cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dissecting Dynamics Near the Glass Transition Using Polyelectrolyte Complexes

Though the strong transformation in mechanical properties of glass-forming materials such as amorphous polymers near the glass transition, Tg, has long been recognized and exploited, efforts to und...
Legitimation of Cleantech Companies: Venture Capital Financing and Federal Government Funding

We studied 56 venture-capital-backed companies that received financial support from the U.S. Department of Energy. We argued that those companies derived their legitimacy with the DOE in large part from their lobbying in Washington and from their venture capital firms. We reasoned that the greater their legitimacy from the viewpoint of the DOE, the more federal funding they received. We found that the amount of federal funding correlated with the amount of venture capital and with the amount spent on lobbying, but not with the reputation of their venture capital firms. Companies received, on average, one dollar of federal funding for each dollar of venture capital.
The Role of the Microsomal Membrane in Modulating the Activity of UDP-Glucuronyltransferase

Hepatic microsomal UDP-glucuronyltransferase activities (EC 2.4.1.17) constitute a family of enzymes (Bock et al., 1979; Dutton and Greig, 1957; Tukey et al.,1978; Zakim et al.,1973a) that detoxify several endogenously synthesized toxins, therapeutic agents, and environmental pollutants (Dutton, 1966). All forms of the enzyme are integral components of the microsomal membrane. There is considerable evidence that the phospholipids of this membrane are important for efficient function of UDP-glucuronyltransferase. For example, phospholipids within the microsomal membrane appear to regulate the kinetic function of UDP-glucuronyltransferase via direct interactions with the enzyme (Erickson et al.,1978; Zakim and Vessey, 1976). Moreover, the microsomal lipids have significance for the delivery of water-insoluble aglycones to the active site of at least some of these enzymes (Zakim and Vessey, 1977; Boyer et al.,1980). This review is limited to a discussion of the role of the microsomal phospholipids as modulators of the function of UDP-glucuronyltransferases. Other literature should be consulted for recent advances in the purification of different forms of UDP-glucuronyltransferases (Bock et al.,1979; Burchell, 1978, 1980; Gorski and Kasper, 1977; Yuasa, 1977), induction of these activities (Bock et al., 1979; Lamartiniere et al., 1979; Owens, 1977), and their patterns of fetal and neonatal development (Dutton et al.,1976; Dutton, 1978; Goldstein et al., 1980; Wishart and Dutton, 1977).
Endoplasmic reticulum localized PerA is required for cell wall integrity, azole drug resistance, and virulence in Aspergillus fumigatus

GPI-anchoring is a universal and critical post-translational protein modification in eukaryotes. In fungi, many cell wall proteins are GPI-anchored, and disruption of GPI-anchored proteins impairs cell wall integrity. After being synthesized and attached to target proteins, GPI anchors undergo modification on lipid moieties. In spite of its importance for GPI-anchored protein functions, our current knowledge of GPI lipid remodelling in pathogenic fungi is limited. In this study, we characterized the role of a putative GPI lipid remodelling protein, designated PerA, in the human pathogenic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus. PerA localizes to the endoplasmic reticulum and loss of PerA leads to striking defects in cell wall integrity. A perA null mutant has decreased conidia production, increased susceptibility to triazole antifungal drugs, and is avirulent in a murine model of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis. Interestingly, loss of PerA increases exposure of β-glucan and chitin content on the hyphal cell surface, but diminished TNF production by bone marrow-derived macrophages relative to wild type. Given the structural specificity of fungal GPI-anchors, which is different from humans, understanding GPI lipid remodelling and PerA function in A. fumigatus is a promising research direction to uncover a new fungal specific antifungal drug target.
A framework for specifying and managing security requirements in collaborative systems

Although security has been recognized as an increasingly important and critical issue for software system development, most security requirements are poorly specified: ambiguous, misleading, inconsistent among various parts, and lacking sufficient details. In this paper, a framework for specifying unambiguous, interoperable security requirements and detecting conflict and undesirable emergent properties in collaborative systems is presented. The framework includes a core ontology representing hierarchical security requirements , an ontology-based security requirement specification process, a set of security requirement refining rules, an algorithm for automatic security requirement refinement and an analysis algorithm to detect inconsistent security requirements. In this paper, the specification and refinement of security requirements are emphasized.
Hydrothermal systems on Mars: an assessment of present evidence

