cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Selective Coupling of G Protein βγ Complexes to Inhibition of Ca2+ Channels

Several mechanisms couple heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide-binding proteins (G proteins) to cellular effectors. Although alpha subunits of G proteins (Galpha) were the first recognized mediators of receptor-effector coupling, Gbetagamma regulation of effectors is now well known. Five Gbeta and 12 Ggamma subunit genes have been identified, suggesting through their diversity that specific subunits couple selectively to effectors. The molecular determinants of Gbetagamma-effector coupling, however, are not well understood, and most studies of G protein-effector coupling do not support selectivity of Gbetagamma action. To explore this issue further, we have introduced recombinant Gbetagamma complexes into avian sensory neurons and measured the inhibition of Ca(2+) currents mediated by an endogenous phospholipase Cbeta- (PLCbeta) and protein kinase C-dependent pathway. Activities of Gbetagamma in the native cells were compared with enzyme assays performed in vitro. We report a surprising selective activation of the PLCbeta pathway by Gbetagamma complexes containing beta(1) subunits, whereas beta(2)-containing complexes produced no activation. In contrast, when assayed in vitro, PLCbeta and type II adenylyl cyclase did not discriminate among these same Gbetagamma complexes, suggesting the possibility that additional cellular determinants confer specificity in vivo.
The Applicability of Total Quality Management Principles to Church Management

ABSTRACT Total Quality Management (TQM) is a management philosophy or approach that is grounded on three core principles: a focus on the customer, participation and teamwork, and continuous improvement. It has been suggested that these principles are applicable to the management and operations of churches as well as to more traditional organizations. This paper describes the successful application of these core principles to a large Southern Baptist Church located in Bryan, Texas.
Genetic mapping of a fusarium wilt resistance gene (Fom-2) in melon (Cucumis melo L.)

Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. melonis is one of the most devastating diseases in melon production worldwide. The most effective control measure available is the use of resistant varieties. Identifying molecular markers linked to resistance genes can serve as a valuable tool for the selection of resistant genotypes. Bulked segregant analysis was used to identify markers linked to the Fom-2 genes, which confers resistance to races 0 and 1 of the fungal pathogen. Pooled DNA from homozygous resistant or homozygous susceptible progeny of F2 cross between MR-1 and AY was screened using 240 PstI/MseI and 200 EcoRI/MseI primer combinations to identify AFLP markers linked to Fom-2. Fifteen markers potentially linked to Fom-2 were identified, all with EcoRI/MseI primer pairs. These were mapped relative to Fom-2 in a backcross (BC) population of 60 progeny derived from MR-1 × AY with AY as recurrent parent. Two AFLP markers (ACT/CAT1 and AAC/CAT1) flanked the gene at 1.7 and 3.3 cM, respectively. Moreover, AFLP marker AGG/CCC and the previously identified RAPD marker 596-1 cosegregated with Fom-2. These two dominant markers were converted to co-dominant markers by designing specific PCR primers that produced product length polymorphisms between the parents. A survey of 45 melon genotypes from diverse geographic origins with the co-dominant markers demonstrated a high correlation between fragment size and the resistance phenotype. These markers may therefore be useful in marker-assisted breeding programs.
Headed in the right direction but at risk for miscalculation: a critical appraisal of the 2013 ACC/AHA risk assessment guidelines.

The newly released 2013 ACC/AHA Guidelines for Assessing Cardiovascular Risk makes progress compared with previous cardiovascular risk assessment algorithms. For example, the new focus on total atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (ASCVD) is now inclusive of stroke in addition to hard coronary events, and there are now separate equations to facilitate estimation of risk in non-Hispanic white and black individuals and separate equations for women. Physicians may now estimate lifetime risk in addition to 10-year risk. Despite this progress, the new risk equations do not appear to lead to significantly better discrimination than older models. Because the exact same risk factors are incorporated, using the new risk estimators may lead to inaccurate assessment of atherosclerotic cardiovascular risk in special groups such as younger individuals with unique ASCVD risk factors. In general, there appears to be an overestimation of risk when applied to modern populations with greater use of preventive therapy, although the magnitude of overestimation remains unclear. Because absolute risk estimates are directly used for treatment decisions in the new cholesterol guidelines, these issues could result in overuse of pharmacologic management. The guidelines could provide clearer direction on which individuals would benefit from additional testing, such as coronary calcium scores, for more personalized preventive therapies. We applaud the advances of these new guidelines, and we aim to critically appraise the applicability of the risk assessment tools so that future iterations of the estimators can be improved to more accurately assess risk in individual patients.
Quantitative anisocytosis as a discriminant between iron deficiency and thalassemia minor

