cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Intermediate Conditions of Democratic Accountability: A Response to Electoral Skepticism

Attempts to respond to “democratic deficits” in modern constitutional republics must contend with the broad scholarly trend of electoral skepticism. While generally casting doubt on periodic competitive elections’ suitability as vehicles of accountability, electoral skepticism does not necessarily entail an absolute devaluation of elections. Some normative and empirical research responds to this trend by refocusing attention on values other than popular power, such as civil peace, which might be served by periodic competitive elections. Another response short of abandoning the value of popular power, however, is to draw out possibilities for institutional design from the restricted conditions under which previous study has found electoral accountability to be plausible or likely. This second task requires an empirically informed exercise in political theory. Pursuing it in a programmatic and policy-relevant way requires descending from the grand, systemic level of constitutional structures and electoral formulae to intermediate (or middle-range) institutional conditions of accountability, such as rules about parties, campaigns, and election administration. My analysis reinterprets principal-agent models to develop four general types of crucial condition for electoral accountability, and then ramifies this scheme by reference to recent empirical research. The result is a “top ten” list of specific institutional factors that could be theoretically decisive in helping or hindering electoral accountability. These ten conditions could guide future research designs and reform proposals alike.
Revenue-Neutral Cap and Trade

Designing climate change regulation presents a dilemma. Because 32 to 40 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions result from individual choices, climate change regulation must shift the significant financial incentives that both corporations and individuals now face to use carbon-based energy and to use it wastefully. Therefore, climate change regulation must increase the prices individual consumers pay for carbon-based energy. This is a hard sell politically in the midst of the worst recession since the Great Depression. Thus, opponents of cap and trade legislation in Congress have made significant headway by dubbing it “cap and tax.” Such arguments can be diffused by making a cap and trade program revenue neutral. This article discusses two forms of revenue neutral cap and trade: A “cap and dividend” approach auctions all allowances and returns the revenue to individuals on a per capita, equal shares basis. A “fair-share cap-and-trade” distributes the allowances themselves to individuals, also on a per capita, equal shares basis. Individuals can then sell their allowances to the fossil fuel producers and importers that are required to hold an allowance for each ton of CO2 embodied in the fuel they sell. Both schemes decouple the imposition of a price on carbon from the infliction of financial hardship on individual consumers and thereby diffuse the “cap-and-tax” argument. But a fair-share cap-and-trade may be superior to a cap-and-dividend approach in its capacity to reinforce the emerging social norm of carbon footprint minimization as well as a justice-based conception of climate change that views the absorptive capacity of the global atmosphere as a limited, commonly held resource to which each individual on earth has an equal claim. On the other hand, a fair-share cap-and-trade scheme would pose implementation challenges not raised by a cap-and-dividend approach.
Proton Transfer in Strong Hydrogen Bonds Revealed by Infrared Spectra - Correlations between Structure and Spectra for the BrH : NH3Complex

Dedicated to the memory of our good friend Jerzy Prochorow One of our most pleasant memories is of the afternoon during our last visit in Poland spent walking and talking with Jerzy and Halina P. in Wilanow Park. One topic of that conversation concerned the possibility of sending him a manuscript for possible publication in Acta Physica Polonica A. It has been a disappointingly slow process, but we humbly and belatedly offer this to honor his memory.
Collecting historical font metrics from Google Books

A system is presented for extracting key metrics from fonts used in historical documents. The system identifies important landmarks on a page, such as margins, paragraphs, and lines, and applies frequency analysis techniques to identify relevant sizes. The system was validated by comparing its measurements to the measurements of a human expert on randomly selected samples, and differed on average from the expert by less than 5% for x-height, body size, and line spacing metrics.
Induction of serum borne immunomodulatory factors in B6C3F1 mice by carbon tetrachloride: Exposure to carbon tetrachloride produces an increase in B-cell number and function

Abstract Carbon tetrachloride exposure in mice induces a serum associated immunosuppressive factor(s) that inhibits T-cell dependent immune responses. The objective of the present studies was to characterize the immunomodulatory activity of serum isolated from carbon tetrachloride-treated m mice on T-cell independent humoral immune responses. Direct addition of serum isolated from carbon tetrachloride-treated mice (500 mg/kg/day for 7 days) to naive spleen cell cultyres enhanced the antibody forming cell response to lipopolysaccharide as compared to serum from naive or vehicle-treated mice. Enhanced antibody forming cell responses were also observed when spleen cells isolated from carbon tetrachloride-treated mice were sensitized with this T-cell independent antigen 24 h, but not 48 h or 72 h, following exposure of mice to one dose of 500 or 1000 mg/kg of carbon tetrachloride. Additionally, spleen weight and spleen: body weight ratio were increased in mice sensitized in vivo with sheep red blood cells 24 h after exposure to a single dose of carbon tetrachloride (500 or 1000 mg/kg) as compared to naive antigen sensitized mice and mice sensitized 48 and 72 h after exposure to carbon tetrachloride. Fluorescence activated cell sorting analysis indicated that daily exposure to carbon tetrachloride (250 or 500 mg/kg for 7 days) increased the percentage of B-cells in the spleen without altering the number of T H -cell or T C/S cell populations. Taken together, these results suggest that exposure to carbon tetrachloride induces a serum borne factor(s) that produces a modest increase in the functional activity and number of B-cells in the spleen.
Biosynthesis of bovine plasma proteins in a cell-free system. Amino-terminal sequence of preproalbumin.

