cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Molecular and Pharmacological Mechanisms of HIV-Related Neuropathic Pain.

Infection of the nervous system with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) can lead to cognitive, motor and sensory disorders. HIV-related sensory neuropathy (HIV-SN) mainly contains the HIV infection-related distal sensory polyneuropathy (DSP) and antiretroviral toxic neuropathies (ATN). The main pathological features that characterize DSP and ATN include retrograde (“dying back”) axonal degeneration of long axons in distal regions of legs or arms, loss of unmyelinated fibers, and variable degree of macrophage infiltration in peripheral nerves and dorsal root ganglia (DRG). One of the most common complaints of HIV-DSP is pain. Unfortunately, many conventional agents utilized as pharmacologic therapy for neuropathic pain are not effective for providing satisfactory analgesia in painful HIV-related distal sensory polyneuropathy, because the molecular mechanisms of the painful HIV-SDP are not clear in detail. The HIV envelope glycoprotein, gp120, appears to contribute to this painful neuropathy. Recently, preclinical studies have shown that glia activation in the spinal cord and DRG has become an attractive target for attenuating chronic pain. Cytokines/chemokines have been implicated in a variety of painful neurological diseases and in animal models of HIV-related neuropathic pain. Mitochondria injured by ATN and/or gp120 may be also involved in the development of HIV-neuropathic pain. This review discusses the neurochemical and pharmacological mechanisms of HIV-related neuropathic pain based on the recent advance in the preclinical studies, providing insights into novel pharmacological targets for future therapy.
New technique improves how scientists map lightning flashes

Lightning interferometers are instruments that make two-dimensional images of individual lightning discharges inside thunderstorms. They do this by measuring the arrival direction of radio frequency signals produced by the propagating lightning channels, which can be done with very high (submicrosecond) time resolution.
Getting inked: Tattoo and risky behavioral involvement among university students

Abstract The purpose of the study is to assess university students’ involvement in tattooing and examine associations between tattooing and risky behaviors. University students enrolled in physical education and health classes at one Midwestern University are study participants, and a survey is used to examine 998 university students’ involvement in tattooing. The results indicate that 29.6% of respondents have a tattoo. The most common locations for tattoos are the chest (37.6%), foot (26.8%), arm (15.8%), and back (14.4%). Females are more likely than males to have a tattoo. Tattooed students are significantly more likely than non-tattooed students to engage in alcohol and marijuana use and risky sexual behaviors. Suicidal behaviors and suicidal ideation are not related to tattoo status among university students. Therefore, college health professionals should be aware of associations between tattooing and risky behavioral involvement. Educational programs are needed to increase student awareness of body modification and associated risk behaviors.
What Drives Program Choice in Food Security Crises? Examining the “Response Analysis” Question

Over the past decade, the analysis of food security crises has improved, and a wider range of responses is available. But the question remains: is improved analysis driving program response choices in food security interventions? This research considers the “response analysis” question in the Horn of Africa and documents the role of evidence and other factors influencing program choice. Based on interviews with donor, agency, and government staff, this paper briefly notes existing tools, proposes a “road map” for response analysis, explores the way in which donor resources have changed, and outlines major factors that constrain or shape response choice.
Bottleneck factor and height-width ratio: association with ruptured aneurysms in patients with multiple cerebral aneurysms.

OBJECTIVE: Determining factors predictive of the natural risk of rupture of cerebral aneurysms is difficult because of the need to control for confounding variables. We studied factors associated with rupture in a study model of patients with multiple cerebral aneurysms, one aneurysm that had ruptured and one or more that had not, in which each patient served as their own internal control. METHODS: We collected aneurysm location, one-dimensional measurements, and two-dimensional indices from the computed tomographic angiograms of patients in the proposed study model and compared ruptured versus unruptured aneurysms. Bivariate statistics were supplemented with multivariable logistic regression analysis to model ruptured status. A total of 40 candidate models were evaluated for predictive power and fit with Wald scoring, Cox and Snell R 2 , Hosmer and Lemeshow tests, case classification counting, and residual analysis to determine which of the computed tomographic angiographic measurements or indices were jointly associated with and predictive of aneurysm rupture. RESULTS: Thirty patients with 67 aneurysms (30 ruptured, 37 unruptured) were studied. Maximum diameter, height, maximum width, bulge height, parent artery diameter, aspect ratio, bottleneck factor, and aneurysm/parent artery ratio were significantly (P < 0.05) associated with ruptured aneurysms on bivariate analysis. When best subsets and stepwise multivariable logistic regression was performed, bottleneck factor (odds ratio = 1.25, confidence interval = 1.11-1.41 for every 0.1 increase) and height-width ratio (odds ratio = 1.23, confidence interval = 1.03-1.47 for every 0.1 increase) were the only measures that were significantly predictive of rupture. CONCLUSION: In a case-control study of patients with multiple cerebral aneurysms, increased bottleneck factor and height-width ratio were consistently associated with rupture.
Demographic and social adjustment characteristics of patients with comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder and alcohol dependence: potential pitfalls to PTSD treatment.

