cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hydropower and Sino-Indian Hydropolitics Along the Yarlung-Tsangpo-Brahmaputra

The Yarlung-Tsangpo-Brahmaputra (YTB) is one of the largest rivers in China and India. In the past decade, both countries have mobilised scientific and engineering capacities to speed up dam construction on their respective stretches of the river and harness its enormous hydropower potential. In the absence of a formal water agreement between the two superpowers, many have raised concerns regarding the intensification of Sino-Indian tensions over the YTB. This is particularly worrisome, given that the river crosses a disputed border between China and India, and dams along its course threaten to compound long-standing tensions over Tibet and China’s growing regional influence. This chapter begins by briefly discussing Chinese and Indian hydropower ambitions along the YTB. Afterwards, it explores key events which led to the straining of Sino-Indian relationships over the YTB and to the militarisation of its flows. It then highlights the extent to which China and India already cooperate over this transboundary river, and asks whether the impacts of climate change on the YTB might precipitate further collaboration between the two neighbours. Finally, this chapter concludes by reflecting on the role of Sino-Indian hydropolitics in shaping the future of the Greater Himalayan region and its mighty rivers.
Reply to Qian and Zhang: Demonstration of the effect of codon usage on transcription by multiple approaches from fungi to animal cells.

We appreciate the interest from Qian and Zhang (1) in our recently published study on the role of codon usage in transcription in Neurospora (2). In our study, we demonstrate that there is a clear genome-wide positive correlation between gene codon usage biases and nuclear mRNA levels, meaning that genes with optimal codon usage have high nuclear messenger RNA (mRNA) levels. Qian and Zhang claim that we draw the conclusion of a genome-wide influence of codon usage on transcription based on this correlation (1, 2). They raise several possibilities to explain the correlation we observed, instead of the role of codon usage on mRNA levels. It should be … [↵][1]1To whom correspondence may be addressed. Email: Yi.Liu{at}UTsouthwestern.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Fixing Functionality in Design Patent Law

This contribution to the Berkeley Technology Law Journal's spring 2021 symposium, Navigating and Rectifying the Design Patent Muddle, responds to Peter Menell and Ella Corren's important article, Design Patent Law's Identity Crisis. It agrees with Menell and Corren that design patent law's ornamentality requirement should get more attention because that requirement is supposed to differentiate design patent from utility patent. It also agrees that current law does not exclude functional design features aggressively enough. It suggests, however, that there really are two distinct but related problems with ornamentality doctrine. The first problem is that the Federal Circuit has reduced the concept of ornamentality to nonfunctionality: The only question courts and the Patent Office ask in considering whether a design meets the statutory requirement of ornamentality is whether the design features are nonfunctional. The second problem is that the Federal Circuit defines functionality nearly exclusively in terms of the availability of alternative designs. These are related but distinct problems, and they warrant separate discussion. Ornamentality is not simply nonfunctionality; for configuration, at least, it is commonly the case that features are both ornamental and functional, just in different proportions. And even where functionality is the right question, the availability of alternative designs need not, and should not, be its only measure.
Punishment and Inclusion: Race, Membership, and the Limits of American Liberalism

Preface Acknowledgments 1 A Productive Injustice 2 Fabricating Figures 3 Neoliberal Penality and the Biopolitics of Homo OEconomicus 4 To Kill a Thief 5 Innocent Citizens, Guilty Subjects 6 Punishing at the Ballot Box 7 Civic Disabilities 8 (Re)figuring Justice Coda Notes Bibliography Index
Structure of the human vasoactive intestinal polypeptide gene.

ABSTRACT Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) is a 28-amino-acid hormone produced primarily by neural tissues. The amino acid sequence of VIP is similar to that of a number of gastrointestinal h...
Transduction in mycobacterium phlei.

Transduction, the transfer of genetic information from one bacterial host to another by bacteriophage, has been demonstrated inMycobacterium phlei. The ability to utilized-xylose as a sole carbon source could be transferred fromM. phlei strain SN109 (xyl+,str-s) toM. phlei strain F89 (xyl−,str-r) by a bacterially sterile, DNase-treated phage Bo2-lysate of donorM. phlei SN109. The marker was expressed within 15 minutes of phage infection, but the recipient bacteria had to be in early stationary phase for transduction to occur. Controls employed in these experiments were bacteria incubated with heat-killed phage, with phage plus antiphage serum, or with sterile broth in place of phage. Phage conversion, the appearance of a new character due solely to phage infection, could not account for the observed phenomenon since phage Bo2, which was not previously propagated on axyl+ donor, failed to confer the ability to utilize xylose on axyl− repicient.
Dynamics of Endocytosis and Exocytosis of Poly(D,L-Lactide- co -Glycolide) Nanoparticles in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells

Purpose. The purpose of this work was to characterize the process of endocytosis, exocytosis, and intracellular retention of poly (D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) nanoparticles in vitro using human arterial vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs).
Abstract 15272: Wnt11 Delivered in Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Media Promotes Angiogenesis Through Non-canonical Wnt-PKC-JNK Pathway

