cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fluorescent Cargo Proteins in Pancreatic β-Cells: Design Determines Secretion Kinetics at Exocytosis

We compared secretion kinetics for four different fluorescent cargo proteins, each targeted to the lumen of insulin secretory vesicles. Upon stimulation, individual vesicles displayed one of four distinct patterns of fluorescence change: i), disappearance, ii), dimming, iii), transient brightening, or iv), persistent brightening. For each fusion protein, a different pattern of fluorescence change dominated. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the dominant pattern depends upon both i), the specific choice of fluorescent protein, and ii), the sequence of amino acids linking the cargo protein to the fluorescent protein. Thus, in β-cells, experiments involving fluorescent cargo proteins for the study of exocytosis must be interpreted carefully, as design of a fluorescent cargo protein determines secretion kinetics at exocytosis.
Reproductive Control in the House Fly with Reserpine

Reserpine (methylreserpate 3.4,5-trimethoxybenzoic acid ester) when fed continuously in the diet of the house fly, Musca domestica L., was found to control reproduction at rates above 1.8 mg reserpine per gram of diet. The most consistent reproductive control was obtained when the treated diet was fed for a minimum of 12 hours. In general, the longer the feeding period the greater the control of reproduction. Control was reversible. Flies fed treated diet early in life produced fewer eggs than those fed treatment later in life. Flies fed a relatively high dosage (20 mg reserpine per g diet every 3rd day) produced few eggs, especially if treatment began at emergence. When the treatment started on the 3rd day, about 4 times more eggs were produced. Both of these treatments produced acceptable reproductive control with 98.8 and 95.7%, respectively.
The Removal of Pu(IV) from Aqueous Solution Using 2,3-Dihydroxyterephthalamide-Functionalized PEI with Polymer Filtration

Abstract Polymer filtration (PF) uses a size‐exclusion ultrafiltration membrane to retain higher molecular weight species while allowing the passage of smaller species through the membrane. Metal‐ion separations from aqueous streams are accomplished with PF by using water‐soluble chelating‐polymers (WSCP), which are appropriately sized polymers that have covalently attached metal‐binding ligands. In this study, a new WSCP was prepared by modifying polyethylenimine (PEI) through an amide linkage to attach 2,3‐dihydroxyterephthalamide (TAM) groups that have high binding constants for high valent metal cations. The TAM ligand contains a dimethylethylenediamine side chain that was found to maintain polymer solubility throughout the working pH and ionic strength ranges studied. The new WSCP (designated PDT) showed selectivity for Pu(IV) over Am(III). For example, at pH 4.5, the distribution coefficient (D) was 1.6 × 103 for Am(III) (14% bound) and 1.3 × 106 for Pu(IV) (99.3% bound). The Pu(IV) D increased as a...
Journalistic Elder Abuse: It's Time to Get Rid of Fictions, Get Down to Facts

The public debate on health care, as reported and carried on in the popular media, is frequently framed in terms of age. The assumption is that old age can be equated with high health care costs, and that increases in health care costs are determined solely by the growing numbers of older people in our society. A variety of studies suggest, however, that high-tech, high-cost care is not inevitably associated with advancing age. The public debate on health care must stop confusing demographic issues with health care cost issues, and focus instead on the real and complex problems of rising health care costs.
Ascorbic Acid in the Treatment of Alkali Burns of the Eye

Severe ocular alkali burns in rabbits result in a decrease in aqueous humor ascorbate levels to one-third normal levels. If this deficiency is reversed by immediate treatment with parenteral or topical ascorbate, there is a significantly decreased incidence of subsequent corneal ulceration and perforation. The morphologic changes in these ulcerating corneas are typical of those noted in scorbutus (scurvy). It is concluded that alkali injury to the ciliary epithelial transport processes or ciliary body vasculature results in localized deficiency of ascorbic acid in the aqueous humor and cornea. The development of corneal ulceration is thought to be based on this deficiency which results in the failure of fibroblasts to produce sufficient collagen for repair. A randomized clinical trial of ascorbic acid in the treatment of human alkali burned eyes is now underway.
THE LIVER AND CARBOHYDRATE METABOLISM

THE SECRETION of sugar into the blood by the liver of the fasting animal 11 was demonstrated by the brilliant pioneer work of Claude Bernard (i). The inadequate chemical and physiological methods available to him and his contemporaries initiated an involved controversy which ultimately partly obscured his original conceptions (2). It remained for F. C. Mann (3), who devised the first practical method for complete hepatectomy in mammals, to finally establish the liver as the prime factor for the maintenance of the normal blood sugar level. The presence of appreciable quantities of glycogen in the muscles of their hepatectomized dogs during profound hypoglycemia, ledMann and his coworkers (4) to conclude that muscle glycogen is incapable of sufficiently rapid conversion to glucose to play a significant r6le in maintaining the blood sugar level.
Work in Progress - The Role of Non-Engineers in an International Engineering Service Learning Project

