cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (ketoprofen) delivery differentially impacts phrenic long-term facilitation in rats with motor neuron death induced by intrapleural CTB-SAP injections

Intrapleural injections of cholera toxin B conjugated to saporin (CTB-SAP) selectively eliminates respiratory (e.g., phrenic) motor neurons, and mimics motor neuron death and respiratory deficits observed in rat models of neuromuscular diseases. Additionally, microglial density increases in the phrenic motor nucleus following CTB-SAP. This CTB-SAP rodent model allows us to study the impact of motor neuron death on the output of surviving phrenic motor neurons, and the underlying mechanisms that contribute to enhancing or constraining their output at 7 days (d) or 28d post-CTB-SAP injection. 7d CTB-SAP rats elicit enhanced phrenic long-term facilitation (pLTF) through the Gs-pathway (inflammation-resistant in naive rats), while pLTF is elicited though the Gq-pathway (inflammation-sensitive in naive rats) in control and 28d CTB-SAP rats. In 7d and 28d male CTB-SAP rats and controls, we evaluated the effect of cyclooxygenase-1/2 enzymes on pLTF by delivery of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, ketoprofen (IP), and we hypothesized that pLTF would be unaffected by ketoprofen in 7d CTB-SAP rats, but pLTF would be enhanced in 28d CTB-SAP rats. In anesthetized, paralyzed and ventilated rats, pLTF was surprisingly attenuated in 7d CTB-SAP rats and enhanced in 28d CTB-SAP rats (both p < 0.05) following ketoprofen delivery. Additionally in CTB-SAP rats: 1) microglia were more amoeboid in the phrenic motor nucleus; and 2) cervical spinal inflammatory-associated factor expression (TNF-α, BDNF, and IL-10) was increased vs. controls in the absence of ketoprofen (p < 0.05). Following ketoprofen delivery, TNF-α and IL-10 expression was decreased back to control levels, while BDNF expression was differentially affected over the course of motor neuron death in CTB-SAP rats. This study furthers our understanding of factors (e.g., cyclooxygenase-1/2-induced inflammation) that contribute to enhancing or constraining pLTF and its implications for breathing following respiratory motor neuron death.
Data dependent input control for origin–destination demand estimation using observability analysis

Abstract In this paper, we address the observability issue of static O–D estimation based on link counts. Unlike most classic observability analyses that relied only on network topological relationships, our analysis incorporates the actual values of input parameters, thus including network operational relations as well. We first analyze possible mathematical properties of an O–D estimation problem with different data input. We then propose a modeling approach based on mixed-integer program for selecting model input that ensures observability and estimation quality. Through establishing a stronger connection between observability analysis and the corresponding estimation problem, the proposed method aims to improve estimation quality while reducing reliance on erroneous data.
Desires Made Manifest: The Queer Modernism of Wallace Thurman's Fire!!

Wallace Thurman’s short-lived magazine Fire!! (1926) adapted the aesthetic manifesto of the Anglo-American avant-garde to represent the various sexual and racial subject positions in 1920s Harlem in an effort to break away from a Harlem intellectual bourgeoisie that Thurman thought relied too much on the normalizing tendencies of sociology. Aesthetically reproducing the dynamic milieu of Harlem sexual life, Thurman’s Fire!! deviated from the racial uplift efforts of figures such as W.E.B. Du Bois and Charles S. Johnson and advocated a queer modernism that attacked what Thurman saw as Victorian mores in sociological studies and idealistic aesthetic representations of black city life. Instead of merely using sexuality to offend censors, Thurman “queers” the modernist manifesto, promoting an alternative aesthetic to that practiced in such periodicals as The Crisis and Opportunity .
Genomic organization and nucleotide sequence of two distinct histone gene clusters from Xenopus laevis: Identification of novel conserved upstream sequence elements☆

Abstract We have performed a detailed analysis of the genomic organization and the nucleotide sequence of two distinct Xenopus laevis histone gene clusters totaling approximately 23.5 × 103 base-pairs. Each cluster contains at least one copy of each of the five histone genes. However, these genes are present in different arrangements within each cluster and different H1A, H2A and H2B proteins (variants) are encoded by the respective genes of each cluster. Southern blot analysis of genomic X. laevis DNA indicates that each cluster is a member of a distinct family of tandemly repeated histone gene clusters. A comparative analysis of the nucleotide sequences flanking the histone genes within these two clusters has revealed the presence of multiple conserved sequence elements that are specific for each histone gene class and located at preferred upstream positions. Several of these elements correspond to sequences that are known to be required for maximal transcription of the corresponding genes. Most of these sequence elements have not been identified previously, although we find that many of them are present at corresponding locations upstream of histone genes from other organisms. We suggest that the conserved upstream sequence elements may play an important role in the expression of histone genes in vivo.
Abstract 16932: Embryonic Stem Cell Derived Exosomes Revive Endogenous Repair Mechanisms in Failing Hearts

