cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Preparation and maintenance of rats with chronic esophagostomy and gastric cannula.

Abstract We describe surgical and maintenance procedures for the “double-fistula” preparation in rat. Rats are prepared with esophageal fistulas, so that material swallowed escapes from an opening in the throat; and with gastric cannulas that permit both nutritional and hydrational maintenance, and the experimental intubation of fluids directly into the stomach.
Detection of tandem CC-->TT mutations induced by oxygen radicals using mutation-specific PCR.

Abstract DNA lesions caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS) are considered to be one of the major contributors to DNA damage and mutagenesis. In this study, we developed a modification of allele-specific PCR to detect CC → TT mutations caused by oxidative damage. These tandem mutations have been previously demonstrated to be indicative of oxygen damage in the absence of UV-irradiation. Using a CC target site in the rat DNA polymerase β (pol β) gene and a thermostable restriction enzyme that cuts the wild type sequence but not the TT mutation, we demonstrate that the TT mutation can be preferentially amplified from plasmid DNA damaged by oxygen radicals but not other DNA-damaging agents. We evaluated the potential utility of this assay in screening for mutations in cells and in analyzing those that arise during clonal proliferation in carcinogenesis.
Original Sin and the Hermeneutics of Charity: A Response to Gilbert Meilaender

Looking for a way to read the classic texts of Christian antiquity without treating them either as if they were written yesterday or as if they were archeological artefacts, the author endorses Meilaender's endeavor to develop the insights of Augustine in the modern context. He nevertheless suggests that a different way of drawing the analogy between sex and eating would better capture Augustine's distinctive way of joining theology and ethics and would enable a more vigorous defense of Augustine against modern critics of his treatment of sexuality.
Valve replacement options in the setting of an ascending aortic aneurysm.

Aortic valve disease is frequently associated with proximal aortic aneurysmal disease. While, there are clear indications for aortic valve replacement, the ideal type of valve prosthesis, mechanical versus biologic remains controversial. This controversy becomes even more complex when the proximal aorta requires replacement as root replacement is more challenging and reoperative surgery following root replacement is even more so. In addition, not all proximal aortic aneurysms behave the same way; Marfan’s aneurysms behave more aggressively than non-Marfan’s aneurysms. The variance in aneurysm behavior mandates a clear understanding of the biology and consequent natural history of each patient’s aortic aneurysm. In this review, we discuss valve replacement options for patients requiring aortic valve replacement and concomitant proximal aortic replacement.
Sphingomyelinase activities in neuronal cell cultures.

Abstract Human and rat brains have been previously demonstrated to contain three sphinomyelinases, one lysosomal with a pH optimum of 5.0, one with a pH optimum of 7.4 and a dependence on magnesium and another with a pH optimum of 7.0 and no divalent cation requirement. Using brain cell cultures and clonal cell lines of both neuronal and glial origin the activities of the pH 5.0 and pH 7.4 (magnesium-dependent) sphingomyelinase were examined. Sphingomyelinase activity measured at pH 5.0 was found in all the cell lines tested including G26, C6, N18 (differentiated and undifferentiated), mouse “L” cells, human skin fibroblasts, fetal mouse brain surface cultures and fetal mouse brain reaggregate cultures. However, pH 7.4 (magnesium-dependent) sphingomyelinase activity was found only in the N18 cell lines and the reaggregate cultures suggesting the probable localization of this activity in neurons. Although the pH 7.4 sphingomyelinase activity was found in the fetal mouse brain used for the surface cultures this activity was rapidly lost. This enzyme may play an important role in neuronal development and maturation.
The Substitution Theorem in Urban Consumer Theory

Abstract This paper presents two nonparametric approaches to urban household location theory. For each model two sets of own price substitution theorems are presented, one for goods whose prices vary spatially and one for goods whose prices do not vary spatially in the market area. The usual substitution theorem derived in nonspatial demand theory is seen to hold for goods whose prices do not vary spatially. Goods whose prices vary spatially, however, reveal a significant departure from standard demand theory in that the substitution theorem is shown to hold unambiguously only for "parallel" shifts in spatial price surfaces. Further, the results are robust, extending to consumers in nonmonocentric urban areas, regardless of consumer tastes for travel distance or labor/leisure choice complications.
Human shape correspondence with automatically predicted landmarks

We consider the problem of computing accurate point-to-point correspondences among a set of human bodies in similar posture using a landmark-free approach. The approach learns the locations of the anthropometric landmarks present in a database of human models in similar postures and uses this knowledge to automatically predict the locations of these anthropometric landmarks on a newly available scan. The predicted landmarks are then used to compute point-to-point correspondences between a template model and the newly available scan. This study conducts a large-scale evaluation to examine the accuracy of the computed correspondences. Furthermore, we show that the correspondences are accurate enough for the application of motion transfer.
Visual Knowledge: Textual Iconography of the Quixote, a Hypertextual Archive

