cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hygromycin A in the Lymelight.

Lyme disease, which is caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi, is on the rise. Current treatment relies on broad-spectrum antibiotics that perturb the gut microbiome. In a recent paper in Cell, Leimer et al. demonstrate the utility of a long-forgotten antibiotic, Hygromycin A, as a spirochete-specific antibacterial that is conducive to gut health.
Fluorescent indicators of ion concentrations.

Publisher Summary Ion-concentration gradients across cell membranes are central to any understanding of biological energetics and signal transduction. The proton electrochemical gradient is generally accepted to be the key intermediary linking electron transport to adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis in bacteria, chloroplasts, and mitochondria. Cytoplasmic pH is a powerful regulator of enzyme activities and is known to alkalinize in many types of cells undergoing mitogenic activation. The characterization of ion gradients requires knowing both extracellular and intracellular ion activities and free concentrations. The Na+ gradient is the energy source for secondary active transport of nutrients into animal cells and many co- or counter-transport systems for other ions. Cl- gradients are vital to the function of epithelia, the control of cell volume, and to the actions of many inhibitory neurotransmitters. Determination of extracellular ions usually poses much less of a problem than intracellular, because the extracellular medium is much more accessible. Extracellular concentrations of all the simple inorganic ions except K+ are comparable to or higher than intracellular, so detection is easier extracellularly.
18. Minimizing ischemic injury

Deprivation of a constant and regulated supply of oxygen to cells initiates a progressive series of detrimental events often referred to as the ischemic cascade. This process is unavoidable when a tissue or organ is severed from its blood supply after circulatory arrest and/or excision for transplantation. The cascade of injurious pathways is initiated within minutes of the cessation of oxygen supply. Avoidance or minimization of the intricate interrelated pathways calls for strategic intervention that historically has been centered upon the application of hypothermia in the field of transplantation. In other fields, such as traumatic brain injury and stroke, neuroprotection has been centered on chemical/drug suppression of detrimental pathways in an attempt to avert the cascade of processes that ultimately result in cell death by necrosis, apoptosis, or a combination of these mechanisms. Such strategies are focused on short-term events and transient ischemic attacks. However, in the context of the long-term preservation of tissues and organ banking for transplantation, the application of hypothermia has proved to be the bedrock strategy providing effective methods of preservation and storage to meet the current practices of organ transplantation. This approach is not without severe limitations since hypothermia is a double-edged sword. Hypothermia is globally protective due to its inherent suppression of chemical pathways on the basis of thermodynamics and Arrhenius kinetics. In this way, the demand for oxygen is markedly reduced due to the suppression of metabolic processes and detrimental pathways are also slowed by reduction of temperature. However, cooling per se causes undesirable responses in the cell such that as interventionalists (clinicians and researchers) we have learned to strike a balance to counteract the detrimental effects of cooling in order to harness the protective properties of hypothermia during ischemia and hypoxia. The name of the game is to understand how a cell responds to cold in relation to the ischemic cascade and translate this into how we can control the environment of the cell directly, and the internal environment indirectly, in order to optimize preservation and protection. This is the principle upon which organ preservation solutions have been designed and developed and formed the basis of current methods that have existed for several decades. Future developments are unlikely to come from further minor modifications to the present-day base formulations. Nevertheless, these tried-and-tested solutions provide the necessary baseline for including additional cytoprotective agents aimed at targeting specific pathways in the ischemia/reperfusion cascade. Such additives will include pharmacologics, biochemicals, oxygen-carriers and cryoprotective agents added to the baseline preservation solutions to enhance cellular preservation-protection-resuscitation. Delivery of these agents to the cells comprising complex tissues and organs will demand new technologies with a wide range of potential candidates on the horizon.
Studies on 3-methoxyproline and 3-hydroxyproline.

Abstract The cis and trans racemates of synthetic 3-hydroxyproline and of synthetic 3-methoxyproline were interconverted by an epimerization reaction at carbon atom 2. The interconversions are proof of the diastereomeric nature of the synthetic isomers. Assignments of cis and trans configuration were made from nuclear magnetic resonance studies. Synthetic cis- and trans-3-hydroxy-dl-proline were partially resolved by the action of prolidase. The l isomers were obtained pure and the optical rotation of the trans l isomer was shown to be identical with that of the natural imino acid. Thus carbon 2 of trans-3-hydroxyproline isolated from cattle Achilles tendon collagen is of the l configuration. The cis and trans racemates of 3-methoxyproline were completely resolved by conversion into and column chromatographic separation of diastereoisomeric peptides. The four 3-hydroxyproline isomers were obtained pure from the 3-methoxyproline compounds. Most of the criteria of acceptance of trans-3-hydroxy-l-proline as a new amino acid occurring in a protein are met.
Prevalence of TMD and PTSD Symptoms in a Military Sample

