cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Psychology of Specialization and Specialization in Psychology

Some years ago I committed blatant heresy by publishing a book that questions one of the sacred beliefs of the modern world; namely, that specialization is necessarily beneficial. This belief has become sacred because it is derived from two lines of argument, each of which is independently taken for granted as received wisdom. The first line of argument derives from the ideas of Adam Smith (1723-1790), particularly as set out in The Wealth of Nations. By increasing divisions of labor, Smith argued, workers could become more productive, “The division of labour… so far as it can be introduced, occasions, in every art, a proportional increase of the productive powers of labour.” The second line of argument is derived from an even more illustrious source, Charles Darwin’s (1809-1882) monumental scientific treatise on the Origin of Species. The theory of evolution seems to imply that specialization is necessary to maximize the utilization of environmental resources, find ‘vacant spaces’, and increase survival chances. Taken together, Smith and Darwin seem to present increasing specialization as an inevitable and necessary path to increasing production and improving survival opportunities.
The nutrient and trace metal geochemistry of a dredge plume

Field sampling of the dissolved and particulate material field downstream of a large volume bucket dredge operating in the lower Thames River estuary near New London, Connecticut, was conducted in order to examine the magnitude and character of the dredge-induced resuspension. These data indicate that large amounts of dissolved phosphate, ammonia, silica, manganese, copper and particulate materials are released into the water column, whereas cadmium concentrations were unaffected. Concentrations in the vicinity of the dredge exceed background levels by two to nine times for the dissolved materials and by two orders of magnitude for particulates. During the ebb cycle, downstream material concentrations decrease rapidly to background within approximately 180 m for dissolved materials and 700 m for particulates. Two mechanisms were found to control the distribution of materials downstream of the dredge: (a) physical transport, including advection, turbulent mixing and diffusion, and (b) geochemical processes (i.e. adsorption, desorption, precipitation, dissolution, etc.). The concentration of dissolved materials downstream of the dredge decrease at a first order exponential rate. The downstream distribution of the dissolved ammonia and silica was found to be consistent with the reactivity experiments (Figure 8) which predicted that PO4 would undergo a decay in concentration in the presence of suspended sediments. Absorption of phosphate onto suspended sediments and gravitational settling of the suspended particulates were the processes. Manganese and copper underwent a dual transformation which involved an initial dissolution, followed by flocculation and possible coprecipitation as MnO2. Cadmium concentrations in the water column were unaffected by the dredging process due to low pore water concentrations. The observed spatial distribution indicates that dredge-induced injection of dissolved and particulate materials is primarily a near field phenomenon producing relatively minor variations as compared to those caused by naturally occurring storm events. These latter systems have been shown (Tramontano, 1978; Bohlen et al., 1979) to produce estuary-wide variations in suspended materials, PO4 and NH4 concentrations increasing the mass of materials in suspension by at least a factor of two. This increase in total suspended load, PO4 and NH4, is nearly an order of magnitude larger than that produced by the dredge.
Extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma : A report of a gynecologic case

Abstract Background. Extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma is a rare tumor that has been reported and discussed in neurosurgical, orthopedic, and otolaryngologic literature. We report a case of vulvar extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma. Case. This is a case of a 46-year-old woman who presented with a soft tissue mass in the left vulva and underwent local excision. Grossly, the tumors appeared to be leiomyomas. Pathology revealed an extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma. Conclusion. We report the first case of an extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma arising in the vulva.
Multilayered Films Fabricated from Plasmid DNA and a Side-Chain Functionalized Poly(β-amino Ester): Surface-Type Erosion and Sequential Release of Multiple Plasmid Constructs from Surfaces

Hydrolytically degradable polyamines can be used to fabricate multilayered polyelectrolyte films that erode and release DNA in aqueous environments. Past studies have investigated films fabricated from poly(β-amino ester) 1 and the influence of polymer backbone structure on film erosion and the release of anionic polyelectrolytes. This investigation sought to characterize the influence of polymer side-chain structure on the stability of multilayered films in physiologically relevant media. Here, we report on the fabrication and characterization of multilayered films ∼150 nm thick assembled from plasmid DNA and side-chain functionalized polymer 2. We observed large differences in the behavior of films fabricated from polymer 2 as compared to films fabricated from polymer 1. Whereas films fabricated from polymer 1 erode and release DNA over ∼2 days when incubated in phosphate-buffered saline, films fabricated from polymer 2 erode and release DNA over ∼2 weeks. In addition, whereas films fabricated from poly...
The effect of 13C enrichment in the glassing matrix on dynamic nuclear polarization of [1-13C]pyruvate

Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) can effectively form a glassy matrix necessary for dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) experiments. We tested the effects of 13C enrichment in DMSO on DNP of [1-13C]pyruvate doped with trityl radical OX063Me. We found that the polarization build-up time τ of pyruvate in 13C-labeled DMSO glassing solution is twice as fast as the unenriched DMSO while the nuclear magnetic resonance enhancement was unchanged. This indicates that 13C–13C spin diffusion is a limiting factor in the kinetics of DNP in this system, but it has a minimal effect on the absolute value of polarization achievable for the target.
Evaluation of a possible association of urban air toxics and asthma

