cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Surface hydration for antifouling and bio-adhesion

Antifouling properties of materials play crucial roles in many important applications such as biomedical implants, marine antifouling coatings, biosensing, and membranes for separation. Poly(ethylene glycol) (or PEG) containing polymers and zwitterionic polymers have been shown to be excellent antifouling materials. It is believed that their outstanding antifouling activity comes from their strong surface hydration. On the other hand, it is difficult to develop underwater glues, although adhesives with strong adhesion in a dry environment are widely available. This is related to dehydration, which is important for adhesion for many cases while water is the enemy of adhesion. In this research, we applied sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy to investigate buried interfaces between mussel adhesive plaques and a variety of materials including antifouling polymers and control samples, supplemented by studies on marine animal (mussel) behavior and adhesion measurements. It was found that PEG containing polymers and zwitterionic polymers have very strong surface hydration in an aqueous environment, which is the key for their excellent antifouling performance. Because of the strong surface hydration, mussels do not settle on these surfaces even after binding to the surfaces with rubber bands. For control samples, SFG results indicate that their surface hydration is much weaker, and therefore mussels can generate adhesives to displace water to cause dehydration at the interface. Because of the dehydration, mussels can foul on the surfaces of these control materials. Our experiments also showed that if mussels were forced to deposit adhesives onto the PEG containing polymers and zwitterionic polymers, interfacial dehydration did not occur. However, even with the strong interfacial hydration, strong adhesion between mussel adhesives and antifouling polymer surfaces was detected, showing that under certain circumstances, interfacial water could enhance the interfacial bio-adhesion.
Band Electrodes Reduce Simulated Calf Bioimpedance Measurement Errors Due to Muscle Anisotropy

Remote monitoring of fluid status via calf bioimpedance measurements could improve the experience of patients with congestive heart failure and reduce readmission rates. Most measurements today use conventional Ag/AgCl electrodes and a short inter-electrode spacing, resulting in current flowing primarily near the electrodes, preventing deeper current penetration and in turn accurate volume estimation. Textile band electrodes may more evenly distribute current throughout the calf. In the present study, simulations were conducted to investigate the impact of inter-electrode spacing/placement and fat tissue on bioimpedance using both Ag/AgCl electrodes and textile band electrodes. Simulation results showed that increasing the inter-electrode spacing can improve current distribution in the tissue, but there are still errors that increase with fat thickness (14.3% error at 10 cm spacing down to 1.7% error at 20 cm spacing for a "nominal" fat thickness, vs. -0.3% and -0.5% error for band electrodes). Band electrodes most closely matched the expected resistance and seem the most suitable regardless of inter-electrode spacing.
Does Experience Matter for Patterns of Expansion by US Companies in Latin America and the Caribbean

We describe expansion patterns by US companies in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) between 1980 and 2005 using a unique sample that utilizes country, industry and time-series information on firms’ investments. We build on previous research to explore the effect of experience on firms’ preference for equity commitment. Using the time-series properties of our data, we examine the extent to which previous investments in the region influence firms’ expansion patterns. Our analysis includes the traditional determinants of entry mode choices such as firm-specific factors, market-seeking factors, resource-seeking factors and country-specific factors. Bivariate probit results indicate that companies with previous experience in the region are more likely to commit equity going forward and this also holds for more recent companies with greater growth opportunities.
A Feminine Enlightenment: British Women Writers and the Philosophy of Progress, 1759-1820

This book revises established understandings of British women writers' contributions to Enlightenment narratives of social and historical progress. Drawing on original archival research, A Feminine Enlightenment argues that women writers shaped Enlightenment conversations regarding the role of emotion and gender in the civilizing process. From the letters and poetry exchanged between first and second generation Bluestockings and Scottish literati in the mid 18th century to the gothic and historical novels of the early Romantic era, the study tracks women writers' contributions to theorizing the civilizing process. It demonstrates that the conversations in the Bluestocking salons of the 1760s and 1770s restaged and often anticipated the theories of sociability and sentiment developed by Scottish literati such as Adam Smith and James Millar. Likewise, Catherine Talbot's and Anna Seward's Bluestocking poetry, which was inspired by James Macpherson's Ossian poems, tested alternative relationships between historical progress and the cultivation of emotion. It also shows that Scottish theories of progress exerted a shaping influence on Ann Radcliffe's gothic novels and Maria Edgeworth's historical fiction. Their novelistic explorations were informed, suggests the author, by their own readings of the comparative studies of progress that they found in Scottish poetry and historiography. It establishes the centrality of gender to Enlightenment discussions of social and historical development. It uncovers evidence of women writers' participation in the Scottish Enlightenment's theorization of sentiment and historical progress. It provides literary and historical background for ongoing discussions of the history of emotion and the study of affect.
Mass Spectrometry of Free Radicals

