cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The abduction quotient related to vocal quality

Summary The abduction quotient, a measure of effective glottal width, was obtained for electroglottographic recordings from a professional operatic baritone singer. The subject produced repeated tokens of the voice qualities breathy, normal, and pressed (or constricted) in both a speech and a singing manner. In the singing manner, the subject produced the three vocal qualities at three pitch levels and three loudness levels. The abduction quotient decreased from breathy to pressed voice, suggesting that the measure corresponds to effective glottal width. The measure was found to be consistently low during all conditions of singing, suggesting that the subject produced all singing tokens with relatively strong laryngeal adduction at the vocal process level. Although the results of this study support the validity and usefulness of the abduction quotient, further verification is needed.
Dopamine Receptors and Hypertension: Physiologic and Pharmacologic Implications

The endogenous catecholamine dopamine lowers blood pressure by acting on two receptor subtypes: dopamine 1 and dopamine 2. Dopamine 1 receptors subserve vasodilation, especially in the renal, coronary, mesenteric, and cerebral vascular beds. Dopamine 2 receptors have been located at the endings of postganglionic sympathetic nerves and, when activated, inhibit norepinephrine release. Inhibition of emesis and inhibition of prolactin release also appear to be dopamine 2-mediated phenomena. The receptor subtypes have been classified by differences in chemical structure of agonists and by specific antagonists. Dopamine also acts on beta, receptors to stimulate the heart and alpha 1 and alpha 2 receptors td cause vasoconstriction. Alpha adrenergic activity and lack of oral availability limit the use of dopamine in the treatment of hypertension. However, studies with the selective dopamine 1 agonist, fenoldopam, and dopamine 2 agonists such as LY 141865 and bromocriptine, indicate that agonists of both receptor subtypes can lower blood pressure in experimental animals and in hypertensive patients. Initial use of dopamine agonists in the treatment of hypertension and its possible involvement in the etiology and maintenance of hypertension are discussed.
Triadic scale interactions in a turbulent boundary layer

A formal relationship between the skewness and the correlation coefficient of large and small scales, termed the amplitude modulation coefficient, is established for a general statistically stationary signal and is analysed in the context of a turbulent velocity signal. Both the quantities are seen to be measures of phase in triadically consistent interactions between scales of turbulence. The naturally existing phase relationships between large and small scales in a turbulent boundary layer are then manipulated by exciting a synthetic large-scale motion in the flow using a spatially impulsive dynamic wall roughness perturbation. The synthetic scale is seen to alter the phase relationships, or the degree of modulation, in a quasi-deterministic manner by exhibiting a phase-organizing influence on the small scales. The results presented provide encouragement for the development of a practical framework for favourable manipulation of energetic small-scale turbulence through large-scale inputs in a wall-bounded turbulent flow.
Transmural cellular damage and blood flow distribution in early ischemia in pig hearts.

Transmural histological changes were determined morphometrically in the left ventricular free wall of 20 pigs after ligation of distal left anterior descending coronary artery for 10, 20, 40, and 120 minutes. Hemodynamics were recorded and regional blood flow distribution was measured in the ischemic zone. Coronary occlusion produced regional transmural ischemia without producing significant systemic hemodynamic change. The microsphere blood flow technique revealed that blood flow was less than 0.05 ml/min per g in all layers of the ischemic zone, i.e., inner, middle, and outer thirds. Ischemic cellular damage was classified and quantified from grade 0 to grade 5 (0 being normal and 5 being the most severe damage) with light microscopy and confirmed by electron microscopy. Layers of 200 micrometers immediately beneath the endocardium and epicardium showed minimal ischemic damage of less than grade 1.4 regardless of duration of ischemia in all hearts. In the ischemic left ventricular wall, except for the above layers, a definite transmural gradient of the cellular damage existed from the inner third (grade 2.3 +/- 0.1) to the outer third (grade 1.3 +/- 0.2) at 20 minutes of ischemia and at 40 minutes of ischemia (grades 3.6 +/- 0.1 and 1.9 +/- 0.3, respectively). The transmural ischemic damage gradient disappeared at 120 minutes of ischemia, where the inner and outer third ischemic grades were both 5.0 +/- 0.1. The data suggest that the limited ischemic damage which occurs in the few cell layers beneath endocardium and epicardium may be explained by regional collateral blood flow. An early ischemic damage wavefront phenomenon does exist in the pig myocardium and is independent of myocardial blood flow and its distribution. The transmural cell damage gradient may be the result of transmural gradients of wall stress and intramyocardial pressure in vivo. Therefore, it appears that factors other than blood flow are the major determinants of ischemic cellular damage in the left ventricular wall of hearts lacking a collateral blood supply.
MOLECULAR RECOGNITION OF A PEPTIDE MIMIC OF THE LEWIS Y ANTIGEN BY AN ANTI-LEWIS Y ANTIBODY

