cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Trimellitic anhydride (TMA) dust induces airway obstruction and eosinophilia in non-sensitized guinea pigs.

Trimellitic anhydride (TMA) causes asthma after a latency period of sensitization. In non-sensitized humans and animals, limited studies indicate that TMA exposure may also cause symptoms of asthma without a latency period. Our previous studies (J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 296 (2001) 284) in a guinea pig model of TMA-induced asthma demonstrated that sensitization and the complement system were required for eosinophilia. TMA conjugated to guinea pig serum albumin (TMA–GPSA) was used to elicit the response. Since occupational exposure to TMA occurs by inhalation of dust, the present studies determined if exposure to TMA dust in a non-sensitized guinea pig elicited airway obstruction and inflammation, and whether a significantly greater response occurred after a latency period of sensitization. Guinea pigs were intradermally injected with either corn oil (non-sensitized animals) or 30% TMA (sensitized animals). Three weeks later they were challenged by intratracheal insufflation with 1 mg TMA dust or lactose dust (control) using a dry powder delivery device. Pulmonary resistance, dynamic lung compliance, mean arterial blood pressure and heart rate were monitored for 10 min. In non-sensitized guinea pigs, significant increases in pulmonary resistance and decreases in dynamic lung compliance and blood pressure occurred after TMA challenge. In sensitized animals, the same dose of TMA caused significantly greater effects compared to non-sensitized animals. In a separate experiment, cellular infiltration into the lung was determined 24 h after challenge with TMA dust or lactose dust. In both non-sensitized and sensitized animals, eosinophils in the lung tissue were increased after TMA dust challenge compared to controls. Thus, these studies suggest that the response in non-sensitized animals differs depending on whether TMA dust or TMA–GPSA is used to elicit the response. TMA dust elicits significant airway obstruction and eosinophilia in a non-sensitized animal, with even greater airway obstruction occurring in a sensitized animal.
Identification and Partial Characterization of the Pectin Methyltransferase “Homogalacturonan-Methyltransferase” from Membranes of Tobacco Cell Suspensions

A membrane preparation from tobacco ( Nicotiana tabacum L.) cells contains at least one enzyme that is capable of transferring the methyl group from S -adenosyl-methionine (SAM) to the C6 carboxyl of homogalacturonan present in the membranes. This enzyme is named homogalacturonan-methyltransferase (HGA-MT) to distinguish it from methyltransferases that catalyze methyletherification of the pectic polysaccharides rhamnogalacturonan I or rhamnogalacturonan II. A trichloroacetic acid precipitation assay was used to measure HGA-MT activity, because published procedures to recover pectic polysaccharides via ethanol or chloroform:methanol precipitation lead to high and variable background radioactivity in the product pellet. Attempts to reduce the incorporation of the 14 C-methyl group from SAM into pectin by the addition of the alternative methyl donor 5-methyltetrahydrofolate were unsuccessful, supporting the role of SAM as the authentic methyl donor for HGA-MT. The pH optimum for HGA-MT in membranes was 7.8, the apparent Michaelis constant for SAM was 38 μm, and the maximum initial velocity was 0.81 pkat mg −1 protein. At least 59% of the radiolabeled product was judged to be methylesterified homogalacturonan, based on the release of radioactivity from the product after a mild base treatment and via enzymatic hydrolysis by a purified pectin methylesterase. The released radioactivity eluted with a retention time identical to that of methanol upon fractionation over an organic acid column. Cleavage of the radiolabeled product by endo polygalacturonase into fragments that migrated as small oligomers of HGA during thin-layer chromatography, and the fact that HGA-MT activity in the membranes is stimulated by uridine 5′-diphosphate galacturonic acid, a substrate for HGA synthesis, confirms that the bulk of the product recovered from tobacco membranes incubated with SAM is methylesterified HGA.
Self‐Deception, Confusion, and Salvation in Fear AndTrembling with Works of Love

Reading Fear and Trembling with Works of Love heightens Kierkegaard's summons to acknowledge the ambiguity of our aims and the treachery of our love. Works of Love underscores that there is a“neighbor” in Fear and Trembling whose justified or damnable banishment occasions Kierkegaard's attempt to “track down” the “illusions” of love. Through de Silentio, Kierkegaard prompts the reader to consider whether the promise has been broken due to radical obedience, lack of faith, dearth of imagination, or a gnarled combination of motives. We are to recognize our kinship with the duplicitous merman and discover that we must, like Tobit's Sarah, receive an extravagant gift. Fear and Trembling is thus a text with soteriological import, but with ethical import as well. Convicted by and indebted to God, we are to find in Abraham's act a premonitory paradigm for every engagement.
Human 3β-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Types 1 and 2: Gene Sequence Variation and Functional Genomics

