cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Vitamin C Deficiency Activates the Purine Nucleotide Cycle in Zebrafish

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid, AA) is a cofactor for many important enzymatic reactions and a powerful antioxidant. AA provides protection against oxidative stress by acting as a scavenger of reactive oxygen species, either directly or indirectly by recycling of the lipid-soluble antioxidant, α-tocopherol (vitamin E). Only a few species, including humans, guinea pigs, and zebrafish, cannot synthesize AA. Using an untargeted metabolomics approach, we examined the effects of α-tocopherol and AA deficiency on the metabolic profiles of adult zebrafish. We found that AA deficiency, compared with subsequent AA repletion, led to oxidative stress (using malondialdehyde production as an index) and to major increases in the metabolites of the purine nucleotide cycle (PNC): IMP, adenylosuccinate, and AMP. The PNC acts as a temporary purine nucleotide reservoir to keep AMP levels low during times of high ATP utilization or impaired oxidative phosphorylation. The PNC promotes ATP regeneration by converting excess AMP into IMP, thereby driving forward the myokinase reaction (2ADP → AMP + ATP). On the basis of this finding, we investigated the activity of AMP deaminase, the enzyme that irreversibly deaminates AMP to form IMP. We found a 47% increase in AMP deaminase activity in the AA-deficient zebrafish, complementary to the 44-fold increase in IMP concentration. These results suggest that vitamin C is crucial for the maintenance of cellular energy metabolism.
Anatomy and electrophysiology of individual neurosecretory cells of an insect brain.

The structure and electrophysiological properties of individual neurose-cretory cells of the pars intercerebralis, medial neurosecretory cells (MNSCs), in the brain of an insect, the cricket Teleogryllus commodus, were investigated by means of intracellular injections of the dye Lucifer Yellow and electrophysiological recordings. Action potentials recorded from these cells were of long duration, 8–50 msec. In the pars intercerebralis there are both neurosecretory cells with axons that join one of the tracts of the nervi corpori cardiaci I (NCC I) and cells without an axon or collateral that leaves the brain, local neurosecretory cells. MNSCs with axons that join NCC I and terminate in the anterior corpus cardiacum arborize extensively in the proto-cerebrum and to a lesser degree in the deutocerebrum. Other MNSCs have axons that pass through the corpus cardiacum and hypocerebral ganglion and join one of the oesophageal nerves. These MNSCs have sparse collateral arborizations in the protocerebrum but do have extensive terminal arborizations in the tritocerebrum. This type of cell is dye-coupled to other MNSCs. Among the local MNSCs, some have an unusual loop shape. These cells branch extensively in the protocerebrum and have massive terminal arborizations in a posterior ventromedial region of the brain. Both the long curved axons of the loop-shaped cells and their ventromedial branches are of large diameter, suitable for storage of neurosecretory material.
Risk Taking: Theoretical, Empirical, and Educational Considerations

Selected findings on risk taking derived from theories of economics and psychology and thought to be relevant to education are presented. The theoretical benefits associated with moderate (.50 probability of success) levels of risk taking, as well as the potential problems associated with the use of risk-taking activities as means of enhancing student learning and motivation, are discussed. A program of research designed to identify the determinants and effects of academic risk taking (i.e., selection of school-relevant tasks varying in difficulty) among children and adults is reviewed. Although students admitted having low tolerance for error making and failure, initial results indicate that (a) they could be encouraged to take moderate academic risks, (b) they were interested in academic risk-taking tasks, and (c) risk-taking tasks facilitated learning and appeared to elicit increased effort expenditure. Suggestions for further theory- and field-based research in academic risk: taking are offered, inclu...
The International Cotton Genome Initiative workshop I, at PAG XIII

The International Cotton Genome Initiative (ICGI) Workshop I was held at Plant and Animal Genomes (PAG) XIII on Sunday 16 January 2005. ICGI has held two biennial meetings at which the membership has had the opportunity for scientific exchange, the first at Nanjing, China, in 2002, the second at Hyderabad, India, in 2004, and the next will be held in 2006 (host country to be selected). The ICGI workshop at PAG XIII offered the unique opportunity to interact and draw upon the resources of the wider genomics community. As the first official PAG-ICGI workshop, and as a fledging organization, it was considered appropriate to review the origins of ICGI and what its future should be. In this process, we wanted to draw upon the experience of other crops with regard to how they have established and maintained their cooperation and how they have gone about establishing their goals. We also wanted to draw upon the current activities of ICGI to evaluate its role in international exchanges. From its beginnings, ICGI recognized the need to be inclusive and has encompassed activities from germplasm resources to the delivery of information and materials to the user community. The following six topics were discussed: (1) why and how ICGI came about; (2) international models of cooperation in other crops; (3) how other crops have established their genomic activities; (4) the role ICGI has played in international interactions; (5) the role ICGI has played in interactions with the private sector; and (6) what is the role and scope to which ICGI should strive? The complete presentations will be posted on the ICGI website; http://icgi.tamu.edu. ‘The International Cotton Genome Initiative (ICGI): how did we get here and why?’ was presented by Curt L. Brubaker, from the Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, CSIRO Plant Industry, Canberra, Australia. In February 2000, a small group of cotton scientists met in Canberra, Australia, to discuss why molecular markers were not being used effectively in cotton breeding. It was agreed that the limited application of molecular markers in cotton breeding was symptomatic of a broader issue. Cotton genomics, in general, had lagged behind other crops. The impressive gains achieved in Arabidopsis, rice, wheat and mammalian genomics demonstrated that the practical and analytical tools were at hand to progress cotton
Partial characterization of virus-like particles in chloroplasts of plants infected with the U5 strain of TMV

