cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of spaceflight aboard the International Space Station on mouse estrous cycle and ovarian gene expression.

Ovarian steroids dramatically impact normal homeostatic and metabolic processes of most tissues within the body, including muscle, bone, neural, immune, cardiovascular, and reproductive systems. Determining the effects of spaceflight on the ovary and estrous cycle is, therefore, critical to our understanding of all spaceflight experiments using female mice. Adult female mice (n = 10) were exposed to and sacrificed on-orbit after 37 days of spaceflight in microgravity. Contemporary control (preflight baseline, vivarium, and habitat; n = 10/group) groups were maintained at the Kennedy Space Center, prior to sacrifice and similar tissue collection at the NASA Ames Research Center. Ovarian tissues were collected and processed for RNA and steroid analyses at initial carcass thaw. Vaginal wall tissue collected from twice frozen/thawed carcasses was fixed for estrous cycle stage determinations. The proportion of animals in each phase of the estrous cycle (i.e., proestrus, estrus, metestrus, and diestrus) did not appreciably differ between baseline, vivarium, and flight mice, while habitat control mice exhibited greater numbers in diestrus. Ovarian tissue steroid concentrations indicated no differences in estradiol across groups, while progesterone levels were lower (p < 0.05) in habitat and flight compared to baseline females. Genes involved in ovarian steroidogenic function were not differentially expressed across groups. As ovarian estrogen can dramatically impact multiple non-reproductive tissues, these data support vaginal wall estrous cycle classification of all female mice flown in space. Additionally, since females exposed to long-term spaceflight were observed at different estrous cycle stages, this indicates females are likely undergoing ovarian cyclicity and may yet be fertile.
Tuning the exchange dynamics of boronic acid hydrazones and oximes with pH and redox control

Dynamic bonds continually form and dissociate at equilibrium. Carbonyl compounds with proximal boronic acids, including 2-formylphenylboronic acid (2-FPBA), have been reported to form highly dynamic covalent hydrazone and oxime bonds in physiological conditions, but strategies to tune the dynamics have not yet been reported. Here, we characterize the dynamics of 2-FPBA-derived hydrazones and oximes and account for both the rapid rate of formation (∼102–103 M−1 s−1) and the relatively fast rate of hydrolysis (∼10−4 s−1) at physiological pH. We further show that these substrates undergo exchange with α-nucleophiles, which can be reversibly paused and restarted with pH control. Finally, we show that oxidation of the arylboronic acid effectively abolishes the rapid dynamics, which slows the forward reaction by more than 30 000 times and increases the hydrolytic half-life from 50 minutes to 6 months at physiological pH. These results set the stage to explore these linkages in dynamic combinatorial libraries, reversible bioconjugation, and self-healing materials.
Hexostasis: A Transdisciplinary Approach Towards Educational Gaming and Game Design

This paper focuses on a research project that propose a transdisciplinary method towards problem solving strategies by designing a video game that displays the potential of weaving together elements of conventionally separated disciplines. This happens through a curation of discipline-associated thinking strategies with the intention of creating a more extensive and transdisciplinary approach toward problem solving. This method is studied through a puzzle video game named Hexostasis which is specifically designed for this research. The disciplinary practices that Hexostasis brings together are; design problem and action centered design approaches from the area of design, critical play approach from art education and abstraction and decomposition from computer science. During the execution of this study, design-based research and mixed methods approaches are used. As a design based research study, the game development process is at the center of this project and the research itself. The goal of this study is to showcase this transdisciplinary approach to urge more educators and game designers to use the tools that they have, especially when they hold the potential of creating something that can evoke diversely beneficial results for their users.
Use of the polymerase chain reaction in detection of culturable and nonculturable Vibrio vulnificus cells.

Vibrio vulnificus is a human pathogen associated with consumption of raw oysters. During the colder months the organism apparently enters a viable but nonculturable state and thus cannot be cultured by ordinary bacteriological methods. For this reason, another means of detecting this bacterium is necessary. In the present study we utilized the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect V. vulnificus DNA, thus eliminating the problem of nonculturability. DNA from both culturable and nonculturable cells of V. vulnificus was amplified by PCR with primers flanking a 340-bp fragment of the cytotoxin-hemolysin gene. As little as 72 pg of DNA from culturable cells and 31 ng of DNA from nonculturable cells could be detected. Fifty cycles of a two-step reaction (30 s [each] at 94 and 65 degrees C) were found to be optimal as well as more time efficient than the three-step PCR. The total procedure from the point of DNA extraction to observation on a gel required less than 8 h. Possible reasons for the difficulties encountered in amplifying DNA from nonculturable cells, e.g., gene rearrangement or loss of the hemolysin gene, are discussed. Images
Explorations in Automatic Book Summarization

Most of the text summarization research carried out to date has been concerned with the summarization of short documents (e.g., news stories, technical reports), and very little work if any has been done on the summarization of very long documents. In this paper, we try to address this gap and explore the problem of book summarization. We introduce a new data set specifically designed for the evaluation of systems for book summarization, and describe summarization techniques that explicitly account for the length of the documents.
Interaction of animal mitochondrial EF-Tu.EF-Ts with aminoacyl-tRNA, guanine nucleotides, and ribosomes.