The prevalence of asthma, measured either as the frequency of hospital admissions or number of deaths attributed to asthma, has increased over the last 15 to 20 years. Rapid increases in disease prevalence are more likely to be attributable to environmental than genetic factors. Inferring from past associations between air pollution and asthma, it is feasible that changes in the ambient environment could contribute to this increase in morbidity and mortality. Scientific evaluation of the links between air pollution and the exacerbation of asthma is incomplete, however. Currently, criteria pollutants [SOx, NOx, O3, CO, Pb, particulate matter (PM10)] and other risk factors (exposure to environmental tobacco smoke, volatile organic compounds, etc.) are constantly being evaluated as to their possible contributions to this situation. Data from these studies suggest that increases in respiratory disease are associated with exposures to ambient concentrations of particulate and gaseous pollutants. Similarly, exposure to environmental tobacco smoke, also a mixture of particulate and gaseous air toxics, has been associated with an increase in asthma among children. In addition, current associations of adverse health effects with existing pollution measurements are often noted at concentrations below those that produce effects in controlled animal and human exposures to each pollutant alone. These findings imply that adverse responses are augmented when persons are exposed to irritant mixtures of particles and gases and that current measurements of air pollution are, in part, indirect in that the concentrations of criteria pollutants are acting as surrogates of our exposure to a complex mixture. Other irritant air pollutants, including certain urban air toxics, are associated with asthma in occupational settings and may interact with criteria pollutants in ambient air to exacerbate asthma. An evaluation of dose-response information for urban air toxics and biological feasibility as possible contributors to asthma is therefore needed. However, this evaluation is compounded by a lack of information on the concentrations of these compounds in the ambient air and their effects on asthma morbidity and mortality. Through an initial review of the current toxicological literature, we propose a tentative list of 30 compounds that could have the highest impact on asthma and respiratory health. These compounds were selected based on their ability to induce or exacerbate asthma in occupational and nonoccupational settings, their allergic potential and ability to react with biological macromolecules, and lastly, their ability to irritate the respiratory passages. We recommend better documentation of exposure to these compounds through routine air sampling and evaluation of total exposure and further evaluation of biological mechanisms through laboratory and epidemiological studies directed specifically at the role these substances play in the induction and exacerbation of asthma.
Opposed stages of continuous amphetamine administration: parallel alterations in motor stereotypies and in vivo spiroperidol accumulation.

Rats pretreated with different regimens of chronic d-amphetamine (d-Amp) administration were injected 24 h after cessation of chronic d-Amp with either d-Amp (to test the degree to which it now elicited motor stereotypies) or with [3H]spiroperidol (to study in vivo accumulation in 7 brain regions). Rats pretreated with 28 daily injections of d-Amp subsequently evidenced heightened stereotypies to d-Amp whereas other rats pretreated with the same amount of d-Amp for 28 days using slow-release pellets showed decreased stereotypies to d-Amp. In either of these chronic groups was spiroperidol accumulation altered. But the administration of d-Amp continuously over briefer periods induced large and phasic alterations in both d-Amp induced stereotypies and in spiroperidol accumulation. Rats given continuous d-Amp for 24 h, allowed a 24 h drug-free period, and then injected evidenced a large potentiation of both stereotypies and in vivo accumulation of spiroperidol in the caudate nucleus, whereas after 5 days of continuous d-Amp administration rats showed attenuated stereotypies and decreased [3H]spiroperidol accumulation in the caudate, accumbens, and substantia nigra. These results imply that brief periods of continuous d-Amp administration produce large and phasic changes in dopamine systems.
A Review of Studies of the Effectiveness of Programs To Improve Pregnancy Outcome

This article presents a critical review of the available evidence on the effectiveness of programs to improve pregnancy outcome in changing rates of infant mortality. A total of 27 secondary reviews and original evaluation articles were assessed for quality of evidence on program outcomes. Although infant mortality rates are clearly dropping, initial review of the studies showed that history, differential selection, and experimental mortality were powerful alternative hypotheses to the conclusion that any particular program can claim to have caused the drop. Thus, our knowledge of exactly which programs are effective, and which are not, is compromised.
Surface reactions of metal clusters I: The fast flow cluster reactor

A new fast flow device for the study of metal cluster reactions in the gas phase is described and characterized. The new device utilizes metal clusters made by laser vaporization of an appropriate metal target mounted in the throat of a supersonic nozzle which exhausts into a fast‐flow reaction tube. Reactants are injected into the flowing helium–metal cluster mixture at a point in the flow tube where shock waves have reheated the gas to roughly 320 K. Turbulence in the wake of these shock waves produces efficient mixing of the reactants. Measurement of the flow properties of this reaction tube indicate a residence time of 150–200 μs with an average density of helium buffer gas equivalent to 50–100 Torr at room temperature. Subsequent free expansion of this reaction mixture into a large vacuum chamber produces a supersonic beam with extensive cooling of the various constituents in the mixture (pyrazine was measured to be rotationally cooled to 10 K). The new cluster reaction device is, therefore, an excellent source for future studies of the jet‐cooled metal cluster reaction products themselves.
The television school and family smoking prevention and cessation project. I. Theoretical basis and program development

