cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stabilization of the tertiary structure of the cholera toxin A1 subunit inhibits toxin dislocation and cellular intoxication.

Abstract Cholera toxin (CT) moves from the cell surface to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) by retrograde vesicular transport. The catalytic subunit of CT (CTA1) then crosses the ER membrane and enters the cytosol in a process that involves the quality control mechanism of ER-associated degradation. The molecular details of this dislocation event have not been fully characterized. Here, we report that thermal instability in the CTA1 subunit—specifically, the loss of CTA1 tertiary structure at 37 °C—triggers toxin dislocation. Biophysical studies found that glycerol preferentially stabilized the tertiary structure of CTA1 without having any noticeable effect on the thermal stability of its secondary structure. The thermal disordering of CTA1 tertiary structure normally preceded the perturbation of its secondary structure, but in the presence of 10% glycerol the temperature-induced loss of CTA1 tertiary structure occurred at higher temperatures in tandem with the loss of CTA1 secondary structure. The glycerol-induced stabilization of CTA1 tertiary structure blocked CTA1 dislocation from the ER and instead promoted CTA1 secretion into the extracellular medium. This, in turn, inhibited CT intoxication. Glycerol treatment also inhibited the in vitro degradation of CTA1 by the core 20S proteasome. Collectively, these findings indicate that toxin thermal instability plays a key role in the intoxication process. They also suggest the stabilization of CTA1 tertiary structure is a potential goal for novel antitoxin therapeutic agents.
Correlation of serum cardiac troponin I and myocardial damage in cattle with monensin toxicosis.

Background: Cardiac troponin I (cTnI) is used as a biomarker of myocardial injury in people and small animals. Little is known about the diagnostic use of cTnI in cattle. Hypothesis: Serum cTnI correlates to myocardial function and histopathologic lesions in cattle with monensin-induced myocardial injury. Animals: Ten healthy cows. Methods: Experimental study. Animals received 1 dose of monensin PO; 30 mg/kg (n = 1) or 40 mg/kg (n = 1) (Group A) or 50 mg/kg monensin (n = 8) (Group B) of body weight. Repeated measurements were performed of serum cTnI, biochemistry, and ECG and echocardiography until study termination at 80 (Group A) and 144 hours (Group B) after dosing. Semiquantitative histopathologic examinations of the heart were performed in each cow. A scoring system with regard to the magnitude of myocardial injury was established and a total heart score was compared with maximum cTnI concentration measured after monensin administration. Five hearts from healthy cows served as controls. Results: Increased cTnI (>0.07 ng/mL) was found in 9/10 cows. cTnI was significantly associated with left ventricular shortening fraction (r2= 0.51; P= .02) and myocardial histopathologic lesion score (r2= 0.49; P= .021). All cows (n = 7) with evidence of myocardial necrosis had a cTnI concentration ≥ 1.04 ng/mL. Conclusion and Clinical Importance: cTnI is related to myocardial necrosis and severity of myocardial damage in cattle with monensin toxicosis. cTnI could become a useful diagnostic tool in the noninvasive assessment of myocardial injury in cattle with naturally occurring cardiac disease.
Static Conductor Devices for Railroad Use with Particular Emphasis on Rapid-Transit Cars

Railroads, along with most other industries, have found in recent years an ever-increasing number of applications where static components can replace the long-standing electromagnetic, pneumatic and mechanical devices. This paper discusses briefly a few such applications, pointing out some features which static components can offer as compared with conventional devices. Details concerning a new static notching system used in type SCM (simplified cam magnetic) control for rapid-transit car propulsion emphasizes recently developed advantages to be obtained with static components.
Orchestrating Semiotic Leaps from Tacit to Cultural Quantitative Reasoning—The Case of Anticipating Experimental Outcomes of a Quasi-Binomial Random Generator

This article reports on a case study from a design-based research project that investigated how students make sense of the disciplinary tools they are taught to use, and specifically, what personal, interpersonal, and material resources support this process. The probability topic of binomial distribution was selected due to robust documentation of widespread student error in comparing likelihoods of possible events generated in random compound-event experiments, such as flipping a coin four times, for example, students erroneously evaluate HHHT as more likely than HHHH, whereas in fact these are 2 of 16 equiprobable elemental events in the sample space of this experiment. The study's conjecture was that students' intuitive reasoning underlying these canonical errors is nevertheless in accordance with mathematical theory: student intuition is couched in terms of an unexpanded sample space—that is, five heteroprobable aggregate events (no-H, 1H, 2H, 3H, 4H), and therefore students' judgments should be under...
CYP1A2 is not required for 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin-induced immunosuppression

