cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Paracrine communication regulates adrenocorticotropin secretion.

Local communication among cells of the anterior pituitary appears to play an important role in the regulation of ACTH secretion. Dissociated pituitary cells were plated as a monolayer at decreasing concentrations of cells (increasing the distance between cells and, thus, decreasing their potential interactions), and ACTH secretion was measured from individual corticotropes using a specific reverse hemolytic plaque assay. There was a critical intercell distance above which significant changes in the number of CRF-responsive corticotropes were observed. Provided that this critical distance was not exceeded the number of secretory corticotropes in response to CRF (10 nM) was relatively constant, thereby defining a fraction of corticotropes that was robustly CRF responsive. In contrast, when this critical distance between cells was exceeded, the number of CRF-responsive corticotropes progressively increased to almost double their original number, thereby defining a second fraction of CRF-responsive corticotro...
Unusual Transformations of a Bipyridine Ligand in Attempts to Trap a Terminal Chromium(III) Alkylidene

Attempts to trap a terminal chromium alkylidene by reactions of dialkyl Cp*Cr(CH2SiMe3)2 (Cp* = η5-C5Me5) or metallacycle Cp*(THF)Cr(CH2)2SiMe2 with the bidentate ligand 1,2-bis(dimethyphosphino)et...
Doctor Gunning S Bedford (1806-70) and the search for safe obstetric care, 1833-70.

In 1800 many European doctors were practitioners of the new midwifery, which improved the safety of childbirth for mothers and their infants. This study explores the role of Dr Gunning S Bedford Jr...
Contemporary Issues in Electron Transfer Research

This is an overview of some of the important, challenging, and problematic issues in contemporary electron transfer research. After a qualitative discussion of electron transfer, its time and distance scales, energy curves, and basic parabolic energy models are introduced to define the electron transfer process. Application of transition state theory leads to the standard Marcus formulation of electron transfer rate constants. Electron transfer in solution is coupled to solvent polarization effects, and relaxation processes can contribute to and even control electron transfer. The inverted region, in which electron transfer rate constants decrease with increasing exoergicity, is one of the most striking phenomena in electron transfer chemistry. It is predicted by both semiclassical and quantum mechanical models, with the latter appropriate if there are coupled high- or medium-frequency vibrations. The intramolecular reorganizational energy has different contributions from different vibrational modes, whic...
Traveling waves in a one-dimensional integrate-and-fire neural network with finite support connectivity

Abstract We study the existence of traveling waves in a one-dimensional network of integrate-and-fire neurons with finite support coupling. We show that when the reset after spiking is sufficiently low, the interspike intervals (ISIs) for a traveling wave with an explicit first wave front can be computed. Further, we analytically derive a self-consistency equation that generates an explicit dispersion relation between the velocity of periodic traveling waves and their corresponding ISIs. Finally, we prove that the ISIs of non-periodic traveling waves converge to the ISI of the periodic waves with the same speed.
The Malaria Circumsporozoite Protein: Interaction of the Conserved Regions I and II-Plus with Heparin-like Oligosaccharides in Heparan Sulfate

The malaria circumsporozoite (CS) protein binds to glycosaminoglycans from heparan sulfate proteoglycans on the cell surface of hepatocytes and is specifically cleared from the bloodstream by the liver. We show here that the two conserved regions, I and II-plus, of the CS protein, in a concerted action, preferentially bind to highly sulfated heparin-like oligosaccharides in heparan sulfate. In a concentration-dependent manner, peptides representing region I and region II-plus inhibited the binding of recombinant CS protein to HepG2 cells by 62 and 84%, respectively. Furthermore, the action of endoproteinase Arg-C, which cleaves the recombinant CS constructs CS27IVC and CSFZ(Cys) predominantly at the conserved region I, was inhibited by heparin in a concentration-dependent fashion. CSFZ(Cys), which has a higher affinity to HSPGs than CS27IVC, was stabilized by heparin at a w/w ratio (CS protein:glycosaminoglycan) of 20/1, whereas full protection of CS27IVC required more heparin (5/1). Heparan sulfate provided full protection of CSFZ(Cys) only at a ratio of 1/10. Native fucoidan as well as normally sulfated fuco-oligosaccharides (0.76 mol sulfate/mol fucose) inhibited Plasmodium berghei development in HepG2 cells by 84 and 66%, respectively, in a concentration-dependent manner and sporozoite invasion into CHO cells by 80%. Desulfated fucoidan oligosaccharides were inactive. These results may explain the selective interaction between the CS protein and the unique heparan sulfate from liver, which is noted for its unusually high degree of sulfation, and may provide a plausible explanation for the selective targeting of the malaria CS protein to the liver.
Local approximation on surfaces with discontinuities, given limited order Fourier coefficients

