cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Gq-type G protein couples muscarinic receptors to inositol phosphate and calcium signaling in exocrine cells from the avian salt gland

Muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR) activation in isolated cells from the nasal salt gland of the domestic duck (Anas platyrhynchos) results in a rapid increase in the rate of phosphatidylinositol hydrolysis and pronounced intracellular calcium signals. Both responses can be elicited by treating these cells with fluoroaluminate (AlF4-) indicating the involvement of a heterotrimeric G protein in the transmembrane signaling process. To characterize this G protein, electrophoretically separated membrane proteins were blotted onto nitrocellulose filters and probed with peptide-antibodies raised against portions of different alpha-subunits of mammalian G proteins. We could demonstrate the presence of at least four different G proteins in salt gland cell membranes. Two of these proteins (40 and 41 kD) were ADP-ribosylated by pertussis toxin and were recognized by an antiserum against a common sequence in all G protein alpha-subunits. One protein (46 kD) was a cholera toxin-substrate and was recognized by a Gs-specific antiserum; the other (42 kD) was recognized by Gq-specific antisera and was resistant to ADP-ribosylation. Since the initial inositol phosphate production upon receptor activation with carbachol and the resulting calcium signals were not affected by pertussis toxin-pretreatment of salt gland cells, we conclude that muscarinic receptors are coupled to phospholipase C by a Gq-type G protein.
Childbearing May Increase Visceral Adipose Tissue Independent of Overall Increase in Body Fat

Objective: To examine whether childbearing is associated with increased visceral adiposity and whether the increase is proportionally larger than other depots. Methods and Procedures: This prospective study examined changes in adiposity assessed via computed tomography (CT) and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry among 122 premenopausal women (50 black, 72 white) examined in 1995–1996 and again in 2000–2001. During the 5-year interval, 14 women had one interim birth and 108 had no interim births. Multiple linear regression models estimated mean (95% confidence interval (CI)) 5-year changes in anthropometric and adiposity measures by interim births adjusted for age, race, and changes in total and subcutaneous adiposity. Results: We found no significant differences between one interim birth and no interim births for 5-year changes in weight, BMI, total body fat, subcutaneous adipose tissue, or total abdominal adipose tissue. Visceral adipose tissue increased by 40 and 14% above initial levels for 1 birth and 0 birth groups, respectively. Having 1 birth vs. 0 births was associated with a greater increase in visceral adipose tissue of 18.0 cm2 (4.8, 31.2), P < 0.01; gain of 27.1 cm2 (14.5, 39.7) vs. 9.2 cm2 (4.8, 13.6), and a borderline greater increase in waist girth of 2.3 cm (0, 4.5), P = 0.05; gain of 6.3 cm (4.1, 8.5) vs. 4.0 cm (3.2, 4.8), controlling for gain in total body fat and covariates. Discussion: Pregnancy may be associated with preferential accumulation of adipose tissue in the visceral compartment for similar gains in total body fat. Further investigation is needed to confirm these findings and determine whether excess visceral fat deposition with pregnancy adversely affects metabolic risk profiles among women.
Response of mice to the chelating agents sodium diethyldithiocarbamate, alpha-benzoinoxime, and biscyclohexanone oxaldihydrazone.

Abstract Weanling albino male mice were fed for 7 weeks the chelators diethyldithiocarbamate, α-benzoinoxime, and biscyclohexanone oxaldihydrazone (cuprizone) mixed with chicken mash containing 10% lard. Diethyldithiocarbamate or α-benzoinoxime at 0.1% and 0.5% of the diet did not produce clinical signs of intoxication. Growth was not affected; gross and microscopic lesions were not observed in several tissues examined. Growth, reduced slightly by 0.1% cuprizone, was severely depressed by a level of 0.5%. Clinical signs were restricted to paresis in the latter group. Microscopic lesions present at both levels of cuprizone feeding were confined to the central nervous system and consisted of edema, most prominent in the cerebellar cortex, and a noninflammatory demyelination. Edema was, however, also observed in the cerebellar medulla and midbrain. Hydrocephalus and cerebral edema occurred in mice fed cuprizone at a level of 0.5% of the diet. Supplementation of the 0.5% cuprizone diet with 25, 50, or 100 ppm copper did not alter significantly the neural lesions induced by the chelator. Only cuprizone feeding interrupted pregnancy. Pregnant mice fed 0.5% and 0.3% cuprizone from the third day of pregnancy failed to deliver young. The former level resulted in a high percentage of nonviable young when feeding was started on the ninth day of gestation. A level of 0.1% cuprizone did not affect pregnancy when fed from the third or ninth day of gestation. A copper supplement of 130 ppm increased the number of viable young when added to the 0.5% cuprizone diet and fed from the ninth day of gestation, but no young were produced when feeding began on the third day of gestation.
Identifying Prepared and Competent Teachers with Professional Knowledge Tests