Peptides as mimics of carbohydrates display a distinct advantage in vaccine design because of ease of synthesis and their inherent T cell-dependent nature as immunogens. While peptides that mimic carbohydrates have been described, it is not clear how they do so. To further our insight into structural relationships between peptide-mimics and carbohydrate structures, we have analyzed a potential recognition scheme between the murine monoclonal antibody, B3, directed against the tumor-associated antigen Lewis Y oligosaccharide and a peptide identified from phage display screening with B3. The Lewis Y core antigen is a difucosylated structure consisting of four hexose units. The B3 antibody binds to the peptide sequence APWLYGPA in which the putative sequence APWLY is critical for binding to the antibody. Not having experimental structural information for B3, the crystal structure of another anti-Lewis Y antibody, BR96, solved in complex with a nonoate methyl ester Lewis Y tetrasaccharide, provides a molecular basis for LeY antigen recognition and specificity, and how this binding relates to peptide binding. As a guide to place the APWLY motif in the B3 combining site, a fragment library was searched for analogous compounds that have the potential to bind to B3. Our modeling study shows that the B3-peptide complex shares similar recognition features for the difucosylated type 2 lactoseries' structure. This analysis provides a molecular perspective for peptide mimicry of a carbohydrate epitope.
Phosphorylase kinase activity in I/strain neonatal skeletal muscle with a deficiency in αα′ subunit mRNAs

Abstract In the adult I LnJ mouse skeletal muscle, phosphorylase kinase activity is 0.2% of that in normal. This deficiency results from a paucity of mRNA's for the phosphorylase kinase regulatory subunit- α and its isoform α′. However, in the I LnJ neonatal skeletal muscle phosphorylase kinase activity is 20–25% of that in normal. During the first two months of development this activity decreases while in normal tissue it increases. The developmental differences in the magnitude of the I LnJ deficiency indicate the possibility of stage specific mechanisms regulating the accumulation of α α′ mRNAs. To investigate this possibility, the abundance of α α′ mRNAs and of the catalytic subunit, γ, mRNAs were compared by Northern Blot analysis. The results demonstrate that neonatal and adult I LnJ skeletal muscle have a similar paucity of α α′ mRNAs whereas accumulation of γ mRNAs is not significantly different from normal.
Web Service Composition: From UML to Optimization

Web services are popular in terms of distributed technology that can successfully solve integration problems between heterogeneous systems. However, web service composition workflows are modeled using BPEL, BPEL4WS, and other programming languages which are difficult and very complex to use. To overcome this problem, a well known and simple modeling language such as Unified Modeling Language (UML) should be studied and used to design the web service composition workflow. Furthermore, with the increasing number of service providers, web services should be composed according to functional and nonfunctional requirements which raise the importance of optimizing web service composition according to QoS attributes. In this paper, a model driven approach will be proposed. The approach allows developers to design the composition workflow using UML sequence diagrams. After parsing the UML workflow, web services will be discovered, composed and optimized. In this paper, a tree-based optimization algorithm will be used. The algorithm will be able to find the optimal composition solution according to multiple QoS attributes. To demonstrate the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed algorithm, we provided experimental results for a supply chain management system case study with multi QoS attributes.
Recurrent Loss of Specific Introns during Angiosperm Evolution

Numerous instances of presence/absence variations for introns have been documented in eukaryotes, and some cases of recurrent loss of the same intron have been suggested. However, there has been no comprehensive or phylogenetically deep analysis of recurrent intron loss. Of 883 cases of intron presence/absence variation that we detected in five sequenced grass genomes, 93 were confirmed as recurrent losses and the rest could be explained by single losses (652) or single gains (118). No case of recurrent intron gain was observed. Deep phylogenetic analysis often indicated that apparent intron gains were actually numerous independent losses of the same intron. Recurrent loss exhibited extreme non-randomness, in that some introns were removed independently in many lineages. The two larger genomes, maize and sorghum, were found to have a higher rate of both recurrent loss and overall loss and/or gain than foxtail millet, rice or Brachypodium. Adjacent introns and small introns were found to be preferentially lost. Intron loss genes exhibited a high frequency of germ line or early embryogenesis expression. In addition, flanking exon A+T-richness and intron TG/CG ratios were higher in retained introns. This last result suggests that epigenetic status, as evidenced by a loss of methylated CG dinucleotides, may play a role in the process of intron loss. This study provides the first comprehensive analysis of recurrent intron loss, makes a series of novel findings on the patterns of recurrent intron loss during the evolution of the grass family, and provides insight into the molecular mechanism(s) underlying intron loss.
An improved synthesis of the inert, diffusible blood-flow tracer, [18F]fluoromethane.

