cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Potential for reducing carbon emissions from non-Annex B countries through changes in technology

Abstract Continued questions surrounding the efficacy and enforceability of the Kyoto Protocol make it worthwhile to examine alternative, cost-effective approaches to climate policy. This paper examines the feasibility of an approach that does avoid the problem of targets and timetables, and concentrates on solving the most obvious gap in the Kyoto Protocol: how to change the future trajectory of emissions from the non-Annex B, Eastern European, and Former Soviet Union countries. The paper begins by estimating how large a near-term reduction in emissions could be achieved if these countries were moved to levels of carbon intensity of Annex B countries. This static calculation shows that such an improvement in China, India, Eastern Europe, and Russia would provide annual emission reductions two to three times as large as those to which the Annex B countries would be committed under the Kyoto Protocol in 2010. The paper also extends a dynamic model of economic growth with embodied technology improvement based on Swan [ Swan, T.W., 1956. Economic Growth and Capital Accumulation. Economic Record 32(2), 334–361. ] and Solow [Solow, R.M., 1960. Investment and Technology Progress, Stanford Symposium of Mathematical Methods in the Social Sciences, eds. Kenneth J. Arrow, Samuel Karlin, and Patrick Suppes, Stanford University Press.]. The key feature of this model is the new investment increases total factor productivity, by “embodying” new technology, and it can be adapted to include the assumption that new investment also embodies technology with lower carbon emissions. The model reveals that even though new investment in non-Annex B countries has far lower emissions per unit of output than the existing capital stock, new investment still does not embody the level of technology observed in Annex B countries. The model estimates that the potential for reducing emissions through changing technology in developing countries over the next 15 years is similar in magnitude to the reductions in emissions that would be achieved if all Annex B countries were to achieve their Kyoto Protocol emission caps.
Identifying damage in asphalt matrix materials surrounding an aggregate particle

Abstract In this study, damage in asphalt matrix surrounding an aggregate particle is modeled in ABAQUS, which is commercially available finite element software. Damage is identified by damage location, magnitude, and percentage damaged area in matrix under dry and wet conditions. Normal and shear stiffness of matrix material are determined in the laboratory. Model simulations are run considering thin and thick layers of matrix, two applied deformations considering tire pressure, and three deformation intensity patterns considering application time of the tire pressure. The results indicate that damage initiates at the surface and propagates towards the matrix–aggregate interface. Damage in the wet conditioned samples is higher than those in dry samples, which is expected, because wet samples have lower stiffness and strength than dry samples. In both dry and wet conditions, more damage occurred in the vicinity of the surface (cohesive damage) that in the interface (adhesive damage). Cohesive damage is higher than adhesive damage but matrix–aggregate interface is the weakest region since damage propagates towards interface without causing significant damage inside the matrix other than top surface of matrix. However, thicker matrix prevents adhesive damage by protecting damage progression towards interface. Damage increases while deformation magnitude and application time increases. The worst damage scenario observed for thin matrix with 1.27 mm (0.057 in.) deformation and for rectangular pattern; about 16.67% matrix–aggregate interface and 30.30% of the vicinity of surface area are damaged under wet condition.
THE IMPACT OF DIFFERING ORIENTATIONS OF LIBRARIANS ON THE PROCESS OF CHILDREN'S BOOK SELECTION: A CASE STUDY OF LIBRARY TENSIONS

This paper represents an attempt to apply current organizational theory to the understanding of a large juvenile library system's selection goals and guidelines. Writings on goal conflict within organizations suggest that the two groups characteristically involved in a large library's book selection process, the coordinators and branch librarians, would display differing orientations toward the process which would result in conflicting objectives and organizational tensions. A case study using nonparticipant observation, interviews, and a questionnaire survey was carried out to examine this hypothesis. The findings challenge the traditional view of forces guiding book selection in a children's library.
Photon self-absorption effects: a potentially large error in passive gamma- ray assays

Abstract A simple technique is presented which can be used to quantify the self-absorption of photons emitted from a radioactive particle.
Evaluation of Laboratory Directed Research and Development investment areas at Sandia

Abstract Sandia National Laboratories conducts a variety of research projects each year under its Laboratory-Directed Research and Development (LDRD) program. Recently, information visualization techniques have been used with corporate data to map several LDRD investment areas for the purpose of understanding strategic overlaps and identifying potential opportunities for future development outside of our current technologies. Tools, techniques, and specific analyses are presented here. We find that these tools and techniques hold great promise for aiding the future direction of the science and technology enterprise.
Running activity and gastric ulcers in the rat.

