cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Behavioral effects of systemic transforming growth factor-alpha in Syrian hamsters

Abstract The growth factor, transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-α) is strongly expressed in the hypothalamic circadian pacemaker, the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). TGF-α is one of several SCN peptides recently suggested to function as a circadian output signal for the regulation of locomotor activity rhythms in nocturnal rodents. When infused in the brain, TGF-α suppresses activity. TGF-α suppresses other behaviors as well including feeding, resulting in weight loss. Elevated TGF-α is correlated with some cancers, and it is possible the TGF-α and its receptor, the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), mediate fatigue and weight loss associated with cancer. If true for cancers outside of the brain, then systemic TGF-α should also affect behavior. We tested this hypothesis in hamsters with intraperitoneal injections or week-long subcutaneous infusions of TGF-α. Both treatments suppressed activity and infusions caused reduced food consumption and weight loss. To identify areas of the brain that might mediate these effects of systemic TGF-α, we used immunohistochemistry to localize cells with an activated MAP kinase signaling pathway (phosphorylated ERK1). Cells were activated in two hypothalamic areas, the paraventricular nucleus and a narrow region surrounding the third ventricle. These sites could not only be targets of TGF-α produced in the SCN but could also mediate effects of elevated TGF-α from tumors both within and outside the central nervous system.
Purification and Characterization of a Membrane-bound Deglycating Enzyme (1-Deoxyfructosyl Alkyl Amino Acid Oxidase, EC 1.5.3) from a Pseudomonas sp. Soil Strain

Searching for novel approaches for uncoupling glycation from hyperglycemia as a cause of diabetic complications, a Pseudomonas sp. soil strain containing a membrane-bound enzyme that deglycates amino acids under release of free fructosamine was isolated (Gerhardinger, C., Marion, S. M., Rovner, A., Glomb, M., and Monnier, V. M. (1995) J. Biol. Chem. 270, 218-224). This enzymatic activity was found to be very sensitive to inactivation by most detergents. From the plasma membrane ( approximately 3 mg/ml protein concentration), the enzyme could be solubilized in active form using 10 mM 3-[(3-chlolamidopropyl) dimethylammonio]-2-hydroxy-1-propanesulfonate aided by 2 M NaCl and 10% glycerol (27% optimal solubilization yield). The supernatant from a 55% saturation (NH4)2SO4 cut was fractionated onto a phenyl-Superose HR 5/5 column and enzymatic activity was eluted with a inverse gradient of (NH4)2SO4. Following removal of (NH4)2SO4 with PD-10 columns and fractionation with a Mono Q HR 5/5 column, a sharp peak of enzyme activity was eluted. Analysis on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed a major band at 106 kDa and, on isoelectrofocusing gel, a pI of 5.1. The activity was completely inhibited by CN- and N3-, suggestive of copper as a likely cofactor. Identification of the protein was confirmed by affinity labeling with 14CN- and isoelectrofocusing. The "amadoriase" activity was also inhibited by Hg2+, Ag2+, Cu2+, and Zn2+ and had Km and Vmax values of 0.14 mM and 0.48 unit/ml (16 units/mg of protein), respectively, for epsilon-(1-deoxyfructosyl) aminocaproate. Significant activity was noted toward many glycated amino acids (highest with epsilon-fructosyl lysine) but not with glycated proteins. The sequence of the first 16 NH2-terminal amino acids and a search in various data bases revealed that this amadoriase enzyme is a novel protein. Based on its properties, this deglycating enzyme, which degrades Amadori products oxidatively into free fructosamine, is classified as fructosyl aminocaproate:oxygen oxidoreductase (EC 1.5.3).
The phosphorescence of the cut surfaces of organs important in oral physiology.

Abstract Cut surfaces of the kidney, skin, tongue, thymus, parotid, tooth, heart, and liver were immersed in liquid nitrogen and made to phosphoresce to an intensity that permitted their being photographed by the afterglow emitted from their exposed surfaces. This manuscript describes the effect of topically applied tetracycline and injected tetracycline on the phosphorescence exhibited by these organs and also the effects of prior removal of important glands of internal secretion on the subsequent phosphorescence of the above mentioned organs. The following conclusions are reported: (a) The covering layer of the tongue is more highly phosphorescent than the deeper structures; (b) The injection of 1 cm 3 of a 4 per cent tetracycline solution four hours before tissue removal had very little effect on tissue phosphorescence, whereas tetracycline exerted an appreciable quenching when applied to the surface; (c) Except for adrenalectomy, the removal of most other important glands of internal secretion did not markedly affect the phosphorescence of the organs tested; (d) The major excitation band responsible for the phosphorescence at 432 and 485 nanometers peaked at 250 n; (e) A minor excitation peak at 310 nanometers was also evident; (f) Both the excitation and emission bands showed marked changes in intensity when the directional vectors of the excitation and emission wave propagations were varied between horizontal and vertical; (g) Some evidence is presented that two capture centres (excitation centres) are probably involved in the phosphorescence and that both are located in different planes.
A model for membrane transport through α-helical protein pores

Abstract In this communication we explore possible mechanisms by which hydrogen-bonded, knobs-into-holes packed side chains from adjoining α-helical segments could function in proton transport through membranes and mechanisms by which proton transport could be coupled to active transport of other substances.
Isolation and culture of myogenic cells from regenerating rat skeletal muscle.

