cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evidence for Intermolecular Interactions between the Intracellular Domains of the Arabidopsis Receptor-Like Kinase ACR4, Its Homologs and the Wox5 Transcription Factor

Arabidopsis CRINKLY4 (ACR4) is a receptor-like kinase (RLK) involved in the global development of the plant. The Arabidopsis genome encodes four homologs of ACR4 that contain sequence similarity and analogous architectural elements to ACR4, termed Arabidopsis CRINKLY4 Related (AtCRRs) proteins. Additionally, a signaling module has been previously proposed including a postulated peptide ligand, CLE40, the ACR4 RLK, and the WOX5 transcription factor that engage in a possible feedback mechanism controlling stem cell differentiation. However, little biochemical evidence is available to ascertain the molecular aspects of receptor heterodimerization and the role of phosphorylation in these interactions. Therefore, we have undertaken an investigation of the in vitro interactions between the intracellular domains (ICD) of ACR4, the CRRs and WOX5. We demonstrate that interaction can occur between ACR4 and all four CRRs in the unphosphorylated state. However, phosphorylation dependency is observed for the interaction between ACR4 and CRR3. Furthermore, sequence analysis of the ACR4 gene family has revealed a conserved ‘KDSAF’ motif that may be involved in protein-protein interactions among the receptor family. We demonstrate that peptides harboring this conserved motif in CRR3 and CRK1are able to bind to the ACR4 kinase domain. Our investigations also indicate that the ACR4 ICD can interact with and phosphorylate the transcription factor WOX5.
Forced oscillation in diffusion flames near diffusive-thermal resonance

Abstract In this work, we carry out a systematic analysis of forced oscillation in planar diffusion flames under weak external forcing. The external forcing is introduced by independently imposing a flow field with small amplitude fluctuations. Employing the asymptotic theory of Cheatham and Matalon, the linear response is first examined. It is shown that when the Damkohler number Da is close to the critical value Da∗ corresponding to the marginal state of diffusive–thermal pulsating instability, the imposed velocity fluctuation may induce very large amplitude of flame oscillation as the frequency of velocity fluctuation c approaches c0, the flame oscillation frequency at the onset of instability. This is a resonance phenomenon between the imposed flow oscillations and the intrinsic flame oscillations that are driven by the diffusive–thermal instability, and hence we refer to this as the diffusive–thermal resonance. The nonlinear near-resonant response is then examined with the Damkohler number Da chosen to be very close to the critical Damkohler number Da∗, and we derive an evolution equation for the amplitude of forced oscillation. Examination of the evolution equation reveals that in most situations, flames with larger Lewis number of fuel, smaller initial mixture strength, and smaller temperature difference between the oxidant and fuel stream are more responsive to the external forcing.
Antiferromagnetic singlet pairs, high-frequency phonons, and superconductivity.

The properties of a model of electrons interacting through an on-site Hubbard repulsion U, and coupled to intersite lattice vibrations, are discussed. It is argued that the antiferromagnetic singlet pairs induced by U will condense into a superconducting state in the presence of coupling to high-frequency phonons, or, equivalently, that an on-site U strongly enhances the electron-phonon coupling giving rise to superconductivity. It is proposed that this model describes the essential features of the high-${T}_{c}$ oxide superconductors.
Risk assessment of EMF on health

The following topics are considered: are electromagnetic fields hazardous? (including: the danger of electricity; low intensity field effects on animals); Hill's epidemiological principles; differences in prior knowledge and belief; the numerical magnitude of risk (including: the importance of making a risk estimate; which parameter defines dose or exposure?; bad parameters and dose underestimation; the average US exposure; the risk coefficient); other risks one ignores; managing the risk.
Profiles of refugee and non-refugee Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza.

Relying on demographic and labor surveys which the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics collected in 1995 this article investigates the profile of West Bank and Gaza refugees. Refugees are better educated and have higher fertility than non-refugee Palestinians but the difference is small. However they have a significantly lower participation rate a higher unemployment rate and a higher incidence of arrests and work stoppage than the corresponding rates among non-refugee Palestinians. A smaller proportion of Palestinians commute to work into the Israeli labor market and refugees earn lower wages than nonrefugees. Returns to investment in education are small for both groups. High fertility among refugees imposes a future challenge for policy makers in terms of resources required for the provision of appropriate education and health facilities. Employing future labor market entrants is another serious policy challenge. (authors)
Lung cancer screening: how to do it.

nterestamongradiologistsandcliniciansinperforminglungcancer screening with low-dose computed tomography(LDCT) has increased markedly in recent years, in large partowing to trials such as the National Lung Screening Trial(NLST)thatdemonstratedreducedmortalityfromlungcancerin high-risk patients undergoing a series of LDCT examina-tions. Since that time, several national organizations havereleasedguidelinesandalgorithmsdesignedtohelphealthcareprovidersidentifyindividualswhomaybene ﬁtfromscreeningand guide appropriate management. The screening of patientsdeemedhighriskforthedevelopmentoflungcancerhasbeenrecently been given a recommendation of “B” by the U.S.Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), which will result inreimbursement for LDCTs as part of the Affordable Care Act.As lung cancer screening becomes more widespread, anunderstanding of how to perform these studies is imperative.In this review, we focus on how to perform and interpretLDCT examinations as well as discuss the establishment of alung cancer screening program.
The Environmental Burden (Disaster?) of Catholic Act Analysis

