cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Law and Policies Affecting Volunteerism since 2001

Since the International Year of Volunteers (IYV) in 2001, governments, the United Nations system, civil society partners and other stakeholders have increasingly recognized that volunteerism makes significant contributions to peace and development. The United Nations General Assembly specifically noted the importance of legislative and fiscal frameworks for the growth and development of volunteerism, and encouraged governments to enact such measures. UNV commissioned this global research study to consider trends and lessons in the development of supportive volunteerism policies and legislation. An overall review was conducted in seven regions, complemented by country-specific case studies in each region. The study analyses considerations in drafting and implementing volunteerism laws and policies, and highlights the need to tailor them to specific local, national and regional contexts.
Current Approaches to the Recognition and Treatment of Alcohol Withdrawal and Delirium Tremens: “Old Wine in New Bottles” or “New Wine in Old Bottles”

Have you ever wondered how much alcohol a person has to drink (and for how long) before he or she risks developing a withdrawal syndrome after sudden abstinence? Have you ever wondered which methods are best to diagnose and quantify the severity of alcohol withdrawal? Have you been uncertain about which strategies can best manage alcohol withdrawal? If you have, then the following discussion and review of the literature should serve as a stimulus to enhance your understanding of the problem and to create effective solutions.
Managing Carbon from the Bottom Up

Managing the exponential growth of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO) requires a global approach. However, only a few countries have unilaterally taken steps to reduce carbon emissions. Morgan argues that rather than emphasizing acceptance of the Kyoto Protocol, the diplomatic community should also work to encourage the growth of local and regional regimes and to promote their coordination, so that they can ultimately coalesce into a comprehensive set of global arrangements.
Characterization of Leber Congenital Amaurosis-associated NMNAT1 Mutants.

Leber congenital amaurosis 9 (LCA9) is an autosomal recessive retinal degeneration condition caused by mutations in the NAD+ biosynthetic enzyme NMNAT1. This condition leads to early blindness but no other consistent deficits have been reported in patients with NMNAT1 mutations despite its central role in metabolism and ubiquitous expression. To study how these mutations affect NMNAT1 function and ultimately lead to the retinal degeneration phenotype, we performed detailed analysis of LCA-associated NMNAT1 mutants, including the expression, nuclear localization, enzymatic activity, secondary structure, oligomerization, and promotion of axonal and cellular integrity in response to injury. In many assays, most mutants produced results similar to wild type NMNAT1. Indeed, NAD+ synthetic activity is unlikely to be a primary mechanism underlying retinal degeneration as most LCA-associated NMNAT1 mutants had normal enzymatic activity. In contrast, the secondary structure of many NMNAT1 mutants was relatively less stable as they lost enzymatic activity after heat shock, whereas wild type NMNAT1 retains significant activity after this stress. These results suggest that LCA-associated NMNAT1 mutants are more vulnerable to stressful conditions that lead to protein unfolding, a potential contributor to the retinal degeneration observed in this syndrome. Background: Leber congenital amaurosis 9 (LCA9) is a severe retinal degeneration condition caused by mutations in the NAD+ biosynthetic enzyme NMNAT1. Results: Many of LCA9-associated NMNAT1 mutants have relatively normal enzymatic and neuroprotective activities, but manifest stress-induced instability. Conclusion: Stress-induced instability of NMNAT1 could be responsible for retinal abnormalities in LCA9. Significance: Our results identify potential mechanisms that promote retinal degeneration observed in LCA9.
Dopamine transporter proline mutations influence dopamine uptake, cocaine analog recognition, and expression

Analyses of mutation effects can aid in understanding how large proteins act. The dopamine transporter (DAT) mediates complex actions in recognizing cocaine and in recognizing and translocating dopamine, sodium, and chloride. DAT proline residues, especially those in transmembrane (TM) domains, are good candidates for involvement in these DAT actions. We now report production of mutants substituting alanine and/or glycine residues for 16 prolines located in or near putative DAT TM domains. We examine effects of these modifications on DAT expression, dopamine uptake, and cocaine analog binding. Mutants in prolines located in five DAT TM domains and four connecting loops alter apparent DAT membrane targeting. Five mutations decrease dopamine affinities more than threefold without significantly decreasing cocaine analog affinities. One decreases cocaine analog affinity without decreasing dopamine affinity. Two mutations decrease affinities for both dopamine and cocaine analog. P101 is especially implicated i...
An analysis of the effect of datum-establishment methods on the geometric errors of machined features

Abstract With the advent of probing systems and their integration with machining centers, coordinate metrology-based datum establishment is eliminating the need for precision hard-contact locators in many machining applications. Unfortunately, the coordinate data collected by these systems are often subject to noise in the form of random and biased errors of the workpiece datum features and measurement system. Consequently it is important to use datum-establishment algorithms that are insensitive to noise and that lead to the least measurable machined-feature error. This paper describes a simulation analysis that was carried out to evaluate the performance of three datum-establishment methods: 3–2–1, sequential least-squares (SQLS) and simultaneous least-squares (SMLS). The analysis involved the simulated drilling of three holes in a two set-up process. Simulated coordinate data were obtained from three planar, nominally orthogonal surfaces subject to perpendicularity errors and random roughness errors. Workpiece datum reference frames were fitted to this data using the three methods, the holes were drilled relative to these reference frames, and their position errors were computed relative to an ANSI-Y14.5M-defined reference frame. This analysis demonstrated that the SMLS method results in significantly less hole-position error [0.0173 mm average, 0.0146 mm standard deviation (SD)] than either the 3–2–1 method (0.0943 mm average, 0.0143 mm SD) or the SQLS method (0.0904 mm average, 0.0245 mm SD). This is despite the fact that the datum reference planes (ANSI Y14.5M) used to define these errors are defined sequentially relative to the extrema of the datum features, whereas the SMLS method defines the datum reference planes simultaneously with the purpose of minimizing fitting error.
Super Sonics: Song Score as Counter‐Narration in Super Fly

