cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Regulating the availability of transforming growth factor β1 in B104 neuroblastoma cells

Transforming growth factor (TGF) beta1 is a key player in early brain development, hence, its availability (i.e., synthesis and release) affects neuronogenesis. TGFbeta1 moves proliferating cells out of the cell cycle and promotes their subsequent migration. The present study tested the hypothesis that neural progenitors self-regulate TGFbeta1. B104 neuroblastoma cells which can grow in the absence of serum or growth factors were used in systematic studies of transcription, translation, release, and activation. These studies relied on quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and real-time polymerase chain reactions. TGFbeta1 positively upregulated its own intracellular expression and promoted increased release of TGFbeta1 from cells. The induction of TGFbeta1 was independent of a change in transcription, but it depended on cycloheximide-inhibited translation. Signaling mediated by downstream Smad2/3 through the TGFbeta receptors and intracellular protein transport were also required for release of TGFbeta1 from B104 cells. Thus, TGFbeta1 production and release were mediated through a feed-forward mechanism and were pivotally regulated at the level of translation. These activities appear to be key for the role of TGFbeta1 in the proliferation and migration of young neurons.
Quantum quenches and many-body localization in the thermodynamic limit

We use thermalization indicators and numerical linked cluster expansions to probe the onset of many-body localization in a disordered one-dimensional hard-core boson model in the thermodynamic limit. We show that after equilibration following a quench from a delocalized state, the momentum distribution indicates a freezing of one-particle correlations at higher values than in thermal equilibrium. The position of the delocalization to localization transition, identified by the breakdown of thermalization with increasing disorder strength, is found to be consistent with the value from the level statistics obtained via full exact diagonalization of finite chains. Our results strongly support the existence of a many-body localized phase in the thermodynamic limit.
Enzymatic events during cartilage differentiation in the chick embryonic limb bud.

Abstract Chondroitin sulfate and an unidentified sulfated mucopolysaccharide insensitive to hyaluronidase are synthesized by the prospective limb region of stage 15–16 chick embryos and stage 17–18 limb buds more than 2 days before the first appearance of metachromatic material. Sulfate-binding mucopolysaccharide material with the same electrophoretic mobility as chondroitin sulfate becomes entirely sensitive to hyaluronidase in stage 19 and older limb buds. The activity of four enzymes presumed to be involved in the pathway of chondroitin sulfate biosynthesis has been demonstrated before histological evidence of cartilage in both cell-free extracts of stage 19 chick limbs and in cultured aggregates of dissociated cells from the same source. The developmental kinetics of three of these enzymes, UDPG dehydrogenase, UDPGNAc-4-epimerase, and the sulfate-activating enzymes, have been examined; the first two enzymes are involved in the synthesis of the polysaccharide backbone of chondroitin sulfate, and the last system is responsible for sulfation of the polysaccharide chain. Although all three enzymes are present in low levels in limb bud tissue before chondrogenic differentiation, the rise in their specific activity is related to the development of cartilage both in vivo and in vitro . The fourth and most specific enzyme catalyzing the formation of a polysaccharide from UDPGNAc and UDPGA has merely been identified in both fresh stage 20 limb buds and aggregates cultured for more than 6 days. The products of the four enzymatic reactions have been identified. The relationship of these results to a theory of biochemical differentiation based upon restriction or enhancement of preexisting metabolic potentialities has been discussed.
Occupational Role Values and Verbal Reinforcement as Incentives in Children's Verbal Learning.

Summary The differential incentive values of verbal stimuli were tested, under conditions of high and low verbal reinforcement, by a paired associate learning task with 40 fifth-grade boys. Stimuli were preference scaled occupational roles and CVC trigrams, with correct recognitions of trigrams on test trials reinforced by evaluative words. The main hypothesis of superiority of high preference items in effecting acquisition was confirmed by backward learning curves and analysis of variance (p < .005). Verbal reinforcement level showed no reliable effect on acquisition. The determination of order of acquisition in learning by incentive values was interpreted by attention theory and the two-link model.
Visual receptive-field characteristics of superior colliculus neurons after cortical lesions in the rabbit.

Abstract The responses of 146 neurons recorded from the superior colliculus of the rabbit were classified as belonging to one of eight groups as determined by the spatial configuration of their receptive fields and their trigger features. Seventy of these neurons were obtained from rabbits prepared by ablation of cortex exceeding all known visual areas. This operation did not produce the loss of any receptive field class or trigger feature.
Emerging new functions of the glycolytic protein, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, in mammalian cells

Recent evidence indicates new, intriguing roles for the glycolytic protein, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), in fundamental mammalian cell processes. These include its role in DNA repair, in the translational control of gene expression, in DNA replication and in endocytosis. These findings have the potential to alter our basic understanding of the molecular mechanisms through which human or mammalian cells utilize individual proteins in vital, yet unrelated, cell processes.
Racial Differences in Death Penalty Support and Opposition A Preliminary Study of White and Black College Students