Abstract The present study examined the demographic and social adjustment characteristics of a sample seeking treatment for comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol dependence (AD). Using descriptive statistics, we compared the characteristics of this group to those of a sample seeking treatment for PTSD alone and to another sample seeking treatment for AD alone. Results indicated that compared to the PTSD alone and AD alone samples, a greater percentage of the comorbid sample was unemployed, with low income and living without the support of a spouse or intimate partner. Further, participants in the comorbid sample were less likely than those in the PTSD alone sample to have received more than a high school education, though the comorbid and AD samples were comparable on education level. These results are discussed with attention to how poor social adjustment may place comorbid AD–PTSD patients at greater risk for premature termination of therapy, particularly when that treatment is focused on alleviating PTSD symptoms. Suggestions are made to enhance retention of these difficult patients in treatment programs.
Abstract LB-193: Separable bilayer microfiltration device for viable label-free enrichment of circulating tumor cells

Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA We designed a new separable bilayer (SB) microfiltration device for the viable enrichment of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) independent of antigen expression. Bilayer pore structures at the micro scale decrease cell damage to preserve viability, while maintaining throughput to allow rapid enrichment. The large pore size (40 um) of the upper layer facilitates the CTCs proliferation on chip. The separability enables the efficient release of the CTCs after successful on chip culture of captured CTCs. We characterized the device performances including capture efficiency, enrichment against leukocytes, viability and proliferability. The SB device can enrich tumor cells with 80% capture efficiency, higher than 103 enrichment, and better than 70% viability from 1 mL whole blood samples on a 1 cm2 device. Multiple cell lines were shown to be able to proliferate after captured on SB device. Furthermore, using CTCs derived from an in vivo model system, cell cultures were established by releasing the captured CTCs from the chip. The cultured CTCs and their corresponding parental cell lines were injected into mice. Tumors were established with no discernable differences in volume and rate of growth, demonstrating similar tumorigenicity of viable CTCs recovered by the SB device. In a feasibility study, we successfully detected CTCs from 1 mL of clinical whole blood sample enriched via SB device. Citation Format: Ming-Da Zhou, Sijie Hao, Anthony J. Williams, Bo Lv, Jiyue Zhu, Richard J. Cote, Ram H. Datar, Yu-Chong Tai, Siyang Zheng. Separable bilayer microfiltration device for viable label-free enrichment of circulating tumor cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-193. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-LB-193
Cationic phospholipids forming cubic phases: lipoplex structure and transfection efficiency.

The transfection activity and the phase behavior of two novel cationic O-alkyl-phosphatidylcholines, 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-hexylphosphocholine (C6-DOPC) and 1,2-dierucoyl-sn-glycero-3-ethylphosphocholine (di22:1-EPC), have been examined with the aim of more completely understanding the mechanism of lipid-mediated DNA delivery. Both lipids form cubic phases: C6-DOPC in the entire temperature range from −10 to 90 °C, while di22:1-EPC exhibits an irreversible lamellar−cubic transition between 50 and 70 °C on heating. The lipoplexes formed by C6-DOPC arrange into hexagonal phase, while the lipoplexes of di22:1-EPC are lamellar. Both lipids exhibit lower transfection activity than the lamellar-forming 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-ethylphosphocholine (EDOPC). Thus, for the studied cationic phospholipid-DNA systems, the lipoplex phase state is a factor that does not seem to correlate with transfection activity. The parameter that exhibits better correlation with the transfection activity within the present data...
Structural insight into a quinolone-topoisomerase II-DNA complex. Further evidence for a 2:2 quinobenzoxazine-mg2+ self-assembly model formed in the presence of topoisomerase ii.

Quinobenzoxazine A-62176, developed from the antibacterial fluoroquinolones, is active in vitro andin vivo against murine and human tumors. It has been previously claimed that A-62176 is a catalytic inhibitor of mammalian topoisomerase II that does not stabilize the cleaved complex. However, at low drug concentrations and pH 6–7, we have found that A-62176 can enhance the formation of the cleaved complex at certain sites. Using a photocleavage assay, mismatched sequences, and competition experiments between psorospermin and A-62176, we pinpointed the drug binding site on the DNA base pairs between positions +1 and +2 relative to the cleaved phosphodiester bonds. A 2:2 quinobenzoxazine-Mg2+self-assembly model was previously proposed, in which one drug molecule intercalates into the DNA helix and the second drug molecule is externally bound, held to the first molecule and DNA by two Mg2+ bridges. The results of competition experiments between psorospermin and A-62176, as well as between psorospermin and A-62176 and norfloxacin, are consistent with this model and provide the first evidence that this 2:2 quinobenzoxazine-Mg2+ complex is assembled in the presence of topoisomerase II. These results also have parallel implications for the mode of binding of the quinolone antibiotics to the bacterial gyrase-DNA complex.
Dynamic actuation by surface-mounted piezoceramic patches

Longitudinal and shear waves are produced in structure by using piezoceramic transducers. These elastic waves have been used to obtain effective elastic properties of the medium or are used to detect localized damage. Elastic wave generation in a beam by surface-mounted piezoceramic patches is described in this paper. Preliminary experimental and analytical results are presented and discussed qualitatively. Longitudinal and flexural waves are generated by surface mounted piezoceramic patches. Numerical procedures are developed and preliminary simulation results are presented and qualitatively compared with experimental observation.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Mapping the Signal Peptide Binding and Oligomer Contact Sites of the Core Subunit of the Pea Twin Arginine Protein Translocase