Ever since its initial publication four hundred years ago, thousands of editions, most often illustrated, have been published of Cervantes' masterpiece, Don Quixote. Imagery has become an integral part of the reception and interpretation of the text. To date, a comprehensive collection of these images, the textual iconography of the Quixote, has not been published. We report in this paper on overcoming two key obstacles: limitations on the availability of materials and limitations due to the technical and financial characteristics of print-based ' dissemination. Our digital iconography makes a rich artistic tradition accessible to readers for the first time, and reveals a wealth of information about the historical, cultural, and literary contexts into which the Quixote has been placed.
BASIC STUDY REVEALS HOW DIFFERENT CRUDE OILS INFLUENCE DISPERSANT PERFORMANCE

ABSTRACT Previous research has shown that crude oils contain various amounts of indigenous surface active agents that stabilize water-in-oil emulsions. It is also known that crude oils stabilize such emulsions to different extents. One aspect of the study was to investigate the relationship between the emulsion forming tendency of the various crude oils and the level of performance of a chemical dispersant on the particular crude oil. The results of the extensive laboratory test program indicated that dispersant effectiveness is a function of both dispersant type and the specific crude oil. However, there is no apparent correlation between the degree of emulsion-forming tendency of the crude oil, which is a function of the indigenous surfactant content, and effectiveness. A “clean” hydrocarbon, tetradecane (C14), was also tested in order to evaluate the absence of any indigenous surfactants on performance. It was found that tetradecane exhibited a higher level of effectiveness compared to the crude oils f...
Iodine monofluoride 140-kW laser - Small signal gain and operating parameters

Output energies in excess of 4 mJ in a 30-nsec FWHM pulse (140-kW peak power) have been obtained from a discharge-pumped IF laser for a cavity output coupling of 35%. In addition, oscillation on a new transition of the IF (E-A) band at 472.7 nm has been observed. By measurement of the output power of the laser for various values of output mirror transmission, the small signal gain and loss coefficients were found to be (3.1 + or - 0.7)%/cm and 0.3%/cm, respectively.
Equatorial waves and the 1997–98 El Niño

New measurements and model results highlight the role of equatorial oceanic wave processes in affecting the evolution of the 1997–98 El Nino in ways not fully anticipated by delayed oscillator theory, a leading paradigm for the El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle. The onset of the El Nino was linked to eastward propagating equatorial Kelvin waves forced by intraseasonal atmospheric oscillations originating over the Indian Ocean. The demise of the El Nino was related to a complex interplay of wind-forced and western boundary-forced waves that preconditioned the ocean to sudden sea surface temperature cooling initially centered between 125°W and 170°W along the equator. These large-scale ocean wave processes, and the ocean-atmosphere interactions that they mediate, have significant implications for understanding variability associated with El Nino-related climate swings.
Optical sectioning by selective illumination feedback microscopy

Selective illumination feedback microscopy is presented as a form of optical sectioning microscopy, or the ability to optically extract focused slices from axially extended objects. A liquid crystal spatial light modulator (SLM) is used to project structured light onto an object, whose image is captured by a CCD camera and processed by computer to discern the in-focus areas of the image. The processed image is fed back to the SLM to illuminate only the in-focus areas of the object. The final image captured by the CCD exhibits optical sectioning. The selective illumination principle is demonstrated both experimentally and with computer simulations, implying a range of potential three-dimensional microscopy applications.
Atlantoaxial subluxation with absence of the dens in a rottweiler

Atlantoaxial subluxation was diagnosed in a five-month-old male rottweiler. Surgical treatment was performed by lag screw fixation via a ventral approach. Treatment resulted in complete resolution of the neurological signs.
A Novel Inhibitor of Mammalian Triosephosphate Isomerase Found by an In Silico Approach

Triosephosphate isomerase (TIM) is an essential, highly conserved component of glycolysis. Tumors are often dependent on glycolysis for energy and metabolite production (the Warburg effect). Glycolysis inhibitors thus show promise as cancer treatments. TIM inhibition, unlike inhibition of other glycolysis enzymes, also produces toxic methylglyoxal targeted to regions of high glycolysis, an effect that might also be therapeutically useful. Thus TIM is an attractive drug target. A total of 338,562 lead-like molecules were analyzed computationally to find TIM inhibitors by an efficient “double screen” approach. The first fragment-sized compounds were studied using structure-based virtual screening to identify binding motifs for mammalian TIM. Subsequently, larger compounds, filtered to meet the binding criteria developed in the first analysis, were ranked using a second round of structure-based virtual screening. A compound was found that inhibited mammalian TIM in vitro in the micromolar range. Docking and molecular dynamics (MD) suggested that the inhibitor made hydrogen bond contacts with TIM catalytic residues. In addition, hydrophobic contacts were made throughout the binding site. All predicted inhibitor-TIM interactions involved TIM residues that were highly conserved. The discovered compound may provide a scaffold for elaboration of other inhibitors.
X band n+-p-p+ IMPATT diodes

Silicon IMPATT diodes, utilising holes as the drifting carrier, have been fabricated. An output power of 0.5 W with 12% efficiency at X band was obtained.
Sensitivity Analysis of the Optimum Waveform Design for Target Estimation in MIMO Sensing

