cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance of Methane adsorbed on Titanium Dioxide

NUCLEAR magnetic resonance can be used for studying the motions of molecules absorbed on surfaces. In this connexion proton-resonance derivative line-shapes have been obtained for methane adsorbed on titanium dioxide at various coverages from 0.1 to 4.0 monolayer, and also in bulk methane, as a function of temperature. The surface area of the titanium dioxide, determined by the BET method, was 230 m.2/gm.
Unusual chromic and doping behavior of ether substituted polythiophenes.

Poly[3-(oligoethylene oxide)-4-methylthiophene] is doped by HCl in aqueous solution in the absence of oxygen and undergoes dramatic solvatochromism in water–ethanol mixtures.
Selective removal of the perinucleolar nucleolus-associated chromatin from the isolated nucleoli of livers of thioacetamide-treated rats

Nucleoli isolated from livers or rats treated with daily doses of 50 mg/kg body weight of thioacetamide for 9 days were digested with DNase to remove perinucleolar nucleolus-associated chromatin. The perinucleolar nucleolus-associated chromatin was selectively removed by treatment with DNase in a concentration of 10 μg/ml in solution containing 7.5 mM MgCl2 or in a concentration of 50 μg/ml in the absence of Mg2+. The optimal time for incubation was 40 min at 4 °C. Under these conditions, the intranucleolar chromatin was preserved. Both the perinucleolar nucleolus-associated chromatin and the intranucleolar chromatin were removed by treatment for 60 min of isolated nucleoli with DNase in a concentration of 100 μg/ml in solutions containing 7.5 mM Mg2+. When the nucleoli were successively treated with DNase and RNase, fusion of the nucleoli resulted.
Never Let Them See You Sweat: Silencing and Striving to Appear Perfect among U.S. College Women

Drawing on Goffman’s (1959) impression management, the present study examined how silencing the self (Jack & Dill, 1992) related to psychological distress in US college women. A sample of 149 women aged 18 to 25 enrolled at a large southwestern U.S. university completed a series of survey instruments aimed at gaining knowledge of how several potentially pressure-filled domains of women’s college environment (i.e., Body Image, Romance, Peers, Academics) may factor into a relationship between Silencing and Distress. Path analysis revealed that Silencing was directly, positively related to each source of pressure with the exception of Academic Engagement (where a negative relationship existed). Furthermore, Silencing was directly, positively related to Anxiety and Depression. Additionally, internalization of the thin ideal and competitiveness were predictive of distress among women who Present Perfection, or strive to appear perfect to others. Cluster analyses revealed 4 interpretable clusters of factors related to distress: Middle-of-the-Road, Moderately Appearance Focused, Other-Focused, and Reject Appearance Norms. The Other-Focused women showed the highest levels of distress and lowest academic engagement while those who Reject Appearance Norms showed the lowest distress and highest academic engagement. These relationships indicated that higher levels of attempting to appear perfect to others were related to higher levels of distress among US college women in our sample. This study points to a factor “Presenting Perfection” that may be instrumental in understanding self-silencing behaviors in college women, as well as further understanding the relation between body image, orientation toward others’ judgments, and distress.
Hamiltonian dynamics of a charged fluid, including electro- and magnetohydrodynamics

Nondissipative hydrodynamic equations for a charged, polarized and magnetized nonrelativistic fluid moving in a self-consistent electromagnetic field are presented and shown to possess a hamiltonian structure, associated to the dual of a certain Lie algebra of semidirect-product type. Ideal magnetohydrodynamics and electrohydrodynamics both emerge in hamiltonian form as regular limits (i.e., special cases) of the hamiltonian structure for the more general theory.
Protection of Epithelial Cells by Keratincoyte Growth Factor Signaling

Oxidative injury to the lung is associated with widespread injury to the alveolar epithelium, which can be fatal unless the process is controlled and repaired. Keratinocyte growth factor (KGF), a member of the fibroblast growth factor family, has been shown to protect the lung from a variety of oxidative insults. The mechanism(s) underlying the protective effects of KGF in lung injury is being investigated in many laboratories. Although KGF has potent mitogenic effects on epithelial cells, the proliferative effect of KGF was shown to be abolished in oxygen-breathing animals, but KGF was still able to inhibit alveolar damage. This demonstrates that the protective effect of KGF cannot simply be explained by the ability of KGF to stimulate type II cell proliferation. To identify the mechanisms involved in the protective effects of KGF, we used an inducible lung-specific transgenic approach to overexpress KGF in murine lungs, since constitutive overexpression of KGF in the mouse affects lung development. The transgenic system allowed us to identify the pro-survival Akt pathway as an important mediator of the protective effects of KGF both in vivo and in vitro. In addition, use of a yeast two-hybrid system led to the identification two proteins p90RSK and PAK4 that associate with the KGF receptor and are important for the protective functions of KGF. Experiments are underway to determine whether the different pathways triggered by KGF all converge on the Akt pathway, or whether they independently induce protective mechanisms that along with Akt are crucial for cell survival.
COMMON ROOTS AND ENTANGLED LIMBS: EARTH FIRST! AND THE GROWTH OF POST-WILDERNESS ENVIRONMENTALISM ON CALIFORNIA'S NORTH COAST

