cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of Mechanical Strain on Expression of Na+,K+-ATPase α Subunits in Rat Aortic Smooth Muscle Cells

This article reviews related studies from the authors’ laboratory, which focus on the regulation of vascular Na+,K+-ATPase in hypertension. Earlier studies, including the authors’, suggested that Na-pump activity in cardiovascular tissues is subject to regulation during hypertension; most of these studies report a stimulation of the vascular enzyme during established stages of hypertension. To test hypothesis that in vascular smooth muscle, strain resulting from elevated pressure may be a signal initiating a cascade of events leading to increased expression of Na+,K+-ATPase, the authors used cell culture and the Flexercell Strain Unit to apply cyclical stretch to rat aortic smooth muscle cells (ASMC) for several days. These studies demonstrated that mechanical strain induces the upregulation of both the α-1 and α-2 subunits of Na+,K+-ATPase. Mechanisms underlying these changes appear to involve a transient increase in intracellular sodium entering the cell through stretch-activated channels. Calcium entering the cell via L-type channels did not affect stretch-induced upregulation of the alpha isoforms. In addition, protein kinase C inhibition resulted in inhibition of the Na-pump during stretch, but not under nonstretch conditions. The authors conclude that the stretch component of vascular pressure upregulates the Na+,K+-ATPase catalytic subunits. Intracellular sodium may be a signal for this regulation. In addition, phosphorylation by PKC may be important in stretch-induced short-term regulation of the vascular Na-pump.
Sir John Gurdon: Father of nuclear reprogramming

Sir John Gurdon founded the field of nuclear reprogramming. His work set the stage for the ever burgeoning area of stem cell biology and regenerative medicine. Here I provide personal reflections on times I shared with John Gurdon and professional reflections of the impact of his ground-breaking research on my own development as a scientist and on the field in general. His paradigm-shifting experiments will continue to provoke scientists to think outside the box for many years to come.
Stoichiometry of proton movements coupled to ATP synthesis driven by a pH gradient in Streptococcus lactis

An electrochemical potential difference for H+ was established across the plasma membrane of the anaerobeStreptococcus lactis by addition of sulfuric acid to cells suspended in potassium phosphate at pH 8 along with valinomycin or permeant anions. Subsequent acidification of the cell was measured by the distribution of salicyclic acid. A comparison between cells treated or untreated with the inhibitor N,N′-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide was used to reveal that portion of net proton entry attributable to a direct coupling between H+ inflow and synthesis of ATP catalyzed by the reversible proton-translocating ATPase of this microorganism. When the imposed electrochemical proton gradient was below 180–190 mV, proton entry was at the rate expected of passive flux, for both control cells and cells treated with the ATPase inhibitor. However, at higher driving force acidification of control cells was markedly accelerated, coincident with ATP synthesis, while acidification of cells treated with the inhibitor continued at the rate characteristic of passive inflow. This observed threshold (180–190 mV) was identified as the reversal potential for this H+ “pump”. Parallel measurements showed that the free energy of hydrolysis for ATP in these washed cells was 8.4 kcal/mole (370 mV). The comparison between the reversal (threshold) potential and the free energy of hydrolysis for ATP indicates a stoichiometry of 2 H+/ATP for the coupling of proton movements to ATP formation in bacteria.
RESOURCE SUPPLY AND SPECIES DIVERSITY PATTERNS

The adaptive strategies pursued by organisms faced with different trophic resource regimes may play a major role in diversity regulation. Selection for fitness in resource-rich or resource-unstable environments favors generalized, inefficient populations and results in low diversity; selection for fitness in resource-poor or resource-stable environments favors specialized, efficient populations and results in high diversity. Therefore, insofar as trophic resource levels influence diversifications and extinctions, diversification should be associated with lower, and extinctions with higher, resource levels. This conclusion is directly opposed to that of most recent investigators, but can be rationalized from theoretical considerations and deserves careful consideration.
The control region for erythromycin resistance: Free energy changes related to induction and mutation to constitutive expression