Nachweis von Magenulzerationen und Magenerosionen bei Albinoratten nach bestimmter Futterung und nachherigem Laufkafig-Aufenthalt. Problem der Stressulzeration und die Rolle der Diat werden erortert.
Embedding of Micro Thin Film Sensors Into Polycrystaline Cubic Boron Nitride (PCBN) for Potential Tooling Applications Via Diffusion Bonding

The operative range of existing sensors is very limited with respect to withstanding harsh environments (high temperature or pressure, severe strains, etc.). Additionally, available sensors are limited in spatial and temporal resolution due to their large size. This paper reports on design, fabrication and characterisation of embedded sensors for harsh environment application. Using microfabrication techniques along with diffusion bonding, thin film palladium-13wt% chromium micro strain gages were successfully embedded into Polycrystalline Cubic Boron Nitride (PCBN). The proposed sensors were able to withstand the high temperature diffusion bonding process. After embedding, the sensors were still functional and showed good linearity and sensitivity.
The coelomic elements of sea urchins (Strongylocentrotus) I. The normal coelomocytes; Their morphology and dynamics in hanging drops

Abstract The cells found in the coelom (coelomocytes) of Strongylocentrotus purpuratus , the purple sea urchin, and Strongylocentrotus franciscanus , the red sea urchin, can be maintained for long periods in hanging drops. The morphological changes, clotting mechanisms, and in vitro reactions undergone by the various coelomocyte types can be followed with ease. The four cell types present are phagocytic leukocytes, vibratile cells, red spherule cells, and colorless spherule cells. On contact with a surface, the phagocytic leukocytes change from bladder amoebocytes to flattened syncytial cells. Within the liquid they form permanent aggregations composed of cells which do not lose the plasma membranes to form plasmodia. Other cell types are caught passively in the aggregations. Apparently only the phagocytic leukocyte is involved in cellular clotting, and extracellular gelling of the coelomic fluid was not observed. A special lysing cell type which initiates clotting was not found despite suggestions in the literature that cell aggregation in echinoids is dependent upon such a mechanism. Under adverse conditions small aggregations of cells will form plasmodia but in large clots only the surface cells form a syncytial membrane while plasma membranes of the interior cells appear to remain intact. It has been though that the function of vibratile cells is to mix the fluid and cells of the capacious and nonmuscular echinoid coelom. In hanging drops, vibratile cells are not efficient in mixing the fluid or in moving cells from one place to another. However, both in vivo and in vitro they will release a portion of a mucoid compound present in their cytoplasm when stressed by intrusion of fluid from the gut into the coelom or hanging drop. The temporary semigel thus formed may operate in limiting spread of gut fluid or other foreign material through the coelom.
Diethyldithiocarbamate Potentiates the Neurotoxicity of In Vivo l‐Methyl‐4‐Phenyl‐1, 2, 3, 6‐Tetrahydropyridine and of In Vitro 1‐Methyl‐4‐Phenylpyridinium

Diethyldithiocarbamic acid (DDC) potentiates in vivo neurotoxicity of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1, 2, 3, 6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) and in vitro neurotoxicity of 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+). Male C57B1/6 mice were given two or five injections of MPTP (30 rag/kg i.p.) preceded 0.5 h by DDC (400 mg/kg i.p.). The mice were tested for catalepsy, akinesia, or motor activity during and after the period of dosing. Striatal and hippocampal tissues were obtained at 2 and 7 days following the last injection and evaluated for dopamine and norepinephrine levels, respectively. These same tissues were also analyzed for the levels of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), an astrocyte-localized protein known to increase in response to neural injury. Pretreatment with DDC potentiated the effect of MPTP in striatum and resulted in substantially greater dopamine depletion, as well as a more pronounced elevation in GFAP. In hippocampus, the levels of norepinephrine and GFAP were not different from controls in mice receiving only MPTP, but pretreatment with DDC resulted in a sustained depletion of norepinephrine and an elevation of GFAP, suggesting that damage was extended to this brain area by the combined treatment. Mice receiving MPTP preceded by DDC also demonstrated a more profound, but reversible, catalepsy and akinesia compared to those receiving MPTP alone. Systemically administered MPP+ decreased heart norepinephrine, but did not alter the striatal levels of dopamine or GFAP, and pretreatment with DDC did not alter these effects, but did increase lethality. DDC is known to increase brain levels of MPP+ after MPTP, but our data indicate that this is not due to a movement of peripherally generated MPP+ into CNS. In cultured bovine adrenal medullary cells, MPP+ (300 μM) slightly decreased catecholamine levels, but had no effect on tyrosine hydroxylase activity or cellular protein. However, the incubation of these cells with both MPP+ and DDC (1.5 or 3.0 mM) caused large decreases in all indicators of cell viability. The enhancement of MPP+ neurotoxicity by DDC in an in vitro system, where distributional factors are limited, raises die possibility that mechanisms in addition to altered kinetics may account for DDC-induced potentiation of MPTP neurotoxicity in vivo.
Eurasian polities as hybrid regimes: The case of Putin's Russia