(2001). Super Sonics Song Score as Counter-Narration in Super Fly. Journal of Popular Music Studies: Vol. 13, No. 1, pp. 77-91.
EPR parameters and ionic-covalent transition in solids

Abstract The anomalous change of EPR parameters of half-filled 3d ions in various compounds with the covalency parameter is discussed in view of the recently proposed ionic-covalent transition. It is pointed out that the parameters g , a and D are sensitive to the long-range interaction bringing up the transition, whereas A reflects the local cluster bonding properties.
Kinetics of Precursor Interactions with the Bacterial Tat Translocase Detected by Real-time FRET

The Escherichia coli twin-arginine translocation (Tat) system transports fully folded and assembled proteins across the inner membrane into the periplasmic space. Traditionally, in vitro protein translocation studies have been performed using gel-based transport assays. This technique suffers from low time resolution, and often, an inability to distinguish between different steps in a continuously occurring translocation process. To address these limitations, we have developed an in vitro FRET-based assay that reports on an early step in the Tat translocation process in real-time. The natural Tat substrate pre-SufI was labeled with Alexa532 (donor), and the fluorescent protein mCherry (acceptor) was fused to the C terminus of TatB or TatC. The colored Tat proteins were easily visible during purification, enabling identification of a highly active inverted membrane vesicle (IMV) fraction yielding transport rates with NADH almost an order of magnitude faster than previously reported. When pre-SufI was bound to the translocon, FRET was observed for both Tat proteins. FRET was diminished upon addition of nonfluorescent pre-SufI, indicating that the initial binding step is reversible. When the membranes were energized with NADH, the FRET signal was lost after a short delay. These data suggest a model in which a Tat cargo initially associates with the TatBC complex, and an electric field gradient is required for the cargo to proceed to the next stage of transport. This cargo migration away from the TatBC complex requires a significant fraction of the total transport time.
Molecular cloning of the alcohol/hydroxysteroid form (hSTa) of sulfotransferase from human liver.

Summary A cDNA encoding the human alcohol/hydroxysteroid sulfotransferase (h-ST-a), which catalyzes the sulfo-conjugation of many drugs and hormones, was isolated from a human liver cDNA library using a rat STa (rSTa) cDNA probe. The cDNA, designated as hSTa, consists of 1069 base pairs (bp) and contains an 855-nucleotide open reading frame beginning at nucleotide 65, which encodes a 285 amino acid polypeptide of 33.76 kDa. A second cDNA clone (1563 bp) was truncated 5′ at nucleotide 231 (lacking the first 15 amino acids) with identical coding region, however, it had a much longer 3′ untranslated region (UTR). Both clones contained a short segment of poly(A)+ tail. Northern blot analysis of an adult human liver showed that there are at least 2 mature mRNA with sizes ranging from approximately 1.1 kb to 1.7 kb, verifying the authenticity of the obtained cDNA clones. From the sequence alignment, the hSTa shares 62%/74%, 39%/59%, 35%/48%, 36%/54% identity with rSTa, rSTp (phenol), rSTe (estrogen), and bovine STe (bSTe) at the deduced amino acid and DNA levels, respectively, indicating that there are at least three subfamilies (alcohol, phenol and estrogen) of genes that encode for sulfotransferases in mammals.
Spallation-Fission Competition in Heaviest Elements; Helium-Ion-Induced Reactions in Uranium Isotopes

Excitation functions have been determined for the spallation and fission reactions induced in plutonium isotopes by 20 to 50 Mev helium ions. The method employed consisted of cyclotron bombardments of plutonium oxide followed by the chemical isolation and alpha or beta counting of radioactive reaction products. Formation cross sections are given where possible for the curium and americium spallation products corresponding to ({alpha},n), ({alpha},2n), ({alpha},3n), ({alpha},4n), ({alpha}5n), ({alpha},p), ({alpha},pn or d), ({alpha},p2n or t), and ({alpha},p3n) reactions in Pu{sup 238} , Pu{sup 239}, and Pu{sup 242}. Fission yield curves and fission cross sections for Pu{sup 238} and Pu{sup 239} serve to define the characteristics of the ({alpha},f) reaction for plutonium isotopes. Chemical procedures are outlined for the separation of both spallation and fission product elements in a sequence of operations performed on the entire dissolved target.
Specific heat of hemoglobin solutions at temperatures between 1.3 and 10 K.

