cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
FTY720 (Gilenya) Phosphate Selectivity of Sphingosine 1-Phosphate Receptor Subtype 1 (S1P1) G Protein-coupled Receptor Requires Motifs in Intracellular Loop 1 and Transmembrane Domain 2 *

FTY720 phosphate (FTY720P) is a high potency agonist for all the endothelial differentiation gene family sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) receptors except S1P receptor subtype 2 (S1P2). To map the distinguishing features of S1P2 ligand recognition, we applied a computational modeling-guided mutagenesis strategy that was based on the high degree of sequence homology between S1P1 and S1P2. S1P2 point mutants of the ligand-binding pocket were characterized. The head group-interacting residues Arg3.28, Glu3.29, and Lys7.34 were essential for activation. Mutation of residues Ala3.32, Leu3.36, Val5.41, Phe6.44, Trp6.48, Ser7.42, and Ser7.46, predicted to interact with the S1P hydrophobic tail, impaired activation by S1P. Replacing individual or multiple residues in the ligand-binding pocket of S1P2 with S1P1 sequence did not impart activation by FTY720P. Chimeric S1P1/S1P2 receptors were generated and characterized for activation by S1P or FTY720P. The S1P2 chimera with S1P1 sequence from the N terminus to transmembrane domain 2 (TM2) was activated by FTY720P, and the S1P2(IC1-TM2)S1P1 domain insertion chimera showed S1P1-like activation. Twelve residues in this domain, distributed in four motifs a–d, differ between S1P1 and S1P2. Insertion of 78RPMYY in motif b alone or simultaneous swapping of five other residues in motifs c and d from S1P1 into S1P2 introduced FTY720P responsiveness. Molecular dynamics calculations indicate that FTY720P binding selectivity is a function of the entropic contribution to the binding free energy rather than enthalpic contributions and that preferred agonists retain substantial flexibility when bound. After exposure to FTY720P, the S1P2(IC1-TM2)S1P1 receptor recycled to the plasma membrane, indicating that additional structural elements are required for the selective degradative trafficking of S1P1.
Evil and privation

An item that has figured prominently in some classical theistic treatments of the problem of evil is the theory that evil is always and only a privation of some good.1 The term "privation" is important. Defenders of this theory have been at pains to distinguish a privation from a mere lack or absence. They have insisted that evil is not the mere absence of good.2 If it were, then everything that falls short of having all possible perfection would be to some extent evil. But, as Thomas Aquinas pointed out, the absence in a stone of the power of sight is not an evil, though it is in a human being.3 Evil, then, on this theory, is the absence of a good a property or a quality thai normally would or should be present in a thing. Such an absence the absence of something that normally would or should be present is a privation. Aside from orthodox Thomists, few philosophers, either theists or their critics, accept this theory any more.4 Even those who, like John Hick, see some theological significance in it do not accept it.5 Despite -or perhaps because of the widespread rejection of the theory, there has been very little argumentation of any power directed against it.8 All too frequently it is misunderstood or misinterpreted and then rejected for reasons that grow out of these misunderstandings and are thus irrelevant. When it is not misunderstood it is often dismissed on the basis of little more than the mere assertion of its falsehood or absurdity. My purpose in this paper is threefold. I wish first to make clear precisely what the theory is. I will do this by means of identifying and dispelling some of the confusions that have occurred in treatments of the theory. Secondly, I will offer a line of argument to show that the theory is mistaken. Finally, I will consider some of the reasons that have led proponents of the theory to accept it and will seek to show that none of these reasons is cogent.
Labor Export in the Context of Globalization The Experience of Filipino Domestic Workers in Rome

Despite the fact that neoliberal globalization has a detrimental impact on Third World women, mainstream discourse on globalization pays little attention to their experience. This article contribut...
Optical Properties Of Thin Film Refractory Metals

AbstractMolybdenum thin films have been produced by chemical vapor deposition with an emittance (calculated at 500°C)which is at least as low as the emittance of the pure, bulk metal (0.069). Tungsten films deposited by CVDhave an emittance of 0.045 as compared to 0.019 reported for the bulk metal. These experimental resultsindicate the potential usefulness of CVD Mo or GI thin films as infrared reflectors in tandem layer, spec-trally selective, solar absorber systems. In addition, a spectrally selective CVD thin film which consistsof a mixture of Mo and Mo03 phases has been deposited which has a solar absorptance of 0.74 and a calculated emittance at 500 °C of 0.063. IntroductionThe silicon -on- silver thin film multilayer optical stack pictured schematically in Figure 1 has been developed at the Optical Sciences Center as a spectrally selective solar absoce)which is stable at elevated temperatures. Its mode of operation has been discussed at length previously.- In brief, the siliconlayer absorbs strongly in the solar spectrum (Fig. 2) and is transparent in the infrared range, permittingthe highly reflective silver layer to "shine through" and suppress heat loss by reradiation. The siliconnitride layer aton the silicon acts as an antireflection coating, minimizing the severe reflection lossescharacteristic of a silicon surface. The barrier oxide laver and the stabilizer oxide layer each insureelevated temperature performance. The barrier layer impedes metallurgical interactions between the silverand the ferrous substrate and the stabilizer prevents agglomeration of the silver reflector.A comparison of the reflectance of the more conductive metals (Table I) indicates the superiority of
Matrix localization of tissue factor pathway inhibitor-2/matrix-associated serine protease inhibitor (TFPI-2/MSPI) involves arginine-mediated ionic interactions with heparin and dermatan sulfate: heparin accelerates the activity of TFPI-2/MSPI toward plasmin.