Abstract Most Eurasian countries' political systems are not accurately described as some version of either democracy or authoritarianism. Nor does it advance social science to study each of these countries' political systems as being completely unique, sharing no significant commonalities with those of other countries. Instead, it is more fruitful to understand many Eurasian countries as a type of hybrid regime, a system that combines important elements of both democracy and autocracy in some way. One of the most important features of Eurasia's hybrid regimes, one that is shared by many hybrid regimes worldwide, is that they combine contested elections with pervasive political clientelism. Political developments in these countries can thus be usefully understood as machine politics, and the development of political systems can be understood as processes of rearranging the components of the machines in different ways. The usefulness of this approach is demonstrated through an in-depth study of the Russian Federation. It is argued that Russian political development under Putin is best understood not as “authoritarianization” but as a process in which Russia transitioned from a system of “competing pyramids” of machine power to a “single-pyramid” system, a system dominated by one large political machine. It turns out that in single-pyramid systems that preserve contested elections, as does Russia, public opinion matters more than in typical authoritarian regimes.
Effect of potassium cyanate on the catalytic activities of carbamyl phosphate synthetase

Summary Potassium cyanate has the following effects on the catalytic activities exhibited by carbamyl phosphate synthetase (from E. coli ): Glutamine-dependent carbamyl phosphate synthesis and ATP- and bicarbonate-dependent L- γ -glutamyl hydroxamate hydrolysis activities are inhibited, bicarbonate-dependent ATPase activity is stimulated by nearly 3-fold, synthesis of ATP from carbamyl phosphate and ADP is not affected, and the apparent K m value for ammonia in the ammonia-dependent carbamyl phosphate synthesis reaction is decreased. Saturation kinetics are obtained when the effect of cyanate concentration is measured, and half maximal effect of cyanate is observed with a concentration of about 2 mM. These effects of potassium cyanate thus closely resemble those observed after treatment of this enzyme with L-2-amino-4-oxo-5-chloropentanoic acid. The present studies strongly suggest that cyanate, like the chloroketone, reacts at the glutamine binding site on the light subunit of the enzyme.
Immune responses during acute and chronic infection with hepatitis C virus

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) induces persistent infection and causes chronic liver disease in most infected patients. Vigorous HCV-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses against HCV multiple epitopes are necessary for spontaneous viral clearance during the acute phase, but the virus appears to have multiple strategies to evade these defenses. There are relatively few studies on the role of immune responses during the chronic phase of infection. CD4+ T cell responses appear to protect against liver injury and may be important to clearance during interferon and ribavirin based therapy. Classic cytotoxic T cells (CTL) may primarily damage the liver in chronic HCV, but there may be subpopulations of T cells that protect against liver inflammation. Resolution of these outstanding questions is important to the development of a prophylactic vaccine as well as improving therapeutic options for those with chronic infection.
Seasonal dynamics of dry weight, growth rate and root/shoot ratio in different aged seedlings of Salix caprea

Willows (e.g. Salix caprea L.) are deciduous and richly branched shrubs or small trees. Salix caprea shows a high adaptability to different habitat conditions. One way of evaluating this adaptability is to measure willow biomass and production. Young plants of S. caprea were sampled from the bottom of an artificial lagoon in which sediments removed from the local Vajgar fishpond were deposited. The bottom of the lagoon was overgrown by vegetation dominated by seedlings of the willows S. caprea and S. aurita. Willows grew in the lagoon at average density of 58 plants per m2. The biomass production and growth of S. caprea were determined for 15 samples (collected from 315 individuals) during the growing season. Annual net dry matter production in the whole community was estimated for 2.7 kg m−2. Willows are generally considered to be fast-growing plants. The highest RGR of willows recorded by us was 0.03 to 0.04 g g−1 d−1 both in the stems and roots. This value was often recorded from July to August.
Equivalence of Paper-and-Pencil and Online Administration Modes of the Statewide English Test for Students With and Without Disabilities

This study investigated whether scores obtained from the online and paper-and-pencil administrations of the statewide end-of-course English test were equivalent for students with and without disabilities. Score comparability was evaluated by examining equivalence of factor structure (measurement invariance) and differential item and bundle functioning analyses for the online and paper groups. Results supported measurement invariance between the online and paper groups, suggesting that it is meaningful to compare scores across administration modes. When the data were analyzed at both the item and item bundle (content area) levels, similar performance appeared between the online and paper groups.
Educational application integration with digital repository

