cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Kinetics of iron acquisition from ferric siderophores by Paracoccus denitrificans.

The kinetics of iron accumulation by iron-starved Paracoccus denitrificans during the first 2 min of exposure to 55Fe-labeled ferric siderophore chelates is described. Iron is acquired from the ferric chelate of the natural siderophore L-parabactin in a process exhibiting biphastic kinetics by Lineweaver-Burk analysis. The kinetic data for 1 microM less than [Fe L-parabactin] less than 10 microM fit a regression line which suggests a low-affinity system (Km = 3.9 +/- 1.2 microM, Vmax = 494 pg-atoms of 55Fe min-1 mg of protein-1), whereas the data for 0.1 microM less than or equal to [Fe L-parabactin] less than or equal to 1 microM fit another line consistent with a high-affinity system (Km = 0.24 +/- 0.06 microM, Vmax = 108 pg-atoms of 55Fe min-1 mg of protein-1). The Km of the high-affinity uptake is comparable to the binding affinity we had previously reported for the purified ferric L-parabactin receptor protein in the outer membrane. In marked contrast, ferric D-parabactin data fit a single regression line corresponding to a simple Michaelis-Menten process with comparatively low affinity (Km = 3.1 +/- 0.9 microM, Vmax = 125 pg-atoms of 55Fe min-1 mg of protein-1). Other catecholamide siderophores with an intact oxazoline ring derived from L-threonine (L-homoparabactin, L-agrobactin, and L-vibriobactin) also exhibit biphasic kinetics with a high-affinity component similar to ferric L-parabactin. Circular dichroism confirmed that these ferric chelates, like ferric L-parabactin, exist as the lambda enantiomers. The A forms ferric parabactin (ferrin D- and L-parabactin A), in which the oxazoline ring is hydrolyzed to the open-chain threonyl structure, exhibit linear kinetics with a comparatively high Km (1.4 +/- 0.3 microM) and high Vmax (324 pg-atoms of 55Fe min-1 of protein-1). Furthermore, the marked stereospecificity seen between ferric D- and L-parabactins is absent; i.e., iron acquisition from ferric parabactin A is non stereospecific. The mechanistic implications of these findings in relation to a stereospecific high-affinity binding followed by a nonstereospecific postreceptor processing is discussed.
Accumulation of 70S Monoribosomes in Escherichia coli After Energy Source Shift-Down

When Escherichia coli is shifted from glucose-minimal to succinate-minimal medium, a transient inhibition of protein synthesis and a time-dependent redistribution of ribosomes from polysomes to 70S monosomes occurs. These processes are reversed by a shift-up with glucose. In a lysate made from a mixture of log-phase and down-shifted cells, the 70S monosomes are derived solely from the down-shifted cells and are therefore not produced by polysome breakage during preparation. This conclusion is supported by the absence of nascent proteins from the 70S peak. The monosomes are not dissociated by NaCl or by a crude ribosome dissociation factor, so they behave as "complexed" rather than "free" particles. When down-shifted cells are incubated with rifampin to block ribonucleic acid (RNA) synthesis, the 70S monosomes disappear with a half-life of 15 min. When glucose is also added this half-life decreases to 3 min. The 70S particles are stable in the presence of rifampin when chloramphenicol is added to block protein synthesis. We interpret these data to mean that the existence of the 70S monosomes depends on the continued synthesis of messenger RNA and their conversion to free ribosomes (which dissociate under our conditions) is a result of their participation in protein synthesis. Finally, a significant fraction of the RNA labeled during a brief pulse of (3)H-uracil is found associated with the 70S peak. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that the 70S monosomes are initiation complexes of single ribosomes and messenger RNA, which do not initiate polypeptide synthesis during a shift-down.
The impact of false-positive newborn screening results on families: a qualitative study.

Newborn screening leads to improved treatment and disease outcomes, but false-positive newborn screening results may cause distress for parents. The purpose of this study was to describe the experiences of families who receive a false-positive newborn screening result in an attempt to discover ways to help improve the newborn screening communication process for families. This was a qualitative study using two methods of data collection: in-depth, semistructured interviews and focus groups. Participants (N = 27) were parents whose children (ages 6–16 months) underwent follow-up testing after newborn screening and whose follow-up test results indicated that the newborn screening result was a false-positive. Our analysis found that parents who have a false-positive newborn screening result experience five distinct stages. Most parents did not report long-term negative impacts of the experience, but some experienced some residual worry. Participants described effective provider communication as key in mitigating stress. Some parents identified the experience as leading to positive outcomes. Identifying best practices for communication between the health care providers and parents is an essential component in improving the newborn screening process. Further research is needed to discover best practices for communication to minimize potential harm and maximize the benefits of newborn screening. Genet Med 2012:14(1):76–80
A Prospective Analysis of the Incidence and Risk Factors Associated with Junctional Ectopic Tachycardia Following Surgery for Congenital Heart Disease

