cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Human transcription factor USF stimulates transcription through the initiator elements of the HIV-1 and the Ad-ML promoters.

Abstract Earlier in vitro studies identified USF as a cellular factor which activates the adenovirus major late (Ad-ML) promoter by binding to an E-box motif located at position -60 with respect to the cap site. Purified USF contains 44 and 43 kDa polypeptides, and the latter was found (by cDNA cloning) to be a helix-loop-helix protein. In this report, we demonstrate a 25-to 30-fold stimulation of transcription via an upstream binding site by ectopic expression of the 43 kDa form of USF (USF43) in transient transfection assays. More recent data have also revealed alternate interactions of USF43 at pyrimidine-rich (consensus YYAYTCYY) initiator (Inr) elements present in a variety of core promoters. In agreement with this observation, we show here that USF43 can recognize the initiator elements of the HIV-1 promoter, as well as those in the Ad-ML promoter, and that ectopic expression of USF43 can stimulate markedly the corresponding core promoters (TATA and initiator elements) when analyzed in transient co-transfection assays. Mutations in either Inr 1 or Inr 2 reduced the USF43-dependent transcription activity in vivo. In addition, in vitro transcription assays showed that mutations in either or both of the Inr 1 and Inr 2 sequences of the HIV-1 and Ad-ML promoters could affect transcription efficiency, but not the position of the transcriptional start site. These results indicate that USF43 can stimulate transcription through initiator elements in two viral promoters, although the exact mechanism and physiological significance of this effect remain unclear.
The Near-Ring of Some One Dimensional Noncommutative Formal Group Laws

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the near-ring of some one-dimensional non-commutative formal group laws. In the chapter, A will denote either the ring of integers modulo p 2 , p a prime, or K[t]/(t 2 ), where K is a field of characteristic p, and t is an indeterminant.
Chromospheres and Coronae in Binary Systems

Recent observations and spectral analysis of chromospheres and coronae are discussed for various types of binary systems containing cool stars. These include the W UMa-type systems, the RS CVn variables, and selected widely separated binary systems such as VV Cephei and the giant stars in the Hyades cluster. In many cases evidence for extreme examples of solar activity are found. Radiative losses in ultraviolet resonance lines can be at least one or two orders of magnitude larger than those found in the quiet Sun. In λ And, a RS CVn type system, there is evidence for inhomogeneous structure in the chromosphere and transition region. Rotation appears to be a determinant in the energy losses of these atmospheres although not the only one.
Parallel optical network interconnects

Parallel optical interconnects can provide a competitive physical-layer solution for high-performance multi-processor cluster applications. Successful system insertion requires an efficient interface between CMOS electronics and optical components. The authors explore the use of parallel fiber-optics and single-chip CMOS interface solutions to construct broadband network interconnects. The development of a shared medium ring network to support high-performance multimedia applications is discussed.
Feature Weighting for Lazy Learning Algorithms

Learning algorithms differ in the degree to which they process their inputs prior to their use in performance tasks. Many algorithms eagerly compile input samples and use only the compilations to make decisions. Others are lazy: they perform less precompilation and use the input samples to guide decision making. The performance of many lazy learners significantly degrades when samples are defined by features containing little or misleading information. Distinguishing feature relevance is a critical issue for these algorithms, and many solutions have been developed that assign weights to features. This chapter introduces a categorization framework for feature weighting approaches used in lazy similarity learners and briefly surveys some examples in each category.
Reinforcement learning for vulnerability assessment in peer-to-peer networks

Proactive assessment of computer-network vulnerability to unknown future attacks is an important but unsolved computer security problem where AI techniques have significant impact potential. In this paper, we investigate the use of reinforcement learning (RL) for proactive security in the context of denial-of-service (DoS) attacks in peer-to-peer (P2P) networks. Such a tool would be useful for network administrators and designers to assess and compare the vulnerability of various network configurations and security measures in order to optimize those choices for maximum security. We first discuss the various dimensions of the problem and how to formulate it as RL. Next we introduce compact parametric policy representations for both single attacker and botnets and derive a policy-gradient RL algorithm. We evaluate these algorithms under a variety of network configurations that employ recent fair-use DoS security mechanisms. The results show that nur RL-based approach is able to significantly outperform a number of heuristic strategies in terms of the severity of the attacks discovered. The results also suggest some possible network design lessons for reducing the attack potential of an intelligent attacker.
The use of antibodies to 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine for the isolation of DNA sequences containing excision-repair sites

We have developed an immunological method for isolation and identification of DNA sequences containing 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdUrd) incorporated during UV-induced excision-repair synthesis. DNA fragments containing BrdUrd incorporated during repair synthesis were incubated with goat anti-BrdUrd and rabbit anti-goat IgG, and the antibody-DNA complexes were separated from bulk DNA by nitrocellulose filter binding. With this method, 80% of DNA sequences containing BrdUrd-labeled excision-repair sites were recovered, contaminated with less than 1% of DNA fragments devoid of excision-repair sites. Recovery of DNA fragments containing repair sites was independent of size from 2 to 20 kilobases. We have used this method in conjunction with blot hybridization to demonstrate that repair synthesis occurs in human ribosomal gene sequences in cells treated with UV.
Ionization physics of electron beams in air

