cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Buffered codons in human transcriptional units

Background Codon usage is well established for a number of different species. Multiple models have been proposed to show codon bias as a balance between mutation and selection. Most of these models emphasize controlling the speed of protein translation from the mRNA and increasing the accuracy where this bias is dependent on the abundance of the available tRNA. We show codon usage bias from a different angle based on a new hypothesis where selection is expected to act in a direction to favor codons that are more buffered, or protected, from mutation than those sensitive to mutation. It is anticipated that the more buffered the original coding sequence, the higher the survival chance for the whole organism since the resulting protein sequence remains unchanged. Two different complementary measures are developed to compute the average buffering capacity in a given sequence. We show that the buffering capacity of coding sequences is in general higher than that of randomly generated sequences and that of shifted reading frames. Highly expressed genes are shown to have an even higher buffering capacity than non-housekeeping genes.
Bacterial endocarditis after dental procedures in patients with aortic valve prostheses.

Infection at the site of prosthetic cardiac valves is almost always fatal. Underlying tissues are destroyed, and irreparable damage develops. The authors describe two patients who demonstrate this course and suggest preventive measures.
Selectivity of mixed-function oxygenase enzyme induction in flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus) collected at the site of the baie verte, newfoundland oil spill

Abstract 1. A marked level of mixed-function oxygenase (MFO) enzyme induction was observed in kidney but not in liver tissues of winter flounder collected at the site of a spill of No. 2 fuel oil in Newfoundland. 2. A number of MFO-linked, electron transport components including cytochrome P 450 , cytochrome P 450 reductase and cytochrome b 5 reductase were also slightly elevated in kidney tissues of fish at the oiled site. 3. The results obtained in this particular field trial demonstrate that reliance on the measurement of liver MFO parameters alone could lead to false negatives in biological monitoring programs. 4. The study also indicates that the exclusive use of liver tissues to investigate the induction potential of various chemicals should be avoided.
LISA data analysis using genetic algorithms

This work presents the first application of the method of genetic algorithms (GAs) to data analysis for the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA). In the low frequency regime of the LISA band there are expected to be tens of thousands of galactic binary systems that will be emitting gravitational waves detectable by LISA. The challenge of parameter extraction of such a large number of sources in the LISA data stream requires a search method that can efficiently explore the large parameter spaces involved. As signals of many of these sources will overlap, a global search method is desired. GAs represent such a global search method for parameter extraction of multiple overlapping sources in the LISA data stream. We find that GAs are able to correctly extract source parameters for overlapping sources. Several optimizations of a basic GA are presented with results derived from applications of the GA searches to simulated LISA data.
The MNDO potential energy surface and tunnelling dynamics of the cyclobutane radical cation

Abstract The potential energy surface of the cyclobutane radical cation is examined in detail using the MNDO method. The calculations contradict a recent ESR study, where the lowest energy structure was assigned as a puckered rhombus (C2v). Our calculations suggest that the trapezoid structure (C2v) is the lowest energy species. Tunnelling calculations also predict that the cyclobutane radical cation undergoes rapid interconversion, via tunnelling, between equivalent trapezoids at temperatures below 198 K. These results are then used to explain the observance of a nine-line ESR spectra for the cyclobutane radical cation.
Successive reversal learning in the bob-white quail (Colinus virginianus).

Four Bob-white quail (Colinus virginianus) were run on a series of twenty-five reversals of a discrimination involving simultaneous presentation of horizontal and vertical stripes. Analysis of five reversal blocks revealed a decrease in errors to criterion between the first and last block (t=2·50, P<0·05). Closer analysis indicated that there was no improvement after the fourth reversal, and little improvement at all on the first twenty trials of each reversal. This ‘limited’ improvement is consistent with previous results for the pigeon, thus providing some support for use of reversal learning as a tool in comparative learning studies. Analysis of individual performances, however, brought out certain methodological problems primarily involving consideration of the influence of absolute levels of performance on progressive improvement trends.
Diffusion of helium in olivine at 1 atm and 2.7 GPa

