cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Narrative's Moment and Sociology's Phenomena: Toward a Narrative Sociology

In its urgency to establish itself as a science, sociology missed the opportunity to nurture its narrative character that the Thomas and Znaniecki research represented. Another moment now exists in an array of contradictions inherent in conventional sociological practices and the increasing acceptance and sophistication of narrative work in the human sciences. These conditions contain the potential for developing a narrative sociology in which sociology's phenomena are seen as significantly constituted by stories and in which sociological work is seen as narrative work. This article examines those conditions for purposes of opening spaces that a narrative sociology might fill.
Daily hemodialysis: challenges and opportunities in the delivery and financing of end-stage renal disease patient care.

Daily/home hemodialysis is the latest technologic advance in the care of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients, and promises improved clinical outcomes and quality of life. Should these benifits prove to be true, an increasing number of patients will be interested in this modality of care, raising challenges and opportunities for providers of care and payers, as well as patients themselves. For patients to have access to this and other new forms of technology to treat ESRD, it will be necessary to re-examine the current care delivery and financing systems and reconfigure these so that the incentives of best clinical practice and outcomes are properly aligned with appropriate and sensible cost constraint.
Risks to the offspring of women treated with hydantoin anticonvulsants, with emphasis on the fetal hydantoin syndrome

The fetal hydantoin syndrome is a variable pattern of altered growth and performance which includes unusual facies, distal phalangeal hypoplasia, and other defects occurring in some infants exposed in utero to hydantoins. A prospective study of 35 infants exposed prenatally to this class of anticonvulsants showed that 11% had sufficient features to be classified as having the fetal hydantoin syndrome. An additional 31% displayed some features compatible with the prenatal effects of hydantoins. A case-controled study of 104 infants whose mothers received hydantoins during pregnancy supports these conclusions. Reduction of intellectual ability in infants with the fetal hydantoin syndrome is the area of greatest concern. Women being treated with hydantoin anticonvulsants should be told of the nature and magnitude of risks to the developing fetus before considering a pregnancy.
A simple method for calculating the rate distortion function of a source with an unknown parameter

Abstract The rate distortion function R(D) measures the minimum information rate of a source required to be transmitted at a fidelity level D. Although Blahut developed an elegant algorithm to calculate R(D) for discrete memoryless sources, computing R(D) for other types of sources is still very difficult. In this paper, we study the computation of R(D) for discrete sources with an unknown parameter which takes values in a continuous space. According to the well known ergodic decomposition theorem, a non-ergodic stationary source can be represented by a class of parameterized ergodic subsources with a known prior distribution. Based on this theory, a source matching approach and a simple algorithm is presented for computational purposes. The algorithm is shown to be convergent and efficient. In order to see the performance of this simple algorithm, we consider a special class of binary symmetric first-order Markov sources which has been previously studied. R(D) is computed over this class of sources and compared with the bound developed in previous work by Gray and Berger. The example shows that the algorithm is very efficient and produces results close to Gray and Berger's bound. Other examples further demonstrate the efficiency of the algorithm.
Commentry: Transfusions: weighing the risks and benefits

This commentary identifies important differences in patient groups that affect the observations in the accompanying article.
Fluorescence ghost imaging

We introduce a method of using the second-order correlation of entangled photon pairs for fluorescence imaging. The method relies on the fact that one photon of the pair carries information on where the other photon has been absorbed and has produced fluorescence in a sample. Because fluorescent molecules serve as "detectors" breaking the entanglement, multiply-scattered fluorescence photons within the sample do not cause image blur. We discuss practical implementations.
Effects of FK506 and Cyclosporin A on Calcium Ionophore-Induced Mitochondrial Depolarization and Cytosolic Calcium in Astrocytes and Neurons

This study tested the hypothesis that sensitivity to the Ca(2+) -induced loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨ(m)) and the sensitivity of the loss of ΔΨ to mitochondrial permeability transition pore (PTP) inhibitors are different for neurons and astrocytes. Primary cultures of rat cortical neurons and astrocytes were exposed to the Ca(2+) ionophore 4-Br-A23187, and ΔΨ(m) was monitored with the fluorescent probe tetramethylrhodamine methyl ester (TMRM). Ca(2+) ionophore caused a decline in ΔΨ(m) in both cell types that was partially inhibited by cyclosporin A (CsA) in astrocytes but not in neurons. Another PTP inhibitor, 2-aminoethoxy-diphenylborate, was ineffective at protecting against mitochondrial depolarization, but depolarization was inhibited by FK506, an immunosuppressant drug similar to CsA that does not inhibit the PTP. CsA and FK506 both significantly reduced the ionophore-induced rise in [Ca(2+) ](i) in both neurons and astrocytes. We conclude that the protective effects of CsA and FK506 against Ca(2+) ionophore-induced mitochondrial membrane depolarization in intact astrocytes is not due to PTP inhibition but possibly is a consequence of inhibiting the rise in [Ca(2+) ](i).
Odd-parity rotational band structure in /sup 48/V