Paper–pencil teacher tests of professional knowledge typically are organized around the conventional dimensions that define state teaching standards, such as classroom management and assessment. We examined if such tests could be partitioned into three other dimensions (general knowledge, academic or textbook knowledge, and functional teaching knowledge), and if these dimensions (1) identified between those who did and did not receive teacher preparation, and (2) predicted teaching competence. A teacher test was given to advanced and beginning education majors, and non-majors. We found that advanced education majors and non-majors differed mostly on academic knowledge, but that functional knowledge predicted competence to the greatest extent. A variety of useful information can be gleaned from teacher tests if subscores of these dimensions are generated.
Human kinship as a descendant-leaving strategy: A solution to an evolutionary puzzle

Abstract Ethnographic examples are used to demonstrate three aspects of human kinship altruism that can be explained neither by the standard evolutionary explanations of altruism (i.e., kin selection, and reciprocal altruism) nor the controversial theory of group selection. First, humans favor closer kin over more distant kin even at genealogical distances where kin selection is essentially nonoperative. Second, this favoring of “close” distant kin over “distant” distant kin is prescribed by tradition and does not depend on the greater likelihood of reciprocal altruism from the closer kin. Finally, the favoring of “close” distant kin over “distant” distant kin does not depend on co-membership in the same social group. To explain this universal aspect of human social behavior, an alternative evolutionary explanation of altruism—referred to as the “descendant-leaving strategy model”—is presented.
Abstract 5681: Modulation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling by niclosamide and related derivatives.

The Wnt signal transduction pathway is dysregulated in many cancers, including colorectal cancer (CRC) where activating mutations in this pathway occur in over 80% of sporadic colorectal cancers. As a result, drugs that inhibit the pathway are highly sought-after as the basis of a new generation of innovative therapeutic agents. Unfortunately, a gap exists in the ability to target the pathway with small, drug-like molecules, a gap that is the barrier to discovering drugs targeting defects in this pathway. Recently, we reported the FDA-approved anthelmintic drug niclosamide inhibits Wnt/β-catenin signaling via a novel mechanism that internalizes Frizzled receptors and leads to decreases in Dishevelled and β-Catenin proteins, even in cells harboring mutations in APC and β-catenin. The biological target driving inhibition of Wnt signaling by niclosamide is unknown. To support efforts to translate these findings in clinical trials and assist target identification efforts, we interrogated the mechanism and structure-activity relationships. We will present our findings indicating inhibition of Wnt signaling by niclosamide appears unique among the structurally-related anthelmintic agents tested and that Wnt/β-catenin activity was dependent on small changes in the chemical structure of niclosamide - including the ability to convert inhibition to activation. Overall, the findings support efforts to identify the target of niclosamide inhibition of Wnt/β-catenin signaling and the discovery of novel inhibitors of Wnt/β-catenin signaling to treat cancer, and thus accelerate the translational application of niclosamide and its derivatives to improve patient survival from cancer. Citation Format: Robert A. Mook, Minyong Chen, Jiuyi Lu, Larry S. Barak, H. Kim Lyerly, Wei Chen. Modulation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling by niclosamide and related derivatives. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5681. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-5681
The Recovery of Elastic Properties at 35 °C in TRIP 700 Steel Following Deformation

The influence of plastic deformation on the elastic properties that determine the magnitude of springback following forming was investigated using dynamic modulus analysis. For this study, the elastic modulus of TRIP 700 steel was measured continuously at 35 °C and a loading frequency of 1.0 Hz for 1000 min following deformation by cold rolling to varying levels up to 27%. The elastic modulus increased at an exponentially decaying rate during these experiments and with a magnitude that increased with pre-strain. These observations are consistent with the hypothesis that deformation creates microstructural defects that contribute compliance when the stress state changes and that these defects are removed by annealing at this low temperature.
PACS workstation functions: usage differences between radiologists and MICU physicians

In previous studies of workstation usage by physicians in the Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) of the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, we have compared which image manipulation functions were used when viewing digitized film and phosphor plate (CR) images. We had found some differences in the use of such features, particularly a decrease in the use of brightness and contrast adjustment, for CR images. We had predicted this because of the improved uniformity of CR images compared to conventional film [Horii 95]. We were interested in how radiologists viewing similar CR images would differ (if at all) from their MICU physician colleagues. We found that the radiologists used the brightness and contrast adjustments to a greater degree than the MICU physicians when viewing CR images from MICU patients. Use of other image manipulation functions by the radiologists was considerably lower; in this first series of readings, zoom, invert grayscale, and high-resolution display controls were not used at all.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Ligand and structure effects on the N-P bonds of phosphazenes

