cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Regulatory Mechanism of Histidine-tagged Homocitrate Synthase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae I. KINETIC STUDIES

Homocitrate synthase (HCS) catalyzes one of the regulated steps of the alpha-aminoadipate pathway for lysine biosynthesis in fungi. The kinetic mechanism of regulation of HCS from Saccharomyces cerevisiae by Na+ and the feedback inhibitor lysine was studied by measuring the initial rate in the absence and presence of the effectors. The data suggest that Na+ is an activator at low concentrations and an inhibitor at high concentrations and that these effects occur as a result of the monovalent ion binding to two different sites in the free enzyme. Inhibition and activation by Na+ can occur simultaneously, with the net rate of the enzyme determined by Na+/K(iNa+) and Na+/K(act), where K(iNa+) and K(act) are the inhibition and activation constants, respectively. The inhibition by Na+ was eliminated at high concentrations of acetyl-CoA, the second substrate bound, but the activation remained. Fluorescence binding studies indicated that lysine bound with high affinity to its binding site as an inhibitor. The inhibition by lysine was competitive versus alpha-ketoglutarate and linear in the physiological range of lysine concentrations up to 5 mm. The effects of Na+ and lysine were independent of one another. A model is developed for regulation of HCS that takes into account all of the effects discussed above.
Shared hardware data structures for hard real-time systems

Hardware support can reduce the time spent operating on data structures by exploiting circuit-level parallelism. Such hardware data structures (HWDSs) can reduce the latency and jitter of data structure operations, which can benefit real-time systems by reducing worst-case execution times (WCETs). For example, a hardware priority queue (HWPQ) can enqueue and dequeue prioritized items in constant time with low variance; the best software implementations are in logarithmic-time asymptotic complexity for at least one of the enqueue or dequeue operations. The main problems with HWDSs are the limited size of hardware and the complexity of sharing it. In this paper we show that software support can help circumvent the size and sharing limitations of hardware so that applications can benefit from a HWDS. We evaluate our work by showing how the choice of software or hardware affects schedulability of task sets that use multiple priority queues of varying sizes. We model task behavior on two applications that are important in real-time and embedded domains: the grey-weighted distance transform for topology mapping and Dijkstra's algorithm for GPS navigation. Our results indicate that HWDSs can reduce the WCET of applications even when a HWDS is shared by multiple data structures or when data structure sizes exceed HWDS size constraints.
PD-1 ligands, negative regulators for activation of naïve, memory, and recently activated human CD4+ T cells

We examined the role of the PD-1 pathway on the activation of naive, memory, and recently activated human CD4+ T cells to test whether they responded differently. PD-1 ligand blockade modestly enhanced the percentage of responding T cells and production of IFN-gamma in a primary response to myelin basic protein (MBP) in normal donors. PD-1 ligand blockade strongly enhanced proliferation and cytokine production by memory or recently activated T cells (tetanus toxoid and MBP). Blockade of PD-L1 alone had more effect than PD-L2, consistent with its higher expression on ex vivo dendritic cells; furthermore, anti-PD-L1 plus anti-PD-L2 resulted in the greatest enhancement. Moreover, PD-L1-Ig inhibited anti-CD3 induced activation of naive, memory, and recently activated CD4+ T cells. Together, our data demonstrated PD-1 functioned as a negative regulatory pathway on naive T cells during a primary response, and more potently, on memory or recently activated T cells during a secondary response.
The Benefits of Asymmetric Markets

Economists have long been fascinated by the paradox that, given favorable conditions, people's selfish greed for power and profits can annihilate the very power and profits they lust after, and in the process turn the chaos and anarchy of unbridled greed into order and harmony. Ever since the paradox was first noted, generations of economists have admired, taught and argued it, and the Arrow-Debreu theory of general competitive equilibrium is the culmination of the profession's long struggle to understand fully all its conditions and implications. The resulting theory of general equilibrium, with its careful setting out of the many conditions on which the conclusions depend and its clarification of the way in which conclusions and underlying conditions are interconnected, has rightly been hailed as a remarkable intellectual achievement. Of course, the conditions set out have been chosen with a view to obtaining the conclusions, not for their realism; and some of them are admittedly and blatantly unrealistic. Accordingly, the important and remarkable results of the theory pertain to an imaginary economy. However, the theory's portrayal of the market forces that govern resource utilization and allocation resembles our actual economy closely enough to be of great practical importance. Hence the great attention that the theory has received and the consensus that it represents an important milestone in our understanding of the market economy. One must be careful, however, not to read more into general equilibrium theory than what it says. Everybody knows that the U.S. economy is far removed from the theory's imaginary model of perfect competition—the empirical evidence on unemployment and capacity underutilization makes that clear—but the intellectual pleasure one gets from following the theory's elegant logic and beautiful results easily makes one forget its limitations. Economists are often so mesmerized by the magic of perfect competition that they neglect or fail to notice other, equally important
Why Oregon went wrong.

