cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An inhibitor of the Kv2.1 potassium channel isolated from the venom of a Chilean tarantula.

Abstract The Kv2.1 voltage-activated K + channel, a Shab -related K + channel isolated from rat brain, is insensitive to previously identified peptide inhibitors. We have isolated two peptides from the venom of a Chilean tarantula, G. spatulata, that inhibit the Kv2.1 K + channel. The two peptides, hanatoxin, (HaTx 1 ) and hanatoxin 2 (HaTx 2 ), are unrelated in primary sequence to other K + channel inhibitors. The activity of HaTx was verified by synthesizing it in a bacterial expression system. The concentration dependence for both the degree of inhibition at equilibrium (K d = 42 nM) and the kinetics of inhibition (k on = 3.7 × 10 4 M −1 s −1 ; k off = 1.3 × 10 −3 s −1 ), are consistent with a bimolecular reaction between HaTx and the Kv2.1 K + channel. Shaker -related, Shaw -related, and eag K + channels were relatively insensitive to HaTx, whereas a Shal -related K + channel was sensitive. Regions outside the scorpion toxin binding site (S5-S6 linker) determine sensitivity to HaTx. HaTx introduces a new class of K + channel inhibitors that will be useful probes for studying K + channel structure and function.
An Algorithm for Zero-One Fractional Programming

Abstract A fractional program with bivalent variables can be solved as a direct extension of Balas' zero-one linear algorithm. A surrogate constraint extending that of Geoffrion for the linear case is devised. The method is more general than the one developed recently by Florian and Robillard since it sets no restrictions on the signs of the coefficients of the objective function. Computational experience indicates the superiority of the proposed method.
OCLC Research: Past, Present, and Future

ABSTRACT From its modest beginnings in the mid 1970s as a small research and development unit of Online Computer Library Center, Inc. (OCLC), OCLC Research has evolved to become a significant research organization, a preeminent laboratory for the exploration of innovative uses of library data and information system technology, and a key agent of change, advancing the state of the art within OCLC and in the global library and information science community. OCLC Research is one of the world's leading centers devoted to exploration, innovation, and community building on behalf of libraries, archives, and museums and is dedicated to helping memory institutions more effectively serve users of information, information systems, and cultural heritage collections.
Leukocyte subset-derived genomewide expression profiles in pediatric septic shock.

OBJECTIVE To directly assess whether genomewide expression profiles derived from leukocyte subsets are comparable to that of whole blood as measured by enrichment for genes corresponding to metabolic and signaling pathways. DESIGN Prospective observational study involving microarray-based bioinformatics based on RNA individually derived from whole blood, neutrophils, monocytes, and lymphocytes, respectively. SETTING Three pediatric intensive care units in the United States. PATIENTS Children < or =10 yrs of age: five normal control subjects and 13 meeting criteria for septic shock on day 1 of presentation to the pediatric intensive care unit. INTERVENTIONS None other than standard care. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Baseline analyses using whole blood-derived RNA demonstrated increased expression of genes corresponding to signaling pathways involving innate immunity, redox balance, and protein ubiquitination and decreased expression of genes corresponding to the adaptive immune system. Subsequent analyses using leukocyte-specific RNA were congruent with the gene expression profiles demonstrated using whole blood-derived RNA as measured by enrichment for genes corresponding to metabolic and signaling pathways. Gene network analysis, derived from a composite gene list involving the individual gene expression profiles of neutrophils, monocytes, and lymphocytes, respectively, revealed a gene network corresponding to antigen presentation, cell-mediated immunity, and humoral-mediated immunity. Finally, a subanalysis focused on network gene nodes localized to the nuclear compartment revealed functional annotations related to transcriptional repression and epigenetic regulation. CONCLUSIONS These data demonstrate that genome-level repression of adaptive immunity gene programs early in the course of pediatric septic shock remained evident when analyses were conducted using leukocyte subset-specific RNA.
METHODS FOR TRACKING PREGNANT AND PARENTING ADOLESCENTS

This article provides descriptive information on procedures used to successfully follow a sample of 241 premaritally pregnant urban adolescents participating in a longitudinal study of drug use patterns. Respondents were interviewed once during pregnancy, with subsequent interviews at 1 month, 6 months, 12 months, and 18 months after pregnancy resolution. Only 1 respondent refused to continue in the study, and temporary attrition due to inability to locate respondents was only 1% to 3% at each wave of data collection. Successful methods for sample recruitment and retention are discussed, emphasizing a multimethod approach.
Recruitment and initial interest of men in yoga for smoking cessation: QuitStrong , a randomized control pilot study