We present a spline approximation method for a piece of a surface where jump discontinuities occur along curves. The data for the surface is assumed to be Fourier coefficients which are limited in order and possibly contaminated with noise. The support of the approximation is bounded by three sides of a rectangle with a fourth boundary possibly curved. Discontinuities of the surface may occur across the curved side and linear sides adjacent to it. The approximation uses a small number of lines through the support and parallel to the straight boundary lines that are adjacent to the curve. Along each line a one-dimensional spline approximation is done for a section of the surface over the line. This approximation uses two-dimensional Fourier coefficient data, localizing spline functions, and a technique which we developed earlier for one-dimensional analogues of the problem. We use a spline quasi-interpolation scheme to create a surface approximation from the section approximations. The result is accurate even when the surface is discontinuous across the curved boundary and adjacent side boundaries.
Distribution of vitronectin mRNA during murine development

Vitronectin (Vn) is not only a major adhesive glycoprotein in plasma but also regulates cell-mediated proteolytic enzyme cascades, including the complement, coagulation, and fibrinolytic systems. This broad functional activity suggests that Vn may also play a critical role in development. To begin to investigate this possibility, we studied Vn gene expression during murine embryogenesis. In situ hybridization analysis of embryonic tissues revealed Vn mRNA primarily in the liver and the central nervous system (CNS). In the liver, Vn mRNA was detected by day 10, the level increasing at later developmental stages. In the CNS, Vn mRNA was also detected as early as day 10 and was confined to the floor plate. However, as development proceeded, high levels of Vn transcripts became prominent in the meninges of the cortex and spinal cord, and in close proximity to brain capillaries. The perikarya of most neurons lacked Vn mRNA. Unexpectedly, high levels of Vn mRNA were associated with capillaries of the CNS, but not with blood vessels of peripheral organs. These results indicate that Vn is expressed in a spatially and temporally distinct pattern during murine embryogenesis, and suggest that the Vn transcript may be a CNS-specific vascular marker.
Causes of motions in the Earth's core

The geomagnetic secular variation can be interpreted as the expression of motions in the fluid, electrically conducting core. The investigation of the possible causes of such motions shows that thermal convection provides the only satisfactory mechanism for the generation of motions. If five to ten per cent as much radioactivity as that contained in the crust is concentrated in the central region of the Earth inside the Lehmann-Gutenberg discontinuity, convection in the fluid core will take place. A study of the lunar perturbations of the core, tidal, precessional, and others shows that these effects should be negligible in the generation of motions as compared to the thermal effects.
Calculation of effect of cation disorder on silicate spinel phase boundaries

The measured cation distributions in Fe2SiO4, Co2SiO4, and Ni2SiO4 ( Yagi et al., 1974 ; Morimoto et al, 1974 ) are used to calculate interchange enthalpies ( Navrotsky and Kleppa, 1967 ) of +28.8, +16.5, and +37.5 kcal, respectively, for the reaction: M2+oct + Si4+tet=M2+tet + Si4+oct The octahedral site preference ( Navrotsky and Kleppa, 1967 ) of Si4+ in spinels is estimated to be +24.3 ± 5kcal (strong tetrahedral preference). The interchange enthalpy for Mg2SiO4 spinel is +23.3 kcal, leading to 5% inversion at 1500°C. The small degree of disorder in Fe2SiO4 and Mg2SiO4 is sufficient to account quantitatively for the curvature above 1000°C of the olivine-spinel phase boundary in Fe2SiO4 ( Akimoto and Komada, 1967 ) and to cause positive values of ∂P/∂T above 1500°C for the decomposition of Mg2SiO4 to its component oxides. The volume change is estimated to be less than 0.5 cm3/mole for M2SiO4 (normal → inverse) leading to a very weak pressure dependence of the cation distribution in silicate spinels.
Indefinite se vs. inanimate subjectwith reflexive

Abstract According to John Knowles, (A) Se alquila (los) apartamentos , ‘PRO rents (the) apartments’, and (B) Se alquilan (los) apartamentos , (The) apartments get rented’, do not have a common deep structure. A-types, he observes, always have a singular verb, nerver occur with por si mismos (or solos ) phrases and all have a near paraphrase with uno . B-types have a plural verb with plural NP, cannot always be paraphrased by uno , and a por si mismos phrase can often be used with a plural NP. He proposes different phrase structure trees which give PRO as subject for A-types and the NP as subject for B-types particularly if the plural noun shows surface agreement with the plural verb. In opposition to Knowles, we propose 1.1. which coincidescompletely with his type-A: singular verb, paraphrasing of se with uno . Our 1.2 (Knowles' type-B) never occurs with por si mismos paraphrases. Our 1.1 and 1.2 have the same semantic interpretation: Se venden los coches , ‘Cars are sol’. Our 2.0 (some of Knowles' B-types) is really a reflexive with inanimate noun phrase as subject: Se venden los coches por si mismos , ‘The cars sell themselves’. Its meaning is quite distinct from our 1.1 and 1.2. Lima speech allows either our 1.1 or 1.2 although 1.1 with singular verb is more frequent. On the other hand, only our 1.2 is permitted in Mexico City. Dialect constraints must be considered in the analysis of grammatical structures.
“Staying On Our Feet” Novice Music Teachers’ Sharing of Emotions and Experiences Within an Online Community

