cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Kähler Geometry of the Space of Knots

Let M be a smooth, paracompact, oriented manifold of dimension n. We introduce the free loop space LM of smooth maps S 1 → M. We will identify S 1 with ℝ/ℤ and denote by x the parameter in ℝ/ℤ. First, recall from [P-S] how the space LM of smooth loops S 1 → M is made into a smooth manifold, modelled on the topological vector space C ∞(S 1,ℝ n ). This vector space has the structure of an ILH space (inverse limit of Hilbert spaces) in the sense of §1.4.
Peptide-induced peripheral T cell deletion leads to tolerance mediated by TRAIL-expressing CD8+ regulatory T cells (89.16)

Peripheral tolerance controls self-reactive T cells that escape thymic deletion. We previously showed that deletion of Ag-specific CD4+ T cells after soluble Ag injection leads to immune tolerance mediated by a CD8+ Treg population in response to the processing and presentation of the apoptotic T cells by the immune system. The CD8+ Treg maintain long-term tolerance to subsequent Ag challenge by deleting T cells that share the same Ag specificity. The present study explored the mechanism of action of these CD8+ Treg. Our data show OT-II T cells expand and contract equally in wildtype (WT) and TRAIL-/- mice after OVA323-339 injection. After contraction, WT mice were tolerant to subsequent OVA/CFA immunization, even when given fresh OT-II T cells, but TRAIL-/- mice displayed immunity. Analysis of the tolerant B6 mice found the transferred OT-II T cells did not undergo secondary expansion after OVA/CFA immunization, but secondary T cell expansion was evident in the non-tolerant TRAIL-/- mice. Subsequent investigation found direct killing of freshly transferred OT-II T cells in a TCR-specific manner in tolerant WT mice, but not in TRAIL-/- mice, and only CD8+ T cells from tolerant WT mice could transfer tolerance to naive recipients. These data provide evidence for a novel mechanism of peripheral tolerance maintained through the cytotoxic activity of TRAIL-expressing CD8+ Treg against T cells of the same Ag specificity.
The Post-finasteride Syndrome: Clinical Manifestation of Drug-Induced Epigenetics Due to Endocrine Disruption

Post-finasteride syndrome (PFS) is a disorder characterized by a set of clinical symptoms experienced during use or after drug discontinuation. This cluster of symptoms encompasses overall sexual dysfunction (SD), erectile dysfunction (ED), loss of libido, depression, suicidal ideation, anxiety, panic attacks, insomnia, and cognitive dysfunction. To date, there is lack of comprehensive understanding of the biochemical and pathophysiological mechanisms responsible for the adverse effects of finasteride. More importantly, there is lack of knowledge and effective clinical tools for treatments of this condition, resulting in outright dismissal of complaints by individuals afflicted with this syndrome. Psychological symptoms and cognitive dysfunction of PFS are far more serious and difficult to treat than sexual dysfunction symptoms and may lead young men to contemplate, attempt, or even commit suicide. Therefore, an urgent need exists to fill the knowledge gap in physiology, pathophysiology, and clinical management of patients with PFS. Finasteride treatment impairs biosynthesis and function of neurosteroids, which are critical regulators of central (CNS) as well as peripheral nervous system functions and modulate a host of neurotransmitter receptors, such as gamma amino butyric acid receptors. Thus, finasteride-induced neuroendocrine disruption of biosynthesis of critical signaling molecules results in pathophysiological states, which contribute to inhibition of biochemical pathways responsible for a host of physiological functions, ranging from sexual activity, mood, and cognition. In addition, finasteride-induced epigenetic changes in gene expression, including upregulation of androgen receptors (AR), increased histone acetylation, and methylation results in undesirable biological outcomes such as impairment of dopaminergic signaling and modulation of other neurotransmitter receptors, may be the underlying mechanism causing persistent or permanent adverse effects, manifested in anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation. The medical community has an obligation not to turn a blind eye on this rare yet debilitating condition in young men. Patients with this condition should not be stereotyped or stigmatized by untrained and unprepared clinicians, due to lack of awareness and knowledge pertaining to this new and rare syndrome. Greater awareness and education is needed among the medical and scientific communities in order to develop better approaches for managing men with PFS. It is paramount that steps are taken to develop better understanding of the underlying mechanisms contributing to the onset and progression of PFS and to promote educational and training programs to increase awareness and improve management of this condition.
The Path to Routine Genomic Screening in Health Care.

Geisinger Health System received considerable attention in May 2018 when it announced that DNA sequencing would become a routine part of its clinical care. This commentary discusses why identifying...
A Nutrition Profile: Some Clinical Laboratory Considerations

The concept of a nutrition profile and the difficulty of determining which laboratory tests should be chosen to assess the nutritional status of a patient are explored. Criteria that can be applied to determine the appropriateness of including a test in the profile and general guidelines for assembling a profile are presented.
The 1929 Sino-Soviet War: The War Nobody Knew. By Michael M. Walker. (Lawrence, KS: University Press of Kansas, 2017. Pp. xiii, 416. $39.95.)