This study examines the relationship between deployment, symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and symptoms of temporomandibular disorder (TMD) in an active duty sample. Five hundred twenty-two members provided screening information in conjunction with annual dental exams. Persons screening positive for one condition (either PTSD or TMD) are significantly more likely (odds ratio [OR] = 4.63 [95% confidence interval = 1.56–13.73]) to screen positive for the other condition. Deployment exposure did not predict screening status for either conditions. Females were more likely to screen positive for TMD than were males (OR = 3.6). Symptoms of PTSD and TMD were highly related in this sample, but neither related to deployment history.
Chapter 44 Non-zero-sum two-person games

Abstract This chapter is devoted to the study of Nash equilibria, and correlated equilibria in both finite and infinite games. We restrict our discussions to only those properties that are somewhat special to the case of two-person games. Many of these properties fail to extend even to three-person games. The existence of quasi-strict equilibria, and the uniqueness of Nash equilibrium in completely mixed games, are very special to two-person games. The Lemke-Howson algorithm and Rosenmuller's algorithm which locate a Nash equilibrium in finite arithmetic steps are not extendable to general n -person games. The enumerability of extreme Nash equilibrium points and their inclusion among extreme correlated equilibrium points fail to extend beyond bimatrix games. Fictitious play, which works in zero-sum two-person matrix games, fails to extend even to the case of bimatrix games. Other algorithms that would locate certain refinements of Nash equilibria are also discussed. The chapter also deals with the structure of Nash and correlated equilibria in infinite games.
A Time Series Intra-Video Collusion Attack on Frame-by-Frame Video Watermarking

Current methods of digital watermarking for video rely on results from digital watermarking for images. However, watermarking each frame using image watermarking techniques is vulnerable to an intra-video collusion attack because it provides grounds to make statistical inference about information within consecutive frames. An algorithm using bootstrapped time series is proposed to exploit this vulnerability. Experimental results demonstrate that this algorithm produces a video with a significantly lower similarity to the given watermarked video using the standard watermark detector.
International Tax as International Law: The United States and the tax treaty network

This chapter will discuss tax treaties. The United States has just adopted a new model tax convention (2006), replacing the 1996 model. Commentary on the OECD model is updated constantly; thus, although the original current version of the OECD model dates from 1992, it is really a 2006 document because of the updated commentary. Like any tax treaty, the U.S. model treaty is entitled “Convention Between the United States of America and Foreign Country for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion With Respect to Taxes on Income.” This title provides us with quite a bit of information. First, the model treaty was published by the United States and therefore embodies the American position. However, the model may not be similar to any treaty that the United States has ever signed, because the model treaty is just the starting point for bargaining with the United States.Second, the title states that the treaty, like all tax treaties, is for the “Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion.” In truth, tax treaties are generally not to prevent double taxation, although they do help in borderline situations, such as cases where income source is disputed. Treaties do not always help in these instances, however. Recall the Boulez case, in which the United States thought Boulez provided services and the Germans said the money paid represented a royalty; despite the existence of a treaty, the countries could not agree, and the result was double taxation.
Inferring Microscopic Deformation Behavior from the Form of Constitutive Equations for Low-Carbon Steel and 5182-0 Aluminum

Earlier work has demonstrated that the formability of a low-carbon sheet steel can be improved by deforming at temperatures below room temperature. In this work the tensile properties of a 5182-0 aluminum alloy were determined at low temperatures, and a significant increase in work-hardening rate resulted. The forms of the constitutive equations which best fitted the deformation behaviors of low-carbon steel and 5182-0 aluminum were completely different and could be rationalized in terms of the operative microscopic deformation mode. It appears that it may be possible to infer the operative microscopic deformation mechanism from the form of the constitutive equation.
Inertial transducer design for manufacturability and performance at Motorola

Manufacturability and performance are key criteria for successful commercial MEMS products. The design of surface micro-machined z-axis capacitive transducers in particular offers challenges to achieving these criteria. These challenges include mechanical layer intrinsic stress and stress gradients (and resulting curvature), package induced deformation, and product standardization. A comparison of a prior transducer design and its present successor illustrates some solutions to these challenges. A design technique is presented that greatly reduces the effect of capacitor plate curvature on device performance. Production data concretely demonstrates the actual improvements achieved.
Identificando a trabajadores legales mexicanos en la frontera de Estados Unidos: percepciones y decepciones en el análisis de la migración fronteriza

Este articulo profundiza en dos grupos: el de los inmigrantes mexicanos legales y los trabajadores ilegales, quienes se encuentran tan estrechamente integrados dentro de la economia fronteriza de Estados Unidos, que cualquier intento hecho por investigar minuciosamente la condicion legal de la poblacion hispanoparlante en el suroeste, a fin de determinar algun tecnicismo legal para identificarlos, tendria devastadoras consecuencias para el suroeste, mismas que serian sentidas en toda la economia norteamericana. Si las politicas de inmigracion para el futuro pretenden dar solucion al problema de la migracion y control sobre la frontera, deben primero entender las realidades funcionales de esta y formular una politica binacional basada en la existencia de los patrones de control informal.
An Undercooling Effect in Porous Glass: From Bulk to the Confined

