cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
TRPC1 protects human SH-SY5Y cells against salsolinol-induced cytotoxicity by inhibiting apoptosis

Salsolinol, an endogenous neurotoxin, may be involved in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease. In this study, we sought to determine whether salsolinol-induced cytotoxicity in SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells, a cloned cell line which expresses dopaminergic activity, could be prevented by overexpressing a Ca(2+) channel, transient receptor potential (TRPC1) protein. Exposure of SH-SY5Y cells to 500 microM salsolinol for 12 h resulted in a significant decrease in thapsigargin or carbachol-mediated Ca(2+) influx. Consistent with these results, SH-SY5Y cells treated with salsolinol showed approximately 60% reduction in TRPC1 protein levels. Confocal microscopy also showed that SH-SY5Y cells treated with salsolinol had a significant decrease in the plasma membrane staining of the TRPC1 protein. Interestingly, overexpression of TRPC1 increases TRPC1 protein levels and also protected SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells against salsolinol-mediated cytotoxicity as determined by 3,[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The protective effect of TRPC1 was blocked by the addition of TRPC1 blockers lanthanum, or 2APB. Activation of TRPC1 protein by either thapsigargin or carbachol further protected SH-SY5Y cells from salsolinol treatments. Staining of SH-SY5Y cells with an apoptotic marker (YO-PRO-1) showed that TRPC1 protein protects against apoptosis. Furthermore, TRPC1 overexpression also inhibited cytochrome c release and decreased BAX protein levels required for apoptosis. Taken together, these findings suggest that the reduction in cell surface TRPC1 protein expression in response to salsolinol may be a contributory factor in cellular toxicity of the dopaminergic neurons. Furthermore, overexpression of TRPC1 could inhibit apoptotic complex thereby increasing neuronal cell survivability in Parkinson's disease.
Soft modes and related properties in cubic PbF2

Studies of the temperature and pressure dependences of the static dielectric constant and ionic conductivity of cubic PbF2 have led to the discovery of two important results: (i) the existence of a soft q = 0, TO phonon mode and (ii) an anomalously large initial decrease with pressure in the activation energy for ionic conduction. The TO mode softens only partially with decreasing T, the crystal remaining stable down to the lowest temperatures. Cubic PbF2 is, however, known to undergo a pressure-induced transition to an orthorhombic phase. The possibility of a connection between the ionic conductivity and soft modes in PbF2 is discussed.
Convergence of Stopped Sums of Weakly Dependent Random Variables

In this paper we investigate stopped partial sums for weak dependent sequences. In particular, the results are used to obtain new maximal inequalities for strongly mixing sequences and related almost sure results.
Localization of the “incline plane discrimination memory system” in the white rat

Blinded rats, previously trained to choose an upward sloping pathway and to avoid a downward sloping pathway (a vestibulo-kinesthetic discrimination problem), sustained bilateral cortical or subcortical lesions, and were subsequently tested for retention. Those animals earning zero or negative savings scores suffered damage to either the parietal cortex, cingulate cortex, corpus striatum, septofornix area, entopeduncular nucleus, posterolateral hypothalamus, anterior, ventromedial, lateral-ventral, or posterior thalamic nuclei, subthalamus, brainstem reticular formation, medial longitudinal fasciculus, red nucleus, ventral tegmental area, substantia nigra, interpedunculo-central tegmental area, or cerebellum. These results, coupled with earlier findings on the maze and visual discrimination habits, suggest that the incline plane habit is dependent upon the activities of three functional blocks of the brain: the first block (brainstem reticular formation and associated nuclei) has arousal and integrative functions, the second block (parietal cortex, cingulate cortex, septofornix area, thalamus, and cerebellum) has functions related to the construction and utilization of a nonvisual “cognitive map,” and the third block (vestibular system) plays a role in spatial discrimination involving up vs. down.
Monte Carlo Simulation of Surface Adsorption-Diffusion-Reaction Kinetics

A surface adsorption−diffusion−reaction model is proposed and tested by Monte Carlo simulations. The solvent shell effect is considered as a geometric constraint and the Langmuir adsorption mechanism is also incorporated. An anomalous power law of t1/2 is obtained for the amount of material removed from the surface vs time. The result agrees well with etching experiments of SAM on a silica surface. We conclude that the unusual power law results from an interplay of vacancy growth and fusion at the surface.
AT1 receptors mediate chronic central nervous system AII hypertension in rats fed high sodium chloride diet from weaning