Oregon’s brave plan to explicitly ration health care in order to cover more people soon ran into problems. Vidhya Alakeson looks at the reasons and asks whether history will repeat itself
Absolute and uniform convergence of alternate forms of the prolate spheroidal radial wave functions

A new orthonormal basis set representation of the prolate spheroidal radial and angular wave functions is presented. The embedded series solutions to a fully-coupled fluid-solid interaction continuum physics problem is defined by product sets of Legendre polynomials and modified spherical Bessel functions of the first and third kinds. We prove that the embedded series solutions analytically converge absolutely and uniformly to the exact solutions of the system of coupled continuum equations. The satisfaction of the bilinear concomitant and its utility in establishing the convergence proofs is demonstrated.
François Jacob (1920–2013)

Francois Jacob died on 19 April in Paris at the age of 92. We have lost one of the great architects of modern biology, whose legacy touches all aspects of gene regulation from viruses and bacteria to humans, as well as in human diseases such as cancer. To an astonishing degree, his insights and elegant experiments established the framework for understanding the mechanisms that underpin gene control in every decision a cell makes on its journey through the cell division cycle, in embryogenesis, in tissue differentiation, and in the formation of a multicellular organism. He was not only a visionary scientist but also a humanist with extraordinary perception of the workings of the scientific mind and the literary ability to convey his insights with grace and compassion.
Flexible random intercept models for binary outcomes using mixtures of normals

Random intercept models for binary data are useful tools for addressing between-subject heterogeneity. Unlike linear models, the non-linearity of link functions used for binary data force a distinction between marginal and conditional interpretations. This distinction is blurred in probit models with a normally distributed random intercept because the resulting model implies a probit marginal link as well. That is, this model is closed in the sense that the distribution associated with the marginal and conditional link functions and the random effect distribution are all of the same family. It is shown that the closure property is also attained when the distributions associated with the conditional and marginal link functions and the random effect distribution are mixtures of normals. The resulting flexible family of models is demonstrated to be related to several others present in the literature and can be used to synthesize several seemingly disparate modeling approaches. In addition, this family of models offers considerable computational benefits. A diverse series of examples is explored that illustrates the wide applicability of this approach.
HAWT Rotor Design and Performance Analysis

In this paper, a design method based on blade element momentum (BEM) theory is explained for horizontal-axis wind turbine (HAWT) blades. The method is used to optimize the chord and twist distributions of the blades. Applying this method a 100kW HAWT rotor is designed. Also a computer program is written to estimate the aerodynamic performance of the existing HAWT blades and used for the performance analysis of the designed 100kW HAWT rotor.© 2009 ASME
Mural degeneration in the glutaraldehydetanned umbilical vein graft: Incidence and implications*

Abstract After discovering an aneurysm in a glutaraldehyde-tanned umbilical vein (GTUV) graft that resulted in graft thrombosis, we reevaluated all patients from our institution who had GTUV grafts implanted for more than 2 years. Of 60 patients identified, 14 of 15 patients with patent grafts were recalled and had either digital subtraction or standard angiographic studies. Angiographic changes in the grafts were graded on a scale of 0 to 3, from normal (grade 0) to frank aneurysmal degeneration (grade 3). Eight grafts (57%) had frank aneurysmal (grade 3) changes, and three other grafts (21%) had preaneurysmal (grade 2) changes. Only one graft was angiographically normal. GTUV grafts undergo aneurysmal degeneration in a significant percentage of implants. Symptomatic aneurysms have presented with thrombosis and limb-threatening ischemia as well as rupture. GTUV aneurysms should be treated by complete graft resection, as segmental resection of diseased portions of grafts resulted in metachronous aneurysm recurrence. Because of the high incidence of GTUV degeneration, the clinical indications for the use of GTUV grafts should be seriously reevaluated, and we recommend that all patients with patent GTUV grafts for more than 2 years be evaluated for the presence of aneurysmal degeneration. (J VASC SURG 1986;4:243-50.)
The removal of perchlorate from groundwater by activated carbon tailored with cationic surfactants

In rapid small-scale column tests, cationic surfactant-tailored activated carbons (ACs) effectively removed perchlorate to below detection levels for up to 30 times longer than virgin AC. By pre-loading bituminous AC with dicocodimethylammonium chloride, tallowtrimethylammonium chloride, cetyltrimethylammonium chloride, or cetylpyridinium chloride, 75 ppb perchlorate was removed for 27,000-35,000 bed volumes before the effluent perchlorate rose above 1 ppb. These tests employed a natural groundwater that also contained 30 mg/L sulfate, 26 mg/L nitrate (as NO3-), and other ions. By the time of 25 ppb perchlorate breakthrough, 7.3-10.1% of quaternary ammonium sites had perchlorate associated with them. Although some of the surfactants leached out of the tailored carbon beds (0.6-21.2% of the amount loaded), the leached surfactant could be removed to below detectable limits with a virgin AC polishing bed that chased the tailored bed.
Self-assembled structure formation from interactions between polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane and sorbitol in preparation of polymer compounds

