cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Studies of BFU-E in Flask Cultures of Human Peripheral and Cord Blood Cells

Early erythroid progenitors (the burst-forming units-erythroid or BFU-E) from human peripheral and cord blood mononuclear cells were maintained in flask culture for 2 weeks without added erythropoietin (Epo) or erythroid potentiating activity (EPA). These cultures did not develop adherent cell layers and did not support the more mature erythroid colony-forming unit (CFU-E). Samples removed at intervals from these flask cultures were assayed for BFU-E recovery in a plasma clot system in response to a range of Epo doses and to added EPA with time in flask culture. The BFU-E recovered showed increased proliferative capacity and decreased responsiveness to Epo and EPA. These results indicate selection of more primitive erythroid progenitor cells under the conditions described. Peripheral and cord blood mononuclear cell cultures provide a flexible and accessible approach to in vitro studies of human erythropoiesis. Comparative studies with long-term marrow cultures should help to elucidate the role of adherent cells and humoral factors in erythroid differentiation.
Unsaturated Zone Waters from the Nopal I Natural Analog, Chihuahua, Mexico - Implications for Radionuclide Mobility at Yucca Mountain

Chemical and U-Th isotopic data on unsaturated zone waters from the Nopal I natural analog reveal effects of water-rock interaction and help constrain models of radionuclide release and transport at the site and, by analogy, at the proposed nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain. Geochemical reaction-path modeling indicates that, under oxidizing conditions, dissolution of uraninite (spent fuel analog) by these waters will lead to eventual schoepite precipitation regardless of initial silica concentration provided that groundwater is not continuously replenished. Thus, less soluble uranyl silicates may not dominate the initial alteration assemblage and keep dissolved U concentrations low. Uranium-series activity ratios are consistent with models of U transport at the site and display varying degrees of leaching versus recoil mobilization. Thorium concentrations may reflect the importance of colloidal transport of low-solubility radionuclides in the unsaturated zone.
The Brookhaven superconducting underground power-transmission system

The application of the principles of superconductivity to power transmission has long been thought possible, but expensive. The working system at the Brookhaven National Laboratory in the USA is a milestone on the road to commercial application of the phenomenon
How Much Do Drugs Matter

Antiretroviral drugs have increased life expectancy and improved quality of life for HIV-infected patients. However, although these drugs suppress HIV replication in the blood, they do not eliminate HIV-infected cells. Hence, current treatment cannot cure the infection and must be lifelong. Indeed,
Conjoined computer systems: an architecture for laboratory data processing and instrument control

A new computer system organization and implementation is described and its application to problems in both clinical and research laboratory biomedical applications is outlined. This system, called a Conjoined Computer System to emphasize the idea of computer coordination, consists of a few storedprogram computers, each with a fixed assigned task, and inter-connected with combined data and control paths which may be easily changed. Such systems appear to be useful in situations where a) one or more major laboratory peripheral devices are included, b) operational speed is required which is greater than that which can be obtained from a single processor implementation, and c) the algorithms utilized can be partitioned into two or more machines such that only moderate intercomputer communication rates are needed. This architecture offers the possibility of simplifying the peripheral interfacing, reducing total computation time, allowing rapid system reconfiguration, enforcing the discipline required for structured programming, and, by means of a centralized program development console, increasing the efficiency of program development.
The A y puzzle and the nuclear force

The nucleon-deuteron analyzing power A y in elastic nucleon-deuteron scattering poses a longstanding puzzle. At energies E lab below approximately 30 MeV, A y cannot be described by any realistic NN force. The inclusion of existing three-nucleon forces does not improve the situation. Because of recent questions about the 3 P J NN phases, we examine whether reasonable changes in the NN force can resolve the puzzle. In order to do this, we investigate the effect on the 3 P J waves produced by changes in different parts of the potential (viz., the central force, tensor force, etc.), as well as on the 2-body observables and on A y. We find that it is not possible with reasonable changes in the NN potential to increase the 3-body A y and at the same time to keep the 2-body observables unchanged. We therefore conclude that the A y puzzle is likely to be solved by new three-nucleon forces, such as those of spin-orbit type, which have not yet been taken into account.
Different developmental strategies in two boreal blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae)

The minimum developmental rates of Protophormia terraenovae (Robineau-Desvoidy) and Calliphora vomitoria (L.) were measured at four temperatures: 12.5, 23, 29, and 35 degrees C. Although both species are Holarctic in distribution and hemisynanthropic, there are important differences in the response of their developmental stages to various temperature regimes. The eggs and feeding larvae of P. terraenovae responded linearly to temperatures from 23 to 35 degrees C, but development was retarded at 12.5 degrees C. The feeding larvae took about 11 times longer to develop at 12.5 than at 23 degrees C, indicating poor cold adaptation. The converse is true of C. vomitoria, which took only 2 times as long at 12.5 than at 23 degrees C but failed to complete development at 29 and 35 degrees C. Our laboratory data and field studies of others suggest that, in nature, P. terraenovae and C. vomitoria prefer breeding in larger carcasses as a survival tactic and means of extending their distribution into colder regions.
Commensal Bacteria Calibrate the Activation Threshold of Innate Antiviral Immunity

