cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Functional role of cyclic nucleotide-gated channels in rat medial vestibular nucleus neurons

Although cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) channels are expressed in numerous brain areas, little information is available on their functions in CNS neurons. The aim of the present study was to define the distribution of CNG channels in the rat medial vestibular nucleus (MVN) and their possible involvement in regulating MVN neuron (MVNn) excitability. The majority of MVNn expressed both CNG1 and CNG2 A subunits. In whole-cell current-clamp experiments carried out on brainstem slices containing the MVNn, the membrane-permeant analogues of cyclic nucleotides, 8-Br-cGMP and 8-Br-cAMP (1 mm), induced membrane depolarizations (8.9 ± 0.8 and 9.2 ± 1.0 mV, respectively) that were protein kinase independent. The cGMP-induced depolarization was associated with a significant decrease in the membrane input resistance. The effects of cGMP on membrane potential were almost completely abolished by the CNG channel blockers, Cd2+ and l-cis-diltiazem, but they were unaffected by blockade of hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated channels. In voltage-clamp experiments, 8-Br-cGMP induced non-inactivating inward currents (−22.2 ± 3.9 pA) with an estimated reversal potential near 0 mV, which were markedly inhibited by reduction of extracellular Na+ and Ca2+ concentrations. Membrane depolarization induced by CNG channel activation increased the firing rate of MVNn without changing the action potential shape. Collectively, these findings provide novel evidence that CNG channels affect membrane potential and excitability of MVNn. Such action should have a significant impact on the function of these neurons in sensory–motor integration processes. More generally, it might represent a broad mechanism for regulating the excitability of different CNS neurons.
Play Therapy with Children of Alcoholics

ABSTRACT One method to reduce the influence of the dysfunctional alcoholic parent is play therapy for the CAs. Play therapy with CAs is presented and case examples are given.
Carbamazepine reduces memory induced activation of mesial temporal lobe structures: a pharmacological fMRI-study.

Background and Purpose It is not known whether carbamazepine (CBZ; a drug widely used in neurology and psychiatry) influences the blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) contrast changes induced by neuronal activation and measured by functional MRI (fMRI). We aimed to investigate the influence of CBZ on memory induced activation of the mesial temporal lobes in patients with symptomatic temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE).
Investigating the mechanical function of the cervix during pregnancy using finite element models derived from high-resolution 3D MRI

Preterm birth is a strong contributor to perinatal mortality, and preterm infants that survive are at risk for long-term morbidities. During most of pregnancy, appropriate mechanical function of the cervix is required to maintain the developing fetus in utero. Premature cervical softening and subsequent cervical shortening are hypothesized to cause preterm birth. Presently, there is a lack of understanding of the structural and material factors that influence the mechanical function of the cervix during pregnancy. In this study we build finite element models of the pregnant uterus, cervix, and fetal membrane based on magnetic resonance imagining data in order to examine the mechanical function of the cervix under the physiologic loading conditions of pregnancy. We calculate the mechanical loading state of the cervix for two pregnant patients: 22 weeks gestational age with a normal cervical length and 28 weeks with a short cervix. We investigate the influence of (1) anatomical geometry, (2) cervical material properties, and (3) fetal membrane material properties, including its adhesion properties, on the mechanical loading state of the cervix under physiologically relevant intrauterine pressures. Our study demonstrates that membrane-uterus interaction, cervical material modeling, and membrane mechanical properties are factors that must be deliberately and carefully handled in order to construct a high quality mechanical simulation of pregnancy.
Large-Scale Anisotropy at Centimeter Wavelengths

Scientific interest in large-scale anisotropy measurements is now focused on intrinsic effects, which could tell us much about the early Universe. Current experimental precision of better than 10-4 K begins to probe for interesting physical processes. However, at these levels of precision systematic effects and foreground sources present serious difficulties. Some recent results from balloon flights of a maser radiometer (λ 1.2 cm) and a cooled mixer (λ 3 mm) are discussed and interpreted. The dipole effect gives a velocity for the Local Group in the general direction of the Virgo cluster. The Earth’s motion is clearly seen. There is no quadrupole detected at a level of ΔT/T ∿ 5 × 10-5.
Boredom behind the Headlines

A rnold was a slightly built man. He stood straight but weakly, like a frail dancer. Always polite, he was somewhat deferential, although not apologetic. He asked questions about procedure, where to sit, the expected length of the interview, and the nature of its content. These inquiries were never insistent or the least bit rude. Rather, he was trying to find a sense of propriety in prison.
Phase Transformations and Microstructural Evolution: Part I

The activities of the Phase Transformations Committee of the Materials Processing & Manufacturing Division (MPMD) of The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS) are oriented toward understanding the fundamental aspects of phase transformations. Emphasis is placed on the thermodynamic driving forces for phase transformations, the kinetics of nucleation and growth, interfacial structures and energies, transformation crystallography, surface reliefs, and, above all, the atomic mechanisms of phase transformations. Phase transformations and microstructural evolution are directly linked to materials processing, properties, and performance, including in extreme environments, of structural metal alloys. Here, aspects of phase transformations and microstructural evolution are highlighted from the atomic to the microscopic scale for ferrous and non-ferrous
Functional Group Biotransformations

