cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transcriptional map of bacteriophage N4: Location and polarity of N4 RNAs

Abstract The strands of the four bacteriophage N4 DNA fragments derived by HhaI endonuclease digestion have been separated on agarose gels, and the eight fragments obtained have been related to the two complementary strands of N4 DNA. We have used the HpaI restriction endonuclease fragments (Zivin et al., 1980) and single-stranded fragments of HhaI-digested N4 DNA as probes to determine the temporal appearance, localization and polarity of N4 transcripts. These experiments have allowed us to localize on the N4 genome the two previously characterized classes (early and middle RNAs) of N4 rifampicin-resistant RNAs (Vander Laan et al., 1977) and to detect a new class of N4 RNAs, which are synthesized late in infection. The synthesis of late N4 RNAs is rifampicin sensitive and, as we show in this paper, requires the activity of the Escherichia coli RNA polymerase.
Effects of IBA and NAA treatments on rooting Douglas-fir stem cuttings

The effectiveness of six IBA and fourNAA concentrations, four combinations of IBA and NAAconcentrations, and control were tested for theirability to enhance rooting frequency (%) ofDouglas-fir cuttings. Two IBA and one NAA treatmentswere also compared to the control for quality of rootsystem. Between 1984 and 1998, six independentstudies were conducted in mist or fog environmentswith the same 11 or 14 clones. Auxin concentrationstested ranged from 0 to 123 mM IBA and 0 to 10 mM NAA. Auxin, clone, and auxin by clone effects weresignificant in every study, although individual cloneanalyses showed only two clones to differsignificantly for auxin. All auxin treatments but the10 uM NAA treatment induced significantly greaterrooting percentage than the control, but no singleauxin, auxin concentration or combination of auxinswas clearly superior in every study. The 10 mM NAAconcentration was the only concentration tested thatreduced rooting percentage to less than the control. Both NAA and IBA appeared to have broad ranges ofroot-enhancing activity. However, within theeffective range of IBA evaluated, 24.6 mM produced thegreatest rooting percentage in four of five studiestesting IBA. NAA solutions with concentrationsbetween 2.5 and 7.4 mM NAA generally resulted insimilar rooting success. Rooting responses toincreased IBA and NAA were both nonlinear; rootingdecreased with both too little and too much auxin. Combinations of IBA and NAA in the same solution didnot increase rooting percentage above what wasachieved with one auxin. For root system quality,auxin treated cuttings in one study, had significantlybetter root systems than control, but there was nodifference in the other study in which root qualitywas estimated.
A Review of “Our Schools Suck: Students Talk Back to a Segregated Nation on the Failures of Urban Education; More than Just Race: Being Black and Poor in the Inner City”

As we write this review, news reports tell us that in the 2009–2010 school year, 150 children in Chicago were injured or killed by shootings. City schools across the country, like many city neighbo...
Spermatogenesis in the albino rat as revealed by electron microscopy; a preliminary report.

Abstract Omission of washing of osmic-fixed tissue and use of alcohol dehydration permit consistently better preparations of tissue for sectioning for the electron microscope. A sublimation method removes almost all embedding material from sections with little distortion. Applying these techniques to the seminiferous epithelium of adult rat it has been found that the young spermatid mitochondria adhere to the cell wall. The spermatid acroblast has a complicated internal structure of globular bodies and the caudal sheath is filamentous.
We Are Stardust … Concentrated by Earth!

The audacious aim of the emerging field of big history is to see all of the past as a unified field of study, combining insights from cosmology, astronomy, geology, paleontology, molecular evolution, paleoanthropology, archaeology, and all the fields of humanistic history, in order to achieve a whole new level of understanding of the human situation. Big History: Between Nothing and Everything, by David Christian, Cynthia Stokes Brown, and Craig Benjamin (2013), is the first textbook for this new academic field. Having taught big history at Berkeley and seen the enormous enthusiasm it engenders in students who crave to see the world in broad perspective, I am pleased that we now have a book suitable for big history courses, but as a geologist, my (predictable!) complaint is that it could have told more about the fascinating history of Earth. Although big history includes the regimes of Cosmos, Earth, Life, and Humanity, it is inherently anthropocentric, because we humans are doing the writing and because we know nothing about the histories that have unfolded on planets around other stars in this and other galaxies. The centrality of humans is clear from the Christian-Brown-Benjamin book, where human beings are the focus of three quarters of the book. As a result, the history of Earth, the only possible home for humans far into the foreseeable future, gets only a few pages. The information presented about our Earth—especially about the evolution of the atmosphere and about plate tectonics—is relevant and important to know, but it is just the beginning of the fascinating history of the earth that geologists have dug up. A short time spent perusing the recent geological literature would probably convince you that geology is currently by far the greatest source of new historical information coming from any branch of big history, and it seems a shame for big historians not to be familiar with and excited about this treasure house of growing understanding. In this essay, to convey the flavor of Earth history and its relevance to humanity, let me pick up on a point made strongly and correctly by Christian, Brown, and Benjamin—that almost all of the chemical elements important to humans were made in stars. And then let me show that this important point is incomplete, because it omits the role of Earth in concentrating those elements and making them useful.
Information sharing and curbside recycling: A pilot study to evaluate the value of door-to-door distribution of informational literature