Publisher Summary Appearance potential measurements are among the most significant quantitative data to emerge from mass spectrometric research work of free radicals. The overwhelming majority of these measurements have been made with electron beams from heated filaments without attempting to remove thermal energy spread by incorporating electron energy selectors. The determination of the appearance potential of the unknown involves a comparison of the two curves to establish the voltage separation between their onset energies. The measurement of energy separations in the case of a composite ionization curve requires considerable care because of the perturbations in the upper part of the curve produced by lower energy processes. Two major avenues have been followed with regard to sampling systems for free radicals, reflecting diverse primary goals of investigation. The sensitivity of a mass spectrometer for detection of free radicals can be greatly enhanced by using modulated molecular beams. A serious limitation on detecting radicals by conventional mass spectrometry arises from ion peak interferences from the background pressure in the ion source.
Treatment by Application Onto Land

This chapter considers the use of various land application techniques as means for treatment and disposal of wastewater. Considerations include the disposal of the water, removal of pollutants in the wastewater, the impact upon the soil through which the liquid is passed, and potential groundwater contamination. Means discussed for the disposal of wastewater include (a) surface spreading or overland flow, (b) slow rate or crop irrigation, and (c) rapid infiltration-percolation. There are variations of these techniques, but in general they can be considered in terms of these three mechanisms. Application in wetlands and subsurface disposal are not considered here. The advantages and disadvantages of applying the liquid onto ground that has a plant cover as opposed to application onto bare ground are considered. No one method is recommended over and above all the others, since certain methods may be more adapted to a specific situation than others. All factors, including economics, must be considered before a final decision is made to use any method of land application of wastewaters.
Distribution of Perfusion

Local driving pressures and resistances within the pulmonary vascular tree determine the distribution of perfusion in the lung. Unlike other organs, these local determinants are significantly influenced by regional hydrostatic and alveolar pressures. Those effects on blood flow distribution are further magnified by the large vertical height of the human lung and the relatively low intravascular pressures in the pulmonary circulation. While the distribution of perfusion is largely due to passive determinants such as vascular geometry and hydrostatic pressures, active mechanisms such as vasoconstriction induced by local hypoxia can also redistribute blood flow. This chapter reviews the determinants of regional lung perfusion with a focus on vascular tree geometry, vertical gradients induced by gravity, the interactions between vascular and surrounding alveolar pressures, and hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction. While each of these determinants of perfusion distribution can be examined in isolation, the distribution of blood flow is dynamically determined and each component interacts with the others so that a change in one region of the lung influences the distribution of blood flow in other lung regions.
Using a process‐based catchment‐scale model for enhancing field‐based stream assessments and predicting stream fish assemblages

Catchment-modelling techniques, although not yet widely used in biological contexts, may be a valuable tool in the management and conservation of stream fishes. This study was undertaken to evaluate the potential of a catchment-scale hydrologic model, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), to explain characteristics of stream fish assemblages and to enhance current field-based stream assessments. Stream fish assemblages, instream habitat, geomorphology, and water quality were surveyed in 16 study catchments in Ohio, USA. Subsequently, SWAT was used to model stream discharge, sediment flux and concentration, and nitrogen and phosphorus yields for each catchment. Principal component analysis (PCA) and multiple linear regression were used to explore potential relationships between environmental factors (both reach-level measurements and SWAT-modelled catchment-scale processes) and fish assemblage descriptors assessed within the framework of an Ohio fish-based Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI). Reach-level factors contributed to three of the four significant regression models, explaining 12% to 14% of the variation in fish species richness, the number of darter (Etheostoma) species, and the number of sensitive/intolerant species. SWAT-modelled parameters including minimum and mean annual flow and sediment yields explained significant variation in total IBI scores (57%), species richness (63%), the number of darter species (60%), and the number of sensitive/intolerant species (61%). The results support the utility of SWAT as a complement to field-based surveys. It is proposed that process-based catchment-modelling techniques such as SWAT could improve stream fish management and conservation efforts when used as a screening tool to target streams and catchments for subsequent field surveys and as a method to model potential impacts to stream ecosystems and fish assemblages in highly sensitive areas and/or inaccessible catchments. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Phonons and Thermal Properties of Carbon Nanotubes

The thermal properties of carbon nanotubes display a wide range of behaviors which are related both to their graphitic nature and their unique structure and size. The specific heat of individual nanotubes should be similar to that of two-dimensional graphene at high temperatures, with the effects of phonon quantization becoming apparent at lower temperatures. Inter-tube coupling in SWNT ropes, and interlayer coupling in MWNTs, should cause their low-temperature specific heat to resemble that of three-dimensional graphite. Experimental data on SWNTs show relatively weak inter-tube coupling, and are in good agreement with theoretical models. The specific heat of MWNTs has not been examined theoretically in detail. Experimental results on MWNTs show a temperature dependent specific heat which is consistent with weak inter-layer coupling, although different measurements show slightly different temperature dependences. The thermal conductivity of both SWNTs and MWNTs should reflect the on-tube phonon structure, regardless of tube-tube coupling. Measurements of the thermal conductivity of bulk samples show graphite-like behavior for MWNTs but quite different behavior for SWNTs, specifically a linear temperature dependence at low T which is consistent with one-dimensional phonons. The room-temperature thermal conductivity of highly aligned SWNT samples is over 200 W/mK, and the thermal conductivity of individual nanotubes is likely to be higher still.
Dynamic phase transitions in diffusion-limited reactions

