cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Falling through the Cracks: Rehabilitation Services for Adults with Learning Disabilities

The present study investigated the knowledge and perceptions of vocational rehabilitation (VR) of adults with learning disabilities (LD), as well as control variables which describe adults with LD and may have a bearing on access to VR services. This was accomplished by (1) determining the knowledge adults with LD had of their rights under federal rehabilitation regulations; (2) examining demographic control variables (e.g., sex, age, education level, hometown population, employment history, and income), which may have a bearing on the need for or access to VR services by adults with LD; and (3) examining experiences/perceptions of adults with LD regarding the VR application/eligibility process. A pretested questionnaire appeared in the January 1989 ACLD Newsbriefs. Findings indicate that while there was a group of respondents who were satisfied with the rehabilitation services they had received, there was also a large group of respondents who were either ineligible for rehabilitation services or dissatis...
Framing MOVE: A Press’ Complicity in the Murder of Women and Children in the City of (Un) Brotherly Love

This article examines local press coverage of the 1985 police bombing of MOVE, which resulted in the deaths of eleven people, as well as the destruction of two city blocks leaving 250 people homeless. According to public opinion polls many Philadelphians seemingly showed little concern about the heavy-handed tactics used by the police; in fact, many praised the mayor and the efforts of law enforcement. News accounts from the Philadelphia Inquirer were content analyzed to determine whether or not the coverage was framed in a manner that may have influenced the public’s attitude toward the organization and its members, thus cultivating within the populace an attitude of indifference.
Asymmetric synthesis of α-amino aldehydes from sulfinimine (N-sulfinyl imine)-derived α-amino 1,3-dithianes. Formal synthesis of (−)-2,3-trans-3,4-cis-dihydroxyproline

Abstract Hydrolysis of sulfinimine-derived N -sulfinyl α-amino 1,3-dithianes with aqueous 1,3-dibromo-5,5-dimethylhydantoin affords the corresponding N -tosyl α-amino aldehydes in good yield and high enantiomeric purity. These aldehydes can be reduced to amino alcohols and undergo the Wittig reaction to give allylic amines without epimerization. The utility of this methodology is illustrated in a formal synthesis of (−)-2,3- trans -3,4- cis -dihydroxyproline.
Osteoblasts from the toothless (osteopetrotic) mutation in the rat are unable to direct bone resorption by normal osteoclasts in response to 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D

Abstract Osteopetrosis describes a diversified group of metabolic bone disorders characterized by a generalized, skeletal sclerosis resulting from reduced osteoclast-mediated bone resorption. The toothless ( tl ) osteopetrotic mutation in the rat is characterized by few osteoclasts and the inability to be cured by transplants of hemopoietic stem cells. This implies that the defect(s) responsible for reduced osteoclast activity in tl rats is within the skeletal microenvironment (cells or matrices). Osteoblasts and their products are known to play a role in regulating bone resorption and abnormalities in the osteoblast population in tl rats have been reported. The purpose of this study was to determine whether osteoblasts isolated from tl mutant rats, when cultured with normal osteoclasts, could increase bone resorption (pit formation) in response to stimulation by 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH) 2 D). The addition of 1,25(OH) 2 D produced a highly significant response in normal osteoblast cocultures but no response in mutant cultures. A dose response study with 1,25(OH) 2 D (10 −6 to 10 −9 M) revealed that mutant osteoblasts are unable to increase osteoclast activity. These data indicate that the vitamin D receptor-signal transduction pathway in tl rats needs to be examined.
The Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics

As we all learned in secondary school, poetry and terminology go together. “Endecha: a Spanish dirge or lament, usually written in five, six, or seven syllable lines… ”; “Dansa: Occitan lyric genre...
A Critical Analysis of Measures for the Identification of Physical Abuse and Neglect of the Elderly

As part of a project to develop and test a comprehensive measure for identifying victims of elder abuse, this study examined seven elder abuse identification indices developed by different agencies and researchers. Each index was separated into its constituent items. The items were examined to determine the type of abuse which they represented. This paper analyzes the characteristics of items designed to identify Physical Abuse and Physical Neglect, two types of abusive behavior included in the measures analyzed. Recommendations are made for improving methods for identifying elderly victims of Physical Abuse and Neglect, including the need to develop measures of sexual abuse; to specify techniques for distinguishing abuse/neglect from symptoms of normal aging; to clarify abuse/neglect symptoms more specifically; and to summarize case history data.
A prediction for the onset of cycle 23

The present sunspot cycle (number 22) is now in decline, having had its onset in September 1986, its primary maximum in July 1989, and a secondary maximum (of lower value) in 1991. Dependent upon whether cycle 22 is a short-or 1ong-period cycle, onset for cycle 23 w/II occur, respectively, either prior or subsequent to about July 1997. A relation is described, involving the slopes (i.e., the average rates of change in smoothed sunspot number values) as seen during the ascending and descending portions of the sunspot cycle, which appears to clarify, at least for cycle 22, the ambiguity of cycle length. In particular, the relation strongly suggests that cycle 22 is a short-period cycle and that onset for cycle 23 will come early rather than late, with the most probable date for cycle 23 onset being May-November 1996.
AMERICAN PSYCHOANALYSTS WHO INFLUENCED EUGENE O'NEILL'S LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT

