cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Xenopus Smad7 inhibits both the activin and BMP pathways and acts as a neural inducer.

Abstract Smads are proteins that transduce signals on behalf of members of the TGFβ superfamily of growth factors. Recently, inhibitory Smads, Smad6, Smad7, and Dad, were isolated from human, mouse, and fly. These anti-Smads were shown to inhibit TGFβ signaling by stably associating to TGFβ type I receptors or, as it was shown for Smad6, by binding to receptor-activated Smad1. We report the cloning, distribution, and embryological activity of the Xenopus Smad7 (XSmad7). We report that XSmad7 inhibits signaling from the activin and BMP pathways in animal explants although at different thresholds. When expressed in the embryo, low concentrations of XSmad7 dorsalize the ventral mesoderm, thus inducing a secondary axis. At higher concentrations however, XSmad7 inhibits both mesoderm induction and primary axis specification. In addition, we show that XSmad7 acts as a direct neural inducer both in the context of ectodermal explants andin vivo.We discuss the implications of these findings in the biochemical context of the activin and BMP pathways as well as their implications in mesodermal, neural, and axis specification.
Time-series properties and predictive ability of quarterly cash flows

Abstract We provide descriptive and predictive evidence on the time-series properties and predictive ability of quarterly cash flows from operations (CFO) reported in accordance with Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) No. 95. Previous work such as Hopwood and McKeown [Hopwood, W.S., & McKeown, J.C., (1992). Empirical evidence on the time-series properties of operating cash flows. Managerial Finance, 18, 62–78] and Lorek, Schaefer and Willinger [Lorek, K.S., Schaefer, T.F., & Willinger, G.L., (1993, January). Time-series properties and predictive ability of funds flow variables.” The Accounting Review, 68, 151–63], among others, has analyzed a proxy series (PCFO) for quarterly cash flows constructed via a relatively simplistic algorithm. We provide new evidence documenting that: (1) the time-series properties of quarterly CFO are at variance with the exclusively seasonal characterization of quarterly PCFO exhibiting both adjacent (quarter-to-quarter) and seasonal (quarter-by-quarter) relationships, (2) the Brown–Rozeff ARIMA model significantly outpredicts the random walk with drift model, seasonal random walk with drift model, and a disaggregated-accrual model, the multivariate time-series regression model (MULT) originally popularized by Lorek and Willinger [Lorek, K.S., & Willinger, G.L., (1996, January). A multivariate time-series prediction model for cash-flow data. The Accounting Review, 71, 81–101], (3) the forecast errors of larger firms are significantly smaller than the forecast errors of smaller firms, and (4) the predictive ability of the Brown–Rozeff model is robust when tested upon an expanded sample of firms (n = 745; 8940 firms/quarter predictions) obtained by eliminating the considerable data requirements of MULT.
Regulation of the gut-specific carboxypeptidase: A study using the binary Gal4/UAS system in the mosquito Aedes aegypti

Pathogen transmission by mosquitoes is tightly linked to blood feeding which, in turn, is required for egg development. Studies of these processes would greatly benefit from genetic methods, such as the binary Gal4/UAS system. The latter has been well established for model organisms, but its availability is limited for mosquitoes. The objective of this study was to develop the blood-meal-activated, gut-specific Gal4/UAS system for the yellow-fever mosquito Aedes aegypti and utilize it to investigate the regulation of gut-specific gene expression. A 1.1-kb, 5(') upstream region of the carboxypeptidase A (CP) gene was used to genetically engineer the CP-Gal4 driver mosquito line. The CP-Gal4 specifically activated the Enhanced Green Fluorescent Protein (EGFP) reporter only after blood feeding in the gut of the CP-Gal4 > UAS-EGFP female Ae. aegypti. We used this system to study the regulation of CP gene expression. In vitro treatments with either amino acids (AAs) or insulin stimulated expression of the CP-Gal4 > UAS-EGFP transgene; no effect was observed with 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) treatments. The transgene activation by AAs and insulin was blocked by rapamycin, the inhibitor of the Target-of-Rapamycin (TOR) kinase. RNA interference (RNAi) silence of the insulin receptor (IR) reduced the expression of the CP-Gal4 > UAS-EGFP transgene. Thus, in vitro and in vivo experiments have revealed that insulin and TOR pathways control expression of the digestive enzyme CP. In contrast, 20E, the major regulator of post-blood-meal vitellogenic events in female mosquitoes, has no role in regulating the expression of this gene. This novel CP-Gal4/UAS system permits functional testing of midgut-specific genes that are involved in blood digestion and interaction with pathogens in Ae. aegypti mosquitoes.
EMERGING PARADIGMS IN GRANULOCYTE-MACROPHAGE COLONY-STIMULATING FACTOR SIGNALING

