cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Trapped workers, urban freedoms and labor control in Brazilian agriculture: Evidence from Southwest Goiás

Abstract Labor entrapment in Brazilian agriculture is not limited to ‘marginal geographies’ or sectors, but is a troubling presence at the core of some of the country's most developed and urbanized agricultural regions. This paper looks at the conditions of labor resistance and control in a dynamic and highly urbanized agricultural region of central Brazil that may explain the use there by employers of entrapped workers from distant regions. Commercial agriculture is intensely seasonal and sensitive to the quality and timing of delivery, so the fulfillment of labor demand continues to be a central concern of rural employers despite arguments for surplus labor. In the context of rural exodus, Brazilian farmers can no longer count on a flexible supply of residential workers. The article considers the importance of two ‘urban freedoms’ derived from the migration of rural workers to cities during the last 35 years. One is the increasing presence of labor unions and regulation in wage markets. The other is the creative strategies that households develop to weaken their dependence on agricultural work. To understand these strategies, gender relations within and outside of the household are taken into account. The paper ends by critically examining the argument that wage compression is the reason that employers in Brazilian agriculture resort to labor replacement in dynamic regions.
Agricultural Land Use Effects on Sediment Loading and Fish Assemblages in Two Minnesota (USA) Watersheds

We examined the relationship between water quality and fish communities within two agricultural areas using a computer simulation model. Our analyses focused on a coolwater stream, Wells Creek in southeastern Minnesota, and a warmwater stream, the Chippewa River in western Minnesota. We used the Agricultural Drainage and Pesticide Transport (ADAPT) model in relation to land use to calculate instream suspended sediment concentrations using estimates of sediment delivery, runoff, baseflow and streambank erosion, and quantified the effects of suspended sediment exposure on fish communities. We predicted the effects of agricultural practices on stream fish communities under several possible land use scenarios, with reference to current conditions. Land use changes led to reductions in sediment loading of up to 84% in Wells Creek and 49% in the Chippewa River. The reduction in sediment loading across scenarios may be directly related to a reduction in runoff by about 35% in both study areas. We found a 98% decrease in "lethal" concentrations of suspended sediment on fish in Wells Creek with an increase in conservation tillage, riparian buffers, and permanent vegetative cover. However, the effects of suspended sediment did not significantly decrease in the Chippewa River. This difference between study areas was likely due to differences in tolerance to suspended sediment between coolwater and warmwater fish communities and differences in topography, runoff and bank erosion between the two streams.
Critically elevated INR in a patient on warfarin after increase in extended-release niacin dose.

Objective:To report a case of a probable interaction between warfarin and extended-release niacin that may have led to synergistic coagulopathy and to inform health care providers of a need for mor...
Platelet-derived Growth Factor (PDGF) Receptor-α Activates c-Jun NH2-terminal Kinase-1 and Antagonizes PDGF Receptor-β-induced Phenotypic Transformation

Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) is a potent mitogen for mesenchymal cells. The PDGF B-chain (c-sis proto-oncogene) homodimer (PDGF BB) and v-sis, its viral counterpart, activate both alpha- and beta-receptor subunits (alpha-PDGFR and beta-PDGFR) and mediate anchorage-independent growth in NIH3T3 cells. In contrast, the PDGF A chain homodimer (PDGF AA) activates alpha-PDGFR only and fails to induce phenotypic transformation. In the present study, we investigated alpha- and beta-PDGFR specific signaling pathways that are responsible for the differences between the transforming ability of PDGF AA and BB. To study PDGF BB activation of beta-PDGFR, we established NIH3T3 clones in which alpha-PDGFR signaling is inhibited by a dominant-negative alpha-PDGFR, or an antisense construct of alpha-PDGFR. Here, we demonstrate that beta-PDGFR activation alone is sufficient for PDGF BB-mediated anchorage-independent cell growth. More importantly, inhibition of alpha-PDGFR signaling enhanced PDGF BB-mediated phenotypic transformation, suggesting that alpha-PDGFR antagonizes beta-PDGFR-induced transformation. While both alpha- and beta-receptors effectively activate ERKs, alpha-PDGFR, but not beta-PDGFR, activates stress-activated protein kinase-1/c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinase-1 (JNK-1). Inhibition of JNK-1 activity using a dominant-negative JNK-1 mutant markedly enhanced PDGF BB-mediated anchorage-independent cell growth, demonstrating an antagonistic role for JNK-1 in PDGF-induced transformation. Consistently, overexpression of wild-type JNK-1 reduced PDGF BB-mediated transformation. Taken together, the present study showed that alpha- and beta-PDGFRs differentially regulate Ras-mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways critical for regulation of cell transformation, and transformation suppressing activity of alpha-PDGFR involves JNK-1 activation.
Manufacturing porcine islets: culture at 22 °C has no advantage above culture at 37 °C: a gene expression evaluation