Abstract An improved procedure for producing [18F]fluoromethane ([18F]FM) in batches of several hundred mCi is reported. 18F prepared by the 18O (p, n) 18F reaction in a H218O target is trapped on a small column of Dowex 1 (×10) resin to allow recovery of H218O. One new feature is elution of 18F− from the column with 3 mL of CH3CN containing 67 μL 1.5 M aqueous (Bu)4N+ OH−, after residual H218O has been removed with dry CH3CN. This 18F− solution reacts with CH3I in the presence of Ag2O directly to give [18F]FM, which is swept out of the reaction vessel with a stream of air, from which CH3I and other vapors are removed with a C18 SEP-PAK at room temperature. Another new technique is trapping of [18F]FM on a second SEP-PAK cooled in ethanol/dry ice. After warming the SEP-PAK to room temperature, the trapped [18F]FM can be recovered with either H2O or air. The improvements speed the preparation and minimize hands-on operations. The product has no detectable radiochemical impurities, and a specific activity of >1 Ci/μmol. Non-radioactive CH3CN, CH3I and CH3OH are present at
An inductive approach to determining causality in comparative politics: A fuzzy set alternative

Political science typically tests hypotheses by demonstrating correlations between variables. The most commonly employed method for doing so is regression analysis. The approach is essentially crisp, which carries with it a number of questionable assumptions about the data. Political phenomena such as democracy or stability often involve measuring the degree to which a particular observation demonstrates the qualities of the category. A fuzzy set approach better captures the inherent ambiguity in classifying our observations relative to such categories. However, the attempt to establish correlations between fuzzy sets in the social sciences has been plagued by the priority ranking issue. We illustrate the potential that Jeffrey's Rule has to overcome this difficulty.
Linear precision of rational Be´zier curves

We discuss the linear precision property of rational Bezier curves and give an algorithm for finding appropriate weights.
Development of rat Merkel cells.

The ultrastructure of Merkel cells and cutaneous nerves was examined in fetal, newborn, and 7-day-old rats. The earliest observation of cells having some, but not all, of the features of mature Merkel cells was at 16 days gestation in snout skin. These early presumptive Merkel cells resembled the neighboring keratocytes, except that they contained dense-cored vesicles scattered in the cytoplasm. Presumptive Merkel cells were seen only in the epidermis, although a careful search was made of the dermis. Developing neurons were not observed to penetrate the epidermal basal lamina when presumptive Merkel cells were first seen. The earliest observation of identifiable nerve axons in the snout epidermis was at 17–17 1/2 days gestation. Study of the presumptive Merkel cells through successively older gestational stages showed that the cells became innervated and progressively developed the characteristics of adult Merkel cells. We suggest that Merkel cells arise from keratocyte-like precursors in rat epidermis, at a time when skin nerves may still be several micrometers away.
Implementing a Community Policing Model for Work with Juveniles An Exploratory Study

Based on extensive, structured interviews with 59 police officers, an effort was made to explain police behavior and to analyze issues relevant to the conceptualization and implementation of a community policing model. Theories of role identity were used to determine officers' ideal, actual, and behavioral identities in interactions with teenagers, complainants, and supervisors when dealing with a case of "rowdy teens." A purposive sample was drawn representing foot and motor patrol, as well as race (black and white) and gender. The findings support the implementation of the community police model as was intended by the staff, and suggests the validity of the foot patrol concept. The results did not find gender, race, education, and years on the force predictive of police identity orientation or behavior. However, differences between foot and motor patrol in terms of role identity orientation and behavior were found. The research also suggests the importance of role identity orientation as a useful concept in explaining police behavior, and the discussion pinpoints areas and methods that would be fruitful in future research. Keywords: Juvenile justice Language: en
Adaptive optics system with micromachined mirror array and stochastic gradient descent controller

An adaptive laser beam focusing system comprising a 4 X 4 segment (5 X 5 actuator) MEMS deformable mirror developed at Boston University is presented. Mirror actuators were controlled by a circuit using VLSI chips implementing a stochastic parallel gradient descent algorithm. The system allowed for an enhancement of the iteration rate up to 5900 s-1, limited only by the used computer equipment. Results of experiments for characterization of the MEMS mirror response and the adaptation speed of the system are reported. A further improvement of adaptation speed was achieved by modification of the control algorithm implementing a self- optimization of one parameter.© (2000) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Drying Shrinkage Behavior of Mortars Made with Ternary Blends

Ternary cementitious blends are widely used in today's concrete mixtures, particularly when high performance is needed. This paper discusses drying shrinkage behavior of mortar mixtures made with various ternary blends. Ternary blends consisting of different combinations of portland or blended cement, slag, fly ash, and silica fume were considered. The amounts of slag, fly ash, and silica fume ranged from 15% to 35%, 13% to 30%, and 3% to 10% by mass of cementitious materials, respectively. Mortar bars were made with the ternary blends and subjected to drying (i.e., temperature = 73° ± 3°F and relative humidity = 50% ± 4%) after standard moist curing for 28 days. Free shrinkage of the bars was assessed at 56 days of age after 28 days of drying. A response surface analysis was done to examine the effects of blend proportions on shrinkage behavior of the mortars. To validate this model, an independent group of mortar mixtures with different ternary combinations was cast, and the measured values were compare...
Dynodroid: an input generation system for Android apps