Abstract Human tissue factor pathway inhibitor-2 (TFPI-2)/matrix-associated serine protease inhibitor (MSPI), a Kunitz-type serine protease inhibitor, inhibits plasmin, trypsin, chymotrypsin, plasma kallikrein, cathepsin G, and factor VIIa–tissue factor complex. The mature protein has a molecular mass of 32–33 kDa, but exists in vivo as two smaller, underglycosylated species of 31 and 27 kDa. TFPI-2/MSPI triplet is synthesized and secreted by a variety of cell types that include epithelial, endothelial, and mesenchymal cells. Because the majority (75–90%) of TFPI-2/MSPI is associated with the extracellular matrix (ECM), we examined which components of the ECM bind TFPI-2/MSPI. We found that TFPI-2/MSPI bound specifically to heparin and dermatan sulfate. Interaction of these two glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) with TFPI-2/MSPI involved one or more common protein domains, as evidenced by cross-competition experiments. However, binding affinity for TFPI-2/MSPI with heparin was 250–300 times greater than that for TFPI-2/MSPI with dermatan sulfate. Binding of TFPI-2/MSPI to GAGs was inhibited by NaCl or arginine but not by glucose, mannose, galactose, 6-aminohexanoic acid, or urea, suggesting that arginine-mediated ionic interactions participate in the GAG binding of TFPI-2/MSPI. This supposition was supported by the observation that only NaCl or arginine could elute the TFPI-2/MSPI protein triplet from an ECM derived from human dermal fibroblasts. Reduced TFPI-2/MSPI did not bind to heparin, suggesting that proper disulfide pairings and conformation are essential for matrix binding. To determine whether heparin modulates the activity of TFPI-2/MSPI, we determined the rate of inhibition of plasmin by the inhibitor with and without heparin and found that TFPI-2/MSPI is more active in the presence of heparin. Collectively, our results demonstrate that conformation-dependent arginine-mediated ionic interactions are responsible for the TFPI-2/MSPI triplet binding to fibroblast ECM, heparin, and dermatan sulfate and that heparin augmented the rate of inhibition of plasmin by TFPI-2/MSPI.
Electrophysiology of caudal neurosecretory cells in the skate and fluke

Abstract The caudal neurosecretory cells of two species of skate (Raja erinacea and R. ocellata) and of the fluke (Paralichthys dentatus) were studied by intracellular microelectrode techniques. The cells were capable of producing spikes and of being synaptically activated. The neurosecretory cells of the skate were intermingled with other neurons within the spinal cord and could not be penetrated under visual control. however, a class of responses was recorded that were readily distinguishable from those of motoneurons and myelinated fibers and which very likely came from the much larger neurosecretory cells. The spikes were longer in duration and had pronounced undershoots. Nearby stimulation on the surface of the cord activated the cell bodies directly rather than evoking antidromic spikes. Brief stimuli, intra- or extracellular, could produce direct spikes of very long latency, thus indicating a low degree of accommodation. The presynaptic pathway was slowly conducting and of high threshold. The neurosecretory cells of the fluke were anatomically isolated from other cell bodies, but recordings from axons and somata had to be distinguished electrophysiologically. Recordings from cell bodies were characterized by the occurrence of postsynaptic potentials, which could be adequate to initiate spikes. The spikes were rather long in duration and usually followed by an undershoot. Those in response to antidromic stimulation had an inflection on the rising phase caused by delay of propagation at the axon hillock. Invasion of the soma could be blocked by hyperpolarization or refractoriness, leaving the axonal component of the spike. The threshold in the initial part of the axon was not significantly lower than in the soma. There was little accommodation, as indicated by the long latencies of responses to brief threshold stimuli. The antidromic responses in a cell often had several distinct latencies when stimulation was over the urohypophysis. The properties of the longer latency responses suggested that they were initiated in the terminals of the axons and that the delay resulted from very slow propagation in these structures. Antidromic conduction could be blocked in the axon at points some distance from the soma as well as at the axon hillock. Spikes recorded from the neurosecretory axons were similar in duration to those from the cell bodies. They were characterized by the occurrence either of synaptically evoked spikes without recording of p.s.p.'s adequate to iniate them or of direct responses to stimulation on each side of the recording site. Hyperpolarization could cause block of propagation along the axon which was associated with block of a later component of the recorded spike. The presynaptic pathway ran anteriorly to the neurosecretory cells. Its conduction velocity suggested that it consisted of small myelinated fibers. The individual presynaptic fibers appeared to innervate both rostral and caudal cells. Intravenous injections of hypotonic solutions could cause sufficient activity in the presynaptic fibers to initiate impulses in the neurosecretory cells.
Driven-echo and rotary-echo measurements of the spin coherence in triplet-state benzophenone