Hydrothermal processes have been suggested to explain a number of observations for Mars, including D/H ratios of water extracted from Martian meteorites, as a means for removing CO2 from the Martian atmosphere and sequestering it in the crust as carbonates, and as a possible origin for iron oxide-rich spectral units on the floors of some rifted basins (chasmata). There are numerous examples of Martian channels formed by discharges of subsurface water near potential magmatic heat sources, and hydrothermal processes have also been proposed as a mechanism for aquifer recharge needed to sustain long term erosion of sapping channels. The following geological settings have been identified as targets for ancient hydrothermal systems on Mars: channels located along the margins of impact crater melt sheets and on the slopes of ancient volcanoes; chaotic and fretted terranes where shallow subsurface heat sources are thought to have interacted with ground ice; and the floors of calderas and rifted basins (e.g. chasmata). On Earth, such geological environments are often a locus for hydrothermal mineralization. But we presently lack the mineralogical information needed for a definitive evaluation of hypotheses. A preferred tool for identifying minerals by remote sensing methods on Earth is high spatial resolution, hyperspectral, near-infrared spectroscopy, a technique that has been extensively developed by mineral explorationists. Future efforts to explore Mars for ancient hydrothermal systems would benefit from the application of methods developed by the mining industry to look for similar deposits on Earth. But Earth-based exploration models must be adapted to account for the large differences in the climatic and geological history of Mars. For example, it is likely that the early surface environment of Mars was cool, perhaps consistently below freezing, with the shallow portions of hydrothermal systems being dominated by magma-cryosphere interactions. Given the smaller gravitational field, declining atmospheric pressure, and widespread, permeable megaregolith on Mars, volatile outgassing and magmatic cooling would have been more effective than on Earth. Thus, hydrothermal systems are likely to have had much lower average surface temperatures than comparable geological settings on Earth. The likely predominance of basaltic crust on Mars suggests that hydrothermal fluids and associated deposits should be enriched in Fe, Mg, Si and Ca, with surficial deposits being dominated by lower temperature, mixed iron oxide and carbonate mineralogies.
The beta-glucoside system of Escherichia coli. IV. Purification and properties of phospho-beta-glucosidases A and B.

Abstract Two phospho-β-glucosidases (β-d-glucoside 6-phosphate phosphoglucohydrolases; EC 3.2.1) have been purified to apparent homogeneity from extracts of Escherichia coli K12. Both enzymes require 6-phosphoryl-β-glucosides as substrates and cleave the glycosidic linkage, yielding glucose 6-phosphate and the aglycone. In intact cells and in extracts these enzymes cleave β-glucoside phosphates generated from β-glucosides and phosphoenolpyruvic acid by enzyme I, heat-stable protein (HPr), and a specific P-HPr:β-glucoside phosphotransferase (enzyme II) of the phosphotransferase system initially described by Kundig et al. ((1964) Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 52, 1067–1074). Although they have similar molecular weights and appear to be dimers of identical subunits in each case, the two phospho-β-glucosidases (A and B) differ markedly in the purification procedure, amino acid composition, various kinetic parameters, and heat stability. Both enzymes hydrolyze aryl β-glucoside 6-phosphates much more rapidly than methyl β-glucoside 6-phosphate, phenyl 1-thio-β-glucoside 6-phosphate, or nitrophenyl β-galactoside 6-phosphate. Neither phospho-β-glucosidase hydrolyzed nor was inhibited to any extent by α-glucoside 6-phosphates, non-phosphorylated β-glucosides, or by a mixture of secondary hydroxyl phosphoryl-nitrophenyl-β-glucosides. Certain nucleotides and glycolytic intermediates inhibited one or both of the enzymes, and the kinetic behavior of the inhibition was competitive in nature for all of the compounds studied. For both phospho-β-glucosidases, the glycose product of reaction with nitrophenyl β-glucoside 6-phosphate was shown to be β-glucose 6-phosphate in the presence of water alone, but predominantly methyl β-glucoside 6-phosphate in 25 % methanol-water. Phosphorylation by the β-glucoside-specific enzyme II is rate-determining for aryl β-glucoside hydrolysis by intact cells.
Guidelines for risk assessment in wetlands

This paper presents some guidelines for risk assessment inwetlands. Ecosystem analysis, i.e., understanding how wetlandsfunction on the landscape, should be at the heart of theprocess. Another key point is to identify human values thatderive from these wetland functions. Knowing the relationshipbetween functions and values will greatly improve the problemidentification phase and aid in the selection of appropriatetest methods and evaluation endpoints. The result will be moreaccurate risk identification and more effective riskmanagement. Risk characterization in wetlands should involve atwo-step process: (1) utilize a wholistic, ecosystem approachto develop a detailed understanding of how the systemfunctions, and (2) overlay this knowledge base with threetiers of testing, as appropriate; exposure assessment,biological assessment, and ecological assessment. Although thismethodology may seem too complex for routine application,integrating ecosystem analysis may actually reduce the overalltime and cost by identifying key biological, chemical, andphysical parameters that must be evaluated early on in theassessment process.
A general theory of interference fringes in x-ray phase grating imaging.

Purpose: The authors note that the concept of the Talbot self-image distance in x-ray phase grating interferometry is indeed not well defined for polychromatic x-rays, because both the grating phase shift and the fractional Talbot distances are all x-ray wavelength-dependent. For x-ray interferometry optimization, there is a need for a quantitative theory that is able to predict if a good intensity modulation is attainable at a given grating-to-detector distance. In this work, the authors set out to meet this need. Methods: In order to apply Fourier analysis directly to the intensity fringe patterns of two-dimensional and one-dimensional phase grating interferometers, the authors start their derivation from a general phase space theory of x-ray phase-contrast imaging. Unlike previous Fourier analyses, the authors evolved the Wigner distribution to obtain closed-form expressions of the Fourier coefficients of the intensity fringes for any grating-to-detector distance, even if it is not a fractional Talbot distance. Results: The developed theory determines the visibility of any diffraction order as a function of the grating-to-detector distance, the phase shift of the grating, and the x-ray spectrum. The authors demonstrate that the visibilities of diffraction orders can serve as the indicators of the underlying interference intensity modulation. Applying the theory to the conventional and inverse geometry configurations of single-grating interferometers, the authors demonstrated that the proposed theory provides a quantitative tool for the grating interferometer optimization with or without the Talbot-distance constraints. Conclusions: In this work, the authors developed a novel theory of the interference intensity fringes in phase grating x-ray interferometry. This theory provides a quantitative tool in design optimization of phase grating x-ray interferometers.
Estimating the Value of Apartment Buildings