We present a system Dynodroid for generating relevant inputs to unmodified Android apps. Dynodroid views an app as an event-driven program that interacts with its environment by means of a sequence of events through the Android framework. By instrumenting the framework once and for all, Dynodroid monitors the reaction of an app upon each event in a lightweight manner, using it to guide the generation of the next event to the app. Dynodroid also allows interleaving events from machines, which are better at generating a large number of simple inputs, with events from humans, who are better at providing intelligent inputs. We evaluated Dynodroid on 50 open-source Android apps, and compared it with two prevalent approaches: users manually exercising apps, and Monkey, a popular fuzzing tool. Dynodroid, humans, and Monkey covered 55%, 60%, and 53%, respectively, of each app's Java source code on average. Monkey took 20X more events on average than Dynodroid. Dynodroid also found 9 bugs in 7 of the 50 apps, and 6 bugs in 5 of the top 1,000 free apps on Google Play.
Partner Violence and HIV Risk Among Female Sex Workers in China

Global literature suggests that partner violence contributes to HIV-related vulnerability and risk among women. Female sex workers (FSWs) play a significant role in China's skyrocketing increase of heterosexual transmission of HIV. The aim of this article is to examine the association between partner violence and HIV risk among FSWs in China. This study, based on a cross-sectional survey of 1,022 FSWs recruited from communities in China, attempted to address the relationship between partner violence and HIV risk among this vulnerable population. About 58% of the FSWs had experienced violence from their stable partners (including 55.5% reporting emotional violence, 20.1% physical violence, and 16.2% sexual violence) and 45% from their clients (including 39.7% reporting emotional violence, 17.1% physical violence, and 16.8% sexual violence). Partner violence perpetuated by either stable partners or clients was strongly associated with most of the HIV risk measures we assessed. This study confirmed the association of partner violence and HIV risk among FSWs. We call for culturally appropriate interventions for both partner violence and HIV risk reduction among FSWs in China.
Evaluation of hepatic disease in mice following intradermal inoculation with Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis

Objective—To evaluate clinical, microbiologic, and pathologic outcomes in mice after inoculation with 4 equine-origin Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis strains. Animals—15 C3H/HeJ mice. Procedures—In a preliminary study, the optimum route of inoculation was determined. In the main study, mice were allocated to 4 treatment groups (3 mice/group). One slow- or rapid-growing equine-origin C pseudotuberculosis strain was inoculated ID into the mice of each treatment group. Results—All 4 strains had distinct tropism for the liver. Histologic lesions associated with rapid-growing strains included focally extensive unencapsulated areas of acute, massive coagulative necrosis of hepatocytes with intralesional colonies of bacteria and variable portal hepatitis characterized by accumulations of mononuclear and polymorphonuclear inflammatory cells. In contrast, the livers of mice inoculated with slow-growing strains had multiple discrete, randomly distributed foci of hepatocellular necrosis and neutrophilic hepatitis...
Valence-band splitting and shear deformation potential of dilute GaAs 1 − x N x alloys

The valence-band splitting in thin GaAs{sub 1-x}N{sub x} (0.011{<=}x{<=}0.033) epilayers strained coherently by the GaAs substrate is observed in electroreflectance. This study reveals that the valence-band deformation potential does not follow the linear interpolation of those for GaAs and GaN, but shows a rather strong composition dependence with a surprising bowing in a small composition region of the alloy. These results contradict the currently held view that the conduction band is greatly altered but that the valence band is only weakly perturbed by dilute nitrogen doping of GaAs. (c) 2000 The American Physical Society.
Improving the Performance of the Micro Jet Array Air Cooling MEMS Device Using CFD

In this work ways to improve the performance of the MJA is investigated using computer modeling. Finite-difference method is used to analyze and understand the heat transfer mechanism in the MEMS based air micro-jet array (MJA) impinging cooling device. The three-dimensional Navier-Stokes (NS) equations using the compressible flow are solved. The computed temperature distribution at the bottom of the MJA is in good agreement with the experimental measurement data. To improve the heat transfer performance, an optimum model is developed. This enhances the heat removal capacity about 100% (0.5 W/cm2 °C ). The details of computer modeling and the flow visualization to understand the flow and heat transfer in the MJA are presented. This paper was also originally published as part of the Proceedings of the ASME 2005 Heat Transfer Summer Conference.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Blockade of alpha-adrenergic receptors by analogues of phosphatidylcholine.

Abstract The experimental evidence reviewed in this article suggests that the kidneys may have an additional function in regulating blood pressure besides their role in controlling both blood volume by urine formation and the relative state of vasoconstriction by the reninangiotensin system. That is, the kidneys may have an additional influence upon the vasculature of a hormonal vasodilating system. The interstitial cells of the renal medulla appear to be mediating this activity and lipid compounds have been extracted from the renal medulla which display depressor activity. One such compound, the anti-hypertensive polar renomedullary lipid (APRL), has been demonstrated to consists of specific alkyl ether analogues of phosphatidylcholine. The vascular responses to these compounds include vasodilation of both arterioles and venules, rapid lowering of arterial blood pressure with little or no tachycardia, increased depressor activity in hypertensive animals, and blockade of vascular smooth muscle α1-adrenergic receptors. Most recently, APRL and a synthetic analogue, 1-0-octadecyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphorylcholine, have been used to demonstrate α-adrenergic receptor blockade on a smooth muscle cell line (DDT 1 ) by radioligand assays. This action may be due to the insertion of these compounds into cell membranes causing subsequent steric interactions and blockade of the α-adrenergic receptor.
Triple-Negative Breast Cancers: Unique Clinical Presentations and Outcomes

