cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Collective Behavior

The resurgence of interest in collective behavior is in large part due to tools recently made available for conducting laboratory experiments on groups, statistical methods for analyzing large data sets reflecting social interactions, the rapid growth of a diverse variety of online self-organized collectives, and computational modeling methods for understanding both universal and scenario-specific social patterns. We consider case studies of collective behavior along four attributes: the primary motivation of individuals within the group, kinds of interactions among individuals, typical dynamics that result from these interactions, and characteristic outcomes at the group level. With this framework, we compare the collective patterns of noninteracting decision makers, bee swarms, groups forming paths in physical and abstract spaces, sports teams, cooperation and competition for resource usage, and the spread and extension of innovations in an online community. Some critical issues surrounding collective behavior are then reviewed, including the questions of “Does group behavior always reduce to individual behavior?”“Is ‘group cognition’ possible?” and “What is the value of formal modeling for understanding group behavior?”
A Plausible Link of TMPRSS2/ACE2/AR Signaling to Male Mortality during the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States

The COVID-19 pandemic continues around the world, where the United States is among the worst in terms of both morbidity and fatality of the viral infection. We aim to investigate the plausible link of tissue SARS-CoV-2 viral entry gene expression, such as TMPRSS2 and ACE2, with infection and death by gender during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. We find a significantly higher incidence of COVID-19 death in men than in women, even though SARS-CoV-2 infection in women is higher than in men. We discover that the expression of TMPRSS2 and ACE2 in intestine, but not in lung, tends to be positively associated with the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in men. In contrast, the high incidence of death in men is negatively correlated with TMPRSS2/ACE2 expression in intestine. Strikingly, the correlation of TMPRSS2/ACE2 expression with SARS-CoV-2 infection and death is the opposite in females, compared with that in males. Interestingly, male hormone signaling seems to be involved in mortality, as the low expression of testosterone receptor AR in the prostate contributes to death in men according to age. These observations point to a plausible contribution of male hormone metabolism in the regulation of TMPRSS2/ACE2 signaling to fatality by SARS-CoV-2 infection in men.
Who Is Not Sylvia

Edward Albee’s tri-titled play the Goat, or, Who Is Sylvia? (Notes toward a Definition of Tragedy), winner of the 2002 Tony Award for Best Play, is a theatrical gem packed with the birthday motif, the theme of arrival (in this case represented by a denouncing letter), the challenging of the great ‘old times” motif with their great “old promises of happiness and fulfilment.” In this play the author questions the “old” fundamentals of civilization, according to which people could coexist with one another, provided they knew how to masterfully hide their ugly deeds. In return, although in a very shocking manner, the American playwright recommends we start reconsidering or rewriting the way we conceive of our lives so that it may be more flexible to our inflexible human nature. Therefore, Sylvia is everybody’s goat, a metaphorical gate which our wildest desires may penetrate, potentially dissolving, or at least diminishing, the ravaging effects of our gregarious, unhealthy regimented selves.
When Should a Patient with a Nonvariceal Upper Gastrointestinal Bleed Be Fed

Nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage is a common cause for admission to the intensive care unit. Most patients are prohibited from oral or enteral feeding for 72 hours despite different risks for rebleeding. Fasting is believed to improve the ability to control intragastric pH, stabilize clots, and reduce the risk of rebleeding; however, studies have shown no difference in intragastric pH and complications in patients who received early feeding. Approximately 50% of patients are classified as low risk for rebleeding and can be safely fed immediately and discharged early, even on the same day as endoscopy. Only the patients with a high risk of rebleeding should be kept nil per os and be hospitalized for at least 72 hours after endoscopic treatment. Most high-risk lesions become low-risk lesions within 72 hours, and most rebleeding occurs within this time. Randomized controlled trials have demonstrated that early feeding does not have adverse consequences, however. More studies on the timing and type of nutrition in patients with high-risk stigmata are needed.
The Effects of EGCG-stearate on the Cellular Processes of HSV-1 Infected Vero Cells

The Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) is the cause of oral and genital herpes and infects one in six individuals globally. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) is the most common polyphenol derived from gree...
Beyond control: body and self in women’s childbearing narratives

In the United States, childbearing is often conceptualised as a time when women lose self-control over their bodies. This project examines issues of bodily control through a social constructionist analysis of in-depth interviews with 18 predominantly white, working and middle class women who have recently given birth in the US. Findings indicate that many participants construct themselves as both in and out of control of their bodies during childbearing. Participants also describe body/self relationships in ways that transcend power and control, perceiving the body as autonomous, accommodating and collaborating. Accommodating and collaborating bodies were described here only among participants who gave birth in the midwifery model of care. The findings illuminate various ways of conceptualising the body and point to the use of different bodily discourses by women who give birth in medical and midwifery models.
Plant Transformation to Confer Resistance Against Virus Infection

