cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
HNO Uncouples PLN from SERCA2a Enhancing Pump Activity

The sarco(endo)plasmic Ca-ATPase (SERCA2a) sequesters Ca2+ ions from the cytosol into the cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum (CSR) to promote cardiac relaxation. Phospholamban (PLN) is an integral membrane protein that regulates SERCA2a in CSR. Phosphorylation of PLN in response to β-adrenergic stimulation enhances cardiac inotropy by increasing CSR Ca2+ uptake. Nitroxyl (HNO), a new candidate drug therapy for congestive heart failure (CHF), improves overall cardiovascular function by increasing Ca2+ release and Ca2+ re-uptake in CSR through direct effects on RyR2 and SERCA2a, respectively. We propose that HNO, a thiol oxidant, modifies one or more PLN sulfhydryls and thereby decreases the regulatory interaction of PLN with SERCA2a, contributing to SERCA2a activation. To test this model, we have used fluorescence and EPR spectroscopy to determine the effects of HNO on the physical regulation of SERCA2a by PLN. We used expressed SERCA2a ± coexpressed PLN in High Five insect cells microsomes and Angeli's Salt (AS) as our HNO donor. Steady-state fluorescence intensity studies of FITC-labeled SERCA2a coexpressed with PLN showed that AS/HNO increased the amplitude of the Ca2+-dependent E2 to E1Ca2 conformational change by nearly two fold, similar to the effect observed when PLN is uncoupled from SERCA2a by anti-PLN antibody treatment. This matches our previous finding that AS/HNO stimulates SERCA2a activity nearly two fold. Saturation-transfer EPR studies of maleimide spin-labeled SERCA2a coexpressed with PLN showed that AS/HNO decreased the rotational mobility of SERCA2a, but not significantly more than that of control SERCA2a without PLN. Taken together, our results suggest HNO physically uncouples PLN from SERCA2a increasing SERCA2a conformational flexibility and SERCA2a activity. We are investigating the role of individual PLN cysteines in this mechanism by repeating these experiments using SERCA2a coexpressed with PLN cysteine mutants, and direct effects of HNO on SERCA2a are also being investigated.
Electrolyte leakage of aging potato tubers and its relationship with sprouting capacity

With advancing physiological age of potato tubers an increase in electrolyte leakage from tuber tissue was observed for various seed lots. This increase was most marked after tubers exhibited sprout growth and corresponded with a decline in tuber water content. Leakage increased minimally with storage time when sprouting was prevented or limited by either dormancy, low storage temperature, or frequent desprouting. Sprouting capacity of tubers increased to a maximum and then declined with storage time. This decline coincided with the increase in electrolyte leakage, suggesting that membrane integrity was one determinant in vigour of seed potato tubers. The pattern of electrolytes leaking from tuber tissue could be described by a function composed of a saturable and a linear component, suggesting two different sources contributing to the leakage. The saturable component, expected to reflect membrane integrity, was most responsive to aging treatments.
Contributions of Bacterial Surface Polymers, Electrostatics, and Cell Elasticity to the Shape of AFM Force Curves

Probing nanoscale interactions between an atomic force microscope tip and a bacterium may provide insight into the molecular level origins of bacterial adhesion. Distinguishing between the relevant surface interaction forces, such as steric and electrostatic interactions, is complicated by the elastic deformation of the bacterium. To probe the possible role of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) in bacterial adhesion and cell elasticity, atomic force microscopy (AFM) force images were obtained between a bare silicon nitride AFM tip and three different Escherichia coli K12 strains, each having a different length of LPS on their surface. Cell elasticity was varied with glutaraldehyde fixation. Bacterial force curves consisted of a nonlinear region 20-30 nm above the cell surface and a constant compliance (linear region) with a slope that was significantly less than that of a hard surface. AFM force curves obtained on the top of the cell were identical (linear and nonlinear regions) for all three strains, indicating a lack of a steric contribution of LPS to the force curve. Force images obtained off the center of the cell produced apparent long-range forces, but these were considered to be imaging artifacts produced by tip-surface geometries at the cell edges. Glutaraldehyde strongly affected the elasticity of the cell but did not affect the nonlinear portion of the force curve. The effective spring constant of the bacterium, calculated from the constant compliance region of the force curve, was found to increase 4-fold with the addition of 2.5% glutaraldehyde and was independent of the spring constant of the cantilever. The nonlinear portion of the curve is not consistent with electrostatic forces, because interaction distances were not a function of solution ionic strength. These results suggested that nonlinear forces were due to deformation of the bacterial surface layer.
Enabling Site-Resolved Measurement of Hydration Water-Protein Interactions by Solution NMR

