cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Conceptual Relationships between Family Research and Mental Retardation

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on family mental retardation research. It examines how research and theory in the general field of mental retardation can be drawn upon to enrich and strengthen research on families with mentally retarded members. The chapter also presents the contributions that family research can make to advance the understanding of the conditions of mental retardation. Mental retardation primarily manifests itself behaviorally; causative associations between mental retardation and family impact need to be related to the specific aspects of the family member's behavior that is considered to be retarded. The social validity of research in naturally occurring contexts, such as the family home, is important because the ecological validity of many mental retardation studies is less than apparent. To conduct research to advances the knowledge on mental retardation, family researchers must overcome this scientific inertia, working jointly with other mental retardation researchers to develop innovative approaches to achieve this goal.
Group delay dispersion engineered antenna array

In this paper, a novel dispersion engineered antenna array is proposed. By properly choosing the feeding coefficients and spacing of each element of the antenna array, we are able to synthesize the group delay dispersion (GDD) in the antenna's far field where the waves are spatially combined. In addition, we will show the GDD created by the antenna array is angle dependent. This novel antenna array is very promising for radars and other security applications.
Toxins that inhibit host protein synthesis

Methods have been described that are sufficient to determine if a bacterial protein toxin is a selective inhibitor of eukaryotic protein synthesis, and, if so, which part of the overall process is affected. More defined assays are presented for studying the steps of peptide elongation as this is where such toxins have been shown to act.
GIS and Health Geography

As public health outcomes and the environmental factors that influence them often have distinctive spatial patterns, geographical information systems (GIS) are powerful tools for mapping and analyzing geographic distributions of health, disease, environmental risk factors, and population at risk. GIS can help researchers explore and identify the association between risk factors and health outcomes, and to address specific health issues through investigating the spatial patterns and diffusion of disease. Results obtained through GIS-based analysis can be useful for developing intervention strategies that seek to mitigate health disparities, control the spread of disease, and improve the utilization of health care services. GIS functions useful for health and disease studies can be grouped into three broad categories: spatial data handling, mapping and visualization, and spatial analysis. Keywords: geography; health care; place; public health
Simultaneous cross-linking by two nontriggering bivalent ligands causes synergistic signaling of IgE Fc epsilon RI complexes.

We have used two bivalent ligands that bind IgE to study the relationship between the aggregation of receptors with high affinity for IgE (Fc epsilon RI) and the responses (receptor immobilization, Ca2+ influx, and degranulation) of rat basophilic leukemia (RBL-2H3) cells. One of these is a symmetric bivalent ligand, N,N'-bis[[epsilon-[(2,4-dinitrophenyl)amino]caproyl]-L-tyrosyl]-L- cystine ((DCT)2-cys), which binds specifically to the combining sites of a mAb anti-DNP IgE and efficiently cross-links cell surface IgE, but does not trigger significant degranulation or increases in intracellular Ca2+. Several lines of evidence, including lateral mobility measurements, indicate that this ligand preferentially forms stable cyclic complexes containing two (DCT)2-cys and two IgE. The second ligand is a mAb anti-IgE, B1E3, which causes lateral mobility changes consistent with dimerized IgE-Fc epsilon RI and also does not trigger increases in intracellular Ca2+ or degranulation. The two ligands together trigger robust responses. In the presence of B1E3, (DCT)2-cys causes immobilization of IgE-Fc epsilon RI in a broad concentration range; in a more narrow concentration range, it is a potent stimulant of changes in both degranulation and Ca2+. We have compared the dose-response curves for cellular activation to simulated IgE aggregation curves, i.e., curves that predict the equilibrium IgE aggregate size distribution as a function of the (DCT)2-cys concentration. Our results indicate that maximal cellular activation occurs at a much higher (DCT)2-cys concentration than maximal IgE aggregation. When IgE aggregation is maximal, almost all aggregated IgE is in cyclic dimers. Thus, cyclic dimers appear to be functionally ineffective, even after they have been cross-linked by B1E3. Aggregated IgE-Fc epsilon RI that is effective in stimulating a cellular response may have particular structural or dynamic properties that allow critical interactions for initiating the signaling cascade.
Trade Flow Consequences of the European Union’s Regionalization of Environmental Regulations

We show that multilateral environmental regulations may affect trade flows differently than unilaterally generated regulations. Using the gravity equation, we test the effect on bilateral trade flows of increases in environmental regulation stringency ratings, taken from survey data, with a panel of 97 countries, controlling for European Union (EU) membership. We find significant differences in the effects on intra-EU exports compared to trade involving at least one non-EU country. We also find differing effects for high income countries compared to low income countries. An increase in environmental regulation stringency leads to a dramatic decrease in intra-EU exports originating in low income countries. Conversely, a similar change in environmental regulation stringency does not statistically affect intra-EU exports originating in high income countries. The results are consistent with the uneven competitiveness effect and the uneven burden of compliance shown in our model.
Human investigations into the arterial and cardiopulmonary baroreflexes during exercise

