cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Diffusion-Weighted MRI in Acute Subcortical Infarction

Background and Purpose—Conventional imaging lacks sensitivity and specificity for the detection of early subcortical cerebral infarction. The purposes of our study were (1) to determine the accuracy of diffusion-weighted (DW) MRI for early subcortical infarction and (2) to determine the efficacy of DW MRI for differentiating acute from nonacute subcortical infarctions when conventional MR demonstrates multiple infarctions. Methods—Thirty-nine patients with clinically diagnosed acute subcortical infarction and 17 control subjects were imaged with both conventional and DW MRI from 7 hours to 4 days (mean, 2.0 days) after onset of symptoms. All images were read blinded to specific clinical findings. In all cases, the precise neuroanatomic locations of lesions were noted. These lesions were subsequently correlated by an experienced stroke neurologist to determine whether their locations correlated to the patients’ symptoms. Results—The accuracy of DW MRI for acute subcortical infarction was 94.6%. In 4 of 39 ...
Improving instruction in the mathematics methods classroom through action research

There is a continuing emphasis in the United States on improving students’ mathematical abilities, and one approach is to better prepare teachers. To investigate the potential usefulness of Lesson Study to better prepare teachers, one author set out to conduct action research on his classroom practice. Specifically, he sought to determine whether using Lesson Study with preservice secondary mathematics teachers might better prepare students to be teachers. The participants were preservice teachers who were enrolled in a mathematics methods course in an undergraduate teacher preparation program at a private university. The researcher served as a participant observer who implemented an innovation, Lesson Study, in his classroom and observed the effect on students. Lesson Study engaged the preservice teachers in collaboratively creating, field testing, revising, and re-teaching lessons in their field placement classroom. Data were weekly reflections and summative interviews of the preservice teachers. The re...
Superselective Internal Radiation With Yttrium-90 Microspheres in the Management of a Chemorefractory Testicular Liver Metastasis

We treated a patient with biopsy-proven, chemotherapy-resistant testicular cancer liver metastasis using Y-90 selective internal radiation treatment. We chose yttrium-90 rather than surgery and ablation due to tumor location and size as well as the patient's clinical history. The result was marked tumor response by positron emission tomography and computed tomography as well as significant improvement of the patient's quality of life accompanied by a substantial decrease of his tumor markers.
Chemical Genetic Screen Reveals a Role for Desmosomal Adhesion in Mammary Branching Morphogenesis

During the process of branching morphogenesis, the mammary gland undergoes distinct phases of remodeling to form an elaborate ductal network that ultimately produces and delivers milk to newborn animals. These developmental events rely on tight regulation of critical cellular pathways, many of which are probably disrupted during initiation and progression of breast cancer. Transgenic mouse and in vitro organoid models previously identified growth factor signaling as a key regulator of mammary branching, but the functional downstream targets of these pathways remain unclear. Here, we used purified primary mammary epithelial cells stimulated with fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF2) to model mammary branching morphogenesis in vitro. We employed a forward chemical genetic approach to identify modulators of this process and describe a potent compound, 1023, that blocks FGF2-induced branching. In primary mammary epithelial cells, we used lentivirus-mediated knockdown of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) to demonstrate that 1023 acts through AHR to block branching. Using 1023 as a tool, we identified desmosomal adhesion as a novel target of AHR signaling and show that desmosomes are critical for AHR agonists to block branching. Our findings support a functional role for desmosomes during mammary morphogenesis and also in blocking FGF-induced invasion.
B-type natriuretic peptide and mortality in extremely low birth weight infants with pulmonary hypertension: a retrospective cohort analysis

B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a strong predictor of mortality in adult patients with various forms of pulmonary hypertension (PH) and may be a strong prognostic marker in extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) associated PH as well. We sought to assess the relationship between BNP levels and all-cause mortality in a cohort of ELBW infants with BPD and PH. We retrospectively identified ELBW infants with BPD and PH who had serum BNP levels measured as part of routine clinical care in the neonatal intensive care unit. Peak serum BNP levels were correlated with survival to discharge or death. Thirty-six ELBW infants (mean gestational age 26.0 ± 1.9 weeks and mean birth weight 740 ± 290 grams) with BPD and PH had available survival data and had serum BNP levels measured. Peak BNP level was significantly lower among infants who survived than among those who died (128 pg/ml, [IQR 23 to 463] vs. 997 pg/ml, [IQR 278 to 1770], P < 0.004). On multivariate Cox proportional hazard analysis, BNP predicted survival independent of age, gender, and BPD severity. Area under receiver operator characteristic analysis identified a BNP value of 220 pg/ml to have 90% sensitivity and 65% specificity in predicting mortality. BNP estimation may be useful as a prognostic marker of all-cause mortality in ELBW infants with BPD associated PH.
Testing thermal gradient driving force for grain boundary migration using molecular dynamics simulations