In May of 2004 and again in May of 2005, groups of students from the Valparaiso University chapter of Engineers Without Borders undertook a trip to the village of Nakor in northern Kenya to construct a water supply and irrigation system they had designed. Each of the groups that traveled to Kenya included both engineering majors and non-engineering majors. The groups learned a great many lessons, perhaps the most pleasant of which was the value of the presence of the non-engineering majors on the trip. While the engineering students and professor tended to focus solely on the engineering aspects of the project, the non-engineering students tended to focus on the social impacts of the project. The insight of the non-engineers was very useful in helping the engineering majors to recognize many of the sociological impacts of their work
Late Acadian-Alleghenian transpressional deformation: evidence from asymmetric boudinage in the Casco Bay Area, coastal Maine

Abstract Asymmetric competent-layer and foliation boudinage in the Casco Bay area of coastal Maine formed during regional F 2 hinge-parallel elongation and distributed dextral strike-slip movement. It consists of backward-rotated, oblique shear fracture boudinage and forward-rotated, extension fracture boudinage. Initially symmetric quartz-filled extension fractures were intermittently developed as boudin partings orthogonal to the prominent ductile stretching lineation, due to fault-related fluctuations in fluid pressure and tectonic stresses. Modification by concurrent non-coaxial deformation (related to dextral strike-slip movement) resulted in the clockwise rotation, sinistral slip and vein-parallel elongation reflected in the forward-rotated, asymmetric boudinage. Discordant planar pegmatite veins and variably-oriented boudinaged pegmatite sheets common in these exposures underwent a similar evolution. The development of this asymmetric boudinage is attributed to progressive brittle-ductile non-coaxial deformation related to orogen-parallel dextral transpression along the Norumbega-Nonesuch River strike-slip fault system during the later stages of the Acadian orogeny and subsequent Alleghenian deformation.
Iron in Infection and Immunity

Iron is an essential nutrient for both humans and pathogenic microbes. Because of its ability to exist in one of two oxidation states, iron is an ideal redox catalyst for diverse cellular processes including respiration and DNA replication. However, the redox potential of iron also contributes to its toxicity; thus, iron concentration and distribution must be carefully controlled. Given the absolute requirement for iron by virtually all human pathogens, an important facet of the innate immune system is to limit iron availability to invading microbes in a process termed nutritional immunity. Successful human pathogens must therefore possess mechanisms to circumvent nutritional immunity in order to cause disease. In this review, we discuss regulation of iron metabolism in the setting of infection and delineate strategies used by human pathogens to overcome iron-withholding defenses.
Functional Classification of ADAMs Based on a Conserved Motif for Binding to Integrin α9β1 IMPLICATIONS FOR SPERM-EGG BINDING AND OTHER CELL INTERACTIONS

Abstract ADAMs (a disintegrin and metalloproteases) are members of the metzincin superfamily of metalloproteases. Among integrins binding to disintegrin domains of ADAMs are α9β1 and αvβ3, and they bind in an RGD-independent and an RGD-dependent manner, respectively. Human ADAM15 is the only ADAM with the RGD motif in the disintegrin domain. Thus, both integrin α9β1 and αvβ3 recognize the ADAM15 disintegrin domain. We determined how these integrins recognize the ADAM15 disintegrin domain by mutational analysis. We found that the Arg481 and the Asp-Leu-Pro-Glu-Phe residues (residues 488–492) were critical for α9β1 binding, but the RGD motif (residues 484–486) was not. In contrast, the RGD motif was critical for αvβ3 binding, but the other residues flanking the RGD motif were not. As the RX 6DLPEF α9β1recognition motif (residues 481–492) is conserved among ADAMs, except for ADAM10 and 17, we hypothesized that α9β1 may recognize disintegrin domains in all ADAMs except ADAM10 and 17. Indeed we found that α9β1 bound avidly to the disintegrin domains of ADAM1, 2, 3, and 9 but not to the disintegrin domains of ADAM10 and 17. As several ADAMs have been implicated in sperm-oocyte interaction, we tested whether the functional classification of ADAMs, based on specificity for integrin α9β1, applies to sperm-egg binding. We found that the ADAM2 and 15 disintegrin domains bound to oocytes, but the ADAM17 disintegrin domain did not. Furthermore, the ADAM2 and 15 disintegrin domains effectively blocked binding of sperm to oocytes, but the ADAM17 disintegrin domain did not. These results suggest that oocytes and α9β1 have similar binding specificities for ADAMs and that α9β1, or a receptor with similar specificity, may be involved in sperm-egg interaction during fertilization. As α9β1 is a receptor for many ADAM disintegrins and α9β1 and ADAMs are widely expressed, α9β1-ADAM interaction may be of a broad biological importance.
Teaching experimental design in an operating systems class

This paper describes an operating systems (OS) class that departs from more common approaches by introducing experimental design explicitly as part of the course material. Instead of implementing operating systems components or modifying existing operating systems, students conduct a series of experiments that measure the performance of system services and try to infer information about their implementation from the results. These experiments reinforce the OS concepts presented in lecture, and also develop a set of skills that students need for a wide range of activities: formulating and testing hypotheses, analyzing and presenting data, and writing.
Effects of a non-drug reinforcer, saccharin, on oral self-administration of phencyclidine in male and female rhesus monkeys.

