cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Landscape Analysis of Escape Variants Identifies SARS-CoV-2 Spike Mutations that Attenuate Monoclonal and Serum Antibody Neutralization

Although neutralizing antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein are a goal of most COVID-19 vaccines and being developed as therapeutics, escape mutations could compromise such countermeasures. To define the immune-mediated mutational landscape in S protein, we used a VSV-eGFP-SARS-CoV-2-S chimeric virus and 19 neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against the receptor binding domain (RBD) to generate 48 escape mutants. These variants were mapped onto the RBD structure and evaluated for cross-resistance by convalescent human plasma. Although each mAb had unique resistance profiles, many shared residues within an epitope, as several variants were resistant to multiple mAbs. Remarkably, we identified mutants that escaped neutralization by convalescent human sera, suggesting that some humans induce a narrow repertoire of neutralizing antibodies. By comparing the antibody-mediated mutational landscape in S protein with sequence variation in circulating SARS-CoV-2 strains, we identified single amino acid substitutions that could attenuate neutralizing immune responses in some humans. Conflict of Interest: M.S.D. is a consultant for Inbios, Vir Biotechnology, NGM Biopharmaceuticals, and on the Scientific Advisory Board of Moderna and Immunome. The Diamond laboratory has received unrelated funding support in sponsored research agreements from Moderna, Vir Biotechnology, and Emergent BioSolutions. The Ellebedy laboratory has received unrelated funding support in sponsored research agreements from Emergent BioSolutions and funding support in sponsored research agreement from Abbvie to further develop 2B04 and 2H04 as therapeutic mAbs. A.H.E. and Washington University have filed a patent application that includes the SARS-CoV-2 antibodies 2B04 and 2H04 for potential commercial development. S.P.J.W. and Z.H.L have filed a disclosure with Washington University for VSV-SARS-CoV-2 mutants to characterize antibody panels. S. P. J. W has received unrelated funding support in sponsored research agreements with Vir Biotechnology and Abbvie. Ethical Approval: The protocols were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee at the Washington University School of Medicine (Assurance number A3381-01).
Constructing and programming a cost-effective murine running wheel with digital revolution counter.

Voluntary wheel running is a valuable metabolic intervention and well-established measure of physical activity in preclinical rodent models. Herein, we describe detailed assembly instructions and provide necessary resources for researchers to build their own running wheels from commercial-off-the-shelf parts and an open-source program at approximately a tenth of the cost of commercially-available options.
IN THE SPIN

IN THE SPIN By Kate Beles, M.F.A. A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2008 Major Director: David Wojahn, Chair of Creative Writing, Associate Professor, Department of English In the Spin is a semi-autobiographical collection of poetry, dealing primarily with themes of family, marital infidelity, loyalty, the female body, and the tension between political vs. aesthetic existences. This is a collection of poems influenced by the work of French Feminism, Shakespeare and Faulkner, and hybrid lyric-narrative poets of the last fifty years.
Reclaiming Justice: The International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia and Local Courts

Ch. 1: Studying the ICTY Chapter 2: The ICTY, Its Constituency, and the Politics: The Battle for Hearts and Minds Chapter 3: Ethnicity and the Legitimacy of the ICTY Ch. 4: Individual and Collective Responsibility: Structural Pre-Conditionality, Smoking Gun Evidence, and Collective Responsibility Ch. 5: Distributive and Procedural Justice Ch. 6: Reclaiming Justice: The Ideal and the Reality
One-dimensional gamma-ray and photoneutron shielding calculations for the ELMO Bumpy Torus proof of principle device

One-dimensional radiation transport calculations have been performed to obtain estimates of the nuclear heat loads and biological dose rates due to bremsstrahlung gamma rays and photoneutrons in the ELMO Bumpy Torus proof of principle device. The bremsstrahlung gamma rays arise because of electron impingement on the magnetic coil assemblies, and these gamma rays in turn produce photoneutrons through interactions in the high-Z shielding materials. For a 1-MW electron power loss, /sup 238/U and tungsten coil shield thicknesses of 22.5 and 27.3 mm, respectively, were found sufficient to limit the nuclear heat load on a single superconducting coil to 10 W. The estimated lead and concrete primary shield thicknesses required to reduce the biological dose rate due to bremsstrahlung gamma rays to 2.5 mrem/h were calculated to be 0.318 and 1.92 m, respectively. Because of photoneutron production, however, lead by itself was not found to be an acceptable biological shield.
A Client-Based Web Prefetching Management System Based on Detection Theory

The two most commonly used Web browsers, Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer, lack Web prefetching capability, which can reduce time latency for retrieving Web documents over the Internet. In this paper, we propose a client-based Web prefetching management system, called CPMS, which is based on the caching schema of Netscape Navigator. CPMS includes a prefetching engine, which predicts and prefetches Web documents and their linked documents that have high hit rate, minimizes traffic increase, and reduces time latency in accessing Web documents. We adopt detection theory to determine the threshold value that dictates which Web documents and their links should be prefetched. Besides the prefetching engine, CPMS also provides a graphical interface that allows the user to activate, delete, and modify any computed prefetching schedule.
Human bullous pemphigoid antigen (BPAG1). Amino acid sequences deduced from cloned cDNAs predict biologically important peptide segments and protein domains.

