cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Differential expression of nucleus-cytoplasm transport receptor protein importin13 in limbal neoplasms

Background The study on normal stem cell markers provides a new way of thinking of that pathogenesis of cancer research and looking for specific markers of cancer stem cells.Importin13 (IPO13) is a novel nucleus-cytoplasm transport receptor protein of importin β family,the study on the biological behavior of IPO13 in ocular tissue and limbal neoplasms is lacking.Objective This study was to investigate the differential expression of IPO13 and p63 in human benign and malignant conjunctiva-cornea neoplasms.Methods The specimens of normal donor limbal and conjunctival tissues (6),conjunciva-cornea papilloma (CCP) (6) and conjunctiva-cornea intraepithelial neoplasia(CCIN) (6)were collected from Xiangya Hospital of Center South University.The expressions of IPO13 and p63 in the corresponding tissue were qualitatively and quantitatively detected using immunochemistry.The A values of IPO13 and p63 positive response were calculated and compared among the 3 types specimens.Results The immunohistostaining on frozen sections showed that IPO13 was expressed in nuclei of basal cells of limbal and conjunctival epithelium and the cellular nuclei of basal cells and suprabasal cells of CCP and CCIN epithelium.The A values of IPO13 positive expression were 1687± 1014,3546± 1375 and 7635 ±2854 in the normal limbal specimen,CCP and CCIN,respectively,showing a significant difference among them (F =7.23,P＜0.05),and the A value was higher in the CCP and CCIN than that in the normal limbal tissue (q =4.02,5.13,P＜0.05),and that in the CCIN was significantly elevated in comparison with CCP(q =3.45,P＜0.05).p63 was expressed in nuclei of basal cells and suprabasal of limbal,conjunctival and CCP epithelium,and was expressed in nuclei of the entire CCIN epithelium.The expressions of p63 in the normal conjunctiva-cornea tissue,CCP and CCIN were 2110± 1229,3966± 2129 and 6650± 2136 respectively,with significant difference among the three different specimens (F =6.17,P＜ 0.05),and the A value of p63 positive expression was significantly elevated in the CCP and CCIN compared with normal limbal specimen (q =4.33,5.01,P＜0.05),and that in the CCIN was significantly elevated in comparison with CCP(q=3.83,P＜0.05).Conclusions IPO13 is more specifical in marking the poorly differentiated cells in limbal epithelial proliferative lesions than p63.Compared with the normal limbal specimen,the expressions of IPO13 and p63 in CCP and CCIN specimens gradually upregulat,which suggests that IPO13 and p63 may play a positive regulatory role in conjunctiva-cornea proliferative lesions.The differential expression of IPO13 and p63 is predominant between benign and malignant limbal epithelial proliferative lesions,indicating that IPO13 and p63 may play an important role in regulating the abnormal proliferation and differentiation of limbal epithelial proliferative lesions. Key words: Nucleus-cytoplasm transport receptor protein; Importin13; p63; Limbus; Neoplasms; Stem cell; Marker
Opioid Prescribing and Use After Pediatric Umbilical Hernia Repair.

BackgroundOpioid overuse is a concern in adult and pediatric populations. Physician education may improve appropriate opioid prescribing and patient instruction for use. Prescribing and use of opio...
The Brand Relationship of Cult-Like Following: Developing Scales of Measurement in Apple and Catholic Devotees

The purpose of this research aims to fill in the gap in the religion-brand relationship, and explores what constitutes a cult-like allegiance to a brand, by examining subjects’ relationship to the Apple brand, comparing survey response by subjects who were “devotees” versus “indifferents” to Catholicism and to Apple. This paper uses Ninian Smart’s (1989) “Seven Dimensions of Religion” as a theoretical framework to develop scales of measurement among Apple and Catholic devotees. The contribution of this research is the development of Catholic and Apple scales. The Catholic scale extracted three factors and the Apple scale generated four factors in CFA.
Analysis of SV40-induced transformation of hamster kidney tissue in vitro. VI. Characteristics of mitomycin C induction.

Abstract Certain SV40-transformed hamster kidney cell lines can be reproducibly induced with mitomycin C to produce infectious SV40. Mitomycin C concentrations of 0.3–5.0 μg/ml are effective, and infectious virus first appears 3 days after treatment is begun. The induction process is sensitive to cytosine arabinoside between 24 and 36 hours after the beginning of mitomycin C treatment, indicating that DNA synthesis, probably of viral origin, is essential during that period for infectious virus to be produced. The induction process is also sensitive to homologous interferon, indicating that a viral gene(s) is susceptible to inhibition by the interferon system. Passage of an SV40-transformed hamster kidney cell line, not inducible by mitomycin C, through hamsters resulted in its becoming inducible. Attempts to induce SV40-transformed cells from species other than hamster with mitomycin C were unsuccessful. The findings that SV40-transformed cells contain an integrated viral genome(s) which can be induced directly by chemical means to produce infectious virus suggests that the virus:cell relationship in cells transformed by oncogenic DNA viruses has many similarities to bacterial lysogeny.
Sums of Finite Sets