The mammalian mitochondrial complex consisting of elongation factors EF-Tu and EF-Ts (EF-Tu.Tsmt) is capable of efficiently binding aminoacyl-tRNA to the ribosome in the presence and absence of guanine nucleotides. In the presence of GTP the binding reaction is catalytic. In the absence of guanine nucleotides, or in the presence of a non-hydrolyzable GTP analog, only one round of ribosome binding occurs. EF-Tu.Tsmt is capable of forming a ternary complex with GTP and Escherichia coli Phe-tRNA as demonstrated by gel filtration chromatography, nitrocellulose filter binding, and by protection of the aminoacyl-tRNA bond from hydrolysis. GDP and the non-hydrolyzable GTP analog guanyl-5'-yl imidodiphosphate are also capable of facilitating ternary complex formation with EF-Tu.Tsmt, but are less effective. No kinetic advantage results from the formation of this ternary complex prior to ribosome binding, and EF-Tu.Tsmt may actually bind aminoacyl-tRNA directly to the ribosome prior to binding GTP. These results suggest that a variation of the prokaryotic elongation cycle is occurring in animal mitochondria. N-Ethylmaleimide inhibits the activity of EF-Tu.Tsmt in polymerization and in ribosome binding. However, the activity of the EF-Tsmt which can be measured independently, is not altered.
A light-weight solution for selfish nodes problem considering battery status in wireless ad-hoc networks

In mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs), nodes depend on each other for routing and forwarding packets. Cooperation among nodes is a key issue in such an environment. However, some of the nodes in MANETs may behave selfishly and may not forward packets to save battery and other resources. Since nodes in MANETs communicate on a peer-to-peer basis without any central authority (which can monitor selfish behavior of nodes), a centralized solution to stimulate cooperation is not suitable. In this paper, we present a fully distributed solution to force nodes' cooperation. The solution is light-weight in that neighbor monitoring is on-demand, and nodes work in promiscuous mode only part time to save battery. Besides, we provide fairness to nodes in the network by considering their battery status. We incorporate our light-weight solution for selfish node problems considering battery status in AODV. To evaluate the performance of our scheme, we conducted simulation using Glomosim. Simulation results show that the proposed scheme improves data forwarding capability substantially in presence of selfish nodes, identifies the selfish nodes accurately and has low overhead.
Patent Eligible Inventions after Bilski: History and Theory, 63 Hastings L.J. 53 (2011)

The U.S. Supreme Court has continued to require that patentable subject matter eligibility determinations under Section 101 be made by reference to three historic, categorical exclusions, for scientific principles, natural phenomena, and abstract ideas, which must be treated as if already known even when newly discovered by the applicant. Various thoughtful scholars have alternatively urged that these exclusions from the patent system should be viewed restrictively or that eligibility decisions should be avoided. But these scholars under appreciate the benefits of categorical exclusions and particularly of treating them as if they were already known prior art, and in any event the Federal Circuit (reluctantly), the Patent and Trademark Office, and the public must now take up the difficult task of drawing lines between eligible inventions and ineligible applications of excluded discoveries. This article supplies a history and theory of subject matter eligibility to guide such line drawing, based on the recognition that the Patent Act (for both eligibility and patentability) has always required and still requires creative, human invention in the application of such categorically excluded discoveries. So long as these basic discoveries continue to be treated as if already known, notwithstanding the contribution of the applicant in identifying the knowledge, it will improve efficiency and reduce patent system errors to rely on threshold eligibility determinations. Supplying clearer criteria to define the additional creativity required for eligibility will further reduce overall patent system burdens and will better direct investment, effort, invention, and disclosure towards more creative, patentable applications. These categorical eligibility exclusions were justified historically on both deontological and utilitarian moral grounds. Prudence counsels retaining them, given the high social stakes involved, the lack of theoretical or empirical demonstration that competing innovation approaches are better, and the moral concerns that would be raised by their elimination. The article thus concludes with an exhortation to celebrate rather than to reluctantly embrace patentable subject matter categorical exclusions, their prior art status, and the line-drawing that eligibility determinations require, to better protect the public domain of science, nature, and ideas while simultaneously improving the patent system.
The future of stroke prevention by risk factor modification.

Publisher Summary Future stroke prevention promises to open up new avenues for stroke risk reduction. Stroke is ideally suited for prevention as it is characterized by a high prevalence of disease, a substantial number of modifiable risk factors, therapies that have proven to reduce stroke risk, a high rate of disability, and a high economic burden. Observational epidemiological studies have led to the identification of risk factors for stroke, and clinical trials have established a robust armamentarium of preventions for first or recurrent stroke. Stroke prevention is undergoing a transformation. The chapter discusses the traditional approaches of stroke prevention, screening for stroke prevention, methods of future identification of those at risk, traditional risk factors for cardiovascular disease and stroke, the impact of these factors on stroke reduction, novel cardiovascular risk factors, how they may impact on future stroke prevention, organization of stroke care, and the future of stroke preventive services.
OBSERVATIONS ON THE USE OF TRIPHENYL TETRAZOLIUM FOR THE DETECTION OF BACTERIURIA.

