cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Dynamics of Democratic Breakdown: A Case Study of the American Civil War

The United States emerged from the 2020 presidential campaign more profoundly divided than at any time since the Civil War. Donald Trump’s false claims of election fraud further inflamed those divisions. When Trump supporters stormed the United States Capitol Building to try to overturn the election results, it became undeniably clear that the nation had entered a dangerous new era of political violence. Since the election, experts on both ends of the political spectrum have warned of the possibility of a full-fledged democratic breakdown in the United States. This article places America’s polarization in historical context by examining the only democratic breakdown in the nation’s history: the Civil War. When Abraham Lincoln and the Republican Party won the 1860 presidential election, the slaveholding South refused to be bound by the election results. Instead of looking ahead to the next presidential election campaign, eleven southern states chose to secede. The conflict that ensued remains the bloodiest war in American history. The Civil War cost over half a million lives and left one-half of the United States in physical and economic ruin. More than 150 years later, the United States faces new threats of political violence from disgruntled election losers. Equally troubling, recent polling data finds a rising degree of support for secession among ordinary Americans, especially after their party loses a presidential election. Accordingly, the intense polarization of the 2020s has made the lessons of the Civil War more relevant than ever. In placing the current democratic crisis in historical context, this article focuses on three questions: First, why did the South reject the results of the 1860 election? Second, what legal and quasi-democratic processes did Confederate states use to assert that most white southerners supported secession? Third, and most important of all, how did American democracy survive the Civil War, the greatest crisis in the nation’s history?
Republished: Resolution of an enlarging subdural haematoma after contralateral middle meningeal artery embolisation.

A man in his 50s presented 1 month after an automobile accident with worsening headaches and an enlarging chronic left subdural haematoma (SDH). He underwent left middle meningeal artery (MMA) embolisation. Due to tortuosity at its origin, we were unable to catheterise the MMA distally. Only proximal coil occlusion at the origin was performed. Follow-up interval head CT showed an increase in the size of the SDH with new haemorrhage, worsening mass effect and midline shift. However, he remained neurologically intact. Contralateral embolisation of the right MMA was performed with a liquid embolic agent. His headaches improved, and a follow-up head CT 3 months later showed near-complete resolution of the SDH.
A Modified Polyetherimide Film Exhibiting Greatly Suppressed Conduction for High-temperature Dielectric Energy Storage

Polymer dielectrics are key materials for capacitive energy storage in electrical and electronic systems owning to their ultra-high power density and high breakdown strength. However, the dramatically increased electrical conduction leads to poor energy storage performance under high electric fields, especially at elevated temperatures. Here we introduce structural defects into Polyetherimide (PEI) to modify the high-temperature dielectric properties. The polarization and conduction properties are investigated to reveal the effect of the structural defect. The modified PEI exhibits largely improved charge-discharge efficiency at elevated temperatures due to the suppressed electrical conduction, e.g., 91 % under ~400 MV/m at 200°C. The modification of PEI through a high-throughput facile process exhibited an enormous potential in capacitive energy storage under harsh conditions. The strategy demonstrated here unveils an unexplored space for modifying established polymers by introducing local structural defects.
Anterior or Posterior Prostate Cancer Tumor Nodule Location Predicts Likelihood of Certain Adverse Outcomes at Radical Prostatectomy.

CONTEXT.— Effect of tumor nodule (TN) location in the prostate on adverse radical prostatectomy (RP) outcomes is not well studied in contemporary cohort. OBJECTIVE.— To investigate the significance of TN location with respect to extraprostatic extension (EPE), seminal vesicle invasion (SV+), and positive margin status (SM+) in 1388 RPs. DESIGN.— Each TN at RP was independently graded, staged, and volumetrically assessed. TNs with at least 80% of their volume occupying either the anterior or posterior part of the prostate were categorized accordingly and included in our study, while all other TNs were excluded. RESULTS.— A total of 3570 separate TNs (median = 3 per RP; range = 1-7 per RP) were scored. There were 1320 of 3570 (37%) anterior TNs and 2250 of 3570 (63%) posterior TNs. Posterior TNs were more likely to be higher grade, and exhibit EPE (18% versus 9.4%) and SV+ (4% versus 0.15%), all P < .001. Anterior TNs with EPE were more likely to exhibit SM+ than posterior TNs with EPE (62% versus 30.8%, P < .001). TN location, grade, and volume were significant factors associated with adverse RP outcomes in our univariable analysis. When we controlled for grade and tumor volume in a multivariable analysis using anterior TN location as a reference, posterior TN location was an independent predictor of EPE and SV+ and was less likely to be associated with SM+ (odds ratio = 3.1, 81.5, and 0.7, respectively). CONCLUSIONS.— These associations may be useful in preoperative surgical planning, particularly with respect to improving radiographic analysis of prostate cancer.
Water Pollution Risk

Water pollution risk is concerned with assessing the impact of existing and future hazards that are associated with the beneficial uses of water. The focus of this article is on risks to human health due to exposure to water pollution. Some important statistical issues involved in the management of risk are discussed based on two pollution types: persistent toxic substances and microbiological contamination. Keywords: human health; ecosystem health; toxic substances; microbiological contamination; pollution indicators; environmental standards and regulations
Digestion of Proteins in Gels for Sequence Analysis

