cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cellular attachment to thrombospondin : cooperative interactions between receptor systems

Tumor cell attachment to thrombospondin (TSP) in the extracellular matrix may be of critical importance in the processes of invasion and hematogenous dissemination. To determine the specific receptor systems that mediate the interaction of tumor cells with insoluble TSP, the attachment of HT1080 fibrosarcoma and C32 and G361 melanoma cells to TSP-coated discs was studied in the presence of heparin, Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser, or antibodies to glycoprotein (GP) IV (CD36, GPIIIb), a TSP receptor. HT1080 and C32 cell attachment to TSP was inhibited by the combination of heparin and a monoclonal (or polyclonal) antibody to GPIV but not by either alone. Heparin alone inhibited cell spreading. Neither control monoclonal antibodies nor the cell attachment peptide Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser inhibited tumor cell attachment to TSP, alone or in the presence of heparin. HT1080 cells attached equally as well to a 140-kDa proteolytic TSP fragment lacking the heparin-binding domain as to intact TSP. A monoclonal antibody to GPIV alone inhibited tumor cell attachment to the heparin-domainless 140-kDa TSP fragment. No attachment to the heparin-binding fragment was observed, but the addition of the heparin fragment to 140-kDa heparin-domainless TSP restored the heparin sensitivity of binding. G361 cells that lack GPIV attached well to TSP but were not inhibited by heparin or anti-GPIV alone or in combination. The combination of heparin and Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser inhibited G361 attachment to TSP. These studies suggest that tumor cells may utilize separate receptor systems in a cooperative manner to adhere to TSP. HT1080 fibrosarcoma and C32 melanoma cells utilize GPIV in concert with a heparin-modulated binding systems to attach and spread on TSP. G361 cells, which lack GPIV expression, attach and spread on TSP using an integrin system as well as a heparin-modulated system.
Peptidoglycan Loss During Hen Egg White Lysozyme-Inorganic Salt Lysis of Streptococcus mutans

Streptococcus mutans BHT was grown in Todd-Hewitt dialysate medium containing N-acetyl[14C]glucosamine for 6 to 11 generations. After treatment with cold and hot trichloroacetic acid and trypsin, 52 to 65% of the radioactivity remained present in insoluble peptidoglycan-containing residues. Hen egg white lysozyme or mutanolysin treatment of the peptidoglycan residues resulted in the release of 80 and 97%, respectively, of the 14C label to the supernatant fraction. Hydrochloric acid hydrolysates of such supernatants showed that essentially all of the radioactivity present in insoluble peptidoglycan fractions was present in compounds that comigrated on paper chromatography with glucosamine (∼60%) or muramic acid (∼30%). Treatment of whole cells with low and high concentrations of lysozyme alone resulted in losses of 45 and 70% of the insoluble peptidoglycan, respectively, yet release of deoxyribonucleic acid from cells was not detected. Sequential addition of appropriate concentrations of selected inorganic salts after lysozyme treatment did result in the liberation of deoxyribonucleic acid. Deoxyribonucleic acid release was correlated with a further release of peptidoglycan from the insoluble fraction. However, the total amount of peptidoglycan lost effected by the low concentration of lysozyme and NaSCN (lysis) was significantly less than the amount of peptidoglycan hydrolyzed by high concentrations of lysozyme alone (no lysis), suggesting that the overall amount of peptidoglycan lost did not correlate well with cellular lysis. The total amount of insoluble peptidoglycan lost at the highest salt concentrations tested was found to be greater than could be accounted for by lysozyme-sensitive linkages of the peptidoglycan, possibly implicating autolysins. The results obtained suggested that hydrolysis of peptidoglycan bonds in topologically localized, but strategically important, sites was a more significant factor in the sequence that results in loss of cellular integrity (lysis).
Control of Morphogenesis in Geodermatophilus: Ultrastructural Studies

Geodermatophilus grows in two major forms, a nonmotile irregularly shaped aggregate of coccoid cells (C-form) and a motile budding rod (R-form). Morphogenesis can be controlled by an unidentified factor in Tryptose which is required for maintenance of the organism in the C-form and for differentiation of the R-form to the C-form. Morphogenetic events occur synchronously in the described system. Ultrastructural studies show that the major difference between C- and R-forms is in cells envelope structure. R-form cell walls consist of two layers, an inner transparent membranous layer (10 to 12.5 nm thick) and an outer dense diffuse layer (7.5 to 10 nm). In addition to these layers, the C-form has a thick fibrous layer (30 nm) over the dense layer. This layer appears to be a cementing substance which holds the coccoid cells together. Images
Cajuns and Their Acadian Ancestors

Reviewed Medium: book Authors: Shane K. Bernard Year: 2008 Publisher: University Press of Mississippi ISBN: 978-1-934110-78-2 (hard cover). Prices: $18.00 USD(hard cover).
A nonparametric stochastic approach for multisite disaggregation of annual to daily streamflow

