cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Estimation of the circular dichroism exhibited by statistical coils of poly(L‐alanine) and unionized poly(L‐lysine) in water

The circular dichroism of Ac-(Ala)x-OMe and H-Lys-(Lys)x-OH with x = 1, 2, 3, and 4 has been measured in aqueous solutions. The oligomers with x = 4 show similar circular dichroism spectra in water when the lysyl amino groups are protonated, and they respond in similar fashion to heating and to sodium perchlorate. Both oligomers at 15°C exhibit a positive circular dichroism band at 217–218 nm, which is eliminated by the isothermal addition of 4 M sodium perchlorate or by heating. The positive circular dichroism of the lysine oligomer is also eliminated when the pH is elevated to deprotonate the amino groups. Positive circular dichroism is still observed for Ac-(Ala)4-OMe at elevated pH. Circular dichroism spectra have been estimated for poly(L-alanine) and poly(L-lysine) as statistical coils under the above conditions, based on the trends established with the oligomers. Poly(L-lysine) and poly(L-alanine) are predicted to exhibit similar circular dichroism behavior in aqueous solution so long as the lysyl amino groups are protonated. The circular dichroism of the statistical coil of poly(L-lysine), but not poly(L-alanine), is predicted to change when the pH is elevated sufficiently to deprotonate the lysyl amino groups. These results suggest that the unionized lysyl side chains participate in interactions that are not available to poly(L-alanine). Hydrophobic interactions may occur between the unionized lysyl side chains. Protonation of the lysyl amino groups is proposed to disrupt these interactions, causing poly(L-alanine) and protonated poly(L-lysine) to have similar circular dichroism properties.
Sphingolipid Synthesis as a Target for Antifungal Drugs: COMPLEMENTATION OF THE INOSITOL PHOSPHORYLCERAMIDE SYNTHASE DEFECT IN A MUTANT STRAIN OF SACCHAROMYCES CEREVISIAE BY THE AUR1 GENE *

We have identified a Saccharomyces cerevisiae gene necessary for the step in sphingolipid synthesis in which inositol phosphate is added to ceramide to form inositol-P-ceramide, a reaction catalyzed by phosphatidylinositol:ceramide phosphoinositol transferase (IPC synthase). This step should be an effective target for antifungal drugs. A key element in our experiments was the development of a procedure for isolating mutants defective in steps in sphingolipid synthesis downstream from the first step including a mutant defective in IPC synthase. An IPC synthase defect is supported by data showing a failure of the mutant strain to incorporate radioactive inositol or N-acetylsphinganine into sphingolipids and, by using an improved assay, a demonstration that the mutant strain lacks enzyme activity. Furthermore, the mutant accumulates ceramide when fed exogenous phytosphingosine as expected for a strain lacking IPC synthase activity. Ceramide accumulation is accompanied by cell death, suggesting the presence of a ceramide-activated death response in yeast. A gene, AUR1 (YKL004w), that complements the IPC synthase defect and restores enzyme activity and sphingolipid synthesis was isolated. Mutations in AUR1 had been shown previously to give resistance to the antifungal drug aureobasidin A, leading us to predict that the drug should inhibit IPC synthase activity. Our data show that the drug is a potent inhibitor of IPC synthase with an IC50 of about 0.2 nM. Fungal pathogens are an increasing threat to human health. Now that IPC synthase has been shown to be the target for aureobasidin A, it should be possible to develop high throughput screens to identify new inhibitors of IPC synthase to combat fungal diseases.
Formaldehyde in human cancer cells: detection by preconcentration-chemical ionization mass spectrometry.

A rapid and highly sensitive method for the detection of formaldehyde utilizing selected ion flow tube-chemical ionization mass spectrometry is reported. Formaldehyde in aqueous biological samples ...
High-speed multiparameter photophysical analyses of fluorophore libraries.

There is a critical need for high-speed multiparameter photophysical measurements of large libraries of fluorescent probe variants for imaging and biosensor development. We present a microfluidic flow cytometer that rapidly assays 104–105 member cell-based fluorophore libraries, simultaneously measuring fluorescence lifetime and photobleaching. Together, these photophysical characteristics determine imaging performance. We demonstrate the ability to resolve the diverse photophysical characteristics of different library types and the ability to identify rare populations.
Consequences of Conical Intersections in the H + O2 → OH + O Reaction?

Doppler-resolved laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy of the OH reaction products of the photoinitiated reaction H + O{sub 2} {yields} OH + O has been applied at collision energies near 1.8 eV, where an anomalous peak in the total reaction cross section has been reported by Kessler and Kleinermanns. Although the product state distributions show no remarkable variation as the collision energy varies through this region, analysis of the Doppler line shapes suggests a sideways scattering component to the differential cross sections near 1.8 eV that is not present at higher collision energies. We propose that the qualitative change in the differential cross sections as well as the local peak in the integral cross section can be a consequence of the dynamics in the vicinity of the C{sub 2v} conical intersection. 36 refs., 4 figs.
Glycerol concentrations in crop plants

