cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bicluster pattern of codon context usages between flavivirus and vector mosquito Aedes aegypti: relevance to infection and transcriptional response of mosquito genes

The mosquito Aedes aegypti is the primary vector of dengue virus (DENV) infection in most of the subtropical and tropical countries. Besides DENV, yellow fever virus (YFV) is also transmitted by A. aegypti. Susceptibility of A. aegypti to West Nile virus (WNV) has also been confirmed. Although studies have indicated correlation of codon bias between flaviviridae and their animal/insect hosts, it is not clear if codon sequences have any relation to susceptibility of A. aegypti to DENV, YFV and WNV. In the current study, usages of codon context sequences (codon pairs for neighboring amino acids) of the vector (A. aegypti) genome as well as the flaviviral genomes are investigated. We used bioinformatics methods to quantify codon context bias in a genome-wide manner of A. aegypti as well as DENV, WNV and YFV sequences. Mutual information statistics was applied to perform bicluster analysis of codon context bias between vector and flaviviral sequences. Functional relevance of the bicluster pattern was inferred from published microarray data. Our study shows that codon context bias of DENV, WNV and YFV sequences varies in a bicluster manner with that of specific sets of genes of A. aegypti. Many of these mosquito genes are known to be differentially expressed in response to flaviviral infection suggesting that codon context sequences of A. aegypti and the flaviviruses may play a role in the susceptible interaction between flaviviruses and this mosquito. The bias in usages of codon context sequences likely has a functional association with susceptibility of A. aegypti to flaviviral infection. The results from this study will allow us to conduct hypothesis-driven tests to examine the role of codon context bias in evolution of vector–virus interactions at the molecular level.
Lymphomas with cytotoxic activity.

TUMOURS of antibody-secreting B lymphocytes (myeloma tumours) have contributed greatly to our understanding of antibody structure and function. T-lymphocyte tumours that retain effector activities might, if they exist, prove to be similarly useful for analysing T cells and their key components. The recent finding that a T lymphoma is capable of crawling on other cells, like antigen-activated normal T lymphocytes1, prompted us to investigate whether some lymphocytic tumour cells can, like normal cytotoxic T lymphocytes, lyse target cells. We report here that they can.
Chronic steroid sulfatase inhibition by (p-O-sulfamoyl)-N-tetradecanoyl tyramine increases dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate in whole brain.

Abstract Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) is a neurosteroid which functions as a negative allosteric modulator of the GABAA receptor-gated chloride channel. Steroid sulfatase inhibitors including (p-O-sulfamoyl)-N-tetradecanoyl tyramine (DU-14), can potentiate the blockade of the amnestic effects of scopolamine by exogenously administered DHEAS. Moreover, when administered over a 15 day period, DU-14 can block scopolamine amnesia without the concurrent administration of DHEAS. Since the enzyme, steroid sulfatase, facilitates the hydrolysis of the sulfate moiety from DHEAS, the intent of this study was to determine whether chronic administration of DU-14 could increase whole brain concentrations of endogenous DHEAS. Rats were administered DU-14 or corn oil vehicle for 15 days. Following the last day the animals were sacrificed and the brains were removed and analyzed for DHEAS content. DU-14 increased the whole brain concentration of DHEAS 77.6%, from 0.65 ± 0.06 to 1.15 ± 0.12 μg/g (mean ± SEM). This result suggests that steroid sulfatase inhibitors may enhance cognitive function following chronic treatment by increasing the concentration of excitatory neurosteroids such as DHEAS in the brain. Steroid sulfatase inhibitors, therefore, may provide a novel mechanism for facilitating central nervous System function.
Strategies for designing distributed systems: case studies in the design of an air traffic management system

The air traffic management system in the USA is an example of a distributed problem-solving system. It has elements of both cooperative and competitive problem-solving. It includes complex organizations such as Flight Operations Centers, the FAA Air Traffic Control Systems Command Center (ATCSCC), and traffic management units at en route centers that focus on daily strategic planning, as well as individuals concerned more with immediate tactical decisions (such as air traffic controllers and pilots). The design of this system has evolved over time to rely heavily on the distribution of tasks and control authority in order to keep cognitive complexity manageable for any one individual operator, and to provide redundancy (both human and technological) to serve as a safety net to catch the slips or mistakes that any one person or entity might make. Within this distributed architecture, a number of different conceptual approaches have been applied to deal with cognitive complexity and to provide redundancy. These approaches can be characterized in terms of the strategy for distributing: (1) control or responsibility, (2) knowledge or expertise, (3) access to data, (4) processing capacity, and (5) goals and priorities. This paper will provide an abstract characterization of these alternative strategies for distributing work in terms of these 5 dimensions, and will illustrate and evaluate their effectiveness in terms of concrete realizations found within the National Airspace System.
Gastrin's trophic effect in the colon: Identification of a signaling pathway mediated by protein kinase C