Twin arginine translocation (Tat) systems of thylakoid and bacterial membranes transport folded proteins using the proton gradient as the sole energy source. Tat substrates have hydrophobic signal peptides with an essential twin arginine (RR) recognition motif. The multispanning cpTatC plays a central role in Tat operation: It binds the signal peptide, directs translocase assembly, and may facilitate translocation. An in vitro assay with pea (Pisum sativum) chloroplasts was developed to conduct mutagenesis and analysis of cpTatC functions. Ala scanning mutagenesis identified mutants defective in substrate binding and receptor complex assembly. Mutations in the N terminus (S1) and first stromal loop (S2) caused specific defects in signal peptide recognition. Cys matching between substrate and imported cpTatC confirmed that S1 and S2 directly and specifically bind the RR proximal region of the signal peptide. Mutations in four lumen-proximal regions of cpTatC were defective in receptor complex assembly. Copurification and Cys matching analyses suggest that several of the lumen proximal regions may be important for cpTatC–cpTatC interactions. Surprisingly, RR binding domains of adjacent cpTatCs directed strong cpTatC-cpTatC cross-linking. This suggests clustering of binding sites on the multivalent receptor complex and explains the ability of Tat to transport cross-linked multimers. Transport of substrate proteins cross-linked to the signal peptide binding site tentatively identified mutants impaired in the translocation step.
Polychromatic penguins don't fly

Abstract It is shown that the large-N approximation in the standard model predicts much too small a rate for ΔI = 1 2 nonleptonic K decays, even when short-distance QCD effects such as penguins are included. The effects of the penguins are discussed consistently to leading nontrivial order in chiral perturbation theory and it is found that they are completely calculable and small. It is concluded that N = 3 is not large enough to make the large-N approximation useful.
Injection molding of submicrometer zirconia: blend formulation and rheology

Abstract The formulation and rheological properties of feedstocks containing a submicron-sized zirconia powder were studied. The major components of the binder phase were polystyrene and corn oil, present in a ratio of 2:3 by volume. It was shown that cold blending of the constituents followed by mixing with a twin-screw extruder produced more suitable feedstocks than those for which the blending step was performed at 220°C. The hot-blended feedstocks had higher viscosities, were inhomogeneous and exhibited binder separation under an applied shear stress. Stearic acid additions were effective at reducing the viscosities of the feedstocks but this effect decreased with increasing temperature and was not a significant factor at 200°C. Feedstocks containing 57 vol% zirconia were found to have a viscosity greater than 1000 Pa s at 200°C and exhibited a higher sensitivity to changes in temperature than feedstocks containing lower concentrations of zirconia. For the binder system being used, a feedstock containing 53 vol% zirconia appeared most suitable for injection molding in terms of maximizing the solids loading while maintaining an acceptable rheological performance.
Increased risk of aneuploidy in women having unsuccessful chorionic villus sampling procedures.

Objective To determine the incidence of fetal aneuploidy in women who had unsuccessful chorionic villus sampling (CVS) procedures. Design Retrospective study. Setting Pennsylvania Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Subjects Two thousand six hundred and sixty-eight women who underwent chorionic villus sampling, in 78 (2.9%) of whom villi could not be obtained. Interventions Sixty-nine of 78 (88%) women who had an unsuccessful CVS procedure underwent a subsequent amniocentesis later in the same pregnancy. Main outcome measures The incidence of aneuploidy identified from amniotic fluid chromosome analysis in the 69 women who had an unsuccessful CVS procedure compared to the frequency of aneuploidy in women having a successful CVS procedure. Results Of the 69 women who underwent a post-CVS amniocentesis because of failure to obtain chorionic villi, six aneuploid pregnancies were identified (8.7%). The frequency of aneuploidy in the 2590 successfully sampled CVS patients was 2.5%. This difference was statistically significant (P= 0.009) by Fisher's exact test (two-tailed). Conclusions Women having an unsuccessful CVS procedure should be informed that they may be at increased risk for carrying an aneuploid fetus.
Role of excitatory amino acids in the regulation of dopamine synthesis and release in the neostriatum

We have explored the role of excitatory amino acids in the increased dopamine (DA) release that occurs in the neostriatum during stress-induced behavioral activation. Studies were performed in awake, freely moving rats, using in vivo microdialysis. Extracellular DA was used as a measure of DA release; extracellular 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) after inhibition of DOPA decarboxylase provided a measure of apparent DA synthesis. Mild stress increased the synthesis and release of DA in striatum. DA synthesis and release also were enhanced by the intra-striatal infusion of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), an agonist at NMDA receptors, and kainic acid, an agonist at the DL-alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-4-propionate (AMPA)/kainate site. Stress-induced increase in DA synthesis was attenuated by co-infusion of 2-amino-5-phosphonovalerate (APV) or 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (CNQX), antagonists of NMDA and AMPA/kainate receptors, respectively. In contrast, intrastriatal APV, CNQX, or kynurenic acid (a non-selective ionotropic glutamate receptor antagonist) did not block the stress-induced increase in DA release. Stress-induced increase in DA release was, however, blocked by administration of tetrodotoxin along the nigrostriatal DA projection. It also was attenuated when APV was infused into substantia nigra. Thus, glutamate may act via ionotropic receptors within striatum to regulate DA synthesis, whereas glutamate may influence DA release via an action on receptors in substantia nigra. However, our method for monitoring DA synthesis lowers extracellular DA and this may permit the appearance of an intra-striatal glutamatergic influence by reducing a local inhibitory influence of DA. If so, under conditions of low extracellular DA glutamate may influence DA release, as well as DA synthesis, by an intrastriatal action. Such conditions might occur during prolonged severe stress and/or DA neuron degeneration. These results may have implications for the impact of glutamate antagonists on the ability of patients with Parkinson's disease to tolerate stress.
Safety and antioxidant effects of a modest soy protein intervention in hemodialysis patients.

