cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interaction Properties of Singly Phosphorylated Human β-Casein: Similarities with Other Phosphorylation Levels

The singly and doubly phosphorylated forms of the human beta-caseins may function differently in casein micelle formation in human milk than the forms with higher phosphorylation (levels 3 to 5). This paper reports properties of the singly phosphorylated protein and compares them with the same previously measured properties for the forms with 0, 2, 3, and 5 phosphoryl groups, including the monomer characteristics, such as the extinction coefficient, partial specific volume, and molecular weight; the Ca2+ binding; the self-association and solubility patterns as monitored visually and with laser light scattering, sedimentation velocity, intrinsic viscosity, and ultraviolet spectroscopy; and the fluorescence polarization and intensity that are due to the binding of a fluorescent probe and to environmental changes in the vicinity of an intrinsic fluorophore. Changes could be attributed to relatively minor electrostatic differences between entities that vary in phosphoryl content. Major differences in interaction patterns between phosphorylation levels must therefore reside in the more complicated system in which inorganic o-phosphate is also present, thus permitting the proteins to interact with and be crosslinked by colloidal calcium phosphate.
Chaos and Determinism: A Paradigm

Policy makers depend upon ability to predict the outcome of their policies. Increasingly, in the field of international security ? in matters of war and peace ? prediction is based upon quantitative models. The point made here is that just because a model is mathematical, it does not follow that it can be used to make predictions, that non-linear models allow both predictive and chaotic regimes. After illustrating these matters with physical models, the paper turns to the modeling of an arms race between two antagonistic nations (or groups of nations). After discussing static and dynamic arms race models which are predictive, we turn to a simple non-linear arms race model which allows a transition from predictabililty to chaos. We then postulate that such a transition describes the transition from peace to war in the two party hostile competitive system being modeled by the nonlinear equations, that peace is to war in reality as determinism is to chaos in a mathematical model of that reality. Thus, escalation from peace to war through various levels of hostility may not be controllable, the ``slipping'' from peace to war may be as inadvertent as the slipping from laminar flow to turbulence as an aircraft stalls and loses control. The lessons to be learned are to stay away from critical transition points if at all possible and ? more importantly ? to be very wary of claims of controllability in any escalation of a crisis.
The establishment of evolutionary biology as a discrete biological discipline

This is the second of two ‘Roots’ articles from Dr Ernst Mayr; the first appeared in the February issue. The article that follows is Dr Mayr's address on the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Society for the Study of Evolution, St Louis, USA, June 19, 1996.
Mechanism of in vitro expansion of long DNA repeats: effect of temperature, repeat length, repeat sequence, and DNA polymerases.

Studies of sequence repeat expansions from duplexes consisting of DNA repeat sequences greater than three bases are currently lacking. These studies are needed in order to gain a better understanding of DNA expansions in general and as a first step in understanding expansions of longer sequence repeats that have been implicated in human diseases. We have undertaken an in vitro study of tetranucleotide, hexanucleotide, and octanucleotide repeat expansions from short DNA duplexes using Taq DNA polymerase. Expansions of hexanucleotide repeats were also studied with the Klenow fragment of DNA polymerase I and with T4 DNA polymerase. Studies with Taq DNA polymerase show that expansions occur more readily as the length of the repeat sequence decreases but are generally more efficient at reaction temperatures closer to the melting point of the starting duplex. A mechanism for the observed expansions with Taq DNA polymerase is proposed that does not invoke strand slippage or DNA structure. Studies at 37 °C with Klenow pol I and T4 DNA polymerase indicate that the template-switching and/or strand-displacement activities of the polymerases used can play a major role in the apparent in vitro expansions of short repetitive DNA duplexes.
DSM-5 and the 'Psychosis Risk Syndrome': The DSM-5 proposal is better than DSM-IV.

The American Psychiatric Association is considering the inclusion of the psychosis risk syndrome as a new diagnosis for DSM‐5. The main evidence supporting inclusion is: (1) the patients meet criteria for having a current illness, (2) the patients are at high risk for becoming more severely ill, (3) no DSM‐IV diagnosis accurately captures their current symptoms or future risk, (4) the diagnosis is reliable and valid, at least in the research setting, and (5) codification in DSM‐5 will promote treatment and prevention research of sufficient quantity and quality to permit the development of treatment guidelines. Field trials are needed to determine whether the proposed diagnostic criteria can be used with reliability in actual clinical practice.
Manipulation of Organic and Inorganic Colloidal Particles by Dielectrophoretic Forces

Recently, manipulation of the micro and nanoscale objects has been of great interest in verity of engineering and scientific areas. Dielectrophoretic force (DEP) induced technique is predominantly used in the manipulation process in a liquid medium. The phenomenon behind DEP involves the creation of electric forces on particles to generate momentum in nonuniform electric fields, usually coming from AC electric fields. In the present study, we will discuss about the effects of DEP for the manipulation of organic and inorganic particles at micro and nanoscale in detail.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
CMOS-like logic in defective, nanoscale crossbars

We present an approach to building defect-tolerant, nanoscale compute fabrics out of assemblies of defective crossbars of configurable FETs and switches. The simplest structure, the complementary/symmetry array, can implement AND-OR-INVERT functions, which are powerful enough to implement general computation. These arrays can be combined to create logic blocks capable of implementing sum-of-product functions, and still larger computations, such as state machines, can be obtained by adding additional routing blocks. We demonstrate the defect tolerance of such structures through experimental studies of the compilation of a small microprocessor onto a crossbar fabric with varying defect rates and compiler mapping parameters.
On global properties of neuronal interaction.