Rationale Previous research with male subjects has demonstrated that alternative non-drug reinforcers reduce self-administration of drugs of abuse under a wide variety of conditions. Recent findings indicate sex differences in drug self-administration, and females may be more responsive to the suppressive effects of pharmacological treatment strategies than males; however, it is not known whether or not there are similar sex differences in the effect of behavioral interventions, such as non-drug reinforcers, on drug self-administration.
Taxonomic descriptions of cocculinid limpets (Mollusca, Archaeogastropoda): two new species and three rediscovered species

Taxonomic descriptions of five species treated anatomically in an accompanying paper by Haszprunar are given. Based on a new record from Florida, the type species of Cocculina, C. rathbuni Dall, 1882, is treated, enabling other genera in the family to be compared anatomically to the type genus. Cocculina ovata Schepman, 1908 is recognized from continental shelf depths off the Philippines- Two new species of Cocculina are described: C. baxteri, from the continental slope, Prince William Sound, Alaska, and C. cowani, from the continental slope off the Queen Charlotte Islands, British Columbia. Coccocrater agassizi (Dall, 1908) is newly reported and redescribed from the lower continental slope and abyss in the Gulf of Panama.
Point potential for the generator of a stable process

Abstract We consider a closed self-adjoint extension of the infinitesimal generator of a symmetric stable process whose domain core is C c ∞ ( R d ∖ { 0 } ) . Such extensions of the Laplacian have been used in models of the hydrogen atom and more recently have modeled pinning at the origin of polymer models based on Brownian motion. We also outline the construction of pinned polymer models based on the symmetric stable processes, even when the underlying stable process does not possess a local time at the origin.
Effects of host maturity and prior exposure history on the production of Neospora caninum oocysts by dogs.

Abstract To investigate whether dogs shed Neospora caninum oocysts more than once, five dogs with a previous history of shedding oocysts were fed infected bovine tissues. Two of three dogs shed oocysts when they were re-exposed 18–20 months after the first challenge; two other dogs re-exposed earlier, only 8 months after the primary exposure, did not produce oocysts. These results suggest that dogs may become refractory to shedding N. caninum oocysts for a period approximately between 8 and 18 months after a primary infection; however, this possibility requires statistical validation by testing of more dogs. The development of a high antibody titer did not ensure that a dog would completely resist shedding oocysts after consuming an infected meal. Oocyst production was also compared between puppies and adult dogs with primary infections. Twelve puppies (three from the present study and nine from a previous study) shed significantly more oocysts (mean: 166,400) compared with five adult dogs following primary exposure (mean: 2900), indicating that a dog's age can influence N. caninum oocyst production (P = 0.02).
Pinning effects by arrays of magnetic dots on niobium film

Abstract The interaction between an ordered array of submicron magnetic particles and a superconducting thin film can lead to important pinning effects due to the synchronized interaction with the vortex lattice. Triangular and square lattices of submicrometer magnetic dots have been fabricated by electron beam lithography, with typical spacings in the range 400–600 nm and dot radius around 100–200 nm. The influence of these lattices of small particles on the superconducting properties of niobium films has been studied. The resistivity vs. magnetic field curves exhibit a series of sharp regular minima close to the transition temperature. These minima appear at integer multiples of the matching field, which is determined by the lattice parameter of the dot array, thus, revealing a synchronized pinning effect due to the magnetic dots.
Synthesis of monohalocyclopropanes and 1-haloolefins via phenyl(dihalomethyl)mercury compounds

Abstract : Previous studies of the synthesis of gem-dihalocyclopropanes using C6H5HgCX2Br compounds as CX2 sources were extended to an investigation of the utility of C6H5HgCHXBr compounds in the preparation of monohalocyclopropanes. It was found that both compounds (X=Cl and Br) serve excellently in the preparation of monohalocyclopropanes. A further similarity of C6H5HgCHXBr reagents to C6H5HgCX2Br compounds is seen in their reactions with triethylsilane. A new, general synthesis of vinylic bromides and chlorides based on (dihalomethyl) mercurial chemistry was developed: C6H5HgCHXBr + (C6H5)3P + RR'C=O yields RR'C=CHX + C6H5HgBr + (C6H5)3PO. This general procedure also is applicable to the preparation of olefins of type RR'C=CX2 from aldehydes and ketones. (Extracted)
Effects of diet and larval trematode parasitism on lutein and β-carotene concentrations in planorbid snails as determined by quantitative high performance reversed phase thin layer chromatography

High performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) was used to quantify the concentrations of beta-carotene and lutein in Biomphalaria glabrata and Helisoma trivolvis (Colorado and Pennsylvania strains) snails under various conditions. These conditions were: snails fed a lettuce (L) vs. a yolk (Y) diet; B. glabrata infected with Echinostoma caproni vs. uninfected snails; and H. trivolvis (PA) infected with Echinostoma trivolvis vs. uninfected snails. The pigments were extracted from the snail whole bodies and digestive gland-gonad complexes, separated by reversed phase HPTLC, and quantified by densitometric scanning with standard calibration curves. Snails on the L-diet showed significant increases (Student's t-test, P 0.05) in the concentrations of lutein and beta-carotene compared to the uninfected cohorts. Our results were compared with previous studies that analyzed beta-carotene and lutein in snails infected with larval trematodes. Variations in the results of our study compared with others reflect intrinsic differences in the larval trematode-snail systems used.
Resolutions to interpretive dilemmas created by the minnesota multiphasic personality inventory 2 (MMPI-2): A reply to Strassberg

