cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Periostin promotes liver fibrogenesis by activating lysyl oxidase in hepatic stellate cells

Liver fibrosis arises from dysregulated wound healing due to persistent inflammatory hepatic injury. Periostin is a nonstructural extracellular matrix protein that promotes organ fibrosis in adults. Here, we sought to identify the molecular mechanisms in periostin-mediated hepatic fibrosis. Hepatic fibrosis in periostin−/− mice was attenuated as evidenced by significantly reduced collagen fibril density and liver stiffness compared with those in WT controls. A single dose of carbon tetrachloride caused similar acute liver injury in periostin−/− and WT littermates, and we did not detect significant differences in transaminases and major fibrosis-related hepatic gene expression between these two genotypes. Activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are the major periostin-producing liver cell type. We found that in primary rat HSCs in vitro, periostin significantly increases the expression levels and activities of lysyl oxidase (LOX) and lysyl oxidase–like (LOXL) isoforms 1–3. Periostin also induced expression of intra- and extracellular collagen type 1 and fibronectin in HSCs. Interestingly, periostin stimulated phosphorylation of SMAD2/3, which was sustained despite short hairpin RNA–mediated knockdown of transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) receptor I and II, indicating that periostin-mediated SMAD2/3 phosphorylation is independent of TGFβ receptors. Moreover, periostin induced the phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and AKT in HSCs. Notably, siRNA-mediated FAK knockdown failed to block periostin-induced SMAD2/3 phosphorylation. These results suggest that periostin promotes enhanced matrix stiffness in chronic liver disease by activating LOX and LOXL, independently of TGFβ receptors. Hence, targeting periostin may be of therapeutic benefit in combating hepatic fibrosis.
Consumerism and Health Care

In this paper, I will analyze health care by drawing upon relevant conceptual resources in the social sciences. I will approach this task from my sociological background, using sociological concepts primarily, but I will look also toward social psychology and economics for their contribution. My analysis will be conducted not solely as a disinterested dissection of health care institutions but also with a view toward current issues in health policy and practice.
Anti-inflammatory Therapies for Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive therapies have been widely employed in the treatment of sensorineural hearing loss in the context of autoimmune inner ear disease (AIED) and idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSHL). While steroids are the mainstay of treatment for these disorders, numerous other therapies, including cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, azathioprine, rituximab, anakinra, anti- TNF-α agents, and plasmapharesis have been investigated. Here we will describe the most commonly-studied of these immune-modulating therapies and review the evidence for their efficacy in the treatment of inner ear disorders, focusing on AIED and ISSHL. Further investigation of the potential inflammatory mechanisms mediating these forms of sensorineural hearing loss may ultimately identify targets for future treatments.
Seasonal dynamics and potential drivers of ranavirus epidemics in wood frog populations.

Epidemics in wildlife populations often display a striking seasonality. Ranaviruses can cause rapid, synchronous mass mortality events in populations of wood frog (Rana sylvatica) larvae in the summer. While there are several possible explanations for this pattern—from seasonal introductions of the virus to environmental stressors to windows of susceptibility to mortality from infection during development—most studies have focused on single factors in laboratory settings. We characterized the time course of ranavirus epidemics in eight ephemeral ponds in Connecticut, USA, measuring the prevalence and intensity of infections in wood frog larvae and Ranavirus DNA in water samples using environmental DNA methods. We found little evidence that the timing of pathogen introduction affected the timing of epidemics (rising prevalence) or the resulting die-offs. Instead, we observed a pulse in transmission asynchronous with die-offs; prevalence reached high levels (≥ 50%) up to 6 weeks before mortality was observed, suggesting that die-offs may be uncoupled from this pulse in transmission. Rather, mortality occurred when larvae reached later stages of development (hind limb formation) and coinciding water temperatures rose (≥ 15 °C), both of which independently increase pathogenicity (i.e., probability of host mortality) of infections in laboratory experiments. In summary, the strong seasonality of die-offs appears to be driven by development- and/or temperature-dependent changes in pathogenicity rather than occurring chronologically with pathogen introduction, after a pulse in transmission, or when susceptible host densities are greatest. Furthermore, our study illustrates the potential for eDNA methods to provide valuable insight in aquatic host–pathogen systems.
Nanoparticle Therapy for Vascular Diseases

Nanoparticles promise to advance strategies to treat vascular disease. Since being harnessed by the cancer field to deliver safer and more effective chemotherapeutics, nanoparticles have been translated into applications for cardiovascular disease. Systemic exposure and drug-drug interactions remain a concern for nearly all cardiovascular therapies, including statins, antithrombotic, and thrombolytic agents. Moreover, off-target effects and poor bioavailability have limited the development of completely new approaches to treat vascular disease. Through the rational design of nanoparticles, nano-based delivery systems enable more efficient delivery of a drug to its therapeutic target or even directly to the diseased site, overcoming biological barriers and enhancing a drug's therapeutic index. In addition, advances in molecular imaging have led to the development of theranostic nanoparticles that may simultaneously act as carriers of both therapeutic and imaging payloads. The following is a summary of nanoparticle therapy for atherosclerosis, thrombosis, and restenosis and an overview of recent major advances in the targeted treatment of vascular disease.
Earthquake study in southern California, 1944