Abstract Methods are described for obtaining and culturing myogenic cells from regenerating skeletal muscle. Regenerative changes were induced in tibialis anterior muscles by daily injection of the local anesthetic bupivacaine. After injecting a muscle for one or more days, spindle-shaped cells were isolated from the muscle and grown in cell culture. These bipolar cells were very similar in appearance to embryonic myoblasts and in culture proliferated and underwent fusion to form myotubes.
Toxicological, Pathological, and Teratological Studies in Animals with Cephradine

Cephradine, a semisynthetic cephalosporin antibiotic, has a low order of oral and parenteral toxicity in animals. The oral LD(50) in mice and rats ranged from 5 to >8 g/kg, and the intraperitoneal LD(50) values in mice and rats were 0.7 to 1.5 g/kg and 4.0 g/kg, respectively. The intravenous LD(50) in mice ranged from 3.0 to 3.8 g/kg. In anesthetized dogs, intravenous doses of cephradine (40 and 120 mg/kg, given 45 min apart) had no effect on either the renal or cardiovascular systems. Single intramuscular injections (0.25 ml or 0.5 ml of a solution containing 125 to 235 mg of cephradine/ml) elicited no signs of either pain or local irritation in dogs, and only transient signs of slight-to-moderate irritation were observed in rabbits. In subacute toxicity studies, cephradine was administered for 4 weeks to rats (daily intraperitoneal doses of 160, 480, or 1,600 mg/kg) and dogs (daily intravenous doses of 80, 240, or 800 mg/kg); in addition, over a 2-week period, monkeys were given daily intravenous doses of 60, 180, or 600 mg/kg. No clinical, biochemical, gross, or micropathological changes due to cephradine were observed in these animals; especially notable was the absence of any signs of nephrotoxicity. In chronic toxicity studies, daily doses of cephradine were administered orally to rats (100 to 1,000 mg/kg), dogs (50 to 500 mg/kg), and monkeys (50 to 500 mg/kg) for 26, 26, and 13 weeks, respectively. Significant responses were observed only in rats, in which grossly enlarged, but histologically normal, ceca developed, a common finding in rodents dosed with antibiotics; in addition, there were increases in the relative and absolute weights of the adrenal glands. None of these effects was observed in rats that were necropsied 3 weeks after termination of dosage. In reproduction studies in mice and rats given either daily oral doses (100 or 300 mg/kg) or daily intraperitoneal doses (rats only; 80 or 320 mg/kg) of cephradine, no drug-related teratogenic changes in the offspring were observed.
Statistical-overlap theory of column switching in gas chromatography: applications to flavor and fragrance compounds.

First-column gas chromatograms (GCs) of hundreds of flavor and fragrance compounds, and second-column GCs of specific regions of these GCs, are predicted using thermodynamic databases in commercial software. A statistical-overlap theory of column switching with cryogenic focusing then is developed by mimicking the predicted GCs by two kinds of Monte Carlo simulations. In the first kind, a probability distribution is calculated for the number of compounds in a region of the first-column GC, based on the number of observed peaks in the region, the number of observed peaks in the second-column GC, and the retention-time distributions and breadths of single-component peaks in both GCs. In the second kind, criteria are established for the theory's application. The theory is applied to 12 regions of first-column GCs. The theory predicts the number of compounds in all of them and shows that separation rarely is complete in second-column GCs, when 10 or more compounds are transferred between columns. The theory a...
Boundary Relations and Teacher Engagement in High School

This article analyzes boundary theory and teacher engagement in a pair of suburban U.S. high schools. Cherry Glen, situated in a thriving white-collar community, has many college-bound students. Pinehill, situated in a declining blue-collar community, has few such students. A sample of 16 teachers, 8 from each school, was selected for intensive observation and interviewing, along with supplemental data gathering. The study found that boundary relations, evidenced by intergroup relationships, are associated with variation in teachers `sense of engagement, that is, their involvement in and commitment to teaching, to students, and to the school. The more highly bounded high school (Cherry Glen) appears to encourage substantial and relatively uniform teacher engagement. The less bounded school appears to encourage considerable diversity in the level and the direction of teacher engagement. Implications of these findings for secondary education and improvement in school quality are discussed.
Why KIPP Is Not Corporate: KIPP and Social Justice

Critics see the Knowledge Is Power Program (KIPP), a network of 141 charter schools, as part of the corporate based school reform movement (e.g., Horn, 2011; Grey, 2011), a view shared by many traditional public school educators. So-called corporate based school reform strategies allegedly exploit students and teachers, employ very narrow metrics of success, and seek to maximize growth and revenue rather than student well-being. Using the now substantial empirical literature on KIPP schools, supplemented by fieldwork, this article refutes these views. Compared to traditional public schools in disadvantaged communities, KIPP schools increase student achievement and attainment, and seek to build community rather than commodity among teachers, students, and parents. KIPP schools are driven much less by individual profit than by social justice, at least as defined by Gramsci (1971) rather than the more fashionable Freire (2007).
Proportion of genes survived in offspring conditional on inheritance of flanking markers.