This article applies hedonic modeling techniques to estimate the value of a sample of apartment properties sold in the greater Portland, Oregon area. An equation for value as a function of location, amenities and capitalization rate is derived. This model explains about 95% of the variation in apartment property prices. Property values decline with increasing distance from the city center. Moreover, values are shown to rise less than proportionally to increases in project size and numbers of units and decline with project age, but the marginal effect of project aging is small.
Subtyping Ageism: Policy Issues in Succession and Consumption

Ageism research tends to lump "older people" together as one group, as do policy matters that conceptualize everyone over-65 as "senior." This approach is problematic primarily because it often fails to represent accurately a rapidly growing, diverse, and healthy older population. In light of this, we review the ageism literature, emphasizing the importance of distinguishing between the still-active "young-old" and the potentially more impaired "old-old" (Neugarten, 1974). We argue that ageism theory has disproportionately focused on the old-old and differentiate the forms of age discrimination that apparently target each elder subgroup. In particular, we highlight the young-old's plights predominantly in the workplace and tensions concerning succession of desirable resources; by contrast, old-old predicaments likely center on consumption of shared resources outside of the workplace. For both social psychological researchers and policymakers, accurately subtyping ageism will help society best accommodate a burgeoning, diverse older population.
Obesity and associated factors in adults with intellectual disability

Background We examined the prevalence of obesity in adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) compared with the general population, and the factors associated with obesity and weight management status, comparing individuals with ID who were overweight or obese to those who were not. Methods We analysed baseline data (n = 1450) from the ongoing 4-year Longitudinal Health and Intellectual Disabilities Study (LHIDS) using a multivariate approach. Measures included body mass index (BMI), demographics, level of ID, diagnoses related to ID, health behaviours (i.e. physical activity, dietary habits, smoking, and alcohol consumption), various health parameters (e.g. mobility limitation, medications), and residential type and location. Results Compared with the general population, adults (≥18 years) with ID had a higher prevalence of obesity (38.3% vs. 28%) and morbid obesity (7.4% vs. 4.2%). Being female (AOR = 1.40, 95% CI = 1.09–1.81), having Down syndrome (AOR = 2.53, 95% CI = 1.86–3.45), taking medications that cause weight gain (AOR = 1.80, 95% CI = 1.38–2.37), engaging in less moderate physical activity (AOR = 0.89, 95% CI = 0.79–0.99), and drinking greater amounts of soda (AOR = 1.20, 95% CI = 1.02–1.42) were associated with higher rates of obesity. Conclusion Adults with ID, in general, have a high risk of developing obesity, and women with ID have a high risk of developing morbid obesity. Health promotion initiatives should target individuals with the greatest risk.
Spin dependence of associated production of a prompt photon and a charm quark at next-to-leading order in QCD

A second order, O({alpha}{sup 2}{sub s}), calculation in perturbative quantum chromodynamics is presented of the longitudinal spin dependence of the cross section for the two particle inclusive reaction p + p {r_arrow} {gamma} + c + {Chi} for large values of the transverse momentum of the prompt photon and charm quark. Differential distributions are provided for the spin-averaged cross section and for the two-spin longitudinal polarization asymmetry A{sub LL} at the energy of the Brookhaven Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. An assessment is given of the prospects for determination of the spin dependence of the charm quark density.
Electrode dynamic study of exhaust gas oxygen sensors

We investigate the electrode dynamics of exhaust gas oxygen sensors in order to identify the rate-determining step. The rate-determining step is the two-dimensional surface diffusion mechanism, at the exhaust gas platinum electrode. The diffusion species is the adsorbed oxygen atom. This conclusion results from the study of the transfer function of the electrode dynamic of the exhaust gas platinum electrode. This transfer function is obtained by measuring the ratio of the transfer functions of a wide range air to fuel ratio sensor operated at electromotive force (emf) mode and pump-mode. This is made possible by utilizing the fact that in pump-mode, the electrode dynamic effect is annulled by a negative proportional feedback loop, which pumps oxygen in and out to keep the emf cells at constant regardless how the exhaust gas changes.
Trends in the surgical treatment of gastric adenocarcinoma.