Abstract Virus-specific, intraplastidial particles (VIP) were isolated from chloroplasts of tobacco leaves ( Nicotiana tabacum L.) infected with the U5 strain of tobacco mosaic virus (TMV). Serologically specific electron microscopy (SSEM) revealed that the VIP were about 1 3 the normal length of TMV. In manually inoculated leaves and in infected, isolated leaf protoplasts the VIP exhibited linear growth to an average of about 100 nm over a period of several days after inoculation. Preparations of VIP from which nearly all TMV detectable by SSEM had been removed were minimally infectious. It was concluded that the VIP are not infectious TMV particles.
Quality of life and exercise performance after aortoiliac stent placement for claudication.

PURPOSE To determine the effect of aortoiliac stent placement on walking ability and health-related quality of life (QOL) for elderly individuals with moderate to severe intermittent claudication. MATERIALS AND METHODS A prospective single-center study was performed in 35 consecutive patients (46 symptomatic limbs) with intermittent claudication and aortoiliac insufficiency (mean age ± SD, 61.1 years ± 9.5). Baseline and follow-up data to 12 months included clinical status, ankle-brachial index (ABI), exercise performance according to a standardized treadmill exercise protocol, and self-reported health-related QOL according to the Walking Impairment Questionnaire (WIQ) and the Short Form 36 (SF-36). RESULTS Comparing baseline with 12-month data, mean ABI significantly improved from 0.64 ± 0.15 to 0.89 ± 0.19 ( P CONCLUSIONS A high technical success rate (97%) and low complication rate were observed. Exercise performance and health-related QOL results improved significantly after stent placement. Revascularization with stent placement should be strongly considered in addition to conservative management for moderate to severe claudication with aortoiliac obstruction. A randomized clinical trial would be needed to gauge the relative effectiveness of stent implantation and conservative therapy.
Ordinal relationships between measures of the “accuracy” and “value” of probability forecasts: preliminary results

The preliminary results of an investigation of the relationships, on an ordinal scale, between particular measures of the “accuracy” (the validity measure) and “value” (the utility and expected-utility measures) of probability forecasts are described. For individual , comparable forecasts the validity measure represents an ordinal measure on utility and expected utility, i.e., the validity measure is able to order, or rank, forecasters and/or forecast procedures according to the utility or expected utility of their forecasts. Although forecasts, in general, are not often comparable, all forecasts are comparable in two-state, i.e., “weather—no weather”, situations and, in addition, these relationships can be expected to hold in most situations in which forecasts are nearly comparable. For collections of individually comparable forecasts similar relationships hold between average validity and average utility and expected utility in certain special situations. The nature of the relationships and scope of the results in both general and special situations are indicated by means of sample collections of forecasts. DOI: 10.1111/j.2153-3490.1972.tb01579.x
Use of a Peer Support Intervention for Promoting Academic Engagement of Students with Autism in General Education Settings

Students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been shown to benefit from being educated in general education classrooms that provide interactions with typically developing peers. However, behaviors exhibited by students with ASD frequently lead to their return to segregated special education settings. Evidence-based interventions that are both cost-efficient and easy to use in general education settings are needed. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a simple peer support intervention on the minor disruptive, off-task behaviors of three elementary students with high-functioning ASD in three different general education classrooms. Results indicated the peer support intervention was effective in reducing the off-task behaviors of the students with ASD in these inclusion settings. Practical implications and directions for future research are discussed.
Multi-scale responses of vegetation to removal of horse grazing from Great Basin (USA) mountain ranges

