cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Improving lycopene production in Escherichia coli by engineering metabolic control

Metabolic engineering has achieved encouraging success in producing foreign metabolites in a variety of hosts. However, common strategies for engineering metabolic pathways focus on amplifying the desired enzymes and deregulating cellular controls. As a result, uncontrolled or deregulated metabolic pathways lead to metabolic imbalance and suboptimal productivity. Here we have demonstrated the second stage of metabolic engineering effort by designing and engineering a regulatory circuit to control gene expression in response to intracellular metabolic states. Specifically, we recruited and altered one of the global regulatory systems in Escherichia coli, the Ntr regulon, to control the engineered lycopene biosynthesis pathway. The artificially engineered regulon, stimulated by excess glycolytic flux through sensing of an intracellular metabolite, acetyl phosphate, controls the expression of two key enzymes in lycopene synthesis in response to flux dynamics. This intracellular control loop significantly enhanced lycopene production while reducing the negative impact caused by metabolic imbalance. Although we demonstrated this strategy for metabolite production, it can be extended into other fields where gene expression must be closely controlled by intracellular physiology, such as gene therapy.
Some Passionate Performances in Late Republican Rome

Роберт А. Кастер (1948 г. рож.) — американский антиковед, профессор Принстонского университета.
Chemical and Physical Studies on the Structure of the Histidyl Transfer Ribonucleic Acid Synthetase from Salmonella typhimurium

Abstract The histidyl-tRNA synthetase from Salmonella typhimurium was purified to homogeneity by methods described previously. The molecular weight of the native enzyme was determined as 78,000 by high speed equilibrium centrifugation and as 92,000 by gel filtration; a subunit molecular weight of about 40,000 was found by centrifugation in 6 m guanidine HCl, and by sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis. The isoelectric point was found to be 5.9 by focusing in polyacrylamide gels; the extinction coefficient at 280 nm was determined to be 80,000 m-1 cm-1. The amino acid composition of the enzyme was determined. In particular, 8 cysteine, 34 lysine, 53 arginine, and 13 histidine residues were found for each molecule, calculated on the basis of an 80,000 molecular weight. Thirteen tryptophan residues were found by absorption spectroscopy in 6 m guanidine HCl; a tyrosine content of 20 residues per 80,000 was estimated. Titration with 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) reagent showed that 2 cysteine residues were free; titration with 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) reagent in 8 m urea demonstrated 2 additional cysteine residues. A peptide map of a tryptic digest showed the presence of about 33 ninhydrin staining spots; no NH2-terminal amino acid could be detected. It is inferred that the histidyl-tRNA synthetase in its native state is a dimer, probably composed of identical subunits. The enzyme is stable to storage in 50% glycerol at -20°; at 4° in dilute solution the enzyme slowly loses activity. Gel chromatography shows the appearance of a high molecular weight, inactive form during storage at 4°. This material can be reactivated by incubation with reducing agents.
Chronic ingestion of cadmium and/or tritium in rats: I. Accumulation and distribution of cadmium in two generations

Abstract Sprague-Dawley rats continuously ingested low levels of Cd (0.1–5.1 ppm) from conception of the F 1 through delivery of the F 2 generation. Analyses of tissues at various ages during treatment showed that (1) blood is a poor indicator of chronic exposure history; (2) the placenta was an efficient barrier to Cd transfer to the fetus, permitting detectable levels of Cd in neonatal organs only at the highest exposure level; (3) milk does not appear to be an important source of neonatal exposure; (4) the postnatal accumulation rate of the metal appeared highest during preweaning stages; and (5) during prolonged ingestion, Cd levels in liver and kidney were roughly proportional to exposure while little accumulation was noted in brain and testes.
Amenity Migration in the New Global Economy: Current Issues and Research Priorities

Drawing from a panel session held in June 2013 at the 19th International Symposium on Society and Resource Management in Estes Park, CO, this article offers a review of the current state of research on amenity migration and calls for future research to more comprehensively address critical gaps in the literature. We highlight five promising avenues for future research on amenity migration: international patterns—both domestic outside the Global North and across national borders, inequality, interdisciplinary investigations, the importance of policy contexts, and the effects of contemporary social, economic, and demographic factors.
The “Punishment Lottery”: An Immodest Proposal for Maximizing Deterrence, Doing Justice, and Reducing Prison Overcrowding, All at Once

This paper offers a new proposal for the sentencing of most convicted felons that promises simultaneously to promote general deterrence and to reduce prison overcrowding in a fair manner. Called the “punishment lottery,” I recommend subjecting convictees to a random system that imposes prison sentences that are usually shorter, but sometimes longer, than current sentences. Specific guidelines are suggested for enacting my proposal. I then offer empirical evidence and argumentation to support my claims that the punishment lottery can deter potential offenders, accomplish the retributive goal of fairness, and substantially reduce prison overcrowding, all at once.
Translanguaging within Enactments of Quotidian Interpreter-Mediated Interactions