Program development processes for the Television, School, and Family Project, a school-based smoking prevention and cessation project, are presented in this article. We first review applications of social-psychological and communications theory to school-based and mass media program development. These include the three broad areas of (a) mediators of mass media effects on behavior change, (b) the social influences approach to smoking prevention, and (c) a self-management and social support approach to smoking cessation. A program development model for school-based mass media efficacy trials, with a summary of formative research and pilot study processes, is then presented. The importance of reciprocal support among school district administrators, project research staff, and television station personnel is emphasized with recommendations for future research and demonstration efforts.
Real-time control: implementation of a simulation-based control architecture for supply chain interactions

Techniques based on discrete-event simulation have been widely used for network analysis and policy optimization in the domain of supply chain management. Previous researchers have developed and implemented architectures for simulation-based control for shop floor. A more detailed and high-fidelity simulation model is used for control purposes as opposed to that used for analytical purposes alone. This paper discusses the issues related to implementing a simulation based control architecture for actively controlling supply chain interactions.
Resistivity and Mössbauer Measurements for Solid Xe-Fe Mixtures

Resistivity measurements of frozen mixtures of Xe and Fe versus concentration and temperature exhibit various conduction regions including a nonconducting-to-conducting transition at \ensuremath{\sim}30 at.% Fe. M\"ossbauer-effect measurements reveal no changes in isomer shift or hyperfine magnetic field with concentration above \ensuremath{\sim}14 at.% Fe. However, the change in shape of the M\"ossbauer spectra suggests that a transition from a paramagnetic relaxing phase to a magnetically ordered phase occurs at \ensuremath{\sim}30 at.% Fe.
Envelope glycoprotein binding to the integrin α4β7 is not a general property of most HIV-1 strains.

ABSTRACT The HIV-1 surface glycoprotein gp120 has been reported to bind and signal through α4β7 by means of a tripeptide motif in the V2 loop that mimics structures present in the natural ligands for α4β7, suggesting that α4β7 may facilitate HIV-1 infection of CD4+ T cells in the gut. Furthermore, immune correlates in the RV144 vaccine efficacy trial generated the hypothesis that V1V2 antibodies to an epitope near the putative α4β7 binding motif may play a role in protection against HIV-1 infection. In the interest of developing an assay to detect antibodies that block gp120 binding to α4β7, we used retinoic acid (RA)-activated human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and transfected HEK293T (293T) cells expressing the integrin complex to study the α4β7 binding properties of 16 HIV-1 envelope glycoproteins. The natural ligand for α4β7, mucosal addressin cell adhesion molecule-1 (MAdCAM-1), bound efficiently to RA-activated PBMCs and transfected 293T cells, and this binding was blocked by antibodies to α4. gp120 from multiple HIV-1 subtypes bound to RA-activated PBMCs from three donors in a CD4-dependent manner, but little or no α4β7 binding was detected. Similarly, little or no binding to α4β7 on transfected 293T cells was detected with multiple gp120s and gp140s, including gp120s from transmitted/founder strains, or when gp120 was produced in CHO, 293T, and 293S/GnT1−/− cells. Finally, we found no evidence that infectious HIV-1 virions produced in either PBMCs or 293T cells could bind α4β7 on transfected 293T cells. Infectious HIV-1 virions and most gp120s/gp140s appear to be poor ligands for the α4β7 integrin complex under the conditions tested here. IMPORTANCE Certain HIV-1 gp120 envelope glycoproteins have been shown to bind the gut-homing receptor α4β7, and it has been suggested that this binding facilitates mucosal transmission and virus replication in the gut mucosa. Additional evidence has generated the hypothesis that antibodies that bind near the putative α4β7 binding motif in the V2 loop of gp120, possibly disrupting gp120-α4β7 binding, may be important for HIV-1 vaccines. Our evidence indicates that infectious HIV-1 virions and many gp120s lack detectable α4β7 binding activity, suggesting that this homing receptor may play a limited role in direct HIV-1 infection of cells.
Synthesis and validation of representative real-world driving cycles for Plug-In Hybrid vehicles

Driving cycles play an important role in analysis and design of hybrid propulsion systems. Their role is magnified in case of Plug-In Hybrids, since driving patterns have a strong impact on specific energy consumption, ability of the vehicle to provide pure electric operation, range of charge depleting operation, and finally assessments of the state-of-charge (SOC) at the beginning of charging. Certification schedules are commonly used, but in case of PHEV standard cycles are repeated many times to study the charge depleting operation. While this is useful for comparisons with results in literature, it is not representative of real-world driving. Therefore, characterizing the naturalistic driving patterns and generating representative real-world schedules is essential for PHEV design and control work, studies of technology adoption by real consumers, and assessments of the impact on the grid. This work presents analysis of naturalistic driving data collected in a Midwest region of US, followed by a procedure for synthesizing real-world driving cycles based on that data. The characteristic of the real-world cycles are captured with transition probability matrices (TPMs), and a regression analysis is applied to select significant explanatory variables for determining the most representative synthetic cycles. Validation indicates the ability to generate representative real-world driving cycles for any arbitrary driving distance by combining a stochastic process and statistical methodology.
Improved assay sensitivity of an engineered secreted Renilla luciferase

