cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of cycloheximide and sulfhydryl-binding compounds on sensitivity of oat tissues to Helminthosporium victoriae toxin

Abstract Helminthosporium victoriae releases a toxin which is known to disrupt the plasma membrane of susceptible but not resistant oat cells. Exposure of oat tissues to cycloheximide (2 to 5 μg/ml) for 12 h decreased the sensitivity to toxin by 70 to 90%, as measured by toxin-induced electrolyte leakage. The original level of sensitivity was regained 48 h after tissues were removed from cycloheximide. Brief pre-treatment of tissues with several sulfhydryl-binding compounds ( N -ethylmaleimide, dinitrofluorobenzene, iodoacetate and sodium arsenite) decreased toxin-induced leakage by 70 to 90%. A decrease in sensitivity of tissues was evident 1 min after pre-treatment, and there was a maximum decrease at 10 min. The dinitrofluorobenzene but not the ethylmaleimide effect was reversed in the presence of β-mercaptoethanol. Pre-treatment with sulfhydryl-binding compounds and cycloheximide did not decrease electrolyte leakage induced by non-specific injuries. Many other metabolic inhibitors did not affect toxin-sensitivity of oat tissues; thus the counteractive effects are relatively specific. The data support the hypothesis that toxin interacts with specific protein receptors in the host cell.
Inverse Spectral Problem for Analytic {{(\mathbb{Z}/2 \mathbb{Z})^{n}}} -Symmetric Domains in {{\mathbb{R}^{n}}}

We prove that bounded real analytic domains in $${\mathbb{R}^{n}}$$ , with the symmetries of an ellipsoid and with one axis length fixed, are determined by their Dirichlet or Neumann eigenvalues among other bounded real analytic domains with the same symmetries and axis length. Some non-degeneracy conditions are also imposed on the class of domains. It follows that bounded, convex analytic domains are determined by their spectra among other such domains. This seems to be the first positive result for the well-known Kac problem, “Can one hear the shape of a drum?”, in higher dimensions.
Interfacing light source users to the control system

Abstract At present, light source users mostly interact with the control system indirectly through status displays and beamline controls. Users can now be provided with more direct access, the principal need for which has developed with the installation of high resolution beamlines and insertion devices. This paper provides an introduction to light source control systems and discusses how users can interact with them, using the Aladdin light source at the Synchrotron Radiation Center (SRC) for examples.
Quality and the True Cost of Child Care

Professionals in early childhood care and education often claim that child care fees do not reflect the true cost of services, because of subsidies and in-kind contributions. This paper reports results that identify the kinds of subsidies and estimate their importance in seven sites, representing four different kinds of child care settings, in the Denver-Boulder metropolitan area. The study estimated the importance of five types of possible subsidies in the child care industry: from staff to clients due to abnormally low wages, from noncash and cash contributions, from philanthropic and government sources, and from subsidies implicit in fee schedules. In the average nonprofit center studied, resources that would cost $638 per month were reduced to a net cost (to the family) of $149 because of subsidies. Low wages were the primary factor holding down costs in child care, reducing costs an average of $186 per child per month. Contributions to the centers and subsidies to parents also played major roles. There was substantial variation among the sites, and the relations between cost, client socioeconomic status, and quality of care were complex and uneven.
Intravascular coagulation in generalized herpes simplex infection of the newborn.

Summary A case of disseminated herpes simplex virus infection in a newborn associated with a fatal bleeding diathesis is reported. The presence of intravascular coagulation was suggested by thrombocytopenia, fibrinogenopenia, and reduced Factor V level. At necropsy localized fibrin and platelet deposition was found in liver and lung. It is postulated that intravascular coagulation resulted from local tissue necrosis and the subsequent release of thrombo-plastin-like substances into the general circulation. Heparin therapy did not alter the fatal outcome.
ΔFosB-Mediated Alterations in Dopamine Signaling Are Normalized by a Palatable High-Fat Diet

Background Sensitivity to reward has been implicated as a predisposing factor for behaviors related to drug abuse as well as overeating. However, the underlying mechanisms contributing to reward sensitivity are unknown. We hypothesized that a dysregulation in dopamine signaling might be an underlying cause of heightened reward sensitivity whereby rewarding stimuli could act to normalize the system. Methods We used a genetic mouse model of increased reward sensitivity, the ΔFosB-overexpressing mouse, to examine reward pathway changes in response to a palatable high-fat diet. Markers of reward signaling in these mice were examined both basally and following 6 weeks of palatable diet exposure. Mice were examined in a behavioral test following high-fat diet withdrawal to assess the vulnerability of this model to removal of rewarding stimuli. Results Our results demonstrate altered reward pathway activation along the nucleus accumbens-hypothalamic-ventral tegmental area circuitry resulting from overexpression of ΔFosB in the nucleus accumbens and striatal regions. Levels of phosphorylated cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) response element binding protein (pCREB), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and dopamine and cyclic adenosine monophosphate regulated phosphoprotein with a molecular mass of 32 kDa (DARPP-32) in the nucleus accumbens were reduced in ΔFosB mice, suggestive of reduced dopamine signaling. Six weeks of high-fat diet exposure completely ameliorated these differences, revealing the potent rewarding capacity of a palatable diet. ΔFosB mice also showed a significant increase in locomotor activity and anxiety-related responses 24 hours following high-fat withdrawal. Conclusions These results establish an underlying sensitivity to changes in reward related to dysregulation of ΔFosB and dopamine signaling that can be normalized with palatable diets and may be a predisposing phenotype in some forms of obesity.
Use of bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana) as biological markers for 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin contamination in the environment