We discuss the interpretive dilemmas identified by Strassberg (1991) and propose to resolve these dilemmas by pointing out that some change has indeed been introduced in the MMPI-2 and that change is a necessary requisite for improvement. Changes in administration procedures used with the MMPI-2 normative sample should only improve the quality of the normative data; changes in the way T-scores were developed lead to minimal change in the profile but enable more accurate interpretation of differences between scales on an individual's profile; normative changes have a differential effect on the clinical scales and this is to be expected; and the problem of codetype congruence has been overestimated and overstated. We conclude that the change introduced in the MMPI-2 can only serve to improve the test.
An Apparel-supply System for QR Retailing

A novel apparel-supply system is described that is compatible with Quick Response retailing of apparel with a finite shelf life. The system is driven by a retail point-of-sale procedure, which regularly re-estimates customer demand and generates frequent reorders on the manufacturer and fabric supplier. The system is shown to come close to perfect supply over a range of operating conditions and thus allow greatly improved retail performance when compared with traditional retailing procedures.
Study of the characteristics of three high-energy intermediates generated in peroxyoxalate chemiluminescence (PO-CL) reactions

Perylene emission intensity generated from peroxyoxalate chemiluminescence (PO-CL) reactions was studied as a function of time and order of reagent addition. Based on 1H-NMR analyses, kinetics of UV absorbance and emission intensity vs. time profiles, we conclude that PO-CL reactions in the presence of imidazole (ImH) can proceed by three distinct reaction pathways depending on how the reagents are mixed together. When bis(2,4,6-trichlorophenyl) oxalate (TCPO) is mixed simultaneously with H2O2, ImH and perylene, a slowly decaying emission curve is generated from the interaction between perylene and a high-energy intermediate (i.e., six- or eight-membered cyclic compound) formed by the ImH-catalyzed nucleophilic reaction (TCPO-CL reaction). Upon mixing TCPO simultaneously with ImH and perylene in the absence of H2O2, however, distinctly different CL curves of lower intensity are generated from the interaction between perylene and a new, unknown high-energy intermediate formed from the reaction between the aryl oxalate and ImH. Finally, using 1H-NMR, we observed that 1,1′-oxalyldiimidazole (ODI) is also formed from the reaction between TCPO and ImH. When ODI reacts with excess H2O2 in the presence of perylene, a higher intensity and relatively fast decaying emission curve is generated (ODI-CL reaction) from the interaction between perylene and the high-energy intermediate produced, which we propose is imidazolylhydroxydioxetanone or 1,2-dioxetanedione.
Racial Socialization Practices of White Mothers of International Transracial Adoptees

ABSTRACT This article reviews how eight white international transracially adoptive mothers described their actions in racially and culturally socializing their children. Using in-depth interviews, the perspectives of the mothers were captured, which strengthens the field of social work's understanding of the complex dynamics in transracial adoptive families. The mothers' actions varied in the degree that a culturally diverse family life was created. Four categories of racial socialization practices were discussed and implications for social work were reviewed.
Infrared thermography for examination of skin temperature in the dorsal hand of office workers

Reduced blood flow may contribute to the pathophysiology of upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders (UEMSD), such as tendinitis and carpal tunnel syndrome. The study objective was to characterize potential differences in cutaneous temperature, among three groups of office workers assessed by dynamic thermography following a 9-min typing challenge: those with UEMSD, with ( n=6) or without ( n=10) cold hands exacerbated by keyboard use, and control subjects ( n=12). Temperature images of the metacarpal region of the dorsal hand were obtained 1 min before typing, and during three 2-min sample periods [0-2 min (early), 3-5 min (middle), and 8-10 min (late)] after typing. Mean temperature increased from baseline levels immediately after typing by a similar magnitude, 0.7 (0.3) degrees C in controls and 0.6 (0.2) degrees C in UEMSD cases without cold hands, but only by 0.1 (0.3) degrees C in those with cold hands. Using paired t-tests for within group comparisons of mean dorsal temperature between successive imaging periods, three patterns of temperature change were apparent during 10 min following typing. Controls further increased mean temperature by 0.1 degrees C ( t-test, P=0.001) at 3-5 min post-typing before a late temperature decline of -0.3 degrees C ( t-test, P=0.04), while cases without cold hands showed no change from initial post-typing mean temperature rise during middle or late periods. In contrast, subjects with keyboard-induced cold hands had no change from initial post-typing temperature until a decrease at the late period of -0.3 degrees C ( t-test, P=0.06). Infrared thermography appears to distinguish between the three groups of subjects, with keyboard-induced cold hand symptoms presumably due, at least partially, to reduced blood flow.
Diluted magnetic semiconductor superlattices

