cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Intron-containing globin genes in the insect Chironomus thummi

All previously reported chironomid globin genes are intronless, suggesting that the ancestral chironomid globin gene was also intronless. In this study, the coding regions of the closely linked Chironomus thummi globin (Gbs) IIβ and IX genes are shown to be interrupted by noncoding DNA bounded by a 5′-GT and a 3′-AG. Both genes have appropriately placed transcription and translation signals. Polymerase chain reactions on genomic DNA with oligonucleotides flanking and within the putative Gb IIβ intron generated products the size predicted for a gene with a 64-nucleotide intron, and sequencing of a cloned PCR fragment also revealed the intron. A partial-length Gb IIβ cDNA sequence exactly matches that of the Gb IIβ coding regions. We conclude that the intron-containing chironomid globin genes are functional. Regions of the Gb IIβ and IX genes spanning the introns are more similar (86%) than the exons themselves (72% similarity), possibly due to partial gene correction. Surprisingly, Gb II β and IX gene homologues in C. tentans are intronless. If the common ancestor of chironomid globin genes was not intronless, introns were lost in at least three C. thummi globin-gene lineages, and more recently by Gb II β and Gb IX genes in C. tentans. If, as previously believed, the ancestral chironomid globin gene was intronless, then an intron was recently acquired in only one C. thummi globin sublineage. These alternatives are discussed.
Polarized distribution of actin isoforms in gastric parietal cells

The actin genes encode several structurally similar, but perhaps functionally different, protein isoforms that mediate contractile function in muscle cells and determine the morphology and motility in nonmuscle cells. To reveal the isoform profile in the gastric monomeric actin pool, we purified actin from the cytosol of gastric epithelial cells by DNase I affinity chromatography followed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Actin isoforms were identified by Western blotting with a monoclonal antibody against all actin isoforms and two isoform-specific antibodies against cytoplasmic beta-actin and gamma-actin. Densitometry revealed a ratio for beta-actin/gamma-actin that equaled 0.73 +/- 0.09 in the cytosol. To assess the distribution of actin isoforms in gastric glandular cells in relation to ezrin, a putative membrane-cytoskeleton linker, we carried out double immunofluorescence using actin-isoform-specific antibodies and ezrin antibody. Immunostaining confirmed that ezrin resides mainly in canaliculi and apical plasma membrane of parietal cells. Staining for the beta-actin isoform was intense along the entire gland lumen and within the canaliculi of parietal cells, thus predominantly near the apical membrane of all gastric epithelial cells, although lower levels of beta-actin were also identified near the basolateral membrane. The gamma-actin isoform was distributed heavily near the basolateral membrane of parietal cells, with much less intense staining of parietal cell canaliculi and no staining of apical membranes. Within parietal cells, the cellular localization of beta-actin, but not gamma-actin, isoform superimposed onto that of ezrin. In a search for a possible selective interaction between actin isoforms and ezrin, we carried out immunoprecipitation experiments on gastric membrane extracts in which substantial amounts of actin were co-eluted with ezrin from an anti-ezrin affinity column. The ratio of beta-actin/gamma-actin in the immunoprecipitate (beta/gamma = 2.14 +/- 0.32) was significantly greater than that found in the cytosolic fraction. In summary, we have shown that beta- and gamma-actin isoforms are differentially distributed in gastric parietal cells. Furthermore, our data suggest a preferential, but not exclusive, interaction between beta-actin and ezrin in gastric parietal cells. Finally, our results suggest that the beta- and gamma-actin-based cytoskeleton networks might function separately in response to the stimulation of acid secretion.
Synthesis of Corneal Keratan Sulfate Proteoglycans by Bovine Keratocytes in Vitro

Keratan sulfate proteoglycans (KSPGs) are the major proteoglycans of the cornea and are secreted by keratocytes in the corneal stroma. Previous studies have been able to show only transient secretion of KSPG in cell culture. In this study, cultures of bovine keratocytes were found to secrete the three previously characterized KSPG proteins into culture medium. Reactivity with monoclonal antibody I22 demonstrated substitution of these proteins with keratan sulfate chains. KSPG constituted 15% of the proteoglycan metabolically labeled with [35S]sulfate in keratocyte culture medium. This labeled KSPG contained keratan sulfate chains of 4700 Da compared to 21,000 Da for bovine corneal keratan sulfate. Labeled keratan sulfate from cultures contained nonsulfated, monosulfated, and disulfated disaccharides that were released by digestion with endo-beta-galactosidase or keratanase II. Nonsulfated disaccharides were relatively more abundant in keratan sulfate from culture than in corneal keratan sulfate. These results show that cultured bovine keratocytes maintain the ability to express all three of the known KSPG proteins, modified with keratan sulfate chains and sulfated on both N-acetylglucosamine and galactose moieties. KSPG made in vitro differs from that found in vivo in the length and sulfation of its keratan sulfate chains. The availability of cell cultures secreting corneal keratan sulfate proteoglycans provides an opportunity to examine biosynthesis and control of this important class of molecules.
The Sociology of Generations and Student Politics: A Comparison of the Functionalist and Generational Unit Models