Although the death penalty has a long history, it is not without debate and differing views. There appears to be a gap between Whites and Blacks in terms of their support of capital punishment. Students at a Midwestern university were surveyed to determine whether there were differences between the two groups of students in reasons to support or oppose the death penalty. In bivariate tests, there were significant differences between White and Black students on 15 of 16 measures for reasons for supporting or opposing capital punishment. These differences continued for 10 of the 16 measures even after multivariate analysis controlled for the effects of gender, age, and academic level. The results are discussed.
INHALED NITRIC OXIDE IN PERSISTENT FETAL CIRCULATION (PFC) DOES NOT INCREASE NITROTYROSINE OR THE PROINFLAMMATORY CYTOKINES IN AIRWAY SPECIMENS. † 1265

Inhaled nitric oxide (I-NO) is a selective pulmonary vasodilator, effective in treatment of PFC. NO has several potential side effects that have not been fully evaluated in patients. Nitric Oxide, produced in large quantities by activated inflammatory cells, is metabolized in presence of superoxide to toxic peroxynitrite that among others nitrates tyrosine, forming nitrotyrosine. NO may also modify synthesis of cytokines. The components in the epithelial lining of the airspaces are particularly exposed to I-NO. The aim of this prospective study was to investigate whether I-NO therapy is associated with toxicity, evidenced by increase in nitrotyrosine levels or by increase in the inflammatory cytokines. Altogether 12 term infants with PFC received I-NO: initial dose 20 ppm for a mean of 12 h, followed by 6 ppm and 1 ppm for a mean of 55 h. Twelve conventionally treated controls served as controls: they were matched for the gestation, etiology of PFC, and for the severity of the disease. The airway specimens and urine were collected daily during the first week. The specimens were analyzed for interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra), Granulocyte Macrophage-Colony Stimulating Factor(GM-CSF), and IL-1β. The airway specimens were analyzed for proteinassociated nitrotyrosine using an immunoassay (ELISA, Western blot). There was no detectable difference in cytokine concentrations from airway specimens or from urine between the I-NO- and the conventionally treated infants. During I-NO, the mean GM-CSF in the airway specimens was 21.0 pg/ml(± 7.6 SEM) (control 30.5 ± 8.4). Nitrotyrosine was barely detectable in proteins of the airway specimens both in the I-NO treated (0.2± 0.2 arbitrary units, AU) and in the control infants (0.4 ± 0.1 AU) during the period of NO therapy. After the I-NO therapy, there were no differences in nitrotyrosine or the cytokine levels, compared to the controls. NO is an important intra- and transcellular messenger with multiple functions. NO additionally is a free radical that under particular conditions forms highly reactive toxic compounds. We propose that I-NO as used in the present study: 1) does not increase proinflammatory cytokines, IL-1 and GM-CSF; 2) does not increase protein nitration indicative of NO-induced damage.
Infections and infection risks in home care settings.

Objectives: To describe the characteristics of home healthcare clients with respect to infection risks and the presence of infections. Design: Descriptive survey of client charts using a point prevalence design. Setting: A private San Francisco, California, Bay area home care agency. Participants: A random sample of 175 clients (28%) was taken from the active client list for a single day; demographic data and clinical data from the last visit prior to the selection day were collected from each chart. Results: The clients were predominantly elderly (mean= 68.6) with an average of 3.6 comorbid conditions; 12% had an invasive device. Over 20% had an infection on the day surveyed. Five percent had an infection that occurred during home care delivery Conclusions: A substantial proportion of home health clients have infections, and they represent persons with a number of the risks associated with infections. Guidelines for defining and monitoring infections in home care need to be developed. Hospital-based surveillance methods are not altogether appropriate in this setting; redesigning methods such as targeted surveillance, monitoring rehospitalization, or immunization practices are discussed as potential ways to measure quality of care in the home setting.
Inactivation Kinetics Study of an Atmospheric-Pressure Cold-Plasma Jet Against Pathogenic Microorganisms

Inactivation kinetics of a nanosecond-pulsed plasma jet against a panel of common pathogenic microorganisms was studied to assist the design and development of nonthermal plasma-based treatment schemes for pathogenic infection control. We evaluated the effectiveness of our cold-plasma in vitro against microbes with varying cell wall and membrane characteristics: the Gram-positive organisms Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis, the Gram-negative organisms Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli, and the yeast Candida albicans. We found that all of the organisms tested in this paper were rendered nonculturable (>;99.99%) by the end of the short plasma treatment times ranging from 30 to 180 s. Our results indicate that the pathogenic bacteria and yeast tested in this paper can be effectively rendered noncultivable within seconds using the He/(1%)O2 cold plasma, and that susceptibility to plasma may vary depending on the cell wall and membrane characteristics of the organisms in addition to the other resistant mechanisms of individual strain.
EFFECT OF NEED FOR HELP AND TYPE OF HELP NEEDED ON WILLINGNESS TO AGREE WITH FALSE JUDGMENTS