Abstract Adult bullfrogs were collected along the Rockey Branch Creek in Arkansas. This area is known to be contaminated with 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo- p -dioxine (2,3,7,8-TCDD). The levels of 2,3,7,8-TCDD found in livers from these bullfrogs ranged from 0.64 to 48 ppb. These results suggest the utility of bullgrogs as a biological marker for 2,3,7,8-TCDD in the environment.
A Characterization of Almost-Planar Graphs

Kuratowski's Theorem, perhaps the most famous result in graph theory, states that K5 and K3,3 are the only non-planar graphs for which both G\e, the deletion of the edge e, and G/e, the contraction of the edge e, are planar for all edges e of G. We characterize the almost-planar graphs, those non-planar graphs for which G\e or G/e is planar for all edges e of G. This paper gives two characterizations of the almost-planar graphs: an explicit description of the structure of almost-planar graphs; and an excluded minor criterion. We also give a best possible bound on the number of edges of an almost-planar graph.
Hepatic steatosis in diabetic patients does not predict adverse liver-related or cardiovascular outcomes.

Background & Aims Steatosis is a defining feature of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, evidence that severity of steatosis can predict adverse outcomes in NAFLD or nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is lacking. The aim of this study was to determine whether steatosis assessed by computed tomography (CT) imaging predicts adverse outcomes in diabetic patients at risk for NAFLD/NASH. Methods We studied deaths, liver-related and cardiovascular adverse outcomes in a 5-year retrospective observational cohort of 2343 type 2 diabetic patients in a large care network who had noncontrast CT imaging for clinical indications. We measured steatosis by subtraction of spleen from liver attenuation, a method that showed low sensitivity (0.417) and high specificity (0.882) compared with histopathological scoring. We evaluated outcomes prediction using multivariate Cox proportional hazards modelling of steatosis both as a categorical (≥30%) and continuous variable. Results Steatosis ≥30% was present in 233 (9.9%) of the cohort at baseline. Over 5 years, there were 372 total deaths, 18 liver-related and 99 cardiovascular deaths, 48 liver transplants, 51 occurrences of hepatic encephalopathy, 41 hepatocellular carcinomas, 653 myocardial infarctions, 66 strokes, 180 occurrences of angina, 735 occurrences of arrhythmia and 772 occurrences of congestive heart failure. Steatosis had no predictive value for any adverse outcome. Patients with steatosis averaged 8 years younger than those without it. Age had a strong covariate influence on occurrence of total deaths, cardiovascular deaths, myocardial infarctions, arrhythmias and congestive heart failure. Conclusion Although steatosis on imaging is often the abnormality that triggers diagnosis and assessment of NAFLD/NASH, it lacks predictive value for adverse clinical outcomes.
Neurometabolic mechanisms for memory enhancement and neuroprotection of methylene blue

This paper provides the first review of the memory-enhancing and neuroprotective metabolic mechanisms of action of methylene blue in vivo. These mechanisms have important implications as a new neurobiological approach to improve normal memory and to treat memory impairment and neurodegeneration associated with mitochondrial dysfunction. Methylene blue's action is unique because its neurobiological effects are not determined by regular drug-receptor interactions or drug-response paradigms. Methylene blue shows a hormetic dose-response, with opposite effects at low and high doses. At low doses, methylene blue is an electron cycler in the mitochondrial electron transport chain, with unparalleled antioxidant and cell respiration-enhancing properties that affect the function of the nervous system in a versatile manner. A major role of the respiratory enzyme cytochrome oxidase on the memory-enhancing effects of methylene blue is supported by available data. The memory-enhancing effects have been associated with improvement of memory consolidation in a network-specific and use-dependent fashion. In addition, low doses of methylene blue have also been used for neuroprotection against mitochondrial dysfunction in humans and experimental models of disease. The unique auto-oxidizing property of methylene blue and its pleiotropic effects on a number of tissue oxidases explain its potent neuroprotective effects at low doses. The evidence reviewed supports a mechanistic role of low-dose methylene blue as a promising and safe intervention for improving memory and for the treatment of acute and chronic conditions characterized by increased oxidative stress, neurodegeneration and memory impairment.
Bringing information literacy to career services

Purpose – The purpose and the importance of information literacy initiatives continue to gain recognition outside the walls of libraries. The success of these initiatives depends largely on their integration into institutional curricula. Librarian outreach to faculty and academic departments is instrumental for successful integration. Student services divisions, however, are often overlooked as areas in need of librarian outreach and information literacy instruction. This paper will show how innovative outreach activities have helped to forge a partnership between the University at Buffalo Libraries and the University's Career Services Office.Design/methodology/approach – A review of the literature reveals how instruction librarians have employed outreach activities to integrate information literacy into the curricula of biology, business, chemistry, psychology, and many other academic disciplines. Examples of integrating information literacy into academic programs are also in evidence.Findings – The afor...
Emerging multiply resistant enterococci among clinical isolates. II. Validation of the etest to recognize glycopeptide-resistant strains.