In past decade, the treatment of gastric adenocarcinoma has evolved as a result of the publication of two seminal randomized controlled trials. We aimed to examine treatment trends for resectable gastric cancer (stage I–III) using the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB). Our hypothesis was that the use of chemotherapy and chemoradiotherapy in addition to surgery for the treatment of gastric adenocarcinoma has increased from 2000 to 2009. Patients diagnosed with stage I–III gastric adenocarcinoma between 2000 and 2009 were selected from the NCDB Hospital Comparison Benchmark Reports. Attention was paid to the initial treatment regimen and data on hospital setting were collected and analyzed. The Cochran–Armitage test for trend was used to assess changes in treatment over time. A total of 50,778 patients with stage I–III gastric adenocarcinoma were included in the analysis. Between 2000 and 2009, the use of surgery alone decreased significantly across all three stages at both teaching hospitals and community hospitals (p < 0.0001 for all cases). In the same period, the use of chemotherapy in addition to surgery increased significantly across all three stages and at both hospital settings (p < 0.0001 for all cases). Surgery plus chemoradiotherapy increased for stage I–III disease at community hospitals (p < 0.05 for all) but only increased significantly for stage II disease at teaching hospitals (p < 0.01). Incidentally, nonsurgical treatment increased across all three stages at both hospital settings (p < 0.001 for all cases). Data from the NCDB from 2000 to 2009 demonstrate that there has been an increasing use of chemotherapy in addition to surgery for resectable gastric cancer.
Screening for major depression in Asian-Americans: a comparison of the Beck and the Chinese Depression Inventory.

Objective: This study compares the effectiveness of the Chinese version of the Beck Depression Inventory (CBDI) and the Chinese Depression Inventory (CDI) in screening for depression among Chinese Americans. Method: Five hundred and three Chinese-Americans in primary care were administered the CBDI and the CDI for depression screening. The results were compared with standard semistructured interview. Results: With empirically determined cutoff scores of the CBDI (≥13) and the CDI (≥16), both instruments have good sensitivity (0.78) and excellent specificity (0.91 and 0.93, respectively). The correlation between the total scores of the two instruments was high (0.785, P < 0.01). The areas under the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve of the CBDI and the CDI were 0.94 and 0.95, respectively, and were not significantly different. Conclusion: When administered by nterviewers, the CBDI and the CDI have comparable effectiveness. Low participation among Chinese-Americans with self-report measures limits both scales as efficient depression screening instruments.
Characterization of concentration- and use-dependent effects of quinidine from conduction delay and declining conduction velocity in canine Purkinje fibers.

The dynamic response of squared conduction velocity, theta 2, to repetitive stimulation in canine Purkinje fibers with quinidine was studied using a double-microelectrode technique. With stimulation, a frequency-dependent monoexponential increase in conduction delay (CD) and a decline in theta 2 were observed. The exponential rates and changes in steady-state CD and theta 2 were frequency- and concentration-dependent. The overall drug uptake rates describing blockade and the interpulse recovery interval were linearly related and steady-state values of theta 2 were linearly related to an exponential function of the stimulus intervals. Based on first-order binding, the frequency- and concentration-dependent properties of quinidine were characterized by the apparent binding and unbinding rates of 14.2 +/- 5.7 X 10(6) mol-1.s-1 and 63 +/- 12 s-1 for activated and 14.8 +/- 1.0 X 10(2) mol-1.s-1 and 0.16 +/- 0.03 s-1 for resting states. The recovery time constant extracted from the pulse train interpulse interval was 5.8 +/- 1.5 s compared with 5.1 +/- 0.6 s determined from a posttrain test pulse protocol. This study demonstrates that the kinetics of drug action can be derived from measures of impulse propagation. This provides a basis for characterizing frequency-dependent properties of antiarrhythmic agents in vivo and suggests the plausibility of a quantitative assessment of drug binding and recovery rates in man.
Mesoscale Lake-effect Snowstorms in the Vicinity of Lake Michigan: Linear Theory and Numerical Simulations

Mesoscale lake-effect snowstorms in the vicinity of Lake Michigan are studied by a linear steady-state analytic model and a nonlinear time-dependent numerical model with parameterized subgrid-scale physics. The solutions of the linear model show that the orientation of the mean wind field to the surface heating pattern is crucial to the shapes of the disturbances. The results indicate that the relative warmth of the lake surface can induce three updraft centers under a westerly wind, two updraft centers/bands under a northwesterly wind, and a convergence band under a northerly wind. Such convergences are caused by the interaction between the mean wind and the local circulations forced by the curved thermal contrasts. The numerical results from the nonlinear model not only produce convergence patterns very similar to those found in the linear theory and in other numerical studies, but also capture the transient property in some of the lake-induced disturbances. All of these results are qualitatively confirmed by satellite images.
Nationalism in America's UN Policy, 1944–1945

This article presents an interpretation of the conflicts between universalism and nationalism as they affected United States policy toward the creation of the United Nations. Drawing on heretofore unavailable sources, the author stresses the rising influence of nationalism in the evolution of decisions on the veto power, trusteeships, and regionalism. His focus is on the decision–making process during Roosevelt's last year and the initial months of the Truman administration. He contends that Cordell Hull's universalist UN blueprint, which Roosevelt supported, was inexorably eroded by critics within the American government, especially military spokesmen. These leaders took advantage of the apprehension about the Soviet Union's future policy to further their own ambitions for a strong post–war military posture. Truman was sympathetic to the voices of nationalism, and when he became president the shift away from a strong UN became more pronounced.
The effect of exercise training in cold on shivering and nonshivering thermogenesis in adult and aged C57BL/6J mice.

