cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Acute, rapid, and chronic tolerance during ontogeny: observations when equating ethanol perturbation across age.

Background: Sensitivity to the motor-impairing and hypnotic effects of ethanol (EtOH) increases notably during development. Less is known, however, about the ontogeny of EtOH tolerance and the ontogenetic relationship among different types of tolerance. Consequently, we compared the ontogenetic development of acute, rapid, and chronic tolerance to EtOH-induced motor impairment and hypothermia in a swim task. Methods: Preweanling, adolescent, and adult female and male Sprague-Dawley rats were given chronic saline (control group), five daily EtOH exposures before EtOH on test day (chronic group), one EtOH exposure before test day (rapid group), or EtOH exposure only on test day (acute groups). Separate groups of animals in the acute groups were tested at 15, 60, or 105 min after injection to estimate acute tolerance development via calculating slopes of the linear regression of impairment relative to brain alcohol levels at each postinjection interval. Initial EtOH perturbation of swim performance was equated across age by varying EtOH dose. Results: Acute tolerance was evident to the motor-impairing effects of EtOH at all ages. When impairment was indexed relative to brain alcohol levels, rapid and chronic tolerance to the motor-impairing effects of EtOH on latency to reach the start was seen across age, although this tolerance tended to be more pronounced in adults. Somewhat different ontogenetic patterns of tolerance development were observed with EtOH-induced hypothermia, a dependent measure for which EtOH perturbation was not equated across age. Conclusions: The degree of initial perturbation by EtOH seems to be an important predictor of tolerance expression during ontogeny. That is, ontogenetic profiles of tolerance development differ significantly when EtOH-induced motor impairment is equated across age rather than dose of EtOH administered . The role of target response measures and context stress should also be considered when exploring ontogenetic expression of EtOH tolerance.
Understanding Nitric Oxide Physiology in the Heart: A Nanomedical Approach

Nitric oxide (NO) is a ubiquitous signaling molecule synthesized from l-arginine and oxygen. The process is catalyzed by NO synthase (NOS), an enzyme expressed in both constitutive (endothelial, neuronal) and inducible forms. Uncoupling of constitutive NOS leads to overproduction of superoxide (O 2 − ) and peroxynitrite (ONOO − ), 2 potent oxidants. Nanosensing techniques have been developed to monitor the physiology of NO in the beating heart in vivo. These methods involve the application of nanosensors to monitor real-time dynamics of NO production in the heart as well as the dynamics of oxidative species (oxidative stress) produced in the failing heart. Results of a recent study using nanotechnology demonstrated that African Americans have an inherent imbalance of NO, O 2 − , and ONOO − production in the endothelium. The overproduction of O 2 − and ONOO − triggers the release of aggressive radicals and damages cardiac muscle (necrosis), which may explain why African Americans are at greater risk for developing cardiovascular diseases, such as hypertension and heart failure, and are more likely to have complications than European Americans. Potential therapeutic strategies to prevent or ameliorate damage to the heart during cardiac events are prevention of O 2 − and ONOO − production, supplementation of NO (NO donors), and scavenging of O 2 − (antioxidants).
Multivariate probability density functions with dynamics in the GFDL Atmospheric General Circulation Model: Global tests

AbstractA unified turbulence and cloud parameterization based on multivariate probability density functions (PDFs) has been incorporated into the GFDL atmospheric general circulation model (AM3). This PDF-based parameterization not only predicts subgrid variations in vertical velocity, temperature, and total water, which bridge subgrid-scale processes (e.g., aerosol activation and cloud microphysics) and grid-scale dynamic and thermodynamic fields, but also unifies the treatment of planetary boundary layer (PBL), shallow convection, and cloud macrophysics. This parameterization is called the Cloud Layers Unified by Binormals (CLUBB) parameterization. With the incorporation of CLUBB in AM3, coupled with a two-moment cloud microphysical scheme, AM3–CLUBB allows for a more physically based and self-consistent treatment of aerosol activation, cloud micro- and macrophysics, PBL, and shallow convection.The configuration and performance of AM3–CLUBB are described. Cloud and radiation fields, as well as most basi...
Preliminary documentation of a chine‐girder barge at Conway, South Carolina

The study of small flat-bottomed plantation craft in South Carolina began in 1983 with the discovery and study of a barge at Mepkin Abbey on the Cooper River. Since that date the author has documented a wide range of craft in contexts ranging from plantations and ferry crossings to marine phosphate mines (Newell. 1986; 1989). The flat which is the focus of this report is the first of its type observed during this 8-year study period. Its construction and hull profile indicate that the vessel is a late 18th century craft. Current research by the author into the origins of the unique design suggests eastern European or French sources for the use of iles or chine-girders, a constructional element of the craft used in conjunction with transverse planking not commonly seen in flats of English design.
Analysis of flexible manufacturing systems with distinct repeated visits: DrQ

This article examines the performance effects caused by repeated part visits at the workstations of a flexible manufacturing system (FMS). Such repeated part visits to the same workstations are commonly associated with fixture changes for machining complex parts, reclamping, and remounting or reorienting them. Since each of the repeated visits to a workstation may require different processing requirements, the resulting queueing network does not have a product form solution. We therefore develop an approximate mean value analysis model for performance evaluation of an FMS that may produce multiple part types with distinct repeated visits. We provide numerical examples and validate the accuracy of our solution algorithm against simulation. These examples show that the proposed model produces accurate throughput and utilization predictions with minimal computational efforts. These examples reveal that increasing the total pallet population may result in a reduction of the aggregate throughput, and that the FMS's performance could be more sensitive to the mix of pallets and part routes than to the total number of pallets. Our model will be of use, in particular, when managers wish to control individual operations (e.g., to adjust individual operation times to achieve economic savings in tool wear and breakage costs) or to investigate the performance implications of route changes due to alternate assignments of particular manufacturing tasks to certain workstations.
Hsp27-actin interaction.