CNS angiotensin II (AII) hypertension is induced by chronic, low dose intracerebroventricular (ICV) AII infusion only in rats raised on a relatively high sodium chloride diet (250 meq kg(-1)food) from weaning. This experimental model of hypertension is dependent upon renal sympathetic innervation and associated with neurogenic sodium retention. This study determined whether AT1 and/or AT2 receptor subtypes in the CNS mediate this neurogenic ICV AII hypertension. Rats were weaned at 21 days of age and fed a 1.5% sodium chloride diet for 10-12 weeks. At adulthood, animals were instrumented with CNS lateral ventricular cannulas, femoral arterial and vein catheters and housed in metabolic pens for chronic study. Low dose ICV AII infusion (20 ng min(-1) )increased mean arterial pressure by 12+/-2 mm Hg and decreased urinary sodium excretion for three consecutive days. Subsequent ICV AT1 blockade with losartan abolished both the pressor and antinatriuretic responses to low dose ICV AII. In contrast, ICV AT2 receptor blockade with PD 123319 did not affect either angiotensin induced pressor or antinatriuretic responses. Following cessation of ICV AII infusion, arterial pressure and sodium excretion returned to values not significantly different from control in both groups of rats. These data confirm that low dose ICV AII causes hypertension and sodium retention in rats raised from early age on moderately elevated sodium intakes. This AII mediated neurogenic hypertension and antinatriuresis is transduced by activation of CNS AT1 receptors and not by activation of central AT2 receptors.
The physiological costs of flight capability in wing-dimorphic crickets

Nutritional indices, triglyceride levels and flight muscle developmental profiles were compared between long-winged (LW) and short-winged (SW; flightless) morphs of the cricketsGryllus rubens Scudder andG. firmus Scudder. This was done to identify potential physiological costs of flight capability in adults. The LW morph of each species converted a lower proportion of assimilated nutrients into biomass (reduced ECD) than did the SW morph. This documents increased respiratory metabolism in the LW morph. Triglyceride concentration was higher in LW vs. SW adults. This suggests that the elevated respiration in the LW morph may be at least partially due to the increased biosynthesis of this high energy substance. Preliminary data indicate higher respiration rates of LW functional vs. SW vestigial flight muscles. Collectively, these data suggest that the energetic cost of flight capability in adults results from biosynthesis of triglyceride flight fuel and flight muscle maintenance but not flight muscle growth. No flight muscle growth was observed in adults.
Cultural Diversity Among Older Adults: Addressing Health Education

ABSTRACT The diversity of the older adult population is increasing, and health professionals need to learn new knowledge and skills to improve the adherence of older ethnic clients to their health recommendations. Much of the existing research literature on diversity in gerontology concludes that ethnic older adults are at a health disadvantage. Few if any of these studies, however, offer practical applications for health promoters. This article reports on a paradox: there is a surprising amount of diversity within each group of ethnic elders, but it may be the similarities across these groups that lead to practical applications of use to health-promoters. The article ends with health-promotion questions of relevance to older adults, regardless of ethnicity.
Infinite susceptibility without long-range order: The 1n2 planar chain

Abstract We consider a one-dimensional chain of classical plane rotors with ferromagnetic interactions decaying as 1 n 2 . The spin correlation function shows a power-law decay and the susceptibility diverges at low temperatures, although there is no spontaneous magnetization. The implications for the transition to ohmic conduction, in an equivalent model of the tunnel junction, are discussed.
A pilot study of active vitamin D administration and insulin resistance in African American patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis.

Objective Insulin resistance (IR) is associated with increased cardiovascular risk in multiple patient populations, including those undergoing chronic hemodialysis (CHD). Active vitamin D deficiency has been proposed to play a role in the extent of IR observed in patients with CHD. We postulated that administration of paracalcitol, an active vitamin D medication, influences IR in patients with CHD. Design and Methods This was a pilot randomized controlled trial. Ten prevalent CHD patients receiving a stable dose of paracalcitol were recruited. Paracalcitol was withheld for 8 weeks in all patients (phase I). Parathyroid hormone levels were managed with the calcium-sensing receptor agonist cinacalcet. At week 8, patients were randomized to continue cinacalcet or to restart paracalcitol for 8 weeks (phase II). The primary outcome was the change in IR measured by the glucose disposal rate (GDR) using hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp (HEGC) method. Secondary outcomes included changes in IR between groups in indirect indices of IR, biomarkers of inflammation, and adipokine levels. Results The mean age was 49 years (range, 46-57 years) and 40% of patients were women. There was no detectable change in the GDR at the end of phase I ( P = .7) when compared with baseline values. There was also no statistically significant difference in GDR between groups at the end of phase II ( P = .9). No changes were observed in indirect indices of IR, adipokine levels, or biomarkers of inflammation in either phase. Conclusion The results of this pilot study suggest that withdrawal of paracalcitol over 8 to 16 weeks and replacement for 8 weeks after withdrawal does not influence IR measured by HEGC in patients receiving CHD.
Sequential estimarion of functionals of the survival curve under random censorship

Sequential point and interval estimation procedures for functionals of the survival curve F of the form ∫ψdF and ∫Fdψ with censored data are considered. The sequential point estimatior, procedure is shown to be risk efficient and asymptotically normal as c, cost per unit observation, tends to zero. For the interval estimation problem, the sequential procedure is shown to be consistent and efficient as the width of the confidence interval decreases to zero. In both estimation problems, the asymptotic distribution of the underlying stopping rule is obtained.
Recent Investigations in the Far Infra-Red

