cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Two protein fractions obtained from hepatic plasma membranes. Studies of their composition and differential turnover

Abstract 1. 1. Plasma membranes were isolated from rat liver and their enzymatic, morphologic, and chemical composition was studied. Two protein fractions were isolated from a hepatic plasma membrane preparation using either 33% aqueous pyridine or 0.05 M K2CO3. One was water-soluble, contained 50% of the original membrane protein; the other was water-insoluble, contained the remaining protein and the majority of lipids. With 0.5 M K2CO3 the majority of sialic acid was in the water-insoluble fraction. Neutral carbohydrates were equally distributed between the two fractions. 2. 2. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of water-soluble fractions in sodium dodecyl sulfate revealed 15–20 protein bands which were also present in the intact plasma membrane. 3. 3. Relative protein turnover was determined by a double isotope technique. The water-insoluble fraction had a greater turnover ratio than the water-insoluble fraction. These studies are consistent with a “multistep process” of plasma membrane synthesis.
Effect of Curing Method on Peanut Seed Quality1

Abstract Moisture removal is a major function of the peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) curing process. While commercial peanut production in the United States has become largely mechanized, peanut breeders must often resort to the stackpole method of curing. This two year study evaluates the effects of alternative curing methods on seed quality of experimental peanuts. Three cultivars were harvested at two maturities, and after 0, 1 or 2 days exposure in inverted windrows, fruit from each treatment were then cured on stackpoles or in circulating air ovens at 38°, 54° or 66°C. Analyses were made on weight/seed and percentages of moisture, shelling, shrivels. germination, and extra large kernels. While year of production affected seed weight and germination, harvest date within years did not affect the characteristics studied. Days in the windrow affected moisture content. Drying temperatures affected shelling, shrivels and germination percentages. Harvesting a week earlier than optimum resulted in more shrivele...
Further results on the proton radioactivity of 53mCo

Abstract Additional studies on the proton radioactivity of the 247 ± 12 msec isomer 53m Co lead to an improved estimate of ≈ 17 sec for its partial half-life for emission of 1.59 ± 0.03 MeV protons to the 52 Fe ground state. An upper limit of 1 250 for the ratio of direct proton decay to the 52 Fe ∗ (2 + , 0.84 MeV) state relative to decay to the 52 Fe(g.s.) can be set.
Analysis of a single-domain P-glycoprotein-like gene in the early-diverging protist Trichomonas vaginalis

Abstract We have characterized a gene encoding an Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) Binding Cassette (ABC) transmembrane protein from Trichomonas vaginalis , an early-diverging protozoan parasite. This gene, Tvpgp1, encodes a 589-amino acid protein with an amino-terminal hydrophobic region, 6 potential membrane-spanning segments and a carboxy-terminal ATP binding site. Tvpgp1 is most similar in sequence to mammalian P-glycoproteins, 170 kDa transport proteins which are frequently overexpressed in multiple drug-resistant (Mdr) tumor cell lines. However, Tvpgp1 is half the size of typical P-glycoproteins which are tandem duplications. These data suggest that the duplication/fusion events which gave rise to the bipartite structure comprised of 2 similar halves which characterize eukaryotic P-glycoproteins may have occurred after the divergence of trichomonads (Parabasalia) from the main line of eukaryotic evolutionary descent. We have examined 7 metronidazole resistant strains of T. vaginalis to determine whether the Tvpgp1 gene is overexpressed or amplified. 2 drug resistant strains show a 2–3-fold overexpression and one shows a 20-fold overexpression of Tvpgp mRNA. The gene is not amplified in any of the drug resistant strains. On the contrary, 4 of the 7 resistant strains lack one of 2 Tvpgp genes found in drug-sensitive strains.
Harvest of Despair: Life and Death in Ukraine under Nazi Rule

Reading Karel C. Berkhoff's Harvest of Despair: Life and Death in Ukraine under Nazi Rule reaps reward but also some disappointment. For the general public unfamiliar with the historical issues and intricacies of the Nazi occupation of the Soviet Union, this book contains far more reward as a montage of vivid depictions of everyday life under German domination in the occupied East. But conversely, for those with a more advanced, research-level familiarity with the subject, the results are reversed.
Manipulation of Magnetically Labeled and Unlabeled Cells with Mobile Magnetic Traps

A platform of discrete microscopic magnetic elements patterned on a surface offers dynamic control over the motion of fluid-borne cells by reprogramming the magnetization within the magnetic bits. T-lymphocyte cells tethered to magnetic microspheres and untethered leukemia cells are remotely manipulated and guided along desired trajectories on a silicon surface by directed forces with average speeds up to 20 μm/s. In addition to navigating cells, the microspheres can be operated from a distance to push biological and inert entities and act as local probes in fluidic environments.
The effects of age on glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase activities in lenses of Old World simians and prosimians