Hsp27 oligomer is reported to interact with F-actin as a barbed-end-capping protein. The present study determined the binding strength and stoichiometry of the interaction using fluorescence of probes attached to Hsp27 cysteine-137. The fluorescence of acrylodan attached to Hsp27 increased 4-5-fold upon interaction with F-actin. Titration of the fluorescence with F-actin yielded a weak binding constant ( K D app = 5.3 μ M ) with an actin/Hsp27 stoichiometry between < 1 and 6. This stoichiometry is inconsistent with an F-actin end-capping protein. Pyrene attached to Hsp27 exhibited a large excimer fluorescence, in agreement with the known proximity of the cysteine-137's in the Hsp27 oligomer. Upon interaction with F-actin the pyrene-Hsp27 excimer fluorescence was largely lost, suggesting that Hsp27 interacts with F-actin as a monomer, consistent with the acrylodan-Hsp27 results. EM images of F-actin-Hsp27 demonstrated that Hsp27 is not a strong G-actin sequester. Thus, Hsp27, in vitro, is a weak F-actin side-binding protein.
Multi-scale modeling of microvascular reactivity

Regulation of vascular tone is a complex process that remains poorly understood. Here we present our recent efforts for the development of physiologically realistic model of an arteriole for the analysis of vasoreactivity in health and in disease. Our goal is to describe function at a macro scale level by integrating mechanisms at the subcellular/molecular level. The behavior of a cell component (i.e. current-voltage relationship of an ion channel) or a signaling pathway is described through mathematical formulations. Modeling integrates intracellular and cell membrane components into whole-cell models of calcium and membrane potential dynamics. Cellular models are coupled (i.e. through diffusion of ions and second messengers) and multi-cellular models of the vascular wall are generated, capable of investigating intercellular communication and signaling. The detailed calcium dynamics and electrophysiology models are combined with a biomechanics model to describe function at the vessel level (i.e. diameter responses to agonist or hemodynamic stimulation). At each scale, continuum models can account for spatial heterogeneity in calcium signaling and contractility. High-throughput gene expression data inform the model of changes in activity of a component (i.e. conductance of an ion channel, concentration of a protein, density of pumps and receptors) in hypertension, to appropriately modify model parameters. Thus, the outlined approach can be used to investigate cellular mechanisms underlying altered peripheral vascular resistance in hypertension.
An analysis of the fine structure in the main band of a disordered chain with dilute light impurity concentrations

The main band of a disordered binary chain is studied, using Dean's method of negative mode counting, Schmidt's method of functional equation and an approximate theory of Wu. It is found that even for dilute light impurity concentrations, the main band is not smooth as previously believed, but has fine structure. By comparing the results of these calculations, the nature of the construction of the frequency spectrum in the form of a histogram is discussed. The truncation scheme in the approximate theory of Wu is also examined. Das Hauptband einer ungeordneten binaren Kette wird mit Hilfe der Deanschen Me- thode des Zahlens der negativen Moden, der Schmidtschen Funktionalgleichungsmethode und einer Naherungstheorie von Wu studiert. Es wird gefunden, das sogar fur verdunnte Konzentrationen von leichten Verunreinigungen das Hauptband nicht glatt ist, wie vorher angenommen, sondern eine Feinstruktur hat. Durch Vergleich der Resultate wird die Natur der Konstruktion des Frequenzspektrums in Form eines Histogramms diskutiert. Das Schema des Abbrechens der Reihenentwicklung in der Naherungstheorie von Wu wird ebenfalls untersucht.
Zeno's arrow and classical phase space logics

We analyze the Zeno's familiar paradox of the arrow using recently developed non-Boolean derived logics for classical systems. We show that the paradox depends upon a premise that is identically false in such logics, so that the language of experimental propositions is immune to the paradox.
Dynamic response of anisotropic sandwich flat panels to explosive pressure pulses

This paper addresses the problem of the dynamic response in bending of flat sandwich panels exposed to time-dependent external blast pulses. The study is carried out in the context of an advanced model of sandwich structures that is characterized by anisotropic laminated face sheets and an orthotropic core layer, and a closed form solution of the dynamic response to a variety of blast pulses is provided. A detailed analysis of the influence of a large number of parameters associated with the particular type of pressure pulses, panel geometry, fiber orientation in the face sheets and, presence of tensile uni/biaxial edge loads on dynamic response is carried out, and pertinent conclusions are outlined.
Catecholamine uptake inhibitors elevate 6-hydroxydopamine in brain after administration of 6-hydroxydopa