An examination and comparison of two competing interpretations of generational conflict—the Eisenstadt-Parsons functionalist model and the generational unit model of Mannheim—reveals that the generational unit model provides more theoretical and empirical opportunities for investigation that the functionalist model. While both interpretations share similar sequential characteristics, each predicts the emergence of youth politics employing different sets of independent and intervening variables. Both interpretations appear to be the result of current domestic and international conditions.
Chirally symmetric strong and electroweak interactions

Abstract Strong and electroweak interactions may be a relic of the spontaneous breakdown of a chirally symmetric colour-flavour gauge group. The minimum possibility of such a structure that is symmetric between left and right is SU(3) L ×SU(3) R ×SU(2) L ×SU(2) R ×U(1) B − L where quantum chromodynamics originates in the chiral colour group SU(3) L ×SU(3) R and the electroweak interaction originates in the ambidextrous electroweak interaction group SU L ×SU(2) R ×U(1) B− L . The chiral anomalies are cancelled by adding a set of fermions that transform as singlets under the weak interaction group SU(2) L ×SU(2) R . This model requires only three Higgs representations to break the proposed gauge symmetry to SU(3) C ×U(1) em and give masses to all the quarks and leptons of the theory. All fermion masses are “see-saw” masses.
Growth of biaxially oriented conductive LaNiO3 buffer layers on textured Ni tapes for high-Tc-coated conductors

Abstract Electrically conductive LaNiO 3 buffer layers have been grown on textured nickel tapes by sputter deposition in a reducing atmosphere. These conductive buffered Ni tapes can be employed as long flexible substrates for biaxially aligned high-temperature superconductors, and can electrically stabilize the superconductor during transient loss of superconductivity. Deposition temperatures of about 400°C result in epitaxial growth of LaNiO 3 films, while higher deposition temperatures may cause the formation of La 2 NiO 4 films. X-ray θ –2 θ , θ , and φ scans reveal that the LaNiO 3 films have good out-of-plane and in-plane orientations of 5° and 9–10°, respectively. Subsequent oxygen anneals at 750°C and 850°C change neither the biaxial orientations of the film nor cause any cracks or other surface defects. The resistivity of the LaNiO 3 films can be further reduced by increasing the annealing temperature and oxygen pressure during post-annealing. Highly textured YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 (YBCO) films were grown on the LaNiO 3 -buffered Ni by pulsed laser deposition (PLD).
Trait Confirmation and Disconfirmation: The Development of Attribution Biases.

In the present study, a new method for conducting person perception research, the confirmability paradigm, was adapted for use with children. In the confirmability paradigm subjects are asked how many behaviors they require before attributing positive and negative traits to other people. This new procedure was used to study developmental differences in the amount of information required for trait inference, as well as negativity and egocentric biases in trait attribution. Subjects were 70 children in grades 3 through 5 and 46 college students. The study revealed that traits differ in the amount of behavioral information required for their inference. In addition, a developmental decrease in attribution criteria was detected for various traits. Evidence for a negativity bias in the attribution of several traits was also obtained. Subjects exhibited an egocentric bias in their trait ratings but not in their attribution criteria. The utility of this new approach for the study of person perception is discussed.
Effect of 2′,3′-dideoxycytidine on oxidative phosphorylation in the PC 12 cell, a neuronal model☆

Abstract Peripheral neuropathy induced by 2′,3′-dideoxycytidine (ddC) could result from the previously shown inhibition of mtDNA replication by the action of ddC on the mitochondrial enzyme DNA polymerase γ. Such inhibition would be expected to impair oxidative phosphorylation, and this was demonstrated in the present study for the PC12 cell, a model of a peripheral neuron. The dramatic rise in lactate formation upon exposure of the cell to ddC indicated that increased glycolysis was needed to produce ATP. A concomitant rise in O2 uptake indicated that oxidative phosphorylation had become uncoupled. When tested in a standard respiratory control system (isolated rat liver mitochondria), however, we found ddC not to be an uncoupler. Rather, the uncoupling most likely resulted from the failure of synthesis of one or more mitochondrial gene products necessary for oxidative phosphorylation. We also observed an important distinction between the manner in which ddC and 3′-azido-3′-deoxythymidine (AZT) act. ddC-exerted inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation was delayed for several days. This is consistent with the inhibition occurring indirectly, most likely as a result of the prior destruction of the mitochondrial genome, which encodes many of the components of the oxidative phosphorylation system. In contrast, we have shown previously that although AZT also impairs replication of the mitochondrial genome (in the Friend murine erythroleukemic cell), it also attacks directly an additional primary target leading to impairment of oxidative phosphorylation; its initial inhibition of this process is immediate, not occurring via inhibition of mitochondrial DNA replication.
Extracellular K+ Dependence of Inward Rectification Kinetics in Human Left Ventricular Cardiomyocytes

