cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Progesterone Signaling and Mammary Gland Morphogenesis

Progesterone was identified as a mammogenichormone several years ago but until now its precise rolein mammary development has remained obscure. Recentlywith the generation of several transgenic mouse models and development of reagents for analysisof progesterone receptor expression, the role ofprogesterone signaling in mammary development isbecoming more clear. The most significant observationsto emerge from these studies are (1) progesteronereceptors (PR)4 are present in a heterogeneous manner inthe epithelial cells and undetectable in the surroundingfat pad; (2) they are essential for lobuloalveolar and not for ductal morphogenesis; (3)progesterone signaling through progesterone receptors,leading to lobuloalveolar development, is initiated inthe epithelium and may occur through paracrinemechanisms; and (4) a regulated expression of the twoisoforms of progesterone receptor is critical formaintaining appropriate responsiveness to progesteroneand hence, epithelial cell replicative homeostasis.These studies also reveal that the consequences ofprogesterone signaling through progesterone receptor maydepend on the cell context, cell-cell andcell-extracellular matrix interactions, the dynamics ofPR turnover and the fate of PR positivecells.
Liguid Crystalline Esters of Phenylhydroquinone and 3-Phenyl 4-Hydroxybenzoic Acid

Two new series of diester liquid crystals were prepared. The central benzene ring in each case was laterally substituted with a bulky phenyl group. The transition temperatures were determined by DSC along with the values of ΔS and ΔH for one series. The thermodynamic parameters were compared with those of known series in which the lateral substituents were less bulky. It was concluded that the mechanism resulting in the large decrease in transition temperature in the subject compound is quite different from that found in the other series which has been studied.
Self-Repair of Structure and Bioactivity in a Supramolecular Nanostructure

Supramolecular nanostructures formed through self-assembly can have energy landscapes, which determine their structures and functions depending on the pathways selected for their synthesis and processing and on the conditions they are exposed to after their initial formation. We report here on the structural damage that occurs in supramolecular peptide amphiphile nanostructures, during freezing in aqueous media, and the self-repair pathways that restore their functions. We found that freezing converts long supramolecular nanofibers into shorter ones, compromising their ability to support cell adhesion, but a single heating and cooling cycle reverses the damage and rescues their bioactivity. Thermal energy in this cycle enables noncovalent interactions to reconfigure the nanostructures into the thermodynamically preferred long nanofibers, a repair process that is impeded by kinetic traps. In addition, we found that nanofibers disrupted during freeze-drying also exhibit the ability to undergo thermal self-r...
The Data Librarian’s Handbook

In The Data Librarian’s Handbook, authors Robin Rice and John Southall have used their thirty years’ combined experience as data librarians to create a well-organized guide that instructs readers on key data management concepts and provides practical advice.
Influence of Short-Range Scrambling of Monomer Order on the Hydrolysis Behaviors of Sequenced Degradable Polyesters

The extent to which small changes in monomer sequence affect the behaviors of biological macromolecules is studied regularly, yet the dependence of bulk properties on small sequence alterations is underexplored for synthetic copolymers. Investigations of this type are limited by the arduous syntheses required, lack of scalability, and scarcity of examples of polymer systems that are known to exhibit sensitive sequence/property dependencies. Our group has previously explored the hydrolysis behaviors of a library of sequenced poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)s and found a strong correlation with the L–G sequence. To investigate the degree to which properties are dominated in this system by relatively short-range sequence changes, we have incorporated precisely sequenced and mildly “scrambled” L–G oligomers into cyclic macromonomers and subjected them to entropy-driven ring-opening metathesis polymerization, a method that we have recently shown produces polymers with molecular weight control and sequence preserv...
eRevis(ing): Students' Revision of Text Evidence Use in an Automated Writing Evaluation System

Abstract We investigate students’ implementation of the feedback messages they received in an automated writing evaluation system (eRevise) that aims to improve students’ use of text evidence in their writing. Seven 5th and 6th-grade teachers implemented eRevise (n = 143 students). Qualitative analysis of students’ essays across first and second drafts suggests that the majority of students made changes to their essays that were in line with the feedback they received, though few of these changes resulted in substantive improvement in essay quality. Twenty percent of students did not attempt to implement the feedback; these students generally made small changes to wording or mechanics. In response to the feedback to add more evidence, students whose essays did not improve or showed only slight improvement frequently added in evidence that was not text based or repeated evidence already present in the first draft. When prompted to explain how the evidence they included connected to their claim, many students paraphrased the evidence, added a short conclusion, or explained generally how the evidence supports claims (not how this was instantiated in their writing). Implications for teaching argument writing and for designing AWE systems that support students to successfully revise their essays are discussed.
Determination of species yield of ion sources used for intense neutral beam injector