Abstract A procedure has been developed for preparation of plant extracts for quantitation of their glycerol content using high performance liquid chromatography or enzymatic analysis. Fifteen crop plants grown under field conditions had leaf concentrations of glycerol between 10 and 39 μg/g wt weight of tissue. Approximately 12 h after relatively heavy rains leaves of maize, sugar beet, soybean, bean, pumpkin and alfalfa had several fold increases in concentrations of leaf glycerol. When barley plants were made anaerobic for 24 h, large increases in leaf glycerol concentrations were observed. It is proposed that part of the glycerol observed in anaerobic plants comes from glycerol synthesis in the root and transport to the leaves and part is produced in the leaves.
EFFECTS OF LABETALOL ON PERIOPERATIVE STRESS MARKERS AND ISOFLURANE REQUIREMENTS

We have studied the effect of labetalol on anaesthetic requirements, cardiac and humoral responses in 16 healthy women during elective abdominal surgery. The experimental group (n = 8) received increments of i.v. labetalol 0.15-0.3 mg kg-1 to reduce mean arterial pressure (MAP) by 15% from values obtained before anaesthesia. All patients received thiopentone 6 mg kg-1 and anaesthesia was maintained with isoflurane and nitrous oxide. In the placebo group, tracheal intubation provoked a 33% increase in heart rate (HR) and a 52% increase in MAP (P less than 0.001 vs baseline for both). In contrast, pretreatment with labetalol resulted in a 7.3% increase in HR and a 21.3% increase in MAP (P less than 0.05 vs baseline for MAP). Two patients treated with labetalol had a reduction in MAP to 50-60 mm Hg during surgery. After tracheal extubation, the labetalol group had a significantly slower HR than the placebo group (P less than 0.05). The cardiovascular response to tracheal intubation was associated with an increase in plasma noradrenaline concentration in both groups. Labetalol did not affect isoflurane requirements, plasma concentrations of adrenaline, cortisol and aldosterone or arterial PO2, but prevented the decrease in plasma concentration of potassium which occurred in placebo treated patients (P less than 0.05) in early recovery. We conclude that preanaesthetic administration of labetalol attenuated the perioperative hypertensive and tachycardic responses, but was accompanied by intraoperative hypotension when given in doses greater than 0.5 mg kg-1, despite an increase in plasma noradrenaline concentrations.
Key Articles of Dietary Interventions that Influence Cardiovascular Mortality

Lifestyle modifications, particularly diet, are a key component to the reduction of cardiovascular events. Diets high in carbohydrates and saturated fat have been shown to negatively affect blood cholesterol, thereby increasing the risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Dietary interventions that emphasize the consumption of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables have been shown to be successful in reducing cardiovascular risk. Clinical pharmacist practitioners need to be knowledgeable regarding lifestyle modifications, specifically dietary issues, to develop a comprehensive, effective, and evidence-based plan for patients who are either at risk for or who have established CVD. Numerous studies have been published over the past few years with regard to the rapidly growing field of dietary interventions that influence cardiovascular risk, and the amount of literature can be overwhelming. Thus we chose to focus our review on articles that assess changes in dietary patterns that affect overall mortality risk from CVD. As such, literature describing the impact of dietary factors that influence weight, lipid changes, or other risk factors alone were not included in this review. A group of practitioners with expertise and interest in CVD were involved in the compilation of this article.
Density-functional exchange identity from coordinate scaling.

A density-functional exchange identity is derived in a very simple manner through coordinate scaling for the external potential within the coupling-constant approach. It is observed that this identity may be expressed as a recursion relation which is especially useful for testing approximations to the exchange functional, and to its corresponding exchange potential, as part of a full density-functional calculation involving correlation as well as exchange. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
Effects of electrical stimulation of the lateral aspect of the prefrontal cortex upon attack behavior in cats.

Abstract An experiment was performed to determine the role of the lateral aspect of the prefrontal cortex upon quiet biting attack behavior elicited from the hypothalamus in the cat. The results of this experiment indicate that stimulation of 19 of 28 electrode sites sampled in the lateral prefrontal cortex produced a statistically significant inhibition of attack behavior elicited from the hypothalamus of the ipsilateral side. Stimulation of sites in the prefrontal cortex on the side contralateral to the hypothalamus from which attack was elicited had no effect upon this response. No systematic effect of prefrontal stimulation upon flight behavior was observed. Anatomical studies suggest that the lateral prefrontal cortex may inhibit attack behavior by modulating neurons in either the mediodorsal thalamic nucleus or ventral tegmental area.
Pion as a Regge pole — II

Predictions based on the pion as a Kegge pole are compared with those for an elementary pion, in the framework of the one-pion-exchange model, for π +N → π + π +N in the ρ-resonance region.
Photophysical Properties of Phenylethyne-Linked Porphyrin and Oxochlorin Dyads