Abstract The influence of different ligands on the electronic structure of the N-P backbone bond in phosphazene trimers and polymers has been studied using x-ray photoelectron Spectroscopy, XPS. This paper extends previously reported work, which showed the highly polarized nature of the N-P bond in the chlorophosphazene polymer and trimer, to include the following ligands: chloride, fluoride, methoxy, trifluoroethoxy and phenoxy. Wagner chemicalstate plots constructed for nitrogen and phosphorus demonstrate the ligand effects, and highlight the differences between the polymers and the corresponding cyclic trimers. Phosphorus photoline and X-ray excited Auger line energies were found to shift in a manner consistent with the electronegativity and polarizability of the side groups for both the polymers and trimers. In general, the nitrogen data followed the same trends as the phosphorus, with some exceptions. The value of the phosphorus Auger parameter was consistently higher for the polymers than for the corresponding trimers, suggesting a structural effect on the polarizability of the backbone bond. Preliminary analysis of laser Raman data shown supports this observation by showing an increase in polarizability in going from the trimer to tetramer structure. These experimental results are interpreted using the results of ab initio molecular orbital calculations performed for phosphonitrilic trimers, tetramers and small linear fragments.
Review of new evidence regarding the relationship of gasoline exposure to kidney cancer and leukemia.

Four new or updated epidemiologic studies were presented at a meeting on the health effects of gasoline exposure held in Miami, Florida, November 5-8, 1991. A focus of these studies was whether the...
APL in operating systems research

This paper will discuss three extensions to APL which will improve its usefulness for research in operating systems and systems programming. They are the introduction of processor variables, encased and bound statement fragments, and pointer or referent variables. APL has demonstrated capabilities in free-wheeling research environments. In an experimental operating system written in APL, much superfluous detail would be suppressed, and the essentials of various algorithms used would be brought to the fore.
Size-discrimination deficit in primates with inferotemporal lesions

Four species of testwise monkeys with extensive ablations of posterior neocortex (including inferotemporal tissue) were impaired in a size discrimination problem. The deficit, which was persistent after 1200 trials and two testing procedures may be attributed to a loss in ability to classify visual information.
A three-dimensional rectangular crack subjected to shear loading

Abstract In this paper a solution is derived to treat the three-dimensional elastostatic problem of a narrow rectangular crack embedded in an infinite elastic medium and subjected to equal and opposite shear stress distribution across its faces. Employing two-dimensional integral transforms and assuming a plane-strain solution across the width of the crack, the stress field ahead of the crack length is reduced to the solution of an integral equation of Fredholm type. A numerical solution of the integral equation and the corresponding mode II stress-intensity factor is obtained for several crack dimensions and Poisson’s ratios of the material.
A biochemical study of optic nerve myelin isolated by a micromethod from different aged rats

A micromethod was used to study myelin from individual rat optic nerves as a function of age. Protein and galactolipid content as well as 2',3'-cyclic nucleotide phosphohydrolase (CNPase) activity at ages 2, 4, 22, and 28 months were determined. Protein content increased significantly at 22 months and decreased at advanced age. Galactolipid content increased significantly at 28 months while CNPase activity decreased. The ratios of protein to galactolipid and CNPase to galactolipid changed with changing age. These data suggest that, unlike the central nervous system, specific biochemical parameters of the optic nerve change with age.
The Structure of Rhodospirillum rubrum

Cells from serial cultures of R. rubrum , grown anaerobically in the light, were harvested at intervals from ½ to 15 days and sectioned for electron microscopy by conventional methods. Cells of this species possess a multilayered outer envelope, and the external cell surface is differentiated into ridges extending parallel or obliquely to the long axis of the cell. Cells from very young cultures resemble non-photosynthetic bacteria and contain only a granular cytoplasm, scattered high-density particles, and low-density areas corresponding to the chromatin areas observed by light microscopy. They contain neither the chromatophores nor the lamellar systems assumed by previous investigators to be characteristic of this species when grown anaerobically in the light. Chromatophores appear in cells from cultures older than about 12 hours, while systems of paired lamellae appear along with the chromatophores in cells from cultures older than about 8 days. Divergent opinions concerning the occurrence of chromatophores or lamellae in this species can be resolved on the basis of the age of cultures used in previous studies. Other changes occurring in cells from cultures of increasing age include the appearance of granular and reticulate cytoplasmic bodies and vacuoles, extension of the chromatin areas, and the appearance of a single membrane enclosing several chromatophores.
Improved estimates of sulfate dry deposition in Eastern North America

Recent eddy-correlation measurements of the dry deposition of particulate sulfate indicate that the associated deposition velocities have a strong diurnal trend and are small in near-neutral and stable atmospheric conditions. Daily averages of the deposition velocity in the summertime over Eastern North America are near 0.25 cm s/sup -1/, nearly half of the initial estimates. However, the corresponding change in monthly total deposition of sulfur (wet plus dry) computed with a regional-scale air pollution model is quite small, within 5%, as a result of the compensation by increased wet deposition of particulate sulfur. The major effect of the lower deposition velocities is that computed airborne sulfate concentrations increase substantially, from 30% near source regions to 100% in remote areas. Sulfur dioxide dominates the dry deposition of sulfur except in remote areas. Near major source regions, SO/sub 2/ is 4-5 times greater than the sulfate dry deposition, as a result of the high concentrations of SO/sub 2/ coupled with rather large deposition velocities. Even greater differences are found in the winter.
Learning from St. Thomas: community, capital, and the redevelopment of public housing in New Orleans