This continues a previous report [see 1 of “References” at end of paper]. Three papers, previously named as in preparation, have now appeared [2, 3, 4]. Study of travel-times for southern California has been rounded off by a paper on minor phases [5]. Certain waves reflected at the 33-km level are strong over limited ranges of distance, in accordance with theoretical expectation.
IMAGING AND MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES IN AORTIC DILATION

Limited criteria are available to guide therapy for aortic dilation outside of specific syndromes. Our aim was to identify aortic diameters that prompt intervention. We performed a single center retrospective chart review of patients from birth to 30 years between 2011 and 2017. Conotruncal defect
Secondary School Teachers' Perceptions of Information Literacy Skills

Information literacy (IL) is a precondition for lifelong learning, especially for teachers whose profession authorises them to impart knowledge to students who are expected to be resourceful and critical thinkers. The study investigated the perceptions of secondary school teachers of IL skills, in the two cities of Lagos, Nigeria, and Durban, South Africa, focusing on six research questions. The post-positivist research paradigm was adopted for this study, which combines both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies through a multicase study research design. Data were gathered through questionnaires, interviews, observation and document analysis that included a literature review. The target population was secondary school teachers in Lagos and Durban. The study revealed the following: 1)Â teachers in Durban had a higher level of perception of the need for IL than their counterparts in Lagos, 2)Â electronic information resources were infrequently used by the teachers, 3)Â younger teachers tend to possess a higher level of IL than their older colleagues, which makes in-service training imperative, 4)Â female teachers are significantly more information literate than their male counterparts, 5)Â many of the school libraries seem to have been afterthoughts, and the specifications for library building and planning were not observed as itemised by IFLA library building guidelines, and 6)Â interaction and collaboration between teachers and librarians are limited. The study recommended a comprehensive policy review to deal with IL challenges, with appropriate training and workshops for teachers topping the list.
Viscosities Of Solutions Of Electrolytes And Non-Electrolytes In Ethylene Carbonate At 40°C

The viscosities of dilute solutions of a number of tetraalkylammonium and alkali metal halides, tetraphenylarsonium chloride, sodium tetraphenylborate, tetrabutylammonium tetrabutylborate, water, and 3,3-diethylpentane have been measured in the high-dielectric constant solvent, ethylene carbonate (EC) at 40°C. Crude values of the apparent molar volumes of these solutes have also been obtained. Relative viscosities were fitted to the extended Jones-Dole equation, ηr=17#x002B;Aηc1/2+BηC+Dηc2.The pattern of the Bη coefficients is strikingly similar to that previously observed in the high dielectric constant, linear-chain hydrogen-bonded solvent, N-methylacetamide (NMA). Ionic values for φv and Bη have been obtained using a variety of splitting techniques. Alkali metal ions have large Bη coefficients indicating strong cation solvation with the ‘normal’ order Li>Na>K>Cs. Small anions have positive but much smaller Bη values than in NMA. The observed order does suggest, however, a small degree of anion solvation. Large organic ions do not display the sharp crossing of the Einstein law,Dη=2.5φv, uniquely characteristic in H2O of hydrophobic interaction. The two non-electrolytes have negative Bη coefficients showing that the Einstein law is not valid at the molecular level and that hydrocarbons are not good models for their isoelectronic tetraalkylammonium ion counterparts. An empirical modification of the Einstein law to account for the finite size of the solvent molecules is discussed. As in NMA the Dη coefficients are roughly linear in the square of Bη suggesting that they arise from hydrodynamic origins.
Photolyase-dimer-DNA complexes and exclusion stimulation in Escherichia coli: depolarization of the plasma membrane.

Using cells that overproduce DNA photolyase, we found that UV irradiation (3 J/m2) efficiently inactivates accumulation of methylthiogalactoside (TMG) when RexAB proteins of phage lambda are present. The effect requires both formation of photolyase-dimer-DNA (PDD) complexes and expression of the RexAB proteins. It is reversed completely by a flash of visible light if given immediately after UV and becomes irreversible after post-UV incubation for about 15 min. Inactivation is significant after only 5 min of post-UV incubation, is accompanied by a loss of previously accumulated TMG, and does not require de novo protein synthesis. Passive transport of O-nitrophenylgalactoside by inactivated cells is typical of energy-depleted membranes. We suggest that PDD complexes mimic a developmental intermediate of phage superinfection and stimulate formation of the RexB membrane channel recently proposed by others to explain classical “exclusion”. This suggestion is supported by additional data showing an inactivation of colony-forming ability by exclusion stimulation and an inability of PDD complexes to inactivate accumulation of TMG if RexB is present in larger relative amounts than RexA (a detail characteristic of exclusion stimulated by phage superinfection).
The Impact of Malaysian Code on Corporate Governance and Political Connections on Accounting Conservatism