Abstract Bullous pemphigoid antigens are defined as the autoantigens in a blistering skin disease, bullous pemphigoid. One of them, a 230-kDa protein (BPAG1), is associated with hemidesmosomes, attachment complexes at the basal keratinocyte-lamina lucida interface within the dermal-epidermal basement membrane zone. The precise functions and cellular compartmentalization of BPAG1 are unknown. In this study, a human keratinocyte lambda gt11 cDNA library was screened for clones corresponding to BPAG1. The composite of overlapping cDNAs delineated 8,930 base pairs of nucleotide sequences that contained an open reading frame encoding 2,649 amino acids. Analysis of the deduced amino acid sequences predicted a putative signal peptide of 43 amino acids and the presence of a membrane-associated sequence of 17 amino acids. Several potential sites for N-glycosylation, as well as for protein kinase C or cAMP- and cGMP-dependent protein kinase-mediated phosphorylation were identified. Three peptide segments were predicted to be highly antigenic, potentially serving as epitopes for the formation of autoantibodies. Eight repeat segments of 38 residues each with a high degree of homology with sequences in desmoplakin I, a component of desmosomal cytoplasmic plaques, were detected in the carboxyl-terminal end of the molecule. In addition, the presence of three subdomains characterized by heptad repeats predicted an alpha-helical coiled coil dimer structure in the central portion of the protein. These data suggest that BPAG1 may be a membrane-associated protein that plays a role in the attachment of basal keratinocytes to the underlying basement membrane.
Improving the long term outcome of schizophrenia

Relapse in schizophrenia remains common, despite its adverse consequences. Discontinuation of antipsychotic medication is a strong predictor of relapse in patients with schizophrenia. However, even when treatment with conventional antipsychotic drugs is continued, relapse still occurs in 30–50% of patients each year. The purpose of this study was to determine whether risk of relapse and residual psychopathology could be reduced and cognition and quality of life improved, by switching clinically stable subjects with schizophrenia from their usual antipsychotic drug to either risperidone (1–8 mg/day) or haloperidol (2.5–20 mg/day) for a minimum of one year.
Neointima formation in the rat carotid artery is exacerbated by dietary copper deficiency.

Dietary copper is an essential trace element with roles in both functional and structural aspects of the cardiovascular system. In particular, the vascular response to inflammatory stimuli is known to be significantly augmented in copper-deficient rats. The current study was designed to quantify the extent of injury-induced neointimal proliferation and stenosis in rats fed diets either adequate or deficient in copper. Male, weanling Sprague-Dawley rats were fed purified diets that were either adequate (CuA; 5.6 μg Cu/g) or deficient (CuD; 0.3 μg Cu/g) in copper for 4 weeks. Balloon injury was induced in the left external carotid arteries. Fourteen days after injury, histomorphometric analysis of cross-sections from carotid arteries showed increased neointimal formation in the CuD group compared with the CuA controls (neointima/media ratio: 4.55 ± 0.93 vs 1.45 ± 0.2, respectively). These results correspond with data indicating that the activity of Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD) is depressed in rats fed t...
Differential response of the murine IL-12 p35 gene to lipopolysaccharide compared with interferon-gamma and CD40 ligation.

Expression of the heterodimeric cytokine interleukin-(IL-)12 is induced by pattern recognition receptors responding to microbial stimuli such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and products of the immune system such as interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and CD40L. The formation of bioactive IL-12 requires equimolar synthesis of p35 and p40 subunits. However, p35 expression limits the amount of IL-12 formed. Transcription of the gene for the p35 subunit of IL-12 initiates within the first exon, an alternate first exon (exon 1a), or second exon. Here we show that LPS and IFN-gamma/CD40 ligation increase the amount of total p35 mRNA in splenic adherent cells (SAC) to a similar extent. However, the exon 1 transcript was a smaller fraction of total p35 mRNA in IFN-gamma/CD40-stimulated cells than in unstimulated or LPS-stimulated cells. Despite comparable levels of total p35 mRNA, LPS-induced p35 exon 1 transcripts led to significantly more bioactive IL-12 from SAC than IFN-gamma/CD40-induced exon 1a/exon 2 transcripts as measured by ELISA. The data suggest that LPS-inducible p35 synthesis from exon 1 p35 transcripts leads to greater amount of bioactive IL-12 than IFN-gamma/CD40-induced p35 expression from alternate p35 exon 1a/exon 2 transcripts.
Personal and Contextual Factors Supporting the Switch to Transit Use: Evaluating a Natural Transit Intervention