Desipramine and nomifensine, two norepinephrine uptake blockers, elevated by 63-248% the levels of 6-hydroxydopamine found in the frontal cortex at 1-4 h after administration of 6-OH-DOPA. Nomifensine also elevated 6-hydroxydopamine by 83% in the striatum at 4 h. These results nullify prior suggestions in the literature that 6-OH-DOPA is decarboxylated to 6-hydroxydopamine mainly outside of catecholamine nerve terminals and that 6-hydroxydopamine subsequently gains access to nerve terminals via the axonal membrane transport system for catecholamines.
In Vitro Assessment of Antimicrobial Agents Against Toxoplasma gondii

We have modified a method of quantitating growth of Toxoplasma organisms by measuring incorporation of [3H]uracil into Toxoplasma-infected, differentiated L6E9 rat myocytes and have found that low-dose pyrimethamine (0.1 microgram/ml) and sulfadiazine (25 micrograms/ml) are synergistic. Pyrimethamine at higher concentrations (0.5 and 1.0 micrograms/ml) inhibits uptake to the same degree as the low-dose pyrimethamine-sulfadiazine combination. Spiramycin was effective only at high concentrations (200 micrograms/ml) and with prolonged incubation of greater than 72 h. Clindamycin and several of its analogues, methotrexate and difluoromethylornithine, were all ineffective and showed no additive effect with either pyrimethamine or sulfadiazine. Spirogermanium, an experimental antineoplastic and antiprotozoan agent, was effective only at concentrations close to those toxic to the system. 5-Fluorouracil was effective even at 0.1 microgram/ml. At 0.01 microgram/ml it was synergistic with pyrimethamine (0.1 microgram/ml), and the combination was as effective as high-dose pyrimethamine (1.0 microgram/ml).
Examples of the Motif of the Shrew in European Literature and Film

In her paper "Examples of the Motif of the Shrew O. Vasvari presents the shrew-taming story as a masterplot of both Eastern and Western folklore and literature concerned with establishing the appropriate power dynamic between a Vasvari firts reviews the comparative groundwork of the story she has documented in her earlier stu ies of the topic. In addition to tracing the bundle of motifs that make up the shrew story from medi val Arabic and European versions to the ditions. In the second part of the study, Vasvari interrogates how the appropriated and repackaged (or "transadapted") and made topical as a cinematic commodity its development from the earliest silent film versions to a recent pornographic film. Particular attention is paid to two Hungarian film versions, both produced in 1943, Both films combine elements of the shrew well as some borrowed conventions of 1930s American screwball comedy. The two films appear at a fortuitous moment, repackaging the old battle of the sexes into seeming the lightest escapist farc the same time that they promote the prewar values of gentry life and the purifying effect of harmon ous life on the land. > ISSN 1481-4374 <http://docs.lib.purdue.edu/clcweb Purdue University Press ©Purdue University , the peer-reviewed, full-text, and open-access learned journal in the ters ISI), the Humanities Index (Wilson), Human
Analysis of Electric and Magnetic Fields Measured Near TVA'S 500-kV Transmission Lines

Increasing concern over the effects of electric and magnetic fields in the vicinity of EHV overhead ac transmission lines has made it essential that the electric utilities be able to predict accurately the magnitudes of the fields. An extensive electric and magnetic fields data collection project was undertaken by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) under the sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to establish a data base of fields values in the vicinity of TVA's 500-kV transmission lines. The objectives of the TVA/DOE 500-kV electric and magnetic fields project were a) To measure, analyze and document electric and magnetic fields data in the vicinity of TVA's 500-kV transmission lines. b) To assess the effects of EHV transmission line fields on the growth and development of selected agricultural and forest species.
The Relationship Between the Private Self and Helping Victims of AIDS1

Social psychological theory is not often extended into real-world social contexts. In contrast, the current work applies the concept of increasing the accessibility of the private self (Trafimow, Triandis, & Goto, 1991) to a real-world situation; namely, helping people with AIDS. The current results show that priming the private self increases actual helping behaviors directed toward victims of AIDS as compared to a no-prime condition. Furthermore, path analyses show that empathy mediates the prime-helping relationship. No significant gender differences were observed in self-reports of empathy toward victims of AIDS, but women generally volunteered to help more than men.
Necrotizing eosinophilic folliculitis with mucinosis

A 23-year-old woman presented with a 2-week history of an extensive facial eruption consisting of markedly crusted arciform plaques covered with a haemorrhagic eschar that commenced as pruritic follicular pustules. These were associated with facial oedema but no systemic symptoms or fever. Two skin biopsies revealed prominent tissue eosinophilia with eosinophilic folliculitis and areas of follicular mucinosis, as well as haemorrhagic scale crust over the surface. The clinical and histological findings may represent an example of a necrotizing variant of eosinophilic folliculitis that has recently been reported in atopic individuals. This patient, however, did not have evidence of atopy and appeared to have a florid form of Ofuji's disease that responded rapidly to indomethacin treatment.
Extreme rays and faces for the cone of class functions non-negative on the set of Gram matrices