This study was designed to evaluate the incidence and risk factors associated with the occurrence of junctional ectopic tachycardia (JET) in patients after congenital heart surgery. We prospectively analyzed cardiac rhythm status in 336 consecutive patients undergoing surgery for congenital heart disease at our institution during a 1-year period. The incidence of JET was 8% (27/336). Repairs with the highest incidence of JET were arterial switch operation (3/13, 23%), atrioventricular (AV) canal repair (4/19, 21%), and Norwood repair (2/10, 20%). Compared to patients with no arrhythmias, patients with JET were more likely to be younger (2.75 ± 2.44 vs 5.38 ± 7.25 years, p < 0.01), have had longer cardiopulmonary bypass times (126 ± 50 vs 85 ± 73, p < 0.01), and have a higher inotrope score (6.26 ± 7.55 vs 2.41 ± 8.11, p < 0.01). By multivariate analysis, ischemic time was the only factor associated with JET [odds ratio, 1.01 (confidence interval, 1.005–1.02); p = 0.0014). The presence of JET did not correlate with electrolyte abnormalities. JET is not necessarily related to surgery near the His bundle or hypomagnesemia. Longer ischemic time is the best predictor of JET. Patients undergoing arterial switch operation, AV canal repair, and Norwood repair are at highest risk of postoperative JET and should be considered for prophylactic therapy.
Projecting Cancer Incidence and Deaths to 2030: The Unexpected Burden of Thyroid, Liver, and Pancreas Cancers in the United States

Cancer incidence and deaths in the United States were projected for the most common cancer types for the years 2020 and 2030 based on changing demographics and the average annual percentage changes in incidence and death rates. Breast, prostate, and lung cancers will remain the top cancer diagnoses throughout this time, but thyroid cancer will replace colorectal cancer as the fourth leading cancer diagnosis by 2030, and melanoma and uterine cancer will become the fifth and sixth most common cancers, respectively. Lung cancer is projected to remain the top cancer killer throughout this time period. However, pancreas and liver cancers are projected to surpass breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers to become the second and third leading causes of cancer-related death by 2030, respectively. Advances in screening, prevention, and treatment can change cancer incidence and/or death rates, but it will require a concerted effort by the research and healthcare communities now to effect a substantial change for the future.
Generalized master equations for continuous-time random walks

An equivalence is established between generalized master equations and continuous-time random walks by means of an explicit relationship betweenψ(t), which is the pausing time distribution in the theory of continuous-time random walks, andφ(t), which represents the memory in the kernel of a generalized master equation. The result of Bedeaux, Lakatos-Lindenburg, and Shuler concerning the equivalence of the Markovian master equation and a continuous-time random walk with an exponential distribution forψ(t) is recovered immediately. Some explicit examples ofφ(t) andψ(t) are also presented, including one which leads to the equation of telegraphy.
Teaching & Learning Guide for: The Origins of English Puritanism

Author’s Introduction This essay makes the familiar observation that when one part of an historiography changes, so must other parts. Here the author observes that the phenomenon known as puritanism has dramatically changed meanings over the past quarter century, though the change has focused on the Elizabethan and early Stuart periods. He asks that we consider the impact of that change on the earlier period, when puritanism in England had its origins. Focus Questions 1 Why is the author unable to posit an answer to his question? 2 If new study of the origins of puritanism were to reveal that it was not a mainstream Calvinist movement, but a radical critique of the Henrician and early Elizabethan church, how would that affect the new orthodoxy in Puritan studies? Author Recommends * A. G. Dickens, The English Reformation (Batsford, 1989). The starting place for all modern discussions of the English Reformation and the origins of both conservative and radical protestantism in England. Dicken’s view is that the reformation was a mixture of German ideas, English attitudes, and royal leadership. * Eamon Duffy, The Stripping of the Altars: Traditional Religion in England c.1400–1580 (Yale Univeristy Press, 2005). What was it that the Reformation reformed? In order to understand early English protestantism, one needs to see it within the context of Catholicism. Eamon Duffy rejects the narrative of the Catholic church told by Protestant reformers and demonstrates the ruthlessness of the reformation. * Ethan Shagen, Popular Politics and the English Reformation (Cambridge University Press, 2003). Shagan asks the question, how is a conservative population energized to undertake the overthrow of their customs and beliefs? He too is centrally concerned with the issue of how radical was the English Reformation. * Brad Gregory, Salvation at Stake: Christian Martyrdom in Early Modern Europe (Harvard University Press, 1999). Nothing better expressed the radicalism of religious belief than the dual process of martyrdom, the willingness of the established religion to make martyrs of its enemies and of dissendents to be martyrs to their cause. Gregory explores this phenomenon across the confessional divide and comes to surprising conclusions about similarities and differences. Online Materials 1. Puritan Studies on the Web http://puritanism.online.fr A site of resources for studies of Puritanism, this contains a large number of primary sources and links to other source sites. The Link to the English Reformation is particularly useful. 2. The Royal Historical Society Bibliography http://www.rhs.ac.uk/bibl/dataset.asp The bibliography of the Royal Historical Society contains a complete listing of articles and books on all aspects of British history. Subject searches for Puritanism or the English Reformation will yield hundreds of works to choose from.
Stress, Recent Changes in Alcohol Consumption Level, and Problem Drinking in Freshman First Offenders

