cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparative anoxygenic photosynthetic capacity in 7 strains of a thermophilic cyanobacterium

The capacity for anoxygenic photosynthesis and other physiological traits related to sulfide tolerance were compared in several strains of the thermophilic cyanobacterium Oscillatoria amphigranulata. Strains were isolated from hot springs in which the environmental sulfide over O. amphigranulata microbial mats spanned a range from 0.2 to 1 mM. Great differences in the capacity for anoxygenic photosynthesis existed among the isolates but these correlated in a predictable manner with the sulfide content of the springs. The time required for commencement of anoxygenic photosynthesis and the degree of initial sensitivity of Photosystem II to sulfide did not correlate with environmental sulfide levels. Kinetic parameters of sulfide consumption indicate uniformly low affinities for sulfide (Km of about 1 mM) but differences among strains in Vmax.
MBMS analysis of a fuel-lean ethylene flame

A one-dimensional laminar C2H4/O2/Ar flame was analyzed with a molecular-beam mass spectrometer (MBMS) system. Profiles of concentration, area expansion ratio and temperature were measured for a C2H4/O2/56.9% Ar (φ = 0.75) flame at 4.000 ± 0.001 kPa (30.00 Torr) and 30.0 cm/s burner velocity (at 300K). Full concentration profiles were mapped for 22 stable and radical species, while point measurements were made for seven other species. These mole fraction data are valuable for inference of kinetics and testing of reaction mechanisms. Elemental flux deviations were less than 15% in the flame zone and less than 4% in the post-flame zone supporting the data’s accuracy and reliability. Flux balance calculations were also used to obtain the net rate of destruction for C2H4 and C2H3. New values of the rate constants for C2H4 + H → C2H3 + H2, C2H4 + OH → C2H3 + H2O and C2H3 → C2H2 + H were supported by the agreement between measured rates and the rates predicted from measured temperatures, measured mole fractions, and the new rate constants.
Conceptual basis of a systems prioritization methodology for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant

Abstract A systems prioritization methodology (SPM) is under development at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) to provide guidance to the US Department of Energy (DOE) on experimental programs and design modifications to be supported in the development of a successful compliance certification application to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) for the geologic disposal of transuranic (TRU) waste. The purpose of the SPM is to determine the probabilities that the implementation of different combinations of experimental programs and design modifications, referred to as activity sets, will lead to compliance with 40 CFR 191, Subparts B and C (Environmental Radiation Protection Standards for the Management and Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel, High-Level and Transuranic Waste) and 40 CFR 268·6 (Petitions to Allow Land Disposal of a Waste Prohibited under Subpart C of Part 268, which implements the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, i.e., RCRA). Appropriate tradeoffs between compliance probability, implementation cost and implementation time can then be made in the selection of the activity set to be supported in the development of a licensing application. Determination of compliance probabilities for individual activity sets involves probability spaces for (1) possible outcomes of the experimental programs, (2) uncertainty in analysis input given specific experimental outcomes and (3) possible future occurrences at the WIPP, and also models for (1) fluid flow in the vicinity of the repository, (2) radionuclide release from the repository due to flowing groundwater, (3) groundwater flow and radionuclide transport in geologic formations overlying the repository, (4) radionuclide release to the surface environment due to cuttings and spallings removal in the event of a drilling intrusion and (5) transport of RCRA contaminants in gas and brine. Descriptions are given for the conceptual structure of the SPM and the manner in which this structure determines the computational implementation of an example SPM application. Due to the sophisticated structure of the SPM and the computational demands of many of its components, the overall computational structure must be organized carefully to provide the compliance probabilities for the large number of activity sets under consideration at an acceptable computational cost. Conceptually, the determination of each compliance probability is equivalent to a large numerical integration problem.
Involucrin Expression in Normal and Neoplastic Human Skin: A Marker for Keratinocyte Differentiation

Involucrin is a recently recognized structural component of mature squamous epithelial cells. We examined involucrin expression using an immunoperoxidase technique in normal skin and in a variety of epidermal hyperplasias and neoplasms to determine whether distinctive staining patterns existed within these lesions. Four patterns of reactivity were observed: diffuse intracellular staining typical of keratinocytes of the upper third of normal epidermis and epidermal hyperplasias and benign neoplasms; staining at cell borders, seen principally in benign epidermal neoplasms; patchy staining characteristic of squamous cell carcinoma in situ; and absence of staining in benign and neoplastic basaloid epithelium. Invasive nests of squamous cell carcinomas were negative for involucrin reactivity, whereas pseudoinvasive tongues of epithelium at the bases of keratoacanthomas were focally positive. These results suggest that immunoperoxidase staining for involucrin may be useful in distinguishing certain benign from malignant epidermal neoplasms as well as in understanding the altered maturation and kinetics of proliferative processes afflicting keratinocytes.
According to the Artists: Professional Fashion Illustrators' Views About Their Art Form