Eugene O’Neill’s finest play, Long Day’s Journey Into Night, owes enormously to the direct and personal influence of two American psychoanalysts, Smith Ely Jelliffe and Gilbert VanTassel Hamilton. Each independently taught O’Neill as well as some of his co-workers psychoanalytic theory, and collaborated in projects leading to publications. Jelliffe and Hamilton steered O’Neill and his colleagues to the writings of Freud, Jung, Edward Kempf, and Adolf Meyer, and discussed the material with them. Thus, their orientation and therapeutic efforts infuse this American classic. Eugene O’Neill, a Nobel laureate often cited as the “father of American drama” (Gassner, 1967), spotlighted the troubled family, writing first of families in crises and later depicting them over many generations. Fascinated by family dynamics, he had embarked on a series of nine plays he called “the Cycle,” involving a single family line spanning 150 years, including their transition from Old to New World (Sheaffer, 1968; Weissman, 1957). Long Day’s Journey into Night is not in the Cycle, but it is O’Neill’s own autobiographic family drama. Dedicating the play to his wife, Carlotta, O’Neill wrote, “I mean it as a tribute to your love and tenderness which gave me the faith in love that enabled me to face my dead at last and write this play—write it with deep pity and understanding and forgiveness for all the four haunted Tyrones” (O’Neill, 1956, p. 7). O’Neill acknowledged that writing the play let him work through his conflictual feelings toward his family. Thus, the play illustrates the principles of reparation in a creative act as defined by Chasseguet-Smirgel (1984, p. 405).
Numerical analysis of neural networks

The dynamics of neural networks are usually described by nonlinear differential equations. Because of these nonlinearities, the equations cannot be exactly solved. The author presents numerical methods that can be employed to compute the solutions of interest. Although these methods are general, the conditions under which they are well behaved are developed in the specific context of neural networks. >
AIDS and the elderly of Thailand: projecting familial impacts.

We apply aggregate demographic analysis and computer microsimulation to project the number of older Thais who will lose children to AIDS during their own lifetimes and to assess their involvement with ill children through caregiving and coresidence. Parental bereavements from AIDS are predicted to peak at around 80,000 per year between 2003 and 2007. Despite an HIV prevalence of only 2%, 13% of Thais who were over age 50 as of 1995 are likely to experience the loss of at least one adult child to AIDS, and 12% of them will lose multiple children. The chance of losing an adult child during ones lifetime will be 70% higher than if there were no AIDS epidemic.
A Coevolutionary Residue Network at the Site of a Functionally Important Conformational Change in a Phosphohexomutase Enzyme Family

Coevolution analyses identify residues that co-vary with each other during evolution, revealing sequence relationships unobservable from traditional multiple sequence alignments. Here we describe a coevolutionary analysis of phosphomannomutase/phosphoglucomutase (PMM/PGM), a widespread and diverse enzyme family involved in carbohydrate biosynthesis. Mutual information and graph theory were utilized to identify a network of highly connected residues with high significance. An examination of the most tightly connected regions of the coevolutionary network reveals that most of the involved residues are localized near an interdomain interface of this enzyme, known to be the site of a functionally important conformational change. The roles of four interface residues found in this network were examined via site-directed mutagenesis and kinetic characterization. For three of these residues, mutation to alanine reduces enzyme specificity to ~10% or less of wild-type, while the other has ~45% activity of wild-type enzyme. An additional mutant of an interface residue that is not densely connected in the coevolutionary network was also characterized, and shows no change in activity relative to wild-type enzyme. The results of these studies are interpreted in the context of structural and functional data on PMM/PGM. Together, they demonstrate that a network of coevolving residues links the highly conserved active site with the interdomain conformational change necessary for the multi-step catalytic reaction. This work adds to our understanding of the functional roles of coevolving residue networks, and has implications for the definition of catalytically important residues.
Beam envelope mathching for beam guidance systems

Ray optics and phase ellipse optics are developed as tools for designing charged particle beam guidance systems. Specific examples of basic optical systems and of phase ellipse matching are presented as illustrations of these mathematical techniques.
Comment on Little et al. Recovery of Hypoglycemia Awareness in Long-standing Type 1 Diabetes: A Multicenter 2 × 2 Factorial Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Insulin Pump With Multiple Daily Injections and Continuous With Conventional Glucose Self-monitoring (HypoCOMPaSS). Diabetes Care 2014;37:2114–2122

I appreciate the intent of the study by Little et al. (1) to determine whether hypoglycemia awareness can be improved and severe hypoglycemia prevented through rigorous avoidance of biochemical hypoglycemia. However, I am troubled by the methodology and conclusions. The authors concluded that impaired awareness of hypoglycemia can be improved and recurrent severe hypoglycemia prevented in adults with long-standing type 1 diabetes through strategies deliverable in routine clinical practice. The care provided in the protocol could not be termed “routine” as none of the four study arms received conventional treatment. All arms received extensive interventions that included weekly contact, monthly follow-up visits, and …
The appearance of dry patches on a wetted wall

