cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 347: Glutathione-S-Transferase P Regulates Bone Marrow Derived Endothelial Progenitor Cell (EPC) Function and Neovascularization in the Infarcted Heart

Glutathione-S-transferase P (GSTP) modulates proliferation of bone marrow (BM) myeloid progenitors via non-catalytic inhibition of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK); however, its effects on BM-derived EPCs are unknown. We hypothesized that GSTP supports EPC mobilization while suppressing inflammatory cells, thereby promoting tissue neovascularization. We generated chimeric mice using BM-ablated wild-type (WT) mice reconstituted with either GSTP-/- (GSTP-/-c) or WT (WTc) BM. GSTP-/-c and WTc mice underwent coronary ligation or sham operation (n = 8-15/group). Compared to WTc sham, 4 w after surgery, WTc HF mice exhibited significant (p < 0.05): LV dilatation, dysfunction, and fibrosis; increased mortality; and augmented circulating pro-inflammatory CD11b+Ly6Chi monocytes, but comparable circulating CD34+VEGFR2+ EPCs. In contrast, compared to WTc HF, GSTP-/-c HF hearts had significant (p < 0.01): 1) worsening of LV dilatation (LVEDV 118 ± 30 vs 88 ± 13 μL), dysfunction (LVEF 21 ± 4 vs 32 ± 9 %), wall thinning (anterior wall thickness 0.41 ± 0.06 vs 0.49 ± 0.1 mm), and LV hypertrophy (LV/tibia length 4.9 ± 0.5 vs 4.5 ± 0.6 mg/mm); 2) increased remote zone fibrosis by trichrome staining (1.3 ± 0.2 vs 0.61 ± 0.3 %); 3) reduced capillary density (476 ± 60 vs 544 ± 37 capillary/mm2) and increased capillary area (14 ± 1.1 vs 12 ± 1.2 μm2); 4) diminished gene expression of VEGF A, VEGF B, and VEGF C; 5) and increased IL-1β, IL-6 gene expression. GSTP-/-c mice also exhibited (p < 0.01) increased BM JNK activation, reduced circulating EPCs (0.18±0.07 vs 0.24±0.06%), increased CD11b+Ly6Chi monocytes (2.25±0.5 vs 1.8±0.6%), but comparable anti-inflammatory CD11b+Ly6Clow monocytes at baseline as compared with WTc mice. Moreover, at 3 and 7 d after ligation, GSTP-/-c HF mice exhibited fewer circulating EPCs and anti-inflammatory monocytes, and significantly higher pro-inflammatory monocytes as compared with WTc HF mice. We conclude that GSTP promotes EPC and reparative monocyte mobilization, thereby improving angiogenic gene expression, neovascularization and LV remodeling after myocardial infarction. This suggests that GSTP polymorphisms can impact cardiac reparative capacity in humans, and that enhancing GSTP function after infarction may yield therapeutic benefit.
Multiphasic desensitization of the GABAA receptor in outside-out patches

GABAA receptor function was studied in outside-out patches from guinea pig hippocampal neurons using a drug application system with an exchange time of under 1.5 ms. Application of GABA to these patches induced a Cl- conductance that desensitized with prolonged exposure. Increasing GABA concentrations induced larger conductance increases that were associated with more complex patterns of desensitization. Smaller GABA responses desensitized with monophasic kinetics, whereas large responses displayed bi- and triphasic kinetics. Desensitization of the response to 1 mM GABA was triphasic in about 70% of the patches (tau = 15.4, 207, and 1370 ms) and biphasic in about 30% of the patches (tau = 44 and 725 ms). All phases of desensitization reversed at the Cl- equilibrium potential. Over the concentration range from 3 microM to 3 mM, both the rate and the extent of desensitization increased; however, complete desensitization was rarely observed. The increase in desensitization rate was due to an increase in the relative contribution of the faster phases with increasing GABA. The time constants of the three phases were independent of concentration. The different phases are not mediated by separate receptor populations, because double pulse experiments demonstrated interconversion among the fastest phase and the two slower phases. We demonstrate the plausibility of a model in which multiphasic desensitization is a consequence of the faster association rate at higher GABA concentrations.
A New Device to Quantify Human Trunk-Control Measurements

When helping in the rehabilitation of stroke and head trauma patients, physical therapists often find a need to measure the patient’s control of the muscles in their torso. This is called trunk control. Currently, there are two options for the measurement of trunk control. The first is qualitative analysis by the physical therapist, and the second is large, expensive equipment that measures the patient’s balance. The goal of this project was to create a low cost, quantitative means of measuring trunk control. The device used accelerometers placed on the back of the patient’s neck to measure the angle of the patient’s torso from vertical, as compared to acceleration due to gravity, in both left to right and forward to backward directions. The data taken from the accelerometers is stored on a micro-SD card, which is then inserted into a personal computer and analyzed using software built in the lab. The software produces a graphical representation of the data and displays useful calculations. During the course of the project, careful consideration had to be taken to stay within the bounds of professional ethics from a biomedical point of view. This included restricting the testing of the device and taking patient safety as a primary consideration during the entirety of the design process. Future iterations of the device will include technical and aesthetic improvements based on feedback from a group of physical therapy students who are currently testing the quality of the device’s measurements as well as its integration into a clinical setting. Additionally, a group of business students are constructing a business plan for the marketing and sales of this product.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Probing the Non‐covalent Structure of Proteins by Amide Hydrogen Exchange and Mass Spectrometry