In mammalian genetics and perhaps in human genetics as well, it is an interesting question as to how many offspring are needed in order to have a desired chance of preserving part or the entire genome of an individual. A more practical and perhaps more important question is: given k children and DNA marker data on a particular region of interest, what proportion of one's genes has been actually passed on to his children? To answer this question, I define the concept of identity by descent proportion, or IBDP for short. The IBDP is defined to be the proportion of genetic material shared identical by descent by a group of relatives in a specified chromosomal region. I provide a novel approach to computing the mean and variance of IBDP for k (>/=2) half-sibs based on marker data, thus providing a means to compute the mean and variance of proportion of genes survived. I first show that each chromosome in an offspring can be represented by a two-state Markov chain, with the time parameter being the map distance along the chromosome. On this basis, I will show that IBDP can be written as a stochastic integral and that the computation of the EIBDP can be reduced to evaluating an integral of some elementary functions. Numerical examples are provided to illustrate the calculation.
Bacteremia Due to Viridans Group Streptococci with Diminished Susceptibility to Levofloxacin among Neutropenic Patients Receiving Levofloxacin Prophylaxis

Despite the use of levofloxacin prophylaxis during the neutropenic period after autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation, viridans group (VG) streptococcal bacteremia developed in 6 (16.2%) of 37 patients who underwent transplantation between 1 January and 25 February 2001 at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. All 6 patients presented with fever and mucositis after a mean of 4.5 days of neutropenia, and 3 developed septic shock. All 6 VG streptococcal isolates from these patients exhibited distinct patterns on pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. All isolates had diminished susceptibility to levofloxacin, 5 to gatifloxacin, and 4 to moxifloxacin. Quinolone resistance was associated with mutations in the quinolone resistance-determining region of GyrA and (for 1 isolate) of ParC. The use of levofloxacin may select VG streptococci with diminished susceptibility to levofloxacin and other quinolones with enhanced activity against gram-positive organisms and, therefore, may not be optimal for preventing VG streptococcal bacteremia in neutropenic patients.
Staying alive: The post-consumption fate of parasite spores and its implications for disease dynamics

Studies on the effects of selective predation by fish on disease dynamics in Daphnia generally assume that consumption by fish means the death of the parasite. I use a combination of feeding trials and infection assays to test this assumption using the host Daphnia dentifera and its common, virulent yeast parasite, Metschnikowia bicuspidata. Approximately 50% of Metschnikowia spores consumed by bluegill sunfish were released in fecal pellets. These spores remained infective to D. dentifera. Therefore, consumption of infected hosts by fish is not necessarily a dead end for the parasite, and in some cases, fish predation may actually help fuel epidemics in natural populations.
Integration of Insecticidal, Phagostimulatory, and Visual Elements of an Attract and Kill System for Apple Maggot Fly (Diptera: Tephritidae)

The apple maggot fly, Rhagoletis pomonella (Walsh), is a key pest of apple in eastern North America that has been historically controlled with organophosphate insecticide applications. Here we report on progress toward development of an effective and maintenance-free attracticidal sphere system for this pest species. In our studies, we evaluated lethality of spinosad in combination with a feeding stimulant (sucrose) to replace a Tangletrap sticky coating as the killing agent of a sphere-based behavioral control system. Spinosad was incorporated into cylindrical and contoured controlled-release caps that were fixed atop visually stimulating sphere bases. For both cap styles, spinosad at or near 1.0% (a.i.) proved to be a relatively durable fly-killing agent, providing ≈85% mortality after simulated rainfall exposure reflective of average season-long precipitation levels experienced during the primary period of risk of apple maggot injury to fruit in the northeastern United States. In field trials, we assessed the impact of color degradation of contoured controlledrelease caps on visual responsiveness of apple maggot fly and found that it had no significant impact on captures. In commercial orchard trials designed to evaluate the potential of attracticidal spheres with contoured caps for direct control of apple maggot, a perimeter-based deployment provided protection comparable to plots receiving 1–2 whole-plot insecticide applications.
Activation of Na+-dependent transport at fertilization in the sea urchin: Requirements of both an early event associated with exocytosis and a later event involving increased energy metabolism