Although free-roaming equids occur on all of the world’s continents except Antarctica, very few studies (and none in the Great Basin, USA) have either investigated their grazing effects on vegetation at more than one spatial scale or compared characteristics of areas from which grazing has been removed to those of currently grazed areas. We compared characteristics of vegetation at 19 sites in nine mountain ranges of the western Great Basin; sites were either grazed by feral horses (Equus caballus) or had had horses removed for the last 10–14 years. We selected horse-occupied and horse-removed sites with similar aspect, slope, fire history, grazing pressure by cattle (minimal to none), and dominant vegetation (Artemisia tridentata). During 1997 and 1998, line-intercept transects randomly located within sites revealed that horse-removed sites exhibited 1.1−1.9 times greater shrub cover, 1.2–1.5 times greater total plant cover, 2–12 species greater plant species richness, and 1.9–2.9 times greater cover and 1.1–2.4 times greater frequency of native grasses than did horse-occupied sites. In contrast, sites with horses tended to have more grazing-resistant forbs and exotic plants. Direction and magnitude of landscape-scale results were corroborated by smaller-scale comparisons within horse-occupied sites of horse-trail transects and (randomly located) transects that characterized overall site conditions. Information-theoretic analyses that incorporated various subsets of abiotic variables suggested that presence of horses was generally a strong determinant of those vegetation-related variables that differed significantly between treatments, especially frequency and cover of grasses, but also species richness and shrub cover and frequency. In contrast, abiotic variables such as precipitation, site elevation, and soil erodibility best predicted characteristics such as forb cover, shrub frequency, and continuity of the shrub canopy. We found species richness of plants monotonically decreased across sites as grazing disturbance increased, suggesting that either the bell-shaped diversity-disturbance curve of the intermediate-disturbance hypothesis does not apply in this system or that most sites are already all on the greater-disturbance slope of the curve. In our study, numerous vegetation properties of less-grazed areas and sites differed notably from horse-grazed sites at local and landscape scales during a wetter and an average-precipitation year.
STRESS ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY WITH AND WITHOUT ULTRASOUND CONTRAST AGENT USE IN 26,716 IN-PATIENTS: A PROPENSITY-MATCHED COHORT STUDY EVALUATING LENGTH OF STAY AND HOSPITALIZATION COST

BACKGROUND: PARR-2 randomized patients with presumed ischemic cardiomyopathy being considered for revascularization to PET-guided vs. standard care. After one year of follow up, the PET group tended to have improved outcome (death, infarction or cardiac admission). Herein we present results after 5 years of follow up. METHODS: Included patients had LV ejection fraction of </1⁄435% due to CAD and were being considered for revascularization, or where FDG PET was considered to be of potential value by the treating physician. Patients were randomized to either an FDG PET scan or to standard care, stratified by whether or not the patient had undergone recent angiography. The primary outcome was a composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction, or recurrent cardiac admission. RESULTS: After five years, 112 (51% of enrolled) patients in the PET arm, and 119 (56%) patients in the standard care arm experienced the composite event (hazard ratio (HR) for the composite event 0.818, 95% CI 0.629 to 1.062, p1⁄40.13). When only patients who adhered to the recommendation of the PET scan were included the HR for the time to the primary outcome was 0.725 (95% CI 0.540 to 0.973, p1⁄40.032). CONCLUSION: The results of the initial PARR-2 study remain consistent after 5 years of follow up. While the primary intention to treat analysis remains negative, post-hoc analysis continues to suggest that when adherence to the imaging recommendation can be achieved, use of FDG PET to direct revascularization vs medical therapy alone may improve outcomes.
Kinetics of laser-induced desorption from nonmetallic surfaces

We present a model for the kinetics of laser-induced desorption of atoms from perfect nonmetallic surfaces, based on recent experiments in alkali halides and compound semiconductors. For the sake of specificity we consider situations in which the photon energy Ehv is less than the bandgap energy Egap, so that the density of bulk electronic excitation created by the laser-surface interaction is small. We show desorption-yield calculations as a function of laser intensity for the case of solids with strong electron-lattice coupling (alkali halides) and weak-coupling solids (compound semiconductors). These distinctive features may allow extrapolation to the case of intermediate coupling which includes many technologically important oxides.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Universal behavior in excited heavy-light and light-light mesons

A common pattern of large orbital and radial excitations in heavy-light and light-light mesons is demonstrated. For a general potential model with linear confinement the Regge slopes of the light degrees of freedom for these mesons are shown to be in the ratio of 2. The possibility of `tower` degeneracy occurs only with pure scalar confinement. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}
Gas Giant Protoplanet Formation: Disk Instability Models with Thermodynamics and Radiative Transfer

Doppler spectroscopy of nearby stars has shown that extrasolar gas giant planets often have masses considerably in excess of that of Jupiter, while observations of young stars imply that the gaseous portions of protoplanetary disks have lifetimes typically of no more than a few million years. Both discoveries raise questions about the universality of the mechanism long favored for Jupiter formation: core accretion. Forming Jupiter by core accretion requires a gas surface density at 5 AU of about 103 g cm-2. Combined with midplane temperatures cold enough to form comets (<50 K), this leads to a marginally gravitationally unstable gas disk. High spatial resolution, three-dimensional hydrodynamical models of "locally isothermal" disks have shown that gas giant protoplanets may form in such a marginally unstable disk, with masses comparable to the more massive extrasolar planets, and well within expected disk lifetimes. However, locally isothermal models err on the side of encouraging protoplanetary clumps to form, whereas models by other workers using less permissive thermodynamical assumptions have suggested that clump formation is prohibited. We present three-dimensional models with an approximate treatment of heating and cooling, including radiative transfer in the diffusion approximation, that show that disk instability can still proceed in much the same manner as in locally isothermal models because the timescale for significant nebular cooling is comparable to that for the instability to grow, i.e., an orbital period. The models suggest that disk instability remains as a likely means for the widespread formation of gas giant planets. Core accretion apparently requires exceptionally long-lived disks to form Jupiters and so would predict that gas giant planets are relatively rare. If the disk instability mechanism can occur, however, extrasolar gas giant planets should be relatively abundant.
INFLUENCE-OF ADRENAL CORTEX ON GASTRIC PEPSINOGEN IN THE RAT1