In a case study of the waveform design for target estimation in MIMO sensing, [9] developed the optimum waveform design in the presence of colored noise, as well as the joint robust transmitter and receiver designs. Three criteria, namely mutual information (MI), minimum mean square error (MMSE), and normalized MSE (NMSE), are considered. The relationship between the essential measure MI in communications and the commonly adopted MSE indicators for sensing has created a vision of communications-inspired sensing. In this paper, we will further investigate this relationship by analyzing the sensitivity of the optimum design to the overestimation error. For each of the three criteria, we derive the explicit formula for the error mode strength threshold, above which the error mode would consume nonzero transmit power and the original waveform design will be inevitably altered. We also develop a normalized NMSE indicator to measure the estimation performance variation induced by the error mode. Both analytical and numerical results confirm that the optimum waveform designs based on the three criteria do not show significant performance deterioration. While the NMSE-based optimum solution is always more sensitive to the overestimation error than the MI-based one, there is no universal relationship between these two criteria and MMSE.
Phenomenological approach to chiral symmetry breaking

It is shown that all meson-baryon and meson-meson $\ensuremath{\sigma}$ terms which can be extracted from experiment can be reconciled with the (3, \ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{}3) chiral-symmetry-breaking scheme, ${H}^{\ensuremath{'}}={u}_{0}+{\mathrm{cu}}_{8}$, provided that $c$ assumes the value $c\ensuremath{\sim}\ensuremath{-}1.0$.
CELL DIFFERENTIATION AND THE PRIMARY LESION IN MOUSE MAMMARY CARCINOGENESIS.

IN high cancer strains of mice carrying the milk agent1, the formation of hyperplastic alveolar nodules, the preneoplastic nature of which was demonstrated by De Ome et al.2, is at present considered as the earliest sign of carcinogenesis. These nodules appear in adult mice, usually after one or several pregnancies, and therefore much later than the initial malignant transformation of the original mammary cell. Experimental data gathered from tissue culture tests now appear to locate this initial lesion in some of the alveolar cells which differentiate from the elementary duct system of the virgin mouse.
In search of autonomy: Teachers' aspirations and expectations from a school-university collaborative

Abstract Expectations of teacher participants appear to receive little, if any, attention in conceptualizing and actualizing a school/university collaborative such as a Professional Development School (PDS).While key PDS participants, teachers rarely hold shared interest in the collaborative process. This study provided a forum in which PDS teachers could voice their perceptions of the collaborative process so that an image of their viewpoint could begin to emerge. Twelve faculty members of an elementary school, in its first operational year as a PDS, agreed to participate in the interviews and classroom observations that framed the study. From the data five assertions emerged: 1. 1. An event beyond the teachers' control was responsible for their initial exploration of teaching in the PDS. 2. 2. The information teachers remembered receiving about their PDS role was limited and had very little effect on their decision to join. 3. 3. Teachers based their decisions to take part in the PDS collaborative on their expectations of greater control over their environments. 4. 4. Teachers hoped the formation of the PDS would provide opportunities for them to assert greater control over their professional growth. 5. 5. The teachers' desire for control over their environment increased through their participation in the PDS.
Exploring Moderating Effect of Knowledge Workers on Industry Environment and Entrepreneurial Entry

We examine how the knowledge workers in the labor force moderate the relationship between industry environmental conditions (munificent and complex) and entrepreneurial entry by using two competing...
Close Temporal Relationship Between Onset of Cancer and Scleroderma in Patients With RNA Polymerase I/III Antibodies

Objective This study was undertaken to examine the temporal relationship between scleroderma development and malignancy, and to evaluate whether this differs by autoantibody status among affected patients. Methods Study participants had a diagnosis of scleroderma, a diagnosis of cancer, cancer, an available serum sample, and a cancer pathology specimen. Sera were tested for autoantibodies against topoisomerase I, centromere, and RNA polymerase I/III by immunoprecipitation and/or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Clinical and demographic characteristics were compared across autoantibody categories. Expression of RNA polymerases I and III was evaluated by immunohistochemistry using cancerous tissue from patients with anti–RNA polymerase antibodies. Results Twenty-three patients were enrolled. Six patients tested positive for anti–RNA polymerase I/III, 5 for anti–topoisomerase I, and 8 for anticentromere, and 4 were not positive for any of these antigens. The median duration of scleroderma at cancer diagnosis differed significantly between groups (−1.2 years in the anti–RNA polymerase I/III group, +13.4 years in the anti–topoisomerase I group, +11.1 years in the anticentromere group, and +2.3 years in the group that was negative for all antigens tested) (P = 0.027). RNA polymerase III demonstrated a robust nucleolar staining pattern in 4 of 5 available tumors from patients with antibodies to RNA polymerase I/III. In contrast, nucleolar RNA polymerase III staining was not detected in any of 4 examined tumors from the RNA polymerase antibody–negative group (P = 0.048). Conclusion Our findings indicate that there is a close temporal relationship between the onset of cancer and scleroderma in patients with antibodies to RNA polymerase I/III, which is distinct from scleroderma patients with other autoantibody specificities. In this study, autoantibody response and tumor antigen expression are associated. We propose that malignancy may initiate the scleroderma-specific immune response and drive disease in a subset of scleroderma patients.
Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis: pain-related and psychosocial aspects and their relevance for assessment and treatment