A second odd-parity rotational band in the f/sub 7///sub 2/-shell nucleus /sup 48//sub 23/V/sub 25/, based on a 1099.1 keV state with K/sup ..pi../ = 4/sup -/, has been identified up to the 8/sup -/ member. Also, corrections are given for the previously reported 1/sup -/ band. These bands can be interpreted as the singlet and triplet couplings of the ..cap omega../sup ..pi../(Nn/sub Z/..lambda sigma..) = 3/2/sup +/(202 arrow-down) proton and 5/2/sup -/(312 up-arrow) neutron Nilsson orbitals, indicating prolate deformation.
A manometric method for determining sulfur in organic compounds by reduction

A method is described for the manometric determination of sulfur in 3–5 mg samples of an organic compound. The organic compound and four atmospheres of hydrogen (at ambient temperature) are sealed in a quartz bomb. After firing at 900° the bomb is opened in a vacuum analytical system where the hydrogen sulfide is separated and measured. Sulfur analyses having a standard deviation of ≦ 0.1% by weight are readily obtained.
Abstract Differential and Difference Equations

This special issue of Advances in Difference Equations is devoted to highlight some recent developments in abstract differential equations, fractional differential equations, and difference equations and their applications to mathematical physics, engineering, and biology. It consists of 20 papers carefully selected through a rigorous peer review. The first category of papers deals with the asymptotic and oscillatory behavior of solutions to various abstract differential equations and fractional differential equations. Periodic problems involving the scalar p-Laplacian equation on time scales, or n-species nonautonomous food chains with harvesting terms are studied using the Mawhin’s continuation theorem. Some new oscillation criteria for the second-order quasilinear neutral delay dynamic equations and nonlinear delay dynamic equations on a time scale T, are established, improving some known results for oscillation of second-order nonlinear delay dynamic equations on time scales. The study of almost automorphic functions in Bochner’s sense have attracted several mathematicians since the publication of N’Guerekata’s book in 2001. Recently, their applications to fractional differential equations have become an emerging field. A new and general existence and uniqueness theorem of almost automorphic solutions for the semilinear fractional differential equation
Metabolic profiling of Actaea species extracts using high performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Abstract Despite persistent questions about the safety of black cohosh ( Actaea racemosa L., syn. Cimicifuga racemosa L.), its products continue to be one of the most popular botanical supplements in the United States market. Black cohosh products have been associated with cases of liver toxicity, but subsequent evaluation found some products to be adulterated with other related plants from the same genus. US FDA regulations require that black cohosh products be unadulterated, and correct identification of different species of Actaea is a key first step for their good manufacturing practice. We have developed a phytochemical method to distinguish four different groups of Actaea , including: species other than A. racemosa , Asian species, A. racemosa , and North American species other than A. racemosa . Using HPLC–TOF-ESI-MS technique and principal component analysis, we identified 15 chemical markers (1–3, 5–6, 8–10, 12, 16–21). Three marker compounds were unambiguously identified using authentic standards, and 12 marker compounds were tentatively identified by comparison of fragmentation patterns with previously reported data. The presence of these marker compounds is critical for discrimination among the four groups of closely related plants. The use of metabolic profiling to distinguish black cohosh from related species of Actaea has broader implications in the identification of markers to help authenticate other important medicinal plants.
Ecological Energetics of Rainbow Smelt in the Laurentian Great Lakes: An Interlake Comparison

Abstract We developed an energetics model for rainbow smelt Osmerus mordax to quantify its role as a producer and a predator in Great Lakes ecosystems. We measured the weight (W, g) and temperature (T °C) dependences of routine metabolism: R (cal·g–1·h–1) = 0.3646·W –0.216. e 0.036·T. We evaluated seasonal and ontogenetic patterns of rainbow smelt energy density. Seasonal and size-dependent diet composition was estimated based on an extensive analysis of smelt diets in Lakes Michigan and Ontario and a synthesis of published diet data for all of the Great Lakes. For each lake, we employed lake-specific temperature regimes, growth rates, mortality rates, and abundance estimates. Model simulations for the average individual rainbow smelt in the various lakes revealed gross food conversion efficiencies (GCE) of 13.8–15.8% averaged over all age-classes. For the youngest age-class, GCE was usually close to 20% and two or three times greater than for age-classes 4 and 5. An empirical estimate of daily ration in ...
Reproductive allocation in female house wrens is not influenced by experimentally altered male attractiveness