The Thermodynamic properties of TNT physically confined in 5, 10, and 20 nm pores were investigated by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). Depending upon the pore size and the sample condition, different aspects of the thermodynamic properties of the confined TNT were illustrated. The freezing transition of the confined TNT in 10, 20 nm pores can be triggered by excess bulk TNT on the outer surface. The sharp freezing transition of the TNT in 20 nm pores without the presence of the bulk suggests that the confined TNT maintains its interconnectivity during the transition. The confined TNT in 10 nm pores without bulk on surface failed to freeze during the cooling run up to 100 K with cooling rates ranging from 10 K/min. - 1 K/min. However, a sharp crystallization peak was observed upon heating. When the TNT is confined in 5 nm pores, the confined TNT is incapable of freezing.
Original Research A modified method for estimating volume–outcome relationships: application to percutaneous coronary intervention

Objective: The objective of the current study was to propose an alternative method for measuring individual operator and peer volumes to use as predictors for adverse outcomes.Study design: A retrospective analysis was performed to assess the volume–outcome relationship for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) performed in New York State between 1996 and 1999. This relationship was calculated using a modified method whereby physician volume was calculated using the previous year's volume, and hospital volume was calculated after subtracting the operator of interest's annual volume from the total. The primary outcome of interest was in-hospital mortality.Results: Using the modified method, the odds ratio (OR) of in-hospital mortality was 0.74 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.55–0.99; p=0.04) for cardiologists who performed 75–174 procedures annually and 0.80 (95% CI 0.61–1.04; p=0.1) for cardiologists who performed ≥175 procedures annually compared with the lowest-volume operators. With the conventional...
The role of DNA repair in brain related disease pathology

Oxidative DNA damage is implicated in brain aging, neurodegeneration and neurological diseases. Damage can be created by normal cellular metabolism, which accumulates with age, or by acute cellular stress conditions which create bursts of oxidative damage. Brain cells have a particularly high basal level of metabolic activity and use distinct oxidative damage repair mechanisms to remove oxidative damage from DNA and dNTP pools. Accumulation of this damage in the background of a functional DNA repair response is associated with normal aging, but defective repair in brain cells can contribute to neurological dysfunction. Emerging research strongly associates three common neurodegenerative conditions, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and stroke, with defects in the ability to repair chronic or acute oxidative damage in neurons. This review explores the current knowledge of the role of oxidative damage repair in preserving brain function and highlights the emerging models and methods being used to advance our knowledge of the pathology of neurodegenerative disease.
Resting Our Cortices by Going DOWN to Sleep

In this issue of Neuron , Vyazovskiy et al. reports on progressive changes in cortical unit activity within extended wakefulness and within extended sleep paralleling changes in EEG slow-wave sleep activity. Sleep debt may be integrated at the level of individual cortical neurons, providing support for the synaptic homeostasis theory.
The Efficacy of an Early Literacy Tutoring Program Implemented by College Students

Absctract. This article describes a two-year study addressing the effectiveness of a highly structured, systematic tutoring intervention implemented by minimally trained college students with two cohorts of at-risk first-grade readers. Participants were 61 first-grade children in Cohort 1 and 76 first-grade children in Cohort 2. Tutors participated in three one-hour training sessions and received occasional on-site assistance. Individual tutoring sessions were scheduled for three to four times each week for one school year, with each cohort receiving approximately 10–14 hours of instruction across 44 sessions. The curriculum included a game to teach phonemic awareness and letter-sound correspondence, structured word-study activities, reading of leveled books, and simple comprehension strategies. Significant differences were found on measures of phonemic awareness and nonsense word reading for both cohorts. For Cohort 1, but not Cohort 2, significant differences were also detected for real-word identification. Our results support using tutors to provide additional assistance and instruction in early reading, even when tutors are not professionally trained teachers.
Cost-Effectiveness of White Blood Cell Growth Factor Use among a Large Nationwide Cohort of Elderly Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma Patients Treated with Chemotherapy

