cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Exploiting the Molecular Genetics of Microalgae: From Strain Development Pipelines to the Uncharted Waters of Mass Production

Abstract Advances in synthetic biology have enabled photosynthetic production platforms to contribute to a wide range of emerging markets. While microalgae and cyanobacteria have historically served as feedstocks for high-value natural compounds, powerful tools for genetic manipulation have overcome the previous challenges of producing transgenic biologics in algae by applying high-throughput principles to strain selection and systems biology approaches to metabolic engineering. Algae hold great potential for the production of specialty biomolecules and will soon fulfill even more massive demands for renewable fuels and bulk chemicals. Within the past 5 years, genetically modified (GM) algae have entered strain development pipelines and are now being validated for commercial-scale cultivation. This chapter addresses the current state of the art in molecular genetic tools for algae, highlights examples of biosynthetic pathway design and selection of industrial fitness, and discusses the regulatory aspects of growing GM algae outdoors.
Complexity and approximability issues in combinatorial image analysis

Image analysis is directly applicable to various important and sensitive societal sectors, such as medicine, defense, and security. Often, related research is funded under industrial projects with tight deadlines. Therefore, sometimes certain important theoretical issues remain unaddressed. Such issues have been discussed in length in a recent article [2]. The latter suggested a number of strategic objectives for theoretical research in combinatorial image analysis. Most of these relate to the need to make the discipline better integrated within a number of well-established subjects of theoretical computer science and discrete applied mathematics, such as theory of algorithms and problem complexity, combinatorial optimization and polyhedral combinatorics, integer and linear programming, and computational geometry. Here we concern more in detail one aspect of the research on combinatorial algorithms for image analysis.
Rome's Gothic Wars: From the Third Century to Alaric

Prologue: before the gates of Rome 1. The Goths before Constantine 2. The Roman Empire and the barbarian society 3. The search for the Gothic origins 4. Imperial politics and the rise of Gothic power 5. Goths and Romans, 332-376 6. The Battle of Adrianople 7. Theodosius and the Goths 8. Alaric and the sack of Rome.
Chemical reactions of hydrogenous species in the SiSiO2 system

Abstract Recent studies involving hydrogen and its compounds in the Si SiO 2 system are examined as a basis for a comprehensive model of hydrogen physical chemistry in the system. A model will require resolution of contradictions among experimental findings on passivation of Pb centers, radiation damage mechanisms, diffusion, and physisorption and chemisorption in the SiO2 lattice. New findings on bias-temperature instability suggest approaches which may resolve some key problems.
Tri-band isolation circuits based on double-Lorentz transmission lines for quadruplexers

This paper presents a novel tri-band isolation circuit based on a double-Lorentz (DL) transmission line (TL). Since a DL TL has three arbitrary phase constants at three target frequencies, the combination of a DL TL and a band-pass filter can have tri-band isolation characteristic. The quadruplexer, discussed in this paper, consists of four tri-band isolation circuits, and each circuit is isolated from an input at the center frequencies of filters of other channels. As a result, the combined four circuits can satisfy the required characteristics for a quadruplexer. This quadruplexer has two significant advantages. Since modifying filters is not required and there is no limitation to choose filters, commercial filters can be used for a quadruplexer. Also, the quadruplexer can be designed easily with a simple and straightforward design concept. Thus a complex numerical optimization is not necessary. For verifying the design concept, a quadruplexer, which has 942.5 MHz, 1575 MHz, 2140 MHz, and 2450 MHz center frequencies, is designed and fabricated. Filters are commercial Surface Mounted (SMT) type. The measured results show good agreement with the simulation results.
THE PARADOX OF INQUIRY IN AUGUSTINE'S CONFESSIONS

Abstract: The Confessions recounts Augustine's successful search for God. But Augustine worries that one cannot search for God if one does not already know God. That version of the paradox of inquiry dominates and structures Confessions 1–10. I draw connections between the dramatic opening lines of book 1 and the climactic discussion in book 10.26–38 and argue that the latter discussion contains Augustine's resolution of the paradox of inquiry as it applies to the special case of searching for God. I claim that he develops a model, relying on the universal human experience of joy and truth, that identifies a starting point that (1) is common to all human beings, (2) is sufficient for guiding a successful search for God, and (3) avoids commitment to recollection of experiences prior to birth. The model is crucial to Augustine's rejection of traditional Platonist views about recollection.
Genetic Manipulation of Neurofilament Protein Phosphorylation

Neurofilament biology is important to understanding structural properties of axons, such as establishment of axonal diameter by radial growth. In order to study the function of neurofilaments, a series of genetically modified mice have been generated. Here, we describe a brief history of genetic modifications used to study neurofilaments, as well as an overview of the steps required to generate a gene-targeted mouse. In addition, we describe steps utilized to analyze neurofilament phosphorylation status using immunoblotting. Taken together, these provide comprehensive analysis of neurofilament function in vivo, which can be applied to many systems.
A computational study to unravel the selectivity in an iron-catalysed [3 + 2] cycloaddition of aziridine and heterocumulenes