The differential allocation hypothesis proposes that females mated to attractive males should invest more resources in their offspring than those mated to less-attractive males, whereas the compensation hypothesis posits that females mated to less-attractive males should invest more resources in their offspring to compensate for lower-quality young. We tested these hypotheses by manipulating attractiveness of male house wrens (Troglodytes aedon) prior to female arrival by adding extra nest sites to territories of some males while leaving control males with only a single nest site. Females laid their eggs sooner in the nests of attractive males, and attractive males were more likely to retain their territory over successive broods and were marginally more likely to obtain a mate for a second brood later in the season than were control males, thereby confirming the effect of our manipulation on male attractiveness. Experimentally enhanced attractiveness also led to increased hematocrit in males. However, there were no consistent differences in the number, size, or quality of eggs laid by females mated to attractive and control males, nor were there any differences in the size, health state, or immune function of nestlings produced from these eggs. There was also no effect of treatment on the number of nestlings surviving to fledging. Collectively, these results are inconsistent with both the differential allocation hypothesis and the compensation hypothesis. Future studies should consider the possibility that the criteria used by females in selecting a mate may vary temporally and be more flexible than generally thought.
Parametric and Semi-Nonparametric Estimation of Willingness-to-Pay in the Dichotomous Choice Contingent Valuation Framework

Standard procedures for extractingwillingness-to-pay (WTP) from dichotomouschoice CV questionnaires rely heavily uponparametric assumptions regarding thedistribution and form of WTP in the sampledpopulation. However, theory provides littleguidance regarding which parametricspecification to use and the resulting WTPestimates can be sensitive to the selectionsmade. Here we compare and contrast severalparametric and semi-nonparametric estimatorsthat have been proposed in the literature,examining the sensitivity of the resulting WTPestimates to the underlying distribution ofpreferences and the estimation procedureemployed.
The elastic moduli estimation of the solid-water mixture

Abstract Conceptually, the undrained elastic constants estimated by the poroelasticity theory should be identical to the effective moduli of the two-phase composite of a porous material saturated with pore water. Here we show numerically that the undrained elastic constants determined by an effective moduli estimate are almost identical with those calculated by poroelasticity theory, and if pore shapes are not exactly known and the porosity is around 50%, estimating the elastic constant as the average value of its Voigt and Reuss bounds is reasonably accurate. This is the situation in bone and dentin, the materials that are our primary intended application. This result will hold for situations in which the totally enclosed water phase is constrained to small deformations by virtue of its confinement. Importantly, in this work we assume that water is an isotropic elastic solid with a shear modulus that is 10−4 times the bulk modulus of the water. Note that it is compressible, but almost incompressible with a Poisson’s ratio of 0.4999.
Comparison of the discriminative stimulus effects of dimethyltryptamine with different classes of psychoactive compounds in rats.

Rationale There has been increased recreational use of dimethyltryptamine (DMT), but little is known of its discriminative stimulus effects.
Expeditious Routes to Evernitrose and Vancosamine Derivatives and Synthesis of a Model Vancomycin Aryl Glycoside

Only seven steps are required to synthesize the activated derivatives 2 and 3 of evernitrose and vancosamine from the common intermediate 1 derived from L-lactic acid. The expeditious route to 3 was followed by its efficient incorporation into a vancomycin model system (4).
Localization of activin and inhibin subunits, receptors and SMADs in the mouse mammary gland.

Abstract Activin and inhibin, two closely related protein hormones, are members of the transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) superfamily of growth factors. Activin and TGFβ have been associated with mouse mammary gland development and human breast carcinogenesis. TGFβ expression in the mammary gland has been previously described, and was found to be expressed in nonparous tissue and during pregnancy, down-regulated during lactation, and then up-regulated during involution. The expression pattern of activin subunits, receptors and cytoplasmic signaling molecules has not been thoroughly described in post-natal mammary gland development. We hypothesize that activin signaling components are dynamically regulated during mammary gland development, thereby permitting activin to have distinct temporal growth regulatory actions on this tissue. To examine the activin signal transduction system in the mammary gland, tissue from CD1 female mice was dissected from nonparous, lactating day 1, 10, and 20 and post-weaning day 4 animals. The expression of the activin receptors (ActRIIA, ActRIIB and ActRIB), the inhibin co-receptor (betaglycan), and ligand subunit (α, βA and βB), mRNA was measured by semi-quantitative RT-PCR in these tissues. In addition, the cellular compartmentalization of the activin signaling proteins, including the cytoplasmic signaling co-activators, Smads 2, 3 and 4, were examined by immunohistochemistry. Generally, mRNA abundance of activin signaling components was greatest in the nonparous tissue, and then decreased, whereas protein immunoreactivity for activin signaling components increased during lactation and decreased during involution. The α-subunit protein was detected in nonparous and lactating day 1 tissue only. Importantly, Smad 3, but not Smad 2, was detected in epithelial cell nuclei during all time points examined, indicating that activin signaling is mediated by Smad 3 at these times. These findings suggest that activin's growth regulatory role during lactation may be distinguished from that of TGFβ during post-natal mammary development. Future studies will focus on determining the exact role this ligand plays in mammary tissue differentiation and neoplasia.
In-situ alcohol flushing of a DNAPL source zone at a dry cleaner site.