The effects of age on the activities of the two enzymes of the glutathione redox cycle, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase, were studied in lenses of primates. Three species were Old World simians (orangutan, olive baboon and pigtail monkey) and two were prosimians (galago and mouse lemur). Glutathione peroxidase activity of the olive baboon lens increased steadily with age while that of the pigtail monkey increased during the first 6-8 years and then plateaued. Enzyme activity in the orangutan increased steadily from 9 months to 28 years. This enzyme activity decreased steadily in the galago but increased only slightly in the mouse lemur lens. The lenticular glutathione reductase activity profiles showed decreases with age for all three simian species. Enzyme activity in the galago decreased gradually from birth to the age of 16.5 years. The enzyme activity values of the mouse lemur lens did not yield a comprehensible pattern. Lens weight increased with age in all five primate species, particularly in the infant and juvenile years and leveled off in adulthood. The current investigation demonstrated that the responses of these enzyme activities to aging were very different in Old World simians as compared to prosimians. These studies are consistent with earlier enzyme activity and thermolability data and are indicative of probable critical differences in the primary structures of the enzymes between the two primate groups.
Reliability studies of AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors

AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors are gaining commercial acceptance for use in high power and high frequency applications, but the degradation mechanisms that drive failure in the field are not completely understood. Since some of these mechanisms are current or field driven, reliability studies must go beyond the typical Arrhenius-accelerated life tests. In this paper, we summarize recent work on electric field or current driven degradation in devices with different gate metallization, device dimensions, electric field mitigation techniques (such as source field plates) and the effect of device fabrication processes for both dc and RF stress conditions.
Effector mechanisms in HIV-1 infected elite controllers: Highly active immune responses?

Elite controllers (EC) are HIV-1 infected patients control viral replication to a level of <50 copies/ml without antiretroviral therapy. These patients are also known as elite suppressors, or HIV controllers, and they differ from traditional long-term non-progressors (LTNPs) who maintain stable CD4 counts and are asymptomatic without antiretroviral therapy. Recent studies suggest that many EC are infected with replication-competent virus. Thus it appears that host factors such as innate immunity, the humoral immune response, and the cellular immune response are involved in the suppression of viral replication in EC. This article will review the effector mechanisms that are thought to play a role in the remarkable control of viral replication seen in these patients. This article forms part of a special issue of Antiviral Research marking the 25th anniversary of antiretroviral drug discovery and development, Vol 85, issue 1, 2010.
A computer simulation of grain orientation and aspect ratio that promotes the reflection of a pressure wave by elastic rotational stress

Optimal orientation angles and aspect ratios of a grain are presented for the attenuation of a longitudinal pressure wave by elastic stresses that arise from the rotation of a grain. A computer program in C++ allows the grain to be a two-dimensional ellipse of several orientations with respect to the incoming load. The program also varies the aspect ratio of the grain. The induced elastic stresses from the rotation of the grain are calculated with complex variable methods that do not require meshes and elements. Low aspect ratios of 5/3, 10/7 and 5/4 were particularly effective in halting the stress from the pressure wave when the major axis of the grain was tilted between 15° and 45° and again above 70° with respect to the line of the incoming load. Attenuation was found to be more sensitive to grain orientation than to aspect ratio. The conclusion is supported by numerous switches in the extent of wave blockage over small angular variations in the orientation of the grain.
On the quadrupole splitting of a low-spin Iron(III)-Dithio Chelate

Abstract The magnetically perturbed Mossbauer spectra of iron(III) (dithioacetylacetonate) 3 show V zz xy hole and a 2 A ground term. These results support a recent study of the temperature dependence of the quadrupole splitting and suggest that the origin of the quadrupole splitting is primarily in the distribution of non-bonding electrons.
The human infants' response to vanilla flavors in mother's milk and formula

The mammalian infant experiences a variety of flavors prior to weaning because volatile compounds, such as vanilla, are transferred from the mother's diet to her milk. Following nursing mothers' consumption of vanilla flavor, their infants breast-fed longer and consumed more milk as compared to when their mothers consumed the diluent alone. Consistent with these findings, the bottle-fed infants' responses to vanilla-flavored formula were altered relative to their responses to the unflavored formula. In a short-term preference test, experimentally naive infants sucked more vigorously when feeding the vanilla-flavored formula. In a second test that encompassed an entire feeding, they spent more time feeding initially when the formula was flavored with vanilla. This differential responsiveness to the vanilla-flavored formula was absent following these two exposures to vanilla, however. These data support the hypothesis that flavors, either consumed by the mother and transmitted to her milk or added to formula, are detected by the infant and serve to modulate feeding. They also suggest that experience with a flavor in milk alters the infant's responsiveness to that flavor during subsequent feedings. It is hypothesized that under the natural condition of breast-feeding, infants become familiar with the flavors consumed by their mothers, and such experiences may impact on later food and flavor acceptability and choice.
Conditioned sucking in the human newborn

Classical conditioning of the sucking response was demonstrated. Sucking in response to a tone was greater in infants who received paired presentations of the tone and a sucking device than in infants who received unpaired presentations of the same stimuli.
Fluorescence resonance energy transfer microscopy of localized protein interactions in the living cell nucleus.

