cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Extent of circadian synchronization by cortisol in the squirrel monkey

1. 1. The circadian timing system in primates consists of an organization of multiple oscillators in various tissues internally synchronized through hormonal and neural coupling. To test the scope of the circadian rhythm of plasma cortisol concentration as a synchronizing mediator, adrenalectomized, chair-acclimatized squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus) were studied. 2. 2. With each monkey isolated in constant light (600lx), a pulse of 10 mg cortisol was administered via a chronically implanted venous catheter at 08:00 hr daily. 3. 3. The circadian rhythm of renal potassium excretion was entrained to a 24 hr period by the cortisol rhythm, but the circadian rhythms in feeding and body temperature were not synchronized by cortisol. 4. 4. These findings confirm that the plasma cortisol rhythm acts as an internal synchronizer of renal potassium excretion, but demonstrate that it plays no role as a general hormonal coupler of circadian oscillators. 5. 5. The oscillators which compose the circadian timing system would appear to be arranged in a hierarchical organization so that the feedback action of cortisol on the pituitary-adrenal axis does not synchronize the entire circadian system.
Medical and Health-Care Robotics

The aim of this article is to propose some of the most important capabilities and technical achievements of medical and health-care robotics needed to improve human health and well-being. The paper describes application areas, societal drivers, motivating scenarios, desired system capabilities, and fundamental research areas that should be considered in the design of medical and health-care robots.
In situ reflection absorption magnetic circular dichroism: methodology and preliminary results

The development of a host of new in situ spectroscopic techniques over the past decade has made a major impact towards achieving a better understanding of elementary processes at electrode-electrolyte interfaces [l]. Because of their high sensitivity, in situ optical methods in the UV-visible region lend themselves to this type of application and, as such, have been widely used for monitoring a variety of surface reactions. These include the adsorption of ions, atoms and molecules on electrode surfaces, as well as the changes in the electronic structure of metals, and particularly single crystal surfaces, induced by the externally applied potential [2]. Increased sensitivity to changes in the physicochemical properties of the interface may be attained by monitoring modifications in the polarization state of light reflected off electrode surfaces. This is best illustrated by the widespread application of ellipsometric techniques to the general field of electrochemistry [3]. Methods that rely on the analysis of the behavior of right and left circularly polarized light at electrochemical interfaces, however, have received far less attention. This may be attributed in part to the rather restricted class of molecules of electrochemical interest which possess chiral centers. Optical activity can be induced, however, by applying an external magnetic field, a phenomenon that constitutes the basis of a well developed spectroscopic method known as magnetic circular dichroism, MCD [4]. In direct analogy with the more conventional circular dichroism, MCD measures the differences in the absorption coefficient obtained with right and left circularly polarized light of a species either in solution or in the solid state. This technique can provide unique information that can be complementary to that derived from other
REBUTTAL—Consumer product safety: risk assessment of exposure to asbestos emissions from hand-held hair dryers

The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is concerned that consumer exposure to asbestos from consumer products may present an unreasonable risk of injury. Recently, CPSC has obtained agreement by industry to cease production and distribution of hair dryers containing asbestos heat insulation. CPSC intends to broaden its investigation by selecting consumer products containing asbestos for “priority attention.” The Commission does not intend to make quantitative estimates of cancer risks posed by exposure to asbestos fibers in making regulatory decisions. This position may lead to a serious waste of resources for the Commission, industry, and society. The Commission should focus its initial attention on those products for which the release of asbestos is significant enough to cause an unreasonable health risk. To make a risk assessment for a particular use of asbestos, CPSC must acquire or request data on asbestos emissions and define “unreasonable risk to health.”
Identification of Host Proteins Involved in Rickettsial Invasion of Tick Cells

Tick-borne spotted fever group (SFG) Rickettsia species are obligate intracellular bacteria capable of infecting both vertebrate and invertebrate host cells, an essential process for subsequent bacterial survival in distinct hosts. The host cell signaling molecules involved in the uptake of Rickettsia into mammalian and Drosophila cells have been identified; however, invasion into tick cells is understudied. Considering the movement of SFG Rickettsia between vertebrate and invertebrate hosts, the hypothesis is that conserved mechanisms are utilized for host cell invasion. The current study employed biochemical inhibition assays to determine the tick proteins involved in Rickettsia montanensis infection of tick-derived cells from a natural host, Dermacentor variabilis. The results revealed several tick proteins important for rickettsial invasion, including actin filaments, actin-related protein 2/3 complex, phosphatidylinositol-3'-kinase, protein tyrosine kinases (PTKs), Src family PTK, focal adhesion kinase, Rho GTPase Rac1, and neural Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein. Delineating the molecular mechanisms of rickettsial infection is critical to a thorough understanding of rickettsial transmission in tick populations and the ecology of tick-borne rickettsial diseases.
Tensorial Analysis and Equivalent Circuit of a Variable-Ratio Frequency Changer