Rate-coded interaction between neurons is governed by a nonlinear equation, of which the McCulloch-Pitts model for a neural network and the Hartline-Ratliff model of lateral inhibition are special limiting cases. Feature detection is treated as a variational problem and conditions are derived on the connections between neurons at a trigger feature. Perturbations from continual back-ground activity are examined as a possible means for coding and processing information.
Intracellular visualization of precursor capsids in phage P22 mutant infected cells.

Abstract The morphogenesis of the double-stranded DNA Salmonella phage P22 has been studied by electron microscopy of sections of wild type and mutant-infected cells. Previous work had shown that the precursor capsid structure that encapsidates DNA is a complex of two major protein species, the gene 5 coat protein and the gene 8 scaffolding protein. Scaffolding protein exits from the precursor capsid in coupling with DNA encapsidation and then recycles. No organized structures were seen in cells infected with amber mutants of the coat protein gene. Cells infected with an amber mutant of the scaffolding gene contained small numbers of aberrant particles, including empty petit capsids and giant nested or spiral shell structures. In cells infected with mutants blocked in DNA encapsidation (genes 1, 2, and 3) precursor capsids (proheads) accumulate amid the vegetative DNA and not along the membrane, as in phage T4. The proheads appear as double-shell structures about the size of mature phage, with the inner cell diameter about two-thirds the dimension of the outer shell. Mature phage and defective particles containing DNA form paracrystalline arrays within infected cells. Empty capsids, lacking both DNA and the inner shell of proheads, appear within the paracrystalline arrays of filled heads in cells infected with mutants blocked in head completion (genes 10 and 26). These empty capsids are presumably derived from filled but incomplete heads that have lost their DNA intracellularly. Use of temperature-sensitive mutants blocked in the encapsidation steps allowed visualization of the first filled heads upon shift to permissive temperature. These particles tended to appear at the edge of the DNA pool. Partially filled particles with dense central cores often were seen associated with the growing paracrystalline arrays, and they probably represented intermediates in encapsidation. These experiments, in conjunction with others, suggest that the scaffolding protein, which functions in prohead assembly and perhaps in DNA encapsidation, is organized into an inner shell within the precursor capsid.
Effects of hydrogen anneals on oxygen deficient SrTiO3−x single crystals

The influence of hydrogen gas anneals on the electrical properties of nominally undoped, oxygen-deficient SrTiO3−x single crystals was investigated. Titanium getter layers and vacuum anneals were used to obtain oxygen-deficient SrTiO3−x with a low electrical resistivity. These crystals showed an optical absorption peak at 2.92 eV and strong midinfrared absorption. Subsequent anneals at 800 °C in forming gas, which contained 10% hydrogen, returned the crystals into the insulating, transparent state. The mechanisms by which hydrogen anneals can compensate for the effects of oxygen vacancies in SrTiO3−x are discussed. The results show that forming gas anneals of stoichiometric SrTiO3 can lead to complex electrical conduction behavior.
The effects of salts and amino group modification on the iron binding domains of transferrin

The origins of the effects of salts on the properties of the iron binding sites of transferrin have been investigated. The chaotropically distinct salts NaCl and NaClO4 each induce characteristic changes in the EPR lineshapes of the N- and C-terminal Fe3+ binding domains, respectively. To a good approximation the perturbed EPR spectrum of diferric transferrin in the presence of salts is the sum of the EPR spectra of the N- and C-terminal monoferric proteins. Acetylation of amino groups causes spectral and kinetic changes in the protein similar to those induced by NaClO4. Thus, both acetylation and NaClO4 cause a loss of structure in the g' = 4.3 EPR signal of the N-terminal domain, and both retard iron removal from this domain. In contrast, iron removal from the C-terminal domain is accelerated by acetylation or the presence of NaClO4. These observations are ascribed to charge effects of lysine residues which are probably in the vicinity of the iron binding sites.
Misoriented surfaces with randomly distributed steps

Abstract Models for surfaces with randomly distributed steps having a peferred direction, i.e., an unequal probability of encountering an up or down step when going from one lattice site to the adjacent one, are constructed. The terrace widths obey a geometric distribution function. A closed-form solution is obtained for the angular distribution of the electron diffraction beam intensity. We show that both the angular width of the diffracted beam and the Bragg peak position oscillate as a function of the incident electron energy. Practical implications of these results are discussed.
Modular elements of higher-weight Dowling lattices

