cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sequence determinants of a transmembrane proton channel: An inverse relationship between stability and function

The driving forces behind the folding processes of integral membrane proteins after insertion into the bilayer, is currently under debate. The M2 protein from the influenza A virus is an ideal system to study lateral association of transmembrane helices. Its proton selective channel is essential for virus functioning and a target of the drug amantadine. A 25 residue transmembrane fragment of M2, M2TM, forms a four-helix bundle in vivo and in various detergents and phospholipid bilayers. Presented here are the energetic consequences for mutations made to the helix/helix interfaces of the M2TM tetramer. Analytical ultracentrifugation has been used to determine the effect of ten single-site mutations, to either alanine or phenylalanine, on the oligomeric state and the free energy of M2TM in the absence and the presence of amantadine. It was expected that many of these mutations would perturb the M2TM stability and tetrameric integrity. Interestingly, none of the mutations destabilize tetramerization. This finding suggests that M2 sacrifices stability to preserve its functions, which require rapid and specific interchange between distinct conformations involved in gating and proton conduction. Mutations might therefore restrict the full range of conformations by stabilizing a given native or non-native conformational state. In order to assess one specific conformation of the tetramer, we measured the binding of amantadine to the resting state of the channel, and examined the overall free energy of assembly of the amantadine bound tetramer. All of the mutations destabilized amantadine binding or were isoenergetic. We also find that large to small residue changes destabilize the amantadine bound tetramer whereas mutations to side-chains of similar volume stabilize this conformation. A structural model of the amantadine bound state of M2TM was generated using a novel protocol that optimizes a structure for an ensemble of neutral and disruptive mutations. The model structure is consistent with the mutational data.
A Genome Analysis of Endoreplication in the Drosophila Ovary

Gene amplification is used by follicle cells to increase the copy number of Drosophila chorion genes, which encode structural components of the eggshell. A new study by Claycomb et al. in this issue of Developmental Cell raises the possibility that gene amplification might also be used for the developmental patterning of the egg chamber and oocyte.
An Eclipse microassembler

The microprogrammed Data General Eclipse S/200 computer is available with a writable control store (WCS). The WCS feature of the Eclipse is an extension of the microprogrammed control logic of the computer's central processing unit. It allows a user to implement specialized instructions at a very low level. Its use is however, discouraged since Data General does not provide software support for the WCS feature. A microassembler was written to alleviate this problem on the Memphis State System.
Does No Child Left Behind Really Capture School Quality? Evidence From an Urban School District

Before revising the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation under the new administration, policy makers need to be informed as to whether or not the NCLB labeling formula adequately distinguishes good-quality schools from poor-quality schools. This study tests this question, using rich descriptive data for Milwaukee’s urban school district (MPS). Alternative indicators of school quality, the NCLB subgroup test failure measure and a standardized testing proficiency measure, are used as comparison measures to illustrate the discrimination embedded in the current formula used by the Department of Education.
THE MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPIST: GRADUATE PREPARATION OF A MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL '

To better acquaint mental health professionals with the educational background of marriage and family therapists, this study examined degree-objective programs offered by 55 academic units in US colleges and universities. Through mailed questionnaires supplemented by telephone follow-ups, information was obtained regarding location of units, enrollment, faculty, admission requirements, program requirements, and therapy models taught. In addition to describing available programs, units with and without accreditation by the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy's Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education were compared.
Professional Development of Health Educators through a Community Diagnosis Training Experience: Observations and Perspectives:

Teaching health educators to work effectively with communities is a critical task today. This article will describe how a community diagnosis course, an intensive field experience through which gra...
Experimental and theoretical evaluation of the phonon thermal conductivity of niobium at intermediate temperatures

The thermal conductivity, electrical conductivity, and thermopower of Nb and four Nb-based alloys were measured over the temperature range 80-400 K. The thermal- and electrical-conductivity data were used to define the roles of phonon-phonon and phonon-electron scattering in limiting the phonon thermal conductivity. The phonon-electron thermal resistance was compared with the results of a new first-principles calculation. As expected from the high superconducting transition temperature, phonon-electron scattering is quite strong in Nb. The theoretical calculation reproduces the results of an earlier low-temperature experiment, but gives only about $\frac{2}{3}$ of the scattering strength derived from the intermediate-temperature data. This discrepancy is just inside the experimental error limits, but some possible explanations of the difference are discussed.
Inertial sensors are changing the games

Over the past 15 years, inertial sensors have evolved at impressive rates and have contributed greatly to the field of human movement analysis. The Olympic athletes can gain valuable insight into key aspects of their performance through the use of such technology and engineering experts can contribute greatly to their success. This paper sheds some light on the important role that engineering expertise can play in helping athletes achieve their dreams.
Current opinions and understandings of menopausal women about hormone replacement therapy (HRT)-the University of Florida experience.