A set of porphyrin-porphyrin and oxochlorin-oxochlorin dyads has been prepared in which the constituent pigments are joined at the meso-positions by a phenylethyne linker. Attachment of an ethynyl substituent to the meso-position of a tetrapyrrolic macrocycle strongly perturbs the electronic properties of the ring. The inherent asymmetry of the phenylethyne linker affords the possibility of perturbing either end of the dyad. The porphyrin dyads include bis-Zn, Zn-free base (Fb), and bis-Zn species wherein 0, 1, or 2 of the three nonlinking aryl rings of one of the Zn porphyrins are perfluorinated. The two oxochlorin dyads are both ZnFb species in which the meso-ethyne substituent is located on either the Zn complex or the Fb. The dyads have been studied using static and time-resolved absorption and emission spectroscopy and electrochemical techniques. The optical and electrochemical properties of a series of monomeric reference compounds were also examined. The time-resolved optical studies reveal that energy transfer in the phenylethyne-linked dyads is faster by ∼10-fold or more than in analogous dyads joined by a diphenylethyne linker. In particular, energy transfer occurs with a rate constant of > (20 ps) - 1 between the phenylethyne-linked oxochlorins and an efficiency of >98%, to be compared with a rate of (140 ps) - 1 and an efficiency of 83% found previously for diphenylethyne-linked oxochlorins. Taken together, these results should be useful in the design of multipigment architectures that absorb in the red and undergo fast and efficient energy transfer, as required for light-harvesting applications.
Toward the total synthesis of maoecrystal V: an intramolecular Diels-Alder route to the maoecrystal V pentacyclic core with the appropriate relative stereochemistry.

A diastereoselective route to the maoecrystal V core compound (6) has been achieved. Key transformations include an intramolecular Diels–Alder cyclization and an exo-glycal epoxide rearrangement sequence.
Remote access virtual private network architecture for high-speed wireless internet users

The new emerging broadband wireless network (BWN) technologies with high-speed wireless internet access promotes corporations to provide their roaming employees with high-speed wireless access to the computing resources on their corporate networks. Thus, a value added service to broadband wireless network is the remote access virtual private network (VPN), where the corporate legitimate users can connect to their offices wirelessly from different locations and get secure services as if they were connected to the corporate local area network (LAN). One of the most important challenges is to block out illegitimate user requests, which are wirelessly received, to protect corporate privacy. Registration (adding new users) and authentication (accepting current users) functions should be implemented with highly secured wireless connection. These functions are accomplished by encapsulating (i.e. tunneling) the user information in a secured form to the corporate authentication server through the internet traffic. The corporate authentication server then grants or denies the user access. In this paper, we propose a new operational design algorithm for remote access wireless VPN authentication and registration protocols that depends on modifying tunnel establishment as compared to existing dial-in VPN mechanisms. The modifications proposed in this paper are made to support successful deployment of the remote access VPN services over high-speed wireless network. The paper presents an overview of two tunneling approaches using Layer 3 and Layer 2 separately for implementing these functions. Then we propose how we establish the tunnel in both approaches, and compare it to similar operation steps previously reported for the dial-in VPN protocols. The proposed algorithms are distinguished from previously developed dial-in VPN protocols by using L2TP and IPSEC instead of mobile IP. It is also shown that the steps involved in the establishment of the tunnel are functionally different and more appropriate to our applications using communication environment of the BWN. Finally, a qualitative analysis of the added functions, and a comparison between L2TP-based and IPSec-based approaches are established. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Three-Component Laser-Doppler-Anemometry Measurements in Turbulent Swirling Jets

Three-component laser-Doppler-anemometry measurements were acquired in swirling jets with different swirl intensities and distributions. An uncertainty analysis covering the most relevant precision and bias errors was performed, and uncertainty related to the jet-center location was found to be dominant. An initial analysis of the data revealed some of the effects of swirl on hastening jet evolution. The measurements were compared with data from previous studies, and were found to be in good agreement. The range of conditions measured and the characterization of the data quality make the data set useful for guiding future experimental studies and for validating numerical approaches capable of capturing the effects of swirl on turbulence.
Low molecular weight hyaluronan activates cytosolic phospholipase A2α and eicosanoid production in monocytes and macrophages.

Hyaluronan (HA) is the major glycosaminoglycan in the extracellular matrix. During inflammation, there is an increased breakdown of HA, resulting in the accumulation of low molecular weight (LMW) HA and activation of monocytes and macrophages. Eicosanoids, derived from the cytosolic phospholipase A2 group IVA (cPLA2α) activation, are potent lipid mediators also attributed to acute and chronic inflammation. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of LMW HA on cPLA2α activation, arachidonic acid (AA) release, and subsequent eicosanoid production and to examine the receptors and downstream mechanisms involved in these processes in monocytes and differently polarized macrophages. LMW HA was a potent stimulant of AA release in a time- and dose-dependent manner, induced cPLA2α, ERK1/2, p38, and JNK phosphorylation, as well as activated COX2 expression and prostaglandin (PG) E2 production in primary human monocytes, murine RAW 264.7, and wild-type bone marrow-derived macrophages. Specific cPLA2α inhibitor blocked HA-induced AA release and PGE2 production in all of these cells. Using CD44, TLR4, TLR2, MYD88, RHAMM or STAB2 siRNA-transfected macrophages and monocytes, we found that AA release, cPLA2α, ERK1/2, p38, and JNK phosphorylation, COX2 expression, and PGE2 production were activated by LMW HA through a TLR4/MYD88 pathway. Likewise, PGE2 production and COX2 expression were blocked in Tlr4−/− and Myd88−/− mice, but not in Cd44−/− mice, after LMW HA stimulation. Moreover, we demonstrated that LMW HA activated the M1 macrophage phenotype with the unique cPLA2α/COX2high and COX1/ALOX15/ALOX5/LTA4Hlow gene and PGE2/PGD2/15-HETEhigh and LXA4low eicosanoid profile. These findings reveal a novel link between HA-mediated inflammation and lipid metabolism.
Jasmonate: Preventing the Maize Tassel from Getting in Touch with His Feminine Side