Summary form only given. For beam transport through a background gas, the physics of ionization and recombination processes can, through charge and current neutralization, have a strong effect on transport efficiency and beam control. We explore ionization processes and transport efficiencies of intense electron beams in moderate-pressure (0.5 to 50 Torr) air through simulations with the hybrid code LSP, experiments on Gamble II, and simple analytical models. LSP self-consistently solves the electromagnetic fields and pushes particles with an implicit algorithm while locally tracking beam impact ionization, electron avalanche processes, and recombination and attachment. We use LSP to numerically determine the scaling of secondary electron density, background conductivity, and net-current fraction as functions of neutral pressure, pre-ionization level, beam current density and beam divergence. Furthermore, we present a simple analytical model applying the gas physics of LSP in reduced geometry.
Methods of Measuring Intracellular Calcium

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the methods of measuring intracellular calcium. The techniques described offer a wide range of approaches for assaying intracellular Ca 2+ . The variety of problems involved in monitoring in vivo Ca diffusion among compartments in the short period of the physiological event present peculiar technical challenges Techniques have kept pace with the problems, and at the same time the problems have stimulated development of the techniques. Thus, optical methods for following rapid Ca 2+ transients have been developed over the past few years, and the search continues for more sensitive and selective dyes. The emphasis on the location of Ca 2+ may change from the assay of cytoplasmic Ca2 + toward determination of the source of Ca 2+ which causes alteration of cytoplasmic Ca 2+ and toward the binding site of Ca 2+ which serves to produce the response. In some cells this development has already occurred. The technical problems in monitoring Ca 2+ fluxes within organelles of cells may be considerable, although some progress has already been made.
Ten-Year Experience of Vascular Surgeon Management of Iatrogenic Pseudoaneurysms: Do Anticoagulant and/or Antiplatelet Medications Matter?

Background Previous studies examining the natural history of femoral pseudoaneurysms (PSAs) were performed before the current era of anticoagulant and/or antiplatelet therapy. The purpose of our study was to elucidate in a vascular surgeon directed approach to PSAs, the association between medication use and the failure of conservative, observation-only management. Methods We retrospectively examined 308 femoral iatrogenic PSAs diagnosed via duplex imaging at our institution during a 10-year time period (2004–2013). Information on PSA characteristics, treatment, and antiplatelet and/or anticoagulant medication usage was obtained. We identified patients who failed observation-only conservation management, with failure defined as the need for delayed treatment because of PSAs triggered by either expansion (≥1 cm increase or size enlarging to ≥3 cm) and/or persistence (≥15 days). Results Immediate and/or acute treatments of PSAs included 1 ultrasound-guided compression, 14 surgical repairs, and 126 thrombin injections. Of the 167 PSAs initially managed by observation only, 70 (42%) were found by ultrasound imaging to thrombosis spontaneously. An additional 70 (42%) patients had the diagnosis of PSA Conclusions Most of the PSAs initially managed with observation-only did not require additional intervention. However, anticoagulant and/or antiplatelet agents use associated with PSAs required further intervention after failing observation-only management. When observation is the chosen strategy for PSA management, especially in the setting of aggressive antithrombotic and dual-antiplatelet therapy, surveillance is required to ensure proper resolution.
An Extraordinary Example of Metalloselectivity. Extraction of Copper from the Mixed-Metal Cluster Cu2Ru6(CO)16(μ6-C)(NCMe)2 by 1,5,9-Trithiacyclododecane

The reaction of Cu2Ru6(CO)16(μ6-C)(NCMe)2, 1, with the thiacrown ether 1,5,9-trithiacyclododecane (12S3) resulted in the extraction of both copper atoms from the ruthenium cluster complex by the thiacrown and formation of the salt [Cu(η3-12S3)(η1-12S3)]2[Ru6(CO)16(μ6-C)], 2, in 56% yield. Compound 2 was characterized by a single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The structures of the ions are similar to those found in previously reported salts.
Excretion in the house cricket (Acheta domesticus): ultrastructure of the ampulla and ureter

An ultrastructural analysis of the ampulla and ureter of the cricket, Acheta domesticus, is presented. The excretory system of the cricket is unusual in that the 112 Malpighian tubules do not attach directly to the gut, but fuse to form a bladder-like ampulla which is joined to the colon by a muscular ureter. The ampulla consists of two cell types, primary and regenerative. Primary cells secrete large numbers of membrane-bound vesicles into the lumen and also appear to be involved in fluid reabsorption. Regenerative cells are very small and form a layer just beneath the basal lamina of the ampulla. They are believed to differentiate and replace sloughed off primary cells. The ureter is a muscular tube lined with cuticle which connects the ampulla (endoderm) with the colon (ectoderm). The probable origin and significance of the morphological modifications of the excretory system are discussed.
Interarea cost of living measurement with nonmarket goods: A demand systems approach