Objective This study was designed to assess the opinions and understanding of patients about hormone replacement therapy (HRT) since the release of the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) HRT trial data, which was widely publicized in the lay press. Methods All patients between the ages of 45 and 65 years seen in the last 3 years in the University of Florida Women's Clinics were mailed a survey asking about their attitudes and perceptions of HRT. Results A total of 6468 surveys were mailed with the return of 1076 completed surveys (16.6%); 78% of the respondents were menopausal and 65% had taken HRT. Of the women taking HRT, 70% stated it was for symptom relief and 30% for long-term benefits, including protection from heart disease (10%), Alzheimer's (4%), and osteoporosis (16%). Attitude changes about HRT since the release of WHI results were reported in 42% of respondents. Women currently on HRT had a more positive view of therapy (88%) compared with respondents overall (58%). Despite a great deal of media attention given to the topic of HRT, many women dramatically overestimated the risks of HRT, with 31% believing HRT increases the risk of heart disease 10% to 30% per year and 53% believing HRT increases the risk of breast cancer 10% to 30% per year. Despite this overestimation of risks, only 35% of respondents would not recommend HRT to a friend. Conclusion This study suggests that WHI results did not impact attitudes about HRT in the majority of women taking HRT, as they were usually on therapy for relief of menopausal symptoms. However, there is a great need for consumer education about the attributable risks of HRT, approximately 1 per 1000 per year for heart disease, stroke, DVT, and breast cancer, so they can better weigh the benefits of HRT versus the risks.
Pancreatic neoplasia induced by SV40 T-antigen expression in acinar cells of transgenic mice

Three lines of transgenic mice were produced that develop pancreatic neoplasms as a consequence of expression of an elastase I-SV40 T-antigen fusion gene in the acinar cells. A developmental analysis suggests at least a two-stage process in the ontogeny of this disease. The first stage is a T antigen-induced, preneoplastic state characterized by a progression from hyperplasia to dysplasia of the exocrine pancreas, by an increased percentage of tetraploid cells, and by an arrest in acinar cell differentiation. The second stage is characterized by the formation of tumor nodules that appear to be monoclonal, because they have discrete aneuploid DNA contents. The cells within the nodules as compared to normal pancreatic tissue have less total RNA by a factor of 5, less pancreas-specific messenger RNA by a factor of about 50, and increased levels of T-antigen messenger RNA. A tumor cell line has been derived that retains both pancreatic and neoplastic properties.
Metasomatism of Cascades subarc mantle: Evidence from a rare phlogopite orthopyroxenite xenolith

Ultramafic xenoliths in the southern Washington Cascades lavas provide a rare view of the upper mantle beneath a convergent margin volcanic arc. An unusual olivine orthopyroxenite from this xenolith suite shows evidence of extreme multistage metasomatism involving infiltration of high-K 2 O silicic melts and CO 2 fluid, replacement of olivine by orthopyroxene, and entrapment of fluid, melt, and phlogopite inclusions within orthopyroxene—all prior to its entrainment in the host basaltic magma. Analyses of minerals, glass, and fluid inclusions show that the mantle source of this rock was ≥30 km below the surface and reached a temperature of at least 1000 °C—possibly in response to basaltic underplating. This region of the mantle was previously enriched in silica and potassium, but not necessarily due to subduction processes. The metasomatic melts may be derived from an accreted slab of oceanic lithosphere, as opposed to a subducting oceanic plate.
Reforming the staffing process in the European Union institutions: moving the sacred cow out of the road

Since the 1960s, the EU institutions have relied on a system of open competitions (or concours ) for hiring staff, with only incremental changes. That system is now undergoing a major reform that is currently in the implementation phase. A policy analysis approach explains how the leadership of the European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) overcame resistance to change. Analysis from a public management and political sociology perspective sheds light on the challenges EPSO faces in the implementation and evaluation of the reform.Points for practitionersOne strength of the EU staffing model is the active role of EU staff in selecting their peers through the use of Selection Boards. The new system maintains staff involvement while professionalizing the Selection Boards. The reform was responsive to complaints by managers and heads of EU institutions with a slow, complex, and antiquated system, and it is they, as key clients, who will ultimately evaluate the effectiveness of the reform in enabling them to h...
Epithelial junctions maintain tissue architecture by directing planar spindle orientation

Mitotic spindle formation is a key step towards the segregation of chromosomes into two daughter cells during mitosis, and the precise alignment of mitotic spindles to the plane of the epithelium is thought to be important in maintaining tissue integrity. The in vivo determinants of planar spindle orientation remain unknown. Here Matthew Gibson and colleagues demonstrate that the actomyosin cortex and junction-localized tumour suppressors Scribbled and Discs large 1 are essential regulators of planar spindle alignment. Defective alignment of the mitotic spindle correlates with cell delamination and apoptotic death, and furthermore, blocking death of misaligned cells is sufficient to drive the formation of tumour-like cell masses. The authors propose that the deleterious effects of aberrant spindle alignment are corrected by apoptosis and that suppression of this mechanism could result in epithelial dysplasia and tumorigenesis.
Reproducibility of auditory brain-stem evoked responses as a function of the stimulus, scorer and subject