Abstract Strong thermal gradients in low-thermal-conductivity ceramics may drive extended defects, such as grain boundaries and voids, to migrate in preferential directions. In this work, molecular dynamics simulations are conducted to study thermal-gradient-driven grain boundary migration and to verify a previously proposed thermal gradient driving force equation, using uranium dioxide as a model system. It is found that a thermal gradient drives grain boundaries to migrate up the gradient, and the migration velocity increases under a constant gradient owing to the increase in mobility with temperature. Different grain boundaries migrate at very different rates owing to their different intrinsic mobilities. The extracted mobilities from the thermal-gradient-driven simulations are compared with those calculated from two other well-established methods, and good agreement between the three different methods is found, demonstrating that the theoretical equation of the thermal gradient driving force is valid, although a correction of one input parameter should be made. The discrepancy in the grain boundary mobilities between modeling and experiments is also discussed.
Toward a neural network model of framing with fuzzy traces

In a decision study called the Asian Disease Problem, Tversky and Kahneman [1] found that framing risky health choices in terms of gains or losses of lives leads to radically different choices: risk seeking for losses and risk avoidance for gains. The difference between the two choices is called the framing effect. The authors explained framing effects via psychophysics of the numbers of lives saved or lost. Yet Reyna and Brainerd [2] showed that the strength of the framing effect depended not on the numbers but on whether one of options explicitly contained the possibility of no lives lost or saved. They fit their explanation into fuzzy trace theory whereby decisions are based not on details of the options given but on the gist (underlying meaning) of the options. We discuss how a brain-based neural network model of other decision data [3] that combines fuzzy trace theory with adaptive resonance theory can be extended to these framing data. Simulations are in progress.
Probing the ethanol-induced chain interdigitations in gel-state bilayers of mixed-chain phosphatidylcholines

Using high-resolution differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), we have studied the effects of ethanol concentrations, [EtOH], on the main phase transition temperatures (T[m]) of the following mixed-chain phosphatidylcholines (PCs): C(15):C(17)PC, C(17):C(15)PC, and C(12):C(20)PC. These lipids have a common molecular weight; however, their apparent acyl chain-length differences between the sn-1 and sn-2 acyl chains, delta C, are distinctively different. The delta C values for these three mixed-chain PCs are, respectively, 0.5, 3.5, and 6.5 C-C bond lengths. DSC results show that the T(m) profiles for C(15):C(17)PC and C(17):C(15)PC bilayers in the plot of T(m) versus [EtOH] are V-shaped biphasic curves, with the minimum T(m) occurring at 50 and 73 mg/ml of ethanol, respectively. In contrast, the C(12):C(20)PC bilayer exhibits a nearly linear decrease in T(m) with increasing [EtOH]. In addition, x-ray diffraction experiments were also performed to assess the structural changes of these three mixed-chain PCs in the gel-state bilayers, at 20 degrees C, in response to high concentrations of ethanol. X-ray diffraction data indicate that, in the absence of ethanol, these three lamellar lipids are all packed in the normal (L beta') gel phase in aqueous media. In the presence of 120 mg/ml of ethanol, however, the C(15):C(17)PC and C(17):C(15)PC lamellae are packed in the fully interdigitated (L beta[I]) gel phase. The V-shaped T(m) curves detected calorimetrically for these two lipids in response to [EtOH] can thus be explained by the ethanol-induced L beta' --> L beta[I] isothermal phase transition. Interestingly, the results of x-ray diffraction study reveal, for the first time, that an ethanol-induced L beta' --> L(MI) (mixed interdigitated phase) isothermal phase transition occurs in the gel-state bilayer of highly asymmetrical C(12):C(20)PC. Therefore, the chain asymmetry is recognized to play an important role in the ethanol-induced chain interdigitation at T
Pattern of memory compromise in chronic geriatric schizophrenia, frontotemporal dementia and normal geriatric controls.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore whether memory deficits in schizophrenia are attributable to poor organisation/encoding during initial learning vs. memory decay. Methods: Subjects included geriatric schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorders [SSD; n = 37; age = 59.92 (55–74); education = 11.70 (7–18)]; frontotemporal dementia [FTD; n = 41; age = 76.59 (64–83); education = 14.61 (12–20)] and geriatric controls [ n = 107; age = 70.97 (55–93); education = 13.76 (6–20)]. Subjects were administered the Wechsler Memory Scale, Third Edition and discrepancy scores between immediate and delayed subtests/indices were used to explore possible differences between groups in pattern of impairment. Results: Significant differences were found between groups on age/education and these variables were related to several outcome measures. Gender was not related to diagnostic group and there were no gender differences on study variables. There were differences between the SSD subjects on several variables, with the schizoaffective subjects performing worse despite equivalence on global cognitive function, living status and chronicity. Seven one-way between-subjects ANCOVAs compared groups on discrepancy scores. Results failed to suggest differences between groups on immediate-delayed memory discrepancy scores ( p > 0.05). Subsequent analyses revealed differences in percentage retention scores between SSD and FTD on the faces subtest ( p = 0.040), with SSD retaining greater information over time. Conclusion: Results failed to show distinctions between groups on pattern of memory impairment when using discrepancy comparisons. However, an analysis examining percentage retention scores revealed better maintenance of non-contextual visual information over time in SSD. Findings may suggest deficits in immediate encoding rather than memory decay for some types of memory ability among geriatric SSD. Our failure to document group differences when using discrepancy comparisons may be attributable to relative similarity in pattern between groups or the limited sensitivity of this technique.
INSULIN STIMULATION OF GROWTH HORMONE RELEASE. 574