In previous studies we have reported that gastrin exerts a trophic effect on rat colonic epithelial cells in vitro. The effect of gastrin appeared to be mediated through a protein kinase C mechanism. In this study, we have characterized the role of protein kinase C in the gastrin-induced stimulation. Gastrin, in a time- and dose-dependent manner, increased protein kinase C translocation from the cytosol to the membrane, an index of enzyme activation. Maximum translocation occurred in 1 to 2 min following exposure to gastrin (10(-8) M), before declining back to baseline level within 5 min. Gastrin did not change total protein kinase C activity in the colonic cells. Staurosporine, an inhibitor of protein kinase C, totally abolished the basal as well as the gastrin-stimulated activity of protein kinase C. The tumor promoter phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate also stimulated colonic epithelial protein kinase C. However, prolonged treatment of cells with phorbol inhibited their subsequent response to gastrin stimulation. The response to gastrin was also prevented by the gastrin receptor antagonist proglumide. These observations suggest that protein kinase C mediates the stimulatory effect of gastrin on colonic epithelial cells, possibly through a receptor mechanism.
TOPOLOGICAL ORGANIC CHEMISTRY. 11. GRAPH THEORY AND RECIPROCAL SCHULTZ-TYPE MOLECULAR TOPOLOGICAL INDICES OF ALKANES AND CYCLOALKANES

Various models of reciprocal and constant-interval reciprocal Schultz-type topological indices are described and illustrated with alkanes and cycloalkanes. The utility of the descriptors is briefly examined with quantitative−structural relationship studies.
Leading-edge vortices due to low Reynolds number flow past a pitching delta wing

Flow past a pitching delta wing is examined in a water channel for a range of mean angle of attack. The wing is perturbed sinusoidally over a tenfold range of reduced frequency, in order to determine the nature of the vortex development and breakdown. There occur two basic types of vortex development: at low frequencies, the vortex core develops in the upstream direction towards the apex; at high frequencies, there is ejection of the leading edge of the vortex core from the apex in the downstream direction
Quantum Dynamics of Hydride Transfer in Enzyme Catalysis

One of the strongest experimental indications of hydrogen tunneling in biology has been the elevated Swain−Schaad exponent for the secondary kinetic isotope effect in the hydride-transfer step catalyzed by liver alcohol dehydrogenase. This process has been simulated using canonical variational transition-state theory for overbarrier dynamics and optimized multidimensional paths for tunneling. Semiclassical quantum effects on the dynamics are included on a 21-atom substrate−enzyme−coenzyme primary zone embedded in the potential of a substrate−enzyme−coenzyme−solvent secondary zone. The potential energy surface is calculated by treating 54 atoms by quantum mechanical electronic structure methods and 5506 protein, coenzyme, and solvent atoms by molecular mechanical force fields. We find an elevated Swain−Schaad exponent for the secondary kinetic isotope effect and generally good agreement with other experimental observables. Quantum mechanical tunneling is calculated to account for ∼60% of the reactive flux,...
Electrical and optical properties of tin-doped CdO films deposited by atmospheric metalorganic chemical vapor deposition

Abstract Highly conductive and transparent tin-doped CdO:Sn were deposited via atmospheric metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. Dimethylcadmium (DMCd), tetramethyltin (TMT), and O2 were used to deposit the CdO:Sn films. The structural, electrical, and optical properties of the fabricated films were influenced by the partial pressures of DMCd and TMT, substrate temperature, film thickness, and annealing conditions. A sheet resistance of 14–17 Ω/sq was obtained for as-deposited CdO:Sn films with a thickness of 120–150 nm. The high conductivity of the films was mainly due to their high carrier concentration (2–3×1021/cm3) and moderate mobility (12–13 cm2/V s). The transmission of the films in the visible range was high (80–95%) and shifted towards the blue region due to the Moss-Burstein (M-B) effect. The films exhibited direct and indirect band-to-band transitions, which corresponded to optical bandgaps of ∼3.0 and ∼2.5 eV, respectively. The electro-optical properties of as-deposited CdO:Sn films were further improved by post-deposition annealing. A resistivity value of 1.4–1.6×10−4 Ω cm has been obtained after annealing in He and H2 ambients, which is the lowest value ever reported for CdO films.
Phrynosoma intraepidermal receptor: A dorsal intraepidermal mechanoreceptor in horned lizards (Phrynosoma; Phrynosomatidae; Reptilia).

Horned lizards of seven species have intraepidermal sensory receptors on many dorsal body scales, some limb scales, and on head scales (supra- and infralabial, eyelid edges, frontal facing surfaces, and mental chin). These dome-shape scale receptors usually occur singly on keeled scales. Frequently, several receptor-bearing scales are grouped around an enlarged, receptor-bearing spine scale, thus forming multiple-scale complexes. Each dome-shape scale organ is delimited by a circular groove (figured in stereoscopic SEM). Ultrastructural examination of these receptors in Phrynosoma modestum shows them to have characteristics of reptilian intraepidermal mechanoreceptors. Each dome-shape scale organ is covered by thinned α- and β-layers of epidermal keratin. The β-layer forms a thickened ring immediately outside the circular groove and is very thin within the groove. The epidermal portion of the domed receptor contains columnar cells with numerous desmosomal connections. Myelinated nerve fibers and melanophore processes traverse these columnar cells, extending upward from a dermal papilla to just below the α-layer of the dome-shape receptor. Distally, the nerve fibers enlarge to form discoidal nerve terminals, which are surrounded by desmosomes, forming a tonofibrillar basket. Dome-shape scale receptors may function to: (1) detect contact with objects during forward locomotion, (2) locate attacking ants on the lizard's skin and/or, during subterranean burrowing, (3) determine depth below the surface, or (4) sense vibrations through the soil from surface predators or surface rainfall. © 1996 Wiley-Liss. Inc.
Credit card usage and consumer debt burden of households