Abstract It is shown that the appearance of dry patches on a wetted wall may be explained as being a consequence of a hydrodynamic instability which only occurs at very low Reynolds numbers. A steady disturbance, periodic in the cross-stream direction but allowed to grow or decay in the downstream direction is imposed on the steady constant film thickness flow. This corresponds to the “roping” disturbance observed experimentally. A critical Reynolds number is found below which the flow is unstable.
APNEA MONITOR USE: AN INNER CITY EXPERIENCE. 816

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the parental ability to understand the indication for home monitor use, competence in using the equipment and pattern of use. Data was collected prospectively by administration of questionnaire during high risk clinic visit. Parents were interviewed after discontinuation of the monitor to obtain uninhibited response about the use at home per instruction.
Magnetic resonance study of the Mn2+ - lysozyme complex

Summary The binding of Mn 2+ to lysozyme has been determined (a) by measurement of the longitudinal relaxation rate of water protons in aqueous solutions containing lysozyme, MnCl 2 and Tris or acetate buffer; and (b) by examination of EPR spectra. The competition between Mn 2+ and Co 2+ for binding to lysozyme was also investigated. The data are consistent with a lysozyme - Mn 2+ complex involving Asp-52 and Glu-35. Contrary to the expected order of stability of Co 2+ and Mn 2+ coordination complexes with nitrogen and oxygen donor atoms, Mn 2+ binds more strongly than Co 2+ . Both Mn 2+ and Co 2+ are inhibitors of lysozyme activity.
β-Endorphin Production by the Fetal Leydig Cell: Regulation and Implications for Paracrine Control of Sertoli Cell Function*

Immunohistochemical evidence has indicated that β-endorphin (I8EP) is present in the Leydig cells of fetal, neonatal, and adult mice and hamsters. In vivo experiments suggest that hCG and/or testosterone may increase the synthesis and release of the peptide from the Leydig cell compartment. Since cultured fetal Leydig cells have considerable potential for long term studies and elucidation of trophic hormone actions in vitro, we evaluated βEP production in this system. Fetal Leydig cells were maintained in culture for 5 days in medium with 1 μg ovine LH added every third day in the presence or absence of inhibitors of cholesterol (aminoglutethimide) or pregnenolone metabolism (cyanoketone and spironolactone), or known regulators of βEP production [dexamethasone (DEX)]. Media were assayed for testosterone and βEP by RIA methods. 0EP accumulation over 3 and 5 days was markedly increased by inhibitors of steroid biosynthesis (1.5-fold) and reduced by DEX only after treatment for 5 days (by 50%). Acute hCG sti...
Modelling of transport phenomena and defects in crystal growth processes

A brief review of single crystal growth techniques and the associated problems is presented Emphasis is placed on models for various transport and defect phenorrem involved in the growth proces with the ultimate aim of intergrating them into a comprehensive mumerical model. The sources of dislocation nucleation in the growing erystal are discussed, and the propagation and multiplacation of these under the action of thermal stresses is discussed. A brief description of a high-level numerical technique based on multiple adaptive grid generation and finite volume diseretization is presented, followed by the result of a representative numerical simulation.
Polyethylene-starch extrudates as erodible carriers for bioactive materials: I. Erodibility and in vitro dye release studies.

The objective of the present investigation is to develop and evaluate polyethylene-starch based carriers for sustaining the release of bioactive materials. Polyethylene-starch carriers were prepared by incorporating various amounts of corn starch 0, 40, 80, and 100% in polyethylene beads with and without dye. Acid orange dye was incorporated (1%) to study release patterns and the effect of starch (%) on release. The granulated mixtures were extruded to form uniform dispersions of starch and polyethylene throughout the extrudate. The extrudates obtained were studied for SEM surface characterization before, during, and after release studies to study the erosion process. In the case of 100% starch, 80% of the matrix was eroded in 5 weeks, while with 40% and 80% starch, erosion was less than 20%. The dye release studies showed that release could be sustained well over 12 weeks, depending on the starch (%) incorporated. The erosion process was studied using scanning electron microscopic techniques, which showe...
An introduction to visibility modeling

In order to exploit current interferometers the observer needs to be familiar with the process of visibility modeling. We introduce the tools that are required to allow the construction of a proper visibility model. We start by recalling basic Fourier analysis and visibility notions. We then follow with the description of the essential visibility analytical building blocks and then show how to arrange them together in order to construct a more complex picture. As an example we construct an analytical model of the visibility curve expected from an accretion disk model. Finally we discuss few issues an observer should be aware of when modelling visibilities.
Abstract A53: Prostate cancer cell capture using immobilized inhibitors of prostate-specific membrane antigen.

