cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mechanism for the Isotype Dependence of Antibody-Mediated Toxicity in Cryptococcus neoformans-Infected Mice

Ab-based therapies have undergone a renaissance in recent years, but infusion-related reactions are a significant clinical problem. Administration of certain mAbs to Swiss Webster mice infected with Cryptococcus neoformans can result in acute lethal toxicity (ALT) characterized by cardiovascular collapse. The ability of a mAb to produce ALT is isotype dependent and occurs with IgG1 but not IgG3. To investigate this phenomenon, we measured spleen and liver cytokine responses and platelet-activating factor (PAF) content in mice given C. neoformans glucuronoxylomannan (GXM) followed by specific Ab of IgG1 or IgG3 isotype. We found no evidence to suggest that the differences in IgG1 and IgG3 toxicity were due to differences in chemokine or cytokine response. In contrast, liver and spleen tissue PAF content was significantly greater in mice IgG1. Furthermore, our results show differences in the response to IgG1- and IgG3-GXM complexes regarding: 1) macrophage-inflammatory protein-1α and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 regulation, 2) splenic and hepatic PAF content, and 3) hepatic PAF content in infected mice. IgG1-associated ALT appears to be the result of greater production of PAF in response to IgG1-GXM complex formation. The results are consistent with the view that IgG1 and IgG3 interact with different Fc receptors. Our findings strongly suggest that the mechanism for Ab-mediated ALT is different from the cytokine release syndrome described after administration of other therapeutic mAbs.
Provenance management in biosciences

Data provenance is becoming increasingly important for biosciences with the advent of large-scale collaborative environments such as the iPlant collaborative, where scientists collaborate by using data that they themselves did not generate. To facilitate the widespread use and sharing of provenance, ontologies of provenance need to be developed to enable the capture and standardized representation of provenance for biosciences. Working with researchers from the iPlant Tree of Life (iPToL) Grand Challenge Project, we developed a domain ontology of provenance for phylogenetic analysis. Relying on the conceptual graph formalism, we describe the process of developing the provenance ontology based on the W7 model, a generic ontology of data provenance. This domain ontology provides a structured model for harvesting, storing and querying provenance. We also illustrate how the harvested data provenance based on our ontology can be used for different purposes.
Factors Affecting the Incidence of Cystic Ovaries in a Herd of Holstein Cows

Summary Factors affecting the incidence of cystic ovaries have been examined in a herd of Holstein cattle. The records covered 341 cows and 1,280 cow-service periods over a 10-yr. period. Cystic ovaries occurred in 18.8 per cent of the cows and 7 per cent of the service periods. The proportion of the cows becoming cystic for the first time averaged 0.058 per service period and no evidence was obtained for significant variation in this rate between service periods. Heritability of the occurrence of cystic ovaries sometime during life was estimated for this herd as 0.43. No evidence was obtained for an association between inherent level of butterfat production or test and the occurrence of cystic ovaries. Cows when not milked (mainly in the heifer service period) showed an incidence of cystic ovaries of 3.4 per cent; those in the milking herd, 6.8 per cent; those started on test and then removed to the milking herd, 8.5 per cent; and those on official test, 10.6 percent.
Residues of pentachlorophenol and other chlorinated contaminants in human tissues: analysis by electron capture gas chromatography and electron capture negative ion mass spectrometry.

Samples of human tissues including testes, kidneys, prostate glands, livers, and adipose tissues removed at autopsy were analyzed for pentachlorophenol (PCP) and nonachloro-2-phenoxyphenol (NCPP); the fat samples were also analyzed for other chlorinated contaminants. Electron capture gas chromatography was used to quantitate the residues after isolation and cleanup. Identity of the residues was confirmed by electron capture negative ion mass spectrometry. All tissues analyzed for PCP tested positive with a range from 0.007 ppm (μg/g) in subcutaneous fat to 4.14 ppm in testis. Residues of NCPP were much lower, ranging from levels below the detection limit to 0.59 ppm in testis. The highest average residues, based on the lipid content of the tissue, of PCP (1.09 ppm) and of NCPP (0.19 ppm) were found in testis followed by kidney (0.95 ppm PCP), prostate (0.84 ppm PCP), and liver (0.59 ppm PCP). Residues of these chemicals in the adipose tissues were on the average about 40 times lower than the residues in the non-fatty tissues. Other chlorinated contaminants found in the subcutaneous fat included hexa-, hepta-, and octa-chlorodibenzo-p-dioxins at sub-ppb levels and DDE averaging 2.47 ppm.
Generalized Dickson invariants

The action of the Steenrod Algebra on the Dickson invariants is studied in a certain ‘localized’ context. In this context one can define a completed version of the Steenrod Algebra which acts on the local Dickson invariants in a manner which extends the action of the Steenrod Algebra on the usual invariants. One can also construct an infinite Dickson Algebra which carries a left and a right action of the completed Steenrod Algebra and a nondegenerate bilinear form which makes those actions dual.
The influence of a taped hypnotic induction treatment procedure on the recovery of surgery patients