We investigate numerous cardinality questions concerning sums of finite sets. A typical problem looks like the following: if A has n elements, A + B has cn, what can we deduce about A and B? How can we estimate the cardinalities of other sets like A − B and A + B + A? This is in quest of a generalization of Freiman’s famous theorem that describes the structure of those sets A for which A + A is small, to the case of different summands.
Etat et Corruption en Afrique. Une anthropologie comparative des relations entre fonctionnaires et usagers (Bénin, Niger, Sénégal)

sous la direction de G. Blundo et J.P. Olivier de Sardan, Paris, Karthala, 2007, 374 pp. La litterature politologique sur l'Etat africain postcolonial abonde de qualificatifs faisant reference au c...
It's Simple: Judges Don't Like Labor Unions

In this essay, Professor Schatzki makes the argument that judges never have and never will embrace an active labor movement. Unfortunately for the labor movement, the life view of all or virtually all judges is inconsistent with, at least, the theoretical foundations for the labor movement and its most easily observed spoils of war, mandatory collective bargaining. Those foundations reflect two essential values: communitarianism and coercion. The members of the Supreme Court are among the least likely people in our society to understand and integrate the values of the labor movement. As a result, the Court will consistently decide 'close' cases involving the labor movement in a manner that is not satisfactory to it.
Chemical relaxation molecular beam studies of reactive gas-solid scattering: I. Reaction of silicon and germanium with molecular chlorine

Abstract The high temperature, low pressure chlorination of single-crystal germanium and silicon was studied using modulated molecular beam techniques with mass spectrometric phase-sensitive detection. The only products observed between 600 to 1000°K and 770 to 1500°K for germanium and silicon, respectively, at chlorine beam pressures between 10 −5 and 10 −6 torr were GeCl 2 and SiCl 2 . The rate of formation of dihalide at constant beam pressure was nearly constant with surface temperature at high temperatures. When the temperature was lowered below 800°K and 1050°K for germanium and silicon, respectively, the reaction probability decreased rapidly with temperature. Above these temperatures the surface reactions were first order with rate constants 2 × 10 7 e −22700/ RT s for Ge(111), 6 × 10 7e25600/ RT s for Ge(100) and 3 × 10 8 e −40000/ RT s for Si(111). Below these temperatures deviations from first order behavior were observed.
Effective Management of the R&D-Marketing Link for Improving New Product Success Rates

This article integrates and presents some of the most recent findings in cross-functional integration, and draws managerial lessons and implications from these findings. The article is aimed at the practitioner seeking ways to improve chances of success in new product development, and it stresses the key role an effective R&D-marketing link plays in improving these chances.
Reliability models and metrics for space shuttle maintenance position statement

The use of software reliability models as an aid to software maintenance, with applications to the space shuttle onboard software, is described. In addition to supporting the maintenance function, the use of reliability models throughout the life of the software supports other functions such as reliability assessment, design feasibility assessment, and management of human and computer resources. Reliability prediction during prototype and during test is discussed. >
Visual Impairment due to Optic Neuropathy in Pernicious Anemia: Report of a Case and Review of the Literature

1. A man with optic nerve involvement and pernicious anemia regained normal vision after treatment with vitamin B12. 2. In a search of the literature we found 28 cases with both pernicious anemia and optic neuropathy. The hematologic, neurologic and ophthalmologic findings were analyzed in these cases. In each case, the diagnosis of pernicious anemia was established. Optic atrophy associated with pernicious anemia may be part of the pathologic process of pernicious anemia. If the patient is treated early with vitamin B12 or liver extract, optic nerve function returns. Sixteen other cases with optic atrophy and possible pernicious anemia in the literature had inadequate information to substantiate the diagnosis. 3. The use of a cobalt60-labelled vitamin B12 absorption test may be helpful in optic nerve disorders of obscure etiology.
Establishment of a new prostate cancer multidisciplinary clinic: Format and initial experience

Background The use of multidisciplinary clinics (MDCs) for outpatient cancer evaluation is increasing. MDCs may vary in format, and data on whether MDCs change prostate cancer (PCa) care are limited. Here we report on the setup and design of a relatively new PCa MDC clinic. Because MDC evaluation was associated with a comprehensive re-evaluation of all patients' staging and risk stratification data, we studied the frequency of changes in PCa grade and stage upon MDC evaluation, which provides a unique estimate of the magnitude of pathology, radiology, and exam-based risk stratification in a modern tertiary setting.
A Validity Investigation of the Achievement Anxiety Test.