Spin dependent device transport, where the distinction between spin up and spin down carriers arises from the presence of local diluted magnetic semiconductor (DMS) regions, offers the possibility of magnetic field control of transport. This paper describes through the use of numerical solutions to the spin dependent Wigner distribution function, the means by which dilute magnetic semiconductors layers can lead to a magnetic field dependent break in the symmetry of superlattice structures. Specific examples area given in which all of the barriers are composed of DMS layers, and as a function of magnetic field there is an alteration in the relative population of spin up and spin down carriers. The symmetry breaking structure consists of a superlattice with a single DMS layer. As a function of magnetic field the barrier is higher for one spin state and lower of the other leading to a local region of charge accumulation that is not present in periodic lattice. The application of this broken symmetry to the creation of nucleation sites for high field domains, and in some cases alter the properties of the propagating domain is discussed.
Nitric oxide mediates the stimulation of luteinizing-hormone releasing hormone release induced by glutamic acid in vitro

Abstract Previous experiments from our laboratory have indicated that LHRH release is controlled in vivo and in vitro by NO. Since glutamic acid, the major excitatory transmitter in the brain, has been shown to release LHRH, we wished to determine whether or not this LHRH release was mediated by NO. Consequently, arcuate-median eminence explants from normal male rats were incubated in vitro in Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate glucose (KRBG) media in a Dubnoff metabolic shaker for a preincubation period of 30 min. Fresh media were added containing the substances to be tested and incubation was continued for 30 min. Sodium nitroprusside (NP, 500 μM), which releases NO spontaneously, stimulated the release of LHRH, which indicates that NO can release LHRH. Glutamic acid (10 mM) also produced a robust release of LHRH, and this release was blocked by the inhibitor of NO synthase, N G -monomethyl-L-arginine (NMMA). Furthermore, the release of LHRH induced by glutamic acid was prevented by the addition of hemoglobin (20 βg/ml), a scavenger of NO, which would remove the NO released by the action of glutamic acid. The results indicate that glutamic acid stimulated LHRH release is induced by NO.
Cholinergic modulation of separation distress in the domestic chick.

Abstract The effects of nicotine, carbachol, hexamethonium and scopolamine were investigated on distress vocalizations (DVs) of acutely isolated domestic chicks. Nicotine atenuated, while the antimuscarinic scopolamine increased the frequency of separation-induced DVs. Furthermore, the stress attenuating effects of nicotine were blocked by pretreatment with scopolamine. These results implicate muscarinic receptor participation in the control of separation-induced distress, and support the suggestion that nicotine-induced DV suppression may result from activation of behaviorally relevant muscarinic receptors via central release of acetylcholine.
Detection of the Electromagnetic Radiation from Nuclear Explosions in Space

The electromagnetic signal generated by interaction of nuclear-explosion-induced electric currents with the geomagnetic field can serve as a basis for detecting nuclear explosions which take place at extreme distances from the earth. In the present paper, an earlier theory of this phenomenon developed by the authors is extended to allow estimates of the maximum detection range. It is concluded that this electromagnetic signal may be detectable at distances of the order of ${10}^{7}$ ${{Y}_{\mathrm{kt}}}^{\frac{1}{2}}$ km from a nuclear explosion of total yield ${Y}_{\mathrm{kt}}$ kilotons.
Oxidation of Zircaloy-4 by H2O followed by molecular desorption

Abstract The interaction of H2O with Zircaloy-4 (Zry-4) is investigated using Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and temperature programmed desorption (TPD) methods. Following adsorption of H2O at 150 K the Zr(MNV) and Zr(MNN) Auger features shift by ∼6.5 and 4.5 eV, respectively, indicating surface oxidation. Heating H2O/Zry-4 results in molecular desorption of water at both low and high temperatures. The low-temperature desorption is attributed to ice multilayers, whereas, three overlapping high-temperature features are presumably due to recombinative desorption. This high-temperature desorption begins before the surface oxide is dissolved, continues upon its removal, and is atypical for water/metal systems. Unexpectedly, no significant desorption of hydrogen is observed near 400 K, as is typically observed following O2 adsorption on Zr-based materials. However, we do observe that H2O adsorption on Zry-4 surfaces roughened by argon ion sputtering results in H2 desorption.
A highly efficient and extremely selective intracellular copper detoxifying agent based on nanoparticles of ZnMoS4

Biocompatible ZnMoS4 NPs can selectively remove intracellular copper ions via ion-exchange rather than chelation. This strategy represents a paradigm shift in designing new-generation intracellular metal detoxifying drugs.
The centrosome in vertebrates: more than a microtubule-organizing center

The somatic cells of all higher animals contain a single minute organelle called the centrosome. For years, the functions of the centrosome were thought to revolve around its ability to nucleate and organize the various microtubule arrays seen in interphase and mitosis. But the centrosome is more than just a microtubule-organizing center. Recent work reveals that this organelle is essential for cell-cycle progression and that this requirement is independent of its ability to organize microtubules. Here, we review the various functions attributed to the centrosome and ask which are essential for the survival and reproduction of the cell, the organism, or both.
The conceptualization and measurement of social polarization

The conceptualization and measurement of social polarization has received little attention from the literature. The Reynal-Querol (RQ) index, the only measure that has been used to measure religious or ethnic polarization in the literature, does not take into account alienation between individuals, a fundamental component in a polarization index. In this paper we present two axiomatically characterized social polarization indices incorporating this alienation component: the first one focuses on between group alienation only and the second one takes also into account alienation within groups. Our empirical results using data from the World Value Surveys suggest that the new indices might be good predictors of the occurrence of conflict.
The contraceptive patch in relation to ischemic stroke and acute myocardial infarction.