Drug molecules contain a vast array of structural moieties that can undergo a variety of biotransformation reactions. When studying the biotransformation of a new chemical, the first step is to examine the structure of the molecule and list the possible reaction types it could undergo and the drug metabolizing enzymes that can catalyze those reactions. This can direct the investigator to the experimental approaches best suited to study the metabolism of the new compound. In this article, drug metabolism reactions are described, organized by the chemical substituents frequently present in drug molecules. Mechanisms of these biotransformation reactions are described and illustrated with examples. Keywords: biotransformation; drug metabolism; functional group; oxidation; conjugation; reduction; hydrolysis; cytochrome P450; hydroxylation; epoxidation; N-dealkylation; O-dealkylation; glucuronidation; sulfation; methylation; acetylation
Cryptosporidium parvum is cytopathic for cultured human biliary epithelia via an apoptotic mechanism

While the clinical features of sclerosing cholangitis secondary to opportunistic infections of the biliary tree in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) are well known, the mechanisms by which microbial pathogens such as Cryptosporidium parvum associated with this syndrome actually cause disease are obscure. We established an in vitro model of biliary cryptosporidiosis employing a human biliary epithelial cell line. Using morphological and biochemical techniques, we examined the interaction of C. parvum with cultured human cholangiocytes. When the apical plasma membrane of polarized, confluent monolayers of human biliary epithelial cells was exposed to C. parvum oocysts that had been excysted in vitro, sporozoites attached to and invaded the cells in a time-, dose-, temperature-, and pH-dependent manner. The infectious process was both plasma membrane domain- and cell-specific, because no attachment or invasion occurred when the basolateral membrane of cholangiocytes was exposed to the parasite, or when a human hepatocyte cell line (HepG2) was used. Time-lapse video microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that sporozoite attachment was rapid, involved extensive cholangiocyte membrane ruffling, and culminated in parasite penetration into a tight-fitting vacuole formed by invagination of the plasma membrane similar to those found in naturally occurring infection in vivo. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed that C. parvum organisms formed parasitophorus vacuoles and were able to undergo a complete reproductive cycle, forming both asexual and sexual reproductive stages. Unexpectedly, direct cytopathic effects were noted in infected monolayers, with widespread programmed cell death (i.e., apoptosis) of biliary epithelial cells as assessed both morphologically and biochemically beginning within hours after exposure to the organism. The novel finding of specific cytopathic invasion of biliary epithelia by C. parvum may be relevant to the pathogenesis and possible therapy of the secondary sclerosing cholangitis seen in AIDS patients with biliary cryptosporidiosis.
Hydromagnetic equilibrium of a thin skin finite beta toroidal plasma column

An analytical approach is made to the problem of describing the toroidal equilibrium of a finite beta plasma column in the hydromagnetic approximation. The thickness of the sheath region separating the plasma from the external magnetic field is assumed to be negligibly small compared to all other dimensions (the thin skin approximation). The deviations of this interface from toroidal cylindrical shape are treated by perturbation theory, a procedure which is consistent with the usual series expansion in powers of reciprocal aspect ratio. The formalism provides analytic expressions for the auxiliary currents necessary to produce equilibrium in toroidal theta pinch systems such as Scyllac.
Dynamic Phases, Pinning, and Pattern Formation for Driven Dislocation Assemblies

We examine driven dislocation assemblies and show that they can exhibit a set of dynamical phases remarkably similar to those of driven systems with quenched disorder such as vortices in superconductors, magnetic domain walls, and charge density wave materials. These phases include pinned-jammed, fluctuating, and dynamically ordered states, and each produces distinct dislocation patterns as well as specific features in the noise fluctuations and transport properties. Our work suggests that many of the results established for systems with quenched disorder undergoing plastic depinning transitions can be applied to dislocation systems, providing a new approach for understanding pattern formation and dynamics in these systems.
Thinking empathically: The video laboratory as an integrative resource

The use of video taped, simulated interviews is an effective means of addressing the dynamics of affect in clinical practice. This mode of training, grounded in ego and self psychological concepts, is instrumental in identifying, understanding and integrating feelings—the goal of which is to help trainees think empathically. The theoretical framework and structure of the laboratory mode are presented; examples of the teaching/learning process are also discussed.
MEMBRANE SPECIALIZATION AT AN INSECT MYONEURAL JUNCTION

Myoneural junctions were examined in the asynchronous basalar flight muscle of the beetle Pachnoda ephippiata. The outer surface of the postjunctional membrane exhibits an array of prominent projections spaced at ∼200 A intervals which arise directly from the outer dense lamina of the plasma membrane and extend part way across the junctional cleft. The projections follow irregularities in the contour of the postjunctional membrane precisely and they end abruptly near the edge of the junctional region. No separation can be resolved between the projections and the underlying trilaminar plasma membrane after a variety of preparative methods, and the projections therefore appear to be a component part of the membrane. This specialization, which is distinctly different from that at desmosomes and hemidesmosomes, occurs nowhere else on the surface of the muscle and is interpreted as a mosaic of specialized membrane subunits which probably include the receptor sites for the transmitter.
Smoking Behavior: How is it Related to Locus of Control, Death Anxiety, and Belief in Afterlife?:

Studies relating smoking behavior to personality and attitudinal measures have given inconsistent results. The present study investigated the degree of relationship between smoking behavior and fou...
Plasmacytoid Carcinoma of the Bladder: A Urothelial Carcinoma Variant With a Predilection for Intraperitoneal Spread

Purpose: Bladder plasmacytoid carcinoma is an invasive urothelial carcinoma subtype that is emphasized for its morphological overlap with plasma cells and metastatic carcinoma. Our experience suggests frequent intraperitoneal spread that is not typical of conventional urothelial carcinoma.Materials and Methods: We identified cases of plasmacytoid urothelial carcinoma diagnosed on radical cystectomy. Patient age, gender, American Joint Committee on Cancer (7th edition) stage, metastatic spread/recurrence sites and clinical disease status at last followup were recorded.Results: A total of 10 male and 5 female patients 42 to 81 years old were identified. One tumor was pT2, 11 pT3 and 3 pT4. Six of 15 patients (40%) presented with lymph node metastasis and 5 (33%) had intraperitoneal metastasis at cystectomy. These initial sites of metastatic spread included the prerectal space, ovary and vagina, ovary and fallopian tube, bowel serosa, and omentum and bowel serosa in 1 case each. Three patients had subsequent...
CHARTER SCHOOLING AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

Working from the intersection of critical theory, feminist philosophy, and pragmatism, Nancy Fraser’s scholarly work represents a major contribution to conceptions of a multicultural, post-capitalist democratic public sphere. In this essay, I use Fraser’s work to examine the educational implications of “democraticsocialist-feminist pragmatism,” a postmodern pastiche built on the shoulders of powerful social and intellectual movements of the modern era.’ Fraser’s work analyzes important trends that have captured the attention of the educational Left, including inequality, identity, multiculturalism, and cultural politics. Her critique of Enlightenment conceptions of reason, consensus, and the public sphere are neither simply postmodern deconstructions, however, nor are they simply socialist reconstructions. Fraser’s critical pragmatism and strong sense of politics broadly conceived make her work both relevant and important for education scholars to consider.
Otolith stimulation induces c-Fos expression in vestibular and precerebellar nuclei in cats and squirrel monkeys

Vestibular information is critical for the control of balance, posture, and eye movements. Signals from the receptors, the semicircular canals and otoliths, are carried by the eighth nerve and distributed to the four nuclei of the vestibular nuclear complex, the VNC. However, anatomical and physiological data suggest that many additional brainstem nuclei are engaged in the processing of vestibular signals and generation of motor responses. To assess the role of these structures in vestibular functions, we have used the expression of the immediate early gene c-Fos as a marker for neurons activated by stimulation of the otoliths or the semicircular canals. Excitation of the otolith organs resulted in widespread c-Fos expression in the VNC, but also in other nuclei, including the external cuneate nucleus, the postpyramidal nucleus of the raphe, the nucleus prepositus hypoglossi, the subtrigeminal nucleus, the pontine nuclei, the dorsal tegmental nucleus, the locus coeruleus, and the reticular formation. Rotations that excited the semicircular canals were much less effective in inducing c-Fos expression. The large number of brainstem nuclei that showed c-Fos expression may reflect the multiple functions of the vestibular system. Some of these neurons may be involved in sensory processing of the vestibular signals, while others provide input to the vestibulo-ocular, vestibulocollic, and vestibulospinal reflexes or mediate changes in autonomic function. The data show that otolith stimulation engages brainstem structures both within and outside of the VNC, many of which project to the cerebellum.
Noninvasive Imaging of 3-Dimensional Myocardial Infarction From the Inverse Solution of Equivalent Current Density in Pathological Hearts

We propose a new approach to noninvasively image the 3-D myocardial infarction (MI) substrates based on equivalent current density (ECD) distribution that is estimated from the body surface potential maps (BSPMs) during S-T segment. The MI substrates were identified using a predefined threshold of ECD. Computer simulations were performed to assess the performance with respect to: 1) MI locations; 2) MI sizes; 3) measurement noise; 4) numbers of BSPM electrodes; and 5) volume conductor modeling errors. A total of 114 sites of transmural infarctions, 91 sites of epicardial infarctions, and 36 sites of endocardial infarctions were simulated. The simulation results show that: 1) Under 205 electrodes and 10-μV noise, the averaged accuracies of imaging transmural MI are 83.4% for sensitivity, 82.2% for specificity, 65.0% for Dice's coefficient, and 6.5 mm for distances between the centers of gravity (DCG). 2) For epicardial infarction, the averaged imaging accuracies are 81.6% for sensitivity, 75.8% for specificity, 45.3% for Dice's coefficient, and 7.5 mm for DCG; while for endocardial infarction, the imaging accuracies are 80.0% for sensitivity, 77.0% for specificity, 39.2% for Dice's coefficient, and 10.4 mm for DCG. 3) A reasonably good imaging performance was obtained under higher noise levels, fewer BSPM electrodes, and mild volume conductor modeling errors. The present results suggest that this method has the potential to aid in the clinical identification of the MI substrates.
Rapamycin Selectively Inhibits Angiotensin II–Induced Increase in Protein Synthesis in Cardiac Myocytes In Vitro: Potential Role of 70-kD S6 Kinase in Angiotensin II– Induced Cardiac Hypertrophy

