cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An electrophoretic study of mutationally altered A proteins of the tryptophan synthetase of Escherichia coli.

The mutationally altered A proteins (tryptophan synthetase) of nine single mutants and three double mutants of Escherichia coli have been examined by electrophoresis in Polyacrylamide gel and on cellulose acetate. The A proteins from seven of the single mutants studied exhibited charge differences from the wild-type A protein. The mutationally induced amino acid substitution in one of these seven A proteins is known and the change in charge observed with this protein is consistent with the amino acid substitution. The A protein of one double mutant had a charge which was intermediate between that of the two corresponding single-mutant proteins. However, the mobilities observed with two other double-mutant proteins were not consistent with those expected on the basis of electrophoretic analyses with the corresponding single-mutant proteins. Furthermore, the electrophoretic mobilities of these two double-mutant proteins relative to the wild-type A protein were different on cellulose acetate and in Polyacrylamide gel. Possible explanations of the inconsistent mobilities are offered. The results obtained are correlated with the restricted location of the corresponding mutant sites on the genetic map of the A gene.
Ab initio study of graphite. -->. diamondlike transitions in BN

We have investigated the variation of the structural energy along two transition paths from the layered to the highly condensed phases of BN using the first-principles total-energy pseudopotential method. Along the structural paths considered, the symmetries of the initial layered phases have been maintained, leading from the rhombohedral and hexagonal graphitic phases, which differ in their stacking sequences, into the zinc-blende and wurtzite phases, respectively. Constraining the interlayer distances, the total energies were minimized by allowing the hexagonal rings to stretch and buckle into chair conformation. The paths obtained in this way have activation energy barriers approximately 40% smaller than those in graphite\ensuremath{\rightarrow}diamond transitions of C, and approximately equal to 0.38 eV/pair for both processes considered when the zero-point motion energy contribution is neglected. The charge densities indicate that strong bonding between the hexagonal layers occurs only in the final stage of the transitions, after the barriers have been crossed, and the structures collapse into the tetrahedrally coordinated phases. From the point of view of electronic structure, at all stages along the transitions, BN displays gaps (calculated within the local-density approximation) larger than 3.5 eV, a minimum which is reached when the activation energy barrier is near a maximum.
Understanding insiders: An analysis of risk-taking behavior

There is considerable research being conducted on insider threats directed to developing new technologies. At the same time, existing technology is not being fully utilized because of non-technological issues that pertain to economics and the human dimension. Issues related to how insiders actually behave are critical to ensuring that the best technologies are meeting their intended purpose. In our research, we have investigated accepted models of perceptions of risk and characteristics unique to insider threat, and we have introduced ordinal scales to these models to measure insider perceptions of risk. We have also investigated decision theories, leading to a conclusion that prospect theory, developed by Tversky and Kahneman, may be used to describe the risk-taking behavior of insiders and can be accommodated in our model. Our results indicate that there is an inverse relationship between perceived risk and benefit by insiders and that their behavior cannot be explained well by the models that are based on the traditional methods of engineering risk analysis and expected utility. We discuss the results of validating that model with forty-two senior information security executives from a variety of organizations. We also discuss how the model may be used to identify characteristics of insiders' perceptions of risk and benefit, their risk-taking behavior and how to frame insider decisions. Finally, we recommend understanding risk of detection and creating a fair working environment to reduce the likelihood of committing criminal acts by insiders.
Investigating the Use of Narrative in Affective Learning on Issues of Social Justice

Abstract Bias and discrimination based on the differences of others is a serious contemporary problem. Biased beliefs often lead to harmful discriminatory action and inhibit emotional and cognitive development. Such beliefs also serve as perceptual screens that constrict imagination, limit experience, and diminish the possibilities of constructing useful meaning regarding difference (Greene, 1995). As barriers to new information, varied perspectives, and construction of meaning, these perceptual screens are particularly restrictive in educational settings. Certain instructional tools and processes, however, have been found to offer significant opportunity for learners to develop empathy, reflect on their own biases, and reconstruct stereotypical stories about the differences of others. This article reports findings from a recent study on the the potential of narrative stimulation to mediate the delivery of information on the effects of human discrimination. It revolves around the use of Jeff's Story, an i...
External carotid endarterectomy with internal carotid artery transposition flap angioplasty for symptomatic internal carotid artery occlusion

The external carotid artery is an important collateral pathway for cerebral perfusion when the internal carotid artery is occluded. After internal carotid artery occlusion, there is a definite risk of ipsilateral neurological events. The authors retrospectively examined their experience with endarterectomy of the external carotid artery for symptomatic internal carotid artery occlusion. Results based on the authors' experience and on historical data show external carotid endarterectomy to be a safe procedure. Obliteration of the cul-de-sac appears to be a very important factor in the prevention of reocclusion or recurrence of symptoms after external carotid endarterectomy. Use of the internal carotid artery stump for patching of the endarterectomized external carotid artery is both safe and effective in treating symptomatic internal carotid artery occlusion.
Quantum optics with nanoscale surface plasmons