[1] Streamflow disaggregation techniques are used to distribute a single aggregate flow value to multiple sites in both space and time while preserving distributional statistics (i.e., mean, variance, skewness, and maximum and minimum values) from observed data. A number of techniques exist for accomplishing this task through a variety of parametric and nonparametric approaches. However, most of these methods do not perform well for disaggregation to daily time scales. This is generally due to a mismatch between the parametric distributions appropriate for daily flows versus monthly or annual flows, the high dimension of the disaggregation problem, compounded uncertainty in parameter estimation for multistage approaches, and the inability to maintain flow continuity across disaggregation time period boundaries. We present a method that directly simulates daily data at multiple locations from a single annual flow value via K-nearest neighbor (K-NN) resampling of daily flow proportion vectors. The procedure is simple and data driven and captures observed statistics quite well. Furthermore, the generated daily data are continuous and display lag correlation structure consistent with that of the observed data. The utility and effectiveness of this approach is demonstrated for selected sites in the San Juan River Basin, located in southwestern Colorado, and later compared with the disaggregation technique of Prairie et al. (2007) for several locations in the Colorado River Basin.
Distal lung dysfunction at night in nocturnal asthma.

We have previously shown that patients with nocturnal worsening of asthma (nocturnal asthma) exhibit increased parenchymal inflammation at night. To evaluate the functional significance of this parenchymal inflammation, 10 subjects with nocturnal asthma (NA), four subjects with non-nocturnal asthma (NNA), and four normal control subjects underwent bronchoscopy with measurement of peripheral airways resistance (Rp) at 4:00 p.m. and at 4:00 a.m. Employing a wedged bronchoscope technique, Rp was measured. Flow was stopped, and the pressure reached after 10 s of decay was termed the plateau pressure. The time constant of this decay ( τ ) was measured, and the peripheral compliance (Cp) was calculated as τ /Rp. The NA group exhibited the highest Rp values at 4:00 p.m. and at 4:00 a.m. as compared with the NNA and control groups, but all groups were significantly different from each other at 4:00 p.m.: NA, 0.113 ± 0.02 cm H2O/ml/min; NNA, 0.033 ± 0.005 cm H2O/ml/min; Control subjects, 0.010 ± 0.001 cm H2O/ ml/m...
Learning to Be Interdisciplinary: An Action Research Approach to Boundary Spanning.

Objective This study explored challenges and barriers that need to be addressed in a preprofessional educational setting to provide opportunities for boundary spanning that leads to family-centred interdisciplinary service provision.Design The design employed in this study was participatory action research, an inductive approach.Setting The study took place during a semester-long, one-credit elective graduate seminar course.Method The study included five faculty members and eight graduate students from the fields of audiology, speech-language pathology, and rehabilitation counselling. Data gathering techniques used included observation, dialogue, and reflection.Results Three themes were identified as important in providing an environment conducive to collaboration between professionals and families, namely:1 the need for acceptance of differing perspectives,2 empowerment and its contribution to the process of inquiry, and3 self-awareness in the learning process and the resultant increase in awareness of o...
Synthetic activation of endogenous PI3K and Rac identifies an AND-gate switch for cell polarization and migration.

Phosphatidylinositol 3-OH kinase (PI3K) has been widely studied as a principal regulator of cell polarization, migration, and chemotaxis [1], [2], [3], [4]. Surprisingly, recent studies showed that mammalian neutrophils and Dictyostelium discoideum cells can polarize and migrate in the absence of PI3K activity [5], [6], [7]. Here we directly probe the roles of PI3K and its downstream effector, Rac, in HL-60 neutrophils by using a chemical biology approach whereby the endogenously present enzymes are synthetically activated in less than one minute [8], [9], [10]. We show that uniform activation of endogenous PI3K is sufficient to polarize previously unpolarized neutrophils and trigger effective cell migration. After a delay following symmetrical phosphatidylinositol (3,4,5)-triphosphate (PIP3) production, a polarized distribution of PIP3 was induced by positive feedback requiring actin polymerization. Pharmacological studies argue that this process does not require receptor-coupled trimeric G proteins. Contrary to the current working model, rapid activation of endogenous Rac proteins triggered effective actin polymerization but failed to feed back to PI3K to generate PIP3 or induce cell polarization. Thus, the increase in PIP3 concentration at the leading edge is generated by positive feedback with an AND gate logic with a PI3K-Rac-actin polymerization pathway as a first input and a PI3K initiated non-Rac pathway as a second input. This AND-gate control for cell polarization can explain how Rac can be employed for both PI3K-dependent and -independent signaling pathways coexisting in the same cell.
Update in Nephrology

This Update in Nephrology features 9 articles published in 2005 and 2006. Topics include acute and chronic renal failure, radiographic contrast and renal disease, renal artery stenosis, and kidney ...
Utilization of spinal cord stimulation in patients with failed back surgery syndrome.