The rates at which hydrogens located at peptide amide linkages in proteins undergo isotopic exchange when a protein is exposed to D2O depend on whether these amide hydrogens are hydrogen bonded and whether they are accessible to the aqueous solvent. Hence, amide hydrogen exchange rates are a sensitive probe for detecting changes in protein conformation and dynamics. Hydrogen exchange rates in proteins are most often measured by NMR or Fourier transform IR spectroscopy. After a brief introduction to model kinetics used to relate amide hydrogen exchange rates to protein structure and dynamics, information required to understand and implement a new method that uses acid proteases and mass spectrometry to determine amide hydrogen exchange rates in proteins is presented. Structural and dynamic features affecting isotopic exchange rates can be detected and localized from the deuterium levels detected by mass spectrometry in proteolytic fragments of the protein. Procedures used to adjust for isotopic exchange occurring during the analysis, to extract isotope exchange rate constants from mass spectra and to link bimodal isotope patterns to protein unfolding and structural heterogeneity are also discussed. In addition, the relative merits of using mass spectrometry or NMR combined with amide hydrogen exchange to study protein structure and dynamics are discussed. The spatial resolution of hydrogen exchange results obtained by this method is typically in the range of 1-10 residues, which is substantially less than that obtained by high-resolution NMR, but sufficient to detect many functionally significant structural changes. Advantages in the areas of sensitivity, protein solubility, detection of correlated exchange and high molecular mass proteins make this approach particularly attractive for a wide range of studies.
Mathematical Formulations of the NTSC Color Television Signal

The NTSC color television signal specification may be presented mathematically in a variety of ways, each yielding identical total signals but using a number of different components. In this paper, the presentations are in terms of (1) two color-difference signals, (2) camera primary signals, (3) three color-difference signals, and (4) symmetrical components. The formulation of the signal specification when high-frequency components are present in the signal is also considered.
Leading the Charge: Media, Elites, and the Use of Emotion in Stimulating Rally Effects in Wartime

This study examines the relationship between media coverage, elite cues, and emotion in shaping public opinion about use of force. It utilizes data across three time periods: an experiment conducted in early 2005 during the Iraq War, National Election Studies data collected during the 2004 U.S. Presidential election, and NES data collected shortly after the U.S./coalition victory in the 1991 Gulf War. The study finds that contrary to conventional wisdom, media exert less influence on public opinion when they report negative or controversial news than when they reflect elite consensus and/or patriotic fervor. However, their importance is likely dependent upon the state of elite opinion, and thus media are best thought of as intervening variables between policymakers and the public.
Aggressive lymphoma in the elderly.

Abstract Persons 65 years of age and older are the fastest growing segment of the United States population. Over the next 30 years they will comprise approximately 20% of the population. There will be a parallel rise in the number of patients with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Age has long been known to be an adverse prognostic factor. Clincial trials of older patients are complicated by the effect of comorbid illness, particularly its effect on overall survival. CHOP (cyclophosphamide, Adriamycin, vincristine, prednisone) remains the standard therapy for all patients with aggressive non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. There are a number of regimens which may be beneficial for older patients with significant comorbidity and poor performance status. The randomized trials in the elderly has reaffirmed CHOP and emphasize the need for adequate dosing, maintaining schedule and anthracyclines. Relapsed patients have a poor prognosis but selected fit older patients may benefit from aggressive reinduction regimens and possibly bone marrow transplantation. Future research should include defining the role of comorbidity, measurement of organ dysfunction and assessment of performance status with geriatric functional scales. New drug treatments should also be explored.
Psychology graduate students' multidimensional perceptions of their psychology faculty ☆

Abstract A recently proposed multidimensional similarity analysis methodology was used to analyze the dimensionality of a faculty group, the faculty which comprises an academic department of psychology, as perceived by advanced graduate students matriculating in that department. The two (or three) extracted judgmental-perceptual dimensions accounted for 70 % (or 79 %) of the judgmental variance; these dimensions appeared to be psychologically meaningful, i.e., they were readily interpretable. An inverse analysis of the judges was also accomplished and led to interpretable results. The success of this exploratory application of a multidimensional scaling procedure suggested further uses of such methodologies in investigations of other forms of social judgment-evaluation.
The role of peroxisomes in mammalian cellular metabolism.