Multiple forms of support for teachers new to the profession are important and necessary. The use of an online community by 11 novice instrumental music teachers at the middle school and high schoo...
EXPRESSION OF FOLATE RECEPTOR ISOFORMS ON PURIFIED HEMATOPOIETIC CELL POPULATIONS. † 919

The vitamin, folate, is an essential cofactor required for one-carbon transfers in DNA synthesis. Folate receptors (FR) account for the majority of folate transport into a select number of normal and malignant cells and are involved in control of cell proliferation. Three isoforms of the FR have been identified. While it is known that some hematopoietic progenitors express FR, it is unclear which phenotypic populations of hematopoietic cells express FR and the isoforms expressed on each cell type. We hypothesized that specific isoforms of FR are expressed on primitive hematopoietic progenitor cells which contribute to their high proliferative potential. To address this hypothesis we performed a detailed characterization of normal hematopoietic cells using fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) and Northern blot analysis of FACS sorted cells. Adult bone marrow and term cord blood CD34+ cells, a marker for primitive and committed progenitors, were incubated with a polyclonal rabbit anti-human FR antibody. 92-100% of CD34+ cells expressed FR, while the receptor was detected on only 15-40% of nonadherent, low density cells. To determine which isoforms of the FR were expressed on individual purified populations of cells, RT-PCR was performed on monocytes/granulocytes (CD15), B-cells (CD19), T-cells (CD3), and primitive and committed progenitors (CD34). CD34+ cells were the only cells analyzed that expressed the β isoform. The γ isoform was also expressed on CD34+ cells as well as CD15+ and CD19+ cells. The differential expression of the isoforms may be involved in the increased proliferative capacity of CD34+ cells. We are currently constructing recombinant retroviruses to overexpress these FR isoforms in purified hematopoietic cell populations to further test this hypothesis.
Plasmid DNA vaccine encoding prostatic acid phosphatase is effective in eliciting autologous antigen-specific CD8+ T cells

Prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) is a prostate cancer tumor antigen and a prostate-specific protein shared by rats and humans. Previous studies indicated that Copenhagen rats immunized with a recombinant vaccinia virus expressing human PAP (hPAP) developed PAP-specific cytotoxic T cells (CTL) with cross reactivity to rat PAP (rPAP) and evidence of prostate inflammation. Viral delivery of vaccine antigens is an active area of clinical investigation. However, a potential difficulty with viral-based immunizations is that immune responses elicited to the viral vector might limit the possibility of multiple immunizations. In this paper, we investigate the ability of another genetic immunization method, a DNA vaccine encoding PAP, to elicit antigen-specific CD8+ T cell immune responses. Specifically, Lewis rats were immunized with either a plasmid DNA-based (pTVG-HP) or vaccinia-based (VV-HP) vaccine each encoding hPAP. We determined that rats immunized with a DNA vaccine encoding hPAP developed a Th1-biased immune response as indicated by proliferating PAP-specific CD4+ and CD8+ cells and IFNγ production. Rats immunized with vaccinia virus encoding PAP did not develop a PAP-specific response unless boosted with a heterologous vaccination scheme. Most importantly, multiple immunizations with a DNA vaccine encoding the rat PAP homologue (pTVG-RP) could overcome peripheral self-tolerance against rPAP and generate a Th1-biased antigen-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cell response. Overall, DNA vaccines provide a safe and effective method of generating prostate antigen-specific T cell responses. These findings support the investigation of PAP-specific DNA vaccines in human clinical trials.
Alienation of sexuality in male erotic dancing.

SUMMARY This ethnographic study investigates a male-for-male gender arrangement of erotic dancing. Analysis of the data suggests that the men in this occupation understand their labor as titillation, a pleasurable erotic flirtation, for the entertainment of the consumer. Central to the performance is a constructed sexuality that is not reflective of the desires of the dancer but, rather, those of the consumer. The alienation of the dancer from his sexuality may result in behaviors and encounters that violate his normative and moral expectations.
Identificationo f soy protein in meat by pyrolysis—high-resolution gas chromatography

Abstract Pyrolysis—gas chromatography was applied to the characterization of ground beef and soy protein isolate and its mixtures at the 50, 30 and 10% levels. A cryogenic trap pyrolysis mode was employed and the volatile pyrolysates were analysed by a high-resolution capillary gas chromatograph. Two phenolic derviatives, o-methoxy-and dimethoxyphenol, as well as 2,3-dithiabutane are uniquely observed at a large concentrationi n the soy pyrolysate. Quantification of these characteristic compounds allow the estimation of the level of soy inclusion in the mixture. This approach effectively denotes soy addition up to the 10% level in comminuted beef.
Issues in the development of a model for planning health manpower

This paper describes the development of a GASP IV simulation of the primary health-care system of Indiana. In the course of this research, other prob lems were found to be as important as the construc tion of the model. These problems included data acquisition and analysis, definition of system per formance measures, the comparison of alternative policies, and the interaction between physicians and system analysts.
Pacinian corpuscle hyperplasia in the hand

