cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lysosomal function in neurodegenerative diseases

Protein aggregation, mitochondrial deficits, oxidative and autophagic stress are prominent pathologies in neurodegenerative diseases. Our laboratory has a long term interest in the regulation of autophagy-lysosomal activities in neurodegeneration. We previously found that deficiency in the lysosomal cathepsin D in a mouse knockout model led to accumulation of the key protein in Parkinson’s disease, α-synuclein. Overexpression of cathepsin D in human neuroblastoma cells as well as worms reduced α-synuclein aggregation and toxicity. Recent work found that enhanced expression of lysosomal cathepsin D reduced both full-length and fragmented huntingtin in transfected HEK cells, and protected against mutant huntingtin toxicity in primary neurons. Furthermore, as mitochondria are the major generators and targets of reactive species, and oxidative stress has been found in a wide range of neurodegenerative diseases, investigating the source and nature of oxidative stress in cathepsin deficient brains are of significant interest. It has been previously shown that α-synuclein modification by S-nitrosylation enhances its aggregation propensity. Furthermore, microglial produced nitrous oxide (NO) from an increase in inducible nitrous oxide synthase (iNOS) underlies some of the brain pathologies in CD knockout mice. Given that other lysosomal storage conditions have demonstrated mitochondrial involvement and that oxidative and nitrative changes have been associated with CD deficiency, we studied the effects of CD deficiency on mitochondrial morphology and function with the intent to understand how this lysosomal enzyme play a role in maintaining cellular bioenergetics and management of cellular oxidative states. We have found that although there are no changes in total mitochondrial biomass due to CD deficiency, there are enlarged mitochondria, and deficits in functional parameters of the electron transport chain. The changes demonstrated in this study contribute to the understanding of how mitochondrial/lysosomal interplay affects the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases.
The ferric chloride spot test for the evaluation and standardization of emulsions of allergens

Abstract A chemical spot test, the first of its kind, with ferric chloride has been developed as a safety test and for standardizing and monitoring water-in-oil emulsions, particularly of allergens. The test is simple, rapid, and reliable. It has eliminated the need for microscopy, conductivity, or re-emulsification before injection. With the use of this test, uniform emulsions can be provided for evaluating the therapeutic results of the repository technique employed in the treatment of pollinosis under controlled conditions.
Segmentation and quantification of blood vessels for OCT-based micro-angiograms using hybrid shape/intensity compounding

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) based microangiography is capable of visualizing 3D functional blood vessel networks within microcirculatory tissue beds in vivo. To provide the quantitative information of vasculature from the microangiograms such as vessel diameter and morphology, it is necessary to develop efficient vessel segmentation algorithms. In this paper, we propose to develop a hybrid Hessian/intensity based method to segment and quantify shape and diameter of the blood vessels innervating capillary beds that are imaged by functional OCT in vivo. The proposed method utilizes multi-scale Hessian filters to segment tubular structures such as blood vessels, but compounded by the intensity-based segmentation method to mitigate the limitations of Hessian filters' sensitivity to the selection of scale parameters. Such compounding segmentation scheme takes advantage of the morphological nature of Hessian filters while correcting for the scale parameter selection by intensity-based segmentation. The proposed algorithm is tested on a wound healing model and its performance of segmentation vessels is quantified by a publicly available manual segmentation dataset. We believe that this method will play an important role in the quantification of micro-angiograms for microcirculation research in ophthalmology and diagnosing retinal eye diseases involved with microcirculation.
Pressure dependence of primary charge separation in a photosynthetic reaction center

Abstract Spectral hole burning is used to study the pressure dependence of the Qy absorption spectrum and primary charge separation kinetics of the D1–D2-cyt b559 reaction center complex of photosystem II. The 4.2 K lifetime of P680∗, the primary donor state, lengthens from 2.0 ps at 0.1 MPa to 7.0 ps at 267 MPa. Importantly, this effect is irreversible (plastic), in sharp contrast with the elastic effects of pressure on the low-temperature absorption and non-line-narrowed hole spectrum of P680. These observations and data which show that the electron-phonon coupling is weakly dependent on pressure, suggest a model that has the plastic behavior of charge separation kinetics due mainly to the pressure dependence of the energy of the acceptor state and of the variance of the P680∗-acceptor energy gap stemming from structural heterogeneity. Nonadiabatic rate expressions, which take into account the distribution of energy gap values, are used to estimate the linear pressure shift of the acceptor state energy for both the superexchange and two-step mechanisms for primary charge separation. For both mechanisms shifts in the vicinity of 1 cm−1/MPa are required to explain the data, a value which is not unreasonable based on pressure dependent studies of other systems. The results point to the marriage of hole burning and high pressures as having considerable potential for the study of primary transport dynamics in reaction center and antenna complexes.
The effects on strand exchange of 5' versus 3' ends of single-stranded DNA in RecA nucleoprotein filaments.