ABSTRACT Although stress has been shown to be related to college drinking and related problems, little research on this subject has specifically targeted freshmen, a particularly vulnerable group. The current study of 389 college freshman surveyed after having been cited their first time for underaged drinking examines the relationship between self-reported stress, recent changes in drinking patterns, gender and problem drinking as measured by the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. Results support hypotheses asserting that stress and recent changes in consumption level independently and additively predict drinking problems. Subsequent analysis explores which specific stress items predict problem drinking for these young women and men. Implications for prevention are discussed.
The N-terminal Domains of Talin Cooperate with the Phosphotyrosine Binding-like Domain to Activate β1 and β3 Integrins

The activation of integrin adhesion receptors from low to high affinity in response to intracellular cues controls cell adhesion and signaling. Binding of the cytoskeletal protein talin to the β3 integrin cytoplasmic tail is required for β3 activation, and the integrin-binding PTB-like F3 domain of talin is sufficient to activate β3 integrins. Here we report that, whereas the conserved talin-integrin interaction is also required for β1 activation, and talin F3 binds β1 and β3 integrins with comparable affinity, expression of the talin F3 domain is not sufficient to activate β1 integrins. β1 integrin activation could, however, be detected following expression of larger talin fragments that included the N-terminal and F1 domains, and mutagenesis indicates that these domains cooperate with talin F3 to mediate β1 activation. This effect is not due to increased affinity for the integrin β tail and we hypothesize that the N-terminal domains function by targeting or orienting talin in such a way as to optimize the interaction with the integrin tail. Analysis of β3 integrin activation indicates that inclusion of the N-terminal and F1 domains also enhances F3-mediated β3 activation. Our results therefore reveal a role for the N-terminal and F1 domains of talin during integrin activation and highlight differences in talin-mediated activation of β1 and β3 integrins.
Bounds on the total population for species governed by reaction-diffusion equations in arbitrary two-dimensional regions.

Analysis based on the integration of differential inequalities is employed to derive upper and lower bounds on the total populationN(t) = ∫R θ(x1,x2,t) dx1 dx2 of a biological species with an area-density distribution function θ=θ(x1,x2,t) (≥0) governed by a reaction-diffusion equation of the form ∂θ/∂t =D∇2θ +fθ −gθn+1 whereD (>0),n (>0),f andg are constant parameters, θ=0 at all points on the boundary ∂R of an (arbitrary) two-dimensional regionR, and the initial distribution (θ(x1,x2, 0) is such thatN(0) is finite. Forg≥0 withR the entire two-dimensional Euclidean space, a lower bound onN(t) is obtained, showing in particular thatN(∞) is bounded below by a finite positive quantity forf≥0 andn>1. An upper bound onN(t) is obtained for arbitrary bounded or unbounded)R withn=1,f andg negative, and ∫R θ(x1,x2, 0)2 dx1 dx2 sufficiently small in magnitude, implying that the population goes to extinction with increasing values of the time,N(∞)=0. Forg≥0 andR of finite area, the analysis yields upper bounds onN(t), predicting eventual extinction of the population if eitherf≤0 or if the area ofR is less than a certain grouping of the parameters in cases for whichf is positive. These results are directly applicable to biological species with distributions satisfying the Fisher equation in two spatial dimensions and to species governed by certain specialized population models.
Synthesis and crystal structures of ionic triphenyltin complexes with oxalic and malonic acid

Two ionic triphenyltin complexes (1 and 2) were obtained via condensation of triphenyltin hydroxide with oxalic and malonic acids in the presence of di-isobutylamine. Their structures have been characterized by IR and multinuclear (1H, 13C, and 119Sn) NMR spectroscopies. The coordinations of tin in the two triphenyltin complexes are confirmed by X-ray crystallographic studies. In the solid state, oxalate complex 1 consists of a di-isobutylammonium cation and an oxalatotriphenylstannate anion. Tin is five-coordinate with a cis-trigonal-bipyramid (TBP) geometry, as the oxalate is a chelating bidentate ligand. Complex 1 is a 1-D polymer via hydrogen bonding between carboxylate oxygen and ammonium nitrogen. The crystallographic studies reveal that 2 is a trinuclear triphenyltin complex formed with the molar ratio of tin, acid, and amine being 3 : 2 : 1. A negative charge is delocalized among the three tins in the complex; all tins have trans-TBP geometry with three phenyls in the equatorial plane and two O in...
Attitudes and behavior: An information integration perspective