Current efforts to redevelop public housing in the US create new opportunities and risks for low-income residents. Although cities are able to pursue innovative strategies for combatting troubled public housing, the danger is that the interests of the residents will be subordinated to those of the local power structure--especially where public housing poses an obstacle to revitalization. This article examines the efforts to redevelop the St. Thomas Housing Development in New Orleans in order to discover the impact on residents and to evaluate prevailing theories of urban power. The case involves empowered public housing residents and powerful economic interests. Although residents of St. Thomas gained access to the pro-growth coalition pursuing revitalization of the surrounding Lower Garden District, the outcome for residents is mixed. In order to understand the constraints faced by public housing residents we must recognize how political discourse can enhance the power of the business community in urban regimes. Language: en
Changes in the distribution of light energy between the two photosystems in spinach leaves.

Time courses of chlorophyll fluorescence at room temperature and fluorescence spectra at 77 K were measured to investigate the light-induced changes in the distribution of light energy between the two photosy stems in young spinach leaves. Illumination of the dark adapted leaves with primarily system II light induced typical fluorescence transients at room temperature. Fluorescence spectra at 77 K showed that the intensity of system II fluorescence at 77 K changed nearly in parallel with the fluorescence transients at room temperature within the range from M1 to T during illumination of the leaf.
Using multiple choice test items to improve classroom testing of professional accounting students

Abstract The paper develops support for multiple choice testing as an alternative to the traditional “problem” or essay test used for evaluation of academic achievement in accounting courses. Basic measurement concepts are discussed and defined. The relationships between test reliability and validity are explained. The reader is encouraged to develop objective test items for use in the classroom.
Estimating maximum concentrations for open path monitoring along a fixed beam path.

ABSTRACT Researchers have applied open path optical sensing techniques to a variety of workplace and environmental monitoring problems. Usually these data are reported in terms of a path-average (or path-integrated) concentration. When assessing potential human exposures along a beam path, this path-average value is not always informative, since concentrations along the path can vary substantially from the beam average. The focus of this research is to arrive at a method for estimating the upper-bound in contaminant concentrations over a fixed open beam path. The approach taken here uses a statistical model to estimate an upper-bound concentration based on a combination of the path-average and a measure of the spatial variability computed from point samples along the beam path. Results of computer simulations and experimental testing in a controlled ventilation chamber indicate that the model produced conservative estimates for the maximum concentration along the beam path. This approach may have many app...
A New Magnetic Sensor Concept for Nondestructive Evaluation of Deteriorated PreStressing Strand

This article describes proof-of-concept testing of a sensor based on magnetic field detection to estimate the remaining effective cross-sectional area in corroded prestressing strands inside prestressed concrete beams. The primary corrosion mode is rusting of the strand. The magnetic properties of rust are vastly different from those of steel, thus making a magnetic sensor theoretically feasible. An electromagnet system with Hall sensors has been designed. The electromagnet induces a magnetic field in the specimen by magnetizing it from one side, and at a particular distance from the electromagnet's pole face. At near magnetic saturation, for various diameters and distances of up to 2 in from the magnet face, the induced magnetic field is reliably related to the effective cross-section of the steel bar. Experiments with steel rods and prestressing strands of different diameters conducted in a laboratory are presented. Initial results confirm that by using an appropriate electromagnet based on the magnetic...
CHAPTER 5: PHOSPHORYLATION OF POLYMERS

Abstract As outlined in Chapters 1 and 2, it is difficult to incorporate phosphorus into linear polymers by (co)polymerization or (c0)polycondensation. Only in rare cases is it possible to obtain products of high phosphorus content, high molecular weight, satisfactory mechanical properties, and satisfactory hydrolytical stability. Therefore, it is natural that the subsequent incorporation of phosphorus into commercial polymers has also been investigated. The macromolecular character of these products remains unaffected as long as no degradationof the main chain occurs. The phosphorus is always found in the side groups. The problem inherent in the subsequent introduction of phosphorus is the fact that there are only a few suitable phosphorylation reactions. Phosphorylation should be simple to carry out and should proceed rapidly even with insoluble polymers to give high yields; the incorporated phosphorus should be linked to the polymers by a stable bond, preferably a P-C bond, but above all the phosphoryl...
Design and development of a MEMS capacitive bending strain sensor

