cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
New markets and new products: Strategies for reaching the base of the pyramid

Examines new evidence regarding the following: (1) the potential for profitability at the base of the pyramid consisting of over 4 billion people, mostly from third world countries; and (2) entrepreneurial qualities displayed by the informal sector mostly in the developed economies. A few large corporations have targeted the economically poor emerging new markets by developing new products and new technologies. There is no evidence to support the view that sustainable profitability is possible by catering to the needs of this new market segment. Multinational corporations have two options: (1) sell new products using adaptive technology to the middle income segment of the population with traditional marketing approaches; and (2) sell entirely new products at a substantially low price to the vast number of economically poor in the third world countries. This paper examines the critical factors associated with these two business strategies. Informal sector acts as “an incubator for business potential …‥ and transitional base for accessibility and graduation to the formal economy.” The potential of the informal sector to develop new products and technologies is examined. Presents a set of conclusions regarding the role of the informal sector in meeting the challenges of the bottom of the pyramid.
Comparative nucleotide sequences encoding the immunity proteins and the carboxyl-terminal peptides of colicins E2 and E3

Abstract Using the M13 dideoxy sequencing technique, we have established the DNA sequences of colicins E2 and E3 which encompass the receptor-binding and the catalytic domains of each of the nucleases, and their immunity (imm) genes. The imm gene of plasmid ColE2-P9 is 255 bp long and is separated from the end of the col gene by a dinucleotide. This gene pair is arranged similarly in plasmid ColE3-CA38 except that the intergenic space is 9 bp and the E3 imm gene is one codon shorter than its E2 counterpart. Comparisons of the E2 and E3 imm sequences indicate considerable divergence whereas the receptor-binding domains of both colicins are highly conserved. The two nuclease domains appear to share some sequence homology. A possible evolutionary relationship between colicin E3 and other microbial extracellular ribonucleases is also suggested from the sequence alignment analysis.
Converting a c-type to a b-type cytochrome: Met61 to His61 mutant of Pseudomonas cytochrome c-551.

The gene nirM, coding for cytochrome c-551 in Pseudomonas stutzeri substrain ZoBell, was engineered to mutate Met61, the sixth ligand to the heme c, into His61, thereby converting the typical Met-His coordination of a c-type cytochrome into His-His, typical of b-type cytochromes. The mutant protein was expressed heterologously in Escherichia coli at levels 3-fold higher than in Pseudomonas and purified to homogeneity. The mutant retained low-spin visible spectral characteristics, indicating that the strong field ligand His 61 was coordinated to the iron. The physiochemical properties of the mutant were measured and compared to the wild-type properties. These included visible spectra, ligand binding reactions, stability to temperature and chemical denaturant, oxidation−reduction potentials, and electron-transfer kinetics to the physiological nitrite reductase of Pseudomonas. Despite a change in potential from the normal 260 mV to 55 mV, the mutant retained many of the properties of the c-551 family.
Hepatotoxicity due to clofibrate is oxygen-dependent in the perfused rat liver☆

Toxicity of clofibrate, a hypolipidemic drug, was assessed in livers from fasted rats perfused in both the anterograde and the retrograde directions. Oxygen uptake decreased steadily following infusion of clofibrate (15 mm) and was diminished by about 40% in 15 min. Cell damage, assessed by the appearance of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in the effluent perfusate, began within 20 min. Maximal values for LDH release into perfusate were around 250 U/g/hr after perfusion with clofibrate for 40 min. Inhibition of oxygen uptake and release of LDH into the perfusate was dose-dependent (half-maximal effect = ca. 12 mm clofibrate). Nearly 90% of hepatocytes in oxygen-rich, periportal regions but only about 30% in oxygen-poor, pericentral areas took up trypan blue, an indicator of irreversible cell death, following perfusion with clofibrate in the anterograde direction. In contrast, when livers were perfused in the retrograde direction, 85% of cells in upstream, oxygen-rich pericentral regions were damaged whereas only about 30% in downstream areas were stained. When local oxygen tension was lowered by reducing the flow rate to one-quarter of normal, trypan blue uptake in periportal areas was diminished nearly completely (ca. 5% of cells were stained). Incubation in vitro of isolated cylinders of periportal and pericentral tissue with clofibrate at 800 or 200 μm oxygen led to about three times greater LDH release in incubations carried out at high than at low oxygen tension. This experiment led us to rule out the involvement of clofibrate delivery in the mechanism of zone-specific toxicity. Subsequently, local rates of oxygen uptake were measured using miniature oxygen electrodes placed on the liver surface. Clofibrate decreased oxygen uptake about 30% in oxygen-rich, periportal regions of the liver lobule, yet had no effect on respiration in downstream, pericentral areas. These phenomena can best be explained by a direct effect of clofibrate on active mitochondria in periportal regions of the liver lobule where oxygen uptake predominates, since state 3 but not state 4 rates of respiration were inhibited by clofibrate in isolated mitochondria (half-maximal effect = ca. 1.8 mm clofibrate). Thus, toxicity of clofibrate in upstream, periportal areas of the liver lobule is dependent on local oxygen tension and affects actively respiring mitochondria. This may lead to local cell death and be responsible for initiating a sequence of events leading to the well-known carcinogenic effects of this compound.
Bacterial survival in turfgrass as predicted from the UV environment