Background—In human ventricular cells, the inwardly rectifying K+ current (IK1) is very similar to that of other mammalian species, but detailed knowledge about the K+-dependent distribution of open and blocked states during rectification and about the K+-dependent modulation of inactivation on hyperpolarization is currently lacking. Methods and Results—We used the whole-cell patch-clamp technique to record IK1 in myocytes isolated from subendocardial layers of left ventricular septum from patients with nonfailing hearts with aortic stenosis and cardiac hypertrophy who were undergoing open-heart surgery. Outward currents were very small at voltages positive to the reversal potential but increased at high external [K+]. Chord conductance measurements and kinetic analyses allowed us to estimate the proportion of channels in the open state and of those showing either slow unblock or instantaneous unblock (the so-called slow or instantaneous “activation”) on hyperpolarization: the distribution in the individu...
Fur-Mediated Activation of Gene Transcription in the Human Pathogen Neisseria gonorrhoeae

It is well established that the ferric uptake regulatory protein (Fur) functions as a transcriptional repressor in diverse microorganisms. Recent studies demonstrated that Fur also functions as a transcriptional activator. In this study we defined Fur-mediated activation of gene transcription in the sexually transmitted disease pathogen Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Analysis of 37 genes which were previously determined to be iron induced and which contained putative Fur boxes revealed that only 30 of these genes exhibited reduced transcription in a gonococcal fur mutant strain. Fur-mediated activation was established by examining binding of Fur to the putative promoter regions of 16 Fur-activated genes with variable binding affinities observed. Only ∼50% of the newly identified Fur-regulated genes bound Fur in vitro, suggesting that additional regulatory circuits exist which may function through a Fur-mediated indirect mechanism. The gonococcal Fur-activated genes displayed variable transcription patterns in a fur mutant strain, which correlated with the position of the Fur box in each (promoter) region. These results suggest that Fur-mediated direct transcriptional activation is fulfilled by multiple mechanisms involving either competing with a repressor or recruiting RNA polymerase. Collectively, our studies have established that gonococcal Fur functions as an activator of gene transcription through both direct and indirect mechanisms.
The control and function of maternal scent marking in the Mongolian gerbil

Abstract Both scent marking frequency and nest building activity increase during pregnancy and early lactation, and then gradually fall off to prepregnancy levels by the end of lactation. Females ovariectomized two days after parturition fail to show the normal increase in marking in early lactation. In addition, ovariectomy of nonpregnant females causes a significant decline in marking frequency, thus implicating ovarian secretions in the control of female scent marking. The presence of the mother's sebum on a strange pup enhances the pup's probability of being retrieved to the nest, suggesting that scent marking aids the mother in identifying her pups. The role of the hormones of pregnancy in regulating many aspects of maternal behavior is emphasized.
Ultra-Large-Area Self-Assembled Monolayers of Nanoparticles

Large-area self-assembled monolayers of nanoparticles are fabricated on the surface of deionized water by controlled evaporation of nanoparticles dispersed in a binary solvent mixture. The difference in solvent volatility and partial coverage of the trough leads to a flux of nanoparticles toward the evaporation front. The monolayers are comprised of monodisperse magnetite and gold nanoparticles or slightly more polydisperse manganese oxide nanoparticles. The floating monolayers are transferred onto different substrates by the Langmuir-Schaefer method. Surfactants in the colloidal solution and substrate materials have significant impact on the monolayer formation. Bilayers of nanoparticles with different twist angles between layers are also obtained by double deposition.
The 1974 SPE polyolefin division award address: Phase behavior of polybutene-1 plus polystyrene in carbon tetrachloride

Ternary phase diagram for several polybutene-1 and polystyrene resins in carbon tetrachloride have been determined. These show: Almost the entire phase diagram is a two-phase region. The composition of each phase is mainly of one polymer type. Increasing the molecular weight of either polymer diminishes compatibility. To our knowledge, this is the first example of phase separation in common solvent polymer solutions that involves a poly α-olefin. Viscosity and surface tension data on the equilibrium phases indicate the phases have the same surface tensions but far different viscosities. The upper phase is mainly polybutene-1 and is much more viscous than the lower phase which is mainly polystyrene. Slight agitation of the phases gives an “emulsion” that may be cast into a polymer film. The film has a continuous phase of Form III polybutene-1 and a dispersed phase of polystyrene. The polystyrene may be extracted from the film by immersion in methyl ethyl ketone to give a porous polybutene-1 film.
Optimal reactor design from a geometric viewpoint. Part II. Critical sidestream reactors

Abstract For a specified set of available feed streams and a specified network of chemical reactions, the attainable region is the full set of output states that can be attained by means of all possible reactor designs (within a generally broad class). The boundary of the attainable region is of great interest, for it represents the outer limit of what is actually achievable. In consideration of isothermal designs involving only reaction and mixing, it was shown in Feinberg & Hildebrandt (1997. Chemical Engineering Science , 52, 1637–1665), how, independent of the reaction network or its kinetics, the attainable region's boundary is invariably shaped by classical plug flow reactors, ideal CFSTRs and differential sidestream reactors (DSRs), each playing special roles. Differential sidestream reactors generally serve as crucial precursors to plug flow reactors, which, in turn, provide final access to the attainable region's extreme points. Here we examine properties of critical DSRs — that is, DSRs whose products lie entirely on the attainable region's boundary. We show that critical DSRs must conform to highly detailed design equations, equations that govern in a precise way the strategic addition of sidestream along the reactor's extent. In particular, the equations indicate how the sidestream addition rate, the sidestream composition, and the reaction rates must be orchestrated if the DSR is to give rise to products at the outer limit of what is achievable.
Anorectal anatomy and embryology

