cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Silly Answer to a Psillos Question

In this paper I offer an answer to a question raised in (Psillos, 2006): How can one speak of structures without objects? Specifically, I use category theory to show that, mathematically speaking, structures do not need objects. Next, I argue that, scientifically speaking, this category-theoretic answer is silly because it does not speak to the scientific structuralist’s appeal to the appropriate kind of morphism to make precise the concept of shared structure. Against French et al.’s approach,1 I note that to account for the scientific structuralist’s uses of shared structure we do not need to formally frame either the structure of a scientific theory or the concept of shared structure. Here I restate my (Landry, 2007) claim that the concept of shared structure can be made precise by appealing to a kind of morphism, but, in science, it is methodological contexts (and not any category or set-theoretic framework) that determine the appropriate kind. Returning to my aim, I reconsider French’s example of the role of group theory in quantum mechanics to show that French already has an answer to Psillos’ question but this answer is not found in either his set-theoretic formal framework or his ontic structural realism. The answer to Psillos is found both by recognizing that it is the context that determines what the appropriate kind of morphism is and, as Psillos himself suggests,2 by adopting a methodological approach to scientific structuralism.
Further Evidence of MMR Vaccine Safety: Scientific and Communications Considerations.

Hviid and colleagues' Danish nationwide study found no evidence that receipt of MMR vaccine increased the risk for autism in children born between 1999 and 2010, even among those with risk factors ...
Intersecting campaigns: candidate race, ethnicity, gender and voter evaluations

With the rise in minority candidates, particularly women of color in US politics, it is now crucial to identify the ways in which voters use intersectional identity to evaluate elected officials. P...
Genioglossal response to mechanical vibrations of the mandible and the submandibular muscles.

The evoked responses observed in the genioglossus (GG) activity during mechanical vibrations of the lower jaw or the submandibular muscles may lead to therapeutic applications for improving the pat...
Surface winds across eastern and midcontinental North America during the Last Glacial Maximum: A new data-model assessment

Abstract Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) proxy evidence of surface wind direction across eastern and midcontinental North America comes primarily from loess and dune deposits, and overwhelmingly suggests surface winds had a strong westerly component. However, the season of sediment deposition and the temporal scale of wind information preserved in these deposits remains uncertain. Furthermore, paleoclimate model simulations over the last several decades have indicated a predominance of easterly winds across this region, due to the presence of an anticyclone over the Laurentide Ice Sheet as well as katabatic winds flowing off the ice sheet and over the adjacent land surface. Here we reassess model-data near-surface wind direction agreement using nine general circulation models participating in the LGM experiment of the third Paleoclimate Model Intercomparison Project (PMIP3) and a compilation of previously published paleowind directions from loess and dune deposits dating to the LGM. We find the highest overall model-proxy data agreement in winter (December–February), indicating predominantly westerly winds across the region in the LGM model simulations. We also find high zonal and meridional wind direction agreement in spring (March–May) and fall (September–November) in many models. Winter, spring and fall also have faster mean daily near-surface wind speeds in the LGM simulations relative to pre-industrial control simulations. Thus, this model-data assessment suggests LGM aeolian deposition in the study region likely occurred dominantly in these three seasons, at times when local conditions favorable for aeolian deflation coincided with high wind speed events. Models that agree best with the proxy data have strengthened Aleutian and Icelandic Low pressure systems and a weakened Laurentide High pressure system, which constrains the spatial footprint of the Laurentide High to the ice sheet, reducing northeasterly winds near the ice sheet margin. A weaker Laurentide High in turn coincides with warmer surface temperatures over the ice sheet and the North Atlantic. The strength and location of semi-permanent pressure systems were thus key controls on surface wind direction across midcontinental and eastern North America during the LGM.
Synthesis and optoelectronic properties of benzodithiophene-based conjugated polymers with hydrogen bonding nucleobase side chain functionality

Fundamental properties of conjugated copolymers are sensitively linked to their constitution and features of their repeat unit design that govern assembly and organization across multiple length scales, ultimately impacting device performance. Herein we report the efficient synthesis and characterization, and optical, electrochemical and transport properties of complementary pairs of nucleobase-functionalized, fully conjugated copolymers based on benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]-dithiophene (BDT) and 3-hexylthiophene (3hT), which is a quintessential low bandgap polymer. Stille cross-coupling polymerizations enable access to high molecular weight, alternating copolymers of modest dispersity containing pendant adenine or thymine groups in each repeating unit, which provide the capacity to direct molecular assembly. Variations in nucleobase type and design of alkyl side chains on BDT units give rise to a strongly red-shifted absorbance onset for the copolymers containing thymine and adenine functionality in comparison to solution and dried films. Higher hole mobilities were also observed and attributed to the tendency of the nucleobase inclusion to heighten organization. The influence of the nucleobases on the organization is further revealed when thermal pre-treatment is used during film formation: modest heating before casting the non-functionalized BDT-3hT copolymers leads to increases in the mobility, optical absorbance and fluorescence, while copolymers with adenine or thymine pendant groups do not show analogous improvements, suggesting that the nucleobases have promoted nanoscale organization, which is consistent with assessments of hydrogen bonding interactions. Given the structure-directing ability of nucleobases through hydrogen bonding, π-stacking, and complementary base pairing, these novel materials engender myriad opportunities to examine how specific molecular-level interactions that cue self-assembly affect optoelectronic properties and device-level performance.
Hydrogeochemical Processes Limiting Aqueous and Colloidal Fe Export in a Headwater Stream Impaired by Acid Mine Drainage