Abstract The 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase/Δ 5 -Δ 4 isomerase isoenzymes 1 and 2 (HSD3B1 and HSD3B2) are membrane-bound enzymes that play essential roles in the biosynthesis of steroid hormones. Therefore, variation in the HSD3B1 and HSD3B2 genes might play a role in the pathophysiology of steroid hormone-related disease. We set out to systematically identify common polymorphisms and haplotypes in human HSD3B1 and HSD3B2 . We identified 17 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in HSD3B1 and 9 in HSD3B2 – the majority of which were not present in public databases – by resequencing human HSD3B1 and HSD3B2 using 240 DNA samples from four different ethnic groups (60 samples per group). Functional genomic studies of the five non-synonymous cSNPs in HSD3B1 and the one observed in HSD3B2 showed that two of these polymorphisms resulted in significant decreases in the quantity of enzyme protein expressed. However, none of the three non-synonymous SNPs located in areas encoding putative membrane-binding domains altered subcellular localization of the enzyme as determined by immunofluorescence microscopy. Finally, common variant haplotypes in the 5′-flanking regions of these genes showed significant cell line-dependent variation in their ability to drive transcription. In aggregate, these results provide a basis for study of the possible role in human disease of common genetic variation in HSD3B1 and HSD3B2 .
Hydrogen Atom Abstraction by Permanganate: Oxidations of Arylalkanes in Organic Solvents.

Oxidations of arylalkanes by nBu4NMnO4 have been studied in toluene solvent: toluene, ethylbenzene, diphenylmethane, triphenylmethane, 9,10-dihydroanthracene, xanthene, and fluorene. Toluene is oxidized to benzoic acid and a small amount of benzaldehyde; other substrates give oxygenated and/or dehydrogenated products. The manganese product of all of the reactions is colloidal MnO2. The kinetics of the reactions, monitored by UV/vis spectrometry, show that the initial reactions are first order in the concentrations of both nBu4NMnO4 and substrate. No induction periods are observed. The same rate constants for toluene oxidation are observed in neat toluene and in o-dichlorobenzene solvent, within experimental errors. The presence of O2 increases the rate of nBu4NMnO4 disappearance. The reactions of toluene and dihydroanthracene exhibit primary isotope effects: kC7H8/kC7D8 = 6 (±1) at 45 °C and kC14H12/kC14D12 = 3.0 (±0.6) at 25 °C. The rates of oxidation of substituted toluenes show only small substituent...
87 SEVERE DONE DEMINERALIZATION IN PRETERM INFANTS DUE TO DECREASED TUBULAR PHOSPHATE REABSORPTION (DTPR)

Intrauterine bone mineral accretion can be achieved in VLBW infants when Ca and P are administered in sufficient quantities to result in an urinary excretion of both elements(1). We observed three ELBW infants (650g/26weeks; 780/26; 580/27) who developed serial rib fractures and general severe bone demineralization inspite of an individual Ca/P supplementation monitored by urine Ca/P concentrations(1). Retrospective comparison of all Ca and P concentrations in simultaneously taken plasma and urine samples showed P-excretion at low plasma P concentrations (1.1-1.9 μM), i.e. an DTPR. Renal threshold for P was 2.4-2.8 μM in age-matched controlls. Demineralization was a result of renal P wasting. In one severely growth retarded infant who was born after recording silent CTG this tubular defect was present shortly after birth. Two infants developed DTPR during combined antibiotic treatment for sepsis. Fosfomycin was suspected to have impaired tubular function. Conclusion: DTPR causes severe bone demineralization in preterm infants and interferes with monitoring the P supplementation by measuring urinary P concentrations. (l)Assessment of Ca and P requirements and prevention of osteopenia in VLBW infants. Pediatr. Res. 20:1050(1986).
Vibrational spectrum of bromine trifluoride

Abstract The infrared spectrum of matrix isolated BrF 3 has been recorded. All six fundamental vibrations expected for a T -shaped molecule of symmetry C 2 v were observed. A modified valence force field and some thermodynamic properties have been computed for BrF 3 .
Infusing lipid raises plasma free fatty acids and induces insulin resistance in muscle microvasculature.

Context: Insulin recruits muscle microvasculature, which increases the endothelial exchange surface area to facilitate substrate delivery. Elevated plasma concentrations of free fatty acids (FFAs) cause insulin resistance. Objectives: The aim of the study was to examine whether FFAs cause insulin resistance in human muscle microvasculature. Setting: The study was conducted at the General Clinical Research Center at the University of Virginia. Methods: Twenty-two healthy subjects were studied under two protocols designed to raise plasma insulin concentrations to postprandial levels using either an insulin infusion or a mixed meal challenge. Within each protocol, subjects were studied twice. In random order, they received a 5-h systemic infusion of either saline or Intralipid/heparin. Three hours into the infusion, baseline muscle microvascular blood volume (MBV), microvascular flow velocity, and microvascular blood flow (MBF) were measured. Each subject was then given either the mixed meal or a 1 mU/kg · m...
The topology of moduli space and quantum field theory

We show how an SO(2,1) gauge theory with a fermionic symmetry may be used to describe the topology of the moduli space of curves. The observables of the theory correspond to the generators of the cohomology of moduli space. This is an extension of the topological quantum field theory introduced by Witten to investigate the cohomology of Yang-Mills instanton moduli space. We explore the basic structure of topological quantum field theories, examine a toy U(1) model, and then realize a full theory of moduli space topology. We also discuss why a pure gravity theory, as attempted in previous work, could not succeed.
Endoscopic endonasal surgery for petrous apex lesions.

