cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A peptide probe for detection of various beta-amyloid oligomers

Aggregation of β-amyloid (Aβ) is implicated in the pathology of Alzheimer's disease (AD). A considerable amount of data has identified soluble Aβ oligomers as potentially significant toxic agents. Rapid, specific and quantitative detection is preferred for accurate profiling of structurally unstable Aβ oligomers as well as for implementation of high-throughput assays for pharmaceutical applications. PG46 is an engineered Aβ variant, constructed by integrating Aβ self-recognition sequences with the conformation-sensitive biarsenical fluorescent dye, FlAsH. PG46 was found to be an effective peptide probe, which detected Aβ oligomers specifically and quantitatively within one hour. However, PG46 was highly aggregation-prone and displayed a limited repertoire of detectable Aβ oligomers. Here, we report the creation of a novel molecular probe, PG44, by C-terminal truncation of PG46. PG44 exhibited a reduced self-aggregation propensity and a different conformation when compared to PG46, and generated specific FlAsH fluorescence signals as a result of binding to various Aβ oligomers, including those not readily detectable by PG46. We also show that sensitivity of PG44 for detection of certain Aβ oligomers may be increased by lowering PG44 concentration and thus decreasing the extent of self-aggregation of PG44. Our results suggest that PG44 can serve as an important molecular probe with a broadened repertoire of detectable Aβ oligomeric aggregates. We believe that detection of Aβ oligomers using our peptide probe would potentially contribute toward a better understanding of the molecular basis of Aβ oligomerization and the development of Aβ oligomer-based early diagnostics as well as therapeutic drugs targeting Aβ oligomers.
Salt and water intake in Brattleboro rats with hypothalamic diabetes insipidus

Brattleboro rats lacking vasopressin have an elevated plasma osmolality and a stimulated renin-angiotensin system relative to Long-Evans rats (LE). The current studies were performed to elucidate the factors controlling water and salt intake in the Brattleboro rat with diabetes insipidus (DI). DI and LE rats were given the choice of water and saline solutions ranging from 0.1-1.0% to assess palatability, dialyzed with isotonic glucose to test for sodium appetite after sodium depletion, and infused intracranially with an angiotensin II analogue (saralasin) to assess the role of angiotensin II in spontaneous salt and water intake. DI rats exhibited spontaneous salt intake which was not significantly different from LE rats and increased their intake of 3.0% NaCl following sodium depletion, although less reliably than LE rats. A significant proportion of those DI rats not developing a sodium appetite showed attenuation of their diabetes following dialysis. No evidence for involvement of angiotensin II in spontaneous salt and water intake was found.
Olfactory response of Dioryctria abietella (Lepidoptera: Phycitidae) to Slash Pine cones.

Electroantennogram records from Dioryctria abietella (Denis & Schiffermuller) adults of both sexes show strong responses to odors from cones (conelets) of lstyear slash pine, Pinus clliottii Engelmann var. elliottii , and to extracts prepared from conelets. Responses to odors from the basal ⅓ of the conelet are greater than those from the apical or middle portions. These results suggest that both male and female moths may be attracted to trees with suitable oviposition sites. The relatively greater response to odors from the basal portions of the conelets may offer a clue as to where the eggs are actually laid.
A putative flavin electron transport pathway is differentially utilized in Xenopus CRY1 and CRY2

Abstract Xenopus laevis cryptochromes (xCRYs) can suppress xCLOCK/xBMAL1-mediated activation of a period E box-containing promoter. This suppression is a crucial part of the vertebrate circadian oscillator. Similar to CRYs in other species, as well as to the closely related photolyases, xCRYs have a conserved flavin binding domain. We show here that an intact flavin binding domain is required for normal function. However, it appears that each xCRY may utilize the bound flavin differently. Mutation in any of the three conserved tryptophan residues in the putative electron transport chain inhibits xCRY2b function, while only the mutation in the last of the three tryptophans significantly affects xCRY1 function. Although knockout studies in mice have suggested that CRY1 and CRY2 are not totally redundant [1, 2], this is the first time that molecular/biochemical differences between CRY1 and CRY2 have been demonstrated. Both CRYs seem to require an intact flavin binding domain, suggesting that electron transport is important in their ability to suppress CLOCK/BMAL1 activation. However, only xCRY2b appears to depend on electron transport through the conserved tryptophan pathway.
Local governance under Cameroon’s decentralisation regime: is it all sound and fury signifying nothing?

Cameroon like many African countries is currently in the process of decentralising significant functions, previously exercised by the central administration, to local governments. This is in line with the 1996 Constitution, which transformed the country into ‘a decentralised unitary state’ comprising a central government and several ‘autonomous’ sub-national governments. It has taken almost 15 years to translate these constitutional provisions into reality. This article briefly explores the reasons behind the recent push to implement the law on decentralisation and examines in some detail Cameroon’s decentralisation regime. The paper demonstrates that the Cameroonian model on decentralisation combines features of political devolution with generous portions of administrative deconcentration with the result that the end product resembles more a false version of devolution than the real one. It argues that constitutional and legal prescriptions to the contrary, the form of decentralisation favoured by Camero...
The ultrastructure of the human adrenal medulla: with comparative studies of white rat.