Prostate circulating tumor cells (PCTCs) in the peripheral blood are shed from either a primary tumor or its metastases. These disseminated PCTCs are directly responsible for the most cancer deaths and the major cause of prostate cancer-related mortality. Therefore, elucidating the quantity of the exfoliated PCTCs in blood circulation can serve as an indicator for the clinical management in prostate cancer diseases by providing information on the success/failure of therapy. And the isolation and removal of PCTCs from circulation could potentially reduce prostate cancer metastasis. Furthermore, culturing and characterizing captured PCTCs from a patient is an attractive strategy for developing personalized treatment options. It has been established that prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is up-regulated and strongly expressed on prostate cancer cells associated with high grade primary, androgen independent, and metastatic tumors. While it is known that PSMA expression is heterogeneous in primary prostate tumors and metastases, completely PSMA negative prostate carcinomas are rare. The present study has outfitted streptavidin coated magnetic beads with a unique irreversible small-molecule PSMA inhibitor, Biotin-PEG12-CTT-54, and demonstrated that they can selectively capture PSMA + cells. The results demonstrated prostate cancer cells capturing is very specific and highly efficient, and high recovery and high viability were obtained. Subsequent in vitro propagation of these viable captured lymph node-based metastatic prostate LnCaP cells is possible without removal of magnetic beads on the cell surface. The results suggested that PCTCs enrichment by streptavidin coated magnetic beads with biotinated PSMA inhibitor has a high PCTC detection rate with an easy manual protocol, and can serve as an additional research tool and clinical assay in PCTC. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2011 Nov 12-16; San Francisco, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2011;10(11 Suppl):Abstract nr A53.
In vivo and in vitro studies of vanadate in human and rodent diabetes mellitus

In vivo vanadate and vanadyl have been shown to mimic the action of insulin and to be effective treatment for animal models of both Type I and Type II diabetes. The molecular mechanism of action of the vanadium salts on insulin sensitivity remains uncertain, and several potential sites proposed for the insulin-like effects are reviewed. In human trials, insulin sensitivity improved in patients with NIDDM, as well as in some patients with IDDM after two weeks of treatment with sodium metavanadate. This increase in insulin sensitivity was primarily due to an increase in non-oxidative glucose disposal, whereas oxidative glucose disposal and both basal and insulin stimulated suppression of hepatic glucose output (HGP) were unchanged. Clinically, oral vanadate was associated with a small decrease in insulin requirements in IDDM subjects. Of additional benefit, there was a decrease in total cholesterol levels in both IDDM and NIDDM subjects. Furthermore, there was an increase in the basal activities of MAP and S6 kinases to levels similar to the insulin-stimulated levels in controls, but there was little or no further stimulation with insulin was seen. Further understanding of the mechanism of vanadium action may ultimately be useful in the design of drugs that improve glucose tolerance.
Tensions Within Family Business-Owning Couples Over Time

The present study examined tensions generated by business issues for 187 family business-owning wives and husbands over a period of time. Family and business goal ranking identified the first priority goal of business owners (husbands) as positive reputation with customers and of wives (household managers) as good family relationships. The tension questions reflect the five conflict content areas of justice, role clarity, work/family balance, identity, and succession. Work/family and justice conflicts were the highest tension producers for both spouses in each time period. About 20% of wives and husbands reported higher work/family conflict in 2000 over 1997. Five out of seven business tensions statistically reduced from 1997 to 2000 for wives; three out of seven statistically reduced for husbands. Family FIRO model is proposed as an assessment and problem-solving model for working with family businesses.
Optimising computation of hexagonal differential gradient edge detector

It has recently been found that a hexagonal differential gradient operator can be considerably more efficient than the corresponding (Sobel) operator operating in a square lattice. The Letter shows that in the hexagonal case it is unnecessary to employ masks for directions other than 0° or 90°, and that in general greater efficiency can be achieved using x and y component masks: if these are used, computational savings can be made by using the standard vector component formulas for calculating intensity gradient and edge orientation.
Interdigitated silver-polymer-based antibacterial surface system activated by oligodynamic iontophoresis – An empirical characterization study

There is a pressing need to control the occurrences of nosocomial infections due to their detrimental effects on patient well-being and the rising treatment costs. To prevent the contact transmission of such infections via health-critical surfaces, a prophylactic surface system that consists of an interdigitated array of oppositely charged silver electrodes with polymer separations and utilizes oligodynamic iontophoresis has been recently developed. This paper presents a systematic study that empirically characterizes the effects of the surface system parameters on its antibacterial efficacy, and validates the system’s effectiveness. In the first part of the study, a fractional factorial design of experiments (DOE) was conducted to identify the statistically significant system parameters. The data were used to develop a first-order response surface model to predict the system’s antibacterial efficacy based on the input parameters. In the second part of the study, the effectiveness of the surface system was validated by evaluating it against four bacterial species responsible for several nosocomial infections – Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterococcus faecalis – alongside non-antibacterial polymer (acrylic) control surfaces. The system demonstrated statistically significant efficacy against all four bacteria. The results indicate that given a constant total effective surface area, the system designed with micro-scale features (minimum feature width: 20 μm) and activated by 15 μA direct current will provide the most effective antibacterial prophylaxis.
Umbrella Sampling Simulations of Biotin Carboxylase: Is a Structure with an Open ATP Grasp Domain Stable in Solution?