The primary objectives of this study were to examine changes in credit card usage and the amount of debt between 1982 and 1986 and to identify factors influencing the amount of and changes in consumer debt held by households. Personal interviews were completed in 1982 and again in 1986 with the money managers of households in a small midwestern town in the U.S.A. The sample consisted of the 123 households that were represented both in the 1982 and 1986 surveys. Paired-samples t-tests were used to identify changes over time. Significant differences were found between 1982 and 1986 total household assets and total amount of debt. Regression analysis indicated that significant predictors of the amount of consumer debt burden were age, net income, total assets, and the degree to which managers felt comfortable with debt. Younger money managers were more likely to make larger monthly debt payments and have more consumer debt. Households with larger incomes and higher levels of assets also had higher total debt. Significant predictors of change in debt burden over the 4-year period were change in net income and total assets, with year-end savings being negatively correlated with consumer debt.
Identification of the Rhizobium meliloti alcohol dehydrogenase gene (adhA) and heterologous expression in Alcaligenes eutrophus

A screen for Rhizobium meliloti genes which improve the growth of Alcaligenes eutrophus on sucrose identified the first alcohol dehydrogenase gene (adhA) isolated from the Rhizobiaceae. R. meliloti adhA is constitutively expressed in A. eutrophus and has alcohol dehydrogenase activity. R. meliloti adhA mutants retain some alcohol dehydrogenase activity.
Analyzing coordination among students in a software engineering project course

Coordination among developers has long been recognized as critical in software projects. One of the reasons for running large project software engineering courses is to teach students how to coordinate while working in a group; yet we have little understanding of how the students might fail or ways to assist them in learning this skill. Socio-technical congruence is a way to measure coordination based on the fit between communications among developers and the dependencies of the project. In this work-in-progress paper, we use a measure of socio-technical congruence to analyze the coordination in a student software engineering team. We found that congruence did not improve over time as has been shown for professional software teams. We then describe a proposed tool that uses socio-technical congruence measures to support and give advice to students who are learning how to effectively coordinate activities on a group project.
Phentermine inhibition of recombinant human liver monoamine oxidases A and B.

Abstract Recent studies with rat tissue preparations have suggested that the anorectic drug phentermine inhibits serotonin degradation by inhibition of monoamine oxidase (MAO) A with a KI value of 85–88 μM, a potency suggested to be similar to that of other reversible MAO inhibitors (Ulus et al., Biochem Pharmacol 2000;59:1611–21). Since there are known differences between rats and humans in substrate and inhibitor specificities of MAOs, the interactions of phentermine with recombinant human purified preparations of MAO A and MAO B were determined. Human MAO A was competitively inhibited by phentermine with a KI value of 498±60 μM, a value approximately 6-fold weaker than that observed for the rat enzyme. Phentermine was also observed to be a competitive inhibitor of recombinant human liver MAO B with a KI value of 375±42 μM, a value similar to that observed with the rat enzyme (310–416 μM). In contrast to the behavior with rat tissue preparations, no slow time-dependent behavior was observed for phentermine inhibition of purified soluble human MAO preparations. Difference absorption spectral studies showed similar perturbations of the covalent FAD moieties of both human MAO A and MAO B, which suggests a similar mode of binding in both enzymes. These data suggest that phentermine inhibition of human MAO A (or of MAO B) is too weak to be of pharmacological relevance.
Expression, purification, characterization and crystallization of non- and phosphorylated states of JAK2 and JAK3 kinase domain

Janus-associated kinases (JAKs) play critical roles in cytokine signaling, and have emerged as viable therapeutic targets in inflammation and oncology related diseases. To date, targeting JAK proteins with highly selective inhibitor compounds have remained elusive. We have expressed the active kinase domains for both JAK2 and JAK3 and devised purification protocols to resolve the non-, mono- (Y1007) and diphosphorylated (Y1007 and Y1008) states of JAK2 and non- and monophosphorylated states of JAK3 (Y980). An optimal purified protein yield of 20, 29 and 69mg per 20L cell culture was obtained for the three JAK2 forms, respectively, and 12.2 and 2.3mg per 10L fermentation for the two JAK3 forms allowing detailed biochemical and biophysical studies. To monitor the purification process we developed a novel HPLC activity assay where a sequential order of phosphorylation was observed whereby the first tyrosine residue was completely phosphorylated prior to phosphorylation of the tandem tyrosine residue. A Caliper-based microfluidics assay was used to determine the kinetic parameters (K(m) and k(cat)) for each phosphorylated state, showing that monophosphorylated (Y1007) JAK2 enzyme activity increased 9-fold over that of the nonphosphorylated species, and increased an additional 6-fold for the diphosphorylated (Y1007/Y1008) species, while phosphorylation of JAK3 resulted in a negligible increase in activity. Moreover, crystal structures have been generated for each isolated state of JAK2 and JAK3 with resolutions better than 2.4A. The generation of these reagents has enabled kinetic and structural characterization to inform the design of potent and selective inhibitors of the JAK family.
Sustained Delivery of Activated Rho GTPases and BDNF Promotes Axon Growth in CSPG-Rich Regions Following Spinal Cord Injury