Abstract If f is a C -valued function with domain S m , the symmetric group on {1,2,…,m}, then the matrix function [f](·), or df(·), is defined by [f](A)=∑σf(σ)∏t=1mat,σ(t) for all m×m complex matrices A=[aij]. We consider the cone Kmcl whose elements are the Hermitian class functions f: S m → C such that [f](A)⩾0 for each A∈ H m , where H m denotes the set of all m×m positive semi-definite Hermitian matrices. The extreme rays of Kclm are fundamental to an understanding of the linear inequalities that result by restricting the various [f](·) to the sets H m . In particular, the resolution of the permanent dominance conjecture for immanants and certain related conjectures such as the conjectures of Lieb and Soules will likely involve identification and analysis of these rays. Barrett, Hall, and Loewy gave a complete list of the extreme rays of Kclm when m⩽4, and have shown that K5cl is not polyhedral. Given positive integers n and p such that n⩽p and n+p=m, we let Kcln,p denote the subcone of Kmcl consisting of all f∈Kclm such that f is expressible as a linear combination of the irreducible characters of S m associated with partitions of the form (2i,1m−2i) where 0⩽i⩽n. We show that Kcln,p is an extreme polyhedral subcone, or face, of Kclm, and give explicit formulas for each of its n+1 extreme rays. Thus, Kmcl has non-trivial polyhedral faces for all m.
Abstract 3788: Alpha-2 Heremans Schmid glycoprotein (AHSG) promotes migration in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cell lines.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the eighth most common tumor in the world. Approximately 30,000 new cases of HNSCC are reported each year and 8,000 related deaths, in the United States. HNSCC of the oral cavity is highly metastatic and has a recurrence rate of 20%-50%, with a dismal 5-year survival rate of ∼50%. African-American males have a 5-year survival rate of ∼42% while the survival rate for Caucasian males is 52%. To date, there is no consistent means for early detection or a reliable biomarker for HNSCC, thus perpetuating the lack of improvement in mortality despite advances in delivery of treatment and surgical reconstruction. In a proteomic study seeking possible biomarkers for HNSCC, AHSG was detected at elevated levels in serum. Interestingly, we have found that some HNSCC cell lines synthesize and secrete AHSG. We have also shown in earlier studies, that the lack of AHSG reduces mammary tumor incidence and prolongs tumor latency in a mouse model for breast cancer. Together, this suggests that this hepatocellular glycoprotein that is found in most body fluids including serum could be a potential biomarker for HNSCC. AHSG is a negative acute phase response protein, which makes the findings of elevated levels of AHSG in the proteomic study most intriguing. In order to evaluate the role of AHSG in HNSCC progression (proliferation and metastatic properties) in vitro, we depleted AHSG in the HNSCC cell lineSQ20B. Thus far, we show that depletion of AHSG does not affect the proliferation of SQ20B cells. However, the depletion of AHSG mediates a decrease in migration and invasion of SQ20B cells. We are currently elucidating the molecular mechanisms of AHSG-mediated motility. This work was supported by grants from the NIH-NCI-Score 1 SC1 CA134018-01 (JO); DOD W81XWH-07-1-0254 (J.O); 5 T32 HL007735-15 (SA) and U54 CA091408 (subproject, DM). Citation Format: Pamela D. Thompson, Kurt Watson, Amos Sakwe, Josiah Ochieng, Dana Marshall. Alpha-2 Heremans Schmid glycoprotein (AHSG) promotes migration in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cell lines. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3788. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-3788
Right atrial ischemia exacerbates hemodynamic compromise associated with experimental right ventricular dysfunction.

To determine the importance of right atrial function with acute right ventricular dysfunction, sequential right ventricular and right atrial ischemia were induced in 15 dogs. Right ventricular ischemia resulted in right ventricular free wall dyskinesia, right ventricular dilation by ultrasound, elevated right ventricular filling pressure and paradoxic septal motion. There were decrements in right ventricular systolic pressure (28.9 +/- 5.5 to 25.5 +/- 4.6 mm Hg) (p less than 0.05 for these and all subsequent values) and stroke work (5.66 +/- 0.94 to 2.66 +/- 0.62 g.m/m2), resulting in reductions in left ventricular preload, systolic pressure (123 +/- 11 to 97 +/- 12 mm Hg) and stroke volume (24.2 +/- 4.3 to 19.1 +/- 5.2 ml). Right atrial contractility was augmented, as indicated by increases in peak A wave amplitude (ratio of peak A wave to mean right atrial pressure 1.22 +/- 0.02 to 1.46 +/- 0.3) and right atrial stroke work (0.11 +/- 0.02 to 0.25 +/- 0.05 g.m/m2). Right atrial ischemia depressed right atrial contraction, as indicated by decreased A wave amplitude (ratio of peak A wave to mean right atrial pressure 1.46 +/- 0.3 to 1.04 +/- 0.2) and stroke work (0.25 +/- 0.05 to 0.04 +/- 0.01 g.m/m2).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The role of perilymph in the response of the semicircular canals to angular acceleration.

A new model for the response of the semicircular canals to angular motion is postulated. This model is based on evidence that the bony canal is not compartmentalized and assumes that the ampulla wall is highly flexible. It is shown that the perilymph induces a cupula displacement far greater than that produced by the endolymph alone. The predicted dynamic behavior of the canals on the basis of this model is found to be consistent with experimental observations.
Looking beyond the market.