Since 1960 educational researchers have been using the Achievement Anxiety Test (AAT), which presumably measures independent aspects of achievement anxiety: facilitating and debilitating components. In several earlier investigations, developers have reported construct and predictive validity of the subscales from their use of anxiety measures and performance criteria. However, the hypothesized independence of the subscales and underlying factor structure of the test have been overlooked. Because the two subscales have been used to provide a difference score, the status of the interrelationship between the subscales is of concern. This study was concerned with the concurrent validity of the AAT and with its factor structure to provide empirical evidence about the quality of AAT.
The BlackBerry Project: The Hidden World of Adolescents' Text Messaging and Relations With Internalizing Symptoms

In this naturalistic study of adolescents' text messaging, participants (N = 172, 81 girls, age 14) were given BlackBerry devices configured to save their text messages to a secure archive for coding. Two, 2-day transcripts collected four months apart within the same academic year were microcoded for content. Results showed that most text message utterances were positive or neutral, and that adolescents sent text messages primarily to peers and to romantic partners. Only a few sex differences emerged. Frequency of text messages containing negative talk positively predicted overall internalizing symptoms and anxious depression. Text messaging about sex was positively associated with overall internalizing and somatic complaints for girls, but not for boys.
A simple method for evaluating liquefaction potential from shear wave velocity

The simplified procedure using shear wave velocity measurements is increasingly used to evaluate the seismic liquefaction potential of soils. This procedure is based on finding the boundary separating the liquefaction and non-liquefaction cases through the analysis of liquefaction case histories, following the general format of the Seed-Idriss simplified procedure based on standard penetration test (SPT) data. It is noted that many assumptions have been made in the simplified procedure. This paper develops a simple method for evaluating the liquefaction potential of soils from shear wave velocity by using the optimum seeking method to directly analyze the liquefaction history data and quantify the influence of major factors affecting the liquefactions potential of soils. The factors considered are the earthquake magnitude, the vertical effective overburden stress, the shear wave velocity, the peak acceleration at the ground surface of the site, and the fines content of the soil. The most important factor has been identified as the shear wave velocity. The developed method uses the measured data directly and in a very simple way. Neither stress-correction of shear wave velocity nor calculation of cyclic shear stress as in the simplified procedure is required. Comparisons indicate that the developed simple method has a higher success rate for evaluating liquefaction potential of soils than the simplified procedure. A case study is presented to illustrate the application of the developed simple method and further confirms its accuracy.
Gamma hydroxybutyrate (GHB): report of a mass intoxication and review of the literature.

(1999). Gamma hydroxybutyrate (ghb): Report of a mass intoxication and review of the literature. Prehospital Emergency Care: Vol. 3, No. 4, pp. 357-361.
Second-order sensitivity derivatives in structural analysis

Haug's (1981) expressions for the calculation of static constraint function second derivatives have resulted in an order-of-magnitude saving over conventional methods for the calculation of such derivatives. A similar but simplified procedure is presented which results in a reduction of computational cost by an additional factor of two. The results are presented in a notation that is different from that of Haug, but more common in other work on structural synthesis and analysis.
Self-adjoint truncated Toeplitz operators on finite-dimensional model spaces

Abstract A truncated Toeplitz operator is the compression of a Toeplitz operator on the Hardy space H 2 to a model subspace of H 2 . Such an operator has a family of symbols, and a basic goal is to understand the interplay between the operator, qua operator, and its symbols. This paper studies the question for self-adjoint truncated Toeplitz operators on finite-dimensional model spaces. The main focus is the two-dimensional case.
Symplectic maps for the N-body problem.

The present study generalizes the mapping method of Wisdom (1982) to encompass all gravitational n-body problems with a dominant central mass. The rationale for the generalized mapping method is discussed as well as details for the mapping for the n-body problem. Some refinements of the method are considered, and the relationship of the mapping method to other symplectic integration methods is shown. The method is used to compute the evolution of the outer planets for a billion years. The resulting evolution is compared to the 845 million year evolution of the outer planets performed on the Digital Orerry using standard numerical integration techniques. This calculation provides independent numerical confirmation of the result of Sussman and Wisdom (1988) that the motion of the planet Pluto is chaotic.
Substrates of the Arabidopsis thaliana Protein Isoaspartyl Methyltransferase 1 Identified Using Phage Display and Biopanning

The role of protein isoaspartyl methyltransferase (PIMT) in repairing a wide assortment of damaged proteins in a host of organisms has been inferred from the affinity of the enzyme for isoaspartyl residues in a plethora of amino acid contexts. The identification of PIMT target proteins in plant seeds, where the enzyme is highly active and proteome long-lived, has been hindered by large amounts of isoaspartate-containing storage proteins. Mature seed phage display libraries circumvented this problem. Inclusion of the PIMT co-substrate, S-adenosylmethionine (AdoMet), during panning permitted PIMT to retain aged phage in greater numbers than controls lacking co-substrate or when PIMT protein binding was poisoned with S-adenosyl homocysteine. After four rounds, phage titer plateaued in AdoMet-containing pans, whereas titer declined in both controls. This strategy identified 17 in-frame PIMT target proteins, including a cupin-family protein similar to those identified previously using on-blot methylation. All recovered phage had at least one susceptible Asp or Asn residue. Five targets were recovered independently. Two in-frame targets were produced in Escherichia coli as recombinant proteins and shown by on-blot methylation to acquire isoAsp, becoming a PIMT target. Both gained isoAsp rapidly in solution upon thermal insult. Mutant analysis of plants deficient in any of three in-frame PIMT targets resulted in demonstrable phenotypes. An over-representation of clones encoding proteins involved in protein production suggests that the translational apparatus comprises a subgroup for which PIMT-mediated repair is vital for orthodox seed longevity. Impaired PIMT activity would hinder protein function in these targets, possibly resulting in poor seed performance.
The Effects of Emphasis on Passage Comprehension