Experiments have been carried out in the far infra-red region from 100 to 600 microns using a grating spectrograph with crystal quartz optics. These experiments include measurement of the transmission of the atmosphere for paths up to 8 meters, the measurement of the transmission of various solid substances, and the observation of the longest wave-length pure rotation lines in the spectra of ammonia and hydrogen chloride.
Batch crystallization under continuous cooling: analytical solution for diffusion limited crystal growth

The kinetic equations of nucleation and crystal growth in a multicomponent system undergoing continuous cooling are solved for asymptotically slow cooling rates meaning that the maximum supercooling ΔTm is much smaller than the exponent A in the nucleation rate I ∼ exp(−A ΔT−2). The growth rate is controlled by chemical diffusion so that it depends not only on the supercooling but also on the crystal size. The periods of metastable cooling, nucleation and relaxation are related as 1:p−1:p−13 where p = A ΔT−2m ≈ 30–80 is a parameter characterizing the maximum supercooling ΔTm. It is a weak (logarithmical) function of all the parameters including the cooling rate T. The crystal sizes are determined by the density of nuclei produced during the nucleation period and depend on the cooling rate approximately as T−0.5. The theoretical predictions are found in a good agreement with experimental data for AlCu, AlSi, SnPb, and CaMgSi2O6CaAl2Si2O8NaAlSi3O8.
Data simulation and regulatory network reconstruction from time-series microarray data using stepwise multiple linear regression

Time-series microarray data can capture dynamic genomic behavior not available in steady-state expression data, which has made time-series analysis especially useful in the study of dynamic cellular processes such as the circadian rhythm, disease progression, drug response, and the cell cycle. Using the information available in the time-series data, we address three related computational problems: the prediction of gene expression levels from previous time steps, the simulation of an entire time-series microarray dataset, and the reconstruction of gene regulatory networks. We model the gene expression levels using a linear model, due to its simplicity and the ability to interpret the coefficients as interactions in the underlying regulatory network. A stepwise multiple linear regression method is applied to fit the parameters of the linear model to a given training dataset. The learned model is utilized in predicting and replicating the time course of the expression levels and in identifying the regulatory interactions. Each predicted interaction is also associated with a statistical significance to provide a confidence measure that can guide prioritization in further costly manual or experimental verification. We demonstrate the performance of our approach on several yeast cell-cycle datasets and show that it provides comparable or greater accuracy than existing methods and provides additional quantitative information about the interactions not available from the other methods.
Additional Evidence for the Existence of a Very High Energy Solar Particle Component

WE present here initial results of a statistical analysis of ∼ 6,300 h of data obtained from the CSU underground solar cosmic ray experiment1. The data correspond to the interval March 1971–June 1972. We draw attention to an apparently significant trend existing in the results.
Building inclusive democracies: Indigenous peoples and ethnic minorities in Latin America

The political mobilization of indigenous peoples, ethnic minorities, and oppressed majorities has presented challenges to democratizing countries. Although, in other regions of the world, this has fostered anti-democratic tendencies, in Latin America, on balance, it has improved the quality of democracy by placing new issues and values (justice, equality, tolerance of difference) on the political agenda and by presenting a model of policy-making in which citizens have a central role. Indigenous movements have forced governments to take into account the impact of public policy on society's most vulnerable. They have been less effective in achieving the implementation of existing rights and in facilitating the design and adoption of alternative forms of inter-ethnic governance. Using Latin America as a primary reference point, this inquiry analyzes the design and implementation of ethnically sensitive democratic institutions in ethnically diverse and divided societies, particularly in reference to indigenou...
Endothelial Cell Effect on Smooth Muscle Cell Collagen Synthesis

Extracellular matrix (ECM) constitutes the bulk of mature intimal hyperplastic lesions. To determine if endothelial cells (ECs) inhibit smooth muscle cell (SMC) collagen synthesis, bovine aortic SMCs were cultured on plastic semipermeable membranes either alone or opposite ECs. SMCs were pulsed with 4 μCi/ ml [ 3 H]proline for 3 days and collagen synthesis was measured as trichloroacetic acid-precipitable counts in conditioned media and in cell lysate fractions. Each was standardized to SMC DNA (cpm/μg DNA). EC effect on SMC gene expression of type I collagen was studied using Northern analysis. To determine whether TGF-β1 activation is involved in collagen synthesis regulation, parallel studies were performed in the presence of a neutralizing antibody to TGF-β1 (25 μg/ml) or aprotinin (a plasmin inhibitor, 200 μg/ml). SMCs cocultured with ECs were either untreated or treated with 5 ng/ml TGF-β1. The effect of culture substrate on EC-SMC interaction was studied by repeating experiments on type I collagen (CI), matrigel (MG), fibronectin (FN), and type IV collagen (CIV). Results: Compared to SMCs cultured alone, ECs inhibited SMC collagen synthesis by 40 ± 5% (P < 0.01) and gene expression of type I collagen by 60 ± 4% (P < 0.01). The addition of neutralizing TGF-β1 Ab or aprotinin to SMCs cultured alone had no effect on collagen synthesis. Collagen synthesis in SMCs cultured alone on MG was reduced by 49% and by 16% on CIV when compared to SMCs cultured on plastic (plastic: 100 ± 12% vs MG: 51 ± 15% vs CIV: 84 ± 18%, P = 0.10). Collagen synthesis was increased in SMCs cultured alone on FN (195 ± 14% vs plastic: 100 ± 12, P < 0.001) and CI (207 ± 17 vs plastic: 100 ± 12, P < 0.001). ECs decreased SMC collagen synthesis by 18 ± 4% when cocultured on CI (P < 0.05) and by 22 ± 2% when cocultured on MG (P < 0.05). FN prevented EC inhibition of SMC collagen synthesis. Conclusions: ECs inhibit SMC collagen synthesis and downregulate SMC type I collagen gene expression. TGF-β1 does not appear to be involved in this process. Culture substrate composition can affect SMC collagen synthesis and EC modulation of this process.
Culture Volume and Vessel Affect Long-Term Survival, Mutation Frequency, and Oxidative Stress of Escherichia coli