Contaminant metals derived from acid mine drainage (AMD) are transported through stream networks in aqueous, colloidal, and/or particulate phases; however, hydrogeochemical processes that regulate ...
Beating your Neighbor to the Berry Patch

When similar foragers compete for a resource that ripens (or improves in some other way) with time, no strategy (pure or mixed) can be evolutionarily stable. There is a unique mixed Nash Equilibrium (NE), which is stable against pure-strategy invaders provided that either the cost of visiting the resource or number of competitors is large. This equilibrium, however, is never stable against invading mixed strategies that are sufficiently similar to the NE. In computer simulations, this mixed-strategy instability was not observed. The process converged to the neighborhood of the NE whenever the parameters implied that the NE was stable against pure-strategy invaders. The mixed-strategy instability was not observed either in experiments with human subjects. After an initial period of familiarization, the behavior of human subjects was close to that predicted by the NE whenever the model predicted stability against pure-strategy invaders.
yama , a mutant allele of Mov10l1, disrupts retrotransposon silencing and piRNA biogenesis

Abstract Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) play critical roles in protecting germline genome integrity and promoting normal spermiogenic differentiation. In mammals, there are two populations of piRNAs: pre-pachytene and pachytene piRNAs. Transposon-rich pre-pachytene piRNAs are expressed in fetal and perinatal germ cells and are required for retrotransposon silencing, whereas transposon-poor pachytene piRNAs are expressed in spermatocytes and round spermatids and regulate mRNA transcript levels. MOV10L1, a germ cell-specific RNA helicase, is essential for the production of both populations of piRNAs. Although the requirement of the RNA helicase domain located in the MOV10L1 C-terminal region for piRNA biogenesis is well known, its large N-terminal region remains mysterious. Here we report a novel Mov10l1 mutation in the Mov10l1 N-terminal region named yama. The yama mutation results in a single amino acid substitution V229E. The yama mutation causes meiotic arrest, de-repression of transposable elements, and male sterility because of defects in pre-pachytene piRNA biogenesis. Moreover, restricting the Mov10l1 mutation effects to later stages in germ cell development by combining with a postnatal conditional deletion of a complementing wild-type allele causes absence of pachytene piRNAs, accumulation of piRNA precursors, polar conglomeration of piRNA pathway proteins in spermatocytes, and spermiogenic arrest. Mechanistically, the V229E substitution in MOV10L1 reduces its interaction with PLD6, an endonuclease that generates the 5′ ends of piRNA intermediates. Our results uncover an important role for the MOV10L1-PLD6 interaction in piRNA biogenesis throughout male germ cell development. Author Summary Small non-coding RNAs play critical roles in silencing of exogenous viruses, endogenous retroviruses, and transposable elements, and also play multifaceted roles in controlling gene expression. Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are found in gonads in diverse species from flies to humans. An evolutionarily conserved function of piRNAs is to silence transposable elements through an adaptive mechanism and thus to protect the germline genome integrity. In mammals, piRNAs also provide a poorly understood function to regulate postmeiotic differentiation of spermatids. More than two dozen proteins are involved in the piRNA pathway. MOV10L1, a germ-cell-specific RNA helicase, binds to piRNA precursors to initiate piRNA biogenesis. Here we have identified a single amino acid substitution (V229E) in MOV10L1 in the yama mutant. When constitutively expressed as the only source of MOV10L1 throughout germ cell development, the yama mutation abolishes piRNA biogenesis, de-silences transposable elements, and causes meiotic arrest. When the mutant phenotype is instead revealed only later in germ cell development by conditionally inactivating a complementing wild-type copy of the gene, the point mutant abolishes formation of later classes of piRNAs and again disrupts germ cell development. Point mutations in MOV10L1 may thus contribute to male infertility in humans.
Minimally Invasive Versus Open Surgery for Degenerative Spine Disorders for Elderly Patients: Experiences from a Single Institution.

Background Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) of the spine has been associated with lower complication rates and improved patient-reported outcomes in recent studies. In this study, we aimed to investigate operative and postoperative outcomes associated with both surgical techniques in elderly patients. Methods Patients who are 65 years old or older underwent either minimally invasive or open surgery for lumbar degenerative conditions. Patients with a nondegenerative cause such as infection or trauma were excluded from the analysis. Patient characteristics such as demographics and associated comorbidities as well as perioperative and postoperative complications were collected. Outcomes of interest were operative time, estimated blood loss (EBL), length of stay (LOS), readmissions, reoperations, and any complications. Results A total of 107 elderly patients were identified for this study, with a median age of 73.0 years. Demographics and comorbidities in both groups were similar in both groups. Univariate analysis yielded an MIS group with significantly lower EBL (P Conclusions These findings suggest that minimally invasive spine surgery in the elderly is safe and may pose a lower risk of associated perioperative and postoperative complications with faster recovery time.
Railroading Religion: Mormons, Tourists, and the Corporate Spirit of the West: David Walker. 2019 Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press 343 pp., ISBN 978-1-469-65320-4

In Railroading Religion, David Walker recounts the history of a failed railroad town in Corinne, Utah. Histories of such places abound, but Walker’s study of Corinne unfolds into a rich and insight...
Use of human tissue stem cell-derived organoid cultures to model enterohepatic circulation.