Phylloplane microorganism survival is presumably affected by ultraviolet radiation (UV) penetrating into plant canopies, but little field data exist relating microorganism population dynamics to canopy UV level. Recent advances in field measurements involving the use of biological dosimeters and miniature radiometers make possible data sets for use in assessing the impact of UV on phylloplane microbe survival. The objective of this study was to compare field survival of a bacterial species, applied to turfgrass as a biological disease control agent, with predicted survival based on the prevailing UV-B environment under natural and attenuated UV conditions. Derived survival curves and radiation penetration equations (based on radiometer and biodosimeter field measurements of UV-B transmittance) were applied to predict bacterial survival within a turfgrass canopy at different leaf area indices. Due to the range in UV levels within a canopy, as indicated by the maximum (sunfleck areas) and minimum (shaded areas) transmitted irradiance values, bacterial survival can vary; predicted bacterial survival based only on average light penetration tended to underestimate survival. Further study should address contributions due to microenvironmental effects (e.g., canopy temperature, leaf wetness, and canopy structure), the spatial distribution of bacterium leaf microsites and bacterium survival on leaf surfaces.© (2002) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Efficiency of competitions

League competition is investigated using random processes and scaling techniques. In our model, a weak team can upset a strong team with a fixed probability. Teams play an equal number of head-to-head matches and the team with the largest number of wins is declared to be the champion. The total number of games needed for the best team to win the championship with high certainty $T$ grows as the cube of the number of teams $N$, i.e., $T\ensuremath{\sim}{N}^{3}$. This number can be substantially reduced using preliminary rounds where teams play a small number of games and subsequently, only the top teams advance to the next round. When there are $k$ rounds, the total number of games needed for the best team to emerge as champion, ${T}_{k}$, scales as follows, ${T}_{k}\ensuremath{\sim}{N}^{{\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{k}}$ with ${\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{k}={[1\ensuremath{-}{(2∕3)}^{k+1}]}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$. For example, ${\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{k}=9∕5,27∕19,81∕65$ for $k=1,2,3$. These results suggest an algorithm for how to infer the best team using a schedule that is linear in $N$. We conclude that league format is an ineffective method of determining the best team, and that sequential elimination from the bottom up is fair and efficient.
The Impact of BTI Variations on Timing in Digital Logic Circuits

A new framework for analyzing the impact of bias temperature instability (BTI) variations on timing in large-scale digital logic circuits is proposed in this paper. This approach incorporates both the reaction-diffusion model and the charge-trapping model for BTI and embeds these into a temporal statistical static timing analysis framework capturing process variations and path correlations. Experimental results on 32-, 22-, and 16-nm technology models, which were verified through Monte Carlo simulation, confirm that the proposed approach is fast, accurate, and scalable and indicate that BTI variations make a significant contribution to circuit-level timing variations.
Phylogeography and population genetic structure of double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus)

We examined the genetic structure of double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) across their range in the United States and Canada. Sequences of the mitochondrial control region were analyzed for 248 cormorants from 23 breeding sites. Variation was also examined at eight microsatellite loci for 409 cormorants from the same sites. The mitochondrial and microsatellite data provided strong evidence that the Alaskan subspecies (P. a. cincinnatus) is genetically divergent from other populations in North America (net sequence divergence = 5.85 %; ΦST for mitochondrial control region = 0.708; FST for microsatellite loci = 0.052). Historical records, contemporary population estimates, and field observations are consistent with recognition of the Alaskan subspecies as distinct and potentially of conservation interest. Our data also indicated the presence of another divergent lineage, associated with the southwestern portion of the species range, as evidenced by highly unique haplotypes sampled in southern California. In contrast, there was little support for recognition of subspecies within the conterminous U.S. and Canada. Rather than genetically distinct regions corresponding to the putative subspecies [P. a. albociliatus (Pacific), P. a. auritus (Interior and North Atlantic), and P. a. floridanus (Southeast)], we observed a distribution of genetic variation consistent with a pattern of isolation by distance. This pattern implies that genetic differences across the range are due to geographic distance, rather than discrete subspecific breaks. Although three of the four traditional subspecies were not genetically distinct, possible demographic separation, habitat differences, and documented declines at some colonies within the regions, suggests that the Pacific and possibly North Atlantic portions of the breeding range may warrant differential consideration from the Interior and Southeast breeding regions.
Reply to "Comment on 'Renormalization-group theory for the phase-field crystal equation' "