BackgroundThe manufacturing process of islets includes a culture step which was originally introduced to ease the logistics of procedures in preparing the graft and transplant recipient. It has been suggested that culture at room temperature has an advantage over culture at 37 degrees C, in part by reducing immunogenicity via preferential elimination of contaminating cells (such as passenger leukocytes) within islets. We investigated this using islets isolated from pancreata of adult pigs. MethodsPorcine islets were isolated from three donors and cultured at 37 degrees C for 1day, and then under three different conditions: 37 degrees C for 6days (condition A); 22 degrees C for 6days (condition B); or 22 degrees C for 5days followed by 37 degrees C for 1day (condition C). Recovery was assessed by DNA measurement, viability by oxygen consumption rate normalized for DNA (OCR/DNA), and gene expression by RT-PCR for a series of 9 lymphocyte markers, 11 lymphokines and chemokines, and 14 apoptotic and stress markers. ResultsPost-culture islet recoveries were similar for the three culture conditions. Average OCR/DNA values were 129-159nmol/minmgDNA before culture, and 259-291, 204-212, and 207-228nmol/minmgDNA, respectively, for culture under conditions A, B, and C, respectively. Irrespective of culture condition, examined gene expression in all three series of lymphocyte markers, lymphokines and chemokines, and apoptotic and stress markers manifested a statistically significant decrease upon culture for 7days. This decrease was most dramatic for condition A: in particular, most of lymphocyte markers showed a >10-fold reduction and also six markers in the lymphokine and chemokine series; these reductions are consistent with the elimination of immune cells present within islets during culture. The reduction was less for apoptotic and stress markers. For culture under condition B, the reduction in gene expression was less, and culture under condition C resulted in gene expression levels similar to those under condition A: this indicates that 24h at 37 degrees C is sufficient to re-equilibrate gene expression levels from those in islets cultured at 22 degrees C to those in islets cultured at 37 degrees C. Results were consistent among the preparations from the three donors. ConclusionsCulture of porcine islets at 37 degrees C provides benefits over culture at 22 degrees C with respect to OCR/DNA outcomes and reduced expression of genes encoding lymphocyte markers, lymphokines and chemokines, and markers for apoptosis and stress.
Treatment of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm by Excision and Replacement by Homograft

Fourteen patients with arteriosclerotic aneurysm of the abdominal aorta are described. Excision of the aneurysm and reconstruction by an aortic homograft have been used in all cases. One patient from whom a ruptured aneurysm was excised, died after operation of uremia. Two other patients died of coronary artery disease after leaving the hospital. The remaining patients are well. Early results with this form of treatment are significantly better than those obtained by less definitive methods used in the past.
Effects of feeding experience in the copepod Eucalanus pileatus: a cinematographic study

High-speed microcinematography was used to examine the effects of prior experience with particular cell types on the feeding efficiency of a calanoid copepod. Female Eucalanus pileatus were fed monocultures of either the 5-μm diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana or the 11-μm diatom T. weissflogii during a 2-to 3-d preconditioning period. The smaller diatoms are accumulated passively by the second maxillae while the larger diatoms are detected and actively captured as individual cells. Four females from each preconditioning culture were transferred to a monoculture of the large cells and their behavior filmed at five intervals over a 24-h period to determine whether a loss of efficiency occurs when the copepods must shift capture modes. Ingestion rates for females experienced with the larger cells were approximately 2.5 times higher than those of inexperienced females. Six sequential behavioral steps in the feeding process could alter ingestion rates: (1) amount of time spent flapping the feeding appendages. (2) rate of flapping of the feeding appendages, (3) ability to detect individual cells, (4) success rate of capture attempts, (5) capture and handling time per cell and (6) rejection rate of captured cells. An increased ability to detect cells and a decreased rejection rate contributed significantly to the higher ingestion rate of experienced feeders, indicating that copepods have the ability to learn during the feeding process. Grazing rates may be seriously underestimated in experiments which do not include a preconditioning period, especially those which calculate ingestion over short time intervals. Such effects may also influence the feeding of copepods in the field when encountering changes in particle spectra through vertical migration or horizontal displacement.
ACTIVITY OF LYMPHOID TISSUES FROM ANTILYMPHOCYTE-SERUM-TREATED MICE

Abstract Comparison has been made between the ability of normal inbred mouse parental lymphoid tissues and lymphoid tissue from mice treated with rabbit anti-mouse lymphocyte serum (R.A.M.L.S.) to induce a graft-versus-host syndrome in F 1 hybrid recipients. The strain combination employed in these studies was C 57 B1 → (C 57 B1 x DBA) F 1 . The severity of the graft-versus-host reaction was measured by assessing relative spleen weights and phagocytic index K at the height of the graft-versus-host response. No graft-versus-host syndrome was induced in adult F 1 hybrid recipients receiving 100 × 10 6 spleen or lymph-node cells from antilymphocyte-serum-treated parental donors, whereas significant splenomegaly and hyperphagocytic activity was obtained following the injection of 25 × 10 6 normal parental lymphoid cells.
Temperature-Sensitive Paralytic Mutations Demonstrate that Synaptic Exocytosis Requires SNARE Complex Assembly and Disassembly