Antioxidant/anti-inflammatory effects of isoflavone-containing soy protein could partly explain why hemodialysis patients in Japan tend to outlive U.S. hemodialysis patients. However, a safety concern is that dialysis patients do not clear isoflavones well. A low-dose intervention with high isoflavone soy protein (25 g protein, four times a week for 4 weeks) was tested in 17 U.S. hemodialysis patients (eight given soy protein, nine given whey protein as a control). Soy protein intake produced no harmful effects based on a typical battery of blood safety tests. Post-treatment isoflavone levels, though high, were similar to those reported after a single 20-g soy protein intake by dialysis patients. In addition, intake of soy, but not whey, reduced plasma values for oxidized low-density lipoprotein, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, which is a common mortality cause in hemodialysis patients. Three other measures of oxidant stress and/or inflammation were unchanged by the modest high isoflavone soy pr...
Complete Genome Sequence of Sphingobacterium sp. Strain ML3W, Isolated from Wings of Myotis lucifugus Infected with White Nose Syndrome.

ABSTRACT Sphingobacterium sp. strain ML3W was isolated from the wing of a bat infected with white nose syndrome. We report the complete 5.33-Mb genome sequence of Sphingobacterium sp. strain ML3W, obtained using Pacific Biosciences technology. Being the second complete Sphingobacterium sequence, this will increase knowledge of the genus.
CARDIAC REHABILITATION IMPROVES MYOCARDIAL BLOOD FLOW RESERVE AS ASSESSED BY POSITRON EMISSION TOMOGRAPHIC MYOCARDIAL PERFUSION IMAGING

Reduced myocardial flow reserve (MFR) is an independent predictor of future risk of major adverse coronary events. Positron emission tomography (PET) is an accepted method for quantifying MFR noninvasively. Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) has been shown to have numerous beneficial effects including
Biotic and abiotic factors related to redband trout occurrence and abundance in desert and montane streams.

ABSTRACT. Redband trout Oncorhynchus mykiss gairdneri in the Columbia River Basin of western North America occupy desert and montane streams with variable habitat conditions. In general, desert streams are lower in gradient and elevation, contain less large substrate and more silt substrate, are less shaded by overhead vegetation, and have higher summer water temperature than montane streams. Consequently, we assessed whether the relationships between biotic and abiotic factors and the occurrence and abundance of redband trout in southwestern Idaho differed between desert and montane streams (<25 m mean width). Increased occurrence of redband trout in desert streams was most strongly related to increased stream shading and decreased amounts of silt substrate, followed by increased amounts of cobble/boulder substrate and absence of piscivorous fish (i.e., smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieui and northern pikeminnow Ptychocheilus oregonensis). In montane streams, increased occurrence of redband trout was m...
Circadian rhythm of visual sensitivity inManduca sexta and its development from an ultradian rhythm

Larvae and pupae of the sphingid mothManduca sexta were maintained under various photoperiod regimes (L/D, L/L, D/D). Visual sensitivity was monitored after placing an animal in constant darkness, interrupted by short flashes of low intensity light each half hour. Sensitivity was defined as the reciprocal of the light intensity needed to elicit a criterion ERG response (Fig. 2). 1. A circadian rhythm of visual sensitivity change is present in late pupae (one day before eclosion) and in adults; its period is about 22 h (range 18 to 25 h). Sensitivity changes over that period are 103 to 104 or even larger, and the time of peak sensitivity is during the subjective night. 2. The rhythm is entrained by L/D photoperiods (Fig. 3). 3. Animals raised from the egg or maintained as pupae in constant light show the rhythm after being placed in darkness for recording. In such animals, the L/L to D/D transition serves to set the phase of the rhythm (Fig. 5). 4. Pupae maintained in D/D and set up for recording under red light usually do not show a clear-cut rhythm of visual sensitivity change; one exception which showed a weak rhythm may have been influenced by the red light (Fig. 6). 5. Younger pupae (1–5 days before eclosion) show an ultradian rhythm of visual sensitivity change with about four cycles per day. As a pupa nears eclosion, the period of its ultradian rhythm lengthens to the circadian period of about one cycle per day (Figs. 7 and 8). 6. The circadian change in sensitivity is correlated with, and in part is due to, a circadian migration of pigment granules within the secondary pigment cells, lying distal to the retina. After these granules migrate to their most distal ‘darkadapted’ position, the eye continues to increase in sensitivity by a factor of 10 to 100. Furthermore, if the pigment layer and cornea are removed from an animal during the recording period, a sensitivity change of at least 50-fold occurs at the expected point in the cycle. Hence the full circadian change in eye sensitivity may be a result of coupled processes in two sets of adjacent cells — the secondary pigment cells and the visual cells.
Congruent Melting Temperatures of Si-As Alloys Measured During Pulsed-Laser Melting and Rapid Solidification