Abstract The relationship between attitudes, beliefs, and behavior was investigated in the context of a behavioral alternative model of attitudes and Anderson's information integration theory. Forty teenagers indicated their attitudes toward using each of seven methods of birth control. The attitudes were used to predict self-reports of contraceptive behavior. Functional measurement methodology was applied to understand the informational bases of the attitudes. In general, the data were supportive of the theoretical framework.
Injection molding of semicrystalline polymers. I. Material characterization

Various material data for an isotactic polypropylene were acquired for the simulation of the injection molding of this material. Viscosity as a function of shear rate and temperature was measured using a capillary rheometer at high shear rates and a cone-and-plate rheometer at low shear rates. Heat-flow properties, characterizing kinetics and induction time of quiescent crystallization, were obtained from DSC measurements. Material data characterizing shear-induced crystallization were obtained from extrusion experiments through a slit die with subsequent quenching of the material in the die after various rest times. The thickness of the shear-induced crystallization layer was measured along with the birefringence in this layer. A model of shear-induced crystallization developed by Janeschitz-Kriegl and co-workers was used to fit the kinetic data. Thus, kinetic parameters such as the limiting shear rate below which no shear-induced crystallization can occur and the characteristic time for the relaxation of birefringence were obtained. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Variations across and along a major continental rift: An interdisciplinary study of the Basin and Range Province, western USA

Abstract Geological, geochemical, and geophysical data gathered within the central part of the Basin and Range and adjacent areas of the western USA suggests that considerable heterogeneity characterizes Cenozoic extension in this region. Good exposure and an abundance of pre-rifting markers indicate 250 km of extension of the upper crust over the past 16 m.y. Extension of several hundred percent has occurred in two distinct deformational domains, Death Valley and Lake Mead, separated by a relatively unextended block, the Spring Mountains. The limited topographic differences between extended and unextended regions imply that material with a crustal density has been added to the extended regions. Although igneous activity can provide some of this added material, kinematics of extension within the Death Valley region suggest that lateral flow of the middle and lower crust into the extended areas accounts for much of the needed material. Such flow is consistent with geochemical analysis of intermediate to silicic volcanic rocks in the Death Valley area. These volcanic rocks contain isotopic and geochemical trends similar to Mesozoic plutonic rocks from the western part of the Sierra Nevada, about 150–200 km to the west, thus suggesting that the upper crust has moved by that amount relative to deeper crustal levels. Geochemical analyses of basaltic magmas in the region indicate that two mantle reservoirs are present: an OIB-type asthenosphere, and an old, Precambrian continental lithosphere. The ancient lithospheric mantle is preserved beneath the Central Basin and Range, but to the west and north the basaltic rocks have a signature compatible with an asthenospheric origin. These differences indicate that the degree of thinning and removal of the mantle lithosphere varies considerably across the Central Basin and Range. These differences are compatible with the inference from geological and geophysical arguments that thinning of the mantle lithosphere at the latitude of the Central Basin and Range is localized beneath the Sierra Nevada. Geophysical measurements have shown that the thickness of the crust varies little from a mean of about 30 km over the entire Basin and Range; the crust under the high Sierra Nevada to the west might have about the same thickness. Estimates of the buoyancy of the crust and mantle based on P-wave crustal structures suggest that the most buoyant, and thus probably the warmest, mantle lies under the Sierra Nevada and not under areas of strongly thinned upper crust of the Death Valley and Lake Mead regions to the east. Similar analyses indicate that the extended upper crust of the Northern Basin and Range overlies an upper mantle more buoyant than that of the Southern and Central Basin and Range; this is in accord with geochemical and seismological inferences. Thus, the style of lithospheric extension varies considerably both along and across the strike of the Basin and Range.
Writing the Food Studies Movement

AbstractIs it time to establish a food studies canon? In recent years, the field of food studies has come into its own as a means to investigate critical questions about production and consumption. This commentary explores the written sources of two academics' interest in food, and the books that have sparked the food studies movement and today's food revolution. As a topic for readers' consideration, it asks whether food studies has progressed to a stage of development at which it is now possible to identify a core list of books that can be considered to define the field.
Crossing the great divide: Coproduction, synergy, and development

Abstract Coproduction is a process through which inputs from individuals who are not “in” the same organization are transformed into goods and services. Two cases are presented — one from Brazil and one from Nigeria — where public officials play a major role. In Brazil, public officials actively encourage a high level of citizen input to the production of urban infrastructure. In Nigeria, public officials discourage citizen contributions to primary education. The third section of the paper provides a brief overview of the theory of coproduction and its relevance for understanding the two cases. The last section addresses the implications of coproduction in polycentric systems for synergy and development.
Predicting Support for Welfare Policies: The Impact of Attributions and Beliefs About Inequality

ABSTRACT This study assessed the relationship between attributions for wealth and poverty, beliefs about income inequality and support for progressive and restrictive welfare policies. An updated scale was developed to measure attributions for poverty. “Culture of poverty” items and new structural items loaded strongly, contributing to the development of a more contemporary scale for measuring attributions for poverty. Support for progressive welfare policies was predicted by structural attributions for poverty, dissatisfaction with income inequality, and attributing wealth to privilege, whereas restrictive welfare policies were predicted by individualistic attributions for poverty and wealth. Strategies for building support for progressive welfare policies are discussed.
Tightest constraint first: An efficient delay sensitive multicast routing algorithm