Proliferation of pacinian corpuscles adjacent to the digital nerves in the hand is very rare. Patients are usually seen initially with a history of previous trauma and severe localized pain. The symptoms, signs, and surgical treatment of previously reported cases are reviewed and histological criteria from this case are proposed to define this condition. In addition to a neuroma or glomus tumor, pacinian corpuscle hyperplasia should be considered in the differential diagnosis of digital or palmar pain.
An integrated model for financial planning

Abstract Financial planning is a broad subject that requires an integrating overview. The Model for Financial Planning incorporates the time and the expected nature of financial events. The categories of the model include 1) money management issues that the individual faces as short-term expected events, 2) issues of meeting unexpected financial events through an emergency fund and insurance, 3) investing to reach the individual’s intermediate and long-term goals, 4) transference planning and other long-term issues whose time frame is unknown. The model has applications for “do it yourself” investors, financial planners, and students. The framework successfully integrates the broad range of topics typically covered in financial planning and personal finance courses.
Facial disjunctive programs and sequence of cutting-planes

Abstract A cutting-plane procedure for facial disjunctive programs is presented. At each step the point to be cut away and the disjunction used to generate the cut may be chosen freely. Some general comments on finiteness proofs for discrete programs are also given.
Progressing and oscillatory waves for hybrid synthesis of source-excited propagation in layered media

Summary. Progressing and oscillatory waves provide alternative descriptions of propagation in layered media. The former characterizes the wave motion in terms of direct and multiple wavefronts or rays, and the latter in terms of resonances or modes. Each description is convenient and physically incisive when it requires few elements but inconvenient and physically less transparent when it requires many elements. In the latter event, it is desirable to express many inconvenient elements collectively as fewer convenient ones. For a variety of propagation environments, this can be done by expressing rays collectively in terms of modes, or modes collectively in terms of rays. When performed selectively, there emerges a hybrid representation combining ray fields and modal fields in uniquely defined proportions. Rigorous for longitudinally invariant layers, the ray-mode equivalence can be extended approximately also to layered media with weak longitudinal heterogeneity. The theory, based on Poisson summation and on alternative treatments of wave spectra, is presented here and is illustrated for applications in electromagnetics, underwater acoustics and SH elastic motion.
PHOTOELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY OF M-XYLYLENE ANION

The 351-nm photoelectron spectrum of the negative ion of 1,3-benzoquinodimethane (m-xylylene) is reported. Features are observed in the photoelectron spectrum corresponding to formation of the 3 B2, 1 A1, and 1 B2 states of m-xylylene. The electron affinity of the triplet ground state is found to be 0.919 ( 0.008 eV, and vibrational frequencies of 290, 540, and 1500 cm -1 are obtained. The active modes are assigned to R-carbon bending, ring deformation, and methylene bending, respectively. The 1 A1 state is found to lie 9.6 ( 0.2 kcal/mol higher in energy than the ground state, in good agreement with theoretical predictions. Vibrational frequencies of 265, 1000, and 1265 cm-1 are found for this state. The 1B2 is estimated to be <21.5 kcal/mol higher in energy than the ground state. Density functional calculations have been carried out on the negative ion, indicating that the 2 B1 ion is a minimum on the potential energy surface, lying 2.9 kcal/mol lower in energy than the 2 A2 ion, which is a transition state.
Evaluation of Methods for Determination of Spore-Formers Responsible for the Late Gas-Blowing Defect in Cheese

Abstract Late gas-blowing is a defect of European specialty cheeses caused by certain spore-forming bacteria of the genus Clostridium . Five most probable number methods for detecting spores were evaluated: a modified Weinzirl, NIZO-Ede, Fryer/Halligan, BB-lactate, and the BB-lactate with modifications using pure cultures of C. butyricum, C. sporogenes , and C. tyrobutyricum inoculated into sterile homogenized milk. Tubes containing media of the different methods were incubated for 14 d at 32°C for C. butyricum and 37°C for C. sporogenes and C. tyrobutyricum . The modified Weinzirl and NIZO-Ede methods took the longest time to indicate gas formation (blowing) and detected the spore-formers less frequently. The Fryer/Halligan and BB-lactate methods, which contain lactate, detected spores quicker. No apparent differences were observed between the Fryer/Halligan and BB-lactate methods. The BB-lactate method was modified by making the medium semisolid by addition of .2% agar, eliminating the use of Durham tubes, and using an agar plug rather than paraffin. These modifications resulted in a simpler, more sensitive method.
Silicone and polyurethane tunneled infusion catheters: a comparison of durability and breakage rates.