The interaction between a protein and solvating water is fundamental to its stability, dynamics, and function. In principle, solution NMR methods can be employed to identify and characterize the location and dynamics of specific solvent-protein interactions. Unfortunately, the residence times of water on the surface of a protein in bulk solution are such that the elegant experiments of Wa1/4thrich and coworkers are defeated. Here, we take advantage of the slowed dynamics of water under nanoconfinement and tap the full potential of these experiments to obtain the first site-resolved, solution NMR measurements of hydration water-protein interactions. Reverse micellar encapsulation slows water dynamics enough to allow detectable build-up of direct protein-water dipolar magnetization exchange while at the same time slowing hydrogen exchange kinetics by up to two orders of magnitude, thereby reducing indirect contributions to the spectra. Using amide hydrogens as a probe, we are able to detect literally dozens of hydration waters on the surface of encapsulated ubiquitin. Three-dimensional 15N-NOESY and ROESY spectra of ubiquitin in reverse micelles have been obtained. The relative intensities of NOE/ROE cross peaks at the water resonance confirms that a minority of the detected hydration waters have long residence times (ωτ > 1), while the majority of detected solvation waters have a range of shorter residence times. This approach appears to open the door to global site-resolved descriptions of protein hydration dynamics and therefore represent a major step forward in the quest to understand the motional links between proteins and solvent. Supported by NSF-0842814 and NIH F32GM074376 (M.P.) and F32GM08709 (N.N.).
H3 potential surface in natural collision coordinates

Abstract Potential energy contour maps of the ground and electronically excited Porter-Karplus H 3 surfaces are presented. These maps are correlated with another set of figures showing molecular geometries. Particular attention is paid to the intersection of these electronic surfaces along the Jahn-Teller ridge. A difficulty with natural coordinates, “nonlinear schizophrenia”, is described and a simple procedure for avoiding the problem is presented.
Cross-coupled charge-transfer sense amplifier and latch sense scheme for high-density FET memories

This paper describes a sense scheme for use on high-density one-device cell field effect transistor random access memories (FET RAMs). The high-sensitivity threshold-independent cross-coupled charge-transfer sense amplifier and latch is used. The IBM 64K-bit one-device dynamic memory cell FET RAM chip design is used as the vehicle for the discussion. Adaptations made on the sense amplifier and latch for use with the sense scheme are discussed. Also described are 1) dummy cell design, 2) subthreshold leakage considerations, 3) single-ended input/output (I/O) circuitry sensing and ramifications, 4) multiple cycle signal degradations, and 5) a maximum supply voltage (VH) buffer circuit sense scheme improvement.
Effect of Desiccants and Herbicides on Germination of Pseudosclerotia and Development of Apothecia of Monilinia vaccinii-corymbosi

Pseudosclerotia (infected, mummified fruit) are the only source of primary inoculum of Monilinia vaccinii-corymbosi, the causal agent of mummy berry disease of blueberry. Laboratory applications of potential inhibitors of carpogenic germination were made to pseudosclerotia at three distinct developmental stages, i.e., ungerminated pseudosclerotia, pseudosclerotia with emerging stipes, and those with mature apothecia. Potential inhibitors evaluated included soybean oil and ammonium thiosulfate (two desiccants used experimentally as bloom thinners in fruit crops) and diuron and simazine (two commonly used herbicides), each applied in an aqueous suspension with 3% Latron B-1956 surfactant. Various aspects of carpogenic germination including the percentage of pseudosclerotia that produced stipes or apothecia, the number of stipes or apothecia per pseudosclerotium, the percentage of stipes that developed into apothecia, longevity of stipes and apothecia, and ascospore numbers were assessed. Compared with water, application of ammonium thiosulfate (2%) and diuron (2%) reduced stipe and apothecium production when sprayed on ungerminated pseudosclerotia, but these reductions were generally not significantly different from those achieved with Latron B applied alone (P > 0.05). The two compounds, however, completely inhibited the development of stipes into apothecia when applied to pseudosclerotia with stipes and caused a >3-fold reduction in apothecium longevity when applied to pseudosclerotia with mature apothecia. Application of simazine (2%) before germination or at stipe emergence resulted in the development of malformed apothecia from which no ascospores were recovered; stipe and apothecium longevity were also reduced. Soybean oil (15%) and Latron B applied alone had weak or inconsistent effects on most aspects of carpogenic germination of pseudosclerotia, although both compounds, when applied at stipe emergence, significantly reduced ascospore numbers in subsequently formed apothecia. The results suggest that diuron and simazine applied for weed control in commercial blueberry plantings may have beneficial side effects in reducing carpogenic germination of pseudosclerotia. The strong inhibitory effect of ammonium thiosulfate on all aspects of carpogenic germination, along with its value as a nitrogen fertilizer and ancillary herbicide, warrants further evaluation of this compound's performance and economics in the field.
Migration of thymus cells to the developing gut-associated lymphoid tissues of the young rabbit.

Abstract Thymus cell migration to the gut-associated lymphoid tissues (GALT) as compared to other lymphoid tissues in young rabbits was determined following in vivo intrathymic inoculation of tritiated thymidine. The GALT received as many or more thymus cells than the spleen or lymph nodes during the first few postnatal days. Migration to the GALT and nonGALT decreased with age, and seeding appeared to be essentially complete by 30–40 days.
Vietnam veterans and the agent orange controversy.