Signals from commensal bacteria can influence immune cell development and susceptibility to infectious or inflammatory diseases. However, the mechanisms by which commensal bacteria regulate protective immunity after exposure to systemic pathogens remain poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that antibiotic-treated (ABX) mice exhibit impaired innate and adaptive antiviral immune responses and substantially delayed viral clearance after exposure to systemic LCMV or mucosal influenza virus. Furthermore, ABX mice exhibited severe bronchiole epithelial degeneration and increased host mortality after influenza virus infection. Genome-wide transcriptional profiling of macrophages isolated from ABX mice revealed decreased expression of genes associated with antiviral immunity. Moreover, macrophages from ABX mice exhibited defective responses to type I and type II IFNs and impaired capacity to limit viral replication. Collectively, these data indicate that commensal-derived signals provide tonic immune stimulation that establishes the activation threshold of the innate immune system required for optimal antiviral immunity.
Conditioning from an information processing perspective.

Abstract The framework provided by Claude Shannon’s [Bell Syst. Technol. J. 27 (1948) 623] theory of information leads to a quantitatively oriented reconceptualization of the processes that mediate conditioning. The focus shifts from processes set in motion by individual events to processes sensitive to the information carried by the flow of events. The conception of what properties of the conditioned and unconditioned stimuli are important shifts from the tangible properties to the intangible properties of number, duration, frequency and contingency. In this view, a stimulus becomes a CS if its onset substantially reduces the subject’s uncertainty about the time of occurrence of the next US. One way to represent the subject’s knowledge of that time of occurrence is by the cumulative probability function, which has two limiting forms: (1) The state of maximal uncertainty (minimal knowledge) is represented by the inverse exponential function for the random rate condition, in which the US is equally likely at any moment. (2) The limit to the subject’s attainable certainty is represented by the cumulative normal function, whose momentary expectation is the CS–US latency minus the time elapsed since CS onset. Its standard deviation is the Weber fraction times the CS–US latency.
Factory Alignment Equipment for Frequency-Modulation Receivers

A description of some of the problems arising in the alignment of frequency-modulated receivers is given and a method of meeting these problems with a minimum of difficulty and complexity is shown. The method adopted is that of providing a central signal-generating equipment with a number of remote alignment positions with individual attenuators and oscilloscopes.
Endogenous buffers limit the spread of free calcium in hair cells

Mobile Ca2+ buffers in hair cells have been postulated to play a dual role. On one hand, they carry incoming Ca2+ away from synaptic areas, allowing synapses to be rapidly reset. On the other hand, they limit the spread of free Ca2+ into the cell, preventing cross-talk between different pathways that employ Ca2+ as a second messenger. We have obtained evidence for such mobile Ca2+ buffers in hair cells by comparing the patterns of Ca2+-induced fluo-3 fluorescence under whole-cell and perforated-patch recording conditions. Fluorescent signals under perforated-patch conditions are relatively weak and are limited to the immediate vicinity of the membrane. These observations can be explained by a diffusion-reaction scheme that, in addition to Ca2+ and fluo-3, incorporates endogenous fixed and mobile Ca2+ buffers. Our experiments also suggest that the mobility of the endogenous buffer might be higher than previously thought. A high buffer mobility is expected to enhance the cell's ability to rapidly modulate transmitter release.
Does the rodent model adequately predict the effects of ozone induced changes to human erythrocytes

There is an important need to develop animal models to simulate the response of humans to environmental pollutants. The rodent model has been commonly employed to predict the effects of ambient ozone on human RBCs. The use of rodent models for such a purpose is questioned. This challenge is based on the a) ability of mice to significantly enhance ascorbic acid synthesis following ozone stress, b) the ability of ascorbic acid to prevent oxidant [i.e. acetylphenylhydrazine (APH)] stress to human G-6-PD deficient RBCs and c) the lack of ability of humans to synthesize ascorbic acid.
PKC-ζ Mediates Norepinephrine-Induced Phospholipase D Activation and Cell Proliferation in VSMC

