cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Decontamination of a hard surface contaminated with Bacillus anthracisΔSterne and B. anthracis Ames spores using electrochemically generated liquid-phase chlorine dioxide (eClO2).

Aims: To evaluate the inactivation of Bacillus anthracisΔSterne and Ames spores using electrochemically generated liquid-phase chlorine dioxide (eClO2) and compare two sporulation and decontamination methods with regard to cost, safety and technical constraints. Methods and Results: Spores were prepared via agar and broth methods and subsequently inoculated and dried onto clean, autoclave-sterilized glass coupons. Bacillus anthracis spore inactivation efficacy was evaluated using the modified three-step method (AOAC 2008.05) and a single-tube extraction method. Spores (7·0 ± 0·5 logs) were inactivated within 1 min at room temperature using freshly prepared eClO2. Bacillus anthracisΔSterne spores decreased in size after eClO2 treatment as measured using a Beckman Coulter Multisizer. Conclusions: eClO2 saturation of a hard surface was an effective B. anthracis sporicide. Broth sporulation and the single-tube extraction method required less time and fewer steps, yielded a higher percentage of phase-bright spores and showed higher spore recovery efficiency compared with AOAC 2008.05, making it more amenable to biosafety level 3 (BSL3) testing of virulent spores. Significance and Impact of the Study: Two test methods demonstrated the sporicidal efficacy of eClO2. A new single-tube extraction test protocol for decontaminants was introduced.
House dust mite potentiates capsaicin-evoked Ca2+ transients in mouse pulmonary sensory neurons via activation of protease-activated receptor-2

House dust mite (HDM) is a major source of allergen in house dust and has been suggested to be involved in the pathogenesis of asthma. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether HDM can modulate the sensitivity of pulmonary sensory neurons and, if so, to elucidate the underlying mechanism. Fura-2-based ratiometric Ca2+ imaging was carried out to determine the effect of HDM extract on the capsaicin-evoked Ca2+ transient in mouse vagal pulmonary sensory neurons. Pretreatment with HDM (50 μg ml−1, 5 min) significantly enhanced the Ca2+ transient evoked by capsaicin in these neurons isolated from wild-type mice. This potentiating effect of HDM was not antagonized by E-64, a selective cysteine protease inhibitor, but was completely prevented by AEBSF, a specific serine protease inhibitor. In addition, the potentiating effect of HDM on capsaicin-evoked Ca2+ transient was absent in the pulmonary sensory neurons isolated from protease-activated receptor-2 (PAR2) knockout mice. Furthermore, the sensitizing effect of HDM was completely abolished by U73122, a phosholipase C inhibitor, or chelerythrine, a protein kinase C inhibitor. In summary, our results demonstrate that HDM, mainly through its serine protease activity, potentiates capsaicin-evoked Ca2+ transient in mouse pulmonary sensory neurons via the activation of PAR2 and the phosholipase C–protein kinase C intracellular transduction cascade.
Copolymerization of vinyl and cyclic monomers in the solid state

A study has been made of the polymeric product obtained by exposure to γ-rays of carefully dried eutectic mixtures of styrene and β-propiolactone which were sealed in vacuum and maintained at a few degrees below the melting point. No copolymer was formed, only a mixture of homopolymers. However, evidence was obtained which supports an earlier claim that a copolymer is formed by γ-irradiation of a solid mixture of acrylonitrile and β-propiolac tone. Es wurde das polymere Produkt untersucht, das durch γ-Bestrahlung der sorgfaltig getrckneten, eutektischen Mischungen von Styrol und β-Propiolacton erhalten wurde. Die Mischungen wurden wenige Grade unterhalb ihres Schmelzpunktes in evakuierten und abgeschmolzenen Gefasen bestrahlt. Es wurden keine Copolymeren erhalten, sondern nur Gemische von Homopolyimeren. Im Falle der γ-Bestrahlung eines festen Gemisches von Acrylnitril und β-Propiolacton ergaben sich jedoch Hinweise, die eine fruhere Behauptung, das unter diesen Bedingungen Copolymere erhalten wurden, unterstutzten.
Publication Productivity of African-American Social Work Faculty

Abstract Publication productivity has received increasing attention in the social work literature. A major shortcoming of the social work literature on productivity is the paucity of attention given specifically to the publication efforts of ethnic minority social work educators. This article presents findings from the first national survey to specifically focus on publication productivity among African-American social work faculty. The data generated from the survey reveal that productivity is associated more with individual-level factors than structural factors, a minority of African-American faculty are producing most of the publications, and African-American social work faculty are producing slightly fewer publications than the broader population of social work faculty.
Antitrust in the Reagan administration: A report from the Belly of the beast

Abstract This paper is a report on selected aspects of antitrust policy in the Reagan administration. It was written while the author was Director of the Bureau of Economics at the Federal Trade Commission. The topics covered include: merger guidelines, the general drift of antitrust policy, deregulatory initiatives, consumer protection policy, and the stronger emphasis on economic analysis in the conduct of antitrust policy. The conclusions drawn are not very sanguine in a normative sense. perhaps our solace lies in the positive study of why the antitrust bureaucracies behave as they do.
Quality-of-Service Routing for Traffic with Performance Guarantees