A pilot-scale field test of in-situ alcohol flushing for enhanced solubilization and extraction of a dense nonaqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) source zone was conducted at a former dry cleaner site located in Jacksonville, Florida. This study was conducted to evaluate the feasibility of in-situ flushing for remediation of DNAPL sites in Florida. Groundwater at this site was contaminated with tetrachloroethylene (PCE) that had migrated below the water table, located at 3 m below ground surface (bgs), and collected at high saturations in thin, discontinuous layers in the 7.9 m to 9.4 m bgs depth interval. An oblong source zone (7.3 m × 2.7 m) was delineated using direct-push technologies and further characterized using soil coring and partitioning tracer techniques. Tracer tests and in-situ alcohol flushing were conducted using three injection wells that ap proximately bisected the source zone and six recovery wells located on the outer perimeter of the source zone. Over-extraction through the recovery wells en...
Low Profile Keyboard Design The Effect of Physical Key Characteristics On Typing Productivity and User Preference

The growing usage of tablets and the introduction of ultrabooks have increased consumer demands for smaller, lighter, sleeker, and more mobile devices. With computing technologies gravitating towards thinner designs, there is increased pressure to reduce key travel in order to accommodate the reduced thickness. It is important to understand how reductions in key travel may affect users’ performance and preferences. The main goal of this study was to examine how physical key characteristics affect user performance and preference on various computer keyboards. Four keyboards varying in key travel distances from 0.0 mm to 2.0 mm were compared. Participants completed a 7-minute typing task on each of the four keyboards. Typing performance (speed and accuracy) was collected for each of the keyboards. The results showed that words per minute were higher with the 1.6 mm and 2.0 mm keyboards and lower with the 0.4 mm and 0.0 mm keyboards. The 0.0 mm keyboard had a lower accuracy than the other three keyboards. Pe...
Extrapulmonary oat‐cell carcinoma of the tongue: an electron‐microscopic study

An extrapulmonary oat-cell carcinoma arose in the tongue of a 62-year-old man who had a long history of cigarette smoking and ethanol ingestion. At presentation, he had the primary tongue lesion and cervical lymph-node metastases only, and search for a pulmonary primary was negative. Ten months later he died with metastases to liver, cerebrum, ribs, vertebrae, calvarium, and clavicle. Electron microscopy demonstrated cells with cytoplasmic processes and many dense-core neurosecretory granules that had a tendency to concentrate in the processes. Cells were linked by desmosomes. Electron microscopy is necessary for definitive diagnosis of extrapulmonary oat-cell carcinomas.
Bismuth-Tellurium Photo-voltaic p-n `Sandwich' Layer

IT has been fairly well established1,2 that bismuth telluride changes conductivity type1,2 with the excess of tellurium over stoichiometric proportion between 1 and 2 atomic per cent3. It has been assumed that each excess Bi(Te) atom replacing the Te(Bi) atom in the single crystal of Bi2Te3 behaves as an ionized acceptor (donor)1–3.
Note---On “Further Results on Planning Horizons in the Production Smoothing Problem”

Notes on paper [Lee, D. R., D. Orr. 1977. Further results on planning horizons in the production smoothing problem. Management Sci.23 5 490--498.] pointing to some ambiguities and errors.
On the distinction between binding of substrate and kinetic order of addition in enzyme-catalyzed reactions

An examination of the available data for the rate of formation of enzyme-substrate complexes shows that for enzymes possessing a sequential ordered mechanism the rate constants for the formation of the various complexes (EA, etc.) are on the average two to three orders of magnitude lower than the value of 10 9 m −1 sec −1 for the lower limit for a diffusion-controlled process as calculated by Eigen & Hammes (1963) . These observations are utilized to derive a rate expression, based on a two-step construction—a binding step and a transformation step—for each enzyme-substrate complex (e.g. E + AAEEA for the formation of EA), which is identical in form to the expression derived from the simpler conventional mechanism. It turns out that under ordinary conditions the kinetically determined order of addition is formally independent of the physical order of binding substrates. Further, it is shown that these observations are consistent with Koshland's notion of the “induced fit” caused by combination of enzyme and substrate.
Atlantic Air-Sea Interaction

Publisher Summary This article is concerned with the causes of the variations in the surface temperature of the Atlantic Ocean from year to year and over longer periods. The processes, which influence the ocean temperature, are partly radiative transfers, partly heat exchange at the interface of ocean and atmosphere, and partly advective heat transfers by the ocean currents. The net radiative heat balance of the ocean is influenced by possible variations of the solar radiative output, and by the transmissivity of the atmosphere for short- and long-wave radiation. Variations in cloudiness would be the factor, most likely to influence measurably the annual radiative heat budget of the ocean. The ocean currents provide important contributions to the local heat budget, positive in the warm currents and negative in the cold currents. The changes in intensity of the oceanic circulation are mainly dictated by changes in the atmospheric circulation, and the resulting changes in the temperature field of the ocean surface must in turn, influence the thermodynamics of the atmospheric circulation. A clarification of these relationships is a prerequisite for the understanding of the mechanism of climatic change. This article will present some empirical findings, which have a bearing on those problems. Before proceeding to display the empirical findings on the large-scale ocean–atmosphere interaction, a brief outline will be given of the theories on the meteorological control of ocean currents and on the interface heat transfers.
Model-based calculation of weighting in OPC model calibration

