cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
ATP stimulation of the sn-glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase of Escherichia coli.

Abstract ATP was found to stimulate the rate of the inner membrane sn-glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase of Escherichia coli. Stimulation required the presence of Mg2+ and was demonstrated with either coenzyme A or acyl carrier protein thioesters as the acyl donor. The ATP stimulation was consistently observed in freshly prepared membranes and those stored at 4 °C, but after freeze/thaw treatment, the acyltransferase no longer responded to ATP. ATP increased the maximal velocity of the reaction but did not affect the Michaelis constants of the substrates. ATP did not drastically alter the proportions or types of products formed in the reaction. The ATP effect may be a mechanism functioning to enhance the rate of the acyltransferase reaction in response to an increased supply of metabolic energy.
Trade credit versus bank credit: Evidence from corporate inventory financing ☆

Abstract In this study, I introduce capital market imperfections into a structure framework of inventory investments and investigate impacts of trade credit on firms’ inventory dynamics and analyze the relationship between trade credit and bank loans. As a result, firms end up using a mix of trade credit and bank loans. I find that the use of trade credit and bank credit can be either complements or substitutes. During tight monetary periods, trade credit operates mainly as a substitute for bank borrowing while during looser monetary episodes even when the economy is weak, trade credit and bank loans are dominated by a complementary effect.
An improved mass spectrometric method for determining the hydrogen deuterium abundance ratio

Abstract A new method is described for the accurate measurement of the abundance ratio of hydrogen and deuterium which avoids the need to extrapolate to zero pressure. This method provides for simpler and more rapid operation and is more accurate than previous methods.
Disciform choroidal melanoma.

Background The clinical and histopathologic findings in a hemorrhagic lesion involving the right macula of a 77-year-old man are presented. Clinical and fluorescein angiographic evaluation of the lesion led to a diagnosis of subretinal neovascular membrane secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The membrane was judged to be amenable to surgical excision and was excised. Methods Histopathologic and immunohistochemical studies were performed on the excised tissue. Results The lesion was a small, epithelioid cell choroidal melanoma. Conclusions Newer surgical techniques for AMD may tend to preclude watchful waiting in the diagnosis of unusual hemorrhagic lesions in the macula, thereby increasing the importance of histopathologic examination of any tissue removed during such procedures.
Optimal state and parameter identification. An application to batch fermentation

Abstract Simultaneous state and parameter identification is a problem that has not been addressed very often nor successfully in the past. In this work I present a general algorithm for coupling state variable and model parameter identification. A specific system that requires the simultaneous identification of process states and model parameters is that of batch beer fermentation. Results show the advantages in coupling a sequential parameter identification algorithm with the Kalman filter state identification algorithm. Such a combined algorithm has the capability of accurately estimating the entire state of the process even when some model parameters are uncertain. This strategy of using the best deterministic process information coupled with sequential updating can be successfully applied to many chemical and biochemical processing problems including batch beer fermentation.
Effect of quinidine on positive inotropic action of digoxin.

Abstract To determine whether digoxin-quinidine interaction alters the inotropic effect of the glycoside, the response of peak isometric force and maximal rate of force development (dF/dt) in isolated feline right ventricular papillary muscles to digoxin and quinidine alone, and in various combinations, was examined. The administration of 1.3 or 2.6 × 10 −5 M of quinidine after 2 × 10 −7 M of digoxin resulted in an increase in contractile performance in each animal. Although 1.3 × 10 −5 M of quinidine alone produced a positive inotropic effect, 2.6 × 10 −5 M of quinidine produced no such effect. Because myocardial digoxin content has been reported to decline after administration of quinidine these results suggest that the increase in contractile performance when quinidine was administered after digoxin is due to displacement of digoxin from less to more active myocardial sites. The administration of 2 or 4 × 10 −7 M of digoxin after 2.6 × 10 −5 M of quinidine resulted in a minimal increase in force and rate of force development. A similar inhibition of the inotropic effect of digoxin was found in rabbit papillary muscles pretreated with quinidine. Inhibition was not limited to digoxin because pretreatment of muscles with quinidine also inhibited the inotropic effect of acetylstrophanthidin. Thus, quinidine has diametrically opposite effects on digitalis-induced inotropy dependent on the sequence with which the drugs are administered.
Registration of Soybean Germplasm SS93-6012 and SS93-6181 Resistant to Phomopsis Seed Decay

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] germplasm SS93-6012 (Reg. No. GP-362, PI 652442) and SS93-6181 (Reg. No. GP-363, PI 652443) were developed and released by the University of Missouri-Columbia in January 2006 as resistant to Phomopsis seed decay (PSD), caused by Phomopsis spp. Both lines were developed from a cross between MO/PSD-0259 (PI562694) (PSD-resistant MGIV germplasm) and 'Asgrow 3834' (PSD-susceptible MGIII cultivar) made in 1990 at the Bradford Research and Extension Center of the University of Missouri, Columbia, MO. The lines were composited in the F 5 generation and evaluated for yield and Phomopsis seed decay infection. These lines are highly resistant to Phomopsis spp. SS93-6012 has a relative maturity of 4.2, purple flowers, gray pubescence, an indeterminate growth habit, tan pods at maturity, yellow color seeds, buff hila, and seed weight of -14 g per 100 seeds. SS93-6181 has a relative maturity of 4.0, purple flowers, tawny pubescence, an indeterminate growth habit, tan pods at maturity, yellow color seeds, imperfect black hila, and seed weight of ∼16 g per 100 seeds. So far, PSD-resistant commercial soybean cultivars are not available, and these two lines may be used for development of PSD-resistant high-yielding soybean cultivars.
Can free oscillations trigger foreshocks that allow earthquake prediction