U.S. communities are becoming increasingly automobile dependent, with car use embedded in U.S. policies, practices, and preferences. To encourage transit use, transit systems too will require supporting policies, practices, and preferences. Light rail is currently enjoying some supportive policies, but research is just beginning to explore how psychological experiences might help support a switch to rail use. We propose a transactional approach to behavior change in which societal, physical environmental, and inter- and intrapersonal factors combine to support a new behavior. We illustrate this perspective at a university host site for the 2002 Olympics, where temporary parking shortages, the opening of a new light-rail transit line, and an outreach program enhanced the attractiveness of transit. Transit use was maintained by psychological satisfactions such as enjoyment of productive and pleasant activities during the ride, positive evaluations of the service qualities of light rail, and the view that light rail enhanced city livability. Results support the transactional approach and suggest directions for actions in transit promotion, environmentalism, and urban design.
Molecular Analysis of Age and Sex-related Gene Expression in Meniscal Tears with and without a Concomitant Anterior Cruciate Ligament Tear

Osteoarthritis of the knee is a common condition and a major cause of disability worldwide. Its complex pathogenesis remains poorly understood but appears multifactorial, with emerging evidence that osteoarthritis is not merely an articular cartilage disease, but a disease of the whole joint1,2, involving cartilage3, bone4, synovium5, and meniscus6,7. The meniscus functions as a load-bearing8 and shock-absorbing9 part of the tibiofemoral joint. Surgical procedures on the meniscus are the most commonly performed procedures in orthopaedics10,11, and approximately 50% of people with meniscal tears have radiographic evidence of osteoarthritis ten to twenty years after injury12. In the United States alone, 690,000 partial meniscectomies and almost one million additional knee arthroscopies, most of which involve at least some debridement of the meniscus, are performed each year13. An inverse relationship has been demonstrated between the function of the knee and the amount of meniscal tissue resected14. Substantially more cartilage degeneration and osteoarthritis have been found in knees with a total meniscectomy than in those with a partial meniscectomy15,16. We previously reported catabolic and anabolic responses to interleukin-1 (IL-1) and levels of gene expression in cartilage from patients with osteoarthritis17. Little is known about the metabolic activity of the meniscus at the time of resection and its relationship to systemic levels of markers for inflammation and for osteoarthritis. It is likely that the metabolic activity of the meniscus is affected by the same processes in the knee that affect the metabolic activity of the articular cartilage7. Furthermore, the metabolic activity of the meniscus at the time of meniscectomy may be predictive of future degenerative changes in the tibiofemoral joint. Thus, the activity of the meniscal tissue resected at the time of meniscectomy may provide important insight into the status of the overall joint health and potentially differentiate patients at risk for future progression of osteoarthritis. Gene expression in meniscal tears may depend on a number of patient-related factors, including age and sex, as well as the injury pattern. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that gene expression in meniscal tears varies depending on patient age and sex and on whether the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is also torn.
Exploring the Cooling Limit of Quantum Mechanical Oscillators via Optimization

Abstract In this work, we have studied the optimal cooling limit when cooling a quantum mechanical oscillator by coupling it to an auxiliary. Since this limit is necessarily confined by the energy transfer rate of the control, i.e., the magnitude of the spectrum of the control Hamiltonian, we search for the optimal control Hamiltonian that can achieve the maximal cooling fidelity, given a bounded energy transfer rate. First we analyze and present a class of Hamiltonian which generates the perfect cooling result in the absence of decoherence. Then with perturbation analysis, we further show that such Hamiltonian is also optimal at least to the first order of the dynamical dissipative terms. With the help of numerical optimization, we have studied cases with different damping rates of the system and the auxiliary, and derived the plot of the optimal cooling fidelity curve versus time as well as the optimal time point to achieve the maximal fidelity.
Evaluation of microwave hyperthermia applicators.

Hyperthermia has been used in conjunction with radiation and chemotherapy for cancer treatment. When using electromagnetic heating, applicators are critical components in contact with or in proximity to patients and can be the determining factor for effective and safe treatment. Tissue absorption of electromagnetic energy is determined by many factors. Three cases are shown to illustrate the complexity of microwave heating: 1) The BSD MA-151 applicator has good center heating on a muscle-only phantom as shown in the operation manual. When fat slabs of 0.25, 0.5, 1, and 2 cm thick were added, two hot spots near the periphery of the applicator were evident on all fat surfaces, exposed at 631 MHz. At 915 MHz, the heating was elongated on the surface of the models with 0.25- and 2-cm fat, and two hot spots were observed on the 0.5- and 1-cm fat surfaces. 2) Heating patterns of the Clini-Therm applicators on a muscle-only phantom, as indicated in the operations guide, are elliptical with their major axes perpendicular to the electric field. However, when a bolus is used, the elliptical pattern is parallel to the E field. 3) Heating patterns in cylindrical structures were studied with inhomogeneous models of limbs. Arm and thigh models consisting of fat, bone, and muscle material were heated with Clini-Therm L, M, and MS applicators at 915 MHz. In addition to the geometric effect, the results indicated that placing the applicators with E field parallel to the long axis of cylindrical structures can minimize required power, produce less heating of fats and reduce stray radiation. In conclusion, to apply penetrating microwave or other RF fields for tissue heating, one must simulate the clinical exposure conditions as closely as possible to obtain useful heating patterns. 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Spectral dependence of visible light absorption by carbonaceous particles emitted from coal combustion

