cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Theory of Abelian projection

Analytic methods for Abelian projection are developed. A number of results are obtained related to string tension measurements. It is proven that even without gauge fixing, Abelian projection yields string tensions of the underlying non-Abelian theory. Strong arguments are given for similar results in the case where gauge fixing is employed. The methods used emphasize that the projected theory is derived from the underlying non-Abelian theory rather than {ital vice versa}. In general, the choice of subgroup used for projection is not very important, and need not be Abelian. While gauge fixing is shown to be in principle unnecessary for the success of Abelian projection, it is computationally advantageous for the same reasons that improved operators, e.g., the use of fat links, are advantageous in Wilson loop measurements. Two other issues, Casimir scaling and the conflict between projection and critical universality, are also discussed. {copyright} {ital 1999} {ital The American Physical Society}
Bioavailability of Sediment-Bound Methyl and Inorganic Mercury to a Marine Bivalve

The extent to which ingested suspended sediment can be a source of mercury for suspension feeders is largely unknown, yet this information is required to evaluate the biological significance of sediment contamination. We used radiotracer methodology to experimentally compare the bioavailability of dissolved and sediment-bound mercury for a marine bivalve. We examined the relative importance of specific sedimentary components that may exert control on the uptake of Hg(II) and CH3Hg(II) from sediments in the mussel Mytilus edulis, which is widely used in national monitoring programs as a bioindicator organism for detect ing coastal contamination. Iron and manganese oxides, montmorillonite clay, and silica, with and without organic coatings, as well as natural sediment particles were radiolabeled with either 203Hg(II) or CH3203Hg using nanomolar levels of Hg. Fulvic acid coatings enhanced the sorption of both Hg(II) and CH3Hg(II) onto every type of particle, and partition coefficients were as high as 105. Th...
De Novo design in organometallic chemistry: stabilizing iridium(V)

Abstract Modern density functional theory (DFT) calculations are well suited for designing and testing alternative ligand schemes for transition-metal organometallic complexes. DFT methods have been applied to a variety of ligand systems and substrates (alkanes and silane) for the reaction (ηx-L)L′IrIIIR+R′H⇔(ηx-L)L′IrVRR′H (ηx-L=CpR, Tp, and carborane; L′=PR3, CR3−, SiR3−, and SnR3−; R=CH3, H; R′=Aryl, CR3, and H) with the goal of finding ligand–substrate combinations that will stabilize the Ir(V) species. This species is of particular interest, as it is the putative intermediate in the CH bond activation by Ir(III) complexes. Among the donor ligands examined were various multihapto ligands (ηx-L), alternative phosphines, anionic silanes (SiR3−) and stannanes (SnR3−), and chelating ligands. Cationic Ir(V) intermediates produced by oxidative addition of an alkane are not easily stabilized when compared with their Ir(III) counterparts. Replacing the phosphine donor ligands with more covalent inorganic ligands, specifically silyl and stannyl ligands (AR3), produces neutral Ir(V) complexes that are more stable than the Ir(III) reactants but would be subject to alkane elimination except at very low temperatures. Reacting the unsaturated 16 e− species [CpIrIIIPR3LR3]+ (where R=H, CH3 and L=C, Si) with the appropriate amount of silane (HSiR′3) might also afford Ir(V) complexes [CpIrVPR3LR3SiR′3H]+ that are stable enough to be observed spectroscopically, and in some instances, possibly isolated.
Palynological and Radiocarbon Evidence for Deglaciation Events in the Green Bay Lobe, Wisconsin

Abstract A new and significant site of organic silty sand has been found beneath the Valders till at Valders Quarry in northeastern Wisconsin. This is now the earliest known late-glacial site associated with red till ice advances in the western Great Lakes area. Leaves of terrestrial plants washed into a small depression provide a date of 12,965 ± 200 yr B.P. (WIS-2293), which is significantly older than the Two Creeks Forest Bed (ca. 11,800 yr B.P.). Percentage and concentration pollen diagrams suggest that the site was open and distant from a closed Picea forest. No wood or Picea needles have been found. This date is statistically indistinguishable from 12,550 ± 233 yr B.P., the mean of three dates for the end of inorganic varve sedimentation at Devils Lake, 160 km southwest at the terminus of the Green Bay Lobe. Assuming that the Green Bay lobe vacated its outermost moraine in the interval from 13,000 to 12,500 yr B.P., only a short time was available for retreat of the ice margin over 350 km, drainage of red sediment from Lake Superior into the Lake Michigan basin, readvance of over 250 km, retreat of at least 80 km, and advance to this site. The time for these events appears to have been too short to resolve by current radiocarbon technique. This extremely rapid collapse of the Green Bay lobe has a calibrated age of about 15,000 cal yr B.P., about that of the dramatic warming seen in the Greenland ice cores.
Technology Insight: enteral stenting and new technology

Self-expandable metal stents (SEMS) have gained acceptance for use in the gastrointestinal tract in order to relieve malignant luminal obstruction. In the upper gastrointestinal tract SEMS are used as an alternative to surgical bypass for palliation of malignant gastric-outlet obstruction. In the colon, SEMS are used to avoid colostomy during palliation and as a bridge to surgery for left-sided colonic obstruction. Enteral SEMS appear to be cost effective. This article reviews the latest in stent technology as well as the outcomes following their placement.
What drives activation-dependent shifts in the force-length curve?