We have previously reported the construction of a functional Renilla luciferase enzyme secreted by mammalian cells when fused to the signal peptide of human interleukin-2. The presence of three predicted cysteine residues in the amino acid sequence of Renilla luciferase suggested that its secreted form could contain oxidized sulfhydryls, which might impair enzyme activity. In this work, four secreted Renilla luciferase mutants were constructed to investigate this possibility: three luciferase mutants in which a different cysteine residue was replaced by an alanine residue, and one luciferase mutant in which all three cysteine residues were replaced by alanine residues. Simian cells were transfected with the genes encoding these mutant luciferases, as well as with the original gene construct, and cell culture media were assayed for bioluminescence activity. Only media containing a mutated luciferase with a cysteine to alanine substitution at position 152 in the preprotein showed a marked increase in bioluminescence activity when compared to media containing the original secreted Renilla luciferase. This increase in light emission was due in part to enhanced stability of the mutant enzyme. This new enzyme represents a significant improvement in the sensitivity of the secreted Renilla luciferase assay for monitoring gene expression.
Does protein kinase C mediate pituitary actions of gonadotropin-releasing hormone?

INTRODUCTION Part of the fascination in studying the interaction of GnRH with its target cell, the pituitary gonadotrope, is the number of end points that are regulated. GnRH provokes the release of two gonadotropins, LH and FSH, as well as regulates gonadotrope responsiveness, GnRH receptor number, and gonadotropin biosynthesis (translation and posttranslational events) and gene expression. Clearly, the complexity of these events, whether viewed from their temporal relationships or from the loci involved in these cellular actions, is one of the reasons that identification of messenger molecules and paths has been such a challenging goal. This, coupled with the clinical and veterinary significance of this releasing hormone, are reasons that the goal of understanding GnRH action has attracted the attention of many laboratories. Ca2+ as a Second Messenger It is well established that calcium plays a central role in many cellular actions of GnRH.
Electrochemical Rectification at a Monolayer-Modified Electrode

An electrochemical current rectifier based on a ferrocene-monolayer-modified electrode in contact with an electrolyte solution containing sodium hexacyanoferrate(II) (sodium ferrocyanide) was constructed and evaluated. Rectification was accomplished via mediated ferrocyanide oxidation by electrogenerated ferricenium in monolayers of (10-mercapto-N-decyl)ferrocenecarboxamide with dodecanethiol and (7-mercapto-N-heptyl)ferrocenecarboxamide with nonanethiol on gold electrodes. The reverse reaction of ferricyanide reduction by immobilized ferrocene is thermodynamically disfavored, thereby providing the basis for rectification. A model proposed to describe the rectification process is reminiscent of earlier treatments of electron-transfer mediation at electrodes modified with redox polymers, with the important difference that, in the present system, long-range electron transfer across the monolayer replaces electron hopping through the polymer layer as a possible rate-limiting step. Steady-state current−voltag...
An Efficient Framework for Generating Storyline Visualizations from Streaming Data

This paper presents a novel framework for applying storyline visualizations to streaming data. The framework includes three components: a new data management scheme for processing and storing the incoming data, a layout construction algorithm specifically designed for incrementally generating storylines from streaming data, and a layout refinement algorithm for improving the legibility of the visualization. By dividing the layout computation to two separate components, one for constructing and another for refining, our framework effectively provides the users with the ability to follow and reason dynamic data. The evaluation studies of our storyline visualization framework demonstrate its efficacy to present streaming data as well as its superior performance over existing methods in terms of both computational efficiency and visual clarity.
Crystal Structure of F2NO+AsF6- and Method for Extracting Meaningful Geometries from Oxygen/Fluorine Disordered Crystal Structures

A method is outlined for extracting meaningful geometries from certain oxygen/fluorine disordered crystal structures. The validity of the approach is demonstrated for F2NO+AsF6-.
Valproic acid (VPA), a histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, diminishes lymphoproliferation in the Fas -deficient MRL/lpr(-/-) murine model of autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome (ALPS).