For the most part, the market doesn't work where health care is concerned. It has been particularly ineffective in constraining costs over the past half-century, with stakeholders (insurance companies, organized medicine, pharmaceutical companies, trial lawyers) propelling runaway spending. Yet as they shape reform legislation, politicians on both sides of the aisle merely want to make relatively minor adjustments to the current system. The market is about maximizing profit, and it encourages predatory behavior by participants who have an advantage, as the stakeholders in the health care system do. Because of the asymmetry of knowledge between providers and consumers, if doctors . . .
Interfacial energies in two-phase TiAl-Ti3Al alloy

Abstract The intrinsic values of interfacial energies based on first-principles calculations, including atomic relaxation, were obtained for the three types of γ/γ interfaces and the α2/γ lamellar boundary in two- phase TiAl alloy. The pseudo-twin boundary energy is highest, ΓP = 270 mJ/m2, and the true-twin boundary energy is lowest, ΓP = 60 mJ/m2. Planar fault energies at pseudo-twin and 120°-rotational interfaces are markedly different from those in the bulk of the γ-phase, i.e., approximately, EAPB and ECSF decreases by more than 30% and ESISF increases by threefold. Enhanced mobility of ordinary dislocations along the γ/γ and α2/α interfaces (except true twin boundaries) is predicted based on the reduced ECSF values at the interfaces.
On gold diggers: Status gain or loss in age heterogamous marriages

Abstract Deviations from the age norms governing mate selection often provoke negative stereotypes regarding the participants. This article focuses on age heterogamous unions or so-called May–December marriages, involving an older person with a young spouse. The public often attributes pecuniary (gold digger) motives to the latter. Our research tests the widespread notion that the younger woman exchanges youth for status or money. Using data from the Panel on Income Dynamics, age homogamous and age heterogamous couples are compared in terms of each of the spouse's achieved and inherited status and the contribution these make to explained variance in family income. Analysis using hierarchical multiple regression revealed that, contrary to popular belief, the status of the older spouse does not make a more important contribution toward explained income. Indeed, in this study, the reverse was the case in that the wife's status contributed more toward explained income. The notion that age heterogamy in marriage represents a channel of upward mobility for young women married to older men needs systematic reexamination.
How clinician-patient communication contributes to health improvement: modeling pathways from talk to outcome.

Abstract Objective Although researchers have long investigated relationships between clinician–patient communication and health outcomes, much of the research has produced null, inconsistent, or contradictory findings. This essay examines challenges in the study of how clinician–patient communication contributes to a patient's health and offers recommendations for future research. Discussion Communication may directly impact outcomes, but more often it will have an indirect effect through its influence on intervening variables (e.g., patient understanding, clinician–patient agreement on treatment, adherence to treatment). For example, a patient communication skills intervention may not directly improve pain control for cancer patients. However, it may do so indirectly by activating patients to talk about cancer pain, which prompts the physician to change pain medication, which leads to better pain control. Additionally, communication measurement is complicated because relationships among communication behavior, meaning, and evaluation are complex. Conclusion Researchers must do more to model pathways linking clinician–patient communication to the outcomes of interest, particularly pathways in which the communication effects are indirect or mediated through other variables. To better explicate how communication contributes to health outcomes, researchers must critically reflect on the assumptions they are making about communication process and choose measures consistent with those assumptions.
The role of acetyl coenzyme A: Butyrate coenzyme A in the transferase uptake of butyrate by isolated membrane vesicles of Escherichia coli

The acetyl CoA:butyrate CoA transferase catalyzes the translocation of butyrate in membrane vesicles prepared from a strain of Escherichia coli which is depressed for the acetoacetate degradation operon. Butyrate accumulated in the membranes as butyryl CoA. The role of the transferase in uptake is supported by the following observations: (i) uptake is stimulated by acetyl CoA; (ii) the solubilized CoA transferase and uptake exhibit KmS for butyrate, pH optima and levels inhibition by N-ethylmaleimide that are virtually identical; (iii) significant amounts of the CoA transferase are found associated with the membranes and uptake is rapidly inhibited by butyryl CoA and acetate, the products of the CoA transferase-catalyzed reaction. The fact that butyrate uptake did not exhibit saturation kinetics with increasing concentrations of acetyl CoA suggested that the transferase is not localized on the outer surface of the membrane. The level of free butyrate in the vesicles, the fact that butyrate uptake exhibited saturation kinetics with increasing concentrations of butyrate, and the observation that radioactivity was not rapidly lost from the vesicles following addition of butyryl CoA or acetate to incubation mixtures indicated that butyrate is translocated rather than trapped by the CoA transferase.
Anticosmic-shielded ultralow-background germanium detector systems for analysis of bulk environmental samples

A low-level gamma-ray counting system has been developed which reduces system background, relative to other typical low-background systems, by a factor of ten in the energy region below one MeV, and by as much as a factor of forty at higher energies. This germanium-diode gamma-ray spectrometer was constructed for a modest investment above that required for a conventional germanium detector. The techniques involved use: (1) materials of known radiopurity to surround the diode, (2) an active external anticosmic shield to reduce the background continuum due to interactions of cosmic particles with the detector and passive lead shielding, and (3) nitrogen exhausted from the cryogenic dewar to minimize the introduction of ubiquitous radon decay nuclei into the sample counting chamber. A novel method for handling samples prior to counting is presented. Also; some of the difficulties encountered in calibrating a system intended for bulk samples are discussed.
Induction of antigen-specific CD8+ cytolytic T cells by the exogenous bacterial antigen streptolysin O in rhesus monkeys.