Interorgan signaling is a critical feature of human biology and physiology, yet has remained difficult to study due to the lack of in vitro models. Here, we demonstrate that physical coupling of ex...
Comparison of the patterns of androstenedione, progesterone, and estradiol during the human menstrual cycle.

Abstract In order to determine the pattern of androstenedione (A) levels in the menstrual cycle and to correlate it with the pattern of other ovarian steroids, A as well as progesterone (P) and estradiol (E 2 ) was measured in serum samples obtained from 6 women throughout one menstrual cycle. In 4 additional women, A was measured 4 days prior to and 5 days following the onset of menses. There was a marked daily variation of levels of A in individual women, but mean levels gradually increased from menstruation to midcycle, not parallel with estradiol levels. From midcycle to the onset of menses, A levels declined similarily to the pattern of E 2 and P, indicating a possible corpus luteum origin of A. A levels just prior to menstruation were low, similar to those observed in ovariectomized subjects. A levels were found to rise above the basal level soon after the onset of menses and concomitant with the increase in follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone, indicating that the ovary secretes A throughout the cycle.
On certain endocrine factors in menstruation and menstrual disorders, with special reference to the problems of menstrual bleeding and menstrual pain

Abstract Most of what we know concerning the physiology of menstruation pertains to its endocrinology, for the fundamental role in the mechanism of this process, like that of most other vegetative functions, is still played by the endocrine system rather than by the more highly developed nervous apparatus which is so important in such volitional processes as skeletal muscle contractility. The endocrine factors are probably important even in the fetal and prepubertal epochs, but at puberty their function becomes much more important and more conspicuous. Much has already been learned concerning the respective roles played by the two ovarian secretions, folliculin and progestin, in the reproductive cycle, and much is being learned as to the relation, apparently subordinate, of these two hormones to the two corresponding sex hormones of the anterior hypophysis. Such menstrual abnormalities as excessive functional bleeding can not be studied in mere terms of endometrial histology or even of quantitative blood hormone content. A broader viewpoint, based on considerations of comparative physiology, helps much in the interpretation of such problems. For example, periodic hemorrhage from the genital canal may be of various types, each with an entirely different mechanism, as discussed in the paper. The most common variety, encountered clinically as functional bleeding with hyperplasia of the endometrium, is apparently due to a persistence and excess of the follicle secretion, with deficiency or excess of the corpus luteum hormone, progestin. There can be little doubt, however, that this immediate ovarian disturbance is in turn due to an imbalance of the governing sex hormones of the pituitary. Recent work on the problem of uterine motility indicates that this is subject to a definite cyclical influence, that folliculin is in general a stimulator and progestin an inhibitor of the rhythmic uterine contractions. I have therefore advanced the view that the pain of primary dysmenorrhea is explainable, in part at least, on the basis of these facts. This pain is characteristically of a colicky type, suggesting spasmodic muscle contraction, and it begins characteristically a day or two before the onset of menstrual bleeding, i. e., just at the time that the withdrawal of the inhibiting corpus luteum hormone takes place. While various other factors undoubtedly play a role in the production of primary dysmenorrhea (psychogenic, constitutional, developmental, etc.) the immediate cause would seem to be in a heightened irritability of the uterine muscle. On this basis, a very tentative suggestion as to a plan of organotherapy is made, to be combined, of course, with measures directed toward other such factors as those mentioned above.
Comment on “Risk factors for acute compartment syndrome of the leg associated with tibial diaphyseal fractures in adults” by Shagdan B et al.

The diagnosis of acute compartment syndrome (ACS) remains difficult and stress inducing despite continued efforts to define causes and risk factors of this condition. While a number of diagnostic techniques have been described [1, 2], ACS remains a clinical diagnosis. The patient’s history and physical exam findings reveal the earliest clues to the development of ACS, which evolves over time. This study by Shadgan and colleagues [3] confirms previous studies showing a lack of risk factors (other than age) that can help to heighten awareness of ACS in a subset of patients. This study is the second largest of its kind looking at risk factors of acute compartment syndrome in tibial shaft fractures. The largest study was published in 2000 by McQueen [4] showing a higher risk of ACS in younger patients, as well as in men in their subset of patient with tibial shaft fractures. The present study differs from the earlier study in a number of ways. First, there was no difference found between men and women in rates of ACS. Second, the rate of ACS was higher (7.73 vs 4.3 %). This may reflect a true difference in how often ACS develops in tibial shaft fractures between two distinct populations. It also may be due to a difference in the rates of diagnosis as awareness may have been higher during the period from 1997 to 2011 than from 1988 to 1995 since many high-quality studies increased our knowledge on the topic of ACS. The main benefit of the present study is to show that all patients with tibial shaft fractures should be monitored closely for ACS. The authors evaluated many potential risk factors including injury mechanism, fracture location, soft tissue status and method of fixation. The fact that none of these was found to be a statistically significant risk factor shows that the pathophysiology of ACS is such that it can develop in many different patients with variable presentations. While outcomes were not presented here, we know from other work that the consequence of a missed compartment syndrome or a lengthy delay in treatment can be devastating to the patient. In summary, this study adds to the relatively small body of knowledge we have showing that compartment syndrome needs to be considered in every patient with a tibial shaft fracture, especially if they are young.
A non-linear Black-Scholes equation