Abstract Objective To determine the cost-effectiveness (as measured as cost per life-year saved) of white blood cell growth factor or colony-stimulating factor (CSF) use among a large cohort of elderly non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) patients in a real-world setting. Methods We identified 13,203 NHL patients from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare database who received the diagnosis from 1992 to 2002 and who received chemotherapy within 12 months of diagnosis. Benefit (effectiveness) of CSF use (primary and secondary prophylaxis) was measured as observed improvement in overall survival. Costs for each patient were calculated by adding the cumulative reimbursement amounts from Medicare claims. Cost-effectiveness was estimated by modeling the joint influence of CSF use on both costs and effectiveness using a propensity-score net monetary benefit approach. Results Primary prophylactic CSF use was cost-effective at lower willingness-to-pay thresholds, whereas at higher thresholds, not providing prophylactic CSF became the cost-effective strategy. For secondary prophylactic CSF use among patients experiencing neutropenia, fever, and/or infection, the opposite trend was observed. For low willingness-to-pay thresholds ( Conclusion To our knowledge, this is the first large population-based study to empirically measure the cost-effectiveness of CSF among NHL patients treated with chemotherapy. CSF use as primary or secondary prophylaxis may be a cost-effective strategy depending on society's (or payers') willingness to pay for improvements in outcomes.
Labial Ecthyma Gangrenosum in an Immunocompromised Infant With Leukemia: Heightening Awareness for the Urologist

Ecthyma gangrenosum (EG) is a cutaneous infection most commonly associated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa sepsis. EG generally occurs in immunocompromised hosts, such as patients with severe neutropenia. EG presents as erythematous, hemorrhagic, or necrotic macules or plaques, most commonly in the perineal or gluteal areas, but can occur elsewhere. EG is a dermatologic emergency in immunocompromised patients and should be included in the differential diagnosis when urologists are asked to evaluate perineal lesions. We describe the case of a highly immunocompromised infant with labial EG to highlight the importance of prompt clinical diagnosis and of multidisciplinary medical and surgical management.
Becoming A Geologist: Florence Bascom and Johns Hopkins, 1888-1895

Florence Bascom (1862-1945) was a petrologist and field geologist at Bryn Mawr College who provided a basic description and interpretation of major areas of Pennsylvania and surrounding regions. This paper is the second of a two-part study that explores the question of how Bascom became a geologist. The first part dealt with Bascom's early history in Wisconsin, from the time she went to Madison at the age of 12 to her completion of a Master of Science degree in Microscopic Lithology under Roland D. Irving (1847-1888) at the University Of Wisconsin in 1887.This second part of the study begins with Bascom's experience teaching at Rockford Seminary in Illinois, where she was exposed to Mary E. Holmes (1850-1906). who had obtained a doctorate in paleontology from the University of Michigan. It then details the extension of Bascom's education from a limited laboratory-based experience to involvement in field work with George Huntington Williams (1856-1894) at Johns Hopkins University in the years 1891-1893. Jo...
Selective determination of organofluorine compounds by capillary column gas chromatography with an atmospheric pressure helium microwave-induced plasma detector

Fluorinated analogs of compounds typical of those found in metabolic and other biological studies are detected with high selectivity using a gas chromatograph/microwave-induced plasma detector (GC-MIPD), which permits fluorine-selective detection by monitoring the emission at 685.6 nm. Using the described atmospheric pressure helium-sustained plasma detector, the minimum detectable level, fluorine selectivity (relative to carbon), and linear dynamic range of this GC-MIPD system were determined to be 4.8 pg-F/s, 1060, and 5000, respectively. The utility of this GC-MIPD system for the selective detection of organofluorine compounds is demonstrated by its application in the analysis of the metabolic fate of a fluorinated substrate administered to a mixture of wheat germ phosphatase and potato apyrase, as well as by analysis of synthetic mixtures.
A single-exponential upper bound for finding shortest paths in three dimensions

We derive a single-exponential time upper bound for finding the shortest path between two points in 3-dimensional Euclidean space with (nonnecessarily convex) polyhedral obstacles. Prior to this work, the best known algorithm required double-exponential time. Given that the problem is known to be PSPACE-hard, the bound we present is essentially the best (in the worst-case sense) that can reasonably be expected.
Measurements of nutrients and mercury in green roof and gravel roof runoff

Abstract Green roofs are a popular stormwater management technique because they are effective in reducing runoff volume from buildings. However, this does not necessarily result in a reduced pollutant load. Runoff from experimental gravel and green roof plots and two sets of real gravel and green roofs, were analyzed for mercury, nitrogen, phosphorus, and metals. The effects of roof type (green versus gravel) and underlayments (drainage layer, water-retention layer) on runoff volume, pollutant concentration, and pollutant load were evaluated. Although mercury concentrations in runoff were often higher from green roofs than gravel roofs, the reduction in runoff volume from green roofs typically resulted in no significant difference in runoff load. The green roofs also leached significantly higher concentrations of the nutrients phosphorus and nitrogen than the gravel roofs, but reduction in runoff volume did not similarly mitigate the nutrient load. Underlayment type had no significant effect on runoff volume, mercury, or phosphorus concentrations. Plots with a water-retention layer embedded with fertilizer initially leached higher nitrogen, but were similar to other green roof treatments two months following installation. Alum and Ultra-Phos Filter (UltraTech International, Inc.) were also tested for their potential to reduce the phosphorus in runoff. The average reduction in phosphorus in runoff directed through alum-filled pouches was 22%. Based on the elevated nitrogen and phosphorus load running off of the green roofs, caution is recommended when considering the application of fertilizer during installation or maintenance of green roofs. When choosing green building technology, materials and methods must be carefully chosen to match the most critical needs of the local environment.
Inhibition of HLA-DM Mediated MHC Class II Peptide Loading by HLA-DO Promotes Self Tolerance