Rationale: Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) hold great promise for cardiac regeneration but are susceptible to ethical concerns, lack of autologous donors and teratoma formation. Recently, it has been observed that beneficial effects of stem cells are mediated by exosomes secreted under various physiological conditions. ESCs have the ability to produce exosomes however their effect in the context of the heart is unknown. Objective: Determine the effect of ESC derived exosomes in augmenting endogenous cardiac repair mechanisms in the heart following myocardial infarction. Methods and Results: Exosomes were isolated from mouse ESCs (mES Ex) or embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) by ultracentrifugation and verified by Flotillin-1 immunoblot analysis. Induction of pluripotent markers, survival and in vitro tube formation was enhanced in target cells receiving ESC exosomes. Cardiac therapeutic potential of ESC exosomes was assessed in a mouse model for myocardial infarction. Enhanced neovascularization, reduced apoptosis and fibrosis was consistent with resurgence of cardiac proliferative response in hearts receiving mES Ex compared to MEF Ex and saline treated animals at 4 weeks post infarction. Importantly, enhanced cardiac progenitor cell (CPC) survival, proliferation and cardiac commitment in vitro concurrent with increased CPCs numbers in vivo 4 weeks after mES Ex transfer. miRNA Array of ESC and MEF exosomes revealed significant enrichment of miR290-295 cluster and particularly miR-294 in ESC exosomes. Beneficial effect of mES Ex was tied to delivery of ESC specific miR-294 to the heart and in particular CPCs thereby promoting CPC survival and proliferation as analyzed by FACS cell death and CyQuant assay respectively. Enhanced G1/S transition was observed in CPCs treated with miR-294 in conjunction with significant reduction of G1 phase. Enhanced mRNA levels of cyclins A2 and E1 were observed in CPCs as well as in neonatal rat cardiomyocytes. Conclusion: mES Ex provide a novel cell free system that utilizes the immense regenerative power of the ES cells while avoiding the risks associated with ESC research. Furthermore, ESC exosomes possess cardiac regeneration ability and modulate both cardiomyocyte and CPC based repair programs in the heart.
The fixation of pulmonary surfactant for electron microscopy. II. Transport of surfactant through the air-blood barrier.

The permeability of the alveolar-capillary barrier to pulmonary surfactant used as an electron-opaque tracer has been investigated. Surfactant visualized by tricomplex flocculation was not only localized to the alveolar surface but also to various forms of vesicles and plasmalemmal invaginations of type I alveolar cells and to the basement membrane (interstitial space) that lies between epithelium and endothelium. To a lesser degree, surfactant was also present within endothelial cell vesicles, endothelial intercellular clefts, capillary lumens, and pulmonary macrophages. The observations indicated that surfactant was transported by quanta from the alveolar surface through type I alveolar cells to the basement membrane by plasmalemmal vesicles and through open membrane-lined channels. The channels appeared to be formed by the fusion of the apical plasmalemma at the leading edge of an invagination with the basal plasmalemma with the subsequent elimination of the fused membranes. Pulmonary surfactant did not pass through epithelial intercellular clefts indicating they were tight (zonulae occludentes), but some surfactant seemed to pass between endothelial cells, supporting the concept that these clefts contained maculae occludentes. To some degree, surfactant appeared to be transported from the basement membrane across endothelium by vesicles to the blood and also to be taken up by pulmonary macrophages which were free within alveoli. It is concluded that the images seen represented stages in the normal turnover and removal of surfactant from the lung and that the majority of surfactant left by passage through interstitial spaces to the lymphatic system.
Mergers in Durable Goods Markets with Rational Customers

The existing literature on mergers in durable goods industries suggests that such mergers will produce much less harm to consumer welfare in the first few years following the merger than mergers in non-durable goods industries, particularly if the pre-merger stock can be kept in service for a while through such things as additional maintenance. However, this understanding is based on models that do not adequately consider rational behavior on the part of customers. Once customers expectations are taken into account, mergers can have significant price effects in the first few years. Both vertical integration into aftermarket parts and services and the prospect of future entry can reduce the effect of the merger on new good prices. Nevertheless, even incorporating these factors there is still the potential for large near term price effects.
Atmospheric Remote Sensing Using the NOAA Coherent Lidar System

During the previous 10 months the Infrared Doppler Lidar program area of NOAA’s Wave Propagation Laboratory has used a pulsed coherent CO2 lidar system as a remote sensing tool to study various atmospheric phenomena. The operational feasibility of the system was initially demonstrated by United Technologies Research Center under contract from NOAA. At the conclusion of the contract, WPL purchased the TEA laser, telescope, and locking loop hardware used in the UTRC effort and incorporated it into the current semi-trailer-mounted lidar system.
Location-unaware sensing range assignment in sensor networks

We study field-monitoring applications in which sensors are deployed in large numbers and the sensing process is expensive. In such applications, nodes should use the minimum possible sensing ranges to prolong the "coverage time" of the network. We investigate how to determine such minimum ranges in a distributed fashion when the nodes are location-unaware. We develop a distributed protocol (SRAP) that assigns shorter ranges to nodes with less remaining batteries. To handle location-unawareness, we develop a novel algorithm (VICON) for determining the virtual coordinates of the neighbors of each sensor. VICON relies on approximate neighbor distances and 2-hop neighborhood information. Our simulations indicate that SRAP results in significant coverage time improvement even under inaccurate distance estimation.
ANALYSIS OF OBSTETRIC FISTULA IN ETHIOPIA

