cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Epitope specificity and protective efficacy of the bovine immune response to bovine herpesvirus-1 glycoprotein vaccines

Bovine herpesvirus-1 (BHV-1) envelope glycoproteins gI, gIII and gIV were individually purified on monoclonal antibody affinity columns and injected intradermally into BHV-1 seronegative calves. The calves developed serum neutralizing antibodies that monospecifically precipitated the immunizing glycoprotein from a preparation of 125I-labelled BHV-1 envelope proteins. A competitive radioimmunoassay using the bovine antisera demonstrated that known functional epitopes had been retained in the glycoprotein vaccines. Calves immunized with the gI, gIII or gIV glycoproteins were not protected from intranasal challenge with BHV-1 and had levels and duration of viral shedding in their nasal secretions similar to those of non-immunized control calves.
The biochemical mechanism of action of the dinitroaniline herbicide oryzalin

Abstract Dinitroaniline herbicides such as oryzalin (3,5-dinitro-N4,N4-dipropylsulfanilamide) disrupt mitosis in the meristematic cells of seedling plants by inhibiting the formation of microtubules. For further understanding of the biochemical mechanism of action of oryzalin, laboratory analyses with isolated plant tubulin must be employed. Plant tubulin from flagella of the alga Chlamydomonas was isolated and purified. This tubulin was incubated with [14C]oryzalin, and free oryzalin was separated from oryzalin bound to plant tubulin by miniature DEAE-cellulose chromatography. Scatchard analysis predicts a molar ratio of oryzalin bound to plant tubulin of 1.0 ± 0.1 when oryzalin is incubated with plant tubulin for 30 min at pH 6.9 and 25°C. The association constant for the oryzalin-tubulin complex is 2.08 ± 0.08 × 105 M−1 at 25°C. The thermodynamic values for the formation of the oryzalin-tubulin complex at 25°C are ΔGo = −7.25 ± 0.02 kcal mol−1, ΔHo = 6.5 ± 0.2 kcal mol−1, and ΔSo = 46 ± 2 cal mol−1 deg−1 (mean ± standard error). Oryzalin has little or no affinity for intact microtubules, previously denatured plant tubulin, actin, bovine serum albumin, calmodulin, ferredoxin, trypsin, or urease, indicating oryzalin is specific for the biologically active conformation of plant tubulin. Oryzalin binds to plant tubulin to form a complex that may be incapable of polymerizing into microtubules.
Political Tolerance and Coming to Psychological Closure Following the September 11, 2001, Terrorist Attacks: An Integrative Approach

This study tested hypotheses generated from an integrative model of political tolerance that derived hypotheses from a number of different social psychological theories (e.g., appraisal tendency theory, intergroup emotion theory, and value protection models) to explain political tolerance following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. A national field study (N = 550) found that immediate post attack anger and fear had different implications for political tolerance 4 months later. The effects of anger on political tolerance were mediated through moral outrage and outgroup derogation, whereas the effects of fear on political tolerance were mediated through personal threat, ingroup enhancement, and value affirmation. Value affirmation led to increased political tolerance, whereas moral outrage, outgroup derogation, ingroup enhancement, and personal threat led to decreased political tolerance. Value affirmation, moral outrage, and outgroup derogation also facilitated post-9/11 psychological closure and ...
A real-time information warfare exercise on a virtual network

Information warfare exercises, such as "Capture the Flag," serve as a capstone experience for a computer security class, giving students the opportunity to apply and integrate the security skills they learned during the class. However, many information security classes don't offer such exercises, because they can be difficult, expensive, time-consuming, and risky to organize and implement. This paper describes a real-time "Capture the Flag" exercise, implemented using a virtual network with free, open-source software to reduce the risk and effort of conducting such an exercise.
Functional expression of soluble ICAM-1 by baculovirus-infected Sf9 cells

Inflammation, metastasis and ischemia are processes that require lymphocyte or leukocyte cell recognition and adherence to endothelial counter receptors such as ICAM-1. Mapping the sites of interaction of ICAM-1 with LFA-1, the receptor for ICAM-1 on lymphocytes, may lead to the design of novel inhibitors of inflammation or metastasis. To this end, recombinant soluble ICAM-1 cDNA was engineered into the baculovirus expression system, which is capable of expressing large amounts of proteins. These constructs were designed to contain a protein leader sequence so that the transfected insect cells would secrete the recombinant polypeptide into the culture media for ease of isolation. We engineered four constructs of ICAM-1 into the baculovirus system and obtained relatively high expression of two soluble forms of ICAM-1, a two domain and a five domain form. These truncated proteins were isolated and shown to promote adherence of HL-60 cells and Molt-4 cells. These recombinant soluble proteins also inhibited cell adherence to purified intact ICAM-1 isolated from K562 cells.
Computing rank-convolutions with a mask