Triple-negative (TN) breast cancers lack estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and HER2/neu amplification (HER2). Few studies have been dedicated to characterizing this subset of cancer. Retrospective review of a prospectively collected database of patients treated for invasive breast cancer at a single institution. Three tumor marker groups were compared: TN [ER−/PR−/HER2−], HER2+ [ERx/PRx/HER2+], and ER+ [ER+/PRx/HER2−]. Over 8 years, 123 TN, 210 HER2+, and 728 ER+ patients were identified. On average, TN patients were younger (mean age TN 59.7, HER2+ 62.0, ER+ 64.5 years, P = 0.0001). They were referred for genetic testing more frequently (17% TN, 10% HER2+, 10% ER+, P = 0.055) and were most likely to have a BRCA mutation identified if tested (24% TN, 10% HER2+, 4% ER+, P = 0.019). TN tumors were larger (mean size 2.1 cm TN, 2.0 cm HER2+, 1.8 cm ER+, P = 0.031) and most commonly detected by breast exam (54% TN, 43% HER2+, 42% ER+, P = 0.025). Lymph node involvement was least common with TN tumors (21% TN, 37% HER2+, 32% ER+, P = 0.013), and angiolymphatic invasion was less common for TN than HER2+ (18% TN, 24% HER2+, 15% ER+, P = 0.006). TN patients had significantly higher local or regional recurrence (5.7% TN, 2.9% HER2+, 1.0% ER+, P = 0.001), and the worst 5-year overall survival, although this did not reach statistical significance (85% ± 6% TN, 94% ± 2% HER2+, 91% ± 2% ER+). TN breast cancers are associated with unique patient presentations, tumor characteristics, and clinical outcomes of which clinicians and investigators should be aware.
What is an Engineer? Implications of Elementary School Student Conceptions for Engineering Education

Background Research in engineering education tends to focus on students' factual knowledge about engineering, their interests and attitudes, and on students' conceptions of the engineer and the relation to curriculum development. Thus, it is essential to expand our understanding of students' conceptions about the engineer phenomenon as the foundation for informing STEM education standards and curriculum. Purpose(Hypothesis) The purpose of this study was to investigate students' conceptions about engineers specifically: (1) What are elementary school students' conceptions of an engineer? (2) How might students' conceptions vary by grade level, gender, and community setting? (3) What are implications of students' conceptions for engineering education? Design/Method This study was descriptive in nature and reflected a cross-age design involving the collection of qualitative data from about 400 Grade 1 through 5 students from urban and suburban schools located in the Midwest, United States. Data were analyzed using content analysis and statistical testing. Results Students conceptualized an engineer as a mechanic, laborer, and technician. Students' conceptions entailed the engineer fixing, building, or making and using vehicles, engines, and tools. Students' conceptions were relatively consistent across urban and suburban school communities with the exceptions that laborer was more common among urban students and technician was more common among suburban students. More than half of the students who drew a person drew male engineers. Conclusion A framework for organizing and interpreting students' conceptions is presented. Curricular recommendations and implications are made that build on students' conceptions and reinforce connections between national standards and the engineer concept.
Pressure-flow relationships and pathological changes during renal preservation.

The renal pedicle of one kidney from each of four dogs was ligated for one hour. The contralateral kidney served as a control. Both kidneys were removed and perfused using the “Belzer” technique. Pressure-flow relationships were determined and biopsy samples taken. The vasculature was then injected with silicone rubber. Perfusion resistance, vascular filling with silicone rubber and observations made by electron microscopy were compared.
Regression Estimation after Correcting for Attenuation

Abstract The limiting distribution of the regression coefficients calculated from a correlation matrix that has been corrected for attenuation is obtained. Methods of estimating the covariance matrix of the vector of regression coefficients are presented. Nonnormal regression variables and nondiagonal error matrices are considered. The procedures are illustrated with data on the socioeconomic career.
Building blocks for data flow prototypes

A variety of proposed architectures for data flow computers have been advanced. Evaluation of the practical potential of these proposals is being studied through analysis and simulation, but these techniques cannot be used to study a machine design in sufficient detail to make accurate predictions of performance. As a basis for extrapolating cost/performance of these architectures, and for developing a methodology for data flow program preparation, the construction of prototype machines is needed. In this paper we present our plan for realizing experimental data flow machines as packet communication systems using two types of hardware elements: a microprogrammed processing element with provision for packet transmission and reception; and a router unit used to build networks to support packet communication among processing elements.
Supramolecular assembly and small molecule recognition by genetically engineered protein block polymers composed of two SADs.