We study a modification of the Black-Scholes equation allowing for uncertain volatility. The model leads to a partial differential equation with non-linear dependence upon the highest derivative. Under certain assumptions, we show existence and uniqueness of a solution to the Cauchy problem.
Assessment of the in vivo mutagenicity of ethylene oxide in the tissues of B6C3F1 lacI transgenic mice following inhalation exposure

In the present study, the lacI mutant frequency was determined in the tissues of B6C3F1 lacI transgenic mice exposed by inhalation to ethylene oxide (EO). Groups of 15 male transgenic lacI B6C3F1 mice were exposed to either 0, 50, 100, or 200 ppm EO for 4 weeks (6 h/day, 5 days/week) and were sacrificed at 0, 2, or 8 weeks after the last EO exposure. The lacI transgene was recovered from lung, bone marrow, spleen, and germ cells for determination of the lacI mutant frequency. The tissues selected for analysis were tumor target site tissues in chronic bioassays (lung tumors and lymphomas) and germ cells. The lacI mutant frequency in lung was significantly increased at 8 weeks post exposure to 200 ppm EO (6.2 +/- 2.2 vs. 9.1 +/- 1.5. p = 0.046). In contrast, the lacI mutant frequency in spleen and bone marrow at 2 and 8 weeks was not significantly increased in mice exposed to 200 ppm EO. The lacI mutant frequencies in male germ cells for 200 ppm EO-exposed mice were not increased compared to air controls at 2 and 8 weeks post-exposure. In a spleen cell fraction two of three EO-exposed mice at the 200 ppm exposure level demonstrated an elevated lacI mutant frequency. The increased lacI mutant frequency in these animals was likely due to mutant siblings that contained background G:C --> A:T transitions at CpG sites. These results demonstrate that a 4-week inhalation exposure to EO is mutagenic in lung. However, EO did not increase the frequency of mutations recovered at the lacI transgene in other tissues examined under the conditions used in the present studies. Since the mutational spectrum for EO in other systems consists of an increased proportion of large deletions, the lack of a mutagenic response in the tissues examined is likely due to the lack of recovery of large deletions in lambda-based shuttle vector systems. These data indicate that a primary mechanism of EO-induced mutagenicity in vivo is likely through the induction of deletions, not specific point mutations.
Green Malt Osmolyte Concentration as an Early Indicator of Finished Malt Quality

This study was conducted to test the hypothesis that barley green malt osmolyte concentration (GMOC) can be used as an early indicator of finished barley malt quality. Seeds of three two-row genotypes and three six-row genotypes were steeped and germinated in a mircomalter for 6 days. At intervals of 24 hr over the germination regime, green malt from each cultivar was both removed and tested for GMOC and kilned and analyzed for the finished malt quality measurements of malt extract (ME), diastatic power (DP), α-amylase activity, soluble protein/total protein (S/T), and P-glucan concentration. GMOC values increased most rapidly from days one to three of germination. For all but one genotype, the rates of increase in GMOC values after 3 days began to slow or plateau. ME values followed a pattern over time similar to that of GMOC; however, the rates of increase in ME levels began to slow or plateau sooner than for GMOC values. ME and GMOC values for all genotypes combined and for each genotype individually were significantly and positively correlated over the 6 days of germination (r = 0.840, P < 0.0001 [combined genotypes]; r = 0.878-0.943, P < 0.0001 [individual genotypes]). Significant correlations also were found between GMOC and other finished malt quality parameters over the 6 days of germination for all genotypes combined and for each individual genotype (a-amylase activity, DP, and S/T were positive, r = 0.757-0.856, P < 0.0001 [combined genotypes], and r = 0.737-0.944, P = 0.0006 to <0.0001 [individual genotypes]; p-glucan concentrations were negative, r = -0.851, P < 0.0001 [combined genotypes], and r = -0.788 to -0.896, P = 0.0001 to <0.0001 [individual genotypes]). GMOC values on day one were significantly and positively correlated with ME on days one through five (r = 0.756-0.886, P = 0.0003 to <0.0001) and α-amylase on days one through five (r = 0.635-0.776, P = 0.0046-0.0002). GMOC values on day two were significantly and positively correlated with ME on days one through six (r = 0.769-0.910, P = 0.0002 to <0.0001) and α-amylase activity and S/T on days three through six (r = 0.733-0.890, P = 0.0005 to <0.0001). This indicates that GMOC values from early periods in germination (days one and two) are good indicators of finished malt ME and other finished malt quality values for malt produced 1-4 days later.
The effect of iron disulfide type, size and morphology on the acid-producing potential of rock encountered in the mining of coal

