cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fractionation and analysis of nuclear proteins in sea urchin embryos.

Abstract Acid-soluble protein from the nuclei of three sea urchin species ( Strongylocentrotus purpuratus , Sphaerechinus granulosus and Paracentrotus lividus ) were analyzed during early embryonic development. No histone-like proteins could be detected in unfertilized eggs or in embryos before the blastula stage. Electrophoretic patterns showing five major bands, similar to the mammalian histones, were found for acid-soluble proteins extracted from the blastula nuclei. This pattern did not change qualitatively during further development. There were no differences in histone patterns from the three sea urchin species. Lysine-rich histones from sperm differed electrophoretically from histones in embryos. Electrophoretic patterns of acid-soluble nuclear proteins in unfertilized eggs and embryos before blastula strongly resembled patterns obtained for proteins extracted with acid from cytoplasmic components of the same embryos. The amino acid composition of acid-soluble proteins from unfertilized eggs was not basic. In blastula and especially in gastrula and later stages the amino acid composition of acid-soluble nuclear proteins became basic, resembling the composition of histones from vertebrate nuclei. Nuclear acidic proteins (NaOH-soluble) and nuclear residual proteins increased their content of dicarboxylic amino acids during blastulation. In gastrula and later stages the dicarboxylic amino acid contents of these proteins returned to values seen in unfertilized eggs.
Host plant quality factors that influence the growth and development of Oxyops vitiosa, a biological control agent of Melaleuca quinquenervia

The Australian weevil Oxyops vitiosa was released in 1997 in Florida as a biological control agent of Melaleuca quinquenervia. The larvae of this agent are flush-feeders, found only on the growing tips of their host. Knowledge of this restriction to feeding on the growing tips and other nutritional requirements may assist in the establishment and dispersal of this species. Therefore, O. vitiosa survival was assessed when neonates were fed M. quinquenervia leaves from branches that had dormant buds or emerging bud leaves. Additionally, the influence of leaf quality from different sites and within sites was determined by the feeding of neonates emerging bud leaves collected at three sites and from three leaf qualities (poor, intermediate, and high). Within-site leaf qualities were described in the field by leaf color and in the laboratory by percentage dry mass and nitrogen. Larval survival was lowest when fed leaves from branches that had dormant buds. Associated with this low survival were high leaf toughness and percentage dry mass. When larvae were fed emerging bud leaves, most of the variation in larval survival and performance was attributed to differences in within-site plant quality. Generally, the highest-quality leaves had relatively low percentage dry mass and high percentage nitrogen. Larval survival generally decreased when fed the poor-quality leaves, and in one site, the intermediate-quality leaves. Larvae required less time to develop to adults when fed the high-quality leaves. Development time increased in females but not in males when the larvae were fed the poor-quality leaves. Adult biomass of both females and males generally increased when the larvae were fed the high-quality leaves from two of the three sites. The results indicate that the larvae of O. vitiosa are restricted to feeding on flush foliage with low toughness. Additionally, variations in foliar percentage dry mass and nitrogen influence larval survival and performance. This knowledge benefited the development of mass-production nursery sites and the selection of suitable release sites, which facilitated the establishment of this biological control agent.
The IL-2/IL-2R system: from basic science to therapeutic applications to enhance immune regulation

IL-2 plays a critical role in the normal function of the immune system. A trophic factor for lymphocytes, IL-2 is required for mounting and sustaining adaptive T cell responses; however, IL-2 is also critical for immune regulation via its effects on regulatory T cells (Treg cells). Over the years, we have contributed to the understanding of the biology of IL-2 and its signaling through the IL-2 receptor and helped define the key role played by IL-2 in Treg development and function. Our data show that Treg cells have a heightened sensitivity to IL-2, which may create a therapeutic window to promote immune regulation by selective stimulation of Treg cells. We are now developing new efforts to translate this knowledge to the clinical arena, through our focused interest in Type 1 diabetes as a prototypic autoimmune disease. Specifically, we aim at developing IL-2-based therapeutic regimens and incorporate means to enhance antigen-specific Treg responses, for improved and more selective regulation of islet autoimmunity. In parallel, we are pursuing studies in preclinical models of autoimmunity and transplantation to define critical factors for successful adoptive Treg therapy and develop clinically applicable therapeutic protocols.
Low testosterone elevates interleukin family cytokines in a rodent model: a possible mechanism for the potentiation of vascular disease in androgen-deficient males.