Biotin carboxylase is a homodimer that utilizes ATP to carboxylate biotin. Studies of the enzyme using X-ray crystallography revealed a prominent conformational change upon binding ATP. To determine the importance of this closing motion, the potential of mean force with the closure angle as a reaction coordinate was calculated using molecular dynamics simulations and umbrella sampling for a monomer of Escherichia coli biotin carboxylase in water with restraints to simulate attachment to a surface. The result suggests that the most stable state for the enzyme is a closed state different from both the ATP-bound and open state X-ray crystallography structures. There is also a significant motion of a region near the dimer interface not predicted by considering only open and closed configurations, which may have implications for the dynamics and activity of the dimer.
Temporal evolution of parent volatiles and dust in Comet 9P/Tempel 1 resulting from the Deep Impact experiment

Abstract The Deep Impact encounter with the Jupiter family Comet 9P/Tempel 1 on UT 2005 July 4 was observed at high spectral resolving power ( λ / δ λ ∼ 25 , 000 ) using the cross-dispersed near-infrared echelle spectrometer (NIRSPEC) at Keck-2. We report the temporal evolution of parent volatiles and dust (simultaneously measured) resulting from the event. Column abundances are presented for H2O and C2H6 beginning 30 min prior to impact ( T − 30 ) and ending 50 min following impact ( T + 50 ) , and for H2O and HCN from T + 50 until T + 96 , in time steps of approximately 6 min post-impact. The ejecta composition was revealed by an abrupt increase in H2O and C2H6 near T + 25 . This showed C2H6/H2O to be higher than its pre-impact value by a factor 2.4 ± 0.5 , while HCN/H2O was unchanged within the uncertainty of the measurements. The mixing ratios for C2H6 and HCN in the ejecta agree with those found in the majority of Oort cloud comets, perhaps indicating a common region of formation. The expanding dust plume was tracked by continuum measurements, both through the 3.5-μm spectral continuum and through 2-μm images acquired with the SCAM slit-viewing camera, and each showed a monotonic increase in continuum intensity following impact. A Monte Carlo model that included dust opacity was applied to the dust coma, and its parameters were constrained by observations; the simulated continuum intensities reproduced both spectral and SCAM data. The relatively sudden appearance of the volatile ejecta signature is attributed to heating of icy grains (perhaps to a threshold temperature) that are decreasingly shadowed by intervening (sunward) dust particles in an optically thick ejecta plume, perhaps coupled with an accelerated decrease in dust optical depth near T + 25 .
Bidirectional membrane traffic between the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus

Abstract Membrane traffic between the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus is a highly regulated process that uses distinct anterograde and retrograde pathways. These pathways link two organelles that together function as a dynamic membrane system specialized for the biosynthesis and sorting of membrane to be used thoughout the cell. The nature and underlying biochemical control of membrane transport along these pathways is thought to be tied to a common regulatory system involving assembly and disassembly of cytosolic proteins on membranes.
A third lineage with two-piece tmRNA

tmRNA combines tRNA and mRNA properties and helps bacteria to cope with stalled ribosomes. Its termini normally pair in the tRNA domain, closing the mRNA portion into a looping domain. A striking variation is a two-piece form that effectively breaks open the mRNA domain loop, resulting from independent gene permutation events in alphaproteobacteria and cyanobacteria. Convergent evolution to a similar form in separate bacterial lineages suggests that loop-opening benefits tmRNA function. This argument is strengthened by the discovery of a third bacterial lineage with a loop-opened two-piece tmRNA. Whereas most betaproteobacteria have one-piece tmRNA, a permuted tmRNA gene was found for Dechloromonas aromatica and close relatives. Correspondingly, two tmRNA pieces were identified, at approximately equal abundance and at a level one-fifteenth that of ribosomes, a 189 nt mRNA piece and a 65 nt aminoacylatable piece. Together these pieces were active with purified Escherichia coli translational components, but not alone. The proposed secondary structure combines common tmRNA features differently from the structures of other two-piece forms. The origin of the gene is unclear; horizontal transfer may be indicated by the similarity of the tRNA domain to that from a cyanobacterial two-piece tmRNA, but such transfer would not appear simple since the mRNA domain is most similar to that of other betaproteobacteria.
Regulation of Aurora-A Kinase Gene Expression via GABP Recruitment of TRAP220/MED1

The TRAP/Mediator coactivator complex serves as a functional interface between DNA-bound transactivators and the RNA polymerase II-associated basal transcription apparatus. TRAP220/MED1 is a variably associated subunit of the complex that plays a specialized role in selectively targeting TRAP/Mediator to specific genes. Ablation of the Trap220/Med1 gene in mice impairs embryonic cell growth, yet the underlying mechanism is unknown. In this report, we identified distinct cell growth regulatory genes whose expression is affected by the loss of TRAP220/MED1 by RNA interference. Among the down-regulated genes revealed by cDNA microarray analyses, we identified Aurora-A, a centrosome kinase that plays a critical role in regulating M phase events and is frequently amplified in several types of cancer. In general, we found that TRAP220/MED1 expression is required for high basal levels of Aurora-A gene expression and that ectopic overexpression of TRAP220/MED1 coactivates transcription from the Aurora-A gene promoter. Furthermore, chromatin immunoprecipitation assays show that TRAP220/MED1-containing TRAP/Mediator complexes directly bind to the Aurora-A promoter in vivo. Finally, we present evidence suggesting that TRAP/Mediator is recruited to the Aurora-A gene via direct interactions between TRAP220/MED1 and the Ets-related transcription factor GABP. Taken together, these findings suggest that TRAP220/MED1 plays a novel coregulatory role in facilitating the recruitment of TRAP/Mediator to specific target genes involved in growth and cell cycle progression.
Pictorial visualization of the entropy of thermodynamics