It has been suggested that phosphorylation of a 40S ribosomal protein, S6, regulates protein synthesis. Two distinct families of S6 kinase have been identified, the rsk-encoded 85- to 92-kD S6 kinase (RSK) and the 70- or 85-kD S6 kinase (p70S6K). We have previously shown that hypertrophic stimuli, such as angiotensin II (Ang II), rapidly activate RSK in cardiac myocytes. However, RSK and p70S6K are regulated by distinct mechanisms, and p70S6K, but not RSK, is the physiological S6 kinase in vivo in other cell types. Using cultured neonatal rat ventricular myocytes, we examined whether Ang II activates p70S6K and investigated the effect of rapamycin, a potent yet indirect inhibitor of p70S6K, on the Ang II-induced hypertrophic response. Immunoblot analyses indicate that cardiac myocytes express the 70- and 85-kD forms of p70s6K. Ang II caused a rapid and sustained activation of p70S6K through the type I Ang II receptor. Rapamycin inhibited Ang II-induced activation of p70S6K in a dose-dependent manner, with an IC50 of 0.14 ng/mL (0.15 nmol/L). Rapamycin did not inhibit Ang II-induced activation of tyrosine kinase, mitogen-activated protein kinase, RSK, and protein kinase C. The effect of rapamycin is unlikely to be mediated by its effect on p34cdc2 and p33cdk2 because Ang II did not activate these cell cycle-dependent kinases in cardiac myocytes. In contrast, a dose-dependent inhibition of p70S6K by rapamycin is very closely correlated with its inhibition of the Ang II-induced increase in protein synthesis. Interestingly, rapamycin did not affect the Ang II-induced activation of specific gene expression, including the immediate-early gene c-fos and fetal type genes, such as atrial natriuretic factor and skeletal alpha-actin. Moreover, rapamycin did not suppress Ang II-induced phenotypic changes at the protein level, such as increased atrial natriuretic factor secretion, expression of beta-myosin heavy chain, and organization of actin into sarcomeric units. These results indicate that p70S6K is activated by Ang II and that a rapamycin-sensitive signaling mechanism, most likely p70S6K, plays an essential role in the Ang II-induced increase in overall protein synthesis but not in Ang II-induced specific phenotypic changes in cardiac myocytes.
Raman and Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) Studies of the Thrombin-Binding Aptamer

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering is used to study the Raman spectra and peak shifts the thrombin-binding aptamer (TBA) on substrates having two different geometries; one with a single stranded sequence and one with double stranded sequence. The Raman signals of the deoxyribonucleic acids on both substrates are enhanced and specific peaks of bases are identified. These results are highly reproducible and have promising applications in low cost nucleic acid detection.
Atomic spectral lines in helium containing a quark in the nucleus

The authors have used accurate theoretical values for the energies of low-lying states of the isoelectronic series of helium, together with $\frac{1}{Z}$-expansion theory, to compute to six-figure accuracy some of the spectral lines to be expected if a quark were to be embedded in the nucleus of a helium atom. These wavelengths may be of interest to searches for quark-He lines in laboratory or astrophysical spectra or for single-atom detection of such quark atoms.
Resonance structure of water complexes of β-HMX for THz frequencies

Calculations are presented of ground state resonance structure associated with water complexes of -HMX using density functional theory (DFT), which is for subsequent construction of permittivity functions to be used for simulations of explosives detection within a humid environment. The DFT software GAUSSIAN was used for the calculations of ground state resonance structure presented.
Small RNAs and Arabidopsis. A fast forward look.

First, let's take a quick look back to a few formative events leading to the blur of activity that now defines the small RNA field. In 1993, Victor Ambros and colleagues ([Lee et al., 1993][1]) identified the founding member of a large class of genetic regulators (later termed microRNAs [miRNAs],
Integrability of the vectorial Helmholtz equation in a collinear degenerate four-wave-mixing arrangement.

The integrability of the vectorial Helmholtz equation describing collinear degenerate four-wave-mixing interactions in isotropic Kerr media of the Maker-Terhune type [Phys. Rev. 137, A801 (1965)] is investigated in an exact fashion. This is done by reducing the underlying Helmholtz equation into an equivalent Hamiltonian form. The Painlev\'e properties of this Hamiltonian suggest that in general this problem is integrable for only two sets of coefficients of the ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\chi}}}^{(3)}$ tensor. For these two cases, integrability is established by explicitly finding the required conservation laws. Possible implications of these results are then discussed.
DM-nitrophen AM is caged magnesium.