Quality-of-Service (QoS) routing tries to select a path that satisfies a set of QoS constraints, while also achieving overall network resource efficiency. We present initial results on QoS path selection for traffic requiring bandwidth and delay guarantees. For traffic with bandwidth guarantees, we found that several routing algorithms that favor paths with fewer hops perform well. For traffic with delay guarantees, we show that for a broad class of WFQ-like scheduling algorithms, the problem of finding a path satisfying bandwidth, delay, delay-jitter, and/or buffer space constraints while at the same time deriving the bandwidth that has to be reserved to meet these constraints, is solvable by a modified version of the Bellman-Ford shortest-path algorithm in polynomial time.
Glutaminase from Acinetobacter glutaminsificans.

Publisher Summary This chapter presents the general assay methods and the properties of a representative, well-characterized enzyme from an Acinetobacter soil organism. Four assay methods are commonly used to measure the hydrolysis of glutamine or asparagine: (1) release of ammonia and direct nesslerization; (2) release of ammonia, distillation, and assay with a phenol-hypochlorate reagent; (3) isolation of the radiolabeled dicarboxylic acid on ion-exchange columns; and (4) coupling the formation of dicarboxylic acid to the disappearance of NADH. Asparagine is usually used as a substrate because of its greater stability. The purification procedure consists of several steps: (1) preparation of the crude extracts, (2) CM-Sephadex chromatography, (3) ammonium sulfate fractionation, and (4) DEAE-Sephadex chromatography. Several enzymes with glutaminase activity, optimal activity at physiologic pH, and antitumor activity have been isolated. These enzymes have an identical 8 amino acid segment that contains the threonine residue binding site for 6-diazo-5-oxonorleucine.
Implicit Snakes: Active Constrained Implicit Models

We are exploring new techniques for active contour models (popularlykno wn as "snakes"[1]) bycom bining active segmentation models with the constrained implicit surface model introduced bySa vchenko, et al.[4] and reintroduced under the name of variational implicit surfaces as a modeling and shape morphing tool byT urk and O'Brien[5]. In related work, we pursued more efficient numerical methods for these techniques. For a more complete description of our modeling methods, see Morse[2]. Here we show that an active surface model can be created byco mbining constrained implicit surfaces with a solver that minimizes an appropriate functional. In these examples, our energy minimization techniques are relativelysimple; new work in combing the active implicit modeling techniques with aggressive energyf unctionals is in progress. Byextr acting implicit models from discrete volume data, we are diverging from similar modeling methods described by Yngve and Turk[6].
Educating Marginalized Girls: Examining the Concept of Tuseme

This article examines the concept of Tuseme , a Swahili word, meaning Let’s Speak Out and how it is used to empower girls in a Center of Excellence in Kenya. The Center serves as a school and home to girls rescued from female genital mutilation and child marriages. Data were collected from students, teachers and the Center’s principal. Findings indicated that Tuseme, through its creative activities, empowers students with life skills, including how to speak out, build self-confidence, decision making, negotiation and leadership skills. It also helps teachers to acquire and use gender-responsive instructional strategies, which boost girls’ academic success, self-efficacy and a consciousness to identify, understand, and articulate problems that affect them and take action to solve them.
Hypoxia and Hyperthermia Tolerances of Headwater Stream Fishes

Abstract We developed a reference base of relative hypoxia and hyperthermia tolerance rankings for many of the common fish species that inhabit small streams in Missouri. We also investigated the influences of geographic variation and of fish size on these tolerances. Fish collected from the wild were acclimated to laboratory conditions over a 63–160-d period. They were then exposed to either progressively increasing temperatures or to decreasing dissolved oxygen concentrations over a 4–6-h period. The temperature at which a fish lost equilibrium or the oxygen concentration at which it ceased ventilating was recorded as the end point. No significant differences in critical maximum temperatures (hyperthermia tolerance) or critical minimum oxygen concentrations (hypoxia tolerance) occurred in any of the five comparisons between fish of the same species collected from different locations in Missouri. Neither the hypoxia nor hyperthermia tolerance values varied with fish size for any species. Among the 35 spe...
Rac1 Modulates Stimulus-evoked Ca2+ Release in Neuronal Growth Cones via Parallel Effects on Microtubule/Endoplasmic Reticulum Dynamics and Reactive Oxygen Species Production

The small G protein Rac regulates cytoskeletal protein dynamics in neuronal growth cones and has been implicated in axon growth, guidance, and branching. Intracellular Ca2+ is another well known regulator of growth cone function; however, effects of Rac activity on intracellular Ca2+ metabolism have not been well characterized. Here, we investigate how Rac1 activity affects release of Ca2+ from intracellular endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stores stimulated by application of serotonin (5-hydroxytriptamine). We also address how Rac1 effects on microtubule assembly dynamics affect distribution of Ca2+ release sites. Multimode fluorescent microscopy was used to correlate microtubule and ER behavior, and ratiometric imaging was used to assess intracellular Ca2+ dynamics. We report that Rac1 activity both promotes Ca2+ release and affects its spatial distribution in neuronal growth cones. The underlying mechanism involves synergistic Rac1 effects on microtubule assembly and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Rac1 activity modulates Ca2+ by 1) enhancing microtubule assembly which in turn promotes spread of the ER-based Ca2+ release machinery into the growth cone periphery, and 2) by increasing ROS production which facilitated inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate-dependent Ca2+ release. These results cast Rac1 as a key modulator of intracellular Ca2+ function in the neuronal growth cone.
Accurate measurement of capture cross sections in deep level transient spectroscopy: application to EL2 in GaAs