Abstract Accurate, quantitative susceptibility testing of the enterococci for glycopeptide (vancomycin and teicoplanin) activity has become very important to guide chemotherapy as a result of emerging resistance. Reference dilution tests using broth and agar are generally difficult to perform, or in some commercial forms have demonstrated interpretive error. An alternative method, the Etest has promise as a system with qualitative and quantitative accuracy. Nearly 2000 enterococci from 97 laboratories in the United States were tested using broth microdilution, disk diffusion, and Etest methods. The Etest quantitative accuracy (±1 log 2 dilution) compared to the broth microdilution minimum inhibitory concentration was 90.1% (teicoplanin) to 94.1% (vancomycin). The qualitative interpretive accuracy of the Etest ranged from 98.7% for vancomycin to 99.9% for teicoplanin ( no false-susceptible errors). All three tests were in remarkable agreement, with ⩽0.8% maximal discord by interpretive category. The Etest appears to be an excellent alternative to reference and standardized methods for producing quantitative activity measurements of glycopeptide susceptibility or resistance.
Interleaving Helps Students Distinguish among Similar Concepts

When students encounter a set of concepts (or terms or principles) that are similar in some way, they often confuse one with another. For instance, they might mistake one word for another word with a similar spelling (e.g., allusion instead of illusion) or choose the wrong strategy for a mathematics problem because it resembles a different kind of problem. By one proposition explored in this review, these kinds of errors occur more frequently when all exposures to one of the concepts are grouped together. For instance, in most middle school science texts, the questions in each assignment are devoted to the same concept, and this blocking of exposures ensures that students need not learn to distinguish between two similar concepts. In an alternative approach described in this review, exposures to each concept are interleaved with exposures to other concepts, so that a question on one concept is followed by a question on a different concept. In a number of experiments that have compared interleaving and blocking, interleaving produced better scores on final tests of learning. The evidence is limited, though, and ecologically valid studies are needed. Still, a prudent reading of the data suggests that at least a portion of the exposures should be interleaved.
Vacuum filling process for electrolyte in enhancing electrochromic polymer window assembly

The electrochromic (EC) smart window developed in our group is based on EC polymers. This is a multilayer structured device, with an ion conductive electrolyte sandwiched between the EC and ion storage layers. Achieving a void free and uniform electrolyte layer without damaging the EC polymer thin film is the key process, which strongly affects the mass production of large sized electrochromic window (ECW). We developed a vacuum filling station system for ECW. A specially shaped ECW with inlet port was designed and used in the test. Dimension of the cavity between two layers was controlled by glass beads spacer (30–50 µm). Using the principle of fluid capillary effect, low vacuum pressure (∼100 µm Hg) helps to accelerate liquid electrolyte (propylene carbonate dissolved with lithium perchlorate) filling into the cavity without bubbles. The developed vacuum filling station system demonstrated enhancing ECW assembly. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
ON PERMANENT PERTURBATIONS OF ZONAL ATMOSPHERIC MOTION, WITH APPLICATIONS TO LOW LATITUDES

Abstract If the pressure is eliminated from the vorticity equation, this vector equation and the continuity equation constitute a system of four, independent scalar equations in the four dependent variables, consisting of the momentum components and the density. In this paper, these basic equations are used for study of those zonally propagated permanent-type flows which have small relative velocities. At first, relationships are deduced directly from the differential equations. Perhaps chief of these is a positive correlation in the lower layers of the atmosphere between the vertical and poleward momentum-components. Finally, the equations are integrated in terms of arbitrarily assignable fields, and a numerical example is presented.
Characterizing relationships between population density and nighttime imagery for Denver, Colorado: issues of scale and representation

This paper maps and characterizes the correlation between population density and nighttime imagery over Denver, Colorado. Photographs taken at night from the International Space Station (ISS) have finer spatial and spectral resolution than existing nocturnal observing satellites such as the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program's Operational Linescan System (DMSP OLS). We determined the correlation between the city lights of Denver, Colorado, and several representations of population and population density derived from census data. The DMSP OLS proved to have a stronger correlation than any of the finer resolution ISS photograph bands. This study suggests that exclusive use of nighttime images with finer spatial and spectral resolution will not necessarily improve our ability to use nighttime imagery for modelling traditional representations of population. However, analysis of the spatial patterns of error indicates that finer resolution imagery may be a good proxy of conceptualizations of population density that account for human spatial behaviour. Future research may demonstrate that imagery such as the ISS photographs may prove to be uniquely capable of informing more sophisticated representations of complex phenomena such as ambient population density, land-use intensity and impervious surface.
The Influence of Family Structure Vs. Family Climate on Adolescent Well-Being