After considerable debate and key experimental evidence, the importance of the arterial baroreflex in contributing to and maintaining the appropriate neural cardiovascular adjustments to exercise is now well accepted. Indeed, the arterial baroreflex resets during exercise in an intensity-dependent manner to continue to regulate blood pressure as effectively as at rest. Studies have indicated that the exercise resetting of the arterial baroreflex is mediated by both the feedforward mechanism of central command and the feedback mechanism associated with skeletal muscle afferents (the exercise pressor reflex). Another perhaps less appreciated neural mechanism involved in evoking and maintaining neural cardiovascular responses to exercise is the cardiopulmonary baroreflex. The limited information available regarding the cardiopulmonary baroreflex during exercise provides evidence for a role in mediating sympathetic nerve activity and blood pressure responses. In addition, recent investigations have demonstrated an interaction between cardiopulmonary baroreceptors and the arterial baroreflex during dynamic exercise, which contributes to the magnitude of exercise-induced increases in blood pressure as well as the resetting of the arterial baroreflex. Furthermore, neural inputs from the cardiopulmonary baroreceptors appear to play an important role in establishing the operating point of the arterial baroreflex. This symposium review highlights recent studies in these important areas indicating that the interactions of four neural mechanisms (central command, the exercise pressor reflex, the arterial baroreflex and cardiopulmonary baroreflex) are integral in mediating the neural cardiovascular adjustments to exercise.
Regulation of the Salmonella typhimurium aroF gene in Escherichia coli.

Abstract The Salmonella typhimurium aroF gene, encoding the tyrosine-sensitive 3-deoxy-D-arabino-heptulosonate 7-phosphate (DAHP) synthase, was localized to a chromosomal PstI fragment by Southern blotting with an Escherichia coli aroF probe. This fragment was cloned by screening a plasmid library for complementation of an E. coli aroF mutant. The nucleotide sequence of S. typhimurium aroF was determined and compared with its E. coli homolog. The nucleotide sequences are 85.1% identical, and the corresponding amino acid sequences are 96.1% identical. The E. coli genes encoding the three DAHP synthase isoenzymes are evolutionarily more distant from one another than are the homologous aroF genes of E. coli and S. typhimurium. The S. typhimurium aroF regulatory region contains three imperfect palindromes, two upstream of the promoter and one overlapping the promoter, that are nearly identical to operators aroFo1, aroFo2, and TyrR box 1 of E. coli. The aroFo1 and aroFo2 sequences of the two organisms are each separated by three turns of the DNA helix with no sequence similarity. The 5' ends of the aroF transcripts for both organisms contain untranslated regions with potential stem-loop structures. Translational fusions of the aroF regulatory regions to lacZ were constructed and then introduced in single copy into the E. coli chromosome. beta-Galactosidase assays for tyrR-mediated regulation of aroF-lacZ expression revealed that the E. coli TyrR repressor apparently recognizes the operators of both organisms with about equal efficiency.
Metabolism of β-Methylaspartate by a Pseudomonad

A bacterium was isolated from soil which utilizes threo-β-methyl-l-aspartate, certain other amino acids, and a variety of organic substances as single energy sources. It is, or closely resembles, Pseudomonas putida biotype B. The ability of this organism to rapidly decompose such amino acids is dependent on inducible enzyme systems. Dialyzed cell-free extracts of this bacterium metabolize β-methylaspartate only when catalytic amounts of α-ketoglutarate, or pyruvate, and pyridoxal phosphate are also present. The main products formed from β-methylaspartate under these conditions are α-aminobutyrate, carbon dioxide, and α-ketobutyrate. When l-aspartate is substituted for β-methylaspartate in this system, it is converted mainly to alanine and carbon dioxide. β-Methyloxalacetate is decarboxylated, and the resulting α-ketobutyrate is converted enzymatically in the presence of glutamate to α-aminobutyrate which accumulates. The added keto acids are converted, in part, to the corresponding amino acids probably by transamination. The data indicate that β-methylaspartate is converted to α-aminobutyrate, and aspartate to alanine, by a circuitous transamination-β-decarboxylation-transamination sequence rather than by a direct β-decarboxylation.
An improved topology discovery algorithm for networks with wormhole routing and directed links

We propose a new parallel topology discovery algorithm for irregular, mesh-connected networks with unidirectional links and wormhole routing. An algorithm of this type was developed for the ATOMIC high speed local area network to avoid the need for manually updating routing tables. Similar needs may arise in wireless networks where channels may be unidirectional because of limited transmission power, multipath, and similar effects. Like the ATOMIC topology discovery algorithm, our algorithm accumulates a map of the network at a distinguished node called the address consultant. However, our algorithm is much faster. In addition, our algorithm is more general, because it can correctly resolve topologies that contain multiply connected nodes. We implemented both algorithms in a concurrent simulation environment, and tested them on a variety of topologies.
Orphan G-protein coupled receptor GPCR-X as a novel cancer drug target: validation and mechanistic studies