Abstract The higher-weight Dowling lattice Lk is the geometric lattice consisting of those subspaces of the vector space Vn(q) which have bases of weight k or less, with these subspaces ordered by inclusion. These lattices arise when Crapo and Rota's results on the critical problem are applied to the Fundamental problem of linear coding theory. This paper identifies the modular elements of higher-weight Dowling lattices and applies that analysis to modular complements in Lk and to the characteristic polynomial of Lk.
Surface Engineering of Core/Shell Iron/Iron Oxide Nanoparticles from Microemulsions for Hyperthermia

This paper describes the synthesis and surface engineering of core/shell-type iron/iron oxide nanoparticles for magnetic hyperthermia cancer therapy. Iron/iron oxide nanoparticles were synthesized from microemulsions of NaBH(4) and FeCl(3), followed by surface modification in which a thin hydrophobic hexamethyldisilazane layer - used to protect the iron core - replaced the CTAB coating on the particles. Phosphatidylcholine was then assembled on the nanoparticle surface. The resulting nanocomposite particles have a biocompatible surface and show good stability in both air and aqueous solution. Compared to iron oxide nanoparticles, the nanocomposites show much better heating in an alternating magnetic field. They are good candidates for both hyperthermia and magnetic resonance imaging applications.
Defining a Set of Metrics to Evaluate the Potential Disruptiveness of a Technology

Abstract:Disruptive technology can be defined as an emerging technology whose arrival in the marketplace signifies the eventual displacement of the dominant technology in that sector. Defining and assessing a set of key metrics for a disruptive technology at its early stages can substantially aid an enterprise to develop requirements, identify, and in turn increase the possibility of the successful launch of a disruptive technology. This article aims at defining a set of key metrics for evaluation of a possible disruptive technology. A case study is subsequently used for demonstrating the metrics identified. The article concludes with its relevance to the engineering management domain and directions for future research.
Parliaments and Citizens in Latin America

This article examines the nature and strength of links between citizens and their parliaments in Latin America. Despite having much in common culturally and historically, Latin America's democracies have followed very different trajectories in developing citizen–parliament connections (CPCs). To understand the variation, the article first examines the types and levels of citizen engagement with legislatures in a context of strong presidentialism. It then examines the ways parliaments have facilitated the development of CPCs. In some cases (for example, Brazil and Chile), parliaments have developed effective programmes that have increased transparency and accessibility, while parliaments in other cases seem to have barely considered opening up. The last part of the article examines more closely how different political institutions have shaped the development of CPCs.
Calculation of Schottky barrier heights from semiconductor band structures

Abstract Models of Schottky barrier formation based on intrinsic interface or surface states suggest Fermi-level pinning at or near some effective mid-gap energy EB. This energy can be calculated directly from the bulk semiconductor band structure. Details of the calculation of EB and hence of Schottky barrier heights, as well as heterojunction band line-ups, are given here.
Construction of a Physician Skills Inventory

The current study applied Holland’s RIASEC typology to develop a Physician Skills Inventory. We identified the transferable skills and abilities that are critical to effective performance in medici...
Plastic deformation of polypropylene VII. Long period as function of temperature and rate of drawing

Polypropylene fibers prepared by quenching in ice-water were drawn at 25, 80, 120, and 140°C to a draw ratio between 6 and 8 at draw rates 0.05, 0.5, 5, and 50 cm/min. The long period increases almost linearly with the draw rate for drawing at 25°C and decreases for drawing at higher temperatures. The effect in the latter cases is an annealing effect. As a consequence of the shorter exposure of the drawn fibers to the high temperature at higher draw rate, the long-period growth proceeds for a shorter time and hence results in a smaller increase of long period. At 25°C, however, the long-period growth is negligible. The increase of long period with draw rate is the consequence of higher adiabatic heating as calculated from the energy input during the plastic deformation which transforms the spherulitic into the fibrous structure. One concludes that the long period established during this transformation depends on the maximum temperature reached in the micronecking zone and not on the macroscopically observed temperature of the sample in the neck.
Interaction between DNA and Coralyne Acetosulfate, an Antileukemic Compound

Sir: The alkaloid coralyne displayed confirmed antileukemic activity against leukemias L-1210 and P-388 in laboratory animals. A practical preparation of the acetosulfate (sulfoacetate) and the chloride salts of coralyne was recently reported (1); the availability of this method has permitted an easy access to this alkaloid, thus permitting unhampered the continuation of biological, pharmacological, and clinical evaluation. Although the exact mode of action of coralyne is not yet understood, a comparative study of UV absorption characteristics revealed an in vitro interaction between coralyne and calf thymus DNA in aqueous solution. This phenomenon may be associated with the biological activity of coralyne.
Sexual fantasies about one's partner versus someone else: Gender differences in incidence and frequency