Preparative amounts of poly(A)-containing RNA were isolated from bovine liver. This RNA stimulated protein synthesis in an mRNA-dependent rabbit reticulocyte lysate system employing various radioactively labeled amino acids. After translation, several plasma proteins were identified by immunoprecipitation, including albumin, fibrinogen, prothrombin and antithrombin III. Automatic Edman degradation of immunoprecipitated albumin showed that this protein was synthesized as a precursor (preproalbumin) containing an N-terminal extension of 18 amino acid residues. The N-terminal sequence was as follows: Met-Lys-Trp-Val-Thr-Phe-Ile-Ser-Leu-Leu-Leu-Leu-Phe-Ser-Ser-Ala-Tyr-Ser-Arg-Gly-Val-Phe-Arg-Arg-Asp. This extension contains many hydrophobic amino acid residues and corresponds to the signal region found in other secreted proteins. Residues 19–24 correspond to the pro region of bovine proalbumin, and Asp-25 to the N terminus of albumin found in plasma. The N-terminal methionine of preproalbumin is provided by the initiator tRNAMetf species. Comparison of the signal sequence of bovine preproalbumin with that from rat showed considerable homology between the two (11 of 18 residues in corresponding positions were identical), but comparison of the signal sequence with that of other bovine proteins, such as preproparathyroid hormone, showed no homology.
Solid phase radioimmunoassay for identification of Herpesvirus hominis types 1 and 2 from clinical materials.

A solid phase radioimmunoassay (RIA) was developed for typing Herpesvirus hominis (HVH) strains isolated from clinical materials, and it also proved to be applicable to the direct detection and typing of HVH antigen in human and animal brain tissue. The procedure utilized virus-infected human fetal diploid cells or brain tissue smears in the bottom of 1-dram glass vials, antigen was detected through the use of intermediate HVH antisera produced in rabbits or hamsters and cross-absorbed with the HVH heterotype, and 125I-labeled anti-species (rabbit or hamster) globulins produced in goats were used for detection of immune complexes. The cross-absorbed HVH antisera could be used at high dilutions in the RIA test, and they reacted with marked type-specificity in the RIA system. Specificity of the test was also improved by determining and using optimal concentrations of intermediate sera and of 125I-labeled anti-species globulins. Results of typing HVH isolates by the RIA procedure agreed in all instances with those obtained by direct fluorescent antibody staining with cross-absorbed conjugates. The RIA procedure was effective and more sensitive than direct fluorescent antibody for demonstrating and typing HVH antigen directly in smears of infected human brain tissue.
Microwave Eddy-Current Experiments with Ferromagnetic Resonance Probes

Experimental results obtained with the ferromagnetic resonance probe described in the companion paper by B. A. Auld are presented for a variety of real and fabricated flaws. Details of the apparatus are given with a briefexplanation of the measurement technique used. Particular reference is made to the important property of discrimination between flaw and liftoff signals. An illustration of the edge-discrimination characteristics of the ferromagnetic resonance probe is shown.
Linkages between coastal runoff and the Florida Keys ecosystem: A study of a dark plume event

[1] Using data collected by satellite sensors, rain and river gauges, and ship surveys, we studied the development and wind-driven transport of a dark water plume from near Charlotte Harbor, Florida, to the Dry Tortugas in the Florida Keys in mid-October 2003. MODIS and SeaWiFS imagery showed that the patch contained an extensive (∼5,500 km2) phytoplankton bloom that formed originally near the central coast of Florida. The data linked the bloom to high nutrient coastal runoff caused by heavy rainfall in June and August. Total N and P required for the bloom, which may contain some Karenia brevis cells, was estimated to be 2.3 × 107 and 1.5 × 106 moles, respectively. The dark color became increasingly dominated by colored dissolved organic matter, toward the Dry Tortugas, where CDOM absorption coefficients (0.08–0.12 m−1 at 400 nm) were 2–3 times higher than the surrounding shelf waters, while chlorophyll and inorganic nutrients decreased to negligible levels.
Octagonal spiral inductor measurement and modelling for MMIC applications

Several octagonal spiral coils on 4 mil GaAs substrate have been measured and compared with two common methods of calculating static inductance values of circular spirals. An empirical formula has been created by modifying the coefficients of Wheeler's formula and least-squares fitting with the measured values. Simple formulae have been used to model ground parasitics and have shown good agreement with measured data. Parasitic resistance values have been estimated from DC measurements.
Insulinlike growth factors and their receptors as growth regulators in normal physiology and pathologic states

Abstract Insulinlike growth factors (IGFs), their binding proteins, and receptors are expressed by many different tissues, suggesting that they may act as parts of an autocrine paracrine system in addition to having a classic endocrine role. Since these growth factors are essential for the normal growth and development of the organism, their altered rate of production in a number of important disease states results in severe growth alterations. These include nutritional deprivation, growth hormone deficiency, diabetes, and malignancy.
Organolanthanide catalyzed hydrogenation and hydrosilylation of substituted methylenecycloalkanes