Peroxisomes, which are widely distributed in mammalian tissues, carry out several important functions in cellular metabolism. Production of alkylglycerol-3-phosphate, a key intermediate in the synthesis of plasmalogens and other ether lipids, occurs in the peroxisome. A fatty acid β-oxidation system with significant differences from mitochondrial β-oxidation is also found in the peroxisomes; the acetyl-CoA produced is used for synthetic reactions. This pathway has a particularly important physiological role in the oxidation of very long chain fatty acids and the side chain of cholesterol. Peroxisomes also possess a number of oxidases that produce H2O2 which is decomposed by peroxisomal catalase. The function of this peroxisomal respiratory pathway is disposal of excess reducing equivalents, protection of the cell against H2O2 and possibly a role in thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue. Other peroxisomal functions include a role in gluconeogenesis and in purine and polyamine catabolism. Some enzymes of peroxisomes can be induced by dietary, hormonal and other physiological changes. The entire organelle proliferates under certain of these conditions.
Ni(111) surfaces altered by oxidation: carbon monoxide and hydrogen coadsorption

Abstract Ni(111) surfaces cleaned by conventional oxidation/annealing cycles show variable desorption, particularly of coadsorbed hydrogen and carbon monoxide, depending on the details of the process. These alterations are attributed to subsurface oxygen which is very difficult to remove by high-temperature annealing. When subsurface oxygen is minimized and the coverage of hydrogen is ⩾ 0.5 ML, we observe a CO-induced transformation of the normal β 1 and β 2 hydrogen TPD peaks into a single peak located at intermediate temperatures. For conditions where subsurface oxygen is higher, coadsorbed CO preserves the peak separation but reduces the desorption peak temperatures of both β 1 and β 2 and increases their separation. With extensive annealing (up to 10 h at 1000 K), the effects of subsurface oxygen are largely removed.
The behavioural ecology of desert grasshoppers II. Communication in Trimerotropis agrestis

Abstract Courtship and male-to-male signals which prevent ipse-sexual courtship are described and illustrated audiospectrographically in Trimerotropis agrestis gracewileyae Tinkham. Some signals are silent, whereas others have an acoustical component produced by friction of a femoral ridge against the file-like stridulatory surface of the hind-wings. Leg movements which pass above the body expose the coral-red inner surfaces of the femora and the red tibiae, affording an additional visual stimulus. Certain captive males in a closely interacting group of males perform a drumming sound which is produced in some way by a low fluttering motion of the hind femora. This latter behaviour pattern was not observed in nature.
“I've Never Heard of It Before”: Awareness of Open Access at a Small Liberal Arts University

Small colleges and universities, often late adopters of institutional repositories and open access initiatives, face challenges that have not fully been explored in the professional literature. In an effort to gauge the level of awareness of open access and institutional repositories at the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire (UWEC), the authors of this article surveyed fellow faculty members at this small liberal arts university before the 2011 Open Access Week. The survey results reveal that faculty members at UWEC do not share the same level of awareness concerning open access and institutional repositories that was found in the existing scholarly literature.
PRODUCTION INTERRELATIONSHIPS IN SRI LANKAN PEASANT AGRICULTURE

Technical change and the extent to which commodity supplies and input demands are interrelated in Sri Lankan peasant agriculture are explored in this paper. Using a multiple-product dual model, a seemingly unrelated system of product supply and input demand equations is estimated for four crops and four variable inputs. Restrictions based on competitive behaviour and a twice continuously-differentiable production function are maintained in the non-linear least squares estimation. A number of important interrelationships in individual product supplies and input demands are identified, further documenting the need to account for intercommodity production relationships in econometric and simulation studies and in policy formulation. Non-joint production and Hicksneutral technical change are both rejected.
Depolarization of brain synaptosomes activates opposing factors involved in regulating levels of cytoskeletal actin

Depolarization of mouse brain synaptosomes elicits transmitter release and modifies factors that regulate cytoskeletal actin (C-actin) levels. We previously reported (Bernstein and Bamburg, J. Neurosci. 1985. 5:2565–2569) that depolarization causes a release of about 25% of the actin associated with the cytoskeleton of synaptosomal lysates. From our current studies we conclude that depolarization only transiently perturbs the balance in opposing factors which regulate C-actin levels in lysates. Prolonged incubation of the lysates permits the actin to reequilibrate so that no difference between C-actin levels of resting and depolarized synaptosomes is observed. Both the initial transient release of actin from the cytoskeleton and its reassociation with the cytoskeleton during prolonged incubation are calcium dependent and involve factors in both the cytoskeletal and soluble fractions. Depolarization initiates modifications that both increase and decrease the C-actin level probably through mechanisms involving calcium sensitive actin binding proteins.
A simulation model of the effects of vertical mixing on primary productivity

A random walk stimulation model was developed to explore the effects of variations in light regimes due to vertical mixing on primary productivity. Cells were allowed to light-shade adapt on some time scale by altering chl:carbon ratios in response to variations in light regimes. Photosynthetic response was adjusted according to variations in chl: carbon ratios by either varying the initial slopes of photosynthesis-irradiance curves, or varying photosynthetic capacities. The model suggests that despite physiological adaptation to light, vertical mixing may have little effect on the integrated water column primary productivity. It is suggested that if photoinhibition does not have a pronounced effect, the average distribution of primary production in a water column is not related to variations in light regimes arising from turbulent diffusion processes.
Lasers without inversion: Two-photon stimulated emission in a three-level atom.