Genetically engineered protein block polymers are an important class of biomaterials that have gained significant attention in recent years due to their potential applications in biotechnology, electronics and medicine. The majority of the protein materials have been composed of at least a single self-assembling domain (SAD), enabling the formation of supramolecular structures. Recently, we developed block polymers consisting of two distinct SADs derived from an elastin-mimetic polypeptide (E) and the alpha-helical COMPcc (C). These protein polymers, synthesized as the block sequences—EC, CE, and ECE—were assessed for overall conformation and macroscopic thermoresponsive behavior. Here, we investigate the supramolecular assembly as well as the small molecule binding and release profile of these block polymers. Our results demonstrate that the protein polymers assemble into particles as well as fully or partially networked structures in a concentration dependent manner that is distinct from the individual E and C homopolymers and the E+C non-covalent mixture. In contrast to synthetic block polymers, the structured assembly, binding and release abilities are highly dependent on the composition and orientation of the blocks. These results reveal the promise for these block polymers for therapeutic delivery and biomedical scaffolds.
Leptin administration to normal rats does not alter catecholamine responsiveness to insulin-induced hypoglycemia

We previously showed, through direct neural recording in conscious rats, that hypoglycemia increases adrenal sympathetic nerve activity (SNA) both acutely and 24 hours following the second of 2 daily antecedent hypoglycemic episodes. Nonetheless, antecedent hypoglycemia impaired catecholamine responsiveness to subsequent acute hypoglycemia. Here we hypothesized that antecedent, nonhypoglycemic adrenal sympathetic stimulation by leptin would impair acute adrenal catecholamine responsiveness to subsequent hypoglycemia. We also hypothesized that acute leptin administration (after 2 days of antecedent hypoglycemia) would enhance adrenal SNA and thereby enhance catecholamine responsiveness to concurrent hypoglycemia. Leptin or saline was administered to normal rats in repeated subcutaneous injections for 2 days prior to acute insulin-induced hypoglycemia. In contrast to our hypothesis, antecedent leptin did not change catecholamine responsiveness or glycemic change in response to subsequent acute insulin administration. In additional studies, intravenous leptin or saline was acutely administered beginning 1 hour before insulin-induced hypoglycemia. All rats had been exposed to antecedent hypoglycemia. In these experiments, acute leptin did not alter catecholamine responses to insulin or glycemic change during or after termination of insulin. We conclude that antecedent nonhypoglycemic sympathetic stimulation by leptin does not alter subsequent catecholamine or glycemic responses to insulin. Moreover, concurrent leptin does not enhance catecholamine responses to insulin in rats exposed to antecedent hypoglycemia.
Automatic Government: The Politics of Indexation

One of the most dramatic and least studied policy changes of the past twenty years is the increased use of indexing automatic adjustments for inflation in federal programs. Currently, programs comprising more than one-third of the federal budget have indexing provisions. The growth of indexing is all the more remarkable since it appears to conflict with the electoral interests of most politicians. Without indexing, legislators can vote for popular increases in social security benefits, federal pay, and other programs during election years and claim credit with their constituents for doing so. Indexing tends to keep such votes off the agenda. Why would politicians renounce these credit-claiming opportunities instead of embracing them? R. Kent Weaver examines the reasons for the growth of indexing in federal programs and its consequences for current policy. He focuses on indexing debates in six policy areas: social security, food stamps, congressional pay, dairy price supports, the minimum wage, and federal income tax brackets. Weaver argues that to understand indexation policy and policymaking in general we must broaden our understanding of policymakers' motivations. They have often given up opportunities to claim credit because they are even more concerned with avoiding blame for unpopular decisions and outcomes. Politicians' efforts to avoid blame for unpopular actions not only have determined whether indexing proposals were adopted, but have also shaped the effects of indexing on programs where it was adopted. Weaver shows that the effects of indexing have varied substantially across programs, and he suggests guidelines for the future use of indexing in federal programs.
Quantum dots for positional registration in live cell-based arrays

For a better understanding of complex biological processes, it is desirable to simultaneously follow the dynamics of multiple components in living cells or organisms in real time. An encoding scheme was developed that enables the observation of multiple cell populations with single-cell resolution. Specifically, different yeast cell types were labeled with quantum dots and added to an array of microwells, where they randomly self-assemble into the complementary-sized cavities. Quantum dots conjugated to cells externally, internally, or in combination generated unique optical patterns to differentiate various cell types in the array. For the model system described herein, cells were monitored for their lacZ expression levels through the processing of a fluorescent precursor by s-galactosidase. The encoding schemes employed were independent of the reporter emission and had no affect on the cellular activity. The live cell array platform allowed analysis of hundreds of individual cells simultaneously and continuously in real time. By coupling this platform with quantum dot cell labeling, the utility of this array format is extended to mixed cellular populations.
IFITM3 Inhibits Influenza A Virus Infection by Preventing Cytosolic Entry

