cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reductive Activity of a Manganese-Dependent Peroxidase from Phanerochaete chrysosporium

A manganese-dependent peroxidase (MnP) from Phanerochaete chrysosporium catalyzed the reduction of cytochrome c in a reaction mixture containing H2O2, Mn(II)-tartrate, and p-hydroquinone. Electron spin resonance studies have shown that the hydroquinone-dependent reductive activity of MnP is due to the benzosemiquinone formed upon the one-electron oxidation of p-hydroquinone by Mn(III)-tartrate, which is formed upon the oxidation of Mn(II) by MnP. The reductive activity increased linearly with an increase in the concentration of p-hydroquinone. The reductive activity was also observed using other hydroquinones such as methylhydroquinone, 2,5-dimethylhydroquinone, and trimethylhydroquinone. The apparent Km values for Mn(II) and H2O2 for the hydroquinone-dependent reductive activity were similar to those for oxidative reactions of MnP. A stoichiometry study showed that about 1.5 mol of cytochrome c was reduced per mole of H2O2 consumed. The stoichiometry decreased with an increase in the concentration of H2O2. The optimal pH for the reductive activity was 5.0, approximately the physiological pH of the fungus. The reduction of cytochrome c was also observed using a quinone and cellobiose:quinone oxidoreductase isolated from the extracellular medium of the fungus.
Almost commuting matrices

It is shown that if A and B are n × n complex matrices with A = A∗ and ∥AB − BA∥</ 2ϵ2(n − 1), then there exist n × n matrices A′ and B′ with A′ = A′∗ such that A′B′ = B′A′ and ∥A − A′∥⩽ ϵ, ∥B − B′∥⩽ ϵ.
Effects of the AMPA/kainate receptor antagonist DNQX in the nucleus accumbens on drug-induced conditioned place preference.

Abstract Activation of AMPA/kainate glutamatergic receptors in the nucleus accumbens may be a component of the mechanism of drug induced reward. To test this hypothesis, 6,7-dinitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (DNQX), an α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-propionate (AMPA)/kainate glutamatergic receptor antagonist, was injected into the nucleus accumbens before the administration of amphetamine or morphine during the training phase (acquisition) of a conditioned place preference paradigm. Rats were then tested for place preference in the absence of drugs. In other experiments, DNQX was given before testing for place preference (expression) but not during the training phase. Bilateral injection of DNQX (1 μg/0.5 μl/side) inhibited acquisition of place preference to amphetamine (1 mg/kg) but not morphine (10 mg/kg). During acquisition, DNQX marginally attenuated the locomotor stimulation elicited by amphetamine during the first but not subsequent training sessions, while the combination of morphine plus DNQX produced marked akinesia during each training session. When given prior to testing, DNQX inhibited the expression of place preference induced by amphetamine and morphine but did not affect locomotor activity. The results suggest that activation of AMPA/kainate receptors is involved in the primary reward stimulation (acquisition of place preference) of amphetamine but not morphine and in behaviors elicited by memory of primary reward stimulation (expression of place preference) for both drugs. Furthermore, locomotor activity during conditioning is not necessary for acquisition of place preference.
Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide Is a Neuropeptide Mediator of the Secretory Response to Serotonin in Rat

Abstract Background. The chloride secretory response to serotonin (5-HT) has nonneural and neural mechanisms, the latter mediated through a 5-HT3 receptor. We hypothesized that 5-HT3-induced C1− secretion is partially mediated by VIP as a neurosecretory transmitter. Therefore it should be inhibited by a VIP receptor antagonist, VIP 6-28. Furthermore, exogenous VIP should induce secretion in the presence of tetrodotoxin (TTX). Methods. Unstripped sheets of rat colon (n = 6) were mounted in Ussing chambers. The 5-HT3 receptor agonist 2-Me-5-HT (10 μM) was added in the absence and presence of VIP 6-28 (30 μM). In companion studies VIP (1 μM) was added to tissue with or without TTX. Changes in short-circuit current (ΔISC) were recorded and repeat-measure ANOVA was used to analyze data. Results. Addition of 2-Me-5-HT induced a rise in ΔISC seen in controls at 1 to 5 min (3.2 ± 1.5 to 12.3 ± 3.7 μA/cm2, P Conclusion. Activation of the neural 5-HT3 receptor by 2-Me-5-HT induces a secretory response in rat colon that is inhibited by a VIP receptor antagonist. Exogenous VIP mimics this response and is unaffected by TTX. VIP is a likely nonadrenergic, noncholinergic neurotransmitter in this pathway.
Radiation-Induced Partial Sterility Related to Structurally Abnormal Sperms of Plodia interpunctella (Lepidoptera: Phycitidae)