The reaction mechanism of cycloaddition between phenyl aziridine and heterocumulene catalysed by iron salts in water has been modeled computationally to trace the origin of the excellent regioselectivity toward 5-substituted product formation. The calculations reveal that the Lewis-acidic iron centre activates and increases the electrophilicity of the heterocumulene upon binding, so that a nucleophilic aziridine-attack can be invoked. The preferential opening of the substituted C2–N bond in the following intermediate, dictated by the stability of an incipient carbocation is the key for such selectivity. Since the aziridine ring-opening step is asynchronous, concerted in nature, the iminoazoselenolidine ring retains the stereopurity at the chiral carbon.
The Hpk2-Rrp2 two-component regulatory system of Treponema denticola: a potential regulator of environmental and adaptive responses

Treponema denticola levels in the gingival crevice become elevated as periodontal disease develops. Oral treponemes may account for as much as 40% of the total bacterial population in the periodontal pocket. The stimuli that trigger enhanced growth of T. denticola, and the mechanisms associated with the transmission of these signals, remain to be defined. We hypothesize that the T. denticola open reading frames tde1970 (histidine kinase) and tde1969 (response regulator) constitute a functional two-component regulatory system that regulates, at least in part, responses to the changing environmental conditions associated with the development of periodontal disease. The results presented demonstrate that tde1970 and tde1969 are conserved, universal among T. denticola isolates and transcribed as part of a seven-gene operon in a growth-phase-dependent manner. tde1970 undergoes autophosphorylation and transfers phosphate to tde1969. Henceforth, the proteins encoded by these open reading frames are designated as Hpk2 and Rrp2 respectively. Hpk2 autophosphorylation kinetics were influenced by environmental conditions and by the presence or absence of a PAS domain. It can be concluded that Hpk2 and Rrp2 constitute a functional two-component system that contributes to environmental sensing.
Pragmatics, semantic undetermination and the referential/attributive distinction

It has long been recognised that there are referential uses of definite descriptions. It is not as widely recognised that there are attributive uses of indexicals and other such paradigmatically singular terms. I offer an account of the referential/attributive distinction which is intended to give a unified treatment of both sorts of cases. I argue that the best way to account for the referential/attributive distinction is to treat it as semantically underdetermined which sort of proposition is expressed in a context. In certain contexts the proposition expressed will be a descriptive one, and in others it will be an object-dependent one. I appeal to Sperber and Wilson’s (1986) idea that the recovery of the content of an utterance involves pragmatic processes of enrichment of a representation of the logical form of the utterance. According to the account I offer, the first-level descriptive meaning associated with an expression (whether this is an indexical or a definite description) is pragmatically enriched and then used either to track an individual in the context, or is taken to lay down a condition of satisfaction for an individual. The proposition that the listener takes the speaker to have expressed is recovered on the basis of considerations of relevance and contextually available information about the speaker’s directive intentions. Although my account has affinities with those of Recanati (1993) and Nunberg (1993), it also differs from theirs in crucial ways. Each of these authors sees asymmetries where I see none. I give reasons for preferring my symmetrical account.
STUDIES ON WHEAT PLANTS USING CARBON-14 COMPOUNDS: XI THE RELATIVE INCORPORATION OF CARBONS 1, 2, AND 3 OF PYRUVATE

The incorporation of carbons 1, 2, and 3 of pyruvate into maturing plants has been compared by use of pyruvate-1-C14, -2-C14, and -3-C14 as tracers. The carbon-14 content of kernel proteins and lipids increased markedly when pyruvate was labelled in higher-number positions. The effect was strikingly demonstrated in the glutamic acid from the protein in which the specific activity varied in the proportion 1:5:10.5 when pyruvate labelled in the 1, 2, or 3 position respectively was administered. A small amount of administered pyruvate appeared to be utilized as the intact carbon skeleton for biosynthesis of starch and of alanine. It is considered, however, that most of the injected pyruvate undergoes decarboxylation, carbon-1 being utilized as carbon dioxide and carbons 2 and 3 as acetate.
Mössbauer spectroscopy applied to the oxidized and semi-reduced states of the iron-molybdenum cofactor of nitrogenase

Mossbauer parameters at 125K for both the oxidized and semi-reduced states of FeMoco isolated from the MoFe protein of Azotobacter vinelandii nitrogenase of delta/Fe = 0.32 and 0.37 mm/s and delta Eq = 0.84 and 0.71 mm/s, respectively, are reported. FeMoco(ox) fits the Debye model perfectly from 4.2-125K and has a S = 0 ground state. FeMoco(ox) apparently contains 10-20% FeMoco(s-r) and vice versa, possibly as a result of the spontaneous oxidation phenomenon. Quantitation of the spectra indicates a Fe:Mo ratio of 5 +/- 1:1 and the similar quadrupole splittings and isomer shifts suggest a similar environment for all iron atoms.
CT of colon cancer metastases to the liver using modified RECIST criteria: determining the ideal number of target lesions to measure.