Abstract Background Androgen deficiency (AD) is associated with increased risk of atherosclerosis, cardiovascular, and peripheral arterial disease. Although the biochemical and molecular mechanisms underlying this risk remain unclear, higher testosterone (TST) levels correlate to significant immunoprotective molecular and cellular responses. Our group has previously demonstrated that female sex hormones influence vascular pathogenesis via inflammatory-modulated matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) regulation. Here we investigated the role of AD and androgen replacement therapy in the modulation of these hormonally responsive pathways that could be playing a role in the development of vascular pathogenesis. Methods Aged orchiectomized male rats underwent TST supplementation per controlled release pellet implantation (0–150 mg). Young and aged intact groups served as controls. Serum was collected at 0–4 wk and analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, qualitative cytokine screening, and quantitative multiplex analyses. Human aortic smooth muscle cells were treated with 4,5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT; 0–3000 nM) before or after interleukin 1β (IL-1β; 5 ng/mL) stimulation. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction and in-gel zymography was used to assay the effect on MMP expression and activity. Results Subphysiological, physiological, and supraphysiological levels of TST were achieved with 0.5, 2.5, and 35 mg TST pellet implants in vivo, respectively. Inflammatory arrays indicated that interleukin cytokines, specifically IL-2, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12, and IL-13, were elevated at subphysiological level of TST, whereas TST supplementation decreased interleukins. Supraphysiological TST resulted in a significant increase in MMP-9 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) in vivo. Pretreatment with IL-1β slightly increased membrane type 1-MMP (MT1-MMP) and MMP-2 expression at low to mid-level DHT exposure in vitro, although these trends were not statistically significant. Conclusions Here we demonstrate AD is a proinflammatory modulator and indicate that MMP-independent mechanisms may play a role downstream of AD-induced inflammatory signaling in dysfunctional vascular remodeling. Future in vivo studies will examine AD and TST supplementation in acute inflammatory response to vascular injury and in MMP-modulated vascular disease.
N-cyanamidopyrroles and N-cyanamidoimines from 4-amino-1,2,4-triazole

Abstract Novel, useful, and unstable cyanamides including the title compounds have been made cleanly from readily available 1-substituted-1,2,4-triazoles by titration with n-BuLi.
Electrical conductivity and the distribution of liquid in polyhedral foam

Abstract A theoretical model is developed for conduction solely along thin uniform lamellae of polyhedral foam bubbles. For the volumetric liquid fraction divided by the ratio of foam conductivity to liquid conductivity, the model yields a value of 1.4. This complements Lemlich's limit of 3.0 for conduction solely along narrow, uniform, randomly oriented Plateau borders, and is combined with the said limit so as to permit estimation of the relative distribution of liquid between lamellae and Plateau borders in a real polyhedral foam.
An Alternative Method for the Analysis of Phenol and o-, m-, and p-Cresol by Capillary GC/FID

An alternative method for the sampling and simultaneous analysis of phenol, o-, m-, and p-cresol, employing XAD-7 as a sorbent for the collection of each analyte, is described. Desorption was achieved with methanol followed by analysis of all samples using gas chromatography with flame ionization detection. The separation of all analytes was achieved on a Stabilwax-DA capillary column. Sample collection and preparation was improved over current methods used at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. The results obtained when a Stabilwax-DA capillary column was used in the analysis, as compared to those obtained using a Stabilwax capillary column, indicated achievement of baseline separation of the analytes. Peak resolution and overall peak shape were enhanced by the use of the Stabilwax-DA column. Lower limits of detection were achieved for each analyte. Desorption efficiency and storage stability results (30 days) were acceptable. Sample stability in solution and on solid sorbent tubes...
A hybrid algorithm for transonic airfoil and wing design

The present method for the design of transonic airfoils and wings employs a predictor/corrector approach in which an analysis code calculates the flowfield for an initial geometry, then modifies it on the basis of the difference between calculated and target pressures. This allows the design method to be straightforwardly coupled with any existing analysis code, as presently undertaken with several two- and three-dimensional potential flow codes. The results obtained indicate that the method is robust and accurate, even in the cases of airfoils with strongly supercritical flow and shocks. The design codes are noted to require computational resources typical of current pure-inverse methods.
The effects of a programme of training in structured group counselling

Abstract This study examined the effects of a programmes of experiential training in structured group counselling, based on the approach of Sheldon Rose. Participants were 32 undergraduate and graduate students, divided into three groups, who participated in the group work as part of a course in Core Counseling skills. The groups met for two hours per week for eight weeks. At the end of each exercise the participants completed a 12-item questionnaire giving their evalution and experience of the exercise they had just finished. The questionnaires were initially factors analysed and produced three main factg43ors, labelled task orientation, cohesion and conflict. Factor scores were used for all subsequent analyses. A series of one-way analyses of variance showed how the groups reacted to the different exercises, and discriminant analysis was used to determine how the climate and method of the individual groups could be differentially characterised in terms of the questionnaire factors. It was concluded that...
Prediction of biodegradation kinetics using a nonlinear group contribution method

