cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Formation of high affinity C5 convertase of the classical pathway of complement.

Abstract C3/C5 convertase is a serine protease that cleaves C3 and C5. In the present study we examined the C5 cleaving properties of classical pathway C3/C5 convertase either bound to the surface of sheep erythrocytes or in its free soluble form. Kinetic parameters revealed that the soluble form of the enzyme (C4b,C2a) cleaved C5 at a catalytic rate similar to that of the surface-bound form (EAC1,C4b,C2a). However, both forms of the enzyme exhibited a poor affinity for the substrate, C5, as indicated by a high Km (6–9 μm). Increasing the density of C4b on the cell surface from 8,000 to 172,000 C4b/cell did not influence the Km. Very high affinity C5 convertases were generated only when the low affinity C3/C5 convertases (EAC1,C4b,C2a) were allowed to deposit C3b by cleaving native C3. These C3b-containing C3/C5 convertases exhibited Km (0.0051 μm) well below the normal concentration of C5 in blood (0.37 μm). The data suggest that C3/C5 convertase assembled with either monomeric C4b or C4b-C4b complexes are inefficient in capturing C5 but cleave C3 opsonizing the cell surface with C3b for phagocytosis. Deposition of C3b converts the enzymes to high affinity C5 convertases, which cleave C5 in blood at catalytic rates approaching Vmax, thereby switching from C3 to C5 cleavage. Comparison of the kinetic parameters with those of the alternative pathway convertase indicates that the 6–9-fold greater catalytic rate of the classical pathway C5 convertase may compensate for the fewer numbers of C5 convertase sites generated upon activation of this pathway.
Direct N-terminal sequence analysis of rat liver plasma membrane glycoproteins separated by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis

Nine previously uncharacterized membrane glycoproteins from normal rat liver have been analyzed by amino acid sequencing from two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2-D PAGE) after transblotting to Immobilon-P membranes. Three of these components show altered levels of expression in liver tumors. A single electroblotted polyacrylamide gel yielded sufficient quantities of these glycoproteins for amino acid sequencing and the N-terminal structure could be determined for four of them. The remaining five glycoproteins of interest were not sequenceable in this manner, presumably because they had blocked N-termini. Prior to electrophoresis, two enrichment methods were applied to the crude liver membrane preparations: affinity chromatography with concanavalin A to isolate the plasma membrane glycoproteins and then fast protein liquid chromatography on Superose 12 to obtain components having a specific range of molecular weights. These materials were next subjected to 2-D PAGE using pH 4-6 carrier ampholytes in the first dimension and 7.5% sodium dodecyl sulfate gels in the second. The proteins were then electroblotted to Immobilon-P membranes and located by staining with Coomassie Brilliant Blue R-250. Our results demonstrate that N-terminal sequencing (gas-phase) can be achieved on polypeptides obtained from approximately 250 micrograms of total glycoproteins applied to a single 2-D gel.
Patho-Teleology and the Spirit of War: The Psychoanalytic Inheritance of National Psychology

The article provides a historical overview of the proposed discipline of Volkerpsychologie (“national psychology”), which claimed national identity as the defining element of the human psyche. In the incarnations of founders Moritz Lazarus and Heymann Steinthal (1860–1890) and their successor Wilhelm Wundt (1900–1920), Volkerpsychologie adopts the Hegelian conception of Germany as the motivating cultural force of world history. Lazarus', Steinthal's, and Wundt's conceptions of the “national spirit” ( Volksgeist ) and “national soul” ( Volksseele ), respectively, prove compatible with an ideology of war centered around German unification and expansion. The article then moves forward to the encounter between Volkerpsychologie and Freudian psychoanalysis in Freud's Totem and Taboo (1912). Psychoanalyis, in its inheritance of the Volkerpsychologie project, not only provides the tools for a critique of a nationalist ideology of war grounded on the assumption of historical continuity and progress, but also renders the assumption of national identity itself problematic. (DJR)
Cervicoisthmic cerclage: transabdominal vs transvaginal approach.

Objective We sought to compare the outcomes of cervicoisthmic (CI) cerclage using traditional transabdominal (TA) approach vs the lesser used transvaginal (TV) approach. Study Design We conducted a retrospective cohort study of women who underwent placement of a CI cerclage. Results Before CI placement, the abdominal group had a total of 100 pregnancies that continued beyond the first trimester and had 27 (27%) surviving infants. After cerclage placement, there were 34 pregnancies and 24 (71%) surviving infants. Before cerclage placement, the vaginal group had a total of 90 pregnancies that continued beyond the first trimester and had 11 (12%) surviving infants. After cerclage placement, there were 29 pregnancies and 20 (69%) surviving infants. The vaginal cerclage group had a significantly shorter mean operative time of 33 vs 69 minutes, and shorter hospital stay of 0.5 vs 3.2 days. Conclusion Both TV and TA CI cerclage offers select patients with cervical insufficiency improved neonatal survival. The TV placement of a CI has less morbidity than the TA approach with a comparable neonatal survival.
Non-natural cinnamic acid derivatives as substrates of cinnamate 4-hydroxylase