When two power systems with different frequencies are connected together through an asynchronous tie, the transient behavior of the tie under a sudden change of load on either side becomes of great importance. The paper derives by the tensorial method the steady-state equivalent circuit and the transient equations of a variable-ratio frequency-changer set consisting of an ohmic-drop exciter, regulating machine, and induction machine, when an unbalanced load is applied suddenly to the stator side of the induction machine. A companion paper by Carter, Maginniss, and Rothe gives the results of the solution of the equations by the a-c network analyzer and the differential analyzer.
Accelerated Lifetesting and Failure Modes of Thin Film W Contacts on Si-Ge Thermoelectric Alloys

The stability of sputtered thin film W contacts on heavily doped Si-Ge alloy has been determnined from measurements of contact resistance versus time for aging temperatures in the range 550-725°C. Contact failure time has been found to obey an Arrhenius type relation with an activation energy of 76 ± 5 kcal/mole and a projected lifetime of over ten years at temperatures be low 450°C. Contact resistance remains approximately constant for the first 80% of contact lifetime and then increases rapidly through several orders of magnitude, These large contact increases are accompanied by loss of contact adhesion and buckling. Comparison of this data with that from diffusion experiments indicates that the activation energy for contact failure is comparable with that for the initial stages of WSi2 layer growth iu W-Si systems.
Wetland ecotones as refugia for endangered fishes

Wetlands may serve as refugia for indigenous fishes from introduced predatory fishes because of their structural complexity, which may reduce hunting efficiency, or if the low oxygen conditions that prevail in many swamps limit exploitation by the predator. The vegetated ecotone between lake shores and open water may be extremely important, relative to the dense interior of swamps, because of the accessibility of ecotones for lacustrine fishes, and the less extreme physicochemical conditions generally encountered along lake margins. This paper examines the role of wetland ecotones as refugia for prey species from the introduced Nile perch Lates niloticus in Lake Nabugabo, Uganda, where increased numbers of Nile perch coincided with the disappearance or decline of many species from the open waters of the lake. Patterns of ecotone use were examined by comparing fish communities in wetland ecotones with fish communities in exposed ecotone areas with no wetland. Results suggest that wetland ecotones may protect some fishes from Nile perch predation. Nile perch were less abundant in wetland ecotones relative to exposed inshore areas, and were found less frequently in areas of low dissolved oxygen. A negative relationship was found between species richness among ecotones and dissolved oxygen, and a positive relationship between species richness among ecotones and structural complexity. It was difficult to separate the effects of structure and low oxygen on the habitat use of Nile perch. However, tolerance to low oxygen may permit prey species to exploit structured inshore habitats as refugia without adverse effects from the low oxygen conditions that can occur there.
Emergency Medicine Expeditions to the Developing World: The Loma Linda University Experience in Papua New Guinea

Emergency physicians (EPs) are increasingly participating in international medicine in regions that are chronically medically underserved. In August 1994, a ten-member emergency medicine team from the Loma Linda University School of Medicine staffed a 70-bed bush hospital in the primitive highlands of Papua New Guinea, providing both outpatient and inpatient medical care. Typhoid fever, malaria, polio, and numerous other infectious diseases were encountered. Rampant local tribal warfare resulted in regular penetrating injuries from arrows, spears, and machetes. The expedition was judged highly successful, in that 1) substantial medical service was provided to tribespeople accustomed to minimal care, 2) education was provided to local health care providers, and 3) team participants became adept at managing medical conditions uncommon in industrialized societies, and gained valuable ethical and utilitarian perspectives regarding health care delivery in underserved areas. In this article the objectives, organization, and experiences of the team members are described. This information may encourage other EPs to participate in medical expeditions to the developing world, and to provide general principles to assist in their organization and implementation.
Remarks on First and Second Order Periodic Boundary Value Problems

On etudie les problemes aux valeurs limites periodiques d'ordre 1 et 2 suivants: u'=f(t,u), u(0)=u(2π) et −u''=f(t,u), u(0)=u(2π); u'(0)=u'(2π). On obtient l'existence de solutions extremales comme limites d'iterees monotones
Photo-driven nano-impellers and nanovalves for on-command drug release

