cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Lipoprotein-Associated Coagulation Inhibitor That Inhibits the Factor VII-Tissue Factor Complex Also Inhibits Factor Xa: Insight Into Its Possible Mechanism of Action

Blood coagulation is initiated when plasma factor VII(a) binds to its essential cofactor tissue factor (TF) and proteolytically activates factors X and IX. Progressive inhibition of TF activity occurs upon its addition to plasma. This process is reversible and requires the presence of VII(a), catalytically active Xa, Ca2+, and another component that appears to be associated with the lipoproteins in plasma, a lipoprotein-associated coagulation inhibitor (LACI). A protein, LACI(HG2), possessing the same inhibitory properties as LACI, has recently been isolated from the conditioned media of cultured human liver cells (HepG2). Rabbit antisera raised against a synthetic peptide based on the N-terminal sequence of LACI(HG2) and purified IgG from a rabbit immunized with intact LACI(HG2) inhibit the LACI activity in human serum. In a reaction mixture containing VIIa, Xa, Ca2+, and purified LACI(HG2), the apparent half-life (t1/2) for TF activity was 20 seconds. The presence of heparin accelerated the initial rate of inhibition threefold. Antithrombin III alpha alone had no effect, but antithrombin III alpha with heparin abrogated the TF inhibition. LACI(HG2) also inhibited Xa with an apparent t1/2 of 50 seconds. Heparin enhanced the rate of Xa inhibition 2.5-fold, whereas phospholipids and Ca2+ slowed the reaction 2.5-fold. Xa inhibition was demonstrable with both chromogenic substrate (S-2222) and bioassays, but no complex between Xa and LACI(HG2) could be visualized by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Nondenaturing PAGE, however, showed that LACI(HG2) bound to Xa but not to X or Xa inactivated by diisopropyl fluorophosphate. Thus, LACI(HG2) appears to bind to Xa at or near its active site. Bovine factor Xa lacking its gamma-carboxyglutamic acid-containing domain, BXa(-GD), through treatment with alpha-chymotrypsin, was used to further investigate the Xa requirement for VIIa/TF inhibition by LACI(HG2). LACI(HG2) bound to BXa(-GD) and inhibited its catalytic activity against a small molecular substrate (Spectrozyme Xa), though at a rate approximately sevenfold slower than native BXa. Preincubation of LACI(HG2) with saturating concentrations of BXa(-GD) markedly retarded the subsequent inhibition of BXa. The VII(a)/TF complex was not inhibited by LACI(HG2) in the presence of BXa(-GD), and further, preincubation of LACI(HG2) with BXa(-GD) slowed the inhibition of VIIa/TF after the addition of native Xa. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that inhibition of VII(a)/TF involves the formation of a VIIa-TF-XA-LACI complex that requires the GD of XA.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS).
A Binding Protein Involved in the Transport of Cystine and Diaminopimelic Acid in Escherichia coli

Abstract Escherichia coli strain W is capable of actively transporting l-cystine as well as the structurally related compound α, e-diaminopimelic acid. Cystine transport is mediated by two systems distinguishable on the basis of specificity and affinity for substrate. The cystine general system (Km = 3 x 10-7 m) also transports diaminopimelic acid and is inhibited by a variety of analogues, while the cystine specific system (Km = 2 x 10-8 m) is much more selective. A mutant strain, D2W, has only the lower affinity general system (Km = 1 x 10-7 m). The two systems display differing sensitivities toward osmotic shock. When cells are grown in a minimal medium, the general system is entirely lost from each strain by shock, Whereas the specific system of W is unaffected. The shock fluids from these cells contain a single protein capable of binding cystine (the cystine general binding protein), and the binding is completely inhibited by diaminopimelate. This binding activity is reduced by 90% in mutants of strain D2W lacking the general transport system. When strain W is grown in an enriched medium, the general system is absent, but the activity of the specific system is increased 3-fold and can now be reduced by osmotic shock. The cystine general binding protein is absent from the shock fluid, but we now find the appearance of a cystine binding activity with a specificity similar to that of the specific transport system. The cystine general binding protein has been purified to homogeneity and has properties similar to those reported for other shock-releasable binding proteins. Its specificity closely parallels that of the general transport system. The results support the concept that the cystine general binding protein is involved in the recognition step of the general transport system.
Toxicity of Bordetella avium beta-cystathionase toward MC3T3-E1 osteogenic cells.