The term entropy was coined by Clausius [1]. He said: “I have felt it more suitable to take the names of important scientific quantities from the ancient languages in order that they may appear unchanged in all contemporary languages. Hence I propose that we call S the entropy of the body after the Greek word τρoπή, meaning transformation. I have intentionally formed the word entropy to be as similar as possible to the word energy since the two quantities that are given these names are so closely related in their physical significance that a certain likeness in their names has seemed appropriate.”
“More of the Truth”: The Use of Confession in Sherman Alexie's Ten Little Indians

Many of the characters in Sherman Alexie's short story collection, Ten Little Indians, engage in confessional relationships for its ritual value as a form that creates a ceremony of shared experience. The confessors, due to this revelatory witnessing, often find themselves reoriented toward a choice or range of action that had seemed closed off. It clarifies their own harbored transgressions, burdening guilt, or acute longing for meaning amid seemingly inscrutable events.
Identification of a cis-acting element of human dihydrofolate reductase mRNA

Human dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) is a critical target in cancer chemotherapy. Previous studies showed that an 82-nt RNA fragment within the DHFR mRNA protein-coding region functions as a DHFR cis-acting response element. In this study, we further investigated the key elements contained within this sequence that are required for the DHFR mRNA-DHFR protein interaction. Using enzymatic foot-printing assays and RNA-binding experiments, we isolated a 27-nt sequence (DHFR27, corresponding to nts 407-433), which bound with high affinity and specificity to human DHFR to form a ribonucleoprotein complex. In vivo transient transfection experiments using a luciferase reporter system revealed that DHFR27 RNA could repress the luciferase expression in a DHFR-dependent manner when placed upstream of luciferase mRNA. This work provides new insights into the essential molecular elements that mediate RNA-protein interactions.
The identification of rofA, a positive-acting regulatory component of prtF expression: use of an mγδ-based shuttle mutagenesis strategy in Streptococcus pyogenes

Binding of the Gram-positive pathogenic bacterium Streptococcus pyogenes (group A streptococcus) to respiratory epithelium is mediated by the fibronectin-binding adhesin, protein F. Most strains of streptococci regulate the expression of protein F in response to oxygen levels and redox potential; however, JRS4 constitutively binds high levels of fibronectin under all environmental conditions. In this study, we have examined the regulation of protein F expression in JRS4 using a shuttle mutagenesis strategy novel to S. pyogenes. Cloned DNA representing the chromosomal loci adjacent to the gene which encodes protein F (prtF) was subjected to transposon mutagenesis in Escherichia coli using a derivative of transposon m gamma delta that was modified to contain a streptococcal antibiotic-resistance gene. mutagenized DNA was then returned to the streptococcal chromosome by allelic replacement. Analysis of the resulting fibronectin-binding phenotypes revealed that insertions in a region upstream of prtF abolished the constitutive phenotype. However, these mutants now demonstrated regulation in response to both oxygen levels and redox potential. Because these insertions define a locus responsible for the constitutive phenotype, it has been designated rofA (regulator of F). Chromosomal interruption studies using integrational plasmids together with complementation data from a previous study (VanHeyningen et al., 1993) suggested that rofA acts as a positive trans-acting regulator of prtF. Construction of prtF-lacZ fusions indicated that transcription of prtF is constitutive in JRS4 but is regulated in rofA mutants. Analysis of the DNA sequence defined by the rofA insertions revealed a 1495 bp open reading frame, whose predicted product (RofA) possessed both a putative helix-turn-helix motif and limited homology to two other transcriptional activators (Mry, PrgR) of Gram-positive surface proteins. Sequences homologous to rofA were found in regulated strains of S. pyogenes, which suggests that rofA may act as an activator of prtF in response to an unidentified environmental signal. We speculate that the allele reported here contains a mutation that renders it constitutively active.
Computational investigation of pressure profiles in lipid bilayers with embedded proteins

The distribution of surface tension within a lipid bilayer, also referred to as the lateral pressure profile, has been the subject of theoretical scrutiny recently due to its potential to radically alter the function of biomedically important membrane proteins. Experimental measurements of the pressure profile are still hard to come by, leaving first-principles all-atom calculations of the profile as an important investigative tool. We describe and validate an efficient implementation of pressure profile calculations in the molecular dynamics package NAMD, capable of distinguishing between internal, bonded and nonbonded contributions as well as those of selected atom groups. The new implementation can also be used in conjunction with Ewald summation for long-range electrostatics, improving the accuracy and reproducibility of the calculated profiles. We then describe results of the calculation of a pressure profile for a simple protein–lipid system consisting of melittin embedded in a DMPC bilayer. While t...
Seedling performance of four sympatric Entandrophragma species (Meliaceae) under simulated fertility and moisture regimes of a Central African rain forest

