cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Unscrambling the oocyte and the egg: clarifying terminology of the female gamete in mammals.

Most reproductive biologists who study female gametes will agree with the sixteenth century anatomist William Harvey's doctrine: "Ex Ovo Omnia." This phrase, which literally translates to "everything from the egg," recognizes the centrality of the egg in animal development. Eggs are most impressive cells, capable of supporting development of an entirely new organism following fertilization or parthenogenetic activation. Not so uniformly embraced in the field of reproductive biology is the nomenclature used to refer to the female germ cell (Wessel, 2009). What is an oocyte? What is an egg? Are these terms the same, different, interchangeable? Here we provide functional definitions of the oocyte and egg, and how they can be used in the context of mammalian gamete biology and beyond.
Brief Announcement: Byzantine Geoconsensus

We define and investigate the consensus problem for a set of N processes embedded on the d-dimensional plane, \(d\ge 2\), which we call the geoconsensus problem. The processes have unique coordinates and can communicate with each other through oral messages. In contrast to the literature where processes are individually considered Byzantine, it is considered that all processes covered by a finite-size convex fault area F are Byzantine and there may be one or more processes in a fault area. Similarly as in the literature where correct processes do not know which processes are Byzantine, it is assumed that the fault area location is not known to the correct processes.
Trade Secrets to Promoting Diversity of Patent Practitioners

This article responds to the following question presented by the National Strategy for Expanding American Innovation: “What are ways of promoting diversity in the corps of intellectual property attorneys and agents who represent innovators?” The article recommends increasing the diversity of patent practitioners by (i) expanding the pipeline of students who aspire to become patent practitioners, and (ii) removing systemic barriers these students face at the USPTO.
Ginseng for the Management of Cancer-Related Fatigue: An Integrative Review.

Background Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is one of the most prevalent, debilitating symptoms affecting a majority of patients with cancer worldwide. It can lead to poor compliance with anticancer therapy and discontinuation of treatment. Current management strategies for CRF center around activity and exercise; however, these strategies can be challenging for many patients undergoing active treatment. Ginseng has been shown to improve CRF and may provide benefit for patients suffering from CRF. Methods A systematic review was completed by searching PubMed and Scopus databases. Results 115 search results were reduced to a final sample of five articles after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria. Published results suggest that 2,000 mg of American ginseng once daily improves symptoms of CRF. Minimal side effects or drug interactions are observed. Additional research is needed to further evaluate the role of ginseng for CRF. Conclusion There are data to support the use of American ginseng to treat CRF. Large-scale randomized controlled trials are needed to validate these findings and determine optimal dosage and duration of therapy.
Investigation of near-critical heat transfer in rectangular microchannels with single wall heating using infrared thermography

Abstract This paper characterizes the thermal-hydraulic behavior of carbon dioxide near the critical point in rectangular microchannels with uniform heating limited to a single wall of the flow channel. Experiments were conducted in a horizontal, bottom heated channel with a hydraulic diameter of 923 µm and an aspect ratio ( A R = W c h H c h ) of 3.33. Experimental variables included the mass flux ( 430 ≤ G ≤ 800 kg m − 2 s − 1 ), heat flux ( 5.7 ≤ q ″ ≤ 14.12 W cm − 2 ), inlet temperatures ( 31 ≤ T i n ≤ 32.9 ∘ C), and a reduced pressure ( P R ) of 1.04. To limit the heating to a single wall of the flow channel, a novel test section was designed and built using Inconel-718, Torlon 4203, and stainless steel. Infrared thermography was used to obtain local heat transfer data. Existing supercritical heat transfer correlations, developed for uniform wall heating conditions, did not accurately predict the heat transfer for single wall heating boundary conditions.
Online Improvement of Condition-Based Maintenance Policy via Monte Carlo Tree Search

Often in manufacturing systems, scenarios arise where the demand for maintenance exceeds the capacity of maintenance resources. This results in the problem of allocating the limited resources among machines competing for them. This maintenance scheduling problem can be formulated as a Markov decision process (MDP) with the goal of finding the optimal dynamic maintenance action given the current system state. However, as the system becomes more complex, solving an MDP suffers from the curse of dimensionality. To overcome this issue, we propose a two-stage approach that first optimizes a static condition-based maintenance (CBM) policy using a genetic algorithm (GA) and then improves the policy online via Monte Carlo tree search (MCTS). The static policy significantly reduces the state space of the online problem by allowing us to ignore machines that are not sufficiently degraded. Furthermore, we formulate MCTS to seek a maintenance schedule that maximizes the long-term production volume of the system to reconcile the conflict between maintenance and production objectives. We demonstrate that the resulting online policy is an improvement over the static CBM policy found by GA.
Understanding Gas Solubility of Pure Component and Binary Mixtures within Multivalent Ionic Liquids from Molecular Simulations.