The mRNA sequence in plasmid pE194 encoding the gene responsible for erythromycin resistance has been deduced from the corresponding DNA sequence. The putative control region of this gene located at the 5′ end of the messenger transcribed along with the coding sequence comprises a series of inverted complementary repeat sequences that can redistribute and assume alternative double stranded conformations. Activation of the messenger depends on the degree to which ribosomes inhibited (“stalled”) by erythromycin disrupt the secondary structure in a part of the control region that simultaneously codes for a small peptide and overlaps two of the inverted repeat sequences. In this model, ribosome stall is produced by erythromycin, the inducer, and the result of inverted repeat sequence redistribution is the unmasking of a ribosome binding site for synthesis of the protein that mediates the resistance phenotype. Free energy calculations have been made for the postulated “active” and “inactive” conformations of the control region as well as for 4 classes of mutants that have been mapped in the control region. In addition, calculations have been made for hypothetical sequence alterations corresponding to mutants not yet found. Two modes of induction have been defined and their associated free energy changes calculated; these are (i) preemptive induction, in which ribosome stall resulting in disruption of stem sequence conformation causes one inverted repeat sequence to preempt a second. In the resultant redistribution of complementary inverted repeat sequences, the control region assumes the “active” conformation owing to unmasking of a sequestered ribosome binding site, and (ii) direct dissociation of the critical stem sequences to unmask the sequenstered ribosome binding site, a reaction that bypasses the preemptive association mechanism. The base change found in one of the mutants is consistent with the preemptive mode of induction according to which ribosome stall to an extent that destabilizes the firt three of 13 possible paired bases in the inactive form of the messenger suffices to induce expression of the resistance phenotype. The single-base-change mutations to constitutive expression most commonly found are precisely those that produce the greatest loss of negative free energy; this majority group affects the control region sequence further downstream and appears to act by the direct dissociation mode. Finally, a pair of weakly interacting inverted repeat sequences flanking the more strongly interacting repeats is present; it is postulated that this outer pair serves during the initial phase of induction, as well as later, to turn off expression of the induced messenger after removal of an inductive stimulus. The wide variety of possible mutations capable of disrupting stability of the control region suggests a model to explain the diversity of “partial constitutive” phenotypes found in earlier studies.
The University System in Spain: An Analysis of Structure.

While tradition is the basic factor that keeps the Spanish university system tied to rigid and outmoded academic programs, a second important factor is the vested interest of the senior faculty. University faculty attain their full professorship through an archaic open competition which has endowed the position with high social and political prestige and with the opportunity of earning a high income from consulting outside the university. Within the university the full professor is a government bureaucrat with life-time tenure, and all the lower ranked professors within his field of specialty work for him. With only minor success university students are rebelling against this archaic system in an effort to liberalize and modernize the academic programs. Even the Ministry of Education has avoided a frontal attack against the system. The government is establishing new “autonomous” universities, with flexible and modern academic programs, and an administration similar to that found in most American universities.
Evidence for Two Chain Length Distributions in the Polymerization of Formaldehyde on Cu(100)

The polymer species formed from the spontaneous polymerization of formaldehyde (H2CO) on clean Cu(100) at 85 K were studied using electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) and temperature-programmed desorption (TPD). Formaldehyde forms poly(oxymethylene) (POM) with differing chain lengths; the long (α) and short (β) chain species depolymerize to give two features in TPD at approximately 207 and 219 K, respectively. The complex desorption kinetics observed for the α-POM species were successfully modeled using equations based on the ratio of the average number of monomers unzipped from the chain per initiation event to the length of the polymer chain. Losses were observed in EEL spectra of the short-chain species at ∼290, ∼1020, and ∼1120 cm-1 that can be assigned to the ν(Cu−O), ν(C−O), and ρ(CH3) modes of oxygen and methoxy endgroups, respectively. Preadsorbed methanol increases the proportion of short-chain POM species by increasing the probability of termination for the β species. Lower thermal stability...
Ratio of remnant-like particle cholesterol to serum total triglycerides is a reliable screening test for type III dyslipidaemia.

Type III dyslipidaemia (dysbetalipoproteinaemia) is a rare disorder affecting between 1 and 10 per 10000 people in the general population. 1±3 The diagnosis is usually based on ultracentrifugation, followed by electrophoretic demonstration of -VLDL and/or a VLDL cholesterol to plasma triglyceride molar ratio of 0´69. 1±4
Automatic simplification for the absolute-value function and its relatives

Computer symbolic mathematics has made impressive progress for the automatic simplification of rational expressions, algebraic expressions, and elementary transcendental expressions. However, existing computer-algebra systems tend to provide little or no simplification for the absolute-value function or for its relatives such as the signum, unit ramp, unit step, max, min, modulo, and Dirac delta functions. Although these functions lack certain desireable properties that are helpful for canonical simplification, there are opportunities for some ad hoc simplification. Moreover, a perusal of most mathematics, engineering, and scientific journals or texts reveals that these functions are too prevalent to be ignored.This article describes specific simplification rules implemented in a program that supplements the built-in rules for the MACSYMA ABS and SIGNUM functions.
Levalbuterol versus albuterol

Albuterol has been used for more than 40 years to treat acute asthma exacerbations as a racemic mixture of isomers: the active form, (R)-albuterol, or levalbuterol, and (S)-albuterol, classically considered inert. The single-isomer formulation, levalbuterol, has been synthesized recently and used therapeutically when the racemate is deemed less desirable. Basic investigations indicate that racemic albuterol and levalbuterol can produce effects that favor asthma remediation, including corticosteroid amplification and reduction of inflammatory mediators; in contrast, (S)-albuterol produces opposite effects. With inhalation of racemic albuterol, circulating (S)-albuterol persists 12 times longer than levalbuterol, suggesting potential for paradoxical effects observed clinically. Although mainly consistent with basic findings, clinical studies suggest no overwhelming superiority of levalbuterol over racemic albuterol; however, levalbuterol’s effects may be greatest in moderate to severe asthma patients, especially with racemic albuterol overuse. Recent adoption of the hydrofluoroalkane formulation has narrowed the cost gap between levalbuterol and racemic albuterol metered-dose inhalers, but it remains for the nebulized formulations. Thus, physician selection of these drugs has remained dependent on experience, pharmaceutical knowledge, and established prescribing habits combined with cost factors, formulary structures, and availability, such that racemic albuterol is still used significantly compared with levalbuterol to treat acute asthma exacerbations.
NMR chemical shifts in the low–pH form of a-chymotrypsin. A QM/MM and ONIOM–NMR study

