cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Growth at 37°C of the EGs strain of the amoeboflagellate Naegleria gruberi containing viruslike particles. II. Cytoplasmic changes

Abstract The EGs strain of the amoeboflagellate Naegleria gruberi contains viruslike particles (VLP) apparently responsible for the development of cytoplasmic structures in infected cells. Growth of amoebae at 37°C produced changes in the normal pattern of development of the cytoplasmic units. Structures referred to as bacterium-like bodies, which developed in infected amoebae grown at 21°C, did not form at the elevated temperature. Amoeba cytoplasm at the elevated temperature exhibited regions of varying densities and bundles of microtubule-like fibrils. Presumed transmissive stages which were seen in cells grown at 21°C were not formed at 37°C. These changes are of significance in that they parallel cytoplasmic changes in cytopathic chick embryo fibroblasts exposed to lysates made from VLP-infected cultures of amoebae.
Reconstitution of contractile actomyosin bundles.

Contractile actomyosin bundles are critical for numerous aspects of muscle and nonmuscle cell physiology. Due to the varying composition and structure of actomyosin bundles in vivo, the minimal requirements for their contraction remain unclear. Here, we demonstrate that actin filaments and filaments of smooth muscle myosin motors can self-assemble into bundles with contractile elements that efficiently transmit actomyosin forces to cellular length scales. The contractile and force-generating potential of these minimal actomyosin bundles is sharply sensitive to the myosin density. Above a critical myosin density, these bundles are contractile and generate large tensile forces. Below this threshold, insufficient cross-linking of F-actin by myosin thick filaments prevents efficient force transmission and can result in rapid bundle disintegration. For contractile bundles, the rate of contraction decreases as forces build and stalls under loads of ~0.5 nN. The dependence of contraction speed and stall force on bundle length is consistent with bundle contraction occurring by several contractile elements connected in series. Thus, contraction in reconstituted actomyosin bundles captures essential biophysical characteristics of myofibrils while lacking numerous molecular constituents and structural signatures of sarcomeres. These results provide insight into nonsarcomeric mechanisms of actomyosin contraction found in smooth muscle and nonmuscle cells.
Homologous desensitization of human corticotropin-releasing factor1 receptor in stable transfected mouse fibroblast cells.

Previous radioligand binding and second messenger studies have shown that corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) modulates its receptor following both in vivo and in vitro treatment. In the present study, we determined the sequence of events leading to CRF-induced downregulation and desensitization of cloned CRF receptors in murine fibroblast cells (Ltk−) stably transfected with CRF, DNA (from human pituitary). Treatment of cells with rat/human CRF produced a dose- and time-dependent decrease in [125I]Tyro-ovine CRF ([125I]oCRF) binding and a concomitant decrease in CRF-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity. Significant decreases in [125I]oCRF binding and agonist-stimulated cAMP production were evident minutes after CRF treatment with maximal (60–80%) reductions seen following 1 h of CRF treatment. Scatchard analysis revealed that the decrease in [125I]oCRF binding was due to the downregulation of the receptor with no significant alteration seen in the affinity of the ligand. Since the transfected cell line is engineered using an artificial promoter, we did not detect any significant changes in CRF1 receptor mRNA levels following CRF treatment for up to 24 h.
Magnetic-film logic. A theoretical and experimental study of a system using magnetic films and conducting loops

The general principles of a proposed logic system using magnetic films are described. Groups of binary storage cells are coupled by means of short planar conducting loops close to the film on a conducting substrate. A theoretical analysis is made of the current induced in the loop when a storage cell on it is read. Currents of 250mA, decaying to 50mA in the first 10ns, are expected. Experiments on the properties of a short loop coupling the cells are described, the measured currents being in general agreement with those predicted over the possible range of measurement, provided that the effects of the substrate in setting film cells are separated from the effects of the loops. It is concluded that, although a complete logic system could be made using the proposed technique, the rapid decay of the currents used to set the cells would require the use of very fast pulse generators, and the system could not complete economically with conventional transistor logic of the same speed. The experiments show the practical possibility of two forms of nondestructive-readout store.
Factors affecting enhanced mercury bioaccumulation in inland lakes of Isle Royale National Park, USA.

c Abstract We investigated factors causing mercury (Hg) concentrations in northern pike to exceed the consumption advisory level ()500 ngyg) in some inland lakes of Isle Royale National Park. Using Hg-clean techniques, we collected water, zooplankton, macro invertebrates, and fishes in 1998 and 1999 from one advisory lake, Sargent Lake, for analysis of total mercury (Hg ) and methylmercury (MeHg). For comparison, samples were also collected from a T
Integrating flow theory and the serious leisure perspective into mental health counseling

This article explores how flow theory and the serious leisure perspective (SLP) can be integrated into mental health counseling. Although different counseling models have acknowledged the role of leisure in the counseling process, leisure is largely an unknown and superficial concept in the mental health counseling literature. Four broad-based pragmatic ideas regarding how flow theory and the SLP can be integrated into the counseling process include mental health counselors (1) understanding the concepts of serious leisure, casual leisure, project-based leisure, flow (enjoyment), and hedonistic pleasure; (2) becoming aware of various assessment instruments that measure flow and serious leisure; (3) using the provision characteristics of entering flow into the counseling process; and (4) empowering clients to becoming community change agents through serious leisure pursuit, resulting in flow experiences.
Beta adrenergic receptor binding on polymorphonuclear leukocytes in atopic dermatitis.