Understanding the molecular-level solubility of CO2 and its mixtures is essential to the progress of gas-treating technologies. Herein, we use grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations to study the single-component gas absorption of SO2, N2, CH4, and H2 and binary mixtures of CO2/SO2, CO2/N2, CO2/CH4, and CO2/H2 of varying mole fractions within multivalent ionic liquids (ILs). Our results highlight the importance of the free volume effect and the anion effect when interpreting the absorption behavior of these mixtures, similar to the behavior of CO2 found in our previous study (Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys.2020,22, 20618-20633). The deviation of gas solubility between the pure component absorption versus the binary absorption, as well as the solubility selectivity, highlights the importance of the relative affinity of gas species within a mixture to the different anions. The absorption selectivity within a specific IL system can be predicted based on the relative gas affinity to the anion.
Constructive Use of Process Variations: Reconfigurable and High-Resolution Delay-Line

Delay-line is a critical circuit component for highspeed electronic design and testing, such as high-performance FPGA and ASICs, to provide timing signals of specific duration or duty cycle. However, the performance of existing CMOS-based delay-lines is limited by various practical issues. For example, the minimum propagation delay (resolution) of CMOS gates is limited by the process variations from circuit fabrication. This paper presents a novel delay-line scheme, which instead of mitigating the process variations from circuit fabrication, constructively leverages them to generate time signals of specific duration. Moreover, the resolution of the proposed delay-line method is reconfigurable, for which we propose a Machine Learning modeling method to assist such reconfiguration, i.e., to generate time duration of different scales. The performance of the proposed delay-line is validated with HSpice simulation and prototype on a Xilinx Virtex-6 FPGA evaluation kit. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed delay-line method achieves an ultra-high resolution of sub-picosecond.
Pavlovian Society Awards

This archival paper, from a founding member of the Pavlovian Society and continuous member of its Executive Committee, includes sketches of 17 of 23 winners of the Pavlovian Award between 1966–1983.
MILITARY MEDICINE: THE OLD AND THE NEW

Excerpt Progress, whether it be natural, political, or scientific, rarely proceeds long at a uniform rate. The unceasing effects of erosion and climatic cycles on the earth's surface are interspers...
Common Murre Abundance, Phenology, and Productivity on the Barren Islands, Alaska: The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill and Long-Term Environmental Change

Principally because of the paucity of prespill data on the Barren Islands murre population size and reproductive success, it is impossible to quantify any effect on the spill on these populations. Available prespill data (1976--1978) on the East Amatuli murre population size ranges from 19,000 to 61,000 birds. These data are not systematic, replicated counts but rather are estimates indicating a broad range within which the true attendance figure probably resided. The postspill attendance counts range from 31,041 to 37,128 (1990--1992). Comparisons between matched historical and 1990s photographs showed nearly identical attendance patterns, although there were significantly more murres in the 1990s photographs. Postspill attendance data from multiply censused areas suggest a recovery may have been taking place because of greater than expected annual increases (+25% from 1990 to 1991). Prespill data on reproductive activity of the murres nesting in the Barren Islands were collected from a single 5 x 5-m plot located in a dense, flat section of the East Amatuli Light Rock colony. Comparisons with similarly collected postspill data suggest that phenology, egg production, and chick production are extremely variable among years, although chicks were fledged in all years. Egg and chick production were highest in 1977 andmore » 1991 and lowest in 1992. 72 refs., 9 figs., 5 tabs.« less
Other scenes: space and counterpoint in Cold War Korean melodrama

This essay discusses how cinematic counterpoint functions spatially in South Korean film melodrama, as well as in some North Korean productions. Drawing from canonical studies of melodrama, including Thomas Elsaesser's work, it argues that focusing on mise-en-scene and sound in readings of film melodrama can bring to light the ambivalences, or contrapuntal connections, between its moods and its narrative and thematic discourses. It understands film melodrama as a self-consciously post-psychoanalytic mode that stages psychic conflict in and through spatial configurations. Employing three spatial figures – topos, screen and cosmos – it attempts to understand how such conscious staging of psychic conflicts leads film melodrama to visualize contrapuntal spaces that include both spatial expressions of the dominant themes of the narrative and undercurrents of invisible and unspoken traumas and desires.
Exercise-induced Glycogenolysis in Sympathectomized Rats

The role of the adrenergic system in regulating glycogenolysis during exercise was studied in rats. Alterations in the adrenergic system were produced by injections of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHD), surgical removal of the adrenal medulla (ADMX), or the combination of ADMX and 6-OHD injection. Exercise was treadmill running at 22 m/min for 60 min. Colonic temperature averaged 2.8 degrees C higher in the exercised than control rats. Exercise reduced the glycogen of the liver and skeletal muscles of all groups. The glycogen concentrations of the soleus and red portion of the gastrocnemius muscles of the ADMX and ADMX-6-OHD groups were about 3.8 and 2.5 times higher after exercise than those of the normal-exercised rats. Glycogen depletion of the white portion of the gastrocnemius muscle was similar for all exercised groups. 6-OHD treatment depleted the catecholamines of the myocardium. These results demonstrate that glycogen depletion during exercise occurs in rats devoid of adrenergic control. However, differences between types of skeletal muscle suggest that factors other than the adrenergic system may be involved in controlling glycogen metabolism during exercise.
Data association and graph analytical processing of hard and soft intelligence data