The neuronal SNARE complex is formed via the interaction of synaptobrevin with syntaxin and SNAP-25. Purified SNARE proteins assemble spontaneously, while disassembly requires the ATPase NSF. Cycles of assembly and disassembly have been proposed to drive lipid bilayer fusion. However, this hypothesis remains to be tested in vivo. We have isolated a Drosophila temperature-sensitive paralytic mutation in syntaxin that rapidly blocks synaptic transmission at nonpermissive temperatures. This paralytic mutation specifically and selectively decreases binding to synaptobrevin and abolishes assembly of the 7S SNARE complex. Temperature-sensitive paralytic mutations in NSF (comatose) also block synaptic transmission, but over a much slower time course and with the accumulation of syntaxin and SNARE complexes on synaptic vesicles. These results provide in vivo evidence that cycles of assembly and disassembly of SNARE complexes drive membrane trafficking at synapses.
Effect of Fluoride on the Metabolic Activity of Thyroid Slices

Sodium fluoride added to beef thyroid slices increases the oxidation of glucose-1-14C and glucose-6-14C to 14CO2 and the incorporation of 32P-phosphate into phospholipid. Sodium fluoride also increases the oxidation of glucose-1-14C to 14C to 14CO2 in dog thyroid slices. In beef thyroid homogenates sodium fluoride stimulates the activity of adenyl cyclase. However, sodium fluoride fails to induce the formation of pseudopods or intracellular colloid droplets. The failure to induce droplets is not due to any inhibitory effect of fluoride since the response to TSH was unaffected by F−. The significance of these findings in relation to the possible role of cyclic 3′,5′-AMP in controlling thyroid metabolism is discussed. (Endocrinology 83: 157, 1968)
Surgical Treatment of Stage I Posterior Tibial Tendon Dysfunction

Nineteen patients underwent surgical synovectomy and debridement for the clinical diagnosis of stage I posterior tibial tendon (PTT) dysfunction. Stage I PTT dysfunction is characterized by pain and swelling along the medial aspect of the ankle. Fourteen patients (74%) reported complete relief of pain, 3 patients (16%) reported minor pain, and 1 patient (5%) had moderate pain, and 1 (5%) had continued severe pain. Sixteen (84%) of the patients subjectively reported being "much better" and had a return of function of the PTT, as evidenced by their ability to perform a single limb-heel-rise test. Two patients (10%) underwent subtalar arthrodesis for progressive foot deformity and continued pain. Based on these results, surgical release, tenosynovectomy, and debridement are recommended for the treatment of stage I PTT dysfunction.
Abstract 1018: Regulation of STAT3 by PPARdelta in human hepatocellular carcinoma

Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta (PPARdelta) is a nuclear transcription factor that is recently implicated in tumorigenesis. Previous studies from our lab have shown that PPARdelta activation increases the growth of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines (Hep 3B, Huh7 and HepG2). The current study was designed to investigate the relationship between PPARdelta activation and STAT3 signaling pathway in human HCC cells. Our data showed that PPARdelta overexpression or activation by its pharmacological ligand ([GW501516][1]) significantly increased STAT3-mediated transcriptional activity in Hep3B cells, as determined by luciferease reporter activity assay; this effect is dose-dependent (p<0.01). In contrast, depletion of PPARdelta by its siRNA in Hep3B cells significantly reduced [GW501516][1]-induced STAT3 transcriptional activity. PPARdelta overexpression or [GW501516][1] treatment increased the expression of STAT3 protein and induced the translocation of STAT3 from cytosol to nuclei in Hep3B cells. Additionally, PPARdelta overexpression or [GW501516][1] treatment also increased the binding of PPARdelta to STAT3-responsive element through the release of transcriptional repressor Bcl-6. Moreover, overexpression of PPARdelta upregulated the expression of several STAT3 downstream anti-apoptotic molecules including Mcl-1, Suvivin and Bcl-XL. These findings reveal a cross-talk between PPARdelta and STAT3 signaling pathway for human HCC cell growth and such an interaction may play important role in hepatocarcinogenesis. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1018. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-1018 [1]: /lookup/external-ref?link_type=GEN&access_num=GW501516&atom=%2Fcanres%2F71%2F8_Supplement%2F1018.atom
Sulf-2, a heparan sulfate endosulfatase, promotes human lung carcinogenesis

Heparan sulfate (HS) proteoglycans (HSPGs) bind to multiple growth factors/morphogens and regulate their signaling. 6-O-sulfation (6S) of glucosamine within HS chains is critical for many of these ligand interactions. Sulf-1 and Sulf-2, which are extracellular neutral-pH sulfatases, provide a novel post-synthetic mechanism for regulation of HSPG function by removing 6S from intact HS chains. The Sulfs can thereby modulate several signaling pathways, including the promotion of Wnt signaling. We found induction of SULF2 transcripts and Sulf-2 protein in human lung adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, the two major classes of non-small-cell lung carcinomas (NSCLCs). We confirmed widespread Sulf-2 protein expression in tumor cells of 10/10 surgical specimens of human lung squamous carcinomas. We studied five Sulf-2(+) NSCLC cell lines, including two, which were derived by cigarette-smoke transformation of bronchial epithelial cells. shRNA-mediated Sulf-2 knockdown in these lines caused an increase in 6S on their cell surface and in parallel reversed their transformed phenotype in vitro, eliminated autocrine Wnt signaling and strongly blunted xenograft tumor formation in nude mice. Conversely, forced Sulf-2 expression in non-malignant bronchial epithelial cells produced a partially transformed phenotype. Our findings support an essential role for Sulf-2 in lung cancer, the leading cancer killer.
On the validity of the basis set superposition error and complete basis set limit extrapolations for the binding energy of the formic acid dimer