Major histocompatibility class II (MHCII) molecules are loaded with peptides derived from foreign and self-proteins within the endosomes and lysosomes of antigen presenting cells (APCs). This process is mediated by interaction of MHCII with the conserved, nonpolymorphic MHCII-like molecule HLA-DM (DM). DM activity is directly opposed by HLA-DO (DO), another conserved, non-polymorphic MHCII like molecule. DO is an MHCII substrate mimic. Binding of DO to DM prevents MHCII from binding to DM, thereby inhibiting peptide loading. Inhibition of DM function enables low stability MHC complexes to survive and populate the surface of APCS. As a consequence, DO promotes the display of a broader pool of low abundance self-peptides. Broadening the peptide repertoire theoretically reduces the likelihood of inadvertently acquiring a density of self-ligands that is sufficient to activate self-reactive T cells. One function of DO, therefore, is to promote T cell tolerance by shaping the visible image of self. Recent data also shows that DO influences the adaptive immune response by controlling B cell entry into the germinal center reaction. This review explores the data supporting these concepts.
Predicting safety toleration of pharmaceutical chemical leads: cytotoxicity correlations to exploratory toxicity studies.

Abstract The selection and application of appropriate safety screening paradigms could revolutionize the drug discovery process by reducing safety-related attrition. While mechanism specific genotoxicity and safety pharmacology assays are routinely used in screening, the overall value of employing nonspecific cytotoxicity assays remains controversial. A retrospective analysis of safety findings from rat exploratory toxicity studies (4–14 days) utilizing compounds that spanned broad therapeutic targets (protease, transport, G-protein-coupled receptors, and kinase inhibitors, cGMP modulators) demonstrated that safety toleration in vivo could be approximated using cytotoxicity values. A composite safety score was calculated for each compound dose based on findings in each of the following categories: systemic toleration (mortality, food consumption, and adverse clinical signs), clinical chemistry/hematology parameters (deviations from normal ranges), and multiorgan pathology (necrosis or incidence/severity of histologic change). Binning compounds into potent (LC50 100 μM) cytotoxicants in vitro showed that compared to non-potent cytotoxicants the exposure to potent cytotoxicants in vivo resulted in higher overall severity scores at lower exposures. Correlating overall toleration for individual compounds was further refined when in vivo exposure was considered. When average plasma exposure (Cpave) for a compound exceeded its mean lethal concentration (LC50) in vitro (Cpave/LC50 > 1), higher overall severity scores were achieved compared to lower exposure margins (Cpave/LC50
Experimental Evidence and Governmental Administration

domestic policies. Ministers resign in the United Kingdom's Blair government over failure to achieve targets for reading levels of children younger than age ten or for getting trains to run on time. The cabinet of Germany's largest state, North Rhine-Westphalia, decides that all crime prevention programs should be evaluated and that all police agencies must create evaluation units; the ministerial motto for this initiative is, "Don't just believe that it works, show that it works." The Bush administration in the United States reorganizes the research arm of its Department of Education to provide more reliable evidence about what works in education2 and to increase the available tools for American schools to meet the demands of the "No Child Left Behind" Act of 2002.3 Such anecdotal evidence suggests that there is a growing nonpartisan interest, across the range of ideologies, in gaining better evidence about achieving results in the public sector. There may even be more openness to accepting the idea that much of the research we do have is biased and that standards of research must be
Restricted Year‐Class Structure and Recruitment Lag within a Discrete School of Yellowtail Rockfish

Abstract Observations of a school of adult yellowtail rockfish Sebastes flavidus over an 11-year period in southeastern Alaska revealed negligible recruitment as the school dwindled in numbers and remaining individual fish grew in size.
The neural code for taste in the nucleus of the solitary tract of the rat: effects of adaptation

Adaptation of the tongue to NaCl, HCl, quinine or sucrose was used as a tool to study the stability and organization of response profiles in the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS). Taste responses in the NTS were recorded in anesthetized rats before and after adaptation of the tongue to NaCl, HCl, sucrose or quinine. Results showed that the magnitude of response to test stimuli following adaptation was a function of the context, i.e., adaptation condition, in which the stimuli were presented. Over half of all taste responses were either attenuated or enhanced following the adaptation procedure: NaCl adaptation produced the most widespread, non-stimulus-selective cross-adaptation and sucrose adaptation produced the least frequent cross-adaptation and the most frequent enhancement of taste responses. Adaptation to quinine cross-adapted to sucrose and adaptation to HCl cross-adapted to quinine in over half of the units tested. The adaptation procedure sometimes unmasked taste responses where none were present beforehand and sometimes altered taste responses to test stimuli even though the adapting stimulus did not itself produce a response. These effects demonstrated a form of context-dependency of taste responsiveness in the NTS and further suggest a broad potentiality in the sensitivity of NTS units across taste stimuli. Across unit patterns of response remained distinct from each other under all adaptation conditions. Discriminability of these patterns may provide a neurophysiological basis for residual psychophysical abilities following adaptation.
MKR mice are resistant to the metabolic actions of both insulin and adiponectin: discordance between insulin resistance and adiponectin responsiveness