Abstract For efficient plasma heating, ion sources of neutral beam injectors should be capable of producing ion beams with an atomic fraction of 90% or higher. Diagnostic techniques for quantitatively determining source species yield have been developed and evaluated. These include a magnetic momentum analysis of the unneutralized ions passing through the neutralizer, an energy analysis of the atomic beam by electrostatic separation of ions emanating from a stripping cell, and a quantity versus implantation depth analysis of hydrogen implanted in a crystal by the Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometer (SIMS) technique. The operational features and the advantages and disadvantages of each technique will be discussed. If the effects of beamlet optics, energy straggling in the accelerator, and neutralizer gas scattering are taken into account, the results of the measurements using the three techniques are shown to be mutually consistent within experimental error.
Triggering of the cGAS-STING pathway in human plasmacytoid dendritic cells inhibits TLR9-mediated IFN production

Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) are potent producers of type I and type III IFNs and play a major role in antiviral immunity and autoimmune disorders. The innate sensing of nucleic acids remains the major initiating factor for IFN production by pDCs. TLR-mediated sensing of nucleic acids via endosomal pathways has been studied and documented in detail, whereas the sensing of DNA in cytosolic compartment in human pDCs remains relatively unexplored. We now demonstrate the existence and functionality of the components of cytosolic DNA-sensing pathway comprising cyclic GMP-AMP (cGAMP) synthase (cGAS) and stimulator of IFN gene (STING) in human pDCs. cGAS was initially located in the cytosolic compartment of pDCs and time-dependently colocalized with non-CpG double-stranded immunostimulatory DNA (ISD). Following the colocalization of ISD with cGAS, the downstream pathway was triggered as STING disassociated from its location at the endoplasmic reticulum. Upon direct stimulation of pDCs by STING agonist 2'3' cGAMP or dsDNA, pDC-s produced type I, and type III IFN. Moreover, we documented that cGAS-STING-mediated IFN production is mediated by nuclear translocation of IRF3 whereas TLR9-mediated activation occurs through IRF7. Our data also indicate that pDC prestimulation of cGAS-STING dampened the TLR9-mediated IFN production. Furthermore, triggering of cGAS-STING induced expression of SOCS1 and SOCS3 in pDCs, indicating a possible autoinhibitory loop that impedes IFN production by pDCs. Thus, our study indicates that the cGAS-STING pathway exists in parallel to the TLR9-mediated DNA recognition in human pDCs with cross-talk between these two pathways.
The moderating effect of distance on features of the built environment and active school transport

Despite growing research supporting the impact of the built environment on active school transport (AST), distance persists as the most powerful predictor of walking and biking to school. There is a need to better understand how environmental features interact with distance to affect AST, and whether the influence of environmental factors persist across different distance thresholds. Multilevel models using cluster-robust standard errors were used to examine for interactions between objectively measured macroscale environmental features and several reported distances from home to school (up to ¼, ¼ up to ½, ½ up to 1, 1+ miles) on the likelihood of parent reported AST for children grades 3-8 (n = 2751) at 35 schools who completed a Safe Routes to School Parent Survey about Walking and Biking to School (SRTS Parent Survey). An interaction between both intersection density and food-related land use with distance was observed. The likelihood of AST decreased as intersection density and distance increased (i.e., 31.0% reduced odds among those living within ¼ mile compared to 18.2% using ½-1-mile criterion). The likelihood of using AST were reduced as food-related land use and distance increased (i.e., 43.67% reduced odds among those living under ¼ mile compared to 19.83% reduced odds among those living ½-1 mile). Programs and infrastructure improvements focused on overcoming environmental barriers to promote AST may be most effective when targeting neighborhoods within ¼ mile of schools.
Folding, Cycles and Chaos in Discrete Planar Systems

We discuss the method of folding and its application to identifying and proving the existence of cycles and the occurrence of chaos in systems of rational difference equations with variable coefficients. These include some systems that converge to autonomous systems and some that do not; e.g., systems with periodic coefficients.
Thermodiffusion: The physico-chemical mechanics view

Thermodiffusion in liquids (the Soret effect) has several unusual properties. In particular, transport can occur with or against a temperature gradient depending on the case. Numerous empirical correlations have been proposed with mixed success or range of applicability. Here, we show that physicochemical mechanics, derived from the Smoluchowski equation as a description of diffusive transport phenomena, is in accord with the experimental and simulated thermodiffusion data from colloidal beads and biomacromolecules to ionic solutions and ultracold fluid mixtures. It yields a simple formula for the Soret coefficient ST based on the reference molar entropy including non-ideality. Hydrodynamic and local non-equilibrium effects are discussed but not included as these are apparently not a major contribution for the wide range of solutes under the near-equilibrium experimental conditions considered here.
Acute cardiovascular responses to a single bout of high intensity inspiratory muscle strength training in healthy young adults.