This article provides a critical review of the interdisciplinary literature on child language brokering (CLB), employing a Bakhtinian translinguistic perspective. The extant literature isolates the child language broker as a particular kind of vulnerable speaking subject, without regard to the ways in which ideologies of language shape cross-generational linguistic exchanges in zones of cultural contact. Broader attention to bilingual communicative repertoires is also absent. We plot a new course for this area of study by considering the relationships between language brokering and other aspects of bilingual communicative practice such as codeswitching and bivalency. The data examined include transcript excerpts from video recordings of rehearsals and enactments of improvised skits that feature CLBs' experiences of brokering events. The enactments doubled as metalinguistic and metapragmatic performances that simultaneously drew upon situated competencies and displayed dominant language ideologies. Enactments also afforded play frames of interaction that conferred authority to peers (authority that is absent in actual situated instances of cross-generational exchanges). Our analyses acknowledge child language brokers' simultaneous identities and consider the relationships among differing forms of translanguaging by tracking instances when youths enacted particular language-ideological assumptions either to shore up or to dissolve boundaries.
Pathways and regulation of bacterial arginine metabolism and perspectives for obtaining arginine overproducing strains.

l-Arginine is produced by bacterial fermentation and is consumed in food flavoring and pharmaceutical industries. A better understanding of arginine metabolism in bacteria could be beneficial for a rational design of recombinant l-arginine producers by genetic engineering. This mini-review illustrated the current status of genes and enzymes for arginine metabolism, including biosynthetic pathways, catabolic pathways, uptake and excretion systems, and regulation. The linkage of polyamine and glutamate metabolism to the arginine network was also discussed, followed by a perspective view on how to construct arginine overproducing strains of bacteria with increasing biosynthesis and excretion and decreasing catabolism and uptake.
The expression of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and c-Met in uterine serous carcinoma

Abstract Objective The hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) receptor c-Met plays an important role in tumor dissemination by activating mitogenic signaling pathways. The goal of this study was to investigate immunohistochemical (IHC) staining patterns of HGF and c-Met in endometrioid endometrial cancer (EC) and uterine serous cancer (USC) and to correlate staining with patient outcomes. Methods A tissue microarray was created using tissue from patients with atrophic endometrium (AE), grade 1 EC, grade 3 EC, and USC. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect c-Met, phosphorylated c-Met (p-c-Met), and HGF expression. Differences between IHC staining intensity were calculated using t -tests. Correlations between staining and clinicopathologic variables were determined by Chi-square testing for categorical variables and t -tests for continuous variables. Kaplan–Meier curves were constructed to analyze survival in USC. Results Patients with cancer had more total c-Met and HGF expression than those with AE ( p =0.037, p p =0.042, p p =0.027). Depth of invasion, stage, and lymph node status were not significantly related to staining intensity. Patients with strong c-Met and HGF staining had decreased overall survival compared to patients with weaker staining. Conclusions HGF and c-Met may play a role in the progression of endometrial cancer and should be studied further as prognostic and therapeutic tools.
Impact of Allergic Rhinitis on Simulated Real‐World Performance1

A few studies have shown that untreated seasonal allergic rhinitis (hay fever) may have unfavorable effects on performance. However, prior research has employed tasks of limited or moderate difficulty (e.g., verbal learning) or has focused on visual-motor efforts (e.g., driving a vehicle). The present research compared performance in the absence (asymptomatic) versus presence (symptomatic) of rhinitis, using the validated strategic management simulation (SMS). Obtained data indicated that whenever task-demands were contextual (e.g., cued by the environment), no differences between symptomatic and asymptomatic conditions were obtained. Whenever task-demands were more difficult, untreated seasonal allergic rhinitis decreased effectiveness. To avoid loss of productivity and limit decrements in quality of life, treatment of seasonal allergic rhinitis with medications without sedating effects appears of value.
Haemocyanin concentration, carrying capacity and haemolymph pH under hypoxia in Mesidothea entomon (L.) (isopoda, crustacea)

Abstract The haemocyanincontaining blood of the isopod Mesidothea entomon was investigated with regard to changes in the concentration of haemocyanin, carrying capacity (Hcy + dissolved O2) and pH under hypoxia of 10–20 torr for up to 96 h. Normoxic Hcy concentration was 0.79 mM · l−1 and after 96 h hypoxia this increased to 1.17 mM · I−1, carrying capacity changed correspondingly from 1.8 vol% to 2.19 vol%. The physically dissolved oxygen was negligible. Haemolymph pH for Mesidothea under normoxia was 7.646 at 10°C and this increased to 7.909 after 96 h under hypoxia. The results are discussed in relation to the ecology of the species.
Heritability of height, width, resin, rubber, and latex in guayule (Parthenium argentatum)