Skeletal muscles are rarely recruited maximally during movement. However, much of our understanding of muscle properties is based on studies using maximal activation. The effect of activation level on skeletal muscle properties remains poorly understood. Muscle optimum length increases with decreased activation; however, the mechanism responsible is unclear. Here, we attempted to determine whether length-dependent calcium effects, or the effect of absolute force underpin this shift. Fixed-end contractions were performed in frog plantaris muscles at a range of lengths using maximal tetanic (high force, high calcium), submaximal tetanic (low force, high calcium) and twitch (low force, low calcium) stimulation conditions. Peak force and optimum length were determined in each condition. Optimum length increased with decreasing peak force, irrespective of stimulation condition. Assuming calcium concentration varied as predicted, this suggests that absolute force, rather than calcium concentration, underpins the effect of activation level on optimum length. We suggest that theeffect of absolute force is due to the varying effect of the internal mechanics of the muscle at different activation levels. These findings have implications forour understanding ofin vivomuscle function andsuggest that mechanical interactions withinmuscle may beimportant determinants of force at lower levels of activation.
Sufism: a guide to essential reference resources

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to give a starting point to non‐specialists to understand Sufism by introducing the essential works about this broad subject.Design/methodology/approach – The paper identifies and lists bibliographies, indexes, encyclopedias, dictionaries, and handbooks about Sufism.Findings – Interest in Sufism is growing, and references to books, articles, essays, and even theses and dissertations under the subject headings Sufism and Sufis are now considerable. Resources are scattered, posing challenges to students and scholars, as well as librarians. Additionally, there is a deficiency of specialized databases, bibliographies, and indexes related to Sufism.Originality/value – To date, this is the only guide of this kind.
Photonic one-way edge mode and slow light application

We theoretically studied a photonic crystal with a honeycomb lattice of defects. When time-reversal symmetry is broken in the honeycomb lattice, there is one-way edge mode. We built a tight binding model to study the honeycomb defect lattice and gave a microscopic picture of the emergence of one-way edge mode. We proposed a scheme of dynamically modulated one-way slow light using this edge mode.
Adhesion molecules in rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory condition that affects approximately 0.8% of the world population [ 1, 2]. Although there are frequent systemic manifestations of inflammation, the primary physiologic events occur within the synovial tissue lining of diarthrodial joints. In spite of intense investigation, the cause of RA and the precise pathophysiologic events remain uncertain. Much attention has focused on T lymphocytes and the role they play in the pathogenesis of RA. Along with functional analyses of T cell populations, the mechanisms by which T cells enter rheumatoid synovium have been the focus of considerable investigation. A number of studies have demonstrated an essential role for cell surface adhesion receptors in T cell migration, but the specific receptors employed by T cells and their counterreceptors on endothelial cells have not been completely delineated. Postcapillary venules appear to be the site of T cell entry into the synovium, although this conclusion is based more on analogy to other tissue sites rather than direct experimental verification in the synovium.
"Would That Be Social Justice?" A Conceptual Constellation of Social Justice Curriculum in Action

For new educators, the obstacles of high-stakes testing, curricular mandates, and their own inexperience and self-doubt can render teaching for justice and equity overwhelming, seemingly impossible ideals. However, as students are increasingly tied to prescriptive curricula and academic performance standards, the goals of social justice and democracy are all the more necessary. Through interviews and observations with new educators, the authors argue that, despite difficult, often restrictive teaching environments, these educators are indeed engaged in teaching socially just curricula in a variety of innovative ways. Beginning teachers' stories and their inspiring curricular enactments are at the heart of this article.
New Solvents for Nanotubes: Approaching the Dispersibility of Surfactants

We demonstrate dispersion and exfoliation of nanotubes in two new solvents for nanotubes, cyclohexyl-pyrrolidone (CHP) and 1-benzyl-2-pyrrolidinone (NBenP). Both solvents are structural analogues of the well-known nanotube solvent N-methyl-pyrrolidone. Each solvent can disperse nanotubes at high concentrations, up to 3.5 mg/mL for CHP. The nanotubes in these dispersions are highly exfoliated, even at high concentration. In cyclohexyl-pyrrolidone dispersions, the root-mean-square bundle diameter was ∼3 nm for a concentration of 2 mg/mL. The bundle diameter fell as the concentration was reduced, reaching 1.5 nm at concentrations below 10−3 mg/mL. These dispersions have very large populations of individual nanotubes and small bundles. For CHP the total population of one-dimensional dispersed objects exceeded 100 μm−3 for concentrations >2 mg/mL. Of these ∼10% were individual SWNTs. However, as the concentration was reduced, the fraction of individual SWNTs increased to ∼80% for a nanotube concentration of 10...
Mitotic Activation of Protein-tyrosine Phosphatase α and Regulation of Its Src-mediated Transforming Activity by Its Sites of Protein Kinase C Phosphorylation