ABSTRACT Bacteria such as Escherichia coli are frequently studied during exponential- and stationary-phase growth. However, many strains can survive in long-term stationary phase (LTSP), without the addition of nutrients, from days to several years. During LTSP, cells experience a variety of stressors, including reactive oxidative species, nutrient depletion, and metabolic toxin buildup, that lead to physiological responses and changes in genetic stability. In this study, we monitored survival during LTSP, as well as reporters of genetic and physiological change, to determine how the physical environment affects E. coli during long-term batch culture. We demonstrate differences in yield during LTSP in cells incubated in LB medium in test tubes versus Erlenmeyer flasks, as well as growth in different volumes of medium. We determined that these differences are only partially due to differences in oxygen levels by incubating the cells in different volumes of media under anaerobic conditions. Since we hypothesized that differences in long-term survival are the result of changes in physiological outputs during the late log and early stationary phases, we monitored alkalization, mutation frequency, oxidative stress response, and glycation. Although initial cell yields are essentially equivalent under each condition tested, physiological responses vary greatly in response to culture environment. Incubation in lower-volume cultures leads to higher oxyR expression but lower mutation frequency and glycation levels, whereas incubation in high-volume cultures has the opposite effect. We show here that even under commonly used experimental conditions that are frequently treated as equivalent, the stresses experienced by cells can differ greatly, suggesting that culture vessel and incubation conditions should be carefully considered in the planning or analysis of experiments.
Public health training among the rural poor in Jamaica: some effects on medical students' concept modification and self-evaluation.

This paper explores the effects of a unique training experience on the connotative meaning to students of certain personal and situational concepts, as well as on their self-evaluations. The results showed effective modification in these factors and suggest that such programs could be useful in attracting medical students to careers in community medicine.
Factors related to iron uptake by dicotyledonous and monocotyledonous plants III. Competition between root and external factors for Fe

Abstract In comparison studies (11, 12), monocotyledonous corn (Zea mays L.) and oats (Avena byzantina C. Koch) did not respond to Fe stress as effectively nor to the same degree as the dicotyledonous soybeans (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) or tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.). Both the Fe‐inefficient and Fe‐efficient corn and oats developed Fe chlorosis; the Fe‐efficient dicotyledonous plants were green. In the present study, the method of inducing Fe stress was changed to make it less severe. Instead of using only NO3‐N and no Fe to induce Fe stress (11, 12), both NH4‐N and NO3‐N were used along with varied concentrations of Fe. Iron stress was induced with BPDS (4,7‐diphenyl‐l, 10‐phenan‐throline disulfonic acid) and phosphate; both competed with the plant for Fe. Phosphate also inhibits reduction of Fe3+ to Fe2+ (12). This method of inducing Fe stress in the plants was less severe than using only NO3‐N and no Fe in the nutrient solutions and we were able to measure a difference in Fe‐stress response ...
Statistical analysis of sketch estimators

Sketching techniques can provide approximate answers to aggregate queries either for data-streaming or distributed computation. Small space summaries that have linearity properties are required for both types of applications. The prevalent method for analyzing sketches uses moment analysis and distribution independent bounds based on moments. This method produces clean, easy to interpret, theoretical bounds that are especially useful for deriving asymptotic results. However, the theoretical bounds obscure fine details of the behavior of various sketches and they are mostly not indicative of which type of sketches should be used in practice. Moreover, no significant empirical comparison between various sketching techniques has been published, which makes the choice even harder. In this paper, we take a close look at the sketching techniques proposed in the literature from a statistical point of view with the goal of determining properties that indicate the actual behavior and producing tighter confidence bounds. Interestingly, the statistical analysis reveals that two of the techniques, Fast-AGMS and Count-Min, provide results that are in some cases orders of magnitude better than the corresponding theoretical predictions. We conduct an extensive empirical study that compares the different sketching techniques in order to corroborate the statistical analysis with the conclusions we draw from it. The study indicates the expected performance of various sketches, which is crucial if the techniques are to be used by practitioners. The overall conclusion of the study is that Fast-AGMS sketches are, for the full spectrum of problems, either the best, or close to the best, sketching technique. This makes Fast-AGMS sketches the preferred choice irrespective of the situation.
Crystallization and preliminary crystallographic data for class I deoxyribose‐5‐phosphate aldolase from Escherichia coli: An Application of Reverse Screening