Abstract Bordetella avium is the etiological agent of an upper respiratory disease in birds which, symptomatically and pathologically, resembles bordetellosis in humans. Studies of the virulence of this organism revealed a novel cytotoxic protein, designated osteotoxin, that was lethal for MC3T3-E1 osteogenic cells, fetal bovine trabecular cells, UMR106-01(BSP) rat osteosarcoma cells, and embryonic bovine tracheal cells. The osteotoxin lacked dermonecrotic toxin activity, exhibited no cross-reactivity with antibody against B. avium dermonecrotic toxin, and was non-proteolytic. Osteotoxin (M(r) approximately 80,000 by gel filtration, pI 5.4) was purified to electrophoretic homogeneity from B. avium 197. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and spectrophotometric analyses showed that the native protein was a homodimer and that each of the non-covalently linked subunits (M(r) approximately 41,000) contained one molecule of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate. Microsequencing of the first 32 amino acids from the NH2 terminus allowed the synthesis of two oligonucleotide probes, which, together with polyclonal antibody to the purified protein, facilitated cloning, sequencing, and expression of the osteotoxin gene product in Escherichia coli. The open reading frame encodes a polypeptide of 396 amino acid residues (M(r) = 42,606, calculated pI 5.9), whose sequence exhibits approximately 38% identity (approximately 60% similarity) to pyridoxal 5'-phosphate-dependent beta-cystathionase(s) from E. coli, Salmonella typhimurium, and rat liver. The characteristic motif, TKYXXGHSD, associated with binding the cofactor in these enzymes is also present in osteotoxin. Physicochemical and enzymatic analyses established the coidentity of osteotoxin with beta-cystathionase. The region upstream of the beta-cystathionase (metC) gene in B. avium 197 lacked regulatory sequences ("Met boxes") described for metC in enteric species, and enzyme production was not repressed by methionine. Incubation of MC3T3-E1 osteogenic cells in medium containing L-[35S]cystine and purified beta-cystathionase resulted in 35S-labeling of the enzyme and at least one major MC3T3-E1 cell protein (M(r) approximately 50,000). cytotoxicity can be attributed to: 1) beta-cystathionase-catalyzed cleavage of L-cystine in the medium and formation of reactive sulfane-containing derivative(s), and 2) transfer of sulfane sulfur to metabolically sensitive or structurally important proteins in the osteogenic cells.
Uniform Charakterizations of Various Kinds of Language Learning

Learnability of families of recursive languages from positive data is studied in the Gold paradigm of inductive inference. A large amount of work has focused on trying to understand how the language learning ability of an inductive inference machine is affected when it is constrained. For example, derived from work in inductive logic, notions of monotonicity have been studied which variously reflect the requirement that the learner's guess must monotonically ‘improve’ with regard to the target language. A unique characterization theorem is obtained which uniformly characterizes all classes learnable under a number of different constraints specified via a parametric description. It is also shown how many known characterizations can be obtained by straightforward applications of this theorem. It is argued that the new parameterization scheme for specifying constraints works for a wide variety of constraints.
WINDMI: A FAMILY OF PHYSICS NETWORK MODELS FOR STORMS AND SUBSTORMS

Abstract An important problem in magnetospheric physics is to develop integrated dynamical systems capable of modeling storm and substorm databases with the long term aim of developing space weather forecasting tools. WINDMI is a family of physics-based models that range in dimensionality, d, from low-order models which model the flow of energy between the dominant global energy components to high-order models with d ~ 102 – 103, for models that resolve the nonlinear dynamics of the system into different latitudes. The models are intrinsically three-dimensional in configuration space, and use the basic geometry of the Tsyganenko magnetic field model to define the geometrical quantities. Optimal values of the model parameters are found using the genetic algorithm on given storm and substorm databases. The model satisfy the constraints of the conservations laws of energy and electrical charge in their network of nodes and branches that follow the topology of the ambient magnetic field. The new WINDMI-RC model, which builds on the WINDMI model, includes the energy coupling of injected plasma from the plasma sheet across the Alfven layer into the ring current.
The Determination of Glutamine in Plasma and Urine

A method is described for determining the concentration of glutamine in plasma and urine. The procedure, which depends on the collection of ammonia, is mastered easily and requires materials commercially available.
A persistent scatterer interpolation for retrieving accurate ground deformation over InSAR-decorrelated agricultural fields

Interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) is a radar remote sensing technique for measuring surface deformation to millimeter-level accuracy at meter-scale resolution. Obtaining accurate deformation measurements in agricultural regions is difficult because the signal is often decorrelated due to vegetation growth. We present here a new algorithm for retrieving InSAR deformation measurements over areas with severe vegetation decorrelation using adaptive phase interpolation between persistent scatterer (PS) pixels, those points at which surface scattering properties do not change much over time and thus decorrelation artifacts are minimal. We apply this algorithm to L-band ALOS interferograms acquired over the San Luis Valley, Colorado, and the Tulare Basin, California. In both areas, the pumping of groundwater for irrigation results in deformation of the land that can be detected using InSAR. We show that the PS-based algorithm can significantly reduce the artifacts due to vegetation decorrelation while preserving the deformation signature.
The influence of burn severity on postfire vegetation recovery and albedo change during early succession in North American boreal forests