Many non-equilibrium systems display dynamic phase transitions from active to absorbing states, where fluctuations cease entirely. Based on a field theory representation of the master equation, the critical behavior can be analyzed by means of the renormalization group. The resulting universality classes for single-species systems are reviewed here. Generically, the critical exponents are those of directed percolation (Reggeon field theory), with critical dimension d_c = 4. Yet local particle number parity conservation in even-offspring branching and annihilating random walks implies an inactive phase (emerging below d_c' = 4/3) that is characterized by the power laws of the pair annihilation reaction, and leads to different critical exponents at the transition. For local processes without memory, the pair contact process with diffusion represents the only other non-trivial universality class. The consistent treatment of restricted site occupations and quenched random reaction rates are important open issues.
Sensitivity of Simulated Regional Surface Thermal Fluxes during Warm Advection Snowmelt to Selection of the Lowest Model Level Height

Under strong warm advection, sensible and latent heat fluxes may provide larger energy for surface snowmelt than does net radiation flux. With these thermally stable conditions, the height of the first model level may be well above the surface-layer depth and thus outside the range of applicability of the surface-layer similarity theory on which the models’ surface thermal flux computation is based. This situation can strongly affect the magnitude of simulated surface thermal fluxes and snowmelt. To explore this issue, the impact of selected heights of the first model level on the simulated surface fluxes and snowmelt under stable surface stratification conditions was investigated. Simulations using a mesoscale atmospheric model considering two extreme contrasts in surface roughness were performed. Setting the first model level to 3 or 10 m, which typically was within the stable surface layer, yielded nearly the same contribution of simulated surface turbulent thermal fluxes to snowmelt. When the first model level height was set at about 40 m, as is used in many regional model simulations, it exceeded the depth of the stable surface layer over the snow cover. The surface turbulent thermal flux contribution in this case was smaller (by about 40%), with a directly proportional effect on the snowmelt. Pending observational support, results presented in this study imply that setting a model’s lowest level to 10 m or less will likely improve simulated snowmelt accuracy during warm advection.
Lack of Correlation Between Mucus Gel Thickness and Gastric Cytoprotection in Rats

The effect of various cytoprotective agents on the thickness of gastric mucus gel layer in rats was studied. It was hypothesized that an increase in the mucus gel layer might be involved in cytoprotection. The results show that this is not the case. Neither prostaglandin E2, 16,16-dimethyl prostaglandin E2, nor mild irritants (20% ethanol, 0.35 M HCI, 20% glucose, 20% mannitol), all given orally, altered the thickness of the mucus gel layer, although these agents were found to be cytoprotective, i.e., inhibiting the formation of gastric mucosal necrotic lesions caused by oral administration of absolute ethanol. The only agents that significantly increased the thickness of the mucus gel layer were a hypertonic solution (4% NaCl) and sodium salicylate. We conclude that if mucus plays a role in cytoprotection, it is not by virtue of an increase in thickness of the gel layer adherent to the gastric mucosa.
STUDIES ON THE SOLUBLE CARBOHYDRATES AND CARBOHYDRATE PRECURSORS IN GERMINATING SOYBEAN SEED

A B S TR A C T The total soluble carbohydrate fraction of the cotyledons and embryo axis of germinating soybean seedlings declined rapidly during the first 3 days of germination. This depletion began earlier in the embryo axis than in the cotyledon. The total carbohydr ate content of the cotyledons of plants grown in light and plants grown in dark was approximately the same for the first 7 days of germination. Between day 9 and 13 the total carbohydrate content of the cotyledons of soybean seedlings grown in dark was higher than that of plants grown in light. The reducing sugar content of light-grown soybean cotyledons increased approximately 5-fold during the first 9 days of germination, whereas that of dark-grown soybean cotyledons increased more slowly duiring this interval. Reducing sugars in the embryo increased during the early stages of germination until they appi oximately equalled the total carbohydrate. Between day 4 and 13, oil was depleted more rapidly in the cotyledons of seedlings grown in light than those grown in the dark. The reserve carbohydrates of soybean embryos and cotyledons consisted primarily of low molecular weight oligosaccharides, particularly sucrose, stachyose, and raffinose. These compounds decreased rapidly during germination. The isocitritase activity in the cotyledons of germinating soybean seeds increased rapidly for the first 6 days of germination and then decreased for the next 7 days. The isocitritase activity of plants grown in the dark was higher than that of the plants grown in light at all stages of development, particularly between day 7 and 11.
Automatic data driven vegetation modeling for lidar simulation