It may be inferred from reaction time studies that the location of emphasis on nouns and noun phrases facilitates their comprehension (understanding and memory). However, we know of no previous demonstration of improved passage comprehension in normal listeners associated with emphasis placement. The present experiment examined effects of emphasis on comprehension of 12 passages that were read aloud and tape recorded. Emphasis placement was varied by splicing sentences containing emphasized or nonemphasized noun phrases into passages without altering the wording of the passages. These passages, contrasting in emphasis, were presented to 60 listeners. Comprehension was measured with multiple-choice, recognition questions that required subjects to link ideas across sentences. Comprehension was accurate significantly more often when correct response alternatives had been emphasized (71%), than when incorrect alternatives had been emphasized (56%), or no emphasis occurred in passages (57%). Findings reflect e...
Degradation of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) microspheres: effect of copolymer composition

The in vitro degradation behaviour of a wide range of poly(D,L-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) has been examined in terms of degree of degradation and morphological change during an incubation period of up to 53 d. Gel permeation chromatography and differential scanning calorimetry were employed to characterize their degradation profiles. It was found that amorphous PLGA exhibited a transient multiple crystallization behaviour of D- or L-lactic acid oligomers during degradation. This indicated that the hydrolytic scission of ester bonds tends to primarily target the linkage between glycolic acid and D- or L-lactic acid or glycolic acid. In addition, two distinctive glass transition temperatures appeared when these crystallization phenomena occurred, suggesting the transient presence of fast and slowly eroding polymer domains within microspheres during the degradation. This study supports the heterogeneous bulk degradation for PLGA microspheres which has been proposed recently for a large specimen.
The Path Goal Theory of Leader Effectiveness: An Operant Interpretation1

Concepts and terms of the “operant paradigm”, based on the empirical law of effect, are suggested as alternatives to the hypothetical path-goal motivation construct which provides the major premise of the path-goal theory of leadership. Hypotheses in the path-goal theory may be explained by acognitive arguments as well. The resulting interpretation supports the basic propositions comprising the path goal theory without supporting the validity of the motivational model. Advantages and disadvantages of the acognitive alternative premise for a path-goal theory are discussed.
Four-Component Phase Diagrams for DSPC/DOPC/POPC/CHOL and DSPC/DOPC/SOPC/CHOL Bilayer Mixtures

We report the phase diagram for the four-component DSPC/DOPC/POPC/Chol mixture and compare it to our recent findings for the DSPC/DOPC/SOPC/Chol mixture. Four-component mixtures allow exploring the transition from macroscopic-to-nanoscopic domains. We have found modulated phase morphology in a particular region of composition within the liquid-ordered (Lo) and liquid-disordered (Ld) coexistence region in DSPC/DOPC/POPC/Chol and DSPC/DOPC/SOPC/Chol mixtures. Overall, we conclude the following: (1) Phase diagrams are very similar with shifts observed in phase boundaries; (2) Comparing the phase behavior of the two mixtures, the striking difference is in the compositional location where modulated phases are seen: the SOPC-containing mixture requires much higher DOPC concentration to form modulated phases. This observation is consistent with lower line tension in the SOPC-containing mixtures as compared to the POPC-containing mixtures; (3) By controlling lipid composition, we observe distinct types of modulated liquid-liquid phase morphologies, including linear, irregular, and angular features in GUVs. These studies show that both the size and morphology of membrane rafts are controlled by the mixture composition and the type of low-melting lipid in mixtures with high-melting lipid and cholesterol.View Large Image | View Hi-Res Image | Download PowerPoint Slide
Quantitative analysis of viable, stressed and dead cells of Campylobacter jejuni strain 81-176.

Abstract Campylobacter jejuni is an important foodborne gastrointestinal pathogen and highly sensitive to environmental stresses. Research has shown that changes in culturability, cell morphology, and viability occur when C. jejuni cells are subjected to stresses. In this study, real-time PCR, ethidium monoazide (EMA) in combination with real-time PCR (EMA-PCR), Bac Light bacterial viability staining, and agar plate counting methods were used to quantitatively analyze viable, stressed, and dead C. jejuni strain 81-176. The real-time PCR assay provides highly sensitive and specific quantification of total genome copies of C. jejuni culture in different growth phases. Our results also reveal that real-time PCR can be used for direct quantification of Campylobacter genome release into Phosphate Buffered Saline (PBS) as an indicator of cell lysis. Using EMA-PCR, we obtained a dynamic range of greater than 3 logs for differentiating viable vs. dead cells. The viability and morphological characteristics of the stressed cells after one-week incubation at 25 °C, in air, and under nutrient-poor conditions were investigated. Our results indicated that, over 99% of the stressed cells were converted from the spiral to the coccoid form and became non-culturable. However, more than 96% of the coccoid cells retained their membrane integrity as suggested by both the Bac Light staining and EMA-PCR analyses. Thus, to detect C. jejuni under stress conditions, conventional culturing method in conjunction with EMA-PCR or Bac Light staining might be a more appropriate approach.
Mr. Spectator on Readers and the Conspicuous Consumption of Literature