The design, modeling, fabrication and testing of a MEMS-based capacitive bending strain sensor utilizing a comb drive is presented. This sensor is designed to be integrated with a telemetry system that will monitor changes in bending strain to assist with the diagnosis of spinal fusion. ABAQUS/CAE finite-element analysis (FEA) software was used to predict sensor actuation, capacitance output and avoid material failure. Highly doped boron silicon wafers with a low resistivity were fabricated into an interdigitated finger array employing deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) to create 150 ?m sidewalls with 25 ?m spacing between the adjacent fingers. The sensor was adhered to a steel beam and subjected to four-point bending to mechanically change the spacing between the interdigitated fingers as a function of strain. As expected, the capacitance output increased as an inverse function of the spacing between the interdigitated fingers. At the unstrained state, the capacitive output was 7.56 pF and increased inversely to 17.04 pF at 1571 ?? of bending strain. The FEA and analytical models were comparable with the largest differential of 0.65 pF or 6.33% occurring at 1000 ??. Advantages of this design are a dice-free process without the use of expensive silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafers.
Elevated renal cortical calmodulin-dependent protein kinase activity and blood pressure.

The spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) exhibits not only hypertension but also behavioral hyperactivity which are not genetically linked. Two strains of rats, one hypertensive but normoactive (WKHT) and another, hyperactive but normotensive (WKHA), have been generated from SHR. We have reported that in renal proximal tubules, the linkage between D1-like receptors an adenylyl cyclase was impaired in SHR and WKHT but intact in WKHA. The impaired renal D1-like receptor function in the SHR was associated with increased phosphorylation of the D1 receptor, presumably caused by increased phosphorylation by G protein-coupled receptor kinases (GRK) or decreased dephosphorylation by protein phosphatase 2A. Because calmodulin kinase (CaMK) can regulate GRK activity, CaMK activity in renal cortical membranes of WKHA and WKHT were studied. We found that CaMK-dependent phosphorylation was two-fold higher in WKHA than in WKHT. In addition, serine phosphorylation of a 36 KDa and a 24 KDa protein was 5-fold and 3-fold g...
Quantifying the elasticity and viscosity of geometrically confined polymer films via thermal wrinkling

We apply thermal wrinkling, which is a surface instability that occurs during thermal annealing of polymer films geometrically confined by a rigid substrate and a flexible superstrate, to study the elasticity and viscosity of chemically crosslinked polymer systems. Specifically, we study the thermal wrinkling of aluminum-capped polyhydroxystyrene films with different extent of chemical crosslinking and find that that the rate of change of the wrinkling wavelength with annealing time and temperature has unique relationships with the elasticity and viscosity of the polymer network. With the aid of analytical expressions that relate the time- and temperature-dependent evolution of the wrinkle wavelength to the elasticity and viscosity, we are able to quantify the elastic modulus and shear viscosity of geometrically confined polymer thin films as a function of the degree of crosslinking. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2012
Using “knowledge champions” to facilitate knowledge management

Executives and strategists have long recognized the value of knowledge as a primary driving source for a firm’s sustainable competitive advantage – hence the creation by many firms of a position called the chief knowledge officer (CKO). However, many people have proposed differing perspectives and models relating to the concept of knowledge management. In this paper differing knowledge management viewpoints are examined, by examining and integrating theories relating to the diffusion of innovations and change agents. The roles of change agents, innovators, and opinion leaders, such as CKOs, are explored in terms of effective knowledge management strategies and techniques. A model and strategies are proposed that can serve as a framework for CKOs and other knowledge management change agents to effectively facilitate the acquisition and use of knowledge in the firm by effectively using an organizational memory system.
Multiple deficits in the retention of an appetitively motivated behavior across a 24-h period in rats

Recent investigations have found a multiphasic retention function associated with avoidance training (e.g., Holloway & Wansley, 1973a, b). The present experiment was done to determine if a similar retention function also describes appetitively motivated behavior. Rats were allowed access to preferred solution in the shock compartment of a passive avoidance apparatus. Then either .25 h after the appetitive preexposure or at successive 3-h intervals up to 24 h, the rats were administered one-trial passive avoidance training consisting of a strong shock presented in the shock compartment. The retention of the appetitive preexposure was determined by its effect on performance of the passive avoidance task as measured 24 h after the shock trial. The results demonstrated that the retention function associated with the appetitive preexposure was phasic with an alternation between high and low retention every 12 h. Specifically, retention was higher after the .25-, 9-, 12-, and 24-h intervals than after 3-, 6-, 15-, and 18-h intervals. These results are consistent with prior research on the retention of avoidance training.
Toxicity arising from joint intravenous administration of EPN and malathion to dogs.