Abstract Residential curbside recycling has been shown to be an effective tool for communities to manage the challenges associated with increasing levels of material solid waste and landfill expansion. As community leaders make improvements to these programs their success can be dependent upon their ability to effectively communicate these improvements to residents so that action can be taken. One such improvement, the addition of recycling carts that can contain higher volumes of recyclable materials, was recently established within the city of Fairfield, Ohio. Information about the resident action required to obtain these new recycling carts was communicated by literature provided at the city website and in monthly utility bills. This study showed that a simple door-to-door delivery of the same literature resulted in a significantly faster adoption rate than these other means of communication. Within four weeks, 50% of households already recycling had converted to the larger volume recycling carts after receiving door-to-door delivery of literature, while only 5% of recyclers had converted to the larger carts in the control neighborhood which relied exclusively on city sources for program information. The door-to-door literature delivery did not increase the percentage of households that were recycling on a weekly basis. This study shows strong acceptance by community residents for the availability of different sizes of recycling containers. It also shows that a simple door-to-door delivery of literature could be done at low cost and should be effective for communicating improvements to curbside recycling programs and other community initiatives where resident action is desired.
The importance of slack for new organizations facing 'tough' environments

Strategy-based models centre on the management of unique and valuable resources to take advantage of specific market opportunities. Less examined in this approach are the roles of slack resources in the process of generating firm value – particularly for new firms in ‘tough’ environments where fewer opportunities are available. Using a cohort panel of 951 new manufacturing firms over nine years, our findings provide evidence for the importance of financial slack resources in understanding opportunity generation and also for reconciling theoretical arguments regarding the slack resource–performance link. We find that while financial slack does provide buffering capacity (in hostile and dynamic environments), and flexibility for experimentation (in munificent and dynamic environments) as suggested by prior theory, the most positive relationship between financial slack and performance for new firms was in low discretion environments (hostile and stable environments) – where firms need to develop their own opportunities. The implications of these findings for theory are discussed.
Cultural intelligence and mindfulness in two French banks operating in the US environment

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop the mindfulness construct in Thomas’ (2006) cultural intelligence (CQ) model and identify three mindfulness facets based on the mindfulness literature: empathy, open-mindedness and using all senses. Relationships among mindfulness, cross-cultural knowledge and cross-cultural behavioral ability are explored. Design/methodology/approach – A case study of two French banking institutions operating in the USA is used incorporating multiple sources of data: participant observations, primary public and private documentation sources, archival records, secondary data and open-ended interviews with a key informant. Findings – The two organizations showed similar emphasis on cross-cultural knowledge but differences in cross-cultural behavioral ability. These differences were traced to the posited mindfulness components of empathy, open-mindedness and using all senses. Research limitations/implications – The two-sample case only provides emerging evidence of the role ...
Integrative processes in central visual pathways of the cat.

One may study the visual system by stimulating the retina with spots or patterns of light and recording from single cells at successive stages in the visual pathway. By comparing response properties of the cells in a given structure with those of the fibers feeding into it we can attempt to learn something of how the structure modifies the visual information it receives. A description is given of responses of single cells in the optic nerve, the lateral geniculate body, and the visual cortex of the cat.
The effect of high-dose methotrexate on renal tubules as indicated by urinary lysozyme concentration.

Lysozyme was measured after 186 doses of methotrexate (MTX) to 88 patients. After 7.5% of the doses, lysozyme rose to between 2 and 19 micrograms/cc and in 3.2% it rose to between 20 and 120 micrograms/cc. These increases had no relationship to the age of the patients, their dose of MTX, the total number of times that MTX had been given, nor to rises in serum creatinine. It did correlate with the administration of aminoglycosides (a part of the supportive care of these patients) in two thirds of these cases. In patients who did not receive aminoglycosides, no urinary lysozyme concentration rose above 19 micrograms/cc, not even in the patients who became oliguric or required hemoperfusion. Most of these rises occurred early and were of 24 to 48 hour duration. The rises occurring after five days were persistent and were associated with prolonged MTX serum concentrations, suggesting that tubular damage due to MTX was the result of prolonged exposure to MTX, rather than the primary cause of kidney damage, i.e., the event causing the prolonged serum concentrations.
Control of a Single-Link Flexible Manipulator Using LQG Control and Radial Basis Function

This paper proposes to control the trajectory of the tip of a single link flexible manipulator assuming that the link parameters and external load value is unknown. First, the partial differential equation of the system is converted to a system of ODEs using collocation method. Then LQG regulator is used to compensate for the disturbances and control the system.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
A Modified Cooling Method and Its Application in "Drosophila" Experiments.