Abstract This paper examines the importance of controlling for nonmarket good levels in the construction of cost of living indexes based on the parameters of a nonlinear demand system, the quadratic expenditure system. It uses data from the 1972–1973 Survey of Consumer Expenditures for the four market good expenditure system and includes four nonmarket goods as translating variables. It finds that market-based indexes, and their Laspeyres-type bounds, should be constructed conditionally on nonmarket good levels. However, the errors incurred by ignoring nonmarket goods, i.e., constructing a partial market-based index as if it were a conditional index, are generally small. Indexes constructed unconditionally, on the other hand, vary dramatically from the conditional ones at both the intercity and intrametropolitan levels.
Multivariate Analysis of Water Quality and Plankton Assemblages in an Urban Estuary

Raritan Bay, located between the states of New York and New Jersey, has a long history of cultural eutrophication and associated harmful algal blooms (HABs). Despite striking chemical and biological alterations occurring in Raritan Bay, publications in the early 1960s were the last to report consecutive measurements of both water quality parameters and plankton species composition in this system. The objectives of this study were to characterize water quality trends and plankton composition in a eutrophic estuary, compare current environmental conditions to those documented in Raritan Bay 50 years ago (i.e., at the same six sampling sites), and to further clarify the relationship among nutrients, secondary consumers, and algal bloom generation in this system using ordination techniques. This study (monthly data collected from April 2010–October 2012) indicates that Raritan Bay continues to exhibit numerous symptoms of eutrophication, including high algal biomass, high turbidity, violations of the dissolved oxygen standard to protect fish health, and blooms of potentially harmful phytoplankton species. Altered spatial and temporal patterns for nitrate and soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) over the past 50 years may suggest new, changing, or expanding sources of nutrients. A total of 14 HAB species have been identified, including Heterosigma akashiwo, which formed a bloom in the upper Raritan Bay during summer 2012 in association with hypoxic conditions. Multivariate analyses indicate that abundance of this species is positively associated with high temperature, salinity, nitrate, and SRP and negatively associated with spring river discharge rates and total zooplankton abundance in Raritan Bay.
Study of Semileptonic Charm Decays Using the CLEOIII Detector

We investigate the decays D 0 → π − l + ν and D 0 → K − l + ν , where l is e or μ , using approximately 7 fb −1 of data collected with the CLEO III detector. We find R 0 = B ( D 0 → π − e + ν ) / B ( D 0 → K − e + ν ) = 0.082 ± 0.006 ± 0.005 . Fits of the kinematic distributions provide parameters describing their form factors. Combining the form factor results with R 0 gives | f + π ( 0 ) | 2 | V c d | 2 / | f + K ( 0 ) | 2 | V c s | 2 = 0.038 − 0.007 − 0.003 + 0.006 + 0.005 .
Severe sinus bradycardia after initiation of bupropion therapy: A probable drug-drug interaction with metoprolol

Bupropion is an increasingly prescribed agent to aid in smoking cessation. However it has important drug-drug interactions related to the cytochrome P450 system. One of these is its inhibition of the metabolism of the commonly used beta-blocker, metoprolol. The authors describe a case of severe bradycardia related to the addition of bupropion to the medical regimen of a patient on metoprolol.
Associations between drug use and behavioral repertoire in urban youths

Converging with psycho-social research findings, animal and human laboratory studies indicate that behavioral alternatives are important determinants of drug-taking. To investigate associations between how early adolescents spend their time, i.e. their behavioral repertoire and drug use (use of marijuana, crack/cocaine or inhalants), we analyzed data from an epidemiological sample of 1516 urban middle-school students who had completed private interviews in spring 1993. The interview included a 36-item questionnaire to assess how frequently the youth engaged in different activities ; history of drug-taking was assessed separately. Multiple logistic regression was used to estimate associations between drug use and each of seven behavioral domains as well as sex, age and racial-ethnic status. Youths spending a great deal of time working for pay and assuming other adult-like roles were more likely to have initiated drug use (estimated odds ratio, OR = 3.49 ; p= 0.002). Those who spent much time in religious activities were less likely (OR = 0.2, p< 0.001). An exploratory search for interactions disclosed other associations that merit attention in future research. These results corroborate evidence on the potential etiological significance of behavioral repertoire in relation to risk of drug use.
Geldanamycin leads to superoxide formation by enzymatic and non-enzymatic redox cycling. Implications for studies of Hsp90 and endothelial cell nitric-oxide synthase.

