cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Combinations of cytokines fused to antibodies as therapeutic agents against different peritoneal HER2/neu expressing tumors

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 47, 2006 642 We have previously generated anti-human HER2/neu humanized IgG3 fused to IL-2, IL-12 or GM-CSF [mono-functional fusion proteins (mono-AbFPs)] or fused to IL-2 and IL-12 or IL-12 and GM-CSF [bi-functional fusion proteins (bi-AbFPs)]. These AbFPs retained cytokine and antigen binding activities. In addition, bi-AbFPs and combinations of mono-AbFPs have proven to be strong adjuvants of HER2/neu protein vaccination, eliciting better anti-tumor protection than mono-AbFPs alone. We have now further characterized the AbFPs and determined the heparin-binding activity of the fused cytokines, their ability to trigger IFN-gamma secretion and NK activation, as well as their direct anti-tumor efficacy. Flow cytometry revealed heparin-binding activity in the AbFPs containing IL-12 and IL-2, although this activity seems to be decreased in the bi-AbFPs. However, both bi-AbFPs retained the capacity to stimulate IL-12 dependent IFN-_amma secretion in the NK cell line KY-1, and IL-12/IL-2 bi-AbFP induced NK activity in splenocytes. The anti-tumor effectiveness of bi-AbFPs and mono-AbFP combinations was studied in mice challenged i.p. with three different human HER2/neu murine syngeneic models (D2F2/E2, CT26-HER2/neu, and MC38-HER2/neu). Although a significant variability in the profile of anti-tumor response was observed in the different tumor models, the best response was obtained in the combination of IL-12 and GM-CSF mono-AbFPs. In contrast, bi-AbFPs protected less than the combination of mono-AbFPs, and in some models even less than mono-AbFPs alone. However, in all cases most of long-term survivors showed protection after s.c. rechallenge with the tumors and later with the parental tumors not expressing HER2/neu. These results demonstrate that, although the pattern of protection is tumor model dependent, treatments with AbFPs can effectively generate high levels of protection against peritoneal tumors expressing HER2/neu, which may be relevant in patients with primary or metastatic peritoneal carcinomatosis that may be observed in ovarian, colon, stomach, bladder, breast, and pancreatic cancers.
Chapter 25 Non-enzymatic Glycosylation

Publisher Summary This chapter summarizes the glycosylation of proteins by nonenzymatic processes in humans and related species. The prototype molecule for this process must be considered to be hemoglobin A Ic (Hb A Ic ), as this was the first protein recognized to be nonenzymatically glycosylated. Glucose reacts to form a schiff base with NH 2 -terminus of the β chain of Hb A, and subsequently undergoes an amadori rearrangement to yield 1-amino- 1-deoxyfructose. This modified hemoglobin, named Hb A Ic, is a normal red cell constituant present in increased concentration in patients with diabetes mellitus. Hb A Ic is synthesized throughout the life of the erythrocyte in a slow, nearly irreversible raction. The rate of synthesis is a function of blood glucose concentration. These properties of Hb A Ic combine to make it an indicator molecule whose concentration at one point in time reflects the patient's mean blood glucose level for the preceding month. This gives Hb A Ic a unique and invaluable role in clinical medicine, for it is the only known parameter that accurately assesses long term carbohydrate control. While Hb A Ic itself is not likely to have deleterious effects, the nonenzymatic glycosylation of other proteins may result in altered enzymatic activity, solubility, antigenicity etc., and thereby result in many of the clinical sequelae of long-standing diabetes. In this regard, lens proteins undergo increased glycosylation in high carbohydrate environments, and such glycosylation increases the ease with which the proteins oxidize to form high molecular weight aggregates and opacities. In fact, nonenzymatic glycosylation may play a major role in the normal aging process as the complications of diabetes are frequently considered to resemble accelerated aging.
The centrosome in early Drosophila embryogenesis.

Publisher Summary The early Drosophila embryo is a useful system for functional studies of the centrosome. This organelle plays essential and diverse roles in guiding nuclear movement and cytoskeletal reorganization during the initial 3 hours of development. Drosophila embryogenesis begins with 13 synchronous nuclear divisions that occur without accompanying cytokinesis. The divisions immediately following fertilization proceed as an expanding ball in the interior of the embryo. The centrosome-based activities coordinate nuclear and cytoskeletal dynamics during these divisions. Because Drosophila is amenable to molecular genetic, biochemical, and a variety of cellular approaches, the mechanisms underlying many activities of the centrosome in the early embryo are addressed. This chapter discusses the mechanisms that control centrosome movement and migration, the role of the centrosome in coordinating nuclear and cytoskeletal events of the cell cycle, and how the centrosome directs the dramatic microfilament and plasma membrane rearrangements at the cortex. The mechanism of centrosome duplication and its regulation and the issues of ultrastructure, composition, duplication, separation, fertilization, mitotic, and precortial division are described and provide insights into centrosome function.
Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis as an epidemiologic tool for enterococci and streptococci