The reproducibility of auditory brain-stem evoked response (ABR) measurements was determined in a series of studies. ABRs were recorded from pre-term (32 and 36 weeks) newborns, term newborns, and adults to 3 different stimuli. Records were scored blindly with no knowledge of the subject, stimulus eliciting the response, or other records by that subject. Two scorers (inter-scorer reliability) and a single scorer over time (intra-scorer reliability) could score records using explicit criteria with a high degree of agreement. In contrast variability between replicate records to the same stimulus from the same subject was considerable. Intra-subject variability was not strongly affected by the age of the subject but was a function of the eliciting stimulus (the low intensity and fast repetition rate stimuli elicited more variable responses than loud, slow stimuli) and the wave measured (wave I latency was significantly more variable than the other measurements). Healthy, term newborns were studied to investigate the reproducibility of ABRs in the first few days after birth. There was a rapid reduction in ABR latency in the first 6-12 h after birth and a more gradual reduction thereafter. The prolonged latencies observed immediately after birth were associated with an elevation in ABR threshold. The reduction in latency was observed in vaginal and cesarean deliveries. These same effects were observed for amplitude of the ABR, but the trends were generally not significant. Despite the large changes in ABR latency within the first few days after birth, ABR latencies in response to some stimuli were significantly correlated between sessions separated by all intervals tested, ranging from 2 h to 2 days.
A coupled model of land surface CO2 and energy fluxes using remote sensing data

Abstract Considering the coupling of plant transpiration with plant photosynthesis through stomatal opening, this paper develops a dual-source model that simulates the energy and CO 2 fluxes between a vegetated land surface and the lower atmosphere. Two versions of the CO 2 -energy coupled model (CECM) are presented. The version CECM SM uses daily surface soil moisture measurements or estimates along with meteorological variables and vegetation parameters as inputs. The other version CECM Tr utilizes remotely sensed radiometric surface temperature instead of surface soil moisture estimates. The two versions of the model are evaluated by comparing their predictions of CO 2 ( F c ), latent heat ( LE ) and sensible heat ( H ) fluxes and surface temperature ( T sf ) with three datasets collected from two large-scale field experiments (FIFE’87 and Monsoon’90), which were conducted over two different types of land surface. For the three datasets, the correlation coefficients between the predictions of H , LE and T sf from both versions of CECM and their observations ranged from 0.77 to 0.97. The F c predictions from CECM SM had a correlation of 0.96 and a 16% mean absolute percent difference (MAPD) with the observations. For both CECM SM and CECM Tr the agreement with measured LE was generally better than H where MAPD values ranged from 15–35 to 20–55%, respectively. The values of some parameters in the stomatal conductance and leaf photosynthesis models obtained in the literature for general C 3 plants in the temperate areas were found inappropriate for the C 3 shrubs at the site of the Monsoon’90 experiment which have adapted to the semiarid environment. After these parameters were adjusted to give similar stomatal resistance from other work, the LE and H predictions from CECM were improved.
Patient and device related factors affecting artifact size and cardiac visualization when performing cardiac MRI in patients with implanted defibrillators

The presence of an implanted defibrillator has generally been considered a contraindication to cardiac MRI, however several sites have begun to perform these studies in selected patients. Cardiac MR in ICD patients may be further complicated by artifact from the device generator, potentially obscuring regions of the heart.
Religiosity, Parent and Peer Attachment, and Sexual Media Use in Emerging Adults

Prior research linking peer and parental attachment to sexual media use has conceptualized religiosity in a peripheral role. However, religion has considerable influence on multiple aspects of social life, including relationships with others. The present study proposes and tests a structural equation model in which religiosity impacts attachment to parents and peers and is negatively related to sexual media use. Emerging adults (N = 245) reported their attachment to parents and peers using the communication subscale of the inventory of peer and parent attachment, level of religiosity, and use of sexual media found on the Internet and in pornographic movies and adult magazines. Analysis of the survey indicates that religiosity is positively associated with attachment to both parents and peers. In addition, religiosity and peer attachment are negatively related to sexual media use. Parent attachment was not related to sexual media use.
Interglomerular heterogeneity of filtration fraction among superficial nephrons: Fact or artifact

Interglomerular heterogeneity of filtration fraction among superficial nephrons. The variance (S2inter-G) in protein concentration (CE) of plasma samples collected by micropuncture from randomly chosen surface efferent arterioles was compared to the variance (S2intra-G) of samples collected and re-collected from the same efferent arterioles in 23 Munich-Wistar rats. During efferent arteriolar blood collection, an oil droplet was maintained with gentle suction downstream to the collection pipette to avoid disturbance of natural glomerular blood outflow. S2inter-G averaged 0.067 ± 0.014 (SE), a value comparable to mean S2intra-G (0.075 ± 0.016, P > 0.50), indicating that the degree of interglomerular heterogeneity in the value of filtration fraction is too small to detect with this micropuncture technique. When ten additional samples were collected using uncontrolled suction pressure, S2inter-G averaged 1.15 ± 1.30, a value markedly greater than that obtained with controlled pressure. In six nephrons which possessed both glomeruli and efferent arterioles on the surface of the kidney, glomerular capillary pressure (PGC) was monitored during efferent arteriolar blood collection. Applying widely varied suction pressure, PGC changed as much as 42 mmHg, suggesting that improper suction pressure can alter glomerular pressures and flows, hence filtration fraction and CE. Thus, unlike renal proximal tubules, some of the rat renal efferent arterioles do not function as Starling resistors, which may, in turn, account for the wide variability in CE values reported recently by some investigators.
Processing of porous lead titanate and lead zirconate titanate coatings

