cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The minimal structure for iodotyrosine deiodinase function is defined by an outlier protein from thermophilic bacteria Thermotoga neapolitana.

The nitroreductase superfamily of enzymes encompasses many flavin mononucleotide (FMN)-dependent catalysts promoting a wide range of reactions. All share a common core consisting of a FMN binding domain, and individual subgroups additionally contain one to three sequence extensions radiating from defined positions within this core to support their unique catalytic properties. To identify the minimum structure required for activity in the iodotyrosine deiodinase subgroup of this superfamily, attention was directed to a representative from the thermophilic organism Thermotoga neapolitana (TnIYD). This representative was selected based on its status as an outlier of the subgroup arising from its deficiency in certain standard motifs evident in all homologues from mesophiles. We found that TnIYD lacked a typical N-terminal sequence and one of its two characteristic sequence extensions, neither of which was found to be necessary for activity. We also show TnIYD efficiently promotes dehalogenation of iodo-, bromo- and chlorotyrosine, analogous to related deiodinases (IYDs) from humans and other mesophiles. In addition, 2-iodophenol is a weak substrate for TnIYD as it was for all other IYDs characterized to date. Consistent with enzymes from thermophilic organisms, we observed that TnIYD adopts a compact fold and low surface area compared to IYDs from mesophilic organisms. The insights gained from our investigations on TnIYD demonstrate the advantages of focusing on sequences that diverge from conventional standards to uncover the minimum essentials for activity. We conclude that TnIYD now represents a superior starting structure for future efforts to engineer a stable dehalogenase targeting halophenols of environmental concern.
The Acute Pain Medicine Special Interest Group (APMSIG)

The Perioperative and Acute Pain section of Pain Medicine , with Andre Boezaart, MD, PhD, and I serving as co-editors, was launched with an editorial in September 2009 ⇓. The section grew from discussions we were both having with Rollin “Mac” Gallagher, Editor-in Chief of Pain Medicine , concerning the continuum of personal experience that is pain medicine. We recognized, like many of our colleagues, that the experience and pathophysiology of acute pain was an area of pain medicine worthy of study and focused patient therapy. The experience of acute pain is vital for our survival, yet its persistence or “chronification” can lead to the devastating illness of chronic pain. In my own career, I have witnessed too many soldiers, whose traumatic wounds have healed and shattered bones mended, who continue to struggle with pain on a daily basis. I know from 12 years of working with the combat wounded in the acute pain medicine (APM) setting that the rehabilitation of the wounded, both mentally and physically, cannot begin until the pain is managed. It has been from this experience that the study and practice of APM has developed into the defining passion and interest of my career as a physician. When I first deployed to Iraq in 2003, I was an anesthesiologist with highly developed skills in regional anesthesia. I have since evolved, spurred forward by the catalyst for medical change that is war, into an APM physician. I am not the first anesthesiologist to make this change to APM, and I …
Subunit Structure and Isolation of a Peptide Containing the Reactive Cysteine Group of β-Methylaspartase

β-Methylaspartase, known to possess a tetrameric quaternary structure, has been studied to determine whether or not its subunits are identical. The binding of mesaconate to enzyme was studied by the technique of gel filtration. The ratio of moles of mesaconate bound per mole of enzyme was 1.6, indicating the presence of two binding sites per tetramer. Tryptic peptide maps showed 55 ninhydrin-positive spots, corresponding to half the sum of lysine and arginine residues per tetramer. Column chromatography of a tryptic digest of β-methylaspartase, maximally labeled on its 16 thiol groups with N-ethylmaleimide-1-14C, yielded eight fractions of equal radioactivity. Amino acid analysis of one of these fractions showed it to possess a single half-cystine derivative. On the basis of these data and the established fact that β-methylaspartase possesses two essential thiol groups per tetramer, it is proposed that the enzyme contains two A and two B subunits. The dimer structure is presumed to be A-B. Differential labeling of the catalytically essential thiol group, followed by enzymatic digestion and isolation, yielded a reactive cysteine peptide for which the amino acid composition was determined. No disulfide bridges were found by the diagonal electrophoresis technique.
VOLCANIC STRATIGRAPHY OF THE GUADALAJARA AREA, MEXICO

