzbekistan. Six species originally described as Paralligator were later referred to Shamosuchus. Only the type species, Shamosuchus djadochtaensis has been examined in detail. Many of the named species of Shamosuchus show striking similarity in size and cranial morphology but most are based on partial remains suggesting that the true species diversity is overestimated. A review of all species referred to Shamosuchus recognizes three valid taxa: Shamosuchus djadochtaensis, S. gradilifrons, and S. major. Shamosuchus sungaricus, S. borealis, and S. karakalpakensis are nomena dubia, whereas S. ancestralis, S. ulgicus, S. tersus, and S. ulanicus are junior subjective synonyms of S. gradilifrons. Phylogenetic analysis of 318 phenotypic characters recovers a Paralligatoridae clade consisting of Shamosuchus, Rugosuchus, Batrachomimus, Glen Rose Form, and Wannchampsus. Shamosuchus is non-monophyletic: S. djadochtaensis is near the base of Paralligatoridae whereas S. gradilifrons + S. major are the most deeply nested. The name Paralligator is resurrected for this clade. Rugosuchus and Batrachomimus are sister taxa to Paralligator. Paralligatoridae is closely related to Theriosuchus, hylaeochampsids and a speciose Allodaposuchus clade, which together are the sister group of Borealosuchus plus Crocodylia. These results support the presence of a diverse clade in eastern Asia and western North America throughout the Cretaceous with origins in the Late Jurassic.
Loss of HSulf-1 expression enhances autocrine signaling mediated by amphiregulin in breast cancer

Heparan sulfate (HS) glycosaminoglycans are the oligosaccharide chains of heparan sulfate proteoglycans. The sulfation of HS glycosaminoglycan residues is required for its interaction with various heparin-binding growth factors to promote their biological activities to activate their high affinity receptor tyrosine kinases. We have identified HS glycosaminoglycan-6-O-endosulfatase HSulf-1 as a down-regulated gene in ovarian, breast, and several other cancer cell lines. Here we have shown that HSulf-1 inhibits autocrine activation of the EGFR-ERK (epidermal growth factor receptor-extracellular signal-regulated kinase) pathway induced by serum withdrawal in MDA-MB-468 breast cancer cells. Short hairpin RNA-mediated down-regulation of HSulf-1 in HSulf-1 clonal lines of MDA-MB-468 led to a significant increase in autocrine activation of ERK compared with vector only control. The autocrine signaling was also inhibited with neutralization antibodies against amphiregulin and HB-EGF, the heparin-binding growth factor family of the EGF superfamily. Furthermore, HSulf-1-mediated inhibition of autocrine signaling was associated with reduced cyclin D1 levels, leading to decreased S phase fraction and increased G(2)-M fraction, as well as increased cell death. Finally, evaluation of HSulf-1 expression levels in primary invasive breast tumors by RNA in situ hybridization indicated that HSulf-1 is down-regulated in the majority (60%) of tumors, with a predominant association with lobular histology. These data suggest a potential role of HSulf-1 down-regulation in mammary carcinogenesis.
Metabolism and acute toxicity of methyl parathion in pen‐reared and wild northern bobwhites

Pesticide registration guidelines in the United States accept pen-reared northern bobwhites (Colinus virginianus) for acute toxicity testing and consider them representative of wild terrestrial birds. It is not known how well the various pen-reared bobwhite strains represent their wild counterpart. The metabolic activation, cholinesterase sensitivity, and toxicity of the or-ganophosphorus insecticide methyl parathion were compared in pen-reared and wild bobwhites. Phosphorothioate insecticides such as methyl parathion are activated to their anticholinesterase oxygen analogues (oxons) by microsomal monooxygenases. Methyl paraoxon 150 values for whole-brain cholinesterase were similar (P > 0.05) for pen-reared and wild bobwhites (60.0-65.1 nM). Activation of methyl parathion to methyl paraoxon by liver microsomes was measured indirectly by inhibition of brain cholinesterase. Microsomal specific activities were similar (P > 0.05) for male and female pen-reared and wild birds (1.15-1.54 nmol min−1 mg protein−1). There were no differences (P> 0.05) in LD50 values between pen-reared (9.84 mg/kg) and wild (10.22 mg/kg) bobwhites. Brain cholinesterase was depressed 70 to 85% in nonsurvivors and 23 to 35% in survivors. Results suggest that pen-reared bobwhites are representative of wild bobwhites. However, comparisons with our previous field research demonstrate that sublethal effects seen in the lab can become lethal under natural conditions. Extrapolations from lab to field must be made cautiously.
Effects of charge on osmotic reflection coefficients of macromolecules in porous membranes