The fate of organic chemicals in the environment depends on their susceptibility to biodegradation. Hence, development of regulations concerning their manufacture and use requires information on the extent and rate of biodegradation. Recent studies have attempted to correlate the kinetics of biodegradation with the molecular structure of the compound. This has led to the development of structure-biodegradation relationships (SBRs) using the group contribution approach. Each defined group present in the chemical structure of the compound is assigned a unique numerical contribution toward the calculation of the biodegradation kinetic constants. In this paper, a nonlinear group contribution method has been developed using neural networks; it is trained using literature data on the first-order biodegradation kinetic rate constant for a number of priority pollutants. The trained neural network is then used to predict the biodegradation kinetic constant for a new list of compounds, and the results have been compared with the experimental values and the predictions obtained from a linear group contribution method. It has been shown that the nonlinear group contribution method using neural networks is able to provide a superior fit to the training set data and test data set and produce a lower prediction error than the previous linear method.
XXXIII. Density of States for Warped Spherical Energy Surfaces: Zeroth Order Solution for Holes in Silicon and Germanium†

ABSTRACT The formalism for exact summing of states is applied to the problem of warped spherical energy surfaces and found essentially intractable (in so far as non-machine methods of computation) even when linearization is attempted. A zeroth order calculation is possible, however, which always establishes the lower bound of the density of states mass and in the limit of small warping approaches reasonable accuracy as is demonstrated for holes in germanium and silicon.
Pelvic pain in an adolescent.

The patient was a 15-yr-old who presented with a complaint of pelvic pain. Around 6 months prior to presentation she started having right-lower-quadrant pain initially crampy then progressing to more piercing pain. It had progressed to a constant bilateral pain that worsened the first three days of her period to the point of missing school on occasion. She had menarche around age 11 and had always had monthly cycles. She experienced mild cramping from the start of her periods. She had tried Anaprox without much success. Her bowel movements were regular and on occasion painful when she bore down. She experienced occasional pain with urination. She had a normal ultrasound done by her pediatrician. She was otherwise healthy. She was in tenth grade and doing well in school. She did not participate in sports. She lived with her parents. She denied sexual activity or abuse. She did not smoke drink or use drugs. Her family history was significant for a mother with endometriosis since her late twenties and a long history of infertility. (excerpt)
A comparison of the effects of enhanced UV-B radiation on some crop plants exposed to greenhouse and field conditions

Summary 21 economically important cultivars of 7 plant species were grown under greenhouse conditions for 7 weeks with an increased ultraviolet (UV)-B fluence rate that corresponded to a 25% stratospheric ozone depletion. 6 weeks after precultivation in the greenhouse, 4 cultivars of these crops were grown for up to 11 weeks in the field where enhanced UV-B irradiance was adjusted to values expected from either a 10% or a 25% reduction of the stratospheric ozone layer. The growth parameters (plant height, leaf area, fresh weight, dry weight) and the leaf composition (chlorophyll, protein, flavonoid) were examined from plants exposed to both growth conditions. In the controlled environment, the responses of the monocotyledonous field crops Hordeum vulgare and Triticum aestivum to enhanced UV-B radiation were comparable. The reduced plant height of their cultivars was usually accompanied by decreased fresh weight and an increase in dry weight and protein content. On the other hand, the cultivars of the dicotyledonous vegetables Brassica oleracea, Lactuca sativa, Phaseolus vulgaris, Raphanus sativus and Spinacia oleracea showed a wide range of different sensitivities to UV-B stress. Partimlarly, protein and flavonoid contents were in some cultivars enhanced and in others reduced. Under field conditions, the UV-B irradiance corresponding to a 25% ozone depletion caused greater physiological effeets than the radiation corresponding to a 10% ozone depletion. Each cultivar exposed to UV-B stress in the field presPnted a specific response pattern which was not identical with the effects exhibited in the greenhouse. However, statistically significant differences between plants grown in controllrd and natrual environment were, on average, restricted to about one third of the examined parameters.
The importance of silica morphology in silica-titania composites with dye sensitized solar functionality

Abstract Silica–titania composite dye sensitized solar cells were prepared by synthesizing crystalline titania around silica particles to test dye sensitized solar cell performance under conditions where current would flow primarily in surface regions. Three different commercial silica particles were used in this study — each with a different mean particle size and pore structure to give information about the coverage and connectedness of the chemically-derived surface titania layer. The silica–titania composite materials were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and other techniques. The effect of surface area and porosity of the host silica particles on the morphology of the silica–titania layers and the performance in dye sensitized solar cells is discussed.
Cognitive abilities following right and left hemispherectomy.

Summary Cognitive abilities were investigated in three patients with hemispherectomy for noninfantile disease. Two had the right and one had the left hemisphere removed. Results indicate that after right hemispherectomy in the mature brain the left hemisphere remains decidedly more proficient in verbal than nonverbal functions. In the developing younger brain, however, regardless of which hemisphere was removed, less difference exists between abilities in verbal and nonverbal functions, and level of performance is in general lower than in the adult case. Memory functions were impaired after hemispherectomy with removal of the left hemisphere producing the greater deficit.
How Well Does a Journal's Peer Review Process Function?: A Survey of Authors' Opinions