ABSTRACT Three types of photo-responsive nano-architectures -nano-ga tekeepers, nanovalves and nanoimpellers- were synthesized based on azobenzene derivatives tethered in and on mesporous silica nanoparticles. The light responsive nature of these materials enables them to be externally controlled such th at transport of the cargo mol ecules from mesopores can be regulated. In particular, nanoimpellers have shown to successfully release anti-cancer drug, camptothecin, upon photoactivation and ultimately led to cell apoptosis. Keywords: azobenzene, TSUA, nanoimpeller, nanovalve, photo-activation, in vitro drug release, camptothecin, mesoporous silica nanoparticles 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 MCM-41 silica nanoparticles Since the development of MCM-41 (Mobile Crystalline Material) 1 one of the important applications of this material has been towards nano-scale drug delivery. The structure of MCM-41 consists of silica based nano-particles with synthetically tunable diameters ranging from several micrometers to as small as 50 nm. Prior to synthesis, a templating agent is added to the sol gel solution which provides the scaffolding for the mesoporosity, generating approximately 2 nm pores that permeate the particle structure (Figure 1). Silica is useful in biological systems because it is both non-toxic and biocompatible. In addition, the particles are robust and maintain their internal porous network throughout a wide range of harsh chemical environments. The mesoporous network provides a huge internal volume to encapsulate small molecules. The one limitation of the MCM-41 structure is that its rigidity inhibits this material from responding directly to external stimuli in order to facilitate moderation of chemical flow into and out of the porous structure. However, due to well-developed silica derivatization chemistry, the silica surface can be modified by organic molecules that can regulate cargo containment and release from the mesoporous network. 1.2 Nano-architectures These nano-architectures for trapping and releasing guest molecules have a wide variety of designs depending on the desired operation of the material. The original design was based on supramolecular chemistry, where the association and dissociation of a ring structure with a covalently bound organic thread on the particle surface performed steric regulation of the pore opening
Investigation of the neutral loss of a full amino acid mass during collision-induced dissociation of the b(3)+ ion derived from a model peptide containing a 4-aminobutyric acid residue.

In a previous study we found that a dominant fragmentation pathway observed for collision-induced dissociation (CID) of b derived from peptides with sequence AXAG, where X is γ-aminobutyric acid (γAbu) or e-aminocaproic acid (Cap), involved the loss of 89 mass units (u). A neutral loss of 89 u corresponded to the free acid mass of an alanine (A) residue. This specific pathway was studied in greater detail here using a series of A(γAbu)AG peptides with strategic positioning of 15N, 13C and 2H isotope labels. Based on the extensive labeling, several possible routes to the net elimination of 89 u are proposed. One is based on initial elimination of either aziridinone or imine and CO, followed by opening of an oxazolinone, tautomerization and elimination of H2O. Another involves formation of an aziridinone by cleavage of the N-terminal amide bond, and transfer of O and H atoms to this fragment via an H-bonded ion-molecule complex to complete the loss of 89 u. Both types of pathway include the transfer/migration of H atoms from the α-carbon position of γAbu or A residues. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Association of Resident Fatigue and Distress With Occupational Blood and Body Fluid Exposures and Motor Vehicle Incidents

Objective To evaluate the effect of resident physicians' distress on their personal safety.
Preferences for Perinatal Health Communication of Women in Rural Tibet

ABSTRACT Objective To describe the most acceptable methods for educating women in Medrogongkar County, Tibet, about healthy pregnancy and safe motherhood. Design Focus group discussions with key informants were used to develop a quantitative, orally administered random sample survey. Setting Thirty-two randomly selected villages in Medrogongkar County. Participants One hundred and forty-eight multigravida over the age of 18 living in Medrogongkar County. Results Most participants reported receiving pregnancy-related information either from family members ( n =85, 57.4%) or from community health workers ( n =81, 54.7%), while very few reported group teaching or radio/television/videos as sources. When asked what modalities of health communication are most effective for them, participants preferred discussions with family members ( n =59, 39.8%), specifically their mothers ( n =34, 23.0%). Community health worker teaching ( n =15, 10.1%) or group teaching ( n =7, 4.7%) were reported as less effective. Conclusions Despite recent efforts in Tibet to use group teaching, television/radio programs, and health professionals visiting patients' homes as health communication modalities, participants preferred to learn pregnancy-related health messages from their close family, especially their mothers. Future health communication interventions in rural Tibet and similar communities should consider targeting close family members as well as pregnant women to maximize acceptability of advice on healthy pregnancy and delivery.
A longitudinal Study Comparing the Prenatal Care of Puerto Rican and White Woman

This study examined the effect of ethnicity on health-seeking attitudes and behavior, including patient compliance, use of the clinic, knowledge of childbirth, and the relationship between the patient and primary health care provider. Anthropologic techniques of observations and interviews were conducted longitudinally with 27 Puerto Rican women and 26 white women who received perinatal care at a tertiary-level hospital throughout the antepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum periods. Approximately 500 standardized and open-ended interviews and 150 observations of clinical interactions with resident physicians and nurse-midwives compared reproductive knowledge, beliefs, and practices. Results of this three-year study indicated that both groups of women were similar in age, years of education, and percentage receiving financial assistance. Puerto Rican women identified strongly as a separate ethnic group; all spoke Spanish and most were bilingual. Office visits and explanations from primary care providers were more important to women in both groups than information obtained from families, friends, or folk beliefs. Knowledge of pregnancy care procedures and childbirth, although limited, was no different between the groups. Long waits, depersonalized service, and a lack of continuity of care adversely affected patient and physician satisfaction and diminished effective doctor-patient interactions. This study suggests that differences in ethnic background do not necessarily adversely affect the delivery of reproductive health care. Indigent white and Puerto Rican women wanted the same thing: quality perinatal care and education.
Structure and properties of the acylated anthocyanins from Vitis species