It has been postulated that the patient with atopic dermatitis has defective beta adrenergic receptor function. However, a more generalized defect is suggested by the observation that cyclic AMP generation is diminished in these patients following stimulation with both isoproterenol and PGE 1 . To determine the nature of this abnormality, we measured beta adrenergic receptor binding directly on polymorphonuclear leukocyte membranes using the radiolabeled beta adrenergic antagonist (–) [ 3 H] dihydroalprenolol (DHA). DHA binding was studied in 6 mild and 9 moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis patients, and 8 normal controls using a subsaturating concentration of DHA (0.5 nM) to estimate receptor affinity and a saturating concentration of DHA (30 mM) to determine the total number of receptors per cell. No significant differences (p > .05) were found in the total number of receptors per PMN between the control population (805 ± 95) and the mild atopic dermatitis patients (745 ± 91) or the moderate to severe group (621 ± 79). In addition, no significant differences in receptor affinity were found among any of the 3 study groups. These findings suggest that beta receptor binding in atopic dermatitis is normal. Reduced cyclic AMP generation in atopic dermatitis PMN leukocytes would appear to be due to a defect distal to the beta adrenergic receptor itself.
Structure of the water-soluble feeding stimulant for Scolytus multistriatus: A revision

Abstract The feeding stimulant for the smaller European elm bark beetle has been revised to (+)-catechin 7-β- d -xylopyranoside (III) from the structure (I) bearing the sugar at the 5-position.
Enhanced Formation of a HCO−3 Transport Metabolon in Exocrine Cells of Nhe1–/– Mice

Cl− influx across the basolateral membrane is a limiting step in fluid production in exocrine cells and often involves functionally linked Cl−/HCO−3 (Ae) and Na+/H+ (Nhe) exchange mechanisms. The dependence of this major Cl− uptake pathway on Na+/H+ exchanger expression was examined in the parotid acinar cells of Nhe1−/- and Nhe2−/- mice, both of which exhibited impaired fluid secretion. No change in Cl−/HCO−3 exchanger activity was detected in Nhe2-deficient mice. Conversely, Cl−/HCO−3 exchanger activity increased nearly 4-fold in Nhe1-deficient mice, despite only minimal or any change in mRNA and protein levels of the anion exchanger Ae2. Acetazolamide completely blocked the increase in Cl−/HCO−3 exchanger activity in Nhe1-null mice suggesting that increased anion exchange required carbonic anhydrase activity. Indeed, the parotid glands of Nhe1−/- mice expressed higher levels of carbonic anhydrase 2 (Car2) polypeptide. Moreover, the enhanced Cl−/HCO−3 exchange activity was accompanied by an increased abundance of Car2·Ae2 complexes in the parotid plasma membranes of Nhe1−/- mice. Anion exchanger activity was also significantly reduced in Car2-deficient mice, consistent with an important role of a putative Car2·Ae2 HCO−3 transport metabolon in parotid exocrine cell function. Increased abundance of this HCO−3 transport metabolon is likely one of the multiple compensatory changes in the exocrine parotid gland of Nhe1−/- mice that together attenuate the severity of in vivo electrolyte and acid-base balance perturbations.
Efficiency of using spatial analysis in first-generation coastal Douglas-fir progeny tests in the US Pacific Northwest

Single-trial and across-trial spatial analyses using autoregressive error structures were conducted for growth traits based on 1,146 data sets from 275 Douglas-fir [Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco] progeny trials in 45 first-generation breeding zones in the US Pacific Northwest. The breeding zones encompassed a wide range of latitude, longitude, and elevation. Efficiency of using spatial analysis in reducing variation due to site heterogeneity, estimating genetic parameters, and increasing prediction accuracy was compared among different experimental designs, traits, assessment ages, and tree spacings. More than 97% of the data sets showed significant model improvement with spatial analysis, and height showed more improvement than diameter or volume. Spatial analysis on average removed 14~34% of residual variance due to spatial heterogeneity, which resulted in an up to 20% increase in accuracy of breeding value prediction. The coefficient of variation decreased substantially due to spatial adjustment. Rank correlation between predicted gains before and after spatial analysis was about 0.96, and spatial analysis had little effect on the average predicted gain of the top 20% of parents. We did not observe substantial geographic trends in improvements due to spatial adjustment. Across-site spatial analysis had almost no effect on genotype-by-environment interaction but tended to increase among-trial heterogeneity of residual variance. Two different methods for across-trial spatial analysis were compared and discussed.
A potentiometric and 113Cd NMR study of cadmium complexation by natural organic matter at two different magnetic field strengths

