cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Site of gene action of the white allele (Miwh) of the microphthalmia locus: A dermal‐epidermal recombination study

The white allele Miwh of the microphthalmia locus, when homozygous, causes a complete absence of neural crest-derived melanocytes in skin and internal organs. The site(s) of gene action of Miwh on melanoblast differentiation were examined by making dermal-epidermal recombinant grafts with skin from 13-14-day embryos of the following genotypes: normal (+/+), heterozygous white (Miwh/+), homozygous white (Miwh/Miwh), and dominant spotting (W/W). Based on results from these grafts, the following conclusions were reached: Miwh/Miwh epidermis is as effective as W/W epidermis in supporting the differentiation of +/+ follicular melanocytes. Miwh/Miwh dermis is completely permissive to in situ differentiation of +/+ follicular melanocytes. Thirteen-fourteen-day embryonic Miwh/Miwh skin, both epidermis and dermis, alters of blocks the differentiation of +/+ melanoblasts into dermal melanocytes. By 13 days of development, melanoblasts from both Miwh/+ and Miwh/Miwh skin, even when presented with a permissive W/W environment, are irreversibly redirected into abnormal developmental pathways resulting in either a reduction in follicular pigmentation (Miwh/+) or a complete absence of follicular melanocytes (Miwh/Miwh).
Is product boycott a good idea for controlling child labor? A theoretical investigation

Abstract A popular form of action to curb child labor and uphold international labor standards in general is a ‘product boycott’ by consumers. There are labeling agencies that inform us if, for instance, a carpet or a hand-stitched soccer ball is free of child labor. The presence of a consumer boycott will typically mean that products tainted by child labor will command a lower price on the market than ones certified to be untainted. It is popularly presumed that such consumer activism is desirable. The paper formally investigates this presumption and shows that consumer product boycotts can, in a wide class of situations, have an adverse reaction that causes child labor to rise rather than fall. This happens under weak and plausible assumptions. Hence, there has to be much greater caution in the use of consumer activism, and one has to have much more detailed information about the context where child labor occurs, before using a boycott.
Spanish Mass Media in the United States: Dialectal Implications

SUMARIOMedios masivos de difusion en espanol en los Estados Unidos: Implicaciones dialectalesEste articulo explora la relation entre el uso y la preferencia de medios masivos de difusion en espanol por parte de la poblacion chicana en Estados Unidos y su taza de asimiliacion linguistica. Se presenta inicialmente el estado de los medios de difusion masivos en espanol en la nation. Despues sigue un analisis del material existente sobre el uso y preferencia de los medios susodichos por parte del chicano. Se concluye lo siguiente: la sensibilidad de los medios masivos de difusion hacia el lenguaje y cultura chicana esta mejorando; los medios que cubren eventos locales y proveen information de caracter cultural son los que mas han aumentado en numero y circulation; el ingles y el espanol coexisten y compiten en los medios de difusion que rinden servicio a las comunidades chicanas; el espanol chicano desempena un roi pequeno pero vital para la creciente demanda de los medios de difusion en espanol; y finalmente, el espanol sigue en uso en las comunidades chicanas. Sin embargo, para medir adecuadamente la retencion del espanol, se necesitan mas investigaciones sobre su uso en diversas regiones y niveles socioeconomicos.RESUMOHispanaj amasmedioj en Usono: dialektaj implicojTiu ci artikolo esploras la rilaton inter la amasmedioj kaj la rapideco de lingva asimiligo de cikanoj. Unue oni prezentas la nunan staton de la hispanlingvaj amas-medioj en Usono. Sekvas trarigardo de esploroj pri la konservado de la hispana lingvo en rilato al amasmedia utiligo kaj prefero en cikanaj komunumoj. Oni konkludas jene: La kultura kaj lingva sentemo de la amasmedioj rilate cikanojn plibonigas; formoj de hispanlingvaj amasmedioj, kiuj plenumas lokajn informajn kaj kulturajn bezonojn, spertis plej rapidan kreskon; la anglalingvaj kaj hispanlingvaj amasmedioj kunekzistas kaj konkurencas en cikanaj komunumoj; la cikana hispana lingvo ludas malgrandan sed esencan rolon en la kreskanta sukceso de hispanlingvaj amasmedioj; kaj, fine, la hispana konservigas en cikanaj komunumoj, kvankam pliaj esploroj estas bezonataj koncerne la retenon de la hispana en diversaj formoj flanke de cikanoj en diversaj geografiaj kaj sociekonomiaj situoj.
Cyclosporine A has no direct effect on collagen metabolism by cardiac fibroblasts in vitro.