The solidification of Si-As alloys induced by pulsed laser melting was studied at regrowth velocities where the partition coefficient is close to unity. The congruent melting temperatures, TO, of Si-As alloys were determined using a temperature measurement technique developed for this work, and were confirmed with TOmeasurements using three other methods. The time-resolved temperature measurement uses a thin-film platinum thermistor, below and electrically isolated from the Si-As alloy layer, to directly measure the temperature during solidification. This, combined with measurements of transient conductance of the Si-As alloy, time-resolved reflectivity and Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry, permitted the determination of the solid-liquid interface temperature, velocity and partition coefficient, the latent heat of fusion and TO for Si - 4.5 at. % As and Si - 9 at. % As alloys.
B 74-29 Currents in the Theory of Computing

This book surveys five areas of current interest to computer scientists: formal language theory, computational complexity, program schemas, tree automata, and compiler design theory. Several of the papers in this monograph were given at a session entitled, "An Overview of Theoretical Computer Science," at the Fourth Annual Princeton Conference on Information Sciences and Systems.
Alternating metabolic pathways in NGF-deprived sympathetic neurons affect caspase-independent death.

Mitochondrial release of cytochrome c in apoptotic cells activates caspases, which execute apoptotic cell death. However, the events themselves that culminate in caspase activation can have deleterious effects because caspase inhibitor–saved cells ultimately die in a caspase-independent manner. To determine what events may underlie this form of cell death, we examined bioenergetic changes in sympathetic neurons deprived of NGF in the presence of a broad-spectrum caspase inhibitor, boc-aspartyl-(OMe)-fluoromethylketone. Here, we report that NGF-deprived, boc-aspartyl-(OMe)-fluoromethylketone–saved neurons rely heavily on glycolysis for ATP generation and for survival. Second, the activity of F0F1 contributes to caspase-independent death, but has only a minor role in the maintenance of mitochondrial membrane potential, which is maintained primarily by electron transport. Third, permeability transition pore inhibition by cyclosporin A attenuates NGF deprivation–induced loss of mitochondrial proteins, suggesting that permeability transition pore opening may have a function in regulating the degradation of mitochondria after cytochrome c release. Identification of changes in caspase inhibitor–saved cells may provide the basis for rational strategies to augment the effectiveness of the therapeutic use of postmitochondrial interventions.
The numerical design of a parallel plate flow chamber for investigation of endothelial cell response to shear stress

Parallel plate chambers are frequently used to examine the response of biological cells to a constant wall shear stress. However, the stress can vary more than 80% across the chamber due to end effects. Earlier estimates of the magnitude of this inhomogeneity used boundary layer theory and experiments. Here, the full equations for steady, three-dimensional flow in a novel parallel plate device were solved numerically and used to identify an active test region where the shear stress is within 5% of a constant value. Endothelial cells can be confined to this region to assure a nearly uniform shear stress exposure.
The Yeast Capping Enzyme Represses RNA Polymerase II Transcription

Using a highly pure transcription system derived from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we have purified an activity in yeast whole-cell extracts that represses RNA polymerase II transcription. Mechanistic studies suggest that this repressor specifically targets transcriptional reinitiation. The two polypeptides that constitute the repressor have been identified as Ceg1p and Cet1p, the two subunits of the yeast pre-mRNA capping enzyme. A purified recombinant capping enzyme is able to reconstitute repressor activity. Cet1p is necessary for and capable of this repression. Transcriptional run-on experiments indicate that the capping enzyme also serves as a repressor in vivo. Efficient pre-mRNA capping relies on interactions between the capping enzyme and transcription apparatus. Repression by the capping enzyme suggests a bidirectional flow of information between capping and transcription.
Nickel--iron interaction in bush beans

Abstract Bush beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L. C. V. Improved Tendergreen) plants were grown in solution culture and in soil with different levels of Fe and Ni to determine more precisely if Fe would overcome part of the phytotoxicity caused by Ni. In solution culture, a high level of Fe improved growth of plants in the presence of 2.5 × 10‐5 M Ni, but not with 5 × 10‐5 MNi. The 2.5 × 10‐5 M Ni decreased Fe concentrations in leaves, but not in other plant parts. The 5 × 10‐5 M Ni also decreased Fe concentrations in leaves relative to the controls although they were increased relative to those for 2.5 × 10‐5 MNi. The high Fe levels did not decrease Ni concentrations in plant parts. In soil Fe chelate improved plant growth at 50 and 100 μg Ni/g soil, but not at higher levels of Ni. The Fe did not depress Ni concentrations in leaves and Ni had no effect on Fe concentrations.
Captopril-related (and -induced?) asthma.