Sperms in the testes of adult Indian meal moths, Plodia interpunctella (Hubner), were studied by electron-microscopy after irradiation of the insects in either the last instar or in the early adult stage. Irradiation of newly eclosed adults resulted in rupture and dispersal of sperm bundles and a few flagellar abnormalities in eupyrene sperms. Irradiation of the larvae resulted in high frequencies of flagellar and apical abnormalities of eupyrene sperms of P1 adults. These genetic abnormalities in the ultrastructure of the sperms were inherited more intensely in F1 progeny, produced from the cross of P1 male adults with the unirradiated females.
Molecular weight estimations of some pyrimidine-metabolizing enzymes from pea cotyledons by gel filtration

Abstract The molecular weights of 4 pyrimidine-metabolizing enzymes from imbibed pea cotyledons were estimated by filtration on a Sephadex G-150 column to be as follows: orotidine-5′-phosphate pyrophosphorylase and orotidine-5′-phosphate decarboxylase, 62,000; uridine nucleosidase, 55,000; cytidine deaminase, 47,000.
From Out of the Shadows: Mexican Women in Twentieth-Century America

Mexican-Americans are now well established in the US, but it was an arduous century-long struggle - and the key participants in this effort have been the women. Whether living in a labour camp, a boxcar settlement, a mining town, or an urban barrio, Mexican women nurtured families, worked for wages, built extended networks (including fictional "uncles" and "aunts"), and participated in community associations - efforts which solidified the community and helped Mexican-Americans find their own place in America. In this text historian Vicki L. Ruiz provides a study of Mexican-American women in the 20th century, in a narrative enhanced by use of interviews and personal stories, capturing a vivid sense of the Mexicana experience in the United States. Ruiz begins with the first wave of Mexican women crossing the border from Mexico early in the 20th century. She reveals that between 1910 and 1930, over one million Mexican men and women (perhaps as much as ten percent of Mexico's population) migrated "al otro lado", joining the hundreds of thousands of Mexican-Americans already living in the Southwest United States. This book is intended for trade, women's studies and chicano history courses.
A Type and Effect System for Flexible Abstract Interpretation of Java

This paper describes a flexible type and effect inference system for Featherweight Java (FJ). The effect terms generated by static type and effect inference embody the abstract interpretation of pro- gram event sequences. Flexibility in the analysis is obtained by post-processing of inferred effects, allowing a modular adaptation to extensions of the language. Several example transformations are discussed, including how inferred effects can be transformed to reflect the impact of exceptions on FJ control flow.
Sparse static output feedback controller design via convex optimization

We consider the problem of designing a stabilizing static output feedback controller subject to a pre-specified sparsity pattern. While this problem is known to be NP-hard, our main result shows that a sequence of convergent convex relaxations can be obtained by recasting the problem into a polynomial optimization through the use of polyhedral Lyapunov functions. Moreover, as shown in the paper, combining these ideas with rank minimization tools leads to a computationally attractive algorithm. These results are illustrated with an example, where we show the effectiveness of the proposed approach vis-a-vis existing techniques.
Originator Data Security for Collaborative Task Execution among Weak Devices

This paper presents a secure framework for dispatching and completing tasks in a network of weak embedded devices, such as sensors. The framework allows a device to dispatch tasks to other remote devices while ensuring that the secure data of the originating devices will not be disclosed with the dispatched tasks. The framework is implemented with TinyOS and MICAz motes for evaluation. The results show that the framework achieves the desired security with little overhead and is feasible to weak devices.
Tomography of a supersonically cooled molecular jet using cavity-enhanced direct frequency comb spectroscopy

Cavity-enhanced direct frequency comb spectroscopy is used to obtain simultaneously high resolution and broad spectral-bandwidth measurements of a supersonically cooled jet of acetylene molecules. We demonstrate a complete spatial mapping of density, velocity, and internal state distributions of a cold molecular jet via tomographic reconstructions. These measurements reveal interesting and neverbefore-observed features of the pulsed jet expansion, including anomalous C2H2 absorption lineshapes and anomalous spatial variations of the rotational temperature distribution. The demonstrated capabilities establish this technique as a powerful new tool for studies of cold molecules.
Optofluidic surface enhanced Raman scattering chip for detection of dengue virus

In this work we describe the development of an optofluidic device for surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) based detection of biological pathogens. The chip exploits the use of electro-active microwells which serve to both physically concentrate the Raman enhancers and to reduce the total analysis time through a unique electrokinetically driven on-chip mixing effect. To quantify the concentration performance of the device we use 44 nm polystyrene particles at low electric field strength (between 1.00–2.00 V) and demonstrate close to 90% concentration saturation within 2.5 s. We demonstrate the mixing capability through the enhanced detection of dengue virus serotype 2 (DENV-2). With DENV-2, we successfully detected the SERS signals with a limit of detection of 30 pM.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Behavioral and biochemical correlates of diet change in phenylketonuria.

