cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characterization of DNA lesions produced by HgCl2 in cell culture systems

Abstract HgCl 2 is extremely cytotoxic to Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells in culture since a 1-h exposure to a 75-μM concentration of this compound reduced cell plating efficiency to 0 and cell growth was completely inhibited at 7.5 μM. The level of HgCl 2 toxicity depended upon the culture incubation medium and has previously been shown to be inversely proportional to the extracellular concentration of metal chelating amino acids such as cysteine. Thus, HgCl 2 toxicity in a minimal salts/glucose maintenance medium was about 10-fold greater than the toxicity in McCoy's culture medium. The HgCl 2 toxicity in the latter medium was 3-fold greater than that in α-MEM which contains more of the metal chelating amino acids. When cells were exposed to HgCl 2 there was a rapid and pronounced induction of single strand breaks in the DNA at time intervals and concentrations that paralleled the cellular toxicity. The DNA damage was shown to be true single strand breaks and not alkaline sensitive sites or double strand breaks by a variety of techniques. Consistent with the toxicity of HgCl 2 , the DNA damage under an equivalent exposure situation was more pronounced in the salts/glucose than in the McCoy's medium and more striking in the latter medium than in α-MEM. Most of the single strand breaks occurred within 1 h of exposure to the metal. We believe that the DNA damage caused by HgCl 2 leads to cell death because the DNA single strand breaks are not readily repaired. DNA repair activity measured by CsCl density gradient techniques was elevated above the untreated levels at HgCl 2 concentrations that produced little measurable binding of the metal to DNA or few single strand breaks assessed by the alkaline elution procedure. DNA repair activity decreased at HgCl 2 concentrations that produced measurable DNA binding and single strand breaks. These irreversible interactions of HgCl 2 with DNA may be responsible for its cytotoxic action in cells.
Laser reflections from surgical instruments.

The potential hazards to the eye and skin from accidental exposures caused by reflected laser beams from surgical instruments has long been of concern to operating room staff members. Reflectance values for argon neodymium:YAG and CO2 laser wavelengths were measured from 29 reference surfaces used on surgical instruments. From these measurements, nominal hazard zones could be determined for typical reflection hazards. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Polarization multiplexed fluorescence enhancer using a pixelated one-dimensional photonic band gap structure

Fluorescence enhancement using photonic crystals can produce a significant improvement in the signal-to-noise ratio for single molecule and low molecule-concentration fluorescence imaging in biological and biochemical studies. In this Letter, a pixelated one-dimensional photonic band gap structure was designed to enhance both transverse electric and transverse magnetic polarizations through a spatially multiplexed photonic crystal resonance. The average enhancement of 15.6 and 17.9 fold were experimentally verified for the transverse and longitudinal fields on the same substrate. This device may be used as an optical platform for molecular orientation determination.
Drink coca-cola, eat popcorn, and choose powerade: testing the limits of subliminal persuasion

Research by marketing/advertising scholars has yielded anything but definitive results when testing whether subliminal advertising is capable of persuading consumers. Recent research in social cognition has provided impressive evidence that subliminally priming brand names affects individuals’ attitudes, choices, and behaviors. In the spirit of replication and boundary-condition testing, we conducted three studies to examine whether subliminally priming brand names remains successful under more realistic marketplace conditions. Study 1 pits an underdog brand against a market share leader and demonstrates that subliminal priming significantly influences purchase intentions when consumers are in an active thirst state. Study 2 examines the boundary conditions of this effect on brand choice in a simulated store environment and also obtains a significant priming effect when consumers are in an active thirst state. However, this effect is nullified in study 3 that is structurally parallel to study 2 but which adds a 15-min time delay between the prime and the choice task. The resultant null effect questions the ability of subliminal priming to persuade consumers under more realistic marketplace conditions.
Measurements of near-ultimate strength for multiwalled carbon nanotubes and irradiation-induced crosslinking improvements.

The excellent mechanical properties of carbon nanotubes are being exploited in a growing number of applications from ballistic armour to nanoelectronics. However, measurements of these properties have not achieved the values predicted by theory due to a combination of artifacts introduced during sample preparation and inadequate measurements. Here we report multiwalled carbon nanotubes with a mean fracture strength >100 GPa, which exceeds earlier observations by a factor of approximately three. These results are in excellent agreement with quantum-mechanical estimates for nanotubes containing only an occasional vacancy defect, and are ∼80% of the values expected for defect-free tubes. This performance is made possible by omitting chemical treatments from the sample preparation process, thus avoiding the formation of defects. High-resolution imaging was used to directly determine the number of fractured shells and the chirality of the outer shell. Electron irradiation at 200 keV for 10, 100 and 1,800 s led to improvements in the maximum sustainable loads by factors of 2.4, 7.9 and 11.6 compared with non-irradiated samples of similar diameter. This effect is attributed to crosslinking between the shells. Computer simulations also illustrate the effects of various irradiation-induced crosslinking defects on load sharing between the shells. The mechanical properties of carbon nanotubes rarely match the values predicted by theory owing to a combination of artefacts introduced during sample preparation and inadequate measurements. However, by avoiding chemical treatments and using high-resolution imaging, it is possible to obtain values of the mean fracture strength that exceed previous values by approximately a factor of three.
Evidence for a unique mechanism of strand transfer from the transactivation response region of HIV-1.