Norepinephrine (NE) stimulates phospholipase D (PLD) activity and cell proliferation in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). The objective of this study was to determine the contribution of PKC-ζ to NE-induced PLD activation and cell proliferation in VSMCs. PLD activity was measured by the formation of [ 3 H]phosphatidylethanol in VSMCs labeled with [ 3 H]oleic acid and exposed to ethanol. A high basal PLD activity was detected, and NE increased PLD activity over basal by 70%. This increase was abolished by the broad-range PKC inhibitor Ro 31-8220 (1 μmol/L, 30 minutes) and myristoylated PKC-ζ pseudosubstrate peptide inhibitor (25 μmol/L, 1 hour). Transfection of VSMCs with PKC-ζ antisense, but not sense, oligonucleotides, which reduced PKC-ζ protein level and basal PLD activity, caused a 92% decrease in NE-induced PLD activation. NE-induced increase in PLD activity was also reduced by 61% in cells transfected with kinase-deficient FLAG-T410A-PKC-ζ plasmid but not in those transfected with wild-type PKC-ζ. NE increased immunoprecipitable PKC-ζ activity and phosphorylation, reaching a maximum at 2 and 5 minutes, respectively. NE-induced increase in PKC-ζ activity was inhibited by Ro 31-8220 and by the pseudosubstrate inhibitor. Treatment of VSMCs for 48 hours with PKC-ζ antisense, but not sense, oligonucleotides also inhibited basal and NE-stimulated cell proliferation by 54% and 57%, respectively, as measured by [ 3 H]thymidine incorporation. The inhibitor of PLD activity n -butanol, but not its inactive analog tert -butanol, also reduced the basal and blocked NE-induced cell proliferation. These data suggest that PKC-ζ mediates PLD activation and cell proliferation elicited by NE in rabbit VSMCs.
Robotic applications in reproductive endocrinology and infertility

In reproductive medicine, minimally invasive techniques are commonly used to perform various surgeries (e.g., tubal reanastomosis and myomectomy) in the infertile patient. In recent years, robotic technology has been utilized to perform these surgeries. This article will review the laparoscopic and robotic applications for tubal reanastomosis and myomectomy within the field of reproductive medicine. In addition, current robotic techniques utilized at our institution will be reviewed. In reproductive medicine, robotic-assisted technology provides a feasible option for minimally invasive surgery.
Extended Kalman-Yakubovich-Popov conditions for singularly impulsive dynamical systems

Singularly impulsive (or generalized impulsive) dynamical systems are systems which dynamics are characterized by the set of differential, difference and algebraic equations. They represent the class of hybrid systems, where algebraic equations represent constraints that differential and difference equations need to satisfy. For the class of singularly impulsive dynamical systems we present extended Kalman-Yakubovich-Popov conditions in terms of the singularly impulsive system dynamics characterizing dissipativeness via system storage functions. The framework is specialized to passive and nonexpansive singularly impulsive systems to provide a generalization of the classical notions of passivity and nonexpansivity for nonlinear singularly impulsive systems.
Medical malpractice, social structure, and social control

The origin and handling of doctor-patient conflict can be understood with reference to the sociological aspects of professional health care. This premise is explored by applying Black's theory of social control to the empirical evidence concerning malpractice litigation in the United States. The vertical, organizational, and relational distances between the health care provider and the patient are particularly relevant for predicting when malpractice claims will be made and how they will be resolved. These social-structural variables help explain several patterns in the American malpractice experience, including the aggregate increase in claim rates over the past four decades; the persistence of toleration as the modal response to medical injury; why poorer patients are less suit-prone than higher income patients; why surgical specialties have higher claim rates than general practice and psychiatry; why hospitals are sued disproportionately less often than individual doctors; and the relatively high frequency of prodefendant decisions when lawsuits are decided by a judge or jury.
Tumor immunity: a balancing act between T cell activation, macrophage activation and tumor-induced immune suppression

The mouse 4T1 mammary carcinoma is a BALB/c-derived tumor that spontaneously metastasizes and induces immune suppression. Although >95% of wild type BALB/c mice die from metastatic 4T1 tumor even if the primary mammary tumor is surgically removed, >65% of BALB/c mice with a deleted Signal Transducer Activator of Transcription 6 (STAT6) gene survive post-surgery. STAT6-deficiency also confers enhanced immunity against spontaneously developing breast cancer since NeuT+/- mice that are STAT6-deficient develop mammary tumors later and survive longer than NeuT+/- mice that are STAT6-competent. Rejection of metastastic disease and survival of STAT6-deficient mice after removal of primary tumor involve three mechanisms: (1) The generation of M1 type macrophages that produce nitric oxide and are tumoricidal; (2) A decrease to normal in the elevated levels of myeloid suppressor cells that accumulate during primary tumor growth; and (3) CD8+ tumor-specific T lymphocytes. STAT6-deficient, but not wild type BALB/c, mice generate nitric oxide producing macrophages because they lack the STAT6 transcription factor which is necessary for signaling through the type 2 IL-4Ralpha complex, and which induces the production of arginase instead of nitric oxide.
[3H]thymidine-labeled colonic epithelial cells and mucosa in mice and man.

Since normal epithelial cell proliferation occurs chiefly in the lower two thirds of colonic crypts, the presence of aberrant DNA-synthesizing cells (tritiated thymidine labeled) at the mouth and on the surface of colonic crypts is being assessed as a predictive indicator of the development of neoplasia in patients at high risk. These would include patients with previous polyps or colon cancer or family history of either or both. Surface cells are obtained by pulsatile saline lavage of the lower bowel and incubated with tritiated thymidine ([3H]TdR) for autoradiographic observation. Findings in each high-risk category are presented and compared with [3H]TdR labeling data from a biopsy taken at the close of the procedure. The lavage technique has also been carried out on mice injected with the colon carcinogen 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH). Mice were demonstrated to have [3H]TdR-labeled cells and cellular atypia while being hemoccult negative and asymptomatic for overt disease. Evaluation of human material preliminarily demonstrated the presence of surface-labeled epithelial cells in a high percentage of patients at risk for colon cancer.
Spin-flip-induced hole burning in GaAs quantum wells: Determination of the exciton Zeeman splitting.