Abstract DM-nitrophen is a photolabile derivative of EDTA and therefore functions as either caged Ca 2+ or caged Mg 2+ . Several papers have been published recently which use the AM ester to load intact cells with DM-nitrophen; under these conditions it is caged Mg 2+ . In this commentary, I give a short history of the development and application of caged Ca 2+ probes, explaining why EGTA and BAPTA-based Ca 2+ cages are to be preferred for the photorelease of Ca 2+ under normal intracellular conditions.
RCRT: Rate-controlled reliable transport protocol for wireless sensor networks

Emerging high-rate applications (imaging, structural monitoring, acoustic localization) will need to transport large volumes of data concurrently from several sensors. These applications are also loss-intolerant. A key requirement for such applications, then, is a protocol that reliably transports sensor data from many sources to one or more sinks without incurring congestion collapse. In this article, we discuss RCRT, a rate-controlled reliable transport protocol suitable for constrained sensor nodes. RCRT uses end-to-end explicit loss recovery, but places all the congestion detection and rate adaptation functionality in the sinks. This has two important advantages: efficiency and flexibility. Because sinks make rate allocation decisions, they are able to achieve greater efficiency since they have a more comprehensive view of network behavior. For the same reason, it is possible to alter the rate allocation decisions (for example, from one that ensures that all nodes get the same rate, to one that ensures that nodes get rates in proportion to their demands), without modifying sensor code at all. We evaluate RCRT extensively on a 40-node wireless sensor network testbed and show that RCRT achieves 1.7 times the rate achieved by IFRC and 1.4 times that of WRCP, two recently proposed interference-aware distributed rate-control protocols. We also present results from a 3-month-long 19-node real world deployment of RCRT in an imaging application and show that RCRT works well in real long-term deployments.
Investigation of Iron Metabolism in Mice Expressing a Mutant Menke’s Copper Transporting ATPase (Atp7a) Protein with Diminished Activity (Brindled; MoBr/y)

During iron deficiency, perturbations in copper homeostasis have frequently been documented. Previous studies in iron-deprived rats demonstrated that enterocyte and hepatic copper levels increase and a copper transporter (the Menkes Copper ATPase; Atp7a) is induced in the duodenal epithelium in parallel to iron transport-related genes (e.g. Dmt1, Dcytb, Fpn1). Moreover, two ferroxidase proteins involved in iron homeostasis, hephaestin expressed in enterocytes and ceruloplasmin, produced and secreted into blood by the liver, are copper-dependent enzymes. We thus aimed to test the hypothesis that Atp7a function is important for the copper-related compensatory response of the intestinal epithelium to iron deficiency. Accordingly, iron homeostasis was studied for the first time in mice expressing a mutant Atp7a protein with minimal activity (Brindled [MoBr/y]). Mutant mice were rescued by perinatal copper injections, and, after a 7–8 week recovery period, were deprived of dietary iron for 3 weeks (along with WT littermates). Adult MoBr/y mice displayed copper-deficiency anemia but had normal iron status; in contrast, iron-deprived MoBr/y mice were iron deficient and more severely anemic with partial amelioration of the copper-deficient phenotype. Intestinal iron absorption in both genotypes (WT and MoBr/y) increased ∼3-fold when mice consumed a low-iron diet and ∼6-fold when mice were concurrently bled. WT mice exhibited no alterations in copper homeostasis in response to iron deprivation or phlebotomy. Conversely, upregulation of iron absorption was associated with increased enterocyte and liver copper levels and serum ferroxidase (ceruloplasmin) activity in MoBr/y mice, typifying the response to iron deprivation in many mammalian species. We thus speculate that a copper threshold exists that is necessary to allow appropriate regulate of iron absorption. In summary, MoBr/y mice were able to adequately regulate iron absorption, but unlike in WT mice, concurrent increases in enterocyte and liver copper levels and serum ferroxidase activity may have contributed to maintenance of iron homeostasis.
Multiple Directorships and Corporate Interlocks in New Zealand Firms

This paper examines the extent of multiple directorships and corporate interlocks among New Zealand listed companies. The extent of multiple directorships was found to have increased over the twelve year period examined and the degree of corporate interlocks appears to be at least as great as those experienced in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Photochemical reaction coupled to solid-state peroxyoxalate chemiluminescence for the high-performance liquid chromatographic detection of compounds having weak chromophores

Abstract The combination of a solid state peroxyoxalate chemiluminescence detection system with a post-column photochemical reactor is described for the detection of compounds exhibiting low UV absorbance. The photochemical reactor drives a sensitized photooxygenation reaction catalyzed by anthraquinones, whereby hydrogen is abstracted from analytes having weak CH bonds to form H 2 O 2 . The H 2 O 2 is detected by chemiluminescence in a detection system consisting of a short reaction column packed with bis-2,4,6-trichlorophenyloxalate and a quartz flow cell containing aminofluoranthene immobilized on glass beads. The applicability of this photochemical—chemiluminescence detection system is demonstrated for a variety of compounds of pharmaceutical interest.
Mapping and Functional Analysis of Interaction Sites within the Cytoplasmic Domains of the Vaccinia Virus A33R and A36R Envelope Proteins