In a recent Comment Y. Shiwa, Phys. Rev. E 79, 013601 2009, Shiwa points out that our multiple-scales analysis of the Van der Pol equation Appendix of Phys. Rev. E 74, 011601 2006 contained an error, and thus there may be no ordering ambiguity for renormalization and differentiation operations, as we had proposed for the phase-field crystal equation and other conservation laws. The Van der Pol analysis was indeed incorrect, and while his Comment casts doubt over our treatment of the multiple-scales analysis of the phasefield crystal PFC equation, there is no substantial change to our renormalization RG group results or simulations of the PFC model. This example highlights the merits of the RG approach to singular perturbation problems: the RG method is more mechanical and requires less user-insight than traditional methods. In an earlier paper 1, we attempted to derive the amplitude equation to the phase-field crystal PFC model—a conservation law 2—using several variants of the renormalization group RG method and compared the results obtained thereby with the result derived from a benchmark multiplescales MSs analysis of the same model. We noted a discrepancy between the RG results and the MSs results, viz. the MSs analysis yielded certain extra higher-order terms in the amplitude equation which were not captured by either of the RG methods. We have since verified that these terms have virtually no bearing over our simulations of the PFC equation. In our paper, we attempted to resolve this apparent mismatch by proposing a different ordering of the renormalization and differentiation operations see 1 for details in the RG method that led to agreement with the MSs results. We attributed this ordering ambiguity to the presence of the conservation law. In his Comment Shiwa has, however, argued that there is no need for this reordering, claiming an error in our MSs analysis. The Comment has two parts, and these need to be considered separately. 1 The Comment points out an error in the Appendix of our original paper in the derivation of the amplitude equation for the Van der Pol oscillator using MSs. The author states that we ignored an extra time scale inherent to this problem, as a result of which our derivation using MSs did not match the derivation using the proto-RG method. Based on this he concludes that there is no need for the modification we suggested for the RG method renormalization before differentiation as applied to the Van der Pol oscillator in the Appendix of our paper. We agree completely with this point. We made an error in the MSs calculation, and if we had not done so, the original RG calculation would have easily given the correct result. 2 The Comment goes on to argue that the MSs scale
Terrestrial and microgravity boiling heat transfer in a dielectrophoretic force field

Abstract In order to maintain steady nucleate boiling in microgravity another force must be imposed on the boiling process to replace the buoyancy force. The objective of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of a static electric field for maintaining nucleate boiling in microgravity. Semi-transparent gold-film heaters are used to measure the instantaneous average heater surface temperature and to provide a bottom view of the boiling process. Three electrode geometries are designed with this heater: a diverging plate, a flat plate, and a pin electrode. Depending on the heat flux level and voltage strength, it was found that each of these electrodes is able to effectively move the boiling bubbles away from the vicinity of the heater surface in microgravity. Both flow visualization and measured heat transfer data are obtained to verify these results.
Optimum allocation of resources between the random access and rack storage spaces in an automated warehousing system

The throughput capacity of an automated warehousing system is mainly dependent on two factors; the number of available storage spaces and the efficiency of the storage and retrieval system. If it is assumed that only a limited amount of resources are available to build a warehouse, spending most of the resources on providing more spaces or on a more efficient storage and retrieval system becomes a crucial allocation problem. In this paper, a warehouse consisting of two types of storage spaces, random access and rack space, is considered. Random access spaces are assumed to require more resources per unit to provide, but they contribute more to the efficiency of the operation of the system because items can be stored in and retrieved from them without delay. Rack spaces, on the other hand, need the services of a stacking crane for storage and retrieval. As a result, the queueing system formed limits their utilization. Here, a method is presented for the optimum allocation of the resources among these two t...
Collagen and dermal patterns in the hypertrophic scar.

Hypertrophic scar, mature scar, normal skin and granulation tissue were studied by transmission (TEM) and scanning (SEM) electron microscopy for characteristics and differences in fine structure, especially the collagen filaments and their physical association with each other and with interstitial components of the ground matrix. The shape of the collagen filaments is irregular and angular in granulation tissue, irregular to ovoid in hypertrophic scar, ovoid to round in mature scar, and round in normal skin. The mean diameter of the collagen filaments measures approximately 440 A in granulation tissue, 600 A in hypertrophic scar, 1000 A in mature scar, and 1050 A in normal skin. Interstitial filaments are prominent in hypertrophic scar by TEM. In nodular areas where collagen is examined in cross section the interstitial filaments often appear to interconnect long chains of collagen filaments. The interstitial filaments are not observed by SEM. Rather, by this method of observation, the demis of hypertrophic scar is seen as a homogeneous matrix, and individual collagen filaments are not observed. It is suggested that the hypertrophic scar is characterized by an unusually firm intercollagen binding by interstitial filaments, which are probably protein-polysaccharides of the ground matrix. This relationship could account for the clinical quality of extreme hardness of the scar, and might also suggest an aberration important in the etiology of the scar.
Selling drugs online: distribution‐related legal/regulatory issues