Extract: The investigation was designed to explore the use of tests tapping reversible aspects of behavior and performance and to find out whether these data can be correlated with concurrent metabolic changes in different dietary phases. The four subjects had classic phenylketonuria, diagnosed on the basis of a high level of serum phenylalanine on a regular diet, and severe mental retardation. Three types of diet were used: the general institutional diet, a low phenylalanine diet, and a low phenylalanine diet with added L-phenylalanine. A position discrimination and reversal task was used. Blood samples were taken every week on the day before psychological testing, and one 24-hr urine sample was collected during each dietary phase. In subjects I and II performance deteriorated upon elevation of the serum phenylalanine level, but these changes were transient only, thus showing an adaptation to the effects of the high serum phenylalanine level. Subject III showed increased response latencies (slower test responses) during high phenylalanine diet phases and faster responses while on a low phenylalanine diet. The correlation between response time and phenylalanine level is highly significant (r = 0.86, P < 0.001). On the low phenylalanine diet subject IV's responses were fast and her performance was very stable, which contrasted with erratic performance during the high phenylalanine phases. Calculations show a significant association with phenylalanine level, both for response time (r = 0.47, P < 0.05) and for variability in response time within each session (r = 0.46, P < 0.05). Biochemical variability was observed in metabolic responses to phenylalanine loading, especially in the excretion of tryptophan metabolites. Speculation: A simultaneous analysis of biochemical and behavioral parameters in sufficient detail to permit the detection of individual variability is shown to be feasible. Further studies of a similar nature on a larger scale should help to achieve a more precise understanding of the biochemical processes in the nervous system which are responsible for the behavioral changes.
International Attitudes toward Americans

The lost-letter technique was used to analyze European and American attitudes toward an anonymous American citizen. Analysis of the return rates (55%, range 43 to 76%) for the 270 dropped letters suggested that Europeans and Americans have similar attitudes toward Americans, and these attitudes are not affected by nationality, city size, or recent political change
Effects of Tarsal Coalition Resection on Dynamic Plantar Pressures and Electromyography of Lower Extremity Muscles

The goal of this study was to evaluate kinetic abnormalities in feet after tarsal coalition resection using plantar pressure measurements and electromyography of 4 muscle groups in the lower limb. Eleven subjects (14 feet) with tarsal coalition (3 feet with calcaneocuboid, 6 feet with calcaneonavicular, and 5 feet with talocalcaneal) underwent coalition excision. Patients ranged in age from 9 to 17 years, and mean follow-up was 20 months. Two feet underwent subsequent subtalar fusion and 1 had a triple arthrodesis. Plantar pressure and electromyography measurements were compared with data taken from 68 normal (control) subjects between the ages of 6 to 16 years. Feet with tarsal coalition showed significant differences in the midfoot region, with increases in contact area (40.36 cm 2 ± 14.7 vs 18.02 cm 2 ± 8.0, P 2 sec ± 3.4 vs 1.83 N/cm 2 sec ± 0.9, P 2 ± 5.8, 6.81 N/cm 2 ± 2.8, P = .01). Tarsal coalition feet also displayed reduced peak pressure and loading at the region of the fifth metatarsal head as compared with uninvolved feet ( P
Timings and interactions of skilled musicians

We report here a preliminary study of interactive behavior between two members of a skilled string quartet performing a selected musical passage that required both performers to play several hundred notes in rapid succession at a steady tempo and in synchrony. Bowing movements were recorded using angular velocity sensors attached to their right forearms. The results show a high degree of temporal precision in both players. In addition, both players exhibited embedded rhythmic components in their timekeeping pattern, which arose from the grouping of notes in the musical score: four 16th notes to a beat. Within each group of four notes, we found a consistent timing microstructure: alternate upbows and alternate downbows had different mean durations. Both players’ bowings could be modeled as alternating renewal processes. In addition, we report evidence of interactive coupling between the players as an essential component of their joint performance. The alternating renewal model enables us to propose a note-generation process that has implications for the central generators underlying the observed behavior and their hierarchical organization. We discuss the implications of this model for the organization and execution of more complex motor sequences.
Tai Chi Exercise and Stroke Rehabilitation

According to reported global estimates, 15 million people suffer from a stroke each year, resulting in 5.5 million deaths, with 5 million left permanently disabled. Typical disabilities following stroke include poor neuromuscular control, hemodynamic imbalance, and negative mood state. Tai Chi (TC) is associated with better balance, lower blood pressure, and improved mood, which are important for stroke survivors. An overview of the philosophy and principles of TC exercise is provided, followed by a literature review of reported TC studies examining balance, blood pressure, and mood. Finally, the potential application of TC exercise to stroke rehabilitation is discussed.
A comparative study of the action of various sympathomimetic amine aerosols in counteracting the dyspnea and bronchospasm induced by histamine and by acetyl-beta-methylcholine