A high percentage of eukaroytic proteins have blocked amino termini, so it is usually necessary to cleave the protein chemically or enzymatically to obtain the partial sequences needed for cDNA cloning. Because SDS-PAGE is the current method of choice for the final purification of the >25 pmol amounts of protein that are usually required for internal sequencing, procedures that can be used to digest proteins in situ in SDS-polyacrylamide gels are often the most useful and have the added benefit of eliminating losses that may occur during blotting. Two strategies have been developed to respond to this need and to deal with the unique problems posed by SDS, which are that SDS inhibits trypsin, one of the enzymes that is most commonly used for internal sequencing studies, and also interferes with reversed-phase HPLC. In this unit, SDS is removed from the gel prior to enzymatic cleavage by the staining and subsequent washing steps. An acetonitrile wash is performed to remove residual SDS from the protein sample, and Tween 20 is then added back to the sample to maintain the solubility of the denatured protein. In an alternate protocol, the gel slices are washed with ammonium bicarbonate and the protein samples digested in the absence of detergent. Support protocols are provided for determining the amount of protein present in the sample via amino acid analysis, and for reducing and alkylating proteins separated by SDS-PAGE (which facilitates the identification of cysteine residues during subsequent peptide sequencing reactions).
Legislatures, Judges, and Parole Boards: The Allocation of Discretion Under Determinate Sentencing

The most significant development in criminal sentencing in recent decades has been the shift from indeterminate to determinate sentencing. Yet no study has systematically explored the factors leading to this shift. In this Article, we provide the first analysis to explain why state legislatures enact reforms that significantly reduce both judges’ and parole boards’ discretion over criminal sentencing. First, we develop a political economy model that explains why legislatures acting in their own self-interest may be motivated to enact these laws. Our model predicts that legislatures are more likely to enact determinate sentencing reforms when there is tension among the political ideologies of legislatures, judges, and parole boards. Then, we empirically test the predictions of our political economy model using data from all fifty states over the period from 1960 to 2000. Our analyses confirm that political variables, such as divided government, are the primary influences on legislatures’ decisions to enact determinate sentencing reforms. These results are consistent with our model’s hypothesis: long histories of divided government produce clashes among the sentencing goals of legislatures, parole boards, and judges, and legislatures respond by enacting reforms that take power away from thejudges and parole boards. Our conclusions are especially important given recent court cases and criticisms that challenge the future of determinate sentencing reforms.
When a Trial Threatens to Merge Small Universities: The Role of Litigation Public Relations in a Federal Desegregation Case

Occasionally, a confluence of factors threatens the continued existence of an institution. A 1994 federal district court trial in Mississippi provided the setting for an unprecedented desegregation case that threatened the future of two universities. The President of Mississippi University for Women faced the ethical dilemma of going along with the wishes of her board of trustees or fighting for the retention of her institution. Buttressed by loyal alumni, the media savvy President engaged in an unorthodox and innovative litigation public relations campaign that proved highly effective. In saving Mississippi University for Women, a historically White institution, The W's campaign also played a significant part in saving Mississippi Valley State University, a historically Black institution.
Flow cytometry of erythropoiesis in culture: bivariate profiles of fetal and adult hemoglobin.

Publisher Summary The development of erythroid cells in vivo and in vitro comprises proliferation and maturation, from early committed progenitors to enucleated erythrocytes. An important marker of erythroid maturation is the expression and accumulation of hemoglobin in nucleated red cells. The pattern of hemoglobin accumulation is different in fetal and adult cells: fetal erythroid cells accumulate mostly the fetal form of hemoglobin (HbF, containing γ chains). The possibility of manipulating adult erythroid stem and progenitor cell development toward fetal erythropoiesis is of great clinical interest because β-chain hemoglobin disorders such as sickle-cell anemia and the β-thalassemias are ameliorated by increased HbF production. At about the time of birth, in parallel to and probably caused by the migration of hemopoiesis to the bone marrow, erythroid progenitors switch to β-chain expression to make adult hemoglobin (HbA, containing β chains). This chapter discusses flow cytometry to measure two-parameter hemoglobin profiles (HbF versus HbA or the sickle-cell mutant HbS) of developing nucleated red cells, together with correlated DNA histograms and absolute cell counting by reference beads. The method is suitable for monitoring the erythropoiesis of patients with hemoglobinopathies in response to treatment.
Implementing RTI in Two Rural Elementary Schools: Encouraging Beginnings and Challenges for the Future.