The relationship between hydrogen bonding and NMR chemical shifts in the catalytic triad of low-pH α-chymotrypsin is investigated by combined use of the effective fragment potential [(2001) J Phys Chem A 105:293] and ONIOM–NMR [(2000) Chem Phys Lett 317:589] methods. Our study shows that while the His57 Nδ1−H bond is stretched by a relatively modest amount (to about 1.060 A) this lengthening, combined with the polarization due to the molecular environment, is sufficient to explain the experimentally observed chemical shifts of 18.2 ppm. Furthermore, the unusual down-field shift of Hɛ1 (9.2 ppm) observed experimentally is reproduced and shown to be induced by interactions with the C=O group of Ser214 as previously postulated. The free-energy cost of moving Hδ1 from His57 to Asp102 is predicted to be 5.5 kcal/mol.
Does Growth Rate Differ Between Symmetrical vs Asymmetrical Small-for-Gestation (SGA), Extremely Low-Birth Weight (ELBW;<1000 gm) Infants? 1554

SGA infants are at risk for poor postnatal growth and this is especially true in infants who have symmetrical intratuterine growth retardation (SYM; wt, ht & ofc <10th%ile) versus infants with asymmetrical growth retardation (ASYM; wt<10th%ile; ht & ofc 10-90th%ile). SYM indicates growth retardation that begins to occur early in pregnancy, while ASYM more often represents growth retardation that occurs in late pregnancy. It is unknown how SYM vs ASYM growth retardation effects postnatal growth in preterm, ELBW infants.
386 Photodynamic Therapy in Unresectable Cholangiocarcinoma - Not for the Uncommitted

Results: Twenty-seven patients (49%) showed Bismuth type IV, 22 (41%) showed Bismuth type III, and six (10%) showed Bismuth type I and II. Twenty patients (37%) received chemotherapy and radiation therapy, five (9%) received chemotherapy only; and one (2%) re ceived radiation therapy only. Mean number of PDT sessions was 1.9±1.5 sessions (range, 1 to 9). Mean survival duration was 293±266 days (median, 190; range, 25 to 1,332). PDT related complications included three (5%) facial burn, three (5%) photosensitivity, and two (3%) rash. Kaplan-Meier analysis comparing the survival means of patients who received PDT and chemotherapy/radiation therapy (median survival 257 days; 95% confidence interval [CI], 166 to 528) versus who received PDT only (median survival 183 days; 95% CI, 129 to 224) showed no significant difference (log-rank p=0.20).
Seismicity at the volcanoes of Katmai National Park, Alaska; July 1995–December 1997

Abstract Upper-crustal seismicity located within Katmai National Park occurs mainly within four distinct clusters originating near Martin–Mageik (MM subnet) volcanoes, Trident volcano, Katmai caldera and Snowy volcano. Analyses of earthquake frequency–magnitude distributions reveal high b-values beneath MM subnet (∼1.5) normal b-values at Trident volcano (∼1.0) and intermediate b-values at Katmai caldera (∼1.3) for all seismicity occurring between July 1995 and December 1997. Detailed analyses of subsets of b-values and hypocenter locations at MM subnet reveal a temporal increase in b-value associated with an increase in the maximum depth of seismicity. The changes occurred during a shallow earthquake swarm beneath Mageik volcano between October 16 and 25, 1996 and again in November–December 1997. Before the swarm, the weighted least squares b-value was 1.01 at MM subnet, increased to 1.59 during the swarm and remained anomalously high until April 1997. The corresponding maximum depth of seismicity is generally less than 5 km for well located earthquakes occurring after September 18, 1996, but shifted to ∼10 km during both the October 1996 swarm and the November–December 1997 period. The November–December 1997 event is not associated with an increase in the rate of seismicity or the b-value. The October 1996 swarm had a cumulative moment release of 5.0×1020 dyn-cm, and decayed from a peak rate of 110 events per day with a modified Omori law p-value of 1.06±0.11. Modelling by the flow law with a 10 km depth limit for seismicity suggests that temperature gradients are on the order of 20–40°C km−1 in agreement with the p-value estimate. We infer that a simple pressurizing intrusion was not associated with the October swarm because higher stresses should increase seismicity and lower the b-value, the opposite of what we observed. Alternatively, an actively degassing intrusion would reduce the effective stress and increase the b-value at shallow depths while the increased stress would induce seismicity at depth. Surface temperature measurements taken at the Mageik crater lake in July 1995, and again in July 1997, revealed an increase of about 10°C in the lake water temperature, consistent with a degassing intrusive event.
Dissemination of an evidence-based parenting program: Clinician perspectives on training and implementation