Porous lead titanate (PT) and lead zirconate titanate (PZT) coatings were prepared by spin coating alkoxide solutions modified with benzoic acid. Carrying out the spin coating in a humid atmosphere (>30% RH) promoted the formation of porous microstructures. The variations in the chemical structure of the alkoxide and the coating microstructure indicate that the porous microstructures developed due to phase separation induced by reaction with water and evaporation. The porosity is interconnected with a size on the order of 0.1 - 2 μm, depending on the solution composition and spinning rate. While PT and PZT formed into similar porous microstructures, only PT could be processed so that it was entirely perovskite. Residual pyrochlore on the surfaces of the porous structure persisted in PZT coatings. The porous coatings were infiltrated with a polymer to make 3-3 composite coatings.
Mental Models: Understanding the Impact of Fantasy Violence on Children's Moral Reasoning

This study utilized a reinterpretation of the priming hypothesis to understand the effect of fantasy violence on children's moral reasoning. A posttest-only control group experimental design was used. A total of 121 children were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 conditions. Children saw 1 of 2 nearly identical versions of a fantasy violence program with the ending manipulated. In the clip, the main character either used physical violence to solve a conflict or the violence was edited out and the main character appeared to walk away from the conflict. A third group of children was in the no-treatment control condition. Subsequently, children were administered the Moral Interpretations of Interpersonal Violence (MIIV) scale, which assesses children's judgments of violent dilemmas and their reasoning about those judgments from a developmental perspective. It was found that children who saw the violent ending judged subsequent violent stories as more correct and utilized less advanced moral reasoning strategies when explaining their answers. Neither age nor empathy mediated the main effect. The findings suggest that the activation of mental models regarding violence is an automatic process that occurs somewhat independently of other potential mediators.
Aggregation of Actin and Cofilin in Identical Twins with Juvenile-Onset Dystonia

The neuropathology of the primary dystonias is not well understood. We examined brains from identical twins with DYT1-negative, dopa-unresponsive dystonia. The twins exhibited mild developmental delays until age 12 years when they began developing rapidly progressive generalized dystonia. Genetic, metabolic, and imaging studies ruled out known causes of dystonia. Cognition was subnormal but stable until the last few years. Death occurred at ages 21 and 22 years. The brains were macroscopically unremarkable. Microscopic examination showed unusual glial fibrillary acidic protein–immunoreactive astrocytes in multiple regions and iron accumulation in pallidal and nigral neurons. However, the most striking findings were 1) eosinophilic, rod-like cytoplasmic inclusions in neocortical and thalamic neurons that were actin depolymerizing factor/cofilin-immunoreactive but only rarely actin-positive; and 2) abundant eosinophilic spherical structures in the striatum that were strongly actin- and actin depolymerizing factor/cofilin-positive. Electron microscopy suggested that these structures represent degenerating neurons and processes; the accumulating filaments had the same dimensions as actin microfilaments. To our knowledge, aggregation of actin has not been reported previously as the predominant feature in any neurodegenerative disease. Thus, our findings may shed light on a novel neuropathological change associated with dystonia that may represent a new degenerative mechanism involving actin, a ubiquitous constituent of the cytoskeletal system.
In vitro activation of chemicals by plants: a comparison of techniques.

Abstract We have studied the ability of two in vitro plant activation techniques to enhance the mutagenicity of 4-nitro- o -phenylenediamine (NOP) and to activate 2-aminofluorene (2AF). Mutagenic activities of NOP and 2AF were both increased by plant S9 in the Salmonella plate-incorporation and preincubation assays. They were also increased during preincubation with intact plant cells. NOP mutagenic activity was enhanced to a similar extent by plant S9 and by intact plant cells in Salmonella assay, whereas 2AF was activated more extensively by the plant cells than by plant S9. NOP was not enhanced by mammalian hepatic S9 in any assay, whereas 2AF was activated by hepatic S9 under all conditions tested.
Ectopic Banking of Amputated Great Toe for Delayed Thumb Reconstruction: Case Report

Ectopic banking of amputated parts is a recognized technique for delayed replantation of an amputated part when the amputation stump will not permit immediate replantation. This is conventionally performed with the intent of transferring the injured part back to its anatomic position when the amputation stump is more appropriate for replantation. Current warfare conditions have led to a commonly encountered military trauma injury pattern of multiple extremity amputations with protected trunk and core structures. This pattern poses many challenges, including the limit or absence of donor sites for immediate or delayed flap reconstructive procedures. We describe a case in which we ectopically banked the great toe of an amputated lower extremity for delayed thumb reconstruction.
Treatment of adolescent agoraphobics: effects on parent-adolescent relations.