The earthquake prediction model of Whiteside and Ben-Zion [1995] was examined to ascertain whether or not their proposed method generates statistically significant results. Their model suggests a remarkable increase in the triggering of small earthquakes by free-earth oscillations before some large events in the vicinity of the mainshock months prior to the large event. We independently devised a program to reproduce their method and found the results to be dependent upon the number of events used in the generation of triggering percentages. Results generated using real and random data were nearly identical. We devised a parameter to remove sampling bias and test the null hypothesis, i.e., that the results using real data are no different from what is expected for random chance. The null hypothesis is upheld and there is no observed increase in this parameter in the location of the Loma Prieta earthquake prior to that event.
Divergent Aging Characteristics in CBA/J and CBA/CaJ Mouse Cochleae

Two inbred mouse strains, CBA/J and CBA/CaJ, have been used nearly interchangeably as ‘good hearing’ standards for research in hearing and deafness. We recently reported, however, that these two strains diverge after 1 year of age, such that CBA/CaJ mice show more rapid elevation of compound action potential (CAP) thresholds at high frequencies (Ohlemiller, Brain Res. 1277: 70–83, 2009). One contributor is progressive decline in endocochlear potential (EP) that appears only in CBA/CaJ. Here, we explore the cellular bases of threshold and EP disparities in old CBA/J and CBA/CaJ mice. Among the major findings, both strains exhibit a characteristic age (∼18 months in CBA/J and 24 months in CBA/CaJ) when females overtake males in sensitivity decline. Strain differences in progression of hearing loss are not due to greater hair cell loss in CBA/CaJ, but instead appear to reflect greater neuronal loss, plus more pronounced changes in the lateral wall, leading to EP decline. While both male and female CBA/CaJ show these pathologies, they are more pronounced in females. A novel feature that differed sharply by strain was moderate loss of outer sulcus cells (or ‘root’ cells) in spiral ligament of the upper basal turn in old CBA/CaJ mice, giving rise to deep indentations and void spaces in the ligament. We conclude that CBA/CaJ mice differ both quantitatively and qualitatively from CBA/J in age-related cochlear pathology, and model different types of presbycusis.
Modeling the spatial and temporal dimensions of recreational activity participation with a focus on physical activities

This study presents a unified framework to understand the weekday recreational activity participation time-use of adults, with an emphasis on the time expended in physically active recreation pursuits by location and by time-of-day. Such an analysis is important for a better understanding of how individuals incorporate physical activity into their daily activities on a typical weekday, and can inform the development of effective policy interventions to facilitate physical activity. Furthermore, such a study of participation and time use in recreational activity episodes contributes to activity-based travel demand modeling, since recreational activity participation comprises a substantial share of individuals’ total non-work activity participation. The methodology employed here is the multiple discrete continuous extreme value (MDCEV) model, which provides a unified framework to explicitly and endogenously examine time use by type, location, and timing. The data for the empirical analysis is drawn from the 2000 Bay Area Travel Survey (BATS), supplemented with other secondary sources that provide information on physical environment variables. To our knowledge, this is the first study to jointly address the issues of ‘where’, ‘when’ and ‘how much’ individuals choose to participate in ‘what type of (recreational) activity’.
An animal analogue to systematic desensitization and elimination of avoidance

Abstract Rats first acquired a two-way avoidance response to a discrete warning signal (80 db white noise.) The effects of 3 experimental and 3 control treatments on elimination of the response were evaluated on a nonshock posttreatment extinction test. Group Systematic Desensitization (SD) received graded exposure to the warning signal while they were eating. Rats in Graded Hierarchy (GH) and Extinction (Ext) groups were yoked to S s in the SD group such that GH and Ext treatment was identical with that of SD except that neither group ate and the Ext group was exposed to the full intensity warning signal (nongraded exposure) on all trials. None of the control groups was exposed to the warning signal between acquisition and the posttreatment test. Results indicated that SD, while interfering with avoidance during treatment, did not differ in effectiveness from control treatment and was significantly less effective than GH and Ext, when avoidance was tested in extinction. It was suggested that the present analogue SD technique impaired S 's reception of (exposure to) the warning signal during treatment.
Construction of a Confidence Set of Markers for the Location of a Disease Gene Using Affected Sib Pair Data