There is wide support for the concept that there are two types of secretory cells in adrenal medulla of various species. One cell is filled with electron dense bodies believed to contain norepinephrine; the other cell's lesser stained bodies contain epinephrine. This differential density may be seen by fixation in osmium tetroxide after glutaraldehyde. The two cell types have not been clearly shown in human tissues. Such a failure may be related to fixation. In consideration of this, fresh human adrenal was fixed in cold 1% glutaraldehyde, then 1% osmium tetroxide — a procedure known to give satisfactory differentiation in other species. A parallel study with rat tissue was then done. Electron microscopy revealed two types of cells in rats, while in man an obvious cell difference was not found. There is, however, a clear difference in human chromaffin granule density, which implies that the human cells have random numbers of both light and dark granules. The morphologic difference of the cell types in man may be less distinct than in the rat. Another possibility is that in cells with predominantly dark granules, there are co-mingled lighter granules with the coexistence of cells of opposite dominance. Both hormones then would occur in the same cell in varying proportions according to functional demand. It seems highly unlikely that two distinct cell types would have been overlooked with wide sampling, however, in a study of three adrenal glands, one cannot rule out their existence.
A Survey of Methods for Planning and Analyzing Accelerated Tests

This paper surveys methods for planning and analyzing accelerated life tests. Many of these methods are new and providemore informative results for less time and cost than do previous methods. These methods are of value to all who plan and analyze accelerated tests on any product or material.
On Variable Binding in Connectionist Networks

This paper deals with the problem of variable binding in connectionist networks. Specifically, a more thorough solution to the variable binding problem based on the Discrete Neuron formalism is proposed and a number of issues arising in the solution are examined in relation to logic: consistency checking, binding generation, unification and functions. We analyze what is needed in order to resolve these issues and, based on this analysis, a procedure is developed for systematically setting up connectionist networks for variable binding based on logic rules. This solution compares favorably to similar solutions in simplicity and completeness.
Quantitative electron microscopic analysis of the penetration of VSV into L cells

Abstract Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) has been reported to penetrate L cells both by viropexis and by fusing with the cellular plasma membrane. The procedures used to produce these apparently contradictory results were significantly different. Quantitative electron microscopic methods were used to analyze the effect of these different procedures and the presence or absence of serum on the adsorption and penetration of VSV into L-929 cells. When penetration was analyzed following adsorption in the cold, VSV entered cells almost exclusively by viropexis. There was a quantitative relationship between the disappearance of extracellular attached virus and the appearance of virus in invaginations, and, somewhat later, in small intracellular vacuoles. Fusion was only rarely observed. When the multiplicity was lowered to 10–15 particles per cell, the same findings were obtained. When adsorption was achieved by centrifuging virus-cell mixtures at 18,000 g for 15 min, viropexis was again the predominant mode of penetration, but fusion occurred at a significant level, indicating that centrifugation per se played a role in the incidence of fusion. In all cases, serum reduced the amount of virus adsorbed, but did not affect the mode of penetration.
Reentrant nematic and multiple smectic-A liquid crystals: Intrachain flexibility constraints

A recent new microscopic, molecular statistical-physics theory for the intrachain constraints on the n-alkyl tail-chain flexibility for molecules composed of rigid rodlike cores and n-alkyl tail chains in the smectic-${A}_{1}$, smectic-${A}_{d}$, and nematic (including reentrant nematic) liquid-crystal phases and the isotropic liquid phase is used to calculate relative stabilities as well as various thermodynamic and molecular ordering properties (including odd-even effects) for these phases. The molecules can interact via these site-site intermolecular interactions: hard (steric) repulsions, various Lennard-Jones (LJ) potentials for soft repulsions and London dispersion attractions, and/or dipolar forces (dipole-dipole and dipole\char21{}induced-dipole). The theoretical results in this paper are in significantly better agreement with experiment than are results in earlier papers using older, more approximate theories. The effects of varying pressure, tail-chain flexibility, and intermolecular interactions on the relative stabilities of the multiple smectic-A phases and the reentrant nematic phase are presented. These relative phase stabilities are sensitive to subtle changes in these variables. Predictions and accompanying physical explanations are also made for various systems that have not yet been chemically synthesized and/or studied experimentally.
Metabolism of the hallucinogen N,N-dimethyltryptamine in rat brain homogenates.