Abstract Purpose To examine the overall durability and breakage rates of dual-lumen silicone catheters in comparison with power-injectable dual-lumen polyurethane catheters. Materials and Methods Patients who received a 10-F dual-lumen silicone catheter or 9.5-F dual-lumen polyurethane catheter between January 2002 and July 2009 were identified through a quality assurance database. Medical records were reviewed retrospectively. A total of 117 silicone and 94 polyurethane catheters were identified in 192 patients. Reasons for catheter placement and removal were recorded, as were cases of breakage and repairs. Catheter durability was compared; survival analysis was also performed. Results Breakage occurred in nine of 117 silicone catheters (8%) and none of 94 polyurethane catheters ( P = .005). Most catheters were placed for malignancy (162 of 211; 77%); nonmalignant indications such as total parenteral nutrition accounted for 49 out of 211 catheters (23%). The mean silicone catheter dwell time was 99 days (11,612 total catheter-days), and the mean polyurethane catheter dwell time was 78 days (7,362 total catheter-days). There was no significant difference in overall duration of function (ie, survival) between silicone and polyurethane catheters ( P = .12). The infection rates were 3.6 per 1,000 catheter-days for silicone catheters and 3.5 per 1,000 catheter-days for polyurethane catheters ( P value not significant). Conclusions There were fewer catheter fractures with the polyurethane catheter compared with the silicone catheter, although there was no difference in the total access site service interval for the two catheter types.
The cardiac glycoside ouabain potentiates excitotoxic injury of adult neurons in rat hippocampus

Abstract We demonstrate that the enzyme family responsible for the restoration of the transmembrane cation balance, namely the sodium pump (Na + ,K + -ATPase), plays a critical role in whether glutamate injures adult neurons in vivo. Partial inhibition of the sodium pump by the cardiac glycoside ouabain in young adult rats is not itself damaging. This treatment, however, markedly potentiates ordinarily subtoxic dosages of the glutamate analog kainic acid to produce limbic seizures and widespread neurodegeneration within the hippocampus in a pattern closely resembling that observed for human temporal lobe epilepsy.
Effect of pressure on the Fermi surface of Nb 3 Sb

The pressure dependences of three cross sections of the Fermi surface of Nb3Sb are determined from de Haas van Alphen measurements in solid He to several kbar. A large negative derivative is observed for the smallest cross section of the hole ellipsoid at M. © 1981 The American Physical Society.
An Integrated Data Model for Patient Care

The Johns Hopkins Oncology Center has been using a clinical information system since 1977 to assist in medical decision making and protocol directed patient management. This paper describes how these functions have been implemented in terms of their data model. The intent is to 1) facilitate transfer of the concepts used at Johns Hopkins to other clinical systems, and 2) illustrate the power of data modeling as a design technique.
Good Research and Bad Research: Extending Zimile's Criticism

Herbert Zimiles has written a provocative article on quantitative research. Because his specific critiques of research on infant day care are nominal examples of his much broader arguments, we focus only on his general methodological perspectives in this brief comment. We write as methodologists, a qualitative researcher with a quantitative background (Walsh) and a quantitative researcher completing a book on qualitative research (King; see King, Keohane & Verba, in preparation).
Effective connectivity among the working memory regions during preparation for and during performance of the n-back task

Recent neuroimaging studies have shown that working memory (WM) task difficulty can be decoded from patterns of brain activation in the WM network during preparation to perform those tasks. The inter-regional connectivity among the WM regions during task preparation has not yet been investigated. We examined this question using the graph modeling methods IMaGES and LOFS, applied to the previously published fMRI data of Manelis and Reder (2013). In that study, subjects performed 1-, 2-, and 3-back tasks. Each block of n-back was preceded by a preparation period and followed by a rest period. The analyses of task-related brain activity identified a network of 18 regions that increased in activation from 1- to 3-back (Increase network) and a network of 17 regions that decreased in activation from 1- to 3-back (Decrease network). The graph analyses revealed two types of connectivity sub-networks within the Increase and Decrease networks: “default” and “preparation-related.” The “default” connectivity was present not only during task performance, but also during task preparation and during rest. We propose that this sub-network may serve as a core system that allows one to quickly activate cognitive, perceptual and motor systems in response to the relevant stimuli. The “preparation-related” connectivity was present during task preparation and task performance, but not at rest, and depended on the n-back condition. The role of this sub-network may be to pre-activate a connectivity “road map” in order to establish a top-down and bottom-up regulation of attention prior to performance on WM tasks.
Independent inactivation of arginine decarboxylase genes by nonsense and missense mutations led to pseudogene formation in Chlamydia trachomatis serovar L2 and D strains