This study explores the relationships between accounting conservatism, the integration of the Malaysian Code on Corporate Governance (MCCG) into Bursa Malaysia listing requirements in 2001, and firms’ political connections. We find evidence that MCCG results in improved accounting conservatism in Malaysia. Furthermore, we find that prior to MCCG, firms with political connections lack accounting conservatism, and firms without political connections demonstrate accounting conservatism. After MCCG is included in Bursa Malaysia listing rules, both firms with and without political connections show improved accounting conservatism. More interestingly, politically-connected firms demonstrate stronger accounting conservatism compared to non-connected firms after the MCCG.
Ultrasensitive Three-Dimensional Orientation Imaging of Single Molecules on Plasmonic Nanohole Arrays Using Second Harmonic Generation

Recently, fluorescence-based super-resolution techniques such as stimulated emission depletion (STED) and stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (STORM) have been developed to achieve near molecular-scale resolution. However, such a super-resolution technique for nonlinear label-free microscopy based on second harmonic generation (SHG) is lacking. Since SHG is label-free and does not involve real-energy level transitions, fluorescence-based super-resolution techniques such as STED cannot be applied to improve the resolution. In addition, due to the coherent and non-isotropic emission nature of SHG, single-molecule localization techniques based on isotropic emission of fluorescent molecule such as STORM will not be appropriate. Single molecule SHG microscopy is largely hindered due to the very weak nonlinear optical scattering cross sections of SHG scattering processes. Thus, enhancing SHG using plasmonic nanostructures and nanoantennas has recently gained much attention owing to the potential of various nanoscale geometries to tightly confine electromagnetic fields into small volumes. This confinement provides substantial enhancement of electromagnetic field in nanoscale regions of interest, which can significantly boost the nonlinear signal produced by molecules located in the plasmonic hotspots. However, to date, plasmon-enhanced SHG has been primarily applied for the measurement of bulk properties of the materials/molecules, and single molecule SHG imaging along with its orientation information has not been realized yet. Herein, we achieved simultaneous visualization and three-dimensional (3D) orientation imaging of individual rhodamine 6G (R6G) molecules in the presence of plasmonic silver nanohole arrays. SHG and two-photon fluorescence microscopy experiments together with finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations revealed a ∼106-fold nonlinear enhancement factor at the hot spots on the plasmonic silver nanohole substrate, enabling detection of single molecules using SHG. The position and 3D orientation of R6G molecules were determined using the template matching algorithm by comparing the experimental data with the calculated dipole emission images. These findings could enable SHG-based single molecule detection and orientation imaging of molecules which could lead to a wide range of applications from nanophotonics to super-resolution SHG imaging of biological cells and tissues.
Gene-Environment Interactions on Body Fat Distribution.

The prevalence of obesity has been increasing markedly in the U.S. and worldwide in the past decades; and notably, the obese populations are signified by not only the overall elevated adiposity but also particularly harmful accumulation of body fat in the central region of the body, namely, abdominal obesity. The profound shift from “traditional” to “obesogenic” environments, principally featured by the abundance of palatable, energy-dense diet, reduced physical activity, and prolonged sedentary time, promotes the obesity epidemics and detrimental body fat distribution. Recent advances in genomics studies shed light on the genetic basis of obesity and body fat distribution. In addition, growing evidence from investigations in large cohorts and clinical trials has lent support to interactions between genetic variations and environmental factors, e.g., diet and lifestyle factors, in relation to obesity and body fat distribution. This review summarizes the recent discoveries from observational studies and randomized clinical trials on the gene–environment interactions on obesity and body fat distribution.
The renal molecular clock: broken by aging and restored by exercise.

The mammalian circadian clock governs physiological, endocrine, and metabolic responses coordinated in a 24-h rhythmic pattern by the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the anterior hypothalamus. The...
The Dormant Commerce Clause: The Endgame—From Southern Pacific to Tennessee Wine & Spirits—1945 To 2019