Background: Endoscopic endonasal approaches to the ventral skull base are categorized based on their orientation in coronal and sagittal planes. For all of these approaches, the sphenoid sinus is the starting point, and provides orientation to important vascular and neural structures. Surgical approaches to the petrous apex include 1) a medial approach, 2) a medial approach with internal carotid artery (ICA) lateralization, and 3) a transpterygoid infrapetrous approach (inferior to the petrous internal carotid artery). The choice of a surgical approach depends on the relationship of the lesion to the internal carotid artery (medial or inferior), degree of medial expansion, and pathology. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the anatomic and technical features of endoscopic surgical approaches to the petrous apex, provide a new classification for approaches that focuses on the relationship of the lesion to the petrous internal carotid artery, and provide outcomes data on our first 20 endoscopic petrous apex approaches. Methods: A retrospective clinical outcome study of endoscopic petrous apex surgeries was performed at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. The medical records from patients with endoscopic endonasal approaches to isolated petrous apex lesions were reviewed for demographics, diagnoses, presentation, endoscopic approach, and clinical outcomes. Patients with lesions that extended into the petrous apex but were not isolated to the petrous apex were excluded (e.g., clival chordoma with extension into the petrous apex). Results: Twenty patients were included in the analysis: 13 inflammatory cystic lesions (9 cholesterol granulomas and four petrous apicitis) and 7 solid lesions. Chondrosarcoma was the most common solid petrous apex lesion in our series. Twelve of 13 cystic lesions were drained endoscopically (one surgery was aborted early in the series). All drained patients had resolution of presenting symptoms. One patient had closure of the outflow tract without return of symptoms and one patient had revision endoscopic drainage due to scarring and neo-osteogenesis and return of unilateral headache. No carotid injuries and no new cranial neuropathies occurred perioperatively. The advantages and limitations of the medial transsphenoidal approaches (with and without carotid mobilization) and the transpterygoid infrapetrous approach are discussed. Conclusions: The endoscopic endonasal approach to petrous apex lesions is safe and effective for appropriately selected patients in the hands of experienced endoscopic skull base surgeons. If offers advantages of removing the hearing and facial nerve risks from the transtemporal/transcranial approaches and allows for a larger and more natural drainage pathway into the sinuses. Laryngoscope, 119:19–25, 2009
Eye of the storm

This Gomori trichrome stain of a muscle biopsy was photographed with an iPhone camera placed over the microscope eyepiece. The typical necrotizing vasculitis bears a close resemblance to a hurricane viewed from space with the vessel's lumen and wall representing the eye and eye wall of the storm, respectively. Acknowledgment: Thanks to James F. Howard, Jr., MD, for reviewing the text.
Cocaine-induced adaptations in cellular redox balance contributes to enduring behavioral plasticity.

Impaired glutamate homeostasis in the nucleus accumbens has been linked to cocaine relapse in animal models, and results in part from cocaine-induced downregulation of the cystine–glutamate exchanger. In addition to regulating extracellular glutamate, the uptake of cystine by the exchanger is a rate-limiting step in the synthesis of glutathione (GSH). GSH is critical for balancing cellular redox in response to oxidative stress. Cocaine administration induces oxidative stress, and we first determined if downregulated cystine–glutamate exchange alters redox homeostasis in rats withdrawn from daily cocaine injections and then challenged with acute cocaine. Among the daily cocaine-induced changes in redox homeostasis were an increase in protein S-glutathionylation and a decrease in expression of GSH-S-transferase pi (GSTpi). To mimic reduced GSTpi, a genetic mouse model of GSTpi deletion or pharmacological inhibition of GSTpi by administering ketoprofen during daily cocaine administration was used. The capacity of cocaine to induce conditioned place preference or locomotor sensitization was augmented, indicating that reducing GSTpi may contribute to cocaine-induced behavioral neuroplasticity. Conversely, an acute cocaine challenge after withdrawal from daily cocaine elicited a marked increase in accumbens GSTpi, and the expression of behavioral sensitization to a cocaine challenge injection was inhibited by ketoprofen pretreatment; supporting a protective effect by the acute cocaine-induced rise in GSTpi. Together, these data indicate that cocaine-induced oxidative stress induces changes in GSTpi that contribute to cocaine-induced behavioral plasticity.
AIR-BORNE PARTICULATE BETA RADIOACTIVITY MEASUREMENTS OF THE NATIONAL AIR SAMPLING NETWORK-1953-1959

Abstract The air-borne particulate radioactivity data of the National Air Sampling Network have been summarized for the period October, 1953, through December, 1959. Sampling and counting procedures are described, and the decay rates of fission products are considered. Radioactivity of particulates is presented relative to source and distribution.
Quantification of 13C in solids using CPMAS-DD-NMR spectroscopy