We have previously proposed a confidence set approach for finding tightly linked genomic regions under the setting of parametric linkage analysis. In this article, we extend the confidence set approach to nonparametric linkage analysis of affected sib pair (ASP) data based on their identity-by-descent (IBD) information. Two well-known statistics in nonparametric linkage analysis, the Two-IBD test (proportion of ASPs sharing two alleles IBD), and the Mean test (average number of alleles shared IBD in the ASPs), are used for constructing confidence sets. Some numerical analyses as well as a simulation study were carried out to demonstrate the utility of the methods. Our results show that the fundamental advantages of the confidence set approach in parametric linkage analysis are retained when the method is generalized to nonparametric analysis. Our study on the accuracy of confidence sets, in terms of choice of tests, underlying disease incidence data, and amount of data available, leads us to conclude, among other things, that the Mean test outperforms the Two-IBD test in most situations, with the reverse being true only for traits with small additive variance. Although we describe how to construct confidence sets based on only two familiar tests, one can construct confidence sets similarly using other allele sharing statistics.
Diabetes Resources on the Internet

Diabetes is a serious and costly health problem that touches the lives of over 10 million people in the United States. It is a leading cause of blindness, kidney failure, amputations and cardiovascular disease. This article will describe information about diabetes that is available at several Web sites.
Extinction of Visible and Infrared Radiation in Rain: Comparison of Theory and Experiment

A critical review is given of the experimental and theoretical results concerning the measurement of rainfall using optical extinction, i.e., the attenuation of radiation with wavelength less than or equal to that of the infrared band. It is shown that rainfall rates found from an empirical relation involving optical extinction generally display average deviations without regard for sign of only 25 percent when compared with those measured by raingages directly beneath the optical beam. It is also shown that the differences between experimental and theoretical results can be explained in terms of variations of the shape of the raindrop size distribution, i.e., deviations from exponentiality.
Tolerance and pharmacology of ciprostene, a stable epoprostenol (prostacyclin) analogue in humans.

Safety, tolerance, and pharmacology of 9-beta-methylcarbacyclin calcium (ciprostene calcium) was investigated in healthy male volunteers. This stable prostacyclin analogue was infused intravenously into groups of 12, 11, and three volunteers for three, six, and eight hours, respectively, in doses up to 480 ng/kg/min. Based on the tolerance data obtained, a single-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted. Seven subjects were infused for 8 hr/d for three days with ciprostene at a maximum dose of 160 ng/kg/min and seven subjects received placebo. One subject from each group did not complete the infusion schedule, and they were not included in the final analysis. During infusion of ciprostene, consistent changes in blood pressure and heart rate did not occur. Most frequent adverse drug reactions consisted of headache, restlessness, nausea, perspiration, flushing, and jaw pain. As compared with placebo, ADP-induced platelet aggregation was inhibited during the infusion period (P = .048). Significant (P = .04) elevations of platelet cyclic AMP were observed in subjects during infusion of ciprostene. Pre- versus postinfusion routine laboratory evaluations, fibrinogen concentration, antiplasmin activity, and plasminogen and template bleeding times remained unchanged. Placebo- and drug-treated subjects had a daily postinfusion shortening of euglobulin clot lysis time (ECLT). The preinfusion minus postinfusion ECLT for ciprostene subjects on days 2 and 3 (133 and 118 min, respectively) compared with placebo (239 and 217 min) suggest a trend to increased fibrinolytic activity. Based on the outcome of this trial, it is estimated that ciprostene is about 15 times less potent than prostacyclin.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Iron toxicity screening

Fischer's method for rapid detection of acute iron toxicity is modified to suit pediatric cases. TPTZ (2,4,6-tripyridyl-s-triazine) is the chromogen of choice since in a small volume of serum slight to moderate hemolysis can cause a false positive result with bathophenanthroline. Ordinary labware is amenable to this simplified procedure.
Melatonin mediation in sedative effect of serotonin in goldfish.

Abstract Intracranial injection of serotonin caused sedation, measured in terms of surfacing responses, in sham operated goldfish but not in pinealectomized fish. In unoperated fish, melatonin induced sedation with faster onset of the effect than serotonin. That the effect of serotonin on sedation was mediated by melatonin was evidenced by the fact that inhibition of melatonin synthesis by scotophobin prevented the sedative effect of serotonin injection.
Linking Prebreeding for Local Germplasm Improvement with Cultivar Development in Maize Breeding for Short-Season (85–95 RM) Hybrids

ND2001 (Reg. No. PL-356, PI 650881), ND2002 (Reg. No. PL-357, PI 650882), ND2003 (Reg. No. PL-358, PI 650883), and ND2004 (Reg. No. PL- 359, PI 650884) are four new yellow-dent maize (Zea mays L.) inbred lines that were developed for use as parents for 85 to 95 relative maturity (RM) hybrids by the North Dakota State University (NDSU) maize breeding program and released by the North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station in February 2007. ND2001 originated from the improved breeding population NDSG(M)C19. NDSG(M)C19 derived from landrace Minnesota #13. ND2002, ND2003, and ND2004 derived from improved populations NDSM(M)C7, NDSCD(M)C10, and NDSCD(M)C8, respectively. These early-maturing lines were identified through pedigree selection including several years of early- and late-generation hybrid testing across 27 to 34 environments. ND2001 produced hybrids with above-average lodging resistance and yield. ND2002 hybrids had one of the highest average performances in grain yield. ND2003 had one of the best specific combining ability for grain yield. ND2004 hybrids had excellent lodging resistance and above-average grain yield. ND2001 combines best with LH82-derived testers. ND2002 combines best with lodent and LH82-derived testers. ND2003 and ND2004 combine well across testers representing different heterotic groups (including B14-derived testers).
Campus Child Care: Toward an Expanded Professional Identity.