Abstract A computational model was developed to predict the effects of solute and pore charge on the osmotic reflection coefficients ( σ o ) of spherical macromolecules in cylindrical pores. Results were obtained for particles and pores of like charge and fixed surface charge densities, using a theory that combined low Reynolds number hydrodynamics with a continuum, point-charge description of the electrical double layers. In this formulation steric and/or electrostatic exclusion of macromolecules from the vicinity of the pore wall creates radial variations in osmotic pressure. These, in turn, lead to the axial pressure gradient that drives the osmotic flow. Due to the stronger exclusion that results from repulsive electrostatic interactions, σ o with charge effects always exceeded that for an uncharged system with the same solute and pore size. The effects of charge stemmed almost entirely from particle positions within a pore being energetically unfavorable. It was found that the required potential energy could be computed with sufficient accuracy using the linearized Poisson–Boltzmann equation, high charge densities notwithstanding. In principle, another factor that might influence σ o in charged pores is the electrical body force due to the streaming potential. However, the streaming potential was shown to have little effect on σ o , even when it markedly reduced the apparent hydraulic permeability.
Toward a More Responsible Two-Party System: A Commentary.

Every American concerned with the future of democratic government in the United States owes a considerable debt to Professor Schattschneider and the American Political Science Association's Committee on Political Parties. Their Report, ostensibly concerned with bringing about "fuller public appreciation of a basic weakness in the American two-party system,"' in fact addresses itself to two of the most pressing questions confronting us: How can we in America establish a governmental system capable of performing effectively the Herculean tasks thrust upon it by the demanding times in which we live? And how can we make sure that such a government will at the same time be thoroughly responsible to the people? The members of the Committee appear to consider both questions to be of equal importance. The goal, they feel, must be a government which is both effective and democratic. And if their Report does nothing more than precipitate a general and serious discussion of these urgent questions, the Committee will have more than justified its existence. The Report deserves the serious attention of a far wider audience than one exclusively of specialists in political parties for it takes the position that a responsible party system is the only possible institutional mechanism for providing us with effective and democratic government. Its explication of that position, its analysis of why and in what respects American parties are at present incapable of doing the job, and its prescription of remedies for their deficienciesall these merit the most careful consideration of the political theorist and the general student of American government, as well as of the specialist in parties. It is precisely because of agreement with the members of the Committee upon the importance of the questions raised, and because of gratitude to them for their attempt to answer these questions, that the writer feels it necessary to point out why their analysis of the problem is inadequate in certain respects. For purposes of brevity, this commentary will be confined to the two sections of the Report which most seriously weaken its total argument: (1) its explication of the notion of "intraparty democracy"; and (2) its analysis of why American parties are as they are and what must therefore be done in order to improve them.
Structural design and analysis for a sensor-integrated ball bearing

Abstract The structural design issues associated with the development of a sensor-integrated ball bearing were investigated. A finite element model was established to analyze the structural integrity of a ball bearing whose outer ring was modified to accommodate a miniaturized load sensor module. The sensor module was designed to monitor dynamic load variations within the bearing, which is an important indicator of a bearings safe operation. This structural integration of “intelligence” is significant in that it bring's automated, on-line, self-diagnosis capability to a dynamic system for which reliable, safe operation is of critical importance. A design tool was developed to evaluate the effect of outer ring modification on the dynamic load-carrying capability of the bearing. The tool also provided quantitative guidelines for the design of load and other types of sensor modules that will be structurally embedded into the outer ring of a conventional bearing for industrial applications.
Effect of water deprivation on the metabolism of hexobarbital in the Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus).