Abstract The acylated anthocyanins of Ives grapes have been isolated using column chromatography on polyamide and polyvinylpyrrolidone. Controlled hydrolysis with Dowex 50W-X8 ion exchange resin, KOH. peroxide oxidation and speciroscopic characterization revealed their tructure as the 3-(6- O - p -coumarylglucoside)-5-glucosides of cyanidin, peonidin, delphinidin, petunidin, and malvidin and the 3-(6- O - p -coumary lglucoside)s of delphinidin, petunidin and malvidin. On cellulose TLCs in the five solvent systems used, no clear-cut separation of these pigments could be obtained without their preliminary separation on polyamide and polyvinylpyrrolidone columns.
Biochemical studies of H-2K antigens from a group of related mutants. I. Identification of a shared mutation in B6-H-2bm5 and B6-H-2bm16.

Structural studies of the H-2 gene products from a group of five closely related but independent C57BL/6 H-2 mutant mice were undertaken. Each of the mutants exhibits reciprocal graft rejection with the parent. The group is remarkable, however, because each member of this group can accept skin grafts from any other member. The results of biochemical analysis of the H-2 glycoproteins from two of these related mutants, bm5 and bm16, are presented in this report. Evidence is given that the H-2K molecules from these two mutants are identical to each other based on comparative tryptic peptide mapping profiles with the parent. From partial amino acid sequence analysis, K products of both mutants have at least one common difference from the parental type located at residue number 116. Definitive studies established that in both bm5 and bm16 a tryosine found in the parent molecule is substituted with a phenylalanine in the mutant. These results show that a biochemical difference between the K products of the two mutants and of the parent can be detected, that the mutants appear to be identical with one another even though they arose independently, and that they differ from the other H-2K b mutants analyzed.
Clinical Observations of the Impact of Maudsley Therapy in Improving Eating Disorder Symptoms, Weight, and Depression in Adolescents Receiving Treatment for Anorexia Nervosa

This article describes a comparison of adolescent patients with a diagnosis of anorexia nervosa receiving treatment with and without family-based therapy. Sixteen patients with anorexia nervosa were evaluated and compared pretreatment and post-treatment. The family-based program used is an adaptation of the Maudsley approach; a parallel treatment program used the standard multidisciplinary treatment at Rogers Memorial Hospital. The outcome measures in both programs were depression, eating disorder symptoms, weight, and body mass index. Individuals treated with the Maudsley approach made significant improvements in all outcomes measured. These preliminary findings support the notion that parental involvement in the treatment of anorexia nervosa is effective in significantly reducing overall eating disorder behaviors, decreasing symptoms of depression, and improving weight.
The effect of variation of genetic variance and correlation between mean and variance on efficiency of bulk yield testing

Computer simulation techniques were used to examine the effect of variation of genetic variance and correlation between mean and genetic variance on the efficiency of bulk yield testing procedures. Assessment of the effect of variation in various parameters was made by comparing genetic gains with the maximum potential gain. The maximum potential gain was defined as that which would be achieved if the particular bulk which maximizes genetic advance were chosen for selection.
Situation-Based Context and the Availability of Predictive Inferences

Four experiments are reported in which the conditions leading to the activation and potential instantiation of a predictive inference were further explored. In the first two experiments, a constraining context containing few semantic associates to a potential predictive inference was established as part of the active portion of the discourse model. Following a delay of several sentences, a reference back to that context produced activation of a predictive inference, indicating that the constraining context can occur anywhere in a passage as long as it is readily available to the reader. In two additional experiments, further support was provided for the finding that although activated, predictive inferences may not be instantiated into the long-term memory representation of a text. The results of all four experiments are discussed within the memory-based view of text processing.
Rank order filtering on bit-serial mesh-connected computers

ABSTRACT Rank order filters have a wide variety of applications in image processing as an effective tool forremoving noise in images without severely distorting abrupt changes in the images. The k-th rankfilter with an m x m window sets each pixel the k-th smallest value of the m2 pixels in its m x mneighborhood. The median filter is the most commonly used special case of rank order filters. Rankorder filtering requires intensive computation. In this paper, we consider implementation of rank order filters on bit-serial mesh-connected computers such as the Lockheed Martin CISP computer. We design rank filtering algorithms using the threshold decomposition and radix splitting techniques, and presentsome experimental results of the implementation of those algorithms on the CISP computer.Keywords — rank order ifiter, threshold decomposition, radix splitting, parallel algorithm, mesh- connected computer 1. INTRODUCTION Digital filtering has many applications in a wide variety of fields such as biomedical engineering,radar, speech and data communication, and image processing. Linear filters have been the main toolfor signal and image processing for a long time. However, linear filters tend to distort abrupt changes
Preparation of 3,3′-dichlorobenzidine-(phenyl-U-14C) dihydrochloride