Objective Autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome (ALPS) is a disorder of apoptosis, often presenting in childhood. Similarly, MRL/lpr −/− mice homozygous for Fas mutations develop an ALPS-like disease with autoimmunity, lymphadenopathy, splenomegaly, and expansion of double-negative T cells. Currently, there are no proven therapies with adequate safety margins for sustained abolition of the lymphoproliferation associated with ALPS. We sought to test the ability of valproic acid (VPA), a histone deacetylase inhibitor, to induce apoptosis and inhibit lymphoproliferation. Materials and Methods Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with ALPS and normal controls were tested in vitro to determine the efficacy of VPA at inducing cell death. VPA was used in vivo to control lymphoproliferation in MRL/lpr −/− mice, a model for ALPS. Results VPA induced cell death in vitro, and was partially inhibited by the pan caspase inhibitor, Z-VAD-FMK. MRL/lpr −/− mice treated with VPA for 8 weeks showed significant reductions in spleen and lymph node weights and cellularity compared to controls. A concomitant decrease in double-negative T cells was observed in the spleen, lymph nodes, and peripheral blood. Serum levels of VPA peaked 1 hour after injection, and a 2.5-fold increase in histone acetylation was observed in the spleen at 4 hours after injection. Conclusion Based on our data, VPA is effective at reducing lymphoproliferation in mice, and is currently being studied in a clinical trial as a lympholytic agent in patients with ALPS.
On the circular polarization of Sco X-1 and the adjacent sky.

QUESTIONS still persist regarding possible circular polarization of light from the X-ray starJSco X-1. Illing and Martin1 have reported failure to detect any such polarization larger than 0.1% in any of several filter bands over the range λλ3,700–8,800. Of special interest was the claim by Gnedin and Shulov2 that a sizable effect exists only in the red, becomes large (q ∼ 3–4%) during brightness minima in the object and takes the form of a quasi-periodic q(t) on time scales of 1 to 3 h.
Foucault in Berkeley and Magnitogorsk: Totalitarianism and the Limits of Liberal Critique

Returning to Stephen Kotkin's Magnetic Mountain: Stalinism as a Civilization almost two decades after its publication allows us to take stock, from a slight temporal distance, of the reception in our discipline of the work of Michel Foucault. Magnetic Mountain is the one of the books that came out of a project that Kotkin and a number of other students began under Foucault's direction at the University of California, Berkeley in 1983 (p. xviii). Foucault's work in California occurred during a particular turn in his political thinking, a moment when he experimented with liberal alternatives to the left theories of the first decades of his career. Kotkin's book is not simply an application of a general Foucauldianism, but rather of a specific California Foucault.
U.S. National Institutes of Health Core Consolidation–Investing in Greater Efficiency

The U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) invests substantial resources in core research facilities (cores) that support research by providing advanced technologies and scientific and technical expertise as a shared resource. In 2010, the NIH issued an initiative to consolidate multiple core facilities into a single, more efficient core. Twenty-six institutions were awarded supplements to consolidate a number of similar core facilities. Although this approach may not work for all core settings, this effort resulted in consolidated cores that were more efficient and of greater benefit to investigators. The improvements in core operations resulted in both increased services and more core users through installation of advanced instrumentation, access to higher levels of management expertise; integration of information management and data systems; and consolidation of billing; purchasing, scheduling, and tracking services. Cost recovery to support core operations also benefitted from the consolidation effort, in some cases severalfold. In conclusion, this program of core consolidation resulted in improvements in the effective operation of core facilities, benefiting both investigators and their supporting institutions.
Students’ perceptions of instructors’ socio‐communicative style and the influence on instructor credibility and situational motivation

This study investigated whether instructors with different socio‐communicative styles differed in their students’ perceptions of their credibility and their students’ Situationen motivation. Students (N = 260) completed a questionnaire on the class/instructor they had immediately before their current class. The questionnaire consisted of measures of assertiveness, responsiveness, credibility, and situational motivation. Instructors with the socio‐communicative style of competent were perceived highest in all three dimensions of credibility (expertise, character, and caring) and in students’ situational motivation. Instructors classified as noncompetent were perceived as lowest in caring and expertise, while instructors classified as aggressive were perceived as lowest in character. Additionally, situational motivation was positively correlated to all three dimensions of credibility. The results support the importance of instructors being able to display assertive and responsive communication behaviors.
Postdonation platelet counts are safe when collecting platelets with the Trima Accel using a postdonation platelet count target of ≥50,000 platelets/μL

In December 2007, the FDA issued a guidance document recommending that apheresis cell separators be configured with a postdonation platelet count target of > or =100,000 platelets/microL. Currently, our Trima Accel apheresis cell separators are configured with a postdonation platelet count target of > or =50,000 platelets/microL. To determine the safety of our current procedure, we analyzed the postdonation platelet counts of 115 donors collected using our current procedure. All of 115 donors had postdonation platelet counts > or =100,000 platelets/microL. On the basis of predonation platelet counts, we calculated that raising the postdonation target platelet count to > or =100,000 platelets/microL would have disqualified 19 out of 225 potential platelet products. We conclude that the current postdonation platelet count target of > or =50,000 platelets/microL is safe for donors collected using the Trima Accel. Efforts to reduce the incidence of TRALI are creating challenges for the platelet supply. Increasing the postdonation platelet count target to > or =100,000 platelets/microL will reduce productivity in apheresis platelet collection and may not enhance donor safety.
Cellular automata modelling of biomolecular networks dynamics