1. 1. The metabolism of hexobarbital in the Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus) was studied and the effect of water deprivation for 96 hours on the metabolism of the barbiturate was investigated. 2. 2. The rate of metabolism of the barbiturate in vitro by the liver microsomal enzymes and the microsomal cytochrome P450 content were found to be higher in water-deprived gerbils than in the control gerbils. 3. 3. The hexobarbital sleeping time was shorter for the water-deprived gerbils than for the control animals, but upon awakening, both groups had the same hexobarbital content of the blood. 4. 4. The data strongly suggest that the observed increase in liver microsomal enzyme activity was most likely caused by the diminished food intake that accompanied water deprivation.
Bone mineral lies mainly outside collagen fibrils: Predictions of a composite model for osternal bone

Abstract We propose that the elastic properties of osteonal bone can be modeled accurately as a simple fiber-reinforced composite, provided that accurate properties for the mineral and collagen phases of the ultrastructure are available. Off-axis stiffness coefficients were measured in anterior quadrant of canine femora at 10° increments from longitudinal to transverse direction using an acoustic microscope. The resolution of these measurements was about 60 μm or less than the radius of one osteon. The bone specimens were subsequently demineralized and the off-axis measurements were repeated to determine the elasticity of bone collagen. Bone collagen fibrils were not principally aligned along the long axis of the bone, but demonstrated an alignment that was 30° from the long axis. A simple composite model was developed based on the experimental data. The model that best fit experimental data assumed that (1) bone collagen was aligned 30° from the long axis of the bone, (2) 75% of mineral crystals reside outside of collagen fibrils, and (3) mineral crystals outside of collagen fibrils have their c-axis in the longitudinal direction.
Is the ring around SN1987A a protostellar disk

ACCORDING to conventional wisdom1–4, the ring around supernova 1987A is a product of winds from the progenitor star, which should have produced a thin, dense, spherical shell1. It was accordingly a surprise when images obtained by the Hubble Space Telescope5–8 revealed that the gas is in fact disposed in a thin ring, with a radial velocity9 much smaller than that predicted by theory. This could be explained by an asymmetry in the red giant wind10–12, or by rotational flattening13,14, but these explanations seem to us to be ad hoc, and have associated problems. Here we propose, instead, that the ring is the inner rim of a disk of gas that is left over from the time of formation of the progenitor star. The centre of the disk was evaporated by the ionizing radiation of the progenitor over its lifetime of about ten million years, leaving a ring-like structure. Our hypothesis naturally explains the ring's physical properties, and leads to the prediction that we should see the rest of the disk shortly after the supernova ejecta hit the ring in ad 1999 ±3.
Induction and wave drag on long cylindrical satellites

Induction and wave drag due to Alfven waves on long cylindrical satellite in ionosphere, investigating radiated power integral
A reconstruction of the gene for ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase from Rhodospirillum rubrum that expresses the authentic enzyme in Escherichia coli.

Abstract Escherichia coli plasmid pRR36, which expresses Rhodospirillum rubrum ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (EC 4.1.1.39) as a fusion protein [Nargang et al., Mol. Gen. Genet. 193 (1984) 220–224], was used to construct a new clone of the carboxylase gene ( rbc ) whose expression product is the wild-type enzyme. This construction entailed removing all lacZ -coding sequences and a portion of the 5'-noncoding leader of the R. rubrum rbc gene. The highest specific activity of carboxylase was observed with an expression vector which juxtaposed the trp-lac (tac) hybrid promoter with the R. rubrum ribosome binding site and the rbc structural gene. The carboxylase expressed in E. coli JM107 was purified to near homogeneity and, based on subunit M r and specific enzymic activity, the isolated protein appeared indistinguishable from authentic ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase from R. rubrum . N-terminal sequence analyses of the cloned enzyme verified that the cloned and wild-type enzymes are the same.
Isolation and characterization of a novel 39 kilodaton whey protein from bovine mammary secretions collected during the nonlactating period