Abstract To understand the mechanisms of improvement of cold-induced heat production in aged mice following exercise training, the relative contributions of shivering and nonshivering thermogenesis to cold-induced metabolic responses were assessed in adult and aged C57BL/6J male mice, which inhabited sedentarily at room temperature, or were subjected either to a regimen of moderate intensity exercise training at 6°C, or to sedentary repeated exposures to the same temperature. The main findings were that (1) aged mice had greater cold-induced nonshivering thermogenesis, but lower shivering than adult mice; (2) exercise training in a cold environment enhanced cold-induced nonshivering thermogenesis in adult mice, but suppressed it in aged animals; (3) exercise training in a cold environment increased shivering thermogenesis in both age groups, but this increase was much greater in aged mice; (4) the increase of cold-induced shivering thermogenesis was mainly responsible for increased cold tolerance in aged mice after exercise training in a cold environment.
The dependence of the Anderson-Grüneisen parameter δT upon compression at extreme conditions

Abstract The parameter δt is a dimensionless thermoelastic parameter important in thermodynamic studies involving high temperature at high pressure. We give a brief history of attempts to define δT in terms of fundamental interatomic potentials. We show that ab initio calculations provide a way to find δT(η, T) (where η = V V 0 ), since it is possible to find the minimum in the isochoric BT vs T data arising from the ab initio analysis (BT is the isothermal bulk modulus). The method is demonstrated for MgO, where δT is calculated over a wide η, T field. We find δT decreases at high compression, but is independent of T. Knowledge of δT(η, T) is important to find the high P-high T behavior of a number of important properties in thermal physics, including entropy, thermal expansivity, thermal pressure and the Gruneisen parameter.
The Effect of Supporting Electrolytes in Electrochromatography

Abstract A three-electrode, high pressure liquid chromatographic column was developed for electrochromatography. The application of a potential to a carbonaceous stationary phase/working electrode affects the retention of various solutes. Carbon tetrachloride, methylene chloride, toluene, phenol, and pyridine were test solutes. Capacity factors for these solutes were measured as a function of applied potential. Acetonitrile, containing various supporting electrolytes, was the mobile phase.
Social and husbandry factors affecting the prevalence and severity of barbering (‘whisker trimming’) by laboratory mice

Abstract Barbering—the plucking of fur or whiskers from cagemates or oneself—is a common form of abnormal repetitive behavior in laboratory mice. It is often viewed as a ‘normal’ behavior of particular strains, primarily because it is assumed to represent a dominance behavior. Here, we report on a series of experiments investigating the husbandry and social factors involved in barbering. In Experiment 1, we conducted a large-scale epidemiological study. Barbering was found to be related to a number of environmental factors, including cage design, cage location, cagemate relatedness, and the presence of other barbers in the cage. Thus, instead of barbers suppressing the development of barbering in cagemates, as would be expected if barbers were dominant, the presence of a barber in the cage facilitated the behavior in cagemates. In Experiment 2, we quantified the patterns of hair loss seen in barbered mice. These data confirmed that individual barbers pluck idiosyncratic patterns of fur from their cagemates, and that when there were multiple barbers in a cage the patterns plucked by cagemates were significantly more similar than the patterns plucked by non-cagemates. Thus, barbers appear to be facilitating or learning idiosyncratic patterns from their barbering cagemates. Aspects of these data question the assumption that barbering is a dominance behavior. Therefore in Experiment 3, we directly investigated the relationship between dominance and barbering in C57BL/6J mice. The relative dominance score of a mouse within its cage was unrelated to barbering, and the relative severity of hair loss on a mouse was unrelated to its relative dominance. Barbering, therefore, cannot be considered to be a dominance behavior. Instead, our data indicate that it is most likely a form of abnormal repetitive behavior related to compulsive hair plucking (trichotillomania) in humans. The incorrect assumption that barbering represents an eccentric but benign dominance behavior has allowed the welfare consequences of this behavior to remain unaddressed. Barbering should therefore be considered an important variable both in the assessment of the welfare of individual mice and in experiments addressing the impact of husbandry paradigms upon the behavior and welfare of laboratory mice.
Magnetostrictive metallic glass ribbon gradiometer

A new magnetic field gradiometer has been demonstrated which exhibits a minimum detectable field gradient of 7.7 pT/cm square root (Hz) at 1.0 Hz. The sensor element utilises a single metallic glass ribbon thereby enhancing common-mode rejection of noise and providing a compact probe. Balancing is currently achieved by adjusting the individual amplifier gains. However, configuring the pick-up coils in series opposition in a sensor exhibiting an improved uniformity of response may obviate the need for this additional signal processing. >
What is known about the structure and function of the Escherichia coli protein FirA