Optimal Proximity Correction (OPC) models are calibrated with Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) data where the measurement uncertainty vary among pattern types (i.e., line versus space, 1D versus 2D and small versus large). The quality of the SEM measurement uncertainty's impact on OPC model integrity is mitigated through a weighting scheme. Statistical methods such as relating the weight to the SEM measurements standard deviation require more measurements per calibration structure than economically feasible. Similarly, the use of experience and engineering judgment requires many iterations before some reasonable weighting scale is determined. In this paper we present the results of OPC model fitness statistics associated with metrology based weights (MtBW) versus model based weights (MBW). The motivation for the latter approach is the promise for an unbiased, consistent, and efficient estimate of the model parameters.
Current and emerging treatment options for ANCA-associated vasculitis: potential role of belimumab and other BAFF/APRIL targeting agents

Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) comprises several clinical entities with diverse clinical presentations, outcomes, and nonunifying pathogenesis. AAV has a clear potential for relapses, and shows unpredictable response to treatment. Cyclophosphamide-based therapies have remained the hallmark of induction therapy protocols for more than four decades. Recently, B-cell depleting therapy with the anti-CD20 antibody rituximab has proved beneficial in AAV, leading to Food and Drug Administration approval of rituximab in combination with corticosteroids for the treatment of AAV in adults. Rituximab for ANCA-associated vasculitis and other clinical trials provided clear evidence that rituximab was not inferior to cyclophosphamide for remission induction, and rituximab appeared even more beneficial in patients with relapsing disease. This raised hopes that other B-cell-targeted therapies directed either against CD19, CD20, CD22, or B-cell survival factors, B-cell activating factor of the tumor necrosis factor family (BAFF) and a proliferation-inducing ligand could also be beneficial for the management of AAV. BAFF neutralization with the fully humanized monoclonal antibody belimumab has already shown success in human systemic lupus erythematosus and, along with another anti-BAFF reagent blisibimod, is currently undergoing Phase II and III clinical trials in AAV. Local production of BAFF in granulomatous lesions and elevated levels of serum BAFF in AAV provide a rationale for BAFF-targeted therapies not only in AAV but also in other forms of vasculitis such as Behcet's disease, large-vessel vasculitis, or cryoglobulinemic vasculitis secondary to chronic hepatitis C infection. BAFF-targeted therapies have a very solid safety profile, and may have an additional benefit of preferentially targeting newly arising autoreactive B cells over non-self-reactive B cells.
Dual-Mode EPR Study of Mn(III) Salen and the Mn(III) Salen-Catalyzed Epoxidation of cis-β-Methylstyrene

Dual-mode electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), in which an oscillating magnetic field is alternately applied parallel or perpendicular to the static magnetic field, is a valuable technique for studying both half-integer and integer electron spin systems and is particularly useful for studying transition metals involved in redox chemistry. We have applied this technique to the characterization of the Mn(III) salen (salen = N,N'-ethylene bis(salicylideneaminato)) complex [(R,R)-(-)-N,N'-bis(3,5-di-tert-butylsalicylidene)-1,2-cyclohexanediaminomanganese(III)], with an S = 2 integer electron spin system. Furthermore, we have used dual-mode EPR to study the Mn salen complex during the Mn(III) salen-catalyzed epoxidation of cis-beta-methylstyrene. Our study shows that the additives N-methylmorpholine N-oxide (NMO) and 4-phenylpyridine-N-oxide (4-PPNO), which are used to improve epoxidation yields and enantioselection, bind to the Mn(III) center prior to the epoxidation reaction, as evidenced by the alteration of the Mn(III) parallel mode EPR signal. With these additives as ligands, the axial zero-field splitting values and (55)Mn hyperfine splitting of the parallel mode signal are indicative of an axially elongated octahedral geometry about the Mn(III) center. Since the dual-mode EPR technique allows the observation of both integer and half-integer electron spin systems, Mn oxidation states of II, III, IV, and potentially V can be observed in the same sample as well as any radical intermediates or Mn(III,IV) dinuclear clusters formed during the Mn(III) salen-catalyzed epoxidation reaction. Indeed, our study revealed the formation of a Mn(III,IV) dinuclear cluster in direct correlation with expoxide formation. In addition to showing the possible reaction intermediates, dual-mode EPR offers insight into the mechanism of catalyst degradation and formation of unwanted byproducts. The dual-mode technique may therefore prove valuable for elucidating the mechanism of Mn(III) salen catalyzed reactions and ultimately for designing optimum catalytic conditions (solvents, oxidants, and additives such as NMO or 4-PPNO).
Peer Relations of Children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Children with attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) present numerous problems associated with deficits in attentional and behavioral control. Unfortunately, many of these children also experience seriously disturbed peer relations. They have few, if any, friends, and are considered intrusive, boisterous, and annoying playmates. As a consequence, children with ADHD are at great risk for being rejected by their peers. Explanations for these interpersonal problems are explored, and potentially relevant social skills training programs are presented. Multimodal programs that rely on parent training, school‐based anger‐control, and peer coaching by popular classmates may hold promise for these unsettling difficulties.
Presence of Prepackaged mRNA in Virions of DNA Adenovirus