Previous studies show 6 weeks of high intensity, low volume inspiratory muscle strength training (IMST) lowers blood pressure (BP) and systemic vascular resistance in young adults. However, the acu...
Genetic rearrangement during site specific integration event facilitates cell line development of a bispecific molecule

Site Specific Integration (SSI) expression systems offer robust means of generating highly productive and stable cell lines for traditional monoclonal antibodies. As complex modalities such as antibody-like molecules comprised of greater than two peptides become more prevalent, greater emphasis needs to be placed on the ability to produce appreciable quantities of the correct product of interest (POI). The ability to screen several transcript stoichiometries could play a large role in ensuring high amounts of the correct POI. Here we illustrate implementation of an SSI expression system with a single site of integration for development and production of a multi-chain, bi-specific molecule. A SSI vector with a single copy of all of the genes of interest (GOIs) was initially selected for stable Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) transfection. While the resulting transfection pools generated low levels of the desired heterodimer, utilizing an intensive clone screen strategy, we were able to identify clones having significantly higher levels of POI. An in-depth genotypic characterization of clones having the desirable phenotype revealed that a duplication of the light chain within the landing pad was responsible for producing the intended molecule. Retrospective transfection pool analysis using a vector configuration mimicking the transgene configuration found in the clones, as well as other vector configurations, yielded more favorable results with respect to % POI. Overall, the study demonstrated that despite the theoretical static nature of the SSI expression system, enough heterogeneity existed to yield clones having significantly different transgene phenotypes/genotypes and support production of a complex multi-chain molecule. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Race and other sociodemographic categories are differentially linked to multiple dimensions of interpersonal-level discrimination: Implications for intersectional, health research.

Objectives To examine whether intersections of race with other key sociodemographic categories contribute to variations in multiple dimensions of race- and non-race-related, interpersonal-level discrimination and burden in urban-dwelling African Americans and Whites. Methods Data from 2,958 participants aged 30–64 in the population-based Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span (HANDLS) study were used to estimate up to four-way interactions of race, age, gender, and poverty status with reports of racial and everyday discrimination, discrimination across multiple social statuses, and related lifetime discrimination burden in multiple regression models. Results We observed that: 1) African Americans experienced all forms of discrimination more frequently than Whites, but this finding was qualified by interactions of race with age, gender, and/or poverty status; 2) older African Americans, particularly African American men, and African American men living in poverty reported the greatest lifetime discrimination burden; 3) older African Americans reported greater racial discrimination and greater frequency of multiple social status-based discrimination than younger African Americans; 4) African American men reported greater racial and everyday discrimination and a greater frequency of social status discrimination than African American women; and, 5) White women reported greater frequency of discrimination than White men. All p’s < .05. Conclusions Within African Americans, older, male individuals with lower SES experienced greater racial, lifetime, and multiple social status-based discrimination, but this pattern was not observed in Whites. Among Whites, women reported greater frequency of discrimination across multiple social statuses and other factors (i.e., gender, income, appearance, and health status) than men. Efforts to reduce discrimination-related health disparities should concurrently assess dimensions of interpersonal-level discrimination across multiple sociodemographic categories, while simultaneously considering the broader socioecological context shaping these factors.
Changing vulnerability for hurricane evacuation during a pandemic: Issues and anticipated responses in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract Hurricane evacuations during a pandemic require a revised understanding of vulnerabilities within communities and the development of different strategies and policies to accommodate the needs of populations vulnerable to the combined hurricane-pandemic threat. The prolonged COVID-19 pandemic has added economic, psychological, social, health, and workforce stressors to communities across the United States. Using original research data from workshops held in May 2020 involving emergency management, public health, and related experts to support planning efforts for hurricane evacuation and sheltering, we analyze two key issues: (1) shifting sources of vulnerability in a COVID-19 environment and (2) solutions proposed during the post-lockdown/pre-vaccine time frame. We discuss findings in the context of policy integration options to solidify and expand protections for populations in need of evacuation and sheltering assistance. Findings show that vulnerabilities associated with underlying health conditions and socio-economic disparities were of increased concern to evacuation and shelter planners. Non-congregate options were of interest but were not expected to accommodate all populations in need of public assistance. Registries used in some states offer means with which to evaluate vulnerabilities and align individuals and families with appropriate resources and facilities. There remains a need to expand and standardize existing policies based on COVID-19 operating protocols to ensure inclusivity of socio-economically disadvantaged and disabled individuals in hurricane preparation efforts.
Residential Photovoltaics Adopters Versus Considerers in the United States

Despite rising interest in residential photovoltaics (PV), the percentage of homeowners who have installed them remains low. This study seeks to understand systematic behavioral differences between *PV adopters* and *PV considerers*. PV considerers have talked to an installer but have not yet installed PV. Our results suggest that, compared to adopters, considerers have a lower degree of risk aversion, higher scores in terms of pro-environmental norms, and higher levels of novelty seeking and independent decision making.
Beamtenethos – Anachronismus oder Bedingung des Rechtsstaats?