Summary The firA gene is essential for growth of Escherichia coli growth and lies in the 4-minute region of the genome. firA encodes the FirA protein which contains 341 amino acids and has an apparent molecular mass of 36 kDa. Genetic evidence suggests that FirA plays a role in transcription since certain firA alleles confer temperature sensitivity for growth and RNA synthesis as well as reversing the rifampin resistance of rifampin-resistant rpoB mutants (‘fir’ effect). FirA co-immunoprecipitates with RNA polymerase holoenzyme, implying a physical association with the transcriptional machinery, possibly with the beta subunit of RNA polymerase. FirA contains a previously undescribed isoleucine/valine-rich six-amino-acid repeat occurring 14 times within the N-terminal and 12 more times within the C-terminal half of the protein. This repeat can be formulated as [HXXXhZ]n with ‘H’ representing a large non-polar residue (usually isoleucine),‘h’ representing a smaller non-polar residue, Z’ representing either charged/polar or aromatic residues, XXX representing residues typical of beta turns, and ‘n’ being equal to the repeat number. We refer to this repeat as an isoleucine patch. Proteins encoded by three E. coli acyltransferases also contain this motif which is roughly positioned in each case, within the amino- and carboxyl termini, as in FirA. When the sequences of these proteins are aligned, a region of poor similarity separates the isoleucine patches. The significance of these repeats remains unknown although we speculate that they play an important structural role in the organization and function of FirA (and other proteins containing isoleucine patches), possibly by acting as homo- or hetero-dimerization interfaces. This is supported by the finding that mutations conferring temperature sensitivity for growth or both temperature sensitivity for growth as well as the ‘fir’ effect, map to hypothetical turn residues within the repeats of FirA.
Preschoolers Use Questions as a Tool to Acquire Knowledge From Different Sources

How do children use questions as tools to acquire new knowledge? The current experiment examined preschool children's ability to direct questions to appropriate sources to acquire knowledge. Fifty preschoolers engaged in a task that entailed asking questions to discover which special key would open a box that contained a prize. Children solved simple and complex problems by questioning two puppet experts who knew about separate features of each key. Results indicate dramatic developmental differences in the efficiency and efficacy of children's questions. Although even 3-year-olds asked questions, their questions were largely ineffective and directed toward inappropriate sources. Four-year-olds directed questions toward the appropriate sources but asked approximately equal numbers of effective and ineffective questions. Only 5-year-olds both asked the appropriate sources and formulated effective questions. Implications for the development of problem-solving abilities are discussed.
Faculty perceptions towards student library use in a large urban community college

Abstract This article reports the results of a multi-methodological investigation which examined the perceptions of full-time and part-time faculty in a large multi-campus community college towards making student assignments include some type of library use.
Assessment of the neurotoxic potential of chlorpyrifos relative to other organophosphorus compounds: A critical review of the literature

Chlorpyrifos (diethyl 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridyl phosphorothionate) is a broad-spectrum organophosphorus (OP) insecticide. Anticipated increases in the already extensive use of this compound have prompted this reassessment of its neurotoxicity. Because chlorpyrifos and other OP insecticides are designed to produce acute cholinergic effects through inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and some OP compounds can cause OP compound-induced delayed neurotoxicity (OPIDN) via chemical modification of neurotoxic esterase (neuropathy target esterase, NTE), this review focuses on the capacity of chlorpyrifos to precipitate these and other adverse neurological consequences. Chlorpyrifos exhibits only moderate acute toxicity in many mammalian species, due largely to detoxification of the active metabolite, chlorpyrifos oxon, by A-esterases. Rats given large doses of chlorpyrifos (sc in oil) have prolonged inhibition of brain AChE, possibly due to slow release of the parent compound from a depot. Associated cognitive and motor deficits return to normal well before recovery of AChE activity and muscarinic receptor down-regulation, as expected from classic tolerance. Controlled studies of OP compound exposures in humans also indicate that cognitive dysfunction requires substantial AChE inhibition. Information is relatively sparse on neurological dysfunction that is secondary to theoretical reproductive, developmental, or immunological effects, but the best available data indicate that such effects are unlikely to result from exposures to chlorpyrifos. In accord with the much greater inhibitory potency of chlorpyrifos oxon for AChE than for NTE, clinical reports and experimental studies indicate that OPIDN from acute exposures to chlorpyrifos requires doses well in excess of the LD50, even when followed by repeated doses of the OPIDN potentiator phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride (PMSF). Likewise, studies in hens show that subchronic exposures at the maximum tolerated daily dose do not result in OPIDN. Although exposure to chlorpyrifos as a result of normal use is unlikely to produce classical OPIDN, a recent report stated that mild reversible sensory neuropathy had occurred in eight patients who had been exposed subchronically to unknown amounts of chlorpyrifos. It is not clear whether these cases represent an incorrect linkage of cause and effect, a newly disclosed reversible sensory component of OPIDN, or an entirely new phenomenon. The question of the potential for chlorpyrifos to cause this mild sensory neuropathy could be resolved by the use of quantitative tests of sensory function in animal experiments and/or prospective studies of humans with known exposures to chlorpyrifos.
Le recyclage, retour vers le futur