Abstract A simple theoretical model is presented for the recently reported driven echo. It is shown that driven echoes may be used to measure the spin coherence time in the rotating frame, T 2 p . Some features of the model, including its relationship to the rotary echo, are examined experimentally for photoexcited triplet-state benzophenone at 77 K.
Aqueous humor dynamics in Fuchs' uveitis syndrome.

We studied aqueous humor dynamics in ten subjects (four men and six women, ranging in age from 19 to 72 years) with unilateral Fuchs' uveitis syndrome. The unaffected fellow eyes served as controls. In two patients, the affected eye also had glaucoma. Fluorophotometry showed the blood-aqueous barrier to be abnormally permeable in the affected eyes. The calculated coefficient of exchange of fluorescein across the blood-aqueous barrier was 30.7 × 10 -4 min -1 in the affected eyes and 5.7 × 10 -4 min -1 in the unaffected eyes. The anterior chamber elimination coefficient of fluorescein, corneal endothelial permeability to fluorescein, and anterior chamber volume did not differ significantly in affected vs unaffected eyes. The rate of aqueous humor flow through the anterior chamber in the affected eyes appeared to be normal, as did the apparent resistance to the outflow of aqueous humor.
A three-phase sag generator for testing industrial equipment

A diesel powered three-phase standby 480 V, 15 kW, 60 Hz synchronous generator has been modified to give controlled three-phase voltage sags. These sags can be controlled in both depth and duration. A 486-based computer with a data acquisition system controls the generator and monitors the system under test. The custom software interface allows the user to select the depth and duration of the each sag. Typically, the user will select a series of sags in selectable increments down to a certain depth. The data acquisition system has both digital and analog inputs, so that data lines, AC and DC voltages and currents, contactors and relays, etc. can be monitored during the tests. The software interface enables the user to select allowable tolerance bands for the monitored signals. If one or more of the signals falls outside the allowable range, the test is suspended. The sag depth and duration that caused the equipment to "fail" the test is then recorded, After testing over a range of sag durations, a CBEMA-type curve is available for the system under test. The sag generator enables the user to systematically determine the sensitivity of the components of an installed process line. This will enable the user to determine cost-effective ride-through enhancement strategies or to test the effectiveness of currently installed equipment. Although this test generator is small, the basic concept can be scaled up to the 2 MVA range.
Studies of mitochondrial development during embryogenesis in the rat.

Abstract Marked and progressive increases in the activities of DPNH oxidase, cytochrome c oxidase, succinic dehydrogenase, and mitochondrial ATP-ase were shown to occur between days 10 and 14 of gestation in the rat embryo-fetus. The rise in enzyme activity was paralleled by striking changes in the number and structure of the cristae of the heart mitochondria of the embryo-fetus as demonstrated by electron microscopy.
Prospects for a South Asian free trade agreement: problems and challenges

Abstract South Asia is a huge area with a population of over 1.2 billion people. Yet, trade between nations in this region is meager. A South Asian Free Trade Agreement should help in boosting trade in the region. Such an agreement will be mutually beneficial for all the South Asian nations. Unfortunately, the chronic enmity between India and Pakistan makes the trade agreement difficult. In spite of this, there are hopeful signs that some sort of trade agreement in South Asia may occur in the beginning of the next century. This optimism is based on the fact that seven nations in the region (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka) have entered into a Preferential Trade Arrangement called SAPTA which became operational in December 1995. SAPTA may lead to a fully-fledged trade agreement once the nations realize the benefits of market cooperation. As a large nation in the region, India must take the lead if ever South Asian Free Trade Agreement were to become a reality.
Chromatographic determination of solvent composition in deoiling and dewaxing processes

A rapid method has been developed and recommended for use in refinery laboratories, for the analysis of solvents used in deoiling and dewaxing processes; the instrument used in this analysis is a USSR-manufactured KhL-4 chromatograph with a thermal-conductivity detector.
Quantum Theory without Electromagnetic Potentials

It is pointed out that by a nonlocal phase transformation of the conventional wave function the quantum theory of the interaction between charged particles and the electromagnetic field can be reformulated solely in terms of the field strengths. The assertion of Aharonov and Bohm that the potentials are essential for expressing the laws of physics is therefore unfounded.
ENHANCED SULFOBROMOPHTHALEIN DISAPPEARANCE IN MICE PRETREATED WITH VARIOUS DRUGS.