A rigorous formulation of capacitance changes during trap filling processes is presented and used to accurately determine the electron capture cross section of EL2 in GaAs at a particular temperature, 377K, in this case. The value, σn (377K) = 2.7 × 10−16 cm2, is compared with that predicted from the emission dependence.
A novel synthesis of polypeptides.

WE wish to report the formation of polyglycines by direct condensation of glycinamide as an example of the synthesis of linear polypeptides by polymerization of unsubstituted α-amino-acid amides.
Partitioning of manganese between forsterite and silicate liquid

Partition coefficients for Mn between forsterite and liquid in the system MgO-CaO-Na2O-Al2O3-SiO2 (+ about 0.2% Mn) were measured by electron microprobe for a variety of melt compositions over the temperature range 1250–1450°C at one atm pressure. The forsterite-liquid partition coefficient of Mn (mole ratio, MnO in Fo/MnO in liquid, designated Dmnfo−Liq) depends on liquid composition as well as temperature: at 1350°C, DMnFo−Liqranges from 0.60 (basic melt, SiO2 = 47wt%) to 1.24 (acidic melt, SiO2 = 65wt%). At lower temperatures, the partition coefficient is more strongly dependent on melt composition. The effects of melt composition and temperature on DMnfo−Liq can be separately evaluated by use of the Si:O atomic ratio of the melts. A plot of DmnFo−Liq measured at various temperatures vs melt Si:O for numerous liquid compositions reveals discrete, constant-temperature curves that are not well defined by plotting DMnFo−Liq against other melt composition parameters such as melt basicity or MgO content. For constant Si:O in the melt, In DMnFo−Liq vs reciprocal absolute temperature is linear; however, the slope of the plot becomes more positive for higher values of Si:O, indicating a higher energy state for Mn2+ ions in acidic melts than in basic melts. Comparison of Mn partitioning data for the iron-free system used in this study with data of other workers on iron-bearing compositions suggests that the effect of iron on Mn partitioning between olivine and melt is small over the range of basalt liquidus temperatures.
Multilayer control of the EMT master regulators

Metastasis is the leading cause of cancer-associated death in most tumor types. Metastatic dissemination of cancer cells from the primary tumor is believed to be initiated by the reactivation of an embryonic development program referred to as epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), whereby epithelial cells lose apicobasal polarity and cell–cell contacts, and gain mesenchymal phenotypes with increased migratory and invasive capabilities. EMT has also been implicated in the regulation of cancer stem cell property, immune suppression and cancer regression. Several transcription factors have been identified as master regulators of EMT, including the Snail, Zeb and Twist families, and their expression is tightly regulated at different steps of transcription, translation and protein stability control by a variety of cell-intrinsic pathways as well as extracellular cues. Here, we review the recent literature on the signaling pathways and mechanisms that control the expression of these master transcription factors during EMT and cancer progression.
Interaction of Phytochemical‐Quercetin with the Other Antioxidant, Ascorbic Acid and their Protective Effect in Tilapia after Ultraviolet Irradiation

Semi-purified, casein-gelatin-based diets were prepared and supplemented with quercetin (Q) and/ or ascorbic acid (AA): control diet C–Q–(100 mg/kg AA), diet C –Q+ (100 mg/kg AA + quercetin 10 g/kg), diet C +Q– (1000 mg/kg AA), and diet C +Q+ (1000 mg/kg AA + quercetin 10 g/kg). These diets were fed to tilapia for 19 wk and then fish were divided into controls and ultraviolet (UV) treatments. Fish were exposed to UV radiation. Control groups were protected with a MYLAR® polyester film and plexiglass. At week 20, the same fish were re-exposed to UV radiation. Control groups of fish were protected by a double layer of MYLAR® and the UV groups were exposed with no protection. Before UV exposure, 24 h after, and 7 d after the second treatment, fish liver and skin were dissected for Q and AA analyses. The proportion of oxidized ascorbate was significantly increased in fish from treatments C –Q– and C –Q+ . Q concentrations in fish after exposures were negligible in skin, whereas liver concentrations were significantly different among control (34 ± 10 μg/g) and UV-irradiated fish (11 ± 6 μg/g), respectively. The interaction between these two dietary antioxidants may change after chronic UV irradiation.
Removing contaminated sediments from the coastal environment: The New Bedford harbor project example