Innovative treatments like yoga for men’s smoking cessation (SC) are lacking. To examine the feasibility and acceptability of yoga for men’s SC. We randomly assigned eligible men (smoker, ≥5 cigarettes/day, age 18–65) to receive cognitive behavioral therapy for SC, plus a yoga or wellness program. Measures included feasibility (recruitment, class attendance) and acceptability (customer satisfaction). We enrolled 38 of 49 eligible men of 167 screened in response to ads (mean age 39.9 years, ±13.7) who smoked on average 18.6 cigarettes/day (±8.3). Wellness (75.8 %) versus yoga (56 %) men attended more SC classes, p < 0.01. Sixty percent attended ≥1 yoga class. Men reported greater satisfaction with in-house versus community yoga classes. Wellness appears to be the preferred intervention; results indicated that it may be more feasible and showed increased attendance at smoking classes. To be fully feasible, yoga + SC may need to be a unified program offering all classes tailored for men and in the same location.
The coordinated action of protein tyrosine phosphatases and kinases in cell signaling

The levels of tyrosine phosphorylation required for cell growth and differentiation are achieved through the coordinated action of protein tyrosine kinases (PTKs) and protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs). Depending upon the cellular context, these two types of enzymes may either antagonize or cooperate with each other during the signal transmission process. An imbalance between these enzymes may impair normal cell growth, leading to cellular transformation. Both PTKs and PTPs have evolved to a level of structural diversity that allows them to regulate many cellular processes. This review will focus on several specific examples that highlight the interplay between PTPs and PTKs in cell signaling.
Sodium chloride preference is altered in a rat model of liver disease

Rats with ligation of the common bile duct were used to study the effect of liver disease on preferences for sodium chloride solutions. Preferences for NaCl were assessed by 24-hr two-bottle choice (preference) tests in both bile duct ligated (BDL) and control animals. Bile duct ligated animals showed greater preferences for 200 and 300 mM NaCl than either free-feeding or pair-fed control animals. In rats provided with continuous access to a single concentration of 200 mM NaCl both pre- and postligation, BDL animals showed an abrupt change in NaCl preference at day 12 postligation, while control animals showed no alterations in preference during the same time period. The results provide additional support for a role of the liver in determining NaCl solution preference and suggest that the BDL rat may be a useful model for the study of altered gustatory function in liver disease.
Theory of the ‘soft inclusion’ as a deformation gauge in boreholes

Abstract The possibility of developing an instrument based on ‘solid inclusion’ principle where the ratio of Young's moduli of the insert and host rock is very low—‘soft inclusion’—has not been explored explicitly. The paper contains the theoretical development defining the conditions under which a ‘soft inclusion’ may prove to be a valuable device. It is felt that such a device in conjunction with the moire-fringe technique of measuring displacement may provide all the information required to find the directions and magnitudes of the principal strains and hence the principle stresses in a plane, when the ‘stress relief’ technique of stress measurement is used.
Human receptors for immunoglobulin G: Key elements in the pathogenesis of rheumatic disease

The structural diversity of Fc gammaR provides a mechanism by which IgG can elicit a broad range of cell responses. Fc gammaR vary in their affinity for IgG, their preference for IgG subclasses, the cell types in which they are expressed, and the intracellular signals which they elicit--stimulatory or inhibitory. Expansion in our knowledge of structure-function relationships among Fc gammaR has identified them as heritable risk factors for disease susceptibility and valuable targets for therapeutic modulation of the immune system.
Is there a future for pediatric sinus surgery? An American perspective

The role of pediatric sinus surgery in chronic sinusitis continues to evolve. By the early 1990s, endoscopic sinus surgery was being touted as a primary intervention of chronic pediatric sinusitis. Around this same time these endoscopic techniques were being attempted in congenital nasosinus malformations, acute orbital complications of sinusitis and other areas. In 1996 the Brussels consensus paper on pediatric sinusitis recommended that the latter set of nasal disorders were "absolute" indications, and ironically, chronic sinusitis was a "possible indication". This report reviews some of the changes which have impacted the use of sinus surgery during the last decade including the perception of nasal symptoms during the era of antibiotic resistance in bacteria, improved instrumentation, the role of adenoidectomy, research on the effects of sinus surgery on facial growth, and the research on surgical outcomes.
Selected area heteroepitaxial growth of GaAs on silicon for advanced device structures

Abstract The epitaxial growth of GaAs in selected areas on a silicon substrate represents an attractive means for monolithically integrating silicon and GaAs device functions on the same chip. Recent demonstrations of GaAs on silicon cointegration have utilized selected area heteroepitaxial growth, thus showing that this approach is indeed feasible for the fabrication of novel device structures. There are a number of important materials issues that are critical to the successful selected area growth of GaAs on silicon for advanced device applications, however. The generation and propagation of structural defects at the transition region from single-crystal to polycrystalline growth is a key issue, as is the effect of this defect structure on the electrical performance of the material. Post-growth thermal annealing has been found to lower significantly the defect density at the single crystal/polycrystal interface and in fact leads to long-range single-crystal regrowth of the heteroepitaxial GaAs. The implications of materials factors on the performance of selected area GaAs on silicon for advanced electronic and photonic devices will be discussed.
The Reduced Opportunity Structure: Senior Faculty Movement in Accounting 1980–2012