Rank-convolutions have important applications in a variety of areas such as signal processing and computer vision. We define a mask as a function taking only values zero and infinity. Rank-convolutions with masks are of special interest to image processing.We show how to compute the rank-k convolution of a function over an interval of length n with an arbitrary mask of length m in O(n√m log m) time. The result generalizes to the d-dimensional case. Previously no algorithm performing significantly better than the brute-force O(nm) bound was known.Our algorithm seems to perform well in practice. We describe an implementation, illustrating its application to a problem in image processing. Already on relatively small images, our experiments show a signficant speedup compared to brute force.
Effects of Temperature on the Decomposition of Pacific Coast Shrimp (Pandalus jordani)

Shrimp (Pandalus jordani) were allowed to decompose at five temperatures (0, 5.6, 11.1, 16.7 and 22.2°C). Mean aerobic plate counts on the shrimp as received at the laboratory were 1.6 × 106/g. The most rapid growth was obtained at the higher temperatures but the highest maximum population was obtained at 0°C. A total of 638 bacteria were isolated and tested for identification. The heterogenous population at day 0 was composed of 38% Gram positives. The population changed becoming predominantly Gram negative by day 13. At the higher temperatures the indole producing Proteus emerged by day 7 and became an important component of the flora. Volatile base (N) and indole increased both with increasing time and temperature during storage.
The role of modeling processes in the “knee deep in the big muddy” phenomenon

Abstract Entrapping conflicts are characterized by the tendency for individuals to make increasing commitments to some failing course of action, in large part to justify the appropriateness of previous investments made in that situation. It has been suggested that (1) these dilemmas frequently arise in organizational settings, and (2) whether decision makers escalate their commitment or withdraw from a failing course of action can be affected by a variety of factors. The present four experiments were designed to determine if an individual's degree of entrapment (i.e., tendency to escalate) may be affected by the behavior of a model in a similar situation. In Experiments 1–3, considerable generality was obtained for the proposition that decision makers in entrapping conflicts can be directly influenced by a model. Individuals who witnessed an entrapped model became significantly more entrapped than those who did not. This effect was obtained (1) for subjects and models of both sexes, (2) on measures of both process and outcome, (3) across two different experimental procedures, and (4) when the model was viewed either during or before the time that subjects were called upon to make their decisions. Experiments 3 and 4 delineated several limiting conditions of the modeling-entrapment relationship. Participants did not invest more of their resources in the presence than in the absence of an entrapped model if the model expressed regret rather than pleasure about his behavior. In fact, under such conditions a significant “reverse modeling” effect was obtained, in which subjects became less entrapped in the presence of the entrapped model. The modeling-entrapment relationship was also significantly reduced when the model was unlikable and unintelligent, and thus not an appropriate person for comparison. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed, including the possibility that models may be skillfully employed to help decision makers stop “throwing good money after bad.”
Affective Functioning, "Light Hunger," and Room Brightness Preferences:

In this study, room brightness preferences of two groups of subjects were tested across an eight month period in a lighting simulation laboratory. Subjects were selected on the basis of their respo...
Malformations reported in chorionic villus sampling exposed children: a review and analytic synthesis of the literature.

Malformations reported in chorionic villus sampling exposed children: A review and analytic synthesis of the literature
CO on Pd(110): determination of the optimal adsorption site

We present ab initio pseudo-potential plane-wave total-energy calculations for the geometric and electronic structure of the CO-covered Pd(110) surface. Our calculations were performed within the local-density approximation (LDA) of density functional theory (DFT). There has been some controversy as to whether CO prefers to adsorb at a bridge or on-top site when exposed to Pd(110). Total energy calculations for a CO monolayer adsorbed at the on-top and bridge adsorption sites revealed the bridge site adsorption to be favored by 0.59 eV per CO molecule. The preferential adsorption of CO to the bridge site was further corroborated by our band-structure calculations, with only the bridge site results being in good agreement with recent inverse photoemission experiments.
Stereoselective determination of cisapride, a prokinetic agent, in human plasma by chiral high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection: application to pharmacokinetic study.

We have developed a simple, sensitive, specific and reproducible stereoselective high-performance liquid chromatography technique for analytical separation of cisapride enantiomers and measurement of cisapride enantiomers in human plasma. A chiral analytical column (ChiralCel OJ) was used with a mobile phase consisting of ethanol-hexane-diethylamine (35:64.5:0.5, v/v/v). This assay method was linear over a range of concentrations (5-125 ng/ml) of each enantiomer. The limit of quantification was 5 ng/ml in human plasma for both cisapride enantiomers, while the limit of detection was 1 ng/ml. Intra- and inter-day C.V.s did not exceed 15% for all concentrations except at 12.5 ng/ml for EII (+)-cisapride, which was approximately 20 and 19%, respectively. The clinical utility of the method was demonstrated in a pharmacokinetic study of normal volunteers who received a 20 mg single oral dose of racemic cisapride. The preliminary pharmacokinetic data obtained using the method we describe here provide evidence for the first time that cisapride exhibits stereoselective disposition.
Intruder or Resource? The Family's Influence in College Counseling Centers