Gender differences in the proportion of sexual fantasies involving someone other than a current partner (extradyadic fantasies) were explored using an anonymous questionnaire administered to 349 university students and employees (ages 18 to 70) who reported that they were currently in heterosexual relationships. Eighty‐seven percent of the sample (98% of men and 80% of women) reported having extradyadic fantasies in the past 2 months. A hierarchical regression analysis revealed that, compared to women, a larger percentage of men's sexual fantasies were extradyadic even after controlling for the effects of relationship length, number of prior sex partners, any prior incidents of actual extradyadic sexual behavior or “cheating” on the current partner, and socioeconomic status. In addition, it was found that the proportion of extradyadic fantasies increased as a function of relationship length for both genders, while prior incidents of extradyadic sexual behavior and a larger number of prior partners were as...
Sample-set differential logic (SSDL) for complex high-speed VLSI

An improved CMOS logic circuitusing a differential cascode tree with sample and set phases of operation is presented. The sample-set differential logic (SSDL) circuit allows the use of several transistors in series in the cascode tree without significant speed degradation. Also, the signals arriving at the input require only a short valid time, which allows long interconnect delays. This improved logic circuits is compared with two other common CMOS logic circuits in a simulated design example.
Contested Bodies, Contested States: Performance, Emotions, and New Forms of Regional Governance in Santa Cruz, Bolivia

Resumen Este articulo busca comprender como estrategias de protesta incorporadas y utilizadas por la elite local en la region de Santa Cruz de Bolivia (del 2006 al 2010) canalizan emociones y construyen identidades colectivas con el fin de oponerse al gobierno centralizado de Evo Morales. Las elites regionales ahora se imaginan como ciudadanos marginados de una nacion-estado que representa los intereses de los pueblos indigenas y que amenaza con socavar la produccion agraria a gran escala y usurpar la riqueza de los recursos en su region. Huelgas de hambre y otras manifestaciones, en las cuales se interpreta y personifica que el cuerpo del mestizo blanco simboliza o representa la region victimizada y excluida, resultan criticas para sus estrategias de construccion de un movimiento y, eventualmente, legitiman una nueva forma de gobernancia que re-espacializa el poder hacia las regiones. Mientras las elites re-escriben narrativas de opresion y restablecen estructuras de poder antiguas, nosotros argumentamos que el miedo y la fantasia moldean sus estrategias de protesta y oscurecen las relaciones de poder en marcha y las desigualdades en el acceso a los modos de produccion y a los recursos que generan riqueza.
Induction of Apoptosis by Caffeine Is Mediated by the p53, Bax, and Caspase 3 Pathways

Caffeine is a key component of many popular drinks, especially tea and coffee. Previous reports have shown that caffeine may contribute to the chemopreventive effect of tea in animals. Here, we report that treatment with low concentrations of caffeine induced apoptosis in JB6 Cl41 cells. JB6 Cl41 cells were starved in 0.1% fetal bovine serum/MEM for 72 h and then treated with 50-450 microM caffeine for 24 h. Cells showed the typical DNA laddering pattern and other characteristics of apoptosis. The IC(50) of caffeine on JB6 Cl41 cells was 2.7 mM. Induction of apoptosis by caffeine appeared to be p53-dependent because cells lacking p53 (p53(-/-)) showed no signs of apoptosis after treatment with caffeine. Immunoprecipitation assays and Western blot analysis showed that caffeine induced phosphorylation of p53 at Ser(15) in JB6 Cl41 cells. The same low concentration of caffeine that was effective for inducing phosphorylation of p53 was also shown to increase p53 activation. Expression of Bax, another p53 target, distinctly increased in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Cleaved caspase 3 was also increased in a time- and dose-dependent manner. These data show that a low concentration of caffeine can induce p53-dependent apoptosis in JB6 cells through the Bax and caspase 3 pathways.
High transformation efficiency in plum (Prunus domestica L.): a new tool for functional genomics studies in Prunus spp.

An improved Agrobacterium-mediated transformation protocol for plum (Prunus domestica L.) hypocotyl slices was developed based on the addition of 2,4-d to the co-cultivation medium. This method increased transformation efficiency up to 10 × (42%) over previous reports with an average efficiency of 25% of hypocotyl slices producing transgenic plants. Timing of each step in the protocol was optimized producing self-rooted transgenic plants in the greenhouse in approximately 6 months. In order to test the system for its utility in functional genomic studies, we developed two hairpin constructs using a fragment of the peach (P. persica) Phytoene desaturase (PDS) gene. When A. tumefaciens with these constructs was used for targeted post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS), approximately 50% of the transformed plums were knockout PDS gene plants. The easy and efficient plum transformation protocol that we report here can be readily used for functional genomics studies in Prunus specifically, and Rosaceae and other woody species in general.
Effect of soil physical and chemical properties on the sorption-desorption hysteresis of the diketonitrile metabolite of isoxaflutole