The anal canal is complex in its anatomy and its embryologic origin. The intricate and changing histology of the anal canal explains the different types of anal cancer. In addition, an understanding of the venous and the lymphatic drainage of the anal canal helps to explain its methods of dissemination. Finally, the basis for the treatment of anal cancer is derived from the cancer's anatomic origins.
The coming-of-age of chemical reaction engineering

Abstract This paper takes a look at the creation, logic, growth patterns, status, and prospects for chemical reaction engineering.
Block of Conduction in Partially Depolarized Cardiac Purkinje Fibres induced by an α-Adrenergic Agent

IF discrete areas of the ventricular conducting system are exposed to high concentrations of K+, conduction through these areas is slowed so much that the impulse may re-enter the normal part of the conducting system after the end of the refractory period, thereby evoking another excitation of the heart (refs. 1 and 2 and our unpublished work). This slow conduction results from a slow response that resembles the slow component of the cardiac action potential3 and the action potential of normal fibres of the atrioventricular node4. Adrenaline enhances the response of Purkinje fibres, depressed by exposure to high K+ concentration5 and we now report that an α-adrenergic agent, methoxamine, depresses the slow response at concentrations that do not affect the normal action potential. This finding is of interest because very few of the actions of adrenergic agents on the heart can be attributed to the stimulation of α-receptors6, because selective depression of the slow response is further evidence that it differs qualitatively from the response of normal fibres (our unpublished work) and because it suggests that α-adrenergic agents may be useful in the prevention of certain cardiac arrhythmias.
Measuring Hospital Inefficiency: The Effects of Controlling for Quality and Patient Burden of Illness

Objective To assess the impact of employing a variety of controls for hospital quality and patient burden of illness on the mean estimated inefficiency and relative ranking of hospitals generated by stochastic frontier analysis (SFA).
Dynamic behaviour of dagger-shaped cantilevers for atomic force microscopy

Experimental techniques based on the atomic force microscope (AFM) have been developed for characterizing mechanical properties at the nanoscale and applied to a variety of materials and structures. Atomic force acoustic microscopy (AFAM) is one such technique that uses spectral information of the AFM cantilever as it vibrates in contact with a sample. In this paper, the dynamic behaviour of AFM cantilevers that have a dagger shape is investigated using a power-series method. Dagger-shaped cantilevers have plan-view geometry consisting of a rectangular section at the clamped end and a triangular section at the tip. Their geometry precludes modelling using closed-form expressions. The convergence of the series is demonstrated and the convergence radius is shown to be related to the given geometry. The accuracy and efficiency of the method are investigated by comparison with finite element results for several different cases. AFAM experiments are modelled by including a linear spring at the tip that represents the contact stiffness. The technique developed is shown to be very effective for inversion of experimental frequency information into contact stiffness results for AFAM. In addition, the sensitivities of the frequencies to the contact stiffness are discussed in terms of the various geometric parameters of the problem including the slope, the ratio of the rectangular to triangular lengths and the tip location. Calculations of contact stiffness from experimental data using this model are shown to be very good in comparison with other models. It is anticipated that this approach may be useful for other cantilever geometries as well, such that AFAM accuracy may be improved.
Generation and detection of 1012 Hz phonons in n-type GaAs

Abstract A new technique is demonstrated for generating and detecting ultra high frequency phonons (≈ 10 12 Hz). Phonons generated in a thin layer of n -type GaAs propagate through an insulating GaAs region and are detected by a similar n -type layer. The phonon generator and detector are electron-donor recombination and excitation respectively.
Entrainment mortality of Ichthyoplankton: Detectability and precision of estimates

The ability to detect and to develop a precise and accurate estimate of the entrainment mortality fraction is an important step in projecting power plant impacts on future fish populatin levels. Recent work indicates that these mortalities may be considerably less than 100% for some fish species in the early life stages. Point estimates of the entrainment mortality fraction have been developed based on probabilistic arguments, but the precision of these estimates has not been studied beyond the simple statistical test of the null hypothesis that no entrainment mortality exists. The ability to detect entrainment mortality is explored as a function of the sample sizes (numbers of organisms collected) at the intake and discharge sampling stations of a power plant and of the proportion of organisms found alive in the intake samples (intake survival). Minimum detectable entrainment mortality, confidence interval width, and type II error (probability of accepting the null hypothesis of no entrainment mortality when there is mortality) are considered. Increasing sample size and/or decreasing sampling mortality will decrease the minimum detectable entrainment mortality, confidence interval width, and type II error for a given level of type I error. The results of this study are considered in the contextmore » of designing useful monitoring programs for determining the entrainment mortality fraction. Preliminary estimates of intake survival and the entrainment mortality fraction can be used to obtain estimates of the sample size needed for a specified level of confidence interval width or type II error. Final estimates of the intake survival and the entrainment mortality fraction can be used to determine the minimum detectable entrainment mortality and the type II error.« less
A Hierarchical Demand Response Framework for Data Center Power Cost Optimization under Real-World Electricity Pricing