Objective. To review literature in the area of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis that has focused on pain experience, functional losses, and psychosocial functioning. Methods. This article provides a critical review of research addressing these three primary issues. Results. Subjective and behavioral measures have been developed to assess pain in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis patients, but further work is needed to determine the validity and reliability of these instruments. Tools to assess functional losses in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis patients also appear promising in preliminary studies. Patients can be at risk for difficulties in psychosocial functioning, although research suggests that there are a variety of family, parental, and childvariables that influence child and sibling adaptation. Methodologic shortcomings prevent definitive conclusions in this area. Conclusions. Although methodologic limitations have plagued this research in the past, new advances are facilitating improved understanding of children and adolescents with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Implications for future study with this challenging population are offered.
Arrest and intimate partner violence: Toward a more complete application of deterrence theory

Two decades of research have failed to produce consistent and compelling results that arrest deters intimate partner violence. This tradition of research is reviewed, concluding that little can be learned about the deterrent efficacy of arrest (or other sanctions) for this type of violence until a more complete framework of deterrence theory is specified to guide further research. The framework should delineate mediating influences besides deterrence, linking arrest to the prevention, reduction, or cessation of intimate partner violence, and factors that moderate those influences. Such factors bear on the differential sensitivity to sanctions on the part of actual or potential perpetrators of intimate partner violence. Recommendations for future research are offered, including suggestions for data needed to draw defensible causal inferences about these mediating and moderating influences.
Genetic analysis of Xenopus transcription factor IIIA.

Abstract We describe a method for the genetic analysis of the DNA-binding properties of Xenopus transcription factor IIIA (TFIIIA). In this approach, a transcriptional activator with the DNA-binding specificity of Xenopus TFIIIA is expressed in yeast cells, where it specifically activates expression of a β-galactosidase reporter gene containing one or more Xenopus 5 S rRNA genes that function as upstream activator sequences. This transcription-promoting activity was used as the basis for a genetic assay of Xenopus TFIIIA’s DNA-binding function in yeast, an assay that we show can be calibrated quantitatively to allow the affinity of the Xenopus TFIIIA-5 S rRNA gene interaction to be deduced from measurements of β-galactosidase activity. We have combined this genetic assay with a simple and efficient method of mutagenesis that makes use of error-prone PCR and homologous recombination to generate and screen large numbers of TFIIIA mutants for those with altered 5 S rRNA gene-binding affinity. Over 30 such mutants have been identified and partially characterized. The mutants we have obtained provide strong support for the application to intact TFIIIA of recent structural models of the N-terminal zinc fingers of the protein bound to fragments of the 5 S rRNA gene. Other mutants permit identification of important residues in more C-terminal zinc fingers of TFIIIA for which high-resolution structural information is not currently available. Finally, our results have interesting implications with respect to the mechanism of activation of transcription by RNA polymerase II in yeast.
MEMS lubrication by tribochemical reaction

A means of providing replenishable lubrication to rubbing silicon surfaces is demonstrated. Alcohol at a small fraction of saturation vapor pressure is introduced in a nitrogen environment. Pin-on-flat sliding experiments in this environment reveal a friction coefficient near 0.2, and absence of wear above a critical alcohol concentration. This lubrication approach was also demonstrated in microfabricated silicon machines, where the devices operated at least a factor of 104 longer without failure when alcohol vapor was present in the nitrogen gas environment, compared to devices in dry N2 with a chemisorbed monolayer alone. When water vapor was added to the environment, vapor lubrication by alcohol was inhibited at concentration ratios of water:alcohol = 2.5:1.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Nanometer-scale temperature imaging for independent observation of Joule and Peltier effects in phase change memory devices

This paper reports a technique for independent observation of nanometer-scale Joule heating and thermoelectric effects, using atomic force microscopy (AFM) based measurements of nanometer-scale temperature fields. When electrical current flows through nanoscale devices and contacts the temperature distribution is governed by both Joule and thermoelectric effects. When the device is driven by an electrical current that is both periodic and bipolar, the temperature rise due to the Joule effect is at a different harmonic than the temperature rise due to the Peltier effect. An AFM tip scanning over the device can simultaneously measure all of the relevant harmonic responses, such that the Joule effect and the Peltier effect can be independently measured. Here we demonstrate the efficacy of the technique by measuring Joule and Peltier effects in phase change memory devices. By comparing the observed temperature responses of these working devices, we measure the device thermopower, which is in the range of 30 ± 3 to 250 ± 10 μV K−1. This technique could facilitate improved measurements of thermoelectric phenomena and properties at the nanometer-scale.
Ultrastructural studies of Periostracum formation in the hard shelled clam Mercenaria Mercenaria (L)