The myelomonocytic lineage of hematopoiesis is regulated by the growth factor granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF). This cytokine has proven to be safe for use in coordination with the treatments for bone marrow transplants and acute myelogenous leukemia. GM-CSF and related cytokines operate through specific receptors in the membranes of target cells of the myelopoietic lineages (both immature and mature cells). The exact signal transduction mechanisms in the cell are only beginning to be clarified and involve a plethora of signaling molecules. With a wealth of new information from studies in GM-CSF-induced cell activation, three major experimental approaches are emerging as gold standards in the exploration of those signaling pathways initiated by hematopoietic growth factors. We consider here: (1) a protein-protein interaction, as exemplified by the association between the cytokine membrane receptor and JAK kinase; (2) a covalent modification of an enzyme, as studied in the phosphorylation of MAP kinase; and (3) a protein-DNA interaction, as demonstrated by the translocation of STAT from the cytosol to the nucleus where it can bind to the promoters of specific genes.
Solid Fuel Burning in Steady, Strained, Premixed Flow Fields: The Graphite/Air/Methane System

A detailed numerical investigation was conducted on the simultaneous burning of laminar premixed CH4/air flames and solid graphite in a stagnation flow configuration. The graphite and methane were chosen for this model, given that they are practical fuels and their chemical kinetics are considered as the most reliable ones among solid and hydrocarbon fuels, respectively. The simulation was performed by solving the quasi-one-dimensional equations of mass, momentum, energy, and species. The GRI 2.1 scheme was used for the gas-phase kinetics, while the heterogeneous kinetics were described by a six-step mechanism including stable and radical species. The effects of the graphite surface temperature, the gas-phase equivalence ratio, and the aerodynamic strain rate on the graphite burning rate and NO, production and destruction mechanisms were assessed. Results indicate that as the graphite temperature increases, its burning rate as well as the NO, concentration increase. Furthermore, it was found that by increasing the strain rate, the graphite burning rate increases as a result of the augmented supply of the gas-phase reactants towards the surface, while the NO, concentration decreases as a result of the reduced residence time. The effect of the equivalence ratio on both the graphite burning rate and NO, concentration was found to be non-monotonic and strongly dependent on the graphite temperature. Comparisons between results obtained for a graphite and a chemically inert surface revealed that the chemical activity of the graphite surface can result to the reduction of NO through reactions of the CH3, CH2, CH, and N radicals with NO.
Molecular imaging of thin mammalian tissue sections by mass spectrometry.

Imaging of tissue sections by mass spectrometry provides a detailed molecular picture containing information on both the abundance and distribution of many constituent compounds. Mass spectra are acquired directly from fresh frozen tissue sections using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS); sample preparation and data collection mode determine the spatial resolution or surface area of the section represented in each mass spectrum. Statistical analyses of the individual ion signatures yield biomarkers whose abundances correlate to cell development processes, tumorigenesis and/or drug treatment. In an alternate mode, the generation of intensity maps for individual ions provides a visual representation of the distribution of each species throughout the section at spatial resolutions as small as 50 μm. The availability of this molecular information is likely to be of great value to clinicians and should lead to improved therapeutic efficacy in the future.
Seed Dormancy Imposed by Covering Tissues Interrelates to Shattering and Seed Morphological Characteristics in Weedy Rice

identified from the weedy strains. These genotypes displayed hull- offspring. and pericarp/testa-imposed dormancy. Three dormant weedy strains, Weedy strains are hypothesized to be intermediate LD, TKN12-2, and SS18-2, were crossed and backcrossed with the between wild species and cultivars, and thus weeds are nondormant breeding line EM93-1 to determine the relationship be- considered as part of the primary gene pool for crop tween dormancy and the shattering, awn, hull color, and pericarp/ breeding (Harlan et al., 1973). It is assumed that weedy testa color characteristics. All these characteristics interrelated to the races harbor genes for tolerance to various adverse concovering-imposed dormancy; the weedy forms of the characteristics ditions, but their breeding potential has not been well significantlyreducedgerminationintheBC1F1populations.Moreover, multiple linearregression analysesrevealed significanteffects ofinter- explored (Harlan, 1965; Oka, 1988). New genetic and action between the characteristics on dormancy in the populations. genomic approaches will facilitate discovery of novel The interrelation and interaction reflect the importance of combined genes in nondomesticated germplasm for major adeffects of dormancy and other weedy characteristics in the adaptation vances in crop improvement (Tanksley and McCouch, of weedy populations to agroecosystems, and suggest that domestica- 1997). We are utilizing weedy rice as a genetic system tion and breeding activities have eliminated dormancy alleles at loci to explore fundamental and applied aspects of seed dornear the genes for shattering and the morphological characteristics mancy because weedy strains generally have a higher from improved cultivars. level of dormancy compared with cultivars (Oka, 1988; Tang and Morishima, 1997). Additionally, rice is a model system with a small genome size (430 Mbp) that has
Composition of parietal and nonparietal components of canine gastric secretion