We report the variation of the binding energy of the Formic Acid Dimer with the size of the basis set at the Coupled Cluster with iterative Singles, Doubles and perturbatively connected Triple replacements [CCSD(T)] level of theory, estimate the Complete Basis Set (CBS) limit, and examine the validity of the Basis Set Superposition Error (BSSE)-correction for this quantity that was previously challenged by Kalescky, Kraka, and Cremer (KKC) [J. Chem. Phys. 140, 084315 (2014)]. Our results indicate that the BSSE correction, including terms that account for the substantial geometry change of the monomers due to the formation of two strong hydrogen bonds in the dimer, is indeed valid for obtaining accurate estimates for the binding energy of this system as it exhibits the expected decrease with increasing basis set size. We attribute the discrepancy between our current results and those of KKC to their use of a valence basis set in conjunction with the correlation of all electrons (i.e., including the 1s of C and O). We further show that the use of a core-valence set in conjunction with all electron correlation converges faster to the CBS limit as the BSSE correction is less than half than the valence electron/valence basis set case. The uncorrected and BSSE-corrected binding energies were found to produce the same (within 0.1 kcal/mol) CBS limits. We obtain CCSD(T)/CBS best estimates for De = - 16.1 ± 0.1 kcal/mol and for D0 = - 14.3 ± 0.1 kcal/mol, the later in excellent agreement with the experimental value of -14.22 ± 0.12 kcal/mol.
Polarization switch in a Zeeman laser in the presence of dynamical instabilities

Abstract The well-known switch of the polarization state of a Zeeman laser's emission into a single longitudinal mode as the cavity length is detuned is re-examined using a model that goes beyond third-order Lamb theory by retaining equations for the dynamics of the material variables for a J = 1 to J = 0 transition. For certain parameter values, the output of the laser as described by this model is predominantly two orthogonally polarized modes with different optical frequencies, as in third-order Lamb theories studied previously, but the more complicated field-material dynamics and near-threshold time-dependent solutions present in this model also give rise to more complicated pulsations and polarization dynamics as the cavity is detuned. Also as in third-order Lamb theories, in this model the preference (stability) for circularly or linearly polarized single mode emission depends on the ratio of the decay rates of the magnetic dipole and the electric quadrupole of the J = 1 level. For conditions in which the cross-saturation preference is for linearly polarized emission and there are weak linear anisotropies, the switching of the polarization state as the cavity is detuned has a range of overlap of the two polarization states (and corresponding time dependent dynamics) rather than the abrupt switching and hysteresis or polarization rotation more commonly found in simpler models. The detuning range for the overlap is sensitively dependent on the strength of the cross-saturation coupling. While there is similar exchange of relative dominance of two polarized modes when there is the combination of weak circular polarization anisotropies and cross-saturation preference for linearly polarized emission, the overlap region remains large, and it is relatively independent of the relaxation rate of the coherence between the upper levels. By comparing these results with experimental behavior found in a xenon laser which operates on a J = 3 → J = 2 transition we can estimate the effective parameters of the model suitable for describing certain features of this experimental situation, even though the xenon laser is known to have its preference for linearly polarized emission arise directly in the field-matter interaction rather than solely from relaxation rate differences as it does in the model considered here.
A simple synthesis of catalytically active, high surface area ceria aerogels

Abstract A simple synthetic route for preparing high surface area, structurally stable ceria aerogels is presented. Ceria aerogels were doped with 1% palladium: a water-gas shift (WGS) active metal. A reduced Pd/ceria aerogel and an as-prepared Pd/ceria aerogel are compared to determine the effect of pretreatment conditions on WGS activity. The BET surface area of the as-prepared ceria aerogel was 345 m 2 /g. CO chemisorption data and high-resolution TEM images indicate that the particle size of palladium on the reduced Pd/ceria sample was approximately 15 nm. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) data establish that the fraction of Ce 3+ from Ce 2 O 3 was approximately the same for both reduced and as-prepared samples. XPS data also indicate that approximately 44% of the palladium on the reduced Pd/ceria sample was converted to the metallic form. Each catalyst was tested for WGS activity. The reduced Pd/ceria sample exhibited the greatest WGS activity as compared with the other samples used in this study.
Diadermatic Dose Forms Of Testosterone: In-Vitro Release Studies and in-Vivo Absorption In A Human Male

AbstractThe study was undertaken to evaluate the in-vitro release of testosterone from various topical bases and to screen formulations with the optimum drug release for in-vivo evaluations in a human male. Several diadermatic bases containing 2% testosterone were prepared and studied for the in-vitro release of drug through the cellulose membrane using the diffusion methods. Also, additive ingredients such as, ethanol, polyethylene glycol-400, and dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) at various concentration levels were included in these formulations to study their effects on the release rate of the drug. The general rank order of testosterone release from these bases was: water-washable base > hydrophilic base > University of California Hospital Base > gel base > cream base > water-soluble base > emulsion base. Except for the water-washable base containing 15% polyethylene glycol-400, all additives had little or no effect on the drug release. The formulations with the best in-vitro drug release were selected and ev...
Animation for Russian Conversation by MERRILL, JAMES, JULIA MIKHAILOVA, & MARIA ALLEY

The article reviews the book "Animation for Russian Conversation," by James Merrill, Julia Mikhailova and Maria Alley.
Binding and neutralization of lipopolysaccharides by plant proanthocyanidins.