Summary 1.The protecting capacity of aerosols of epinephrine (1:100), Neo-Syneph-rine (1:100), Vaponefrin, and Isuprel (1:200 and 1:100) against the bronchospastic effects of intravenous histamine and acetyl-beta-methylcholine has been described. 2.Isuprel 1:100 was the most effective agent tested for protection against the effects of both histamine and acetyl-beta-methylcholine but was too prone to produce disturbing side reactions for routine clinical use. 3.Isuprel 1:200 demonstrated more prolonged protection against the effects of acetyl-beta-methylcholine than either 1:100 epinephrine or Vaponefrin but less immediate and prolonged protection against the effects of histamine than either 1:100 epinephrine or Vaponefrin. 4.Vaponefrin demonstrated more intense immediate protection against the effects of histamine and acetyl-beta-methylcholine than aerosols of epinephrine epinephrine 1:100. 5.Neo-Synephrine 1:100 demonstrated minimal significant protection against the effects of histamine. No significant protection against the effects of mecholyl could be demonstrated. 6.The bronchospasmolytic properties of aerosols of epinephrine, Isuprel and Vaponefrin, demonstrated clinically, were confirmed in the laboratory and the relative values of these drugs as anticholinergic or antihistaminic agents were evaluated. More definitive usage of one or another of these aerosols should be predicated on the type of asthma presented by the individual patient.
Sound in a granular material: Disorder and nonlinearity.

We have investigated the properties of low-amplitude vibrations in dry unconsolidated granular materials. The velocity of sound can vary by a factor of 5 depending upon whether one measures either the arrival time of the rising edge of the pulse or the quantity analogous to the group velocity. If we increase the amplitude of the vibrations, we observe nonlinearity near the point at which we first see hysteretic behavior. This is interpreted as due to the presence of force chains. We also find frequency shifts in all of the features that characterize the transmission spectrum.
Bol loops with non-normal nuclei

The purpose of this paper is to expand the collection of Bol loops that have nuclei that are not normal. In doing so, we will show that for each of the Bol loops given by Daniel and Karl Robinson in [2] there are uncountably many more. Clearly this will require us to give examples of infinite Bol loops with non-normal nuclei, which until now have apparently been absent from the literature.
On the applicability of queueing theory to lock capacity analysis

Abstract Barge traffic congestion on U.S. inland waterways occurs primarily at locks. Lock capacity analysis must deal with estimation of delays at various traffic levels. The M/M/1 queueing model has been proposed for such analysis, but it is shown that lock operations do not correspond well to M/M/1 model assumptions and, further, that the model does a poor job of predicting delays. The assumptions of M/G/1 do correspond well with the operation of many single-chamber locks, and the delay predictions of this model agree well with simulation results. For two-chamber (parallel) locks, no exact queueing results are available. Calculated numerical values reveal that known upper and lower bounds on mean delays are not tight enough to be of practical use at the traffic levels of interest.
Nonlinear optical interactions with Rubidium atoms confined in a hollow-core photonic crystal fiber

We use light-induced atomic desorption to produce an appreciable density of Rubidium atoms in a hollow-core photonic bandgap fiber and demonstrate electromagnetically induced transparency at very low light levels .
Mechanism of propranolol inhibition of the cardiac sarcotubule-γ-AT32P reaction

Abstract Analysis of the mechanism by which propranolol inhibits calcium-stimulated, magnesium-dependent, ATPase activity of a sarcotubule-enriched fraction (SR) prepared from canine ventricle was undertaken with the aid of γ-labeled AT 32 P. When calcium was the dominant divalent cation during incubation, the level of an intermediate, a phosphoprotein (EP), in the hydrolytic reaction increased rapidly to 0.9 nmole/mg of SR protein and plateaued. However, when magnesium was the dominant cation, the level of EP was much lower and decreased as the incubation period increased. Propranolol (1 mM) had no influence on the levels of phosphoprotein formed in the presence of calcium but increased EP levels when excess magnesium was added. Since calcium is required for the formation of EP and magnesium for the hydrolysis of EP, these observations suggest that 1 mM propranolol is primarily limiting EP breakdown. This conclusion was confirmed in an experiment in which propranolol was shown directly to produce a 67 per cent inhibition of the breakdown of EP to inorganic phosphate. Since 5 mM propranolol was found to depress the level of EP formed during incubation of SR with calcium, it appears that higher doses of the drug may also interfere with EP formation.
A theory for dynamic compaction of wet porous solids

Abstract Partially-saturated porous media exhibit complex behavior including plastic distortion, irreversible crushing of pores, and dilatancy. Pressure produced by compression of the pore fluid has a strong influence on these phenomena and greatly alters the response observed in the wet solid from that observed in the dry solid. This paper describes these phenomena within the framework of a theory for immiscible mixtures. It shows how a material representation originally derived for the hydrostatic compaction of a dry solid can be generalized to wet solids subjected to both distortional and volumetric deformation. Results of stress-wave calculations are compared to data obtained from a field test in which high explosive was detonated in a formation of partially-saturated ashfall tuff.
Environment and Early Evolution of the 8 May 2009 Derecho-Producing Convective System