The coefficient of variation (CV) of red cell size, as measured by electronic red cell sizing (erythrography), was less than 14.0% in 20 normal subjects. In 22 of 25 patients with beta-thalassemia minor and microcytosis (mean corpuscular volume [MCV] less than 70 fl), CV was less than 14.0%; in the other 3, CV was 14.0%--14.9%. In 53 patients with iron deficiency anemia and MCV less than 70 fl, CV always was greater than 14.0%. In 7 patients with alpha-thalassemia minor and MCV less than 70 fl, CV was less than 14.0% in all 7. Among patients with microcytosis, erythrography appears to be an excellent technique for rapidly distinguishing between iron deficiency and alpha or beta thalassemia minor.
Analog VLSI Excitatory Feedback Circuits for AttentionalShifts and Tracking

In this paper we present analog very large-scale integrated (VLSI) circuits that perform the selection process for attentive visual processing. These circuits use excitatory feedback in a winner-take-all computation to produce a hysteresis in the selection from one location to the next. We present several alternative forms of excitation that can be used to enhance surrounding regions of the presently attended location. Each form of excitation is discussed and experimental results from a one-dimensional array are presented. We also demonstrate the performance of these circuits within a system that receives optical inputs and outputs a single voltage that encodes the position of attention. The system demonstrates the potential use of these excitatory feedback circuits for electronic tracking of a stimulus within a noisy environment.
High‐contrast Noninvasive Imaging of Kidney Clearance Kinetics Enabled by Renal Clearable Nanofluorophores

Noninvasive imaging of kidney clearance kinetics (KCK) of renal clearable probes is key to studying unilateral kidney function diseases, but such imaging is highly challenging to achieve with in vivo fluorescence. While this long-standing challenge is often attributed to the limited light penetration depth, we found that rapid and persistent accumulation of conventional dyes in the skin "shadowed" real fluorescence signals from the kidneys and prevented noninvasive imaging of KCK, which, however, can be addressed with renal clearable nanofluorophores. By integrating near infrared emission with efficient renal clearance and ultralow background interference, the nanofluorophores can increase kidney-contrast enhancement and imaging-time window by approximately 50- and 1000-fold over conventional dyes, and significantly minimize deviation between noninvasive and invasive KCK, laying down a foundation for translating in vivo fluorescence imaging in preclinical noninvasive kidney function assessments.
Party, People, Government, and State: On Constitutional Values and the Legitimacy of the Chinese State-Party Rule of Law System

The Chinese constitutional order is grounded in the distribution of popular sovereign power between the Chinese Communist Party and the administrative apparatus of the government of the state, privileging the political authority assigned to the Party over the administrative authority vested in the government. For those who embrace the ordering framework of western style constitutionalism, this organizational model poses novel questions about the legitimacy of the system itself. This article addresses those questions and attempts to articulate a basis for a legitimizing constitutionalist theory for states, like China, organized on a state-party model thus conceived. Since the establishment of the Soviet Union, constitutional theory has tended to look suspiciously at the constitutionalization of Marxist governments under the control of a single party in power. Such arrangements, even when clothed in the formal language of written constitutions, are generally considered illegitimate, especially in regimes in which the state’s power is vested in a government that is itself subject to the direction of an extra-constitutional power. In this context, constitutionalism is incomprehensible. These judgments have formed the basis of analysis of Chinese constitutionalism and its critique over the last thirty years. This article suggests that these criticisms are unwarranted with respect to the Chinese constitutional system as formally constructed. The article examines the Chinese constitutional system within the parameters of its own assumptions and then assesses that system against the normative metrics of transnational constitutionalism. China has moved toward a legitimately constitutionalist governance system in which power is divided between a vanguard party, which serves as the repository of political power, and the administrative organs of government. The CCP serves an institutional role within Chinese constitutionalism and also represents the political power of the Chinese polity directly in the political ordering of the government. The CCP, in turn, is constrained by the normative basis on which Chinese constitutionalism is ordered -- Marxist Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory and the important Thought of Three Represents. Thus framed the Chinese constitutional system can be understood as both unique and legitimately constitutionalist.
Introduction to special issue on biomarker-based clinical trial designs in oncology

Recent years have seen an explosion in knowledge of the biologic drivers of cancer. Many (and likely soon most) tumors are now sub-classified by a molecular profile, with different treatment options and strategies for patients based on their tumor biomarker status. Therapeutic development is similarly now mostly targeted to subsets of patients within any given tumor type based on specific molecular and biologic characteristics. With the so-called basket trials, early phase therapeutic development of targeted agents is focused only on specific molecular aberrations, ignoring tumor type. Umbrella trials on the other hand focus on drug development targeting distinct molecular alterations in one tumor entity. These novel approaches to clinical drug development have resulted in a rapid evolution of methodologies to perform clinical trials in the setting of biomarkers and targeted therapies, where the paradigm of treating very large number of unselected patients is increasingly non-viable.
Recent advances in the diagnosis and therapy of peanut allergy

Peanut allergy is a life-threatening, IgE-mediated allergic disease. In developed countries, the prevalence rate of peanut allergy in school-aged children is reported to be in excess of 1% and continues to rise, representing a major public health concern. Peanut allergy is diagnosed on the basis of a relevant clinical history combined with results of skin-prick testing and/or peanut-specific IgE levels. A double-blind placebo-controlled oral food challenge is the gold standard for diagnosis. Currently, there is no approved treatment or disease-modifying therapy for peanut allergy. This review discusses recent advances in molecular diagnostic techniques for peanut allergy and highlights advances in peanut allergy therapeutics, discussing allergen-specific and allergen-nonspecific treatments that are currently in Phase I/II clinical trials.
Mineral Explorers—Colombia, DVD hosted by Thomas Nagin, Think-Box Media, Inc., PO Box 8033, Hot Springs, AR 71901; www.crystalspringsmininging.com. 65 minutes; 2010; $25 (includes shipping and handling).