Traditional lidar simulations render surface models to generate simulated range data. For objects with welldefined surfaces, this approach works well, and traditional 3D scene reconstruction algorithms can be employed to automatically generate the surface models. This approach breaks down, though, for many trees, tall grasses, and other objects with fine-scale geometry: surface models do not easily represent the geometry, and automated reconstruction from real data is difficult. In this paper, we introduce a new stochastic volumetric model that better captures the complexities of real lidar data of vegetation and is far better suited for automatic modeling of scenes from field collected lidar data. We also introduce several methods for automatic modeling and for simulating lidar data utilizing the new model. To measure the performance of the stochastic simulation we use histogram comparison metrics to quantify the differences between data produced by the real and simulated lidar. We evaluate our approach on a range of real world datasets and show improved fidelity for simulating geo-specific outdoor, vegetation scenes.
A four-surface schematic eye of macaque monkey obtained by an optical method

Abstract Schematic eyes for four Macaca fascicularis monkeys were constructed from measurements of the positions and curvatures of the anterior and posterior surfaces of the cornea and lens. All of these measurements were obtained from Scheimpflug photography through the use of a ray-tracing analysis. Some of these measurements were also checked (and confirmed) by keratometry and ultrasound. Gaussian lens equations were applied to the measured dimensions of each individual eye in order to construct schematic eyes. The mean total power predicted by the schematic eyes agreed closely with independent measurements based on retinoscopy and ultrasound results, 74.2 ± 1.3 (SEM) vs 74.7 ± 0.3 (SEM) diopters. The predicted magnification of 202 μm/deg in one eye was confirmed by direct measurement of 205 μm/deg for a foveal laser lesion. The mean foveal retinal magnification calculated for our eight schematic eyes was 211 ± (SEM) μm/deg, slightly less than the value obtained by application of the method of Rolls and Cowey [ Experimental Brain Research, 10 , 298–310 (1970)] to our eight eyes but just 4% more than the value obtained by application of the method of Perry and Cowey [ Vision Research, 12 , 1795–1810 (1985)].
β-Adrenergic activation of glycosyltransferases in the dolichylmonophosphate-linked pathway of protein N-glycosylation

Abstract β-Adrenoreceptor stimulation of rat parotid acinar cells increases the activity of several microsmal membrane associated, dolichylmonophosphate (Dol-P) linked glycosyltransferases. The activities of Man-P-Dol synthase and Glc-PDol synthase are increased by ∼50%, and the activity of N-acetylglucosaminyl 1-phosphate transferase plus N-acetylglucosaminyl transferase increased by ∼60%, after agonist treatment. Increases in enzyme activity are (i) independent of endogenous Dol-P levels and (ii) observed under conditions in which the specific activities of donor sugar nucleotides are kept constant. Activation of these enzymes is specific since comparable levels of NADPH-cytochrome c reductase are found in control and agonist-treated membranes. The data thus provide the initial demonstration of neurotransmitter modulation of enzymes in the dolichol-linked pathway of protein N-glycosylation.
Chronological age, but not FMRP levels, predicts neuropsychological performance in girls with fragile X syndrome.

The effect of FMRP levels and chronological age on executive functioning, visual-spatial abilities and verbal fluency tasks were examined in 46 school-age girls with fragile X syndrome (FXS). Results indicated that FMRP levels were not predictive of outcome on the neuropsychological tests but that performance on the executive functioning task tended to worsen with chronological age. This age effect was not observed on the tests of visual-spatial abilities or verbal fluency. These data indicate that relative deficits in executive functioning in girls with FXS become more pronounced with age. In contrast, the relative deficits in spatial and verbal abilities of these girls did not appear to increase with age, suggesting that these abilities may be spared.
Molecular dynamics study of the mechanical loss in amorphous pure and doped silica

Gravitational wave detectors and other precision measurement devices are limited by the thermal noise in the oxide coatings on the mirrors of such devices. We have investigated the mechanical loss in amorphous oxides by calculating the internal friction using classical, atomistic molecular dynamics simulations. We have implemented the trajectory bisection method and the non-local ridge method in the DL-POLY molecular dynamics simulation software to carry out those calculations. These methods have been used to locate the local potential energy minima that a system visits during a molecular dynamics trajectory and the transition state between any two consecutive minima. Using the numerically calculated barrier height distributions, barrier asymmetry distributions, relaxation times, and deformation potentials, we have calculated the internal friction of pure amorphous silica and silica mixed with other oxides. The results for silica compare well with experiment. Finally, we use the numerical calculations to comment on the validity of previously used theoretical assumptions.
Load-limiting parachute inflation control

Excessive deceleration forces experienced during high speed deployment of parachute systems can cause damage to the payload and the canopy fabric. Conventional reefing lines offer limited relief by temporarily restricting canopy inflation and limiting the peak deceleration load. However, the open-loop control provided by existing reefing devices restrict their use to a specific set of deployment conditions. In this paper, the sensing, processing, and actuation that are characteristic of adaptive structures form the basis of three concepts for active control of parachute inflation. These active control concepts are incorporated into a computer simulation of parachute inflation. Initial investigations indicate that these concepts promise enhanced performance as compared to conventional techniques for a nominal release. Furthermore, the ability of each controller to adapt to off-nominal release conditions is examined.
Collagen content, histology, and tensile strength: determinants of wound repair in various gastric stapling devices in a canine gastric partition model