Incorporation of the vaccinia virus A36R protein into the outer membrane of intracellular enveloped virions (IEV) is dependent on expression of the A33R protein. Possible interactions of the 200-amino-acid cytoplasmic domain of the A36R protein with itself or with the cytoplasmic domain of the A33R, A34R, B5R, or F12L IEV membrane protein was investigated by using the yeast two-hybrid system. A strong interaction was detected only between the cytoplasmic domains of the A36R and A33R proteins. Upon further analyses, the interaction site was mapped to residues 91 to 111 of the A36R protein. To investigate the role of the A36R:A33R interaction during viral infection, five recombinant vaccinia viruses containing B5R-GFP as a marker were constructed. Four had the full-length A36R gene replaced with various-length C-terminal truncations of A36R, of which two contained residues 91 to 111 and two were missing this region. The fifth recombinant virus had an A33R gene with most of the 40-amino-acid cytoplasmic tail deleted. Residues 91 to 111 of A36R and the cytoplasmic tail of A33R were required for a strong interaction between the two proteins during viral infection and for maximal amounts of A36R protein on IEV. Mutants lacking these regions of A33R or A36R formed IEV that exhibited only short sporadic intracellular movement, displayed no actin tails, and formed small plaques on cell monolayers equivalent to those of an A36R deletion mutant and smaller than those formed by point mutations that specifically abrogate actin tail formation. The A33R interaction site of the A36R protein is highly conserved among orthopoxviruses and may overlap binding sites for cellular proteins needed for microtubular movement and actin tail formation.
Microbial characteristics of a forest soil after twenty years of prescribed burning.

Populations of soil microorganisms were examined to determine the effects of prescribed burning in loblolly pine stands on the coastal plain. Burning had no effect on the number of fungi per gram o...
Toward verifying fossil fuel CO2 emissions with the CMAQ model: motivation, model description and initial simulation.

Motivated by the question of whether and how a state-of-the-art regional chemical transport model (CTM) can facilitate characterization of CO2 spatiotemporal variability and verify CO2 fossil-fuel emissions, we for the first time applied the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model to simulate CO2. This paper presents methods, input data, and initial results for CO2 simulation using CMAQ over the contiguous United States in October 2007. Modeling experiments have been performed to understand the roles of fossil-fuel emissions, biosphere–atmosphere exchange, and meteorology in regulating the spatial distribution of CO2 near the surface over the contiguous United States. Three sets of net ecosystem exchange (NEE) fluxes were used as input to assess the impact of uncertainty of NEE on CO2 concentrations simulated by CMAQ. Observational data from six tall tower sites across the country were used to evaluate model performance. In particular, at the Boulder Atmospheric Observatory (BAO), a tall tower site ...
Underemployment Equilibrium with Rational Expectations

In this paper I use some recent work in the microeconomics of imperfect information to construct a macro model. The microeconomic theory suggests that atomistically competitive firms face kinked demand curves. In this model there is a range of aggregate equilibria consistent with correct information. I then show that individual firms can face a free-rider problem in trying to move from one equilibrium to another by changing the price level. Monetary policy is not subject to this problem, even if the policy is fully anticipated.
Conic pencils and renormalization dynamics

Abstract Solutions as closed formulas are found for the orbits ( X n , Y n )of certain rational, planar maps which permute curves of a conic pencil and consequently reduce to a semi decoupled form b → B ( b ), u → U ( b , u ). With the solution formulas it is possible to so lve the quantum conductance problem on regular hierarchical lattices in a simple, essentially closed form.
Vector theory of cross-phase modulation: role of nonlinear polarization rotation

We develop a vector theory of cross-phase modulation (XPM) capable of describing nonlinear coupling between two pulses of different wavelengths and arbitrary states of polarization. We focus for simplicity on the pump-probe configuration and use it to investigate the temporal and spectral polarization effects occurring inside an optical fiber. Using the Stokes-vector formalism we show that the probe polarization changes in general through XPM-induced nonlinear polarization rotation. In the absence of dispersion-induced probe broadening, such nonlinear changes in the probe polarization do not affect the temporal shape of the probe pulse but produce a multipeak spectrum whose different spectral peaks have different states of polarization. When dispersive effects are included, even the shape of the probe pulse becomes polarization dependent, and different parts of the pulse develop different states of polarization. Such nonlinear polarization effects lead to novel phenomena such as polarization-dependent compression and splitting of the probe pulse.
Gentamicin: Clinical Use with Carbenicillin and In-Vitro Studies with Recent Isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