La France, a l'image d'autres pays dans le monde, a construit une politique energetique des les annees 60, basee sur le nucleaire, pour des raisons d'independance energetique. Plus tard, les chocs petroliers des annees 1973 et 1979 ont conforte ces decisions, accelere la programmation et la perennite de la filiere nucleaire sur le long terme en se dotant des matieres et services necessaires a son developpement durable. Les facteurs declenchant des annees 70 qui avaient un caractere conjoncturel deviennent aujourd'hui structurels pour deux raisons majeures : - la question du rechauffement climatique, du en grande partie aux emissions de CO 2 , liees aux energies fossiles, et - le developpement fulgurant de l'Inde et de la Chine creant une demande energetique durable et de tres grande ampleur. La vision des annees 1970 se revele a tous avec d'autant plus d'acuite que la demande en energie restera non seulement importante mais aussi toujours croissante. Dans ce contexte, le recours au recyclage du combustible nucleaire apparait comme un element incontournable dans la renaissance du nucleaire. Outre les arguments economiques directement correles au prix de l'uranium, le recyclage permet egalement une gestion optimisee des ressources naturelles et responsable des dechets ultimes. Il permet une transition vers le futur en assurant le developpement des outils industriels et combustibles de demain.
Evaluation and Medical Management of Kidney Stones in Children

Purpose: We review the current literature on the diagnostic evaluation and dietary and pharmacological management of children with nephrolithiasis.Materials and Methods: We searched MEDLINE®, Embase® and the Cochrane Library from their inceptions to March 2014 for published articles in English on kidney stones and therapy in children 0 to 18 years old. Based on review of the titles and abstracts, 110 of the 1,014 articles (11%) were potentially relevant to the diagnostic evaluation and medical management of nephrolithiasis in children. We summarized this literature and drew on studies performed in adult populations to augment areas in which no studies of sufficient quality have been performed in children, and to highlight areas in need of research.Results: During the last 25 years the incidence of nephrolithiasis in children has increased by approximately 6% to 10% annually and is now 50 per 100,000 adolescents. Kidney stones that form during childhood have a similar composition to those that form in adul...
Intraneural vascular response to defective development of the chick mesencephalon

The development of intraneural vessels was studied in response to an induced hypermorphosis of neural tissue inthe midbrains of 38 chick embryos ranging in age from three days through 14 days of incubation. The pattern of vascularization was compared with that of normal chick embryos at comparable stages of development. In the experimental embryos, the increase in mitotic figures along the ventricular borders of the mesencephalon is accompanied by the establishment of an endoneural plexus approximately one day earlier than is the case during normal vascularization of the midbrain. This plexus also penetrates more deeply and extensively into the ependymal layer. Surface vessels and intraneural vascular elements are dilated, and the cerebrospinal fluid contains varying amounts of blood released from large intraneural vessels which protrude into the ventricle. The most prominent cerebrovascular effects seem to occur between the fourth and eighth days of incubation. Thereafter, the cerebrovascular pattern becomes more normal except for relatively few isolated hemorrhagic areas.
Carbide-Derived Nanoporous Carbon and Novel Core−Shell Nanowires

Carbide-derived carbon (CDC) nanowires (NWs) have been synthesized by the high-temperature treatment of small-diameter β-SiC whiskers with Cl2/H2. A variety of physical measurements indicate that Si was extracted by exposure to Cl2 and that the C in the carbon nanowires is primarily sp2-bonded. From BET measurements, the specific surface area of these carbon nanowires is 1.3 × 103 m2/g and they contain a network of nanopores. Nanoindentation measurements indicate that the SiC-derived C is not a stiff material, the elastic modulus being 5.0 ± 1.2 GPa. High-temperature treatment of the CDC nanowires under an inert gas significantly increases the degree of graphitization. In addition, partial extraction was used to obtain core−shell structures having a thin and also very high surface area CDC shell; further treatment at high temperature was used to produce graphitized carbon shell−crystalline SiC core NWs.
Multiple Giant Anastomotic Pseudoaneurysms of the Carotid and Femoral Arteries: Combined Endovascular and Open Surgical Approach

Anastomotic pseudoaneurysm is a known complication following carotid artery endarterectomy and aortobifemoral bypass surgeries. However, giant concurrent carotid and femoral artery anastomotic pseudoaneurysms are rare. We herein report a case of successful treatment of multiple giant anastomotic pseudoaneurysms using a combined endovascular and surgical approach. Our case highlights the fact that endovascular techniques can facilitate open surgical repair of complex anastomotic pseudoaneurysms.
Leishmania amazonensis : Cultivation and characterization of axenic amastigote-like organisms

Extracellular amastigote-like forms of Leishmania amazonensis can be maintained in axenic culture at 32 degrees C, pH 4.6, with a generation time of approximately 17 hr. This species of Leishmania is of particular interest since it has been associated with cutaneous, diffuse cutaneous, and mucocutaneous forms of the disease. Immunofluorescence, Western and Northern blot analyses, and immunoprecipitation have been used to estimate the expression levels of amastigote or promastigote antigens in axenically cultured amastigotes. In these analyses, monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) specific for either the amastigote (A-1, A-2, P-2, P-4, P-5, P-8) or promastigote (M-2, P-9, and F-4) and a DNA probe that was specific for the amastigote gene encoding the protein reactive with mAb P-4 have been employed. The amastigote-like organisms were infective for peritoneal and J774.G8 macrophages and BALB/c mice. While amastigote-like forms maintained at pH 4.6, 32 degrees C transformed to promastigotes when transferred to pH 7.3, 24 degrees C, transformation of promastigotes to amastigote-like organisms required a period of growth at pH 4.6 24 degrees C prior to transfer to 32 degrees C. This is the first report of the axenic cultivation of L. amazonensis amastigote-like organisms. This species grows in continual culture at a lower pH than any other species characterized to date. These organisms will prove useful in further studies of the biochemistry, immunology, developmental biology, and molecular biology of this parasite.
Barium Titanium Glycolate: A New Barium Titanate Powder Precursor