Objective: To study the association between social, demographic, cultural and maternal care practice variables and obstetric fistula status in Ethiopia. Materials and Methods: The most recent Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey conducted in 2005 is used to study the association between social, demographic, cultural and maternal care practice and obstetric fistula. We use both univariate and bivariate analyses to describe the association between the selected variables on obstetric fistula status. Results: A number of social, demographic and maternal care practice variables are found to be significantly (p<0.05) associated with obstetric fistula status. These include level of education, age at first birth, place of residence, antenatal services and place of delivery. Conclusion: The study results emphasize the significance of both treatment and prevention activities in eradicating this highly preventable health condition of women in Ethiopia.
Caenorhabditis elegans Embryo: Establishment of Asymmetry

In Caenorhabditis elegans, asymmetry is established in the one-cell embryo in response to the position of the sperm provided centrosome. Asymmetric contraction of actin and myosin at the cortex leads to the localisation of the conserved PAR (partitioning defective) polarity proteins into anterior and posterior cortical domains. The PAR proteins and associated protein kinases generate cytoplasmic gradients of polarity mediators, which in turn regulate the anterior/posterior cytoplasmic localisation of downstream cell fate regulators. The PAR proteins also regulate a conserved G protein pathway that coordinates the division plane with the anterior/posterior axis. Thus, the first division is asymmetric and the daughter cells have different developmental fates. During the next few divisions, anterior/posterior asymmetries and cell–cell signalling events establish the dorsal/ventral and left–right axes of the embryo and further refine cell fates. Key Concepts: The C. elegans embryo exhibits an invariant pattern of asymmetric cell divisions that generates diverse cell types. Asymmetric divisions are regulated by the conserved PAR proteins, which become localised in anterior and posterior cortical domains during polarity establishment after fertilisation. Polarity establishment occurs in response to an unknown cue associated with the sperm centrosome, which causes an actomyosin cortical flow that localises the anterior PAR proteins. PAR polarity cues create a cytoplasmic gradient of the polarity mediators MEX-5 and MEX-6, which act together with other polarity mediators to generate the asymmetric localisation of cell fate determinants. Asymmetric localisation of cell fate determinants is accomplished mainly through protein degradation and translational regulation. The localisation of cell fate determinants combined with cell–cell signalling events leads to specification of different developmental programmes in cells of the early embryo. A conserved G protein pathway functions with the microtubule motor dynein to position the mitotic spindle on the polarity axis during asymmetric divisions. Keywords: asymmetric division; polarity; PAR; actomyosin; spindle position; protein degradation; translational control
Immunochemical determination of corticosteroid-binding globulin in the guinea-pig during gestation.

Abstract The rise and fall of the cavian corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG) during pregnancy and early lactation was determined by single radial immunodiffusion. Peak values of about 900 μg CBG per ml plasma were observed. A reasonable correlation was found to the measurement of binding capacity by equilibrium dialysis.
Matrix two-dimensional spectral factorization

The existence of an asymmetric half-plane spectral factorization for a nonnegative two-dimensional matrix-valued spectral density is established under the conditions that the density and the logarithm of the determinant of the density are absolutely integrable on the torus. The proof gives a construction of the factors in terms of a family of one-dimensional spectral factorizations. An efficient algorithm for calculating the two-dimensional spectral factorization is thereby obtained; G.T. Wilson's (1972) one-dimensional factorization algorithm appears to be the most suitable for this purpose. In the case where the initial array is of finite extent, it is shown that the factors have constant (minimal) order in the 'causal' direction, and that, if a finite-support array has a quarter-plane spectral factorization, the spectral factors must also be of finite support. >
Origin of the high voltage (>4.5 V) capacity of spinel lithium manganese oxides

With an objective to develop a better understanding of the origin of high voltage (>4.5 V) capacities, the electrochemical behaviors of a number of spinel lithium manganese oxides with and without other transition metal ions have been studied and compared. The oxides investigated are LiMn2−yMyO4 (M=Co, Ni, and Cu), LiMn2−y−zMyLizO4, LiMn2−yLiyO4, Li2Mn4O9−δ, and Li4Mn5O12. The LiMn2−yLiyO4 (0.05≤y≤0.12) oxides are found to exhibit capacity above 4.5 V although they do not contain other transition metal ions. In the case of Li2Mn4O9−δ and Li4Mn5O12, charging above 4.5 V is found to increase the discharge capacity below 4.5 V. While both LiMn2−yCoyO4 and LiMn2−y−zCoyLizO4 show a similar behavior at >4.5 V, LiMn2−yNiyO4 and LiMn2−y−zNiyLizO4 differ significantly. Also, while LiMn1.9Li0.1O4 and LiMn1.8Co0.2O4 show a rapid decrease in their discharge capacity above 4.5 V with rest time allowed in the fully charged state (self-discharge), LiMn2−yNiyO4 does not suffer from such a difficulty. Additionally, long-range periodicity with good crystallinity is found to be essential to observe discharge capacity above 4.5 V. The results are explained on the basis of the participation of the O2−:2p band in the redox process and the relative positions of the other transition metal ion redox energies with respect to the top of the O2−:2p band.
Sodium channel density in hypomyelinated brain increased by myelin basic protein gene deletion.