Abstract One of the major problems facing the world's coastal and port managers is the presence of polychlorinated biphenyls, heavy metals, and other contaminants in the marine sediments of coastal waters. Developing an effective plan for the cleanup of highly contaminated harbors poses many problems for project managers trying to prevent further damage to the environment and maximize project effectiveness. A feasibility study and pilot scale dredging project was conducted in the upper estuary of the New Bedford (Massachusetts) Harbor from 1988 through 1989 to aid in designing and selecting a prototype harbor cleanup system. This paper analyzes some of the problems posed by the project, discusses the water quality monitoring plan that was developed, and reviews the project managers’ decision‐making processes and problem‐solving strategies. This project demonstrates that effective management techniques combinedwithpertinent data will enable cleanup projects to be successfully completed without adversely af...
Shear-horizontal surface waves on the (001) face of cubic crystals

Abstract A connection is made between (1) the result of elasticity theory that shear-horizontal (SH) surface waves cannot exist on a cubic (001) surface and (2) the result of a number of lattice studies of surface modes in thin films to the effect that SH surface waves do appear to exist along [110] for large, but finite wavelength λ. The SH surface wave frequency departs from the bulk band edge as λ-3 and the localization depth is proportional to λ2.
Molecular orbital studies of titanium nitride chemical vapor deposition: gas phase β-elimination

Abstract Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of titanium nitride can be carried out using Ti(NR2)4 and NH3 ( R = Me or Et ). Imido compounds are thought to be key intermediates in this process. Formation of Ti(NR2)2NH from Ti(NR2)4 can proceed by ligand exchange with NH3 followed by elimination of NHR2. When R=Et there is an alternate β-elimination pathway that also leads to imido formation. At the B3LYP/6-311G(d) level of theory, this pathway has a barrier of 51.1 kcal/mol and the reaction is endothermic by 68.0 kcal/mol. By comparison, ligand exchange has a barrier of 35.5 kcal/mol, suggesting that β-elimination does not contribute significantly to Ti(NR2)2NH formation.
Amplification methods for epidemiologic investigations of infectious diseases

DNA restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP) are extremely valuable tools for laboratory-based evaluation of hypotheses generated by epidemiologic investigations of infectious disease outbreaks. Recently, polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based DNA amplification methods have been used to index differences between suspected etiologic agents isolated from cases and suspected source. These methods are attractive because they require minute amounts of target DNA, and can be completed in a very short time. Two types of PCR-based subtyping methods are available. The PCR-RFLP method involves the amplification of previously characterized or phylogenetically conserved targets followed by restriction endonuclease analysis to evaluate polymorphisms within the amplified sequences. The Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and Arbitrarily Primed PCR (AP-PCR) methods require no prior knowledge of DNA sequences of test organisms because they rely on random amplification of target DNA by arbitrarily chosen primers. RAPD and AP-PCR do not require any restriction analysis of amplified DNA. The PCR-RFLP methods are organism-dependent and do not always provide adequate discrimination between unrelated isolates. RAPD methods often suffer from poor reproducibility because the amplification is performed by using crude target DNA under nonstringent conditions.
Maximum-likelihood crystallization

The crystallization facility of the TB Structural Genomics Consortium, one of nine NIH-sponsored structural genomics pilot projects, employs a combinatorial random sampling technique in high-throughput crystallization screening. Although data are still sparse and a comprehensive analysis cannot be performed at this stage, preliminary results appear to validate the random-screening concept. A discussion of statistical crystallization data analysis aims to draw attention to the need for comprehensive and valid sampling protocols. In view of limited overlap in techniques and sampling parameters between the publicly funded high-throughput crystallography initiatives, exchange of information should be encouraged, aiming to effectively integrate data mining efforts into a comprehensive predictive framework for protein crystallization.
Structure of mycobacterial bis-cyclopropane mycolates by mass spectrometry.

Methyl mycolate from a human strain (Brevannes) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis has been converted to the corresponding methyl meromycolate, the monoketo-meromycolate, and the meromycolic pyrrolidide. The fragmentation pattern of each of these materials has been determined, and with information from a synthetic meromycolate serving as a basis of comparison, has been analyzed to obtain reliable structural assignments.
Neurocysticercosis: Controversies in management

Abstract Cysticercosis is a major cause of neurologic disease worldwide that is now increasingly recognized in the United States. Seizures are the most prominent symptom of central nervous system involvement. Current therapeutic interventions include the use of anticonvulsants, surgery, corticosteroids, and antiparasitic drugs, such as albendazole and praziquantel. Although antiparasitic drugs can kill the cysticerci, controlled trials in parenchymal neurocysticercosis have so far failed to document a clear clinical benefit. Further, antiparasitic drugs may actually result in neurologic deterioration in some patients. Therefore, therapy should be individualized based on the location of the cysticerci, the degree of host inflammatory response, the presumed pathogenesis, and the anticipated natural history. The objective of this article is to advance principles and standard approaches for the therapeutic intervention of neurocysticercosis. In addition, we review the pathogenesis and the natural history of cysticercosis, which provide the foundation for the management of its neurologic complications. Copyright © 2000 by W.B. Saunders Company
Relationship of age at onset, chronologic age, and adequacy of preoperative performance to verbal memory change after anterior temporal lobectomy.