Abstract Plant breeding in guayule, a rubber and latex producing plant, has not been as effective as predicted or desired. A surprisingly large amount of variability has been reported in this apomictic crop for traits such as plant height, width, resin, rubber, and latex contents. This study was designed to calculate the proportion of the total measured variability due to the environment and the proportion due to genetic influences within and between three-released germplasm lines. Plant heights were measured at 1, 2 and 3-years-of-age; plant width, and latex contents at 2 and 3-years-of-age; and resin and rubber content at 2-years-of-age. Broad-sense-heritabilities were estimated for each trait and year by dividing the genotypic by the total variance. To estimate the genetic component of the measured variance for each trait, the environment effects (variance from clonally propagated plants) were subtracted from the total variance (variance from open-pollinated (OP) seed propagated plants). In general, the variances of the means for the measured traits were lower in the clonally propagated plants compared with the apomictic OP seed propagated plants. The heritability estimates calculated for each trait differed from year to year. For instance, heritability for plant height was estimated in line AZ-2 to be 0.84 at 1 year of age; 0.47 at 2 years of age; and 0.0 at 3 years of age. These values imply that a large portion of the observed variation in this line is attributed to genetic effects in the first 2 years of growth. As the plant grows over several seasons, the environment effects compound, masking the genetic effects, making effective selection choices more difficult. Heritability for latex content for the same line was estimated to be 0.97 for the second year and 0.55 for the third year. Selections for the measured traits in this study appear to be most effective during the first and second years of growth, with effectiveness diminishing during the third year. Most selections previous to this study were performed between 3 and 5 years of growth, thus suggesting one reason for the lack of significant progress in most breeding programs.
Emergency intracardiac defibrillation for refractory ventricular fibrillation during routine electrophysiologic study.

AbstractVentricular fibrillation refractory to cardiopulmonary resuscitation including multiple transthoracic defibrillations occurred in four patients during 1,215 consecutive ventricular tachycar...
A Profile of Emergency Departments in Slovenia

Objectives. Emergency departments (EDs) are the basic unit of emergency medicine (EM), but there is often significant heterogeneity and differences in ED organization. We sought to describe and characterize EDs in Slovenia. Methods. All EDs open 24/7 to the general public were surveyed using the National ED Inventories survey instrument. Staff were asked about ED characteristics with reference to calendar year 2007. Results. Fifty-five EDs participated (81% response). All EDs treated children and adults. Eleven (20%) of the EDs were hospital based and 44 (80%) were non-hospital based. The median number of annual visits for hospital-based EDs was 21,400 (interquartile range, 19,900–34,200) and 5,000 (interquartile range, 1,100–9,300) for non-hospital-based EDs. All hospital-based EDs had triage to service, and only one was an independent department. Most respondents (76%, 95% CI 64–89%) thought their ED was at good balance or capacity. While hospital-based EDs had high availability of technological resources and ability to treat virtually all emergency types 24/7, these characteristics were less frequent in non-hospital-based EDs. Conclusions. The organization of emergency care in Slovenia is complex, with some variation in the layout, characteristics, and capabilities of its EDs. This initial study establishes a benchmark for future investigations into intra-country comparisons of different types of EDs.
Modeling of the energy spectra of individual steps of the L23→M2,3M2,3→M2,3VV→VVVV cascade chain in MnO

Abstract Model calculations of the energy spectra of individual steps of the Mn L23 → M2,3M2,3 → M2,3VV → VVVV Auger cascade of MnO are described and the results compared with the results of recent Auger–Auger coincidence measurements. The spectra are modeled in terms of multiple integrations over products of the valence band density of states (VB-DOS) and an energy conserving delta function which includes hole–hole interactions in its argument. The formalism has applications to spectra of Auger transitions occurring in the later stages of Auger decay in which there are valence holes in the intermediate state preceding the transition and results in a lineshape which is proportional to an energy shifted function comprised of Ni correlation and Nf − 1 convolution operations over VB-DOS's where Ni and Nf are the number of valence holes in the initial and final states, respectively.
Data and program restructuring of irregular applications for cache-coherent multiprocessor

Applications with irregular data structures such as sparse matrices or finite element meshes account for a large fraction of engineering and scientific applications. Domain decomposition techniques are commonly used to partition these applications to reduce interprocessor communication on message passing parallel systems. Our work investigates the use of domain decomposition techniques on cache-coherent parallel systems.Many good domain decomposition algorithms are now available. We show that further application improvements are attainable using data and program restructuring in conjunction with domain decomposition. We give techniques for data layout to reduce communication, blocking with subdomains to improve uniprocessor cache behavior, and insertion of prefetches to hide the latency of interprocessor communication.This paper details our restructuring techniques and provides experimental results on the KSR1 multiprocessor for a sparse matrix application. The experimental results include counts of cache misses provided by the KSR PMON performance monitoring tool. Our data show that cache coherency traffic can be reduced by 30%–60% using our data layout scheme and that more than 53% of the remaining coherency cache misses can be eliminated using prefetch instructions.
Transcriptional regulation of the mouse αA-crystallin gene: Binding of USF to the -7/+5 region