In the summer and fall of 1929, the Soviet Union and the Republic of China fought with each other over disputes related to the Chinese Eastern Railway (CER), which they jointly managed in Manchuria...
Energetic cost of walking and spasticity in persons with multiple sclerosis with moderate disability.

BACKGROUND The energetic cost of walking (Cw) is elevated in persons with multiple sclerosis (MS). This may be explained by spasticity and spatiotemporal parameters of gait. OBJECTIVE To examine the associations among Cw, spasticity of ankle plantarflexors, and spatiotemporal gait parameters in persons with MS who had moderate disability. METHODS The sample included 44 persons with MS who had moderate disability. Cw was measured over-ground during the 6-Minute Walk using indirect calorimetry and was calculated based on net oxygen consumption and walking speed (i.e., expressed ml·kg-1·m-1). Participants underwent the Modified Ashworth Scale as a measurement of spasticity and performed 4 trials of walking on a GAITRite electronic walkway for measurement of spatiotemporal gait parameters. RESULTS Spasticity was positively correlated with Cw (r = 0.52, p < 0.05) and inversely correlated with cadence (r = -.45, p < 0.05) and step length (r = -0.40, p < 0.05). Cadence (r = -0.59, p < 0.05) and step length (r = -0.56, p < 0.05) were inversely correlated with Cw. The regression analysis indicated that spasticity explained significant variance in Cw, and cadence and step length accounted for the association. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that worse spasticity of the ankle plantarflexors and slower cadence and shorter step length, in turn, are responsible for elevated Cw among persons with MS with moderate disability. This supports the development of therapeutic, rehabilitation interventions delivered by clinicians for managing spasticity and the resulting Cw that may interfere with activities of daily living.
383) Loss of Gnb5 in Sensory Neurons Leads to Decreased Nociceptive but not Pruriceptive Stimuli in Mice

Pain and itch are two somatosensory modalities whose pathologic manifestations cause immense suffering and health burden to millions of people worldwide. Mu-opioid ligands and analogs have been the mainstream therapy against pain, but due to their significant side effects there is an urgent need to have a deeper understanding of the signaling of opioid receptors and to identify newer drug targets which could help improve treatment for these pathologies. Gβ5 is a divergent member of the Gβ subunits of heterotrimeric G proteins which are unique in binding the Gγ like domain present in the R7- RGS proteins. This protein complex acts as a GTPase accelerating protein which terminates Gαi/o signaling, thereby tightly controlling the signaling. Sensory neurons express several Gi/o coupled receptors which have been targeted for analgesia in pathologic pain. Using in situ hybridization and immunoblotting, we document the presence of Gβ5 protein in sensory neurons. Since the Gβ5 protein complex act as a GAP for Gi/o coupled GPCRs, its loss-of-function would be predicted to increase inhibitory signaling in sensory neurons leading a decreased pain or itch sensation. Using sensory neuron specific Advillin Cre mice we knocked down the expression of Gnb5 in sensory ganglia in floxed Gnb5 mice. The Adv Cre-Gnb5 fl/fl mice had a decreased nociceptive sensation for different pain modalities but not itch. Specific nociceptive changes could be blocked by the opioid antagonist, naltrexone or the GABAB antagonist, Saclofen indicating that Gβ5 protein complex could be modulating different Gi/o coupled receptors involved in perceiving different modalities of pain perception. Further analysis of nociceptive stimuli in RGS7 Cre-Gnb5 fl/fl and RGS9 Cre-Gnb5 fl/fl mice revealed significant selective responses to different modalities indicating the role of different R7-RGS partners in pain signaling.
The Ser/Thr kinase p90RSK promotes kidney fibrosis by modulating fibroblast-epithelial crosstalk.

Healthy kidney structure and environment rely on epithelial integrity and interactions between epithelial cells and other kidney cells. The Ser/Thr kinase 90 kDa ribosomal protein S6 kinase 1 (p90RSK) belongs to a protein family that regulates many cellular processes, including cell motility and survival. p90RSK is predominantly expressed in the kidney, but its possible role in chronic kidney disease (CKD) remains largely unknown. Here, we found that p90RSK expression is dramatically activated in a classic mouse obstructive chronic kidney disease model, largely in the interstitial FSP-1–positive fibroblasts. We generated FSP-1–specific p90RSK transgenic mouse (RSK-Tg) and discovered that these mice, after obstructive injury, display significantly increased fibrosis and enhanced tubular epithelial damage compared with their wt littermates (RSK-wt), indicating a role of p90RSK in fibroblast–epithelial communication. We established an in vitro fibroblast–epithelial coculture system with primary kidney fibroblasts from RSK-Tg and RSK-wt mice and found that RSK-Tg fibroblasts consistently produce excessive H2O2 causing epithelial oxidative stress and inducing nuclear translocation of the signaling protein β-catenin. Epithelial accumulation of β-catenin, in turn, promoted epithelial apoptosis by activating the transcription factor forkhead box class O1 (FOXO1). Of note, blockade of reactive oxygen species (ROS) or β-catenin or FOXO1 activity abolished fibroblast p90RSK-mediated epithelial apoptosis. These results make it clear that p90RSK promotes kidney fibrosis by inducing fibroblast-mediated epithelial apoptosis through ROS-mediated activation of β-catenin/FOXO1 signaling pathway.
Comprehensive metabolic flux analysis to explain skeletal muscle weakness in COPD