OBJECTIVE. We sought to define the ideal number of target lesions to be measured to assess disease response in patients undergoing chemotherapy for colon cancer metastases to the liver.MATERIALS AND METHODS. Thirty consecutive patients were recruited for this study. Patients were part of a multisite, randomized, double-arm, phase 3 clinical trial involving chemotherapy with an investigational drug for metastatic colon cancer. Patients were recruited from U.S. and international sites. Institutional review board approval was obtained, and informed consent was obtained from all patients. Our study included CT measurements of hepatic metastases. All patients (n = 30) had a minimum of five target lesions in the liver. Target-lesion size was defined by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) criteria. We calculated the patient response at 2 months and at 6 months (complete response, partial response, stable disease, and progressive disease) using RECIST. Patient response was calculated based on th...
Are Women Less Selfish Than Men?: Evidence From Dictator Experiments

Research in social sciences other than economics indicates substan tial differences in behaviour between men and women. The general conclusion drawn from this work is that women will be more socially-orientated (selfless), and men more individually-orientated (selfish). This paper reports the results of a double-anonymous dictator experiment designed to permit the emergence of basic gender differences in economic behaviour. Our results are intended to provide a baseline for further research. We find that women, on average, donate twice as much as men to their anonymous partners when any factors that might confound cooperation are eliminated
Interactions of tricyclic antidepressant drugs with deprivation-induced fluid consumption by rats.

Abstract Six tricyclic antidepressant drugs, representing both secondary and tertiary amines and four different ring systems, were examined for their effects on deprivation-induced fluid consumption by rats in a standardized test system. All compounds reduced fluid consumption with a potency ranking of: desipramine ⪢ amitriptyline ⪢ doxepin ⪢ nortriptyline ⪢ imipramine ⪢ protriptyline. In a similar test situation, pretreatment with PCPA markedly reduced fluid consumption at 24 hr; fluid consumption levels had not returned to normal by 15 days after dosage.
Growth hormone secretagogues: prospects and potential pitfalls

Abstract The growth hormone secretagogues (GHSs) are the first well-characterised agents that rejuvenate the growth hormone (GH)/insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) axis. This property was discovered during investigations of the underlying causative mechanisms of age-related endocrine changes. Chronic administration of the long acting GHS, MK-0677, reverses the age-related decline in pulse-amplitude of GH secretion and restores IGF-1 levels producing profiles typical of young adults. This restoration is accompanied by improvements in body composition in frail elderly subjects. When given acutely, the GHSs also increase appetite. Following cloning and characterisation of the GHS-receptor (GHS-R) an endogenous ligand, ghrelin, was isolated and identified. Ghrelin shares the GH releasing and orexigenic properties of the GHSs. Studies using Ghsr -null mice confirmed that the GHS-R was the ghrelin-receptor; hence, the GHSs should be considered to be ‘ghrelin mimetics.' Ghrelin levels are reported to decline during ageing, therefore long-acting GHSs are ideal candidates for ghrelin replacement therapy.
Biochemical and mutational studies of the 5'-3' exonuclease of DNA polymerase I of Escherichia coli

In order to improve our understanding of the 5'-3' exonuclease reaction catalyzed by Escherichia coli DNA polymerase I, we have constructed expression plasmids and developed purification methods for whole DNA polymerase I and its 5'-3' exonuclease domain that allow the production of large quantities of highly purified material suitable for biophysical and other studies. We have studied the enzymatic properties of the 5'-3' exonuclease, both as an isolated domain and in the context of the whole polymerase, using a variety of model oligonucleotides to explore the enzyme-substrate interaction. The 5'-3' exonuclease is known to be a structure-specific nuclease that cleaves a 5' displaced strand at the junction between single-stranded and duplex regions. Since the isolated domain shows the same structure specificity as the whole polymerase, the correct geometry of substrate binding is achieved without the assistance of the polymerase domain. The 5'-3' exonuclease reaction has a strict requirement for a free 5' end on the displaced strand; however, the upstream template and primer strands are dispensable. Site-directed mutagenesis of the ten carboxylate residues that are highly conserved among bacterial and bacteriophage 5'-3' exonucleases indicates that nine of them are important in the reaction. This finding is discussed in relation to structural and mutational data for related 5' nucleases.
Gerontology program development: The power of persistence or an exercise in alienation

Abstract Ongoing efforts to establish a new gerontology educational program on a recently created university campus are described. The authors rely on institutional documents and their personal experiences for the observations on which this case study is based. Over a ten-year period the nominal program goes through different phases of development that are characterized by changes in leadership, activities and organizational issues. The extensive work of faculty members has kept the initiative viable; however, the lack of decision-making authority has hampered their efforts towards programmatic development. Involvement of community leaders, faculty and administrators is discussed.
A profile graph for interpreting the Detroit Tests of Learning Aptitude

Diagnostic information from any test is of little value unless the results can be interpreted to parents and teachers in ways they can understand and find useful. The Profile Graph for Selected Subtests of the Detroit Tests of Learning Aptitude was designed as a diagnostic aid to focus interpretation of Detroit results on intraindividual ability strengths and weaknesses as related to a child's own expected level of functioning. Using the Profile Graph can expedite communication to parents and teachers and facilitate educational placement and program planning decisions for learning disabled children.
Rhinitis and sinusitis