College can provide a transition from interdependence to differentiation in the family. With recent trends and legal cases that document increasing complexity and severity of mental health problems in college, it is important to consider the family as a partner in the therapeutic process. This article delineates a rationale, guidelines, and anecdotes about how to employ the family as a consultative resource with contraindications and cautions also considered. The family has proven to be an able resource for handling developmental, unexpected, and critical issues that distress their college child.
The Mechanism of the Acute Hypoglycemic Action of Phenformin (DBI)

Abstract The mechanisms by which biguanide (phenformin) acutely brings about a reduction in blood glucose in diabetic subjects has been studied with the aid of C-6 14C glucose. Six diabetic subjects were studied, each at three separate dose levels of phenformin. Two of these same subjects were studied with placebo. Consistent and increasingly pronounced effects of drug versus placebo were noted as the level of biguanide was increased. Biguanide consistently lowered hepatic glucose output while not significantly affecting the removal of glucose from the circulation. It was noted that glucogenesis from lactate was not significantly curtailed. However, a lack of stimulation in Cori Cycle activity in the presence of significant elevations of circulating lactate were taken as an indication of inhibition of glucogenesis from this substrate. On balance, it is concluded that the acute hypoglycemic action of this biguanide is mediated primarily through a restriction in the supply of glucose from the liver to the circulation. The data support the contention that these drugs inhibit hepati glucogenesis even though Cori Cycle activity may be increased and also suggest that a portion of the decrease in hepatic glucose supply may be the result of impaired glycogenolysis.
Drug injection practices among high-risk youths: the first shot of ketamine.

Ketamine, a “club drug” commonly administered intranasally among youths for its disassociative properties, has emerged as a drug increasingly common among a new hidden population of injection drug users. Because of a scarcity of epidemiological data, little is known about ketamine injection practices, associated risk behaviors, or the demographic characteristics of ketamine injectors. Using an ethno-epidemiological methodology, we interviewed 40 young (<25 years old) ketamine injectors in New York during 2000–2002 and asked detailed questions about ketamine injection initiation as well as histories of other injection drug use and involvement in the street economy. Our analysis, utilizing descriptive statistics and narrative accounts, compared two groups: ketamine initiates (youths who initiated injection drug use with ketamine) and other initiates (youths who initiated injection drug use with another drug, such as heroin, and later transitioned into ketamine injection). Results indicated that intramuscular injections were more common among ketamine initiates, whereas intravenous injections were more common among other initiates. Drug form and local knowledge within injection groups were important factors underpinning this relationship: liquid ketamine was injected primarily intramuscularly; powder ketamine was injected primarily intravenously virtually irrespective of injection drug use history. In addition, the comparison between ketamine initiates and other initiates revealed differences regarding knowledge about injecting drugs; risk behaviors at initiation; involvement in the street economy, including homelessness and experience dealing drugs; and city or location of ketamine injection initiation. These findings suggest that ketamine injection is an emerging practice among a new hidden population of injection drug users in cities throughout North America.
Genes required for fructose metabolism are expressed in Purkinje cells in the cerebellum

Since 1967, fructose has become the primary commercial sweetener in the food industry. Large amounts of fructose can be toxic and have been correlated with atherosclerosis, malabsorption, hyperuricemia, lactic acidosis, and cataracts. To understand the deleterious and critical role(s) fructose plays in normal metabolism, it is essential to know how and where fructose is metabolized. The fructose transporter, GLUT5, and the specialized enzymes ketohexokinase, aldolase, and triokinase comprise the well-defined fructose-specific metabolic pathway found in liver, kidney, and small intestine. It is estimated that 50-70% of ingested fructose is metabolized in these tissues; where and how the remaining 30-50% is metabolized is not well defined. Prediction of tissues capable of metabolizing fructose via this pathway was done using expressed sequence tags (ESTs) in Unigene and a gene-specific virtual northern blot (VNB) algorithm. Unigene and VNB combined correctly predicted the expression of the genes required for fructose metabolism in liver, kidney, and small intestine. Both methods indicated brain, breast, lymphocytes, muscle, placenta, and stomach additionally express this set of genes. Expression of the genes for GLUT5 (glut5) and ketohexokinase (khk) in neurons was validated by immunohistochemistry and RNA in situ hybridization, respectively. Using stringent controls, clear expression of glut5 and khk was localized to Purkinje cells in the cerebellum. Cerebellum was used to oxidize fructose to carbon dioxide. Together, these data suggest that these neurons in the brain are able to utilize fructose as a carbon source.
Energy-Efficient Pulse-Coupled Synchronization Strategy Design for Wireless Sensor Networks Through Reduced Idle Listening