A new method of four-wave-mixing spectroscopy in GaAs quantum wells reveals spectral hole burning due to spin relaxation of magnetoexcitons. The measurements resolve the Zeeman doublet of the lowest-energy heavy-hole exciton where the doublet splitting is much less than the exciton inhomogeneous width. The Zeeman splitting depends nonlinearly on the magnetic field and is small compared with that of bulk GaAs. The results reflect effects of the complex band structure of quantum wells. Information on exciton spin relaxation is also provided by the hole-burning measurements.
SU-E-T-152: Error Sensitivity and Superiority of a Protocol for 3D IMRT Quality Assurance.

Purpose: To test if the parameters included in our 3D QA protocol with current tolerance levels are able to detect certain errors and show the superiority of 3D QA method over single ion chamber measurements and 2D gamma test by detecting most of the introduced errors. The 3D QA protocol parameters are: TPS and measured average dose difference, 3D gamma test with 3mmDTA/3% test parameters, and structure volume for which the TPS predicted and measured absolute dose difference is greater than 6%. Methods: Two prostate and two thoracic step-and-shoot IMRT patients were investigated. The following errors were introduced to each original treatment plan: energy switched from 6MV to 10MV, linac jaws retracted to 15cmx15cm, 1,2,3 central MLC leaf pairs retracted behind the jaws, single central MLC leaf put in or out of the treatment field, Monitor Units (MU) increased and decreased by 1 and 3%, collimator off by 5 and 15 degrees, detector shifted by 5mm to the left and right, gantry treatment angle off by 5 and 15 degrees. QA was performed on each plan using single ion chamber, 2D ion chamber array for 2D gamma analysis and using IBA's COMPASS system for 3D QA. Results: Out of the three tested QA methods single ion chamber performs the worst not detecting subtle errors. 3D QA proves to be the superior out of the three methods detecting all of introduced errors, except 10MV and 1% MU change, and MLC rotated (those errors were not detected by any QA methods tested). Conclusion: As the way radiation is delivered evolves, so must the QA. We believe a diverse set of 3D statistical parameters applied both to OAR and target plan structures provides the highest level of QA.
Recognition of Anionic Phospholipid Membranes by an Antihemostatic Protein from a Blood-Feeding Insect

The saliva of blood-feeding insects contains a variety of molecules having antihemostatic activity. Here we describe nitrophorin 7 (NP7), a salivary protein that binds with high affinity to anionic phospholipid membranes. The protein is apparently targeted to the negatively charged surfaces of activated platelets and other cells where it can serve as a vasodilator, antihistamine, platelet aggregation inhibitor, and anticoagulant. As with other members of the nitrophorin group, NP7 reversibly binds a molecule of NO and binds histamine with high affinity. The protein differs from other nitrophorins in that it binds to membranes containing phosphatidylserine. Sedimentation and surface plasmon resonance experiments, revealed two classes of phospholipid binding site having Kd values of 4.8 and 755 nM. NP7 inhibits prothrombin activation by blocking phospholipid binding sites for the prothrombinase complex on the surfaces of vesicles and activated platelets. As a NO complex, NP7 inhibits collagen and ADP-induced platelet aggregation and induces disaggregation of ADP-stimulated platelets by an NO-mediated mechanism. Molecular modeling of NP7 revealed a putative, positively charged membrane interaction surface comprised mainly of a helix lying outside of the lipocalin β-barrel structure.
Induction of astrocyte differentiation by propentofylline increases glutamate transporter expression in vitro: Heterogeneity of the quiescent phenotype

Reactive astrocytes display decreased glutamate transporters, such as GLT-1, and as a result synaptic glutamate clearance is impaired. In addition, these activated astrocytes are immunocompetent and release algesic mediators that can sensitize neurons in the spinal cord. Currently, we evaluated the effect of propentofylline (PPF), an experimental antiallodynic agent, on the phenotype and glutamate transporter expression of astrocytes. Primary astrocyte cultures, which represent an activated phenotype with a polygonal morphology and low GLT-1 expression, were treated for 3 or 7 days with 10, 100, or 1,000 μM PPF or dibutyryl-cAMP (db-cAMP), a known inducer of GLT-1 expression. PPF dose-dependently induced astrocytes to display a mature phenotype, with elongated processes and a stellate shape, as well as increased GLT-1 and GLAST immunoreactivity, similar to that seen with db-cAMP. Real time RT-PCR and Western blot analysis clearly demonstrated that PPF caused a potent dose-dependent induction of GLT-1 and GLAST mRNA and protein in these astrocytes. Importantly, the observed increase in glutamate transporters was found to have a functional effect, with significantly enhanced glutamate uptake in astrocytes treated with 100 or 1,000 μM PPF that was sensitive to dihydrokainate inhibition, suggesting it is GLT-1 mediated. Finally, the effect of PPF on lipopolysaccaride-induced chemokine release was investigated. Interestingly, PPF was able to dampen both MCP-1 (CCL2) and MIP-2 (CXCL2) release from astrocytes while db-cAMP significantly enhanced this chemokine expression. These findings suggest that PPF is capable of differentiating astrocytes to a homeostatic, mature phenotype, competent for glutamate clearance and distinct from that induced by db-cAMP. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Three scales of temporal resolution from automated soil respiration measurements