Abstract Lens preferred-expression of the mouse αA-crystallin gene (αA- cry ) is regulated at the transcriptional level by multiple elements located in the 5′ flanking region of the gene. Here we present the first analysis of the functional role of the mouse αA- cry +1 region and the protein(s) which bind to it. The −7/+5 region of this promoter exhibits sequence similarity with the consensus upstream stimulating factor (USF) transcription factor binding site. A wild type oligodeoxyribonucleotide (oligo) spanning the mouse αA- cry −15/+15 region specifically inhibited the activity of a mouse αA- cry promoter- cat gene fusion (pαA111 a CAT) in competitive co-transfection studies in the mouse αTN4-1 lens cell line, as did an oligo containing the adenovirus 2 major late promoter strong USF binding site. In contrast, an αA- cry oligo mutated (−3/+3) within the USF-like binding site did not inhibit pαA111 a CAT activity. Western blot analysis indicated that αTN4-1 cells express USF1. Co-transfection of pαA111 a CAT and a USF1 cDNA expression vector into αTN4-1 cells resulted in a repression of mouse αA- cry promoter activity. Electrophoretic mobility shift analyses (EMSA) demonstrated that proteins in an αTN4-1 nuclear extract form a single major complex on synthetic oligos spanning the mouse αA- cry −15/+15 region. The formation of this complex was inhibited by the presence of unlabeled −15/+15 oligos or an anti-USF1 antibody. In addition, purified USF1 bound to this region, producing a complex similar in size to that observed with αTN4-1 nuclear extracts. Taken together, our findings show that USF can bind to the mouse αA- cry +1 site, and support the possibility that USF plays a role in promoter activity of this gene. Sequence similarities surrounding the +1 region of the αA- cry gene of the mouse, mole rat, hamster, and human, as well as the previously observed utilization of USF by different cry promoters suggest that USF contributes to the high expression of many crys in the ocular lens of diverse species.
The changing labyrinth of software pricing

Exploring the malleable revenue pathways among the different varieties of pricing strategies.
BIRKHOFF'S NORMALIZATION

Abstract : Birkhoff's normalizing canonical transformation at an equilibrium of elliptic type with no internal resonance can be built explicitly and recursively, without partial inversions or substitutions, by means of Lie transforms. Invariant sections and ordinary families of periodic orbits for truncated normalized systems are analyzed in detail.
A new finite element formulation for computational fluid dynamics: IV. A discontinuity-capturing operator for multidimensional advective-diffusive systems

A discontinuity-capturing operator is developed for the ‘streamline’ formulation of advective-diffusive systems extending previous work on the scalar advection-diffusion equation. The operator provides a mechanism for exerting control over strong gradients in the discrete solution which appear, for example, in boundary and interior layers.
stratospheric water-vapor upper limits inferred from upper-air observations: Part I. northern hemisphere

Abstract Observational data from the lower stratosphere are examined to determine to what extent an upper limit can be placed on the water-vapor content of that region of the atmosphere, a quantity which is presently in controversy by half an order of magnitude. Presented herein are the details of a systematic search of 37 winter months (November 1964–December 1971) of Northern Hemispheric 30-mb and 50-mb synoptic maps, as well as a search of over 170,000 individual radiosonde 30-mb temperature soundings for the same period. In addition, the results of a search of all available high-latitude Northern Hemispheric meteorological rocket data and a study of the 30-mb climatology for Jan Mayen Island are presented. The results of these studies are compared with the results of a careful literature search, as well as an inquiry to an airline pilot's volunteer organization, for reports of stratospheric cloud observations. The extreme sparsity of such observations, even with allowance for possible obscuring effect...
A framework of integrating GIS and parallel computing for spatial control problems – a case study of wildfire control

Complex spatial control problems can be computationally intensive. Timely response in urgent spatial control situations such as wildfire control poses great challenges for the efficient solving of spatial control problems. Web-based and service-oriented architectures of integrating geographic information system (GIS) clients and parallel computing resources have been suggested as an effective paradigm to solve computationally intensive spatial problems. Such real-time coupling framework is highly dependent upon interactivity and on-demand availability of dedicated parallel computing resources appropriate for the problem. We present an approach to enhancing the efficiency of solving spatial control problems while offering another coupling framework of integrating computing resources from desktop GIS and parallel computing environments to alleviate such dependency. Specifically, a model knowledge database is developed to bridge the gap between desktop GIS models and parallel computing resources. Desktop GIS...
HAWAIIAN SPIDERS OF THE GENUS TETRAGNATHA: IV NEW, SMALL SPECIES IN THE SPINY LEG CLADE

Abstract This study continues documentation of the adaptive radiation of species in the genus Tetragnatha in the Hawaiian archipelago. The five new species described here are representatives of the ‘spiny-leg’ clade, most representatives of which have already been described. The new species are T. kukuiki, T. kikokiko, T. anuenue, T. kukuhaa, and T. obscura. The species described are found in various different habitat types from low (e.g., 550 m on Oahu) to middle elevations (1660 m on Hawaii), and from dry to very wet forest types. As with other representatives of the clade, they are nocturnal hunters, do not build webs, and move actively around the vegetation.
Controls on herbaceous litter decomposition in the estuarine ecotones of the Florida Everglades