Abstract We previously found that strand transfer by human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) reverse transcriptase (RT) is promoted at sites where RT pauses during synthesis. In this report, strand transfer is measured within the 5′ transactivation response region (TAR) of HIV-1 RNA. We hypothesized that the stable hairpin structure of TAR would induce RT pausing, promoting RNase H-directed cleavage of the template and subsequent transfer at that site. We further predicted that HIV-1 nucleocapsid protein (NC), known to melt secondary structures, would decrease transfer. We show that TAR created a strong pause site for RT, but NC significantly promoted strand transfer. The effect of NC is specific, since other single strand binding proteins failed to stimulate transfer. In another unexpected outcome, preferred positions of internal transfer were not at the pause site but were in the upper stem and loop of TAR. Thus, we propose a new mechanism for transfer within TAR described by an interactive hairpin model, in which association between the donor and the acceptor templates within the TAR stem promotes transfer. The model is consistent with the observed stimulation of strand transfer by NC. The model is applicable to internal and replicative end transfer.
THE CATATONIC SYNDROME

Catatonia is often automatically assumed to be a subtype of schizophrenia. This paper proposes that it be considered as a syndrome with various possible causes. Physicians are advised to be aware of potentially serious organic illnesses which may underlie the catatonic syndrome.
Repeated pemoline produces self-injurious behavior in adult and weanling rats.

Abstract Self-injurious behavior (SIB) is a serious problem among the mentally handicapped and is often accompanied by other repetitive or stereotyped behaviors. Acute administration of high doses of amphetamine or pemoline to rats produces transient SIB which is accompanied by severe deterioration of the behavioral repertoire. Repeated subcutaneous (SC) administration of pemoline to rats produces a high incidence of SIB without the dramatic behavioral changes produced by high doses of oral pemoline. Repeated pemoline increased locomotions and rears and produced intermittent stereotyped sniffing and licking/biting. However, the animals were still able to eat, drink, sleep and groom. Hotplate tests provided no evidence for analgesia. Because SIB is often associated with human developmental disorders, the effect of repeated SC adminstration of pemoline to weanling rats was also investigated. SC injections every 12 hours produced a high rate of SIB in weanling rats.
Cognitive Function and Fine Motor Outcomes in Extremely Premature us Children at Age 5 Years: A Longitudinal Study

Background and Aims: The prevalence of extreme prematurity at birth has increased, but little research has examined its impact on developmental outcomes. This study examined the effect of extreme prematurity on kindergarteners' cognitive function and fine motor skills.
Some mathematical aspects of the diagnostic process. II. A mathematical model of electrocardiographic diagnosis.

In a previous paper ( Bartholomay, 1971 ), a general mathematical model of the medical diagnostic process was described. The present paper amounts to a realization of that process in terms of conventional 12-lead electrocardiographic diagnosis as enunciated by Dr. Harold D. Levine (1966) in the course of a collaborative study by Dr. Levine and the present author at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital of the Harvard Medical School between 1963 and 1966. The main details of the cognitive component of that model are described in detail here. The model has been programmed onto a computer system consisting of an analog-digital converter and general purpose digital computer and amounts to a simulation of Dr. Levine's electrocardiographic analysis procedure.
Discrete lattice efFects on breathers in a spatially linear potential

summary, we have generalized the Hirota method to include a spatially linear, time dependent external field.We have presented an exact breather solution, which is,in the potential-free case, a discrete generalization of the Satsuma-Yajima continuum solution starting with twoidentical solitons riding on each other with a coinciding center. Unlike the continuum breather in a spatially lin-ear, static potential, which remains the same coherent structure as that in the potential-free case, but with its center executing a parabolic motion in time, the discretebreather will evolve into two spatially separate, coherent structures whose motions are individually bounded. Wepoint out that this breakup is a general discrete eAect onbreathers in the presence of the external potential. [1] For example, Future Directions of Nonlinear Dynamics inPhysical 6 Biological Systems, special issue of Physica 68D (1993), and also in Vol. 312 of NATO ASI Series B, edited by P.L. Christiansen, 3. C. Eilbeck, and
Maturation of medical student musculoskeletal medicine knowledge and clinical confidence.