The value of a digital repository increases tremendously when applications use the content in innovative ways. Tufts University has developed its repository based on the Fedora framework using the principles of service oriented architecture. The repository features innovative content models allowing the digital objects within the Tufts Digital Repository to be accessible through a variety of applications, including Perseus, Artifact, Tufts Digital Library (TDL) and Visual Understanding Environment (VUE). The poster will present the underlying architecture including latest services and their use in Educational Applications.
Extracellular matrix and cytoskeletal dynamics during branching morphogenesis

Branching morphogenesis is a fundamental developmental process which results in amplification of epithelial surface area for exchanging molecules in organs including the lung, kidney, mammary gland and salivary gland. These complex tree-like structures are built by iterative rounds of simple routines of epithelial morphogenesis, including bud formation, extension, and bifurcation, that require constant remodeling of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and the cytoskeleton. In this review, we highlight the current understanding of the role of the ECM and cytoskeletal dynamics in branching morphogenesis across these different organs. The cellular and molecular mechanisms shared during this morphogenetic process provide insight into the development of other branching organs.
Carbamylation of human HbF on carboxy methyl cellulose column in 8 M urea pH 6.7.

Abstract Biochemical and immunochemical methods were utilized to establish whether a protein fraction eluted from a carboxy methyl cellulose column by the Clegg technique was a modified gamma (Y) chain of human HbF and should be included with the alpha/non-alpha ratios used to calculate balanced globin synthesis in determination of thalassemia. This component which eluted prior to the gamma chain fraction was found to be different from the gamma chain of human HbF judged by isoelectric point and electrophoretic mobility. However, it was similar to the gamma chain by immunochemical reactivity. Thus, this component should be incorporated into the calculations of the gamma chain when fractionations of hemoglobin by the Clegg column procedure is used to establish the diagnosis of thalassemia.
The effect of two levels of muscular work on urinary creatinine excretion.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine whether there is a substantial increase in urinary creatinine excretion (UCE) as a result of muscular work and, specifically, to determine whether any increase is related to the intensity of the muscular work. Six male subjects participated in four separate tests, two on designated control days (no exercise) and the remaining two on designated exercise days. On the exercise days, the subjects ran on a treadmill for one hour at specified submaximal work loads. On one of the exercise days, the subjects ran at 50% of their [Vdot]O2 max and on the other day they ran at 70% of their [Vdot]O2 max. The quantity of creatinine excreted as a result of the 70% work load was significantly (p < .01) decreased when compared to the UCE on the two control days and the 50% work load day. The quantity of UCE resulting from the 50% work load was not significantly different (p < .05) from the two control days. These data also indicate a large variability in the hourly rates...
Circulating fluidized bed combustion product addition to acid soil: alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) composition and environmental quality.

To reduce S emissions, petroleum coke with a high concentration of S was combusted with limestone in a circulating fluidized bed (CFB) boiler. The combustion process creates a bed product that has potential for agricultural uses. This CFB product is often alkaline and enriched in S and other essential plant nutrients, but also contains high concentrations of Ni and V. Agricultural land application of CFB product is encouraged, but little information is available related to plant responses and environmental impacts. CFB product and agricultural lime (ag-lime) were applied at rates of 0, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 times the soil's lime requirement (LR) to an acidic soil (Wooster silt loam). The 2.0× LR application rate of CFB product was equivalent to 67.2 Mg ha-1. Alfalfa yield was increased 4.6 times by CFB product and 3.8 times by ag-lime compared to untreated control. Application of CFB product increased the concentration of V in soil and alfalfa tissue, but not in soil water, and increased the concentration of ...
Plastic Surgery and the Teenage Patient

Over the past year, the media have reported an increase in the number of teenagers undergoing plastic surgery, and with a tone of faint alarm have suggested that this merits some cultural self-scrutiny. This paper presents the statistics on the number and types of plastic surgery operations done in teenagers over the last eight years and discusses these in the context of cultural influences and societal concepts of beauty. The reason to have plastic surgery is psychological and involves body image, which is defined as the subjective perception of the body as it is seen through the mind's eye. To explain why changing the external appearance affects personality and behavior, the complex psychological reactions that occur after an operation that alters the size or shape of a body part are reviewed. Body image development occurs in stages, and puberty stands out as a particularly sensitive time as the teenager undergoes major changes in his or her physical appearance and does this at a time of heightened vulnerability to the opinion of others. Plastic surgery to correct a truly unattractive feature is enormously successful and remarkably free of conflict in this population. Teenagers undergo a rapid reorganization of their self-image after plastic surgery with subsequent positive changes in behavior and interpersonal interactions. The key to achieving success with plastic surgery is patient selection. The core value of the surgery lies not in the objective beauty of the visible result, but in the patient's opinion of and response to the change. Good patient management includes selecting candidates with clear and realistic expectations who are free of psychopathology. There must be true informed consent and attention to psychological issues must continue into the postoperative period. It is the responsibility of the patient's physician and plastic surgeon to recognize a need for psychiatric evaluation and to help the patient get this as needed. The eight operations most commonly done in the teenage population are rhinoplasty, ear surgery, reduction mammoplasty, surgery for asymmetric breasts, excision of gynecomastia, augmentation mammoplasty, chin augmentation, and suction assisted lipoplasty. Each of these is reviewed with regard to techniques, expectations, risks, and logistics. Guidelines for timing the referral of teenage patients for plastic surgery evaluation are given.
Partial Resolution of DL-Adenosine by Template Synthesis