This interesting and award-winning DVD is the first Mineral Explorer production by well-known mineral dealer Thomas Nagin of Crystal Springs Mining. Nagin has been a fixture at major mineral shows ...
Distribution and neurochemical phenotypes of caudal medullary neurons activated to express cFos following peripheral administration of cholecystokinin.

Immunocytochemical localization of the protein product of the proto-oncogene C-fos allows anatomical identification of physiologically activated neurons. The present study examined the subnuclear distribution of cFos protein in the rat caudal medulla following peripheral administration of cholecystokinin octapeptide, which reduces feeding and gastric motility by a vagally mediated mechanism. To begin phenotypic characterization of neurons activated to express cFos following cholecystokinin treatment, double-labeling techniques were used to identify vagal motor neurons and neurons immunoreactive for tyrosine hydroxylase, neuropeptide Y, and neurotensin. Activated cells were most prevalent in the subnucleus medialis of the nucleus of the solitary tract, less prevalent in the subnucleus commissuralis, and virtually absent in the subnuclei centralis and gelatinosus. Many activated cells occupied the caudal area postrema; some of these were catecholaminergic. In contrast, activated cells were sparse within the medial rostral area postrema. Other activated cells occupied the dorso- and ventrolateral medulla and the midline raphe nuclei. Retrograde labeling of vagal motor neurons confirmed that very few were activated. Those that were activated occupied the caudal dorsal motor nucleus. In the dorsomedial medulla, 51% of catecholaminergic neurons and 39% of neurons positive for neuropeptide Y were activated, but no neurotensin-positive neurons were activated. In the ventrolateral medulla, 25% of catecholaminergic neurons and 27% of neuropeptide Y-positive neurons were activated. By characterizing the subnuclear distribution and chemical phenotypes of neurons activated by exogenous cholecystokinin, these data contribute to elucidation of the neural circuits mediating the behavioral, physiological, and neuroendocrine effects produced by this peptide. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Deformation of an elastic substrate due to a sessile drop

Abstract The small deformation of a horizontal elastic substrate due to an axisymmetric sessile drop resting on the substrate is calculated for exact hydrostatic interfacial shapes computed by solving the Young–Laplace equation using an iterative method. The drop height, base radius, and top interfacial curvature are documented in terms of the ratio of the capillary length to the equivalent drop radius defined with respect to the drop volume. The substrate is subjected to a uniform discoidal load over the drop base due to the elevated interior pressure, and a singular ring load with a normal and possibly a tangential component around the contact line. The relative contributions of the Laplace pressure and drop weight to the normal load over the drop base are delineated in terms of the drop size. Once the interfacial shapes are available, the substrate deformation field is reconstructed from three modular kernels originating from the axisymmetric versions of the Boussinesq and Cerruti solutions for a semi-infinite elastic medium. The effect of gravity causing the drop to deviate from the spherical shape has an important influence on the magnitude and profile of the substrate deformation. Numerical results illustrate the effect of spreading of the vertical component of the capillary force and the significance of the tangential component of the capillary force around the contact line.
Chain model of river meanders

For an explanation of river meanders, a statistical approach has proved to be most promising. In order to put such an approach upon a sound theoretical basis it is necessary to calculate expectation values of certain observables (such as the meander spectrum) over a well-defined ensemble. However, attempts to set up such ensembles numerically have not been successful heretofore because of the difficulty of random-generating meander patterns for given boundary conditions. Thus, an empirical approach has been resorted to: In the present study a necklace chain of a given length L was used to generate theoretical meanders. Keeping both ends of the chain fixed and M units apart, an ensemble of random profiles of a given sinuosity can be generated. Different ensembles can be generated by varying the distance M and keeping the length of the chain constant. Expected values of statistical relationships are found from the ensembles in order to make a comparison with the data obtained from actual rivers.
Original Contribution: A cortical model of winner-take-all competition via lateral inhibition