The purpose of this study was to gather information and opinions from major contemporary fashion illustrators in order to enrich classroom teaching of the subject and to compensate for the void in literature about post-1960 artists and their work. Individualized letters were sent to artists, most of whom were producing advertising or editorial art for New York stores, designers, firms, or publications. The artists were asked to respond to two pages of open-ended questions about their careers and other fashion illustration topics. Fifty-five artists replied in written form regarding their educational and professional experiences, suggestions for content and teaching approach in a beginning fashion illustration course, sources of poses, preferred artists' tools and media, and work setting. They also assessed the dominance of fashion photography over illustration in editorial portions of fashion magazines such as Vogue and Harper's Bazaar and cited current trends and influences. in fashion art. The quantity ...
Cytotoxic T Lymphocyte Antigen 4 (CTLA4) Blockade Accelerates the Acute Rejection of Cardiac Allografts in CD28-deficient Mice: CTLA4 Can Function Independently of CD28

Cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA4) appears to negatively regulate T cell activation. One mechanism by which CTLA4 might antagonize T cell function is through inhibition of CD28 signaling by competing for their shared ligands B7-1 and B7-2. In addition, CTLA4 ligation could initiate a signaling cascade that inhibits T cell activation. To address whether CTLA4 could inhibit immune responses in the absence of CD28, rejection of heart allografts was studied in CD28-deficient mice. H-2q hearts were transplanted into allogeneic wild-type or CD28-deficient mice (H-2b). Graft rejection was delayed in CD28-deficient compared with wild-type mice. Treatment of wild-type recipients with CTLA4-immunoglobulin (Ig), or with anti–B7-1 plus anti–B7-2 mAbs significantly prolonged allograft survival. In contrast, treatment of CD28-deficient mice with CTLA4-Ig, anti–B7-1 plus anti–B7-2 mAbs, or a blocking anti-CTLA4 mAb induced acceleration of allograft rejection. This increased rate of graft rejection was associated with more severe mononuclear cell infiltration and enhanced levels of IFN-γ and IL-6 transcripts in donor hearts of untreated wild-type and CTLA4-Ig– or anti-CTLA4 mAb–treated CD28-deficient mice. Thus, the negative regulatory role of CTLA4 extends beyond its potential ability to prevent CD28 activation through ligand competition. Even in the absence of CD28, CTLA4 plays an inhibitory role in the regulation of allograft rejection.
Human acute myelogenous leukemia stem cells revisited: there's more than meets the eye.

In this issue of Cancer Cell, Goardon et al. revise earlier conclusions regarding acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) stem cells by demonstrating that in the majority of patients, they reside in two hierarchically related populations most similar to normal hematopoietic progenitors. These findings have implications for therapeutic targeting of these cells.
Effects of cocaine, exercise, and resting conditions on plasma corticosterone and catecholamine concentrations in the rat.

Cocaine and exercise are both known as stressors, but little is known about the combined effects of these two treatments. In this study, rats under the influence of cocaine (12.5 mg/kg, intraperitoneally [IP]) or saline were exposed to a variety of resting conditions, as well as exercise (running, 26 m/min, 10% grade, for 30 minutes), to evaluate the amount of stress imposed by these conditions as determined by the changes in the plasma concentrations of corticosterone (C) and catecholamines (norepinephrine [NE], epinephrine [E], dopamine [DA]). After injection of saline, resting near the operating treadmill for 30 minutes caused the concentration of C to increase from 0.07 ± 0.03 to 0.30 ± 0.05 μg/mL (P < .05), compared to the increase to only 0.15 ± 0.04 μg/mL after resting in a cage. This increase due to proximity to the treadmill subsided after 50 minutes. After cocaine, the 30-minute resting values were 0.70 ± 0.15 (treadmill) and 0.55 ± 0.13 (cage) (P < .05), and did not subside after 50 minutes. Cocaine also increased levels of E, NE, and DA above those in saline under all rest conditions. With exercise, the value for C in saline increased to 0.61 ± 0.18, but, in cocaine, the value went to 0.93 ± 0.05 (P < .05). The concentrations of E (946 ± 74 v 603 ± 101 pg/mL, cocaine v saline) and NE (1,027 ± 102 v 440 ± 153, cocaine v saline) during exercise also were exaggerated by cocaine treatment (P < .05). These results show that cocaine by itself imposes a stress response, and that when an additional stress factor is added (eg, exercise or altered rest conditions), the increases in plasma C, E, and NE (used as indices of stress) are greater than those associated with either stress alone.
Tube carbohydrate assimilation method for the rapid identification of clinically significant yeasts.

Yeasts have gained greater recognition in the past several years as being the cause of significant infections. We modified and evaluated a carbohydrate assimilation test to identify yeast isolates rapidly and accurately. The 192 clinical isolates used in this study included 20 species of the generaCandida, Cryptoccoccus, Saccharomyces, Torulopsis, Trichosporon, Rhodotorula, andGeotrichum. The method achieved 95% agreement with standard Wickerham assimilation results, and 97% of the isolates were correctly identified with the aid of a few auxilliary tests. The method is rapid, reliable, and versatile in its use.
C6/36 Aedes albopictus cells have a dysfunctional antiviral RNA interference response.

