cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Proteome studies of filamentous fungi.

The continued fast pace of fungal genome sequence generation has enabled proteomic analysis of a wide breadth of organisms that span the breadth of the Kingdom Fungi. There is some phylogenetic bias to the current catalog of fungi with reasonable DNA sequence databases (genomic or EST) that could be analyzed at a global proteomic level. However, the rapid development of next generation sequencing platforms has lowered the cost of genome sequencing such that in the near future, having a genome sequence will no longer be a time or cost bottleneck for downstream proteomic (and transcriptomic) analyses. High throughput, non-gel based proteomics offers a snapshot of proteins present in a given sample at a single point in time. There are a number of different variations on the general method and technologies for identifying peptides in a given sample. We present a method that can serve as a “baseline” for proteomic studies of fungi.
SELECTIVITY INVESTIGATION AND LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHIC METHOD FOR THE ANALYSIS OF NICOTINE IN TOBACCO EXTRACTS

A simple and selective high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method for the analysis of nicotine in a Hanks' balanced salts extract of smokeless tobacco components is presented here. An HPLC method was modified and applied for the analysis of nicotine in samples obtained from a biorelevant in vitro release system for permeation testing of nicotine from a commercially available smokeless tobacco product. The selectivity for the analysis of nicotine in vitro samples was investigated as a part of the method validation by the standard addition method, peak purity testing, and peak trapping followed by mass spectrometry (MS) identification of a co-eluant which was observed. The co-eluting compound was attributable to a leachable substance from the neoprene O-ring used in the apparatus. The mass spectrum (molecular ion with m/z 353.8 ≈ 354) for this substance was consistent with the molecular weight of the plasticizer, alkyl alkylether diester adipate (molecular weight 353), commonly used in manufactur...
The Functional Units of a Digital Computer

In chapter 7, the function of the arithmetic unit has been defined loosely as the performance of arithmetic operations. As such, the capabilities of the arithmetic unit have been compared to those of a desk calculator. Although this analogy is valid in a general sense, the capabilities of arithmetic units exceed those of the desk calculator: in addition to arithmetic operations, certain logic data manipulations can be performed. Moreover, the particular manner in which operations are performed is influenced by the electronic design. In the following paragraphs we shall discuss three types of operations: fixed-point arithmetic operations, logic operations, and floating-point arithmetic operations. Incidental to this discussion, we shall see structures required for the implementation of the individual operations. In conclusion, several sample layouts of arithmetic units are indicated in which the individual requirements are combined.
The Generation of Correlated Log-Normal Clutter for Radar Simulations

From a set of N statistically independent Gaussian random variables, N correlated log-normal random variables may be generated to represent the amplitude of correlated clutter signals. Means are developed to realize specified mean value and covariance matrices of the desired clutter correlated log-normal variables. The realization is in the form of a weighting matrix to produce a set of correlate Gaussian random variables which become log-normal after a suitable nonlinear transformation.
AMPA-receptor blockade within the RVLM modulates cardiovascular responses via glutamate during peripheral stimuli.

We investigated the effects of AMPA-receptor blockade in the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) on cardiovascular responses and extracellular concentrations of glutamate during two different types of stimuli that activate peripheral Adelta - and C-fiber polymodal nociceptors using anesthetized rats. First, mechanical stimulation was achieved by applying a bilateral hindpaw pinch for 5 s, and second, thermal stimulation was evoked by immersing bilaterally the hindpaw metatarsi in a 52 degrees C hot water bath for 4 s. Mechanical stimulation increased mean arterial pressure (MAP) by 23 +/- 1 mmHg and heart rate (HR) by 25 +/- 3 bpm (n= 8). Thermal stimuli increased MAP by 32 +/- 3 mmHg and HR by 27 +/- 4 bpm (n= 8). After controlled generation of mechanical or thermal stimulation, 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (CNQX; 1.0 microM) was microdialysed bilaterally into the RVLM for 30 min. Administration of CNQX attenuated MAP and HR responses during a subsequent mechanical but not during thermal stimulation. Analyses of extracellular concentrations of glutamate within the RVLM bilaterally revealed an increase of this neurotransmitter within the RVLM during mechanical noxious stimulation. Concomitant with attenuation of the cardiovascular responses, glutamate concentrations were also decreased during the mechanical stimulation after administration of CNQX. These results demonstrate that the AMPA-receptor blockade within the RVLM that attenuates cardiovascular responses during mechanical stimulation is associated with a reduction in extracellular levels of glutamate. In addition, it appears that AMPA receptors in the RVLM do not play a role in mediating cardiovascular responses during thermal stimulation.
Sex therapy as an aid to marital and family therapy.