Abstract The metabolism of the hallucinogen N , N -dimethyltryptamine (DMT) in whole rat brain homogenate is reported. Studies were conducted using tritiated DMT and DMT- N -oxide (DMT-NO), and metabolites were identified and quantified using thin-layer chromatography and liquid scintillation counting techniques. Metabolite confirmation was obtained by incubation of α,α,β,β-tetradeutero-DMT (DDMT) with whole brain homogenate followed by combined gas chromatographic/mass spectrometric analyses. The metabolites of DMT were identified as indoleacetic acid (IAA), DMT-NO, N -methyltryptamine (NMT), 2-methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-β-carboline (2-MTHBC), tryptamine (TA) and 1,2,3,4- tetrahydro-β-carboline (THBC). DMT-NO was metabolized to give DMT, NMT, IAA and 2-MTHBC. Formation of these metabolites from DMT-NO was stimulated by anaerobic incubation. Mechanisms for the formation of β-carbolines from DMT and DMT-NO are discussed. The effects of the monamine oxidase inhibitor iproniazid phosphate on DMT metabolism were also studied. Iproniazid inhibited the formation of IAA from DMT by 83 per cent. However, the formation of NMT and DMT-NO was inhibited by 90 per cent under these conditions. Thus, the reported extension of half-life and potentiation of DMT behavioral effects by iproniazid may be due to inhibition of NMT and DMT-NO formation rather than inhibition of monoamine oxidase. A cyclic pathway for the synthesis and metabolism of DMT in brain tissue is proposed.
Neptunium(V) Partitioning to Uranium(VI) Oxide and Peroxide Solids

Metaschoepite, [(UO2)8O2(OH)12]·10H2O, and metastudtite, UO4·4H2O, are alteration phases anticipated in a spent nuclear fuel repository following the moist oxidation of UO2 on a geologic time scale. Dissolved concentrations and hence potential mobility of other radionuclides in the fuel, such as the neptunyl cation (NpO2+), will likely be determined by the extent of their partitioning into these U(VI) solids. 237Np is of particular interest due to its potential high mobility and long half-life (2.1 × 106 years.) In this study, metaschoepite has been precipitated and subsequently transformed to studtite in the presence of dissolved Np. The metaschoepite and studtite solids that formed initially contained <10 and 6500 ppm Np, respectively. Batch dissolution studies of these solids at pH 6 demonstrate release of Np that exceeds congruent dissolution of U from metastudtite; furthermore, the released Np cation remains in solution. Thus, although the Np partitions into the metastudtite solid initially, it is re...
A theoretical model for ferroelectric polarization-controlled superconductor devices

Abstract Polarization-controlled superconductor devices could be used as a logic gate or other electronic units such as acoustic sensors, electro-optical transducers and image detectors. Lin and Wu (Appl. Phys. Lett. 65 (8) (1994) 1) have experimentally investigated the I–V characteristics of such a device. In this paper, we propose a theoretical model to calculate the polarization effect on the I–V curves. The polarization effects include the cause of the superconducting-normal state switching and exponential time dependence of the source-drain voltage. We fit the experimental data with the theoretical model. They agree quite well.
Engineering a sustainable world

The author argues that the world's problems (environmental issues, medical epidemics, human poverty etc.) can be solved by using technology. He wonders if people have so completely given up on technology-based solutions to the world's problems that some essential connections have been lost. Why should we just accept these problems as chronic, before we've tried actually solving them? What can we do about the situation? He points out that with our computers, software, and the Internet, we have at our disposal the greatest array of intellectual amplification tools humanity has ever amassed. Our general knowledge base has mushroomed, along with our ability to access it any time, anywhere. We must not give up on ourselves. One person can make a difference; there's a place in this world for smart people to think globally and also to act globally.
Identification of α-Syntrophin Binding to Syntrophin Triplet, Dystrophin, and Utrophin

Syntrophin represents three cytoplasmic components of the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex that links the cytoskeleton to the extracellular matrix in skeletal muscle. α-Syntrophin has now been translated in vitro and shown to associate directly with all three components of the syntrophin triplet and with dystrophin. The in vitro translated 71-kDa non-muscle dystrophin isoform, containing the cysteine-rich/C-terminal domain, can also interact with the syntrophin triplet. The syntrophin binding motif in dystrophin was localized to exons 73 and 74 including amino acids 3447-3481 by comparing the interactions of α-syntrophin and seven overlapping human dystrophin fusion proteins. More than one syntrophin interaction site in this binding motif was suggested. α-Syntrophin also interacts directly with a C-terminal utrophin fusion protein. α-Syntrophin is localized to the muscle sarcolemma as well as to the neuromuscular junction in control mouse muscle. However, similar to utrophin, α-syntrophin is only present at the neuromuscular junction in mdx mouse muscle in which dystrophin is absent. Our data suggest that α-syntrophin binds all syntrophin isoforms, and syntrophin directly interacts with dystrophin through more than one binding site in dystrophin exons 73 and 74 including amino acids 3447-3481.
End-to-end throughput and delay assurances in multihop wireless hotspots