Abstract A study of 40 open heart surgery patients assigned to 1 of 2 equal size treatment groups sought to evaluate the efficacy and utility of a tape-recorded hypnotic induction procedure that preoperatively prepared patients for surgery. The dependent variables included daily blood pressure measurements and postsurgical outcome data pertaining to postoperative units of blood required, state/trait anxiety, and locus of control dimensions. Results of the study tended to provide some support for the tape-recorded hypnotic induction procedure in lessening state anxiety and in promoting a more self-directed attitude toward surgical recovery.
"Empty space" computes: the evolution of an unconventional supercomputer

Lee A. Rubel defined the extended analog computer to avoid the limitations of Shannon's general purpose analog computer. Partial differential equation solvers were a "quintessential" part of Rubel's theoretical machine. These components have been implemented with "empty space," or VLSI circuits without transistors, as well as conductive plastic. For the past decade research at Indiana University has explored the design and applications of extended analog computers. The machines have become increasingly sophisticated and flexible. The "empty" computational area is devoted to solving partial differential equations. The rest of the space includes fuzzy logic elements, configuration memory and input/output channels. This paper describes the theoretical definition, architecture and implementation of these unconventional computers. Two parallel applications are described in detail. Rubel's model can be viewed as an abstract specification for a distributed supercomputer. We close with a description of an inexpensive 64-node processor that was designed using our current single processor. The next step is to return to VLSI with an improved understanding of the architecture-and seek computation speeds approaching trillions of partial differential equations per second.
Entropy-maximization based adaptive frequency hopping for wireless medical telemetry systems

In this paper, we propose an adaptive frequency hopping algorithm, entitled robust adaptive frequency hopping (RAFH), for increased reliability of wireless medical telemetry system (WMTS) under coexistence environment with non-medical devices. The conventional adaptive frequency hopping (AFH) scheme classifies channels into "good" or "bad" according to the threshold-based on-off decision, and uses good channels with a uniform hop probability. Unlike the conventional AFH scheme, RAFH solves a constrained entropy maximization problem and assigns each channel a different hop probability, which is a decreasing function of the measured PER. By adopting constrained entropy maximization, RAFH not only improves the average PER, but also reduces the PER fluctuation under dynamic interference environment. Our simulation studies show that RAFH outperforms the basic FH and the conventional AFH with respect to the PER under various scenarios of dynamic interference.
Re-evaluation of biotin-streptavidin conjugation in Förster resonance energy transfer applications

Bioaffinity conjugation between streptavidin (SA) and biotin has been widely used to link donors and acceptors for investigating the distance-dependent Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET). When studying a commonly used FRET system of (QD-SA)-(biotin-DNA-dye) [donor: quantum dot (QD); acceptor: small organic fluorescent dye; and linker: deoxyribose nucleic acid (DNA) molecule via SA-biotin conjugation], however, a contradictory finding was recently reported in the literature. It was found that the FRET lost its dependence on the number of DNA base pairs when using a phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) solution. We found that the conflicted results were caused by the ionic strength of the adopted buffer solutions. Our results suggest that the dependent FRET on the number of DNA bases is favorable in a low-ionic-strength buffer, whereas in relatively high-ionic-strength buffers, the FRET loses the DNA length dependence. We propose that the independence is mainly caused by the conformational change of DNA molecules from a stretched to a coiled mode when the cations in the high-ionic-strength buffer neutralize the negatively charged backbone of DNA molecules, thereby bringing the acceptors close to the donors.
Laser microprobe analysis of brain aluminum in Alzheimer's disease.

Aluminum (Al) levels were measured in the cytoplasm and nucleus of 241 neurofibrillary tangle (NFT)-bearing neurons, in 217 NFT-free neurons and adjacent neuropil from 7 autopsy-confirmed Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients, and in 316 normal neurons from 5 control subjects, by laser microprobe mass spectrometry. Grand mean Al levels (dry weight basis) in AD samples were 2.93 +/- 1.24 micrograms/gm for NFT-bearing neuron cytoplasm, 3.54 +/- 1.39 micrograms/gm for NFT-bearing neuron nuclei, 2.31 +/- 1.09 micrograms/gm for NFT-free neuron cytoplasm, and 3.23 +/- 1.09 micrograms/gm for NFT-free neuron nuclei. Control values were 1.85 +/- 0.78 micrograms/gm for cytoplasm and 2.01 +/- 0.93 micrograms/gm for nuclei. The differences between corresponding regions of AD NFT-bearing, AD NFT-free, and control neurons were not significant (p > 0.05, analysis of variance). Al levels in neuropil were identical for AD and control samples at 2.16 +/- 0.93 micrograms/gm. In contrast to some literature reports, we found very few ( 20 micrograms/gm, dry weight) on a cellular basis in AD samples. AD neurons did exhibit a higher number of Al values (9.6-14.3%) that were > 3 sigma above the corresponding control means, than did control neurons (1.3-1.6%), indicating that small elevations of Al may exist in patients with AD. Our data suggest that any Al accumulation in patients with AD is small and generalized in both NFT-free and NFT-bearing neurons and that analyses of large bulk brain samples are likely to have AD/control differences masked by the large amount of unaffected neuropil sampled.
The Relationship between Local Economic Conditions and Acute Myocardial Infarction Hospital Utilization by Adults and Seniors in the United States, 1995-2011.