Abstract Since the ends of DNA chains are thought to be important in homologous recombination, the way in which RecA protein and similar recombination enzymes process ends is important. We analyzed the effects of ends both on the formation of joints, and the progression of strand exchange. When the only homologous end was provided by a single strand, there was no significant difference between the formation of joints at a 5′ end or a 3′ end; but in agreement with the report of Konforti &, Davis, Escherichia coli single-stranded DNA binding protein (SSB) selectively inhibited the activity of 5′ ends. Complete strand exchange, assessed by study of linear single-stranded and double-stranded substrates, took place only in the 5′ to 3′ direction relative to DNA in the nucleoprotein filament. These observations pose a paradox: in the presence of SSB, of which there are about 800 tetramers per cell, the formation of homologous joints by RecA protein is favored at a 3′ end, from which, however, authentic strand exchange appears not to occur. Since observations reported here and elsewhere show that joints have different properties when formed at a 5′ versus a 3′ end, we suggest that they may be processed differently in vivo .
Thematic Role Properties of Subjects and Objects.

This paper tests two claims about the thematic roles Agent and Patient: first, that they can be decomposed into more primitive features, as laid out in Dowty's (1991) Proto-Roles Hypothesis; and second, that these properties can be inferred directly from the grammatical roles subject and object. In Experiments 1 and 2, participants rated the Proto-Roles properties of the subject and object of transitive sentences with real verbs. Subjects were rated as more Agent-like than objects, while objects were rated as more Patient-like than subjects. Experiment 3 used transitive sentences with nonsense content words (e.g. "The rom mecked the zarg"). Even in the absence of a known verb, the results were the same. Experiment 4 examined the corollary prediction that subjects and objects should not differ on grammatically irrelevant properties (e.g. "being liquid"); this prediction was confirmed. In Experiment 5, verbs that do not permit objects (e.g. "fall," "erupt") were placed in the transitive frame. Results were the same as in Experiments 1 through 3. Moreover, the semantics of the verb were altered by the frame, indicating that participants tried to fuse the semantics of the verb with those of the frame. Possible sources of these inferences are considered.
Charge-transfer complexes of iodine and nonionic surfactants: Interpretation and use in the Winkler method

Abstract Formation constants (Kc) and molar absorption coefficients (ϵc) of complexes of iodine and various nonionic surfactants were determined, providing a basis for selection of a surfactant for use in a spectrophotometric modification of the Winkler method. The method of calculation of Kc and ec was extended to include absorption by triiodide at the wavelength of maximum absorbance of the complex. Because the molar absorption coefficients of polyoxyethylene 10 oleyl ether (oleth 10) and polyoxyethylene 23 oleyl ether were significantly greater than those of other surfactants, they are superior candidates for use in the Winkler method. Formation constants could not be correlated with molecular characteristics of the surfactants such as alkyl chain or polyoxyethylene chain length, nor with physical characteristics of iodine—surfactant solutions such as reduction of iodine loss due to volatilization.
There are no neurophysiologic features characteristic of "axonal" Guillain-Barré syndrome.

Classical views hold Guillain–Barre syndrome (GBS) as a primary inflammatory-demyelinating neuropathy in which secondary axonal degeneration may occur, particularly when inflammatory lesions are severe. Feasby and colleagues proposed that primary axonal degeneration can also cause GBS characterized by inexcitable motor nerves and poor outcome. This hypothesis rests largely on the results of a single autopsy in which no inflammation or demyelination were found. Using an illustrative case report confirming earlier studies, we point out that inexcitable motor nerves (or low amplitude compound muscle action potentials [CMAPs]) are of ambiguous significance and may reflect distal demyelination, causing conduction block between distal stimulation sites and target muscles, a pattern not uncommon in GBS. Recovery from such lesions may occur within weeks with restoration of CMAP amplitudes. The recognition of a yet unproven axonal variant of GBS cannot be based solely on documentation of inexcitable motor nerves in the context of rapidly developing weakness. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Weighting Land Suitability Factors by the PLUS Method

The weighting of land suitability factors by human experts is integral to land suitability analysis. For a satisfactory result, a tested holistic approach is called upon to systematically address the issues of preference acquisition, synthesis, and inconsistency diagnosis. As an extension of the analytic hierarchy process to the study of land suitability analysis, the PLUS (prioritization for land-use suitability) method presented in this paper is devised toward this end. The case study demonstrates its applicability in real-world situations.
Chronic Hepatitis C: Management of Treatment Failures