Summary Background & aims Metabolic characterization of a well-defined group of patients could be a powerful tool in revealing metabolic signatures to explain limb muscle weakness in chronic diseases. Studies are currently limited in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) to the identification of differential amino acid concentrations but lack comprehensive analysis of the flux through relevant muscle function related metabolic pathways. Methods In 23 stable patients with moderate to very severe COPD and 19 healthy controls, a comprehensive metabolic flux analysis was conducted by administering an intravenous pulse and primed constant infusion of multiple stable tracers of amino acids known to play a role in muscle health. Blood samples were obtained to calculate production (WBP) and interconversion rates, and plasma concentrations of these amino acids. Lower and upper limb muscle strength, muscle mass, lung function, physical activity level, and disease history and characteristics were assessed. Results The COPD group was characterized by lower and upper limb muscle weakness (P Conclusions Comprehensive metabolic flux analysis revealed a homogenous metabolic signature in stable patients with COPD and a specific metabolic profile in those with skeletal muscle weakness. Clinical trial registry ClinicalTrials.gov; No. NCT01787682; URL: www.clinicaltrials.gov .
Abattoir waste use in livestock diets: Uganda’s current situation

In this study, we investigated the various ways slaughter wastes are utilized, problems encountered in order to give insights in future prospects of abattoir wastes as livestock feeds. A total of 100 abattoir workers were interviewed through semi-structured questionnaires covering Kampala, Wakiso and Mukono districts in Uganda. Results revealed that majority of abattoir work force were middle-aged adults between 30-45 years contributing 37% of total workers. There was a significant association between abattoir workers responses in relation to the proportion of livestock slaughtered (Chi square 147.55; df =2; p<0.0001) in the abattoirs. With reference to cattle, 1.06 and 1.01 more sheep and goats were slaughtered respectively in the dry season in comparison to the wet season. Blood was mostly disposed as animal feed ingredient (blood meal) by 40% of the respondents while rumen contents were mostly sold as manure by 59% of the respondents. Only 16% of the respondents processed rumen contents for livestock feeding. 92.3% of bones were sold for dog feeding while 7.7% of bones were processed for livestock feed ingredients. Polythene bags were reported the biggest contaminants found in slaughter wastes. Stench from slaughter wastes contents was the biggest problem encountered with handling of waste products by (62%) of the respondents. The handling of abattoir wastes was still rudimental at most abattoirs as envisaged by lack of proper handling facilities at the abattoirs. There is need for regular enforcements to ensure proper abattoir waste disposal mechanisms for enhanced livestock use. Int. J. Agril. Res. Innov. Tech. 10(1): 129-134, June 2020
High-resolution velocity measurements in turbulent premixed flames using wavelet-based optical flow velocimetry (wOFV)

Abstract Wavelet-based optical flow velocimetry (wOFV) is used to estimate two-dimensional velocity fields from tracer particle images acquired simultaneously with CH PLIF imaging within two highly turbulent premixed methane-air flames. Unlike conventional correlation-based PIV approaches, the current wOFV approach yields a dense (i.e. one vector per pixel) estimation of the velocity field which offers the possibility of greatly enhanced spatial resolution as compared to correlation-based PIV. Results from the wOFV method and correlation-based PIV are directly compared in terms of instantaneous fields, flow statistics, energy spectra, and derived gradient quantities such as vorticity and 2D strain rate. An assessment of the results indicates an increase in spatial resolution and dynamic range of almost one order-of-magnitude when using wOFV as compared to high-resolution PIV. In fact, the use of wOFV permits resolution of the smallest dissipative scales within the premixed flames with turbulent Reynolds numbers of O(104). A particular focus concerns velocity measurements near and within the CH layers, which are excellent markers of the local flame front but are spatially narrow and intermittent. The high-resolution velocity results from the wOFV method provide an opportunity for improved velocity estimations, derivative quantities, and their statistical characterization at and near the flame front.
Drosophila melanogaster Y Chromosome Genes Affect Male Sensitivity to Microbial Infections.