Background Spinal cord injury (SCI) often results in permanent functional loss. This physical trauma leads to secondary events, such as the deposition of inhibitory chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan (CSPG) within astroglial scar tissue at the lesion. Methodology/Principal Findings We examined whether local delivery of constitutively active (CA) Rho GTPases, Cdc42 and Rac1 to the lesion site alleviated CSPG-mediated inhibition of regenerating axons. A dorsal over-hemisection lesion was created in the rat spinal cord and the resulting cavity was conformally filled with an in situ gelling hydrogel combined with lipid microtubes that slowly released constitutively active (CA) Cdc42, Rac1, or Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Treatment with BDNF, CA-Cdc42, or CA-Rac1 reduced the number of GFAP-positive astrocytes, as well as CSPG deposition, at the interface of the implanted hydrogel and host tissue. Neurofilament 160kDa positively stained axons traversed the glial scar extensively, entering the hydrogel-filled cavity in the treatments with BDNF and CA-Rho GTPases. The treated animals had a higher percentage of axons from the corticospinal tract that traversed the CSPG-rich regions located proximal to the lesion site. Conclusion Local delivery of CA-Cdc42, CA-Rac1, and BDNF may have a significant therapeutic role in overcoming CSPG-mediated regenerative failure after SCI.
Laser techniques in high-pressure geophysics

Laser techniques in conjunction with the diamond-anvil cell can be used to study high-pressure properties of materials important to a wide range of problems in earth and planetary science. Spontaneous Raman scattering of crystalline and amorphous solids at high pressure demonstrates that dramatic changes in structure and bonding occur on compression. High-pressure Brillouin scattering is sensitive to the pressure variations of single-crystal elastic moduli and acoustic velocities. Laser heating techniques with the diamond-anvil cell can be used to study phase transitions, including melting, under deep-earth conditions. Finally, laser-induced ruby fluorescence has been essential for the development of techniques for generating the maximum pressures now possible with the diamond-anvil cell, and currently provides a calibrated in situ measure of pressure well above 100 gigapascals.
When corruption fights back: democracy and elite interest in Nigeria's anti-corruption war *

This essay analyses the construction of the anti-corruption war under the civilian government in Nigeria between 1999 and 2008. We consolidate existing insights in the literature in three key ways. First, we show that in democratising contexts like Nigeria, the gravest threats to anti-corruption campaigns often emanate from a combination of intra-elite rancour and political intrigue. Second, we provide an explanation of what happens when, literally, corruption fights back. Finally, we suggest that where anti-corruption efforts are not backed by other radical institutional reforms, they fall prey to the overall endemic (systemic) crisis, a part of which, ab initio, necessitated the anti-corruption war.
Cultural Training of the Engineer

It is generally recognized that a professional man must have a certain amount of cultural training, in addition to the technical, so as to be better balanced, more useful to the society, and more successful; and engineering curricula generally make provision for it. However, it appears questionable whether the cultural program is as well suited to its objectives as the technical programs are to theirs. As a parent, the author had occasion to look into this matter during the past several years and was led to the conclusion that the quality of the conception and execution of the cultural training of the engineer is definitely inferior to that of his technical training.
Estrogen Induction of the Granzyme B Inhibitor, Proteinase Inhibitor 9, Protects Cells against Apoptosis Mediated by Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes and Natural Killer Cells

Exposure to estrogens is associated with an increased risk of developing breast, cervical, and liver cancer. Estrogens strongly induce the human granzyme B inhibitor, proteinase inhibitor 9 (PI-9). Because cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) and natural killer (NK) cells use the granzyme pathway to induce apoptosis of target cells, we tested the ability of activated CTLs and the human NK cell line, YT cells, to lyse human liver cells. Estrogen induction of PI-9 protected the liver cells against CTL and NK cell-mediated, granzyme-dependent, apoptosis. Knockdown of PI-9 by RNA interference blocked the protective effect of estrogen. This work demonstrates that estrogens can act on target cells to control their destruction by immune system cells and shows that induction of PI-9 expression can inhibit both CTL and NK cell-mediated apoptosis. Estrogen induction of PI-9 may reduce the ability of cytolytic lymphocytes-mediated immune surveillance to destroy newly transformed cells, possibly providing a novel mechanism for an estrogen-mediated increase in tumor incidence.
Glucitol is present in the group-specific polysaccharide of groupB Streptococcus