The binding of cadmium to Suwannee River natural organic matter (NOM) has been investigated across a broad range of Cd/C ratios (0.00056-0.0056) and pH values (3.5-11) by (113)Cd NMR spectroscopy at two magnetic field strengths (B(0) = 9.4 and 11.7 T). Caused by the very peculiar and highly complex nature of the Cd-NOM exchanging system, these (113)Cd NMR spectra are characterized by a pH- and concentration-dependent superposition of slow, intermediate, and fast chemical exchange. The complex interplay of solution chemistry and chemical exchange requires a thorough mapping of this Cd-NOM chemically exchanging system through NMR acquisition at two magnetic field strengths and a systematic variation of Cd/C ratios and pH values. The interpretation of (113)Cd NMR spectra is greatly facilitated and constrained by simultaneous measurements of pH and pCd, which allows a model-independent calculation of organically bound Cd(2+) under all experimental conditions. Within the range of chemical conditions applied in this study, (113)Cd NMR spectrometric evidence is consistent with coordination of cadmium by oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur ligands in NOM. Under all experimental conditions, cadmium is primarily coordinated to oxygen; however, several lines of evidence point to the participation of nitrogen ligands, even in acidic solutions where nitrogen ligands are primarily bound to protons. Under alkaline conditions, up to one-third of cadmium may be coordinated to nitrogen, and a small, but unquantifiable, percentage of cadmium is coordinated to sulfur ligands, as evidenced by far-low-field (113)Cd NMR resonances.
Evidence for a causal relationship between respiratory syncytial virus infection and asthma

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infects all children early in life, is the most common cause of infant lower respiratory tract infections, and causes disease exacerbations in children with asthma. Episodes of lower respiratory tract infection in early life are associated with asthma development. Whether RSV infection early in life directly causes asthma or simply identifies infants who are genetically predisposed to develop subsequent wheezing is debatable. Recent studies suggest that these two explanations are not mutually exclusive, and are likely both important in asthma development. An open-label study of RSV immunoprophylaxis administered to preterm infants reduced recurrent wheezing by 50%. Clinical trials of infant RSV prevention, delay or severity reduction on the outcome of childhood asthma would confirm the causal relationship between RSV infection and asthma, and offer a primary prevention strategy.
Canonical WNT signaling enhances stem cell expression in the developing heart without a corresponding inhibition of cardiogenic differentiation.

WNT signaling has been shown to influence the development of the heart. Although recent data suggested that canonical WNTs promote the emergence and expansion of cardiac progenitors in the pregastrula embryo, it has long been accepted that once gastrulation begins, canonical WNT signaling needs to be suppressed for cardiac development to proceed. Yet, this latter supposition appears to be odds with the expression of multiple canonical WNTs in the developing heart. The present study examining the effect of ectopic canonical WNT signaling on cardiogenesis in the developing frog was designed to test the hypothesis that heart formation is dependent on the inhibition of canonical WNT activity at the onset of gastrulation. Here we report that cardiac differentiation of explanted precardiac tissue from the dorsal marginal zone was not suppressed by exposure to WNT1 protein, although expression of Tbx5, Tbx20, and Nkx2.5 was selectively reduced. Pharmacological activation of WNT signaling in intact embryos using ...
Nob Mice Wave Goodbye to Eye-Specific Segregation

Spontaneous retinal activity is necessary to establish and maintain eye-specific projections to the LGN, but whether the spatial and temporal structure of this activity is important remains unclear. A new study by Demas et al. in the current issue of Neuron shows that when the frequency of spontaneous retinal waves is increased and waves abnormally persist past eye opening, eye-specific projections to the LGN desegregate. These results provide important new insight into the mechanisms that drive eye-specific refinement and stabilization.
Soft Gluons and Factorization

We clarify the role of soft gluons in hard inclusive hadron-hadron cross sections, emphasizing the mechanisms by which they decouple from the incoming hadrons and cancel.
Infrared Spectral Properties of Germ, Pericarp, and Endosperm Sections of Sound Wheat Kernels and Those Damaged by Fusarium graminearum

Mid-infrared attenuated total reflection (Mid-IR-ATR) spectra (4000-380 cm−1) of pericarp, germ, and endosperm sections from sound and Fusarium-damaged wheat kernels of cultivars Everest and Tomahawk were collected using a Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometer. The differences in infrared absorption bands between sound and Fusarium-damaged kernels were examined. Absorption bands in which differences were identified were compared with the mid-IR-ATR absorption bands of deoxynivalenol (DON) and Fusarium graminearum hyphae. Marked differences in absorption patterns were observed between sound and Fusarium-damaged pericarp and germ spectra, whereas those differences were negligible in the endosperm spectra. Fusarium-damaged pericarp and germ spectra exhibited a shift in the peak position of the band near 1035 cm−1 along with increased absorptions at 1160, 1203, 1313, and 1375 cm−1, likely due to the influence of DON and fungi in the Fusarium-damaged kernel tissue matrix. These results suggest that infrared spectroscopy can detect DON in the surface tissues of Fusarium-damaged wheat kernels.
Immunohistochemistry in the diagnosis of minimal prostate cancer