Abstract The treatment by a qualified sex therapist of a sexually dysfunctional couple referred by a family or marital therapist often significantly facilitates the overall therapeutic progress. When “successful”, relevant effects of sex therapy include a better dyadic relationship, optimism about therapy in general, and greater willingness to change, beneficial ripple effects on other family members often occur. Resistance by partners or other family members is considered, as is the use of “unsuccessful” sex therapy as a diagnostic tool. Questions as to whether sex therapy should follow, interrupt, or proceed concurrently with family/marital therapy are discussed.
The Verse Problems of Early American Arithmetics

Allen explores Arithmetic books used in American schools before 1850 which stated the arithmetic problems in the form of verse.Â For several generations of American schoolboys, the verse problem is seen to have been a part, admittedly a small part, of arithmetic and related studies. The verse problem varied, in its depth and complexity, from merely the casual and interesting, to the difficult, challenging, and decidedly unusual.
From specific problem instances to algorithms in the introductory course

In this paper, we present an approach for the introduction of problem solving and algorithm development in the first computer science course. Our technique is a more formal and systematic approach to programming based on generalizing a pattern after studying and expanding on a sequence of specific problem instances. In our approach, the algorithm and justification of its correctness are developed together.
Analysis of Drivers’ Stop-or-Run Behavior at Signalized Intersections with High-Resolution Traffic and Signal Event Data

Intersection safety is a national priority, and a driver's stop-or-run decision at signalized intersections is an important factor that can lead to red light running (RLR) and cause intersection-related accidents. This paper investigated this important issue by using high-resolution traffic and signal event data collected from loop detectors. First, a simple method was developed to identify first-to-stop, yellow light running, and RLR cases by using information from stop bar detectors located right behind the stop line and advance detectors located several hundred feet upstream from the stop line. Traffic data collected from advance detectors (including occupancy time and time gap), signal information collected from the signal system (including used yellow time and time left to yellow start), information from three preceding vehicles, and information from vehicles on adjacent lanes were all applied to identify the factors that significantly affect drivers' decision making. A binary logistical regression m...
SINGLE-STRAND BREAKS IN THE DNA OF THE uvrA AND uvrB STRAINS OF ESCHERICHIA COLI K-12 AFTER ULTRAVIOLET IRRADIATION

— DNA single-strand breaks were produced in uvrA and uvrB strains of E. coli K-12 after UV (254 nm) irradiation. These breaks appear to be produced both directly by photochemical events, and by a temperature-dependent process. Cyclobutane-type pyrimidine dimers are probably not the photoproducts that lead to the temperature-dependent breaks, since photoreactivation had no detectable effect on the final yield of breaks. The DNA strand breaks appear to be repairable by a process that requires DNA polymerase I and polynucleotide ligase, but not the recA, recB, recF, lexA101 or uvrD gene products. We hypothesize that these temperature-dependent breaks occur either as a result of breakdown of a thermolabile photoproduct, or as the initial endonucleolytic event of a uvrA, uvrB-independent excision repair process that acts on a UV photoproduct other than the cyclobutane-type pyrimidine dimer.
A Gender Gap among Evangelicals? An Examination of Vote Choice by Gender and Religion in the 2008 Presidential Elections

Barack Obama appeared poised to capture more votes among Evangelical women than Evangelical men given the prominence that economic and wartime issues played in the 2008 election. However, I find that no gender gap existed among Evangelicals in 2008; instead, religious tradition trumps gender as a predictor of presidential vote choice. While Obama fared similarly to John Kerry, Evangelical women were significantly more likely to vote for Al Gore than Evangelical men, demonstrating that there may be circumstances in which Democratic presidential candidates can mitigate some of their voting losses to Evangelical women.
Role of Community and Individual Characteristics in Physician Visits for Persons With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Objective To examine the effects of individual and local level socioeconomic status (SES) and health care access characteristics on the number of self-report physician visits for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods Data derived from 755 adult participants from the 2004 to 2007 Lupus Outcomes Study (LOS) resulted in a sample of 2,926 repeated-measures observations. The outcome measure was the number of physician visits in the prior 12 months. Information on disease activity and manifestations, demographics, health insurance, and specialty of the participants' main SLE physician was collected through yearly LOS interviews. Local area measures including neighborhood poverty, the number of subspecialists per capita, and hospital market areas were added from secondary data sources. We used a mixed model with repeated measures to estimate the number of physician visits for SLE by SES and health care access characteristics, as well as the extent of concentrated poverty and number of subspecialists per capita in the local community, and whether these relationships varied by specific hospital market area. Multivariate models were adjusted for demographic and health status covariates. Results LOS respondents reported a mean ± SD of 11.8 ± 10.7 (range 0–52) physician visits for SLE. After adjustment, having less than a high school education, receiving care in a health maintenance organization, being treated by a generalist, and living in a community of concentrated poverty were associated with a significantly lower number of physician visits for SLE. These relationships varied by hospital market areas. Conclusion Beyond health status, the number of physician visits for SLE varies by SES, neighborhood poverty, and characteristics of the health care system.
With a Little Help from Their Friends: Interleukin-21, T Cells, and B Cells