Reproduction of angiosperm plants is central to many aspects of global ecosystem biology and has been a determining factor in the rise and success of world civilizations. Many plants have developed mechanisms that favor outcrossing rather than self-fertilization. In maize (Zea mays), separate male and female flowers develop on a single plant. Sex determination in the male floral structure, the tassel, depends on signaling through the tasselseed (ts) pathway. Mutations affecting this pathway, such as ts1 and ts2, cause development of female flowers on the tassel. Cloning of ts1 and identification of the TS1 protein as an enzyme involved in jasmonate synthesis have revealed that jasmonate, an oxylipin plant hormone derived from linolenic acid, is an essential signal in determining male identity in the maize tassel.
Chryse Basin channels: Low-gradients and ponded flows

The analysis and construction of approximate channel floor longitudinal gradients from 26 radar elevation profiles at four latitudinal channel crossings show that the outflow channels of the Lunae Planum and Chryse Basin have much lower values than those of the U.S. Geological Survey's topographic map. In order to account for the movement of fluids to the north, it is proposed that ponding from local runoff occurred before channel transition along the course of Simud and Tiu Valles. The lakes eventually overflowed, drainages became integrated, and headward erosion reached interfluves, thereby forming the present channel configurations. The ponding and the flooding following it, which had sufficient head to move fluids across nearly level gradients, would have occurred during a period when the climate allowed the surface runoff of fluids and standing bodies of water.
A Distribution System for War-Time Plant Expansion

INDUSTRIAL distribution systems to meet the needs of expanding plant facilities for war and defense production are a very live issue today, both in Canada and in the United States. A great deal has already been written on the subject in a general way, as a guide to the proper tailoring of plant distribution to the type of plant and plant production. The purpose of this paper is not to generalize, but to offer a short description of the distribution system installed in the recently expanded facilities of the Peterborough plant of the Canadian General Electric Company, with reasons for the choice made. Many plants at the present time must be faced with distribution problems similar to ours and we feel that our solution has possibilities of wide adoption. It is obviously equally applicable to a new plant.
The influence of crevice size on the protection of epilithic algae from grazers

Summary 1. This study investigated how the size of crevices might affect their effectiveness as refuges for diatom-dominated algal assemblages from the grazing minnow Campostoma anomalum. 2. Crevice size was manipulated by making fired-clay substrates, using moulds to produce eight substrates with pits from 1.17 to 22.0 mm diameter. Non-pitted clay-stones and limestone were also tested. Cages were used to control the access of Campostoma to arrays of the 10 different algal-colonised substrates. The grazing treatments were: open and grazed, caged and ungrazed, and a grazed cage control. The experiment was replicated in eight large outdoor tanks. After 3 weeks, substrates were brushed and chlorophyll a concentrations of the removed algae and the algae remaining in pits were measured. 3. The experiment was field-validated by exposing arrays of substrates to grazing Campostoma in five pools of a limestone stream. 4. The clay-stone and limestone substrates accrued similar algal biomass and assemblages. 5. Smaller crevices provided more protection against grazing than larger crevices. Specifically, pits with openings smaller than 2 mm protected the enclosed algal assemblages in both the tank and field experiments. Larger pits provided less protection and pits over 7 mm in diameter were heavily grazed and may even be preferentially grazed by Campostoma. 6. None of the tested pit sizes were protective against larval chironomid grazers in the tank experiment, demonstrating that differences in the grazer size influence the effectiveness of crevice refuges.
Schooltime, Classtime, and Academic Learning Time in Rural Highland Puno, Peru

This article uses results of an ethnographic study in two Quechua-speaking communities of Puno, Peru, to explore a specific instance of the phenomenon of schooltime spent in other than academic endeavors. It documents the uses to which schooltime is put in these communities and then seeks to account for the observed uses of time in terms of ethnographically derived insights as to social, cultural, economic, and political factors impinging on education in this setting.
A comparative study of fuzzy versus “fixed” thresholds for robust queue management in cell-switching networks

High-performance cell-based communications networks have been conceived to carry asynchronous traffic sources and support a continuum of transport rates ranging from low bit-rate to high bit-rate traffic. When a number of bursty traffic sources add cells, the network is inevitably subject to congestion. Traditional approaches to congestion management include admission control algorithms, smoothing functions, and the use of finite-sized buffers with queue management techniques. Most queue management schemes, reported in the literature, utilize "fixed" thresholds to determine when to permit or refuse entry of cells into the buffer. The aim is to achieve a desired tradeoff between the number of cells carried through the network, propagation delays of the cells, and the number of discarded cells. While binary thresholds are excessively restrictive, the rationale underlying the use of a large number of priorities appears to be ad hoc, unnatural, and unclear. The paper introduces the notion of cell-blocking, wherein a fuzzy thresholding function, based on Zadeh's (1965) fuzzy set theory, is utilized to deliberately refuse entry to a fraction of incoming cells from other switches. The blocked cells must be rerouted by the sending switch to other switches and, in the process, they may incur delays. The fraction of blocked cells is a continuous function of the current buffer occupancy level unlike the abrupt. The fuzzy cell-blocking scheme is simulated on a computer. Fuzzy queue management adapts superbly to sharp changes in cell arrival rates and maximum burstiness of bursty traffic sources. >
Novel pyrazolopyrimidine derivatives as GSK-3 inhibitors