BACKGROUND Cyclosporine A has been implicated in the pathogenesis of myocardial interstitial fibrosis observed in heart transplant recipients. However, other confounding variables such as posttransplantation hypertension and rejection episodes may also be responsible for interstitial fibrosis development and associated abnormalities in ventricular diastolic function. Therefore, we examined whether cyclosporine A directly or indirectly affects fibrillar collagen metabolism by cardiac fibroblasts in vitro. METHODS AND RESULTS Rat cardiac fibroblasts were isolated by collagenase digestion. Subconfluent cultures were then maintained (24 hours) in serum-containing or serum-free medium before addition of cyclosporine A (50-1,000 ng/mL). After an additional 24 hours, total procollagen synthesis, accumulation, and degradation were analyzed by measuring hydroxyproline content in the cell monolayer and in the ethanol-soluble and ethanol-precipitable fractions of the culture medium. mRNA levels for alpha 1(I) and alpha 1(III) procollagen polypeptides were assessed 2, 6, 12, and 24 hours after cyclosporine A treatment using Northern blot analysis. The results were compared with control cultures maintained in the absence of cyclosporine A. There were no differences in procollagen gene expression, total procollagen synthesis, accumulation, or degradation in cardiac fibroblasts treated directly with cyclosporine A, in concentrations up to 1,000 ng/mL, compared with untreated cells. In additional experiments, we examined whether cyclosporine A might stimulate the production of collagen regulatory substances by cardiac myocytes in culture. However, addition of conditioned media from neonatal myocytes maintained in the presence and absence of cyclosporine A (1,000 ng/mL) also had no effect on collagen deposition by cardiac fibroblasts. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that cyclosporine A has no direct effect on collagen metabolism by cultured cardiac fibroblasts in vitro. In addition, we have excluded a paracrine effect of ventricular myocytes on collagen production in the presence of cyclosporine A. These results suggest that factors other than cyclosporine A are responsible for the interstitial fibrosis observed in cardiac allografts.
An 1800-bit buffer store and readout system☆

Abstract The logical design and organization of an 1800-bit buffer store for use with nuclear physics experiments is described. The heart of the system is an 1800-bit magnetic core memory, which stores up to 10 events, each event consisting of 180 parallel bits of input information. The storage time per event is 40 μsec. Upon command the buffer store transfers the information out of the core memory, six parallel bits at a time, onto punched paper tape. The buffer store uses transistorized circuits of modular design, constructed on printed boards, and interconnected by taper-pin wiring.
Metronidazole-induced encephalopathy after prolonged metronidazole course for treatment of C. difficile colitis

A 65-year-old woman with a diagnosis of Clostridium difficile colitis undergoing prolonged treatment with metronidazole was admitted to hospital for altered mentation, slurred speech and weakness. She was diagnosed with metronidazole-induced encephalopathy, confirmed with brain MRI and improved when the offending agent was removed. This case report highlights encephalopathy as a complication of prolonged metronidazole treatment, which has become more common in clinical practice for the treatment of C. difficile infection.
RF Magnetic Properties of FeCoB/Al $_{2}$ O $_{3}$ /FeCoB Structure With Varied Al $_{2}$ O $_{3}$ Thickness

Physical vapor deposition prepared FeCoB(100 nm)/Al2O3/FeCoB(100 nm) sandwich structures with different Al2O3 thickness (2 to 15 nm) were studied. The magnetization curves showed that the in-plane coercive field and saturation field along the easy axis decreased with increase in Al2O3 thickness. The saturation magnetization field 4 πMs for all samples is above 1.6 T. The coercive field remained below 0.5 Oe for Al2O3 thickness greater than 6 nm, approximately when the antiferromagnetic coupling switched to ferromagnetic coupling. The existence of optical modes in ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) curves confirmed antiferromagnetic coupling in samples with Al2O3 thickness below 6 nm. At 8.5 GHz, the sandwich structure with a 3 nm Al2O3 layer displayed a narrow linewidth of only 29 Oe, indicating lower magnetic loss in the sandwich structure compared to the single layer FeCoB with a thickness of 200 nm that exhibited a linewidth of 50 Oe. Also, all sandwich structures demonstrated real relative permeability of above 600 up to 1.5 GHz. The FeCoB(100 nm)/Al2O3 (3 nm)/FeCoB(100 nm) structure with low coercive field, high magnetization, and low FMR linewidth presents great potential in RF magnetic application.
Career Adaptation Wheel to Address Issues Faced by Older Workers

Older workers face increasing challenges in the workplace. Many find that they work more years than anticipated because of changes in social security and uncertain retirement accounts, along with the need for adequate healthcare. Counselors face unique opportunities to assist older workers. This article presents a Career Adaptation Wheel for Older Workers. The model can be used to help identify areas in which older adults are having challenges with job selection, colleagues at work, changes in the workplace, and learning new tasks. Counselors can then begin to consider appropriate interventions to help older workers adapt to changes in the work environment. This model offers a conceptual framework within which one's career can be viewed.
Pipecolic acid levels and transport in developing mouse brain

The regional distribution of pipecolic acid (PA) in newborn mouse brain, measured by a new sensitive high performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection (HPLC-EC) method, shows a two-fold difference among various areas. Diencephalon, olfactory bulb and anterior telencephalon show the highest PA levels, while the lowest PA levels are seen in mesencephalon and rhombencephalon. The pattern of regional distribution of PA is identical to the regional accumulation in brain of the newborn seen by us following i.p. injections of D,L-[3H]PA9. The highest levels of PA are seen in both brain and serum during the perinatal period of development. Pipecolic acid levels decrease in brain and serum at one day of age and reach adult values within two weeks postnatal. The brain/serum PA ratio (2.9-3.5) during the perinatal period declines gradually after birth to adult values (0.7-0.8) at 30 days. The liver and kidney follow the same pattern with higher levels of PA seen during the perinatal period; however, these levels decreased rapidly to adult levels within one week postnatal. Following injections (250 mg/kg, i.p. and s.c. in the adult and newborn, respectively), D,L-PA accumulates for up to 24 h in the newborn mouse brain. In adult, the cerebral concentration of PA increases rapidly and reaches its peak level in 5-10 min. It remains relatively constant up to 5 h and then declines slowly to 24 h. Pipecolic acid levels in serum show essentially the same pattern of accumulation between adult and newborn mice with some quantitative differences.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Characterization of size-permeation limits of cell walls and porous separation materials by high-performance size-exclusion chromatography