A novel five-step synthesis of 3,3′- dichlorobenzidine-(phenyl-U14C) dihydrochloride is described. The method consists of the preparation of benzidine-(phenyl-U-14C) followed by acetylation, chlorination with N-chlorosuccinimide (NCS), and hydrolysis. The specific activity of the product was 31.2 mCi/mmole and the overall radiochemical yield was 20% [based on nitrobenzene-(phenyl-U-14C)].
Activation of heme biosynthesis by a small molecule that is toxic to fermenting Staphylococcus aureus

Staphylococcus aureus is a significant infectious threat to global public health. Acquisition or synthesis of heme is required for S. aureus to capture energy through respiration, but an excess of this critical cofactor is toxic to bacteria. S. aureus employs the heme sensor system (HssRS) to overcome heme toxicity; however, the mechanism of heme sensing is not defined. Here, we describe the identification of a small molecule activator of HssRS that induces endogenous heme biosynthesis by perturbing central metabolism. This molecule is toxic to fermenting S. aureus, including clinically relevant small colony variants. The utility of targeting fermenting bacteria is exemplified by the fact that this compound prevents the emergence of antibiotic resistance, enhances phagocyte killing, and reduces S. aureus pathogenesis. Not only is this small molecule a powerful tool for studying bacterial heme biosynthesis and central metabolism; it also establishes targeting of fermentation as a viable antibacterial strategy.
Expression of preprosomatostatin in heterologous cells: Biosynthesis, posttranslational processing, and secretion of mature somatostatin

Somatostatin is a 14 amino acid peptide hormone that is synthesized as part of a larger precursor, preprosomatostatin, which comprises about 120 amino acids. The overall organization of the precursor is conserved in many species in that it consists of a signal peptide followed by a proregion of 90-100 amino acids and the mature hormone is located at the carboxyl terminus of the molecule. To understand the role of the propeptide in generating the mature hormone, we have used gene-transfer experiments to introduce angler fish preprosomatostatin into mammalian cells. Here we report the results of transfection of COS-7 cells with an SV40 expression vector containing preprosomatostatin cDNA cloned into the VP-1 late gene. Analysis of the parameters of somatostatin gene expression showed that COS cells synthesized prosomatostatin, which was detected intracellularly; the prosomatostatin, was proteolytically processed to mature somatostatin; and the mature hormone was secreted by the COS cells into the tissue culture medium. Our results suggest that COS cells, which do not normally secrete polypeptide hormones, contain the necessary proteolytic processing enzymes to convert preprosomatostatin to the mature hormone and the cellular apparatus necessary for its secretion.
A Novel Signal-Scheduling Algorithm With Quality-of-Service Provisioning for an Isolated Intersection

There have been countless efforts directed toward efficiently controlling the flow of vehicular traffic through an intersection. This paper describes an algorithm designed for the signal control problem that employs concepts drawn from the field of packet switching in computer networks. The novel method proposed utilizes a maximal weight matching algorithm to minimize the queue sizes at each approach, yielding significantly lower average vehicle delay through the intersection. Of particular interest are scenarios in which differentiated services are offered to vehicle classes with differing priorities. Lyapunov function-based analysis is provided, deriving the conditions under which the system is guaranteed to be stable. The algorithm is compared to an optimized fixed-time controller and a vehicle-actuated controller using the VISSIM traffic simulation environment. Simulation results demonstrate the performance gain obtained when using the proposed scheme, particularly in the scenario in which vehicle routes are unequally distributed, and multiple classes of service are desired.
Implied historical federal reserve bank behavior under uncertainty

This paper presents the implied United States Federal Reserve Bank (FED) policy behavior under multiplicative model and shock uncertainty, defined through performance objectives, cases by using historical data. Robust system theory frameworks are used to empirically study the characteristics of the FED short-term interest rate-inflation dynamics under different circumstances by using a single-input single-output model. The main result of this study demonstrates that the historical FED actions was conservative under model and shock uncertainty.
Debt in the US economy

In 2011, the publicly held debt-to-GDP ratio in the United States reached 68% and is expected to continue rising. Many proposals to curb the government de…cit and the resulting debt are being discussed. In this paper, we use the standard neoclassical growth model to examine the future path of output, budget de…cits, and debt in the U.S. economy
Views of media objects in multimedia databases