D-Adenosine-5'-phosphorimidazolide reacts very much more rapidly with D-adenosine than with L-adenosine on a poly-D-uridylic acid template. This permits the partial resolution of DL-adenosine. These experiments suggest that segregation of D- and L-nucleotides may have occurred at an early stage in biochemical evolution.
Fluorescence lifetime based characterization of active and tunable plasmonic nanostructures

We report a non-contact method that utilizes fluorescence lifetime (FL) to characterize morphological changes of a tunable plasmonic nanostructure with nanoscale accuracy. The key component of the plasmonic nanostructure is pH-responsive polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEMs), which serve as a dynamically tunable “spacer” layer that separates the plasmonic structure and the fluorescent materials. The validity of our method is confirmed through direct comparison with ellipsometry and atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements. Applying the FL-based approach, we find that a monolayer polycation film responds to pH changes with significantly less hysteresis than a thicker multilayer film with polyelectrolytes of both charges. Additionally, we characterize an active and tunable plasmonic nanostructure composed of self-assembled fluorescent dye (Texas Red), pH-sensitive PEMs, and gold nanospheres adsorbed on the PEM surface. Our results point towards the possibility of using stimulus-sensitive polymers to construct active and tunable plasmonic nanodevices.
Effect of Common Excipients on Caco-2 Transport of Low-Permeability Drugs

The Biopharmaceutics Classification System (BCS) allows waivers of in vivo bioequivalence for rapidly dissolving immediate-release (IR) formulations of drugs with high solubility and high permeability. One potential issue in possibly extending BCS biowaivers to low-permeability drugs is the potential for excipients to modulate the intestinal permeability of the drug. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of nine individual excipients on the Caco-2 permeability of seven low-permeable compounds that differ in their physiochemical properties. Generally, most excipients had no influence on drug permeability. With the exception of sodium lauryl sulfate, no excipient affected Caco-2 monolayer integrity. Sodium lauryl sulfate moderately increased the permeability of almost all the drugs. Tween 80 significantly increased the apical-to-basolateral direction permeability of furosemide, cimetidine, and hydrochlorothiazide, presumably by inhibiting their active efflux, without affecting mannitol permeability. Additionally, docusate sodium moderately increased cimetidine permeability. Other excipients did not have significant effect on the permeability of these three drugs. Further work is needed to interpret the in vivo consequences of these observations from cell culture.
High-density endocardial activation mapping of the right atrium in three dimensions by composition of multielectrode catheter recordings

Abstract The use of radiofrequency ablation for treatment of complex arrhythmia substrates has prompted interest in transcatheter endocardial activation mapping. Technical constraints on catheter fabrication and the intention to use such maps to guide ablation both demand innovative approaches to mapping. A fluoroscopically based endocardial mapping technique is proposed to improve the ability of electrophysiologists to interpret large amounts of data acquired using multielectrode catheter arrays, improving their ability to visualize the data and act on its content. This technique addresses previous limitations imposed by the number of electrodes that can be deployed and by the difficulty in determining their relative spatial locations. It is based on the composition of multiple activation sequence mappings made in a single rhythm, with the spatial locations of recording electrode pairs determined in orthogonal fluoroscopic views referenced to stable intrathoracic markers. Rather than imposing a geometry determined primarily by the measurement apparatus, the spatial locations of only those electrodes in proximity to the endocardial surface, as determined by their ability to record bipolar electrograms, are measured. In this manner, the geometry of the endocardium may be approximated by measurements made of electrode position. Using this approach, the number of endocardial sites that can be sampled in a stable rhythm is theoretically unlimited, resulting in the realization of high-resolution activation maps. Spatiotemporal data may be used to create three-dimensional activation sequence maps, displayed as animated sequences. This technique was used in anatomically normal and diseased human right atria to create activation maps of sinus and paced rhythms, classic atrial flutter, and postoperative intraatrial reentrant tachycardia, using a median of 108 electrode positions (range, 27–197) in 25 maps. The activation sequences represented by these maps were diverse, but qualitatively concordant with known mechanisms of atrial activation. High-density catheter-based activation mapping of the right atrium is feasible and may improve understanding of complex arrhythmias and assist in the development of ablative techniques. Further research is needed on the spatial correlation between cardiac anatomy and fluorography, suppression of spatial artifact, and optimal mapping densities.
L4: An FPGA-Based Accelerator for Detailed Maze Routing