Abstract Toxic and antienzymatic effects of two insecticides, EPN and malathion, given singly or in combination, were studied in dogs. Toxicity of EPN upon intravenous administration coincides with high levels of central acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition; both reached maximum levels 30 minutes after administration of EPN. Toxicity of malathion arises immediately upon i.v. administration; central AChE inhibition does not exceed 60% in the case of lethal doses but is higher at the periphery. Combinations of EPN and malathion lead to potentiation of toxicity and of AChE inhibition, rather than to additive synergism. The extent of potentiation depends upon the sequence of administration. While calculated potentiation still occurs when malathion is given 45 minutes prior to EPN, it is less under such circumstances. When malathion concentration in the combination is relatively high, death may occur at low values of AChE inhibition. It is pointed out that under certain circumstances antagonism of central cholinergic stimulation by EPN-malathion combinations may not suffice as a therapeutic anti-dote; the possibility that potentiation arising from joint action of EPN and malathion may depend on other factors than interference of one compound with the metabolism of the other is also discussed.
Automobile use and land consumption: Empirical evidence from 12 cities

Automobile use has increased significantly in most US cities for at least five decades. However, automobile infrastructure can consume significant amounts of land that could otherwise be used for non-transportation activities. Theory suggests that as automobile mode share increases in a city, the amount of land used for transportation also increases, whereas the land available for other uses decreases. This can result in a loss of activities from the city. This study compiles data from 12 cities in the United States to test these theoretical relationships. The findings suggest that on average each increase of 10 percentage points in the portion of commuters traveling by automobile is associated with an increase of more than 2500 m2 of parking per 1000 people and a decrease of 1700 people/km2. In quantifying these relationships, this work provides a basis for assessing the potential impacts of transportation policy decisions on land use and on the concentration of people in cities. These issues ultimately have an impact on the vitality and financial viability of cities.
Functional nanofibers for environmental applications

Nanofibers, mainly fabricated by electrospinning, have exhibited great potential for many emerging environmental applications. They can be considered as one of the safest nanomaterials due to their extremely long length (can be up to hundreds of kilometers) and their ability to be embedded within other media. Their high surface-to-volume ratio, large porosity (up to over 80%) and adjustable functionality are also much more effective than conventional non-woven and polymeric membranes in particulate separation and liquid filtration. Technology advances such as multiple-jet electrospinning and electroblowing for mass production of nanofibers have made it practical to use nanofibrous scaffolds as a unique and breakthrough component in separation media for both gas and liquid filtration. In this review, the opportunities and challenges of using functional nanofibers for several representative environmental applications are reviewed.
Landau models for structural phase transitions: Are soft modes needed?

Abstract The Landau model for structural, displacive transitions has been widely used. When specifically applied to second orde (only!) transitions, the lattice becomes dynamically unstable for infinitesimal displacements at the critical temperature T c ; above the frequency of the critical soft mode behaves as ω 2 ∞(T-T c ). Without justification, the so-called “soft mode” theory has then been vaguely and uncritically applied to both the design and interpretation of experiments on any displacive transformation. In fact, however, second order transitions are the exception rather than the rule. Landau models for the much more common first-order transitions are presented, and the secondary role of mode softening is clarified. In contrast to ideal second-order transitions, first-order transitions are not accompanied by dynamic instabilities, rather, they are thermodynamically unstable .
Effect of Sequence on the Conformation of DNA Holliday Junctions

Structures of the DNA sequences d(CCGGCGCCGG) and d(CCAGTACbr(5)UGG) are presented here as four-way Holliday junctions in their compact stacked-X forms, with antiparallel alignment of the DNA strands. Thus, the ACC-trinucleotide motif, previously identified as important for stabilizing the junction, is now extended to PuCPy, where Pu is either an adenine or guanine, and Py is either a cytosine, 5-methylcytosine, or 5-bromouracil but not thymine nucleotide. We see that both sequence and base substituents affect the geometry of the junction in terms of the interduplex angle as well as the previously defined conformational variables, J(roll) (the rotation of the stacked duplexes about their respective helical axis) and J(slide) (the translational displacement of the stacked duplexes along their respective helical axis). The structures of the GCC and parent ACC containing junctions fall into a distinct conformational class that is relatively undistorted in terms of J(slide) and J(roll), with interduplex angles of 40-43 degrees. The substituted ACbr(5)U structure, however, is more akin to that of the distorted methylated ACm(5)C containing junction, with J(slide) (>or=2.3 A) and a similar J(roll) (164 degrees) opening the major groove-side of the junction, but shows a reduced interduplex angle. In contrast, the analogous d(CCAGTACTGG) sequence has to date been crystallized only as resolved B-DNA duplexes. This suggests that there is an electronic effect of substituents at the pyrimidine Py position on the stability of four-stranded junctions. The single-crystal structures presented here, therefore, show how sequence affects the detailed geometry, and subsequently, the associated stability and conformational dynamics of the Holliday junction.
Hypotension and adrenal tyrosine hydroxylase in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Abstract 1. 1. Hypotension caused by administration of reserpine evokes a compensatory reflex increase in sympathetic nerve activity leading to an induction of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH). 2. 2. Different antihypertensive drugs produced different effects on TH activity in the adrenal glands of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), at doses which caused an equivalent reduction in systolic blood pressure. 3. 3. Reserpine and phenoxybenzamine caused an increase in TH activity in the adrenal gland whereas guanethidine, bretylium, clondine and intraventricular injection of 6-hydroxydopamine failed to alter adrenal TH activity. 4. 4. There is no correlation between the induction of adrenal TH and a fall in systolic blood pressure. 5. 5. Every blood pressure reduction does not always lead to an increase in preganglionic nerve activity. 6. 6. Clonidine and 6-hydroxydopamine cause lowering of blood pressure by a reduction of sympathetic outflow as evidenced by a decrease in plasma dopamine β-hydroxylase activity.
Spheroid-forming subpopulation of breast cancer cells demonstrates vasculogenic mimicry via hsa-miR-299-5p regulated de novo expression of osteopontin.