The limiting size of macromolecules for permeation through membranes (cell walls, artificial hydrophilic membranes) as well as size-dependent partitioning within hydrophilic matrices was investigated by HPLC-aided analysis of dextran permeation. The method includes (1) modification of a specially prepared polydisperse dextran probing solution (DPS) by permeation of size fractions through or into the investigated material, (2) fast flow size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) of the modified DPS on a calibrated Superdex-200 HR-column and (3) determination of permeability resp. partition parameters by comparison of the elution profiles of original and modified DPSs. By this method, the mean size limit of permeation through cell walls (cut off), size permeation parameters of hollow fibres, dialysis tubes and ultrafiltration membranes, and the size dependence of partitioning within gel particles can be determined with high accuracy in short time.
Chinese in the United States: An Extension of Moderation in Drinking

Our initial study compared drinking patterns among high-school students from three cultural groups (Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong, adolescents of Chinese origin living in Chicago, American adolescents in the United States). While the present study focuses on one group, Chinese-Americans, it devotes some effort to comparing this group's drinking patterns to those of Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong, and those of adolescents generally in the United States. We hypothesize that the acculturation status of Chinese-American students (indicated by an index developed in the study and by other acculturation factors defined later) is related to their drinking status. We also hypothesize that, in addition to its role in whether or not these adolescents drink, acculturation helps determine how much they drink. Specifically, the study sought to evaluate whether data support one of three acculturation hypotheses (simple acculturation, damaging culture, and acculturation stress hypotheses). An acculturation index was constructed based on the variables residence, place of birth, language used at home, language used with friends, friends' nationality, and movie preferences. Other relevant acculturation factors included the number of years that respondents lived in the United States, the number of years that their friends lived in the United States, and the number of movies rented in a month in Chinatown. The results did not support any one of the three acculturation hypotheses. Adolescents of Chinese origin living in the United States were less likely to be drinkers than adolescents from the other two cultures (Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong and American adolescents in the United States), and they tended to conform to drinking practices found in Hong Kong. Mixed results were found between acculturation factors and drinking levels. Modification of existing acculturation ideas were needed to explain drinking patterns among Chinese-American adolescents.
Incorporation of Tyrosine and Glutamine Residues into the Soluble Guanylate Cyclase Heme Distal Pocket Alters NO and O2 Binding

Nitric oxide (NO) is the physiologically relevant activator of the mammalian hemoprotein soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC). The heme cofactor of α1β1 sGC has a high affinity for NO but has never been observed to form a complex with oxygen. Introduction of a key tyrosine residue in the sGC heme binding domain β1(1–385) is sufficient to produce an oxygen-binding protein, but this mutation in the full-length enzyme did not alter oxygen affinity. To evaluate ligand binding specificity in full-length sGC we mutated several conserved distal heme pocket residues (β1 Val-5, Phe-74, Ile-145, and Ile-149) to introduce a hydrogen bond donor in proximity to the heme ligand. We found that the NO coordination state, NO dissociation, and enzyme activation were significantly affected by the presence of a tyrosine in the distal heme pocket; however, the stability of the reduced porphyrin and the proteins affinity for oxygen were unaltered. Recently, an atypical sGC from Drosophila, Gyc-88E, was shown to form a stable complex with oxygen. Sequence analysis of this protein identified two residues in the predicted heme pocket (tyrosine and glutamine) that may function to stabilize oxygen binding in the atypical cyclase. The introduction of these residues into the rat β1 distal heme pocket (Ile-145 → Tyr and Ile-149 → Gln) resulted in an sGC construct that oxidized via an intermediate with an absorbance maximum at 417 nm. This absorbance maximum is consistent with globin FeII-O2 complexes and is likely the first observation of a FeII-O2 complex in the full-length α1β1 protein. Additionally, these data suggest that atypical sGCs stabilize O2 binding by a hydrogen bonding network involving tyrosine and glutamine.
Evaluation of antacid activity for metal complexes of tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (THAM)

An ideal antacid should buffer in the physiological pH range of 3 to 5, and should have a high neutralizing capacity per unit weight. Also, its initial effect should be rapid and the ideal pH range should be maintained for a relatively prolonged period. The organic aluminum and bismuth salts of a weak organic base, tris (hydroxymethyl) aminomethane (THAM) were prepared and their relative buffer capacities were compared. THAM-gluconatodihydroxo-aluminate was found to be an effective soluble buffer antacid compound.
The effect of exhaustive exercise on expired pentane as a measure of in vivo lipid peroxidation in the rat.