X-ray quality crystals of class I-deoxyribose-5-phosphate aldolase from Escherichia coli have been obtained for the unliganded enzyme and in complex with its substrate, 2-deoxyribose-5-phosphate. The enzyme catalyzes the reversible cleavage of 2-deoxyribose-5-phosphate to acetaldehyde and D-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate. The unliganded and complex crystals are prismatic long rods and belong to the orthorhombic space group P2(1)2(1)2(1) with cell dimensions a = 183.1 A, b = 61.4 A, c = 49.3 A and a = 179.2 A, b = 60.5, A, c = 49.1 A, respectively. Two molecules in the asymmetric unit are related by a noncrystallographic 2-fold axis. The crystals are stable in the X-ray beam and diffract to at least 2.6 A. A new method, reverse screening, designed to minimize protein utilization during the screening process was used to determine supersaturation and crystallization conditions.
Handedness and intelligence: Patterns of hand preference in gifted and nongifted children

The purpose of this study was to examine a putative association between patterns of handedness and intellectual ability in a population of 657 intellectually gifted and nongifted children, between the ages 8 and 14 years old. To probe whether distribution patterns of hand preference differed in this population, a modified version of the Dean Laterality Preference Schedule was administered. Results showed that, whereas more nongifted than gifted students distributed in the left‐ and mixed‐handedness categories, total mean handedness scores on the hand preference instrument did not differ in both populations. Implications of the findings for neuropsychology and education are considered.
Propagation of intense subpicosecond laser pulses through underdense plasmas

The propagation of an intense, subpicosecond laser pulse through a substantial length $(L/\ensuremath{\lambda}\ensuremath{\sim}{10}^{3})$ of an underdense plasma $({n/n}_{c}\ensuremath{\sim}1%)$ is studied through experiments and computer simulations. For $I\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}8\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{17}$ W/c${\mathrm{m}}^{2}$ only 55% of the incident laser light was transmitted through the plasma within the focal cone angle. The decrease in transmission was accompanied by Raman forward scattering as evidenced by the generation of anti-Stokes sidebands and up to 2 MeV electrons. Simulations show that the majority of the reduction in transmission could be due to Raman forward and side scattering.
Common Reed (Phragmites australis) Response to Postemergence Herbicides

Abstract The invasive biotype of common reed has taken over wetlands and can spread into roadsides, turf, and ornamental sites. Additional control options are needed for managing this biotype in noncrop areas and other sites. In container trials, fosamine, glyphosate, and imazapyr all provided excellent control of common reed. Triclopyr suppressed common reed, with increasing rates improving the growth reduction. Chlorflurenol, primisulfuron, and sulfosulfuron did not suppress common reed growth. In field trials, glyphosate and imazapyr were more effective than fosamine, providing 82 and 93% control, respectively, the following April after either June or September applications. The optimum window of application for glyphosate may therefore include both summer and fall applications, wider than the commonly accepted window of only fall treatments. Fosamine provided greater suppression of common reed when applied in September (68% control) compared to June applications (43% control). Nomenclature: Chlorflure...
An experimental study of a binary code

Elias has described a coding system which consists essentially of iterating the Hamming code1 and has obtained estimates of the probability of error after each iteration on the assumption that each set of check bits is used once and then discarded. It seemed that the first set of check bits could be reused profitably after some errors were corrected with the second set of check bits but the analysis is seriously complicated by the interdependence of errors. Therefore an experimental study of codes of this type was made using the IBM 704. Matrices of 8 by 16, 16 by 32, and 32 by 64 bits with Hamming single-error correcting, double-error detecting codes in each column and each row, were used. Errors were introduced randomly, and the Hamming correction procedure was then applied alternately to rows and columns. The results of the experiment and some properties of the code pertinent to their discussion are described in this paper.
Mechanisms of the Mouse Orphan Nuclear Receptor TR2-11-mediated Gene Suppression

The mouse orphan nuclear receptor TR2-11 functions as a repressor for reporter genes containing a direct repeat-5 or direct repeat-4 hormone response element. The functional domains responsible for its suppressive activity are defined, including the DNA-binding domain and the ligand-binding domain. The C-terminal 30 amino acid residues can be deleted without compromising its suppressive activity, whereas a deletion for 40 amino acids completely abolishes the suppressive activity and receptor dimerization, and reduces the DNA-binding affinity. Point mutation at three conserved leucine residues located on the predicted dimer interface abolishes the suppressive activity, receptor dimerization and its DNA binding property. However, mutation at two consecutive glutamate residues located within the hinge between the last two helices of the ligand-binding domain (helix 10 and helix 11 according to the human retinoid receptor X alpha structure) drastically reduces its DNA-binding affinity and abrogates the suppressive activity without compromising its ability to dimerize, indicating that receptor dimerization property can be functionally uncoupled from its suppressive activity. A transferable, active silencing activity is encoded within the DEF segment of the receptor molecule, as evidenced by the suppression of a GAL4 reporter by a chimeric protein containing the DNA-binding domain of GAL4 and the DEF segment of TR2-11. Moreover, the C-terminal 49 amino acid sequence is required for this trans-suppressive activity. It is suggested that TR2-11 functions as a repressor, mediated by mechanisms requiring high affinity DNA binding, receptor dimerization, and active silencing.
The state and structural vulnerability: Policy egalitarianism and household income