Isoxaflutole, [4-(2-methanesulfonyl-4-trifluoromethylbenzoyl)-5-cyclopropyl isoxazole] is a relatively new pre-emergence herbicide which undergoes rapid conversion to a diketonitrile metabolite in soil. The half-life of isoxaflutole is very short but the half-life of diketonitrile is much longer and hence, diketonitrile remains for a extended period of time in soil. Sorption-desorption studies were conducted with five soils varying in physical and chemical properties. The batch equilibration technique was used for the sorption experiments, while completely mixed batch reactor systems with the decant and refill method was used for the desorption experiments. Four subsequent desorptions were examined after the sorption process in each soil with an equilibration period of seven days. An apparent sorption-desorption hysteresis was observed in all five soils. Organic matter content and the clay content of the soils were the two determining factors for hysteresis. In soils with high organic matter content, the sorption-desorption hysteresis was mainly governed by organic matter content, but in soils with low organic matter clay content played an important role. With the exception of the Chelsea soil, which had a very high organic matter content (57.4%), all other soils exhibited a high correlation between the clay content and hysteresis index (HI) values calculated at 0.75 (r2 = 0.960), 25 (r2 = 0.934) and 150 mg L−1 (r2 = 0.928). In conclusion, the potential for leaching through soil and crop injury due to isoxaflutole and its metabolite would decrease as soil organic matter and clay content increases.
Green density-based sintering predictions

Prediction of density–time curves, i.e., using the sintering curves for one green density to predict those of another during isothermal sintering, was demonstrated for 3 mol% yttria-stabilized zirconia and titania, as well as for data from the literature on various ceramic powder compacts. The predictions utilized only a median green pore size term as the scaling parameter for densification rates between samples of different green densities. Despite the simplicity of the approach, the resulting predictions of density–time curves were in relatively good agreement with the measured data.
GABAA receptors are expressed and facilitate relaxation in airway smooth muscle.

γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the mammalian central nervous system and exerts its actions via both ionotropic (GABAA) channels and metabotropic (GABAB) rece...
Innate and adaptive immune responses to ocular Acanthamoeba infections

The resurgence of Acanthamoeba keratitis in the USA and UK has increased the level of awareness of this contact lens-associated disease. Results from animal models have revealed that conventional T-cell-dependent immune mechanisms are ineffective in controlling corneal infections with Acanthamoeba spp. However, activation of the mucosal immune response in the form of secretory IgA antibodies in the tears is an effective method for preventing Acanthamoeba keratitis in animal models. Elements of the innate immune system, namely macrophages and neutrophils, are instrumental in mitigating and resolving Acanthamoeba keratitis in the Chinese hamster model of this disease. The unique biology of Acanthamoeba spp. and their residence in an immune-privileged tissue enhances their capacity to escape immunological detection and elimination.
Treadmill Training for Individuals With Parkinson Disease

This excerpt was created in the absence of an abstract . highlights the findings and application of Cochrane reviews and other evidence pertinent to the practice of physical therapy. The Cochrane Library is a respected source of reliable evidence related to health care. Cochrane systematic reviews explore the evidence for and against the effectiveness and appropriateness of interventions—medications, surgery, education, nutrition, exercise—and the evidence for and against the use of diagnostic tests for specific conditions. Cochrane reviews are designed to facilitate the decisions of clinicians, patients, and others in health care by providing a careful review and interpretation of research studies published in the scientific literature.1 Each article in this PTJ series summarizes a Cochrane review or other scientific evidence resource on a single topic and presents clinical scenarios based on real patients to illustrate how the results of the review can be used to directly inform clinical decisions. This article focuses on a patient with mild to moderate Parkinson disease.
Speculative parallelization using software multi-threaded transactions

With the right techniques, multicore architectures may be able to continue the exponential performance trend that elevated the performance of applications of all types for decades. While many scientific programs can be parallelized without speculative techniques, speculative parallelism appears to be the key to continuing this trend for general-purpose applications. Recently-proposed code parallelization techniques, such as those by Bridges et al. and by Thies et al., demonstrate scalable performance on multiple cores by using speculation to divide code into atomic units (transactions) that span multiple threads in order to expose data parallelism. Unfortunately, most software and hardware Thread-Level Speculation (TLS) memory systems and transactional memories are not sufficient because they only support single-threaded atomic units. Multi-threaded Transactions (MTXs) address this problem, but they require expensive hardware support as currently proposed in the literature. This paper proposes a Software MTX (SMTX) system that captures the applicability and performance of hardware MTX, but on existing multicore machines. The SMTX system yields a harmonic mean speedup of 13.36x on native hardware with four 6-core processors (24 cores in total) running speculatively parallelized applications.
Pressure Groups, Tory Businessmen and the Aura of Political Corruption Before the First World War