Proanthocyanidins (PACs), polyphenolic metabolites that are widely distributed in higher plants, have been associated with potential positive health benefits including antibacterial, chemotherapeutic, and antiatherosclerotic activities. In this paper, we analyze the binding of PACs from cranberries, tea, and grapes to lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a major component of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria and the cause of several human illnesses. We demonstrate that in the case of cranberries, the most potent LPS-binding activity is contained within a PAC fraction composed of polymers with an average degree of polymerization of 21. The PAC fraction modestly inhibits the binding of LPS to the surface of HEK 293 cells expressing the full complement of LPS receptors (TLR4/MD2 and CD14), while it significantly abrogates the endocytosis of LPS. This PAC fraction also inhibits LPS-induced nuclear factor-κB activation in a manner that is not readily overcome by excess LPS. Such an effect is mediated through t...
Dimeric Rous Sarcoma Virus Capsid Protein Structure Relevant to Immature Gag Assembly

The structure of the N-terminal domain (NTD) of Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) capsid protein (CA), with an upstream 25 amino acid residue extension corresponding to the C-terminal portion of the Gag p10 protein, has been determined by X-ray crystallography. Purified Gag proteins of retroviruses can assemble in vitro into virus-like particles closely resembling in vivo-assembled immature virus particles, but without a membrane. When the 25 amino acid residues upstream of CA are deleted, Gag assembles into tubular particles. The same phenotype is observed in vivo. Thus, these residues act as a "shape determinant" promoting spherical assembly, when they are present, or tubular assembly, when they are absent. We show that, unlike the NTD on its own, the extended NTD protein has no beta-hairpin loop at the N terminus of CA and that the molecule forms a dimer in which the amino-terminal extension forms the interface between monomers. Since dimerization of Gag has been inferred to be a critical step in assembly of spherical, immature Gag particles, the dimer interface may represent a structural feature that is essential in retrovirus assembly.
Transient Estradiol Exposure during Middle Age in Ovariectomized Rats Exerts Lasting Effects on Cognitive Function and the Hippocampus

We determined whether transient exposure to estradiol during middle age in ovariectomized rats would exert lasting effects on cognition and the brain beyond the period of exposure. Two experiments were conducted. Rats 10–11 months of age were ovariectomized and received vehicle control treatment throughout the experiment, continuous estradiol treatment throughout the experiment, or 40 d of transient exposure to estradiol that ended 3 d before behavioral training. In the first experiment, rats were trained on a radial-maze working memory task and killed 2 months after the termination of transient exposure to estradiol. The hippocampus was immunostained for choline acetyltransferase and estrogen receptors α (ERα) and β (ERβ) by Western blotting. In a second experiment to determine the durability of treatment effects, rats were behaviorally tested every other month until brains were collected for Western blotting 8 months after the termination of transient exposure to estradiol. Maze testing included delay t...
Paddlefish Reproduction in the Cumberland and Tennessee River Systems

Abstract Larvae and eggs of paddlefish Polyodon spathula were collected in the Cumberland and Tennessee river systems from 1973 to 1982. Seven methods were used to capture larval paddlefish and two to collect eggs. Eggs were first collected when spring water temperatures reached 10°C; most were collected when temperatures were 12–15°C. Larvae were present in samples from early April to mid-June at water temperatures of 11–21°C; most were collected when temperatures were 12–18°C. Most paddlefish larvae in samples ranged from 8 to 12 mm total length. Horizontal distribution of larvae was widespread in reservoir transects. Their vertical distributions were sometimes uniform, but larvae often concentrated in surface waters. Relatively large numbers of larvae periodically occurred in samples, suggesting larvae move downstream in contagious groups. The possibility of interreservoir transport of paddlefish larvae was indicated by estimates of ages and hatching locales.
Molecular characterization of the promoter region of a neuroendocrine tumor marker, IA-1.