Abstract The field of early childhood education is facing an array of contemporary challenges. An expanded base of leadership and support is needed to facilitate the professional advancement of the field. In this article, it is proposed that campus child care programs should assume a greater share of the leadership role. Their potential contributions are conceptualized within the three traditional higher education categories of research, teaching, and community service. Guidelines and recommendations for specific innovations in campus child care activities are described.
The Effect of Model Parameters on Predicted Stress Based Failure Criterion for Sheet Metal

Tearing failure in sheet metal forming has traditionally been predicted based on the strain state of the material. However, a concern with this failure prediction method is that the strain based forming limit curve exhibits significant strain path dependence. A stress based failure criterion has been proposed and shown to be less sensitive to the strain path through numerical simulations and by analytically converting strain based data to stress space. However, a means to predict this stress based failure criterion without prior knowledge of the strain based forming limit curve for sheet metal is required. In this paper, an analytical prediction of the stress based forming limit curve is derived and compared to experimental and numerical results. The effects of model parameters are also investigated.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Unraveling the enigma of Indira Gandhi’s rise in Indian politics: a woman leader’s quest for political legitimacy

This article employs Bourdieu’s notion of symbolic capital to explain how Indira Gandhi gained legitimacy in Indian politics. It reveals that, in spite of having belonged to the politically illustrious Nehru family, Gandhi suffered numerous indignities as a minister in the immediate post-Nehruvian period because the incumbent political elite at the time, the Syndicate, devalued the symbolic value of her family-name-based-capital of mass popularity. In the meantime, changes in the clientelistic relations between the landed and landless caste groups had created conditions for the failure of the Syndicate’s claim that their capital of popularity among politicians was the symbolic capital of the Indian political field. Aware of social changes taking place in the countryside, Gandhi took advantage of her access to the symbolic power of the state offices to classify the landless caste groups as garib (poor) in order to defeat the Syndicate electorally. Having established her capital of popularity among the masses as the symbolic capital of the Indian political field, she cemented its status by using her control over ruling party leaders’ access to state offices and simultaneously creating a new classification of a competent leader in the ruling party. This study contributes to the existing studies of leadership, especially leadership by women, and the legitimacy-gaining process by revealing the role of contest among the elite over the meaning of symbolic capital in creating or destroying their respective authority.
Mutagen sensitivity assays in population studies

Human population monitoring studies are frequently conducted to determine if exposure to environmental mutagenic agents can cause health problems or not. In these studies, a variety of biomarkers are used to identify biological events that are predictive of health consequences. An emphasis in this report is on the use of mutagen sensitivity assays to understand health risk. The assay is based on the assumption that exposure to mutagenic chemicals or mixtures of chemicals for a long time can cause cellular changes that are expressed as mutagen sensitivity. From experience in using these assays in cancer patients and in mutagen-exposed populations, it is clear that the expression of mutagen sensitivity is based on the interactions between mutagen exposure and individual susceptibility. When studies are conducted under appropriate conditions, expression of mutagen sensitivity is suggestive of increased risk for environmental disease such as cancer.
Eliminating side products and increasing succinate yields in engineered strains of Escherichia coli C

Derivatives of Escherichia coli C were previously described for succinate production by combining the deletion of genes that disrupt fermentation pathways for alternative products (ldhA::FRT, adhE::FRT, ackA::FRT, focA-pflB::FRT, mgsA, poxB) with growth-based selection for increased ATP production. The resulting strain, KJ073, produced 1.2 mol of succinate per mol glucose in mineral salts medium with acetate, malate, and pyruvate as significant co-products. KJ073 has been further improved by removing residual recombinase sites (FRT sites) from the chromosomal regions of gene deletion to create a strain devoid of foreign DNA, strain KJ091(DeltaldhA DeltaadhE DeltaackA DeltafocA-pflB DeltamgsA DeltapoxB). KJ091 was further engineered for improvements in succinate production. Deletion of the threonine decarboxylase (tdcD; acetate kinase homologue) and 2-ketobutyrate formate-lyase (tdcE; pyruvate formate-lyase homologue) reduced the acetate level by 50% and increased succinate yield (1.3 mol mol(-1) glucose) by almost 10% as compared to KJ091 and KJ073. Deletion of two genes involved in oxaloacetate metabolism, aspartate aminotransferase (aspC) and the NAD(+)-linked malic enzyme (sfcA) (KJ122) significantly increased succinate yield (1.5 mol mol(-1) glucose), succinate titer (700 mM), and average volumetric productivity (0.9 g L(-1) h(-1)). Residual pyruvate and acetate were substantially reduced by further deletion of pta encoding phosphotransacetylase to produce KJ134 (DeltaldhA DeltaadhE DeltafocA-pflB DeltamgsA DeltapoxB DeltatdcDE DeltacitF DeltaaspC DeltasfcA Deltapta-ackA). Strains KJ122 and KJ134 produced near theoretical yields of succinate during simple, anaerobic, batch fermentations using mineral salts medium. Both may be useful as biocatalysts for the commercial production of succinate.
Activity of lactic streptococci following storage at refrigeration temperatures.