Abstract This communication presents a study of the scope of the catalytic hydrogenation and hydrosilylation of chiral exomethylene-substituted cyclopentanes and cyclohexanes utilizing the organolanthanide precatalysts Cp2 LnCH(SiMe3)2 (Cp C5Me5; Ln Sm, Yb). Both reaction types are sterically driven and lead to thecis-diastereomer as the major product. Additionally, the hydrosilylation is regiospecific, the silane being placed exclusively at the terminal position of the double bond.
Imaging tissues with a polarized light video camera

A method for imaging the superficial epidermal and papillary dermal layers of the skin is needed when assessing many skin lesions. We have developed an imaging modality using a video camera whose mechanism of contrast is the reflectance of polarized light from superficial skin. By selecting only polarized light to create the image, one rejects the large amount of diffusely reflected light from the deeper dermis. The specular reflectance (or glare) from the skin surface is also avoided in the setup. The resulting polarization picture maximally accents the details of the superficial layer of the skin and removes the effects of melanin pigmentation from the image. For example, freckles simply disappear and nevi lose their dark pigmentation to reveal the details of abnormal cellular growth. An initial clinical study demonstrated that the polarization camera could identify the margins of sclerosing basal cell carcinoma while the eye of the doctor underestimated the margin estimate. The camera identified an 11-mm-diameter lesion while the unaided eye identified a 6-mm-diameter lesion.
THEORY OF CHARGED VECTOR MESONS INTERACTING WITH THE ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELD

It is shown that starting from the usual canonical formalism for the electromagnetic interaction of a charged vector meson with arbitrary magnetic moment one is led to a set of rules for Feynman diagrams, which appears to contain terms that are both infinite and noncovariant. These difficulties, however, can be circumvented by introducing a $\ensuremath{\xi}$-limiting process which depends on a dimensionless positive parameter $\ensuremath{\xi}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}0$. Furthermore, by using the mathematical artifice of a negative metric the theory becomes renormalizable (for $\ensuremath{\xi}g0$).
Effects of Weld Repairs on Calculated Failure Probabilities for Reactor Pressure Vessels and Piping

Section III of the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code for nuclear power plant components requires radiographic examinations (RT) of welds and repairs for RT indications that exceed code acceptable sizes. This paper describes research that generated data on welding flaws, which indicated that the largest flaws occur in repaired welds. Evidence suggests that repairs are often for small and benign RT indications at locations buried within the vessel or pipe wall. Probabilistic fracture mechanics calculations are described in this paper to predict the increases in vessel and piping failure probabilities caused by the repair-induced flaws. Calculations address failures of embrittled vessel welds for pressurized thermal shock (PTS) transients. In this case small flaws, which are relatively common, can cause brittle fracture such that the rarely encountered repair flaws of large sizes gave only modestly increased failure probabilities. The piping calculations simulated fatigue crack growth of fabrication flaws. These calculations showed that only relatively large fabrication flaws can fail piping because of the ductile nature of the piping material. The large repair flaws significantly increased the failure probabilities. The paper recommends the use of more discriminating UT examinations in place of RT examinations along with repair criteria based on a fitness-for-purpose approach that minimizes the number of unjustified repairs.© 2003 ASME
Microchip Capillary Electrophoresis with Electrochemical Detection of Thiol-Containing Degradation Products of V-Type Nerve Agents

A microchip protocol for the capillary electrophoresis separation and electrochemical detection of thiol-containing degradation products of V-type nerve agents is described. The microchip assay relies on the derivatization reaction of 2-(dimethylamino)ethanethiol (DMAET), 2-(diethylamino)ethanethiol (DEAET), and 2-mercaptoethanol (ME) with o-phthaldialdehyde in the presence of the amino acid valine along with amperometric monitoring of the isoindole derivatives. Both off-chip and on-chip derivatization reactions have led to highly sensitive and rapid detection of the thiol degradation products. Various parameters influencing the derivatization, separation, and detection processes were examined and optimized. These include the amino acid co-reagent, reagent-mixing ratio, reaction time, injection time, separation voltage, and detection potential. The chip microsystem offers a rapid (<4 min) simultaneous detection of micromolar concentrations of DMAET, DEAET, and ME. Linear calibration plots were observed fo...
Structure confirmation and identification by predicted retention indexes in tritium labeling.

Abstract Radioactive peaks in gas-liquid radiochromatography can be tentatively identified by predicted retention indexes on polar and apolar stationary phases. 3-Fluorotoluene reacts with tritium to give tritium labeled 3-fluorotoluene, 3-fluoromethylcyclohexane, 3-fluoro-5-methylcyclohex-1-ene, 4-fluoro-6-methylcyclohex-1-ene, 1-fluorocyclohex-1-ene and flurocyclohexane. The RI prediction method is also able to confirm the structure of cyclohexane dimer using a reference compound and the SRIR relationship observed for substituted cyclohexenes.
A retrospective Evaluation of fluconazole for the treatment of Candida glabrata fungemia.