Abstract The present study used a qualitative approach to examine clinicians' experiences as trainees of an evidence-based parenting program, parent–Child interaction therapy (PCIT). In order to explore factors related to successful implementation and maintenance of the PCIT program in a community setting, twenty-nine community clinicians completed phone interviews six months to four years after an initial forty-hour PCIT training workshop. Clinicians reported positive experiences with the training, but also described barriers related to agency, client, program, and training factors. Findings suggest that (1) trainees view the core components of PCIT as acceptable and valuable, (2) training costs and problems with third-party reimbursement can impede implementation, (3) clinicians may benefit from training that includes skills in motivation enhancement, and (4) ongoing consultation is valuable to clinicians, although trainees differ in their preferences regarding the manner of delivery (e.g., teleconference, live). This study brings clinicians into the conversation regarding barriers to and facilitators of evidence-based training and implementation.
Ultraviolet radiation induced degradation of poly-para-xylylene (parylene) thin films

Abstract The effect of ultraviolet (UV) radiation of λ≥250 nm on the thermal stability, electrical and optical properties of thin poly-para-xylylene (parylene) thin films was studied. Evidence of slight oxidation of the UV treated film was seen using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Thermal desorption spectrometry and thickness change after annealing were used to analyze the thermal stability of as-deposited and UV-treated parylene thin films. The thermal stability of the UV treated films was seen to decease as the radiation dose increased. Electrical measurements revealed an increase in the leakage current density, the dielectric constant and the dissipation factor of UV treated films. No change was seen in the refractive index at 634 nm.
Precision of a plutonium analytical method using solvent extraction and spectrophotometry

We investigated the plutonium assay method that uses the plutonyl trinitrate tetrapropyl-ammonium ion-pair solvent extraction with spectrophotometry of the extract as a candidate method capable of providing robustness and precision. To identify and assess the effect of factors on the precision, we looked at sampling techniques, silver oxide oxidation conditions extraction time, extract stability, and temperature dependence of the extract analytical peak height and position. We obtained a precision of 0.12%.
Stimulation of adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate-dependent and guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate-dependent protein kinases by some analogs of adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate.

Abstract The effect of some analogs of adenosine 3′,5′-monophosphate (cyclic AMP) on the activity of protein kinases activated specifically either by cyclic AMP or by guanosine 3′,5′-monophosphate (cyclic GMP) has been examined. Tubercidin 3′,5′-monophosphate (cyclic TuMP) stimulated the activity of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinases as effectively as cyclic AMP. The ability of cyclic TuMP to stimulate cyclic GMP-dependent protein kinases was intermediate between that of cyclic GMP and cyclic AMP. The 5′-methylene cyclic phosphonate analog of cyclic AMP caused varying degrees of activation of different cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinases, but was inactive with cyclic GMP-dependent enzymes. The 3′-methylene cyclic phosphonate analog of cyclic AMP was inactive with enzymes of either class.
Microwave deflection of electron beams

When an electron beam interacts with a time-varying electric field, it is usual to ignore the effect of the induced magnetic field. It is shown that this may cause errors at microwave frequencies even for slow electrons. The particular case of electrons traversing a microwave cavity is examined in detail.
Make Room for Healthcare

The U.S. healthcare system is in a time of drastic change, and the change has arisen because of frightening downward trends in people's ability to pay for medical care. Because of the changes, it is time to prioritize national healthcare-system content in health education.
Evolution and biogeography of cyst-forming nematodes1

Phylogenetic systematics is based on genealogy, rather than overall similarity, and a cladogram constitutes a potentially falsifiable hypothesis that can bring a new perspective to our understanding of the distribution and biogeography of a group of organisms. Sufficient data now exist for phylogenetic analysis of the Heteroderidae. New data at new levels of analysis comprise potential falsifiers for existing schemes.
How can we make PV modules safer

Safety is a prime concern for the photovoltaics (PV) industry. As a technology deployed on residential and commercial buildings, it is critical that PV not cause damage to the buildings nor harm the occupants. Many of the PV systems on buildings are of sufficiently high voltage (300 to 600 Volts dc) that they may present potential hazards. These PV systems must be safe in terms of mechanical damage (nothing falls on someone), shock hazard (no risk of electrical shock when touching an exposed circuit element), and fire (the modules neither cause nor promote a fire). The present safety standards (IEC 61730 and UL 1703) do a good job of providing for design rules and test requirements for mechanical, shock, and spread of flame dangers. However, neither standard addresses the issue of electrical arcing within a module that can cause a fire. To make PV modules, they must be designed, built, and installed with an emphasis on minimizing the potential for open circuits and ground faults. This paper provides recommendations on redundant connection designs, robust mounting methods, and changes to the safety standards to yield safer PV modules.
Identifying ecological indicators: an environmental monitoring and assessment program.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is initiating the Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) to monitor the status and trends of the nation's near-coastal waters, forests, freshwater wetlands, surface waters, agroecosystems, and arid lands. This program is intended to evaluate the effectiveness of Agency policies for protecting ecological resources within these systems. Monitoring data collected for all ecosystems will be integrated for national status and trends assessments.
Transmyocardial laser revascularization.