Simulations were performed of physiological interactions among excitatory and inhibitory neurons in anatomically realistic local-circuit architectures modeled after hippocampal field CA1. The simulated circuitry consists of several excitatory neurons jointly innervating and receiving feedback from a common inhibitory interneuron. Excitatory cells in the simulation receive input during a cycle of naturally-occurring rhythmic activity (the hippocampal theta rhythm), and the neuron receiving the most input activation is the first to reach its spiking threshold. Spiking excites the inhibitory cell, which in turn prevents other cells from responding. The result is the natural generation of a simple competitive or ''winner-take-all'' (WTA) mechanism, allowing only the most strongly-activated cell in a group or ''patch'' to respond with spiking activity. Formal mathematical characterization of the mechanism reveals specific physiological characteristics of the input to the network, which enable it to closely approximate an ideal winner-take-all mechanism. Unlike other, more abstract WTA mechanisms that have been proposed, the parameters of this biologically-derived WTA mechanism can be directly related to specific physiological and anatomical features of particular cortical circuits.
Classification of severity of low-voltage motor coil arcing fault using statistical techniques

Developments spanning a major portion of the previous decade have witnessed the emergence of high/medium/low-voltage arcing fault as one of the more prominent issues confronting the power industry and associated researchers alike. Research over the past decade has been dedicated to the modelling, detection and/or monitoring of arcing faults at various voltage levels and power system apparatuses. The performance of statistical methodologies utilised to classify the severity of low-voltage arcing in a motor coil is presented and compared. The approaches revolve around the utilisation of statistical techniques such as spectral angle mapper, spectral information divergence and linear discriminant analysis to classify the severity of the motor coil arcing fault. Dedicated test-benches are utilised to simulate the arcing phenomenon of varying severity in a motor coil within laboratory environment. Hall-effect sensors in conjunction with the data acquisition module of LabVIEW provide an able means for data collection which is then subjected to offline analysis. The conceptual approach preceding the classification process revolves around the extraction of pre-decided features associated with the current signal gathered during the arcing process. These features are associated with the higher-order harmonic content of the current signal. Comparative analysis of the higher-order harmonic content in the arcing current as obtained from the test-bench and that from contemporary mathematical models for low-voltage arcing faults is presented to validate the choice of parameters for the spectral signature. The extracted features are utilised for classifying the severity of the motor coil arcing fault using the approaches mentioned above. The performance of the classification approaches has been evaluated based on the accuracy of classification, robustness and feasibility of implementation of the approach. The classification results seem very promising in terms of accuracy and feasibility of approach for real-time implementation.
On Writing Qualitative Research.

The authors explore the challenges of conducting and writing up qualitative research studies, and discuss four key issues: problems in distinguishing between levels of theory; holistic and microlevel issues in methodology; crises in representation and legitimation; and differences in the writing and write-up process.
Response of tuberculin skin test to ACTH and cortisone in tuberculous guinea pigs.

Summary(1) ACTH and Cortisone when given in proportionately large doses modified but did not abolish cutaneous tuberculin reaction in guinea pigs infected with virulent tubercle organisms. (2) Following administration of ACTH and Cortisone the histopathologic changes consisted in a quantitative diminution in the inflammatory exudate rather than a qualitative change in its cytologic structure.
Relation of empty surface states to Schottky barriers on semiconductors

Photoemission spectroscopy techniques for measuring occupied and unoccupied semiconductor surface states will be described, including a new yield spectroscopy technique for measuring empty surface states both on clean surfaces and in the presence of a thin metal overlayer (i.e. metal-semiconductor interface). Recent results will be discussed which show that, in general, intrinsic semiconductor surface states (whose energy positions are not simply related to band gap energies} play an important role in determining schottky barrier energies on cleaved
Range information from rotating beam patterns: Beam synthesis and range detection

Linear superpositions of Laguerre-Gaussian beams are used to measure range by encoding the propagation distance as a unique spatial intensity pattern. Strategies for beam synthesis and the recovery of range information are discussed.
Hardware trojan detection for gate-level ICs using signal correlation based clustering

Malicious tampering of the internal circuits of ICs can lead to detrimental results. Insertion of Trojan circuits may change system behavior, cause chip failure or send information to a third party. This paper presents an information-theoretic approach for Trojan detection. It estimates the statistical correlation between the signals in a design, and explores how this estimation can be used in a clustering algorithm to detect the Trojan logic. Compared with the other algorithms, our tool does not require extensive logic analysis. We neither need the circuit to be brought to the triggering state, nor the effect of the Trojan payload to be propagated and observed at the output. Instead we leverage already available simulation data in this information-theoretic approach. We conducted experiments on the TrustHub benchmarks to validate the practical efficacy of this approach. The results show that our tool can detect Trojan logic with up to 100% coverage with low false positive rates.
Conformational Characteristics of Polymethylene Chains in Melts and in Various Phantom Chains from Explicit Atom Molecular Dynamics Simulations

Conformer populations, mean-square chain dimensions, and end-to-end distance distributions for polymethylene (PM) chains, H(CH2)nH with n = 13, 44, and 100, in melts and in various phantom chains have been studied using a parallel computational method of molecular (and Brownian) dynamics simulations with a well-calibrated explicit atom force field. The specific volume−temperature properties of the simulated melt systems are in excellent agreement with experiments. Conformational characteristics of PM chains in melts are identical to those of 1,5 phantom chains, characterized by short-range intramolecular interactions between the atoms separated by up to four skeletal bonds, which correspond to unperturbed chains in ϑ solvents according to recent implicit solvent model results of Sariban et al. and Destree et al. Moreover, a Gaussian approximation of end-to-end distance distributions is found to be valid only for long PM chains with n greater than 100. According to our simulation results, the characteristi...
Optical superlattices of colloidal photonic crystals