Although the two-photon spontaneous emission is electric dipole forbidden, there is a two-photon stimulated emission whose lifetime is much longer in comparison to those of excitations spontaneously emitted by the excited states of the atom. Conditions are established under which the two-photon stimulated emission prevails, indicating that significant amplification is likely to occur near the two-photon frequency.
255: Hemoglobin A1c as an early predictor of gestational diabetes in obese patients: a subgroup analysis

255 Hemoglobin A1c as an early predictor of gestational diabetes in obese patients: a subgroup analysis Alex Fong, Allison Serra, Lauryn Gabby, Deborah Wing, Kathleen Berkowitz University of California, Irvine, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Orange, CA, University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, CA, MemorialCare Center for Women at Miller Children’s Hospital, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Long Beach, CA OBJECTIVE: To assess the use of early screening hemoglobin A1c (HgbA1c) of 5.7-6.4% as a predictor of gestational diabetes (GDM) in obese patients. STUDY DESIGN: This is a subgroup analysis on obese parturients using data from a retrospective cohort study of 544 subjects who underwent early screening HgbA1c. Subjects with known pre-existing diabetes or HgbA1c values >1⁄46.5% were excluded. Obese subjects were defined as having a pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) >1⁄430. The primary outcome was GDM development. Secondary outcomes included route of delivery, maternal weight gain, and neonatal outcomes. Subjects with HgbA1c 5.7-6.4% were compared to those with HgbA1c 4kg), or neonatal morbidities. CONCLUSION: Obese subjects with an early screening HgbA1c of 5.76.4% have a nearly 50% chance of developing GDM and higher weight gain than those with HgbA1c <5.7%. HgbA1c should be used as a tool in identifying obese subjects who may benefit from closer glycemic surveillance, weight control, and possible early intervention.
A framework for incorporating ecological releases in single reservoir operation

Abstract Most reservoir operation practices consider downstream environmental flow as a constraint to meet a minimum release. The resulting flow regime may not necessarily provide downstream aquatic conditions to support healthy ecosystems. These effects can be quantified in terms of changes in values of parameters that represent the flow regimes. Numerous studies have focused on determining the ecological response to hydrological alteration caused by reservoir operation. To mitigate hydrological alteration and restore the natural flow regime as much as possible, a reservoir operation framework is proposed to explicitly incorporate ecological flow requirements. A general optimization-based decision model is presented to consider simultaneously the multiple anthropogenic uses of the reservoir and desirable ecological releases represented by parameters that capture the flow regime. Multiple uses of the reservoir, including water supply, hydropower generation, etc., are modeled as a mixed integer programming problem. Hydropower generation, which is represented by a nonlinear function that usually depends on head and water flow, is linearized using a two-dimensional function. Investigations using a reservoir in Virginia, located in the southeastern United States, demonstrate that compared to standard releases based on current operation practice, releases simulated using this framework perform better in mimicking pre-development flows. The tradeoff between anthropogenic use and ecological releases is investigated. The framework is first demonstrated for instances with perfect stream flow information. To examine the flexibility of this framework in reservoir release management, monthly flow forecasts and disaggregated daily flow conditions are incorporated. Retrospective monthly flow forecasts are obtained through regression models that use gridded precipitation forecasts and gridded soil moisture estimates as predictors. A nonparametric method is chosen to disaggregate monthly flow forecasts to daily flow conditions. Compared with daily flow climatology, forecasted monthly and daily flow better preserves flow variability and result in lower changes of flow parameters under the proposed framework.
Templated spherical high density lipoprotein nanoparticles.

We report the synthesis of high density lipoprotein (HDL) biomimetic nanoparticles capable of binding cholesterol. These structures use a gold nanoparticle core to template the assembly of a mixed phospholipid layer and the adsorption of apolipoprotein A-I. These synthesized structures have the general size and surface composition of natural HDL and, importantly, bind free cholesterol (Kd = 4 nM). The determination of the Kd for these particles, with respect to cholesterol complexation, provides a key starting and comparison point for measuring and evaluating the properties of subsequently developed synthetic versions of HDL.
1561 PSYCHIATRIC SEQUELAE OF LOCALIZED CORTICAL INJURY IN CHILDREN

To test the hypothesis that localized cortical damage is associated with specific forms of psychiatric disorder, 54 children with unilateral compound depressed head fractures hospitalized in Great Britain were examined and their parents and teachers interviewed. Children were categorized into four groups by site of dural tear as determined from surgical records. Psychiatric disorder was measured by four symptom scales derived from psychiatrist, parents' and teachers' questionnaires. There were no significant associations between hyperactivity, conduct disorder and other emotional disorders and site of injury or hemisphere. Children with right frontal and left posterior injuries had significantly more severe depressive symptoms than those injured at other sites (F=3.65 p=.02). The contrast between the right frontal-leftposterior and left frontal-right posterior groups remained significant after the effects of social disadvantage, age at injury, age at examination and parental history of psychiatric disorder were controlled in a multiple regression analysis. The general lack of association between locus of injury and form of psychiatric disorder suggests that the effect of localized damage is not marked. The depression results, however, are supported by neurophysiological findings and indicate that damage to a specific site can result in a specific type of disorder.
The politics of pain : A political institutionalist analysis of crime victims' moral protests