The modelling of biological systems dynamics is traditionally performed by ordinary differential equations (ODEs). When dealing with intracellular networks of genes, proteins and metabolites, however, this approach is hindered by network complexity and the lack of experimental kinetic parameters. This opened the field for other modelling techniques, such as cellular automata (CA) and agent-based modelling (ABM). This article reviews this emerging field of studies on network dynamics in molecular biology. The basics of the CA technique are discussed along with an extensive list of related software and websites. The application of CA to networks of biochemical reactions is exemplified in detail by the case studies of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signalling pathway, the FAS-ligand (FASL)-induced and Bcl-2-related apoptosis. The potential of the CA method to model basic pathways patterns, to identify ways to control pathway dynamics and to help in generating strategies to fight with cancer is demonstrated. The different line of CA applications presented includes the search for the best-performing network motifs, an analysis of importance for effective intracellular signalling and pathway cross-talk.
Prototype results of a high resolution vertex drift chamber for the Mark II SLC upgrade detector

Abstract Test results from a full-length prototype of the drift chamber vertex detector for the Mark II SLC Upgrade detector are presented. The 22 cell jet chamber employs planes of grid wires above and below the sense wire plane to increase the electrostatic stability of the sense wires and to narrow the electron arrival time distribution. Two different grid designs have been investigated. The spatial resolution and pulse widths have been measured at a variety of operating points and for different timing schemes in a mixture of 92% CO 2 and 8% isobutane. Typical results at 3 atmospheres pressure give an average resolution over a 2 cm drift distance of 30 μm for both designs. Efficient double track detection is achieved for tracks separated by 500 μm for one design and by 1000 μm for the other.
Selective expansion of Vδ1 + T cells from leprosy skin lesions

T cells bearing gamma delta T-cell receptors (TCRs) are prominent residents of murine epidermis and appear to be important participants in the immune response to infection in human skin. The Mitsuda reaction in leprosy, induced by intradermal challenge with Mycobacterium leprae, provides an opportunity to study the cellular events that mediate a form of delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) in skin. T cells bearing gamma delta TCRs comprise a significant proportion of the T-cell population in these DTH reactions. Presently we have generated T-cell lines from Mitsuda reactions in vitro and compared their TCR repertoire to that found in situ. gamma delta T cells comprised 20-40% of lines derived from these skin lesions, but < 10% of lines derived from the peripheral blood of the same individuals. Flow-cytometric analysis of variable (V) chain usage in T-cell lines derived from skin lesions indicated that V delta 1 was predominant. Evaluation of the TCR repertoire using PCR indicated that V delta 1-J delta 1 and V gamma 2-J gamma P gene rearrangements were prevalent. In comparison, V delta 2-J delta 1 gene rearrangements predominated in situ. Furthermore, nucleotide sequence analysis of the V-J junction of one T-cell line revealed limited genetic diversity of the gamma delta TCR. These findings suggest that the V delta 1 subpopulation of gamma delta T cells in Mitsuda skin reactions selectively outgrows from leprosy skin lesions in vitro. Such V delta 1 + T-cell lines should be useful for determining the relevant antigens and restriction elements in this response to a pathogen in skin.
Secretion of TcpF by the Vibrio cholerae Toxin-Coregulated Pilus Biogenesis Apparatus Requires an N-Terminal Determinant

Type IV pili are important for microcolony formation, biofilm formation, twitching motility, and attachment. We and others have shown that type IV pili are important for protein secretion across the outer membrane, similar to type II secretion systems. This study explored the relationship between protein secretion and pilus formation in Vibrio cholerae. The toxin-coregulated pilus (TCP), a type IV pilus required for V. cholerae pathogenesis, is necessary for the secretion of the colonization factor TcpF (T. J. Kirn, N. Bose, and R. K. Taylor, Mol. Microbiol. 49:81-92, 2003). This phenomenon is not unique to V. cholerae; secreted virulence factors that are dependent on the presence of components of the type IV pilus biogenesis apparatus for secretion have been reported with Dichelobacter nodosus (R. M. Kennan, O. P. Dhungyel, R. J. Whittington, J. R. Egerton, and J. I. Rood, J. Bacteriol. 183:4451-4458, 2001) and Francisella tularensis (A. J. Hager et al., Mol. Microbiol. 62:227-237, 2006). Using site-directed mutagenesis, we demonstrated that the secretion of TcpF is dependent on the presence of selected amino acid R groups at position five. We were unable to find other secretion determinants, suggesting that Y5 is the major secretion determinant within TcpF. We also report that proteins secreted in a type IV pilus biogenesis apparatus-dependent manner have a YXS motif within the first 15 amino acids following the Sec cleavage site. The YXS motif is not present in proteins secreted by type II secretion systems, indicating that this is unique to type IV pilus-mediated secretion. Moreover, we show that TcpF interacts with the pilin TcpA, suggesting that these proteins are secreted by the type IV pilus biogenesis system. These data provide a starting point for understanding how type IV pili can mediate secretion of virulence factors important for bacterial pathogenesis.
The fish of Lake Titicaca: implications for archaeology and changing ecology through stable isotope analysis