To perform transmyocardial laser revascularization, the surgeon exposes the beating heart through a lateral thoracotomy, places a laser (carbon dioxide or holmium) on the epicardial surface of the left ventricle, and applies sufficient energy to create small channels from the epicardial to the endocardial surfaces. During a typical procedure, 10 to 50 such channels are created. Initially, these small, laser-created transmyocardial channels were thought to improve the perfusion of ischemic myocardium by providing it with direct access to oxygen-rich left ventricular blood, but it was subsequently found that the channels quickly occlude after the procedure.1 Nonetheless, initial observational studies of . . .
Determination of the enantiomeric composition of some molecules of pharmaceutical interest by chemometric analysis of the UV spectra of cyclodextrin guest–host complexes

Abstract In the present study, chemometric analysis of UV spectral data of cyclodextrin guest–host complexes was used to develop multivariate regression models that were subsequently used to determine the enantiomeric composition of samples of ibuprofen and norephedrine. Partial-least-squares regression models (PLS-1) were made for both compounds with α-, β-, γ-cyclodextrins (CDs). Using a regression model with five PLS components, the quadratic mean of the percent relative error (QM%RE) in the mol fraction of (S)-(+)-ibuprofen obtained with independently-prepared test sets for the three cyclodextrins was: 2.7% (α-cyclodextrin), 0.8% (β-cyclodextrin), and 0.7% (γ-cyclodextrin). Similar studies conducted with norephedrine using a regression model with five PLS components gave QM%RE-values in the mol fraction of (1S, 2R)-norephedrine of: 5.9% (α-cyclodextrin), 3.4% (β-cyclodextrin), and 3.3% (γ-cyclodextrin). The results are discussed in terms of compatibility in guest–host molecular sizes, binding strength, and the three-point interaction model for enantiomeric separation.
Firm behavior in a market with addiction: the case of cigarettes.

Abstract This paper investigates firm behavior when demand is linked over time. Among other things, the theoretical section shows that if firms are forward-looking, anticipated future events can affect current consumption of an `addictive' good even when consumers are completely myopic. The empirical part of the paper reports a simulation of the 1983 federal cigarette excise tax increase. Both myopic and rational models of consumer demand give roughly the same predictions for per capita consumption, but neither model does very well predicting actual consumption. The problem appears to lie in the prediction of price, suggesting that supply considerations are important.
Ripple minimization in asymmetric multiphase interleaved DC-DC switching converters

Multiphase dc-dc converters are widely used in power electronics, as they enable the processing of high power by splitting the load-current into multiple phases. Conventional multiphase circuits are supplied by a common source, and the goal is to distribute the processed power evenly between the phases. Ripple minimization can then be performed by shifting the switching operations of each phase by angles of an even distance. However, in recent applications, such as maximum power point (MPP) tracking for solar photovoltaic (PV), multiple converters are supplied by sources that are often restricted to operate at different voltages and currents leading to asymmetric converter operation. To achieve improved ripple cancellation under these conditions, phase-shifting by uneven phase-angles is required. In this work, analytic formulas are derived to obtain suitable angles based on given operating conditions. Moreover, a resulting control technique is presented. Simulations are used to evaluate the performance of the proposed technique in the aforementioned application of MPP tracking. Measurements taken from an experimental prototype, which consists of three dc-dc buck converters, further validate the results.
AirLab: consistency, fidelity and privacy in wireless measurements

Accurate measurements of deployed wireless networks are vital for researchers to perform realistic evaluation of proposed systems. Unfortunately, the difficulty of performing detailed measurements limits the consistency in parameters and methodology of current datasets. Using different datasets, multiple research studies can arrive at conflicting conclusions about the performance of wireless systems. Correcting this situation requires consistent and comparable wireless traces collected from a variety of deployment environments. In this paper, we describe AirLab, a distributed wireless data collection infrastructure that uses uniformly instrumented measurement nodes at heterogeneous locations to collect consistent traces of both standardized and user-defined experiments. We identify four challenges in the AirLab platform, consistency, fidelity, privacy, security, and describe our approaches to address them.
Hand Made: String Figures—Strings, Loops, and Knots Beyond the Sterile Field

JHS Vol A, A STRING FIGURE IS a form created by manipulating a loop of string around one’s fingers or sometimes between the fingers of multiple people (Fig. 1). The origin of string figures is not known; string figures have been identified in ancient cultures all over the world. The Greek physician Heraklas produced the earliples, FL) suture. B Photo of the Eiffel Tower, seen from the Song. , Na
Riza Shah, the fall of Sardar Asad, and the “Bakhtiyari plot”