Cells respond to environmental cues by modifying protein complexes in the nucleus to produce a change in the pattern of gene expression. In this article, we review techniques that allow us to visualize these protein interactions as they occur in living cells. The cloning of genes from marine organisms that encode fluorescent proteins provides a way to tag and monitor the intracellular behavior of expressed fusion proteins. The genetic engineering of jellyfish green fluorescent protein (GFP) and the recent cloning of a sea anemone red fluorescent protein (RFP) have provided fluorescent tags that emit light at wavelengths ranging from the blue to the red spectrum. Several of these color variants can be readily distinguished by fluorescence microscopy, allowing them to be used in combination to monitor the behavior of two or more independent proteins in the same living cell. We describe the use of this approach to examine where transcription factors are assembled in the nucleus. To demonstrate that these labeled nuclear proteins are interacting, however, requires spatial resolution that exceeds the optical limit of the light microscope. This degree of spatial resolution can be achieved with the conventional light microscope using the technique of fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). The application of FRET microscopy to detect the interactions between proteins labeled with the color variants of GFP and the limitations of the FRET approach are discussed. The use of different-color fluorescent proteins in combination with FRET offers the opportunity to study the complex behavior of key regulatory proteins in their natural environment within the living cell.
Comments on "Investigation of 3D semivectorial finite-difference beam propagation method for bent waveguides"

The technique used to model curved waveguides described in the above paper is analyzed. Both the model and alternating direction implicit (ADI) method used to implement it are discussed.
The dynamic role of root-water uptake in coupling potential to actual transpiration

The relationship between actual (Eact) and potential (Ep) transpiration above a grass-covered forest clearing was investigated numerically and experimentally from simultaneous measurements of soil moisture content profiles, mean meteorological conditions, turbulent heat and water vapor fluxes in the atmospheric surface layer, and soil hydraulic properties for two drying periods. The relationship between Eact/Ep was found to be approximately constant and insensitive to variability in near-surface soil moisture content. To explore this near-constant Eact/Ep, a model that relates potential and actual transpiration and accounts for root-uptake eAciency, potential transpiration rate, and root-density distribution was proposed and field-tested. The total amount of water consumed by the root system was integrated and compared with eddy-correlation latent heat flux measurements (field scale) and total water storage changes (local scale). Model calculations suggested that the deeper and more eAcient roots are primarily responsible for the total water loss within the root zone when the near-surface soil layer approaches their wilting point. ” 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
CONFINEMENT OF FREEZING FRONT BY LASER IRRADIATION DURING CRYOSURGERY

A new methodology to control the freezing front propagation during cryosurgical procedures is studied through the use of numerical techniques. Laser irradiation of a target tissue is explored as a new methodology for localizing heat generation and, thus, confining more accurately the desired cryoinjury region and to protect a thicker superficial layer of tissue. In addition to the irradiation of laser energy, the use of dyes is proposed as a means of localizing heat absorption and increasing the thickness of the protected region. A 2D finite volume numerical code based on the enthalpy method was developed to model the freezing process during cryoprobe cooling of a volume of tissue, while heating was applied to the external boundary protecting the superficial layer of tissue. Laser irradiation was modeled with Beer’s Law, and the energy absorption, which is proportional to the intensity, was taken as a source term in the energy equation. The thermophysical properties of the tissue are modeled as temperature dependent properties of water. Temperature contours resulting from a) constant temperature heating b) and regulated laser irradiation heating of tissue indicate that the latter methodology may be more effective in limiting cryoinjury to a predefined region. Additionally, if dyes are used, the protected area increases in thickness. The most dramatic differences between the two methodologies occur when the cryoprobe is placed near the surface, the effective attenuation coefficient of the material is low, and dyes are injected into the tissue to promote localized absorption of laser irradiated energy. NOMENCLATURE Bi Biot number, Bi=hyo/ks C specific heat (J kg -1
A hypothesis testing approach to word recognition using dynamic feature selection

A top-down approach to word recognition is proposed. Discussions are presented on dynamically selecting the most effective feature combinations, which are applied to discriminate between a limited set of word hypotheses. >
Six Degree of Freedom Sensing for Docking Using IR LED Emitters and Receivers

Six DOF offset sensing between two plates is important for automatic docking mechanisms. This paper presents an easy and inexpensive implementation of such a system using four commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) infrared (IR) light emitting diode (LED) emitters and two COTS IR receivers on each of two docking plates. The angular intensity distribution of an emitter and the sensitivity distribution of a receiver allow for estimation of the angle and distance between them. Simple experiments have been conducted indicating that such a setup is able to give positional offset in any of 6 degrees of error (x, y, z, pitch, roll, and yaw) within a range. A theoretical framework is also established using least squares minimization. The theoretical framework is general and applies to other configurations of emitter and receiver parts and positioning.
Differential activity of the pars recta and pars oblique infundamental frequency control