Summary We examined the relationship of age of onset of epilepsy, chronological age at time of operation, and adequacy of preoperative memory performance to pre- to postoperative verbal memory decline. Patients who underwent left (n = 50) or right (n = 51) anterior temporal lobectomy (ATL) were administered tests of verbal episodic (list learning, paragraph recall) and semantic memory (visual naming, vocabulary), both preoperatively and 6 months postoperatively. As a group, left ATL patients showed the classic selective decrease on measures of episodic but not semantic memory. However, examination of episodic memory outcome showed considerable individual variability. Stepwise regression analyses indicated that both later age at onset and older chronologic age were significant and selective predictors of episodic memory decrease for left ATL patients. Adequacy of preoperative memory performance was a nonspecific predictor, associated with decrease in postoperative memory performance for both left and right ATL patients and for multiple types of memory indices. The clinical and theoretical implications are discussed.
Preschool Science Environment: What Is Available in a Preschool Classroom?

This study investigated preschool science environments in 20 preschool classrooms (N=20) in 13 midwestern child care centers. By operationalizing Neuman’s concept of “sciencing,” this study used The Preschool Classroom Science Materials/Equipment Checklist, the Preschool Classroom Science Activities Checklist, and the Preschool Teacher Classroom/Sciencing Form to analyze the availability of science materials, equipment, and activities for preschoolers in the classroom. Each teacher was videotaped for two consecutive days during free play time. The study showed that half of the preschool classrooms had a science area. The activities that the preschool teachers engaged were mostly unrelated to science activities (86.8%), 4.5% of the activities were related to formal sciencing, and 8.8% of the activities were related to informal sciencing.
Current status of pelvic lymph node dissection in prostate cancer

Pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND) is presently considered the gold standard for the detection of lymph node invasion in prostate cancer (PCa) patients. Controversy exists over the adequate extent of PLND for patients at different stages of PCa and over the therapeutic value of the procedure. The most recent consensus advocates extended PLND (ePLND) in a patient with Gleason score ≥7 and serum prostate-specific antigen >10 ng/ml who is undergoing radical prostatectomy. Critics claim more aggressive dissection is associated with an increase in complications, hospitalization time, and cost. The present review examines the debate of limited versus ePLND, and discusses the potential value of the latter for patients with PCa. Furthermore, it examines the utility of robotic-assisted surgery in performing PLNDs with both comparable oncological outcomes and comparable complication rates. The literature has reported promising results that support both diagnostic and therapeutic benefits of ePLND. However, prospective, multi-center, long-term studies are necessary to alleviate criticism of the increased risk of complications and costs of performing PLND.
New Techniques in the Lamb Shift Calculation

Based on the analogy between the calculations of radiative corrections to electron scattering and the Lamb shift, a new procedure applicable to bound state self-energy problems is developed, wherein the electron propagator is expanded in powers of the external potential. In the resulting sequence, a change in the gauge of the virtual photon field conveniently removes from each term spurious lower order contributions and yields a new and considerably simpler sequence; the expectation value of the first two terms of the latter is shown to account for the major portion of the Bethe logarithm. A simple method is developed to sum all the $\ensuremath{\alpha}{(Z\ensuremath{\alpha})}^{4}\ensuremath{\mu}$ dependence, and the result is the lowest order Lamb shift formula. The case of the calculation, as well as that involved in obtaining the relativistic level shift correction of order $\ensuremath{\alpha}{(Z\ensuremath{\alpha})}^{5}\ensuremath{\mu}$ (not given in the present paper), indicates that the method may find application in the calculation of further higher order effects.
Beyond-Si CMOS technologies based on high-mobility channels

For over 4 decades, the steady increase in switching speed of MOS transistors has been mainly achieved by scaling down the gate oxide thickness, the channel length, and other associated physical dimensions. In recent years, strain engineering to increase the carrier mobility has also been a significant contributor to the improved switching speed. These measures have been able to keep Si as the only semiconductor for high-density and high-performance CMOS technology.
Limits to Thymidylate Synthase and TP53 Genes as Predictive Determinants for Fluoropyrimidine Sensitivity and Further Evidence for RNA-Based Toxicity as a Major Influence

The major determinants of 5-flurouracil (5-FU) response would seem, based on accumulated literature, to be thymidylate synthase (TYMS, TS) expression levels, TS gene modifications, and TP53 status. We tested 5-FU sensitivity in yeast and human cancer cell models in which TS or TP53 alleles and expression were varied. Polymorphic TS tandem repeat status, TS expression levels reported, TS intragenic mutations, and TP53 status in outbred and experimental cancer cell lines did not predict 5-FU sensitivity or resistance. Novel observations included a dose-resistant persistence of unbound TS protein in many cancers and, upon 5-FU treatment of the colon cancer cell line, HCT116, evidence of allelic switching favoring transcripts of the mutant TS allele. The reported alleles having an intragenic mutation could not be causally associated with major degrees of 5-FU sensitivity. In yeast, TS protein was altered upon treatment with FdUMP, but 5-FU toxicity seemed to be largely RNA-based, being rescued by uridine rather than by thymidine. Cancer cell lines were also rescued from 5-FU toxicity with uridine rather than thymidine. Additionally, a TS (CDC21) knockout yeast strain, obviating any potential role for TS protein as a target, was hypersensitive to 5-FU. When denatured proteins from cancer cells treated with radiolabeled 5-FU were labeled, species with alternative molecular weights other than TS were visualized, providing further evidence for alternative 5-FU protein targets. These data emphasize that TS and TP53 status do not consistently explain the variance in responses of fluoropyrimidine-treated cancer cells, in part due to RNA-based toxicity.
The SH2 Domain-containing Inositol 5′-Phosphatase (SHIP) Recruits the p85 Subunit of Phosphoinositide 3-Kinase during FcγRIIb1-mediated Inhibition of B Cell Receptor Signaling