The effects of nutrient availability and litter quality on litter decomposition were measured in two oligotrophic phosphorus (P)-limited Florida Everglades esturies, United States. The two estuaries differ, in that one (Shark River estuary) is directly connected to the Gulf of Mexico and receives marine P, while the other (Taylor Slough estuary) does not receive marine P because Florida Bay separates it from the Gulf of Mexico. Decomposition of three macrophytes.Cladium jamaicense, Eleochaaris spp., andJuncus roemerianus, was studied using a litter bag technique over 18 mo. Litter was exposed to three treatments: soil surface+macroinvertebrates (=macro), soil surface without macroinvertebrates (=wet), and above the soil and water (=aerial). The third treatment replicated the decomposition of standing dead leaves. Decomposition rates showed that litter exposed to the wet and macro treatments decomposed significantly faster than the aerial treatment, where atmospheric deposition was the only source of nutrients. Macroinvertebrates had no influence on litter decompostion rates.C. jamaicense decomposed faster at sites, with higher P, andEleocharis spp. decomposed significantly faster at sites with higher nitrogen (N). Initial tissue C:N and C:P molar ratios revealed that the nutrient quality of litter of bothEleocharis spp. andJ. roemerianus was higher thanC. jamaicense, but onlyEleocharis spp. decomposed faster thanC. jamaicense. C. jamaicense litter tended to immobilize P, whileEleocharis spp. litter showed net remineralization of N and P. A comparison with other estuarine and wetland systems revealed the dependence of litter decomposition on nutrient availability and litter quality. The results from this experiment suggest that Everglades restoration may have an important effect on key ecosystem processes in the estuarine ecotone of this landscape.
Synthesis of rare-earth polychalcogenides by moderate temperature solid-state metathesis

Alkali metal polychalcogenide salts of the form A 2 Q x (where A = Na, K; Q = S, Se, Te; x = 1, 2, 3, 4) have been used in moderate temperature solid-state metathesis reactions with lanthanoid halides, LnX 3 (Ln = La, Pr; X = Cl, Br), to prepare four phases of lanthanoid chalcogenides at temperatures below 400°C. For lanthanum, α-LaS 2 , β-LaS 2 , LaSe 2 , and LaTe 3 were prepared and an irreversible phase transformation at 450°C between the metastable α- and thermodynamically stable β-LaS 2 was observed. For praseodymium, α-PrS 2 , PrSe 2 , and PrTe 3 were prepared and no phase transition from α- to β-PrS 2 was observed.
Anticonvulsant drug effects on spontaneous thalamocortical rhythms in vitro: Valproic acid, clonazepam, and α-methyl-α-phenylsuccinimide

Spontaneous thalamocortical epileptiform activity was elicited in rodent thalamocortical slices by a medium containing no added Mg2+. Multiple varieties of activity were generated in these slices, including simple thalamocortical burst complex (sTBC) activity that resembled the spike-wave discharges of generalized absence epilepsy, and complex thalamocortical burst complex (cTBC) activity that resembled generalized tonic-clonic seizure discharges. In a further pharmacological characterization of this activity, the effects of the broad-spectrum anticonvulsants valproic acid, alpha-methyl-alpha-phenylsuccinimide (the active metabolite of methsuximide) and clonazepam were studied. All three drugs were found to be effective in controlling both sTBC and cTBC activity when applied in clinically relevant concentration ranges. The effectiveness of valproic acid against spontaneous rhythms in vitro was not due to augmentation of GABAergic inhibition. No effect of valproic acid on GABA-activated chloride currents was evident in patch-clamp recordings of acutely isolated thalamic or cortical neurons. The equivalent general clinical and experimental spectrum of action of broadly effective anticonvulsants provided an additional correlation between the clinical efficacy of anticonvulsant drugs and their effects against epileptiform discharges in rodent thalamocortical slices. This further validates spontaneous generalized low-Mg2+ thalamocortical activity as a potentially valuable in vitro model of the primary generalized epilepsies, in which the cellular mechanisms underlying generation and control of these seizure discharges can be studied.
REGULATION AND INFORMATION IN A CONTINUING RELATIONSHIP

Abstract Regulation typically involves a continuing relationship between a regulator and a firm, and that relationship is often complicated by asymmetric information. A multiperiod model of this relationship is analyzed in which a regulated firm has private information about its costs which may changed over time in a manner observable only to the firm. The regulator is assumed to be able to commit to a policy for the entire regulatory horizon, and the optimal pricing policy is shown to depend on an informativeness measure that indicates how information by the firm in one period will be used in future periods.
Vasoconstriction: tightening the noose through MMPs

Arterial tone is dependent on a balance between agents that lead to relaxation of arterial vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and agents that cause contraction of the same. The process of contraction at a mechanical level requires interaction of structural proteins including myosin light chain 2 (MLC2) and actin. The interaction of these leads to force transduction and cell shortening, ultimately causing vessel diameter narrowing and increased resistance to blood flow. Physiological vasoconstrictors, such as norepinephrine, work through binding cell receptors on VSMCs and activating G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). These in turn interact with several classes of heterotrimeric G-proteins to affect a diverse range of cell responses.1,2 Phenylephrine, a synthetic surrogate of physiological agonists like norepinephrine, acts to induce vasoconstriction by binding to adrenergic receptors (α1) and activating Gαq, which in turn increases phospholipase C (PLC) activity and formation of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) and diacylglycerol (DAG). These events result in the release of calcium from intracellular stores ( Figure 1 ). Figure 1 GPCR signalling modulation of vasoconstriction. Acutely, vasoconstrictor agonists transmit their … *Corresponding authors: 10048 Biomedical Science Tower 3, 3501 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA. Tel: +1 412 383 5424; fax: +1 412-383-9009 (J.S.I). 10041 Biomedical Science Tower 3, 3501 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA. Tel: +1 412 383 5854; fax: +1 412-383-5888 (S.S.) E-mail address : jsi5{at}pitt.edu (J.S.I); sss43{at}pitt.edu (S.S.).
Design Modification for a Uniform Droplet Generator System