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 46, 2005 960 GPCR-X is an orphan G-protein coupled receptor widely expressed in many tissues, but with higher expression levels in several cancer tissues. High expression levels have also been found to be associated with cellular transformation, implying a potential oncogenic function for this gene. Here, we show that siRNA mediated GPCR-X silencing in cancer cells reduced anchorage-independent growth, at least partly due to increased anoikis. GPCR-X silencing also led to induction of intrinsic apoptosis in several cancer cells, but not in normal primary cells. Using regulated GPCR-X siRNA expression in prostate cancer line PC3 in an athymic xenograft tumor model, we observed 100% tumor free regression in response to GPCR-X inactivation for the early staged tumors. Even with the later staged PC3 tumors, 80% of tumors also regressed and 17% became tumor free, suggesting the potential of an efficacious targeted therapy. The expression profiles between A2058 cells containing either the control siRNA or siRNA against GPCR-X were compared in an attempt to elucidate downstream pathways. Genes involved in several known pathways were affected by GPCR-X gene silencing. In particular, a number of genes involved in integrin-mediated signaling and cell adhesion were down-regulated, indicating a potential role for GPCR-X in the cell adhesion pathway. This hypothesis was further validated by cell adhesion experiments which demonstrated reduced adhesion of cells silenced for GPCR-X. Thus, the role of GPCR-X in cell transformation is likely via an integrin-mediated cell adhesion pathway. The apparent absence of physiological defects in adult human tissues lacking GPCR-X and the specificity of apoptotic induction by GPCR-X-silencing in cancer cells suggest an interesting drug target for cancer therapeutics with low toxicity.
Influence of bony resection margins and surgicopathological factors on outcomes in limb-sparing surgery for extremity osteosarcoma.

Background Limb-sparing surgery for osteosarcoma requires taking wide bony resection margins while maximizing preservation of native bone and joint. However, the optimal bony margin and factors associated with recurrence and survival outcomes in these patients are not well established. Procedure We conducted a retrospective review of outcomes in children and adolescents with newly diagnosed osteosarcoma from 1986 to 2012, where bony resection margins for limb-sparing surgeries were decreased serially from 5 to 1.5 cm. The association between bony margins and other surgicopathological factors with survival and recurrence outcomes was determined. Results In 181 limb-sparing surgeries in 173 patients, planned and actual bony resection margins were not significantly associated with local recurrence-free survival (LRFS), event-free survival (EFS), and overall survival (OS)—at median 5.8 years follow-up, decreasing planned bony resection margins from 5 to 1.5 cm did not significantly decrease survival outcomes. Multivariable analysis showed that the presence of distant metastases at diagnosis was associated with decreased LRFS, EFS, and OS (P = 0.002, 0.005, and <0.0001, respectively). Post-chemotherapy tumor necrosis ≤90% was associated with decreased EFS and OS (P = 0.001 and 0.022, respectively). Earlier years of treatment and pathologic fractures were associated with decreased OS only (P = 0.018 and 0.008, respectively); previous cancer history and male gender were associated with decreased EFS only (P = 0.043 and 0.023, respectively). Conclusion We did not observe significant increase in adverse survival outcomes with reduction of longitudinal bony resection margins to 1.5 cm. Established prognostic factors, particularly histologic response to chemotherapy and metastases at diagnosis, remain relevant in limb-sparing patients. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2015;62:246–251. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Arts-based and narrative inquiry in liminal experience reveal platforming as basic social psychological process

Abstract Psychotherapists are challenged to find ways to facilitate and support people dealing with change and uncertainty in an increasingly stressful world. Art and narrative are widely recognized by cultures worldwide as ways of knowing about ourselves as human beings. This study examines how the creative process of art making may reflect the personal narrative of transformation in the liminal experience. Subjective reports of art process were obtained through semi-structured interviews of eight artists who have employed art making as an important way to express their own process of transformation through liminal experience. Through arts-based inquiry intertextualized with narrative inquiry, and using the methods of grounded theory to gather and analyze data, the notion of platforming was generated as a schemata of the creation of a means of support to carry one over the threshold of change.
Universities, dependency and the market: innovative lessons from Kenya

Higher education in developing nations is typically viewed from a dependency perspective – institutions are seen as merely recipients of Western knowledge, aid and reform efforts. Nevertheless, universities in both the centre and the periphery are dealing with tensions between protecting the public good and embracing neoliberal values based on a market approach to higher education. In the USA and Europe these competing interests are typically cast as mutually exclusive. Our study on the market approach to higher education in Kenya, however, suggests that public and private interests can be complementary, contributing to a re-envisioning of the traditional mission of higher education. This article seeks to examine more fully the nature of reform efforts at two universities in Kenya, to elucidate lessons for universities undergoing market-oriented reform in the West and to suggest a reciprocal relationship between institutions in Africa and Europe, upending the centre-periphery paradigm.
Evidence that the transcriptional activator Spo0A interacts with two sigma factors in Bacillus subtilis