Summary This study was designed to determine if differences exist in parsrecta and pars oblique muscle activity during speech and singing. Hooked wire electrodes were implanted in the muscle bundles under direct vision during thyroid surgery in two men and three women. It was found that the pars recta and pars oblique do not function in a similar manner across fundamental frequencies ( ƒ 0 's), tasks, or subjects. Large inter- and intrasubject variability wase evident in the contribution of the cricothyroid bundles to fundamental frequency ( ƒ 0 ,) control. It is speculated that the effect of pars recta and pars oblique contraction may be a function of individual anatomic variations.
Computation Over Multiple-Access Channels

The problem of reliably reconstructing a function of sources over a multiple-access channel (MAC) is considered. It is shown that there is no source-channel separation theorem even when the individual sources are independent. Joint source-channel strategies are developed that are optimal when the structure of the channel probability transition matrix and the function are appropriately matched. Even when the channel and function are mismatched, these computation codes often outperform separation-based strategies. Achievable distortions are given for the distributed refinement of the sum of Gaussian sources over a Gaussian multiple-access channel with a joint source-channel lattice code. Finally, computation codes are used to determine the multicast capacity of finite-field multiple-access networks, thus linking them to network coding.
Gum arabic promotes rat jejunal sodium and water absorption from oral rehydration solutions in two models of diarrhea

Abstract BACKGROUND & AIMS: We have shown that addition of gum arabic (GA) to a 90 mmol/L sodium-111 mmol/L glucose oral rehydration solution (ORS) enhances its effectiveness for water and electrolyte absorption in normal rats. The present study extends these observations on GA in ORS to two rat models of diarrheal disease. METHODS: Juvenile rats were either treated for 1 week with magnesium citrate-phenolphthalein to produce chronic osmotic-secretory diarrhea or luminally exposed to 10 mmol/L theophylline to induce jejunal secretion. In both models jejunal perfusion was used to assess absorption. RESULTS: Addition of 2.5 or 5.0 g/L GA to ORS increased roughly twofold absorption of sodium, potassium, and water in the model of chronic osmotic-secretory diarrhea. Rats perfused with GA-supplemented ORS showed an expansion of the basolateral intercellular spaces between villus absorptive epithelial cells and the lamina propria, reflecting enhanced water and sodium absorption. Similarly, addition of 2.5, 5.0, or 10.0 g/L GA to the ORS neutralized theophylline-induced abolition of net sodium and potassium absorption and reversed water and glucose malabsorption. CONCLUSIONS: These experimental studies in models of diarrhea suggest that GA may be a useful additive to ORS for the potentiation of water and electrolyte absorption. (Gastroenterology 1997 Jun;112(6):1979-85)
Differential Alteration of Neuronal and Cardiovascular Responses to Adenosine Microinjected Into the Nucleus Tractus Solitarius of Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

Abstract We previously reported that adenosine elicited site-dependent neuronal and cardiovascular responses in two subareas of the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) of normotensive rats. Pressor and tachycardic responses were obtained from the rostral NTS (adenosine pressor system), and depressor and bradycardic responses were obtained from the caudal NTS (adenosine depressor system). In both areas, adenosine inhibited the firing rate of barosensitive neurons. The present study investigated whether spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) exhibit abnormal neuronal and cardiovascular responses mediated by the adenosine pressor and depressor systems within the NTS. Male SHR and Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY) were anesthetized with urethane and prepared for blood pressure and heart rate recording, stereotaxic microinjection of adenosine into the NTS, and extracellular recording of single-unit neuronal activity of NTS neurons. Chemical identification of the targeted neuronal pool was made by l-glutamate (5 nmol) and confirmed by histology. SHR exhibited significantly higher mean arterial pressure and firing rate of caudal NTS neurons (45.0±4.5 versus 27.3±4.7 spikes per 2.5 seconds, P <.05) but similar heart rate and neuronal firing rate of rostral NTS neurons compared with WKY. Adenosine (0.1, 1, and 10 nmol) elicited dose-related neuronal and cardiovascular responses in both strains. However, SHR exhibited differential alterations in both adenosine systems. Compared with WKY, SHR exhibited attenuated pressor, tachycardic, and neuronal responses mediated by the adenosine pressor system and exaggerated depressor, bradycardic, and neuronal responses mediated by the adenosine depressor system. In both strains, the responses elicited by adenosine were virtually abolished by theophylline (10 mg/kg IV), suggesting that these responses were mediated by adenosine receptors in the NTS. Furthermore, the theophylline-evoked increase in blood pressure was twofold higher in SHR (15.0±1.7 versus 6.9±1.5 mm Hg, P <.05); larger but nonsignificant increases in heart rate and neuronal firing rate also were evident in SHR compared with WKY. These findings suggest differential alterations in adenosine pressor and depressor systems in the NTS of SHR, which may be implicated in the pathophysiology of this model of hypertension.
Simultaneously inferring above‐cloud absorbing aerosol optical thickness and underlying liquid phase cloud optical and microphysical properties using MODIS