Der Beitrag befasst sich mit dem Begriff und dem Phanomen „Beamtenethos“. Dieses wird vor dem Hintergrund der verfassungsrechtlichen Rahmenbedingungen des Berufsbeamtentums, zumal der Unabhangigkeit des Beamten interpretiert und konkretisiert. Beamtenethos manifestiert sich insbesondere in der Bereitschaft zur Remonstration und in einer Absage an politisch gewunschte oder gar opportunistische Amtsfuhrung.
The Tragic Vision of Politics: Ethics, Interests and Orders

Is it possible to preserve national security through ethical policies? Richard Ned Lebow seeks to show that ethics are actually essential to the national interest. Recapturing the wisdom of classical realism through a close reading of the texts of Thucydides, Clausewitz and Hans Morgenthau, Lebow argues that, unlike many modern realists, classic realists saw close links between domestic and international politics, and between interests and ethics. Lebow uses this analysis to offer a powerful critique of post-Cold War American foreign policy. He also develops an ontological foundation for ethics and makes the case for an alternate ontology for social science based on Greek tragedy's understanding of life and politics. This is a topical and accessible book, written by a leading scholar in the field.
Abstract 20440: Cardiovascular Events in a Physical Activity Intervention as Compared to a Successful Aging Intervention: The LIFE Study Randomized Trial

Background: There is little clinical trial evidence that sustained physical activity can prevent cardiovascular disease (CVD) in older adults. The LIFE Study was a multi-center randomized trial comparing sustained, structured physical activity (PA) to health education/successful aging (SA) to prevent mobility disability in older sedentary men and women. Cardiovascular morbidity and mortality was a secondary endpoint. Methods: Eligible participants (N=1635, 67% women, aged 70-89 years) were randomized to PA vs. SA. Eligibility criteria included being sedentary with a score <10/12 on a short physical performance battery (SPPB), indicating higher risk for disability. Prevalent CVD was 30% at baseline. The PA intervention was a structured moderate intensity program, predominantly aerobic (walking), with resistance and flexibility exercises, at least five days weekly, 2x per week on site for 2.6 years on average. The SA intervention consisted of weekly health education sessions for six months, then monthly. CVD was assessed every 6 months, including fatal and non-fatal MI, angina, stroke and transient ischemic attack, peripheral artery disease including abdominal aortic aneurysm and all revascularizations. Hospital records were reviewed and adjudicated for CVD events by committee. Silent MI was assessed by ECG at 18 and 36 months. Results: Incident CVD occurred in 14.4% (n=118/818) of PA and 13.8% (113/817) of SA participants (HR=1.07, 95%CI=0.82-1.38. Using a narrower endpoint of MI, stroke or cardiovascular death, rates were 8.9% in PA and 8.7% in PA groups respectively with HR = 1.04 (95% CI=0.75-1.45). There were no significant differences in rates of incident vs. recurrent CVD. Among participants with SPPB <8, CVD rates were 13.8% in PA vs 17.7% in SA with HR = 0.74 (95%CI=0.51-1.08), compared to 14.8% vs.10.5% (HR = 1.54 (95%CI=1.06-2.24) among those with SPPB of 8 or 9 (p for interaction = 0.007). Conclusions: Among participants in the LIFE Study, an aerobically-based, moderately intensive PA program did not reduce cardiovascular events overall. However, the intervention was more protective in lower functioning participants. Hypotheses to explain differences by functional status could be addressed with continued follow-up.
Somatoform and Factitious Disorders

Patients presenting with somatoform or factitious disorders often incur excessive health-care charges and fail to respond to standard treatment. The purpose of this chapter is to examine evidence-based treatments for somatoform and factitious disorders. Also, an overview of the diagnostic criteria and demographic and clinical characteristics of the disorders is provided. A review of the published literature indicates that cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) has been empirically supported for somatization, hypochondriasis, body dysmorphic disorder as well as for two related conditions, irritable bowel syndrome and chronic fatigue syndrome; however, there is little data on the impact of treatment on health-care utilization, especially when the cost of CBT is factored in to the equation. Too few methodologically sound studies have been published on the treatment of conversion disorder, of pain disorder, or of factitious disorder to make any conclusions. Keywords: somatoform disorders; factitious disorders; somatization; hypochondriasis; body dysmorphic disorder; irritable bowel syndrome; chronic fatigue syndrome; fibromyalgia; cognitive behavior therapy; treatment
Abstract P328: Effects of Subclinical Disease on Cognitive Function across Age in African Americans

Objectives: Determine relationships between calcification and cognitive function. Background: Dementia affects over 5.4 million Americans; prevalence will quadruple in the next 50 years. Coronary artery calcification (CAC), a measure of subclinical atherosclerosis, may affect cognitive function through microvascular brain effects. Abdominal aortoiliac calcification (AAC) generally precedes CAC and may provide earlier risk determination. Effects of calcification on cognition have not been studied in African Americans (AA). Methods: The 2008-2011 GENOA CAC cohort consists of AA sibships (n=657, mean age 69 [range 40-98], 74% women, 82% hypertensive) enriched with hypertension from Jackson, MS with computed tomography (CT) Agatston calcification measures. Cognition was assessed in 4 domains: global cognitive function (Mini-Mental State Examination); processing speed (Digit Symbol Substitution and Trail Making A); memory (RAVLT and WAIS-III Incidental Learning); and executive function (Trail Making B). Relati...
Providing Humane Stewardship for Wildlife: The Case Against Sport Hunting