Chlamydia have reduced genomes that reflect their obligately parasitic lifestyle. Despite their different tissue tropisms, chlamydial strains share a large number of common genes and have few recognized pseudogenes, indicating genomic stability. All of the Chlamydiaceae have homologs of the aaxABC gene cluster that encodes a functional arginine:agmatine exchange system in Chlamydia (Chlamydophila)pneumoniae. However, Chlamydia trachomatis serovar L2 strains have a nonsense mutation in their aaxB genes, and C. trachomatis serovar A and B strains have frameshift mutations in their aaxC homologs, suggesting that relaxed selection may have enabled the evolution of aax pseudogenes. Biochemical experiments were performed to determine whether the aaxABC genes from C. trachomatis strains were transcribed, and mutagenesis was used to identify nucleotide substitutions that prevent protein maturation and activity. Molecular evolution techniques were applied to determine the relaxation of selection and the scope of aax gene inactivation in the Chlamydiales. The aaxABC genes were co-transcribed in C. trachomatis L2/434, during the mid-late stage of cellular infection. However, a stop codon in the aaxB gene from this strain prevented the heterologous production of an active pyruvoyl-dependent arginine decarboxylase. Replacing that ochre codon with its ancestral tryptophan codon rescued the activity of this self-cleaving enzyme. The aaxB gene from C. trachomatis D/UW-3 was heterologously expressed as a proenzyme that failed to cleave and form the catalytic pyruvoyl cofactor. This inactive protein could be rescued by replacing the arginine-115 codon with an ancestral glycine codon. The aaxC gene from the D/UW-3 strain encoded an active arginine:agmatine antiporter protein, while the L2/434 homolog was unexpectedly inactive. Yet the frequencies of nonsynonymous versus synonymous nucleotide substitutions show no signs of relaxed selection, consistent with the recent inactivation of these genes. The ancestor of the Chlamydiaceae had a functional arginine:agmatine exchange system that is decaying through independent, parallel processes in the C. trachomatis lineage. Differences in arginine metabolism among Chlamydiaceae species may be partly associated with their tissue tropism, possibly due to the protection conferred by a functional arginine-agmatine exchange system against host nitric oxide production and innate immunity. The independent loss of AaxB activity in all sequenced C. trachomatis strains indicates continual gene inactivation and illustrates the difficulty of recognizing recent bacterial pseudogenes from sequence comparison, transcriptional profiling or the analysis of nucleotide substitution rates.
Fixed Delay Interferometry for Doppler Extrasolar Planet Detection

We present a new technique based on fixed delay interferometry for high-throughput, high-precision, and multiobject Doppler radial velocity (RV) surveys for extrasolar planets. The Doppler measurements are conducted by monitoring the stellar fringe phase shifts of the interferometer instead of absorption-line centroid shifts as in state-of-the-art echelle spectroscopy. High Doppler sensitivity is achieved through optimizing the optical delay in the interferometer and reducing photon noise by measuring multiple fringes over a broad band. This broadband operation is performed by coupling the interferometer with a low- to medium-resolution postdisperser. The resulting fringing spectra over the bandpass are recorded on a two-dimensional detector, with fringes sampled in the slit spatial direction and the spectrum sampled in the dispersion direction. The resulting total Doppler sensitivity is, in theory, independent of the dispersing power of the postdisperser, which allows for the development of new-generation RV machines with much reduced size, high stability, and low cost compared to echelles. This technique has the potential to improve RV survey efficiency by 2-3 orders of magnitude over the cross-dispersed echelle spectroscopy approach, which would allow a full-sky RV survey of hundreds of thousands of stars for planets, brown dwarfs, and stellar companions once the instrument is operated as a multiobject instrument and is optimized for high throughput. The simple interferometer response potentially allows this technique to be operated at other wavelengths independent of popular iodine reference sources, being actively used in most of the current echelles for Doppler planet searches, to search for planets around early-type stars, white dwarfs, and M, L, and T dwarfs for the first time. The high throughput of this instrument could also allow investigation of extragalactic objects for RV variations at high precision.
Complexation of hexavalent chromium to glutathione from Raman spectroscopy

Abstract Potassium dichromate and its reaction with the tripeptide glutathione (GSH) was studied by Raman spectroscopy at room and cryogenic temperatures. It is confirmed that glutathione binds to Cr(VI) through the cysteinyl thiolate group [ν(CrS(Cys)) = 432 cm −1 ], forming a GSCrO 3 −1 thioester complex [S.L. Brauer and K.E. Wetterhahn, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 113 (1991) 3001]. Essentially all dichromate vibrational modes in both aqueous solution and crystalline state are assigned and cataloged. The observed band splittings in the Raman spectrum of solid K 2 Cr 2 O 7 are consistent with the nonequivalent Cr 2 O 7 2− anions in the single crystal unit cell. Also reported are the Raman spectra of HCl solutions of monochlorochromate ion at room and 77 K temperatures, which was used as a structural model for the GSCr(VI) complex.
The relationship between stock returns and inflation in four European markets

We study the effects of expected and unexpected inflation on real stock returns for France, Germany, Italy and the UK. We find evidence that unexpected inflation affects stock returns in France, Italy and the UK, but that expected inflation does not. Unexpected interest rates also affect real stock returns in the three countries. However, we find no evidence of these variables affecting real stock returns in Germany.
Dynamically characterizing bioimpedance of fingertip skin through a developed CVD based electrotactile rendering system

In this paper, by combining a newly developed constant-voltage-driver (CVD) based electrotactile rendering system with an on-line identification method, parameters of the resistor-capacitor (R-C) load bioimpedance model of fingertip skin are dynamically characterized and analyzed. The CVD rendering system is capable of producing varying stimulation voltage/current waveforms to fingertip. The proposed on-line identification method is a discrete-time extended least squares (ELS) iterative approach with forgetting factor (FF), which serves as an adaptive law to estimate parameters of the bioimpedance model of fingertip skin during performing the stimulation current tracking control in z-domain. Experimental results demonstrate dynamic characteristics of the identified fingertip skin bioimpedance for the sampled population.
Foster care reunification: An exploration of non-linear hierarchical modeling