Next generation Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN's) are likely to require multihop wireless connections between mobile nodes and Internet gateways to achieve high data rates from larger distances. The paper addresses the challenges in concurrently providing a wide range of end-to-end throughput and delay assurances in such mobile multihop WLAN hotspots. The proposed solution is based on the Neighborhood Proportional Delay Differentiation (NPDD) service model. With NPDD, Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) based applications achieve their desired throughputs using a dynamic class selection mechanism. This approach integrates well with the NPDD-based end-to-end delay assurance mechanism proposed earlier. The integrated throughput and delay assurance mechanisms are evaluated with simulations. To better model the node mobility in a multihop hotspot, the Public Hotspot Mobility (PHM) model is proposed. Simulation results show that the proposed solution is better in meeting the desired throughputs and delays as compared with best effort and strict priority approaches.
Anoxia followed by hyperoxia: In vivo 31-P NMR of cat brain

In vivo 31P NMR spectroscopy was performed on a cat brain subjected to an extended period of anoxia followed by restoration of oxygen. High energy phosphate spectra were continuously obtained and pH measured. Following the onset of anoxia, phosphocreatine and ATP peaks decreased with a concomitant increase in inorganic phosphate. Following 34 min ventilation on 100% N2, the animal was ventilated on 100% O2. The spectral content progressively changed, inorganic phosphate decreased and ATP increased with the spectrum closely resembling that of control. Our results suggest that the absence of NMR detectable ATP signal cannot be interpreted as an irreversable change in cellular metabolic function.
Caring for Those Who Serve in the Stormy Present: Introduction to the Special Issue on Treating Military Personnel and Their Dependents

Springsteen (2005) in a mournful tribute, Devils and Dust, wrote, ‘‘And I’m just trying to survive. What if what you do to survive kills the things you love.’’ This profound lyric speaks to the emotional toll combat takes on veterans. Current operations in Iraq and Afghanistan reflect unique stressors for both the service personnel and their dependents. The combat theatre is radically different from previous conflicts. Lengths of deployment are longer and more unpredictable. Troops and their families are challenged to cope with many severe stressors. Veterans return from their tours of duty emotionally changed from their experiences. Sadly, many military veterans return home with physical and emotional injuries. The emotional wounds often take the form of Post Traumatic Stress, depression, anxiety, and substance abuse. The emotional toll frequently tears at the fabric of marital and familial relationships. While many returning troops seeks services from the Veteran’s Administration and other military resources, the civilian clinical community must also ready itself for a burgeoning population of adults, couples, families, and children psychologically impacted by combat operations. Sammons and Batten (2008) commented ‘‘…we are truly at an epochal moment in developing our understanding of the psychological sequelae of war.’’ This special issue ideally expands the behavioral health community’s knowledge base and scope of interventions to help individuals, couples, and families deal with the emotional effects of serving during combat operations. It is our professional pleasure to co-edited these fine contributions and to introduce these timely and compelling articles to the journal’s
Non-optimality of a linear combination of proportional and non-proportional reinsurance

Abstract For the subclass of reinsurance contracts with maximum deductible contained in the class of all bivariate comonotonic risk-exchange structures associated to a given risk, we consider optimality with respect to a long-term actuarial mean self-financing property and competitiveness of the insurance premium. For arbitrary varying risks, the linear combination of proportional and stop-loss reinsurance is not optimal unless it is a pure stop-loss contract, at least if the variance premium principle is used to set insurance prices. By known distribution of the risk, it is shown how an optimal deductible of a stop-loss contract can be determined. Some applications to insurance and finance are briefly mentioned.
Thin-layer chromatography of steroidal sapogenins.

Abstract The application of thin-layer chromatography to the separation of mixtures of steroidal sapogenins and their esters has been investigated. Not only sapogenins differing in the number and kind of polar groups, but also those differing in A/B ring junction and in configuration of hydroxyl and C-25 methyl groups have been resolved. A rapid method for partition chromatography on thin layers of Kieselguhr G was developed. Mixed silica gel-kieselguhr layers were also found useful, as was a method for acylating hydroxyl groups directly on the thin-layer plate.
State configuration controller for network centric organizational at-system level testing