Synchronization is crucial to wireless sensor networks due to their decentralized structure. We propose an energy-efficient pulse-coupled synchronization strategy to achieve this goal. The basic idea is to reduce idle listening by intentionally introducing a large refractory period in the sensors' cooperation. The large refractory period greatly reduces idle listening in each oscillation period, and is analytically proven to have no influence on the time to synchronization. Hence, it significantly reduces the total energy consumption in a synchronization process. A topology control approach tailored for pulse-coupled synchronization is given to guarantee a k-edge strongly connected interaction topology, which is tolerant to communication-link failures. The topology control approach is totally decentralized and needs no information exchange among sensors, and it is applicable to dynamic network topologies as well. This facilitates a completely decentralized implementation of the synchronization strategy. The strategy is applicable to mobile sensor networks, too. QualNet case studies confirm the effectiveness of the synchronization strategy.
Biliary sludge formation during enteral nutrition: Prevalence and natural history

Abstract Background: Total parenteral nutrition is an etiologic factor in the formation of biliary sludge. We studied whether enteral nutrition is also a risk factor for sludge. Methods: Fifty patients with a needle catheter jejunostomy (NCJ) placed during a major abdominal operation underwnt preoperative and weekly postoperative ultrasonography until NCJ feedings were discontinued (1 to 6 weeks). Results: All patients were men. The mean age was 63.2 ± 1.6 years. Fourteen asymptomatic patients (28.0%) had biliary sludge within 2 weeks of beginning enteral feedings through a NCJ. Complete ultrasonographic resolution of sludge was observed in 13 of the 14 positive patients within 1 to 2 weeks of resuming an oral diet. One patient was lost to follow-up after 14 week; a positive sonogram had persisted but the patient remained asymptomatic. During the period of observation, no other patient had signs of biliary tract disease. Conclusions: (1) Biliary sludge may form in some patients during enteral feeding with NCJ. (2) Sludge is cleared by the gallbladder once an oral diet is resumed. (3) There appears to be little risk of complications during postoperative enteral feeding. (Surgery 1998;124:768-72.)
THE REVERSIBLE HEAT ACTIVATION INDUCING GERMINATION AND INCREASED RESPIRATION IN THE ASCOSPORES OF NEUROSPORA TETRASPERMA.

The heat activation of Neurospora tetrasperma ascospores is a reversible process, since activated spores may be returned to secondary dormancy by preventing respiration, and these secondarily dormant spores may be induced to germinate by reheating. Activation of the spores brings about a large increase in respiration prior to the germination of the spores. As the spores are reversibly activated or deactivated the rate of respiration is increased or is decreased. By poisoning the cells with iodoacetamide it is possible to prevent all germination without greatly inhibiting this increase in respiration. Precisely with the beginning of germination a secondary rise in respiration occurs. The respiration of the spores is cyanide sensitive. The heat activation has a critical temperature at about 49 to 52°C.; and at a constant temperature within this range, the percentage of the spores activated as plotted against the time, follows an S-shaped population curve.
Thermomechanical properties of a toughened epoxy for impregnating superconducting magnets

Abstract A series of epoxy resins were formulated for use as potting materials in superconducting magnets. The new resins have low viscosity (≤ 1 poise), sufficiently long pot life (≥ 6 h) and excellent thermal shock resistance (≥ 25 cycles). Their physical and mechanical properties are compared with those of other, similar, resins.
Near shore wireless communication system for sensor buoys

A small array of deployable "Pioneer" buoys is under development as part of a project known as GLUCOS, the Great Lakes Urban Coastal Observation System. These buoys are networked with MaxStream 900 MHz wireless radio modems. Each buoy is equipped with limited onboard battery power and will not have the capability of recharging via photovoltaic panels. The idea is to create a device that is inexpensive, quickly deployable and retrievable, and contains an intuitive, simple electronic design. The requirements of a communication system capable of being interfaced with this near shore buoy network include sufficient range capability, low power consumption, and high reliability at a relatively low data rate. The buoy design, network overview, and communication results will be described.
TISdb: a database for alternative translation initiation in mammalian cells

Proper selection of the translation initiation site (TIS) on mRNAs is crucial for the production of desired protein products. Recent studies using ribosome profiling technology uncovered a surprising variety of potential TIS sites in addition to the annotated start codon. The prevailing alternative translation reshapes the landscape of the proteome in terms of diversity and complexity. To identify the hidden coding potential of the transcriptome in mammalian cells, we developed global translation initiation sequencing (GTI-Seq) that maps genome-wide TIS positions at nearly a single nucleotide resolution. To facilitate studies of alternative translation, we created a database of alternative TIS sites identified from human and mouse cell lines based on multiple GTI-Seq replicates. The TISdb, available at http://tisdb.human.cornell.edu, includes 6991 TIS sites from 4961 human genes and 9973 TIS sites from 5668 mouse genes. The TISdb website provides a simple browser interface for query of high-confidence TIS sites and their associated open reading frames. The output of search results provides a user-friendly visualization of TIS information in the context of transcript isoforms. Together, the information in the database provides an easy reference for alternative translation in mammalian cells and will support future investigation of novel translational products.
Monetary value of a prescription assistance program service in a rural family medicine clinic.