One of the most sensitive and reproducible immunotoxic endpoints of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) exposure is suppression of the antibody response to sheep red blood cells (SRBCs) in mice. Immunosuppression occurs in concert with hepatomegaly and associated induction of several hepatic cytochrome P450 enzymes, including CYP1A2 which is responsible for the hepatic sequestration of TCDD. In this study, TCDD-induced immunosuppression was evaluated in C57BL/6N CYP1A2 (+/+) wild-type and compared with that of age-matched CYP1A2 (-/-) knockout and CYP1A2 (+/-) heterozygous female mice. Groups of mice were given a single gavage dose of 0, 0.03, 0.1, 0.3, 1.0, 3.0 or 10.0microg TCDD/kg, followed 7 days later by immunization with SRBCs. Serum was obtained 5 days after immunization and body, spleen, thymus and liver weights were measured. sheep red blood cell (SRBC) antibody titers were determined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Anti-SRBC titers were suppressed at 1.0, 1.0 and 0.3microg TCDD/kg for CYP1A2 (+/+), CYP1A2 (+/-), and CYP1A2 (-/-) mice, respectively, which indicated a three-fold increase in TCDD-induced immunosuppression for the CYP1A2 (-/-) mice. This increase in TCDD-induced immunosuppression may be due to the inability of CYP1A2 (-/-) mice to sequester TCDD in the liver leading to a higher dose to the immune system. In CYP1A2 (+/+) mice, a dose of 3.0microg TCDD/kg was sufficient to increase the liver weight, while in CYP1A2 (-/-) mice no increase in liver weight was observed. Application of analysis of variance and dose-response modeling approaches indicate that there is little evidence that the immunosuppression dose-response curves, for the three strains, differ in the lower part of the dose-response range. Thus, CYP1A2 is not required for TCDD-induced immunosuppression in the mouse.
FDA guidelines and animal models for osteoporosis

Abstract The recent FDA Guidelines For Preclinical and Clinical Evaluation of Agents Used in the Treatment or Prevention of Postmenopausal Osteoporosis (1994) delineate specific preclinical animal models to demonstrate the efficacy and safety of new, potential agents for osteoporosis therapy. The Guidelines recommend that agents be evaluated in two animal species, including the ovariectomized (OVX) rat and in a second non-rodent model. We have performed a series of studies to determine whether the recommended OVX rat models, endpoints, and study design adequately address the efficacy and safety of therapeutic agents for the treatment or prevention of osteoporosis. Our study results indicate that the rat OVX model mimics postmenopausal cancellous bone loss when examined over relatively short periods of time. These data illustrate that cancellous bone turnover increases following OVX and this increased bone turnover produces bone loss. Estrogen completely blocks the activation of bone turnover and bone loss. Thus, our data suggest that the rat OVX model in the proximal tibia, distal femur, and lumbar vertebrae mimics conditions in the postmenopausal woman and is suitable for the evaluation of potential therapeutic agents for the prevention of osteoporosis. However, when the duration of the studies extends to 12 months as suggested by the Guidelines , the indices of cancellous bone turnover return to the value of sham controls, although the trabecular bone volume remains lower than that of sham controls in OVX rats. Therefore, it is difficult to determine the effects of potential therapeutic agents on the bone turnover in estrogen deficient conditions. Further, in long term OVX, the effects of increased skeletal size on the cancellous and cortical bone compartments of the skeleton become less clear. The effect that the increased bone area has on biomechanical strength parameters remains to be determined. Because bone strength and quality are two key endpoints to the animal pharmacology studies, it is essential to determine how the increase in skeletal size impacts the bone strength measurements. It therefore may be reasonable to restrict studies of potential therapeutic agents in OVX rats to a duration of less than 12 months and probably no more than 6 months. Combined with previously published data, our preclinical data on OVX rat model suggest that the proposed animal models by the Guidelines are appropriate for evaluation of agents to prevent bone loss in postmenopausal women. However, modification of endpoints and study duration of the rat OVX studies contained in the Guidelines is recommended. Furthermore, we found that the Guidelines should be modified to evaluate agents for the treatment of osteoporosis. Also, the Guidelines fail to account for osteoporosis therapy which uses combination or cyclical regimens.
Effects of galanin on cocaine-mediated conditioned place preference and ERK signaling in mice.

The neuropeptide galanin and its receptors are expressed in brain regions implicated in the rewarding effects of natural stimuli and drugs of abuse. Galanin has been shown to attenuate neurochemical, physiological, and behavioral signs of opiate and amphetamine reinforcement. In the current study, we present evidence that galanin modulates neurochemical and behavioral correlates of cocaine response. Mice lacking the neuropeptide galanin (Gal −/−) and wild-type (Gal +/+) controls were used to analyze the effects of galanin in an unbiased conditioned place preference paradigm. We then examined cocaine-induced activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activity as a marker of intracellular signaling in the mesolimbic dopaminergic pathway induced by acute cocaine administration Gal −/− mice showed significantly greater conditioned place preference at a threshold dose of cocaine (3 mg/kg) than Gal +/+ mice, and this was reversed by administration of the galanin receptor agonist galnon. Consistent with the results of behavioral experiments, there was a significant increase in ERK activation in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and nucleus accumbens (NAc) of Gal −/− mice but not Gal +/+ mice following acute, systemic cocaine injection at the threshold dose. In the NAc, but not VTA, this effect was reversed by administration of galnon. These data, coupled with previous studies on the effects of morphine and amphetamine, demonstrate that galanin normally attenuates drug reinforcement, potentially via modulation of the mesolimbic dopamine system.
Bio-inspired microlenses and their biomedical applications