As the Roman Catholic Church's hierarchy ventures more frequently into the sphere of environmental ethics and makes pronouncements on large-scale environmental problems, its effectiveness will consistently be undercut by its commitment to what is traditionally called "Catholic act analysis," which when used to evaluate a host of commonplace actions leads Catholics to believe that they are morally unproblematic. Yet when these same actions are performed day after day and year after year, they contribute to many large-scale environmental problems that are unquestionably harmful—and are often viewed negatively by the Catholic hierarchy. At some point, this pattern of approving morally of certain actions the cumulative, corporate side effects of which cause pernicious environmental problems will strain the Catholic Church's credibility on environmental matters—and until the hierarchy reexamines its commitment to Catholic act analysis, this dilemma will be unavoidable.
Loss of ripening capacity of pawpaw fruit with extended cold storage.

The fruit ripening traits of pawpaw [Asimina triloba (L.) Dunal] were examined after harvest and after cold storage at −2, 2, 4, and 6 °C for up to 12 weeks. Generally, fruits stored at 2−4 °C for ...
Entry of newly synthesized GLUT4 into the insulin-responsive storage compartment is dependent upon both the amino terminus and the large cytoplasmic loop.

We have recently reported that following initial biosynthesis, the GLUT4 protein exits the Golgi apparatus and directly enters the insulin-responsive compartment(s) without transiting the plasma membrane (Watson, R. T., Khan, A. H., Furukawa, M., Hou, J. C., Li, L., Kanzaki, M., Okada, S., Kandror, K. V., and Pessin, J. E. (2004) EMBO J. 23, 2059–2070). To investigate the structural motifs involved in these initial sorting events, we have generated a variety of loss-of-function and gain-of-function GLUT4/GLUT1 chimera proteins. Substitution of the GLUT4 carboxyl-terminal domain with GLUT1 had no significant effect on the acquisition of insulin responsiveness. In contrast, substitution of either the GLUT4 amino-terminal domain or the large cytoplasmic loop between transmembrane domains 6 and 7 resulted in the rapid default of GLUT4 to the plasma membrane with blunted insulin response. Consistent with these findings, substitution of the amino-terminal, cytoplasmic loop, or carboxyl-terminal domains individually into GLUT1 backbone did not recapitulate normal GLUT4 trafficking. Similarly, dual substitutions of the GLUT1 amino and carboxyl termini with GLUT4 domains or the combination of the cytoplasmic loop plus the carboxyl terminus failed to display normal GLUT4 trafficking. However, the dual replacement of the amino terminus plus the cytoplasmic loop of GLUT4 in the GLUT1 backbone resulted in a complete restoration of normal GLUT4 trafficking. Alanine-scanning mutagenesis of the GLUT4 amino terminus demonstrated that Phe5 and Ile8 within the FQQI motif and, to a lesser extent, Asp12/Gly13 were necessary for the appropriate initial trafficking following biosynthesis. In addition, amino acids 229–271 in the large intracellular loop between transmembrane domains 6 and 7 functionally cooperated with the amino-terminal domain. These data demonstrate that initial trafficking of GLUT4 from the Golgi to the insulin-responsive GLUT4 compartment requires the functional interaction of two distinct domains.
Treatment of murine hepatic metastases with vaccinia colon oncolysates and IL-2

Abstract To evaluate the feasibility and utility of vaccinia colon oncolysates (VCO) and low-dose interleukin-2 (IL-2) immunotherapy for advanced colon cancer, we have developed a murine model and tested the efficacy of combined treatment regimens. We employed intrasplenic injection of cultured colon adenocarcinomas (C-C36) in syngeneic Balb/c mice to produce experimental hepatic metastases. In the first set of experiments, animals were challenged with 5 × 10 5 tumor cells and sacrificed 14 days following tumor challenge. In the second set of experiments, animals were challenged with 2 × 10 5 tumor cells and followed for survival over the ensuing 90 days. In the first set of experiments, animals were treated prophylactically with VCO (40 μg, sc, 14 and 7 days prior to challenge) and/or therapeutically with IL-2 (25,000 u, Hoffmann-LaRoche rIL-2, ip BID, on Days 1–3 following challenge). In the second set of experiments, animals were treated with either the identical regimens or therapeutically with VCO (same dose, sc, 2 and 10 days following challenge) and/or IL-2 (same dose, ip BID, on Days 9–11 following challenge). Tumor burden data from sacrificed animals was in agreement with survival data and showed significant tumor burden reduction in the combined treatment group as assessed by liver weight and tumor nodule enumeration. Survival data demonstrated highly significant survival advantage for animals treated with the two biological response modifiers: VCO ( P P
Three-dimensional camera-space manipulation using servoable cameras