Chilling is a cost-effective and safe method of immobilising flies in Drosophila experiments. However, should condensation form on the plate, it would be fatal to the flies. Here we describe a modified cooling method using reusable commercial ice pack(s) (ca. 400 ml, 2–3 cm tall) rather than crushed ice. The ice pack is covered with a piece of filter paper which absorbs the condensed water formed on the cold surface, and the moistened filter paper does not wet the wings of flies inverted onto it. An ice pack (ca. 400 ml) takes effect in at least 1 h, and its height is shorter than the maximum specimen height of a dissecting microscope, so that flies can be checked while they remain on the cold surface. This method overcomes the disadvantages of the indigenous cooling anaesthetising approach and makes it practically feasible. We also describe an easy-to-make fly-transferring toolkit which will greatly facilitate fly transferral when it is combined with our chilling method. In our design, the flies were dir...
PILOT STUDY ON DOCUMENTATION SKILLS: IS THERE ADEQUATE TRAINING IN EMERGENCY MEDICINE RESIDENCY?

Abstract Background: Thorough and accurate documentation in the medical record is important, and documentation skills should be an integral component of emergency medicine (EM) residency training. Study Objective: We sought to study the documentation skills of EM residents as they relate to emergency department (ED) reimbursement. Methods: This was a retrospective, cross-sectional study. We reviewed all charts of patients presenting to the adult ED during a 2-week period. We compared three groups: patients seen primarily by an EM resident, patients seen primarily by a physician assistant (PA), and patients seen primarily by an attending emergency physician. Outcome measures were the incidence of downcodes and dollars lost to downcodes in all groups. Results: There were 212 patients in the resident group, 683 patients in the PA group, and 437 patients in the attending group. There were 12 downcodes (5.7%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.96–9.70) in the resident group, 10 downcodes (1.5%, 95% CI 0.70–2.68) in the PA group, and 17 downcodes (3.9%, 95% CI 2.28–6.14) in the attending group ( p = 0.002). The mean dollar lost per patient seen in the resident group was $3.21 (95% CI 1.41–5.00); $0.91 (95% CI 0.33–1.49) in the PA group; and $2.23 (95% CI 1.17–3.28) in the attending group ( p = 0.002). Conclusion: Charts documented primarily by EM residents were more likely to be downcoded than charts documented primarily by PAs or ED attendings. This downcode rate resulted in a greater loss of revenue in the resident group. We believe this represents an area for improvement in EM residency education.
The heat shock response in the copepod Eurytemora affinis (POPPE)

The heat-shock or stress response is a ubiquitous cellular response to physiological stress. The copepod Eurytemora affinis a year-round inhabitant of the Chesapeake Bay when exposed to elevated temperatures for several hours showed alterations in its pattern of protein synthesis. Newly synthesized proteins or proteins synthesized in greater amounts, both known as heat shock proteins or HSPs, were characterized by labelling them with [35S]methionine, separating them by 1 and 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis and identifying them by autoradiography. Copepods raised at 4 and 15°C and heat shocked had different patterns of protein synthesis than those raised at 20°C. Time-course experiments showed that these HSPs persisted for several hours under continuing heat shock. There was some difference in the pattern of heat-shock protein synthesis between males and females. Chlorine residuals and tributyltin (TBT) also induced the heat shock response but the proteins induced were different. Algal parasites seemed to induced a similar set of HSPs to those induced by chlorine and tributyltin. However, periodic exposure of copepods to cold temperatures did not cause the induction of any HSPs.
Effects of intravenous nicotine on prepulse inhibition in smokers and non-smokers: relationship with familial smoking.

Rationale The reinforcing properties of nicotine may be, in part, derived from its ability to enhance certain forms of cognitive processing. Several animal and human studies have shown that nicotine increases prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the startle reflex. However, it remains unclear whether these effects are related to smoking susceptibility.
New notharctine primate fossils from the early Eocene of New Mexico and southern Wyoming and the phylogeny of Notharctinae

Previously undescribed notharctine primate fossils are reported from the early Eocene San Jose Formation, San Juan Basin, New Mexico, and the early Eocene Wasatch Formation, southern Wyoming. These collections include the most complete specimens yet discovered of the poorly known species Copelemur tutus and Copelemur praetutus; the first upper dentitions of Cantius angulatus and Cantius frugivorus from the type area of these taxa; and fossils attributable to two new notharctine species, Copelemur australotutus and Smilodectes gingerichi. These new fossils reveal that current ideas concerning notharctine phylogeny are incorrect. Two major, monophyletic clades are apparent within the subfamily: the tribe Copelemurini, consisting of the genera Copelemur and Smilodectes, and the tribe Notharctini, comprising the genera Cantius, Pelycodus, and Notharctus. Analysis of the paleobiogeographic distribution of the Copelemurini indicates that this clade was limited to more southerly regions of western North America during early Eocene time. Northward migration of more tropical habitats during the late Wasatchian and early Bridgerian in western North America, associated with an overall climatic warming trend through the early and middle Eocene, appears to have allowed several mammalian taxa, including Smilodectes, to extend their ranges northward during this time interval. Such taxa thus possess diachronous distributions and have been partly responsible for the long-standing confusion regarding the biostratigraphic correlation of early Eocene faunas from New Mexico with those from Wyoming. Based on several taxa which are also known from the Wasatchian of Wyoming, the age of the San Jose Formation appears to be middle Wasatchian.
Psychophysiologic treatment of vocal cord dysfunction.