Objective To assess the association between aggregate unemployment and hospital discharges for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) among adults and seniors, 1995–2011. Data Sources/Study Setting Community hospital discharge data from states collected for the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) State Inpatient Databases (SID) and economic data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1995–2011. Study Design Quarterly time series study of unemployment and aggregate hospital discharges in local areas using fixed effects to control for differences between local areas. Data Collection/Extraction Methods Secondary data on inpatient stays and unemployment rates aggregated to micropolitan and metropolitan areas. Principal Findings For both adults and seniors, a 1 percentage point increase in the contemporaneous unemployment rate was associated with a statistically significant 0.80 percent (adults) to 0.96 percent (seniors) decline in AMI hospitalization during the first half of the study but was unrelated to the economic cycle in the second half of the study period. Conclusions The study found evidence that the aggregate relationship between health and the economy may be shifting for cardiovascular events, paralleling recent research that has shown a similar shift for some types of mortality (Ruhm 2013), self-reported health, and inpatient use among seniors (McInerney and Mellor 2012).
Kinetic study of the hydroxyl radical-propene reaction

Abstract Absolute rate coefficients for the reactions of OH with C 3 H 6 and C 3 D 6 were measured at temperatures from 293 to 896 K and at pressures from 25 to 600 Torr helium. Mechanistic information of importance to atmospheric and combustion modeling was obtained.
Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma: Targeted Therapies and Future Directions

Medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) is a rare neuroendocrine neoplasm that accounts for approximately 5% of all thyroid malignancies. The natural history of MTC is characterized by early lymph node and distant metastases, making complete surgical cure often impossible. Conventional chemotherapy and external beam radiation have been largely ineffective in altering the natural history of MTC. Therefore, there is a great need to develop novel therapeutic strategies to affect symptom control and reduce tumor burden in patients with widely disseminated disease. Here, we review several pathways which have been shown to be vital in MTC tumorigenesis and focus on the pathways of interest for which targeted drug therapies are currently being developed.
Time and concentration components of indicator-dilution curves recorded following central injections of dye in normal human subjects.

Indicator-dilution curves were recorded by oximeters at the ears and the right radial artery following the injection of Evans blue (T 1824) into the superior vena cava and pulmonary arteries of 37 subjects who had no evidence of cardiovascular disease. The variability and ranges of various time and concentration components of these dilution curves are presented. These values can be used as standards of reference in the interpretation of abnormal dilution curves. Some of the factors responsible for the variability of these values in healthy subjects are assessed and discussed.
Inactivation kinetics and photoreactivation of vegetable oxidative enzymes after combined UV-C and thermal processing

Abstract The inactivation kinetics of lipoxygenase (LOX), peroxidase (POD) and polyphenoloxidase (PPO) in phosphate buffer (pH 4.0 and 7.0) treated by combined thermal (25–65 °C) and UV-C (1–10 min) processes were fitted using a traditional first-order kinetics model and the Weibull distribution function. For complete inactivation, a treatment at 65 °C for 7.5–10 min for LOX, POD and PPO at pH 7.0 and 45 °C for 5–7.5 min for POD and PPO at pH 4.0 was necessary. Deviations from the log-linear behavior were observed by the appearance of shoulders, tails or both (sigmoidal). The traditional log-linear model failed to characterize the UV treatment effectively due to the under- and overestimation of enzyme inactivation. The Weibull model was better able to explain the nature of the UV treatment. The extent of enzyme inactivation was less in orange juice due to the greater absorbance of the juice in the UV-C range. In general, activities of residual enzymes after UV-C treatment did not recover after storage for 24 h at refrigeration conditions with or without light exposure. The proposed combination of thermal and UV-C processing was able to improve the stability of the treated samples. Industrial relevance UV irradiation has demonstrated to be an effective technology to decontaminate surfaces and reduce microbial load of liquid food in a low cost, simple and chemical-free manner. However, its application in the pasteurization of liquid food needs to be validated against achieving an adequate enzymatic stability. A kinetic study on the inactivation of quality-related enzymes (peroxidase, lipoxygenase and polyphenoloxidase) after the combined thermal and UV-C processing (25–65 °C for 1–10 min) was conducted. The combined treatment (45–65 °C for 5 min) was able to achieve a complete reduction of enzymatic activity. The extent of enzyme inactivation was less in orange juice due to the greater absorbance of the matrix. Enzymes were irreversibly inactivated and enzyme activities did not recover after storage.
Childhood constipation; an overview of genetic studies and associated syndromes