Summary The diagnosis of minimal prostatic adenocarcinoma can be challenging in prostate needle biopsy tissues, and immunohistochemistry may be needed to substantiate the diagnosis of prostatic adenocarcinoma and/or exclude one of its benign mimickers. Basal cell markers, such as those targeted by the 34 β E12 antibody, and antibodies directed against cytokeratin (CK) 5/6 or p63, are very useful for demonstrating basal cells as their presence argues against a diagnosis of invasive carcinoma. The detection of α -methylacyl-coenzyme-A racemase in the appropriate histological context, and with the concurrent use of basal cell markers, can be very useful in confirming an impression of adenocarcinoma. It is important to be aware of the different caveats associated with the use of these markers. Cutting and saving interval sections and performing immunohistochemistry on destained haematoxylin and eosin-stained sections are methods that can be used to increase the diagnostic yield of immunohistochemistry in the assessment of prostatic lesions.
Automated microfluidic protein immunoblotting

This protocol describes regional photopatterning of polyacrylamide gels in glass microfluidic devices as a platform for seamless integration of multiple assay steps. The technology enables rapid, automated protein immunoblotting, demonstrated in this study for native western blotting. The fabrication procedure is straightforward and requires approximately 3 h from the start of gel photopatterning to completion of native protein western blotting, a substantial time savings over slab-gel immunoblotting. The assay itself requires less than 5 min. Importantly, all assay stages are programmably controlled by a high-voltage power supply and monitored by an epifluorescence microscope equipped with a charge-coupled device camera. Our approach overcomes severe limitations associated with conventional immunoblotting, including multiple steps requiring manual intervention, low throughput and substantial consumption of reagents. We also describe a simple chemical recycling protocol so that glass chips can be reused. The fabrication technique described forms the basis for a diverse suite of bioanalytical tools, including DNA/RNA blotting and multidimensional separations.
The phenomenological current algebra vertex

Abstract A method is presented for constructing amplitudes which are the most general solutions to the Ward identities of current algebra. These solutions, expressed in terms of undertermined scalar functions, exhibit a wide class of amplitudes which satisfy the current algebra constraints. Further information is obtained from the model dependent equal-time commulators of the space components of the currents by means of the Bjorken-Johnson-Low limits, which provide boundary conditions for certain asymptotic expansions of the scalar functions. Simple phenomenological models are discussed within this framework, and a connection between the Gilman-Harari model and hard pion models is established.
Ruhemann's purple from ninhydrin, ascorbate, and nitrite

Abstract Ruhemann's purple is formed from nitrite, ascorbate, and ninhydrin with the formation of variable amounts of ammonia. The reaction begins with the nitrosation of ninhydrin to form nitrosoninhydrin, which will release nitric oxide. The nitrosoninhydrin is reduced by ascorbate to diketohydrindamine, which then couples with a second molecule of ninhydrin to form the pigment. The concentration of pigment is linear with nitrite over the range 1 to 10 m m , but ammonia production is not stoichiometric with initial nitrite.
Coronary calcium and cardiovascular event risk: Evaluation by age- and sex-specific quartiles

Methods We applied age/sex-stratified cut points to 928 asymptomatic men and women (mean age 54 years) fol- lowed up for an average of 3.3 years, during which 28 CVD events were confirmed. Cox regression was used to evaluate the relation of the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th quartiles (compared with the 1st), with and without age/sex stratification, to the risk of future CVD events. Results The number of events (and percent incidence) that occurred in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th quartiles of coronary cal- cium was 4 (0.9%), 2 (2.0%), 9 (4.5%), and 13 (6.4%) events (P = .001) for the age/sex-stratified quartiles and 4 (1.0%), 0 (0%), 7 (3.0%), and 17 (7.3%) for the absolute score quartiles (P = .001). In multivariable analysis adjusted for other risk fac- tors, there was a modest increase in CVD events seen among those in the 3rd quartile (relative risk (RR) 4.3, P = .02), with a greater risk seen among those in the 4th quartile (RR 6.0, P < .01) (compared with the 1st quartile). This did not differ from use of absolute CAC scores, where RR = 2.6 (P = .14) for the 3rd quartile and RR = 6.4 (P < .01) for the 4th quartile. Conclusions Our results suggest that age-sex stratification by percentile rank of CAC is as accurate as absolute CAC scores for predicting CVD events in asymptomatic persons. Ongoing longitudinal population-based studies will provide more definitive data. (Am Heart J 2002;143:456-9.)
The clinical features of acute pulmonary embolism in ambulatory patients.