Using the method of camera-space manipulation, high-precision, 3-dimensional rigid-body positioning tasks have been performed with a holonomic, six-axis, GMF S-400 robot. Further development, aimed at expanding the usable region of the robot's workspace; and at achieving the higher precision enabled by a narrower field of view for the cameras, includes the use of cameras mounted on servoable platforms or `pan/tilt' units. The approach followed in the implementation of servoable cameras is designed to make use of information `learned' before camera repositioning to update view parameter estimates without undergoing large extraneous arm movement. The paper describes this approach and presents the first results of experimental work used for testing it.
Evolution of a metal: A photoemission study of the growth of Pd clusters

Photoemission spectroscopy of Pd clusters embedded in a metal supported Xe matrix is used to monitor continuously the transition from atomic to bulk metallic behavior. We observe the evolution of both the Pd electronic states and the influence of the metal clusters on the initial- and final-state energy shifts of the Xe valence levels. The latter reflect the classical electrostatic equilibration of the metal Fermi levels and the screening response of the metal clusters, respectively.
Lanthanide-binding peptides and the enzymes that Might Have Been

The trivalent lanthanide ions are chemically similar to Ca(II) ions, making them useful Ca analogs for a multitude of applications. In addition, Ln(III) ions are efficient catalysts of hydrolysis due to their much stronger Lewis acidity relative to Ca(II) ions. Ln-binding peptides thus offer both the opportunity to study known Ca sites as well as to explore new biological functions with an entire family of spectroscopically rich and reactive ions. This review discusses Ln-binding peptides in three roles: (i) as models of Ca-protein structure and function, (ii) as spectroscopic tags for protein expression and characterization and (iii) as designed artificial endonucleases. The creation of hydrolytically active Ln peptides that can fold, bind, cleave and discriminate among substrates shows that the design of Ln enzymes can be accomplished, and they will serve as versatile biochemical tools to investigate protein folding, structure and nuclease function.
Utility of the Physical Activity Resource Assessment for Child-centric Physical Activity Intervention Planning in Two Urban Neighborhoods

Children’s physical activity (PA) may be determined, in part, by environmental influences such as access to diverse and safe places to play. As part of the development of a community-based PA program, a PA asset assessment was conducted in two low-income urban neighborhoods that support elementary schools serving minority youth. Resources were rated using an adapted version of the Physical Activity Resource Assessment (PARA), a multi-dimensional instrument that rates various venues on their features, amenities, and incivilities. Seventy-one child-centric venues (e.g., parks, playgrounds, community centers, sports facilities, fitness centers, etc.) were assessed within a three-mile radius of each school. Community member feedback via interviews with parent–child dyads revealed issues (e.g., bullying) not captured by the PARA that can influence venue use. Whereas the PARA can be a useful needs assessment and program planning tool for community-based PA programs, supplementing PARA data with community-based input may reduce contextual error in program development.
Control of uncertain structures using an H(infinity) power flow approach

A technique is described for generating guaranteed stable control laws for uncertain, modally dense structures with collocated sensors and actuators. By ignoring the reverberant response created by reflections from other parts of the structure, a dereverberated mobility model can be developed that accurately models the local dynamics of the structure. This is similar in many respects to a wave-based model, but can treat more general structures, not only those that can be represented as a collection of waveguides. This model can be determined directly from transfer function data using an analysis technique based on the complex cepstrum. In order to minimize the effect of disturbances propagating through the structure, the power dissipated by the controller is maximized in an //<» sense. This guarantees that the controller is positive real and, thus, that the system will remain stable for any uncertainty, provided that the power flow is correctly modeled. The approach is demonstrated for two examples. The resulting controllers are much more effective than simple collocated rate feedback.
Functional Analysis and Scattering Theory

We formulate the nonrelativistic scattering problem as an integral equation with a kernel which is completely continuous for all energies. We then are able to give a rigorous justification for the Fredholm method, quasiparticle method, and, for weak enough interactions, the Born expansion. We also give an explicit lower bound for the radius of convergence of the Born series and of the Born series modified by the introduction of quasiparticles. We furthermore show that all these expansions coverage uniformly in the physical region of energy and momentum transfer.
Retardation effects in the Holstein-Hubbard chain at half filling

The ground-state phase diagram of the half filled one-dimensional Holstein-Hubbard model contains a charge-density-wave (CDW) phase, driven by the electron-phonon (e-ph) coupling, and a spin-density-wave (SDW) phase, driven by the on-site electron-electron (e-e) repulsion. Recently, the existence of a third phase, which is metallic and lies in a finite region of parameter space between these two gapped phases, has been claimed. We study this claim using a renormalization-group method for interacting electrons that has been extended to include also e-ph couplings. Our method [Tsai et al., Phys. Rev. B 72, 054531 (2005); Philos. Mag. B 86, 2631 (2006)] treats e-e and e-ph interactions on an equal footing and takes retardation effects fully into account. We find a direct transition between the SDW and CDW states. We study the effects of retardation, which are particularly important near the transition, and find that umklapp processes at finite frequencies drive the CDW instability close to the transition.
Folding and misfolding of the collagen triple helix: Markov analysis of molecular dynamics simulations.