Soil respiration (Rs) is a combination of autotrophic and heterotrophic respiration, but it is often modeled as a single efflux process, influenced by environmental variables similarly across all time scales. Continued progress in understanding sources of variation in soil CO2 efflux will require development of Rs models that incorporate environmental influences at multiple time scales. Coherence analysis, which requires high temporal frequency data on Rs and related environmental variables, permits examination of covariation between Rs and the factors that influence it at varying temporal frequencies, thus isolating the factors important at each time scale. Automated Rs measurements, along with air, soil temperature and moisture were collected at half hour intervals at a temperate forest at Harvard Forest, MA in 2003 and a boreal transition forest at the Howland Forest, ME in 2005. As in other temperate and boreal forests, seasonal variation in Rs was strongly correlated with soil temperature. The organic and mineral layer water contents were significantly related to Rs at synoptic time scales of 2-3 days to weeks, representing the wetting and drying of the soils as weather patterns move across the region. Post- wetting pulses of Rs were correlated with the amount of precipitation and the magnitude of the change from pre-wet-up moisture content to peak moisture content of the organic horizon during the precipitation events. Although soil temperature at 8-10 cm depth and Rs showed strong coherence at a 24-h interval, calculated diel Q10 values for Rs were unreasonably high (6-74) during all months for the evergreen forest and during the growing season for the deciduous forest, suggesting that other factors that covary with soil temperature, such as canopy assimilatory processes, may also influence the diel amplitude of Rs. Lower diel Q10 values were obtained based on soil temperature measured at shallower depths or with air temperature, but the fit was poorer and a lag was needed to improve the fit (peak Rs followed peak air temperature by several hours), suggesting a role for delayed substrate supply from aboveground processes to affect diel patterns of Rs. High frequency automated Rs datasets afford the opportunity to disentangle the temporal scales at which environmental factors, such as seasonal temperature and phenology, synoptic weather events and soil moisture, and diel variation in temperature and photosynthesis, affect soil respiration processes.
The nonexcludable publicness of primary and secondary public education

Abstract Existing theoretical models of education, as with most practical applications of public good theory, suggest some form of joint public-private financing. Empirical work has only rarely addressed these theoretical considerations. Employing individual level observations, we model and estimate the private and social demands for public education in a community. An ordered probit model with known thresholds is used to obtain unique parameter estimates. The individual private and social demands are then employed to construct a measure of the publicness of education at various quantities.
Constructing Arden: Life Inside the Machine

Virtual worlds are not fields of dreams. Developers must be careful not to fall into the mantra of "if you build it, they will come." If players don't enjoy spending time in a virtual world, then they are not likely to do so. With that in mind, Arden designers have drawn from extensive game experience and the advice of industry experts, such as writer and game designer Lee Sheldon of Indiana University, to create the most appealing environment possible. The Neverwinter Nights toolset provides a robust collection of game systems, which have received wide acclaim from gamers and developers alike. In addition to this solid foundation of tools, Arden includes the setting and lore from one of the world's most interesting and exciting literary works.
Modeling of mold filling process for powder injection molding

The mold filling process has been modeled for the injection molding of different polymer-based binders and powder-polymer mixtures. It is essentially a two dimensional non-Newtonian fluid flow analysis in a non-isothermal environment. A complete analysis is accomplished by combining a finite element method and control volume technique to describe an increment of flow front movement, whereas a finite difference method is used to solve the energy equation to characterize the temperature distribution. Numerical results are compared to exact solutions for a circular ring cavity using a power law fluid model under an isothermal condition. Comparison of computed results against published data for a simple circular disk shows good agreement between the two analysis methods. After making selected comparison studies, it is demonstrated that the filling process in Powder Injection Modeling with different combination of powder-polymer mixtures is markedly dependent on specific combinations of powder; and polymer based binders. Computed flow front results for a rectangular cavity also compared favorably against the data for a power law fluid model under non-isothermal conditions.
Essential Conservation Laws for Equations with Infinite Symmetries

We consider partial differential equations of variational problems with infinite symmetry groups. We study local conservation laws associated with arbitrary functions of one variable in the group generators. We show that only symmetries with arbitrary functions of dependent variables lead to an infinite number of conservation laws. We also calculate local conservation laws for the potential Zabolotskaya-Khokhlov equation for one of its infinite subgroups.
Activity of a maize ubiquitin promoter in transgenic rice