HYPOPHYSECTOMY, adrenalectomy, and the administration of cortisone have been shown to cause changes in the pepsin content of the gastric juice of rats, which paralleled changes in the size and zymogen content of the chief cells of the gastric mucosa (1, 2). Since histochemical techniques generally allow of only rough quantitative estimates of the enzyme content of tissues, we have made direct measurements of the pepsinogen content of the whole stomach in rats, in a study of the effects of adrenocortical steroids on gastric pepsinogen. The results obtained have shown that while various adrenocortical steroids will restore to normal the gastric pepsinogen depressed by adrenalectomy, none appeared capable of raising this content above normal. ACTH, however, did cause an increase in pepsinogen above normal.
Oscillations of a layer of a crystal with cubic symmetry under the action of harmonic electric field

The linearized relations of the local gradient theory of nonferromagnetic dielectrics are used for the description of the mechanical vibrations of an infinite layer in a crystal with cubic symmetry that are induced by a time-dependent electric field. It is shown that, contrary to the classical linear theory of piezoelectricity, the local gradient theory describes the piezoelectric effect in highly symmetric crystals. When local mass displacements are taken into account, short waves become dispersive, which does not follow from the linear classical theory of piezoelectricity. The obtained results are compared with previously published results, which are based on Mindlin’s gradient theory of dielectrics. Some model parameters are evaluated.
The “New Deadly Quartet” for Cardiovascular Disease in the 21st Century: Obesity, Metabolic Syndrome, Inflammation and Climate Change: How Does Statin Therapy Fit into this Equation?

Despite population-based improvements in cardiovascular risk factors, such as blood pressure, cholesterol and smoking, cardiovascular disease still remains the number-one cause of mortality in the United States. In 1989, Kaplan coined the term "Deadly Quartet" to represent a combination of risk factors that included upper body obesity, glucose intolerance, hypertriglyceridemia and hypertension [Kaplan in Arch Int Med 7:1514-1520, 1989]. In 2002, the third report of the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel (NCEP-ATP III) essentially added low HDL-C criteria and renamed this the "metabolic syndrome." [The National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) in JAMA 285:2486-2497, 2001] However, often forgotten was that a pro-inflammatory state and pro-thrombotic state were also considered components of the syndrome, albeit the panel did not find enough evidence at the time to recommend routine screening for these risk factors [The National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) in JAMA 285:2486-2497, 2001]. Now over a decade later, it may be time to reconsider this deadly quartet by reevaluating the roles of obesity and subclinical inflammation as they relate to the metabolic syndrome. To complete this new quartet, the addition of increased exposure to elevated levels of particulate matter in the atmosphere may help elucidate why this cardiovascular pandemic continues, despite our concerted efforts. In this article, we will summarize the evidence, focusing on how statin therapy may further impact this new version of the "deadly quartet".
Mental Health Risk and Social Ecological Variables Associated with Educational Attainment for Gulf War Veterans: Implications for Veterans Returning to Civilian Life

This study examines how post-secondary educational attainment among young veterans of the first gulf war affects their mental health status. The all-volunteer military attracts recruits by offering them veterans’ educational benefits. Education should help veterans adjust to civilian life. Few studies have shown whether education following military service helps improve veterans’ mental health, however. Viewing resiliency, life span and life course, and social geography theories through the lens of social ecology, it is hypothesized that selected contextual factors in the personal, interpersonal, and organizational domains could mediate or moderate the relationship between education and veterans’ mental health. Informational social networks showed an association with obtaining mental illness treatment. Recent treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) showed an association with use of veterans’ educational benefits. Residing with a small nuclear family in conjunction with having higher levels of health and educational benefits and a higher family income was associated with higher educational attainment.
Effects of lithium difluoro(oxalate)borate on the performance of Li-rich composite cathode in Li-ion battery

Abstract Promising capacity retention (more than 92% of initial capacity after 100 cycles), was exhibited in cells (graphite/xLi 2 MnO 3 ·yLiMO 2 ) with 2 wt.% LiDFOB as additive. The outstanding cell performance was associated with the formation of stable solid electrolyte interface (SEI) film on the surface of electrodes derived from LiDFOB. Compared to the effect of the LiBOB additive, the main reason responsible for the greatly improved durability in LiDFOB added cells might be attributed to the more stable SEI film with lower interfacial resistance on the surface of anode.
Glucose-induced insulin release patterns: Effect of starvation