Folding and misfolding of the collagen triple helix are studied through molecular dynamics simulations of two collagenlike peptides, [(POG)10]3 and [(POG)4POA(POG)5]3, which are models for wild-type and mutant collagen, respectively. To extract long time dynamics from short trajectories, we employ Markov state models. By analyzing thermodynamic and kinetic quantities calculated from the Markov state models, we examine folding mechanisms of the collagen triple helix and consequences of glycine mutations. We find that the C-to-N zipping of the collagen triple helix must be initiated by a nucleation event consisting of formation of three stable hydrogen bonds, and that zipping through a glycine mutation site requires a renucleation event which also consists of formation of three stable hydrogen bonds. Our results also suggest that slow kinetics, rather than free energy differences, is mainly responsible for the stability of the collagen triple helix.
Individual scent signatures in golden hamsters: evidence for specialization of function

Abstract Abstract. Do all sources of scent produced by mammals provide information that allows individual discrimination and recognition, or is this information limited to a few sources? The ability of male golden hamsters, Mesocricetus auratus, to discriminate between 11 sources of scent from different individuals was investigated using an habituation paradigm. In experiment 1 males were habituated to a scent from one individual by presenting it in five trials at 15-min intervals; on the sixth trial a new individual's scent was presented. Males habituated to all scents tested but showed increased investigation to scent from a second individual only in some cases, namely flank and ear gland secretions, vaginal secretions, urine and faeces. Males did not discriminate between scents from different individuals when the scent was saliva or secretions from the feet, behind the ear, back, chest or from the sides of flank-glandectomized males. Thus males readily discriminated and recognized individual differences in some scents but not others. In experiment 2 some of the same scents were tested in an habituation task using inter-trial intervals of 24 h to examine habituation and memory for individual scents over a longer interval. In this situation males discriminated between individual scents when using urine, faeces and flank gland secretions but not when using saliva, foot, ear and vaginal secretions. The relevance of these later results to possible differences in memory for different scents is discussed. The localization of individually distinctive scent in a few scent sources suggests specialization of these scents for individual variability.
Organic carbon effect on nitrifying bacteria in a mixed culture.

This study investigated the effect of organic carbon source on ammonia oxidizing community in single sludge laboratory scale sequencing batch reactors (SBR). Two sequencing batch reactors performing simultaneous carbon oxidation and nitrification were operated. Operationally and functionally, these two reactors were identical, except that one reactor was fed peptone and sodium acetate, and the other was fed glucose and sodium acetate as external organic carbon sources. The peptone-fed reactor had 98.1±1.84% COD removal and 97.3±6.69% NH 3 -N oxidation. The glucose-fed reactor had 99.1±1.29% COD removal and 99.4±0.76% NH 3 -N oxidation. The reactor fed with peptone, a complex organic carbon source comprised of enzymatic digests of animal proteins, had greater diversity in both the heterotrophic bacterial community and the ammonia oxidizing bacteria community than in the reactor fed with glucose, a simple sugar as evidenced by automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis (ARISA) and terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (TRFLP) experiments respectively.
Extracellular ATP Induces Anchorage-independent Expression of Cyclin A and Rescues the Transformed Phenotype of a Ras-resistant Mutant Cell Line

Anchorage-independent growth is characteristic of neoplastic cells, but the signal transduction pathways that mediate this phenotype are poorly understood. Several important cell cycle events are dependent on cell-substratum adhesion in non-transformed cells, including activation of G1 cyclin-dependent kinases and expression of cyclin A; the adhesion requirement of these events is abrogated in Ras-transformed cells. The ER-1-2 mutant rat fibroblast cell line is: 1) resistant to Ras-mediated, anchorage-independent growth; 2) defective in Ras-mediated, adhesion-independent expression of cyclin A, but not adhesion-independent activation of cyclin-dependent kinases; and 3) rescued for Ras-induced, anchorage-independent growth by ectopic expression of cyclin A. We report here that extracellular ATP induces adhesion-independent expression of cyclin A and rescues growth in soft agar by ER-1-2 cells that express Ras. ADP, AMP and the non-hydrolyzable analog adenosine 5'-(β,³-iminodiphosphate) are also effective, but adenosine is not. Adenine nucleotide-induced growth in soft agar is inhibited by reactive blue 2, an antagonist of some P2 purinoceptors. ATP does not induce adhesion-independent expression of cyclin A in ER-1-2 or control rat fibroblasts that do not express Ras, indicating a requirement for additional Ras-regulated signals for expression of this gene; one such signal may lead to phosphorylation of the retinoblastoma protein, pRB, and related proteins. These results suggest that extracellular ATP could play a role in the multistage carcinogenic process in vivo.
Epistasis and pleiotropy as natural properties of transcriptional regulation