In traditional data fusion hard physical sensor data has been the main source of information. This has changed during the past decade, under the backdrop of counter insurgency (COIN). In the COIN environment the majority of information comes from human sources (soft data). The source of this information can be human informants or soldiers conducting reconnaissance in the field. This human sourced soft data is filled with vast amounts of valuable information. Recently a large number of Natural Language Processing techniques have been developed to process this soft data into the form of relational graphs. In this paper we have described various graph analytical techniques that can be applied towards fusion of hard and soft information and understanding the situations of interest by an analyst. The processing elements exhibited in this paper are association of entities and relations in observational hard and soft data graphs to form the cumulative data graph, situation assessment via graph matching of situations of interest against the cumulative data graph, and social network analysis to identify and extract high value individuals in the network. To illustrate these graph analytic tools we have used the Sunni message thread of SYNCOIN consisting of 114 soft messages and 4 hard data reports. The value of this work has been demonstrated with detailed analysis and examples from the aforementioned dataset.
Current Treatment, Emerging Translational Therapies, and New Therapeutic Targets for Autoimmune Myasthenia Gravis

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disease associated with the production of autoantibodies against 1) the skeletal muscle acetylcholine receptor; 2) muscle-specific kinase, a receptor tyrosine kinase critical for the maintenance of neuromuscular synapses; 3) low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 4, an important molecular binding partner for muscle-specific kinase; and 4) other muscle endplate proteins. In addition to the profile of autoantibodies, MG may be classified according the location of the affected muscles (ocular vs generalized), the age of symptom onset, and the nature of thymic pathology. Immunopathologic events leading to the production of autoantibodies differ in the various disease subtypes. Advances in our knowledge of the immunopathogenesis of the subtypes of MG will allow for directed utilization of the ever-growing repertoire of therapeutic agents that target distinct nodes in the immune pathway relevant to the initiation and maintenance of autoimmune disease. In this review, we examine the pathogenesis of MG subtypes, current treatment options, and emerging new treatments and therapeutic targets.
The GABA System in Schizophrenia: Cells, Molecules and Microcircuitry

This is an overview of several papers that have been published in the Special Issue of Schizophrenia Research entitled The GABA System in Schizophrenia: Cells, Molecules and Microcircuitry. This issue presents a broad range of original reports and scholarly reviews regarding recent progress in studies of neural circuitry in corticolimbic brain regions in patients with schizophrenia.
Evaluation and Treatment of Scaphoid Nonunions: A Critical Analysis Review

Scaphoid fractures occur most commonly through the scaphoid waist1. Fracture initiation and propagation have been postulated to result from hyperextension2, hyperflexion, or axial load3. In one series involving eighty-two fractures of the scaphoid waist, the rate of nonunion was 12%4. The risk of nonunion increases with delayed diagnosis5, inadequate immobilization6, fracture instability7, fracture displacement8, and associated ligamentous injury9,10. As the scaphoid is largely covered with articular cartilage, its vascular supply is precarious, particularly in the proximal-third region, which relies primarily on retrograde flow from the dorsal scaphoid branch of the radial artery11. Thus, proximal-third fractures are especially predisposed to nonunion and osteonecrosis11. The natural history of symptomatic scaphoid nonunion is a progressive pattern of carpal instability, collapse, and subsequent degenerative change. Sequential radiographic changes occur over time, progressing from sclerosis, cysts, and osseous resorption at the nonunion site; to radioscaphoid joint-space narrowing with beaking of the radial styloid process; and then to capitolunate joint-space narrowing12. The radiolunate articulation is spared13. These degenerative changes occur because of rotary subluxation of the distal scaphoid fragment, resulting in scaphoid nonunion advanced …
Role of S-Adenosylmethionine in Methionine Biosynthesis in Yeast

Extracts of Saccharomyces cerevisiae were used to develop a cell-free system capable of converting the β-carbon of serine into the methyl group of methionine. No requirement for either S-adenosylmethionine or S-adenosylhomocysteine could be demonstrated for net methionine biosynthesis. Growth of the cells in B12 did not affect the reaction. The mechanism for the methylation of homocysteine in yeast appears to be similar to the non-B12 system in Escherichia coli.
Programs at risk

Declaring that “these lists represent the smoke behind which a fire may be raging,” Senator John Glenn (D.-Ohio), chairman of the Senate Government Affairs committee, has released a list prepared by the Office of Management and Budget of 73 government programs “in which hundreds of billions of federal dollars are at risk.” The National Aeronautics and Space Administration and Department of Energy are among the 16 federal departments and agencies having programs that Glenn feels could be “our next HUDs.” The secret list is not of programs where losses have occurred, but only where safeguards are thought to be insufficient.
Sigma‐Bonded Organochromium Compounds. Hydrogen Transfer Reactions