Jafar Quli Khan Sardar Asad Bakhtiyari was a key supporter of Riza Khan/Shah and a loyal official in the new post-1921 regime for more than a decade, his occupation of a succession of high government appointments culminating in the post of minister of war between 1927 and 1933. Having attached himself decisively to Riza Khan in the early 1920s, thereby ensuring his own personal ascendancy over the other great khans of the Bakhtiyari, Sardar Asad becamne a loyal defender of the new order and was instrumental in ensuring the political quiescence of the Bakhtiyari and in extending state power throughout south-central Iran. Yet, at the end of 1933 he was arrested along with a large number of other Bakhtiyari khans and implicated in a plot against the shah. He died in prison the following March, having been secretly murdered. In the circumstances surrounding Sardar Asad's disgrace and murder may be discerned certain of the preoccupations, even obsessions, gripping the shah as his new regime entered its second decade. These included his determination to destroy the remaining tribal leaderships and enforce nomadic settlement; his anxiety for his own safety and the security of the new dynasty; his growing suspicions of his own key supporters and his increasing resorting to the methods of political terror with the resulting general demoralization of the wider nationalist elite; his burgeoning mania for land acquisition sparked by the land legislation of 1928; his frustration at his failure to establish fuller control over Iran's oil resources; and his succumbing to a pervasive fear of foreign, especially British, interference coupled with a morbid anxiety about the image Iran presented to the West.
Characterization of Minced Meat Extracted from Blue Crab Picking Plant By‐Products

Blue crab meat was mechanically extracted from picking-room byproducts to produce the following minced meat yields: 3.18%, white; 10.71%, mixed; 6.39%, claw, and 2.62%, leg. Each meat had distinct visual, textural, and flavor attributes. Aerobic plate counts of unpasteurized minced meat ranged from 105 to 107 CFU/g. Extraction within 1.5 hours of picking or icing of by-products prior to mechanical extraction stabilized microbial levels. Meat pasteurized at 80.6°C darkened or blued significantly less than meat processed at 83.3°C. Addition of citric acid-phosphate buffer to meat pasteurized at 80.6°C further reduced darkening of meats.
Structural alterations of peripheral nerve induced by the calcium ionophore A23187.

Abstract Desheathed segments of rat peripheral nerve were incubated at 37°C in oxygenated Ringer's solution with and without the addition of calcium ionophore, A23187, 10 μg/ml. Nerve fibers incubated in the presence of both ionophore and calcium revealed extensive granular disintegration of their axonal microtubules and neurofilaments after 30 and 60 min incubation intervals. These changes were not seen following control incubations in Ringer's solution without ionophore or in calcium-free Ringer's solution containing ionophore and EGTA, 1 mmole/l. Ionophore-induced alterations were also noted in Schwann cell cytoplasm. The granular degradative alteration of axoplasm caused by exposure of nerve fibers to ionophore and calcium were believed to be due to an ionophore-mediated influx of calcium into the axoplasm with resultant elevation of intra-axoplasmic calcium concentration. These axoplasmic changes were indistinguishable from the axoplasmic alterations occuring in the portions of transpected neurites during Wallerian degeneration. The findings support the view that abnormal calcium influxes are determinats in the degeneration of peripheral nerve.
The temporal evolution of the large equatorial plasma depletions observed during the 29–30 October 2003 storm

Abstract This study investigates the temporal evolution of the large plasma depletions observed by ROCSAT-1 and DMSP near 295°E during the 29–30 October 2003 storm. The presence of a penetration electric field around the detection time of the large plasma depletions is supported by the observation of high upward ion drift velocity and formation of an intense equatorial ionization anomaly in the American sector. However, these ionospheric disturbances occur in broad longitude regions; a short-range polarization electric field may adequately explain the creation of the large plasma depletions. The penetration electric field may trigger the Rayleigh–Taylor instability and produce abnormally large plasma depletions during the storm. The TIMED/GUVI and CHAMP observations provide an insight for the evolution of the large depletions several hours after their formation. The large depletions appear as arch-shaped emission depletions in the TIMED/GUVI image and as symmetric depletions paired in the magnetic north and south in the CHAMP observation. These characteristics can be explained by the “plasma depletion shell” phenomenon ( Kil et al., 2009 ) produced by the westward shear flow of the ionosphere during the storm.
Calbindin-D28k decreases L-type calcium channel activity and modulates intracellular calcium homeostasis in response to K+ depolarization in a rat beta cell line RINr1046-38.