Optical characteristics of particles that absorb visible light are needed to model their effects on atmospheric radiation. Light absorption by particles emitted from low-technology coal combustion has exhibited a strong spectral dependence. I investigate various explanations for this phenomenon and conclude that a spectrally dependent imaginary refractive index is the most plausible. Following previous work on the structure of amorphous carbon, I propose that both the magnitude and spectral dependence of light absorption are controlled by the size of graphitic clusters within the material, and can be described using the optical band-gap theory. This hypothesis is an alternative to the current measurement divisions of light-absorbing “black carbon” and non-absorbing “organic carbon,” and offers an explanation for preferential absorption at blue wavelengths that may extend to ultraviolet wavelengths.
Course Development in Socially Responsible Advertising and Promotion: An Interdisciplinary and Stakeholder Approach

This paper describes a course development project designed to address the obligation of consumer goods companies to engage in socially responsible advertising and promotion. Course development was informed by stakeholder theory. Videotaped interviews with 46 stakeholder representatives were integrated into the course, providing students with an "insider" perspective on the challenges and rewards of assuming a responsible approach to advertising and promotion. Student learning was evaluated quantitatively and qualitatively. Findings suggest that students engaged in critically reflective thought about the complexities inherent in responsible decision making related to advertising and promotion, including the potential effects of such decisions on varied stakeholders.
Coupled-channel analysis of proton inelastic scattering by 48Ti☆

Abstract Proton elastic and inelastic scattering to the first four excited states of 48 Ti has been measured at bombarding energies of 16.5, 18, 20, 22, and 24 MeV. These data have been analyzed using a coupled-channel calculation with a vibrational phonon model. The optical model parameters were chosen to vary smoothly with bombarding energy and the deformation parameters were chosen to be independent of bombarding energy. It was found that the amount of one-phonon states admixed in the two-phonon states is considerable.
Binding of thorium(IV) to carboxylate, phosphate and sulfate functional groups from marine exopolymeric substances (EPS)

Abstract Th(IV) isotopes are important proxies in oceanographic investigations, and are used as tracers of particle dynamics and particulate organic matter (POC) fluxes out of the euphotic zone through the use of 234 Th/POC ratios. These approaches rely on empirically determined and variable POC to 234 Th ratios, which might be controlled, in parts, by the abundance of exopolymeric substances (EPS). EPS contain acidic polysaccharides (APS) and are excreted by both phytoplankton and bacteria. To this end, radiotracer experiments with EPS from microbial cultures were conducted to determine the binding environment of 234 Th(IV)-binding ligands in colloids and suspended particles in marine systems. In these experiments, the 234 Th distribution during isoelectric focusing (IEF) and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) was related to the functional group composition of EPS and of colloidal organic matter (COM) isolated from the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) using cross-flow ultrafiltration. EPS was extracted from phytoplankton ( Emiliania huxleyi and Synechococcus elongatus ) and bacteria ( Sagittula stellata and Roseobacter gallaeciensis ) cultures by repeated alcohol precipitation. Phosphate and sulfate concentrations were determined using ion chromatography (IC). IEF profiles indicated that 49% to 65% of the 234 Th-labeled EPS from plankton and bacteria as well as COM samples from the GOM was found concentrated below pH of 4, near an isoelectric point, pH IEP , of about 2. The carboxylic acid maxima for extracted EPS and COM samples appeared close to the pH IEF of 234 Th(IV). The phosphate maximum appeared at the same pH IEF as 234 Th(IV) for EPS from R. gallaeciensis and S. elongatus . The sulfate maximum was found at the same pH IEF as 234 Th(IV) for EPS from S. elongatus and COM. The molecular weight (MW) of the strongly Th(IV)-binding ligand varied from 1 to 14 kDa, depending on the species, but was about 10 kDa in COM. Thus, depending on the species of plankton or bacteria, the MW and specific functional group composition of the strongly 234 Th(IV)-binding amphiphilic biomolecule can vary. Therefore, different acidic functional groups can, at times, contribute to the binding of Th(IV) to the EPS chelating ligand, which can also have different MWs. This implies that the binding environment for Th(IV), which is present at total concentrations at least a million times lower than the acid functional groups, consists of strong polydentate chelate complexes in clustered structures of carboxylate, sulfates and/or phosphates. The combination of strongly chelating groups and amphiphilicity gives this biomolecule the unique properties of a “sticky” ligand.
Low-energy electron diffraction, work function charge and mass spectrometric studies of chemisorption and dehydrogenation of cyclohexane, cyclohexene and 1,3-cyclohexadiene on the Pt(111) surface

Abstract Adsorption and reaction studies have been carried out using cyclohexane, cyclohexene, 1,3-cyclohexadiene, and benzene on the Pt(111) surface in order to determine the reactivity of the Pt(111) surface and to characterize stable surface species which occur during cyclohexane dehydrogenation. Cyclohexene is a long-lived surface species during the dehydrogenation of cyclohexane on the Pt(111) surface. Cyclohexane conversion to cyclohexene is not severely kinetically limited. Dehydrogenation of 1,3-cyclohexadiene to benzene proceeds rapidly to completion on the Pt(111) surface. The slow step in the dehydrogenation of cyclohexane to benzene appears to be the dehydrogenation of the cyclohexene intermediate. The cause of the slow reaction may be the orientation of the adsorbed cyclohexene relative to the catalyst surface.
MicroRNAs and their roles in aging