Mosquitoes rely on RNA interference (RNAi) as their primary defense against viral infections. To this end, the combination of RNAi and invertebrate cell culture systems has become an invaluable tool in studying virus-vector interactions. Nevertheless, a recent study failed to detect an active RNAi response to West Nile virus (WNV) infection in C6/36 (Aedes albopictus) cells, a mosquito cell line frequently used to study arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses). Therefore, we sought to determine if WNV actively evades the host's RNAi response or if C6/36 cells have a dysfunctional RNAi pathway. C6/36 and Drosophila melanogaster S2 cells were infected with WNV (Flaviviridae), Sindbis virus (SINV, Togaviridae) and La Crosse virus (LACV, Bunyaviridae) and total RNA recovered from cell lysates. Small RNA (sRNA) libraries were constructed and subjected to high-throughput sequencing. In S2 cells, virus-derived small interfering RNAs (viRNAs) from all three viruses were predominantly 21 nt in length, a hallmark of the RNAi pathway. However, in C6/36 cells, viRNAs were primarily 17 nt in length from WNV infected cells and 26–27 nt in length in SINV and LACV infected cells. Furthermore, the origin (positive or negative viral strand) and distribution (position along viral genome) of S2 cell generated viRNA populations was consistent with previously published studies, but the profile of sRNAs isolated from C6/36 cells was altered. In total, these results suggest that C6/36 cells lack a functional antiviral RNAi response. These findings are analogous to the type-I interferon deficiency described in Vero (African green monkey kidney) cells and suggest that C6/36 cells may fail to accurately model mosquito-arbovirus interactions at the molecular level.
Vascular density is highest in the proximal region of the mouse prostate.

The prostate is androgen-sensitive, but hormone sensitivity differs in the different regions of the organ. After castration of rodents, the prostate involutes to one-third to one-fifth of its normal size. Involution is accompanied by apoptosis of prostate epithelial cells (1). The majority of the epithelial cell loss during involution occurs in the distal region of the gland, whereas the proximal region remains largely intact (2). Upon administration of testosterone to castrated animals, the prostate regenerates to its original size. During regeneration, epithelial proliferation is highest in the distal region (3). The localized response to androgens is consistent with what is known about the location of prostate stem cells. Cells that divide infrequently, a hallmark of stem cells, are predominantly located in the proximal region of the ducts (4). Cells isolated from the proximal region have a greater proliferative potential, a greater ability to form duct-like structures in vitro, and a greater capacity to regenerate prostatic organs in vivo than cells isolated from the remainder of the organ (4,5). In addition, cells isolated from the proximal region can survive implantation into a castrated animal and later regenerate an intact prostate upon administration of testosterone, whereas cells from the remainder of the prostate do not survive in an androgen ablated animal (5). The proximal region also expresses higher levels of TGF-β, and TGF-β activity appears to be important in regulating the quiescence of this region (6,7). These observations suggest that the stem cells reside in the proximal region where they are protected from the effects of androgen ablation, whereas the transit amplifying cells (proliferative cells with a limited lifespan) are predominantly located in the distal region and are sensitive to the effects of androgen. The vasculature of the prostate also responds to androgens. In castrated animals, vascular density in the prostate decreases. Indeed, apoptosis of the blood vessel endothelial cells precedes that of the epithelial cells (8). Upon restoration of testosterone to castrated animals blood vessel endothelial cells proliferate in parallel with the epithelial cells (9,10), and vascular density increases. The vascular response to androgens is mediated by angiogenic growth factors that are produced in an androgen-dependent manner by prostatic cells. Regeneration of the prostate in testosterone-treated castrated mice can be inhibited by soluble receptors for two endothelial cell-specific ligands, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and angiopoietins. The tight association between vascular and epithelial response to androgen suggests that there might also be regional differences in the vascular response similar to the regional response of the epithelial cells. We have examined if there are regional differences in vascular density in the mouse prostate and in the vascular response to androgen ablation and androgen repletion.
The Construction of Brownness: Latino/a and South Asian Bloggers' Responses to SB 1070

The vernacular discourses of Latino/a and South Asian American bloggers in the context of SB 1070, legislation recently passed in Arizona, illustrate how their shared experiences of discrimination (re-)articulate “brownness” as a complex racial formation aligned with constructions of “illegal” immigrants. Bloggers' differentiation of their subjective experiences of alien citizenship and racialized belonging from white or black citizenship problematizes the rigidity of their “middling” positionality within the U.S. racial structure, encouraging a more contextualized approach. I consider the bloggers' varied constructions of brownness, its distinctive positionality within racial structures, and their contestations of the discourses that racialize brown identities.
Sources of Agricultural Economic Growth and Productivity: Discussion

The methods and results of Jorgenson and Gollop and Ball are very similar, as Freeman notes. Both define output and input as net of intrasectoral transfers. The shadow value of capital services is used in aggregation, and both account for the changing demographics of the farm work force. Not mentioned by Freeman is the inclusion of government payments in the value of outputs or cost of inputs. Because the intent is to measure the "private" rate of growth in productivity, this is entirely appropriate. For the period 1947-85, Jorgenson and Gollop report an average growth rate in agricultural output of 1.92% per year, while inputs committed to agriculture increased only 0.34% per year. In excess of 80% of the growth in output was accounted for by increased productivity. Ball reports an average annual growth rate in sectoral output of 2.03% per year for the period 1948-89. Growth in input use was only 0.20% annually. Productivity growth accounted for 90% of the growth in output over this period. While some differences exist, these two studies do, indeed, provide comparable indicators of sectoral performance.
Tribute to Laura Perls