Continuous glucose infusions over a 60 min period were carried out in 24 human subjects. A priming dose of 0.33 gm glucose/kg was followed by a constant infusion of 20 mg glucose/kg/min. The glucose-stimulated insulin release curves were biphasic (Phase I and II) in all subjects. The diabetics, compared with normal controls, showed decreased total insulin release with a greater decrement in phase I. Starvation of normal subjects for 48 h resulted in decreased insulin release, though Phases I and II were equivalently diminished. Rats were starved for 48 h and their pancreata studied in the isolated pancreas perfusion system. Following glucose stimuli, insulin release showed a pattern similar to that of diabetics, namely, decreased total insulin and a greater decrease in phase I than II. It is postulated that this period of starvation for a small animal was far more pronounced than that in man. The altered insulin secretory pattern in prolonged starvation is an additional manifestation of “starvation diabetes” and suggests the possibility of similar defects in starvation and diabetes.
Biofeedback and relaxation training in the treatment of psychophysiological disorders: or are the machines really necessary?

The literature on the use of biofeedback and various forms of relaxation training in the treatment of psychophysiological disorders was reviewed; special attention was devoted to studies in which biofeedback and some form of relaxation training were compared. Based on this review, we conclude that there is no consistent advantage for one form of treatment over the other with any psychophysiological disorder for which a comparison has been made, e.g., essential hypertension, migraine headaches, premature ventricular contractions, tension headaches, temporomandibular joint pain, asthma, primary dysmenorrhea, and functional diarrhea. For other disorders in which no comparisons have been made (e.g., Raynaud's disease, sinus tachycardia, peptic ulcers, and fecal incontinence) biofeedback seems to be a very promising treatment modality.
Climate change: Ancient Antarctic fjords

The East Antarctic ice sheet, the largest in the world, lies seemingly frozen in time. Discovery of a rugged landscape buried beneath the thick ice provides evidence of a more dynamic past. See Letter p.72 The East Antarctic ice sheet has played a fundamental part in modulating climate and sea level during the past 30 million years. Understanding its history is crucial to evaluating its future behaviour and response to global warming. Airborne ice-penetrating radar studies now reveal a fjord-like landscape beneath several kilometres of ice in the East Antarctic Aurora subglacial basin. The data confirm, and provide a new constraint on, the magnitude and dynamics of the oscillations of the East Antarctic ice sheet during the late Cenozoic, which had previously been supported only by marine cores.
Immunosuppressant Neurotoxicity in Liver Transplant Recipients: Clinical Challenges for the Consultation-Liaison Psychiatrist

Neuropsychiatric problems are common among liver transplant recipients, and immunosuppressant neurotoxicity is an important etiologic factor in the posttransplant period. Four typical cases of immunosuppressant neurotoxicity are presented from the clinical experience of the University of California, Los Angeles–Dumont Liver Transplant program. All patients presented with acute behavioral symptoms and received urgent psychiatric consultation; each proved to be suffering from a variant of immunosuppressiverelated neurotoxicity. Correlative neuroimaging studies and descriptions of clinical course are included. Psychiatrists are urged to become familiar with the signs, symptoms, differential diagnosis, neuroimaging findings, and management of immunosuppressive neurotoxicity and secondary psychiatric disorders in solid organ recipients.
Historic Genetic Structuring and Paraphyly Within the Great-Tailed Grackle

Abstract The Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus) and Boat-tailed Grackle (Q. major) are sister species that have expanded their ranges during historical times. This expansion has created an area of sympatry between these species in Texas and Louisiana, and between distinctive Great-tailed Grackle subspecies in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. We investigated the evolutionary histories of both species using mitochondrial DNA sequence data and modern phylogenetic methods. Our results reveal genetic structure within Great-tailed, but not Boat-tailed Grackles. Great-tailed Grackles are separated into two clades, but range expansion in the north has led to secondary contact between them. Boat-tailed Grackles are monophyletic and are embedded within the Great-tailed Grackle assemblage, rendering the latter paraphyletic. These results reveal a complex phylogeographic pattern caused by recent range expansion and secondary contact of once allopatric units.
Recurrent Community-Acquired Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Infections in an HIV-Infected Person

HIV-infected persons are at heightened risk for recurrent community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) infections, but there are limited data regarding the molecular characterization of these events. We describe an HIV-infected patient with 24 soft tissue infections and multiple colonization events. Molecular genotyping from 33 nonduplicate isolates showed all strains were USA300, Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) and arginine catabolic mobile element (ACME) positive, and genetically related.
High tyrosine-specific protein kinase activity in normal human peripheral blood lymphocytes