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of short non-coding RNAs that bind mRNAs through partial base-pair complementarity with their target genes, resulting in post-transcriptional repression of gene expression. The role of miRNAs in controlling aging processes has been uncovered recently with the discovery of miRNAs that regulate lifespan in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans through insulin and insulin-like growth factor-1 signaling and DNA damage checkpoint factors. Furthermore, numerous miRNAs are differentially expressed during aging in C. elegans, but the specific functions of many of these miRNAs are still unknown. Recently, various miRNAs have been identified that are up- or down-regulated during mammalian aging by comparing their tissue-specific expression in younger and older mice. In addition, many miRNAs have been implicated in governing senescence in a variety of human cell lines, and the precise functions of some of these miRNAs in regulating cellular senescence have helped to elucidate mechanisms underlying aging. In this Commentary, we review the various regulatory roles of miRNAs during aging processes. We highlight how certain miRNAs can regulate aging on the level of organism lifespan, tissue aging or cellular senescence. Finally, we discuss future approaches that might be used to investigate the mechanisms by which miRNAs govern aging processes.
Prisoners of Abstraction? The Theory and Measure of Genetic Variation, and the Very Concept of 'Race'

It is illegitimate to read any ontology about “race” off of biological theory or data. Indeed, the technical meaning of “genetic variation” is fluid, and there is no single theoretical agreed-upon criterion for defining and distinguishing populations given a particular set of genetic variation data. By analyzing three formal senses of “genetic variation,” viz., diversity, differentiation, and heterozygosity, we argue that the use of biological theory for making claims about race inevitably amounts to a pernicious reification. Biological theory does not force the concept of “race” upon us; our social discourse, social ontology, and social expectations do. We become prisoners of our abstractions at our own hands, and at our own expense.
The genetics of colorectal cancer.

Advances in molecular biology have greatly clarified our understanding of the pathophysiology of colorectal cancer development. A genetic model has been devised that associates a progression of genetic alterations with advancing stages of the adenoma-carcinoma sequence. The identification of essential genetic alterations during colorectal cancer development also has practical clinical application in the development of presymptomatic diagnostic tests, prognostic tests, and potential novel sites of tumor-specific therapy. This article reviews the genetic alterations that are believed to play an important role in the development of sporadic and hereditary forms of colorectal cancer as well as highlights their potential utility in clinical practice, particularly in the field of presymptomatic diagnostic testing for hereditary forms of colorectal cancer.
Use of paclitaxel in patients with pre-existing cardiomyopathy: a review of our experience.

Cardiac toxicity is frequently the indication for discontinuation of an anthracycline in patients with tumors which remain anthracycline-sensitive. During the 1990s, the most frequently used second-line agents at the Yale Cancer Center (YCC) were the taxanes. The goal of this retrospective analysis was to determine the effect of paclitaxel on cardiac function in patients with cardiomyopathy. YCC outpatient clinic pharmacy order forms were used to identify all patients who had received paclitaxel between December 1995 and November 1997. The clinic records of those patients with a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of < or = 50% were reviewed to determine the temporal relation between the decreased LVEF and paclitaxel therapy. In addition, clinic records were examined for evidence of prior doxorubicin therapy and history of prior cardiac disease. Between December 1995 and November 1997, 225 patients were treated with paclitaxel in the YCC outpatient clinic. Nine patients had LVEF < or = 50% (mean 37%) prior to initiation of paclitaxel therapy. Six of these patients had equilibrium radionuclide angiocardiographic (ERNA) scans following completion of paclitaxel. In these 6 patients, the mean change in LVEF was +6% (range -3% to +29%). Four patients had improved LVEF following paclitaxel (mean 11%, range 2% to 29%), while 2 patients experienced a decrease in LVEF following paclitaxel treatment (mean 2.5%). The 3 patients who did not have ERNA scans following paclitaxel therapy had no clinical evidence of congestive heart failure. Our experience confirms the results of prior studies that paclitaxel can be safely administered in patients with underlying cardiac dysfunction.
Model of Positive-Parity Baryon Excited States

The occurrence in nature of very high-spin baryons leads to the suggestion that they can be described as composites of high-spin baryons and mesons with low orbital angular momentum. As a consequence, there appears to be no limit beyond which the baryon spectrum cannot extend. We implement these ideas with a dynamical bootstrap model of positive-parity baryons employing $\mathrm{SU}(2)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}O(3)$ symmetry. We prove the consistency of this symmetry with our dynamics, and predict a spectrum in accord with the latest phase-shift analysis of the pion-nucleon system. We indicate how our model is described in a Regge theory of angular momentum trajectories, and we conclude with a comment on the negative-parity baryon spectrum.
Improved ceramic heat exchanger materials