Transport of glycine, phosphate, and thymidine has been studied in parallel in eggs and embryos of Strongylocentrotus purpuratus. Uptake of each of these substrates is shown to be sodium dependent and expressed at fertilization in this species. The data indicate that activation of unfertilized eggs by ammonia does not result in significant expression of any of these transport systems compared to fertilized eggs. Activation of unfertilized eggs by sperm or by ionophore A-23187 in seawater results in complete development of these transport systems. However, if eggs are activated by ionophore in sodium-free seawater or fertilized by sperm in complete seawater and transferred to sodium-free seawater, Na+-dependent transport does not develop. Ammonia reverses the inhibitory effect of sodium-free seawater on development of these transport systems. This reversal is sensitive to 2,4-dinitrophenol. The data suggest that transport of glycine, phosphate, and thymidine share a common mechanism of activation. Moreover, this activation requires both an early event (<5 min postinsemination) and a later event involving increased energy metabolism.
QLMOR: A Projection-Based Nonlinear Model Order Reduction Approach Using Quadratic-Linear Representation of Nonlinear Systems

We present a projection-based nonlinear model order reduction method, named model order reduction via quadratic-linear systems (QLMOR). QLMOR employs two novel ideas: 1) we show that nonlinear ordinary differential equations, and more generally differential-algebraic equations (DAEs) with many commonly encountered nonlinear kernels can be rewritten equivalently in a special representation, quadratic-linear differential algebraic equations (QLDAEs), and 2) we perform a Volterra analysis to derive the Volterra kernels, and we adapt the moment-matching reduction technique of nonlinear model order reduction method (NORM) [1] to reduce these QLDAEs into QLDAEs of much smaller size. Because of the generality of the QLDAE representation, QLMOR has significantly broader applicability than Taylor-expansion-based methods [1]-[3] since there is no approximation involved in the transformation from original DAEs to QLDAEs. Because the reduced model has only quadratic nonlinearities, its computational complexity is less than that of similar prior methods. In addition, QLMOR, unlike NORM, totally avoids explicit moment calculations, hence it has improved numerical stability properties as well. We compare QLMOR against prior methods [1]-[3] on a circuit and a biochemical reaction-like system, and demonstrate that QLMOR-reduced models retain accuracy over a significantly wider range of excitation than Taylor-expansion-based methods [1]-[3]. QLMOR, therefore, demonstrates that Volterra-kernel based nonlinear MOR techniques can in fact have far broader applicability than previously suspected, possibly being competitive with trajectory-based methods (e.g., trajectory piece-wise linear reduced order modeling [4]) and nonlinear-projection based methods (e.g., maniMOR [5]).
Inositol acylation of glycosylphosphatidylinositols in the pathogenic fungus Cryptococcus neoformans and the model yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Cryptococcus neoformans, an opportunistic fungus responsible for life-threatening infection in immunocompromised patients, is able to synthesize glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) structures. Radiolabelling experiments in vitro with the use of a cryptococcal cell-free system showed that the pathway begins as in other eukaryotes, with the addition of N-acetylglucosamine to phosphatidylinositol, followed by deacetylation of the sugar residue. The third step, acylation of the inositol ring, seemed to involve a fatty acid other than palmitate, in contrast with previous findings in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and mammalian GPI pathways. A systematic study of inositol acylation in C. neoformans and S. cerevisiae showed that both organisms used a variety of fatty acids in this step; these were transferred directly from acyl-CoA to inositol without modification. However, the specificity of fatty acid utilization was quite distinct in the two fungi, with the pathogen being substantially more restrictive. In mammalian cells fatty acids added exogenously as acyl-CoAs are not transferred directly to inositol. These results suggest significant differences in the GPI biosynthetic pathway between mammalian and C. neoformans cells that could represent targets for anti-cryptococcal therapy.
Religiously Affiliated Continuum of Care Retirement Communities

This paper reports the results of an exploratory study of nine religiously affiliated continuum of care retirement communlties. The study examines the meaning of religious sponsorship and seven models of structural relationship between CCRCs and their sponsors are developed. All communities have board members, and managers from their parent religious groups, plus chaplains to minister to their residents. However, residents in all communities come from multiple religious backgrounds. Implications of sponsorship are discussed.
Hiv-Infected Mothers' Disclosure to their Uninfected Children: Rates, Reasons, and Reactions

Focused interviews were conducted with a sample of 45 HIV-infected mothers to identify the reasons women offer for disclosing or not disclosing the illness to their uninfected children, the women's perceptions of their children's reactions to such disclosure, and what effects this disclosure may have on subsequent relationships with their children. Two-thirds (66%) of the mothers had disclosed their HIV infection to one or more of their children. Disclosure rates varied according to age of the child, mother's current disease stage, and whether the child lived with the mother. Mothers reported many reasons for disclosing their HIV infection to their children, including wanting to educate their children about HIV, wanting their children to hear it from them, wanting their children to know before they became very ill, and wanting to be honest with their children. Reasons for nondisclosure included believing that their children were too young or immature, believing it would be too much of an emotional burden ...
Technology, production environment, and household income: Assessing the regional impacts of technological change