Abstract Diffusion of helium has been characterized in natural Fe-bearing olivine (Fo90) and pure synthetic Mg2SiO4. Polished slabs of olivine, oriented normal to a, b or c-axes, were implanted with 3He, either at 100 keV at a dose of 5 × 1015/cm2 or at 3.0 MeV at a dose of 1 × 1016/cm2. A set of diffusion experiments on 3He implanted olivine were run in Pt capsules in 1-atm furnaces. In addition to the 1-atm experiments, experiments on implanted samples were also run at higher pressures (2.6–2.7 GPa) to assess the potential effects of pressure on He diffusion and the applicability of the diffusion data in describing He transport in the mantle. The high-pressure experiments were conducted in a piston-cylinder apparatus using a special “soft” pressure cell, with the implanted forsterite samples directly surrounded by AgCl. 3He distributions following all experiments were measured with nuclear reaction analysis using the reaction 3He(d,p)4He. For diffusion in forsterite we obtain the following Arrhenius relations: D ‖ a = 3.73 × 10 - 8 exp ( - 135 ± 5 kJ mol - 1 / RT ) m 2 s - 1 , D ‖ b = 1.33 × 10 - 8 exp ( - 137 ± 13 kJ mol - 1 / RT ) m 2 s - 1 , D ‖ c = 3.61 × 10 - 6 exp ( - 159 ± 4 kJ mol - 1 / RT ) m 2 s - 1 . The data for diffusion parallel to the c-axis define a single Arrhenius line spanning more than 7 orders of magnitude in values of diffusion coefficients, and a 700 °C range in temperature (250–950 °C). Diffusion parallel to the a-axis appears slightly slower, and diffusion parallel to the b-axis is slower than diffusion parallel to the a-axis by about two-thirds of a log unit. This anisotropy is broadly consistent with observations for diffusion of Ni and Fe–Mg in olivine. Diffusion in Fe-bearing natural olivine (transport parallel to b) agrees within uncertainty with findings for He diffusion in the pure Mg end-member olivine. The higher-pressure experiments yield diffusivities in agreement with those from the 1-atm experiments, indicating that the results reported here can be reasonably applied to modeling He transport in the upper mantle. The insensitivity of He diffusion to pressure over the investigated range of conditions suggests that compression of the mineral lattice is not sufficient to significantly influence migration of the relatively small helium atoms, which likely diffuse via crystal interstices. The He diffusivities measured in this work are generally consistent with results from the study of Futagami et al. (1993) , who measured He diffusion in natural olivine by outgassing 4He implanted samples, and with the diffusivities measured by bulk-release of He by Shuster et al. (2004) , but are about 2 orders of magnitude slower than the recent findings of Tolstikhin et al., 2010 , Blard et al., 2008 . An up-temperature extrapolation of our data also show reasonable agreement with the higher-temperature measurements of Hart (1984) ; the coincident diffusivities from these studies under the high-temperature conditions used by Hart et al. (2008) in their He diffusion/production modeling supports the applicability of their modeling results.
Control of feedback repression of the enzymes of purine biosynthesis in Aerobacter aerogenes

Abstract Studies have been made of the regulation of the synthesis of six purine biosynthetic enzymes: P -ribosyl- PP amidotransferase (I), P -ribosyl glycinamide synthetase (II), P -ribosyl formyl glycinamide amidotransferase (IV), adenylosuccinate lyase (VIII-IIA), adenylosuccinate synthetase (IA), and IMP dehydrogenase (IG). Wild type Aerobacter aerogenes and two purine requiring mutants derived from it, were grown with limiting or excess adenine or guanine, cell extracts prepared, and enzyme activities measured. Using as a reference the levels of enzymes found in ghe wild type bacteria grown in unsupplemented medium, the results indicate that all of the enzymes are repressed by excess purine, and derepressed by purine starvation. However, these controls are not coordinate throughout the pathway, since each segment of the pathway shows a unique response, apparently to accommodate the special functions of the enzymes within it. The levels of three early enzymes of the pathway are primarily responsive to adenine supplementation and therefore it is concluded that these are controlled by the intracellular levels of adenine nucleotides, or perhaps those of the inosine (produced in cultures by deamination). Two of these (I and IV) are coordinately controlled, while the levels of the third enzyme (III) vary in parallel with the others, but with changes of a smaller magnitude. One enzyme (VIII-IIA) was shown to be subject to a dual or multivalent control, apparently being regulated both by the supply of adenine and guanine nucleotides. This enzyme has a dual function, catalyzing one step in IMP synthesis, and another in the conversion of IMP to AMP. Strikingly a subsequent enzyme in IMP formation, IMP cyclohydrolase, has been shown by others to be primarily controlled by guanine. In addition to its above mentioned function, this latter enzyme can be envisioned as necessary for an interconversion reaction in the pathway from adenine to guanine nucleotides. The synthesis of the enzymes studied subsequent to IMP formation, in the branches leading to AMP (IA) and GMP (IG), appear primarily controlled by their respective endproducts alone. However, the possibility that the levels of the first enzyme of GMP formation (IG) might be increased by the presence of substrate, as well as repressed by endproduct, was discussed.
Immunoglobulin fragments, F(ab')2, that are cytotoxic to enzyme-treated cells

Bivalent immunoglobulin fragments of IgG, F(ab')2, prepared from normal murine sera were found to be cytotoxic to neuraminidase-treated cells. The fragments were cytotoxic to both allogenic and syngeneic targets (with respect to the source of the sera), suggesting that the antigen bound by the F(ab')2 is not related to the major histocompatibility locus of mice (H-2).
The timecourse of DNA repair replication in ultraviolet-irradiated HeLa cells