Rhinitis and sinusitis are among the most common medical conditions and are frequently associated. In Western societies an estimated 10% to 25% of the population have allergic rhinitis, with 30 to 60 million persons being affected annually in the United States. It is estimated that sinusitis affects 31 million patients annually in the United States. Both rhinitis and sinusitis can significantly decrease quality of life, aggravate comorbid conditions, and require significant direct medical expenditures. Both conditions also create even greater indirect costs to society by causing lost work and school days and reduced workplace productivity and school learning. Management of allergic rhinitis involves avoidance, many pharmacologic options, and, in appropriately selected patients, allergen immunotherapy. Various types of nonallergic rhinitis are treated with avoidance measures and a more limited repertoire of medications. For purposes of this review, sinusitis and rhinosinusitis are synonymous terms. An acute upper respiratory illness of less than approximately 7 days' duration is most commonly caused by viral illness (viral rhinosinusitis), whereas acute bacterial sinusitis becomes more likely beyond 7 to 10 days. Although the mainstay of management of acute bacterial sinusitis is antibiotics, treatment of chronic sinusitis is less straightforward because only some chronic sinusitis cases have an infectious basis. Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) has been subdivided into 3 types, namely CRS without nasal polyps, CRS with nasal polyps, and allergic fungal rhinosinusitis. Depending on the type of CRS present, a variety of medical and surgical approaches might be required.
Magnocellular neurosecretory axon regeneration into rat intrahypothalamic optic nerve allografts

To test the working hypothesis that neurosecretory neuronal regeneration is largely dependent on microenvironmental conditions at the lesion site, intact or predegenerated optic nerves were allografted intrahypothalamically into the hypothalamo-neurohypophysial tract. Neurosecretory axons regenerated consistently into all grafts. Early regeneration proceeded without glial cell association. At later stages of regeneration, however, neurosecretory axons were associated consistently with astrocytes that, within perivascular spaces, were surrounded by a basal lamina. Axons in contact with that basal lamina had the characteristics of terminals, suggesting functional recovery. It is postulated that it is the initial absence of a blood-brain barrier at the graft site that provides a microenvironment similar to that in the neural lobe and that induces neurosecretory axon regeneration.
Chronic unpredictable stress decreases cell proliferation in the cerebral cortex of the adult rat

Background One of the most consistent morphologic findings in postmortem studies of brain tissue from depressed patients is a decrease in the number of glia in the prefrontal cortex. However, little is known about the mechanisms that contribute to this decrease in cell number. Methods To address this question, we subjected adult rats to chronic stress, a vulnerability factor for depression, and measured cell proliferation as a potential cellular mechanism that could underlie glial reduction in depression. Results We found that exposure to chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) for 15 days significantly decreased cell proliferation in neocortex by approximately 35%. This effect was dependent on the duration, intensity and type of stress, and was region-specific. Analysis of cell phenotype demonstrated that there was a decrease in the number of oligodendrocytes and endothelial cells. Finally, using a CUS paradigm that allows for analysis of anhedonia, we found that chronic antidepressant administration reversed the decrease in cortical cell proliferation, as well as the deficit in sucrose preference. Conclusion These findings are consistent with the possibility that decreased cell proliferation could contribute to reductions in glia in prefrontal cortex of depressed subjects and further elucidate the cellular actions of stress and antidepressants.
Taste preferences of the cat for neurophysiologically active compounds

Six naturally occurring compounds which have been observed to be physiologically active in the anesthetized cat are also demonstrated to be behaviorally active in terms of preference and avoidance. Using a two-bottle long-term preference experiment, concentrations of.5, 5, 50 mM L-proline, L-lysine, L-histidine, L-tryptophan, L-isoleucine, and adenine (all in 50 mM NaCl) were compared against 50 mM saline. At 50 mM concentration, those chemicals which elicit ah increase in spike output from geniculate ganglion chemoresponsive group II units (L-proline, L-lysine, and L-histidine) were found to be preferred, while L-tryptophan, L-isoleucine, and adenine, which decrease group II discharge, were avoided. The preference response to L-proline was then observed over a concentration range extending to 500 mM. Maximum response was observed at 50 mM, with preference decreasing as concentration was either increased or decreased.
Nursing During the First Two Days of Life Is Essential for the Expression of Proteins Important for Growth and Remodeling of the Neonatal Porcine Cervix

The neonatal porcine cervix is sensitive to hormones, including relaxin (RLX), from birth. Whether nursing is required to establish the cervical developmental program or to determine cervical developmental trajectory is unknown. The objective of study 1 was to determine effects of age and nursing on expression of molecular markers and mediators of porcine cervical growth and remodeling from birth to postnatal day (PND) 2 and to document effects of RLX treatment during this period on expression of targeted gene products in nursed vs. replacer-fed gilts. Study 2 was conducted to determine effects of age at first nursing and duration of nursing from birth on expression of targeted transcripts or proteins at PND 14. Nursing supported cervical estrogen receptor-α, vascular endothelial growth factor, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)9, and antiapoptotic B-cell lymphoma-2 protein expression on PND 2. These proteins were undetectable in replacer-fed gilts. Returning replacer-fed gilts to nursing after PND 2 did not ...
Properties of 100-mm x 100-mm triple stacks of microchannel plates used in a sealed detector for x-ray crystallography