‘Mr. Spectator on Readers and the Conspicuous Consumption of Literature’ uses the Spectator essay no. 10 by Joseph Addison to investigate not only who was reading periodicals at the start of the eighteenth century, but also how Addison envisions them doing so. Addison's observations on the popularity of reading this new type of commercial literary material reveal its ties to the older model of reading found in social, manuscript literary exchanges, where readers are active participants in the dynamic of literary exchange, where readers are also writers and transmitters of texts. Addison envisions reading the daily Spectator essay as a social, group activity, one that permeates the public commercial setting of the coffee house as well as the private family tea table, not as a solitary, silent act of consumption. Ironically, however, when its format changes from the daily single sheet format to uniform bound volumes, it becomes a different type of literary text, commercially packaged for collection and the display of the owner's cultural consumption. The model of reading based on the group also changes, as the reader becomes a passive partner in the literary process, whose role is not to respond creatively and socially to a text, but whose most important response is to purchase and display the new literary artefact.
Source localization following permanent transperineal prostate interstitial brachytherapy using magnetic resonance imaging

Purpose: Dosimetric evaluation of completed brachytherapy implant procedures is crucial in developing proper technique and has prognostic implications. Accurate definition of the prostate gland and localization of the implanted radioactive sources are critical to attain meaningful dosimetric data. Methods using radiographs and CT accurately localize sources, but poorly delineate the prostate gland. MRI has been recognized as a superior imaging modality in delineating the prostate gland, but poor in localizing sources due to lack of source visibility. The purpose of this study was to optimize the visualization of sources using MRI and compare to CT derived source localization. Methods and Materials: Multiple MRI scanning techniques were attempted until an acceptable sequence to visualize both the prostate gland and the implanted sources was found. The exams were performed using a pelvic coil only in approximately 15 min. The CT and MRI scans of 20 consecutive patients who had received TRUS-guided permanent transperineal interstitial prostate 125 Iodine or 103 Palladium brachytherapy were evaluated using an in-house dosimetry system. To eliminate anatomical dependence, the MRI-derived DVHs for the entire calculation volume were then compared to those derived from the CT scans. Results: The differences in isodose volumes, of the calculation volumes, for all implants at all dose levels were not statistically significant at the 95% confidence level. Calculation volume isodose volumes derived from MR images were statistically similar to those derived from CT images at the prescription dose for both 125 Iodine (p < 0.01) and 103 Palladium (p < 0.026). Conclusion: This study presents the first evidence that MRI may be reliably used to identify permanently implanted 125 Iodine and 103 Palladium sources. Given the advantage of target definition characteristics of MRI, substantially more accurate dosimetric analysis of prostate implants is now possible. The cost of the optimized and abbreviated MR scanning sequence used in this study is comparable to a pelvic CT scan. Postimplant MRI allows more accurate volumetric and anatomically relevant evaluation of permanent prostate implants, which may provide useful clinical correlation.
Biological diversity of the Minnesota caddisflies (Insecta, Trichoptera).

The caddisfly fauna of Minnesota contains at least 277 species within 21 families and 75 genera. These species are based on examination of 312,884 specimens from 2,166 collections of 937 Minnesota aquatic habitats from 1890 to 2007. Included in these totals is my own quantitative sampling of 4 representative habitat types: small streams, medium rivers, large rivers, and lakes, from each of the 58 major Minnesota watersheds from June through September during 1999–2001. All species are illustrated herein, and their known Minnesota abundances, distributions, adult flight periodicities, and habitat affinities presented. Four species: Lepidostoma griseum (Lepidostomatidae), Psilotreta indecisa (Odontoceridae), and Phryganea sayi and Ptilostomis angustipennis (Phryganeidae) are added to the known fauna. An additional 31 dubious species records are removed for various reasons. Of the 5 determined caddisfly regions of the state, species richness per watershed was highest in the Lake Superior and Northern Regions, intermediate in the Southeastern, and lowest in the Northwestern and Southern. Of the 48 individual collections that yielded >40 species, all but 1 were from the Northern Region. Many species, especially within the families Limnephilidae and Phryganeidae, have appeared to decrease in distribution and abundance during the past 75 years, particularly those once common within the Northwestern and Southern Regions. Many species now appear regionally extirpated, and a few have disappeared from the entire state. The loss of species in the Northwestern and Southern Regions, and probably elsewhere, is almost certainly related to the conversion of many habitats to large-scale agriculture during the mid-20th century.
2,6-Difluorobenzonitrile

2,6-Difluorobenzonitrile packs in slightly puckered molecular sheets (mol­ecules tilted 4.1 (2)° with respect to the sheets). All of the H atoms in the mol­ecule are in contact with N and F atoms in adjacent mol­ecules in the sheet.
Allostery and Folding Mechanisms of the N-Terminal Receiver Domain of Protein NTRC