Objective. —To evaluate the authors' satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the peer review process of theJournal of Clinical Anesthesia. Design. —Anonymous questionnaires were sent to authors to survey their opinions about specific aspects of the peer review process. Authors were grouped by status of their manuscripts: AR (accept with revision), RR (reject but may resubmit), and RO (reject outright). Participants. —Authors of unsolicited manuscripts submitted in 1991 to 1992. Main Outcome Measures. —Factors that determine authors' satisfaction with the relevancy and benefit of peer review of their manuscript. Results. —Significantly more authors of AR manuscripts responded to our survey than did authors of rejected manuscripts and viewed the review process more favorably. Authors of AR manuscripts were more satisfied with specific aspects of the review process, which led to improvement in their manuscripts. More authors of RR manuscripts believed that our review process improved subsequent manuscript preparation than did authors of accepted manuscripts. Conclusions. —The surveying of authors, important clients of the peer review process, should guide change necessary to better serve our authors and improve peer review. (JAMA. 1994;272:152-153)
The storage of washed human erythrocytes in a protein‐free medium

Protein-free red blood cells were prepared by washing fresh citrate-phosphate-dextrose anticoagulated whole blood and resuspending the cells in a medium containing saline, adenine, phosphate, and glucose (APG). The protein concentration in the APG medium was reduced to 0.0024 percent of the original plasma protein. The 24-hour red blood cell posttransfusion survival after 21 days of storage was 80 percent. Extracellular potassium concentrations were less than the CPD-plasma control after 21 days of storage. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) concentrations were lower after storage in APG, but intracellular ATP was not closely associated with posttransfusion survival. Hemolysis was slightly increased in the APG group. There appear to be no insurmountable barriers to the use of protein-free media for the storage of washed red blood cells.
A Small Aperiodic Set of Planar Tiles

We give a simple set of two tiles that can only tile aperiodically?that is no tiling with these tiles is invariant under any infinite cyclic group of isometries. Although general constructions for producing aperiodic sets of tiles are finally appearing, simple aperiodic sets are fairly rare. This set is among the smallest sets ever found.
Aboveground biomass in mature and secondary seasonally dry tropical forests: A literature review and global synthesis

Abstract Seasonally dry tropical forests (SDTFs) are globally extensive but understudied, especially from a biogeochemical perspective. Historically, much of the land covered by SDTF has been cleared for agriculture or other land uses, but forests are now regenerating in some areas. Quantifying biomass stocks in mature and regenerating SDTF is important for constructing global carbon budgets and for designing local policy and management tools designed to sequester and store carbon. We reviewed 44 published and unpublished studies that estimate aboveground biomass in SDTF around the world and examined patterns of biomass across successional stages and the climatic range in which SDTF occur. Aboveground biomass in mature SDTF ranged from 39 to 334 Mg ha −1 . A single climatic variable, mean annual precipitation (MAP), explained over 50% of the variation in aboveground biomass. Regenerating SDTFs at the wetter end of the precipitation spectrum (1500–2000 mm MAP) attained a greater biomass but did not appear to reach maximum biomass faster than SDTFs at drier sites. We used spatially explicit biomass, climate, and biome range data along with the derived precipitation-biomass relationship to estimate current and potential global SDTF biomass C stocks of 8.7 and 22.1 Pg respectively.
Propagation of smooth cordgrass, Spartina alterniflora , from seed in North Carolina

Spartina alterniflora Loisel, produces large quantities of viable seed, particularly when stands are vigorous and relatively young. Excellent germination occurred when seeds were harvested as near the shattering stage as possible, stored in burlap sheets at 2–3 C for 1 month, and submerged in estuarine or sea water at 2–3 C until seeding the following spring. Direct seeding from April until early June is an effective method of establishing new stands ofS. alterniflora on dredge spoil in protected areas. The elevational range over which seedlings can be expected to survive is limited to the upper 20–50% of that occupied by natural stands in a given area. Complete cover is achieved the first growing season and the above-ground standing crop produced from seed in one growing season can exceed that produced from transplants and may approach that of long-established marshes.
Principle-based ethics and nurses' attitudes towards artificial feeding.

Nurses often institute artificial feeding for patients who would otherwise starve Recently, the courts in the United States have favoured withholding or withdrawing feedings from patients who currently refuse or previously gave some indication they would refuse artificial nutrition and hydration This paper investigates under what circumstances nurses feel justified in withholding artificial nutrition and hydration Structured interviews were conducted with 40 cancer care nurses from two sites, and 40 dementia care nurses from two sites The interviews were based on two vignettes, one involving an alert patient with terminal cancer, the other a patient suffering end-stage Alzheimer's dementia, and were analysed for themes coinciding with principles of deontological ethics Investigators found that autonomy, beneficence and non-maleficence most often guided nurses' decisions to withhold or implement artificial feeding
FLUORESCENCE OF 5-METHYLCYTOSINE