Abstract During mitosis, the catalytic activity of protein-tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) α is enhanced, and its inhibitory binding to Grb2, which specifically blocks Src dephosphorylation, is decreased. These effects act synergistically to activate Src in mitosis. We show here that these effects are abrogated by mutation of Ser180 and/or Ser204, the sites of protein kinase C-mediated phosphorylation within PTPα. Moreover, either a Ser-to-Ala substitution or serine dephosphorylation specifically eliminated the ability of PTPα to dephosphorylate and activate Src even during interphase. This explains why the substitutions eliminated PTPα transforming activity, even though PTPα interphase dephosphorylation of nonspecific substrates was only slightly decreased. This occurred without change in the phosphorylation of PTPα at Tyr789, which is required for “phosphotyrosine displacement” during Src dephosphorylation. Thus, in addition to increasing PTPα nonspecific catalytic activity, Ser180 and Ser204 phosphorylation (along with Tyr789 phosphorylation) regulates PTPα substrate specificity. This involves serine phosphorylation-dependent differential modulation of the affinity of Tyr(P)789for the Src and Grb2 SH2 domains. The results suggest that protein kinase C may participate in the mitotic activation of PTPα and Src and that there are intramolecular interactions between the PTPα C-terminal and membrane-proximal regions that are regulated, at least in part, by serine phosphorylation.
A systems approach to flame retardancy and comments on modes of action

Abstract Some new examples of favorable interactions between additives in flame retardant formulations have been found. These include the following: phosphorus combinations such as triphenyl phosphate with a tetraphenyl phenylene diphosphate, and char-former combinations such as novolacs with polyphenylene oxide in styrenics, melamine with polyphenylene oxide and kaolinite in polyolefin elastomers; and a neopentyl phosphonate ester with a melamine phosphate in ethylene-vinyl acetate. Useful interactions were detected by various tests and data analysis methods including multiple regression, and further elucidated by various analytical methods. Some indications of possible modes of action and explanations for the interactions are presented. Barrier formation appears to play an important role in these three cases, although vapor phase action (possibly physical) is also noted. Rate of char formation is suggested as an important variable. The systematic use of combinations of differently functioning flame retardants constitutes the ‘systems approach’ which is advocated for the solution of retardancy problems.
Stereoscopic depth discrimination in the visual cortex: neurons ideally suited as disparity detectors

The possibility has been explored that a subset of physiologically identifiable cells in the visual cortex is especially suited for the processing of stereoscopic depth information. First, characteristics of a disparity detector that would be useful for such processing were outlined. Then, a method was devised by which detailed binocular response data were obtained from cortical cells. In addition, a model of the disparity detector was developed that includes a plausible hierarchical arrangement of cortical cells. Data from the cells compare well with the requirements for the archetypal disparity detector and are in excellent agreement with the predictions of the model. These results demonstrate that a specific type of cortical neuron exhibits the desired characteristics of a disparity detector.
Minimum Number of Oral Microorganisms Needed to Initiate Growth in Culture Media

SYNOPSIS IN INTERLINGUALE NUMERO MINIME DE MICROORGANISMOS ORAL REQUIRITE PRO INITIAR CRESCENTIA IN MEDIOS DE CULTURA.—Varie medios, cata-un continente 0,1 pro cento de agar, esseva usate in determinar le numero minime de microorganismos requirite pro initiar crescentia. Al minus cinque differente lineas de Streptococcus salivarius, Str. mitis, Str. faecalis, e Staphylococcus aureus esseva usate in le tests. Esseva etiam includite tests in triplicato de Candida albicans, Escherichia coli, Corynebacterium diphtheriae, Lactobacillus casei, e Neisseria sicca. Esseva trovate que in certe lineas un sol microorganismo esseva necessari pro initiar crescentia e que differente lineas del mesme specie cresce melio in un medio que in un altere.
Exploring the values underlying evaluation of research: A social judgment analysis

This study uses social judgment analysis in a mailed questionnaire design to examine the judgment process used to evaluate research by editorial board members of various journals in one field of inquiry, public administration. The study examined the way board members valued criteria commonly used to evaluate research, examined the internal consistency with which they applied these values, and tested for consistency among board members in the relative weights they placed upon these criteria. The respondents evaluated 30 hypothetical research products which had been randomly scored on the criteria of clarity and organization, linkage to previous research, design and methods, contributions to knowledge, and utility of findings. The study found that respondents applied criteria consistently in evaluating research. The highest weighted criteria were contributions to knowledge and utility of findings and the least weighted was linkage to previous research. The weights seem to contravene the commonly held norms for conducting resarch by placing less weight on design and methods. Finally, the study suggests that the apparent inconsistency common to manuscript review is not caused by lack of agreement on the relative importance of the criteria, but rather by a lack of agreement on what constitutes good design or a contribution to knowledge.
GENETIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL OF GLYCOLIC ACID OXIDASE ACTIVITY IN ECOTYPIC POPULATIONS OF TYPHA LATIFOLIA