Background Vocal cord dysfunction (VCD) is an obstructive upper airway syndrome that frequently mimics asthma and for which there is no empirical treatment of choice. Objective To describe two military service members experiencing VCD who were treated with psychophysiologic self-regulation training. Methods Both cases were active-duty military members with VCD confirmed by laryngoscopy They each received biofeedback self-regulation training to decrease tension in the extrinsic laryngeal musculature. Results Both patients responded to the treatment, denied the presence of dsypnea, and had resumed military physical training. Conclusions Psychophysiologic self-regulation strategies both with and without concurrent speech therapy positively impacted VCD symptoms.
Low Dose Dopamine Increases Transmesenteric Lactate And translocation of Gut Endotoxin † 205

Low Dose Dopamine Increases Transmesenteric Lactate And translocation of Gut Endotoxin † 205
The reflectance-based calibration of SeaWiFS

We present a calibration approach for the Sea-Viewing Wide Field-of-View Sensor (SeaWiFS) based on the reflectance properties of the instrument's onboard diffuser. This technique uses SeaWiFS as a reflectometer, measuring the reflected solar irradiance from the Earth and from the onboard diffuser. Since the sun is the common source of light for both measurements, the ratio of the SeaWiFS-measured radiances from the Earth and the diffuser provide the ratio for the reflectances of the two samples. The reflectance characterization of the onboard diffuser is the calibration reference for this approach. The result of the rationing technique is based on the linearity of the instrument's resopnse to the intensity of the input light. The calibration requires knowledge of the reflectance of the onboard diffuser at the start of the SeaWiFS mission, the response of the instrument bands, in digital numbers, for measurements of the diffuser at that time, and the change of the instrument's response over time after the start of the mission.
The relationship of health locus of control and cardiac rehabilitation to mastery of illness‐related stress

The study examined the relationships among participation in outpatient rehabilitation, health locus of control, and mastery of stress with coronary artery disease completed the Master of Stress Instrument (MSI) and the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale. One fourth of the sample had participated in the hospital's cardiac rehabilitation programme. Results showed no difference between cardiac-rehabilitation participants and nonparticipants on mastery, internal locus of control or stress. Demographic characteristics of age, education, race and gender revealed no significant correlation with either the total MSI score or its component measures. However, internal locus of control was significantly and positively correlated to both growth and total mastery. A stronger relationship was found between internal locus of control and change. This finding supports the hypothesis that health-internals achieve higher levels of mastery.
FEMTOSECOND INFRARED STUDIES OF SILANE SILICON-HYDROGEN BOND ACTIVATION

Cleavage, or activation, of the silicon-hydrogen bond of a silane by a metal center has been the focus of many recent studies.1-6 Knowledge of this type of reaction is relevant to the central ideas of chemical bonding in general and is essential to the development of catalytic reactions such as hydrosilation. It is commonly accepted that the photochemical reaction for the oxidative addition of Et3SiH (Et ) C2H5) to CpMn(CO)3 (Cp ) C5H5) begins with the loss of a CO ligand as the result of UV irradiation, producing a coordinatively unsaturated dicarbonyl species7,8 which further reacts to activate the Si-H bond to form CpMn(CO)2(H)(SiEt3). Due to the fast reaction rates, however, the detailed reaction mechanism including the initial solvation of the nascent photogenerated chemical species has remained unclear. With the advent of ultrafast spectroscopy, especially in the infrared, it is now possible to identify such events which occur on a time scale shorter than diffusion to reveal the underlying elementary reaction steps.9 In this communication, we report the first ultrafast infrared study on silicon-hydrogen bond cleavage by CpMn(CO)3. As a result of photodissociating one CO ligand,10 the kinetics of the parent molecule recorded at 2028 cm-1 (A, Figure 1) shows an instrument limited bleach, 31% of which recovers in 32 ( 7.4 ps (Figure 2A).12 This rapid recovery of the parent bleach is due to vibrational relaxation in the ground electronic manifold of the parent molecule.9,13,14 The 31% recovery is in good agreement with reported CO loss quantum yields of 0.65 measured at 313-nm excitation.15 Subsequent spectral evolution suggests that photolysis of the parent molecules leads to two transient species including η-CpMn(CO)2 and a previously unreported intermediate. These reactive intermediates are solvated within a few picoseconds.16 The initial solvation of the nascent species through either the ethyl moiety or the Si-H bond of the solvent partitions the reaction into two channels of
Structural determinants for GoLoco-induced inhibition of nucleotide release by Gα subunits

Heterotrimeric G-proteins bind to cell-surface receptors and are integral in transmission of signals from outside the cell. Upon activation of the Galpha subunit by binding of GTP, the Galpha and Gbetagamma subunits dissociate and interact with effector proteins for signal transduction. Regulatory proteins with the 19-amino-acid GoLoco motif can bind to Galpha subunits and maintain G-protein subunit dissociation in the absence of Galpha activation. Here we describe the structural determinants of GoLoco activity as revealed by the crystal structure of Galpha(i1) GDP bound to the GoLoco region of the 'regulator of G-protein signalling' protein RGS14. Key contacts are described between the GoLoco motif and Galpha protein, including the extension of GoLoco's highly conserved Asp/Glu-Gln-Arg triad into the nucleotide-binding pocket of Galpha to make direct contact with the GDP alpha- and beta-phosphates. The structural organization of the GoLoco Galpha(i1) complex, when combined with supporting data from domain-swapping experiments, suggests that the Galpha all-helical domain and GoLoco-region carboxy-terminal residues control the specificity of GoLoco Galpha interactions.
Suppression of dendritic cell activation by diabetes autoantigens linked to the cholera toxin B subunit.