Abstract This study investigated the factors responsible for molecular interactions leading to self-assembly between the molecules of sorbitol and polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) carrying organic and inorganic side groups. The study also assessed the utility of such molecular adducts as processing aids which will aid preparation of polymer compounds, films, and spun fibers. Several POSS molecules containing silanol functionalities and alkyl and phenyl substituents were used to separately evaluate the effects of hydrogen bonding and π−π interactions on formation of molecular adducts. The molecular adducts were studied using differential scanning calorimetry, wide angle X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, mass spectrometry, oscillatory shear rheology, and molecular dynamics simulation. The study revealed that POSS-sorbitol self-assembled structures were formed only when hydrogen bonding and π−π interactions worked cooperatively. In addition, self-assembled molecules were of amorphous nature although POSS and sorbitol were crystalline.
Rational G-matrices with rational eigenvalues

Abstract A study of the totally rational (entries and eigenvalues) centralizer of an Abelian group, G , is applied to the problem of determing which strongly regular graphs admit such a G as a egular automorphism group.
Nucleotide sequence of the transposon Tn7 gene encoding an aminoglycoside-modifying enzyme, 3″(9)-O-nucleotidyltransferase

The nucleotide sequence of a transposon Tn7 DNA fragment encoding a 3"(9)-O-nucleotidyltransferase, an aminoglycoside-modifying enzyme, which mediates bacterial resistance to spectinomycin and streptomycin, was determined. The aadA structural gene was 786 bases long and predicted a polypeptide of 262 amino acids with a calculated molecular weight of 29,207. Comparison of the DNA sequences of Tn7 and plasmid R538-1 indicated that their aadA genes were nearly identical. Comparison of the polypeptides predicted by the aadA genes of Tn7 and Tn554 indicated that the genes were related.
Activation of Phospholipase C-γ by the Concerted Action of Tau Proteins and Arachidonic Acid

Abstract Phospholipase C-γ (PLC-γ) isozymes are thought to be activated by receptor-induced tyrosine phosphorylation. Proteins that activate PLC-γ1 have now been purified from bovine brain and identified as members of the tau family of microtubule-associated proteins. Activation of PLC-γ by tau was enhanced in the presence of unsaturated fatty acids such as arachidonic acid, saturated fatty acids being ineffective. Maximal (15-20-fold) activation was apparent in the presence of 0.15 μM tau and 25 μM arachidonic acid (AA). The effect of tau and AA was specific to PLC-γ isozymes in the presence of submicromolar concentrations of Ca2+ and was markedly inhibited by phosphatidylcholine. These results suggest that in cells that express tau, receptors coupled to cytosolic phospholipase A2 may activate PLC-γ isozymes indirectly in the absence of tyrosine phosphorylation through the hydrolysis of phosphatidylcholine to generate AA.
Dependence of Aortic Arch Morphogenesis on Intracardiac Blood Flow in the Left Atrial Ligated Chick Embryo

Partial left atrial ligation before cardiac septation redistributes intracardiac blood flow and produces left ventricular hypoplasia in the chick. We hypothesized that redistributed intracardiac blood flow adversely alters aortic arch development. We ligated the left atrial appendage with a 10-0 nylon suture at stage 21 chick embryos, then reincubated up to stage 34. Sham embryos had a suture tied adjacent to the atrial wall, and normal controls were unoperated. We measured simultaneous atrioventricular (AV) and dorsal aortic (DAo) blood velocities from stage 24 embryos with an ultrasound pulsed-Doppler flow meter; and the left and right third and fourth aortic arch blood flow with a laser-Doppler flow meter. Ventricular and atrial cross-sectional areas were measured from sequential video fields for planimetry. Intracardiac flow patterns were imaged on video by injecting India ink into the vitelline vein. In separate embryos, radiopaque microfil was injected into the cardiovascular system for micro-CT scanning. We analyzed the morphologic characteristics of the heart at stage 34. Active AV and DAo stroke volume (mm(3)), right third and fourth aortic arch blood flow (mm(3)/s) were all decreased in ligated embryos (P < 0.05) when compared with normal and sham embryos. Ventricular end-diastolic volume versus normal and sham embryos decreased by 45% and 46%, respectively (P < 0.05). India ink injection revealed altered right aortic arch flow patterns in the ligated embryos compared with normal embryos. micro-CT imaging confirmed altered arch morphogenesis. Alterations in intracardiac blood flow disrupt both early cardiac morphogenesis and aortic arch selection.
Membranous nephropathy, interstitial nephritis, and Fanconi syndrome-- glomerular antigen.