The fine structure of the cells lining the periostracal groove of the hardshelled clam M. mercenaria is described. The inner surface of the outer fold contains five cell types while the outer surface of the second fold contains only flattened cells all of similar morphology. Intermediate cells lie between the cells of the two folds. The periostracum is composed of two layers, an outer mineral-rich pellicle and an inner homogeneous protein layer. The pellicle arises at the base of the periostracal groove between the basal cell and the first intermediate cell. It is composed of a membrane-like layer and a granular layer. The role of the different cell types in the formation of the periostracum is discussed.
An Experimental Study of Circulation Patterns in Natural Convection Using PIV

The objective of this study is to investigate, experimentally, using Particle Image Velocimeter (PIV), the effect of different heat transfer boundary conditions on natural convection (specifically on flow patterns) inside a storage tank (a rectangular enclosure in this case with an aspect ratio of 0.5.) Purified water is used as the working fluid and it is seeded with 10 micron hollow glass sphere particles. The results of the first set of experiments are used to verify the flow patterns expected for the constant wall temperature boundary condition, the benchmark case. Similar experiments are conducted for the constant heat flux boundary condition. The Rayleigh number for all the cases studied lie between 106 and 107 . The time averaged velocity field is determined using standard cross correlation techniques. Streamlines, and velocity contour plots are generated using this velocity field. Finally, the results of both cases are compared to identify the differences in circulation patterns and thermal stratification in the fluid.© 2003 ASME
Integrated control and protection solution in 33 and 11 kV package substations

The basis of this paper is a solution engineered and supplied by VA TECH Reyrolle AC&P Ltd, in partnership with FKI switchgear for a number of Scottish Power substations. In general, the overall package substation solution, together with the integrated design of the control and protection system, is successful in significantly reducing both costs and delivery time for new substations. The design of the control and protection system takes full advantage of the flexibility and communication capability of today's numerical relays to provide a convenient and rugged plant interface at the switchgear bay level. The power and flexibility of the modern remote terminal unit (RTU) provides the necessary protocol gateway to interface to legacy SCADA systems, providing any necessary station level functions. The reduced number of physical interfaces leads to a significant reduction of site wiring allowing the system to be delivered to site almost fully pre-tested in its final configuration, hence significantly reducing the testing required. Even within 'nonpackage' substations, e.g. retrofit applications, where switchgear is being replaced, the integrated protection and the control system still provides significant savings in wiring and site testing, making it a viable and economic solution. It is therefore very much envisaged that this type of solution will become increasingly common within power distribution network companies.
Toward a unified phase diagram in (TMTSF)2X.

We have made a detailed pressure--magnetic-field--temperature phase diagram study of the organic conductors (TMTSF${)}_{2}$${\mathrm{PF}}_{6}$ and (TMTSF${)}_{2}$${\mathrm{ClO}}_{4}$ in the low temperature regions dominated by the cascade of field-induced spin density wave (FISDW) transitions. The ${\mathrm{PF}}_{6}$ salt shows general agreement with the ``standard model'' for the FISDW and the pressure dependence of its high field insulating state connects nicely with the n=0 SDW. The ${\mathrm{ClO}}_{4}$ salt shows agreement with the standard model only when an anion ordering transition has been suppressed above \ensuremath{\sim}5 kbar.
Drag Coefficient Model Using the Cercignani–Lampis–Lord Gas–Surface Interaction Model

Drag coefficient calculations using the Cercignani–Lampis–Lord quasi-specular gas–surface interaction model have been used to derive modified closed-form solutions for several simple geometries. The key component of the modified closed-form solutions is a relation between the normal energy and normal momentum accommodation coefficients, which is valid within ∼0.5% over the global parameter space. The modified closed-form solutions are made self-consistent by relating the effective energy accommodation to the partial pressure of atomic oxygen through a Langmuir isotherm. The modified closed-form solutions are compared to fitted drag coefficients and drag coefficients computed using two other gas–surface interaction models: diffuse reflection with incomplete accommodation and Maxwell’s model. Comparison during solar maximum conditions shows that both the diffuse reflection with incomplete accommodation and Cercignani–Lampis–Lord models agree with fitted drag coefficients within ∼2% below ∼500 km altitude. ...
Unsteady Isentropic Flow through Ducts with Prescribed Sound Pressure Level Distribution

An analytical method for the determination of the required shape of a duct for a prescribed sound pressure level distribution is presented in this paper. The physical model involves a sound wave propagating in an unsteady flow of compressible fluids through ducts. Two cases are considered. In the first case, the channel shape, F(X), is given as either an exponential function or a linear function of the distance along the axis with an unknown parameter in the expression for F(X). The unknown parameter is determined by the prescribed ratio of the sound pressure level at the exit section of the duct to that at the entrance. In the second case, the sound pressure level is specified at every point along the length of the duct, and the duct shape, F(X), is sought. The governing differential equations of the model are presented. The method of complex superposition is used to separate the real and the imaginary parts of the perturbation quantities. The results show that the cross-sectional area is sensitive to the flow speed and the frequency of the sound source. Furthermore, a convergent/divergent duct has to be used to achieve a linear sound pressure level distribution.
The electrochemical behavior of cerium(III/IV) complexes: Thermodynamics, kinetics and applications in synthesis