We report on the fabrication and optical characterization of photonic superlattices formed of colloidal photonic crystals. The superlattice periodicity induces the formation of minibands due to folding of the photonic band structure. This represents the first instance in which mid-gap states have been incorporated into a colloidal photonic crystal via a specifically engineered structural modification.
The sociology of computing in sociology

One of the consequences of the introduction and extension of computing in sociology is the division of sociologists into two antagonistic groups: the empiricists and the humanists. The empiricists expect the computer to be the basic vehicle of salvation, whereas the humanists believe the computer to be the incarnation of all that is evil. A prolonged battle over computation and the utilization of computers in sociology may widen the cleavage between the two groups and make their differences irreconcilable. The major purpose of this paper is to trace how computation in sociology has contributed to this political cleavage and to present a possible start towards a future synthesis.
106 ANGIOGENIC FACTOR mRNA EXPRESSION IN FETAL MEMBRANES IN EARLY PREGNANT SHEEP

Maternal and fetal placental development may be compromised by use of assisted reproductive techniques, including cloning, resulting in poor placental angiogenesis and subsequent high embryonic/fetal loss (Palmieri et al. 2007 Placenta 28, 577–584). Before changes in vascular development in placenta from compromised pregnancies can be understood, a detailed knowledge of regulation of angiogenesis in placental tissues from normal pregnancies is necessary. Therefore, this study determined the expression pattern of mRNA for several angiogenic factors and their receptors: vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and receptor (R) 1 and 2; basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF2) and FGFRIIIc; angiopoietin (ANGPT) 1 and 2 and ANGPTR (Tie2); endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and NO receptor GUCY1B3 in fetal membranes (FM; fetal placenta) collected on Days 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, and 30 after mating (n = 5 to 8/day). Fetal membranes were snap frozen for evaluation of gene expression using quantitative, real-time RT-PCR. VEGF mRNA was increased (P < 0.05) 2-fold on Days 28 and 30 compared with Days 16, 18, and 20, whereas VEGFR1 mRNA increased (P < 0.05) 25- to 50-fold on Days 28 and 30 compared with Day 16, and VEGFR2 mRNA was greatest (P < 0.05) on Day 22 compared with Days 16, 18, 28, and 30. FGF2 mRNA was 4-fold greater (P < 0.05) on Day 22 compared with Day 16; however, FGF2RIIIc was unchanged from Day 16 through 30. eNOS mRNA was greatest (P < 0.05) on Days 22 and 24 compared with Days 16 and 18, but GUCY1B3 mRNA was greatest (P < 0.05) on Day 18 compared with Days 20, 24, and 28. ANGPT1 mRNA increased (P < 0.05) 40-fold by Days 28 and 30 compared with Days 16 and 18. ANGPT2 mRNA was undetectable on Day 16, and increased (P < 0.05) 5-fold from Days 18 through 30. ANGPTR mRNA was greatest (P < 0.05) on Days 22 and 24 compared with Days 16 and 18. This description of expression of factors potentially regulating early placental angiogenesis during normal pregnancy in sheep will provide the foundation for understanding the dramatic increases in capillary cell proliferation and capillary size we have previously observed (unpublished) and for determining whether placental vascular development is altered in compromised pregnancies. USDA-NRI grant 2007-01215 to LPR and ATGB; NIH grant HL64141 to LPR and DAR; ND EPSCoR AURA grant to ATGB and MAM; ND Space Grant Fellowship Program award to MAM; and NIH grant P20 RR016741 (INBRE program of the NCRR, NIH).
Labeling of liver and serum cholesterol esters after the injection of cholesterol-4-C14 and cholesterol-4-C14 esters.

Abstract Fasting rats were injected with trace amount of cholesterol-4-C14 and cholesterol-4-C14 esters (palmitate oleate, linoleate and arachidonate) dipersed in rat serum. It was necessary to add an emulsifying agent (Tween 20) to disperse the C14 esters since they do not exchange with lipoprotein cholesterol esters. The serum C14-esters, 1 hour after the injection of cholesterol-4-C14, consisted of 83% polyunsaturated esters of which 60% was arachidonate. At the same time (1 hour) the liver C14-esters consisted of approximately 50% polyunsaturated ester and 50% saturated and monounsaturated esters. The specific activity of the polyunsaturated esters in liver and serum exceeded the specific activity of the saturated and monounsaturated esters; the liver arachidonate ester had the highest specific activity. The specific activities of the different liver esters were higher than the corresponding serum esters. After the injection of the C14-esters, the labeling of serum and liver esters indicated that linoleate and arachidonate were metabolized more rapidly than the palmitate and oleate esters. There was a preferential conversion of the linoleate ester to the arachidonate ester. It is proposed that (a) a large portion of the serum cholesterol esters arise from the liver by selective processes, (b) that the major esters released into the blood of the postabsorptive rat by the liver are polyunsaturated, and (c) that a portion of the cholesterol arachidonate in the liver is synthesized by a transesterification process involving a reaction between a cholesterol ester (such as cholesterol linoleate) and an arachidonic acid donor.
Gamma-ray burst phenomenology explained through the blast wave model