Abstract The distribution of household income in the United States is remarkably unequal. Stratification researchers predict levels of income in terms of individual characteristics and structural features of the economy and society. These researchers, however, often neglect the role of the state. Political sociologists have begun to examine the impact of the state on aggregate levels of inequality across nations. I build on this literature to explain household income in the United States. Utilizing 2000 IPUMS data, I clarify how household income varies across the sub-national U.S. states according to policy configurations. I find that sub-national states with more egalitarian policies help to buttress the relative incomes of groups vulnerable to low incomes, particularly service workers and single mother families. These results suggest that studies of income and income inequality should consider the role of policies.
Lactoperoxidase catalyzed membrane surface labeling of the acetylcholine receptor from Torpedo californica.

Acetylcholine receptor from Torpedo californica has been iodinated by lactoperoxidase. All polypeptides of the purified receptor in emulphogene solution are labeled but the membrane bound receptor is preferentially labeled on the 40,000, 50,000 and 60,000 MW subunits. The 40,000, 50,000 and 60,000 MW subunits exhibit exposed regions on the membrane surface but the 65,000 MW subunit is predominantly shielded from labeling by membrane interactions.
Tachycardia-Dependent Left Bundle Branch Block Associated with Bradycardia-Dependent Variable Left Bundle Branch Block

This report describes tachycardia- and bradycardia-dependent left bundle branch block in a patient who exhibited normal intraventricular conduction with impulses intermediate in timing. During bradycardia, longer cycles were associated with increasing degrees of incomplete left bundle branch block. These clinical observations support the existence of slow Phase 4 depolarization of latent pacemaker cells as one of the mechanisms for abnormalities of conduction.
Partners in Knowledge Creation: An Expanded Role for Research Libraries in the Digital Future

ABSTRACT Libraries have always been involved in the creation of new knowledge by ensuring that the knowledge of the past is collected, organized, made accessible and preserved for coming generations. The digital world provides the opportunity for librarians to be even more actively engaged in the creation process. These new roles range from the creation of metadata to the development of repositories to the publication of scholarly work. By integrating the skills and values of librarians with the work of scholars and the expertise of technologists can we ensure long-term access to scholarship and the continued relevance of libraries.
PREPARATION AND PROPERTIES OF TRITIATED HUMANβ-ENDORPHIN WITH HIGH SPECIFIC RADIOACTIVITY

Tritiated human beta-endorphin, specifically labelled at Tyr27, has been prepared with 50 Ci/mmol. Various physicochemical investigations indicated that tritiated peptide is identical with the native betah-endorphin. In addition, opiate activity of the tritiated product possesses the same potency as the native peptide.
The Phoenix framework: a practical architecture for programmable networks

Programmable networks allow third parties to dynamically reprogram switches and routers in order to extend their functionality. This approach facilitates new capabilities such as dynamic reallocation of resources, automated healing from malfunctions and failures, customized information processing, and easier service creation. These capabilities enable rapid customization of the network by providing mechanisms to adapt to new applications such as multimedia, multicast, intrusion detection, and intranet firewalls. We describe Intel's framework for programmable networks, known as Phoenix. The objective of the Phoenix framework is to make it easier to deploy new network services that leverage the emerging trend toward use of reprogrammable network processors. To accomplish this goal the Phoenix framework defines an extensible mobile agent system and a set of device functionality abstractions for utilizing and extending network capabilities. We also discuss how the open interfaces provided by the Phoenix framework can be utilized to deploy new network services.
Neurotrophism without neurotropism: BDNF promotes survival but not growth of lesioned corticospinal neurons