Tyrosine-specific protein kinase (ATP:protein phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.1.37) activity was measured in normal human nonadherent peripheral blood lymphocytes using synthetic peptide substrates having sequence homologies with either pp60src or c-myc. A high level of tyrosine-specific protein kinase activity was found associated with the cell particulate fraction (100 000 X g pellet). High-pressure liquid chromatography and phosphoamino acid analysis of the synthetic peptide substrates substantiated the phosphorylation of tyrosine residues by the particulate fraction enzyme. The human enzyme was also capable of phosphorylating a synthetic random polymer of 80% glutamic acid and 20% tyrosine. Enzyme activity was half-maximal with 22 microM Mg X ATP and had apparent Km values for the synthetic peptides from 1.9 to 7.1 mM. The enzyme preferred Mg2+ to Mn2+ for optimal activity and was stimulated 2-5-fold by low levels (0.05%) of some ionic as well as non-ionic detergents including deoxycholate, Nonidet P-40 and Triton X-100. The enzyme activity was not stimulated by N6;O2'-dibutyryl cyclic AMP (100 microM), N6;O2'-dibutyryl cyclic GMP (100 microM), Ca2+ (200 microM), insulin (1 microgram/ml) or homogeneous human T-cell growth factor (3 micrograms/ml) under the conditions used. Alkaline-resistant phosphorylation of particulate proteins in vitro revealed protein bands with Mr 59 000 and 54 000 suggesting that there are endogenous substrates for the human lymphocyte tyrosine protein kinase.
Regulation of human papillomavirus type 31 gene expression during the differentiation-dependent life cycle through histone modifications and transcription factor binding

The life cycle of high-risk human papillomaviruses is linked to epithelial differentiation with virion production restricted to highly differentiated suprabasal cells. Two major viral promoters direct high-risk HPV gene expression and their activities are dependent upon differentiation. The early promoter controls initiation of transcripts at sites upstream of the E6 open reading frame and is active in both undifferentiated as well as differentiated cells. The late viral promoter directs transcription from a series of heterogeneous start sites in E7 and is activated upon differentiation. In this study, the state of histones as well as the spectrum of transcription factors bound to the two major HPV 31 viral promoters in undifferentiated and differentiated cells were examined using chromatin immunoprecipitation assays. Our studies indicate that, in undifferentiated cells, the chromatin surrounding both promoter regions is in an open, transcriptionally active state as indicated by the presence of dimethylated forms of histone H3 K4 as well as acetylated H3 and acetylated H4. Upon differentiation, there was an increase of four to six fold in the levels of dimethylated H3K4 and acetylated H3 respectively around both promoter regions as well as an increase of approximately nine fold in acetylated H4 at the early promoter. This suggests that nucleosomes of both promoter regions are further activated through histone modifications during differentiation. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays were also used to examine the binding of transcription factors to the keratinocyte enhancer (KE)/early promoter region in the upstream regulatory region (URR) and late promoter sequences throughout differentiation. Our results suggest that a dynamic change in transcription factor binding occurs in both regions upon differentiation; most notably a significant increase in C/EBP-beta binding to the KE/early promoter region as well as C/EBP-alpha binding to the late promoter region upon differentiation. These increases in binding cannot be solely explained by changes in the total cellular levels of these factors following differentiation, but instead reflect increased binding specific to HPV genomes. Finally, transient expression analyses confirmed that the KE/early promoter region of the URR contributes significantly to the activation of late gene expression and this is consistent with regulation through the combinatorial binding of multiple transcription factors.
Cooperative Learning as Method and Model in Second-Language Teacher Education.

This paper describes the integration of cooperative learning (CL) activities into a graduate teacher education course, Collaborative Teaching in English as a Second Language (ESL). Because teachers and researchers have both identified discipline status and relationship issues as challenges to collaboration, this course focused on relational dynamics such as respect, trust, reciprocity, and approachability as central to the successful implementation of collaborative practice. CL activities were integrated into the program to encourage ESL teachers to explore their own values and expectations for learning as well as their own communication styles which might facilitate or hinder collegiality. The research question asks how CL contributes to teachers’ understanding of themselves as communicators, collaborators, and agents of change. From a qualitative analysis of observer notes, journal entries, classroom discussions, group activities, and autobiographies, this paper highlights how dimensions of CL can be us...
Glucose metabolism and maintenance of transparency in ocular tissues of rainbow trout

Glucose metabolism by rainbow trout lenses and corneas in vitro was determined by measuring the amount of 14CO2 produced during incubation of these tissues with [1-14C] glucose and [6-14C]glucose. Entry of glucose into these tissues was also studied using 14C-labeled glucose. Glucose is oxidized to CO2 by trout tissues by the hexosemonophosphate (HMP) shant and by the Krebs cycle. The rate of CO2 production was about 20 times greater in corneas than in lens. At 13°C some 2·3 and 2·8 times more CO2 was produced from [1-14C]glucose than from [6-14C]glucose in lenses and corneas respectively. Studies of CO2 production at approximate 10-degree intervals from 4 to 43°C showed that in lenses the HMP shunt production of CO2 increased sharply up to 23°C then leveled off. At 33°C about 17 times more CO2 was produced by the HMP shunt than by the Krebs cycle. Lenses were transparent after 4 hr incubation at 33°C but became opaque within 45–60 min at 43°C. Corneal CO2 production by the HMP shunt showed a peak production at 23°C and declined sharply above this temperature. Formation of CO2 by the Krebs cycle followed a similar pattern but was much less than HMP shunt CO2 production. At temperatures above 23°C corneas became cloudy and their edges assumed a scalloped appearance. Glucose appears to enter trout lenses and corneas by passive diffusion. Neither lesioning the lens capsule nor use of metabolic inhibitors changed the rate of entry of glucose into these tissues. The significance of the effect of temperature on HMP shunt and Krebs cycle activity with respect to maintenance of normal transparency of corneal and lenticular tissues of trout over a wide temperature range is discussed.
Insight into amusement park ride and device safety in the United States