Cinnamate 4-hydroxylase (C4H), a monooxygenase in the plant phenylpropanoid pathway, was assayed for its ability to hydroxylate 29 substrate analogues. Nine of the tested analogues with various aromatic side chains, including 3-coumaric acid, were metabolized by C4H. Seven products from these reactive analogues were characterized using LC/MS, 1H NMR and 13C NMR spectroscopic analysis. For example, caffeic acid was the product of 3-coumaric acid. The products 4-hydroxy-2-chlorocinnamic acid and 4-hydroxy-2-ethoxycinnamic acid are novel compounds that have not been previously reported. The kinetic parameters of C4H towards these analogues were determined.
Development of a Solar Energy Research and Test Center at the University of California, Merced

The University of California, Merced (UC Merced) opened in September 2005 as the tenth campus of the University of California system. UC Merced is building a solar energy research program under the direction of Jeff Wright and Roland Winston. The solar energy research program will be complemented by a solar energy test center, which will be operated under the auspices of the State of California. The center will provide technological expertise, consulting, unbiased prototype and systems testing, and testing infrastructure to the solar industry. Performance and reliability testing and demonstration will accelerate the market introduction and provide valuable feedback to the manufacturers.
Zonal winds near Venus' cloud top level - An analytic model of the equatorial wind speed

A consequence of the presently hypothesized maintenance of the equatorial wind speed near the cloud top level of Venus by a balance between the semidiurnal tide's pumping and the Hadley circulation's vertical advection (both integrated across the thermal driving region) is that the maximum equatorial zonal wind speed is proportional to the product of the buoyancy frequency and the magnitude of the driving region's thickness. The proportionality constant is characterized as a weakly increasing function of the heating rate, and a decreasing function of the product of an inverse length, expressing the mean zonal wind shear, and the driving region thickness. For the class of solutions thus treated, there is a threshold heating rate value below which no equilibrium satisfies the prescribed balance.
Inventing Times Square: Commerce and Culture at the Crossroads of the World

A unique volume, Inventing Times Square approaches the subject of twentieth-century American city culture through a multidimensional examination of one quintessential urban space: Times Square. Ranging in time from 1905, when the crossroad was given its present name, through to the current plans for redevelopment, the authors examine Times Square as economic hub, real estate bonanza, entertainment center, advertising medium, architectural experiment, and erotic netherworld. Though the volume centers on Times Square, the essays venture much further into urban history and American social history, revealing in the process how Times Square reflected-even epitomized-America as it became an urban consumer culture.
Sulfonyl groups as linking agents for chemical modification of electrodes

Abstract SnO 2 electrodes have been chemically modified using p -carboxybenzenesulfonylchloride and 4,4′-biphenyldisulfonylchloride as linking agents. Hydroxymethylferrocene was then reacted with these surface bound species to serve as an electroactive indicator. The electrochemical response of these electrodes is characteristic of surface processes. Electrodes with hydroxymethylferrocene linked through p -carboxybenzenesulfonylchloride gave anodic peak potentials between 0.37 and 0.39 V vs. Ag/AgCl in 0.10 M tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane perchlorate, pH 7 supporting electrolyte with half-peak widths between 70 and 100 mV. Hydroxymethylferrocene linked through 4,4′-biphenyldisulfonylchloride gave the same peak potentials with half-peak widths of 120 to 167 mV. Surface coverage of hydroxymethylferrocene was 6.4×10 −10 and 1.3×10 −9 mol cm −2 respectively. Attachment of these sulfonyl compounds to electrodes involves simpler procedures and techniques than many other modification schemes.
Efficient and flexible fault tolerance and migration of scientific simulations using CUMULVS

Many practical scientific applications would benefit from a simple checkpointing mechanism to provide automatic restart or recovery in response to faults and failures. CUMULVS is a middleware infrastructure for interacting with parallel scientific simulations to support online visualization and computational steering. The base CUMULVS system has been extended to provide a user-level mechanism for collecting checkpoints in a parallel simulation program. Via the same interface that CUMULVS uses to identify and describe data fields for visualization and parameters for steering, the user application can select the minimal program state necessary to restart or migrate an application task. The CUMULVS run-time system uses this information to efficiently recover fault-tolerant applications by restarting failed tasks. Application tasks can also be migrated -- even across heterogeneous architecture boundaries -- to achieve load balancing or to improve the task`s locality with a required resource. This paper describes the CUMULVS interface for checkpointing, the issues faced in utilizing this interface when developing fault-tolerant and migrating applications, and the direction of future research in this area.
SU-FF-T-165: Replacement of Film and Ion Chamber Measurements by Electronic Portal Dosimetry for IMRT QA