Enterococci (Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis) and streptococci such as Streptococcus pyogenes (Group A streptococcus), Streptococcus agalactiae (Group B streptococcus), and Streptococcus pneumoniae are increasing in importance as both hospital-acquired and community pathogens. Emerging resistance and increasing incidence of these organisms has necessitated the analysis of their epidemiologic mechanisms of spread. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) has emerged as the one of the most widely applicable, reproducible, and stable methods to examine strain identity in bacterial organisms. The procedure used in our laboratory for PFGE typing of whole cell DNA digested with SmaI for enterococci, S. pneumoniae, S. pyogenes, and S. agalacatiae is presented. Issues regarding interpretation are also reviewed and discussed.
Cerebrospinal fluid pressure in labor

Abstract 1. 1. The CSFP elevation in response to a uterine contraction is predictable and consistent. It is associated with an increase in central venous pressure, ABP, stroke volume, and cardiac output. 2. 2. The maternal circulatory system serves as “transducer” which readily transmits the pressure change to the CSFP even in the presence of sleep and total sensory blockade. 3. 3. Respiratory cycle changes in CSFP demonstrate the rapidity with which changes in intrathoracic venous pressure can be communicated to the central nervous system. The Valsalva maneuver produces an exaggerated respiratory response. 4. 4. This study does not support the theory that the injection of a spinal anesthetic should be delayed during a uterine contraction because of turbulence of the cerebrospinal fluid.
Improved Optimal Weighted Links Algorithms

In this paper, we present improved algorithms for computing an optimal link among weighted regions in the 2-dimensional (2-D) space. The weighted regions optimal link problem arises in several areas, such as geographic information systems (GIS), radiation therapy, geological exploration, environmental engineering and military applications. Our results are based on a (more general) theorem that characterizes a class of functions for which optimal solutions arise on the boundary of the feasible domain. A direct consequence of this theorem is that an optimal link goes through a vertex of the weighted subdivision. We also consider extensions and present results for the 3-D case. Our results imply significantly faster algorithms for solving the 3-D problem.
The short bowel syndrome: an update and a case study.

Abstract Infants with the short-bowel syndrome are living longer and are increasing in number due to new medical treatments and a larger number of survivals with very low birth weights. This article reviews the medical and nursing management of these infants. A case study of an infant with the short-bowel syndrome is presented with a detailed nursing care plan emphasizing the physical, emotional, and social care of these infants.
In-Situ AFM Corrosion Study of Ti and Mg Thin Films

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is powerful technique to study surface properties and processes in the μm- and nm-range. In-situ liquid AFM measurements were conducted to evaluate the surface degradation of two biocompatible metals: Ti as the most bio-inert (bio-stable) and Mg as the promising biodegradable metal. The pure Mg and Ti thin films were deposited using DC magnetron sputtering on glass substrates. The corrosion resistances of the samples were evaluated in in pure water and phosphate buffered saline (PBS). The results showed exponential decay of film thickness in water.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Use of Interleaving in Deep Brain Stimulator Programming in Patients with Movement Disorders (P6.076)

OBJECTIVE:1. Compare efficacy and side effects of interleaved deep brain stimulation (DBS) versus conventional DBS programming. 2. Describe characteristics of patients with DBS who may be candidates for interleaving. BACKGROUND: “Interleaving” is an advanced DBS programming technique achieved by rapid automatic current switching between two groups of DBS parameters that was proposed as a troubleshooting technique to optimize the stimulation field. No study has directly compared effectiveness of interleaving to other DBS programming options in patients with movement disorders. No evidence-based guidelines exist regarding patient selection for or implementation of interleaving. DESIGN/METHODS: Charts of patients currently treated with interleaving and those who failed it were retrospectively reviewed to analyze the indications for interleaving and reasons for failure. Prospectively, patients were examined in 5 conditions: interleaved settings on; each of two interleaved programs on and examined separately; both interleaved programs stimulated simultaneously in double monopolar or bipolar electrode configuration; DBS off. Effectiveness on cardinal motor symptoms and side effects were compared. RESULTS: 9 patients (age 51-89) with Parkinson’s disease (PD, N=2), essential tremor (ET, N=6), ET+PD (N=1) were identified. Interleaving was chosen after monopolar or bipolar stimulation was used with good improvement of motor symptoms but intolerable side effects (N=6), or after any other stimulation options provided only suboptimal benefit due to tremor habituation (N=2) or misplaced DBS lead (N=1). Two patients did not benefit from interleaving due to misplaced lead requiring surgical revision (N=1)or tremor requiring high stimulation frequency for adequate control(N=1). Six patients (2 PD, 4 ET) who completed the prospective evaluation demonstrated fewer side effects and greater or equal improvement of disease-specific motor symptoms with interleaving over traditional programming options. CONCLUSIONS: Interleaved DBS can be used in patients unable to tolerate conventional programming due to side effects, or in whom satisfactory control of disease-specific symptoms could not be achieved.Study Supported by: None Disclosure: Dr. Jimenez-Shahed has received personal compensation for activities with Teva Neuroscience, Allergan Inc., Merz Pharma, Medtronic Inc. and Lundbeck Research USA, Inc. Dr. Waln has nothing to disclose.
A comparison of the spherical densiometer and ocular methods of estimating canopy cover