Forty percent to 50% of patients undergoing initial treatment of chronic hepatitis C with peginterferon plus ribavirin fail to achieve a sustained virologic response (SVR), thus prompting consideration of retreatment with alternative regimens. Patients may fail to respond to initial therapy secondary to an inadequate therapeutic regimen, host factors such as African American race, disease characteristics such as cirrhosis, or viral factors including genotype 1 and a high viral load. The decision to re-treat should be based on the presence of advanced fibrosis and the presence of clinical and virologic factors that predict the possibility of a successful outcome with further therapy. Retreatment of patients who were prior nonresponders to interferon monotherapy with interferon plus ribavirin results in overall SVR rates of 13%–15%, which can be increased to 16%–28% with the use of peginterferon plus ribavirin. Retreatment of patients who were prior nonresponders to interferon plus ribavirin with peginterferon plus ribavirin achieves overall SVR rates of 6%–15%; SVR rates are higher with favorable clinical or virologic factors. Prior relapsers to interferon plus ribavirin achieve SVR rates of 32%–50% after retreatment with peginterferon plus ribavirin. There is a limited experience with retreatment of patients who failed peginterferon plus ribavirin, but the use of interferon alfacon-1 plus ribavirin and higher doses of peginterferon and/or a longer duration of peginterferon plus ribavirin therapy are under study. Because therapy has improved in recent years, there are more patients who have been treated and failed initial therapy, highlighting the need for the development of more efficacious antiviral agents for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C.
Social foraging in cliff swallows: local enhancement, risk sensitivity, competition and the avoidance of predators *

Abstract Colonically nesting cliff swallows, Hirundo pyrrhonota, in southwestern Nebraska, U.S.A., often forage socially, in groups of two to more than 1000 individuals, on ephemeral concentrations of insects. Social foraging was promoted through information transfer among individuals at fixed colony sites, and through local enhancement in which foraging activities of some individuals attracted others to a food source. Cliff swallows feeding in groups had greater average foraging success (prey capture attempts per min) than birds feeding solitarily. Variance in prey capture success, and thus foraging risk, declined with group size and was greatest for solitary foragers. Solitary cliff swallows whose foraging success equalled or exceeded that expected from social foraging remained solitary during a given foraging bout. Solitary foragers whose success fell below that expected from social foraging joined foraging groups. For individuals foraging socially there was no consistent relationship between foraging success and group size, indicating little competition among group members for food and little resource depression. Social foraging in cliff swallows is probably not an adaptation mainly to decrease individuals' risk of predation because foraging success did not differ for birds foraging on the edges versus in the centres of groups, and individuals foraging on the edges did not try to move toward the centre. These data are consistent with risk-sensitive foraging models and provide the first empirical demonstration with free-living animals that social foraging is associated with decreased individual variance in foraging success.
River terraces not a good measure of ancient river behavior

When a river courses along one path for thousands of years, it can smooth the riverbed. As the river erodes the bedrock, the river level drops below the old riverbed. The beveled bedrock layers flanking the new river, made up of the old riverbed, are known as strath terraces. These terraces are commonly assumed to record the profile of the river's paleochannel. In devising a simplified analytical model to calculate the slope of a strath terrace, Finnegan found that the fidelity of strath terraces as recorders of river properties cannot be relied upon under the circumstances common to the formation of many terraces.
The impact of cardiac complications on outcome in the SAH population.

Objectives – To determine the impact of cardiac complications (CdCs) on outcomes in patients with acute subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Patients and methods – Eighty-one adult aneurysmal SAH patients with a fisher grade >1 and/or a Hunt and Hess grade >2 were recruited for this study. CdCs were defined as electrocardiogram (ECG) changes, myocardial necrosis, arrythmias, or pulmonary edema. Outcomes were assessed at 3, 6 and 12 months by telephone interview using the Modified Rankin Scale (MRS), Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS), Barthel Index and Medical Outcome study Short Form-36 (SF-36). Results – The CdCs occurred in 33% of patients. The most common CdCs were arrythmias and pulmonary edema (30%). There was no significant difference in mortality between the two groups. At 3 months there was a significant difference in the Barthel (P = 0.007) and the SF-36 (P = 0.014) with trends in the GOS (P = 0.049) and the MRS (P = 0.063). At 6 months a significant difference remained in the SF-36 (P = 0.028) and a trend in the Barthel (P = 0.069). Conclusion – Results show that CdCs may negatively impact outcomes in SAH patients up to 6 months following hemorrhage.
An experiment on the role of gravity in orogenic folding

The experiment herein reported was designed to demonstrate what happens when a part of a thick section of layered elastico-viscous materials is lifted slowly above the height it can support by compression between much stronger sections. By letting gravity produce the compression, the rate of rise was made slow enough to allow the horizontal component of gravity to cause lateral mass movement and consequent folding comparable to that observed in orogenic belts. Blocks of wood represented the strong foreland (and hinterland). Layers of stitching wax, a typical elastico-viscous substance, stood for the thick, weak strata in the space between them and the thinner sediments on the foreland. The experiment lasted 16 days. The progressive shift of the rising mass from the highest elevation toward the foreland is instructive. It changes a symmetrical anticline to a strongly overturned one, inducing digitations along its apex like those so commonly seen in Alpine anticlines; and it eventually carries the inner syncline on top of the apex of the deeper anticlinal axis and the outer one clear into the foreland, there throwing the sedimentary cover into folds. The design of the experiment has produced two highly unrealistic consequences: 1. The two synclines were drawn out to preposterous depths because the weights were attached at their centers to let gravity produce the compression. 2. The axis above which the anticline was to form had to be fastened, so that the weights could function properly. But these unrealistic aspects do not detract from the aim of the experiment which concerned only the events above the level of the wooden blocks. It could be shown that, in an elastico-viscous body lifted to greater height than it can support, the horizontal component of gravity produces more profound form changes than are generally associated with the concept of “gravity sliding.”
DNA microarray analysis of gene expression in response to physiological and genetic changes that affect tryptophan metabolism in Escherichia coli