Study design Retrospective analysis of a population-based insurance claims data set. Objective To evaluate the use of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) and lumbar reoperation for the treatment of failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS), and examine their associated complications and health care costs. Summary of background data FBSS is a major source of chronic neuropathic pain and affects up to 40% of patients who undergo lumbosacral spine surgery for back pain. Thus far, few economic analyses have been performed comparing the various treatments for FBSS, with these studies involving small sample sizes. In addition, the nationwide practices in the use of SCS for FBSS are unknown. Methods The MarketScan data set was used to analyze patients with FBSS who underwent SCS or spinal reoperation between 2000 and 2009. Propensity score methods were used to match patients who underwent SCS with those who underwent lumbar reoperation to examine health care resource utilization. Postoperative complications were analyzed with multivariate logistic regression. Health care use was analyzed using negative binomial and general linear models. Results The study cohort included 16,455 patients with FBSS, with 395 undergoing SCS implantation (2.4%). Complication rates at 90 days were significantly lower for SCS than spinal reoperation (P Conclusion Although previous studies have demonstrated superior efficacy for the treatment of FBSS, SCS remains underused. Despite no significant decreases in overall health care cost with SCS implantation, because it is associated with decreased complications and improved outcomes, this technology warrants closer consideration for the management of chronic pain in patients with FBSS.
Sensory and cognitive mechanisms of change detection in the context of speech.

The aim of this study was to dissociate the contributions of memory-based (cognitive) and adaptation-based (sensory) mechanisms underlying deviance detection in the context of natural speech. Twenty healthy right-handed native speakers of English participated in an event-related design scan in which natural speech stimuli, /de:/ (“deh”) and /deI/ (“day”); (/te:/ (“teh”) and /teI/ (“tay”) served as standards and deviants within functional magnetic resonance imaging event-related “oddball” paradigm designed to elicit the mismatch negativity component. Thus, “oddball” blocks could involve either a word deviant (“day”) resulting in a “word advantage” effect, or a non-word deviant (“deh” or “tay”). We utilized an experimental protocol controlling for refractoriness similar to that used previously when deviance detection was studied in the context of tones. Results showed that the cognitive and sensory mechanisms of deviance detection were located in the anterior and posterior auditory cortices, respectively, as was previously found in the context of tones. The cognitive effect, that was most robust for the word deviant, diminished in the “oddball” condition. In addition, the results indicated that the lexical status of the speech stimulus interacts with acoustic factors exerting a top-down modulation of the extent to which novel sounds gain access to the subject’s awareness through memory-based processes. Thus, the more salient the deviant stimulus is the more likely it is to be released from the effects of adaptation exerted by the posterior auditory cortex.
School Physical Activity Environment Related to Student Obesity and Activity: A National Study of Schools and Students

Abstract Purpose To explore whether characteristics of the U.S. secondary school physical activity environment are associated with student body mass index (BMI) and physical activity. Methods This report uses data from two studies: Monitoring the Future (MTF; an annual nationally representative survey of 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-grade public and private school students) and Youth, Education, and Society (a survey of administrators in schools that have completed their 2-year participation in the MTF study). School policies and programs related to various health issues, including physical education (PE) and sports activity, were examined for relationships with student self-reported height, weight, being active in sports, exercising vigorously, and participating in school athletics. Results The results show that in 2004–2007, the percentage of students who attended schools that required PE in their grade differed sharply by grade level: 88% of 8th graders, 48% of 10th graders, and 20% of 12th graders. There were few statistically significant associations between school PE requirements and student BMI. The average percentage of students who participated in interscholastic or varsity sports was associated at the bivariate level with a lower percentage of students being overweight in all three grades. Other measures of PE and sports activity showed varying associations with BMI and physical activity measures. Conclusions Relationships between the school physical activity environment and student BMI and physical activity were not uniformly strong. We conclude that, as currently practiced in schools, existing variations in physical activity policies may not be sufficient to produce discernible school-wide differences; thus, there is a need for more vigorous PE programming than is typically provided.
Studies on renal juxtaglomerular cells. III. The effects of experimental renal disease and hypertension in the rat

Hypertension in rats produced by constriction of one renal artery was associated with degranulation of juxtaglomerular cells in the contralateral, undamped, kidney. These findings are consistent with those of other investigators. Furthermore, the degree of granulation (JGI) in the unclamped kidney was inversely correlated with the level of blood pressure (r = -0.7). Degranulation of JG cells also occurred in rats made hypertensive by application of a "figure-of-eight" ligature to one kidney and removal of the other one, except when the interference in blood supply was so severe that scarring resulted. In these damaged areas, granules persisted or increased in number even though they were decreased in adjacent relatively normal areas. Occlusion of one ureter in rats produced severe hydronephrosis in the homolateral kidney and an elevation in blood pressure. Juxtaglomerular cell granules persisted in the hydronephrotic kidney but were decreased in the contralateral one. This finding confirmed the results of the above experiments. Unilateral nephrectomy in comparable rats had no effect on the degree of granulation of JG cells in the remaining kidney or on the level of blood pressure under the conditions of these experiments. The possibility that degranulation of JG cells in the contralateral kidney in the rats described above was due to compensatory hypertrophy was thereby excluded. An elevation in blood pressure was therefore implicated as an important factor in causing degranulation of juxtaglomerular cells.
Meier-Gorlin syndrome mutations disrupt an Orc1 CDK inhibitory domain and cause centrosome reduplication