Antigen presenting cells, specifically dendritic cells (DCs) are a focal point in the delicate balance between T cell tolerance and immune responses contributing to the onset of type I diabetes (T1D). Weak adjuvant proteins like the cholera toxin B subunit when linked to autoantigens may sufficiently alter the balance of this initial immune response to suppress the development of autoimmunity. To assess adjuvant enhancement of autoantigen mediated immune suppression of Type 1 diabetes, we examined the cholera toxin B subunit (CTB)-proinsulin fusion protein (CTB-INS) activation of immature dendritic cells (iDC) at the earliest detectable stage of the human immune response. In this study, Incubation of human umbilical cord blood monocyte-derived immature DCs with CTB-INS autoantigen fusion protein increased the surface membrane expression of DC Toll-like receptor (TLR-2) while no significant upregulation in TLR-4 expression was detected. Inoculation of iDCs with CTB stimulated the biosynthesis of both CD86 and CD83 co-stimulatory factors demonstrating an immunostimulatory role for CTB in both DC activation and maturation. In contrast, incubation of iDCs with proinsulin partially suppressed CD86 co-stimulatory factor mediated DC activation, while incubation of iDCs with CTB-INS fusion protein completely suppressed iDC biosynthesis of both CD86 and CD83 costimulatory factors. The incubation of iDCs with increasing amounts of insulin did not increase the level of immune suppression but rather activated DC maturation by stimulating increased biosynthesis of both CD86 and CD83 costimulatory factors. Inoculation of iDCs with CTB-INS fusion protein dramatically increased secretion of the immunosuppressive cytokine IL-10 and suppressed synthesis of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL12/23 p40 subunit protein suggesting that linkage of CTB to insulin (INS) may play an important role in mediating DC guidance of cognate naive Th0 cell development into immunosuppressive T lymphocytes. Taken together, the experimental data suggests Toll like receptor 2 (TLR-2) plays a dominant role in CTB mediated INS inhibition of DC induced type 1 diabetes onset in human Type 1 diabetes autoimmunity. Further, fusion of CTB to the autoantigen was found to be essential for enhancement of immune suppression as co-delivery of CTB and insulin did not significantly inhibit DC costimulatory factor biosynthesis. The experimental data presented supports the hypotheses that adjuvant enhancement of autoantigen mediated suppression of islet beta cell inflammation is dependent on CTB stimulation of dendritic cell TLR2 receptor activation and co-processing of both CTB and the autoantigen in the same dendritic cell.
Perfluorochemical liquid-adenovirus suspensions enhance gene delivery to the distal lung.

We compared lung delivery methods of recombinant adenovirus (rAd): (1) rAd suspended in saline, (2) rAd suspended in saline followed by a pulse-chase of a perfluorochemical (PFC) liquid mixture, and (3) a PFC-rAd suspension. Cell uptake, distribution, and temporal expression of rAd were examined using A549 cells, a murine model using luciferase bioluminescence, and histological analyses. Relative to saline, a 4X increase in transduction efficiency was observed in A549 cells exposed to PFC-rAd for 2–4 h. rAd transgene expression was improved in alveolar epithelial cells, and the level and distribution of luciferase expression when delivered in PFC-rAd suspensions consistently peaked at 24 h. These results demonstrate that PFC-rAd suspensions improve distribution and enhance rAd-mediated gene expression which has important implications in improving lung function by gene therapy.
Distribution and relative expression levels of calcium channel β subunits within the chambers of the rat heart

Abstract Calcium channel β subunits expressed in rat atria and atrial myocytes are identified and their expression quantified and compared to β subunit expression in the ventricle. mRNAs encoding all four know β subunits are expressed in atrial myocytes including the following splice variants: β1a, β2b, β2c, β2e and β4d. The specific β2 splice variants expressed in the atria (β2b, β2c, β2e) differ from those previously reported from rat ventricle. β2 isoform is the most abundant β mRNA expressed in the heart and the amount of both β2 subunit mRNA and β2 subunit protein is significantly greater in the ventricles than in the atria. The expression of individual β2 splice variants varies with age and within different chambers of the heart. The β2b splice variant appears in both atria and ventricle in both young (4.5 week) and old (16 week) animals, the β2c isoform is more highly expressed in young as compared to old animals and the β2e splice variant is robustly expressed only in 4.5 week ventricle. β4 mRNA expression is higher in atrial tissue than in ventricles and its expression decreases in older animals. In contrast, the abundance of the β3 mRNA does not significantly change as a function of postnatal age. Antisense oligonucleotides targeting sequence common to all the β isoforms as well as that specific for β2 significantly reduced HVA calcium current density in isolated atrial cells confirming that the β2 subunits contribute to the regulation of HVA calcium current expression in the rat atria. The complexity of β isoform expression within the heart may provide a mechanism for functional fine-tuning of the cardiac HVA current.
Biochemical reactivity of aortic connective tissue in chickens treated with cholesterol diet in combination with a nonspecific immunization or with epinephrine and thyroxine.