Conflicts over the protection of redwood trees on California's North Coast are often depicted as following the trajectory of the radical wing of the larger American environmental movement, in which “radical” refers to the sharpness of the boundary drawn and defended between human despoliation and pure nature or “wilderness.” Earth First!—an environmental organization characterized by their slogan, “No compromise in the defense of Mother Earth!”—is often depicted as simply the leading edge of this deepening rift between nature and culture. I argue, on the contrary, that the Earth First! branches on California's North Coast should be understood as making bold, if incomplete, attempts to cast off the problematic nature–culture dichotomy and to define social justice and ecological health as struggles with a common root. By moving beyond wilderness, the North Coast Earth First! offers the promise of a truly radical movement, by which I mean one which truly confronts capital's interlinked degradation of both natural and human communities. This article examines the efforts by the North Coast Earth First! to inscribe a new community of activists and timber-workers joined in the struggle to contest corporate claims on the redwood forest. It explores the ambiguous effects of activists' “embodied” and “home-based” practices on this budding alliance, particularly the ways in which such practices also have alienated workers by redefining the redwood forest as the exclusive property of the activists' themselves.
Looking at Lesbians Internationally: An Introduction

A rose by any other name may smell as sweet, and as Gertrude Stein would say “a rose is a rose is a rose”; whether we use the word “lesbian” or not, women-centered desire is an essential truth of h...
Biomarkers to optimize the treatment of nicotine dependence

The application of genomic medicine to the treatment of nicotine dependence holds great promise for revitalizing the steady decline in smoking rates witnessed in the USA over the past several decades. This paper examines the current knowledge base concerning the use of biomarkers to guide the selection of nicotine dependence treatments. First, we review the neurobiology of nicotine dependence and present evidence that supports its heritability. We then discuss the various studies of pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic genes related to therapeutic response. Current evidence suggests that biomarkers of genetic variability in both nicotine metabolism, referred to as the nicotine metabolite ratio, and dopamine genotypes may be useful for guiding treatment selection for nicotine dependence. Barriers to the translation of this research to clinical practice are discussed, as are directions for future research.
Islam and the West: I. Sir Hamilton Gibb Between Orientalism and History

Scholars who are committed to single disciplines occasionally appear to lose sight of the fact that these disciplines are conventions, designed to enable the scholar to neglect, while clearly signifying his neglect, many aspects of life in order to concentrate on a few. We historians tend, I believe, to give ourselves license to warn our readers rather less explicitly of our neglect than do economists, political scientists, sociologists, or anthropologists. Yet, we have trained ourselves to pay particular attention to certain facets of the human experience. Some of us compromise with the positions of those we occasionally think of as our more exacting colleagues in the social sciences by adding to the term ‘historian’ various adjectives– ‘social’, ‘economic’, ‘cultural’, or ‘political’.
Chromosome Aberrations: Their Role in the Etiology of Murine Leukemia

If the association between chromosome aberrations and leukemia is a causal one, the aberrations should be present before the appearance of tumor. In a virus-induced murine leukemia in which the pre- and early leukemic stages were defined, aneuploidy was observed only during the later stages of the disease. This suggests that the chromosome alteration results from, rather than initiates, the neoplastic transformation.
Learning from cholera: medical and social responses to the first great Paris epidemic in 1832

This essay explores responses to the Paris cholera epidemic of 1832 to show how medical ideas shaped popular conceptions of the social world, while at the same time this world influenced how scientists posed their basic hypotheses. It demonstrates how responses to the epidemic were shaped by two major realities: the population of Paris was exploding and France had recently experienced a second major revolution.
Altered median nerve deformation and transverse displacement during wrist movement in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome

textabstractRationale and Objectives: Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common peripheral nerve entrapment syndrome. Strong pinch or grip with wrist flexion has been considered a risk factor for CTS. Studying median nerve displacement during wrist movements may provide useful information about median nerve kinematic changes in patients with CTS. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the deformability and mobility of the median nerve in patients with CTS compared to healthy subjects. Materials and Methods: Dynamic ultrasound images were obtained in 20 affected wrists of 13 patients with CTS. Results were compared to complementary data obtained from both wrists of 10 healthy subjects reported in a previous study. Shape and position of initial and final median nerve were measured and analyzed for six defined wrist movements. The deformation ratios for each movement were defined as the median nerve area, perimeter, and circularity of the final position normalized by respective values assessed in the initial position. The median nerve displacement vector and magnitude were also calculated. Results: The deformation ratio for circularity was significantly less in patients with CTS compared to healthy subjects during wrist flexion (P<.05). The mean vector of median nerve displacement during wrist flexion was significantly different between patients with CTS and healthy subjects (P<.05). The displacement magnitude of the median nerve was found to be less in patients with CTS compared to healthy subjects during most movements, with the exception of wrist extension with fingers extended. Conclusions: Patients with CTS differ from normal subjects with regard to mobility and deformability of the median nerve.
Music Therapy Students' Recognition of Popular Song Repertoire for Geriatric Clients