The group-specific polysaccharide of group BStreptococcus was found to contain 13% glucitol, a previously unrecognized component. The alditol was present in all types and strains of groupB tested but was not found in any other hemolytic streptococci. Glucitol was present in the same relative proportion in the groupB-specific polysaccharide prepared by three different methods. It could not be separated from the group-specific polysaccharide by immunoprecipitation with antisera to the groupB-specific polysaccharide or by ion-exhange chromatography on diethylaminoethyl cellulose.
Magnetic moments of composite fermions

Abstract There have been a considerable number of papers proposing composite models for leptons and quarks. Recently, Gluck and Lipkin have stated that reproducing the observed magnetic moments of these fermions presents a serious difficulty for these composite models. We show for a renormalizable theory that, in contrast to Gluck's and Lipkin's nonrelativistic arguments, a deeply bound system (with heavy constituent particle masses mc) of (total) spin 1 2 , charge e and mass m has the magnetic moment (e/2m) [1 + “usual” (QED + QCD + weak) corrections +O (m/m c ) “new” bindng corrections] . Although there remains the considerable dynamical problem of obtaining “light” bound fermions from heavy constituents, there is no separate, additional magnetic moment difficulty.
Fiber optics surface light scattering spectrometer

We have developed a fiber-optics surface-light-scattering spectrometer completely designed with optical fiber components. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of a noninvasive measurement of the surface tension and the viscosity of simple liquid–vapor interfaces with a fiber-optics-based sensor system. With this approach we obtain a compact size, a significant increase in the signal-to-noise ratio, and the ability to select from a continuum of wave vectors.
NATIONAL IDENTITY IN THE VANQUISHED STATE: GERMAN AND JAPANESE POSTWAR HISTORIOGRAPHY FROM A TRANSNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE

The defeat of Germany and Japan in 1945 required historians in both countries to reevaluate the past to make sense of national catastrophe. Sebastian Conrad's The Quest for the Lost Nation analyzes this process comparatively in the context of allied military occupation and the Cold War to reveal how historians in both countries coped with a discredited national history and gradually salvaged a national identity. He pays special attention to the role of social, discursive, and transnational contexts that shaped this process to highlight the different courses that the politics of the past took in postwar Germany and Japan. The picture that emerges of German and Japanese historiography and the respective attempts to come to terms with the past is at odds with the conventional narrative that usually praises West German historians and society for having come to terms with their dark past, as opposed to postwar Japan, which is usually regarded as having fallen short by comparison. There was in fact far more critical historiographical engagement with the past in Japan than in West Germany in the 1950s. Reasons for the divergent evolution of the politics of the past in Germany and Japan should not be sought in the peculiarities of postwar national history but rather in an entangled transnational context of defeat, occupation, and the Cold War, whose effects played out differently in each country. These conclusions and others reveal some of the opportunities and special challenges of comparative transnational history.
Religion, Law and the Construction of Identities

This introduction sets the academic and historical context for the four articles that follow. It considers how the modern legal disestablishment of religion has changed both religion and law and the nature of the interaction between them. It further argues that there has been insufficient academic attention given to the effect of disestablishment on both religion and the discourse about religion in modern secular society.
A review of spreadsheet usage in chemical engineering calculations

Abstract The use of the electronic spreadsheet to carry out a variety of routine chemical engineering calculations in process design and project engineering is reviewed. Some possible formats for carrying out these calculations are demonstrated. The limitations and advantages of the spreadsheet are discussed with respect to a variety of its potential uses.
Use of 3H-glucosamine and 35S-sulfate with cultured human chondrocytes to determine the effect of glucosamine concentration on formation of chondroitin sulfate

Objective To determine whether addition of glucosamine will stimulate synthesis of chondroitin sulfate by cultures of human chondrocytes, and to compare the relative contribution of endogenous glucosamine to exogenous glucosamine in forming chondroitin sulfate. Methods Cultured human chondrocytes were incubated with 35S-sulfate and various amounts of glucosamine to determine whether any incremental formation of chondroitin 35S-sulfate occurred. Similarly, chondrocytes incubated with variable concentrations of 3H-glucosamine were examined to determine how much the incorporation into 3H-chondroitin sulfate was diluted by provision of endogenous glucosamine that was derived by metabolism from glucose. Results No stimulation of chondroitin 35S-sulfate synthesis was found at concentrations of glucosamine up to 1 mM, a concentration of 3H-glucosamine well above the concentrations that could be presented to cartilage after ingestion of advertised amounts of glucosamine. Furthermore, there was significant dilution of exogenous glucosamine by endogenous glucosamine provided by metabolism from glucose. Conclusion The results indicate that exogenous glucosamine does not stimulate chondroitin sulfate synthesis by human chondrocytes. Furthermore, the cells have the capacity to form amounts of glucosamine from glucose far in excess of that provided from exogenous sources, except at concentrations greater than could possibly be achieved with oral administration of glucosamine.
Changing perspectives on organizational culture: Emberacing multiculturalism

This article proposes that in order to cope with the national trends toward a widely multicultural workforce, public administrators must reframe their perspectives and work to promote the organizational processes that allow mutual learning among organizational members. Three different cultural perspectives presented illustrate the changes necessary in the patterns of administrative thinking and organizational policy design regarding cultural diversity. The article also suggests that in order for future public managers to effectively understand and intervene with culturally diverse employees and clients they will need not only to change their mental frames but also to develop new skills to enhance employee participation.
Mycological formation of fat. IV.—the component fatty acids of the fat produced by Penicillium soppii zal.