Percent tree canopy cover in a ponderosa pine ( Pinus ponderosa ) forest of northeastern California was estimated by the point intercept spherical densiometer and ocular methods. Estimates derived by the two methods were similar (P > .05). The ocular method is recommended when understory vegetation is tall or clumped instead of randomly distributed, or if available field time limits sample size.
Global Souvenirs: Bridging East and West in the Malay Alexander Romance

Attention to Arabic translations that went eastward can uncover neglected connections and exchanges of stories. One such instance is the Malay Alexander Romance, Hikayat Iskandar Zulkarnain, translated from the Arabic version of Pseudo-Callisthenes' Greek Alexander Romance. This Islamicization of the Alexander Romance also incorporates elements of Greek culture found elsewhere, such as Homer, suggesting a cultural bridging of east and west through traveling textual elements and stories that could be seen as accretionary globalism. These elements are global souvenirs, with varied origins, incorporated into a different Islamic and Southeast Asian mosaic. Such global souvenirs also come in the form of references to global religions, including, aside from Islam, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, and Buddhism. The wide-ranging travels of the hero Iskandar bridges east and west, as he travels to the edges of the world, the Maghrib and Andalusia in the west and China in the east. In these travels, foreign elements are akin to global souvenirs collected and then assimilated into a larger frame that also is adapted to its new Southeast Asian context. The accretionary globalism of Hikayat Iskandar Zulkarnain, which assimilates narrative elements cross-culturally, takes as its perspective the world itself, promiscuously crossing boundaries of nation, language, and faith.
NGRI Revisited: Venirepersons' Attitudes Toward the Insanity Defense.

Three hundred venirepersons from the 12th Judicial Circuit in Sarasota, Florida completed the following booklet of stimulus materials: one question measuring participants' level of support for insanity defense; a 16-item measure assessing participants' attitudes toward the myths associated with the insanity defense, the legal definitions of insanity, and mental illness; a case scenario; verdict preference; and standard demographic questions. Level of support for the insanity defense was significantly related to participants' attitudes toward legal standards of insanity, mental illness, and the myths associated with the insanity defense. In addition, results indicated that level of support for the insanity defense, age, educational level, occupation, type of prior jury service, and political views were significantly related to verdict preference. Notably, three factors that have been found to impact verdict preference in previous research failed to do so in the current study: participants' experience with psychological disorders; participants' exposure to psychotropic medications; and participants' experience with psychologists or psychiatrists. The findings both replicate and extend earlier findings by suggesting that attitudes toward the insanity defense are more complex than previously imagined.
Newborn Screening by Tandem Mass Spectrometry: A New Era

Soon after Guthrie (1) expanded newborn screening by adding galactosemia, maple syrup urine disease (MSUD), and homocystinuria to the original screening for phenylketonuria (PKU), he realized that screening would be more efficient and comprehensive if a single assay could be used to detect several disorders rather than the system of a separate bacterial assay for each disorder that he had developed. He tried many ways to make such a single assay–using multiple inhibitors and different strains of bacteria–but nothing worked, so he abandoned the idea. Others had the same idea but used chromatography rather than bacterial assays (2)(3). Unfortunately, paper chromatography was insufficiently sensitive for screening newborn blood within the first days of life when the specimen is collected. To compensate for this shortcoming and to further expand the coverage of disorders, paper or thin-layer chromatography has been used for screening newborn urine (4). But here again, chromatography has had substantial disadvantages. First, an additional specimen is required because urine cannot replace blood in detecting either PKU or congenital hypothyroidism, the two indispensable disorders in screening. Second, the urine specimen must be collected by a parent or physician after nursery discharge, introducing a logistical problem. Third, urine varies widely in concentration, producing many false-positive results in the more highly concentrated specimens. This leads to otherwise unnecessary, anxiety-provoking requests for repeat specimens. Conversely, false-negative findings may result from dilute specimens. Finally, many of the disorders identified in urine, such as histidinemia, iminoglycinuria, and Hartnup disorder, are benign (4). Consequently, newborn urine screening based on chromatography has been discontinued in two of the three places in which was introduced, Australia (5) and Massachusetts, remaining only in Quebec (6). Thus, screening programs continue to rely on the “one test-one …
Looking at a class of RFID APs through GNY logic