This article attempts to develop the undue burdens balancing and the virtually per se discrimination tests of the modern Dormant Commerce Clause starting with the 1945 case of Southern Pacific v. Arizona and moving to Tennessee Wine & Spirits Retailers Ass'n v. Thomas, a case decided by the United States Supreme Court in June of 2019. The Commerce Clause, Article I, Section 8, Clause 3 gives Congress the power “To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes.” Our most famous Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court, John Marshall, defined Congress’s commerce power “among the several states” to be plenary and complete, setting the stage for Congress to use this power over interstate commerce as the basis for much of Congress’ power to pass legislation. Out of this immense federal power, Chief Justice Marshall deduced that since Congress had plenary power over interstate commerce, the states had none. Only Congress could regulate interstate commerce. Marshall called the implied limitations of the Commerce Clause “dormant” leading to what we now call the Dormant Commerce Clause. There are two main aspects to the modern Dormant Commerce Clause. First, states may pass evenhanded laws that impact interstate commerce, but even evenhanded laws may not impose undue burdens on interstate commerce. Second, states may not discriminate against interstate commerce by treating commerce from other states differently than in-state commerce simply because it is out of state. Under the undue burdens test, the Court will consider a number of factors, but primarily the Court will undertake a factual evaluation of the importance of the state interest in passing the law that impacted interstate commerce versus a practical consideration of the harm to interstate commerce. Under the discrimination rule, the Court will almost certainly find the discriminatory state law to violate the Dormant Commerce Clause, but the Court uses an almost tortuous series of approaches to reach what is close to a foregone conclusion. This tortious approach has led some to say that it is impossible to know which of the two tests to apply. This article attempts to identify the key factors involved in the Court’s undue burden’s balancing approach and to closely explore the Court’s attempt to define discrimination and to determine when a state might be allowed to discriminate against interstate commerce. The hope is that at the very least students, lawyers, and lower courts might have some guidance in applying the two tests and in knowing the difference between the two.
Twitris v3: From Citizen Sensing to Analysis, Coordination and Action

Citizen sensing, with a billion plus active users and billion plus tweets/week, is complemented by shared information from contextually relevant Web of Data (blogs, news, and media objects) and background knowledge. How can these enable us in informing, understanding and managing a broad variety of activities and events locally and around the world? Twitris, currently in version 3, is a scalable and interactive platform which continuously collects, aggregates, integrates, and analyzes the above forms of data and knowledge to give deeper insights, as well as facilitate research and development on coordination and targeted actions related to any event. In this demonstration, we will show Twitris’ comprehensive capabilities in spatio-temporal-thematic, people-contentnetwork, and sentiment-emotion-subjectivity analyses, with examples from business intelligence including brand tracking and advertising campaigns, social/political unrests, and disaster events such as U.S. Election 2012, Occupy Wall Street (OWS) protest, Hurricane Sandy, etc. Visitors from diverse backgrounds will be able to play with the system for analyses of archived as well as live events during the demo.
Probing colored glass via qq̄ photoproduction

Abstract In this paper, we calculate the cross section for the photoproduction of quark–antiquark pairs in the peripheral collision of ultra-relativistic nuclei, by treating the color field of the nuclei within the Color Glass Condensate model. We find that this cross section is sensitive to the saturation scale Qs2 that characterizes the model. In particular, the transverse momentum spectrum of the produced pairs could be used to measure the properties of the color glass condensate.
Potential cross-reactivity of polysorbate 80 and cremophor: A case report.

IntroductionAnaphylactic and hypersensitivity reactions are known adverse effects of many drug products and may be due to the inactive ingredients of the drug formulation. Specifically for paclitax...
Photovoltaic Maximum Power Point Tracking Algorithms Implemented via Low-cost Field Programmable Gate Arrays

Characteristic of a solar photovoltaic (PV) system changes due to the change in environmental conditions, such as light intensity and temperature. Output power of a PV system varies as these conditions change and suffers substantial power loss if the PV system is not operated at the maximum power point (MPP) of the power-voltage curve. This paper discusses the implementation and optimization of various MPPT algorithms using a low-cost Digilent Basys-3 FPGA. Fractional open circuit voltage (FOCV), perturb and observe (P&O), and incremental conductance (IC) algorithms were investigated. Algorithms were tested under various ambient conditions including abrupt irradiance changes using a programmable solar simulator and the system performances were evaluated. Data was recorded in a PC with the FPGA board interfaced using a custom-designed LabVIEW program. Our work will open-up the opportunity to employ FPGAs as a rugged solution for reliable PV system monitoring, control and power optimization replacing present day microcontrollers.
Low-aberration high-speed-compatible optical delay line.

We describe a simple approach to dispersion-free optical delay line design that provides very low aberration over an extended delay range. In this approach, we minimize aberrations by directing non-axial beam displacements along a line of symmetry built into the apparatus. We show improved performance and significant reduction of wavefront aberrations by comparing simulation and experimental results with a similar delay line that lacks this line of symmetry. The new design facilitates transform-limited recovery of spectral resolution in Fourier transform coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering, and accordingly, we demonstrate 3.5cm−1 spectral resolution with a 10 ps delay scan range.
Crime in the New U.S. Epicenter of COVID-19

In the latter half of 2020, Los Angeles was dubbed by the media and academicians as the latest epicenter of COVID-19 in the United States. Using time-series analysis on Los Angeles Police Department crime data from 2017 through 2020, this paper tests the economic theory of crime, routine activities theory, social isolation theory, household bargaining theory, and structural vulnerability theory to determine whether they accurately predicted specific crime rate movements in the wake of COVID-19 in the city of Los Angeles. Economic theory of crime and routine activities theory were mostly supported. Social isolation theory and household bargaining theory were partially supported. Structural vulnerability theory was not supported. Implications and future research are also discussed.
Gatekeepers of transformation: private landowners evaluate invasives based on impacts to ecosystem services