Abstract Pretreatment of mice with certain drugs caused changes in liver function subsequently measured by concentrations of sulfobromophthalein in plasma. Drugs such as phenobarbital, nikethamide, urethan, and β-phenylisopropylhydrazine produced significantly elevated concentration of sulfobromophthalein in plasma soon after pretreatment. Findings of greatest interest were the enhanced disappearance of sulfobromophthalein from plasma with many of the above agents as well as with SKF 525A, N-methyl-3-piperidyl-N'N'-diphcnylcarbamate, and tolbutamide. Countercurrent analyses of acetone extracts of plasma indicated the enhanced disappearance of the parent compound, sulfobromophthalein. Countercurrent analyses of liver extracts indicated a hepatic mechanism which appears to follow an adaptive type of response.
On Consistent Nonparametric Intensity Estimation for Inhomogeneous Spatial Point Processes

A common nonparametric approach to estimate the intensity function of an inhomogeneous spatial point process is through kernel smoothing. When conducting the smoothing, one typically uses events only in a local set around the point of interest. But the resulting estimator often is inconsistent, because the number of events in a fixed set is of order 1 for spatial point processes. In this article we propose a new covariate-based kernel smoothing method to estimate the intensity function. Our method defines the distance between any two points as the difference between their associated covariate values. Consequently, we determine the kernel weight for a given event of the process as a function of its new distance to the point of interest. Under some suitable conditions on the covariates and the spatial point process, we prove that our new estimator is consistent for the true intensity. To handle the situation with high-dimensional covariates, we also extend sliced inverse regression, a useful dimension-reduc...
Incidence and Predictors of Angioedema in Elderly Hypertensive Patients at High Risk for Cardiovascular Disease: A Report From the Antihypertensive and Lipid-Lowering Treatment to Prevent Heart Attack Trial (ALLHAT)

Angioedema is a rare, potentially life-threatening condition that has been associated with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors since their introduction in the 1980s. The Antihypertensive and Lipid-Lowering Treatment to Prevent Heart Attack Trial (ALLHAT), the largest antihypertensive study conducted to date, randomized 42,418 participants to a diuretic (chlorthalidone), a calcium channel blocker (amlodipine), an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (lisinopril), or an alpha-blocker (doxazosin). Patients who developed angioedema were compared for baseline characteristics and changes in antihypertensive drug administration. Fifty-three participants developed angioedema during active follow-up: 55% were black, 60% men, and 70% were assigned to lisinopril (including 62% of black participants with angioedema), 15% to chlorthalidone, 9% to doxazosin, and 6% to amlodipine. Six percent occurred within a day of randomization and 23% within the first week. Over half did not have an increase in their assigned (blinded) antihypertensive drug before angioedema onset; 3 (6%) had a dose increase within a week before onset. One patient died following an angioedema episode. The occurrence of angioedema in the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor arm corresponds with previously reported angioedema-angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor associations.
Anesthetic management of a parturient with type III Klippel–Feil syndrome

Klippel-Feil syndrome is believed to occur from failure of normal segmentation of cervical somites during gestation. We present the case of a 38-year-old primiparous woman with type III Klippel-Feil syndrome for elective cesarean delivery. Our patient had a short webbed neck, short stature, limited neck flexion and extension, and thoraco-lumbar abnormalities. A multidisciplinary approach, involving obstetrics, medical subspecialties, anesthesiology, otolaryngology, and radiology, were utilized to evaluate and manage this patient. Pulmonary function testing revealed a restrictive defect, but transthoracic echocardiography was normal without pulmonary hypertension. We planned a combined spinal-epidural technique; however, only the epidural technique was obtained. Cesarean delivery was commenced with favorable maternal and fetal outcomes. Post-operative pain management was provided with intravenous morphine patient-controlled analgesia.
Rapid Field Immunoassay for Detecting Antibody to Sin Nombre Virus in Deer Mice

We developed a 1-hour field enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for detecting antibody to Sin Nombre virus in deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus). The assay specificity and sensitivity were comparable to those of a standard EIA. This test will permit identification of rodents with antibody to this and perhaps other hantaviruses.
Anti-predator function of bluegill sunfish nesting colonies

Although the adaptive significance of nesting in colonies has been investigated repeatedly in avian species, until now no detailed studies have been reported on colonial nesting in fishes. Investigators of avian colonial systems have suggested that birds nest in colonies either as a response to predators1,2 or to locate more easily ephemeral food resources3,4. The avian literature is unclear, however, as to which selective pressure (predation or food resources) is more crucial, with investigators using similar evidence to reach essentially opposite conclusions5. I report here evidence obtained from a long-term study of a colonial fish, the bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus), showing extreme synchrony in breeding and the additional protection afforded offspring by tightly clustered groups of adults, which argues strongly that colonial nesting in this species and other fishes has evolved in response to predation pressure.
Biological Effects of Ultrasound: I. Specification of Intensity

To correlate potential bioeffects with exposure to ultrasound, a quantitative characterization of the ultrasound beam is essential. As a first step in this process various intensity descriptors have been developed. These intensity descriptors are defined and compared. The intensity ranges of different types of diagnostic instruments are presented.
Bond-length relaxation in pseudobinary alloys.