We study the problem of optimizing data center electric utility bill under uncertainty in workloads and real-world pricing schemes. Our focus is on using control knobs that modulate the power consumption of IT equipment. To overcome the difficulty of casting/updating such control problems and the computational intractability they suffer from in general, we propose and evaluate a hierarchical optimization framework wherein an upper layer uses (i) temporal aggregation to restrict the number of decision instants during a billing cycle to computationally feasible values, and (ii) spatial (i.e., control knob) aggregation whereby it models the large and diverse set of power control knobs with two abstract knobs labeled demand dropping and demand delaying. These abstract knobs operate upon a fluid power demand. The key insight underlying our modeling is that the power modulation effects of most IT control knobs can be succinctly captured as dropping and/or delaying a portion of the power demand. These decisions are passed onto a lower layer that leverages existing research to translate them into decisions for real IT knobs. We develop a suite of algorithms for our upper layer that deal with different forms of input uncertainty. An experimental evaluation of the proposed approach offers promising results: e.g., it offers net cost savings of about 25% and 18% to a streaming media server and a MapReduce-based batch workload, respectively.
Rectangular Mindlin plate element with a through crack

This work addresses the development of a new four-noded rectangular Mindlin plate bending element (MP4C) with a crack which consists of three degrees of freedom at each corner node. The crack in the element is assumed to be not closed and non-propagating. The crack affects the elastic strain energy and the flexibility matrix of the element, whereas the mass matrix remains unchanged. The complete element stiffness matrix is constructed as the inverse of the combined flexibility matrix of both non-cracked and cracked elements. To evaluate the behavior of the proposed cracked Mindlin plate element, numerical examples are provided. They are based on developing user subroutines in the commercial finite element software ABAQUS. The finite element analysis results using the developed plate element are in excellent agreement with those reported in previous work. The cracked plate element developed in this paper provides a simple and robust approach to model the real service conditions in plate-like structures.
Behavioral changes in transmuting multisession successive searches over the web

Multisession successive information searches are common but little research has focused on quantitative analysis. This article enhances our understanding of successive information searches by employing an experimental method to observe whether and how the behavioral characteristics of searchers statistically significantly changed over sessions. It focuses on a specific type of successive search called transmuting successive searches, in which searchers learn about and gradually refine their information problems during the course of the information search. The results show that searchers' behavioral characteristics indeed exhibit different patterns in different sessions. The identification of the behavioral characteristics can help information retrieval systems to detect stages or sessions of the information search process. The findings also help validate a theoretical framework to explain successive searches and suggest system requirements for supporting the associated search behavior. The study is one of the first to not only test for statistical significance among research propositions concerning successive searches but to also apply the research principles of implicit relevance feedback to successive searches.
L’oursin, du génome au développement

Le projet Genome de l'oursin de mer a ete lance en 1998 aux Etats-Unis, les embryons de cet echinoderme representant de longue date un modele de choix pour les biologistes. Objectif ultime du projet: decrypter les reseaux de regulation genique a l'œuvre lors du developpement de cet organisme.
The effect of iron limitation on expression of the aerobic and anaerobic electron transport pathway genes in Escherichia coli.

To determine whether the aerobic and anaerobic respiratory pathways of Escherichia coli are regulated in response to iron availability, strains containing lacZ reporter fusions to the cydAB, cyoABCDE, narGHJI, dmsABC and frdABCD operons were grown in medium limited for iron by use of the chelator, 2,2′-dipyridyl. Under anaerobic conditions, expression of the anaerobic respiratory pathway operons, narG-lacZ, dmsA-lacZ and frdA-lacZ, was reduced 14–16 fold when iron was limited. In contrast, expression of the aerobic pathway operons, cyoA-lacZ and cydA-lacZ, was elevated modestly. Iron-dependent transcriptional control of these operons was independent of the fur gene which encodes an iron-and-DNA-binding regulatory protein. The expression of fnr-lacZ was relatively unaffected by iron limitation suggesting that Fnr levels in the cell do not change in response to iron. The above findings suggest that in addition to Fur, some other cellular protein may bind iron for reporting and regulating iron-dependent cell functions.
Fatty acids regulate CREBh via transcriptional mechanisms that are dependent on proteasome activity and insulin