The genders of Drosophila melanogaster vary in their sensitivities to microbial pathogens. While many of the immunity-related genes are located on the X chromosome, the polymorphisms within the Y chromosome were also shown to affect the immunity of flies. In this study, we investigated the necessity of individual genes on the Y chromosome (Y-genes) for male sensitivity to microbes. We identified several Y-genes whose genetic inactivation either increases or decreases the sensitivity of males to gastrointestinal infections with fungal Saccharomyces cerevisiae and bacterial Serratia liquefaciens. Specifically, the loss of function mutations in fly kl-5 and Ppr-Y Y-genes lead to increased and decreased sensitivity of males to fungal challenge, respectively, compared to female sensitivity. In contrast, mutations in Drosophila Pp1-Y1, kl-5, kl-3, Ppr-Y, CCY, and FDY Y-genes lead to increased sensitivity of males to bacterial infection, compared to females. Moreover, while these Y-genes are necessary, the Y chromosome is not sufficient for the sensitivity of males to microbes, since the sensitivity of XXY females to fungal and bacterial challenges was not different from the sensitivity of wild-type female flies, compared to males. This study assigns a new immunity-related function to numerous Y-genes in D.melanogaster.
Plasma levels of ghrelin and GLP-1, but not leptin or amylin, respond to a psychosocial stressor in women and men

Abstract It is well known that stress elevates intake of total calories and shifts food preference toward unhealthy food choices. There is, however, little known on the physiological mechanisms that drive stress-induced hyperphagia. In order to better understand how to reduce stress eating, it is critical to identify mechanisms in humans that are points of convergence between stress and eating. The feeding-related hormones ghrelin, leptin, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), and amylin are likely candidates. It was hypothesized that ghrelin, an orexigenic hormone, would increase in response to an acute laboratory stressor, but that leptin, GLP-1, and amylin (anorexigenic hormones) would decrease after stress. To this aim, participants (n = 47) came into the laboratory and had feeding-related hormones, salivary cortisol and α-amylase, and self-rated anxiety measured. Then they underwent either exposure to a stressor (n = 24), which reliably elevates measures of stress and energy intake, or a no-stress condition (n = 23). Feeding hormones, stress hormones, and self-rated anxiety were measured twice more after the stressor. Elevated self-rated anxiety and α-amylase confirmed the validity of the stressor. Furthermore, there was a time X condition interaction for both ghrelin and GLP-1. Ghrelin was significantly elevated after stress compared to baseline (p = .02) and there was a trend for GLP-1 to be higher in the stress condition over the no-stress condition immediately after the stressor (p = .07). Overall, ghrelin is the most likely candidate driving energy intake after stress in humans.
SQP-based Projection SPSA Algorithm for Stochastic Optimization with Inequality Constraints

Projection and penalty function simultaneous perturbation stochastic approximation (SPSA) algorithms are two commonly used methods in stochastic optimization problems under inequality constraints where no direct gradient of the loss function is available. However, both methods have potential shortcomings. We propose an algorithm that uses sequential quadratic programming (SQP) to estimate the projection operator under potentially complex explicit inequality constraints. This algorithm has some advantages over the penalty function method in practice. We prove the convergence of the proposed SQP-based projection SPSA algorithm and make a comparison with the penalty function method in a numerical example to show its superiority.
Figure Correction of Glass Mirrors Using Ultrafast Lasers to Generate Controllable Stress

We use an ultrafast laser to correct figure errors in float glass mirrors by generating stress within the substrates, causing bending. We show 5-15× height reduction in one cycle, and high equivalent material removal rate.
In-memory Computation of Error-Correcting Codes Using a Reconfigurable HfOx ReRAM 1T1R Array

Error-correcting codes (ECC) are widely used during data transfer in wireless communication systems as well as in computer memory architectures. The error-correcting process is based on sending data with extra parity bits and decoding the received data for error correction. The first error detection and correction code, introduced in 1950, Hamming Code (7,4) is a linear error-correcting code able to detect and correct a single-bit error by encoding 7-bit data from 4-bit data, including 3 parity bits. Previous efforts using unipolar resistive random access memory (ReRAM) based in-memory computation of Hamming Code (7,4) resulted in 102 times lower power consumption compared to GPU and 103 times less than CPU-based computations. However further reduction of power consumption can be achieved by vector-matrix multiplication (VMM) using bipolar ReRAM arrays. In the VMM based approach, an encoding or decoding code matrix is stored in the array where it leverages the nonvolatile properties of ReRAM. With the VMM approach, the total number of computation cycles is not limited by the endurance of the ReRAM devices. Here we report the first experimental results of encoding and decoding Hamming code (7,4) using 1 transistor 1 hafnium oxide-based ReRAM (1T1R) arrays fabricated using 65nm CMOS technology. Our results show bipolar 1T1R arrays can correctly encode 4-bit message data to 7 bit encoded data as well as error position detection with overall 3 fold less power consumption than previously reported unipolar ReRAM crossbar array-based computation. Furthermore, we propose and simulate a peripheral circuit to convert the analog column output from a 1T1R array to single-bit binary output using the Cadence Spectre simulator. Our results pave the way for using a memristor-based fast and scalable hardware solution for encoding decoding of error-correcting codes
Detecting recent changes in the areal extent of North Cascades glaciers, USA