ABSTRACT: The ability to move from one employing institution to another can be very important in an academic career. This study concerns the mid-career opportunities for institutional migration for accounting faculty. Unlike previous studies that focused on the characteristics, motivations, and attainments of mobile faculty, this study examines the relative size of the accounting professoriate that has been in transition at various points in time. When a large component of senior accounting academics have (have not) taken new positions in the last few years, the opportunity structure can be said to be high (low). The findings, using accounting doctoral schools as the empirical setting, document a declining opportunity set. Over time, the fraction of senior accounting academics that have changed schools in the previous five years has dwindled. This conclusion holds true across various divisions of academic accounting. Specifically, a decline is shown for both public schools and private schools, for higher ...
HydroServer Lite as an open source solution for archiving and sharing environmental data for independent university labs

Abstract Managing, archiving, and sharing large amounts of data are essential tasks in ecological laboratories, and detailed data management plans are now required by major funding agencies. Many independent research labs may lack the technical or financial resources needed to support some of the more comprehensive data management solutions that have become available. In this paper we describe an open-source solution to data management, archiving, and sharing that can be implemented and customized by someone with limited computer programming experience using free software and standardized web services. This software, HydroServer Lite, is a light-weight database and data management web-based application that integrates with and makes data available on a large data sharing network developed by the Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Sciences, Inc. (CUAHSI). The CUAHSI Hydrologic Information System facilitates data sharing through a network of local HydroServers that are registered with the central registry. Each HydroServer may contain a variety of ecological and climate data, stored in a standardized relational database model. Someone searching for data that are registered in the central registry can query the network by source, location, variable type, and dates. These data can be downloaded from the local HydroServer to a computer in an office or lab where they can be manipulated and analyzed without compromising the data in the archives. We offer this HydroServer Lite case study as a possible solution for independent research laboratories looking for a data management system that requires little technical expertise or initial cost to set up.
Epistemologies of Rebellion The Tricolor Cockade and the Problem of Subaltern Speech

This essay follows Michel Foucault’s inspiration to develop an archaeology of subaltern politics. In the archives left from the Haitian Revolution, we find occasional references to slaves wearing t...
Facial Soft Tissue Changes Following Maxillomandibular Advancement for Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Purpose The goal of this retrospective study was to evaluate the horizontal and vertical facial soft tissue changes occurring after maxillomandibular advancement (MMA) surgery to treat obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Patients and Methods The study group comprised 31 consecutive adult patients with OSA who underwent MMA through Le Fort I osteotomy and bilateral sagittal split ramus osteotomies. Adjunctive maxillary procedures, consisting of piriformplasty, anterior nasal spine recontouring, alar base cinch, and V-Y closure of the upper lip, were used for all patients. A “best-fit” templating cephalometric technique was used to assess dentoskeletal movements and corresponding soft tissue changes. Results Maxillary movements (measured at point A) averaged 8.77 ± 2.34 mm horizontally and 2.20 ± 2.42 mm vertically. Mandibular movements (measured at point B) averaged 11.16 ± 2.56 mm horizontally and 2.25 ± 3.02 mm vertically. The horizontal upper lip soft tissue–to–hard tissue ratios averaged >0.90:1 (SLS/A, 0.97:1; Ls/U1fac, 0.96:1; Stms/ls, 0.86:1). Upper lip length (Sn-Ls) increased by a clinically insignificant amount (0.37 mm). The nasolabial complex rotated in a counterclockwise rotation, with the nasolabial angle decreasing (3.87 degrees) due primarily to forward movement of the upper lip. Horizontal lower lip and chin soft tissue–to–hard tissue ratios averaged >0.90:1 (Stmi/li, 0.90:1; Li/Ii, 0.89:1; Pg′/Pg, 0.92:1; Me′/Me, 0.91:1). Conclusions This study demonstrated that MMA in this selected group of OSA patients results in soft tissue movements producing a soft tissue–to–hard tissue ratio of about 0.90:1 for most anatomic sites of the upper lip, lower lip, and chin.
Design and Experimental Validation of an Adaptive Neurocontroller for Vibration Suppression

The real time sensing and actuation capabilities of smart structures are employed for active vibration control. A neural network based adaptive controller is designed and validated experimentally for nonlinear vibration suppression. Piezoelectric actuators are used to reduce the vibrations of a cantilevered plate subject to impulse, sine wave, and band-limited white noise disturbances. A multilayer perceptron with a single hidden layer of neurons is used as the controller. For an adaptive control system, the neurocontroller learns online in real time starting with random weights and biases. For fast learning, the Levernberg-Marquardt backpropagation algorithm is implemented by writing a C-file S-function used with MATLAB/Simulink. The learning rate is varied during the minimization of the cost function. Experimental results demonstrate quick learning, excellent closed-loop performance, and robustness of the adaptive neurocontroller.
Averaging versus multiplying combination rules of inference judgment.