Like DNA replication, centrosomes are licensed to duplicate once per cell division cycle to ensure genetic stability. In addition to regulating DNA replication, the Orc1 subunit of the human origin recognition complex controls centriole and centrosome copy number. Here we report that Orc1 harbors a PACT centrosome-targeting domain and a separate domain that differentially inhibits the protein kinase activities of Cyclin E–CDK2 and Cyclin A–CDK2. A cyclin-binding motif (Cy motif) is required for Orc1 to bind Cyclin A and inhibit Cyclin A–CDK2 kinase activity but has no effect on Cyclin E–CDK2 kinase activity. In contrast, Orc1 inhibition of Cyclin E–CDK2 kinase activity occurs by a different mechanism that is affected by Orc1 mutations identified in Meier-Gorlin syndrome patients. The cyclin/CDK2 kinase inhibitory domain of Orc1, when tethered to the PACT domain, localizes to centrosomes and blocks centrosome reduplication. Meier-Gorlin syndrome mutations that disrupt Cyclin E–CDK2 kinase inhibition also allow centrosome reduplication. Thus, Orc1 contains distinct domains that control centrosome copy number and DNA replication. We suggest that the Orc1 mutations present in some Meier-Gorlin syndrome patients contribute to the pronounced microcephaly and dwarfism observed in these individuals by altering centrosome duplication in addition to DNA replication defects.
Systematics of Dokimocephalus and related trilobites from the Late Cambrian (Steptoean; Millardan and Furongian Series) of Laurentian North America

Dokimocephalidae Kobayashi, 1935, is a large group of mostly Laurentian trilobites, the majority of which are confined to the Late Cambrian (Millardian and Furongian series) Steptoean Stage. We begin a long overdue revision of the family with a critical review of a ‘core group’ of closely related genera: Dokimocephalus (Walcott, 1924), Iddingsia (Walcott, 1924), Plataspella (Wilson, 1949) and Burnetiella (Lochman, 1958), all of which share apomorphic character states of the librigena, anterior border and palpebral lobe. The poorly known Edithiella (Kurtz, 1975) is also included as a potential member of this group, which is referred to informally as Dokimocephalidae sensu stricto. The study includes examination of relevant types as well as new material from the Honey Creek Formation of Oklahoma and from the Orr Formation and correlatives of the Great Basin. Parsimony analysis supports monophyly of all five genera. In addition, a new genus, Stittella, is established for two species that are characterized by...
The contribution of medializing calcaneal osteotomy on hindfoot alignment in the reconstruction of the stage II adult acquired flatfoot deformity.

Background:Successful correction of hindfoot alignment in adult acquired flatfoot deformity (AAFD) is likely influenced by the degree of medializing calcaneal osteotomy (MCO) performed, but it is not known if other reconstruction procedures significantly contribute as well. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the correlation between common preoperative and postoperative variables and hindfoot alignment.Methods:Thirty patients with stage II AAFD undergoing flatfoot reconstruction were followed prospectively. Preoperative and postoperative radiographs were reviewed to assess for correction in hindfoot alignment as measured by the change in hindfoot moment arm. Nineteen variables were analyzed, including age, gender, height, weight, body mass index (BMI), medial cuneiform-fifth metatarsal height, anteroposterior (AP) talonavicular coverage, AP talus-first metatarsal, lateral talus-first metatarsal and calcaneal pitch angles as well as intraoperative use of the MCO, lateral column lengthening (LCL), Cot...
Tracking and understanding the first-order structural transition in Er5Si4

Temperature-dependent single crystal x-ray-diffraction studies revealed a reversible first-order phase transition in Er 5 Si 4 . The high-temperature phase adopts the orthorhombic Gd 5 Si 4 -type structure, and the low-temperature phase has the monoclinic Gd 5 Si 2 Ge 2 -type structure. Unlike the magnetic/martensitic transition in Gd 5 Si 2 Ge 2 , the structural change in Er 5 Si 4 is not coupled with a magnetic transition, and the structural sequence below room temperature is just the reverse. A vibrational mode that breaks half of the interslab silicon dimers and rotates slabs in the monoclinic structure, thus lowering the symmetry from Pnma to P112 1 /a, has been identified using Landau theory. While the monoclinic phase is electronically stabilized at low temperatures, the orthorhombic phase is entropically preferable at high temperatures.
Encouraging Male Participation in Dance

Abstract Rather than teaching boys that aggression is their only movement option, educators can teach all students to assert their bodies through movement in time and space and a confident expression of ideas through dance.
Effective instruction needed to improve students' use of government documents

Abstract Findings from an analysis of printer data in the Walter Stiern Library at California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB), revealed that government documents accounted for about 5% of the total materials printed. A comparison of these findings with circulation statistics for government documents showed that students are more likely to print web-based government documents than to check out their paper counterparts. However, neither paper nor electronic government documents were accessed at levels indicating extensive use. This study indicates that students are neglecting important materials in their research and that instructors need to further incorporate the use of government documents into their course requirements. Collaborative instruction between librarians and teaching faculty can promote access to the rapidly developing digital collections of government documents.
Overdenture retention of four resilient liners over an implant bar.