Abstract Three adolescent agoraphobics, accompanied by their mothers, were treated in a small group. Treatment consisted of self-initiated exposure, panic management and cognitive restructuring, with the parent acting as co-therapist. Measures of adolescent-parent relationships were administered as well as measures of agoraphobia. As with adult agoraphobics treated with their spouse, results indicated a parallel relationship between phobia and family relations; that is, as phobia improved, the relationship improved. Unlike adult agoraphobics, adolescents were unable to comprehend that agoraphobic fears concerning health or dying were unrealistic. This interfered with motivation and underscored the need of the parent as a co-therapist.
Gastric outlet obstruction secondary to antral mucosal diaphragm

Gastric antral mucosal diaphragm is an entity that is probably more common than is reported in the literature. A large number of patients with antral gastric mucosal diaphragms remain asymptomatic. When symptomatic, the diagnostic mainstays at this time consist of barium contrast studies complemented by flexible endoscopy. Awareness of the endoscopic appearance of a gastric mucosal antral web can aid in its diagnosis at endoscopy. Surgical treatment is reserved for those patients with gastric outlet obstruction and can range from simple excision of the web to gastric resection and reanastomosis. A case report emphasizing diagnostic and treatment modalities is presented.
0026 Prehospital education for those treating motorcycle crash patients

Statement of purpose In July 2000, Florida’s universal helmet law was lessened to a partial helmet law despite unhelmeted riders being more likely to suffer serious and fatal head injuries. In response to these legislative changes and the increasing use of motorcycles among Floridians, we created an education program to teach early recognition of injuries with optimisation of care to prehospital personnel. This tertiary prevention program aims to mitigate the effect of motorcycle crash injuries by providing education focused on paramedic judgement for triage decisions, motorcycle injury patterns, and medical techniques, including fluid resuscitation, tourniquet use, helmet removal, cricothyroidotomy, and needle decompression. Methods/Approach Prospective surveys given to 610 prehospital staff throughout the state of Florida from January 2012 to November 2013 were evaluated. Prehospital staff were generally male (80%) and had an average professional experience of 12 years. Biases toward motorcycle riders and pre-/post-test knowledge were evaluated. Subjects with previous motorcycle experience (n = 216) were compared to those with no motorcycle experience (n = 394). A Z-test for independent proportions was used where appropriate to compare test responses. Results Subjects with previous motorcycle experience were significantly more likely to disagree or strongly disagree with the following statements when compared to those with no motorcycle experience: “Motorcycle crash victims are typically responsible for the crashes they get in” (60.4% vs. 45.1%; p Conclusions Our findings may suggest that individuals with previous motorcycle experience may be less likely to agree with the idea that motorcycle crash victims are typically responsible for the crashes they get in, and that most traumas are the result of lack of ability, ignorance, laziness, or all three of these factors. This difference in attitude may be worth evaluating further to determine whether there is a difference in approach to care. Significance and contribution to the field We aim to highlight the purpose of this tertiary prevention program and the need for similar programs in other states without universal helmet laws. We will discuss particular management approaches unique to motorcyclists, the need for coordination and multidisciplinary care, triage and transport, and injuries commonly encountered in motorcyclists. We aim to improve the assessment, evaluation, transport time, and definitive management of the motorcycle crash patient, through education and by assessing potential biases of prehospital personnel. We hope to empower health care providers as stakeholders in the solution to take a more active role in prehospital education.
Stimulation of oxidative phosphorylation by calcium in cardiac mitochondria is not influenced by cAMP and PKA activity

Cardiac oxidative ATP generation is finely tuned to match several-fold increases in energy demand. Calcium has been proposed to play a role in the activation of ATP production via PKA phosphorylation in response to intramitochondrial cAMP generation. We evaluated the effect of cAMP, its membrane permeable analogs (dibutyryl-cAMP, 8-bromo-cAMP), and the PKA inhibitor H89 on respiration of isolated pig heart mitochondria. cAMP analogs did not stimulate State 3 respiration of Ca2 +-depleted mitochondria (82.2 ± 3.6% of control), in contrast to the 2-fold activation induced by 0.95 μM free Ca2 +, which was unaffected by H89. Using fluorescence and integrating sphere spectroscopy, we determined that Ca2 + increased the reduction of NADH (8%), and of cytochromes bH (3%), c1 (3%), c (4%), and a (2%), together with a doubling of conductances for Complex I + III and Complex IV. None of these changes were induced by cAMP analogs nor abolished by H89. In Ca2 +-undepleted mitochondria, we observed only slight changes in State 3 respiration rates upon addition of 50 μM cAMP (85 ± 9.9%), dibutyryl-cAMP (80.1 ± 5.2%), 8-bromo-cAMP (88.6 ± 3.3%), or 1 μM H89 (89.7 ± 19.9%) with respect to controls. Similar results were obtained when measuring respiration in heart homogenates. Addition of exogenous PKA with dibutyryl-cAMP or the constitutively active catalytic subunit of PKA to isolated mitochondria decreased State 3 respiration by only 5–15%. These functional studies suggest that alterations in mitochondrial cAMP and PKA activity do not contribute significantly to the acute Ca2 + stimulation of oxidative phosphorylation
A North Carolina macular dystrophy phenotype in a Belizean family maps to the MCDR1 locus.