We characterized the glomerular antigen of membranous nephropathy (MN) in a child with the trial of MN, proximal renal tubular basement membrane autoantibody (TBMAb)-associated interstitial nephritis (ITN), and Fanconi syndrome. Granular staining was demonstrated for human gp600 in the vicinity of immune deposits of MN along glomerular capillary loops, using a monospecific polyclonal antibody to human gp600 by indirect immunofluorescence. However, no staining was observed in the MN deposits for receptor-associated protein. Membranous nephropathy preceded the development of TBMAbs, ITN, and Fanconi syndrome by 1 year, showing that the MN lesion does not result from the initial immunological injury to the tubulointerstitium, as postulated earlier. We confirmed the reactivity of TBMAbs with the recently deseribed rabbit 58-kilodalton (kDa) tubular basement membrane antigen (TBMAg). However, this is the first report to show reactivity of these antibodies with the human 58-kDa protein. Also, we found that TBMAg is comprised of a single protein band of 58 kDa, unlike the previously described combination of two protein bands (58 kDa and 175 kDa). In this patient, following prednisone treatment, the TBMAbs became undetectable, and the nephrotic syndrome and Fanconi syndrome resolved, thus suggesting a causal role of TBMAbs in the pathogenesis of Fanconi syndrome. We postulate that in this rare disorder, renal lesions result from an autoimmune response to the 58-kDa TBMAg and possibly to gp600, and that the predisposition to autoimmunity is genetically linked to the HLA B7 serotype.
Mitogenic activity is increased in the sera of preeclamptic women before delivery.

Abstract There is increasing evidence that endothelial cell injury and altered endothelial cell function play an important role in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia. Endothelial cell injury can lead to the secretion of potent mitogens by activating platelets and directly through the increased production of peptide growth factors by endothelial cells themselves. This study was undertaken to test the hypotheses that increased secretion of mitogenic factors is a feature of preeclampsia and that this activity could be detected in the serum of preeclamptic women. Paired serum samples were collected in early labor and again at 24 to 48 hours post partum from term patients with preeclampsia (n = 15) and normal pregnant controls (n = 14). A bioassay was used to quantify mitogenic activity in these paired samples by assessing their ability to stimulate the incorporation of tritiated thymidine into deoxyribonucleic acid of confluent, quiescent (G o stage) human fibroblasts in monolayer culture. Mitogenic activity was significantly increased in prepartum, preeclamptic sera compared with normal controls and diminished rapidly postpartum to levels equivalent to normal pre- and postpartum serum. These findings are consistent with endothelial cell injury, a process that we believe plays a central role in the pathophysiology of the preedamptic syndrome.
Narrating the Closet: An Autoethnography of Same-Sex Attraction

Tony E. Adams, Narrating the Closet: An Autoethnography of Same-Sex Attraction. Walnut Creek, CA: Left Coast Press, 2011. 214 pp. $94.00 (hardback), $34.95 (paperback) As I begin this review, I ref...
The mystery of the “negative equative” construction

These experiments compare the difficulty of arranging items according to negative equative instructions like “A is not as x as B” (where A and B are object names and x is an adjective) to the difficulty of syllogisms with analogous premises. The difficulty of arrangement tasks corresponds to the difficulty of reasoning tasks, supporting our earlier notion that S s' strategy in reasoning is to imagine arranging items according to instructions given in the premises. Different types of results were obtained for different adjectives. We proposed that this was because S s' mental operations in decoding negative equatives vary with the adjective.
Quadriceps Control: A Key Factor in Coping With Anterior Cruciate Ligament Deficiency

Approximately 250,000 anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries occur in the United States each year. Most people cannot return to sports after an ACL injury without surgical intervention (Non-copers), but some can (Copers). Recent research suggests that the ability to cope with ACL injury is most likely related to neuromuscular function. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the neuromuscular control strategies of ACL deficient (ACL-D) Non-copers, ACL-D Copers, and people with uninjured knees using an established target-matching protocol, electromyography (EMG) of 10 muscles acting at the knee, and circular statistics methods. Thirty-two people (12 Non-Copers, 8 Copers, and 12 people without a history of knee injury) volunteered to participate in the study. The ACL-D subjects demonstrated diminished neuromuscular control when their muscle activity patterns were compared to those of the uninjured subjects. The key difference between the Copers and Non-copers was that Copers demonstrated better quadriceps control than the Non-copers. This study may have important implications for the treatment of people who sustain ACL injuries.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Dialectics and World Politics

Every child knows the story of Humpty Dumpty who fell off a wall and broke into so many pieces that all the king's horses and all the king's men could not put Humpty Dumpty together again. How diff...
Heuristics and Optimizing Techniques Applied to Long Range Facility Planning for Hospital Ancillary Departments

A conceptual framework for long range facility planning of ancillary departments in hospitals is proposed and successfully applied to a radiology department. The framework involves the interactions of optimizing techniques with heuristics for effective and efficient achievement of an organizational objective. It uses outputs from ad optimizing technique as inputs to a heuristic, and vice versa. This approach does not guarantee an absolute optimal plan, but it does provide the best plan relative to the alternatives developed by following a systematic search within the framework. The proposed framework is adaptable to the organizational needs of health centers, hospitals and other service organizations. It should enhance the understanding of complex planning processes by managers through providing means to separate vital from trivial policy inputs.
Folclore, raza y racismo en la política cultural e intelectual de Delia Zapata Olivella. El campo político-intelectual Afrocolombiano