Response to Intervention (RTI) models are currently being implemented in many school districts nationwide. However, at a time when interest in RTI is high, the extent to which it is being implemented effectively in rural schools is largely unknown. Teachers and administrators in two rural elementary schools in the Southeastern United States who were part of a state-wide RTI pilot project participated in this study. Interviews were conducted along with field observations of classroom instruction and team problem-solving meetings. Using a multi-step process for data analysis, various implementation themes emerged related to tiered instruction, data-based decision making, support for model implementation, and collaboration. Findings in these areas support issues raised in the literature regarding factors in rural schools that may impede or enhance fidelity of model implementation. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.
Sediment quality of North Carolina estuaries: an integrative assessment of sediment contamination, toxicity, and condition of benthic fauna

Sediment quality of North Carolina estuaries was evaluated using synoptic data on sediment chemistry, toxicity, and macroinfaunal community structure from 175 subtidal stations sampled during the summers of 1994–1997. The study area included Currituck, Albemarle, and Pamlico Sounds; estuarine portions of major rivers (e.g., Chowan, Roanoke, Tar-Pamlico, Neuse, New, Cape Fear); and numerous smaller tributaries and coastal embayments between the Virginia and South Carolina borders. A probabilistic sampling design permitted statistical estimation of the spatial extent of degraded versus non-degraded condition across these estuaries. Over half (54 ± 7%) of the surveyed area had high sediment quality characterized by healthy benthic assemblages and low levels of sediment contamination and toxicity. The remaining 46% showed evidence of significant stress in one or more of the above sediment-quality-triad components. While this is a sizable area, portions of it (27 ± 6%) were represented by sites with no connection between presence of stressors and adverse biological responses. Only 19% of the total area showed evidence of an impaired benthos coupled to significant pollution exposure (high sediment contamination, toxicity, or both). Impaired benthic condition was more closely linked to sediment contamination than to low dissolved oxygen (based on instantaneous oxygen measurements). The most pervasive contaminants were the metals arsenic, mercury, chromium, and nickel; the pesticides lindane, dieldrin, DDT, and DDT derivatives; and total PCBs. Degraded condition in all three components of the sediment quality triad co-occurred in <10% of the study area, suggesting that strong contaminant-induced effects on the benthos are limited to a small (yet ecologically significant) percentage of total estuarine area. The spatial extent of sediment contamination and toxicity was much less in these estuaries in comparison to other U.S. coastal regions where similar studies have been performed.
Qualitative properties of eigenfunctions of classically chaotic Hamiltonian systems

We begin by discussing the properties expected of eigenfunctions of a classically chaotic Hamiltonian system, using simple Correspondence Principle arguments. The properties involve nodal surfaces, coordinate and momentum space amplitude distribution, and phase space distribution. The eigenfunctions of the stadium billiard are examined, and it is found that the periodic orbits of shortest periods and smallest stability parameter profoundly affect the eigenfunctions: “scars” of higher wavefunction density surround the special periodic orbits. Finally a theory is presented for the scars, showing that they must exist, and relating them directly to the special periodic orbits. These same periodic orbits cause level density fluctuations.
Resolution and pharmacological analysis of the voltage-dependent calcium channels of Drosophila larval muscles

Voltage-dependent calcium channels play a role in many cellular phenomena. Very little is known about Ca2+ channels in Drosophila, especially those in muscles. Existing literature on neuronal Ca2+ channels of Drosophila suggests that their pharmacology may be distinct from that of vertebrate Ca2+ channels. This raises questions on the pharmacology and diversity of Ca2+ channels in Drosophila muscles. Here we show that the Ca2+ channel current in the body-wall muscles of Drosophila larvae consists of two main components. One component is sensitive to 1,4-dihydropyridines and diltiazem, which block vertebrate L-type Ca2+ channels. The second component is sensitive to amiloride, which blocks vertebrate T-type Ca2+ channels. In contrast to Drosophila brain membrane preparations in which a majority of the Ca2+ channels are phenylalkylamine-sensitive but dihydropyridine-insensitive, the major current in the muscles was dihydropyridine-sensitive but relatively less sensitive to verapamil. This might indicate an underlying tissue specific distribution of distinct subtypes of dihydropyridine/phenylalkylamine-sensitive Ca2+ channels in Drosophila. Low verapamil sensitivity of the dihydropyridine-sensitive current of Drosophila muscles also set it apart from the vertebrate L-type channels which are sensitive to 1,4-dihydropyridines, benzothiazepines as well as phenylalkylamines. The dihydropyridine-sensitive current in Drosophila muscles activated in a similar voltage range as the vertebrate L-type current. As with the vertebrate current, blockade by dihydropyridines was voltage dependent.
A Hamblin Semantics for Evidentials