Previous research has found that music therapists, who work with geriatric clients in singing activities, indicated they know and use 3 times more popular or popular style music (songs from musicals) than folk songs. The purposes of the current study were to determine music therapy majors' recognition of popular songs and songs from musicals by asking whether they: (a) had heard the songs before, (b) could "name the tune" of each song, and (c) list the decade each song was composed. Results showed that students had previously heard many of the songs; however, this was not an indication of whether they could name the song title or the decade in which it was composed. Additionally, percentage data indicated that My Favorite Things and You Are My Sunshine were the most heard/recognized songs, Over the Rainbow was the most correctly named song title, and Five Foot Two, Eyes of Blue was the song most correctly identified by decade. Further results and discussion are included.
Protecting the exposed skin graft - the Norwich cage☆

A simple method of protecting an exposed skin graft is presented. It is cheap, easy to use, and applicable to most sites of the body, even in areas with contours that might otherwise be thought difficult to protect.
Patterns of Energy Use in Australian Manufacturing Industry

This paper develops an index of energy productivity and employs it to examine productivity movements across 62 Australian manufacturing industries for the period 1950–1968. Data were not available to permit extension of the analysis beyond 1968.In the empirical part of the paper, the first task is to identify industries which are major energy users. Secondly, the best and worst performers, relative to the average, in terms of energy productivity gain are identified. A line of enquiry into energy productivity is then pursued analogous to that developed by Salter's work on labour productivity and technical change.
ATF-1 Is a Hypoxia-responsive Transcriptional Activator of Skeletal Muscle Mitochondrial-uncoupling Protein 3

Hypoxia induces oxidative damage in skeletal muscle. Uncoupling protein 3 (UCP3) is the skeletal muscle enriched uncoupling protein and has previously been shown to confer resistance against oxidative stress. We show that hypoxia robustly up-regulates skeletal muscle UCP3 and that the absence of UCP3 in primary skeletal myocytes exacerbates hypoxia-induced reactive oxygen species generation. In this context, we reasoned that the investigation of the regulation of UCP3 may identify novel hypoxia-responsive regulatory pathways that modulate intrinsic anti-oxidant defenses. By screening a transcription factor array of 704 full-length cDNAs in murine C2C12 myoblasts following cotransfection of a murine UCP3 promoter-luciferase construct and myoD we identified numerous candidate regulatory factors that up-regulate UCP3. Active transcription factor-1 (ATF-1) was identified, and as this transcription factor is a known component of a multiprotein hypoxia-induced regulatory complex, we explored its role in hypoxia-mediated UCP3 up-regulation. Site-directed mutagenesis and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays identify a 10-bp region required for ATF-1 induction of UCP3 promoter activity. Hypoxia promotes the phosphorylation of ATF-1, and the knockdown of ATF-1 by shRNA prevents hypoxia-mediated up-regulation of UCP3. Pharmacologic inhibition of p38 MAP kinase prevents both hypoxia-mediated ATF-1 phosphorylation and UCP3 up-regulation. PKA signaling does not modulate hypoxia-induced UCP3 up-regulation and neither does HIF-1α activation by cobalt chloride. In conclusion, ATF-1, via p38 MAP kinase activation, functions as a novel regulatory pathway driving UCP3 expression. These data reinforce the role of ATF-1 as a hypoxia-responsive trans-activator and identifies a novel regulatory program that may modulate cellular responses to oxygen-deficit.
Evaluation of the gastric retention properties of a cross-linked polymer coated tablet versus those of a non-disintegrating tablet

Abstract The gastric emptying time of tablets coated with a cross-linked polymer that enabled them to balloon and float in gastric media has been compared with that of uncoated, non-disintegrating tablets in both fasted and fed states, with healthy human volunteers using gamma camera scintigraphy. In the fed state, the balloon tablets prolonged the gastric emptying time by an average of 6 h over that of the uncoated tablets. The emptying times for both coated and uncoated tablets were much shorter in the fasting state. The balloon tablet did not significantly prolong the gastric emptying time in the fasted state.
Cutaneous granulomatous eruption and successful response to potent topical steroids in patients undergoing targeted BRAF inhibitor treatment for metastatic melanoma.