Abstract Sequential inference judgments have traditionally been described as a multiplicative product of prior opinions and new evidence. This combination rule is central to the normative Bayesian approach, but has also been incorporated into other theories of inference. An alternative approach based on the theory of information integration has led to an averaging combination rule. These two combination rules can be compared by a critical test based on presentation of neutral evidence in a “bookbags-and-pokerchips” task. The results of three experiments revealed that the averaging rule was consistently supported. This clearly agrees with the integration approach, while suggesting a serious shortcoming in the descriptive ability of the Bayesian approach and other approaches using the multiplying rule. In addition, this result raises questions about the basic nature of inference judgments which are more fundamental than conservatism. Finally, the averaging result shows the importance of psychological processes in inference judgment.
Flutter of Maneuvering Aircraft

AbstractThe objective of this paper is to investigate how the aeroelastic stability, particularly flutter, is affected by aircraft maneuvers. The authors’ investigation is based on a comprehensive mathematical model of aircraft, which is achieved by seamlessly integrating all the disciplines pertinent to flight of aircraft. The aircraft is treated as an unstrained, flexible multibody system subject to unsteady aerodynamics. The bodies are fuselage, wing, and horizontal and vertical stabilizers, whose structures are modeled as beams in bending and torsion. The equations of motion are derived using Lagrange’s equations in quasi-coordinates. The resulting equations are a set of nonlinear ordinary differential equations of relatively high order. The final model is used to determine flutter speeds of aircraft at steady level turn and steady climb at various altitudes. These maneuvers are especially chosen to keep the equations time invariant. The numerical results are given for a generic transport model (GTM)....
Assembly of virus particles during mixed infection with wild-type vaccinia and a rifampicin-resistant mutant

Abstract A rifampicin-resistant vaccinia virus mutant was isolated from wild-type virus stocks. The mutant was purified by sucrose density gradient centrifugation and had an infectivity, electron microscopic appearance, and polypeptide composition that was similar to the wild-type virus. Growth of the mutant was inhibited only slightly at concentrations of rifampicin which completely prevented the growth of drug-sensitive virus, and at no concentration tested was there a detectable effect on viral envelope formation. The mutant virus was capable of rescuing wild-type during mixed infection in the presence of rifampicin; after simultaneous infection the ratio of genomes in the progeny reflected that of the original inoculum. Superinfection experiments demonstrated that beat-inactivated mutant was capable of efficiently rescuing wild-type virus and that extensive replication of the mutant genome was not required for this. Characteristic rifampicin blocked viral forms, normal maturing forms, and intermediate structures were seen in the same ultrathin cell sections after simultaneous infection with low multiplicities of mutant and wild-type virus. In cells simultaneously infected with high multiplicities of mutant and wild-type virus, rifampicin had no detectable effect on viral envelope formation. No difference was found in pulse-labeled polypeptides synthesized in rifampicin-treated cells infected with either mutant virus, wild-type virus, or both when analyzed by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. After a 4-hr chase, cleavage of the high molecular weight precursors of structural polypeptides was inhibited in cells infected with wild-type virus but occurred to similar extents in cells infected with mutant alone and cells simultaneously infected with mutant and wild-type virus.
Formation of Ordered, Anisotropic Organic Monolayers on the Si(001) Surface

It is shown that the SidSi dimers of the reconstructed Si(001) surface can react with the ﷿ bonds of unsaturated organic molecules to produce well-defined organic films with novel physical properties. Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) studies show that the resulting layers are ordered both translationally and rotationally, with the SidSi dimers acting as a template for extending the translational and rotational order from the silicon substrate to the organic film. STM images and infrared spectroscopy experiments show that by using vicinal Si(001) surface having primarily double-height steps, the rotational order of the molecules can be preserved over macroscopic length scales, leading to measurable anisotropy in optical properties. It is proposed that this chemistry may provide a general method for formation of controlled organic films on Si(001) surfaces.
Gas phase recoil phosphorus reactions—IV Effect of moderators on the abstraction reactions

Abstract The use of helium, neon and argon as moderators in recoil 32 P systems has shown that the F-abstraction from PF 3 to give 32 PF 3 is not diminished by moderation while the H-abstraction from PH 3 to give 32 PH 3 decreases to as low as 27% of the unmoderated value with the addition of 98% neon. These results are consistent with the supposition that the H-abstraction from PH 3 by 32 P atoms has a reaction cross section curve covering a wide energy range with a rather low threshold. The corresponding F-abstraction appears to involve thermal reactions of 32 P with a much narrower energy range for its reaction cross section curve.
Infants discrimination of the duration of a rapid spectrum change in nonspeech signals

Two-month-old infants discriminated complex sinusoidal patterns that varied in the duration of their initial frequency transitions. Discrimination of these nonspeech sinusoidal patterns was a function of both the duration of the transitions and the total duration of the stimulus pattern. This contextual effect was observed even though the information specifying stimulus duration occurred after the transitional information. These findings parallel those observed with infants for perception of synthetic speech stimuli. Specialized speech processing capacities are thus not required to account for infants' sensitivity to contextual effects in acoustic signals, whether speech or nonspeech.
Comment on a paper of Ashtekar and Isham

It is shown that the space of gauge equivalence classes of SU(2) connections is dense in the spectrum of the Ashtekar-Isham holonomy algebra. A simple model for this algebra is introduced and used to investigate to what extent it is justified to interpret the points of the spectrum as distributional connections.
Social networks among lower income Korean elderly immigrants in the U.S.