Abstract A key characteristic of the element cerium is its reversible redox chemistry between trivalent and tetravalent forms, which is central to the application of cerium in synthetic and materials chemistry. Herein we survey the general thermodynamic and kinetic characteristics and reported potentials for molecular cerium redox chemistry. The collected data illustrate that the local electronic environment provided by the coordination sphere around a cerium ion has a great effect on the oxidizing ability of the ion. The survey also illustrates the ligand types that most effectively stabilize each oxidation state. We expect the collection and comparison of these data will facilitate the development of new cerium(IV) chemistry and applications in oxidation and reduction chemistry.
Tissue and species distribution of liver type and tumor type nuclear poly(A) polymerases

Previous studies in this laboratory have identified two distinct nuclear poly(A) polymerases, a 48 kDA tumor type enzyme and a 36-38 kDA liver type enzyme. To investigate the tissue and species specificity of these enzymes, nuclear extracts were prepared from various rat tissues, pig brain and two human cell lines. These as well as whole cell extract from yeast were probed for the two enzymes by immunoblot analysis using polyclonal anti-tumor poly(A) polymerase antibodies or autoimmune sera which contain antibodies specific for the liver type enzyme. Results indicate that both tumor and liver type enzymes are conserved across species ranging from rat to human. The yeast enzyme does not appear to be immunologically related to the liver or the tumor type poly(A) polymerase. The liver type enzyme appears to be specific for normal tissues whereas the tumor type enzyme is detected only in tissues in a "tumorigenic" state or cell lines originating from tumor tissues.
Effect of Bay K 8644 (−) and the β2a Subunit on Ca2+-dependent Inactivation in α1C Ca2+ Channels

Ca2+ currents recorded from Xenopus oocytes expressing only the alpha1C pore-forming subunit of the cardiac Ca2+ channel show Ca2+-dependent inactivation with a single exponential decay. This current-dependent inactivation is not detected for inward Ba2+ currents in external Ba2+. Facilitation of pore opening speeds up the Ca2+-dependent inactivation process and makes evident an initial fast rate of decay. Facilitation can be achieved by (a) coexpression of the beta2a subunit with the alpha1C subunit, or (b) addition of saturating Bay K 8644 (-) concentration to alpha1C channels. The addition of Bay K 8644 (-) to alpha1Cbeta2a channels makes both rates of inactivation faster. All these maneuvers do not induce inactivation in Ba2+ currents in our expression system. These results support the hypothesis of a mechanism for the Ca2+-dependent inactivation process that is sensitive to both Ca2+ flux (single channel amplitude) and open probability. We conclude that the Ca2+ site for inactivation is in the alpha1C pore-forming subunit and we propose a kinetic model to account for the main features of alpha1Cbeta2a Ca2+ currents.
Color characterizing silicone rubber facial prostheses

Abstract Silicone rubber is the facial prosthetic material available today which most nearly meets the prerequisites of an “ideal” material. One of its major disadvantages has been the difficulty of further color-characterizing it once a prosthesis has been shaped. A method is described wherein oil colors are tattooed into the surface of prostheses. This technique affords great versatility in tinting while resulting in a permanent coloring that does not obliterate the surface texture.
Jekyll & Hyde: Evolution of a Superfamily

Summary Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase mutations have been linked to neurological diseases, but aminoacylation may be unaffected. This protein superfamily also performs many other diverse functions. Yang et al. insightfully engineer a single mutation to unmask a cell signaling activity of tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase [1].
Responses of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fed diets containing different concentrations of moniliformin or fumonisin B1

Abstract Responses of Nile tilapia in terms of growth, histological anomalies, and biochemical changes to subchronic and toxic concentrations of fumonisin B 1 (FB 1 ) and moniliformin (MON) were evaluated under controlled environmental conditions. Nile tilapia fingerlings (2.7 g) were fed diets containing 0, 10, 40, 70, 150 mg/kg of either FB 1 or MON for 8 weeks. These mycotoxins were obtained from Fusarium moniliforme or Fusarium proliferatum culture materials, respectively. Among tilapia fed diets containing MON, fish fed either 70 or 150 mg MON/kg diet had significantly ( P 1 at levels of 40 mg/kg or higher had significantly lower mean weight gains than the control fish. Mortality was low; differences in percent survival among diets were not observed. Hematocrit was significantly reduced only in fish fed diets containing 150 mg of FB 1 or MON/kg diet. Serum pyruvate levels were significantly higher than control fish for all tilapia fed MON. The ratio between free sphinganine and free sphingosine (SA/SO) in liver increased significantly in fish fed the diet containing 150 mg FB 1 /kg. No histopathological lesions were observed in tilapia fed diets containing either MON or FB 1 . Responses of Nile tilapia in this study to dietary FB 1 and MON demonstrate that both mycotoxins are toxic to tilapia and could reduce the productivity of this fish.
Diblock copolymer nanoparticles for drug delivery