Study Objective. To compare rates of stroke and acute myocardial infarction in users of the Ortho EVRA contraceptive patch with these rates in users of norgestimate-containing oral contraceptives (OCs) with 35 μg of ethinyl estradiol. Design. Retrospective, population-based, epidemiologic study. Data Source. PharMetrics database. Subjects. Females aged 15–45 years in the PharMetrics database who had filled at least one prescription for the Ortho EVRA contraceptive patch or a norgestimate OC between April 1, 2002, and March 31, 2005. Measurements and Main Results. Incidence rates and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated for the outcomes of ischemic stroke and acute myocardial infarction by exposure. Crude incidence rates of ischemic stroke among users of the patch and users of norgestimate OCs were 13.6/100,000 woman-years (95% CI 5.9–26.8) and 11.3/100,000 woman-years (95% CI 5.4–20.8), respectively. The crude incidence rate of acute myocardial infarction was 1.7/100,000 woman-years (95% CI 0.04–9.5) in current patch users and 7.9/100,000 woman-years (95% CI 3.2–16.3) in current users of norgestimate OCs. Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) were estimated for the outcomes by comparing data for users of the patch and users of a norgestimate OC. The IRR for stroke was 1.2 (95% CI 0.41–3.4) and for acute myocardial infarction was 0.2 (95% CI 0.004–1.7). Conclusion. Ischemic stroke and acute myocardial infarction are rare among young women who use hormonal contraceptives, and the current data provide no suggestion of an increased risk of either ischemic stroke or acute myocardial infarction in users of the Ortho EVRA contraceptive patch compared with users of norgestimate OCs.
A Non-Cyclo-Oxygenase, Non-Nitric Oxide Relaxing Factor is Present in Resistance Arteries of Normotensive but not Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

The present experiments tested the hypothesis that decreased production of an endothelium-derived relaxing factor in arteries of hypertensive animals contributes to impaired endothelium-dependent relaxation. Acetylcholine-induced relaxation of freshly isolated spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) vessels precontracted with norepinephrine was impaired compared with Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY). 10 μM indomethacin partially normalized the SHR response. Inhibition of nitric oxide synthesis with 100 μM nitro-L-arginine methyl ester or 100 μM NG-monomethy 1 arginine shifted the acetylcholine relaxation curve to the right, but had no effect on the maximal relaxation in WKY and completely inhibited relaxation of SHR. A similar pattern was observed with methylene blue (0.3 μM). Acetylcholine-induced relaxation of WKY vessels pre-contracted with 5 μM norepinephrine and 100 mM K was attenuated 60% compared with vessels pre-contracted with norepinephrine alone, and was completely inhibited by nitro-L-arginine methyl ester; relaxation of SHR vessels was decreased by 50%. Six-hour storage at 37° C significantly attenuated acetylcholine-induced relaxation in both strains; treatment with indomethacin improved the response. Moreover, relaxation of WKY vessels was completely inhibited by nitro-L-arginine methyl ester and NG-monomethyl arginine after the storage period. The absence of L-arginine-induced relaxation and lack of effect of supplementation with L-arginine indicated that the constitutively active NO synthetase was not induced and that L-arginine substrate was limiting. The results indicate that mesenteric resistance arteries of the WKY express a relaxing factor generated by a non-cyclo-oxygenase, non-nitric oxide synthetase pathway that is possibly a hyperpolarizing factor. This factor is either absent or expressed in very low amounts in vessels of the SHR. After a 6-hour incubation period, expression of this factor is decreased and the nitric oxide pathway predominates. It is proposed that impaired relaxation of SHR resistance arteries may in part reflect the absence of this pathway.
The role of brahma and related proteins in transcription and development

The differential transcription of Drosophila homeotic genes is maintained by the Polycomb and trithorax groups of regulatory proteins, many of which are thought to modulate chromatin structure. During the past year, studies of a trithorax group member, brahma, and related yeast and human proteins have suggested that they are components of huge complexes that assist DNA-binding regulatory proteins to overcome the repressive effects of chromatin on transcription.
Electric impedance spectroscopy using microchannels with integrated metal electrodes

Microelectric impedance measurement systems containing microchannels with integrated gold electrodes were fabricated to enable EI measurements of femtoliter (10/sup -15/) volumes of liquid or gas. The microinstruments were characterized using samples of air, partially deionized water, and saline solutions with various ionic concentrations over the frequency range of 100 Hz to 2 MHz. Resulting spectral patterns varied systemically as a function of ionic concentration. In addition to industrial sensing applications, this technology may prove to be beneficial in monitoring microsystems utilizing on-chip fluid chemistry, measuring the dielectric dispersion of polymer solutions, and determining the electrical properties of isolated biological materials.
Neonatal Exposure to Thymotropic Gross Murine Leukemia Virus Induces Virus-Specific Immunologic Nonresponsiveness