Abstract The effect of aging at 3C on cell viability, residual proteinase activity, and acid production was determined on single-strain cultures of Streptococcus lactis . Cell viability, as determined by colony counts, remained relatively constant during the first six days of storage; a slight decrease occurred after ten days. The proteinase activity of stored cells decreased with increased storage time (six days) until a relatively constant residual amount (12–16%) remained. The marked reduction during the first and second days of storage indicated high lability of the proteinase systcm to storage at refrigeration temperatures. No apparent relationship existed between reduction in enzymatic activity and cell viability. Acid production by the strains when cultured in milk at 22C following storage for three days was considerably less than that by unstored cells. Further extension of storage resulted in a gradual reduction in the rate of acid production by the cells. The rate of acid production by aged cells when cultured in milk could be restored completely by addition of 0.2% pancreas extract.
On the rotation of gas and magnetic fields at the solar photosphere

We point out that observations of a 5 percent velocity difference between photospheric gas and magnetic structures at a given latitude may simply result from angular momentum conservation by fluid elements in the convection zone. Estimates of the viscosity and magnetic drag are considered, and we conclude that they probably are not large enough to enforce strictly rigid rotation.
Denial of AOD Use:An Issue for Social Workers and the Profession

The author investigated AOD use among social workers, examined its potential negative professional consequences and explored the denial that may facilitate AOD abuse. Results are reported from an anonymous survey of 751 NASW members in North Carolina. Twelve percent of the sample were at serious risk of AOD abuse, 28 percent reported binge drinking during the preceding year, and 21 percent had used drugs illegally since becoming a social worker. In addition, 34 percent of respondents at serious risk of AOD abuse reported at least one impairment incident, and 39 percent agreed that they had worked when too distressed to be effective. Only 9 percent of those at serious risk reported current problems with alcohol or other drugs; 28 percent of them reported being in recovery, notwithstanding their current drinking and using. Research and practice implications for social workers, supervisors, and the profession are presented.
Metal binding characteristics of tetracycline derivatives in DMSO solution

A previous study of the site of metal binding in tetracycline has been extended to several derivatives of tetracycline in an effort to determine which specific functional groups are involved in binding to metal ions in DMSO solution and to explore relationships between antibacterial activity and metal binding characteristics. Proton NMR experiments using paramagnetic and diamagnetic lanthanide series ions as binding site probes indicate that the ring A tricarbonylmethane group is the binding site for tetracycline, 5-hydroxytetracycline, 4-epitetracycline and tetracyclinemethiodide in DMSO. No. NMR evidence for metal binding is found for 4-dedimethylaminotetracycline. Binding to Mg2+ is also investigated by NMR for several of these compounds, and a discussion of conformational preferences of tetracycline derivatives in DMSO is presented.
Design and Implementation of a Multilevel Inverter Fed by Photovoltaic Generators with MPPT

In this paper is presented an implementation of a fundamental frequency on a three-phase multilevel inverter supplied by a photovoltaic generator in a stand-alone system. The high cost of photovoltaic solar power makes it necessary to track the maximum power point (MPP) of the photovoltaic generator regardless the adopted scheme for the power converters. Several maximum power point tracking techniques for photovoltaic systems have been developed to maximize the produced energy and most of these techniques are well published. The topology adopted for this implementation consists of two main blocs. In the first one, a buck-boost-type converter is used to interface the photovoltaic generator (PVG) to the voltage bus of the inverter. The second bloc contains a five-level diode-clamped multilevel inverter (DCMLI), generating fundamental modulation staircase three-phase output voltages. A microcontroller is used to control both converters. Experimental tests were done using a set of two tanks, one for extracting water and the other for the storage. The pumping system is built around an induction motor coupled to a single centrifugal pump. The main idea of such a system is to improve the global efficiency by increasing the stored water in a day.
Dynamics of myosin, microtubules, and Kinesin-6 at the cortex during cytokinesis in Drosophila S2 cells

Signals from the mitotic spindle during anaphase specify the location of the actomyosin contractile ring during cytokinesis, but the detailed mechanism remains unresolved. Here, we have imaged the dynamics of green fluorescent protein–tagged myosin filaments, microtubules, and Kinesin-6 (which carries activators of Rho guanosine triphosphatase) at the cell cortex using total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy in flattened Drosophila S2 cells. At anaphase onset, Kinesin-6 relocalizes to microtubule plus ends that grow toward the cortex, but refines its localization over time so that it concentrates on a subset of stable microtubules and along a diffuse cortical band at the equator. The pattern of Kinesin-6 localization closely resembles where new myosin filaments appear at the cortex by de novo assembly. While accumulating at the equator, myosin filaments disappear from the poles of the cell, a process that also requires Kinesin-6 as well as possibly other signals that emanate from the elongating spindle. These results suggest models for how Kinesin-6 might define the position of cortical myosin during cytokinesis.
Intravascular ultrasound guided holmium:YAG laser recanalization of occluded arteries.