Abstract The iron disulfide minerals, pyrite and marcasite, are assumed to be the principal cause of acid mine drainage. Although research has shown a correlation between total sulfur content and the total acidload, it is quite clear that there is no one single compositional parameter which controls both the rate and amount of acid production from the weathering of toxic mine wastes. The objective of this research is to evaluate the relationships which may exist between the amount and rate of acid production and the size, morphology, type and immediately associated mineralogy of iron disulfide minerals contained within the toxic rock materials. To this end, 116 samples were collected from the various potentially toxic rock units associated with coal for five different coal beds from twenty mines over an area of five counties in West Virginia in the northern Appalachian Basin. Each sample was subjected to the soxhlet leaching technique to evaluate the acid-producing potential. Of the samples thus characterized, 56 were chosen for petrographic analysis by both reflected and transmitted light microscopy. The reflected light analysis provided: (1) the volume percentage of each iron disulfide morphological type present, calculated as a portion of the whole rock, (2) the average dimension of each morphological type, and (3) the volume percentage of marcasite present. The immediate mineralogical associations of the individual disulfide grains were determined by transmitted light microscopy. It is shown that both the total amount of acid and sulfate ion produced by the artificial weathering of the rock materials correlated with an increase in the percentage of the massive iron disulfide morphology. There also appears to be a positive correlation between the abundance of euhedral aggregates and both acidload and sulfate ion production. The study indicated, that contrary to reports in the literature, framboids are not major contributors to either acidload, sulfate ion production or acid production rate. The percentage of marcasite was not significantly correlated with acidload, sulfate production or acid production rate. The rate of acid production did appear to be somewhat influenced by the size of the massive iron disulfide morphology. However, the relationship is not strong and additional research suggests that other factors such as the porosity and permeability of the rock may be more important.
Carbonyls in Qxidizing Fat. IV. The Role of Various Fatty Acid Components in Carbonyl Generation

SUMMARY Volatile monocarbonyls produced by mildly oxidized esters of oleic, linoleic, linolenic acids and fats have been characterized by paper chromatography of 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazone derivatives. The unsaturated fatty acid esters yielded a total of 7 n-alkanals, 8 n-alk-2-enals, and 4 alk-2,4-dienals; and similar results were obtained with the fats. Each unsaturated acid produced three major characteristic aldehydes. Comparisons of esters and glycerides showed the presence of keto or aldehyde ester scission products.
Musings from Mayo

When I began my career in the Department of Neurology at Mayo in 1955, I was the 13th neurologist in the department. Although individual neurologists had special interests, every neurologist did essentially the same thing. Each neurologist saw outpatients in the clinic, took turns staffing one of the in-patient neurology services, taught residents in either setting, and may have had an interest in research but no formal time dedicated for that pursuit. Now, among the 80 plus neurologists on the Mayo staff, it is unusual for any two to have the same kind of daily activities. Neurologists today see outpatients and teach residents, but only some attend a hospital service and only a few attend acute care services as their primary clinical responsibility. Although the number of procedures for clinical testing has greatly expanded, the big change has been the development of subspecialties in neurology. Mayo neurology currently has at
Growth and respiration ofBradyrhizobium japonicum USDA 143 with nitrous oxide as the terminal electron acceptor

Bradyrhizobium japonicum USDA 143 grew chemoorganotrophically under anoxic conditions with exogenous N2O as the sole terminal electron acceptor. Cell growth and dissimilatory N2O reduction were significantly inhibited by C2H2 when either N2O or N2O plus NO 3 − served as terminal electron acceptor(s). Reduction of N2O accounted for 20% of the energy for cell growth in cultures supplied with NO 3 − as the terminal electron acceptor. Nitrous oxide was produced stoichiometrically in cultures containing NO 3 − and C2H2, but cell growth was proportionately reduced when compared with cultures supplied with an equal amount of NO 3 − . Exogenous N2O delayed the reduction of NO 3 − in cultures supplied with both electron acceptors. Direct amperometric monitoring of N2O respiration showed a specific activity of 0.082±0.004 μmoles N2O/min/mg cell protein, and azide inhibited cell respiration.
Thermal fluctuation electromagnetic field as a reason for the sensitivity of a condensed diamagnetic medium to weak actions

Interaction between the thermal fluctuation electromagnetic field of a condensed medium and a weak external factor, say, a weak effective magnetic field including an external magnetic field, rigid rotation of the medium, and Coriolis force, imparts a torque to any charged free or bound particles (atoms, molecules, etc.). which indicates that the medium is sensitive to weak actions. The torque is proportional to thermal energy kT and may increase substantially under the cyclotron resonance conditions. The so-called kT problem is solved, so that many observations having to do with the field of physics that can be called the physics of weak actions (≪kT) can now be theoretically explained.
Interaction of the adenovirus major core protein precursor, pVII, with the viral DNA packaging machinery