Like the new social movements, crime victim movements were part of broad cultural struggles to redefine the character of social order in the late twentieth century. Motivated by pain and outrage over criminal victimization, they were engaged in highly charged moral protests over the rights and duties of state government and the relative value of human life. This article argues that the degree to which crime victims were part of a retributive movement—the restriction of criminal offenders' rights and liberties—or part of a restorative movement to repair victims' well-being depended on the political context in which they were operating, specifically the structure of the democratic process. The case studies suggest that a context with a high degree of democratization but intensive social polarization was more likely to deepen crime victims' demands for vengeance as well as provide their legal and political expression, while a context with intensive civic engagement but well-developed social trust and norms of reciprocity was more likely to bring about pragmatic measures, intermixing restorative and restrictive approaches to criminal victimization. This article seeks to extend the literature on political institutionalism by integrating the structural constraints of institutions with the power of human agency.
Now everyone has a donor for HSCT.

Historically, the best results of allogeneic hematopoietic transplantation have occurred with an HLA identical sibling donor. The risks of graft rejection, GVHD, and treatment-related mortality increase with greater genetic disparity between donor and recipient. Recent advances have markedly
Comorbid anxiety and substance use disorders associated with a lower use of mood stabilisers in patients with rapid cycling bipolar disorder: a descriptive analysis of the cross-sectional data of 566 patients.

Summary Objective: To study mood stabiliser treatment in patients with bipolar disorder with or without anxiety disorders (ADs) and/or substance use disorders (SUDs). Methods: Extensive clinical interview and Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview were used to ascertain DSM-IV diagnoses of rapid cycling bipolar I (RCBDI) or II (RCBDII), SUDs and ADs. Previous treatment statuses with a mood stabiliser after the first onset of mania/hypomania (unmedicated, mismedicated and correctly medicated) were retrospectively determined in patients enrolled into four similar clinical trials. T-test and chi-square/Fisher’s exact were used wherever appropriate. Results: Of 566 patients (RCBDI n = 320, RCBDII n = 246), 46% had any lifetime AD, 67% had any lifetime SUD and 40% had any recent SUD. Overall, 12% of patients were unmedicated, 37% were mismedicated at the onset of first mania/hypomania and 51% were correctly medicated. Presence of lifetime ADs and recent SUDs was associated with fewer mood stabiliser treatments. Patients with RCBDI were more likely correctly medicated than those with RCBDII (OR = 3.64) regardless of the presence (OR = 2.6) or absence (OR = 4.2) of ADs, or the presence (OR = 2.8) or absence (OR = 3.13) of recent SUDs. Presence of lifetime ADs and recent SUDs increased the risk for mismedicated in RCBDI with odds ratios of 1.8 and 1.9, respectively, but not in RCBDII. Conclusion: In this multi-morbid cohort of patients with RCBD, 51% of patients (64% of RCBDI and 33% with RCDBII) were correctly medicated with a mood stabiliser after the onset of first mania/hypomania. The presence of ADs and SUDs was associated with an increased risk of mismedicated in patients with RCBDI, but not with RCBDII.
Acute Wharton's duct sialadenitis and submandibular infection.

A healthy 22-year-old woman presented to the Emergency Department (ED) with progressive pain and swelling under her tongue and left submandibular region for 2 days. Physical examination revealed a slightly deviated frenulum. Purulent material was expressed from a dilated and prominent Wharton duct (Figure 1). A firm, circumscribed, mobile mass was appreciated in the left submandibular region (Figure 2). Computed tomography (CT) revealed an opacity along the course of the Wharton duct (Figure 3) and soft tissue haziness in the left submandibular space (Figure 4). The patient was treated as an outpatient with oral hydration, analgesics, compression, and antibiotics. All acute symptoms resolved within 1 week and the patient was completely asymptomatic at 1-month follow-up.
Jerk: A Tic-Inspired View of the Self-Determination Paradox in Our Mental Health System

Historically, the mental health field has been dominated by the medical model, placing the “patient” into the backseat of their own treatment. Sometimes this aspect of being controlled can be as hurtful as the out-of-control experience individuals with mental health conditions often face. In recent years, a number of people with mental health conditions have stepped up, showing not only that they can recover but also that they can lead the way in recovery-oriented mental health services. This article provides a commentary on this form of input that is rooted in the author's personal experiences with the system of care.
Calcium-Regulated Conformational Changes in the COOH-terminus of Troponin I