Abstract Background: Candida glabrata accounts for 21% of Candida bloodstream isolates in the United States and ranges from susceptible-dose-dependent to resistant to fluconazole. A fluconazole dose of 800 mg/d (∼12 mg/kg per day) is predicted to produce peak plasma concentrations that surpass the susceptible-dose-dependent MIC breakpoint of 16 to 32 μg/mL. Accordingly, the Infectious Diseases Society of America treatment guidelines for candidiasis recommend fluconazole 12 mg/kg per day as an alternative option for treatment of C glabrata fungemia. Objective: The main objective of this study was to evaluate fluconazole retrospectively as a treatment for C glabrata fungemia. Methods: Data were collected through a database that stores patient information electronically and can be accessed and queried, and chart review at Barnes-Jewish Hospital (St. Louis, Missouri) from January 1999 to August 2002. Eligible patients who had at least 1 positive blood culture for C glabrata and received at least 1 dose of fluconazole were identified through the electronic query. Chart reviews of these patients followed. The primary outcomes were fungemia eradication and in-hospital mortality. Results: Of the total 124 cases of C glabrata fungemia identified, 54 patient charts were evaluable. Chart review revealed that 65% (17/26) of patients receiving fluconazole as the sole antifungal therapy had successful bloodstream eradication of C glabrata , whereas ∼54% (15/28) of patients who were changed from fluconazole to an amphotericin B formulation had successful bloodstream eradication. Although no association was found between fluconazole dose and fungemia eradication in the entire study population, higher doses of fluconazole (≥400 mg/d) were more likely to achieve fungemia eradication than lower doses (≤400 mg/d) in the subset of patients who received only fluconazole ( P = 0.042). Mortality rates were ∼24% (4/17) and 40% (6/15) in patients having successful bloodstream eradication with fluconazole alone and with fluconazole followed by amphotericin B, respectively, compared with 38% (3/8) in patients with persistent fungemia who received fluconazole alone. Conclusions: Fluconazole was a viable therapy for C glabrata fungemia, with bloodstream eradication in 65% of patients and mortality rates of 24% to 40% in this retrospective chart review.
The use of functionally gradient materials in medicine

Functionally gradient materials are characterized by uniform changes in composition, crystallinity, and/or grain structure, which may provide unique biological, chemical, or mechanical functionalities in next-generation medical devices. In this article, the development of functionally gradient Zr−Nb alloys, hydroxyapatite coatings, and diamondlike carbon-metal coatings for medical applications is reviewed.
Fidelity, Mismatch Extension, and Proofreading Activity of the Plasmodium falciparum Apicoplast DNA Polymerase

Plasmodium falciparum, a parasitic organism and one of the causative agents of malaria, contains an unusual organelle called the apicoplast. The apicoplast is a nonphotosynthetic plastid responsible for supplying the parasite with isoprenoid units and is therefore indispensable. Like mitochondria and the chloroplast, the apicoplast contains its own genome and harbors the enzymes responsible for its replication. In this report, we determine the relative probabilities of nucleotide misincorporation by the apicoplast polymerase (apPOL), examine the kinetics and sequence dependence of mismatch extension, and determine the rates of mismatch removal by the 3' to 5' proofreading activity of the DNA polymerase. While the intrinsic polymerase fidelity varies by >50-fold for the 12 possible nucleotide misincorporations, the most dominant selection step for overall polymerase fidelity is conducted at the level of mismatch extension, which varies by >350-fold. The efficiency of mismatch extension depends on both the nature of the DNA mismatch and the templating base. The proofreading activity of the 12 possible mismatches varies <3-fold. The data for these three determinants of polymerase-induced mutations indicate that the overall mutation frequency of apPOL is highly dependent on both the intrinsic fidelity of the polymerase and the identity of the template surrounding the potential mismatch.
High frequency Pound-Drever-Hall sensing of ring resonator cavities

This paper establishes a procedure for increasing the sensitivity of measurements in integrated ring resonators beyond what has been previously accomplished. This is achieved by a high-frequency phase modulation lock to the ring cavities. A prototyped fiber Fabry-Perot cavity is used for comparison of the method to a similar cavity. The Pound-Drever-Hall (PDH) method is chosen as a proven, ultra-sensitive method with the exploration of a much higher frequency modulation than has been previously discussed to overcome comparatively low finesse of the ring resonator cavities. The high frequency facilitates the use of the same modulation signal to separately probe the phase information of different, integrated ring resonators with quality factors of 5.6 x10 5 and 2.4 x10 5 . The large free spectral range of small cavities and low finesse provide a challenge to sensing and locking the stability of diode lasers due to the small dynamic range and signal-to-noise ratios (S/N). This can be offset by a calculated increase in modulation frequency using the PDH approach. A distributed feedback (DFB) laser is locked to a ring resonator cavity to demonstrate this sensitivity. This approach using integrated ring resonators is measured to have a refractive index resolution of 1.9x10 -8 that can be compared to other fiber and integrated sensors. The relationship between the signal-to-noise ratio and dynamic frequency range of the cavity error signal is explored with an algorithm to optimize this relationship. The free spectral range and the loss of the cavity provide input parameters to this relationship to determine the optimum S/N and range of the respective cavities used for locking and sensing. The purpose is to show how future contributions to the measurements and experiments of micro-cavities, specifically ring resonators, is well-served by the PDH method with high-frequency modulation.
Flow behavior of nickel irradiated with 15 MeV neutrons and 16 MeV protons