Current angioplasty devices are limited by arterial wall dissection and perforation, and by early recurrence from inadequate debulking of lesions. This study evaluated intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) as guidance for concentric laser recanalization of arterial occlusions. Twelve, 2–4-cm-long canine iliac artery occlusions were treated at 2 weeks (organizing thrombus) to 12 weeks (firm fibrous lesions) using a Holmium:YAG laser (2,100 nm wavelength) in free running mode, FRM, (250 μsec pulse, 5 Hz), n = 9; and Q-switched mode, QSM (200 ns pulse, 6 Hz), n = 3. A 200 μm (n = 2) or 600 μm (n=10) optic fiber was centered in the artery coaxial to a 5Fr rotating A scan IVUS probe. The fiber was positioned in the center of the artery distal to the lesion and slowly advanced through the obstruction. In 8 occlusions the same fiber was used as a guide wire for passage of either a 1.6-mm-(n=2) and/or 3.0-mm (n=6) diameter multifiber catheter (19 × 100 and 19 × 200 μm fibers, respectively) using FRM energy to further debulk the lesion. In all cases, IVUS guidance enabled concentric initial recanalization of occlusions, although 3 vessel perforations resulted from fiber deviation off the center of the lumen at a distance of 2 to 4 cm from the IVUS imaging element. Both QSM and FRM modes ablated tissue, with FRM modes producing more tissue fragmentation and thermal effect. IVUS images accurately diagnosed the location of lesions compared to angioscopic views and pathologic analysis of the specimens. This study suggests that IVUS guided laser energy may enable initial concentric re-canalization of arterial occlusions if adequate tissue removal can be accomplished to provide continuous IVUS imaging as the re-canalization proceeds. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Multiscale models for synthetic biology

Reacting systems away from the thermodynamic limit cannot be accurately modeled with ordinary differential equations. These continuous-deterministic modeling formalisms, traditionally developed and used by chemical engineers can be distinctly false if the number of molecules of reacting chemical species is very small, or if reaction events are very rare. Then stochastic-discrete representations are appropriate. Importantly, in cases where in a network of reactions there are some parts that must be modeled discretely and stochastically, yet others can be modeled continuously and deterministically, the need for development of multiscale models emerges naturally. In computational synthetic biology, such cases arise often. In this work we present the development of multiscale models for synthetic biology applications, demonstrating accuracy, computational efficiency and utility.
Inhibition of collagen production by diabetic rat serum: response to insulin and insulin-like growth factor-I added in vitro.

Diabetes mellitus is associated with a generalized defect in connective tissue metabolism. Since collagen is the major protein of connective tissues, we used collagen as a probe to examine the role of factors in diabetic rat serum (DRS) in the etiology of these defects. Serum and skin fibroblasts were isolated from nondiabetic rats, and serum was taken from rats 48 h after injection of 200 mg/kg streptozotocin. Within 24 h of confluency, the fibroblast medium was changed to experimental serum for 24 h, with 5 μCi [3H]proline added for the final 6 h. Collagen and noncollagen proteins were quantitated using purified collagenase. Compared to cells incubated in medium without serum, collagen fell to 58% with 0.5% DRS (P < 0.05) and continued to decrease with increasing concentrations of DRS. Noncollagen protein decreased below levels in cells incubated in medium without serum only when concentrations of diabetic serum were 1% or greater and did not decrease further with higher concentrations of diabetic serum...
Interactions of Ca2+ with Sphingomyelin and Dihydrosphingomyelin

Abstract The changes induced by Ca 2+ on human lens sphingolipids, sphingomyelin (SM), and dihydrosphingomyelin were investigated by infrared spectroscopy. Ca 2+ -concentration-dependent studies of the head group region revealed that, for both sphingolipids, Ca 2+ partially dehydrates some of the phosphate groups and binds to others. Ca 2+ affects the interface of each sphingolipid differently. In SM, Ca 2+ shifts the amide I′ band to frequencies lower than those in dehydrated samples of SM alone. This could be attributed to the direct binding of Ca 2+ to carbonyl groups and/or strong tightening of interlipid H-bonds to levels beyond those in dehydrated samples of SM only. In contrast, Ca 2+ induces relatively minor dehydration around the amide groups of dihydrosphingomyelin and a slight enhancement of direct lipid-lipid interactions. Temperature-dependent studies reveal that 0.2MCa 2+ increases the transition temperature T m from 31.6±1.0°C to 35.7±1.1°C for SM and from 45.5±1.1°C to 48.2±1.0°C for dihydrosphingomyelin. Binding of Ca 2+ to some phosphate groups remains above T m . The strength of the interaction is, however, weaker. This allows for the partial rehydration of these moieties. Similarly, above T m , Ca 2+ -lipid and/or direct inter-lipid interactions are weakened and lead to the rehydration of amide groups.
Joule heating and nitric oxide in the thermosphere