Abstract We report the assembly of an imaging phototube which, together with a thin NaI(Tl) x-ray scintillator, forms a photon counting area detector for x-ray crystallography. The tube contains a bialkali photocathode, a triple (Z) stack of 100 mm X 100mm MCPs and a 133 mm X 133 mm two dimensional delay line readout. Some aspects of the processing setup that are unique to the very large tube are described. Design considerations with respect to detective efficiency are discussed. Measured gain characteristics of 100 mm X 100 mm Z stacks are presented, showing fairlynarrowpulse height distributions which are improved with UV scrubbing. The MCPs, manufactured from low resistivity glass, are subject to thermal instability, and an account is given of thermal runaway which occured for a stack of MCPs composed of plates with an average room temperature resistivityof approximately 400 MQ-cm2. 1. Detector Description Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the detector. The NaI(Tl) scintillator is deposited by thermal evaporation onto a fiberoptics substrate. Details ofthe scintillator performance are given in a companion paper byShepherd, et a!. in these proceedings.The tube has a metal and ceramic body and a fiber optics faceplate. A semitransparent bialkali photocathode is formed on theFigure 1STAINLESS
Las Navas de Tolosa and the changing balance of power

The battle of Las Navas de Tolosa was a product of the longue duree: a military and political event that marked merely one particular point in a long social and cultural evolution in the Iberian peninsula that had been initiated by the Arab–Berber invasion of 711 and redirected by a resurgence of the Christian population, both in the northern realms of the peninsula and in al-Andalus, where the continuing presence of the muwāllads came to be a critical factor. That resurgence, made possible by the limited cohesion of Andalusi civil society and the associated fragility of the Umayyad regime, was profoundly conditioned by social and cultural accommodation to Christian northwestern Europe.
Frequency of vocalization before and after cochlear implantation: dynamic effect of auditory feedback on infant behavior.

Abstract The motivation for infants’ non-word vocalizations in the second half of the first year of life and later is unclear. This study of hearing infants and infants with profound hearing loss with and without cochlear implants addressed the hypothesis that vocalizations are primarily motivated by auditory feedback. Early access to cochlear implants has created unique conditions of auditory manipulation that permit empirical tests of relations between auditory perception and infant behavior. Evidence from two separate tests of the research hypothesis showed that, before cochlear implantation, infants with profound hearing loss vocalized significantly less often than hearing infants; however, soon after cochlear implantation, they vocalized at levels commensurate with hearing peers. In contrast, vocal behaviors that are typically considered reflexive or emotion-based signals (e.g., crying) were infrequent overall and did not vary with auditory access. These results support the hypothesis that auditory feedback is a critical component motivating early vocalization frequency.
Role of cytokines in lipopolysaccharide-induced functional and structural abnormalities of astrocytes

The mechanism underlying meningitis-associated brain injury is unclear. This study investigated the hypothesis that lipopolysaccharide (LPS) alters astrocyte function and structure via the release of proinflammatory cytokines. In enriched murine astrocyte cultures, LPS inhibited (P < 0.05) glutamine synthetase activity, 3H-gamma aminobutyric acid uptake, and DNA synthesis; LPS also induced ultrastructural changes. Antibodies to tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-1, and interleukin-6 blocked (P < 0.05) in part the LPS-induced inhibition of astrocyte function. Also, treatment of astrocyte cultures with cytokines significantly altered these astrocyte functions and ultrastructure. Taken together, the present findings support the hypothesis that LPS affects astrocyte function and structure via the release of proinflammatory cytokines, especially tumor necrosis factor-alpha.
Transient Myopia and Accommodative Paresis Following Retinal Cryotherapy and Panretinal Photocoagulation

Loss of accommodation, transient myopia, or both, were complications following retinal cryotherapy in two eyes and after panretinal photocoagulation in six eyes (seven patients). A 17-year-old young man had these refractive difficulties one week after cryotherapy for retinal holes. His accommodative amplitude measured 1.0 D in the treated eye and 8.0 D in the untreated eye. One week later he received cryotherapy to the previously untreated eye, reducing that accommodative amplitude to 2.5 D. Accommodative paresis and transient myopia resolved without treatment within five weeks. Six other patients (six eyes, seven episodes) with an average age of 33 years demonstrated accommodative loss (40% to 92% decrease, average decrease 64%), transient myopia, or both, after panretinal photocoagulation for proliferative diabetic retinopathy. All patients recovered without treatment within six weeks (average, 22 days). All young patients should be made aware of this transient, but troublesome complication before treatment.
Exploratory studies aimed at a synthesis of vinigrol. 3. Evaluation of a lactone bridge as a conformational lock.