Abstract IA-1 is an intronless gene, which encodes a 510 amino acid protein with a zinc-finger DNA-binding motif that is expressed in tumors of neuroendocrine origin. The 5′-upstream region of the IA-1 gene was recently sequenced. In this paper, the regulatory elements and the promoter region of the 5′-upstream region were analyzed by use of a series of deletion mutants (ranging from +26 bp to −2090 bp upstream of the IA-1 gene), which were tested in a pituitary tumor cell line, AtT-20, and Hela cells by transient transfection assays. These experiments showed that a 506 base pair upstream sequence was sufficient for maximal expression of a reporter gene. Multiple known regulatory elements were found within this region including three E boxes and a clustered Sp-1 site. In addition, Southwestern blot analysis, using a radiolabeled promoter sequence (extending from −108 bp to −66 bp) and nuclear extracts from both neuroendocrine and non-neuroendocrine cell lines, revealed four promoter binding proteins designated PBP1, PBP2, PBP3 and PBP4 with molecular weights of 55 kD, 32 kD, 29 kD, and 27/28 kD, respectively. These studies suggest that several different regulatory elements in the 5′-upstream region of the IA-1 gene and at least four different nuclear proteins may be involved in the cell-specific expression of IA-1.
The Flory−Huggins Interaction Parameter in Blends of Polystyrene and Poly(p-Methylstyrene) by Small-Angle Neutron Scattering

Blends of polystyrene and poly(p-methylstyrene) (PPMS) were studied by small-angle neutron scattering. Doubling the molecular weight of the PPMS component had no effect on the Flory−Huggins interac...
Paleoceanographic applications of trace-metal concentration data

Abstract Recent studies have identified a range of new applications of trace-metal concentration data in the analysis of paleoceanographic systems. In restricted anoxic marine systems, trace-metal/TOC ratios can provide insight into the degree of watermass restriction and estimates of deepwater renewal times. In such systems, secular changes in sediment trace-metal ratios may provide evidence of the chemical evolution of basinal deepwaters in response to differential rates of trace-metal removal to the sediment. The degree of deepwater restriction in silled basins is generally controlled by eustatic elevations, with higher (lower) sea levels resulting in lesser (greater) watermass restriction. Short-term (ca. million-year) drawdown of the trace-metal inventory of seawater has occurred repeatedly in conjunction with oceanic anoxic events, which result in elevated rates of trace-metal removal to widespread anoxic facies. Long-term (eon-scale) changes of the trace-metal composition of seawater have occurred in response to secular changes in atmospheric–oceanic redox conditions and their effects on trace-metal cycling. Caution must be exercised in evaluating trace-metal patterns in paleomarine systems, however: (1) hydrographic analyses based on trace-metal/TOC relationships can be undertaken only on systems that had anoxic deepwaters, and (2) the influence of redox variation on trace-metal accumulation patterns outweighs that of hydrographic factors in some paleomarine systems.
Experimental Approaches to Mechanisms of Protection and Pathogenesis in M. tuberculosis Infection

Abstract It has, for many years, been widely assumed that the fundamental mechanism of protection in tuberculosis infection is a CD4 T cell response producing lymphokines that activate macrophages to kill or restrict the intracellular growth of M. tuberculosis. Just as certain cytokines, e.g. IFN-γ, are currently perceived to be important for protection, others, particularly tumor necrosis factor (TNF), are thought to be responsible for much of the tissue destruction associated with the disease. Yet there are remarkably few critical experimental or clinical data that have defined the immunological requirements for protection and pathogenesis. One of the initial stimuli to the .work we have undertaken has been careful reflection on the results of the many prospective trials of BCG against tuberculosis. Two aspects have impelled us to reconsider conventional wisdom. The first, of course, is the wide discrepancy in the degree of protection imparted, ranging from 0 % in South India to 77 % in the British MRC trial (1, 2). The second is that, in all trials that examined them, skin test conversions to tuberculin positivity were 85 010 or greater, indicating a disparity between the presence of delayed hypersensitivity to tuberculin and protection. We and others have argued (1, 2) that there are multiple possible explanations for this discrepancy, the principal one being protection caused by infection with environmental mycobacteria. But, the general point raised is whether cell mediated immunity as manifested by CD4+ cell production of lymphokines and macrophage activation is a sufficient mechanism for protection against M. tuberculosis infection.
A simple method for typing clinical isolates of herpesvirus simplex: replication in the presence of 2h-1,3-oxazine-2,6 (3h)-dione (oxauracil)

A rapid simple method for the typing of wild HSV isolates based on selective inhibition of HSV-2 replication by the pyrimidine analogue oxauracil (2H-1,3-oxazine-2,6(3H)-dione) has been developed. Chi-square analysis of the results of typing of 30 wild strains by serum neutralization tests, immunofluorescence, and oxauracil-inhibition indicates no significant differences in assignment of types to the isolates. The oxauracil-inhibition test obviates confusion of typing resulting from use of immune sera containing cross-reactive antibodies. We conclude oxauracil typing is a simple, rapid, and precise test which can be performed in any laboratory capable of isolating HSV.
Reactions of azomethane on a clean, H-covered, and O-covered Pt(111) surface

Abstract The reactions of diazomethane on a clean, a H-covered, and an O-covered Pt(111) surface were studied by temperature programmed desorption. Methane, ethylene, and hydrogen were the desorption products for the clean surface. The same products were observed together with nitrogen for the H-covered surface. Comparison of the desorption profiles on the clean and H-covered surfaces with those for ethylene and acetylene showed that methane was formed from the hydrogenation of surface methylene species that were formed by the dissociation of diazomethane on adsorption. Some of the surface methylene species also combined to form ethylene before undergoing further reaction. On the O-covered surface, products characteristic of the clean surface were observed together with the oxidation products water, CO and CO 2 . Some of the water was formed by the reaction of hydrogen released in the decomposition of methylene. The remaining water, CO, and CO 2 were formed by the oxidation of an intermediate of stoichiometry CH, similar to the oxidation of ethylene and acetylene.
Development in release testing of topical dosage forms: use of the Enhancer Cell™ with automated sampling

Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate an automated method using the Enhancer Cell™ and compare the release of the corticosteroid triamcinolone acetonide (TA) from commercial semisolid formulations. The method used a modified USP Apparatus 2 using the Enhancer Cell™ in 200 ml capacity flasks instead of the standard 900 ml flasks. The additional equipment included an adapter plate to position the flasks in the center, a cover to reduce the receptor phase evaporation and smaller sized (1/4 in.) shaft and collets. All products were evaluated prior to their expiration date. Effects of system variables such as the temperature and composition of the receptor medium, stirring speed, and the choice of membrane on the drug release were evaluated. Statistical analysis was carried out using SAS Ver. 6.07 and the slopes and intercepts (of the cumulative release/unit area versus square root of time plots) were compared. TA release was a linear function of the square root of time ( P ≤0.0001), in accordance with Higuchi's model ( r 2 ≥0.9 in most cases). Temperature (32 and 37°C) did not affect the drug release ( P >0.32) but a significantly higher release rate was observed ( P ≤0.0001) at 50°C. Stirring speed (50, 100, 200 rpm) ( P >0.26) and receptor media composition (38 and 76% ethanol) ( P >0.68) did not significantly alter the release rates. Membrane selection (regenerated cellulose, polyethylene, and rat skin) was found to be a significant variable ( P ≤0.004). This study demonstrates the use of the Enhancer Cell™ as an automated quality control tool in the in vitro release testing procedure for semisolid drug formulations.
MODIFICATION OF FLORAL INITIATION WITH AUXINS AND TEMPERATURES

THE FACT that auxins are capable of modifying floral initiation has been known since 1937 when Dostal and Hosek demonstrated an inhibition of flowering in Circaea. It appears from the experiments of Cholodny (1936) and Thimann and Lane (1938) that auxins may have an effect on flowering as a function of vernalization, and the work of Leopold and Thimann (1948) and Bonner and Thurlow (1949) indicate that auxins can modify flowering as a function of photoperiodism. Up to the present time promotive effects of auxins upon photoperiodic induction have been reported only for long-day plants (Leopold and Thimann, 1948; Leopold and Thimann, 1949; Klein, 1951; Claes, 1952; Liverman and Lang, 1952) . Studies of floral initiation in this laboratory have indicated a strong interaction between auxin effects and temperatures experienced by pea plants (Leop6ld and Guernsey, 1953a). A similar interaction has been found between auxin and vernalization of barley (Leopold, 1952). These results suggest the possibility that an auxin-temperature interaction might be general among plants, and might offer a new method of altering floral initiation. Knowledge of such a phenomenon would be of considerable interest both physiologically and agriculturally. METHODS.-Seeds of diverse types of plants were soaked in solutions of auxin (naphthaleneacetic acid) for 24 hr. at room temperature. After removal from the solution, the seeds were placed in moist vermiculite and transferred to dark controlled temperature rooms where they remained for a period of 2 wk. At the end of the temperature treatment they were transplanted into gravel beds in the greenhouse and permitted to develop under photoperiods which were favorable for flowering. Ten plants from each treatment were then dissected under a microscope and the numbers of flower primordia, their location and stage of development were recorded. This procedure is essentially the same as that described by Leopold and Guernsey (1953a) for peas, with the exception that a longer temperature control period was used. Long photoperiods were obtained by extension of natural daylight hours with 100 ft.-c. of incandescent light. Short photoperiods were obtained by use of black cloth curtains. The stage of development of the various grain species was recorded in each experiment upon dissection. A simple scoring method was used as follows: 0 vegetative; 1 simple spikelet primordia; 2 floret parts differentiated; 3 pre-boot stage; 4 boot stage; 5 flag stage; 6 heading out.
Pediatric resuscitation chart and equipment shelf: aids to mastery of age-related problems

The pediatric resuscitation process is complicated by difficulties because children require drug dosages and equipment sizes related to weight. The resuscitation process can be facilitated by a resuscitation chart and equipment shelf designed specifically to overcome these difficulties.
The Central Government‐Private Sector Wage Differential

Since Ehrenberg and Schwarz (1986) there has been a plethora of articles investigating the relationship between public and private sector wages. This article examines part of this post 1986 literature by reviewing articles that examine central government-private sector wage differentials. In sum, most articles find that there is a premium paid to central government workers, although the premium has declined in recent years. In developing countries, however, the differential is usually negative. Women and minorities tend to do better in the public sector relative to their private sector counterparts. The evidence on union premiums between sectors is mixed, although the premium tends to be higher in the private sector. However public sector union workers do not do much better than private sector union members. The magnitude of all of the wage differentials discussed are sensitive to the estimation technique and data source used. The most common explanation for the public sector wage premium is economic rent accruing to government workers, although the public sector wage determination literature suggests that the differential is due to returns to political and ‘vote producing’ activities not relevant in the private sector.
Development of the thoracic muscle and flight behaviour of Glossina morsitans orientalis Vanderplank.