Insulin induced hypoglycemia for testing of growth hormone (GH) release is not routinely used by the majority of endocrinologists and concern remains regarding its safety. Severe side effects have been reported. Because of this, we have reviewed our experience which includes 56 patients from the academic center and 41 from a private practice. The results in the two settings were similar and are combined. No severe reactions were observed. Symptoms, including some combination of sleepiness, restlessness, hunger, diaphoresis, tachycardia and palpitations, were recorded in 45%. No significant correlation of symptoms with blood glucose whether nadir 31.7 mgm/dl symptomatic (S) vs. 33.2 mgm/dl non-symptomatic (N), mean 55.8 (S) vs. 61.7 (N), or decline 45.6(S) vs. 51.3 (N) was found. No relationship of symptoms to cortisol or growth hormone responses was found.
Automated team discourse annotation and performance prediction using LSA

We describe two approaches to analyzing and tagging team discourse using Latent Semantic Analysis (LSA) to predict team performance. The first approach automatically categorizes the contents of each statement made by each of the three team members using an established set of tags. Performance predicting the tags automatically was 15% below human agreement. These tagged statements are then used to predict team performance. The second approach measures the semantic content of the dialogue of the team as a whole and accurately predicts the team's performance on a simulated military mission.
Changes in the activity of acetylcholinesterase from the brain of the Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus) with age.

Abstract 1. Kinetic parameters for SPM-bound AChE at four different ages were determined in the Mongolian gerbil ( Meriones unguiculatus ). The apparent K m decreased, while the apparent V max increased with age. 2. Several compounds including the local anesthetic, procaine, exerted a stronger inhibitory effect on SPM-bound AChE activity in adult than in neonatal preparations.
A comparative study on recycling spent fuels in gas-cooled fast reactors

Abstract This study evaluates advanced Gas-cooled Fast Reactor (GFR) fuel cycle scenarios which are based on recycling spent nuclear fuel for the sustainability of nuclear energy. A 600 MWth GFR was used for the fuel cycle analysis, and the equilibrium core was searched with different fuel-to-matrix volume ratios such as 70/30 and 60/40. Two fuel cycle scenarios, i.e., a one-tier case combining a Light Water Reactor (LWR) and a GFR, and a two-tier case using an LWR, a Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR), and a GFR, were evaluated for mass flow and fuel cycle cost, and the results were compared to those of LWR once-through fuel cycle. The mass flow calculations showed that the natural uranium consumption can be reduced by more than 57% and 27% for the one-tier and two-tier cycles, respectively, when compared to the once-through fuel cycle. The transuranics (TRU) which pose a long-term problem in a high-level waste repository, can be significantly reduced in the multiple recycle operation of these options, resulting in more than 110 and 220 times reduction of TRU inventory to be geologically disposed for the one-tier and two-tier fuel cycles, respectively. The fuel cycle costs were estimated to be 9.4 and 8.6 USD/MWh for the one-tier fuel cycle when the GFR fuel-to-matrix volume ratio was 70/30 and 60/40, respectively. However the fuel cycle cost is reduced to 7.3 and 7.1 USD/MWh for the two-tier fuel cycle, which is even smaller than that of the once-through fuel cycle. In conclusion the GFR can provide alternative fuel cycle options to the once-through and other fast reactor fuel cycle options, by increasing the natural uranium utilization and reducing the fuel cycle cost.
Temporal lobar predominance of TDP-43 neuronal cytoplasmic inclusions in Alzheimer disease

TAR DNA binding protein-43 (TDP-43) immunoreactive neuronal inclusions are detected in 20-30% of Alzheimer disease (AD) brains, but the distribution of this pathology has not been rigorously studied. In this report, we describe region-specific distribution and density of TDP-43 positive neuronal cytoplasmic inclusions (NCIs) in clinically demented individuals with high probability AD pathology, all with Braak neurofibrillary tangle stages of V or VI. Sections of hippocampus, amygdala, as well as temporal, frontal, and parietal neocortex, were analyzed with TDP-43 immunohistochemistry, and the density of NCIs was assessed using a semiquantitative scoring method. Of the 29 cases, six had TDP-43 positive NCIs in the amygdala only and seven had TDP-43 inclusions restricted to amygdala and hippocampus. In 16 cases, TDP-43 immunoreactivity was more widespread, affecting temporal, frontal or parietal neocortex. These findings indicate that medial temporal lobe limbic structures are vulnerable to TDP-43 pathology in advanced AD, and that the amygdala appears to be the most susceptible region. The distribution of the lesions in this cross-sectional analysis may suggest a progression of TDP-43 pathology in AD, with limbic structures in the medial temporal lobe affected first, followed by higher order association cortices.
Degree of mapping for nonlinear mappings of monotone type: Densely defined mapping