— 5-Methylcytosine and 5-methyldeoxycytidylic acid are fluorescent in aqueous solution at room temperature and neutral pH. 5-Methylcytosine, 10-3M, pH 8.5, 25°C, has a quantum yield of 5 ×10-4, 5-Methyldeoxycitydylic acid, 10-4M, pH 7.5, 20°C, has a quantum yield of 8 × 10-4. Emission maxima are 2.91 and 2.80μ-1. At pH 14, the quantum yield of 5-methylcytosine is 1.6 × 10-2; the emission maximum is 2.82μ-1. At pH I, the quantum yield of both compounds is less than or equal to 10-4. Both compounds were chromatographically homogeneous, had absorption spectra which agreed with published data, and excitation spectra which agreed closely with absorption spectra.
A High-Q and Small-Mode-Volume Cavity in Microfibers

We propose a novel approach to confine light in a silica microfiber (MF) cavity using a lattice-constant-varying nanohole array. The MF cavity integrated with an optimally designed nanohole array produces Q-factors ~ 7×10^5 in the near infrared region while its mode volume remains ~ (λ_e)^3. Our MF cavity of enhanced performance will find potential applications in fiber lasers, nonlinear fiber optics, cavity quantum electrodynamics (QED), and cavity optomechanics.
Polarization properties of coated and uncoated parallel-slab multireflection beam splitters

In this paper we investigate the polarization properties of uncoated and coated parallel-slab multi-reflection beam splitters. We analyze the ellipsometric parameters and fractional powers for the multi-reflected components generated by this system. Interesting new observations regarding the polarization properties at the Brewster angle of incidence and distribution of powers among the multi- reflected components orders are presented.
Multidisciplinary Approach to Large Cutaneous Tumors of the Head and Neck

Large cutaneous tumors of the head and neck provide challenges for complete excision and optimal reconstruction. Collaborative intraoperative Mohs micrographic surgery offers efficient and reliable extirpation of large cutaneous malignancies of the head and neck and immediate reconstruction of resultant defects.
Surface feature-guided mapping of cerebral metabolic changes in cognitively normal and mildly impaired elderly.

Purpose The aim of this study was to investigate the longitudinal positron emission tomography (PET) metabolic changes in the elderly.
Influence of ambient acidity on the absorption of NO3 − and NH4 + by tomato punts

Abstract The effects of ambient acidity on NO3 − and Nh4 + absorption by 26‐day‐old tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) were examined in solution culture. The absorption rate per unit root mass was measured for 6 hr. The NO3 − absorption rate from 0.4 mM NaNO, was 36% greater at pH 4.5 than at pH 6.5. In contrast, the NhY absorption rate was approximately 42% greater at pH 5.5 or 6.5 than at pH 4.5. The presence of equimolar NHr from 0.4 mM NH^NO, decreased the NO, absorption rate at pH 5.5 or 6.5 but did not reduce the rate at pH 4.5. The NO, absorption rate was inhibited less at pH 5.5 when equimolar NHr was supplied from 0.2 mM (NH4)2S04 as opposed to NH4NO3. At pH 5.5, the N03 − absorption rate increased with increased #OPNH4#CP2SO4 concentration. The presence of equimolar NO3 − supplied as either NaNO3 or NH4NO3 had no effect on the NH4 + absorption rate at pH 5.5 or 6.5. However, at pH 4.5, the NH4 + absorption rate was slightly reduced from NH4NO3 solutions relative to that from a (NH4)2S...
mRNA decapping activities and their biological roles

Abstract The 5′ cap structure of eukaryotic mRNAs is significant for a variety of cellular events and also serves to protect mRNAs from premature degradation. Analysis of mRNA decay in Saccharomyces cerevisiae has shown that removal of the 5′ cap structure is a key step in the turnover of many yeast mRNAs, and that this decapping is carried out by Dcplp. In addition to the yeast decapping enzyme, other activities that can cleave the 5′ cap structure have been described. These include two mammalian enzymes and two viral activities that cleave cellular mRNA cap structures as part of their life cycle. Here we review these various decapping activities and discuss their biological roles.
Caring and Internality

In his work on internality, identification, and caring, Harry Frankfurt attempts to delineate the organization of agency peculiar to human beings, while avoiding the traditional overintellectualized emphasis on the human capacity to reason about action. The focal point of Frankfurt’s alternative picture is our capacity to make our own motivation the object of reflection. Building upon the observation that marginal agents (such as young children and Alzheimer’s patients) are capable of caring, I show that neither caring nor internality need to depend on the phenomena of reflectiveness. I develop alternative interlocking accounts of caring and internality that are independent of both reflectiveness and evaluation, but that can still do justice to the central role of carings in the organization of agency characteristic of human persons.
A simple approach to operating system generation and initialization

System initialization or system generation is the creation of a viable operating system from a collection of individual program modules. For many operating systems the initialization process is a very long and complex procedure. During the development of the MCTS operating system at GMR, an initialization procedure was designed and implemented with simplicity and flexibility as key design goals.The emphasis on simplicity and flexibility was applied in two distinct aspects of the initialization process, The first was simplicity and flexibility of use. A system programmer was given an interactive procedure which allowed him to very easily modify key initialization parameters, The second aspect was the simple and flexible design of the initialization programs. As development of MCTS continued, so did the initialization programs, hence their design was kept simple and flexible to meet the changing requirements of a developing system.This paper describes the design and development of MCTS system initialization procedures beginning with an 'emptyheaded' computer and ending with a semi-automatic system initialization procedure.
Freezing and melting water in lamellar structures