We have used the maize ubiquitin 1 promoter, first exon and first intron (UBI) for rice (Oryza sativa L. cv. Taipei 309) transformation experiments and studied its expression in transgenic calli and plants. UBI directed significantly higher levels of transient gene expression than other promoter/intron combinations used for rice transformation. We exploited these high levels of expression to identify stable transformants obtained from callus-derived protoplasts co-transfected with two chimeric genes. The genes consisted of UBI fused to the coding regions of the uidA and bar marker genes (UBI:GUS and UBI:BAR). UBI:GUS expression increased in response to thermal stress in both transfected protoplasts and transgenic rice calli. Histochemical localization of GUS activity revealed that UBI was most active in rapidly dividing cells. This promoter is expressed in many, but not all, rice tissues and undergoes important changes in activity during the development of transgenic rice plants.
Cross section and angular distribution for the photodetachment of (12s2P)

The photodetachment process from the state is studied in detail. Cross sections and angular distributions are calculated with photon energy from threshold up to 7.5 eV, which covers the energy region below the n = 4 threshold where n is the principal quantum number of the outermost electron of the Be targets. The cross section of the photodetachment to the channels shows a resonance at 3.944 63 eV, immediately below the ) threshold.
A parametric study of the peel test

Abstract The force required to peel a film from a substrate is generally a complex function of geometry, the constitutive properties of the film and substrate, and the interfacial cohesive properties. In most analyses, the effects of the transverse shear force that is an integral aspect of almost any peel test are neglected, although they can be incorporated in an indirect fashion through models that invoke a root-rotation angle. In this study, a complete elastic solution that incorporates all the components contributing to crack-tip deformation, including bending moment, transverse shear force and axial force, is derived in a self-consistent way. In particular, it is shown that, for a strong interface that requires a reasonably large peel strain, the transverse shear results in a significant deviation of the phase angle from earlier analyses that neglected the shear term. The present analysis also links the transverse shear component to the root-rotation angle. A cohesive-zone analysis is presented for the peeling of an elastic–plastic film. In this analysis, the interface is modeled using cohesive elements, and the film is modeled by a full, two-dimensional, finite-element analysis. This analysis allows the full effects of bending, axial loading, and transverse shear to evolve, with no a-priori assumptions being made about their relative magnitudes. The numerical results show how the peel force depends on the film thickness. When the film is relatively thin, the peel force increases with an increase in thickness as the extent of plasticity increases. This increase in plasticity is associated with (i) an increase in the contribution of bending to the deformation at the crack tip, relative to the contribution of transverse shear, and (ii) an increase in the physical limits imposed by the dimensions of the film on the volume of any crack-tip plastic zone. When the film is relatively thick, elasticity dominates the deformation of the film, and small-scale yielding effects become important. The peel force is dictated by the toughness of the interface and by crack-tip plasticity (if any) induced by the cohesive stresses. Therefore, peel forces tend to minimum values for both thick and thin films. A maximum peel force is exhibited for films with an intermediate thickness.
Neurochemical correlates of cyanide-induced hypoxic neuronal damage in vitro.

Neuronal cortical cell cultures obtained from fetal mice were subjected to an hypoxic insult produced by sodium cyanide (1 mM) for 24 h. Neurochemical assays were performed 13–14 days after plating on intact cells in situ to determine if there was a specific pattern of cellular dysfunction in addition to morphologic change. Ro5-4864-displaceable benzodiazepine (BDZ) binding and high-affinity [3H]β-alanine uptake were not reduced when compared to control values. However, specific and clonazepam-displaceable BDZ binding (81±4% and 50±9% of control values, respectively), high-affinity [3H]GABA uptake (75±2%), and choline acetyltransferase activity (82±2%) were significantly lower. When the data were expressed in terms of protein content, high-affinity [3H]β-alanine uptake was significantlyincreased in cyanide-exposed and magnesium-treated cultures (123±5% and 117±3%, respectively) as was R05-4864-displaceable BDZ binding (152±14%), consistent with stimulation of nonneuronal BDZ binding and increased glial neurotransmitter uptake. Moreover, pretreatment of the cultures with magnesium effectively prevented both the morphologic and neurochemical evidence of hypoxic injury. These data lend further support to the notion that the release of excitatory neurotransmitters may mediate neurotoxicity in developing brain.
Computational methods for protein design and protein sequence variability: Biased Monte Carlo and replica exchange

Abstract Monte Carlo methods are widely used in protein design, but such methods can be inefficient when many local minima exist. Modified Monte Carlo methods are presented in the context of protein design and sequence sampling: Monte Carlo with replica exchange (MCREM) and biased Monte Carlo with replica exchange (BMCREM). Both methods are applied to an atom based model of the calcium binding protein calbindin (PDB code 4ICB). BMCREM more efficiently samples low temperatures sequences, from which the site-specific probabilities of each amino acid can be obtained.
INTERRELATIONSHIPS AMONG EMPLOYEE PARTICIPATION, INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES, GOAL DIFFICULTY, GOAL ACCEPTANCE, GOAL INSTRUMENTALITY, AND PERFORMANCE