The transcriptional regulator Spo0A activates transcription from two types of promoters. One type of promoter is used by RNA polymerase containing sigma A, whereas the other type is used by RNA polymerase containing sigma H. There are Spo0A-binding sites near the -35 region of both types of promoters. It has been reported that some transcriptional regulators that bind near the -35 regions of promoters directly interact with the sigma subunit of RNA polymerase. Therefore, we looked for evidence that Spo0A interacts with both sigma factors by searching for single amino acid substitutions in these factors that specifically prevent expression from Spo0A-dependent promoters, but that do not decrease activity of Spo0A-independent promoters. Two such amino acid substitutions were isolated in sigma A and one was isolated in sigma H. The amino acid substitutions in sigma A prevented expression from the Spo0A-activated promoters, spoIIG and spoIIE, but expression was not impaired from the Spo0A-independent, sigma A-dependent promoter tms or from the Spo0A-activated, sigma H-dependent promoter, spoIIA. The amino acid substitution in sigma H prevented expression from the spoIIA promoter but not from the Spo0A-independent promoter, citGp2, which is used by sigma H-RNA polymerase. All of these amino acid substitutions occur in the carboxyl terminus of the sigma factors. These amino acid substitutions may define the sites of contact between the sigma factors and Spo0A. The ability of response regulators such as Spo0A to interact with multiple sigma factors may increase the variety of responses made by bacteria using a limited number of transcription factors.
Deuterium isotope effect on single vibronic level photochemistry of formaldehyde ∼A, 1A2): Fluorescence quantum yields, radiative and non-radiative transitions☆

Abstract Fluorescence quantum yields for various single vibronic levels and fluorescnce decay times for the 4 1 level have been measured for H 2 CO, HDCO, and D 2 CO. Implications of the observed radiative and non-radiative transitions to vibronic coupling mechanisms and photochemistry are discussed.
Structure and evolution of the central Gulf of Mexico continental margin and coastal plain, southeast United States

As in many continental margins, Mesozoic rifting in the Gulf of Mexico trended subparallel to older tectonic structures created by opening and closure of a prior ocean basin. Unlike the situation in most other margins, however, extension in the Gulf of Mexico did not involve widespread reactivation of these older tectonic features. This difference may be related to the unusual facts that (1) the antecedent passive continental margin was a transform rather than a rift margin and (2) the prior orogeny did not substantially thicken the crust. In order to characterize the interaction between Mesozoic rifting and prior tectonic events, two geophysical transects were constructed across the central Gulf of Mexico coastal plain and continental shelf. The transects show that the early Paleozoic passive continental margin buried beneath the late Paleozoic Ouachita orogen was little affected by compressional tectonism or Mesozoic extension during opening of the Gulf of Mexico. The thickness of the crust on this ancient margin decreases from 35 km to 10 km over a distance of only 50 km, consistent with previous interpretations that this was a transform margin. The Ouachita fold-and-thrust belt is shown to be a thin-skinned doubly vergent orogen that formed above a well-preserved southward-dipping subduction system. Relict Cambrian oceanic crust may exist beneath the southern part of the orogen, but its presence is not required by the data. The thin crust and shallow mantle in the Ouachita suture created a zone of relatively high strength that acted as a barrier to Mesozoic extension, which is restricted to regions south of the orogen. Extension was initially distributed over a broad area that included the Mississippi Interior Salt Basin and regions south of the Wiggins Arch. Extension became progressively more focused south of the Wiggins Arch with time, culminating in the onset of seafloor spreading beneath the modern continental rise. Mesozoic extension factors are β = 1.4–1.9 beneath the Mississippi Interior Salt Basin, β ≈ 2.9 immediately south of the Wiggins Arch, and β ≈ 4 adjacent to the oldest oceanic crust in the central Gulf of Mexico.
An alternate route to the C(7)C(13)subunit of erythronolide B via A hydropyran template

Abstract Conversion of ( R )-3-benzyloxy-2-methylpropionaldehyde ( 4 ) to the erythronolide B C(7)C(13) subunit 13 in 15% overall yield is described. Chelation-controlled carbonyl additions and a dioxanone-to-dihydropyran Claisen rearrangement are key steps.
Activation of noradrenergic neurons projecting to the diencephalon following central administration of histamine is mediated by H1 receptors

The effect of histamine on the activity of noradrenergic neurons terminating in discrete regions of the diencephalon was examined in male rats. Noradrenergic neuronal activity was estimated by measuring the concentration of norepinephrine and its metabolite 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylethyleneglycol [MHPG] in the medial zona incerta [MZI] and in the dorsomedial [DMN], periventricular [PeVN] and medial preoptic hypothalamic nuclei [MPN]. The intracerebroventricular administration of histamine effected a time-related increase in MHPG concentrations in the MZI, DMN, PeVN and MPN; these effects were blocked by the H1 antagonist mepyramine but not the H2 antagonist zolantidine. Neither mepyramine nor zolantidine affected basal MHPG concentrations in any of the brain regions examined. These results indicate that central administration of histamine increases the activity of noradrenergic neurons projecting to the diencephalon via an action at H1 but not H2 receptors.
Improvement in Overall Survival from Extremity Soft Tissue Sarcoma over Twenty Years