Abstract Coligation of FcγRIIb1 with the B cell receptor (BCR) or FceRI on mast cells inhibits B cell or mast cell activation. Activity of the inositol phosphatase SHIP is required for this negative signal. In vitro, SHIP catalyzes the conversion of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) product phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate (PIP3) into phosphatidylinositol 3,4-bisphosphate. Recent data demonstrate that coligation of FcγRIIb1 with BCR inhibits PIP3-dependent Btk (Bruton’s tyrosine kinase) activation and the Btk-dependent generation of inositol trisphosphate that regulates sustained calcium influx. In this study, we provide evidence that coligation of FcγRIIb1 with BCR induces binding of PI3K to SHIP. This interaction is mediated by the binding of the SH2 domains of the p85 subunit of PI3K to a tyrosine-based motif in the C-terminal region of SHIP. Furthermore, the generation of phosphatidylinositol 3,4-bisphosphate was only partially reduced during coligation of BCR with FcγRIIb1 despite a drastic reduction in PIP3. In contrast to the complete inhibition of Tec kinase-dependent calcium signaling, activation of the serine/threonine kinase Akt was partially preserved during BCR and FcγRIIb1 coligation. The association of PI3K with SHIP may serve to activate PI3K and to regulate downstream events such as B cell activation-induced apoptosis.
The genetic basis of persistence and recovery in stuttering.

Although past research has provided evidence of a genetic component to the transmission of susceptibility to stuttering, the relationship between the genetic component to stuttering and persistence...
α1-Adrenergic receptor regulation: basic science and clinical implications

Adrenergic receptors (ARs) are members of the G-protein-coupled receptor family, which includes alpha 1ARs, alpha 2ARs, beta 1ARs, beta 2ARs, beta 3ARs, adenosine, muscarinic, angiotensin, endothelin receptors, and many others that are responsible for a large variety of physiologic effects through G-protein coupling. This review focuses on alpha 1ARs and their regulation at both the mRNA and protein levels. Currently, three alpha 1AR subtypes have been characterized both pharmacologically and at the gene level: alpha 1aAR, alpha 1bAR, and alpha 1dAR. These are expressed in a species- and tissue-dependent manner. Mutagenesis approaches have been extremely valuable in the identification of key residues that govern alpha 1AR ligand binding and signaling. These studies reveal that alpha 1ARs have evolved an exquisitely sensitive regulation of their activity in which any disruption of the native structure has profound effects on subsequent function and effector coupling. Significant advances have also been made in the elucidation of signaling pathway components, resulting in the identification of novel pathways that can lead to pathologic conditions. Specific topics include mitogen-activated protein kinase, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, and G-protein-coupled receptor cross-talk pathways. Within this context, recent studies identifying underlying transcriptional mechanisms involved in the regulation of the alpha 1AR subtypes are also discussed. Finally, given the potentially important role of alpha 1ARs in the vasculature, as well as in the pathology of many diseases, such as myocardial hypertrophy and benign prostatic hyperplasia, the clinical relevance of alpha 1AR distribution, pharmacology, and therapeutic intervention is reviewed.
MIT-Skywalker: Preliminary Insights on Performance-Based Locomotor Training

Gait rehabilitation promotes the reduction of gait deficits resulting from neurological pathologies by enhancing activity-dependent plasticity in the central nervous system. To maximize the therapeutic benefit of gait training, the key components appear to be subjects’ active participation and intensity. In this paper we discuss a performance-based training scheme for a novel gait trainer (MIT-Skywalker) that can challenge patients by systematically adjusting the treadmill speed and visual feedback. In our algorithm, the speed is adjusted based on gait performance of step length symmetry and subject’s ability to cope with the treadmill speed. Computer simulations demonstrate that the gait speed controller adapts to changes in walking performance, suggesting a potential scheme for gait therapy.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy Analysis of the Covalent Functionalization and DNA Modification of Gallium Phosphide Nanorods

The growth, covalent functionalization, and subsequent DNA modification of gallium phosphide (GaP) nanorods is presented. Analysis of the nanorods by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed important information regarding their physical properties such as the presence of twinning defects. The nanorods were deposited onto glass substrates for further functionalization and biomolecule immobilization. Plasma cleaning was employed to remove the surfactant present on the nanorods’ surfaces. Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) was used to analyze the extent of plasma cleaning and how it affected the functionalization that employed thiol chemistry. KFPM analysis of the subsequent modification of functionalized nanorods with single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) revealed that immobilization was dependent on the amount of plasma cleaning to which the nanorods had been exposed. Nanorods were then exposed to the cDNA strand and KPFM was again used to de...
Compounds of cerium, titanium and oxygen