Abstract This study examines the composition and cultural context of the social networks of a sample of primarily lower-income Korean elderly immigrants and the resources and supports available through those network ties. In-depth, in-person interviews were used to investigate categories of network ties and the nature of network exchanges. Non-kin and organizational contacts were primary sources of emotional and instrumental support among this sample, with the norms and institutions of elder care in the U.S. shaping expectations regarding sources of support.
Rapid intravenous administration of ondansetron or metoclopramide is not associated with cardiovascular compromise in children.

This double blinded, placebo controlled, randomized, and prospective study investigated the effect of the rapid intravenous administration of ondansetron 0.15 mg.kg-1 or metoclopramide 0.25 mg.kg-1 on the heart rate, haemoglobin saturation, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure in 45 ASA PS I-II children between two and 16 years of age prior to elective tonsillectomy. The study groups were not significantly different with respect to age, weight, or gender. We were unable to detect a change in heart rate, systolic or diastolic blood pressure, or haemoglobin saturation following the rapid administration of ondansetron or metoclopramide. We conclude intravenous ondansetron or metoclopramide (for the prevention of postoperative vomiting) are not associated with cardiovascular instability when administered rapidly to healthy children prior to elective surgery.
On the zone of a surface in a hyperplane arrangement

LetH be a collection ofn hyperplanes in ?d, letA denote the arrangement ofH, and let ? be a (d?1)-dimensional algebraic surface of low degree, or the boundary of a convex set in ?d. Thezone of ? inA is the collection of cells ofA crossed by ?. We show that the total number of faces bounding the cells of the zone of ? isO(nd?1 logn). More generally, if ? has dimensionp, 0≤p
Isolation of Clostridium perfringens Type B in an Individual at First Clinical Presentation of Multiple Sclerosis Provides Clues for Environmental Triggers of the Disease

We have isolated Clostridium perfringens type B, an epsilon toxin-secreting bacillus, from a young woman at clinical presentation of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) with actively enhancing lesions on brain MRI. This finding represents the first time that C. perfringens type B has been detected in a human. Epsilon toxin’s tropism for the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and binding to oligodendrocytes/myelin makes it a provocative candidate for nascent lesion formation in MS. We examined a well-characterized population of MS patients and healthy controls for carriage of C. perfringens toxinotypes in the gastrointestinal tract. The human commensal Clostridium perfringens type A was present in approximately 50% of healthy human controls compared to only 23% in MS patients. We examined sera and CSF obtained from two tissue banks and found that immunoreactivity to ETX is 10 times more prevalent in people with MS than in healthy controls, indicating prior exposure to ETX in the MS population. C. perfringens epsilon toxin fits mechanistically with nascent MS lesion formation since these lesions are characterized by BBB permeability and oligodendrocyte cell death in the absence of an adaptive immune infiltrate.
Voltage dip caused by arc-furnace loads

A STUDY WAS MADE recently to determine the magnitude of the angular swing produced in a synchronous condenser by sudden application of an arc-furnace load, and the effect of this swing on the magnitude of the voltage dip.
Estimating the Lyapunov Exponent of a Chaotic System with Nonparametric Regression

Abstract We discuss procedures based on nonparametric regression for estimating the dominant Lyapunov Exponent λ1 from time series data generated by a nonlinear autoregressive system with additive noise. For systems with bounded fluctuations, λ1 > 0 is the defining feature of chaos. Thus our procedures can be used to examine time series data for evidence of chaotic dynamics. We show that a consistent estimator of the partial derivatives of the autoregression function can be used to obtain a consistent estimator of λ1. The rate of convergence we establish is quite slow; a better rate of convergence is derived heuristically and supported by simulations. Simulation results from several implementations—one “local” (thin-plate splines) and three “global” (neural nets, radial basis functions, and projection pursuit)—are presented for two deterministic chaotic systems. Local splines and neural nets yield accurate estimates of the Lyapunov exponent; however, the spline method is sensitive to the choice of the emb...
Food assimilation and filtering rate of bighead carp kept in cages

Bighead carp, Aristichthys nobilis Rich., dry weight food assimilation rates ranged from 37 to 49% (average 43%). The filtration rate ranged from 185 to 256 ml h−1 g−1 and was higher in larger fish. Bighead carp filtered Chlorella vulgaris (6 ± 0.4 µ diam) inefficiently (0.1 %), but the efficiency increased to 13 % for the larger Scenedesmus sp. (12 ± 1.7 µ diam). Fish kept in cages were forced to filter-feed, whereas fish kept free in the same pond were opportunistic plankton and bottom feeders. Free fish grew faster.
In vitro assembly of novel cholera toxin-like complexes.