This experimental study was performed to measure directly the composition of the two components of gastric juice by using vagally innervated fundal gastric mucosa in dogs before and after loss of parietal cells had been induced by explantation. The concentrations of acid, sodium, potassium, chloride, and hexosamine found were compared with those reported previously for parietal and nonparietal components of gastric juice. The concentrations of electrolytes secreted by the explanted mucosa compared favorably with previous estimates of composition of nonparietal component of gastric juice.
Analytical techniques for cell fractions. XXIV. Isoelectric point standards for two-dimensional electrophoresis

Abstract We have investigated the two-dimensional electrophoretic behavior of a number of proteins throughout the course of carbamylation induced by heating in urea solution. Stepwise charge changes occur which are apparently commensurate with the number of free amino groups in the protein. Characteristic changes also occur in the sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) electrophoretic mobility (SDS molecular weight) of some heavily carbamylated proteins, implying altered structure or SDS binding. A mixture of all carbamylation intermediates of a protein provides a simple solution to the problem of internal isoelectric point standardization in the two-dimensional electrophoretic technique of P. H. O'Farrell (1975, J. Biol. Chem.250, 4007–4021).
The effect of low-dose dopamine infusion on cardiopulmonary and renal status in premature newborns with respiratory distress syndrome

To study the effects of infusion of low doses of dopamine hydrochloride on cardiopulmonary and renal status in premature newborns with respiratory distress syndrome, 49 newborns were randomly assigned to three groups: group 1 (18 patients) received no dopamine and was the control group; group 2 (16 patients) was infused with a dose of dopamine measuring 1.0 μg/kg of body weight per minute for 72 hours; and group 3 (15 patients) was infused with a dose of dopamine measuring 2.5 μg/kg of body weight per minute for 72 hours. Birth weights, gestational ages, postnatal ages, and cardiopulmonary status of all groups at the start of the study were comparable. Continuous infusion of these low doses of dopamine for 3 days after birth did not significantly improve levels of blood gases, acid-base balance, or clinical outcome. In newborns with systemic hypotension, dopamine improved cardiovascular status and caused early return of blood pressure to the normal range. Infusion of low doses of dopamine produced mild to moderate natriuresis and insignificant increases in glomerular filtration rate and urine volume. ( AJDC . 1991;145:799-803)
A production control problem in competition

Abstract In this paper, we study a production control problem in a competitive environment. Two firms produce the same product and compete against each other. The demand is random and so is the production capacity. Each firm needs to decide how much it will produce daily without knowing what the competitor is doing. If it produces too much, the firm has to pay an inventory cost. If it produces too little, unsatisfied customers are turned away to its competitor. The daily demand is randomly allocated between the two firms. We consider a finite planning horizon. The control problem is formulated as a finite dynamic game. Algorithms are developed to determine the control policies of interest. Numerical examples are presented. Comparisons are made with the control policies from a single-firm optimization model.
Founder contribution and pedigree inference in a captive breeding colony of lion-tailed macaques, using mitochondrial DNA and DNA fingerprint analyses

Captive colony genetic management is dependent on knowledge of the colony pedigree. In most zoos, records for colonies held prior to the past decade are incomplete or nonexistent. We have used a nested set of molecular techniques to infer genetic relationships in a colony of 15 lion-tailed macaques after twenty years of unmonitored reproduction. The troop was first divided into lines of matrilineal descent using mitochondrial DNA RFLP patterns. Paternity and maternity were then assigned on the basis of DNA fingerprint analysis. As mtDNA is maternally inherited, it is of no use in paternity assessment, but enabled subdivision of the colony into maternal lines. DNA fingerprinting would have been of little use by itself because of high levels of relatedness in several generations of offspring within the colony. The combination of the two techniques, however, enabled strong inference of both paternity and maternity in all cases. These data were instrumental in the inclusion of this troop in the AAZPA Species Survival Plan.
High resolution THz spectroscopy of ammonium nitrate and potassium nitrate crystalline films

We have performed high resolution terahertz vibrational spectroscopy of ammonium nitrate and potassium nitrate crystalline films and their mixtures employing waveguide terahertz time domain spectroscopy. Measurements were conducted on films that were drop cast from solution onto aluminum and gold surfaces. The terahertz spectra of the films were compared with more traditional terahertz time domain measurements of ammonium nitrate and potassium nitrate pellets. Temperature dependence studies indicate that as samples were cooled to cryogenic temperatures the vibrational lines become significantly narrower and more intense, more so in the case of films than pellets. We also investigate line broadening caused by impurities by measuring terahertz spectra ammonium films containing small amounts of potassium nitrate.
Detection and quantification of the organophosphate insecticide paraoxon by competitive inhibition enzyme immunoassay