The troponin complex plays an essential role in the calcium regulation of skeletal and cardiac muscle contractions. Of the three subunits of troponin (TnC, TnI and TnT), TnI is the inhibitory subunit that responds to the binding of Ca2+ to TnC during the activation of contraction. The COOH-terminal region of TnI is a highly conserved structure implying a fundamental function. Previous studies using reconstituted troponin or myofilaments suggested that the COOH-terminal domain of TnI undergoes epitopic and positional changes in the presence or absence of calcium. Here we tested the calcium-induced conformational changes in the COOH-terminal region of TnI by engineering a unique Cys at the COOH terminus of TnI for the addition of a reporting label. Monoclonal antibody epitope analysis and protein binding assays indicated that this modification and the replacement of two internal Cys residues (C81I and C98S) in a cardiac TnI core structure (McTnI-ND29-Cys) did not affect the COOH-terminal conformation of TnI and preserved binding to TnT and TnC. McTnI-ND29-Cys purified from bacterial culture was fluorescently labeled with the Alexa Fluor 532 dye and used to reconstitute troponin complex. After verifying the ratio of fluorophore to protein conjugation by spectrophotometer and SDS-PAGE, Ca2+-titrations were performed for fluorescence intensity and polarization changes. The results demonstrated Ca2+ regulated conformational/environmental changes as well as flexibility change in the COOH terminus of TnI. Further experiments are performed to measure the Ca2+-induced structural changes in reconstituted myofilaments to understand the function of TnI COOH terminal domain in calcium-regulation of muscle contraction.
Spatial variability of long-term chemical weathering rates in the White Mountains, New Hampshire, USA

Abstract Constraining the range of chemical weathering rates in soils is important because weathering can have a strong influence on surface and ground water chemistry, soil nutrient release, neutralization of acidity, and preparation of rock for physical erosion. Determination of chemical weathering rates in soils developed from glacial till can be advantageous relative to other soils, because soil ages are more easily determined. To allow measurement of real differences in weathering rates across sites, rigorous exclusion criteria need to be applied to soil profiles to reduce uncertainty that may arise from soil parent material heterogeneity and soil disturbance. Soil profiles used for weathering rate calculations in this study were required to have the following characteristics: a) an overall decreasing concentration of the immobile element (Ti) with depth; b) Ti concentrations of no more than 1 standard deviation lower in the B horizon than in the C horizon; and c) at least three mineral soil samples collected from above the C horizon. In the White Mountains (New Hampshire), we applied these criteria to data from 39 soil profiles developed in glacial till derived from granitic and high grade metamorphic parent material. Soils were excavated quantitatively, thus eliminating errors associated with measurement of bulk density. The resulting long-term weathering rates for individual soil pits range from 2 to 50 meq m − 2 year − 1 . Average weathering rates for sites with two or three profiles within 50 m of each other range from 10 to 30 meq m − 2 year − 1 . Averaging weathering rates from sites within 5 km of each other results in “local rates” ranging from 13 to 22 meq m − 2 year − 1 . An inverse correlation is observed between site elevation and weathering rate, which may reflect differences in temperature, precipitation or vegetation type. Our best estimate of the regional average long-term weathering rate for the White Mountains is 17 meq m − 2 year − 1 , considerably lower than the 35 meq m − 2 year − 1 previously reported for a 12 ha catchment at the nearby Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest. Weathering rates determined from granitic glacial deposits of similar age elsewhere in the world are of the same order of magnitude (2 to 62 meq m − 2 year − 1 ) as the rates determined in this study.
AN ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF RIOT PARTICIPATION

This paper examines the behavior of riot participants in the context of an expected utility maximization model. The basic hypothesis is that a riot presents the participants with a constantly changing set of opportunities, and that their behavior can only be understood in light of these changing returns and costs. The model is tested using data collected by the National Advisory Committee on Civil Disorders. The results are consistent with the hypothesis of maximizing behavior.
Surjective isometries on spaces of vector valued continuous and Lipschitz functions

For X a compact Hausdorff topological space and F a strictly convex and reflexive Banach space we characterize the surjective isometries of certain subspaces of C(X, F). It follows from this characterization that surjective isometries on spaces of vector valued Lipschitz functions equipped with a p-norm are also weighted composition operators.
CD40–CD40L interaction in Alzheimer's disease

Increasing evidence supports a role of the CD40 receptor-CD40 ligand (CD40-CD40L) interaction in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). It has previously been shown that this dyad acts synergistically with the Alzheimer amyloid-beta peptide to promote microglial activation. Reactive microglia produce potentially neurotoxic substances such as tumor necrosis factor alpha and the reactive oxygen species nitric oxide, which can induce bystander neuronal injury at high levels. When a transgenic mouse model of AD is crossed with an animal deficient in CD40L, the resulting phenotype is deficient in the gliosis observed in a mouse model of AD in which CD40L is present. Additionally, these crossed animals have complete absence of AD-like neuronal Tau hyperphosphorylation, a marker of the preneuronal tangle pathology in AD patients. This suggests that the CD40-CD40L system is a critical enhancer of microglial activation in an AD transgenic mouse model and that such activation is associated with an increase in a key indicator of neuronal stress. Conversely, the finding that reduced CD40-CD40L interaction is associated with reduced chronic microgliosis and Tau hyperphosphorylation supports the view that, in general, mechanisms that reduce microgliosis will be beneficial in AD.
A Model for Determining Tactical Parameters for Materials Requirements Planning Systems

This paper develops an approximate model for simultaneously determining reorder intervals and planned lead times for MRP systems. Unlike previous research, this model explicitly considers commonality, non-instantaneous production, multiple work centres (with multiple machines and with limited capacity), and queue inventory carrying cost. Four heuristic solution procedures for the non-linear integer optimization problem are proposed and compared with an exact branch-and-bound algorithm on a set of forty test problems. The results suggest that two of the heuristics are both effective and efficient.
THE DEPOSITION AND SUBSEQUENT COURSE OF PARTICULATE MATERIAL (MANGANESE DIOXIDE AND MANGANESE META-SILICATE) ADMINISTERED INTRAVENOUSLY TO CATS AND TO RABBITS.