Neonatal exposure to Gross murine leukemia virus results in a profound inhibition of the virus-specific T and B cell responses of adult animals. Animals exposed to virus as neonates exhibit a marked depression in virus-specific T cell function as measured by the virtual absence of in vivo delayed type hypersensitivity responses and in vitro proliferative responses to virally infected stimulator cells. Further, serum obtained from neonatally treated mice failed to either immunoprecipitate viral proteins or neutralize virus in an in vitro plaque assay, suggesting the concurrent induction of a state of B cell hyporesponsiveness. The specificity of this effect at the levels of both T and B cells was demonstrated by the ability of neonatally treated mice to respond normally after adult challenge with either irrelevant reovirus or influenza virus. The replication of Gross virus within both stromal and lymphocytic compartments of the neonatal thymus suggests that thymic education plays a key role in the induction of immunologic nonresponsiveness to viruses.
Mechanistic origin of dragon-kings in a population of competing agents

We analyze the mechanistic origins of the extreme behaviors that arise in an idealized model of a population of competing agents, such as traders in a market. These extreme behaviors exhibit the defining characteristics of ‘dragon-kings’. Our model comprises heterogeneous agents who repeatedly compete for some limited resource, making binary choices based on the strategies that they have in their possession. It generalizes the well-known Minority Game by allowing agents whose strategies have not made accurate recent predictions, to step out of the competition until their strategies improve. This generates a complex dynamical interplay between the number V of active agents (mimicking market volume) and the imbalance D between the decisions made (mimicking excess demand). The wide spectrum of extreme behaviors which emerge, helps to explain why no unique relationship has been identified between the price and volume during real market crashes and rallies.
Wideband SSFP: alternating repetition time balanced steady state free precession with increased band spacing.

Balanced steady-state free precession (SSFP) imaging is limited by off-resonance banding artifacts, which occur with periodicity 1/TR in the frequency spectrum. A novel balanced SSFP technique for widening the band spacing in the frequency response is described. This method, called wideband SSFP, utilizes two alternating repetition times with alternating RF phase, and maintains high SNR and T2/T1 contrast. For a fixed band spacing, this method can enable improvements in spatial resolution compared to conventional SSFP. Alternatively, for a fixed readout duration this method can widen the band spacing, and potentially avoid the banding artifacts in conventional SSFP. The method is analyzed using simulations and phantom experiments, and is applied to the reduction of banding artifacts in cine cardiac imaging and high-resolution knee imaging at 3T. Magn Reson Med 58:931–938, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Embodied ambivalence: Reiterating and transforming phallocentrism in The Pillow Book

This study examines Peter Greenaway's film The Pillow Book as a site of ambivalence and explores the relationship between the body and text and, more importantly, how the body enacts gender, power, and sexuality. The essay draws on Judith Butler's notions of ambivalent space and subversive performances to illuminate the ways in which The Pillow Book both articulates patriarchal subjugation of the female body and opens a space where such oppressive phallic inscriptions are displaced and resignified. The essay maintains that The Pillow Book both constrains and enables, that it colonizes and creates new political possibilities for the subordinated female body.
Lysine deacetylation in ischaemic preconditioning: the role of SIRT1

Aims Acute ischaemic preconditioning (IPC) induces protection against cardiac ischaemia–reperfusion (IR) via post-translational modification of key proteins. Lysine (Lys) acetylation is an important regulator of protein function, but this type of modification has not been studied in the context of IPC. We investigated Lys acetylation in IPC and its upstream regulation by SIRT1. Methods and results Hearts from C57BL/6 mice were Langendorff-perfused and subjected to IPC and IR injury. Mice were exposed to IPC by in vivo coronary artery occlusion. An isolated cardiomyocyte model of IPC was also developed. Lys acetylation was measured by western blotting, and pharmacological modulators of Lys acetylation were tested. More Lys deacetylation was observed in IPC, in the Langendorff, in vivo , and cellular IPC models; this was concurrent with an increase in SIRT1 activity measured by p53 Lys379 deacetylation. IPC was not accompanied by changes in SIRT1 protein level, but evidence was obtained for SIRT1 modification by Small Ubiquitin-like Modifier (SUMOylation) in IPC. Furthermore, the specific SIRT1 inhibitor splitomicin reversed both IPC-mediated Lys deacetylation and IPC-induced cardioprotection. Inhibition of nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (Nampt, an important enzyme which regulates SIRT1 activity by maintaining availability of the substrate NAD+) also blocked both IPC-induced deacetylation and cardioprotection. Conclusion Lys deacetylation occurs during IPC and an elevation in SIRT1 activity plays a role in this phenomenon. Inhibition of SIRT1, either directly or by restricting the availability of its substrate NAD+, inhibits IPC. Together these data suggest a role for SIRT1-mediated Lys deacetylation in the mechanism of acute IPC.
A panacea or academic poppycock: formal methods revisited