Purpose: Despite the prevalence of musculoskeletal (MSK) disorders, the degree to which medical schools are providing students the knowledge and confidence to treat these problems is unclear. This study evaluated MSK knowledge in second and fourth year medical students using a newly developed written assessment tool and examined the maturation of clinical confidence in treating core MSK disorders. Methods: Over a 3-year period, the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) MSK subject examination consisting of 75 items was administered to 568 second and fourth year students at a single institution. Students were also asked to rate their confidence in treating a selection of medicine/pediatric and MSK clinical scenarios on a 5-point Likert scale. Results: Participation rate was 98%. The NBME MSK assessment score was 59.2±10.6 for all second year medical students and 69.7±9.6 for all fourth year medical students. There was a significant increase in NBME scores between the second and fourth years ( p <0.0001). Students were more confident in treating internal medicine/pediatric conditions than MSK medicine conditions ( p =0.001). Confidence in treating MSK medicine conditions did not improve between the second and fourth years ( p =0.41). Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first study to report increased MSK medicine knowledge as measured by a standardized examination after completing medical school core clinical rotations. Despite increased MSK knowledge, low levels of MSK clinical confidence among graduating students were noted. Further research is needed to determine the factors that influence MSK knowledge and clinical confidence in medical students. Keywords: NBME musculoskeletal subject exam; musculoskeletal clinical scenarios (Published: 23 July 2012) Citation: Med Educ Online 2012, 17 : 17092 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/meo.v17i0.17092
Self-Directed Attention, Self-Esteem, and Causal Attributions for Valenced Outcomes

Previous research concerned with whether self-directed attention increases self-attributions has produced inconclusive findings. The present research sought to clarify the issue by proposing that the effects of self-directed attention on causal judgments depend upon the match between the valence of the to-be-explained outcome and the attributer's self-esteem. For positively valued outcomes, it was predicted that self-directed attention would increase self-attributions among individuals with high self-esteem, but decrease self-attributions among individuals with low self-esteem. Conversely, for negatively valued outcomes it was predicted that self-directed attention would decrease self-attributions among persons with high self-esteem, but increase self-attributions among persons with low self-esteem. In two investigations, the predictions for positive outcomes were confirmed with respect to both situationally and dispositionally based variations in attentional focus. However, no effects were found regarding attributions for negative outcomes. Implications of the findings for self-awareness theory are discussed.
Data Analysis and Subject Representation in Empowering Composition Research

Data analysis and representation are important political acts in the research process. The types of data we select for study, the analysis we draw, and our textual and graphic representations of data all contribute to the ways in which the people involved in our research are positioned as subjects and the degree of individual and collective agency that can be constructed through the research process itself. It is because of the potential effects of our research on others that we need to demystify the research we do through laying bare our epistemological positions and opening our methods and methodologies to public criticism. Further, in the case of empowering research, it is important to include the research participants in the development of our research projects. This necessitates explorations into postmodern conceptions of subjectivity, knowledge formation, collaboration, and resistance as they relate to empirical research as well as redefining notions of validity and reliability.
Aircraft Handling Qualities and Pilot-Induced Oscillation Tendencies with Actuator Saturation

A pilot/vehicle analysis technique is offered that can provide predictions of handling-qualities levels and pilotinduced oscillation rating levels in single-axis tracking tasks, with linear or nonlinear vehicle dynamics. The technique is applied to the three vehicle con gurations evaluated in the series of  ight tests sponsored by the U.S. Air Force that are identi ed as HAVE LIMITS. The ability of the analysis technique to provide excellent quantitative predictions of the effects of actuator rate saturation on the handling qualities and pilot-induced oscillation susceptibility of the aircraft con gurations is demonstrated. An interactive computer code is discussed that automates much of the pilot/vehicle analysis.
Vibration-to-rotation and vibration-to-vibration energy transfer between diatomic molecules

Abstract A classical model for VR and VV energy transfer between two dissimilar diatomic molecules is proposed. For the exponential repulsive potential, in the limit as the rotation of the molecules goes to zero, the present model reduces to the previous results for VT and VV energy transfer. For the hydrogen halides, whose relaxation is generally accepted as being governed by VR energy transfer, the Pr 's predicted by the present theory agree reasonably well with the experimental data. In particular, the positive and negative temperature dependence of the VV Pr 's for N 2 HI and N 2 DI are predicted.
Badge and Buckshot: Lawlessness in Old California

Tells the stories of famous California lawmen, outlaws, shootouts, holdups, lynchings, and manhunts, and clears up misconceptions about old California.
Scientific objectivity and the concept of “the other”