A statistical thermodynamic model of transcriptional regulation is employed to investigate the likely effects of genetic variation on the stabilization of gene expression. The model is tailored to empirical data on the control of transcription of the hunchback gene by the morphogen Bicoid during Drosophila embryogenesis. Variable parameters include the number of binding sites for activator protein and the DNA-protein and protein-protein cooperative binding energies. Recursions are performed to derive transcriptional response curves over a range of concentrations of activator. Sigmoidal responses are indicative of threshold-dependent activation of gene expression, and the effects of variation of the parameters on the width and location of the threshold are considered. It is shown that there is a minimum threshold width (maximum switch sensitivity) that is a function of the number of binding sites and the level of response desired, but independent of the binding energies. This places a constraint on the evolution of sensitive genetic switches that generate discrete cell types. Inevitable trade-offs between threshold widths and locations for multiple target genes of most transcriptional activators are found to occur. These naturally lead to epistatic and pleiotropic effects, and may favor the generation of networks of compensatory mutations that together produce homeostatic developmental pathways.
Functionalized SnO2 nanobelt field-effect transistor sensors for label-free detection of cardiac troponin

Real-time label-free electrical detection of proteins, including cardiac troponin (cTn), is demonstrated using functionalized SnO2 nanobelt field-effect transistors (FETs) with integrated microfluidics. Selective biomolecular functionalization of the active SnO2 nanobelt channel and effective passivation of the substrate surface were realized and verified through fluorescence microscopy. The validation/verification of the sensing scheme was initially demonstrated via detection of biotin–streptavidin binding: devices with single biotinylated SnO2 nanobelts showed pronounced conductance changes in response to streptavidin binding. Importantly, the pH-dependence of the conductance changes was fully consistent with the charged states of streptavidin at different pH. Moreover, the specificity of the sensors’ electrical responses was confirmed by co-labeling with quantum dots. Finally, the sensing platform was successfully applied for detection of the cardiac troponin I (cTnI) subunit within cTn, a clinically important protein marker for myocardial infarction.
Technical efficiency-based selection of learning cases to improve forecasting accuracy of neural networks under monotonicity assumption

In this paper, we show that when an artificial neural network (ANN) model is used for learning monotonic forecasting functions, it may be useful to screen training data so the screened examples approximately satisfy the monotonicity property. We show how a technical efficiency-based ranking, using the data envelopment analysis (DEA) model, and a predetermined monotonicity property can be identified. Using a health care forecasting problem, the monotonicity assumption, and a predetermined threshold efficiency level, we use DEA to split training data into two mutually exclusive, "efficient" and "inefficient", training data subsets. We compare the performance of the ANN by using the "efficient" and "inefficient" training data subsets. Our results indicate that the predictive performance of an ANN that is trained on the "efficient" training data subset is higher than the predictive performance of an ANN that is trained on the "inefficient" training data subset.
A study of the mechanical and structural properties of polonium

Abstract We have performed an ab initio study of the structure of polonium. By calculating total energies in a number of tetragonal lattice configurations, we have shown that the simple cubic structure is preferred by the system. The other two zero-stress structures, bcc and fcc, correspond to inflection points along this path. These calculations agree with experimental evidence that polonium is the only known element to assume the simple cubic structure at room temperature. We have found an LDA lattice constant of 3.28 A, and we have obtained two of the elastic constants: C 11 =113 GPa and C 12 =28 GPa .
Groups generated by 3-state automata over a 2-letter alphabet. II

This is the second in a series of papers presenting results on the classification of groups generated by 3-state automata over a 2-letter alphabet. Among the examples treated here, one can find automata generating the free product of 3 cyclic groups of order 2, a virtually free abelian group of rank 3, a solvable group of derived length 3, some virtually torsion-free weakly branch groups, and other interesting self-similar groups.
Penalized minimum matching distance-guided EM algorithm

Abstract A novel and efficient mixture model fitting technique, called penalized minimum matching distance-guided expectation–maximization (EM) algorithm, is proposed. Penalized minimum matching distance is used to find the number of mixture components very accurately. We illustrate the excellent performance of the penalized minimum matching distance-guided EM algorithm with experiments involving Gaussian mixtures.
Sociodemographic factors and mail survey response

Effects of sociodemographic factors on mail survey response rate, response speed, and data quality are summarized. Consistent with previous reviews, evidence for effects of education is strongest with possible effects of age and gender. Evidence for effects of other sociodemographic factors is either ambiguous or absent. Speed and quality of response are also associated with educational level and possibly age. Sociodemographic factors are briefly discussed in light of three theories of mail survey response behavior. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
A Novel Hypothesis: Regulatory B Lymphocytes Shape Outcome from Experimental Stroke