The present study undertook to discover whether individuals would lie to help someone as a function of the size of the lie and the need or dependency of the person needing help. Subjects were confronted with an opportunity to help another person (a confederate of the researcher) by agreeing to his judgments of the distance which a point of light moved in an otherwise dark room. Although the light was stationary, the confederate made guesses ranging between 0 and 26 in. The results indicate that the size of the lie had little effect on whether the subject helped but the subject did not help when the confederate had nothing to lose. The subjects appeared willing to lie when it would help another person.
Submonotone mappings and the proximal point algorithm

The proximal point algorithm for solving 0 e T(x) with T maximal monotone is extended to mappings T satisfying the weaker property of maximal strict hypomonotonicity. The algorithm is applied to the minimization of a certain class of nondifferentiable nonconvex functions, the lower-C2 functions., whose subdifferentials are maximal strictly hypomonotone. For functions in this class, each step of the algorithm consists in minimizing a convex function.
Inhibition of gastric mucous secretion by ACTH. An experimental study.

The rate of secretion and the biochemical composition of mucus secreted by the gastric antrum of dogs were studied before and during administration of ACTH. ACTH caused a decrease in the rate of secretion of the mucus and an alteration in its biochemical composition, characterized by a decrease in the carbohydrate:protein ratio. The data suggest that ulceration during ACTH administration and during stress may be due to impaired mucosal defense mechanisms.
A neural network approach to digital data hiding based on the perceptual masking model of the human vision system

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a novel approach for digital watermarking and steganography technique that uses neural networks. The performance of the proposed solution in terms of its capacity, transparency, and robustness is investigated.Design/methodology/approach – The proposed technique trains a neural network to learn the perceptual masking model of the human vision system. Once trained, the neural network identifies pixels whose most significant alteration will be least perceptible to the human eye. The image is then altered based on the network recommendation to include the watermark or the covert data.Findings – Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed technique offers excellent transparency and good capacity. In addition, since neural networks store their learned knowledge in a distributed fashion, steganalysis of the image without access to the network is very difficult, if not impossible. Results demonstrate good performance of the proposed solution in terms of its...
The response of the peripheral venous pressure to exercise in congestive heart failure.

Abstract 1. 1. The resting venous pressure and the rise in venous pressure during exercise were determined in twenty-seven patients with heart disease of varying degrees of severity, in twelve patients with pulmonary disease, and in twenty patients without cardiac or pulmonary disease. 2. 2. In general, both the resting venous pressure and the rise in venous pressure during exercise increased with the severity of the congestive heart failure. 3. 3. In patients with mild congestive failure, one-half of the determinations of venous pressure at rest were abnormally high, whereas approximately three-fourths of the determinations of the rise in venous pressure during exercise were abnormally increased. Almost all the patients with more severe congestive heart failure had both an elevated venous pressure at rest and an abnormally increased rise in pressure during exercise. The venous pressure response to exercise is, therefore, a somewhat more sensitive index of the milder degrees of congestive heart failure than the venous pressure at rest; in severe congestive failure it offers no advantage.
Synthesis and characterization of maleic anhydride derived crosslinkable polymers for nonlinear optical applications

The synthesis and characterization of maleate type crosslinkable nonlinear optical (NLO) polymers derived form maleic anhydride and fumaryl chloride is described. Preliminary results demonstrated this is a convenient, inexpensive, and versatile method of fabricating crosslinked NLO polymer thin films. These maleate type polyesters containing NLO chromophores such as Disperse Red 19 are capable of crosslinking to form a hardened lattice under thermal or high-energy radiation conditions. Crosslinking is a critical nano-scale technique for second order nonlinear optical as well as other potential photonic applications where molecular orientations need to be aligned and be stabilized against molecular thermal motions. Photolithographic techniques may be readily employed in this system to fabricate patterned polymer waveguide.
Sialidase activity of oncogenic cells transformed by herpes simplex virus.

Abstract Sialidase in normal nononcogenic hamster embryo fibroblasts was not active toward added disialo- and trisialoganglioside, but all transformed lines of hamster embryo fibroblasts studied had sialidase active toward added ganglioside substrate. The levels of exogenous sialidase activity suggested a parallel trend in the amount of this activity and the degree of oncogenicity of the transformed cells. Exogenous sialidase activity in a weakly oncogenic cell line was found to increase after passage of the cells into hamsters and isolation and cell culture of the resulting tumors which gave rise to a cell line of relatively high oncogenicity.
Awake aortic aneurysm repair in patients with severe pulmonary disease.