AbstractThis study documents the complex environment and early evolution of the remarkable derecho that traversed portions of the central United States on 8 May 2009. Central to this study is the comparison of the 8 May 2009 derecho environment to that of other mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) that occurred in the central United States during a similar time of year. Synoptic-scale forcing was weak and thermodynamic instability was limited during the development of the initial convection, but several mesoscale features of the environment appeared to contribute to initiation and upscale growth, including a mountain wave, a midlevel jet streak, a weak midlevel vorticity maximum, a “Denver cyclone,” and a region of upper-tropospheric inertial instability.The subsequent MCS developed in an environment with an unusually strong and deep low-level jet (LLJ), which transported exceptionally high amounts of low-level moisture northward very rapidly, destabilized the lower troposphere, and enhanced frontogenetica...
Curing of Low Level Melamine-Modified Urea- Formaldehyde Particleboard Binder Resins Studied with Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA)

Effects of resin formulation, catalyst, and curing temperature were studied for particleboard binder- type urea-formaldehyde (UF) and 6 12% melamine-mod- ified urea-melamine-formaldehyde (UMF) resins using the dynamic mechanical analysis method at 125 160°C. In general, the UF and UMF resins gelled and, after a relatively long low modulus period, rapidly vitrified. The gel times shortened as the catalyst level and resin mix time increased. The cure slope of the vitrification stage decreased as the catalyst mix time increased, perhaps because of the delete- rious effects of polymer advancements incurred before cur- ing. For UMF resins, the higher extent of polymerization effected for UF base resin in resin synthesis increased the cure slope of vitrification. The cure times taken to reach the vitrification were longer for UMF resins than UF resins and increased with increased melamine levels. The thermal sta- bility and rigidity of cured UMF resins were higher than those of UF resins and also higher for resins with higher melamine levels, to indicate the possibility of bonding par- ticleboard with improved bond strength and lower formal- dehyde emission. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 97: 377-389, 2005
Post-nominal modifiers: Transformations and phonology

Abstract In my Introduction to Linguistic Structures, I reported the results of the first of a series of tests on sentences with restrictive and non-restrictive elements as modifiers of a noun subject. 1 I have since then carried these tests somewhat further, and can now report more far-reaching results. The tests consisted in pronouncing possibly ambiguous sentences with various types of pitch and terminal patterns, to see which, if any, of these patterns resulted in convergence of identification by groups of native speakers. The results, simply stated, are that only two pitch-terminal patterns are unambiguous phonological signals, and that of three types of sentence where a following element may be functionally restrictive or non-restrictive, there is one in which even the otherwise clear phonological signals fail, leaving the sentence completely ambiguous.
Architectural Requirements and Scalability of the NAS Parallel Benchmarks

We present a study of the architectural requirements and scalability of the NAS Parallel Benchmarks. Through direct measurements and simulations, we identify the factors which affect the scalability of benchmark codes on two relevant and distinct platforms; a cluster of workstations and a ccNUMA SGI Origin 2000. We find that the benefit of increased global cache size is pronounced in certain applications and often offsets the communication cost. By constructing the working set profile of the benchmarks, we are able to visualize the improvement of computational efficiency under constant-problem-size scaling. We also find that, while the Origin MPI has better point-to-point performance, the cluster MPI layer is more scalable with communication load. However, communication performance within the applications is often much lower than what would be achieved by micro-benchmarks. We show that the communication protocols used by MPI runtime library are influential to the communication performance in applications, and that the benchmark codes have a wide spectrum of communication requirements.
Efficient traffic grooming in synchronous optical network/wavelength-division multiplexing bidirectional line-switched ring networks

We study traffic grooming in synchronous optical network/wavelength-division multiplexing (SONET/WDM) bidirectional line-switched ring (BLSR) networks under the uniform all-to-all traffic model with an objective to reduce total network costs (wavelength and electronic multiplexing costs), in particular, to minimize the number of add-drop multiplexers (ADMs) while using the optimal number of wavelengths. We derive a new tighter lower bound for the number of wavelengths when the number of nodes is a multiple of 4. We show that this lower bound is achievable. We then derive new, more general, and tighter lower bounds for the number of ADMs subject to the constraint that the optimal number of wavelengths is used, and propose heuristic algorithms (the circle construction algorithm and the circle grooming algorithm) that try to minimize the number of ADMs while using the optimal number of wavelengths in BLSR networks. Both the bounds and algorithms are applicable to any value of r and for different wavelength granularity g . All previous ADM lower bounds except perhaps that in (Gerstel et al., 1999) were derived under the assumption that the magnitude of the traffic streams ( r ) is one unit ( r = 1) with respect to the wavelength capacity granularity g . Performance evaluation shows that wherever applicable, our lower bounds are at least as good as existing bounds and are much tighter than existing ones in many cases. Our proposed heuristic grooming algorithms perform very well with traffic streams of larger magnitude. The resulting number of ADMs required is very close to the corresponding lower bounds derived in this paper.
Human uracil DNA N-glycosidase: studies in normal and repair defective cultured fibroblasts