A study was conducted to explore adolescent well-being as a function of family climate versus family structure. Two hundred seventy-eight adolescents (52% female, 48% male; mean age = 14.78 years) completed questionnaires that assessed family structure (nuclear, single-parent, step), family climate (level of satisfaction with one’s family and level of negative affect in one’s family), and several indicators of current well-being (educational expectations, self-esteem, hopelessness, delinquent attitude scores, and optimism). Participant well-being did not vary by family structure. However, family climate and well-being were significantly related. Implications of the study’s findings are discussed.
Measurements of Moisture Suction and Diffusion Coefficient in Hot-Mix Asphalt and Their Relationships to Moisture Damage

A procedure for measuring the total suction in hot-mix asphalt (HMA) mixes was developed in this study. Suction measurements were related to physical and chemical properties of HMA that influence moisture damage. This procedure was achieved in two phases. In the first phase, the total suction was measured in HMA specimens with different types of aggregates and with different air void distributions and aggregate gradations. The results showed that the drying test using a 60° C temperature-controlled room was the most appropriate setup for measuring the total suction in HMA with thermocouple psychrometers. The characteristics of suction-moisture content curves were found to be related to the air void distribution in HMA and to the resistance of the mixtures to moisture damage. In the second phase, total suction was measured in sand asphalt specimens. These specimens had different combinations of aggregates and binders that exhibited different field resistances to moisture damage. The suction measurements we...
Accuracy of surrogate decision making in elective surgery.

Purpose To assess the accuracy of surrogate decision making for elective cataract surgery. Setting Comprehensive Ophthalmology Department of Tertiary Care Hospital. Methods Decisions regarding elective cataract surgery of currently competent, elderly patients were compared with the predictions of patient-identified surrogate decision makers in scenarios of current state of mental health and progressive dementia. Patients were identified (age >50 years, Mini-Mental Status Score >20, absence of significant noncataract pathology) consecutively at a scheduled clinic visit to a single provider. Preferences for cataract surgery in the current state of health and hypothetical progressive dementia were assessed on a Likert scale. The same interviewer contacted patient-identified surrogate decision makers within 48 hours. Independently, a survey of community ophthalmologists was performed. The concordance of surrogate predictions with patient preferences (32 pairs) was assessed using percentage agreement, the κ coefficient with dichotomous Likert scale data, and chi-square analyses (concordance beyond chance). Results In their current state of health, most patients said they would prefer to have surgery if they were deemed to have a visually significant cataract, which was accurately predicted by surrogates (72% agreement, κ = 0.65, chi square = 16.5). In a hypothetical dementia scenario, contrary to perceptions of patients and their surrogates, proxies were unable to accurately represent a patient's wishes for elective cataract surgery (34% agreement, κ = 0.23, chi square = 14.4). Physicians tended to withhold intervention in the dementia scenario. Conclusions The findings suggest that current methods of decision making in elective surgery for patients unable to make autonomous decisions may be seriously flawed. This extends previous findings of inaccuracy with the substituted judgment approach to end-of-life issues to reflect elective surgical scenarios.
Evolution of blood oxygen transport in the newt, Taricha

Abstract We have compared the respiratory characteristics of blood from adults of two species of newts, Taricha granulosa and T. rivularis, which differ in their commitment to an aquatic environment. We have found that the blood of the more aquatic species, granulosa, has a lower oxygen capacity and a higher oxygen affinity than that of the more terrestrial rivularis. The differences in the respiratory characteristics of the blood of these species are considered as relatively recent evolutionary adaptations, on the part of rivularis, to a less aquatic environment. We also carried out experiments designed to test for acclimatization of the blood of these species to an aquatic or a terrestrial environment and found no evidence of acclimatization.
The Growth Criterion as a Guide for Reciprocal Trade Policy

I. Objectives of the United States reciprocal trade program, 273. — II. A program based on tariff quotas and the growth criterion, 276. — III. Advantages and problems of a policy based on tariff quotas and the growth criterion, 281.
Development and evaluation of a Health Record Online Submission Tool (HOST)