The susceptibility to gentamicin of 33 isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa recovered at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center before April, 1969, was compared to the susceptibility of 72 organisms recovered in the following 18 months. No significant difference in patterns of sensitivity was observed; 96 of 105 organisms (91%) were inhibited at or below 3.12 ig/ml. Twenty of 23 isolates from blood cultures were still inhibited at or below 3.12 pIg/ml, despite the fact that they were recovered from patients receiving gentamicin for periods exceeding four days. Of 46 organisms isolated from blood cultures during 19691970, all but two were inhibited by concentrations of 1.56 vtg/ml of gentamicin and 50 [tg/ml of carbenicillin. Fifteen cases of bacteremia due to Pseudomonas were treated with a combination of these two drugs; infection was cured in seven and controlled in two. Success in therapy was associated with remission in leukemia or control of the underlying disease.
Divalent effects on cGMP-activated currents in excised patches from amphibian photoreceptors

The light-sensitive current in photoreceptors is conducted by a single class of ion channels gated by the binding of multiple molecules of cytoplasmic cGMP. Both Na and Ca ions enter the outer segment through this channel and Ca behaves as a blocking ion, greatly reducing the influx of Na. Because intracellular Ca functions as the cytosolic messenger for light adaptation, and this channel is the major entry point for Ca into the outer segment, we seek a better understanding of the selectivity properties of the channel and how they affect intracellular Ca levels. In these studies, we added divalent cations to the cytoplasmic face of an excised patch at constant, symmetrical [Na]. Our results suggest a novel high-affinity divalent binding site at the internal face of the channel. At constant low levels of cGMP, the addition of 10–100nm cytoplasmic Ca or Mg attenuated the current 5- to 10-fold. There is also a low-affinity site, midway through the transmembrane field; saturation of this site reduces the divalent-free current ∼100-fold. The presence of a high-affinity cytoplasmic site raises the question of whether Ca regulates the photoreceptor current through a direct interaction with the channel perhaps altering the channel selectivity or kinetics.
Non‐specific and specific active immunotherapy in a B16 murine melanoma system

Conflicts amongst reports concerning the efficacy of both nonspecific and specific attempts at immunotherapy may be ascribed to different animal models utilizing tumors of different immunogenicity. We have selected the B16 mouse melanoma model as the example of a spontaneously occurring neoplasm that is histocompatible with the host and does have tumor-associated antigens. Attempts to alter tumor growth or survival with nonspecific active immunotherapy as well as with specific active immunotherapy were not successful. Nonspecific active pre-immunization failed to alter tumor take or growth. Specific active immunotherapy both with and without adjuvant did decrease tumor take and prolong host survival. The effects were increasingly documented at lower tumor cell inoculums and became less apparent with increase in the tumor cell challenge.
Continuous covariability of dopamine and serotonin metabolites in human cerebrospinal fluid

Abstract Background: Experiments in lower animals and humans have demonstrated the existence of functional interactions between serotonin and dopamine in neuronal tissue. However, the relationship between parameters of serotonin and dopamine neuronal activity over time within the central nervous system (CNS) of the individual human has not yet been established. Methods: We used continuous cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sampling over 6 hours to test the hypothesis that the serotonin metabolite 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) and the dopamine metabolite homovanillic acid (HVA) significantly covary in concentration over time. Two groups of normal volunteers (total n = 16) were studied at separate hospitals and CSF was assayed for 5-HIAA and HVA by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Three subjects underwent repeat CSF-withdrawal procedures after a 6-week interval. Results: Strong and sustained positive covariability in concentrations of HVA and 5-HIAA was observed in the CSF of individual humans. High intraindividual correlation coefficients were routinely observed; the mean intraindividual correlation coefficients were +0.897 and +0.871 in the two normal volunteer groups. The HVA to 5-HIAA concentration ratio in CSF was 2.2 ± 0.7 with very little variability over intervals ranging from minutes to weeks. Conclusions: The balance between CSF dopamine and serotonin metabolite concentrations remains relatively constant over time in healthy humans. Serial measures of CSF dopamine and serotonin metabolites within the same person could be an effective model in which to explore the interrelationships between these systems in various psychiatric syndromes, in response to drug treatment, and during provocative testing.
Growth and microstructure dependence of electronic and magnetic properties in magnetically doped Gd-Si amorphous semiconductors

A comparision of the electronic and magnetic properties of amorphous ${\mathrm{Gd}}_{x}{\mathrm{Si}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}$ $(a\text{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{Gd}\text{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{Si})$ thin-film alloys prepared by different growth techniques ($e$-beam evaporation and magnetron sputtering) is reported. High-resolution cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (HR-XTEM) and Rutherford backscattering (RBS) show that the material microstructure is highly dependent on deposition method and growth conditions. Electron-beam-evaporated films have columnar microstructure (column width $\ensuremath{\sim}10\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{nm}$) while magnetron-sputtered films prepared at low argon partial pressure are featureless. However, the dc conductivity, magnetoresistance, and $M(H,T)$ properties of the films are totally independent of this difference in microstructure at the length scale of $10\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{nm}$. RBS shows that the films have the same overall atomic number density, independent of Gd incorporation, for a wide range of doping concentrations (up to $18\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{at.}\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}%$), and HR-XTEM shows a dense, homogenous, and amorphous phase with no clustering at the atomic level. The independence of properties from the nanoscale microstructure strongly argues that the magnetic moment and charge carrier behavior observed previously are a result of fundamental interactions at the atomic level. Films sputtered at high argon pressure are less dense and have an open columnar microstructure which leads to fast degradation of film properties due to massive bulk oxidation.
Fœtal Erythritol: A Cause of the Localization of Brucella Abortus in Bovine Contagious Abortion