IMPORTANCE Targeted BRAF inhibitor therapy (vemurafenib, dabrafenib) is an effective, novel treatment for patients with metastatic melanoma with the V600E BRAF mutation. This therapy is associated with squamous cell carcinomas and keratoacanthomas. Granulomatous eruptions have not been previously reported. OBSERVATIONS Two patients with melanoma developed cutaneous granulomatous eruptions during targeted BRAF inhibitor therapy. In case 1, after 2 months of treatment with dabrafenib and trametinib (MEK inhibitor), a papular eruption concerning for progression of disease prompted cessation of treatment. After the histopathologic diagnosis of granulomas, the patient was treated with clobetasol ointment with resolution within days and resumption of therapy. In case 2, after 5 months of vemurafenib treatment, the patient developed a granulomatous eruption, which resolved 3 weeks after cessation of therapy. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE We report 2 cases of cutaneous granulomatous eruptions on treatment with targeted BRAF inhibitors, a previously unreported association. Although additional investigations are necessary to better elucidate the pathogenic mechanisms, our report includes a treatment plan that prevents unnecessary discontinuation of therapy. Given the Food and Drug Administration approval of vemurafenib for metastatic melanoma, clinicians should be aware of this possible cutaneous reaction and treatment option to optimize patient management.
Effects of a rhamnolipid biosurfactant on the reductive dechlorination of polychlorinated biphenyls by St. Lawrence River (North America) microorganisms

The effect of a rhamnolipid biosurfactant on the reductive dechlorination of polychlorinated biphenyls was investigated with the use of clean sediments spiked with Aroclor 1248. The surfactant was added to the contaminated sediments at four different concentrations (5, 10, 25, and 50 microg/g sediment [ppm] on a sediment dry wt basis), and dechlorination was followed over a 40-week period. The rate of overall dechlorination was enhanced at the three highest concentrations. Dechlorination at the lowest concentration (5 ppm) was not different from that in surfactant-free sediments. On a congener basis, enhanced dechlorination was mostly found in the congeners that have high threshold concentrations for dechlorination. These congeners are characterized by an initial increase in concentration before dechlorination starts. At the three highest biosurfactant concentrations, this initial concentration increase was absent or dramatically reduced. Therefore, the enhancement in dechlorination appears to be caused by an increase in bioavailability at high surfactant concentrations. The biosurfactant also reduced the lag time before dechlorination began in these congeners. Among those congeners that have low threshold concentrations, dechlorination enhancement was found only in two peaks. For these two, there was no lag period, either with or without the rhamnolipids. The maximum level of dechlorination and the congener pattern of final dechlorination products were identical, regardless of biosurfactant concentration.
Postextrasystolic potentiation: regional wall motion before and after revascularization.

Abstract We evaluated the augmentation of contractility which follows an extrasystole (postextrasystolic potentiation:PESP) in patients before and after coronary revascularization surgery for angina pectoris. PESP was induced by methods which result in essentially identical loading conditions of the ventricle for the beat before the extrasystole and the beat after the extrasystole. We evaluated regional ventricular function before and after revascularization in “jeopardized” segments (supplied by a coronary vessel with significant coronary disease) and “nonjeopardized” segments (supplied by a vessel without significant disease). All coronary lesions were proximal to all three anterior or all posterior segments. Those jeopardized segments with patent grafts which had augmented with PESP improved their baseline function following revascularization. Conversely, those jeopardized segments which failed to augment with PESP decreased their basic function following revascularization. Those segments in which the grafts were occluded failed to augment with PESP after attempted revascularization. Perioperative myocardial infarction resulted in a drop in ejection fraction and a failure to augment with PESP. The nonjeopardized segments responded to PESP similarly to the ischemic augmenting segments. The results of this study suggest that PESP does detect ventricular segments which will improve basic function following revascularization. Those segments which fail to augment with PESP are most likely more ischemic than the augmenting segments, will not improve, and may even decrease function following revascularization.
Discontinuous Electrophoresis of DNA: Adjusting DNA Mobility by Trailing Ion Net Mobility

The use of a discontinuous buffer system, where a moving boundary separates ions of like charge but different ionic mobilities, for DNA electrophoresis may hold advantages over continuous zone electrophoresis in terms of resolution and electrophoresis time. Discontinuous buffer systems with calculated trailing ion net mobility were used to evaluate DNA mobility on gels of a constant pore size. Standard double-stranded DNA ladders and dideoxy sequencing ladders were electrophoresed on open-faced gels and standard sequencing gels, respectively. Trailing ion net mobility was systematically varied, while the leading ion mobility and concentration were kept constant. Decreasing trailing ion net mobility from 2.17 x 10(-4) to 0.59 x 10(-4) cm2 V-1s-1 generally led to increased DNA migration on both native and denaturing gels, allowing resolution of higher molecular weight DNAs with decreased electrophoresis time. However, on native open-faced gels, net trailing ion mobilities between 1.38 x 10(-4) and 1.76 x 10(-4) cm2 V-1s-1 had no differential effects for a 10-cm separation and kept DNAs smaller than approximately 75 bp stacked in the moving boundary and clearly resolved DNA between 100 and 600 bp. These results indicate that various DNA size ranges can be separated in short time periods by adjusting the net mobility of the trailing ion.
FRACTIONATION AND ENRICHMENT OF OLIGODENDROCYTES FROM DEVELOPING HUMAN BRAIN