Abstract The ansamycin antibiotic geldanamycin has frequently been used as an inhibitor of heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90), and this agent has been widely employed as a probe to examine the interactions of Hsp90 with endothelial nitric-oxide synthase. Geldanamycin contains a quinone group, which may participate in redox cycling. When geldanamycin was exposed to the flavin-containing enzyme cytochrome P-450 reductase, both semiquinone and superoxide (O ) radicals were detected using electron spin resonance. The treatment of endothelial cells with geldanamycin resulted in a dramatic increase in O generation, which was independent of endothelial nitric-oxide synthase, because it was not inhibited byN-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester and also occurred in vascular smooth muscle cells. Diphenylene iodinium inhibited this increase in O by 50%, suggesting that flavin-containing enzymes are involved in geldanamycin-induced O generation. In the absence of cells, geldanamycin directly oxidized ascorbate, consumed oxygen, and produced O . Geldanamycin decreased the bioavailable nitric oxide generated by 3,4-dihydrodiazete 1,2-dioxide in smooth muscle cells by 50%, whereas pretreatment with superoxide dismutase inhibited the effect of geldanamycin. These findings demonstrate that geldanamycin generates O , which scavenges nitric oxide, leading to loss of its bioavailability. This effect is independent of the inhibition of Hsp90 and indicates that geldanamycin cannot be used as a specific inhibitor of Hsp90. In light of these findings, the studies using geldanamycin as an inhibitor of Hsp90 should be interpreted with caution.
Key information systems issues: an analysis of MIS publications

Reports of key MIS issues based on the perceptions of senior IS executives appear periodically in the MIS literature. In this article, we provide another perspective on key MIS issues by examining published MIS articles. A content analysis of MIS articles appearing between 1989 and mid-year 1993 in prominent academic and practitioner journals has been conducted in order to: identify, classify, and prioritize by meta-categories the key issues in MIS publications; to perform a trend analysis of the various meta-categories; and to examine the relevance of issues by providing a comparison with the issues that emerged out of previous key issue studies. Twenty-six key issues are ranked according to their frequency of occurrence as the topic of inquiry in the 630 articles surveyed. Further, a year-by-year analysis of publications from 1989 to 1992 provides some visible trends. The study also reveals differences that exist between the issues that appeared as important in MIS publications and those that appeared significant to the top executives in key issue studies. Reasons for and implications of these differences are offered.
Selecting a control for in vitro fertilization and acupuncture randomized controlled trials (RCTs): how sham controls may unnecessarily complicate the RCT evidence base

Objective To examine the theoretical and methodologic rationales for the use of sham acupuncture controls in trials of adjuvant acupuncture for in vitro fertilization (IVF), and to identify the drawbacks of using a sham acupuncture control that may have its own effects on the pregnancy outcome. Background Acupuncture has typically been tested in trials that evaluate subjective, patient-reported outcomes such as pain. Ratings of pain and similar subjective states can be strongly influenced by respondents' prejudgments, preferences, and expectations about treatment benefits. Therefore, controlling for these expectations or "placebo effects" by using a sham acupuncture control group is critically important in trials of acupuncture for pain-related conditions. This need for sham acupuncture controls in trials of acupuncture for pain-related conditions may have led to the belief that sham acupuncture is always the most "rigorous" control, and that it should therefore be used for all acupuncture trials, including trials of adjuvant acupuncture for IVF. Conclusion(s) In trials of adjuvant acupuncture for IVF, the outcome is pregnancy, which is entirely objective and unlikely to be affected by a patient's expectations of a benefit of acupuncture. Because it seems unlikely that an IVF patient's knowledge of whether she was receiving adjuvant acupuncture would affect her ability to become pregnant from IVF, using sham acupuncture to control for expectation/placebo effects seems unnecessary in this context. Even if adjuvant acupuncture were to increase IVF success rates only through a psychosomatic effect mechanism, such as by reducing stress, this stress-reduction effect would be integral to the working mechanism by which adjuvant acupuncture increases IVF pregnancy rates; therefore, it seems inappropriate to control for and separate out any such stress-reduction effect by using a sham control. Because of the risk that the sham is not an inert placebo but rather an active treatment that may affect the pregnancy outcome, using sham acupuncture as the control may unnecessarily confuse rather than clarify the interpretation of the effects of IVF adjuvant acupuncture. Using both theoretical concerns and epidemiologic evidence, researchers should carefully weigh the benefits and drawbacks of using sham acupuncture to blind patients in adjuvant acupuncture for IVF trials, and should question, rather than automatically accept, whether "placebo effects" are an important risk of bias in this context.
Are the effects of prolonged cold ischemia a barrier to long-distance transportation of living donor kidneys?

Are the effects of prolonged cold ischemia a barrier to long-distance transportation of living donor kidneys?
Persistence of neutralizing antibody for a year following vaccination of monkeys with Lansing poliomyelitis virus.

SummaryThe level of serum neutralizing antibody to Lansing poliomyelitis virus has been followed in three rhesus monkeys. After a course of intramuscular vaccination with active virus, which rendered the animals resistant to intracerebral challenge with a large dose of virus, they received a final vaccinating dose intramuscularly. During the year following this final dose, no more vaccine was given. Their antibody levels, optimum at the start, fell gradually during the first 8 months, then remained at a moderate level for the last 4 months. At the end of the year, a booster dose of active virus given intramuscularly raised their antibody to optimum levels once more, from which they gradually drifted downward.
A sparse matrix method for renal models

Abstract A sparse matrix method for the numerical solution of nonlinear differential equations arising in modeling of the renal concentrating mechanism is given. The method involves a renumbering of the variables and equations such that the resulting Jacobian matrix has a block tridiagonal structure and the blocks above and below the main diagonal have a known set of complementary nonzero columns. The computer storage for the method is O ( n ). Results of some numerical experiments showing the stability of the method are given.
Optimum design of composite plates using response surface method