The solvated barium titanium glycolate BaTi(C2H4O)3·4C2H6O·H2O forms a preceramic powder upon calcination in air at 900 °C that sinters to polycrystalline BaTiO3 at 1300 °C (see inset). The precursor is easily prepared using benchtop procedures from inexpensive starting materials and yields ceramic BaTiO3 having good electrical properties (K‘ = 2260, loss tan δ = 0.01 at 1 V/cm, 1 kHz, 25 °C).
Telehealth Interventions in Rehabilitation Psychology: Postcards From the Edge.

This special section grew out of a symposium at the 112th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association in Honolulu, Hawaii, that presented innovative telehealth interventions in rehabilitation from around the world. Several presentations represented the cutting edge of science and technology for which only preliminary data were available—hence the subtitle “Postcards From the Edge.” The collected articles represent emerging approaches by pioneers in telehealth rehabilitation and are intended to inform the clinical and research efforts of others who are grappling with the particular blend of psychological and technological issues that these interventions provide.
Philosophic Concerns in Sextus Empiricus, Adversus Mathematicos I

Sextus Empiricus, it is safe to say, is little read. His works will very likely never be classed as great literature. This trite statement is a revelation to no one who has read more than five pages of Sextus consecutively. H. J. Rose' apparently does not even regard his writings as literature, since Sextus' name is not even mentioned in his wellknown Handbook. One is not even tempted to argue the point. Historians of Greek philosophy, and especially of ancient Scepticism, have treated Sextus with more respect. Nevertheless, most of them concentrate their interest upon his Outlines of Pyrrhonism and his five books Against the Dogmaticians.19 When Zeller,2 for example, discusses Sextus, he refers to his Adversus Grammaticos only twice. Those scholars who have studied ancient Scepticism at length seem to give no more weight to these treatises Adversus Mathematicos in general and Adversus Grammaticos in particular. Norman Maccoll,3 one of the earliest writers on Scepticism in the last two centuries, says these books are "of small importance" and that A.M. I-2 contain a "critique more curious than valuable on grammar and rhetoric." He has been echoed in modern times by Leon Robin,4 who says On peut laisser de cote les six livres Contre Jes gens qui enseignent les sciences (Contra Mathematicos), dont l'interet philosophique est en general assez mince.S
Fat Distribution, Aerobic Fitness, Blood Lipids, and Insulin Sensitivity in African-American and European-American Women

The purpose of this study was to determine independent relationships of intra-abdominal adipose tissue (IAAT), leg fat, and aerobic fitness with blood lipids and insulin sensitivity (Si) in European-American (EA) and African-American (AA) premenopausal women. Ninety-three EA and ninety-four AA with BMI between 27 and 30 kg/m2 had IAAT by computed tomography, total fat and leg fat by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, aerobic fitness by a graded exercise test, African admixture (AFADM) by ancestry informative markers, blood lipids by the Ektachem DT system, and Si by glucose tolerance test. Independent of age, aerobic fitness, AFADM, and leg fat, IAAT was positively related to low-density lipoprotein–cholesterol (LDL-C), cholesterol-high-density lipoprotein (HDL) ratio, triglycerides (TGs), and fasting insulin (standardized β varying 0.16–0.34) and negatively related to HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C) and Si (standardized β −0.15 and −0.25, respectively). In contrast, independent of age, aerobic fitness, AFADM, and IAAT, leg fat was negatively related to total cholesterol, LDL-C, cholesterol-HDL ratio, TGs, and fasting insulin (standardized β varying −0.15 to −0.21) and positively related to HDL-C and Si (standardized β 0.16 and 0.23). Age was not independently related to worsening of any blood lipid but was related to increased Si (standardized β for Si 0.25, insulin −0.31). With the exception of total cholesterol and LDL-C, aerobic fitness was independently related to worsened blood lipid profile and increased Si (standardized β varying 0.17 to −0.21). Maintenance of favorable fat distribution and aerobic fitness may be important strategies for healthy aging, at least in premenopausal EA and AA women.
A case report: Pulmonary venous malformation complicated with pulmonary hemorrhage

Pulmonary venous malformation is extremely rare. We present imaging and clinical findings of a 17-year-old male with multifocal subcutaneous venous malformations and multiple cystic lesions in the liver and spleen, suggestive of slow flow vascular malformation. In the right lung, chest radiography followed by chest CT demonstrated large tortuous pulmonary veins and cystic emphysematous changes. Tc99m-MAA (pertechnetate-labeled macroaggregated albumin) lung perfusion scan demonstrated only 3% of normal perfusion to the right lung, with no evidence of arteriovenous shunting. The child had diffuse intraparenchymal hemorrhage throughout the right lower and middle lobes and underwent resection. Pathology confirmed the diagnosis of venous malformation complicated with bleeding.