Background: Wnt11 is involved in many developmental and cellular processes. We have previously reported that Wnt11 overexpressing (MSCWnt11) significantly improved cardiac function and increased angiogenesis. Here, we aimed to elucidate how Wnt11 delivered by MSC increase blood vessel formation. Methods and Results: An acute myocardial infarction (MI) model in SD rats was developed by ligation of the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery. Conditioned medium (CdM) collected from MSCWnt11 (CdMWnt11) was injected immediately into the ischemic border area. Rats treated with CdMWnt11 showed a significantly improved cardiac function. Furthermore, CdMWnt11 increased blood vessel density and regional blood flow in ischemic myocardium. Fluorescent immunostaining showed that both vWF-positive single endothelial cell numbers and microvessel numbers were significantly increased in CdMWnt11 treated myocardium. In vitro studies showed that CdMWnt11 significantly increased number and length of capillary-like structure (CLS) formation and promoted human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) migration. These results were confirmed by directly treating HUVECs with recombinant Wnt11 proteins (5μg/ml) or over-expressing Wnt11 in HUVECs (HWnt11). However, these effects could be abolished by using a Wnt11 neutralizing antibody. Immunostaining and Western blotting results revealed upregulation of p-pan-PKC and p-JNK in HWnt11. Real-time PCR analysis indicated that the expression of novel PKCs including PKCδ, PKCe, PKCη, and PKCθ was significantly upregulated in HWnt11. Moreover, the effect of Wnt11 on CLT formation and HUVECs migration were abrogated when the JNK inhibitor SP600125 at 5 μM and the PKC inhibitor Calphostin-C at 0.1 μM were added to the culture system. Conclusion: Our data suggests, for the first time, that Wnt11 in MSC-derived media improved cardiac function and promoted angiogenesis in ischemic myocardium. The effect of Wnt11 in angiogenesis is mediated by novel PKCs, with JNK as its downstream mediator.
Disability, Geography and Ethics

(2000). Disability, Geography and Ethics. Philosophy & Geography: Vol. 3, No. 1, pp. 87-90.
Research on Esophageal Cancer in China: a Review

Research on esophageal cancer in the People's Republic of China is reviewed. Massive epidemiological studies revealed the prevalence of this disease in China, especially in the Taihang Mountain range areas in the north. Gullet cancer in chickens was also observed in the high-incidence area of Linxian in Henan, suggesting the presence of cancer-causing substances in the environment. Research on the etiology of this cancer has been pursued extensively. Moldy food and pickled vegetables were shown to contain carcinogens. In chemical etiology, nitrosamines and their precursors have received the most attention. The possible roles of trace element deficiencies in the soil, nutritional deficiencies, fungal infection, polycyclic hydrocarbons, and other factors in contributing to the high cancer incidence have been studied. The esophageal cancer problem has also been investigated at the cellular and immunological levels. Mass cytological surveys allowed many cases of early cancer to be detected and treated. Precancerous changes and the use of interventive therapy have been studied in animal models and patients. Prevention, early detection, and early treatment of this cancer have been pursued vigorously in many areas of China.
Comparison of prostaglandin F2α and hypertonic saline for induction of midtrimester abortion

Abstract Midtrimester abortions were induced in two compatible groups of patients in the second trimester by intra-amniotic instillation of either prostaglandin F 2α or a 20 per cent sodium chloride solution. Nine of the 10 patients in the prostaglandin group aborted completely, with a mean abortion time of 15.16 hours. All of the 10 patients in the saline group aborted completely, and the mean abortion time was 20.34 hours. One patient in the prostaglandin group failed to abort during the prostaglandin instillation, and abortion finally had to be completed surgically. The 2 groups were compared with regard to uterine activity and plasma levels of progesterone, human prolactin, human placental lactogen, and cortisol, as well as urinary excretion of estrone, estradiol, estriol, and pregnanediol. The endocrine changes were rather similar in the 2 groups. The side effects in the 2 groups were carefully studied and found to be fairly similar although gastrointestinal symptoms were more frequent in the prostaglandin group. Lactation in the postabortion period was more frequent in the prostaglandin group. The similarities suggest that the mechanism of abortion may not be much different with the 2 methods. To decide which one of the methods is safest requires the study of much larger groups of patients for comparison.
Practical considerations on color image enhancement using homomorphic filtering

We present a study concerning the practical possibilities of using the homomorphic filtering for color image enhancement. Two of the most popular color models, RGB and C-Y (color difference), are employed and the results are comparatively discussed. The homomorphic filtering has proven to be a viable tool for both color models considered.
Hemispheric and Directional Asymmetry of Pitch Discrimination

The purpose of this article is to report the results of a study that indicate that the ability of the brain's hemispheres to discriminate small changes in pitch is differentially affected by the direction of the change. The two studies discussed used two independent samples. In the first experiment subjects are described as musically sophisticated and in the second experiment subjects are described as musically naive. The task, which was identical in both studies, required subjects to (1) determine if they perceived a change in frequency and if so, (2) to indicate in which ear the change occurred and the direction of the change. In both studies the right ear heard more correct scores when the frequency changes were ascending whereas the left ear heard more correct scores when the frequency changes were descending. In the first experiment this interaction was significant at the .003 level and in the second experiment, although the trend was the same, an acceptable level of significance was not achieved (p ...
“I'm a woman but I know God leads my way”: Agency and Tzotzil evangelical discourse