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze the dimensions and practices that have shaped the safety of amusement rides and devices in the US amusement park industry.Design/methodology/approach – The paper provides an overview and historical examination of key concepts and phenomena.Findings – The paper concludes that continued amusement ride and device incidents resulting from a lack of nationally accepted and recognized standards will potentially lead to or cause additional negative guest perception and possibly result in regulation from an external agency. This paper identifies areas of concern and makes recommendations to address the potential consequences resulting from staying the current course. It determines that the industry needs to find a collective voice and establish consistent self‐regulating policies in order to curb the incidents rates and avoid federal regulation.Research limitations/implications – The paper reports on several secondary research, scholarly as well as industry and go...
Normal infant by a gestational carrier for a phenylketonuria mother: alternative therapy

The consequences of pregnancies in untreated phenylketonuria (PKU) mothers are a high incidence of spontaneous abortion, intrauterine growth retardation with microcephaly, congenital malformations, and abnormal intellectual development. PKU fathers, on the other hand, produce normal children. Obviously children of PKU women and men are at least heterozygous, proving that the abnormalities produced by the PKU mothers are not genetic but "intrauterinely environmental." Exposure to the mother's metabolic abnormalities affects the fetus during the entire pregnancy. A PKU mother can produce a healthy infant if she maintains a very restricted and controlled diet before and during pregnancy. However, even the most recent reports describe a very high incidence of congenitally abnormal children of PKU mothers, hence dietary compliance is not working in all cases. A 26-year-old PKU patient with proven fertility underwent standard ovarian stimulation in preparation for oocyte retrieval. Following conventional co-incubation of the oocytes and her husband's sperm, two embryos were transferred to the gestational carrier's uterine cavity, resulting in a single intrauterine pregnancy. Birth was induced at 39 weeks of gestation. The male infant weighed 3486 g. Head circumference was 36 cm and length 50.5 cm; there was no evidence of any abnormality and/or malformation. At 1 year of age, the child's growth measurements and development assessments were normal. This describes the first reported successful term pregnancy of an untreated PKU mother with the help of a gestational carrier (GC), producing a normal infant. This is an alternative method that should be offered to PKU women who are unable and/or unwilling to maintain a well controlled diet before and during pregnancy.
Heterogeneous photocatalysis: Degradation of dilute solutions of dichloromethane (CH2Cl2), chloroform (CHCl3), and carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) with illuminated TiO2 photocatalyst

In dilute (10–200 ppm) aqueous solutions, the chloromethanes CCl4, CHCl3, and CH2Cl2 are completely mineralized to CO2 and HCl by the heterogeneous photocatalyst TiO2. The reaction rates in the absence of accumulated product are described by a simple Langmuir form, rate = k · K[chloromethane]1 + K[chloromethane] The relative rate constants are in the approximate ratio of 29 (trichloro-): 9 (dichloro): 1 (tetrachloromethane). Chloride ion inhibits the rate of degradation, as do product protons, as shown by experiments with added initial CsCl or HCl.
Evolving Models of Organizational Behavior

Managerial practices gradually are evolving from an autocratic model of organizational behavior, to a custodial model, and then to a supportive model. A further refinement is a collegia! model. Eac...
Mice lacking 25OHD 1α-hydroxylase demonstrate decreased epidermal differentiation and barrier function☆

Keratinocytes express high levels of 25OHD 1alpha-hydroxylase (1OHase). The product of this enzyme, 1,25(OH)(2)D, promotes the differentiation of keratinocytes in vitro. To test whether 1OHase activity is essential for keratinocyte differentiation in vivo we examined the differentiation process in mice null for the expression of the 1alphaOHase gene (1alphaOHase(-/-)) by light and electron microscopy, by immunocytochemistry for markers of differentiation, by ion capture cytochemistry for calcium localization, and by function using transepidermal water loss (TEWL) to assess barrier integrity. Levels of involucrin, filaggrin, and loricrin-markers of differentiation in the keratinocyte and critical for the formation of the cornified envelope-were reduced in the epidermis of 1alphaOHase(-/-) mice. Calcium in the outer epidermis was reduced with loss of the calcium gradient from stratum basale to stratum granulosum. TEWL was normal in the resting state, but following disruption of the barrier, 1alphaOHase(-/-) mice had a markedly prolonged recovery of barrier function associated with a reduction in lamellar body secretion and a failure to reform the calcium gradient. Thus 1,25(OH)(2)D is essential for normal epidermal differentiation, most likely by inducing the proteins and mediating the calcium signaling in the epidermis required for the generation and maintenance of the barrier.
Chemical thermodynamic properties for 1-alkanethiols☆☆☆