Constipation is a common problem in children but little is known about its exact pathophysiology. Environmental, behavioural but also genetic factors are thought to play a role in the aetiology of childhood constipation. We provide an overview of genetic studies performed in constipation. Until now, linkage studies, association studies and direct gene sequencing have failed to identify mutations in specific genes associated with constipation. We show that along with functional constipation, there are numerous clinical syndromes associated with childhood constipation. These syndromic forms of constipation appear to be the result of mutations in genes affecting all aspects of the normal physiology of human defecation. We stress that syndromic causes of childhood constipation should be considered in the evaluation of a constipated child.
Usefulness of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty for unstable angina pectoris after non-Q-wave acute myocardial infarction

Abstract Without revascularization, patients with non-Q-wave acute myocardial infarction (AMI) are predisposed to angina, recurrent AMI and cardiac death. Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) was performed in 68 patients with angina an average of 2.3 months after non-Q-wave AMI (41 anterior, 27 inferior). Mean diameter stenosis was 95%, with collateralized total occlusion of the infarct-related artery in 23 patients. PTCA was successful in 87% (59 of 68), with a mean residual stenosis of 30%. One patient had emergency bypass surgery. Long-term follow-up (average 17 ± 10 months) was available for 58 of the 59 patients in whom PTCA was successful. Recurrent angina developed in 41% (24 of 58), but was relieved by repeat PTCA in 14, by late coronary artery bypass surgery in 4 and by medical therapy in 6. There was 1 nonfatal AMI, due to progressive disease in a nondilated vessel, and 1 noncardiac death At last follow-up, 46 of 58 patients (79%) were asymptomatic and fully active or employed. Thus, patients undergoing PTCA for angina after non-Q-wave AMI appear to have a relatively high clinical restenosis rate, but with repeat PTCA have a low incidence of subsequent angina, AMI and cardiac death.
Actin in cultured bovine retinal capillary pericytes: morphological and functional correlation.

Actin in cultured bovine retinal capillary pericytes was identified and partially characterized biochemically. The filamentous actin was localized in bovine retinal capillary pericytes using a fluorescent mushroom toxin (nitrobenzoxadiazole-phallacidin) specific for actin. One-dimensional SDS-polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis of urea-extracted proteins from bovine retinal capillary pericytes revealed a 46000 MW protein band corresponding to an actin standard, which comprised 7·3% of the total urea-soluble proteins. Actin-activated skeletal muscle myosin Mg 2+ -ATPase assay, using [γ- 32 P]-ATP as substrate, demonstrated functional actin in bovine retinal capillary pericyte extracts after DEAE-cellulose anion-exchange chromatography. The actin-containing protein fractions were eluted at ionic strengths between 0·25 and 0·35 m KCl. The presence of functional actin in pericytes indicated the ability to generate contractile force. This contractiongenerating ability may allow pericytes to regulate microvessel caliber and to maintain the integrity of the capillary wall. A lack of this function when pericytes are preferentially lost in diabetic retinal microangiopathy could destabilize the microvessel wall and predispose the capillary to further pathologic changes.
The catechol-O-methyltransferase polymorphism: relations to the tonic-phasic dopamine hypothesis and neuropsychiatric phenotypes.

Diverse phenotypic associations with the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val158Met polymorphism have been reported. We suggest that some of the complex effects of this polymorphism be understood from the perspective of the tonic–phasic dopamine (DA) hypothesis. We hypothesize that the COMT Met allele (associated with low enzyme activity) results in increased levels of tonic DA and reciprocal reductions in phasic DA in subcortical regions and increased D1 transmission cortically. This pattern of effects is hypothesized to yield increased stability but decreased flexibility of neural network activation states that underlie important aspects of working memory and executive functions; these effects may be beneficial or detrimental depending on the phenotype, a range of endogenous factors, and environmental exigencies. The literature on phenotypic associations of the COMT Val158Met polymorphism is reviewed, highlighting areas where this hypothesis may have explanatory value, and pointing to possible directions for refinement of relevant phenotypes and experimental evaluation of this hypothesis.
Is Celebrity a New Kind of Status System

A number of previous writings on celebrity have suggested that it is a qualitatively different phenomenon from previous kinds of status systems. Hence, theoretical arguments that have been used to explain more traditional status systems are seen as inadequate to explain and understand the behaviors that are associated with celebrities. This article argues that the differences in traditional and contemporary status systems have been exaggerated. To demonstrate this it takes a theory of status relations that was initially developed to explain the Indian caste system and shows how it can explain much of the behavior associated with celebrities and their fans.
Research findings on early first language attrition : Implications for the discussion on critical periods in language acquisition

Childhood bilingualism may develop toward a steady state of balanced competence in 2 languages or toward an imbalanced competence in which one of the child's languages begins to undergo attrition or early stabilization. In child second language learning an analogous distinction is often drawn between additive and subtractive bilingualism. This review of the research focuses on the latter, the developmental shift toward 1 primary/dominant language. The studies of first language attrition reviewed in this article also offer a new way of looking at related questions in the field of language learning: critical period effects in first and second language, access to Universal Grammar in second language learning, and the componential nature of language ability.
Vesicle priming in a SNAP