Purpose To describe the clinical findings of an autosomal dominant macular dystrophy in a family of Mayan Indian ancestry in Belize, Central America, and to determine its molecular genetic relationship with the original North Carolinian family. Methods We performed comprehensive ophthalmic examinations on 56 members of a single family living in Chicago, Illinois, and Belize, Central America. Fundus photography and fluorescein angiography were performed on 17 affected subjects and six affected family members were serially examined over a 12-year period. Blood was collected from 26 individuals, and DNA was extracted for genotyping. Two-point linkage, multipoint linkage, and haplotype analysis was performed. Results In 17 affected individuals, the clinical features were consistent with the diagnosis of North Carolina macular dystrophy. Multipoint linkage analysis generated a peak lod score of 5.6 in the MCDR1 region. The haplotype associated with the disease was, however, different from that of the original North Carolinian family. Conclusions This family has an autosomal dominant macular dystrophy that is clinically indistinguishable from North Carolina macular dystrophy (MCDR1). Our findings indicate that the mutated gene in this Belizean family maps precisely to the same region as that of the North Carolina macular dystrophy (MCDR1) locus. This study provides evidence that MCDR1 occurs in various ethnic groups and that there is no evidence of genetic heterogeneity.
Leveling response factors in the electrospray ionization process using a heated capillary interface.

Several investigators have observed a discrepancy in electrospray response of complementary strands from denatured DNA, which has been attributed to the difference in hydrophobicity between the two strands; the more hydrophobic species tend to have higher ion abundances. The implementation of a heated electrospray source has allowed us to “level” the electrospray response for two equimolar complementary strands with different hydrophobicities. As the temperature was increased, the ratio of ion abundances of the less hydrophobic noncoding strand to the more hydrophobic coding strand approached unity. Furthermore, the heated electrospray source was used to denature amplicons containing 7-deaza purines, which can be used to facilitate sequencing by mass spectrometry.
Tobacco derived cancer vaccines for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: perspectives and progress.

Everyone appreciates the irony of using tobacco plants to cure cancer.1 Recently featured in a populist Wall Street Journal article,2 the use of plants to produce medicinal products was presented a...
A study of the seeds of Strophanthus sarmentosus and some related species of Strophanthus

A report is given of the results of gross and histological studies of the seeds of Strophanthus sarmentosus P.DC. and related species, principally S. gratus, S. Nicholsoni, and S. Courmonti.
The potential effects of volcanic aerosols on cirrus cloud microphysics

The potential impact of volcanic aerosols on nucleation of ice crystals in upper tropospheric cirrus clouds is examined from a microphysical perspective. The sulfuric acid aerosols which form in the stratosphere are presumably transported into the troposphere by sedimentation and tropopause folding. The tropospheric volcanic aerosol size distribution is estimated from 10-micron lidar backscatter and in situ measurements. Microphysical simulations suggest that at temperatures below about -50 C the concentration of ice crystals which nucleate may be as much as a factor of 5 larger when volcanic aerosols are present. The simulations suggest that the presence of volcanic aerosols may increase the net radiative forcing (surface warming) of certain types of cirrus near the tropopause by as much as 8 W/sq m. Further observations are required to determine whether these effects actually occur, and their global impact.
An Update On Strategic Computing Computer Vision: Taking Image Understanding To The Next Plateau

In 1987, I was privileged to have the opportunity to relate the activities and accomplishments of the DARPA sponsored research community conducting computer vision research under the auspices of the Strategic Computing (SC) Program in a similar paper for the SPIE. In this follow-up paper, I will relate some of the subsequent activities and accomplishments of this critically important national research program.
Platelet Microparticles Promote Platelet Interaction With Subendothelial Matrix in a Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa–Dependent Mechanism

Background—Platelets, on activation, release vesicular particles called platelet microparticles. Despite their procoagulant activity, their functional role in platelet–vessel wall interactions is not known. Methods and Results—We examined the binding of microparticles to vessel wall components in vitro and in vivo. Microparticles bound to fibrinogen-, fibronectin-, and collagen-coated surfaces. Compared with activated platelets, we observed minimal binding of microparticles to vitronectin and von Willebrand factor. The glycoprotein IIb/IIIa (GP IIb/IIIa) inhibitors abciximab and eptifibatide (Integrilin) inhibited the binding to fibrinogen and fibronectin but had minimal effect on binding to collagen. Furthermore, monoclonal antibodies to GP Ib or anionic phospholipid-binding proteins (β2-glycoprotein I or annexin V) had no effect in these interactions. Microparticles did not bind to monolayers of resting or stimulated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), even in the presence of fibrinogen or ...
Minimal effect of CD103 expression on the control of a chronic antiviral immune response.