A 51-yr-old nonsmoking male patient without any history of previous allergies, asthma, hay fever, or urticaria developed attacks of asthma when captopril was added to the nadolol and dyazlde treatment for his high blood pressure. A double-blind challenge with nadolol and captopril decreased FEV1 by 3 and 12%, respectively. This confirmed the history of captopril-related asthma. As anglotensin-converting enzyme seems to play a role in the genesis and metabolism of bronchomotor mediators, this rare form of drug-induced asthma is important for both clinicians and airways pharmacologists.
LTB4 mediated hypoxemia in guinea pigs: relationship to pulmonary and cardiovascular pathophysiology.

LTB4 is released in the presence of lung injury and may therefore play a role in the pathophysiology of the lung damage. We therefore, administered LTB4 as an I.V. bolus or as an aerosol to guinea pigs and assessed the physiologic response and the lung histology. After 2 ug of I.V. LTB4 airway pressure (AP) rose transiently by 5 +/- 1 mmHg and at five min was back to baseline while PaO2 fell from 96 +/- 5 mmHg to 78 +/- 3 mmHg and remained low at least 45 min. Static compliance (Cstat) was unchanged. Right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP) and mean aortic pressure (MAP) rose from 9 +/- 1 to 16 +/- 1 mmHg and 43 +/- 4 to 62 +/- 5 mmHg respectively while cardiac index (C.I.) fell from 266 to 208 ml/kg/min but all values were baseline again by 10 min. Aerosolized LTB4 raised AP by 4.6 +/- 0.2 mmHg while PaO2 fell from 90 +/- 7 to 52 +/- 5 mmHg. AP recovered by 20 min but PaO2 remained low at least for 1 hour. MAP, RVSP and CI and Cstat were unaffected. Both I.V. and inhaled LTB4 increased neutrophil infiltrate in the lung although the water aerosol control did too, preventing us from showing a significant effect with LTB4 aerosol. Indomethacin blocked the airway effects and the hypoxemia after I.V. or aerosolized LTB4 but not the neutrophil infiltrate or the rise in RVSP. It actually enhanced (p less than .05) the rise in MAP after I.V. LTB4. Thus cyclooxygenase released products likely mediated the rise in airway pressure and the prolonged fall in PaO2 after LTB4 in guinea pigs but not the pulmonary and systemic vasoconstriction.
Effect of Influenza Virus Matrix Protein and Viral RNA on Ribonucleoprotein Formation and Nuclear Export

The formation of influenza virus ribonucleoprotein (RNP) is a necessary step in viral assembly and maturation in infected cells, but the mechanism remains incompletely understood. Influenza virus proteins such as matrix (M1) and cellular proteins have been implicated in assembly and transport of RNP. To study the assembly of RNP and the translocation of RNP complexes in cells, RNPs were reconstituted from nucleoprotein (NP), M1, and viral RNA (vRNA) synthesized in vitro. The syntheses were accomplished using specific plasmids in a system coupling transcription and translation under the control of the T7 promoter. The density of the resulting RNP complexes was analyzed by glycerol gradient centrifugation and the morphology was examined by transmission electron microscopy. Protomers of NP self-assembled into circular oligomers regardless of the presence of vRNA or M1. However, helical structures similar in conformation and density to RNPs purified directly from influenza virus were formed only when M1 and vRNA were also present. In the absence of vRNA, no helical structures were formed from NP and M1. The plasmids also contained the CMV promoter, which permitted expression of M1, NP, and vRNA in Madin–Darby canine kidney (MDCK). M1 and NP were both present in the cytoplasm of MDCK also expressing vRNA, but NP was retained in the nucleus of cells expressing M1 without vRNA. Our data demonstrate for the first time that vRNA and M1 together promote the self-assembly of influenza virus NP into the quaternary helical structure typical of the viral RNP. The results also indicate that the interaction of NP with vRNA and M1 in a system devoid of other viral proteins can lead to translocation of RNP from nucleus to cytoplasm.
Fuzzy vector spaces

Abstract Let V denote a vector space over a field F and let A denote a fuzzy subspace of V over a fuzzy subfield K of F . Let X be a fuzzy subset of V such that X ⊆ A and let 〈 X 〉 denote the intersection of all fuzzy subspaces of V over K that contain X and are contained in A . We characterize the fuzzy subspace 〈 X 〉 of A over K . We use this result to introduce the concept of fuzzy freeness of a fuzzy subset X of V and characterize it in terms of linear independence in the usual sense.
New Genetic Insights into Parkinson's Disease

Eight genetic loci are now associated with highly penetrant Parkinson's disease. Dr. Mel B. Feany describes how these findings have led to a general hypothesis of pathogenesis.
Temperature-dependent crystallographic studies and electronic structure of Ba2Cd3Bi4

Abstract The ternary compound Ba 2 Cd 3 Bi 4 crystallizes in the C -centered orthorhombic space group Cmce (No. 64) with its own type (Pearson's symbol oC 36; a =7.019(3) A, b =17.389(7) A and c =9.246(3) A determined at –23 °C). Although the structure of this intermetallic compound with transition metal in d 10 configuration has already been established, details such as the rather unusual coordination of the Cd-atoms and the elongation in specific direction of their anisotropic displacement parameters had not been explained. These facts, along with the higher than 12% R -values from the original structure determination prompted the systematic structural studies by single-crystal X-ray diffraction at several different temperatures. The results from these studies confirm strong temperature dependence of the cadmiums’ anisotropic displacement parameters, concomitant rather large thermal expansion along the crystallographic b -axis. Electronic band structure calculations performed by the TB-LMTO-ASA method are also reported.
HARRY TRUMAN'S RECOGNITION OF ISRAEL