Synopsis The concept of scientific objectivity, which incorporates the dichotomies of “intellect versus emotions” and “self versus other,” is considered the cornerstone of modern science. Until recently, western science has been conducted primarily by white, upper and middle class, heterosexual men of Christian background. This has resulted in the identification of these characteristics with “the self” and, consequently, with their being regarded as valuable and “normal.” All else was relegated to the status of “the other,” lacking in value and, therefore, necessitating scientific explanation. Thus, the self versus other split, in conjunction with the intellect versus emotions dichotomy, has provided the justification for the oppression and domination of “the other,” which has been prevalent throughout the history of western science. While women have been equated to nature and both have been oppressed, this oppression is the result of a broader dynamic which labels everything different from the scientist's “self” as inferior. The history of biological determinism is used to demonstrate that all oppressed groups have been used interchangeably and equated with each other, as well as with nature. Examples of the treatment by science of women, racial minorities, Jews, the poor, and gays and lesbians are discussed to illustrate the dynamics of scientific oppression, and the equation of all categories considered as “other.” The resistance of many scientists to animal welfare concerns is discussed within the same framework and shown to be also the result of the identification of animals with “the other.”
Cocaine reward and locomotion stimulation in mice with reduced dopamine transporter expression

Background The dopamine transporter (DAT) plays a critical role in regulating dopamine neurotransmission. Variations in DAT or changes in basal dopaminergic tone have been shown to alter behavior and drug responses. DAT is one of the three known high affinity targets for cocaine, a powerful psychostimulant that produces reward and stimulates locomotor activity in humans and animals. We have shown that cocaine no longer produces reward in knock-in mice with a cocaine insensitive mutant DAT (DAT-CI), suggesting that cocaine inhibition of DAT is critical for its rewarding effect. However, in DAT-CI mice, the mutant DAT has significantly reduced uptake activity resulting in elevated basal dopaminergic tone, which might cause adaptive changes that alter responses to cocaine. Therefore, the objective of this study is to determine how elevated dopaminergic tone affects how mice respond to cocaine.
Where do wavelets come from? A personal point of view

The development of wavelets is an example where ideas from many different fields combined to merge into a whole that is more than the sum of its parts. The subject area of wavelets, developed mostly over the last 15 years, is connected to older ideas in many other fields, including pure and applied mathematics, physics, computer science, and engineering. The history of wavelets can therefore be represented as a tree with roots reaching deeply and in many directions. In this picture, the trunk would correspond to the rapid development of "wavelet tools" in the second half of the 1980's, with shared efforts by researchers from many different fields; the crown of the tree, with its many branches, would correspond to different directions and applications in which wavelets are now becoming a standard part of the mathematical tool kit, alongside other more established techniques. The author gives here a highly personal version of the development of wavelets.
Improved convergence analysis of stochastic gradient adaptive filters using the sign algorithm

Convergence analysis of stochastic gradient adaptive filters using the sign algorithm is presented in this paper. The methods of analysis currently available in literature assume that the input signals to the filter are white. This restriction is removed for Gaussian signals in our analysis. Expressions for the second moment of the coefficient vector and the steady-state error power are also derived. Simulation results are presented, and the theoretical and empirical curves show a very good match.
A fast beam-ion instability

Mutually driven transverse oscillations of an electron beam and residual gas ions may result in a fast transverse instability. This effect arises either during a single pass of a train of electron bunches or it is caused by ionization electrons oscillating within a single positron bunch. In both cases, the beam oscillations grow exponentially with an exponent proportional to the square root of time. In this report, instability rise times are calculated analytically and compared with computer simulations. The effect considered could be a significant limitation in many future designs.
Dependence of the Electrical Conductivity on Saturation in Real Porous Media

Archie9s Law for the porosity and saturation dependence of electrical conductivity, σ(ϴ) = a σ b ϕ m (ϴ/ϕ) n (where σ is electrical conductivity, the subscript b denotes the brine or bulk solution, ϕ is porosity, ϴ is volume wetness, and a , m , and n are fitting parameters) was recently derived by applying continuum percolation theory to fractal porous media. We have recast Archie9s Law in terms of saturation alone to obtain σ(ϴ) = σ 0 (ϴ − ϴ c ) μ , where ϴ c is the critical volume fraction for percolation, and σ 0 = a σ b /(1 − ϴ c ) μ . The value of the exponent, μ = 2.0 for three-dimensional systems and 1.28 for two, is consistent with theory and simulations. We examined the universality of the exponent9s value, and the range of validity of our expression. Drawing on published data, we compared predicted and measured values of σ(ϴ) across the full range of saturation, and found that the newly derived expression provides good predictions, is robust with respect to secondary effects such as residual salinity and contact resistance, and yields meaningful physical parameters.
An Analysis of Gender Pay Disparity in the Nonprofit Sector An Outcome of Labor Motivation or Gendered Jobs