Adenovirus is one of the well-studied double-stranded DNA viruses. However, the mechanisms of its DNA packaging and virion assembly are still not fully understood. One of the unique features of adenovirus is that the unpackaged viral DNA is associated with core protein pVII. Packaging of viral DNA bound with proteins has not been reported from other viruses. To characterize how viral DNA bound with protein pVII is packaged, we performed experiments to see if protein pVII interacts with the known DNA packaging proteins or the packaging sequence. Our results demonstrated that protein pVII interacted with the viral IVa2 and L1 52/55 kDa proteins, which are the known viral DNA packaging proteins. Furthermore, our protein-DNA binding experiments demonstrated that the IVa2 protein mediates the specific interaction with the packaging sequence, whereas protein pVII and the L1 52/55 kDa protein bind to DNA non-specifically. Although the non-specific binding of protein pVII and the L1 52/55 kDa protein do not appear to affect the specific binding of the IVa2 protein to the packaging sequence, and the specific binding of the IVa2 protein does not appear to block the bindings of protein pVII and the L1 52/55 kDa protein to the packaging sequence, the possibility of a cooperative binding among the IVa2 protein, the L1 52/55 kDa protein and protein pVII on the packaging sequence needs to be further determined. In summary, the results indicate that the assembly of the DNA packaging initiation complex may be mediated by the specific interaction of the IVa2 protein with the packaging sequence and other viral proteins, such as protein pVII and the L1 52/55 kDa protein.
Anesthesia provider model, hospital resources, and maternal outcomes.

Objective Determine the ability of anesthesia provider model and hospital resources to explain maternal outcome variation.
Isolation and characterization of full-length mouse cDNA and genomic clones of 3-methylcholanthrene-inducible cytochrome P1-450 and P3-450.

Abstract Polysome immuno-adsorption, with immunoglobulin G directed against two 3-methylcholanthrene-induced mouse liver cytochrome P-450 proteins, was used to enrich mRNA from 3-methylcholanthrene-treated C57BL/6N mouse liver. cDNA transcribed from the P-450-enriched mRNA was then cloned into the Okayama-Berg vector. Two cDNA classes were detected upon differential screening of the clone bank with [32P]cDNA derived from 3-methylcholanthrene-induced immuno-enriched versus control mRNA. Several representatives of these two classes were judged to be near full length by comparison with their corresponding mRNA mobilities on denaturing agarose gels. A continuous reading-frame near the 5' end of one cDNA class (P1-450) corresponds to a protein having 15 of 17 residues the same as the published N-terminal sequence of rat P-450c. A continuous reading frame near the 5' end of the other class (P3-450) corresponds exactly to the first 25 amino acids of the published N-terminal sequence of rat P-450d. The P1-450 cDNA is at least 700 bp longer than the P3-450 cDNA. Heteroduplex analysis and Southern blot hybridization demonstrate that these mRNAs share approx. 1100 bp of sequence homology. Genomic P1-450 and P3-450 clones were isolated from a gene library constructed from C57BL/6N mouse liver DNA. By heteroduplex analysis with the corresponding cDNA, the P1-450 gene spans about 6 kb and the P3-450 gene about 7 kb. The intron-exon patterns are very similar, with the second and seventh exons being much larger than the other five. The 3' terminal exon of P1-450 is about 500 bp longer than that of P3-450. These data suggest that both P1-450 and P3-450 have diverged from a common ancestral gene.
Inhibition of NF-κB by IκB super repressor gene transfer ameliorates ischemia-reperfusion injury after experimental lung transplantation

Purpose: Ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury after lung transplantation has significant morbidity and mortality. Our laboratory has demonstrated that several gene transfer strategies protect lung grafts from I/R injury. Preliminary data from our laboratory suggests that these strategies act in part through the final common mechanism of inhibition of NFB activation. In this study, we examined whether direct inhibition of NFB activation by I B super-repressor (SR) gene transfer ameliorates experimental I/R injury. Procedures: An orthotopic left lung isogeneic transplant model in rats was used for all experiments. All donor lung grafts were stored for 18 hours at 4° C before transplantation to create severe I/R injury. For all experiments, donor rats underwent left lung endobronchial transfection with saline or 2*10 pfu of adenovirus encoding either -gal (control) or I B SR (treatment) 48 hours prior to harvest. Graft function was assessed 24 hours after transplantation and NFB activation was assessed 2 hours after transplantation, the time point of maximal activation determined in preliminary studies. Results: Maximal activation of NFB in I/R injury was found to occur 2 hours after reperfusion in preliminary studies. Treatment of donor lung grafts with I B SR resulted in significantly improved oxygenation 24 hours after transplantation compared to controls [367.5 35.1 vs. 100.2 42.8 ( -gal) and 137.2 137.5 (saline)]. I B SR treated lungs demostrated less pulmonary edema 24 hours after transplantation compared to controls as measured by wet/dry ratio [5.88 0.3 vs. 6.30 1.20 (saline) and 6.88 1.58 ( -gal)]. NFB activation 2 hours after transplantation was reduced in I B SR treated lungs compared to controls. Conclusions: I B SR gene transfer inhibits NFB activation following I/R injury in experimental lung transplantation. Inhibition of NFB activation by I B SR gene transfer improves lung graft oxygenation and reduces pulmonary edema.
Bounds for probabilistic integer programming problems