Design modifications are presented for a uniform size and trajectory droplet generator useful for the study of interferences and other phenomena in analytical flames. The new design produces stable droplets without drift in size or trajectory and allows adjustment in the drop size by changing the drop production frequency without manual adjustment of the introduction rate timing circuit associated with previous designs. The control circuitry in this design uses easily obtainable and inexpensive digital and analog components. Details of the electronics and mechanical apparatus are included and performance characteristics are discussed.
OPN02-5: Cost-Efficient WDM Mesh Network Design with Line Cards of Multiple Ports

Cost is a major concern in telecom industry. Cost-efficient network design has been attracting the attention of network operators (NO). Wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) optical technology is being widely deployed in telecom networks for their high capacity. Backbone telecom networks, which are mesh-connected, employ optical crossconnects (OXC) at switching nodes; and OXC deployments today are of the opaque (optical-electronic-optical, OEO) variety. In such a network, the number of OXC ports is a major portion of the cost of the switching equipment (not counting the cost of the transmission equipment, which is needed anyway independent of the switching equipment). In this work, we focus on a practical situation in which a bundle of ports are fabricated on a single blade, called a line card (LC). If we are restricted to using only bundles of ports per LC, this will impose an extra constraint on cost-efficient network design, especially for asymmetric traffic between node pairs and arbitrary network topologies. Our design relies on a two-step approach using two algorithms whose objective is to reduce the number of LCs (ports). First, we route traffic connections on low-cost paths where cost depends on how much resources are needed to support the connection. The second step is a reassignment step, which tries to re-optimize the outcome of the first step. Simulation was conducted on a sample backbone network. Results show a reduction in cost (in terms of the number of deployed LCs) by nearly 6%.
Microsurgical training: Is it adequate for the operating room?

Microsurgery training is an integral part of a surgical curriculum. However we questioned whether the duration of training improves the ability to perform microsurgical procedures. In this study, we evaluated whether residents and fellows who had completed microsurgical training were able to subsequently perform a simple end-to-end anastomosis of a vein and artery within 30 min. Seven residents with microsurgical training spanning from 1 week to 1-year fellowships performed femoral artery and vein anastomoses on Sprague-Dawley rats. Sixty-four percent of participants performed a patent arterial or venous anastomosis (projected 100%, p<0.001), 43% completed an artery and vein successfully, and 14% performed both within 30 min (p<0.001). Duration of previous training did not significantly affect performance and was not a predictive value for successfully performing microsurgery. The high rate of anastomotic failure is surprising. Performance evaluation may be indicated in order to perform microsurgery in a clinical setting.
Existence of angular jerk in Keplerian motion

The concept of angular jerk is introduced in angular motion in analogy with the linear jerk in translation. The angular jerk vector is defined as the rate of change of the angular acceleration vector, or the third derivative of the angular displacement vector. The existence of angular jerk is demonstrated in Keplerian motion as an example. The angular velocity, angular acceleration and angular jerk vectors are calculated from the polar equation of the orbit and the conservation of angular momentum in terms of the constants of motion. The variations of the angular quantities as functions of the polar angle are studied. Whereas the angular velocity necessarily remains posigrade, the angular acceleration has both posigrade and retrograde phases, and the angular jerk exhibits two posigrade and one retrograde phases during the course of one revolution. The locations of the extrema of the three angular quantities are determined. This treatment is suitable for upper undergraduate physics majors.
Validation of the attitude toward women in science scale for early adolescents

The purpose of this study was to measure attitude of adolescents toward women in science careers. To do so, researchers in the Career Oriented Modules to Explore Topics in Science Project validated a 27-item instrument, the Women in Science Scale (WiSS). The scale had high reliability whether measured by estimates of internal consistency or test-retest reliability. The validity was established using the known groups and correlates procedures. The test clearly distinguished between known groups and resulted in the predicted pattern of correlations with measures of other constructs. The WiSS could prove to be a valuable instrument for basic research or curriculum evaluation where adolescent attitude toward women in science careers is a variable of interest.
A glycine to alanine substitution in the paramyxovirus SV5 fusion peptide increases the initial rate of fusion