Although pay differences between men and women with comparable characteristics are generally smaller in the nonprofit than in the for-profit sector, gender pay gaps in the nonprofit sector vary wid...
Hard template synthesis of crystalline mesoporous anatase TiO2 for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

Mesoporous crystalline anatase TiO2 has been synthesized by using the nanocasting method with mesoporous silica KIT-6 as the hard template and titanium alkoxide as the precursor. Three key synthetic parameters play important roles in the formation of crystalline porous materials. These are precursor/template ratios, calcination temperatures and immersion time (in 2 M NaOH to remove template). The synthesized materials are characterized with powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), N2 adsorption–desorption isotherm analysis and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) elemental analysis. Owing to the template confinement effect, mesoporous anatase TiO2 instead of rutile phase was obtained at the calcination temperature of 750 °C. Materials with a surface area as high as 207 m2 g−1 have been obtained. The photocatalytic activities of the as-prepared mesoporous TiO2 were studied with a loading of 0.5% Pt. The materials with higher surface areas showed higher H2 evolution activities. The H2 evolution activity of the mesoporous anatase sample prepared under optimal conditions was 5.5 times higher than that of bulk anatase TiO2. The work represents a step forward in the development of highly efficient photocatalysts based on crystalline high surface area porous materials and our results indicate that the hard template method may be an effective method to achieve this goal.
A signal processing approach to finite-difference time-domain computations

The FDTD method is used to find numerical solutions to Maxwell's equations when analytic ones are prohibitive. Brute force approach to the FDTD method requires costly calculation at every point in the solution grid. If the solution is required at only a subset of the domain, then some computing time can be saved by expressing a portion of the grid as an LTI system with inputs and outputs. The output then becomes a convolution of the input with the LTI impulse response. We show how the impulse response is derived from the FDTD algorithm and how a reduction in the computation time is achieved
Tinkering With The Traditional To Assess And Promote Quality Instruction: Learning From A New And Unimproved Instructor Evaluation Instrument

For over 30 years survey instruments have been used in colleges of higher education to measure instructional effectiveness. Extensive research has been conducted to determine which items best capture this construct. This research study was triggered by a college of education’s enthusiastic but failed attempt to create a new and improved instructor survey based on this research. Researchers found that the new instrument was no better than its predecessor. Student halo ratings contaminated results, reliability was lower than expected, and the survey results indicated one single dimension – general teaching effectiveness. Two associated variables of considerable interest, course relevance and rigor/demand, were also contaminated by student halo rating. Based on these findings and the extensive literature on student surveys of teaching effectiveness, we argue that traditional surveys based on conventional items may be valid for evaluating global teaching effectiveness and other summative purposes but not for the formative, self-diagnostic, and reflective purposes anticipated. New ways of evaluating teaching in higher education are presented and discussed. The article shares insights into theory-based survey development and a plan for validation.
Attitudes about sexuality and other psychological characteristics as predictors of follow‐up status in anorexia nervosa

A group of patients with anorexia nervosa was evaluated with the same psychological measures at hospital admission and discharge and at short-term follow-up. Negative attitudes at admission about sexuality, one's body, personality, and social skills were predictive of negative attitudes at follow-up about these factors and a greater degree of overall personality disturbance at follow-up. The implications of these findings for the treatment of anorexia nervosa are discussed.
Arraying glycomics: a novel bi-functional spacer for one-step microscale derivatization of free reducing glycans.

Glycan array development is limited by the complexity of efficiently generating derivatives of free reducing glycans with primary amines or other functional groups. A novel bi-functional spacer with selective reactivity toward the free glycan and a second functionality, a primary amine, was synthesized. We demonstrated an efficient one-step derivatization of various glycans including naturally isolated N-glycans, 0-glycans, milk oligosaccharides, and bacterial polysaccharides in microgram scale. No protecting group manipulations or activation of the anomeric center was required. To demonstrate its utility for glycan microarray fabrication, we compared glycans with different amine-spacers for incorporation onto an amine-reactive glass surface. Our study results revealed that glycans conjugated with this bi-functional linker were effectively printed and detected with various lectins and antibodies.
Life planning for engineering students