T follicular cells help B cells generate high-affinity antibodies. Two papers in this issue of Immunity (Nurieva et al., 2008, and Vogelzang et al., 2008) have identified a role for interleukin-21 in the development of these specialized cells and highlight questions about how this dedicated population is generated.
Judgment and Response Processes across Two Knowledge Domains

Abstract Wallsten and Gonzalez-Vallejo (1994) developed the Stochastic Judgment Model to account for true-false judgment and response processes in a single well-defined knowledge domain. This paper generalizes the model to a four-category rating task that encompasses two knowledge domains simultaneously. It then applies the model to an experiment in which Ph.D. students in history and English literature rated confidence in the truth of statements in both domains, and also decided which statement within a pair consisting of one from each domain was more likely true. Constrained versions of the general model fit the rating data very well and accurately predicted the pair-comparison (PC) choices. The results suggest that (a) the mean distance between the true and false statement distributions of confidence was greater in the better known domain; (b) judged confidence variability is greater in the domain of greater knowledge; while simultaneously (c) criterion variability is constant across domains; (d) the extreme response criteria are located symmetrically around the central one; which (e) is located to yield the usual bias to call statements true. Finally, cross-domain PC choices were very well predicted by assuming that respondents judged only the statement in the single domain they knew better and not well predicted by the more common assumption that they compare their levels of confidence in the two statements. Implications for the underlying cognitive processes are discussed including the effects of expertise.
Mass communications and state structures

Abstract Many analyses of media seek a global variable that can be used to explain human consciousness and social behavior. In contrast, this article provides an analysis of media as used and contextualized by human beings to either maintain various state structures or to provide alternatives to extant state structures. Specifically, this article demonstrates that while autocratic state authorities use and contextualize print and electronic media to strengthen the state, the use and contextualization of the print medium in the marketplace erodes autocratic authority. Conversely, the use and contextualization of electronic media by either autocratic or market centered representatives promotes the development of charismatic authority; and in turn, erodes representative-constituent relationships—or the foundations of a representative democracy. These themes will be documented by analyzing the evolution of print in Western societies; the use of radio in the 1930s by Germany, Great Britain, and the United States; and the rise of television broadcasting. Hitler's dictatorship employed to perfection technology to dominate its own people. By means of such instruments as the radio and public-address systems, eighty million persons could be made subject to the will of one individual.
The Relationship of the Redox Potentials of Thioredoxin and Thioredoxin Reductase from Drosophila melanogaster to the Enzymatic Mechanism: Reduced Thioredoxin Is the Reductant of Glutathione in Drosophila†

Thioredoxin reductase from Drosophila melanogaster (DmTrxR) catalyzes the reversible transfer of reducing equivalents between NADPH and thioredoxin (Trx), a small protein that is involved in a wide variety of biological redox processes. The catalysis involves three essential redox states of the enzyme: the oxidized form of DmTrxR (Eox), the 2-electron-reduced forms (EH2), and the 4-electron-reduced forms (EH4). In the present work, the macroscopic redox potentials of Eox/EH2 and EH2/EH4 couples were determined to be −272 ± 5 mV for Em(Eox/EH2) and −298 ± 11 mV for Em(EH2/EH4) on the basis of redox equilibria between DmTrxR and NADH. The value for Em(EH2/EH4) obtained from the steady-state kinetics of the TrxR-catalyzed reaction between NADPH and D. melanogaster Trx-2 (DmTrx-2) was reasonably consistent with that based on redox equilibria. The redox potential of the Trx-(S)2/Trx-(SH)2 couple from D. melanogaster Trx-2 (DmTrx-2) was calculated to be −275.4 ± 0.3 mV by using the Nernst equation and the Keq ...
Stimulation of thromboxane release from primary cell cultures derived from human astrocytic glioma biopsies

Stimulation of primary cultures of rat astrocytes with appropriate agents results in the mobilization of arachidonic acid from intracellular lipid pools and the synthesis of eicosanoids. Thromboxane A2 is one of the major prostanoids released upon stimulation with calcium ionophore, phorbol esters, and ATP; but a number of other predicted effectors are inactive. In an attempt to understand the pathophysiological significance of eicosanoid release from astrocytes, primary cultures have been derived from human astrocytic glioma biopsies. The majority of cells in the cultures expressed glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), frequently in conjunction with vimentin and fibronectin. Cell sorting revealed that a significant proportion of cells in the cultures from the high-grade (malignant) tumors expressed epidermal growth factor receptor, indicative of neoplastic cells. Both effective and ineffective agents in rat cultures were tested for their ability to stimulate release of thromboxane from these gliomas, and also from cultures of medulloblastoma and ependymoma which contained significant numbers of GFAP-positive cells. Only cells from the high-grade tumors released thromboxane in response to the known effective stimuli. While the muscarinic agonist carbachol was ineffective, norepinephrine evoked thromboxane release from malignant astrocytomas. These data show that cells derived from malignant human gliomas retain the ability to release thromboxane upon stimulation and suggest that a transformation in receptor coupling might accompany neoplasia, such that the cells now respond to a previously ineffective agonist.
Is Helicobacter pylori a myth or the missing link