Neurotrophic factors exert many effects on the intact and lesioned adult central nervous system (CNS). Among these effects are prevention of neuronal death (neurotrophism) and promotion of axonal growth (neurotropism) after injury. To date, however, it has not been established whether survival and axonal growth functions of neurotrophins can be independently modulated in injured adult neurons in vivo. To address this question, the ability of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) to influence corticospinal motor neuronal survival and axonal growth was examined in two injury paradigms. In the first paradigm, a survival assay, adult Fischer 344 rats underwent subcortical lesions followed by grafts to the lesion cavity of syngenic fibroblasts genetically modified to secrete high amounts BDNF or, in control subjects, the reporter gene green fluorescent protein. In control subjects, only 36.2 +/- 7.0% of the retrogradely labeled corticospinal neurons survived the lesion, whereas 89.8 +/- 5.9% (P < 0.001) of the corticospinal neurons survived in animals that received BDNF-secreting grafts. However, in an axonal growth assay, BDNF-secreting cell grafts that were placed into either subcortical lesion sites or sites of thoracic spinal cord injury failed to elicit corticospinal axonal growth. Despite this lack of a neurotropic effect on lesioned corticospinal axons, BDNF-secreting cell grafts placed in the injured spinal cord significantly augmented the growth of other types of axons, including local motor, sensory, and coerulospinal axons. Immunolabeling for tyrosine kinase B (trkB) demonstrated that BDNF receptors were present on corticospinal neuronal somata and apical dendrites but were not detected on their projecting axons. Thus, single classes of neurons in the adult CNS appear to exhibit disparate survival and growth sensitivity to neurotrophic factors, potentially attributable at least in part to differential trafficking of neurotrophin receptors. The possibility of tropic/trophic divergence must be considered when designing strategies to promote CNS recovery from injury.
Diabetes as a Cause of Clinically Significant Functional Cobalamin Deficiency

OBJECTIVE Functional cobalamin (Cbl) deficiency (i.e., high methylmalonic acid [MMA] values despite normal serum Cbl levels) is common in the elderly and associated with neuropathy and anemia. Because diabetes is also common in the elderly and diabetic neuropathy resembles that of Cbl deficiency, the role of diabetes in functional Cbl deficiency was explored. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS A retrospective review was performed of all ambulatory community-dwelling adults with normal renal function evaluated for Cbl deficiency over a 12-year period in a primary care setting. Functional Cbl deficiency was defined as MMA values >250 nmol/L with Cbl levels >400 pg/mL. RESULTS In nondiabetic subjects, MMA values varied directly with age and inversely with serum Cbl. In diabetic subjects, MMA values also increased with age but did not fall as Cbl levels increased. Thus, when Cbl levels were >400 pg/mL, mean MMA values and the incidence of functional Cbl deficiency were both significantly greater in elderly diabetic subjects (at least 70 years old) than in elderly nondiabetic subjects. Moreover, neuropathy was present in 62% of diabetic subjects with high MMA values and in only 18% of diabetic subjects with normal MMA values. Finally, pharmacologic doses of Cbl improved MMA values and neuropathy in 88 and 86% of evaluable diabetic subjects, respectively. CONCLUSIONS These observations suggest that functional Cbl deficiency is common in elderly diabetic individuals, is associated with neuropathy, and is responsive to Cbl therapy. A role for oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of functional Cbl deficiency is proposed.
Nucleotide-induced switch in oligomerization of the AAA+ ATPase ClpB

ClpB is a member of the bacterial protein-disaggregating chaperone machinery and belongs to the AAA+ superfamily of ATPases associated with various cellular activities. The mechanism of ClpB-assisted reactivation of strongly aggregated proteins is unknown and the oligomeric state of ClpB has been under discussion. Sedimentation equilibrium and sedimentation velocity show that, under physiological ionic strength in the absence of nucleotides, ClpB from Escherichia coli undergoes reversible self-association that involves protein concentration-dependent populations of monomers, heptamers, and intermediate-size oligomers. Under low ionic strength conditions, a heptamer becomes the predominant form of ClpB. In contrast, ATPγS, a nonhydrolyzable ATP analog, as well as ADP stabilize hexameric ClpB. Consistently, electron microscopy reveals that ring-type oligomers of ClpB in the absence of nucleotides are larger than those in the presence of ATPγS. Thus, the binding of nucleotides without hydrolysis of ATP produces a significant change in the self-association equilibria of ClpB: from reactions supporting formation of a heptamer to those supporting a hexamer. Our results show how ClpB and possibly other related AAA+ proteins can translate nucleotide binding into a major structural transformation and help explain why previously published electron micrographs of some AAA+ ATPases detected both six- and sevenfold particle symmetry.
The Segregation of Social Interactions in the Red Line L-Train in Chicago

This study documents how residential segregation is visible in social interactions in the (semi) public space of the red line L-train in Chicago. While public spaces are often celebrated as spaces of cosmopolitanism, people tend to interact mainly with people who look similar and appear to be living in the same area in Chicago. People of different race and class, represented by the station where they board the train, do not encounter each other much in the L-train because of the existing residential segregation in the city of Chicago. Blacks ride from the south to downtown while whites ride from the north to downtown. Different time frames are reserved for different people. Furthermore, on the train itself people prefer to be interacting with and sit next to people who appear alike; who seem to be from the same part of the city. Hence, I argue that social interactions on the subway are mainly an expression of geographical and social exclusion in the city. Residential segregation is visible in the “segregation of social interactions” in the red line L-train. Consequently, while de jure segregation has been abolished in the 1960s in Chicago, segregating practices are still going on de facto in everyday life.
Forty Years of Prcs-What Have We Learned?