Enriched cultures of human oligodendrocytes were obtained from fetal brain specimens between 16 and 21 gestational weeks. Brain cells were separated over a Percoll density gradient and collected as two fractions with initial relative densities of approximately 1.035 g/ml and 1.102 g/ml, for fractions 1 and 2, respectively. After separation, 58.3 and 67.7% of the cells in fractions 1 and 2, respectively, were labeled by the antibody O4 that recognizes immature oligodendrocytes. A total of 15.5 and 29.4% of the cells in fractions 1 and 2, respectively, were positive for tubulin-beta(III), a marker for neurons but none of the freshly isolated cells were positive for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), a protein associated with astrocytes in the central nervous system. When the fractionated cells were cultured on poly-ornithine coated coverslips for 3 days and processed for immunocytochemistry, the percentage of O4+ oligodendrocytes decreased to less than 4% whereas GFAP+ cells increased to 1.8 and 12.4% for fractions 1 and 2 respectively. The percentage of tubulin-betaIII+ cells increased to 46 and 61% in cultures from the two Percoll fractions. This increase is probably due to the decrease in the number of oligodendrocytes. To avoid the loss of oligodendrocytes, cells were cultured as free-floating aggregates in the presence of 20 ng/ml of fibroblast growth factor-2 for 2 weeks. The resultant cultures became enriched for oligodendrocytes as demonstrated by cellular morphology and by positive O4 labeling. The method described here provides a means of obtaining enriched cultures of immature human oligodendrocytes for developmental and transplantation studies.
Non-contact in vivo confocal scanning laser microscopy in exfoliation syndrome, exfoliation syndrome suspect and normal eyes.

. Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of non-contact confocal laser microscopy in detecting structural alterations of the cornea, iris and lens in fellow eyes of patients with clinically unilateral exfoliation syndrome (XFS) and XFS suspects. Methods: In a prospective observational case series, eyes of 12 patients with clinically unilateral XFS, six XFS suspects and six age-matched controls were divided into four groups. Group A included eyes with clinically visible exfoliation material (XFM) on the pupillary border or anterior lens capsule (n = 12); group B included fellow eyes of clinically unilateral XFS patients without visible XFM (n = 12); group C comprised eyes in XFS suspects with signs of pigment dispersion without visible XFM (n = 10), and group D consisted of control eyes with no evidence of XFM or pigment dispersion (n = 12). The cornea, iris and lens were imaged using a non-contact lens prototype for the Rostock Cornea Module (HRT II). Images were analysed by two observers masked to the clinical findings. Results: Visible XFM (group A) on the lens capsule was characterized by hyperreflectivity in the granular and central disc areas and hyporeflective spaces in the intermediate zones. Similar hyperreflectivity was noted in four of 12 and one of 10 eyes in groups B and C, respectively, but in none in group D. Corneal endothelial hyperreflective deposits were found in eight of 12, four of 12 and one of 10 eyes in groups A, B and C, respectively, and no eyes in group D. Conclusions: This technology permits visualization of XFM and/or XFM-related changes in the cornea and lens in the unaffected eyes of patients with clinically unilateral XFS. It may allow early detection of XFS and impact glaucoma screening and clinical surveillance decisions.
The diameter and average distance of supertoroidal networks

Abstract The subject of this paper is a family of network topologies which are intended to be practical enough to be implemented in a parallel computer using contemporary technology. These network topologies offer an alternative to the three-dimensional mesh or toroid and are most likely to be useful for a network with between 512 and 16,384 nodes. The topologies, which are called supertoroids, are Cayley graphs of groups. The groups are semidirect products of two cyclic groups, one of order ck and the other of order c2l. The resulting Cayley graph has c3kl vertices and is of degree 4. The main results of this paper are two theorems. The first states that the diameter of the supertoroidal network with c3kl nodes is [cl/2] + [ck/2] if c ≥ 8. The second states that the average distance is asymptotically (in c) equal to ([cl/2] + [ck/2])/2. Because of these facts, the supertoroidal network has latency which is lower than the latency of a three-dimensional toroid of the same size. Although the proofs of these theorems are a tour-de-force of arithmetic in the underlying group, they are based upon exploitation of parallelism of paths in a Cayley graph.
Single and dual hormone secretors in GH3 cultures respond differently to hypothalamic factors