What is required, overall, is a new paradigm in the way people think about disease. Rather than a view that sees humanity's relationship to the microbes as a historically linear one, tending over the centuries toward ever-decreasing risk to humans, a far more challenging perspective must be sought, allowing for a dynamic, nonlinear state of affairs between Homo sapiens and the microbial world, both inside and outside their bodies.
Export pathways for river discharged fresh water in the northern Gulf of Mexico

[1] A numerical simulation of the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) using the Navy Coastal Ocean Model (NCOM) is used to identify the pathways by which fresh water discharged by major rivers in the northern Gulf is exported away from the region. The NCOM, a new primitive equation ocean model with a hybrid sigma/geopotential level vertical coordinate, is described along with its application to the GoM region. Trajectories from surface drifters are analyzed to show evidence of the seasonally shifting alongshore and cross-shelf transport in the region. The model results are used to determine the preferred locations and times of year for cross-shelf and along-shelf export of low-salinity water from the northern GoM. The annual cycle of local wind stress plays an important role in shifting the export pathway of the fresh water discharged from the major rivers (primarily the Mississippi River) toward the east in the spring/summer, where it can be transported offshore by the currents associated with deep ocean mesoscale eddies, and toward the west in the fall/winter, where it is transported southward along the Mexican coastline as a coastally trapped current.
Ultrafast THz spectroscopy of correlated electrons : from excitons to cooper pairs

Insulating, conducting, and superconducting phases can be identified through their characteristic low-energy response. We discuss experiments that employ ultrashort coherent THz pulses and direct field-resolved detection to probe time-varying correlations of charge carriers in semiconductors and superconductors. These experiments detect ls-2p intra-exciton resonances of photoexcited e-h gases in GaAs quantum wells. Stimulated emission from intra-excitonic transitions is observed in Cu 2 O, between 3p and 2s exciton states. Finally, we discuss the formation kinetics of Cooper pairs from nonequilibrium quasiparticles as observed in the transient THz response of the high-T C superconductor Bi-2212.
Determining the activation energies and slip systems for dislocation nucleation in body-centered cubic Mo and face-centered cubic Ni single crystals

Nanoindentation tests were performed on single crystals of Mo and Ni. The critical shear stress for the first pop-in was ∼1/7 of the shear modulus in both crystals. The dependence of pop-in probability on load was understood in terms of a thermally activated dislocation nucleation process. Comparison of the activation energies suggests nucleation of full dislocations in Mo and partial dislocations in Ni. The activation energy analysis also offers information on the specific slip system on which dislocations are nucleated.
Simulation of Online Selling with Posted-Price and Auctions: Comparison of Dual Channel's Performance under Different Auction Mechanisms

In this paper we use a simulation model to extend previous analytical research on a firm selling consumer goods online using posted price and auction at the same time. With the simulation we investigate three selling regimes: dual channel with sealed-bid auction; dual channel with open-bid auction, and a single channel with only posted price. We examine how the auction format affects the optimal design of the dual-channel, its performance relative to the single channel, and the sales in each channel. We find that in 81% of the cases we examine, the design that maximizes the average revenue from a dual channel with open-bid auction is the same as the design that maximizes the average revenue from a dual channel with sealed-bid auction. Also, the dual/open regime usually outperforms the dual/sealed regime, and both dual channel regimes outperform the single channel.
Late Holocene Vegetation Changes in Greenwater Valley, Mojave Desert, California

Small-scale late Holocene vegetation changes were determined from a series of 13 modern and fossil packrat middens collected from a site in the Greenwater Valley, northern Mojave Desert, California. Although the site is above the modern lower limit of Coleogyne ramosissima (black-brush), macrofossils of this shrub are only present in samples younger than 270 yr B.P. In order to measure changes more subtle than presence vs absence, macrofossil concentrations were quantified, and principal components and factor analyses were used to distinguish midden plant assemblages. Both the presence/absence data and the statistical analyses suggest a downward shift of 50 to 100 m for Coleogyne (blackbrush) communities between 1435 and 1795 A.D.
Teaching Scholars Programs: Faculty Development for Educators in the Health Professions

This article 1) provides an overview of formal Health Sciences Teaching Scholars Programs as presented in medical education literature and 2) presents information about an innovative multidiscipline Teaching Scholars Program. Health Sciences Teaching Scholars Programs and similar programs were reviewed in the medical education literature to identify similar and dissimilar characteristics. The WVU Teaching Scholars Program highlighted in this article is presented with a discussion of goals, objectives, target audiences, course length, session frequency, program topics, learning methods, and assessments of the programs. A summary of the WVU Teaching Scholars Program and two Teaching Scholars Programs at Mc-Gill University and the University of Toronto were presented at the Association for American Medical Colleges (AAMC) annual meeting in 2006 for input from the general medical education audience. Comparisons of Health Sciences Teaching Scholars Programs reveal that successful programs are uniquely shaped by their educational environments. Scholars report that they value learning new teaching methods and improving their educational careers. Teaching Scholars Programs are valuable for the development of enhancing both teaching and scholarship in Health Sciences Programs and must adapt to the uniqueness of their respective educational environments and must continue to nurture scholars beyond graduation.
Treatment of resting tremor by beta-adrenergic blockade