Several patient demographic factors, including marital status, have been demonstrated to have prognostic significance for survival in extremity soft tissue sarcoma (ESTS). A study population of 12,546 adult patients diagnosed with ESTS from 1991 to 2010 was identified from the SEER database, a large population-based registry, in order to determine whether overall survival had changed over this recent 20-year period. The study population was divided into three groups by year of diagnosis: 1991–1996, 1997–2003, and 2004–2010. We used the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards regression to assess survival differences between different demographic groups and prognostic clinical characteristics. Over the course of time, the 5-year overall survival rates have increased from 28% in the earliest time period to 62% in the latest . On multivariate analysis, the mortality rate progressively declined from the 1991–1996 group (HR: 3.02, CI: 2.78–3.29) to the 1997–2003 group (HR: 2.21, CI: 2.06–2.37), with the 2004–2010 group having the best overall survival, despite increases in the proportion of patients with tumors greater than 5 cm in size , and those presenting with metastasis .
Dependence of the Supersaturation Spectrum of CCN on Aerosol Size Distribution and Composition

Abstract Simultaneous measurements of aerosol size distribution and the supersaturation spectrum of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) made at the Second International Workshop on Condensation and Ice Nuclei are used to investigate the relationship of CCN supersaturation spectra to aerosol size distribution and composition. The measured CCN spectra are compared with those calculated from the aerosol size distributions for a wide range of values of particle solubility. For each of three natural aerosol samples considered, the shape of the calculated CCN spectra is shown to be quite insensitive to aerosol solubility and to agree quite well with the shape of the measured spectrum. These results tend to confirm the conclusion of Junge and McLaren that the shape of CCN supersaturation spectra is primarily determined by aerosol size distribution rather than by aerosol composition. The concentration of CCN is, however, critically dependent an aerosol composition. An expression is derived for the mean size of CCN ac...
Impact of family history assessment on communication with family members and health care providers: A report from the Family Healthware™ Impact Trial (FHITr).

Objective This study examines the impact of Family Healthware™ on communication behaviors; specifically, communication with family members and health care providers about family health history.
A unified approach to testing for and against a set of linear inequality constraints in the product multinomial setting

A problem that is frequently encountered in statistics concerns testing for equality of multiple probability vectors corresponding to independent multinomials against an alternative they are not equal. In applications where an assumption of some type of stochastic ordering is reasonable, it is desirable to test for equality against this more restrictive alternative. Similar problems have been considered heretofore using the likelihood ratio approach. This paper aims to generalize the existing results and provide a unified technique for testing for and against a set of linear inequality constraints placed upon on any r (r ≥ 1) probability vectors corresponding to r independent multinomials. The paper shows how to compute the maximum likelihood estimates under all hypotheses of interest and obtains the limiting distributions of the likelihood ratio test statistics. These limiting distributions are of chi bar square type and the expression of the weighting values is given. To illustrate our theoretical results, we use a real life data set to test against second-order stochastic ordering.
Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase Expression and Erythropoietin Production in Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells

We have previously reported an interaction of nitric oxide (NO) and cyclic 3',5'-guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) in erythropoietin (Epo) production. Further studies have been carried out to clarify the role of NO in the hypoxic regulation of Epo production in Epo producing human hepatocellular carcinoma (Hep3B) cells, which produce Epo in response to physiological stimuli. Our reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique revealed the expression of iNOS mRNA in Hep3B cells after incubation under hypoxic (1% O2) conditions for 6 hr. Hypoxia also significantly increased medium levels of nitrite in Hep3B cells. In order to investigate the role of NO in Epo production in Hep3B cells under normoxic (20% O2) conditions, we have studied the effects of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) on Epo production. IFN-gamma is known to induce iNOS and enhance the production of NO. IFN-gamma produced significant increases in medium levels of Epo and nitrite. IFN-gamma also significantly increased cGMP levels in Hep3B cells. Furthermore, NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), an NO synthase inhibitor, significantly decreased IFN-gamma induced elevations in medium levels of Epo and nitrite as well as cGMP levels in Hep3B cells. These results provide further support for an important role of the NO/cGMP system in hypoxic regulation of Epo production in Hep3B cells.
Long Haul System Issues with Bragg Fiber Grating-Based Dispersion Compensation

Abstract Using an accurate optical system simulation for Bragg fiber grating dispersion compensators, the fundamental limitations on system performance incurred by these devices operating in reflection and transmission, are studied. When the devices are operating in reflection, the limitation on system performance is due to group delay and reflectivity ripple. When they are operating in transmission, the limitation on system performance is due to dispersion slope of the grating. A range of issues, including the impact on system performance of ripple period and amplitude, concatenating many gratings, and system bit rate are considered. The results show that systems based on WDM with lower channel line rates are the more resilient to limitations introduced by these devices than high-speed TDM systems.
Metabolism of methyl tert-butyl ether and other gasoline ethers by human liver microsomes and heterologously expressed human cytochromes P450: identification of CYP2A6 as a major catalyst.