The specific heat of deoxyhemoglobin solutions prepared both from fresh blood cells and from ly- ophilized powder is found to be similar to that of metmyoglobin crystals in magnitude and temperature dependence. We observe no discontinuities in the entire range from 1.3 to 10 K.
Unitary relations and the number of flavors

Abstract Within the framework of QCD, unitarity relations for a gauge invariant, color-singlet correlation function are considered. On the basis of the behavior of the exact gluon propagator in the weak soupling limit, an inconsistency is obtained unless the number of fermions exceeds a lower bound.
Sudden Death in a Patient on a Liquid Protein Diet

SUDDEN death in adults without serious underlying heart disease has emerged as a major complication of the liquid protein diets.1,2 Fifteen such cases have been reported to the Center for Disease C...
A new Monte Carlo application for complex sample geometries

NISTMonte is a new application for Monte Carlo simulation 1,2 of electron transport, X-ray generation and transmission in complex sample geometries. NISTMonte uses the Mott cross section 3,4 to model elastic scattering and the Joy-Luo expression 5 to model energy loss. The ionization cross section is modeled using the empirical expression of Casnati. 6 The mass absorption coefficients are those of Heinrich, 7 and the fluorescence yields are tabulated experimental values. 8 A defining characteristic of the application is the flexibility with which complex sample geometries may be defined. The application provides a set of basic building blocks that may be combined to build complex sample shapes. Furthermore, shapes may be embedded within shapes to model inhomogeneous samples or structured samples. The application imposes no artificial limits on the number of sample regions or on the number of elements within a material. A detailed description of the implementation and the results of various tests, including backscatter yields, will be presented to demonstrate the range of validity of the model and the implementation. The application has been developed in Java J2SE 1.4 for platform independence. The source code will be made available on the NIST web site or by contacting the author.
Diminished NF-κB activation and PDGF-B expression in glomerular endothelial cells subjected to chronic shear stress

Abstract We tested the hypothesis that in endothelial cells, chronic arterial shear stress represses both the transactivator nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and subsequent platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-B gene transcription. Bovine aortic endothelial (BAE) and glomerular capillary endothelial (GEN) cells were subjected to chronic (9 days) arterial shear stress (10 dyne/cm 2 ). Chronic shear stress reduced PDGF-B transcripts in BAE cells by 59 ± 23% compared to controls, and by 70 ± 14% in GEN cells. While PDGF-B mRNA levels were not significantly changed in BAE cells subjected to acute (4 h) shear stress, in GEN cells PDGF-B transcript abundance fell by 59 ± 3%. PDGF-B mRNA stability was unchanged. We investigated the possibility that these effects were due to decreased nuclear NF-κB. NF-κB levels were much lower in nuclei of chronic shear stress-treated cells compared to controls. This represents classical inactivation of NF-κB since cytoplasmic NF-κB/I-κB (the inhibitory protein of NF-κB) levels were elevated in shear stress-treated cells. Further supporting NF-κB regulation of PDGF-B, activation of NF-κB by interleukin (IL)-1β resulted in increased PDGF-B transcript levels. Treatment of cells with MG-132, an inhibitor of NF-κB activation, resulted in a dramatic decrease in basal PDGF-B transcript levels, and essentially abrogated the response to IL-1β. Thus, repression of NF-κB activation in endothelial cells by shear stress decreases PDGF-B gene expression, while activators of NF-κB increase PDGF-B transcription.
Financing Agriculture in a Changing Environment: The Results of a Regional Research Effort

Agricultural finance research conducted during the 1985–90 period under research project NC-161, "Financing Agricultural in a Changing Environment: Macro, Market, Policy and Management Issues," is summarized. This research advanced the knowledge base at the farm, institutional, and policy levels relative to the financing of agriculture during times of economic stress and rapid institutional change. Advances were particularly significant in the ares of loan policies for troubled borrowers, merger of financial institutions, resolution of high loss portfolios, credit scoring and evaluation, evaluation of state and federal credit programs, optimal investment strategies for farmers, and the value of fixed-rate loans to farm businesses.
The Effect of Small Square-Bale Feeder Design on Hay Waste and Economics During Outdoor Feeding of Adult Horses

Hay waste during feeding represents a costly expense for horse owners. The objectives of this study were to determine hay waste, herd body weight (BW) change, hay intake, and economics of small square-bale feeders used in outdoor feeding of horses. Feeder designs included a hayrack, slat feeder, basket feeder, and a no-feeder control. Feeders were placed in separate outdoor dirt paddocks. Twelve horses were divided into four groups and rotated through the paddocks in a Latin square design. Horses were weighed before and after each rotation. Horses were fed grass hay at 2.5% of the herd BW split evenly at 8 AM and 4 PM. Waste hay and orts were collected before each feeding. The number of months to repay the feeder cost (payback) was calculated using hay valued at $250 per ton and improved efficiency over the no-feeder control. Mean hay waste was 13%, 5%, 3%, and 1% for the no-feeder control, hayrack, basket feeder, and slat feeder, respectively (P < .001). The hayrack, basket feeder, and slat feeder paid for themselves in 12, 11, and 9 months, respectively (P = .0049). Herds gained 10 and 7 kg when feeding from the basket feeder and hayrack, and lost 3 and 11 kg when feeding from the slat feeder and no-feeder control (P ≤ .0015). Estimated hay intake was 2.4% BW for the basket feeder and hayrack and 2.2% BW for the slat feeder and no-feeder control (P < .0001). Small square-bale feeder design affected hay waste, hay intake, herd BW change, and payback.
MMSE decision-feedback equalizers: finite-length results