Abstract Simian virus 5 fusion (F) protein mutant F-G3A, which contains a glycine-to-alanine substitution at position 3 in the conserved hydrophobic fusion peptide at the N-terminus of the F 1 subunit, has been shown previously to cause increased syncytium formation compared to wild-type (wt) F protein, when expressed using an SV40 recombinant virus vector system (C. M. Horvath and R. A. Lamb (1992) J. Virol. 66, 2443–2455). The wt F and the F-G3A proteins were expressed in eukaryotic cells using the vaccinia virus–bacteriophage T7 RNA polymerase (vac-T7) expression system, and they showed similar cell surface expression levels as determined by flow cytometry. The final extent of fusion when the vac-T7 expression system was used was not found to be greatly different when examined with a reporter gene activation assay. However, the initial rate of fusion was found to be five- to sixfold higher for the F-G3A mutant protein than the wt F protein, when examined using a quantitative assay for lipid mixing based on relief of self-quenching of fluorescence of the lipid probe octadecyl rhodamine (R18). A microscopic fluorescent dye transfer assay also showed a much earlier spread of dye from R18-labeled red blood cells to the cells expressing the mutant F-G3A protein than the wt F protein. Thus, these data indicate that a single gly-to-ala mutation in the fusion peptide domain, although not affecting the final extent of fusion, significantly increased the rate of fusion. Possible mechanisms for the increased rate of fusion are discussed.
Season of birth, mixed-handedness, and psychometric schizotypy: preliminary results from a prospective study

Season of birth and hand preference were examined in a sample of 42 (7 males, 35 females) individuals who were identified as schizotypic based on their scores on selected scales of the Chapman Psychosis Proneness Scales (CPPS) and a matched comparison sample of 42 individuals with non-deviant CPPS scores. Presence or absence of schizotypy was analyzed using chi square tests of independence with the presence or absence of each risk factor serving as the independent variable. Further analyses incorporated independent means t tests to examine mean scores on the CPPS with the presence or absence of each risk factor again serving as the independent variable. Results supported the hypothesis that winter/early-spring birth would be associated with psychometric schizotypy, although the results for mixed-handedness fell just short of statistical significance. However, mixed hand preference was associated with higher scores on MagId and PerAb scales of the CPPS, but not the RSA scale, which suggests that mixed laterality is associated with the more cognitive-perceptual aspects of schizotypy. Results are discussed in relation to previous literature and their relevance to the prediction of schizophrenia-related psychosis.
Recent and modern marine erosion on the New Jersey outer shelf

Abstract Recent chirp seismic reflection data combined with multibeam bathymetry, backscatter, and analysis of grab samples and short cores provide evidence of significant recent erosion on the outer New Jersey shelf. The timing of erosion is constrained by two factors: (1) truncation at the seafloor of what is interpreted to be the transgressive ravinement surface at the base of the surficial sand sheet, and (2) truncation of apparently moribund sand ridges along erosional swales oriented parallel to the primary direction of modern bottom flow and oblique to the strike of the sand ridges. These observations place the erosion in a marine setting, post-dating the passage of the shoreface ravinement and the evolution of sand ridges that form initially in the near shore environment. Also truncated by marine erosion are shallowly buried, fluvial channel systems, formed during the Last Glacial Maximum and filled during the transgression, and a regional reflector “R” that is > ∼ 40 kyr. Depths of erosion range from a few meters to > 10 m. The seafloor within eroded areas is often marked by “ribbon” morphology, seen primarily in the backscatter data as areas of alternating high and low backscatter elongated in the direction of primary bottom flow. Ribbons are more occasionally observed in the bathymetry; where observed, crests exhibit low backscatter and troughs exhibit high backscatter. Sampling reveals that the high backscatter areas of the ribbons consist of a trimodal admixture of mud, sand and shell hash, with a bimodal distribution of abraded and unabraded sand grains and microfauna. The shell hash is interpreted to be an erosional lag, while the muds and unabraded grains are, in this non-depositional environment, evidence of recent erosion at the seafloor of previously undisturbed strata. The lower-backscatter areas of the ribbon morphology were found to be a well-sorted medium sand unit only a few 10's of cm thick overlying the shelly/muddy/sandy material. Concentrations of well-rounded gravels and cobbles were also found in eroded areas with very high backscatter, and at least one of these appears to be derived from the base of an eroded fluvial channel. Seafloor reworking over the transgressive evolution of the shelf appears to have switched from sand ridge evolution, which is documented to ∼ 40 m water depth, to more strictly erosional modification at greater water depths. We suggest that this change may be related to the reduction with water depth in the effectiveness of sediment resuspension by waves. Resuspension is a critical factor in the grain size sorting during transport by bottom currents over large bedforms like sand ridges. Otherwise, we speculate, displacement of sand by unidirectional currents will erode the seafloor.
Experimental and numerical studies of sulfur chemistry in H2/O2/SO2 flames☆