We discuss recent experiments involving a new, broadband approach for engineering photon-emitter interactions via subwavelength confinement of guided optical fields in metallic nanowires [1–2]. The tight confinement of guided excitations in these nanostructures, known as surface plasmons [3–5], results in large interactions between single photons and single optical emitters without the use of a cavity, which can further be manipulated using quantum optical techniques.
Determination of Anterior Labral Repair Stress During Passive Arm Motion in a Cadaveric Model

Purpose: The actual forces encountered at the labrum after anterior labral repair have yet to be quantified. The purpose of this study was to determine the amount of force experienced at the glenoid-labrum interface with passive range of motion after an isolated Bankart repair and Bankart repair with capsular shift. Methods: In 12 fresh-frozen cadaveric shoulders, anterior-inferior labral tears were created and then instrumented with a modified load cell. The labral lesions were repaired with either an anatomic "labral only" technique or a labral repair along with a capsular shift by use of a transglenoid technique. Shoulders were then taken through a series of movements (forward flexion, abduction, external rotation, and abduction and then external rotation) simulating passive range-of-motion rehabilitation while force measurements were taken. Maximum force (in Newtons) on the simulated repairs was recorded. Results: The forces experienced at the labrum showed a statistically significant difference between the group that underwent anatomic "labral only" repair and the group that underwent labral repair with capsular shift. The greatest mean force experienced (17.7 N) was in shoulders undergoing the labral repair with capsular shift with the arm in abduction and external rotation. Conclusions: In a transglenoid suture repair technique, the forces experienced at the repair site were significantly less than those determined by previous authors to be necessary to result in failure of the Bankart repair. The results of this study show that the forces experienced at the glenoid-labrum interface are higher when a capsular shift is included with a labral repair as opposed to labral repair alone. This difference was statistically significant. Clinical Relevance: These data suggest that early postoperative rehabilitation may safely allow greater passive range of motion than is presently accepted.
Calcium-Independent Activation of Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinases 1 and 2 by Cyclic Strain

We have previously demonstrated that cyclic strain induces extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) activation in endothelial cells (EC). The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Ca2+ on the activation of ERK1/2. Bovine aortic EC were pretreated with a chelator of extracellular Ca2+, ethylaneglycol-bis(aminoethylether)-tetra-acetate (EGTA), a depleter of Ca2+ pools, 2,5-Di-(tert-butyl)-1,4-benzohydroquinone (BHQ), or a Ca2+ channel blocker, GdCl3, and subjected to an average 10 % strain at a rate of 60 cycles/min for 10 min. BHQ and GdCl3 did not inhibit the strain-induced ERK1/2 activation. Chelation of normal extracellular Ca2+ (1.8 mM) medium with EGTA (3 mM) acutely stimulated baseline phosphorylation and activation of ERK1/2, thereby obscuring any strain-induced activation of ERK1/2. However, in EC preincubated for 24 hours in Ca2+-free medium, elevated baseline phosphorylation was minimally activated by EGTA (200 microM) such that cyclic strain stimulated ERK1/2 in the presence or absence of BHQ. These results suggest a Ca2+ independence of the ERK1/2 signaling pathway by cyclic strain. Copyright 1998 Academic Press.
The Effectiveness of Utilizing a Combination of External Visual and Auditory Cues as a Gait Training Strategy in a Pharmaceutically Untreated Patient with Parkinson's Disease: A Case Report

ABSTRACTOne major functional problem that many individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) face is gait difficulties, including a shuffling gait and freezing episodes. Proposed treatment options in physical therapy (PT) include teaching PD patients to utilize external cues in order to allow for a more efficient gait. The purpose of this case study was to compare the effectiveness of visual cue alone and combined visual and auditory cues on various gait parameters in a patient with PD, who was not receiving pharmaceutical treatment. The patient was a 71-year-old male who presented with a diagnosis, signs and symptoms of PD. The patient was seen in PT for 5×/week for 7 weeks. The main focus on the intervention was improved gait through gait strategies such as visual and auditory cues. Outcomes showed increased gait velocity, distance ambulated, and decreased frequency of freezing with visual and auditory cues compared to visual cues alone.
Two-dimensional velocity measurements in a laminar flame using particle image velocimetry

Abstract Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) was used to measure the gas-velocity distribution at the exit of a 0.79cm ID pipe (Re = 680), both in cold flow and within a premixed flame (Φ= 1.06). To perform PIV, a double-pulsed laser-light sheet was used to illuminate the particle-seeded flow, and the particle-scattered light was photographed. The photograph was interrogated on an automated system, producing two measured velocity components (u and v) on a regularly spaced (0.2 mm) grid with a spatial resolution of 0.5 mm over the entire photographed region. The radial distribution of the axial velocity, v(r), and the gradient, dv(r)/dr, 0.5 mm from the exit of the pipe in the cold flow compared favorably with that predicted by Poiseuille's theory. The velocity in the unburned gas ahead of the laminar flame was measured successfully as well.
Political criminogenesis of democracy in the colonial settler‐state: Terror, terrorism, and guerrilla warfare