Abstract Quantitative analysis of several standard materials is used to evaluate various techniques for analysis of 13 C cross polarization magic angle spinning dipolar decoupling (CPMAS-DD)-NMR spectra. These results suggest that uncertainty in the kinetics of the initial cross-polarization process may lead to systematic errors in the fitting of CPMAS-DD-NMR data. Methods are suggested to minimize the effects of this potential source of error. These results indicate that 13 C CPMAS-DD-NMR can give quantitatively reliable results.
The What, Why, and How of Cooperative Learning

(1991). The What, Why, and How of Cooperative Learning. The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas: Vol. 64, No. 3, pp. 152-156.
A reassessment of the causes and severity of Nepal's environmental crisis

Abstract Accounts of the 1988 monsoon flooding of Bangladesh blame recent population growth of Himalayan farmers for the deforestation which causes upland erosion and lowland flooding. The research to specify and reverse these processes, however, has shown that: deforestation has deep historical roots and has been profoundly influenced by state policies; having many children is one of the few ways households can confront their poverty; and recent vegetation changes affect rates of erosion, mass wasting, sedimentation, and flooding much less than previously thought. The inclusion of political-economic as well as environmental factors not only provides a more accurate explanation, but also allows for effective policy initiatives.
Fumarole incrustations at active central american volcanoes

In 11 yr of sampling at 14 volcanoes in Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Costa Rica, we have identified 47 minerals in incrustations depositing at approximately 100 different high temperature fumaroles. Most of these minerals are sulfates. The most abundant and most frequently found minerals are: sulfur, hematite, halite, sylvite, gypsum, ralstonite, anhydrite, thenardite and langbeinite. Incrustation suites deposit around fumaroles to produce a zonal pattern which is a response to the rapidly changing temperature and oxygen pressure at the mouth of the vent. The observed zoning pattern can be explained by the reaction of a volcanic gas composed of H2O, SO2, CO2, HC1 and HF, along with trace amounts of volatile cations, which interacts with the atmosphere and the fumarole wallrock. This interaction is aided at lower temperatures by the formation of sulfuric acid. The mineralogies and descriptions of incrustations at fumaroles at a large number of other volcanoes from every part of the world are similar to what we have found in Central America. Thus we believe our conclusions have general applicability.
Animated simulation graphics for a manufacturing conveyor system

Abstract Computer simulation is an important aid for designing manufacturing systems. Computer graphics is an extremely effective medium for communication between man and computer. Because animated simulation graphics is a field whose time has come, the study described herein uses a combination of computer simulation and computer graphics in the designing of a complex manufacturing conveyor system.
New techniques in optical trapping and sensing

We demonstrate several new techniques that expand the current capabilities of optical trapping and sensing, and demonstrate the application of a combination of these techniques in the successful measurement of near-field optical and double-layer forces.
Eastern-European Sex Workers in Greek-Cypriot Cabarets

Female sexuality has been exploited in sexualized work environments, such as cabarets, strip clubs, and brothels, for centuries. A critical site for exploring the intercrossing of sexual and economic differentials is the cabaret where the ultimate patriarchal gender dynamics are acted out; where males and females utilize their financial assets and sexual appeal, respectively, to benefit and exploit each other. This exploratory investigation provides an understanding of the macro environmental contexts and micro intrapersonal and interpersonal factors that have pushed and pulled a considerable number of young Eastern-European women to sex work. In particular, it attempts to shed some light into the various processual dynamics surrounding the personal and work lives of Eastern-European sex workers in Greek-Cypriot cabarets. The methodological mode involves both informal interview techniques and a reflexive case study approach. Informal interview and reflexive case study techniques constitute well-establishe...
Prediction of Dry-Wet-Dry Transition in Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells

Condensation and evaporation fronts co-exist in present-day automotive polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) where low-humidity reactant gases are fed in counterflow. Capturing of such a transition between a single- and a two-phase regime is not only of technological significance, but also represents a great numerical challenge in PEFC modeling. In this work we demonstrate a computational capability to predict the dry-wet-dry transition in a PEFC based on the multiphase mixture (M 2 ) framework. The M 2 model is a three-dimensional, two-phase, and multicomponent full-cell model featuring a detailed membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) sub-model. Three-dimensional results on the dry-wet-dry transition under low-humidity operation and in counterflow are presented. The dry-to-wet transition described in this work provides a benchmark problem to develop and test future generation PEFC models.
Review of technologies for current-limiting low-voltage circuit breakers

Conventional air-magnetic circuit breakers, which are widely used in low-voltage applications, utilize magnetic forces that are produced by blowout coils, the geometry of the arcing contacts, or both. The magnetic forces act to push the arc off the contacts into an arc chute, which consists of a number of metal plates. The arc chute causes the arc to be split into a number of smaller arcs, thereby facilitating the process of extinguishing the arc. In the last 20 years, the technology of circuit breakers has dramatically advanced, now including mature devices based on gas-blast (such as SF/sub 6/) and vacuum interruption. At the same time, the technology of power electronic devices has evolved rapidly, leading to suggestions of a purely static circuit breaker based on solid-state electronic devices. Recently, several different proposals have appeared for current-limiting devices to be used in conjunction with or in replacement of conventional circuit breakers. The technologies involved in these proposals have ranged from very familiar (series reactors) to quite innovative (conductive polymer devices). Several of these proposed technologies have been used to a limited extent in commercial products, but they are very likely to see increasing applications as the technology matures. This paper begins with a short review of conventional circuit breaker action for background, then reviews the recent literature for current-limiting technologies that could be applied to low-voltage electric power systems. The paper concludes with a description of work underway for further development of conductive polymer current limiters.
A bilingual–monolingual comparison of young children's vocabulary size: Evidence from comprehension and production