Evaluated in the present investigation are possible synthetic approaches to vinigrol based on the involvement of lactone rings as tools for the conformational rigidification of functionalized cis-octalins. Emphasis was placed on the structural arrangements resident in 3 and 5. The first of these systems proved to be highly strained and inaccessible. Especially notable was the finding that hydroxy ketenes 14 and 21 could be isolated and shown not to be amenable to cyclization when heated. The stereocontrolled assembly of 5 was successfully accomplished through exploitation of a related synthetic pathway. However, neither this attractive intermediate nor its close relative 33 could be processed in a manner that delivered the vinigrol framework. Nonetheless, several features of the routes deployed offer the prospect of wider application in other contexts.
Toughness of Silicone Block Copolyimides

Synthese et evaluation de ces copolymeres dans lesquels des ameliorations significatives de durete sont obtenues pour de faibles teneurs en silicone sans sacrifier les proprietes de stabilite thermooxydante ou mecaniques
Blood cell labeling with 99mTc: progress and perspectives.

Blood cell labeling with 99m Tc has progressed through various developmental phases. In the case of red cell labeling, the science seems to have matured sufficiently, although minor refinements in the procedures will no doubt continue to be made. During the last 3 to 5 years, there has been a resurgence of interest in labeling leukocytes and platelets with 99m Tc. As a result of these efforts, the techniques for these cell types appear to be developing slowly, having finally come out of their infancy. Progress in these directions over the last 31/2 years is summarized and discussed in this article. Emerging techniques that offter the promise of combining simplicity and convenience with reliable and reproducible data are highlighted. Mechanisms involved in the various labeling approaches, if studied and understood, are included. Recent efforts on cell labeling with 99m Tc using the monoclonal antibody approach are summarized. Although results in this area are quite preliminary, the monoclonal antibody approach holds the greatest promise for labeling leukocytes and platelets in vivo, and thus overcoming the biggest drawback of current techniques, ie, cell separation and handling before labeling.
Obesity in asthma: Location or hormonal consequences?

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions worldwide. In US children and adolescents aged 2 to 19 years, the prevalence of obesity, as defined by a body mass index (BMI) of the 95th percentile or greater of the BMI-for-age/sex standard US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention charts, increased to 16.9% in 2010. Obesity has been linked to the development of cardiometabolic diseases (ie, atherosclerosis, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes). In addition, numerous studies in adults and children have demonstrated a strong positive relationship between obesity and asthma. Prospective studies have shown that obesity predates asthma and that the relative risk of asthma increases with increasing BMI. These studies demonstrated causality and dissociate the notion that themore sedentary lifestyle of asthmatic patients caused by their increased respiratory symptoms with exercise led to obesity. Obese asthmatic patients are reported to have a 5-fold higher risk of hospitalization compared with nonobese asthmatic patients, and obesity leads to 250,000 new cases of asthma per year in the United States. Another consequence of obesity is that obese asthmatic patients are less responsive to inhaled corticosteroids. BMI has been commonly used as an indicator of adiposity in asthma studies because it is relatively easy and inexpensive to obtain. However, BMI does not differentiate between lean mass and fat mass. Girls have greater body fat than boys at the same level of BMI. In adults BMI correlates better with lean mass in male subjects, whereas in female subjects it correlates better with fat mass. Furthermore, Daniels et al found that the relationship between BMI and body fat was dependent on maturation stage, race, sex, and waist/hip ratio in adolescents. In part, these limitations with BMI might explain the observation in large epidemiologic studies of the effect of obesity on asthma in female but not male subjects. Therefore more direct measurements of body fat might provide greater insight into the relationship between obesity and asthma. In this issue of the Journal, Forno et al examine the relationships among atopy, asthma, and measures of adiposity in children in Puerto Rico. Whereas BMI was significantly associated with asthma, as has been consistently demonstrated in previous studies, the association between percentage of
Subspecific morphological variation in the saddle-back tamarin (Saguinus fuscicollis).

Hershkovitz (Living New World, Volume 1. Chicago, University Press of Chicago, 1977, pp. 618-627, 634-666) identified 13 subspecies of Saguinus fuscicollis based on coat color variation on the head, neck, and shoulders. Other morphological differences among the subspecies are unknown. It has been suggested, however, that several of the taxa may be distinct at the specific level. In this report, we examine the level and pattern of facial morphological variation among the subspecific populations to evaluate their taxonomic status. Eleven facial measurements were recorded from the left side of 104 saddle-back tamarin crania. Significant morphological variation among the subspecies in facial heights and depths was detected with discriminant function analysis. Analyses of morphological differences between subspecies and among individual specimens relative to geographical and evolutionary distances (based on the metachromatic theory) were performed by using quadratic assignment procedures. These analyses indicate an absence of geographically related morphological variation across the species range while phylogenetic relationships are reflected in morphological similarities among groups and individuals. This finding is consistent with the formation of subspecific populations by relatively small founding populations budding off from a larger parent population, invading a new interfluvial basin, and then remaining relatively isolated, as suggested by Hershkovitz (Living New World Monkeys, Volume 1. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1977).
Application of a recombinant plasmid expressing desensitized 3-deoxy-d-arabinoheptulosonate-7-phosphate synthase to the breeding of l-phenylalanine producers