Ran GTPase has been shown to be involved in host innate immune response, and two alleles, RanT/n and RanC/d, which differ from each other by a single nucleotide, have opposite effects on host innate immune response. In this study, we showed that although intravenous administration in mice with either Ran cDNA using an identical adenovirus (Ad) vector resulted in no significant difference in vector tissue distribution, intraperitoneal administration resulted in effective vector transduction into peritoneal macrophages, coupled with a striking difference in vector tissue distribution in 2 h or less. We further demonstrated the presence of prepackaged RNA in virions of Ad vectors, in cells actively producing Ad virus particles, and in cells very shortly after Ad infection. Real-time PCR analysis confirmed the presence of prepackaged RNA and estimated the copy number to be one per viral genome. The prepackaged viral mRNA could be used for translation into proteins, as shown by experiments in which the transcriptional inhibitor actinomycin-D was used. Hence, translation of Ran proteins from prepackaged viral mRNA immediately after virus uncoating in the cytoplasm is one mechanism that would account for an early difference in Ad-vector tissue distribution after efficient gene transfer into macrophages.
Ethnic/Racial Homogeneity and Sexually Transmitted Disease: A Study of 77 Chicago Community Areas

Background Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) remain an intractable public health problem in the United States. Wide ethnic and racial disparities persist in the rates of reported STDs. Blacks and Hispanics have higher rates of chlamydia and gonorrhea than European Americans. Methods With data collected in 2002 from 77 well defined communities in Chicago, we examined the association of ethnic/racial homogeneity of the communities and incidence of chlamydia and gonorrhea. The multivariate regression models controlled for other sociodemographic variables. Results Communities where at least 60% of the residents were black had significantly higher incidence rates of these 2 STDs compared with communities where at least 60% of the residents were Hispanic. Independent of ethnic/racial homogeneity of the community, the incidence of these STDs was higher in communities that had a larger percentage of persons living in poverty, a larger percentage unemployed, fewer high school graduates, and more residents between the ages of 15 and 44. Conclusion The challenge for public health authorities is to consider policy options that respond not only to sexual risk behaviors, but also to the contextual attitudes, cultural traditions, and norms, and social circumstances in ethnically homogeneous communities that may affect the spread of STDs in disadvantaged urban populations.
Elastohydrodynamic separation of pleural surfaces during breathing

To examine effects of lung motion on the separation of pleural surfaces during breathing, we modeled the pleural space in two dimensions as a thin layer of fluid separating a stationary elastic solid and a sliding flat solid surface. The undeformed elastic solid contained a series of bumps, to represent tissue surface features, introducing unevenness in fluid layer thickness. We computed the extent of deformation of the solid as a function of sliding velocity, solid elastic modulus, and bump geometry (wavelength and amplitude). For physiological values of the parameters, significant deformation occurs (i.e. bumps are 'flattened') promoting less variation in fluid thickness and decreased fluid shear stress. In addition, deformation is persistent; bumps of sufficient wavelength, once deformed, require a recovery time longer than a typical breath-to-breath interval to return near their undeformed configuration. These results suggest that in the pleural space during normal breathing, separation of pleural surfaces is promoted by the reciprocating sliding of lung and chest wall.
Benefits of Grouping and Cooperative Hunting Among Ache Hunter–Gatherers: Insights from an Agent-Based Foraging Model

We develop an agent-based model of foraging behavior based on ecological parameters of the environment and prey characteristics measured in the Mbaracayu Reserve Paraguay. We then compare estimated foraging behavior from our model to the ethnographically observed behavior of Ache hunter–gatherers who inhabit the region and show a close match for daily harvest rates, time allocation, and species composition of prey. The model allows us to explore the implications of social living, cooperative hunting, variation in group size and mobility, under Ache-like ecological conditions. Simulations show that social living decreases daily risk of no food, but cooperative hunting has only a modest effect on mean harvest rates. Analysis demonstrates that bands should contain 7–8 hunters who move nearly every day in order to achieve the best combination of average harvest rates and low probability of no meat in camp.
Control of fatty acid synthetase mRNA levels in rat liver by insulin, glucagon, and dibutyl cyclic AMP.