[1] During geomagnetic storms, gravity waves propagate from the polar regions toward the equator heating the thermosphere at 140 km and higher. These gravity waves are produced by Joule heating that occurs at latitudes of 60° and higher. The heating leads to an increase in the density of nitric oxide at 140 km in the thermosphere. On some occasions, the increased nitric oxide diffuses downward to the 110 km level causing the nitric oxide density at that level to increase substantially. Two and a half years (11 March 1998–30 September 2000) of Student Nitric Oxide Explorer (SNOE) observations of nitric oxide were examined to look for occurrences of increased nitric oxide produced by Joule heating initiated gravity waves and to determine how often downflow of nitric oxide occurs. The results of this study show that gravity wave heating occurs frequently, about 12–14% of the time at 40° latitude. For about 50% of these events, downflow of nitric oxide from 140 km to 110–120 km occurs the following day. About 2–3% of the time, gravity waves propagate all the way to the 20°N and S latitude band around the equator. On special occasions, downflow of nitric oxide occurs at the equator as the result of Joule heating occurring in the polar regions. This happened on five occasions during the two and a half year period in 1998–2000.
Libraries of composite polyfluors built from fluorescent deoxyribosides

We report on a new class of water-soluble fluorescent molecules (polyfluors) that are composed of multiple individual fluorophores assembled on a DNA-like backbone. Four fluorophore deoxyribosides were synthesized, and these individual molecules were assembled into oligofluor strings on a DNA synthesizer. A library of 256 tetrafluors was generated by split and pool methods on polystyrene beads. Images of the library under a fluorescence microscope revealed at least 40-50 different hues and intensities. Selected tetrafluors were resynthesized in pure form in solution and displayed properties, such as large Stokes shifts, that individual fluorophores do not have.
A Gap Correction for HAWT Blades

Partial-span ''tip'' controls are used to start, stop, and regulate power on a number of horizontal-axis wind turbines (HAWT) including the MOD-2. There exists a physical gap in blade chord between the pitchable outer portion of the rotor blade and the inner, fixed portion of the blade. On the MOD-2, the gap is 0.28 m (11 inches) wide and the gap is situated at 70 percent of the rotor radius or 32.0 m (105 fet) from the rotor centerline. The chord at the gap is over 2.3 m (90 inches). A gap in the chord of the blade of a wind turbine causes the circulation to drop to zero at the opening. As a result of the drop in circulation, vorticity is shed in the wake with vorticity of opposite signs being present; the vorticity shed outboard of the gap is of the opposite sign of the vorticity shed inboard of the gap. Let us model the effect of this shed vorticity as a semi-infinite vortex doublet extending downwind of the gap. The vortex shed at the gap due to the difference in circulation between the inner and outer portions of the blade is neglected. Since the influence of amore » doublet falls off inversely as the square of the distance, the extent of the velocity field of a doublet is small enough to employ a straight vortex double.« less
Date of Silicification and Relative Strengths of Biogenic Calcite in Plastically Deformed Permian Limestone, Ubehebe Peak Area, California: ABSTRACT

A thick sequence of alternating bioclastic limestone and other clastic beds of Early Permian age has been steeply tilted, but the rocks appear to have retained their sedimentary structure, even in detail. Microscopic examination shows, however, that at many places the limestone beds have undergone intense plastic flow. Most of the calcite shells, except crinoid ossicles, have been attenuated beyond recognition. Each crinoid ossicle was secreted by the animal as an anhedral crystal of calcite and each contained a biologically imposed, cribriform lattice structure and such pores or external canals or processes as the biologic or skeletal function required. It is widely accepted that calcite crystals in marble are weak, but the anhedral calcite crystals in these ossicles sho astonishingly little deformation even where surrounded by flow lines of calcite shell material and the usual "shadow structures" in the low-pressure areas. The cribriform lattice and general form of many ossicles show some degree of warping and lamellar twinning in the crystal structure, but in all samples the crinoid plates were far more durable than any of the associated biogenic calcite. Shells of Triticites and Pseudofusulina are present. Their well-known keriothecal wall structures serve not only as a measure of the extreme extent of attenuation locally, but also show that the plastic flow represents adjustments between particles of a fineness to and beyond the limits of visual resolution. Relatively little fracturing accompanied the deformation. Parts of a few fusulinid shells were agatized. The silicified parts of shells are undeformed, but the unsilicified parts are attenuated, showing that silicification preceded the plastic flow and that it can not have been a product of Recent exhumation and weathering. The adjacent igneous intrusions and associated deformation of these Permian beds have not yet been dated more accurately than Triassic to Miocene. Numerous exa ples of the greater durability of echinoderm ossicles than that of other calcite shells, even in environments of low-grade metamorphism, have been observed or reported, but the samples discussed here exceed by far any known differences in display of strength. End_of_Article - Last_Page 617------------
Turbulence structure in boundary layers over periodic two- and three-dimensional roughness