We consider stochastic integer programming problems with probabilistic constraints. The concept of p-efficient points of a probability distribution is used to derive various equivalent problem formulations. Next we introduce new methods for constructing lower and upper bounds for probabilistically constrained integer programs. We also show how limited information about the distribution can be used to construct such bounds. The concepts and methods are illustrated on an example of a vehicle routing problem.
Perceptual dominance during lipreading

Two experiments were performed under visual-only and visual-auditory discrepancy condi­ tions (dubs) to assess observers' abilities to read speech information on a face. In the first ex­ periment, identification and multiple choice testing were used. In addition, the relation between visual and auditory phonetic information was manipulated and related to perceptual bias. In the eecond experiment, the "eompellingn8ls" of the visual·auditory discrepancy as a single speech event was manipulated. Subjects alao rated the confidence they had that their percep­ tion of the lipped word was accurate. Results indicated that competing visual information exerted little effect on auditory speech recognition, but visual speech recognition was sub­ stantially interfered with when discrepant auditory information was present. The extent of auditory bias was found to be related to the abilities of observers to read speech under non­ discrepancy conditions, the magnitude of the visual-auditory discrepancy, and the compelling­ ness of the visual-auditory discrepancy as a single event. Auditory bias during speech was found to be a moderately compelling conscious experience, and not simply a case of con­ fused responding or guessing. Results were discussed in terms of current models of perceptual dominance and related to results from modality discordance during space perception. When considering the perceptual accomplishments of a person moving and orienting in space, it seems clear that vision is the dominant perceptual system, both in terms of the pickup of visual information for its own sake and in terms of its apparent "tun­ ing" of the other perceptual systems (Lee, 1978; Turvey, 1977). Laboratory research over the past 2 decades has demonstrated that when visual infor­ mation and nonvisual information regarding the lay­ out of space are artificially made to conflict, vision dominates the perceptual experience and behavior (e.g., Lee & Lishman, 1975; Pick, Warren, & Hay, 1969). More recent investigationshave also revealed, however, that vision does not completely or inevi­ tably dominate the processing of nonvisual infor­ mation. If one instructs or permits subjects to attend to nonvisual information, visual dominance can be reduced, or even eliminated (Easton, in press; Warren & Schmitt, 1978). Also, if the precision of perceptual judgments of nonvisual information is sufficiently enhanced, visual dominance is found to decrease (Easton, in press; Welch, Widawski, Harrington, & Warren, 1979). Finally, if nonvisual information is appropriate or ecologically valid for the task at band, visualbias can be lessened (Lederman, 1979). The approaches and hypotheses of these studies are not mutually exclusive: the consensus that has emerged based on the empirical findings
The transfer of serum IgG1 antibody into the gastrointestinal tract in newborn calves.

Abstract Transfer of functional blood IgG1 to the gastrointestinal tract was measured in neonatal calves. Radiolabelled immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) anti-DNP antibody was administered to 2 day old calves by intravenous injection. The serum clearance rate was measured and was compared to the rate of protein-bound 125I excretion in the feces over a 10 day period to determine the importance of transfer to the gastrointestinal tract as a mechanism of serum IgG1 clearance. The amount of protein-bound and DNP-binding 125I present in the gastrointestinal tract of 10 day old calves at necropsy was also measured. Fecal excretion of protein-bound 125I accounted for 32% of the serum 125I-IgG1 clearance. Protein-bound 125I was present in the gastrointestinal tract at necropsy in amounts estimated to account for 68% of the total 125I-IgG1 clearance, and retained 65% of the DNP-binding ability of the original antibody. The discrepancy between the fecal excretion (32% of total IgG1 clearance) and the GI clearance estimated from protein-bound 125I in the gut (68% of total IgG1 clearance) is explained in part by IgG1 proteolysis occurring after transfer to the gastrointestinal tract but before fecal excretion. These results indicate that transfer to the calf gastrointestinal tract accounts for most IgG1 clearance in young calves, and that the intestinal antibody retains antigen binding function and may contribute to intestinal immunity.
$\pi-N$ from an Extended Effective Field Theory

Third order chiral perturbation theory accounts for the $\pi-N$ scattering phase shift data out to energies slightly below the position of the $\Delta$ resonance. The low energy constants are not accurately determined. Explicit inclusion of the $\Delta$ field is favored.
Mammalian glycosyltransferase expression allows sialoglycoprotein production by baculovirus-infected insect cells.

Abstract The baculovirus-insect cell expression system is widely used to produce recombinant mammalian glycoproteins, but the glycosylated end products are rarely authentic. This is because insect cells are typically unable to produce glycoprotein glycans containing terminal sialic acid residues. In this study, we examined the influence of two mammalian glycosyltransferases on N -glycoprotein sialylation by the baculovirus-insect cell system. This was accomplished by using a novel baculovirus vector designed to express a mammalian α2,6-sialyltransferase early in infection and a new insect cell line stably transformed to constitutively express a mammalian β1,4-galactosyltransferase. Various biochemical assays showed that a foreign glycoprotein was sialylated by this virus-host combination, but not by a control virus-host combination, which lacked the mammalian glycosyltransferase genes. Thus, this study demonstrates that the baculovirus-insect cell expression system can be metabolically engineered for N -glycoprotein sialylation by the addition of two mammalian glycosyltransferase genes.
The effect of anesthesia or restraint on triacylglycerol turnover in the rat.