To replicate, viruses must gain access to the host cell's resources. Interferon (IFN) regulates the actions of a large complement of interferon effector genes (IEGs) that prevent viral replication. The interferon inducible transmembrane protein family members, IFITM1, 2 and 3, are IEGs required for inhibition of influenza A virus, dengue virus, and West Nile virus replication in vitro. Here we report that IFN prevents emergence of viral genomes from the endosomal pathway, and that IFITM3 is both necessary and sufficient for this function. Notably, viral pseudoparticles were inhibited from transferring their contents into the host cell cytosol by IFN, and IFITM3 was required and sufficient for this action. We further demonstrate that IFN expands Rab7 and LAMP1-containing structures, and that IFITM3 overexpression is sufficient for this phenotype. Moreover, IFITM3 partially resides in late endosomal and lysosomal structures, placing it in the path of invading viruses. Collectively our data are consistent with the prediction that viruses that fuse in the late endosomes or lysosomes are vulnerable to IFITM3's actions, while viruses that enter at the cell surface or in the early endosomes may avoid inhibition. Multiple viruses enter host cells through the late endocytic pathway, and many of these invaders are attenuated by IFN. Therefore these findings are likely to have significance for the intrinsic immune system's neutralization of a diverse array of threats.
Interaction of alkaline–earth metal ions with calf thymus DNA. Volume and compressibility effects in diluted aqueous solutions

Abstract The binding of Mg 2+ , Ca 2+ , Sr 2+ and Ba 2+ ions to calf thymus DNA in solutions has been investigated by ultrasonic and densimetric techniques. The obtained parameters, the apparent molar volume, Φ V , and the apparent molar adiabatic compressibility, Φ K S , are very sensitive to hydration of investigated molecules. The interaction between the cations and DNA is accompanied by overlapping their hydration shells and consequently releasing the water molecules from hydration shells to bulk state. The change in the hydration is reflected in the measured parameters, Φ V and Φ K S . The magnitude of these hydration changes is determined by the position of the cation relative to DNA atomic groups involved in the binding, and thus can characterize the structure of cation–DNA complexes. The values of the dehydration effects of the binding, ΔΦ V and ΔΦ K S , correspond to two direct or higher number of indirect contacts between calf thymus DNA and the cations.
"Where Men Can Be Men": Resituating Thai Masculinity

“Thailand is the last place left in the world,” I was repeatedly told by the Western male sex tourists that I encountered in Thailand, “where men can be men.” Indeed, thousands of foreign men flock to this Southeast Asian country every year for its notorious supply of plentiful and inexpensive sex with local prostitutes. Does this mantra also apply to Thai men? This article explores the beginnings of a continuing research project into how the massive influx of foreign male sex tourists during the past forty years has influenced how Thai men perceive their own masculinity.
Constraints on the Nature of CID-42: Recoil Kick or Supermassive Black Hole Pair?

The galaxy CXOC J100043.1+020637, also known as CID-42, is a highly unusual object. An apparent galaxy merger remnant, it displays signatures of both an inspiraling, kiloparsecscale active galactic nucleus (AGN) pair and of a recoiling AGN with a kick velocity approximately greater than 1300 km s(exp -1). Among recoiling AGN candidates, CID-42 alone has both spatial offsets (in optical and X-ray bands) and spectroscopic offsets. In order to constrain the relative likelihood of both scenarios, we develop models using hydrodynamic galaxy merger simulations coupled with radiative transfer calculations. Our gas-rich, major merger models are generally well matched to the galactic morphology and to the inferred stellar mass and star formation rate. We show that a recoiling supermassive black hole (SMBH) in CID-42 should be observable as an AGN at the time of observation. However, in order for the recoiling AGN to produce narrow-line emission, it must be observed shortly after the kick while it still inhabits a dense gaseous region, implying a large total kick velocity (vk approximately greater than 2000 km s(exp -1)). For the dual AGN scenario, an unusually large broad-line offset is required, and the best match to the observed morphology requires a galaxy that is less luminous than CID-42. Further, the lack of X-ray emission from one of the two optical nuclei is not easily attributed to an intrinsically quiescent SMBH or to a Compton-thick galactic environment. While the current data do not allow either the recoiling or the dual AGN scenario for CID-42 to be excluded, our models highlight the most relevant parameters for distinguishing these possibilities with future observations. In particular, high-quality, spatially-resolved spectra that can pinpoint the origin of the broad and narrow line features will be critical for determining the nature of this unique source.
Endostatin causes G1 arrest of endothelial cells through inhibition of cyclin D1.

Endostatin, a type XVIII collagen fragment, is a potent antiangiogenic molecule that inhibits endothelial cell migration, promotes apoptosis, and induces cell cycle arrest in vitro. We have investigated the mechanism by which endostatin causes G1 arrest in endothelial cells. Endostatin decreased the hyperphosphorylated retinoblastoma gene product and down-regulated cyclin D1 mRNA and protein. Importantly, endostatin was unable to arrest cyclin D1 overexpressing endothelial cells, suggesting that cyclin D1 is a critical target for endostatin action. Next, we analyzed cyclin D1 promoter activity in endothelial cells and found that endostatin down-regulated the cyclin D1 promoter. Using a series of deletion and mutant promoter constructs, we identified the LEF1 site in the cyclin D1promoter as essential for the inhibitory effect of endostatin. Finally, we showed that endostatin can repress cyclin D1 promoter activity in cells over-expressing β-catenin but not in cells over-expressing a transcriptional activator that functions through the LEF1 site and is insensitive to β-catenin. Collectively, our data pointed to a role for cyclin D1, and in particular, transcription through the LEF1 site as critical for endostatin actionin vitro and suggest that β-catenin is a target for endostatin.
Ballpoint pen tips as robust cone-jet electrospray emitters