Most rodent models of insulin resistance are accompanied by decreased circulating adiponectin levels. Adiponectin treatment improves the metabolic phenotype by increasing fatty acid oxidation in sk...
Effects of dalapon, atrazine and simazine on denitrification in soil

Abstract The influence of dalapon (2.2-dichloropropanoic acid), atrazine (6-chloro-N-ethyl-N'-(1-methylethyl)-1, 3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine) and simazine (6-chloro-N,N'-diethyl-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine) on denitrification of nitrate in soil was studied by determining the effects of different amounts of these herbicides on the amounts of nitrate lost and the amounts of nitrite, N2O and N2 produced when field-moist and air-dried samples of soil were incubated anaerobically after treatment with nitrate or with nitrate and glucose. The data obtained did not confirm reports that small amounts of these herbicides inhibit denitrification in soil. No inhibition of denitrification was observed when dalapon. atrazine and simazine were applied at the rate of 5, 10, 25 or 100 μg g−1soil in the presence or absence of glucose.
Fish B lymphocytes: Defining their form and function

Abstract Fish B lymphocytes have been defined, as in mammalian systems, as those lymphocytes that express immunoglobulin on their surface and secrete specific antibody in response to antigenic stimuli. Such cells have been identified in a number of fish species. However, the physical characterization of these cells, their distribution, the form of their response, and the antibody product itself have not precisely followed the mammalian paradigm. The implications of these unique features of fish B cell form and function are the focus of this review. The antigenic phenotype of the B cell and the possible function of distinct subpopulations are discussed. The origin of the fish B lymphocyte itself is still a great enigma. The developmental and ontological pathway(s) taken by fish B cell progenitors are still virtually unknown, but considerable data have accrued that allow investigators to postulate possible sources of such lymphocytic stem cells (i.e. bone marrow equivalents), such as the anterior kidney. As opposed to the ontological development of B cells, the nature of the intercellular cooperation and lymphokine requirements for an antibody response seem to parallel mammalian counterparts quite closely. Finally, the coordination of all these cells, factors, and products into a complex function, such as the generation of immunological memory, present an excellent venue for comparative immunologists. In the expression of this complex and highly regulated process, fish have demonstrated some basic similarities to mammals, but differ in other important features. Understanding how fish have circumvented the need for these aspects of memory allows us not only to understand fish function, but enables us to place specific mammalian functions in a broader context. Such analyses will provide new theoretical approaches to the understanding of mammalian as well as fish immune responses.
Evaluation of an office method of measuring theophylline serum concentrations.

Abstract A strip test for theophylline, with an immunoassay with a colorimetric indicator, has been developed for use in the physician's office (Seralyzer, Ames Division, Miles Laboratories, Elkhart, Ind.). Diluted serum is applied to the plastic reagent strip, which is then inserted into a reflectance photometer that quantities the color change and displays the serum concentration in 80 seconds. To determine the reliability of this method, control sera (5.0, 10.0, 15.0, 20.0, and 25.0 μg/ml of theophylline) and 78 specimens, each from a different patient, were analyzed by Seralyzer and a reference method (EMIT, Syva Co., Palo Alto, Calif.). Nine replicate measurements of a 15.0 μg/ml control serum were performed on one day, and all five control sera were analyzed once daily for 20 days. Patient specimens were analyzed at the rate of eight per day. The coefficient of variation (meanSD × 100) for within day precision of the 15 μg/ml control was 5.2% for Seralyzer and 4.1% for EMIT ( p 5 μg/ml, but were significantly greater than EMIT measurements at 5 and 10 μg/ml ( p 2 = 0.95). The Seralyzer demonstrated a positive bias of 0.9 μg/ml. Results analyzed by the two methods differed by >25% in 10 of the 78 specimens (mean error, 3.3 μg/ml over the range of 2.9 to 22.2 μg/ml). None of the discrepant values would have led to an inappropriate dose increase, but an unnecessary dose decrease may have occurred for one Seralyzer result. Caffeine from the ingestion of two cups of brewed coffee did not cross-react with theophylline when it was measured by seralyzer, but there was a false positive bias (mean 2.3 μg/ml) in specimens from 21 patients with chronic renal failure. We conclude that the Seralyzer system is less precise than EMIT but sufficiently reliable for clinical use in the physician's office.
The bar - cross - ellipse illusion : Alternating percepts of rigid and nonrigid motion based on contour ownership and trackable feature assignment