Purpose: To quantify the monetary value of medications provided to rural Alabamians through provision of pharmaceutical manufacturer-sponsored prescription assistance programs (PAPs) provided by a clinical pharmacist in a private Black Belt family medicine clinic during 2007 and 2008. Methods: Patients struggling to afford prescription medications were referred to a clinical pharmacist by the physician or nurse practitioner for medication assistance evaluation. Once patients were deemed eligible, the pharmacist assisted in the PAPs completion process, maintained detailed records, and aided in recovery of refills. Patients paid $5 per application to cover office supply costs. An annual retrospective review was performed each December to evaluate the monetary value of free medications provided to patients during this 24-month period. Findings: One hundred forty-two applications were completed, enrolling 31 patients in 22 PAPs. Patients received $138,400 worth of medications; the clinic collected $710 in fees. Antihypertensive, antidepressant, lipid-lowering, antiplatelet, and proton pump inhibitor medications were most frequently prescribed and represented 74% of the total monetary value of free medications provided to patients. Clopidogrel (Plavix) and esomeprazole (Nexium) were the most commonly requested medications, representing 16% of the monetary value. Conclusions: PAPs offer an avenue to obtain medications when cost may lead to non-adherence. PAP services helped rurally isolated Alabamians receive needed therapies they otherwise likely would not have purchased. Similar programs offering assistance services for merely cardiovascular products would provide a substantial public health impact. Providers interested in initiating similar services should identify a program coordinator, designate a private location for patient interviews, and develop systems to ensure patients receive their PAP medications.
Beyond NEXUS: Universal Cladistic Data Objects

Abstract The subject of data management in cladistics is discussed. Proprietary, nonrelational data “formats” are no solution to the problems of data storage and transfer among programs; rather, commercially available standards for query language should be implemented in a system of data objects.
Testudo: Heavyweight security analysis via statistical sampling

Heavyweight security analysis systems, such as taint analysis and dynamic type checking, are powerful technologies used to detect security vulnerabilities and software bugs. Traditional software implementations of these systems have high instrumentation overhead and suffer from significant performance impacts. To mitigate these slowdowns, a few hardware-assisted techniques have been recently proposed. However, these solutions incur a large memory overhead and require hardware platform support in the form of tagged memory systems and extended bus designs. Due to these costs and limitations, the deployment of heavyweight security analysis solutions is, as of today, limited to the research lab. In this paper, we describe Testudo, a novel hardware approach to heavyweight security analysis that is based on statistical sampling of a programpsilas dataflow. Our dynamic distributed debugging reduces the memory overhead to a small storage space by selectively sampling only a few tagged variables to analyze during any particular execution of the program. Our system requires only small hardware modifications: it adds a small sample cache to the main processor and extends the pipeline registers to propagate analysis tags. To gain high analysis coverage, we rely on a population of users to run the program, sampling a different random set of variables during each new run. We show that we can achieve high coverage analysis at virtually no performance impact, even with a reasonably-sized population of users. In addition, our approach even scales to heavyweight debugging techniques by keeping per-user runtime overheads low despite performing traditionally costly analyses. Moreover, the low hardware cost of our implementation allows it to be easily distributed across large user populations, leading to a higher level of security analysis coverage than previously.
RECURSOS HÍDRICOS ALTOANDINOS, ESTRATEGIAS DE DESARROLLO ECONÓMICO Y ROYECTOS DE RIEGO: TARAPACÁ, 1880-1930

Este articulo aborda la problematica referida al uso de los recursos hidricos del area andina de la provincia de Tarapaca entre las decadas de 1880 y 1930 contextualizada en el debate epocal sobre el desarrollo regional. Describe las distintas iniciativas que se plantearon y los fundamentos propositivos que las sustentaron. Ademas, analiza la vision del Estado chileno respecto a la utilizacion de los recursos naturales del espacio altoandino tarapaqueno, las posiciones y argumentaciones de la comunidad provincial en torno a este tema, y el impacto potencial que pudieron tener estos proyectos de uso de acuiferos cordilleranos en las comunidades aymaras locales
Women in Robes

This article in the Americas Quarterly presents statistics on the number of women in the judiciary and argues for gender parity to further equality, enhance courts' legitimacy, and strengthen the rule of law.
Influence of forward and multiple light scatter on the measurement of beam attenuation in highly scattering marine environments.