This paper clarifies the factors determining the welfare effects of improved agricultural technologies when technology diffusion is unevenly distributed across production environments. Household-level income effects are shown to depend primarily on: (a) whether the economy is open or closed with respect to world markets; (b) whether households are net consumers or net producers of the commodity for which technological change occurs; (c) whether households are adopters or non-adopters of the new technology; (d) the degree to which labor is mobile across agricultural regions; and (e) government intervention in commodity andjor factor markets. A review of recent empirical work indicates considerable variation in the relative strength of these various factors across countries, and that assumptions regarding the mechanism by which commodity prices are determined - endogenously as in a closed economy, or exogenously as in an open economy - is especially critical.
Do scatter hoarders trade off increased predation risks for lower rates of cache pilferage

Scatter hoarding is a common food-hoarding strategy of many granivores, known to significantly contribute to seed dispersal. Models of scatter hoarding typically hold that the spatial distribution of the scatter hoards made by birds and mammals result from a trade-off between the energetic cost of spacing caches and the increased risk of pilferage as cache densities increase. Here, we present evidence from 3 field experiments that eastern gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) rely on an alternative strategy in which preferred food items are stored in open habitats, beyond tree crowns, where the probability of predation is higher but the risk of cache pilferage is also reduced (hereafter the habitat structure hypothesis). In the first 2 experiments, squirrels cached larger, more profitable acorns at significantly greater distances from canopy edges than smaller acorns, which were more often cached under trees. In the third experiment, in which we tested the effects of both tree canopy cover and cache density on pilferage rates, we found no effect of density on pilferage rates but significantly higher pilferage rates under canopy cover. Our results indicate that habitat heterogeneity, potentially as it relates to predation risks, influences the distribution of scatter-hoarded seeds, with more profitable seeds placed in more open vegetation beyond the shadow of parent plants. We suggest that this behavior may reflect a general strategy of other scatter-hoarding mammals and birds that likely increases the probability of dispersal and establishment of seeds.
Practical considerations in radical retropubic prostatectomy

The key to achieving excellent outcomes following radical prostatectomy requires the selection of appropriate candidates for surgical intervention; development of an aggressive and proactive preoperative strategy to minimize complications; performing the surgical procedure quickly and methodically with good hemostasis and preservation of the rhabdosphincter and, when appropriate, the neurovascular bundle; compulsive immediate postoperative management; and a game plan to manage and postoperatively restore continence and potency. For men with a biologically significant cancer and 10-year life expectancy, radical prostatectomy represents the optimal management based on cure, morbidity, and quality of life. This article presents practical tips gleaned from over 2,000 radical prostatectomies that the author has performed over the last 15 years.
Immunochemical cross-reactivity between the dissociated capsid proteins of PVY group plant viruses

Abstract Primary (4–5-week) and long-term (12-week) antisera were elicited against the pyrrolidine-dissociated capsid proteins (D-proteins) of tobacco etch virus (TEV) and potato virus Y (PVY), and subsequently used to ascertain the degree of immunochemical cross-reactivity between several PVY group viral D-proteins. Primary antisera were highly specific for homologous antigen. However, immunodiffusion and cross-absorption experiments with long-term anti-TEV D-protein and anti-PVY D-protein sera revealed pronounced cross-reactivity among the D-proteins of 14 different PVY group viruses. Furthermore, all cross-reactions involved the same antibody population except in the case of celery mosaic virus (CeMV) D-protein where but a portion of the antibody population was reactive. Spur formation in immuno-diffusion experiments was only observed among heterologous D-proteins when they were either adjacent to homologous D-protein antigen or (in an opposite direction) when compared with CeMV D-protein. Wheat streak mosaic virus dissociated protein, in contrast, was not found to be cross-reactive with PVY group D-proteins in reciprocal tests, and no cross-reactions were observed with the dissociated proteins of 6 additional viruses outside the PVY group.
Derby drag: Parodying sexualities in the sport of roller derby

The roller derby revival has created a unique stage and community for women athletes. Using Helen Lenskyj's foundational work to frame the institutional oppressions on women in sports, I explore ho...
Pseudorevertants of a Semliki Forest Virus Fusion-Blocking Mutation Reveal a Critical Interchain Interaction in the Core Trimer

Semliki Forest virus (SFV) is an enveloped alphavirus that infects cells by a low-pH-triggered membrane fusion reaction mediated by the viral E1 protein. E1 inserts into target membranes and refolds to a hairpin-like homotrimer containing a central core trimer and an outer layer composed of domain III and the juxtamembrane stem region. The key residues involved in mediating E1 trimerization are not well understood. We recently showed that aspartate 188 in the interface of the core trimer plays a critical role. Substitution with lysine (D188K) blocks formation of the core trimer and E1 trimerization and strongly inhibits virus fusion and infection. Here, we have isolated and characterized revertants that rescued the fusion and growth defects of D188K. These revertants included pseudorevertants containing acidic or polar neutral residues at E1 position 188 and a second-site revertant containing an E1 K176T mutation. Computational analysis using multiconformation continuum electrostatics revealed an important interaction bridging D188 of one chain with K176 of the adjacent chain in the core trimer. E1 K176 is completely conserved among the alphaviruses, and mutations of K176 to threonine (K176T) or isoleucine (K176I) produced similar fusion phenotypes as D188 mutants. Together, our data support a model in which a ring of three salt bridges formed by D188 and K176 stabilize the core trimer, a key intermediate of the alphavirus fusion protein.
Serial analysis of gene expression in mouse kidney following angiotensin II administration.