Introduction: Health records (HRs) are crucial to quality patient care. The Michigan State University College of Human Medicine begins teaching health record (HR) writing during the second-year clinical skills courses. Prior to this project, we used a cumbersome paper system to allow graduate assistants to grade and give feedback on students’ HRs. This study discusses the development and evaluates the effectiveness of the new Health Record Online Submission Tool (HOST). Methods: We developed an electronic submission system with the goals of decreasing the logistical demands of the paper-based system; improving the effectiveness, consistency, and oversight of HR instruction and evaluation; expanding the number of students who could serve as written record graduate assistants (WRGAs); and to begin preparing students for the use of electronic health records (EHRs). We developed the initial web-based system in 2003 and upgraded it to its present form, HOST, in 2007. We evaluated the system using course evaluations, surveys of WRGAs and clinical students, and queries of course faculty and staff. Results: Course evaluation by 1,106 students during years 2001 through 2008 revealed that the students’ selfassessment of ability to write HRs improved briefly with the introduction of HOST but then returned to baseline. The initial change to electronic submission was well received, though with continued use its rating dropped. A survey of 65 (response rate 61.3%) clinical students indicated that HOST did not completely prepare them for EHRs. The WRGAs (n=14; response rate 58%) found the system easy to use to give feedback to students. Faculty (n=3) and staff (n=2) found that it saved time and made the review of students’ HRs and WRGAs grading simpler. Student perception of grading consistency did not improve. Conclusions: HOST is the first published online method of in-depth HR training for preclinical students using information gathered in clinical encounters. With it we were able to maintain effective instruction, streamline course management, and significantly decrease staff time. HOST did not improve student perception of grading consistency and did not prepare students for specific EHR use. Within the context of our class size expansion and our community-based educational program, HOST bridges geography and can support future improvements in HR instruction and faculty development. Medical educators at other institutions could use a similar system to accomplish these goals. Keywords: medical education; competencies; health records; assessment; course management; evaluation; computer-aided instruction; electronic health record (Published: 19 October 2010) Citation: Medical Education Online 2010, 15: 5350 - DOI: 10.3402/meo.v15i0.5350
On Finding Non-Randomized Minimax Tests for Statistical Decision Problems with Applications to Signal Detection

Afin d'eviter la randomisation, on montre qu'il est suffisant de considerer des tests du maximum de vraisemblance dont de nombreux cas peuvent etre parametres par un petit nombre de variables
Compliance and sensitivity of a mechanoreceptor of the insect exoskeleton

1. The compliance (indentation per unit force) of the caps of proprioceptive campaniform sensilla of Group 6 of the cockroach leg has been measured in terms of the stimulating force generated per volt of input to a piezoelectric punctate stimulating device. The median compliance value at cap center in 19 preparations, using punctate forces which were modulated sinusoidally at 3 Hz, was 2.1 nm/ΜN (mm N−1), inner quartile range 1.5–3.7 nm/ΜN. 2. Sensitivity to punctate force (impulse frequency modulation per unit force) was meassured simultaneously with compliance. Median force sensitivity in 18 preparations was 3.2 Hz/ΜN (MHz N−1), inner quartile range 2.3–5.1 Hz/ΜN. 3. Sensitivity to indentation (impulse frequency modulation per unit indentation) was determined as force sensitivity divided by compliance. Median indentation sensitivity in 18 preparations was 1.7 Hz/nm (GHz m−1), inner quartile range 1.2–2.0 Hz/nm. Thus the magnitude of cap indentation associated with moderately brisk discharge frequencies of the order of 100 Hz, well within the range of linear encoding, is of the order of a few tens of nanometers. 4. The precision of the method in individual determinations, estimated as the propagated standard error, gave median values of 7.6% for cap compliance, of 5.8% for force sensitivity, and 9.8% for indentation sensitivity. The method was sufficiently precise to resolve variability of repeated measurements on the same sensillum. 5. The reproducibility of repeated measurements on individual sensilla, expressed as median coefficient of variation, gave values of 27% for cap compliance, 25% for force sensitivity, and 32% for indentation sensitivity. Analysis of variance indicated the method was sufficiently reproducible to resolve variability among the individual receptors comprising this study. 6. Cap compliance and indentation are discussed in terms of the structure of the sensillum. The measured compliance values agree quantitatively with simple models based on known mechanical properties of insect cuticle.
A stochastic control framework for regulating collective behaviors of an angiogenesis cell population

This paper presents a framework for controlling the development of a vascular system in an in vitro angiogenesis process. Based on on-line measurement of cell growth and a stochastic model of cell population, a closed-loop control system is developed for regulating the process of cell migration and tissue formation. Angiogenesis develops in a wet environment and it is difficult to control each and every cell individually and specifically. Instead, chemical and mechanical stimuli can be applied pervasively to the whole process as global control inputs, which can allow for control of collective behaviors of the cell population. This paper formulates a systems level description of the angiogenesis process and proposes a control scheme that chooses global control inputs to drive collective cell patterns, such as branch density per unit length of sprout, toward a desired goal. In response to control inputs, the k-step ahead prediction of collective cell pattern is evaluated, and the input that is most likely to bring the predicted cell pattern to the desired one is selected for the current control. Simulation demonstrates that the global branch density of a simplified angiogenesis model can be controlled using this technique. To our knowledge, this paper is the first to formulate feedback control for regulating an in vitro angiogenesis process.
Dimer-specific regulatory mechanisms within the NF-κB family of transcription factors