Abstract The structure of low pressure (100–150 Torr) rich H 2 O 2 flames doped with SO 2 has been investigated both experimentally and numerically in order to clarify the chemistry of sulfur laden flames. Equivalence ratios from 1.35 to 2.4 have been examined, with peak temperatures between 1800 and 1450K. The basic features of the concentration profiles suggest a two stage flame as most of the hydrogenoxygen chemistry is complete early on (5–7 mm). The sulfur chemistry is, by comparison, continually adjusting itself to changes in temperature and radical concentrations. Numerical simulations accurately predict the general features of these flames, allowing for a detailed description of the important chemistry in various regions of the flame. SO 2 is found to be the dominant sulfur species even in the very rich flames, although H 2 S is by far the most thermodynamically favored species. SO is rapidly formed in the main reaction zone; however, it never achieves partial equilibrium with SO 2 , as has previously been surmised. S 2 is found to be the second most dominant sulfur species and is also not in partial equilibrium. The role of HSO 2 as a channel for radical recombination is shown to be extremely important to the distribution of sulfur species. The calculations also suggest that sulfur chemistry is fast enough to perturb the partial equilibrium of O-atoms in the postflame region. Increasing the initial concentration of SO 2 results in preferential formation of S 2 at the expense of H 2 S. Introduction of H 2 S instead of SO 2 results in a flame which by 6 mm is indistinguishable from its SO 2 doped counterpart.
Phenotypic and Functional Characterization of Human LEUI (CD5) B Cells

Leu1 B cells have been observed in high numbers in CLL patients, fetal spleen, and in bone marrow transplant recipients. We studied these cells in normal peripheral blood, spleen, and tonsil. They were phenotypically and functionally similar to conventional B cells. Leu1 B cells in the spleen and blood displayed a mature phenotype similar to the Leu1 B cells in the fetus, some expressing high levels of both sIgM and sIgD, and some expressing high levels of sIgD but little sIgM. Most Leu1 B cells in the tonsil also expressed high levels of both sIgM and sIgD, although some tonsil Leu1 B cells had high levels of sIgM but little sIgD. The significance of the Leu1 B cell is unknown, although it may be involved in the humoral immunoincompetence of the fetus, of CLL patients, and of transplant recipients. In our data there is no evidence to suggest that these cells are activated, immature, or capable of an immunoregulatory function.
Surveillance of acute rejection in baboon renal transplantation by elevation of interferon-γ inducible protein-10 and monokine induced by interferon-γ in urine

BACKGROUND CXCR3 binding chemokines play a key role in recruitment of inflammatory cells into an organ transplant. This study addresses the question of whether urinary excretion of these chemokines correlates with acute rejection in a baboon kidney transplantation model. METHODS Seven outbred baboons underwent renal allotransplantation from major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-mismatched donors. The treatment of baboons consisted of anti-CD4 monoclonal antibody (mAb), anti-CD8 mAb, rapamycin, and mycophenolate mofetil (MMF). Urinary levels of interferon-gamma inducible protein-10 (IP-10) and monokine induced by interferon-gamma (Mig) were determined by ELISA. Renal biopsies were examined by immunohistochemical staining for CXCR3 and Mig. RESULTS Urinary levels of IP-10 and Mig increased significantly in all of the five baboons at the time of acute rejection of renal transplant. The IP-10 and Mig levels did not rise in two nonrejecting baboons. In two baboons, urinary levels of IP-10 and Mig rose before the elevation of the serum creatinine. In renal biopsies, expression of Mig was detected in glomeruli, tubules, and infiltrating cells, and the expression was significantly elevated in biopsies with acute rejection (P<0.01). CXCR3 was constitutively expressed in tubular cells in biopsies derived from both normal grafts and grafts with acute rejection. Whereas the infiltrating cells were increased in the biopsies with acute rejection, the expression of CXCR3 was also significantly higher (P<0.01) in these infiltrating cells compared with those in the normal controls. CONCLUSIONS This study shows an important correlation between urinary excretion of IP-10 and Mig and acute rejection in baboon kidney transplantation.
Metrics, models and methodologies for energy-proportional computing

The proliferation of web application has led to the rapid growth in large-scale data centers. The commensurate increase in the cost of building infrastructure capable of powering such massive data centers and the recurring energy costs to keep such data centers operational has exposed power as a first-order design constraint. Such data centers are typically overprovisioned to avoid unexpected outages associated with the potential overloading of electrical circuitry [8], [9]. However, these data centers are under-utilized due to the inherent nature of the workloads [5], [8] and the need to provide isolation to mitigate serious violation of performance agreements (i.e., throughput and response time constraints) [9]. Unfortunately, power efficiency is traditionally measured only when a server is maximally exercised, and effective techniques to improve non-peak power efficiency is an active research area as improving it has been shown to help in the design of better power-provisioning strategies for data centers.
Category width, confidence, expectancies, and perceptual accuracy

The relation of category width to accuracy of visual discriminations and estimates of expected performance and confidence were investigated for 55 student volunteers. Feedback (reported at 70% of actual performance accuracy) was provided to 28 subjects. Narrow categorizers were found to be more accurate, regardless of feedback. Feedback affected accuracy as well as expectancy and confidence. However, there were no differences in confidence or expectancy for different category width groups nor was category width a significant main effect in the analysis of changes in confidence and expectancy from pre- to postfeedback measures. Contrary to the findings of Phares and Davis (1966), there were no differences in generalization of expectancies between narrow and broad categorizers.