Abstract The classical degree function constructed earlier for pseudomonotone mappings has been used to develop a broader degree theory of classical type for the sum of a maximal monotone map from a reflexive Banach space to its dual together with a bounded pseudomonotone map. The proof uses the generalized Yosida approximation of the maximal monotone mapping.
Evaluation of the calcium channel antagonist nimodipine after experimental spinal cord injury

Abstract The cortical somatosensory evoked potentials (CSEPs) were recorded to determine if the administration of nimodipine improves axonal function after spinal cord injury. Animals receiving a 52 g compression injury (a moderately severe injury) for 5 minutes were randomly allocated to one of five treatment groups. Each group was given an infusion of one of the following nimodipine regiments over 2 hours, commencing 1 hour before compression: placebo ( n = 20), 0.5 μg/kg ( n = 10), 0.25 μg/kg ( n = 20), 0.125 μg/kg ( n = 10), and 0.25 μg/kg + Hetstarch ( n = 10). In the control group, 65% of animals lost the CSEPs immediately after the injury with almost all (95%) of these regaining the CSEPs within 15 minutes after decompression of the spinal cord. In the treated groups, the rate of the CSEP loss was highest in the 0.5 μg/kg group. This group also had the lowest CSEP recovery. The proportion of the CSEP loss was essentially the same for the other nimodipine-treated groups, although it seemed that there was an increasing number of nonresponses with increasing the nimodipine dose. Our data indicate lack of any beneficial effects of nimodipine on axonal function as measured by evoked activities in experimental spinal cord injury.
Electron tunneling in respiratory complex I

NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase (complex I) plays a central role in the respiratory electron transport chain by coupling the transfer of electrons from NADH to ubiquinone to the creation of the proton gradient across the membrane necessary for ATP synthesis. Here the atomistic details of electronic wiring of all Fe/S clusters in complex I are revealed by using the tunneling current theory and computer simulations; both density functional theory and semiempirical electronic structure methods were used to examine antiferromagnetically coupled spin states and corresponding tunneling wave functions. Distinct electron tunneling pathways between neighboring Fe/S clusters are identified; the pathways primarily consist of two cysteine ligands and one additional key residue. Internal water between protein subunits is identified as an essential mediator enhancing the overall electron transfer rate by almost three orders of magnitude to achieve a physiologically significant value. The identified key residues are further characterized by sensitivity of electron transfer rates to their mutations, examined in simulations, and their conservation among complex I homologues. The unusual electronic structure properties of Fe4S4 clusters in complex I explain their remarkable efficiency of electron transfer.
Evaluation of faecal indices for predicting phosphorus status of cattle

An experiment examining the relationships between dietary and faecal phosphorus (P) concentration and intake and faecal output of P by steers is described. Six forages with a wide range of chemical properties were fed to six steers in a Latin square design. Dietary P concentration was highly associated with faecal P concentration in simple linear regression equations including (r2= 0.91) and excluding (r2= 0.94) animal variation. The regression slopes were similar to those in an Australian study involving dairy cows. However, the intercept values for the two studies differed. Phosphorus intake was well associated with daily faecal P output. Another study in Australia with steers showed similar results. However, the linear regression equation in the present study differed from that in the Australian study. Therefore, the application of a generalized equation to predict P intake from faecal P output is not advocated until the reliability of the equation in this study is confirmed with other forages.
Evaluating multiple-choice exams in large introductory physics courses

subset of students were ranked independently based on their multiple-choice score, graded explanations, and student interviews. The ranking of these students based on their multiple-choice score was found to be consistent with the ranking assigned by physics instructors based on the students’ written explanations r 0.94 at the 95% confidence level and oral interviews r = 0.94 �0.09 .
Prediction of flow capability in intravenous infusion systems: implications for fluid resuscitation.