As a key issue in multicast routing with quality of service (QoS) support, constrained minimum Steiner tree (CMST) problem has been a research focus for more than a decade, and tens of heuristics have been developed to solve this NP-complete problem. Among all the previously proposed algorithms, the bounded shortest path algorithm (BSMA) (IEEE INFOCOM'95 1995; 1:377–385) have been proved to be capable of producing a multicast tree that has on average the lowest cost. However, such an excellent cost performance is accompanied with an extremely high time complexity. Recently, Feng et al. presented an alternative implementation of BSMA, which makes use of the latest research results on the delay-constrained least cost (DCLC) routing problem. Simulations indicate that, in comparison with the original implementation, the alternative implementation has a much lower time complexity with virtually identical cost performance, and it also runs much faster than many renowned heuristics such as KPP (IEEE/ACM Trans. Networking 1993; 1(3):286–292) and CAO (The design and evaluation of routing algorithms for real-time channels. Technical Report ICSI TR-94-024, International Computer Science Institute, University of California at Berkeley, June 1994). In this paper, we propose a brand new heuristic TCF, which is based on an idea called ‘tightest constraint first.’ TCF runs a DCLC heuristic only once for each destination and therefore has a provably low time complexity. We further propose an iterative heuristic ITCF, which uses TCF to obtain an initial tree and then gradually refines it. Extensive simulations demonstrate that, in the average sense, TCF can achieve a cost performance comparable to or better than that of BSMA, the cost performance of ITCF is even better than that of TCF, TCF runs approximately twice as fast as ITCF, and ITCF runs 2–4 times as fast as the best implementation of BSMA. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cellular broadband millimeter wave propagation and angle of arrival for adaptive beam steering systems (invited paper)

The advent of inexpensive millimeter wave devices and steerable antennas will lead to future cellular networks that use carrier frequencies at 28 GHz, 38 GHz, 60 GHz, and above. At these frequencies, the available RF bandwidth is much greater than that of current 4G systems, and high gain millimeter wave steerable antennas can be made in much smaller form factor than current products. This paper presents an extensive measurement campaign and initial results for base-station - to - mobile propagation situations at 38 GHz carrier frequencies in an outdoor urban environment using directional, steerable antennas. This work provides angle of arrival (AOA) and RF multipath characteristics for highly directional antenna beams that may exploit non-line-of-sight propagation paths for futuristic channels at 38 GHz. This work yields data for a variety of antenna pointing and antenna beamwidth scenarios in line-of-sight (LOS) and non-line-of-sight (NLOS) scenarios.
Urolume Stents: Lessons Learned

Purpose: The UroLume (American Medical Systems, Minnetonka, Minnesota) endoprosthesis has been commercially available since 1990 and has been advocated for use in men with urethral stricture disease and detrusor-sphincter dyssynergia due to spinal cord injury. Despite reports of its success and ease of removal, we have noted management problems in several complex cases.Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the outcome of 10 men who required several additional procedures or experienced complications following UroLume placement.Results: Of the patients 4 had detrusor-sphincter dyssynergia and 6 had urethral stricture disease. All patients with detrusor-sphincter dyssynergia required hospitalization for management of urosepsis within 4 to 10 months of stent placement, and all 4 experienced stent migration requiring placement of a tandem stent (3), bladder neck resection (3) or sphincterotomy (1). Two men were in retention following placement of a second stent and required stent explantation. Of ...
Validation of the Innocor Device for Noninvasive Measurement of Oxygen Consumption in Children and Adults

Outpatient measurements of oxygen consumption (VO2) and cardiac output (CO) are valuable in the management of pediatric cardiac disease. Current methods are inaccurate and cumbersome or require invasive procedures. New devices to measure these variables in adults have not been rigorously tested for children. The Innocor system uses a photoacoustic analyzer to measure gas content for noninvasive measurement of VO2 and CO. This study sought to validate Innocor-derived VO2 measurements in children and adults by comparing them against the gold standard Douglas bag method. Subjects were tested in an outpatient setting. Adaptations were made for pediatric patients based on weight. Resting VO2 measurements were obtained simultaneously by the Innocor system and Douglas bag during 3 min. The study enrolled 31 children (mean age, 12.2 years; range, 7–17 years, 17 girls) and 29 adults (mean age, 36.7 years; range, 19–57 years; 17 women). Strong correlation between the two techniques was seen for both the adults (R2 = 0.88) and the children (R2 = 0.82). The average discrepancy between the Innocor and Douglas bag measurements was 1.7 % (range, 0.6–19.1 %) for the adults, and 5.4 % (range, 0.1–32.2 %) for the children. The discrepancy was more than 15 % for 17 % of the adults and 22 % of the children, with the Innocor device tending to overestimate VO2 in children compared with the Douglas bag. This trend was not seen in adults. The Innocor system has excellent correlation with the Douglas bag and shows promise for noninvasive measurement of VO2 and CO in the school-age pediatric population.
Some comments on selecting the best of several binomial populations or the bivariate normal population having the largest correlation coefficient