This article is a narrative about Laura Perls's life and death. Because women's narratives are often not heard, and because Laura wrote very little, it is important to tell her story. Laura studied with Martin Buber and Paul Tillich, was a dancer and concert pianist, and wanted to name the emerging Gestalt therapy "existential therapy." Because her version of Gestalt therapy is closer to philosophy and the arts and emphasizes a more "feminine" support than Fritz Perls's emphasis on action and confrontation, her version of Gestalt should be told for historical accuracy.
Numerical issues in solving population balance equations for particle size distribution control in emulsion polymerization

This work presents numerical studies of solutions to population balance models for latex particle size distributions, using styrene emulsion polymerization as a prototype. Emphasis is placed on control relevant issues such as computational speed and particle size distribution controllability. Simulation results using fixed and moving grid discretizations of the population balance equations are presented. Simulation experiments reveal controllability behavior that parallels recent theoretical results for controllability of particle size distributions in emulsion polymerization.
4‐Ethyl‐2‐methyl‐2‐octenoic acid

4-Ethyl-2-methyl-2-octenoic acid reactant: 64.1 g. (0.50 mole) of 2-ethylhexanal byproduct: 4-ethyl-4-hydroxy-2-methyloctanoic acid, γ-lactone product: 4-ethyl-2-methyl-2-octenoic acid intermediate: ethyl 4-ethyl-2-methyl-3-hydroxyoctanoate intermediate: ethyl 4-ethyl-2-methyl-2-octenoate intermediate: ethyl 4-ethyl-2-methyl-3-octenoate Keywords: Grignard and related reactions; aldehydes, stabilization against autoxidation; ethylene glycol, anhydrous; ethyl α-bromopropionate, lachrymator; flasks, copper; flasks, stainless-steel; flasks, stainless-steel
Personality and Work Behaviour: Exploring the Linkages

Une etude du rapport personnalite et conduites de travail requiert la prudence dans la consideration des liaisons critiques dans les modeles theoriques et dans les plans de recherche utilises et la personnalite et les construits de critere proposes en theorie et en recherche. La valeur de la consideration de ces liaisons est illustree par des exemples de la litterature en pointe sur la personnalite et les conduites de travail. The more productive study of the relationship of personality to work behaviour requires thoughtful consideration of critical linkages in the theoretical models and research designs used, and the personality and criterion constructs incorporated in theory and research. The value of considering these linkages is illustrated by examples from the emerging literature on personality and work behaviour.
Experimental infection of cotton rats and bobwhite quail with Rickettsia parkeri

Background Amblyomma maculatum is the primary vector for Rickettsia parkeri, a spotted fever group rickettsia (SFGR) and human pathogen. Cotton rats and quail are known hosts for larval and nymphal A. maculatum; however, the role of these hosts in the ecology of R. parkeri is unknown.
Visualization in computational fluid dynamics: a case study

VISUAL 3, a highly interactive environment for the visualization of 3D volumetric scientific data, is described. The volume can be broken up in a structured or unstructured manner, and the problem can be static or unsteady in time. Because the data are volumetric and all the information can be changing, traditional CAD techniques are not appropriate. Therefore, VISUAL3 was developed using intermediate mode-rendering methods. A unique aspect of VISUAL3 is the dimensional windowing approach coupled with cursor mapping, which allows efficient pointing in 3D space. VISUAL3 is composed of a large number of visualization tools that can be generally classified into identification, scanning, and probing techniques. >
High rate sodium ion battery anodes from block copolymer templated mesoporous nickel–cobalt carbonates and oxides

Micelle-templated ordered mesoporous nickel–cobalt carbonates and oxides are fabricated using a metal nitrate–citric acid strategy, which avoids the hydrolysis and aging requirements associated with sol–gel chemistry. A series of mesoporous NixCo(3−x)(CO3)y and NixCo(3−x)O4 films with varying Ni–Co compositions and 14 ± 4 nm mesopores are fabricated with the same block copolymer template. AFM and GISAXS analysis indicates that the mesostructure is maintained through the formation of the carbonate and oxide, while GIXD profiles confirm formation of pure spinel phases of semi-crystalline NixCo(3−x)O4. The micelle templated mesopores are interconnected and provide transport paths for the electrolyte to minimize the solid-state diffusion requirements associated with battery electrodes. These materials exhibit good performance as sodium ion battery anodes even at high current densities of 4 A g−1. Amongst the mixed-metal oxides, Ni2CoO4 exhibits the highest specific capacity of 239 mA h g−1 after galvanostatic cycling at a current density of 1 A g−1 for 10 cycles. We attribute the superior performance of Ni2CoO4 at high rates to the high surface area and short ion-diffusion paths of the nanoporous anode architecture, while the higher nickel content in the mixed metal oxide provides enhanced stability during oxide formation along with enhanced electronic conductivity, leading to improved cycling stability of the anode. This micelle template metal nitrate–citric acid method enables new possibilities for fabricating variety of ordered mesoporous mixed-metal carbonates and oxides that could be used in a wide range of applications.
Differential effects of docosahexaenoic acid on preterm and term placental pro-oxidant/antioxidant balance