Abstract Repair replication of DNA in ultraviolet-irradiated HeLa-S3 cells has been examined and shown to continue for many hours after irradiation. The rate of repair replication decreases with time, but approaches zero slowly; the decline in rate with time is similar for all doses studied, from 24 to 624 ergs/mm2 at 254 nm. Cells in S-phase exhibit the same rates of repair and pattern of decline in rate as do unsynchronized cells. The size of the repair patches produced at different times after irradiation does not vary. The initial rates of repair replication are linear with dose up to about 150 ergs/mm2; above 300 ergs/mm2, no further increase in initial rate is evident. The dose — response data suggest that repair replication may be rate limited by an enzyme in the repair pathway.
Are Science and Religion Complementary Perspectives

Eugene Goodheart provides an eloquent defense of the non-literalist, religious imagination before the aggressive atheism of several of today’s leading neo-Darwinists. But the position that he takes—that science and religion represent “complementary perspectives” serving different, yet equally permanent needs—is undermined by two fundamental problems. First, the claim that science can only tell us how the natural world works, while religion offers meaning, value, and moral guidance, may hold true when science is understood on the model of mathematical physics, but not when evolutionary biology and its derivatives are considered. Even Stephen Jay Gould, whose famous defense of science and religion as “nonoverlappling magisteria” resembles Goodheart’s, acknowledges that the case of evolutionary biology is profoundly different. Here evolutionary fact and moral values bleed together obscuring the boundary between science and religion. Second, religion and legacy of the religious imagination embedded in our culture, lose their ability to provide meaning, morals, and consolation when core elements of religious teaching are no longer believed to be true.
Shear-enhanced orientation and concentration fluctuations in wormlike micelles : Effect of salt

Small angle light scattering (SALS) is used to investigate the effect of excess salt on flow-induced orientation and concentration fluctuations in a semidilute aqueous solution of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide and sodium salicylate. In the low shear rate regime, solutions at all salt concentrations studied showed a butterfly scattering pattern, which can qualitatively be explained on the basis of the Milner modification to the Helfand−Fredrickson model. At high shear rates, however, novel scattering patterns are observed, evolving from a flattened butterfly pattern with a broad scattering maximum, at relatively low salt:micelle ratios, Ψ ≤ 4, to a 4-fold symmetric pattern at 5 ≤ Ψ ≤ 6, and finally to a 2-fold symmetric pattern oriented in the vorticity direction at 7 ≤ Ψ < 10. No scattering was obtained at Ψ ≥ 10. These patterns were in qualitative agreement with the Porte model of a structural evolution from an entangled to a multiconnected network as the salt concentration is increased as well as with ...
Locating the detonation point of China's first nuclear explosive test on 16 October 1964

Abstract On 23 May 1995, the U.S. Government released a declassified image acquired by the satellite-based KH-4A camera that showed the surface scarring from China's first nuclear explosive test on 16 October 1964. The sub-scene showed the surface effects from the test with respect to the surrounding natural features. The detonation point was located by visually matching the lithological and terrain features shown in the KH-4A sub-scene with the same features shown in a Large Format Camera (LFC) ortho-image. The geographic coordinates of the 16 October 1964 test were then measured directly from the LFC ortho-image: 40·8152 ± 0-0005° N, 89·7925 ± 0·0005° E. The successful effort to locate the 16 October 1964 detonation point demonstrated the value of using declassified images with commercial images acquired by satellite-based sensors. Research on other geographic areas could also lead to the discovery of new information through the synthesis of these two sources of imagery.
The Global Assembly Industry: Maquiladoras in International Perspective

Mexico's assembly industry is a striking border phenomenon - the result of free trade in goods and capital but not labor between neighboring countries with huge differences in wage rates. Throughout its twenty-five year history the maquiladora industry has remained largely a border industry, using inputs from the U.S. and integrating very little with the Mexican economy. Yet in other parts of the globe, the foreign assembly industry has been a catalyst, a stepping stone, to further industrialization and higher wage rates in the host country. The newly industrializing countries of Asia (Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore) are prime examples. If the maquiladora industry begins to follow suit - as the Mexican government is encouraging - it will gradually lose its border identity and integrate with the interior. This article argues that there is no natural, inexorable path to advanced industrialization based on the assembly industry. Rather, the reason why some countries have been able to develop on the basis of assembly industry and some have not has to do with public policy, the social and political context and the historical period. The following discussion of the rise of the global assembly industry addresses the conditions and factors that helped to create the success of some of the Asian countries, relegate the Caribbean to traditional assembly and put Mexico in a role somewhere between the two extremes. While some of the propitious conditions and factors could be replicated consciously in Mexico to take greater advantage of the assembly industry, there is no assurance that the assembly industry will automatically evolve into a more integrated industrial base. The article concludes with policy recommendations that are particularly relevant in light of the upcoming free trade agreement with the U.S.
Mead's Lost Conception of Society