This paper extends a number of results on the infinite-length minimum-mean-square-error decision Feedback equalizer (MMSE-DFE) reported by Cioffi, Dudevoir, Eyuboglu and Forney (see IEEE Trans. Commun., 1995) to the finite-length case. Cholesky factorization and displacement structure theory are demonstrated to be two powerful analytical tools for analyzing the finite-length MMSE-DFE. Our objective throughout the paper is to establish finite-length analogs of the well-known infinite-length MMSE-DFE results. Similarities and differences between the two cases are examined and delineated. Finally, convergence of our derived finite-length results to their well-established infinite-length counterparts is shown. >
INVESTIGATION OF A METHOD FOR THE TIME OPTIMAL CONTROL OF LINEAR SYSTEMS WITH MULTIPLE INPUTS

Abstract Results are presented for a numerical investigation of a technique for calculating the time optimal control of linear systems with multiple inputs. The objective is to produce a technique generally applicable to linear systems. The technique was based upon the subsidiary problem derived using the methods of functional analysis and was previously thought to have advantages over other techniques because the solution of the subsidiary problem involves minimizing a function of several variables for which proven algorithms were available. Solutions are presented for two systems using several of the available minimization algorithms including a rule of thumb algorithm developed specifically for this problem. The method derived from functional analysis is shown to yield good results for the lower order system. In addition, the rule of thumb algorithm is shown to be superior to other algorithms for higher order systems. Results show however that the functional analysis approach does not produce results s...
Integrating biomedical literature clustering and summarization approaches using biomedical ontology

We introduce a method that integrates biomedical literature clustering and summarization using biomedical ontology. The core of the approach is to identify document cluster models as semantic chunks capturing the core semantic relationships in the ontology-enriched scale-free graphical representation of documents. These document cluster models are used for both document clustering on document assignment and text summarization on the construction of Text Semantic Interaction Network (TSIN). Our experimental results show our approach is superior to traditional approaches including Bisecting K-means as a leading document clustering approach in terms of cluster quality and clustering reliability. In addition, our approach provides concise but rich text summary in key concepts and sentences.
Restriction endonuclease mapping of the colicin Ib plasmid

A cleavage site map of the colicin Ib plasmid (ColIb) has been determined for the enzymes Sall, XhoI, and HindIII by analysis of partial digests, double digests, DNA-DNA hybridization, and Tn5-induced insertion mutants. The site of the colicin gene has been determined by probing with cloned DNA coding for colicin production, as well as by analysis of a colicin negative ColIb:Tn5.
Cultivated cells from diagnostic amniocentesis in second trimester pregnancies. I. Clonal morphology and growth potential.

ExtractAmniotic fluid obtained transabdominally for prenatal diagnosis (mean length of amenorrhea 16.1 weeks) contained between 10 and 10 cells/ml, the great majority of which were squamous; their labeling index with ( H)thymidine was 10 cells)/ml fluid grew;
Quality of Service in an Optical Burst Switching Ring

Several access protocols are proposed to support different service classes in an optical burst switched ring. Their performance is evaluated through simulation. Various performance metrics such as throughput, utilization, burst loss rate, end-to-end delay and fairness are used to analyze the behavior of each protocol.
An Analysis of Retention Programs for Female Students in Engineering at the University of Toledo

This paper summarizes the findings of a five-year study aimed at improving the retention rates of female students pursuing careers in engineering. The study analyzed a series of programs implemented at the University of Toledo. The programs involve hands-on design projects, research experiences, communication tools geared towards females, mentoring programs, and on-the-job rotations aimed at sparking enthusiasm and interest in engineering. The effectiveness of the programs over time is measured from the rates of female retention from the freshman to sophomore year. These programs may serve as models for other universities interested in improving opportunities and success rates for female engineers.
Limited Resource Farmers and the Marketing System

tifying and finding solutions to the problems they face.' Much of this effort has focused on identifying enterprises that are profitable on a small scale; that is, enterprises which require little land and capital but provide a high return to the producer. These alternative crops include new and improved varieties of traditional cash crops and other nontraditional enterprises, such as fruits and vegetables, herbs and spices, ornamentals and specialty animals (French, Whatley). The success of fruit and vegetable producers in California, Florida, Texas, and Arizona has triggered discussions as to whether other areas in the United States, particularly the southern states, could compete with these major producing states (Capps, Babb and Long). Coupled with this push for diversification is the belief that LRFs may benefit from alternative enterprises because they suffer adversely from price fluctuations and low net returns from production of traditional crops. Colette and Wall allude to the high income potentials of vegetables but argue that these crops tend to be very risky enterprises and that LRFs usually have insufficient cash reserves to carry them over a bad year. Efforts have also been directed toward the marketing problems facing LRFs (Christy, Dagher, McLean-Meyinsse). While much attention has been given to alternative enterprises, a full understanding of the marketing system, including market risks, strategies, and alternative market outlets, requires more attention by producers, policy makers, and our profession. Most farmers allocate more time, energy, and resources to production than to marketing. Limited-resource farmers, in general, have not invested the resources required to identify and use viable marketing plans and strategies that can exploit the full potential gains these markets offer sellers of agricultural products. In some cases, LRFs have identified marketing niches and developed innovative marketing strategies (Wysong and Handwerker). The strategic behavior exhibited by small farmers has profit performance implications, such as (a) providing the consumer with high quality, usually fresh products, and (b) gaining the net margins that accrue from performing specific marketing services or functions.
Bidding behavior in the department of defense's commercial activities competitions