The fat produced by Penicillium soppii when grown in surface culture on a medium containing sucrose and mineral salts has a very low content of free acid (0.6% as oleic acid). The component acids of this fat have been found to be: myristic, 0.3; palmitic, 22.0; stearic, 7.6; arachidic, 0.9; hexadecenoic, 3.3; oleic, 45.2; linoleic, 20.0; linolenic, 0.3 eicosenoic, 0.4% (w/w). In its content of linoleic acid the fat resembles ground-nut oil.
Intrinsic fluorescence from DNA can be enhanced by metallic particles.

High sensitivity detection of DNA is essential for genomics. The intrinsic fluorescence from DNA is very weak and almost all methods for detecting DNA rely on the use of extrinsic fluorescent probes. We show that the intrinsic emission from DNA can be enhanced many-fold by spatial proximity to silver island films. Silver islands are subwavelength size patches of metallic silver on an inert substrate. Time-resolved measurements show a decreased lifetime for the intrinsic DNA emission near the silver islands. These results of increased intensity and decreased lifetime indicate a metal-induced increase in the radiative rate decay of the DNA bases. The possibility of increased radiative decay rates for DNA bases and other fluorophores suggest a wide variety of DNA measurements and other biomedical assays based on metal-induced increases in the fluorescence quantum yield of weakly fluorescent substances.
M.I.2 The matrix as a modifier for muscular dystrophy

Duchenne muscular dystrophy and the limb girdle muscular dystrophies, like other Mendelian disorders, are modified by genetic and environmental factors. We set out to identify modifiers of muscular dystrophy using a mouse model of LGMD 2C. Mice deleted for gamma sarcoglycan (Sgcg), a dystrophin associated protein, were used for mapping genetic modifiers because humans with LGMD 2C often display a variable phenotype despite having the same identical mutation. We used an intercross between Sgcg mice in the DBA2J background, which confers a severe phenotype, and Sgcg mice in the 129T2/SvEmsJ, which confers a mild background. A genomewide scan identified a locus on murine chromosome 7 that modified two different aspects of muscular dystrophy pathology. The chromosome 7 locus regulated fibrosis and also Evans blue dye uptake into skeletal muscle, a marker of sarcolemmal leakage. An insertion/deletion polymorphism was identified in the Ltbp4 gene, and this polymorphism correlated with severity of muscular dystrophy. In collaboration with the United Dystrophinopathy project, we queried whether human LTBP4 genotype correlated with outcome in DMD patients. We identified that LTBP4 acted as a modifier of DMD. LTBP4 is the latent TGFbeta binding protein and a member of the fibrillin superfamily. The members of this family reside within the extracellular matrix where they participate in binding and sequestering TGFbeta proteins. Release of TGFbeta proteins from the matrix permits ligand binding to cell surface TGFbeta receptors and activation of intracellular TGFbeta signaling. Together, these data, from mouse models and human patients, support that hyper-TGFbeta signaling is pathogenic in DMD and LGMDs, and suggest that reduction of TGFbeta signaling may be therapeutic.
Trace element geochemistry of volcanic gases and particles from 1983–1984 eruptive episodes of Kilauea Volcano

Compositional data have been obtained for volcanic gases and particles collected from fume emitted at the Pu'u O'o vent on the east rift zone of Kilauea volcano. The samples were collected by pumping fume through a filter pack system consisting of a front stage particulate filter followed by four base-treated filters (7LiOH). Particles and condensed phases are trapped on the particulate filter, and acidic gases are collected on the treated filters. The filters are analyzed for 30 elements by instrumental neutron activation analysis. Fume samples were collected from the Pu'u O'o vent for two eruptive episodes: (1) 7 days after episode 11 (cooling vent samples) and (2) the waning stage of episode 13 (active vent samples). Additional samples were collected by aircraft from the gas plume released during the lava fountaining phase of episode 17 (aircraft samples). Element concentrations in the vent gases were > 104 μg m−3 for S, Cl, and F. Enrichment factors (EFs) for the volcanic fume versus the source magma were calculated using the volatile element Br as the reference element for normalization and the U.S. Geological Survey standard BHVO-1 as the magma standard. This removes the ash dilution effect obtained by using an ash constituent (Al, Sc, or Mg) as the reference element. Bromine-normalized EFs (× 105) range from 101 to 102 for Na, K, and Cu; 102 to 105 for Zn, W, Sb, In, Ir, Ag, F, and As; and > 105 for Au, Cd, Re, Cl, Se, and S. The highest enrichment factors are for aircraft samples collected during the most gas-rich phase of an eruption cycle. Metal and volatile-element data form two groups: (1) elements showing little or no variation in abundance ratios with sample type (group 1: Cl, Br, and Re) and (2) elements that show significant variation in abundance ratios by sample type (group 2: Zn, W, Sb, In, Ir, Au, and Cd). Bivariate plots of elements of the first group versus elements of the second group separate by sample type. The separation corresponds to samples collected during eruptive activity versus samples collected during repose periods. Monitoring trace metal ratios in volcanic fume could provide an additional tool for predicting volcanic eruptions. The F/Cl ratio of cooling vent samples is higher than those of active vent or aircraft samples, and the ratio is inversely correlated with EFs for most volatile metals.
Multiresidue method for the triphenylmethane dyes in fish: Malachite green, crystal (gentian) violet, and brilliant green