The preparation and properties of two classes of organochromium compounds and their interconversion have been studied actively in recent years. These are the σ-bonded organochromium compounds in which alkyl, aryl, or aralkyl groups are covalently bonded to chromium (II or III) and the π-arenechromium complexes in which “aromatic” nuclei are covalently bonded to chromium (0 or I). From certain reactions of the σ-bonded organochromium compounds, evidence has accumulated which shows that the chromium atom acts not only as a coordination center, but also as a hub for hydrogen transfer and H/D exchange[1,2]. σ-Organochromium compounds may act as sources of radicals and carbanions. The present paper deals with the preparation and properties of σ-bonded organochromium compounds; particular attention is given to hydrogen transfer reactions and rearrangements to bis(π-arene)chromium complexes.
Windborne debris and the building envelope

Abstract Twenty-three years of documented windstorm damage experiences illustrate the importance of protecting the building envelope from windborne debris and fluctuating pressures that occur during windstorm events. A 2 × 4 timber and roof gravel are defined as representative objects for use in standard tests to qualify products for use in the building envelope. A 9000 cycle pressure spectrum that represents fluctuating pressures which occur in a hurricane is also specified for product qualification tests. The evolution of these test standards is traced and building codes that have adopted these criteria are referenced. Current design practices that are responsive to these windstorm effects and standard tests are described. Windows and architectural glazing systems that can protect openings in the building envelope from being breached by windborne debris are illustrated.
RNA interference directed to CDK2 inhibits HIV-1 transcription.

Abstract We previously reported that cell cycle-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2) is required for human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) Tat-dependent transcription in vitro. In the present study, CDK2-specific RNA interference in cultured HEK293T cells inhibited CDK2 expression and Tat-induced HIV-1 transcription from non-integrated HIV-1 promoter but not basal HIV-1 transcription or transcription from CMV or β-actin promoters. Also, CDK2-specific RNA interference inhibited Tat-induced transcription from the integrated HIV-1 promoter in HeLa-CD4-LTR-β-gal cells and potently blocked TNFα-induced HIV-1 viral replication in OM10.1 cells. CDK2-specific RNA interference did not have an effect on cell cycle progression, but it augmented TNFα-induced apoptosis of OM10.1 cells. Our results indicate that CDK2 participates in Tat-mediated HIV-1 transcription and may serve as a potential therapeutic target.
How many nucleons are involved in pion absorption in nuclei

The proton yields from the interaction of pions on nuclear targets with 12<~A<~181 were measured in the region of the Δ(3, 3) resonance. The shift in proton energies with angle is analyzed in terms of the average number of nucleons that have participated in absorbing the pion's momentum and total energy. The effective number of interacting nucleons, for both π+ and π- incident, is found to be ∼3 for 12C and increasing to ∼5.5 for 181Ta. These effective numbers of nucleons are also consistent with the ratio of proton yields from π+- and π--induced reactions.
TU‐A‐204C‐01: New Technologies for Image Quality Improvement and Dose Reduction in CT

From 1998 onwards there has been evolutionary advances in multiple‐row detectorcomputed tomography (MDCT) technologies with demand for improved spatial and temporal resolution and three‐dimensional imaging. This has led to rapid race to develop MDCT scanners that yield the highest number of slices per CT gantry rotation (4‐16‐64‐128‐320). At the same time, the number of CT examinations performed in the United States has been growing at an annual rate of approximately 10% with nearly 68 million procedures performed in 2007 alone. The apparent increase in the number of CT procedures, protocols and the associated radiation dose and risks has drawn considerable attention. It appears that the so‐called ‘slice wars’ with regard to the number of slices provided per CT gantry rotation may be reaching a plateau and increasing concerns about radiation dose due to CT examinations are fueling the efforts to reduce radiation dose and leading to the beginning of the so‐called ‘dose wars’. A number of radiation dose reduction strategies are been developed. At the same time, an effort to provide further improvement in image quality and image quantification at lower radiation dose is gaining ground. Dual energy CT (DECT) methods are slowly emerging from research and becoming a clinical reality. The dual x‐ray source (Dual‐source CT), fast tube voltage (kVp) switching, single x‐ray source dual detection (sandwich detector),photon countingdetection and dual‐scanning approaches are few of the different approaches currently developed for performing DECT. In addition, new technologies are been developed to further improve image quality, enhance diagnostic information and at the same time yield low radiation dose. There is an increasing demand for the medical physicists to assist clinicians in developing, reviewing and recommending changes to the clinical protocols. Therefore, it is critical for the medical physicists to become familiar with the new technologies such as dual‐energy CT and to understand strategies to reduce radiation doses in CT,image quantification methods and many other aspects. In this lecture, new technologies that are currently developed, such as dual energy CT,image quantification method, radiation dose reducing strategies and others will be discussed. Learning Objectives: 1. To become familiar with radiation dose reduction strategies in CT. 2. To understand various image quality improvements in CT. 3. To describe various technological approaches to perform dual‐energy CT (DECT).
Expert system shells in student advising

Abstract A student advising expert system has been developed using the EXSYS Professional expert system shell. The motivation of using a commercially-available expert system shell is presented. Examples of IF-THEN-ELSE type of rules are shown. Interrelation of the knowledge base with class offerings, and with the structure of the B.Sc. program in Computer Science is demonstrated. The development process is described in detail. Improvements resulted from testing the system are presented.
Ciliated cell differentiation in regenerating rat tracheal epithelium.