1. Suspensions of manganese dioxide given intravenously to the cat are virtually eliminated from the body in 1 week (168 hours). 2. As this process of removal goes on, there is a transfer of manganese from lungs to liver. 3. Similar suspensions of manganese dioxide given intravenously to rabbits are excreted more rapidly, owing to the fact that in these animals the lungs are not involved and the whole process of removal from the blood is carried on by the liver. 4. A method for the quantitation of rhodonite (manganese metasilicate) is given. 5. Three different suspensions of rhodonite, varying in the size of the largest particles from 1.3 to 0.2µ, when injected intravenously into cats show a greater and greater tendency toward arrest in the liver as the size of the individual particles becomes smaller. 6. When rhodonite suspensions containing particles averaging 1.1µ in diameter are injected intravenously into cats, the primary sites of deposition are similar to those observed for manganese dioxide suspensions similarly injected. The disappearance of rhodonite is exceedingly slow and is apparently completed in about 50 days following injection. 7. Rhodonite should prove a suitable substance with which to attempt the production of lung fibrosis in cats through the medium of intravenous injection. Manganese dioxide, while a useful agent for studying the immediate sites of localization of particulate material carried by the blood, lacks permanency after deposition and is consequently unsuitable for studies upon chronic changes induced by foreign substances.
The role of diet in the treatment of a patient with urticaria and urticarial vasculitis.

Urticarial vasculitis is characterized by an urticarialike rash, usually associated with hypocomplementemia, high circulating immune complexes, and negative or low antinuclear antibody (ANA). 1, 2 The skin lesions are painful, nonpruritic nodules, usually nonblanching, and may be associated with arthralgias, arthritis, abdominal pain, fever, or uveitis. They persist for more than 24 hours and tend to be episodic. The characteristic features of vasculitis include endothelial swelling, hemorrhage, fibrin deposition, polymorphonuclear leukocyte infiltrate with leukocytoclasis, intimal proliferation with fibrosis and scarring of the media, and occasionally granulomatous changes in the postcapil lary venules. 2 In contrast, true IgE-mediated urticaria is usually pruritic, transient, and migratory. The lesions are typically raised, erythematous, well circumscribed papules associated with an evanescent area of edema. Histologic characteristics include dermal edema and a perivascular infiltrate of lymphocytes , with the occasional eosinophil. Histologically, intermediate cases between urticaria and urticarial vasculitis have been identified and range from a dermal infiltrate of neutrophils without vasculitis to a neutrophilic venulitis without fibrinoid deposits, hemorrhage, or leukocytoclasis to a true leukocytoclastic vasculitis. 2' 3 This suggests that urticaria and urticarial vasculitis form a disease cont inuum?' 5 We present an unusual case of a patient with concomitant urticarial vasculitis and chronic idiopathic urticaria who had complete remission while on an elimination diet.
Association between skin color and intraocular pressure in African Americans

Abstract African Americans have a higher prevalence of elevated blood pressure and a higher prevalence of increased intraocular pressure (IOP). The blood pressure of African Americans has been found to be related to skin color. This study evaluated whether IOP was related to skin color. We measured IOP using a Tonopen and skin darkness using a spectrocolorimeter in 213 African Americans. Seventy patients were identified as systemic hypertensives. Spearman correlation coefficients were calculated to compare IOP and skin darkness. Mean IOP among hypertensives was 17.7 ± 3.6 mmHg and among normotensives was 17.7 ± 3.8 mmHg. Mean IOP for the whole sample was 17.7 ± 3.7 mmHg. No significant correlations were found between skin darkness and IOP among the normotensive and hypertensive groups ( p = 0.52 and 0.44) nor for the sample as a whole ( p = 0.33). Skin darkness as a measure of skin color in this sample population did not predict those subjects with higher IOPs.
Psychologically plausible features for shape recognition in a neural network

The authors describe how a simple linear associative model with a novel learning rule is used to learn psychologically plausible shape descriptors of simple shapes such as characters, digits, and electronic circuit components. Their results show the power of teaching a neural network to associate general-purpose features with categories instead of discovering these features after trial and error. The use of general-purpose features and the proposed learning rule make it possible to teach the system to discriminate with an accuracy of 94% for digits, characters, and electronic gates with about eight training examples/character. The main advantage in using general-purpose features is the invariance to size, and the speed of recognition and learning. The recognition and learning take about a second on a Sun-3 workstation. Unlike J.A. Anderson and M. Mozer's (1981) model, this model does not overgeneralize, but learns to distinguish between distinct shapes that map on to the same abstract category. The relative importance of the features used in recognition is also discussed. >
Social Work in the US: Sociohistorical Context and Contemporary Issues