Abstract Terror, terrorism, and guerrilla warfare are distinct phenomena. The analysis of the social‐cultural‐historical context of the colonial settler‐state, with particular emphasis on South Africa, Fiji, and New Caledonia, clarifies the differences between terror, terrorism, and guerrilla warfare while noting the reasons that indigenous political extremists rationalize their violence. Such an analysis reveals that past demographic engineering by colonial powers or their overseas representatives in the form of the state has resulted in a current sociopolitical reality in which democracy denoted by one‐person, one‐vote enfranchisement may ensure the continued subordination of the colonized indigenous population, thus resulting in the turn to terror, terrorism, or guerrilla warfare by radical sectors of the numerically inferior indigenous population.
Toward an integrated analysis of czochralski growth

Abstract Accurate modelling of Czochralski crystal growth requires calculating the temperature distribution in the melt, crystal, crucible and the surrounding components of the system, convection and dopant transport in the melt, and the shapes of the melt/crystal and melt-ambient interfaces and the crystal shape. This paper reviews a hierarchy of models designed for analysis of transport processes in Czochralski and liquid-encapsulated Czochralski crystal growth. The models are based on a common thermal-capillary description of the coupling between heat transfer in the melt and crystal and the shapes of the unknown surfaces and on a common finite-element/Newton analysis for simultaneous calculation of the temperature field and interface shapes. This coupling between heat transfer and the surface shapes has been demonstrated by analyses based solely on conductive heat transfer in the melt. The extensions of the thermal-capillary model and the finite-element/Newton method to include melt convection, diffuse-gray radiation and heat transfer in the entire system are discussed. Sample results are presented for the crystal growth of silicon.
Detection of delta opioid receptor and N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate receptor‐like immunoreactivity in retinoic acid‐differentiated neuroblastoma x glioma (NG108‐15) cells

NG108-15 neuroblastoma cells differentiated with 0.1 M of all-trans retinoic acid (RA) were processed for immunohistochemical analysis using polyclonal antisera against the delta opioid receptor (DOR) and the N-Methyl-D-Aspartate receptor (NMDAR1) to determine the cellular sites for possible functional associations between DOR and NMDAR1 receptors. In this study, 6 days of RA treatment resulted in prominent morphological differentiation characterized by the appearance of numerous axon- and dendrite-like processes and formation of networks between the cell clusters. An immunocytochemical approach allowed the demonstration of antibody concentration-dependent differences, not evident in ligand binding studies, in the distribution of DOR and NMDA receptor protein between cell soma and processes. RA-differentiated cultures showed positive DOR-like immunostaining (DOR-LI) throughout the cell bodies as well as on the newly acquired processes. In contrast, NMDAR1-like immunoreactivity (NMDAR1-LI) in the RA-treated cells was detected in the cell soma and processes only with the higher concentration of the antiserum. With the lower concentration of the antibody the NMDAR1-LI was not detected in the processes and was limited to a punctuate subcellular distribution in the soma. The DOR-LI pattern of distribution in NG108-15 cells differentiated with RA appeared to be consistent with the DOR-LI detected in the CNS. The NMDAR1-LI distribution in these cells is similar to brain tissue with respect to its presence on the newly acquired processes. However, it differed from brain in that a much higher abundance of NMDAR1 receptors was observed in the cell soma. This differential distribution of DOR and NMDAR1 receptors in the RA-treated NG108-15 cells could provide a basis for future studies of drug-induced changes in these two receptors. J. Neurosci. Res. 47:83–89, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A method for isolating nuclei from Euglena gracilis.

A method is given for isolating nuclei from Euglena gracilis. The method yields 29% of the total DNA in the original culture in the final nuclear pellet. The protein: DNA mass ratio of the final pellet is 2.38.
Comparison of Speech Recognition With Adaptive Digital and FM Remote Microphone Hearing Assistance Technology by Listeners Who Use Hearing Aids

Purpose The purpose of this study was to compare the benefits of 3 types of remote microphone hearing assistance technology (HAT), adaptive digital broadband, adaptive frequency modulation (FM), and fixed FM, through objective and subjective measures of speech recognition in clinical and real-world settings. Method Participants included 11 adults, ages 16 to 78 years, with primarily moderate-to-severe bilateral hearing impairment (HI), who wore binaural behind-the-ear hearing aids; and 15 adults, ages 18 to 30 years, with normal hearing. Sentence recognition in quiet and in noise and subjective ratings were obtained in 3 conditions of wireless signal processing. Results Performance by the listeners with HI when using the adaptive digital technology was significantly better than that obtained with the FM technology, with the greatest benefits at the highest noise levels. The majority of listeners also preferred the digital technology when listening in a real-world noisy environment. The wireless technology...
FIELD GERMINATION AND SEEDLING GROWTH OF CH AND CL PROGENY OF IMPATIENS CAPENSIS (BALSAMINACEAE)