Two ignimbrites of petrologic interest provide distinctive time horizons in the volcanic succession near Guadalajara. The older of the two, referred to as San Gaspar ignimbrite, is approximately 4.8 million years old and has the composition of dacitic andesite. The younger ignimbrite, called Guadalajara ignimbrite because of its use as the characteristic building stone in the city, is more siliceous and approximately 3.3 million yearsold. In the formation of both ignimbrites, two contrasting magmas were erupted simultaneously, for each rock contains glass fragments of two distinct compositions. In some ﬁamme, the two glasses are intricately intermixed. The San Gaspar ignimbrite is widespread, thin, firmly welded throughout, and characterized by numerous ﬁamme of porphyritic dark glass containing abundant phenocrysts of plagioclase, augite, hypersthene, hornblende and biotite. Dark glass (R. I.= 1.521) is the predominant phase in the rock, but all samples contain shards and small ﬁamme of colorless glass (R.l_.= 1.510) that contains approximately 5 percent more SIO₂ and signiﬁcantly less CaO, MgO, and FeO than the dark glass. Microprobe analyses of ferromagnesian phenocrysts indicate pre-eruptive magma temperaturas of about 1000°C. Conversion of common hornblende to basaltic hornblende at the top of the ignimbrite signifies an emplacement temperature greater than 800°C. Late vesiculation of the larger ﬁamme, following compaction and welding, is characteristic. The Guadalajara ignimbrite is characterized by abundant ﬁamme of two distinct compositions. Vitric facies consist of two different glasses in nearly equal proportions, one colorless and aphyric, the other dark-colored with sparse phenocrysts of alkali feldspar. Generally, however, the ignimbrite has been completely. devitriﬁed, the light-colored ﬁamme being axiolitic and the darker porphyritic ﬁamme cryptocrystalljne and vesicular. East and southeast of Guadalajara, the terrane beneath the San Gaspar ignimbrite consists largely of basaltic ﬂows, but to the northwest rhyolitic rocks are widespread. An olivine basalt distinguished by megaphenocrysts of plagioclase overlies the ignimbrite north of Guadalajara and provides a recognizable horizon about 4 million years old. To the west, the younger Guadalaiara ignimbrite is overlain by siliceous ash ﬂows and dacitic lavas about 3 million years old. Younger volcanism has been concentrated along a northwest-trending zone where activity has continued since late Pliocene time, culminating at Sierra La Primavera during the last 140 000 years with eruptions of high-silica rhyolite. Elsewhere the young eruptions have produced flow of basalt and basaltic andesite
Locality prediction for oblivious clients

To improve performance, large-scale Internet systems require clients to access nearby servers. While centralized systems can leverage static topology maps for rough network distances, fully-decentralized systems have turned to active probing and network coordinate algorithms to scalably predict inter-host latencies. Internet applications seeking immediate adoption, however, must inter-operate with unmodified clients running existing protocols such as HTTP and DNS. This paper explores a variety of active probing algorithms for locality prediction. Upon receiving an external client request, peers within a decentralized system are able to quickly estimate nearby servers, using a minimum of probes from multiple vantages. We find that, while network coordinates may play an important role in scalably choosing effective vantage points, they are not directly useful for predicting a client's nearest servers.
The masked anthropologist

Comment on Coleman, Gabriella. 2014. Hacker, hoaxer, whistleblower, spy: The many faces of Anonymous . London and New York: Verso.
Functional and operational differences in the decision making process for manufacturing in Japan and in America

The author describes his point of view-developed from over eight years of visiting Japan and Japanese manufacturing plants, including three years of actually living in Japan-on differences in the decision-making process for manufacturing in Japan and the US. It is pointed out that in the American system everyone has a specific area of responsibility and the plant manager is ultimately responsible when machines break. In the Japanese fab, the person operating the machine is specifically responsible for output and knows how to achieve that output. The machine keeper is responsible for everything on the machine: from routine cleaning and loading of material to sophisticated PMs and tough fix-it issues when machines actually break. >
Light Intensity for Turkey Breeder Hens: Degree of Darkness Required During Short-Day Light Restriction and Intensity Threshold During Photostimulation

Abstract Responses of Large White turkey breeder hens to various light intensities were examined with respect to the degree of darkness required during short-day light restriction and intensity threshold during photoinduction of egg laying. For degree of darkness required during light restriction, hens were given 0 (control), .5, 1.5, 2, or 3 lx light intensity during the daily dark phase (brownout) of short-day [6 h light (L): 18 h dark (D)] light restriction treatment (Experiment 1). Treatments were given from 24 to 32 wk of age and their effects on terminating juvenile photorefractoriness were evaluated during a subsequent photoinduced (16L: 8D) egg production cycle. In addition, these same treatments were applied from 58 to 66 wk of age to the same hens to evaluate their effectiveness in terminating egg production. The brownout treatment neither terminated photorefractoriness in young hens nor completely terminated lay in yearling hens. For light intensity threshold evaluations during photostimulation of egg production, two consecutive experiments were conducted in which 32-wk-old photosensitive hens were photostimulated with 16 h of light/day (16L:8D) at light intensities of .5, 1.1, 2.2, 4.3, and 43 lx. In both experiments, a light treatment as low as .5 lx caused all hens to lay eggs. The time to onset of lay was delayed in the .5-lx treatment group of both experiments and the 1-lx treatment group of Experiment 3 relative to other intensities. Thus, the effective threshold for typical onset of lay in turkeys is about 2.2 lx but the threshold for initiation of lay is .5 lx or less. In both experiments, the 43-lx treatment group produced the most eggs per hen but the difference from other treatment groups was significant only in Experiment 2. Eggs per hen among the remaining treatment groups were similar in both experiments. It may be concluded that 1) the absolute degree of darkness (threshold) required during light restriction to effectively terminate photorefractoriness and induce photosensitivity in turkey hens is less than .5 lx; and 2) initiation of egg laying has a low light intensity threshold of .5 lx or less.
Designing and Rating an Area Yield Crop Insurance Contract