Abstract A series of [1-aryl-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidin-4-yl]arylhydrazones were discovered as novel inhibitors glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3). Based on initial modeling a detailed SAR was constructed. Modification of the interior binding aryl ring (Ar1) determined this to be a tight binding region with little room for modification. As predicted from the model, a large variety of modifications could be incorporated into the hydrazone aryl ring. This work led to GSK-3 inhibitors in the low nano-molar range.
Effects of edema on small airway narrowing

Numerous mediators of inflammation have been demonstrated to cause airway microvascular fluid and protein extravasation. That fluid extravasation results in airway wall edema leading to airway narrowing and enhanced reactivity has not been confirmed. In anesthetized, ventilated sheep (n = 30), airway vascular fluid extravasation was induced by infusing bradykinin (10(-6) M) through a cannulated, blood-perfused bronchial artery. Airway wall edema and luminal narrowing were determined morphometrically. Airway reactivity to methacholine (MCh; 10 microg/ml, intrabronchial artery) was determined by measuring conducting airway resistance (Raw) by forced oscillation. Raw measurements were made and lung lobes were excised and quick frozen before or after a 1-h bradykinin infusion. In 10 airways per lobe (range 0.2- to 2.0-mm relaxed diameter), wall area occupied 32 +/- 2% (SE) of the total normalized airway area (n = 9). Bradykinin infusion increased wall area to 42 +/- 5% (P = 0.02); luminal area decreased by <5%; and smooth muscle perimeter, a measure of smooth muscle constriction, was not altered (n = 5). Raw showed no change from baseline (1.4 +/- 0.4 cmH2O . l-1 . s) after bradykinin infusion (n = 10). During MCh challenge, Raw increased by 3.2 +/- 04 cmH2O . l-1 . s, and this change did not differ after administration of bradykinin. MCh challenge caused similar decreases in smooth muscle perimeter (10%) and luminal area (72 vs. 68%) before and after bradykinin infusion. However, the time constant of recovery of Raw from MCh constriction was increased from control (40 +/- 3 s) to 57 +/- 10 s after bradykinin infusion (P = 0.03). When lung lobes were excised at the same time after MCh challenge was terminated (n = 5), luminal area was greater before bradykinin infusion than after (86 vs. 78%; P = 0.007), as was smooth muscle perimeter. The results of this study demonstrate that airway wall edema limits relaxation after induced constriction rather than enhancing constriction.
Online fault monitoring of a class of hybrid systems using templates with dynamic time scaling

Fault monitoring is the online analysis of process observations to determine if they correspond to correct process operation. In automated manufacturing systems, the observed input and output signals can commonly be characterized as observed time functions of discrete events, and fault monitoring can only rely on the analysis of the timing and sequencing of these events. In many situations, these timing and sequencing relationships are not fixed, but rather depend upon underlying continuous state dynamics of the system.
Melatonin enhances cartilage matrix synthesis by porcine articular chondrocytes

To develop a minimally invasive preventive measure for early osteoarthritis, the effect of melatonin on cartilage matrix synthesis of articular chondrocytes was evaluated in vitro in a pellet culture system. The chondrogenic markers were assessed using histology, TaqMan polymerase chain reaction, and western blot. Our results show that melatonin treatment yielded chondrocyte-pellets with a higher expression of chondrogenic markers consisting of collagen II, Sox 9, and aggrecan at both the mRNA and protein levels. A hypertrophic marker, collagen X, remained low. Moreover, up-regulation of internal transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-beta1) expression was observed in the melatonin-treated cells. Our data indicate, for the first time, that the administration of melatonin enhances cartilage matrix synthesis of articular chondrocytes in a serum-containing pellet culture system, likely through the TGF-beta signal pathway. Melatonin may prove to be a highly valuable addition to current therapeutic models for degenerative cartilage repair.
Raiders of the Lost Vote: A Theory‐Driven Model of Ballot Invalidation in Florida's 2000 Election

In analyzing the results of the 2000 Florida election, we argue the need for a more theoretical model of ballot invalidation. The majority of studies to date link together both undervotes and overvotes into one measure of “rejected,” “voided” or “invalidated” ballots. We demonstrate that these two types of errors are notably distinct. Specifically, overvoting involves more cognitive or “decision” errors, while undervoting is more a product of mechanical or “physical” errors. As such, we maintain that undervotes are more likely to be the product of random error and are less likely to be related to the racial composition of a district than are overvotes.
Mechanisms for Adaptation of Simian Immunodeficiency Virus to Replication in Alveolar Macrophages