The single best word to describe the impact of George Herbert Mead's ideas on the intellectual world is “ironic.” Although Mead was a philosopher, his ideas have been more influential in sociology than in philosophy. Despite Mead's belief that it is the job of sociologists to study society, it is his notion of the self rather than his notion of society that has received the most attention in this field. Mead himself is first and foremost responsible for this ironic state of affairs because his analysis of society is so obscure at points that it is hard for most sociologists to understand. However, Mead alone is not to blame. The two main expositors of his sociological thought since his death, Herbert Blumer and Hans Joas, added to the confusion by not making clear that Mead sees society as a “body of institutions.” To correct their distortions of Mead's notion of society, I provide an alternative exposition of that notion. I disclose how Mead addresses the three main problems that he believes must be resolved before society can be understood: (1) the operation of institutions in the daily lives of people; (2) the origination of early institutions, such as language, the family, the economy, religion, polity, and science; and (3) the change of these institutions after their inception.
The Bacterial Fimbrial Tip Acts as a Mechanical Force Sensor

There is increasing evidence that the catch bond mechanism, where binding becomes stronger under tensile force, is a common property among non-covalent interactions between biological molecules that are exposed to mechanical force in vivo. Here, by using the multi-protein tip complex of the mannose-binding type 1 fimbriae of Escherichia coli, we show how the entire quaternary structure of the adhesive organella is adapted to facilitate binding under mechanically dynamic conditions induced by flow. The fimbrial tip mediates shear-dependent adhesion of bacteria to uroepithelial cells and demonstrates force-enhanced interaction with mannose in single molecule force spectroscopy experiments. The mannose-binding, lectin domain of the apex-positioned adhesive protein FimH is docked to the anchoring pilin domain in a distinct hooked manner. The hooked conformation is highly stable in molecular dynamics simulations under no force conditions but permits an easy separation of the domains upon application of an external tensile force, allowing the lectin domain to switch from a low- to a high-affinity state. The conformation between the FimH pilin domain and the following FimG subunit of the tip is open and stable even when tensile force is applied, providing an extended lever arm for the hook unhinging under shear. Finally, the conformation between FimG and FimF subunits is highly flexible even in the absence of tensile force, conferring to the FimH adhesin an exploratory function and high binding rates. The fimbrial tip of type 1 Escherichia coli is optimized to have a dual functionality: flexible exploration and force sensing. Comparison to other structures suggests that this property is common in unrelated bacterial and eukaryotic adhesive complexes that must function in dynamic conditions.
Locally resonant acoustic metamaterials with 2D anisotropic effective mass density

A two-dimensional (2D) lattice model with anisotropic resonant microstructures is found to provide an anisotropic band gap structure. A 2D continuum with anisotropic effective mass density is introduced to represent this lattice system. Two methods are proposed to derive the equivalent continuum. In the first method, the effective mass density of the equivalent continuum is obtained by matching the dispersion relations for harmonic waves propagating in the principal directions. The second approach employs an approximate estimation of the effective mass density by volume-averaging an effective mass that represents the resonant microstructure. For both equivalent continuum models, the effective mass density is frequency-dependent and may become negative in certain frequency ranges. Subsequently, the effective mass density of the equivalent continuum assumes the form of a second-order tensor. Thus, it suffices to determine the effective mass density tensor with respect to the principle directions. It is show...
Generation of arbitrary intensity profiles by combining the scanning beam with dynamic multileaf collimation

An algorithm, which combines the scanning beam with dynamic collimation to generate any arbitrary intensity profile, is presented. The desired intensity profile is assumed to be piecewise linear. The dynamic collimation method used is the ‘‘sliding window.’’ The algorithm can be used either for a given scanning beam profile or to simultaneously determine the scanning beam profile and the leaf motions required to generate the desired intensity profile, which minimize the total treatment time. The limitations imposed by the physics of an elementary beam are taken into account. The algorithm is an iterative one, with typical calculation times being of the order of a few milliseconds.
Combination stroke therapy in the mouse with blood–brain barrier penetrating IgG–GDNF and IgG–TNF decoy receptor fusion proteins

Stroke therapy may be optimized by combination therapy with both a neuroprotective neurotrophin and an anti-inflammatory agent. In the present work, the model neurotrophin is glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), and the model anti-inflammatory agent is the type II tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR) decoy receptor. Both the GDNF and the TNFR are large molecules that do not cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which is intact in the early hours after stroke when neural rescue is still possible. The GDNF and the TNFR decoy receptor were re-engineered for BBB transport as IgG fusion proteins, wherein the GDNF or the TNFR are fused to the heavy chain of a chimeric monoclonal antibody (MAb) against the mouse transferrin receptor (TfR), and these fusion proteins are designated cTfRMAb-GDNF and cTfRMAb-TNFR, respectively. Mice were treated intravenously with (a) saline, (b) GDNF alone, (c) the cTfRMAb-GDNF fusion protein alone, or (d) the combined cTfRMAb-GDNF and cTfRMAb-TNFR fusion proteins, following a 1-h reversible middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). The cTfRMAb-GDNF fusion protein alone caused a significant 25% and 30% reduction in hemispheric and cortical stroke volumes. Combined treatment with the cTfRMAb-GDNF and cTfRMAb-TNFR fusion proteins caused a significant 54%, 69% and 30% reduction in hemispheric, cortical and subcortical stroke volumes. Conversely, intravenous GDNF had no therapeutic effect. In conclusion, combination treatment with BBB penetrating IgG-GDNF and IgG-TNFR fusion proteins enhances the therapeutic effect of single treatment with the IgG-GDNF fusion protein following delayed intravenous administration in acute stroke.
The lipoprotein lipase (LPL) S447X gain of function variant involves increased mRNA translation