We present a new multistable stimulus generated by continuously rotating an ellipse behind four fixed occluders. Despite the stimulus remaining constant, observers can alternate between one of four percepts: (1) a continuously morphing cross; (2) two independent perpen-dicular bars oscillating in depth; (3) a rigidly rotating ellipse observed behind the occluders; (4) a fixed cross observed through a continuously rotating, elliptical aperture. Interestingly, the initial percept naive observers tend to see is percept 1, which is the only nonrigid motion percept. This appears to be a violation of the hypothesized ‘rigidity heuristic’ in which rigid motion percepts tend to be perceived over retinally equivalent nonrigid ones. Here, we describe the relationships between each of the percepts and the assignment of contour ownership and figure/ground segmentation.
Narrative Studies, Personal Stories, and Identity Transformation in the Mutual Help Context

A common way for researchers to think about mutual help organizations is as alternative treatments for people with problems in living. This approach, illustrated here in the context of a series of empirical studies conducted by the author, views people as service seekers. Although much can be gained from research in which there is collaboration between professionals and the self-help community, there remains a need for work that uses theories and methods consistent with the experiences of the members and the ethos of the organizations. A different way to understand mutual help organizations is to view them as normative narrative communities where identity transformation takes place. This approach forces us to listen to the personal stories that people tell about their lives. It has several advantages, including the reduction of professional centrism and the explicit linking of individual lives to community processes. A narrative studies framework also has the advantage of tying mutual help to a great deal...
Age as a Predictor of Cognitive Decline in Bipolar Disorder

Objective Cognitive dysfunction is a core feature of bipolar disorder (BD) in both adult and geriatric patients. However, little is known about whether cognitive functioning declines at a faster rate in patients with BD, and there are conflicting reports regarding the relationship between age and cognitive functioning in this population. This cross-sectional study examined the relationship between age and cognitive functioning in patients with BD. Methods Patients with BD I (N = 113) and healthy adults (N = 64) ages 18–87 completed measures of processing speed, attention, executive functioning, verbal fluency, and clinical symptomatology. Groupwise comparisons were used to examine differences between patients and the comparison group and adult and geriatric BD cohorts. A series of linear regressions was conducted to examine the relationship of age and cognitive functioning and clinical variables and cognition. Results Patients performed significantly worse than the comparison group on all neuropsychological measures. Age was a significant predictor of Trails A scores with older age associated with worse performance. Conclusions Older age was associated with poorer performance on Trails A in patients with BD but not healthy adults. These results are suggestive of greater dysfunction in processing speed with older age in patients with BD compared with a healthy comparison group. Because cognitive functioning is associated with community outcomes, these findings suggest a need for treatments targeting cognitive symptoms across the life span. Future research exploring neurobiologic evidence for neurodegenerative processes in BD will pave the way for potential therapeutic interventions.
An unavoidable set of configurations in planar triangulations

Abstract Let T be a normal triangulation (considered in the context of the four-color problem). Assume that no two vertices of degree 5 are adjacent. Then T contains at least 1 of the 47 configurations in Table I all of which are likely to be 4-color reducible.
Loss and recovery of leukocyte sensitivity to antigenic histamine release during intensive injection therapy with allergen extract.

Abstract During allergen injection therapy with a relatively intensive dosage regimen, the leukocytes of the peripheral blood lost sensitivity to antigenic histamine release not only specifically to the allergen injected but also to another allergen not included in the injections. After discontinuance of injections, leukocyte unresponsiveness persisted for 3 months, but then sensitivity was recovered. A second course of injections failed to decrease the leukocyte sensitivity again. Serial measurements of other pertinent immunologic responses are presented.
STRENGTHS OF BRICK AND OTHER STRUCTURAL SILICATES1

It is found from a survey of the important researches on building stones and heavy clay products in the last fifty years that the strength data may be formulated by the law where p= stress at rupture c= efficiency or relation factor S= parameter of dimensions stress A= per cent of sensible pore space determined by degree of absorption vater by weight A0= parameter, taking account of the insensible or colloidal pore space e= probable error for a single datum The working law obtained where it was possible to place the data on a strict mechanical parity is for the compression strengths and a conservative value of ⅙ of this amount for the modulus of rupture, the latter varying from ⅙ to ¼ depending upon the particular technique of tests. The probable error has been selected at ±0.25 but is usually smaller, this also being conditioned by manipulative technique. It is ½ this amount for five tests and ⅓ for ten tests, the variations now existing being considerably reduced by precise methods of testing.
Approximate Model of Cooperative Activation and Crossbridge Cycling in Cardiac Muscle Using Ordinary Differential Equations