El presente trabajo busca explorar las ideas de folclore, raza y racismo en el pensamientointelectual de Delia Zapata Olivella. Se espera, mediante una interpretacion profundade su trabajo, mostrar que las construcciones de sentido de la autora proponen una descripcionsocial y cultural del orden racial en Colombia. Para tal fin se reflexionara sobrela configuracion del campo politico – intelectual afrocolombiano, para posteriormenteadelantar algunas interpretaciones sobre la manera como Delia Zapata concibio, en sustrabajos, el folclore, la raza y el racismo.
Package thermal resistance: geometrical effects in conventional and hybrid packages

The effect of package geometry on thermal resistance for a set of six package configurations is studied. With thermal resistance network models it is possible to determine the junction-to-ambient thermal resistance for each package type under a variety of external cooling conditions. It is found that as the external package cooling technology improves, the thermal resistances for different package configurations separate into distinct ranges. In general, packages which have the lowest thermal resistance under free convection will have the largest thermal resistance under conditions of advanced forced liquid cooling, and vice versa. It is found that the surface area and internal thermal resistance serve as good indicators of thermal performance throughout the range from natural convection to microchannel cooling. On the basis of simple models, nonuniform chip active layer temperature distribution, spatially localized hot spot formation, and the effect of lower chip-to-ambient thermal resistance on the chip temperature profile are discussed. >
Aggressor's response to the victim's facial expression of emotion

Abstract Male college students ( N = 96) were met by an experimental confederate who either agreed or disagreed with their opinion. The subjects were then given an opportunity to deliver electric shock to the confederate (victim), who responded to the shock with a facial expression of anger, fear, joy, or neutrality. The opinion condition had no effect, but the victim's facial expressions were clearly perceived by the subjects and two of them significantly influenced the amount of shock delivered to the victim by the subjects. The expression of enjoyment (smile) increased aggression while that of anger decreased aggression. The effects of the fear and neutral expressions did not differ from each other, and neither had a consistent significant effect on the amount of shock administered by the subjects.
Alpha-Toxin Is Required for Biofilm Formation by Staphylococcus aureus

Staphylococcus aureus is a common pathogen associated with nosocomial infections. It can persist in clinical settings and gain increased resistance to antimicrobial agents through biofilm formation. We have found that alpha-toxin, a secreted, multimeric, hemolytic toxin encoded by the hla gene, plays an integral role in biofilm formation. The hla mutant was unable to fully colonize plastic surfaces under both static and flow conditions. Based on microscopy studies, we propose that alpha-hemolysin is required for cell-to-cell interactions during biofilm formation.
Gender Inequality and Criminal Seduction: Prosecuting Sexual Coercion in the Early‐20th Century

This article analyzes narratives of sexual consent and coercion in 15 criminal seduction cases tried in New York City from 1903 to 1918. I explore courtroom accounts of seduction to explain how dominant notions of masculinity and femininity constrain the effectiveness of sex crime laws. Unlike men, women in the Progressive era (1900–1920) who engaged in premarital sex faced potentially significant social costs in the form of unwanted pregnancy and ostracism. These women could sometimes seek redress by bringing felony charges against men who reneged on their promises of marriage. New York's “seduction law” not only criminalized betrayal but it also functioned as a tool in the prosecution of sexual assault. Yet a patriarchal ideology of romantic courtship embedded in the statute, and defense attorney strategies that drew on this ideology, limited the law's ability to address sexual coercion.
Letter by Molkentin Regarding Article, “The Absence of Evidence Is Not Evidence of Absence: The Pitfalls of Cre Knock-Ins in the c-Kit Locus”

There has been great interest in the potential role of cKit+ cells as mediators of heart regeneration. To explore this issue, van Berlo et al1 recently used genetic lineage tracing in the mouse to mark cKit+ cells. When we looked at tissues from these mice, the lungs were green, the gastrointestinal tract was green, the bone marrow was green, and the testis were green, but the heart was not. This was a surprising finding, given the extensive literature implicating cKit+ cells in regeneration of the heart. In-depth microscopic analysis revealed that cardiac endothelial cells were abundantly labeled (as much as 50%), but only a few rare myocytes were green fluorescent protein (GFP+) (maximum of 0.03%). The report contained extensive control experiments to validate all observations and suggested the simplest conclusion: that there were few adult cardiac myocytes derived from cKit+ progeny. Below we highlight the key issues and attempt to bring clarity to this field in light of a recent commentary published in Circulation Research by Dr Nadal-Ginard et al2 that question the conclusions and some theoretical aspects of the study by van Berlo et al. The specific points in response to this commentary are as follows: This is a …
Supporting the K-12 Classroom through University Outreach