Abstract Background: We report the use of retroperitoneal aortic aneurysm repair utilizing exclusive regional anesthesia (no intubation or inhalation anesthetic) in high pulmonary risk patients. Methods: Six patients were retrospectively reviewed. Pulmonary disease was diagnosed by clinical history and pulmonary function tests. Patients received intravenous sedation and regional anesthesia. Retroperitoneal aortoiliac aneurysm repair was performed. Results: All patients used inhaled steroids and albuterol. Three required theophylline and home oxygen. FEV1=23% ± 5% predicted, FVC=34% ± 5% predicted, and PO 2 = 62 ± 2 mm Hg. Operative time was 247 ± 25 minutes. Blood loss was 840 ± 479 mL. Five of six patients (83%) tolerated awake aneurysm repair and had intensive care unit stays of 2.4 ± 0.6 days, and postoperative hospital stays of 8.2 ± 1.8 days. One patient was converted to general anesthesia and had a prolonged hospital stay. Conclusions: With thorough patient communication, awake retroperitoneal aortic aneurysm repair can be safely performed in select patients with severe pulmonary disease.
Surface Segregation in Ni/Co Bimetallic Nanoparticles Produced in Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Synthesis

Extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) have been used to investigate Ni/Co bimetallic nanoparticles (bi-MNPs) in carbon species such as single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) produced via laser vaporization of a carbon−metal mixture. Results from selected area diffraction (SAD) and dark field TEM imaging measurements indicate that the structures of these nanoparticles are face-center-cubic, and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) elemental analysis shows that each of the nanoparticles examined contains 50 ± 5% of Ni and Co. The average coordination numbers of the nearest neighbors for Ni and Co in the bi-MNPs derived from the EXAFS data are 10.0 and 11.0, respectively. The squares of disorders (σ2) for the Co and Ni in those nanoparticles are 0.0053 and 0.0054. The former is slightly lower than that of the Co bulk, 0.0059, whereas the latter is identical to the value for the Ni bulk. Using these coordination numbers and assuming that all the nano...
REDUCTION OF BARBITURATES UNDER HYDROBORATION CONDITIONS.

An attempt to utilize hydroboration conditions on 5-phenyl-5-allyl barbituric acid afforded unexpected reduction of the barbituric acid nucleus. Further investigation of this reaction indicated sodium borohydride-boron trifluoride etherate will reduce 5-phenyl-5-ethyl barbituric acid to 5-phenyl-5-ethyl-2,4-hexahydropyrimidinedione (V) and 5-phenyl-5-ethyl-2-hexahydropyrimidinone (VI) in a stepwise manner.
Frank Blair: Lincoln's Conservative

Known for his fearlessness in both the political arena and the battlefield, Frank Blair is a Missouri legend. As a member of one of the most prominent and powerful political families in America during the nineteenth century, possibly the equivalent of the twentieth-century Kennedys, Frank was steeped in politics at an early age. The youngest son of Francis Preston Blair, editor of Andrew Jackson's "Washington Globe" and adviser to Presidents Andrew Jackson through Andrew Johnson, Frank Blair was greatly influenced by his father, who had high political expectations of him.Volatile and combative, Blair was either strongly admired or hated by the public figures of his day. He held adamantly to his opinions and fought hard for his political causes. He was an ardent supporter of Abraham Lincoln and championed the president's program in Congress and in Missouri against the frequent assaults of the Radicals. Credited with being the principal leader in saving Missouri for the Union in 1861, Blair later served with great distinction at Vicksburg, Chattanooga, and in the Sherman campaigns throughout Georgia and the Carolinas. He is one of only two Missourians ever honored by his state in Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol."Frank Blair: Lincoln's Conservative" reveals the full extent of Blair's importance as a national political figure. Specialists in nineteenth-century America, students of Missouri history, and Civil War buffs will welcome this study, which will long stand as the definitive work on this influential and colorful character.
Shock-synthesized glassy and solid silica: intermediates between four- and six-fold coordination

Upon compression, many materials undergo major reconstructions of their structure and bonding, including increases in coordination of atoms and changes in bonding character. While transforming, the materials pass through intermediate states, which are often too transient to be captured and examined. Here we discuss the coordination change in silica as an example of a system where such interesting intermediate structural states have been quenched from shock-experiments. On the basis of these results we suggest a relation between the formation of one of these phases and the extension of the liquid–liquid transition boundary into the stability field of solid silica. We report Raman spectra of shock-retrieved vitreous silica which indicate different compression mechanisms for shock-generated amorphous silica and vitreous silica compressed at 300 K. Static recompression of shock-generated glass leads to an amorphous-crystal transition above 13 GPa.
Increasing food deprivation relative to baseline influences D-amphetamine dose-response gradients.