The effect of nadolol, a peripherally acting beta-adrenergic blocker, on resting tremor was examined in eight patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease. With the use of a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of crossover design, patients received 80 to 320 mg of nadolol for 6 weeks while continuing their previous treatment regimen. Accelerometer readings showed a progressive reduction in tremor amplitude, but no change in tremor frequency, with increasing nadolol dosage. Maximum benefit was achieved at 240 mg, when resting tremor improved 50% (p less than 0.01). Physician ratings confirmed these findings. The results suggest that response to beta-adrenergic blockade may not be limited to postural or intention tremor and that such agents may not reliably differentiate between the tremor of Parkinson's disease and essential tremor.
Regular sunscreen use reduces invasive but not overall melanoma in white adults

Source Citation Green AC, Williams GM, Logan V, Strutton GM. Reduced melanoma after regular sunscreen use: randomized trial follow-up. J Clin Oncol. 2011;29:257-63. 21135266
Oxidative Power of Nitrogen-Doped TiO2 Photocatalysts under Visible Illumination

Nitrogen doping was recently shown to extend the absorptivity of TiO2 photocatalysts into the visible. We find that N-doped TiO2 materials fail, however, to catalyze the oxidation of HCOO- into CO2•-, or of NH3OH+ into NO3-, under visible illumination. By N-doping anatase at ambient or high temperature according to the literature we obtained yellow powders A and H, respectively, that absorb up to ∼520 nm. Aqueous H suspensions (pH ∼ 6, 1 atm O2) photocatalyze the oxidation of HCOO- into CO2•- radicals at λ ∼ 330 nm, but the quantum yield of CO2•- formation at λ > 400 nm remains below ∼2 × 10-5 and is probably zero. A is similarly inert toward HCOO- in the visible region and, moreover, unstable in the UV range. Thus, the holes generated on N-doped TiO2 by visible photons are unable to oxidize HCOO- either by direct means or via intermediate species produced in the oxidation of water or the catalyst. Reports of the bleaching of methylene blue (MB) on N-doped TiO2, which may proceed by direct oxidative or re...
Postoperative complications after common femoral endarterectomy

Background Common femoral endarterectomy (CFE) for limited arterial occlusive disease is considered a fairly low-risk operation of short duration. This study investigated the timing of 30-day outcomes as they related to hospital discharge and predicted the risk of operative mortality of this procedure. Methods All patients in the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database who underwent isolated CFE between 2005 and 2010 were selected for the test sample. We identified postoperative mortality and morbidities occurring before and after hospital discharge. A risk calculator for 30-day mortality, developed in the test sample using logistic regression, was validated in a new sample of cases from 2011 to 2012. Results A total of 1843 CFEs reported from 2005 to 2010 met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The average operative time was 146 ± 69.5 minutes (median, 133; interquartile range, 98-179 minutes), and 10% of patients needed to return to the operating room. The average length of stay was 4 ± 7.5 days (median, 3; interquartile range, 2-5 days); 91% of patients were discharged ≤1 week of surgery. Occurrences of cardiovascular events, renal dysfunction, and pulmonary complication were relatively low. There was 3.4% mortality and 8% wound-related complications, 30% and 86% of which occurred after hospital discharge, respectively. Overall, there was a 15% risk of combined mortality/morbidity, and >60% of these events occurred after discharge. The independent predictors of 30-day mortality were age, nonindependent functional status, preoperative dialysis, sepsis, emergency status, and American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status Classification 4 or 5, and the association between risk strata and death in the validation sample was strong (φ = 0.29) and significant ( P Conclusions CFE is not as "benign" a procedure as previously believed. The risks of death and wound complications are not insignificant, and a high percentage of these complications occurred after patients were discharged from the hospital. Patients should be carefully selected, especially in the elderly population, and close postoperative follow-up should be considered.
Organisms, Machines, and Thunderstorms: A History of Self-Organization, Part One

Over the last quarter century, the term "self-organization" has acquired a currency that, notwithstanding its long history, has been taken to signal a paradigm shift, and perhaps even a scientific revolution, introducing a new Weltanschauungin fields as diverse as mathematics, physics, biology, ecology, cybernetics, economics, sociology, and engineering. But there is a prehistory to this revolution, as to the term itself, with at least two earlier episodes in which the same term was used to signal two other, quite different revolutions. In this paper, I review the pre-history of "self-organization," starting with Immanuel Kant, who first introduced the term, and then turn to the dramatic reframing of the concept by mid-twentieth century engineers. In a subsequent paper, I will review the more recent history of this concept when the term was once again reframed, this time by physicists. My aim will be to situate this latest incarnation of "self-organization" against the backdrop of earlier discussions.
Platon, critique du matérialisme: le cas de l' Hippias majeur