Historiographical accounts of Harry Truman's recognition of Israel have placed undue importance on this apparently sudden act on 14 May 1948. US Palestine policy has not been placed in the correct historical context of the Cold War. As a ‘Cold War consensus’ developed in Washington in the early post-war period, Palestine emerged as a secondary issue to the major concern that was the ‘Northern Tier’ of Greece, Turkey, and Iran. The US was guided by broad but clear objectives in Palestine: the attainment of a peaceful solution, a desire not to implicate US troops, and the denial of the region to the Soviets. Disagreements between the White House and the State Department were all expressed within these broad policy objectives. Israeli sources have been significant by their absence in the existing historiography of recognition. These sources reveal that for the Jewish community in Palestine, diplomatic victories were of secondary importance to the practical achievement of statehood. From both a Washington perspective, and the perspective from Palestine, US recognition was not regarded as a crucial issue at the time. It was a decision taken within the context of broad US objectives in Palestine, and it did not influence the decision of the Yishuv to declare statehood.
DC Casting of Large Sized Ingot of a High Strength 7xxx Alloy under the Influence of Electromagnetic Field

Hot tearing and cold cracks are major defects during direct chill (DC) casting of large sized ingots of high strength aluminium alloys. In order to solve these problems, based on a low frequency electromagnetic casting (LFEC) process, a new technology, electromagnetic casting with the application of an air blade (EMA) was developed. In the present work, this new technology was used to prepare large sized AA7055 aluminium alloy ingots and the effects of the low frequency electromagnetic field and the air blade on macro-physical fields, microstructure and cracking are studied by numerical and experimental methods. The results show that applying an electromagnetic field can modify the flow direction, increase the velocity of melt flow and homogenize the distribution of temperature in the sump. Applying an air blade can homogenize the distribution of temperature and decrease the stress and strain in the solidified ingot. Furthermore, the microstructure of the ingot is refined remarkably and cracking is eliminated by simultaneously applying the electromagnetic field and the air blade during DC casting.
Slow chemical weathering in a semiarid climate: Changes in the mineralogy and geochemistry of subaerial lava flows in the Deschutes River Basin, central Oregon

Abstract The progression of mineral alteration and chemical changes of thirteen pairs of fresh and weathered surficial lava samples from the Deschutes River Basin of central Oregon were studied to understand incipient weathering in a semiarid climate. Samples range from basalt to dacite in composition and Quaternary to late Miocene in age. Only the Tertiary samples showed significant chemical weathering, based on element mobility and mineral alteration. The slight climatic variations between Tertiary outcrop locations (MAP 38–74 cm/yr and MAT of 7.2–7.6 °C) did not correlate with degree of weathering. The susceptibility sequence of phases was determined to be glass > olivine > plagioclase > orthopyroxene > clinopyroxene > Fe–Ti oxides. The older weathered samples have experienced significant leaching of mobile cations (e.g. Ca, Mg, Sr), resulting in a lower calculated weathering index. The Tertiary weathered samples are enriched in REE, particularly LREE, which is attributed to a LREE phosphate found in association with allophane clay mineralization in plagioclase. These samples also have a negative Ce anomaly, likely due to its tetravalent state in oxidizing conditions and subsequent lack of mobility in weathering solutions. Although there is a clear petrographic and chemical distinction between fresh and weathered lavas > 2 Ma, the distinction between fresh and weathered samples is not evident in the Quaternary lavas. Significant element mobility between sample pairs is closely correlated to the breakdown of plagioclase and orthopyroxene and the subsequent secondary mineralization of clays and/or LREE-rich phosphates. With the exception of plagioclase, all the mineral phases in the Deschutes lavas have persistence times or stability of at least one and possibly several orders of magnitude greater than the same phases in soil chronosequences or weathering rinds in more temperate and humid climates. As a result, elemental release rates and silicate fluxes are much lower under semiarid conditions and their role in the global carbon cycle should be examined more closely.
THE CONSEQUENCES OF METAPHYSICS: OR, CAN CHARLES PEIRCE'S CONTINUITY THEORY MODEL STUART KAUFFMAN'S BIOLOGY?