Abstract Several studies using non-pharmacological discriminative stimuli have found that stimulus control, as evident in generalization gradients, changes when motivation for (i.e., deprivation of) the relevant reinforcer is altered. Drug-discrimination studies, however, have not consistently revealed such an effect. A procedural detail that may account for the lack of a reliable effect in drug-discrimination studies is that motivation was characteristically reduced relative to the training condition in these studies. The present experiment examined how substantially increasing motivation affects d -amphetamine discrimination. Rats initially were trained to discriminate d -amphetamine (1.0 mg/kg) from vehicle (0 mg/kg) injections under 22-h food deprivation conditions. Dose–response gradients were then obtained under 22-h and 46-h deprivation levels. The ED 50 was significantly higher with greater deprivation. This finding suggests that increasing motivation relative to the training condition may reduce stimulus control by drugs, while decreasing it may sharpen stimulus control.
Liability and volunteer organizations: A survey of the law

The question of how and when liability attaches is one of the most important issues facing volunteer organizations today. The liability issue has three related components: (1) whether the organization is liable to third parties for acts performed by volunteers, (2) whether the organization is liable to volunteers who are injured while performing their duties, and (3) whether an individual volunteer is liable for acts performed while working with a volunteer organization. This article explores each of these issues and suggests effective risk management practices that can reduce, although not eliminate, liability in most instances.
Larval development and settlement behavior of the gorgonian coral Plexaura kuna (Lasker, Kim and Coffroth)

Abstract Larval development rate and behavior are described for the broadcast spawning Caribbean gorgonian Plexaura kuna (Lasker, Kim and Coffroth). Cell division commenced 4 h after fertilization. Embryos developed into swimming planulae as early as 36 h after the first cell division. Planulae tended to remain on the bottom of experimental chambers and become attached after several days. Position of planulae in 50 cm tall cylinders was dependent on age and lighting with the greatest tendency to sink in the light and 6 days after spawning. When appropriate substratum was provided, significant settlement occurred after 4 days. Planulae were more likely to settle when incubated with substrata encrusted with coralline algae than with bare coral skeleton and when exposed to light than when in darkness. Planulae formed firm attachments to the substratum after 4 to 8 days, suggesting a dispersal potential on the scale of tens of km. In the absence of appropriate substrata, settlement was delayed for up to 3 weeks.
Implicit memory: A commentary

This commentary about implicit memory research deals with four issues: terminology, its underlying logic, cognate areas, and theoretical issues. First, although appropriate terms are still being developed to describe the phenomena of interest in this area, I advocate the explicit/implicit distinction for the different forms of memory and types of tests and argue that the term remembering should only be applied to explicit retention. Second, although discovering functional dissociations between two retention tests are a useful research tactic, I believe a better strategy is to use converging operations for theoretical constructs in the form of multiple tests. Third, implicit memory research should be informed by research on similar problems in other domains (e.g., motor skill learning, social cognition). Finally, if we accept the interpretation of explicit/implicit memory research in terms of memory systems, it appears that 5 major systems and 20 or so subsystems may be required. Historical analogues to this situation are briefly considered.
Design and implementation of a multigrid code for the Euler equations

The steady-state equations of inviscid fluid flow, the Euler equations, are a nonlinear nonelliptic system of equations admitting solutions with dis continuities (for example, shocks). The efficient numerical solution of these equations poses a strenuous challenge to multigrid methods. A multigrid code has been developed for the numerical solution of the Euler equations. In this paper some of the factors that had to be taken into account in the design and development of the code are reviewed. These factors include the importance of choosing an appropriate difference scheme, the usefulness of local mode analysis as a design tool, and the crucial question of how to treat the nonlinearity. Sample calculations of transonic flow about airfoils will be presented. No claim is made that the particular algorithm presented is optimal.
SNPfisher: tools for probing genetic variation in laboratory-reared zebrafish

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are the benchmark molecular markers for modern genomics. Until recently, relatively few SNPs were known in the zebrafish genome. The use of next-generation sequencing for the positional cloning of zebrafish mutations has increased the number of known SNP positions dramatically. Still, the identified SNP variants remain under-utilized, owing to scant annotation of strain specificity and allele frequency. To address these limitations, we surveyed SNP variation in three common laboratory zebrafish strains using whole-genome sequencing. This survey identified an average of 5.04 million SNPs per strain compared with the Zv9 reference genome sequence. By comparing the three strains, 2.7 million variants were found to be strain specific, whereas the remaining variants were shared among all (2.3 million) or some of the strains. We also demonstrate the broad usefulness of our identified variants by validating most in independent populations of the same laboratory strains. We have made all of the identified SNPs accessible through ‘SNPfisher’, a searchable online database (snpfisher.nichd.nih.gov). The SNPfisher website includes the SNPfisher Variant Reporter tool, which provides the genomic position, alternate allele read frequency, strain specificity, restriction enzyme recognition site changes and flanking primers for all SNPs and Indels in a user-defined gene or region of the zebrafish genome. The SNPfisher site also contains links to display our SNP data in the UCSC genome browser. The SNPfisher tools will facilitate the use of SNP variation in zebrafish research as well as vertebrate genome evolution.
Trimeric autotransporters : a distinct subfamily of autotransporter proteins