The development and evaluation of materials for potential application as heat exchanger structures in automotive gas turbine engines is discussed. Test specimens in the form of small monolithic bars were evaluated for thermal expansion and dimensional stability before and after exposure to sea salt and sulfuric acid, followed by short and long term cycling at temperatures up to 1200 C. The material finally selected, GE-7808, consists of the oxides, ZrO2-MgO-Al2O3-S1O2, and is described generically as ZrMAS. The original version was based on a commercially available cordierite (MAS) frit. However, a clay/talc mixture was demonstrated to be a satisfactory very low cost source of the cordierite (MAS) phase. Several full size honeycomb regenerator cores, about 10.2 cm thick and 55 cm diameter were fabricated from both the frit and mineral versions of GE-7808. The honeycomb cells in these cores had rectangular dimensions of about 0.5 mm x 2.5 mm and a wall thickness of approximately 0.2 mm. The test data show that GE-7808 is significantly more stable at 1100 C in the presence of sodium than the aluminosilicate reference materials. In addition, thermal exposure up to 1100 C, with and without sodium present, results in essentially no change in thermal expansion of GE-7808.
The Effect of Meditation on the Academic Performance of African American College Students

With the dawn of the next millennium at arm's length, many individuals are starting to engage in practices that lead to altered states of consciousness. Altered states of consciousness refer to states other than the normal waking state, including sleep, meditation, the hypnotic trance, and the distorted perceptions that may be caused by the use of certain drugs (Rathus, 1997, p. G1). Meditation is one such process that alters one's consciousness. Meditation is a systematic narrowing of attention that slows the metabolism and helps produce feelings of relaxation (Rathus, 1997, p. G13). There are numerous forms of meditation, with two of the most used being transcendental and Egyptian. The goal is the same, yet the process is somewhat different. Transcendental meditation is a simplified form of Far Eastern meditation that was brought to the United States by the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in 1959 (Rathus, 1997). During the process, an individual repeats and concentrates on a mantra. Mantras are words or sounds that are claimed to have the capacity to help one achieve an altered state of consciousness. Egyptian meditation involves focusing on and visualizing an Egyptian symbol that represents a certain quality or characteristic. The purpose of focusing on the symbol is to obtain a particular goal (e.g., ward off enemies, to bring wealth or happiness). It also involves chanting words of power that correspond to the goal (Amen, 1990). Although these forms of
Mechanics of anatomic reduction of thoracolumbar burst fractures : comparison of distraction versus distraction plus lordosis, in the anatomic reduction of the thoracolumbar burst fracture

The adequate reduction of vertebral burst fractures is dependent on successful application of distractive forces in combination with the restoration of normal spinal lordosis. However, the optimal sequence of distraction in comparison to distraction plus lordosis in the anatomic restoration of the f
An Adenosine-Mediated Signaling Pathway Suppresses Prenylation of the GTPase Rap1B and Promotes Cell Scattering

During metastasis, cancer cells acquire the ability to dissociate from each other and migrate, which is recapitulated in vitro as cell scattering. The small guanosine triphosphatase (GTPase) Rap1 opposes cell scattering by promoting cell-cell adhesion, a function that requires its prenylation, or posttranslational modification with a carboxyl-terminal isoprenoid moiety, to enable its localization at cell membranes. Thus, signaling cascades that regulate the prenylation of Rap1 offer a mechanism to control the membrane localization of Rap1. We identified a signaling cascade initiated by adenosine A2B receptors that suppressed the prenylation of Rap1B through phosphorylation of Rap1B, which decreased its interaction with the chaperone protein SmgGDS (small GTPase guanosine diphosphate dissociation stimulator). These events promoted the cytosolic and nuclear accumulation of nonprenylated Rap1B and diminished cell-cell adhesion, resulting in cell scattering. We found that nonprenylated Rap1 was more abundant in mammary tumors than in normal mammary tissue in rats and that activation of adenosine receptors delayed Rap1B prenylation in breast, lung, and pancreatic cancer cell lines. Our findings support a model in which high concentrations of extracellular adenosine, such as those that arise in the tumor microenvironment, can chronically activate A2B receptors to suppress Rap1B prenylation and signaling at the cell membrane, resulting in reduced cell-cell contact and promoting cell scattering. Inhibiting A2B receptors may be an effective method to prevent metastasis.
Effects of Survival on the Attractiveness of Cues to Natal Dispersers

Abstract: Habitat selection by natal dispersers is one of several contexts in which preexisting biases interact with experience to affect the attractiveness of cues from biologically significant items. Here we use a Bayesian approach to explore the conditions that favor this phenomenon. We demonstrate that the simplest possible type of natal experience—namely, survival to the age/stage of dispersal—can increase the attractiveness of cues from an individual’s natal habitat relative to the attractiveness of those same cues to naive individuals. The effects of survivorship on cue attractiveness are strongest when the quality of the habitat that produces that cue varies widely across large spatial or temporal scales, when that type of habitat is rarely of high quality, and when offspring survivorship provides a reliable indication of the quality of that type of habitat at the current time and locality. More generally, the framework outlined here may also apply to other situations in which extended exposure to...
CORONARY HEART DISEASE AND HYPERTENSION IN THE WHITE MOUNTAIN APACHE TRIBE.