Abstract Impaired antiviral CD8 and CD4 T-cell responses are often associated with chronic viral infections. Cell-intrinsic as well as cell-extrinsic mechanisms are thought to dampen such responses, for example programmed death 1 receptor (PD-1) expression on T cells, and interleukin (IL)-10 production primarily by dendritic cells (DCs), have been shown to support viral persistence by suppressing immune responses. Here we demonstrate that CD103, an alpha E integrin necessary for T-cell homing and retention in the gut and other epithelia expressed by the majority of naive CD8+, and CD4+CD25+ T cells and some DC subsets, is unnecessary for controlling T-cell responses during chronic lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus clone 13 (LCMV cl13) infection. T-cell analysis following viral infection showed that the primary as well as the memory CD8+ and CD4+ T-cell responses among CD103-sufficient and CD103-deficient mice were identical. In addition, no rescue of cytokine production by virus-specific T cells or alter...
Basic and Applied Qualitative Research in Music Education

Qualitative research can contribute significantly to both applied, and to basic research, opening intellectual avenues that have not been explored in the past. In this paper, I present a unified vi...
NEW ORDER FOR PERIODIC ORBITS OF INTERVAL MAPS

We propose a new classification of periodic orbits of interval maps via over-rotation pairs. We prove a theorem for them similar to the Sharkovskii theorem.
Exploratory search for improved oxidizing agents used in the reduction of surface leakage currents of CdZnTe detectors

We have studied the ability of different oxidizing agents, other than H2O2 to reduce the surface leakage current of CdZnTe devices. All chemical treatments were performed in aqueous solutions, at room temperature, with weight percent concentrations of 2.5g/25ml. Before and after I-V curves were obtained. It was found that by increasing the basicity of the chemical treatment, greater reduction in surface leakage current occurred. The result show that these alternative chemical treatments reduced the surface leakage current as well as or better than H2O2 chemical treatment.
High resolution mass spectrometric investigations of the organic constituents of the Murray and Holbrook chondrites

Organic composition of Murray and Holbrook chondrites from high resolution mass spectrometric investigations
High School Performance as Predictive of College Performance

School people often hear rank-in-class called the single best predictor of academic success in college, but they rarely see research data to sup port this claim. The following review of the pertinent research will help fill the information gap.
Cell density and non-equilibrium sorption effects on bacterial dispersal in groundwater microcosms

The relative importance of dispersion, physical straining, non-equilibrium sorption, and cell density on the dispersal of bacteria was examined in saturated, flow-dynamic sand columns. The bacterial breakthrough as a result of different size distributions of sand particles was followed by measuring the effluent concentration of 3H-adenosine-labelled cells of a Bacillus sp. and an Enterobacter sp. strain suspended in groundwater. The breakthrough curves were compared with theoretical curves predicted from an advective-dispersioe equilibrium sorption model (ADS), an ADS model with a first order sink term for irreversible cell reactions, a two-site model (equilibrium and nonequilibrium sorption sites), and a filtration model. Bacterial sand: water isotherms were linear in the experimental concentration range but had positive intercepts. The partition coefficients ranged from 15 to 0.4 for the Bacillus sp., and 120 to 0.4 for a Pseudomonas sp., and decreased with increasing particle size of the dominant fraction. In a kinetic study, the partition coefficient for the Enterobacter sp. in the smaller particle sand was 63 after one hour, but had decreased to 9 after 19 hours. Bacteria were detected in the effluent after one pore volume, which was earlier than predicted by the sand : water partition coefficients, and displayed an apparent nonequilibrium breakthrough. Dispersion effects and physical straining appeared to be insignificant in the experiments, but tailing of the elution part of the curves indicated slow reversible sorption, and nonequilibrium sorption may have been the main determinant of dispersal retardation. The reversible non-equilibrium sorption invalidated some of the assumptions behind all models except, possibly, the two-site model. Consequently, the models described the large particle sand data better where sorption was of less importance for the dispersal. The dispersal retardation was also affected by the bacterial cell density, both in the pore water and on the sand, suggesting that population characteristics may be an important factor for the bacterial distribution between the water and sand habitats. The retardation factor decreased from 13.7 to 7.8 when the cell density in the loading solution was increased from 3× 108 to 1.2 × 109 cells ml−1. Presaturation of the sand with bacteria had a similar effect.
RF MEMS Oscillator with Integrated Resistive Transduction

A method to integrate micromechanical frequency-determining elements along with the corresponding electromechanical transducers into a poly or single-crystal silicon film layer is demonstrated. A resistor dissipating several microwatt of power induces high-frequency resonant mechanical motion in a shallow-shell membrane. Transduction from the mechanical to the electrical domain is performed using implanted piezoresistors, which are sensitive to strain produced by resonant motion. Self-sustained oscillations at 10 MHz are demonstrated when the device is directly coupled to a high-impedance operational amplifier and a positive feedback loop. Finally, this letter discuss how the resonator and transducers may be incorporated into standard integrated-circuit technology
Association between the Angiotensin Type 2 Receptor (AT2) Genotype and Congenital Anomalies of the Kidney and Urinary Tract (CAKUT) • 1812