Using three-dimensional Monte Carlo radiative transfer simulations, we examine the effect of beam transmissometer geometry on the relative error in the measurement of the beam-attenuation coefficient in an aquatic environment characterized by intense light scattering, especially within submerged bubble clouds entrained by surface-wave breaking. We discuss the forward-scattering error associated with the detection of photons scattered at small angles (<1°) and the multiple-scattering error associated with the detection of photons scattered more than once along the path length of the instrument. Several scattering phase functions describing bubble clouds at different bubble void fractions in the water are considered. Owing to forward-scattering error, a beam-attenuation meter (beam transmissometer) with a half-angle of receiver acceptance of 1.0° and a path length of 0.1 m can underestimate the true beam attenuation within the bubble cloud by more than 50%. For bubble clouds with a beam attenuation of as much as 100 m-1, the multiple-scattering error is no more than a few percent. These results are compared with simulations for some example phase functions that are representative of other scattering regimes found in natural waters. The forward-scattering error for the Petzold phase function of turbid waters is 16% for a typical instrument geometry, whereas for the Henyey-Greenstein phase function with the asymmetry parameter of 0.7 and 0.9 the error range is 8–28%.
“Molecular rulers” for calibrating phenotypic effects of telomere imbalance

As a result of the increasing use of genome wide telomere screening, it has become evident that a significant proportion of people with idiopathic mental retardation have subtle abnormalities involving the telomeres of human chromosomes. However, during the course of these studies, there have also been telomeric imbalances identified in normal people that are not associated with any apparent phenotype. We have begun to scrutinise cases from both of these groups by determining the extent of the duplication or deletion associated with the imbalance. Five cases were examined where the telomere rearrangement resulted in trisomy for the 16p telomere. The size of the trisomic segment ranged from ~4-7 Mb and the phenotype included mental and growth retardation, brain malformations, heart defects, cleft palate, pancreatic insufficiency, genitourinary abnormalities, and dysmorphic features. Three cases with telomeric deletions without apparent phenotypic effects were also examined, one from 10q and two from 17p. All three deletions were inherited from a phenotypically normal parent carrying the same deletion, thus without apparent phenotypic effect. The largest deletion among these cases was ~600 kb on 17p. Similar studies are necessary for all telomeric regions to differentiate between those telomeric rearrangements that are pathogenic and those that are benign variants. Towards this goal, we are developing “molecular rulers” that incorporate multiple clones at each telomere that span the most distal 5 Mb region. While telomere screening has enabled the identification of telomere rearrangements, the use of molecular rulers will allow better phenotype prediction and prognosis related to these findings.
A Review of: “Unconventional Nanopatterning Techniques and Applications, John A. Rogers and Hong H. Lee”

The authors of this bound volume are of the opinion that nanofabrication is a dynamic and rapidly growing field that is often at times dominated by activity that is focused on the development of sy...
Using DNA from non-invasive samples to identify individuals and census populations: an evidential approach tolerant of genotyping errors

DNA extracted from hair or faeces shows increasing promise for censusing populations whose individuals are difficult to locate. To date, the main problem with this approach has been that genotyping errors are common. If these errors are not identified, counting genotypes is likely to overestimate the number of individuals in a population. Here, we describe an algorithm that uses maximum likelihood estimates of genotyping error rates to calculate the evidence that samples came from the same individual. We test this algorithm with a hypothetical model of genotyping error and show that this algorithm works well with substantial rates of genotyping error and reasonable amounts of data. Additional work is necessary to develop statistical models of error in empirical data.
Big houses, big cars, superfleas and the costs of reproduction

The assumption of costs of reproduction were a logical necessity for much of the early development of life history theory. An unfortunate property of 'logical necessities' is that it is easy to also assume that they must be true. What if this does not turn out to be the case? The existence and universality of costs of reproduction were initially challenged with empirical data of questionable value, but later with increasingly strong theoretical and empirical results. Here, we discuss Ken Spitze's 'superfleas', which represent what we consider to be the strongest empirical challenge to the universality of costs, then offer a possible explanation for their existence.
Identification of proteins involved in formaldehyde metabolism by Rhodobacter sphaeroides

Formaldehyde is an intermediate formed during the metabolism of methanol or other methylated compounds. Many Gram-negative bacteria generate formaldehyde from methanol via a periplasmic pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ)-dependent dehydrogenase in which the alpha subunit of an alpha(2)beta(2) tetramer has catalytic activity. The genome of the facultative formaldehyde-oxidizing bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides encodes XoxF, a homologue of the catalytic subunit of a proposed PQQ-containing dehydrogenase of Paracoccus denitrificans. R. sphaeroides xoxF is part of a gene cluster that encodes periplasmic c-type cytochromes, including CycI, isocytochrome c(2) and CycB (a cyt c(553i) homologue), as well as adhI, a glutathione-dependent formaldehyde dehydrogenase (GSH-FDH), and gfa, a homologue of a glutathione-formaldehyde activating enzyme (Gfa). To test the roles of XoxF, CycB and Gfa in formaldehyde metabolism by R. sphaeroides, we monitored photosynthetic growth with methanol as a source of formaldehyde and whole-cell methanol-dependent oxygen uptake. Our data show that R. sphaeroides cells lacking XoxF or CycB do not exhibit methanol-dependent oxygen uptake and lack the capacity to utilize methanol as a sole photosynthetic carbon source. These results suggest that both proteins are required for formaldehyde metabolism. R. sphaeroides Gfa is not essential to activate formaldehyde, as cells lacking gfa are capable of both methanol-dependent oxygen uptake and growth with methanol as a photosynthetic carbon source.
Molecular phylogeny of the chipmunks inferred from Mitochondrial cytochrome b and cytochrome oxidase II gene sequences.