Investigation of the members of the White Mountain Apache Tribe has confirmed our clinical experience that coronary artery disease is extremely rare in these people. The Apaches eat a diet low in saturated fat and have a correspondingly low mean serum cholesterol level. Older Apache males tend to have lower cholesterols than the younger men. A surprisingly high prevalence of high blood pressure was found, particularly in young men. A brief discussion of similar studies is included. Further investigation of this relatively stable socioeconomic and racial group is needed.
Evolution of surface morphology of polar and nonpolar GaN thin films during photoelectrochemical etching

The surface morphologies of unintentionally doped epitaxial laterally overgrown c-plane and a-plane GaN samples subjected to photoelectrochemical (PEC) etching in aqueous KOH is reported. By maintaining the etch in the carrier-limited regime, elucidation of the optically and electrically active defects can be achieved. Results correlating surface morphologies after PEC etching with TEM results verify the reduction of threading dislocations in the overgrown wing regions, as compared with the windows (seed regions) for both a- and c-plane GaN ELO samples. Also, within and near the window regions of the a-GaN ELO samples, PEC etching reveals a significant amount of basal stacking faults that propagate to the surface. This work represents a systematic evaluation of the effects of PEC etching on polar and nonpolar surfaces of the GaN layers grown by the conventional ex situ ELO method. The surface morphology and the whisker densities after PEC etching of c-plane GaN samples grown using SiN x nanonetwork mask layers, a method referred to as in situ nano-ELO, also indicates significant improvement of the material quality. The identification of variations in surface morphology at different times during PEC etching of GaN may have utility in that the assessment of the material quality can be made and assorted nanopattems of GaN surfaces can be intentionally achieved in a controllable, large-scale, and inexpensive manner.
Location of alkali metal binding sites in endothelin A selective receptor antagonists, cyclo(D-Trp-D-Asp-Pro-D-Val-Leu) and cyclo(D-Trp-D-Asp-Pro-D-Ile-Leu), from multistep collisionally activated decompositions.

We previously showed by using mass spectrometry that endothelin A selective receptor antagonists BQ123 and JKC301 form novel coordination compounds with sodium ions. This property may underlie the ability of an ETA antagonist to induce net tubular sodium reabsorption in the proximal tubule cells and reverse acute renal failure induced by severe ishemia. We have now defined the metal binding sites on BQ123 and JKC301 by subjecting the metal-containing peptides to multiple stages of collisionally activated decomposition (CAD) in an ion trap mass spectrometer. When submitted to low-energy CAD, the ring opens at the Asp–Pro amide bond. The metal ion, which bonds, inter alia, to the carbonyl oxygen of the proline residue, acts as a fixed charge site, and directs a charge-remote, sequence-specific fragmentation of the ring-opened peptide. Amino acid residues are sequentially cleaved from the C-terminal end, and the terminal aziridinone structure moves one step toward the N-terminus with each C-terminal amino acid residue removed. These observations are the basis of a new method to sequence cyclic peptides. Amino acid residues are observed as sets of three ions, , and , where n is the number of amino acid residues in the peptide. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Visual-reinforcer color-and operant behavior in Siamese fighting fish

Male Siamese Fighting Fish (Betta splendens) were conditioned to emit an operant response sequence reinforced by presentation of a model of a male Siamese Fighting Fish in aggressive display. Operant response rate varied as a function of the color of the model with respect to the color of the subject.
Thymidine-dependent growth of Physarum polycephalum amoebae treated with methotrexate in axenic culture.

Abstract Low levels of methotrexate block the growth of Physarum amoebae in axenic culture. The block is readily reversed by adding thymidine to the medium.
Formation and stabilization of the collagen-fold.

Abstract The mutarotation of ichthyocol gelatin at low temperatures has been examined over a wide range of protein concentrations in the region below the gelation level. The rates of mutarotation as well as the final values of specific rotation are shown to be independent of concentration suggesting that the configurational changes responsible for rotation depend on intramolecular events. Some type of hydrogen bonding appears to be involved in the formation and stabilization of the collagen-fold since no mutarotation is observed in concentrated aqueous solutions of urea or guanidine-HCl. Moreover, the melting profiles of chilled gelatin solutions in H 2 O and D 2 O reveal a significant increase in melting temperature (3.7 °C.) in D 2 O over that in H 2 O. Rate measurements of mutarotation reveal that (1) the process obeys second-order kinetics with respect to the amount of gelatin in the unfolded configuration; and (2) the rate of mutarotation at a fixed low temperature is much greater in D 2 O than in H 2 O. A mechanism for the formation of the collagen-fold is proposed in which water molecules act to stabilize the collagen-fold configuration through formation of doubly hydrogen-bonded bridges between adjacent carbonyl groups. The kinetics are interpreted in terms of an intramolecular crystallization process originating from preformed nuclei.
Sensory nerve supply of the human oro- and laryngopharynx: A preliminary study