As a new line of inquiry into the molecular mechanisms underlying pathophysiological processes associated with angiotensin (ANG II)-dependent hypertension, we applied the method of serial analysis ...
The Evolution of Ownersip Patterns in Franchise Systems

Two sets of competing theories have been proposed to explain the existence offranchising; one set based on resource constraints and another on incentives issues. As individual franchise systems mature, these theories predict dryerent patterns in the evolution of the mix offranchisedand company-owned outlets. In this paper, we report the results of an empirical study of franchise system evolution. The jindings generally support the incentives-based rationale for franchising, but they also support a modified resource constraint theory, one which recognizes the synergistic efSects of dual distribution. franchise systems, like other organizations, have life cycles that predict various aspects of their structure and processes. More specifically, they reasoned that the resource scarcity that drove expanding chain retailers to embrace franchising early in their system’s life cycle would lessen as the system became more established. The costs associated with managing franchisees gradually would outweigh the benefits associated with the resources that the franchisees provided, and the systems would move toward chains of company-owned, rather than franchised, outlets. Although the specifics of Oxenfeldt and Kelly’s hypothesis have been questioned (see Dant, Kaufmann, and Paswan 1992 for a review of the empirical literature on this subject), its underlying insight remains compelling. Resources and motivations are likely to change over time in a franchise system, and such changes should impact the ownership structure of that system. In this paper, we explore some of the changes that take place within franchise systems as they proceed from the granting of the first franchise to maturity. The primary purpose is to determine whether the pattern of unit ownership, that is the mix of companyowned and franchised outlets, changes in a predictable manner over time.
Application of radial basis meshless methods to direct and inverse biharmonic boundary value problems

In this paper, we develop a non-iterative way to solve biharmonic boundary value problems by using a radial basis meshless method. This is an original application of meshless method to solving inverse problems without any iteration, since traditional numerical methods for inverse boundary value problems mainly are iterative and hence very time-consuming. Numerical examples are presented for inverse biharmonic boundary value problems and corresponding direct problems, since solving direct problems is a preliminary step for inverse problems. All our examples of direct and inverse problems are solved within seconds in CPU time on a standard PC, which makes our proposed technique a great potential candidate for wide-spread applications to other inverse problems. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Lightning morphology and impulse charge moment change of high peak current negative strokes

[1] We have analyzed very high frequency lightning mapping observations and remote magnetic field measurements to investigate connections between lightning morphology and impulse charge moment change (iCMC) of negative cloud-to-ground (CG) strokes with high estimated peak currents. Four lightning morphologies are identified for a total of 2126 strokes within optimum detection range of the North Alabama Lightning Mapping Array, and statistical iCMC distributions are given for each of these types. Almost all (>90%) of the largest impulse charge moments (greater than −200 C km in this data set) are not produced by strokes in ordinary negative CG flashes. Instead, negative strokes with the largest iCMCs are almost exclusively associated with two unusual flash types that both initially develop as positive (normal) intracloud lightning. In the first type the negative stroke with high iCMCs results from a negative leader that descends from the midlevel negative charge region after the upper level negative leader ceases propagating. In the second type, the upper level negative leader of the intracloud lightning progresses toward ground as a so-called bolt from the blue to generate the negative stroke. Measurements of strokes associated with four negative polarity sprites suggest that all four were most likely produced in the first unusual lightning type. Our results highlight that estimated peak current and impulse charge transfer are not always well correlated and that the in-cloud lightning structure strongly influences charge transfer on short time scales in negative CG strokes.
Technical Change And Growth In The Textile Industry: The Nonwoven Sector

We examine the performance of a growing sector of the textile industry: nonwoven fabric mills. This sector is emerging from what was once a marginal manufacturing sector to become increasingly a focus for the future of textiles in the US. From disposable diapers to bleach wipes, medical apparel to house wrapping, new products are entering the market; these products are made possible by technological advancements in adhesion techniques, fiber modifications and delivery advancements. In order to better understand these significant industry dynamics, we estimate a translog cost function to calculate the elasticity of substitution between capital, labor, energy and materials and to see how these change over time. Additionally, we track trends in the elasticity of scale and the impact of technological change. Textile manufacturing in the United States is shifting away from commodity products and the innovative nonwovens sector provides a much needed exemplar for future textile manufacturing.
Selection for microfilming