The regional haze over the southeast (SE) Atlantic Ocean induced by biomass burning in southern Africa can be problematic for passive imager-based retrievals of the underlying quasi-permanent marine boundary layer (MBL) clouds and for estimates of top-of-atmosphere (TOA) aerosol direct radiative effect (DRE). Here an algorithm is introduced to simultaneously retrieve above-cloud aerosol optical thickness (AOT), the cloud optical thickness (COT), and cloud effective particle radius (CER) of the underlying MBL clouds while also providing pixel-level estimates of retrieval uncertainty. This approach utilizes reflectance measurements at six Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) channels from the visible to the shortwave infrared. Retrievals are run under two aerosol model assumptions on 8 years (2006–2013) of June–October Aqua MODIS data over the SE Atlantic, from which a regional cloud and above-cloud aerosol climatology is produced. The cloud retrieval methodology is shown to yield COT and CER consistent with those from the MODIS operational cloud product (MOD06) when forcing AOT to zero, while the full COT-CER-AOT retrievals that account for the above-cloud aerosol attenuation increase regional monthly mean COT and CER by up to 9% and 2%, respectively. Retrieved AOT is roughly 3 to 5 times larger than the collocated 532 nm Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) retrievals, though closer agreement is observed with the CALIOP 1064 nm retrievals, a result consistent with previous case study analyses. Regional cloudy-sky above-cloud aerosol DRE calculations are also performed that illustrate the importance of the aerosol model assumption and underlying cloud retrievals.
Open economy politics: A critical review

An emergent paradigm, referred to as Open Economy Politics (OEP), now structures and guides research among many scholars. This essay sketches the general contours of the paradigm. Scientific accumulation is, in my view, the potential and great benefit of a self-conscious understanding of OEP as a single, unifying paradigm. The essay also provides a sympathetic critique of OEP and shows how the paradigm can be extended to capture some of the concerns and insights of other critics. Most important, this critique highlights the role and consequences of certain simplifying assumptions commonly used in OEP and calls for a closer examination of how international institutions and policies structure and change the interests of actors within countries that are now taken as exogenous.
A runlength limited low-density parity-check coding scheme

In this paper, we propose a novel approach to modulation and error control coding. The idea is to completely eliminate a constrained code and, instead, impose the constraint by the deliberate introduction of bit errors before transmission. The redundancy that would have been used for imposing the constraint is used in our scheme to strengthen the error control code (ECC), in such a way that the ECC becomes capable of correcting both deliberate errors as well as channel errors that occurs during the detection. The proposed ECC-modulation scheme is based on iterative decoding of low-density parity-check codes (LDPC) and a runlength constraint.
Biofilms in orthopaedic surgery

Biofilms are uniquely organized communities of bacteria and surrounding extracellular matrix that pose significant clinical challenges to the orthopaedic surgeon. Biofilms have devised methods of antibiotic resistance that are not cured by traditional medical approaches. Similarly, these colonies are adept at evading normal host immune defenses. In orthopaedic surgery, biofilms manifest primarily in association with implanted hardware or device-related infections. Surgical planning and operative technique must account for the properties of biofilms to achieve a higher probability of curing these infections. Continued research into the properties of biofilms will elucidate more effective clinical means to deal with these recalcitrant bacterial systems.
MAKING SENSE OF A NEW WORLD: LEARNING TO READ IN A SECOND LANGUAGE. Eve Gregory. London: Chapman, 1996. Pp. 197. $25.95 paper.

Eve Gregory's book fills a void in literacy education for bilingual students. This text provides solid theory, useful resources, and practical teaching suggestions for literacy development in a second language for young children. Describing the multilingual, multicultural complexity of early schooling in Great Britain, Gregory provides a strong rationale for her views of early literacy training, both formal and informal, for “emergent bilinguals”—children who are “the first generation in their family to receive formal schooling in the new country, who do not speak the language of the host country at home, and who are consequently at the early stages of second language learning” (p. 8).
Electromagnetic Fields in Solid-Rotor Induction Motor

The most elementary type of rotor for the polyphase induction machine is the solid-iron rotor, which offers advantages in ease of manufacture, in high torque per ampere at standstill, in withstanding high rotational stresses, and in operating in unusual environments. Since conventional induction machine theory has proven inadequate for such machines, the need has arisen for improved methods of investigation. It is the purpose of this paper to present an approximate three-dimensional nonlinear numerical analysis for the solid-rotor induction motor, based on magnetostatic assumptions and finite-difference iterative techniques.
Analysis of streptococcal CRISPRs from human saliva reveals substantial sequence diversity within and between subjects over time