Excess fatty acids are closely associated with metabolic dysfunction. The deleterious effects of fatty acids relate, in part, to their ability to up-regulate pro-inflammatory cytokines and propagate a state of systemic inflammation. CREBh is a recently identified transcription factor that appears to be required for hepatic synthesis of C-reactive protein. Recent data suggest that fatty acids can up-regulate CREBh, thus establishing a potential molecular link between fatty acids and inflammation. The aim of this study was to examine the nature and mechanisms of fatty acid-mediated regulation of CREBh. H4IIE liver cells were incubated in the absence or presence of varying concentrations (50-500 μM) of albumin-bound, long-chain saturated (palmitate, stearate) or unsaturated (oleate, linoleate) fatty acids (1-16 h). All fatty acids significantly increased CREBh gene expression via transcriptional mechanisms, at concentrations as low as 50 μM. Palmitate- or oleate-mediated up-regulation of CREBh was not inhibited by triacsin C, an inhibitor of long-chain fatty acyl CoA synthetase, or by the PPARα antagonist, MK886. Inhibition of proteasome activity with MG132 or lactacystin, or inclusion of insulin reduced palmitate- and oleate-mediated increases in CREBh mRNA. Finally, we examined fatty acid regulation of CREBh in vivo. Male Wistar rats were exposed to a 4-h pancreatic clamp combined with infusion of saline or a mixed lipid emulsion. CREBh mRNA and protein were significantly increased in rats exposed to the lipid infusion compared to the saline group. Collectively, these results may have important implications for metabolic diseases characterized by excess fatty acids, insulin resistance, and inflammation.
Carnegie Units and High School Attendance Policies An Absence of Thought

This case was developed as part of a doctoral course for educational administration students who were specializing in K-12 educational administration. It could be used in a leadership, special education, or policy course for future school leaders or teachers. Currently, most educational institutions use Carnegie Units to structure how students earn credit throughout the year. In addition, many schools have an attendance policy delineating specific guidelines that students must meet to earn credit. Recently, two high school seniors had their graduation jeopardized due to issues with Carnegie Units and a district’s attendance policy. Drawing from the case of Matthew and Jerry, this article will explore attendance policies and the usage of Carnegie Units.
The Unanticipated Benefits of Behavioral Assessments and Interviews on Anxiety, Self-Esteem and Depression Among Women Engaging in Transactional Sex

Women engaging in transactional sex have disproportional mental health co-morbidity and face substantial barriers to accessing social services. We hypothesized that participation in a longitudinal research study, with no overt intervention, would lead to short-term mental health improvements. For 4-weeks, 24 women disclosed information about their lives via twice daily cell-phone diaries and weekly interviews. We used t tests to compare self-esteem, anxiety, and depression at baseline and exit. Tests were repeated for hypothesized effect modifiers (e.g., substance abuse severity; age of sex work debut). For particularly vulnerable women (e.g., less educated, histories of abuse, younger initiation of sex work) participation in research conferred unanticipated mental health benefits. Positive interactions with researchers, as well as discussing lived experiences, may explain these effects. Additional studies are needed to confirm findings and identify mechanisms of change. This work contributes to the growing body of literature documenting that study participation improves mental health.
Homogenization of elliptic problems withL p boundary data

We consider the homogenization problem $$\begin{gathered} - \frac{\partial }{{\partial x_i }}\left( {a^{ij} \left( {\frac{x}{\varepsilon }} \right)\frac{{\partial u_\varepsilon }}{{\partial x_j }}} \right) = 0inD, \hfill \\ u_\varepsilon = gon\partial D, \hfill \\ \end{gathered} $$ whereD is a bounded domain,a is aC 1,α, periodic, uniformly positive matrix, and the datag belongs toL p (∂D), 1 <p < ∞. We show that, if∂D satisfies a uniform exterior sphere condition, thenu e converges in L p (D) to the solution of the corresponding homogenized problem ase → 0. The proof is done via estimates for Poisson's kernel. We give examples showing that this convergence result does not hold for a generalG-convergent sequence of operators and depends on the periodicity ofa as well as on its smoothness.
Protein kinase C in normal human epidermal keratinocytes during proliferation and calcium-induced differentiation

Recent evidence has implicated protein kinase C (PKC) in the etiology of hyperproliferative diseases such as psoriasis and non-melanoma skin cancer. In this study, PKC activity, immunoreactive protein, and phorbol ester-binding kinetics were examined in primary cultures of normal human epidermal keratinocytes (NHEK) in order to elucidate the relationship between PKC and NHEK proliferation and differentiation. NHEK were maintained in a proliferative phase in serum-free low-calcium (0.15 mM) medium, and then were exposed to high calcium (1.6 mM) in order to stimulate growth arrest and differentiation. Staurosporine was inhibitory to Ca(++)-induced differentiation. Scatchard analysis of phorbol binding indicated that exposure to high calcium for 24 h increased the number of binding sites (Bmax) by fivefold. In correlation with the ligand-binding results, PKC activity was extremely low in proliferating (low-calcium) NHEK compared to differentiating cells (high calcium). When assayed after 24, 48, and 72 h, high calcium induced tenfold or greater increases in Ca++/phospholipid-dependent phosphotransferase activity. Immunoblot analysis of NHEK PKC using antibodies directed against the hinge region of PKC alpha/beta also indicated that exposure to high calcium resulted in higher levels of immunoreactive protein. Therefore, PKC in NHEK appears to be upregulated under conditions of Ca(++)-induced growth arrest and differentiation. In addition, NHEK and other human skin cell particulate fractions contain a protein of approximately 116 kDa that is highly immunoreactive to an antibody to PKC alpha/beta, which coelutes from DEAE-sephacel under the same buffer conditions as the 80-kDa PKC.
Resource Letter MD-1: Maxwell's Demon