Abstract Calbindin-D 28k , acts as a modulator of depolarization induced calcium transients in the pancreatic beta cell. However, specific mechanisms have not been defined. Here we show for the first time that the calcium binding protein calbindin-D 28k acts by affecting calcium influx through voltage-dependent calcium channels in RIN pancreatic beta cells. Whole-cell patch–clamp recordings revealed that Ca 2+ current amplitudes of calbindin-D 28k expressing RINr1046-38 beta cells were smaller than the Ca 2+ current amplitudes in control cells in response to depolarizing pulses. The peak current was observed at +20 mV and the average amplitude was ∼50 pA in the calbindin expressing cells compared to ∼250 pA in control cells. In calbindin-D 28k expressing cells, the channels had enhanced sensitivity to Ca 2+ dependent inactivation and currents decayed much more rapidly than in control cells. The Ca 2+ channels affected by calbindin were found to have biophysical properties consistent with dihydropyridine-sensitive L-type calcium channels. In response to depolarizing concentrations of K + , calbindin expression caused a five-fold decrease in the rate of rise of [Ca 2+ ] i and decay was slower in the calbindin expressing cells. Application of verapamil resulted in a drop in the [Ca 2+ ] i signal to pre-stimulation levels indicating that the Ca 2+ channel responsible for the depolarization evoked Ca 2+ entry, modulated by calbindin, is the L-type. Co-immunoprecipitation and GST pull-down assays indicate that calbindin-D 28k can interact with the α 1 subunit of Ca v 1.2. We thus conclude that calbindin-D 28k can regulate calcium influx via L-type calcium channels. Our findings suggest a role for calbindin-D 28k in the beta cell in modulating Ca 2+ influx via L-type voltage-dependent calcium channels.
Dual spectinomycin-streptomycin resistance marker in Brucella spp.

Pathogenic microbiology investigators have a responsibility to consider the public health implications of their research, including the experimental introduction of antibiotic resistance markers that could influence the treatment of infectious diseases. Furthermore, the reviewers for Infection and
Parallel smoothing algorithms for causal and acausal systems

Parallel processing algorithms for optimal smoothing of discrete-time linear systems described by two-point boundary value difference equations are presented. These algorithms involve the partitioning of the data interval with one processor for each subinterval. The processing structures consist of independent parallel processing on each subinterval, followed by an information exchange between processors and then a final sweep of independent subinterval processing. The local processing procedures described produce maximum-likelihood (ML) estimates in which dynamics and a priori conditions play the same role as measurements. Consideration of such ML procedures for descriptor systems requires a general procedure for recursive estimation in situations in which neither the error covariance nor its inverse is well defined. This leads to a generalization of a two-filter algorithm in which the two directions of processing are treated symmetrically. For the local processing, it also simplifies the information exchange. A two-filter implementation of this step and a highly parallel implementation exactly matched to the hypercube computer architecture are presented. >
PepBank - a database of peptides based on sequence text mining and public peptide data sources

Background Peptides are important molecules with diverse biological functions and biomedical uses. To date, there does not exist a single, searchable archive for peptide sequences or associated biological data. Rather, peptide sequences still have to be mined from abstracts and full-length articles, and/or obtained from the fragmented public sources.
Management of technology transfer in an advanced project — The case of Surveyor

This paper uses a specific advanced project — the Surveyor — as a basis for presenting a number of problems in technology transfer and the methods used to solve the problems. The paper emphasizes the importance of mission orientation to transfer and outlines the several organizational approaches that were tried before assigning full-time project groups within the discipline departments. Several examples of planning problems are followed by a description of the organizational methods developed to deal with them. These include “working residencies,” independent evaluation of prototypes and analysis by the user in parallel with the provider, design reviews, failure-mode analysis, and problem-failure reporting.
Direct immunofluorescence in the diagnosis of scleroderma syndromes.

SUMMARY Immunofluorescent study of the skin of nine patients with mesenchymal, inflammatory scleroderma (mixed connective tissue disease) revealed immunoglobulin and complement deposition at the basement membrane or within blood vessel walls. The skin specimens of ten patients with systemic scleroderma were negative for immunofluorescence. It is proposed that basement membrane or vascular (or both) immunofluorescence is an excellent means of identifying the infrequent patient who has scleroderma and myositis or lupus erythematosus in whom a corticosteroid response may occur.
The Replication Fork Block Protein Fob1 Functions as a Negative Regulator of the FEAR Network

Abstract Background: The protein phosphatase Cdc14 is a key regulator of exit from mitosis in budding yeast. Its activation during anaphase is characterized by dissociation from its inhibitor Cfi1/Net1 in the nucleolus and is controlled by two regulatory networks. The Cdc14 early anaphase release (FEAR) network promotes activation of the phosphatase during early anaphase, whereas the mitotic exit network (MEN) activates Cdc14 during late stages of anaphase. Results: Here we investigate how the FEAR network component Spo12 regulates Cdc14 activation. We identify the replication fork block protein Fob1 as a Spo12-interacting factor. Inactivation of FOB1 leads to premature release of Cdc14 from the nucleolus in metaphase-arrested cells. Conversely, high levels of FOB1 delay the release of Cdc14 from the nucleolus. Fob1 associates with Cfi1/Net1, and consistent with this observation, we find that the bulk of Cdc14 localizes to the Fob1 binding region within the rDNA repeats. Finally, we show that Spo12 phosphorylation is cell cycle regulated and affects its binding to Fob1. Conclusions: Fob1 functions as a negative regulator of the FEAR network. We propose that Fob1 helps to prevent the dissociation of Cdc14 from Cfi1/Net1 prior to anaphase and that Spo12 activation during early anaphase promotes the release of Cdc14 from its inhibitor by antagonizing Fob1 function.
For Better Corporate Governance, a Shareholder Value Review