Advanced diagnostic reasoners are being developed to make use of Bayesian fault probability distributions, experiential learning algorithms and actual net centric historical failure data to change dynamically or optimize the testing sequence. What is not covered is how also to reconfigure dynamically the system or unit under test and the test equipment from its present state to the state required for the desired test. This issue is especially acute in organizational level at-system testing where there can be a large number of possible states for the system under test and test hook ups when compared to Intermediate or Depot level Line Replaceable Unit (LRU) and/or board testing. At-system diagnostics refers to testing and diagnosis performed on electro-mechanical equipment right at the unit. Faults are typically isolated to the LRU level. At-system diagnostics can be embedded in the weapon system, hosted on a portable computer, or a combination of the two. The Army's primary piece of equipment used to facilitate this type of testing is a Maintenance Support Device (MSD), a ruggedized laptop computer. When combined with weapon system specific at-system diagnostics hardware (cables, test adapters, etc.) and software, the Test Program Set (TPS) enables comprehensive maintenance and diagnostic capabilities. This paper will describe work performed by the U.S. Army Automated Test Systems Division (ATSD) at the Armament Research Development & Engineering Center (ARDEC) at Picatinny Arsenal, NJ to design and implement a model based State Configuration Controller. How this solution can be used with any or even multiple reasoners, provided the proper interface is implemented, will also be discussed.
Contribution of job strain, job status and marital status to laboratory and ambulatory blood pressure in patients with mild hypertension

The effects of job strain, occupational status, and marital status on blood pressure were evaluated in 99 men and women with mild hypertension. Blood pressure was measured during daily life at home and at work over 15 h of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. On a separate day, blood pressure was measured in the laboratory during mental stress testing. As expected, during daily life, blood pressure was higher at work than at home. High job strain was associated with elevated systolic blood pressure among women, but not men. However, both men and women with high status occupations had significantly higher blood pressures during daily life and during laboratory mental stress testing. This was especially true for men, in that men with high job status had higher systolic blood pressures than low job status men. Marital status also was an important moderating variable, particularly for women, with married women having higher ambulatory blood pressures than single women. During mental stress testing, married persons had higher systolic blood pressures than unmarried individuals. These data suggest that occupational status and marital status may contribute even more than job strain to variations in blood pressure during daily life and laboratory testing.
Derek Walcott’s Odysseys

The first work that Derek Walcott published after Omeros (1990) was his Stage Version of the Odyssey (1993). Omeros itself, though, is an Odyssey-like poem of homecoming. The shape of Omeros, which is framed by books that take place in St. Lucia but gives over its narration in its middle books to an account of its hero’s wanderings, is Odyssean in structure. This article explores the relationship between Omeros, an Odyssey-like poem of homecoming, and Walcott’s version of the Odyssey. It argues that Walcott uses the different nature of each work’s relationship to the Greek intertext to explore aspects of that Greek text that are in tension with each other. While Omeros appears, for the most part, to explicitly ignore the Odyssey, it tells a story of return and homecoming that is very much informed by it. Walcott’s Odyssey, on the other hand, goes back explicitly to the Homeric Odyssey but centers on an Odysseus who is ambivalent about returning home and still driven by the lures of wandering. The two works complement each other and offer a reading of Homer’s poem in which home and away are two halves of the same whole.
MEASUREMENT OF TENSILE FORCES IN A SEVEN-WIRE PRESTRESSING STRAND USING STRESS WAVES

This paper presents a nondestructive, stress wave technique to evaluate prestress levels in posttensioned seven-wire strands. Seven-wire steel strands are widely used in various types of prestressed concrete structures. Both experimental measurements and theoretical analysis were conducted. A commonly used 12.7 mm diameter seven-wire prestressing strand was studied. Tensile forces up to 111.2 kN were applied to the strand. A numerical analysis was conducted by accounting for acoustoelasticity effects and the dispersion of waves to calculate the prestress levels in the strands. This analysis provides a successful description of the behavior of a longitudinal transient wave traveling through a long, prestressed, circular strand. The calculation correlates well with experimental observations. The results indicate that the time of flight of the stress waves can be related to the tension level in the strand. Change of wave velocities at different stress levels was evaluated, and the technique's accuracy is discussed. This technique can provide an efficient nondestructive measurement of stress retension levels in posttensioned steel strands.
Estimating the population median by nomination sampling.

Abstract In nomination sampling, the largest values from several independent random samples (nominees) are rank ordered, and an estimate of the population median is formed by interpolating between two of these order statistics. The resulting estimate compares favorably to the sample median of a simple random sample from the same population. When historical data sets retain only extreme values, nomination sampling may offer the only practical way to estimate the population median. The approach may also be useful when potential survey respondents will only participate if they can actively influence the selection of cases for analysis.
COMMUTER BEHAVIOR ON CALIFORNIA STATE ROUTE 91 AFTER INTRODUCING VARIABLE-TOLL EXPRESS LANES

In December 1995, four new variable-toll express lanes were added to the median of a 16-km segment of California State Route 91 (SR-91). For those willing to pay the tolls, the new lanes provide an option to bypass congestion on the regular lanes. A special provision has initially allowed three-plus occupant vehicles to travel the congestion-free facility free of charge. A telephone survey of SR-91 travelers taken in fall 1996 provides insight as to how peak-period, peak-direction work commuters have responded to the new express lanes. Responses of 324 interviewed commuters are analyzed for changes in ridesharing, trends in express lane use, and differences in travel behavior among various socioeconomic groups. This research is important because public concern about fairness is a significant obstacle to the implementation of lane pricing. Two approaches are used to analyze changes in ridesharing and express lane usage. One approach focuses on usual travel behavior; the other focuses on the most recent wor...
High School Biology Students' Transfer of the Concept of Natural Selection: A Mixed-Methods Approach.