For indigenous Tzotzil Protestants in Chiapas, the emergence of a new discourse about God is restructuring social interactions. Discourse data point to an arresting intersection of Protestant beliefs, discourse strategies, and gender. This case study supports recent theorizing in language and gender concerning the need to attend to shifting identities and contexts where gender can become less salient. The performance of a Protestant identity in which gender is transcended opens up new possibilities for agency, particularly for women who otherwise lack sanctioned authority. Strategic manipulation of Protestant discourse in verbal performances allows one woman to enact a position of moral authority that empowers her to pursue an innovative plan. As an important means through which Tzotzil Protestants dictate and create their lives, praying in the evangelical world provides a useful site for the study of unusual kinds of performative utterances.This article benefited greatly from pointers and suggestions from Laada Bilaniuk, Anne Curzan, and John Haviland. I am deeply grateful for all their encouragement. Heartfelt thanks to Lourdes de Leon for sharing her connection to and past knowledge of my Tzotzil family with me; without her prior friendship there, I would never have met them. Kami Ahmad unfailingly reads my work with the exacting eye of a scientist; his endurance makes miracles happen. All translations were aided by consultation of Laughlin, 1975. This work was supported by NSF grant #SBR-9222394 and a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Publication Types in Quality Improvement Journals

Despite widespread engagement in quality improvement activities, little is known about the designs of studies currently published in quality improvement journals. This study's goal is to establish the prevalence of the types of research conducted in articles published in journals dedicated to quality improvement. A cross-sectional analysis was performed of 145 research articles published in 11 quality improvement journals in 2011. The majority of study designs were considered pre-experimental (95%), with a small percentage of quasi-experimental and experimental designs. Of the studies that reported the results of an intervention (n = 60), the most common research designs were pre-post studies (33%) and case studies (25%). There were few randomized controlled trials or quasi-experimental study designs (12% of intervention studies). These results suggest that there are opportunities for increased use of quasi-experimental study designs.
Quantifying Agonist Activity at G Protein-coupled Receptors

When an agonist activates a population of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), it elicits a signaling pathway that culminates in the response of the cell or tissue. This process can be analyzed at the level of a single receptor, a population of receptors, or a downstream response. Here we describe how to analyze the downstream response to obtain an estimate of the agonist affinity constant for the active state of single receptors. Receptors behave as quantal switches that alternate between active and inactive states (Figure 1). The active state interacts with specific G proteins or other signaling partners. In the absence of ligands, the inactive state predominates. The binding of agonist increases the probability that the receptor will switch into the active state because its affinity constant for the active state (Kb) is much greater than that for the inactive state (Ka). The summation of the random outputs of all of the receptors in the population yields a constant level of receptor activation in time. The reciprocal of the concentration of agonist eliciting half-maximal receptor activation is equivalent to the observed affinity constant (Kobs), and the fraction of agonist-receptor complexes in the active state is defined as efficacy (e) (Figure 2). Methods for analyzing the downstream responses of GPCRs have been developed that enable the estimation of the Kobs and relative efficacy of an agonist 1,2. In this report, we show how to modify this analysis to estimate the agonist Kb value relative to that of another agonist. For assays that exhibit constitutive activity, we show how to estimate Kb in absolute units of M-1. Our method of analyzing agonist concentration-response curves 3,4 consists of global nonlinear regression using the operational model 5. We describe a procedure using the software application, Prism (GraphPad Software, Inc., San Diego, CA). The analysis yields an estimate of the product of Kobs and a parameter proportional to efficacy (τ). The estimate of τKobs of one agonist, divided by that of another, is a relative measure of Kb (RAi) 6. For any receptor exhibiting constitutive activity, it is possible to estimate a parameter proportional to the efficacy of the free receptor complex (τsys). In this case, the Kb value of an agonist is equivalent to τKobs/τsys 3. Our method is useful for determining the selectivity of an agonist for receptor subtypes and for quantifying agonist-receptor signaling through different G proteins.
Expression of the class III β-tubulin gene during axonal regeneration of rat dorsal root ganglion neurons