Abstract We investigated the global changes in mRNA abundance in Escherichia coli elicited by various perturbations of tryptophan metabolism. To do so we printed DNA microarrays containing 95% of all annotated E. coli ORFs. We determined the expression profile that is predominantly dictated by the activity of the tryptophan repressor. Only three operons, trp, mtr, and aroH, exhibited appreciable expression changes consistent with this profile. The quantitative changes we observed in mRNA levels for the five genes of the trp operon were consistent within a factor of 2, with expectations based on established Trp protein levels. Several operons known to be regulated by the TyrR protein, aroF-tyrA, aroL, aroP, and aroG, were down-regulated on addition of tryptophan. TyrR can be activated by any one of the three aromatic amino acids. Only one operon, tnaAB, was significantly activated by the presence of tryptophan in the medium. We uncovered a plethora of likely indirect effects of changes in tryptophan metabolism on intracellular mRNA pools, most prominent of which was the sensitivity of arginine biosynthetic operons to tryptophan starvation.
Ectopic thymus presenting as a right-side cervical mass in an infant

A 3-cm, soft, nontender and mobile mass was detected in the right mandibular angle of a 7-week-old boy. A right parapharyngeal mass (Fig. 1, arrows) was discovered on MR imaging, isointense to muscle on T1-W images and hyperintense on T2-W and post-contrast images. It was isointense to thymus (Fig. 1, arrowheads) on all sequences. A core-needle biopsy showed thymic tissue. Ectopic cervical thymus is a rare cause of a neck mass during infancy [1]. During its descent a remnant of thymus remains along the thymopharyngeal duct. It is often located between the superior vena cava, the brachiocephalic vessels and the aorta; rarely, it is within the posterior mediastinum [2]. This resultant “mass” can be mistaken for a pathologic process. The differential diagnosis of a lateral cervical mass in an infant includes various congenital cysts, lymphatic malformation, branchial cleft anomalies, lymphadenopathy, and inflammatory or neoplastic lesions.
Local hemodynamic effects of radiation on the rabbit orbitozygomatic complex with and without cytoprotection.

The authors have previously demonstrated that radiation-induced craniofacial bone growth inhibition may be ameliorated using the known cytoprotectant amifostine in the infant rabbit orbitozygomatic complex. The authors' hypothesis is that reduction in blood supply plays an important role in inhibiting craniofacial bone growth following radiotherapy and that cytoprotective pretreatment exerts its protective effect by maintaining blood supply.
Chaos-based image encryption scheme using Galois field for fast and secure transmission

Chaos-based image encryption techniques are very useful for protecting the contents of digital images and videos. They use traditional block cipher principles known as chaos confusion, pixel diffusion and number of rounds. The complex structure of the traditional block ciphers makes them unsuitable for real-time encryption of digital images and videos. Real-time applications require fast algorithms with acceptable security strengths. This paper presents a simple chaosbased image encryption scheme using cryptographic operations based on Galois field of order 2n with combinations of a master key, a session key and a key image. A discretized 2D chaotic map and a pseudo random noise are also used to thwart statistical and differential attacks. The proposed approach, in contrast to traditional chaos-based schemes, generates a chaotic map from the key image and then uses this chaotic image to destroy the statistical and perceptual properties of the image to be encrypted using the Galois field operations. The simulation tests use real and synthetic images (a gradient image as the key image) to demonstrate the performance of the proposed approach. The results show that the proposed approach is fast enough for real-time applications and provides acceptable security strength.© (2008) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
An experimental study of bridge deck cracking using type K-cement

Abstract This paper experimentally investigates the effects of drying shrinkage on bridge decks, its relation to bridge deck cracking, and possible methods for abating its effects. The experiments were performed through the use of two 7 ft. × 10 ft. experimental concrete bridge bays, each instrumented with strain and temperature gages throughout the deck and girders. The data was collected in a six months’ time frame. The first deck was poured with a control concrete mixture used currently in Illinois. The second deck was poured with type K expansive cement concrete, which could battle the effects of shrinkage. For both decks, the results indicated a compressive strain throughout the rebar and along the top surface of the concrete, except for the locations where cracks are found (at these locations the strain slopes upward into tension). The strain in the type K deck, though, was notably less than that in the control deck and the onset of cracking was delayed by three weeks, giving the indication of an improvement over the current mix design.
Agglutinin Absorption Reactions with Antigens and Antisera of Smooth Brucellae

Summary. The reactions of various Brucella antisera and Brucella antigens were investigated with agglutinin absorption techniques. Agglutinins that sedimented at the slowest rates through sucrose density gradients were absorbed preferentially, but more slowly than were fast sedimenting agglutinins. When antisera were absorbed with small defined quantities of Brucella antigens the identity of the absorbing antigen seldom influenced the results until greater than 50% of the agglutinins were removed. Consequently, the results were mainly dependent upon the antisera and assaying antigen. When antisera were absorbed with small quantities of the homologous antigen and assayed against other antigens, greater serologic differentiation of smooth Brucella was achieved than by testing with Brucella monospecific sera.
Large-scale preparation and characterization of N-linked glycopeptides from bovine fetuin.