USDA-Agricultural Research ServiceUnited States Department of Agriculture (USDA)USDA Agricultural Research Service [58-3064-6-003]; United States Department of AgricultureUnited States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Current status of adult cattle vaccination with Strain 19 in Florida

Vaccination of adult cattle with 1/25th of the standard dose of strain 19 reduced the number of cattle removed from 110 herds in one year by 85% in 85 dairy herds and by 90% in 25 beef herds. This dose also minimized the effects of false positive reactions to serological tests. Complement fixation was found to be superior to other tests for diagnosing infection in vaccinated cattle.
Post II Trajectory Animation Tool Using MATLAB, V1.0

A trajectory animation tool has been developed for accurately depicting position and the attitude of the bodies in flight. The movies generated from This MATLAB based tool serve as an engineering analysis aid to gain further understanding into the dynamic behavior of bodies in flight. This tool has been designed to interface with the output generated from POST II simulations, and is able to animate a single as well as multiple vehicles in flight.
A Logical Representation for Relevance Criteria

As CBR system designers confront the problem of building programs that can explain their results, a logical representation of relevance concepts will be useful. Our application, tutoring students to reason with cases, necessitated adopting a declarative, logical representation of case-based relevance concepts. Representing relevance criteria in first-order logic with LOOM has turned out not to be prohibitively expensive computationally and has had considerable advantages: it facilitates the use of multiple, changing relevance criteria involving complex relationships among cases, we have made some progress in enabling a program to explain aspects of its relevance criteria by example, and even students are beginning to express their own queries in a simplified version of the language for CATO, our tutoring program, to interpret.
Relationship between amniotic fluid volume and maternal plasma volume expansion.

Abstract Amniotic fluid and maternal plasma volumes were estimated in high-risk obstetric patients suspected of being hypovolemic. Excluding cases of intrinsic maternal or fetal disease, there were good (P
Dressing Constitutionally: Hierarchy, Sexuality, and Democracy from Our Hairstyles to Our Shoes

This book examines how the intertwining of clothes and the United States Constitution raises fundamental questions of hierarchy, sexuality and democracy. Constitutional considerations both constrain and confirm daily choices. In turn, appearances provide multilayered perspectives on the Constitution and its interpretations. Garments often raise First Amendment issues of expression or religion, but they also prompt questions of equality on the basis of gender, race and sexuality. At work, in court, in schools, in prisons and on the streets, clothes and grooming provoke constitutional controversies. Additionally, the production, trade and consumption of apparel implicates constitutional concerns including colonial sumptuary laws, slavery, wage and hour laws, and current notions of free trade. The regulation of what we wear - or do not - is ubiquitous. From a noted constitutional scholar and commentator, this book examines the rights to expression and equality, as well as the restraints on government power, as they both limit and allow control of our most personal choices of attire and grooming.
Asymmetric Missing-data Problems: Overcoming the Lack of Negative Data in Preference Ranking

In certain classification problems there is a strong a asymmetry between the number of labeled examples available for each of the classes involved. In an extreme case, there may be a complete lack of labeled data for one of the classes while, at the same time, there are adequate labeled examples for the others, accompanied by a large body of unlabeled data. Since most classification algorithms require some information about all classes involved, label estimation for the un-represented class is desired. An important representative of this group of problems is that of user interest/preference modeling where there may be a large number of examples of what the user likes with essentially no counterexamples. Recently, there has been much interest in applying the EM algorithm to incomplete data problems in the area of text retrieval and categorization. We adapt this approach to the asymmetric case of modeling user interests in news articles, where only labeled positive training data are available, with access to a large corpus of unlabeled documents. User modeling is here equivalent to that of user-specific document ranking. EM is used in conjunction with the Naive Bayes model while its output is also utilized by a Support Vector Machine and Rocchio's technique. Our findings demonstrate that the EM algorithm can be quite effective in modeling the negative class under a number of different initialization schemes. Although primarily just the negative training examples are needed, a natural question is whether using all of the estimated labels (i.e., positive and negative) would be more (or less) beneficial. This is important considering that, in this context, the initialization of the negative class for EM is likely not to be very accurate. Experimental results suggest that EM output should be limited to negative label estimates only.
Effects of Changes in Brain Metabolism on the Levels of Citric Acid Cycle Intermediates