Viruses may play an important role in the evolution of human microbial communities. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPRs) provide bacteria and archaea with adaptive immunity to previously encountered viruses. Little is known about CRISPR composition in members of human microbial communities, the relative rate of CRISPR locus change, or how CRISPR loci differ between the microbiota of different individuals. We collected saliva from four periodontally healthy human subjects over an 11- to 17-mo time period and analyzed CRISPR sequences with corresponding streptococcal repeats in order to improve our understanding of the predominant features of oral streptococcal adaptive immune repertoires. We analyzed a total of 6859 CRISPR bearing reads and 427,917 bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequences. We found a core (ranging from 7% to 22%) of shared CRISPR spacers that remained stable over time within each subject, but nearly a third of CRISPR spacers varied between time points. We document high spacer diversity within each subject, suggesting constant addition of new CRISPR spacers. No greater than 2% of CRISPR spacers were shared between subjects, suggesting that each individual was exposed to different virus populations. We detect changes in CRISPR spacer sequence diversity over time that may be attributable to locus diversification or to changes in streptococcal population structure, yet the composition of the populations within subjects remained relatively stable. The individual-specific and traceable character of CRISPR spacer complements could potentially open the way for expansion of the domain of personalized medicine to the oral microbiome, where lineages may be tracked as a function of health and other factors.
Surface study of niobium samples used in superconducting rf cavity production

We have initiated an effort to study the Nb/oxide interface and its effect on rf cavity performance. The oxide layer on processed cavity surfaces is dominantly Nb/sub 2/O/sub 5/, which has a high secondary electron yield that may be detrimental to cavity performance. Our effort focuses on developing new processes to remove the oxide layer by easily achievable means. In this presentation, we show some preliminary results of a surface study of the metal/oxide interfaces on Nb samples that have undergone different surface processes usually used in cavity production. The results suggest that Nb/sub 2/O/sub 5/ is not stable when subjected to heat treatment of /spl sim/250/spl deg/C, and that it converts into monovalent or even subvalent oxides that are metallic in nature.
Relectura de la teoría del signo de Husserl

En este articulo examino la teoria del signo y de la comunicacion linguistica que es parte de la "Primera investigacion" de las Investigaciones logicas, de Edmund Husserl. Sostengo que alternan en esta exposicion husserliana dos teorias, incompatibles, del acto de comprender lo dicho por otro. La una, afin a la tradicion semiologica asociacionista de la$losofia del empirismo, y tambien a la idea que se tiene comunmente de la comunicacion linguistica, es tratada muy marginalmente por Husserl, quien, mas bien, solo la sugiere por implicacion, sin rechazarla, y como si pudiese ser coherentemente unida a la otra concepcion, la que, hasta cierto punto, desarrolla. Hasta cierto punto, pues tambien las tesis declaradas de Husserl acerca del fenomeno de la comprension de las palabras ajenas, estan insuficientemente elaboradas. Sus inexplicitas consecuencias, una vez explicadas, conducen a paradojas y constituyen una insostenible descripcion del fenomeno de la comunicacion linguistica. Para dar razon de estas limitaciones del texto husserliano, senalo, por una parte, el predominio del interes de Husserl por lasfunciones cognoscitivo-teoricas, logicas y epistemologicas, y no necesariamente comunicativas, del lenguaje. Por otra, la inclinacion idealista y romantica de su ambiguamente expresa metafisica.
Identification of ATPases Pontin and Reptin as Telomerase Components Essential for Holoenzyme Assembly

Telomerase is a multisubunit ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex that adds telomere repeats to the ends of chromosomes. Three essential telomerase components have been identified thus far: the telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT), the telomerase RNA component (TERC), and the TERC-binding protein dyskerin. Few other proteins are known to be required for human telomerase function, limiting our understanding of both telomerase regulation and mechanisms of telomerase action. Here, we identify the ATPases pontin and reptin as telomerase components through affinity purification of TERT from human cells. Pontin interacts directly with both TERT and dyskerin, and the amount of TERT bound to pontin and reptin peaks in S phase, evidence for cell-cycle-dependent regulation of TERT. Depletion of pontin and reptin markedly impairs telomerase RNP accumulation, indicating an essential role in telomerase assembly. These findings reveal an unanticipated requirement for additional enzymes in telomerase biogenesis and suggest alternative approaches for inhibiting telomerase in cancer.
Biochemical Informatics Methods for Diagnosis and Disease Management

New technological advances are beginning to have a direct impact on many aspects of healthcare, including screening, diagnosis, treatment, and disease management. A multidisciplinary approach permits the development of sophisticated patient-centered models that rely on bioinformatics, molecular biology, analytical and biochemistry, and healthcare informatics. In the work described here, a decision support model based on neural networks is used to combine results from laboratory tests with clinical parameters to produce a prognostic model for metastatic carcinoma. In addition, techniques for drug design and development are presented that can lead to medications that target specific cancer cells.
Effects of information-processing demands on physiological response patterns

The present study investigated the effects of increased attentional and encoding/rehearsal demands on a number of physiological measures. Encoding/rehearsal demands were varied by manipulating the number of letters (1, 3, or 5) comprising a briefly presented set that the subject was instructed to encode, retain, and, 5 s later, compare with a single test letter. Attentional demands were varied by presenting the subject with a cue stimulus (the numeral 1, 3, or 5) 5s prior to the presentation of the letter set, informing the subject of the number of letters contained therein. The physiological measures recorded were heart rate, eyeblinks, “probe-evoked” potentials sampled from the intervals preceding and following the letter set, and “task-evoked” potentials elicited by the cue, memory set, and test stimuli. Unique patterns of physiological activity occurred in the intervals preceding and following the memory set. In the interval preceding the memory set, where attentional demands were varied by set size, ...
Miscibiuty in Blends of Polybenzimidazole and Fluorine Containing Polyimides