This article documents the design and rate-making procedures used in the development of the Group Risk Plan (GRP)—the new federal crop insurance product that insures based on area yield. The authors of this article worked closely with personnel in the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation and others in developing methodological and practical constraints needed in implementing a workable area yield contract. GRP indemnity payments are made based on percentage shortfalls in actual county yields relative to a forecasted yield. Historical county yield data are used to develop forecasted yields and premium rates.
Adaptive responses to very low protein diets: The first comparison of ketoacids to essential amino acids

Adaptive responses to very low protein diets: The first comparison of ketoacids to essential amino acids. Eight patients with chronic renal failure (GFR 18.8 ± 2.7 ml/min) were randomized to a crossover comparison of a very low protein diet (VLPD) containing 0.28g protein and 35kcal per kg per day, plus an isomolar mixture of either ketoacids (KA) or essential amino acids (EAA). Subjects initiated the diets 14 days before hospital admission and following a four-day equilibration, a five-day nitrogen balance (B N ) was performed. Whole-body protein turnover (WBPT) was measured during fasting and feeding using intravenous [1- 13 C]leucine and intragastric [5,5,5- 2 H 3 ]leucine. Even though the VLPD/KA regimen contained 15% less nitrogen, B N was neutral and did not differ between the regimens. Nitrogen conservation with KA was due to a reduction in urea nitrogen appearance. Rates of WBPT measured during fasting and feeding did not differ between the KA or EAA regimens. During both regimens, feeding decreased protein degradation, whereas protein synthesis was unchanged. Although feeding stimulated leucine oxidation, rates were 50 to 100% lower than reported in CRF patients consuming 0.6 or 1.0g protein/kg/day. Thus, neutral B N with the VLPD regimen is achieved by a marked reduction in amino acid oxidation and a postprandial inhibition of protein degradation.
High Energy Neutrino Signals of Four Neutrino Mixing

We evaluate the upward shower and muon event rates for two characteristic four neutrino mixing models for extragalactic neutrinos, as well as for the atmospheric neutrinos, with energy thresholds of 1 TeV, 10 TeV and 100 TeV. We show that by comparing the shower to muon event rates, one can distinguish between oscillation and no-oscillation models. By measuring shower and muon event rates for energy thresholds of 10 TeV and 100 TeV, and by considering their ratio, it is possible to use extragalactic neutrino sources to determine the type of four-flavor mixing pattern. We find that one to ten years of data taking with kilometer-size detector has a very good chance of providing valuable information about the physics beyond the Standard Model.
Means–end chains as goal hierarchies

A means–end chain (MEC) has been defined as a hierarchy of goals that represents potential identities of the actions necessary for the person to reach his or her goal. Goals as ends in MECs can be grouped into three levels: action goals (concerned with the act itself), outcome goals (immediate effects of actions), and consequences (indirect effects stemming from outcomes). An action unit (AU) is defined as a planned sequence of acts directed toward goal achievement. AUs may be part or all of a MEC, thus the highest goal in a MEC may not be what the consumer has in mind when making a purchase or consumption decision. Data are presented that suggest that laddering takes respondents beyond the intended goals of their initial actions or choice. Goals beyond AU's which are part of a MEC may represent the underlying reasons why we strive for the goals we do. This seems to be one useful way to differentiate goals from values. Goals are what we want; values are why we want them. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Period-robust repetitive model predictive control

Abstract Repetitive model predictive control (RMPC) incorporates the idea of repetitive control (RC) into the basic formulation of model predictive control (MPC) to enable the user to take full advantage of the constraint handling, multivariable control features of MPC in controlling a periodic process. The RMPC achieves perfect asymptotic setpoint tracking/disturbance rejection in periodic processes, provided that the period length used in the control formulation matches the actual period of the reference/disturbance signal exactly. Even a small mismatch between the actual period of the process and the controller period can deteriorate the RMPCs performance significantly. The period mismatch can occur either from an inaccurate estimation of the actual frequency of disturbance due to resolution limit or from trying to force the controller period to be an integer multiple of the sampling time. For such cases, an extension of RMPC called “period-robust” repetitive model predictive control (pr-RMPC) is proposed. It is based on the idea of using weighted, multiple memory loops in RC, such that small changes in period length do not diminish the tracking/rejection properties by much. Simulation results show that, in case of a slight period mismatch, pr-RMPC achieves significant improvement over the standard RMPC in rejecting periodic disturbances.
International finance, Europe 1992 and Euro-American cities

Abstract The European Economic Community (EEC) plan of market integration in 1992 and thereafter - perhaps the most ambitious commercial union in history - extends far beyond the production and trade of goods and movements of labor to include financial and business services of a variety of types. Indeed, the repercussions from the liberalization of Western Europe's capital markets may equal or surpass its impacts on the agricultural and manufacturing sectors. Because the industrial structure, trading patterns and government regulation of financial services differ considerably from those of manufacturing, the economic and geographic consequences of 1992 for banking, insurance and securities also will be different. This paper examines the changing industrial and spatial structure of the EEC's financial markets and their linkages to the USA.
Abstract 3202: Deciphering the targets and mechanism of action of the natural product Tonantzitlolone in clear cell renal cell carcinomas

Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA Tonantzitlolone is a diterpene ester first extracted in 1990 from the native Mexican plant Stillingia sanguinolutea (Euphorbiaceae), which displays anti-tumor activity. Although its structure and total synthesis have been elucidated, its cellular target(s) and potential mechanism of action remain unknown. We identified Tonantzitlolone as a dual PKCα and PKCθ activator in vitro. However in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (CCRCC), its activity was mostly PKCθ-dependent. Through activation of PKCθ, Tonantzitlolone induced an insulin-resistant phenotype by inhibiting IRS1 and the PI3K/Akt pathway. Simultaneously, Tonantzitlolone activated the transcription factor heat shock factor 1 (HSF1), driving glucose dependency. Thus, similar to the selective PKCθ activator Englerin A, Tonantzitlolone induces a metabolic catastrophe in CCRCC, starving the cells of glucose while increasing their glycolytic dependency, ultimately leading to cell death. Citation Format: Carole Sourbier, Brad Scroggins, Philip Z. Mannes, John A. Beutler, W. Marston Linehan, Len Neckers. Deciphering the targets and mechanism of action of the natural product Tonantzitlolone in clear cell renal cell carcinomas. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 3202. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-3202
Effect of different salts on the corrosion properties of friction type A607 steel rock bolt in simulated concentrated water

Abstract Friction type steel rock bolts are one of the most commonly used for reinforcing tunnels (since the late 1970s) due to their ability to sustain large rock mass displacements. In this paper, corrosion behavior of an FRS rock bolt (ASTM A607 steel) was investigated under Yucca Mountain simulated concentrated water at different concentrations (1×, 10× and 100×) and temperatures by using electrochemical measurements. Effects of individual salts, chlorides, sulfates, bicarbonates and silicates were also evaluated using the same method. Overall, the corrosion rate was an order of magnitude higher in an aerated condition than in a deaerated condition. The results from the individual salts showed the highest corrosion for the bicarbonate salts (∼300 μm/yr) and lowest for the silicate (4 μm/yr). The bicarbonate solutions accelerate the anodic dissolution of steel at higher concentrations. In the case of silicate solutions, the rock bolt shows passivity even at a higher negative potential (−925 mV) compared to other salts (∼−750 mV) with a large passive region which forms a protective layer on the specimen surface.
Cholecystokinin in the brains of obese and nonobese mice

Extracts of the cerebral cortes of genetically obese (ob/ob) mice with hyperphagia contain 0.05 +/- 0.02 microgram (mean +/- standard error) of cholecystokinin octapeptide equivalent per gram of wet weight compared to 0.15 +/- 0.01 microgram per gram for their nonobese littermates and 0.20 +/- 0.01 microgram per gram for normal LAF1 mice. These findings are suggestive of a causal relation between the diminished brain immunoreactive cholecystokinin content and the unrestrained appetite of the obese mice.
Nitrogen- vs. phosphorus-based dairy manure applications to field crops: nitrate and phosphorus leaching and soil phosphorus accumulation.

Management of animal manures to provide nutrients for crop growth has generally been based on crop N needs. However, because manures have a lower N/P ratio than most harvested crops, N-based manure management often oversupplies the crop-soil system with P, which can be lost into the environment and contribute to eutrophication of water bodies. We examined the effects of N- vs. P-based manure applications on N and P uptake by alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), corn (Zea mays L.) for silage, and orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.), leaching below the root zone, and accumulation of P in soil. Treatments included N- and P-based manure rates, with no nutrient input controls and inorganically fertilized plots for comparison. Nitrate concentrations in leachate from inorganic fertilizer or manure treatments averaged 14 mg NO 3 -N L -1 , and did not differ by nutrient treatment. Average annual total P losses in leachate did not exceed 1 kg ha -1 . In the top 5 cm of soil in plots receiving the N-based manure treatment, soil test P increased by 47%, from 85 to 125 mg kg -1 . Nitrogen- and P-based manure applications did not differ in ability to supply nutrients for crop growth, or in losses of nitrate and total P in leachate. However, the N-based manure led to significantly greater accumulation of soil test P in the surface 5 cm of soil. Surface soil P accumulation has implications for increased risk of off-field P movement.
Family-centered services: implications for mental health administration and research.