We studied the differentiation of progeny of mitotic cells in regenerating tracheal epithelium using a model of minimal mechanical injury in which the mitotic cells cycle only once and synchronously. Ultrastructural features of cells which incorporated tritiated thymidine were assessed at a series of times after DNA synthetic phases. Cells arising from G1 arrested populations and G2 arrested population were followed separately. The G1 blocked cells were labelled at 22 hours after injury, divided at 32 hours and then differentiated. G2 blocked cells were labelled at 39 hours after injury and differentiated without an intervening mitosis. Both populations exhibit initial differentiation of most superficial cells as secretory cells with a subsequent increase in ciliated cells and a reciprocal decrease in secretory cells. Transitional forms in which there are both secretory granules and developing cilia are seen among the labelled cells during the period of increasing ciliated cells. While it is probable that ciliated cells also arise from basal cells or directly from cycling cells, this study demonstrates that post mitotic redifferentiation of secretory cells is one source of ciliated cells in regenerating tracheal epithelium.
Principles of Current Adult HIV Pharmacotherapy

Objective To provide a concise review of the current approach to the clinical use of the available drugs for HIV infection. Data sources Recent "state of the art" publications and key reference articles. Conclusions Prognostic and monitoring parameters for HIV infection have been established based on new insights into the life-cycle of HIV and novel virologic techniques. Three groups of antiretrovirals are now available for general use. Familiarity with these drugs, their pharmacokinetics, side effects, and drug-drug interactions, as well as with the specific milieu of each individual patient is crucial for the successful management of HIV infection.
Composition and development of the continental tectosphere

Beneath the old continental nuclei are thick root zones which translate coherently during plate motions. These zones are apparently stabilised against convective disruption by the depletion of the continental upper mantle in a basalt-like component. Construction of this delicately balanced tectosphere is accomplished by the dynamic and magmatic processes of the Wilson cycle.
Laser angioplasty for limb salvage: observations on early results.

Abstract During a 27-month period laser thermal angioplasty (LTA) was attempted in 15 patients who had totally occluded segments of their superficial femoral—popliteal arteries (SFA) with limb-threatening ischemia (rest pain or tissue necrosis). In five patients (33%) laser perforation of the SFA precluded successful angioplasty, and those five patients have been excluded from further analysis. In the remaining 10 patients the prelaser angiogram demonstrated an average SVS/ISCVS runoff score of 7.7 (best possible score, 1; worst possible score, 10). Seven patients (70%) had occlusions of all infrapopliteal arteries. All 10 patients were available for clinical follow-up, and follow-up angiograms were available for eight patients (80%). Clinical failure was defined as recurrence of the clinical signs or symptoms for which the LTA was performed. After 6 months of follow-up clinical failures occurred in nine patients (90%). Four patients had no clinical improvement. Five patients had transient clinical improvement after LTA, and all subsequently had early recurrence of symptoms. The average time from LTA to recurrence of symptoms was 1.7 months. Seven patients had subsequent bypasses or amputations an average of 2.2 months after laser angioplasty. The SFA patency rate by life-table analysis was 25% at 6 months. The single patient with clinical success (at 12 months) had no tibial vessel disease evident on his prelaser angiogram, and he underwent a concomitant inflow procedure at the time of his LTA. We believe that the disappointing results in this small series of patients can be attributed to tibial vessel disease that was not addressed by this technique. We anticipate that with improved technology, with smaller, steerable laser probes, we may be able to treat tibial vessel disease and achieve better results. We conclude that LTA, as it exists today, has a very limited role as the sole treatment of patients with limb-threatening ischemia, and this technique should be offered only to those patients who refuse surgery or have a prohibitively high risk for operative treatment. (J Vasc Surg 1989;10:29–38.)
The idea of history in psychoanalysis: Freud and the "Wolf-Man."