Abstract The quantity of translatable fatty acid synthetase mRNA in liver of rats subjected to different hormonal states was determined with a rabbit reticulocyte lysate cell-free translation system. Both membrane-free polysomal and total cellular poly (A)-containing RNA were translated. The level of translatable fatty acid synthetase mRNA was 11-fold or more lower in livers of diabetic rats than in similar animals treated with insulin. In contrast, both glucagon and dibutyl cyclic AMP caused a 3-fold reduction over controls in the amount of translatable fatty acid synthetase mRNA in livers of animals refed a fat-free diet for 12 hr. These changes are consistent with the previously reported alterations in the relative rates of fatty acid synthetase synthesis measured in vivo . This suggests that the changes in the amount of fatty acid synthetase that occur in liver in response to the above hormonal changes are primarily due to changes in the amount of mRNA coding for this enzyme.
Rhythmic Variations in Calcification and Photosynthesis Associated with the Coral Acropora cervicornis (Lamarck)

Large populations of the algal endosymbiont, Gymnodinium microadriaticum, occur in the tissues of Acropora cervicornis, and most other species of hermatypic corals. Symbiont photosynthesis is directly proportional to light-enhanced calcification by the coral. Fresh isolates of G. micro-adriaticum exhibit daily rhythms in photosynthetic efficiency at saturating and subsaturating irradiation. With ambient solar irradiation, photosynthetic maxima occur at sunrise and sunset, and a minimum occurs at local solar noon. These rhythms provide an important homeostatic mechanism which enables A. cervicornis to maximize the portion of each day during which calcification can occur at a relatively high constant rate.
Improving the solution of the symmetric eigenvalue problem and an extension

Abstract Based on a multipoint approximation of polynomial values, we accelerate the bisection and divide-and-conquer algorithms for the symmetric eigenvalue problem. We also propose a new extension of the bisection algorithm to the unsymmetric eigenvalue problem.
Differences in protein patterns of gill epithelial cells of the fish Gillichthys mirabilis after osmotic and thermal acclimation

Different protein patterns in gill epithelium of a euryhaline and eurythermal teleost fish (Gillichthys mirabilis, Family Gobiidae) in response to long-term (2 months) osmotic and thermal acclimation were found for the first time. Gill epithelial cells were isolated to remove extracellular proteins and quantify specialized cell types. Chloride cells were identified on the basis of size (>10 μm) and bright appearance after [2-(p-dimethylaminostyryl)-1-methyl-pyridinium-iodine] staining. Small mitochondria-rich cells were 85% of cells). Thus, they represented the major protein source in gill epithelium. Differences in protein patterns were detectable using two-dimensional but not one-dimensional electrophoresis. Of 602 proteins identified by charge and molecular weight properties, only two were induced by high temperature (25°C) and three in response to cold acclimation (10°C). Nine proteins were induced in diluted seawater-acclimated fish, whereas no seawater-induced proteins were found. We hypothesize that proteins induced under dilute seawater conditions are important for the function of pavement cells in gills of hyper-osmoregulating G. mirabilis.
Impaired Migratory and Chemotactic Activity of Neutrophils During Murine Cytomegalovirus Infection

Mice have been shown to have increased susceptibility to bacterial and fungal superinfections between days 1 and 5 of acute murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) infection. The current study demonstrated that, during the same period of the MCMV infection, migration of neutrophils into a subcutaneous sponge was impaired (1,300-2,000 cells/ mm3 in MCMV-infected animals vs 6,000-7,000 cells in controls; P < 0.01) and chemotaxis of neutrophils harvested from the sponge was decreased (chemotactic index of 1.5-2.1 in infected animals vs 5.4-5.7 in controls; P < 0.01). The number of neutrophils in peripheral blood was not altered. Infectious MCMV was present in the neutrophilrich fraction of peripheral white blood cells, suggesting that direct viral infection of neutrophils may contribute to altered function. These studies suggest that abnormalities in neutrophil function during acute cytomegalovirus infection may contribute to the enhanced susceptibility to bacterial and fungal infections that occurs in both experi
A Computational Study of Commonsense Science: An Exploration in the Automated Analysis of Clinical Interview Data

A large body of research in the learning sciences has focused on students' commonsense science knowledge—the everyday knowledge of the natural world that is gained outside of formal instruction. Although researchers studying commonsense science have employed a variety of methods, 1-on-1 clinical interviews have played a unique role. The data that result from these interviews take the form of video recordings, which in turn are often compiled into written transcripts and coded by human analysts. In this article, I explore the application of computational techniques to the analysis of this familiar type of data. I describe the success I have had using extremely simple methods from computational linguistics—methods that are based on rudimentary vector space models and simple clustering algorithms. These automated analyses are employed in an exploratory mode as a way to discover student conceptions in the data. The aims of this article are primarily methodological in nature: I attempt to show that it is possi...
Pathogen refuge: a key to understanding biological control.