We have characterized the T cell responses induced by streptolysin O (SLO), a sulfydryl-activated hemolysin secreted by streptococci, by applying long-term in vitro culture and cloning rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta) T cells. T cell lines specific for SLO were obtained from three rhesus monkeys. These T cell lines required autologous antigen-presenting cells (APC) to proliferate in response to SLO and did not respond to purified protein derivative. Phenotypic analysis showed that the cells from two of three SLO-specific T cell lines were more than 85% CD3+CD4−CD8+ after prolonged in vitro culture. The rh 1842 CD8+ T cell line proliferative response to SLO was inhibited by the addition of anti-major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I and anti-CD8 but not of anti-MHC class II and anti-CD4 monoclonal antibody (mAb). This cell line was able to lyse P815 target cells in the presence of anti-CD3 mAb and did not show natural killer activity. Moreover, specific lysis of autologous but not allogeneic non-rosetting E− cell targets pulsed with SLO was observed. Such lysis was inhibited by the addition of anti-MHC class I mAb. In the attempt to identify the restriction elements involved in SLO presentation APC from six unrelated rhesus monkeys and three humans were used. A CD4+ rh 1842 T cell clone responded when SLO was presented by one of six, and a CD8+ rh 1842 T cell clone by four of six rhesus monkeys APC. Both CD4+ and CD8+ T cell clones did not respond when SLO was presented by human APC. However, both clones responded when APC from all donors were used in conjunction with anti-CD3 mb. Furthermore, SLO required active processing to be presented to CD4+ and CD8+ T cell clones as glutaraldehyde fixation of APC before but not after antigen pulsing inhibited T cell proliferation. The SLO-specific CD8+ cytolytic T cells described here could play a role in the regulation of the immune response occurring during streptococcal infections and/or could participate in the pathogenesis of poststreptococcal nonsuppurative sequelae.
Intruder Detection: An Optimal Decision Analysis Strategy

This study considers a situation in which a sensor network aims to protect a stationary target (e.g., a large battleship at anchor) and detects signals from approaching objects (e.g., small boats traveling in a harbor). Once the network detects a sufficient number of signals from the object (for example, through video surveillance), it may classify the object's intention as hostile and act accordingly by informing responders. The objective is to design an optimal strategy for recognition that guarantees accurate and timely intruder detection. We show that the optimal policy is of a control limit threshold.
Ex vivo soluble fas ligand treatment of donor cells to selectively reduce murine acute graft versus host disease.

Top of pageAbstract Allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) and donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI) provide valuable treatments for a range of diseases. However, the therapeutic utility of BMT and DLI is reduced by the high incidence of graft versus host disease (GvHD) mediated by activated donor T lymphocytes directed against recipient alloantigens. Using mouse models, we developed and evaluated a strategy to selectively enhance activation-induced cell death (AICD) of anti-recipient T cells within transplant donor cell populations, with the goal of reducing GvHD. Responder T lymphocytes were incubated ex vivo with irradiated allogenic stimulator cells in a mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) in the presence of soluble Fas ligand (sFasL). This ex vivo sFasL treatment reduced proliferation to the allogeneic stimulator cells in vitro andabrogated acute GvHD capacity in vivo. In contrast, the secondary immune responsiveness of the ex vivo sFasL-treated responder T cells to an unrelated model antigen was preserved. Furthermore, upon adoptive transfer in a DLI model, ex vivo sFasL-treated T cells were able to reject a model tumor. Finally, ex vivo sFasL treatment of bone marrow cells did not reduce their hematopoietic engraftment capacity. Thus, ex vivo treatment with sFasL appears to have potential for translation to clinical cell processing of BMT allografts and DLI infusions.
Directed self-assembly of mesoscopic electronic components into sparse arrays with controlled orientation using diamagnetic levitation

Abstract This paper presents a directed self-assembly (DSA) approach for assembling small electronic components, such as semiconductor dies, into sparse 2D arrays using diamagnetic levitation. The dies attached to a diamagnetic layer can be levitated at a room temperature over a stage made of magnets arranged in a checkerboard pattern. By selecting a proper die design, levitation height, and vibration pattern of the magnetic stage we assemble the dies into a regular 2D array with a specific lateral and vertical orientation of the dies. The assembled dies are transferred to a receiving substrate using capillary force.
An improved heat bath method for vectorized processing

Abstract A heat bath combined with a Metropolis method for updating the links of lattice gauge theory is proposed. It is a variation of the method of N. Cabibbo and E. Marinari [ Phys. Lett. B 119 , 387 (1982)], but is better suited for vectorized programs and parallel processors. It preserves the essential features of that method, but runs at a slightly faster speed.
The Alamo Remembered: Tejano Accounts and Perspectives