The pressure-flow (P-F) relationship for intravenous infusion systems is nonlinear and may be expressed by the quadratic model P = RLF + RTF2. The flow parameters RL and RT may represent the resistances of laminar and turbulent flow, respectively. In this study pressure and flow were measured, and RL and RT were calculated for several infusion tubings, catheters, and system components. We then developed a technique to identify the relative effect of various devices on achieving the higher flows needed for fluid resuscitation. A typical infusion system was chosen, and the experimentally determined flow parameters RL and RT of its components were used in the quadratic P-F relationship at P = 300 mm Hg. Devices in the infusion system were ranked, using a subtractivc algorithm, according to their relative impediment to flow as measured by contribution to the pressure drop. The order of devices removed or replaced, from largest to least pressure drop, was as follows: fluid warmer, 16-gauge catheter, check valve, 14-gauge catheter, standard-bore Y tubing, 12-gauge catheter, and standard-bore stopcock, leaving 10-gaugc catheter + wide tubing. Devices with large RT, such as fluid warmers and check valves that produce large pressure drops, should generally be avoided during fluid resuscitation when high flows arc needed. A similar ordering of device removal or substitution (largest to least pressure drop) was determined using the traditional but incorrect linear P-F model, P = RF, and the order of devices chosen for elimination was different. The two P-F models were then evaluated for accuracy in predicting flow in the range needed for fluid resuscitation from a single low flow point, 187 ml/min, obtained at P = 300 mm Hg. Actual system flow was 963 ml/min. The (incorrect) linear model overestimated flow by 597% of measured flow (5,747 ml/min). The correct quadratic model predicted 967 ml/min, within 0.4% of actual flow. Prediction of flow capability in intravenous infusion systems requires a quadratic P-F model.
THE ARTERIAL ANATOMY OF THE MEDIAL FEMORAL CONDYLE AND ITS CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

The success of vascularized bone grafts from the medial femoral condyle in various clinical applications has sparked renewed interest in the microvascular anatomy of this region. This study describes the arterial supply of the distal medial femoral condyle and its implications in harvesting vascularized bone grafts. The location, branching pattern, internal diameter, and distribution of perforators of the descending genicular artery and superior medial genicular artery in 19 fresh cadaveric lower limbs were recorded. The descending genicular artery was present in 89% and the superior medial genicular artery was present in 100% of specimens with average distances proximal to the articular surface of 13.7 cm and 5.2 cm, respectively. The average number of perforating vessels was greatest in the posterior distal quadrant of the condyle. The blood supply of the medial femoral condyle is plentiful and consistent making it a useful source for free vascularized bone grafts.
DSP4 treatment worsens hippocampal pyramidal cell damage after transient ischemia.

Abstract Recent studies in the rat have suggested that hippocampal norepinephrine can regulate the amount of damage seen after transient forebrain ischemia. We used the gerbil to study the role of norepinephrine in ischemic damage. Using tyrosine hydroxylase immunocytochemistry and chemical measurements of norepinephrine, we determined that the gerbil hippocampus has a similar but topographically different norepinephrine innervation than the rat. Brains from gerbils treated with 100 mg/kg of N -(2-chloroethyl)-N-methyl-2-bromobenzylamine (DSP4) had 60% less norepinephrine than saline-treated controls, similar to the effect of the drug in rats. We administered DSP4 to gerbils two weeks before exposing them to 5 min of bilateral carotid artery occlusion. Animals treated with DSP4 and subjected to ischemia had worse pyramidal cell loss in the CA3 and CA4 regions than saline-treated ischemic controls. CA1 pyramidal cell loss (about 90%) was severe in both the saline- and DSP4-treated animals. These data provide further evidence that norepinephrine can regulate the neuronal death in the hippocampal formation after transient forebrain ischemia. Furthermore, this is the first demonstration of that regulation in the gerbil and suggests that noradrenergic input to the hippocampus may be important in ischemia in other species besides the rat.
Sensing platforms for structural health monitoring

The emerging concept of structural health management relies on extensive onboard diagnostic sensors that can provide near real-time information about the state of a structure so that informed prognostic assessment can be made of the continuing reliability of the structure. In this paper, we will discuss two types of sensing platforms that can provide valuable information about the state of a structure: 1D fiber-optic sensors and 2D thin-film sensors. Both fiber-optic and thin film sensors are easily integrated with structures, and can offer local and/or distributed sensing capabilities. Parameters that can be sensed include: static and dynamic strain, acoustic emission, vibration, corrosion products, moisture ingression etc. We will first describe some recent developments in dynamic strain sensing using optical fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors. Applications to detection of acoustic emission and impact will be described. In the area of chemical sensing, we will describe a nanofilm-coated photonic crystal fiber (PCF) long-period grating (LPG) sensing platform. PCF-LPG sensors can be designed to provide greater interaction between the analyte of interest and the light propagating in the fiber, thereby increasing the sensitivity of detection. Applications to humidity sensing will be described. Finally, 2D thin-film sensors on polymer substrates will be discussed. One type of sensor we have been fabricating is based on reduced graphene oxide for large-area chemical sensing applications. It is expected that these 1D and 2D sensing platforms will form part of a suite of sensors that can provide diagnostic structural health information.
The literature of occupational science: A systematic, quantitative examination of peer‐reviewed publications from 1996–2006

Few works have used a systematic approach to examine the formal body of knowledge of occupational science. This article reports the findings of a quantitative analysis of 244 overtly labeled occupational science articles published in peer‐reviewed journals between 1996 and 2006. The sample was obtained through searches of four publication databases and results were statistically analyzed for association of publication‐related variables with time. The overall number of articles, proportion of empirical studies, use of qualitative only methodology, studies with participants with no noted disability, and notation of federal funding all significantly increased over the 11‐year study interval. Significant association was also found between article publication in the Journal of Occupational Science and interdisciplinary authorship. The implications of results are discussed in terms of the growth of the field's body of knowledge, characteristics of the research base, funding considerations, and interdisciplinarity.
Energy coupling in Mn2+ oxidation by a marine bacterium