Abstract The concentrations of pentane and ethane in the expired breath of swimming rats were used to determine the possible occurrence of lipid peroxidation caused by strenuous exercise. Rats swum to exhaustion produced significantly more pentane but not ethane than did rats at rest. Rats fed a vitamin E-deficient diet produced slightly more pentane following exhaustive exercise than they did while at rest, but this increase was not statistically significant. Rats were also swum for prescribed lengths of time. Only rats that had swum for 20 or 40 min had significantly elevated concentrations of pentane in the breath. Rats swum for 10 or 30 min had elevated concentrations of pentane in the breath, but these increases were not statistically significant. These results suggest that lipid peroxidation is moderately increased following exhaustive exercise.
Septate junction disruption and surface reorganization by non-lethal Ca2+ shock

Abstract Using potassium pyroantimonate as a Ca2+ chelating agent, we have been able to open the belt desmosome that mechanically couples adjacent ciliated lateral (L) gill epithelial cells of freshwater mussels. Subsequent transfer of the mechanically uncoupled epithelia to solutions containing millimolar Ca2+ results in dramatic alterations in cell shape and partial disruption and apical reorientation of L cell septate junction. The cells remain viable throughout the procedure as determined by the persistence of ciliary activity, although disruption is accompanied by a separation of neighboring groups of cilia and a switch from metachronal to synchronous L cell ciliary beat co-ordination.
Statistical Hadronization Probed by Resonances

We study to what extent a measurement of the ${m}_{\ensuremath{\perp}}$ spectra for hadrons and their resonances can resolve ambiguities in the statistical model description of particle production. We describe in a quantitative analysis how physical assumptions about the freeze-out geometry and dynamics influence the particle spectra. Considering ratios of ${m}_{\ensuremath{\perp}}$ distribution of resonance-particle ratios (such as ${K}^{*}/K,$ ${\ensuremath{\Sigma}}^{*}/\ensuremath{\Lambda},{\ensuremath{\eta}}^{\ensuremath{'}}/\ensuremath{\eta})$ we observe significant sensitivity to fireball freeze-out geometry and flow dynamics.
Mechanisms of polyelectrolyte enhanced surfactant adsorption at the air–water interface

Abstract Chitosan, a naturally occurring cationic polyelectrolyte, restores the adsorption of the clinical lung surfactant Survanta to the air–water interface in the presence of albumin at much lower concentrations than uncharged polymers such as polyethylene glycol. This is consistent with the positively charged chitosan forming ion pairs with negative charges on the albumin and lung surfactant particles, reducing the net charge in the double-layer, and decreasing the electrostatic energy barrier to adsorption to the air–water interface. However, chitosan, like other polyelectrolytes, cannot perfectly match the charge distribution on the surfactant, which leads to patches of positive and negative charge at net neutrality. Increasing the chitosan concentration further leads to a reduction in the rate of surfactant adsorption consistent with an over-compensation of the negative charge on the surfactant and albumin surfaces, which creates a new repulsive electrostatic potential between the now cationic surfaces. This charge neutralization followed by charge inversion explains the window of polyelectrolyte concentration that enhances surfactant adsorption; the same physical mechanism is observed in flocculation and re-stabilization of anionic colloids by chitosan and in alternate layer deposition of anionic and cationic polyelectrolytes on charged colloids.
Thinking About Women Some More A New Century's View

When I wrote “Thinking about Women: A Quarter Century’s View,” I hoped the article would not only review some of the development of the sociology of gender but would also stimulate additional thinking about the connections between gender, race, class, and sexuality. I am grateful for the thoughtful comments of the six authors responding here, not only because of the substance of their comments but also because of the tone with which they have furthered this discussion and analysis. I did not have the benefit of having read Joan Acker’s (2006) Class Questions, Feminist Answers when I wrote the article, so I appreciate how she has recast classical analyses of class to ground our understanding of class processes as—at one and the same time—race and gender processes. She reminds us that political economy is not a “thing,” a superstructure standing apart from the practices of human social action. In other words, it is not a “context” per se but is itself constructed from the social actions of race, gender, and class relations. Such a model is distinct from what I would call the discrimination model that characterizes some scholarship on race, class, gender, and sexuality. By the discrimination model, I mean an analysis of inequality (whether gender, race, class, or sexuality) that rests solely on analyzing and describing the behaviors whereby people treat others differently on the basis of presumed and/or observed characteristics. I am not saying that discrimination does not exist. Obviously, it does, as is well documented in empirical research, both in gender and in race and ethnic studies. Scholarship on race shows, for example, how employers’ racial stereotypes influence their employment decisions. There is no doubt that many kinds of visible characteristics affect discriminatory outcomes. But I contend that this is a different phenomenon than the explicit use of particular groups of workers to fill certain market needs, even though both forms of mistreatment
Regional resistance to insecticides in Psylla pyricola from pear orchards in Oregon

Using a slide-dip bioassay, Psylla pyricola Forester from intensively sprayed, minimally sprayed (IPM), recently abandoned, and long-abandoned pear orchards in the Hood River, Rogue River, and Willamette valleys of Oregon were surveyed for resistances to azinphosmethyl, endosulfan, Perthane®, and fenvalerate. Lethal-concentration (LC50) values showed resistance levels from 12- to 41-fold to azinphosmethyl and 5- to 12-fold for endosulfan in selected populations. Resistance patterns did not correlate with orchard-treatment histories in the Hood River and Rogue River valleys, where even long-abandoned orchards harbored resistance psylla. There was better association between treatment histories and resistance levels in populations from the more widely scattered orchards in the Willamette Valley. A regional analysis of mean LC50 values indicated that psylla resistance was significantly higher to azinphosmethyl in the Rogue River Valley and to endosulfan in the Hood River Valley. Regional resistance levels for these compounds reflect differences in intensity of past use. A regional hypothesis is proposed to explain the patterns of resistance developed in the Hood River and Rogue River Valleys, where pear production is intensive as opposed to the more localized patterns of resistance in the Willamette Valley. Applications of results to the management of resistance are discussed.
Relations between personality and depressive symptoms: A multimeasure study of dependency, autonomy, and related constructs