Abstract Our previous work showed that only changes in aortic lipids and no change in connective tissue components occurred in hatched chickens, fed for four months a cholesterol atherogenic diet. The aim of this study was to test if combination of atherogenic stimuli will activate the connective tissue of aorta. Newly hatched chickens were fed a diet containing 2% cholesterol and in addition immunized with bovine serum albumen. Another group was administered epinephrine and thyroxine in excessive doses. The treatment lasted 6 to 7 weeks. In isolated aortas the amount and rate of synthesis of collagen, activity of prolyl hydroxylase and collagenase and the amount of total cholesterol were measured. With the exception of significantly increased lipid content, neither parameter reflecting the connective tissue and collagen metabolism was affected by the various atherogenic stimuli. It is concluded that in young chickens the changes in cholesterol content in aortic tissue preceded eventual activation of connective tissue components.
LXIII. On the ionization of different gases by the alpha particles from polonium and the relative amounts of energy required to produce an ion

(1911). LXIII. On the ionization of different gases by the alpha particles from polonium and the relative amounts of energy required to produce an ion. The London, Edinburgh, and Dublin Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science: Vol. 21, No. 124, pp. 571-579.
Versatility and specialization in labrid fishes: ecomorphological implications

The term “specialized” has been used to describe species that possess unique functional attributes and/or a narrow, stereotyped range of attributes, but there are few comparative functional analyses of specialists and generalists. If species with functional morphological specializations are capable of functioning over a broad range, the link between morphology and ecology may be relaxed under certain environmental conditions. In this study, high-speed films of jaw movements during prey capture were compared statistically for three coexisting coral reef fish species in the family Labridae, one trophic specialist and two trophic generalists. The trophic specialist possessed a unique functional feature related to the movement of the hyoid in the floor of the mouth, while the trophic generalists were not observed to possess any functional specializations. All three species showed functional versatility in that they were able to adjust their prey capture mechanism in response to the evasive potential of the prey. The functional versatility of trophic specialists has implications for ecomorphological studies, since species characterized as possessing unique functional or morphological features may demonstrate marked flexibility in ecological variables such as diet or foraging behavior, decreasing the likelihood of identifying correlations between morphology and ecology.
Toward an Institutional Theory of Citizen Coproduction

This article posits an institutional theory of citizen coproduction beginning with a relatively new economic theory of consumption that presents consumers as producers of the items they consume. The theory distinguishes between goods produced by the private market or public agencies and commodities that consumers produce from those goods. When a public agency and citizens produce the same commodity, it is called "coproduction." This article argues that institutional arrangements play an important role in encouraging or discouraging citizens from coproducing commodities, and introduces the concept of an "institutional rule configuration" as a mechanism to investigate that role. The formal analysis shows three separate rule configurations involving changes affecting citizens' ability to obtain commodity outcomes. By manipulating rule sets, called "boundary rules" and "authority rules," different situations are created and implications drawn from each for citizen coproduction. The article suggests how bounda...
Appropriate expertise and training for standardized patient assessment examiners.

Expertise varies by domain and does not readily transfer from one domain to another. In performance assessment, the application of expertise begins with the selection of the objectives to be assessed. Clarity about the assessment of objectives directs the designers to the most relevant domains of needed expertise. For assessment outcomes to be valid, the context, design, scoring guides, examiners, training, and implementation—all of which imply different areas of expertise—must be considered. Sometimes these areas of expertise may reside in one expert, and sometimes they may be constellated across different experts. The realistic infusion of expertise throughout the assessment is what supports validity.
Biochemical and structural characterization of Photosystems from Galdieria sulphuraria

Red alga (Rhodophyta) is one of the most ancient eukaryotic algae and its photosynthetic apparatus is in a transitional state between cyanobacteria and higher plants. Under rhodophyta, cyanidiales are group of asexual, unicellular red algae which thrive in acidic pH (0.5 - 3.0) and high temperature (50 to 55°C). Cyanidiales are classified into three genera, Cyanidium, Cyaniodioschyzon and Galdieria. Within cyanidiales, Galdieria has been a considerable debate among researchers about its systematic position and it's an outlier in terms of habitat, reproduction and sequence similarity. There is also considerable difference in photosystems of cyanidiales. In case of photosystem I (PSI), cyanidium has a monomeric PSI with an intrinsic light harvesting complex attached to it. Also, in photosystem II (PSII), different cyanidiales have different lumenal PSII subunits: Cyanidium has PsbV not PsbP, whereas PsbV is replaced by PsbP in cyaniodioschyzon. But there is only minimal knowledge of PSI and PSII in Galdieria. In our study, we addressed these questions by use of high resolution mass spectrometry to identify the different subunits of PSI and PSII in Galdieria sulphuraria. For structural and functional aspects of both photosystems, we had studied the isolated complexes by electron microscopy and time resolved fluorescence spectroscopy. Initial results from these studies showed that PSI is a monomer and there are several pools of red-shifted chlorophyll with potentially complex kinetic relationships. Our work is supported from grants of National Science Foundation (MCB-0417142).
Room temperature operation of type-II GaAsSb/InGaAs quantum well laser on GaAs substrates