It is often assumed that young bilinguals are lexically delayed in comparison to monolinguals. A comprehensive comparison of comprehension and production vocabulary in 31 firstborn bilingual and 30 matched monolingual children fails to find empirical foundation for this assumption. Several raters completed Dutch and French adaptations of the MacArthur Communicative Development Inventories for children aged 13 and 20 months. At 13 months, bilinguals understood more words than monolinguals; at 20 months, monolinguals knew more Dutch words than bilinguals (combining comprehension and production). There were no group differences for word production or for Dutch word comprehension. Both groups understood and produced the same number of lexicalized meanings; ratios of word comprehension to word production did not differ; inter-individual variation was similar. This study underscores the importance of conducting bilingual-monolingual comparisons with matched groups and suggests that if individual bilingual children appear to be slow in early vocabulary development, reasons other than their bilingualism should be investigated.
A novel Q-modification term for adaptive control

A novel modification term is suggested for use in adaptive control. The development is of use in any setting in which uncertainty is linearly parameterized. The modification uses state and control time histories. The effect is justified through stability analysis, and illustrated on a dynamic model for wing rock.
Design and Wind Tunnel Performance Testing of a New Omnidirectional Roof Vent

Low-slope roofs are subjected to potentially high levels of suction pressure as reported by Baskaran and Savage in 2003 in “Wind pressure measurements on full scale flat roofs.” Traditional roof assemblies are prone to failure when the low pressure on the roof surface instigates a transfer of forces to the roof membrane. Existing pressure-equalized roof systems use the power of the wind to transmit low pressure to the space immediately beneath the roof membrane, pulling the membrane down to the roof surface. The object of this study is the design of a wind vent which, when coupled with a single-ply roof membrane in a complete roof assembly, will successfully equalize low pressure throughout the entire field of the roof. The proposed wind vent differs from existing equalizer valves in its use of the Bernoulli effect to create low pressure. The vent is omnidirectional and contains no moving parts. Future study will be required to determine the tributary area of each vent and other roof system parameters.
The use of moderate sedation for the secondary prevention of adverse vasovagal reactions.

Background Vasovagal reactions can occur with spine procedures and may result in premature procedure termination or other adverse events. Objective To evaluate if moderate sedation is an effective means of secondary prevention for vasovagal reactions. Methods Prospectively collected data on 6,364 consecutive spine injections. Results Of the 6,364 spine injections, 6,150 spine injections were done without moderate sedation and resulted in 205 vasovagal reactions (3.3% [95% confidence interval {CI} 2.9–3.8%]). One hundred thirty-four spine procedures were performed on patients that had a history of prior vasovagal reaction during a spine procedure. Of these, 90 procedures were performed without moderate sedation, and 21/90 (23.3% [95% CI 15.2–32.1%]) were complicated by a repeat vasovagal reaction. None of 44 repeat injections that utilized moderate sedation experienced a repeat vasovagal reaction (0% [95% CI 0–9.6%]) (χ2 = 12.17, P < 0.00048). The rate of vasovagal reaction in patients with a history of prior reaction undergoing repeat injection without conscious sedation was significantly higher (23.3% [95% CI 15.2–32.1%]) than the rate in patients with no such history (3.0% [95% CI 2.6–3.5%] [χ2 = 113.4, P < 1.78E-26]). Conclusions A history of vasovagal reaction is a strong predictor of experiencing a vasovagal reaction on subsequent procedures. No vasovagal reactions occurred with the use of moderate sedation, including in the 44 injections in patients that had a history of vasovagal reaction during spine procedures. The overall low rate of vasovagal reactions is low, and greater benefits of moderate sedation were observed when utilized as secondary prevention of repeat vasovagal reactions.
Thymopoietic and Bone Marrow Response to Murine Pneumocystis Pneumonia

CD4(+) T cells play a key role in host defense against Pneumocystis infection. To define the role of naive CD4(+) T cell production through the thymopoietic response in host defense against Pneumocystis infection, Pneumocystis murina infection in the lung was induced in adult male C57BL/6 mice with and without prior thymectomy. Pneumocystis infection caused a significant increase in the number of CCR9(+) multipotent progenitor (MPP) cells in the bone marrow and peripheral circulation, an increase in populations of earliest thymic progenitors (ETPs) and double negative (DN) thymocytes in the thymus, and recruitment of naive and total CD4(+) T cells into the alveolar space. The level of murine signal joint T cell receptor excision circles (msjTRECs) in spleen CD4(+) cells was increased at 5 weeks post-Pneumocystis infection. In thymectomized mice, the numbers of naive, central memory, and total CD4(+) T cells in all tissues examined were markedly reduced following Pneumocystis infection. This deficiency of naive and central memory CD4(+) T cells was associated with delayed pulmonary clearance of Pneumocystis. Extracts of Pneumocystis resulted in an increase in the number of CCR9(+) MPPs in the cultured bone marrow cells. Stimulation of cultured bone marrow cells with ligands to Toll-like receptor 2 ([TLR-2] zymosan) and TLR-9 (ODN M362) each caused a similar increase in CCR9(+) MPP cells via activation of the Jun N-terminal protein kinase (JNK) pathway. These results demonstrate that enhanced production of naive CD4(+) T lymphocytes through the thymopoietic response and enhanced delivery of lymphopoietic precursors from the bone marrow play an important role in host defense against Pneumocystis infection.
Linking herbivore experience, varied diets, and plant biochemical diversity