Purpose: To evaluate replacing film and ion chamber measurements with EPID portal dosimetry for IMRT QA. Method and Materials:IMRT plans are generated in commercially available planning software and a prediction for each field is generated for a square solid water phantom (with the gantry set to 0 deg), a bullet phantom and an aSi EPID. Each IMRT field is delivered to the solid water phantom exposing individual radiographic films. A high dose region and critical structure region is identified in the bullet phantom predicted dose distribution. The IMRT fields are delivered to the bullet phantom with an ion chamber at the high dose region, and repeated with the ion chamber at the critical structure region. The IMRT fields are then delivered to the EPID and a dosimetric image is obtained using commercially available software. The dose delivered to the film is analyzed and compared with the prediction. The ion chamber measurements are compared to the prediction in the bullet phantom. The EPID prediction vs. acquired portal dose is analyzed. EPID results are compared to film and ion chamber results to determine if the EPID can be used as a replacement for film and/or the ion chamber measurements. Results: Preliminary results indicate that the EPID with commercially available portal dosimetry software has a high dosimetric sensitivity, in the range of 1 to 2 cGy, and sub millimeter special resolution. This is suitable for film replacement. Conclusion: The EPID with commercially available portal dosimetry software can be used as a replacement for film given proper calibration of both the imager and software model. Further research is being done in order to determine if the ion chamber measurement can be similarly replaced. Conflict of Interest: Varian Medical Systems partially funded this research.
A “moving metal mechanism” for substrate cleavage by the DNA repair endonuclease APE‐1

Apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease (APE-1) is essential for base excision repair (BER) of damaged DNA. Here molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of APE1 complexed with cleaved and uncleaved damaged DNA were used to determine the role and position of the metal ion(s) in the active site before and after DNA cleavage. The simulations started from an energy minimized wild-type structure of the metal-free APE1/damaged-DNA complex (1DE8). A grid search with one Mg2+ ion located two low energy clusters of Mg2+ consistent with the experimentally determined metal ion positions. At the start of the longer MD simulations, Mg2+ ions were placed at different positions as seen in the crystal structures and the movement of the ion was followed over the course of the trajectory. Our analysis suggests a “moving metal mechanism” in which one Mg2+ ion moves from the B- (more buried) to the A-site during substrate cleavage. The anticipated inversion of the phosphate oxygens occurs during the in-line cleavage reaction. Experimental results, which show competition between Ca2+ and Mg2+ for catalyzing the reaction, and high concentrations of Mg2+ are inihibitory, indicate that both sites cannot be simultaneously occupied for maximal activity. Proteins 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Comparison of Eye Movements over Faces in Photographic Positives and Negatives

Eye movements were recorded while subjects viewed ordinary portraits and photographic negatives of those portraits. Under both conditions they first studied sixteen portraits and then tried to decide which of forty-eight portraits they had just seen. They made more errors of recognition while viewing negatives, and their fixation patterns were significantly altered: there was a decrease in the percentage of fixations directed to the eyes, nose, and mouth, and an increase for such details as the ears, cheeks, chin, cap, and necktie. There was also a decrease in the ratio of fixations to the most fixated detail compared to the least fixated detail.
Evaluation of wetland development and waterbird response at Elk Creek Wildlife management area, Lake Mills, Iowa, 1961 to 1990

A waterfowl habitat development project along 7.5 miles (12.07 km) of stream was evaluated after 27 years. There was a modest 12% net increase in wetlands in impounded areas, but much of the wetland vegetation changed from seasonally flooded, nonpersistent and persistent emergents to shallow, open-water areas. An unimpounded, downstream reference area had drier plant communities, probably resulting from reduced flooding. The loss of shallow vegetated wetlands could have significant impacts on both water quality functions and waterbird populations. The overall project goal of increasing numbers and diversity of waterfowl was met, but waterfowl numbers and species composition changed more because of transplanting and nest-box programs than habitat modifications. Although impacts on birds of shallow wetlands such as rails and songbirds were not quantitatively assessed, it is likely that the numbers of such birds were reduced because their preferred habitats were reduced markedly. Use of smaller lateral impoundments and increased management for emergents would diversity waterbird populations and increase dabbling duck production.
Hypophosphatemia in Kidney Transplant Recipients: Report of Acute Phosphate Nephropathy as a Complication of Therapy

Hypophosphatemia is a common complication after kidney transplant, affecting >90% of patients. However, no specific recommendations for phosphate repletion exist for transplant recipients. We report a case of a 70-year-old highly sensitized woman with end-stage renal disease caused by diabetic nephropathy who underwent deceased donor kidney transplant. Four weeks later, she was noted to have hypophosphatemia with undetectable serum phosphate levels, and she reported mild diarrhea. She was started on oral phosphate supplementation. On a routine visit 2 weeks later, she was found to have an acute increase in serum creatinine level and kidney biopsy was performed. We discuss the causes, management, and complications of hypophosphatemia in kidney transplant.
Understanding the different faces of partnering: a typology of public-private partnerships

The popularity and prevalence of public–private partnerships for problem-solving has been well documented in prior research. While there is widespread agreement that all partnerships are not the same, the partnership hierarchies offered by past research assume that some alliances are somehow ‘better’ than others. This article offers a new typology based on findings from our research on partnerships in education, in which we conducted a national study of charter schools in the United States. We found that partnerships can be differentiated based on how they are initiated, what services are provided, the form of the partnership and the depth of organizational involvement.
Heart-focused anxiety as a mediating variable in the treatment of non-cardiac chest pain by cognitive-behavioural and psychopharmacological treatment by paroxetine.