A 39 kilodalton glycoprotein has been isolated from bovine mammary secretions by heparin-agarose affinity chromatography and gel filtration. It is a minor whey protein in mammary secretions collected during the nonlactating period, but is clearly detectable by affinity chromatographic and immunoblotting techniques. It is not detectable by these techniques in milk or colostrum. This protein is not immunologically related to milk proteins, serum proteins or cytoskeletal proteins. The N-terminal amino acid sequence (36 amino acids) is not similar to other known proteins. Isolating this novel 39 kilodalton protein provides a specific marker for mammary function during the nonlactating period.
Present status and future prospects in pastoral theology

The article cites three factors which help to understand where the field of Pastoral Theology currently finds itself. It describes five trends which include possibilities and pitfalls for the field: evangelicalism and pietism, expansion of the guilds, a broader definition of pastoral care, the moral dimensions of pastoral care, and family relations emphasis. The article concludes with suggestions for realization of the possibilities and avoidance of the pitfalls.
Eosinophils and CCR3 regulate interleukin-13 transgene-induced pulmonary remodeling.

Interleukin (IL)-13 transgene overexpression in the lung induces features of chronic inflammatory lung disorders, including an eosinophil-rich inflammatory cell infiltration, airway hyper-reactivity, and remodeling of the airway (eg, subepithelial fibrosis, goblet cell metaplasia, and smooth muscle hypertrophy and hyperplasia). Here, we aimed to define the role of eosinophils and eosinophil signaling molecules [eg, eotaxins and CC chemokine receptor (CCR) 3] in IL-13-mediated airway disease. To accomplish this, we mated IL-13-inducible lung transgenic mice with mice deficient in eosinophil chemoattractant molecules (eotaxin-1, eotaxin-2, and their receptor CCR3) and with mice genetically deficient in eosinophils (Δdbl-GATA). We report that in the absence of eotaxin-2 or CCR3, there was a profound reduction in IL-13-induced eosinophil recruitment into the lung lumen. In contrast, in the absence of eotaxin-1, there was a fourfold increase in IL-13-mediated eosinophil recruitment into the airway. IL-13 transgenic mice deficient in CCR3 had a 98% reduction in lung eosinophils. Furthermore, the reduction in pulmonary eosinophils correlated with attenuation in IL-13-induced mucus cell metaplasia and collagen deposition. Mechanistic analysis identified alterations in pulmonary protease and transforming growth factor-β1 expression in eosinophil-deficient mice. Taken together, these data definitively identify a functional contribution by eosinophils on the effects of chronic IL-13 expression in the lung.
Metabolic engineering delivers next-generation biofuels

The ability to produce 'higher-chain' alcohols in Escherichia coli could pave the way for advanced biofuels.
Thermal Expansion of Carbon Nanofiber-Reinforced Multiscale Polymer Composites

Improved dimensional stability of composites is desired in applications where they are exposed to varying temperature conditions. The current study aims at analyzing the effect of vapor-grown carbon nanofibers (CNFs) on the thermal expansion behavior of epoxy matrix composites and hollow particle-filled composites (syntactic foams). CNFs have a lower coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) than epoxy resin, which results in composites with increased dimensional stability as the CNF content is increased. The experimental measurements show that with 10 wt.% CNF, the composite has about 11.6% lower CTE than the matrix resin. In CNF-reinforced syntactic foams, the CTE of the composite decreases with increasing wall thickness and volume fraction of hollow particle inclusions. With respect to neat epoxy resin, a maximum decrease of 38.4% is also observed in the CNF/syntactic foams with microballoon inclusions that range from 15 vol.% to 50 vol.% in all composite mixtures. The experimental results for CNF/syntactic foam are in agreement with a modified version of Kerner’s model. A combination of hollow microparticles and nanofibers has resulted in the ability to tailor the thermal expansion of the composite over a wide range.
Association of prenatal alcohol exposure with behavioral and learning problems in early adolescence.