Abstract The solubility of Ce2Ti2O7 in Ln2Ti2O7 (LnGd, Er and Lu) was determined experimentally. It was found that the solubility increases as the ionic radius of the host lanthanide element decreases. The lattice parameters of Ce2O3.4TiO2 have been measured. The solubility of TiO2−m in Ce2O3.3TiO2−m (m≈0.11) was determined and the resulting solutions were investigated; the results indicate that an additional 2.5 TiO2−m can be dissolved without significantly changing the lattice parameters. Limits for the solubility of Ce4+ in compounds such as Ce2O3.nTiO2 in which n=2 or 4 were also estimated.
Pharmacological evaluation of the β-adrenoceptor agonist properties of N-benzyl substituted trimetoquinol analogues

Abstract The β 1 - and β 2 -adrenoceptor agonist properties of trimetoquinol (TMQ, I) and N-benzyl ring substituted TMQ analogues (II, 4′-methylbenzylTMQ; III, 4′-chloro-benzylTMQ; IV, 4′-methoxybenzylTMQ; V, 4′-nitrobenzylTMQ; VI, 3′,4′-dichlorobenzylTMQ; and VII, 4′-aminobenzylTMQ) were studied in guinea pig atria and trachea. All compounds gave concentration-dependent responses in atria and trachea, and the rank order of β-adrenoceptor agonist potency was I > VII > II > V > IV > VI > III and I > VII > IV = VI > V > III > II, respectively. Whereas the N-benzyl substitution reduced potency for β-agonist activity, the β 2 / β 1 -selectivity ratio was enhanced by addition of groups to the N-benzyl ring, and the rank order of β 2 -selectivity was VI (10-fold) > III (8-fold) = IV (8-fold) > VII (3-fold) > V = I > II. The results show that varying the nature of substituents on the N-benzyl ring of TMQ produces compounds which retain greater β 2 -selectivity.
Analysis of Temporal High-Dimensional Gene Expression Data for Identifying Informative Biomarker Candidates

Identifying informative biomarkers from a large pool of candidates is the key step for accurate prediction of an individual&#x00E2;s health status. In clinical applications traditional static feature selection methods that flatten the temporal data cannot be directly applied since the patient&#x00E2;s observed clinical condition is a temporal multivariate time series where different variables can capture various stages of temporal change in the patient&#x00E2;s health status. In this study, in order to identify informative genes in temporal microarray data, a margin based feature selection filter is proposed. The proposed method is based on well-established machine learning techniques without any assumptions about the data distribution. The objective function of temporal margin-based feature selection is defined to maximize each subject's temporal margin in its own relevant subspace. In the objective function, the uncertainty in calculating nearest neighbors is taken into account by considering the change in feature weights in each iteration. A fixed-point gradient descent method is proposed to solve the formulated objective function. The experimental results on both synthetic and real data provide evidence that the proposed method can identify more informative features than the alternatives that flatten the temporal data in advance.
Expression, purification, and characterization of the intra-cellular domain of the ANP receptor.

Abstract The membrane-bound atrial natriuretic peptide receptor (GCA) catalyzes the formation of cGMP from GTP in response to natriuretic peptide hormones. Previous structural studies have focused on the extra-cellular hormone binding domain of this receptor whereas its intra-cellular domain has not yet been amenable to such studies. We report here the baculovirus expression and purification of the GCA intra-cellular domain construct GCA ID comprising the complete intra-cellular region which includes the kinase-homology domain, coiled-coil region, and catalytic cyclase domain. The intra-cellular domain was enzymatically characterized in terms of guanylyl cyclase activity and the effects of ATP, manganese, and Triton X-100. Our results indicate that the activity of the intra-cellular domain of the ANP receptor is about 2 fold less active compared to a truncated cyclase domain construct lacking the kinase-like domain that was also expressed and purified. In addition, unlike the full length receptor, the intra-cellular domain could not be activated by Triton X-100/Mn 2+ or its activity stimulated by ATP. These data therefore indicate that the major part of the transition from the basal state to the fully, ANP/ATP-dependent, activated state as well its stimulation/enhancement by Triton X-100/Mn 2+ requires the full length receptor. These receptor insights could aid in the development of novel therapeutics as the GCA receptor is a key drug target for cardiovascular diseases.
Biodegradation of anionic surfactants in the presence of petroleum contaminants

Abstract Remediation of petroleum contaminated soils by surfactant cleaning is becoming an attractive option. Surfactants used for cleaning petroleum contaminated soils are biodegradable. Even though there has been considerable experimental and field work done on biodegradation of surfactants, very little effort has been devoted to the study of biodegradation of surfactant in the presence of hydrocarbon contaminants. The problem of surfactant biodegradation in the presence of petroleum contaminants is addressed in this paper. Experimental study consisted of conducting biodegradability tests for different concentrations of anionic surfactants in the presence of petroleum contaminants. The effect of surfactant concentration on microbial growth and biodegradability was also investigated. It was found that the change in surfactant concentration from 1% to 4% did not inhibit microbial growth or surfactant biodegradation. Experimental runs were conducted to determine the surfactant biodegradation in the presence of kerosene. Experiments conducted with 5% and 10% kerosene with 1% surfactant solution indicated that kerosene degraded faster than anionic surfactant. Kerosene degraded along with surfactant but microbial communities seem to prefer to degrade kerosene rather than surfactant. Experiments were conducted to examine the effect of the soil-water system on surfactant biodegradability. It was found that the presence of surfactant enhances the biodegradation of the petroleum contaminant itself. Thus, a synergestic process is observed.
Teaching Respect for Diversity: The Oglala Lakota