Noncardiac chest pain (NCCP) is recurrent pain in the chest resembling heart pain that cannot be attributed to any cardiac cause after a thorough evaluation [1]. It is a common and difficult problem in modern healthcare. Half or more of the millions of patients who are urgently evaluated for chest pain complaints each year in emergency departments and cardiac clinics fit into this diagnostic category [2,3]. The pain in NCCP is thought to have different causes in different patients, and these may include gastroesophageal acid reflux, esophageal motility abnormalities, visceral hyperalgesia, musculoskeletal problems, or anxiety and panic [4]. Gastroesophageal reflux disease is recognized as the single most common of these causes, and is estimated to have a role in as many as 60% of all NCCP cases [5,6]. For that reason, a trial of a proton-pump inhibitor medication (PPI) has become a first-line therapy for NCCP, and many patients obtain relief from such treatment [7]. However, for individuals who are unresponsive to proton-pump inhibitors, treatment options are limited and the best course of therapy is often unclear. Their symptom and well-being prognosis is generally relatively poor. Most will continue to suffer from the chest pain for years after their first evaluation [8], and many will continue to be troubled by anxieties and worries about the possibility that dangerous cardiac problems have gone undetected in spite of test results and reassurance from their doctors [9]. Work absenteeism, disruptions of daily
Atmospheric Sun Protection Factor on Clear Days: Its Observed Dependence on Solar Zenith Angle and Its Relevance to the Shadow Rule for Sun Protection

Global irradiances measured in seven 5-nm bands of UV-B at Rockville, MD (39.1 degrees N, 77.1 degrees W) on 28 clear days near the summer solstice are convoluted with the erythemal action spectrum of human skin to determine dose rates at various hours of the day. These rates are averaged with respect to solar zenith angle to obtain the diurnal variation of mean dose rate and of the Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of the atmosphere (reciprocal of the normalized atmospheric transmissivity) on a typical clear summer day in Rockville. At a 45 degrees zenith angle the atmospheric SPF is computed to be 2.7 and increases rapidly to greater than 7 at 60 degrees. Dose rates are integrated with respect to time to obtain estimates of mean doses for various periods during clear days at Rockville in mid summer and near the autumnal equinox. In mid summer the effective erythemal UV-B exposure during the period when the solar zenith angle is less than 45 degrees is about five times greater than that during the remainder of the day. These observations provide scientific basis for a shadow rule for solar UV-B protection: when shadows are shorter than objects casting them, sunburn is much more likely than at other times.
Response of Random Chopped Fiber Reinforced Composite to Uniaxial Tensile Load

Recent interests of application of random chopped fiber reinforced composites in manufacturing lightweight components in the automotive industry motivate active research on the material behaviors of this kind of materials. A representative volume element is generated numerically based on microscopic observation on the realistic samples. It captures the complex meso-structure of random chopped fiber composites. A finite element model is developed for the RVE of random chopped fiber composite. The elastic stiffness properties of the composite material thus can be derived with homogenization scheme. The representative volume element was verified by Young’s modulus obtained from experimental measurements and analytical calculation of the modulus by other methods. Furthermore, damages deboning of fiber/matrix interface is simulated using the representative volume element.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Cerebroventricular Dilation in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats (SHRs) Is Not Attenuated by Reduction of Blood Pressure

In previous studies, we found that spontaneously hypertensive rats (Okamoto-Aoki SHRs) suffer progressive postnatal dilation of the brain ventricles. In the present study we examined intracerebroventricular pressure and blood pressure as possible mechanisms of ventricular dilation in SHRs. We found that intracerebroventricular pressure was not elevated in SHRs. The role of blood pressure was examined in SHRs treated chronically with the antihypertensive drug, captopril, beginning in utero, and in renal hypertensive Sprague-Dawley rats (SDs). Although our experimental treatments produced significant changes in mean arterial pressures, they did not alter brain ventricular size: SDs with experimental hypertension had normal-sized brain ventricles and SHRs with pharmacologically reduced blood pressure had enlarged ventricles. These results suggest that neither increased intraventricular pressure nor high blood pressure is the sole cause of hydrocephalus in SHRs.
Projectile charge state dependence of target Lα x-ray production

Lα x-ray production cross sections have been measured for thin solid targets of 60Nd, 67Ho, and 79Au (pt<12 μg/cm2) for 1.86 MeV/amu 199F and 2814Si, and 1.8 MeV/amu 3517Cl ions as a function of the incident charge state. From the projectile charge state dependence of the cross sections, both direct ionization and electron capture contributions were extracted for a comparison to Coulomb ionization theories. The data provide supporting evidence for the theory of electron capture with a reduced binding effect.
Viscoelastic effects in concentrated protein dispersions

Shear viscosity and primary normal stress difference of ethanol dispersions of zein indicate that there is a “characteristic concentration” above which concentration and shear rate dependencies change. The characteristic time derived from shear viscosity of 35 to 45 wt% zein dispersions, 10−1 sec, is five orders of magnitude greater than that reported for dilute solution. Recoverable shear, ranging from 0.2 to 3.5, decreases at higher shear rates, increases up to the “characteristic concentration”, and then decreases. It is estimated that the hydrodynamic volume of the globular protein at 35 to 45 wt% concentration reduces to 1/7 to 1/9 of that in the dilute solution.
A Fluorescent Reporter of AMPK Activity and Cellular Energy Stress