This article describes the selection process and theory behind the "great collections" approach to microfilming books. The author argues that this approach will not work for archival materials because: (1) there is no methodology to identify exceptionally strong collections; (2) archival collecting has not been the product of ongoing collaboration with subject specialists, nor are collections periodically reappraised; and (3) few archives have undertaken systematic analysis of their collections to assess their strengths and weaknesses. The author calls for the development of a selection methodology that identifies both the most endangered and the most significant documentary records in order to establish priorities for preserving them. Selection for preservation must be built into every aspect of a repository's collections management, from the initial decision to acquire a collection onwards.
Assessing carbon and water dynamics of no-till and conventional tillage cropping systems in the inland Pacific Northwest US using the eddy covariance method

Analysis of carbon and water budgets in cropping systems is important for understanding the impacts of different management practices and meteorological conditions, in the context of climate change, on agriculture. We have established a pair of long-term eddy covariance flux towers at the R. J. Cook Agronomy Farm (CAF) near Pullman, Washington, US. The tower sites have similar crop rotation, weather conditions, and management practices except tillage. One site has been under no-till management (CAF-NT) since 1998, while the other site has used conventional tillage practice (CAF-CT) over the same time period. Measurements conducted above a garbanzo bean crop (Cicer arietinum) between October 2012 and September 2013 showed the CAF-NT site was close to CO2 neutral with an annual cumulative net ecosystem exchange of CO2 (NEE) of −20 ± 38 g C m−2. By contrast, the CAF-CT site was a CO2 source with an annual NEE of 117 ± 39 g C m−2 during the same time period. The annual NEE values at each site were significantly different (p < 0.05). When carbon losses via harvest export were taken into account, the net rates of carbon loss from each ecosystem to the atmosphere were 32 ± 50 and 178 ± 48 g C m−2 for CAF-NT and CAF-CT, respectively, indicating CAF-NT was close to carbon neutral and CAF-CT was a net carbon source during the measurement period. Partitioning of NEE into gross primary productivity (GPP) and total ecosystem respiration (Reco) shows that the annual cumulative GPP of each site did not differ much, but CAF-NT had lower annual cumulative Reco compared to CAF-CT during the period of October 2012–September 2013. Water budget analyses presented similar magnitudes of annual sums of evapotranspiration (ET), 425 and 416 mm for CAF-NT and CAF-CT, respectively. ET was partitioned into evaporation (E) and transpiration (T) for both sites, and CAF-CT had a larger fraction of annual E compared to CAF-NT during the measurement period. Relationships between carbon and water fluxes were investigated, and for the period of October 2012–September 2013, high correlations were found in GPP vs. T and NEE vs. ET at both sites. In summary, the site deploying no-till practices had lower total ecosystem respiration and evaporation throughout the measurement period, more net carbon uptake and a greater ratio of transpiration over evapotranspiration (T/ET) during the growing season.
32P-Postlabeling Assay for Free Radical-Induced Dna Damage: The Formamido Remnant of Thymine

A prominent lesion in DNA exposed to oxidative free radicals results from the degradation of thymine leaving a formamido remnant. A 32P-postlabeling assay has been developed for the detection of the formamido lesion. The assay is based on the circumstance that the lesion prevents hydrolysis by nuclease PI of the phosphoester bond 3′ to the damaged nucleoside. Thus, a nuclease PI plus acid phosphatase digest of DNA generates mostly nucleosides whereas the formamido lesion is rendered as a modified dinucleoside monophosphate. Dinucleoside monophosphates, but not nucleosides, are apt substrates for 32P-postlabeling by polynucleotide kinase. The assay was applied to calf thymus DNA X-irradiated in oxygenated solution. The formamido lesion could be detected down to a dose of a few Gy.
Consecutive versus alternating cycles of ovarian stimulation using human menopausal gonadotrophin

Ovarian stimulation is an effective treatment for patients with ovulatory dysfunction and unexplained infertility. An initial report has suggested that consecutive cycles of ovarian stimulation can be employed without causing a diminished response in the second cycle. However, this observation has neither been confirmed nor has a regimen of consecutive stimulation cycles been compared to one of alternating stimulation cycles. Accordingly, 44 consecutive and 54 alternating cycles of stimulation were evaluated in patients (n = 42) who were treated with human menopausal gonadotrophin (HMG) alone. Human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) 10,000 IU was administered i.m. when at least one follicle exceeded 16 mm in mean diameter, and this was followed by either intercourse or intrauterine insemination. Using each patient as her own control, we were unable to demonstrate any differences in mean HMG dose requirements, endocrine parameters or follicular development on the day of HCG administration, or ovulation rates in the second consecutive cycle compared to the second alternating cycle. Clinical pregnancies resulted significantly more often in a consecutive cycle (8/22) than in an alternating cycle (2/27, P = 0.029). We conclude that consecutive cycles of ovarian stimulation with HMG are not detrimental and may, in fact, result in increased cycle fecundity compared to alternating stimulation cycles.
Cultura e identidade no estudo dos nomes de lugares