Abstract Objective A common gain-of-function LPL variant, LPLS447X, has favorable clinical features and involves a C→G base change at nucleotide 1595 of the LPL cDNA, along with a haplotype, which includes other non-coding SNPs. The mechanism for the LPL gain-in-function is not clear. LPL translation is regulated by epinephrine by an RNA–protein complex, consisting of PKA subunits and an A kinase anchoring protein (AKAP), which targets the 3′UTR. Methods To examine LPL translation of the LPLS447X variant, in vitro translation of LPL mRNA constructs was studied in the presence of cytoplasmic extracts from 3T3-F442A adipocytes treated with/without epinephrine. Results When the C→G base change at nucleotide 1595 was introduced, LPL mRNA was less susceptible to inhibition by the adipocyte extract. Similarly, a lessened susceptibility to translation inhibition occurred when the complete haplotype was constructed in the full-length 3.6kb LPL mRNA, when an irrelevant coding sequence was introduced into the LPL mRNA construct, and in response to the use of components of the RNA binding complex (PKA C and R subunits, and KH region of AKAP149). Conclusion These studies suggest that the LPLS447X gain of function may be due to the base change in the LPL mRNA resulting in a decreased susceptibility to translational inhibition.
Who graduates in mechanical engineering

The distributions of Myers-Briggs Type Indicators, Preferences, and Temperaments for entering and graduating BSME students at the University of Houston are presented. The distributions for the entering students are shown to be very consistent each semester (for sixteen years) but significantly different from distributions for engineering students found in the literature. It seems clear from the preliminary data (Only four years' data have been collected at graduation.) that the number of the S-, the T-, the J-, the SJ-, the ESTJ- and the ISTJ- preferring individuals have some positive correlation with success in our mechanical engineering program. This conclusion is at least qualitatively supported by a previous study. For example, individuals preferring "thinking" over "feeling" (Myers-Briggs Preferences T over F) are almost twice as likely to graduate as those who prefer "feeling" over "thinking."
Functional analysis and treatment of aberrant behavior.

The field of applied behavior analysis has developed an impressive technology for reducing the myriad aberrant behaviors engaged in by individuals with developmental disabilities. Most interventions apply basic behavioral principles (e.g., positive and negative reinforcement, punishment, and stimulus control) to discourage aberrant responses and promote adaptive behavior. In pursuit of an effective technology, the field has focused on the development and refinement of intervention procedures that produce large, durable, and general changes in socially meaningful behaviors (Baer, Wolf, & Risley, 1968; Stokes & Baer, 1977).
Free Vibration of Skewed Bridges

Determination of period of vibration is an essential step in understanding the seismic behavior of bridges. In this paper, an analytical solution for the free vibration problem of slab-beam, single-span skewed bridges is derived. It is assumed that the deck acts as a rigid diaphragm, but the effects of cross-frame and elastomeric bearing stiffnesses at the ends of the span are included. Based on the ratio of elastomer to cross-frame stiffness, exact equations for determination of translational and torsional periods of vibration and their corresponding mode shapes are derived. In addition, correlation factors for estimating the translational periods of a skewed bridge from the periods of a straight bridge with the same characteristics are also given. The derived equations are compared with finite element analysis, and it is shown that they are in excellent agreement.
Performance of ad hoc wireless networks with Aloha and PR-CSMA MAC protocol

In this paper, bit error rate (BER) performance and connectivity characteristics of multi-hop ad hoc wireless networks are analyzed under a circuit-switched network communication scheme characterized by the creation of a multi-hop communication route, through intermediate relay nodes, for each source-destination pair. The proposed transmission scheme is packetized yet it does not employ retransmissions: in this sense, it can be considered as a hybrid scheme between circuit switching and packet switching. The ideal limiting performance under the assumption of no inter-node interference (INI) is evaluated. In particular, the concept of minimum spatial energy density is introduced, and quantified with a precise expression in the case of uncoded binary phase shift keying (BPSK) transmission. A realistic scenario with INI is then considered, and two different medium access control (MAC) protocols are proposed: Aloha and "per-route" carrier sense multiple access (PR-CSMA). In both cases, the BER performance is analyzed. Results show that MAC and physical layers are strictly interrelated, and designing one without considering the other may lead to wrong choices in ad hoc wireless network design.
Eye-Gaze Direction Modulates Race-Related Amygdala Activity