Objective: To identify clinical findings and predisposing conditions associated with acute pulmonary embolism (PE) in ambulatory patients being evaluated for PE. Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted. A standardized multicomponent data collection form was administered to ambulatory subjects being evaluated for PE. The diagnosis of PE was confirmed or excluded using a combination of scintillation lung scanning, lower-extremity venous Doppler ultrasonography, and selective use of pulmonary angiography. Results: Data collection was completed for 170 subjects, with 26 (15%) cases of PE. Subjects with PE were significantly older (56 vs 41 years, 99% CI for difference of 15 years [6 to 25 years]), were more likely to report unexplained dyspnea (92% vs 69%. 99% CI for difference of 23% [7% to 40%]), and waited longer after symptom onset to seek medical evaluation (73 vs 36 hours, 99% CI for difference of 37 hours [I1 to 63 hours]). No difference was found for multiple variables commonly associated with PE. Assignment to risk categories was of limited diagnostic utility. For example, low-risk assignment yielded 85% sensitivity, 20% specificity; high-risk assignment: 31% sensitivity, 85% specificity, with diagnostic accuracy below 80% in both categories. Conclusions: Among outpatients selected for evaluation for PE, further risk stratification demonstrated poor diagnostic utility. Clinical features alone cannot be used to differentiate presence or absence of PE in at-risk ambulatory patients. Key words: pulmonary embolism; diagnosis; outpatient; risk; clinical features.
Retinal atlas statistics from color fundus images

An atlas provides a reference anatomic structure and an associated coordinate system. An atlas may be used in a variety of applications, including segmentation and registration, and can be used to characterize anatomy across a population. We present a method for generating an atlas of the human retina from 500 color fundus image pairs. Using color fundus image pairs, we register image pairs to obtain a larger anatomic field of view. Key retinal anatomic features are selected for atlas landmarks: disk center, fovea, and main vessel arch. An atlas coordinate system is defined based on the statistics of the landmarks. Images from the population are warped into the atlas space to produce a statistical retinal atlas which can be used for automatic diagnosis, concise indexing, semantic blending, etc.
MOTION OF A CHARGE IN A GRAVITATIONAL FIELD

The DeWitt-Brehme equation of motion for a charged particle moving in a Riemannian space-time is examined for the case of absence of an external electromagnetic field by decomposing it into four scalar equations. This is done by introducing four orthonormal vectors along the world line of the particle and decomposing every term of the equation along them. It turns out, for example, that the "tail" has at most two nonvanishing components. We discuss the condition for a geodesic motion. We show that the "tail" and the local radiative damping term are not independent; the vanishing of the latter implies the vanishing of one of the two components of the "tail" and determines the other one to be a constant. The DeWitt-Brehme equation is then examined for the case of slow motion in a Schwarzschild gravitational field by expanding every term of it in a power series in $\frac{1}{c}$ (Einstein-Infeld-Hoffmann method). It is shown that the seventh-order (in $\frac{1}{c}$) force term, which is the first radiative term, is exactly the traditional term $\frac{(\frac{2}{3}){e}^{2}{\ensuremath{\partial}}^{3}\ensuremath{\xi}}{\ensuremath{\partial}{t}^{3}}$ in disagreement with a result obtained recently by DeWitt and DeWitt.
Auger spectra induced by ion impact on metals

Abstract The Auger electron spectra induced by 20–200 keV Ar + ion impact on Al and Fe are examined and the spectral lines identified. For Al the spectrum is due to sputtered Al and Al + with one or two vacancies in the 2p shell. For Fe there are Doppler broadened lines from Ar plus subsidiary structure from interatomic transitions.
Mechanical and optical viscoelastic characterization of Hysol 4290: Time and temperature behavior of Hysol 4290 as obtained from creep tests in conjunction with the time-temperature superposition principle

Mechanical and optical characterization of Hysol 4290 as a function of time and temperature is presented. The kinetic theory of polymers, the Williams, Landel and Ferry equation and the time-temperature superposition principle, is discussed. Rubber-like elasticity is used as a simple experimental method to ascertain if the time-temperature superposition should be expected to apply. Finally, the glass-transition temperature of Hysol 4290 is established and its importance in correctly assessing experimental data is discussed.
Dissociation of cGMP accumulation and relaxation in myometrial smooth muscle: effects of S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine and 3-morpholinosyndonimine.