This article provides a field-based example of a series of out reach programs that have been designed in response to current recommendations found in the K-12 outreach literature. These programs begin with university mathematics and science faculty members teaching a 10-day summer workshop to elementary and middle school teachers. Following this workshop, a grad uate student provides direct classroom support for 15 hours each week throughout the academic year to the participating teachers. At the high school level, graduate students offer after-school mathematics and science enrichment clubs to students. Early findings indicate a positive impact on teacher understanding of mathematics and science as measured by summer workshop pre and post assessments and participating students’ development of mathematical knowledge as measured by a standardized test. Additionally, there has been a recent increase in faculty members’ willingness to participate in these outreach programs.
Critical algebras and the Frattini congruence, II

We prove that any finite subdirectly irreducible algbra in a congruence modular variety with trivial Frattini congruence is critical. We also show that if A and B are critical algebras which generate the same congruence modular variety, then the variety generated by the proper sections of A equals the variety generated by the proper sections of B.
Mechanical Diversity of Connective Tissue of the Body Wall of Sea Anemones

Techniques for analysing polymer mechanics were used to describe quantitatively the time-dependent mechanical properties of the body-wall connective tissue (mesogloea) and to indicate macromolecular mechanisms responsible for the mechanical behaviour of two species of sea anemones, Metridium senile and Anthopleura xanthogrammica . 1. 1. The mesogloea of M. senile is more extensible and less resilient than that of A. xanthogrammica when stressed for periods comparable to the duration of flow forces the anemones encounter and the postural changes they perform. 2. 2. Polarized light microscopy and SEM reveal that the reinforcing collagen fibres in the mesogloea are aligned parallel with the major stress axes in the body wall. 3. 3. Mechanical tests and observations of composition and microstructure indicate that the mesogloea of A. xanthogrammica is less extensible than that of M. senile because molecular entanglements (due to more closely packed parallel collagen fibres and to a higher concentration of polymers in the interfibrillar matrix) retard the extension of A. xanthogrammica mesogloea. This study illustrates how structural features on the macromolecular and microscopic levels of organization of an organism can equip that organism for the particular mechanical activities it performs and the environmental forces it encounters.
A universal circuit for studying and generating chaos. I. Routes to chaos

In this introductory tutorial paper, we demonstrate the generality of Chua's oscillator in generating chaos and bifurcation phenomena by electronic laboratory experiments which illustrate the standard routes to chaos, and by giving a result which shows that Chua's oscillator can generate the same qualitative behavior as any member of a 21-parameter family C of continuous, odd-symmetric, piecewise-linear vector field in R/sup 3/. This result is of fundamental importance because it unifies many previously published papers on chaotic circuits and systems under one umbrella, thereby obviating the need to analyze these circuits and systems as separate and unrelated systems. Indeed, every bifurcation and chaotic phenomena exhibited by any member of the family C is also exhibited by this universal circuit. >
What determines performance of cross‐border M&As by Chinese companies? An absorptive capacity perspective

Chinese companies are increasingly using cross-border merger and acquisitions (M&As) as a vehicle to source knowledge or strategic assets, so as to enhance their competitive advantage. However, a critical question is: Can strategic assets be effectively acquired by Chinese firms, thereby leading to superior firm performance? This article addresses this fundamental question from an absorptive capacity perspective. This approach concentrates on how an acquiring firm's absorptive capacity influences its ability to identify, assimilate, integrate, and apply external new knowledge into commercial use. By comparatively examining two high-profile international M&A deals completed by leading Chinese firms Lenovo and TCL, we argue that the performance of Chinese companies' overseas acquisitions is substantially affected by the acquiring firm's absorptive capacity at multiple dimensions, thus drawing strategic implications for multinationals in other emerging markets. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Enhanced Contractile Response and Protein Kinase Activation to Threshold Levels of β-Adrenergic Stimulation in Hyperthyroid Rat Heart

The contractile response measured as maximum rate of force development to a near threshold concentration of isoproterenol (1 nM) was enhanced in perfused interventricular septa from hyperthyroid (128+/-4% control) compared with euthyroid rats (105+/-2%, P < 0.01). This enhanced contractile response was accompanied by a significant activation of cyclic (c)AMP-dependent protein kinase (protein kinase activity ratio increased from 0.159+/-0.008 to 0.218+/-0.019, P < 0.005, although no significant changes from base line occurred in euthyroid septa, 0.152+/-0.007-0.179+/-0.012). No difference between hyperthyroid and euthyroid hearts was observed in the contractile response to 0.1 mM dibutyryl cAMP (126.5+/-2.5% and 122.0+/-9.2% in hyperthyroid and euthyroid, respectively), and the magnitude of the response to dibutyryl cAMP was comparable with that observed in the hyperthyroid group with 1 nM isoproterenol. These results suggest that the mechanism for enhanced protein kinase activation and contractile response to low concentrations of isoproterenol in the hyperthyroid heart is at or proximal to cAMP generation. The maximum contractile response to isoproterenol (0.5 muM), however, was decreased in hyperthyroid myocardium (192+/-13%) compared with euthyroid (291+/-37%, P < 0.05). Both protein kinase activity ratio (0.356+/-0.017 and 0.344+/-0.013) and the maximum contractile response to Ca(++) (335+/-15 and 340+/-12% control in hyperthyroid and euthyroid, respectively) were similar, suggesting that the mechanism of the diminished maximum response was distal to protein kinase activation but not a function of an altered Ca(++)-troponin interaction. The diminished maximum rate of force development response in the hyperthyroid hearts was accompanied by significantly less shortening of the contraction duration that was 85.6+/-2.1% control in hyperthyroid vs. 66+/-2.8% control in euthyroid, P < 0.001. Although the basal rate of Ca(++) accumulation was greater in microsomes isolated from hyperthyroid than from euthyroid hearts, there was significantly less additional stimulation of Ca(++) accumulation in response to exogenous cAMP and protein kinase in hyperthyroid compared with euthyroid hearts. This reduction may explain the diminished effect of isoproterenol on the shortening of contraction duration in hyperthyroid compared with the euthyroid myocardium, and may explain, at least in part, the diminished maximum contractile response to isoproterenol.
Platelet alpha2-adrenergic receptors in schizophrenic patients before and after phenothiazine treatment