The effect of peripheral axotomy on the expression of the class III beta-tubulin gene in adult dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons was examined. Of the 5 isotypic classes of beta-tubulin expressed in the mammalian nervous system, only the class III beta-tubulin is neuron specific. While information about the expression of several of the tubulin genes during neuronal development and regeneration has become available recently, very little is known about the expression of beta III-tubulin during axonal regeneration. To explore this issue, we examined axotomy-induced changes in beta III-tubulin mRNA levels in adult rat lumbar dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons at different times (1-28 days) after unilateral sciatic nerve crush using northern blotting of total RNA and quantitative in situ hybridization. These studies showed an initial decrease in beta III-tubulin mRNA levels in axotomized DRG neurons as compared to contralateral controls at 1 day after injury followed by robust increases in beta III-tubulin mRNA levels relative to contralateral controls from 1 to 4 weeks after injury. We postulate that beta III-tubulin may play an essential role in axonal growth because of its unique neuron-specific pattern of expression and its substantial increase in neurons that have been stimulated to regrow their axons.
The value of magnetic resonance imaging in the evaluation of fatty filum terminale.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether there are magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) characteristics of fatty fila that are correlated with neurological deficits, especially in the presence of a normal-level conus medullaris. METHODS: Lumbosacral MRI scans were reviewed for patients with fatty fila who were treated at Duke University Medical Center during a 5-year period. The patients were divided into three groups. Group 1 patients (n = 5) had fatty flia that were incidentally detected during evaluations for metastases or infections. Group II patients (n = 16) exhibited isolated low back pain but were in neurologically intact condition. Group III patients (n = 15) exhibited neurological impairments consistent with distal spinal cord dysfunction. Several characteristics were measured on the MRI scans, including the location of the conus medullaris, the filum thickness, and the distance of fat from the conus. These results were assessed for statistically significant correlation with the presence of clinical symptoms. RESULTS: The majority of patients in all three groups demonstrated the normal conus position (L2 or above) and thickened fila. The distance of fat from the conus was the only parameter that demonstrated a statistically significant difference among the groups. CONCLUSION: The following findings were noted: 1) patients were likely to exhibit neurological deficits at a younger age (<22 yr in Group III versus 47 yr in Groups I and II); 2) a conus level below L2 was associated with neurological deficits (Group III); 3) filum thickness was not correlated with clinical presentation; 4) fat in the filum within 13 mm of the conus medullaris was most predictive of neurological deficits (Group III).
Turning over the Chance card on MS susceptibility.

CD8+ T cells expressing two distinct T cell antigen receptors fail to be tolerized and can induce autoimmunity.
Ovipositional and ovicidal effects of the microbial agent Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis on Culex quinquefasciatus Say (Diptera: Culicidae)

The magnitude of oviposition as well as the size, shape and the number of eggs per of egg rafts egg raft were determined after gravid Culex quinquefasciatus Say oviposited on water treated with water dispersible granules (WDG) of Bacillus thuringiensis ssp. israelensis (Bti) and on untreated water. The mean number of eggs/raft was lower in the treated than in the untreated water. Bti concentrations from 0.5 to 2.0mg/L affected the shape of egg rafts and number of eggs in each raft. As the concentration of Bti increased from 0.5 to 2.0 mg/L the shape of egg rafts became more irregular with fewer eggs in each raft. Exposure to Bti at 2- and 26-h reduced the hatching rates, and fewer eggs hatched at 26-h of exposure to Bti. As the concentration of Bti WDG increased from 0.5 to 2.0 mg/L, the hatching rate decreased. Eggs exposed for 2-h to 2.0mg/ L Bti had a hatch of 30% after 24 h, the rate increasing to 57% after 72 h. In contrast, in 26-h exposed eggs to 2.0 mg/L Bti, the hatching rate after 24 h was only 12% and this rate increased to 39% after 72 h. In larvae from eggs exposed for 2 h, the survival rate was 40% at 2.0 mg/L Bti and 87% in untreated controls. In contrast, the survival rates of larvae from 26-h exposed eggs was 91% in controls while it was 30% at 2.0 mg/L Bti. As the concentration of Bti increased from 0.5 to 2.0 mg/ 1 the survival rates of larvae decreased. The combined effects of reductions of egg rafts, low number of eggs per egg raft, and reduced hatching and survival rates could have significant cumulative effects on the yield of adult mosquitoes, and this could result in a greater control potential of this microbial agent.
Effects of disulfiram and diethyldithiocarbamate on spontaneous locomotor activity and brain catecholamine levels in mice.

Abstract Intraperitoneal (i.p.) injections of diethyldithiocarbamate (DDC) or disulfiram (DS), both of which inhibit dopamine-β-hydroxylase, did not alter brain levels of dopamine but caused a dose-dependent reduction of both the brain content of norepinephrine and the spontaneous locomotor activity of mice. These latter effects were not causally related, since pretreatment with a monoamine oxidase inhibitor prevented the DDC- and DS-induced depletion of norepinephrine but did not alter the ability of these drugs to depress spontaneous locomotor activity. Exposure of the mice to a 4° environment did not alter DS-induced depletion of brain norepinephrine or'behavioral depression. When administered in the diet, DS reduced the brain content of norepinephrine but did not depress motor activity; DDC did not alter either parameter. The results indicate that the central depressant effects of DDC and DS are not exclusively due to the ability of these drugs to alter the absolute levels of brain catecholamines.
Effect of composition and grain size on slow plastic flow properties of NiAl between 1200 and 1400 K