The essential physics of the blast wave model is contained in a formula recently proposed to describe the temporal evolution of the nonthermal synchrotron spectra from gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). This formula accounts for many of the well-established empirical trends in GRB physics, including the basic form of the fast-rise, gentle-decay FRED-type GRB light curves, the characteristic hard-to-soft spectral evolution and intensity-hardness correlations of GRB light curves, and the recently uncovered relations between the peak energies and the photon and energy fluences. On the basis of this formula, we predict the tendency for pulses to align at high energies and to lag at low energies. The overall GRB duration distribution is understood when triggering properties of GRB detectors are considered for fireballs with a range of baryon loading parameters. The existence of new classes of clean and dirty fireballs are implied. Short timescale variability of GRB light curves is attributed to density variations in the circumburster medium (CBM).
Effect of a New Potent H2-Receptor Antagonist on Meal-Stimulated Gastric Acid Secretion and Serum Gastrin Concentration in Duodenal Ulcer Patients

We evaluated the effect of 20-, 40-, 60-, and 80-mg doses of SKF 93479, a new H2-receptor antagonist, on food-stimulated gastric acid secretion in duodenal ulcer patients. Medications were given as a single oral dose in the morning with a breakfast meal, and acid secretion was measured by in vivo intragastric titration in response to four blended steak meals infused into the stomach at intervals over a 24-hr period. A breakfast meal was infused immediately after medication; a luncheon meal was given 5 hr after drug, and a dinner meal was instilled 10 hr later. A second breakfast meal was infused 24 hr after medication. For comparison, the effect of 300 mg cimetidine, given as normally prescribed (with meals and at bedtime), on acid secretion was also studied. Food-stimulated acid secretion was inhibited in a dose-related manner by each of the four doses of SKF 93479. The antisecretory effect was most dramatic following the luncheon meal, and there was still significant (P<0.05) inhibition of acid secretion at the dinner meal with all doses of SKF 93479. With the second breakfast meal 24 hr after medication, the 80-mg dose alone achieved significant (P<0.05) inhibition of acid secretion. Inhibition of acid secretion was correlated positively with blood SKF 93479 levels. When compared with placebo results, serum gastrin concentration, measured 5 and 10 hr after medication, was significantly higher (P<0.05) with SKF 93479.
Prolonged inhibition of brain nitric oxide synthase by short-term systemic administration of nitro-L-arginine methyl ester.

We studied the dose-response characteristics and the temporal profile of inhibition of brain nitric oxide (NO) synthase (NOS) elicited by i.v. administration of the NOS inhibitor nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME). L-NAME was administered i.v. in awake rats equipped with a venous cannula. L-NAME was injected in cumulative doses of 5, 10, 20 and 40 mg/kg and rats were sacrificed 30 min after the last dose. NOS catalytic activity was assayed in forebrain cytosol as the conversion of [3H]l-arginine into [3H]l-citrulline. L-NAME attenuated brain NOS activity in a dose-dependent manner but enzyme activity could not be inhibited by more than ≈50%. After a single 20 mg/kg injection of L-NAME the inhibition of brain NOS activity was time dependent and reached a stable level at 2 hrs (52% of vehicle). Inhibition after a single injection was still present at 96 hrs, albeit to a lower magnitude. We conclude that intravenous administration of L-NAME in rats at concentrations commonly used in physiological experiments leads to a dose and time-dependent but partial inhibition of brain NOS catalytic activity. The finding that the inhibition persists for several days after a single administration is consistent with the hypothesis that nitro-L-arginine, the active principle of L-NAME, binds to NOS irreversibly.
Zeeman degeneracy effects in collisional intense-field resonance fluorescence

Resonance fluorescence due to intense laser fields from a Zeeman degenerate atom being perturbed by collisional interactions is calculated in the impact regime by using the quantum-fluctuation-regression theorem. Various interesting effects are found. For example, the scattered intensity spectrum for a J = 0 to J = 1 transition for polarization parallel to the laser polarization is essentially an asymmetric triplet, whereas for a perpendicular polarization due to collisions the spectrum is essentially a doublet (whose frequencies do not correspond with any of those of the triplet). Further, the width of the fluorescent component (whose frequency is close to the unperturbed frequency) actually decreases with increasing laser power.
Assessment of protein rotational diffusion by 13C off-resonance rotating frame spin-lattice relaxation: effect of backbone and side-chain internal motion.