When Gladstone's Liberal government passed the Corrupt and Illegal Practices Prevention Act in 1883, its supporters hoped that the future conduct of politics would be purer and more equitable. Not only would the grosser forms of corruption (such as bribery or intimidation) now be punished more severely, but the advantages previously enjoyed by wealthier candidates would now be minimized because the new law imposed strict limits on campaign spending which applied equally to all candidates for a particular constituency. But these noble goals, it soon appeared, were little closer to realization because the law contained a crucial loophole by failing to constrain the expenditure of the numerous pressure groups active in British politics. Because of this loophole, electoral corruption might continue to flourish, even if the perpetrator would no longer be the candidate's agent, but rather the pressure group treasurer. This view that the intent (if not the letter) of the law was being subverted was a common theme of Edwardian political journalism. As the Westminster Gazette observed, ‘when a by-election takes place each candidate has the assistance of a cloud of outside organizations which spend on the election a large sum of money which is not included in the official election expenses… clearly the result is to drive a coach-and-six through the Corrupt Practices Act.’ On the floor of the House of Commons similar arguments were aired. One Liberal MP contended that the statute ‘had been of great service in securing more honest representation than before, but no one who had followed political events closely could fail to see that its whole purpose was avoided, and that its terms were entirely circumvented, by the action which political organizations took on behalf of a candidate, which he was wholly unable to do for himself.’ Such assertions remained unsubstantiated, however, because infringements by pressure groups were rarely subjected to legal review in the election courts, being considered too difficult to define and expensive to prove.
A novel motif in the yeast mitochondrial dynamin Dnm1 is essential for adaptor binding and membrane recruitment.

To initiate mitochondrial fission, dynamin-related proteins (DRPs) must bind specific adaptors on the outer mitochondrial membrane. The structural features underlying this interaction are poorly understood. Using yeast as a model, we show that the Insert B domain of the Dnm1 guanosine triphosphatase (a DRP) contains a novel motif required for association with the mitochondrial adaptor Mdv1. Mutation of this conserved motif specifically disrupted Dnm1–Mdv1 interactions, blocking Dnm1 recruitment and mitochondrial fission. Suppressor mutations in Mdv1 that restored Dnm1–Mdv1 interactions and fission identified potential protein-binding interfaces on the Mdv1 β-propeller domain. These results define the first known function for Insert B in DRP–adaptor interactions. Based on the variability of Insert B sequences and adaptor proteins, we propose that Insert B domains and mitochondrial adaptors have coevolved to meet the unique requirements for mitochondrial fission of different organisms.
A microarray's view of life in the desert: adding a powerful evolutionary genomics tool to the packrat's midden

Identifying the genetic architecture of adaptive traits is fundamental to understanding how organisms respond to their environment, over both ecological and evolutionary timeframes. Microarray technology that allows us to capture the simultaneous expression of thousands of genes provides unparalleled insight into how organisms cope with their environment at the transcriptional level. Recent studies in Molecular Ecology demonstrate how microarrays can rapidly identify which genes and pathways allow organisms to face some of the most fundamental physiological challenges posed by the environment, including compensation for the hypoxic and thermal stress of high-altitudes (Cheviron et al. 2008) and, in this issue, the biotransformation of toxic plant secondary compounds by mammals (Magnanou et al. 2009). Microarrays (Ekins et al. 1989; Fodor et al. 1991) are glass slides affixed with hundreds to thousands of oligonucleotide or cDNA sequences (probes). Messenger RNA transcripts (typically reverse transcribed to cDNA) are isolated from a tissue/sample of interest and hybridized to the array. Binding to specific probes indicates that a particular gene was transcriptionally active at or near the time of sampling and thus provides a potentially comprehensive measure of gene expression. Although a tremendously powerful tool, commercially produced oligonucleotide arrays are only available for a handful of model organisms. Nonetheless, evolutionary ecologists have exploited this resource by using a cross-species hybridization approach (e.g. Saetre et al. 2004), that is, hybridizing a model organism array with a nonmodel sample (Bar-Or et al. 2007). Magnanou et al. (2009) present a novel example of using a model muroid microarray (Agilent Technologies, Rattus) to study physiological response in a wild, nonmodel muroid, Neotoma.
Correlation of Optical Luminescence with Radiation Hardness in Doped LiNbO 3 Crystals

Transient ionizing radiation fields have been observed to cause substantial optical loss in undoped LiNbO3 crystals operating at 1.06 microns. This loss is slow to recover and makes the selection of this material for Q-switch applications in radiation environments unfeasible. We have studied the effects of Mg doping on the radiation response of LiNbO3 crystals and have investigated the optical luminescence of doped and undoped samples. Our results indicate a strong correlation between crystal defects, formed primarily during crystal growth, and the radiation-induced optical loss exhibited by these materials. These findings have enabled us to produce radiation-hard LiNbO3 crystals for use in high gamma-field environments.
Germ line transcripts are processed by a Dicer-like protein that is essential for developmentally programmed genome rearrangements of Tetrahymena thermophila.