When speakers enter a conversation, they do so with a shared body of information. As the participants in the conversation speak, what they say affects this common ground. But how exactly is the common ground affected by what they assert? On one view, an assertion updates the common ground (Karttunen 1974, Stalnaker 1975, 1978). A second view is that an assertion is a proposal to update the common ground. This is the view taken in recent work on Inquisitive Semantics (e.g., Groenendijk 2009) and inspired by earlier work on the information structure of discourse (Ginzburg 1996, Roberts 1996, Gunlogson 2001). What the conversational participants say contains elements which are associated with various kinds of meanings. One distinction that has been made is between the at-issue content of an utterance, the ‘main point’, and the content which is not at-issue (Potts 2005, Papafragou 2006, Simons 2007, Amaral et al. 2007). This distinction has been used to analyze various phenomena, including some parentheticals, parenthetical uses of embedding verbs, and epistemic modals. In this paper, I propose that the distinction between what is at-issue and what is not can be modeled as a distinction between two components of assertion. These two components affect the common ground in different ways. The at-issue component of an assertion, which is negotiable, is treated as a proposal to update the common ground. The not-at-issue component of an assertion, which is not negotiable, is added directly to the common ground. Evidence for this proposal comes from evidentials, which I argue grammaticize this distinction. It has been observed that sentences with evidentials make both an ‘evidential’ and a ‘propositional’ contribution (Faller 2002, 2006, Matthewson et al. 2008). The evidential contribution is not directly challengeable or up for negotiation. In contrast, the propositional contribution, the ‘main point’ of the sentence, is directly challengeable and up for negotiation. I analyze these two contributions of evidentials as the not-at-issue component of assertion and the at-issue component of assertion, respectively. Supporting data comes from Cheyenne, a language with evidentials that are part of the illocutionary mood paradigm.
Research Challenges in Complex Large Scale Networks and Cyber Physical Systems

Unprecedented advances in technology are revolutionizing the use and scale of distributed and networked systems, ushering in a variety of global-scale, data intensive applications. Furthermore, as computers become ever-faster and communication bandwidth ever-cheaper, computing and communication capabilities are penetrating every facet of our physical world, giving rise to a new class of Cyber Physical Systems (CPS). The operations of these physical and engineered systems are monitored, coordinated, controlled and seamlessly integrated by an intelligent computing core. This intimate coupling between the cyber and physical will transform how we interact with the physical world. The talk will discuss future research trends, grand challenges, opportunities, and initiatives in computing and networking with a focus on future networking technology and Cyber Physical Systems.
Three distinct cell phenotypes of induced‐TNF cytotoxicity and their relationship to apoptosis

We have identified three distinct cell phenotypes with respect to the conditions under which cells became susceptible to TNF-mediated lysis. These conditions include: 1) treatment with the protein synthesis inhibitor, cycloheximide; 2) contact with activated macrophages, and 3) infection with vaccinia virus. Whereas vaccinia virus-infected 3T3 cells became sensitive to soluble TNF, F5b cells required contact with activated macrophages. We showed that the "macrophage-resistant" F5m cells did not become sensitive to TNF or to killing by activated macrophages after infection with vaccinia virus. Therefore, vaccinia infection does not sensitize all cells to TNF. We also determined the pathways of lysis for cells after sensitization. Whereas 3T3, LM929, and F5b cells were killed by the process of necrosis, F5m cells lysis was characterized by the release of low mol wt DNA fragments (apoptosis).
Long-term alteration in the central monoaminergic systems of the rat by 2,4,5-trihydroxyamphetamine but not by 2-hydroxy-4,5-methylenedioxymethamphetamine or2-hydroxy-4,5-methylenedioxyamphetamine

Abstract The long-term effects of three metabolites of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) on the central monoaminergic systems of the rat were examined. Seven days after the intracerebroventricular administration of 0.25 and 0.5 μmol 2,4,5-trihydroxyamphetamine, hippocampal tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) activity was reduced to 5 and 1% of control, respectively, while norepinephrine (NE) concentration was depressed to 10 and 18% of control. These two respective dosages also decreased striatal tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) activity to 67 and 10% of control, respectively, while nigral TH activity was reduced to 59 and 20% of control. Striatal TPH activity was reduced to 74 and 81% of control, respectively, while the activity in the dorsal and median raphe remained unaltered. The intracerebroventricular administration of 1 μmol 2-hydroxy-4,5-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (6-OH-MDMA) failed to alter TPH activity, TH activity or NE concentration after 14 days. In contrast, 1 μmol of 2-hydroxy-4,5-methylenedioxyamphetamine (6-OH-MDA) induced a 30% increase in striatal TPH activity and a 50% increase in nigral TH activity. The study of the formation of 2,4,5-trihydroxyamphetamine after MDMA treatment may provide insight as to how MDMA destroys serotonergic nerve terminals.
Choice behavior and preexposure: A within-subjects study

Twenty-seven male albino rats were observed in a black-white T-maze following exposure to a black, gray, or white stimulus for either 0, 45, or 90 sec. Each rat was observed on each of 2 days under each of the nine experimental conditions. Preexposure brightness did not affect the frequency of subsequent choices. Length of exposure also had no effect on later choices. Latency, the time before the animal left the exposure box, was significantly shorter from the white box than from either the gray or the black box with the longest latency being from the black box. It was concluded that preexposure effects, if such exist, are very small.
Phospholipid Catalysis of Diabetic Amyloid Assembly

Islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP) is a 37-residue hormone that forms cytotoxic amyloid fibers in the endocrine pancreas of patients with type II diabetes (NIDDM). A potential origin for cytotoxicity is disruption of lipid membranes by IAPP as has been observed in vitro. The cause of amyloid formation during NIDDM is not known, nor is the mechanism by which membrane disruption occurs in vitro. Here, we use kinetic studies in conjunction with assessments of lipid binding and electron microscopy to investigate the interactions of IAPP with phospholipid bilayers and the morphological effects of membranes on IAPP fibers. Fibrillogenesis of IAPP is catalyzed by synthetic and human tissue-derived phospholipids, leading to >tenfold increases in the rate of fibrillogenesis. The molecular basis of this phenomenon includes a strong dependence on the concentration and charge density of the membrane. IAPP binds to lipid membranes of mixed anionic (DOPG) and zwitterionic (DOPC) content. The transition for binding occurs over a physiologically relevant range of anionic content. Membrane binding by IAPP occurs on timescales that are short compared to fibrillogenesis and results in assembly into preamyloid states via ordered interactions at the N but not C terminus of the protein. These assemblies lead both to gross morphological changes in liposomes and to alterations in the appearance of early fibers when compared to liposome-free fibril formation. Intact bilayer surfaces are regenerated upon dissociation of fibers from the membrane surface. These findings offer a structural mechanism of membrane destabilization and suggest that changes in lipid metabolism could induce IAPP fiber formation in NIDDM.
Time-gated single photon counting enables separation of CARS microscopy data from multiphoton-excited tissue autofluorescence.

We demonstrate time-gated confocal imaging as a means to separate coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microscopy data from multi-photon excited endogenous fluorescence in tissue. CARS is a quasi-instantaneous process and its signal decay time is only limited by the system's instrument response function (IRF). Signals due to two-photon-excited (TPE) tissue autofluorescence with excited state lifetimes on the nanosecond scale can be identified and separated from the CARS signal by employing time-gating techniques. We demonstrate this improved contrast on the example of CARS microscopy of intact roots of plant seedlings as well as on rat arterial tissue. (c) 2007 Optical Society of America.
Role of Pharmacy Education in Growing the Pharmacy Practice Model

The Director's Forum series is designed to guide pharmacy leaders in establishing patient-centered services in hospitals and health systems. This article focuses on pharmacy academia's (“Academy”) ...
Insights into the Effect of Nitric Oxide and its Metabolites Nitrite and Nitrate at Inhibiting Neointimal Hyperplasia

Objective Periadventitial delivery of the nitric oxide (NO) donor PROLI/NO following arterial injury effectively inhibits neointimal hyperplasia. Given the short half-life of NO release from PROLI/NO, our goal was to determine if inhibition of neointimal hyperplasia by PROLI/NO was due to NO, or its metabolites nitrite and nitrate.
No bull: Upholding community standards in public sharing of biological datasets

We write as representatives of a multi-institutional team working since 1997 to sequence the Y chromosomes of eight mammals (human, chimpanzee, rhesus macaque, marmoset, mouse, rat, bull, and opossum) to exacting standards of accuracy and completeness; we are pleased to say that this goal is in sight. Throughout the course of the project, we have publicly shared the immediate products of our efforts [the completed sequences of individual bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clones] via GenBank, in keeping with the 1996 Bermuda Principles (www.genome.gov/10506537), so the data could be used by the community. We have done so with the understanding that our research team’s interests are protected by the 2003 Fort Lauderdale Agreement (www.genome.gov/pages/research/wellcomereport0303.pdf) and the 2009 Toronto Agreement (www.nature.com/nature/journal/v461/n7261/full/461168a.html), which govern the use of publicly deposited biological datasets. Specifically, the Fort Lauderdale and Toronto agreements protect the right of data generators to publish the first analyses of their publicly deposited datasets. Taken together, the Bermuda, Fort Lauderdale, and Toronto accords have promoted and enabled the immediate public sharing of large and valuable biological datasets. The record shows that these widely accepted principles have served the interests of the public and of the scientific community as a whole.
Peroxidase Self-inactivation in Prostaglandin H Synthase-1 Pretreated with Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors or Substituted with Mangano Protoporphyrin IX

Self-inactivation imposes an upper limit on bioactive prostanoid synthesis by prostaglandin H synthase (PGHS). Inactivation of PGHS peroxidase activity has been found to begin with Intermediate II, which contains a tyrosyl radical. The structure of this radical is altered by cyclooxygenase inhibitors, such as indomethacin and flurbiprofen, and by replacement of heme by manganese protoporphyrin IX (forming MnPGHS-1). Peroxidase self-inactivation in inhibitor-treated PGHS-1 and MnPGHS-1 was characterized by stopped-flow spectroscopic techniques and by chromatographic and mass spectrometric analysis of the metalloporphyrin. The rate of peroxidase inactivation was about 0.3 s(-)1 in inhibitor-treated PGHS-1 and much slower in MnPGHS-1 (0.05 s(-)1); as with PGHS-1 itself, the peroxidase inactivation rates were independent of peroxide concentration and structure, consistent with an inactivation process beginning with Intermediate II. The changes in metalloporphyrin absorbance spectra during inactivation of inhibitor-treated PGHS-1 were similar to those observed with PGHS-1 but were rather distinct in MnPGHS-1; the kinetics of the spectral transition from Intermediate II to the next species were comparable to the inactivation kinetics in each case. In contrast to the situation with PGHS-1 itself, significant amounts of heme degradation occurred during inactivation of inhibitor-treated PGHS-1, producing iron chlorin and heme-protein adduct species. Structural perturbations at the peroxidase site (MnPGHS-1) or at the cyclooxygenase site (inhibitor-treated PGHS-1) thus can influence markedly the kinetics and the chemistry of PGHS-1 peroxidase inactivation.
Molecular chaperones: individualists or groupies?