Autotransporter proteins are a large family of Gram-negative bacterial extracellular proteins. These proteins have a characteristic arrangement of functional domains, including an N-terminal signal peptide, an internal passenger domain, and a C-terminal translocator domain. Recent studies have identified a novel subfamily of autotransporters, defined by a short trimeric C-terminal translocator domain and known as trimeric autotransporters. In this article, we review our current knowledge of the structural and functional characteristics of trimeric autotransporters, highlighting the distinctions between this subfamily and conventional autotransporters. We speculate that trimeric autotransporters evolved to enable high-affinity multivalent adhesive interactions with host surfaces and circulating host molecules to take place.
Understanding Those at the Forefront of Globalization

On the Cutting Edge of Globalization: An Inquiry into American Elites. By James N. Rosenau, David C. Earnest, Yale H. Ferguson, Ole R. Holsti Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 2006. 216 pp., $72.00 cloth (ISBN: 0-7425-3975-X), $32.95 paper (ISBN: 0-7425-3976-8). To understand the sources and future of globalization, it is essential to understand the individuals who are at the forefront of this movement. Yet, considering how vibrant and varied the literature on globalization is, systematic examinations of the people who are on the front lines of it are surprisingly rare. They are often presumed to have certain traits, and some of these presumed characteristics have received a fair amount of scrutiny—as exemplified by Peter Furia's (2005) examination of cosmopolitanism. But a large-scale systematic study of who these individuals are, what they do, and what they believe has heretofore been lacking in the literature. Just such an analysis is the great contribution of On the Cutting Edge of Globalization , by James Rosenau, David Earnest, Yale Ferguson, and Ole Holsti. The book illuminates who these people are. It tells us about their behaviors and their priorities. It shows us how they differ from other elite decision makers and what these characteristics mean for the future of globalization. The centerpiece of the research reported in this book is a massive survey of elites. Rosenau and his colleagues surveyed this population twice, conducting one survey in 1999 and another in 2003. These surveys are used to examine the differences between elites who are at the forefront of globalization (dubbed “Cutting-Edgers”) and those who are not (“Other Leaders”) and to explore variations in the views of the two groups over time. Rosenau and his colleagues adopt a broad view of the types of …
Critical Values for the Robust Rank-Order Test

ABSTRACT The nonparametric Wilcoxon–Mann–Whitney test is commonly used by practitioners for detecting differences in location (mean, median) between two samples. Earlier work has shown this test to have a number of disadvantages, most of which are remedied by use of the alternative robust rank-order test. Use of the robust rank-order test has been limited, perhaps partly because exact critical values have up to now been available for only a small number of sample-size values, and not for all of the commonly used levels of significance. This article expands what is known about the distribution of the robust rank-order test statistic; critical values are given for more sample sizes and for more levels of significance.
VISUAL ORGANIZATION AND THEMATIC MAP COMMUNICATION

Total map perception integrates geographic material (the base map) and thematic material (the distribution which is mapped). Psychological studies of the figure-ground relationship indicate that maps should be designed so that thematic symbols are experienced as figures, and base map materials as ground. Figure perception is enhanced by heterogeneity, contour, and area or enclosedness; the cartographic designer has greatest control over heterogeneity. Tests of preprinted area patterns for heterogeneity indicate that the perception of figures against ground is most enhanced, other things being equal, by patterns which have coarser texture and a higher percentage of area inked.
Altered regulation of cyclin G in human breast cancer and its specific localization at replication foci in response to DNA damage in p53+/+ cells.

Cyclin G, a recent addition to the cyclin family, was initially identified in screens for new srckinase family members and soon thereafter by differential screening for transcriptional targets of the tumor suppressor gene, p53. We have identified cyclin G as being overexpressed in breast and prostate cancer cells using differential display polymerase chain reaction screening. We demonstrate here that cyclin G is overexpressed in human breast and prostate cancer cells and in cancer cells in situ from tumor specimens. Cyclin G expression was tightly regulated throughout the cell cycle in normal breast cells, peaking at the S and G2/M phases of the cell cycle with lower levels in G1. The cell cycle-dependent expression was absent in breast cancer cells. Following DNA damage in normal p53+/+ cells, cyclin G is triggered to cluster in discrete nuclear DNA replication foci that contain replication-associated proteins such as proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). While p53−/− cells displayed a faint cyclin G nuclear staining pattern, there was no increased expression and no change in distribution of the staining pattern after DNA damage. The specific subcellular localization of cyclin G at DNA replication foci provides an additional link between p53-mediated growth arrest and cell cycle regulation and suggests that cyclin G may act as an effector of p53-mediated events by functional association with replication foci protein(s).
Are Young Children With Cochlear Implants Sensitive to the Statistics of Words in the Ambient Spoken Language

Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine whether children with cochlear implants (CIs) are sensitive to statistical characteristics of words in the ambient spoken language, whether that sensitivity changes in expected ways as their spoken lexicon grows, and whether that sensitivity varies with unilateral or bilateral implantation. Method We analyzed archival data collected from the parents of 36 children who received cochlear implantation (20 unilateral, 16 bilateral) before 24 months of age. The parents reported their children's word productions 12 months after implantation using the MacArthur Communicative Development Inventories: Words and Sentences (Fenson et al., 1993). We computed the number of words, out of 292 possible monosyllabic nouns, verbs, and adjectives, that each child was reported to say and calculated the average phonotactic probability, neighborhood density, and word frequency of the reported words. Results Spoken vocabulary size positively correlated with average phonotactic ...
Hydrogen peroxide localization in experimental optic neuritis

• The association of reactive oxygen species to altered permeability of the blood-brain barrier in acute experimental encephalomyelitis was investigated by ultrastructural cytochemical localization of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to sites in the optic nerve previously identified by extravasation of intravascular horseradish peroxidase. Using a modified cerium method, we found electron-dense cerium-derived H2O2reaction product was localized to the perivascular space at the lamina retinalis, lamina choroidalis, and lamina scleralis. In the optic nerve head, electron-dense reaction product was observed in the presence of intravascular leukocytes, although adjacent perivascular and interstitial inflammatory cells at this site were scant. In the myelinated retrobulbar optic nerve, cerium-derived H2O2reaction product was seen in the intravascular space of blood vessels and surrounding perivascular and interstitial foci of inflammatory cells. Reaction product was also observed in the extracellular space adjacent to the plasmalemma of axons and glial cells in the optic nerve head and retrobulbar nerve. The perivascular and intravascular distribution of cerium-derived reaction product suggests that H2O2may play a role in the pathogenesis of altered vascular permeability in experimental optic neuritis and supports our previous observations of suppression of blood-brain barrier permeability by detoxification of H2O2with the exogenous administration of antioxidant enzymes.
LATITUDINAL GRADIENTS OF BIODIVERSITY:Pattern,Process,Scale,and Synthesis

▪ Abstract The latitudinal gradient of decreasing richness from tropical to extratropical areas is ecology's longest recognized pattern. Nonetheless, notable exceptions to the general pattern exist, and it is well recognized that patterns may be dependent on characteristics of spatial scale and taxonomic hierarchy. We conducted an extensive survey of the literature and provide a synthetic assessment of the degree to which variation in patterns (positive linear, negative linear, modal, or nonsignificant) is a consequence of characteristics of scale (extent or focus) or taxon. In addition, we considered latitudinal gradients with respect to generic and familial richness, as well as species evenness and diversity. We provide a classification of the over 30 hypotheses advanced to account for the latitudinal gradient, and we discuss seven hypotheses with most promise for advancing ecological, biogeographic, and evolutionary understanding. We conclude with a forward-looking synthesis and list of fertile areas f...
A Modified Shuttle Plasmid Facilitates Expression of a Flavin Mononucleotide-Based Fluorescent Protein in Treponema denticola ATCC 35405

ABSTRACT Oral pathogens, including Treponema denticola, initiate the dysregulation of tissue homeostasis that characterizes periodontitis. However, progress of research on the roles of T. denticola in microbe-host interactions and signaling, microbial communities, microbial physiology, and molecular evolution has been hampered by limitations in genetic methodologies. This is typified by an extremely low transformation efficiency and inability to transform the most widely studied T. denticola strain with shuttle plasmids. Previous studies have suggested that robust restriction-modification (R-M) systems in T. denticola contributed to these problems. To facilitate further molecular genetic analysis of T. denticola behavior, we optimized existing protocols such that shuttle plasmid transformation efficiency was increased by >100-fold over prior reports. Here, we report routine transformation of T. denticola ATCC 35405 with shuttle plasmids, independently of both plasmid methylation status and activity of the type II restriction endonuclease encoded by TDE0911. To validate the utility of this methodological advance, we demonstrated expression and activity in T. denticola of a flavin mononucleotide-based fluorescent protein (FbFP) that is active under anoxic conditions. Addition of routine plasmid-based fluorescence labeling to the Treponema toolset will enable more-rigorous and -detailed studies of the behavior of this organism.
Who Will Stay and Who Will Leave? Predicting Secondary English Teacher Attrition Risk.