A B S T R A C T Glycolic acid oxidase activity at 25 C in leaf homogenates of ecotypic populations of Typha latifolia varied according to native climate of the population and current growing conditions. Activity of plants grown under warm/short day conditions was positively correlated with maximum summer temperature at the site of population origin. Activity of plants grown under cool/ long day conditions was negatively correlated with length of growing season at the site of origin. Populations from sites characterized by a long growing season are much less susceptible to environmental regulation of enzymic level than populations originating in short growing season sites. Enzyme activity is not a secondary reflection of differentiation at the level of chlorophyll or cofactor concentration. Enzymic differences between ecotypic populations reflect differences in control systems at the level of protein synthesis and genetic structure. SINCE the discovery of ecotypes by Turesson (1922), there has been substantial progress toward description of the morphological and phenological variation in plant species occupying
How do high-latitude North Atlantic climate signals the crossover between the Deep Western Boundary Current and the Gulf Stream?

[1] A simple model is used to examine how the presence of a continental slope along the western boundary, and wind-driven gyres, especially the Gulf Stream (GS) jet, affect the pathways of water-mass flow and wave propagation in the abyssal ocean. Two types of forcing: an interior source and a boundary inflow (to mimic the Labrador Sea Water and the marginal-sea overflow), are considered here. Both topography and wind-driven gyres considerably alter how the water mass spreads from the source (in the steady state case) and how transient signals propagate to the unforced regions. Sloping bathymetry near the western boundary allows for meridional propagation of topographic waves. The GS jet creates a strong meridional PV gradient which could partially block the southward water-mass transport and wave propagation. The effectiveness of the crossover to disrupt the lower layer response depends on the type of high latitude water mass forcing.
Apery Sets of Numerical Semigroups

Let S be a numerical semigroup. We examine a particular subset of the Apery set of S and establish a correspondence between this subset and the holes of S . This correspondence allows us to establish conditions for S to be almost symmetric.
Twenty-three years of hypersensitivity pneumonitis mortality surveillance in the United States.

Background There are few population-based studies addressing hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) in the United States. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has nationally comprehensive longitudinal mortality data that can contribute to a better understanding of the epidemiology of HP. Methods The National Center for Health Statistics multiple cause-of-death data were analyzed for the period 1980–2002. Annual death rate was age-adjusted to the 2000 U.S. standard population. Death rate time-trends were calculated using a linear regression model and geographic distribution of death rates were mapped by state and county. Proportionate mortality ratios (PMRs) by usual industry and occupation adjusted for age, sex, and race, were based on data from 26 states reporting industry and occupation during 1985–1999. Results Overall age-adjusted death rates increased significantly (P < 0.0001) between 1980 and 2002, from 0.09 to 0.29 per million. Wisconsin had the highest rate at 1.04 per million. Among industries, PMR for HP was significantly high for agricultural production, livestock (PMR, 19.3; 95% CI, 14.0–25.9) and agricultural production, crops (PMR, 4.3; 95% CI, 3.0–6.0). Among occupations, PMR for HP was significantly elevated for farmers, except horticulture (PMR, 8.1; 95% CI, 6.4–10.2). Conclusions These findings indicate that agricultural industries are closely associated with HP mortality and preventive strategies are needed to protect workers in these industries. Am. J. Ind. Med. 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Protection of the right to informed consent to participate in research.

The Nuremberg Code stresses the need for all research participants to be accorded the privilege of freely giving their informed consent to participation in research. Unfortunately, participants' signing a consent form does not guarantee that they were fully informed about the nature of the proposed study or that they understand the explanation which they were offered. Use of a three-part consent form which includes a complete description of the research, space for participants to describe the study of their own words, and several objective questions about key aspects of the study is advocated as one means of providing behavioral evidence that consent is truly informed. To test the usefulness of this form, introductory psychology students were asked to participate in an experiment through one of five different consent forms that described the experiment in varying levels of detail. More students volunteered when the description of the experiment did not mention use of aversive methods. Unfortunately, however, even with the three-part consent form, the data did not support the belief that those who agreed to participate fully understood the experiment.
7. Immunologic lung disease

The lung is an extremely complex organ and participates in initial responses to inhaled antigens, infectious agents, and irritants or as a response to exposure through the oral, parenteral, or transdermal routes. There can be constriction of the airways or involvement or even destruction of the lung parenchyma, depending on the condition. This review focuses on selected aspects of the pulmonary innate and adaptive immune responses; the new condition World Trade Center cough, which can cause an asthma-like presentation and resemble reactive airways dysfunction syndrome; and the diagnosis and treatment of various immunologic lung conditions. Innate immune responses occur in the acute respiratory distress syndrome and in transfusion-related acute lung injury. Adaptive immune responses involve specialized mucosal and systemic immune responses, lymphocytes, and antibodies and can result in CD4+ TH1 and TH2 phenotypes, such as TH1 for tuberculosis and TH2 for asthma.
Finite element solution of Maxwell's equations for hyperthermia treatment planning