A method for construction of response surfaces that predict the vertical displacement and three bending moment components at a point on a composite plate is presented. These approximate structural responses, which are global in character, are used in the optimization of a plate in lieu of an exact FE analysis during constraint evaluation. The results from five example problems compare optimal plate designs obtained using exact analysis with those based on approximated structural response.
Incident Field Fourier Spectrum From Speckle Intensity Correlations over Space

Incident field Fourier spectrum information is obtained from spatial speckle intensity correlations. This leads to a method to image fields through heavily scattering media.
In vivo production and enzyme-inducing activity of indolo[3,2-b]carbazole

Indolo[3,2-b]carbazole (ICZ) is a potent Ah receptor agonist produced during the oligomerization of indole-3-carbinol (I3C), a breakdown product of the glucobrassicin present in food plants of the Brassica genus. Levels of ICZ present in the feces, urine, gastrointestinal tracts, and livers of rats fed on I3C- or cabbage-supplemented basal diet were 16-fold to over 100-fold higher than levels for animals on the basal diet alone. Levels of ICZ significantly lower than the basal levels for conventional rats were present in feces of germfree rats, indicating that gut bacteria are important for the production of ICZ from essential dietary constituents. Low levels of ICZ in extracts of human feces were also detected
Inhibition of Purine Nucleoside Phosphorylase by Phosphonoalkylpurines 1

Abstract Optimum inhibition of human erythrocyte purine nucleoside phosphorylase by 9-(phosphonoalkyl)hypoxanthines required an alkyl chain of five carbons or longer. Appropriate modifications of either the base or phosphonate side chain resulted in increased inhibitory activity.
FREE VIBRATIONS OF HOMOGENEOUS AND LAYERED PIEZOELECTRIC HOLLOW SPHERES

A finite element formulation in spherical coordinates is presented for the study of the vibrations of piezoelectric homogeneous and layered hollow spheres. The finite element model is based on nine-node Lagrangian interpolation functions. Representative cases are considered including solid elastic spheres and hollow homogeneous and laminated piezoelectric spheres. The accuracy of the proposed formulation is verified by comparison with existing solutions showing excellent agreement. Several new results are presented for different piezoelectric materials in both tabular and graphical format.
An open study of triiodothyronine augmentation of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors in treatment-resistant major depressive disorder.

Objective: In an open trial, we investigated the efficacy of triiodothyronine (T 3 ) adjuvant to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in subjects with major depressive disorder (MDD) resistant to SSRI treatment. Method: Twenty subjects who met DSM-IV criteria for MDD (mean ± SD age = 44.3 ± 10.3 years; 55% [N = 11] women) and had failed to respond to a course of treatment of at least 8 weeks with an SSRI antidepressant were enrolled in a 4-week open-label augmentation treatment with T 3 50 μg/day. Atypical and melancholic subtypes of MDD were diagnosed using Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders criteria. We administered the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D-17) 4 times during the study (which was conducted between 2001 and 2003). Results: During T 3 augmentation, the severity of depression decreased from an initial mean ± SD HAM-D-17 score of 20.5 ± 3.6 to a final HAM-D-17 score of 14.0 ± 7.1 (p<.001). Seven subjects (35.0%) were treatment responders (HAM-D-17 reduction ≥ 50%), and 6 subjects (30.0%) achieved clinical remission (final HAM-D-17 ≤ 7). The 5 subjects with atypical depression experienced significantly (p <.01) greater clinical improvement (final HAM-D-17 scores 6.6 ± 1.8 vs. 16.4 ± 4.5), and higher rates of treatment response (100% [5/5] vs. 13.3% [2/15]) and remission (80.0% [4/5] vs. 13.3% [2/15]), compared to subjects with nonatypical MDD. The 8 subjects with melancholic MDD experienced significantly (p <.05) greater depression severity at the end of the study compared to nonmelancholic MDD subjects (final HAM-D-17 scores = 18.3 ± 6.6 vs. 11.1 ± 6.1). Conclusion: Triiodothyronine augmentation of SSRIs may be a promising treatment strategy in SSRI-resistant MDD, particularly in subjects with the atypical MDD subtype.
Validation of Nutrient Intake Estimates Derived Using a Semi-Quantitative FFQ against 3 Day Diet Records in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging.

Objectives To examine the relative validity of a multicultural FFQ used to derive nutrient intake estimates in a community dwelling cohort of younger and older men and women compared with those derived from 3 day (3d) diet records during the same time-frame.
The magnitude of the backbone conformational entropy change in protein folding.