Abstract Uracil DNA N-glycosidase, an enzyme which participates in the excision of uracil from DNA, was measured in extracts from fibroblasts lines cultured from normal subjects, from several subjects with the genetic disease xeroderma pigmentosum, and from a subject with ataxia telangiectasia. The cell lines representative of complementation groups A and D of xeroderma pigmentosum and of ataxia telangiectasia had roughly the same level of activity as did the normal cells. On the other hand, cells from two xeroderma pigmentosum variants (XP4BE and XP13BE) had roughly half the normal level of activity, and cells from the heterozygous mother of XP4BE had an intermediate level of activity. In spite of these quantitative differences, no systematic alterations in reaction characteristics, apparent Km for substrate, or purification characteristics were noted for enzyme from any of the lines. Thus a causal relationship, if any, between levels of activity and the disease symptoms is equivocal.
Identification of the heart as the critical site of adenosine mediated embryo protection

Our understanding of the mechanisms that protect the developing embryo from intrauterine stress is limited. Recently, adenosine has been demonstrated to play a critical role in protecting the embryo against hypoxia via adenosine A1 receptors (A1ARs), which are expressed in the heart, nervous system, and other sites during development. However, the sites of A1AR action that mediate embryo protection are not known. To determine if the heart is a key site of adenosine-mediated embryo protection, A1ARs were selectively deleted in the embryonic heart using a Cre-LoxP system in which the alpha-myosin heavy chain promoter drives Cre-recombinase expression and excision of the A1AR gene from cardiomyocytes. With increasing exposure of maternal hypoxia (10% O2) from 48-96 hours beginning at embryonic day (E) 8.5, embryo viability decreased in the cardiac-A1AR deleted embryos. 48 hours of hypoxia reduced embryonic viability by 49% in embryos exposed from E10.5-12.5 but no effect on viability was observed in younger embryos exposed to hypoxia from E8.5-10.5. After 72 hours of hypoxia, 57.8% of the cardiac-A1AR deleted embryos were either dead or re-absorbed compared to 13.7% of control littermates and after 96 hours 81.6% of cardiac-A1AR deleted embryos were dead or re-absorbed. After 72 hours of hypoxia, cardiac size was reduced significantly more in the cardiac-A1AR deleted hearts compared to controls. Gene expression analysis revealed clusters of genes that are regulated by both hypoxia and A1AR expression. These data identify the embryonic heart as the critical site where adenosine acts to protect the embryo against hypoxia. As such these studies identify a previously unrecognized mechanism of embryo protection.
Informal care giving to more disabled people with multiple sclerosis

Purpose. About 30% of the people with multiple sclerosis (MS) require some form of home care assistance and 80% of that assistance is provided by informal or unpaid care givers. This study focusses on the care givers for 530 more disabled people with MS, with the objective of learning more about informal care giving to people with greater dependency and need for assistance.Method. The data presented in this study were collected in a national survey of 530 people who provided informal care to more disabled people with MS.Results. Almost half of these care givers reported that they provided more than 20 h of care per week to the person with MS, with more than 9 in 10 shopping for groceries, doing indoor housework, preparing meals or providing transportation for the person with MS. More than 4 in 10 employed care givers reduced the amount of time worked in the previous 12 months because of their care giving responsibilities. Although more than half of the MS care givers in our study reported that care giving...
The Language of the Divine “I”

form-criticism and literary analysis to relevant perspectives in contemporary anthropology, philosophy, and theology. I must confine myself largely to formulating some major possible conclusions, with the aim of contributing to an understanding of the structure of Israelite faith. The Old Testament reflects at least three basic forms of speech, which are provided, roughly speaking, by prophets, priests, and wise men. The first two contain a form in which God speaks to the people of Israel in the first person. I shall call this the form of the divine "I." In a sense, this divine "I" lies at the very center of both priestly and prophetic speech. Other expressions are subsidiary to, and explanatory of, the basic form of address implied in the sacred religious language. The origin of the address-form lies quite concretely in the actual confrontation of hearers by a divine word brought by a priest or a prophet who speaks on behalf of Yahweh.
Biotechnology in marine aquaculture