The nitrogen regulatory protein C (NtrC) of enteric bacteria plays a central role in the control of genes involved in nitrogen metabolism. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) studies suggest that the N-terminal receiver domain of NtrC (NtrCr) exhibits slow conformational dynamics in the microsecond timescale. Allostery in this protein occurs by shifting the preexisting population from the inactive to active state upon phosphorylation (see Fig. 1.). Using a coarse-grained variational model, we give a site specific description of both the folding and conformational transition mechanisms of this βα-repeat protein. Differences in the folding mechanisms to the active and inactive state are consistent with a significant stabilization of the helix-α4 upon activation. Our model suggests that the allosteric conformational change of NtrCr involves a marked decrease in the flexibility of this protein upon activation without local partial unfolding. In particular, we find that in addition to the functionally important helix-α4, the β3α3 loop also plays significant role in the inactive/active conformational transition mechanism of NtrCr.View Large Image | View Hi-Res Image | Download PowerPoint SlideFig. 1. Phosphorylation induces large conformational change in the NtrCr. The unphosphorylated (inactive) structure is shown in blue and the phosphorylated (active) structure in red.
Implication of compensator field and local scale invariance in the standard model

We introduce Weyl's scale symmetry into the standard model as a local symmetry. This necessarily introduces gravitational interactions in addition to the local scale invariance group U-tilde(1) and the standard model groups SU(3)xSU(2)xU(1). The only other new ingredients are a new scalar field {sigma} and the gauge field for U-tilde(1) we call the Weylon. A noteworthy feature is that the system admits the Stueckelberg-type compensator. The {sigma} couples to the scalar curvature as (-{zeta}/2){sigma}{sup 2}R and is in turn related to a Stueckelberg-type compensator {phi} by {sigma}{identical_to}M{sub P}e{sup -{phi}/M{sub P}} with the Planck mass M{sub P}. The particular gauge {phi}=0 in the Stueckelberg formalism corresponds to {sigma}=M{sub P}, and the Hilbert action is induced automatically. In this sense, our model presents yet another mechanism for breaking scale invariance at the classical level. We show that our model naturally accommodates the chaotic inflation scenario with no extra field.
Petroleum resource data systems

Construction of a petroleum data file first requires answers to specific questions: Who are to be the users; for what purpose is the file to be used; what are to be the data sources; are proprietary data to be included; is graphic display of the data desired? After fixing these guidelines, attention may be directed to data acquisition and file building. Because many useful software systems are now readily available, this aspect of the file-building process should require little attention. In general, the software should include an open-ended format to permit addition of new data items and easy updating, with economy of space on the tape or lisc. With respect to the data, and unless the file has a narrow usage, all available data on the geological and engineering aspects of petroleum occurrence should be collected. Proprietary data should be avoided, if possible, or else clearly labeled, and the file should be planned for public use, for convenience, to provide a needed service, and to avoid the pitfalls of implied secrecy.
A HOMFLY-PT POLYNOMIAL OF LINKS IN A SOLID TORUS

In this paper a Homfly-pt type Laurant polynomial1 for links in S1 × D2 is defined. This invariant is defined by giving an algebra and a trace, analogous to the Hecke algebra construction of the Homfly-pt polynomial for links in S3.
Ischemic injury induces brain glucose transporter gene expression

As neurons rely almost exclusively on glucose as an energy substrate, glucose transport is of critical importance to cerebral function. Two specific facilitative glucose transporters, GT1 and -3, predominate in brain, with the latter exclusively expressed by neurons, whereas GT1 is expressed by astrocytes and vascular elements. Little is known about the regulation of these transporters at the genetic level or the extent to which their expression may change in response to acute or chronic changes in metabolic demands. Thus, we employed in situ hybridization to evaluate changes in glucose transporter gene expression in the rat brain in response to ischemia induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). The most remarkable responses were demonstrated by GT1, which within an hour of ischemic insult demonstrated a global increase in gene expression throughout the forebrain. In the ensuing hours, GT1 expression further intensified and became lateralized to the lesioned hemisphere, with normalization of expression contralaterally. Increased GT1 mRNA levels were found in astroglia and microvessels and were also present in distinct neuronal populations, including the piriform cortex, dentate gyrus, and medial habenula, which normally do not express GT1 mRNA. By 24 h post-MCAO, glial cells of the ipsilateral cortex surrounding the infarct zone still demonstrated elevated GT1 mRNA levels, but expression had returned to baseline in neurons. Interestingly, it was not until GT1 expression had subsided (24 h post-MCAO), that there was a modest increase in neuronal GT3 gene expression in the affected hemisphere. GT2 and GT4 mRNAs were not detected in the rat brain under normal conditions or after ischemia. These data demonstrate that ischemia induces an immediate and sustained increase in brain GT1 gene expression in both glial cells and neurons. This augmentation of GT1 expression could represent a defensive strategy aimed at repletion of the brain's energy stores and stabilization of neuronal membrane potential.
Optimal matrix multiplication on fault-tolerant VLSI arrays