Genetic transformation of crop plants to improve production and value are targets for many scientists in both university and private company laboratories. Several years ago the results of experiments was described which demonstrated that it was possible to produce virus resistant transgenic plants by expressing a gene that encoded virus capsid protein (Powell-Abel et al., 1986). Although seeds containing resistance genes have not yet reached the market place, the potential impact on crop production may be substantial.
Multitasking Hardware on the SLAAC1-V Reconfigurable Computing System

Configurable computing systems traditionally operate as single user systems. The availability of configurable systems can be improved by supporting multiple users simultaneously. This paper presents a configurable system using the SLAAC1-V that supports multitasking configurable hardware. The techniques used to support hardware context-switching are described and the run-time performance of the system is evaluated.
Variability of the carbonate chemistry in a shallow, seagrass-dominated ecosystem: implications for ocean acidification experiments

Open ocean observations have shown that increasing levels of anthropogenically derived atmospheric CO2 are causing acidification of the world’s oceans. Yet little is known about coastal acidification and studies are just beginning to characterise the carbonate chemistry of shallow, nearshore zones where many ecologically and economically important organisms occur. We characterised the carbonate chemistry of seawater within an area dominated by seagrass beds (Saint Joseph Bay, Florida) to determine the extent of variation in pH and pCO2 over monthly and daily timescales. Distinct diel and seasonal fluctuations were observed at daily and monthly timescales respectively, indicating the influence of photosynthetic and respiratory processes on the local carbonate chemistry. Over the course of a year, the range in monthly values of pH (7.36–8.28), aragonite saturation state (0.65–5.63), and calculated pCO2 (195–2537μatm) were significant. When sampled on a daily basis the range in pH (7.70–8.06), aragonite saturation state (1.86–3.85), and calculated pCO2 (379–1019μatm) also exhibited significant range and indicated variation between timescales. The results of this study have significant implications for the design of ocean acidification experiments where nearshore species are utilised and indicate that coastal species are experiencing far greater fluctuations in carbonate chemistry than previously thought.
Removal of Cholinergic Input to Rat Posterior Parietal Cortex Disrupts Incremental Processing of Conditioned Stimuli

Recent research suggests that the basal forebrain cholinergic neurons innervating the cortex play a role in attentional functions in both primates and rodents. Among the cortical targets of these projections in primates is the posterior parietal cortex (PPC), a region shown to be critically involved in the regulation of attention. Recent anatomical studies have defined a cortical region in the rat that may be homologous to the PPC of primates. In the present study, cholinergic innervation of the PPC was depleted by intracortical infusion of the immunotoxin 192 IgG-saporin. Control and lesioned rats were then tested in two associative learning paradigms designed to increase attentional processing of conditioned stimuli (CSs). In one experiment, attention was manipulated by shifting a predictive relation between a light CS and another CS to a less predictive relation. Unlike control rats, lesioned rats failed to increase attention when the predictive relation was modified. In a second experiment, attentional processing of a tone CS was increased when its introduction during training coincided with a change in the value of the unconditioned stimulus, a phenomenon referred to as unblocking. Unlike control rats, lesioned rats failed to exhibit unblocking. In both paradigms, lesioned rats conditioned normally when the training procedures did not encourage increased attentional processing. These findings, across different behavioral paradigms and stimulus modalities, provide converging evidence that intact cholinergic innervation of the PPC is important for changes in attention that can increase the processing of certain cues.
Processor Control Flow Monitoring Using Signatured Instruction Streams

This paper presents an innovative approach, called signatured instruction streams (SIS), to the on-line detection of control flow errors caused by transient and intermittent faults. At compile time an application program is appropriately partitioned into smaller subprograms, and cyclic codes, or signatures, characterizing the control flow of each subprogram are generated and embedded in the object code. At runtime, special built-in hardware regenerates these signatures using runtime information and compares them to the precomputed signatures. A mismatch indicates the detection of an error. A demonstration system, based on the MC68000 processor, has been designed and built. Fault insertion experiments have been performed using the demonstration system. The demonstration system, using 17 percent hardware overhead, is able to detect 98 percent of faults affecting the control flow and 82 percent of all randomly inserted faults.
Fuzzy-set representation and processing of fuzzy images: non-linguistic vagueness as representation, approximation and scientific practice (Part 1)

This is the first part of a two-part paper in which I conclude the process, initiated elsewhere, of tracking objective conditions of vagueness of representation from language to pictures, from philosophy to imaging science, from vagueness to approximation, from representation to reasoning, with a focus on the application of fuzzy set theory and its challenges.
A self-aiming camera based on neurophysical principles

The deep layers of the superior colliculus (SC) integrate information from multiple senses to initiate orienting movements in vertebrate animals. A probabilistic model of the SC based on an interpretation of the neuroscientific data has been proposed by Anastasio et. al. (2000). By incorporating this SC model, in the form of an artificial neural network, as the decision mechanism for a system with two senses, hearing and vision, we have constructed and tested a self-aiming camera (SAC). SAC senses and directs its lens toward the best "target" currently in the environment at any moment. Experiments were performed with SAC using several algorithms for combining the multisensory data as a comparison against the SC model. Generally, the SC model is superior in dealing with low amplitude signals and at least equal to any ad hoc model for the full range of unimodal and bimodal targets.
History of the loss prevention symposia: Forty years, 1967–2006