Abstract A recombinant plasmid containing a desensitized 3-deoxy- d -arabinoheptulosonate-7-phosphate (DAHP) synthase gene was used for transformation of four strains of Brevibacterium lactofermentum : AJ12036 (a wild strain), no. 29 (a tyrosine auxotroph), MF358 (a phenylaianine analogue resistant mutant), and no. 123 (a phenylalanine analogue resistant and tyrosine auxotrophic mutant). The transformants exhibited improved productivities of aromatic amino acids as follows: (i) the introduction of the plasmid converted AJ12036 to a producer of both l -phenylalanine and l -tyrosine, (ii) transformants of no. 29 produced l -phenylalanine even in a medium with excess l -tyrosine, (iii) those of MF358 produced larger amounts of l -phenylalanine and l -tyrosine than the host strain, (iv) those of no. 123 produced larger amounts of l -phenylalanine than the host strain and the production did not decrease markedly even in a medium with excess l -tyrosine. The gene dosage effect of desensitized DAHP synthase on the production of l -phenylalanine and related compounds is discussed on the basis of these results.
Implementation of an optical multiwavelength full adder with a polarization encoding scheme

We propose and demonstrate an optical multiwavelength full adder that uses polarization encoding and fourwave mixing in photorefractive crystals. Optical wavelengths are employed to encode the different bits of binary numbers. By exploiting the spectral parallelism of optics, we can perform multibit operations simultaneously in photorefractive crystals. The polarization encoding scheme permits an easy, accurate implementation of multiwavelength SUM operations. A carry-save full adder also is demonstrated to improve system speed further during multinumber addition and subtraction.
Inactivation of herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 by synthetic histidine peptides.

Synthetic homologous histidine peptides were found to directly and irreversibly inactivate herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2). The inactivation, which occurred within 1 min of virus exposure to the drug, was independent of temperature but dependent upon the pH and molecular size of the polypeptide. Poly-L-histidine consisting of 24 residues (His-24), with a molecular weight (m.w.) of 3,310, inactivated greater than 99% of the virus present at pH 6.0 and 62% at pH 5.0. Poly-L-histidine consisting of 64 (His-64; average m.w., 8,800) or 75 residues (His-75; average m.w., 10,300) inactivated greater than 99% of virus present at pH 5.0 and 6.0. However, His-24, -64, and -75 were not active against these viruses at pH 7.0 or 8.0. At the concentrations tested, poly-L-histidine of 12 (His-12; m.w., 1,665) or 18 (His-18; m.w., 2,487) residues had no effect on HSV-1 or HSV-2 at any of the pHs tested. When these studies were repeated with other basic homologous polypeptides, poly-L-arginine and poly-L-lysine, various degrees of inactivation were observed that were most pronounced in the neutral-to-alkaline pH range. Once virus was inactivated by poly-L-histidine, the effect could not be reversed in vitro by raising the pH to 7.2 or in vivo by injecting the virus into the neutral environment of an animal. These data suggest that the presence of histidine residues in a peptide of suitable structure may endow that peptide with potent antiviral capabilities.
Passive shortwave infrared technology and hyperspectral imaging for maritime applications

We present image data and discuss naval sensing applications of SWIR and Hyperspectral SWIR imaging in littoral and marine environments under various light conditions. These environments prove to be challenging for persistent surveillance applications as light levels may vary over several orders of magnitude within and from scene to scene. Additional difficulties include imaging over long water paths where marine haze and turbulence tend to degrade radiation transmission, and discrimination of low contrast objects under low-light and night imaging. Image data obtained from two separate passive sensor systems, both of which are built around an RVS large format (1280 x 1024) InGaAs FPA with high dynamic range and low noise electronics, are presented. The SWIR camera imager is equipped with a custom 300 mm focal length f/2 narrow field-of-view (6° diagonal) refractive telescope. The Hyperspectral imager has a custom selectable 900/1800 mm focal length telescope with corresponding 1.55°/0.79° field-of-view and fnumbers of 3/6 respectively. The sensor uses 1280 pixels in the spatial direction and a window of 192 are used for the spectral and operates at a nominal frame rate of 120 Hz. To assess field performance of the SWIR/Hyperspectral imagers, comparison is made to output from a scientific grade VNIR camera and two state-of-the-art low-light sensors.
Dynamic interaction between vehicle and bridge deck subjected to support settlement

Abstract Many bridges inevitably experience foundation settlement during their lifetime. Structural engineers need to limit the foundation settlement so that the bridge structure does not develop intolerable stresses. One factor in the effect of foundation settlement on bridge structures that has not been considered so far is the dynamic interaction between bridge and moving vehicle. In this study, Hamilton principle is adopted to derive the governing equations for the vibration of line supported orthotropic thin plates due to moving vehicles. The effect of foundation settlement on the bridge–vehicle interaction (BVI) is investigated by modifying the interaction forces due to the deformed shape of deck. The effect of fully or partially developed membrane stresses on the BVI will be also discussed. The results show that dynamic load allowance (IM) increases depending on the support location where settlement occurs, mode of settlement, span length, and magnitude of the foundation settlement. However the effect of membrane stresses on IM is insignificant. The analysis results indicate importance of considering the effect of bridge support settlement on the dynamic BVI.
Physiological differentiation within an Encelia farinosa population along a short topographic gradient in the Sonoran Desert