Abstract To reduce the production of carbon monoxide and other pollutants in motor vehicle exhaust, methyl tert -butyl ether (MTBE), ethyl tert -butyl ether (ETBE), and tert -amyl methyl ether (TAME) are added to gasoline as oxygenates for more complete combustion. Previously, we demonstrated that human liver is active in metabolizing MTBE to tert -butyl alcohol (TBA) and that cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes play a critical role in the metabolism of MTBE. The present study demonstrates that human liver is also active in the oxidative metabolism of ETBE and TAME. A large interindividual variation in metabolizing these gasoline ethers was observed in 15 human liver microsomal samples. The microsomal activities in metabolizing MTBE, ETBE, and TAME were highly correlated among each other ( r, 0.91–0.96), suggesting that these ethers are metabolized by the same enzyme(s). Correlation analysis of the ether-metabolizing activities with individual CYP enzyme activities in the liver microsomes showed that the highest degree of correlation was with human CYP2A6 ( r, 0.90–0.95), which is constitutively expressed in human livers and known to be polymorphic. CYP2A6 displayed the highest turnover number in metabolizing gasoline ethers among a battery of human CYP enzymes expressed in human B-lymphoblastoid cells. Kinetic studies on MTBE metabolism with three human liver microsomes exhibited apparent K m values that ranged from 28 to 89 μM and the V max values from 215 to 783 pmol/min/mg, with similar catalytic efficiency values (7.7 to 8.8 μl/min/mg protein). Metabolism of MTBE, ETBE, and TAME by human liver microsomes was inhibited by coumarin, a known substrate of human CYP2A6, in a concentration-dependent manner. Monoclonal antibody against human CYP2A6 caused a significant inhibition (75% to 95%) of the metabolism of MTBE, ETBE, and TAME in human liver microsomes. Taken together, these results clearly indicate that in human liver, CYP2A6 is the major enzyme responsible for the metabolism of MTBE, ETBE, and TAME.
Linking Speech Perception and Neurophysiology: Speech Decoding Guided by Cascaded Oscillators Locked to the Input Rhythm

The premise of this study is that current models of speech perception, which are driven by acoustic features alone, are incomplete, and that the role of decoding time during memory access must be incorporated to account for the patterns of observed recognition phenomena. It is postulated that decoding time is governed by a cascade of neuronal oscillators, which guide template-matching operations at a hierarchy of temporal scales. Cascaded cortical oscillations in the theta, beta and gamma frequency bands are argued to be crucial for speech intelligibility. Intelligibility is high so long as these oscillations remain phase-locked to the auditory input rhythm. A model (Tempo) is presented which is capable of emulating recent psychophysical data on the intelligibility of speech sentences as a function of “packaging” rate (Ghitza and Greenberg, 2009). The data show that intelligibility of speech that is time-compressed by a factor of 3 (i.e., a high syllabic rate) is poor (above 50% word error rate), but is substantially restored when the information stream is re-packaged by the insertion of silence gaps in between successive compressed-signal intervals – a counterintuitive finding, difficult to explain using classical models of speech perception, but emerging naturally from the Tempo architecture.
Hepatitis A virus-specific humoral and cellular immune responses following immunization with a formalin-inactivated hepatitis A vaccine.

Abstract To evaluate proliferative T cell responses elicited by a formalin-inactivated HAV vaccine, we immunized 10 subjects with an inactivated HAV vaccine, and measured HAV antibody titers and HAV-specific T cell proliferation. γ-Interferon production by PBMC's was evaluated in selected subjects. By week 30, seroconversion (geometric mean titer=2299 mIU/ml), and HAV-specific proliferation was detected in all subjects. HAV also induced γ-interferon in the three subjects studied. These data indicate that the inactivated HAV vaccine induces proliferative T cell responses in addition to HAV antibody. This may be important for protection against hepatitis A, and suggests that recall memory for HAV antigen is elicited by the vaccine.
Ionic liquids: New generation stable plasticizers for poly(vinyl chloride)

Abstract Room temperature ionic liquids (ILs), based on ammonium, imidazolium and phosphonium cations, were studied as novel plasticizers for poly(vinyl chloride), PVC. All the ILs tested were able to produce flexible PVC. Upon 20 wt% plasticization, some of the ILs lowered the glass transition temperature ( T g ) of PVC more than that done by several traditional plasticizers. They showed good thermodynamic compatibility as well. Several ILs showed better leaching and migration resistance than the traditional plasticizers. This was, in particular, a significant observation considering the ongoing controversy regarding the leaching and migration issues of the commonly-used phthalate plasticizers. High temperature and ultraviolet (UV) ray stability of IL-plasticized PVC samples were also studied.
Is the internet the best resource for blushers

Blushing can be a disabling condition that causes sufferers great distress. It causes patients to become socially isolated, frequently being labelled as “shy”. Any referral to their condition is embarrassing; even a discussion with a health care professional requires a great deal of courage. Even then, the information from non-specialists is often inaccurate and inadequate and fails to inform patients of the possible treatment options available. In today’s era the internet has become an important information medium. This information on almost any subject is widely available to the general public and can be accessed at any time. It is available to blushers and health care professionals alike. It offers a non-embarrassing method of seeking help for an embarrassing condition. It is a medium for specialists to inform sufferers incognito about such a condition. We report our experience from our website: a generalised hyperhidrosis, bl ushing and sympathectomy information web site (www.sympathectomy.co.uk) by analysing the number of hits and requests for information. We discuss the statistics of internet access to our website including the “hit rate” and enquiry rate. Paradoxically 75% of all enquiries have been from blushers with only 25% coming from patients with hyperhidrosis. A properly designed, accurate and dynamic web site tailored towards users’ needs can be used to effectively educate an information hungry but shy group.
Noncompacted Ventricular Myocardium: Is Syncope the Only Warning Sign?