Blends of polybenzimidazole (PBI) with either of two fluorine-containing polyimides were prepared by casting from solution and by precipitation. Dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were used to study miscibility in the two blend systems. The blends of PBI with the first polyimide, the polysulfonimide Pl-1, consisted of a single phase when the blends contained less than 30 wt% Pl-1; above 50 wt% Pl-1, phase separation occurred even at room temperature. The PBI blends containing the second polyimide, Pl-2, were immiscible.
Measurement of electro-optic coefficients of 1.3 [micro sign]m self-assembled InAs/GaAs quantum dots

The electro-optic properties of 1.3 µm self-assembled InAs/GaAs quantum dots grown by metal organic chemical vapour deposition are reported. The linear and quadratic electro-optic coefficients are 2.4×10−11 m/V and 3.2×10−18 m2/V2, respectively, which are significantly larger than those of GaAs bulk materials. Also, the linear electro-optic coefficient is almost comparable to that of lithium niobate.
The Chemical and Genetic Relationships Between Hemoglobins S and GSan Jose

1. Comparison of the structures of the S-carboxymethylglobin derivatives of hemoglobins A, S and G shows that the only differences in the structure of these proteins resides in the βTpI peptides. 2. When structural methods are used to determine the types of hemoglobin in individuals from a family that possesses genes for hemoglobins A, S and G, it is possible to show that hemoglobins S and G are not inherited by nonallelic genes. 3. Previous difficulties in judging the hemoglobin types in this family by electrophoretic methods were caused by electrophoretically abnormal minor hemoglobin components. 4. The minor hemoglobin components which are observed in this family appear to arise by denaturation of the major hemoglobin component.
Effect of circumcision on prostatic bacterial colonization and subsequent bacterial seeding following transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsies.

Purpose This study was designed to compare the prevalence of prostatic bacterial growth between circumcised and uncircumcised males and determine whether the lack of circumcision results in a change in the incidence of bacterial seeding following prostate needle biopsy. Materials and methods Forty-six men (21 circumcised and 25 uncircumcised) undergoing ultrasound and biopsy to rule out prostate cancer were evaluated with questionnaires regarding previous history of urinary tract infection (UTI), any symptoms suggestive of UTI, and obstructive voiding symptoms. None of the patients received preprocedure antibiotics. Preprocedure and postprocedure urine samples, prostate biopsy core, and postprocedure blood samples were obtained for culture. After the cultures were obtained, patients received oral antibiotics. Results Patient characteristics between circumcised and uncircumcised patients were similar in terms of age, prostate-specific antigen level, voiding symptoms, history of UTI, prostate biopsy technique, and incidence of prostate cancer. The prevalence of preprocedure bacteriuria was slightly higher in the uncircumcised men (14 [56%] of 25 patients) vs. the circumcised men (8/21 [38%] patients), although this was not statistically significant (r = .2, p = .1). The prevalence of postprocedure bacteriuria was significantly higher (p = .04) in the uncircumcised men (12/25 [48%] patients) vs. the circumcised men (4/21 [19%] patients). No correlation was found between circumcision status and incidence of bacterial colonization in the prostate tissue. A statistically significant difference (p = .003) was found between the lack of circumcision and postprocedure bacteremia. Conclusions Circumcision status does not effect the prevalence of bacterial growth in the urine and the prostate tissue. Uncircumcised men have a higher incidence of bacteriuria and bacteremia following prostate needle biopsies.
Senate Bills 284-285 A "Bribery Exception" to Maryland's Legislative Privilege

This document is an Adobe version of a PowerPoint presentation that was presented to the Maryland General Assembly in support of Senate Bills 284 and 285. S.B. 284 & 285 respond to the fact that the bribery indictments of Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon and Baltimore City Councilwoman Helen Holton were dismissed on grounds of the “legislative privilege” in MD Const., art. III, § 18. The paper goes on to show how bribery was not meant to be protected under "legislative privilege" by tracing the legislative history of the statutes, and applicable sections of the Md. Constitution.
ChemKarta: A Card Game for Teaching Functional Groups in Undergraduate Organic Chemistry

Students in undergraduate organic chemistry courses are frequently overwhelmed by the volume and complexity of information they are expected to learn. To aid in students’ learning of organic functional groups, a novel card game “ChemKarta” is reported that can serve as a useful alternative to flashcards. This pedagogy is a simple matching game, in which students identify functional groups on molecules. ChemKarta has a large card set to immerse students in course material and to allow teachers to mine the game for class and exam questions. It is easily customized by the addition or removal of cards to adjust content to fit an individual course. Students found the game easy to learn and responded favorably to its use as an educational tool.
The state in the shadow of war: reexamining Zhang Junmai’s thoughts on democratic politics and state building