The bond-length relaxation in pseudobinary alloys can be predicted by a simple radial force model. In tetrahedral structure alloys the bond-length deviation of the solute in the dilute solution is a quarter of the bond-length difference between the two components. This result agrees with the experimental work done on the ${\mathrm{Ga}}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{x}}$ ${\mathrm{In}}_{\mathrm{x}}$As system performed by Mikkelsen and Boyce.
Secular brightness increases of Titan, Uranus, and Neptune, 1972–1976

Abstract The brightnesses of Titan, Uranus, and Neptune in b (4718 AA) and y (5508 AA) have increased linearly since 1972 at rates ranging from 0.005 to 0.025 mag yr −1 . The observations were made differentially on a number of nights each season with respect to a network of comparison stars whose relative magnitudes were determined by independent measurements. Solar phase coefficients were derived for each object, and all observations have been normalized to zero solar phase angle and mean heliocentric distances. No explanation for the changes has been found, but a possible influence of solar activity upon planetary albedo is suggested by the fact that all of the objects observed have brightened during the declining half of the solar cycle.
Assessing emergency preparedness in support of hazardous facility risk analyses: Application to siting a US hazardous waste incinerator

Abstract Increasing public resistance to hazardous materials transportation and facility operation has elicited a number of suggestions for improved risk communication, early community participation, and provision of incentives. Another potentially useful but hitherto neglected method of addressing local opposition to hazardous facility siting involves community emergency preparedness for a release of hazardous materials. This paper describes a procedure for analyzing local emergency preparedness in accordance with operational guidance from federal agencies in the United States and scientific principles derived from international research on disasters. This procedure identifies vulnerable areas of a community and assesses the capability of the community to take timely and effective protective actions including evacuation and sheltering in-place. Response capability is first assessed by verifying that local emergency response plans address the elements defined in state and federal guidance. Next, implementation analyses are conducted to determine whether the four critical functions of hazard detection and notification, protective action decision making, warning and public information, and protective action implementation can be accomplished with available resources under local conditions. These analyses indicate the degree to which formally designated emergency response activities of community agencies, as outlined by its Emergency Operations Plan (EOP), together with the informal social processes of emergency response known to operate in disasters, provide reasonable assurance of prompt and effective protective action by the public. Results of these analyses can provide administrative and judicial review processes with conclusions on the overall adequacy of local emergency preparedness, local emergency responders with suggestions as to which emergency preparedness improvements should be undertaken, and local residents with a better understanding of risk mitigation measures.
Laboratory production of diborane and activation of silica-alumina catalyst for conversion of C214H2 to C614H6: Radiocarbon dating by liquid scintillation spectrometry

Abstract The conversion of acetylene (C2H2) to benzene (C6H6) using diborane (B2H2-activated silica-alumina is now advantageously employed in the synthesis of C614H6 for radiocarbon dating. In this paper a continuous process method is described for the routine laboratory production of diborane and the activation of the silica-alumina catalyst employed in this synthesis. The C614H6 is of sufficiently purity that it can be directly used in counting natural C14 by liquid scintillation spectrometry. Diborane (ca. 2 moles) is produced in a hood-mounted manifold by the reaction of sodium borohydride (NaBH4) and boron trifluoride etherate [BF3(C2H5)2O]. Ten columns (51 mm o.d. × 300 mm long), each containing about 300 g of silica-alumina, are connected in series to accept the generated diborane. Each column, after final processing and introduction of C214H2, will yield about 5 g of C614H6. Equipment requirements are not elaborate; the entire apparatus can be readily assembled from laboratory-fabricated glass components using brass tube quick-connectors and valves. Thus the procedure can be readily adopted by laboratories (a) not having access to commercial diborane, or (b) not having the interest and facilities for storing large quantities of commercial cylinder diborane for activating the silica-alumina.
Regeneration of Soft Tissues Is Promoted by MMP1 Treatment after Digit Amputation in Mice

The ratio of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) to the tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) in wounded tissues strictly control the protease activity of MMPs, and therefore regulate the progress of wound closure, tissue regeneration and scar formation. Some amphibians (i.e. axolotl/newt) demonstrate complete regeneration of missing or wounded digits and even limbs; MMPs play a critical role during amphibian regeneration. Conversely, mammalian wound healing re-establishes tissue integrity, but at the expense of scar tissue formation. The differences between amphibian regeneration and mammalian wound healing can be attributed to the greater ratio of MMPs to TIMPs in amphibian tissue. Previous studies have demonstrated the ability of MMP1 to effectively promote skeletal muscle regeneration by favoring extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling to enhance cell proliferation and migration. In this study, MMP1 was administered to the digits amputated at the mid-second phalanx of adult mice to observe its effect on digit regeneration. Results indicated that the regeneration of soft tissue and the rate of wound closure were significantly improved by MMP1 administration, but the elongation of the skeletal tissue was insignificantly affected. During digit regeneration, more mutipotent progenitor cells, capillary vasculature and neuromuscular-related tissues were observed in MMP1 treated tissues; moreover, there was less fibrotic tissue formed in treated digits. In summary, MMP1 was found to be effective in promoting wound healing in amputated digits of adult mice.
Transformable capillary electrophoresis for oligosaccharide separations using phospholipid additives.