ABSTRACT Objective To examine the association of moderate levels of prenatal alcohol exposure with learning and behavior in early adolescence. Method A population-based cohort of 464 children were followed longitudinally from birth to age 14 years. Alcohol exposure was assessed via in-depth maternal self-report in the fifth month of pregnancy. At age 14, learning and behavior were assessed with multiple measures, tapping parent, teenager, and psychologist viewpoints, drawn from adolescent laboratory examination and parent phone interview. The underlying pattern of association between prenatal alcohol and adolescent outcome was detected using partial least-squares statistical techniques; confounding factors were dealt with by regression methods. Results Analyses revealed a statistically significant, subtle relationship between greater prenatal alcohol use and increased behavior/learning difficulties during adolescence, even after accounting for other developmental influences. “Binge” maternal drinking and exposure early in pregnancy were associated with a profile of adolescent antisocial behavior, school problems, and self-perceived learning difficulties. Conclusions Fetal alcohol exposure (even at “social drinking” levels) is associated with developmental difficulties in adolescence that are consistent with problems seen earlier in life. Clinicians should understand the potential role prenatal alcohol exposure plays in behavioral and cognitive problems.
RuSn bimetallic catalysts for selective hydrogenation of levulinic acid to γ-valerolactone

Abstract Carbon-supported ruthenium catalysts containing different amounts of tin were studied for the hydrogenation of levulinic acid (LA) to gamma-valerolactone (GVL) in a 2-sec-butyl-phenol (SBP) solvent. Results from reaction kinetics measurements (453 K and 35 bar H2) showed that the Ru/C catalyst was initially more active for hydrogenation of both LA and SBP (i.e., 0.051 s−1 for conversion of LA to GVL), followed by continuous deactivation versus time on stream. In contrast, the catalyst containing equal amounts of Ru and Sn had a lower activity for LA to GVL conversion (0.005 s−1), but displayed stable activity versus time on stream and showed 100% selectivity for hydrogenation of LA versus the SBP solvent. Increasing the amount of Sn to a 1 to 4 Ru:Sn atomic ratio creates an additional phase, β-Sn, that is not active for hydrogenation, leaches into the SBP solvent, and sinters under reaction conditions. Results from CO and O2 chemisorption and electron microscopy measurements indicated that the Ru-based metal particles did not leach or sinter at reaction conditions, and that the surfaces of these particles became progressively enriched with Sn as the Sn-loading increases. In addition, Sn did not significantly leach from the catalysts when present as an intermetallic alloy with Ru, such as Ru2Sn3 and Ru3Sn7. Using LA produced from corn stover, the RuSn4/C catalyst was stable and demonstrated that it is a promising catalyst to produce valuable chemicals and fuels from real biomass.
Operational properties of fluctuation X-ray scattering data

X-ray scattering images collected on timescales shorter than rotation diffusion times using a (partially) coherent beam result in a significant increase in information content in the scattered data. These measurements, named fluctuation X-ray scattering (FXS), are typically performed on an X-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) and can provide fundamental insights into the structure of biological molecules, engineered nanoparticles or energy-related mesoscopic materials beyond what can be obtained with standard X-ray scattering techniques. In order to understand, use and validate experimental FXS data, the availability of basic data characteristics and operational properties is essential, but has been absent up to this point. In this communication, an intuitive view of the nature of FXS data and their properties is provided, the effect of FXS data on the derived structural models is highlighted, and generalizations of the Guinier and Porod laws that can ultimately be used to plan experiments and assess the quality of experimental data are presented.
Prolonged anoxic depolarization exacerbates NADH hyperoxidation and promotes poor electrical recovery after anoxia in hippocampal slices

Mitochondrial dysfunction appears to occur during brain ischemia and following reperfusion. A characteristic event during reoxygenation after anoxia in hippocampal slices is hyperoxidation of the electron carriers of the mitochondrial respiratory chain. Earlier studies suggested that calcium influx due to loss of ion homeostasis during anoxia was linked to neuronal damage. Since a link between cytosolic calcium overload and post-anoxic hyperoxidation (PAMHo) has been suggested in previous studies, present studies sought to test the hypothesis that the length of anoxic depolarization can influence hyperoxidation and electrical activity recovery following anoxia in hippocampal slices. Rat hippocampal slices were made anoxic and then allowed to recover for 60 min. The time of anoxia was defined by the time of anoxic depolarization (AD), and slices were divided in five groups: 0.5, 1, 2, 5 and 10 min of AD. Reduction/oxidation shifts of NADH were measured by rapid scanning spectrofluorometry. Synaptic activity was indicated by population spike amplitudes in the CA1 pyramidal cell subfield of the hippocampus in response to stimulation of the Schaffer collaterals. We report here that mitochondrial hyperoxidation and synaptic activity in hippocampal slices are highly sensitive to the time in which slices remain depolarized (AD).
Detection of tobacco-related biomarkers in urine samples by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy coupled with thin-layer chromatography.