What are phase-response curves (PRCs)? How can they be measured? How should they be plotted? These questions and many other fascinating facets of PRCs are addressed in this review, including research topics in which phase-resetting data have provided crucial insights: entrainment, phototransduction, pacemaker mechanism, phase markers of the pacemaker, and gauges of oscillator amplitude. PRCs have enlightened us and will continue to be a valuable tool in clock research.
Protecting communities in health research from exploitation

Guidelines for health research focus on protecting individual research subjects. Yet several commentators have argued that protecting individual subjects, while undoubtedly important, is not sufficient to ensure ethical research. It is also vital to protect the communities involved in health research. In particular, a number of studies have been criticized on the grounds that they exploited host communities. Although these criticisms have received a good deal of attention, there has been no systematic analysis of what constitutes community exploitation in health research, nor an assessment of what safeguards are needed to protect against it. This is a serious deficiency. The absence of an analysis of community exploitation makes it impossible to ensure that host communities are protected against exploitation. The absence of an analysis also raises the possibility that charges of exploitation may block important research, without any way of assessing whether the charges are warranted. The present paper attempts to address these concerns by providing an analysis of community exploitation and, based on this analysis, determining what safeguards are needed to protect communities in health research against exploitation.
Modeling and linear control of a flapping-wing MAV with split-amplitude and phase-modulated wingbeat

In this paper we propose a new wingbeat control strategy with split amplitudes and phase shifting for a six-degree-of-freedom flapping-wing micro air vehicle (MAV) model. Implementation of the amplitude and phase modulation is discussed, and cycle-averaged forces and moments and cycle-averaged control derivatives are computed to derive nonlinear and linear control design models (CDMs) of the MAV. The proposed wingbeat control strategy is capable of generating non-zero cycle-averaged longitudinal and vertical forces, and non-zero cycle-averaged rolling, pitching, and yawing moments. A thorough analysis of all possible output candidates is done based on the existence of vector relative degree and characteristics of the internal dynamics of the linear CDM. Finally, a controller is designed based on the normal form of the linear CDM resulting from the selected outputs. The controller is tested on a higher-fidelity instantaneous blade-element model, where parametric uncertainties are also taken into consideration.
Engineered Mammalian RNAi Can Elicit Antiviral Protection that Negates the Requirement for the Interferon Response

Although the intrinsic antiviral cell defenses of many kingdoms utilize pathogen-specific small RNAs, the antiviral response of chordates is primarily protein based and not uniquely tailored to the incoming microbe. In an effort to explain this evolutionary bifurcation, we determined whether antiviral RNAi was sufficient to replace the protein-based type I interferon (IFN-I) system of mammals. To this end, we recreated an RNAi-like response in mammals and determined its effectiveness to combat influenza A virus in vivo in the presence and absence of the canonical IFN-I system. Mammalian antiviral RNAi, elicited by either host- or virus-derived small RNAs, effectively attenuated virus and prevented disease independently of the innate immune response. These data find that chordates could have utilized RNAi as their primary antiviral cell defense and suggest that the IFN-I system emerged as a result of natural selection imposed by ancient pathogens.
Differences in nasal irritant sensitivity by age, gender, and allergic rhinitis status

Objectives: Sensory (eye, nose, and throat) irritation is an important component of non-specific building-related illness (''sick-building syndrome''). Inter-individual variability in susceptibility to upper airway/mucous membrane irritants is suspected epide- miologically, but has been neglected experimentally. We wished to document population variability in nasal irritant sensitivity, as indexed by threshold measure- ments of sensory acuity. We hypothesized that younger subjects, women, and allergic rhinitis sufferers would display lower sensory thresholds than would older subjects, men, and rhinitis non-sufferers. Methods: We evaluated Sixty human subjects (stratified by age, gender, and seasonal allergy status), using two different test systems: (1) carbon dioxide (detection) and (2) n-propanol (localization). We obtained carbon dioxide (CO2) detection thresholds using an ascending concen- tration series, presenting 3-s pulses of CO2, paired with air in random order, by nasal cannula. Localiza- tion thresholds were obtained by the simultaneous presentation of n-propanol vapor (ascending concen- trations in air) and blanks (saturated water vapor in air) to opposite nostrils, with laterality randomized. Threshold data were log-transformed to satisfy normality and analyzed by population marker via ANOVA and linear regression. Results: Test-retest variability was greater for volatile organic compound (VOC) localization than for CO2 detection (r=0.50 and 0.75, respectively); the two measurements were, however, positively correlated (r=0.48; P<0.001). Age predicted both (log-transformed) VOC localiza- tion thresholds (P<0.0001) and (log-transformed) CO2 thresholds (P<0.01), with younger age predicting lower thresholds. Female gender predicted lower CO2 detection (P<0.05) but not VOC localization thresholds (P=0.10). Nasal allergies predicted lower VOC locali- zation (P<0.05) but not CO2 detection thresholds (P=0.52). Conclusions: Consistent with epidemiological reporting patterns in so-called problem buildings, nasal irritant sensitivity appears to be non-randomly distrib- uted in the population, with significant variability predicted by age, gender, and the presence of allergic rhinitis.