The 13C off-resonance rotating frame spin–lattice relaxation technique is applicable to the study of protein rotational diffusion behavior in a variety of experimental situations. The original formalism of James and co-workers (1978) (J. Am. Chem. Soc. Vol. 100, pp. 3590–3594) incorporated random isotropic reorientational motion of a rigid spherical rotor with no provision for backbone or side-chain carbonyl group internal motion. Here we demonstrate that the failure to include such internal motion may lead to erroneous rotational correlation time determinations for overall reorientational motion. The effect becomes severe for protein molecular masses in excess of 100 kD. Inclusion of both backbone and side-chain carbonyl carbon internal motion, using reasonable parameters derived from the literature [R. Levy and M. Karplus (1979), Chemical Physics Letters, Vol. 65, pp. 4–11; G. Careri, P. Fasella, and E. Gratton (1975), Critical Reviews in Biochemistry, Vol. 3, pp. 141–164; G. Lipari, A. Szabo, and R. Levy (1982), Nature, Vol. 300, pp. 197–198], plus corrections for anisotropic tumbling [C. F. Morgan, T. Schleich, G. H. Caines, and D. Michael (1990), Biopolymers, Vol. 29, pp. 469–480] and microscopic viscosity [S. H. Koenig (1980), ACS Symposium. Series, Vol. 127, pp. 157–176], leads to reliable values for the correlation time describing overall protein reorientation up to molecular masses of approximately 1000 kD. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Experimental observations of nonaqueous-phase liquid subsurface movement

Abstract A one-dimensional multiphase flow experiment was conducted to investigate the redistribution of nonaqueous-phase liquids (NAPL's) in the subsurface. NAPL, water and air contents were measured with a dual-energy γ-radiation attenuation apparatus, and NAPL and water pressures were measured with tensiometers that were inserted into the flow column. In the experiment, which used a sandy porous medium, both two-phase air-water and three-phase air-NAPL-water flow phenomena were measured. In the two-phase component of the experiment, water was drained from an initially water-saturated state by lowering the water table to a specified elevation. After the water drainage decreased to a negligible rate, the three-phase component of the experiment was initiated by infiltrating a 250-mL pulse of NAPL at the upper porous-medium boundary. Following a NAPL redistribution period, the water table was raised, lowered, and raised again. An objective of the experiment was to quantify the entrapment of air and NAPL under transient flow conditions. Analyses of the data showed that air was entrapped during NAPL imbibition, and NAPL and air were entrapped during water imbibition. The volume of entrapped fluids for similar saturation paths was reproducible, which suggested that fluid entrapment may be systematically modeled. It was concluded that to predict the movement of NAPL's in the subsurface, where the water-table elevation may fluctuate, constitutive relations among fluid saturations and pressures need to account for nonwetting fluid entrapment. The methodologies for conducting the measurements and associated error analysis are also given in this paper.
Photoacoustic and nuclear imaging of [125I]-labeled gold nanorod contrast agent

We have investigated the potential of emerging photoacoustic imaging and nuclear imaging in monitoring of drug delivery by using a newly developed dual-modality contrast agent. After the contrast agent composed of gold nanorods (GNRs) was produced, it was radiolabeled by [ 125 I] with high yield and without disturbing the optical properties of the contrast agent. Photoacoustic and nuclear imaging were conducted to visualize the distribution of GNRs in articular tissues of rat tail joints in situ. Findings from the two modalities corresponded well with each other. Using the current imaging systems, GNRs down to a concentration of 10 pM in biological tissues and with a radioactive label of 5 μCi can be imaged. Moreover, by radiolabeling the GNRs, the in vivo behaviors of the contrast agent can be monitored conveniently using γ-camera, allowing validation of the findings from emerging photoacoustic technique. Enabled by the high sensitivity of nuclear imaging, whole-body and longitudinal studies of the biodistribution of GNRs contrast agent can be performed noninvasively and repeatedly in the same animal. The highly efficient method reported here provides an extensively useful tool for the guidance of design and development of new gold nanoparticles as target-specific agents for both diagnostics and therapy.
The influence of daily variation in foraging cost on the activity of small carnivores

Abstract The daily activity of some predators is correlated with the activity pattern of their prey. If capture efficiency varies as a function of prey activity, a predator that synchronizes its foraging activity with the time of day that prey are most vulnerable should capture more prey, and at lower cost, than a predator that initiates foraging at random. Mink, Mustela vison , and weasels, M. erminea and M. nivalis , were presented with an opportunity to maximize their intake in similar circumstances in the laboratory. An animal's ability to synchronize its foraging activity with the time of day when food was most available was tested. Energy costs (wheel revolutions) were varied to encourage an animal to redistribute its activity from a preferred 12-h phase of the light-dark cycle to the other phase, and then back again. The degree to which activity changed to coincide with the most economical phase was analysed for each individual, and weasels were compared to mink. The activity of six (of seven) animals shifted in response to modified foraging costs, but only two animals (both mink) approached the 180° redistribution of activity expected of an energy-maximizing forager. In general, all animals were active during a favoured phase (usually dark) of the light-dark cycle and relatively large variations in foraging cost during this cycle had only modest effects on activity.
Tendency towards normality of linear combinations of random variables