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is activated when the AMP/ATP ratio in cells is elevated due to energy stress. Here, we describe a biosensor, AMPKAR, that exhibits enhanced fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) in response to phosphorylation by AMPK, allowing spatiotemporal monitoring of AMPK activity in single cells. We show that this reporter responds to a variety of stimuli that are known to induce energy stress and that the response is dependent on AMPK α1 and α2 and on the upstream kinase LKB1. Interestingly, we found that AMPK activation is confined to the cytosol in response to energy stress but can be observed in both the cytosol and nucleus in response to calcium elevation. Finally, using this probe with U2OS cells in a microfluidic device, we observed a very high cell-to-cell variability in the amplitude and time course of AMPK activation and recovery in response to pulses of glucose deprivation.
Differential synaptic distribution of AMPA receptor subunits in the ventral posterior and reticular thalamic nuclei of the rat.

Abstract Although the mechanisms by which the cerebral cortex controls its ascending input are still poorly understood, it is known that cortical control at the thalamic level is via direct glutamatergic projections to relay nuclei and to the reticular nucleus. Here we confirm previous light microscopic reports of a high expression of the α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptor subunit, GluR4, in reticular and ventral posterior thalamic nuclei of the rat, and moderate staining using an antibody recognizing both GluR2 and GluR3. In contrast only low levels of staining for GluR2, and barely detectable levels of GluR1 immunoreactivity were observed. After injections of biotinylated dextran, electron microscopy revealed that anterogradely-labeled cortical synapses in both thalamic nuclei were small with fewer mitochondria and more densely-packed vesicles than terminals likely to arise from intrinsic and ascending pathways. We performed post-embedding immunogold to provide quantitative data on the density of AMPA receptor subunits at morphologically-defined groups of synapses. We found that corticothalamic synapses in the reticular thalamic nucleus contain twice as much GluR2/3, and at least three times more GluR4 protein than do intrathalamic synapses. In the ventral posterior nucleus, corticothalamic synapses contain similar amounts of GluR2/3, but four times more GluR4 than do those from ascending afferents. Corticothalamic synapses in reticular nucleus contain slightly more GluR2/3, and three times more GluR4, than those in ventral posterior nucleus. We conclude that enrichment of GluR4 at morphologically-defined cortical synapses is a feature common to both thalamic nuclei, and those in the reticular nucleus express higher levels of AMPA receptors. The rapid kinetics of GluR4-rich AMPA receptors we suggest indicate that cortical descending control may be more temporally precise than previously recognized.
The future of endoscopic treatment of early Barrett neoplasia: the endoscopist's view.

The field of Barrett’s esophagus ablation has come a long way since the original pioneering work of Brandt and Berenson in the early 1990s [1, 2]. In fact, ablation is now viewed as a legiti− mate first−line treatment option for healthy pa− tients with high grade dysplasia and early adeno− carcinoma, based on studies performed to date. Furthermore, the notion of complete ablation of Barrett’s esophagus has moved from concept to reality. That being said, many questions about endoscopic ablation of Barrett’s esophagus re− main unanswered. This section will try to address the following issues regarding the endoscopic ab− lation of Barrett’s esophagus: 1. Where have we been? 2. Where are we now? 3. What are currently unresolved issues in en− doscopic ablation? 4. What are potential solutions for these issues?
WKB Approximation in Three Dimensions

An extension to three dimensions of the WKB approximation method for the quasiclassical wave function is discussed. The extended method is applicable to problems which possess an axis of symmetry, but for which the potential need not be a separable function of the coordinates. The essential difference from the one-dimensional WKB approximation lies in the effect of the curvature of the wave fronts, which plays a central role in the three-dimensional case, and which has a direct physical interpretation. Formulas are derived for the wave function on the axis in both the allowed and the forbidden zones, as well as for the three-dimensional connection formulas. Application of the new method is made to the case of a pure Coulomb wave function and to the case of a particular nonseparable potential which is of interest in the theory of nuclear reaction rates at high density.
Spinal Botulinum Neurotoxin B: Effects on Afferent Transmitter Release and Nociceptive Processing