Abstract During the past year the focus of studies on molecular chaperones has turned to two important topics: elucidation of the details of the molecular interactions between individual chaperones and their targets, and the role of direct or cooperative interactions between different chaperones.
AC Electrokinetic Pumps for Micro/NanoFluidics

We have developed micropumps for microfluidics that use AC electric fields to drive aqueous fluid motion through micro channels. These pumps operate at relatively low voltages (~5–10Vrms ), and high frequencies (~100kHz). They have several distinct advantages over the DC electrokinetic pumps. The low voltages make the pumps well suited for a wide variety of biosensor and “Lab-on-a-Chip” applications (e.g. PCR chip for DNA amplification). The high frequencies minimize electrolysis, so that bubbles do not form on the electrode surfaces, and do not contaminate the working fluid. The pumps can also be used as active valves or precision micro-dispensers.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
The nature and significance of invertebrate cartilages.

Invertebrate endoskeletal cartilage and cartilage-like tissues occurrence and nature, discussing cellular tissues and origin
Ex vivo model of cranial suture morphogenesis and fate.

Background/Aims: Craniosynostosis, the premature fusion of cranial sutures, is a common congenital defect. In vivo models for studying cranial suture biology impose inherent restric
Plasma oncotic pressures and hematocrit in the intact, unanesthetized bat

Abstract Plasma protein oncotic pressures and hematocrits have been determined in the intact unanesthetized bat (Tadarida mexicano-braziliensis). Plasma oncotic pressures averaged 23.0 ± 2.8 mmHg, which is in the same general range as that found in other mammals. Hematocrits averaged 57% ± 3.7%, which is considerably higher than the average reported for other experimental animals. Comparison of samples drawn from the same animal at one month intervals showed no statistically significant difference, indicating that the hydration status of the animal colony was stable. Plasma oncotic pressures are in a range compatible with the Starling-Landis hypothesis of capillary fluid balance.
Remaining life prediction methods using operating data and knowledge on mechanisms

It is important to be able to predict the remaining life of components and structures in a power plant, both for nuclear and fossil units. The information needed can be obtained from controlled laboratory experiments and the plant operating data. On materials degradation, large amounts of data from both sources are available. However, it is essential to formulate the best methodology to utilize this information so that our needs can be met. In this paper, the methods currently used for remaining life prediction are discussed with typical results. For components with multi-subcomponents such as globe valves, it is not possible to predict the remaining life using operating data, even though useful information related to aging characteristics can be obtained. On the other hand, operating data can be used to predict the remaining life of a steam generator (SG), since the degradation of the tubes is the life limiting factor for a SG. It is shown in this paper that Weibull statistics is a useful tool in predicting the remaining life of a component utilizing the operating data. Mechanistic approaches are also necessary in formulating the working hypothesis, which can be validated by experiments and in some cases by utilizing the operating data.
The interaction of fatty acids with mammalian cytochrome c.

Abstract An interaction of fatty acids with horse heart cytochrome c which produces chemical, spectral, and electrophoretic changes in the protein was investigated. Cytochrome c in the presence of fatty acids became much more susceptible to destructive oxidation by hydrogen peroxide, was no longer readily reduced by ascorbic acid, and when treated in the reduced form could be oxidized directly by molecular oxygen. It was concluded that these and other changes in the properties of cytochrome c brought about by fatty acids were probably associated with a partial unfolding of the protein moiety of the cytochrome molecule from around its planar heme. At a concentration of 1.0 m M , palmitic acid was the most effective of the four saturated fatty acids tried, indicating an apparent specificity between fatty acids and cytochrome c.
The Primary Care–Specialty Income Gap: Why It Matters

A large, widening gap exists between the incomes of primary care physicians and those of many specialists. This disparity is important because noncompetitive primary care incomes discourage medical school graduates from choosing primary care careers. The Resource-Based Relative Value Scale, designed to reduce the inequality between fees for office visits and payment for procedures, failed to prevent the widening primary care-specialty income gap for 4 reasons: 1) The volume of diagnostic and imaging procedures has increased far more rapidly than the volume of office visits, which benefits specialists who perform those procedures; 2) the process of updating fees every 5 years is heavily influenced by the Relative Value Scale Update Committee, which is composed mainly of specialists; 3) Medicare's formula for controlling physician payments penalizes primary care physicians; and 4) private insurers tend to pay for procedures, but not for office visits, at higher levels than those paid by Medicare. Payment reform is essential to guarantee a healthy primary care base to the U.S. health care system.
Unilateral dopamine depletions attenuate the response of striatal neurons to systemic amphetamine in both hemispheres