We present a case of a 14-year-old young boy with ventricular noncompaction and coexistent Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome who presented with syncope. Detailed testing was performed, and an ablation was successful for Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome; however, because of patient/family desires, an implantable cardiodefibrillator was placed. A careful review of the literature highlights the complex decision making involved with this condition.
Nuclear envelope formation by chromatin-mediated reorganization of the endoplasmic reticulum.

Nuclear envelope formation by chromatin-mediated reorganization of the endoplasmic reticulum
Measurement of birefringence in thin-film waveguides by Rayleigh scattering.

A method of measuring birefringence in slab and ridge waveguides based on the coherent superposition of Rayleigh light scattering from TE and TM polarized modes is described and demonstrated in silica-on-silicon waveguides. A measurement accuracy of approximately 10-6 has been achieved. This method is used to determine the evolution of waveguide birefringence with annealing temperature in phosphorous-doped glass waveguides. The measured birefringence increases rapidly with annealing temperatures up to 800 °C but remains unchanged for higher-temperature anneals. We interpret this threshold as the temperature above which glass can flow.
Lighting Up Protons with MorphFl, a Fluorescein–Morpholine Dyad: An Experiment for the Organic Laboratory

A two-period organic laboratory experiment that includes fluorescence sensing is presented. The pH-sensitive sensor MorphFl is prepared using a Mannich reaction between a fluorescein derivative and the iminium ion of morpholine. During the first laboratory, students prepare MorphFl. The second session begins with characterizing the sensor using standard techniques, followed by using MorphFl to analyze the relative acidity of several unknown aqueous solutions. MorphFl absorbs visible and near-UV light and emits a bright green fluorescence in aqueous solutions at low pH. At high pH, the emission of MorphFl is quenched. This laboratory experiment is appropriate for demonstrating condensation reactions, electrophiles, absorbance and emission of light by organic molecules, frontier molecular orbitals, and fluorescent sensors to any undergraduate audience. The visual component of the fluorescence assay provides an exciting alternative to more traditional organic laboratory experiments.
The Effect of Objectives and Instructions on the Learning of a Complex Cognitive Task.

What effects do various modes of defining an instructional outcome, i.e., behavioral objectives, instruc tions, and precriterion tests have on students' learning of a relatively complex cognitive task? Graduate stu dents (N=72) were taught to operate a mechanical game. Three independent variables were experimentally manipulated, which included the presence or absence of 1. ) behavioral objectives, 2.) instructions, and 3.) a precriterion test and were completely crossed resulting in a 23 factorial design with eight treatment combinations. A multivariate analysis of variance revealed a significant (p< .02) positive effect due to the presence of instruc tions and a marginally significant (p<. 15) negative effect due to the presence of behavioral objectives.
Evaluation of compounds contributing characterizing fishy flavors in fish oils

Vacuum steam-deodorized fish oils oxidized under flourescent light (950 lux) at 21°C initially developed green flavors which were caused principally by t,c-2,6-non-adienal, but some green-type flavor notes were contributed byt-2-hexenal and 1,c-5-octadien-3-one. Diminishment of green flavor notes resulted from the depletion of 2,6-nonadienal and the formation ofc-4-heptenal (>1 ppm) which contributed oxidized, burnt flavor notes. Concomitant formation oft,c,c- andt,t,c-2,4,7-decatrienal (>1 ppm) yielded characterizing burnt/fishy or cod liver oil-like flavors in fish oils. Two unidentified compounds exhibiting minnow-bait-bucket and trout-like odor qualities, respectively, were encountered in oxidizing fish oils. Hexanal, 2,4-heptadienals and 2,4-decadienals contributed general oxidized, painty flavors to fish oils.
The properties of the secreted γ-glutamyl hydrolases from H35 hepatoma cells

gamma-Glutamyl hydrolase has been partially purified and characterized from conditioned culture medium of H35 hepatoma cells. Evidence for heterogeneity of the enzyme is derived from its elution as three distinct peaks of enzymatic activity when the enzyme is purified by TSK-butyl-Sepharose column chromatography. These three enzyme fractions appear to have identical catalytic properties but, as yet, the basis for their resolution is not understood. A rapid, sensitive and simple assay based on reverse-phase HPLC fluorescent detection with pre-column derivatization using o-phthalaldehyde (OPA) was developed to separate OPA-derivatives of poly-gamma-glutamates and glutamic acid. Using this assay and the standard HPLC assay for pteroylpolyglutamates, the enzyme appears to be an endopeptidase with respect to pteroylpenta-gamma-glutamate (PteGlu5), methotrexate penta-gamma-glutamate (4-NH2-10-CH3PteGlu5) and p-aminobenzoyl-penta-gamma-glutamate (pABAGlu5). The initial products are PteGlu1 (or 4-NH2-10-CH3PteGlu1 or pABAGlu1) and intact tetra-gamma-glutamate, which is subsequently degraded to glutamic acid. When penta-gamma-glutamate is the substrate, the cleavage of the gamma-bonds by the enzyme is less ordered, with the early appearance of mono-, di-, tri- and tetraglutamate. Poly-alpha-glutamate is not a substrate nor are pABA-gamma-Glu5 or penta-gamma-glutamate covalently linked to albumin. 4-NH2-10-CH3PteGlu2 or Glu5 bound to dihydrofolate reductase is not a substrate for the enzyme, offering further evidence that protein-associated poly-gamma-glutamates are poor substrates for gamma-glutamyl hydrolase from H35 hepatoma cells.
Corticotropin-releasing factor is produced by rat Leydig cells and has a major local antireproductive role in the testis.