The online distribution of prescription‐only pharmaceutical products raises serious legal and regulatory issues, including how governments, agencies, or organizations will regulate and monitor such activities, particularly when the distributors are offshore Web sites. This paper discusses the current regulatory environment for marketing prescription‐only drugs online and distributing them across national borders, along with product liability issues. Four hypothetical scenarios focus on key legal and regulatory issues.
Composition of Shell Waste from Egg Breaking Plants

Abstract Eleven samples of egg shell waste were obtained from egg breaking plants. This waste was conveyed directly from the breaking machines. It included the shells, membranes, and adhering albumen. Two of the eleven samples were centrifuged to remove free albumen; and two samples were washed repeatedly with distilled water to remove all adhering albumen. This waste material contained an average of 29.1% moisture as it came from the breakers and 16.2% moisture when centrifuged. After drying and grinding, various chemical analyses were made. The average gross composition (dry basis) of the regular samples was 91.1% ash, 7.56% protein, and 0.24% lipid. These samples averaged 90.9% calcium carbonate. Centrifuging and washing reduced protein levels to 5.31% and 5.15% respectively. The elemental composition for regular samples was 36.4% calcium, 0.002% iron, 0.097% potassium, 0.398% magnesium, 0.152% sodium, 0.091% sulfur, and 0.116% phosphorus. The percent of calcium increased with centrifuging and with washing. Determinations for 17 amino acids were made. Levels of certain amino acids in the regular shell waste were 0.28% methionine, 0.41% cystine, 0.35% lysine, and 0.34% isoleucine. The amino acid levels were reduced by centrifuging and by washing. These results suggest that utilization of egg shell waste or “meal” as a feed ingredient.
Production of IFN-α by human and murine mast cells induced by double-stranded RNA: Evidence for activation through toll-like receptor-3 (TLR-3)

Abstract Rationale Type I IFNs are critical for host defense against viruses, but the source of these cytokines are not fully understood. While plasmacytoid dendritic cells are primary producers in some viral infections, they do not contribute in all cases. Given that mast cells (MC) are located at epithelial surfaces where initial exposure to invading viruses may occur, we explored the ability of MC to produce type I IFNs following exposure to viruses, and polyI:C, a synthetic mimic of viral dsRNA. Methods and results Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), type-1 reovirus, influenza virus (PR8), and polyI:C induced IFN-α production from human peripheral blood cultured MC (HCMC). PolyI:C also induced IFN-α and IFN-β expression by two MC lines, LAD and HMC-1. PolyI:C did not induce TNF, IL-1β, or IL-5 expression, as did other toll-like receptor (TLR) ligands (LPS, PGN or CpGs). PolyI:C-induced IFN-α production was partially dependent on NF-κB, p38 and JNK MAP kinase signaling pathways. RT-PCR and Western blot analysis confirmed expression of TLR-3 by all MC. HCMC also expressed TLR-1, -2, -4, -5, -6, -7 and -8. Antibodies to TLR-3 but not to TLR-2 or TLR-4 blocked polyI:C-induced IFN-α production and bone-marrow derived MC from TLR-3 knock-out mice showed an ablated response to polyI:C. Conclusions Murine and human MC produce type I IFNs following exposure to viruses and dsRNA, the latter via specific interactions with TLR-3. These data suggest that MC contribute to innate immune responses to viral infection, as well as to the induction of adaptive immunity via the production of type I IFNs.
The regrown-diffused transistor

Abstract A new process for producing high-frequency n-p-n silicon transistors is described. The novel feature is the formation of a doubly doped region in contact with singly doped material by the direct melting of appropriately doped fragments on to the latter, followed by subsequent solidification. A diffusion cycle then enables the required transistor structure to be developed. The new technique is not limited to silicon and has a number of attractive features, among them: simplicity of apparatus, relatively high rate of production and efficient utilization of material.
Absence of jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus DNA and RNA in bronchioloalveolar and conventional human pulmonary adenocarcinoma by PCR and RT-PCR analysis.

Abstract Bronchioloalveolar adenocarcinoma (BAC) morphologically resembles sheep pulmonary adenomatosis (SPA), a contagious ovine pulmonary adenocarcinoma caused by the jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus (JSRV). Previously, positivity for JSRV by immunostaining, reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and Western blot was reported in most nonmucinous BACs. Our objective in this study was to analyze additional BAC subtypes and conventional adenocarcinomas (CA) to further substantiate this association. Tumor tissue was microdissected from unstained paraffin sections of 26 cases of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded BAC (7 mucinous, 17 nonmucinous, 2 sclerosing) and 29 cases of CA. Positive controls consisted of 2 separate paraffin blocks of known SPA. Primer sequences were derived that were capable of hybridizing to all reported strain variants of both the DNA (endogeneous) and RNA (exogenous) forms of JSRV. Each sample was tested using both PCR (DNA) and RT-PCR (RNA). All BAC and CA cases were negative for JSRV. Positive controls yielded PCR products that were sequenced and precisely matched the published prototype stain of JSRV. To control for negative effects of tissue fixation, dilutions of positive control tissue were added to BAC and CA samples. Detection of JSRV was evident at 1:50 dilution. Although the possibility of a viral association with BAC cannot be excluded, this study shows that the association with JSRV is probably very weak, if present at all. H UM P ATHOL 32:1039-1042. Copyright © 2001 by W.B. Saunders Company
Electron-Beam Filamentation in Strong Magnetic Fields