Severity of burning can influence multiple aspects of forest composition, carbon cycling, and climate forcing. We quantified how burn severity affected vegetation recovery and albedo change during early succession in Canadian boreal regions by combining satellite observations from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and the Canadian Large Fire Database. We used the MODIS-derived difference Normalized Burn Ratio (dNBR) and initial changes in spring albedo as measures of burn severity. We found that the most severe burns had the greatest reduction in summer MODIS Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) in the first year after fire, indicating greater loss of vegetation cover. By 5–8 years after fire, summer EVI for all severity classes had recovered to within 90%–108% of prefire levels. Spring and summer albedo progressively increased during the first 7 years after fire, with more severely burned areas showing considerably larger postfire albedo increases during spring and more rapid increases during summer as compared with moderate- and low-severity burns. After 5–7 years, increases in spring albedo above prefire levels were considerably larger in high-severity burns (0.20 ± 0.06; defined by dNBR percentiles greater than 75%) as compared to changes observed in moderate- (0.16 ± 0.06; for dNBR percentiles between 45% and 75%) or low-severity burns (0.13 ± 0.06; for dNBR percentiles between 20% and 45%). The sensitivity of spring albedo to dNBR was similar in all ecozones and for all vegetation types along gradients of burn severity. These results suggest carbon losses associated with increases in burn severity observed in some areas of boreal forests may be at least partly offset, in terms of climate impacts, by increases in negative forcing associated with changes in surface albedo.
Standardized Echography (Ultrasonography) for the Detection and Characterization of Retinal Detachment

Thirty-five patients with clear media and retinal detachment were studied prospectively to determine the reliability and accuracy of ultrasound in this diagnosis. The extent of detachment was identified correctly within three clock hours in 33 of 35 cases (94.2%). The average height of detachment was 6.12 mm. In 27 of 31 cases (87%), the retinal tear was located within two clock hours of the superior most margin of detachment seen echographically, and in 23 of 31 cases (74%) within two clock hours of the highest elevation of the retina echographically. In 29 of 35 cases (82%) echographic determination of detachment margins was within one clock hour of clinical observation. Retinal detachments greater than 4.5 mm in maximal height appeared clinically bullous. Ultrasound correctly identified 26 of 29 maculae detached before operation (90%). Ultrasound correctly identified all seven cases with advanced massive periretinal proliferation. Mean standardized reflectivity (delta dbs) was 13.9 with 95% confidence levels of 12.7 to 15.2. A stronger correlation existed between height of retinal detachment and reflectivity, than clinical appearance of retina. Based on the findings, it was concluded that standardized echography is a highly reliable technique for the detection and characterization of retinal detachment in eyes with opaque media.
Magnetism of Mn layers on Fe(100).

The magnetic state of epitaxial overlayers of Mn grown on Fe(100) is studied using spin-polarized electron energy loss spectroscopy. Nonzero exchange asymmetries are found, demonstrating that the surface layer of the Mn overlayers has a net magnetic moment. The exchange asymmetry oscillates with a period of about two atomic layers as the Mn overlayer thickness is varied, proving that the Mn forms ferromagnetic (100) sheets and that the sheets align antiferromagnetically. The average Mn exchange splitting is found to be 2.9 eV, indicating a magnetic moment of the order 3${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\mu}}}_{\mathit{B}}$.
Toward primary prevention of extra-medical OxyContin® use among young people.

Abstract Objective The prevention research context includes current epidemic levels of hazards associated with extra-medical use of OxyContin® (to get high or otherwise outside prescribed boundaries) among teenagers and young adults, and a recent OxyContin® re-formulation with an intent to reduce these hazards, plus hope for possibly beneficial primary prevention impact. The aim is to create a benchmark of risk estimates for the years just prior to OxyContin® re-formulation in anticipation of potential public health benefit in future years, with a focus on teens and the youngest adults in the United States, and to compare two methods for estimating peak risk. Method The data are from nationally representative probability sample surveys of 12–21 year olds, yielding estimates for incidence of extra-medical OxyContin® use. Samples are of the non-institutionalized United States population, recruited and assessed in National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), each year from 2004 through 2008. In aggregate, the sample includes 135,552 young people who had not used OxyContin® extra-medically prior to their year of survey assessment. Results The main outcome was the estimated population-level age-specific incidence of extra-medical OxyContin® use, 2004–2008. We found that during the 2004–2008 interval the estimated risk accelerated from age 12 years, reached a peak value in mid-adolescence at roughly five newly incident users per 1000 persons per year (95% confidence intervals, 0.3%, 0.7%), and then declined. A meta-analysis approach to year-by-year data differentiated age patterns more clearly than a pooled estimation approach. Conclusion Studying young people in the United States, we have discovered that the risk of starting to use OxyContin® extra-medically rises to a peak by mid-adolescence and then declines. From a methods standpoint, the meta-analysis serves well in this context; there is no advantage to pooling survey data across years. We also discovered that during any given year a pediatrician might rarely see even one patient who has just started to use OxyContin® to get high or for other extra-medical purposes. Implications for screening are discussed.
Identification of a vimentin-like function associated molecule (FAM) on rat NK cells: evidence for receptor function.