Cholera toxin (CT) is responsible for the major pathological features of cholera, but in addition to its cytotoxic properties, CT is a potent mucosal adjuvant when coadministered with antigens at mucosal sites. Discovery of CT adjuvanticity has prompted the generation of CT chimeras with reduced toxicity and improved efficiency for antigen presentation at mucosal sites. To date, chimeric forms of CT have been produced in bacterial strains by coexpressing the CT B subunit and a chimeric form of the CT A subunit consisting of a target protein antigen fused with the A2 polypeptide of CT. In this study, a chimeric protein consisting of green fluorescent protein (GFP) fused with polypeptide A2 was generated to investigate the feasibility of assembling CT holotoxin-like complexes in vitro. The assembly of such holotoxin-like complexes would expand the variety of antigenic compounds that could be incorporated into CT-based vaccines. In this study, GFP-A2/CTB complexes could be generated in vitro using a stepwise denaturation-renaturation process. These findings suggest that it is possible to generate novel mucosal vaccines consisting of macromolecules that are chemically coupled to polypeptide A2 and reconstituted into CT-like complexes in vitro.
The Rapid Induction of Cancers in the Hairless Mouse Utilizing the Principle of Photoaugmentation

We report a method for rapidly inducing cancer in the hairless mouse utilizing regimen in which an exposure to highly erythemogenic, but otherwise clinically non-injurious, dose of broad spectrum (290–400 nm) ultraviolet light is increased by 20% every 6th day. Clinical and histological observations reveal the presence of squamous cell cancer after as little as 18days of irradiation. The rate of cancer induction is enhanced by the 320–400nm component and this enhancement is shown to be a photoaugmentative effect. The results support the idea that stratum corneum and/or malpighian layer thickening produced in early stages of tumor induction tends to protect against the detrimental effects of UV radiation. Strict monitoring of both the spectral distribution and output of the radiation source is imperative for reproducible rates of tumor induction.
β1-Adrenergic receptor antagonism abrogates cardioprotective effects of intermittent hypoxia

Adaptation to hypoxia lessens myocardial ischemic injury. This study tested whether hypoxia-induced beta-adrenergic activity mobilizes mechanisms that protect myocardium during subsequent ischemia and reperfusion. Dogs were intermittent hypoxia conditioned (IHC) by a 20 days program of 5-8 daily, 5-10 min cycles of normobaric hypoxia (FIO2 = 9.5-10%), or sham conditioned with normoxic air, and metoprolol (beta1-adrenoceptor antagonist) was administered throughout the IHC program. Twenty-four hours after the last IHC session, the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) was occluded for 60 min, and then reperfused for 5 h. Area at risk (AAR) and infarct size (IS) were measured. IHC lowered IS/AAR from 38+/-6% in sham-conditioned dogs to 1.1+/-0.3%, and eliminated ventricular tachycardia (VT) and fibrillation (VF) that occurred in 14 of 17 non-conditioned dogs. Metoprolol blunted IHC-evoked cardioprotection (IS/AAR=27+/-3%), and VT and/or VF occurred in 5 of 6 dogs. Metoprolol did not exacerbate ischemic injury in sham-conditioned dogs (IS/AAR=38+/-2%). Neither IHC nor metoprolol affected hematocrit or LAD collateral blood flow. A single IHC session failed to protect ischemic myocardium (IS/AAR = 36+/-8%), and protection was incomplete after 10 days of IHC (IS/AAR = 13+/-5%), suggesting that de novo protein synthesis was required for protection. Thus, episodic beta1-adrenergic activation during IHC evokes progressive development of powerful resistance to myocardial ischemia.
Succinic Acid Production from Cheese Whey using Actinobacillus succinogenes 130 Z

Actinobacillus succinogenes 130 Z was used to produce succinic acid from cheese whey in this study. At the presence of external CO(2) supply, the effects of initial cheese whey concentration, pH, and inoculum size on the succinic acid production were studied. The by-product formation during the fermentation process was also analyzed. The highest succinic acid yield of 0.57 was obtained at initial cheese whey concentration of 50 g/L, while the highest succinic acid productivity of 0.58 g h(-1) L(-1) was obtained at initial cheese whey concentration of 100 g/L. Increase in pH and inoculum size caused higher succinic acid yield and productivity. At the preferred fermentation condition of pH 6.8, inoculum size of 5% and initial cheese whey concentration of 50 g/L, succinic acid yield of 0.57, and productivity of 0.44 g h(-1) L(-1) were obtained. Acetic acid and formic acid were the main by-products throughout the fermentation run of 48 h. It is feasible to produce succinic acid using lactose from cheese whey as carbon resource by A. succinogenes 130 Z.
The role of the state and the hierarchy of money

This paper uses Minsky's definition of money as a two-sided balance sheet phenomenon to challenge many common positions on the nature, evolution and role of money. His definition is applied to two opposing theories in the history of monetary debates, and it is shown that the Chartalists (as opposed to the Metallists) developed a general theory of money that can be applied equally convincingly to the entire era of state money. This theory is then used to show that the state's power to make and enforce tax laws renders its money the most acceptable form of debt within what can be considered a "hierarchy" of monies. This leads to some important policy implications as well as a strengthening of the endogenous money position. Copyright 2001 by Oxford University Press.
An Evaluation of Layer Performance in Deep and Shallow Cages at Different Densities