Botulinum neurotoxin B (BoNT-B) mediates proteolytic cleavage of VAMP I/II (synaptobrevins I/II), which prevents vesicle-membrane fusion and blocks neurotransmitter release. In the present study, we investigated the effects of BoNT-B on neurotransmitter release in vivo from spinal primary afferent sensory fibers and the effects of this blockade on nociception. With intrathecally (IT) delivered BoNT-B in C57B/l6 mice, we characterized the effects of such block on the release of substance P (SP) from spinal afferent nociceptors (as measured by neurokinin-1 receptor, NK1-R, internalization), spinal neuronal activation (as indicated by spinal C-Fos expression) and nociceptive behavior after intraplantar (IPLT) formalin. In addition, we investigated the effect of IT BoNT-B on spinal nerve ligation-induced tactile allodynia. A single percutaneous IT injection of BoNT-B 0.5 U at 2 or 5 days prior to IPLT formalin reduced NK1-R internalization and C-Fos expression. These effects correlated with BoNT-B cleavage of VAMPI/II protein in tissue lysate. IT BoNT-B also produced a corresponding reduction in phase 2 of formalin-evoked flinching behavior for over 30 days after IT injection. In mice with spinal nerve ligation (SNL), tactile allodynia was observed, which was attenuated by IT BoNT-B 0.5 U over the next 15 days, as compared to vehicle animals. These effects were observed without effects upon motor function. The specificity of the IT BoNT-B effect is indicated by: i) IT co-injection of BoNT-B and anti-BoNTB antibody prevented effects on SP release, and ii) IT BoNT-B 50 U in the Sprague Dawley rats showed no effect on formalin-evoked flinching or SNL-induced tactile allodynia, which is consistent with rat resistance to BoNT-B. IT BoNT-B blocks transmitter release from spinal primary afferents, and attenuates inflammatory nociceptive response and spinal nerve injury-induced neuropathic pain, in the absence of motor impairment. These observations provide an initial assessment of the ability of IT BoNT-B to regulate spinal nociceptive processing.
Merriam Shrew in New Mexico

The capture of a Merriam shrew, Sorex merriami , at Tree Springs, approximately 8,300 feet, on the east side of the Sandia Mountains, Bernalillo County, New Mexico, on October 9, 1955, provides the first record of the occurrence of this species in the state. The nearest record-stations of the shrew are at Rose Peak, Greenlea County, Arizona, (Hall, Jour. Mamm., 13: …
HIV-1 capsids bind and exploit the kinesin-1 adaptor FEZ1 for inward movement to the nucleus

Intracellular transport of cargos, including many viruses, involves directed movement on microtubules mediated by motor proteins. Although a number of viruses bind motors of opposing directionality, how they associate with and control these motors to accomplish directed movement remains poorly understood. Here we show that human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) associates with the kinesin-1 adaptor protein, Fasiculation and Elongation Factor zeta 1 (FEZ1). RNAi-mediated FEZ1 depletion blocks early infection, with virus particles exhibiting bi-directional motility but no net movement to the nucleus. Furthermore, both dynein and kinesin-1 motors are required for HIV-1 trafficking to the nucleus. Finally, the ability of exogenously expressed FEZ1 to promote early HIV-1 infection requires binding to kinesin-1. Our findings demonstrate that opposing motors both contribute to early HIV-1 movement and identify the kinesin-1 adaptor, FEZ1 as a capsid-associated host regulator of this process usurped by HIV-1 to accomplish net inward movement towards the nucleus.
The identification of fossil angiosperm pollen and its bearing on the time and place of the origin of angiosperms

Studies in the 1970's reporting the occurrence of fossil pollen types in the Cretaceous, coupled with surveys of extant pollen morphology of primitive flowering plants, laid the foundation for proposing a Lower Cretaceous origin of angiosperms. Over the last 30 years, morphological, ultrastructural, and ontogenetic studies of both extant and fossil pollen have provided an array of new characters, as well as greater resolution in defining character polarities. Moreover, a range of fossil pollen types exhibiting angiosperm characters occur in low frequency within Triassic and Jurassic sediments. The pollen data provide evidence of a pre-Cretaceous origin of angiosperms. Speciation and extinction rates were likely equal during the Triassic and Jurassic, resulting in the paucity of angiosperm pollen types from different geographic areas in the Atlantic – South American/African rift zone. It was not until the Lower Cretaceous that origination rates exceed extinction rates, resulting in the subsequent diversification of angiosperms and the origin of the eudicots.
The effect of electronegativity difference on the defect chemistry in lone-pair semiconductors

Abstract Whereas metal additives, incorporated in lone-pair semiconductors as positively charged centres, act like ionized donors, electronegative additives which possess lone-pair electrons give rise to centres which can be in either one of three charge states, negative, neutral, and positive. As a consequence, oxygen or halogen additive may give rise to a complete set of Street-Mott gap states. These are shifted towards lower electron, energies with respect to the states of intrinsic valence alternation centres because of the larger electronegativity of the additives. The addition of oxygen or halogen may lead to an increase or a decrease of the electrical conductivity depending on the relative values of the average carrier excitation energies.
The Body Project: A Dissonance-Based Eating Disorder Prevention Intervention, Updated Edition—Programs That Work, by Eric Stice, Paul Rohde, and Heather Shaw

With a lack resources and treatment programs for individuals with eating and weight related concerns, there is a need for evidence-based eating disorder and obesity prevention programs that are ine...
Effects of ferrocene methylation on ferrocene-modified linear poly(ethylenimine) bioanodes