Abstract Statement of problem. Resilient denture liners offer an alternative method of designing implant-retained overdentures. Space is provided in the overdenture to envelop the implant bar with a resilient liner to be applied chairside or processed in the laboratory. The degree of retention may vary and these materials change over time. Purpose. This study evaluated the retention on an implant/bar prosthesis with overdentures lined with 4 resilient denture lining materials, after cyclic insertion and removal over a simulated 1.5-year period. Material and methods. Four implants were placed in a mandibular edentulous cast and a gold bar superstructure was made. Overdentures were processed in Lucitone-199 and Tokuyama, Luci-Sof, Molloplast-B, and PermaSoft (with and without sealer) lining materials, cured according to manufacturers' instructions. Each of 5 overdentures contained each liner and were cycled 2740 times (simulating 1.5 years of service at 5 insertions daily) in 37°C water in an Instron at 20 cm/min. Insertion and retention force were measured. Results. The 3 silicone rubber liners were 3 to 5 times more retentive than the plasticized acrylic liner initially. After cycling, Tokuyama soft liner (autopolymerized silicone) gained 14% retention, Luci-Sof (heat-cured silicone) gained 8%, Molloplast-B (heat-cured silicone) lost 12%, whereas PermaSoft (autopolymerized plasticized acrylic) with sealer lost 43%, and without sealer lost 60%. PermaSoft lining material also chafed and crumbled after cycling and was significantly less retentive in most statistical comparisons. Conclusions. All the silicone-based resilient liners retained the overdentures well. The plasticized acrylic was less retentive initially, and lost significant retention after 2740 cycles, compared with silicone-based resilient liners. (J Prosthet Dent 1999;81:568-73.)
A convergence proof for an affine-scaling algorithm for convex quadratic programming without nondegeneracy assumptions

This paper presents a theoretical result on convergence of a primal affine-scaling method for convex quadratic programs. It is shown that, as long as the stepsize is less than a threshold value which depends on the input data only, Ye and Tse's interior ellipsoid algorithm for convex quadratic programming is globally convergent without nondegeneracy assumptions. In addition, its local convergence rate is at least linear and the dual iterates have an ergodically convergent property.
Non-ergodic dissociation of the acetone/enol ion

Abstract It is concluded that the metastable acetone/enol ion isomerizes to the acetone ion to form only acetyl ions upon loss of methyl. This establishes an earlier conclusion that it behaves non-ergodically as the only feasible explanation for the asymmetric decomposition of the intermediate acetone ion.
Abductive Inference: Implications for ‘Linnean’ and ‘Phylogenetic’ Approaches for Representing Biological Systematization

A common claim among advocates of the ‘phylogenetic’ system of nomenclature (PN) is that the ‘Linnean’ system (LN) is defective because it fails to promote stability, universality, and unambiguous meaning in the naming of phylogenetic hypotheses. This claim rests on the premise that biological systematization should be phylogenetic. The foundation for systematization lies beyond the principles of phylogenetics, as systematization is a goal common to all fields of science. Namely, that explanatory hypotheses should be communicated as accurately as possible. The basis for this claim is established through a brief review of the relations between causal questions and the abductive inferences that lead to phylogenetic hypotheses. Six implications ensue from this analysis. (1) The LN requirement that species hypotheses be presented in conjunction with genus-level (phylogenetic) hypotheses is unfounded. The basis for the inference of a species hypothesis stands entirely separate from any phylogenetic hypothesis. (2) Monotypic supraspecific hypotheses have no epistemic basis. (3) While comparisons of phylogenetic hypotheses based on rank assignments in the LN are denied for the fact that these distinct explanatory accounts are irrelevant to one another, this does not preclude the use of ranks. The ranking of hypotheses has the utility of communicating their relative explanatory inclusiveness. But, since there are no requirements that all hypotheses be formally named, there can be no consistent application of ranks, thereby obviating their use. (4) The argument for nomenclatural stability, used by advocates of both the LN and PN, is shown to be an arbitrary and unfounded criterion. (5) The distinctions between diagnosis, description, and definition are examined in light of the abductive nature of phylogenetic inference. The classes of definition promoted by advocates of the PN, i.e., node-, stem-, and apomorphy-based, are shown to be defective. (6) The association of species and phylogenetic hypotheses with types in the LN and specifiers in the PN is shown to be inadequate. The basis for formal names that represent species and phylogenetic hypotheses is the totality of observed specimens that prompted inferences of those hypotheses. Finally, universality and unambiguous meaning are shown to be unnecessary criteria, as each is subsumed by the broader principles of abductive inference.
A SERINE RESIDUE IN CLC-3 LINKS PHOSPHORYLATION-DEPHOSPHORYLATION TO CHLORIDE CHANNEL REGULATION BY CELL VOLUME