Various stapling devices have been applied to create the small gastric pouch necessary for effective weight loss in morbid obesity, but it is unclear as to which staple line arrangement provides the most reliable gastric wound healing. Five variants of staple lines (Groups I-V) were used to create a gastric partition in 47 adult mongrel dogs (20-30 kg). Staple-line arrangements were as follows: Group I (n = 10)--two superimposed double rows (TA-90), Group II (n = 10)--prototype staple line of four rows 2.03 mm apart, Group III (n = 12)--two double rows of staples 6.5 mm apart, Group IV (n = 10)--prototype staple line of two double rows of staples 0.64 mm apart, and Group V (n = 5)--a single double-row staple line (TA-90). Staple lines were examined at 2, 4, 8, and 13-16 weeks for evidence of healing, histology, tensile strength, and collagen (hydroxyproline) content. Significant differences in staple-line disruption rates were found between all groups (chi 2, P less than 0.01). The prototype four-row staple line (Group II) had the most significant parameters of wound repair determined by biochemical evidence of wound healing and enhanced tensile strength. Staple-line arrangement appears to be an important determinant of gastric wound healing and may influence the rate of postoperative gastric partition disruption.
Roles for the integrin VLA-4 and its counter receptor VCAM-1 in myogenesis

Mammalian myogenesis is biphasic: primary myoblasts fuse to form primary myotubes, then secondary myoblasts align along the primary myotubes and form secondary myotubes, which comprise most of adult muscle. We provide evidence that an integrin (VLA-4) and its counter receptor (VCAM-1) have a role in secondary myogenesis. Both receptors are synthesized by cultured muscle cells: VLA-4 is induced as myotubes form, whereas VCAM-1 is present on myoblasts and myotubes. In vivo, both molecules are expressed at sites of secondary myogenesis, VLA-4 on primary and secondary myotubes, and VCAM-1 on secondary myoblasts and on regions of secondary myotubes apposed to primary myotubes. These patterns suggest that VLA-4-VCAM-1 interactions influence alignment of secondary myoblasts along primary myotubes and/or the fusion of secondary myoblasts. In support of the latter possibility, antibodies to VLA-4 or VCAM-1 inhibit myotube formation in culture.
BIOLOGIC ENHANCEMENT OF SPINAL FUSION

Scientific advances in the past decade have generated considerable clinical interest in developing biologic tools that may ultimately enhance spinal fusion. This article reviews the current understanding of each of these and other fusion-enhancing tools with particular attention to the results of in vivo animal experimentation and, where available, objective clinical data.
Performance of a surface bypass structure to enhance juvenile steelhead passage and survival at Lower Granite Dam, Washington

AbstractAn integral part of efforts to recover stocks of Pacific salmon Oncorhynchus spp. and steelhead O. mykiss in Pacific Northwest rivers is to increase passage efficacy and survival of juveniles past hydroelectric dams. As part of this effort, we evaluated the efficacy of a prototype surface bypass structure, the removable spillway weir (RSW), installed in a spillbay at Lower Granite Dam, Washington, on the Snake River during 2002, 2003, 2005, and 2006. Radio-tagged juvenile steelhead were released upstream from the dam and their route of passage through the turbines, juvenile bypass, spillway, or RSW was recorded. The RSW was operated in an on-or-off condition and passed 3–13% of the total discharge at the dam when it was on. Poisson rate models were fit to the passage counts of hatchery- and natural-origin juvenile steelhead to predict the probability of fish passing the dam. Main-effect predictor variables were RSW operation, diel period, day of the year, proportion of flow passed by the spillway,...
Double-Pomeron-Exchange Contribution to the Reaction pp → pp π + π − at 205 GeV/ c

The reaction $\mathrm{pp}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\mathrm{pp}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ at 205 GeV/c is analyzed in terms of the rapidities of the secondary particles to measure the contribution of the double-Pomeron exchange process. Using a sample of 191 events, we estimate the maximum possible contribution for this process to be 44 \ensuremath{\mu}b for the region of $\ensuremath{\pi}p$ effective mass greater than 2.0 GeV in a total cross section of 680 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 140 \ensuremath{\mu}b.
V-SLAM: Vision-based simultaneous localization and map building for an autonomous mobile robot

Simultaneous localization and map building (SLAM) is a desired feature for autonomous mobile robots. This SLAM approach allows the robot to create a map on the fly and then backtrack to further explore the area without human interaction. Data from the robot's encoder and sonar sensors are used along with depth information from a stereo camera vision system to explore and map the surroundings. The Speeded Up Robust Features algorithm (SURF) is used to visually identify landmarks in the environment.
Construction of an L-isoleucine overproducing strain of Escherichia coli K-12.