A correlation of bacterial counts with results of Uroscreen tests was carried out on 350 clean-voided urine samples. Uroscreen was correct 61% of the time in detecting urines with greater than 100,000 organisms per ml. However, only 47% of the positive Uroscreen tests themselves were correctly positive. The Uroscreen test is not considered reliable enough as a screening procedure for the detection of urinary tract infection and should be abandoned.
Thoughts on the Cerebellum as a Model for Cerebral Cortical Development and Evolution

This chapter explores the prospect of using the cerebellar cortex as a model for the development and evolution of the cerebral neocortex. At first, this would seem a nearly fruitless task given the readily apparent structural and functional differences between the two cortices. Cerebellum and cerebrum perform different associative tasks, the cellular 'circuit diagram' of the two structures is different, even the developmental sequences that give rise to the two structures differ markedly. Yet there are similarities between the structures at the conceptual level that are difficult to ignore. Both structures have a relatively simple modular circuitry and achieve their complexity by an increase in either the size or number of the modules. Both have massive commisures connecting the left and right halves of the structure. For the cortex this commisure is the obvious corpus callosum; the cerebellar commisure is made up of parallel fibres of the granule cells that pass freely across the midline. As they are thin and unmyelinated, the number of these crossing fibres may well exceed the number of the callosal axons by a significant amount. By far the most obvious similarity between cortex and cerebellum, however, is that they are both topologically sheet-like in structure. They are broad and wide in the two-dimensional plane of the pial membrane with a relatively modest thickness in the radial dimension. The question for this chapter then is whether these similarities, in particular the sheet-like organization are coincidental or indicative of larger themes that play deeper roles in the development and function of these two seemingly disparate brain regions.
Dopamine as a possible neurotransmitter in gastric relaxation.

In dogs with gastric fistulas, intragastric pressure was measured with a flaccid balloon containing 500 ml of water. Graded doses of dopamine caused graded decreases in intragastric pressure. This effect was blocked by pimozide or by metoclopramide but was not significantly affected by phenoxybenzamine, propranolol, guanethidine, or FLA-63 (aβ-hydroxylase inhibitor). Pretreatment with metoclopramide or with pimozide shifted the volume-pressure diagram of the stomach to the left; that is, at any given volume the pressure was greater after than before these drugs. In dogs with vagally innervated gastric pouches and gastric fistulas, feeding for 1 min (while allowing the food to leave the stomach through the gastric fistula) caused a prompt decrease in pressure in the pouch that lasted for about 5 min. Pretreatment with metoclopramide decreased the magnitude and duration of this receptive relaxation. It is concluded that these findings are consistent with (but do not establish) the hypothesis that dopamine is the neurotransmitter for receptive relaxation of the stomach, because dopamine mimics receptive relaxation, and dopamine antagonists partially block reflexly induced receptive relaxation.
A Fast Image Deblurring Algorithm Using the Wiener Filter and the Hartley Transform

One of the main factors limiting the quality of industrial NDE radiographic images and infrared images is unsharpness [1, 2, 3, 4]. Unsharpness degrades the quality of images. It blurs edges and details of images. Unsharpness is caused by various factors such as the diffuse radiation, the finite size of the radiation source, the scattering in the specimen, the scattering in the film emulsion, and the observation system transfer function. Unsharpness can be mathematically represented as a result of a convolution and its effect can be reduced by a deconvolution algorithm. Many deconvolution algorithms have been developed to enhance images. The least-squares (Wiener) filter is an optimal statistical filter in an average sense and it can be applied to deconvolve an image [5]. The constrained least-squares filter is designed to satisfy a certain constraint so that it is optimum to deconvolve each given image [5]. The maximum entropy deconvolution method has been demonstrated that it is a superior technique for image restoration [6, 7]. However, the constrained least-squares filter and the maximum entropy method require a lot of computational time. In practice, the least-squares (Wiener) filter is often used.
Amplification and molecular cloning of the ornithine decarboxylase gene of Leishmania donovani.

A strain of Leishmania donovani has been described that is resistant to DL-alpha-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO), an inhibitor of ornithine decarboxylase (OD-Case) activity, and contains 15-fold greater amounts of ODCase activity and protein than the wild type strain from which it was derived (Coons, T., Hanson, S., Bitonti, A.J., McCann, P.P., and Ullman, B. (1990) Mol. Biochem. Pharmacol. 39, 77-90). From this mutant strain, another ODCase overproducing L. donovani strain, DFMO16, was generated by virtue of its ability to proliferate under even higher concentrations of DFMO. To investigate the mechanism by which DFMO-resistant cells overexpress ODCase, the leishmanial ODCase gene was isolated by hybridization to a fragment of the L. donovani ODCase gene that was generated by the polymerase chain reaction. The nucleotide sequence of a 4.5-kilobase DNA fragment encompassed an open reading frame encoding 707 amino acids (Mr = 77,350). The leishmanial protein contained an extra approximately 200 amino acid NH2-terminal extension and lacked the COOH terminus of the mammalian ODCase. Northern blot analysis revealed two leishmanial OD-Case transcripts of 4.8 and 6.5 kilobases, both of which were amplified 10-20-fold in the DFMO16 cells. Genomic Southern blot analysis established that the augmented amount of ODCase activity and ODCase mRNA in the DFMO16 strain could be attributed to a approximately 10-20-fold amplification of the ODCase gene copy number. DFMO16 cells exhibited an unstable phenotype in that the amplification of the ODCase gene, the increased amount of ODCase transcript, the overproduction of ODCase activity, and the DFMO-resistance growth phenotype all reverted synchronously in the absence of selective pressure.
The Cities of the Ancient Andes