Abstract The yield strength of zone refined nickel that was irradiated at 300 K with T(d, n) and Be(d, n) neutrons and 16 MeV protons was found to increase by a similar amount when compared at equal fluence levels. A factor of 2.5 increase in the yield strength was determined for a 15 MeV neutron fluence of 1 × 10 22 m −2 and a 16 MeV proton fluence of 2 × 10 22 m −2 . The strength increase was associated with defect clusters or small prismatic loops and could be described by a strong barrier model for both neutron and proton irradiated nickel. Serrated plastic deformation was observed for samples irradiated with 15 MeV neutrons and 16 MeV protons to fluences higher than 3 × 10 21 m −2 . The similarity in the hardening process of 15 MeV neutron and 16 MeV proton irradiated nickel is consistent with their damage energy cross sections being equal at high primary knock-on energies (> 10 keV).
Factors selecting for avoidance of drilled shells by the hermit crab Pagurus longicarpus

Periwinkle shells (Littorina littorea) that have been drilled by moon snails are abundant at Nahant, MA, and yet hermit crabs (Pagurus longicarpus) are rarely found living in them. In the laboratory, hermit crabs will occupy drilled shells only if no other options are provided to them; they will, in fact, choose intact shells that are too small for them over drilled shells of appropriate size. This paper documents the selective forces that might account for this marked avoidance of drilled shells by hermit crabs. We show that drilled shells increase the vulnerability of the hermit crabs to decapod predators (e.g., the green crab, Carcinus maenas), in part by allowing predators to enlarge the drill hole and also by reducing the force needed for predators to crack the shells open. Living in drilled shells also made the hermit crabs in our study more vulnerable to eviction by conspecifics and more vulnerable to low-salinity stress. Thus, moon snail predation on periwinkles, rather than supplying the Nahant hermit crab population with suitable empty snail shells, actually serves to destroy a potential resource for the hermit crabs and apparently to heighten competition among hermit crabs for intact shells.
Abstract 5390: Development of a high-throughput screening assay to identify UHRF1 inhibitors via time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer (TR-FRET)

Aberrant DNA methylation of gene promoters can be involved in silencing tumor suppressor genes in cancer. The protein ubiquitin-like containing PHD and ring finger domains 1 (UHRF1) is an essential component in the cellular machinery for DNA methylation maintenance and can couple DNA methylation and other epigenetic histone modifications. UHRF1 is thought to bind newly synthesized hemimethylated DNA and recruit DNA methyltransferases to copy the methylation pattern to the daughter DNA strand. Interfering with the ability of UHRF1 to bind methylated DNA can lead to the re-expression of epigenetically silenced genes including tumor suppressors, which positions UHRF1 as a target for anticancer drug development. We have created a high-throughput, time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer (TR-FRET)-based assay to screen for inhibitors capable of disrupting the interaction between the UHRF1 SRA domain and hemi-methylated DNA. The assay measures the degree of TR-FRET between a 5′-fluorescein (FAM) labeled hairpin oligonucleotide and a terbium-conjugated antibody bound to the 6xHis-tag of the UHRF1_SRA domain polypeptide. In 384-well plate format, the assay achieved a Z9 factor of 0.74. We successfully screened the Library of Pharmacologically Active Compounds (LOPAC) for inhibitors of UHRF1_SRA binding to hemimethlylated DNA, and validated 6 hit compounds in a dose-response series. These include: aurintricarboxylic acid, NF449, 6-hydroxy-DL-DOPA, NF023, PPNDS and mitoxantrone. Additionally, we observed a decrease in methylation one week after treatment of DU145 cells with mitoxantrone at a concentration near its IC50 from the TR-FRET binding assay. This suggests that mitoxantrone, a known DNA topoisomerase II poison and general DNA intercalator, may interfere with methylation maintenance. In summary, we have established a novel method to identify small molecule inhibitors of the UHRF1-methylated DNA interface, and have shown that one hit compound, mitoxantrone, can perturb methylation maintenance near its IC50 for inhibition of SRA domain binding to methylated DNA. Citation Format: David A. Walker, Nicolas Wyhs, Hugh Giovinazzo, Srinivasan Yegnasubramanian, William G. Nelson. Development of a high-throughput screening assay to identify UHRF1 inhibitors via time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer (TR-FRET). [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 5390. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-5390
Comparative acid stress response of Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella Typhimurium after habituation at different pH conditions.