Abstract Intensification of production, modernization of technique, and improvement of cultivars are needed to increase the economic efficiency of marine aquaculture industries. To help achieve such improvements, modern methods of biochemical and genetic engineering can be adapted to control biological processes which intrinsically limit the efficiency and yield of production. Such applications now have been developed for improved production of molluscs. Critical life-cycle stages of several species of abalones and other commercially valuable molluscs which thus far have proved amenable to improved control by these means include reproduction, larval settlement, metamorphosis, and acceleration of early growth. Analysis of the physiological and molecular mechanisms which control reproduction in molluscs reveals a prostaglandin-dependent regulation of spawning in abalones and certain other species. Spawning of gravid adults can be induced by the addition of prostaglandins to the surrounding seawater, or, more reliably and inexpensively, by activation of the endogenous enzymatic synthesis of prostaglandin-related spawning triggers in response to added hydrogen peroxide. Peroxide activation of the prostaglandin-dependent spawning reaction has been found widely useful for obtaining synchronous and copious release of fully competent gametes in a large number of species of abalones, oysters, scallops, mussels, clams, and other valuable molluscs; a number of these species had not been successfully spawned by other methods. Settlement and metamorphosis of many molluscan species can be brought under similar biochemical control. Most efficiently and inexpensively, the natural biochemical requirement for induction of these critical developmental processes can be met by providing competent larvae with unique amino acid constituents associated with the naturally required inducing molecules. Thus, γ-aminoburyric acid (GABA) can be used simply, safely and inexpensively to induce complete and rapid larval settlement and metamorphosis — with minimal mortality — in many commercially important abalone species. This and similar neurotransmitter-related, amino-acid-derived compounds are proving comparably effective for the reliable induction of settlement and metamorphosis in a number of other valuable molluscan species. Recent analyses of the requirements for rapid early juvenile growth in abalones reveals a mechanism of growth-control which is susceptible to exogenous hormonal acceleration. Genetic cloning and amplification of recombinant-DNA templates for the efficient production of essential growth-regulating hormones, and substances required for enhanced nutritional efficiency and resistance of cultivars, are now in progress. Genetic engineering for the direct improvement of cultivated species soon will be within reach.
ATP Binding to a Unique Site in the Type-1 S2- Inositol 1,4,5-Trisphosphate Receptor Defines Susceptibility to Phosphorylation by Protein Kinase A

The subtype- and splice variant-specific modulation of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors (InsP3R) by interaction with cellular factors plays a fundamental role in defining the characteristics of Ca2+ release in individual cell types. In this study, we investigate the binding properties and functional consequences of the expression of a putative nucleotide binding fold (referred to as the ATPC site) unique to the S2- splice variant of the type-1 InsP3R (InsP3R-1), the predominant splice variant in peripheral tissue. A glutathione S-transferase fusion protein encompassing amino acids 1574-1765 of the S2- InsP3R-1 and including the glycine-rich motif Gly-Tyr-Gly-Glu-Lys-Gly bound ATP specifically as measured by fluorescent trinitrophenyl-ATP binding. This binding was completely abrogated by a point mutation (G1690A) in the nucleotide binding fold. The functional sensitivity of S2- InsP3R-1 constructs was evaluated in DT40-3KO-M3 cells, a null background for InsP3R, engineered to express muscarinic M3 receptors. The S2- InsP3R-1 containing the G1690A mutation was markedly less sensitive to agonist stimulation than wild type S2- InsP3R-1 or receptors containing a similar (Gly → Ala) mutation in the established nucleotide binding sites in InsP3R-1 (the ATPA and ATPB sites). The ATP sensitivity of InsP3-induced Ca2+ release, however, was not altered by the G1690A mutation when measured in permeabilized DT40-3KO cells, suggesting a unique role for the ATPC site. Ca2+ release was dramatically potentiated following activation of cAMP-dependent protein kinase in DT40-3KO cells transiently expressing wild type S2- InsP3R or Gly → Ala mutations in the ATPA and ATPB sites, but phosphorylation of the receptor and the potentiation of Ca2+ release were absent in cells expressing the G1690A mutation in S2- InsP3R. These data indicate that ATP binding specifically to the ATPC site in S2- InsP3R-1 controls the susceptibility of the receptor to protein kinase A-mediated phosphorylation, contributes to the functional sensitivity of the S2- InsP3R-1 and ultimately the sensitivity of cells to agonist stimulation.
Successful reversal of recalcitrant hepatic allograft rejection by photopheresis

Extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) is an immunologic modality that has shown efficacy in the treatment of clonal T-cell diseases, including Sezary syndrome and allograft rejection. In this case report, we expand on this observation to include recalcitrant hepatic allograft rejection. A 14-year-old boy with hepatic allograft rejection refractory to high-dose corticosteroid and lymphocytolytic therapy was treated with 4 sessions of ECP over a 6-week period. After 2 sessions, a liver biopsy showed complete reversal of acute cell-mediated rejection. No opportunistic infections or other adverse events were noted. Photopheresis appears to be a safe and effective modality for the treatment of refractory hepatic allograft rejection.
Structural Microdomains in the Lateral Plasma Membrane of Cochlear Outer Hair Cells