Abstract Neuronal activity was recorded bilaterally from the striatum of intact control animals and rats pretreated 10–15 days earlier with a unilateral intranigral injection of 6-hydroxydopamine. Following isolation of single unit discharges, each group was challenged with intravenous injections of 0.2 mg kg1 d-amphetamine administered at 2-min intervals. Striatal neurons from intact control animals responded to amphetamine with equal numbers of inhibitions and excitations. In contrast, the predominant response in the animals with lesions was no response at all even with a total cumulative dose of 2.0 mg kg−1. Approximately 50% of the neurons in each striatum of the rats with unilateral lesions failed to respond to amphetamine despite a greater than 98% difference in dopamine levels between hemispheres. The remaining neurons in these animals responded as in intact controls. These results suggest that some functional change occurs following unilateral dopamine depletion that acts to decrease the response of neurons to amphetamine in both the intact and the dopamine-depleted striatum.
Further comparison of guinea pig gamma-1-and gamma-2-immunoglobulins. Amino acid compositions of the polypeptide chains and papain fragments

Abstract The amino acid compositions of guinea pig γ1 and γ2-anti-dinitrophenyl antibodies, their heavy and light polypeptide cahins, and their papain fragments have been determined. The portions of the molecules of these two classes of antibodies which are concerned with antibody specificity (Fab fragments) have bery similar compositions, consistent with their similar functional roles. In contrast, the portions concerned with biological activity (Fc fragments) have distinct composition, in keeping with th ability of γ1 and γ2-immunoglobulins to mediate different biological reactions. The present results are consistent with earlier studies of antigenic determinants and peptide maps.
What Does Democracy Look Like

Over the past few years, Mexico has been engaged in a transition to democracy. The phrase dominates political speeches and academic analyses. It is not clear, however, even five years after the Mexican electorate ousted the long-ruling Partido Revolucionario Institucional (Institutional Revolutionary Party-PRI), exactly what kind of democracy the country is becoming. Liberal observers point to more transparent and autonomous electoral processes and institutions as a sign that the Mexican state is being disengaged from the grip of an authoritarian party and opening up to an increasingly active civil society. A more radical critique of the process, however, notes that despite the institutional reforms and a decrease in repression, the fundamental structures of inequality and vertical control remain untouched, making a viable democracy unlikely. As different groups within Mexican society try to position themselves to take advantage of new political opportunities or to press for redress of specific material grievances, the meaning of democratic practices has become a focal point around which social movements frame their arguments and mobilize their supporters. During this transition period, many groups have challenged the elite sector's political notions and practices by insisting that their specific cultural identities within the Mexican nation endow them with a certain degree of autonomy within their communities. The Zapatista rebellion and the still unsuccessful indigenous calls for codification of cultural rights and autonomy have been the focus of much attention in this questioning of the underlying structures of the state. Smaller groups have adopted a similar strategy in pressing their demands for a more just distribution of material goods and recognition of their rights to control their own natural resources. In this essay I examine the cases of Tepoztlkn, Morelos, and Atenco, Mexico, where activists rallied residents to oppose unwanted development projects. In the course of those protests, local governments were forced out and residents engaged in
A new approach to adsorption isotherms

Abstract A new isotherm Θ = 1/[1 + 1/bφ1/(m+ϵ/RT)] is derived from a chemical potential of adsorption which includes temperature-dependent and temperature-independent parts from statistical and potential models. Most experimental gas-phase adsorption data are not of a pure statistical or potential type; however, the mixed form proposed is able to describe the data over a wide range of pressure and temperature even for very different binding forces. A knowledge of the chemical potential provides equations for the enthalpy, entropy and spreading pressure and the influence from the heat expansion of the adsorbed layers. Comparison with experimental data shows the improvement of the new method.
Horizontal Hostility among Non-Meat Eaters

The present study examined intergroup judgments made between four groups of non-meat eaters: health vegetarians; ethical vegetarians; health vegans, and ethical vegans. Consistent with hypotheses based on horizontal hostility and the need to maintain ingroup distinctiveness, ethical vegetarians gave unfavorable evaluations to health vegetarians relative to vegans, especially when the mainstream omnivore group was made salient. Contrary to expectations, vegans gave relatively more favorable evaluations to ethical vegetarians than health vegetarians when mainstream salience was low. This was especially true for vegans who were motivated primarily by ethical concerns. When mainstream salience was high, vegans did not distinguish between the vegetarian subgroups. Results suggest that one’s motives for abstaining from meat often play a larger role in this type of intergroup perceptions than one’s dietary practices.
A Note on the Diurnal, Latitudinal and Seasonal Variation of the Surface Reflection Coefficient

Abstract The diurnal variation of the surface reflection coefficient is quantified using an exponential function of solar zenith angle. The coefficients of this relationship reveal the effects of surface roughness, cloud cover, and forenoon-afternoon surface changes. The relationship is used also to estimate the potential seasonal and latitudinal variation of the daily reflection coefficient. Such variation can be significant enough to incorporate into surface net radiation prediction equations.
Conformational Dynamics of Antithrombin III With its Allosteric Activator Heparin