The germination behavior and early growth of chasmogamous (CH) and cleistogamous (CL) progeny of Impatiens capensis were investigated in two eastern Nebraska stands. Field germination of families of buried seeds was scored in mid-April. In one stand a significantly higher proportion of CL seeds germinated than CH seeds while no significant differences were observed in the second stand. Among-family variation in germination rates was significant in both stands. The time course offield germination was similar for CL and CH seeds. A sample ofthe germinated CL and CH seedlings, matched in size, was planted individually in pots and grown in the greenhouse for five wk. Early growth of CL and CH seedlings was similar. In addition, CL seedlings were as variable as CH seedlings for four morphological traits. Overall, a large fitness advantage for CH progeny was not detected in the germination and early growth of Impatiens
Totally implantable venous access system (TIVAS) Complicated by Tracheo-Venous Fistula

Totally implantable venous access system (TIVAS) are widely used for various indications including chemotherapy infusion. The use of TIVAS is associated with number of complications that can occur as early as the time of insertion or can take place months later. We report a case of a 64 year old female with recurrent osteosarcoma of the mandible. She had a port-a-catheter placed for chemotherapy infusion. The patient developed fistula between the Innominate Vein and the trachea, which found to be secondary to a spontaneous migration of the tip of the catheter. To our knowledge this is the first case of this kind to be reported. This complication, although very rare, can be life threatening, and should be considered when there is a malfunction of the TIVAS.
Inactivation of Brucellaphages on Full-antigen Substrates of Brucella

A PREVIOUS communication1 from this laboratory described the inactivation of a brucellaphage on a full-antigen–acetone substrate of Brucella melitensis, B. abortus and B. suis and on the fractions of Brucella obtained by the modified ‘phenol–water’ method of Westphal-Luderitz-Bister.
Ab initio calculations on the thermodynamic properties of azaborospiropentanes.

Following our recent studies of the thermodynamic properties of azaspiropentane and borospiropentane, in consideration of their usefulness as new potential high energy materials, we follow up with ab initio calculations on the thermodynamic properties of azaborospiropentanes. Properties reported in this study include optimized structural parameters, vibrational frequencies, enthalpies of formation, specific enthalpies of combustion, proton affinities, and hydride affinities. Our results indicate that azatriborospiropentane gives off most energy when combusted, as evidenced by its specific enthalpy of combustion of about −52 kJ per gram.
Body Use and Reference Group Impact: With Whom Do We Compare Our Bodies?

Fifty U.S. Olympic speedskating team members, 50 professional models, and 80 college students completed the Body Esteem Scale (BES: Franzoi & Shields, 1984) and indicated for each of the 35 BES items whether when evaluating themselves they most frequently use as a comparison standard same-sex people in general, same-sex professional models, or elite same-sex athletes. Consistent with social comparison theory that people seek similar others as comparison targets, college students were more likely than Olympic athletes or professional models to compare themselves to people in the general population, athletes were more likely than students or models to compare themselves to elite athletes, and models tended to be more likely than students or athletes to compare themselves to elite models. As hypothesized, college women more frequently than college men compared themselves to professional models when evaluating body aspects associated with weight concern and sexual attractiveness, and the more female skaters’ compared themselves to models, the more their negative body attitudes associated with weight concern increased and the more interested they were in changing weight-related body aspects.
Sequential Choice in Group Settings: Taking the Road Less Traveled and Less Enjoyed

Many individual decisions take place in a group context wherein group members voice their choices sequentially. In this article we examine the impact of this dynamic decision process on individuals' choices and satisfaction with their outcomes. We propose that choices reflect a balancing of two classes of goals: goals that are strictly individual and goals that are triggered by the existence of the group. The latter sometimes results in choices that undermine personal satisfaction and increase regret. We find support for goal balancing in three studies in which we tracked consumers' orders of dishes and drinks. In the Lunch study we found that real groups (tables) choose more varied dishes than would be expected by random sampling of the population of all individual choices across all tables. The Beer study demonstrates that this group-level variety seeking is attributable to the interaction—implicit or explicit—among group members, and can be dissipated when the group is forced to “disband” and its members make strictly individual choices. Finally, the Wine study demonstrated that individual choices in a group context are also aimed at satisfying goals of information gathering and self-presentation in the form of uniqueness.
Life-history features of the marine intertidal limpet Notoacmea scutum (Gastropoda) in central California

Growth of individually marked specimens of Notoacmea scutum (Rathke) was followed for 15 months (April, 1978 to June, 1979) at a field site in central California, USA. Growth rates were highly seasonal, being highest from late spring through early summer and lowest during winter. Growth rate also varied significantly with intertidal height: limpets lower in the intertidal zone grew faster. Both relationships may have been related to the relative abundance of food or to the amount of time available for foraging. Recently settled limpets, which were present throughout the year, grew to approximately 17 mm in length by the end of their first year; by then, they had also reached the size at which mature gonads were consistently found (16 mm). Limpets were almost 26 mm long by the end of the second year. Substantial mortality occurred throughout the year, but it was particularly severe during winter, when a large portion of the reproductive population was lost. This pronounced winter mortality was probably not caused by invertebrate predators such as seastars. Most limpets at the study site were less than 2 yr old.
Essay review: the roots of biological determinism.