Using variance stabilizing transformations, this note describes approximate solutions to the ranking and selection problem of selecting the best binomial population or the bivariate normal population with the largest correlation coefficient.
Water intake in hypovolemic sheep: effects of crushing the left atrial appendage

Sheep increased their water intake in proportion to the amount of protein-free, isosmotic fluid that was removed from their blood by ultrafiltration. This behavioral response to hypovolemia was eliminated by crushing the left atrial appendage of the heart. The surgical maneuver had no effect on basal water intake or on the drinking response to a salt load. These findings suggest that left atrial stretch receptors, which influence secretion of antidiuretic hormone when stimulated, may also play an important role in mediating thirst during hypovolemia.
Scattering and guiding of waves by dielectric gratings with arbitrary profiles

Based on an exact solution of the pertinent boundary-value problem, a method is presented for finding the electromagnetic fields scattered or guided by lossy dielectric gratings having arbitrary profiles. This method unifies the treatment of both perpendicular (TE) and parallel (TM) polarizations by expressing the fields in terms of two coupled first-order differential equations. Their solution is obtained by resorting to difference equations in conjunction with the algorithm of Adams–Moulton, which easily leads to accurate results for a large variety of practical problems. To illustrate the application of this approach, quantitative results are presented for the scattering of plane waves by lossy corrugated structures and for the guiding of (leaky) surface waves by triangular gratings with symmetric or asymmetric profiles.
Divergent Signaling Pathways Link Focal Adhesion Kinase to Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase Cascades EVIDENCE FOR A ROLE OF PAXILLIN IN c-Jun NH2-TERMINAL KINASE ACTIVATION

Stimulation of a number of cell surface receptors, including integrins and G protein-coupled receptors, results in the activation of a non-receptor tyrosine kinase known as focal adhesion kinase (FAK). In turn, this kinase is believed to play a critical role in signaling to intracellular kinase cascades controlling gene expression such as extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs), by a yet poorly defined mechanism. Furthermore, whether this tyrosine kinase also mediates the activation of other mitogen-activated protein kinase family members, such as c-Jun NH2-terminal kinases (JNKs), is still unclear. We show here that the activation of FAK by anchoring to the cell membrane is itself sufficient to stimulate potently both ERK and JNK. These effects were found to be phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-independent, as FAK effectively stimulated Akt, and wortmannin suppressed Akt but not ERK or JNK activation. As previously reported by others, activation of ERK correlated with the ability of FAK to induce tyrosine phosphorylation of Shc. Surprisingly, however, stimulation of JNK was not dependent on the kinase activity of FAK or on the ability to induce tyrosine phosphorylation of FAK substrates. Instead, we provide evidence that FAK may stimulate JNK through a novel pathway involving the recruitment of paxillin to the plasma membrane and the subsequent activation of a biochemical route dependent on small GTP-binding proteins of the Rho family.
What's the Point of Partnering? A Case Study of Ecosystem Management in the Darby Creek Watershed

The ecosystem approach to managing the environment requires significant changes to our current environmental management system. However in many cases, financial and political realities may prevent ...
Patterns of virulence and benevolence in insect‐borne pathogens of plants

Abstract Direct and indirect interactions between insect‐borne pathogens and their host plants are reviewed in the context of theoretical analyses of the evolution of virulence. Unlike earlier theories, which maintained that parasites should evolve to be harmless or even beneficial to their hosts, recent models predict that coevolution between pathogen and host may lead to virulence or avirulence, depending on the pathogen transmission system. The studies reviewed here support the hypothesis that virulence can be advantageous for insect‐borne pathogens of plants. Virulent pathogens may be transmitted more readily by vector insects and are likely to induce stronger disease symptoms, thereby potentially making the plant more attractive to vectors. In contrast, the transmission advantage of virulence for seed‐transmitted pathogens is lower and the costs of virulence are high. Pathogens may sometimes benefit plants via indirect interactions that arise through relationships with other organisms. Evidence for t...
Age and gender effects on glucose utilization in skeletal muscle and brown adipose tissue of cold-exposed rats.