The Alamo Remembered: Tejano Accounts and Perspectives. TIMOTHY M. MATOVINA. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1995. xii. 146 pp., figures, bibliography, index, illustrations.
Gains and losses of migrants and income through intercounty migration in the U.S., 1992–1993

Abstract Migration alters both the origin and destination of migrants in a variety of ways. This study uses data recently made available by the Internal Revenue Service to document gains and losses of both persons and income accruing to counties in the United States as a result of internal migration between 1992 and 1993. The degree to which migration alters the size of a county's population as well as the amount of income received in that county is assessed by means of effectiveness rates which are ratios of net flows to total flows. The majority of counties, especially those in the South and West gained both migrants and income during the period; losses were confined largely to the Northeast, Great Plains and California. Counties at the edges of large metropolitan areas gained income even more rapidly than people; counties containing large central cities lost income even faster than they lost migrants. Amenity-laden recreational and retirement counties were also among those who gained both people and income via migration. Overall, these results indicate an exacerbation of demographic and economic differences between regions as well as within metropolitan areas.
2008 Benjamin Franklin medal in life science is Presented to Victor Ambros, Ph.D. (University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts), Gary Ruvkun, Ph.D. (Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts) and David Baulcombe, Ph.D., FRS (University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK)

Abstract The discovery of small RNAs that can turn off genes has given us a new way to think about how genes are regulated. These molecules are present in all complex organisms and are thought to regulate upwards of 30% of human genes. Due to their small size, their discovery was surprisingly recent and was underappreciated initially. Beginning with two back-to-back papers published in 1993, the labs of Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun reported the first small RNA (now known as a microRNA or miRNA) and how it regulated a target mRNA in the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans through base-pairing interactions. It took until 1999 for another report to document novel small RNAs in complex systems, when David Balcoumbe discovered similarly sized molecules, now known as small interfering RNAs or siRNAs, that were associated with shutting off or “silencing” genes in plants. A frenzy of reports on small RNAs and their roles in turning off genes ensued with many researchers including Ambros, Ruvkun, and Baulcombe prominently participating. Almost instantly it became clear that small RNAs were not a quaint oddity exclusive to the worm, and molecular biology was never the same. Now we know that these molecules are critical for normal growth and development, are associated with cancer and other diseases, and have tremendous applied potential to improve agriculture and human health.
Optical phase-noise dynamics of Titanium:sapphire optical frequency combs

Abstract Stabilized optical frequency combs (OFC) can have remarkable levels of coherence across their broad spectral bandwidth. We study the scaling of the optical noise across hundreds of nanometers of optical spectra. We measure the residual phase noise between two OFC׳s (having offset frequencies f 0 ( 1 ) and f 0 ( 2 ) ) referenced to a common cavity-stabilized narrow linewidth CW laser. Their relative offset frequency Δ f 0 = f 0 ( 2 ) − f 0 ( 1 ) , which appears across their entire spectra, provides a convenient measure of the phase noise. By comparing Δ f 0 at different spectral regions, we demonstrate that the observed scaling of the residual phase noise is in very good agreement with the noise predicted from the standard frequency comb equation.
Inflammation and cancer: the long reach of Ras.

For decades cancer biologists have thought of oncogenes in terms of their ability to prompt tumor growth and survival, acting within the cancer cell. That viewpoint is now changing to take into account data showing that oncogenes influence inflammation. Insights now emerge from work on Ras and the proinflammatory mediator interleukin-8, produced by tumor-infiltrating immune cells.
BMJ endgames: a new web-based BMJ/JGIM collaboration.

I n November 2013, USAToday, 1 WebMD and other news outlets reported the results of a study presented at an American Heart Association annual meeting in Dallas. The study highlighted common symptoms that preceded heart attacks in 567 men aged 35 to 65 years, based on retrospective chart review. The results, though not unexpected, seemed to gain traction because of the recent death of a well-known actor (James Gandolfini, The Sopranos) from a sudden myocardial infarction. To quote the USAToday synopsis of the study:
Radical Theory, Relevance, And The Geography Of Crime

(1975). Radical Theory, Relevance, And The Geography Of Crime. The Professional Geographer: Vol. 27, No. 3, pp. 283-284.
Interdisciplinary computing is the answer: now, what was the question?

CURRENT WAVES - INTERDISCIPLINARITY is all the rage. The terms have become clich's: break down the silos and remove barriers to cooperation. Motivations vary. Thus, of course, there are various problems that the new collaborations are expected to address. Some people do not expect success from interdisciplinarity at all, as they see the whole approach as counterproductive and a threat to the integrity of the individual disciplines.
First-cousin Marriage in Tudor and Stuart England: 1540-1688

The early history of cousin marriage in England is a story of royal passion and religious zeal. Beginning with the complex marital career of Henry VIII and focusing on the fierce Protestant–Catholi...
Starting and sustaining an undergraduate research program in computer science (abstract only)