A fundamental feature of the transcriptional response to an nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB)-inducing stimulus is that the response is highly selective and limited to the activation of only a subset of potential NF-κB target genes. One major contributor to selectivity of the response is likely to be the capacity of different NF-κB dimers to regulate different sets of target genes. The NF-κB family of transcription factors consists of five proteins, RelA, c-Rel, RelB, p50, and p52, which assemble into several homodimeric and heterodimeric species. Studies of mutant mouse strains have revealed that each family member, and perhaps each dimer, carries out unique functions in regulating transcription in cells of the immune system and in many other cell types. Dimer-specific functions can be conferred by selective protein-protein interactions with other transcription factors, coregulatory proteins, and chromatin proteins. Unique DNA-binding specificities and affinities make additional contributions to selectivity of the response, with growing evidence that some NF-κB dimers can adopt different conformations and thereby function differently when bound to different DNA sequences. Despite significant advances, our knowledge remains limited and many years of additional work will be needed to fully understand how the dimer-specific functions of NF-κB contribute to transcriptional selectivity.
Fine-needle aspiration biopsy: pitfalls in the diagnosis of spindle-cell lesions

Seven cases of spindle-cell proliferations in which fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) did not correlate with subsequent histology are presented. Three cases were considered low-grade sarcoma, one a dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP), one a spindle-cell tumor with malignancy not excluded, and one a rhabdomyosarcoma vs. a fibrosarcoma. Two of the these three were histologically nodular fasciitis and one an inflammatory pseudotumor. Two cases were diagnosed cytologically as fibromatosis or nodular fasciitis (NF). One of these histologically was an intramuscular hemangioma, the other a DFSP. The last two cases were diagnosed by FNAB as spindle-cell lesion, undetermined if benign or malignant, and malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH). Histologically both of these case were leiomyosarcoma. The cytologic features of each case, differential diagnosis, and potential pitfalls are discussed. In the evaluation of FNAB smears dominated by spindle cells, cellullarity, individual cells and cell patterns, and background stromal features coupled with a precise clinical history may allow a narrow differential diagnosis with a focus on whether the lesion is benign or malignant. Caution is warranted in the exact classification of spindle-cell tumors from FNAB as this may have a major impact on patient management.
Physical Factors Affecting the Storage Stability of Freeze- Dried Interleukin-1 Receptor Antagonist: Glass Transition and Protein Conformation

The effects of glass transition of, and protein conformation in, the dried solid on the storage stability of freeze-dried recombinant human interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (rhIL-1ra) were examined. Glass transition is a temperature-dependent phenomenon. Amorphous materials become hard and brittle at temperatures below their characteristic glass transition temperatures (Tg) such that diffusion of molecules along the matrix is not sufficient to cause large-scale structural changes. To ascertain the importance of the glass transition in protein storage stability, we compared 10 different lyophilized rhIL-1ra formulations, with Tgs ranging from 20 to 56 degrees C, during several weeks of storage at temperatures above and below the samples' Tgs. Protein degradation, both deamidation and aggregation, was greatly accelerated at temperatures above Tg, but for some formulations also arose below Tg. Thus, storage of dried proteins below the Tg is necessary but not sufficient to ensure long-term stability. To examine the effects of protein structure in the dried solid, we prepared formulations with various sucrose concentrations, all of which had a Tg = 66 +/- 2.5 degrees C. With infrared spectroscopy, we determined that the protein lyophilized with /=5% sucrose, conformational change was inhibited during lyophilization. When stored at 50 degrees C, degradation of the freeze-dried protein varied inversely with sucrose concentration. These results indicate that structural changes arising during the lyophilization process led to damage during subsequent storage, even if the storage temperature was less than the Tg. Together the results of these studies document that to obtain optimum stability of dried rhIL-1ra it was necessary to inhibit conformational change during lyophilization and to store at temperatures below the Tg of the dried formulation.
Quantitative trait loci for resistance to pre-harvest sprouting in US hard white winter wheat Rio Blanco

Pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) of wheat is a major problem that severely limits the end-use quality of flour in many wheat-growing areas worldwide. To identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for PHS resistance, a population of 171 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) was developed from the cross between PHS-resistant white wheat cultivar Rio Blanco and PHS-susceptible white wheat breeding line NW97S186. The population was evaluated for PHS in three greenhouse experiments and one field experiment. After 1,430 pairs of simple sequence repeat (SSR) primers were screened between the two parents and two bulks, 112 polymorphic markers between two bulks were used to screen the RILs. One major QTL, QPhs.pseru-3AS, was identified in the distal region of chromosome 3AS and explained up to 41.0% of the total phenotypic variation in three greenhouse experiments. One minor QTL, QPhs.pseru-2B.1, was detected in the 2005 and 2006 experiments and for the means over the greenhouse experiments, and explained 5.0-6.4% of phenotypic variation. Another minor QTL, QPhs.pseru-2B.2, was detected in only one greenhouse experiment and explained 4.5% of phenotypic variation for PHS resistance. In another RIL population developed from the cross of Rio Blanco/NW97S078, QPhs.pseru-3AS was significant for all three greenhouse experiments and the means over all greenhouse experiments and explained up to 58.0% of phenotypic variation. Because Rio Blanco is a popular parent used in many hard winter wheat breeding programs, SSR markers linked to the QTLs have potential for use in high-throughput marker-assisted selection of wheat cultivars with improved PHS resistance as well as fine mapping and map-based cloning of the major QTL QPhs.pseru-3AS.
Neuropsychiatric complications in a patient with Marfan syndrome.