Abstract A competitive inhibition enzyme immunoassay (EIA) was developed to detect and quantify levels of the organophosphate insecticide paraoxon in body fluids. Protein-conjugated paraoxon served as an immunogen for the production of rabbit heteroantiserum, from which affinity purified IgG anti-paraoxon antibodies were isolated using a heterologous protein-paraoxon-conjugated immunoabsorbent. In the competitive inhibition EIA a standard curve was generated for the inhibition of binding of anti-paraoxon IgG to a solid-phase bound heterologous protein-paraoxon conjugate by various concentrations of free paraoxon. Binding was proportionate to the color change of an appropriate substrate generated by an enzyme-conjugated second antibody specific for the rabbit IgG anti-paraoxon. The assay detected paraoxon levels as low as 10 −10 M (28 pg/ml) in buffer, and serum paraoxon levels as low as 10 −9 M. In addition to its sensitivity, this technique is ideally suited to the simultaneous processing of large numbers of samples in less than 2 hr. The competitive inhibition EIA is cost effective and should facilitate environmental surveillance using sentinel animals, expand laboratory toxicology studies, and improve clinical detection capabilities.
Point mutations in apolipoprotein A-I mimic the phenotype observed in patients with classical lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase deficiency.

We have analyzed the effect of charged to neutral amino acid substitutions around the kinks flanking helices 4 and 6 of apoA-I and of the deletion of helix 6 on the in vivo activity of LCAT and the biogenesis of HDL. The LCAT activation capacity of apoA-I in vitro was nearly abolished by the helix 6 point (helix 6P-apoA-I[R160V/H162A]) and deletion {helix 6Δ-apoA-I[Δ(144−165)]} mutants, but was reduced to 50% in the helix 4 point mutant (helix 4P-apoA-I[D102A/D103A]). Following adenovirus-mediated gene transfer in apoA-I deficient mice, the level of plasma HDL cholesterol was greatly reduced in helix 6P and helix 6Δ mutants. Electron microscopy and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis showed that the helix 6P mutant formed predominantly high levels of apoA-I containing discoidal particles and had an increased preβ1-HDL/α-HDL ratio. The helix 6Δ mutant formed few spherical particles and had an increased preβ1-HDL/α-HDL ratio. Mice infected with adenovirus expressing the helix 4P mutant or wild-type apoA-I h...
PHOTO-OXIDATION OF HISTIDINE AS A PROBE FOR AMINOTERMINAL CONFORMATIONAL CHANGES DURING FIBRINOGEN-FIBRIN CONVERSION

Fibrinogen is known to become unclottable when irradiated with light in the presence of methylene blue, the loss of clottability being due to photo-oxidation of the histidine at position 16 of the B chain. In the present investigation it could be demonstrated that not only this histidine but also the one at position 24 of the A chain was modified and that the rates of modification could be modulated by fibrinopeptide release, polymerization inhibition and denaturation. Accordingly, the histidine modifications can be used as probes for surface accessibility of and conformational differences among the various forms of the protein. Both histidines are shielded by the fibrin polymer structure. Fibrinopeptide A release alone leads to maximal protection of the one in the A chain, but only partial protection of the one in the B chain. Subsequent fibrinopeptide B release leads to maximal protection of the one in the B chain. The differential effects indicate that two conformational changes have occurred. Polymerization inhibition reverses the protective effect. Denaturation leads to maximal and equal modification in all samples as a consequence of the loss of native conformation.
Parallel simulation of petri nets on desktop pc hardware

A comparatively simple approach to highly parallel simulation of Petri nets on commodity, desktop PC hardware is suggested. A mapping, described in the programming language Cg, of Petri net semantics to the SIMD architecture of NVidia 5-series and 6-series GPUs is provided, and a prototype simulator is tested on both conflict-intensive and conflict-free Petri net models. In all cases, the prototype parallel simulator is seen to deliver substantial performance gains over its serial counterparts. Limitations of the approach and open design issues are also described.
Computational method of finding optimal structural change in economic systems: an input-output projected-gradient approach

Abstract A method of finding locally optimal structural change in economic systems described by input-output models and aimed to maximization of final product per capita is suggested. The method is based on a projected-gradient. Both projected-gradient and corresponding locally optimal structural change are obtained in explicit form. Numerical examples are provided
Compaction and transport properties of newly replicated Caulobacter crescentus DNA

Summary Upon initiating replication of the Caulobacter chromosome, one copy of the parS centromere remains at the stalked pole; the other moves to the distal pole. We identified the segregation dynamics and compaction characteristics of newly replicated Caulobacter DNA during transport (highly variable from cell to cell) using time-lapse fluorescence microscopy. The parS centromere and a length (also highly variable) of parS proximal DNA on each arm of the chromosome are segregated with the same relatively slow transport pattern as the parS locus. Newly replicated DNA further than about 100 kb from parS segregates with a different and faster pattern, while loci at 48 kb from parS segregate with the slow pattern in some cells and the fast pattern in others. The observed parS-proximal DNA compaction characteristics have scaling properties that suggest the DNA is branched. HU2-deletion strains exhibited a reduced compaction phenotype except near the parS site where only the ΔHU1ΔHU2 double mutant had a compaction phenotype. The chromosome shows speed-dependent extension during translocation suggesting the DNA polymer is under tension. While DNA segregation is highly reliable and succeeds in virtually all wild-type cells, the high degree of cell to cell variation in the segregation process is noteworthy.
Condensed tannins increase nitrogen recovery by trees following insect defoliation