Abstract We contend diets and habitats that allow animals to select among alternatives enable individuals to better meet needs for nutrients and to better cope with toxins. All plants contain toxins, and the amount of toxin an animal can ingest depends on the kinds and amounts of nutrients and toxins in the forages on offer. Nutrients and toxins both cause animals to satiate, and excesses of nutrients, nutrient imbalances, and toxins all limit food intake. Thus, individuals can better meet their needs for nutrients and regulate their intake of toxins when offered a variety of foods that differ in nutrients and toxins than when constrained to a single food, even if the food is “nutritionally balanced”. Food intake and preference also depend on differences in how individual animals are built morphologically and how they function physiologically, and marked variation is common even among closely related animals in needs for nutrients and abilities to cope with toxins. Transient food aversions compound the inefficiency of single-food diets—whether in confinement, on pastures, or on rangelands—by depressing intake among individual animals, even if they are suited “on average” to that nutrient or toxin profile. Thus, feeding and grazing practices that allow producers to capitalize on the individuality of animals are likely to improve performance of the herd by enabling the uniqueness of individuals to become manifest. Finally, past experiences play a crucial role in an animal’s propensity to learn to eat different foods. When herbivores are allowed to eat only the most preferred plants, they are not likely to learn to mix foods high in nutrients with foods that contain toxins. Conversely, herbivores encouraged to eat all plants in an area are more likely to learn to eat mixes of plants that mitigate toxicity. Experienced animals who have learned to eat a variety of foods that differ in nutrients and toxins do so even when nutritious alternatives are available, whereas naive animals familiar only with the nutritious alternatives eat only that subset of familiar foods. Different systems of management alter how animals forage. Continuous grazing at low stock densities encourages selectivity and reduces diet and habitat breadth, whereas short-duration grazing at high stock densities increases diet and habitat breadth. Thus, what was traditionally considered proper grazing management—rotational grazing at low stock densities—may have trained generations of livestock to “eat the best and leave the rest” thus inadvertently accelerating a decline in biodiversity and an increase in the abundance of less desirable plant species.
A reduced-rank MMSE-DFE receiver for space-time coded DS-CDMA systems

A reduced-rank, minimum mean square error decision feedback estimator (MMSE-DFE) is proposed for the downlink, space-time coded, direct-sequence (DS) code division multiple access (CDMA) system. This new technique combines the multistage Wiener filter (MSWF) (Goldstein and Reed (1998)) with the decision feedback estimator (DFE). The primary requirement of MSWF-DFE is the knowledge of channel state information (CSI), which is feasible by using a pilot signal. Since there is no need for eigendecomposition or covariance matrix inversion, MSWF-DFE achieves a lower computation complexity via the rank reduction process. Moreover, in MSWF-DFE the commonality of the feedforward filter and the feedback filter is fully explored in order to share in computations. Thus, no or negligible extra computational load is required by the decision feedback. Our simulation results show that the proposed MSFW-DFE successfully maintains a near full-rank MMSE-DFE performance with the low rank forward and backward filters and can reduce the computational cost dramatically.
Local Propensities and Statistical Potentials of Backbone Dihedral Angles in Proteins

The following three issues concerning the backbone dihedral angles of protein structures are presented. (1) How do the dihedral angles of the 20 amino acids depend on the identity and conformation of their nearest residues? (2) To what extent are the native dihedral angles determined by local (dihedral) potentials? (3) How to build a knowledge-based potential for a residue's dihedral angles, considering the identity and conformation of its nearest residues? We find that the dihedral angle distribution for a residue can significantly depend on the identity and conformation of its adjacent residues. These correlations are in sharp contrast to the Flory isolated-pair hypothesis. Statistical potentials are built for all combinations of residue triplets and depend on the dihedral angles between consecutive residues. First, a low-resolution potential is obtained, which only differentiates between the main populated basins in the dihedral angle density plots. Minimization of the dihedral potential for 125 test proteins reveals that most native α-helical residues (89%) and a large fraction of native β-sheet residues (47%) adopt conformations close to their native one. For native loop residues, the percentage is 48%. It is also found that this fraction is higher for residues away from the ends of α or β secondary structure elements. In addition, a higher resolution potential is built as a function of dihedral angles by a smoothing procedure and continuous functions interpolations. Monte Carlo energy minimization with this potential results in a lower fraction for native β-sheet residues. Nevertheless, because of the higher flexibility and entropy of β structures, they could be preferred under the influence of non-local interactions. In general, most α-helices and many β-sheets are strongly determined by the local potential, while the conformations in loops and near the end of β-sheets are more influenced by non-local interactions.
Turnover of tubulin and the N site GTP in Chinese hamster ovary cells.