Seventy-four patients seeking treatment for major depression completed four measures of dependent and autonomous personality and two measures of depressive symptomatology. Relationships among the personality measures were investigated by principal-components analysis, enabling systematic comparison of their composition. Relationships between personality components and symptom dimensions were examined to clarify specific associations that have been proposed but inconsistently obtained in previous research. Neither dependency nor autonomy were unitary constructs, and alternative measures had substantial differences in composition. Some support for symptom specificity was obtained. Dependency and autonomy have distinctive associations with depressive symptoms, but their correspondence to unitary personality dimensions and the equivalence of their alternative scales cannot be assumed. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Clin Psychol 57: 953–961, 2001.
Two integral transform pairs involving hypergeometric functions

In this note, we first establish an integral transform pair where the kernel of each integral involves the Gaussian hypergeometric function. Special cases of Theorem 1 have been studied by several authors [1, 2, 5, 6]. In Theorem 2 a similar integral transform pair involving a confluent hypergeometric function is given.
Participant descriptions of guilt and shame.

The purpose of this research was to see if naive raters could distinguish between guilt and shame in ways consistent with the descriptions of emotion theorists. In two studies, 152 participants recalled occasions on which they had experienced guilt or shame and rated these experiences on a large number of scales that represented either basic dimensions of emotion or attributes previously postulated to differentiate between these two emotions. Shame and guilt situations differed on a number of attributes, including felt powerfulness, self-control, self-consciousness and exposure, activity, inferiority, surprise, alienation from others, facial sensation, self-attribution of justice, and expectation of punishment. Many commonalities in the meaning of the two concepts were also suggested, most importantly in terms of basic attributes such as pain, tension, and arousal. Results were consistent with several previous accounts of the essential differences between guilt and shame, but not with all such descriptions.
Examination of an aerodynamic coupling phenomenon.

Measured skin temperatures, rather than heat flux, were used as inputs to the computer program to predict thermal response. A typical comparison of experimental and predicted results is shown in Fig. 3. The agreement between measured and predicted midcell temperature is excellent. The poor agreement between measured and predicted top braze temperature is probably a result of faulty braze, hence imperfect contact between the top face and the core wall near the location of the thermocouple used to measure braze temperature. Post test inspection revealed faulty or damaged braze on several panels. For the large cell panels described in Table 1, excellent agreement was obtained between measured and predicted temperature at the top braze. Good general agreement between experimental and predicted results serves to recommend the analysis for use in design studies.
Argininosuccinate Synthetase Overexpression in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells Potentiates Immunostimulant-induced NO Production

Immunostimulants trigger vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) to express both the inducible isoform of NO synthase (iNOS) and argininosuccinate synthetase (AS). With constitutively expressed argininosuccinate lyase (AL), AS confers cells with an Arg/Cit cycle that can sustain NO production via continuous regeneration of the NOS substrate, L-arginine (Arg), from the NOS coproduct, L-citrulline (Cit). To assess whether NO synthesis can be rate-limited by Arg recycling, we tested whether AS-overexpressing cells have an enhanced capacity for immununostimulant-induced NO synthesis. Rat VSMC were stably transfected with human AS cDNA in a eukaryotic cell expression vector, driven by a strong viral promoter. AS activity in transfected VSMC exceeded that induced in untransfected cells treated for 24 h with a combination of bacterial lipopolysaccharide and interferon-gamma (LPS/IFN). AS activity was predominantly associated with membranes but was also found in cytosol. Recombinant AS was purified from cytosol and possessed a specific activity exceeding that reported for native AS. Western blotting verified the basal expression of AS antigen in membranes from untreated AS-transfected VSMC and from untransfected VSMC after 24 h exposure to LPS/IFN. Epifluorescence histochemistry revealed a punctate distribution of AS antigen in transfected cells, consistent with a predominant membrane localization. Remarkably, on a per cell basis, LPS/IFN-induced NO production was 3-4-fold greater in AS-transfected cells than untransfected VSMC. In untransfected VSMC, maximal NO production during 48 h required millimolar Arg; notably, Cit was needed at approximately 3-fold higher concentrations than Arg for a comparable NO synthesis rate. In contrast, AS-transfected VSMC utilized Arg and Cit equi-effectively and at much lower concentrations; 100 microM of either precursor supported a maximal rate of NO synthesis for 48 h. The enhanced ability of AS-transfected cells to produce NO, compared with untransfected cells, could not be ascribed to differences in iNOS protein content or LPS/IFN potency for immunoactivation. We conclude that transfection with AS provides a continuous flux of Arg which drives NO synthesis in immunoactivated VSMC. Arg regeneration by AS is rate-limiting to NO synthesis and apparently provides iNOS with a preferred cellular source of Arg. In accord with the reported "channeling" of substrates by urea cycle enzymes, we hypothesize that the Arg/Cit cycle sequesters a discrete pool of recyclable substrate that sustains high-output NO synthesis.
Characterization of California Isolates of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum

ABSTRACT Thirty isolates of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum from California, Australia, China, and the American Type Culture Collection were characterized by partial sequences of translational elongation factor (EF-1α), phosphate permase (PHO), and beta-tubulin (BT) genes, restriction digests of the intergenic spacer (IGS) region of nuclear rDNA, and pathogenicity tests. Based on phylogenetic analysis of combined sequences of EF-1α, PHO, and BT genes, California isolates represented four lineages. Lineage I contained race 3, lineage II contained races 1, 2, and 6, lineage III contained race 8, and lineage IV contained race 4. The Australian isolates formed a strongly supported independent clade. There were nine haplotypes based on restriction digests of the IGS region. In greenhouse pathogenicity tests with California isolates, those from the race 4 lineage were highly aggressive on certain Pima cotton (Gossypium barbadense) cultivars and less aggressive on Upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) cultiva...
Oxygen adsorption and surface segregation in (211) surfaces of Pt(shell)/M(core) and Pt3M (M = Co, Ir) alloys

Abstract Density functional theory is used to study oxygen adsorption and its effect on surface segregation in (2 1 1) surfaces of Pt(shell)/M(core) and Pt 3 M (M = Co, Ir) alloys. It is found that the most energetically favorable oxygen adsorption site is the bridge site over and parallel to the (1 0 0) step. Surface segregation phenomena is observed in Pt 3 Co, Pt 3 Ir and Pt/Co(core) systems. The Pt/Ir(core) structure was the only one, among the studied systems, that showed antisegregation behavior even in presence of oxygen adsorbed.
Effects of D -strain, g -strain, and dipolar interactions on EPR linewidths of the molecular magnets Fe 8 and Mn 12

Electron paramagnetic resonance measurements on single crystals of the molecular magnets ${\mathrm{Fe}}_{8}$ and ${\mathrm{Mn}}_{12}$ reveal complex nonlinearities in the linewidths as functions of energy eigenstate, frequency, and temperature. Using a density-matrix equation with distributions of the uniaxial anisotropy parameter D, the Land\'e g factor, and dipolar interactions, we obtain linewidths in good agreement with experiments. Our study shows that the distribution in D is common to the examined molecular magnets ${\mathrm{Fe}}_{8}$ and ${\mathrm{Mn}}_{12}$ regardless of the qualities of the samples. This could provide the basis for a proposed tunneling mechanism due to lattice defects. The distribution in g is also quite significant for ${\mathrm{Mn}}_{12}.$
Expression of pituitary-tumour transforming gene in colorectal tumours.

Summary Background Basic fibroblast growth factor promotes angiogenesis and mitogenesis in colon carcinomas. Pituitarytumour transforming gene ( PTTG 1 ) causes in-vitro and in-vivo transformation, regulates secretion of basic fibroblast growth factor, and inhibits chromatid separation. Most normal tissues show little or no PTTG 1 expression but cancer cells express the gene abundantly. We postulated that PTTG 1 expression in colorectal tumours is related to tumour invasiveness. Methods PTTG 1 gene and protein expression were assessed in 68 colorectal tumours and compared with invasive characteristics, such as lymph-node invasion, evidence of metastases, tumour vessel density, and expression of basic fibroblast growth factor. PTTG 1 expression is given in terms of the fold-increase over that in normal-adjacent colorectal tissue. Findings PTTG 1 was overexpressed in all of 48 colon carcinomas (median fold-increase 2·2 [IQR 1·8–3·3]) and in 19 of 20 colonic polyps (2·2 [1·6–3·1]) compared with normal colonic tissue. Invasion of surrounding lymph nodes was associated with higher PTTG 1 expression than in carcinomas limited to the bowel wall (3·4 [2·1–5·9] vs 1·9 [1·7–2·4], p=0·007), and higher PTTG 1 expression was seen in more vascular than in less vascular tumours (2·6 [1·9–5·1] vs 1·9 [1·8–2·5], p=0·04). Interpretation Increased tumour PTTG 1 expression may be a marker of invasive colorectal carcinoma and could represent a new therapeutic target.
Laser spark ignition and combustion characteristics of methane-air mixtures

Ignition breakdown kernels of methane-air mixtures initiated by laser-induced sparks and by conventional electric sparks arc compared during initial stages. Experiments were conducted using a four-stroke (Otto-cycle) single-cylinder typical high-pressure combustion chamber. The piston is cycled in the cylinder by using an electric motor driven hydraulic ram. An cxcimer laser beam, either produced from krypton fluoride gas (λ = 248 nm) or argon fluoride gas (λ = 193 nm), or a Nd:YAG laser beam (λ = 1064 nm) is focused into a combustion chamber to initiate ignition. Conventional electric spark ignition is used as a basis for comparison between the two different ignition methods and the resultant early breakdown kernel characteristics. A streak camera is used to investigate and record the initial stages of kernel formation. Both a breakdown and a radial expansion wave of the ignition plasma are observed for certain laser ignition conditions of methane-air mixtures under typical internal combustion (IC) engine conditions. Results indicate that only certain wavelengths used for producing laser ignition produce a radial expansion wave. Laser ignition kernel size is calculated and laser-supported breakdown velocity is calculated by using Raizer's theory and is compared with measured results. Laser ignition results in a 4–6 ms decrease in the time for combustion to reach peak pressure than is obtained when using electric spark ignition in the same combustion chamber and under the same ignition conditions.
Substance Abuse in Pregnant Women: Making Improved Detection a Good Clinical Outcome