Efforts to move the system of care for children with serious emotional disorders toward community-based alternatives has prompted a growing recognition of the need for supportive services for families. This article examines the shifts in policy and administrative practice that are needed in order to move toward a family-centered system of care. Proactive administrative support is particularly important in this system shift. Four important barriers to a family-centered system of care are examined: (1) efforts have tended to focus on the child as the unit of services, rather than on the family; (2) efforts have tended to focus primarily on mental health services, rather than considering the full range of services needed by the child and family; (3) efforts have tended to emphasize formal services, often ignoring the support provided by informal networks; and (4) the resources and expertise of parents and other family members have not been used. New roles for parents—which involve working with administrators and providers as partners—are described, and implications for mental health administrators and researchers are discussed.
Localization effects on quantification in axial and planar ALCHEMI

Abstract The effects of wave-function dimensionality and inelastic localization on ALCHEMI (Atom Location by Channeling-Enhanced Microanalysis) are studied. The original ALCHEMI equations are shown to hold for the case of partially delocalized excitations, provided that the thickness-averaged dynamical electron wavefield varies slowly over the localization volume. Experimental and theoretical comparisons of electron channeling in GaAs show that characteristic X-ray emission intensities in the axial orientation are more sensitive to variations in X-ray energy than are those in the planar (systematics) geometry. The effects of variations in localization are elucidated in a two-beam analysis, and methods for extending ALCHEMI to low-energy X-ray emission are discussed.
Photoemission studies of quantum well states in thin films

Abstract Confinement of electrons in small structures such as a thin film results in discrete quantum well states. Such states can be probed by angle-resolved photoemission, as first predicted by theory in 1983 and later observed experimentally in 1986. Since then, numerous advances have been made in this field, and the purpose of this report is to review the basic physics and applications of quantum well spectroscopy. The energies and lifetime widths of quantum well states in a film depend on the film thickness, the dynamics of electron motion in the film, and the confinement potential. A detailed study allows a determination of the bulk band structure of the film material, the lifetime broadening of the quasiparticle, and the interfacial reflectivity and phase shift, as will be demonstrated with simple examples. Quantification of the photoemission results can be achieved via a simple phase analysis based on the Bohr–Sommerfeld quantization rule. Explicit forms of wave functions can also be constructed for additional information regarding the spatial distribution of the electronic states. From such studies, a detailed understanding of the behavior of simple quantum wells including the effects of lattice mismatch can be developed, which provides a useful basis for investigating the properties of multilayers. Examples of multilayer systems including coupled quantum wells and superlattices will be presented and discussed. An important recent development in this field is the preparation of atomically uniform films, as demonstrated for Ag(1 0 0) grown on Fe(1 0 0) whisker substrates. The elimination of atomic layer fluctuation allows a precise measurement of the intrinsic line widths of quantum well states, which are related to the quasiparticle lifetime and the interfacial reflectivity. The underlying physics can be described in terms of electron interferometry, and a Fabry–Perot analysis yields the quasiparticle lifetime. It consists of three major contributions including electron–electron scattering, electron–phonon scattering, and defect scattering. The experimental results are compared with theoretical predications based on the Fermi-liquid theory and a perturbative treatment of the electron–phonon coupling. Since the absolute film thickness in terms of monolayers is known from layer counting, the same interferometric analysis yields an electronic band structure of Ag with unprecedented accuracy (
Film thickness measurement with an ultrasonic transducer

Abstract A technique for measuring condensate film thickness using an ultrasonic transducer is described. In the experiment, the condensate film thickness with R-113 and FC-72 (a fluorinert compound developed by the 3M Company) condensing on the horizontal lower surface of a rectangular duct was measured at several locations. From the measured values a power law relation between the condensate film thickness and the axial distance from the leading edge of the condensing surface was derived by regression analysis. Assuming a linear temperature profile in the condensate film, local and average heat transfer coefficients were computed from the condensate film thickness. The average heat transfer coefficients were compared with the values obtained by measuring the heat transfer rate to the coolant. The two values were within ±12% of each other. As yet there is no satisfactory analytical model to predict the local heat transfer coefficient even in the annular condensation regime. One of the main difficulties in modeling the condensation is the lack of a suitable model to predict the interfacial shear stress. With the measurement of the film thickness it is possible to determine the interfacial shear stress. It is hoped that the shear stresses so determined will lead to the development of a satisfactory model for interfacial shear stress with condensation.
A Caging, Handling, and Bioassay Procedure for Eggplant Flea Beetle, Epitrix fuscula Crotch (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

J. Agric. Urban Entomol. 27: 50–53 (2010/2011) The eggplant flea beetle, Epitrix fuscula Crotch (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), is a serious pest of eggplant, Solanum melongena L. var. esculentum (Solanaceae), at time of transplanting. Eggplant seedlings, both commercial and for home gardens, are grown in greenhouses and moved to the field as clos et o the local frost-free date as possible in the spring. At this stage of plant development, plants are susceptible to injury from flea beetles. In the Mid-South of the U.S.A., eggplant flea beetles overwinter as adults. Flea beetles can locate the new seedlings within hours of transplanting and begin to feed on both the upper and lower leaf surfaces (McLeod 2006). The beetles initially produce small ‘‘shot-holes’’ and as feeding continues, the small holes can coalesce into large areas of necrotic leaf tissue. Commercial and home garden eggplants often require flea beetle management with foliar applied insecticides. Without this management, heavily infested transplants can be killed. Injury is common along the edges of large commercial eggplant fields (Diaz et al. 2004). If transplants survive flea beetle attack for two or three weeks and initiate rapid growth, the eggplant flea beetle appears to have little additional impact on the plant (Sorensen & Baker 1994). Several effective insecticides are currently labeled for eggplant flea beetle management on eggplant. However, interest exists in the development of alternative insecticides, especially for the organic market. Although field testing of candidate insecticides generally provides the best information for new insecticide selection, this can be expensive and may require several seasons of testing. Laboratory bioassays can be utilized to rapidly screen new insecticides for toxicity to various insect species. This information can be used to rapidly narrow the list of insecticides for further testing in field trials. With the eggplant flea beetle, laboratory bioassays have been difficult due to a lack of an available rearing technique, the minute size of the insect, and difficulties with the jumping behavior of the flea beetle. This report describes a procedure for eggplant flea beetle collection from the field, handling, and determination of insecticide toxicity with a laboratory bioassay. The flea beetles used in the study were collected from field produced ‘‘Black Beauty’’ eggplant grown at the University of Arkansas Main Experimental 1
Comparison of the relative biological availability and stability of commercial sources of vitamin K activity