Abstract Recent studies using both normal and tumoral pituitary cell cultures have demonstrated that growth hormone (GH) and prolactin (PRL) secreting populations contain cells which release either one or both of these hormones. In order to determine whether these two cell types can be differentially regulated by hypothalamic factors we performed the following study employing plaque assays for GH and PRL. Using cultures of GH3 cells, a rat tumor cell line which contains both of these cell types, we found that the hypothalamic factors vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) when used together had a greater influence on plaque formation than when each was used individually. This suggested that cells were present in culture that responded to one peptide but not the other. Estradioltreated cultures (which contain only dual-secreting cells) were then evaluated for VIP and TRH responsiveness and found to respond to TRH but not VIP. Finally, we assessed the peptide sensitivity of cultures that were exposed to a conjugate of VIP and the A-chain of ricin (a potent cytotoxin). In addition to eliminating VIP-responsive cells, this treatment markedly reduced the proportions of cells secreting GH-only while having no appreciable influence on dual-hormone secretors. When taken together, our findings indicate that single and dual secretors respond differently to at least two hypothalamic secretagogues and suggest that regulatory differences between these cell types may be important in the control of GH and PRL secretion.
Introducing the Role of Enzymes Using Accurate Language

The role of enzymes is to catalyze chemical reactions. However, enzymes are often presented in the classroom and in commonly used textbooks as the agents that produce these reactions through their own activity, instead of as being mere catalysts that accelerate them. Here I suggest that course organization and consistently using accurate statements about the catalytic role of enzymes can contribute to make the learning process more effective when enzymes are introduced to students.
The nano-world of thin films

Thin-film morphology---its origin at the atomic level and its evolution---has a long and rich history dating to the very first papers on thin-film deposition in the mid-1800s. I have traced this literature for films prepared under low adatom-mobility conditions and collected my thoughts on the efforts and the current status toward morphology quantification. An atomistic model of evolutionary thin film morphology, based upon atomic clustering at the nm-level, atomic self-shadowing, and competition for columnar growth, forms the backbone for these quantitative approaches. The connection between the science of morphology modeling and the technology of practical thin-film development emerged through research on sculptured thin films
Macrophage activation state determines the response to rhinovirus infection in a mouse model of allergic asthma

The mechanisms by which viruses cause asthma exacerbations are not precisely known. Previously, we showed that, in ovalbumin (OVA)-sensitized and -challenged mice with allergic airway inflammation, rhinovirus (RV) infection increases type 2 cytokine production from alternatively-activated (M2) airway macrophages, enhancing eosinophilic inflammation and airways hyperresponsiveness. In this paper, we tested the hypothesis that IL-4 signaling determines the state of macrophage activation and pattern of RV-induced exacerbation in mice with allergic airways disease. Eight week-old wild type or IL-4 receptor knockout (IL-4R KO) mice were sensitized and challenged with OVA and inoculated with RV1B or sham HeLa cell lysate. In contrast to OVA-treated wild-type mice with both neutrophilic and eosinophilic airway inflammation, OVA-treated IL-4R KO mice showed increased neutrophilic inflammation with few eosinophils in the airways. Like wild-type mice, IL-4R KO mice showed OVA-induced airway hyperreactivity which was further exacerbated by RV. There was a shift in lung cytokines from a type 2-predominant response to a type 1 response, including production of IL-12p40 and TNF-α. IL-17A was also increased. RV infection of OVA-treated IL-4R KO mice further increased neutrophilic inflammation. Bronchoalveolar macrophages showed an M1 polarization pattern and ex vivo RV infection increased macrophage production of TNF-α, IFN-γ and IL-12p40. Finally, lung cells from OVA-treated IL-4R KO mice showed reduced CD206+ CD301+ M2 macrophages, decreased IL-13 and increased TNF-α and IL-17A production by F4/80+, CD11b+ macrophages. OVA-treated IL-4R KO mice show neutrophilic airway inflammation constituting a model of allergic, type 1 cytokine-driven neutrophilic asthma. In the absence of IL-4/IL-13 signaling, RV infection of OVA-treated mice increased type 1 cytokine and IL-17A production from conventionally-activated macrophages, augmenting neutrophilic rather than eosinophilic inflammation. In mice with allergic airways inflammation, IL-4R signaling determines macrophage activation state and the response to subsequent RV infection.
Theory of atomic beam optical double resonance spectroscopy

Abstract The theory of the atomic beam optical double resonance spectroscopy first introduced by I. I. Rabi is developed. An expression for the transition probability is derived which includes terms that may lead to line shifts and distortions. The approximations made in obtaining this result are given, and means for attaining a more precise line-shape formula are indicated.
Computational analysis reveals a correlation of exon-skipping events with splicing, transcription and epigenetic factors