The efforts by Vietnam veterans to obtain compensation and an admission of responsibility from the U.S. government and its defense contractors for health problems allegedly caused by Agent Orange contamination during the Vietnam War is perhaps the most important veterans' issue of this generation. This article explains the emergence of Agent Orange as a veterans' issue and traces the controversy through the VA, Congress, and the courts. The case study once again demonstrates the moral suasion and political power of American veterans and, therefore, the political difficulty of denying them special welfare benefits. One of the questions raised is whether it makes sense to treat veterans injured "on the job" any different from other citizens, especially for purposes of standing to sue their employer (the federal government) for the kinds of damages that would be available to other members of the society.
Characteristics of High-Rate Energy Spectroscopy Systems Using HPGe Coaxial Detectors and Time-Variant Filters

A high-rate, high-resolution gamma spectrometer system is described. The system consists of a reverse electrode HPGe coaxial detector, a transistor reset preamplifier, an active, semi-Gaussian prefilter, a gated integrator, and a unique data acquisition system consisting of a 10 ?s, 13 bit ADC, fast FIFO memory, 8k by 23 bit data memory, and computer interface circuitry under the control of a Z-80A ?P. The effects of the various components on the throughput are described and throughput data is presented. The resolution and peak shift for various shaping times are presented for count rates up to 1 Mcps input rate using a mixed 22Na and 60Co source. The low rate resolutions of 57Co and 60Co for various shaping times using either the semi-Gaussian or gated integrator output are discussed as well as the low energy resolution and peak shifts in the presence of high energy events.
Identification of potential therapeutic targets in hypertension‐associated bladder dysfunction

OBJECTIVE To investigate differential gene expression profiles in the bladder of spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR), as the underlying mechanisms involved in hypertension-associated bladder dysfunction remain to be clarified. MATERIALS AND METHODS SHR and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats were distributed initially in three groups: group 1 received doxazosin (30 mg/kg/day); group 2 received nifedipine (30 mg/kg/day); and group 3 received the vehicle orally for 4 weeks. The alterations in gene expression levels of candidate genes identified by microarray analysis with potential biological relevance were verified by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). RESULTS Voiding frequency was significantly higher, and mean voided volume was significantly lower in untreated SHRs than untreated WKY rats. Microarray analysis revealed that 25 of the differentially expressed genes in untreated SHRs compared to untreated WKY rats were related to Gs, Gi, Gq and G12/13 signalling, calcium handling, ion transport and smooth muscle-related genes. Furthermore, RT-PCR data, in accord with the microarray analysis, indicated that untreated SHRs had lower mRNA expression levels of Adcy2, Adcy3, Rgs2, Rgs3, Rgs4 and Arhgdia, and higher mRNA expression levels of Arhgef1, Arhgef11, Arhgef12, Geft, Rock1 and Rock2 than untreated WKY rats. The differential alterations in the micturition patterns and in the expression of several genes related to G-protein signalling pathway observed in SHRs were attenuated by treatment with doxazosin, but not nifedipine. CONCLUSION Our data suggest that differential alterations in the expression of several genes related to Gs, Gq and G12/13 signalling pathways in the SHR bladder might be important in hypertension-associated bladder dysfunction.
Polypeptide hormones and lipid monolayers

The monomolecular film of monooctadecyl phosphate (mOP) spread at an air-water interface was employed to elucidate the nature of the interaction between peptide hormones and the cell membrane. First, the effect of peptide hormones on the uptake of calcium ion (Ca++) by the monolayer was examined from the emission of45 Ca radioactivity through the monolayer. Insulin inhibited the initial uptake of Ca++ and facilitated the release of adsorbed Ca++. These effects were partially or completely lost with insulin analogs. Vasopressin and oxytocin inhibited the adsorption of Ca++. Vasopressin facilitated Ca++ release, whereas oxytocin did not. Thyrocalcitonin profoundly inhibited Ca++ uptake, but facilitated only slightly the release of Ca++. Parathyroid hormone had negligible effect. The molecular basis and the biological significance of these results are discussed. Secondly, the effect of peptide hormones on the transport of water through the mOP monolayer was examined. Ca++ increased the specific resistance to evaporation of water. In the presence of Ca++, insulin and vasopressin lowered the resistance to evaporation (or increased the trans-port of water). This effect of the hormones could not be accounted for entirely by the inhibition of Ca++ uptake.
Cerebrospinal fluid findings in infants with pertussis or parapertussis(1)).