In this issue of Neuron, Burgalossi et al. investigate synaptic vesicle priming by using presynaptic Ca(2+) uncaging at a small, glutamatergic, central synapse. Combining this technique with mouse genetics, the authors demonstrate that vesicle priming during ongoing neural activity can be limited by the recycling of recently used SNARE complexes.
Bilayers of transition metal dichalcogenides: Different stackings and heterostructures

Besides graphene and hexagonal boron nitride, transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) also exhibit a layered structure in which the layers weakly interact via van der Waals forces. Semiconducting TMDs in bulk are indirect band gap materials. However, an isolated sheet exhibits a direct gap. This particular behavior makes them very attractive in terms of optical properties. Moreover, NbS2 and NbSe2 in bulk and their monolayers are metallic. Density functional theory calculations were carried out to study different TMD bilayer systems. First, different bilayer geometries with different stackings were considered. It was found that the indirect and direct band gaps compete; however, the indirect band gap always dominates. Surprisingly, bilayer heterostructures of different TMDs have been found to possess direct band gaps. Finally, heterobilayers composed of one metallic monolayer and a semiconducting layer are predicted as novel metallic van der Waals solids that might find applications in new two-dimensional nanodevices.
Mössbauer study of amorphous and crystalline tellurium

Abstract Comparison of the 125Te Mossbauer spectra in amorphous and crystalline Te films indicates that in the amorphous phase the quadrupole splitting is slightly greater and the recoil-free fraction about one-third as great as in the crystalline phase. These changes are interpreted as indicating a decrease in the length of the covalent bond between the nearest neighbor Te atoms in the amorphous state, and furthermore that dangling bonds at the ends of the Te chains are responsible for a change in the density of phonon states in the system.
Intensity Fluctuations of an Optical Wave in a Turbulent Medium Effect of Source Coherence

The measured intensity scintillations of an optical wave in the turbulent atmosphere depend strongly on the coherence properties of the source. In this paper we obtain results for the intensity variance in a weakly turbulent medium for the case when the source is spatially incoherent, but has an arbitrary degree of temporal coherence.
Prayers for the past

All three of the world's major monotheistic religions traditionally affirm that petitionary prayers can be causally efficacious in bringing about certain states of affairs. Most of these prayers are offered before the state of affairs that they are aimed at helping bring about. In the present paper, I explore the possibility of whether petitionary prayers for the past can also be causally efficacious. Assuming an incompatibilist account of free will, I examine four views in philosophical theology (simple foreknowledge, eternalism, Molinism, and openism) and argue that the first three have the resources to account for the efficacy of past-directed prayers, while the latter does not. I further suggest that on those views which affirm the possible efficacy of past-directed petitionary prayers, such prayers can be ‘impetratory’ even if the agent already knows that the desired state of affairs has obtained.
Sharp Melting Transitions in DNA Hybrids without Aggregate Dissolution: Proof of Neighboring-Duplex Cooperativity

Similar to DNA-modified gold nanoparticles, comb polymer-DNA hybrids exhibit very sharp melting transitions that can be utilized in highly selective DNA detection systems. Current theories suggest that such sharp melting results from either a phase transition caused by the macroscopic dissolution of the aggregate or neighboring-duplex interactions in the close-packed environment between adjacent DNA duplexes. To delineate the contributions of each of these effects, an aggregate system based on polymer-DNA hybrids was designed to include both polymer-linked and partially untethered duplexes. When this hybridized system was subjected to thermal analysis, both types of duplexes exhibited sharp melting transitions. The very sharp melting transition displayed by the partially untethered DNA duplexes offers proof that neighboring-duplex interactions can indeed induce cooperativity. Contributions of this neighboring-duplex effect, as well as the enhanced stabilization observed in polymer-DNA:polymer-DNA aggregates, can be quantitatively assessed using a simple thermodynamic model. While neighboring-duplex interactions alone can lead to cooperative melting, the enhanced stabilization observed in polymer-DNA aggregates is a function of both neighboring-duplex interactions and multivalent or aggregate properties.
Comparative In Vivo and In Vitro Studies of Phenytoin Protein Binding and In Vitro Lipolysis in Plasma of Pregnant and Nonpregnant Rats

This investigation was designed to determine the cause of the changes in drug protein binding that occur in rat plasma, particularly in plasma from pregnant animals, during in vitro drug-protein binding measurements. In vivo estimates of phenytoin binding in plasma were obtained from steady-state CSF-plasma concentration ratios in pregnant and non-pregnant rats. Immediate ultrafiltration of heparin- or EDTA-anticoagulated plasma yielded phenytoin free fraction values that were in good agreement with in vivo estimates for nonpregnant rats but that were about one-third higher than in vivo estimates for pregnant animals. In vitro free fraction values tended to increase during incubation of plasma and/or during equilibrium dialysis. The concentrations of the four major endogenous free fatty acids were similar in plasma of pregnant and nonpregnant rats if determined immediately after blood collection. Six hours of incubation at 37°C caused fatty acid concentrations to increase about fivefold and twofold in heparin-anticoagu-lated plasma from pregnant and nonpregnant animals, respectively. The corresponding increases in EDTA-anticoagulated plasma were only about twofold and 1.14-fold, respectively. These changes were associated with decreased plasma protein binding of phenytoin. The in vivo differences between pregnant and nonpregnant rats with respect to phenytoin binding in plasma are not due to differences in fatty acid concentrations, but the in vitro differences are due primarily to corresponding differences in free fatty acid concentrations if extensive in vitro lipolysis occurs.
Renal perfusion pressure is an important determinant of sodium and calcium excretion in DOC-salt hypertension.