Although inflammatory immune cells clearly contribute to the development of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in mice, the failure to block neutrophil-associated injury in clinical stroke trials has discouraged further development of immunotherapeutic approaches. However, there is renewed interest in a possible protective role for regulatory T and B cells that can suppress inflammation and limit central nervous system damage induced by infiltrating pro-inflammatory cells. Our failure to implicate CD4+FoxP3+ T cells in limiting brain lesion volume after MCAO turned our focus towards regulatory B cells known to mediate protection against other inflammatory CNS conditions. Our results clearly demonstrated that B cell-deficient mice developed larger infarct volumes, higher mortality, and more severe functional deficits compared to wild-type mice and had increased numbers of activated T cells, macrophages, microglial cells, and neutrophils in the affected brain hemisphere. These MCAO-induced changes were completely prevented in B cell-restored mice after transfer of highly purified WT B cells but not IL-10-deficient B cells. Our novel observations are the first to implicate IL-10-secreting B cells as a major regulatory cell type in stroke and suggest that enhancement of regulatory B cells might have application as a novel therapy for this devastating neurologic condition.
Noise properties and ac conductance of mesoscopic diffusive conductors with screening

A theory of nonequilibrium ({open_quotes}shot{close_quotes}) noise and high-frequency conductance in diffusive mesoscopic conductors with screening is presented. Detailed results are obtained for two simple geometries, for both large and short electron-electron scattering length l{sub ee}, at frequencies of the order of the inverse Thouless time 1/{tau}{sub T}. The conductance and the noise are found to exhibit significant frequency dependence. For L{lt}l{sub ee}, the high-frequency ({omega}{tau}{sub T}{gt}1) shot-noise spectral density S{sub I}({omega}) approaches a finite value between 2eI/3 and 2eI, depending on the screening properties of the system, with temperature corrections to S{sub I}({omega}) being {ital linear} in T. However, when L{gt}l{sub ee}, S{sub I}({omega}) grows as {omega}{sup 1/4} (at T=0), is not upper-bound by 2eI, and has a temperature-dependent component {ital quadratic} in T. As a result, measurements of S{sub I}({omega},T) can be utilized as a probe of the strength of electron-electron scattering. {copyright} {ital 1998} {ital The American Physical Society}
Parthenogenetic development and protein patterns of newly matured bovine oocytes after chemical activation

Development of an effective activation protocol is of great importance for studying oocyte competence and embryo cloning. Experiments were designed to examine effects of intracellular calcium elevating agents such as calcium ionophore A23187 (CaA) and ethanol, or protein synthesis and phosphorylation inhibitors such as cycloheximide (CH) and 6-dimethylaminopurine (6-DMAP), or a sequential combination of these agents on both parthenogenetic development and protein patterns of newly matured bovine oocytes. Oocytes were matured for 24 hr in M-199 supplemented with follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and estradiol at 39 degrees C in humidified air. They were then activated by various treatments and cultured in KSOM. Protein patterns at 15 hr after treatment were determined on 8-15% gradient SDS-PAGE and silver stained. Results demonstrated that none of the chemical agents--CaA, ethanol, 6-DMAP, or cycloheximide--could effectively induce parthenogenetic development of young bovine oocytes. When compared with the single treatments, sequentially combined treatments of CaA with 6-DMAP or with cycloheximide plus cytochalasin D (CD) significantly increased the rates of cleavage (78-82% versus 3-13%) and blastocyst development (31-40% versus 0%), which were comparable with those of IVF group (80% and 35%, respectively; P > 0.05). Supplementation with CD to the combined CaA and CH treatment improved rates of cleavage and blastocyst development versus without CD supplementation (31% versus 7%; P < 0.05). Fluorescent microscopy revealed that 95% (n = 40) of oocytes treated with CaA plus 6-DMAP had one pronucleus (PN) and one polar body (PB), while 88% (n = 40) in the CaA plus cycloheximide-treated group had one PN and two PBs and 85% (n = 40) in CaA plus cycloheximide and CD group had two PNs and one PB. Treatment by CaA alone resulted in 73% of oocytes (n = 40) arrested at a metaphase stage with two PBs (named as metaphase III or MIII). Protein patterns were similar for chemically activated and in vitro-fertilized (IVF) oocytes in that the 138- and 133-kDa proteins, whose functions are not yet known, were present in the metaphase-stage (MII 24 hr, MII 40 hr, and MIII) oocytes but were absent in PN-stage oocytes regardless of treatment. Therefore, these proteins seem to be metaphase-associated proteins. Taken together, we conclude that optimal parthenogenetic development of newly matured bovine oocytes can be obtained by calcium ionophore treatment followed by incubation in either 6-DMAP or cycloheximide plus cytochalasin D and that the reduction of the 138- and 133-kDa proteins might be necessary for the full activation of bovine oocytes.
Parameter estimation for the Pearson type 3 distribution using order statistics