The levels of all the free intermediates of the Krebs cycle except succinyl coenzyme A were measured in cerebral tissue of mice after periods of ischemia; anesthesia by Amytal, phenobarbital, and ether; hyperthermia; fluoroacetate poisoning; and insulin hypoglycemia. The levels of glucose, glucose 6-phosphate, pyruvate, phosphocreatine, adenosine triphosphate, adenosine diphosphate, and adenylic acid were also determined. During 5 sec of complete ischemia (decapitation) the levels of citrate, α-ketoglutarate, and oxalacetate fell 15 to 60% whereas the concentrations of succinate and fumarate rose 40% over a 30-sec interval. These changes presumably represent the conversion of a steady state system into an equilibrium system. Succinate accumulation is postulated to result from pyruvate carboxylation and fumarate reduction rather than from α-ketoglutarate oxidation. Decreasing the metabolic flux with anesthetic agents resulted in each case in marked decreases in α-ketoglutarate, fumarate, and malate, whereas increasing the flux by hyperthermia resulted in increases in these same three substrates. Neither anesthesia nor hyperthemia caused significant change in the levels of citrate, isocitrate, succinate, or oxalacetate. Fluoroacetate at first increased citrate levels without much effect on other substrates. Subsequently, when citrate had increased more than 3-fold, changes occurred in levels of the other Krebs cycle members. The accompanying rise in glucose 6-phosphate and fall in pyruvate suggested that inhibition of glycolysis at the phosphofructokinase step had taken place. Insulin hypoglycemia resulted in a general lowering of the levels of all Krebs cycle intermediates, as well as of glucose 6-phosphate and pyruvate. The changes associated with increasing, decreasing, or blocking flux in the Krebs cycle by the various procedures are used to assess the kinetic behavior of individual steps and to attempt to identify control points.
Spatial bias in field-estimated unsaturated hydraulic properties

Hydraulic property measurements often rely on non-linear inversion models whose errors vary between samples. In non-linear physical measurement systems, bias can be directly quantified and removed using calibration standards. In hydrologic systems, field calibration is often infeasible and bias must be quantified indirectly. We use a Monte Carlo error analysis to indirectly quantify spatial bias in the saturated hydraulic conductivity, K{sub s}, and the exponential relative permeability parameter, {alpha}, estimated using a tension infiltrometer. Two types of observation error are considered, along with one inversion-model error resulting from poor contact between the instrument and the medium. Estimates of spatial statistics, including the mean, variance, and variogram-model parameters, show significant bias across a parameter space representative of poorly- to well-sorted silty sand to very coarse sand. When only observation errors are present, spatial statistics for both parameters are best estimated in materials with high hydraulic conductivity, like very coarse sand. When simple contact errors are included, the nature of the bias changes dramatically. Spatial statistics are poorly estimated, even in highly conductive materials. Conditions that permit accurate estimation of the statistics for one of the parameters prevent accurate estimation for the other; accurate regions for the two parameters do not overlap in parameter space. False cross-correlation between estimated parameters is created because estimates of K{sub s} also depend on estimates of {alpha} and both parameters are estimated from the same data.
Toward Predicting Distributed Systems Dynamics

Systems of "building block" algorithms can guarantee that self-organizing systems eventually converge to a predictable state, but what of their dynamical behavior in environments with ongoing changes? To begin to address this challenge, we analyze a commonly used distributed distance estimation algorithm from a stability theory perspective, identifying key properties of monotonicity and dynamical behavior envelope. This allows standard stability theory analysis to be applied to predict the behavior of the algorithm in response to persistent perturbation, both in isolation and as part of a composite system, as demonstrated both analytically and in simulation.
EFFECT OF ALANINE AND THREONINE ON THE SYNTHESIS OF SERINE BY LEUCONOSTOC MESENTEROIDES

O'Barr, Thomas P. (Agricultural Research Service, Washington, D.C.). Effect of alanine and threonine on the synthesis of serine by Leuconostoc mesenteroides. J. Bacteriol. 86:1321-1325. 1963.-Growth of Leuconostoc mesenteroides in the absence of serine was inhibited by l-alanine and l-threonine. Varying the glycine concentration when l-alanine was present suggested a direct relationship between the molar ratio of these two amino acids and the amount of growth achieved by the test organism. Supplements of leucovorin did not reverse the effect of l-alanine upon growth. In experiments with washed cells of L. mesenteroides, both l-alanine and l-threonine reduced the amount of C(14)-labeled formate fixed into serine and the amount of glycine-1-C(14) found in boiling-water extracts of the cells. Neither l-alanine nor l-threonine had any inhibitory effect upon the glycine-dependent disappearance of formaldehyde by acetone powders prepared from L. mesenteroides.
Think small and examine the constituents of left ventricular hypertrophy and heart failure: Cardiomyocytes versus fibroblasts, collagen, and capillaries in the interstitium

Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and heart failure are prevalent and frequently encountered conditions, but several fundamental issues about LVH and heart failure remain unresolved. Although it is well known that hypertension can lead to LVH, which then heralds adverse events such as heart failure
Combined exercise and cognitive behavioral therapy improves outcomes in patients with heart failure

Objective The purpose of this study is to compare the effectiveness of a combined 12-week home-based exercise (EX)/cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) program (n=18) with CBT alone (n=19), EX alone (n=20), and with usual care (UC, n=17) in stable New York Heart Association Class II to III heart failure (HF) patients diagnosed with depression.
Neurotrophic influence on lobster skeletal muscle