The aim of this article is twofold: first, to show that, in Plato's Hippias Major, Hippias is the mouthpiece of a materialist ontology; second, to discuss the critique of this ontology. My argument is based on an interpretation of Hippias Major 300b4–301e3. I begin by revealing the shortcomings of P. Woodruff's and I. Ludlam's interpretations. Next, I define the concept of materialism as it was understood in ancient Greece (Democritus) in order to outline the specificity of Hippias' materialism. Finally, I argue that the opposition between the two characters of the Hippias Major represents in fact an ontological opposition between two conceptions of what a unity is, i.e., Hippias' elementary corporal unities and Socrates' “formal unity.”
P02.110. Effect of traditional acupuncture on circulating endothelial progenitor cells in patients with coronary heart disease

Methods Thirteen subjects were randomized to TA, sham acupuncture (SA) or waiting control (WC) for 12 weeks. TA received treatments at CHD specific acupuncture points while SA received tube pressure with no needle insertion proximate to the TA site but not considered active. WC received no intervention. EPCs at study entry/exit were quantified by flow cytometry using CD34, CD133 and VEGFR2 cell surface markers.
Perceptual difference model (Case-PDM) for evaluation of MR images: validation and calibration

There is an extraordinary number of fast MR imaging techniques, especially for parallel imaging. When one considers multiple reconstruction algorithms, reconstruction parameters, coil configurations, acceleration factors, noise levels, and multiple test images, one can easily create 1000's of test images for image quality evaluation. We have found the perceptual difference model (Case-PDM) to be quite useful as a means of rapid quantitative image quality evaluation in such experiments, and have applied it to keyhole, spiral, SENSE, and GRAPPA applications. In this study, we have compared human evaluation of MR images from multiple organs and from multiple image reconstruction algorithms to Case-PDM. We compared human DSCQS (Double Stimulus Continuous Quality Scale) scoring against Case-PDM measurements for 3 different image types and 3 different image reconstruction algorithms. We found that Case-PDM linearly correlated (r > 0.9) with human subject ratings over a very large range of image quality. We also compared Case-PDM to other image quality evaluation methods. Case-PDM generally performed better than NASA's DCTune, MITRE's IQM, Zhou Wang's NR models and mean square error (MSE) method, by showing a higher Pearson correlation coefficient, higher Spearman rank-order correlation and lower root-mean-squared error. All three models (Case-PDM, Sarnoff's IDM, and Zhou Wang's SSIM) performed very similarly in this experiment. To focus on high quality reconstructions, we performed a 2-AFC (Alternate Forced Choice) experiment to determine the "just perceptible difference" between two images. We found that threshold Case-PDM scores changed little (0.6-1.8) with 2 different image types and 3 degradation patterns, and results with Case-PDM were much tighter than the other methods (IDM and MSE) by showing a lower ratio of mean to standard deviation value. We conclude that Case-PDM can correctly predict the ordering of image quality over a large range of image quality. Case-PDM can also be used to screen the images which are "perceptually equal" to the original image. Although Case-PDM is a very useful tool for comparing "similar raw images with similar processing," one should be careful when interpreting Case-PDM scores across MR images.
The Cytoplasmic Tail of the Vesicular Acetylcholine Transporter Contains a Synaptic Vesicle Targeting Signal

The human homologue of the vesicular acetylcholine transporter (hVAChT) and the neuronal isoform of the vesicular monoamine transporter (hVMAT2) are differentially targeted to two populations of regulated secretory organelles when expressed in PC12 cells. Western blot analysis of subcellular fractions from sucrose equilibrium density gradients and glycerol velocity gradients of homogenates from stably transfected cells revealed hVAChT immunoreactivity in fractions that contain synaptophysin, a marker of synaptic vesicles, while hVMAT2 immunoreactivity was confined to heavy fractions containing chromogranin B, a marker of large dense core vesicles. In cells treated with nerve growth factor, hVAChT immunoreactivity alone co-localized with synaptophysin and was abundantly expressed on synaptic vesicle clusters. Chimeras between hVMAT2 and hVAChT were utilized to identify the domain of hVAChT required for its expression on synaptic vesicles and which would shift the expression of hVMAT2 from large dense core vesicles to synaptic vesicles. Biochemical, immunocytochemical, and electron microscopic analyses revealed that a chimera in which the cytoplasmic tail of hVMAT2 was replaced with hVAChT sequences was now preferentially targeted to synaptic vesicles. In addition, hVAChT expression on synaptic vesicles was nearly abolished when the hVMAT2 cytoplasmic tail was present. Thus, structural information resides within the terminal cytoplasmic domain of VAChT, which specifically targets it to synaptic vesicles.
THREE-DIMENSIONAL LAMINAR AND TURBULENT NATURAL CONVECTION IN A CONTINUOUSLY/DISCRETELY WALL-HEATED ENCLOSURE CONTAINING A THERMAL LOAD