We develop a point model of the cardiac myofilament (MF) to simulate a wide variety of experimental muscle characterizations including Force-Ca relations and twitches under isometric, isosarcometric, isotonic, and auxotonic conditions. Complex MF behaviors are difficult to model because spatial interactions cannot be directly implemented as ordinary differential equations. We therefore allow phenomenological approximations with careful consideration to the relationships with the underlying biophysical mechanisms. We describe new formulations that avoid mean-field approximations found in most existing MF models. To increase the scope and applicability of the model, we include length- and temperature-dependent effects that play important roles in MF responses. We have also included a representation of passive restoring forces to simulate isolated cell shortening protocols. Possessing both computational efficiency and the ability to simulate a wide variety of muscle responses, the MF representation is well suited for coupling to existing cardiac cell models of electrophysiology and Ca-handling mechanisms. To illustrate this suitability, the MF model is coupled to the Chicago rabbit cardiomyocyte model. The combined model generates realistic appearing action potentials, intracellular Ca transients, and cell shortening signals. The combined model also demonstrates that the feedback effects of force on Ca binding to troponin can modify the cytosolic Ca transient.
Organization and regulation of the human rasGAP gene.

Abstract ras GTPase activating protein (rasGAP) is highly conserved among mammalian species and is required for normal cardiovascular system development. Expression of this protein exhibits both quantitative and qualitative variability among tissues. Using a combination of DNA sequencing and database analyses, we have determined that the human rasGAP gene spans 122 kb and is composed of 25 exons; the size of each intron and the intron/exon junctions also have been elucidated. With one exception, all intron/exon boundaries conform to the GT/AG rule; the splice donor site of intron 3 is GC/AG. Results of RNA ligase mediated rapid amplification of cDNA ends followed by sequence determination indicate that the transcription start point (TSP) is approximately 588 bp upstream from the translational start site and is uninterrupted by introns; this extremely long 5′ untranslated region is continuous with the first coding exon. Analysis of 1 kb of sequence upstream of the TSP did not identify any of the typical promoter elements (TATA or CAAT boxes). Sequential deletions of this 1 kb region followed by secreted alkaline phosphatase reporter gene analysis revealed that transcription is supported by this region of the rasGAP gene. Because the highest efficiency is demonstrated by a 213 bp sequence just upstream from the TSP (−786 to −584), this region is identified as containing the rasGAP minimal promoter. Sequence analysis of this 213 bp sequence shows few candidate sites for transcription factor binding. A 406 bp fragment surrounding the TSP exhibits characteristics of a CpG island (68% C+G; observed/expected ratio of CpG=0.95). RapidScan analysis revealed that high levels of rasGAP transcript are present in placenta and testis, but transcript is not detectable in kidney and intestinal tract. These data suggest that rasGAP transcription is regulated by an atypical mechanism capable of producing quantitative variability among tissue types.
Immunohistochemical fiber typing of harbor seal skeletal muscle

There is strong evidence that pinnipeds maintain a lipid-based, aerobic metabolism during diving. However, the few fiber-typing studies performed on pinniped skeletal muscles are not consistent with an aerobic physiological profile. The objective of this study was to reexamine the fiber type distribution throughout the primary locomotory muscles of the harbor seal Phoca vitulina. Results from immunohistochemical (IHC) fiber typing indicated that harbor seal swimming muscles (the epaxial muscles) are composed of 47.4% type I (slow twitch, oxidative) fibers and 52.8% IIa (fast twitch, oxidative) fibers, which are homogeneously distributed throughout the muscle. Harbor seal pectoralis, a secondary swimming muscle, was composed of 16.2% type I and 84.3% type IIa fibers. No fast twitch, glycolytic (type IIb) fibers were detected in either muscle, in contrast to published data on fiber typing of harbor seal epaxial muscles using traditional histochemical techniques. The extreme specificity inherent in the IHC fiber typing procedure leads us to conclude that harbor seal swimming muscle is entirely composed of oxidative fibers. Our results are consistent with the enzymatic analyses of pinniped skeletal muscle that support the use of lipid-derived aerobic catabolism to fuel working muscle during diving in these marine mammals.
Fungal endophyte–grass symbioses are rare in the California floristic province and other regions with Mediterranean-influenced climates

Abstract Research on agronomic grasses has shown that Class 1 fungal endophytes ( Neotyphodium/Epichloe ; Clavicipitaceae) can have profound effects on host plant fitness. However, in natural systems, even basic ecological knowledge of most endophyte symbioses is lacking. Here, I describe the distribution and abundance of endophytes across 36 native (or naturalized) grasses in a previously unsurveyed region, the California Floristic Province. Symbiosis was generally low: 8.33 % of species and 18.75 % of genera hosted endophytes. I then compared the proportions of symbiotic species and genera found in California and other Mediterranean regions to the proportions found in non-Mediterranean regions. Surveys of Mediterranean-influenced regions showed significantly lower proportions of species (∼66 % lower) and genera (∼65 % lower) hosting endophyte than surveys of non-Mediterranean regions. This pattern suggests that selection in Mediterranean climates may not favor endophyte symbioses.