Liquid chromatographic methods are presented for the quantitative and confirmatory determination of crystal violet (CV; also known as gentian violet), leucocrystal violet (LCV), brilliant green (BG), and leucobrilliant green (LBG) in catfish. LCV and LBG were oxidized to the chromic CV and BG by reaction with 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone, and residues were measured as the combined CV+/-LCV and BG+/-LBG. These methods are extensions of published methods for malachite green (MG) analysis to allow simultaneous determination of MG, CV, and BG. Residues were extracted from muscle with ammonium acetate buffer and acetonitrile, and extracts cleaned up using dichloromethane partitioning and solid-phase extraction. Extracts were analyzed by liquid chromatography with visible detection (LC-VIS). The method was validated for catfish fortified with LCV over the range 0.25-10 ngg(-1) and CV at 2 ngg(-1). Average recoveries were 90.6% (+/-8.1% R.S.D., n=45) for LCV and 84.4% (+/-4.2% R.S.D., n=6) for CV. The average recovery for samples fortified with BG or LBG over the range 0.5-10 ngg(-1) was 67.2% (+/-14.8% R.S.D., n=31). CV and BG were confirmed in fish extracts by ion trap LC-mass spectrometry (LC-MS(n)) with no discharge-atmospheric pressure chemical ionization. Average LC-MS(n) recoveries were 96.5, 96.6, and 70.2% for samples fortified with CV, LCV, and BG or LBG. The limits of detection for CV, BG, and MG were in the range of 0.07-0.24 ngg(-1) (ppb) for the two different instrumental methods. This methodology was applied to the analysis of catfish treated with CV and BG.
Recent trends and developments with rapidly solidified materials

Excellent progress is being made in demonstrating the significant improvements in metallic structures and properties through rapid solidification (RS) and rapid solid-state quenching. A number of atomization techniques are able to achieve solidification rates of the order of 105 K/s at economical production rates, yielding excellent refined microstructures with resultant outstanding mechanical, physical, and chemical properties. Powder production rates need to be significantly improved, and several techniques offer realistic promises in this area. The spray deposition processes, which bypass the powder production phase, achieve excellent solidification and solid-state cooling rates and offer high tonnage rates for preforms with outstanding hot, warm, and cold working response and with excellent physical and mechanical properties.
Demand Elasticity Under Time-Varying Prices: Case Study of Day-of-Week Varying Tolls on Golden Gate Bridge

One of the key issues in ascertaining the efficacy of various pricing schemes for managing highway traffic levels is the sensitivity of highway users to prices. The development of automatic toll collection technology (automatic vehicle identification or electronic toll and traffic management) has now made congestion pricing schemes technically feasible. The literature is relatively quiet on the specific question of the elasticity of demand with respect to changes in highway tolls, especially when tolls are time varying. Data from the Golden Gate Bridge from 1979 to 1984 are used to examine travel demand under time-varying prices. If traffic is price sensitive (elastic), then it might be possible to realize some of the potential for road pricing that has been identified in the literature. A brief overview of the literature on road pricing is provided, followed by a description of the data, model development, empirical results, and conclusions. The results include the finding that day-of-week cross elasticities are complementary; that is, increases in tolls on 1 day of the week tend to dampen traffic on other days of the week. This finding lends empirical support to claims that time-varying prices may be a viable strategy for managing traffic demand.
Evidence that arginyl-adenylate is not an intermediate in the arginyl-tRNA synthetase reaction

Abstract Arginyl-tRNA synthetase has a reaction mechanism not typical of most aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases. It does not catalyze an amino acid-dependent ATP-PP 1 exchange in the absence of tRNA as do most enzymes of this class. In order to clarify the reaction mechanism by performing experiments with substrate levels of enzyme, we have modified the previous purification procedure. By the method presented, homogeneous enzyme can be prepared in approximately 10% yield. Pulse-labeling experiments indicate that no enzyme-bound arginyl-adenylate is formed in the absence of tRNA. Equilibrium experiments show that no arginyl-adenylate accumulates either in the presence or absence of tRNA arg . Two mechanisms compatible with these data are suggested.
Automated phase correction of FT NMR spectra by means of phase measurement based on dispersion versus absorption relation (DISPA)