Background Pertussis has been increasing in frequency and can cause protean manifestation in infants, often resulting in extensive laboratory evaluation. Methods We examined the prevalence of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) anomalies in infants with pertussis and parapertussis over a 5-year period. Results In total, 239 of 1489 children (16.1%) had a positive PCR for pertussis or parapertussis. Eighty-three percent were infants; the mean age of the 39 years who received a lumbar puncture (LP) was 43 days. Reasons for performing LP included apnea (62%), toxic appearance (38%), fever (26%), and altered mentation (10%); several had >1 indication for LP. Twenty-four (62%) children had elevated CSF protein. No child had hypoglycorrhachia, bacterial meningitis, bacteremia, or intracranial hemorrhage; one child had a urinary tract infection and five had pneumonia. Seven children had brain imaging performed; one had a subarachnoid hemorrhage and six had normal studies. Elevated age-normalized CSF protein was a common finding in infants with pertussis, potentially due to transfer across a damaged or immature blood-brain barrier. This finding was seen in the absence of concomitant bacterial infections or detectable intracranial anomalies. Conclusions While the diagnostic evaluation and clinical management of a toxic-appearing infant should not be limited by a positive pertussis or parapertussis PCR, it is useful for physicians to be cognizant that elevated CSF protein can be seen in association with these infections.
The growth rate and balance of homogeneous tilings in the hyperbolic plane

Abstract Let I be a homogeneous tiling of H2 whose growth from an initial configuration by the accretion of successive layers or coronas can be described by recurrence relations. If tn denotes the total number of tiles of I within n layers of the initial configuration, we define the growth rate λ of I as λ = lim n→∞ t n+1 t n When this limit exists, we use λ to extend the definition of balanced tilings given by Grunbaum and Shephard to certain normal homogeneous tilings of H2. In E2 all homogeneous tilings are balanced. This is not the case in H2; it is shown that the balance of an isohedral tiling I varies as the corona of a representative tile. Using results of Floyd, we establish that the recurrence associated with an ‘essentially’ isohedral tiling of E2 or H2 is palindromic.
PIV study of small‐scale flow structure around a Rushton turbine

The structure of turbulent motions was measured in a region surrounding the blade tips of a Rushton turbine mixer. The tip vortices responsible for micromixing were created in this region, as was the radial jet that drives the large-scale circulation responsible for macromixing. Measurements of instantaneous velocity fields in axial–radial planes showed large cycle-to-cycle variability relative to the mean. The average measurements of the azimuthal vorticity and the Reynolds stresses in the radial–axial plane showed the growth and motion of the tip vortices as they drift away from the blades. Radial and axial spatial derivatives were measured to assess various methods of computing the turbulent viscous dissipation. The small scales were significantly anisotropic at the Reynolds numbers studied.
Preplanning for Successful Inclusive Schooling

Abstract In this article. factors that may influence the effectiveness of the inclusive schooling reform are described, and strategies teachers can use to become more involved in the reform process are presented.
Genetic variation detected by use of the M13 'DNA fingerprint' probe in Malus, Prunus, and Rubus (Rosaceae).

Recently, “DNA fingerprints” have been reported in a wide array of organisms. We used the M13 repeat probe on several genera and species in the angiosperm family Rosaceae. Four apple cultivars could be differentiated when any one of five restriction enzymes was used to analyze minisatellite DNA. Similarly, four individual trees of Prunus serotina (black cherry) exhibited different “fingerprints” with each of four enyzmes. A total of 14 Rubus (blackberries and raspberries) plants representing four species were investigated with two enzymes. Extensive inter-and intraspecific variation was found. However, some closely growing plants had identical “fingerprints”, probably due to their being derived through vegetative propagation.
The New Imagined Community: Identifying and Exploring a Bidirectional Continuum Integrating Virtual and Physical Communities through the Community Embodiment Model (CEM)

The Internet has enabled global growth in the use of virtual communities. Virtual communities provide Internet researchers with an excellent opportunity to study human communication across differen...
Comparison of pituitary-thyroid maturation in the fetuses of rats fed an iodine-deficient or normal diet.

From the earliest detectable development of fetal pituitary-thyroid function (day 18–19 of gestation) through the first postnatal day, there was a higher degree of stimulation of the pituitary-thyroid axis in the fetuses of rats fed a low iodine diet (LID) than in those of rats fed a high iodine diet (HID). Significant differences between the two groups were consistently observed in relative thyroid size, plasma TSH, 4-h thyroid radioiodine uptake, and the labeled iodoamino acid composition of thyroid digests. Plasma T4 concentration was lower in both LID and HID fetuses and pups than in the HID mothers. Plasma T3 was not detectable (<20 ng/dl) in the fetuses of either group, nor was labeled T3 in the thyroid digests. Body weight, plasma T4, and pituitary TSH content were usually lower in the LID than the HID animals of comparable age; however, these differences were not consistently statistically significant (P < 0.05). We conclude that iodine deficiency causes a marked stimulation of TSH secretion and, ...
Vibrational spectroscopy of silicate liquids and glasses