Abstract Social work occurs in a context and, in part, reflects that context. In the present paper, we address the sociohistorical context of social work in the US and attempt to illustrate a correspondence between the current practices of social work and the context of its development. Of particular interest are the concepts of individualism and instrumental reason, and how they became intertwined with politics, social policy, and the practice of social work in the US. It is our contention that US social work is currently dominated by a focus on the individual and an instrumental perspective that places cost considerations above all others. This is manifest in a particularly narrow definition of evidence-based practice popular within the US.
Haloaldehyde polymers: 20. Thermodynamics of polymerization

Abstract The thermodynamics of polymerization of halogenated aldehydes of the general formula CX 3 CHO, where X = F, Cl or Br, have been studied. The dependence of the equilibrium monomer concentration on temperature has been determined for nine homo- and hetero-halogen-substituted acetaldehydes. From this data, ceiling temperatures, enthalpies and entropies of polymerization have been calculated. Both enthalpy and entropy of polymerization become less negative when passing from fluorine to chlorine and bromine substituents. Thus, from the point of view of enthalpy alone, trifluorosubstituted acetaldehyde shows the highest and tribromosubstituted acetaldehyde the lowest polymerizability; the opposite is true if the entropy alone is considered. As the enthalpy factor prevails, the trend in the ceiling temperature follows that of the enthalpy and thus ceiling temperature is highest for fluoral and lowest for bromal polymerization with intermediate values for mixed substituted perhaloaldehydes. An attempt has been made to correlate the thermodynamic parameters of polymerization with electronic and steric effects of the substituents on the haloacetaldehydes.
Inhibition by γ-hydroxybutyrate of chlorpromazine-induced increase in homovanillic acid

1. gamma-Hydroxybutyrate and its lactone precursor, gamma-butyrolactone, when administered in anaesthetic doses block the increase in the cerebral concentration of homovanillic acid normally observed after administration of chlorpromazine or haloperidol.2. Other hypnotics such as glutethimide, urethane, chloralose, chloral hydrate and thiopentone do not have this ability even when administered in anaesthetic doses.3. The ability of gamma-hydroxybutyrate to block the neuroleptic-induced increase in cerebral homovanillic acid is not due to a reduction in body temperature since a similar effect is observed in rats treated under conditions (32 degrees C) in which body temperature remains normal.4. Possible mechanisms for this action of gamma-hydroxybutyrate are discussed.
Solvent- and Wavelength-Dependent Photochemistry of 1,3-Dihydroxyacetone Studied by TREPR: Implications for Commercial Sunless Tanning Lotions

1,3-Dihydroxyacetone (DHA) is the active ingredient in commercial personal care products for the production of a “sunless” tan on human skin. The DHA molecule is the simplest ketose sugar, and it reacts with amino acids on the surface of the skin in a biochemical pathway known as the Maillard reaction. However, DHA is known to be photochemically active and will produce free radicals with high quantum yield under ultraviolet (UV) excitation. We report here a detailed study of the free radicals produced by DHA photolysis as a function of wavelength and solvent. In contrary to the previous optical and steady-state electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) studies, X-band time-resolved (TR)-EPR spectra reveal a complex reactivity pattern: Norrish I α-cleavage is observed in almost all cases, but when good H-atom donors are present, H-atom abstraction by the solvent is observed. Changing the wavelength of excitation from 308 to 248 nm can reverse this observation. Comparison of TREPR spectra obtained from commercially available sunless tanning lotions shows that many free radicals, including those from DHA, can be detected using direct detection TREPR upon photolysis of the lotions themselves. The results suggest that caution should be observed in the use of these products in conjunction with UV exposure.
An automated system for gamma radiation field mapping

Abstract Remote radiation survey equipment was sorely needed at Chernobyl but adequate systems did not exist. The current state of the art still consists of a survey meter mounted on a robotic carriage, which scans an area at many points on a grid. This process is both time consuming and somewhat inaccurate. The system we have developed will overcome these limitations, and would provide significant savings in man-hours and man-rem over manual survey techniques. The system we have developed consists of a collimated ionization chamber mounted in a scanning head. The measurement process is similar to that used in medical computed tomography (CT) imaging and consists of a series of collimator rotations and translations. The key to this work is the use of a collimator to provide position information with a position insensitive detector. In addition, an inverse filter image reconstruction technique has been used to reduce the distortion effects due to the scanner and scanning process in the resulting maps. This technique models the distortion as a linear, space invariant degrading function which is removed in a deconvolution process. We have constructed first- and second-generation prototype scanners, and developed software to produce three-dimensional radiation field “iso-dose” maps. The iso-dose maps will be superimposed on three-dimensional computer-aided design and drafting (CADD) drawings of the radiation area, aiding in the characterization of the source of radiation.