Aims: The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of habituation at different pH conditions on the acid resistance of Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium, and to identify potential differences between the adaptive responses of the three pathogens. Methods: Stationary phase cells of L. monocytogenes, E. coli O157:H7 and S. Typhimurium, grown in glucose-free media, were exposed to pH 3·5 broth directly or after habituation for 90 min at various pH conditions from 4·0 to 6·0. Survivors at pH 3·5 were determined by plating on tryptic soy agar and incubating at 30°C for 48 h. The kinetics (death rate) of the pathogens at pH 3·5 was calculated by fitting the data to an exponential model. Results: Habituation to acidic environments provided protection of the pathogens against lethal acid conditions. This acid protection, however, was found to be pH dependent. For example, for E. coli O157:H7 an increased acid resistance was observed after habituation at a pH range from 4·0 to 5·5, while the maximum acid tolerance was induced at pH 5·0. Furthermore, the effect of low pH habituation was different among pathogens. For L. monocytogenes, E. coli O157:H7 and S. Typhimurium, the pH range within which habituation resulted to increased acid resistance was 5·0–6·0, 4·0–5·5 and 4·0–5·0, respectively, while the maximum acid tolerance was induced after habituation at pH 5·5, 5·0 and 4·5, respectively. Significance: Acid stress conditions are common within current food processing technologies. The information on adaptive responses of L. monocytogenes, E. coli O157:H7 and S. Typhimurium after habituation to different pH environments provided in the present study, could lead to a more realistic evaluation of food safety concerns and to a better selection of processes in order to avoid adaptation phenomena and to minimize the potential for food safety risks.
The Diffusion Limit of Transport Equations II: Chemotaxis Equations

In this paper, we use the diffusion-limit expansion of transport equations developed earlier [T. Hillen and H. G. Othmer, SIAM J. Appl. Math., 61 (2000), pp. 751--775] to study the limiting equation under a variety of external biases imposed on the motion. When applied to chemotaxis or chemokinesis, these biases produce modification of the turning rate, the movement speed, or the preferred direction of movement. Depending on the strength of the bias, it leads to anisotropic diffusion, to a drift term in the flux, or to both, in the parabolic limit. We show that the classical chemotaxis equation---which we call the Patlak--Keller--Segel--Alt (PKSA) equation---arises only when the bias is sufficiently small. Using this general framework, we derive phenomenological models for chemotaxis of flagellated bacteria, of slime molds, and of myxobacteria. We also show that certain results derived earlier for one-dimensional motion can easily be generalized to two- or three-dimensional motion as well.
Call to Action: A Critical Need for Designing Alternatives to Suspension and Expulsion

This study presents the findings of a content analysis of 120 high school-level, written discipline policies collected from six states. Suspension was commonly offered as a response for all behaviors, including minor ones. Discipline policies varied by state in terms of the degree to which suspension was featured. Based on these findings and related literature, it is argued that a call to action is needed to address the long-standing punitive nature of school discipline. Two recommendations are offered for schools to engage in as part of a process to overhaul school discipline: (a) review and alter discipline policies so they contain alternatives to traditional school suspension, and (b) implement and evaluate proactive alternatives to suspension to build a database of evidence-based options that could replace exclusionary discipline practices.
Affirmative Disclosure of Nutrition Information and Consumers' Food Preferences: A Review

In order to evaluate a food advertising regulation proposed by the FTC, this paper examines some empirical studies of food marketing practices and their influence on consumer attitudes and behavior toward nutrition information and dietary habits. The requirement for affirmative disclosure of nutrition information may fall short of its intended goal because consumers have low motivation to use such information and inadequate comprehension of it. Moreover, the limited information processing capacity of the average person may preclude effective communication of nutrition information in a television commercial. The regulation's most likely impact would be to create awareness of nutrition information and increase the salience of nutrition in the consumer's food choices. Unless consumer education programs are coordinated with the regulatory efforts, lack of motivation and comprehension in the use of nutrition information will be a major barrier in achieving any significant improvement in the nutrition status of consumers.
The Sense of Communication

In recent years, something of a consensus has emerged concerning Frege's distinction between sense and reference.' According to the Hybrid View, the contents of beliefs and other propositional attitudes are characteristically intensional: the content of a speaker's belief that a is F may differ from the content of her belief that b is F, even if a is b. But, the story goes, the meanings of sentences are another matter: if the terms t and u are co-referential (and the predicate Fu is extensional), then the meanings of the sentences rt is F' and ru is F' cannot differ So, for example, one' s belief that Hesperus is Phosphorus may well have a different content from one's belief that Hesperus is Hesperus, though Hesperus is indeed Phosphorus. (Following Frege, I shall call the content of a belief, so understood, a thought.) On the other hand, the sentences "Hesperus is Phosphorus" and "Hesperus is Hesperus" have the same meaning, precisely because Hesperus is Phosphorus. Thus, Frege was right about belief, but wrong about the meanings of proper names. Something like Frege's notion of sense is needed in a proper account of belief (and other propositional attitudes), but no such notion is needed in an account of the meanings of sentences (except, perhaps, in an account of the meanings of intensional operators). The wide acceptance of the Hybrid View2 derives in part from the agreed force of arguments for the claim that belief is intensional (in the
The synthesis of 2-aryl-3-oxa-1-azaspiro [4.4]non-1-enes

A series of 2-aryl-3-oxa-1-azaspiro[4.4]non-1-enes was prepared by cyclization of the corresponding β-acylamino alcohols (V) with thionyl chloride. Structure proofs for the β-acylamino alcohols and the spiro compounds are given. Infrared and p.m.r. data are reported.
A broad spectrum catalytic system for removal of toxic organics from water by deep oxidation using dioxygen as the oxidant