In The Mismeasure of Mani (W. W. Norton & Co., 1981), Stephen Jay Gould traces the history in Western thought of what has come to be called "biological determinism." This is the general name for theories which hold that the roots of human social behavior and personality lie in the biology of individuals and groups (racial or ethnic) and thus determine fundamental aspects of social life. Gould treats examples of biological determinism stretching from Socrates' famous parable of the metals in Plato's Republic, though nineteenth-century craniometry and the early twentieth-century I.Q. testing movement, to more recent theories such as those about I.Q. and race and, finally, sociobiology. While not proposing that this particular array of ideas necessarily forms a direct line of descent, Gould does suggest that in Western culture these theories share some common methodological roots and usually served similar functions in the broad social context of their times. He argues that theories of biological determinism over the years rationalized the status quo by postulating that social problems are caused not by environmental or social conditions, but by innate, biological factors. One message of the book is that such theories are not merely products of a less enlightened past, but in various forms are still with us today. One of the main arguments Gould advances is that all theories of biological determinism, past and present, have been based on bad biology and bad scientific method. Everything from biased measurements to subconscious manipulation of data to outright fraudulence has plagued attempts to cast human social behavior in a largely biological light. As one example, Gould gives a detailed picture of the mid-nineteenth-century American craniologist Samuel George Morton (1799--1851), who produced reams of data on cranial capacities of Indians, Negroes, and Caucasians in his attempt to prove that the white race is superior to all others. Gould demonstrates well, from Morton's own published data, that his uneven (and thus non-comparable) smapie sizes worked in the direction of Morton's own bias, by showing that whites had the largest, Indians the middle, and blacks the smallest
Effect of Spray-Washing Uneviscerated Carcasses on Microbiological Quality of Hot-Boned Poultry Meat Harvested After Reduced Processing

Abstract Breast and thigh meat from commercially boned parts had significantly higher counts than meat from uneviscerated or chilled carcasses, probably because bacteria accumulated on knives, gloves, and the conveyor belt in the 2 to 3 hr continuous operation in the commercial system prior to sampling. Counts of total aerobic microorganisms and Escherichia coli were significantly higher on breasts and thighs from uneviscerated, hot-boned broiler carcasses than on breasts and thighs from fully processed chilled broilers. When uneviscerated carcasses were spray-washed (2.5 min at 50 psi) immediately after defeathering, meat from these carcasses was similar in bacterial quality to meat from fully processed chilled carcasses, probably due to the reduction in surface contamination of the skin. The boning of uneviscerated carcasses is feasible without sacrificing microbiological quality and is a labor-saving approach for processors interested only in marketing breast and thigh meat.
Electronic system for optical shutter control

A versatile electronic system for accurate shutter control in optical experiments is described in detail. Digital and analog circuitry is used to provide automatic timing, exposure control, manual operation, and remote programmability.
Optimum placement of guards

Abstract We consider the problem of placing guards in a polygon so that 1. (a) the area, or 2. (b)the portion of the boundary visible to the guards is maximized. We show that finding optimum placements for k guards is NP-hard if k is a variable. We reduce the problem of optimally placing one guard to solving a high order equation, and give a polynomial time approximation scheme for placing one guard in a simple polygon.
Acute Stent Thrombosis in the Setting of Cocaine Abuse Following Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

The treatment of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in patients with documented cocaine abuse has always presented significant challenges. Issues related to medication compliance, the potential risks of beta adrenergic blockade, and possible continued cocaine abuse postmyocardial infarction necessitate a unique, individualized approach to these patients. Recent data in the era of extensive percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) and intracoronary stent (ICS) implantation have raised questions regarding the safety of ICS in patients who may revert to cocaine abuse postacute coronary syndrome as a result of the potentially higher risk of stent thrombosis in these patients. While the precise reason as to why cocaine use may increase the risk of stent thrombosis is not fully understood, it is likely the result of a confluence of factors, including coronary vessel vasoconstriction, impaired vascular compliance, as well as the platelet-activating effect of cocaine. We present the case a 46-year-old male with a history of cocaine abuse who presented with an acute stent thrombosis 2 days post-PCI likely as a result of cocaine abuse on the day of discharge following initial stent implantation for a non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). We also review the literature regarding the safety of PCI in cocaine abusers.
A sensitive colorimetric method for the determination of urinary indoxyl sulfate (indican)

Abstract A new, simple, rapid, and precise colorimetric method for urinary indoxyl sulfate (indican) has been described. The method is based upon preliminary column chromatography on a cation-exchange resin followed by diazotization and coupling. This method of analysis was compared with two other methods that have been used for indican analysis. It was found that 18 adult human subjects excreted 331 ± 144 μmoles (83 ± 36 mg)/24 hr. This quantity is several times greater than the amount generally believed to be present in human urine.
Solution-Phase Bioconjugate Synthesis Using Protected Oligonucleotides Containing 3‘-Alkyl Carboxylic Acids