In the early 1960s a number of sizable explosions and fires occurred in the oil and petrochemical industries. A light hydrocarbons plant in Louisiana suffered a vapor cloud explosion. This phenomenon, although it had occurred before, was largely unrecognized in industry. At about the same time, the process industries were moving toward the "jumbo" plants. Formerly, ammonia was produced in multiple plants of 100 to 300 tons/day capacity with multiple parallel lines of reciprocating compressors. However, in the early 1960s ammonia plants having capacities of 750, 1000, and 1500 tons/day with centrifugal machines were rolling off the designers boards. Large, single-train olefin plants, with capacities of 1.5 billion pounds per year, were also being designed and erected. As a response to these trends, a number of people from industry and insurance put together a symposium to explore ways to improve loss prevention in the process industries. This symposium contained six sessions and was held at the AIChE National meeting in Houston in 1967. Attendance was excellent and a committee was formed to prepare annual symposia on the topic. These symposia are still held at AIChE National meetings with the 40th Loss Prevention Symposium being held this year. This paper will discuss some of the highlights of these symposia and some of the people that have made them so successful over the years. Language: en
Stimulation by hematin of monooxygenase activity in extra-hepatic tissues from rats, rabbits and chickens

Abstract Micromolar quantities of hematin, when added to reaction flasks containing homogenates of extra-hepatic tissues, benzo(a)pyrene, and cofactors necessary for monooxygenation, caused up to a 40-fold enhancement of aryl hydrocarbon (benzo(a)pyrene) hydroxylase (EC 1.14.14.2) activity. Pretreatment of rats with 3-methylcholanthrene caused a reduction in the stimulatory effect of hematin. Metabolic profiles of 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene, obtained with high pressure liquid chromatography, illustrated the enhancement of monooxygenase activity by hematin at methyl carbons. It is speculated that the mechanism of the hematin effect is the reconstitution of a small pool, or pools, of apo-(cytochrome P-450) which exist in these extra-hepatic tissues, resulting in the formation of functional holoenzyme.
Histochemical studies on the amphibian opercularis muscle (Amphibia)

Histochemical studies of the opercularis muscle of the bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) and the tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum) provide evidence that the opercularis muscle of anurans is a specialized, tonic portion of the levator scapulae superior muscle. Staining results for myosin adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) and succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), combined with measurements of muscle fiber diameters, demonstrate that the opercularis/levator scapulae superior muscle mass of both the tiger salamander and bullfrog consists of an anterior tonic portion, a middle fast oxidative-glycolytic (FOG) twitch portion, and a posterior fast-glycolytic (FG) twitch portion. In R. catesbeiana the tonic fibers represent 57.3% of the fiber total and (because they have relatively narrow diameters) about 29% of the cross-sectional area of the muscle mass, and form that part of the muscle (=opercularis muscle) that inserts on the operculum. In Ambystoma the tonic fibers represent only 8.8% of the fiber total and represent about 4% of the cross-sectional area. In the tiger salamander, the entire levator scapulae superior muscle inserts on the operculum and therefore represents the opercularis muscle. The bullfrog differs from the tiger salamander, therefore, in that the anterior tonic part of the opercularis/levator scapulae superior complex is greatly enlarged and the insertion on the operculum is limited to these tonic fibers. No evidence of a columellar muscle was found in R. catesbeiana. Previous reports of one in this species and in other anurans may be based on the tripartite nature of the opercularis/levator scapulae superior muscle mass. The middle FOG portion of the muscle may have been considered a muscle distinct from the anterior tonic portion (=opercularis muscle) and the posterior FG portion.
Plus ça Change: Race, Gender, and Issue Retrospections in the 2008 US Presidential Election

Abstract What role did race and gender play in vote choice for US president in 2008? With an African‐American Democratic presidential nominee and a female Republican vice presidential nominee, were the black–white racial gap and the gender gap different in 2008 than in previous years? We find that the racial gap between black and white voters was larger in 2008 than it was in three of the four previous presidential elections, but not significantly larger than the gap in 1996 when white Democrat Bill Clinton won reelection. This gap is still present after we include control variables. On the other hand, the apparent gender gap whereby women are more likely than men to support Democratic candidates goes away once we include controls. Other factors – namely Iraq retrospections, ideological voting, and partisan identification – played a role as large or larger in citizen vote choice as did race or gender in the 2008 general election. Even though a voter’s race was a key predictor in 2008 and even though there...
Macrophage Inflammatory Protein-1α Regulates Prostaglandin E2 and Interleukin-6 Production by Human Gestational Tissues In Vitro