Abstract In a test designed to examine the stability and biological availability of different sources of menadione available to the feed industry, encapsulated menadione sodium bisulphite (Kastab) and menadione dimethylpyrimidinol bisulphite appeared to be relatively equal in both stability under steam pelleting and biological availability as measured by chick prothrombin times. Menadione sodium bisulphite complex did not appear to be as biologically available but possessed equal stability under pelleting. Particle size of all supplements was similar, suggesting no probable differences in distribution into the feed. The data from this study support the current National Research Council suggestion of 400 μg of menadione activity per kg of diet.
Molecular routes to cobalt arsenide and cobalt phosphide thin films. Comparison of a two-source and a single-source chemical vapour deposition

Abstract Cobalt arsenide and phosphide thin films were prepared by organometallic chemical vapour deposition (OMCVD) at deposition temperatures between 300 and 500°C in a hot-wall reactor using a two-source method and a single-source method. The combination of tricarbonylnitrosylcobalt (-I) and di- t -butylphosphine or di- t -butylarsine was employed as a two-source method. The known hexacarbonyldicobalt clusters, CO 2 (CO) 6 (μ-E 2 ) (E = P, As), and the substituted dicarbonylnitrosylcobalt complexes, Co(CO) 2 [E( t Bu) 2 H](NO) (E = P, As), were used as a single source precursors. Auger electron spectroscopy indicated that the Co : P and Co : As ratios in most of the films were near unity with only a small amount of impurities such as carbon and oxygen. Electrical resistivity of the films at room temperature ranged from 450 to 1140 μΩ-cm for cobalt phosphide and 115 to 1140 μΩ-cm for cobalt arsenide. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that cobalt arsenide films were polycrystalline, whereas cobalt phosphide films ranged from amorphous to polycrystalline. The grain size of the films ranged from 150 to 2000 A measured by field-emission scanning electron microscopy. The film growth rate ranged from 4 to 30 A min −1 , for the single source methods and 150 to 330 A min −1 , for the two-source methods.
Spirituality and medicine: curricula in medical education.

(2006). Spirituality and Medicine: Curricula in Medical Education. Journal of Cancer Education: Vol. 21, No. 1, pp. 14-18.
Is liver transplantation indicated for cholangiocarcinoma

Liver transplantation (OLTx) has been investigated as a mode of therapy for malignancies. The efficacy of OLTx for the treatment of cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) has been somewhat controversial. We review the current literature on resective procedures for CCA and show that isolated intrahepatic CCA has a slightly better survival than extrahepatic disease. Results of OLTx for CCA are then reviewed, with specific attention to the experience at our center. Our results demonstrate that 1-year patient survival was 53%, and disease-free survival at 3 years was only 13%. Specific issues pertaining to the timing of OLTx in primary sclerosing cholangitis are then addressed. In summary, we believe that OLTx for known CCA results in a very poor patient survival. Those with incidental CCA found on explant histopathologic evaluation, without lymphatic involvement, may result in acceptable patient survival.
Dimerization of Laforin Is Required for Its Optimal Phosphatase Activity, Regulation of GSK3β Phosphorylation, and Wnt Signaling

Epilepsy of progressive myoclonus type 2 gene A (EPM2A) encodes a dual specificity protein phosphatase called Laforin. Laforin is also a tumor suppressor that dephosphorylates GSK3β at the critical Ser9 position and regulates Wnt signaling. The epilepsy-causing mutations have a deleterious effect on phosphatase activity, regardless of whether they locate in the carbohydrate-binding domain (CBD) at the N terminus or the dual specificity phosphatase domain (DSPD) at the C terminus. How mutations outside the DSPD reduce the phosphatase activity of Laforin remains unexplained. Here we report that Laforin expressed in mammalian cells forms dimers that are highly resistant to SDS treatment. Deleting CBD completely abolished the dimerization and phosphatase activity of Laforin. Moreover, all of the naturally occurring Laforin mutations tested impaired laforin GSK3β dephosphorylation at Ser9 dimerization, and β-catenin accumulation in nucleus. Our results demonstrate a critical role of dimerization in Laforin function and suggest an important new dimension in protein phosphatase function and in molecular pathogenesis of Lafora's disease.
Regional heterogeneity for the intracranial self-administration of ethanol within the ventral tegmental area of female Wistar rats.