The Cities of the Ancient Andes. Adriana von Hagan and Craig Morris. New York: Thames and Hudson, 1998.240pp.
The Reliability and Validity of WISC-IV Scores With Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children

The present study examined the reliability and validity of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children—Fourth Edition (WISC-IV) for use with deaf and hard-of-hearing (D/HOH) children. Psychologists (n = 10) provided data for 128 D/HOH children who were assessed with the WISC-IV as part of routine assessments. All the WISC-IV subtests (8) and indexes (2) examined had split-half internal consistency coefficients that were higher (p < .05) than the values reported for the normative sample. The mean Perceptual Reasoning Index (M = 93.21) and Verbal Comprehension Index (M = 80.86) for D/HOH children were lower (p < .05) than the population mean (M = 100). Of the 44 inter-subtest correlations calculated, 29 were significantly greater than zero. The results support the reliability of the WISC-IV scores for D/ HOH children, although the findings suggest that the Perceptual Reasoning Index may have a different meaning than Performance IQ for D/HOH children.
Synthesis and rotational barriers of aryl-substituted naphthacenesystems: Framework for a receptor model

Abstract Barriers to aryl rotation in ortho and meta aryl-substituted naphthacene systems have been determined.
Analysis of lithium transport in electrochromic multilayer films by neutron depth profiling

Thin film rocking-chair' type cells hold great promise for 'smart window' and rechargeable battery applications. Smart windows alter the transmissivity between any two states over the solar spectrum by electrical current modulation, which causes lithium ions to migrate back and forth between the two electrochromic layers. This paper reports measurement of the lithium distribution in each layer and transport between layers by the method of neutron depth profiling (NDP). Samples are irradiated by a beam of cold' neutrons that induce the 6 Li(n,α) 3 H reaction. Both the intensity and energy of the reaction products-the α-particles and tritons-are measured by surface barrier detectors. Comparing the emission intensity with that of a known standard leads to quantitative determination of the lithium concentrations. The energy loss of the emitted charged particles due to interactions with the matrix provides a direct measurement of the depth of the originating lithium nucleus. The non-destructive nature of the NDP technique allows in situ measurements of the lithium concentration under different voltage bias conditions. The data acquisition method and data analysis techniques are explained. Results of the concentration measurements as a function of bias are presented. Possible applications into other lithium multilayers are also discussed.
Comfortably inhabiting reality: justifying and denouncing arguments in a development dispute in the post-industrial gentrified inner-city

This article seeks to understand the ‘critical capacities’ of actors involved in public disputes by focussing on one such case in Melbourne, Australia. The dispute centred on a non-government school's proposal to develop classrooms in a heritage listed building on public land sublet from a charitable foundation. Following local council's rejection of the original proposal, the school successfully appealed to the Victorian Planning Minister. After introducing a critical pragmatic analytic framework, five accounts of the dispute given by key actors are examined, uncovering similarities in the arguments used by each. Then, in the same accounts, analysis identifies differences in how the pro- and anti-development groups justified their own and denounced their opponents' positions. Both groups recognised formal rules as the best means for preserving equal citizens' access to public space, yet the pro-development group justified their argument by reference to local community benefit, in contrast with the anti-d...
Modification of the Model for Internal Structures in Graded Beds to include a Dune Division

AN important recent advance in our understanding of sedimentation in flysch basins is the discovery that the internal structures of most graded sandstones and limestones follow a fixed sequence. Proceeding upwards in a graded bed, the model-sequence described by Bouma1 consists of five structures: (A) graded division; (B) lower division of horizontal lamination; (C) division of current ripple lamination, often deformed into convolute lamination; (D) upper division of horizontal lamination; (E) pelite division (Fig. 1). This sequence, or partial sequences with base, middle, and/or top truncation of one or more of the divisions, characterizes graded sandstones and limestones in many flysch basins in North America and Europe.
Architecture of calf lens α-crystallin