Optical detection and imaging have wide applications in biomedicine and biological and chemical analyses. With continuing miniaturization effort to realize integrated microsystems, micro-scale optical components become more and more important. For any optical system, lenses are critical elements. In this paper, I will present our work on liquid microlenses. I will first introduce a few types of microlenses and microlens arrays, including tunable liquid microlenses actuated by temperature-, pH- and infrared light-responsive hydrogels. Then, I will discuss about potential applications of these lenses in medical instruments. I will describe miniaturized cameras capable of multiple viewpoints, and prototype flexible endoscopes implementing infrared-light responsive liquid microlenses at their distal ends.
Analysis of Two-Dimensional Dissociation Constant of Laterally Mobile Cell Adhesion Molecules

We formulate a general analysis to determine the two-dimensional dissociation constant (2D Kd), and use this method to study the interaction of CD2-expressing T cells with glass-supported planar bilayers containing fluorescently labeled CD58, a CD2 counter-receptor. Both CD2 and CD58 are laterally mobile in their respective membranes. Adhesion is indicated by accumulation of CD2 and CD58 in the cell-bilayer contact area; adhesion molecule density and contact area size attain equilibrium within 40 min. The standard (Scatchard) analysis of solution-phase binding is not applicable to the case of laterally mobile adhesion molecules due to the dynamic nature of the interaction. We derive a new binding equation, B/F = [(Nt × f)/(Kd × Scell)] − [(B × p)/Kd], where B and F are bound and free CD58 density in the contact area, respectively; Nt is CD2 molecule number per cell; f is CD2 fractional mobility; Scell is cell surface area; and p is the ratio of contact area at equilibrium to Scell. We use this analysis to determine that the 2D Kd for CD2-CD58 is 5.4–7.6 molecules/μm2. 2D Kd analysis provides a general and quantitative measure of the mechanisms regulating cell-cell adhesion.
Changes in body mass index for individuals with and without schizophrenia, 1987-1996.

Abstract The advent of the novel or atypical antipsychotic drugs has improved the treatment and quality of life for many individuals. However, many of these newer agents confer a degree of weight gain that is both greater than conventional antipsychotics and of a clinically meaningful magnitude. To better place this issue into perspective, we evaluated body mass index (BMI; kg/m 2 ) levels and the prevalence of overweight and obesity among schizophrenic versus non-schizophrenic individuals among nationally representative samples of the US adult population and evaluated whether there were changes in these rates during the decade from 1987 to 1996, a period in which use of novel/atypical agents increased. Results showed that mean BMI for individuals with schizophrenia is significantly higher than individuals who are not schizophrenic. The non-schizophrenic population shows steady and significant gains in BMI from 1987 to 1996 both as a whole and when stratified by gender and age. In contrast, time trends among the population of schizophrenic individuals show a more complex pattern. Specifically, for most groups, there is little evidence of a general trend in BMI over time. However, among females with schizophrenia ages 18–30, BMI has increased dramatically and significantly causing a much higher obesity rate among young women with schizophrenia in recent years relative to their non-schizophrenic counterparts. The mechanism that underlies this weight age and sex specific time trend is unclear.
Possibility of Rare-Gas Color Centers in Ionic Crystals

It is argued that the defect consisting of a rare-gas atom at a negative-ion vacancy in an ionic crystal should trap an electron to form an electron-excess color center. The basis for this speculation is that the potential for such defects, as for the $F$ center, must approach a Coulomb form at large distances. The principal optical absorptions for these hypothetical rare-gas centers have been calculated in the point-ion approximation for alkali-halide matrices. The transitions are predicted to lie in a range from 0.9 to 1.8 eV, depending on the rare-gas and the host crystal. In all cases, the absorption lies to the low-energy side of the corresponding $F$ band and has an oscillator strength of the order of unity. Although these centers possess bound electronic states, it is not clear that they are "chemically" stable against decay into an $F$ center and an interstitial rare-gas atom. However, from studies of the conversion of ${U}_{3}$ centers to ${U}_{2}$ centers, it is argued that the hypothetical rare-gas centers may be stable in the iodides or bromides of intermediate-weight alkalis. The possiblity of observing both substitutional rare-gas atoms and ions by means of $\ensuremath{\alpha}$- and $\ensuremath{\beta}$-band-like transitions it also discussed.
Peptide LSARLAF Activates αIIbβ3 on Resting Platelets and Causes Resting Platelet Aggregate Formation Without Platelet Shape Change

Abstract Adhesion of resting platelets to fibrinogen was enhanced by a peptide which was designed to bind near the presumptive fibrinogen γ-chain binding site of the α subunit of the integrin α IIb β 3 . This peptide, but not a scrambled control peptide, induced adhesion of resting platelets to fibronectin, vitronectin, von Willebrand factor, and monovalent (lacks one functional γ-chain) fibrinogen. Resting platelets not treated with the agonist peptide did not adhere to these ligands. Agonist peptide induced adhesion of resting platelets to Fg was not secretion dependent and was inhibited by the monoclonal antibody 7E3. The agonist peptide caused aggregation of resting platelets on resting platelets adherent to immobilized Fg without causing platelet shape change. Therefore, the agonist peptide may activate α IIb β 3 by directly inducing a conformation change in the receptor on resting platelets. © 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd.
Optimization of a thermionic microwave electron gun