We present an exhaustive spatial analysis using the geographic, geometric, and hypsometric characteristics of 742 North Cascades glaciers to evaluate changes in their areal extents over a half-century period. Our results indicate that, contrary to our initial expectations, glacier change throughout the study region cannot be explained readily by correlations in glacier location, size, or shape. Because of the large error attributable to annual variations in glacier area due to snowpack, no statistically reliable change could be detected for 444 glaciers in our study (a slight majority). Of the North Cascades glaciers that do exhibit detectable change, a majority decreased in area, but nevertheless, some were detectably growing. These findings suggest that the integration of weather patterns over time does not neatly translate into correlations with natural variations in the geometry of glaciers. Our statistical analyses of the changes observed indicate that geometric data from a large number of glaciers, as well as a surprisingly large amount of spatial change, are required for a credible statistical detection of glacier-length and area changes over a short (multidecadal) period of time.
14 – Maternal Morbidity

This chapter describes physiological changes that occur in medically uncomplicated pregnancies. Several alterations in immunologic status occur during pregnancy, and among them is a shift away from cell-mediated immunity towards increased humoral immunity. The shift, from a predominance of type 1, or proinflammatory (helper T cells), to type 2, or anti-inflammatory (helper T cells), is considered to have an important role in allowing maternal tolerance of the fetus. An inversion of this shift during the latter half of the third trimester is thought to contribute to the initiation of labor. Every aspect of lipid metabolism is influenced by pregnancy. Maternal serum or plasma cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations increase during pregnancy, with the major increase occurring in the second and third trimesters. In addition to absolute changes in plasma lipid levels, changes in lipoprotein composition also are noted in uncomplicated pregnancy. The apparent physiologic hyperlipidemia of pregnancy is significant for several reasons: (1) it is possible that the increase in plasma triglycerides may enhance the availability of essential and nonessential fatty acids for placental transfer to the fetus, and, as such, is a physiologic adaptation that would serve to favor fetal nutrition and growth; (2) the elevations in cholesterol may provide the excess needed for placental progesterone synthesis and trans-placental cholesterol transfer to the fetus.
Energetic Particles and the Structure of Coronal Mass Ejections

The largest and most energetic solar-energetic-particle (SEP) events are associated with shock waves driven out from the Sun by coronal mass ejections (CMEs). The particles from these gradual events are clearly distinguished from flare-associated particles by their abundances, ionization states, associations, and distributions in space and time. Multi-spacecraft observations help us map the spatial distribution of the accelerated particles that flow out into the heliosphere from the evolving CME shock or those that remain trapped behind it.
Role of novelty and ethanol history in locomotor stimulation induced by binge-like ethanol intake.

Background The acute locomotor effects of voluntary ethanol intake in mice (stimulation/sedation) might be important behavioral indicators of an animals’ propensity to engage in ethanol consumption and/or ethanol seeking behaviors. Using a binge-like ethanol intake model dubbed “Drinking-in-the-Dark”, we recently observed home cage locomotor stimulation in C57BL/6J mice during an acute ethanol intake session but acute home cage locomotor sedation following repeated ethanol exposures. To determine the role of novelty and/or ethanol history on these previously described locomotor effects, and to determine the relationship between these variables on locomotor activity immediately following DID intake, we conducted two separate experiments.
Deductive Composition of Astronomical Software from Subroutine Libraries

Automated deduction techniques are being used in a system called Amphion to derive, from graphical specifications, programs composed from a subroutine library. The system has been applied to construct software for the planning and analysis of interplanetary missions. The library for that application is a collection of subroutines written in FORTRAN-77 at JPL to perform computations in solar-system kinematics. An application domain theory has been developed that describes the procedures in a portion of the library, as well as some basic properties of solar-system astronomy, in the form of first-order axioms.
A System for Classifying Disease Comorbidity Status from Medical Discharge Summaries Using Automated Hotspot and Negated Concept Detection

Abstract Objective Free-text clinical reports serve as an important part of patient care management and clinical documentation of patient disease and treatment status. Free-text notes are commonplace in medical practice, but remain an under-used source of information for clinical and epidemiological research, as well as personalized medicine. The authors explore the challenges associated with automatically extracting information from clinical reports using their submission to the Integrating Informatics with Biology and the Bedside (i2b2) 2008 Natural Language Processing Obesity Challenge Task. Design A text mining system for classifying patient comorbidity status, based on the information contained in clinical reports. The approach of the authors incorporates a variety of automated techniques, including hot-spot filtering, negated concept identification, zero-vector filtering, weighting by inverse class-frequency, and error-correcting of output codes with linear support vector machines. Measurements Performance was evaluated in terms of the macroaveraged F1 measure. Results The automated system performed well against manual expert rule-based systems, finishing fifth in the Challenge's intuitive task, and 13th in the textual task. Conclusions The system demonstrates that effective comorbidity status classification by an automated system is possible.
Isolation and properties of a mutant of Escherichia coli with an insertional inactivation of the uspA gene, which encodes a universal stress protein.