α-Crystallin was isolated from the periphery and nucleus of calf lens by a modification of the procedure described by Francois. The four fractions obtained by this procedure were shown to be very similar by ultracentrifugal, immunoelectrophoretic and amino acid analysis techniques. However, their solubility and DEAE cellulose chromatographie profiles showed marked differences. Since the observed differences may be influenced by the conformation and packing arrangement of the α-crystallin subunits, studies of the sulfhydryl (SH) group reactivity to p -hydroxymercuribenzoate at temperatures between 20° and 70°C were examined. Such experiments indicate that there may be three different packing arrangements of the subunits. The influence of pH and urea upon these structures is discussed. The sugar alcohols sorbitol and mannitol irreversibly alter the temperature-SH reactivity profile of one of these macromolecular structures, although other sugar alcohols have no effect. Conclusions arising from studies upon disulfide formation as well as the results obtained from optical rotatory dispersion and circular dichroism studies are also considered in terms of the overall structure of the α-crystallins.
Electrical Determination of the Heat Capacity of a Calorimeter in Approximately One Minute

In most general chemistry laboratories, the heat capacity of a calorimeter is determined by measuring the temperature changes that occur when a known mass of water at a higher temperature is added to a known mass of water (or solution) in the calorimeter at room temperature. Another approach is to add a known quantity of electrical energy and measure the temperature change.
TSV multi-signal connection compact modeling

This paper presents wideband circuit level compact models of through-silicon via (TSV) multi-signal connections within an array. The models were developed for time and frequency domain characterization of periodic TSV array patterns, including crosstalk evaluation. A frequency dependent silicon substrate induced dispersion and loss effects are considered, as well as the skin and proximity effects. The models were verified by EM simulations up to 30 GHz.
Lipid raft localization of ErbB2 in vestibular schwannoma and schwann cells.

HYPOTHESIS ErbB2 resides in lipid rafts (regions of receptor regulation) in vestibular schwannoma (VS) cells. BACKGROUND ErbB2 is a growth factor receptor critical for Schwann cell (SC) proliferation and development. ErbB2 localization and activity may be regulated by merlin, an adaptor protein deficient in VS. Lipid rafts are microdomains in the plasma membrane that amplify and regulate receptor signaling. Persistence of erbB2 in lipid rafts in VS due to merlin deficiency may explain increased VS cell growth. METHODS Protein extracts from VS or rat sciatic nerve (proximal or distal to a crush injury) were isolated into lipid raft and nonraft fractions and immunoblotted for erbB2, phosphorylated erbB2, and merlin (for sciatic nerve). Cultured VS cells were probed with anti-erbB2 antibody and a lipid raft marker, cholera toxin B (CTB). RESULTS ErbB2 moves to lipid rafts in proliferating SCs and is persistently localized to lipid rafts in VS cells. ErbB2 is phosphorylated (activated) in lipid rafts. ErbB2 colocalized with CTB in cultured VS cells, confirming raft targeting. Merlin also persistently localized to lipid rafts in SCs, and its relative phosphorylation increased in proliferating cells. CONCLUSION Lipid raft localization of erbB2 in proliferating SCs and in VS cells supports a critical role for lipid rafts in amplifying/regulating erbB2 signaling. Merlin resides in lipid rafts in SCs, and its phosphorylation increases in proliferating SCs, suggesting it regulates cell proliferation within lipid rafts. The absence of merlin in VS may therefore lead to persistent erbB2 localization to lipid rafts and increased cell proliferation.
Predictors of Interest in an Alcohol Reduction Clinical Trial of Naltrexone among Undergraduates.

Background: We tested predictors of interest in a clinical trial of naltrexone plus counseling for heavy drinking reduction in young adults using a web survey. Respondents could indicate interest in the clinical trial at the conclusion of the survey. Methods: A random sample of university students completed the survey (N = 584, 60% female). Data were collected in October-November 2010. Results: Among past-year drinkers (n = 411), 22.6% (n = 93) indicated interest. Equivalent levels of interest were found among past-year heavy drinkers. Non-white race and current cigarette smoking predicted interest. Alcoholrelated negative consequences score was a trend-level predictor in the full regression model, but a significant predictor in a reduced model. Conclusions: Non-white students, smokers and those with a high number of negative consequences may be more amenable to drinking reduction via medication and counseling. These findings could facilitate efforts of researchers, administrators, counselors and other professionals to tailor drinking reduction messages and facilitate treatment engagement by undergraduates.
Effects of medial thalamic stimulations in chronic split-brain cats

Abstract 1. 1. Fourteen chronic split-brain cats carrying epidural recording screws and thalamic stimulating electrodes located in recruiting nuclei were used. 2. 2. All animals recovered fast from the operation. No relevant neurological symptoms were observed except for permanent mydriasis and narrowed visual field. 3. 3. EEG activities recorded from homologous areas of the hemispheres were essentially equivalent. However, when the animals shifted from wakefulness to light sleep, asymmetries could be recorded. 4. 4. When the animals were awake, low frequency thalamic stimulations induced ipsilateral recruiting responses without contralateral correlate. 10–14 c/sec activity could be recorded from the opposite hemisphere with stronger stimulations. 5. 5. When the animals were drowsy thalamic stimulations induced well developed ipsilateral recruiting responses as well as contralateral 10–14 c/sec activity. Bilateral synchronized patterns followed the trains of stimulation. 6. 6. Unilateral patterns of EEG synchronization never occurred at the end of the stimulation, whatever the parameters used and the background activity. 7. 7. High frequency thalamic stimulations induced a symmetrical bilateral pattern of arousal. In three cases a slight difference between the thresholds of the unilateral and of the bilateral desynchronization was also found. 8. 8. The results indicate the importance of brain-stem structures in the processes not only of the wakefulness but also of sleep, since this state is never confined to one hemishere, even if the so-called thalamic pacemakers are excited unilaterally.
Skeletal muscle ribosomal proteins: general characteristics and effect of diabetes.