The magnitude of the conformational entropy change experienced by the peptide backbone upon protein folding was investigated experimentally and by computational analysis. Experimentally, two different pairs of mutants of a 33 amino acid peptide corresponding to the leucine zipper region of GCN4 were used for high-sensitivity microcalorimetric analysis. Each pair of mutants differed only by having alanine or glycine at a specific solvent-exposed position under conditions in which the differences in stability could be attributed to differences in the conformational entropy of the unfolded state. The mutants studied were characterized by different stabilities but had identical heat capacity changes of unfolding (ΔCp), identical solvent-related entropies of unfolding (ΔSsolv), and identical enthalpies of unfolding (ΔH) at equivalent temperatures. Accordingly, the differences in stability between the different mutants could be attributed to differences in conformational entropy. The computational studies were aimed at generating the energy profile of backbone conformations as a function of the main chain dihedral angles ϕ and ϱ. The energy profiles permit a direct calculation of the probability distribution of different conformers and therefore of the conformational entropy of the backbone. The experimental results presented in this paper indicate that the presence of the methyl group in alanine reduces the conformational entropy of the peptide backbone by 2.46 ± 0.2 cal/K · mol with respect to that of glycine, consistent with a 3.4-fold reduction in the number of allowed conformations in the alanine-containing peptides. Similar results were obtained from the energy profiles. The computational analysis also indicates that the addition of further carbon atoms to the side chain had only a small effect as long as the side chains were unbranched at position β. A further reduction with respect to Ala of only 0.61 and 0.81 cal/K · mol in the backbone entropy was obtained for leucine and lysine, respectively. β-branching (Val) produces the largest decrease in conformational entropy (1.92 cal/K · mol less than Ala). Finally, the backbone entropy change associated with the unfolding of an α-helix is 6.51 cal/K · mol for glycine. These and previous results have allowed a complete estimation of the conformational entropy changes associated with protein folding. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Nutritional Deficiency in the Etiology of Menorrhagia, Metrorrhagia, Cystic Mastitis and Premenstrual Tension; Treatment with Vitamin B Complex1

EVIDENCE relating the occurrence of certain forms of pathologic uterine bleeding, and of premenstrual tension, chronic cystic mastitis and other disturbances to an excess of estrogen has been accumulating for some years. This evidence was provided originally by the fundamental work of Frank and his collaborators (1–3). Other data have been summarized by several authors in recent authoritative symposia (4, 5). In addition to the investigations there described, Ehrlich (6) has observed in endometrium from patients bleeding abnormally, thrombotic phenomena similar to those illustrated by Zuckerman (7) in the endometrium of castrated monkeys treated with estrogen. By utilizing an ingenious method devised by G. R. Biskind (8, 9), in recent studies on the steroid-inactivating mechanism of the liver in rats, it has been shown that the liver loses its ability to inactivate estrogen in vitamin-Bcomplex deficiency (10–12). Addition of brewer's yeast to the diet was found to restore the inactivating mechanism (12).
Association of Metabolic Syndrome With Exercise Capacity and Heart Rate Recovery in Patients With Coronary Heart Disease in the Heart and Soul Study

It is not known whether the metabolic syndrome is associated with poor exercise capacity among patients who have established coronary heart disease. We evaluated the association of the metabolic syndrome with treadmill exercise capacity and heart rate recovery among patients who had coronary heart disease. We measured treadmill exercise capacity (METs) and heart rate recovery (beats per minute) in 943 subjects who had known coronary heart disease. Of these, 377 (40%) had the metabolic syndrome as defined by criteria of the National Cholesterol Education Program. Participants who had the metabolic syndrome were more likely to have poor exercise capacity (METs
Regional differences in cytoarchitecture of the weaver cerebellum suggest a new model for weaver gene action.

Abstract This paper examines the structure and cytoarchitecture of the cerebellum of the weaver mutant mouse with particular emphasis on regional differences along the mediolateral and anterior-posterior axes. We have uncovered several, previously undescribed features of the weaver cerebellar phenotype. Perhaps the most dramatic example of our findings is the severe disruption of the folial structure of the hemispheres of the weaver cerebellum. A dorsal overgrowth of tissue occurs in the hemispheres that forms a finger-like projection superficial to an atrophie but structurally more normal cerebellar mass underneath. While this folial abnormality is most evident in the homozygote ( wv/wv ) the antecedents of its appearance are already apparent in the heterozygote ( +/wv ). At the level of the cytoarchitectonics of the mutant brain, we find substantial variation in the positioning, numbers and density of both Purkinje and granule cells. As a whole, Purkinje plus Golgi II cell numbers are down by over 40%, but this reduction occurs almost exclusively in the medial half of the cerebellum. The hemispheric region contains a nearly normal number of cells per sagittal section (although their positions are predominantly incorrect). The granule cells also show numerical variation; they are nearly absent at the midline, but a substantial number of them survive in the lateral cerebellar cortex. In the paraflocculus, for example, granule cells can be observed in a modest internal granule cell layer as late as 38 postnatal days. These results are discussed in terms of a model of wv gene action in which we propose that the effect of the mutation is a general disruption of cellular distribution in the cerebellar cortex, affecting both Purkinje and granule cells and beginning prenatally.
A nonlinear “black box” electrical model of a mesquite wood thermal system☆

Abstract This paper describes the development of a nonlinear “black box” electrical model of a static thermal mesquite wood physical system. The effects of borer activity, bark, wood composition and other factors on the ignition parameters of the mesquite wood were included in the model. The model predicted temperatures (surface and internal) of a stem of mesquite with respect to time for a given constant thermal environment.
Newton, Maclaurin, and the Authority of Mathematics

(2004). Newton, Maclaurin, and the Authority of Mathematics. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 111, No. 10, pp. 841-852.
Maternal and nutritional factors in maintenance of infant rat cardiac rate following maternal separation.