Abstract A general Galerkin formulation is given for the periodic form of Maxwell's equations on a bounded inhomogeneous medium. The formulation conserves energy exactly and its dispersion relation is studied. Solutions for test problems representative of hyperthermia applications show good agreement with analytic solutions. A representative clinical example is shown.
Impact of Course and Fieldwork on Multicultural Beliefs and Attitudes

Abstract This study investigated preservice teachers’ beliefs and attitudes about teaching culturally and linguistically diverse students when progressing through specially designed courses. Data were collected using the Teacher Multicultural Attitude Survey and semi-structured interviews. Analyses indicated that preservice teachers who received more multicultural preparation held more positive attitudes and based their attitudes more on academic preparation than on personal experiences. Preservice teachers who completed the multicultural course and English for speakers of other languages field placement had a more in-depth understanding of how to help culturally and linguistically diverse students.
Practical Considerations in the Development and Refinement of Subcallosal Cingulate White Matter Deep Brain Stimulation for Treatment-Resistant Depression

Background Deep brain stimulation has been investigated in the past decade as a viable intervention for treatment-resistant depression. Methods Several anatomic targets have been tested, with the most extensive published experience found for the subcallosal cingulate (SCC) white matter. Results This article reviews the current state of clinical research of SCC deep brain stimulation for treatment-resistant depression, including an overview of the rationale for targeting SCC, practical considerations for subject recruitment and evaluation, surgical planning, and stimulation parameters. Conclusion Clinical management of patients in the initial and long-term naturalistic phases of treatment, including the potential role for psychotherapeutic rehabilitation, is discussed.
An Experimental Study of CO2 Exsolution and Relative Permeability Measurements During CO2 Saturated Water Depressurization

Dissolution of CO2 into brine is an important and favorable trapping mechanism for geologic storage of CO2. There are scenarios, however, where dissolved CO2 may migrate out of the storage reservoir. Under these conditions, CO2 will exsolve from solution during depressurization of the brine, leading to the formation of separate phase CO2. For example, a CO2 sequestration system with a brine-permeable caprock may be favored to allow for pressure relief in the sequestration reservoir. In this case, CO2-rich brine may be transported upwards along a pressure gradient caused by CO2 injection. Here we conduct an experimental study of CO2 exsolution to observe the behavior of exsolved gas under a wide range of depressurization. Exsolution experiments in highly permeable Berea sandstones and low permeability Mount Simon sandstones are presented. Using X-ray CT scanning, the evolution of gas phase CO2 and its spatial distribution is observed. In addition, we measure relative permeability for exsolved CO2 and water in sandstone rocks based on mass balances and continuous observation of the pressure drop across the core from 12.41 to 2.76 MPa. The results show that the minimum CO2 saturation at which the exsolved CO2 phase mobilization occurs is from 11.7 to 15.5%. Exsolved CO2 is distributed uniformly in homogeneous rock samples with no statistical correlation between porosity and CO2 saturation observed. No gravitational redistribution of exsolved CO2 was observed after depressurization, even in the high permeability core. Significant differences exist between the exsolved CO2 and water relative permeabilities, compared to relative permeabilities derived from steady-state drainage relative permeability measurements in the same cores. Specifically, very low CO2 and water relative permeabilities are measured in the exsolution experiments, even when the CO2 saturation is as high as 40%. The large relative permeability reduction in both the water and CO2 phases is hypothesized to result from the presence of disconnected gas bubbles in this two-phase flow system. This feature is also thought to be favorable for storage security after CO2 injection.
Plant-made vaccines against West Nile virus are potent, safe, and economically feasible

The threat of West Nile virus (WNV) epidemics with increasingly severe neuroinvasive infections demands the development and licensing of effective vaccines. To date, vaccine candidates based on inactivated, live-attenuated, or chimeric virus, and viral DNA and WNV protein subunits have been developed. Some have been approved for veterinary use or are under clinical investigation, yet no vaccine has been licensed for human use. Reaching the milestone of a commercialized human vaccine, however, may largely depend on the economics of vaccine production. Analysis suggests that currently only novel low-cost production technologies would allow vaccination to outcompete the cost of surveillance and clinical treatment. Here, we review progress using plants to address the economic challenges of WNV vaccine production. The advantages of plants as hosts for vaccine production in cost, speed and scalability, especially those of viral vector-based transient expression systems, are discussed. The progress in developing WNV subunit vaccines in plants is reviewed within the context of their expression, characterization, downstream processing, and immunogenicity in animal models. The development of vaccines based on enveloped and non-enveloped virus-like particles is also discussed. These advancements suggest that plants may provide a production platform that offers potent, safe and affordable human vaccines against WNV.
Fate Mapping and Lineage Analyses Demonstrate the Production of a Large Number of Striatal Neuroblasts After Transforming Growth Factor α and Noggin Striatal Infusions into the Dopamine-Depleted Striatum