Research on past human diets in the southern Lake Titicaca Basin has directed us to investigate the carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes of an important dietary element, fish. By completing a range of analyses on modern and archaeological fish remains, we contribute to two related issues regarding the application of stable isotope analysis of archaeological fish remains and in turn their place within human diet. The first issue is the potential carbon and nitrogen isotope values of prehistoric fish (and how these would impact human dietary isotopic data), and the second is the observed changes in the fish isotopes through time. Out of this work we provide quantitative isotope relationships between fish tissues with and without lipid extraction, and a qualitative analysis of the isotopic relationships between fish tissues, allowing archaeologists to understand these relationships and how these values can be applied in future research. We test a mathematical lipid normalization equation to examine whether future researchers will need to perform lipid extraction procedures for Lake Titicaca fish. We also analyze a number of aquatic plants to better understand the range of isotopic signatures of the Lake Titicaca ecosystem. We use these data to better understand prehistoric human diet and the role that fish may have played in the past as well as potential changes in local lake ecology through time.
Three-dimensional architecture of identified cerebral neurosecretory cells in an insect.

The organization of identified neurosecretory cell groups in the larval brain of the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta, was investigated immunocytologically. Computer-assisted three-dimensional reconstruction was used to examine the architecture of the neurosecretory cell groups. The group III lateral neurosecretory cells (L-NSC III) which produce the prothoracicotropic hormone are located dorsolaterally in the protocerebrum and extend axons medially that decussate to the contralateral lobe prior to exiting the brain through the nervi corporis cardiaci I + II. The group IIa2 medial neurosecretory cells (M-NSC IIa2) are located anteriorly in the medial dorsal protocerebrum. The axons of these cells also exit the brain via the contralateral nervi corporis cardiaci I + II. However, their axons traverse a different pathway through the brain from that of the L-NSC III axons. Each of the cell groups possesses elaborate dendrites with terminal varicosities. The dendrites can be classified into specific fields based upon their location and projection pattern within the brain. The dendrites for these two neurosecretory cell groups overlap in specific regions of the protocerebral neuropil. After the axons of these neurosecretory cells exit the brain through the retrocerebral nerve, they innervate the corpus allatum where they arborize to form neurohemal terminals in strikingly different patterns. The L-NSC III penetrate throughout the glandular structure and the M-NSC IIa2 terminals are restricted to the external sheath. A third group of cerebral neurosecretory cells, the ventromedial neurons (VM) which stain with the monoclonal antibody to prothoracicotropic hormone in Manduca, are located anteriorly in the medial region of the brain. The axons of these cells do not exit the brain to the retrocerebral complex, but rather pass through the circumesophageal connectives and ventral nerve cord. These neurons appear to be the same VM neurons that produce eclosion hormone. One dendritic field of the L-NSC III terminates in close apposition to the VM neurons. The distinct morphologies of these neurosecretory cell groups in relation to other cell groups and the distribution of neuropeptides within the neurons suggest that insect neurosecretory cells, like their vertebrate counterparts, may have multiple regulatory roles.
MATERNAL SMOKING DURING PREGNANCY AND CHILDHOOD CANCER. † 623

The association between maternal smoking during pregnancy and childhood cancer was investigated using prospectively-collected data from a cohort of 44,621 pregnant women who gave birth to 54,795 live born children. The children were followed a median of 88 months. Cases of cancer had a histologic diagnosis and/or a compatible clinical course. There were 51 children with cancer (17 leukemia, 8 CNS tumors, 7 Wilms tumor, 6 neuroblastoma, 5 lymphoma, 3 retinoblastoma, 2 rhabdomyosarcoma, 2 hepatoblastoma, 1 fibrosarcoma); 83% of still-borns were autopsied and none had cancer. The cumulative incidence of cancer to age 7½ years was 1.1/1000. Maternal smoking was determined at each prenatal visit; 52% of mothers reported smoking at one or more visits. By age 7½, cancer occurred in 1.4/1000 children whose mothers did not smoke during pregnancy, compared to 0.9/1000 children whose mothers smoked(p=0.15 by logrank test); the hazard ratio was 0.67 (95% CI 0.38-1.17). There was no dose-response effect of smoking compared to non-smokers (hazard ratio for ½ pack/day or less=0.45, over ½ pack/day=0.83, p for trend=0.39). The hazard ratio for leukemia among children whose mothers smoked was 0.82 (0.31-2.11); the hazard ratio for cancers other than leukemia was 0.60 (0.30-1.20). Adjustment for race, date of birth, parity, maternal education and x-ray exposure did not materially change the odds ratios. Although the relatively small number of cases precluded extensive study of individual types of cancer, we conclude that maternal smoking in pregnancy is not associated with an increased risk of childhood cancer in this cohort.
Military oceanography in tactical operations of World War II