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplementation in pregnancy may confer some clinical benefits; however, this compound can exert pro-oxidant effects. In this study, we investigated the effects of DHA on pro-oxidant/antioxidant balance in term and preterm placental explants, assessing oxidative stress marker concentrations, antioxidant capacity and pro-inflammatory cytokine production. Term (n=8) and preterm (n=9) placental explants were exposed to lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 1 ng/ml), DHA (1, 10 and 100 μM), and DHA and LPS simultaneously or pre-treated with DHA for 24 h prior to LPS treatment. The production of malondialdehyde (MDA, lipid peroxidation), 8-hydroxy-2-deoxy guanosine (8-OHdG, oxidative DNA damage) and pro-inflammatory cytokines (tumour necrosis factor α (TNFα), interleukin 6 and interferon-γ) and total antioxidant capacity were measured. DHA at a concentration of 100 μM induced oxidative stress in term placentas, while at all the three concentrations, it induced oxidative stress in preterm placentas. DHA and LPS resulted in reduced MDA levels in term (P<0.005) and preterm (P=0.004) placentas and reduced 8-OHdG levels in preterm placentas (P=0.035). DHA pre-treatment, but not co-treatment with LPS, reduced 8-OHdG levels (P<0.001) in term placentas. DHA increased antioxidant capacity only in term placentas (P<0.001), with lower antioxidant capacity being observed overall in preterm placentas compared with term placentas (P≤0.001). In term placentas, but not in preterm ones, DHA co-treatment and pre-treatment reduced LPS-induced TNFα levels. The ability of DHA to alter placental pro-oxidant/antioxidant balance is dependent on the DHA concentration used and the gestational age of the placental tissue. DHA has a greater capacity to increase oxidative stress in preterm placentas, but it offers greater protection against inflammation-induced oxidative stress in term placentas. This appears to be a result of DHA altering placental antioxidant capacity. These data have implications for the timing and concentration of DHA supplementation in pregnancy.
Characterization and partial purification of protein fatty acyltransferase activity from rat liver

The acylation of proteins through the addition of palmitate to cysteine residues is a common posttranslational modification for a variety of proteins, but the enzymology of this reversible modification has resisted elucidation. We developed a strategy to purify protein fatty acyltransferase (PAT) activity from rat livers that took advantage of recent knowledge on the cellular location and inhibition of PAT activity. We determined that three different thiolases have PAT activity in the presence of imidazole and therefore started the purification with a plasma membrane fraction to minimize the contamination with these enzymes. After detergent extraction of the plasma membrane fraction, the PAT activity was enriched about 90-fold by sequential chromatography including affinity chromatography to a cerulenin-based inhibitor of palmitoylation. The partially purified PAT activity (1) was lost with treatments to degrade or denature proteins, (2) could acylate tubulin, Gα i and RGS16 and (3) showed a preference for palmitate and to a lesser degree other long-chain fatty acids. This purification procedure is a significant advance over previous efforts at PAT purification and a starting point for a proteomic approach for identification of mammalian PAT.
Beyond Categories: The Visual Memex Model for Reasoning About Object Relationships

The use of context is critical for scene understanding in computer vision, where the recognition of an object is driven by both local appearance and the object's relationship to other elements of the scene (context). Most current approaches rely on modeling the relationships between object categories as a source of context. In this paper we seek to move beyond categories to provide a richer appearance-based model of context. We present an exemplar-based model of objects and their relationships, the Visual Memex, that encodes both local appearance and 2D spatial context between object instances. We evaluate our model on Torralba's proposed Context Challenge against a baseline category-based system. Our experiments suggest that moving beyond categories for context modeling appears to be quite beneficial, and may be the critical missing ingredient in scene understanding systems.
Constraining Ministerial Power: The Impact of Veto Players on Labor Market Reforms in Industrial Democracies, 1973-2000

This article investigates how veto players affect the reform of labor market policies in advanced industrial democracies. Complementing Tsebelis’s veto player model with the assumption of ministerial agenda control within the cabinet, the argument is that the constitutional and partisan distribution of veto power affects the capability of ministers to change the status quo in line with their partisan goals. This claim is tested with panel data on unemployment insurance entitlements and employment protection legislation in 20 OECD countries between 1973 and 2000. The central finding is that veto players constrain the power of ministers, cabinet ministers and prime ministers alike, to pursue their partisan interests. The partisanship of ministers shapes reforms only if the ideological distance between veto players is relatively small, and the influence of ministerial partisanship declines as ideological distance increases.
Ionophoretic Ca2+ mobilization in rat gonadotropes and bovine adrenomedullary cells