Rationale: Because current findings indicate that the selectively bred alcohol-preferring P line of rats self-administers 50–200 mg% ethanol (EtOH) directly into the ventral tegmental area (VTA), whereas the alcohol-nonpreferring NP line does not, it is important to determine whether unselected, common stock rats would self-administer EtOH directly into the VTA. In addition, because neuroanatomical and self-administration studies indicate that the VTA may be functionally heterogeneous, the present study was designed to determine whether there were subregional differences within the VTA for the intracranial self-administration (ICSA) of EtOH. Objectives: The objective of this study was to employ the ICSA technique to determine whether adult female Wistar rats would self-administer EtOH directly into the VTA, and whether regional heterogeneity existed for EtOH self-infusion within the VTA. Methods: Following surgery to implant guide cannulae aimed at either the posterior or anterior VTA, subjects were placed in standard experimental chambers equipped with an ’active lever’ [fixed ratio (FR)1 schedule of reinforcement], which caused the delivery of the infusate, and an ’inactive lever’, which had no programmed consequence. Subjects were assigned to groups that self-administered either artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF) throughout, or 100–400 mg% EtOH for the first four sessions (acquisition), aCSF in sessions 5 and 6 (extinction), and EtOH again during session 7 (reinstatement). Results: During the four acquisition sessions, rats with posterior VTA placements readily self-administered 200 mg% and 250 mg% EtOH and discriminated between the active and inactive levers. These subjects also demonstrated extinction, when aCSF was substituted for EtOH, and reinstatement when EtOH was reintroduced. Rats with posterior VTA placements self-infused 300 mg% and 400 mg% EtOH, and demonstrated lever discrimination only during the initial acquisition sessions. In contrast, rats with anterior VTA placements did not self-administer EtOH. Conclusions: The findings suggest that EtOH is reinforcing within the posterior VTA of Wistar rats, and the VTA is a functionally heterogeneous structure with regard to EtOH reinforcement.
VARIATIONAL CALCULATION OF THREE-BODY BREAKUP AMPLITUDES.

A previously reported variational principle is used to compute three-body elastic and breakup scattering amplitudes for positive total energies. The calculation converges quite rapidly and requires very little computer time. The forms of the variational principle suitable for systems where some of the particles are identical bosons are also derived. The examples presented are for Yamaguchi potentials and do not represent any physical system; they were chosen to have large breakup cross sections. The results are presented as Dalitz plots and other graphs which exhibit some interesting features.
Stagewise Dilute-Acid Pretreatment and Enzyme Hydrolysis of Distillers’ Grains and Corn Fiber

Distillers’ grains and corn fiber are the coproducts of the corn dry grind and wet milling industries, respectively. Availability of distillers’ grains and corn fiber at the ethanol plant and their high levels of lignocellulosic material make these coproducts attractive feedstocks for conversion to ethanol. In this study, dilute sulfuric acid hydrolysis of these coproducts was investigated in a multistage scheme. After the completion of each pretreatment stage, the liquid substrate was separated and reused in the succeeding pretreatment stage with a fresh substrate. The substrate from each stage was also subjected to enzyme hydrolysis in a separate experiment. The sulfuric acid concentration and the substrate loading were maintained at 1.0 vol% and 15.0 wt.%, respectively, and the temperature was maintained at 120 °C in all the experiments. Experiments were also performed to study the effect of removing oil from the samples prior to the pretreatment. The highest concentration of monomeric sugars (MS) was observed when three stages of pretreatment were followed by the enzyme reaction. The enzyme hydrolysis of the three-stage pretreated dried distillers’ grains and corn fiber yielded 122.6 ± 5.8 and 184.5 ± 4.1 mg/mL of MS, respectively. The formation of inhibitory products was also monitored.
Expansion and deletion of CTG repeats from human disease genes are determined by the direction of replication in E. coli

Several human hereditary neurological and neurodegenerative disease genes are associated with the expansion of CTG repeats. Here we show that the frequency of genetic expansions or deletions in Escherichia coli depends on the direction of replication. Large expansions occur predominantly when the CTGs are in the leading strand template rather than the lagging strand. However, deletions are more prominant when the CTGs are in the opposite orientation. Most deletions generated products of defined size classes. Strand slippage coupled with non–classical DMA structures may account for these observations and relate to expansion–deletion mechanisms in eukaryotic chromosomes for disease genes.
Structure Revision and Absolute Configuration of Malhamensilipin A from the Freshwater Chrysophyte Poterioochromonas malhamensis

Malhamensilipin A (2), a bioactive chlorosulfolipid initially reported in 1994 from the freshwater alga Poterioochromonas malhamensis, was reinvestigated for its structural and stereochemical features. HRESIMS data revealed that 2 possesses two sulfate groups rather than the one originally reported. A combination of J-based configurational and Mosher's analyses led us to assign its absolute configuration as 11R, 12S, 13S, 14R, 15S, and 16S. Finally, comparison of (1)H and (13)C NMR chemical shifts with synthetic standards confirmed that malhamensilipin A (2) possesses a terminal double bond of E configuration.
Social context and perceived agency affects empathy for pain: An event-related fMRI investigation