Intense electron beams which are partially current neutralized can be unstable to transverse modes which form small pinch structures. Beams guided by strong ${B}_{z}$ fields experience a circular particle drift at frequency $\frac{{{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{\ensuremath{\beta}}}^{2}}{{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{c}}$, which proves highly destabilizing for filamentary modes. Growth rates considerably exceed the resistive diffusion rates normal for a resistive instability. The mode may be difficult to distinguish experimentally from interchange, but our computed growth rates are in qualitative agreement with present experiments.
Caffeine and related methylxanthines: possible naturally occurring pesticides

Natural and synthetic methylxanthines inhibit insect feeding and are pesticidal at concentrations known to occur in plants. These effects are due primarily to inhibition of phosphodiesterase activity and to an increase in intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate. At lower concentrations, methylxanthines are potent synergists of other pesticides known to activate adenylate cyclase in insects. These data suggest that methylxanthines may function as natural insecticides and that phosphodiesterase inhibitors, alone or in combination with other compounds, may be useful in insect control.
Numerical linear algebra algorithms and software

Abstract The increasing availability of advanced-architecture computers has a significant effect on all spheres of scientific computation, including algorithm research and software development in numerical linear algebra. Linear algebra – in particular, the solution of linear systems of equations – lies at the heart of most calculations in scientific computing. This paper discusses some of the recent developments in linear algebra designed to exploit these advanced-architecture computers. We discuss two broad classes of algorithms: those for dense, and those for sparse matrices.
A Methylation-responsive MDBP/RFX Site Is in the First Exon of the Collagen α2(I) Promoter

Abstract DNA methylation inhibits transcription driven by the collagen α2(I) promoter and the 5′ end of the gene in transient transfection and in vitro transcription assays. DNA-binding proteins in a unique family of ubiquitously expressed proteins, methylated DNA-binding protein (MDBP)/regulatory factor for X box (RFX), form specific complexes with a sequence overlapping the transcription start site of the collagen α2(I) gene. Complex formation increased when the CpG site at +7 base pairs from the transcription start site was methylated. The identity of the protein was demonstrated by co-migration and cross-competition for a characteristic slowly migrating doublet complex formed on MDBP/RFX recognition sequences and the collagen sequences by band shift assays. A RFX1-specific antibody supershifted the collagen DNA-protein complexes. Furthermore, in vitro translated RFX1 protein formed a specific complex with the collagen sequence that was also supershifted with the RFX1 antibody. MDBP/RFX displayed a higher affinity binding to the collagen sequence if the CpG at +7 was mutated in a manner similar to TpG. This same mutation within reporter constructs inhibited transcription in transfection and in vitro transcription assay. These results support the hypothesis that DNA methylation-induced inactivation of collagen α2(I) gene transcription is mediated, in part, by increased binding of MDBP/RFX to the first exon in response to methylation in this region.
Bad Moon Rising: Lycanthropy and Liminality in Cervantes's “El coloquio de los perros”

Among the three possible explanations for Cipion and Berganza's sudden and unexpected power of speech in Cervantes's “El coloquio de los perros” is the suggestion that these two characters are actually the progeny of a witch and that they have been cursed to live as dogs until such time as they revert to their human form. Through an examination of the history of lycanthropy and cynocephaly in European mythology, this essay traces the lycanthropic foundations of “El casamiento enganoso” and “El coloquio de los perros” and explores Cervantes's talking dogs as a metaphor for hybridity, liminality, and contamination within the context of early modern Iberian anxieties about “pureza de sangre.”
Emerging infectious diseases: threats to human health and global stability

The inevitable, but unpredictable, appearance of new infectious diseases has been recognized for millennia, well before the discovery of causative infectious agents. Today, however, despite extraordinary advances in development of countermeasures (diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines), the ease of world travel and increased global interdependence have added layers of complexity to containing these infectious diseases that affect not only the health but the economic stability of societies. HIV/AIDS, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), and the most recent 2009 pandemic H1N1 influenza are only a few of many examples of emerging infectious diseases in the modern world [1]; each of these diseases has caused global societal and economic impact related to unexpected illnesses and deaths, as well as interference with travel, business, and many normal life activities. Other emerging infections are less catastrophic than these examples; however, they nonetheless may take a significant human toll as well as cause public fear, economic loss, and other adverse outcomes.
Testis development requires the repression of Wnt4 by Fgf signaling.