In contrast to the simian immunodeficiency virus SIVmac239, which replicates poorly in rhesus monkey alveolar macrophages, a variant with nine amino acid changes in envelope (SIVmac239/316E) replicates efficiently and to high titer in these same cells. We examined levels of viral DNA, RNA, antigen, and infectious virus to identify the nature of the block to SIVmac239 replication in these cells. Low levels of viral antigen (0.1 to 1.0 ng of p27 per ml) and infectious virus (100 to 1,000 infectious units per ml) were produced in the supernatant 1 to 4 days after SIVmac239 infection, but these levels did not increase subsequently. SIVmac239 DNA was synthesized in these macrophage cultures during the initial 24 h after infection, but the levels did not increase subsequently. Quantitation of the numbers of infectious cells in cultures over time and the results of experiments in which cells were reexposed to SIVmac239 after the initial exposure indicated that only a small proportion of cells were susceptible to SIVmac239 infection in these alveolar macrophage cultures and that the vast majority (>95%) of cells were refractory to SIVmac239 infection. In contrast to the results with SIVmac239, the levels of viral antigen, infectious virus, and viral DNA increased exponentially 2 to 7 days after infection by SIVmac239/316E, reaching levels greater than 100 ng of p27 per ml and 100,000 infectious units per ml. Since SIVmac239/316E has previously been described as a virus capable of infecting cells in a relatively CD4-independent fashion, we examined the levels of CD4 expression on the surface of fresh and cultured alveolar macrophages from rhesus monkeys. The levels of CD4 expression were extremely low, below the limit of detection by flow cytometry, on greater than 99% of the macrophages. CCR5(+) cells were profoundly depleted only from alveolar macrophage cultures infected with SIVmac239/316E. High concentrations of an antibody to CD4 delayed but did not block replication of SIVmac239/316E. The results suggest that the adaptation of SIVmac316 to efficient replication in alveolar macrophages results from its ability to infect these cells in a CD4-independent fashion or in a CD4-dependent fashion even at extremely low levels of surface CD4 expression. Since resident macrophages in brains and lungs of humans also express little or no CD4, our findings predict the presence of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 that is relatively CD4 independent in the lung and brain compartments of infected people.
Weak couplings of heavy quarks

Formulas relating the transition matrix elements involving the charmed quark, ${U}_{\mathrm{cd}}$, ${U}_{\mathrm{cs}}$, and ${U}_{\mathrm{cb}}$, to experimental data are given. For illustration the existing data are used to estimate or bound $|{U}_{\mathrm{ij}}|$. With additional assumption of six quark flavors, ${U}_{\mathrm{ij}}$ can be related to Kobayashi-Maskawa angles (${\ensuremath{\theta}}_{1}$, ${\ensuremath{\theta}}_{2}$, ${\ensuremath{\theta}}_{3}$, $\ensuremath{\delta}$), and the allowed regions in a ${sin\ensuremath{\theta}}_{2}\ensuremath{-}{sin\ensuremath{\theta}}_{3}$ plane are exhibited. When combined with the constraints from the ${K}^{0}\ensuremath{-}{\overline{K}}^{0}$ system, an accurate determination of ${U}_{\mathrm{cs}}$ is shown to lead to unique values for (${\ensuremath{\theta}}_{i}$, $\ensuremath{\delta}$).
Access to Public Transit and Its Influence on Ridership for Older Adults in Two U.S. Cities

Growth in the population of older adults (age 60 and above) in coming years will challenge urban planners and transportation managers to provide travel options that support autonomy. To investigate barriers that older adults experience in using public transit, this research explores associations between older adults who do and do not ride fixed-route public transit and their neighborhood walking access to buses and trains. The research tests whether or not the distance between a trip origin or destination and a transit stop or station is a significant factor in predicting frequency of transit ridership. Data from a survey of older adults in California and New York is used to regress older adults’ frequency of riding public transit against explanatory variables, including demographic and socioeconomic variables, access and mobility measures, and neighborhood characteristics. Findings suggest that self-reported walking distance to transit has a statistically significant influence—in San Jose, California, but not in Buffalo, New York—in predicting transit ridership frequency. Drivers are more sensitive to walking distance than nondrivers. Models estimate that in San Jose, each additional five minutes in perceived walking time to transit decreases transit ridership frequency by five percent for nondrivers and by 25 percent for drivers. Older adults are likely to ride transit more often if they are male, nonwhite, and low income.
Using the optical frequency domain technique for the analysis of discrete and distributed reflections in an optical fiber.

The optical frequency domain technique has been used in the analysis of discrete and distributed reflections in an optical fiber. To study discrete reflections, three examples are shown on a single-mode fiber: the first involves one reflector, the second and third examples use two and three reflectors in sequence. Another investigation is conducted on a 500-m multimode fiber to detect distributed reflections. This technique is suitable for recognition of the positions and properties of discrete reflections along an optical fiber.
"Fat letters" in public schools: public health versus pride.