Abstract A preparative scheme has been developed to purify asialo-glycopeptides from each of the three N-linkage sites of bovine fetuin, allowing the isolation of 100-μmol quantities of asialo-glycopeptides from 20 g of fetuin. The procedure yields seven asialo-glycopeptides which were determined to be 95% homogenous in peptide and oligosaccharide structure. The isolation scheme uses two high-capacity reverse-phase eluant systems. The primary RP-HPLC purification performed with boric acid buffered to pH 7 with triethylamine resolved sialylated tryptic glycopeptides simultaneously on the basis of glycosylation site and degree of sialylation. A second RP-HPLC purification was performed eluting isocratically with dilute phosphoric acid which resolved residual peptide and oligosaccharide heterogeneity from asialo-glycopeptides containing short peptides. Structural characterization of the products was performed utilizing 400-MHz proton NMR spectroscopy and amino acid and monosaccharide analysis. The glycopeptides contain two previously identified variant triantennary oligosaccharides which possess either Galβ(1 → 4) or Galβ(1 → 3) linkages to N-acetylglucosamine at one terminal branch or a biantennary oligosaccharide. These compounds should prove to be invaluable in studying carbohydrate-protein interactions, such as binding by the Gal GalNAc lectin of mammalian hepatocytes, in the detailed three-dimensional structural analysis of complex oligosaccharides, and as purified substrates for the study of the action of glycoconjugate-modifying enzymes.
The elasticity of substitution in India's manufacturing sector

Abstract Using cross-section data and the translog cost function this paper examines the substitution possibilities between capital and materials and labor and materials since raw materials might be used to overcome the bottlenecks caused by shortages of physical capital and skilled labor. Three significant conclusions are: (a) Since materials are substitutable for both capital and labor to a considerable extent, capital and skilled labor may not be a binding constraint on growth. Agricultural materials expansion may substitute for these inputs and lead to expansion in the industrial sector. (b) Fixed proportion models are not warranted in India without modification, and (c) separability tests showed that materials must be included in the production function.
Neural photoreception in a lamellibranch mollusc.

The pallial nerves of Spisula solidissima each contain a single afferent nerve fiber which responds directly to illumination of the nerve, and apparently mediates the "shadow" response of siphon retraction. These units show constant-frequency spontaneous activity in the dark; illumination abruptly inhibits this discharge, and cessation of the light stimulus then evokes a prolonged burst of impulses at high frequency (the off-response). Impulses are initiated at a point near the visceral ganglion, and propagated unidirectionally toward it. Stimulation with monochromatic light has revealed that more than one photoreceptor pigment is involved, since the discharge patterns evoked are wavelength-specific. Inhibition is relatively prominent at short wavelengths, excitation at long wavelengths. Following selective adaptation with blue light, "on" responses can be produced with red stimuli, demonstrating the unmasking of an excitatory event which takes place during illumination. The two photoreceptor pigments may be segregated in two or more cells presynaptic to the recorded unit, or,—more likely—may both be contained in the same cell. The spectral sensitivity function for inhibition shows a single maximum at 540 mµ, and is probably dependent upon a carotenoid pigment. No photoreceptor function has been demonstrated for a hemoprotein, apparently identical with cytochrome h, which occurs in high concentration in Spisula nerve.
The effect of extraction protocol on the yield, purity, and translation products of RNA from an isometric plant virus

Abstract This is a comparative study of methods used to extract RNA from southern bean mosaic virus (SBMV) for translation in vitro. The methods were: removal of protein, either by 4 M sodium perchlorate or by shaking dissociated virus with a mixture of phenol and chloroform; precipitation of RNA from 2 M lithium chloride; or separation of RNA from protein by sucrose density gradient centrifugation. These methods gave RNA samples of different yields and purities. On translation in vitro the RNA samples stimulated protein synthesis to different extents, and gave different sets of polypeptide products. The best method for preparing SBMV RNA for in vitro translation was that which used the phenol-chloroform mixture.
Thinking in terms of sensors: personification of self as an object in physics problem solving