The bipotential gonad expresses genes associated with both the male and female pathways. Adoption of the male testicular fate is associated with the repression of many female genes including Wnt4. However, the importance of repression of Wnt4 to the establishment of male development was not previously determined. Deletion of either Fgf9 or Fgfr2 in an XY gonad resulted in up-regulation of Wnt4 and male-to-female sex reversal. We investigated whether the deletion if Wnt4 could rescue sex reversal in Fgf9 and Fgfr2 mutants. XY Fgf9/Wnt4 and Fgfr2/Wnt4 double mutants developed testes with male somatic and germ cells present, suggesting that the primary role of Fgf signaling is the repression of female-promoting genes. Thus, the decision to adopt the male fate is based not only on whether male genes, such as Sox9, are expressed, but also on the active repression of female genes, such as Wnt4. Because loss of Wnt4 results in the up-regulation of Fgf9, we also tested the possibility that derepression of Fgf9 was responsible for the aspects of male development observed in XX Wnt4 mutants. However, we found that the relationship between these two signaling factors is not symmetric: loss of Fgf9 in XX Wnt4−/− gonads does not rescue their partial female-to-male sex-reversal.
Myocardial Revascularization of the Canine Circumflex Coronary Artery Using Retrograde Internal Mammary Artery Flow Without Cardiopulmonary Bypass

Abstract A new surgical technique using perfusion of the circumflex coronary artery with retrograde blood flow of the internal mammary artery (IMA) is described. This project was undertaken because the IMA is uniquely well supplied with blood: proximally through its attachment to the subclavian artery, along the sternum by the intercostal arteries to the aorta, and distally from the iliac artery by the epigastric and musculophrenic arteries. In this experimental study, the IMA in 16 dogs was ligated and divided at the subclavian artery, then dissected free down along the sternum to obtain sufficient length. The large subclavian end was then anastomosed to the circumflex coronary artery using a metal cannula technique to perfuse the circumflex bed while the anastomosis was being done. In all 16 dogs, the retrograde flow of the IMA was adequate to maintain the circumflex bed. It is postulated that this technique may have some limited use in man.
Leadership in the Twitterverse

Millions of people, businesses, and organizations are using Twitter. Because of the connection Twitter offers, leadership is emerging through this social media outlet. However, in this time of instant connection, it is important to examine how business leaders are influencing their followers when it comes to tweeting. The purpose of the current study was to discover what business leaders are tweeting about. In order to develop an understanding of the content of the tweets from the top four business leaders on Twitter, the researchers completed a content analysis.
Optimization of in-situ combustion processes: A parameter space study towards reducing the CO2 emissions

Abstract Enhanced oil recovery (EOR) through in-situ combustion (ISC) is a process that utilizes a fraction of the oil in-place as fuel in order to upgrade and displace the hydrocarbons in heavy oil reservoirs. In ISC processes, air is injected into a heated section of the reservoir. Upon reaching a threshold temperature, the oxygen in the injected air reacts with the oil in-place and generates heat, a lighter oil fraction, as well as steam and other gaseous reaction products, primarily CO 2 , which help drive the upgraded oil (lighter fraction) towards the production wells. ISC processes can, as a result, be highly efficient but at the same time produce significant amounts of CO 2 , a potent greenhouse gas. In this paper the emphasis is on developing an ISC process with significantly reduced CO 2 emissions. The process involves the capture and re-injection of CO 2 into the formation. We find that, in addition to reducing the CO 2 emissions, this novel process also shows improved oil recovery rates relative to conventional ISC without CO 2 capture and recycle. We observe, for example, increases in the oil recovery of ∼33% for a fixed time of operation when comparing the ISC process with CO 2 recycle against the conventional ISC process. In addition, at the time when 80% of the total oil in-place has been produced, the CO 2 emissions are consistently lowered by 18–22% when CO 2 is recycled back into the formation. This study analyzes the characteristics and dynamics of the process and explores the effect of the relevant process parameters. For a wide range of Peclet and Damkohler numbers as well as initial saturations, favorable trends induced by CO 2 recycling are observed.
Promoter trapping of c-jun promoter-binding transcription factors

A new method called promoter trapping was developed to purify promoter-protein complex using the c-jun promoter (-200+81) as a model, which was shown to have significant promoter activity. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR), lambda exonuclease digestion combined with (AC)(5)-Sepharose DNA affinity chromatography were used to produce c-jun promoter with a (GT)(5) tail at each 3' end. The intact promoter and different length pieces with one or two (GT)(5) tails had almost the same capacity to bind with (AC)(5)-Sepharose. In solution, tailed c-jun promoter (60 nM) and competitor poly dI:dC (30 ng/microl) was incubated with crude HEK293 nuclear extract to form a large protein-promoter complex, and the complex was then trapped by (AC)(5)-Sepharose by centrifugation or on a column. Compared with a popular alternative method, called here the immobilized promoter method, the products of promoter trapping were purer. The preinitiation complex purified by promoter trapping had the expected components including RNA polymerase II, TATA-box binding protein (TBP), TFIIF subunit RAP74, and transcription factor SP1, and transcribed RNA in vitro. Thus, the promoter trapping approach provides a useful tool for the purification and investigation of transcription complexes.
Marketing Education and Marketing Management: Some Thoughts on Compatibility and Integration