Abstract The effects of population density and cage design upon production performance and net income per bird were determined for three population densities in two commercial cage designs. The deep design cage front measured 38.1 cm by 50.8 cm on the side while the shallow cage measured 60.9 cm across the front and 35.5 cm in depth. Densities comparable to industry were used. A total of 1,620 commercial strain White Leghorns were tested to 455 days of age in an environmentally-controlled high-rise house. In the deep cage, increasing population density resulted in consistent but nonsignificant (P>.05) reductions in egg production. Significant (P Pullets in deep cages laid fewer eggs, had smaller body weight, used less total feed, had smaller eggs, less egg mass and fewer eggs grading large or better, than pullets in shallow cages with comparable population sizes. There were no differences between cage designs for mortality, feed conversion, percentage undergrades and net egg income per bird. The increased feed consumption of the birds in shallow cages nullified advantages gained elsewhere for net income per bird.
A formula for the exact number of primes below a given bound in any arithmetic progression

The formula of [E.] Meissel [ Math. Ann . 2 (1870), 636–642] is generalized to arbitrary arithmetic progressions. Meissel's formula is applicable not only to computation of π( x ) for large x (recently x = 10 13 ), but also is a sieve technique (see MR36#2548), useful for studying the subtle effect of primes less then or equal to x 1/2 on the behavior of primes less than or equal to x . The same is true of the generalized Meissel, with the added advantage that the behavior of primes less than or equal to x can be studied in arbitrary progressions.
Contrasting Patterns in Mammal–Bacteria Coevolution: Bartonella and Leptospira in Bats and Rodents

Background Emerging bacterial zoonoses in bats and rodents remain relatively understudied. We conduct the first comparative host–pathogen coevolutionary analyses of bacterial pathogens in these hosts, using Bartonella spp. and Leptospira spp. as a model. Methodology/Principal Findings We used published genetic data for 51 Bartonella genotypes from 24 bat species, 129 Bartonella from 38 rodents, and 26 Leptospira from 20 bats. We generated maximum likelihood and Bayesian phylogenies for hosts and bacteria, and tested for coevoutionary congruence using programs ParaFit, PACO, and Jane. Bartonella spp. and their bat hosts had a significant coevolutionary fit (ParaFitGlobal = 1.9703, P≤0.001; m2 global value = 7.3320, P≤0.0001). Bartonella spp. and rodent hosts also indicated strong overall patterns of cospeciation (ParaFitGlobal = 102.4409, P≤0.001; m2 global value = 86.532, P≤0.0001). In contrast, we were unable to reject independence of speciation events in Leptospira and bats (ParaFitGlobal = 0.0042, P = 0.84; m2 global value = 4.6310, P = 0.5629). Separate analyses of New World and Old World data subsets yielded results congruent with analysis from entire datasets. We also conducted event-based cophylogeny analyses to reconstruct likely evolutionary histories for each group of pathogens and hosts. Leptospira and bats had the greatest number of host switches per parasite (0.731), while Bartonella and rodents had the fewest (0.264). Conclusions/Significance In both bat and rodent hosts, Bartonella exhibits significant coevolution with minimal host switching, while Leptospira in bats lacks evolutionary congruence with its host and has high number of host switches. Reasons underlying these variable coevolutionary patterns in host range are likely due to differences in disease-specific transmission and host ecology. Understanding the coevolutionary patterns and frequency of host-switching events between bacterial pathogens and their hosts will allow better prediction of spillover between mammal reservoirs, and ultimately to humans.
Osteoporosis Imaging: State of the Art and Advanced Imaging

The importance of osteoporosis is increasing in our aging society; fragility fractures may have a devastating effect on the individual, and as radiologists we have a critical role to play in preventing these.
Localization of the ileal sodium-bile acid cotransporter gene (SLC10A2) to human chromosome 13q33.

This report describes the localization of the human ileal sodium-bile acid cotransporter gene (SLC10A2) to human chromosome 13q33 using fluorescence in situ hybridization. The article discusses some possible roles for this gene in inherited disorders of bile acid and cholesterol metabolism. 9 refs., 1 fig.
Toward an understanding of the role of DNA adduct conformation in defining mutagenic mechanism based on studies of the major adduct (formed at N2-dG) of the potent environmental carcinogen, benzo[a]pyrene