TROPHIC control over the expression and membrane distribution of voltage-dependent ion channels is one of the principal organizing events underlying the maturation of excitable cells. The myelin sheath is a major structural determinant of regional ion channel topography in central axons1,2, but the exact molecular signals that mediate local interactions between the oligodendrocyte and axolemma are not known. We have found that large caliber fibre pathways in the brain of the mutant mouse shiverer (shi, gene on chromosome 18), whose developmental fate of myelination is averted by deletion of five exons in the myelin basic protein gene3–5, have a striking excess of sodium channels. As cytoplasmic membranes of shiverer oligodendroglia still adhere to axons6–8, the evidence indicates that myelin basic protein or a myelin basic protein-dependent glial transmembrane signal associated with compact myelin formation, rather than a simple glial–axon contact inhibition or an intrinsic genetic program of neuronal differentiation, could be critical in downregulating sodium channel density in axons. Here we use the shiverer mutant to show that mature central nervous system projection neurons with large caliber unmyelinated fibres sustain functional excitability by increasing sodium channel density. This axon plasticity, triggered by the absence of a single glial protein, contributes to the unexpectedly mild degree of neurological impairment in the mutant brain without myelin, and may be a potentially inducible mechanism determining the recovery of function from dysmyelinating disease.
Patterns of substance abuse among treatment-seeking pathological gamblers

Substance abuse patterns were reviewed for a group of patients admitted to the Gambling Treatment Program at the Brecksville Veterans Administration Medical Center. A retrospective chart review of 113 consecutively admitted patients between September 2000 and September 2001 found that 66.4% of pathological gamblers had a lifetime history of substance abuse or dependence at some point in their lives. A history of substance abuse or dependence was less common among gamblers aged 60 and above. In the year prior to admission, 58.1% of those with a history of substance abuse or dependence were actively using substances. Alcohol was the most commonly used substance, followed by marijuana and cocaine. In most gamblers with comorbid disorders, the onset of substance dependence preceded the onset of problem gambling. Pathological gamblers engaged in multiple impulsive and dysfunctional behaviors including suicide attempts, compulsive shopping and spending, and compulsive sexual behavior, and the presence of comorbid substance abuse disorders may influence the degree to which pathological gamblers engage in these additional problematic behaviors. These factors have important implications for treatment and prevention of relapse, as well as for theories of addictions.
An Investigation of Monochromatic Radio Emission of Deuterium from the Galaxy

THE possibility of monochromatic radio emission from galactic deuterium has been well known for some time, and the frequency of such an emission line predicted by Shklovsky1. The expected maximum intensity is such that any attempt to detect the line must rely on extremely long integrations in time. In practice, this requires either direct electrical integrations over a long period or the manual summation of a series of individual records. One attempt to detect the line using manual methods has already been published2.
Payments for environmental services as neoliberal market-based forest conservation in Vietnam: Panacea or problem?

Abstract Recently in Vietnam, a coalition of international NGOs, donors and government officials have been promoting market-based forest conservation projects in the form of payments for environmental services (PES) as a win–win for both conservation and development objectives; Vietnam is now the first country in Southeast Asia with a national law on PES. This article provides a macro survey of how market-based instruments for forest conservation have expanded in Vietnam, particularly in relation to a long dominant state sector. Yet an assessment of Vietnam’s PES pilot projects indicates that they do not follow predicted orthodox “neoliberalization of nature” approaches in their use of market instruments, particularly in regards to privatization, retreat of the state, and capitalization of commodities. The article explores how it is that a strong state role in forest management can continue to dominate even in more market-oriented approaches. Finally, the article analyzes PES’s potential for success or failure in tackling the underlying causes for forest degradation. Ultimately, the article argues that PES is likely to be unable to tackle several of the key underlying causes for deforestation, namely, uneven land tenure and a lack of participation by local communities in conservation, given that PES is unlikely to be considerably different than past attempts at forest management.
Radiology of cholecystectomy complications

Postoperative problems following simple removal of the gallbladder are infrequent. Radiographic studies may be valuable in suggesting or confirming the diagnosis when not clinically evident. Plain films, contrast studies, ultrasound, and computed tomography (CT) all can be useful modalities in this area. Several examples of complications related specifically to the operative field in cholecystectomy are reviewed.
Topology-transparent scheduling for MANETs using orthogonal arrays