Abstract Linear poly(ethylenimine) (LPEI) was modified by attachment of 3-(tetramethylferrocenyl)propyl groups to ca. 17% of its nitrogen atoms to form a new redox polymer, FcMe 4 -C 3 -LPEI, for use as an anodic mediator in glucose/O 2 biofuel cells. Electrochemical properties of this polymer were compared to those of 3-(dimethylferrocenyl)propyl-modified LPEI (FcMe 2 -C 3 -LPEI). When FcMe 4 -C 3 -LPEI was complexed with glucose oxidase (GO x ) and cross-linked with ethylene glycol diglycidyl ether (EGDGE) to form hydrogels on planar, glassy carbon electrodes, limiting catalytic bioanodic current densities of up to ∼1.4 mA/cm 2 at 37 °C were produced. The use of tetramethylferrocene moieties in place of dimethylferrocene moieties lowered the E 1/2 of the films by ca. 85 mV. FcMe 4 -C 3 -LPEI was shown to be the more effective polymer for use in biofuel cells and, when coupled with a stationary O 2 cathode comprised of laccase and cross-linked poly[(vinylpyridine)Os(bipyridyl) 2 Cl 2+/3+ ] (PVP-Os) as a mediator, produced power densities of up to 57 μW/cm 2 at 37 °C. Power density increased to 126 μW/cm 2 when a rotating biocathode was used. The power densities of biofuel cells made with either FcMe 2 -C 3 -LPEI or FcMe 4 -C 3 -LPEI were comparable. The FcMe 2 -C 3 -LPEI biofuel cells gave somewhat higher maximum currents, but the operating voltage and the stability of biofuel cells constructed with FcMe 4 -C 3 -LPEI was higher than that of cells using FcMe 2 -C 3 -LPEI. These polymers have immediate applications as amperometric glucose sensors as well as in biofuel cell materials and have the potential to be used in a wide range of small implantable electronic devices.
A nuclear isotope effect for interfacial electron transfer: excited-state electron injection from Ru ammine compounds to nanocrystalline TiO2.

The coordination compounds Ru(deeb)(NH3)4(PF6)2 and Ru(deeb)(NH2(CH2)2NH2)4(PF6)2, where deeb is 4,4‘-(CO2CH2CH3)2-2,2‘-bipyridine, were synthesized and attached to optically transparent nanocrystalline (anatase) TiO2 films. The compounds were found to be nonemissive in fluid acetonitrile and when attached to TiO2 with excited-state lifetimes <10 ns. Infrared measurements showed the expected isotopic substitution of the deuterated compounds on TiO2 thin films. A small 10−15 mV shift in the RuIII/II reduction potentials was measured upon deuteration. Metal-to-ligand charge-transfer (MLCT) excitation resulted in interfacial electron transfer into the TiO2 semiconductor with quantum yields that were dependent on the excitation wavelength and deuteration of the ammine ligands. The quantum yields were optimized with blue light excitation (417 nm) and deuterium substitution. In contrast, the kinetic rate constants for charge recombination were insensitive to deuteration and the excitation wavelength. Control ex...
The future of traceability within the U.S. food industry supply chain: a business case

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze the US food industry supply chain based on a case study of a leading US global processed food manufacturer to determine areas for improvement in the recall process to reduce the possibility of harming consumers with unsafe products. Design/methodology/approach – Current US Food and Drug Administration and US Department of Agriculture regulations were evaluated to understand the minimum requirements placed upon members of the supply chain within the US food industry. Thereafter, a situation analysis was conducted followed by a cause and effect analysis to illustrate weaknesses within typical recall procedures. Substantiation of the analysis was based on specific information provided by managers from various functional areas of the processed food manufacturer in their interviews and their perspective about the recall/traceability process and its complexities. Findings – Improvement concepts considered were: the implementation of Radio Frequency Identificatio...
Effect of cycling and constant temperatures on the respiratory metabolism of the tahoe sucker, Catostomus tahoensis (pisces: catostomidae)

1. 1. Resting routine metabolic rates of the Tahoe sucker, Catostomus tahoensis, were measured using static plexiglass respirometers in cycling and constant temperatures over a thermal range typical of this species' summer sub-alpine habitats (8–18°C). 2. 2. Q10 values approximating three for both cyclic and constant temperatures indicate that this species is thermally sensitive over this temperature range. 3. 3. The metabolic rate of Tahoe suckers in a cyclic temperature regime was not significantly different (P > 0.05) than for suckers acclimated to constant temperatures at 8 or 13°C, but was statistically higher (P < 0.05) at 18°C.
A study of an acid-induced defect on chemically amplified photoresist applied to sub-30nm NAND flash memory

Recently, we found a peculiar acid induced defect on chemically amplified photo resist applied to sub- 30nm NAND Flash Memory. This defect is like a hole-pattern with about 1um diameter, and induced by diffusion of acid which makes photoresist soluble in developer, even though photoresist is not exposed with KrF. With some experiment results, we found out that HCl gas, by-product of high temperature oxide which is contained inside voids between two gate lines diffuses into photoresist through high temperature oxide from voids, makes photoresist soluble in developer, and eventually creates the hole-type defect on photoresist. To prevent this defect, we can suggest some methods which are substitution of KrF photoresist into I-line photoresist, modification of oxide deposition recipe to suppress by-product, and applying of non-CAR (Chemically Amplification Resist) type KrF photoresist not sensitive to acid.
Structural profile of the northwestern Caribbean