Abstract An electron beam with low normalized emittance, 2π mm mrad, has been achieved using a microwave electron gun as the injector for a rf linac. However, cathode heating caused by back-bombarding electrons limits the macropulse length and repetition rate. A transverse magnetic field has been applied across the gun cavity to reduce cathode heating by deflecting the back-bombarding electrons. This article presents the results of computer simulations to determine a magnetic field configuration that will allow lengthening of the macropulse and raising the repetition rate to the desired levels. The simulations predict a 75% drop in the cathode heating with negligible loss of beam current if the applied transverse magnetic field decays rapidly down the cavity axis. The effect of the deflection field on the beam's emittance will also be discussed.
Investigating the antecedents and outcomes of customer firm transaction cost savings in a supply chain relationship

Abstract Cost reduction has become a preeminent goal for businesses. Since firms spend a significant portion of their annual revenues on the acquisition of an array of goods and services from suppliers, organizational procurement has been identified as an area holding tremendous potential for the removal of nonvalue-adding costs. This effort examines how a vendor's order management cycle performance and trust can affect a customer firm's transaction costs, which in turn, affect such customer-related outcomes as customer satisfaction and future purchase intentions. The results are theoretically meaningful as they address gaps identified in previous writings and pragmatically useful as they offer managers practical insight into important bases for securing a competitive advantage.
Lower Navel Orange worm (Lepidoptera: Phycitidae) Population Densities Following Establishment of Goniozus legneri (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae) in California

Infestations of the navel orangeworm, Amyelois transitella (Walker) in six central California ‘Nonpareil’ almond orchards were studied for 12–13 yr (1978–1991) to determine the effect of imported parasitoids on host abundance. A decline in the average density of navel orangewornl to <0.5% in late summer as measured by percentage of attacked almonds was observed in five orchards where insecticides were not applied during the growing season. K-value analyses indicated a significant regulation of the navel orangeworm population by Goniozus legneri Cordh during the first generation on almonds after hull split. A slight increase in navel orangeworm abundance was observed in one orchard in 1986, after insecticide applications. Significant (but low) correlations existed between higher yields of edible almonds and lower navel orangeworm densities. No significant correlations were found between total rejected almonds and numbers of the peach twig borer, Anarsia lineatella Zeller, or ant damage. An integrated pest management program may be possible for soft-shelled almonds by retaining sufficient holdover almonds during winter for host-parasitoid reproduction during the spring, and by targeting other arthropod pests (e.g., peach twig borer and phytophagous mites) with controls that are nondisruptive to navel orangeworm parasitoids.
Computing lag sequential statistics: The ELAG program

ELAG, a FORTRAN program that computes lag sequential statistics from event sequence data, is described, and its use is demonstrated. ELAG lets the user specify positive or negative lags of any length, whether codes may follow themselves or not, and whether z scores are to be computed as suggested by Allison and Liker (1982) or by Sackett (1980). Data sequences for individual subjects need not be continuous but can be broken into separate observations. Summary statistics for different groups of subjects may be printed. In addition, the initial data may be modified. The user may specify that an instance of one of a group of codes or of a particular two-code sequence is to be replaced with a new code before ELAG proceeds with its computations.
A review of strategic mobility models supporting the defense transportation system

The complexity of military logistics and force deployment modeling requires the use of advanced computer models for analysis. The last 20 years have not only seen a concerted effort to improve the fidelity of these models, but development to improve their interconnectivity. The area of strategic mobility has received greater interest in the last decade as the U.S. Military has become more reliant on a force projection posture rather than prepositioning its forces outside the continental United States. Strategic mobility describes how forces within the continental U.S. are deployed in support missions outside the continental U.S. This posture combined with the ever shrinking military budget and force size has placed increased emphasis on the capability to efficiently deploy personnel, equipment, and support materiel. Mobility modeling is conducted at various levels of the mobility planning process. The result is a myriad of models addressing different aspects of the process. Current models addressing strategic mobility use aggregate network flow models, one-pass greedy approaches, and simple bounding techniques. This paper presents an overview of these models, their operating characteristics, and their advantages and disadvantages for mobility modeling applications.
Kinetics of immunoglobulin and specific antibody responses of CBA mice infected with Trypanosoma rhodesiense.