This paper describes an FPGA-based accelerator for maze routing applications such as integrated circuit detailed routing. The accelerator efficiently supports multiple layers, multi-terminal nets, and rip up and reroute. By time-multiplexing multiple layers over a two-dimensional array of processing elements, this approach can support multi-layer grids large enough for detailed routing while providing at 1-2 orders of magnitude speedup over software running on a modern desktop computer. The current implementation supports a 32 times 32 routing grid with up to 16 layers in a single Xilinx XC2V6000 FPGA. Up to 64 times 64 routing grids are feasible in larger commercially available FPGAs. Performance measurements (including interface overhead) show a speedup of 29X-93X over the classic Lee Algorithm and 5X-19X over the A* Algorithm. An improved interface design could yield significantly larger speedups.
Suicide-substrate inactivation of β-galactosidase by diazomethyl -β-D-galactopyranosyl ketone

Abstract Diazomethyl β- d -galactopyranosyl ketone (1) has been proven to be a mechanism-based, irreversible (suicide-substrate) inactivator of Aspergillus oryzae β- d -galactosidase, but not an inactivator of E. coli lacZ β- d -galactosidase. Compound 1 is stable in buffers of normal physiological pH. It is decomposed by H+, but not by nucleophiles. Inactivation of A. oryzae β- d -galactosidase was proven to be mechanism-based and irreversible via experiments which showed that the enzyme could be protected from inactivation by a competitive inhibitor, neither diazomethyl β- d -glucopyranosyl ketone (2) nor diazomethyl α- d -galactopyranosyl ketone inactivated the enzyme and therefore inactivation is stereospecific, excess inhibitor could be separated from inactive enzyme without regain of activity and therefore it is bound irreversibly, and a second pulse of enzyme is inactivated at the same rate as enzyme inactivated to 95% activity by the first pulse. Diazomethyl β- d -glucopyranosyl ketone (2) inhibited sweet almond β- d -glucosidase.
Pin1 modulates ERα levels in breast cancer through inhibition of phosphorylation-dependent ubiquitination and degradation

Estrogen receptor-alpha (ERα) is an important biomarker used to classify and direct therapy decisions in breast cancer (BC). Both ERα protein and its transcript, ESR1, are used to predict response to tamoxifen therapy, yet certain tumors have discordant levels of ERα protein and ESR1, which is currently unexplained. Cellular ERα protein levels can be controlled post-translationally by the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway through a mechanism that depends on phosphorylation at residue S118. Phospho-S118 (pS118-ERα) is a substrate for the peptidyl prolyl isomerase, Pin1, which mediates cis-trans isomerization of the pS118-P119 bond to enhance ERα transcriptional function. Here, we demonstrate that Pin1 can increase ERα protein without affecting ESR1 transcript levels by inhibiting proteasome-dependent receptor degradation. Pin1 disrupts ERα ubiquitination by interfering with receptor interactions with the E3 ligase, E6AP, which also is shown to bind pS118-ERα. Quantitative in situ assessments of ERα protein, ESR1, and Pin1 in human tumors from a retrospective cohort show that Pin1 levels correlate with ERα protein but not to ESR1 levels. These data show that ERα protein is post-translationally regulated by Pin1 in a proportion of breast carcinomas. As Pin1 impacts both ERα protein levels and transactivation function, these data implicate Pin1 as a potential surrogate marker for predicting outcome of ERα-positive BC.
Overweight status and depressive symptoms during adolescence

Abstract Purpose To: (a) extend previous research on the association between overweight status and depressive symptoms among adults to adolescents, (b) consider whether this association varies across social structural contexts and school context, and (c) explore additional mechanisms linking overweight status to depressive symptoms. Methods We used survey regression procedures to analyze data from the first wave of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. Degree of overweight was indicated by body mass index (BMI), which we calculated using self-reported height and weight information, whereas depressive symptoms were assessed with the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Data were analyzed to determine (a) the social groups in which being overweight was least common, (b) the association between overweight status and depressive symptoms, and (c) potential mediators of the association between relative weight and symptoms of depression, including dieting and self-rated health. The analytic sample contained 18,924 adolescents aged 11 to 21 years (mean age was 15.68). Approximately half the sample consisted of females (n = 9634). Results Adjusting for exercise and sociodemographic characteristics, we found that relative weight was associated with depressive symptoms for girls but not boys. For both, the association between overweight status and symptoms of depression was stronger among adolescents in lower grades. Dieting explained the positive association between relative weight and depressive symptoms for girls, whereas self-rated health mediated the association between relative weight and symptoms of depression for adolescents in lower grades. Conclusion To fully understand both the physical and mental health consequences of adolescent obesity, the social dimension of weight must be examined.
Topographic differences between normals and schizophrenics: the N120 evoked potential component.