Diblock copolymers can form nanoparticles, that is, micelles and nanospheres, that are being studied as carriers for hydrophobic drugs and genes. The synthetic carriers mimic the spherical, supramolecular core/shell structure of lipoproteins and viruses. Hence, diblock copolymer nanoparticles may be functional, having the ability to solubilize, protect, and release drugs at sustained rates. Several studies have illustrated prolonged residence times in blood for diblock copolymer nanoparticles. They have also enhanced drug effects in animals. Diblock copolymer nanoparticles are potentially useful carriers for site-specific drug delivery.
The effects of total-body x-irradiation on Trypanosoma cruzi infection (Chagas' disease) in mice and rats.

CF1 mice or COBS rats were exposed to a single dose of 300 R total-body X-irradiation at various times during the course of infection with Trypanosoma cruzi. The effect of this dose of X-irradiation on the parasitemia, numbers of tissue parasites, and mortality in young mice and rats was studied. Irradiation of mice and rats 3 days prior to intraperitoneal inoculation of 50000 or 200000 trypomastigotes of a Brazil strain of T. cruzi, respectively, resulted in markedly enhanced numbers of blood and tissue parasites and increased mortality of these hosts. Irradiation of mice late in the acute infection, i.e., when the numbers of blood parasites were decreasing, resulted in a temporary increase in the numbers of blood and tissue parasites. When irradiation was administered to mice after the parasites had disappeared microscopically from the blood, there was no microscopic evidence of a parasitemia during the succeeding 14 days.
Deformation mechanisms of nanocrystalline materials

Nanocrystalline materials have been found to deform by mechanisms not accessible to their coarse-grained counterparts. These deformation mechanisms have rendered nanocrystalline materials unique mechanical behaviors such as high strength, low work hardening rate, high strain rate sensitivity, and usually low ductility In a few cases, both high strength and high ductility were observed simultaneously. To understand the mechanical behaviors of nanocrystalline materials and to design them for desired mechanical properties, it is critical to fully understand their deformation mechanisms. Significant progresses have been reported in the last few years on both the deformation mechanisms and mechanical behaviors of nanocrystalline materials. Here a brief overview on the deformation mechanisms of nanocrystalline materials is presented.
Posterior parietal cortex projections to the ventral lateral and some association thalamic nuclei in Macaca mulatta

Abstract The study focused on projections from the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) to the ventral lateral thalamic nucleus (VL) and three thalamic association nuclei, mediodorsal (MD), lateral posterior (LP) and pulvinar. For light microscopic analysis small biotinylated dextran amine (BDA) or biocytin injections were placed in midrostral and dorsal portions of the inferior parietal lobule (IPL), respectively. The distribution of anterograde and retrograde labeling was charted, and representative axons and terminal fields were reconstructed in the sagittal plane to examine their features. Two types of fibers were identified—those of thin diameter forming diffuse terminal fields with small boutons, and thick fibers forming focal terminal fields with large boutons. Area PFG injection of BDA resulted in labeling of both types of fibers in LP, MD, and pulvinar, whereas only fibers of the first type were found in VL. Biocytin injection in area Opt resulted in preferential labeling of large fibers terminating in LP and pulvinar. Further electron microscopic analysis of labeled boutons in VL and LP, following a large wheat germ agglutinin conjugated horseradish peroxidase injection in the middle of IPL, confirmed the existence of small and large corticothalamic boutons and their different termination sites: the small boutons formed synapses on distal dendrites while the large boutons were found close to somata of thalamocortical projection neurons, on the dendrites of local circuit neurons and in complex synaptic arrangements, such as glomeruli. The results demonstrate that projections from small loci of the PPC to functionally and connectionally different thalamic nuclei differ anatomically, implying a different functional impact on these diverse targets.
Responsibility and Global Labor Justice

Do people in relatively free and affluent countries such as the United States, Canada or Germany have responsibilities to try and to improve working conditions and wages of workers in far-off parts of the world who produce items those in the more affluent countries purchase? In recent years the “antisweatshop” movement has gained momentum with arguments that at least some agents in these relatively free and affluent countries do have such responsibilities. They have had rallies and press conferences, staged sit-ins and hunger strikes, all with the aim of convincing consumers, corporate executives, union members, municipal governments, students, and university administrators in the United States or Europe to acknowledge a responsibility with respect to the working conditions of distant workers in other countries, and to take actions to meet such responsibilities.
Summary report on nationwide testing effort

I think that one of the prime jobs that we have in the psychological testing field would be to educate the people who are users of the tests, and if there is a little pontificating on my part in this talk, it's due to my extreme feelings about the need for education in the testing area.
Debate: Diminutive Polyps Noted at CT Colonography Need Not Be Reported