A series of about 15-micron diameter polycrystalline B2 crystal structure NiAl alloys ranging in composition from 43.9 to 52.7 Al (at. pct) have been compression tested at constant velocities in air between 1200 and 1400 K. All materials were fabricated via powder metallurgy techniques with hot extrusion as the densification process. Seven intermediate compositions were produced by blending various amounts of two master heats of prealloyed powder; in addition, a tenth alloy of identical composition, 48.25 Al, as one of the blended materials, was produced from a third master heat. Comparison of the flow stress-strain rate behavior for the two 48.25 Al alloys revealed that their properties were identical. The creep strength of materials for Al/Ni not above 1.03 was essentially equal, and deformation could be described by a single stress exponent and activation energy. Creep at low temperatures and faster strain rates is independent of grain sizes and appears to be controlled by a subgrain mechanism. However, at higher temperatures and slower strain rates, diffusional creep seems to contribute to the overall deformation rate.
Reactions of formic acid and formaldehyde on Rh(111) and Rh(111)-(2 × 2)O surfaces

HREELS was used to study the adsorption and decomposition of formic acid and formaldehyde on the Rh(111) surface. Vibrational spectra showed that formic acid adsorbed on the clean surface via the lone pair electrons on the hydroxyl oxygen. The softening of the vibrational modes of the O-H bond also indicated hydrogen bonding among the molecules in the adlayer. At ca. 140 K a formate intermediate was formed, fingerprinted by its strong O-C-O vibrational modes. This formate intermediate decomposed to carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrogen, and water via two channels, with CO2 peaks at 235 and 275 K in TPD experiments. The addition of 14 monolayer of oxygen atoms to the Rh(111) surface shifted the formate decomposition temperature to 330 K, as previously reported. On the clean Rh(111) surface formaldehyde dehydrogenated completely to adsorbed carbon monoxide and hydrogen atoms below 130 K. Paraformaldehyde was identified in vibrational spectra obtained after formaldehyde adsorption on the clean surface at high dosing rates. Exposure of the oxygen-predosed surface to formaldehyde resulted in the formation of adsorbed paraformaldehyde, carbon monoxide, formate and η1-formaldehyde, but the major carbon-containing desorption product was carbon dioxide. This CO2 was formed via three different channels: formate decomposition at 320 K, CO and atomic oxygen direct reaction at 400 K, and oxidation of surface carbon at 530–1000 K.
Do Warnings of Response Verification Moderate the Relationship Between Personality and Cognitive Ability

This article presents the results of 2 studies that examine the effect of presenting a warning of response verification by others on the relationship between measures of personality and cognitive ability. In both a field study and a laboratory study, stronger correlations were generally found between measures of personality and cognitive ability when a warning of verification was present. The results from the studies also showed that the warning of verification was associated with slower item response latencies for certain personality scales, suggesting that exposure to the warning increased the complexity of the response decision. Results are discussed in terms of the effects of altering test instructions on the construct validity of personality measures used in applied settings.
Treatment of Autoimmune Disease by Oral Tolerance to Autoantigens

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic demyelinating disease of the human central nervous system (CNS) which can be characterized clinically by a remitting-relapsing or a chronic progressive course. There is a striking similarity between the clinical and histopathological features of MS and the experimentally induced disease, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Induced by the injection of myelin basic protein (MBP) and adjuvants, EAE is characterized by clinical neurologic signs of paralysis and histopathologic changes consisting of perivascular mononuclear infiltration and demyelination. We have reported that the oral administration of MBP exerts a profoundly suppressive effect on EAE induced in the Lewis rat. This MBP-induced oral tolerance is characterized by an inhibition of EAE clinical neurologic signs, reduced CNS histopathologic changes, a profound decrease in the T-lymphocyte proliferative response specific for the fed antigen, and a decrease in serum antibody specific for MBP. In a chronic relapsing model of EAE in the B10.PL mouse, we have shown that the oral administration of MBP either prior to MBP challenge or on the first day of clinical signs results in a decreased number and severity of EAE relapses. The oral tolerance approach has also proven effective in the suppression of other organ-specific autoimmune diseases including collagen-induced arthritis, adjuvant arthritis, uveoretinitis, experimental myasthenia gravis, diabetes, and thyroiditis as well as graft rejection. Two primary mechanisms have been proposed to explain oral tolerance in EAE-active suppression following feeding of lower doses of antigen and clonal anergy or deletion following administration of higher doses. In vivo approaches in rats and transgenic mice have been used to further explore the mechanisms underlying oral tolerance. Administration of recombinant interleukin (IL)-2 was shown to reverse the tolerance induced by feeding low doses of MBP, but not the tolerance induced by feeding high doses of MBP, indicating that deletion had occurred in the high-dose group. Moreover, the oral administration of MBP to MBP-specific T-cell receptor (TCR) transgenic mice resulted in a profound decrease of the transgenic T cells in the blood, lymph node cells (LNC), mesenteric LNC, and spleen compartments. The proliferative response to MBP was also profoundly reduced in these organs, indicating that the cells had been deleted from these sites. The results achieved in animal models have led to clinical trials of oral tolerization in three human autoimmune diseases--MS, uveoretinitis, and rheumatoid arthritis--with promising results.
Mechanism of Cancer Growth Suppression of Alpha-Fetoprotein Derived Growth Inhibitory Peptides (GIP): Comparison of GIP-34 versus GIP-8 (AFPep). Updates and Prospects

The Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) derived Growth Inhibitory Peptide (GIP) is a 34-amino acid segment of the full-length human AFP molecule that inhibits tumor growth and metastasis. The GIP-34 and its carboxy-terminal 8-mer segment, termed GIP-8, were found to be effective as anti-cancer therapeutic peptides against nine different human cancer types. Following the uptake of GIP-34 and GIP-8 into the cell cytoplasm, each follows slightly different signal transduction cascades en route to inhibitory pathways of tumor cell growth and proliferation. The parallel mechanisms of action of GIP-34 versus GIP-8 are demonstrated to involve interference of signaling transduction cascades that ultimately result in: (1) cell cycle S-phase/G2-phase arrest; (2) prevention of cyclin inhibitor degradation; (3) protection of p53 from inactivation by phosphorylation; and (4) blockage of K+ ion channels opened by estradiol and epidermal growth factor (EGF). The overall mechanisms of action of both peptides are discussed in light of their differing modes of cell attachment and uptake fortified by RNA microarray analysis and electrophysiologic measurements of cell membrane conductance and resistance. As a chemotherapeutic adjunct, the GIPs could potentially aid in alleviating the negative side effects of: (1) tamoxifen resistance, uterine hyperplasia/cancer, and blood clotting; (2) Herceptin antibody resistance and cardiac (arrest) arrhythmias; and (3) doxorubicin's bystander cell toxicity.
Limitations, liabilities, and obstacles in reviews of the literature: The current status of meta-analysis

Abstract In the 7 years since the publication of Smith and Glass' initial results of their psychotherapy outcome meta-analysis the topic of quantitatively-based literature reviews has been one of the most controversial in clinical psychology. The debate has made apparent a wide variety of problems with the typical manner in which research domains are reviewed in general, and with the application of statistical procedures to those reviews in particular. This article summarizes the current state of affairs in the conduct of a meta-analysis, and outlines the broad range of problems and limitations likely to be encountered. An attempt is made to distinguish the problems that are general to all reviews and those endemic to meta-analysis. These distinctions should aid future development and refinement of the review process in general, and make meta-analysis a more applicable and less controversial mode of inquiry.
The short-range structure of sodium ultraphosphate glasses

Anhydrous sodium ultraphosphate glasses were prepared with Na2O contents between 0 and 50 mol% and were characterized by several structurally sensitive spectroscopic probes to determine the nature of the phosphate tetrahedra that constitute the short-range glass structure. Solid state 31P magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS-NMR) spectroscopy reveals that Na2O depolymerizes the branched (Q3) P-O network of P2O5 to form metaphosphate (Q2) sites, in quantitative agreement with Van Wazer's ‘chemically simple’ model. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy reveals that the concomitant increase in non-bridging oxygen with increasing Na2O content is also in quantitative agreement with this structural model. Raman spectroscopic analyses of glasses with approximately 40 mol% Na2O suggest that some intermediate-range order, perhaps associated with strained rings, also exists within the glass network. Strained sites are eliminated when the solid glass is heated to melt temperatures.
Express virtual channels: towards the ideal interconnection fabric

Due to wire delay scalability and bandwidth limitations inherent in shared buses and dedicated links, packet-switched on-chip interconnection networks are fast emerging as the pervasive communication fabric to connect different processing elements in many-core chips. However, current state-of-the-art packet-switched networks rely on complex routers which increases the communication overhead and energy consumption as compared to the ideal interconnection fabric.In this paper, we try to close the gap between the state-of-the-art packet-switched network and the ideal interconnect by proposing express virtual channels (EVCs), a novel flow control mechanism which allows packets to virtually bypass intermediate routers along their path in a completely non-speculative fashion, thereby lowering the energy/delay towards that of a dedicated wire while simultaneously approaching ideal throughput with a practical design suitable for on-chip networks.Our evaluation results using a detailed cycle-accurate simulator on a range of synthetic traffic and SPLASH benchmark traces show upto 84% reduction in packet latency and upto 23% improvement in throughput while reducing the average router energy consumption by upto 38% over an existing state-of-the-art packet-switched design. When compared to the ideal interconnect, EVCs add just two cycles to the no-load latency, and are within 14% of the ideal throughput. Moreover, we show that the proposed design incurs a minimal hardware overhead while exhibiting excellent scalability with increasing network sizes.
On the performance of output queued cell switches with non-uniformly distributed bursty arrivals

A novel performance analysis of output queued cell switches that are introduced with general independent heterogeneous traffic is presented. Random arbitration is employed whereby non-empty queues compete equally for service within each switching interval. In particular, the case of bursty two-state Markov-modulated arrivals is studied in which input ports generate bursty streams that are non-uniformly distributed. Under the assumption of a memoryless server, the probability generating function of the interarrival process is utilised to derive an approximation for the queue size distribution. The methodology established forms a flexible tool in obtaining bounds on the behaviour and expected performance characteristics of output queued switches under a wide range of correlated traffic scenarios. The validity of the analytical inference is established through simulation results.
Codon Equilibrium I: Testing for Homogeneous Equilibrium