Phospholipids are used as an additive in capillary electrophoresis to enhance the separation of glycans derived from α1-acid glycoprotein, fetuin, and ribonuclease B. The properties of phospholipid preparations are dependent upon composition, hydration, and temperature. Separation performance is evaluated as a function of these variables. A preparation of 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC) and 1,2-dihexanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DHPC), with [DMPC]/[DHPC] = 2.5, in 10% lipid/aqueous buffer at 25 °C provides the best separation efficiency at an electric field strength of 400 V/cm. Resolution is enhanced with the additive. Concanavalin A, a lectin selective for high mannose and mannose branching glycans, and α1-2,3 mannosidase, an enzyme that cleaves 1-2 and 1-3 mannopyranosyl residues, are incorporated in the separation to provide additional selectivity and to expand the application of phospholipid additives for glycan separation.
A quantitative assessment of the carcinogenicity of hexavalent chromium by the oral route and its relevance to human exposure.

Abstract Background Hexavalent chromium (Cr 6+ ) has long been recognized as an inhalation carcinogen. Useful data on its carcinogenicity by ingestion have been slower to develop. The 2008 NTP chronic bioassay of sodium dichromate dihydrate in drinking water found clear evidence of carcinogenicity in rodents and allows a generalizable estimate of the human ingestion cancer potency of Cr 6+ . Objectives To estimate the human ingestion cancer potency of Cr 6+ and evaluate its relevance for human exposure. Methods Tumors of the small intestine in male mice were selected as the critical endpoint, for the derivation of cancer potency. Following the 2005 USEPA Cancer Risk Assessment Guidelines, the point of departure in the dose–response data was defined using benchmark–dose modeling. Linear extrapolation was carried out from the point of departure and interspecies dose conversion was based on allometric scaling of body weight. Results Small intestine tumor incidence in male mice provided a robust and nearly identical fit with most available dose–response models using benchmark–dose modeling. A human equivalent cancer slope factor of 0.5 (mg/kg/day) −1 was derived based on linear extrapolation from the point of departure. Statistical and kinetic analysis carried out on the NTP data as well as data reported in other studies support that the carcinogenicity of Cr 6+ did not result from an exceedance of the reduction capacity of the mouse gastrointestinal tract at the doses in the NTP study. Conclusions Mouse gastric emptying time and human Cr 6+ dosing studies strongly suggest that even at doses considerably lower than those in the NTP study, Cr 6+ escapes reduction in both the mouse and human stomachs due to kinetic competition from Cr 6+ absorption and gastric emptying. The cancer potency derived from the NTP data is, therefore, deemed to be relevant and applicable to human exposure. Cr 6+ is, therefore, identified as “likely to be carcinogenic to humans” in accordance with the USEPA’s cancer characterization rubric.
Observation of attractive forces in zone-melted YBa2Cu3O7−x

Abstract Attractive forces between zone-melted YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7− x (YBCO) samples and a magnet beneath the samples were observed. Attractive forces were observed only among the samples with large magnetic hysteresis loops. The magnitude of the observed attractive forces is related to the sample's critical current density, J c , and the magnetic flux gradient the sample experiences.
Short-term fasting affects locomotor activity, corticosterone, and corticosterone binding globulin in a migratory songbird.

Unpredictable events such as severe storms lead to an increase in circulating corticosterone (CORT) in breeding birds. This increase is often accompanied by elevations in foraging and irruptive behavior. We were interested in determining if acute food restriction (such as might occur during inclement weather) is a sufficient cue to elicit an increase in locomotor activity, increase CORT secretion, and/or decrease circulating levels of corticosterone binding globulin (CBG) in white-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii). Male Z.l. gambelii were housed individually in environmental chambers on long days (LD 20:4) to simulate breeding season daylength. Birds were fed ad libitum, and on select days, food was removed 2 h after lights on (fasted treatment), or was removed and replaced (control). We analyzed CORT and CBG levels after 1, 2, 6, 22 (lights on), and 23 h under fasted and control conditions. We also measured activity during the 23-h experiment. Activity levels were increased under fasted conditions during the daytime relative to control conditions, but activity levels did not differ between treatments during the night. Fasting as little as 1, 2, and 6 h significantly increased total CORT levels above baseline (control), although after 22 h, total CORT levels under fasted conditions matched those under control conditions. Plasma CBG decreased after the 22-h fast, and remained low after the 23-h fast. This change was sufficient to significantly elevate free CORT levels in fasted birds relative to ad libitum food conditions, despite the lack of difference in total CORT levels.
All-amorphous-oxide transparent, flexible thin-film transistors. Efficacy of bilayer gate dielectrics.