There are currently 25 recognized species of the chipmunk genus Tamias. In this study we sequenced the complete mitochondrial cytochrome b (cyt b) gene of 23 Tamias species. We analyzed the cyt b sequence and then analyzed a combined data set of cyt b along with a previous data set of cytochrome oxidase subunit II (COII) sequence. Maximum-likelihood was used to further test the fit of models of evolution to the cyt b data. Other sciurid cyt b sequence was added to examine the evolution of Tamias in the context of other sciurids. Relationships among Tamias species are discussed, particularly the possibility of a current sorting event among taxa of the southwestern United States and the extreme divergences among the three subgenera (Neotamias, Eutamias, and Tamias).
Inward FDI, remittances and out-migration

In this study, we look at the relationship between remittances received at home, inward Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and out-migration of individuals with different levels of education. Using the bilateral international migration data in 1990 and 2000, we find that inward FDI tends to deter the out-migration of individuals with secondary and tertiary education, but has no significant impact on the out-migration of individuals with primary education. In addition, remittances received at home induce the out-migration of individuals with primary education, but not the out-migration of individuals with secondary and tertiary education. The stock of existing migrants in a foreign country encourage future out-migration regardless of migrants' levels of education.
Intranasal insulin therapy for cognitive impairment and neurodegeneration: current state of the art.

Introduction: Growing evidence supports the concept that insulin resistance plays an important role in the pathogenesis of cognitive impairment and neurodegeneration, including in Alzheimer's disease (AD). The metabolic hypothesis has led to the development and utilization of insulin- and insulin agonist-based treatments. Therapeutic challenges faced include the ability to provide effective treatments that do not require repeated injections and also the ability to minimize the potentially hazardous off-target effects. Areas covered: This review covers the role of intranasal insulin therapy for cognitive impairment and neurodegeneration, particularly AD. The literature reviewed focuses on data published within the past 5 years as this field is evolving rapidly. The review provides evidence that brain insulin resistance is an important and early abnormality in AD, and that increasing brain supply and utilization of insulin improves cognition and memory. Emphasis was placed on discussing outcomes of clinical...
Mature natural killer cells reset their responsiveness when exposed to an altered MHC environment

Some mature natural killer (NK) cells cannot be inhibited by major histocompatibility complex (MHC) I molecules, either because they lack corresponding inhibitory receptors or because the host lacks the corresponding MHC I ligands for the receptors. Such NK cells nevertheless remain self-tolerant and exhibit a generalized hyporesponsiveness to stimulation through activating receptors. To address whether NK cell responsiveness is set only during the NK cell differentiation process, we transferred mature NK cells from wild-type (WT) to MHC I–deficient hosts or vice versa. Remarkably, mature responsive NK cells from WT mice became hyporesponsive after transfer to MHC I–deficient mice, whereas mature hyporesponsive NK cells from MHC I–deficient mice became responsive after transfer to WT mice. Altered responsiveness was evident among mature NK cells that had not divided in the recipient animals, indicating that the cells were mature before transfer and that alterations in activity did not require cell division. Furthermore, the percentages of NK cells expressing KLRG1, CD11b, CD27, and Ly49 receptors specific for H-2b were not markedly altered after transfer. Thus, the functional activity of mature NK cells can be reset when the cells are exposed to a changed MHC environment. These findings have important implications for how NK cell functions may be curtailed or enhanced in the context of disease.
Monoamine reuptake inhibitors: highlights of recent research developments

Monoamine reuptake inhibitors are in clinical use for the treatment of major psychiatric disorders. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are widely used in the treatment of depression. Selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors are used in the treatment of ADHD and depression. Compounds that enhance multiple monoamines appear to have synergistic effects and have been used for various indications. This review presents highlights from the literature on monoamine reuptake inhibitors published between 2000 and July 2005. It focuses on novel structure-activity relationship studies in established classes of monoamine reuptake inhibitors and structurally novel types. Drug Dev. Res. 65:97–118, 2005. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Observation of the tune dependence of the stability threshold current in the PSR

In the high-intensity unbunched-beam experiments carried out in the Proton Storage Ring (PSR) at Los Alamos National Laboratory, the threshold current of the vertical transverse instability showed pronounced differences when the betatron tune varied across an integer. Experimental observations are presented, and the possible relations between the threshold current and the machine impedance are discussed. The possible effects related to the distorted closed orbit are also discussed. It was found that the behavior of the threshold current for vertical tune near the integers 2 and 3 could be related to the resistive-wall-type instability of modes n=2 to 4 together with the space-charge effect. It is conjectured that the closed-orbit distortion and a nonuniformly distributed asymmetric transverse impedance may contribute to some degree to the discontinuity of the threshold current when the vertical tune crosses an integer. >
Peptide Lost and Found: Internal Standards and the Mass Spectrometric Quantification of Peptides