The correlation between histochemical properties of muscle fibers and the pattern of innervation by the two motor neurons was studied in the asymmetric claw closer muscles of the lobster. The closer muscle of the cutter claw is composed of 65 percent fast muscle fibers and 35 percent slow muscle fibers, whereas that in the crusher claw has all slow muscle fibers. In both claws, myofibrillar adenosinetriphosphatase activity was independent of the pattern of innervation. Oxidative capacity, as measured by reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide activity, was correlated with motor axon presence: Muscle fibers innervated solely by the "fast" motor axon had low oxidative capacity, muscle fibers receiving only the slow motor axon had very high oxidative capacity, and fibers innervated by both axons had intermediate properties. The data suggest that the motor neurons may exert trophic influences that control certain muscle fiber properties but not others.
Fieldion microscopy of frank loops in platinum: Computer simulation and experimental observation

Various Frank loops in quenched and annealed Pt, examining dislocations with field ion microscopy and computer simulated approximations
Carbanion generation and aldol condensation between glyoxylate and glycine of glycinamide.

Abstract Glyoxylate and glycine or glycinamide react under moderately alkaline conditions even in the absence of metal ions to generate stable intermediates which absorb in the wavelength range 250–280 nm. The intermediates appear to be N -glyoxylylideneglycine and N -glyoxylylideneglycinamide. Carbanions, formed from these intermediates, react with glyoxylate to produce the aldol condensation products, β-hydroxyaspartic acid and β-hydroxyaspartamide. After reaction of glyoxylate and glycine in 3 H 2 O, tritium was found in glyoxylate, glycine, and β-hydroxyaspartic acid in a ratio of specific activity of 1:2:2. The formation of the β-hydroxyaspartic acids from glyoxylate and glycine was followed at pH 10.3, 25 °. The reaction reached completion at 50 hr after 18% of the reactants had condensed. The threo -β-hydroxyaspartic acid isomers composed 72% of the total. β-Hydroxyaspartamide formation from glyoxylate and glycinamide proceeded rapidly at pH 9.3 and 25 °, and 58% of the reactants were converted into β-hydroxyaspartamides after 6 hr. Transamination between glyoxylate and glycine occurred very slowly at pH 10.2 and 25 °. Complete exchange between glyoxylate and 1- 14 C-glycine required 25 days.
Styrene Impairs Serial Spatial Reversal Learning in Rats

To evaluate the effects of styrene exposure on learning, adult male Long-Evans rats learned repeated reversals of a spatial discrimination task. Styrene monomer (50% vol/vol in corn oil) was administered by gavage to groups of eight rats at 500 mg/kg/day, 5 days/week, for 8 weeks in Experiments (Exps) I and II (total dose = 20.0 g/kg) or for 1,3,5, or 8 weeks in Exp III (total dose = 2.5, 7.5, 12.5, or 20.0 g/kg). Control rats received corn oil vehicle for 8 weeks. Reversal training began 8 (Exp I), 10 (Exp II), or 32 (Exp III) weeks after termination of dosing. In Exp I, an instrumental (IN) schedule was used, under which rats received food after each presentation of a “positive” response lever (S+ ) only if they had made at least one response during that presentation of S+. In Exps II and III, an automaintenance (AU) schedule was used, under which rats received food after every presentation of S+, regardless of responding. In all experiments, a second manipulandum (S°) was presented randomly in time wit...
Source parameters of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake determined from long-period Rayleigh waves

The source parameters of the Loma Prieta earthquake are determined using long-period Rayleigh waves recorded by USGS/IRIS, IDA/IRIS, and GEOSCOPE stations. The source mechanism is well-constrained by the Rayleigh wave radiation pattern, with a dip = 70 ({plus minus}5){degree}, strike = 130 ({plus minus}5){degree}, rake = 135 ({plus minus}5){degree}, and moment = 3.4 ({plus minus}0.5) {times} 10{sup 19} Nm (M{sub w} = 7.0). This mechanism is generally consistent with independent body wave determinations. The most stable long-period waves, with periods from 200 to 275 s, indicate that the source process has a centroid time of about 10 s, somewhat longer than that indicated by body waves (about 5-6 s). This discrepancy cannot be uniquely attribution to source effects because of uncertainties in the propagation corrections. The importance of using surface waves with short propagation paths for analysis of moderate size earthquakes such as the Loma Prieta event is demonstrated by the unreasonably long source durations inferred from R{sub 3} arrivals.
Triggering Protein Folding within the GroEL-GroES Complex

The folding of many proteins depends on the assistance of chaperonins like GroEL and GroES and involves the enclosure of substrate proteins inside an internal cavity that is formed when GroES binds to GroEL in the presence of ATP. Precisely how assembly of the GroEL-GroES complex leads to substrate protein encapsulation and folding remains poorly understood. Here we use a chemically modified mutant of GroEL (EL43Py) to uncouple substrate protein encapsulation from release and folding. Although EL43Py correctly initiates a substrate protein encapsulation reaction, this mutant stalls in an intermediate allosteric state of the GroEL ring, which is essential for both GroES binding and the forced unfolding of the substrate protein. This intermediate conformation of the GroEL ring possesses simultaneously high affinity for both GroES and non-native substrate protein, thus preventing escape of the substrate protein while GroES binding and substrate protein compaction takes place. Strikingly, assembly of the folding-active GroEL-GroES complex appears to involve a strategic delay in ATP hydrolysis that is coupled to disassembly of the old, ADP-bound GroEL-GroES complex on the opposite ring.
Navigating US greenways: US political reflections in An Inconvenient Truth