Abstract Nutrient intake frequency and the presence of a surrogate mother were studied as factors influencing preweanling rat heart rates following maternal separation. Three groups of pups were separated from lactating females at 4, 7, and 10 days of age and maintained for 16 hr under the conditions of high frequency nutrient intake, low frequency nutrient intake, sham fed with no nutrient intake, or both high frequency intake and presence of a foster mother. A group of 14-day-olds were tested under the first three nutrient intake conditions. Results indicated that both nutritional factors and presence and behavior of the mother are influential in maintaining high sympathetic tone in preweanling rats.
Isolation and Characterization of Two Peptides with Prolactin Release- Inhibiting Activity from Porcine Hypothalami

Abstract Two peptides with in vitro prolactin release-inhibiting activity were purified from stalk median eminence (SME) fragments of 20,000 pig hypothalami. Monolayer cultures of rat anterior pituitary cells were incubated with aliquots of chromatographic fractions and the inhibition of release of prolactin in vitro was measured by RIA in order to monitor the purification. The hypothalamic tissue extract was separated into 11 fractions by high-performance aqueous size-exclusion chromatography with one fraction showing a 4-fold increase in prolactin release-inhibiting factor (PIF) activity. This material was further purified by semipreparative reversed-phase (RP) HPLC. This process resulted in the separation of two distinct fractions that showed high PIF activity. These were further purified by semipreparative and analytical RP-HPLC to apparent homogeneity as judged by the UV absorbance profiles. Neither of the two peptides showed cross-reactivity with gonadotropin releasing hormone-associated peptide or with somatostatin-14 antibodies. Protein sequence analysis revealed that one of the PIF peptides was Trp-Cys-Leu-Glu-Ser-Ser-Gln-Cys-Gln-Asp-Leu-Ser-Thr-Glu-Ser-Asn-Leu-Leu- Ala-Cys - Ile-Arg-Ala-Cys-Lys-Pro, identical to residues 27-52 of the N-terminal region of the proopiomelanocortin (POMC) precursor (corresponding to amino acids 1-26 of the 16-kDa fragment). The sequence of the other PIF was Ala-Ser-Asp-Arg-Ser-Asn-Ala-Thr-Leu-Leu-Asp-Gly-Pro-Ser-Gly-Ala-Leu-Leu- Leu-Arg - Leu-Val-Gln-Leu-Ala-Gly-Ala-Pro-Glu-Pro-Ala-Glu-Pro-Ala-Gln-Pro-Gly-Val- Tyr, representing residues 109-147 of the vasopressin-neurophysin precursor. Synthetic peptides corresponding to the N-terminal region of POMC had significant PIF activity in vitro.
Performance testing of 10 kW-class advanced batteries for electric energy storage systems in Japan

Abstract The results of the performance testing of 10 kW-class advanced batteries — Na-S, Zn-Cl2, Zn-Br2 and redox-flow type batteries — are summarized. Energy efficiency and capacity at three discharge rates are presented in addition to energy density, self-discharge rate, estimated short circuit current, etc. It was evident that the performance of the advanced batteries was adequate to achieve the project goals for electrical energy storage. Further improvements are needed in the areas of self-discharge, electric insulation, and auxiliary systems. Based on continued technical progress, there is reasonable expectation that pilot plants of 1 MW (8 MW h) will be constructed and demonstrated in the next phase of the project.
Chemical “light meters” for photochemical and photobiological studies

Nitrate and nitrite solar actinometers or chemical ‘light meters’ were used to quantify light doses in photochemical and photobiological experiments involving dimethylsulfide (DMS) and dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) cycling. Light doses were calculated based on the photochemical production of salicylic acid (SA) from benzoic acid in these actinometers, with SA quantified by either spectrofluorometry or high performance liquid chromatography. Nitrate and nitrite actinometers were modified for deployment at low temperatures in Antarctic waters by addition of sodium chloride as a freezing point depressant. The addition of salt did not affect the solar response of the actinometers; however, the solar response did change slightly with latitude. In the Antarctic, peak response wavelengths (and bandwidths) for the Mylar D-wrapped actinometers in quartz tubing were 326 nm (319 – 333 nm) and 353 nm (325 – 380 nm) for nitrate and nitrite, respectively, and these were 2 – 5 nm blue shifted compared to the peak response wavelengths and bandwidths observed in the Sargasso Sea. Excellent agreement was observed when comparing the integrated irradiance determined with the actinometers to that determined with a spectroradiometer. Likewise, diffuse attenuation coefficients for downwelling irradiance (Kd(λ)) calculated from water column actinometer measurements agreed well with Kd(λ) values calculated from irradiance measurements determined with a Biospherical PUV-511 profiling radiometer. Actinometers were used to measure light doses in experiments involving DMS and DMSP transformations during several field campaigns in the Ross Sea, Antarctica and the Sargasso Sea. Based on actinometer measurements, it was determined that DMS photolysis was dependent on UV irradiation between approximately 325 – 380 nm, while biological consumption rates of DMS and DMSP were inhibited by radiation at wavelengths less than approximately 333 nm. When DMS photolysis rate constants were expressed in terms of light dose rather than time, it was possible to 1) directly determine photolysis rate constants in the water column and 2) directly compare photolysis rate constants across diverse oceanographic regions.
Recovery of Frenkel defects in fcc metals