We hypothesized that glucose utilization by skeletal muscle is less in cold- exposed older male versus female Fischer 344 (F344) rats and that this reduction may contribute to the poorer cold-exposed thermoregulatory ability of the older males. To test this hypothesis, the rates of in wiwo glucose utilization of skeletal muscle in 6-, 12-, and 26-month-old male and female F344 rats were estimated during cold exposure by measuring the cellular incorporation of ('4C)-2-deoxyglucose ((14C)-2DG) after its con- version to (14C)-2DG-6-phosphate ((14C)-2DGP). Comparable measurements were also made in the interscapular brown fat depot (IBAT). Four-hour fasted rats, that had been fitted with femoral arterial and venous cannulae 24 hr earlier, were exposed to either 26" or 6°C for 2 hr and then received a bolus infusion of (14C)-2DG (125 pCi/kg body wt). Arterial plasma glucose and (14C)-2DG concentrations were measured periodi- cally for an additional 45 min. Rats were sacrificed, and various skeletal muscles and IBAT were removed and immediately frozen in liquid N, for subsequent analysis of (14C)-2DGP content. Cold-exposed male rats had significantly lower rectal tempera- tures than comparably treated females (26-month-old male, 34.8" f 0.3"; female, 36.1" f 0.2"C). There was no main effect of age, gender, or cold exposure on skeletal muscle glucose utilization when the data were expressed as nmol/min/g. In contrast, when data were expressed relative to total tissue weight (nmoVmin), skeletal muscle glu- cose utilization was significantly higher in male than in female rats. Although esti- mated glucose utilization in IBAT (nmol/min/g) isolated from cold-exposed rats was significantly greater than that in brown fat isolated from non-cold-exposed animals, there was no main effect of age or gender. However, glucose utilization per IBAT depot (nmol/min) was significantly less in older male than in female rats, and reflected the fact that IBAT weight of older males was more than 50% lower than that of comparably aged females. Thus, our hypothesis that reduced skeletal muscle glucose utilization contributes to the blunted thermoregulatory ability of older male versus female F344 rats is negated. Rather, our data suggest that while the ability of brown adipocytes to utilize glucose does not appear to decline with age (as indicated by the absence of an age-related decrease in glucose utilization per gram of IBAT), the lower total depot glucose utilization of cold-exposed older males versus females may partially explain the previously reported gender difference in the thermogenic capacity of this tissue.
TNF-related ligands and their receptors

Multicellular organisms have the challenging task of coordinating the activities of many distinct cell types. This coordination is accomplished largely by cell-associated and soluble signalling molecules that act locally or distantly to alter target-cell physiology. The tumour necrosis factor family of cytokines are type II transmembrane proteins that are important regulators of homeostasis and have been implicated as mediators of disease. These molecules serve as ligands for a family of cell-surface receptors termed the tumour necrosis factor/nerve growth factor (TNF/NGF) receptor family. The receptors are type I transmembrane proteins capable of mediating a wide range of responses in vitro and in vivo. Signal transduction is mediated by several newly discovered cytoplasmic proteins that couple these receptors to downstream signalling events. The elucidation and use of spontaneously occurring mutants in TNF-related ligands and receptors in addition to gene-targeting experiments have begun to clarify the diverse biological effects mediated by this superfamily of cytokines.
An application of linear goal programming to the marketing distribution decision

Abstract This paper presents an application of linear goal programming to the distribution decision faced by the marketing department of a food products manufacturer. A model is developed to determine the optimal distribution structure in terms of the percentage of All-Commodity Volume, while simultaneously taking into consideration market share, profit, and budget goal constraints. After generating an optimal solution, the goal priority structure is modified, and an alternative solution is presented. Finally, the implications of these results for the management of the marketing function are discussed.
Compensation for subliminal timing perturbations in perceptual-motor synchronization.

It is sometimes assumed that limits of temporal discrimination established in psychophysical tasks constrain the timing information available for the control of action. Results from the five perceptual-motor synchronization experiments presented here argue against this assumption. Experiment 1 demonstrates that subliminal (0.8–2%) local changes in interval duration in an otherwise isochronous auditory sequence are rapidly compensated for in the timing of synchronized finger tapping. If this compensation is based on perception of the highly variable synchronization error (SE) rather than of the local change in stimulus period, then it could be based solely on SEs that exceed the temporal order threshold. However, that hypothesis is ruled out by additional analyses of Exp. 1 and the results of Exp. 2, a combined synchronization and temporal order judgment task. Experiments 3–5 further show that three factors that affect the detectability of local deviations from stimulus isochrony do not inhibit effective compensation for such deviations in synchronized tapping. Experiment 5, a combined synchronization and detection task, shows directly that compensation for timing perturbations does not depend on explicit detection. Overall, the results suggest that the automatic processes involved in the temporal control of action have access to more accurate timing information than do the conscious decision processes of auditory temporal judgment.
Metastatic Progression of Pancreatic Cancer: Changes in Antioxidant Enzymes and Cell Growth