Background Marfan syndrome (MFS) is an autosomal dominant disorder of fibrillin-1 gene mutations, with the involvement of cardiovascular, skeletal, and ocular systems. In addition to physical abnormalities, MFS patients are also found to be susceptible to schizophrenia and other psychiatric conditions. Objectives Awareness of the association between MFS and psychiatric conditions would improve the clinical management of MFS patients to reduce the risk or even to prevent the development of psychiatric complications in MFS patients. Methods Here, we describe a male MFS patient who manifested incoherent speech and impaired cognitive and social function at the age of 40 years. Results and conclusion His mental dysfunction could be attributed to his bilateral cerebral infarction, which is a neurovascular complication associated with MFS.
Hydrostatic Pressure Alters the Time Course of GTP(S) Binding to G Proteins in Brain Membranes from Two Congeneric Marine Fishes

The effects of hydrostatic pressure on the receptor-stimulated exchange of guanosine triphosphate (GTP) for guanosine diphosphate (GDP) on the a subunit of G proteins were studied in two congeneric marine teleost fishes that differ in their depths of distribution. The poorly hydrolyzable GTP analog [35S]guanosine 5'-[gamma-thio]triphosphate ([35S]GTP[S]) was used to monitor the modulation of signal transduction by the A1 adenosine receptor agonist N6-R-(phenylisopropyl)adenosine (R-PIA) in brain membranes of the scorpaenids Sebastolobus alascanus and S. altivelis. The maximal binding (Bmax) and dissociation constant (K(d)) values, determined from equilibrium binding isotherms at atmospheric pressure (5 degrees C), were similar in the two species. The Bmax values for these species are much lower than literature values for mammalian brain tissue (25 degrees C); however, the K(d) values of the teleost and mammalian G proteins are similar. The EC50 values for the A1 adenosine receptor agonist R-PIA were similar in the two species. Hydrostatic pressure of 204 atm altered the binding of [35S]GTP[S]; basal [35S]GTP[S] binding decreased 25%. The A1 adenosine receptor agonist R-PIA and the muscarinic cholinergic receptor agonist carbamyl choline stimulated [35S]GTP[S] binding at 1 and 204 atm. At atmospheric pressure the half-time (t1/2) of [35S]GTP[S] binding differed between the two species. The GTP[S] on rate (k(on)) is larger in the shallower-living S. alascanus. Increased hydrostatic pressure altered the time course, decreasing the t1/2 in both species. The pressures that elicit this change in the time course differ between the species. However, interpolating over the range of in situ pressures the species experience, the values are similar in the two species. The guanyl nucleotide binding properties of the G protein a subunits appear to be conserved at the environmental temperatures and pressures the species experience.
Multi-Core Cache Hierarchies

A key determinant of overall system performance and power dissipation is the cache hierarchy since access to off-chip memory consumes many more cycles and energy than on-chip accesses. In addition, multi-core processors are expected to place ever higher bandwidth demands on the memory system. All these issues make it important to avoid off-chip memory access by improving the efficiency of the on-chip cache. Future multi-core processors will have many large cache banks connected by a network and shared by many cores. Hence, many important problems must be solved: cache resources must be allocated across many cores, data must be placed in cache banks that are near the accessing core, and the most important data must be identified for retention. Finally, difficulties in scaling existing technologies require adapting to and exploiting new technology constraints. The book attempts a synthesis of recent cache research that has focused on innovations for multi-core processors. It is an excellent starting point for early-stage graduate students, researchers, and practitioners who wish to understand the landscape of recent cache research. The book is suitable as a reference for advanced computer architecture classes as well as for experienced researchers and VLSI engineers. Table of Contents: Basic Elements of Large Cache Design / Organizing Data in CMP Last Level Caches / Policies Impacting Cache Hit Rates / Interconnection Networks within Large Caches / Technology / Concluding Remarks
Mean Reversion across National Stock Markets and Parametric Contrarian Investment Strategies

For U.S. stock prices, evidence of mean reversion over long horizons is mixed, possibly due to lack of a reliable long time series. Using additional cross-sectional power gained from national stock index data of 18 countries during the period 1969 to 1996, we find strong evidence of mean reversion in relative stock index prices. Our findings imply a significantly positive speed of reversion with a halflife of three to three and one-half years. This result is robust to alternative specifications and data. Parametric contrarian investment strategies that fully exploit mean reversion across national indexes outperform buy-and-hold and standard contrarian strategies. Mean reversion refers to a tendency of asset prices to return to a trend path. The existence of mean reversion in stock prices is subject to much controversy. Fama and French ~1988a! and Poterba and Summers ~1988! are the first to provide direct empirical evidence that mean reversion occurs in U.S. stock prices over long horizons. 1 Others are critical of these results: Lo and MacKinlay ~1988! find evidence against mean reversion in U.S. stock prices using weekly data; Kim, Nelson, and Startz ~1991! argue that the mean reversion results are only detectable in prewar data; and Richardson and Stock ~1989! and Richardson ~1993! report that correcting for small-sample bias problems may reverse the Fama and French ~1988a! and Poterba and Summers ~1988! results. Campbell, Lo, and MacKinlay ~1997! summarize the debate concisely:
Polyvalente Wechselwirkungen in biologischen Systemen: Auswirkungen auf das Design und die Verwendung multivalenter Liganden und Inhibitoren