Topographic differences in evoked potentials were measured in 20 off-medication chronic schizophrenics and 24 normal controls. Four intensities of brief electrical shocks were administered to the subject’s right forearm in a random order at 1-second intervals. Evoked potentials (EPs) were recorded from the scalp over the left hemisphere. The EP data from 16 left hemisphere leads were used to generate EP maps of brain response for individual subjects. The maps were normalized by z transformation. Group mean maps of EP activity and unpaired t tests were then computed. Normals showed strongly localized activity in the pre- and postcentral gyri, with increasing intensity resulting in the attenuation of parietal response. Schizophrenics showed more diffuse EP activity which did not vary with intensity. Significant differences between normals and schizophrenics were found for all four intensities in posterior frontal and anterior parietal cortex. This is consistent with the findings of small EPs reported by others in the somatosensory, visual and auditory modalities.
Reply to Chapman: Perfect imperfection?

I welcome Chapman’s (1) commentary on the etiology of molecular flaws in the human genome. If I understand his argument correctly, the human genome provides a biological example of a small world network (SWN), because its multitudinous components have become self-configured (under the influence of natural selection) in ways that tend to maximize genomic stability and resiliency, while nevertheless, leaving this otherwise imperfect molecular system highly vulnerable to focused insults such as particular deleterious mutations. I find this hypothesis to be quite interesting both scientifically and theologically. It is scientifically useful, because it raises several questions that, in principle, might be addressed empirically and/or logically (2). For example, what kinds of network structures are, in theory, most robust, and does natural selection truly promote maximally robust SWNs? The hypothesis is also theologically intriguing (3). Chapman states (1), “[i]f I were the creator, I would organize the genome as an SWN.” In some ways, this sentiment harkens back to a famous statement by Dobzhansky (4): “I am a creationist and an evolutionist. Evolution is God’s, or Nature’s method of creation.”
The Role and Place of Fear In What it Means to Teach and to Learn1

A dominant theme arising out of a research project concerned with elucidating theory–practice relations in prospective and practicing teachers is the role and place of fear in what it means to teach and to learn. The text for this paper grew out of extended conversations the researcher had with 12 of these participants forming a self‐study research group centered on reconfiguring the concept of fear as holding agency within teaching and learning. Fear and its relation to the lives of teachers is examined alongside these 12 teachers naming fear as an internal concept they grapple with daily in their teaching/learning practices as they confront the given risks and opportunities inherent within the acts of teaching and learning. Participating teachers portray fear as a disconnect between self and other(s) that contains and restrains their practices, compartmentalizing knowledge, separating pedagogy from content, and theory from practice, halting fear as a moving force to be grappled with through deliberation...
Characterizing the structure of lipodisq nanoparticles for membrane protein spectroscopic studies.

Abstract Membrane protein spectroscopic studies are challenging due to the difficulty introduced in preparing homogenous and functional hydrophobic proteins incorporated into a lipid bilayer system. Traditional membrane mimics such as micelles or liposomes have proved to be powerful in solubilizing membrane proteins for biophysical studies, however, several drawbacks have limited their applications. Recently, a nanosized complex termed lipodisq nanoparticles was utilized as an alternative membrane mimic to overcome these caveats by providing a homogeneous lipid bilayer environment. Despite all the benefits that lipodisq nanoparticles could provide to enhance the biophysical studies of membrane proteins, structural characterization in different lipid compositions that closely mimic the native membrane environment is still lacking. In this study, the formation of lipodisq nanoparticles using different weight ratios of POPC/POPG lipids to SMA polymers was characterized via solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (SSNMR) spectroscopy and dynamic light scattering (DLS). A critical weight ratio of (1/1.25) for the complete solubilization of POPC/POPG vesicles has been observed and POPC/POPG vesicles turned clear instantaneously upon the addition of the SMA polymer. The size of lipodisq nanoparticles formed from POPC/POPG lipids at this weight ratio of (1/1.25) was found to be about 30 nm in radius. We also showed that upon the complete solubilization of POPC/POPG vesicles by SMA polymers, the average size of the lipodisq nanoparticles is weight ratio dependent, when more SMA polymers were introduced, smaller lipodisq nanoparticles were obtained. The results of this study will be helpful for a variety of biophysical experiments when specific size of lipid disc is required. Further, this study will provide a proper path for researchers working on membrane proteins to obtain pertinent structure and dynamic information in a physiologically relevant membrane mimetic environment. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: NMR Spectroscopy for Atomistic Views of Biomembranes and Cell Surfaces. Guest Editors: Lynette Cegelski and David P. Weliky.
The effect of resuspension on the fate of total mercury and methyl mercury in a shallow estuarine ecosystem: a mesocosm study