ATP synthesis couple to Mn2+ oxidation was demonstrated with partially or wholly everted membrane vesicles from marine bacterial strain SSW22. The extent of ATP synthesis in these experiments was greater in earlier experiments. Chemiosmosis is the most probable mechanism for energy coupling because 2,4-dinitrophenol at appropriate concentrations stimulated Mn2+ oxidation by intact cells, membrane vesicles or extracts of strains SSW22, S13, and marine pseudomonad 16B. Externally added ADP stimulated Mn2+ oxidation by everted membrane vesicles of strain SSW22. This stimulation was oxygen-dependent. It is explained on the basis of a chemiosmotic model for energy coupling in Mn2+ oxidation.
A coupled enzymatic assay for salicylate and acetylsalicylate using salicylate hydroxylase and tyrosinase

Abstract Salicylate hydroxylase was used together with tyrosinase in a coupled enzymatic assay for determining salicylate and acetylsalicylate. In the presence of NADH and dioxygen, salicylate hydroxylase catalyzed the hydroxylation and decarboxylation of salicylate to catechol, which was then oxidized by tyrosinase to o -quinone. When NADH was used in excess, the resulting o -quinone product was recycled to its catechol form since o -quinone can oxidize NADH to produce NAD + . Consequently, a cycle was established in which several NADH molecules were utilized by each catechol, which was easily followed by monitoring the rate of absorbance decrease at 340 nm. In comparison to its non-amplified counterpart, the recycling of catechol and o -quinone improved the detection limit of the spectrophotometric assay about ninety-fold. The method developed is a rapid, simple spectrophotometric assay with a linear response up to 1.4 μM salicylate and detection limit of 6.5 nM. The recycling assay was applied to determine salicylate in plasma and urine samples and the results obtained agreed well with the established Trinder method.
Role of Loop Bundle Hydrogen Bonds in the Maturation and Activity of (Pro)caspase-3

During maturation, procaspase-3 is cleaved at D175, which resides in a linker that connects the large and small subunits. The intersubunit linker also connects two active site loops that rearrange following cleavage and, in part, form the so-called loop bundle. As a result of chain cleavage, new hydrogen bonds and van der Waals contacts form among three active site loops. The new interactions are predicted to stabilize the active site. One unresolved issue is the extent to which the loop bundle residues also stabilize the procaspase active site. We examined the effects of replacing four loop bundle residues (E167, D169, E173, and Y203) on the biochemical and structural properties of the (pro)caspase. We show that replacing the residues affects the activity of the procaspase as well as the mature caspase, with D169A and E167A replacements having the largest effects. Replacement of D169 prevents caspase-3 autoactivation, and its cleavage at D175 no longer leads to an active enzyme. In addition, the E173A mutation, when coupled to a second mutation in the procaspase, D175A, may alter the substrate specificity of the procaspase. The mutations affected the active site environment as assessed by changes in fluorescence emission, accessibility to quencher, and cleavage by either trypsin or V8 proteases. High-resolution X-ray crystallographic structures of E167A, D173A, and Y203F caspases show that changes in the active site environment may be due to the increased flexibility of several residues in the N-terminus of the small subunit. Overall, the results show that these residues are important for stabilizing the procaspase active site as well as that of the mature caspase.
Current trends and issues for low-damage dry etching of optoelectronic devices

STRACT Dry etching techniques such as reactive ion etching (RIE) have found wide applicability in the fabrication of optoelectronic devices. However as requirements on device performance become more stringent and as devices incorporate the low dimensional quantum wires or dots issues such as materials selectivity controlled etching through thin layers fidelity of pauern transfer and etch-induced damage assume greater importance. This paper reviews recent work on the assessment of etch-induced damage including cathodoluminescence of multiple quantum wells and Raman spectroscopy. In addition to ion beam-induced damage created in the substrate chemical modification of the etched surfaces may compromise optoelectronic device performance. Some low-damage dry etching alternatives to RIE are discussed such as radical beam/ion beam etching (RBIBE) and thermally enhanced etching.
Changes in Trip Duration for Mexican Immigrants to the United States

Using the Mexican Migration Project sample, this paper explores the patterns of trip duration for Mexican immigrants to the United States and the reasons for the patterns observed. I found that the most important factors leading to changes in trip duration are US immigration policy, the conditions of the Mexican economy, and the development of social networks. It appears that the legalization of many immigrants after passage of the Immigration Reform and Control Act encouraged short-term migration, but the build-up at the US-Mexico border may have changed this pattern leading to longer duration in the United States. Furthermore, changes in the exchange rate, a devaluation of the peso relative to the dollar, for example, leads to more return migration, as immigrants are able to get more value for his dollars in Mexico. On the other hand, an expansion of networks and resources for immigrants in the United States leads to longer duration in the United States.
Contrasting effects of two alternative splicing forms of coactivator-associated arginine methyltransferase 1 on thyroid hormone receptor-mediated transcription in Xenopus laevis.