Abstract 1. 1. Skeletal muscle and liver ribosomes contained a similar, if not identical, heterogeneous group of basic proteins. The proteins had approx. 18 moles percent of acidic, and about 27 moles percent of basic residues; there were only small amounts of sulfur containing amino acids and of tryptophan. Alanine, glycine and serine accounted for most of the N-terminal amino acids, although there were also lesser amounts of valine, proline, methionine, aspartic acid and glutamic acid. 2. 2. The proteins of skeletal muscle ribosomes had great electrophoretic heterogeneity (there were at least 25 bands); the pattern of bands was, however, the same as with proteins from liver ribosomes. 3. 3. Each ribosome subunit from skeletal muscle contained a number of unique proteins; some of the subunit proteins had the same electrophoretic mobility. The pattern of the proteins from whole ribosomes was reconstituted when the 60-S and 40-S subunit proteins were combined and coelectrophoresed. From analysis of the subunits it appears that the minimum number of ribosomal proteins was 33. 4. 4. Diabetes did not produce a detectable alteration in the electrophoretic pattern of skeletal muscle ribosomal proteins.
A Method for Predicting Gelation of Aseptically Packaged Steam Injected UHT Milk

The gelation of sterile UHT steam injected dairy products was investigated by determining the time of gelation onset and the gelation rate. Fat percentages of the products were 0.5, 3.25, and 10.5. Each product was processed at 411°K for 20.3 sec, 416°K for 6.9 and 20.3 sec and 422°K for 3.4, 6.9, and 20.3 sec. Products were stored at 277 and 297°K. Viscosity measurements were taken with four commercial viscometer assemblies and viscosity data compiled at a shear rate of 1 sec-1. Velocity rate constants (k) were determined using regression analysis. Prediction equations were formulated for the time of gelation onset and the rate of gelation depending on the severity of the thermal treatment, percent fat and storage temperature.
Ferrodoxin‐dependent CO2 fixation in bean sprouts

Extracts of bean sprouts are capable of reducing ferrodoxin and of catalyzing the incorporation of bicarbonate and acetyl coenzyme A into an organic compound that is likely to be pyruvate, in a reaction that requires reduced ferredoxin. The rate of the reaction, the first known for which ferredoxin appears to serve as the direct reductant for CO2 fixation in a higher plant, depends on the concentrations of both ferredoxin and bicarbonate, with half-maximal rates being observed at ferredoxin and bicarbonate concentrations of 0.8 μM and 200 μM, respectively.
Operation Immunization 2004: Prevent, Protect, Immunize

releases, and one television station aired one of our public service announcements every day in October. In addition to using the media as a promotion tool, we also used print materials extensively. Students helped pharmacies and geriatric care facilities promote immunizations by distributing approximately 2,000 flyers and 60 posters in English and 200 flyers and 10 posters in Spanish to 56 different facilities. We also used various methods to promote Operation Immunization to pharmacists and other health professionals. At the Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin (PSW) annual meeting in Green Bay, we staffed a booth displaying a poster and had flyers available promoting our campaign at the industry exposition. Additionally, we posted a letter to pharmacists on the PSW Immunization Practice Interest Network explaining the goals of Operation Immunization and offering our assistance in promoting immunization to their patients and helping them set up immunization clinics. Operation Immunization contacted some 600 pharmacists through these activities. We also participated in several health fairs and public events. We hosted an informational booth at the Institute of Aging Conference at the Monona Terrace in Madison (more than 250 people attended) and distributed an additional 150 flyers at the Walgreens SeniorFare in Racine. We manned a booth at the Madison Farmers’ Market on three Saturdays during American Pharmacists Month. The farmers’ market is held every Saturday on the sidewalks surrounding the State Capitol and attracts hundreds of people from all over the state. At all of these health fairs and events we had posters promoting immunizations and explaining the role a pharmacist plays in patient care. Students were available to answer any questions about immunizations or the influenza vaccine shortage. In February we participated in the second annual Madison South Side Community Health Fair at the South Side Boys’ and Girls’ Club. This health fair is made possible through
Resistance of vaccinia virus to interferon is related to an interference phenomenon between the virus and the interferon system

In this investigation the sensitivity of vaccinia virus to interferon (IFN) has been examined in cultured cells. In a variety of mouse and human cells of different origins vaccinia virus functions (RNA, protein, and virus yields) were found to be relatively resistant to IFN. In these systems, the levels of the IFN-mediated enzyme activities (2-5A synthetase and protein kinase) were severely impaired by the virus. This virus-mediated inhibitory effect developed with time after infection and was dependent on viral protein synthesis. Mixed infections between vaccinia virus and viruses (VSV or polio) which are sensitive to IFN showed that both protein synthesis and virus yields were not inhibited. These findings show that vaccinia virus can overcome the antiviral action of IFN and that viral gene functions appear to be involved in this interference phenomenon.
Survey of the Literature On Pre-Modern Indian History Published in 1990 and 1991