An Academic Scholarship Program for engineering and computer science students is one form of a retention program. The authors have taught Academic Scholarship programs with an emphasis on women and underrepresented minority students for a combined 14 years. The students in these Academic Scholarship Programs are required to attend workshops and do assignments as part of the program. The assignments are designed to help the students be retained well, to consider graduate school, and to plan for their future. As a component of an Academic Scholarship Program, students may be given an assignment to detail their plans for the next 10 years or the first 10 years after they earn their Bachelor's degree. This “thinking ahead” can include a serious planning of the rest of the courses needed for a Bachelor's degree and what the student intends to do upon completion of the Bachelor's degree in engineering or computer science. The assignment parameters can vary greatly. The students can be asked to simply give an outline of what they plan to do for the first 10 years after they graduate. The students can also be asked for a detailed personal career statement that could be more than 5 pages. This paper will consider the “Ten Year Plan” assignment. In particular, we are concerned with the students' plans to attend graduate school. The authors analyze two models. The purpose of the paper is to give insights based on our experiences on making this type of exercise a meaningful one for faculty and students.
Field dependent eating and perception as a function of weight and sex

It was hypothesized that the greater influence of external cues on obese than on normal individuals' eating behavior is a manifestation of a generalized sensitivity to external cues. Responsivity of nut consumption to the external cue of shells on the nuts and responsivity of judgment of verticality to the external cue of a tilted visual field were assessed for male and female, obese and normal-weight subjects. As predicted, both obese subjects' nut consumption and their judgments of verticality were more influenced by external cues than were those of normals. Females' judgments of verticality were more influenced by external cues than males' were, but the sex differences in eating behavior were not statistically significant. A significant correlation between the field dependence of subjects' eating behavior and their judgments of verticality suggests that a single cause may generate sensitivity to external cues in these two diverse situations.
Hsp27 upregulation by HIF-1 signaling offers protection against retinal ischemia in rats.

PURPOSE. Previous work from the authors’ laboratory has shown that Hsp27 is specifically upregulated after retinal ischemic preconditioning (IPC), and this upregulation acts as a key cytoprotective factor in preventing retinal ischemic damage. The regulatory mechanisms involved in the upregulation of Hsp27 after IPC are unknown. The purpose of this study was to explore the transcriptional events responsible for the upregulation of Hsp27 after IPC. METHODS. CoCl2 was used to test for Hsp27 expression after hypoxic stimulus. The promoter and first intron regions of the human Hsp27 gene were cloned by PCR and characterized by deletion analysis by using a reporter assay. In vitro results were then applied to an in vivo model of retinal ischemia to determine whether CoCl2 upregulates rHsp27 and protects the retina from ischemic injury. RESULTS. CoCl2 upregulated Hsp27 in cultured retinal neurons. Promoter–intron reporter assays using various DNA deletion constructs indicated that several HIF-1 binding sites were necessary for CoCl2-induced expression of the Hsp27 gene. Furthermore, CoCl2 upregulated Hsp27 in the rat retina and protected the rat retina from ischemic injury. CONCLUSIONS. These data provide evidence that Hsp27 is regulated by hypoxic signaling through HIF-1 activation and support the idea that an early event in IPC is the activation of HIF-1. These findings are significant, because this is the first time HIF-1 activation has been associated with the protective effects of IPC and with Hsp27 upregulation. (Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2005;46:1092–1098) DOI:10.1167/iovs.04-0043
Tilted ghost inflation

In a ghost inflationary scenario, we study the observational consequences of a tilt in the potential of the ghost condensate. We show how the presence of a tilt tends to make contact between the natural predictions of ghost inflation and the ones of slow roll inflation. In the case of positive tilt, we are able to build an inflationary model in which the Hubble constant H is growing with time. We compute the amplitude and the tilt of the two-point function, as well as the three-point function, for both cases of positive and negative tilt. We find that a good fraction of the parameter space of the model is within experimental reach.
Cell population heterogeneity in expression of a gene-switching network with fluorescent markers of different half-lives.

Abstract We studied the distribution of expression levels amongst the cells of an Escherichia coli population carrying a gene-switching network, known as the genetic toggle. We employed two green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter proteins with different half-lives and characterized the effect of isopropyl-β- d -thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG) inducer concentration on fluorescence distribution characteristics. Our flow cytometric measurements indicated that there is a spread of fluorescence phenotypes of one to three orders of magnitude, due to the highly heterogeneous nature of the cell populations under investigation. Moreover, the shape of the distribution at a specific quasi-time-invariant reference state, defined for comparison purposes, strongly depended on inducer concentration. For very low and very high inducer concentrations, the distributions at the reference state are unimodal. On the contrary, for intermediate IPTG concentrations, two distinct subpopulations were formed below and above a single-cell threshold, resulting in distributions with a bimodal shape. The region of inducer concentrations where bimodality is observed is the same and independent of GFP half-life. Bimodal number density functions are not only obtained at the reference state. Transient studies revealed that even in cases where the distribution at the reference state is unimodal, the distribution becomes bimodal for a period of time required for the population to pass through the single-cell induction threshold. However, this feature was only captured by the system with the reduced half-life GFP. A simple single-cell model was used to shed light into the effect of inducer concentration and GFP half-life on the shape of the experimentally measured number density functions. The wide range of fluorescent phenotypes and the inability of the average population properties to fully characterize network behavior, indicate the importance of taking into account cell population heterogeneity when designing such a gene-switching network for biotechnological and biomedical applications.
Role of ubiquitin conformations in the specificity of protein degradation: Iodinated derivatives with altered conformations and activities