From 1978 to 1994, the Department of Defense conducted more than 2,000 competitions in which private contractors and the government's in-house team bid to provide a service performed in-house before the competition. A three-equation model is constructed, which is used to estimate the in-house bid, the minimum contractor bid, and the in-house team's baseline cost. The model accounts for the fact that the in-house bid is constrained not to exceed its baseline cost. The estimates are used in simulations of the savings from the completed competitions ($1.55 billion annually, 35 percent of the baseline cost) as well as the savings from various alternative policies, including competitively tendering all the functions on the Department of Defense's list of potential candidates ($7.58 billion annually). © 2001 by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management.
Electrical, Magnetic and Spectroscopic Properties of Tetrathiafulvalene Charge Transfer Compounds with Iron, Ruthenium, Rhodium, and Iridium Halides

Abstract The charge transfer compounds (TTF)2FeCl3, (TTF)3FeBr3, (TTF)RuCl3·2H2O, (TTF)RhCl3·H2O and (TTF)IrCl4·CH3OH were prepared from reaction of solutions of TTF (tetrathiafulvalene) and the metal halide. Magnetic susceptibility and spectroscopic (electronic, vibrational, XPS and EPR) evidence indicate that there is incomplete charge transfer from the TTF donor to iron, and that there is essentially complete charge transfer to ruthenium, rhodium and iridium. The experimental evidence indicates that two electrons are transferred in the rhodium compound. The electrical conductivities of powdered samples of the iron compounds are five orders of magnitude greater than those of the ruthenium, rhodium and iridium compounds, being 6–10 S cm−1 at room temperature. All of the compounds exhibit semiconducting behavior which may be described by a mobility model having a temperature dependent preexponential term and relatively small activation energies.
Alkyl radical involvement in silicon surface chemistry

Abstract The reaction of Si(100)-(2 × 1) with C 3 H 6 has been observed to increase with the addition of atomic hydrogen to the C 3 H 6 overlayer. The enhancement in reactivity is postulated to originate from a free radical process involving the creation of the chemisorbed propyl species. The propyl species is bound to free valencies on the Si(100). The increase in reactivity is shown in two ways. First, the thermal desorption yield of C 3 H 6 decreases with increasing exposures of atomic hydrogen to the C 3 H 6 -covered Si(100). Second, measurements of the C(KLL) Si(LVV) Auger peak-to-peak ratio before and after thermal desorption show that more carbon remains on the surface after C 3 H 6 (ads) interaction with H. The ability to control the reaction of a hydrocarbon molecule with a semiconductor surface has several implications for processes of chemical vapor deposition (CVD), plasma vapor deposition (PVD), and reactive ion etching (RIE).
Dynamic modeling and control of voice-coil actuators for high-fidelity display of haptic vibrations

Researchers have demonstrated haptic interfaces that display high-frequency vibrations by applying an oscillating waveform to a linear voice-coil actuator (also referred to as a linear resonant or recoil-type actuator). Seeking to optimize the performance of this class of haptic devices, this paper analyzes the electrical and mechanical dynamics of this haptic display approach. Experimental evaluation of the most common commercial voice-coil actuator, the Tactile Labs Haptuator, reveals how the drive circuitry, the actuator's suspension, and the user's hand impedance affect the system's frequency response and thus distort the desired vibration output. Compared to current-drive, voltage-drive circuitry beneficially increases the effective damping of this underdamped system. Previously assumed to be linear, the system's dynamic response is found to depend highly on the material used for the actuator's suspension; the nonlinearity of the standard Haptuator suspension undesirably causes the resonant frequency to shift based on the amplitude of the input signal. We reduce the output distortion by installing a more linear suspension material, and we use a feedforward controller to compensate for the remaining dynamics, instead of the standard constant-gain controller. Considering the metrics of unity frequency response and spectral dissimilarity, our approach considerably reduces the distortion presented to the user.
Neuraminidase-induced changes in white blood cell hexosaminidase A

Abstract A method of separating small amounts of hexosaminidase A and hexosaminidase B, utilizing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, is described. Enzyme recovery is 40% and there is no preferential loss of either hex A or hex B by the procedure. Incubating hex A, isolated from polyacrylamide gel, with bacterial neuraminidase, yields a hexosaminidase which: (1) behaves electrophoretically like hex B, and (2) is stable to 50° incubation, like hex B. The possible relationship of this finding to normal hexosaminidase metabolism and to the hexosaminidase metabolism in Tay-Sachs disease and Tay-Sachs variant AB is briefly discussed.
Candida albicans dimorphism and virulence: Role of copper