ABSTRACT Teaching about diversity and respect for others is a challenging task for today's educators—especially at the middle school level. This article describes successful attempts to do so at the sixth-grade level. These real-life experiences enhanced classroom learning and reached out to the community. The author hopes that other educators will duplicate this endeavor. Although the lessons described focused on the Lakota nation, educators can teach about any tribal culture by using this approach.
Isotopic splenoportography: A continued appraisal

1. The isotopic splenoportogram is presented as a simple, accurate method for the emergency differential diagnosis of upper gastrointestinal bleeding. 2. The technic also has been found useful in elective preoperative studies as a measure of the dynamic physiologic function of portal circulation and in evaluating idiopathic splenomegaly and, postoperatively, in evaluating a portal-systemic shunt. 3. Thirty case studies are reviewed as evidence of the usefulness and accuracy of this procedure.
Histological demonstration of wheat germ lectin binding sites in the liver of normal and ANIT treated rats.

Wheat-germ lectin peroxidase conjugate was used to stain the liver of normal rats and rats given α-naphthylisothiocyanate (ANIT). Changes in patterns in bile duct and canalicular staining were compatible with the hypothesis that cell damage caused by ANIT is essentially restricted to bile ducts.
Aftereffects of rewarding lateral hypothalamic brain stimulation and feeding behavior.

Abstract The aftereffects of rewarding lateral hypothalamic brain stimulation are shown to depress the speed with which rats will initiate consumption of various foods. The strength of this depression was positively correlated (r xy = 0.60) with the rate of self-stimulation on that electrode. Seemingly paradoxical relations between this finding and other known characteristics of lateral hypothalamic stimulation are discussed.
Slip Systems in MgSiO3 Post-Perovskite: Implications for D′′ Anisotropy

The behavior of seismic waves as they pass through Earth's interior depends on the physical properties of major mineral phases at depth. If such minerals are anisotropic—that is, they influence seismic waves preferentially depending on crystallographic orientation—interpreting the structure of a region becomes more challenging. In the lowermost mantle, near the boundary with the outer core, deformation of MgSiO3 post-perovskite may affect anisotropy. Miyagi et al. (p. [1639][1]) solved previous experimental limitations to show that, when squeezed at high pressures, MgSiO3 post-perovskite weakens and breaks along its (001) lattice plane. When modeled, this deformation pattern produces anisotropic structures that are consistent with seismic data collected from this region. [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.1192465
Minor memory references matter in collaborative caching

Collaborative caching uses different caching methods, e. g., LRU and MRU, for data with good or poor locality. Poorlocality data are evicted by MRU quickly, leaving most cache space to hold good-locality data by LRU. In our previous study, we selected static memory references with poor locality to use MRU but neglected minor references, which are memory instructions that contribute no more than 0.1% total memory accesses. After removing this restriction, we found that three SPEC CPU benchmarks have on average 6.2 times fewer miss reduction or 9.8% reduction in absolute miss ratio.
A Carbidoheptarhenate Complex of Thallium(I)

The reaction of TlPF6 with [Re7C(CO)21]3- in dichloromethane produces [Re7C(CO)21(μ3-Tl]2-, isolated in high yield as PPN+ or PPh4+ salts. The complex is strongly dissociated in acetone. Treatment of the complex with AuCl(PPh3) gives [Re7C(CO)21(AuPPh3)]2- and TlCl.
On Pfaff's equations of motion in dynamics; Applications to satellite theory

In this article we study a form of equations of motion which is different from Lagrange's and Hamilton's equations: Pfaff's equations of motion. Pfaff's equations of motion were published in 1815 and are remarkably elegant as well as general, but still they are much less well known. Pfaff's equations can also be considered as the Euler-Lagrange equations derived from the linear Lagrangian rather than the usual Lagrangian which is quadratic in the velocity components. The article first treats the theory of changes of variables in Pfaff's equations and the connections with canonical equations as well as canonical transformations. Then the applications to the perturbed two-body problem are treated in detail. Finally, the Pfaffians are given in Hill variables and Scheifele variables. With these two sets of variables, the use of the true anomaly as independent variable is also considered.
Qualitative properties of the boundary derivative of the capacity potential for special classes of annular domains

Let U(p) denote the capacity potential in an annular domain Ω (bounded by Jordan curves). We describe the qualitative behavior of ∥Δ∥ on the line segments of ∂Ω which are arbitrary, radial, or ν-directional (for some vector ν ≠ 0) in the respective cases where Ω is a convex, starlike, or ≠-convex annular domain. We apply these results to some free-boundary extremal problems in which the capacity plus weighted area functional is minimized in restricted classes of annular domains Ω.