The genes for a threonine deaminase that is resistant to feedback inhibition by L-isoleucine and for an active acetohydroxyacid synthase II were introduced by a plasmid into a L-threonine-producing recombinant strain of Escherichia coli K-12. Analysis of culture broth of the strain using 13C nuclear magnetic resonance suggested that α, β-dihydroxy-β-methylvalerate (DHMV) and α-keto-β-methylvalerate (KMV), the third and the fourth intermediates in the L-isoleucine biosynthetic pathway from L-threonine, respectively, accumulated in the medium in amounts comparable to that of L-isoleucine. The ratio of accumulated L-isoleucine:DHMV:KMV were approximately 2:1:1. The concentration of accumulated L-isoleucine increased by twofold after the additional introduction of the genes for dihyroxyacid dehydratase (DH) and transaminase-B (TA-B), and the intermediates no longer accumulated. The resultant strain TVD5 accumulated 10 g/l of L-isoleucine from 40 g/l of glucose.
Drug sample provision and its effect on continuous drug therapy in an indigent care setting

Objective To assess the continuity and consistency of drug therapy among indigent patients following drug sample provision. Design Retrospective study. Setting Indigent ambulatory care. Patients 129 adult patients, identified as having been given a drug sample between January 1, 2004, and February 27, 2004. Interventions Analysis of data regarding the sample regimen, duration, rationale for sample provision, therapeutic indication, and subsequent therapy prescribed in the 6 months following sample provision. Main outcome measures Lengths of gaps between sample provision and subsequent prescribed therapy were analyzed to evaluate the effect of sample provision on the continuity and consistency of drug therapy. Results Of the 52 patients for whom continuous therapy was indicated, interruptions in therapy occurred in 50% (mean duration, 51.1± days; range, 2–123). Of the 65 patients who were prescribed subsequent therapy, 89.2% were prescribed the exact same drug, 9.2% a different drug in the same class, and 1.5% a different drug in a different class. Following sample provision, only 2 (3.1%) patients were prescribed generic medications. Conclusion Significant interruptions in drug therapy frequently followed sample provision in those requiring continuous treatment. On average, patients experienced interruptions in therapy for nearly 2 months. The majority of patients who were prescribed subsequent therapy were prescribed the same drug as the drug sample initially provided.
Changes in electrophoretic properties of haemolymph and terminal oöcyte proteins during vitellogenesis in the American cockroach

Abstract Fifteen negatively charged protein bands were found by acrylamide gel electrophoresis to be present in whole blood of the American cockroach during the vitellogenic cycle. Six of the blood proteins appear to be present in the soluble fraction of the terminal oocytes. Most of the blood proteins were found to be cyclic in nature reaching their greatest concentration on days 3 and 4 of the cycle. Most of the soluble proteins in the terminal oocyte exhibited a maximum concentration corresponding to that found for whole blood. Day 5 or 6 was characterized by a decrease in the concentration of oocyte proteins. Mechanisms accounting for the cyclic changes of protein concentrations in blood and oocyte are hypothesized.
Etiology and treatment of homosexuality: a review.

The major causal theories of and treatment approaches to male and female homosexuality are critically reviewed. Neither biological, psychoanalytic, nor learning and social-learning theories are found to provide convincing evidence for the etiology of homosexuality. All of these accounts, however, are viewed as providing mixed empirical support for their predictions, with social-learning research presenting the most consistent evidence. It is argued that both sociallearning research findings and results from retrospective studies suggest that homosexuality may best be linked to the early qualitative learning and development of one's gender identity and gender role. Both psychoanalytic therapy and behavior therapy are found to have minimal successes and many failures. Most therapeutic successes seem to be with bisexuals rather than with exclusive homosexuals. The combined use of psychotherapy and specific behavioral techniques is seen to offer some promise for heterosexual adaptation with certain kinds of patients. However, it is argued that better prospects for intervention in homosexuality lie in its prevention through the early identification and treatment of the potential homosexual child.
Multi-label learning with incomplete class assignments

We consider a special type of multi-label learning where class assignments of training examples are incomplete. As an example, an instance whose true class assignment is (c 1 , c 2 , c 3 ) is only assigned to class c 1 when it is used as a training sample. We refer to this problem as multi-label learning with incomplete class assignment. Incompletely labeled data is frequently encountered when the number of classes is very large (hundreds as in MIR Flickr dataset) or when there is a large ambiguity between classes (e.g., jet vs plane). In both cases, it is difficult for users to provide complete class assignments for objects. We propose a ranking based multi-label learning framework that explicitly addresses the challenge of learning from incompletely labeled data by exploiting the group lasso technique to combine the ranking errors. We present a learning algorithm that is empirically shown to be efficient for solving the related optimization problem. Our empirical study shows that the proposed framework is more effective than the state-of-the-art algorithms for multi-label learning in dealing with incompletely labeled data.
OXIDATIVE CHARGE TRANSFER TO REPAIR THYMINE DIMERS AND DAMAGE GUANINE BASES IN DNA ASSEMBLIES CONTAINING TETHERED METALLOINTERCALATORS