We present theoretical considerations that suggest that synonymous-codon usage might be expected to be close to an equilibrium distribution given a very homogeneous process of silent substitution. By homogeneous we mean that substitution depends only on the two bases involved, so that 12 base-substitution rates completely describe the silent substitution process. We have developed a method of statistically testing for such homogeneous equilibrium and applied it to reported data on the codon usages of different classes of organisms. Weakly expressed bacterial sequences and both mammalian and nonmammalian eukaryotic sequences deviate significantly from a random pattern of codon usage, in the direction of homogeneous equilibrium. On the other hand, highly expressed bacterial sequences do not exhibit homogeneous equilibrium, which may be correlated with recent experimental results showing that they are optimized to accept the most abundant tRNAs. To examine the effect of amino acid replacements on the homogeneous model of silent substitution, we divided the amino acids with degenerate codes into two classes, those with high mutabilities and those with low, and performed the same analysis on bacterial and eukaryotic data sets. The codon sets of the highly mutable class of amino acids are not further from homogeneous equilibrium than are the codon sets of the class with low mutabilities. We also found for the eukaryotic data that these independent classes of codon sets show very similar equilibrium patterns. The various results suggest a high level of uniformity in the process of silent fixation in the different synonymous-codon sets, especially in eukaryotes.
Urethane anesthesia reverses the protective effect of noncompetitive NMDA receptor antagonists against cocaine intoxication.

Abstract The present experiments examined whether pretreatment with the noncompetitive N -methyl- D -aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists, MK-801 and dextrorphan, could antagonize cocaine-induced convulsions and lethality in conscious Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats and whether urethane anesthesia alters the observed interactions. Conscious, restrained male SD rats received continuous i.v. infusions of cocaine hydrochloride (1.25 mg/kg.min) until convulsions and death occurred. Cocaine doses of 21.2±1.8 and 29.5±2.5 mg/kg caused convulsions and death, respectively, in saline treated rats (n = 8). Convulsions were absent in MK-801 (1 mg/kg, i.v.;n = 8) pretreated rats; the lethal cocaine dose was 44.0±2.7 mg/kg (p
Polyenylphosphatidylcholine protects against alcohol but not iron-induced oxidative stress in the liver.

Background: We reported before that, in baboons, the alcohol-induced oxidative stress in the liver is associated with depletion of dilinoleoylphosphatidylcholine [the major component of polyenylphosphati-dylcholine (PPC)] and that both can be corrected by the administration of PPC, but we did not determine whether this protection extended to iron-induced oxidative stress. Methods: To compare the effects of PPC on alcohol- and iron-induced hepatic oxidative stress, 56 Sprague Dawley® male rats were pair-fed nutritionally adequate liquid diets containing ethanol (36% of energy) or isocaloric carbohydrate and PPC (3 mg/ml) or safflower oil (2.73 mg/ml), with or without 5 mg/ml carbonyl iron for 2 months. Markers of oxidative stress (4-hydroxynonenal and reduced glutathione), antioxidants (vitamin E, ubiquinol-9, and ubiquinol-10), and phosphatidylcholine (PC) species were assessed by HPLC and/or gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Results: Alcohol feeding increased hepatic 4-hydroxynonenal 3-fold and decreased glutathione by 19%, ubiquinol-10 by 53%, and PC species containing arachidonate (palmitoyl- and stearoylarachidonoylphosphatifidylcholines by 24% and 21%, respectively) and total phospholipids by 14%. PPC feeding prevented the rise of 4-hydroxynonenal, restored glutathione, and increased the hepatic content of dilinolcoylphosphatidylcholine and of some other PC carrying polyunsaturated fatty acids. Administration of iron alone increased hepatic iron, doubled 4-hydroxynonenal and glutathione, whereas it decreased vitamin E, ubiquinol-9, total phospholipids, and several polyunsaturated PC. Alcohol given with iron further exacerbated the hepatic oxidative stress, as documented by the increase of 4-hydroxynonenal and the decrease in glutathione and ubiquinols-10. PPC did not prevent this oxidative stress, although it increased hepatic glutathione. Hepatic dilinoleoylphosphatidylcholine content was comparable with and without dietary iron. Conclusions: PPC prevents the alcohol-induced oxidative stress but only in the absence of iron overload.
Calorimetric Measurement of Dielectric Losses in Solids

A new transient calorimetric method for measurement of dielectric losses in solids at 10,000 volts and 1,000 kilocycles, is described in this paper and experimental data obtained by this method are presented. A steady-state method also is described and a direct comparison between the results obtained by the 2 methods is given. The absolute value of loss factor (0.0009) determined for quartz shows exact agreement between the 2 methods. The transient method is shown to reduce the time or making calorimetric measurements on solid materials from hours to minutes. Results of tests on 15 samples, including 6 different low-loss materials, show that the absolute values of losses in these particular materials are of the order of magnitude determined by previous low-voltage high-frequency measurements. It is thought that the transient calorimeter technique can be readily extended to ultra-high frequencies.
Metabolism of α-aminoisobutyric acid in mungbean hypocotyls in relation to metabolism of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid.