Infusion of transforming growth factor alpha (TGFalpha) into the adult dopamine (DA)-depleted striatum generates a local population of nestin(+)/proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)(+) newborn cells. The precise origin and fate of these new striatal cells are unknown, making it difficult to direct them for neural repair in Parkinson's disease. Experiments in rats using 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) to label neural progenitor cells showed that during TGFalpha infusion in the DA-depleted striatum, newborn striatal cells formed a homogeneous population of precursors, with the majority coexpressing nestin, Mash1, Olig2, and epidermal growth factor receptor, consistent with the phenotype of multipotent C cells. Upon TGFalpha pump withdrawal, the subventricular zone (SVZ) was repopulated by neuroblasts. Strikingly, during this period, numerous clusters of doublecortin(+)/polysialylated neuronal cell adhesion molecule(+) neuroblasts were also produced in the ipsilateral medial striatum. In parallel, striatal BrdU(+)/glial fibrillary acidic protein(+) astrocytes were generated, but no BrdU(+)/O4(+)/CNPase(+) oligodendrocytes were generated. Infusion of the neuralizing bone morphogenetic protein antagonist noggin after TGFalpha pump withdrawal increased the neuroblast-to-astrocyte ratio among new striatal cells by blocking glial differentiation but did not alter striatal neurogenesis. At no time or treatment condition were differentiated neurons generated, including DA neurons. Using 6-hydroxydopamine-lesioned nestin-CreER(T2)/R26R-YFP mice that allow genetic fate-mapping of SVZ nestin(+) cells, we show that TGFalpha-generated striatal cells originate from SVZ nestin(+) precursors that confirmed data from the rats on the phenotype and fate of striatal nestin(+)/PCNA(+) cells upon TGFalpha withdrawal. This work demonstrates that a large population of multipotent striatal C-like cells can be generated in the DA-depleted striatum that do not spontaneously differentiate into DA neurons.
Reduced levels of neurotransmitter-degrading enzyme PRCP promote obesity

The level of neurotransmitters present in the synaptic cleft is a function of the delicate balance among neurotransmitter synthesis, recycling, and degradation. While much is known about the processes controlling neurotransmitter synthesis and release, the enzymes that degrade peptide neurotransmitters are poorly understood. A new study in this issue of the JCI reveals the important role of neuropeptide degradation in regulating obesity (see the related article beginning on page 2291). Wallingford et al. provide evidence that, in mice, the enzyme prolylcarboxypeptidase (PRCP) degrades α-melanocyte–stimulating hormone (α-MSH) to an inactive form that is unable to inhibit food intake. Their studies indicate that PRCP expression promotes obesity, while inhibitors of the enzyme counteract obesity.
Normal carbon acid referencing for protein amide hydrogen exchange.

Measurement of the exchange kinetics for amide hydrogens along the protein backbone continues to offer valuable insights into structural stability and conformational dynamics. Since such studies routinely compare samples that differ in solution conditions or mechanical handling, normalization of the relative exchange rates can present a potentially significant source of experimental uncertainty. The carbon acids 1,3-dimethylimidazolium cation and thiomethylacetonitrile exhibit base catalyzed exchange rates similar to those of the slowly exchanging amides, under conditions typical for protein studies. With 13C enrichment at the acidic carbon position to facilitate selective observation, such carbon acids offer practical internal calibration of exchange. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Mixing of pump and lasant species in photopumped systems driven by a femtosecond laser

To obtain the proper conditions for inversion and gain in 'pure' photopumped x-ray laser systems it is normally considered necessary to separate the pump and lasant. This is due to the fact that a plasma which produces adequate pump power is usually too hot and/or dense to sustain lasing. Thus there is a need for separate plasmas at significantly different conditions. In this paper we explore the question of whether the recent rapid development of ultraintense, short-pulse lasers can change this picture by altering the relationship of electron temperature to degree of ionization.
The Figure in the Landscape: Capote and Infamous

The author compares two recent biopics of writer Truman Capote using intertextual approaches: noting the genres they invoke and the way they remind us of the textualization of history, analyzing the effect of their biographical sources on their form, and speculating about the intertexts viewers bring to the films.
Physician attitudes toward communication with cancer patients.