Radio Frequency Identification Authentication Protocols (RFID APs) are an active research topic and many protocols have been proposed. In this paper, we consider a class of recently proposed lightweight RFID authentication protocols: CRAP, LCAP, OHLCAP, O-TRAP, YA-TRAP, and YA-TRAP+, which are claimed to be resistant to conventional attacks and suitable for low cost RFID device scenarios. We examine them using GNY logic to determine whether they can be proved to have achieved their protocol goals. We show that most of them meet their goals, though some do not. Furthermore this approach enables us to identify similarities and subtle differences among these protocols. Finally, we offer guidelines on when it is necessary to use encryption rather than hash functions in the design of RFID authentication protocols.
Metformin-Associated Exacerbation of Chronic Pancreatitis: A Possible Adverse Drug-Disease Interaction:

Objective: To report a case of metformin-associated exacerbation of chronic pancreatitis and examine this possible drug-disease interaction. Case Summary: A 59-year-old woman with chronic pancreatitis (CP) experienced a severe exacerbation of her characteristic chronic abdominal pain 3 weeks after initiation and titration of metformin therapy; the exacerbation resolved upon discontinuation of metformin. The patient presented to the emergency department experiencing nausea and severe right upper quadrant abdominal pain with radiation to the right flank. Persistent abdominal pain, which had been a primary feature of CP, was previously mild and easily controlled with oral analgesics. Laboratory studies ruled out acute pancreatitis and were significant only for elevated glucose (168 mg / dL). Subsequently, she was given intravenous pain and nausea medications and discharged to home. The pain and nausea shortly returned and continued for 3 more days, at which point she telephoned her gastroenterologist, who advised that she discontinue metformin because of possible adverse reaction. Within a few days of discontinuing metformin, the nausea resolved and abdominal pain gradually returned to baseline level. Discussion: Metformin is not generally known to cause or exacerbate pancreatitis, although cases of acute pancreatitis associated with metformin therapy have been reported in the literature. No cases involving chronic pancreatitis have been reported. Consequently, metformin's prescribing guidelines do not contain precautions or contraindications for patients with chronic pancreatitis. Use of the Naranjo probability scale for assessment of this case revealed that the adverse drug effect was possible, reflecting the symptomatic resolution upon discontinuation while accounting for the lack of causative certainty, previous conclusive case reports, as well as the presence of possible nondrug causes. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first case describing metformin-associated exacerbation of chronic pancreatitis. Although this occurrence may be rare, cautionary consideration, education, and monitoring should accompany initiation of metformin therapy in select patients with chronic pancreatitis.
Third-Harmonic Generation in Absorbing Media of Cubic or Isotropic Symmetry

Third-harmonic generation in strongly absorbing media has been measured in reflection, by means of a picosecond pulse train from a mode-locked Nd-glass laser. The nonlinear susceptibility ${\ensuremath{\chi}}^{(3)}(3\ensuremath{\omega})$ has been measured in the semiconductors diamond, Si, Ge, and GaAs, and the metals Be, Mg, Al, Cu, Ag, and Au relative to LiF. The data are compared with data for ${\ensuremath{\chi}}^{(3)}$ obtained in the infrared from frequency mixing with C${\mathrm{O}}_{2}$ lasers. The different dispersion characteristics for valence- and conduction-band contributions are pointed out. The cubic anisotropy of ${\ensuremath{\chi}}^{(3)}(3\ensuremath{\omega})$ in silicon and several alkali halide crystals is determined by means of circularly polarized laser pulses. The selection rules for the generation of circularly polarized third harmonics have been confirmed both in transparent and in absorbing media.
COMPUTER EXTENSION AND ANALYTIC CONTINUATION OF STOKES EXPANSION FOR GRAVITY WAVES

Stokes' infinitesimal-wave expansion for steady progressive free-surface waves has been extended to high order using a computer to perform the coefficient arithmetic. Stokes' expansion has been found to be incapable of yielding the highest wave for any value of the water depth since convergence is limited by a square-root branch-point some distance short of the maximum. By reformulating the problem using a different independent parameter, the highest waves are obtained correctly. Series summation and analytic continuation are facilitated by the use of Pade approximants. The method is valid in principle for any finite value of the wavelength and solutions of high accuracy can be obtained for most values of the wave height and water depth.
Neonicotinoids and Derivatives: Effects in Mammalian Cells and Mice

Neonicotinoids are the only major new class of insecticides introduced in the past three decades. They act as selective agonists at the insect nicotinic acetylcholine receptor and are therefore highly toxic towards important insect pests but relatively safe to mammals. However, the excellent selective toxicity may not be evident with their metabolites or analogous compounds. The aim of this paper is to consider the effects of neonicotinoids and derivatives in mammalian cells and mice involving up-regulation of nicotinic receptor levels and activation of the intracellular signal integration cascade elicited by chronic or sustained exposure and analgesic and toxic effects in mice.
Identification of differential gene expression profiles in rat cortical cells exposed to the neuroactive agents trimethylolpropane phosphate and bicuculline.