Abstract Stimulation of luteinizing hormone (LH) release from the pituitary gonadotrope and catecholamine release from the adrenomedullary cell are Ca 2+ dependent processes (for reviews, see 1, and 2, respectively). In both systems, extracellular Ca 2+ is requisite for stimulation of release by the naturally occurring secretogogue (gonadotropin releasing hormone, GnRH, for the pituitary gonadotrope; acetylcholine, Ach, for the adrenomedullary cell). Inhibitors of Ca 2+ movement are also effective blockers of GnRH and Ach action on the respective release systems. The observation that ionophores including A23187 (Lilly) and X537A (Roche) as well as K + depolarization in the presence of extracellular Ca 2+ evoke release from both systems, suggests that Ca 2+ may actually mediate the responses in these systems. In the present study we have examined the effect of Ca · Ionomycin (Squibb) and shown it to be a particularly potent secretogogue whose action is coupled to its ability to transfer Ca 2+ from the extracellular medium across the cell membrane.
Optimized detection of sequence variation in heterozygous genomes using DNA microarrays with isothermal-melting probes

The use of DNA microarrays to identify nucleotide variation is almost 20 years old. A variety of improvements in probe design and experimental conditions have brought this technology to the point that single-nucleotide differences can be efficiently detected in unmixed samples, although developing reliable methods for detection of mixed sequences (e.g., heterozygotes) remains challenging. Surprisingly, a comprehensive study of the probe design parameters and experimental conditions that optimize discrimination of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) has yet to be reported, so the limits of this technology remain uncertain. By targeting 24,549 SNPs that differ between two Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains, we studied the effect of SNPs on hybridization efficiency to DNA microarray probes of different lengths under different hybridization conditions. We found that the critical parameter for optimization of sequence discrimination is the relationship between probe melting temperature (Tm) and the temperature at which the hybridization reaction is performed. This relationship can be exploited through the design of microarrays containing probes of equal Tm by varying the length of probes. We demonstrate using such a microarray that we detect >90% homozygous SNPs and >80% heterozygous SNPs using the SNPScanner algorithm. The optimized design and experimental parameters determined in this study should guide DNA microarray designs for applications that require sequence discrimination such as mutation detection, genotyping of unmixed and mixed samples, and allele-specific gene expression. Moreover, designing microarray probes with optimized sensitivity to mismatches should increase the accuracy of standard microarray applications such as copy-number variation detection and gene expression analysis.
On optimal prefiltering for wavelet coefficient computation

The authors use an algorithm proposed by M.J. Shensa (1992) for computing the coefficients of the wavelet series transform (WST) or continuous wavelet transform (CWT) to filter a sampled discrete-time signal and then apply S. Mallat's (1989) discrete wavelet transform (DWT) algorithm to the filtered sequence. The prefiltering is used to reduce the approximation error between the computed and desired coefficients. The design of optimal causal and noncausal FIR prefilters which reduce the approximation error as much as possible is considered. Numerical experiments are provided to demonstrate the performance of these optimal prefilters. >
Endothelial cell culture on dacron fabrics of different configurations.

The growth of tissue-cultured aortic endothelial cells from the calf using 12 different configurations of Dacron polyester (U.S. Catheter and Instrument Co.) as substrates was studied. Scanning electron microscopy showed maximum cell coverage on tightly knit configurations, whereas loose knits and velours did not support cell growth.
Self-Models and Relationship Threat

This study investigated a key claim of risk regulation theory, namely, that psychological internalizing of a relationship threat will serve as a mediator of the link between self-models (self-estee...
The influence of thermal biology on road mortality risk in snakes

Road mortality is a significant threat to terrestrial vertebrates in many areas, and the novel thermal environment of black-topped roads may represent ecological traps for some species and demographic groups. We investigated the relationship between ambient temperature and on-road detection in a snake assemblage in southeastern Louisiana by comparing observations of live snakes on a black-topped road, across measurements of air temperature and road temperature on survey days. Analyses indicated on-road detection of snakes was significantly influenced by ambient temperature conditions for five snake species. Additionally, road temperatures, and the difference between air and road temperatures, were strong drivers of on-road snake detections. Permutation analysis methods revealed that significant temperature related group (species or sex) structure exists in occurrences of snakes on the roadway, and that road temperature was the strongest driver of species differences. We also compared how air and road temperatures affected occurrence on the road between sexes in the colubrid snakes Nerodia fasciata, Nerodia cyclopion, Thamnophis proximus, and Pantherophis obsoletus. Males and females of the viviparous species N. fasciata, N. cyclopion, and T. proximus diverged significantly in temperature preferences, with females found under warmer conditions, while males and females of the oviparous species P. obsoletus did not. Road temperature was also the strongest driver of differences between sexes. Our results indicate that black-topped roads are an ecological trap that is heavily influenced by sex, reproductive condition, and species specific thermoregulatory requirements, particularly for viviparous species.
The Role of Beta-Blocker in Heart Failure in Adults with Congenital Heart Disease