In many mammalian cells, ClC-3 volume-regulated chloride channels maintain a variety of normal cellular functions during osmotic perturbation. The molecular mechanisms of channel regulation by cell volume, however, are unknown. Since a number of recent studies point to the involvement of protein phosphorylation/dephosphorylation in the control of volume-regulated ionic transport systems, we studied the relationship between channel phosphorylation and volume regulation of ClC-3 channels using site-directed mutagenesis and patch-clamp techniques. In native cardiac cells and when overexpressed in NIH/3T3 cells, ClC-3 channels were opened by cell swelling or inhibition of endogenous PKC, but closed by PKC activation, phosphatase inhibition, or elevation of intracellular Ca2+. Site-specific mutational studies indicate that a serine residue (serine51) within a consensus PKC-phosphorylation site in the intracellular amino terminus of the ClC-3 channel protein represents an important volume sensor of the channel. These results provide direct molecular and pharmacological evidence indicating that channel phosphorylation/dephosphorylation plays a crucial role in the regulation of volume sensitivity of recombinant ClC-3 channels and their native counterpart, ICl.vol.
MINIREVIEW: What Do ras Oncogenes Do?

Eucaryotic cells from yeast to man contain a highly conserved gene family encoding 21,000 dalton (p21) proteins intimately involved in growth control. (For a recent comprehensive review and references for data not cited here, see Ref. 1). Most mammals contain three extremely homologous ras genes: Harvey (rasH), Kirsten (rasK), and N(rasN). Different sources estimate that from 10–40% of human tumors arise from cells with elevated levels or abnormal forms of p21 encoded by one of these genes. While the so-called ras superfamily contains several other conserved groups of genes clearly related both evolutionary and by the ability of their protein products to bind guanine nucleotides, space limits this discussion to the ras family itself.
Calculation of transient strain energy release rates under impact loading based on the virtual crack closure technique

Abstract This paper describes an interface element to calculate the strain energy release rates based on the virtual crack closure technique (VCCT) in conjunction with finite element analysis (FEA). A very stiff spring is placed between the node pair at the crack tip to calculate the nodal forces. Dummy nodes are introduced to extract information for displacement openings behind the crack tip and the virtual crack jump ahead of the crack tip. This interface element leads to a direct calculation of the strain energy release rate (both components GI and GII) within a finite element analysis without extra post-processing. Several examples of stationary cracks under impact loading were examined. Dynamic stress intensity factors were converted from the calculated transient strain energy release rate for comparison with the available solutions by the others from numerical and experimental methods. The accuracy of the element is validated by the excellent agreement with these solutions. No convergence difficulty has been encountered for all the cases studied. Neither special singular elements nor the collapsed element technique is used at the crack tip. Therefore, the fracture interface element for VCCT is shown to be simple, efficient and robust in analyzing crack response to the dynamic loading. This element has been implemented into commercial FEA software ABAQUS® with the user defined element (UEL) and should be very useful in performing fracture analysis at a structural level by engineers using ABAQUS®.
Electronic structure and upper critical field of superconducting Ta 2 PdS 5

We report electronic structure calculations for Ta${}_{2}$PdS${}_{5}$, which is a layered superconductor containing heavy elements and displaying an upper critical field, ${H}_{c2}(0)$, $\ensuremath{\sim}3$ times higher than the estimated Pauli limit. We show that this is a multiband superconductor that is most likely in the strong coupling regime. This provides an alternative explanation to strong spin-orbit scattering for the high upper critical field.
Analytical agarose isoelectric focusing of immunoglobulins for characterization of monoclonal antibodies

A simple method for analyzing the native structure of immunoglobulins by agarose isoelectricfocusing.
Academic Procrastination among African-American College Students

This study examined the generality to African-American college students of previous findings regarding the prevalence of students' procrastination and their reasons for procrastinating. The Procrastination Assessment Scale—Students of Solomon and Rothblum was administered to 184 African-American college students. This scale measures the frequency of procrastination on a variety of academic tasks as well as reasons for procrastinating on writing a term paper. A high number of subjects reported nearly always or always procrastinating on studying for examinations (n = 52), writing a term paper (n = 55), and reading weekly assignments (n = 66). Also, a high number of subjects reported that such procrastination was nearly always or always a problem (n = 60 for studying for exams, n = 46 for writing a term paper, and n = 63 for reading weekly assignments). Factor analysis of the reasons for procrastinating on writing a term paper identified two primary factors, Evaluation Anxiety and Task Aversiveness. These re...
Effect of factor VIII concentrate on leucocyte cytokine receptor expression in vitro: relevance to inhibitor formation and tolerance induction