Three iodinated derivatives of ubiquitin have been synthesized and these derivatives have been characterized in the ubiquitin-dependent protein degradation system. With chloramine-T as the oxidant, a derivative containing monoiodotyrosine is formed in the presence of 1 M KI and a derivative containing diiodotyrosine is produced in the presence of 1 mM KI. These derivatives exhibit phenolate ionizations at pH 9.2 and 7.9 with absorbance maxima at 305 and 314 nm, respectively. In addition to modification of the tyrosine residue, these conditions lead to the oxidation of the single methionine residue and iodination of the single histidine residue [M.J. Cox, R. Shapira, and K.D. Wilkinson (1986) Anal. Biochem. 154, 345-352]. Iodination of ubiquitin under these conditions renders the protein sensitive to hydrolysis by trypsin and results in an enhanced susceptibility to alcohol-induced helix formation. When the derivatives are tested in the ATP: pyrophosphate exchange reaction catalyzed by the ubiquitin adenylating enzyme, they are found to exhibit activity comparable to the native protein. When these derivatives are tested for the ability to act as a cofactor in the ubiquitin-dependent protein degradation system, they are both found to support a rate of protein degradation that is twice that of native ubiquitin. At high concentrations of derivatives, the rate of protein degradation is inhibited, while the steady state level of conjugates increases. Thus, the free derivatives inhibit the protease portion of the reaction, but are fully active in the activation and conjugation portions of the reaction. With iodine as the modification reagent, monoiodination of tyrosine is the predominant reaction. This derivative exhibits activity similar to native ubiquitin. Thus, it appears that modification of the histidine residue is responsible for the increased activity of the more highly iodinated derivatives. The enzymes of the system must recognize different portions of the ubiquitin structure, or different conformations of ubiquitin that are affected by the iodination of the histidine residue. These results suggest a conformational change of the ubiquitin molecule may be important in determining the rate and specificity of proteolysis.
Reply to Goyal et al

To the Editor—Goyal et al [1] provide additional useful commentary on the article by Patel et al, which investigates the usefulness of real-time fluorescence loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) for point-of-care testing for malaria [2, 3]. We agree on the issues raised regarding laboratory infrastructure requirements and precautions necessary to prevent contamination. However, specific needs for manual or automated DNA extraction and amplification will vary according to the volume of samples being processed, costs, and the technical capacity of the laboratory. Also, while currently available LAMP technologies require conditions that preclude its use in the most remote settings, the ease of use and speed of LAMP have allowed point-of-care testing in settings where it was previously not available.
NATURALCULTURAL ENCOUNTERS IN BALI: Monkeys, Temples, Tourists, and Ethnoprimatology

Examining the interface between humans and other primates can illuminate how interspecies relationships create and maintain complex social and ecological spaces. Humans and macaque monkeys share ecologies that include cultural, historical, and physiological dimensions. In this essay, I examine such ecologies while undertaking an ethnoprimatological project in Bali, Indonesia. This multispecies ethnography of humans and macaques demonstrates that human perceptions and land use intertwine with macaque social behavior and pathogen physiologies to affect local ecologies and economies for both species. In these contact zones where any clear boundary separating nature/culture is difficult to discern, I use the concept of “niche construction” and an ethnoprimatological lens to explore and understand these relationships. This article also serves as an invitation to move an ethnoprimatological approach away from the periphery and into a broader primatological and anthropological engagement with naturalcultural relations.
Raising lipids acutely reduces baroreflex sensitivity