Pathogen refuge is the idea that some potentially infectious pathogen propagules are not susceptible to the influence of an antagonistic microbial agent. The existence of a refuge can be attributable to one or more factors, including temporal, spatial, structural, and probabilistic, or to the pathogen’s evolved ability to acquire antagonist-free space prior to ingress into a plant host. Within a specific pathosystem, refuge size can be estimated in experiments by measuring the proportion of pathogen propagules that remain infective as a function of the amount of antagonist introduced to the system. Refuge size is influenced by qualities of specific antagonists and by environment but less so by the quantity of antagonist. Consequently, most efforts to improve and optimize biological control are in essence efforts to reduce refuge size. Antagonist mixtures, optimal timing of antagonist introductions, integrated biological and chemical control, environmental optimization, and the utilization of disarmed pathogens as antagonists are strategies with potential to minimize a pathogen refuge.
Response to: Effect of inhibition of Na(+)/Ca(+) exchanger at the time of myocardial reperfusion on hypercontracture and cell death.

See article by Inserte et al. [12] (pages 739–748) in this issue. The functional and biochemical characterization of the sarcolemmal Na/Ca exchanger (NCX) testifies to the success of novel approaches by numerous investigators [1,2] and, in particular, development of new techniques for measuring sarcolemmal ion fluxes and cytosolic Na and Ca concentrations ([Na]i and [Ca]i) [3,4]. Our current understanding of the role NCX plays in ischemia-induced changes in cytosolic calcium concentration ([Ca]i) is, to a great extent, derived from studies which used recently developed technology to measure intracellular Na and Ca in the intact heart [5,6]. Much of this work supports the general hypothesis that ischemia-induced myocardial injury is largely the result of the following chain of events: (1) increased anerobic metabolism increases cytosolic proton concentration ([H]i); (2) protons stimulate Na-dependent pH regulatory transporters such as Na/H exchange and Na-HCO3 cotransport; (3) increased Na uptake increases [Na]i; (4) decreased driving force for Ca extrusion via NCX increases [Ca]i; (5) a cascade of Ca-dependent events leads to cell injury and/or death [7–9]. Although this series of events has been articulated by numerous investigators and supported by numerous studies, … * Tel.: +1-530-752-7621; fax: +1-530-752-5423 seanderson{at}ucdavis.edu
‘Why genomes in pieces?’ revisited: Sucking lice do their own thing in mtDNA circle game

About 30 yr ago, an organizational nightmare emerged in the budding field of genomics. Several independent groups discovered that the genetic information encoding genes was not arranged in a continuous linear format of adjacent nucleotides. To everyone's surprise, the coding information for proteins was interrupted by noncoding sequences that were removed from initial RNA transcripts before translation continued the job of the central dogma: information transfer from DNA to RNA to protein. Walter Gilbert made sense of all of this (Gilbert 1978) when, in a few hundred words, he coined the terms intron and exon, predicted that the protein coding content of genomes would comprise only a fraction of the total DNA, triggered the “introns-early” versus “introns-late” debate, and set the seed for the notion that RNA was the early form genetic material. The field of genomics survived this chaos and now relishes these confusing disruptions, where our understanding of how the world works is turned on its head by some odd fact. In hindsight, there often seems to be an appealing reason for why a genome would engage in something so illogical. Gilbert suggested that introns facilitate higher rates of per-gene recombination, promoting diversity and permitting faster evolutionary change (Gilbert 1978). Some of the biggest questions in genomics today are focusing on phenomena that we might never have imagined only a generation ago: epigenetic modification of expression and transmission, microRNAs and RNA interference, arms of sex chromosomes and autosomes jumping ship and going over to the other side, among others. One might think that all strange facts of genome organization and expression should have been discovered by now, but even in the heavily scrutinized world of mitochondrial genomics, fascinating novelties are still emerging. The study by Shao et al. (2009) in this issue, reports an almost comical departure from the standard single-circle mitochondrial genome organization found in most animals. It appears that sucking lice associated with humans—and not other lice—have evolved a multiple minichromosome organization for mtDNA that begs the question: Why genomes in pieces? This same question has been asked before in the context of mtDNA organization (Landweber 2007), but animals were not the topic of concern. Departures from the “standard” single-circle mtDNA organization have been observed in protists, such as Diplonema, where genes (and notably parts of genes) are fragmented across many minicircles (Marande and Burger 2007). In the Kinetoplastida (a group including Trypanosomes), mitochondrial genes are distributed among thousands of catenated circles in a network of mini- and maxicircles (for review, see Lukes et al. 2002). Across all of eukaryotic biodiversity, the “standard” single-circle mtDNA may in fact not be the standard, but in animals it is indeed the norm that highlights Shao et al.'s intriguing exception.
Simulation method for non-Gaussian speckle in a partially coherent system

Non-Gaussian speckle contrast from a phase-perturbed random object field in a spatially partially coherent system is simulated. A quasi-monochromatic extended incoherent source is modeled as a collection of independent point sources distributed on a regular grid. The source illuminates a phase screen object in a Kohler configuration. Speckle is calculated from the incoherent sum of irradiances in the image plane generated from the point sources. Simulated speckle contrasts are verified by an experiment with a fractallike rough surface distribution that is fabricated using a grayscale maskless lithography tool. Characteristics of the simulation method and physical quantities affecting speckle contrast are discussed.