Cells of Escherichia coli increase greatly the synthesis of a small cytoplasmic protein as soon as the cell growth rate falls below the maximal growth rate supported by the medium, regardless of the condition inhibiting growth. The gene, designated uspA (universal stress protein A), encoding this protein has been cloned and mapped, and its nucleotide sequence has been determined (T. Nystrom and F.C. Neidhardt, Mol. Microbiol. 6:3187-3198, 1992). We now report the isolation of an E. coli mutant defective in UspA synthesis because of insertional inactivation of the corresponding gene. Analysis of such a mutant demonstrated that it grows at a rate indistinguishable from that of the isogenic parent but lags significantly when diluted into fresh medium, regardless of the carbon source included. In addition, the mutant exhibits a diauxic type of growth when grown on certain single substrates, such as glucose and gluconate. This growth phenotype was found to be the result of abnormal metabolism of the carbon source (e.g., glucose) accompanied by excretion into the medium of acetate. The diauxic type of growth may be attributed to the failure of cells to form acetyl coenzyme A synthetase and to form isocitrate lyase and malate synthase of the glyoxalate bypass, needed for the assimilation of the produced acetate, until glucose or gluconate has been completely exhausted. The uspA mutant appears to dissimilate glucose at an elevated rate that is not commensurate with its biosynthetic processes. These results suggest that the role of protein UspA may be to modulate and reorganize the flow of carbon in the central metabolic pathways of E. coli during growth arrest.
Mutant presenilin-1 induces apoptosis and downregulates Akt/PKB.

Most early onset cases of familial Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are caused by mutations in presenilin-1 (PS1) and presenilin-2 (PS2). These mutations lead to increased β-amyloid formation and may induce apoptosis in some model systems. Using primary cultured hippocampal neurons (HNs) and rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells transiently transfected with replication-defective recombinant adenoviral vectors expressing wild-type or mutant PS1, we demonstrate that mutant PS1s induce apoptosis, downregulate the survival factor Akt/PKB, and affect several Akt/PKB downstream targets, including glycogen synthase kinase-3β and β-catenin. Expression of a constitutively active Akt/PKB rescues HNs from mutant PS1-induced neuronal cell death, suggesting a potential therapeutic target for AD. Downregulation of Akt/PKB may be a mechanism by which mutant PS1 induces apoptosis and may play a role in the pathogenesis of familial AD.
Alcohol Abuse During Pregnancy: An Epidemiologic Study

In a medical-record-based prospective cohort study of 12,127 pregnancies consecutively delivered during a 52-mo period at a single institution, 204 (1.7%) were complicated by maternal alcohol abuse. A profile of these patients' concomitant risk factors and their pregnancy outcomes indicated that they tended to be older multigravidas who were not currently married. Their obstetric histories were marked by excesses of previous spontaneous abortions, low-birth-weight infants, and fetal anomalies. They were more likely to smoke cigarettes and abuse other drugs. During labor, their risks of infection and of premature placental separation were increased. Evidence of fetal distress during labor and neonatal depression were more common in their infants. Infant birth weights were lower in the alcohol-abusing group by an average of approximately 190 g. This was accounted for by intrauterine growth retardation, which was increased 2.7-fold overall; preterm delivery was not more common. The risk of intrauterine growth retardation was estimated to be increased 2.4-fold in association with alcohol abuse alone, 1.8-fold with smoking alone, and 3.9-fold with these risks together. A significant increase in congenital anomalies (38%) was also identified, though there were no differences between the mortality rates or placental pathology of the alcohol-abusing and comparison groups. These adverse infant outcomes did not appear to be related to demographic factors, the medical care, or nutritional status of the alcohol-abusing patients. Moreover, cigarette smoking did not appear to account for the congenital anomalies observed in the alcohol-abusing group. The findings of this study suggest that alcohol abuse during pregnancy constitutes a significant risk for a range of adverse perinatal outcomes in as many as 50% of the offspring, and hence, should be considered a major public health concern.
Compulsive "helpfulness": or, how I learned to stop working so hard and love the group.

Abstract Compulsive helpfulness, an anxiety-laden need by the therapist to feel helpful, akin to the notion of rescuing others, is a potential pitfall in developing an effective psychotherapy group. It can be regarded variously: (1) as a reaction formation against feelings of boredom and frustration stimulated by such phenomena as group resistance or the enactment of inauthentic relationships in the group; (2) as a therapist style driven by a transferential reaction to be regarded as competent and worthy; (3) as an induced countertransference enactment tied to group members' frustration and passivity about their own interpersonal inadequacies; (4) and as a manic defense against despair over the feeling that one's loving has not done any good. In this essay, the author explores his struggle to identify and come to terms with compulsive helpfulness as a dominant theme in the early stages of his tenure as leader of a psychotherapy group.
Stishovite: Synthesis by Shock Wave

Small amounts of stishovite were separated from specimens of explosively shocked sandstones, novaculite, and single-crystal quartz. Estimated peak pressures for the syntheses ranged from 150 to 280 kilobars, and shock temperatures were from 150° to 900°C. No coesite was detected in any sample. It is suggested that quartz can invert during shock to a short-range-order phase, with sixfold coordination. A small portion of this phase may develop the long-range order of stishovite, and, during the more protracted decrease of the pressure pulse through the stability field of coesite accompanying meteorite crater formation, a portion may invert to coesite.
Dispersion in turns for species transport by electrophoresis and electro-osmotic flow