Several books in which the authors have attempted to draw our attention to perceived problems in higher education have been published recently; an example is Bloom's (1987) The Closing of the American Mind. One such issue related to marketing concerns the extent to which students are being educated in the discipline of marketing, as opposed to current pedagogy, which emphasizes marketing practice in order to train future marketing "managers." This article addresses this marketing education issue.
The challenge of remote exploration for extraterrestrial fossil life

The discovery of possible fossils of nanobacteria in a meteorite from Mars is both an exciting development and a considerably challenge for future work. The meteorite bearing the possible fossils, ALH84001, has been on Earth for over ten thousand years, and thus the possibility that the `fossils' are terrestrial contamination must be considered. We suggest that the only way to fully resolve the issue of possible martian life is to study directly- sampled pieces of Mars, either using in situ instrumentation or via sample return. The small size of the possible fossils, and their relatively low abundance in bulk rock samples make in situ analysis difficult and indirect. We suggest that addressing the issue of ancient life on Mars will require sample return, probably assisted by in situ screening by landers/rovers. Our study of ALH84001 confirms the observation of McKay et al. of the existence of `fossils' in ALH84001, and we find that they are highly abundant on all the carbonate nodules we examined. Examination of lunar meteorites and two other martian meteorites, with terrestrial and laboratory histories very similar to that of ALH84001, shows that nano-`fossils' are absent, suggesting that the features in ALH84001 are probably not terrestrial contamination.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Emergency department arrival times after acute ischemic stroke during the 1990s.

Introduction Only 8% of ischemic stroke (IS) patients are eligible for rt-PA, and the largest exclusion criterion is delayed time of presentation to the ED. We sought to investigate whether patients are arriving to the ED more quickly in 1999 than in 1993/94 within our large biracial population of 1.3 million.
Post-secondary school participation of immigrant and native youth: the role of familial resources and educational expectations

Abstract This paper extends contemporary research on educational attainment by examining how structural background and familial resources, such as parental involvement and parental expectations, are translated into differential participation in post-secondary education by first- and second-generation youth from different racial and ethnic groups. Longitudinal, nationally representative data from the 1988–1994 panels of the National Education Longitudinal Study (NELS) reveal that the overwhelming majority of immigrant parents expect their children to go to college or beyond. Multinomial logistic regression analysis confirms that immigrant and second-generation youth are more likely than their third or higher generation peers to complete secondary school and go on to post-secondary education despite controls for structural and family background variables. Generation status differences are mediated by educational expectations for group specific models, particularly among Asian origin youth, suggesting support for a conditional model of adaptation among immigrant youth.
Topographic organization of primary olfactory nerve in cat and rabbit as shown by evoked potentials

Resume L'organisation topographique des nerfs olfactifs primaires (PON) chez le chat et le lapin a ete explore en faisant la moyenne de potentiels evoques a des chocs uniques, par stimulation electrique unipolaire a bas niveau du PON. Les potentiels evoques moyens (AEPs) ont une forme caracteristique qui ressemble a une onde sinusoidale amortie. Lorsqu'ils sont enregistres simultanement a partier de 64 points de la surface bulbaire, les AEPs par stimulation unipolaire montrent que le potentiel de surface a une distribution en forme de cloche qui definit un foyer de reponse. Le rayon moyen de demi-amplitude du foyer en reponse a la stimulation PON est de 1335 microns. L'oscillation d'amplitude des responses focales a une stimulation par choc unique ressemble a une onde stable. Cette activite ne diffuse pas comme les ondes dans I'eau ou comme les ondes de la spreading depression. La position de l'epicentre du foyer est tres sensible aux modifications de localisation du stimulus, ce qui montre qu'un degre eleve d'organisation topographique existe en moyenne dans les PON. Mais a partir de chaque point du PON l'actovote diverge sur la surface du bulbe, en raison de l'emmelement des axones du PON dans la partie la plus profonde de la couche du PON. Des estimations quantitatives sont donnees quant au degre de divergence a partir du lieu de stimulation dans la couche du PON jusqu'aux glomerules. L'auteur conclue que les axones divergent largement dans chaque partie de la muqueuse, des recepteurs aux glomerules distribues sur la surface bulbaire, mais de petits changements dans les moyennes de localisations pour les distributions de l'activite de l'activite du PON et de l'activite bulbaire sont facilement induits, observes et correles avec des modifications du lieu de stimulation.
Design of a secondary ionization target for direct production of a C− beam from CO2 pulses for online AMS