1. Plants of Encelia farinosa growing along a 135-m slope in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona experienced differences in their seasonal moisture regimes. During the spring and summer the slope was characterized by progressively increasing moisture stress from the bottom (wash site) to the top (ridge site). The moisture differences were reflected at the community level by the presence of more cacti at the ridge site and more grasses at the wash site, and at the organismic level by more negative plant water potentials and less negative δ 13 C values (higher water-use efficiencies) in plants of E. farinosa at the ridge site
The time path of the marginal cost of oil: The turning point and the subsequent upward drift

The gradual exhaustion of existing deposits of a depletable non-renewable resource such as oil tends to shift the supply price curve of the resource upwards, increasing its marginal cost. Advances in technologies for exploration and production act as a brake on such upward shifts. Thus, there is a tug-of-war between the gradual exhaustion of existing deposits and technological progress. Using a recently developed constrained least-squares regression technique, we demonstrate that technological progress was the dominant force of the two during the first part of this century, causing a secular drop in marginal costs, but that this situation eventually was reversed, and that the gradual exhaustion of deposits gained the upper hand, causing marginal costs to increase. The turning point occurred around 1971–72. We also discuss the forecasting of the possible current upward drift of marginal costs.
Police Patrols and Fire Alarms: An Empirical Examination of the Legislative Preference for Oversight

Over the past several decades, the police patrol-fire alarm dichotomy, and corresponding logic that legislators generally prefer fire alarms to police patrols, has been widely circulated and debated. Despite this attention, researchers have devoted relatively little attention to (1) distinguishing these forms of oversight empirically and (2) verifying that legislators utilize fire alarms more regularly than police patrols. We take up these challenges by establishing a set of decision rules for coding hearings as either event-driven or routine, ongoing legislative activities. We then employ this empirical distinction as a means of appraising the relative prevalence of police patrols and fire alarms in the United States Congress, both as a general matter as well as across chambers, committees, political parties, and election cycles. Our central finding is that hearing activity is predominantly police-patrol in orientation. Although this result suggests that legislators do not have a systematic preference fo...
Comparison of Steady and Unsteady-State Flow of Gas and Foaming Solution in Porous Media

Mesure de la permeabilite au gaz de carottes de gres Berea lors d'ecoulement instationnaire ou permanent d'azote et d'agents moussants
CD8+ T cell-mediated delayed rejection of orthotopic guinea pig cornea grafts in mice deficient in CD4+ T cells.

PURPOSE. To determine the immunopathogenesis of delayed orthotopic corneal xenograft rejection in mice deficient in the xenoreactive CD4 T cells that mediate acute rejection. METHODS. CB.17 SCID and BALB/c mice were used as recipients of orthotopic cornea grafts obtained from strain 13 guinea pigs. Before transplantation, SCID recipients, which do not normally reject guinea pig cornea grafts, were reconstituted with spleen cells (whole, CD4-depleted, cD4/cD8-depleted) or purified CD8 + T cells from normal BALB/c donors. Graft survival was assessed by clinical examination, and median survival times (MST) were calculated. Lymphocytes from mice that rejected guinea pig cornea grafts were analyzed in vitro for their capacity to respond to guinea pig xenoantigens and to lyse guinea pig target cells. RESULTS. SCID mice reconstituted with whole spleen cells from BALB/c donors rejected guinea pig corneas with a vigor identical with that of normal BALB/c mice (MST = 15 and 14 days, respectively), whereas SCID mice reconstituted with CD4-depleted BALB/c spleen cells rejected guinea pig corneas in a delayed fashion (MST = 27 days), as did SCID mice reconstituted with purified CD8 + T cells from BALB/c donors. Although CD8 + T cells from rejector mice failed to lyse guinea pig target cells in vitro, the T cells proliferated and secreted IFN-y in response to in vitro stimulation with guinea pig xenoantigens. CONCLUSIONS. Guinea pig cornea xenografts that avoid acute rejection in CD4 + T cell-depleted mice are vulnerable to rejection by CD8 + T cells. Effector CD8 + T cells destroy corneal xenografts through release of proinflammatory mediators (IFN-γ) rather than by cytotoxicity.
The rotational velocities of a sample of Herbig Ae/Be stars

Rotational velocity estimates are presented for 15 Herbig Ae/Be stars. Those objects with nominal optical spectral types between B5 and A0 show a frequency distribution of v sin i values significantly different from that of normal Be stars in this spectral type range; the Herbig emission stars must have significantly smaller intrinsic rotational velocities. Herbig emission stars of types B0-B5 cannot be distinguished from normal Be stars on the basis of rotational velocity alone.