Uberall in der Biologie kommen polyvalente Wechselwirkungen vor. Sie zeichnen sich durch die gleichzeitige Bindung mehrerer Liganden einer biologischen Einheit an mehrere Rezeptoren einer anderen biologischen Einheit aus (oberer Teil der Graphik) und haben eine Reihe von Charakteristika, die monovalenten Wechselwirkungen fehlen (unten). Besonders im Verbund konnen polyvalente Wechselwirkungen viel starker sein als entsprechende monovalente Wechselwirkungen, und sie konnen die Basis fur das Verstandnis fordernder und hemmender biologischer Wechselwirkungen liefern, die sich grundsatzlich von denen in monovalenten Systemen unterscheiden.
Shakeouts, Innovation, and Industrial Strategy and Policy

My students of industrial organization play a game in which they manage mock companies producing the same product. Each team periodically chooses levels of investment, capacity utilization, and research spending, and keeps track of its resulting bank balances. An hour after the game begins, typically half of the companies have gone out of business and market share is spread unevenly among the few survivors. The game mirrors a real empirical phenomenon in which, after an initial buildup in number of firms, most industries experience a drop-off or “shakeout” in the number of firms. Sometimes the shakeouts are quite dramatic: in US automobile manufacture, 98.9 per cent of producers exited between 1896, the date an automobile was first commercially produced, and 1967, shortly before Japanese entrants arrived. The top panel of Figure 1 illustrates the rise and fall in the number of US automobile producers, which rose to a peak of (by one measure) 293 firms in 1909 only to fall to 7 survivors by 1955.
Marmite: end-user programming for the web

A tremendous amount of semi-structured data is available today on the web but is not necessarily in a form which is suitable for a user's tasks. For example, a website may show a listing of local events but a user wants to filter out those which are too far from him. To address this problem, we are developing a tool called Marmite that helps users extract data from web pages and create new applications using a dataflow architecture in a manner similar to Unix pipes. In this paper, we describe formative user studies, some evaluations of low-fidelity prototypes, and a set of design recommendations for this tool.
The Impact of Subsidized Birth Control for College Women: Evidence from the Deficit Reduction Act

This paper uses a unique natural experiment to investigate the sensitivity of American college women’s contraceptive choice to the price of oral birth control and the importance of its use on educational and health outcomes. With the passage of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, Congress inadvertently and unexpectedly increased the effective price of birth control pills (“the Pill”) at college health centers more than three-fold, from $5 to $10 a month to between $30 to $50 a month. Using quasi-difference-in-difference and fixed effects methodologies and an intention-to-treat (ITT) design with two different data sets, we find that this policy change reduced use of the Pill by at least 1 to 1.8 percentage points, or 2 to 4 percent, among college women, on average. For college women who lacked health insurance or carried large credit card balances, the decline was two to three times as large. Women who lack insurance and have sex infrequently appear to substitute toward emergency contraception; uninsured women who are frequent sex participants appear to substitute toward non-prescription forms of birth control. Additionally, we find small but significant decreases in frequency of intercourse and the number of sex partners, suggesting that some women may be substituting away from sexual behavior in general.
Cyclic 3′,5′-Adenosine Monophosphate Modulates Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cell Migration In Vitro

• Retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cell migration has been implicated in the pathogenesis of proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR). Using a modified Boyden chamber assay, we have examined the effect of cyclic nucleotides on human RPE cell migration in vitro. Dibutyryl cyclic 3′,5′-adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) (10-3mmol/L) inhibits RPE cell random migration by 83%, fibronectin-induced chemotaxis by 61%, and platelet-derived growth factor-induced chemotaxis by 68%. Random and directed migration of RPE cells is not significantly affected by 8-bromo cyclic 3′,5′-guanosine monophosphate. Agents that significantly increase intracellular levels of cAMP are also inhibitors of RPE cell migration. Though there is a fairly good correlation for most drugs for their ability to stimulate cAMP production and their ability to inhibit cell migration, it is not perfect, suggesting that some drugs may modulate migration by more than one mechanism. Timolol blocked both the isoproterenol-induced stimulation of RPE adenylate cyclase and attenuated the ability of isoproterenol to inhibit RPE migration. These data suggest that cAMP may modulate RPE cell migration in an inhibitory fashion. Elucidation of the biochemical events involved in RPE cell migration could provide information that might be useful in planning a strategy to attempt pharmacologic control of proliferative vitreoretinopathy.