In this paper, we generalize the known topology-transparent medium access control protocols for mobile ad hoc networks by observing that their transmission schedule corresponds to an orthogonal array. Some new results on throughput are obtained as a consequence. We also show how to compute the probability of successful transmission if the actual node degree in the network exceeds the design parameter related to maximum node degree, showing the sensitivity of the schedule to this parameter. The selection of orthogonal array to provide the best throughput is also examined, and combinatorial generalizations are explored. Finally we outline schemes that combine the delay guarantees of current approaches to handle exceeding the stipulated maximum node degree.
Subperiosteal Transmission Of Intra-Articular Pressure Between Articulated And Stationary Joints

Hydrostatic pressures can be transmitted between synovial capsules. In each of ten rabbits, we simultaneously measured pressure in two joints, one of which was passively ranged, and the other of which was kept stationary. The intra-articular pressure inside the stationary joint changed every time its companion joint was ranged. But the pressure in the stationary joint did not change when the periosteum was transected above the ranged joint. This phenomenon was observed in all four animals that served as their own controls. The study suggests that the intra-articular pressure was transmitted through the space between the periosteum and the bone surface. Alternative explanations, like measurements of venous blood pressure, did not show correlation with hydrostatic pressure changes in the joints. The Floating Skeleton concept suggests a biomechanical rationale for this newly observed phenomenon: that there exists a subperiosteal hydrostatic connection of synovial joints, and that this “net” distributes excess pressures among joints through the periosteal sheath to sustain the integrity of the joint contacting surfaces over a lifetime.
Treatment of cooling systems containing high levels of Legionella pneumophila

Abstract Elevated levels of L. pneumophila were observed in well-maintained cooling towers and air conditioning systems. Several of these systems were treated by continuous or shock chlorination procedures while density estimates and electron transport activity measurements for L. pneumophila were made. The resulting data demonstrate that L. pneumophila can be controlled at acceptable levels in these systems.
Detection of vertebral degenerative disc disease based on cortical shell unwrapping

Degenerative disc disease (DDD) can be identified as hyperdense regions of bone and osseous spur formation in the spine that become more prevalent with age. These regions can act as confounding factors in the search for alternative hyperdense foci such as neoplastic processes. We created a preliminary CAD system that detects DDD in the spine on CT images. After the spine is segmented, the cortical shell of each vertebral body is unwrapped onto a 2D map. Candidates are detected from the 2D map based on their intensity and gradient. The 2D detections are remapped into 3D space and a level set algorithm is applied to more fully segment the 3D lesions. Features generated from the unwrapped 2D map and 3D segmentation are combined to train a support vector machine (SVM) classifier. The classifier was trained on 20 cases with DDD, which were marked by a radiologist. The pre-SVM program detected 164/193 ground truth lesions. Preliminary results showed 69.65% sensitivity with a 95% confidence interval of (64.47%, 73.92%), at an average of 9.8 false positives per patient.
Treatment of obstructive sleep apnea with continuous nasal airflow.

Although nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is effective therapy for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), it requires a customfitted nasal appliance and large cumbersome tubing. We therefore designed and tested a new device (NFLOW) to deliver airflow to the nose of patients with OSA. We studied 13 patients the first night without treatment and the following night with NFLOW. The degree of sleep apnea was assessed by the number of desaturations per hour of sleep and the average maximum desaturation per episode. Treatment with NFLOW significantly decreased all parameters (P<0.01) in 9 patients (69%) who tolerated treatment flow rates above 30 LPM. REM sleep time significantly increased with NFLOW use, however, other sleep stage times were not significantly altered. Obstructive apneas ceased in all but 2 of these patients with treatment. Four patients did not tolerate flow rates above 35 LPM and did not improve. We conclude that NFLOW treatment significantly decreases the number of oxyhemoglobin desaturations and improves oxyhemoglobin saturation in patients with OSA who tolerate the procedure.
Unusual interaction of the high-velocity pulsar PSR1757–24 with the supernova remnant G5.4–1.2

The peculiar fan-shaped morphology of the galactic radio source G5.4–1.2 has prompted much speculation about its nature. Here we report high-resolution observations obtained with the Very Large Array, which reveal a compact, highly polarized, flat-spectrum radio nebula on the western edge of G5.4–1.2. We also confirm the presence of a 125-ms pulsar, PSR1757–24, associated with the radio source, and find that it is located near the centre of the newly discovered nebula. We argue that the pulsar is associated with G5.4–1.2, which we identify as a supernova remnant, and that it was born with a high enough velocity, ~ 2,000 kms^(−1), for it to overtake the decelerating supernova shell, creating the peripheral radio nebula. The fortuitous near-coincidence of the pulsar velocity with the shell velocity accounts for the unusual overall shape of the remnant. If the large velocity of the pulsar is confirmed by future observation of its proper motion, the possibility of asymmetric supernova explosions must be taken seriously, and other previously unsuspected associations between pulsars and supernova remnants may emerge.
Proteins from the organic matrix of core-top and fossil planktonic foraminifera