Summary Groups of CBA/CaJ and B-cell deficient CBA/N mice were infected with Trypanosoma rhodesiense EATRO 1886 strain. Survival, parasitaemia, serum Ig levels plus specific trypanosomal IgM and IgG antibodies were assayed and compared during infection. Whereas both strains of mice had similar parasitaemias during the first week of infection, CBA/N parasitaemias were lower than those observed in CBA/CaJ mice during the subsequent study period. Antibody responses, specific for T. rhodesiense antigens, peaked on day 10 after infection in CBA/CaJ mice, then rapidly declined. However, antibody responses in CBA/N mice remained elevated throughout the study. In addition, the kinetics of specific IgG and IgM varied in CBA/N mice: IgG antibody was detected on day 4, whereas specific IgM was detected on day 16. This unique relationship between the appearance of IgG and IgM antibody may explain the longer survival observed for B-cell deficient CBA/N mice infected with T. rhodesiense.
The marriage group: Precarious equilibrium

(1965). The marriage group: Precarious equilibrium. English Studies: Vol. 46, No. 1-6, pp. 289-300.
Beiträge zur Chemie der Si‐N‐Bindung, XII Cyclodisilazan‐Polymere

Cyclodisilazan-Polymere der Formeln werden A) durch die Pyrolyse von N,N'-Diorganosdandiaminen mit aromatischen Diaminen sowie durch die katalytische Silylierung von aroniatischen und aliphatischen Draminen mit Silanen RnSiH4−n (n = 1 und 2), und B) durch die Reaktion von α,ω-diorgano-aminosilyl-substituierten monomeren bis oligomeren Cyclodisilazanen mit Bisphenolen und difunktionellen Silanolen dargestellt. Uber die physikahschen Eigenschaften dieser Polymeren wird berichtet.
The Artist is Present: performing the icon

This article considers the work of performance artist Marina Abramovic, focusing on the use of reperformance, the practice of hiring others to recreate historical performance works, in her 2010 retrospective at New York's Museum of Modern Art, The Artist is Present. Brawner utilizes Abramovic's artistic work with iconography and icon making and draws on her own experience as one of the retrospective's reperformers to highlight both the affective work that went into the creation of the show as well as its function as a religiously inflected meditation of celebrity and art stardom. The artist's work is explored through sources including New York Times art critic Holland Carter's turn of phrase “diva hokum,” a pejorative here reclaimed to mean the process of one's own icon making, a control of image and message that becomes integral to the structure of the work, and a balancing act between the performance and its afterlife.
AβPP-overexpression and proteasome inhibition increase αB-crystallin in cultured human muscle: Relevance to inclusion-body myositis

Amyloid-beta precursor protein (AbetaPP) and its fragment amyloid-beta (Abeta) are increased in s-IBM muscle fibers and appear to play an important role in the pathogenic cascade. alphaB-Crystallin (alphaBC) was shown immunohistochemically to be accumulated in s-IBM muscle fibers, but the stressor(s) influencing alphaBC accumulation was not identified. We now demonstrate, using our experimental IBM model based on genetic overexpression of AbetaPP into cultured normal human muscle fibers, that: (1) AbetaPP overexpression increased alphaBC 3.7-fold (p=0.025); (2) additional inhibition of proteasome with epoxomicin increased alphaBC 7-fold (p=0.002); and (3) alphaBC physically associated with AbetaPP and Abeta oligomers. We also show that in biopsied s-IBM muscle fibers, alphaBC was similarly increased 3-fold (p=0.025) and physically associated with AbetaPP and Abeta oligomers. We propose that increased AbetaPP is a stressor increasing alphaBC expression in s-IBM muscle fibers. Determining the consequences of alphaBC association with Abeta oligomers could have clinical therapeutic relevance.
The rapid sub-picogram determination of volatile organo-mercury compounds by gas chromatography with a microwave emission spectrometric detector system

Abstract The applicability of a gas Chromatograph with a microwave emission spcctrometric detector (g.c.-m.e.s.) to the determination of trace amounts of volatile organo-mercury compounds in environmental samples is described. The high selectivity of the detector to mercury compounds allows the procedures to be drastically simplified. Thus, the total analysis time for methylmercury in fish is less than 15 min and more than 30 samples of CH 3 HgCl (benzene extracts) can be analyzed per hour. The detection limit is 0.5 pg for CH 3 HgCl (or C 2 H 5 HgCl) and 2 pg for (CH 3 ) 2 Hg. The relative sensitivity for CH 3 HgCl in water samples is 1 ng l −1 and for fish samples is 1 ng g −1 . Direct determinations of CH 3 HgCl and (CH 3 ) 2 Hg in aqueous solutions arc also discussed.
Elevated dopamine levels during gestation produce region-specific decreases in neurogenesis and subtle deficits in neuronal numbers.

Abstract Dopamine levels in the fetal brain were increased by administering the dopamine precursor 3,4-dihydroxy- l -phenylalanine ( l -DOPA) to pregnant mice in drinking water. The l -DOPA exposure decreased bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) labeling in the lateral ganglionic eminence and frontal cortical neuroepithelium but not medial or caudal ganglionic eminences. The regional differences appear to reflect heterogeneity in precursor cells' responses to dopamine receptor activation. Relative numbers of E15-generated neurons were decreased at postnatal day 21 (P21) in the caudate–putamen, nucleus accumbens and frontal cortex but not globus pallidus in the l -DOPA group. TUNEL labeling did not show significant differences on P0, P7 or P14 in the caudate–putamen or frontal cortex, suggesting that cell death was not altered. Although virtually all cells in the P21 brains that were labeled with the E15 BrdU injection were NeuN-positive, stereological analyses showed no significant changes in total numbers of NeuN-positive or NeuN-negative cells in the P21 caudate–putamen or frontal cortex. Thus persisting deficits in neuronal numbers were evident in the l -DOPA group only by birth-dating analyses and not upon gross histological examination of brain sections or analysis of total numbers of neurons or glia. One explanation for this apparent discrepancy is that l -DOPA exposure decreased cell proliferation at E15 but not at E13. By E15, expansion of the neuroepithelial precursor pool is complete and any decrease in cell proliferation likely produces only marginal decreases in the total numbers of cells generated. Our l -DOPA exposure model may be pertinent to investigations of neurological dysfunction produced by developmental dopamine imbalance.
Future Wireless Communication Infrastructure with Application to Emergency Scenarios