Protected oligonucleotides containing 3‘-alkyl carboxylic acids are obtained from a photolabile solid-phase synthesis support (1b). The protected oligonucleotides are efficiently conjugated (>80%) with amines in solution to yield products of high purity under mild reaction conditions. This method is particularly well-suited for the synthesis of oligonucleotide−peptide conjugates containing a covalent linkage between the 3‘ terminus of an oligonucleotide and the amino terminus of a peptide. High yields of nucleopeptides are obtained even when the peptide contains a hindered N-terminal amino acid.
Structural roles of the spore coat proteins in Dictyostelium discoideum

The integrity of spores formed by mutant strains of Dictyostelium discoideum lacking the major spore coat proteins, SP96, SP70, or SP60, was compared to that of wild-type strains. Single, double, and triple knock-out strains developed normally and produced spores which were indistinguishable from wild-type spores by light or electron microscopy. However, the mutant strains were susceptable to staining with the lectin, ricin A, which recognizes a galactose-rich polysaccharide that is normally hidden by overlying spore coat proteins. The intensity of staining with fluorescently labeled ricinA increased as the spore coat proteins were incrementally lost. While these results indicate that the major outer spore coat proteins are not essential for the construction of a multi-layered spore coat in Dictyostelium, they show that the spores are more porous which might make them at risk to predators before germination.
Dithiocarbamate Precursors for Rare-Earth Sulfides

We have synthesized a series of lanthanide dithiocarbamate precursors for the synthesis of lanthanide sulfide materials and nanoparticles. Three dithiocarbamate complexes with europium, [Eu(S2CNRR‘)3L], where L = 1,10-phenanthroline, and R = methyl, R‘ = ethyl (1), R = R‘ = nPropyl (2), and R = R‘ = iButyl (3), as well as the lanthanide complexes, [Ln(S2CNR2)3 L], where R = ethyl, L = 1, 10-phenanthroline, and Ln = Nd (4), Sm (5), Gd (6), Ho (7), and Er (8), were synthesized and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, infrared, NMR, and UV−visible spectroscopy. We have used thermal analysis coupled with GC−MS and X-ray powder diffraction to determine the mechanism of decomposition. With R = Et, smaller Ln ions give lower precursor decomposition temperatures, consistent with the higher lattice energies of the product Ln sulfides. Because they are monomeric, and water- and air-stable, these compounds should be ideal precursors for forming LnS as nanoparticles and bulk materials.
The Interrelation of Corresponding Complement Components of Man and Guinea Pig.

Summary and ConclusionsUnder the proper conditions of concentration, all of the corresponding complement components of man and guinea-pig are mutually substitutive. This represents a revision of the view previously expressed3 that only certain substitutions are effective. Nevertheless, it is to be borne in mind that in those cases in which specifically inactivated complements of the two species are used together, the full effect of component substitution may be inhibited or concealed. Such an aberration may be due to (a) the increased concentration of anti-complementary substances in these fractions, particularly in the globulin concentrates, or (b) the disarrangement of the complement complex in the course of specific inactivation by the recommended procedures.It is pertinent to report that the corresponding components of rabbit and human complements have also been found to be mutually substitutive8.
Tumors of the Central Nervous System

Primary malignancies of the central nervous system (CNS) are the second most common malignancy during childhood. Data suggest that over 3,000 children under 20 years of age are diagnosed with a brain or spinal cord tumor annually in the United States. These tumors account for the majority of cancer-related deaths in children. The age of peak incidence varies with the histological type of CNS tumor. The presenting signs and symptoms also vary by age as well as by tumor location. Tumor location is an important prognostic factor as the extent of tumor resection has been associated with outcome for many histological types.
Sensory response patterns and the evolution of visual signal design in anoline lizards

The evolutionary relationship between visual system response and visual signal design was investigated in four species of anoline lizards which occupy distinctly different habitats. Anoles display with motion patterns of a colorful throat fan called the dewlap. We assessed signal visibility by recording evoked potentials from the optic tectum in response to a moving stimulus flag (a dewlap-like stimulus), and, in one species, by testing behavioral response. The motion pattern, intensity and spectral quality of the stimulus flag, and the background against which it was viewed, were independently manipulated. In all cases, high-velocity motion patterns with a high percentage of brightness contrast between stimulus and background produced the greatest response. Differences in spectral quality between stimulus and background (color contrast) had no effect on tectal responses, but did influence the behaviorally measured detection probability. Using habitat light data we estimated the visibility of the dewlap of each species in different natural habitats. Each species' dewlap was highly visible in its own habitat, but some were much less visible in the habitats of some other species. Habitat light conditions and visual system response properties appear to have constrained the evolution of dewlap design, in at least some of the species.
Excited-State Intramolecular Proton Transfer of 2-(2‘-Hydroxyphenyl)benzimidazole in Cyclodextrins and Binary Solvent Mixtures

The excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) of 2-(2‘-hydroxyphenyl)benzimidazole (HBI) has been studied using absorbance, steady-state, and time-resolved emission spectroscopies in cyclodextrins (β-, γ-, and 2,6-di-O-methyl-β-cyclodextrins) and in binary aqueous solvent mixtures. The spectral characteristics of HBI in cyclodextrins and binary solvent mixtures (dioxane:water, MeOH:water, and solutions of cyclohexane containing MeOH and trifluoroethanol) are compared to further study the effects of various microenvironments on the ground and excited-state properties of the molecule. The intermolecular interactions of HBI with cyclodextrins and various solvents appear to weaken intramolecular hydrogen bonding in HBI and facilitate the formation of strong intermolecular hydrogen bonds with the various cyclodextrins and solvent molecules. The acquired data are used to suggest the formation of a zwitterionic structure of HBI in cyclodextrins.
Effect of attending to a ball during a side-cut maneuver on lower extremity biomechanics in male and female athletes.

Many sports associated with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury require athletes attend to a ball during participation. We investigated effects of attending to a ball on lower extremity mechanics during a side-cut maneuver and if these effects are consistent for males and females. Sagittal and frontal plane hip and knee kinematics and joint moments were measured during side-cut maneuvers in 19 male and 19 female National Collegiate Athletic Association division III basketball players. Participants also experienced two side-cut conditions that required attention to a ball. Our results did not indicate that the effect of attention varies with gender. However, during side-cut conditions while attending to a ball, internal knee adductor moment was 20% greater (p = 0.03) and peak knee flexion angle was 4° larger (p < 0.01). Females demonstrated 5° less hip flexion (p = 0.046), 12° less knee flexion (p < 0.01), and 4° more knee abduction (p = 0.026) at initial contact during all side-cut conditions than mal...
Recent insights into the mechanism of action of glatiramer acetate

Glatiramer acetate (GA, Copaxone®, co-polymer 1) is an immunomodulatory therapy approved in 1996 by the United States Food and Drug Administration for treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. GA has a good safety profile, moderate efficacy, and a unique mode of action. Recent evidence in an animal model of MS, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), suggests that GA effects on NK cells and B cells may contribute to therapeutic efficacy. We review the mechanism of action of GA, with particular focus on recent data suggesting a role for regulatory B cells.
Ribozyme Diagnostics Comes of Age

Biosensing ribozymes could soon be used to diagnose viral infection. The Kossen group from Sirna Therapeutics have developed a sensitive, high-throughput means of screening for hepatitis C virus, using their target activated half-ribozyme technology, as reported in the June issue of Chemistry & Biology [1].
Gas chromatographic detection of cocaine and cocaethylene in hair of mice chronically injected with cocaine or cocaethylene and fed ethanol

Abstract GC and GCMS analysis was used to detect cocaine and cocaethylene in hair extracts of mice injected with 20 mg/kg cocaine hydrochloride or an equivalent dose of cocaethylene fumarate twice daily for 3 weeks. Some mice were fed liquid Lieber-DeCarli diets containing ethanol (26% of total calories) and injected twice daily with the same doses of cocaine or cocaethylene or combination of cocaine and morphine (5 mg/kg). The average concentrations of cocaine in different experimental groups were in the range of 0.9–2.4 ng/mg of hair and for cocaethylene, 2.4–2.8 ng/mg of hair. There were no significant differences in hair concentrations of cocaine among groups receiving cocaine treatment, nor were there significant difference in cocaethylene concentration in hair in the two groups administered cocaethylene. In hair extracts of mice treated with cocaine and ethanol, levels of cocaethylene were below the limit of detection.
The extended tanh method for the Zakharov–Kuznetsov (ZK) equation, the modified ZK equation, and its generalized forms

Abstract The reliable extended tanh method, that combines tanh with coth, is used for analytic treatment of the Zakharov–Kuznetsov (ZK) equation, the modified ZK equation, and the generalized forms of these equations. New travelling wave solutions with solitons and periodic structures are determined. The power of the employed method is confirmed.
Intrinsic Structural Distortions in Five-Coordinate (Nitrosyl)iron(II) Porphyrinate Derivatives

The preparation and molecular structures of several five-coordinate (nitrosyl)iron(II) porphyrinate derivatives are described. The derivatives reported include two crystalline forms of [Fe(OEP)(NO)] (OEP = 2,3,7,8,12,13,17,18-octaethylporphyrin dianion), three conformationally distinct forms of [Fe(TPPBr4)(NO)] (TPPBr4 = 2,3,12,13-tetrabromo-5,10,15,20-tetraphenylporphyrin dianion), and [Fe(oxoOEC)(NO)] (oxoOEC = 3,3,7,8,12,13,17,18-octaethyl-3H-porphin-2-onato(2-) dianion). These complexes differ in the nature and position of the β-pyrrolic and meso substituents, and in the conformation adopted by the porphyrinato cores in the crystalline state. For one form of [Fe(OEP)(NO)], the structure was determined at three temperatures (130(2), 213(2), and 293(2) K). For two of the structures the X-ray data were collected to exceedingly high resolution. For each structure, we observed a bent FeNO group (Fe−N−O angles ranging from 142.74(8)° to 147.9(8)°) and a significant off-axis tilt of the nitrosyl group irresp...
Synchronization of estrus in early diestral dairy heifers with Prostaglandin F2α and estradiol benzoate