Antithrombin III (ATIII) is a serpin that is involved in the regulation of blood coagulation through the inhibition of blood clotting enzymes. Heparin is an allosteric activator of ATIII that binds to helix-D and causes a conformational change in the reactive center loop (RCL), expelling it from its position partially inserted into beta-sheet A. RCL expulsion in turn increases ATIII activity toward fXa several hundred-fold. Hydrogen/deuterium exchange and mass spectrometry were used to probe the dynamics of ATIII in the presence and absence of a synthetic heparin pentasaccharide (Fondaparinux). Results of our initial hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry experiments provide direct, solution phase evidence that heparin cofactor binding alters conformational dynamics in four specific regions of the antithrombin molecule. (1) Helix D -- Heparin binding reduced H/D, consistent with hD extension upon cofactor binding. (2) Breach region -- Beta strands 3A and 5A, flanking the site for RCL insertion into sheet A, showed reduced H/D exchange, consistent with increased rigidity of the breach region and stabilization of a loop-expelled form. (3) Proximal RCL and hinge region -- H/D exchange for residues 376-387, which includes the N-terminal hinge region of the RCL, increased in the presence of heparin, indicating greater solvent exposure and expulsion from beta sheet A. (4) Distal RCL -- Deuterium exchange for 388-402, which includes s1C and the distal side of the RCL, decreased significantly in the presence of heparin, suggesting that s1C extension-mediated stabilization on the C-terminal side of RCL contributes to exposure of the proximal its end upon cofactor binding. Thus, dynamic H/D exchange studies of free and heparin-bound antithrombin molecules in solution will be useful for validating and refining models of ATIII heparin activation inferred from crystal structures.
FMRF-NH2-like mammalian octapeptide : possible role in opiate dependence and abstinence

Yang et al. have isolated from bovine brain an octapeptide, FLFQPQRF-NH2 (F-8-F-NH2), with certain antiopiate properties. Malin et al. previously found that ICV injection of this peptide could precipitate an opiate abstinence syndrome in dependent rats. RIA revealed significantly higher levels of F-8-F-NH2 immunoreactivity in CSF withdrawn from the cisterna magna of morphine-dependent rats as opposed to CSF withdrawn from sham-implanted controls. ICV infusion of IgG from antiserum against F-8-F-NH2 significantly reduced the number of abstinence signs subsequently precipitated by naloxone in morphine-dependent rats.
Helium isotopes and mantle volatiles in Loihi Seamount and Hawaiian Island basalts and xenoliths

We examine in this paper the use of helium isotope ratios for the study of hotspot volcanism along age-progressive island volcanic chains. The Hawaiian Islands are the original “high 3He” hotspot, with 3He/4He ratios as high as 32 × the atmospheric ratio; in the Pacific they stand out against the surrounding sea of MORB (rather uniformly 8 × atmospheric) which fills the entire Pacific with the exception of the Macdonald-Mehetia-Samoa axis in the South Pacific. The recent availability of a variety of alkalic and tholeiitic glasses from the U.S. Geological Survey and our own dredge hauls has prompted us to look first at isotopic variability within a single fresh and new volcano which is probably sitting directly atop a mantle plume. Thus we have looked in some detail at the total helium in glass pillow rims, at He in the enclosed vesicles, and at He in the glass itself, in both tholeiitic and alkalic lavas, and also at helium in associated phenocrysts and xenoliths. The measured 3He/4He ratios range from atmospheric to 30 × atmospheric, but we see clear evidence that the highly vesiculated lavas suffer exchange of He between the thin glass walls of vesicles and ambient seawater, so that we observe a post-eruptive isotopic disequilibrium between glass and gas phases. The primary effect is the very large loss of initial He content during eruptive vesiculation, which results in quite large isotopic effects from small additions of ambient He (of the order of 0.02 μcc He per gram of basalt; corresponding to a “water/rock ratio” of 0.5). Phenocrystic He in olivines verifies that the gas-phase He is not affected by vesicularities up to about 5%. Alkali basalt He appears to be independent of vesicularity up to values as high as 35%; this He is somewhat lower in 3He/4He ratio, but matches precisely the associated xenolithic He. However, from the present data we cannot exclude the possibility that diffusive exchange with seawater has affected the He ratio in alkalic vesicles. On the large scale, along the 10% of the Hawaiian chain available for subaerial sampling, we find high 3He/4He ratios (24 × atmospheric) in 5.5 × 106-year-old lavas on Kauai. Maximum values of the ratio so far observed are in the pre-erosional Kula basalts on Maui, confirming the previous results of Kaneoka and Takaoka. Hawaii, where these high values were first observed is now seen to range from MORB ratios at Mauna Loa to only 15 × RA at Kilauea fumaroles. Most xenolithic He so far measured is MORB He, but Loihi xenoliths have high values and are quite different in this respect. Finally, we discuss also the hydrogen and carbon isotope results on Loihi lavas, and show that these elements resemble MORB and appear not to show a distinctive plume signature.