Summary. Inhibitor formation in haemophilia patients receiving factor VIII (FVIII) concentrate is a serious problem requiring tolerance induction therapy. Inhibitor antibody formation is dependent on interactions between leucocyte cytokines with their corresponding receptors. To investigate this we studied the effect of FVIII on cytokine receptor expression using multiparameter flow cytometry and a whole blood stimulation assay. Upregulation of many cytokine receptors was inhibited by plasma-derived FVIII (pdFVIII) in a dose-dependent manner on T cells, B cells and monocytes although interleukin (IL)-4Rα and IL-7Rα were upregulated on T cells. The decrease in cytokine receptor upregulation on B cells in the presence of pdFVIII, may result in reduced antibody production. Inhibition of CD132 in the presence of pdFVIII may result in immune tolerance in some recipients of pdFVIII. The immunomodulatory effects of pdFVIII were dose and batch dependent, some being more inhibitory than others. The inhibitory effects of prednisolone with pdFVIII, on cytokine receptor upregulation, were additive. Cytokine receptor expression was not altered in the presence of human recombinant FVIII (rFVIII) concentrate. These findings may explain the reports of less frequent inhibitor antibody formation in some recipients of pdFVIII concentrates. The use of pdFVIII, particularly the more inhibitory batches, may be more suitable than rFVIII for tolerance induction protocols. A clinical study needs to be undertaken to determine the significance of these in vitro findings.
A Personal Log Method for Investigating Interpersonal Touch

Most of the research on interpersonal touch has involved public settings but much of our significant contact takes place in private settings. The body-accessibility studies included touch in both public and private settings, but rates of touch and settings were not reported. In the present study 76 subjects kept a log of touches received, their relationship to the toucher, the setting, and their rating of the pleasantness of the touch. There were no gender differences in rates of touch. Most touches occurred in private settings, particularly touches in personal body areas. A variety of sexual touches were reported.
Drastically decreased reactivity of thiols and disulfides complexed by cucurbit[6]uril

The cucurbit[6]uril (CB6) host forms stable complexes with 2-aminoethanethiol (cysteamine) and a derivative that contains a bulky terminal group attached to the amine group, as well as with the related disulfide cystamine. In these complexes, the thiol or the disulfide group is encapsulated inside the host cavity. The CB6-complexed thiols show drastically decreased reactivity with several oxidants, while the CB6-bound disulfide also exhibits hindered reactivity with reducing agents, such as dithiothreitol.
Modeling linkages between sediment resuspension and water quality in a shallow, eutrophic, wind-exposed lake

Abstract The interactions between bed sediments and the water column in shallow, eutrophic lakes have tremendous implications for the fate and transport of nutrients in those water bodies. This has resulted in the development of water quality models for lakes incorporating the processes of sediment resuspension. Reliable resuspension models are thus needed to accurately represent this phenomenon. In this paper, three different sediment-resuspension models are combined with a hydrodynamic and water quality model, dynamic lake model-water quality (DLM-WQ), and the resulting models are used to simulate nutrient distributions in the highly eutrophic Salton Sea, California, USA. One of the resuspension formulas is based upon sediment characteristics as well as the bed shear stress exerted by wind-induced waves and currents, while the other two are standard, power-law-type formulas for cohesive sediments with two different exponents. The outputs for water quality variables, such as temperature, chlorophyll a , dissolved oxygen and nutrients, obtained from the three resulting models and from an earlier DLM-WQ run with a simple empirical sediment-resuspension model are compared with measured data. The level of agreement between the simulations and the measured data is assessed by using both statistical and graphical model evaluation methods, including measures of residual errors, sample autocorrelations, t -tests, and box plots. Based on these assessments, DLM-WQ with an extended version of the Garcia and Parker [Garcia, M.H., Parker, G., 1993. Experiments on the entrainment of sediment into suspension by a dense bottom current. J. Geophys. Res.-Oceans 98, 4793–4807] relationship gave the best results for water quality in the Salton Sea, confirming that the use of formulas with more information on the sediment characteristics yields more accurate results. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first effort to combine water quality models for lakes and reservoirs with a sediment-resuspension model which was originally intended for open-channel flows. The simulations confirm that sediment resuspension is the most dominant process in the Salton Sea's nutrient cycling. The effect of proposed physical changes to the Salton Sea on water quality characteristics is also addressed.
A survey on the integration of decision analysis and expert systems for decision support

The author presents a survey of how multiattribute decision analysis and expert systems for decision support have been and can be integrated to produce problem-solving systems that are sensitive to the key role played by user preference in the problem-solving process. The intent of this survey is to provide insight as to how system capability and acceptability can be enhanced by this integration. >
Parallel Operation of Hybrid Loaded Resonant Converter Using Phase-Shift Control

This paper presents a phase shifting method to adjust the combined output voltage of two Hybrid Loaded Resonant Converters connected in parallel. The method implements a fixed switching frequency and hence it is particularly useful in applications such as medical instrumentation where audible noise is not desirable. The design and analysis of parallel Hybrid Resonant Converters operating in discontinuous conduction mode using the phase shifting method will be described. Computer simulation to prove the feasibility of the phase shifting method in the design example will also be provided. Analysis of the characteristics of the output voltage produced by phase shifting control along with the steady state output analysis of the hybrid loaded resonant converters will also be discussed.
Epipodophyllotoxins and Secondary Leukemia

Henter and colleagues present the case of a patient with familial hemophagocytic (or erythrophagocytic) lymphohistiocytosis (FEL), who developed a myelodysplastic syndrome after an accumulated 42 weeks of treatment with teniposide or etoposide, with steroids. They suggest that either there is some predisposition toward myeloproliferative disorders in patients with FEL, which has remained hidden because of the dismal prognosis associated with this disease, or that the epipodophyllotoxins produced the myelodysplasia. Presumably the bone marrow transplant that cured the patient's FEL also saved him from the acute myeloid leukemia which otherwise would have arisen from his RAEBiT.
Reflection symmetry effects in the perturbation series of an action integral for the field line displacement in an ELMO Bumpy Torus