At the heart of the most radical proposals in Stuart Kauffman's Investigations is his attempt to show that we find in evo- lutionary biology some configuration spaces—the sets of possible de- velopments for any given system—that (unlike those in traditional physics of Newtonian, relativistic, and quantum stripes) cannot be completely described in advance. We bring Charles Peirce's work on the philosophy of continuity to bear on the problem and discover, first, that Kauffman's arguments do not succeed; second, that Peirce's metaphysics provide new and sounder arguments for the same propo- sitions; third, that Peirce's rigorous but nonstandard treatment of mathematical continuity shows great promise for modeling the unpredictability and growth we find in evolutionary biology; fourth, that it also strengthens a development only hinted at by biologists thus far—the inevitable involvement of the observer's mind in con- stituting the objects of science. We close with a logical argument for the surprising relevance of metaphysical hypotheses in the natural sciences and with suggestions for future work that will connect these questions to what Kauffman terms the "narrative stance" in biology.
Anatomic and Clinical Analysis of 96 Beall Prostheses Explanted Over a 13-Year Period

Over 13 years, 96 Beall prostheses (80 Teflon, 16 Pyrolite) explanted at surgery were examined for durability, material wear, and clinical symptoms leading to surgical indication for excision were evaluated. The Teflon valves showed progressive disc wear and notching and two cases of disc escape from the cage; the Pyrolite discs were intact in all prostheses. The Dacron-Velour covering common to both types showed dehiscence at the inlet, significantly more severe after the third implant year in the Teflon (p
Early segmental thinning of the left ventricular wall following regional ischemia

To explore possible mechanisms of left ventricular early segmental relaxation, complete occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) was produced in seven open-chest dogs and partial occlusion of the LAD was produced in six open-chest anesthetized dogs. Regional wall thickness was measured both in an ischemic and a normally perfused zone using implanted ultrasonic crystals. Two to three seconds following complete LAD occlusion, thinning of the ischemic wall occurred prematurely during isovolumic relaxation. The extent of premature thinning became more prominent 5 to 10 sec following LAD occlusion. Early thinning of the ischemic wall preceded thinning of the normally perfused wall by 110 +/- 10 msec. Partial occlusion of the LAD produced a 33 +/- 6% reduction of coronary flow and a 23 +/- 4% reduction of systolic wall thickening in the ischemic region. Systolic thickening of the nonischemic wall was unchanged relative to the preocclusion period. Premature early thinning of the mildly ischemic wall preceded thinning of the normally perfused segment by 90 +/- 8 msec. The observation that ischemia can produce segmental early thinning of the ventricular wall may have implications in understanding the mechanism of the angiographic observation of the segmental early relaxation phenomena in patients with coronary artery disease.
Perspective---Administrative Behavior: Laying the Foundations for Cyert and March

A Behavioral Theory of the Firm by Cyert and March (1963) can be interpreted as a culmination of new intellectual directions in the study of organization that began with Herbert Simon's Administrative Behavior (1947). This essay shows how Simon broke with major pre--World War II intellectual traditions and thereby laid the groundwork on which A Behavioral Theory depends. It also suggests the contemporary potential of returning to themes that were set aside by Simon, but were key for prewar pragmatists, such as emphasizing the roles of habit and emotion in organizational action.
Development of a pulsed microwiggler system

Abstract Pulsed microwigglers can develop unusually high magnetic fields with short periods. They find potential applications in compact system that use low energy accelerators that can generate very bright electron beams, and in systems that lase on high harmonics of the fundamental frequency. In the past many of the unique properties of pulsed wigglers have been addressed. In this paper we will concentrate on our solutions to the practical problems that must be solved to make such a device work. Among other topics we will discuss the following: achieving adequate precision in fabrication; controlling quadrupole fields; “trimming” the field after fabrication; providing structural support, cooling, and vacuum; and coupling to the pulsed power supply. Completed microwigglers of our design will be installed in an FEL this summer to lase on the fundamental in the red part of the spectrum and on the third harmonic in the ultraviolet.
Use of dose-response data to compare the skin sensitizing abilities of dicyclohexylmethane-4,4′-diisocyanate and picryl chloride in two animal species☆

Abstract Groups of English smooth-haired guinea pigs and BALB cBy mice were exposed to dicyclohexylmethane-4,4′-diisocyanate (HMDI) and picryl chloride (PiCl) by topical exposure. Guinea pigs were challenged 7 days later by patch testing and responses graded at 24 hr. Application of high doses of each chemical resulted in extensive erythema and a large proportion of animals became sensitized. Lower doses produced less sensitivity. In mice, sensitivity was assessed by extent of ear swelling upon challenge 5 days following the sensitization exposure. In mice, as well as in guinea pigs, a dose-response relationship was apparent between the sensitizing dose and both severity of response and number of animals responding. For mice, comparison of the dose of chemical required to sensitize 50% of the animals (SD50) yielded 0.40 mg/kg for PiCl and approximately 0.20 mg/kg for HMDI. Use of the SD50 should provide a method for assessing the ability of various chemicals to cause contact sensitivity.
Effect of monovalent cations on bovine α- and β thrombin: Importance of substrate structure

The relative ability of bovine alpha- and beta-thrombin to hydrolyze selected anilide and ester substrates in presence and absence of monovalent cations has been evaluated. The hydrolysis of both TosGlyProArgpNA and H-D-PhePipArgpNA by either alpha-thrombin or beta-thrombin is more effective in the presence of 0.1 M NaCl than in the presence of 0.1 M KC1. The hydrolysis of BzArgpNA by alpha-thrombin was less effective in the presence of sodium ions than in the presence of potassium ions. The hydrolysis of this latter substrate by beta-thrombin was similar in the presence of either sodium ions or potassium ions. These results suggest that the ionic composition of the solvent affects that catalytic efficiency of alpha-thrombin and beta-thrombin in different ways dependent on the nature of the substrate.