Recently, BMI screening in public schools has stirred sharp controversy with the emergence of letters sent home to parents indicating their child’s BMI percentile and weight category. In Massachusetts, these letters have been deemed, “fat letters,” and have appeared on late night comedy shows, newspapers, and televised news reports. Not only has screening come under harsh criticism, but the increasing prevalence of obesity in our nation’s children has been challenged based on misinformed assumptions that BMI is an inaccurate measure of a child’s body fat. Massachusetts representatives have submitted House Bill H.2024, which would ban that state’s department of public health from collecting any data on height, weight, or calculating BMI in public school children. Currently, 21 states have enacted policies or made recommendations regarding the collection of height and weight data or assessment of body composition in public schools (Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia). In Massachusetts, BMI screening has been mandated in all public school districts since 2009, with the measurement of height and weight performed by school nurses and the child’s BMI then calculated. A subsequent confidential letter (Supplemental Information) is mailed directly to parents indicating their child’s weight status and encouraging discussion with his or her health care provider. Arkansas was the first state to pass such a law requiring BMI measurement in its public school … Address correspondence to Michael Flaherty, DO, Department of Pediatrics, Baystate Medical Center, 759 Chestnut St, Springfield, MA 01199. E-mail: michael.flaherty{at}baystatehealth.org
Hsp28stl: a P-element insertion mutation that alters the expression of a heat shock gene in Drosophila melanogaster.

ABSTRACT We have identified and cloned a mutant allele of the small heat shock gene Hsp28 of Drosophila melanogaster . This allele, which we have called Hsp28 stl , produces small amounts of a single aberrantly large, heat-inducible transcript in heat-shocked flies, while a normal-sized Hsp28 transcript is present only in fertile females. No Hsp28 transcript at all is detected in mutant prepupae, a stage when wild-type flies show high levels of Hsp28 RNA. We have cloned the Hsp28 stl allele, and have found that a 1.3-kb defective P -element is present 59 to Hsp28 in the mutant line. The site of P -element insertion lies between the Hsp28 "TATA box" sequence and the Hsp28 RNA cap site; in contrast to previously described P -element insertions, the element at Hsp28 stl is flanked by a two base pair duplication of the insertional target sequence. The results suggest that this insert may separate elements regulating heat-inducible and developmental expression of Hsp28 , leading to the different patterns of transcription observed.
Tunnel Vision: ‘‘Invisible’’ Highways and Boston’s ‘‘Big Dig’’ in the Age of Privatization

While most analyses of late-twentieth-century highway policy suggest a shift toward open system design, bottom-up federalism, and the devolution of transportation governance, the history of Boston’s Central Artery/Tunnel project, informally known as the “Big Dig,” runs counter to this trend. Though the project emerged in the 1970s during a time of unprecedented citizen activism in transportation planning, ultimately the privatization of political power proved to be the Big Dig’s most important legacy for twenty-first-century urban highway projects.
1 K cryostat with sub-millikelvin stability based on a pulse-tube cryocooler

Abstract A cryogenic system has been designed and tested that reaches a temperature below 1.1 K, with an rms temperature stability of 25 μ K. In this system a commercial pulse-tube cryocooler is used to liquify helium gas supplied from an external source. This liquid helium enters a 1 K pot through a large-impedance capillary tube, similar to a conventional 1 K system operated from a liquid helium bath. Unlike a conventional system, however, the molar flow rate of the system can be varied by changing the pressure of the incoming helium. This allows for a trade-off between helium usage and cooling power, which has a maximum value of 27 mW. The measured cooling power and fraction of helium exiting the capillary as liquid agree well with predictions based on an isenthalpic model of helium flow through the capillary. The system is simple to use and inexpensive to operate: The system can be cooled to base temperature in about 3 h and, with a flow rate giving a cooling power of 13 mW, the helium cost is around $6 per day.
Abstract 12301: TUG Mediates GLUT4 Translocation by AMP-Activated Protein Kinase in the Heart

Introduction: Ischemic heart disease, which is the leading cause of death, is caused by reduced blood flow to the ischemic area. Therefore, increasing nutrient uptake is a key approach to increase cardiomyocyte survival rate during the ischemia and reperfusion (I/R) period. TUG (tether containing a UBX domain, for GLUT4, 60 KDa) is a regulator of GLUT4 trafficking, which is cleaved to mobilize GLUT4 from intracellular membranes to the cell surface after insulin stimulation in skeletal muscle and adipose. The energy sensor AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is known to play an important cardioprotective role during myocardial I/R by regulating GLUT4 translocation and glucose uptake. Hypothesis: TUG is one of the downstream targets of AMPK, which can be phosphorylated by hypoxia/ischemia induced AMPK activation. Phosphorylation accelerates TUG cleavage and increases GLUT4 translocation during ischemia/reperfusion in the heart. Methods: In vitro hypoxia chamber and ex vivo isolated mouse heart perfusion Langendorff system were used to test the hypothesis. Antithrombin (AT) is an endogenous AMPK agonist in the heart, which was used to define the role of TUG in regulating GLUT4 trafficking during ischemia and reperfusion in the heart. Results: The ex vivo heart perfusion data demonstrated that AT triggered AMPK activation and significantly increase glucose uptake and GLUT4 translocation during ischemia and reperfusion (p Conclusions: Cardiac AMPK activation stimulates TUG cleavage and causes the dissociation between TUG and GLUT4 in the intracellular vesicles. TUG is a critical mediator that modulates cardiac GLUT4 translocation to cell surface and enhances glucose uptake by AMPK signaling pathway.
Abstract 15498: Selective Inhibition of the Immunoproteasome Attenuates Adverse Left Ventricular Remodeling, Improves Cardiac Function, and Prevents Heart Failure After Myocardial Infarction