In this issue, Gideon Koren and colleagues review the maternal and child health implications of drug-residue testing in maternal and neonatal hair and testing for drugs in meconium.1 Since the 1990s, these methods have been used to varying degrees in clinical practice, but recent technological advances have increased their accuracy and usability in the clinical setting. Compared with self-reported maternal use, drug-residue testing in hair and testing for drugs in meconium are more reliable methods for detecting drug and alcohol exposure during pregnancy. These methods can also provide insights into patterns of use and abuse of these substances. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2008); 83, 4, 520–522. doi:10.1038/clpt.2008.13
A study of recurrence and death from papillary thyroid cancer with 27 years of median follow-up

Background Although recurrence and death can occur in patients with papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) several years after being diagnosed, the necessary duration of follow-up for these patients remains unclear. Methods This was a single-institution, retrospective review of 269 patients with PTC. Cox proportional hazards model and Kaplan-Meier curves were used to identify risk factors for recurrence and death. Risk predictors included age, sex, radiation exposure history, extent of operation, radioactive iodine treatment, follicular variant of PTC (FVPTC), extrathyroidal invasion, multifocality, TNM status, and stage. Results Median follow-up was 27 years. Of 269 patients, 180 (66%) were female, and 196 (73%) were ≤45 years of age. Recurrence and cancer-specific death rates were 28% and 9%, respectively. Time to recurrence (±SD) was 8.1 (± 8.3) years and to cancer-specific death was 9.0 (± 11.0) years; however, 11% of recurrences and 17% of deaths occurred after 20 years. Risk factors for recurrence were older age, FVPTC, T4 tumors, cervical lymph node involvement, metastases, and stage ≥ 4a. Predictors of death from PTC were older age, metastases, and stage ≥ 3. Conclusion Both recurrences and death from PTC can occur more than 30 years after being treated, thus lifelong follow-up of patients with PTC is necessary.
A sequent calculus for relation algebras

Le calcul sequent. Semantique algebrique. Modeles canoniques. Algebres matricielles. Algebres finies et resultats d'independance
Alpha-2 adrenergic-induced changes in rectal temperature in adult and 13-day old rats following acute and repeated desipramine administration

Background The effects of acute and repeated treatment with desipramine on the functional response of α2-adrenoceptors were tested in adult and 13-day old rats. The functional response measured was hypothermia that was induced by brimonidine, an α2-adrenoceptor agonist. The change in the extent of the brimonidine-induced hypothermia following pretreatment with either single or 4 twice-daily injections of desipramine was compared in 13-day old and adult (65–75 days old) male rats.
Whipping NF-κB to Submission via GADD45 and MKK7

NF-κB protects malignant cells from death and therefore it was considered as a cancer treatment target. However, systemic NF-κB inhibition resulted in inflammation and other undesired outcomes. In this issue of Cancer Cell, Tornatore and colleagues solve this problem by targeting the GADD45:MKK7 module mediating NF-κB-induced survival of multiple myelomas.
SEALEVEL CHANGES ASSOCIATED WITH HURRICANE "GLORIA"

Abstract Gloria was a fast-moving, intense hurricane that grazed the North Carolina coastline in September, 1985. The resulting storm surge was measured remotely using a telephone-linked wave data system as well as a local tide gage. The surge was hindcast using the model of Jelesnianski (1967) which was developed for shore-parallel storm tracks. The agreement with measurement was quite satisfactory. The data suggest extremely rapid rise times for the peak surge of hurricanes moving at high speed along the coast.
Hydrogen peroxide alters splicing of soluble guanylyl cyclase and selectively modulates expression of splicing regulators in human cancer cells.

BACKGROUND Soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC) plays a central role in nitric oxide (NO)-mediated signal transduction in the cardiovascular, nervous and gastrointestinal systems. Alternative RNA splicing has emerged as a potential mechanism to modulate sGC expression and activity. C-α1 sGC is an alternative splice form that is resistant to oxidation-induced protein degradation and demonstrates preferential subcellular distribution to the oxidized environment of endoplasmic reticulum (ER). METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Here we report that splicing of C-α1 sGC can be modulated by H(2)O(2) treatment in BE2 neuroblastoma and MDA-MD-468 adenocarcinoma human cells. In addition, we show that the H(2)O(2) treatment of MDA-MD-468 cells selectively decreases protein levels of PTBP1 and hnRNP A2/B1 splice factors identified as potential α1 gene splicing regulators by in silico analysis. We further demonstrate that down-regulation of PTBP1 by H(2)O(2) occurs at the protein level with variable regulation observed in different breast cancer cells. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE Our data demonstrate that H(2)O(2) regulates RNA splicing to induce expression of the oxidation-resistant C-α1 sGC subunit. We also report that H(2)O(2) treatment selectively alters the expression of key splicing regulators. This process might play an important role in regulation of cellular adaptation to conditions of oxidative stress.
Systolic array designs for Kalman filtering