The growth of cancer cells as multicellular spheroids has frequently been reported to mimic the in vivo tumour architecture and physiology and has been utilized to study antitumour drugs. In order to determine the distinctive characteristics of the spheroid-derived cells compared to the corresponding monolayer-derived cells, we enriched multicellular spheroid-forming subpopulations of cells from three human breast cancer cell lines (MCF7, MCF10AT and MCF10DCIS.com). These spheroid-derived cells were injected into female athymic nude mice to assess their tumorigenic potential and were profiled for their characteristic miRNA signature. We discovered that the spheroid-derived cells expressed increased levels of osteopontin (OPN), an oncogenic protein that has been clinically correlated with increased tumour burden and adverse prognosis in patients with breast cancer metastasis. Our studies further show that increased OPN levels are brought about in part, by decreased levels of hsa-mir-299–5p in the spheroid-forming population from all three cell lines. Moreover, the spheroid-forming cells can organize into vascular structures in response to nutritional limitation; these structures recapitulate a vascular phenotype by the expression of endothelial markers CD31, Angiopoeitin-1 and Endoglin. In this study, we have validated that hsa-mir-299–5p targets OPN; de novo expression of OPN in turn plays a critical role in enhancing proliferation, tumorigenicity and the ability to display vasculogenic mimicry of the spheroid-forming cells.
Education's Greatest Need

(1957). Education's Greatest Need. The Journal of Business Education: Vol. 32, No. 4, pp. 161-161.
Pretransplant serum C-reactive protein and the risk of chronic allograft nephropathy in renal transplant recipients: A pilot case-control study

Abstract Multiple factors contribute to the development of chronic allograft nephropathy (CAN) in renal transplant recipients, and atherogenesis is considered to be an important pathologic process contributing to the development of this disease. There is growing acknowledgment of the role of inflammation in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, and markers of inflammation, such as C-reactive protein (CRP), have been shown to predict atherosclerotic vascular disease in the general and end-stage renal disease populations. In this pilot study, we hypothesized that elevations in pretransplant concentrations of CRP predict an increased incidence of CAN after renal transplantation. This case-control study compared pretransplant CRP levels in patients with allograft dysfunction and biopsy-proven CAN (n = 15) with a control group of transplant recipients with normal allograft function (n = 43). The median concentration of serum CRP was significantly higher in the CAN versus the control patients (13.1 ± 3.9 mg/L versus 3.5 ± 2.5 mg/L; P = 0.01). This difference was sustained when restricting to patients who did not experience acute rejection. When dividing the patients into tertiles based on CRP concentration, the adjusted risk of CAN increased more than threefold with each increment in CRP by tertile (adjusted odds ratio, 3.16; P = 0.03). The findings of our pilot study show an association between pretransplant elevations of CRP and CAN in end-stage renal disease patients who go on to receive a renal transplant. Cohort studies in larger groups of transplant patients are needed to confirm a causal pathway between pretransplant inflammation, atherogenesis, and CAN. © 2002 by the National Kidney Foundation, Inc.
An illustrative project on secondary analysis

Through quantitative and qualitative analyses of program evaluations, the Project on Secondary Analysis, Northwestern University, seeks to advance understanding of program effects and improve evaluation methodology.
Coordination structure and charge transfer in microsolvated transition metal hydroxide clusters [MOH](+)(H2O)1-4.

Infrared vibrational predissociation spectra of transition metal hydroxide clusters, [MOH]+(H2O)1–4·D2 with M = Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn, are presented and analyzed with the aid of density functional theory calculations. For the [MnOH]+, [FeOH]+, [CoOH]+ and [ZnOH]+ species, we find that the first coordination shell contains three water molecules and the four ligands are arranged in a distorted tetrahedral geometry. [CuOH]+ can have either two or three water molecules in the first shell arranged in a planar arrangement, while [NiOH]+ has an octahedral ligand geometry with the first shell likely closed with five water molecules. Upon closure of the first coordination shell, characteristic stretch frequencies of hydrogen-bonded OH in the 2500–3500 cm−1 region are used to pinpoint the location of the water molecule in the second shell. The relative energetics of different binding sites are found to be metal dependent, dictated by the first-shell coordination geometry and the charge transfer between the hydroxide and the metal center. Finally, the frequency of the hydroxide stretch is found to be sensitive to the vibrational Stark shift induced by the charged metal center, as observed previously for the smaller [MOH]+(H2O) species. Increasing solvation modulates this frequency by reducing the extent of the charge transfer while elongating the M–OH bond.
Poverty,Social Walfare and Public Policy