It is a pleasure for me to be here today to address this important symposium on an increasingly controversial topic: sport hunting of wildlife. But we are talking about more than sport hunting. We are implicitly discussing the need for humans to provide humane stewardship for wildlife both for the sake of wildlife and for the sake of ourselves. One way to begin this is to challenge the killing of wild animals for fun, that is, sport hunting, in America at large and on National Wildlife Refuges.
Spin-orbit coupling, strong correlation, and insulator-metal transitions: The J eff =3/2 ferromagnetic Dirac-Mott insulator Ba 2 NaOsO 6

The double perovskite ${\mathrm{Ba}}_{2}{\mathrm{NaOsO}}_{6}$ (BNOO), an exotic example of a very high oxidation state (heptavalent) osmium ${d}^{1}$ compound and also uncommon by being a ferromagnetic open $d$-shell (Mott) insulator without Jahn-Teller (JT) distortion, is modeled using a density functional theory based hybrid functional incorporating exact exchange for correlated electronic orbitals and including the large spin-orbit coupling (SOC). The experimentally observed narrow-gap ferromagnetic insulating ground state is obtained, but only when including spin-orbit coupling, making this a Dirac-Mott insulator. The calculated easy axis along [110] is in accord with experiment, providing additional support that this approach provides a realistic method for studying this system. The predicted spin density for [110] spin orientation is nearly cubic (unlike for other directions), providing an explanation for the absence of JT distortion. An orbital moment of $\ensuremath{-}0.4{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{B}$ strongly compensates the $+0.5{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{B}$ spin moment on Os, leaving a strongly compensated moment more in line with experiment. Remarkably, the net moment lies primarily on the oxygen ions. An insulator-metal transition, by rotating the magnetization direction with an external field under moderate pressure, is predicted as one consequence of strong SOC, and metallization under moderate pressure is predicted. Comparison is made with the isostructural, isovalent insulator ${\mathrm{Ba}}_{2}{\mathrm{LiOsO}}_{6}$, which, however, orders antiferromagnetically.
A comparison of temporal patterns in the ocean spatial distribution of California's Central Valley Chinook salmon runs

We developed a broadly applicable method for estimating stock-specific spatial distributions based on patterns in contacts per unit effort determined from data collected in ocean fisheries. The method fully accounts for fishing effort and quantifies uncertainty in total contacts due to sampling error and the effects of annual variability in size-at-age on estimated contacts with sublegal-sized fish. As a case study, we used coded-wire tag recoveries to compare ocean spatial distributions among fish from four return run timings (fall, late-fall, winter, and spring) of Chinook salmon from the Central Valley, California, USA, and explored how distributions varied annually, seasonally, and with fish age in the data-rich fall run. All runs were rarely contacted in ocean fisheries north of Cape Falcon, Oregon (45°46′N). Late-fall and winter run fish appeared relatively restricted to the south compared with fall run fish, corresponding to life history differences and highlighting the ability of spatial managemen...
Aging, life span, genetics and the fruit fly

Abstract Although the process of aging has been the subject of intense study for many years we still know very little about it. Recent studies from diverse fields including molecular genetics, clinical epidemiology and demography have begun to challenge the validity of some of the most basic assumptions about the aging process. These challenges have lead to a reexamination and a revitalization of the field of aging research. The pace of biomedical science has greatly accelerated, in large part due to the use of model organisms such as Drosophila. The conservation of molecular and physiological systems shared between humans, mice, flies and nematodes has allowed for the rapid testing of aging theories, translation of information between these model organisms and the development of general principles for understanding the process of aging.
The Blueshifting and Baldwin effects for the [OIII] 5007 Emission Line in Type 1 Active Galactic Nuclei

We use homogeneous samples of radio-quiet Seyfert 1 galaxies and QSOs selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey to investigate the connection between the velocity shift and the equivalent width (EW) of the [OIII] 5007 emission line, and their correlations with physical parameters of active galactic nuclei (AGNs). We find a significant and negative correlation between the EW of the core component, EW(core), and the blueshift of either the core (the peak), the wing, or the total profile of [OIII] emission; it is fairly strong for the blueshift of the total profile particularly. However, both quantities (EW and velocity shift) generally have only weak, if any, correlations with fundamental AGN parameters such as the nuclear continuum luminosity at 5100 L_{5100}, black hole mass (M_{BH}), and the Eddington ratio (L/L_{Edd}); these correlations include the classical Baldwin effect of EW(core), an inverse Baldwin effect of EW(wing), and the relationship between velocity shifts and \lratio. Our findings suggest that both the large object-to-object variation in the strength of [OIII] emission and the blueshift--EW(core) connection are not governed primarily by fundamental AGN parameters such as L_{5100}, M_{BH} and L/L_{Edd}. We propose that the ISM conditions of the host galaxies play a major role instead in the diversity of the [OIII] properties in active galaxies. This suggests that the use of[OIII] 5007 luminosity as proxy of AGN luminosity does not depend strongly on the above-mentioned fundamental AGN parameters.
Mill's `Socialism'