Analytical and numerical methods are employed to investigate species transport by electrophoretic or electroosmotic motion in the curved geometry of a two-dimensional turn. Closed-form analytical solutions describing the turn-induced diffusive and dispersive spreading of a species band are presented for both the low and high Peclet number limits. We find that the spreading due to dispersion is proportional to the product of the turn included angle and the Peclet number at low Peclet numbers. It is proportional to the square of the included angle and independent of the Peclet number when the Peclet number is large. A composite solution applicable to all Peclet numbers is constructed from these limiting behaviors. Numerical solutions for species transport in a turn are also presented over a wide range of the included angle and the mean turn radius. Based on comparisons between the analytical and numerical results, we find that the analytical solutions provide very good estimates of both dispersive and diffusive spreading provided that the mean turn radius exceeds the channel width. These new solutions also agree well with data from a previous study.
Monosodium l-glutamate lesions reduce susceptibility to hypoglycemic feeding and convulsions

Abstract Lesions of the circumventricular regions of the brain induced by neonatal administration of monosodium l -glutamate (MSG) are associated with chronic hypophagia and deficits in response to a variety of feeding challenges. These deficits occur despite the fact that, at least at high doses, MSG can produce obesity. The cause of the feeding deficits in MSG-treated animals is unknown. However, the circumventricular regions that are damaged by MSG contain high concentrations of insulin binding sites. In order to determine whether the MSG lesion alters responsiveness to circulating insulin, we have investigated the response of non-obese MSG-treated mice to doses of exogenous insulin designed either to stimulate feeding or to induce hypoglycemic convulsions. We report that MSG produces a dose-related decrease in hypoglycemic convulsions and glucoprivic feeding, suggesting that a loss in sensitivity to insulin may contribute to the MSG syndrome.
The effect of neighbours and females on dawn and daytime singing behaviours by male chipping sparrows

Abstract Bird song may play an important role for communication among territorial neighbours, but the effect of neighbours on song use is still not well known. My previous field observations suggested that male chipping sparrows, Spizella passerina , use the dawn chorus for interactions among neighbouring males, and use day song for female attraction. To determine how these social factors may influence dawn and daytime singing behaviour, I conducted a series of experiments in which I removed the male neighbours or the female mate of territorial males during 1998–2000. Following removal of all neighbouring males, the solitary male either stopped or reduced his dawn chorus ( N =9), but did not change his daytime singing behaviour. After one of the neighbouring males was returned to his territory, the focal male resumed and increased his dawn bout, accompanied with close-range countersinging. Following the removal of a territorial male's mate, the widowed male did not change the dawn chorus, but significantly increased his day song. This study thus revealed that, in chipping sparrows, the presence or absence of neighbouring males has a significant effect on the dawn chorus singing behaviour of territorial males. The presence or absence of a male's mate, in contrast, has a strong influence on a male's daytime singing behaviour. This study also supports the hypothesis that the dawn chorus and daytime song have different functions.
Comparison of a waterless hand-hygiene preparation and soap-and-water hand washing to reduce coliforms on hands in animal exhibit settings.

Outbreaks of enteric disease associated with exposure to live animals on exhibit have occurred with increasing frequency in recent years. Possibly the most important pathogen causing such outbreaks is Escherichia coli O157:H7, because of the serious illness it can cause. Hand hygiene is consistently protective against disease among persons exposed to animals implicated in these outbreaks. Livestock barns have limited hand-washing facilities, therefore a waterless hand-sanitizing gel would be a potentially preventive measure readily available to visitors and animal exhibitors. This study compared the reduction of bacterial counts on hands of animal exhibitors when soap and water was used or when an ethanol-based hand gel was used after animal handling. Participants were youth and adults involved with showing livestock. The sanitation methods were similar in reducing the total bacteria and coliform counts on the hands of the participants (Wilcoxon rank sum test P values 0·12 and 0·69 respectively).
RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN DIFFERENTIAL PERFORMANCE ON MULTIPLE-CHOICE AND ESSAY SECTIONS OF SELECTED AP® EXAMS AND MEASURES OF PERFORMANCE IN HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE

Students with high scores (top third) on the essay portion of an Advanced Placement Examination and low scores (bottom third) on the multiple-choice portion of the same examination were compared with students whose performance showed the opposite pattern (top third on the multiple-choice questions and bottom third on the essay questions). Across examinations in different subject areas (history, English, and biology), students who were relatively strong in the essay format and weak in the multiple-choice format were about as successful in their college courses as students whose performance showed the opposite pattern, especially in those courses where grades are typically not determined by multiple-choice tests. Students who scored high on the multiple-choice portion and low on the essay portion performed relatively well on other multiple-choice tests, especially the verbal section of the SAT. Across several ethnic/racial groups, males tended to receive relatively high scores on the multiple-choice portion of the AP United States History Examination while females received higher scores on the essays than on the multiple-choice questions. Among females whose best language was not English, scores were substantially higher on the essay portion of the history examination; among males in this group, scores were slightly higher for the multiple-choice questions. Because the population of students who take Advanced Placement Examinations is exceptionally able, generalizations to less able populations are not warranted.
The implementation of educational innovations: Lessons from Pakistan