The manner in which ice forms in lamellar suspensions of dielaidoylphosphatidylethanolamine, dielaidoylphosphatidylcholine, and dioleoylphosphatidylcholine in water depends strongly on the water fraction. For weight fractions between 15 and 9%, the freezing and melting temperatures are significantly depressed below 0 degree C. The ice exhibits a continuous melting transition spanning as much as 20 degrees C. When the water weight fraction is below 9%, ice never forms at temperatures as low as -40 degrees C. We show that when water contained in a lamellar lipid suspension freezes, the ice is not found between the bilayers; it exists as pools of crystalline ice in equilibrium with the bound water associated with the polar lipid headgroups. We have used this effect, together with the known chemical potential of ice, to measure hydration forces between lipid bilayers. We find exponentially decaying hydration repulsion when the bilayers are less than about 7 A apart. For larger separations, we find significant deviations from single exponential decay.
Inactivated hepatitis A vaccine: a safety and immunogenicity study in health professionals.

Abstract The safety and immunogenicity of an inactivated hepatitis A vaccine (HM175 strain) were evaluated in 150 seronegative health professionals. The age range was 21–65 years and the mean age was 30 years. The vaccine was administered at a dose of 720 ELISA units (EU) to 73 vaccinees at 0, 1 and 6 months, and to 77 vaccinees at 0, 1 and 12 months. The seroconversion rates were 88 and 90% in the two groups, respectively, one month after the first inoculation and 99 and 100% one month after the second inoculation. The geometric mean antibody titres were similar in both groups, exceeding 3000 mIU/ml one month after the third inoculation. The vaccine was well tolerated. The most frequent side effect was transient soreness at the site of the inoculation. No serious adverse reactions were observed. The study demonstrated that the HM175 inactivated hepatitis A vaccine was safe and highly immunogenic.
Toxoplasma Co-opts Host Cells It Does Not Invade

Like many intracellular microbes, the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii injects effector proteins into cells it invades. One group of these effector proteins is injected from specialized organelles called the rhoptries, which have previously been described to discharge their contents only during successful invasion of a host cell. In this report, using several reporter systems, we show that in vitro the parasite injects rhoptry proteins into cells it does not productively invade and that the rhoptry effector proteins can manipulate the uninfected cell in a similar manner to infected cells. In addition, as one of the reporter systems uses a rhoptry:Cre recombinase fusion protein, we show that in Cre-reporter mice infected with an encysting Toxoplasma-Cre strain, uninfected-injected cells, which could be derived from aborted invasion or cell-intrinsic killing after invasion, are actually more common than infected-injected cells, especially in the mouse brain, where Toxoplasma encysts and persists. This phenomenon has important implications for how Toxoplasma globally affects its host and opens a new avenue for how other intracellular microbes may similarly manipulate the host environment at large.
Mapping of P-wave slab anomalies beneath the Tonga, Kermadec and New Hebrides arcs

Abstract P-wave velocity anomalies of several per cent fast relative to the Jeffreys-Bullen (JB) model are seen around subduction zones under the Tonga, Kermadec and New Hebrides trenches from inversion of International Seismological Centre (ISC) travel-time residuals from intermediate and deep-focus earthquakes. Mantle heterogeneities outside the model are corrected using previous velocity models. Ray paths inside the model region are traced allowing two-dimensional velocity variations. The rays of similar source and receiver locations are combined into summary rays, and the hypocenters are relocated as part of the inversion iterations. The resulting images are interpreted in conjunction with resolution and error estimations. The slab-like anomalies are generally continuous in places of high seismicity, and decrease in amplitude with depth. Most coherent slab anomalies are surrounded by large slow patches between the surface and 350-km depth. The fast slab beneath the Tonga arc appears to end at ∼ 550-km depth, before the seismicity ends, but there is a fast band at 750–1000-km depths below the deepest Tongan earthquakes. The fast slab-like anomaly beneath the Kermadec arc tends to flatten to subhorizontal near the bottom of upper mantle, and it occurs aseismically near New Zealand down to 500–550-km depth. Interpretations in the lower mantle in many places, such as Kermadec and New Hebrides arcs, however, are hampered by poor resolution.
Isolation and Characterization of Two Different Insulins from an Amphibian, Xenopus laevis