The basal and lateral regions of the plasma membrane of cochlear outer hair cells are structurally and functionally distinct. The lateral region contains thousands of motor proteins but few voltage-gated channels. The basal region, conversely, contains a high number of voltage-gated channels but is devoid of motor proteins. It has been suggested that the cortical cytoskeleton is responsible for maintaining this regional distinction. Toward elucidating the structure of the outer hair cell's electromotile mechanism, we investigated the physical organization of the lateral plasma membrane in living guinea pig outer hair cells by analyzing the distribution pattern of the anionic long-chain carbocyanine SP-DiIC18(3) within this area, before and after electrical stimulation and with an intact and a disrupted cytoskeleton. We observed punctate, intensely fluorescent patches as well as areas of weaker fluorescence, with clear local maxima and minima, upon labeling the cells with this membrane-soluble probe. This discrete distribution of SP-DilC18(3) suggests that the lateral plasma membrane of guinea pig outer hair cells may be composed of small structural domains (microdomains). Disrupting the cytoskeleton with either trypsin or toxin B from Clostridium difficile did not change this pattern of distribution, thus indicating that this treatment did not facilitate the lateral diffusion of the probes. Electrical stimulation using whole-cell patch-clamp techniques, on the other hand, induced two responses: fast motility and reversible displacement of the fluorescent probes. Both responses were inhibited by internal perfusion with salicylate, while disruption of the cytoskeleton did not inhibit OHC fast motility but affected the electrically induced redistribution of fluorescent probes. Together, these results suggest that the lateral plasma membrane of guinea pig outer hair cells contains structural microdomains and that the cytoskeleton does not appear to be playing a major role in maintaining the lateral separation of these distinct molecular regions.
Diagnosing furnace problems with an expert system

Summary GAS CABINET The approach used in HINTS can be used for most diagnostic problem solving tasks, since such tasks are trulyclassification problems. But, there will certainly be cases in which a model-based, or even a rule-based, approach issufficient to solve the problem. The approach used by HINTS will be appropriate for many diagnostic problems, and is appealing for several reasons. It is a heuristic approach which overcomes the major limitation of rule-basedsystems, i.e. its "bijtfleness" and it does scale up to handle medium-to-large size problems while still being maintainable. Additionally, HINTS can work efficiently on large problems because its use of problem trees utilizes arestricted search space. The problem trees provide HINTS with the characteristics of both flexibility and robustness.It is flexible because nodes on problem trees can be easily modified, and it is robust because it classifies problems and will always conclude with a solution. References [Abbott
Depletion-Mode Photoconductivity Study of Deep Levels in GaN Nanowires

The steady-state photoconductivity (PC) response of deep level defects to sub-bandgap illumination was studied in GaN nanowires (NWs) grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. Photoemission from defects residing in the NW surface depletion region alters the depletion width, and the PC response arises mainly from the resulting enhancement of the cross-sectional area of the electrically conductive NW core. The advantages of emphasizing depletion region processes for deep level spectroscopy of NWs are discussed. A simple electrostatic model was adopted to explain the strong relative increase of sub-bandgap PC response with decreasing NW width. NW deep level spectra were similar to those widely reported for planar GaN films, suggesting that the corresponding defects are located throughout the NW volume and are not specific to the surface.
Metallization by plating for high-performance multichip modules

Electrolytic plating is used to produce the interconnect wiring on the current generation of high-performance multichip modules used in IBM S/390® and AS/400® servers. This paper reviews the material and manufacturing requirements for successful implementation of a multilayer high-density wiring pattern involving electroplated copper metal and polyimide dielectric. Various strategies for the construction of thin-film structures (planarized and nonplanarized) are outlined, and the advantages of electrolytic plating over dry deposition techniques are described.
Plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition of silver thin films for applications in plasmonics and surface enhanced Raman scattering

We have employed plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) as a means to create multi-layered nanocomposite structures in order to enhance the plasmonic behavior and SERS response in the detection of benzenethiol (BZT). Ag PEALD films were deposited within nanoporous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates of various pore depths, using Ag(fod)(PEt 3 )(fod=2,2-dimethyl-6,6,7,7,8,8,8-heptafluorooctane-3,5-dionato) as the precursor. We have examined the polycrystalline microstructure and conformality of the Ag films across the surface of an AAO template as well as into the pores, which varies significantly as thicknesses decrease. Furthermore, we investigated the plasmonic behavior of these films by performing SERS as a function of the Ag microstructure and conformality within the nanopores, using a 785 nm laser excitation and BZT as a test molecule, which forms a self-assembled monolayer on the Ag surface.
Nocturnal Activity of Adults of Three Species of Loopers, Based on Collections in Pheromone Traps

The role of the patterns of adult activity was investigated in the sexual isolation of Trichoplusia ni (Hubner), Pseudoplusia includens (Walker), and T. oxygramma (Geyer) by using field-trapping techniques. T. ni and P. includens females exhibited distinct but overlapping calling periods. Response patterns of males of these 2 species to synthetic pheromone, cis -7-dodecen-1-ol acetate, were closely synchronized with the calling period of the females. However, T. oxygramma males responded uniformly throughout the night to cis -7-dodecen-1-ol acetate. It is, therefore, concluded that differences in nocturnal activity patterns per se are not sufficient to achieve sexual isolation among these 3 species.