Deviations from this ideal geometry and less-than-perfect alignment of the field coils in an ELMO Bumpy Torus generate perturbations to the ideal magnetic field configuration, resulting generally in failure of the field lines to close on themselves and thereby causing degradation in plasma confinement. The sensitivity of the field line displacement to certain types of errors in coil parameters is studied by means of a perturbation formalism developed for an action integral representing the longitudinal adiabatic invariant. Reflection symmetry properties satisfied by the magnetic field and the vector potential are derived, and it is demonstrated both analytically and numerically that the leading term of the field line displacement per period of 2..pi.. around the major axis is second order in the perturbation parameter if the coil planes remain invariant under the perturbation. Numerical analyses for the field line displacement also reveal some more useful properties for the first- and second-order terms in the perturbation series.
A Gene Regulatory Network Controls the Binary Fate Decision of Rod and Bipolar Cells in the Vertebrate Retina

Gene regulatory networks (GRNs) regulate critical events during development. In complex tissues, such as the mammalian central nervous system (CNS), networks likely provide the complex regulatory interactions needed to direct the specification of the many CNS cell types. Here, we dissect a GRN that regulates a binary fate decision between two siblings in the murine retina, the rod photoreceptor and bipolar interneuron. The GRN centers on Blimp1, one of the transcription factors (TFs) that regulates the rod versus bipolar cell fate decision. We identified a cis-regulatory module (CRM), B108, that mimics Blimp1 expression. Deletion of genomic B108 by CRISPR/Cas9 in vivo using electroporation abolished the function of Blimp1. Otx2 and RORβ were found to regulate Blimp1 expression via B108, and Blimp1 and Otx2 were shown to form a negative feedback loop that regulates the level of Otx2, which regulates the production of the correct ratio of rods and bipolar cells.
Experimental Proof of the Non-Least-Motion Cycloadditions of Dichlorocarbene to Alkenes: Kinetic Isotope Effects and Quantum Mechanical Transition States

High-precision experimental kinetic isotope effects were measured at natural abundance for the cycloaddition of dichlorocarbene to 1-pentene. These values were compared to isotope effects predicted for the addition of dichlorocarbene to propene at the B3LYP/6-31G* and B3LYP/6-311+G* levels. The results provide unambiguous evidence for a nonlinear attack in which bond formation is more advanced at the unsubstituted carbon of the terminal alkene in the transition state of the cycloaddition. This is the first experimental confirmation of the unsymmetrical, non-least-motion approach of a carbene to an alkene first proposed by Skell over 40 years ago and predicted by quantum mechanical calculations.
Orographic shaping of US West Coast wind profiles during the upwelling season

Spatial and temporal variability of nearshore winds in eastern boundary current systems is affected by orography, coastline shape, and air-sea interaction. These lead to a weakening of the wind close to the coast: the so-called wind drop-off. In this study, regional atmospheric simulations over the US West Coast are used to demonstrate monthly characteristics of the wind drop-off and assess the mechanisms controlling it. Using a long-term simulation, we show the wind drop-off has spatial and seasonal variability in both its offshore extent and intensity. The offshore extent varies from around 10 to 80 km from the coast and the wind reduction from 10 to 80 %. We show that when the mountain orography is combined with the coastline shape of a cape, it has the biggest influence on wind drop-off. The primary associated processes are the orographically-induced vortex stretching and the surface drag related to turbulent momentum flux divergence that has an enhanced drag coefficient over land. Orographically-induced tilting/twisting can also be locally significant in the vicinity of capes. The land-sea drag difference acts as a barrier to encroachment of the wind onto the land through turbulent momentum flux divergence. It turns the wind parallel to the shore and slightly reduces it close to the coast. Another minor factor is the sharp coastal sea surface temperature front associated with upwelling. This can weaken the surface wind in the coastal strip by shallowing the marine boundary layer and decoupling it from the overlying troposphere.
EFFECTS OF TASK DEMANDS ON THROWING PERFORMANCE OF CHILDREN

This study examined the effects of cast demands on the throwing performance of 6 boys and 6 girls in each of three age groups: 5–6, 7–8, and 9–10 yr. Each child was asked to throw a small yarnball ...
SQUID-based microwave cavity search for dark-matter axions.

Axions in the $\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{eV}$ mass range are a plausible cold dark-matter candidate and may be detected by their conversion into microwave photons in a resonant cavity immersed in a static magnetic field. We report the first result from such an axion search using a superconducting first-stage amplifier (SQUID) replacing a conventional GaAs field-effect transistor amplifier. This experiment excludes KSVZ dark-matter axions with masses between $3.3\text{ }\text{ }\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{eV}$ and $3.53\text{ }\text{ }\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{eV}$ and sets the stage for a definitive axion search utilizing near quantum-limited SQUID amplifiers.