Abstract The South African clawed toad, Xenopus laevis, is a versatile laboratory model of vertebrate development. To study the role of insulin during embryogenesis, we have recently cloned preproinsulin cDNAs from this species. Unexpectedly, we identified two preproinsulin cDNAs corresponding to two different nonallelic genes that code for similar but distinctly different insulins. We now report the isolation, amino acid sequence, and characterization of both of these insulins from pancreatic extracts of adult toads, confirming that both Xenopus preproinsulin genes are expressed. Xenopus insulins represent the first amphibian insulins to be characterized. Xenopus insulin I and Xenopus insulin II are more similar to each other than they are to insulins of other species. In addition, Xenopus insulins are more similar to mammalian and bird insulins, than they are to fish insulins, implying a closer evolutionary link to terrestrial vertebrates than to most aquatic vertebrates. A homogeneous preparation of Xe...
The seismicity of Chihuahua, Mexico, and the 1928 Parral earthquake

Abstract Studies of the seismicity of Chihuahua, Mexico, and determination of source parameters for the 1928 Parral earthquake suggest that the eastern portion of Chihuahua is currently undergoing extension. The Parral earthquake has similar source parameters to other southern Basin and Range-Rio Grande rift events. The focal mechanism for the Parral event, however, indicates northeast-southwest oriented extension, a direction that is parallel to neither the east-west oriented extension seen near the US-Mexican bordern nor to the physiographic province boundary between the Sierra Madre Occidental and the southern Basin and Range where the earthquake occurred. Intensity information for the Parral event and the 1931 Valentine, Texas, earthquake suggests that attenuation within the region lies somewhere between relationships developed for the eastern and cordilleran portions of the USA.
miR-200c regulates induction of apoptosis through CD95 by targeting FAP-1

Tumor progression shares many characteristics with the process of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Cells that have undergone an EMT are known to have an increased resistance to apoptosis. CD95/Fas is an apoptosis-inducing receptor expressed on many tissues and tumor cells. During tumor progression CD95 is frequently downregulated, and tumor cells lose apoptosis sensitivity. miR-200 microRNAs repress both the EMT-inducing ZEB1 and ZEB2 transcription factors. We now demonstrate that miR-200c sensitizes cells to apoptosis mediated by CD95. We have identified the apoptosis inhibitor FAP-1 as a target for miR-200c. FAP-1 was demonstrated to be responsible for the reduced sensitivity to CD95-mediated apoptosis in cells with inhibited miR-200. The identification of FAP-1 as an miR-200c target provides a molecular mechanism to explain both the downregulation of CD95 expression and the reduction in sensitivity of cells to CD95-mediated apoptosis that is observed in the context of reduced miR-200 expression during tumor progression.
Toxicity of Mercuric Chloride in Japanese Quail as Affected by Methods of Incorporation into the Diet

Three experiments were conducted with day-old Japanese quail. When mercuric chloride (HgCl2) was added to the diet as a dry salt, it produced higher mortality than when added as a solution or as a casein-premix. Averages of mortality at 4 weeks were 86%, 55%, and 33% when 500 ppm mercury as HgCl2 was added dry, in 95% ethanol, or as a casein-premix, respectively. The nature of solvent (ethanol, methanol, or water) had little or no effect. The addition of mercury as a HgCl2-casein premix produced the lowest mortality but increased the mercury content of the kidney. This suggests that casein did not reduce mortality by decreasing mercury absorption. A complete explanation of the phenomenon is not available at this time. Possibly, the solvent could facilitate the binding of mercury to some feed component, thereby affecting the mercury absorption, transport, and subsequent tissue distribution and making mercury less available to exert its toxicity.
Microwave engineering education in Australia

The emergence of Australian science/engineering is presented in its historical and socioeconomic milieu. Engineering education is then considered in tertiary educational institutions where microwave engineering is taught at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. The Australian educational system provides education of a high standard for technicians, engineers, and scientists. While there was no indigenous microwave industry in Australia, microwave engineering was actively pursued in academia and in several quasi-government organizations/laboratories. In fields related to microwave engineering, Australia excelled in the areas of radioastronomy and microwave landing systems. In the 1980's indigenous microwave engineering firms appeared as a result of a determined effort to augment and strengthen the Australian manufacturing base. The recent emergence of the many centers described here and the appropriate fiscal policies put in place by the present government will aid the above process. In these new thrusts, universities and quasi-government organizations are destined to play a pivotal role. >
Measures for Social Phobia

The BSPS is an 18-item observer-rated scale designed to assess symptoms of social phobia. It consists of three subscales: fear, avoidance, and physiological arousal. Part I includes seven social situations that are rated for fear on a five-point scale ranging from 0 (none) to 4 (extreme = incapacitating and/or very painfully distressing) and avoidance on a five-point scale ranging from 0 (never—0%) to 4 (always—100%). In Part II, the respondent is asked to rate the severity of four physiological symptoms one might experience in a social situation on a five-point scale from 0 (none) to 4 (extreme = incapacitating and/or very painfully distressing). The time period used for rating is the previous week; if no exposure has occurred during that period, the respondent is asked to imagine how he or she would feel if
Korean American dementia caregivers' attitudes toward caregiving: the role of social network versus satisfaction with social support.