Abstract Radioactively labeled tubulin from Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells can be isolated by copolymerization with nonradioactive porcine brain microtubule protein. 75% of the soluble tubulin in CHO extracts co-polymerizes with the porcine protein through several cycles, without preferential loss of either CHO or porcine subunits. After phosphocellulose chromatography of the co-polymerized microtubules, the CHO tubulin is radiochemically homogeneous, as judged by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. CHO tubulin purified in this way has 1 mole of nucleotide per mole of protein noncovalently bound at the non-exchangeable or N site. Thin-layer chromatography indicates that the N site nucleotide is entirely ribo-GTP. Label and chase experiments show that the N site GTP exchanges intracellularly with a half-time of 33 hr in growing cells which have a generation time of 17 hr, while the tubulin poly-peptides are degraded with a half-time of 48 hr. Intracellular hydrolysis of the γ-phosphate of the N site nucleotide can be detected but occurs very slowly, with a half-time of 24 hr. These results suggest that the N site nucleotide may function in vivo as a stable structural co-factor of the tubulin molecule and render improbable the possibility that it has a regulatory role in microtubule assembly.
The principle of reactive independence in radiation and photo experiments

Abstract The fraction of damage fragments escaping correlated recombination is shown to be the same for a class of experiments in which irradiation is conducted at sufficiently low temperatures that fragment migration is negligible and for a class of experiments in which irradiation proceeds simultaneously with migration and recombination.
Recognition of a Single Transmembrane Degron by Sequential Quality Control Checkpoints

To understand the relationship between conformational maturation and quality control-mediated proteolysis in the secretory pathway, we engineered the well-characterized degron from the alpha-subunit of the T-cell antigen receptor (TCRalpha) into the alpha-helical transmembrane domain of homotrimeric type I integral membrane protein, influenza hemagglutinin (HA). Although the membrane degron does not appear to interfere with acquisition of native secondary structure, as assessed by the formation of native intrachain disulfide bonds, only approximately 50% of nascent mutant HA chains (HA(++)) become membrane-integrated and acquire complex N-linked glycans indicative of transit to a post-ER compartment. The remaining approximately 50% of nascent HA(++) chains fail to integrate into the lipid bilayer and are subject to proteasome-dependent degradation. Site-specific cleavage by extracellular trypsin and reactivity with conformation-specific monoclonal antibodies indicate that membrane-integrated HA(++) molecules are able to mature to the plasma membrane with a conformation indistinguishable from that of HA(wt). These apparently native HA(++) molecules are, nevertheless, rapidly degraded by a process that is insensitive to proteasome inhibitors but blocked by lysosomotropic amines. These data suggest the existence in the secretory pathway of at least two sequential quality control checkpoints that recognize the same transmembrane degron, thereby ensuring the fidelity of protein deployment to the plasma membrane.
Recovery of "Lost" Storm Water From Local Wash Beds

: Most of the precipitation that falls is unused because it never reaches a stream or recharges an underground supply. This storm water evaporates and is transpired and consumed by plants. Described below are pertinent legal principles and the concept for a small-scale system to capture and store some of this “lost” storm water from the subflow of small gravelly washes that are not part of or connected with a stream system. The subsurface flow is interrupted by an elastomer faced earthen barrier (dam) and stored in a gravel bed. Both the barrier and the gravel storage bed are situated below the surface of the wash bed. If the gravel bed is not underlain by a natural substratum that is relatively impervious, it is either placed on a liner of suitable compacted clay or is underlain with an elastomeric membrane to limit the downward infiltration and loss of the stored water. A system may be used to capture and store sub-flow after surface flow has ceased and during periods of drought; to supply household and irrigation water; to exercise Winters Doctrine rights; and to replace small dams and surface impoundments by underground storage of the captured water to ensure a more reliable and sanitary supply for livestock and wildlife. A system is most effective in desert regions where (or when) both stream and ground water are unavailable; where rainfall is infrequent, but in storms resulting in rapid runoff; and where land surface topography and morphology coincide to form sites that permit the productive use of a system. A system should not be installed without sound legal and hydrological advice. Careful engineering is essential to the safe and proper design of a system, especially its subsurface barrier.
CONSTRUCT VALIDATION: METHODOLOGY AND APPLICATION TO THREE MEASURES OF COGNITIVE STRUCTURE

The purposes of this paper are to briefly review construct-validation methodology and to apply some of this methodology to the problem of validating construct interpretations of measures of cognitive structure. A review of construct-validation methodology seemed warranted in view of the paucity of studies concerned with this topic, especially in the recent literature on human learning and memory (e.g., Adams, 1967; Anderson & Bower, 1973; Ausubel, 1963, 1968; Frijda, 1972; Johnson, P., 1967, 1969; Mayer & Greeno, 1972; Neisser, 1967; Norman, 1969, 1970; Tulving & Donaldson, 1972).
Searching for the Limits and Explanations of the Nonselective Superiority Bias

Three experiments were conducted to test the robustness and explanations of the Nonselective Superiority Bias (NSSB), whereby any randomly selected item from a positive category is rated more favor...
Variations in sexual behavior among capuchin monkeys function for conspecific mate recognition: a phylogenetic analysis and a new hypothesis for female proceptivity in tufted capuchins.