Abstract Under what conditions will innovations in education be successfully implemented? A study of five innovations in Pakistan allows us to explore that question. They include the use of learning coordinators to improve school supervision; the adoption of teaching kits; adding primary schools to mosques; building residences for women teaching in rural schools; and the Nai Roshni project of drop-in schools for students who had never attended or had left school. Information about these innovations comes from interviews with over 100 Pakistani officials and experts on education and from a random sample survey of nearly 500 primary (elementary) schools and 1000 teachers. ∗ The paper draws on the five cases to illustrate a model of implementation that can be used for planning, managing, or evaluating educational innovation. The summary of each innovation contains only those details necessary to show key features of the model. Further information about the cases can be found in Warwick et al . (1991) The Implementation of Educational Innovations in Pakistan: Cases and Concepts . Development Discussion Paper No. 365 ES (Education Series) Harvard Institute for International Development, Cambridge, MA.
Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry of synthetic oligodeoxyribonucleotides

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry has been used to mass analyze a variety of synthetic oligodeoxyribonucleotides ranging in size from 6 to 30 nucleotides. Molecular ions were observed almost exclusively, with little or no fragmentation and generally minor contributions from multiply charged species. Mixtures of poly d(T)12–30 with low picomole amounts of each component gave well resolved peaks. These results are encouraging for the concept of DNA sequence analysis by mass spectrometry.
The Relationship among Correct and Error Oral Reading Rates and Comprehension

Eight learning disabled boys participated in the study. All were seriously deficient in both their oral reading and comprehension performances. Through a series of multiple baseline and crossover designs, the relationships among enhanced correct reading rates and comprehension, decreased error reading rates and comprehension, and increased comprehension and oral reading were studied. Each time an intervention was scheduled, the desired changes were noted for the targeted variable. Improvement, however, in either correct rate or error rate scores produced only mild increases in comprehension. Interestingly, when comprehension was targeted, correct and error rate scores also were at desirable levels.
Fanning the flames of prejudice: The influence of specific incidental emotions on implicit prejudice.

Three experiments examined the impact of incidental emotions on implicit intergroup evaluations. Experiment 1 demonstrated that for unknown social groups, two negative emotions that are broadly applicable to intergroup conflict (anger and disgust) both created implicit bias where none had existed before. However, for known groups about which perceivers had prior knowledge, emotions increased implicit prejudice only if the induced emotion was applicable to the outgroup stereotype. Disgust increased bias against disgust-relevant groups (e.g., homosexuals) but anger did not (Experiment 2); anger increased bias against anger-relevant groups (e.g., Arabs) but disgust did not (Experiment 3). Consistent with functional theories of emotion, these findings suggest that negative intergroup emotions signal specific types of threat. If the emotion-specific threat is applicable to prior expectations of a group, the emotion ratchets up implicit prejudice toward that group. However, if the emotion-specific threat is not applicable to the target group, evaluations remain unchanged.
Two Psychologists' Experiences with Journals.

Journals can be powerful teaching tools. However, as we learned during our first few years of using them, journals should not be blindly imported into psychology classes from composition classes. Instead, modifications should be made to accommodate the differences between the psychology professor's goals and the composition teacher's goals. After consulting the psychological literature and 3 years of tinkering, we found two modifications that seem to encourage students to think critically about the facts and ideas presented in psychology classes.
AmpA protein functions by different mechanisms to influence early cell type specification and to modulate cell adhesion and actin polymerization in Dictyostelium discoideum.

Abstract The Dictyostelium discoideum ampA gene encodes a multifunctional regulator protein that modulates cell–cell and cell–substrate adhesions and actin polymerization during growth and is necessary for correct cell type specification and patterning during development. Insertional inactivation of the ampA gene results in defects that define two distinct roles for the ampA gene during development. AmpA is necessary in a non-cell autonomous manner to prevent premature expression of a prespore gene marker. It is also necessary in a cell autonomous manner for the anterior like cells, which express the ampA gene, to migrate to the upper cup during culmination. It is also necessary to prevent excessive cell–cell agglutination when cells are developed in a submerged suspension culture. Here, we demonstrate that a supernatant source of AmpA protein, added extracellularly, can prevent the premature mis-expression of the prespore marker. Synthetic oligopeptides are used to identify the domain of the AmpA protein that is important for preventing cells from mis-expressing the prespore gene. We further demonstrate that a factor capable of inducing additional cells to express the prespore gene marker accumulates extracellularly in the absence of AmpA protein. While the secreted AmpA acts extracellularly to suppress prespore gene expression, the effects of AmpA on cell agglutination and on actin polymerization in growing cells are not due to an extracellular role of secreted AmpA protein. Rather, these effects appear to reflect a distinct cell autonomous role of the ampA gene. Finally, we show that secretion of AmpA protein is brought about by elevating the levels of expression of ampA so that the protein accumulates to an excessive level.