Establishing and accessing a reliable communication infrastructure at crisis site is a challenging research problem. Failure in communication infrastructure and information exchange impedes the early response efforts resulting in huge loss of lives and economical impacts. Reliability, robustness, interoperability and minimum interdependencies are specific requirements of communication technology within the context of emergency applications. We present the real measurements obtained over the deployment of a quickly configurable and easily reconfigurable wireless mesh test bed at disaster site. This is followed by an analytical discussion of the important observations concerning the factors that impact performance or cause bottlenecks.
The ensemble reactions of hydroxyl radical exhibit no specificity for primary or secondary structure of DNA

Hydroxyl radical reacts at numerous sites within nucleic acids to form a wide range of derivatives yet the conformational specificity of only one of these processes, direct strand fragmentation, has received much attention to date. Since the deleterious effects of this radical are not likely limited to strand fragmentation in vivo, this report examined the conformational specificity expressed in a more general manner. For this, modification of DNA was induced by the hydroxyl radical generating system of H2O2 and Fe-EDTA. The ensemble rate of oxidation (nucleobase + deoxyribose backbone) was determined from the overall consumption of a series of oligonucleotides that were designed to model random coils and double helixes containing complementary and noncomplementary base pairing. The resulting pseudo-first order rate constants derived from this model system were relatively unaffected by nucleotide sequence or secondary structure and varied from only 0.022 to 0.048 s-1. Consequently, the indiscriminant nature of hydroxyl radical appears to persist beyond strand fragmentation to include nucleobase oxidation as well.
The poly(A) segment of mRNA: (1) Evolution and function and (2) The evolution of viruses.

Abstract The poly(A) segment of mRNA has been shown to be related to evolution. The poly(A) segment increases in length as the complexity of the organism increases. The shortest poly(A) size (1–5 AMP units) exists on mRNA from bacteriophages. The largest poly(A) segments (200–250 AMP units) exist in highly differentiated tissue. The log of poly(A) size and the log of mRNA half-life for different organisms was found to be related in a linear manner. Predictions of specific mRNA half-lives and poly(A) sizes were made to help show a direct relationship. This relationship was also valid for histone poly(A) minus mRNA, provided DNA synthesis is interrupted. Poly(A) segments from viruses reflect the evolutionary status of the viruses. On the basis of viral poly(A) sizes the origin and evolution of viruses is proposed. Important points of this theory are (1) a type of previrus preceded procaryotic cells, (2) these previruses developed into procaryotic cells and DNA bacteriophages, (3) the first eucaryotic viruses contained RNA and originated from procaryotic mRNA, (4) DNA viruses may have developed from RNA viruses as reverse transcriptase developed, and (5) continued evolution resulted in the development of oncogenic viruses.
The effects of continuous administration of murine interleukin-1α in the rat

Abstract Recombinant murine IL-1α was administered continuously to rats by means of osmotic pumps implanted intraperitoneally. Continuous infusion of rIL-1α in a range between 0.12 and 12.0 μg/day for four days was found to produce concentration-dependent weight loss. Behavioral parameters were continuously monitored and recorded at the 3.0 μg/day concentration in electronically-monitored activity cages during Days 2 through 5 of rIL-1α administration. Parameters were separated into those affected during the dark phase (active period) or the light phase (resting period). Eating activity was found to be significantly reduced during each dark period through day 5, when compared with either untreated or PBS vehicle-infused animals. During the fourth and fifth days of infusion, however, eating behavior in animals infused with rIL-1α began to increase toward control level in the latter, but not the earlier, half of the dark period. In contrast, drinking behavior was found to be significantly elevated only during the light periods. Continuous infusion of rIL-1α also produced significant reductions in both horizontal locomotor activity (crossovers) and vertical locomotor activity (rears). However, in contrast to the trend toward a return of normal eating behavior, locomotor activity remained decreased through the fifth day of rIL-1α infusion. These results suggest changes that could be produced by 1L-1 in chronic inflammatory disease and infection.
Spatiotemporal approach for time-varying global image motion estimation