While the importance of plant secondary metabolites to belowground functioning is gaining recognition, the perception remains that secondary metabolites are produced for herbivore defense, whereas their belowground impacts are ecological by-products, or 'afterlife' effects. However, plants invest a significant amount of resources into production of secondary metabolites that have minimal effects on herbivore resistance (e.g. condensed tannins and insect herbivores). We show that genetically mediated variation in condensed tannin concentration is correlated with plant nitrogen recovery following a severe defoliation event. We used single-tree mesocosms labeled with (15) N to track nitrogen through both the frass and litter cycling pathways. High concentrations of leaf tannins in Populus tremuloides were correlated with (15) N recovery from frass within the same growing season and in the following growing season. Likewise, leaf tannin concentrations were also correlated with (15) N recovery from the litter of defoliated trees in the growing season following the defoliation event. Conversely, tannins were not well correlated with nitrogen uptake under conditions of nominal herbivory. Our results suggest that tannins may confer benefits in response to herbivore pressure through conserved belowground nitrogen cycling, rather than via defensive properties. Consequently, tannins may be considered as chemical mediators of tolerance rather than resistance.
Non-facial and non-verbal affective expression in appearance-constrained robots for use in victim management: robots to the rescue!

This video presents a visual summary of large-scale, complex human study in Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) designed to evaluate whether humans would view interactions with two non-anthropomorphic robots more positively and calming when the robots were operated in an emotive mode versus a standard, non-emotive mode. The video presents actual participants' reactions, the study design, and images from search and rescue operations.
Preventing Medication Errors at Home

Medication errors occur at the hands of not only health care professionals but also of in-home patient caregivers or the patients themselves. This article explores the various causes for therapeutic errors in pediatric as well as elderly patients within their home settings. In addition, suggestions are provided on educating the patients and their caregivers on the prevention of medication errors.
Equiangular tight frame fingerprinting codes

We show that equiangular tight frames (ETFs) are particularly well suited as additive fingerprint designs against Gaussian averaging collusion attacks when the number of users is less than the square of the signal dimension. The detector performs a binary hypothesis test in order to decide whether a user of interest is among the colluders. Given a maximum coalition size, we show that the geometric figure of merit of distance between the corresponding “guilty” and “not guilty” linear forgeries for each user is bounded away from zero. Moreover, we show that for a normalized correlation detector, reliable detection is guaranteed provided that the number of users is less than the square of the signal dimension. Moreover, we show that the coalition has the best chance of evading detection when it uses equal weights.
A Line Source on an Interface Between a Fluid and an Elastic Solid

In this paper the problem of interaction between infinitesimal disturbances propagated in a fluid and in an elastic solid across an infinite plane interface is examined by the method of dynamic similarity. The disturbance is the result of the setting up, at time t = 0, of an infinite line source of constant strength on the interface; by the word source we imply within the fluid a line singularity associated with a flux which is uniform in all directions and with zero circulation. Seen from the solid the singularity is a line of pressure which is not, however, uniform in all directions. There are three propagation velocities involved, the velocity of sound in the fluid and the velocities of shear and dilatation waves in the solid. The form of the disturbance depends on the relative magnitudes of these velocities, as well as on the relative densities of the two media. Within the limitations of the theory of propagation of weak shocks, the method of dynamic similarity, which is closely related to the conical flow method of Busemann leads to exact formulae for the stress and velocity components everywhere; these results satisfy the correct continuity conditions at the interface. The non-uniform way in which the solution approaches the corresponding elastic half-space solution when the density of the fluid is small relative to that of the solid is described, and the non-uniform way in which the surface wave velocity is affected by the relative density is also discussed. Specific results which are found are that a pair of lines of stagnation move away from the source in opposite directions on the interface with the exact velocity of the Rayleigh wave for the solid. There is another pair of stagnation lines moving with velocity 2 ½ c 2 , where c 2 is the velocity of shear waves, but only in cases when this velocity is smaller than the sound velocity in the fluid.
Ethical Reflections on the Opportunities and Challenges for International Business in China

This essay provides a brief overview of ethical issues and challenges relevant to international firms doing business in China. Those issues include the uncertainties of further economic liberalization within an authoritarian government framework, the impacts of bribery and low transparency on competitiveness and profitability, uncertainty about what ethics and values within the Chinese cultural ethos will prevail in shaping economic behavior, questions about the rights and status of Chinese workers, and significant challenges of environmental sustainability.
The action potential of spinal axons in vitro