Abstract In guinea pig, primate and man, nitric oxide (NO)-induced regulation of myometrial smooth muscle contraction is distinct from other smooth muscles because cyclic guanosine 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP) accumulation is neither necessary nor sufficient to relax the tissue. To further our understanding of the mechanism of action of NO in myometrium, we employed the NO donors, S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP), and 3-morpholinosyndonimine (SIN-1) proposed to relax airway smooth muscle by disparate mechanisms involving elevation in intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i) or cGMP accumulation, respectively. Treatment of guinea pig myometrial smooth muscle with either NO donor at concentrations thought to produce maximal relaxation of smooth muscles resulted in significant elevations in cGMP that were accompanied by phosphorylation of the cGMP-dependent protein kinase substrate vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP), shown here for the first time to be present and phosphorylated in myometrium. Stimulation of myometrial strips with oxytocin (OT, 1 μM) produced an immediate increase in contractile force that persisted in the continued presence of the agonist. Addition of SNAP (100 μM) in the presence of OT relaxed the tissue completely as might be expected of an NO donor. SIN-1 failed to relax the myometrium at any concentration tested up to 300 μM. In Fura-2 loaded myometrial cells prepared from guinea pig, addition of SNAP (100 μM) in the absence of other agonists caused a significant, reproducible elevation of intracellular calcium while SIN-1 employed under the same conditions did not. Our data further support the notion that NO action in myometrium is distinct from that in other smooth muscles and underscores the possibility that discrete regional changes in [Ca2+]i, rather than cGMP, signal NO-induced relaxation of the muscle.
Development of Media and Automated Liquid Fermentation Methods to Produce Desiccation-Tolerant Propagules ofTrichoderma harzianum

Abstract A suitable medium was developed from modified Richard's medium plus V8 juice (RM8) to produce high levels of desiccation-tolerant conidia of Trichoderma harzianum strain 1295-22. The addition of 9% (v/v) glycerol to RM8 improved both biomass production and desiccation tolerance of the conidia of T. harzianum. This medium was then used in a laboratory scale fermenter (1.5 liter) to determine optimal operating conditions. The optimal temperature for conidial production and desiccation tolerance improvement in the fermenter was 32°C when dissolved oxygen was maintained at 50% saturation of air, and the stirring rate was 1000 revolutions per minute. The initial water potential of the medium (with 9% glycerol) was −3.7 MPa, the pH was 6, and neither was controlled during fermentation. Changes in medium pH and dissolved oxygen were associated with the stages of morphological development and conidiation. The pH of the medium decreased concurrently with germ-tube elongation and mycelium development and then increased to 6.0–6.2 at phialide formation. Intensive conidiation occurred at pH 6.3–6.5 and reached its maximal level at 6.9–7.1. Changes in pH values could be used as indicators to monitor the morphological development and conidiation of T. harzianum during fermentation. The use of a 48-h-old culture inoculum, rather than conidial inoculum, to start fermentation reduced the time required to complete the shift from vegetative growth to phialide formation. Intensive conidiation occurred immediately after the addition of culture inoculum and reached maximum levels within 68 h of fermentation. Dry weight of biomass increased with the duration of fermentation and was greatest at 96 h. However, no improvements in conidia/gram and CFU/gram were achieved after 72 h of fermentation. The desiccation tolerance of conidia harvested at 72 or 96 h was significantly ( P = 0.05) greater than that of conidia harvested at 48 h of fermentation. Results obtained from this study could be used for further scale-up of the fermentation process.
Embryonic origin of the Drosophila brain neuropile.

Neurons of the Drosophila larval brain are formed by a stereotyped set of neuroblasts. As differentiation sets in, neuroblast lineages produce axon bundles that initially form a scaffold of unbranched fibers in the center of the brain primordium. Subsequently, axons elaborate interlaced axonal and dendritic arbors, which, together with sheath-like processes formed by glial cells, establish the neuropile compartments of the larval brain. By using markers that visualize differentiating axons and glial cells, we have analyzed the formation of neuropile compartments and their relationship to neuroblast lineages. Neurons of each lineage extend their axons as a cohesive tract (“primary axon bundle”). We generated a map of the primary axon bundles that visualizes the location of the primary lineages in the brain cortex where the axon bundles originate, the trajectory of the axon bundles into the neuropile, and the relationship of these bundles to the early-formed scaffold of neuropile pioneer tracts (Nassif et al. [1998] J. Comp. Neurol. 402:10–31). The map further shows the growth of neuropile compartments at specific locations around the pioneer tracts. Following the time course of glial development reveals that glial processes, which form prominent septa around compartments in the larval brain, appear very late in the embryonic neuropile, clearly after the compartments themselves have crystallized. This suggests that spatial information residing within neurons, rather than glial cells, specifies the location and initial shape of neuropile compartments. J. Comp. Neurol. 497:981–998, 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The elephant in the room: the role of failed invasions in understanding invasion biology

Most species introductions are not expected to result in invasion, and species that are invasive in one area are frequently not invasive in others. However, cases of introduced organisms that failed to invade are reported in many instances as anecdotes or are simply ignored. In this analysis, we aimed to find common characteristics between non-invasive populations of known invasive species and evaluated how the study of failed invasions can contribute to research on biological invasions. We found intraspecific variation in invasion success and several recurring explanations for why non-native species fail to invade; these included low propagule pressure, abiotic resistance, biotic resistance, genetic constraints and mutualist release. Furthermore, we identified key research topics where ignoring failed invasions could produce misleading results; these include studies on historical factors associated with invasions, distribution models of invasive species, the effect of species traits on invasiveness, genetic effects, biotic resistance and habitat invasibility. In conclusion, we found failed invasions can provide fundamental information on the relative importance of factors determining invasions and might be a key component of several research topics. Therefore, our analysis suggests that more specific and detailed studies on invasion failures are necessary.
Lessons from Supplementation of Chinook Salmon in British Columbia