Following observation of estrus, 134 Holstein heifers were given injections of Prostaglandin F(2)alpha (PGF(2)alpha) between Days 5 and 10 of their cycle (estrus = Day 0). They were then randomly assigned to either a group receiving 400 microg of estradiol benzoate (E(2)B) 40 h or maintained as controls. Heifers observed in estrus within 120 h of PGF(2)alpha administration were inseminated (approximately 12 h after initial observation of estrus). Blood samples for progesterone determination were drawn from the coccygeal vein on Days 15 and 21 after insemination. Pregnancy was confirmed by palpation per rectum between Days 5.0 and 60 post insemination. When control and treated heifers were compared it was found that a higher percentage of heifers treated with E(2)B exhibited estrus after PGF(2)alpha, but there had been no effect on subsequent progesterone concentrations or pregnancy rates.
Chiral recognition of racemic sugars by polar and nonpolar cyclodextrin-derivative gas chromatography

Abstract Di-O-pentyl-derivatized cyclodextrins and (S)-hydroxypropyl-per-O-methyl-derivatized cyclodextrins were used as chiral stationary phases in capillary gas chromatography. Di-O-pentyl-derivatized cyclodextrins were rather apolar, whereas the O-hydroxypropyl per-O-methyl derivatives were relatively hydrophilic and could be dissolved in water. High enantioselectivity towards thirteen trifluoroacetylated sugars was observed with both sets of chiral stationary phases. Most of the sugars studied had their enantiomeric elution-order reversed on the different stationary phases. 2,6-Di-O-pentyl-3-O-trifluoracetyl-derivatized cyclodextrins, used as a g.l.c. stationary phase, showed behavior intermediate between the other two cyclodextrin derivatives. The chromatographic separation-factors with the dipentyltrifluoroacetyl derivatives were higher than the corresponding values on the two other sets of chiral stationary phases. All columns were stable over a wide range of operating temperature.
Electromigration and Diffusion in Pure Cu And Cu(Sn) Alloys

Atom movements of Cu in pure Cu and Cu(0.5 to 2 wt.% Sn) alloys have been investigated using drift velocity and radioactive tracer techniques. The void growth rate in pure Cu at the cathode end, as a result of electromigration driving force, linearly increases with the applied current density. A marked decrease in the Cu grain boundary diffusivity and electromigration drift velocity is attributed to Sn trapping of Cu atoms and/or binding defects at grain boundaries. The effect is more pronounced at lower temperatures. The activation energies for electromigration and diffusion of Cu in pure Cu grain boundaries were found to be in the range of 0.7 - 0.9 eV. Addition of about 0.5 to 2 wt.% Sn increased these energies to 1.1 - 1.3 eV, respectively which resulted in enhancement of electromigration resistance by several orders of magnitude over that in pure Cu at the field operation temperature.
Augmentation of Deglutitive Thyrohyoid Muscle Shortening by the Shaker Exercise

Earlier studies of the effect of 6 weeks of the Shaker Exercise have shown significant increase in UES opening and anterior excursion of larynx and hyoid during swallowing in patients with upper esophageal sphincter (UES) dysfunction, resulting in elimination of aspiration and resumption of oral intake. This effect is attributed to strengthening of the suprahyoid muscles, as evidenced by comparison of electromyographic changes in muscle fatigue before and after completion of the exercise regime. The effect of this exercise on thyrohyoid muscle shortening is unknown. Therefore the aim of this study was to determine the effect of the exercise on thyrohyoid muscle shortening. We studied 11 dysphagic patients with UES dysfunction. Six were randomized to traditional swallowing therapy and five to the Shaker Exercise. Videofluoroscopy was used to measure deglutitive thyrohyoid shortening before and after completion of assigned therapy regimen. Maximum thyrohyoid muscle shortening occurred at close temporal proximity to the time of maximal thyroid cartilage excursion. The percent change in thyrohyoid distance from initiation of deglutition to maximal anterior/superior hyoid excursion showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups prior to either therapy (p = 0.54). In contrast, after completion of therapy, the percent change in thyrohyoid distance in the Shaker Exercise group was significantly greater compared to the traditional therapy (p = 0.034). The Shaker Exercise augments the thyrohyoid muscle shortening in addition to strengthening the suprahyoid muscles. The combination of increased thyrohyoid shortening and suprahyoid strengthening contributes to the Shaker Exercise outcome of deglutitive UES opening augmentation.