This study tested the hypothesis that the increased renal perfusion pressure in DOC-salt hypertension is essential for the maintenance of sodium balance and is responsible for the hypercalciuria associated with this model. Twelve chronically instrumented dogs were placed on a high salt intake and mean arterial pressure (MAP) was measured 24 h/day. After a control period, a 17-day DOC infusion period was begun. In six dogs, however, renal perfusion pressure (RPP) to both kidneys was maintained at control levels for the first 12 days of the DOC infusion by the continuous, servo-controlled adjustment of a suprarenal silastic occluder on the abdominal aorta. The servo-controlled dogs had significantly more sodium retention and a greater increase in blood pressure than the six control DOC hypertensive dogs. Urinary calcium excretion in the control dogs began to increase from 24 ± 6 mg/day on day 1 of DOC, and increased progressively to 100 ± 14 and 175 ± 30 mg/day by days 7 and 12, respectively. Plasma ionized calcium decreased, and parathyroid hormone (PTH) (1-84) increased, significantly by day 4. The hypercalciuria was not different in the servo-controlled dogs for the first 7 days of DOC, but was attenuated thereafter. Thus, increased RPP is important in restoring sodium balance and in maintaining the calciuresis in DOC-salt hypertension; however, other mechanisms also are important, particularly during the onset of hypertension.
Spatial structure, regression to steady states based on a coupled random walk process

Based on a simple model of coupled random walks, coupled Fokker-Planck equations are derived. It is shown that their steady state solutions exhibit spatial structures. The condition for regressive solutions, the stability condition are expressed in terms of jumping probabilities.
Nonobstructive fragmentation of central renal pyelocalyceal echo complex

Abstract When renal echograms are made, the central renal pyeloealyceal complex (CRPC) is seen as a strongly echogenic oval confluence surrounded by echo-poor renal parenchyma. Fragmentation of the CRPC is abnormal, and this fragmentation is widely known in association with urinary obstruction. But, there are a variety of nonobstructive causes for dispersion of the CRPC: renal duplication, postobstructive atrophy, chronic pyelonephritis, renal sinus lipomatosis, nephrocalcinosis, and renal cystic disease. Patterns of CRPC fragmentation may be correlated with renal parenchymal status to determine the cause of abnormal renal echograms.
Efficient RNA 2'-O-methylation requires juxtaposed and symmetrically assembled archaeal box C/D and C'/D' RNPs

Box C/D ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes direct the nucleotide-specific 2'-O-methylation of ribonucleotide sugars in target RNAs. In vitro assembly of an archaeal box C/D sRNP using recombinant core proteins L7, Nop56/58 and fibrillarin has yielded an RNA:protein enzyme that guides methylation from both the terminal box C/D core and internal C'/D' RNP complexes. Reconstitution of sRNP complexes containing only box C/D or C'/D' motifs has demonstrated that the terminal box C/D RNP is the minimal methylation-competent particle. However, efficient ribonucleotide 2'-O-methylation requires that both the box C/D and C'/D' RNPs function within the full-length sRNA molecule. In contrast to the eukaryotic snoRNP complex, where the core proteins are distributed asymmetrically on the box C/D and C'/D' motifs, all three archaeal core proteins bind both motifs symmetrically. This difference in core protein distribution is a result of altered RNA-binding capabilities of the archaeal and eukaryotic core protein homologs. Thus, evolution of the box C/D nucleotide modification complex has resulted in structurally distinct archaeal and eukaryotic RNP particles.
Magneto-optical garnet films made by reactive sputtering

Reactive radio frequency (RF) sputtering was used to grow cerium-doped yttrium iron garnet (YIG) films on magnesium oxide substrates. Magnesium oxide has been proven to be a good buffer material for semiconducting substrates. Reactive sputtering was not effective for cerium doping because the cerium target reacted with the oxygen in the sputtering gas. The films were amorphous as deposited. Stoichiometric compositions yielded smooth, polycrystalline garnet films on annealing. The effects of fluctuations in the yttrium-to-iron ratio were studied. Separate iron and yttrium targets were cosputtered in order to tailor the composition systematically along the iron-yttrium binary phase diagram. Oxygen content was found to be important in the formation of garnet and in the prevention of secondary phases. The garnet films had strong in-plane magnetizations and small coercive fields, which have promise for waveguide and switch devices, respectively.
Difference schemes or element schemes

Several examples are presented to illustrate how standard finite differnce schemes for the wave eqation (e.g. Lax–Wendroff, Leafrog, etc.) can be developed from finite element analysis. The development of the diffrence schemes from the element schemes is made possible by using Galerkin's method on both the spacial and temporal dimensions.
Effect of adenosine 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate derivatives on α-amylase release, protein kinase and cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase activity from rat parotid tissue