To determine if the inflammatory cytokine macrophage inflammatory protein-1α (MIP-1α) stimulates the production of prostaglandin E2 (PCE2) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) by human gestational tissues. Human decidual cells, chorion cells, and amnion cells were isolated from term placentas of women with normal pregnancies, and primary cultures of each cell line were established. In various concentrations, MIP-1α was then applied to each cell culture for 16 hours at 37 C, and culture supematants were assayed for PGE2 and IL-6. After incubation with MIP-1α, decidual cells produced increased amounts of IL-6 (P < .05) but not PGE2. When subjected to similar conditions, chorion cells produced increased amounts of both IL-6 and PGE2 (P < .05). Conversely, amnion cells produced increased amounts of only PGE2 in response to increasing concentrations of MIP-1α (P < .05). Maternal and fetal gestational tissues differentially respond to MIP-1α with regard to PGE2 and IL-6 production; MIP-1α may play a role in both the initiation and propagation of the inflammatory response associated with intrauterine infection.
THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE CHEMOTACTIC BEHAVIOR OF THE COMPLEMENT-DERIVED FACTORS, C3a, C5a, AND C567, AND A BACTERIAL CHEMOTACTIC FACTOR TO THEIR ABILITY TO ACTIVATE THE PROESTERASE 1 OF RABBIT POLYMORPHONUCLEAR LEUKOCYTES

The inhibition profiles obtained when a series of p-nitrophenyl ethyl alkylphosphonates and of p-nitrophenyl ethyl chloroalkylphosphonates were used to interfere with the chemotactic activity of polymorphonuclear leukocytes stimulated by C3a, C5a, and bacterial factor were the same as found previously when C567 was the chemotactic agent. This indicates that as in the chemotactic activity induced by C567, an obligatory step in the chemotaxis caused by C3a, C5a, and bacterial factor is the activation of proesterase 1 of the rabbit polymorphonuclear leukocyte. C5a and C3a activate proesterase 1 of peripheral blood polymophonuclear leukocytes as measured by the increase of acetyl DL-phenylalanine β-naphthyl esterase activity. Attempts to detect in a like manner the proesterase 1 of the same leukocytes using bacterial factor under varying circumstances have consistently failed. It is concluded that bacterial factor, for unknown reasons, is unable to activate proesterase 1 to the same extent as the complement-derived chemotactic factors. The hypothesis of there being a quantitative difference in the ability of bacterial factor to activate proesterase 1 compared with the complement-derived factors explains the previous observations that bacterial factor can not deactivate to itself or to the complement-derived factors, although these latter factors can deactivate to themselves, to each other, and to the bacterial factor. The quantitative difference in the ability of bacterial factor to activate proesterase 1 compared to the complement-derived factors is also associated with and explains the finding that the maximal chemotactic activity attainable when bacterial factor is the chemotactic agent is distinctly less than that obtained using either C3a, C5a, or C567. These results indicate that the activation of proesterase 1 is a general requirement for the chemotactic activity of rabbit polymorphonuclear leukocytes with known macromolecular chemotactic agents and suggest that under several different circumstances the level of chemotactic activity attained is related to the degree of such activation.
Increasing Latino Parents’ Verbal Interactions with Their Preschool-Aged Children

The rapidly growing Hispanic American population is experiencing an academic achievement gap that seems to be rooted in disparities in early childhood education and literacy development. Children of non-English-speaking immigrant parents are at greatest risk of poor school performance, but there is potential to capitalize on immigrants’ drive by encouraging them to engage with their children in dialog while reading native-language storybooks. This paper reports on a community-based randomized controlled trial (𝑁=79) delivered to mostly Mexican immigrant parents of preschool-age children. Intervention group parents attended three monthly 60-minute sessions based on the Dialogic Reading Model—C.A.R. (Comment and Wait, Ask Questions and Wait, and Respond by Adding More), which teaches parents to have a conversation about pictures in books, with the goal of enhancing verbal exchanges with the child in the parent’s native language. After the 3-month intervention, parents in the bilingual early language development intervention reported placing greater value on children’s active verbal participation in reading compared to control group parents who participated in a healthy lifestyle intervention. These results suggest that Hispanics’ educational outcomes may be improved by educating parents on the value of playful conversations with young children while reading books in one’s native language.
Arthroscopic stabilization for first-time versus recurrent shoulder instability.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to systematically review the evidence on the outcomes of arthroscopic repair for anterior shoulder instability in first-time dislocators when compared with patients with recurrent instability. Methods We designed a systematic review with a specific methodology to investigate the outcomes of surgery for those with only a first-time dislocation versus those who underwent surgery after multiple instability events. We performed a literature search from January 1966 to December 2008 using Medline, CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature), and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. Key words included the following: first time, primary shoulder, or recurrent shoulder instability, shoulder dislocation, Bankart repair, arthroscopic Bankart repair, and labral repair. The inclusion criteria were cohort studies (Level I to II) that evaluated the outcomes of patients undergoing arthroscopic stabilization after the first dislocation or multiple recurrent episodes. Studies that lacked a comparison group or were retrospective (Level III studies or higher) were excluded. Results There were 15 studies that met the inclusion criteria and were included in the final analysis: 5 in the first-time dislocation group and 10 in the recurrent instability group. Study design, patient demographics, mean number of dislocations, surgical technique, and rehabilitation protocol, as well as subjective and objective outcome measures, were recorded. Conclusions There were no differences in recurrence or complication rate among patients undergoing surgery after the primary dislocation when compared with those undergoing surgery after multiple recurrent episodes. Clinical outcome measures significantly improved within all independent studies from preoperatively to postoperatively. However, because of variation in the outcome measurement tools used, no direct comparison between the study groups could be performed. Additional randomized controlled studies are needed to compare the functional outcome, quality of life, and ability to return to preinjury activity level among patients undergoing early versus delayed repair for anterior shoulder instability. Level of Evidence Level II, systematic review of Level I and II studies.
“Durkheim'sDivision of Labor in Society”: A sexagenarian postscript