An experimentally motivated numerical simulation of three-dimensional natural convection in a heated enclosure containing a discrete thermal load has been performed. A special feature of the simulation is the use of the actual equation of state of air, in contradistinction to the customary Boussinesq model. Heating is accomplished continuously at all the walls of the enclosure and by a discrete, rod-like heater situated at the enclosure floor. The bulk of the solutions were carried out for steady laminar flow, but a specific solution for turbulent flow was performed for comparison purposes. By making use of an extended quasi-steady model, the steady-state results were employed to predict the time-varying temperature of the thermal load. The agreement between the numerically based predictions and the experimental data obtained by the authors was very good. For the case selected for the laminar-turbulent comparison, only modest deviations occurred for the heat transfer rates at the surfaces of the load. It ...
Energy transducing roles of antiporter-like subunits in Escherichia coli NDH-1 with main focus on subunit NuoN (ND2).

The proton-translocating NADH-quinone oxidoreductase (complex I/NDH-1) contains a peripheral and a membrane domain. Three antiporter-like subunits in the membrane domain, NuoL, NuoM, and NuoN (ND5, ND4 and ND2, respectively), are structurally similar. We analyzed the role of NuoN in Escherichia coli NDH-1. The lysine residue at position 395 in NuoN (NLys395) is conserved in NuoL (LLys399) but is replaced by glutamic acid (MGlu407) in NuoM. Our mutation study on NLys395 suggests that this residue participates in the proton translocation. Furthermore, we found that MGlu407 is also essential and most likely interacts with conserved LArg175. Glutamic acids, NGlu133, MGlu144, and LGlu144, are corresponding residues. Unlike mutants of MGlu144 and LGlu144, mutation of NGlu133 scarcely affected the energy-transducing activities. However, a double mutant of NGlu133 and nearby KGlu72 showed significant inhibition of these activities. This suggests that NGlu133 bears a functional role similar to LGlu144 and MGlu144 but its mutation can be partially compensated by the nearby carboxyl residue. Conserved prolines located at loops of discontinuous transmembrane helices of NuoL, NuoM, and NuoN were shown to play a similar role in the energy-transducing activity. It seems likely that NuoL, NuoM, and NuoN pump protons by a similar mechanism. Our data also revealed that NLys158 is one of the key interaction points with helix HL in NuoL. A truncation study indicated that the C-terminal amphipathic segments of NTM14 interacts with the Mβ sheet located on the opposite side of helix HL. Taken together, the mechanism of H+ translocation in NDH-1 is discussed. Background: Antiporter-like subunits NuoL, NuoM, and NuoN are structurally similar but whether NuoN functions as a proton pump was uncertain. Results: Functionally and structurally important residues in NuoN were identified. Conclusion: NuoN is involved in proton translocation. Significance: Similarities and differences of essential residues for proton translocation in the antiporter-like subunits were disclosed.
Clinical relevance of defects in signalling pathways

This review discusses seven diseases of the human nervous system that have been linked to defects in signal transduction. Recent molecular genetic analyses of rare monogenic disorders have led to the identification of mutant genes in six of the seven diseases. The molecules implicated are an enzyme (superoxide dismutase) and ion channels gated by either voltage or ligands.
Improved method for removal of albumin from serum by affinity chromatography

Abstract Ges prepared from alkyl succinic anhydride coupled to agarose beads by diaminoalkane spacers have been studied to evaluate the influence of the chain length of both the alkyl succinic anhydride and the spacer on the gel's quantitative capacity and specificity to absorb albumin. The maximum absorptive eapacity for albumin of these gels varied from 13 to 30 mg of albumin/ml of gel and was related to the chain length of the alkyl succinic anhydride and the spacer. Before gel capacities were reached, eluates were albumin free when examined by electroimmunoassay (sensitivity, 1 μg/ml). The gels were not completely specific for albumin. However, pretreatment of the gels with gelatin decreased their nonspecific binding.
Higher-twist effects in πp collisions at 200 GEV/C results from fermilab experiment E609

Abstract In a study of jet production in 200 GeV/c πp and pp collisions, we find evidence for pion-induced dijet events with little or no forward energy flow. The cross section and characteristics of these events are compatible with a predicted higher-twist process. No signal is seen in the pp data.
Three-dimensional time-dependent Hartree-Fock calculations: Application to 16O + 16O collisions

A coordinate-space method is developed to solve the three-dimensional time-dependent Hartree-Fock equations. It is applied to the study of 16O + 16O collisions at Elab=105 MeV for incident angular momenta from O to 40h. We find fusion for L=13h through 27h and highly inelastic scattering for L≤12h. NUCLEAR REACTIONS 16O(16O,x) in three-dimensional time-dependent Hartree-Fock approximation. Fusion and strongly damped collisions.
Single Molecule Characterization of Cholera Toxin and its Interaction with Gm1 Gangliosides Using Lipid-Coated Nanopores