Abstract The specific binding to isolated platelet membranes of 3 H-clonidine, an α 2 -adrenergic receptor partial agonist, and 3 H-yohimbine, an α 2 -adrenergic receptor antagonist, was measured in male, drug-free schizophrenic patients. The maximum number of binding sites ( B max ) for 3 H-yohimbine was significantly lower in these patients than in normal subjects. Treatment with chlorpromazine (CPZ) for 2 weeks further decreased the B max for both ligands. Plasma catecholamine levels were determined before and after treatment. Before treatment, levels of dopamine and norepinephrine (NE) were within a normal range, while epinephrine (E) levels were significantly elevated. CPZ treatment significantly increased plasma NE levels, but decreased E levels to a normal range. These observations suggest that schizophrenia might be associated with abnormal noradrenergic function that is reflected by a decreased number of platelet α 2 -adrenergic receptors.
Measuring Service Quality in E-Retailing

To managers of companies with a Web presence, an awareness of how customers perceive service quality is essential to understanding what customers value in an online service transaction. Previous research in e-service quality has primarily focused on the interaction of the consumer and the Web site while missing the big picture that e-service quality is composed of more than Web site interactivity. The goal of this article is to extend the work on e-service quality to encompass not only Web site interactivity or process quality but also outcome quality and recovery quality. A conceptual framework of e-service quality is proposed and empirically tested that combines process, outcome, and recovery dimensions. Contrary to previous service quality studies, formative instead of reflective indicators are used to conceptualize e-service quality. This study found empirical support for the use of formative indicators and the three-dimensional approach to conceptualizing e-service quality.
Unique calcium oxalate “duplex” and “concretion” idioblasts in leaves of tribe Naucleeae (Rubiaceae)

Premise of the study This basic study may help plant biologists better understand the variety and occurrence of crystal forms and their function in plants. Literature records hold four examples of two different crystal types in one cell. One, unillustrated report mentions druses and crystal sand from one species of tribe Naucleeae (Rubiaceae) and "occasional occurrences" in additional unnamed taxa. Here, we surveyed Naucleeae (103 of 179 species, 23 of 24 genera, all seven subtribes) for "duplex idioblast" distribution for systematic significance and describe examples of this rare feature. Methods Cleared, dehydrated, herbarium leaves were mounted unstained in resin. Slides were examined with polarization optics for crystal types and locations, and representative areas were electronically digitized. Scanning electron microscopy and x-ray analysis verified calcium oxalate composition. Key results Idioblast configurations occur as crystal sand (CS) only (most common, 92 spp.) to CS plus one embedded druse (55 spp.), to CS plus 2-3 druses (6 spp.), to one druse with scanty surrounding CS (a few spp.), to a "naked" druse (16 spp.). Trends occur in some subtribes. A previously undescribed conspicuous, spheroidal calcium oxalate aggregate "concretion" idioblast occurs in only four species of Mitragyna (Mitragynineae). Idioblasts are most common along vascular bundles and in mesophyll, less so only along vascular bundles, and least common only in mesophyll. Tiny "secondary" crystals are common in ordinary mesophyll cells. Conclusions Crystal types appear to be systematic features in Naucleeae. Duplex idioblasts (CS and druses) and aggregate concretions are a demonstration that much is yet to be discovered about crystals.
Ecopsychology and Phenomenology: An Introduction

Introduction to the book and to the intersection of ecopsychology and phenomenology. Explores the history of how the two fields have interacted with each other and how an early contra-naturalist penchant within phenomenology was transformed into a fecund opening towards ecological thinking. The chapter highlights the two fields' shared values, sensibilities and axioms and includes a contemporary and inclusive definition of ecopsychology. Introductions for each section and each chapter are provided. Concluding paragraphs speak to how the volume as a whole allows the reader to engage more fully with the climate crisis, thereby laying the groundwork for a different future for ourselves and the planet.
Device for Stretching Spastic Hip Adductor Muscles