A field study was conducted with 41 female typists in a large corporation to test an explanatory model of goal setting. Weekly productivity goals were either assigned by the supervisors or were set jointly with a typist. Goals were set for ten consecutive weeks. A correlational analysis of the data indicated that difficult goals led to higher performance. Higher performance led to higher absolute goals for the subsequent week, but smaller improvement goals. Persons with a high need for achievement and an internal control orientation set higher goals. Goal setting led to greater overall performance improvement for employees who had high self esteem or who perceived goal attainment to be instrumental for getting extrinsic rewards. Hypothesized relationships involving goal acceptance were not supported, which may have been due to a lack of validity for the goal acceptance measure.
Room Closure Response to Gas Generation and Mechanical Strength of Different Waste Forms in a Bedded Salt Repository

Finite element calculations of theporosity history of a nuclear waste disposal room for transuranic (TRU) waste in a bedded salt formation have been completed. The analyses include a reduced elastic/secondary creep model for the host halite and a nonlinear consolidation model for the crushed salt backfill. Separate gas generation and constitutive models were used for three distinct hypothetical waste forms: 1) unaltered defense-related, contact-handled transuranic (CH-TRU) waste, 2) shredded and cemented CH-TRU waste, and 3) incinerated and vitrified CH-TRU waste. Histories were determined for a 2000 year timeperiod starting from the emplacement of room seals. The resulting final roomporosities varied from roughly 55% to less than 10%, according to waste forms.
Properties of fructose-1,6-diphosphate phosphatase and fructose-1,6-diphosphate aldolase fromPseudomonas putida

The fructose-1,6-P2 (FDP) phosphatase, (FDPase) and FDP aldolase fromPseudomonas putida were partially purified by a combination of (NH4)2SO4 fractionation and DEAE-Sephadex column chromatography. Michaelis-Menten kinetics were observed with, respect to FDP in both FDPase and FDP aldolase. TheKm for FDP at pH 8.0 was 1.2×10−5M for FDPase and 3.0×10−5M for FDP aldolase. The specific activities of these two enzymes (assayed under optimal conditions in cell-free extracts ofP. putida grown ond-fructose), as well as their kinetic properties, are consistent with the suggestion that during growth ond-fructose most, of the FDP generated is converted to fructose-6-P (F-6-P), which is subsequently utilized via the Entner-Doudoroff pathway (EDP).
Effect of pretreatment with intrathecal excitatory amino acid receptor antagonists on the development of pain behavior caused by plantar incision.

Background: Drugs that block spinal excitatory amino acid receptor activation may prevent pain after surgery. The authors previously studied the effect of excitatory amino acid receptor antagonists after incision. In the present study, we examined the role of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), non-NMDA, and metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) on the development of pain behavior after plantar incision. Methods: Rats with lumbar intrathecal catheters were anesthetized with halothane. Fifteen minutes before an incision was made, drug [40 nmol MK-801; 20 nmol NBQX; or 200 nmol (+)-MCPG] or vehicle was injected intrathecally followed by an infusion of the same drug for 75 min. Withdrawal thresholds to calibrated von Frey filaments applied adjacent to the wound and response frequencies to a blunt mechanical stimulus applied directly to the wound were measured before incision and 1, 2, 4, and 6 h after incision and then once daily for 6 days. Results: Preincision treatments with antagonists against the NMDA (MK-801) and group I and II metabotropic receptors [(+)-MCPG] did not inhibit the development of mechanical hyperalgesia caused by incision. Preincision treatment with the non-NMDA receptor antagonist NBQX increased withdrawal thresholds at 1 and 2 h and on postoperative day 1 compared with the vehicle group; response frequencies were reduced 1 and 2 h after incision and on postoperative day 2 (P < 0.05). In an additional group, postincision treatment with NBQX was similar to preincision treatment. Conclusion: Spinal NMDA and mGluR antagonists may not be useful for preventing postsurgical pain. Spinal non-NMDA receptor antagonists reduced pain behaviors, but a preventive effect using preinclsion treatment was not apparent.
Opting in: The experiences, pathways, and meaning of successful, professional, generation X women making intentional career transitions

This qualitative study explores eight upwardly mobile, professional Generation X women who took an introspective approach to making a career transition. Irving Seidman's phenomenological-based approach to in-depth interviewing was used to examine the internal, subjective experiences of intentional career transitions and the experience of meaning making. Each participant's story revealed aspects of an inward journey resulting in a recommitment to work that allowed an integration of the participant's needs for achievement, challenge, and continued learning with more meaning and authenticity.
Optimal Hedging with a Subjective View: An Empirical Bayesian Approach

The standard optimal hedging model has been the preferred theoretical model of normative hedging behavior. In empirical applications, the model is often implemented with the parameter certainty equivalent (PCE) procedure. However, the PCE procedure completely ignores parameter estimation risk and subjective views. We develop an “empirical” Bayesian optimal hedging model that not only effectively accommodates parameter estimation risk, but also provides hedgers with a theoretically intuitive yet quantitatively rigorous framework to blend their subjective views and a “marketwide” or “firmwide” consensus in determining optimal hedging positions (ratios).
Pretexts: Some Thoughts on the Militarization of Print Rationality in the Early Republic