Multimedia database systems must manage large amounts of graphical, textual, and audio data. To compound the problem, if a multimedia designer creates a new media image from an existing item, current systems store the new object as an independent image. This space is wasted since the data already exists in the system. In order to eliminate this wasted space, views of stored objects should be used instead of replicated data. Views are well known in relational databases to have both benefits and drawbacks. In order to overcome these drawbacks, the paper defines a view schema, which mirrors the media hierarchy; a view dag which determines the base files used to create the view; and view independence, a paradigm for performing operations on views. The criteria for a canonical media algebra are outlined. A canonical media algebra allows multiple editors to instantiate a view. Finally, optimization of specifications is discussed.
First-exit model predictive control of fast discontinuous dynamics: Application to ball bouncing

We extend model-predictive control so as to make it applicable to robotic tasks such as legged locomotion, hand manipulation and ball bouncing. The online optimal control problem is defined in a first-exit rather than the usual finite-horizon setting. The exit manifold corresponds to changes in contact state. In this way the need for online optimization through dynamic discontinuities is avoided. Instead the effects of discontinuities are incorporated in a final cost which is tuned offline. The new method is demonstrated on the task of 3D ball bouncing. Even though our robot is mechanically limited, it bounces one ball robustly and recovers from a wide range of disturbances, and can also bounce two balls with the same paddle. This is possible due to intelligent responses computed online, without relying on pre-existing plans.
Diversity Through a Branched Reaction Pathway: Generation of Multicyclic Scaffolds and Identification of Antimigratory Agents

A library of 91 heterocyclic compounds composed of 16 distinct scaffolds has been synthesized through a sequence of phosphine-catalyzed ring-forming reactions, Tebbe reactions, Diels-Alder reactions, and, in some cases, hydrolysis. This effort in diversity-oriented synthesis produced a collection of compounds that exhibited high levels of structural variation both in terms of stereochemistry and the range of scaffolds represented. A simple but powerful sequence of reactions thus led to a high-diversity library of relatively modest size with which to explore biologically relevant regions of chemical space. From this library, several molecules were identified that inhibit the migration and invasion of breast cancer cells and may serve as leads for the development of antimetastatic agents.
Isolation of mutants of Mycoplasma pneumoniae defective in hemadsorption.

Abstract Mutants of Mycoplasma pneumoniae incapable of hemadsorption were isolated by means of chemical mutagenesis. These hemadsorption-negative mutants did not attach to hamster tracheal rings in vitro at as high a frequency as that exhibited by the wild-type parent strain.
Achieving the College Dream? Examining Disparities in Access to College Information Among High Achieving and Non-High Achieving Latina Students

Using an Opportunity to Learn (OTL) framework, this study examines the college preparatory experiences of Latina high and non-high achievers at an urban Latina/o majority high school. Findings indi...
A solar blind, hybrid III-nitride/silicon, ultraviolet avalanche photodiode

A novel, hybrid III-Nitride/Si, ultraviolet (UV) avalanche photodiode (APD) is proposed. The device combines the favorable short wavelength interband absorption properties of the direct bandgap III-Nitride material with the unique impact ionization characteristics of silicon. Solar blind response is achieved through optical isolation of the multiplication region of the device.
Online Fund-Raising and Contributors in the 2004 Presidential Campaign

Online fund-raising for political campaigns has grown substantially in recent election cycles, raising new and important questions about how this phenomenon is affecting the composition of the donor pool. In this article, the authors use data from a survey of donors in the 2004 presidential election to compare the demographic, socioeconomic, and political characteristics of online and offline donors. The authors find mostly similarities between the two donor pools, although online donors tend to be younger and more politically active. The results also show that candidates on the left were more successful at motivating online contributions in 2004.
Two-frequency analysis of interactions elicited by Vernier stimuli

In five subjects, we measured visual evoked potentials (VEPs) elicited by Vernier targets in which the contrast of the two components of the stimuli were modulated by sinusoids at distinct frequencies fl and f2. This approach allows for the extraction of VEP signatures of spatial interactions, namely, responses at intermodulation frequencies n1f1 + n2f2, without the need to introduce motion into the stimulus. The most prominent interactions were at the sum frequency f1 + f2, and, for frequency pairs that were sufficiently separated, the difference frequency f1- f2. These responses had a systematic dependence on the temporal parameters of the stimulus, corresponding to an effective latency of 145 to 165 ms. Fourth-order interactions were also detected, particularly at the frequencies 2f1 +/- 2f2. These VEP signatures of interaction were similar to interactions seen for colinear line segments separated by a gap. Thus, for Vernier stimuli devoid of motion, VEP signatures of interaction are readily detected but are not specific to hyperacuity displacements. The distribution of interactions across harmonic orders is consistent with local rectification preceding the spatial interactions. Their effective latencies and dependence on spatial parameters are consistent with interactions within V1 receptive fields or mediated by horizontal connections between cells with a similar orientation tuning within V1.
Impact of storage conditions on metabolite profiles of sputum samples from persons with cystic fibrosis