Abstract Supplementation as used here, is the planting of all life stages of hatchery-reared fish to increase natural production. Through the Salmonid Enhancement Program (SEP). Canada has been experimenting with supplementation strategies at a number of British Columbian hatcheries for the past 15 years to enhance natural populations of anadromous salmon and steelhead Oncorhynchus mykiss This report is a short synopsis of the strategies employed and results obtained by four British Columbian hatcheries, two coastal (Snootli Creek and Kitimat) and two interior (Quesnel and Spius Creek), in supplementing Chinook salmon Onchorhynchus tshawytscha The original objective of the report was to ascertain the success of these efforts – as measured by attainment of the program goals of increased harvest and the enhancement. preservation. and rehabilitation of natural stocks in a cost-effective manner – and to summarize general lessons applicable to many or most other proposed or future supplementation programs. Thi...
Differences between neutron damage in inertial and magnetic confinement fusion materials test facilities

Abstract It is a common misconception that the unit of neutron wall loading, the MW/m2, can he applied equally to the calculation of damage in fusion reactor materials whether it is produced by neutrons from inertially confined fusion (1CF) plasmas or magnetically confined fusion (MCF) plasmas. It is shown that, depending on the geometry of the fusion device, the displacement and/or transmutation rates in any given material could vary by as much as 50–75%. In addition, it is shown that the neutron source spectrum from a MCF plasma is considerably different than that from an ICF plasma and these differences can cause the damage parameters to be as much as 10–15% different for the same MW/m2 neutron wall loading. The difference in the instantaneous damage rate between ICF and MCF can be as much as a factor of 108. With such large differences between ICF and MCF test facilities, it is concluded that great care must be exercised when comparing data between the two confinement approaches.
Imagination and immortality: thinking of me

Recent work in developmental psychology indicates that children naturally think that psychological states continue after death. One important candidate explanation for why this belief is natural appeals to the idea that we believe in immortality because we can’t imagine our own nonexistence. This paper explores this old idea. To begin, I present a qualified statement of the thesis that we can’t imagine our own nonexistence. I argue that the most prominent explanation for this obstacle, Freud’s, is problematic. I go on to describe some central features of contemporary cognitive accounts of the imagination, and I argue that these accounts provide an independently motivated explanation for the imaginative obstacle. While the imaginative obstacle does not dictate a belief in immortality, it does, I maintain, facilitate such a belief.
Automatic prediction of protein domains from sequence information using a hybrid learning system

Motivation: We describe a novel method for detecting the domain structure of a protein from sequence information alone. The method is based on analyzing multiple sequence alignments that are derived from a database search. Multiple measures are defined to quantify the domain information content of each position along the sequence and are combined into a single predictor using a neural network. The output is further smoothed and post-processed using a probabilistic model to predict the most likely transition positions between domains. Results: The method was assessed using the domain definitions in SCOP and CATH for proteins of known structure and was compared with several other existing methods. Our method performs well both in terms of accuracy and sensitivity. It improves significantly over the best methods available, even some of the semi-manual ones, while being fully automatic. Our method can also be used to suggest and verify domain partitions based on structural data. A few examples of predicted domain definitions and alternative partitions, as suggested by our method, are also discussed. Availability: An online domain-prediction server is available at http://biozon.org/tools/domains/
Interactional Psychology and Research on Human Behavior in Organizations

Interactional psychology emphasizes continuous, multidirectional interaction between person and situation characteristics. This perspective suggests that organizational behavior researchers should focus more attention on person factors that might be expected to mediate the effects of situation factors, and vice versa. It also encourages a less restricted interpretation of an interaction, which can mean non-additivity, differential validity, overlapping main effects, reciprocal influence, and cognitive sense making of experience.
Consensus, Conflict and Cooperation: A Sociological Inventory

The purpose of this study is to explain the growth and popularity of consensus theory in present day sociology. It seeks to explore shortcomings in the current employment of the concept of consensus, and in so doing to explain the continued relevance of conflict theory for sociological research. The final aim is to logically distinguish consensus and conflict from the general theory of cooperation-particularly to show that consensus and cooperation do not mutually entail each other. The equation of consensus to social structure and conflict to social dynamics is subjected to criticism on the grounds that such a dichotomization prevents the effective development of a sociological theory of change and process. F Aew words in the vocabulary of contempporary sociology appear as soothing or as reassuring as consensus. The chain of agreeable associationis of the term symbolize the final mating of the science of sociology and a theory of social equilibrium. What stands in need of investigation is the price paid for this essentially recent turn in sociological theory. Specifically it must be asked whether the movement away from traditional theories of conflict and conflict resolution represents a genuinely new stage in the secularization of social science or is in fact a narrowing down of the field brought about by social pressures. Whatever its meaning, the notion of consensus is an impressively stated althouglh inadequately explored reference point in present day sociology. The resilient strength of consensus theories stems in part from some vague sense that they are connected to functionalismii. For those skeptical of this fusion of consensus ancl function, analysis of the issues is blunted by the plethora of definitions the unwary examiner is greeted with. The fact is that there is an absence of consensus in sociological theory as to just what does and (loes not constitute consensus or a consensual
The transplant iron score as a predictor of stem cell transplant survival.