Abstract The thermodynamic quantities (G s - H 0 o ) T , (H s - H 0 o ) T , Hs - H0o, Ss, and Cs were evaluated for the solid and liquid states of ethanethiol, 1-pentanethiol, 1-hexanethiol, 1-heptanethiol, and 1-decanethiol in the range 10 to 370 K. The molar entropies So were evaluated for the ideal gas states at 298.15 K of 1-pentanethiol, 1-hexanethiol, 1-heptanethiol, and 1-decanethiol. Values for heat capacity, enthalpy of fusion, triple point temperature, and purity were determined by adiabatic calorimetric measurements. The experimentally determined average entropy increments per methylene group at 298.15 K in liquid and ideal gas states, 7.78 and 9.30 cal K−1 mol−1, respectively, are very likely constant for alkanethiols above 1-pentanethiol, and the increments agree satisfactorily with those for n-alkanes, alkyl-sustituted cyclopentanes, and alkyl-substituted cyclohexanes.
Stereotypic Desirability Profiles for the 16 P.F. Questionnaire

The study investigated the effects of instructional conditions on 16 P.F. performance. Instructions focusing on the positive and negative desirability of item alternatives were compared with result...
Morphine hyperthermia in the rat: An action of the central thermostats

Abstract The mechanism underlying the hyperthermic response to low doses of morphine has been investigated in rats. Doses of morphine sulfate less than 10 mg/kg i.p. caused a rise in body temperature accompanied by vasoconstriction of the cutaneous blood vessels of the tail. This hyperthermia, unlike the hypothermia following higher doses or morphine was not blocked by naloxone nor did tolerance develop to the response. Injections directly into the hypothalamus suggested that, as with the fall in temperature after high doses of morphine, the hyperthermic effect is also due to an action on the preoptic/anterior hypothalamic thermoregulatory centers. Experiments measuring thermoregulatory behavior showed that rats delayed escaping from a heat load after low doses of morphine even though their core temperature was rising. These results suggest that low doses of morphine raise the set point of the central thermostats in rats resulting in a hyperthermia, at least in part, by decreased cutaneous heat loss.
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: Email as an Object of Practitioner Inquiry.

As new communication technologies enter the classroom, teachers must attend to how digital platforms impact the interpersonal practices of teaching and learning. In this article, I study email exchanges with three of my students – Jorge, Adriana, and Jason – over the course of one year in an 11th-grade English class at River High School, a struggling American school subject to intervention for failing to meet the federal No Child Left Behind requirements. I ask several questions: what role does email play in my relationships with students; what does email reveal about the ideological content of my communication with students; and how could I use email transformatively? When I studied these email exchanges, I found that while email has the potential to transform literacy instruction, it can also perpetuate a poor student/teacher relationship and reproduce neoliberal narratives that narrowly imagine students as test-takers, workers, and consumers.
Lateral fluctuations in pelagic sedimentation during the Pleistocene glaciations

Bostrom, K., & Fisher, D. E.: Lateral fluctuations in pelagic sedimentation during the Pleistocene glaciations. Boreas, Vol. 1, pp. 275–288. Oslo, 1st December, 1972. A total of 308 sediment samples of dated cores from 7 different locations have been analyzed for several major and trace elements. Our results, as well as previously published ones, show that during the Pleistocene the pelagic sediments have high concentrations of Mn, Cu, Co, REE, etc., in deposits of glacial age and low concentrations in corresponding interglacial ones; for hemipelagic sediments the situation is reversed. This shows that the boundary between reducing hemipelagic sediments and well-oxidized pelagic sediments has been migrating laterally back and forth due to climatic variations. Such sediment sequences may be easily confused with deposits where postdepositional migration of Mn and other elements has taken place.
Spatial, movement- and reward-sensitive discharge by medial ventral striatum neurons of rats.

Previous behavioral and acute electrophysiological data have lead researchers to speculate that the nucleus accumbens integrates limbic, reward and motor information. The present study examined the behavioral correlates to single unit activity of the nucleus accumbens and surrounding ventral striatum as a means of evaluating the integrative functioning of this region in an awake animal. Medial ventral striatum (mVS) activity was recorded as rats completed multiple trials on an eight arm radial maze. Neuronal activity was found to correlate with spatial, reward- and movement-related behavioral conditions. While the majority of cells demonstrated correlates of a single type (i.e. either spatial or reward correlates), 6 cells encoded multiple correlates of different types (i.e. spatial and reward correlates). The data suggests that this integrative process can be active both at the level of the individual neuron, and at the structural level. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that the mVS integrates spatial and reward-related information, which in turn influences voluntary motor output structures in order to achieve accurate navigational behavior.