Thanks to the enormous progress in the field of cardiac surgery and paediatric cardiology since the mid of 20th century, more and more children with congenital heart defects reach the adulthood. This on the other hand encounter phy- sician and patients various problems due to late complications after the heart surgery like congestive heart failure, ar- rhythmia and sudden death. One of the challenging area is the medical management of heart failure in these patients with complex anatomy and hemodynamics. The lack of evidence of the effectiveness of the anti congestive medications in this population in from of large randomized controlled trials, makes it difficult to establish universally accepted therapy guide- lines. In this article we will review the evidence of the beta-blockers in heart failure in patients with congenital heart disease. Also we will discuss the mechanisms of heart failure in this patient's cohort and will review the literature with respect to the use of neurohormonal antagonists in congenital heart disease. There is an urgent need to initiate well-designed clinical trials to prove if the positive results of neurohormonal blockade in acquired heart failure in adults can be translated in pa- tients with congenital heart disease.
Optimal Mix of Operations Management Contents for a Blended Course for Teaching Healthcare MBA Students

Use of technology is rapidly advancing in online teaching, especially in working-professional MBA programs. MBA programs for special student categories are continuously trying to customize content delivery methods to suit student lifestyles, while meeting accreditation requirements. This paper develops a mathematical model that helps to devise an efficient use of a mixture of classroom and online platforms for covering the necessary Operations Management material for a specialized group of healthcare students. The primary contribution of this paper is not a new use of technology in teaching Operations Management, but an elegant method to organize the materials for teaching a course in an innovative setup that better fits student lifestyles. This method is generic and can be applied to other disciplines.
Detection of organophosphorus pesticides in blood by QuEChERS-GC

Objective:To develop a new method to detect four kinds of organophosphorus pesticides in blood by QuEChERS-GC.Methods:The impurities in blood samples were removed by formic acid firstly,then the blood were extracted with ethyl acetate and cleaned up by dispersive-SPE with activated carbon,PSA and PEP and the supernatant were determined.Results:The linear range was 0.035~3.50 μg/ml(r=0.9981~0.9999).The recovery range was 73.1%~119.6%.RSD was 3.2%~12.6%,and the lowest detecting limits was 0.01~0.02 mg/L.Conclusion:The method can be used to analyze organophosphorus pesticides in blood with convenience,rapidity,and high recovery rate.
Effects of BN on physical and chemical properties of the mold powder for IF steel

Effects of BN on physical and chemical properties of the mold powder for IF steel were studied.A new type of mold powder specially for IF steel was developed.Carbon particle was replaced by BN as the skeleton particle.The new powder is better than the conventional ones in melting characteristics,viscosity,inclusion absorption ability and crystallization property.It can also avoid carbon pick up in the mold for IF steel.Boron pick up,however,could occur during the unsteady casting,but it does not during steady casting.
Analysis of the immunogenicity of human rabies vaccinations among persons bited by dogs

Aim:To learn the positive rate of the human rabies vaccinations and it's influencing factors so as to guide the preventive work of human rabies.Methods:1 065 inoculators of human rabies vaccinations from Zhongyuan district center for disease control and prevention,who were bited by the dogs,were investigated with the questionnaire and their antibody was tested by ELISA during May,2006 to May,2008.Results:The total positive rate of antibody was 81.7%(870/1 065).The positive rate was 86.7%(530/611) in female and 74.9%(340/454) in male,the difference was significant(χ2=30.412,P=0.001).10% of the inoculators didn't clean the wound,45.0% of them didn't disinfect the wound.The positive rate was 86.7%(26/30) among the inoculators without syndrome of bleeding,and 81.5%(844/1 035) among the inoculators with syndrome of bleeding(χ2=0.512,P=0.480).The positive rate among the inoculators who cleaned the wound for more than 20 minutes,who cleaned for less than 20 minutes,and those without cleaning were 88.0%(169/192),80.7%(691/856),58.8%(10/17),the differeces were significant(χ2=11.623,P=0.003).The rates among the inoculators who disinfected with iodine,those who didn't disinfect and disinfected with others were 86.4%(287/332),81.6%(385/472),78.5%(193/246),the differeces were significant(χ2=6.608,P=0.037).The positive rate was lower among the inoculators with heavy smoking(χ2=35.440,P=0.001)or drinking(χ2=53.591,P=0.001).Conclusion:The antibody must be tested so as to learn the production of antibody after injecting the human rabies vaccinations and guide the preventive work of human rabies.
Differential Plant-Parasitic Nematode Sensitivity to Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors

Non-fumigant carbamate and organophosphate nematicides act by inhibiting nematode acetylcholinesterases at the neuromuscular junction, resulting in paralysis. The effects of non-fumigant nematicides are readily reversible if the nematicide exposure is reduced or eliminated. Plant-parasitic nematodes display large variations between genera in regard to sensitivity to carbamate and organophosphate nematicides. In addition, there is often no correlation between observed behavioral effects of applied nematicide and the in vitro enzyme inhibition on crude acetylcholinesterase preparations. Nematode acetylcholinesterases are present in multiple molecular forms within the nematode neuroanatomy. Class C acetylcholinesterase is unique: it has remarkably high affinity for acetylcholine, but is relatively insensitive to carbamate and organophosphate inhibitors. This form of acetylcholinesterase is relatively abundant in Heterodera glycines, Meloidogyne arenaria, and M. incognita. The responses of plant parasitic nematodes to nematicides are a result of the relative abundance and localization of the various forms of acetylcholinesterase
Biomedical Polymers: Processing