Despite the trauma of dissection and special metabolic requirements, the physiological properties of funiculi of the mammalian spinal cord can be studied in vitro. They are adequately oxygenated by diffusion at 0.88 atm. pO(2) and remain in a functionally normal state for over 12 hours. The internal consistency of several kinds of data presented in this and the foregoing papers (5, 38) serves to characterize certain properties of central myelinated axons whether excised or in situ. (1) Spinal tracts support a large spike potential in vitro whose form, duration, and velocity are comparable to those of alpha fibers in vitro and spinal tracts in vivo. (2) Properties consistent with a large L fraction are found in central axons whether excised or in situ. (3) Following conduction there has been identified post-spike supernormality with exponential time course (7.5 msecs. half-time) which is the result of activity intrinsic to parent fibers of dorsal columns. The supernormality is similar in form and magnitude both in excised and intact funiculi. (4) In excised funiculi the action potential of parent axons includes a large negative after-potential whose form and duration correspond satisfactorily with this supernormality. This potential appears not to result from activity arising in broken collaterals. (5) Central axons, excised or intact, fire spontaneously in the presence of citrate ion, and when synchronized by stimulation develop periodic oscillations at about 400 C.P.S. but show no such behavior in the presence of excess potassium ion. Certain characteristics peculiar to central axons indicate that they occupy an extreme position in the spectrum of properties encountered in conducting tissues. Dorsal column myelinated axons differ from their peripheral counterparts, even though they are parts of the same cell, in the following ways. The maintenance of the column spike potential is more critically dependent on CO(2) and the entire tissue mass has a higher oxygen consumption. The negative after-potential is much larger and the positive after-potential, non-existent following a single volley, is more difficult to develop by repetitive stimulation. Unlike peripheral nerve, central axons are not incited to spontaneous activity by manipulation of certain constituents normally present in their environment. However, when induced by the application of citrate the resulting rhythmic behavior has twice the frequency of that in peripheral nerve. In general, the recovery process in central axons is more invariant than that in peripheral axons when they are subjected to similar changes in their artificial environments.
N-glycan branching requirement in neuronal and postnatal viability

The structural variations among extracellular N-glycans reflect the activity of glycosyltransferases and glycosidases that operate in the Golgi apparatus. More than other types of vertebrate glycans, N-glycans are highly branched oligosaccharides with multiple antennae linked to an underlying mannose core structure. The branching patterns of N-glycans consist of three types, termed high-mannose, hybrid, and complex. Though most extracellular mammalian N-glycans are of the complex type, some cells variably express hybrid and high-mannose forms. Nevertheless, a requirement for hybrid and complex N-glycan branching exists in embryonic development and postnatal function among mice and humans inheriting defective Mgat1 or Mgat2 alleles. The resulting defects in formation N-glycan branching patterns cause multiple abnormalities, including neurologic defects, and have inferred the presence of distinct functions for hybrid and complex N-glycan branches among different cell lineages. We have further explored N-glycan structure-function relationships in vivo by using Cre-loxP conditional mutagenesis to abolish hybrid and complex N-glycan branching specifically among neuronal cells. Our findings show that hybrid N-glycan branching is an essential posttranslational modification among neurons. Loss of Mgat1 resulted in a unique pattern of neuronal glycoprotein deficiency concurrent with caspase 3 activation and apoptosis. Such animals exhibited severe locomotor deficits, tremors, paralysis, and early postnatal death. Unexpectedly, neuronal Mgat2 deletion resulting in the loss of complex but not hybrid N-glycan branching was well tolerated without phenotypic markers of neuronal or locomotor dysfunction. Structural features associated with hybrid N-glycan branching comprise a requisite posttranslational modification to neuronal glycoproteins that permits normal cellular function and viability.
Assessing the Rahim Organizational Conflict Inventory-II (ROCI-II)

The ROCI-II, as one of the more recently developed instruments, is distinguished by its emphasis on individual predispositions, its belief in maintaining a balance in the amount of conflict in the organization, and its concern for effectiveness in managing conflicts. The scale treats communication implicitly as a set of strategies used to achieve interpersonal goals and as a way of equalizing the amount of conflict in the system. This article commends the internal reliabilities of the scale but questions the factor structure of the items. It calls for research on the predictive validity of the instrument and on the way to determine the appropriateness of a style in a particular situation.
A Fully Polynomial Approximation Scheme for the Euclidean Steiner Augmentation Problem

The Euclidean Steiner Augmentation Problem has as input a set of straight line segments drawn in the Euclidean plane, and has as output the smallest set of straight line segments, in terms of total Euclidean length, whose addition will make the resulting set 2-edge connected. A fully polynomial approximation scheme is given for this problem in the case where the input set is connected. Several extensions and variants are also discussed.
Crime Reporting Behavior: Do Attitudes Toward the Police Matter?