Abstract Organic constituents isolated from the tests (shells) of six species of core-top planktonic foraminifera, ranging in age between 2 and 4 Ka BP, consist of a heterogeneous mixture of proteins and polypeptides. At least seven discrete polypeptides are present as indicated by reverse phase HPLC and by gel electrophoresis. High percentages of aspartic acid and glutamic acid characterize one class of protein, while glycine, serine, and alanine-rich proteins dominate in a second class. Similar HPLC Chromatographie elution profiles are observed for all species analyzed, varying only in intensity of the peaks and in amino acid composition from species to species. The approximate molecular weights of two major fossil proteins ranged between 50,000 and 70,000 daltons. A comparison of 2–4 and 300 Ka Bp samples shows that while most of the polypeptides are present in both samples, some acidic polypeptides are not present in the older sample. These data suggest that some of the acidic polypeptides may be more soluble than other fractions and are lost more quickly from the test. The remaining hydrophobic, possibly more insoluble, polypeptides may be preserved in much older specimens and may be useful in tracing phylogeny of the planktonic foraminifera. Amino acid analyses of total test extracts before and after dialysis demonstrate that some acidic amino acids, particularly aspartic acid, and possibly peptides less than 6000–8000 daltons are lost during dialysis. Although a large percentage of these components are undoubtedly from the original organic matrix, at this point adsorbed components cannot be ruled out. These data caution against the use of total amino acid compositions in biogeochemical studies.
Differentiation of interstistial cells and stromal proteins in the secondary septum of early postnatal rat: Effect of maternal chronic exposure to whole cigarette smoke

The intention of this investigation was to ascertain the effect of maternal exposure to cigarette smoke on the early postnatal morphogenesis of pulmonary interstitium in offspring. Female rats were chronically exposed to whole cigarette smoke. Offspring of these and control animals were sacrificed at postnatal day 15, and their tissues were prepared for quantitative and qualitative analyses. Results indicate a diminished quantitative representation of parenchymal tissue (P less than 0.01) and a slower pace of secondary septal growth (P less than 0.07) in the experimental lung. Furthermore, a greater cellular volume density (P less than 0.0002) and, inversely, a lesser quantitative representation of extracellular matrix (P less than 0.0002) was ascertained for the experimental septal interstitium. There was proportionately less of elastin substances (P less than 0.009), collagen together with basal laminae (P less than 0.0008), and nonfibrillar, amorphous matrix (P less than 0.02) in the experimental extracellular stroma. Fibrillar collagen and nonfibrillar matrix were represented quantitatively 6.3 times more in the experimental extracellular interstitium than elastin, whereas that ratio for the control tissue was only 4.2. Most experimental interstitial cells (80%) contained numerous lipid globules, which, in contrast, were only occasionally present in control cells (7.3%). Experimental cells, consequently, possessed a larger cross-sectional diameter and a smaller nucleus-to-cytoplasm volume ratio than control cells. These divergent developmental patterns are possibly suggestive of a delayed differentiation of interstitial cells and a modified production to degradation balance of stromal proteins in offspring of animals chronically exposed to whole cigarette smoke.
Independent Validation of the 2010 American Joint Committee on Cancer TNM Classification for Renal Cell Carcinoma: Results From a Large, Single Institution Cohort

Purpose: In 2010 the American Joint Committee on Cancer updated the renal cell carcinoma TNM classification. Without independent validation of the new classification its predictive ability for cancer specific survival and generalizability remains unknown. In this setting we determined the predictive ability of the 2010 TNM classification compared to that of the 2002 classification.Materials and Methods: Using the nephrectomy registry at our institution we retrospectively reviewed the records of 3,996 patients with unilateral or bilateral synchronous renal cell carcinoma treated with radical nephrectomy or nephron sparing surgery between 1970 and 2006. Cancer specific survival was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and predictive ability was evaluated using the concordance index.Results: There were 1,165 deaths (29.1%) from renal cell carcinoma a median of 1.9 years after surgery compared to a median followup of 7.4 years for survivors. The estimated 10-year cancer specific survival rate was 96%, 80%,...
The influence of social‐developmental context and nurse visitation intervention on self‐agency change in unmarried adolescent mothers

Pregnancy among unmarried adolescents has been linked to negative personal control beliefs. In contrast, self-agency beliefs about control over future possibilities have been linked to delay in subsequent childbearing. In this secondary analysis, we examined factors associated with self-agency change in 429 unmarried adolescent mothers from intervention and control groups of a nurse home visitation study. Adolescent mothers who participated in a sustained relationship with a nurse made greater gains in self-agency than did control group mothers (p = .034). Adolescents with lower cognitive ability who were behind their age-appropriate grade level in school made the greatest self-agency gains.
Drivers’ Beliefs, Habits, and Strategies Regarding High Beam Usage