Abundant ∼28-nucleotide RNAs that are thought to direct histone H3 lysine 9 (H3K9) methylation and promote the elimination of nearly 15 Mbp of DNA from the developing somatic genome are generated during Tetrahymena thermophila conjugation. To identify the protein(s) that generates these small RNAs, we studied three Dicer-related genes encoded within the Tetrahymena genome, two that contain both RNase III and RNA helicase motifs, Dicer 1 (DCR1) and DCR2, and a third that lacks the helicase domain, Dicer-like 1 (DCL1). DCL1 is expressed upon the initiation of conjugation, and the protein localizes to meiotic micronuclei when bidirectional germ line transcription occurs and small RNAs begin to accumulate. Cells in which we disrupted the DCL1 gene (ΔDCL1) grew normally and initiated conjugation as wild-type cells but arrested near the end of development and eventually died, unable to resume vegetative growth. These ΔDCL1 cells failed to generate the abundant small RNAs but instead accumulated germ line-limited transcripts. Together, our findings demonstrate that these transcripts are the precursors of the small RNAs and that DCL1 performs RNA processing within the micronucleus. Postconjugation ΔDCL1 cells die without eliminating the germ line-limited DNA sequences from their newly formed somatic macronuclei, a result that shows that this Dicer-related gene is required for programmed DNA rearrangements. Surprisingly, ΔDCL1 cells were not deficient in overall H3K9 methylation, but this modification was not enriched on germ line-limited sequences as it is in wild-type cells, which clearly demonstrates that these small RNAs are essential for its targeting to specific loci.
Enhancing Lotus Notes for carrier grade hosting

Lotus Development Corporation and AT&T have formed a strategic alliance to create AT&T Network Notes. Network Notes combines Lotus Notes, the leading business collaborative software, with the sophisticated communications and service capabilities of the AT&T worldwide intelligent network. The goal is for Network Notes to become a global "Internet of Notes Networks", with tremendous value-added service provided by the carrier via replication management, intelligent agents, and world wide on-line connectivity for Notes clients.
VI. Akrasia and conflict

As Elster suggests in his chapter ‘Contradictions of the Mind’, in Logic and Society, akrasia and self‐deception represent the most common psychological functions for a person in conflict and contradiction. This article develops the theme of akrasia and conflict. Section I says what akrasia is not. Section II describes the character of the akrates, analyzing the sorts of conflicts to which he is subject and describing the sources of his debilities. A brief account is then given of the attractions of the akratic alternative: its power to focus or dominate the agent's attention; its being strongly habitual; its having the pull of social streaming: following the charismatic leader, the mechanisms of sympathetic or antipathetic infection, the models of role casting. Following these strategies is by no means pathological: these are relatively automatic (though still voluntary) psychological functions. That is precisely their power and attraction: they provide the conflicted akrates with an action solution, tho...
ESD Failure Analysis and Modeling

In this chapter, ESD failure analysis techniques are discussed. FA analysis is important in the sense that FA results help circuit designers to better understand ESD protection failure mechanisms and to avoid making similar design mistakes repeatedly. Typical ESD failure signatures, such as, silicon filament, metal interconnect burnout, contact spiking, gate oxide rupture, etc, are discussed. Case examples are given to show how FA analysis techniques can be used in practical design debugging. Latent ESD failure phenomena are described using real examples. Analytical ESD device failure modelling is presented as well. While FA analysis is basically a statistic technique, understanding typical ESD failure mechanisms would certainly increase the success rate of practical ESD protection circuit design.
Role of Computers in Elastomer Research

Abstract Computer usage has spread so rapidly in recent years that these instruments are almost considered to be common tools. Publications may make only casual reference to the computer's role in the investigation or they may omit such reference altogether, if the use was routine in nature. Consequently the literature on elastomer research and technology does not fully represent the growing importance of this extension to human capabilities. Enough references are available, however, to show that computers have penetrated into many areas of rubber science. The aims of this article are, therefore, to review some computer applications that have been made and to indicate potential uses. Perhaps both of these aims can be served by first considering the nature of computers and the type of problem solving for which they are uniquely adapted.
MicroRNA and Sodium and Water Balance in Mammals

MicroRNAs are small non-coding RNAs of about 22 nucleotides length that suppress protein expression primarily by complementarity to the 3′ untranslated region of their target messenger RNA. While the 3′ untranslated region is the most known mechanism by which microRNA binds its target messenger RNA, other regions such as the 5′ untranslated region have also been described as microRNA targets. Complementarity to the target is achieved at the seed region of only seven or eight nucleotides, which makes it possible for a single microRNA to target many different messenger RNAs.
The Lineages of Neuroglial Cells

The study of neuroglial cell lineages in the CNS identifies the time in development, when astrocytes and oligodendrocytes diverge from a common precursor cell. Recent studies using retroviral tracing show that the lineages for astrocytes and oligodendrocytes begin to diverge as early as embryonic day 13 (E13) in the cerebellum and as early as E15 in the forebrain. A very small percentage of glial precursor cells present in late pre- and postnatal development are pluripotential, but the vast majority of astrocytes and oligodendrocytes in the brain are derived from “committed” precursors. The precursors for these postmitotic astrocytes and oligodendrocytes are immature astrocytes and oligodendrocytes (progenitors) that express molecular properties unique to each of these cell types.It is critical to distinguish glial lineage (thought of in terms of a glial cell's ancestry in normal development) from glial plasticity (the potential of a glial cell to alter its fate when its normal environment is changed). In...
Metabolic Sources of Reactive Oxygen Metabolites During Oxidant Stress and Ischemia with Reperfusion