Potent oxidants which intercalate in DNA serve as tools to probe DNA-mediated electron-transfer reactions. A photoexcited rhodium intercalator, Rh(phi)_2DMB^(3+) (phi = 9,10-phenanthrenequinone diimine and DMB = 4,4‘-dimethyl-2,2‘-bipyridine), tethered to DNA, promotes both oxidative damage to 5‘-GG-3‘ doublets in DNA and the repair of thymine dimers from a remote site on the DNA duplex. DNA-mediated repair of a thymine dimer lesion by charge transfer from the tethered rhodium intercalator is quantitative, albeit with low photoefficiency, occurs in an intraduplex reaction over long range (36 A), and requires that the intervening bases be paired. When both oxidative reactions, repair and oxidative damage, are monitored on the same duplex, competition is evident; the presence of both a 5‘-GG-3‘ site and the thymine dimer diminished the dimer repair efficiency by 20−40% and decreased damage at the 5‘-GG-3‘ sites 2-fold compared to similar sequences lacking either the guanine doublet or thymine dimer, respectively. In addition to damage at the 5‘-G of 5‘-GG-3‘ sites, we also observe oxidation at the 3‘-G of the 5‘-GT TG-3‘ tetrad only in the presence of thymine dimer. Overall, the yield of repaired thymine strand was at least 10 times higher than the yield of oxidized guanine in the same sequences. While the 5-GG-3‘ may represent the thermodynamically favored site for oxidative reaction, repair of the thymine dimer appears to be kinetically more favorable. Dipyridophenanzine (dppz) complexes of ruthenium(III), less potent oxidants which intercalate in DNA, oxidize 5‘-GG-3‘ doublets efficiently but cannot trigger the repair of the thymine dimer lesion. Oxidative damage to DNA from a distance, mediated by the DNA base pair stack, can, however, be utilized to probe the disruption in the base stack generated by the thymine dimer. The presence of the dimer does not diminish oxidation by a Ru(III) intercalator at a distal guanine doublet, suggesting that the disruption caused by the dimer does not block charge transfer through the DNA duplex. DNA-mediated electron-transfer reactions of metallointercalators therefore serve to illustrate important aspects of radical migration and its consequence with respect to reactions at a distance through the DNA base pair stack.
Adsorption of 2-Thiouracil at the Mercury/Electrolyte Interface II. Capacitance Transients

The adsorption of 2-thiouracil at the mercury-water interface exhibits several regions. In region I, the capacitance is consistently higher than that of the supporting electrolyte, as is usually observed for sulfur-containing compounds. At higher concentrations of 2-thiouracil, two additional adsorption regions appear. Region II corresponds to a condensed monolayer, formed by nucleation and two-dimensional growth, while region III exhibits behavior typical for polylayer formation.
Vitamin E induces ramification and downregulation of adhesion molecules in cultured microglial cells

Microglial cells in the healthy adult CNS possess a characteristic ramified morphology and show little or no expression of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) or adhesion molecules. In contrast, microglial cells isolated from newborn rat brains inevitably show a nonramified amoeboid morphology and express immunoeffector molecules, such as MHC class I and II, and various adhesion molecules thought to be markers of microglial activation. Furthermore, they produce large amounts of oxygen radicals. Treatment of cultured microglial cells with the antioxidants vitamin E (α-tocopherol) and vitamin C (ascorbic acid) induced a ramified microglial morphology after 48 h in vitro, otherwise only seen in healthy adult CNS tissue or in co-culture with astrocytes. Morphological transformation of microglial cells was quantified by morphometric analysis and was found to be statistically significant. Ramification of microglia induced by vitamin E was accompanied by downregulated expression of adhesion molecules leukocyte function antigen-1, very late antigen-4, and intercellular adhesion molecule-1, as assessed by FACS analysis and immunocytochemistry. Moreover, cell numbers of microglia treated with vitamin E remained stable within 7 days in vitro, whereas untreated controls showed a cell loss of 81.5%. These data show that vitamin E acts as a protective compound in dissociated microglial cell cultures. In conclusion, our results suggest that vitamin E and vitamin C shift microglial morphology toward ramification and induce an immunological deactivation. These changes seem to be mediated by oxidative mechanisms. GLIA 22:180–188, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The H2A.Z/H2B dimer is unstable compared to the dimer containing the major H2A isoform.