Robert K. Merton se livre ici a une relecture de son propre article publie 60 ans plus tot, concernant « De la division du travail social » de Durkheim. Il explique que c'est en partie en reaction a ce qu'il appelle le reductionnisme sociologique de Durkheim qu'il developpa sa « theorie sociale ». Il reconsidere les critiques qu'il avait portees a l'ouvrage de Durkheim et precise lesquelles ont pu etre nuancees par une etude ulterieurement plus vaste de son oeuvre
A third ascending hypothalamopetal pathway.

Abstract Electrolytic lesions centered in the reticular formation or partial hemisections of the brain stem were induced stereotaxically at various levels from the medulla to the diencephalon. Nauta and Fink-Heimer methods were used to reveal degenerated fibers ascending through the upper brain stem. Degenerated fibers coursing rostrally through the subthalamus and ventrally to enter the lateral hypothalamus at tuberal levels were observed after lesions at all levels rostral to the medulla. The trajectory of this ascending pathway through the midbrain and diencephalon was distinct from that of the dorsal longitudinal fasciculus which is medial and that of the medial forebrain bundle which is ventral. Several lines of evidence suggest the hypothesis that this pathway is a component of the ascending reticular system which carries sensory information into the hypothalamus for correlation with hypothalamic visceral and behavioral functions.
Calculation of Normalized Drug Concentrations in the Presence of Altered Plasma Protein Binding

In many clinical situations, measurement of the total drug concentration does not provide the needed information concerning the fraction of unbound drug in plasma, which is available for pharmacodynamic action. To address this, a ‘normalized concentration’ can be calculated on the basis of the observed total drug concentration and the serum protein level. Up to now, this method has only been applied to phenytoin. Several equations for calculating normalized concentrations of phenytoin have been published, many leading to different results. Regrettably, all of the equations in the current literature are based on an outdated model of drug binding to human serum albumin and are based on the fraction of unbound drug, which is known to depend on both protein and drug concentrations. In response to the relatively new scientific evidence about drug binding to human plasma proteins, the objective of the present study is to develop a general method for calculating normalized drug concentrations in the presence of altered plasma protein binding. When several drug molecules can be bound by a protein molecule, multiple equilibria are established; these equilibria may be formulated in terms of a stoichiometric analysis or a site-oriented analysis. Both models are currently encountered in the scientific literature, sometimes without clear identification of which model is used. The present study presents the basic equations for both models and shows how the normalized concentration can be calculated on the basis of the measured drug concentration, the protein level and the binding constants. The normalized concentration can be calculated for any drug, using the same simple equation regardless of the binding model and the number of binding proteins. Explicit solutions are presented for particular cases of clinical importance. The new model is validated by comparison with the Winter-Tozer equation for calculating the normalized phenytoin concentration and is found to be equivalent for concentrations close to therapeutic concentrations. In the case of phenytoin, the main advantage of the new equation is that it also works outside the linear binding range. A new comprehensive method for calculating normalized drug concentrations is developed, allowing drug concentrations to be interpreted correctly in cases of altered drug-protein binding. The calculations are based on binding constants and are applicable to any protein level and drug concentration, without being limited to linear binding of drugs to proteins. The new model is expected to become important in pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic modelling, allometric scaling and population pharmacokinetics because it provides the ability to accurately take into account physiological and pathological changes in protein binding. As a direct clinical application, the equations can be used to calculate normalized drug concentrations in patients with abnormal protein levels, such as the elderly, trauma patients and paediatric patients.
Accumulation of proteins bearing atypical isoaspartyl residues in livers of alcohol-fed rats is prevented by betaine administration: Effects on protein-l-isoaspartyl methyltransferase activity