Environmental discourses resonate with certain intrinsic values over others and shape environmental behaviours. Political ideology offers a powerful values-based heuristic for evaluating environmental messaging. The USA is a major global producer of greenhouse gases and the greatest industrialized nation holdout to political reform. A deeper understanding of the specific political-ideological forces at play in the US environmental debate can yield greater understanding of domestic ideology-based tensions and international US intractability by offering insight to the evolution of the US environmental movement and its political supporters and adversaries at home. Understanding what occurs within the US mindset in environmental discussions can help representatives of other nations frame more effective arguments and lead to policy reform. A textual analysis of a US environmental artefact deemed key to raising US global warming awareness, the documentary An Inconvenient Truth (2006), reveals that US politician...
Gradual decay of circadian drinking organization following lesions of the suprachiasmatic nuclei in primates.

Abstract The circadian organization of squirrel monkey drinking behavior was examined in constant illumination following lesions which totally destroyed the suprachiasmatic nuclei. Although these lesions eventually led to a severe disruption in the temporal organization of drinking behavior, a statistically significant circadian pattern of drinking was observed in each monkey for at least 4–6 weeks after lesioning.
Lucky numbers: Choice strategies in the Pennsylvania Daily Number game

We examined the amount of money bet during a week of Pennsylvania’s Daily Number game. In this game, players receive a predetermined payoff for picking the 3-digit number (000 to 999) drawn on that day. The betting distribution was distinctly nonuniform, and we identified several betting patterns, such as picking triples and avoiding double 9s. In addition, we asked separate groups of subjects to rate selected numbers for randomness, luckiness, and perceived history of winning; to categorize numbers; and to free associate to numbers. We propose that people seem to choose highly patterned, available, and/or “lucky” numbers. People apparently do not bet numbers that reflect the random process of the game (they do not utilize a representativeness heuristic).
Methylation of the EBV Genome and Establishment of Restricted Latency in Low-Passage EBV-Infected 293 Epithelial Cells

Abstract Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) encodes multiple latency programs: a growth-transforming program (type III) latency program and restricted-latency (types I and II) programs. During type III latency, EBV expresses six nuclear antigens, all of which are encoded by a single complex transcriptional unit driven by two linked promoters, Cp and Wp, while restricted viral latency is characterized by the expression of a single nuclear antigen, EBNA1, whose expression is driven from a distinct transcription unit under the control of the Qp promoter. EBV infection of the 293 epithelial cell line frequently leads to the establishment of a type I/II latent infection. Here we report that during the initial stages of virus infection of the 293 cell line, both Cp and Wp are active. However, analysis of four established, low-passage EBV-infected 293 cell lines revealed that three of these exhibited Qp-driven transcription of the EBNA 1 gene and little or no detectable Cp and Wp activity, while the fourth cell line exhibited Cp activity. Notably, all four cell lines contained the necessary transcription factors to drive transcription initiation from Cp and Wp when transiently transfected with unmethylated reporter constructs. Furthermore, in the cell lines exhibiting restricted EBV latency the viral genomes were extensively methylated around Cp and Wp, but not Qp. In contrast, in the cell line exhibiting Cp activity the viral genomes were hypomethylated around Cp, Wp, and Qp. Taken together, these results provide evidence that the establishment of a restricted latent infection in the 293 epithelial cell line is not due to a failure to initiate the growth-transforming (type III) latency program, but rather may arise from a selection against the type III latency program. Furthermore, these results are consistent with the hypothesis that methylation of Cp and Wp is required for entry into the type I or II latency programs.
Airfoil transition and separation studies using an infrared imaging system

An infrared imaging system was used to detect the thermal signature of boundary-layer flow regimes on a NACA 0012 airfoil from zero angle of attack up to separation. The boundary-layer transition from laminar to turbulent flow and the onset of separation could be seen on the airfoil thermograms. The findings were compared against the behavior of aluminum foil tufts observable both visually and with the infrared imaging system. This arrangement offers the option of using the infrared imaging system both for flow regime detection through surface thermography and flow visualization by the aluminum foil tufts. Ultimately the surface temperature changes due to variation in the angle of attack of a lifting surface provide a means for interpretation of the boundary-layer flow regimes.
Knowledge, Labour and Education

In an emerging knowledge-based economy, the rationale for how resources are organised, value is created and, in turn, how value is converted into power will change radically. Educators, in particular, can play a central role in negotiating these power shifts. This paper examines the impetus behind the shift. In so doing, production is examined as to how it creates value and how that changes our work and learning environments. Emerging definitions of education, value, labour and knowledge are discussed in light of these changes. Finally, resultant social, political, production and structural changes are examined.