Characterization of resistive pulses from the translocation of particles through lipid-coated nanopores has previously been used to determine the size, charge, and ligand affinity of proteins. Here, we coat the nanopores with a lipid bilayer to prevent non-specific adsorption, concentrate a protein of interest on the bilayer surface, and slow the translocation times of proteins through the pore so that events may be effectively time-resolved and detected. This study aims to characterize cholera toxin and the binding kinetics of the multivalent interaction with GM1 gangliosides embedded in the lipid coating. Understanding the parameters of the GM1 and cholera toxin interaction on a single molecule basis may provide additional information about the pathophysiology of vibrio cholerae, which is known to attack GM1 dense cells in the intestinal epithelia. By monitoring the frequency of translocation events of the protein-ligand complex as a function of time, it is possible to measure the binding kinetics of the interaction between cholera toxin and the GM1 lipid anchors. Thus far, we have determined the shape, volume, and charge of the membrane-associated protein in addition to the effective on-rate of binding under varying concentrations of the GM1 ligand.
Neuroendocrine activity in congestive heart failure

Abstract The increased neuroendocrine activity in patients with congestive heart failure appears to be a generalized attempt to maintain blood pressure at the expense of reduced cardiac performance and salt and water retention. It is likely that baroreceptor dysfunction contributes to increased sympathetic nervous system activity in patients with congestive heart failure. The usual tonic inhibitory messages emanating from baro- and mechanoreceptors in the great vessels and heart fail to adjust sympathetic traffic from the brain to the periphery, leading to uninhibited sympathetic tone. Arginine vasopressin and plasma renin activity may be increased secondarily; however, plasma renin activity activation could also be induced by a low-salt diet and diuretic use. Preliminary baseline data indicate that patients with left ventricular dysfunction (ejection fraction 35%) but no or very mild symptoms of heart failure have increased plasma levels of norepinephrine, atrial natriuretic factor and arginine vasopressin, while plasma renin activity is normal, suggesting that neuroendocrine activity contributes to the pathogenesis of congestive heart failure. Neurohormones such as angiotensin II may alter gene expression, leading to changes in the shape and size of the cell. Remodeling of the heart and blood vessels is associated with both heart failure and hypertension. Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors have been demonstrated to retard or reverse the remodeling process under certain experimental conditions. Studies are currently under way to test this possibility in patients.
Anticancer effects of therapeutic opioids

In addition to their use in pain management in terminal cancer patients, therapeutic opioids have been found to be potent inducers of apoptosis in several types of human cancer cells, resulting in the inhibition of tumor growth. However, these growth-inhibitory effects appear not to involve conventional opioid receptor types or signal transduction pathways that mediate their central nervous system (CNS) actions, suggesting the existence of multiple binding sites. This offers the potential of designing opioid drugs targeted toward tumor tissues. While these findings suggest a new therapeutic approach for the treatment of several cancers, they indicate a need for more research on the apoptotic effects of chronic opioid use in neuronal cells. A greater understanding of the comparative effects of opioid drugs in the CNS and peripheral tissues could result in the design of better treatment protocols for their use in the control of cancer pain and growth.
A Neonatal Fiberoptic Probe for Oximetry and Dye Curves

Development of a miniaturized fiberoptic/dye probe is described for intended application with a neonatal 5 French (FR) umbilical artery catheter (UAC). A simplified model of the optical system leads to the choice of 5 mil plastic fibers for which a large numerical aperture compensates for high absorption losses at 930 nm over short distances. Initial dog trials have yielded excellent in situ oximetry measurements and dye curves that clearly show the recirculation component.
Immediate visual-spatial memory in hemisphere-damaged patients: Impairment of verbal coding and of perceptual processing

Abstract A test of immediate visual-spatial memory was administered to 71 normal controls, 140 right and 219 left brain-damaged patients, in order to check if immediate visual recognition is lowered chiefly by an aphasic or by a perceptual disorder. Results showed that both a visual field defect and, even more, a language disturbance impair visual recognition of brain-damaged patiens.
Heat and mass transfer analysis of bacon-type hydrogen-oxygen fuel cells: the volume average velocity

Abstract A model is developed to study the transient electrolyte water evaporation and heat rejection in an operating fuel cell. The model applies to fuel cells which circulate reactant gas in excess of that consumed in the electrochemical reaction to remove the product water as well as heat. The model mass transfer equations are expressed in terms of volume average velocity. It has been shown that the mathematical representation of the volume average velocity model is attractive for computational purposes, since the volumetric disappearance of electrolyte volume for a fixed control volume in space would yield a change in concentration as would actually occur due to dilution. Because of the non-linearities associated with the developed model equations, the finite-difference technique is used to obtain solutions. The implicit finite-difference scheme was selected so as to avoid the stability criteria associated with the explicit form, which places an undesirable restriction on the size of the time increment that can be used. After its accuracy had been established, the method was used to study an operating Bacon-type Hydrogen-oxygen fuel cell.