In water, metallic palladium was found to catalyze the deep oxidation of a wide variety of functional organics by dioxygen at 80–90°C in the presence of carbon monoxide. Several classes of organic compounds were examined: benzene, phenol and substituted phenols, aliphatic and aromatic halogenated compounds, organophosphorus, and organosulfur compounds. In every case, deep oxidation to carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and water occurred in high yields, resulting in up to several hundred turnovers over a 24 h period. Since the heterogeneous catalyst can be removed by simple filtration, simultaneous water purification and contaminant destruction becomes feasible. For those substrates that are insoluble in pure water, a mixture of water and perfluorobutyric acid was successfully employed as the solvent.
Calculation of XANES/ELNES Spectra of All Edges in Si3N4 and Si2N2O

Using a recently developed first-principles supercell method that includes the electron and core-hole interaction, the XANES/ELNES spectra of Si-L 2,3 , Si-K, and N-K edges in α-Si 3 N 4 , β-Si 3 N 4 , spinel c-Si 3 N 4 , and Si 2 N 2 O were calculated and compared. The difference in total energies between the initial ground state and the final core-hole state provides the transition energy. The calculated spectra are found to be in good agreement with the experimental measurements on β-Si 3 N 4 and c-Si 3 N 4 . The differences in the XANES/ELNES spectra for the same element in different crystals are explained in terms of differences in local bonding. The use of orbital-decomposed local density of states to explain the measured spectra is shown to be inadequate. These results reaffirm the importance of including the core-hole effect in any XANES/ ELNES spectral calculation.
The localisations in liposomal membranes of the tetrahydrofuran ring moieties of the annonaceous acetogenins, annonacin and sylvaticin, as determined by 1H NMR spectroscopy.

Abstract The positions of the tetrahydrofuran (THF) ring moieties of annonacin (a mono-THF ring Annonaceous acetogenin) and sylvaticin (a non-adjacent bis-THF ring Annonaceous acetogenin) within liposomal membranes made of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) were determined by proton ( 1 H) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Based on 1 H intermolecular nuclear Overhauser effects (NOEs), the THF rings of both acetogenins studied reside near the polar interfacial head group region of the DMPC. Recently, we have reported that the THF rings of a series of asimicin type of Annonaceous acetogenins (with adjacent bis-THF rings) also reside near the interfacial head group of DMPC. We can now conclude that the Annonaceous acetogenins, containing either mono-, adjacent bis-, or non-adjacent bis-THF ring moieties, have their THF ring moieties at the interfacial region of membranes, i.e., the THF ring moiety seems to serve a role as an anchor in the lipid membranes. This may be related to the uniquely potent bioactivities that Annonaceous acetogenins exhibit at their enzyme-inhibitory sites within mitochondrial and plasma membranes.
Effects of maternal glucose ingestion on human fetal breathing movements at weeks 24 and 28 of gestation

Abstract The incidence of human fetal breathing movements was studied in normal pregnancies before and after administration of 50 g glucose or a placebo (water) at 24 and 28 weeks. Glucose or water was given to the same women on two separate days in a randomised order. No significant differences were present among the results on the placebo-day and the control period of the glucose-day at either gestational age. On the glucose-day, the incidence rose significantly from 3.6 to a maximum of 11.6% at 24 weeks, and from 6.7 to 30.2% at 28 weeks. At both ages the maximum was found 90–120 min after the intake of glucose. It is concluded that already at 24 weeks gestation the human fetus reacts with an increase of fetal breathing movements after the administration of glucose to the mother.
Raging hormones: gender and renal disease

Gender affects the progression of renal disease. In a variety of animal models and in certain human renal diseases, females exhibit a more modest course of kidney disease. Estrogens and testosterone have been implicated in this gender disparity. Doublier and colleagues explore the direct effects of sex hormones on podocyte viability in the α-estrogen receptor knockout (αERKO) mouse. They report that testosterone induces, and estradiol inhibits, podocyte damage in this model.
Nuclear estrogen receptor-independent neuroprotection by estratrienes: a novel interaction with glutathione

Abstract Post-menopausal estrogen replacement therapy is associated with a reduction in the risk of Alzheimer's disease and has been reported to improve cognitive functioning in several small clinical trials. The present study evaluates the dependence of estrogenic neuroprotection on the presence of estrogen receptors using the murine neuronal cell line, HT-22, exposed to the neurotoxic β -amyloid peptide. These cells lack functional estrogen receptors. The amyloid peptide killed 50–60% of these cells and concurrent treatment with either of three estratrienes, β -estradiol, α -estradiol, or estratrien-3-ol, resulted in a dose-dependent protection. The potency of this estrogen neuroprotection was dependent on the presence of glutathione in the culture media. The presence of reduced glutathione in the media increases the neuroprotective potency of estrogens by an average of 400-fold. These results demonstrate that a nuclear estrogen receptor is not necessary for the neuroprotective actions of estrogens; however, the presence of an appropriate antioxidant in the extracellular milieu is needed for estratriene neuroprotection at physiologically and pharmacologically relevant doses. These data suggest the possibility of combined estrogen-antioxidant therapy for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease.
Enhancing mineral content in plant food products