Abstract The application of vibrational spectroscopy to the study of silicate liquids and glasses is described, and new Raman data for K2Si2O5 and K2Si4O9 compositions are presented. The timescale of the vibrational spectroscopic experiments relative to relaxation timescales in the melts is discussed. Silicate systems are usually described as “liquid” or “glassy” based on experimental measurements of viscosity or heat capacity. These have a much longer characteristic measurement timescale than the vibrational spectroscopic experiments. Because of the long structural relaxation times for silicate frameworks over the normal laboratory temperature range, silicate “glasses” and “liquids” always show the same, unrelaxed response to the vibrational spectroscopic experiment. This is one reason for the observed close similarity between “glass” and “melt” spectra. Vibrational spectroscopy can readily be used to investigate structural changes which occur within supercooled silicate liquids due to structural relaxation on the laboratory timescale, above the glass transition temperature, Tg. The vibrational spectroscopies are complementary to other spectroscopic methods, including nuclear magnetic resonance, for this type of study. Our new Raman spectroscopic results on K-disilicate and -tetrasilicate glasses and liquids show effects due to structural relaxation above Tg. The spectra for K2Si2O5 show evidence for an increase in the concentration of Q2 silicate species with increasing temperature. We have determined the enthalpy change for the 2Q3 = Q2 + Q4 speciation reaction in K2Si2O5 to be ~ 20 kJ mol−1, of the same order of magnitude as those obtained for liquids near Na2Si2O5 composition by previous workers. For K2Si4O9 glass, the Raman data show evidence for a different type of structural relaxation. The intensity of a peak near 590 cm−1 increases with increasing temperature above Tg, which is interpreted as an increase in the proportion of three-membered siloxane rings in the liquid. The enthalpy change for formation of these three-membered rings is also 20 kJ mol−1, consistent with the results of a previous study on SiO2 glass.
Inhibition of growth hormone secretion in the rat by synthetic somatostatin.

Synthetic (linear) somatostatin lowers the circulating levels of immunoreactive growth hormone of “gentled” rats; it prevents or inhibits the elevation of plasma growth hormone concentration induced in rats, by acute administration of Na-pentobarbital. Chronic administration of somatostatin decreases the rate of body weight gain of young male rats. Injection of somatostatin as a suspension in protamine Zinc increases the duration of its biological activity by several hours. (Endocrinology 94: 184, 1974)
Biomarkers for early detection of sickle nephropathy

Renal complications affect nearly 30-50% of adults with sickle cell anemia (SCA), causing significant morbidity and mortality. Standard renal function tests like serum creatinine and glomerular filtration rate become abnormal in this disease only when renal damage has become extensive and largely irreversible. Moreover, not all patients develop sickle nephropathy (SN). Therefore, noninvasive biomarkers that predict early onset of SN are necessary. We performed a cross-sectional analysis for nephropathy in 116 patients with sickle cell disease, analyzing urinary kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1), liver-type fatty acid binding protein (L-FABP), N-acetyl-b-D-glucosaminidase (NAG), neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β), together with conventional renal biomarkers (urine albumin and osmolality, and serum creatinine and cystatin C estimated GFR) during routine clinic visits when patients were at steady-state/baseline. We observed a distinct biomarker pattern: KIM-1 and NAG emerged as biomarkers with a strong association with albuminuria. Surprisingly, and in contrast to other acute/chronic renal disorders, NGAL, L-FABP, and TGF-β levels did not show any relationship with albuminuria in patients with SCA. Our study identifies potential biomarkers for SN, and suggests longitudinal validation of these biomarkers for early detection of SN, so that therapeutic interventions can be applied before renal damage becomes irreversible.
The effects of altitude on oxygen-binding parameters of the blood of the iguanid lizards, Sceloporus jarrovi and Sceloporus occidentals

Abstract 1. 1. Red blood cell counts and hemoglobin content were determined for blood samples from Sceloporus jarrovi collected at altitudes of 5100, 6000 and 8600 ft. 2. 2. Oxygen capacity was determined for blood samples from Sceloporus occidentalis collected at altitudes of 500, 4000, 6000 and 7000 ft. 3. 3. Oxygen-binding parameters of blood from both species showed significant differences for populations from 6000 ft and above as compared with lower altitude populations. These differences are attributed to the more restricted annual heat budget of the higher altitude lizards.
A performance technologist's approach to process performance improvement

Process performance management provides detailed understanding of the design of a process to improve performance. This article highlights a process performance model aligned with the DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control) steps of the Six Sigma model, but with additional substeps to guide process improvement. It thus identifies process improvement as one of the key tools in the performance technologist's toolkit and provides recommendations for methods, practices, and tools.
Pharmacokinetics of N-aspartyl chlorin e6 in cancer patients

Abstract We examined the pharmacokinetics of the photosensitizer N-aspartyl chlorin e6 in a group of cancer patients. While the drug persisted in plasma for as long as six weeks, there was no evidence of fluorescent NPe6 metabolites during this interval. Kinetics of drug elimination from plasma were consistent with a 2-compartment model with half-lives of approximately 9 hr (57%) and 134 hr (43%). The drug was bound to plasma albumin + other heavy proteins (65%) > HDL (35%) ⪢ LDL (1–2%). These relative valued did not charge for as long as 21 days after drug administration. The long persistence of NPe6 in plasma was not associated with extended skin photosensitization.
ROBUST STABILITY OF MULTI-DIMENSIONAL (m-D) DISCRETE INTERVAL SYSTEMS AND APPLICATIONS