We have previously shown proteasome (Prot) activation after myocardial infarction (MI) in mice. Here we use pharmacologic inhibitors to discriminate between effects of constitutive and immunoproteasome (iProt) activation to test the hypothesis that the iProt mediates cardiac dysfunction after MI. Methods/Results: Mice underwent permanent ligation of the left coronary artery or sham surgery. At 2 weeks, protein levels of β5 i (a key iProt subunit) were increased by 70% (P i: β5 active site ratio after MI compared to sham. Mice were administered bortezomib (BZM, 0.2 mg/kg, IP daily), a non-selective Prot inhibitor, ONX 0914 (5 or 10 mg/kg, SC 3X/wk), a selective iProt inhibitor, or vehicle for 2 wks post-MI. Echocardiographic measurements at baseline and 2 wks were compared by 2-way RM ANOVA. BZM exacerbated adverse ventricular remodeling and systolic dysfunction compared to vehicle (Table). BZM also aggravated heart failure, as evidenced by higher lung weights and a higher E/E’la by echo (a measure highly correlated to left atrial pressure). In contrast, ONX 0914 (5 mg/kg) significantly decreased the β5 i: β5 active site ratio (P Conclusions: After MI, non-selective Prot inhibition is detrimental, while selective inhibition of the iProt is highly protective. Inhibition of the iProt may prevent amplification of the inflammatory response to myocardial injury. These data establish the iProt as a viable target for intervention after MI, and possibly in other cardiac diseases associated with acute or chronic inflammation.
Discovery of Long-Latency Somatosensory Evoked Potentials as a Marker of Cardiac Arrest Induced Brain Injury

The use of Somatosensory Evoked Potentials (SSEPs) has been an established electrophysiological tool for diagnosis of neurological disorders or injury. We use SSEP for the prognostication of outcomes after hypoxic-ischemic brain injury. Previous studies on rats with median nerve stimulation have primarily focused on short-latency SSEP within 30msec after stimulus. This study shows that long-latency SSEP (LL-SSEP) within 30-100msec is also of unique importance in monitoring brain injury induced by cardiac arrest (CA) and prediction of long-term recovery. In this study, 16 rats underwent either a 7min or 9min hypoxic CA. The Neurological Deficit Score (NDS) measured at 72hr post-CA was used to specify good outcome (NDS≥50) and poor outcome (NDS<50). Firstly, the LL-SSEP showed sharp responses to CA insults—change in P60 peak in the time-frequency space, Shannon entropy in the time domain, and wavelet entropy in the frequency domain. Secondly, LL-SSEP during early recovery had significant prognostic value: the Shannon entropy within 60min post-CA was higher for the good-outcome group (p-value=0.02, Student’s t-test) and a delayed P60 exclusively predicted poor outcome. Thirdly, the LL-SSEP was significantly different than the short latency response. Since the LL-SSEP occurs well beyond the time delays for production by the thalamocortical network, it may be an independent cortical response, and may reflect the recovery of cortical neurons. The discovery of LL-SSEP should have significant clinical potential in assessing the recovery of the cortical function after brain injury and should be helpful in understanding the mechanism of thalamocortical arousal.
A Unified Convergence Analysis for Some Iterative Algorithms with Applications to Fractional Calculus

We present a local as well as a semilocal convergence analysis for some iterative algorithms in order to approximate a locally unique solution of a nonlinear equation in a Banach space setting. In the application part of the study, we present applications to fractional calculus by using some choices of the operators involving the left and right Caputo derivative, where the operators satisfy the convergence conditions.
SOME CYTOLOGIC CHANGES OF RAT LIVER IN EXPERIMENTAL PORPHYRIA.

SummaryThe treatment of rats with allylisopropylacetamide resulted in a doubling of liver size within 3 days. Microscopic examination showed an increase in cell size and less increase in cell number per liver. By chemical analyses, there were found net gains in RNA and DNA per liver which paralleled the size and number of cells respectively. In per cent composition, lipids doubled while other components examined remained unchanged. It was concluded that the cytologic effect of the drug may be 2-fold, resulting primarily in cellular hypertrophy, but also in cellular hyperplasia.
Rickettsia-like bodies in a case of kawasaki disease

Kawasaki disease or mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome, is a recently recognized disease entity which affects infants and young children. The illness runs an acute febrile course with distinctive clinical features and in 1–2% of cases may end fatally with pathological findings similar to infantile periarteritis nodosa. Several thousand cases have been recognized in Japan, but so far the disease appears to be rare in other countries including Australia from which only 3 cases have been reported. The cause of the disease is not known, although electron microscopic findings of intracellular Rickettsia-like bodies by Japanese workers have suggested an infective agent. Similar findings in one of the previously reported Australian cases will be presented together with a brief description of the clinical and pathological features of the patient which are typical of the disease.