Image motion estimation using the spatiotemporal approach has largely relied on the constant velocity assumption, and thus becomes inappropriate when the velocity of the imaged scene or the camera changes during the data acquisition time. Using a polynomial or a trigonometric polynomial model for the time variation of the image motion, spatiotemporal algorithms are developed in this paper to handle time-varying (but space-invariant) motion. Under these models, it is shown that time-varying image motion estimation is equivalent to parameter estimation of one-dimensional (1-D) polynomial phase or phase-modulated signals, which allows one to exploit well-established results in radar signal processing. When compared with alternative approaches, the resulting motion estimation algorithms produce more accurate estimates. Simulation results are provided to demonstrate the proposed schemes.
Species effects of Ceanothus velutinus versus Pseudotsuga menziesii, Douglas-fir, on soil phosphorus and nitrogen properties in the Oregon cascades

Abstract Many authors have hypothesized that nitrogen-fixing species, as a functional group, would express different controls on soil properties and ecosystem development than non-nitrogen-fixing species. Although nitrogen (N) accretion under nitrogen-fixing tree species has been well studied, the effect of nitrogen-fixing species on other soil nutrients, such as phosphorus (P), has received less attention. We studied differences in soil phosphorus and nitrogen properties beneath Ceanothus velutinus (Ceanothus), a nitrogen-fixing species, and Psuedotsuga menziesii (Douglas-fir), a non-fixing species, in a high elevation successional watershed in the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest in Oregon. Total P was 20% greater in Douglas-fir soils than Ceanothus soils in surface horizons, but there was no significant difference in deeper soil horizons. Surface soils (5 and 15 cm) under Douglas-fir generally had higher concentrations of specific P fractions than surface soils under Ceanothus, but this difference either disappeared or was not as apparent at greater soil depths (30 and 60 cm). Total nitrogen, and extractable ammonium and nitrate were greater in surface soils under Ceanothus than under Douglas-fir. δ 15 N values of leaves and litter differed between Ceanothus and Douglas-fir ( p -value=0.0001 and 0.03, respectively), but the δ 15 N of bulk soil and KCl extracted nitrate and ammonium did not differ. Soil enzyme activities suggested greater mineralization of organic P (phosphatase activity) under Ceanothus in summer, but not in fall, while no significant differences in general decomposition (β-glucosidase activity) were found in soils between the two species.
Characterisation of Aleutian disease antigens

ALEUTIAN DISEASE (AD), which affects certain Mustelidae, is a persistent viral infection with development of non-neutralising antibody and gammapathy1–3. Some of the antigens developed in the course of AD are detectable by counter-immunoelectrophoresis (CEP) using sera from chronically infected mink. We have obtained evidence of two antigenic forms, Ag-1 and Ag-2, which have been characterised by molecular size, primary protein subunit components and by electron microscopy. Hollow ring-like structures, similar to those described with such viruses as ϕX1744, rat virus, Haden, adeno-associated virus and others5, were found associated with the AD virus (ADV) and seem to be the predominant antigenic component of Ag-1.
Histone Methyltransferase Setd8 Represses Gata2 Expression and Regulates Erythroid Maturation

Setd8 is the sole histone methyltransferase in mammals capable of monomethylating histone H4 lysine 20 (H4K20me1). Setd8 is expressed at significantly higher levels in erythroid cells than any other cell or tissue type, suggesting that Setd8 has an erythroid-cell-specific function. To test this hypothesis, stable Setd8 knockdown was established in extensively self-renewing erythroblasts (ESREs), a well-characterized, nontransformed model of erythroid maturation. Knockdown of Setd8 resulted in impaired erythroid maturation characterized by a delay in hemoglobin accumulation, larger mean cell area, persistent ckit expression, incomplete nuclear condensation, and lower rates of enucleation. Setd8 knockdown did not alter ESRE proliferation or viability or result in accumulation of DNA damage. Global gene expression analyses following Setd8 knockdown demonstrated that in erythroid cells, Setd8 functions primarily as a repressor. Most notably, Gata2 expression was significantly higher in knockdown cells than in control cells and Gata2 knockdown rescued some of the maturation impairments associated with Setd8 disruption. Setd8 occupies critical regulatory elements in the Gata2 locus, and knockdown of Setd8 resulted in loss of H4K20me1 and gain of H4 acetylation at the Gata2 1S promoter. These results suggest that Setd8 is an important regulator of erythroid maturation that works in part through repression of Gata2 expression.
Instrumentation principles for performance measurement of solar heating systems

Abstract An instrumentation design and implementation plan for monitoring the performance of solar heating systems and of their components is described. Specifically the selection of the data acquisition system and of the sensors, the procurement process and installation and calibration principles are discussed in detail. As a practical example, the cost and choice of measurement methods and instruments used in the University of Pennsylvania SolaRow house is presented.
Water and Land: Asian Americans and the U.S. West

What happens when we examine U.S. West history from the vantage point of Asian Americans moving back and forth across the Pacific and consider a perspective shaped by both land and water? This article underscores the importance of the Pacific Ocean as a space for historical inquiry, by addressing the formation and migration of Asian American communities in and around the Pacific, particularly in the context of the considerable military, economic, and political dominance of the United States in the Pacific region.
Media Review: Achieving Success Through Academic Assertiveness: Real Life Strategies for Today's Higher Education Students