Many formal methods have been proposed to improve software quality. These include new specification and modeling languages as well as formal verification techniques, such as model checking and theorem proving. This paper describes several ways in which tools supporting formal methods can help improve the quality of both software code as well as software specifications and models. However, while promising, formal methods and their support tools are rarely used in practical software development. To overcome this problem, this paper describes a number of needed improvements - in techniques for requirements capture, in languages, in specifications and models, in code quality, and in code verification techniques - which could lead to more widespread use of formal methods and their support tools in practical software development.
Cost Effectiveness of Direct-Acting Antiviral Therapy for Treatment-Naive Patients With Chronic HCV Genotype 1 Infection in the Veterans Health Administration

Background & Aims The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest single provider of care for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in the United States. We analyzed the cost effectiveness of treatment with the HCV protease inhibitors boceprevir and telaprevir in a defined managed care population of 102,851 patients with untreated chronic genotype 1 infection. Methods We used a decision-analytic Markov model to examine 4 strategies: standard dual-therapy with pegylated interferon-alfa and ribavirin (PR), the combination of boceprevir and PR triple therapy, the combination of telaprevir and PR, or no antiviral treatment. A sensitivity analysis was performed. Sources of data included published rates of disease progression, the census bureau, and VHA pharmacy and hospitalization cost databases. Results The estimated costs for treating each patient were $8000 for PR, $31,300 for boceprevir and PR, and $41,700 for telaprevir and PR. Assuming VHA treatment rates of 22% and optimal rates of sustained virologic response, PR, boceprevir and PR, and telaprevir and PR would reduce relative liver-related deaths by 5.2%, 10.9%, and 11.5%, respectively. Increasing treatment rates to 50% would reduce liver-related deaths by 12%, 24.7%, and 26.1%, respectively. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratios were $29,184/quality-adjusted life-years for boceprevir and PR and $44,247/quality-adjusted life-years for telaprevir and PR vs only PR. With the current 22% treatment rate, total system-wide costs to adopt boceprevir and PR or telaprevir and PR would range from $708 to $943 million. Conclusions Despite substantial up-front costs of treating HCV-infected patients in the VHA with PR, or telaprevir and PR, each regimen improves quality of life and extends life expectancy by reducing liver-related morbidity and mortality, and should be cost effective. Further efforts to expand access to direct-acting antiviral therapy are warranted.
4. Postacute rehabilitation and community integration

Abstract This self-directed learning module highlights new advances in this topic area. It is part of the chapter on brain injury rehabilitation in the Self-Directed Physiatric Education Program for practitioners and trainees in physical medicine and rehabilitation. This article discusses behavioral and affective disorders, the neurophysiologic basis for and rehabilitation of cognitive skills, effects of alcohol and illegal substances on outcome after traumatic brain injury (TBI), family dynamics after TBI, disorders of sexuality, return-to-work issues, and present models for TBI rehabilitation. New advances covered in this article include treatment of depression and mania, pragmatic skills therapy, effects of acute and chronic alcohol use on pathophysiology of TBI, profile of sexual dysfunction, and review of federal legislation pertaining to TBI.
Quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis of herpes simplex virus DNA in ganglia of mice infected with replication-incompetent mutants.

To study the roles of viral genes in the establishment and maintenance of herpes simplex virus (HSV) latency, we have developed a polymerase chain reaction assay that is both quantitative and sensitive. Using this assay, we analyzed the levels of viral DNA in trigeminal ganglia of mice inoculated corneally with HSV mutants that are defective for virus replication at one or more sites in mice and for reactivation upon ganglionic explant. Ganglia from mice infected with thymidine kinase-negative mutants, which replicate at the site of inoculation and establish latency but do not replicate acutely in ganglia or reactivate upon explant, contained a range of levels of HSV DNA that overlapped with the range found in ganglia latently infected with wild-type virus. On average, these mutant-infected ganglia contained one copy of HSV DNA per 100 cell equivalents (ca. 10(4) molecules), which was 50-fold less than the average for wild-type virus. Ganglia from mice infected with a ribonucleotide reductase deletion mutant, which is defective for acute replication and reactivation upon ganglionic explant, also contained on average one copy of HSV DNA per 100 cell equivalents. We also detected substantial numbers of HSV DNA molecules (up to ca. 10(3] in ganglia of mice infected with an ICP4 deletion mutant and other replication-negative mutants that are severely impaired for viral DNA replication and gene expression. These results raise the possibility that such mutants can establish latency, which could have important implications for mechanisms of latency and for vaccine and antiviral drug development. Images
Alternating direction augmented Lagrangian methods for semidefinite programming

We present an alternating direction dual augmented Lagrangian method for solving semidefinite programming (SDP) problems in standard form. At each iteration, our basic algorithm minimizes the augmented Lagrangian function for the dual SDP problem sequentially, first with respect to the dual variables corresponding to the linear constraints, and then with respect to the dual slack variables, while in each minimization keeping the other variables fixed, and then finally it updates the Lagrange multipliers (i.e., primal variables). Convergence is proved by using a fixed-point argument. For SDPs with inequality constraints and positivity constraints, our algorithm is extended to separately minimize the dual augmented Lagrangian function over four sets of variables. Numerical results for frequency assignment, maximum stable set and binary integer quadratic programming problems demonstrate that our algorithms are robust and very efficient due to their ability or exploit special structures, such as sparsity and constraint orthogonality in these problems.