Research suggests that drivers do not fully understand the visual challenges they face when driving at night, and that drivers typically under-use their high beams. Because little is known about what factors influence drivers’ usage of high beams, this study surveyed 202 undergraduates concerning their beliefs, habits, and strategies in choosing beam settings. Participants completed a 29-question survey asking about their general understanding of headlamp usage and roadway safety. These data reflect what drivers learned about beam usage when they were taught to drive and describe the factors that influence drivers’ selection of high and low beams. The data also describe the participants’ estimates of the frequency with which they use high beams, and quantify drivers’ estimates of the distance at which they can see different objects at night. These data offer insight into drivers’ beliefs about headlights, night vision, and safety. These insights are expected to be useful when designing educational interve...
Intracerebral Inoculation of Experimental Animals With Brain Tissue From Patients With Schizophrenia: Failure to Observe Consistent or Specific Behavioral and Neuropathological Effects

• To test the possibility that some cases of schizophrenia result from infection with a transmissible slow viral agent, 57 experimental animals (six chimpanzees, 12 Old World monkeys, 17 New World monkeys, and 22 guinea pigs) were inoculated intracerebrally with brain tissue from ten patients and followed up for six years. Behavioral comparisons with control animals revealed no consistent behavioral differences. Histological, immunohistochemical, and morphometric examination of brains of animals that died revealed no specific neuropathological abnormalities. These findings do not support a role for a virus-induced slow infection in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia but must be weighed against methodological limitations in animal susceptibility, disease communicability, and assay sensitivity.
Measuring the Black Hole Spin in Sagittarius A

The polarized millimeter/submillimeter radiation from Sagittarius A* is apparently produced by a Keplerian structure whose peak emission occurs within several Schwarzschild radii (rS ≡ 2GM/c2) of the black hole. The Chandra X-ray counterpart, if confirmed, is presumably the self-Comptonized component from this region. In this Letter, we suggest that submillimeter timing observations could yield a signal corresponding to the period P0 of the marginally stable orbit and therefore point directly to the black hole's spin a. Sgr A*'s mass is now known to be (2.6 ± 0.2) × 106 M☉ (an unusually accurate value for supermassive black hole candidates), for which 2.7 minutes < P0 < 36 minutes, depending on the value of a and whether the Keplerian flow is prograde or retrograde. A Schwarzschild black hole (a = 0) should have P0 ≈ 20 minutes. The identification of the orbital frequency with the innermost stable circular orbit is made feasible by the transition from optically thick to thin emission at submillimeter wavelengths. With stratification in the emitter, the peak of the submillimeter bump in Sgr A*'s spectrum is thus produced at the smallest radius. We caution, however, that theoretical uncertainties in the structure of the emission region may still produce some ambiguity in the timing signal. Given that Sgr A*'s flux at ν ~ 1 mm is several janskys, these periods should lie within the temporal resolving capability of submillimeter telescopes using bolometric detectors. A determination of P0 should provide not only a value of a, but it should also define the angular momentum vector of the orbiting gas in relation to the black hole's spin axis. By analogy with low-mass X-ray binaries and Galactic black hole candidates, Sgr A* may also display quasi-periodic oscillations, which can reveal additional features in the geometry of the accreting gas. In addition, since the X-ray flux detected by Chandra appears to be the self-Comptonized millimeter-to-submillimeter component, these temporal fluctuations may also be evident in the X-ray signal.
Robust and Entrainable Circadian Rhythms from Coupled Catalytic Domains

Circadian clocks are ubiquitous biological oscillators that coordinate behavior with the daily cycling of the environment. To ensure synchronization with the environment, the period of the clock must be maintained near 24 hours even as amplitude and phase are altered by input signaling. We show that in a reconstituted circadian system from cyanobacteria these conflicting requirements are satisfied by distinct functions for two domains of the central clock protein KaiC: the C-terminal autokinase domain integrates input signals via the ATP/ADP ratio, and the slow N-terminal ATPase acts as an input-independent timer. We find that phosphorylation in the C-terminal domain followed by an ATPase cycle in the N-terminal domain is required to form the inhibitory KaiB•KaiC complexes that drive the dynamics of the clock. We present a mathematical model in which this ATPase-mediated delay in negative feedback gives rise to a compensatory mechanism that allows a tunable phase and amplitude while ensuring a robust circadian period.
Sea-water effects on foam-cored composite sandwich lay-ups

This article concerns the effects of sea-water on foam cored composite sandwich structures under long-term exposure. Special attention is focused on sea-water induced damage in foam materials, weight gains and expansional strains, as well as on possible degradation in the properties of foam materials due to such extended exposure. In addition, sea-water effects on the fracture behavior of foam materials and on face/core interfacial debonding fracture are investigated experimentally and interpreted by means of computational fracture mechanics.
Early Pleistocene incision of the San Juan River, Utah, dated with 26Al and 10Be: Comment and Reply COMMENT

[Wolkowinsky and Granger (2004)][1] analyze gravels deposited by the San Juan River near Mexican Hat and Bluff, Utah, for their abundances of 26Al and 10Be and the ratio 26Al/10Be as a function of depth. Using primarily the Bluff data because of the greater depth of sampled section (11.7 m), and
Vascular trauma: endovascular management and techniques