In the work published in the last two years, most striking is perhaps the renewed interest in the early medieval period of Indian history, roughly the four or five centuries preceding the Turkish conquests. J. S. Deyell, Living wzthout Silver: The Monetary History of Early Medieval India (New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 1990) is an important study which argues, against most of the historiography of the period (the essential contours of which crystallized in the 1960s), that this was not a period of 'feudalization' and decline of trade, nor one of 'demonetization'. As Deyell says: 'There is a definite paucity of coin types in this period, but this is not evidence of a scarcity of a circulating medium'. The book offers a thorough reconstruction of the monetary systems of North India in this period, concluding that rather than an absence of precious metals there was a clear excess of demand over supply, which is indicative of continued growth of the economy even in this 'dark age'. A second work which deals, partly, with this period, is R. B. Inden, Imagiznng India (Oxford and Cambridge, Mass.: Basil Blackwell, 1990). Inden's final chapter (pp. 213262) offers a reconstruction of the Rashtrakuta polity of the Western Deccan in the 8th to 10th centuries. This is a highly contrived
Phase contrast imaging of cochlear soft tissue

A noninvasive technique to image soft tissue could expedite diagnosis and disease management in the auditory system. We propose inline phase contrast imaging with hard X-rays as a novel method that overcomes the limitations of conventional absorption radiography for imaging soft tissue. In this study, phase contrast imaging of mouse cochleae was performed at the Argonne National Laboratory Advanced Photon Source. The phase contrast tomographic reconstructions show soft tissue structures of the cochlea, including the inner pillar cells, the inner spiral sulcus, the tectorial membrane, the basilar membrane, and the Reissner's membrane. The results suggest that phase contrast X-ray imaging and tomographic techniques hold promise to noninvasively image cochlear structures at an unprecedented cellular level.
Electron transfer dynamics of iridium oxide nanoparticles attached to electrodes by self-assembled monolayers.

Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of carboxylated alkanethiolates (−S(CH2)n−1CO2–) on flat gold electrode surfaces are used to tether small (ca. 2 nm d.) iridium(IV) oxide nanoparticles (IrIVOX NPs) to the electrode. Peak potential separations in cyclic voltammetry (CV) of the nanoparticle IrIV/III wave, in pH 13 aqueous base, increase with n, showing that the IrIV/III apparent electron transfer kinetics of metal oxide sites in the nanoparticles respond to the imposed SAM electron transfer tunneling barrier. Estimated apparent electron transfer rate constants (kapp0) for n = 12 and 16 are 9.8 and 0.12 s–1. Owing to uncompensated solution resistance, kapp0 for n = 8 was too large to measure in the potential sweep experiment. For the cathodic scans, coulometric charges under the IrIV/III voltammetric waves were independent of potential scan rate, suggesting participation of all of the iridium oxide redox sites (ca. 130 per NP) in the NPs. These experiments show that it is possible to control and study electr...
Catabolite repression control of flagellum production by Serratia marcescens

Serratia marcescens is an emerging opportunistic pathogen with a remarkably broad host range. The cAMP-regulated catabolite repression system of S. marcescens has recently been identified and demonstrated to regulate biofilm formation through the production of surface adhesions. Here we report that mutations in components of the catabolite repression system (cyaA and crp) eliminate flagellum production and swimming motility. Exogenous cAMP was able to restore flagellum production to adenylate cyclase mutants, as determined by transmission electron microscopy and PAGE analysis. A transposon-generated suppressor mutation of the crp motility defect mapped to upstream of the flhDC operon. This suppressor mutation resulted in an upregulation of flhD expression and flagellum production, indicating that flhDC expression is sufficient to restore flagellum production to crp mutants. Lastly, and contrary to a previous report, we found that flhD expression is controlled by the catabolite repression system using quantitative RT-PCR. Together, these data indicate that flagellum production is regulated by the cAMP-dependent catabolite repression system. Given the role of flagella in bacterial pathogenicity, the regulatory pathway described here may assist us in better understanding the putative role of motility in dissemination and virulence of this opportunistic pathogen.
Civil society and democratization in India: institutions, ideologies and interests

India is rightly celebrated for the depth and diversity of its civil society. While debate persists over the precise nature of civil society's links to democratisation, few dispute that civil socie...
Millimeter wave monolithic antenna and receiver arrays for space-based applications