A fault-tolerant array for matrix multiplication that explicitly incorporates mechanisms for easy testability and reconfigurability is described. All signals in the array travel only a constant distance (independent of array size) in any clock cycle. An optimal-time algorithm, designed for multiplying matrices, is described. The algorithm is an efficient simulation of a 2-D systolic algorithm for multiplying matrices. >
Tuberculosis Is a Threshold: The Making of a Social Disease in Post-Soviet Georgia

In this article I use Margaret Lock's concept of local biology as a standpoint to view tuberculosis as a threshold where distinctions between social and biological aspects of disease are negotiated. I conceptualize tuberculosis as a threshold in two ways: first as a passageway, and second as a space for navigating the limits of tolerance to therapeutics. The article is based on ethnographic research about responses to tuberculosis in post-Soviet Georgia. I focus on how health professionals and patients make claims to social aspects of illness by recuperating historical examples for tuberculosis treatment as a moral commitment to society, and in the context of emergent patient-centered treatment services.
Experiences of instructors in online learning environments: Identifying and regulating emotions

Abstract In an effort to expand existing research on the barriers of instructors experience in online learning environments (OLEs), a qualitative study was conducted at a large mid-Atlantic university. Six instructors teaching in different OLE formats (e.g., asynchronous, hybrid, and synchronous via videoconferencing) participated in two focus groups in order to explore their emotional experiences and ways to regulate the emotions when teaching in OLEs. The overarching themes included emotions of feeling (a) restricted, (b) stressed, (c) devalued, (d) validated, and (e) rejuvenated. The article also provides practical strategies on how participating instructors attempted to manage the challenging emotions. A consensus among all participants is that continuous dialog in a community of practice about strategies to enhance OLEs is imperative.
Biological Cost of Pyocin Production during the SOS Response in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

LexA and two structurally related regulators, PrtR and PA0906, coordinate the Pseudomonas aeruginosa SOS response. RecA-mediated autocleavage of LexA induces the expression of a protective set of genes that increase DNA damage repair and tolerance. In contrast, RecA-mediated autocleavage of PrtR induces antimicrobial pyocin production and a program that lyses cells to release the newly synthesized pyocin. Recently, PrtR-regulated genes were shown to sensitize P. aeruginosa to quinolones, antibiotics that elicit a strong SOS response. Here, we investigated the mechanisms by which PrtR-regulated genes determine antimicrobial resistance and genotoxic stress survival. We found that induction of PrtR-regulated genes lowers resistance to clinically important antibiotics and impairs the survival of bacteria exposed to one of several genotoxic agents. Two distinct mechanisms mediated these effects. Cell lysis genes that are induced following PrtR autocleavage reduced resistance to bactericidal levels of ciprofloxacin, and production of extracellular R2 pyocin was lethal to cells that initially survived UV light treatment. Although typically resistant to R2 pyocin, P. aeruginosa becomes transiently sensitive to R2 pyocin following UV light treatment, likely because of the strong downregulation of lipopolysaccharide synthesis genes that are required for resistance to R2 pyocin. Our results demonstrate that pyocin production during the P. aeruginosa SOS response carries both expected and unexpected costs.
An Analytical Investigation of the Trapeze Effect Acting on a Thin Flexible Ribbon

This paper systematically explores the extensional–torsional coupling due to the trapeze effect acting on a thin flexible ribbon subjected to combined tension and torsion. Kinematic relationships as well as expressions for the restoring torque associated with this effect are analytically derived. Additionally, the locus of points about which the cross sections of a twisted ribbon under tension rotate is derived. These points, called torsional centers, are found to be coincident with the centroids of the axial stress field at each station along the ribbon. More generally, it is shown that when a flexible slender member is in tension, combined transverse forces must act at the centroid of the axial stress field to produce pure bending and no twist. As a result, the elastic axis (EA) of the member shifts from the locus of shear centers to the locus of centroids of the axial stress field. A numerical model is developed to investigate the effect of the position of the EA on the prediction of steady-state deformations and natural frequencies of a rotating ribbon with tip mass. By assuming the EA to be the locus of the shear centers, the tip twist is overpredicted by a factor of 2 for small twist angles, and up to 2.5 for large twist deformations. In addition, assuming the EA to be the locus of shear centers results in an error of up to 60% in the predicted natural frequencies at large twist angles.
Childrearing practices, birth order and the development of achievement-related motives.