Robust stability of m-D discrete systems, represented by a m-D difference equation is analyzed. A sufficient condition for stability is derived, which requires the stability of one linear shift-invariant system. For special classes of systems, the stability of one corner of the interval system is a necessary and sufficient condition. The results are applicable to shift-variant and shift-invariant interval m-D systems. Applications and illustrative examples are also provided.
Receptor activity of sorted lymphoid cells with a thymic regulatory factor

A small molecular-weight regulatory factor from the thymus has been shown to enhance both cell-mediated and humoral immune responses. In this study, the relative binding capacity of the factor to thymus-dependent and bone marrow-dependent lymphocytes was measured directly. Spleen cells were separated using an automated, multiparameter, cell sorting instrument. Receptor activity for the iodinated thymic protein of each population was determined. Based on a number of criteria, thymus-dependent cells exhibited a greater affinity for the regulatory protein than did the bone marrow-dependent cells. These results indicate that the mechanism of action of regulatory control is via receptor-ligand interactions of specific subpopulations of lymphoid cells with a humoral factor.
Relative cerebral blood volume measurements in intracranial mass lesions: interobserver and intraobserver reproducibility study.

PURPOSE: To assess inter- and intraobserver reproducibility for different techniques of measuring relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV) in patients with intracranial mass lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three independent observers (neuroradiology fellows) who were blinded to the histopathologic diagnosis performed rCBV measurements in 50 patients with various intracranial mass lesions. Three different methods were compared. With method 1, placement of a single region of interest was guided by a color overlay map. With methods 2 and 3, the highest rCBV value and the mean of repeated rCBV measurements, respectively, were recorded. Calculations of the intraclass correlation coefficient, coefficient of variation (CV), and descriptive statistics were used to determine the levels of reproducibility. A multiple linear regression model was used to evaluate for possible explanatory factors for interobserver variance. RESULTS: Method 2 had, overall, the best reproducibility of all techniques, with an intraclass int...
In vitro performance of hemodialysis membranes after repeated processing

Abstract Background: Dialyzers reprocessed with chlorine-based solutions have been associated with increases in ultrafiltration coefficient and middle-molecule removal. Increased pore size has been hypothesized as the mechanism for the latter phenomenon. Dialyzers exposed to Amukin-D (Amuchina Int Inc, Gaithersburg, MD), a chlorine-based reprocessing agent, were evaluated for changes in molecular weight (MW) cutoff and ultrafiltration properties. Methods: In vitro MW cutoff studies were performed on Fresenius F-80A (Fresenius, Lexington, MA) and Gambro Polyflux 17 (Gambro, Lakewood, CO) hemodialyzers that were reprocessed 20 times using Amukin-D. Permeability (Uf-A), defined as the area from the ultrafiltered compartment (Uf) compared with the area from the equivalent arterial compartment (A), for dextran across the hemodialyzer membrane was determined after the initial use and after reuses 1, 5, 10, 15, and 20 by using size-exclusion chromatography. Results: Uf-A for dextran increased approximately 10-fold between hemodialyzer reuses 1 and 5. Thereafter, additional reprocessing did not increase the Uf-A ratio further. MW cutoff increased during these 5 washes and did not change thereafter. Conclusion: Reprocessing with Amukin-D increased the MW cutoff and permeability of both hemodialyzers between reuses 1 and 5, resulting in a greater ultrafiltration rate and greater middle-molecule removal. After reuse 5, there were no further increases in MW cutoff with additional reprocessing in either hemodialyzer. This suggests that reprocessing and storage of each hemodialyzer with Amukin-D affects the permeability of dextran in a nonlinear fashion and to a finite level, such that subsequent reprocessing has no further effect on the MW cutoff of the membrane.
Effects of Panax quinquefolius L. on brainstem neuronal activities: comparison between Wisconsin-cultivated and Illinois-cultivated roots.

Summary Brainstem neurons receiving subdiaphragmatic vagal inputs were recorded in an in vitro neonatal rat brainstem-gastric preparation. Aqueous extracts of American ginseng root (Panax quinquefolius L.) from Wisconsin and Illinois were applied to the gastric compartment or the brainstem compartment of the bath chamber to evaluate the peripheral gut or central brain effects of the extracts on brainstem unitary activity. After P. quinquefolius extract application to the gastric or brainstem compartment, a concentration-related inhibition in neuronal discharge frequency in brainstem unitary activity was observed, suggesting that P. quinquefolius plays an important role in regulating the digestive process and modulating the brain function in the rat. In this study, pharmacological effects of Wisconsin-cultivated P. quinquefolius and Illinois-cultivated P. quinquefolius were compared. Our results showed that Illinois-cultivated P. quinquefolius possesses a significantly stronger peripheral gastric as well as central brain modulating effect on brainstem neuronal activity. Data from our high performance liquid chromatography ginsenoside analysis suggest that this increase in inhibitory effects by Illinois-cultivated P. quinquefolius may be due to its different ginsenoside profile.
Resource competition among plants: from maximizing individuals to community structure