Abstract Several 8-substituted derivatives of cyclic AMP were tested for their effects on α-amylase release. None of the 8-substituted compounds were more active than N6,O2′ -dibutyrl- or N6-monobutyrl adenosine 3′,5′-,monophosphate in causing α-amylase release. The rat parotid was foudn to contain a high (105 μM) and a low (1.15 μM) Km cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase activity. All of the 8-substituted cyclic AMP compounds inhibited the hydrolysis of 1 μM cyclic AMP. However, there was only a partial correlation between the ability to cause α-amylase release and inhibit cyclic AMP hydrolysis. Extracts of parotid tissue contained a cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase activity. None of the compounds were as effective as cyclic AMP in activating the protein kinase. As in the case of inhibition of cyclic AMP hydrolysis, the ability of the 8-substituted cyclic AMP compounds to increase protein kinase activity did not correlate with their effects on α-amylase release. It is concluded that factors in addition to the in vitro inhibition of cyclic AMP hydrolysis and activation of protein kinase are important in determining the net result of the 8-substituted cyclic AMP compounds on parotid gland function. These additional factors might include differences in the rate of uptake and differences in rats of conversion to compound with modified activity.
Self-similarity analysis of time series

Self-similarity is a typical feature for fractal and chaos. Regular fractals in theory have strict self-similarity, but for irregular fractals in nature, their self-similarity could be seen only within a certain scale-invariant region. Time series acquired by sampling are commonly used for studying objects in nature, and they could be treated as curves on plane. Fractal analysis could be used to discuss the self-similarity of time series. Based on the fractal dimension calculating method by continuous wavelet transform, a novel scale-invariant extent parameter is proposed to evaluate the level of self-similarity of time series. The longer the scale-invariant region length is, the higher level of the self-similarity is. Otherwise, short scale-invariant region length corresponding to low self-similarity level. Time series with different self-similarity levels could be classified directly using this evaluation parameter.
Modeling competitive rivalry using census data

Abstract Studies of the structure-conduct-performance paradigm using commonly available census data are often hampered by a failure to adequately model the effects of competitive rivalry within industries. Here, Miller's marginal concentration ratio is re-examined and found to be a highly satisfactory indicator of such rivalry.
Short‐term capacity allocation problem with tool and setup constraints

We consider a short-term capacity allocation problem with tool and setup constraints that arises in the context of operational planning in a semiconductor wafer fabrication facility. The problem is that of allocating the available capacity of parallel nonidentical machines to available work-in-process (WIP) inventory of operations. Each machine can process a subset of the operations and a tool setup is required on a machine to change processing from one operation to another. Both the number of tools available for an operation and the number of setups that can be performed on a machine during a specified time horizon are limited. We formulate this problem as a degree-constrained network flow problem on a bipartite graph, show that the problem is NP-hard, and propose constant factor approximation algorithms. We also develop constructive heuristics and a greedy randomized adaptive search procedure for the problem. Our computational experiments demonstrate that our solution procedures solve the problem efficiently, rendering the use of our algorithms in real environment feasible. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 52: 754-764, 2005
Excision repair reduces doxorubicin-induced genotoxicity

LacI mutations induced by doxorubicin in a wild-type, uvr(A)BC repair-proficient E. coli strain were analyzed by DNA sequencing. These mutations were contrasted with mutations previously recovered from doxorubicin-treated uvrB- organisms in order to assess the role of excision repair in doxorubicin-induced genotoxicity. After a 30-min exposure of wild-type E. coli to 330 microM doxorubicin, survival was 34% and the overall lacI mutation frequency increased 1.8-fold to 340 x 10(-8). The distribution of doxorubicin-induced mutants among subclasses of mutation involving the i-d and lac operator regions differed significantly between repair-proficient and -deficient strains. Distributional differences appeared to result both from a decrease in deletions involving the lac operator and an increase in base substitutions involving the i-d region in repair proficient organisms. However, elements of the doxorubicin-induced mutation spectrum in uvrB- E. coli are still discernable in wild-type organisms. These elements include the remarkable shift of 3'-deletion endpoints to palindromic sequence within the lac operator and the recovery of multiple isolates of T:A-->A:T transversions at position 96 in doxorubicin-treated cultures. These observations suggest that components of the uvr(A)BC nucleotide excision repair system function through a general mechanism prior to fixation of mutations to reduce, but not completely eliminate, the genotoxic effects of doxorubicin.
Rotational spectra of o-, m-, and p-cyanophenol and internal rotation of p-cyanophenol