Laboratory and field studies were made to study the flight behaviour and development of thoracic musculature in male Glossina morsitans orientalis Vanderplank collected as adults near Kariba, Rhodesia, or emerged from puparia collected there. Muscular development, measured as thoracic residual dry weight, was significantly inhibited by confinement in the laboratory and flight activity declined when laboratory-emerged flies were maintained in the laboratory. Survival of laboratory-emerged flies in the field was only 17% that of field-emerged flies. Irreversible behavioural and physiological inhibition in flight and in flight musculature is therefore believed to occur within the first few hours of adult life as a result of confinement; 70–80% of the confined population was affected. These inhibitions can be avoided by using field-emerged adults for field trials.
Structure and function of a new phosphopeptide-binding domain containing the FHA2 of Rad53.

Abstract The forkhead-associated (FHA) domain is a 55-75 amino acid residue module found in >20 proteins from yeast to human. It has been suggested to participate in signal transduction pathways, perhaps via protein-protein interactions involving recognition of phosphopeptides. Neither the structure nor the ligand of FHA is known. Yeast Rad53, a checkpoint protein involved in DNA damage response, contains two FHA domains, FHA1 (residues 66-116) and FHA2 (residues 601-664), the second of which recognizes phosphorylated Rad9. We herein report the solution structure of an “FHA2-containing domain” of Rad53 (residues 573-730). The structure consists of a β-sandwich containing two antiparallel β-sheets and a short, C-terminal α-helix. Binding experiments suggested that the FHA2-containing domain specifically recognizes pTyr and a pTyr-containing peptide from Rad9, and that the binding site involves residues highly conserved across FHA domains. The results, along with other recent reports, suggest that FHA domains could have pTyr and pSer/Thr dual specificity.
The Effects of Temperature and ƒ O 2 on the Al-in-Hornblende Barometer

The AI-in-hornblende barometer potentially offers a basis for estimating crystallization pressure for granitic batholiths. However, owing to the simplicity of its formulation, misuse of the barometer can occur. Many granitic intrusions are emplaced at conditions inconsistent with those of the existing experimental calibrations, including f02 2 kbar at typical crustal pressures. For the Mount Stuart batholith, consideration of temperature yields revised pressures that are in agreement with pressures obtained from wall rocks and eliminates much of the apparent domal structure. Low-f02 granites have amphibole Fe/(Fe + Mg) ratios that exceed the typical 0.40-0.65 range used in most experimental and empirical calibrations. Examples from anorogenic granitic batholiths of mid-Proterozoic age yield pressures that are too high by a factor of two to three in comparison with pressures obtained from adjacent metamorphic assemblages. Hornblende in these granites not only has high Fe/(Fe + Mg) but also low ratios of FeH to Fe2+. The anomalously high Al in Fe-rich, FeH -poor hornblende is inferred to be the result of increased [6JAIoccupancy of the M2 site not buffered by the Mg and FeH abundances typical of amphiboles in calc-alkaline and other high- f02 plutonic rocks.
The influence of the reference electrode on CMAP configuration : leg nerve observations and an alternative reference site

Peroneal and tibial compound motor action potentials (CMAP) recorded using the standard belly-tendon montage have different configurations. The peroneal CMAP is a smooth dome shape, while the tibial CMAP has a slow-rising initial component followed by a higher amplitude negative peak. To evaluate possible causes of these differences we investigated the individual activity recordable at the belly and tendon electrodes by using a referential montage with the opposite foot as the reference. This type recording shows that the peroneal belly site produces most of the nerve CMAP, whereas the tendon site generates most of the high tibial CMAP. Some features and technical problems of referential CMAP recording using an opposite limb reference are shown. An alternative method using an ipsilateral distal leg reference site is described. A montage which separately records the activity at the belly or tendon electrodes may provide new insight into mechanisms of commonly observed nerve conduction phenomena.
Growth and Mortality Patterns of the Eastern Oyster Crassostrea virginica in Impacted Waters in Coastal Waters in New York, USA

We monitored cage-based populations of the eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica in coastal waters of New York Harbor in 2 phases of sampling, 1 with localities spread out over the New York-New Jersey Harbor area (started 2008) and another with 3 localities within Jamaica Bay (started 2010), all impacted by high nitrogen input, low dissolved oxygen, but over a water quality gradient. Patterns of growth, mortality, condition, and disease were compared with a clean-water site in Shelter Island, NY, sampled in parallel with both sampling phases. In both studies, oyster mortality in the urban sites increased dramatically during and after the second summer growth season. Mortality also increased at the same time period at the clean- water site, but to a much smaller degree. One instance of high mortality in the Lower Hudson was caused by MSX; but, otherwise, no known diseases were identified as the main cause of the sudden mortality increases. Our results suggest that a general effect of reduced water quality had a cumulative effect on the New York Harbor-emplaced oysters, which culminated in high mortality, mainly at the end of the second summer growing season. Despite the increased mortality, other factors such as soft tissue growth and reproduction were not reduced in the harbor sites relative to the clean-water control site. The vulnerability of oysters grown in impacted waters may have to be factored in attempts to restore oysters to impacted harbor waters.