Recent studies have suggested that the presence of iron overload prior to stem cell transplantation is associated with decreased survival. Within these studies, the criteria used to define iron overload have varied considerably. Given the lack of consensus regarding the definition of iron overload in the transplant setting, we sought to methodically examine iron status among transplant patients. We studied 78 consecutive patients at risk for transfusion-related iron overload (diagnoses included AML, ALL, MDS, and aplastic anemia) who received either autologous or allogeneic stem cell transplant. Multiple measures of iron status were collected prior to transplantation and examined for their association with survival. Using this data, three potentially prognostic iron measures were identified and incorporated into a rational and unified scoring system. The resulting Transplant Iron Score assigns a point for each of the following variables: (1) greater than 25 red cell units transfused prior to transplantation; (2) serum ferritin > 1000 ng/ml; and (3) a semi-quantitative bone marrow iron stain of 6+. In our cohort, the score (range 0 to 3) was more closely associated with survival than any available single iron parameter. In multivariate analysis, we observed an independent effect of iron overload on transplant survival (p = 0.01) primarily attributable to an increase in early treatment-related deaths (p = 0.02) and lethal infections. In subgroup analysis, the predictive power of the iron score was most pronounced among allogeneic transplant patients, where a high score (≥ 2) was associated with a 50% absolute decrease in survival at one year. In summary, our results lend further credence to the notion that iron overload prior to transplant is detrimental and suggest iron overload may predispose to a higher rate of lethal infections.
Inter-rack live migration of multiple virtual machines

Within datacenters, often multiple virtual machines (VMs) need to be live migrated simultaneously for various reasons such as maintenance, power savings, and load balancing. Such mass simultaneous live migration of multiple VMs can trigger large data transfers across the core network links and switches, and negatively affect the cluster-wide performance of network-bound applications. In this paper, we present a distributed system for inter-rack live migration (IRLM), i.e., parallel live migration of multiple VMs across racks. The key performance objective of IRLM is to reduce the traffic load on the core network links during mass VM migration through distributed deduplication of VMs' memory images. We present an initial prototype of IRLM that migrates multiple QEMU/KVM VMs within a Gigabit Ethernet cluster with 10GigE core links. We also present preliminary evaluation on a small testbed having 6 hosts per rack and 4 VMs per host. Our evaluations show that, compared to the default live migration technique in QEMU/KVM, IRLM reduces the network traffic on core links by up to 44% and the total migration time by up to 26%. We also demonstrate that network-bound applications experience a smaller degradation during migration using IRLM.
Effect of atrazine on implantation and early pregnancy in 4 strains of rats.

Atrazine (ATR) is an herbicide that has been shown to have adverse reproductive effects including alterations in levels of pituitary hormones such as prolactin (prl) and luteinizing hormone (LH) in female LE rats when administered at doses of 200 mg/kg/ day for 1 and 3 days. Because the action of prl in promotion of progesterone secretion is essential for the initiation of pregnancy in rats, this study was designed to examine the effect of exposure to ATR during early pregnancy on implantation and short-term pregnancy maintenance. Rats were divided into two groups representing periods of dosing with ATR prior to the diurnal or nocturnal surges of prl. Within each group, four groups consisting of four strains of rats [Holtzman (HLZ); Sprague Dawley (SD); Long Evans (LE); Fischer 344 (F344)] were each further subdivided into four ATR dosages. Rats were dosed by gavage with 0, 50, 100, or 200 mg/kg/day ATR on days 1‐ 8 of pregnancy (day 0 5 sperm 1). All animals were necropsied on day 8 or 9 of pregnancy. The 200 mg/kg dose of ATR reduced body weight gain in all but one group. Two groups of animals dosed at 100 and 200 mg/kg/day in the nocturnal dosing period showed an increase in percent preimplantation loss, and both of these were F344 rats. HLZ rats were the only strain to show a significant level of postimplantation loss and a decrease in serum progesterone at 200 mg/kg/day both following diurnal and nocturnal dosing. Doses of 100 mg/kg/day also produced postimplantation loss following diurnal and nocturnal dosing, but progesterone levels were decreased only after nocturnal dosing. Alterations in serum LH were seen in several groups. Serum estradiol was significantly increased only in SD rats dosed at the diurnal interval with 200 mg/kg ATR. We conclude that F344 rats are most susceptible to preimplantation effects of ATR and that HLZ rats appear most sensitive to the postimplantation effects of the chemical. LE and SD rats were least sensitive to effects of ATR during very early pregnancy.