In the shadow of the Sino–Japanese War, Zhang Junmai presented his solutions to China’s problems in a time of emergency. Using nation instead of class as his frame of reference, Zhang called for the rise of national self-consciousness and integrated his opinions on science, life, and epistemology in his blueprint for a new China. After examining the limits of democratic politics in wartime, Zhang articulated his version of democracy designed for a time of emergency, namely Revised Democratic Politics, which emphasized prompt governmental decision making, centralization of power, mass mobilization, and the cultivation of citizens as political, moral, and economic subjects. Placing Zhang’s political thought against the backdrop of the democracy versus dictatorship debate, this article will illustrate the inner complexity of Zhang’s “scientific” planning of democratic politics. This article argues that, echoing Carl Schmitt’s theory of the state of emergency and his concept of true politics as solving diffic...
High-Energy Elevated Temperature Si and Room Temperature B Implants in InP

High-energy (3 MeV) Si implantations were performed in InP:Fe at an elevated temperature of 200 °C for fluences 8x1014, 2x1015, and 5x1015 cm-2. For the 8x1014 cm-2 fluence, an activation of 82 %, carrier mobility of 1200 cm2/V-s, a peak carrier concentration of 9x1018 cm-3, and lattice quality comparable to that of virgin crystal were obtained. No amorphization takes place for any of the fluences used. Boron compensation implantations were performed in InP:Sn (n ≈ 2x1018 cm-3) at room temperature in the energy range 1 to 5 MeV and fluence range 1011 to 1015 cm-2. After heat treatment, maximum resistivity of the order of 106 Ω-cm was obtained in B implanted InP.
Characterization of arabinosylguanine resistance in a lymphoblastoid cell line.

In recent years, cancer chemotherapists have been searching for drugs that would selectively destroy malignant cells while sparing healthy host tissue. The discovery that dAdo and dGuo are more toxic to T compared to B lymphoblasts through the actions of their 5′-tri-phosphate derivatives (1) has spurred interest in developing analogs of these compounds that would exhibit a similar specificity of action, without being degraded by the purine catabolic enzymes adenosine deaminase (ADA) and purine nucleoside Phosphorylase (PNP). Using this rationale, 2-fluoroadenine arabinoside was developed as an ADA-insensitive analog of adenine arabinoside, and it is presently undergoing clinical trials as an antileukemic agent (2). A recent report (3) indicated that araG was resistant to cleavage by PNP, and exhibited selective toxicity for T relative to B lymphoblasts. We have previously compared the effects of araG in human lymphoblasts to those of araC, another arabinosyl antimetabolite that is in clinical use an an antileukemic agent (4). While araG was less potent than araC, it was far more selective in its cytotoxic effects. Based on these findings, araG shows promise as an antileukemic agent and merits greater study. In this paper, we report on the further characterization of the metabolism of araG in human cell lines exhibiting varying levels of sensitivity to araG.
Adaptation to Diuretic Drugs

Publisher Summary When a diuretic drug is first administered to a normal individual or to a patient with an edematous disorder, rates of urinary sodium and chloride excretion usually increase above baseline, leading to a period of negative sodium and chloride balance. This natriuresis (and chloriuresis) is a hallmark of effective diuretic therapy of edema. Yet, within several days to several weeks, net daily solute and water losses decline and eventually approach prediuretic levels despite continued drug administration. These changes in diuretic responsiveness result from adaptive processes that occur during diuretic therapy in every individual. When these same processes develop prior to achieving the desired extracellular fluid (ECF) volume, they are viewed as contributing to diuretic resistance. Because specific therapeutic approaches can be devised to overcome these adaptations, an understanding of renal adaptations to diuretic treatment is crucial for a rational approach to the diuretic resistant patient. This chapter categorizes adaptations to diuretic treatment according to the time at which they develop. Immediate adaptations limit the intrinsic potency of diuretic drugs; they occur during the initial diuretic-induced natriuresis and generally result from intrinsic renal processes. Short-term adaptations occur after the initial effect of the diuretic drug has worn off and may result from both systemic and intrarenal processes. Chronic adaptations occur only when diuretic drugs have been administered during a long period of time. Because diuretic resistance is most commonly observed in patients, who have received high doses of diuretic during a long period of time, these chronic adaptations may be especially relevant to the phenomenon of diuretic resistance in patients.
Selective Etching of Silicon Oxide versus Nitride with Low Oxide Etching Rate

This paper describes both aqueous and solvent-based formulations aimed at etching silicon oxide (SiOx) with etching rates (E/R) of the order of 10-20 A/min with selectivity greater than 5 with respect to silicon nitride (SiNx) . Diluted hydrofluoric acid (dHF) with very low pH was tried first but the selectivity was found to increase only with higher SiOx E/R. Solvent-based formulations derived from previous work also behaved in a similar way, however its SiOx E/R could be reduced by modifying the total fluoride concentration inside formulation. Finally, we found that low SiOx E/R could also be implemented in the diluted buffer-oxide etch (BOE) solution and the selectivity could be adjusted by addition of a specific surfactant at a very low concentration level.