Insofar as John Stuart Mill can be accurately described as a socialist, his is a socialism that a classical liberal ought to be able to live with, if not to love. Mill's view is that capitalist eco...
Stomach lysozyme gene of the langur monkey: Tests for convergence and positive selection

Genomic blotting and enzymatic amplification show that the genome of the langur monkey (like that of other primates) contains only a single gene for lysozymec, in contrast to another group of foregut fermenters, the ruminants, which have a multigene family encoding this protein. Therefore, the langur stomach lysozyme gene has probably evolved recently (i.e., within the period of monkey evolution) from a conventional primate lysozyme. The sequences of cDNAs for the stomach lysozyme of langur and the conventional lysozymes of three other Old World monkeys were determined. Identification of the promoter for the stomach gene and comparison to the human gene, which is expressed conventionally in macrophages, show that both lysozyme genes use the same promoter. This suggests that the difference in expression patterns is due to change(s) in enhancer or silencer regulatory elements. With the cDNA sequences the hypothesis that the langur stomach lysozyme has converged in amino acid sequence upon the stomach lysozymes of ruminants is tested. Consistent with the convergence hypothesis, only those sites that specify amino acids in the mature lysozyme are shared uniquely with ruminant lysozyme genes. None of the silent sites at third positions of codons or in noncoding regions support a link between the langur and ruminants. Statistical analysis based on silent sites rules out the possibility of horizontal transfer of a stomach lysozyme gene between the langur and ruminant lineages and supports the close relationship of the langur lysozyme gene to that of other monkeys.
Studies on the hormonal control of tanning in the American cockroach—I. Release of an activation factor from the terminal abdominal ganglion

Abstract Neck ligatures placed on freshly ecdysed cockroaches fail to alter the tanning process. However, ligatures placed between the thorax and abdomen, and between various abdominal segments, always confined the cuticular darkening to the posterior portions. Freezing and thawing experiments showed that the activation factor is released within the seventh and eighth abdominal segments. Subsequent investigations on various glandular tissues within this region revealed that the terminal abdominal ganglion contained the factor. Extirpation of the ganglion does not completely abolish tanning. However, injection of ganglionic homogenates into the untanned thorax results in the tanning of abdominal ligated cockroaches and neck ligated houseflies and faceflies.
A NUMERICAL METHOD OF SIMULATING THE AXISYMMETRICAL FREEZING OF FOOD SYSTEMS

A numerical method is developed to simulate the temperature progression of freezing a food system. It is assumed to have a constant density and to be macroscopically homogeneous during the freezing operation. The simulated results are compared with the measured temperature progression in the center of a beef slab immersed in a-39°F bath.
Energetic charged particle angular distributions near (r≤2 RN) and over the pole of Neptune

Energetic ion ( > 28 keV) and electron ( > 22 keV) pitch angle distributions very close to (r ≤ 2RN) and over the north planetary pole of Neptune are presented using data from the Low Energy Charged Particle (LECP) and magnetometer (MAG) Experiments on the Voyager 2 spacecraft. The particle data are temporally structured and spectrally soft; a similarity with Earth-like auroral signatures has previously been noted. However, the pitch angle distributions (showing trapped distributions at high magnetic latitudes) do not support an Earth-like auroral interpretation, and alternative explanations for the temporal dynamics must be sought. Between r ∼ 1.6 and 2.0 RN and in the vicinity of the magnetic equator, the higher energy ion and electron pitch angle distributions (E ≥ 80 keV) display dramatic “bite-outs” at ∼90°. This bite-out feature could be caused by interactions with the newly discovered ring 1989N3R.
Paleoecology of the familiar trilobite Elrathia kingii: An early exaerobic zone inhabitant

The ‘‘ptychopariid’’ Elrathia kingii is the most familiar and abundant trilobite in North America, but it occurs at only a few localities in the Middle Cambrian Wheeler Formation of Utah. E. kingii’s unusual abundance and typically monospecific community association resulted from a novel, opportunistic ecological strategy. We infer that the trilobite occupied the exaerobic zone, at the boundary of anoxic and dysoxic bottom waters. E. kingii consistently occur in settings below the oxygen levels required by other contemporaneous epifaunal and infaunal benthic biota and may have derived energy from a food web that existed independently of phototrophic primary productivity. Although other fossil organisms are known to have preferred such environments, E. kingii is the earliest-known inhabitant of them, extending the documented range of the exaerobic ecological strategy into the Cambrian Period. We consider it likely that some other monospecific trilobite assemblages consisting of abundant articulated individuals may also be related to extreme, low-oxygen conditions.
Negative priming without reaction time: Effects on identification of masked letters