One of the reasons that polymers are important in biomedical applications is the ease with which they can be processed in comparison with metals and ceramics. Well-established methods practiced in the plastics industry for processing commodity and engineering polymers can be used to fabricate biomedical devices and scaffolds. Methods are also being developed to accommodate the special characteristics of biomedical polymers, such as for instance processing of degradable polymers that require additional precautions. Degradable polymers require water free environment, mild thermal processing conditions, and precise temperature controls. Solvent based processing is therefore preferred to avoid degradation and to incorporate drug and bioactives.
Challenges in critical infrastructure security

The threat landscape is continuously evolving. Large, widespread worm infections are leaving more and more space to more stealthy attacks targeting highly valuable targets. Industrial Control Systems (ICS) are rapidly becoming a new major target of cyber-criminals: ICS are evolving, bringing powerful capabilities into the critical infrastructure environment along with new and yet undiscovered threats. This was pointed out in multiple occasions by security experts and was confirmed by a recent survey carried out by Symantec: according to the survey (http://bit.ly/bka8UF), 53% of a total of 1580 critical infrastructure industries have admitted to being targeted by cyber attacks. The survey implies that the incidents reported by the press over the last several years are nothing but the tip of a considerably larger problem: the vast majority of these incidents has never been disclosed. Moreover, when looking at the few publicly disclosed incidents such as Stuxnet, we see a completely different level of sophistication, compared to traditional malware witnessed in the wild in previous years. This talk will dive into the challenges and the opportunities associated to ICS security research, and on the tools at our disposal to improve our ability to protect such critical environments.
How to specify super-smooth mirrors: simulation studies on nano-focusing and wavefront preserving x-ray mirrors for next-generation light sources

The advent of high-brilliance synchrotron radiation sources with low emittance and high degree of coherence has urged the development of super-smooth x-ray mirrors, which have sub-nanometer height errors and sub-50-nrad slope errors. To ensure the optical performance and avoid procuring significantly more expensive mirrors than necessary, knowledge of the mirror surface power spectral density (PSD) function is required over a wide spatial frequency range. In addition, a better understanding of the diffraction effects of different spatial frequencies is required to guide the specification of the mirror in the beamline design phase. In this work, two typical x-ray beam focusing conditions for the proposed APS upgrade are studied: the diffraction limited focusing and the demagnification dominated focusing. The effects of surface errors are studied using both the method described by Church and Takacs1 and numerical simulations with HYBRID2. Using this information, we show how the mirror specification depends on the mirror PSD.
Sexual dimorphism in gene expression and regulatory networks across human tissues

Sexual dimorphism manifests in many diseases and may drive sex-specific therapeutic responses. To understand the molecular basis of sexual dimorphism, we conducted a comprehensive assessment of gene expression and regulatory network modeling in 31 tissues using 8716 human transcriptomes from GTEx. We observed sexually dimorphic patterns of gene expression involving as many as 60% of autosomal genes, depending on the tissue. Interestingly, sex hormone receptors do not exhibit sexually dimorphic expression in most tissues; however, differential network targeting by hormone receptors and other transcription factors (TFs) captures their downstream sexually dimorphic gene expression. Furthermore, differential network wiring was found extensively in several tissues, particularly in brain, in which not all regions exhibit strong differential expression. This systems-based analysis provides a new perspective on the drivers of sexual dimorphism, one in which a repertoire of TFs plays important roles in sex-specific rewiring of gene regulatory networks.
Ultrafast transient THz spectroscopy of azobenzene

Ultrafast optical pump-THz probe experiments conducted to study photo-reactive molecular systems are presented after a brief methodology overview. Large differences in UV excitation and THz absorption cross-sections make these pump-probe investigations extremely difficult. This study concentrates on transient dynamics of trans-cis-trans isomerization of azobenzene in the liquid and solid phase.
Resolving Cypriniformes relationships using an anchored enrichment approach

Cypriniformes (minnows, carps, loaches, and suckers) is the largest group of freshwater fishes in the world (~4300 described species). Despite much attention, previous attempts to elucidate relationships using molecular and morphological characters have been incongruent. In this study we present the first phylogenomic analysis using anchored hybrid enrichment for 172 taxa to represent the order (plus three out-group taxa), which is the largest dataset for the order to date (219 loci, 315,288 bp, average locus length of 1011 bp). Concatenation analysis establishes a robust tree with 97 % of nodes at 100 % bootstrap support. Species tree analysis was highly congruent with the concatenation analysis with only two major differences: monophyly of Cobitoidei and placement of Danionidae. Most major clades obtained in prior molecular studies were validated as monophyletic, and we provide robust resolution for the relationships among these clades for the first time. These relationships can be used as a framework for addressing a variety of evolutionary questions (e.g. phylogeography, polyploidization, diversification, trait evolution, comparative genomics) for which Cypriniformes is ideally suited.