Monoclonal antibody (MoAb) 5C6 specifically binds to fish, rat and human NK cells and inhibits cytotoxicity. The molecule recognized by this MoAb is a 50–53–kDa membrane protein on rat leukaemic NK (CRC) cells. In the present study, we have obtained a partial internal amino acid sequence from a purified 42-kDa fragment of the CRC-function associated molecule (FAM). Three tryptic peptide fragments were sequenccd and each showed homology to intermediate filament vimentin sequences as deduced from (GenBank) mouse cDNA sequences. Amino acid composition analysis indicated that similar to cytoskeletal vimentin, the FAM contained a high percentage of non-polar amino acids. To further assess the similarities between this protein and vimentin., two commercially available anti-vimentin MoAbsand one anti-vimentin polyclonal antibody were tested for binding and inhibition of NK cytotoxicity. All anti-vimentin MoAbs inhibited killing by rat NWNA cells of appropriate targets. Anti-vimentin MoAb 13.2 bound to 41% of NWNA cells compared with approximately 58% binding for MoAb 5C6. Capping and sequential binding experiments showed that MoAb 5C6 effectively removed, from CRC-cell membranes, the protein recognized by MoAb V9. Sequential addition of these two MoAbs (MoAb 13.2 followed by MoAb V9) to CRC cells did not produce competitive binding. Biochemical and Western blot analysis of the vimentin-like protein obtained from CRC cells indicated that this protein has a molecular weight of 48–50 kDa, with an isoelectric point of pH 6.1–6.3. This protein is cross-reactive by Western blot analysis with anti-vimentin and anti-intermediate filament (IFA) antigen MoAbs but not with anti-desmin or anti-actin M oAbs. The molecular weight heterogeneity (43 versus 48 50 k Da) of the CRC protein was also examined. Western blot analysis of the CRC extract after different in vitro incubation times at 37°C and 4°C demonstrated that the 50 53–kDa ‘native’ protein degraded to a 42-kDa protein by 24 and 48 h respectively. This degradation was inhibitable by 10 mm EGTA. Evidence is presented which indicates that a vimentin-like protein on transformed rat NK cells may be an antigen binding receptor which initiates target cell lysis.
Elastic-wave sensitivity analysis for seismic monitoring

Effective and reliable reservoir monitoring is critically important for optimizing oil/gas production and ensuring safe geological carbon sequestration. It requires an optimal seismic sensor deployment that uses a minimum number of sensors to record the most significant information resulting from reservoir property changes. The monitoring survey has typically been designed using conventional seismic-wavefield illumination analyses. However, seismic-wavefield illumination cannot alone yield an optimum seismic acquisition for effectively monitoring reservoir property changes. We introduce a new approach for designing optimal seismic monitoring surveys by analyzing sensitivities of elastic wavefields with respect to reservoir property changes. The method is based on differentiating the elastic-wave equation with respect to geophysical parameters. The resulting equations are solved using a finitedifference scheme. Numerical studies demonstrate that seismic survey designs based on elastic-wave sensitivity analysis can be very different than those based on elastic-wavefield illuminations under the same optimal criteria. Sensitivity analyses can also be used to investigate whether a VSP or a surface seismic survey is more effective for monitoring Por S-wave speed changes in a target region.
The department of defense Selenodetic Control System and the force function of the moon

The figure of the moon as defined by the DOD-66 Selenodetic Control System is first studied. Then, using the derived equation for the surface and adopting the density lawδ = δ c +αρ p , we have evaluated the volume integrals relating the form of the surface to the gravity harmonics.
Kink folding in an extended terrane: Tortilla Mountains, southeastern Arizona

Structural analysis of early Miocene metre-scale kink folds in southeastern Arizona shows that they formed in an extensional stress field and that they record horizontal extension. The folds represent a previously unrecognized style of extensional fold.
Radio Pulsars in the Galactic Center

Radio pulsars in the Galactic center would serve as useful probes of its magnetoionic medium, and possibly its spacetime structure. However, of the roughly 1200 known pulsars, no more than 1% are within 1° of Sgr A* and none have distances consistent with being within or behind the Galactic center. This deficit of pulsars is due to interstellar scattering so severe as to smear together individual pulses. We are engaged in multiwavelength surveys of the GC to identify radio pulsars. Using the VLA at 1.4 GHz we are searching for compact radio sources, with the objective of finding sources on which a periodicity search can be conducted at frequencies high enough to defeat the interstellar pulse broadening (>10 GHz). With the Chandra X-ray survey of the Galactic center, we have also discovered a number of X-ray point sources with radio counterparts that may be radio pulsars. Our current total census of promising radio pulsars candidates is roughly 10 sources. We are pursuing periodicity searches of these objects on the 100 m Efflesberg and Green Bank Telescopes. The number of candidates also allow us to constrain the supernova rate, and therefore star formation history, in the GC.
Study on the Comprehensive Evaluation of the Financial Core Competitiveness for the Listed Companies in Chinese Steel Industry

The financial management activity is the important part of the enterprise economic activity, and the enterprise core competitiveness is decided by the financial core competitiveness to certain extent, so the scientific measurement of the financial core competitiveness of the enterprise is very important to know the financial management performance of the enterprise and effective form the core competitiveness of the enterprise. In this article, we established a set of the index system which could comprehensively evaluate the financial core competitiveness of the listed company, took 15 listed steel companies in Shenzhen Stock Exchange as the examples to analyze and evaluate the financial core competitiveness of the listed companies, and finally made advices to cultivate and strengthen the financial core competitiveness of the listed company.
Theoretical Insights into the mechanism of selective peptide bond hydrolysis catalyzed by [Pd(H2O)4]2+