This Resource Letter provides a comprehensive guide to the voluminous literature that has developed around Maxwell’s demon, and offers a perspective on issues for which the hypothetical character Maxwell introduced over 120 years ago has inspired continuing research and debate. The code (E) indicates elementary level or general interest material useful to persons just learning the field; (I) indicates intermediate level or somewhat specialized material; and (A) indicates advanced or highly specialized material. No accompanying AAPT reprint book will be available, because an extensive reprint collection (Ref. 29) edited by the authors will be published separately.
Beliefs about Intelligence and Academic Goals

Abstract We examined three entailments associated with Dweck and Leggett′s (1988) social-cognitive model of motivation which postulates relationships among implicit beliefs about intelligence, goal orientations, and response to challenge. Partial support was found for entailment 1 (beliefs about intelligence are related to goals) and entailment 2 (goals are related to behavioral responses), but not entailment 3 (beliefs about intelligence are related to behavioral responses). These findings supported Dweck and Leggett′s basic assumptions.
The significance of radiotherapy treatment duration in intracranial ependymoma

Abstract Purpose: To determine if radiation therapy treatment duration has an impact on the outcome of intracranial ependymoma. Methods and Materials: From 1965 to 1997, 34 patients with intracranial ependymoma were seen and treated with postoperative radiotherapy (RT). There were 26 male and 8 female patients with a median age of 14 years (range, 18 months to 60 years). Tumor location was infratentorial in 23 (67.6%) and supratentorial in 11 (32.4%). Pathology was low-grade in 25 (73.5%) and high-grade in 9 (26.5%). Two (5.9%) patients had M+ disease at initial diagnosis. Gross total resection was achieved in 12 (35.3%), subtotal resection in 19 (55.9%), and biopsy alone in 3 (8.8%). Median RT dose to the primary site was 5400 cGy (range, 4500 cGy to 6600 cGy). The entire neuraxis was treated in 14 (41.2%), whole brain in 9 (26.5%), and the primary site alone in 11 (32.4%). Median radiotherapy treatment duration was 43 days (range, 26 to 122 days). Patients treated with craniospinal RT were more likely to have treatment duration of ≥50 days. Median follow-up was 108 months (range, 24 to 252 months). Results: The 5-, 10-, and 15-year overall survival rates were 71.5%, 63.3%, and 55.4%. Local control rates at 5, 10, and 15 years were 61.8%, 57.7%, and 57.7%. For patients with RT treatment duration p = 0.01, log-rank test). Local control rate at 5, 10, and 15 years was 70.6% for patients with RT treatment duration p = 0.05, log-rank test). Age, gender, tumor location, tumor grade, degree of surgical resection, RT volume, and RT dose (4500–5399 cGy vs. 5400–6600 cGy) were not found to have a statistically significant impact on overall survival, disease-free survival, or local control. The most common site of failure was local, found in 13 (38.2%) patients. Three patients also had spinal failure in addition to a primary site failure. There were no isolated nonprimary site brain or spine failures. Conclusions: Radiation therapy treatment duration is an important prognostic factor for survival and local control with patients having treatment duration
One Hundred Percent Reparability of Degenerative Mitral Regurgitation: Intermediate-Term Results of a Dynamic Engineered Approach.

Background Advances in understanding dynamic mitral valve function have led to a repair technique with no leaflet resection, accurate dynamic annular and chordal sizing, and preservation of left ventricular outflow tract dynamics. Methods This approach uses inflation of the left ventricle and ascending aorta with pressurized saline to achieve diastolic mitral valve locking and early isovolumic systole. The left ventricle is maximally dilated, the aorta and root are distended, and the mitral leaflets are opposed. This is used to adjust the length of the artificial chordae and size the fully flexible annuloplasty ring in three dimensions for accurate apposition of the zones of leaflet coaptation. We monitored 752 consecutive patients after repairs performed between 2001 and 2013. Results There were 510 men (68.8%). Mean age was 61.3 ± 13.54 years. The leaflet repaired was anterior in 127 patients (17%), posterior in 451 (60%), both 55 (7.3%), and Barlow's in 119 (16%). Repair was isolated in 76% (573 of 752). Reparability was 100%. No prosthetic valve was implanted in patients with myxomatous or degenerative disease. Perioperative mortality was 2.3% (17 of 752) overall and was 1.6% (9 of 573) for isolated repair and 0.2% (1 of 451) for isolated posterior leaflet. Nonsignificant leaflet systolic anterior leaflet motion was observed in 0.2% (14 of 739) of patients. At 10 years, survival by Kaplan-Meier analysis was 66.4%, and freedom from reoperation was 91.8%. Freedom from significant mitral regurgitation at 5 years was 90.3%. Cox analysis showed male gender was a predictor of reoperation ( p = 0.63). Conclusions This dynamic approach enabled 100% reparability of myxomatous and degenerative valves with no occurrence of significant systolic anterior leaflet motion. Despite 100% of patients having been repaired, intermediate-term durability measured by reoperation rates, freedom from prosthetic valve, and intermediate echocardiographic follow-up have been good.
The Turn to Visual Culture: On Visual Culture and Techniques of the Observer