Evidence indicates that natural systems worldwide are threatened by increasing economic activity, suggesting a need for improved understanding of how ecosystems and economies interact. The model of plant community structure developed here is designed to be both biologically reasonable and adaptable to economic models. The model begins with individual plants maximizing their net intake of light energy in a competitive environment, and the individual’s success determines whether the population of its species increases or decreases. This bridging model yields numerous testable predictions, and it provides a link between individual plant behavior and community structure. The driving force behind the dynamics of community structure is resource competition in which individual plants respond to a ‘price’ they pay when accessing light, while simultaneously the collective responses of all plants determine the price. Competition for light is well defined and determined by the value of the price. The parameters in the maximization problem that are species dependent determine what species can coexist. Water is added as another resource in the plant’s maximization problem, which forces the plant to optimally allocate photosynthate to roots versus shoots. The maximization framework permits relatively easy integration with economic models. © 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
The origin and early evolution of birds

Birds evolved from and are phylogenetically recognized as members of the theropod dinosaurs; their first known member is the Late Jurassic Archaeopteryx, now represented by seven skeletons and a feather, and their closest known non-avian relatives are the dromaeosaurid theropods such as Deinonychus. Bird flight is widely thought to have evolved from the trees down, but Archaeopteryx and its outgroups show no obvious arboreal or tree-climbing characters, and its wing planform and wing loading do not resemble those of gliders. The ancestors of birds were bipedal, terrestrial, agile, cursorial and carnivorous or omnivorous. Apart from a perching foot and some skeletal fusions, a great many characters that are usually considered ‘avian’ (e.g. the furcula, the elongated forearm, the laterally flexing wrist and apparently feathers) evolved in non-avian theropods for reasons unrelated to birds or to flight. Soon after Archaeopteryx, avian features such as the pygostyle, fusion of the carpometacarpus, and elongated curved pedal claws with a reversed, fully descended and opposable hallux, indicate improved flying ability and arboreal habits. In the further evolution of birds, characters related to the flight apparatus phylogenetically preceded those related to the rest of the skeleton and skull. Mesozoic birds are more diverse and numerous than thought previously and the most diverse known group of Cretaceous birds, the Enantiornithes, was not even recognized until 1981. The vast majority of Mesozoic bird groups have no Tertiary records: Enantiornithes, Hesperornithiformes, Ichthyornithiformes and several other lineages disappeared by the end of the Cretaceous. By that time, a few Linnean ‘Orders’ of extant birds had appeared, but none of these taxa belongs to extant ‘families’, and it is not until the Paleocene or (in most cases) the Eocene that the majority of extant bird ‘Orders’ are known in the fossil record. There is no evidence for a major or mass extinction of birds at the end of the Cretaceous, nor for a sudden ‘bottleneck’ in diversity that fostered the early Tertiary origination of living bird ‘Orders’.
Significance of Pollution

Water pollution is significant only when it influences living or biological systems either directly or indirectly. In a broad sense, it can be depicted as a normal consequence of the growth of organisms including man in or near the aquatic habitat. The unique physical and chemical properties of water have allowed life to evolve in it. The following quote from Szent-Gyorgyi (1958) illustrates this point of view: “That water functions in a variety of ways within a cell can not be disputed. Life originated in water, is thriving in water, water being its solvent and medium. It is the matrix of life.” All biological reactions occur in water, and it is the integrated system of biological metabolic reactions in an aqueous solution that is essential for maintenance of life. This also is true of air pollutants in that their impact on organisms occurs only when the pollutants are placed in solution (e.g., in the human lung).
The role of Tripartism in a global HIV/AIDS workplace initiative

A strategic venue to address the global HIV/AIDS pandemic has become the workplace. One program, SMARTWork, implemented by the Academy for Educational Development (AED) in six diverse countries, utilized a tripartite approach fostering partnerships between three sectors—government, business and labour—to advance HIV/AIDS workplace policies and programs at the national, provincial and enterprise levels. The implementation of this approach produced important learnings in the field of HIV/AIDS and the world of work. First, getting an early understanding of the country context and prior tripartite conditions helps identify the facilitators and barriers to tripartite building. Second, inclusion is critical—insisting on a structure where all sector partners have a [place at the table] helps build the credibility of weaker sectors and strengthens tripartism. Third, sector expectations must be clear—tripartite partners need to be transparent with each other about how to plan for and obtain resource commitments to advance their objectives. Most importantly, flexibility is key. While starving for collaboration between the three tripartite partners, individual sectors can have strategic impact, along with bipartite partnerships, in addressing HIV/AIDS in the workplace. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Management Compensation Surrounding an Accounting Change and Long-Term Construction Projects*