A GaAsSb/InGaAs type-II quantum well laser diode on GaAs substrates was demonstrated for the first time. Threshold current density of 610 A/cm/sup 2/ was obtained from a 1.1 mm-long broad area laser with the emission wavelength of 1.2 /spl mu/m.
Primary Sjogren’s syndrome with anticentromere antibodies—a clinically distinct subset

Primary Sjogren’s syndrome (pSS) is a chronic autoimmune disorder of the exocrine glands. The diagnosis is largely based on keratoconjunctivitis sicca and xerostomia in the presence of anti-SS-A and/or SS-B antibodies. Anticentromere antibodies (ACA) have occasionally been reported in patients with pSS. We describe two patients with pSS associated with ACA, initially diagnosed as limited systemic sclerosis. Symptoms at the time of initial presentation were dry eyes and mouth, arthralgias, and Raynaud’s phenomenon. Both patients developed small vessel cutaneous vasculitis, parotid enlargement, low C4 complement levels, positive rheumatoid factor, and lymphoma. These findings suggest that patients with pSS who have ACA may be a subgroup of patients at increased risk of extraglandular systemic manifestations and lymphoma.
The Moon may be a Former Planet

Certain peculiarities of the orbit of Mercury may be explained if there was once a planet between Mercury and Venus. But this orbit would have been unstable, and the hypothetical planet could have been captured by the Earth.
Age-related changes in esterase activity in rabbit eyes

Abstract Thus far, the influence of age on the bioavailability of topically applied ophthalmic drugs has been studied by considering age-dependent changes in membrane permeability and protein binding. The specific objective of this research was to determine variation of ocular esterase activity with age and pigmentation of the rabbit. This was achieved by monitoring the fluorescence intensity as a function of time upon incubating ocular tissue homogenates of albino and pigmented rabbits of various age groups with α-naphthyl acetate, both in the presence and absence of esterase inhibitors. In general, esterase activity was the highest in the iris-ciliary body followed by the cornea and then the aqueous humor. Of the age groups studied, peak ocular esterase activity was reached at 6 weeks in the albino rabbit, and beyond 6 weeks in the pigmented rabbit. In the 6-week-old group the albino rabbit exceeded the pigmented rabbit in ocular esterase activity, whereas in the 12-week-old group it was the pigmented rabbit that exceeded the albino rabbit in ocular esterase activity. The conclusion was that in establishing a dosage regimen, age-dependent changes in ocular esterase activity must be considered in conjunction with age-dependent changes in the other factors that also help determine the amount of active drug ultimately reaching its receptor.
The empty opportunity: Local control and secondary school achievement in the Philippines☆

Abstract This paper uses a multi-level model to examine: (a) the extent of differences in grade 9 mathematics and science achievement and attitudes among students in 214 national government, private, and local schools in the Philippines, (b) differences among these types of schools in terms of their social composition, resource availability, orderly environment, academic emphasis and school decision-making, and (c) the possible causes of achievement difference. With student socioeconomic status, age and gender held constant, significant differences were observed among students attending the three types of schools. Students in local schools had lower achievement and less positive attitudes than those in national government or private schools; students in private schools had higher achievement. These differences were largely due to student selection effects.
A case of tuberculosis in Memphis.

ABSTRACT: The resurgence of tuberculosis has been of increasing concern to public health. Laryngeal and cutaneous tuberculosis have long been regarded as two of the most infectious forms of the disease. In this article, we re-emphasize the public health consequences of a case of laryngeal TB, which must be considered in the differential diagnosis of a patient with persistent fever, cough, weight loss, and hoarseness.
European monetary integration and the demand for money

Abstract This paper presents a cash-in-advance model of the demand for money. Money demand depends on the transaction services of money as well as on the risk and return properties of bonds in different currencies. The paper shows how the money demand function changes with the adoption of fixed exchange rates and monetary union, respectively. The model is then calibrated for a monetary union between France and Germany as well as between the Netherlands and Germany. The numerical results indicate substantial shifts in the behavior of the demand for money in response to monetary integration.
Rh blood group and liver transplantation