Background/Aims Protein-l-isoaspartyl methyltransferase (PIMT) is a methyltransferase that plays a crucial role in the repair of damaged proteins. In this study, we investigated whether ethanol exposure causes an accumulation of modified proteins bearing atypical isoaspartyl residues that may be related to impaired PIMT activity. We further sought to determine whether betaine administration could prevent the accumulation of these types of damaged proteins. Methods Livers of male Wistar rats, fed the Lieber DeCarli control, ethanol or 1% betaine-supplemented diets for 4 weeks, were processed for PIMT-related analyses. Results We observed a significant increase in the accumulation of modified proteins bearing isoaspartyl residues, i.e. the substrates for PIMT, in homogenate samples and various subcellular fractions of livers from ethanol-fed rats. Betaine supplementation prevented this accumulation of damaged proteins. In contrast, ethanol exposure induced no changes in the PIMT enzyme activity levels as compared to controls. The accumulation of damaged proteins negatively correlated with hepatic S -adenosylmethionine (SAM) to S -adenosylhomocysteine (SAH) ratios. Conclusions Ethanol consumption results in the accumulation of modified proteins bearing atypical isoaspartyl residues via impaired in vivo PIMT activity. Betaine administration prevents the ethanol-induced accumulation of isoaspartyl-containing proteins by restoring the PIMT-catalyzed protein repair reaction through normalizing the hepatocellular SAM:SAH ratios.
The incarnations of Central Avenue

Abstract A street's primary role is to claim and compose territory. A review of the history of Central Avenue in Albuquerque, NM illustrates how that street has claimed territory during different periods from the Spanish era to its current incarnation as the ‘cultural corridor’. The street's relationship to the landscape (its topography), the street's form and position in the city (its morphology), and its architectural programme (character) are the primary physical factors in the street's constitution of territory.
A Method For Determining The Contrast Of Submerged Objects

One of the most fundamental optical measurements which can be made in natural waters is the measurement of the radiance distribution of natural radiant energy as a function of depth. Radiance distribution data is an important input to the theory of radiative transfer for the study of electromagnetic radiation within the sea, it provides a biologically meaningful technique for measuring the radiant energy supporting the ecology of natural waters and, of more immediate interest to SPIE members, the radiance distribution leads directly to the determination of the inherent contrast of an object for any path of sight. Knowledge of the inherent contrast makes it practical to apply the equations of contrast reduction to the problems of underwater visibility. Without radiance distribution data, the inherent contrast must be assumed or measured directly neither of these has proved satisfactory in practice. This paper describes a proposal to record the radiance distribution of natural light underwater by a method employing a "fish-eye" camera, having a 180° field of view. From the films obtained, values of radiance can be determined by methods of photographic photometry. In addition, the application of radiance distribution data to the problem of determining the contrast of underwater objects is discussed.© (1968) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
An on-chip tunable add-drop filter using a microtoroid resonator

We present an add-drop filter (ADF) with a drop efficiency of 57% and quality factor of 4.5 × 106 composed of an on-chip whispering gallery mode (WGM) ultra-high quality factor (Q) microtoroid resonator side coupled to two taper fibers. Different than the exisiting microtoroid based ADF designs, we fabricated reflowed silica side walls along the microtoroid resonators to support the fiber-taper waveguides, not only making the alignment process easier but also providing mechanical stability. As an additional benefit, we observe that the drop-wavelength can be tuned without compromising drop efficiency.
Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiac Progenitors Differentiate to Cardiomyocytes and Form Biosynthetic Tissues

The mammalian heart has little capacity to regenerate, and following injury the myocardium is replaced by non-contractile scar tissue. Consequently, increased wall stress and workload on the remaining myocardium leads to chamber dilation, dysfunction, and heart failure. Cell-based therapy with an autologous, epigenetically reprogrammed, and cardiac-committed progenitor cell source could potentially reverse this process by replacing the damaged myocardium with functional tissue. However, it is unclear whether cardiac progenitor cell-derived cardiomyocytes are capable of attaining levels of structural and functional maturity comparable to that of terminally-fated cardiomyocytes. Here, we first describe the derivation of mouse induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, which once differentiated allow for the enrichment of Nkx2-5(+) cardiac progenitors, and the cardiomyocyte-specific expression of the red fluorescent protein. We show that the cardiac progenitors are multipotent and capable of differentiating into endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells and cardiomyocytes. Moreover, cardiac progenitor selection corresponds to cKit(+) cell enrichment, while cardiomyocyte cell-lineage commitment is concomitant with dual expression of either cKit/Flk1 or cKit/Sca-1. We proceed to show that the cardiac progenitor-derived cardiomyocytes are capable of forming electrically and mechanically coupled large-scale 2D cell cultures with mature electrophysiological properties. Finally, we examine the cell progenitors’ ability to form electromechanically coherent macroscopic tissues, using a physiologically relevant 3D culture model and demonstrate that following long-term culture the cardiomyocytes align, and form robust electromechanical connections throughout the volume of the biosynthetic tissue construct. We conclude that the iPS cell-derived cardiac progenitors are a robust cell source for tissue engineering applications and a 3D culture platform for pharmacological screening and drug development studies.
Cyclooxygenase 2-derived prostaglandin E2 regulates the angiogenic switch

ditionally, they confirmed the role of COX-2 by using the COX-2 selective inhibitor celecoxib. Epidemiological, experimental, and clinical studies have demonstrated that aspirin and other NSAIDs reduce the risk of colorectal cancer (7). Because many other human cancers reportedly have elevated levels of COX-2 and overproduce prostaglandins, intense research efforts are underway to evaluate the role of NSAIDs in both the prevention and possible treatment of a number of human malignancies,
Spectrophotometric study of the acetylcholinesterase-catalyzed hydrolysis of 1-methyl-acetoxyquinolinium iodides.