Visual Culture, edited by Chris Jenks. London, New York: Routledge. 1995. Techniques of the Observer: On Vision and Modernity in the Nineteenth Century. Jonathan Crary. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. 1990.
Resistance Training Reduces Susceptibility to Eccentric Exercise-Induced Muscle Dysfunction in Older Women

This study evaluated the effect of age on susceptibility to muscular weakness and damage caused by eccentric (ECC) exercise and determined whether this susceptibility was altered by resistance training. Young and older women performed concentric (CON) and ECC one repetition maximum (1 RM) strength tests of the quadriceps femoris. Older women also performed knee extension training for 12 weeks. An unaccustomed bout of ECC knee extension exercise was performed before and after training, and CON and ECC 1 RM were reassessed for 11 days after the ECC bout. Magnetic resonance imaging was used to evaluate changes in muscle water content associated with muscle damage. Before training, older subjects showed a larger decline in CON (p =.008) and ECC (p =.03) strength induced by the unaccustomed ECC bout, compared with the young subjects. One day following the ECC bout, the older women showed a 24% reduction in CON and a 27% reduction in ECC 1 RM, compared with only 6% (CON) and 10% (ECC) in the younger women. A magnetic resonance imaging evaluation indicated that edema or damage was significantly greater in the older untrained women than it was in young women (p .05). Resistance-trained older women showed no greater decline than sedentary young women in either CON (p >.05) or ECC (p >.05) strength. In conclusion, sedentary older women are more susceptible to ECC-induced muscle dysfunction, but resistance training reduces this susceptibility.
Order of genes near nif in Klebsiella pneumoniae.

Abstract Analysis of strains with deletions of all or part of nif have ordered the Klebsiella pneumoniae genetic loci as thi rbt dal udk gnd rfb has nif shiA. The his-nif plasmids pRD1 and pTM4010 contain the genes gnd rfb his nif shiA.
Introduction Why Apply Vocational Psychology to Criminal Justice Populations

The criminal justice population has experienced exponential growth in recent decades. Yet, counseling and vocational psychology has not kept pace in addressing the vocational needs of this population. A recent literature search in counseling and vocational journals found that in the last quar- ter century, only 14 articles have been published that focus on this topic. Among these, even fewer are focused on developing effective vocational interventions for this population. The articles in this major contribution en- deavor to begin filling this gap by (a) demonstrating the need and applicability for applying counseling and vocational psychology in developing vocational interventions for the criminal justice population, (b) providing an example and initial empirical findings of a vocational intervention used with this population, and (c) informing readers of best practices in interdisciplinary research for theoretical integration to work with this population.
Conflicting Indicators of "Crisis" in American Civil-Military Relations:

The indicators of the crisis in American civil-military relations can be disaggregated into three categories: (1) the level of military influence on policy; (2) the degree to which the military is representative of society; and (3) the level of civil-military tension. Behind each indicator is a different implicit theory about civil-military relations. These theories offer contradictory assessments about what we should want civil-military relations to be. Therefore, holding the current American civil-military relationship to all three standards is logically untenable. Reviewing the crisis literature and the various theories of civil-military relations underlying the different arguments suggests the need for a more nuanced research program examining the balance between efficiency and accountability inherent in the civil-military relationship.
Comparing state‐of the art near‐surface models of a seismic test line from Saudi Arabia

We present a seismic Test Line, provided by Saudi Aramco for various research teams, to highlight a few major challenges in land data processing due to near-surface anomalies. We discuss state-of-the-art methods used to compensate for shallow distortions, including single-layer, multilayer, plus/minus, refraction and tomostatics methods. They are a starting point for the new technologies presented in other papers, all dealing with the same challenging data described here. The difficulties on the Test Line are mostly due to the assumption of vertical raypaths, inherent in classical applications of near-surface correction statics. Even the most detailed velocity/depth model presents difficulties, due to the compleX-raypath. There is a need for methods which are based on more complex models and theories.
Dynamics and Heterogeneity in the Process of Human Frailty and Aging: Evidence From the U.S. Older Adult Population

Objectives. This study investigated the dynamics and heterogeneity of the frailty index (FI) conceived as a systemic indicator of biological aging in the community-dwelling older adult population in the united states. Methods. We used panel data on multiple birth cohorts from the health and Retirement survey 1993-2006 and growth curve models to estimate age trajectories of the FI and their differences by sex, race, and socioeconomic status (ses) within cohorts. Results. The FI for cohorts born before 1942 exhibit quadratic increases with age and accelerated increases in the ac - cumulation of health deficits. More recent cohorts exhibit higher average levels of and rates of increment in the FI than their predecessors do at the same ages. Females, non-Whites, and individuals with low education and income exhibit greater degrees of physiological deregulation than their male, White, and high-ses counterparts at any age. Patterns of sex, race, and ses differentials in rates of aging vary across cohorts. Discussion. Adjusting for social behavioral factors, the analysis provides evidence for physiological differences in the aging process among recent cohorts of older adults, points to the need for biological explanations of female excess in general system damage, and reveals the insufficiency of any single mechanism for depicting the racial and ses differ-