Abstract Because the production of Frenkel defects occurs most readily along specific crystallographic directions in fee structures, the recovery mechanism by which annihilation occurs should also be related to the same crystallographic orientations. The recovery path of a diffusing interstitial requires the formation of a temporary meta-stable state as a close-pair Frenkel defect prior to annihilation. A theoretical treatment of this scheme for interstitial-vacancy recombination shows that during the ID diffusion there is an experimentally measurable difference if the recovery forms a IB or a IC close-pair configuration in aluminum. Experimental results are given which show a difference from the theoretical predictions, and it is concluded that the assumed analytical function describing the interstitial-vacancy distribution created by a 0.4 MeV electron irradiation should be modified.
Cleverest of the Clever: Coconut Craftsmen in Lamu, Kenya

AbstractKenya's low GDP and high unemployment rates have led to widespread development of an informal economy known colloquially as jua kali (Swahili for “hot sun”). Field research conducted in Kenya focused on understanding the evolution of art forms within the informal sector, especially in response to the international tourism industry. Tourism is the primary non-extractive industry on Lamu Island and the presence of a touristic crafts market has nurtured a vibrant creative environment. One craftsman, Mũrage Ngani Ngatho, is credited by his peers as developing coconut crafts in Lamu, one of the most important genres of tourist art created on the island. By adapting woodcarving techniques to a more locally abundant raw material, Mũrage's innovation has become a recognized feature of the craft market in Lamu. Coconut crafts serve as important signifiers to consumers, reminding them of the place where they acquired the object, while also possessing intrinsic aesthetic merit. While explicating this type of...
Long-term drug prevention trials.

A randomized trial is a randomized trial. The basic ingredients do not change with different purposes whether for treatment or prevention of disease. Likewise, the problems and difficulties are mostly the same. But there are differences in approach and philosophy depending on whether for treatment or prevention of disease. One thing setting prevention trials apart from treatment trials is the risk-benefit calculus of the two classes of trials. Treatment trials are undertaken to `cure' or ameliorate disease, whereas, prevention trials are undertaken in the hope of preventing or delaying onset of disease. The risks of harm in treatment trials is contemporaneous with prospects for benefit making the calculus reasonably straightforward. But that time relationship does not exist in long-term drug prevention trials where the risks from treatment start accruing on initiation of treatment, but where the prospect of benefit is down the road and comes, if all, in the form of disease avoided. This separation of risk...
Dialogic Multicultural Education Theory and Praxis: Dialogue and the Problems of Multicultural Education in a Pluralistic Society

The purpose of this theoretical article is to highlight the role that dialogic pedagogy can play in critical multicultural education for pre-service teachers. The article starts by discussing the problematic that critical multicultural education poses in a democratic society that claims freedom of speech and freedom of expression as a basic tenet of democracy. Through investigating research findings in the field of critical multicultural education in higher education, the author argues that many of the educational approaches-including the ones that claim dialogue to be their main instructional tool- could be described as undemocratic, and thus have done more harm than good for the multicultural objectives. On the other hand, the author argues that dialogic pedagogy could be a better approach for critical multicultural education as it promises many opportunities for learning that do not violate the students’ rights of freedom of expression and freedom of association. Throughout this paper, the author tries to clarify the difference between dialogic pedagogy and other conceptualizations of dialogue in critical multicultural education arguing for the better suitability of dialogic pedagogy for providing a safer learning environment that encompasses differing and at times conflicting voices.
Room temperature Young's modulus, shear modulus, Poisson's ratio and hardness of PbTe–PbS thermoelectric materials

Abstract Two-phase PbTe–PbS materials, in which PbS is a nanostructured phase, are promising thermoelectric materials for the direct conversion of heat energy into electricity. In this study, a Vickers indentation mean hardness of 1.18 ± 0.09 GPa was measured for hot pressed specimens Pb 0.95 Sn 0.05 Te–PbS 8% while the mean hardness of cast specimens was 0.68 ± 0.07 GPa. The mean fracture toughness of the not pressed specimens was estimated as 0.35 ± 0.04 MPa m 1/2 via Vickers indentation. Resonant Ultrasound Spectroscopy (RUS) measurements on hot pressed specimens gave mean values of Young's modulus, shear modulus and Poisson's ratio of 53.1 GPa, 21.4 GPa and 0.245, respectively while for the cast specimens the Young's and shear moduli were about 10% lower than for the hot pressed, with a mean value of Poisson's ratio of 0.245. The differences between the hardness and elastic moduli values for the cast and hot pressed specimens are discussed.