Abstract Hierarchical or multilevel models are based on the same fundamental concepts that apply to simple linear models. The linear forms of these models can be interpreted with relative ease as parameter estimates do not differ in magnitude or interpretation from standard non-hierarchical models. Non-linear hierarchical models, however, are more complex as the introduction of a random intercept means that parameter estimates must be interpreted as “subject-specific” rather than “population-averaged”. Depending on the specifics of the data being modeled, these parameters may be very different in magnitude. In this article we provide two examples of non-linear hierarchical modeling using administrative child welfare data. For each example, we estimate the odds of reunification for a cohort of children in California using both standard logistic regression models and random intercept models.
A human-computer interactive design program for a multisolution nonlinear problem

Abstract An idea of using a human-computer interactive program for an engineering design dealing with a nonlinear multisolution problem is introduced. The example shown is a program for a design of a drainage open channel. The hydraulics and geometry equations for triangular or trapezoidal ditches are to be satisfied by the ditch parameters, which are the side slopes ( S L and S R ), the depth ( d ) and the width of the bottom ( W b ). The data are the flow rate ( Q ) and maximum allowable flow velocity. After W b and one of the slopes for a nonsymmetrical ditch ( S L ) are chosen by the designer, the other slope and d may be found as a solution of two nonlinear algebraic equations. Instead of trying to solve these equations, the program displays the two curves in s - d coordinate system. If the curves intersect, the designer types in the coordinates of the point of intersection. Otherwise, new curves for decreased velocity are displayed as the indicated key is pressed. The procedure may be continued until the curves intersect. The final parameters chosen by the designer are checked by the program to verify that the actual flow rate and velocity are within the required limits.
Sex offenders, housing and spatial restriction zones

Sex offenders are currently a major focus of crime control policies at the local, regional, state and federal levels throughout the United States. In part, the perceived threat of offender recidivism has motivated legislators to launch stringent community notification programs and to establish spatial restriction zones (SRZs) around schools, daycare facilities and public parks. The purpose of these restriction zones is to help protect children and minimize their exposure to convicted sex offenders living in the community. In addition to the concern that the implementation of SRZs dramatically reduces viable housing options for registered sex offenders, there are concerns that offenders will be forced to reside in socially disorganized areas that may encourage recidivism. The purpose of this paper is to explore the demographic and socioeconomic differences between areas inside and outside SRZs. Implications of these results for sex offender policies are discussed.
On the dynamical origin of dislocation patterns

Abstract The formation and stability of dislocation patterns are interpreted on the basis of instabilities occurring in partial differential equations modelling the dynamics of dislocation species. Under certain circumstances, these equations are shown to be a coupled system of the diffusion reaction type for the densities of the immobile and mobile dislocation populations. The applied mechanical stress plays the role of a bifurcation parameter for that system. In particular, we confine attention to monocrystals and cyclic loading conditions and examine the nucleation and stability of the layer structure of persistent slip bands from initially homogeneous states. This can essentially be considered within a one-dimensional picture and the associated periodic pattern with its intrinsic wavelength arises as a dynamical instability due to the competition of gradient and non-linear terms modelling respectively the motion and the production or annihilation of dislocation species. The competition between the ladder-like structure of persistent slip bands and the rod-like structure of surrounding veins can be more elaborately considered within a three-dimensional picture and the corresponding situation is also discussed here qualitatively.
Expectation-based selective attention for visual monitoring and control of a robot vehicle

Reliable vision-based control of an autonomous vehicle requires the ability to focus attention on the important features in an input scene. Previous work with an autonomous lane following system, ALVINN (Pomerleau, 1993), has yielded good results in uncluttered conditions. This paper presents an artificial neural network based learning approach for handling difficult scenes which will confuse the ALVINN system. This work presents a mechanism for achieving task-specific focus of attention by exploiting temporal coherence. A saliency map, which is based upon a computed expectation of the contents of the inputs in the next time step, indicates which regions of the input retina are important for performing the task. The saliency map can be used to accentuate the features which are important for the task, and de-emphasize those which are not.
Conversion of a T Cell Antagonist into an Agonist by Repairing a Defect in the TCR/Peptide/MHC Interface: Implications for TCR Signaling

Binding of the TCR to class I or class II MHC molecules ever, a poorer correlation was observed between activity complexed with peptide is necessary for T cell activation and dissociation rate, as the TCR/peptide/MHC comand initiation of a cell-mediated immune response. Sim- plex with one of the antagonist peptides had a half-life ple alterations to antigenic peptides can result in a range almost twice as long as that observed with the weak of effects from loss of TCR signaling to weak or partial agonist. This prompted the authors to suggest that corsignaling or to the phenomenon of TCR antagonism relations observed between activity and dissociation (Sloan-Lancaster and Allen, 1996). Antagonist peptides rate may be coincidental, reflecting an underlying corredo not normally produce any of the outcomes associ- lation with affinity. ated with activation but result in an inhibition of the T X-ray crystallographic structures of abTCR/peptide/ cell response when the cell is subsequently challenged MHC complexes suggest that the entire range of TCRwith an activating agonist peptide.
A multi-site study of the ACT Raising Safe Kids program: Predictors of outcomes and attrition