Abstract Spectrophotometric procedures were used to study the acetylcholinesterase-catalyzed hydrolysis of a series of isomeric 1-methyl-acetoxyquinolinium iodides. From these studies a sensitive method was developed for determination of quantities of enzyme as low as 0.005 unit (about 0.0005 μg of enzyme protein) (1 unit of acetylcholinesterase is defined as that amount of enzyme which will catalyze the hydrolysis of 1 μmole of acetylcholine per minute). The procedure is extremely rapid and simple in execution, suitable for kinetic studies, and allows a considerable variation of enzyme and substrate concentration. Kinetic constants for the acetylcholinesterase-catalyzed hydrolysis of the series of substrates were determined, and the data were interpreted in terms of the interaction of the substrates with the active site of the enzyme. Possible factors contributing to the over-all hydrolysis rate are discussed.
Category Selection and Encoding as a Function of Overtraining

Following undertraining, criterion training, or overtraining on two sets of four nonsense figures each, 40 male and 20 female undergraduates were administered a questionnaire designed to investigate the way in which they transformed the nominal figures to functional stimuli. Overtraining resulted in subjects identifying the four nonsense figures within a stimulus set from the same representational category, e.g., trees, dragons, sharp points, etc. Half the overtrained subjects employed stimulus encoding and the other half used transformations of stimulus selection. None of the undertrained or criterion trained subjects transformed entire stimulus sets into representational categories.
Winds drive dune movement on Mars

Sand dunes, a common feature on the surface of Mars, can provide a record of recent and past changes. Some dunes near Mars's polar areas have recently been observed to change due to carbon dioxide ice sublimation, but it has not been confirmed whether dunes are still active all over Mars. Winds contribute to dune movement on Earth, but wind tunnel and atmospheric computer simulations have suggested that strong winds would be rare in the current Martian atmosphere. In a new study, Silvestro et al. observe recent dune movement in Mars's tropical regions, which are not affected by seasonal changes in carbon dioxide frost. Focusing on the Arabia Terra and Meridiani regions on Mars, the researchers analyzed images from the High Resolution Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on board the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter as well as other sources of data. They measured migration rates of two groups of ripples in the sand in a dune field in Meridiani Planum and found that dunes advanced about 0.4–1 meter in a Martian year.
Flows of nitrogen and amino acids in dairy cows fed diets containing supplemental feather meal and blood meal

Abstract Four Holstein cows, fitted with ruminal and duodenal cannulas, were used to determine the effects of supplemental feather meal and blood meal on ruminal fermentation and flows of N and AA to the duodenum. The basal diet contained (DM basis) 9.9% chopped alfalfa hay, 39.7% corn silage, 34.7% cracked corn, 8.2% corn starch, 2.1% vitamins and minerals, 4.4% casein, and 1% urea. A combination of feather meal and blood meal (3:l on an N basis) was used to replace 0, 33, 67, and 100% of the casein and urea in the basal diet in a Latin square design. Intakes of DM, OM, and N were similar for all diets. Flows of total N, NAN, individual AA, total AA, and total essential AA were unaltered as supplemental feather meal plus blood meal increased. Flows of microbial N tended to decrease, but flow of non-ammonia, nonmicrobial N increased as supplemental feather meal plus blood meal increased. Increased proportions of dietary feather plus blood meal decreased the proportions of Ile Lys, Met, and Thr in duodenal digesta. Molar percentages of ruminal pH and VFA were unchanged, but concentrations of ruminal NH 3 N decreased linearly as supplemental feather meal plus blood meal increased. For the diets fed in this study, inclusion of one-third of the supplemental protein from feather plus blood meal resulted in maximum flows of NAN and microbial N to the small intestine.
Exact solution to fractional logistic equation

Abstract The logistic equation is one of the most familiar nonlinear differential equations in the biological and social sciences. Herein we provide an exact solution to an extension of this equation to incorporate memory through the use of fractional derivatives in time. The solution to the fractional logistic equation (FLE) is obtained using the Carleman embedding technique that allows the nonlinear equation to be replaced by an infinite-order set of linear equations, which we then solve exactly. The formal series expansion for the initial value solution of the FLE is shown to be expressed in terms of a series of weighted Mittag-Leffler functions that reduces to the well known analytic solution in the limit where the fractional index for the derivative approaches unity. The numerical integration to the FLE provides an excellent fit to the analytic solution. We propose this approach as a general technique for solving a class of nonlinear fractional differential equations.
The importance of cardioplegic infusion pressure in neonatal myocardial protection.