A Shareholder Value Review (SVR) is proposed as the best way for boards of directors to explain to shareholders how management's performance in maximizing shareholder value is monitored by the board. If the SEC would require boards to do an SVR, that would motivate both management and the board to select and use an explicit valuation model. The life-cycle model, used in various forms in the money management industry, would likely be the model of choice for SVR implementation. Increased attention by both management and boards to how financial performance connects to shareholder value would lead to a common valuation language and useful dialogue with investors, proponents of accounting reform, and accounting rule-makers.
Application of RKH space methods to the design of robust controls for linear hereditary systems

Finite-dimensional approximations to system input/output operators obtained from RKH space methods are applied to the design of feedback controllers for linear hereditary systems. Several examples are explored for robustness against uncertainty in the parameters, the model, or both. >
Developing libraries in Lesotho

This paper describes the local literacy environment in Lesotho and plots the efforts to create effective and sustainable school and community libraries through professional development both in literacy education and librarianship. A library effectiveness survey was distributed to the 170 1,000-book school and community libraries started since 2008 by communities in partnership with United States Peace Corps and the African Library Project. These targeted sites remain some of the only libraries in the country. In response to this survey, a team of 13 Peace Corps Lesotho volunteers, Basotho teachers, librarians, principals, and district resource teachers came together to create and lead a workshop series to guide local library leaders. Piloted in September 2010 and revised with feedback, this workshop series was intended to aid the creation of 32 new libraries in 2011 by focusing on topics most relevant to the developing culture of reading in Lesotho.
Efficient Optical Couplings for Fiber-Distributed Solar Lighting

Optical couplings in large core optical waveguides have many similarities with those in conventional optical fibers but pose some unconventional challenges as well. The larger geometry, looser manufacturing tolerances and reduced dimensional stability compound the problems associated with making low-loss couplings in large core waveguides. The individual factors contributing to coupling losses are discussed to develop an understanding of the extant loss mechanisms. Individual methods and materials employed to mitigate the impact of each of the dominant loss mechanisms are discussed in detail. A combination of endface geometry control, axial alignment constraint and refractive index matching are employed to produce highly efficient optical couplings in large core waveguides. The combination of these elements has significantly reduced the insertion losses due to connector couplings. Prior to implementing the current methods losses of 15% and greater were common but these have been reduced to 2%–5% with the current methods.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
An Integrated View of Insulin Resistance and Endothelial Dysfunction

Endothelial dysfunction and insulin resistance are frequently comorbid states. Vasodilator actions of insulin are mediated by phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-dependent signaling pathways that stimulate production of nitric oxide from vascular endothelium. This helps to couple metabolic and hemodynamic homeostasis under healthy conditions. In pathologic states, shared causal factors, including glucotoxicity, lipotoxicity, and inflammation selectively impair PI3K-dependent insulin signaling pathways that contribute to reciprocal relationships between insulin resistance and endothelial dysfunction. This article discusses the implications of pathway-selective insulin resistance in vascular endothelium, interactions between endothelial dysfunction and insulin resistance, and therapeutic interventions that may simultaneously improve both metabolic and cardiovascular physiology in insulin-resistant conditions.
The Global Burden of Unintentional Injuries and an Agenda for Progress

According to the World Health Organization, unintentional injuries were responsible for over 3.9 million deaths and over 138 million disability-adjusted life-years in 2004, with over 90% of those occurring in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). This paper utilizes the year 2004 World Health Organization Global Burden of Disease Study estimates to illustrate the global and regional burden of unintentional injuries and injury rates, stratified by cause, region, age, and gender. The worldwide rate of unintentional injuries is 61 per 100,000 population per year. Overall, road traffic injuries make up the largest proportion of unintentional injury deaths (33%). When standardized per 100,000 population, the death rate is nearly double in LMIC versus high-income countries (65 vs. 35 per 100,000), and the rate of disability-adjusted life-years is more than triple in LMIC (2,398 vs. 774 per 100,000). This paper calls for more action around 5 core areas that need research investments and capacity development, particularly in LMIC: 1) improving injury data collection, 2) defining the epidemiology of unintentional injuries, 3) estimating the costs of injuries, 4) understanding public perceptions about injury causation, and 5) engaging with policy makers to improve injury prevention and control.
The Determination of Henry’s Constant for Volatile Organics by Equilibrium Partitioning in Closed Systems

Equilibrium Partitioning in Closed Systems (EPICS) is a simple technique proposed for determining the Henry’s constants of volatile organics in water. It requires no special apparatus, and obtains results from the measurement of gas concentration ratios so that the preparation of standard curves for determining exact concentrations is not required. Henry’s constants for five priority pollutants at 10 to 30°C were measured with this technique and compared with literature values and with Henry’s constants measured in a bubble column. The results indicate that the technique is accurate. In addition, the technique is unencumbered by equilibration problems which limit the utility of other methods for determining Henry’s constant.