Background Cold ischemia time and the presence of postoperative hepatic arterial thrombosis have been associated with biliary complications (BC) after liver transplantation. An ABO-incompatible blood group has also been suggested as a factor for predisposal towards BC. However, the influence of Rh nonidentity has not been studied previously. Materials Three hundred fifty six liver transplants were performed from 1995 to 2000 at our hospital. BC incidence and risk factors were studied in 345 patients. Results Seventy patients (20%) presented BC after liver transplantation. Bile leakage (24/45%) and stenotic anastomosis (21/30%) were the most frequent complications. Presence of BC in Rh-nonidentical graft-host cases (23/76, 30%) was higher than in Rh-identical grafts (47/269, 17%) (P = 0.01). BC was also more frequent in grafts with arterial thrombosis (9/25, 36% vs 60/319, 19%; P = 0.03) and grafts with cold ischemia time longer than 430 min (26/174, 15% vs 44/171, 26%; P = 0.01). Multivariate logistic regression confirmed that Rh graft-host nonidentical blood groups [RR = 2(1.1-3.6); P = 0.02], arterial thrombosis [RR = 2.6(1.1-6.4); P = 0.02] and cold ischemia time longer than 430 min [RR = 1.8(1-3.2); P = 0.02] were risk factors for presenting BC. Conclusion Liver transplantation using Rh graft-host nonidentical blood groups leads to a greater incidence of BC.
Performance characteristics of a one-third-scale, vectorable ventral nozzle for SSTOVL aircraft

Several proposed configurations for supersonic short takeoff, vertical landing aircraft will require one or more ventral nozzles for lift and pitch control. The swivel nozzle is one possible ventral nozzle configuration. A swivel nozzle (approximately one-third scale) was built and tested on a generic model tailpipe. This nozzle was capable of vectoring the flow up to + or - 23 deg from the vertical position. Steady-state performance data were obtained at pressure ratios to 4.5, and pitot-pressure surveys of the nozzle exit plane were made. Two configurations were tested: the swivel nozzle with a square contour of the leading edge of the ventral duct inlet, and the same nozzle with a round leading edge contour. The swivel nozzle showed good performance overall, and the round-leading edge configuration showed an improvement in performance over the square-leading edge configuration.
A Reply to the Unconvinced Universalists

The article presents a letter to the editor by Kenneth McLennan in response to comments by Stanley L. Sokolik about McLennan's study “The Manager and His Job Skills.”
Sex Conversion in a Male Vitis vinifera L. by a Kinin

A synthetic (reputed) kinin, SD 8339, at 1000 parts per million in alcohol solution, applied to flower clusters of a male grapevine about 3 weeks before anthesis, completely converted the flower sex from male to hermaphrodite. Indolebutyric acid, 2,3,5-triiodobenzoic acid, 2-chloroethyltrimethylammonium chloride β-naphthoxyacetic acid, β-indoleacetic acid, α-naphthaleneacetic acid, and gibberellin A3 failed to modify the sex.
Near-infrared spectroscopic investigation of water in supercritical CO2 and the effect of CaCl2

Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy was applied to investigate the dissolution and chemical interaction of water dissolved into supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) and the influence of CaCl2 in the co-existing aqueous phase at fo empe e : 40 50 75 nd 100 C at 90 atm. Consistent with the trend of the vapor pressure of water, the solubility of pure water in scCO2 inc e ed f om 40 °C (0.32 mole%) o 100 °C (1.61 mole%). The presence of CaCl2 negatively affects the solubility of water in scCO2: at a given temperature and pressure the solubility of water decreased as the concentration of CaCl2 in the aqueous phase increased, following the trend of the activity of water. A 40 °C, the water concentration in scCO2 in contact with saturated CaCl2 aqueous solution was only 0.16 mole%, a drop of more than 50% as compared to pure water while that a 100 °C was 1.12 mole%, a drop of over 30% as compared to pure water, under otherwise the same conditions. Analysis of the spectral profiles suggested that water dissolved into scCO2 exists in the monomeric form under the evaluated temperature and pressure conditions, for both neat water and CaCl2 solutions. However,more » its rotational degrees of freedom decrease at lower temperatures due to higher fluid densities, leading to formation of weak H2O:CO2 Lewis acid-base complexes. Similarly, the nearly invariant spectral profiles of dissolved water in the presence and absence of saturated CaCl2 under the same experimental conditions was taken as evidence that CaCl2 dissolution in scCO2 was limited as the dissolved Ca2+/CaCl2 would likely be highly hydrated and would alter the overall spectra of waters in the scCO2 phase.« less
Expression of the Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor Dacapo Is Regulated by Cyclin E

The Cip/Kip family of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors (CKIs) has been implicated in mediating cell cycle arrest prior to terminal differentiation. In many instances, increased expression of CKIs immediately precedes mitotic arrest. However, the mechanism that activates CKI expression in cells that are about to stop dividing has remained elusive. Here we have addressed this issue by investigating the expression pattern of dacapo, a Cip/Kip CKI in Drosophila. We show that the accumulation of dacapo RNA and protein requires Cyclin E and that increased expression of Cyclin E can induce dacapo expression. We also show that the oscillation of the Cyclin E and Dacapo proteins are tightly coupled during ovarian endocycles. Our results argue for a mechanism where Cyclin E/Cdk activity induces Dacapo expression but only within certain windows that are permissive for dacapo expression.