The purpose of this study was to explore how Korean American family caregivers view the services they offer to patients with dementia. It also investigated the roles of social networks and satisfaction with social support on attitudes toward caregiving. Social network, satisfaction with social support, demographic characteristics, caregiving-related stress factors, and cultural factors were examined. We used a convenience sample of 85 Korean American dementia caregivers. The results from hierarchical multiple regression models show that the level of satisfaction with social support significantly contributed to Korean American caregivers’ attitudes toward working with patients with dementia, while no statistically significant associate was found for social network. Higher levels of satisfaction with social support were associated with greater positive attitudes toward caregiving among Korean American caregivers (b = 0.26, p = .024). The implications for mental health professionals and policy makers are dis...
A view from itia ororó kande1

La confrerie esoterique cubaine abakua est interpretee depuis longtemps comme une version transatlantique deplacee du type de societe secrete connue sous le nom de ekpe ou ngbe dans la region du Cross River au sud-est du Nigeria et au sud-ouest du Cameroun. Cet essai ne conteste pas leurs origines africaines, mais essaie de retracer les contours d'une histoire alternative des abakua. Mon objectif est de confronter les recits «objectivistes» de l'histoire de la diffusion des ekpe et abakua a la facon dont les membres contemporains des abakua cubains produisent des relations avec un passe africain qu'ils creent en lui donnant vie de maniere performative dans le present du Nouveau Monde.
Some Managerially Relevant Covariates of Hierarchical Status

This study seeks to isolate a broad range of covariates of hierarchical status in a large batch of respondents, who come from a single organization but represent all hierarchical levels and a broad range of functions or activities. A number of scales, about whose reliability and validity much is known, are tested for covariation with status. The overall pattern of covariation is marked and consistent. This supports general expectations, and the research design is such as to minimize interpretive problems as compared to findings based on small samples, and especially those drawn from a narrow hierarchical range, representing a small number of functions or activities, or utilizing a few variables as potential covariants or dependent variables.
Maximum Commonality Problems: Applications and Analysis

Recently, an agile software development technique called extreme programming has caught the attention of practitioners and researchers in the software industry. A core practice of extreme programming is pair programming, where two developers work on the same piece of code. We introduce the problem of assigning pairs of developers to modules so as to maximize the commonality---a measure of the extent to which common developers work on related modules---subject to a load-balancing constraint that is motivated by the need to control the completion time of the project. We consider two variants of this problem. In MCAPn, a developer is teamed up with exactly one other developer to form a pair that works together for the entire duration of the project. In MCAPs, we allow a developer to pair with more than one other developer during the project. This “pair-splitting” version of the problem facilitates knowledge dissemination among developers, but can increase the effort needed for a developer to adjust to the work habits of several partners. The difference between the commonality achieved with and without pair splitting crucially depends on the underlying structure of the problem. For trees, we show that the value of the maximum commonality is the same for both MCAPn and MCAPs. Additionally, we obtain polynomial-time algorithms for both of these variants. For general graphs, both problems MCAPn and MCAPs are shown to be strongly NP-complete. We prove that the maximum commonality for MCAPs is at most 3/2 times the maximum commonality of MCAPn. We also provide polynomial-time algorithms and approximation results for a number of special cases of these problems.
Does childhood health affect chronic morbidity in later life

Our analysis examines whether childhood health has long-term and enduring consequences for chronic morbidity. As a part of this analysis, we address two methodological issues of concern in the literature. Is adult height a surrogate for childhood health experiences in modeling chronic disease in later life? And, are the effects of adult socioeconomic status on chronic disease overestimated when childhood health is not accounted for? The analysis is based on a topical module to the third wave of the Health and Retirement Study, a representative survey of Americans aged 55-65 in 1996. Our results support the hypothesis that poor childhood health increases morbidity in later life. This association was found for cancer, lung disease, cardiovascular conditions, and arthritis/rheumatism. The associations were highly persistent in the face of statistical controls for both adult and childhood socioeconomic status. No support was found for using adult height as a proxy for the effects of childhood health experiences. Further, the effects of adult socioeconomic status were not overestimated when childhood health was excluded from the explanatory models. Our results point to the importance of an integrated health care policy based on the premise of maximizing health over the entire life cycle.
Evaluating dynamic performance of modern electric drives via power-hardware-in-the-loop simulation

Hardware in the loop (HIL) simulation, especially power HIL (PHIL) simulation, is a promising tool for motor drive design and prototyping. It inherits both the flexibility of simulation and the authenticity of hardware itself, which therefore allow an actual motor drive design to be thoroughly scrutinized under almost any conceivable condition. In this paper, a unique 5 MW PHIL simulation facility which is in its last stage of commissioning in the Center for Advanced Power Systems (CAPS) is introduced. An illustrative PHIL simulation example based on a similar but downscaled 50 kW test bed is performed. Interesting results very well demonstrates how a PHIL simulation on a motor drive system can expose the hidden problems that are difficult to be identified by other testing methods.