1-Aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) is known to be converted to ethylene and conjugated into N-malonyl-ACC in plant tissues. When α-amino[1-14C]isobutyric acid (AIB), a structural analog of ACC, was administered to mungbean (Vigna radiata L.) hypocotyl segments, it was metabolized to 14CO2 and conjugated to N-malonyl-AIB (MAIB). α-Aminoisobutyric acid inhibited the conversion of ACC to ethylene and also inhibited, to a lesser extent, N-malonylation of ACC and d-amino acids. Although the malonylation of AIB was strongly inhibited by ACC as well as by d-amino acids, the metabolism of AIB to CO2 was inhibited only by ACC but not by d-amino acids. Inhibitors of ACC conversion to ethylene such as anaerobiosis, 2,4-dinitrophenol and Co2+, similarly inhibited the conversion of AIB to CO2. These results indicate that the malonyalation of AIB to MAIB is intimately related to the malonylation of ACC and d-amino acids, whereas oxidative decarboxylation of AIB is related to the oxidative degradation of ACC to ethylene.
Simple oscillations in photosynthetic oxygen evolution

Abstract With Chlorella pyrenoidosa strain 3, changes in white illumination within the range (4–40)·10 5 erg·cm −2 ·sec −1 provoke oscillations in the rate of net O 2 evolution, provided the steady-state evolution is partially inhibited by a low concentration of CO 2 or by poisoning with KCN or iodoacetamide. The maximum amplitude of the oscillations is small: less than 1 μl O 2 /μl cells·h; hence the oscillations could occur in either O 2 production or in light-stimulated O 2 uptake. The period of the oscillations has varied between 4 and 60 sec in different experiments and is shorter the stronger the illumination. The intensity of damping has also varied; with weak damping up to 12 successive maxima have been seen. The oscillations disappear in the presence of 3 μM 3-(4-chlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea and tend to be restored by 40 μM KCN. From the fact that the time-average rate of O 2 evolution during oscillation can be the same as in the steady state, a conserved catalyst reaction cycle is inferred. Such a cycle, lying somewhere between a photosynthetic photoreaction and the inhibited steps in the carbon cycle, seems able to explain all characteristics of the oscillations.
Photodynamic therapy with local photosensitizer delivery inhibits experimental intimal hyperplasia.

Background Photodynamic therapy (PDT), the light activation of photosensitizer dyes for the production of free radicals, effectively inhibits experimental intimal hyperplasia with systemic administration of the photosensitizer. The local application of the photosensitizer directly into a vascular lesion to avoid systemic side effects and tightly control dose administration has theoretical appeal. The aim of this study was to quantify serum and arterial tissue uptake after site-specific photosensitizer delivery and, following PDT, determine its effectiveness at inhibiting intimal hyperplasia. Study Design/Materials and Methods The rat common carotid artery was balloon-injured, pressurized at 400 mm Hg for 2 minutes with the photosensitizer dye benzoporphyrin-derivative (BPD), and irradiated with 690 nm laser light at a fluence of 100 J/cm. Control animals were pressurized with saline only, or received no additional treatment than balloon-injury. Results Pressurization with BPD resulted in complete penetration of the intima and media and was associated with relatively high tissue, but almost no detectable serum BPD concentrations. No skin photosensitization or other systemic side effects were observed with photosensitizer administration. After 9 days, PDT-treated arteries displayed a significantly lower number of smooth muscle cells in the arterial wall than balloon-injured (P < 0.001) or saline-pressurized arteries (P < 0.0002), and no intimal hyperplasia. At 21 days, IH after PDT was significantly reduced as compared with balloon-injured (P < 0.0004), or saline-pressurized arteries (P 0.003) with no arterial dilatation. Conclusions Site-specific delivery of liposomal BPD followed by PDT represents a safe method to treat arteries, and may be effectively used in vivo to inhibit the development of intimal hyperplasia. Lasers Surg. Med. 23:263-273, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Electronic Properties of Imidazole

THE existence of semiconduction has been demonstrated in a variety of different classes of organic compounds such as condensed aromatic hydrocarbons, charge-transfer complexes, pyrolized polymers, and stable free radicals. With few exceptions, the electrical conductivities are small, and the energies of activation for the conduction process are high. But the fact that even small conductivities are displayed suggests that some kind of intermolecular interaction takes place which, in an electric field, gives rise to electronic conduction. It is suggested that this interaction is molecular orbital overlap. The extent of orbital overlap is a function of molecular structure and hence, if semiconduction arises from such overlap, it is not surprising that semiconduction activation energies correlate with properties which are also a function of molecular structure, such as the molecular ionization energy, electron affinity, and excitation energy of the ground-triplet state transition1,2. One of the entities which influences these properties is the number of (the more easily polarizable) π-electrons. As the number of these increases in a conjugated system, there is a trend toward smaller activation energies of conduction, indicating that the probability of achieving overlap is enhanced by the presence of a large number of π-electrons. However, if the overlapping of molecular orbitals gives rise to semiconduction, then any other factors which contribute to such overlapping should also encourage semiconduction, even if only few π-electrons are present in the individual molecule. Since intermolecular hydrogen bonds may provide such overlap, it might be expected that activation energies in hydrogen-bonded compounds should be lower than anticipated solely on the basis of the number of π-electrons.