Systolic Kalman filter (SKF) designs based on a triangular array (triarray) configuration are presented. A least squares formulation, which is an expanded matrix representation of the state space iteration, is adopted to develop an efficient iterative QR triangularization and consecutive data prewhitening formulations. This formulation has advantages in both numerical accuracy and processor utilization efficiency. Moreover, it leads naturally to pipelined architectures such as systolic or wavefront arrays. For an n state and m measurement dynamic system, the SKF triarray design uses n(n+3)/2 processors and requires only 4n+m timesteps to complete one iteration of prewhitened Kalman filtering system. This means a speedup factor of approximately n/sup 2//4 when compared with a sequential processor. Also proposed for the colored noise case are data prewhitening triarrays which offer compatible speedup performance for the preprocessing stage. Based on a comparison of several competing alternatives, the proposed array processor may be considered a most efficient systolic or wavefront design for Kalman filtering. >
What We Bring to Practice

ABSTRACT This article describes “What We Bring to Practice,” an innovative seven-week course designed to help students confront difficult questions about professional use of self. The course content concerns emotional reactions evoked by the client in the therapist, a phenomenon traditionally known as countertransference, and requires students to explore the basis of these reactions. In many public agencies supervision has become mainly administrative, allowing little time for reflection or guidance in dealing with difficult client situations. This course gives fourth semester MSW students tools for examining their reactions to clients and provides a model of peer supervision that they can carry with them into their careers. The article describes the background on teaching professional use of self in social work, describes the teaching methods used in the course, and presents findings from an evaluation done nine months after graduation.
Operative and Nonoperative Management of Achilles Tendon Ruptures in Active Duty Military Population

Background:The optimal management of Achilles tendon ruptures continues to be a subject of debate in orthopedics. These injuries are common in the active duty military population. The purpose of this study was to retrospectively compare the results of operative and nonoperative management of Achilles tendon ruptures in the active duty military population following the publication of a landmark level I study that has influenced practice patterns.Methods:All Achilles tendon injuries in active duty patients were identified at a single military institution from January 1, 2011, to January 1, 2014. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied and charts were reviewed. Demographic and treatment information were recorded along with return to duty status, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), rerupture, and other complication data. Rates of DVT, rerupture, other complications, and return to duty (including time to return) were then compared. Demographic data were described. Fifty-seven male patients met inclusion criteria...
Using Walsh code selection to reduce the power variance of band-limited forward-link CDMA waveforms

This paper investigates the effects of Walsh code selection and baseband filtering on the statistical moments of the band-limited forward-link CDMA signal. A normalized moment, the "power variance," is proposed as a measure of the signal's sensitivity to nonlinear amplification. The estimation of the power variance for the case of a band-limited QPSK-modulated random waveform is presented as a baseline fur illustrating the effect of filtering on a sampled signal. The band-limited CDMA signal case illustrates the interaction between the Walsh codes and the wave-shaping filter, and quantifies the influence of "missing Hadamard basis functions. "Results verify the accuracy of the statistical models and illustrate the importance of Walsh code selection in the reduction of the power variance of a band-limited CDMA waveform.
Up-regulation of soluble vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-1 prevents angiogenesis in hypertrophied myocardium

Aims Inadequate capillary growth in pressure-overload hypertrophy impairs myocardial perfusion and substrate delivery, contributing to progression to failure. Capillary growth is tightly regulated by angiogenesis growth factors like vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and endogenous inhibitors such as the splice variant of VEGF receptor-1, sVEGFR-1. We hypothesized that inadequate expression of VEGF and up-regulation of VEGFR-1 and its soluble splice variant, sVEGFR-1, restrict capillary growth in pressure-overload hypertrophy. Methods and results Neonatal New Zealand White rabbits underwent aortic banding. mRNA (qRT–PCR) and protein levels (immunoblotting) were determined in hypertrophied and control myocardium (7/group) for total VEGF, VEGFR-1, sVEGFR-1, VEGFR-2, and phospho-VEGFR-1 and -R-2. Free VEGF was determined by enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) in hypertrophied myocardium, controls, and hypertrophied hearts following inhibition of sVEGFR-1 with placental growth factor (PlGF). VEGFR-1 and sVEGFR-1 mRNA (seven-fold up-regulation, P = 0.001) and protein levels were significantly up-regulated in hypertrophied hearts vs. controls (VEGFR-1: 44 ± 8 vs. 23 ± 1, P = 0.031; sVEGFR-1: 71 ± 13 vs. 31 ± 3, P = 0.016). There was no change in VEGF and VEGFR-2 mRNA or protein levels in hypertrophied compared with controls hearts. A significant decline in free, unbound VEGF was found in hypertrophied myocardium which was reversed following inhibition of sVEGFR-1 with PlGF, which was accompanied by phosphorylation of VEGFR-1 and VEGFR-2. Conclusion Up-regulation of the soluble VEGFR-1 in pressure-loaded myocardium prevents capillary growth by trapping VEGF. Inhibition of sVEGFR-1 released sufficient VEGF to induce angiogenesis and preserved contractile function. These data suggest sVEGFR-1 as possible therapeutic targets to prevent heart failure.