Although previous research has found greater activity in the human amygdala in response to Black male compared with White male targets, the basis of this effect remains unclear. For example, is it race alone that triggers amygdala activity, or do other stimulus cues, in conjunction with racial group membership, also play a critical role in this regard? To address this issue, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging to measure amygdala activity in response to Black and White male targets displaying different eye-gaze directions (i.e. direct or averted gaze), as gaze cues have been shown to influence the socio-emotional aspects of person construal. The results revealed that eye-gaze direction significantly moderates race-related amygdala activity. Specifically, Black targets only generated greater amygdala activity than White targets when the faces bore direct gaze. This finding is noteworthy as it demonstrates the importance of compound stimulus cues in the appraisal of social targets.
Interhead Distance Measurements in Myosin VI via SHRImP Support a Simplified Hand-Over-Hand Model

Abstract Myosin VI walks in a hand-over-hand fashion with an average step size of 30nm, which is much larger than its 10nm lever arm. Recent experiments suggest that the myosin VI structure has an unfolded and flexible region in the proximal tail which makes such a large step possible. In addition, cryoelectron microscopy images of actomyosin VI show the two heads bound to the actin monomers with a broad distribution of distances, including some as close as a few nanometers. This observation, when combined with the existence of a flexible region in the structure, which takes part in stepping, challenged the hand-over-hand model. In the hand-over-hand model, the lever arm is considered to be rigid and the interhead separation should not be very different from 30nm. We considered an alternative model in which myosin VI heads sequentially take 60nm steps whereas the interhead separation alternates between a large and small value ( x and 60- x , where x
THE NEW INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

Abstract This article outlines a new framework for understanding the current period of global restructuring, focusing on the relationship between technological change and organizational change. After reviewing the major approaches in the debate over future pathways to industrialization, a new perspective for understanding the ‘new industrial revolution’ is presented. At the core of this revolution is the emergence of a series of powerful new industrial technologies, which is giving rise to new forces of production and a concomitant transformation in production organization. A new shop floor is emerging, in which innovation and production, intellectual and manual labour are increasingly integrated. As this process of industrial restructuring evolves, success will depend on organizational forms which effectively harness and mobilize collective intelligence.
Metabolic regulation in bacterial continuous cultures: I

Dilution rate steps in continuous culture experiments with Klebsiella pneumoniae growing on single substrate feeds have brought out interesting features of metabolic regulation not observed in batch cultures. In a step-up experiment, the adjustment of the culture to a new steady state is preceded by an undershoot in cell density. Results of a step-down experiment indicate a corresponding overshoot phenomenon. These observations of the transient behavior of the culture growing on glucose and xylose as well as the steady-state results are interpreted with cybernetic models. The development of the model explicitly accounts for the lumped internal resource, which is optimally allocated toward the synthesis of key enzymes catalyzing different cellular processes. The model also includes a description of the increased maintenance demand observed at low growth rates. It reduces to previous cybernetic models in situations where the cell does not experience a sudden change in its environment and, hence, retains their predictive capability.
Cultivation of the Amœbo-Flagellate, Tetramitus rostratus, in a Chemically Defined Medium

Tetramitus rostratus Perty possesses independent amœboid and flagellate stages in its exclusively asexual life-cycle. Each stage reproduces indefinitely by binary fission, and under still inadequately known conditions, these stages have been reported to transform one into the other. Different authors have classified this protozoon as an amœba1 and as a flagellate2.
Initiation of Normal Thyroid Cells in Primary Culture Is Associated with Enhanced c-myc Messenger Ribonucleic Acid Levels*

We studied expression of the c-myc and c-ras protooncogenes during the initiation of pig thyroid cells in primary cell culture. This period is associated with major changes in differentiated thyroid cell function. After 1, 2, and 3 days of culture, polyadenylated mRNA was prepared from 30- 50 replicate dishes of cells. mRNA was also prepared from a portion of the intact tissue used to prepare the dispersed follicles. Expression of c-myc and c-ras mRNA was determined by Northern blot analysis using v-myc and v-ras probes labeled by nick translation. As a nononcogene control, actin mRNA was determined using a β-actin probe. In intact thyroid tissue before follicle dispersion, c-myc (2.6 kilobases) and c-ras (1.1 kilobases) mRNA were detectable, though at relatively low levels, c-myc mRNA expression increased in cultured cells, to 430%, 670%, and 330% of tissue levels on the first, second, and third days of culture, respectively. In contrast to c-myc, c-ras oncogene mRNA expression was not significantly alte...
Molecular Characterization of Novel Red Green Nonsulfur Bacteria from Five Distinct Hot Spring Communities in Yellowstone National Park