Abstract A survey of ‘cancer-oriented’ physicians in a Midwestern community reveals significant differences among practitioners in attitude toward communication with cancer patients. Attitudes toward communication varied according to specialty, years of experience, and certain features of practice. While the data do not cover concrete physician behavior, they contradict a long-held belief about physician attitudes towards communication and raise issues for the delivery of care.
Parental Attachment, Self‐Worth, and Depressive Symptoms Among Emerging Adults

The characteristics of parental attachment were assessed for a sample of 81 emerging adults (ages 22–28 years) and their mothers. Emerging adults' reports of self-worth were found to mediate the relationship between their reports of parental attachment and depressive symptoms. The emerging adults' unique perspectives of the attachment relationship were more predictive of their self-reported self-worth and depressive symptoms than were the mothers' perspectives of the relationship.
Assessing Distributive Justice in Marketing: A Benefit-Cost Approach

Distributive justice, the fair apportioning of benefits and costs, is a social performance criterion in marketing and in organizational and other social contexts. In determining what is more or less just or fair, conflicts arise because of differing perspectives. Benefit-cost analysis offers an appropriate framework and method for evaluating and resolving these conflicts. This article examines several macromarketing issues, and policy alternatives are identified and evaluated. Some correctives that intuitively promise better outcomes, after more careful analysis, may not be more just. However, the principal contribution here is to demonstrate how the lens of benefit-cost analysis can aid in assessing both existing inequities and the effects of interventions intended to correct them. Finally, the limitations and implications of this approach to addressing this aspect of market performance are discussed.
Regulation of melanocortin-4 receptor signaling: agonist-mediated desensitization and internalization

Disruption of the hypothalamic melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) pathway results in obesity both in humans and rodents, demonstrating a crucial role for hypothalamic MC4Rs in the regulation of energy homeostasis. Because even haploinsufficiency of the MC4R gene can cause obesity in humans and mice, subtle changes in receptor numbers or signaling are likely to impact upon the regulation of food intake and energy expenditure. Little is known about the intracellular regulation of MC4R signaling. Using GT1-7 cells, we show for the first time that the MC4R undergoes ligand-mediated desensitization. We then addressed the possible mechanisms underlying the desensitization using HEK293 and COS-1 cells transfected with hemagglutinin-tagged human MC4R. Preexposure of GT1-7 cells that express endogenous MC4R to the agonist for MC4R, alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone, resulted in impaired cAMP formation to a second challenge of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone. The desensitization of MC4R was accompanied by time-dependent internalization of the receptor in HEK293 cells, which was partly inhibited by pretreatment with a specific protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitor, H89. In COS-1 cells, overexpression of dominant-negative G protein-coupled receptor kinase (GRK) 2-K220R partly inhibited the agonist-mediated internalization of MC4R, whereas it did not in HEK293 cells. Overexpression of dominant-negative mutants of beta-arrestin1-V53D and dynamin I-K44A prevented agonist-mediated internalization of MC4R. Mutagenesis studies revealed that Thr312 and Ser329/330 in the C-terminal tail are potential sites for PKA and GRK phosphorylation and may play an essential role in the recruitment of beta-arrestin to the activated receptor. Our data demonstrate that, through PKA-, GRK-, beta-arrestin-, and dynamin-dependent processes, MC4R undergoes internalization in response to agonist, thereby providing novel insights into the regulation of MC4R signaling.
Economic challenges and possible policy actions to advance stratified medicine.

In this article, we present a simple economic model to illustrate the economic challenges facing an oncology stratified medicine developer when scientific discoveries lead to ever smaller, targeted patient populations.We provide preliminary empirical evidence suggesting that at least some developers and their investors are retreating. We then examine the armamentarium of policy actions beyond higher reimbursement that may be employed to enhance the economic incentives for developing stratified medicines. In the absence of significant pricing and total oncology outlay flexibility by payers, our analysis suggests that private sector investment in small oncology segments, and in stratified medicine generally, may not prove economically sustainable, thus endangering the translation of scientific advances into bedside medicines. Beyond increasing reimbursement, decreasing development cycle time and costs, or both, would most directly improve the economic incentives facing developers. By contrast, extending exc...
A PC-based broadband digital seismograph network

SUMMARY A regional telemetry network of digital seismographs, the Berkeley Digital Seismograph Network (BDSN), is being installed in Central California to upgrade the permanent University of California seismographic stations which data from 1887 at Lick Observatory and Berkeley. The design aims are low cost, use of available personal computer (PC) technology, continuous recording, unattended operation and low error rate. The scientific aims are full wave recording of both local and teleseismic events from micro-to-great earthquakes, rapid observatory analysis, data dissemination, and enhanced research. Streckeisen three-component seismometers (or equivalent) are used with PC-based 16-bit digital data acquisition and telemetry. Each remote station has satellite-clock timing, anti-aliasing filters, a plug-in analogue-to-digital (A/D) converter, a 2400 bps modem and an automatic restart timer. Three broadband channels (20 sps) and one short-period vertical channel (40 sps) are transmitted to a PC at the central station in 1 s packets for storage on Bernoulli cartridge discs (20 Mb). Each cartridge holds remote station data for one day. Error checking and packet retransmission are included in the system software. Seismograms from the 1986 October 20 Kermadec earthquake (Ms= 8.3), the 19° February 14 Coalinga, California earthquake (ML= 5.2) and the 1987 February 28 Mt Lews. California earthquake (ML= 3.6) are shown to demonstrate the system capabilities.
The role of socioeconomic status on hip fracture.