Endoluminal treatments have traditionally been restricted to a radiology suite, where an interventional radiologist is required. For this reason, this technology has had limited utility for trauma patients who have moderate to severe injuries. Now that vascular surgeons have incorporated endovascular techniques into their practice, the operating room is a radiology suite, and the surgeon is the interventionalist. Endovascular techniques provide an opportunity to improve trauma care by either temporizing a life-threatening injury or serving as the primary treatment. Using endovascular adjuncts does not preclude standard open surgery, nor does it prohibit an immediate or delayed surgical repair.
Third sound and thermal conduction in thin 4 He films

The dynamic Kosterlitz-Thouless theory of superfluidity in two dimensions is applied to the problems of third-sound propagation and thermal conduction in thin4He films. Extensions of existing theory are made and the results are compared with experiment.
An HRD/DER-independent ER quality control mechanism involves Rsp5p-dependent ubiquitination and ER-Golgi transport

We have identified a new pathway of ER-associated degradation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae that functions separately from the HRD/DER pathway comprised of Hrd1p, Hrd3p, Der1p, and Ubc7p. This pathway, termed Hrd1p independent-proteolysis (HIP), is capable of recognizing and degrading both lumenal (CPY* and PrA*), and integral membrane proteins (Sec61–2p) that misfold in the ER. CPY* overexpression likely saturates the HRD/DER pathway and activates the HIP pathway, so the slowed degradation kinetics of CPY* in a hrd1Δ strain is restored to a wild-type rate when CPY* is overexpressed. Substrates of HIP require vesicular trafficking between the ER and Golgi apparatus before degradation by the ubiquitin-proteasome system. Ubiquitination of HIP substrates does not involve the HRD/DER pathway ubiquitin ligase Hrd1p, but instead uses another ubiquitin ligase, Rsp5p. HIP is regulated by the unfolded protein response as Ire1p is necessary for the degradation of CPY* when overexpressed, but not when CPY* is expressed at normal levels. Both the HIP and HRD/DER pathways contribute to the degradation of CPY*, and only by eliminating both is CPY* degradation completely blocked.
Studies on the Enzymology of Aldehyde Dehydrogenase‐2 in Genetically Modified HeLa Cells

The Asian flush reaction is known to result from a lysine for glutamine substitution In the aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) gene. This mutation was studied in HeLa cells transduced with retroviruses carrying the ALDH2E (wild-type) and ALDH2K (variant) cDNAs. The cells expressed high levels of the enzyme protein that had the same pl and enzymatic characteristics as the corresponding liver enzyme. When cells expressing ALDH2E were transduced with ALDH2K expressing retrovirus, the ALDH2 activity was reduced roughly in proportion to the amount of ALDH2K mRNA expressed, indicating a dominant suppression of activity. The half-life of the wild-type enzyme was 22 hr, while that of variant enzyme was 14 hr. The half-life of the enzyme in cells expressing both cDNAs was 13 hr, indicating that the shorter half-life of the variant was also dominant These data are consistent with a model in which the wild-type homodimers have normal activity and turnover, while the heterodimers have reduced to virtually no activity and increased turnover. The model predicts residual ALDH2 activity in heterozygotes of about 13% of that in individuals homozygous for ALDH2 * 1, in good agreement with experimentally determined values.
Voltage- and current-clamp recordings of the receptor potential in olfactory receptor cells in situ

Intracellular recordings obtained using the whole cell configuration of the patch recording technique show that isolated somas of olfactory receptor cells are electrogenic, producing fast overshooting action potentials when depolarized. In situ, these cells produce graded receptor potentials and action potentials when stimulated chemically. The receptor potential can be voltage clamped for analysis of the ionic basis of sensory transduction in olfaction.
The Adoption of Agriculture: Some Theoretical and Empirical Evidence

Using the standard cross-cultural sample, I show that the presence of agriculture in precapitalist societies is only weakly related to the richness of the environment and climate, but is more highly related to the population density. However, the density argument, which is based on the presence of diminishing returns in gathering and hunting, allows many exceptions. A series of other explanations for engaging in agriculture, particularly related to the reduction of risk occurring in the overreliance on other food production modes, are explored. Such an approach forces us to address a somewhat different question: Why haven't all societies adopted agriculture, at least to supply a small portion of their nourishment? Several societies are examined which, by any conventional theory including those proposed in this article, should be engaged in at least some agriculture; but they are not. If this puzzle of the absence of agriculture is solved, we will be considerably further in understanding the nature of the transition to agriculture.
cStress: towards a gold standard for continuous stress assessment in the mobile environment

Recent advances in mobile health have produced several new models for inferring stress from wearable sensors. But, the lack of a gold standard is a major hurdle in making clinical use of continuous stress measurements derived from wearable sensors. In this paper, we present a stress model (called cStress) that has been carefully developed with attention to every step of computational modeling including data collection, screening, cleaning, filtering, feature computation, normalization, and model training. More importantly, cStress was trained using data collected from a rigorous lab study with 21 participants and validated on two independently collected data sets --- in a lab study on 26 participants and in a week-long field study with 20 participants. In testing, the model obtains a recall of 89% and a false positive rate of 5% on lab data. On field data, the model is able to predict each instantaneous self-report with an accuracy of 72%.