Abstract: This essay simply asks how “the culture of the pretext” prepares a nation not just for a war, but for modern war, with its peculiar mediational circumstances. Focussing on James Madison and his arguments and stratagems leading to the War of 1812, the essay briefly describes and conceptualizes the manufacturing of an emergency that mobilizes a public inclined to fragmentation and dissensus. The constitutional directives laid out by republican print textuality are, in this argument, stressed in ways that endure through American civic and political life.
Analysis of the nebulosities near T Tauri using digital computer image processing

Direct plates of T Tauri taken with the 120-inch (3 m) and 36-inch (91 cm) Lick reflectors were digitized and analyzed using digital-computer image-processing techniques. Luminous emission protrusions extending to as far as 13-sec from T Tauri in position angles 170 deg, 210 deg, and 330 deg are shown. These features are variable and may contain a layered structure. The complex reflection nebula west of T Tauri (NGC 1555) appears to be an illuminated portion of a much larger dark nebula whose variability is due to obscuring material near the star.
Providing Practicing Teachers Classroom Management Professional Development in a Brief Self-Study Format

This study examined the impact of a time efficient self-study method for providing practicing teachers with job-embedded professional development targeting specific classroom management skills. The training method employed print packets and videotapes that provided models of effective classroom management strategies for instruction-giving, praise, and time out. Participants were three master’s level speech therapists certified to teach speech and language delayed preschool children. The training materials were evaluated through observations of the teachers’ implementation of targeted practices in a multiple baseline across participants. Results indicated increases in all participants use of the management skills after training. The results suggest that this type of training method may help teachers increase their use of effective classroom management procedures. It is potentially noteworthy that the training program examined herein was largely teacher managed and was quite brief. Future directions and limitations of the study are discussed.
Large scale buoyancy driven circulation on the continental shelf

Abstract Freshwater discharge from rivers and estuaries produces plumes and coastal currents locally. What is the fate of these coastal currents far downstream and over long time scales? The mechanism and processes related to the slow alongshelf evolution of a surface-trapped plume in the presence of an ambient flowfield are studied with the help of a three-dimensional primitive equation numerical model. As the buoyant water enters the coastal ocean, it turns anticyclonically and moves downstream in the direction of Kelvin wave propagation. Close to the source, the plume is surface-trapped. The offshore buoyancy flux in the bottom boundary layer pushes the front seaward detaching it from the coast and moving it offshore. Eventually, the cross-shelf buoyancy flux vanishes shoreward of the front and the front reaches an equilibrium depth at a particular alongshelf location. At this point, the quasi-stationary buoyancy balance is between horizontal and vertical diffusion and cross-shelf buoyancy flux. The density front has switched from a surface-trapped plume to an intermediate or surface-to-bottom type at this location. Horizontal diffusion contributes to effective horizontal mixing and helps spread freshwater offshore. The offshore penetration of buoyant water depends on three dimensionless parameters: scaled inlet volume transport, scaled breadth and scaled “diffusivity”. We develop an empirical relation for predicting maximum penetration, given these three parameters.
Hypothalamic-Pituitary Gland Axis Function and Dysfunction in Horses

The importance of hypothalamic-pituitary (HP) interactions in mammals is well recognized. In health, this highly regulated and integrated system is involved in the homeostasis of intermediary metabolism, immune responses, body temperature, hunger, thirst, growth, reproduction, and cardiovascular function, to name a few functions. The hypothalamus coordinates many hormonal and behavioral circadian rhythms and complex neuroendocrine inputs/outputs and behaviors, including level/content of consciousness, mood, instinctive behaviors (eg, maternal), and feeding. The HP axis is critical for evoking the biologic responses to internal and external stressors, where activation of both the HP axis and sympathetic nervous systems results in adrenocortical and adrenomedullary secretion of corticosteroids and catecholamines, respectively. These biologically active messengers modulate important responses, such as heightened alertness, glucose mobilization/use, vasomotor tone, cardiac output to improve delivery of metabolic fuel (notably glucose and oxygen), and removal of metabolic waste (lactic acid and carbon dioxide) during times of physiologic and pathologic stress. Like many biologic systems, there is a limit and capacity for these responses to work and when they are reached or exceeded, HP axis dysfunction results in serious compromises that can lead to increased morbidity and mortality. Dysfunctions of any of the multiple HP axes can modify many physiologic functions and, if severe, can be life threatening. Individual and species differences exist regarding HP activation, stimulation, hormonal secretion, and effector organ responses. Disorders of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPAA) are better described in the human and comparative literature, with a paucity of available information in the horse. In humans, HPAA dysregulation related to sepsis/septic shock, traumatic central diabetes insipidus, and syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH) are examples of diseases that affect one or more components of the HP system. Although the HPAA has been the most studied HP axis in the horse, when compared with other species, available information is lacking.