Police researchers have long argued that favorable evaluations of the police eventually lead to citizens’ willingness to cooperate with the police. However, this assumption has barely been studied empirically. The current study examines the association between attitudes toward the police and crime reporting behavior of victims. Furthermore, the study explores the influence of victims’ characteristics on their decisions to report crime to the police. Using field data originally collected in Ghana, the study found that victims’ levels of confidence in the police and satisfaction with police work positively predict their decisions to report sexual assault and robbery to the police. Moreover, findings revealed that age, marital status, and employment status are important predictors of victims’ reporting behavior. Several practical and theoretical implications of the results are discussed.
U.S. progress in titanium during 1957

Sponge capacity now 27,000 tons per year … continuous cold strip rolling with few intermediate anneals … three commercial heat treating techniques … a number of new alloys … increased competition from other metals.
Reading the Signs of Sustainability in Christian Higher Education: Symbolic Value Claims or Substantive Organizational Change?

In this chapter, I examine campus sustainability and climate activism in U.S. religious higher education. I use social movement perspectives from sociology to assess its organizational boundaries and cultural foundations in a case study featuring the Consortium of Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU). Signals of campus sustainability among them are weak from institutionalized higher education data reporting sources. Stronger signals of sustainability come from direct campus surveys by student-led religious environmental movement organizations. Growing campus climate activism and leadership by students, faculty, and administrators also appears on these conservative Christian colleges and universities. Their discourse about the meaning of sustainability, strategies for implementing it, and its rationale differs significantly from secular advocates of sustainability in higher education. Little mention of climate change appears in it. Furthermore, their justification for campus sustainability is framed almost exclusively within religious terms. Overall, I find in this exploratory analysis that the prevalence of campus sustainability initiatives among CCCU schools is underreported, but still minimal. Some barriers to expanding it reflect the particular subculture of U.S. conservative Protestants. Others are shared with challenges secular campuses face when implementing organizational change for sustainability. Opportunity for building bridges to overcome them begins in better understanding these conservative Christian campuses’ religious framing of sustainability values and their organizational cultures. Given the larger societal and political context of climate change in the U.S., however, this requires greater engagement of secular advocates of sustainability in higher education and climate activists. The value this holds for addressing climate change’s possible impacts and reducing its human contributions comes from how this sector of higher education educates many future leaders of this influential conservative religious segment of U.S. society.
Sensory material architectures: Concepts and methodologies for spatial tectonics and tactile responsivity in knitted textile hybrid structures

As the knowledge of material computation advances, continuing the seamless integration of design and fabrication, questions beyond materialization can be addressed with a focus on sensing, feedback...
Marking Trichogramma brassicae (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) with Fluorescent Marker Dust and its Effect on Survival and Flight Behavior

A marking technique for Trichogramma brassicae Bezdenko was developed using a fluorescent marker dust deposited in 29.5-ml clear plastic cups. Three doses (100, 200, and 400 mg) and 2 methods (wet and dry) to deliver the fluorescent dye were used. Adult T. brassicae were allowed to self-mark in dye-treated cups for 1 h before assessment of survival, mark retention, and flight behavior. Marking did not affect T. brassicae survival. Average survival time e ranged from 63 to 74 h in the dry marked method, 72 to 84 in the wet method, and 48 to 98 h in the control. The 2 methods differed significantly in the number of individuals that retained a mark for at least 24 h. In the dry method, 65-86% were marked versus 8-23% in the wet method. Flight response in individuals marked by the dry method was depressed significantly at the highest dose but unaffected in wasps marked by the wet method. The potential uses and limitation of these techniques are discussed.
Rational Design of Single-Composition ABC Collagen Heterotrimers

Design of heterotrimeric ABC collagen triple helices is challenging due to the large number of competing species that may be formed. Given the required one amino acid stagger between adjacent peptide strands in this fold, a ternary mixture of peptides can form as many as 27 triple helices with unique composition or register. Previously we have demonstrated that electrostatic interactions can be used to bias the helix population toward a desired target. However, homotrimeric assemblies have always remained the most thermally stable species in solution and therefore comprised a significant component of the peptide mixture. In this work we incorporate complementary modifications to this triple-helical design strategy to destabilize an undesirable competing state while compensating for this destabilization in the desired ABC composition. The result of these modifications is a new ABC triple-helical system with high thermal stability and control over composition, as observed by NMR. An additional set of modifications, which exchanges aspartate for glutamate, results in an overall lowering of stability of the ABC triple helix yet shows further improvement in the system's specificity. This rationally designed system helps to elucidate the rules governing the self-assembly of synthetic collagen triple helices and sheds light on the biological mechanisms of collagen assembly.
Management of Acquired Bullous Skin Diseases

A variety of skin diseases, autoimmune and inherited, are characterized by the presence of blisters. In some, such as pemphigus vulgaris, blistering is the primary manifestation. In others, such as lichen planus, blisters are infrequent. Most of these diseases are associated with substantial morbidity; a few may result in death. Although the general approach to the treatment of these diseases is similar, the diagnosis of the specific disease is important, because the most appropriate dosage and timing of some commonly used medications vary considerably. This review covers the management of the major acquired bullous diseases; diseases only rarely associated with . . .
Nitric oxide and its role in orthopaedic disease.