Association between the Angiotensin Type 2 Receptor (AT2) Genotype and Congenital Anomalies of the Kidney and Urinary Tract (CAKUT) • 1812
On the Geometry of the String Landscape and the Swampland

We make a number of conjectures about the geometry of continuous moduli parameterizing the string landscape. In particular we conjecture that such moduli are always given by expectation value of scalar fields and that moduli spaces with finite non-zero diameter belong to the swampland. We also conjecture that points at infinity in a moduli space correspond to points where an infinite tower of massless states appear, and that near these regions the moduli space is negatively curved. We also propose that there is no non-trivial 1-cycle of minimum length in the moduli space. This leads in particular to the prediction of the existence of a radially massive partner to the axion. These conjectures put strong constraints on inflaton potentials that can appear in a consistent quantum theory of gravity. Our conjectures are supported by a number of highly non-trivial examples from string theory. Moreover it is shown that these conditions can be violated if gravity is decoupled.
Interdependence of structure and physical properties in co- crystals of azopyridines

To establish how intermolecular interactions influence the supramolecular assembly of azopyridines, a total of five co-crystals of 3,3′ and 4,4′-azopyridine; 3,3′-azpy:succinic acid (3,3′-azpy:SA), 3,3′-azpy:adipic acid (3,3′-azpy:AA), 3,3′-azpy:suberic acid (3,3′-azpy:SuA), 3,3′-azpy:sebacic acid (3.3′-azpy:SeA), and 4,4′-azpy:suberic acid (4,4′-azpy:SuA) were synthesized. In all co-crystals of 3,3′-azopyridine, there are infinite 1-D zig-zag tapes composed of alternating 3,3′-azpy and diacids held together by COOH⋯N(py) hydrogen bonds. Neighbouring chains are arranged into 2-D sheets via secondary inter-chain C–H⋯O interactions between azopyridine ring hydrogen atoms and carbonyl oxygen atoms in an in-phase manner. However, in the co-crystal of 4,4′-azopyridine:suberic acid, the adjacent chains form 2-D sheets in an out-of-phase motif via two types of inter-chain C–H⋯O interactions, i.e. between azopyridine ring hydrogen atoms and carbonyl oxygen as well as hydroxyl oxygen atoms. The structural consistency within the 3,3′-azopyridine co-crystals has made it possible to establish a correlation between melting point of the homomeric molecular solids and co-crystals of the corresponding carboxylic acids.
Peptidase inhibitors potentiate lysylbradykinin-induced bronchoconstriction in the rat

Abstract To determine whether lysylbradykinin (LBK, kallidin) causes bronchoconstriction in animals and if peptidase inhibitors modulate the response, we studied the effects of LBK administered by aerosol in rats and assessed whether pretreatment with aerosolized solutions of enalaprilat, an inhibitor of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), or phosphoramidon, an inhibitor of endopeptidase 24.11 (EP 24.11, neutral endopeptidase), altered the response. Accordingly, LBK-induced bronchoconstriction was measured in anesthetized, mechanically ventilated, specific pathogen-free, Sprague-Dawley rats by body plethysmography and followed by continuous determination of lung resistance ( R L ) and maximal expiratory flow (MEF). Incremental doses of aerosolized LBK were administered by nebulization to obtain a concentration that caused a 5–15% increase in R L , which was designated the BC10 dose. We found that pretreatment with aerosolized enalaprilat (1 mM) 3 min prior to a BC10 dose of LBK significantly increased R L as compared to the BC10 dose alone (129 ± 4.1% vs. 105 ± 2.4%, P n = 4) and significantly decreased MEF (83 ± 1.5% vs. 97 ± 1.4%, P n = 4). Following pretreatment with aerosolized phosphoramidon (1 mM), significant increases in R L (113 ± 1.4% vs. 106 ± 1.6%, P n = 7) and decreases in MEF (92 ± 0.9% vs. 95 ± 0.9%, P n = 7) were observed (paired Student's t -test). The above findings demonstrate the effects of LBK on airway caliber for the first time in an animal model, and suggest that ACE and EP 24.11 contribute to degradation of the peptide in the airway.
Range area and seasonal campsites of Toba bands in western Chaco, Argentina

Toba bands (co-residential groups of related families) have trekked the land at the intersection of the Pilcomayo River with the Tropic of Capricorn (Formosa Province, Argentina) since at least the 1840s. Previously, the Toba had been self-organised, mobile hunter-gatherers focused primarily on the exploitation of animals and terrestrial plants in the water-depressed microenvironments of western Chaco. My discussion of the bands' range areas and criteria for choosing campsites is based on the elders' recollection of their trekking in the 1920s. At that time, they were already living under conditions of ‘regional packing’ produced by cattle-posts. According to my analysis of oral information from 12 bands, the mean range area was 463 km2 and the mean distances that the bands travelled between campsites varied from 8 to 13 km. The estimated number of persons per band during the most dispersed phase of the annual cycle was between 14 and 35 or more. An estimated 553 Toba people trekked these range areas at t...