Someone, we are not really sure who, said, “If you want peace, work for justice.” We would amend that to read, “work for economic justice.” The purpose of this chapter is to discuss the social problem of poverty. The world has certainly known “poor people.” Being poor is a condition that affects individuals and families Poverty, on the other hand, is a social structure, a component of the larger society. Hunger and deprivation and struggle for survival are older than recorded history. For most of human history and for many people of the earth today, life has been and continues to be a struggle to keep body and soul together even as modern technology produces abundance. What is new is the recognition of poverty as a social problem; a problem caused and maintained by social arrangements and one that has profound bearing on social solidarity, the peace of civil society, and the development and maintenance of democratic political institutions. That poverty brings aversive consequences for the poor is to state the obvious; it also touches and is closely related to other widely recognized social problems: disease, crime, delinquency, single parenthood, and substance abuse, to name a few. And poverty itself occasionally enters the political arena as candidates and political leaders declare war on it and attempt to deal with it.
Unexplained cough: pericardial cyst innocent bystander or culprit?

Pericardial cysts are rare mediastinal cysts and an uncommon cause of cough. Patients are often asymptomatic but can present with cough, dyspnea and atypical chest pain. We describe the case of a 30 year old female with a 3 month history of unexplained cough. Extensive workup and empiric treatment for the standard causes of cough were unsuccessful. More detailed workup including bronchoscopy, endoscopy, pulmonary function testing and otolaryngology evaluation was normal. Computed tomographic (CT) scan and Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the chest revealed a 5.8 cm pericardial cyst in the left cardiophrenic angle. Video assisted thorascopic surgery (VATS) was performed for removal of the cyst and the cough resolved completely postoperatively.
A role of apolipoprotein D in triglyceride metabolism

Apolipoproteins (apo) are constituents of lipoproteins crucial for lipid homeostasis. Aberrant expression of apolipoproteins is associated with metabolic abnormalities. Here we characterized apolipoprotein D (apoD) in triglyceride metabolism. Unlike canonical apolipoproteins that are mainly produced in the liver, apoD is an atypical apolipoprotein with broad tissue distribution. We show that circulating apoD is present mainly in HDL and, to a lesser extent, in LDL and VLDL and that its plasma levels were reduced in db/db mice with visceral obesity and altered lipid metabolism. Elevated apoD production, derived from adenovirus-mediated gene transfer, resulted in significant reduction in plasma triglyceride levels in mice. This effect was attributable to en­hanced LPL activity and improved catabolism of triglyceride-rich particles. In contrast, VLDL triglyceride production remained unchanged in response to elevated apoD production. These findings were recapitulated in high-fat–induced obese mice. Obese mice with elevated apoD production exhibited significantly improved triglyceride profiles, correlating with increased plasma LPL activity and enhanced postprandial fat tolerance. ApoD was shown to promote LPL-mediated hydrolysis of VLDL in vitro, correlating with its TG-lowering action in vivo. Apolipoprotein D plays a significant role in lipid metabolism. These data provide important clues to clinical observations that genetic variants of apoD are associated with abnormal lipid metabolism and increased risk of metabolic syndrome.
Children with Down syndrome benefit from bifocals as evidenced by increased compliance with spectacle wear

Background In our experience, children with Down syndrome were noncompliant with spectacle wear, often attributed to their inability to appreciate benefit from the glasses. Studies show that up to 80% of children with Down syndrome have reduced accommodation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the use of bifocals increased compliance with spectacle wear. Methods A retrospective review of medical records from 1983 to 2007 identified 86 children with Down syndrome who were prescribed either bifocal or single vision spectacles. Compliance with spectacle wear was assessed by telephone and was available for 57 children: 27 with bifocals and 30 with single-vision spectacles. Accommodative ability had been assessed by dynamic retinoscopy in 39 of these children. Results In the 27 bifocal children, all had poor accommodation on dynamic retinoscopy. Of these 27 children, 24 were compliant with spectacle wear (89%), whereas only 15 of the 30 single-vision spectacle children were compliant (50%). Of the 30 single-vision spectacle children, 18 had not had dynamic retinoscopy, and accommodative ability was thus unknown. Of the 12 who had undergone dynamic retinoscopy, 5 showed poor accommodation. The remaining 7 had good accommodation but showed compliance of only 43% in wearing single-vision glasses. The association between type of spectacle prescribed and compliance with wear was statistically significant by χ 2 testing ( P = 0.002). Conclusions In our study cohort, the addition of bifocal segments improved compliance with spectacle wear in children with Down syndrome.