We characterized and compared five geographically isolated hot springs with distinct red-layer communities in Yellowstone National Park. Individual red-layer communities were observed to thrive in temperatures ranging from 35 to 60°C and at pH 7 to 9. All communities were dominated by red filamentous bacteria and contained bacteriochlorophyll a (Bchl a), suggesting that they represented novel green nonsulfur (GNS) bacteria. The in vivo absorption spectra of individual sites were different, with two sites showing unusual Bchl a protein absorption bands beyond 900 nm. We prepared and analyzed 16S rRNA libraries from all of these sites by using a combination of general bacterial primers and new GNS-specific primers described here. These studies confirmed the presence of novel GNS-like bacteria in all five communities. All GNS-like clones were most similar to Roseiflexus castenholzii, a red filamentous bacterium from Japan that also contains only Bchl a. Phylogenies constructed by using GNS-like clones from Yellowstone red-layer communities suggest the presence of a moderately diverse new “red” cluster within the GNS lineage. Within this cluster, at least two well-supported subclusters emerged: YRL-A was most similar to Roseiflexus and YRL-B appeared to be novel, containing no known isolates. While these patterns showed some site specificity, they did not correlate with observed Bchl a spectrum differences or obvious features of the habitat.
SEISMO-ACOUSTIC DETERMINATION OF THE SHEAR-WAVE SPEED OF SURFICIAL CLAY AND SILT SEDIMENTS ON THE SCOTIAN SHELF

The Defence Research Establishment Atlantic has determined the shear-wave speed profile of the unconsolidated surficial clay and silt sediments at two locations on the Scotian Shelf - the shallow water continental margin of Nova Scotia, Canada. An ocean bottom seismometer detected the passage of interface waves which were generated by detonating small explosives on the seabed. Profiles of shear speed as a function of depth were determined by repetitive forward modelling of the measured dispersion of the interface waves. The shear speed of the approximately 25 to 40 m thick Quaternary succession of clay and silt ranges from approximately 10 m/s at the seabed to 120 m/s at 40 m depth. The shear speed profiles are consistent with a power-law relationship of the form c s (z) = c 0 z v , with v in the range 0.60-0.65 and c 0 in the range 16-22 m/s re 1 m. The shear speeds encountered in this study are among the lowest that have been reported for any marine sediment in the literature, while the strength of the gradient, v, is approximately twice that which is typically observed.
The Potential of High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy for Imaging Impurities at Dislocations and Grain Boundaries in Silicon

The application of HRTEM to the study of equilibrium segregation in linear and planar silicon defects is evaluated with image calculations. For this purpose, models for interstitial segregation in the Σ=9 grain boundary and donor segregation in the 30° partial dislocation are proposed. These models possess columns of impurity atoms. Systematic image simulations were first examined for an impurity column in an otherwise perfect silicon crystal. Optimum contrast and exposure times require samples of thickness equal to the transmitted beam extinction distance. Arsenic and boron are detectable with a column concentration of about 5%. With diffuse phase contrast imaging, this limit is roughly halved. The above imaging conditions may be used to distinguish different defect core models. Observation of segregated impurities requires somewhat higher concentrations in addition to image comparisons with a clean defect. Quantitative analysis necessitates careful image simulation comparisons and improvements in knowledge of microscope parameters.
Designing integrated information facilities to support electronic meetings

Facility design is a major factor contributing to the electronic meeting system (EMS) research program at the University of Arizona. The design of work group facilities has been integral to the research program. Beginning in 1984 with Arizona's first workgroup facility, EMS facilities have been designed to complement the vision of the research program. New facilities continue to be designed to respond to a combination of factors including experiences, technological trends, and the direction of the research program. University of Arizona MIS department experiences provide a case study of the facility design process. The authors present a set of criteria which they feel must be recognized in planning and operating an electronic meeting facility. >
TRPC4 forms store-operated Ca2+ channels in mouse mesangial cells

Studies were performed to identify the molecular component responsible for store-operated Ca2+ entry in murine mesangial cells (MMC). Because the canonical transient receptor potential (TRPC) famil...
3D Numerical Modeling of Tectonic Strain Release from Explosions

Abstract We perform calculations of an explosion in 3D prestress field and examine the effects on near‐field data, regional data, surface waves, and far‐field body waves. We specifically model the nuclear explosion Shoal, which had anomalous near‐field ground motion. The calculation of Shoal shows that tectonic strain release consistent with the local stress state can generate near‐field and regional signals, including long‐period surface waves, similar to those observed. We find that tectonic release causes small changes to the far‐field P ‐wave waveform but has very little effect on far‐field P ‐wave amplitudes. It does generate SH waves not present in the calculation without tectonic release. This implies that whereas tectonic release may significantly affect M s , the effect on m b is small. Nonlinear effects above the explosion have a stronger effect on body waves than tectonic release, with the main effect being a reduction in the pP amplitude.
The Effect in Man of Chronic Intermittent Anoxia on Glucose Tolerance and the Urinary Excretion of Sodium, Potassium, Chloride, Phosophorus, Nitrogen, and 17-Ketosteroids1