Previously reported observations that Candida albicans grows in the yeast phase at 30° C and the mycelial phase at 37° C and that the former phase is more virulent than the latter were confirmed. A novel factor, copper, was discovered to suppress filamentation. Injection of copper into mice permitted the filamentous phase to be as virulent as the yeast phase. In subsequent studies on candidosis, copper assays should be performed on relevant body fluids to determine if there might be a correlation between elevated copper and heightened susceptibility to the fungus.
25 years of neuroimaging in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal motor neuron disease for which a precise cause has not yet been identified. Standard CT or MRI evaluation does not demonstrate gross structural nervous system changes in ALS, so conventional neuroimaging techniques have provided little insight into the pathophysiology of this disease. Advanced neuroimaging techniques--such as structural MRI, diffusion tensor imaging and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy--allow evaluation of alterations of the nervous system in ALS. These alterations include focal loss of grey and white matter and reductions in white matter tract integrity, as well as changes in neural networks and in the chemistry, metabolism and receptor distribution in the brain. Given their potential for investigation of both brain structure and function, advanced neuroimaging methods offer important opportunities to improve diagnosis, guide prognosis, and direct future treatment strategies in ALS. In this article, we review the contributions made by various advanced neuroimaging techniques to our understanding of the impact of ALS on different brain regions, and the potential role of such measures in biomarker development.
Developing flow and transport above a suddenly heated horizontal surface in water

Abstract The results of this experimental investigation are observations and conclusions, determined by transport measurements and flow visualization, regarding the development of convection above an instrumented, horizontal surface (with side walls) in an extensive water ambient subjected to a step in electrical energy generation. The initial mode of heat transfer was concluded to be conduction, since the measured plate surface temperature closely agreed with one-dimensional transient conduction theory. Departures from the theoretical conduction solution were an indication of the onset of convective motion. When the heated layer became sufficiently thick, a wave-like instability was observed, followed by fluid motion, with nearlyspherically-shaped ‘heat bubbles’ (thermals) rising randomly, increasing in size, with some assuming a mushroom shape and breaking away from the bulk of the heated fluid. Thereafter, both the local and spatially averaged plate surface temperatures were seen to be time dependent. Another observation was the presence of wispy, swaying ‘convection columns’ which meandered to-and-fro on the surface. The first visual convective instability was seen to precede the departure of the measured surface temperature from the conduction solution. As the low ambient temperature range was approached, the density extremum effect reduced Nu Ra − 1 3 by as much as about 50%. It is concluded that transport above a heated, horizontal surface in an extensive water ambient is inherently time dependent; initially largely because of‘heat bubbles’ breaking away from the conduction layer, and later because of the continual movement of ‘convection columns’.
Abstract 2911: APE1/Ref1, a mammalian DNA repair/redox factor, increases mitochondrial activity.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC The mammalian apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 (APE1) is an essential DNA repair protein which also functions as a redox sensor (Ref1) to activate many transcription factors. A fraction of APE1/Ref1 protein is localized in the mitochondria for repairing oxidative DNA damage. However, its influence on mitochondrial activity has not been studied. We established genetically modified mouse embryonic fibroblast cells with extremely low APE1, at only 0.2% of the control MEFs. The APE1-knockdown (APE1kd) MEFs grew normally although they were highly sensitive to alkylating reagents. We analyzed the APE1kd MEFs to investigate the effect of APE1 on mitochondrial activity. Compared to the wild-type MEFs, the APE1kd MEFs exhibit a markedly decreased mitochondrial respiration activity and in turn showed glycolysis at a rate higher than the wild-type cells, which presumably compensated low ATP generation from mitochondria. A glycolysis inhibitor, 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2DG) affected ATP generation effectively, suggesting that the cells with low APE1 expression depended on glycolysis much more than the wild-type MEFs. The change in the mitochondrial activity appeared reversible. We propose that the presence of APE1 in the mitochondria/cytoplasm enhances mitochondrial respiration by a mechanism unrelated to its DNA repair activity. Citation Format: Suganya Rangaswamy, Chontida Yarana, Sumitra Miriyala, Tadahide Izumi. APE1/Ref1, a mammalian DNA repair/redox factor, increases mitochondrial activity. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2911. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-2911
The Intrinsic Structure and Color of IC 342 from CCD Observations

We have reobserved the nearby galaxy IC 342 through U, B, and I filters using a CCD system with a sufficiently large field of view that the entire galaxy can be imaged in one exposure. Our purpose is to better quantify the optical structure of IC 342 on the basis of modern detectors. Through a combination of surface photometry and grid photometry, we have extracted structural parameters and color distributions for IC 342. We conclude that (1) the scale length of the underlying light distribution is approximately , (2) little
IRAK4 activation: a cautious embrace.