How can physics teachers help students develop consistent problem solving techniques for both simple and complicated physics problems, such as those that encompass objects undergoing multiple forces (mechanical or electrical) as individually portrayed in free-body diagrams and/or phenomenon involving multiple objects, such as Doppler effect reflection applications in echoes and ultrasonic cardiac monitoring for sound, or police radar for light? These problems can confuse novice physics students, and to sort out problem parts, the suggestion is made here to guide the student to personify self as the object in question, that is, to imagine oneself as the object undergoing outside influences such as forces and then qualify and quantify those for the problem at hand. This personification does NOT, as according to the three traditional definitions of the term (animism, anthropomorphism and teleology), empower the object to act, but instead just to detect its environment. By having students use their imagination to put themselves in the place of the object, they can 'sense' the influences the object is experiencing to analyze these individually, hopefully reducing the student's feeling of being overwhelmed with information, and also imbuing the student with a sense of having experienced the situation. This can be especially useful in problems that involve both multiple forces AND multiple objects (for example, Atwood's machine), since objects acted upon need to be considered separately and consecutively, with the idea that one cannot be two objects at once. This personification technique, documented to have been used by both Einstein and Feynman, is recommended here for secondary-school teen and university-level adult learners with discussions on specific physics and astronomy classroom strategies.
THE TOTAL NEUTRON CROSS SECTIONS OF GOLD, CHLORINE, AND PHOSPHORUS

The total neutron cross sections of gold, chlorine, and phosphorus have been measured over the energy range 100 to 700 kev using the mono-energetic neutrons from the ${\mathrm{H}}^{3}(p, n){\mathrm{He}}^{3}$ reaction with an energy resolution of about 40 kev. Pronounced resonances were found in phosphorus, slight indications of resonances were found in chlorine, and no resonances were found in gold.
Modeling Pedestrian Dynamics in Montreal's Underground City

This study is an examination of the daily dynamics and system stability of pedestrian movement within an extensive, indoor walkway system. Temporal and spatial stability in the distribution of pedestrians was established using an efficient census-taking technique. It was found that the spatial distribution of pedestrians was weakly related to the integration of the Underground system. Centrally located links were marginally more attractive to pedestrians. Relatively minor differences in pedestrian distribution were discovered between weekday and weekend day. The absence of directional flows over time was also observed. The highly stable dynamic structure of the Underground is in direct relationship with a describable urban environment. This paper concludes with recommendations for research into other explanatory environmental factors.
A precision polarimeter for 5–12 MeV deuteron beams

Abstract A polarimeter which simultaneously measures the vector and tensor moments Re(i t 11 ), t 20 , Re( t 21 ) and Re( t 22 ) of a 5–12 MeV deuteron beam is described. The polarimeter uses the 3 He(d, p) 4 He reaction as the polarization analyzer. The polarimeter analyzing powers T 20 and T 22 are calibrated against the 16 O(d, α 1 ) 14 N reaction and the i T 11 and analyzing powers are calibrated against the 16 O(d, α 3 ) 14 N reaction. With the present calibration, the beam polarization moments may be measured to 2% for beam energies from 5–10 MeV.
120 K superconductivity in the (Bi, Pb)-Sr-Ca-Cu-O system

Abstract Superconductivity with onset at 120 K and zero electrical resistance at 105 K is observed in the system (Bi, Pb)-Sr-Ca-Cu-O with the composition Bi 0.7 Pb 0.3 Sr 1 Ca 1 Cu 1.8 Oδ. The transition temperature and room temperature resistivity of the samples depend on the rate of cooling from the sintering temperature. We report the synthesis, superconducting temperature, and X-ray diffraction measurements of the above compound.
Pressure dependence of the roton spectrum in liquid helium

We suggest consistency checks on neutron scattering data on liquid helium under pressure. The theoretically calculated static structure functionS(k|P) leads to pressure dependence of the roton gap, momentum, and curvature in general agreement with experiment.
Detection of Moisture in Graphite/Epoxy Laminates by X-Ray Diffraction

The objective of this study was to determine if X-ray diffraction could be utilized to detect moisture non-destructively in graphite/epoxy laminates. CuKα1 X-rays were diffracted from 333 + 511 planes of Al particles em bedded between the first and second plies of [0 ± 60]s lamiantes during layup. Diffracted peak positions were quite sensitive to environmental moisture, decreasing 0.624 ° ± .015 °2θ on going from a completely dry to a completely wet state at 50°C. The changes were reversible. Correlations be tween in-plane, residual particle strains and both average and local moisture content of the laminate were obtained. Annealing effects were investigated.
Ein Beitrag zum Studium des Reaktionsmechanismus der biologischen Transaminierung

α,α′-Imino-glutaric-succ,inic acid is not decomposed by a highly purified preparation of glutamic-oxalacetic transaminase; „α,α'-iminoacid dehydrases” must be different from transaminases.
Unsaying Non-Knowledge: Georges Bataille and the Mysticism of Writing

Georges Bataille’s writing seems to teethe with something utterly foreign to the discipline of philosophy. In this paper, I investigate what Jason Wirth calls’ Bataille’s “mad game of writing” in order to show that Bataille’s bizarre writing style is actually an extension of his ethical and philosophical commitments. Bataille’s writing attempts to produce a state within the reader rather than simply transmit information. I trace the justifications and roots for such a writing from his own system, as well as showing how such a style of writing has its roots in Kantian aesthetics and in Hegel’s Phenomenology.
Serotonergic innervation of the supraependymal neuronal complex of the golden hamster