The nucleosome, the basic fundamental repeating unit of chromatin, contains two H2A/H2B dimers and an H3/H4 tetramer. Modulation of the structure and dynamics of the nucleosome is an important regulation mechanism of DNA-based chemistries in the eukaryotic cell, such as transcription and replication. One means of altering the properties of the nucleosome is by incorporation of histone variants. To provide insights into how histone variants may impact the thermodynamics of the nucleosome, the stability of the heterodimer between the H2A.Z variant and H2B was determined by urea-induced denaturation, monitored by far-UV circular dichroism, intrinsic Tyr fluorescence intensity, and anisotropy. In the absence of stabilizing agents, the H2A.Z/H2B dimer is only partially folded. The stabilizing cosolute, trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) was used to promote folding of the unstable heterodimer. The equilibrium stability of the H2A.Z/H2B dimer is compared to that of the H2A/H2B dimer. The equilibrium folding of both histone dimers is highly reversible and best described by a two-state model, with no detectable equilibrium intermediates populated. The free energies of unfolding, in the absence of denaturant, of H2A.Z/H2B and H2A/H2B are 7.3 kcal mol−1 and 15.5 kcal mol−1, respectively, in 1 M TMAO. The H2A.Z/H2B dimer is the least stable histone fold characterized to date, while H2A/H2B appears to be the most stable. It is speculated that this difference in stability may contribute to the different biophysical properties of nucleosomes containing the major H2A and the H2A.Z variant.
Titration of sterol double bonds with dibromopyridine sulfate

Cis and trans-22-dehydrocholesteryl acetates and cis and trans-22-cholesten-3beta-yl acetates were prepared and compared to delta22-phytosterylacetates by titration with dibromopyridine sulfate. The cholesterol derivatives absorbed close to the theoretical quantity of bromine (1 Br2 per double bond), whereas the delta22-C24-alkylated sterols consumed 0.14 to 0.23 Br2 in excess of the calculated values. This excess is attributed to the formation of additional unsaturation during bromination. delta7 and delta8(14)-sterols consume more than 2 and 3 moles Br2, respectively, which indicates that at least one or two new double bonds are formed in these molecules during the bromination step.
Ratiometric Pulse–Chase Amidination Mass Spectrometry as a Probe of Biomolecular Complex Formation

Selective chemical modification of protein side chains coupled with mass spectrometry is often most informative when used to compare residue-specific reactivities in a number of functional states or macromolecular complexes. Herein, we develop ratiometric pulse–chase amidination mass spectrometry (rPAm-MS) as a site-specific probe of lysine reactivities at equilibrium using the Cu(I)-sensing repressor CsoR from Bacillus subtilis as a model system. CsoR in various allosteric states was reacted with S-methyl thioacetimidate (SMTA) for pulse time, t, and chased with excess of S-methyl thiopropionimidate (SMTP) (Δ = 14 amu), quenched and digested with chymotrypsin or Glu-C protease, and peptides were quantified by high-resolution matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry and/or liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC–ESI-MS/MS). We show that the reactivities of individual lysines from peptides containing up to three Lys residues...
Alcohol and correspondence between self-report and physiological measures of anxiety.

Abstract The present study was designed to determine the main effects of alcohol intoxication on self-report and physiological measures of anxiety. Second, we aimed to assess the role of the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability (MCSD) scale in predicting the relationship between self-report and physiological indices of anxiety irrespective of drink content. A final purpose of the study was to determine whether the MCSD could account for discrepancies in the effects of alcohol on the two anxiety response systems. Subjects were male social drinkers who received an 0.70 g kg dose of alcohol or placebo. Results indicated that irrespective of drink content, subjects with high MCSD scores reported lower levels of anxiety than did subjects with low MCSD scores. This relationship was not evident for heart rate. These results for measures of anxiety were not influenced by drink content.
Dynamics Of Folate/Folate Receptor Complexes In KB Cells Observed Through Single Molecule Fluorescence Imaging

Folate (vitamin B9) is essential in the synthesis of nucleotide bases and amino acids. Cellular uptake (endocytosis) of folate is mediated by the membrane bound folate receptor (FR), a glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored protein. FR has been found to be up-regulated and/or redistributed in the plasma membrane of specific types of carcinoma cells. Specifically, the over-expression in certain epithelial carcinoma cells can be as high as a thousand fold and thus FR provides an important possible target in efficient drug therapy design. In this study, we are probing the dynamics and interactions of folate/FR receptor complexes in the plasma membrane and through each part of its endocytotic cycle at the single molecule level. We are employing single molecule fluorescence microscopy to track individual fluorophore-labeled folate molecules bound to cell surface FR. We found an average diffusion constant of D = 2e-9 cm2/s on live human KB carcinoma cells when imaged at 30 fps. Trajectories of individual particles showed temporary stopping or confined motion. This anomalous diffusive behavior was quantified against Monte Carlo simulations of randomly diffusing particles. The frequency and duration of confinement was compared as the overall concentration of folate was incrementally increased from 1 fM to the physiological level of 1nM . The effect on the frequency and duration of single FR confinement due to cholesterol depletion, actin stabilization and actin depolymerization will be presented.
The Moor Maiden--A Contemporary View

The poem has been preserved in only one manuscript,3 though in addition its first line has been discovered quoted marginally in The Red Book of Ossory.4 It consists of apparently four stanzas which, in the form of question and answer, deal successively with the Moor Maiden's food, drink, and habitat. Stanzas 2-4 read: Welle was hire mete. Wat was hire mete? pe primerole ant the, pe primerole ant the. Welle was hire mete. Wat was hire mete? The primerole ant the violet.