Responses to an object are often slower and/or less accurate if that object is related to a recently ignored object. Thisnegative priming effect has previously been examined only in reaction time tasks. In the present experiment, target letters and flanking distractor letters were displayed for 33, 100, or 300 msec, followed by a pattern mask. Subjects attempted to identify the target letters, with no demand for speed. Identification accuracy was reduced for targets that matched distractors presented on the immediately preceding trial. However, there was no bias against reporting preceding distractors on catch trials with no presented target. Implications for theories of negative priming are discussed.
GENETIC CONTROL OF BLOOD NEUTROPHIL CONCENTRATION IN THE RAT

SUMMARY Two phenotypes that characterize low and high neutrophil concentrations in blood were found in the rat. It is possible that either two regulating alleles control the high (Nr-1a) and the low (Nr-1b) neutrophil concentration or that a polygenic system affects the neutrophil concentration in blood. The F1 hybrids of four intercrosses had low neutrophil levels in blood that suggested a dominant effect of the Nr-1b allele. The backcross progeny showed abnormal segregation of the neutrophil phenotypes. The high phenotype was expressed in only 5% of the offspring. The presence of the two phenotypes and their distribution in the backcross progeny was confirmed by the computer program SKUMIX that resolved the quantitative traits into two discrete distributions with 95% and 5% representation. Because the logistic of SKUMIX can not rule out the polygenic effect, only further breeding studies using linked markers can resolve the mechanism of the genetic control of neutrophil concentration in the rat.
Analysis of Causality in Stock Market Data

Analyzing the changes in volatility is an important aspect in financial data analysis leading to effective estimation of risk and discovering underlying causes of such changes. While there is a rich literature in estimating implied and stochastic volatility in financial time series using traditional econometric methods, the application of machine learning methods such as sparse regression with temporal smoothness constraints is still in its infancy. In this paper, we propose a sparse, smooth regularized regression model to infer the volatility of the data while explicitly accounting for dependencies between different companies. Using real stock market data, we construct dynamic time varying graphs for different sectors of companies to further analyze how the volatility dependency between companies within sectors vary over time. We also show how our model captures the fluctuations in volatility over different economic conditions such as financial crisis periods. Further, based on these regression estimates we show how the proposed model assists in discovering useful correlations with external factors such as oil price, inflation, SaP500 index and also with various domestic trend indices.
The Effect of Stimulus Sequence on the Waveform of the Cortical Event-Related Potential

The waveform of the cortical event-related potential is extremely sensitive to variations in the sequence of stimuli preceding the eliciting event. The waveform changes were manifested primarily in the amplitudes of the negative component of the potential that peaked at 200 milliseconds, the positive component that peaked at 300 milliseconds, and the slow-wave components. A quantitative model was developed relating the waveform changes to changes in event expectancy. Expectancy is assumed to depend on a decaying memory for events within the prior sequence, the specific structure of the sequence, and the global probability of event occurrence. For stimuli relevant to the task, the less expected the stimulus the larger the amplitudes of late components of the event-related potentials.
The impact of directional antenna models on simulation accuracy

Increasingly, directional antennas are being used in wireless networks. Such antennas can improve the quality of individual links and decrease overall interference. However, the interaction of environmental effects with signal directionality is not well understood. We observe that state of the art simulators make simplifying assumptions which are often unrealistic and can give a misleading picture of application layer performance. Because simulators are often used for prototyping and validating new ideas, their realism and accuracy are of primary importance. In this paper, we apply a new empirical simulation method for directional antennas and study how well this models reality. We show that not only is our model easy to implement, but is also more accurate and thus better able to predict the performance of propagation-sensitive applications.
Facilitation of Recovery after Lateral Hypothalamic Damage by Prior Ablation of Frontal Cortex

BILATERAL lesions of the lateral hypothalmus in the rat produce aphagia and adipsia1, but if the animals are kept alive by intragastric feeding they may begin to eat and drink spontaneously again after a few days1–4. It has been suggested5 that recovery of feeding depends on the recovery of an adrenergic reward system, partial denervation of which may account for less severe deficits in feeding behaviour after other lesions of the central nervous system. For example, ablation of frontal cortex in the rat results in progressive loss of weight for 3–4 days, followed by recovery6 and also in changed sensitivities to drugs affecting noradrenergic synapses7,8. It seems possible that denervation supersensitivity may be the explanation of the recovery of function8,9. We suggest that lateral hypothalamic lesions may partially denervate hypothalamic neurones as a result of the destruction of intrahypothalamic connexions. Thus if lateral hypothalamic neurones were partially denervated by ablation of frontal cortex at some time before damage to the lateral hypothalamus itself, delayed supersensitivity from the cortical lesion should result in facilitated recovery. We now present data to support this hypothesis.
The influence of phenylthiourea on encapsulation, melanization, and survival in larvae of the mosquito Aedes aegypti parasitized by the nematode Neoaplectana carpocapsae.