Measurements are presented from turbulent boundary layers over periodic two- and three-dimensional roughness. Cases with transverse rows of staggered cubes and cases with solid square transverse bars of two sizes were considered. Previous results by Volino, Schultz & Flack (J. Fluid Mech. vol. 635, 2009, p. 75) showed outer-layer similarity between cases with three-dimensional roughness and smooth walls, and deviations from similarity in cases with large two-dimensional transverse bars. The present results show that differences also occur with small two-dimensional bars and to a lesser extent when the bars are replaced with rows of staggered cubes. Differences are most apparent in correlations of turbulence quantities, which are of larger spatial extent for the rough-wall cases. The results with the staggered cubes indicate that part of the periodic roughness effect is caused by the repeated disturbance and recovery of the boundary layer as it encounters a row of roughness followed by a smooth surface. A larger effect, however, is due to the blockage caused by the two-dimensional transverse bars, which extend across the entire width of the boundary layer. The small two-dimensional bars have a larger effect than the staggered cubes, in spite of the bar height being only 11 viscous units and 1/7 of the cube height. The effect of the small bars extends well into the outer flow, indicating that effects observed previously with larger bars were not due only to a thickening of the roughness sublayer. The observed differences between the rough- and smooth-wall results are believed to be caused by large-scale attached eddies which extend from the roughness elements to the edge of the boundary layer.
Wild Mouse Variants of Envelope Genes of Xenotropic/Polytropic Mouse Gammaretroviruses and Their XPR1 Receptors Elucidate Receptor Determinants of Virus Entry

Mouse xenotropic and polytropic leukemia viruses (XMVs and PMVs) are closely related gammaretroviruses that use the XPR1 receptor for entry. To identify amino acid residues in XPR1 important for virus entry, we tested mouse cells derived from evolutionarily divergent species for susceptibility to prototypical PMVs, XMVs, and the wild mouse isolate CasE#1. CasE#1 has a variant XMV/PMV host range, and sequence analysis of the CasE#1 env gene identifies segments related to PMVs and XMVs. Cells from the Asian mouse species Mus pahari show a unique pattern of susceptibility to these three viruses; these cells are susceptible to XMVs and CasE#1 but are resistant to PMVs, whereas NIH 3T3 cells show the reciprocal pattern, susceptibility to only PMVs. The M. pahari XPR1 gene differs from that of NIH 3T3 in the two extracellular loops (ECLs) previously shown to mediate virus entry (M. Marin, C. S. Tailor, A. Nouri, S. L. Kozak, and D. Kabat, J. Virol. 73:9362-9368, 1999, and N. S. Van Hoeven and A. D. Miller, Retrovirology 2:76, 2005). Using transfected hamster cells expressing chimeric and mutated XPR1s, we demonstrated that the susceptibility differences between NIH 3T3 and M. pahari cells are receptor mediated, that PMV entry requires residues in ECL3, that the CasE#1 entry determinant is in ECL4, and that determinants for XMV entry are in both ECL3 and ECL4. Additional substitutions in ECL3 and ECL4 modulate virus susceptibility and suggest that ECL3 and ECL4 may contribute to the formation of a single virus receptor site. The position of M. pahari at the base of the Mus phylogenetic tree indicates that XPR1-mediated susceptibility to XMVs is the ancestral type in this genus and that the phenotypic variants of mouse XPR1 likely arose in conjunction with exposure to gammaretrovirus infections and coevolutionary adaptations in the viral envelope.
Hedonic Estimates of Lodging Rates in the Four Corners Region

In many industries, insufficient attention has been given to how location affects prices. One such industry is lodging. This article examines room rates for budget hotels and motels in four southwestern U.S. states during 1998. Using hedonic analysis, published prices are estimated for nearly 600 establishments belonging to six national chains. OLS regression uncovers how site attributes (pools, spas, and complimentary breakfasts) and situation attributes (temperature, interstate location, and specialization of the local economy) affect room rates. Prices for overnight stays during summer and winter seasons are examined. Differential effects of site and situation attributes on price heterogeneity are discussed.
Yellow Jackets ( Vespula spp.) Disperse Trillium (spp.) Seeds in Eastern North America

Abstract Approximately 70 plant families worldwide have ant-dispersed seeds (myrmecochory). In this putative ant-plant mutualism, ants are attracted to and disperse seeds that have a lipid-rich elaiosome. We observed yellow jackets (Vespula spp.) dispersing seeds of three elaiosome-bearing species—Trillium cuneatum, T. undulatum and T. catesbaei—in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina and South Carolina. Moreover, we estimated the mean distance yellow jackets dispersed seeds of T. cuneatum by placing intact fruits on index cards and recovering dispersed seeds on sheets placed on the ground surface. Of the seeds presented, 41% were recovered and the average dispersal distance was 1.4 m (range 0.1–2.6 m). Some yellow jackets carrying Trillium seeds flew out of sight and probably dispersed seeds farther (perhaps 20 m or more). To our knowledge, this is the first report of yellow jackets dispersing elaiosome-bearing seeds in eastern North America. Although the fate of vespid-dispersed seeds is unknown, ...