Abstract This technical note documents the use of ballpoint pen tips as robust electrospray emitters. The embedded microsphere helps stabilize Taylor cones by effectively reducing the height of the liquid meniscus and significantly decreasing the viscous damping time of the Taylor cone. The microsphere also provides a mechanism for the Taylor cone to continuously adapt its base diameter to match the voltage applied. As a result, the ballpoint pen electrospray emitter noticeably expands the operation envelope in the flow rate-voltage space.
Priming outside of Awareness and Subsequent Stimulus Identification

The influence of priming outside of awareness on performance of a color-recognition task was investigated. Using a tachistoscope, a color word that matched (“congruent prime”) or did not match (“incongruent prime”) the target color or a blank prime was followed by a pattern mask and the target color. Identification performance was superior on the blank prime trials to the congruent prime trials, with performance on the incongruent prime trials being the lowest. A subsequent study included a meaningless (XXX) prime condition, and it was found that meaningless primes interfered with target-color identification more than the congruent and blank prime conditions, but less than the incongruent prime condition, suggesting that primes, in addition to producing semantic activation, impose demands on information-processing capacity of the perceptual system.
Plasmodium: high-voltage electron microscopy.

Abstract Stereoscopy of thick sections (~1.0 μm) of biological material, Plasmodium gallinaceum and Plasmodium berghei , was investigated with a high-voltage electron microscope using an accelerating voltage of 650 kv. Not only could structural details of the malarial parasites be observed in the thick sections, but stereoscopic examination also revealed the physical relationships of the various subcellular organelles in the parasites. This study indicates that the high-voltage electron microscope is a useful tool for structural analysis of malarial parasites.
Infant response to auditory familiarity and novelty

Two studies are described in which infants' responses to auditory novelty and familiarity are assessed by presenting the familiarized and novel sequences to the infant contingent upon fixation to two simultaneously-presented, identical visual targets, and by using differential fixation of the targets as an index of attention to the sounds associated with them. In the first study, 4-month-olds were familiarized either briefly (6 presentations) or extensively (with 20). The novel auditory sequence attracted more attention; however, there were no differences between the 6- and 20-presentation conditions. The second study extended the procedure to 2-month-olds in which younger infants showed familiarity “preferences” after 18 familiarizations, while 4-month-olds again showed novelty “preferences”.
Suppression of acute rejection in allogeneic rat lung transplantation: a study of the efficacy and pharmacokinetics of rapamycin derivative (SDZ RAD) used alone and in combination with a microemulsion formulation of cyclosporine.

Abstract Background The novel immunosuppressant SDZ RAD, 40-0 (2-hydroxyethyl)- rapamycin, is an orally active rapamycin analogue developed for use in combination with cyclosporine (Neoral®). The present study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of SDZ RAD, Neoral®, or a combination of both drugs for suppression of acute rejection in an allogeneic, unilateral rat lung transplant model. Methods Brown–Norway (RT1n) donor lungs were implanted into Lewis (RT1l) recipients that were observed for 21 days. Postoperative evaluation included daily weights, serial chest radiographs, drug trough levels, and histology scores of the transplanted lung on the day of sacrifice. Treatment groups were comprised of rats treated orally with the RAD vehicle as controls (n = 6); SDZ RAD 2.5 mg/kg/day (n = 9); Neoral® 7.5 mg/kg/day (n = 8); Neoral® 2.5 mg/kg/day (n = 6); SDZ RAD 2.5 mg/kg/day plus Neoral® 7.5 mg/kg/day (n = 7); and Neoral® 2.5 mg/kg/day plus SDZ RAD 2.5 mg/kg/day (n = 6). Results The results of this study showed that neither monotherapy with 2.5 mg/kg/day of Neoral®, nor 2.5 mg/kg/day of SDZ RAD prevented severe acute rejection in unilateral lung transplant recipients. Furthermore, despite high dose (7.5 mg/kg/day) Neoral® treatment, graft histology showed moderate rejection. However, addition of 2.5 mg/kg/day of SDZ RAD to 7.5 mg/kg/day of Neoral® completely prevented histologic rejection in four of seven grafts, although the remaining 3 grafts showed minimal rejection. This combination resulted in significantly higher RAD trough levels when compared to SDZ RAD treatment alone. Combining a lower dose of Neoral® (2.5 mg/kg/day) with 2.5 mg/kg/day of SDZ RAD resulted in less weight loss and improved animal health; however, the histology of lung grafts in these rats showed mild rejection. Conclusions This is the first study on the efficacy of the novel rapamycin derivative SDZ RAD for the control of acute lung allograft rejection. Results showed that acute unilateral rat lung allograft rejection is refractory to monotherapy with either high dose Neoral® or SDZ RAD. The two regimens of combined treatment with Neoral® plus SDZ RAD used in these studies produced either minimal rejection and reduced tolerability or mild rejection and better tolerability and showed potentiation of immunosuppression when both drugs were used together. Additional investigation of these two drugs is needed, however, to devise regimens that produce both high immunosuppressive efficacy and good tolerability.