Although there are considerable large-scale data on teacher attrition, few researchers have culled information specifically related to English teachers’ risk for attrition. This study examines the ...
A finite model theory for biological hypotheses

We have designed and implemented a set of software tools for the composition and evaluation of hypotheses about gene regulation in biological systems. Our software uses a unified formal grammar for the representation of both diagram-based and text-based hypotheses. The objective of this paper is to show how to use this grammar as the basis for an effective logic for specifying hypotheses about biological systems in precise model-theoretic terms. To accomplish this, we take inspiration from inflationary extensions to fixed point logics and define a new type of logic: a deflationary logic for describing the effects of experiments upon models of biological systems. We present results that characterize decidability, satisfiability, and inflationary/deflationary properties of this logic. We formally define what it means for a set of assertions to be discoverable under this new logic, and show that our software generates discoverable queries. Thus, we lay the groundwork for a formal treatment of machine-aided experimental design under the conceptual framework we have developed for our hypothesis evaluation software.
Chemical reactor stability and sensitivity: II. Effect of parameters on sensitivity of empty tubular reactors

In this paper extensive calculations on the quasi isothermal tubular reactor are presented. Temperature and concentration profiles were obtained on an analogue computer (R.E.A.C.). The calculations tend to show that there are regions of operation in which the reactor effluent is very sensitive to operating conditions. For example, it is shown that in some regions of operation a small change in the heat transfer coefficient at the reactor wall or a small dilution of the feed will produce large changes in the effluent. In such cases the reactor is said to exhibit parametric sensitivity. It is shown analytically that this sensitivity may be predicted by analyzing the frequency response or transient response of the reactor approximated by a local linearization. This linearization requires complete solutions of the steady state problem. Semiquantitative results are then obtained for the regulation required from a given specification of product limits. The frequency-response analysis should be useful in connection with the control problem. If the reactor is fed partially with a recycle stream, then experience with electrical systems indicates that the possibility of instability exists. It is shown that at least theoretically these instabilities do exist, and a method based on the transfer function is developed for derivation of criteria of stability or instability.
Process variables in the preparation of UN microspheres

Precursor uranium dioxide plus carbon microspheres were formed by injecting a mixed urania and carbon sol into an immiscible solvent. After being reduced in hydrogen, the microspheres were heated to between 1400° and 1525°C in Ar to form a dense intermediate mixture of UO2 and UC. When exposed further to N2 at temperature, a dense UN particle was formed. In an alternate method, the carbothermal conversion was performed entirely in N2, resulting in particles of lower density. Flexibility in conversion methods and conditions permits one to obtain relatively high-purity UN microspheres with densities between 65 and 90% of theoretical.
A New Rh Allele, ryn (R-1,2,w3,w4)

The inheritance in a large Brazilian family of a new Rh allele ryn (R-1,2,w3,w4,-6,-7,-8,-10,-20,-27) is described.
Effect of the Drosophila endosymbiont Spiroplasma on parasitoid wasp development and on the reproductive fitness of wasp-attacked fly survivors

In a previous study, we showed that Spiroplasma, a maternally transmitted endosymbiotic bacterium of Drosophila hydei, enhances larval to adult survival of its host when exposed to oviposition attack by the parasitoid wasp Leptopilina heterotoma. The mechanism by which Spiroplasma enhances host survival has not been elucidated. To better understand this mechanism, we compared the growth of wasp larvae in Spiroplasma-infected and uninfected hosts. Our results indicate that wasp embryos in Spiroplasma-infected hosts hatch and grow normally for ~2 days, after which their growth is severely impaired, compared to wasps developing in uninfected hosts. Thus, despite their reduced ability to complete development in Spiroplasma-infected hosts, developing wasps may exert fitness costs on their hosts that are manifested after host emergence. The severity of these costs will influence the degree to which this protective mechanism contributes to the long-term persistence of Spiroplasma in D. hydei. We therefore examined survival to 10-day-old adult stage and fecundity of Spiroplasma-infected flies surviving a wasp treatment. Our results suggest detrimental effects of wasp attack on longevity of Spiroplasma-infected adult flies. However, compared to Spiroplasma-free flies exposed to wasps, Spiroplasma-infected flies exposed to wasps have ~5 times greater survival from larva to 10 day-adult. The relative fecundity of wasp-attacked Spiroplasma-infected females was ~71% that of un-attacked Spiroplasma-free females. Our combined survival and female fecundity results suggest that under high wasp parasitism, the reproductive fitness of Spiroplasma-infected flies may be ~3.5 times greater than that of uninfected females, so it is potentially relevant to the persistence of Spiroplasma in natural populations of D. hydei. Interestingly, Spiroplasma-infected males surviving a wasp attack were effectively sterile during the 3-day period examined. This observation is consistent with the expectation that, as a maternally transmitted symbiont, there is little selective pressure on Spiroplasma to enhance the reproductive fitness of its male hosts.
Developing an SI tool set for engineering design discovery, physical insight, and education

This paper reports on the process of developing a signal integrity tool set for engineers and educators. These tools will complement well-known enterprise numerical tools by providing the designer, student, or educator a reliable means of finding accurate results for specific questions in signal integrity design and troubleshooting. They are intended to find use as accurate, traceable, and easy-to-use aids in design discovery and in education. Their computational engines will use recognized methods from the literature and these will be made available so that interested users will be in complete control of their enquiries; there will be no calculations in which the user is kept in the dark about the methods used. The SI tool set will be made freely available on the internet.