Abstract The Pearson type 3 distribution and its relatives, the log Pearson type 3 and gamma family of distributions, are among the most widely applied in the field of hydrology. Parameter estimation for these distributions has been accomplished using the method of moments, the methods of mixed moments and generalized moments, and the methods of maximum likelihood and maximum entropy. This study evaluates yet another estimation approach, which is based on the use of the properties of an extreme-order statistic. Based on the hypothesis that the population is distributed as Pearson type 3, this estimation approach yields both parameter and 100-year quantile estimators that have lower biases and variances than those of the method of moments approach as recommended by the US Water Resources Council.
Severe Tricuspid regurgitation after Heart transplantation

Abstract Background: Tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is common after heart transplantation. However, the incidence of severe TR and the incidence of symptoms after echocardiographic diagnosis of severe TR have not been documented. The purpose of this study is to determine the incidence of severe TR and its clinical significance in the heart transplant population. Methods We reviewed echocardiograms (echo) of all heart transplant patients coming for regular echocardiographic follow-up between 1990 and 1995. We reviewed the charts of all patients who had echo diagnosis of severe TR. Results A total of 336 patients had echo follow-up during this time period. The number of months post-heart transplant to last echo was 54 ± 50 (range, 1 to 265 months). Ninety patients had moderate TR and 23 patients had severe TR. Mean time from heart transplantation to diagnosis of severe TR was 43 ± 38 months (range, 1 to 132). Using Cutler-Ederer analysis, at 5 years, 92.2% of surviving patients were free from severe TR. At 10 years, 85.8% of surviving patients were free from severe TR. Of the 23 patients with severe TR, 17 had charts available for review. The mean number of prior endomyocardial biopsies was 28 ± 21 (range, 3 to 88). These patients were followed for 35 ± 18 months after diagnosis. During this period, they developed significant heart failure and peripheral edema. Six patients eventually underwent tricuspid valve replacement. Conclusions Moderate to severe TR commonly occurs following heart transplantation. Severe TR is associated with significant morbidity.
At Play in the Fields (and Borders) of the Imaginary: Melanesian Transformations of Forgetting

anthropology, important questions are emerging about how societies remember, and to what effect. In this paper I take as a starting point not social memory but forgetting, suggesting that this point of departure makes apparent some distinctions we may have missed between forgetting as official (purposeful) and unofficial (inadvertent, nonpurposeful) social action. Specifically, I am concerned less with "how societies remember" (to take Connerton's classic phrase), than with how forgetting gives rise to "society." My argument is that collective forgetting, as a social mechanism of alienation, may generate not oblivion but an experience of sociality which takes the place of oblivion; that this productivity reveals, furthermore, a process of ideological inscription-specifically
Update in Pituitary 2010

This manuscript is based on an invited lecture entitled "The Year in Pituitary," presented at the 91st Annual Meeting of The Endocrine Society in San Diego, California, on June 21, 2010. The purpose of the lecture was to highlight new or evolving issues in the management of pituitary disease. Papers selected were published in major journals between January 2009 and June 2010. Issues addressed include the safety of cabergoline in pregnancy, recurrence of hyperprolactinemia after dopamine agonist withdrawal, pegvisomant and hepatic dysfunction, and high-dose hydrocortisone as a predictor of mortality in patients with acromegaly.
Technological transformations and long waves. Part I

Abstract Although empirical evidence of “long waves” in economic activity has existed since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, perhaps even earlier, it is not known whether such waves are essentially accidental or consequences of the inner dynamics of economic growth. The answer, however, is of considerable interest not only to economists but also to policy-makers. One of the most attractive causal hypotheses has been Schumpeter's notion that temporal clusters of major innovations create new opportunities, thereby accelerating economic growth. To this may be added Mensch's idea that major innovations tend to occur during recessions—when fewer low-risk investment opportunities are available—then during periods of prosperity. This paper addresses these two hypotheses from a technological and historical point of view. For this purpose, it is convenient to identify five major technological “transformations.” The first (1770–1800) was the shift from charcoal to coal for purposes of iron-making, fueling the first steam engines, building the first canals and mechanizing cotton spinning. The second transformation (1830–1850) applied steam power to the textile industry and to transportation (the railway and the steam boat). The third transformation (1860–1900) was complex: It centered on steel-making and the mechanization of manufacturing, on illumination, telephones, electrification and the internal combustion engine. The fourth transformation (1930–1950) centered on synthetic materials and electronics. The fifth, beginning around 1980, centers on the convergence of computers and telecommunications. It is argued that while major innovations have occurred in clusters, the clustering can probably be explained best in terms of technological opportunity per se. Opportunity is created both by “breakthroughs,” which push back the limits of existing technology, and by the “convergence” or “fusion” of developments in different fields. Either way, the timing in most cases appears to be technologically determined. Moreover, the historical evidence suggests that in many cases the economic impact of an important innovation contributed little to the “next” upswing but may have contributed significantly to subsequent ones. Indeed, the weakest link in the Schumpeter-Mensch theory is that it does not offer a good explanation for the downswing at the end of a period of prosperity.
Hyaluronates in developing skeletal tissues