In this study, mechanisms for the hydrolysis of the Gly-Pro bond in Gly-Pro-Met and Gly-Pro-His, the Gly-Sar bond in Gly-Sar-Met, and the Gly-Gly bond in the Gly-Gly-Met peptide catalyzed by [Pd(H2...
Sun-compass migration by Aurelia aurita (Scyphozoa): population retention and reproduction in Saanich Inlet, British Columbia

The scyphomedusa Aurelia aurita in Saanich Inlet, a north-south oriented fjord in British Columbia, uses a sun compass to migrate in a southeasterly direction during the day. When the sky is overcast and at night, A. aurita orients randomly and is dispersed passively by gentle tidal currents. The net result is daily reaggregation of medusae into enormous swarms along the southeastern shore of the fjord. Observations of spawning A. aurita in these swarms suggest that sun-compass migration and aggregative behavior may have evolved to facilitate reproduction and to maintain the population within this fjord throughout the year.
A word database for natural language processing

The paper describes the design of a fair sized lexical database that is to be used with a natural language based expert system with German as the language of interaction. Sources for entries and tools for constructing and maintaining the database are discussed, as well as the information needed in the lexicon for the purposes of syntactic and semantic processing.
Molecular complementariness as basis for reactivation of alkyl phosphate-inhibited enzyme.

Abstract The rate of reactivation of alkyl phosphate-inhibited acetylcholinesterase by a number of pyridine aldoximes and related compounds was measured. These data can be readily interpreted on the basis of molecular complementariness. They illustrate the promoting effect of a quaternary structure by contrasting the much lower activity of tertiary compounds and by the marked salt effect. The importance of spatial relationships, conformation, is very well illustrated by comparison with the very potent reversible competitive inhibitor neostigmine. Some data are given for the enzymes serum esterase and chymotrypsin.
Complexity classification for performance characterization of system functions within ATM sub-networks

A definition of a generic model for representing communication system behaviour is presented. Also presented is a general complexity measure for classifying computations represented by such a model. The method is based on modelling communication system functions as wreath products of automata which in turn are represented as transformation groups. Emphasis is placed on developing a methodology that can cope with practical ATM functional architectures being proposed by the International Telecommunications Union. Both recursive function complexity and semigroup decomposition complexity theory are interpreted within a common modelling structure. The rule base for the modelling structure is left open, allowing algorithm designers the flexibility of exploiting relational structures from classical algebra.
Comparative performance of precommercial cellulases hydrolyzing pretreated corn stover

Background Cellulases and related hydrolytic enzymes represent a key cost factor for biochemical conversion of cellulosic biomass feedstocks to sugars for biofuels and chemicals production. The US Department of Energy (DOE) is cost sharing projects to decrease the cost of enzymes for biomass saccharification. The performance of benchmark cellulase preparations produced by Danisco, DSM, Novozymes and Verenium to convert pretreated corn stover (PCS) cellulose to glucose was evaluated under common experimental conditions and is reported here in a non-attributed manner.
Introduced lake trout exhibit life history and morphological divergence with depth

We found that an introduced population of lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) in Flathead Lake, Montana, USA, exhibited divergent life history, diet, and morphology after the invasion of Mysis diluvi...
Use of the protein kinase C inhibitor H-7, l-(5-isoquinolinylsulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine, as a radiosensitizer in HeLa cells

The isoquinoline sulfonamide H-7 has been shown to delay the onset of radiation-induced G2 arrest suggesting its possible application as a radiosensitizer. The effectiveness of H-7 as a radiosensitizer and its toxicity in HeLa cells were evaluated. Cells were treated with either 10 or 100 μmM H-7 and exposed to gamma radiation (0–6 Gy). H-7 was toxic to cells at concentrations greater than 10 μM. Addition of H-7 had no effect on the overall dose response of the HeLa cells to gamma radiation. These results suggest that the use of agents which inhibit protein kinase C activity does not necessarily result in decreased cell survival. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Doxorubicin activates nuclear factor of activated T-lymphocytes and Fas ligand transcription: role of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species and calcium.