The nicotine metabolites, cotinine and trans-3'- hydroxycotinine (3HC) are considered as superior bio- markers for identifying tobacco exposure. More importantly, the ratio of 3HC to cotinine is a good indicator to phenotype individuals for cytochrome P450 2A6 activity and to indi- vidualize pharmacotherapy for tobacco addiction. In this paper, a simple, robust and novel method based on surface- enhanced Raman spectroscopy coupled with thin-layer chro- matography (TLC) was developed to directly quantify the biomarkers in human urine samples. This is the first time surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) was used to detect cotinine and 3HC in urine samples. The linear dynam- ic range for the detection of cotinine is from 40 nM to 8 μM while that of 3HC is from 1 μ Mt o 15μM. The detection limits are 10 nM and 0.2 μM for cotinine and 3HC, respec- tively. The proposed method was further validated by quan- tifying the concentration of both cotinine and 3HC in smokers' urine samples. This TLC-SERS method allows the direct detection of cotinine in the urine samples of both active and passive smokers and the detection of 3HC in smokers.
Locked Plating Versus Spiral Blade Retrograde Nailing in Supracondylar Femoral Fractures

Comminuted supracondylar femur fractures in the elderly are often treated with either retrograde femoral nailing or locked plating. Early weight-bearing is typically restricted after fixing supracondylar fractures, thereby impairing the patient’s mobilization. In general, surgeons are more comfortable allowing early weight-bearing of long bone fractures after nailing rather than plating, but early studies of retrograde nails for supracondylar fractures using standard distal locking showed poor fixation compared with locked plating.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
The Dilution of National Onomatopoeias in Post-Statehood Israeli Art Music: Precursors, Contiguities, Shifts

Israeli art music penned from the late 1930s to the early 1960s unfolds early serial practices in Mandatory (British) Palestine that had come to the fore during the early post-statehood years, when growing disillusionment with romanticist nationalism loomed large. Abandoning peripheral native masks, composers responded to the post-statehood shift by either adapting the linear properties of non-Western Jewish music, which they aligned with local readings of serial devices, or through the destabilization of folk-like dances and exotic musical markers. Shifts in Israeli poetry parallel the emerging attitudes of the first cohort of native Israeli composers and the gradual fading of the nation’s unisonality from their music.
Are Children Family Members? Including Children in Family Counseling

Family counselors have always struggled with the question of when and how to include children in family counseling. A review of a recent article from the family counseling literature provides and applies to the practice setting the results of a study of 16 children between the ages of 5 and 13, suggesting ways family counselors might enhance their effectiveness with families with young children.
Trace element geochemistry in water from selected springs in Death Valley National Park, California

Concentrations of 40 trace elements and other constituents in ground water from springs in Death Valley National Park were measured to investigate whether trace element composition of the ground water can be related to the aquifer materials. Samples from these springs were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for the trace elements and by ion chromatography (IC) for the major anions. A Principal Component Analysis was performed on the data set. Surprise and Scotty`s Springs formed one group; Texas, Nevares, and Travertine Springs formed another group; and Mesquite Springs did not group with any of the others. Scotty`s and Surprise Spring issued from volcanic rocks; Texas, Nevares, and Travertine discharge from carbonate rocks; and Mesquite Spring is located in alluvial basin-fill deposits. The first three components in each principal Component Analysis accounted for approximately 95% of the variance in the data set. The Principal Component Analysis suggests that ground water inherits its trace element composition from the rocks or aquifer material with which it has interacted and may be used for the purpose of identifying ground-water movement and source.