Rotational spectra of p-, m-, and o-cyanophenol have been measured in the range of 10.5-21 GHz and fit using Watson's A-reduction Hamiltonian coupled with nuclear quadrupole coupling interaction terms for the (14)N nuclei. Ab initio calculations at the MP2/6-311++G(d,p) and CCSD(T)/6-311++G(d,p) levels predict the cis conformers of m- and o-cyanophenol to be more stable than the corresponding trans conformers. A natural bond orbital analysis of the hydrogen bonding interaction in o- and m-cyanophenol revealed an intramolecular hydrogen bond that preferentially stabilizes the cis conformer of o-cyanophenol but there was no evidence of hydrogen bonding interactions in cis m-cyanophenol. We recorded 25 a- and b-type rotational transitions for cis o-cyanophenol; the rotational constants are A = 3053.758(2) MHz, B = 1511.2760(3) MHz, and C = 1010.7989(2) MHz. The trans conformer of o-cyanophenol was not observed. We recorded 14 a- and b-type rotational transitions for cis m-cyanophenol and 16 a- and b-type rotational transitions for trans m-cyanophenol. The rotational constants are A = 3408.9200(2) MHz, B = 1205.8269(2) MHz, and C = 890.6672(1) MHz and A = 3403.1196(3) MHz, B = 1208.4903(2) MHz, and C = 891.7241(2) MHz for the cis and trans species, respectively. Rotational transitions of the p-cyanophenol monomer are split due to the internal rotation of the hydroxyl group with respect to the aromatic ring. We recorded 25 a- and b-type rotational transitions for p-cyanophenol; the b-type transitions are split by 40 MHz. The rotational constants are A = 5612.96(2) MHz, B = 990.4283(6) MHz, and C = 841.9363(6) MHz. The ground state spitting DeltaE is 20.1608(6) MHz and the barrier to internal rotation, V(2), is 1413(2) cm(-1) from a fit of the rotational transitions to an internal axis system Hamiltonian. The barrier to internal rotation was modeled at the MP2/6-311++G(d,p) level and the effects of substituents on the phenolic ring and the barriers to internal rotation are discussed.
Response selection in keeping track of several things at once

Abstract Keeping track of the current states of several variables has been found to be more difficult when the states of all variables are drawn from the same category than when the states of different variables are drawn from different categories. The present experiment rejected some alternative explanations and concluded that S's superior performance in the case of different categories may be ascribed entirely to response selection: when there are different categories, he can sometimes dismiss a tentative response as impossible. Harris' Discriminant Rule was found to give an adequate quantitative description of the effect of constraining S's response in this way.
Transmembrane interactions in the activation of the Neu receptor tyrosine kinase.

The Neu receptor tyrosine kinase is constitutively activated by a single amino acid change in the transmembrane domain of the receptor. The mutation of Va1664 to glutamate or glutamine induces receptor dimerization and autophosphorylation of the receptor's intracellular kinase domain. The ability of this single mutation to activate the receptor is sequence-dependent, suggesting that specific helix-helix interactions stabilize the transmembrane dimer. We have determined the local secondary structure and interhelical contacts in the region of position 664 in peptide models of the activated receptor using solid-state rotational resonance and rotational echo double-resonance (REDOR) NMR methods. Intrahelical 1 3 C rotational resonance distance measurements were made between 1- 1 3 C-Thr662 and 2- 1 3 C-Gly665 on peptides corresponding to the wild-type Neu and activated Neu* transmembrane sequences containing valine and glutamate at position 664, respectively. We observed similar internuclear distances (4.5 ′ 0.2 A) in both Neu and Neu*, indicating that the region near residue 664 is helical and is not influenced by mutation. Interhelical 1 5 N... 1 3 C REDOR measurements between Gln664 side chains on opposing helices were not consistent with hydrogen bonding between the side chain functional groups. However, interhelical rotational resonance measurements between 1- 1 3 C-Glu664 and 2- 1 3 C-Gly665 and between 1- 1 3 C-Gly665 and 2- 1 3 C-Gly665 demonstrated close contacts (4.3-4.5 A) consistent with the packing of Gly665 in the Neu* dimer interface. These measurements provide structural constraints for modeling the transmembrane dimer and define the rotational orientation of the transmembrane helices in the activated receptor.
Laser Stark spectroscopy of FCN

Abstract Using a CO 2 laser, Stark shifted resonances have been measured for the CF stretching fundamental ( ν 3 ) of FCN near 9.3 μm, and for two nearby “hot” bands. The band centers measured are 1076.492007 ± 0.000013 cm −1 for 00 0 1-00 0 0, 1085.741046 ± 0.000050 cm −1 for 01 1 1-01 1 0, and 1091.16222 ± 0.00015 cm −1 for 02 0 1-02 0 0. The ground state dipole moment of FCN is found to be 2.1203 ± 0.0010 D and dipole moments are also given for the other states observed. Values are given for the rotational constant and l -doubling constant for the 01 1 1 state.
Mental testing and machine intelligence: The Lashley‐Hull debate

Karl Lashley and Clark Hull had a long and unresolved controversy about the structure and function of the brain, its relationship to the mind, and the use of machine metaphors to explain intelligence. Though on the surface their debate was not about the relative importance of heredity or environment in determining intelligence and behavior, this is the subtext that ran through their exchanges. A determined hereditarian, Lashley was committed, both intellectually and institutionally, to the integration of biology and psychology. But Hull believed that environmentally-shaped reflex connections underlay behavior and that this law made psychology the most basic of the social sciences.