Background: Although recent studies have begun to elucidate how airway microbial community structure relates to lung disease in cystic fibrosis (CF), microbial community activity and the host's response to changes in this activity are poorly understood. Metabolomic profiling provides a means to investigate microbial activity and human cell activity within diseased airways. However, variables in sample storage and shipping likely affect downstream analyses and standards for sample handling are lacking. Methods: We assessed the impact of sample storage conditions on liquid chromatography mass spectrometry analysis of CF sputum samples. Results: Significant changes in global metabolomic profiles occurred in samples stored at room temperature or at 4 °C for longer than one day. Untargeted metabolomic profiles were stable in sputum samples stored at �20 °C or �80 °C for at least 28 days. Quorum sensing molecules and phenazines, both considered important to the in vivo activity of Pseudomonas during airway infection, were detected after sample storage at room temperature for five days. Conclusions: Sputum samples can be stored at �20 °C or �80 °C for weeks with minimal effect on global metabolomic profiles. This observation provides guidance in designing metabolomic studies that have the potential to deepen our understanding of how airway microbial communities impact lung disease progression in CF.
Self-Determination, Immigration Restrictions, and the Problem of Compatriot Deportation

Several political theorists argue that states have rights to self-determination and these rights justify immigration restrictions. Call this: the self-determination argument for immigration restrictions. In this article, I develop an objection to the self- determination argument. I argue that if it is morally permissible for states to restrict immigration because they have rights to self-determination, then it can also be morally permissible for states to deport and denationalize their own citizens. We can either accept that it is permissible for states to deport and denationalize their own citizens or reject the self-determination argument. To avoid this implication, we should reject the self-determination argument. That is, we should also reject the conclusion that rights to self-determination can justify any significant immigration restrictions.
Interaction of Reverse Transcriptase (RT) Mutations Conferring Resistance to Lamivudine and Etravirine: Effects on Fitness and RT Activity of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1

Resistance to the nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors etravirine and rilpivirine (RPV) is conferred by the E138K mutation in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) reverse transcriptase (RT). Clinical trials of RPV administered with lamivudine or emtricitabine showed the emergence of E138K together with M184I, which confers lamivudine and emtricitabine resistance in most patients with virologic failure. To understand why M184I was favored over M184V, we determined the drug susceptibility, infectivity, relative fitness, and reverse transcriptase activity of HIV-1 carrying E138K/M184I or E138K/M184V mutations. Whereas the replication capacity (RC) of the single mutants was reduced compared to that of the wild type (WT), the RC of the two double mutants was comparable to that of the WT in the absence of drug. The RC of the E138K/M184I mutant in the presence of etravirine was significantly greater than that of the E138K and E138K/M184V mutants; the RC of the double mutants was greater than that of the M184I or M184V mutant. Fitness profiles and growth competition experiments showed that the E138K/M184I mutant had a significant replicative advantage over the E138K/M184V mutant in the presence of etravirine and lamivudine. The virion-associated RT activity of the E138K, M184I, or M184V virus was significantly reduced compared to that of the WT, whereas the RT activity of the E138K/M184I virus was significantly greater than that of the WT or E138K/M184V virus. These results suggest that the E138K and M184I/V mutations are mutually compensatory and may explain the frequent occurrence of E138K/M184I after the virologic failure of rilpivirine-, lamivudine-, and emtricitabine-containing regimens.
Salmonella survival in freshwater and experimental infections in goldfish (crassuis auratus)

Abstract The infection rates for various Salmonella serotypes in goldfish (Crassuis auratus) were evaluated under a number of controlled environmental conditions. Studies were undertaken to determine the number of salmonellae necessary to cause infection, and to elucidate the conditions instrumental to the continued persistence of the pathogen in the aquatic environment. All of 32 strains (representing 12 serotypes of Salmonella) studied infected goldfish. Under appropriate physiological conditions, the fish were infected for a period of two weeks with ≤5 organisms/ml water. Physiological stress to the fish augmented infection rates. Increased eutrophy, with agitation of the water, was correlated with lowered infection rates and decreased survival of the pathogen. The presence of a bottom sediment under these same eutrophic conditions resulted in infections of six weeks duration. Repeated isolation of salmonellae from the gastrointestinal tracts of the fish suggested that colonization had occurred. A cycl...
Overview of Denitrification