Doxorubicin (DOX), a widely used antitumour drug, causes dose-dependent cardiotoxicity. Cardiac mitochondria represent a critical target organelle of toxicity during DOX chemotherapy. Proposed mechanisms include generation of ROS (reactive oxygen species) and disturbances in mitochondrial calcium homoeostasis. In the present study, we probed the mechanistic link between mitochondrial ROS and calcium in the embryonic rat heart-derived H9c2 cell line and in adult rat cardiomyocytes. The results show that DOX stimulates calcium/calcineurin-dependent activation of the transcription factor NFAT (nuclear factor of activated T-lymphocytes). Pre-treatment of cells with an intracellular calcium chelator abrogated DOX-induced nuclear NFAT translocation, Fas L (Fas ligand) expression and caspase activation, as did pre-treatment of cells with a mitochondria-targeted antioxidant, Mito-Q (a mitochondria-targeted antioxidant consisting of a mixture of mitoquinol and mitoquinone), or with adenoviral-over-expressed antioxidant enzymes. Treatment with GPx-1 (glutathione peroxidase 1), MnSOD (manganese superoxide dismutase) or a peptide inhibitor of NFAT also inhibited DOX-induced nuclear NFAT translocation. Pre-treatment of cells with a Fas L neutralizing antibody abrogated DOX-induced caspase-8- and -3-like activities during the initial stages of apoptosis. We conclude that mitochondria-derived ROS and calcium play a key role in stimulating DOX-induced ‘intrinsic and extrinsic forms’ of apoptosis in cardiac cells with Fas L expression via the NFAT signalling mechanism. Implications of ROS- and calcium-dependent NFAT signalling in DOX-induced apoptosis are discussed.
The Valles Mountain Volcanic Center of New Mexico

The Valles Mountain region lies in northern New Mexico about 30 miles west of Santa Fe, 50 miles north of Albuquerque, and just west of the Rio Grande. The elevation varies from 6,500 feet at the Rio Grande to 1,200 feet on the higher peaks.
Predictors of Sexual Aggression among a National Sample of Male College Students

An approximately representative national sample of 2,972 male students at 32 U.S. institutions of higher education was surveyed regarding their use of several degrees of verbal coercion and physical force to obtain sexual intimacy with women without consent. The most severe form of sexual aggression each man reported was used to classify him into one of five groups: sexually nonaggressive, sexual coercion, sexual contact, attempted rape, or rape. Respondents also provided data that was grouped into three blocks of variables: early experiences (family violence exposure, childhood sexual abuse, age of sexual initiation), psychological characteristics (MMPI Scale 4, Hostility Toward Women, rape supportive beliefs, gender role orientation), and current behavior (alcohol use, pornography use, male bonding, sexual values and activity, conflict tactics). Data were analysed via blockwise discriminant function analysis. Variables were entered following a suggested development sequence. Specifically, all early experience variables were entered first as a block. Then the entire set of psychological characteristics were entered stepwise followed by all the current behavior variables. Variables from all three blocks entered the model. The classification rates have been discussed and the implications of the analyses for future causal models of male sexual aggression considered. Language: en
Structure and function of C3and C4Chihuahuan Desert plant communities. Standing crop and leaf area index

Abstract During the past 150 years, native C 3 shrubs have invaded and dominated extensive areas of former C 4 grasslands in deserts of the south-western United States. This vegetation shift has caused large changes in several aspects of the structure and function of these plant communities. To examine structural changes, we measured the standing crop of green herbaceous plants and live shrubs, leaf area index (LAI), and canopy cover and shrub density in grass and shrub plant communities that exist on sandy and clay soils in the Chihuahuan Desert. Standing crop ranged from 800 to 1800 kg ha −1 for grass communities and from 2800 to 3500 kg ha −1 for shrub communities. The LAI in grass communities was typically 0·1 to 0·2 and in shrub communities was 0·3 to 0·4. Averaged over the 2 years, the greatest LAI was in the shrub community on a clay soil that also had a herbaceous understory. Shrub canopy cover varied from 17% ( Flourensia cernua , tarbush) to 33% ( Prosopis glandulosa , honey mesquite). On sandy soils, this vegetation shift has resulted in a replacement of herbaceous vegetation with shrubs and a large reduction in species diversity, while on clay soils, due to greater soil fertility and soil water availability, there was only a slight decrease in herbaceous vegetation and little change in species diversity. This vegetation shift of desert grasslands has dramatically changed plant community structure.
Teacher understanding of ADHD as reflected in attributions and classroom strategies

Teacher understanding of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) was examined by analyzing teacher reports of attributions about the behavior of individual students with the condition, and ...
Japanese Secularities and the Decline of Temple Buddhism

AbstractIn many ways, Japan provides a predictable example of how historical, political, economic, and cultural factors in the postwar and late-modern periods influence the interactivity of religious affiliations and secular forces. And yet, to grasp the complexity of the situation also requires a broader analytical perspective, one that can incorporate secularizing influences that are harder to identify because they are more globally diffuse. Based on extended fieldwork that has examined the ‘boom and bust’ of contemporary Japanese temple Buddhism, I first discuss historical and political legacies unique to Japan that have shaped local secularities. Additionally, concepts of Japanese religiosity and secularity have been referenced in controversial court cases that are relevant to the practice of religion in the public sphere. Finally, the discussion surveys forces that are domestic and familiar as well as global and invasive—new information technologies, greater personal agency, hyper-consumerism, corporate and bureaucratic restructuring, and a growing tolerance for diversity—impacting traditional temple Buddhism. Each one of these factors is significant in understanding Japan’s secularities. The purpose here is to see them as a mutually-reinforcing and interactive web of relations and consequences for the Japanese people and the religious institutions in their midst.
Action, Autobiography and Aesthetics in Young Children’s Self‐Initiated Drawings