Abstract Recent technological advancements in microfabrication combined with the rapid acquisition of full genome sequence data have led to the development of DNA arrays that have the capacity to monitor the expression levels of thousands of genes simultaneously. The development of this technology enables the use of functional genomics approaches to identify molecular markers associated with cellular responsiveness to cytotoxic exposures. Databases containing unique cell-response profiles associated with specific toxicants or classes of toxicants can then be used in conjunction with cell-based biosensor platforms for environmental surveillance and toxicological assessment. An important issue that must be addressed, however, is whether DNA arrays can be used to identify transient gene modulation events in a reproducible manner. To address this issue, we utilized a primary embryonic rat (day 18) cortical cell model system and examined the RNA of both chemically treated and untreated cells using radioisotope-labeled cDNA probes and commercially available nylon membrane arrays. Using this approach, we examined experimental variability, basal gene expression variability, the occurrence of false positives, and the reproducibility of gene expression profiles obtained after chemical exposure. Minimal differences in gene modulation were observed between RNA samples from independently cultured cortical cells when array experiments were conducted in parallel (Pearson correlation coefficient for gene intensities =0.98). In contrast, significant differences in gene expression were observed between array experiments conducted at different times with an identical RNA source (Pearson correlation coefficient for gene intensities=0.91). Our results suggest the effect of basal gene activity differences in independently isolated cell cultures is negligible and that experimental variability possibly associated with the handling of RNA samples, differences in reverse transcription efficiency, hybridization, and/or signal acquisition are the primary contributors to variability in measurements. Using cDNA array analysis of unexposed cells from three independent cell culture preparations, we calculated false positive gene modulation events as a function of the threshold ∣log 2 R ∣>1.0. The number of false positives using this criteria was 1–10 gene/ESTs/5109 actively transcribed gene/ESTs represented on the array. Using three independent replicate experiments of untreated cortical cell cultures, we determined that a threshold criterion of ∣log 2 R ∣>0.63 for triplicate experiments would reduce the expected number of false positives in our experiments to less than one. Using this criterion, reproducible gene expression profiles were identified in cortical cells exposed to the neuroactive agents trimethylolpropane phosphate and bicuculline.
Modern microbial seascapes

Marine microbiology is a vital area of biological research that has important implications for the environment, climate change, ecology and biotechnology. Here, Edward DeLong discusses the selection of articles in this Focus issue, in the context of the challenges and opportunities that face microbial oceanographers today.
Time dependence of vocal tract modes during production of vowels and vowel sequences.

Vocal tract shaping patterns based on articulatory fleshpoint data from four speakers in the University of Wisconsin x-ray microbeam (XRMB) database [J. Westbury, UW-Madison, (1994)] were determined with a principal component analysis (PCA). Midsagittal cross-distance functions representative of approximately the front 6cm of the oral cavity for each of 11 vowels and vowel–vowel (VV) sequences were obtained from the pellet positions and the hard palate profile for the four speakers. A PCA was independently performed on each speaker’s set of cross-distance functions representing static vowels only, and again with time-dependent cross-distance functions representing vowels and VV sequences. In all cases, results indicated that the first two orthogonal components (referred to as modes) accounted for more than 97% of the variance in each speaker’s set of cross-distance functions. In addition, the shape of each mode was shown to be similar across the speakers suggesting that the modes represent common patterns...
Combined finasteride and flutamide therapy in men with advanced prostate cancer

Abstract Objectives To evaluate the efficacy of combined finasteride and flutamide therapy in men with advanced prostate cancer by determining (1 ) the short-term tolerability of finasteride monotherapy and its effect on serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and hormone (testosterone, dihydrotestosterone) levels, and (2) the effects of the addition of flutamide on tolerability and on serum PSA and hormone levels. Methods Thirteen hormone-naive men with advanced prostate cancer (4 with Stage D2, 1 with Stage D1, 1 with Stage DO, 7 with rising PSA levels after radical prostatectomy [n = 2]or definitive radiation therapy [n = 5]) were initially treated with 5 mg finasteride daily. Flutamide (250 mg three times a day) was added after serum PSA levels stabilized. Results Finasteride alone (median 5 weeks) had no significant effect on serum PSA levels ( P >0.05). Combined finasteride and flutamide resulted in a mean 91% reduction in serum PSA levels, with 85% of men achieving a nadir serum PSA level of less than 4.0 ng/mL and 46% achieving undetectable levels (0.2 ng/mL or less). Finasteride alone had no significant effect on serum testosterone levels ( P >0.05) but did result in a mean 74% reduction in serum dihydrotestosterone levels. Combined finasteride and flutamide resulted in a mean 56% increase in serum testosterone levels but had no additional effect on serum dihydrotestosterone levels ( P >0.05). Side effects occurred in 85% (gynecomastia or breast tenderness in 62% [8 of 13]and diarrhea in 23% [3 of 13]) of men on combined therapy. Potency was preserved in 66%. Combined finasteride and flutamide therapy was withdrawn from 15% (2 of 13) because of flutamide-induced diarrhea and from 23% (3 of 13) because of disease progression. All remaining patients (8 of 13) have serum PSA levels below 4.0 ng/mL and 4 of these 8 have undetectable levels. These men have received combined finasteride and flutamide for a median 11 months (range 6 to 19). Conclusions Finasteride monotherapy is inadequate therapy for advanced prostate cancer, but combined finasteride and flutamide may be a reasonable alternative for men with advanced prostate cancer who refuse conventional hormone therapy.
High specific activity ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase-oxygenase from Nicotiana tabacum.

Ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase (EC.4.1.1.39) has been obtained from Nicotiana tabacum leaf homogenates with specific activites from 0.5 to 0.8 µmol CO2 fixed (mg protein min)-1. These activities are reconciled with much lower, previously reported activities. The results suggest that if the tobacco enzyme is assayed under optimum conditions there is little difference in the intrinsic specific activities of tobacco and spinach ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase. Several factors affecting activity measurements were examined.
Physical and Chemical Aspects of Laser-Materials Interactions Relevant to Laser Processing

The use of lasers in packaging and materials processing is an increasingly attractive choice for high technology manufacturing. As we push for more demanding materials processing tasks and smaller dimensions, an understanding of the underlying physical and chemical aspects of problems becomes important. Here we discuss some of these issues relevant to materials processing.
The formation of axonal pathways in developing cranial nerves.

Abstract The roles of a variety of molecules including cell adhesion molecules and growth factors in the development of cranial nerves have begun to be understood in detail. In the course of embryonic development, cranial nerves are differentiated in concordance with the development of the metameric facial structure called ‘ectomeres’. Each ectomere parallels the segmentation of the hindbrain called the ‘rhombomere’, in which pairs of metameric units cooperate to generate the repeating sequence of cranial branchiomotor nerves. A number of genes, including homeobox genes, are expressed in a rhombomere-specific pattern. For the formation of the olfactory nerve, it is suggested that several carbohydrate residues play important roles in receptor-target specificity. In the optic nerve, a combination of multiple cell adhesion molecules contributes to neurite growth in a developmental stage-specific manner. The development of the trigeminal nerve is under the control of both cell adhesion molecules and several growth factors. There is evidence that some of the adhesion molecules are expressed in a modality-specific way. There are also several molecules, such as 11p15 or TAG1/SNAP which are expressed only in selected cranial nerves. The growth rate of neurites also varies according to the individual nerves. Thus each cranial nerve has its own intrinsic properties and their outgrowth is the outcome of these properties and their interactions with surrounding non-neuronal tissues.
Two-body final state coincidence measurements for fission like processes following /sup 35/Cl + /sup 27/Al fusion. [170 MeV]

Data have been obtained for the /sup 35/Cl + /sup 27/Al system at E/sub Cl/(lab) = 170 MeV in which the energy and mass of one particle is measured in coincidence with the energy of a second particle. These coincidence measurements indicate a two-body final state with kinetic energies corresponding to the Coulomb separation energy of the two fragments. The mass distribution of the two correlated fragments is symmetric about half the mass of the compound system. Such data is characteristic of a fission-like process. Similar fission-like cross sections are not observed in data obtained for this system at incident energies up to 145.6 MeV. The competition between particle evaporation and fission, assuming a rotating liquid drop fission barrier, has been calculated using the code ALICE. Such calculations are consistent with the present data. 4 figures.
Crystallographic and Functional Evidence for Involvement of the Flexible C-Terminus of Subunit I of Rhodobacter Sphaeroides Cytochrome C Oxidase in Proton Pumping

The 4-subunit crystal structure (PDB:1M56) of Rhodobacter sphaeroides cytochrome c oxidase (RsCcO) does not resolve the last six residues of the C-terminus of subunit I. In the higher resolution 2-subunit structure (PDB: 2GSM), ten more residues in the C-terminus are missing, suggesting flexibility of this region, which is also implied by deuterium exchange and computational analysis. To determine the functional significance of the C-terminus, three mutants of RsCcO were created, CIΔ16, CIΔ6 and E552A. The 16-residue deletion mutant, CIΔ16 (C-terminus = T550), showed suicide inactivation and lower steady state activity compared to wild type RsCcO. In the purified, reconstituted CIΔ16, proton pumping is greatly impaired, though its respiratory control is good. SDS-PAGE indicates that subunit III is partially lost. The shorter deletion mutant, CIΔ6 (C-terminus = W560), had normal activity and no suicide inactivation, suggesting that loss of activity in CIΔ16 could be due to the importance of some residue(s) in the 551-560 region. A conserved glutamate, E552, was a likely candidate, and in fact the E552A mutant had normal activity but diminished proton-pumping. Crystal structures of CIΔ16 and CIΔ6 were obtained at 2.1 A and 2.5 A respectively. The CIΔ16 structure shows a rearrangement of the new C-terminus (T550) to interact directly with H26, but the ordered waters above D132 in the D-pathway were unaltered. The CIΔ6 structure appeared WT. A role for E552 in proton pumping is implied, and of the 551 to 560 region in stabilizing the association of subunit I and III. (NIH GM26916).
Standing-Wave Design of a Simulated Moving Bed under a Pressure Limit for Enantioseparation of Phenylpropanolamine