Colorectal polyps less than 6 mm in size pose a negligible risk to the development of colorectal carcinoma. The sensitivity and specificity for detection of diminutive lesions on all available examinations including CT colonography (CTC) and optical colonoscopy (OC) is relatively low. In the context of regular screening, the low clinical significance and slow to negligible growth of diminutive polyps, as well as the low detection performance of CTC and OC for these lesions, would contribute to wasted health care resource and excess morbidity if each diminutive polyp were referred for potential resection. Respect for patient safety, attention to proper use of resources, and appropriate focus on larger, clinically significant polyps lead the authors to the conclusion that colonic polyps of less than 6 mm should not be separately reported.
Characterization of neighborhood sensitivity of an irregular cellular automata model of urban growth

The neighborhood definition, which determines the influence on a cell from its nearby cells within a localized region, plays a critical role in the performance of a cellular automaton CA model. Raster CA models use a cellular grid to represent geographic space, and are sensitive to the cell size and neighborhood configuration. However, the sensitivity of vector-based CAs, an alternative to the raster-based counterpart, to neighborhood type and size remains uninvestigated. The present article reports the results of a detailed sensitivity analysis of an irregular CA model of urban land use dynamics. The model uses parcel data at the cadastral scale to represent geographic space, and was implemented to simulate urban growth in Central Texas, USA. Thirty neighborhood configurations defined by types and sizes were considered in order to examine the variability in the model outcome. Results from accuracy assessments and landscape metrics confirmed the model’s sensitivity to neighborhood configurations. Furthermore, the centroid intercepted neighborhood with a buffer of 120 m produced the most accurate simulation result. This neighborhood produced scattered development while the centroid extent-wide neighborhood resulted in a clustered development predominantly near the city center.
Interferon-Induced Cell Membrane Proteins, IFITM3 and Tetherin, Inhibit Vesicular Stomatitis Virus Infection via Distinct Mechanisms

Tetherin and IFITM3 are recently identified interferon-induced cellular proteins that restrict infections by retroviruses and filoviruses and of influenza virus and flaviviruses, respectively. In our efforts to further explore their antiviral activities against other viruses and determine their antiviral mechanisms, we found that the two antiviral proteins potently inhibit the infection of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), a prototype member of the Rhabdoviridae family. Taking advantage of this well-studied virus infection system, we show that although both tetherin and IFITM3 are plasma membrane proteins, tetherin inhibits virion particle release from infected cells, while IFITM3 disrupts an early event after endocytosis of virion particles but before primary transcription of incoming viral genomes. Furthermore, we demonstrate that both the N-terminal 21 amino acid residues and C-terminal transmembrane region of IFITM3 are required for its antiviral activity. Collectively, our work sheds light on the mechanisms by which tetherin and IFITM3 restrict infection with rhabdoviruses and possibly other pathogenic viruses.
Coronary Artery Restenosis After Balloon Angioplasty in Humans Is Associated With Circumferential Coronary Constriction

Therapies that inhibit intimal hyperplasia do not prevent restenosis after coronary artery balloon angioplasty, suggesting that additional mechanisms may be responsible for restenosis in humans. Using an intravascular ultrasound (Hewlett-Packard Sonos Intravascular Imaging System). 3.5F, 30-MHz (Boston Scientific) monorail imaging catheter, we studied 17 patients with clinical and angiographic restenosis at an average (mean +/- SD) of 7 +/- 6 months after balloon angioplasty (13 men age, 71 +/- 10 years; 12 left anterior descending coronary arteries, 4 right coronary arteries, and 1 left circumflex coronary artery) The lumen area (L.A), vessel wall area (VWA), and total cross-sectional area (CSA) within the external elastic lamina were measured at the restenosis site and at proximal and distal reference sites, which were defined as adjacent segments with the least amount of plaque. Consistent with coronary angiography findings, decreased LA at the restenotic site was detected in all 17 patients. The unique finding was that total CSA at the restenotic site was significantly decreased compared with both proximal and distal reference sites (10.1 +/- 2.4 versus 14.8 +/- 3.2 mm2 and 10.1 +/- 2.4 versus 13.8 +/- 3.1 mm2, respectively, P < .001), whereas VWA (intima plus media) was slightly increased at the angioplasty site compared with both proximal and distal reference sites (8.0 +/- 2.3 versus 7.6 +/- 2.3 mm2 and 8.0 +/- 2.3 versus 6.7 +/- 2.3 mm2, respectively, P = NS). Eighty-three percent of the loss in LA at the restenotic site was due to constriction of the total CSA, while the increase in VWA at the restenotic site accounted for only a 17% loss in LA. We then compared these results with the morphology of coronary artery segments in 14 patients without restenosis. These coronary artery segments had been previously treated with balloon angioplasty (7 +/- 5 months). Unlike that in restenotic lesions, the total CSA within the external elastic lamina at the sites of previous angioplasty was similar to that in distal and proximal reference sites (P = NS). Significant and consistent reduction in arterial CSA, with a minor increase in VWA, characterizes human coronary lesions that cause angiographic restenosis. These data suggest that in humans, "recoil" and/or vascular contraction with healing in response to balloon injury is a major contributor to restenosis after balloon angioplasty.