THE EXPERIMENTS reported in this paper were designed to test the hypothesis that chronic intermittent anoxia acts in man as a stimulus to the adrenal cortex, producing effects similar to those described by others in laboratory animals under conditions of relatively acute anoxia. For this purpose we studied a) the urinary excretion of sodium, potassium, chloride, phosphorus, nitrogen and 17-ketosteroids, and b) the glucose tolerance in human subjects exposed to low pressures in a decompression chamber. In a series of well-known experiments, Evans (1, 2) observed a remarkable increase in the blood sugar and liver glycogen of rats exposed to half atmospheric pressure. These and other effects of acute anoxia on carbohydrate metabolism were further studied by other investigators including Lewis and co-workers (3) and Langley and Clarke (4). The latter two groups of workers described in addition marke.d augmentation of the urinary excretion of sodium, potassium, chloride, phosphorus and nitrogen in dogs exposed...
Isoflavone supplementation and endothelial function in menopausal women.

Summary objective Despite strong observational evidence for a beneficial role of oestrogen in cardiovascular disease, recent trial results suggest that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may have adverse effects in menopausal women with established coronary heart disease. Isoflavones are oestrogen analogues found in plants with oestrogen-like properties and, because of a favourable side-effect profile, may be ideal alternatives to HRT with respect to cardiovascular benefits. Endothelial function is a marker of cardiovascular health. We aimed to determine the effect of isoflavones on endothelial function using the brachial artery reactivity test. design and measurements Twenty-nine healthy menopausal women underwent entry and exit brachial artery reactivity testing following randomization to 2 weeks of an oral soy isoflavone concentrate containing 80 mg of soy isoflavones (Archer Daniel Midland Inc., IL, USA) or placebo. results At study exit, there was no difference between placebo and isoflavone groups with respect to flow-mediated dilation (%FMDmax), change (entry to exit) in %FMDmax or response to nitroglycerine (%TNG). Subgroup analyses assessing lipid and oestrogen effects did not produce any significant results. conclusions These results suggest that short-term oral isoflavone supplements do not improve endothelial function in healthy menopausal women.
Sex dependence and temporal dependence of the left ventricular genomic response to pressure overload.

To characterize responses of the left ventricle (LV) to pressure overload at the genomic level, we performed high-density microarray analysis on individual mouse LVs. Male and female mice underwent...
Conformational change-induced repeat domain expansion regulates rap phosphatase quorum-sensing signal receptors.

The large family of Gram-positive quorum-sensing receptors known as the RNPP proteins consists of receptors homologous to the Rap, NprR, PlcR, and PrgX proteins that are regulated by imported oligopeptide autoinducers. Rap proteins are phosphatases and transcriptional anti-activators, and NprR, PlcR, and PrgX proteins are DNA binding transcription factors. Despite their obvious importance, the mechanistic basis of oligopeptide receptor regulation is largely unknown. Here, we report the X-ray crystal structure of the Bacillus subtilis quorum-sensing receptor RapJ in complex with the centrally important oligopeptide autoinducer competence and sporulation factor (CSF, also termed PhrC), a member of the Phr family of quorum-sensing signals. Furthermore, we present the crystal structure of RapI. Comparison of the RapJ-PhrC, RapI, RapH-Spo0F, and RapF-ComA(C) crystal structures reveals the mechanistic basis of Phr activity. More specifically, when complexed with target proteins, Rap proteins consist of a C-terminal tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) domain connected by a flexible helix-containing linker to an N-terminal 3-helix bundle. In the absence of a target protein or regulatory peptide, the Rap protein 3-helix bundle adopts different conformations. However, in the peptide-bound conformation, the Rap protein N-terminal 3-helix bundle and linker undergo a radical conformational change, form TPR-like folds, and merge with the existing C-terminal TPR domain. To our knowledge, this is the first example of conformational change-induced repeat domain expansion. Furthermore, upon Phr binding, the entire Rap protein is compressed along the TPR superhelical axis, generating new intramolecular contacts that lock the Rap protein in an inactive state. The fact that Rap proteins are conformationally flexible is surprising considering that it is accepted dogma that TPR proteins do not undergo large conformational changes. Repeat proteins are widely used as scaffolds for the development of designed affinity reagents, and we propose that Rap proteins could be used as scaffolds for engineering novel ligand-switchable affinity reagents.
CpG oligodeoxynucleotides improve the survival of pregnant and fetal mice following Listeria monocytogenes infection

Listeria infection during pregnancy can cause the death of both mother and fetus. Previous studies established that immunostimulatory CpG oligodeoxynucleotides (ODN) increase the resistance of healthy adult mice to many infectious pathogens, including Listeria monocytogenes. This study examines whether the innate immune response elicited by CpG ODN can reduce the susceptibility of pregnant mice to lethal listeria challenge. The results indicate that CpG ODN treatment significantly improves maternal survival and reduces pathogen transmission to offspring. CpG ODN administered during pregnancy did not induce abortion, birth defects, or reduce the size or health of litters. These findings suggest that CpG ODN may provide a safe and effective means of improving the health of mothers and fetuses during pregnancy.