(2011). Media Review: Achieving Success Through Academic Assertiveness: Real Life Strategies for Today's Higher Education Students. Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice: Vol. 48, No. 1, pp. 139-141.
Utility of hepatitis C virus RNA determinations in hepatic tissue as an end point for interferon treatment of chronic hepatitis C

A total of 41 patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) defined as abnormal liver injury test results for 6 months or more and HCV RNA positivity in plasma were studied to determine if the liver might not be the only focus of HCV infection in individuals treated with interferon alfa (IFN-alpha). All patients were examined for the presence of confounding liver disease and tested negatively for such findings. All tested positively for HCV RNA and had an abnormal hepatic histology. All were treated with IFN for 6 months at a dosage of 5 million units daily. After 6 months of therapy, 29 (71%) had normal alanine transaminase (ALT) values, and 25 (61%) tested negatively for HCV RNA. After 6 months of follow-up, without IFN therapy, 17 (41%) still had normal ALT values, and 16 (39%) still tested negatively for HCV RNA in serum. Patients who continued to test negatively for HCV RNA in serum after 6 months of follow-up also tested negatively for HCV RNA in the liver at the end of IFN therapy. Only 2 subjects who tested negatively for HCV RNA in the liver at the end of treatment relapsed after discontinuing IFN therapy. In contrast, patients who tested positively for HCV RNA in the liver after 6 months of therapy relapsed and tested positively for HCV RNA in serum during the 6 months of follow-up.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
On Electoral Equilibria in a Spatial Analysis Based on The Theory of Games

THE PURPOSE OF THIS NOTE iS to point out several difficulties with the analysis of Hinich, Ledyard, and Ordeshook in their paper, "A Theory of Electoral Equilibrium: A Spatial Analysis Based on the Theory of Games," in which issues are spatially specified.' In particular, Hinich, et al. explore a multidimensional model in which citizens are unconstrained with regard to the choice of their most preferred positions, define their loss in a manner peculiar to their individual interpretations of the relative salience of the issues, and may abstain from voting if they are indifferent between the two closest candidates or else feel alienated from all of the candidates. The authors do not make the usual-and we conjecture-unrealistic assumption that the distribution of voter preferences is symmetric. For a number of years now developers of formal models of voting behavior have been concerned with both the circumstance of determining strategic equilibria when voters estimate their utilities
Regeneration of Rapid Escape Reflex Pathways in Earthworms

SYNOPSIS. The medial and lateral giant nerve fibers in the earthworm, Eisenia foetida , regenerate cell-specific connections and recover through-conduction capabilities in as little as 1–2 days after ventral nerve cord (VNC) transection Similar cell-specific reconnections between giant fibers occur approximately 4–10 days after grafting together two posterior pieces of worms or transplanting lengths of VNC from donor to recipient worms from which a comparable length of VNC has been removed In the latter case, touch-sensory and giant motor neurons within the transplanted VNC also regenerate, leading to restoration of escape reflex function in segments receiving the transplant Results from heterotopically transplanted VNC indicate that both central and peripheral regeneration is cell-specific, but specificity is sufficiently broad to include segmentally homologous target cells from body regions other than those of the transplant origin E. foetida and related species may be useful for studying the extent to which differentiated nervous systems, composed of serially homologous neuronal networks, can be remodelled by experimental manipulations such as grafts and transplants.
Femoroacetabular Impingement Surgical Techniques

Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) is increasingly recognized as a disorder that can lead to progressive labral and chondral injury and early hip degeneration. The 2 primary structural abnormalities in the hip responsible for FAI are cam and pincer lesions. Recognition of these lesions through appropriate history, physical examination, and imaging is essential for early diagnosis and surgical correction before the progression of irreversible articular cartilage damage and joint degeneration. Arthroscopic surgical management of FAI involves resection of the pincer lesion in the central compartment with possible refixation of the labrum and/or decompression of the cam lesion in the peripheral compartment.
The impact of fatigue on role functioning during radiation therapy.

Purpose/objectives To identify the impact of fatigue, site-specific side effects, and individual characteristics on role activities during radiation therapy. Design Secondary data analysis. Setting A community radiation therapy department in the northeastern region of the United States. Sample 77 patients receiving radiation therapy for adjuvant or curative intent. Methods Items from the Piper Fatigue Scale and the Brief Fatigue Inventory were grouped into primary (i.e., basic activities of daily living), secondary (i.e., work and school activities), and tertiary (i.e., socialization with family and friends) roles according to the Roy Adaptation Model. Paired t tests and multiple regression were used to analyze performance of roles. Main research variables Primary, secondary, and tertiary roles. Findings Functioning in all three roles declined during treatment, with greater disruption in secondary roles than primary or tertiary roles. Patients maintained their primary and tertiary roles. Patients had greater difficulty maintaining secondary roles such as work and school activities. Treatment to the lung, pelvis, or head and neck; living alone; and an increase in total side-effect scores were associated with increased disruption in role functioning. Conclusions Radiation therapy-related fatigue can affect role functioning at the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels. Implications for nursing Oncology nurses are in an ideal position to design interventions to help patients maintain activities at greatest risk for disruption. Future research where performance of specific activities is the primary outcome of interest is indicated.