Three years ago an announcement was made [see “References” at end of paper, Seiwell, 1943] that military applications of oceanography were then being carried out in the War Department to obtain relevant data for the planning of long-range military operations. The Military Oceanographic Organization was, at that time, established in the First Weather Directorate of the Army Air Force Headquarters. Justification for its existence was centered in the close relationship between oceanography and meteorology and in the provision of oceanographic data to the long-range weather forecasting research program. Circumstances, however, soon changed the original plan, and after a reorganization, the newly-installed Weather Service initiated action to have the Oceanographic Unit transferred to the jurisdiction of the United States Navy.
Continuation of Antler and Sonoma orogenic belts to the eastern Sierra Nevada, California, and Late Triassic thrusting in a compressional arc

Strong stratigraphic and structural similarities exist between metamorphic rocks of the Saddlebag Lake pendant, eastern Sierra Nevada, California, and rocks of the Antler and Sonoma orogenic belts in west-central Nevada. These similarities indicate that the Roberts Mountains and Golconda allochthons can be traced to the eastern edge of the Sierra Nevada batholith in California. Newly recognized thrust faults that imbricate the Antler and Sonoma rocks and younger metamorphic rocks are of Late Triassic age and are cut by a 219 Ma pluton. These thrusts apparently were active during a major episode of Late Triassic arc volcanism, and they constrain the age of the Golconda thrust as pre–latest Triassic. The continuation of the Antler and Sonoma orogenic belts to the Saddlebag Lake pendant means that large strike-slip displacements cannot have occurred on northwest-trending faults along the eastern edge of the Sierra Nevada. However, a large structural break may terminate the Antler and Sonoma belts at or near the western edge of the Saddlebag Lake pendant.
Giant nuclei formation in the yolk sac syncytium of the muskellunge, a bony fish (Salmoniformes: Esocidae: Esox masquinongy)

In muskellunge blastulae the yolk sac syncytium originally contains nuclei comparable in size to the blastomere nuclei from which the syncytial nuclei arose. By mitosis the originally diploid syncytial nuclei become numerous and crowded together. Continued synchronous mitosis of neighboring syncytial nuclei and the resultant crowding together of their spindles culminates in overlapping spindles, multipolar spindles, disorganized spindles, and the crowding together of large numbers of condensed chromosomes from contigous spindles. When such an aggregation of condensed chromosomes becomes enclosed within one nuclear membrane, a giant nucleus appears in the following interphase. It soon becomes postmitotic.
Quantum dots: Time to get the nukes out

The ability to electrically control spin dynamics in quantum dots makes them one of the most promising platforms for solid-state quantum-information processing. Minimizing the influence of the nuclear spin environment is an important step towards realizing such promise.
Efforts toward Expansion of the Genetic Alphabet: DNA Polymerase Recognition of a Highly Stable, Self-Pairing Hydrophobic Base

The storage and replication of biological information is based on the specific hydrogen-bonding patterns of the Watson-Crick A:T and G:C base pairs.1 The generation of enzymatically replicable unnatural base pairs with thermal stability comparable to that of A:T and G:C would significantly expand the biological and chemical potential of DNA. One strategy for expanding the genetic alphabet has focused on the synthesis of bases with altered hydrogen-bonding patterns.2-8 However, in light of the dominant role played by hydrophobicity in protein folding and stability,9-11 we have explored the use of hydrophobic and van der Waals interactions to generate an orthogonal base pair for the storage and replication of genetic information. Previous experiments in which hydrophobic bases were incorporated into duplex DNA led to a destabilization of the duplex relative to the native pairs.12-18 In the course of systematically evaluating a variety of predominantly hydrophobic nucleobases,19 we have characterized a base, which cannot form H-bonds, whose self-pair stabilizes duplex DNA relative to an A:T or G:C base pair. The 7-propynyl isocarbostyril nucleoside (1) was synthesized and converted into the nucleoside triphosphate (4) and phosphoramidite (5) as shown in Scheme 1. When incorporated into duplex DNA, the 1:1 interstrand interaction is expected to be completely hydrophobic in the absence of significant backbone deformation; the keto groups are designed to be in the minor groove and can H-bond to solvent. The thermal stability of the base pairs was evaluated by determining the melting temperature (Tm) of the duplex 7 with X,Y ) G:C, A:T, or 1:1 (Table 1). The 1:1 hydrophobic base pair stabilizes the DNA duplex relative to
Evaluation of lorcaserin for the treatment of obesity.

Introduction: Obesity is an epidemic associated with significant morbidity. Lorcaserin, a novel serotonin 2C receptor antagonist, was recently approved as an adjunct to lifestyle modification for long-term weight loss and maintenance. Clinical studies in patients without diabetes demonstrated 5.8% mean weight loss from baseline with lorcaserin compared to 2.5% with placebo and over twice as many patients achieved ≥ 5% weight loss. Patients with diabetes achieved mean weight loss of 4.5% with lorcaserin compared to 1.5% with placebo as well as modest improvements in glycemic outcomes. Areas covered: The authors review the pharmacology and clinical efficacy as well as the safety and tolerability of lorcaserin. This was achieved through a PubMed search (1960 – present) on lorcaserin to generate the key literature in the area. The lorcaserin package insert and Food and Drug Administration briefing documents were also used to identify relevant information. To assess long-term clinical efficacy and safety, the ...