The application of low loads over prolonged periods of time as a means of lengthening shortened soft tissues and reducing hypertonus is well supported in the literature.1–6 Techniques are not always available, however, for the practical application of such loads in a clinical setting, particularly for patients with decreased range of motion associated with spastic musculature. A specific movement that is frequently reduced in patients with increased tone in the muscles of their lower extremities is hip abduction. Odeen reported increased voluntary and passive hip abduction after both single and repeated 30-minute periods of hip adductor muscle stretch.5 They had patients with spastic paraparesis use a device that helped them to gradually increase their hip abduction by turning a wheel which in turn separated their legs. PROBLEM Though effective, the device described by Odeen is not currently available to most therapists or patients.5…
What is the potential of physical education controlling overweight and obesity

The incidence of type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome continues to increase in children. In order to prevent this, children need to have an energy expenditure that is greater than their energy in...
Analysis of Data from Leaching Concrete Samples Taken from the Three Mile Island Unit 2 Reactor Building Basement

Samples of contaminated concrete from the basement of the reactor building at Three Mile Island Unit 2 were tested and analyzed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory to determine the potential for decon...
Effects of acute, submaximal exercise on skeletal muscle vitamin E.

Vitamin E is the major lipid soluble anti-oxidant and may play an important protective role against free radicals produced during exercise. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of a submaximal exercise bout on vitamin E levels in selected tissues. Five week- old lean, female Zucker rats were randomly divided into sedentary and run groups. At least 4 days following a maximal VO2 test, the run group (n = 7) ran on a treadmill at 70.3 ± 1.5% VO2 max for 34-42 minutes. Duration was varied according to body weight to keep total work constant. Immediately post-exercise, animals were decapitated, exsanguinated and the quadriceps (red and white vastus lateralis), liver and heart quickly excised and stored under liquid nitrogen until analyzed. Lipids were extracted in heptane and alpha-tocopherol levels determined by reverse-phase HPLC with electrochemical detection. Quadriceps vitamin-E levels declined post-exercise 30% compared to sedentary controls. Specifically, in the red quadriceps from 37 ±...
Effects of receptor correlations on molecular information transmission

Cells measure concentrations of external ligands by capturing ligand molecules with cell surface receptors. The numbers of molecules captured by different receptors co-vary because they depend on the same extrinsic ligand fluctuations. However, these numbers also counter-vary due to the intrinsic stochasticity of chemical processes because a single molecule randomly captured by a receptor cannot be captured by another. Such structure of receptor correlations is generally believed to lead to an increase in information about the external signal compared to the case of independent receptors. We analyze a solvable model of two molecular receptors and show that, contrary to this widespread expectation, the correlations have a small and negative effect on the information about the ligand concentration. Further, we show that measurements that average over multiple receptors are almost as informative as those that track the states of every individual one.
Single crystal to single crystal topochemical photoreactions: measuring the degree of disorder in the [2+2] photodimerization of trans-cinnamic acid using single-crystal 13C NMR spectroscopy.

A single crystal of α-trans-cinnamic acid was synthesized with a 13C-label at the β-carbon position and photoreacted to yield the [2 + 2] cycloaddition product, α-truxillic acid. 13C{1H} cross-polarization (CP) single-crystal NMR experiments were performed on the unreacted and sequentially photoreacted samples for different goniometer orientations, and the spectra were simulated using the SIMMOL and SIMPSON software packages. Atomic coordinates from single-crystal X-ray diffraction data were used as inputs in the simulations, which allowed the chemical shift tensor to be precisely measured and related to the unit cell (or molecular) reference frame of cinnamic acid. The line widths of the 13C resonances observed at different goniometer rotations were utilized to estimate the orientational dispersion of the cinnamic acid species, which ultimately provides a measure of disorder in the single crystal. The photoreacted sample, a solid solution of cinnamic and truxillic acids, maintained its single-crystal nat...
Intermediacy of a Persistent Urazole Radical and an Electrophilic Diazenium Species in the Acid-Catalyzed Reaction of MeTAD with Anisole

The reaction of N-methyl-1,2,4-triazoline-3,5-dione (MeTAD) with anisole in the presence of trifluoroacetic acid affords unexpected disubstituted urazole products instead of the expected monosubstituted urazole as typically observed in the reactions of MeTAD with other substituted benzenes. Our investigation into the mechanism of formation of these disubstituted products suggests that MeTAD is capable of further reaction with the initially formed monosubstituted urazole to afford a persistent urazole radical. The identity of this radical has been established by UV–vis spectroscopy, the nature of its self-dimerization reaction, and via independent generation. Electrochemical oxidation of this radical was carried out, and the resulting diazenium ion was demonstrated to be reactive with added substituted benzenes, including anisole. When oxidation was carried out chemically using thianthrenium perchlorate in the presence of anisole it was shown to produce the same disubstituted products (and in the same rati...