Optically transparent and mechanically flexible thin-film transistors (TF-TFTs) composed exclusively of amorphous metal oxide films are fabricated on plastic substrates by combining an amorphous Ta2O5/SiOx bilayer transparent oxide insulator (TOI) gate dielectric with an amorphous zinc−indium−tin oxide (a-ZITO) transparent oxide semiconductor (TOS) channel and a-ZITO transparent oxide conductor (TOC) electrodes. The bilayer gate dielectric is fabricated by the post-cross-linking of vapor-deposited hexachlorodisiloxane-derived films to form thin SiOx layers (v-SiOx) on amorphous Ta2O5 (a-Ta2O5) films grown by ion-assisted deposition at room temperature. The a-Ta2O5/v-SiOx bilayer TOI dielectric integrates the large capacitance of the high dielectric constant a-Ta2O5 layer with the excellent dielectric/semiconductor interfacial compatibility of the v-SiOx layer in a-ZITO TOS-based TF-TFTs. These all-amorphous-oxide TF-TFTs, having a channel length and width of 100 and 2000 μm, respectively, perform far bett...
Helicopter transport of injured children: system effectiveness and triage criteria.

The authors compared air and ground transport to a level I pediatric trauma center to assess the effectiveness of helicopter transport of injured children. They also performed a retrospective assessment of triage criteria and utilization patterns for helicopter transports. The sample comprised 3,861 children who were admitted (consecutively) to an urban level I pediatric trauma center during a 4-year period and who were transported by emergency medical services. TRISS probability of survival (P2),z, and W scores were used to compare outcomes of ground and air transports. An absolute value of z greater than 1.96 indicates a statistically significant difference in mortality rate; the W statistic represents the number of survivors more than expected per 100 patients treated. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves were used to identify optimal triage criteria, using P6 160 beats per minute as optimal air triage criteria; these yielded 99% sensitivity and 90% specificity. Using these criteria, approximately 85% of air transports would be considered overtriage. The authors conclude that (1) helicopter transport was associated with better survival rates among urban injured children; (2) pediatric helicopter triage criteria based on GCS and heart rate may improve helicopter resource utilization without compromising care; and (3) current air triage practices result in overuse of helicopters in approximately 85% of flights.
INSIDE SOURCEFINDER: PREDICTING THE ACCEPTABILITY STATUS OF CANDIDATE READING‐COMPREHENSION SOURCE DOCUMENTS

This paper describes the development, implementation, and evaluation of an automated system for predicting the acceptability status of candidate reading-comprehension stimuli extracted from a database of journal and magazine articles. The system uses a combination of classification and regression techniques to predict the probability that a given document will be deemed acceptable for use in completing a specified passage-creation assignment by at least one test developer. The text features that form the basis of the estimated models are automatically extracted by natural language processing techniques. Model performance is evaluated by comparing the proportion of acceptable documents located with the screening capability turned on to the proportion of acceptable documents located with the screening capability turned off. The evaluation suggests that the estimated models have succeeded in capturing useful information about the characteristics of texts that affect test developers' ratings of source acceptability and that they can help test developers find a greater number of high-quality sources in less time.
Generalized two-level quantum dynamics. I. Representations of the Kossakowski conditions

This communication is part I of a series of papers which explore the theoretical possibility of generalizing quantum dynamics in such a way that the predicted motions of an isolated system would include the irreversible (entropy-increasing) state evolutions that seem essential if the second law of thermodynamics is ever to become a theorem of mechanics. In this first paper, the general mathematical framework for describing linear but not necessarily Hamiltonian mappings of the statistical operator is reviewed, with particular attention to detailed representations of the Kossakowski conditions for the case of a two-level system.
Energy release rate based approach for the wear of punches in precision blanking of high strength steel

Abstract Punch wear is a major issue in the blanking of high strength steel (HSS) sheets. To study wear physics, a blanking test with tight side clearances was implemented, and the results compared with numerical simulations with appropriately calibrated critical damage value. Based on observations of worn punches, wear angle was found to adequately represent changing geometry of the cutting edge. Using modified geometries, burr formation, stress-state at the punch and load–displacement curves are investigated. Punch wear and shear crack mechanics are found to strongly relate to the changes in the load–displacement curve, and the release rate of punching energy.
Ray tracing surfaces of revolution using a simplified strip tree method (abstract)

In ray tracing a surface of revolution, the problem of finding the point of intersection of an arbitrary ray with the surface of revolution can be reduced to that of finding a point of intersection between two curves in a plane — the so called cut plane. In the cut plane, by using a local coordinate system (x′=x2,z′=z) instead of (x, z) where z is along the direction parallel to the axis of the surface of revolution, and then further translating the origin of the coordinate system along the x′ axis (depending upon the ray), the curve(s) of intersection of the surface of revolution with the cut plane are expressed exactly by the square radial curve defining the surface of revolution itself. We need to find the point(s) of intersection between this square radial curve and a transformed quadratic form of the ray in the cut plane. We represent the square radial curve of the surface of rotation by a variation of the usual strip_tree such that the direction of the sides of the rectangles corresponding to different nodes are parallel to the axes of the local coordinate system, instead of being in arbitrary directions. The terminal nodes in the Strip_tree contain the segments of the square radial curve divided approximately equally lengthwise. The method works efficiently for all cases with a smooth radial curve or a piecewise smooth radial curve.
Population growth patterns of Skeletonema costatum and nutrient levels in the lower East River, New York, U.S.A.