Alternative splicing (AS), in higher eukaryotes, is one of the mechanisms of post-transcriptional regulation that generate multiple transcripts from the same gene. One particular mode of AS is the skipping event where an exon may be alternatively excluded or constitutively included in the resulting mature mRNA. Both transcript isoforms from this skipping event site, i.e. in which the exon is either included (inclusion isoform) or excluded (skipping isoform), are typically present in one cell, and maintain a subtle balance that is vital to cellular function and dynamics. However, how the prevailing conditions dictate which isoform is expressed and what biological factors might influence the regulation of this process remain areas requiring further exploration. In this study, we have developed a novel computational method, graph-based exon-skipping scanner (GESS), for de novo detection of skipping event sites from raw RNA-seq reads without prior knowledge of gene annotations, as well as for determining the dominant isoform generated from such sites. We have applied our method to publicly available RNA-seq data in GM12878 and K562 cells from the ENCODE consortium and experimentally validated several skipping site predictions by RT-PCR. Furthermore, we integrated other sequencing-based genomic data to investigate the impact of splicing activities, transcription factors (TFs) and epigenetic histone modifications on splicing outcomes. Our computational analysis found that splice sites within the skipping-isoform-dominated group (SIDG) tended to exhibit weaker MaxEntScan-calculated splice site strength around middle, 'skipping', exons compared to those in the inclusion-isoform-dominated group (IIDG). We further showed the positional preference pattern of splicing factors, characterized by enrichment in the intronic splice sites immediately bordering middle exons. Finally, our analysis suggested that different epigenetic factors may introduce a variable obstacle in the process of exon-intron boundary establishment leading to skipping events.
Organic Chemistry YouTube Writing Assignment for Large Lecture Classes

This work describes efforts to incorporate and evaluate the use of a YouTube writing assignment in large lecture classes to personalize learning and improve conceptual understanding of chemistry through peer- and self-explanation strategies. Although writing assignments can be a method to incorporate peer- and self-explanation strategies, this method is not often incorporated in large lecture classes and lower-division science courses. This work primarily focuses on a YouTube "video script" writing assignment where a student selects an organic chemistry concept and describes how they would "teach" or creatively explain the concept to their fellow classmates using real-world examples in a popular YouTube video format. In a more elaborate version of the assignment, students then proceed to make a YouTube video based on this written assignment. Subsequent details and feedback about the assignment are also presented.
MATI and PIRI studies of the X̃ and Ã state of trans-1,3-butadiene cation

Abstract The VUV-MATI spectrum of trans-1,3-butadiene (BD) has been recorded and analyzed. The lowest ionization potential is 73.143 cm−1. The assigned vibrational bands agree well with previous measurements, and three new bands are assigned. Fragment PIRI experiments were carried out on the A ( 2 A u )← X ( 2 B g ) transition in BD+, and the optical spectrum was analyzed. Information regarding the fragmentation mechanisms that characterize the observed optical spectrum is presented. At low PIRI-photon energies, the fragmentation process is a one photon process yielding primarily C3H3+. As the PIRI photon energy increases, more and more C2H4+ is produced, indicating that the two-photon process producing this fragment involves the D state.
Order parameter description of stationary partially fluidized shear granular flows.

We carry out a detailed comparison of soft-particle molecular dynamics simulations with the theory of partially fluidized shear granular flows. We verify by direct simulations a constitutive relation based on the separation of the shear stress tensor into a fluid part proportional to the strain rate tensor, and a remaining solid part. The ratio of these two components is determined by the order parameter. Based on results of the simulations we construct the ‘‘free energy’’ function for the order parameter. We also present the simulations of the stationary deep 2D granular flows driven by an upper wall and compare it with the continuum theory. When the ratio of shear to normal stress in a packed granular matter exceeds a certain threshold value, the granular matter yields and a flow ensues. In the last few years there have been many experimental, numerical, and theoretical studies [1‐12] that explored a broad range of granular flow conditions. While dilute granular flows can be well described by the kinetic theory of dissipative granular gases [13], dense granular flows still present significant difficulties for theoretical description. A continuum theory of slow dense granular flows based on the so-called associated flow rule was proposed in Ref. [14]. This description neglects the effects of the dry friction between the grains and works only in a fluidized state, so it cannot describe the hysteretic nature of the granular flow relevant for stick slips [2], avalanching [7], etc. A model based on a Newtonian stress-strain constitutive relation with density dependent viscosity was proposed in Refs. [3]. In this model, the viscosity diverges at the fluidization threshold when the density approaches the random close packing density of grains. Recently we proposed a phenomenological order parameter (OP) description of the fluidization transition [15]. The OP specifies the ratio between solid and fluid parts of the stress tensor. The viscosity is defined as a ratio of the fluid part of the shear stress to the strain rate and remains finite at the fluidization threshold. This model yielded a good qualitative description of a broad variety of phenomena occurring in granular flows. In this Letter we report on 2D soft-particle molecular dynamics (MD) simulations performed to validate and quantify our OP theory. To fit the equation for the OP and stress-strain relation we performed simulations of the granular flow in a thin Couette geometry. The obtained set of equations was used to calculate the stress and velocity profiles in a different system, a thick granular layer under nonzero gravity driven by a moving heavy upper plate. The theory [15] is based on a standard momentum conservation equation and the incompressibility condition applicable for slow dense flows. To close the system, we
The Tail of Mycolic Acids

The FabH enzyme from M. tuberculosis binds the acyl tail of large substrates at the end of a buried hydrophobic tunnel. Sachdeva et al. (2008) use reactive chemical probes and X-ray crystallography to show that substrates can bind to an open state of FabH without threading through the tunnel.
Counseling International Students