Abstract A seismic reflection and gravity profile across the continental margin of the Yucatan Peninsula, Yucatan Basin, Cayman Ridge, and Cayman Trough suggests that sediments in the Yucatan Basin consist of a thick succession of beds dominated by turbidites that overlie a thick but irregular sequence of beds, probably dominated by pelagic deposits. The so-called “Carib beds”, present elsewhere in the Caribbean, are not evident in the part of the basin crossed by this profile. The sedimentary section rests on a acoustic basement that probably represents the top of oceanic layer 2. A gravity model indicates that the crust beneath the Yucatan Basin is thin and therefore probably is oceanic in character. The crust thickens southward under the Cayman Ridge but thins again beneath the Cayman Trough. This local thickening is consistent with the suggestion that the Cayman Ridge is a rifted part of the Nicaraguan Rise.
Applying Triangulation in Nursing Research

T RIANGULATION is an exploratory approach that holds much promise for nursing research. Triangulation refers to the deliberate, systematic, a priori combination of multiple complementary research strategies or techniques derived from both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. Four basic types of triangulation have been identified (Denzin, 1989): theory, data, investigator, and methods triangulation. A fifth type, multiple triangulation, uses multiple basic types in a single study.
Differential cAMP Gating of Glutamatergic Signaling Regulates Long-Term State Changes in the Suprachiasmatic Circadian Clock

We investigated a role for cAMP/protein kinase A (PKA) in light/glutamate (GLU)-stimulated state changes of the mammalian circadian clock in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). Nocturnal GLU treatment elevated [cAMP]; however, agonists of cAMP/PKA did not mimic the effects of light/GLU. Coincident activation of cAMP/PKA enhanced GLU-stimulated state changes in early night but blocked light/GLU-induced state changes in the late night, whereas inhibition of cAMP/PKA reversed these effects. These responses are distinct from those mediated by mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). MAPK inhibitors attenuated both GLU-induced state changes. Although GLU induced mPer1 mRNA in both early and late night, inhibition of PKA blocked this event only in early night, suggesting that cellular mechanisms regulating mPer1 are gated by the suprachiasmatic circadian clock. These data support a diametric gating role for cAMP/PKA in light/GLU-induced SCN state changes: cAMP/PKA promotes the effects of light/GLU in early night, but opposes them in late night.
The effects of retailer and consumer response on optimal manufacturer advertising and trade promotion strategies

This research examines how retailer and consumer responses influence a manufacturer's optimal advertising and trade promotion plans. We develop a dynamic optimization model which considers the actions of the manufacturer, retailers, and consumers. The manufacturer attempts to maximize its profits by advertising directly to consumers and offering periodic trade deal discounts to the retailer in the hope that the retailer will in turn "pass through" a retailer promotion to the consumer. We show how the manufacturer's optimal allocation depends on consumer response to advertising, consumer response to retailer promotions, retailer inventory carrying cost, and retailer passthrough behavior. For example, we find that retailer carrying costs and promotion wearout play a central role in constraining expenditures on trade promotions. We predict that as trade promotions are designed to eliminate forward buying, manufacturers will find it in their interest to promote more steeply. We also find a natural tendency for advertising and trade dealing to substitute for each other in an optimal plan.
A model for large-scale structures in turbulent shear flows.

A procedure based on energy stability arguments is presented as a method for extracting large-scale, coherent structures from fully turbulent shear flows. By means of two distinct averaging operators, the instantaneous flow field is decomposed into three components: a spatial mean, coherent field and random background fluctuations. The evolution equations for the coherent velocity, derived from the Navier–Stokes equations, are examined to determine the mode that maximizes the growth rate of volume-averaged coherent kinetic energy. Using a simple closure scheme to model the effects of the background turbulence, we find that the spatial form of the maximum energy growth modes compares well with the shape of the empirical eigenfunctions given by the proper orthogonal decomposition. The discrepancy between the eigenspectrum of the stability problem and the empirical eigenspectrum is explained by examining the role of the mean velocity field. A simple dynamic model which captures the energy exchange mechanisms between the different scales of motion is proposed. Analysis of this model shows that the modes which attain the maximum amplitude of coherent energy density in the model correspond to the empirical modes which possess the largest percentage of turbulent kinetic energy. The proposed method provides a means for extracting coherent structures which are similar to those produced by the proper orthogonal decomposition but which requires only modest statistical input.
An Examination of International Retail Franchising in Emerging Markets

There has been an urgent call from both the franchise industry, as well as the academic community, for research on world franchising markets, specifically in the retail sector. This article is an attempt to summarize the main research that has been conducted thus far on international retail franchising. The article begins with an overview of the development of the literature and discusses the nature and scope of emerging markets, with particular reference to their impact on the stakeholders of international retail franchising. Next, the article develops a conceptual model relating international retail franchising to its stakeholders. Then, a review of the research is divided into areas of the emerging world market: Central and Eastern Europe, Mexico and South America, Asia, and other areas that include India, Kuwait, and South Africa. The article concludes by discussing the next step to developing a research base and understanding of emerging markets in addition to the opportunities and challenges for retail franchising, and future research.