An improved standing-wave design method is developed for nonlinear simulated moving bed (SMB) systems with significant mass-transfer effects and an operating pressure limit. The design method was verified with rate model simulations and then tested for enantioseparation of phenylpropanolamine. High purity (>99%) and high yield (>99%) were achieved experimentally using a SMB with a pressure limit of 350 psi. The verified design method was used to find the optimal column length that gives the maximum throughput per bed volume. For a given particle size and a pressure limit, the optimal column length falls on the boundary between the mass-transfer-limiting region and the pressure-limiting region. If a characteristic dispersion velocity is more than 0.2% of an interstitial velocity, mass-transfer effects must be considered in the design in order to guarantee 99% purity and yield.
Equitable Nonlinear Price Regulation: An Alternative Approach to Serial Cost Sharing

Abstract This paper examines the serial cost share rule from a perspective of nonlinear pricing. The expenditure function concept is introduced to facilitate the modelling of a wide variety of pricing mechanisms including those featuring head taxes, block pricing, or volume discounts. Axioms on equitable price regulation are shown to characterize the serial expenditure function, a pricing mechanism which induces the distribution of serial cost shares. Several such characterizations are offered in a variety of technological contexts.Journal of Economic LiteratureClassification Numbers: D63, C71
Trade-offs using GAMID for the inference of DNA motifs that are represented in only a subset of sequences of interest

In prior work, we presented GAMID, an extension of GAMI (Genetic Algorithms for Motif Inference), which allows the system to ignore some of the sequences when looking for candidate conserved motifs in noncoding DNA. This ability is useful both when looking for candidate motifs in co-expressed genes (where it is not expected that all genes respond to the same transcription factors) and when looking for candidate motifs in divergent species (where functional elements might appear only in related species). In these cases, we would like to allow the inferred motif to be present in only a subset of the input data. By excluding some sequences from the match process, GAMID succeeded at finding known functional elements. Here we use the results of experiments using artificial data with GAMID to show that GAMID's success in inferring motifs in subsets of the input data results in it finding fewer motifs when they are present in all the sequences. Therefore, GAMID is useful as an adjunct tool to GAMI, but is not a replacement for its functionality.
Input Management of Production Systems

Nonpoint sources of pollution, which are largely responsible for stressing regional and global life-supporting atmosphere, soil, and water, can only be reduced (and ultimately controlled) by input management that involves increasing the efficiency of production systems and reducing the inputs of environmentally damaging materials. Input management requires a major change, an about-face, in the approach to management of agriculture, power plants, and industries because the focus is on waste reduction and recycling rather than on waste disposal. For large-scale ecosystem-level situations a top-down hierarchical approach is suggested and illustrated by recent research in agroecology and landscape ecology.
Educational Content Creation and Sharing by Low-Income Visually Impaired People in India

Low-income visually impaired people face a wide variety of educational challenges which are magnified in the developing world. Digital assistive technologies (such as screen readers) are typically out of reach, so individuals depend on Braille and audio recordings to access educational content. Unfortunately, there are acute shortages of Braille and high quality audio books for many subjects, leaving students scrambling for ways to continue their education. We present a formative study that examines the educational landscape for low-income visually impaired communities in rural and peri-urban India, the challenges they face in accessing educational content, and the solutions they have invented. We conducted interviews with 16 stakeholders, including students, teachers, and content producers, to understand the education ecosystem in their communities and how they use technologies such as basic mobile phones to consume, create, and share educational content. In particular, we found that these communities have established an informal network of peer-produced audio content that is shared via Bluetooth, memory cards and CDs. Our analysis suggests ways in which technology can improve access to professionally authored materials and augment these informal networks of peer-production.
Post‐transplant diabetes mellitus: a case‐control analysis of the risk factors

Aim of the present study was to assess, in a pair-matched analysis design, risk factors for post-transplant diabetes mellitus (PTDM) in renal transplant recipients (KTx). The incidence of PTDM was evaluated in 538 consecutive KTx in relation to their baseline immunosuppression. PTDM was defined according to the 2003 American Diabetes Association and World Health Organization experts committee definition. As risk factors for PTDM development were considered: age, family history of diabetes, body mass index (BMI), baseline immunosuppression, doses and blood levels of the immunosuppressive agents used. Baseline immunosuppression consisted of CSA, TAC and SRL + CNI. Thirty-two pair-matched controls were identified among the 538 KTx and included in the risk analysis. Significant risk factors for the development of PTDM were identified in the family history of diabetes (P < 0.02) and BMI (P < 0.05). Higher BMI and positive family history for diabetes mellitus were significant risk factors for the development of PTDM, regardless of the immunosuppressive agent used.
Deaf readers’ response to syntactic complexity: Evidence from self-paced reading