SUMMARYWe are developing integrated antennas and receivers for millimeter-wave applications. Asthe remote-sensing frequencies are pushed higher into the millimeter and submillimeter-wave regions, the integrated receivers become very competitive with standard waveguide receivers. The integrated units consist of an antenna integrated directly with a matchingnetwork/mixer. Integrated receivers are easier to manufacture, more reliable and much less expensive than waveguide receivers. The integration also allows the use of linear ortwo- dimensional arrays without a dramatic increase in cost.The heart of an integrated receiver is the planar antenna and the antenna/mixer matchingnetwork. A new high-efficiency integrated horn antenna [1-4] with a 13 dB gain has been developed at the University of Michigan (Fig. 1,2). The antenna consists of a dipole suspended in a pyramidal cavity etched in Silicon. A 5x5 doubly-polarized array has been developed at 92 GHz and a 256-element imaging array at 802 GHz. The patterns show
Glutathione Levels and Sensitivity to Apoptosis Are Regulated by Changes in Transaldolase Expression

Transaldolase (TAL) is a key enzyme of the reversible nonoxidative branch of the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) that is responsible for the generation of NADPH to maintain glutathione at a reduced state (GSH) and, thus, to protect cellular integrity from reactive oxygen intermediates (ROIs). Formation of ROIs have been implicated in certain types of apoptotic cell death. To evaluate the role of TAL in this process, Jurkat human T cells were permanently transfected with TAL expression vectors oriented in the sense or antisense direction. Overexpression of TAL resulted in a decrease in glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase activities and NADPH and GSH levels and rendered these cells highly susceptible to apoptosis induced by serum deprivation, hydrogen peroxide, nitric oxide, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and anti-Fas monoclonal antibody. In addition, reduced levels of TAL resulted in increased glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase activities and increased GSH levels with inhibition of apoptosis in all five model systems. The effect of TAL expression on susceptibility to apoptosis through regulating the PPP and GSH production is consistent with an involvement of ROIs in each pathway tested. Production of ROIs in Fas-mediated cell death was further substantiated by measurement of intracellular ROI production with oxidation-sensitive fluorescent probes, by the protective effects of GSH precursor, N-acetyl cysteine, free radical spin traps 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-1-oxide and 3,3,5,5-tetramethyl-1-pyrroline-1-oxide, the antioxidants desferrioxamine, nordihydroguaiaretic acid, and Amytal, and by the enhancing effects of GSH depletion with buthionine sulfoximine. The results provide definitive evidence that TAL has a role in regulating the balance between the two branches of PPP and its overall output as measured by GSH production and thus influences sensitivity to cell death signals.
Reduced activities of key enzymes of gluconeogenesis as possible cause of acute toxicity of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) in rats.

Male Sprague--Dawley rats (350-375 g) were injected i.p. with TCDD (25 [sublethal dose] and 125 micrograms/kg [lethal dose], respectively, in corn oil/acetone), or vehicle only; vehicle-treated animals were pair-fed to their TCDD-treated counterparts. 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, and 32 days (28 days for lethal dose) thereafter, animals were sacrificed and activities of two key enzymes of gluconeogenesis determined in livers of rats. In livers of pair-fed rats both enzyme activities were little affected. In the livers of TCDD-treated animals the activity of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK, EC 4.1.1.32) decreased rapidly, exhibiting significant losses by the 2nd day after treatment. Time course and extent of loss of PEPCK activity (about 50%) were similar after either dose. The activity of glucose-6-phosphatase (G-6-Pase, EC 3.1.3.9) decreased more slowly as a result of TCDD treatment; statistically significant losses were observed by 4 or 8 days after the lethal and sublethal dose, respectively. These results confirm the hypothesis that reduced in vivo rates of gluconeogenesis in TCDD-treated rats are due to decreased activities of gluconeogenic enzymes. In an additional set of experiments, rats were treated with 125 micrograms/kg TCDD, 25 micrograms/kg TCDD, or with vehicle alone. The 25 micrograms/kg or vehicle-treated rats were then pair-fed to rats dosed with 125 micrograms/kg of TCDD. Mean time to death and body weight loss at the time of death were essentially identical in all groups, lending additional support to the hypothesis that reduced feed intake is the major cause of TCDD-induced death in male Sprague--Dawley rats. Both appetite suppression and reduced total PEPCK activity in whole livers occurred in the same dose-ranges of TCDD, suggesting the possibility of a cause-effect relationship.
A simulator for modeling coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical processes in subsurface geological media

Abstract We present the description of a fully coupled simulator FEHM for modeling coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) processes in geomedia. The coupled equations for fluid flow and energy transport are implemented using finite volume whereas Galerkin finite element method is used for mechanical force balance. The simulator is designed to address spatial scales on the order of tens of centimeters to tens of kilometers, and time scales on the order of hours to tens of years. The governing coupled nonlinear equations are solved using a Newton–Rapshon scheme with analytically or numerically computed Jacobians. A suite of models is available for coupling flow and mechanical deformation via permeability–deformation relationships. The coupled simulator is verified by comparing with several analytical solutions developed for this purpose. A subset of the simulator capabilities is benchmarked against commercially available simulators. We also demonstrate a good match with data from Desert Peak geothermal field in Nevada, USA. This validation required the use of a shear failure model with non-linear permeability–stress relationship. In addition, we present another application involving fluid injection into an inclined fault zone using a non-orthogonal grid with stress-dependent Young׳s modulus and permeability.