Thyroid hormone receptors (TRs) can repress or activate target genes depending on the absence or presence of thyroid hormone (T3), respectively. This hormone-dependent gene regulation is mediated by the recruitment of corepressors in the absence of T3 and coactivators in its presence. Many TR-interacting coactivators have been characterized in vitro. Among them is coactivator-associated arginine methyltransferase 1 (CARM1), which methylates histone H3. We are interested in investigating the role of CARM1 in TR-mediated gene expression in vivo during postembryonic development by using T3-dependent frog metamorphosis as a model. We first cloned the Xenopus laevis CARM1 and obtained two alternative splicing forms, CARM1a and CARM1b. Both isoforms are expressed throughout metamorphosis, supporting a role for these isoforms during the process. To investigate whether Xenopus CARM1s participate in gene regulation by TRs, transcriptional analysis was conducted in Xenopus oocyte, where the effects of cofactors can...
Towards a Pluralist Theory of Truthmaking

This paper introduces a new approach to the theory of truthmaking. According to this approach, there are multiple forms of truthmaking. Here, I characterize and motivate a specific version of this approach, which I call a ‘Pluralist Theory of Truthmaking.’ It is suggested that truthmaking is a plural, variegated phenomenon wherein different kinds of truths, e.g., positive truths, negative truths, counterfactual truths, etc., are made true in different ways. While the paper only aims to lay the groundwork for a Pluralist Theory of Truthmaking, I show how the theory can be applied to positive and negative truths. The upshot of this application is that truthmaking pluralism allows us to provide negative truths with ‘non-suspicious’ truthmakers. Finally, it is argued that Truthmaker Maximalists would do well to endorse truthmaking pluralism, as it offers a new strategy for upholding Maximalism while diminishing controversial ontological commitments.
End-to-end correlation for a C-12 hydrocarbon chain.

The 19 F nuclear spin-lattice relaxation rate constants were measured as a function of magnetic field strength for 1,12-diaminododecane labeled at one end with a nitroxide radical and at the other with a trifluoromethyl group. The magnetic relaxation dispersion profile (MRD) reports the spectral density function appropriate to the end-to-end correlation function for the doubly labeled molecule. After extrapolation to zero concentration to eliminate the intermolecular relaxation contribution to relaxation, the resulting intramolecular MRD profile was compared with several model approaches. The rotational model for the spectral density functions as included in the Solomon–Bloembergen–Morgan equations does not describe the data well. The earlier model of Freed for nuclear spin relaxation induced by a freely diffusing paramagnetic co-solute is not rigorous for this case because the paramagnet is tethered to the observed nuclear spin and only a restricted space in the immediate vicinity of the nuclear spin is accessible for pseudo-translational diffusion of one end of the molecule with respect to the other. A generalization of the Torrey model for magnetic relaxation by translational diffusion developed by Nevzorov and Freed, which includes the effect of restrictions imposed by the finite length of the chain, describes the experiment within experimental errors. A simple modification of the Hwang–Freed model that does not specifically include the dynamical effects of the finite tether also provides a good approximation to the data when the tether chain is sufficiently long. 2003 Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.
Medical electronics III: Rhythmic cues aid lip readers: Through knowledge of the frequency and intensity characteristics of syllables, the deaf can learn to relate speech with text

Describes a speech text synchroniser that is intended to teach the deaf a knowledge of the frequency and intensity characteristics of syllables so that they can relate speech to text thus allowing them to make sense of an otherwise confusing lip reading.
Ecological modernisation, American style

The United States lags behind European countries in adopting ecological modernisation policies and practices. Ecological modernisation (EM), as it has been developed in the EU, emphasises industrial efficiency and technological development in order to move beyond the perceived conflict between economic development and environmental quality. Despite early attempts by individuals and groups to promote such ideas in the United States, both governments and industry remained threatened by its discourse while it spread in Europe. More recently, however, the US appears more open to its own form of ecological modernisation, with some unique additions to the discourse. This paper examines this growing and increasingly popular US version of ecological modernisation, which incorporates two concepts generally absent from earlier European conceptions of EM – national security and blatant consumerism. We then turn to the limitations of such a discourse, and conclude with suggestions for how the framing of EM in the US ...
Retrieval of Thermodynamic Variables within Deep Convective Clouds: Experiments in Three Dimensions