Abstract Aedes aegypti larvae, treated with phenylthiourea (PTU) and untreated, were exposed to concentrations of 1000–4000 Neoaplectana carpocapsae juveniles/ml for 1 hr. During the first 9 hr after exposure, the PTU-treated larvae had a significantly lower mortality than the untreated larvae. The rate of encapsulation or melanization of N. carpocapsae juveniles within the hemocoels of the mosquito larvae was investigated by gross dissections and histological techniques. The amount of melanization occurring in the PTU-treated larvae was found to be significantly reduced. Possible explanations were given for the observed differences in mortality. One possibility was that PTU may inactivate the phenol-oxidase system in mosquito larvae, thereby inhibiting the formation of toxic melanin intermediates. Another possibility is that PTU may inactivate a toxin emitted by the nematode or in some way have an effect on its associated bacterium, Achromobacter nematophilus.
Thermal energy effects on articular cartilage: a multidisciplinary evaluation

Partial thickness articular cartilage lesions are commonly encountered in orthopedic surgery. These lesions do not have the ability to heal by themselves, due to lack of vascular supply. Several types of treatment have addressed this problem, including mechanical debridement and thermal chondroplasty. The goal of these treatments is to provide a smooth cartilage surface and prevent propagation of the lesions. Early thermal chondroplasty was performed using lasers, and yielded very mixed results, including severe damage to the cartilage, due to poor control of the induced thermal effects. This led to the development (including commercial) of probes using radiofrequency to generate the thermal effects desired for chondroplasty. Similar concerns over the quantitative aspects and control ability of the induced thermal effects in these treatments led us to test the whole range of complex issues and parameters involved. Our investigations are designed to simultaneously evaluate clinical conditions, instrument variables for existing radiofrequency probes (pressure, speed, distance, dose) as well as the associated basic science issues such as damage temperature and controllability (down to the subcellular level), damage geometry, and effects of surrounding conditions (medium, temperature, flow, pressure). The overall goals of this work are (1) to establish whether thermal chondroplasty can be used in a safe and efficacious manner, and (2) provide a prescription for multi-variable optimization of the way treatments are delivered, based on quantitative analysis. The methods used form an interdisciplinary set, to include precise mechanical actuation, high accuracy temperature and temperature gradient control and measurement, advanced imaging approaches and mathematical modeling.
Non-hydrophobic extracytoplasmic determinant of stop transfer in the prion protein

A universal feature of integral transmembrane proteins is a hydrophobic peptide segment that spans the lipid bilayer. These hydrophobic domains are important for terminating the translocation of the polypeptide chain across the membrane of the endoplasmic reticulum (a process termed stop transfer) and for integrating the protein into the bilayer. But a role for extracytoplasmic sequences in stop transfer and transmembrane integration has not previously been shown. Recently, a sequence which directs an unusual mode of stop transfer has been identified in the prion protein. This brain glycoprotein exists in two isoforms, which are identical both in primary amino-acid sequence and in containing phosphatidylinositol glycolipid linkages at their C termini, which can be cleaved by a phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C9. But only one of the isoforms (PrPC) is released from cells on treatment with this phospholipase, indicating that the two isoforms have either different subcellular locations or transmembrane orientations. Consistent with this is the observation of two different topological forms in cell-free systems. An unusual topogenic sequence in the prion protein seems to direct these alternative topologies (manuscript in preparation). In the wheat-germ translation system, this sequence directs nascent chains to a transmembrane orientation; by contrast, in the rabbit reticulocyte lysate system, this sequence fails to cause stop transfer of most nascent chains. We have now investigated determinants in this unusual topogenic sequence that direct transmembrane topology, and have demonstrated that (1) a luminally disposed charged domain is required for stop transfer at the adjacent hydrophobic domain, (2) a precise spatial relationship between these domains is essential for efficient stop transfer, and (3) codons encompassing this hydrophilic extracytoplasmic domain confer transmembrane topology to a heterologous protein when engineered adjacent to the codons for a normally translocated hydrophobic domain. These results identify an unexpected functional domain for stop transfer in the prion protein and have implications for the mechanism of membrane protein biogenesis.
Purification and partial characterization of M4 lactate dehydrogenase isozyme from horse muscle

Abstract 1. 1. The M 4 isozyme of lactate dehydrogenase from horse muscle was purified to homogeneity by employing 8-(6-aminohexyl)-amino-AMP-Sepharose followed by DEAE-Sephadex ion exchange chromatography. The overall yield of this purification was about 57% and the specific activity was 403 unit/mg. The apparent K m 's were determined to be 3.44 × 10 −6 M and 1.60 × 10 −4 M for NADH and pyruvate, respectively. 2. 2. The subunit molecular weight is estimated to be 35,900 daltons. Among 333 amino acid residues per subunit, there are 24 lysine, 10 arginine and 5 half-cystine residues. The total number of tryptic spots detected on the peptide maps of the native and the oxidized enzymes is in agreement with the number of lysine, arginine and half-cystine residues per subunit. 3. 3. The amino-terminus of M 4 LDH seems to be blocked. The carboxylterminus is phenylalanine. Identical situations exist in the M 4 LDH isozymes from pig, chicken and dogfish.