Despite its restriction to a relatively small number of procaryotes, denitrification exerts a pervasive effect on the metabolism of organisms at many levels of biology. In the development of their Gaia, or Mother Earth, hypothesis of the Earth’s atmosphere as a circulatory system of biological origin, Margulis and Lovelock (1974) attributed a major role to denitrifying bacteria. They concluded that the release of the dinitrogen that formed the major component of the gaseous envelope more than 3000 million years ago greatly influenced the establishment of the control systems necessary for the subsequent evolution of eucaryotes. Today, on a series of lesser but still gigantic scales, denitrification impinges critically upon the nitrogen cycle; heavily upon carbon and energy cycling in both heterotrophic and autotrophic bacteria; destructively upon the fertility of the soil; to an unknown but probably controlling degree, upon the productivity of marshes, bottom sediments and marine upwelling regions; helpfully upon wastewater treatment; and, for now, acceptably upon stratospheric gas composition. Therefore, instead of examining the component parts of the phenomenon, as we have done before (Payne et al., 1980), it might be useful to consider as many of these areas of impact as we can profitably analyze to gain some insights into the total force of denitrification.
Evidence Tips the Scale Toward Screening for Hyperglycemia

Screening and early detection for hyperglycemia is a topic of considerable interest, and there is debate as to its overall benefits (1). Policies for screening vary from the position of the American Diabetes Association (2), which recommends glucose testing in all people aged 45 years and over or at high risk for type 2 diabetes, to the position of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), which recommends only testing those with sustained hypertension (3). The USPSTF, however, is deliberating its new draft recommendations, which broaden the criteria for type 2 diabetes and prediabetes screening (http://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/Page/Document/draft-research-plan49/screening-for-abnormal-glucose-and-type-2-diabetes-mellitus). As screening and early detection for hyperglycemia remains a topic of great interest, the article from Herman et al. (4) in this issue of Diabetes Care is timely. Specifically, Herman et al. (4) report on the beneficial effect of type 2 diabetes screening on cardiovascular (CVD) morbidity and mortality in the Anglo-Danish-Dutch Study of Intensive Treatment in People with Screen-Detected Diabetes in Primary Care (ADDITION-Europe) trial. Diabetes is a global problem, affecting 387 million people worldwide (5), that is growing in all countries, in urban and rural areas and projected to affect approximately 600 million individuals by 2035 (5). Type 2 diabetes (accounting for about 95% of all diabetes cases) often exists asymptomatically (6), and approximately 50% of cases globally (varying from 30% to 80% across countries) remain undiagnosed (1). Eighty percent of people with diabetes live in developing countries, and the majority of those affected are aged 40–59 years (5). In addition …
An Avuncular Stereotype Advertises Dr. George Hill's Laughing Gas☆

a School of Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, 301 University Boulevard, Galveston, TX 77555-0144, USA b Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 11100 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA c Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine, 2124 Cornell Rd, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA d Honorary Curator, American Society of Anesthesiologists, Wood Library-Museum of Anesthesiology, 1061 American Lane, Schaumburg, IL 60173-4973, USA
Regenerative Wound Healing via Biomaterials

Regenerative tissue engineering has the potential to revolutionize reconstructive approaches by providing either prefabricated tissue or responsive biomaterials with patient-specific geometry. The question to ask is how regeneration and repair are controlled in vivo and if a responsive biomaterial system can drive these processes? Does the cellular control lie at the cell-biomaterial nano-interface and do we have the tools to study this? The chemical and structural parameters and molecular linkages of the extracellular matrix that contribute to the internal mechanics of the cell and regulate a remodeling of an implanted biomaterial at the nano-interface have to be identified. This chapter is focused on introducing this concept of nano-scale regulated tissue regeneration by identifying numerous parameters of the biomaterial scaffold and cells so that the cell remodels the biomaterial without the addition of any growth factors, or other regulatory molecules by being influenced by composition, intermolecular linkages, nanostructure, nanomechanics of the biomaterial, and the biological/ chemical/ mechanical balance at the cell-biomaterial interface.
Dual-Layered Coordination: Repression, Cooptation, and the Role of Information

We study a coordination problem where two distinct groups of individuals are in competition with each other. One group (regime opponents) prefers a change in regime, and can participate in an attack which if sufficiently large, causes regime change. The other group (regime adherents) prefers the status quo and can support the regime, making it more resistant to attack. We derive and analyze the endogenously determined strength of the regime. We also show that large disparities in group size can lead to equilibrium multiplicity. By isolating the coordinating effect of public information that results from the ``two-sidedness'' of the coordination problem, we detail how coordination between regime adherents intensifies the already disproportionate effect of public information. Specifically, we show that public information affects the actions of individuals in each group identically, regardless of disparities in the quality of private information available to members of each group, implying that commonly observed sources of information will coordinate both regime adherents and regime opponents in exactly the same way. Last, we formalize and analyze coordination failure in the context of opposed interests.
Surface Acoustic Wave Detection of Large Lattice Relaxation of Metastable EL2 in LT-GaAs

For the first time, surface acoustic waves (SAWs) were used to study the lattice relaxation of metastable defects. A persistent increase of as much as 0.4% of the SAW velocity at low temperatures was observed after illumination of LT-GaAs; this increase could be quenched by annealing at 120–130°K. This behaviour is caused by the metastable transition of EL2-like As Ga defects and constitutes the direct experimental proof of the illumination induced large lattice relaxation of this defect.