A Toponimia e a disciplina que estuda os toponimos, ou seja, os nomes de lugares e esta ligada a lexicologia, ciencia que pode ser definida como o estudo cientifico do lexico. O objetivo geral deste trabalho e identificar o papel da cultura e identidade no processo de nomeacao de lugares. Apoiar-nos-emos na abordagem da Geografia Cultural e Humanista para compreendermos, de forma mais aprofundada, a nocao conceptual de lugar. A nomeacao dos lugares relaciona-se diretamente com o modus vivendi dos grupos humanos, e os fatores culturais e de identidade sao fundamentais nesse processo. Como percurso teorico-metodologico, utilizaremos os autores: Dick (1990, 1990a), Andrade (2010, 2012), Andrade e Bastiani (2012), Holzer (2003, 1999) e Tuan (1979, 2012).
Non-invasive automated blood pressure monitoring in ambulatory normotensive men

In this study non-invasive automated ambulatory blood pressure monitoring techniques have been used to evaluate patterns of blood pressure in 34 healthy normotensive men. The results of the monitoring reveal that, as in hypertensive patients, blood pressure is highest during daytime and lowest at night in these volunteers. The average of daytime blood pressures (128± 12/80± 7 mmHg) were significantly higher (p <0.01) and nighttime blood pressure averages (109± 11/67±9 mmHg) were significantly lower (p < 0.01) than the conventionally measured casual blood pressure (119 ± 13/76±9 mmHg). On average, 15.6% of systolic blood pressure readings in each tracing were greater than 140 mmHg More than 25% of these elevated readings were found in 6 of the 34 subjects. The percentage of diastolic blood pressures greater than 90 mmHg in each tracing was 14.4%. Again, six subjects accounted for more than 25% of elevated diastolic blood pressures during the 24hour monitoring period. The incidence of these elevated blood pressure readings was not age-dependent. However, subjects with a positive family history for hypertension had, on average, more elevated systolic blood pressures than patients with a negative family history (24 vs. 9%, p < 0.05), even though casual blood pressures were not different between these groups. The correlation coefficient between casual and whole-day average systolic blood pressures was highly significant (r = 0.60, p < 0.001) as was the correlation coefficient between casual and whole-day average diastolic blood pressure (r = 0.72, p < 0.001). However, both correlation coefficients were stronger after substitution of casual blood pressures by the averages of blood pressure recorded between 8.00 and 10.00 a.m.
When all information is not created equal

Following Shannon's landmark paper, the classical theoretical framework for communication is based on a simplifying assumption that all information is equally important, thus aiming to provide a uniform protection to all information. However, this homogeneous view of information is not suitable for a variety of modern-day communication scenarios such as wireless and sensor networks, video transmission, interactive systems, and control applications. For example, an emergency alarm from a sensor network needs more protection than other transmitted information. Similarly, the coarse resolution of an image needs better protection than its finer details. For such heterogeneous information, if providing a uniformly high protection level to all parts of the information is infeasible, it is desirable to provide different protection levels based on the importance of those parts. The main objective of this thesis is to extend classical information theory to address this heterogeneous nature of information. Many theoretical tools needed for this are fundamentally different from the conventional homogeneous setting. One key issue is that bits are no more a sufficient measure of information. We develop a general framework for understanding the fundamental limits of transmitting such information, calculate such fundamental limits, and provide optimal architectures for achieving these limits. Our analysis shows that even without sacrificing the data-rate from channel capacity, some crucial parts of information can be protected with exponential reliability. This research would challenge the notion that a set of homogenous bits should necessarily be viewed as a universal interface to the physical layer; this potentially impacts the design of network architectures. This thesis also develops two novel approaches for simplifying such difficult problems in information theory. Our formulations are based on ideas from graphical models and Euclidean geometry and provide canonical examples for network information theory. They provide fresh insights into previously intractable problems as well as generalize previous related results. (Copies available exclusively from MIT Libraries, Rm. 14-0551, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307. Ph. 617-253-5668; Fax 617-253-1690.)
Effect of selected antibiotics on prothrombin time of rats and the relationship to coumarin anticoagulants.

SummaryAntibiotics with known intracellular sites of action, viz. Nogalamycin, actinomycin D, puromycin, and cycloheximide, were given to rats in vivo to determine which of them produce effects comparable to the coumarin anticoagulants. All of these agents prolonged the prothrombin time, however, in the case of Nogalamycin and actinomycin such effects could not be produced unless lethal amounts were used. A comparison of the onset of effect of these agents with warfarin was made. Nogalamycin and actinomycin showed a marked delay in onset while the effect of puromycin and cycloheximide coincided closely with warfarin which suggests that warfarin does not act at the same site as Nogalamycin and actinomycin D. Since puromycin and cycloheximide simulated the action of warfarin during the early part of the time course, it seems likely that warfarin may act at or close to the site of action of these agents.
Influenza A and Febrile Seizures

Predisposing factors and characteristics of febrile seizures in children with influenza A infection were studied in children hospitalized with febrile seizures between January and July 2005 at Tuen Mun Hospital, Hong Kong.