Pancreatic cancer has a dismal prognosis due to the fact that patients present late when metastatic disease is already present. Previous studies have demonstrated that pancreatic cancer cells have decreased levels of MnSOD, which correlates well with increased rates of tumor cell proliferation. Recently, we have found that nude mice injected with MIA PaCa-2 human pancreatic cancer cells in the flank occasionally develop ascites and intra-abdominal metastatic deposits. Mice that developed ascites were sacrificed and the ascites cultured. Necropsy demonstrated metastatic tumors in the retroperitoneum, which were excised, digested, and cultured. Western blots, enzyme activity and enzyme activity gels were performed for manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD), copper/zinc (CuZnSOD), catalase, and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) in the ascites cell line, metastatic tumor cell line, MIA PaCa-2 primary pancreatic cancer cell line, and the Capan-1, a metastatic pancreatic cancer cell line. Cell growth, plating efficiency, growth in soft agar and growth in nude mice were determined in the ascites, metastatic tumor, and MIA PaCa-2 cell lines. MnSOD, CuZnSOD, and GPx protein and activity were increased in the ascites, metastatic tumor, and Capan-1 cell lines compared to MIA PaCa-2. The ascites and metastatic tumor cell lines had decreased cell growth, plating efficiency, and growth in soft agar, but the ascites cell line had increased cell growth in 4 and 1% O(2) concentrations in vitro and more rapid growth in vivo. Metastatic disease is associated with changes in the content and activity of antioxidant enzymes with an associated change in growth characteristics depending on the O(2) concentrations.
Consciousness, cortical function, and pain perception in nonverbal humans

Postulating the subcortical organization of human consciousness provides a critical link for the construal of pain in patients with impaired cortical function or cortical immaturity during early development. Practical implications of the centrencephalic proposal include the redefinition of pain, improved pain assessment in nonverbal humans, and benefits of adequate analgesia/anesthesia for these patients, which certainly justify the rigorous scientific efforts required.
Effects of olfactory bulb removal on fear responses and passive avoidance in the rat.

Abstract Following complete bulbectomies, male hooded rats showed an increase in irritability and difficulty of handling, but a decrease in timidity or fear responses. After rats had learned to drink in an open field, a cat was confined in the center, and fear was defined by the behavior of controls, viz., almost total suppression of drinking and long periods of freezing, broken by brief bursts of high-speed activity. Bulb animals could not have differed more radically. Bulbs showed neither freezing nor suppression of drinking. The present results could not be attributed to differences in shock reactivity; nor could they be attributed to differences in learning or retention. Bulb animals also showed an impairment on the acquisition of step-down passive avoidance but no difference in step-downs after acquisition. These results argue against an impairment of response inhibition. The present study suggests that bulbectomy increases irritability and decreases timidity.
The effects of frozen storage conditions on lycopene stability in watermelon tissue.

The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the rate of deterioration of lycopene in watermelon tissue during frozen storage, because little is known about the stability of watermelon tissue lycopene under cold storage conditions. Heart tissue from each of nine individual watermelons was stored at −20 or −80 °C as either small chunks or puree and periodically sampled over a year's time. Initial freeze−thaw experiments indicated that a small percentage of lycopene, ∼4−6%, degraded during an initial freeze−thaw. Analyses of the samples showed a loss of ∼30−40% lycopene over a year's storage at −20 °C and a loss of ∼5−10% over the same period at −80 °C. Lycopene was slightly more stable in pureed compared with diced watermelon tissue at −20 °C, but not at −80 °C. The kinetic data were best fitted by application of two simultaneous, first-order decay processes. HPLC analysis of the samples after a year's storage suggested that β-carotene was more stable during storage at −20 °C than was lycopene. Keywor...
The Impact of Climate Change on Air Quality–Related Meteorological Conditions in California. Part I: Present Time Simulation Analysis

AbstractThis study investigates the impacts of climate change on meteorology and air quality conditions in California by dynamically downscaling Parallel Climate Model (PCM) data to high resolution (4 km) using the Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) model. This paper evaluates the present years’ (2000–06) downscaling results driven by either PCM or National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) Global Forecasting System (GFS) reanalysis data. The analyses focused on the air quality–related meteorological variables, such as planetary boundary layer height (PBLH), surface temperature, and wind. The differences of the climatology from the two sets of downscaling simulations and the driving global datasets were compared, which illustrated that most of the biases of the downscaling results were inherited from the driving global climate model (GCM). The downscaling process added mesoscale features but also introduced extra biases into the driving global data. The main source of bias in the PCM data is an...
Aristotle on the Transcendentals

n this paper, I want to examine two claims found in Aristotle's Metaphysics: (A) the claim that notions like being and unity do not constitute genera and (B) the claim that such notions are not univocally predicable of all things. I want, in particular, to consider the view (expressed by Porphyry, William of Ockham, and J. L. Ackrill) that (A) entails (B). I shall argue that the alleged entailment cannot hold since while (A) is true, (B) is false.
Design of a link-controller architecture for multiple serial link protocols

This paper introduces a novel Multi-mode Serial Link Controller (MMSLC) for logic physical layer (PHY) and data link layer (DLL) of USB 3.0, PCIe 2.0 and SATA 3.0. Functions defined in these protocols are grouped based on qualifying similarities and workload. The framework consists of a configurable circuit, programmable accelerator and event processor for flexible implementation. This MMSLC can essentially substitute for three individual link-controllers across protocols, thus achieving area reduction. An RTL level implementation is fulfilled and the synthesis results are shown at the end of this paper.