The question of history is a lively one in psychoanalysis today. Through a close reading of Freud's «Wolf-Man», his most extensive clinical examination of the question of history, I elaborate some of what I believe are the inevitable conflicts and contradictions in the psychoanalytic attempt to establish a history
EVOLVING METACOMMUNITIES: TOWARD AN EVOLUTIONARY PERSPECTIVE ON METACOMMUNITIES

The metacommunity framework predicts that local coexistence depends on the outcome of local species interactions and regional migration. In analogous fashion, spatial structure among populations can shape species interactions through evolutionary mechanisms. Yet, most metacommunity theories assume that populations do not evolve. Here, we evaluate how evolution shapes local species coexistence and exclusion within the multiscale and multispecies context embodied by the metacommunity framework. In general, coexistence in joint ecological-evolutionary models requires low to intermediate dispersal rates that can promote maintenance of both regional species and genetic diversity. These conditions support a set of key mechanisms that modify patterns of species coexistence including local adaptation, gene storage effects, genetic rescue effects, spatial genetic subsidies, and metacommunity evolution. Multispecies extensions indicate that correlated selection can further alter the outcome of interspecific interactions depending on the magnitude and direction of correlations and shape of fitness trade-offs. We suggest that an evolving metacommunity perspective has the potential to generate novel predictions about community structure and function by incorporating the genetic and species diversity that characterize natural communities. In adopting such a perspective, we seek to facilitate understanding about the interactions between evolutionary and metacommunity dynamics.
Keeping the Peace: Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Signaling Modulates the Mucosal Microbiota

In this issue of Immunity, Zelante et al. (2013) and Qiu et al. (2013) provide mechanistic insights into functional interactions between commensal microbes and innate lymphoid cells via the aryl hydrocarbon receptor.
Convulsant-induced increase in transcription factor messenger RNAs in rat brain

Administration of the convulsants pentylenetetrazole (Metrazole) or picrotoxin to rats caused a dramatic increase in mRNAs of four putative transcription factor genes, zif/268, c-jun, jun-B, and c-fos, in neurons of the hippocampus and dentate gyrus, as well as other areas of the cerebral cortex, including pyriform cortex and cingulate cortex. The increase in these mRNAs was rapid and transient: amounts peaked within 1 hr and returned to baseline within 2 hr. These results extend the observation made by Morgan et al. [Morgan, J. I., Cohen, D. R., Hempstead, J. L. & Curran, T. (1987) Science 237, 192-197] that c-fos mRNA and protein are induced in rat brain after seizures. We hypothesize that the increase of these putative transcription factor mRNAs in the brain is part of a programmed genomic response of neurons to intense stimulation, which is analogous to the genomic response of nonneuronal cells to growth factors.
Natural radionuclides in the water of Narragansett Bay

Abstract The concentrations of radionuclides of the U-Th series (238U,234Th,234U,230Th,226Ra,210Pb,210Po, and232Th,228Ra,228Th) in the water of Narragansett Bay are reported. Analysis of the total, particulate, dissolved and colloidal forms of Th isotopes reveal a consistent removal behavior which is controlled mainly by the particulate matter concentration and the sediment resuspension rate. Half-removal times of Th from solution onto particles range from 1.5 to 15 days, and settling velocities of Th containing particles range generally between 1 and 11 m/day.210Pb and210Po concentrations are seasonally dependent, with higher concentrations and slower removal during the early summer (half-removal times from solution onto particles of 1–5 days in winter and up to 2 months in early summer).
Geomorphic impacts of flash flooding in a forested headwater basin

Abstract Geomorphic impacts of a July 2001 flood in the Hungry Mother basin near Marion, Virginia, were examined to shed light on the relationships between channel characteristics and the frequency of channel-modifying discharges. Creeks in the study area have been observed for many years, with no significant channel changes since at least 1985. The 2001 flood had a recurrence interval of >200 years, and caused the only channel change, bank erosion, and transport of coarse channel material observed in recent decades. The paucity of fines in channels before or after the flood, and the absence of sub-sand sized material in the flood deposits, indicates that normal, frequent, well-below-bankfull flows are sufficient to transport the (apparently limited) supply of fines. The large particles transported during the 2001 flood after years of inactivity indicate that relatively rare floods are necessary to mobilize this material. This suggests the notion of a bimodal ‘dominant’ discharge. On the one hand frequent flows considerably below bankfull levels are sufficient to maintain the channel and prevent significant accumulation of fine sediments and organic matter. On the other hand, rare floods are necessary to transport the coarser bed material and erode channel banks. In the Hungry Mother area, bed material has no relationship to normal flows, or to flows with recurrence intervals on the order of 1–3 years. Bankfull discharge is apparently not related to either the maintenance or channel-changing dominant discharges. These results suggest that the use of channel dimensions and/or bed material as surrogate indicators of hydrologic regimes can be quite complicated, and that in some streams bankfull flow has no particular significance in terms of sediment transport and channel modifications.
Development of a Mass Spectrometry Sampling Probe for Chemical Analysis in Surgical and Endoscopic Procedures

A sampling probe based on ambient desorption ionization was designed for in vivo chemical analysis by mass spectrometry in surgical and endoscopic procedures. Sampling ionization of analytes directly from tissue was achieved by sealing the sampling tip against the tissue surface without allowing leakage of the auxiliary gas used for desorption ionization. The desorbed charged species were transferred over a long distance (up to 4 m) through a flexible tube of internal diameter as small as 1/16 in. to the inlet of the mass spectrometer used for analysis. The conditions used for desorption electrospray ionization (DESI) were optimized to achieve biocompatibility for clinical applications while obtaining adequate efficiency for the analysis. This optimization involved the removal of high voltage and use of pure water as a spray solvent instead of the organic solvents or aqueous mixtures normally used. Improved sensitivity was achieved under these conditions by increasing the gas flow rate in the transfer tube. The destructive effect on tissue surfaces associated with typical desorption ionization was avoided by altering the local gas dynamics in the sample area without compromising the overall analysis efficiency.
Avoidance of Copper and Nickel by Rainbow Trout as Monitored by a Computer-Based Data Acquisition System