The concept of natural selection serves as a foundation for understanding diverse biological concepts and has broad applicability to other domains. However, we know little about students’ abilities to transfer (i.e. apply to a new context or use generatively) this concept and the relation between students’ conceptual understanding and transfer ability. Consequently, the purposes of this study were to describe the patterns of transfer displayed by high school biology students learning about natural selection over time, evaluate their overall level of success at transferring the concept across knowledge domains and examine the relation between conceptual understanding and level of transfer of the concept. Transfer ability and conceptual understanding were assessed using open-response items administered to 138 students in the United States. Based on the responses to these items, we identified particular patterns of surface and deep-level transfer and found that deep-level transfer was uncommon. Further, we f...
Bios, a process approach to living system theory. In honour of James and Jessie Miller

Living systems provide a model for nature because the continuity of evolution requires that the same fundamental forms must be expressed at all levels of organization. Studying heartbeat patterns, we found a new type of process—bios. Bios has now been found in a wide variety of processes including biological, meteorological, economic time series and the evolution of galactic distribution, the paradigmatic case of creation. Bios is defined by three measurable properties—diversification, novelty and nonrandom complexity—that characterize it as creative, and differentiate it from random, periodic and chaotic series. Bios seemingly resembles noise but it is generated causally rather than stochastically. Bios can be generated mathematically by bipolar feedback, a newly described process that we conjecture is a generator of creative phenomena at all levels of organization. Varying the degree of diversity and symmetry generates different types of biotic series, including homeobios that models homeostatic cardiac series and parabios that resembles nonstationary economic processes. Computer experiments also show the role of energy, symmetry and diversity in the generation of bios. This suggests ways to foster creativity. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
DEALING WITH FEELING: THE INFLUENCE OF OUTCOME REPRESENTATIONS ON NEGOTIATION

The present study extends recently‐acquired knowledge about the affective aspects of negotiations by examining the effects of defining negotiation outcomes in affective terms rather than numeric terms. Using a 2 x 2 experimental design, the researchers represented the negotiation outcomes in four different ways: happy faces, unhappy faces, positive numbers, and negative numbers. The results indicate that representing outcomes in affective terms leads to longer negotiation times and higher impasse rates. In addition, participants whose outcomes were represented as happy faces reported the highest levels of emotional involvement, the lowest levels of cooperation and trust, and most frequently experienced negative emotions. Emotional involvement and negative emotions also helped explain differences in negotiation time and individual outcomes over and above the effects of the experimental manipulations. The implications of these results for negotiation research are discussed.
Relations between joint torque, motion, and electromyographic patterns at the human elbow

Voluntary movements may be considered kinematic actions resulting from the neural control patterns that activate the motoneuron pools. One school of thought proposes that specific features of the intended kinematic trajectory such as the duration of acceleration are used by the central nervous system to plan muscle activation patterns. Our own experience suggests that it is the intended force trajectory that is directed by muscle activation patterns. Although under many circumstances these two approaches lead to indistinguishable behavior patterns, examples of movements that are incompatible with the former but not the latter approach are presented in this manuscript.
Allosteric Interactions between the Myristate- and ATP-Site of the Abl Kinase

Abl kinase inhibitors targeting the ATP binding pocket are currently employed as potent anti-leukemogenic agents but drug resistance has become a significant clinical limitation. Recently, a compound that binds to the myristate pocket of Abl (GNF-5) was shown to act cooperatively with nilotinib, an ATP-competitive inhibitor to target the recalcitrant “T315I” gatekeeper mutant of Bcr-Abl. To uncover an explanation for how drug binding at a distance from the kinase active site could lead to inhibition and how inhibitors could combine their effects, hydrogen exchange mass spectrometry (HX MS) was employed to monitor conformational effects in the presence of both dasatinib, a clinically approved ATP-site inhibitor, and GNF-5. While dasatinib binding to wild type Abl clearly influenced Abl conformation, no binding was detected between dasatinib and T315I. GNF-5, however, elicited the same conformational changes in both wild type and T315I, including changes to dynamics within the ATP site located approximately 25 A from the site of GNF-5 interaction. Simultaneous binding of dasatinib and GNF-5 to T315I caused conformational and/or dynamics changes in Abl such that effects of dasatinib on T315I were the same as when it bound to wild type Abl. These results provide strong biophysical evidence that allosteric interactions play a role in Abl kinase downregulation and that targeting sites outside the ATP binding site can provide an important pharmacological tool to overcome mutations that cause resistance to ATP-competitive inhibitors.
Intestinal antigen-presenting cells in mucosal immune homeostasis: Crosstalk between dendritic cells, macrophages and B-cells