Think of all the tubes of blood that are drawn and transported to the clinical laboratory to be processed every day. After being logged in, they make their way to an instrument for analysis, wherever that might be: in the same room, down the hall, across town, or a plane ride away. During that time, as the samples sit at room temperature, refrigerated, or on dry ice, chemical processes continue, albeit at varied rates for different molecules. Indeed, even at subfreezing temperatures enzymatic lipolysis takes place (1). Oxidation, which could obscure endogenous oxidation events that may represent important novel biomarkers, can also occur (2). Clinical chemists are careful to evaluate these and other preanalytical variables that may affect assay results for their patients. Unfortunately, there is often no way to tell if something has gone unexpectedly wrong with sample collection, storage, or preparation until it is too late and a result is already in a medical record being interpreted by a care provider. It would be highly desirable to have an easy way to tell if a sample has been compromised in a way that would effectively eliminate the possibility of accurate protein quantification, but this option will never be possible for the traditional automated immunochemical platforms that serve as the mainstay in clinical laboratories. In addition to the preanalytical issues with clinical assays, a variety of analytical problems can also complicate the analysis of a biomarker in human samples. For example, lipemia and hyperproteinemia can interfere with the indirect potentiometric measurement of sodium (3). In addition, interconversion of folate metabolites from lysed erythrocytes occurs during the deconjugation reaction before certain chromatographic assays (4). In this issue of Clinical Chemistry , Bystrom et al. (5) describe taking …
Human-capital-centred Regionalism in Economic Development: A Case of Analytics Outpacing Institutions?:

Drawing on the case of the Delaware Valley Innovation Network, a regional consortium funded under the US Department of Labor, the paper argues that sophisticated analytical tools developed to facilitate workforce- and occupation-led economic development are running ahead of the institution-building required to put new approaches into practice. There are two main reasons for this. First, tensions persist around the role of the public-sector workforce system in regional development initiatives. Secondly, regional stakeholders disagree about whether ‘knowledge economy’ investments should include the training of manufacturing, transport and logistics workers. The documentation of regional occupational specialisations, ‘talent gap’ analyses and the clarification of career pathways are crucial components of human-capital-centred regionalism in economic development. However, best analytical practices are of little use without the institutional capacity to translate analysis into coherent, effective policy.
MITOCHONDRIAL GENES AND ISOPOD PHYLOGENY (PERACARIDA: ISOPODA)

Abstract Molecular data are used to test whether (1) Phreatoicidea are the earliest derived living isopods, and (2) the long-tailed isopod morphology is the derived condition within the Isopoda. Small and large subunits of the mitochondrial ribosomal genes (12S- and 16S rDNA), and cytochrome oxidase c subunit I (COI) are used as a case study for exploring the boundaries of applicability of these genes at this taxonomic level. I evaluate three data sets, compare three differently weighted alignments, test data partitions for congruence and phylogenetic structure, and evaluate the topologies of individual and combined data partitions. The 12S- and 16S rDNA partitions are not incongruent. However, the incongruence between ribosomal and COI partitions is significant. The study provides new data for addressing generic, familial, and subordinal relationships of this large, morphologically and ecologically diverse taxon. For the three data sets investigated here, the addition of taxa increases bootstrap values a...
Discussion: Quantifying Production Economic Relations

In working on my assignment as discussant, I was reminded of the predicament of some ancient tower builders. The central theme of the story is expressed in Genesis, Chapter 11, Verse 4: "Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth." Those of you who recognize this verse from the "Tower of Babel" story will know that the tower builders were overcome with a "confusion of
Publics and their Spaces

For more than fifty years designers, planners, social scientists and political theorists have debated the meaning and significance of public space. The course “Publics and their spaces”, at the University of California Berkeley, Faculty of Architecture (College of Environmental Design), examines the multiple and complex ways in which public space has been defined along with other relevant concepts such as the public sphere, community, and democracy. It explores these ideas through theoretical readings, case studies and our own observations and research.
Demonstration of a 1 J Diode-Pumped Yb:YAG Chirped Pulse Amplification Laser System

We have demonstrated a compact diode-pumped chirped pulse amplification laser based on cryogenically-cooled Yb:YAG that produces 1 J, 8.5 ps duration pulses at 10 Hz repetition rate.
Tumor Chemosensitivity Testing An Evolving Technique

Traditionally, selection of chemotherapeutic agents has been based on clinical experience gained through protocols. This does not allow for variances seen in individual tumor response to chemotherapeutics. The ability to predict accurately the sensitivity as well as the resistance of a tumor to specific chemotherapeutic agents will make it possible to design chemotherapy regimens that will maximize the possibility of tumor remission. There are several assays presently available to the physician that may accurately predict a tumor's sensitivity or resistance to chemotherapeutic agents. The three most commonly used assays are the clonogenic assay, the subrenal capsule, and the Rotman In Vitro Chemosensitivity Assay. Each assay has unique advantages and disadvantages, yet all require prompt and careful specimen preparation.