Abstract The avoidance response of rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri to copper and nickel solutions under several exposure regimes was evaluated with a computer-based data acquisition system interfaced with a linear, plexiglass chamber with countercurrent water flow. The best estimates of the avoidance thresholds for these metals were 6.4 μg/liter total copper and 23.9 μg/liter total nickel (95% confidence limits were 2.6–15.5 and 10.2–54.3 μg/liter, respectively). For each metal, avoidance threshold concentrations were not different whether fish were exposed in shallow or steep concentration gradients. Also, no significant differences (P > 0.05) were found when fish received multiple, increasing exposures or a single exposure in steep-gradient conditions. Rainbow trout initially avoided low copper concentrations, but were attracted to higher ones (330–390 μg/liter) during shallow-gradient tests. Under similar test conditions, fish were attracted to low nickel concentrations (about 6 μg/liter), but avoided hi...
Human retinal pigment epithelial cells possess V1 vasopressin receptors.

Membrane preparations of cultured human retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells were incubated with various concentrations of [3H]arginine vasopressin (AVP) in the presence and absence of 10 uM nonradioactive AVP. Saturable, specific binding to a single site with a Kd of 6.2 nM and Bmax of 111 fmol/mg protein was detected. Vaaopressin had no effect on RPE cyclic AMP levels measured by radioimmunoassay. Intracellular calcium fluxes were measured by spectrofluorometry of RPE cell suspensions preloaded with quin 2. The baseline cytosolic calcium level was 217 ± 20 nM, and AVP caused a concentration-dependent increase in this level with a 3.5-fold maximal response at 10-−6 M and an EC50 of 120 nM. The production of inositol phosphates was measured in RPE preloaded with [3H]myoinositol, and AVP caused a concentration-dependent increase in their production with a 2.1-fold maximal response at 10-−5 M and an EC50 of 80 nM. A specific vasopressin receptor antagonist, SKF 101926, prevented the AVP-induced increase i...
Characterization of the dopa decarboxylase gene of Manduca sexta and its suppression by 20-hydroxyecdysone.

Abstract Manduca dopa decarboxylase (DDC) cDNA was isolated, sequenced, and found to be most closely related to Drosophila DDC (72% amino acid identity). Culture of Day 2 fourth instar larval epidermis with 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) showed that 20E was necessary to determine the later expression of the gene, but its removal was required for this expression to occur. Experiments with the protein synthesis inhibitors, cycloheximide and anisomycin, and the mRNA synthesis inhibitor, α-amanitin, showed that 20E induced a protein(s) which suppressed transcription of the DDC gene. Gel mobility shift assays using epidermal extracts and various fragments of the first 1.1 kb of the 5′ flanking region of the DDC gene showed only one DNA fragment 87 to 167 bp upstream of the 5′ initiation site that bound a nuclear protein(s) with the expected developmental specificity. The protein was abundant at the time of high ecdysteroid titer when no DDC mRNA was present, but low both before the rise (no DDC mRNA) and after the decline of ecdysteroid titer (maximal DDC mRNA). Thus, this protein(s) is a candidate for an ecdysteroid-induced transcription factor which acts to suppress DDC transcription. DNase I foot-printing assays confirmed by use of a specific oligonucleotide showed that this protein(s) bound to the sequence 5′-GGCTTATGCGCTGCA-3′.
Effects of Growth Hormone Excess and Deficiency on Hypothalamic Somatostatin Content and Release and on Tissue Somatostatin Distribution

Considerable indirect evidence now exists to suggest that hypothalamic somatostatin (SRIF) is the physiological inhibitory regulator of pituitary GH release. To support this relationship further, we studied the effect of in vivo modifications of GH homeostasis on hypothalamic SRIF content and in vitro release in an attempt to document a feedback relationship between the two peptides. GH administration to normal rats resulted in increased hypothalamic SRIF concentration and release. GH deficiency, in contrast, resulted in decreased hypothalamic SRIF concentration and release. This effect appears to be, at least in part, a direct action of GH, since a dose-related stimulation of hypothalamic SRIF release was demonstrated in the presence of GH concentrations ranging from 10(-9)-10(-5) M. The lowest dose causing stimulation (10(-9) M) is well within the normal concentration range of plasma GH in the rat, suggesting that the effect may be physiological. Specificity of the effect is suggested by a much greater sensitivity of the medial basal hypothalamus than the septum and preoptic area to the effects of GH. The perturbations of GH homeostasis studied had no effect on extrahypothalamic neural or gastrointestinal SRIF concentrations, suggesting a different regulatory mechanism in these areas.
A triple assay technique for the evaluation of metal-induced, delayed-type hypersensitivity responses in patients with or receiving total joint arthroplasty.