The intestinal immune system maintains a delicate balance between immunogenicity against invading pathogens and tolerance of the commensal microbiota. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) involves a breakdown in tolerance towards the microbiota. Dendritic cells (DC), macrophages (MΦ) and B-cells are known as professional antigen-presenting cells (APC) due to their specialization in presenting processed antigen to T-cells, and in turn shaping types of T-cell responses generated. Intestinal DC are migratory cells, unique in their ability to generate primary T-cell responses in mesenteric lymph nodes or Peyer's patches, whilst MΦ and B-cells contribute to polarization and differentiation of secondary T-cell responses in the gut lamina propria. The antigen-sampling function of gut DC and MΦ enables them to sample bacterial antigens from the gut lumen to determine types of T-cell responses generated. The primary function of intestinal B-cells involves their secretion of large amounts of immunoglobulin A, which in turn contributes to epithelial barrier function and limits immune responses towards to microbiota. Here, we review the role of all three types of APC in intestinal immunity, both in the steady state and in inflammation, and how these cells interact with one another, as well as with the intestinal microenvironment, to shape mucosal immune responses. We describe mechanisms of maintaining intestinal immune tolerance in the steady state but also inappropriate responses of APC to components of the gut microbiota that contribute to pathology in IBD.
Eliade, phenomenology, and the sacred

The purpose of this article is to clarify some of the areas considered most problematic in Mircea Eliade's approach to religion. One of its principal goals is to show that Eliade's method is primarily phenomenological rather than theological, as some interpreters of his work maintain. In presenting this phenomenological interpretation of Eliade four areas of his approach are addressed: (1) the extent to which it incorporates historical method; (2) the meaning of religion as sui generis and irreducible; (3) Eliade's use of the term ‘sacred’; and (4) Eliade's hierarchalizing of religious phenomena. Eliade's departure from phenomenology to explain the causes of religious experience is also addressed.
Adoptive immunotherapy with peripheral blood lymphocytes cocultured in vitro with autologous tumor cells and interleukin-2.

A clinical trial of adoptive immunotherapy was carried out with peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL), cocultured in vitro with autologous tumor cells and interieukin-2 (IL-2), in 14 patients with advanced melanoma. PBL from these patients were cocultured with irradiated autologous tumor cells for 7 days, which was followed by expansion in IL-2-containing medium. These lymphocytes were returned to the patient along with intravenous IL-2 at doses up to 2×106 IU m−2 day−1. A dose of 300 mg/m2 cyclophosphamide was administered to each patient intravenously 4 days prior to each treatment. Following coculture, the lymphocytes were primarily CD3+ T cells and they expressed varied degrees of cytotoxicity against autologous melanoma cells. In 9 patients the activated cells were al least 80% CD4+ and in 2 cases they were mostly CD8+. Some of the activated cells exhibited suppressor or helper activity in a functional regulatory coculture assay. No major therapeutic response was observed in this study. Minor responses were observed in 2 patients. Toxicities were those expected from the IL-2 dose administered.
Human apo A-I in transgenic mice is more efficient in activating lecithin: cholesterol acyltransferase than mouse apo A-I

This study shows that, in control and transgenic mice, there is a parallel increase in LCAT activity and plasma apo A-I concentrations during postnatal development. We also demonstrate that human apo A-I is a much more efficient activator (1.6-fold) of mouse LCAT activity than mouse apo A-I. We propose that the differences in amino acid sequence between human and mouse apo A-I may account for the higher LCAT activity with human apo A-I.
We care a lot: Formative research for a social marketing campaign to promote school-based recycling

Abstract A city environmental services department aimed to increase recycling in city schools. This study serves as formative research to assist the ESD staff's efforts to encourage pro-recycling knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors to city junior high and high school students. Using a social marketing framework, a review of the literature on antecedents to recycling behavior with a particular focus on adolescents is presented. Based on seven focus groups (total participants N = 62) conducted with adolescents attending city junior high and high school, this study presents formative research findings demonstrating adolescent knowledge, attitudes and behaviors toward recycling. Four recommendations are made: consistent and accessible recycling infrastructure must be in place, an improvement in adolescents’ knowledge of what is and what is not recyclable is important, adult advocates should consider a two-step flow approach using adolescents to promote recycling to adults rather than enhancing adolescent concern for social acceptance, and finally, adolescents may be more globally minded and future-oriented than adults may presume them to be.
The effect of prostaglandin D2 on angiotensin converting enzyme