We designed and optimized a novel device “target” that directs a CO2 gas pulse onto a Ti surface where a Cs+ beam generates C− from the CO2. This secondary ionization target enables an accelerator mass spectrometer to ionize pulses of CO2 in the negative mode to measure 14C/12C isotopic ratios in real time. The design of the targets were based on computational flow dynamics, ionization mechanism and empirical optimization. As part of the ionization mechanism, the adsorption of CO2 on the Ti surface was fitted with the Jovanovic–Freundlich isotherm model using empirical and simulation data. The inferred adsorption constants were in good agreement with other works. The empirical optimization showed that amount of injected carbon and the flow speed of the helium carrier gas improve the ionization efficiency and the amount of 12C− produced until reaching a saturation point. Linear dynamic range between 150 and 1000 ng of C and optimum carrier gas flow speed of around 0.1 mL/min were shown. It was also shown that the ionization depends on the area of the Ti surface and Cs+ beam cross-section. A range of ionization efficiency of 1–2.5% was obtained by optimizing the described parameters.
Accumulation of 5 alpha-reduced androgen glucosiduronates associated with impaired removal in young male hemodialysis patients

Hypothalamic-pituitary gonadal function is commonly altered in dialysis patients. Even though an improvement in general status and well-being has been noted after recombinant human erythropoietin supplementation, no significant changes were observed in the sex hormone profile. Pituitary gonadal axis as well as 5 alpha-reduced androgen glucosiduronates (i.e. 5 alpha-androstane,3 alpha,17 beta-diol and androsterone) profiles were studied in 23 young male stable dialyzed patients and compared to an age-matched group of healthy subjects. 5 alpha-Reduced androgen glucosiduronates are products of peripheral testosterone (T) metabolism and seem to be a useful tool in assessment of the male androgen status. Their polarity facilitates their urinary excretion, and their clearance is similar to the glomerular filtration rate in healthy men. We observed 1) a pituitary-Leydig cell dysfunction supported by normal serum estradiol and T levels, low free T, and increased LH levels; 2) an alteration of the dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) sulfate-DHEA interconversion, reflected by a dramatic decrease in DHEA while DHEA sulfate levels remained in the normal range; 3) an accumulation of 5 alpha-reduced androgen glucosiduronates, whose removal was impaired as shown by their very low sieving coefficients (< 0.012). Taken together, the above observations are consistent with alteration of spermatogenesis with respect to dialysis duration in which earlier elevated baseline serum LH levels indicate a primary defect in Leydig cell function.
Line preserving topologies

Abstract Can the plane have distinct, locally compact Hausdorff topologies that preserve lines as closed subsets? Can a square have distinct, compact Hausdorff topologies that preserve vertical and horizontal segments? The answer to both questions is yes, as demonstrated by examples in this paper. A charaterization of the square (2-cell) is given in terms of the preservation of vertical and horizontal segments as closed, connected subsets, but it is stated that no similar characterization of the plane was found.
Endogenous functions of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR): intersection of cytochrome P450 1 (CYP1)-metabolized eicosanoids and AHR biology.

The AHR,2 a ligand-activated transcription factor, was first identified indirectly in the 1970s; the mouse and human genes were cloned in the early 1990s. Molecular mechanisms and biological consequences of AHR-mediated regulation of mammalian cytochrome P450 enzymes by foreign chemicals (e.g. polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and dioxins) have been studied extensively. Binding of such ligands to AHR leads to transcriptional activation of CYP1A1, CYP1A2, and CYP1B1; in turn, these enzymes catalyze oxidative detoxication or activation of most ligands. From the start, AHR endogenous ligands and functions were postulated; although this was initially controversial, the robust phenotype of Ahr–/– knock-out mice provided clear evidence of physiological roles (and endogenous ligands) for AHR. AHR has numerous important endogenous functions: during conception and embryonic and fetal development; in the immune, cardiovascular, neural, and reproductive systems; and in hepatocytes, skin cells, and adipocytes. These myriad AHR-mediated processes mirror the vast universe of action of the eicosanoids, lipid mediators known to undergo cytochrome P450-dependent oxidation. We propose that many endogenous and exogenous cellular stimuli lead to (i) AHR-dependent CYP1-dependent eicosanoid synthesis and degradation and (ii) AHR-dependent CYP1-independent (eicosanoid-dependent and -independent) responses. These two pathways can be delineated from one another in genetic models: the former is absent in the recently characterized Cyp1a1/1a2/1b1–/– triple-knock-out mouse, and the latter is absent in the Ahr–/– knock-out mouse. Identification of specific eicosanoids whose synthesis or degradation is carried out by each CYP1 enzyme should allow for identification of physiological endogenous AHR ligands. (For “History and Background,” see supplemental material (Box 1).)