Fœtal Erythritol: A Cause of the Localization of Brucella Abortus in Bovine Contagious Abortion
Charisma, Converts, Competitors: Societal and Sociological Factors in the Success of Early Christianity

hy was Christianity so successful in its earliest days? That is the question which this important book examines again. It is not a new question, and answers have been given in the past by such distinguished scholars as Adolf von Harnack and R.M. Grant. But as our knowledge of the ancient world increases, new perspectives open up, and new disciplines are used, it becomes possible to approach it from fresh angles. The question why Christianity was successful inevitably takes us back to Jesus, and the first part of the book considers why people followed Jesus in the first place. Then there is an examination of why Gentiles were attracted to the new religion and why some found Christianity more appealing than its competitors. Finally, there is an investigation of what societal factors assisted Christianity, or were exploited by Christianity, in its march to triumph. This work is by no means a history of early Christianity It is rather an attempt to explain certain crucial elements in Christianity's success. The approach adopted here, making full use of the social sciences, sheds new light on some hitherto shadowy chapters and provides a new and better explanation of why Christianity triumphed in the Roman empire. Jack T. Sanders is Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies in the University of Oregon, USA.
Robust Estimates of Ordered Parameters with Right Censored Observations

Let θi denote the mean for population i, i = l,2,…,k. We would like to estimate each of the means when it is believed a priori that θ1 ≤ θ2 ≤ … ≤ θk The observations taken from each population are subject to arbitrary right censorhsip. A comparison is made between the Kaplan-Meier median and the trimmed means (α = .20, .30, and .40) when the pool adjacent violators algorithm is applied. The comparison is based on the estimated mean square errors. Various underlying population distributions are considered.
Organization of connections between the amygdaloid complex and the perirhinal and parahippocampal cortices in macaque monkeys

Neuroanatomical studies in macaque monkeys have demonstrated that the perirhinal and parahippocampal (PRPH) cortices are strongly interconnected with the hippocampal formation. Recent behavioral evidence indicates that these cortical regions are importantly involved in normal recognition memory function. The PRPH cortices are also interconnected with the amygdaloid complex, although comparatively little is known about the precise topography of these connections. We investigated the topographic organization of reciprocal connections between the amygdala and the PRPH cortices by placing anterograde and retrograde tracers throughout these three regions. We found that there was an organized arrangement of connections between the amygdala and the PRPH cortices and that the deep (lateral, basal, and accessory basal) nuclei of the amygdaloid complex were the source of most connections between the amygdala and the PRPH cortices. The temporal polar regions of the perirhinal cortex had the strongest and most widespread interconnections with the amygdala. Connections from more caudal levels of the perirhinal cortex had a more discrete pattern of termination. Perirhinal inputs to the amygdala terminated primarily in the lateral nucleus, the magnocellular and parvicellular divisions of the basal nucleus, and the magnocellular division of the accessory basal nucleus. Return projections originated predominately in the lateral nucleus, the intermediate and parvicellular divisions of the basal nucleus, and the magnocellular division of the accessory basal nucleus. The interconnections between the amygdala and the parahippocampal cortex were substantially less robust than those with the perirhinal cortex and mainly involved the basal nucleus. Area TF was more strongly interconnected with the amygdala than was area TH. Input from the parahippocampal cortex terminated predominantly in the lateral half of the parvicellular division of the basal nucleus but also to a lesser extent in the magnocellular division of the basal nucleus and the lateral nucleus. Return projections originated predominantly in the magnocellular division of the basal nucleus and were directed almost exclusively to area TF. ‘i) 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc. Indexing terms: amygdala, medial temporal lobe, memory, emotion, topography, cortical connections
Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) 2010 Annual Meeting

A tailored review of peer-reviewed abstracts presented at the 2010 Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) Annual Meeting was performed following oral presentation. This review will highlight 15 formal and informal scientific paper presentations focusing on three main topics: (1) 3D isotropic MR imaging of joints, (2) diffusion tensor imaging of peripheral nerves, and (3) dual-energy CT in the diagnosis of Gout.
How Can We Stem the Rising Tide of Multidrug‐Resistant Gram‐Negative Bacilli?

we know much less about how best to detect andprevent transmission of MDR gram-negative bacilli. Theseorganisms are relative newcomers to the healthcare-associatedinfection arena, and investigators are therefore working togather evidence about their epidemiology, patterns of trans-mission, risk factors, and outcomes. Complicating efforts todeﬁne and confront this emerging threat, MDR gram-nega-tive bacilli constitute a diverse group of organisms, each ofwhich has unique characteristics that may require speciﬁcstrategies for detection and control.The Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Com-mittee’s Management of Multidrug-Resistant Organisms inHealthcare Settings guideline lays out a 2-tier set of inter-ventions designed to prevent and respond to transmission ofMDR organisms in healthcare facilities.