Cultured rat Leydig cells secreted considerable amounts of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF). A major stimulus for Leydig cell-derived CRF was the trophic hormone LH/hCG, which released the peptlde in a dose dependent fashion. Incubation of Leydig cells with a CRF antagonist revealed tonic suppression of basal and hCG-stimulated testosterone production by endogenously produced CRF. These findings demonstrate that CRF acts via functional Leydig cell receptors to exert autocrine inhibitory actions on Leydig cell steroidogenesis. In the testis CRF acts as an antireproductive hormone and as a major local inhibitory regulator of Leydig cell function.
High-Pressure Vapor−Liquid Equilibrium for Dimethyl Ether + Ethanol and Dimethyl Ether + Ethanol + Water

The first part of this paper is a review of experimental methods and the high-pressure phase behavior of dimethyl ether systems for which data have been published between 1932 and 1999. For the systems investigated, the references, temperatures, pressures, cell volumes, and experimental procedures are reported. The second part of this paper is high-pressure vapor−liquid equilibrium (VLE) data for the systems dimethyl ether (DME) + ethanol at (332.95, 353.25, and 373.15) K and dimethyl ether + ethanol + water at (333.55, 353.55, and 373.65) K. The experimental data are correlated using the Elliott−Suresh−Donohue (ESD-EOS) and Peng Robinson (PR-EOS) equations of state.
Prostaglandin synthetase inhibitors modulate the effect of essential dietary arachidonic acid in the mosquito Culex pipiens

Effects of various inhibitors of prostaglandin metabolism on essential fatty acid function in Culex pipiens were examined by rearing the mosquito in synthetic dietary media containing arachidonic acid and putative prostaglandin inhibitors in various combinations. Both non-steroidal and steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs variously inhibited overall development and the arachidonic acid-dependent viability of newly emerged adults. In many cases such inhibitory effects could be counteracted by increased concentrations of dietary arachidonic acid, indicating that in the mosquito, as in mammals, these drugs interfered with arachidonic acid function specifically. In the cases of non-steroidal anti-inflammatorials (indomethacin, phenylbutazone and acetaminophen), which are known to inhibit enzymes of the prostaglandin synthetase complex, such inhibition is construed to indicate that prostaglandinogenesis may be among the physiological functions underlying the essentiality of arachidonic acid for the mosquito.
Assignment of 2′-O-Methyltransferases to Modification Sites on the Mammalian Mitochondrial Large Subunit 16 S Ribosomal RNA (rRNA)

Advances in proteomics and large scale studies of potential mitochondrial proteins have led to the identification of many novel mitochondrial proteins in need of further characterization. Among these novel proteins are three mammalian rRNA methyltransferase family members RNMTL1, MRM1, and MRM2. MRM1 and MRM2 have bacterial and yeast homologs, whereas RNMTL1 appears to have evolved later in higher eukaryotes. We recently confirmed the localization of the three proteins to mitochondria, specifically in the vicinity of mtDNA nucleoids. In this study, we took advantage of the ability of 2′-O-ribose modification to block site-specific cleavage of RNA by DNAzymes to show that MRM1, MRM2, and RNMTL1 are responsible for modification of human large subunit rRNA at residues G1145, U1369, and G1370, respectively.
Natural Food and the Pastoral: A Sentimental Notion?

The term natural is effective in the marketing of a wide variety of foods. This ambiguous term carries important meaning in Western culture. To challenge an uncritical understanding of natural with respect to food and to explore the ambiguity of the term, the development of Western ideas of nature is first discussed. Personification and hypostasization of nature are given special emphasis. Leo Marx’s idea of the pastoral design in literature is then used to explore the meaning of natural as applied to food, emphasizing Marx’s distinction between a sentimental and a complex pastoral. The latter is applied to natural as a means of collapsing a dichotomy of man and nature to the idea of second nature. From this perspective an understanding of the industrialization of the food system and the importance of local and organic food are considered. The extent to which processed foods might properly be considered natural is raised and discussed for several common foods. Although marketing of natural foods might make us think that we consume nature, I suggest that what is consumed is more appropriately second nature. I suggest that in order to maintain a critical perspective about one’s relationship to the natural world, everyone should make an attempt to experience the complex pastoral with respect to at least something that is consumed as food. When nature is understood as second nature in the context of a complex pastoral, the question of whether a food or ingredient is to be considered natural is replaced by deliberative thought based on our best knowledge and judgment, and the result will be less constrained by ideology.