Abstract A comparison of triacylglycerol metabolism was made among anesthetized, restrained and unanesthetizedunrestrained rats. The method utilized for the comparison was the determination of triacylglycerol turnover following the intravenous injection of [ 3 H]glycerol. Peak appearance of triacyl[ 3 H]glycerol was 25 min in unanesthetized-unrestrained rats but 35 and 45 min in restrained and anesthetized rats, respectively. Using serial plasma triacylglycerol determinations as an index of steady-state in all three groups, it was found that only the anesthetized and unanesthetized-unrestrained animals could be used for kinetic analysis. In these two animal preparations, apparent fractional catabolic rates were calculated and found to be lower in anesthetized (0.014 min −1 ) compared to unanesthetized-unrestrained animals with chronic indwelling cannulas (0.029 min −1 ). Apparent total catabolic rates, calculated from the plasma triacylglycerol mass and estimated plasma volume, were reduced by 50% in anesthetized animals. It is concluded that wide differences in triacylglycerol metabolism exist in these rat preparations which should be considered in the interpretation of future studies. The unanesthetized-unrestrained rat model may represent the closest approximation to the normal physiologic state.
Mannose-binding lectin codon 54 genetic polymorphism and vaginal protein levels in women with gynecologic malignancies

Objectives Mannose-binding lectin (MBL), an innate immune system component that binds to carbohydrates, activates the complement cascade and promotes destruction of microorganisms and abnormal cells. We determined whether a polymorphism in the MBL gene influences vaginal MBL protein concentrations and the occurrence of gynecologic malignancies.
Asteroid spectroscopy: Progress and perspectives

A broad understanding of meteorite and asteroidal studies is needed for the most dynamic progress of both disciplines, in their common goal of understanding the origin and early evolution of the solar system. Asteroid compositional investigations are currently shifting from the survey mode to focused investigations of selected targets, in pursuit of specific problems. Attention is presently given the compositional nature and diversity of asteroid taxonomic classes, as addressed by the Small Main-Belt Asteroid Spectroscopic Survey.
Recognition and transport of amphiphilic molecules by a new class of inorganic ditopic receptors. The synthesis of M-t Bu4-salphen-3n-cr-n complexes and their use (M = Mn,Fe, n = 6) in the transport of tryptophan and serotonin across bulk liquid membranes

Abstract A new class of ditopic receptor molecules have been synthesized and structurally characterized. The unique structural features of these molecules are: (a) a very lipophilic unit that consists of two 3,5-di-t-butylsalicylideneimine moieties that form a square O2N2 coordination site and (b) a relatively hydrophilic benzo-18-crown-6 unit capable of binding to alkali metal ions and hydrogen bonding with ammonium functional groups. These molecules are totally insoluble in water but very soluble in non-polar solvents. By virtue of their hydrophilic end, they are able to invade the water-organic solvent interface and retrieve hydrophilic molecules from water solution that subsequently are extracted into the organic solvent. Procedures are described for the syntheses of the {H2-tBu4-salphen-18-cr-6 and also 15-crown-5 and 12-crown-4 derivatives. With dibenzo-crown ethers 2:1 tBu4-salphen:crown ether molecules have been obtained with 18-crown-6, 24-crown-8 and 30-crown-10 ‘bridges’. A variety of metal ions (Mn3+, Fe2+, Fe3+, Co2+, Ni2+ and Cu2+) have been incorporated within the N2O2 cavity of the salphen subunits in the 18-crown-6 and 24-crown-8 hybrids. An account of structural features and transport characteristics for some of these molecules are reported. The results of a detailed study of the transport of tryptophan and serotonin across CHCl3 bulk liquid membranes are discussed for these processes that follow Michaelis–Menten kinetics. To cite this article: D. Coucouvanis et al., C. R. Chimie 6 (2003).
ISEE‐1 observations of electrostatic shocks on auroral zone field lines between 2.5 and 7 Earth radii

The ISEE-1 satellite frequently passes through electrostatic shocks and the low altitude auroral particle acceleration region at geocentric radial distances less than approximately 7 earth radii and as low as greater than or equal to 2 earth radii. A sampling of data from the quasi-static electric field experiment during 22 such passes revealed events (defined as regions of low frequency turbulence) containing electrostatic shocks (defined as an electric field greater than or equal to 100 mV/m) during eight of the passes, which is an occurrence frequency comparable to that obtained near apogee on the S3-3 satellite. Examination of three such electrostatic shocks shows that typical potentials of a few kV and latitudinal scale widths mapped to the ionosphere of a few km are encountered. From the latitudinal widths of the shocks and from the magnitudes of their observed electric fields, it is argued that the parallel electric field and auroral particle acceleration region may be confined to geocentric distances less than a few earth radii.