A three-dimensional numerical cloud model has been used to test a method for retrieving temperature and pressure deviation fields from detailed wind and water fields in deep convective clouds. A comparison of the retrieved fields with the output from the numerical model was used to test the validity of the theoretical treatment and accuracy of the programming. The local time derivatives of each of the velocity components are known to be potential problem sources in using Doppler radar data, and a test was done with this derivative estimated over a 4 min time span rather than 30 s, resulting in excellent agreement with the original solution for this data set. When the local derivative was eliminated, the solution was judged useful for general temperature patterns. Errors due to the inability to measure cloudwater mixing ratio and inaccuracies in rainwater mixing ratio were found to be significant, but not so severe as in the turbulence and steady-state sensitivity tests.
Relationship between shock‐induced aggression and other laboratory tests of agonistic behavior in rats

The utility of the shock-induced aggression paradigm has been questioned in recent years. Studies were reviewed that demonstrated similar effects of independent variables on shock-induced, resident-intruder, and home-cage aggressive behavior. Correlations between naturally occurring aggression and shock-induced aggression, studies showing the influence of naturally occurring agonistic experience on shock-induced aggression, and the effects of shock-induced aggressive experience on resident-intruder behavior were also reviewed. It was argued that continued research into shock-induced aggression and its relationship to other laboratory paradigms would be useful, and that abandonment of the paradigm at this time would be premature.
Experimental Repeatability of a Thermal Actuator for Nanopositioning

Microactuators are increasingly being applied to nanometer-accurate position control. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the feasibility of using the thermomechanical in-plane microactuator (TIM) in nanopositioning applications. The TIM is a class of thermal actuators in which electric current flows through thin beams which are arranged in a chevron pattern. The beam angle and end constraints amplify the thermal expansion to achieve a larger output displacement. As a fully compliant mechanism, the TIM has potential for superb accuracy because it does not experience friction or backlash. Repeatability tests are conducted with two different TIM configurations. Both are fabricated from polycrystalline silicon by surface micromachining. The first configuration is actuated 33 times with an open loop current of 4 mA. The steady-state displacements are measured from scanning electron micrographs. The average displacement is 222 nm and the standard deviation is 8.4 nm, which results in a 95% precision interval of ±17 nm. The second configuration is cycled 31 times with 10 mA and an average displacement of 697 nm. The standard deviation is 6.8 nm and the 95% precision interval is ±14 nm. The open-loop repeatabilities observed in these tests indicate that the TIM is suitable for nanopositioning, and even better performance is anticipated with the implementation of feedback control.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Hyperbolic trajectories of time discretizations

Abstract The problem of persistence of trajectories of time discretizations is addressed. Analogues of essential concepts in the theory of hyperbolic flows are formulated for time discretizations. We show these are appropriate by proving that the underlying flow inherits a hyperbolic trajectory of the time discretization. Approximation properties and inherited hyperbolicity properties are analyzed. Here explicit estimates in terms of the key problem parameters are provided. An auxiliary result on roughness of exponential dichotomies for time discretizations may be of independent interest. Directions of future research are indicated.
Direct Analysis of Sugar Alcohol Borate Complexes in Plant Extracts by Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Fourier Transform Mass Spectrometry

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization Fourier transform mass spectrometry (MALDI/FTMS), operating in the negative ion mode, is used to directly observe sugar alcohol borate complexes in a number of plant fractions. The method involves virtually no sample workup and, in the case of celery phloem sap, requires only 40 nL of sap to observe the borate complex. The isolation and characterization of such soluble borate complexes is important in understanding the distribution of boron in plants. The results show that the complexes are composed of two mannitol or sorbitol ligands (L) complexed to a single borate center (B). In some cases, the boron is complexed to non-alditol monosaccharides. Sustained off-resonance collision irradiation dissociation of the BL2- complex, where L is a mannitol, gives fragments that confirm the proposed structure. Complexes of larger oligosaccharides have also been successfully observed using MALDI/FTMS. Semiempirical molecular orbital calculations (AM1) of the mannitol BL2- complex show that the most favorable configuration is with carbons 3 and 4 of both mannitol residues complexed to the borate. This allows maximum interaction of the remaining hydroxyls with the borate center.
Inhibition of sterol biosynthesis by ergosterol and cholesterol in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

When accumulation of squalene was used as a measure of the flow of carbon into the sterol pathway in whole cells of semi-anaerobic Saccharomyces cerevisiae, both ergosterol and cholesterol were found to be inhibitory. However, at equivalent concentrations in the medium ergosterol was substantially the more potent inhibitor. Marked differences found in the absorption and esterification of the two sterols failed to account for the observed difference in their capacities to act as feedback agents. Cholesterol was much more effectively absorbed as well as esterified, but, when the abilities of the two sterols to lower the squalene level were calculated on the basis of free sterol in the cells, ergosterol remained more effective by a factor of four.
Hamigerols A and B, unprecedented polysulfate sterol dimers from the mediterranean sponge Hamigera hamigera

Two novel polysulfate sterol dimers, hamigerols A (1) and B (2), have been isolated from the Mediterranean sponge Hamigera hamigera. Their structures and stereochemistry have been assigned from the analysis of spectroscopic data.