Abstract A plot of dispersion vs absorption (DISPA) for an isolated Lorentzian spectral line is a circle tangent to the origin, with diameter equal to the absorption-mode peak height. A Lorentzian signal misphased by angle φ will give a DISPA plot which is still circular but which is rotated about the origin by the same angle φ. Thus, the phase of an isolated peak can be determined by finding the angle of rotation of an iteratively fitted DISPA circle for that peak. However, since the perpendicular bisectors of any two chords of a circle must intersect at the center of that circle, the phase angle may be determined much more rapidly simply by finding the average intersection point of several DISPA chord bisectors. Moreover, the computation can be performed from the raw spectral data, without actually constructing a DISPA plot. Determination of the phases of two or more peaks in the spectrum then yields a phase spectrum which may be quickly analyzed to yield zero- and first-order phase corrections. This phase correction method is rapid, readily automated, and has been applied to experimental carbon-13 FT NMR spectra of crosslinked dextran polymers, without need for prior calibration from a reference sample. The method can be extended to include symmetrical multiplets.
Thermodynamics of dilute solutions of hydrogen and deuterium in manganese at 555 to 700 K

Abstract The thermodynamic properties of dilute solutions of hydrogen and deuterium in manganese have been studied between 555 and 700 K. If the harmonic-oscillator model is assumed, we calculate from the isotope effect at 555 K a vibrational wavenumber of hydrogen of 980 cm −1 . The corresponding vibrational entropy of hydrogen is quite large compared with the observed values. This indicates that the number of interstitial sites accessible to hydrogen is significantly smaller (about 1 2 ) than the number of manganese atoms.
Carriage of Corynebacterium acnes in school children in relation to age and race.

SUMMARY The prevalence of Corynebacterium acnes on the foreheads of male and female children of caucasoid and negroid origin has been investigated using a semi-quantitative technique. Few organisms were recovered from children of less than 12 years of age. The increase in count occurred earliest in Negroid girls and latest in caucasoid boys. This may be related to the age of puberty.
Signal transduction pathways involved in phagocytic and oxidative burst activities of cytokine-treated bovine neutrophils

In vitro studies were conducted to determine the relative importance of various signal transduction factors involved in the phagocytic and oxidative burst activities of cytokine-primed bovine neutrophils. These neutrophil functions were assayed in the presence of known signal transduction pathways inhibitors which included nicotinamide, staurosporine, genistein, pertussis toxin, RO 20-1724 and U-73122.
IR spectra of cytochrome c denatured with deuterated guanidine hydrochloride show increase in β sheet

Attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform IR (ATR-FTIR) spectra are obtained for horse heart ferricytochrome c in solutions of 0–7M guanidine hydrochloride and deuterated guanidine hydrochloride. Substitutions of deuterium for hydrogen in both the denaturant and protein provide resolvable amide I spectra over a wide range of denaturant concentrations. Deuteration enhances the ability to measure the true protein IR spectrum in the amide I region in which the secondary structure can be deduced, because spectra in D2O are less prone to spectral distortion upon background denaturant subtraction than spectra in H2O. Other investigators studying equilibrium unfolded cytochrome c were limited to guanidine concentrations below 3.0M because of detector saturation. Detector saturation is avoided with the use of ATR-FTIR spectroscopy, allowing one to obtain protein spectra at high denaturant concentrations. Second derivative spectra of samples show reductions in α helix and increases in β sheet at high denaturant concentrations, contrary to expectations of finding primarily a random coil secondary structure. Using this new technique, the protein was estimated to consist of 51% β sheet and only 15% random coil in the presence of 6.6M deuterated guanidine hydrochloride. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers (Biospectroscopy) 72: 193–204, 2003
Sensitized photolysis of dihydrobis (1-pyrazolyl)borate copper(II); general reaction pattern

Several aspects of the sensitized photoreduction of dihydrobis(1-pyrazolyl)borate Cu(II) have been studied. It was found that the sensitized reduction was much more efficient than direct photolysis in hydrogen-donating solvents such as alcohols and tetrahydrofuran. The reaction products were identified as Cu(0), the protonated ligand and oxidation products derived from the solvents. The efficiencies of the reactions were quantitatively evaluated by determining the quantum yields, φ, in different solvents and in the presence of different sensitizers. The results showed that the sensitized photoreduction was more efficient in solvents with better hydrogen donating power, thus indicating that hydrogen abstraction is a key step in the reaction. A lack of correlation exists between the triplet energy levels of the sensitizers and the quantum yields of the photoreduction. The rate constant (kq) for quenching of the benzophenone triplet state by the Cu(II) complex was determined by Stern-Volmer type experiments. An overall mechanism for the sensitized photoreduction has been proposed.
Characteristics of Privatization: Evidence from Developed, Less-Developed and Former Communist Countries

A privatization wave has swept the world, starting in the U.K. in the early 1980s and then progressing to other developed and less-developed nations. This study examines how the country characteristics for the formerly state-owned enterprises relate to the nature of the privatization deal and the strategy of the acquiring firm. In particular, this paper examines how country characteristics affect government privatization policies and, in turn, firm strategy. Results indicate that there are differences with respect to the characteristics of privatization and government policies that translate into differences in firm strategy in former communist, less-developed and developed countries.