A ganglion-like system of intraventricular neuronal perikarya and processes known as the supraependymal neuronal complex (SENC) is located on the floor of the third ventricle of the golden hamster. Serotonergic neuronal elements were identified in the SENC by immunocytochemical techniques. Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) was not detected within supraependymal neuronal perikarya. However, serotonergic nerve fibers were found to project via the median eminence both onto the surface and into the neuropil of the SENC. The SENC is thought to be involved in neuroendocrine regulation since it innervates the pituitary gland. The results of the present study suggest that serotonin plays a role in SENC/pituitary gland interaction.
Effect of colchicine on the synthesis of ribonucleic acid in mouse intestinal mucosa.

Abstract The effect of colchicine on the synthesis of different fraction of ribonucleic acid in the mouse intestinal mucosa was studied. Two functionally different parts from small intestine—villi and crypts—were separated and the incorporation of [ 14 C]uridine into RNA was measured. Treatment with colchicine obscures the difference in total specific activities between nuclear and cytoplasmic RNA, which exists in control animals. The results of separation of RNA in a sucrose density gradient show a stimulation of [ 14 C]uridine incorporation into cytoplasmic RNA from the villi (region 18 S to 4–5 S), and an inhibition of the incorporation in the same region in the crypts. The significance of these findings for the problem of small intestine function is discussed.
Development of Red Pigmentation in Chlorococcum wimmeri (Chlorophyta: Chlorococcales)1

Abstract The concentration of the red pigmentation in Chlorococcum wimmeri is primarily a function of light intensity, although it is enhanced by near red illumination and also influenced by carbon dioxide concentration. It is independent of cell age and of nitrate content, oxygen, and pH of the growth medium. The red pigmentation is composed of astacin, esterified astaxanthin, an unknown ester, and an allied carotenoid. Chlorococcum wimmeri possesses, on a chlorophyll basis, higher rates of photosynthesis and the quinone Hill reaction than Chlorella pyrenoidosa under the same conditions.
A Simple Method to Differentiate between α- and β-Amylase

Physical and chemical properties often have been used to differentiate a-amylase from /3-amylase (2-4, 7). a-Amylase is insensitive to high temperatures and heavy metal ions, requires Ca2+ for activity, and is inactivated at a low pH. /8-Amylase is sensitive to high temperatures and heavy metal ions, does not require Ca2+, and is stable at a low pH. Enzymatic differences between the two forms of amylase have been used to a lesser extent. One enzymatic characteristic that has been used is the dissimilarity of the end products of amylolytic hydrolysis (3, 7). /3-Amylase hydrolyzes soluble starch or amylose, yielding only maltose as an end product. Hydrolysis of soluble starch or amylose by a-amylase occurs randomly, releasing a large amount of oligosaccharides or dextrin. The dextrin is then hydrolyzed, yielding a large quantity of maltose and little glucose and maltotriose (1). At this point, hydrolysis by aor 3-amylase would yield essentially similar end products. If the further hydrolysis of maltose by a-amylase is rate-limiting and is dependent upon the concentration of the enzyme and pH (7), little or no glucose would be expected. As a result, the chromatographic display of the end products would be similar to that obtained from /3-amylase hydrolysis.
Multiphenotypic Whole-Cell Sensor for Viability Screening

Here, we describe the fabrication of whole mammalian cell biosensors for the optical monitoring of cell viability. Three phenotypes were examined for their response to the addition of two model chemotoxins: sodium hypochlorite and sodium azide, and one model biotoxin, concanavalin A. Two sensing platforms containing cells, hydrogel microspheres, or hydrogel arrays, were also explored. Step changes in viability in response to small doses of sodium hypochlorite were seen nearly instantaneously in all cell lines, in solution, microspheres, and microarrays. Linear detection of sodium azide by entrapped hepatocytes was 0−10 μM, whereas the linear detection range for macrophages and endothelial cells was 0−75 μM. Macrophages and hepatocytes have a greater sensitivity, as indicated by a 40% change in fluorescence over the linear range, whereas endothelial cells show only a 15% change in fluorescence over the linear range. Using photoreaction injection molding, we were also able to generate a multiphenotype sens...
The ankle—brachial index as a predictor of survival in patients with peripheral vascular disease

Objective: To determine whether the ankle—brachial index (ABI) predicts survival rates among patients with peripheral vascular disease.
An unusual neurologic reaction following polyvalent pneumococcal vaccine in a patient with hairy cell leukemia.