Abstract. This paper examines empirically the unexpected compensation to the top managers of a sample of 45 firms that voluntarily changed to capitalizing interest on long-term construction projects during the time period 1966–1974. The cash compensation to top management increased starting the year of the accounting change compared to that of top management for a firm in the same industry of similar size. Further, a comparison of the capital expenditure per dollar of sales between the sample and a pair-matched set of firms expensing interest in the same industry suggests that the long-term construction project was not taken up by diverting funds from routine capital expenditures. Collectively, the results are consistent with an inference that the managers were rewarded in the short term for a set of actions with expected future benefits in the long term. The accounting change, which may have facilitated the expansion, appears embedded in such a set of actions. Resume. Les auteurs procedent a l'examen empirique de la retribution inattendue que recoivent les cadres superieurs sur un echantillon de 45 entreprises qui sont passees volontairement a la capitalisation des interets dans leurs projets de construction a long terme au cours de la periode s'echelonnant de 1966 a 1974. La retribution en especes versee aux cadres superieurs de ces entreprises a augmente, a partir de l'annee de la modification de la methode comptable, par rapport a la retribution versee a la haute direction entreprises de taille similaire appartenant au meme secteur d'activite. En outre, une comparaison des depenses en immobilisations par dollar de chiffre d'affaires entre les entreprises de l'echantillon et leurs homologues du meme secteur d'activite ayant opte pour l'imputation des interets a l'exercice a revele que les projets de construction a long terme n'etaient pas finances a meme les credits ordinairement reserves aux depenses en immobilisations. Dans l'ensemble, les resultats confirment le raisonnement selon lequel les gestionnaires ont ete retribues a court terme pour un ensemble d'actions dont les avantages futurs prevus se manifesteront a long terme. La modification comptable, qui peut avoir facilite l'expansion, semble inscrite dans cet ensemble d'actions.
Good women for empire: Educating overseas female emigrants in imperial Japan, 1900-45

This article examines two tutelage campaigns launched by Japanese social reformers targeting Japanese emigrant women in Manchuria and California in the first two decades of the twentieth century. It reveals how these two middle-class-based social campaigns jointly paved the way for the Japanese state's ‘continental bride’ policy in the late 1930s, which mobilized and exported women from across the nation to Manchuria on an unprecedented scale. Synthesizing the stories of Japan's colonialism in Manchuria and Japanese labour migration to the American Pacific coast, this study traces the convergence and flows between the women's education campaigns in Japanese communities on both sides of the Pacific. It moves the debate of Japanese imperialism beyond Asia and situates it in a transnational space encompassing the local, the national, and the global.
Inspired to Work

The supply of occupational information appears to exceed the demand. A website displaying over 100 videos about various occupations was created to help career searchers find attractive alternatives. Access to the videos was free for anyone in the world. It had been hoped that many thousands of people would make use of the resource. However, the statistics showed that relatively few viewed the videos and those who did spent little time there. Good reasons were advanced to explain the low usage, but the action that was taken was to integrate the website with the Virtual Counseling Center at Arizona State University where it is still freely available for anyone to use.
Reversibility of heme-nitric oxide reactions for use in an inhaled nitric oxide sensor

Nitric Oxide is a simple gaseous compound which serves as a regulatory molecule in a number of physiological processes. Due to its biological role as a potent local vasodilator,there has been widespread interest in the therapeutic use of gaseous nitric oxide a selective pulmonary vasodilator. Our goal is the development of a sensor for the direct and continuous measurement of inhaled nitric oxide concentrations. This study evaluated the reversibility of potential sensing compounds upon reaction with nitric oxide. Previously, absorption spectroscopy was used to study the sensitivity of the Fe II, Fe III and oxygenated forms of three biologically active hemes known to rapidly react with NO: hemoglobin, myoglobin, and cytochrome-c. This study focused on the photo-reversibility of the hem's reaction with nitric oxide. Hemoglobin, myoglobin and cytochrome-c in the Fe III state reversibly reacted with nitric oxide. Hemoglobin and myoglobin in the Fe II state non-reversibly reacted with nitric oxide to form an unstable product. Cytochrome-c (FeII) does not react with nitric oxide. The oxy forms of hemoglobin and myoglobin react with nitric oxide to form their respective met forms, unreversible via photolysis. For all reversible reactions, photolysis was gradual and complete within five minutes.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Inversin forms a complex with catenins and N-cadherin in polarized epithelial cells.

Nephrogenesis starts with the reciprocal induction of two embryonically distinct analages, metanephric mesenchyme and ureteric bud. This complex process requires the refined and coordinated expression of numerous developmental genes, such as inv. Mice that are homozygous for a mutation in the inv gene (inv/inv) develop renal cysts resembling autosomal-recessive polycystic kidney disease. The gene locus containing inv has been proposed to serve as a common modifier for some human and rodent polycystic kidney disease phenotypes. We generated polyclonal antibodies to inversin to study its subcellular distribution, potential binding partners, and functional aspects in cultured murine proximal tubule cells. A 125-kDa inversin protein isoform was found at cell-cell junctions. Two inversin isoforms, 140- and 90-kDa, were identified in the nuclear and perinuclear compartments. Plasma membrane allocation of inversin is dependent upon cell-cell contacts and was redistributed when cell adhesion was disrupted after incubation of the cell monolayer with low-calcium/EGTA medium. We further show that the membrane-associated 125-kDa inversin forms a complex with N-cadherin and the catenins. The 90-kDa nuclear inversin complexes with β-catenin. These findings indicate that the inv gene product functions in several cellular compartments, including the nucleus and cell-cell adhesion sites.