The process of carcinogenesis is initiated by mutagenesis, which often involves replication past damaged DNA. One question - what exactly is a DNA polymerase seeing when it incorrectly copies a damaged DNA base (e.g., inserting dATP opposite a dG adduct)? - has not been answered in any case. Herein, we reflect on this question, principally by considering the mutagenicity of one activated form of benzo[a]pyrene, (+)-anti-B[a]PDE, and its major adduct [+ta]-B[a]P-N(2)-dG. In previous work, [+ta]-B[a]P-N(2)-dG was shown to be capable of inducing>95% G-->T mutations in one sequence context (5'-TGC), and approximately 95% G-->A mutations in another (5'-AGA). This raises the question - how can a single chemical entity induce different mutations depending upon DNA sequence context? Our current working hypothesis is that adduct conformational complexity causes adduct mutational complexity, where DNA sequence context can affect the former, thereby influencing the latter. Evidence supporting this hypothesis was discussed recently (Seo et al., Mutation Res. [in press]). Assuming this hypothesis is correct (at least in some cases), one goal is to consider what these mutagenic conformations might be. Based on molecular modeling studies, 16 possible conformations for [+ta]-B[a]P-N(2)-dG are proposed. A correlation between molecular modeling and mutagenesis work suggests a hypothesis (Hypothesis 3): a base displaced conformation with the dG moiety of the adduct in the major vs. minor groove gives G-->T vs. G-->A mutations, respectively. (Hypothesis 4, which is a generalized version of Hypothesis 3, is also proposed, and can potentially rationalize aspects of both [+ta]-B[a]P-N(2)-dG and AP-site mutagenesis, as well as the so-called "A-rule".) Finally, there is a discussion of how conformational complexity might explain some unusual mutagenesis results that suggest [+ta]-B[a]P-N(2)-dG can become trapped in different conformations, and why we think it makes sense to interpret adduct mutagenesis results by modeling ds-DNA (at least in some cases), even though the mutagenic event must occur at a ss/ds-DNA junction in the presence of a DNA polymerase.
Oracle parallel warehouse server

Oracle is the leading supplier of data warehouse servers, yet little has been published about Oracle's parallel warehouse architecture. After a brief review of Oracle's market, performance, and platform strengths, we present two novel features of the Oracle parallel database architecture. First, the data flow model achieves scalability while using a fixed number of threads that is independent of the complexity of the query plan. Second, a new "load shipping" architecture combines the best aspects of data shipping and function shipping, and runs on shared everything, shared disk, and shared nothing hardware.
Study of the longitudinal kink modes of the string

We examine the massless limit of a model for the massive relativistic Nambu string. The system possesses longitudinal kink modes excluded from the standard lightlike gauge treatment. We demonstrate the equivalence of these modes to those proposed by Patrascioiu. The classical nonlinear field theory of the two-dimensional string is shown to be a completely integrable Hamiltonian system. The Hamiltonian is expressed in terms of normal-mode action variables alone; the mass-squared spectrum is linear in the Bohr-Sommerfeld approximation. The difficulties of canonical quantization are exposed using a particular timelike gauge which admits commuting center-of-mass coordinates.
Spatiotemporal Analysis of Copper Homeostasis in Populus trichocarpa Reveals an Integrated Molecular Remodeling for a Preferential Allocation of Copper to Plastocyanin in the Chloroplasts of Developing Leaves

Plastocyanin, which requires copper (Cu) as a cofactor, is an electron carrier in the thylakoid lumen and essential for photoautotrophic growth of plants. The Cu microRNAs, which are expressed during Cu deprivation, down-regulate several transcripts that encode for Cu proteins. Since plastocyanin is not targeted by the Cu microRNAs, a cofactor economy model has been proposed in which plants prioritize Cu for use in photosynthetic electron transport. However, defects in photosynthesis are classic symptoms of Cu deprivation, and priorities in Cu cofactor delivery have not been determined experimentally. Using hydroponically grown Populus trichocarpa (clone Nisqually-1), we have established a physiological and molecular baseline for the response to Cu deficiency. An integrated analysis showed that Cu depletion strongly reduces the activity of several Cu proteins including plastocyanin, and consequently, photosynthesis and growth are decreased. Whereas plastocyanin mRNA levels were only mildly affected by Cu depletion, this treatment strongly affected the expression of other Cu proteins via Cu microRNA-mediated transcript down-regulation. Polyphenol oxidase was newly identified as Cu regulated and targeted by a novel Cu microRNA, miR1444. Importantly, a spatiotemporal analysis after Cu resupply to previously depleted plants revealed that this micronutrient is preferentially allocated to developing photosynthetic tissues. Plastocyanin and photosynthetic electron transport efficiency were the first to recover after Cu addition, whereas recovery of the other Cu-dependent activities was delayed. Our findings lend new support to the hypothesis that the Cu microRNAs serve to mediate a prioritization of Cu cofactor use. These studies also highlight poplar as an alternative sequenced model for spatiotemporal analyses of nutritional homeostasis.
Performance Impact of Deflagration to Detonation Transition Enhancing Obstacles

A sub-model is developed to account for the drag and heat transfer enhancement resulting from deflagration-to-detonation (DDT) inducing obstacles commonly used in pulse detonation engines (PDE). The sub-model is incorporated as a source term in a time-accurate, quasi-onedimensional, CFD-based PDE simulation. The simulation and sub-model are then validated through comparison with a particular experiment in which limited DDT obstacle parameters were varied. The simulation is then used to examine the relative contributions from drag and heat transfer to the reduced thrust which is observed. It is found that heat transfer is far more significant than aerodynamic drag in this particular experiment.