Abstract Intravenous administration of prostaglandin D 2 (2, 4 and 8 μg/kg) in the rat resulted in a dose-dependent decrease in arterial pressure with partial recovery occurring during the course of the experiment. Hematocrit and hemoglobin decreased in all groups, probably related to the blood withdrawal and volume replacement. Increase in serum glucose is not specific to prostaglandin D 2 and a progressive increase occurred even in the vehicle controls. Despite the fact that arterial pressure decreased with the injection of this prostanoid, angiotensin-converting enzyme did not change significantly. The results of this study demonstrate no association between the administration of prostaglandin D 2 and angiotensin-converting enzyme within the concentrations we have used in these experiments.
Investigating the work ability of older employees

Designing work tasks and work environments that are appropriate for aging employees has become a growing area of interest in the United States and many European countries. Demographic indicators suggest a significant increase in the number of older employees composing the future working population. Research indicates that most workers experience a decline in work ability as they age if no measures for maintaining work ability are taken (Ilmarinen, 1995). However, to evaluate characteristics of this decline in the work ability of older workers, age-related changes in performance capabilities must be identified. Therefore, the work ability index developed by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health was used to assess the work ability of university employees. Reference values listed in the work ability index compiled from an extensive Finnish follow-up study were used to compare the work ability of university employees who ranged from 50 to 55 years of age. Work ability values of the university employees were slightly higher than the reference values developed from previous research studies.
Ureterocystoplasty with preservation of ipsilateral renal function.

Abstract Recently the ureter has been used for bladder augmentation in selected patients with abnormal bladders and dilated upper tracts. The ureter has several advantages over other forms of bladder augmentation because it alleviates electrolyte disturbances, mucous production, and the disruption of the gastrointestinal tract. Initial reports emphasized the use of the entire ureter and renal pelvis in patients with an ipsilateral dilated nonfunctioning renal unit. Herein the authors report five cases of ureterocystoplasties performed since July 1993, in which the ipsilateral renal unit was preserved. All patients underwent preoperative videourodynamic studies, which showed small-for-age bladder capacity and poor compliance. Three patients underwent unilateral uretorocystoplasty, and two had bilateral ureterocystoplasty. Transureteroureterostomy (TUU) was performed in all patients, and most of the ipsilateral dilated ureter was used for augmentation. In two patients who had partial unilateral duplication, ipsilateral upper-to-lower ureteropy-elostomy was done in addition to the TUU to maximize the amount of ureter available for augmentation. The follow-up period ranges from 6 to 24 months. All patients are continent and free of vesicoureteral reflux. All show stabilization or improvement of their upper tracts. Pressure-specific bladder capacity (bladder capacity at 30 cm of water pressure) increased by 350% (from a mean 142 mL to 500 mL). The ureter is an excellent choice for augmentation cystoplasty in selected patients. An ipsilateral functioning renal unit is not a contraindication for ureterocystoplasty.
On estimation of conditional density models with two-phase sampling

Suppose that the conditional density of a response variable given a vector of explanatory variables is parametrically modelled, and that data are collected by a two-phase sampling design. First, a simple random sample is drawn from the population. The stratum membership in a finite number of strata of the response and explanatory variables is recorded for each unit. Second, a subsample is drawn from the phase-one sample such that the selection probability is determined by the stratum membership. The response and explanatory variables are fully measured at this phase. We synthesize existing results on nonparametric likelihood estimation and present a streamlined approach for the computation and the large sample theory of profile likelihood in four different situations. The amount of information in terms of data and assumptions varies depending on whether the phase-one data are retained, the selection probabilities are known, and/or the stratum probabilities are known. We establish and illustrate numerically the order of efficiency among the maximum likelihood estimators, according to the amount of information utilized, in the four situations.
Resident Participation Does Not Affect Surgical Outcomes, Despite Introduction of New Techniques

Background Surgical operations at academic medical centers typically involve a resident physician performing cases together with, and/or under the supervision of, an attending physician. Although this is a widely accepted practice, recent emphasis on patient safety has led to scrutiny about this educational model. There are few studies evaluating whether complication rates, independent of patient risk factors, are affected by resident participation in operations. Study Design We identified 295 patients (590 breasts) who had undergone bilateral reduction mammoplasty led by a single attending surgeon between October 1, 1997 and September 30, 2008 at the University of Michigan Health System. In all cases, the attending operated on the right breast and the resident operated on the left breast under the supervision of the attending, allowing each patient to act as their own control. Their charts were retrospectively reviewed and major complications were defined as those requiring either an operation or hospitalization to treat. Results Twenty-three patients (7.8%) had a major complication after their breast reduction. Ten of these complications occurred in the left breast, 9 in the right breast, and 4 in both breasts. Statistical analysis revealed no differences in major complication rates between the side operated on with the primary surgeon being the resident versus the attending (4.7% versus 4.4%; p=1.00). Conclusions In the context of this single surgical operation, resident participation does not substantially affect major complication rates. The common residency training paradigm provides clinical experience and supervision without necessarily impacting patient safety. Analysis of additional operations in different settings will be necessary.