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is present in the extracellular matrix (ECM) as early as the time of gastrulation. At these early stages, HA is thought to organize the ECM into a hydrated, open lattice and thereby support cell movements. At later stages, when specialized tissues appear, hyaluronidase activity increases. A correlation between elevated hyaluronidase activity and deposition of cartilage-type ECM is now well established. Differentiation of cartilage may be accompanied by changes in molecular forms of HA; however, the synthesis of HA is not understood well enough to permit firm generalizations to be drawn. There is also a lack of evidence regarding specificity of the hyaluronidase that appears at the onset of chondrogenesis. Thus, while HA is a ubiquitous ECM component and its appearance has been well studied during embryogenesis, there remain large gaps in the present knowledge regarding the means by which HA interacts with embryonic cells, tissues, and other ECM components.
Constructional Variety in the Spoken Language of School Children.

Summary Uncertainty scores (H and relative H) were computed for the verbs, noun phrases, and sentences produced by 180 children between the ages of 5 and 13 years on a story-telling task. Linear age trends occurred for Sentence H and relative H and for Noun-phrase H (though not relative H), but not for verb H and relative H. There were no overall sex differences, but measure-specific age-by-sex interactions and higher-order age trends. Uncertainty scores of the type proposed, if suitably refined, may measure the developmental progression from stereotyped reliance on individual syntactic forms to flexible utilization of productive rules.
A pre-transition-state mimic of an enzyme: X-ray structure of adenosine deaminase with bound 1-deazaadenosine and zinc-activated water

The refined 2.4-A structure of adenosine deaminase, recently discovered to be a zinc metalloenzyme [Wilson, D. K., Rudolph, F. B., & Quiocho, F. A. (1991) Science 252, 1278-1284], complexed with the ground-state analog 1-deazaadenosine shows the mode of binding of the analog and, unexpectedly, a zinc-activated water (hydroxide). This structure of a pre-transition-state mimic, combined with that previously determined for the complex with 6(R)-hydroxy-1,6-dihydropurine ribonucleoside, a nearly ideal transition-state analog, sheds new understanding of the precise stereospecificity and hydrolytic catalysis of an important and well-characterized member of a large group of zinc metalloenzymes. As both of these excellent mimics were generated in the active site, they demonstrate a powerful means of dissecting the course of an enzymatic reaction by direct crystallographic analysis.
Money and efficiency wages: the neglected effect of employment on efficiency

Abstract The real effects of monetary shocks cannot be explained using current efficiency wage models. In these models, wage rigidities can cause money to have real effects, but not plausible real effects. This paper uses published empirical results to show that in a general efficiency wage model, monetary shocks have perverse effects, such as countercyclical employment. Empirically, the negative impact of employment on efficiency is so strong that output falls when monetary shocks cause employment to rise. Employment and output rise together only if real wages rise a greater proportion than either. Alternative models, involving worker perceptions of fairness, are suggested.
Effect of water treatment on Sn-BEA zeolite: Origin of 960 cm−1 FTIR peak

Abstract The correlation of the ∼960 cm−1 IR absorption band, frequently observed in Sn-BEA zeolite, to the incorporation of Sn in the zeolite framework has been investigated. IR and NMR spectra of freshly calcined and water treated zeolites combined with first principle calculations indicate that the 960 cm−1 band is not a vibration involving Sn but rather a result of isolated internal silanol groups. Thermogravimetric analysis and temperature-programmed desorption showed the silanol groups condense to form water at temperatures between 400 and 700 °C. These silanol groups form slowly at mild relative humidity (∼30–40%) and 25 °C, but in less than an hour at 98 °C in liquid water: they are expected to form in the course of an aqueous phase reaction. The water uptake observed following a one-hour liquid water treatment is 1.2 wt% in Sn-BEA with Si/Sn = 125, equal to 4–5 water molecules per Sn or 1 water molecule per 40 Si, too high for all of it to be directly linked to interaction with Sn atoms. Instead this water uptake can be explained by a site that can be hydroxylated at relatively low temperatures and dehydrated at temperatures typically used for zeolite calcination.
Fidelity of Cotton Fiber Maturity Measurement by Image Analysis

Abstract Accurate measurement of cotton fiber maturity is essential for use by the textile industry. Indirect measurements of fiber maturity by several methods such as AFIS (Advanced Fiber Information System), FMT (Fitness and Maturity Tester), NIR (Near Infrared Spectroscopy), and VIS/NIR (Visible/Near Infrared Spectroscopy) are currently being used or being developed in different segments of the textile industry. Availability of an accurate reference standard based on direct measurement of fiber parameters such as perimeter, degree of secondary wall thickening and maturity ratio will be beneficial. Image analysis of thin fiber cross sections is being used in our laboratory to assess these parameters to determine fiber maturity. The image analysis method involves a simple and rapid embedding procedure under controlled conditions to obtain 1-2 μm thick sections and analysis of thin fiber cross sections using a CCD camera attached to an Olympus microscope. The statistical software computes perimeter, area ...