Structural and biochemical studies by Ferrao et al. (2014) in this issue demonstrate that dimerization of the kinase domain of IRAK4 is crucial for its activation, but with conditions: after—not before—receptor recruitment and before—not after—autophosphorylation.
How To Make Electrocatalysts More Active for Direct Methanol OxidationAvoid PtRu Bimetallic Alloys

Contrary to the current understanding of Pt−Ru electrocatalyzed oxidation of methanol, the bimetallic alloy is not the most desired form of the catalyst. In the nanoscale Pt−Ru blacks used to electrooxidize methanol in direct methanol fuel cells, Pt0Ru0 has orders of magnitude less activity for methanol oxidation than does a mixed-phase electrocatalyst containing Pt metal and hydrous ruthenium oxides (RuOxHy). Bulk, rather than near-surface, quantities of electron−proton conducting RuOxHy are required to achieve high activity for methanol oxidation. The active catalyst forms a nanoscopic, phase-separated hydrons oxide-on-metal structure that retains the Pt metal−RuOxHy boundaries required to oxidize methanol fully to carbon dioxide and water.
Measuring functional residual capacity in normal and oleic acid-injured lungs

Abstract Functional residual capacity (FRC) is an important oxygen reserve that is often depleted in acute respiratory failure. Recent interest in the mechanisms of liquid ventilation and limited experience in measuring FRC in paralyzed, mechanically ventilated, normal and lung-injured animal models have mandated development of accurate laboratory techniques. Eight sheep, from 17 to 27 kg, were anesthetized and instrumented to provide a tracheostomy, a pulmonary artery catheter, and carotid arterial line. They were randomized to two groups, one of which received 0.07 ml/kg of intravenous oleic acid to induce lung injury. Gas ventilation of both groups was identical except for respiratory rate, which was adjusted to normalize PaCO 2 . FRC was measured in duplicate by both helium dilution (HD) and body plethysmography (BP). When measurements were completed, the animals were euthanized and their endotracheal tubes clamped at end expiration. The lungs were then removed and their water displacement (WD) FRC values were measured. FRC was the difference between WD and tissue weight assuming 1 ml = 1 g. Pearson's correlation coefficient ( R 2 ) was calculated. During in vitro measurement of test lungs, HD had an R 2 value of 0.99 and BP had an R 2 value of 0.98. When compared to WD, in vivo measurement of FRC by HD had an R 2 value of 0.94 while the value for BP was 0.97. In conclusion, both HD and BP are accurate methods of determining FRC in an uninjured and injured lung model when compared to postmortem WD. Documenting changes in FRC will aid in elucidating the mechanisms of alternative ventilatory techniques.
A palaeolimnological record of human disturbance from Harvey's Lake, Vermont: geochemistry, pigments and diatoms

SUMMARY 1 Stratigraphic analyses of inorganic geochemistry, pigments and fossil diatoms in a 0.7 m core of profundal sediments are used to reconstruct the limnological history of Harvey's Lake, Vermont, over the last 1000 years. The lake is moderately productive, deep (44 m) and clear, and the phytoplankton today is dominated by the blue-green alga, Oscillatoria rubescens. Sedimentary pigments unique to blue-green algae, oscillaxanthin and myxoxanthophyll, provide a detailed history of changes in the O. rubescens population. Accurate sediment chronology is derived from 210Pb, 137Cs and 14C dating and from the stratigraphy of pollen and sawmill wastes. 2 Primary production increased in Harvey's Lake in 1780 following European settlement and again after 1945, as shown by greater accumulation of sedimentary pigments and diatom frustules, and changes in fossil algal assemblages. Blue-green algae first appeared in abundance about 1945, indicating nutrient enrichment from dairy wastes and shoreline development. Increased deposition of elements associated with classic minerals also suggests greater soil erosion during both of these intervals. 3 Two episodes of increased sedimentary anoxia (1820–1920 and 1945–present) are marked in the sedimentary record by enhanced pigment preservation, changes in authigenic Fe and Mn stratigraphy,’and the development of laminated sediments. The earlier episode of oxygens depletion is correlated with the discharge of sawmill wastes into the lake, and the later episode is associated with increased primary production. 4 Based on these data a new model for Fe and Mn sediment stratigraphy is proposed for lakes that do not undergo complete hypolimnetic anoxia. 5 Fine-scale resolution of recent diatom and oscillaxanthin stratigraphy provides historical evidence for a long-term negative interaction between diatom and blue-green algal populations in Harvey's Lake.
Thin-film flux transformers of YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7-x/

A three-layer in situ laser deposition process was used to construct superconducting thin-film flux transformers of YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7-x/ (YBCO). The transformers are designed for efficient coupling to a planar thin-film DC SQUID, have 0.7-cm/sup 2/ magnetic field pickup areas, and have ten-turn input coils. When coupled to low transition temperature (T/sub c/) SQUID, the resulting hybrid magnetometer exhibits excess low-frequency flux noise which arises in the transformer. This noise depends on the geometry of the flux transformer, and the observed behavior agrees with model calculations of the expected contribution from flux motion in the YBCO. The hybrid magnetometer attains a magnetic field sensitivity of about 0.9 pTHz/sup -1/2/ at 1 Hz with the transformer at 60 K; the RMS noise decreases as 1/f/sup 1/2/ at 1 Hz up to a frequency f approximately=1 kHz. It is believed that the sensitivity is high enough for use, for example, in magnetocardiography.
Resident forum abstracts EVALUATION OF THROMBOELASTOGRAPHY (TEG) IN NORMAL CATS