To date, the details of human sensory innervation to the pharynx and upper airway have not been demonstrated. In this study, a single human oro- and laryngopharynx obtained from autopsy was processed with a whole-mount nerve staining technique, Sihler's stain, to determine its entire sensory nerve supply. The Sihler's stain rendered all mucosa and soft tissue translucent while counterstaining nerves. The stained specimen was then dissected and the nerves were traced from their origins to the terminal branches. It was found that the sensory innervation of the human pharynx is organized into discrete primary branches that innervate specific areas, although these areas are often connected by small neural anastomoses. The density of innervation varied, with some areas receiving almost no identifiable nerve supply (e.g., posterior wall of the hypopharynx) and certain areas contained much higher density of sensory nerves: the posterior tonsillar pillars; the laryngeal surface of the epiglottis; and the postcricoid and arytenoid regions. The posterior tonsillar pillar was innervated by a dense plexus formed by the pharyngeal branches of the IX and X nerves. The epiglottis was densely innervated by the internal superior laryngeal nerve (ISLN) and IX nerve. Finally, the arytenoid and postcricoid regions were innervated by the ISLN. The postcricoid region had higher density of innervation than the arytenoid area. The use of the Sihler's stain allowed the entire sensory nerve supply of the pharyngeal areas in a human to be demonstrated for the first time. The areas of dense sensory innervation are the same areas that are known to be the most sensitive for triggering reflex swallowing or glottic protection. The data would be useful for further understanding swallowing reflex and guiding sensory reinnervation of the pharynx to treat neurogenic dysphagia and aspiration disorders.
Mental models in narrative comprehension

Readers of stories construct mental models of the situation and characters described. They infer causal connections relating characters' actions to their goals. They also focus attention on characters' movements, thereby activating nearby parts of the mental model. This activation is revealed in readers' faster answering of questions about such parts, with less facilitation the greater their distance from the focus. Recently visited as well as imagined locations are also activated for several seconds. These patterns of temporary activation facilitate comprehension.
Co-evolution of human consciousness and language (revisited).

This article discusses the view that human consciousness may share aspects of "animal awareness" with other species, but has its unique form because humans possess language. Two ingredients of a theory of the evolution of human consciousness are offered: the view that a precis of intended activity is necessarily formed in the brain of a human that communicates in a human way; and the notion that such a precis underwrites the uniquely human aspect of consciousness.
Synthesis of the ladybug alkaloids (±)-propyleine and (±)-isopropyleine. Modification of the published structure of propyleine

Abstract The total syntheses of the ladybug alkaloids (±)-propyleine and (±)-isopropyleine are described. Evidence that the alkaloid propyleine is actually a rapidly interconverting mixture of propyleine and a previously unknown isomer isopropyleine is presented.
Insertion-Deletions In a FADS2 Intron 1 Conserved Regulatory Locus Control Expression Of Fatty Acid Desaturases 1 and 2 And Modulate Response To Simvastatin

Abstract The fatty acid desaturase genes (FADS1 and FADS2) code for enzymes required for synthesis of omega-3 and omega-6 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) important in the central nervous system, inflammatory response, and cardiovascular health. SNPs in these genes are associated with numerous health outcomes, but it is unclear how genetic variation affects enzyme function. Here, lymphoblasts obtained from Japanese participants in the International HapMap Project were evaluated for association of expression microarray results with SNPs in the FADS gene cluster. Six SNPs in the first intron of the FADS2 gene were associated with FADS1 expression. A 10-SNP haplotype in FADS2 (rs2727270 to rs2851682) present in 24% of the population was associated with lower expression of FADS1. A highly conserved region coinciding with the most significant SNPs contained predicted binding sites for SREBP and PPARγ. Lymphoblasts homozygous for either the major or minor haplotype were treated with agonists for these transcription factors and expression of FADS1 and FADS2 determined. Simvastatin and the LXR agonist GW3965 both upregulated expression of FADS1 and FADS2; no response was found for PPARγ agonist rosiglitazone. The minor haplotype homozygotes had 20–40% higher induction of FADS1 and FADS2 after simvastatin or GW3965 treatment. A 22 bp polymorphic insertion–deletion (INDEL) was found 137 bp downstream from the putative sterol response element, as well as a 3 or 1 bp INDEL 81–83 bp downstream. All carriers of the minor haplotype had deletions while all carriers of the major haplotype had insertions. Individuals carrying the minor haplotype may be vulnerable to alterations in diet that reduce LCPUFA intake, and especially responsive to statin or marine oil therapy.
Permian Facies in Eastern Nevada: ABSTRACT

The Summit Springs Unit No. 1 well drilled by the Standard of California and Continental Oil companies in northwestern White Pine County, Nevada, penetrated 5,200 feet of sediments containing 23% gypsum and anhydrite beds. Wolfcampian fusulinids occur in beds underlying the lowest gypsum. The presence of evaporites had not been suspected from studies of the outcrops. Shows of oil and gas were encountered in this sequence of beds. Lack of knowledge precludes consideration of a barrier between the evaporites and the open sea. End_of_Article - Last_Page 954------------
Service with a smile: a new perspective on internal communications

Devising an internal communications strategy is probably the easy bit. Delivering it, especially in a service organization, is the hard part. Of course, it shouldn’t be that difficult for an organization that works like a well‐oiled machine, should it? Except that businesses are not like machines. They’re like human beings: organic, unpredictable, and with key working parts that aren’t entirely under your control. Instead of nice, uniform cogs that go round and round when you press a button – you’ve got people.