Plant foods can serve as dietary sources of all essential minerals required by humans. Unfortunately, mineral concentrations are low in some plants, especially many staple food crops; thus, efforts are underway to increase the mineral content of these foods as a means to ensure adequate attainment of dietary minerals in all individuals. While these efforts have included classical breeding approaches in the past, it is clear that future progress can be made by utilizing the tools of biotechnology to effect directed changes in plant mineral status. Reviewed are the short- and long-distance mineral transport mechanisms responsible for the root acquisition and whole-plant partitioning of mineral ions in crop plants. This background is used to discuss different transgenic strategies with the potential to enhance mineral content in vegetative and/or reproductive tissues. Due to various constraints imposed by plant transport systems on whole-plant mineral movement, it is argued that modifications designed to inc...
QUALITY CHARACTERISTICS OF FULLY‐COOKED HAM, BRINE‐CURED PRIOR TO FREEZING1

Thirty bone-in hams from market weight hogs were divided equally into groups: (1) brine-cured, frozen and stored (F/S) at —20C for 90 days prior to heat processing (smoking); (2) similarly cured and frozen, but not stored (F/NS), thawed immediately, and heat processed; (3) cured and heat processed without frozen storage (NF/NS). F/S hams had greater overall weight loss and total moisture (p 0.05) were found in shear values or lipid oxidation analysis. Ten sensory panelists found F/S hams to be less firm and paler in color than other treatments (p < 0.01).
Changes in motility, gene expression and actin dynamics: Cdk6-induced cytoskeletal changes associated with differentiation in mouse astrocytes†

Cyclin dependent kinase (cdk) 4 and cdk6 have historically been understood to be D-cyclin kinases that phosphorylate pRb in the nucleus to regulate G1 phase of the cell cycle. In conflict with this understood redundancy are several studies that have demonstrated a novel role for cdk6 in differentiation. Cdk6 expression must be reduced to allow proper osteoblast and osteoclast differentiation, enforced cdk6 expression blocked differentiation of mouse embryo fibroblasts, and cdk6 expression in primary astrocytes favored the expression of progenitor cell markers (Ericson et al. [2003] Mol Cancer Res 1:654-664; Matushansky et al. [2003] Oncogene 22:4143-4149; Ogasawara et al. [2004a] J Bone Miner Res 19:1128-1136; Ogasawara et al. [2004b] Mol Cell Biol 24:6560-6568). Experiments shown here investigate novel cytoplasmic and nuclear functions of cdk6. These data demonstrate that cdk6 expression in mouse astrocytes results in changes in patterns of gene expression, changes in the actin cytoskeleton including loss of stress fibers, and enhanced motility. These changes in cdk6-infected cells are associated with the process of cellular differentiation.
SU8 inverted-rib waveguide Bragg grating filter.

A polymeric SU8 inverted-rib waveguide Bragg grating filter fabricated using reactive ion etching (RIE) and solvent assisted microcontact molding (SAMIM) is presented. SAMIM is one kind of soft lithography. The technique is unique in that a composite hard-polydimethysiloxane/polydimethysiloxane stamp is used to transfer the grating pattern onto an inverted SU8 rib waveguide system. The composite grating stamp can be used repeatedly several times without degradation. Using this stamp and inverter-rib waveguide structure, the Bragg grating filter fabrication can be significantly simplified. The experiment result shows an attenuation dip in the transmission spectra, with a value of −7 dBm at 1550 nm for a grating with a period of 0.492 μm on an inverted-rib waveguide with 6.6 μm width and 4 μm height.
Evidence that all high-temperature superconductors are p-type

The ground charge state of Ce substituting for Nd{sup +3} in Nd{sub 2}CuO{sub 4} is usually assumed to be Ce{sup +4}, indicating that Ce is a donor which causes Nd{sub 2{minus}z}Ce{sub z}CuO{sub 4} to be an n-type superconductor. Using the self-consistent bond/charge method, we show that the Ce ground state is Ce{sup +3}, not Ce{sup +4}, in {ital ideal} Nd{sub 2}CuO{sub 4}, implying that monatomic Ce dopants are isoelectronic centers, not n-type donors. The observed Ce doping of Nd{sub 2{minus}z}Ce{sub z}CuO{sub 4} can be understood if an interstitial oxygen binds to the Ce, elevating its charge state to Ce{sup +4}. This is a paired defect of Ce and oxygen, which dopes the host p-type, not n-type, because of oxygen{close_quote}s 2p holes. The condition that the interstitial oxygen does dope the host p-type translates into an approximate steric constraint that the ionic radius of the rare-earth ion R{sup +3} must exceed that of Tb{sup +3} for R{sub 2{minus}z}Ce{sub z}CuO{sub 4} to superconduct. A similar situation occurs for the infinite-layer material Sr{sub 1{minus}v}Nd{sub v}CuO{sub 2}, where the Nd dopant is isoelectronic Nd{sup +2}, not donor Nd{sup +3} as assumed, unless an extra oxygen is adjacent to the Nd. The data are reviewedmore » in light of these results, and show no convincing evidence either of particle-hole symmetry in doping, or of n-type doping of any high-temperature superconductor. Instead they hint that the superconductivity is associated with oxygen, rather than with any particle-hole-symmetric cuprate-plane phenomenon. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}« less