Impaired baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) is associated with hypertension and cardiovascular risk. Lipid abnormalities accompanying insulin resistance may impair BRS. To test this, nine obese, dyslipidemic hypertensive and seven healthy normotensive individuals were studied. The BRS was measured during a phenylephrine infusion before and after nonesterified fatty acids (NEFAs) and triglycerides were raised for 1 h with an Intralipid and heparin infusion, ie, acute dyslipidemia. The obese group had higher values than lean controls for several components of the insulin resistance syndrome including blood pressure (BP) and heart rate, as well as fasting insulin, triglycerides, and NEFA. The BRS was lower in obese hypertensive subjects than healthy controls at baseline (P < .0001); BRS declined from 8.3 +/- 0.4 to 5.2 +/- 0.3 (P < .001) in obese hypertensive subjects and from 15.9 +/- 2.2 to 7.5 +/- 0.7 msec/mm Hg (P = .04) in controls with acute dyslipidemia. The reduction in BRS correlated with the rise in NEFAs (r = -0.59, P = .02) but not triglycerides (r = -0.07, P = NS). These observations indicate that elevating NEFAs acutely impairs BRS. The findings suggest that lipid abnormalities in obese hypertensives may contribute to elevated BP and increased cardiovascular events by impairing BRS.
Group Contribution Method for the Estimation of Contact Angle Trends on Modified Polymer Surfaces

Group contribution methods can be used as an aid in evaluating contact angle data on modified polymer surfaces. Good correlation was seen between experimental contact angle titration data on a hydrolyzed polyimide surface and equations involving water-octanol partition coefficients using parameters derived from group contribution methods. The methods used captured features of the experimental contact angle titration data observed during ionization of surface functional groups.
Virtue, Commerce, and Self-Love

Can economic activity be virtuous? Can the pursuit of commerce and profits be moral? Both Hume and Adam Smith are agreed that Britain will live or die as a trading nation, and trade requires the harvesting or production of goods with which to trade. This in turn requires that people be motivated to harvest or to produce these goods, and neither Hume nor Smith give any evidence of believing that people are motivated by a general love of mankind, an extensive sympathy, or a broadly-encompassing benevolence to produce them. Indeed, quite the opposite appears to be the case: both writers think the pursuit of luxury, wealth, and the general riches of life have much more to do with the harvesting and production of goods for trade than does any widespread, general concern for the well-being of others. And this fact leads straightforwardly to the question I want to consider, namely, whether this kind of what I shall call economic motivation is compatible with moral motivation.1 In Smith, our question can be seen as leading to what is sometimes called the "Adam Smith problem" (which on another occasion I should want to argue is a pseudo-problem). The Theory of Moral Sentiments gives an account of moral motivation in which sympathy and/or benevolence plays an integral role, whereas in The Wealth of Nations self-love is very much to the fore. No remark in Smith is better-known than his statement of this latter position:
Cnoidal wave solutions to Boussinesq systems

In this paper, two different techniques will be employed to study the cnoidal wave solutions of the Boussinesq systems. First, the existence of periodic travelling-wave solutions for a large family of systems is established by using a topological method. Although this result guarantees the existence of cnoidal wave solutions in a parameter region in the period and phase speed plane, it does not provide the uniqueness nor the non-existence of such solutions in other parameter regions. The explicit solutions are then found by using the Jacobi elliptic function series. Some of these explicit solutions fall in the parameter region where the cnoidal wave solutions are proved to exist, and others do not; so the method with Jacobi elliptic functions provides additional cnoidal wave solutions. In addition, the explicit solutions can be used in many ways, such as in testing numerical code and in testing the stability of these waves.
Partisan Politics The Impact of Party in the Confirmation of Minority and Female Federal Court Nominees

Only a few studies of the lower federal court confirmation process consider the role of the race/gender of nominees in that process and none consider the intersection of party politics with those characteristics. We address this deficiency, arguing that the different electoral incentive structures of the two major parties have consequences for the treatment of minority and female nominees. The levels of minority and female support enjoyed by the Democratic Party, as well as the Republican Party’s desire to shed its reputation as being insensitive to issues of importance to those constituencies, lead us to expect that the nominations of minorities and women will be handled most expeditiously under conditions of unified Republican control, followed by unified Democratic control, divided control with a Republican president and divided control with a Democratic president. Our empirical analysis provides partial support for this hierarchy and demonstrates the importance of considering the conditioning effect of partisan politics.
Future time perspective in later adulthood: Review and research directions

The degree of experimental and quantitative detail which can be imposed on older adults' temporal experiences remains a significant area for investigation. This paper surveys material related to this general area of study, taking primarily a psychological focus. Review of this literature suggests that while a basic future time orientation is not significantly affected in later life, older adults are at-risk of developing a less extended and less full personal future. However, research has been almost exclusively cross-sectional,, and our empirical knowledge concerning the functional impact of such changes, should they occur, is minimal. In addition, although several correlates of older adults' future time perspective have been reported, normative directions of causal relationship have not been determined. Consequently, while much of our data are varied, interesting, and insightful, they are at present difficult to organize or apply. Research should be pursued on several fronts, including prospective designs, the use of time perspective as a predictor and outcome variable, model development, and close association with temporal concepts in social gerontology.