A patient with hairy cell leukemia experienced two episodes of an unusual neurologic disturbance associated with vaccination. The association with polyvalent pneumococcal vaccine has not previously been noted.
ESR evidence for the hydroxyl radical formation in aqueous suspension of quartz particles and its possible significance to lipid peroxidation in silicosis

Electron spin resonance (ESR) spectrum of the hydroxyl (.OH) radical spin adduct with the spin trap 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide has been obtained in suspensions of freshly ground quartz particles. The concentration of the spin adduct (and hence of the .OH radicals) increases with the amount of grinding. The dust's potential for the generation of the .OH radicals is maximum when fresh (i.e., immediately after grinding) and decreases to 50% in about a day on storage in air. Studies involving metal chelates indicate that the .OH radical formation involves mainly the silica surface and H2O rather than the Fenton reaction. The results suggest that hydroxyl radical reaction(s) could be important in the lipid peroxidation and fibrogenicity by quartz dust, particularly in acute silicosis.
No-regret learning and a mechanism for distributed multiagent planning

We develop a novel mechanism for coordinated, distributed multiagent planning. We consider problems stated as a collection of single-agent planning problems coupled by common soft constraints on resource consumption. (Resources may be real or fictitious, the latter introduced as a tool for factoring the problem). A key idea is to recast the distributed planning problem as learning in a repeated game between the original agents and a newly introduced group of adversarial agents who influence prices for the resources. The adversarial agents benefit from arbitrage: that is, their incentive is to uncover violations of the resource usage constraints and, by selfishly adjusting prices, encourage the original agents to avoid plans that cause such violations. If all agents employ no-regret learning algorithms in the course of this repeated interaction, we are able to show that our mechanism can achieve design goals such as social optimality (efficiency), budget balance, and Nash-equilibrium convergence to within an error which approaches zero as the agents gain experience. In particular, the agents' average plans converge to a socially optimal solution for the original planning task. We present experiments in a simulated network routing domain demonstrating our method's ability to reliably generate sound plans.
Conformational effects of purine N3 electronic properties on drug design and cyclic nucleotide metabolism

The conformational effect of variations in electronic properties at the N3 position of purines, purine analogs, and cyclic AMP analogs are related to their biological properties. The effect of glycosidic conformation is demonstrated for the adenosine analogs 2-azaadenosine and 2-fluoroadenosine by both theoretical calculations and T1 relaxation measurements. For these two analogs there is increased preference for the high anti conformations. The high anti conformation is considered to be required of purine substrates by the enzymes adenosine kinase and deoxycytidine kinase as well as adenylate cyclase activating adenosine receptors. Protein kinase II is considered as requiring an anti conformation for activation by cyclic AMP analogs, and an anti conformation may also be required at adenylate cyclase inhibiting adenosine receptors. The selective activation approach for designing nucleoside analogs is described. Selective therapeutic potential as antiparasitic, antiviral, antibacterial, or anticancer agents can be achieved with nucleoside analogs. The successful implementation of the selective activation approach depends on a precise understanding of the conformation and electronic specificity of normal versus disease associated nucleoside kinases and deoxynucleoside kinases. The conformation specificity of normal adenosine kinase and deoxycytidine kinase enzymes appears to be established. Less specific or alternative pathways leading to the formation of toxic nucleotide analogs are known to exist in bacteria, parasites, virus infections, and cancer. If the conformational, electronic, and functional group requirements for normal enzyme activation are removed in a nucleoside analog, then it can be selectively activated to a toxic form by the enzyme mechanisms available to a target disease. The target disease, by converting a nucleoside analog to a toxic form, will destroy itself with little or no damage anticipated for the host.
A 6-month experience at the Regional Dermatology Training Centre in east Africa.

With only one stop (in Amsterdam, the Netherlands) between Washington, DC, and Tanzania, we arrived at Kilimanjaro International Airport at 8:30 PM on July 6, 1993. I was beginning a 6-month sabbatical leave to work and teach at the Regional Dermatology Training Centre (RDTC) located at the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre (KCMC) in Moshi, Tanzania. Henning Grossmann, MD, director of the RDTC, met us at the airport and drove us to Moshi, a 45-minute drive. Henning had arranged for us to stay in a house on the KCMC compound, which is within walking distance of the hospital. Not knowing exactly what to expect, we were pleasantly surprised that first night to find that the road to Moshi was paved (many roads are not) and that the house had electricity (most of the time), refrigerator and stove, comfortable beds with mosquito netting, flush toilets, hot water, and tap water that was
Structure and action of heteronemertine polypeptide toxins: inactivation of Cerebratulus lacteus toxin B-IV by tyrosine nitration.

Abstract Reaction of Cerebratulus lacteus toxin B-IV with tetranitromethane in the presence of low concentrations of urea results in essentially complete loss of toxicity as measured by a sensitive quantal bioassay. Amino acid analysis and speetrophotometric studies both indicate the primary effect of reaction to be nitration of a single tyrosine residue per molecule of toxin. The nitrated residue has been identified as tyrosine-9 by automated Edman degradation of the modified protein. Since the secondary structure of toxin B-IV is not detectably altered by nitration, it is concluded that tyrosine-9 is directly involved in the interaction of this polypeptide with its axonal receptor, proposed to be involved in the inactivation of voltage-sensitive Na + channels in crustacean nerves.