The number of REU programs funded in Computer & Information Science and Engineering has increased from 6--12 per year prior to 2007 to a current level of 12--20 per year [www.nsf.gov]. Participation in research broadens students' experience base, increases their readiness for graduate school and the workforce, and develops their critical problem solving and communication skills. Research experiences are particularly effective at increasing the retention and success of women and minorities in computing fields [Cuny & Aspray, SIGCSE Bulletin 2002; Russell et al., Science 2007]. Despite the importance and prevalence of undergraduate research, many faculty are expected to involve undergraduates in research without having any direct experience or mentoring. Meanwhile, a growing interest in experiential learning at many institutions has led to a recent development of institutional environments in which undergraduate research is strongly supported. In many disciplines, such an environment naturally supports basic research programs that are inclusive of both under- and upperclassmen. However, computer science research at the undergraduate level presents a major challenge: most students who have the requisite knowledge to complete a novel research project are already close to graduation, which can make it difficult to involve undergraduates in longer-term research projects. In this bof, we hope to gather both experienced and novice research advisers to discuss strategies for running a continuous research effort across several graduating classes.
Effect of Interleukin-11 on the Levels of mRNAs Encoding Heme Oxygenase and Haptoglobin in Human HepG2 Hepatoma Cells

Effect of recombinant human interleukin-11 (rhIL-11) on the expression of transcripts encoding microsomal heme oxygenase (HO), the rate-limiting enzyme in heme catabolism, and haptoglobin (Hpt), a major acute-phase protein, were examined in human HepG2 hepatoma cells. Treatment of HepG2 cells with rhIL-11 elicited an increase in HO mRNA in a dose- and a time-dependent fashion. The dose response curve, its magnitude of response and its time course were similar to those observed with recombinant human interleukin-6 (rhIL-6). In contrast, rhIL-11 had a far smaller effect on the level of Hpt mRNA than did rhIL-6. These findings demonstrate that the two cytokines are similar in regulating heme catabolism, while markedly different in inducing certain acute-phase proteins.
International theory revisited

There is a dispute among scholars over the fundamental determinants of international relations: do political and military factors by themselves account for international structure and change, or do economic factors also have to be included in any satisfactory intellectual conspectus of world politics? In the early 1970s the literature on transnationalism' and interdependence2 had appeared to resolve the issue in favor of a broader perspective, which centrally placed economics among its independent variables. Since then, and with fits and starts, new works have begun to stress that the analysis of military and political power may be a well-nigh sufficient approach to the international relations field. 3 It has been emphasized that power and hegemony set the con-
Clouds, Hazes, and the Stratospheric Methane Abundance in Neptune

Analysis of high-spatial-resolution (approximately 0.8 arcsec) methane band and continuum imagery of Neptune's relatively homogeneous Equatorial Region yields significant constraints on (1) the stratospheric gaseous methane mixing ratio (f(sub CH4, S)), (2) the column abundances and optical properties of stratospheric and tropospheric hydrocarbon hazes, and (3) the wavelength-dependent single-scattering albedo of the 3-bar opaque cloud. From the center-to-limb behavior of the 7270-A and 8900-A CH4 bands, the stratospheric methane mixing ratios is limited to f(sub CH4, S) less than 1.7 x 10(exp -3), with a nominal value of f(sub CH4, S) = 3.5 x 10(exp -4), one to two orders of magnitude less than pre-Voyager estimates, but in agreement with a number of recent ultraviolet and thermal infrared measurements, and largely in agreement with the tropopause mixing ratio implied by Voyager temperature measurements. Upper limits to the stratospheric haze mass column abundance and 6190-A and 8900-A haze opacities are 0.61 micrograms/sq cm and 0.075 and 0.042, respectively, with nominal values of 0.20 micrograms/sq cm and 0.025 and 0.014 for the 0.2 micrometers radius particles preferred by the recent Voyager PPS analysis of Pryor et al. (1992). The tropospheric CH4 haze opacities are comparable to that found in the stratosphere, i.e., upper limits of 0.104 and 0.065 at 6190 A and 8900 A, respectively, with nominal values of 0.085 and 0.058. This indicates a column abundance less than 11.0 micrograms/sq cm, corresponding to the methane gas content within a well-mixed 3% methane tropospheric layer only 0.1 cm thick near the 1.5-bar CH4 condensation level. Conservative scattering is ruled out for the opaque cloud near 3 bars marking the bottom of the visible atmosphere. Specifically, we find cloud single-scattering albedos of 0.915 +/- 0.006 at 6340 A, 0.775 +/- 0.012 at 7490 A, and 0.803 +/- 0.010 at 8260 A. Global models utilizing a complete global spectrum confirm the red-absorbing character of the 3-bar cloud. The global-mean model has approximately 7.7 times greater stratospheric aerosol content than the Equatorial Region. An analysis of stratospheric haze precipitation rates indicates a steady-state haze production rate of 0.185-1.5 x 10(exp -14) g/sq cm/s, in agreement with recent theoretical photochemical estimates. Finally, reanalysis of the Voyager PPS 7500-A phase angle data utilizing the f(sub CH4, S) value derived here confirms the Pryor et al. result of a tropospheric CH4 haze opacity of a few tenths in the 22-30 degs S latitude region, several times that of the Equatorial Region or of the globe. The factor-of-10 reduction in f(sub CH4, S) below that assumed by Pryor et al. implies decreased gas absorption and consequently a decrease in the forward-scattering component of tropospheric aerosols.