Lark-Horovitz, Lewis, and Luca [1973] described the emergence of ‘subject matter specialists,’ children who create series of self-initiated or voluntary drawings featuring consistent themes, characters, or settings that seem particularly compelling to them. A decade-long study of the images preschool and kindergarten children create when invited to draw in their own sketchbooks in the context of a weekly art class suggests that the choice of what to draw shapes the process of learning how to draw in decisive ways. The interests young children develop and pursue in drawing and in other forms of symbolic play are influenced by gender and by culture, by personality and circumstance. The choices children make inevitably open certain possibilities and foreclose others, shaping early artistic learning in decisive ways. Many early childhood educators [e.g., Katz, 1993] maintain that young children’s learning should be firmly grounded in first-hand experience. However, children whose drawings are autobiographical in content may be less consistent in choosing topics for drawing and prone to pass the time between significant images by drawing designs and symbols which seem less personally meaningful and engaging. Children who draw upon imaginative themes seem to have an inexhaustible source of inspiration ready at hand when they begin to draw. According to Egan [1988], the fictional or mythic nature of these representations may serve young children’s quest to make sense of their experiences in ways that explorations of the everyday do not.
Deep inelastic scattering of charged leptons.

Abstract The concept of a model based on the hypothesis of smooth extrapolation rather than explicit dynamical speculation is expounded. The existing body of successful applications is extended to the longitudinal cross section in deep inelastic scattering, and predictions are made for the asymmetry in scattering of polarized electrons on polarized protons.
Ultrastructure of amphibian melanophores after light-dark adaptation and hormonal treatment

Melanophores in dark-adapted or melatonin-treated tadpoles of Xenopus laevis and Hyla regilla are punctate with the melanosomes aggregated in the perikaryon. The processes of these melanophores are devoid of melanosomes and markedly reduced in diameter. Upon exposure to light or MSH, the evacuated processes imbibe fluid by macropinocytosis, distending the evacuated processes and allowing the melanosomes to migrate distally. When light-adapted melanophores are placed in the dark, the melanosomes migrate toward the perikaryon and the processes then collapse, the melanosomes being forced proximally. It is proposed that fluid uptake is involved in melanosome dispersion and fluid loss in melanosome aggregation. Microtubules do not appear to aid in the movement of melanosomes or to function as a cytoskeleton.
An edge-coloration theorem for bipartite graphs with applications

Abstract An edge-coloration theorem for bipartite graphs, announced in [4], is proved from which some well-known theorems due to Konig [5] and the author [2, 3] are deduced. The theorem is further applied to prove the “dual” of a theorem due to Lovasz [6].
Design optimization of an air‐filled cavity: control of the constrained maximum temperature at the directly heated vertical wall

A detailed review of the archival literature on: fluid dynamics, heat transfer and shape optimization reveals that the optimal shape of natural convective cavities has not been investigated so far, and of course, its physical features are not understood. A prominent application of cavities cooled by natural convection arises in the miniaturization of electronic packaging where some type of temperature constraint must be applied at the directly heated wall. This contemporary issue has been addressed in the present work in an elegant manner by linking a code on computational fluid dynamics with a shape optimization code. Once the velocity and temperature fields were accurately computed for an initial cavity with a certain heat load, a two‐step optimization procedure was implemented in a methodical fashion. A first optimization sub‐problem transformed a square cavity into a rectangular cavity, while the second optimization sub‐problem sculpted the shape of the upper horizontal insulated wall in order to bring down the maximum wall temperature of the directly heated vertical wall, i.e. the so‐called “hot spot”. A bird's eye inspection of the numerical results revealed that the first optimization sub‐problem produced a significant reduction in area (volume), while raising the maximum wall temperature of the heated vertical wall by a small amount. The second optimization sub‐problem supplied a remarkable decrease in the maximum wall temperature of the heated vertical wall, carrying with it a moderate increase in area (volume). At the end, the optimal shape of the cavity turns out to be a disfigured vertical rectangular cavity in which the upper insulated wall forming a parabolic‐skewed cap.
Kinetic studies on the rearrangement of 3,4-di-O-benzyl-1,2-O-(1-methoxyethylidene)-β-l-rhamnopyranose with a catalytic amount of 1,1,3,3-tetramethylurea-trifluoromethanesulfonic acid at different temperatures

Abstract The kinetics of the rearrangement of 3,4-di- O -benzyl-1,2- O -(1-methoxyethylidene)-β- l -rhamnopyranose to methyl 2- O -acetyl-3,4-di- O -benzyl-α- l -rhamnopyranoside with a catalytic amount of 1,1,3,3,-tetramethylurea-trifluoromethanesulfonic acid in deuterated chloroform was studied by 1 H-n.m.r. spectroscopy at different temperatures. This isomerization, irrespective of temperature, seems to occur by an intramolecular mechanism, and it follows first-order kinetics.
Use of the Salan Ligands To Form Bimetallic Aluminum Complexes

The syntheses and characterization of two types of complexes having a metal−Salan ligand stoichiometry of 2:1 (where Salan = N,N ‘-bis(o-hydroxybenzyl)-1,2-diaminoethane (SaleanH4), N,N ‘-bis(o-hyd...
pH but not hypoxia affects neonatal gene expression: Relevance for housekeeping gene selection