Abstract Background . Cardioplegia infusion pressure is usually not directly monitored during neonatal heart operations. We hypothesize that the immature newborn heart may be damaged by even moderate elevation of cardioplegic infusion pressure, which in the absence of direct aortic monitoring may occur without the surgeon's knowledge. Methods . Twenty neonatal piglets received cardiopulmonary bypass and the heart was protected for 70 minutes with multidose blood cardioplegia infused at an aortic root pressure of 30 to 50 mm Hg (low pressure) or 80 to 100 mm Hg (high pressure). Group 1 (n = 5, low pressure), and group 2 (n = 5, high pressure) were uninjured (nonhypoxic) hearts. Group 3 (n = 5, low pressure) and group 4 (n = 5, high pressure) first underwent 60 minutes of ventilator hypoxia (Fio 2 8% to 10%) before initiating cardiopulmonary bypass to produce a clinically relevant hypoxic stress before cardiac arrest. Function was assessed using pressure volume loops (expressed as a percentage of control), and coronary vascular resistance was measured with each cardioplegic infusion. Results . In nonhypoxic (uninjured) hearts (groups 1 and 2) cardioplegic infusion pressure did not significantly affect systolic function (end systolic elastance, 104% versus 96%), preload recruitable stroke work (102% versus 96%) diastolic compliance (152% versus 156%), or coronary vascular resistance but did raise myocardial water (78.9% versus 80.1%; p p p p p Conclusions . Hypoxic neonatal hearts are very sensitive to cardioplegic infusion pressures, such that even moderate elevations cause significant damage resulting in myocardial depression and vascular dysfunction. This damage is avoided by using low infusion pressures. Because small differences in infusion pressure may be difficult to determine without a direct aortic measurement, we believe it is imperative that surgeons directly monitor cardioplegia infusion pressure, especially in cyanotic patients.
Identification of PLCgamma-dependent and -independent events during fertilization of sea urchin eggs.

Abstract At fertilization, sea urchin eggs undergo a series of activation events, including a Ca 2+ action potential, Ca 2+ release from the endoplasmic reticulum, an increase in intracellular pH, sperm pronuclear formation, MAP kinase dephosphorylation, and DNA synthesis. To examine which of these events might be initiated by activation of phospholipase Cγ (PLCγ), which produces the second messengers inositol trisphosphate (IP 3 ) and diacylglycerol, we used recombinant SH2 domains of PLCγ as specific inhibitors. Sea urchin eggs were co-injected with a GST fusion protein composed of the two tandem SH2 domains of bovine PLCγ and (1) Ca 2+ green dextran to monitor intracellular free Ca 2+ , (2) BCECF dextran to monitor intracellular pH, (3) Oregon Green dUTP to monitor DNA synthesis, or (4) fluorescein 70-kDa dextran to monitor nuclear envelope formation. Microinjection of the tandem SH2 domains of PLCγ produced a concentration-dependent inhibition of Ca 2+ release and also inhibited cortical granule exocytosis, cytoplasmic alkalinization, MAP kinase dephosphorylation, DNA synthesis, and cleavage after fertilization. However, the Ca 2+ action potential, sperm entry, and sperm pronuclear formation were not prevented by injection of the PLCγSH2 domain protein. Microinjection of a control protein, the tandem SH2 domains of the phosphatase SHP2, had no effect on Ca 2+ release, cortical granule exocytosis, DNA synthesis, or cleavage. Specificity of the inhibitory action of the PLCγSH2 domains was further indicated by the finding that microinjection of PLCγSH2 domains that had been point mutated at a critical arginine did not inhibit Ca release at fertilization. Additionally, Ca 2+ release in response to microinjection of IP 3 , cholera toxin, cADP ribose, or cGMP was not inhibited by the PLCγSH2 fusion protein. These results indicate that PLCγ plays a key role in several fertilization events in sea urchin eggs, including Ca 2+ release and DNA synthesis, but that the action potential, sperm entry, and male pronuclear formation can occur in the absence of PLCγ activation or Ca 2+ increase.
The neuroendocrine system, an opportunity for immunotoxicologists.

The interrelationship between the neuroendocrine and immune systems was first recognized over 50 years ago. Subsequent investigations have shown that gene products produced by the neuroendocrine sy...
The Form and Function of Speech Act Exchanges in Children's Dyadic Interactions.

The present study evaluated form/function distinctions in the speech act exchanges between dyad partners. Based on sociometric nominations and ratings, second‐ and sixth‐grade girls were paired in three dyad types: mutual friends, unilateral friends, or acquaintances. Each dyad was videotaped for 20 min while performing two tasks: a question‐asking task and a puzzle task. Five speech act exchange forms (which involved an initiation by one child and a response by the other) were coded. Two of the exchange forms (question followed by response to question, nonverbal acknowledgments) served a single communicative function, and their use was influenced by the demands of the task (question and puzzle, respectively). The remaining three exchange forms served multiple communicative functions and their use was influenced by a combination of factors (grade, social relationship, task). As the number of communicative functions served by an exchange form increased, the number of variables that affected its use also in...