The influence of parental demands and sanctions on the achievement-related motives of 31 boys (ages 8 to 10) is examined. The findings of an earlier study by Winterbottom were not replicated. However, boys with high as compared with low Need for Achievement were more often first-born (p < .005); their mothers more often expressed disappointment with unsatisfactory behavior (p < .03), less often told them how much they loved them as a reward (p < .05), and reported making fewer demands for achievement and independence (p < .05). Age of demands was unrelated to Need for Achievement. Boys with high as compared with low test anxiety had lower IQs (p < .01), lower grades (p < .05), later birth order (p < .05), and higher teacher-ratings of dependence (p < .05). Their mothers tended to make later demands for independence (p < .10) and to praise their sons' behavior less often (p < .10).
Sediment community response to a temporally varying food supply at an abyssal station in the NE pacific

Long time-series measurements were made to examine the effect of episodic inputs of organic matter to the benthic boundary layer on the sediment community at a site in the eastern North Pacific (Sta. M). Chlorophyll a and pheopigments were used to assess sediment enrichment, and the response of the sediment community was examined with seasonal measurements of sediment community oxygen consumption (SCOC) and sediment ATP from February 1992 to July 1996. In addition, macrofaunal density and biomass were examined in 26 sediment grab samples taken over a 2-year period. In order to determine whether the presence or absence of detrital aggregates correlated with macrofaunal density and biomass, 54 tube core samples were collected with the submersible Alvin at times when detrital aggregates were present on (August/September of 1994) and absent (April 1995) from the sea floor. Large, seasonal inputs of particulate organic carbon (POC) generally resulted in sediment enrichment and significantly correlated with increases in SCOC. Summer maxima in SCOC occurred consistently over our study period, indicating that this trend is a regular seasonal occurrence at Sta. M. Protozoans, primarily agglutinating foraminiferans, and five of the six dominant metazoan taxa exhibited seasonal increases in density during winter months after detrital aggregates had disappeared from the sea floor and approximately eight months after peak SCOC and POC measurements, over a 2-year period. Alvin tube core samples showed that relative protozoan density and biomass increased significantly over a 4-week period following an input of phytodetritus, indicating that these organisms may respond to organic matter inputs on time scales as short as weeks.
Russian science: A celebration of Sputnik's fiftieth birthday

The launch of the first satellite sparked rejoicing worldwide but frayed some nerves in the West. As well as the News Features '50 years after Sputnik' package (see cover caption), other Nature sections mark the anniversary. In a Commentary, economist and former Russian science minister Boris Saltykov charts the rise and fall of Soviet science, but sees opportunities for innovation in today's Russia. Alexei Kojevnikov's Essay argues that the West's response to the Sputnik launch paved the way for the international science community as we know it today. Sputnik had cultural echoes too, covered in the Arts & Books pages. William Burrows reviews Matthew Brzezinski's Red Moon Rising, an account of the how the space race grew out of Cold War tensions. Giovanni Bignami reflects on 'space race' movies and Martin Kemp analyses the bizarre immortality achieved by spacedog Laika.
Singlet versus triplet particle-hole condensates in quantum oscillations in cuprates

Quantum oscillations in a tilted magnetic field offer the possibility of distinguishing singlet versus triplet order parameters in the particle-hole channel provided the measurements reflect a putative ``normal'' state of a density wave obtained by applying a high magnetic field at low temperatures. A theoretical analysis is given that compares spin-density wave, a singlet $d$-density wave, and a triplet $d$-density wave. While the existence of a spin zero in the oscillation amplitude is a necessary consequence of a singlet order parameter, a triplet order parameter may or may not exhibit a spin zero, making it a quantitative issue that depends on the actual extremal orbits on the Fermi surface. Nonetheless, a theoretical analysis can shed light on the striking recent measurements in ${\text{YBa}}_{2}{\text{Cu}}_{3}{\text{O}}_{6+\ensuremath{\delta}}$.
Sexual Pharmacology: Love Potions, Pills, and Poisons

The human population is increasingly exposed to chemicals that affect sexual function, from industrial pollutants to life-saving pharmaceuticals. First, the products that can cause dysfunction, including endocrine disruptors, drugs of abuse, and prescription medications, are reviewed. A systemic perspective proves helpful in explaining the large variability in effects and side effects of medications. Secondly, the biological treatments of sexual dysfunction are presented in light of the age-old human wish to control desire and sexual response. It is proposed that the development of the phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE-5 inhibitors) constitutes a turning point in this search for control. They contribute markedly to a shift from seeing sexual dysfunctions as “problems of living” to approaching them as medical disorders. The advantages and pitfalls of this “medicalization of sex” are discussed, focusing in particular on the social roles and expectations that are inherent in the disease model. Finally...
Exploration of the vapour-liquid phase equilibria and critical points of triacontane isomers

Abstract Direct configurational-bias Monte Carlo simulations in the Gibbs ensemble have been used to determine the vapor-liquid coexistence curves and critical points of three C30H62 isomers: n-triacontane (Tc = 851 K, pc = 0.202 g cm−3), 11-nonylheneicosane (Tc = 835 K, pc = 0.208 g cm−3), and 2,6,10,15,19,23-hexamethyl-tetracosane, also called ‘squalane’ (Tc = 807 K, pc = 0.244 g cm−3). The calculations show that the molecular shape can have a substantial influence on the phase diagrams of isomeric alkanes and that, in particular, squalane deviates significantly from the principle of corresponding states.
Freeze-fracture study of membranous cytoplasmic bodies of cortical neurons in feline GM1-ganglioside storage disease.

Abstract Freeze fracture studies of cortical neurons in feline GM1-ganglioside strorage disease reveal membranous cytoplasmic bodies in continuity with the plasma membrane. These observations suggest that MCBs may be derived in part from redundant neuronal plasma membrane.