The determination of biocompatibility has been dominated historically by the characterization of candidate materials based upon the observation of adverse host responses. However, some adverse responses are subtle in clinical settings and continue to foster debate and investigation. One of these responses is “metal allergy” or hypersensitivity to metallic biomaterials. Current methods used to diagnose hypersensitivity reactions, such as dermal patch testing and migration inhibition assays, are not well accepted in orthopedic practice as a means for the characterization of hypersensitivity to metallic joint-replacement components. An increasing need to resolve whether metal sensitivity may be a significant and/or predisposing factor for eliciting an over-aggressive immune response in patients with metallic implant components requires improved and standardized widespread study. Here we present three in vitro methodologies: (1) a proliferation assay, (2) cytokine analysis using ELISA, and (3) a migration inhibition assay. When in conjunction with one another, these assays may be used to more comprehensively quantify metal-induced hypersensitivity responses. Therefore, these methodologies are detailed with the intent of facilitating multi-center large-scale studies. In the following cases, a multi-assay approach for measuring the prevalence of delayed-type hypersensitivity in orthopedic patients shows the propensity to yield a more comprehensive and, therefore, more conclusive determination than currently employed patch testing or single assay techniques. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res (Appl Biomater) 53: 480–489, 2000
Characterization of glutathione-dependent inhibition of lipid peroxidation of isolated rat liver nuclei

Abstract Glutathione (GSH) is known to play an important role in protecting cells against oxidative stress. The present study was undertaken to assess the ability of GSH to protect isolated rat liver nuclei against NADPH-induced peroxidation. Nuclei were isolated from rat liver homogenates by discontinuous sucrose gradient centrifugation, and lipid peroxidation was induced by 1.7 m m ADP, 0.11 m m EDTA, 0.1 m m FeCl 3 , and either 1 m m NADPH or 0.5 m m ascorbate. The amount of lipid peroxidation was determined by measuring the formation of thiobarbituric acid-reactive products and the disappearance of lipid unsaturated fatty acid moieties. The addition of GSH (0.1 to 1.0 m m ) produced a concentration-dependent lag period prior to the onset of lipid peroxidation. This GSH-induced lag period was abolished by pretreatment of nuclei with trypsin, thiol modifying reagents, disulfides, or heating nuclei at 60 °C for 15 min. Nuclei which were incubated with GSH also catalyzed the conversion of cumene hydroperoxide to cumyl alcohol. Similarly, this activity was also inhibited by thiol modifying reagents, disulfides, and heating nuclei at 60 °C for 15 min. The data suggest that a GSH-dependent peroxidase activity is associated with rat liver nuclear membranes which are capable of inhibiting lipid peroxidation.
Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva: a clue from the fly?

Fibrodysplasia (myositis) ossificans progressiva (FOP) is a rare autosomal dominant disorder characterized by symmetrical congenital malformations of the blastemal anlage of the hands and feet and by progressive heterotopic chondrogenesis and ossification of the soft connective tissues. There is neither an established pathogenesis nor an effective treatment for this disabling disorder. We reevaluated the published data on the natural history of FOP and discovered an array of developmental gradients (characteristic patterns of disease expression) similar to developmental anomalies induced by pleiotropic mutations of thedecapentaplegic (dpp) locus inDrosophila melanogaster. The protein encoded by thedpp locus is a member of the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) family of molecules. It shares 75% sequence homology with the c-terminal region of two recently cloned human bone morphogenetic proteins (BMP-2A, BMP-2B), also members of the TGF-β family. The striking sequence identity across so large an evolutionary distance suggests that the BMP-2 genes in man and thedpp gene in the fly may be derived from a common ancestral gene. BMP is the only molecule discovered thus far that is capable of inducing endochondral ossificationin vivo. Expression of endochondral bone formation is the basis for limb formation in embryogenesis, longitudinal bone growth in postnatal life, and local bone regeneration (fracture healing) following injury. We believe that FOP is a genetic disorder characterized by a disturbed developmental expression of this endochondral program and may represent a mutation resulting in a dominant gain of function. The developmental similarities between decapentaplegic in the fly and FOP in man suggest a useful model for the study of FOP. The use of such a model might be especially fruitful in suggesting a molecular basis for FOP.
Comments on-intense electrochemical SERS signal following hydrogen evolution

Abstract The possibility that a film of hydrogen might provide the additional Raman enhancement observed when there is hydrogen evolution during the oxidation—reduction cycle has been explored theoretically using the electromagnetic field mechanism for enhancement for Raman dipoles located within the dielectric shell of a coated sphere. The calculated results suggest that such a film would actually reduce the signal. However, an observation of perhaps more general interest was that when the Raman dipoles were embedded within a layer with real dielectric constant greater than that of the aqueous medium, there was very significant enhancement above that for a single metal sphere and the excitation profiles was shifted to longer wavelengths.