The impact of socioeconomic status—income and acculturation—on hip fracture is not well understood. We studied 116,919 fractures among 8,144,469 people in California. Greater income and English fluency predict lower fracture incidence. Lower income and immigrant populations are at increased risk for hip fracture and require intervention. Race/ethnicity is a major determinant of hip fracture risk. Although socioeconomic status (e.g., income and acculturation) is often associated with race/ethnicity, its impact on hip fracture incidence is less well understood. We carried out a retrospective, population-based, study of persons with hip fractures in California, 1996 to 2000, compared to census estimates by zip code. We performed Poisson regression analyses to calculate hip fracture incident rate ratios for gender, age, race/ethnicity, income, language (percent non-English speakers)—a proxy for acculturation—and living in rural areas. During the 5-year period, 116,919 fractures occurred among 8,144,469 persons (2.87 fractures/1,000 persons per year). Higher income predicted lower hip fracture incidence. Persons in the highest decile of estimated income had an incident rate ratio (IRR) of 0.79 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.77 to 0.82) compared with those in the lowest decile. Greater IRR of hip fracture was predicted for persons living in areas with a greater percent of non-English speakers (IRR 1.004, 95% CI 1.003 to 1.005). Low income and language fluency are predictors of greater hip fracture incidence. Although much attention is given to the aging of the “baby boomers”, low income and immigrant populations are at increased risk for hip fracture and require intervention.
The effect on the plasma volume of dehydration produced by a low-salt diet and ammonium chloride.

I T HAS been accepted*, 2 that the plasma. volume remains relatively constant with dehydration because it, is protected b,v the much larger extraeellular fluid volume. With the use of improved techniques, however, it has been found that the plasma volume is not constant, hut shows considerable fluctuation. It hats been demonstrated in animal experiments tha.t the plasma, as well as the interstitial fluid, contributes to the water lost in dehydration induced by the removal of qstrointestinal secretion9 or by the intraperitonesl injection of glucose.4 In the early stages of diabetic acidosis,” the pla.sma rolume decreases before significant dehydration develops. In cardiac edema, whrre there is a great excess of interstitial fluid, the plasma ~~Jume is not constant, but will show a considerable decrease after diurcsis, even though edema persists.“* i The mechanism of the action of ammonium chloride has been well established as a result of carefully controlled hwlance studies on normal and abnormal subjects.* In general, these persons were on fixed diets, usually low in sodium chloride and limited in fluid intake. Considerable variation is noted in the diuretic effect, of ammonium chloride on the normal subjects, as reported in the literature: t,his is due, in part,, to the use of different doses of t,he drug and t,o variations in the duration of the observation period. The diuresis varied from none”” to 2.5 kilograms, or 3.6 per cent of the body weight?’ Little information is available concerning the change in plasma volume, even as judged hy changes in concentration of serum proteins or hematocrit values. Since ammonium chloride is a frequently used diuretic, it would appear helpful to know how much diuresis it produces in normal persons in order to evaluate the diuretic response of patients. The studies in the literature are not closely comparable to the usual hospital method of employing ammonium chloride as a diurebic because the subjects had been on a fixed regimen for some days before the administration of the drug.
Development of a Wood-Frame Shear Wall Model in ABAQUS

After modifications, the Bouc-Wen-Barber-Wen (BWBN) model was used in simulating the hysteretic behavior of wood light-frame shear walls. A complete shear wall model is composed of boundary framing members and two-diagonal modified BWBN hysteretic springs. The parameters of the springs can be estimated based on the shear wall test data or detailed shear wall simulation results. To verify the accuracy and efficiency of this shear wall model, a two-story residential building was simulated and a three-dimensional dynamic analysis was conducted on it. The resultant structural responses agreed with the test results well.
Adaptation to high CO2 concentration in an optimal environment: radiation capture, canopy quantum yield and carbon use efficiency

The effect of elevated [CO2] on wheat (Triticum aestivum L. Veery 10) productivity was examined by analysing radiation capture, canopy quantum yield, canopy carbon use efficiency, harvest index and daily C gain. Canopies were grown at either 330 or 1200 micromoles mol-1 [CO2] in controlled environments, where root and shoot C fluxes were monitored continuously from emergence to harvest. A rapidly circulating hydroponic solution supplied nutrients, water and root zone oxygen. At harvest, dry mass predicted from gas exchange data was 102.8 +/- 4.7% of the observed dry mass in six trials. Neither radiation capture efficiency nor carbon use efficiency were affected by elevated [CO2], but yield increased by 13% due to a sustained increase in canopy quantum yield. CO2 enrichment increased root mass, tiller number and seed mass. Harvest index and chlorophyll concentration were unchanged, but CO2 enrichment increased average life cycle net photosynthesis (13%, P < 0.05) and root respiration (24%, P < 0.05). These data indicate that plant communities adapt to CO2 enrichment through changes in C allocation. Elevated [CO2] increases sink strength in optimal environments, resulting in sustained increases in photosynthetic capacity, canopy quantum yield and daily C gain throughout the life cycle.