Relative densities of mahogany species vary across tropical Africa and correspond with changes in soil fertility and moisture status. Seedling growth of four co-occurring African mahoganies (Entandrophragma spp.) was studied in relation to soil nutrient and moisture status in a shade-house experiment. On naturally occurring forest soils, E. cylindricum and E. utile exhibited increased relative growth rate (RGR) and decreased root mass ratio (RMR) with an increase in soil fertility while E. angolense and E. candollei did not. Changes in leaf morphology with fertility did not correspond to changes in species performance. On moist, fertile soils, E. angolense outperformed congeners but E. candollei performed equally well on moist infertile soils. Entandrophragma cylindricum performed as well as E. angolense and E. candollei on two of three soil moisture stress treatments but E. utile consistently performed poorly. Comparative seedling performance fitted well with limited available data on the distribution of Entandrophragma spp. in relation to soil fertility and moisture gradients and suggests that within-forest microsite heterogeneity may help explain the distribution of Entandrophragma species within the Dzanga-Sangha Dense Forest Reserve, Central African Republic.
Energy Recycling by Co-Combustion of Coal and Recovered Paint Solids from Automobile Paint Operations

Experiments were carried out in a pilot-scale pulverized coal combustor at the Energy and Environmental Research Center (EERC) burning a Powder River Basin (PRB) subbituminous coal. A scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS) and an electrical low-pressure impactor (ELPI) were used to measure the particle size distributions (PSDs) in the range of 17 nm to 10 μm at the inlet and outlet of the electrostatic precipitator (ESP). At the ESP inlet, a high number concentration of ultrafine particles was found, with the peak at approximately 75 nm. A trimodal PSD for mass concentration was observed with the modes at approximately 80-100 nm, 1-2 μm, and 10 μm. The penetration of ultrafine particles through the ESP increased dramatically as particle size decreased below 70 nm, attributable to insufficient or partial charging of the ultrafine particles. Injection of nanostructured fine-particle sorbents for capture of toxic metals in the flue gas caused high penetration of the ultrafine particles through the ESP. The conventional ESP was modified to enhance charging using soft X-ray irradiation. A slipstream of flue gas was introduced from the pilot-scale facility and passed through this modified ESP. Enhancement of particle capture was observed with the soft X-ray irradiation when moderate voltages were used in the ESP, indicating more efficient charging of fine particles.
Spiral computed tomography for staghorn calculi

Abstract Objectives To assess the utility of spiral computed tomography (CT) with three-dimensional reconstruction for preoperative planning of percutaneous nephrostolithotomy in patients with complex branched calculi (full staghorns). Methods Patients with complex branched stones were imaged with spiral CT with three-dimensional reconstruction. These images were compared with standard imaging modalities, including excretory urography and plain radiographs, for planning percutaneous access for nephrostolithotomy. The utility of the scan was evaluated. Results Ten patients with branched calculi were studied. Anatomic abnormalities were present in 5 patients. Excellent three-dimensional images were obtained in all patients without any complications related to the study. In 1 patient with multiple calculi in a horseshoe kidney, the three-dimensional image indicated a branched stone. The spiral CT scan was not helpful in directing percutaneous access in any patient. In a single patient, residual fragments noted during nephrostolithotomy were located by reference to the spiral CT scan. Conclusions Spiral CT scans with three-dimensional reconstruction provide three-dimensional imaging of branched renal calculi. This modality provides minimal additional information over that obtained from standard radiographic studies for guiding nephrostolithotomy and cannot be recommended as a routine preoperative study. It was helpful in 1 patient to locate a residual fragment.
Pollution-Tolerant Allele in Fingernail Clams (Musculium transversum)

For nearly 50 years, the fingernail clam (Musculium transversum) was believed to be virtually eliminated from the Illinois River. In 1991, workers began finding substantial populations of M. transversum in the Illinois River including several beds in and around the highly polluted Chicago Sanitary District. In order to determine if populations of M. transversum from polluted sites exhibited any genetic response to the high levels of toxins and to examine the genetic structure of several populations of M. transversum for any changes due to the population crash, starch-gel electrophoresis was performed on M. transversum from three Illinois River localities and four Mississippi River basin locations. The sampled populations produced an inbreeding coefficient (FIS) of 0.929, indicating that the populations were highly inbred. The results of a suspected founder effect due to a bottleneck was suggested by an FST= 0.442. The isozyme Glucose-6-phosphate isomerase-2 (Gpi-2) produced allelic frequency patterns that were consistent with expected patterns of a pollution-tolerant allele. Polluted sites exhibited elevated frequencies of Gpi-2 100 whereas nonpolluted sites exhibited elevated frequencies of Gpi-2 74 . This frequency pattern suggested that natural selection was occurring in populations under severe toxic pressures, leading to an increase in the frequency of the allele Gpi-2 100 . Therefore, Gpi-2 100 is a possible pollution-tolerant mutation in M. transversum.
Heterogeneity of fast-oxidative muscle fibers of chicken demonstrated by anti-myosin monoclonal antibodies.