The tendency to either overemphasize or underemphasize differences when counseling international students is documented in research literature. However, there has been little systematic research and still fewer comprehensive theories about counseling international students. The numerous theories available tend to either emphasize the importance of changing the student or person in an adjustment mode, or changing the situation in a more behaviorist mode. Critical incidents collected while counseling international students at the University of Minnesota demonstrate the typical problems encountered and suggest approaches to manage those problems. The critical incidents and responses suggest that informal methods and informal counseling contexts become especially important in counseling international students. Other practical suggestions and tools are discussed to aid those who provide counseling to international students. A list of topics for future research is also presented.
The content of grass-juice factor in legume silages and in milk produced therefrom.

Summary The grass-juice factor of forages can be preserved in silage but the extent of preservation varies with different methods of ensiling. Silages prepared with phosphoric acid contained somewhat more of the factor than molasses-treated and untreated silages. Addition of soured-whey-concentrate to alfalfa gave excellent preservation. The quantity of grass-juice factor in winter milk was increased by feeding silages rich in the factor, e.g ., silages preserved with adequate amounts of phosphoric acid.
Team formation and communication restrictions in collectives

A collective of agents often needs to maximize a "world utility" function which rates the performance of an entire system, while subject to communication restrictions among the agents. Such communication restrictions make it difficult for agents which try to pursue their own "private" utilities to take actions that also help optimize the world utility. Team formation presents a solution to this problem, where by joining other agents, an agent can significantly increase its knowledge about the environment and improve its chances of both optimizing its own utility and that its doing so will contribute to the world utility. In this article we show how utilities that have been previously shown to be effective in collectives can be modified to be more effective in domains with moderate communication restrictions resulting in performance improvements of up to 75%. Additionally we show that even severe communication constraints can be overcome by forming teams where each agent of a team shares the same utility, increasing performance an additional 25%. We show that utilities and team sizes can be manipulated to form the best compromise between how "aligned" an agent's utility is with the world utility and how easily an agent can learn that utility.
Partitioning Species Diversity across Landscapes and Regions: A Hierarchical Analysis of α, β, and γ Diversity

Species diversity may be additively partitioned within and among samples (alpha and beta diversity) from hierarchically scaled studies to assess the proportion of the total diversity (gamma) found in different habitats, landscapes, or regions. We developed a statistical approach for testing null hypotheses that observed partitions of species richness or diversity indices differed from those expected by chance, and we illustrate these tests using data from a hierarchical study of forest-canopy beetles. Two null hypotheses were implemented using individual- and sample-based randomization tests to generate null distributions for alpha and beta components of diversity at multiple sampling scales. The two tests differed in their null distributions and power to detect statistically significant diversity components. Individual-based randomization was more powerful at all hierarchical levels and was sensitive to departures between observed and null partitions due to intraspecific aggregation of individuals. Sample-based randomization had less power but still may be useful for determining whether different habitats show a higher degree of differentiation in species diversity compared with random samples from the landscape. Null hypothesis tests provide a basis for inferences on partitions of species richness or diversity indices at multiple sampling levels, thereby increasing our understanding of how alpha and beta diversity change across spatial scales.
Controls on hydrocarbon properties in a Paleozoic petroleum system in Saudi Arabia: Exploration and development implications

The unpredicted discovery of downdip oil in Permian–Carboniferous Unayzah sandstone reservoirs along the southern flank of the predominantly gas condensate Ghazal field in Saudi Arabia highlighted the need for a thorough assessment of controls on hydrocarbon properties, with the aim to improve prediction and reduce uncertainty. Primary controls on hydrocarbon property variations (condensate-to-gas ratio) here appear to be compartmentalization, multiple charging, presumably from a Lower Silurian Qusaiba kitchen to the south and east within the late-oil to wet-gas generation window, and dysmigration to the north and west. Gas on production represents mostly unmixed thermogenic accumulations of variable maturities, with no sign of biodegradation or thermal cracking. Light oil (1.06–1.21% calculated vitrinite reflectance [Rc]) in the southern part of the field represent late-mature accumulations that apparently escaped flushing by subsequent gas condensate charges generated near the wet-gas generation window (1.41–1.55% Rc) and currently occupying the field to the north. Constant maturity variations for both gasoline range and heavier components in each sample testify to a lack of mixing between the hydrocarbon phases. Petroleum inclusions similarly comprise either light oil or gas condensate that coexist with significantly overlapping homogenization temperatures, suggesting considerable overlap in their trapping history (135–35 Ma). Less mature petroleum has not been identified in the field, possibly because of a lack of trap closure or migration focus prior to the inferred Late Jurassic filling or because of displacement to updip structures, thereby high grading the probability of undiscovered oil west and northwest of Ghazal. If thermal generation instead of retrograde condensation or phase separation controls this petroleum system, then the potential for deeper oil accumulations is limited.