Objective. To identify a candidate neonatal housekeeping gene and to determine the effects of pH and PaO2 on the stability of newborn gene expression in physiologically hypoxic and acidotic newborn blood.Methods. Quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) amplification was performed for four commonly used housekeeping genes (GAPDH, β-actin, cyclophilin, 28S rRNA) on extracted RNA. Blood gas analyses determined pH and PaO2 levels.Results and conclusions. β-Actin was the least variable and GAPDH the most variable housekeeping gene studied. pH negatively correlated with gene expression levels. PaO2 levels did not significantly affect gene expression. These results inform selection of housekeeping genes for neonatal mRNA research.
Prediction of the measured response of a scaled soil-pile-superstructure system

Abstract The validity of the Winkler foundation model is investigated by predicting the experimentally measured displacement transfer functions and strain spectra of a single pile embedded in a sandbox and supporting a single-degree-of-freedom superstructure. The foundation-superstructure system is a scale model and was subjected to shake table excitations. The distributed springs and dashpots of the Winkler foundation model are frequency dependent and the calibrated model predicts satisfactorily the displacement transfer function at different depths for both fixed- and free-tip pile conditions. On the other hand, the pile-axial-strains are substantially underestimated when expressed in terms of the second derivative of the computed elastic line of the pile. It is shown that a much more dependable prediction is achieved when pile-axial-strains are expressed in terms of the inertial forces acting along the pile-superstructure system.
A survey of the year 2002 commercial optical biosensor literature.

We have compiled 819 articles published in the year 2002 that involved commercial optical biosensor technology. The literature demonstrates that the technology's application continues to increase as biosensors are contributing to diverse scientific fields and are used to examine interactions ranging in size from small molecules to whole cells. Also, the variety of available commercial biosensor platforms is increasing and the expertise of users is improving. In this review, we use the literature to focus on the basic types of biosensor experiments, including kinetics, equilibrium analysis, solution competition, active concentration determination and screening. In addition, using examples of particularly well-performed analyses, we illustrate the high information content available in the primary response data and emphasize the impact of including figures in publications to support the results of biosensor analyses.
Redox and Src family kinase signaling control leukocyte wound attraction and neutrophil reverse migration

Tissue damage induces early recruitment of neutrophils through redox-regulated Src family kinase (SFK) signaling in neutrophils. Redox-SFK signaling in epithelium is also necessary for wound resolution and tissue regeneration. How neutrophil-mediated inflammation resolves remains unclear. In this paper, we studied the interactions between macrophages and neutrophils in response to tissue damage in zebrafish and found that macrophages contact neutrophils and induce resolution via neutrophil reverse migration. We found that redox-SFK signaling through p22phox and Yes-related kinase is necessary for macrophage wound attraction and the subsequent reverse migration of neutrophils. Importantly, macrophage-specific reconstitution of p22phox revealed that macrophage redox signaling is necessary for neutrophil reverse migration. Thus, redox-SFK signaling in adjacent tissues is essential for coordinated leukocyte wound attraction and repulsion through pathways that involve contact-mediated guidance.
Diverse Roles of Invariant Natural Killer T Cells in Liver Injury and Fibrosis Induced by Carbon Tetrachloride

Liver fibrosis is a common scarring response to all forms of chronic liver injury and is always associated with inflammation that contributes to fibrogenesis. Although a variety of cell populations infiltrate the liver during inflammation, it is generically clear that CD8 T lymphocytes promote while natural killer (NK) cells inhibit liver fibrosis. However, the role of invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells, which are abundant in the liver, in hepatic fibrogenesis, remains obscure. Here we show that iNKT-deficient mice are more susceptible to carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced acute liver injury and inflammation. The protective effect of naturally activated iNKT in this model is likely mediated via suppression of the proinflammatory effect of activated hepatic stellate cells. Interestingly, strong activation of iNKT through injection of iNKT activator α-galactosylceramide (α-GalCer) accelerates CCl4-induced acute liver injury and fibrosis. In contrast, chronic CCl4 administration induces a similar degree of liver injury in iNKT-deficient and wild-type mice, and only a slightly higher grade of liver fibrosis in iNKT-deficient mice than wild-type mice 2 weeks but not 4 weeks after CCl4 injection, although iNKT cells are able to kill activated stellate cells. An insignificant role of iNKT in chronic liver injury and fibrosis may be attributable to hepatic iNKT cell depletion. Finally, chronic α-GalCer treatment had little effect on liver injury and fibrosis, which is attributable to iNKT tolerance after α-GalCer injection. Conclusion: Natural activation of hepatic iNKT cells inhibits, whereas strong activation of iNKT cells by α-GalCer accelerates CCl4-induced acute liver injury, inflammation, and fibrosis. During chronic liver injury, hepatic iNKT cells are depleted and play a role in inhibiting liver fibrosis in the early stage but not the late stage of fibrosis. (HEPATOLOGY 2009.)