The population growth patterns of Skeletonema costatum and nutrient levels in the lower East River were examined through field measurements and laboratory experimentation. Maximum growth rates of this diatom (approximately 1.8 divisions per day) were obtained in water samples from the late winter-early spring months. Summer water samples supported little or no growth of this diatom. Measurements of NH3-N, PO4,-P, and Si in water samples from the lower East River indicated that nutrient saturated conditions exist year round in this area. The effect of toxic substances in the water column may be responsible for limiting S. costatum growth during the summer months.
The effect of ion-implanted yttrium on the oxidation of nickel

Abstract Yttrium ions with 150 keV energy were implanted to their steady state concentration into nickel and the nickel was then annealed in a vacuum of 5 × 10 −7 Torr for 1 h at selected temperatures. Yttrium diffused to the surface of nickel to form randomly oriented grains of Y 2 O 3 at temperatures between 600 and 1000°C. The oxidation kinetics of nickel and yttrium-implanted nickel were measured at 990°C in air at 1 atm, and the oxidation rate was found to be less in the implanted nickel than in the unimplanted nickel. The kinetic behavior was parabolic in the latter case but non-parabolic in the former case. The surface microstructures of implanted and unimplanted specimens were studied as a function of time at 900°C in air; the yttrium-implanted specimens yielded very uniform surface microstructures which reflected a lack of an orientation relationship between the oxide and the nickel substrate. For short oxidation times (12 h and less), the oxide layer was adherent to the nickel substrate. However, after oxidation for 24 h, the oxide layer was non-adherent.
Choosing between competing technologies in the cytology laboratory

Technological change often is internal to anatomic pathology services. When new technology requires collaborative development with clinical staff, it is important to systematically approach the rationale for the new technology, and be prepared to deal with its medical, financial, and, sometimes, even personal implications. Such a systematic approach involves sequentially evaluating the acceptability and the potential benefits of technologic alternatives among the laboratory leadership, with each potential vendor, the laboratory staff, and the clinical and institutional leadership, and must ultimately include effective communication with the entire clinical community. Among the benefits of such a systematic approach are resiliency of the process when challenged, and credibility of its leadership, within and outside of the laboratory.
The relationship between dermal pesticide exposure by fruit harvesters and dislodgeable foliar residues.

Abstract Dermal pesticide exposure rates, expressed in mg/hr, by strawberry and blueberry harvesters and dislodgeable foliar pesticide residues were determined in 7 separate field experiments during 1981–1983 in California and Oregon. The pesticides which were studied included captan, vinclozolin, carbaryl, and methiocarb. A positive correlation between these two parameters was found and compared with literature values involving different pesticides and tree crops. The ratio between dermal exposure rate and dislodgeable foliar residues, the units of which are area/time, may have a possible use as an empirical factor for a first approximation of dermal exposure rates by fruit harvesters without the involvement of human subjects.
Activity of the accessory ligaments of the temporomandibular joint

Abstract The activities of the stylomandibular and sphenomandibular ligaments were observed in a specially dissected cadaver head. Opening of the jaws caused both the stylomandibular and sphenomandibular ligaments to become loose. Protraction of the mandible caused the stylomandibular ligament to become taut. Overclosure of the jaws at the protracted position of the mandible caused the sphenomandibular ligament to become tense.
Change in the relationship between anhedonia and functional deficits over a 20-year period in individuals with schizophrenia

Although early theorists suggested that deficits in emotional experience be considered a hallmark characteristic of schizophrenia, there has been limited research, and inconsistent findings, on the relationship between anhedonia and functional capacity in individuals after the onset of schizophrenia. Stronger relationships have typically been reported for chronic samples in contrast to first episode samples, although it is not clear whether this is due to selection biases that influence recruitment in these different groups, or whether results reflect a change over the course of illness. The current longitudinal study examined the relationship between physical anhedonia and functional status in a sample of 61 individuals with schizophrenia at regular intervals over a 20-year period. Subjects were recruited into the study during an index hospitalization and completed assessments at 2-, 4.5-, 7.5-, 10-, 15-, and 20-year follow-ups. Analyses indicate that the relationship between anhedonia and impairments increases over time, although mean performance on these measures is stable across this same time period. These results suggest increasing convergence of impairments in emotional, adaptive, and cognitive capacities over time, with physical anhedonia associated with poorer outcome.