Objective: To establish normal parameters of thromboelastography (TEG) in healthy adult cats. Background: Thromboelastography (TEG) is an in vitro test of coagulation that has been shown to be useful in humans, dogs and select species to identify and quantify alterations of hemostasis (e.g., hypercoagulable and hypocoagulable states). It has also been demonstrated to be useful in monitoring effects of anticoagulant therapies. This test has not been evaluated in cats. Methods: Blood was collected from 25 clinically normal cats by venipuncture using a 21 gauge×3 1/2 inch butterfly catheter and syringe for medial saphenous or jugular venipuncture. A single 1.8 mL sample in 3.8% Sodium Citrate (9:1) was collected from each cat. Recalcified whole blood was analyzed 30 minutes following collection with the TEG® 5000 analyzer (Haemoscope, Niles, IL). Analysis temperature was 37.6°C. TEG parameters recorded included: R-value (represents initial fibrin formation), K (time from R to standard fixed measure of clot firmness which represents contributions of platelets and fibrinogen), maximum amplitude (MA; represents absolute clot strength), and alpha angle (α; the slope of TEG tracing which represents rate of clot formation). The coagulation index (CI) was derived from the formula generated for humans to provide an overall assessment of whether the sample was hyper- or hypocoagulable. Results: Values for the 25 normal cat samples are reported as mean ±2 standard deviations. R=2.97; 1.23–4.72; K=1.54, 0.38–2.71; α=70.70, 57.76–83.65; MA=58.50, 45.26–71.74 and CI=2.27, 0.07–4.46. Compared to historical information obtained on normal dogs, cats have significantly shorter R and K and larger α, MA and CI. Conclusions: TEG does have reproducible performance when used to evaluate coagulation status in normal cats. Compared to dogs, normal cats favor a hypercoagulable state. Species-specific normal values are necessary for interpretation of TEG results. This test bears potential value for use in future experimental and clinical work to investigate hemostasis in cats receiving anticoagulant therapies or in cats suffering from diseases such as cardiomyopathy which are thought to be associated with altered coagulation status.
Expression of gross cystic disease fluid protein-15/Prolactin-inducible protein in rat salivary glands.

Gross cystic disease fluid protein-15 (GCDFP-15)/prolactin-inducible protein (PIP) is present at moderate levels in human submandibular and sublingual glands and is barely detectable in human parotid gland. The rodent homologue, PIP, has previously been identified in adult submandibular and lacrimal glands. Here we present the molecular characterization of rat PIP and show that this protein is a product of neonatal and adult rat submandibular, sublingual, and parotid glands. cDNA clones encoding rat PIP were isolated and sequenced. The deduced amino acid sequence of rat PIP shows 56% overall identity and 80% similarity with mouse PIP. By SDS-PAGE, secreted rat PIP has an apparent Mr of 17,000, with a minor proportion present as Mr 20–22,000 N-glycosylated forms. PIP was localized in rat salivary glands by immunogold silver staining. PIP was identified in acinar cells of developing and mature submandibular and parotid glands and at very low levels in sublingual gland serous demilunes. Typically, rat subman...
Physical characterization of the genome of feline herpesvirus-1

The physical structure of the genome of feline herpesvirus-1, a major upper respiratory tract pathogen of cats, was studied. Purified FHV-1 DNA was analyzed by restriction endonuclease and gamma 5' exonuclease digestion, blot hybridization, and electron microscopy. To facilitate further studies, nine bacteriophage clones were isolated which contained 85% of the viral genome as SalI inserts, and DNA from these clones was used in blot hybridization experiments and as substrates for restriction digest analysis. Data from these studies permitted construction of a SalI and partial HindII and EcoRI restriction maps of the viral genome. FHV-1 DNA is approximately 134 kb in size and is composed of a long (L) and a short (S) segment. The long segment (U1) is 104 kb in size and is composed of unique DNA. The adjacent S segment is approximately 30 kb in size and contains a central portion of unique DNA (Us) which is approximately 8 kb in size. The Us region is bounded by inverted repeat sequences which are 11 kb in size. Therefore, the physical structure of the FHV-1 genome is similar to the genomes of other alpha-herpesviruses.
On steady solutions of symmetry-preserving perturbations of the two-dimensional Couette flow problem

We discuss homotopy methods for obtaining two-dimensional (2D) steady solutions of the planar Couette flow problem together with the relationship of these solutions to the spectrum of its linearization and to the symmetry of the nonlinear problem. In order to obtain these solutions, we classify the near-degeneracy of the real part of the spectrum, construct a certain homotopy that preserves the symmetry of the nonlinear problem, and propose fixed-point space computations to compute these solutions. We obtain numerical solutions for extremely small symmetry-preserving perturbations of the nonlinear equations governing 2D Couette flow.
EVI1 and hematopoietic disorders: History and perspectives

The ecotropic viral integration site 1 (EVI1) gene was identified almost 20 years ago as the integration site of an ecotropic retrovirus leading to murine myeloid leukemia. Since its identification, EVI1 has slowly been recognized as one of the most aggressive oncogenes associated with human leukemia. Despite the effort of many investigators, still very little is known about this gene. The mechanism by which EVI1 operates in the transformation of hematopoietic cells is not known, but it is clear that EVI1 upregulates cell proliferation, impairs cell differentiation, and induces cell transformation. In this review, we summarize the biochemical properties of EVI1 and the effects of EVI1 in biological models.