Abstract The present study examined the factors related to attrition and treatment outcomes in the ACT-Raising Safe Kids (ACT-RSK) program. ACT-RSK is a family violence and child abuse prevention program for parents and caregivers of young children. Sixty parents or caregivers of children aged 9 years or younger completed the ACT-RSK group program and the research measures. The study took place at 7 community-based sites in the midwestern United States. Program completers were significantly older than noncompleters, suggesting that parent age relates to attrition from this program. Pre/post comparisons indicated increased nurturing behavior, decreased harsh parenting, and decreased negative discipline, as well as decreased child behavior problems following completion of the ACT-RSK program. Parent age predicted children's outcomes, indicating better results for the children of older parents/caregivers. In addition, pre-test harsh parenting scores predicted children's outcomes, suggesting that families with relatively higher initial levels of parental psychological aggression and corporal punishment had more robust child outcomes following completion of the program.
Elevated galactosyltransferase activity on t-bearing sperm segregates with T/t-complex distorter loci-2

Sperm bearing complete t-haplotypes are preferentially transmitted during fertilization from heterozygous +/t males, often in excess of 95% relative to their (+)-bearing meiotic partner. Sperm from t-bearing males have an approximate two- to fourfold increase in beta 1,4-galactosyltransferase (GalTase) activity, a cell surface protein that mediates sperm binding to the egg zona pellucida. The elevated GalTase activity strictly correlates with the preferential transmission of t-sperm from +/t males, since eight other enzymes show normal levels of activity on t-sperm. Furthermore, sperm bearing proximal partial t-haplotypes, which are no longer favoured during fertilization, have normal levels of GalTase activity. Nevertheless, it has been unclear whether the elevated sperm GalTase activity on t-sperm is due to specific loci in the distal segment of the T/t-complex, or rather, is an indirect consequence of the abnormal sperm function characteristic of +/t and tx/ty males. In this study, it is shown that the elevated sperm GalTase activity is due specifically to factors that reside within the distal segment of the T/t complex, which also contains Tcd-2, the strongest of the distorter loci. Since the structural locus for GalTase is located on mouse chromosome 4, these results also show that T/t-complex alleles on chromosome 17 are regulatory in nature and affect the expression of sperm surface components critical for normal fertilization. Models are presented to explain how elevated GalTase activity could contribute to sperm transmission distortion.
Prior exercise and antioxidant supplementation: effect on oxidative stress and muscle injury

Both acute bouts of prior exercise (preconditioning) and antioxidant nutrients have been used in an attempt to attenuate muscle injury or oxidative stress in response to resistance exercise. However, most studies have focused on untrained participants rather than on athletes. The purpose of this work was to determine the independent and combined effects of antioxidant supplementation (vitamin C + mixed tocopherols/tocotrienols) and prior eccentric exercise in attenuating markers of skeletal muscle injury and oxidative stress in resistance trained men. Thirty-six men were randomly assigned to: no prior exercise + placebo; no prior exercise + antioxidant; prior exercise + placebo; prior exercise + antioxidant. Markers of muscle/cell injury (muscle performance, muscle soreness, C-reactive protein, and creatine kinase activity), as well as oxidative stress (blood protein carbonyls and peroxides), were measured before and through 48 hours of exercise recovery. No group by time interactions were noted for any variable (P > 0.05). Time main effects were noted for creatine kinase activity, muscle soreness, maximal isometric force and peak velocity (P < 0.0001). Protein carbonyls and peroxides were relatively unaffected by exercise. There appears to be no independent or combined effect of a prior bout of eccentric exercise or antioxidant supplementation as used here on markers of muscle injury in resistance trained men. Moreover, eccentric exercise as used in the present study results in minimal blood oxidative stress in resistance trained men. Hence, antioxidant supplementation for the purpose of minimizing blood oxidative stress in relation to eccentric exercise appears unnecessary in this population.
Hypnotherapy of involuntary movements in an 82-year-old male.

Abstract Symptoms of action (intention) myoclonus in an 82-year-old male were successfully treated by hypnosis. The procedure, lasting a total of 2½ hours, is described. The patient used audiotaped inductions each morning to control his tremors. This case suggests that hypnosis is a viable treatment modality of the debilitating side effects of this disorder.
The Dilemma of a Rising Prostate-Specific Antigen Level After Local Therapy: What Are Our Options?

Prostate cancer is the most common solid tumor diagnosed in men in the United States and Western Europe. Primary treatment with radiation or surgery is largely successful at controlling localized disease. However, a significant number (up to one third of men) may develop biochemical recurrence (BR), defined as a rise in serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level. A general presumption is that BR will lead to overt progression in patients over subsequent years. There are a number of factors that a physician must consider when counseling and recommending treatment to a patient with a rising PSA. These include the following (1) various PSA-based definitions of BR; (2) source of PSA (ie, local or distant disease, residual benign prostate); (3) available modalities to treat the disease with the least morbidity; and (4) timing of therapy. In this article we review the current and future factors that clinicians should consider in the diagnosis and treatment of recurrent prostate cancer.