Researchers of capuchin monkeys have noted stereotyped body postures, facial expressions, and vocalizations that accompany copulations in this genus. Notable variations in these sexual behaviors are observed across capuchin species. Although several hypotheses exist to explain variation in the duration and vigor of sexual behaviors across species, there is no proposed explanation for variation in the forms of these behaviors. I hypothesized that the forms of sexual behaviors function as recognition signals of conspecific mates. Such signals are adaptive when F1 hybrids exhibit reduced fitness compared with nonhybrid offspring. Recent evidence from nonprimate taxa supports the existence of species recognition signals during mating. Using newly observed sexual behaviors for Cebus albifrons and a recent phylogeny of capuchins, I found significant support for a key prediction of the conspecific mate recognition hypothesis: evolutionary changes in sexual behaviors were associated with speciation. Given the resultant best model for evolution of sexual behaviors, I reconstructed the ancestral pattern of sexual behaviors for extant capuchin species (genera Cebus and Sapajus). This reconstruction suggests that the extreme female proceptivity of tufted capuchin monkeys may function to increase female reproductive choices in the context of sperm-limited males (genus Sapajus). Am. J. Primatol. 74:287–298, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Towards Autonomous Sensor and Actuator Model Induction on a Mobile Robot

This article presents a novel methodology for a robot to autonomously induce models of its actions and sensors called ASAMI (autonomous sensor and actuator model induction). While previous approaches to model learning rely on an independent source of training data, we show how a robot can induce action and sensor models without any well-calibrated feedback. Specifically, the only inputs to the ASAMI learning process are the data the robot would naturally have access to: its raw sensations and knowledge of its own action selections. From the perspective of developmental robotics, our robot’s goal is to obtain self-consistent internal models, rather than to perform any externally defined tasks. Furthermore, the target function of each model-learning process comes from within the system, namely the most current version of another internal system model. Concretely realizing this model-learning methodology presents a number of challenges, and we introduce a broad class of settings in which solutions to these c...
WiMAX in the Classroom: Designing a Cellular Networking Hands-On Lab

Wireless networking has recently gained tremendous attention in research and education. Since the concepts taught in wireless courses are difficult to acquire only through lectures, hands-on lab experience is indispensable. While Wi-Fi based networking labs have been introduced before, to the best of our knowledge, labs that use a cellular technology have not been designed yet. Therefore, we present a WiMAX hands-on lab designed for a graduate course in wireless and mobile networking. The lab is based on the mobile WiMAX hardware and software developed and deployed within the GENI WiMAX project. We provide a brief overview of the course and of the main concepts taught in the WiMAX lecture. Then, we describe in detail our WiMAX network and the structure of the lab experiment. The effectiveness in achieving the learning objectives is evaluated via the lab reports submitted by the students. Finally, we review some of the lessons we learned during design and implementation of this lab. These can provide important insights to designers of similar labs.
The British Labour Left and U. S. Foreign Policy.

Perhaps it is the absence of a substantial communist opposition in Great Britain that has caused Americans to be less concerned about the reactions of our British allies than of the continental nations to the recent foreign policy of the United States. However, if Americans assumed an almost universal British acceptance of the foreign policy adopted by the United States and formally adhered to by the British Government, the Bevanite revolt of early 1951 administered a sharp jolt. First, in April there were the resignations from the Government of Aneurin Bevan, Minister of Labour, former Minister of Health, and one of Labour's strongest and most popular leaders, Harold Wilson, President of the Board of Trade and one of the Government's young intellectuals, and John Freeman, a lesser figure but in the significant position of Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Supply. Their resignation speeches made it clear that, while the immediate cause of their departure was a new budgetary provision requiring a health service charge for dentures and spectacles, the root of their dissatisfaction lay in the burden of rearmament expenditures accepted by the Government in accordance with the main lines of U. S. policy.
Reforming a Breadwinner Welfare State: Gender, Race, Class, and Social Security Reform

A key challenge facing western welfare states is that they offset income risks faced by those in breadwinner families. Social Security is an excellent example. It best protects individuals with lengthy work histories or individuals who get married, stay married, and are never employed. Most women fit neither model. Thus, I analyze "women-friendly" approaches (benefit improvements for parents or those divorced) and a social democratic approach (minimum benefit) to reform. Benefits disconnectedfrom marital status (parent and minimum benefits) are most effective at insuring against the new risks women face. Women-friendly approaches, however, do tend to reinforce inequality among women. Ultimately, my results emphasize that analyses must account for the intersection of gender, race, and class to understand how the state shapes stratification.