This study was designed to determine the feasibility of using self-paced reading methods to study deaf readers and to assess how deaf readers respond to two syntactic manipulations. Three groups of participants read the test sentences: deaf readers, hearing monolingual English readers, and hearing bilingual readers whose second language was English. In Experiment 1, the participants read sentences containing subject-relative or object-relative clauses. The test sentences contained semantic information that would influence online processing outcomes (Traxler, Morris, & Seely Journal of Memory and Language 47: 69–90, 2002; Traxler, Williams, Blozis, & Morris Journal of Memory and Language 53: 204–224, 2005). All of the participant groups had greater difficulty processing sentences containing object-relative clauses. This difficulty was reduced when helpful semantic cues were present. In Experiment 2, participants read active-voice and passive-voice sentences. The sentences were processed similarly by all three groups. Comprehension accuracy was higher in hearing readers than in deaf readers. Within deaf readers, native signers read the sentences faster and comprehended them to a higher degree than did nonnative signers. These results indicate that self-paced reading is a useful method for studying sentence interpretation among deaf readers.
X-ray absorption spectromicroscopy studies for the development of lithography with a monomolecular resist.

Soft X-ray absorption microscopy was applied to image and characterize molecular patterns produced by electron irradiation of aliphatic and aromatic thiol-derived self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on Au substrates. The measurements were performed at all relevant absorption edges. The fabricated patterns could be clearly imaged with a lateral resolution better than 150 nm, which, for example, allowed us to distinguish a fine structure of 1 μm features. The X-ray absorption microspot spectra derived from different areas of the SAM patterns provided specific chemical information on pristine and irradiated areas and unexpected features in these patterns. The quality of the microspot spectra is comparable with that of the analogous X-ray absorption spectra acquired with standard equipment from homogeneous SAMs. In particular, a chemical transformation of the functional tail groups within the irradiated areas of the patterned aromatic SAMs could be directly monitored.
The sideband instability in free electron laser oscillators: Effects of tapering and electron energy spread

Abstract We consider the effects of a finite electron energy spread and of a tapered undulator on the optical mode evolution in free electron laser oscillators. We find that the sideband instability at high optical powers for monoenergetic, untapered cases is suppressed by tapering but not by an energy spread. We explain these results in terms of the synchrotron oscillations of the electrons.
Computing in the home: a research paradigm

Personal computers are being acquired by increasingly larger percentages of the public. However, their integration into the home remains an unresolving issue. Research on other media un derscores t...
The gating paradigm: Effects of presentation format on spoken word recognition by children and adults

This study focused on the impact of stimulus presentation format in the gating paradigm with age. Two presentation formats were employed—the standard, successive format and a duration-blocked one, in which gates from word onset were blocked by duration (i.e., gates for the same word were not temporally adjacent). In Experiment 1, the effect of presentation format on adults’ recognition was assessed as a function of response format (written vs. oral). In Experiment 2, the effect of presentation format on kindergarteners’, first graders’, and adults’ recognition was assessed with an oral response format only. Performance was typically poorer for the successive format than for the duration-blocked one. The role of response perseveration and negative feedback in producing this effect is considered, as is the effect of word frequency and cohort size on recognition. Although the successive format yields a conservative picture of recognition, presentation format did not have a markedly different effect across the three age levels studied. Thus, the gating paradigm would seem to be an appropriate one for making developmental comparisons of spoken word recognition.
N-terminal Acetylation Stabilizes N-terminal Helicity in Lipid- and Micelle-bound α-Synuclein and Increases Its Affinity for Physiological Membranes

The Parkinson disease protein α-synuclein is N-terminally acetylated, but most in vitro studies have been performed using unacetylated α-synuclein. Binding to lipid membranes is considered key to the still poorly understood function of α-synuclein. We report the effects of N-terminal acetylation on α-synuclein binding to lipid vesicles of different composition and curvature and to micelles composed of the detergents β-octyl-glucoside (BOG) and SDS. In the presence of SDS, N-terminal acetylation results in a slightly increased helicity for the N-terminal ∼10 residues of the protein, likely due to the stabilization of N-terminal fraying through the formation of a helix cap motif. In the presence of BOG, a detergent used in previous isolations of helical oligomeric forms of α-synuclein, the N-terminally acetylated protein adopts a novel conformation in which the N-terminal ∼30 residues bind the detergent micelle in a partly helical conformation, whereas the remainder of the protein remains unbound and disordered. Binding of α-synuclein to lipid vesicles with high negative charge content is essentially unaffected by N-terminal acetylation irrespective of curvature, but binding to vesicles of lower negative charge content is increased, with stronger binding observed for vesicles with higher curvature. Thus, the naturally occurring N-terminally acetylated form of α-synuclein exhibits stabilized helicity at its N terminus and increased affinity for lipid vesicles similar to synaptic vesicles, a binding target of the protein in vivo. Furthermore, the novel BOG-bound state of N-terminally acetylated α-synuclein may serve as a model of partly helical membrane-bound intermediates with a role in α-synuclein function and dysfunction.