Studying of the impact of social context on the perception of pain in others is important for understanding the role of intentionality in interpersonal sensitivity, empathy, and implicit moral reasoning. Here we used an event-related fMRI with pain and social context (i.e., the number of individuals in the stimuli) as the two factors to investigate how different social contexts and resulting perceived agency modulate the neural response to the perception of pain in others. Twenty-six healthy participants were scanned while presented with short dynamic visual stimuli depicting painful situations accidentally caused by or intentionally caused by another individual. The main effect of perception of pain was associated with signal increase in the aMCC, insula, somatosensory cortex, SMA and PAG. Importantly, perceiving the presence of another individual led to specific hemodynamic increase in regions involved in representing social interaction and emotion regulation including the temporoparietal junction, medial prefrontal cortex, inferior frontal gyrus, and orbitofrontal cortex. Furthermore, the functional connectivity pattern between the left amygdala and other brain areas was modulated by the perceived agency. Our study demonstrates that the social context in which pain occurs modulate the brain response to other's pain. This modulation may reflect successful adaptation to potential danger present in a social interaction. Our results contribute to a better understanding of the neural mechanisms underpinning implicit moral reasoning that concern actions that can harm other people.
Heterogeneity of calcium compartmentation: electron probe analysis of renal tubules.

The objective of this study has been to determine the intracellular localization of calcium in cryofixed, cryosectioned suspensions of kidney proximal tubules using quantitative electron probe X-ray microanalysis. Two populations of cells have been identified: 1) „Viable” cells, representing the majority of cells probed, are defined by their relatively normal K/Na concentration ratio of ∼4∶1. Their measured Ca content is 4.1±1.4 (sem) mmol/kg dry wt in the cytoplasm and 3.1 ± 1.1 mmol/kg dry wt in the mitochondria, or an average cell calcium content of ∼3.8 mmol/kg dry wt. 2) “Nonviable” cells, defined by the presence of dense inclusions in their mitochondria and a K/Na concentration ratio of ∼1. The Ca content is 15±2 mmol/kg dry wt in the cytoplasm and 685±139 mmol/kg dry wt in the mitochondria of such cells. Assuming 25 to 30% of the cell volume is mitochondrial, the overall calcium content of such nonviable cells is ∼ 210 mmol/kg dry wt. The presence of these inclusions in 4 to 5% of the cells would account for the average total Ca content measured in perchloric acid extracts of isolated proximal tubule suspensions (≈ 18 nmol/mg protein or 12.6 mmol/kg dry wt). Whole kidney tissues display a large variability in toal Ca content (4.5 to 18 nmol/mg protein, or 3.4 to 13.5 mmol/kg dry wt), which could be accounted for by inclusion in 0 to 4% of the cells. The electron probe X-ray microanalysis (EPXMA) data conclusively demonstrate that thein situ mitochondrial Ca content of viable cells from the kidney, proximal tubule is low and support the idea that mitochondrial Ca may regulate dehydrogenase activity but probably does not normally control cytosolic free Ca.
Upstream regulatory elements necessary for expression of the rat COL1A1 promoter in transgenic mice

The activity of fusion genes containing fragments of the COL1A1 promoter was measured in tissues from 6- to 8-day-old transgenic mice. ColCAT3.6 contains approximately 3.6 kb (-3521 to 115 bp) of the rat COL1A1 gene, the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) reporter gene, and the SV40 splice and polyadenylation sequences. ColCAT2.3 and ColCAT1.7 are deletion constructs that contain 2296 and 1667 bp of COL1A1 upstream from the RNA start site, respectively. For each transgene, up to six lines of mice were characterized. Both ColCAT3.6 and ColCAT2.3 had similar activity in bone and tooth; ColCAT1.7 was inactive. In transgenic calvariae, levels of transgene mRNA paralleled levels of CAT activity. In tendon, the activity of ColCAT2.3 was 3- to 4-fold lower than that of ColCAT3.6, and the activity ColCAT1.7 was 16-fold lower than that of ColCAT2.3. There was little activity of the ColCAT constructs in liver and brain. These data show that DNA sequences between -2.3 and -1.7 kb are required for COL1A1 promoter expression in bone and tooth; sequences that control expression in tendon are distributed between -3.5 and -1.7 kb of the promoter, with sequences downstream of -1.7 kb still capable of directing expression to this tissue. The cis elements that govern basal expression of COL1A1 in transgenic calvariae appear to be different from those required for optimal expression of the COL1A1 promoter in stably transfected osteoblastic cells.
Evaluation of alternative transition strategies for advanced technology systems

During the next 10 years the Federal Aviation Administration will be modernizing its Air Traffic Control Towers (ATCTs) with advanced technology navigation, communication, and radar systems. There are a number of design strategies for technology transition under consideration. In this article, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is used as a justification methodology to integrate and evaluate both quantitative and qualitative factors in this complex, multi-attribute problem domain. Four alternative transition strategies are compared with respect to the criteria of cost, functionality during transition, difficulty of work during transition, efficiency of the final layout, and controller satisfaction in a hypothetical example.