The fiber type composition of two fast muscles of the chicken, namely, adductor superficialis (AS) and pectoralis major (PM) was examined by the histochemical myosin ATPase staining and immunochemical techniques using monoclonal antibodies (McAbs). Two new McAbs produced against the myosin of the anterior latissimus dorsi (ALD) muscle of the chicken and named ALD-122 and ALD-83 were characterized to be specific for myosin heavy chain (MHC) and for myosin light chain-1 respectively. They were used in conjunction with previously reported McAbs specific for slow MHC (ALD-47), fast MHC (MF-14) and fast light chain-2 (MF-5). By the histochemical ATPase test most muscle fibers of AS and PM muscles reacted as IIA and IIB respectively. By immunofluorescent staining with the anti-MHC McAbs, ALD-122, and MF-14, the fibers of AS, muscle showed remarkable heterogeneity whereas PM muscle fibers reacted, uniformly. Differences in the myosin light chain composition of AS and PM muscles were also found by SDS-gel electrophoresis and immunoblot analysis with the anti-light chain McAb, ALD-83. The study clearly indicated that the histochemically homogenous (type IIA) AS muscle is composed of several subpopulations of fibers which differ in their myosin composition and that this heterogeneity of the muscle is not simply due to presence of variable amounts of slow myosin in its fibers.
Magnetic Resonance Elastography for the Measurement of Annulus Fibrosus Material Properties

Intervertebral disc degeneration is characterized by a progressive cascade of structural, biochemical and biomechanical changes affecting the annulus fibrosus (AF), nucleus pulposus (NP) and end plates (EP). These changes are considered to contribute to the onset of back pain. It has been shown that mechanical properties of the AF and NP change significantly with degeneration [1,2]. Therefore, mechanical properties have the potential to serve as a biomarker for diagnosis of disc degeneration. Currently, disc degeneration is diagnosed based on the detection of structural and compositional changes using MRI, X-ray, discography and other imaging techniques. These methods, however, do not measure directly the mechanical properties of the extracellular matrix of the disc. Magnetic Resonance Elastography (MRE) is a technique that has been used to measure in vivo mechanical properties of soft tissue by applying a mechanical vibration and measuring displacements with a motion-sensitized MRI pulse sequence [3]. The mechanical properties (e.g., the shear modulus) are calculated from the displacement field using an inverse method. Since the applied displacements are in the order of few microns, fibers may not be stretched enough to remove crimping. Therefore, it is unknown if the anisotropy of the AF due to the contribution of the fibers is detectable using MRE. The objective of this study is twofold: to measure shear properties of AF in different orientations to determine the degree of AF anisotropy observable by MRE, and to identify the contribution of different AF constituents to the measured shear modulus by applying different biochemical treatments.© 2011 ASME
Episodic swimming behavior in the nematode C. elegans

Controlling the choice of behavioral output is a central function of the nervous system. Here we document a novel spontaneous behavioral transition in C. elegans locomotion. Upon transfer of the nematode from a solid surface into a liquid environment, swimming occurs in two phases: an initial, 1-2 h phase of continuous swimming, followed by a second phase during which swimming is episodic. During the second, episodic phase, periods of active swimming alternate in a highly regular fashion with a quiescent state lasting for several minutes. We analyzed the nature of the quiescent state and the basis for spontaneous switching between swimming and quiescence. The transition from swimming to quiescence is promoted by acetylcholine signaling and initially during quiescence body wall muscles are in a state of contraction. After the first minute, quiescent worms respond to prodding and resume swimming normally. The major command interneurons that control the locomotory circuits are not necessary for quiescence since swimming-quiescence cycling occurs after ablation of command interneurons. However, when subsets of neurons including the command interneurons are killed, the switching pattern becomes less regular, suggesting that a timer governing switching may lie within circuitry controlling motor neurons. The results show that the motor circuits have a tendency to switch spontaneously between active and inactive behavioral states. This property might be important to the animal in a uniform environment where sensory input is invariant.
Conducting Poly(3,4-alkylenedioxythiophene) Derivatives as Fast Electrochromics with High-Contrast Ratios

A series of alkyl-substituted and unsubstituted poly(3,4-alkylenedioxythiophene)s were synthesized electrochemically using 3,4-alkylenedioxythiophene derivative monomers where either the size of the alkylenedioxy ring or the nature of the pendent group was varied. The specific systems studied include 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT), 2-methyl-2,3-dihydrothieno[3,4-b][1,4]dioxine (EDOT-Me), 2-tetradecyl-2,3-dihydrothieno[3,4-b][1,4]dioxine (EDOT-C14H29), 2-phenyl-2,3-dihydrothieno[3,4-b][1,4]dioxine (EDOT-Ph), 3,4-dihydro-2H-thieno[3,4-b][1,4]dioxepine (ProDOT), 3-methyl-3,4-dihydro-2H-thieno[3,4-b][1,4]dioxepine (ProDOT-Me), 2,3,4,5-tetrahydrothieno[3,4-b][1,4]dioxocine (BuDOT), and 5,10-dihydrobenzo[f]thieno[3,4-b][1,4]dioxocine (BuDOT-Xyl). Optoelectrochemical experiments revealed that the nature of the substitution on the polymers had little effect on the extent of conjugation of the backbone as evidenced by electronic band gaps for all polymers of approximately 1.7 eV (730 nm). These electrochromic p...