Nitric oxide (.NO) is synthesized by the enzyme nitric oxide synthase (NOS). There are 2 constitutive forms of NOS (cNOS) and 1 inducible form (iNOS). Cells containing cNOS rapidly and transiently produce small amounts of NO in response to agonists that raise cytosolic levels of free Ca2+, whereas cells expressing inducible iNOS produce large amounts of .NO for extended periods after a lag of several hours during which time the enzyme is induced. Until recently, the 2 constitutive isoforms of NOS were thought to be confined to endothelial cells (eNOS) and brain (bNOS or nNOS). However, eNOS and bNOS have been identified in an increasing variety of additional cells. Many, if not most, types of cells are capable of expressing iNOS in response to cytokines, endotoxin, and phagocytosis. Regulation of iNOS occurs at transcriptional, translational, and posttranslational levels. Because .NO is rapidly diffusible and soluble in hydrophobic and aqueous environments, it is well suited to its role as an intercellular messenger with the unique ability to penetrate solid tissue. However, it is rapidly inactivated by hemoglobin. The biochemistry of .NO is dominated by its rapid reaction with oxygen and transitional metals, notably iron. The former reaction may be protective, as when neutralizing superoxide (.O2-), or harmful in forming additional highly damaging radicals such as peroxynitrite. Interaction of .NO with iron-containing proteins has a number of sequelae, including the activation of guanylate cyclase, inhibition of mitochondrial respiration, and inhibition of cell division. Nitric oxide has been implicated in a number of conditions of orthopaedic interest, including inflammation, arthritis, osteoporosis, sepsis, ligament healing, and aseptic loosening of joint prostheses.
Foul Farms: The State of Animal Agriculture

As disturbing as the wildlife trade is in fostering the development of new infectious diseases, recent events suggest that the biggest and most imminent threat may lie much closer to home. Between 2007 and 2008, farmers in the Philippines noticed that pigs were falling sick and dying by the hundreds for unknown reasons.1 A subsequent investigation confirmed the presence of porcine reproductive and respiratory disease syndrome, a serious illness among pigs.2 But, much to the surprise of the investigators, a subtype of Ebola virus, Ebola Reston, was also discovered circulating in a sample of the pigs. This was the first time Ebola of any strain had been found in these animals. ‘We never thought that pigs could be infected,’ says Pierre Rollin, an Ebola expert at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).3 Rollin believes that Ebola Reston is to blame for the pigs’ deaths because tissue studies revealed that the virus had pervaded the spleen, similar to its mode of attack in monkeys. Ebola Reston is named after the strain that was discovered in monkeys shipped to laboratories in the USA from the Philippines on several occasions between 1989 and 1996. The first shipment of Ebola virus was discovered after hundreds of monkeys became severely ill or died in a quarantine facility owned by Hazleton Laboratories (now Covance, Inc.) in Reston, Virginia.
Latency to vaginal mesh exposure with mesh placed abdominally versus vaginally in pelvic floor surgery: A retrospective comparative study.

AbstractThe primary aim was to compare the difference in time to mesh exposure between mesh placed abdominally versus vaginally. This is a retrospective comparative study of patients presented with vaginal mesh exposure between January 2001 and July 2012. This study compares patients who had undergone vaginally placed mesh procedures to those who had had abdominally placed mesh. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis was used to measure the time to mesh exposure. There were 68 patients with mesh exposure in our cohort. Thirty eight patients had undergone vaginal placement of mesh and 30 patients had abdominal mesh. There was a statistically significant difference in time to mesh exposure between abdominal and vaginal meshes (p≤.0001). Mean time to vaginal mesh exposure with abdominal mesh was 59.8 months (95%CI 46.2–73.3) compared to 23 months (95%CI 15.9–30.2) for vaginal mesh. When controlling for age, BMI and surgeon at index surgery, the Hazard Ratio for mesh exposure in our Cox Regression model was 0.53 (95%...
Accelerating Network Statistical Dynamics

Recently there has been great interest in studying the complexity of networks in ever more complex detail that includes the study of their acceleration, varying and possibly random strengths of links and therefore structure, and the study of the network topology and its hidden metrics which derive dynamical laws. In short the increasing detailed complexity of the description of networks, the research and its application to ever more detailed physical and statistical dynamics of networks has brought networks to the mathematics of nonlinear statistical dynamics of interacting systems, of which complex systems these currently studied networks are special cases of, and which can be described by a general field theory. In this letter we present towards a complete theory that would take into account inherent structure and external influences and perturbations a nonextensive statistical dynamics of accelerating networks and of varying links weights, the current state of the art, and describing the hidden metric topology that is associated with the nonlinear and nonextensive theory.