IfX andY are two random variables with the same means and variances, thenX is said to be nearer normal thanY if the absolute values of its cumulants are smaller than the corresponding cumulants ofY. Using this definition, it is shown that a linear combination of a finite number of independent identically distributed random variables is always nearer normal than its constituents, but that this is not necessarily true if not-identically distributed or not-independent variables are used. Some consequences of the results are reached for the testing of normality of time series and for the assumptions frequently made by social scientists about the distribution of their data.
Introduction: Advances in the Study of the Economics of Terrorism

Although the study of the economics of terrorism dates back to 1978, work on this topic was sporadic until 2001. Since the four hijackings on September 11, 2001, there have been many contributions both theoretical and empirical in this area of study. The purpose of this article is twofold: (i) to orient the reader to this area of study, and (ii) to introduce the five articles of this special symposium. These articles address diverse aspects of the economics of terrorism including the demise of terrorist groups, natural disasters and terrorism, cost of living and terrorism, terrorism and stock-bond returns, and terrorism and piracy.
Unconventional miR-122 binding stabilizes the HCV genome by forming a trimolecular RNA structure

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) typically downregulate protein expression from target mRNAs through limited base-pairing interactions between the 5' 'seed' region of the miRNA and the mRNA 3' untranslated region (3'UTR). In contrast to this established mode of action, the liver-specific human miR-122 binds at two sites within the hepatitis C viral (HCV) 5'UTR, leading to increased production of infectious virions. We show here that two copies of miR-122 interact with the HCV 5'UTR at partially overlapping positions near the 5' end of the viral transcript to form a stable ternary complex. Both miR-122 binding sites involve extensive base pairing outside of the seed sequence; yet, they have substantially different interaction affinities. Structural probing reveals changes in the architecture of the HCV 5'UTR that occur on interaction with miR-122. In contrast to previous reports, however, results using both the recombinant cytoplasmic exonuclease Xrn1 and liver cell extracts show that miR-122-mediated protection of the HCV RNA from degradation does not correlate with stimulation of viral propagation in vivo. Thus, the miR-122:HCV ternary complex likely functions at other steps critical to the viral life cycle.
Late-gestation betamethasone enhances coronary artery responsiveness to angiotensin II in fetal sheep.

Antenatal glucocorticoids are used to promote the maturation of fetuses at risk for preterm delivery. While perinatal glucocorticoid exposure has clear immediate benefits to cardiorespiratory function, there is emerging evidence of adverse long-term effects. To determine if antenatal betamethasone alters vascular reactivity, we examined isometric contraction of endothelium-intact coronary and mesenteric arteries isolated from twin fetal sheep at 121-124 days gestation (term being 145 days). One twin received betamethasone (10 μg/h iv) while the second twin received vehicle (0.9% NaCl) for 48 h immediately before the final physiological measurements and tissue harvesting. Fetuses that received betamethasone had higher mean arterial blood pressures than the saline-treated twin controls (53 ± 1 vs. 48 ± 1 mmHg, P < 0.05). Coronary vessels from betamethasone-treated fetuses exhibited enhanced peak responses to ANG II (72 ± 17 vs. 23 ± 6% of the maximal response to 120 mM KCl, P < 0.05). There was no significa...
Hollowness of the observed auroral kilometric radiation pattern

Presumably also generated by electron cyclotron emission, the earth's auroral kilometric radiation would be expected to exhibit a hollow pattern in the direction of the source magnetic field, similar to that reported for the comparable emissions from Jupiter. Although previously overlooked, such hollowness is clearly present in the new pattern measurements of Green and Gallagher (1985) at 56 kHz, occupying source-centered latitudes of 30 to 45 deg and hence occurring exactly where it was predicted and previously observed. Being distributed in longitude and spanning the entire evening sector, presumably reflecting a similar longitudinal distribution of auroral zone sources, this hollowness is attributed to sources beamed preferentially in the poleward magnetic meridian.
A basic logic

This paper is concerned with finding a fairly simple system of logic which is “basic” in the sense that every system of logic is definable in it. If a “system”is regarded as being a class of propositions, rather than a class of sentences, then every class of propositions which is a system should be definable in the basic logic. The system of logic proposed in this paper will not be proved to be a basic logic, but strong evidence that it is basic will be given at the end of the paper. Evidence will also be given that the class of propositions which are not provable in the system is not definable in any system of logic. It will be established that the decision problem is unsolvable for the system. Notable characteristics of the system are its lack of negation and universal quantification, and its similarity to systems proposed by Church, Curry, and Rosser.By a “system” will be meant a class of propositions the membership of which can be specified by ordinary recursive methods, so that if the membership of a given proposition in the class can be established at all, such membership can be established in a finite number of steps. (This is not the same as demanding that a criterion must exist for determining, in a finite number of steps, whether or not some given proposition is a member of the class. Such a demand would require a solution of the decision problem for every system.)