The lung is especially sensitive to a variety of vastly different agents and conditions including hyperoxia, certain drugs and xenobiotics, particulate debris, and ischemia/reperfusion. There is a growing body of experimental data to suggest that most, if not all, of these agents or conditions mediate pulmonary injury by forming reactive O2 metabolites such as O2-., H2O2.OH, HOCl, and RNHCl. The presence mechanisms by which these different agents converge to produce free radical-mediated pulmonary injury is not entirely clear. The lung does contain several metabolic pathways that will produce large amounts of reactive O2 metabolites. For example, hyperoxia-induced pulmonary injury may be mediated by oxidants produced by both mitochondrial and microsomal electron transport. Certain drugs and xenobiotics may be metabolized by nonspecific flavoproteins found in the mitochondrial electron transport chain and associated with microsomal mixed function oxidase system to yield a variety of free radicals and oxidants. Inhalation of particulate debris will activate resident phagocytic leukocytes to produce large quantities of cytotoxic oxidants. Ischemia and reperfusion appear to produce substantial amounts of xanthine oxidase-derived oxy-radicals that recruit and activate inflammatory phagocytes to produce cytotoxic HOCl and N-chlorinated oxidants. Finally, inappropriate metabolism of arachidonate by prostaglandin synthetase in the presence of NADH (NADPH) produces a burst of O2-. The fact that the lung contains so many different metabolic avenues for oxidant and free radical production suggests that this particular organ may be the most sensitive to oxidative insult.
The Use of Tetrazolium to Determine Hydronephrotic Damage in Human Kidneys

Abstract A study detailing an assay for evaluating hydronephrotic damage is presented. We used nitroblue tetrazolium, which is reduced by intact renal tissue. When marked hydronephrotic damage has occurred little evidence of tetrazolium reducing activity is present. The clinical application has been helpful in determining the extent of damage and the subsequent need for removal of the kidney in question. When the test indicated functioning renal tissu a repair of the obstruction was performed with subsequent improvement in function.
A Luminous and Splendid Truth: On the Mystery of Predestination in Matthias Scheeben

Matthias Joseph Scheeben has been described as one of the greatest and least read theologians of the modern era. This article provides an overview of his theology of predestination, which remains a significant but little-studied aspect of his thought. Section I offers a general sketch of Scheeben's theology of predestination, employing the chapter on this topic in The Mysteries of Christianity as a primary source. Section II takes a deeper look at Scheeben's theology of predestination through an engagement with relevant sections of his untranslated masterwork, the Dogmatik. This section will highlight Scheeben's relationship to both the de auxiliis controversy and the thought of Thomas Aquinas. Connections between Scheeben's theology of predestination and his other theological positions are noted throughout.
Interpersonal rejection sensitivity mediates the associations between peer victimization and two high-risk outcomes.

Background:Previous research has demonstrated a strong link between peer victimization and suicidal ideation and aggression. This study examined interpersonal rejection sensitivity as a mediator of...
Influence of Natural American Spirit advertising on current and former smokers' perceptions and intentions.

Objective This study sought to demonstrate causal effects of exposure to Natural American Spirit (NAS) advertising content on misinformed beliefs of current and former smokers, and to empirically establish these beliefs as a mechanism driving intentions to use NAS. Methods Our study employed a randomised experimental design with 1128 adult daily, intermittent and former smokers. We compared participants who were exposed to NAS advertisements or claims made in the advertisements with those in a no-message control group to test the effects of NAS advertising content on inaccurate beliefs about NAS and attitudes and intentions towards the product. Results One-way analysis of variance revealed that exposure to NAS advertisements produced inaccurate beliefs about the composition of NAS cigarettes among current and former smokers (p Conclusions The findings of this study provide causal support for the need for further regulatory action to address the potentially harmful ramifications of claims used in NAS advertising.
Sweet syndrome in patients with and without malignancy: A retrospective analysis of 83 patients from a tertiary academic referral center

Background Sweet syndrome is a neutrophilic dermatosis that may be categorized into classic, malignancy-associated, and drug-induced subtypes. Few studies have systematically analyzed this rare disorder. Objective To describe the clinicopathologic characteristics and treatment of Sweet syndrome and identify characteristics associated with concurrent malignancy. Methods We retrospectively reviewed patients with Sweet syndrome at the University of Pennsylvania from 2005 to 2015. Results We identified 83 patients (mean age, 57 years; 51% male) with Sweet syndrome: 30% with the classic form, 44% with the malignancy-associated form, 24% with the drug-induced form in the setting of malignancy, and 2% with the drug-induced form. Acute myeloid leukemia was the most common malignancy (in 24 of 83 patients [29%]). Filgrastim was the most common medication (used in 8 of 83 patients [10%]). Leukopenia ( P P = .002), thrombocytopenia ( P P P = .024) were associated with malignancy (χ 2 test). Limitations This was a retrospective study that represents patients from a single tertiary academic referral center, which may limit its generalizability to other settings. Conclusion When caring for patients with Sweet syndrome, dermatologists should be aware of the potential association of leukopenia, anemia, thrombocytopenia, absence of arthralgia, and histiocytoid or subcutaneous histopathology with malignancy.