Sediments are the major repository of mercury in estuaries and could be a significant source of Hg to the overlying water column via release from the solid phase during resuspension. There is, however, little information on the effect of resuspension on Hg partitioning and release to the water column. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of resuspension on the cycling of THg and MeHg between the water column and the sediment. Tidal resuspension was simulated using the MEERC STORM facility. The facility can mimic both realistic bottom shear stress and water column turbulence simultaneously. There were three replicates of each resuspension (R) and no resuspension (NR) mesocosms. Two 4-week experiments were conducted in July and October of 2001: experiment 1 without clams and experiment 2 with clams. Both experiments showed that resuspension of muddy sediment introduced significantly higher particulate THg to the water column as TSS increased. The results suggest that THg was mostly bound to sediment particles with very little release during the resuspension events. In contrast, particulate MeHg was significantly lower in the R tanks where sediment particles with poor MeHg were dominant in the water column during the resuspension events. Dissolved THg and MeHg did not change in concert with changes in particulate load, suggesting that the dynamics between dissolved and particulate phases for both THg and MeHg cannot be explained by an equilibrium partitioning.
Optimal QT interval correction formula in sinus tachycardia for identifying cardiovascular and mortality risk: Findings from the Penn Atrial Fibrillation Free study

Background The QT interval measures cardiac repolarization, and prolongation is associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes and death. The exponential Bazett correction formula overestimates the QT interval during tachycardia. Objective We evaluated 4 formulas of QT interval correction in individuals with sinus tachycardia for the identification of coronary artery disease, heart failure, and mortality. Methods The Penn Atrial Fibrillation Free study is a large cohort study of patients without atrial fibrillation. The present study examined 6723 Penn Atrial Fibrillation Free study patients without a history of heart failure and with baseline sinus rate ≥100 beats/min. Medical records were queried for index clinical parameters, incident cardiovascular events, and all-cause mortality. The QT interval was corrected by using Bazett (QT/RR 0.5 ), Fridericia (QT/RR 0.33 ), Framingham [QT + 0.154 * (1000 − RR)], and Hodges (QT + 105 * (1/RR − 1)) formulas. Results In 6723 patients with a median follow-up of 4.5 years (interquartile range 1.9–6.4 years), the annualized cardiovascular event rate was 2.3% and the annualized mortality rate was 2.2%. QT prolongation was diagnosed in 39% of the cohort using the Bazett formula, 6.2% using the Fridericia formula, 3.7% using the Framingham formula, and 8.7% using the Hodges formula. Only the Hodges formula was an independent risk marker for death across the range of QT values (highest tertile: hazard ratio 1.26; 95% confidence interval 1.03–1.55). Conclusion Although all correction formulas demonstrated an association between QT c values and cardiovascular events, only the Hodges formula identified one-third of individuals with tachycardia that are at higher risk of all-cause mortality. Furthermore, the Bazett correction formula overestimates the number of patients with a prolonged QT interval and was not associated with mortality. Future work may validate these findings and result in changes to automated algorithms for QT interval assessment.
Spatial and Temporal Analysis of Contact Rates in Female White‐Tailed Deer

Abstract White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are important game mammals and potential reservoirs of diseases of domestic livestock; thus, diseases of deer are of great concern to wildlife managers. Contact, either direct or indirect, is necessary for disease transmission, but we know little about the ecological contexts that promote intrasexual contact among deer. Using pair-wise direct contacts estimated from Global Positioning System collar locations and joint utilization distributions (JUDs), we assessed habitats in which contacts occur to test whether direct contact rates among female white-tailed deer in different social groups differs among land-cover types. We also tested whether contact rates differed among seasons, lunar phases, and times of day. We obtained locations from 27 female deer for periods of 0.5–17 months during 2002–2006. We designated any simultaneous pair of locations for 2 deer <25 m apart as a direct contact. For each season, we used compositional analysis to compare land-c...
New Rateless Sparse-Graph Codes with Dynamic Degree Distribution for Erasure Channels

A new class of rateless low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes, called the dynamic degree distribution (DDD) codes, are proposed for erasure channels. The parity symbols are generated from a set of degree distributions, one embedded in one another and each optimized for different channel erasure rates. Thus, instead of sticking to a fixed degree distribution for all the channel conditions, the encoder progressively adapts different degree distributions for different channel conditions, such that each distribution is operated in its most-desirable region. Theoretic analysis shows that the new codes perform close to the capacity in a large range of code rates with fairly low complexity. Simulations confirm that these codes can actually outperform the existing raptor rateless codes.