cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The mouse type-III procollagen-encoding gene: genomic cloning and complete DNA sequence

Overlapping cosmid clones were isolated that covered the entire mouse type-III collagen-encoding gene (mCol3) locus including flanking sequences approximately 40 kb upstream and 20 kb downstream from the gene. This gene was characterized initially by restriction mapping and then followed by sequencing of 43.6 kb, including 5 kb upstream from the transcription start point (tsp) and all exons and introns of the entire gene. The optimal parameters for sequencing a gene of this size were determined by sequencing 5-10-kb fragments at different ratios of random and directed sequencing, and comparing their efficiency. Based on our experience for sequencing mCol3, we have estimated that the most cost-efficient method was to achieve a twofold redundancy in sequencing by using random DNA subclones as templates for sequencing prior to initiating directed DNA sequencing to close the gaps between contiguous regions. mCol3 spans 37.6 kb from the tsp to the single polyadenylation site and contains 51 exons. The overall structure of mCol3 is similar to that of other members of the fibrillar collagen-encoding gene family. Several repetitive elements were located within the gene boundaries. Based on the nucleotide (nt) sequence, the predicted sizes of the mouse type-III collagen (mCOL3) mRNA and polypeptide are 4767 nt and 1464 amino acids (aa), respectively. A comparison of mCOL3 versus the human type-III collagen (hCOL3) showed 91% identity at the aa level.
Posttreatment Endodontic Pain

Various drugs and treatments have been advocated to decrease pain reactions after endodontic treatment. The present study is an attempt to delineate factors of prognostic importance in predicting pain. Frequency of post treatment pain and other factors were recorded. The study indicates that pain reactions seldom occur when a fistula is present, or in maxillary anterior teeth.
Structural Analysis of Polarizing Indels Argues the Root of the Tree of Life is Near the Chloroflexi

Determining which branches of the tree of life have derived features narrows down the possible location of the root. Currently the polarization of indels done by Lake et al.^1-5^ and the polarizing transitions of Cavalier-Smith^6^ arrive at contradictory positions for the root of the tree. We have analyzed the sequence based indel arguments using protein structure wherever possible. Structure strongly supports some of the polarizations, but in other indels it argues for a different conclusion. We conclude that there is no contradiction between Lake et al. and Cavalier-Smith; the root of the tree of life must be near the Chloroflexi.
Students Consider Architecture's Materiality

This article addresses the struggle that architecture students undergo in their efforts to develop critical thinking regarding architecture's materiality. It describes work that evolved through a seminar entitled “Intention and Materiality,” which explored theoretical frameworks for a variety of historical, technological, contextual, and subjective issues affecting decisions about materials. This article briefly outlines the nature and structure of the seminar, and then provides a broad-based discussion and elaboration of students' ideas and concerns about the role of materials in architecture. Collectively, their ideas reveal inspiring insight and thoughtfulness about questions that are frequently of great concern to architects and educators today.
Calcifying ability of human body fluids

Abstract Exposure of small slabs of presoftened tooth enamel to human bloods, synovial fluids, and salivary components caused a marked restoration of enamel hardness. The increase of hardness appeared to be related to the re-formation of hydroxyapatite. The procedure thus provides a method of measuring the calcification ability of a fluid. After implantation of the slabs subdermally in guinea pigs for 8 days, in vivo recalcification to the extent of 74–120 Knoop hardness units (KHN) occurred. Parotid, submaxillary and whole saliva had similar and strong calcification properties, indicated by rehardening to the extent of 100 KHN in 4–6 hr. Human serums and synovial fluids had modest but definite rehardening characteristics of the order of 30 KHN at 6 hr. The method appears to offer promise as an aid in the study of abnormal calcification and decalcification processes.
Tests of Two-Parameter Exponentialty Against Three-Parameter Weibull Alternatives

Two tests are proposed for hypotheses concerning the Weibull shape parameter when the location and scale parameters are unknown. A test based upon maximum likelihood estimation, which relies on existing results for the two-parameter Weibull distribution, is given. A simpler test which makes use of the tabulated chi-square distribution is also given. The tests apply to both complete and censored samples.
Morphology and mechanical properties of impact modified polypropylene blends

Isotactic polypropylene (PP) has been reactively blended with various grades of an ethylene–octene copolymer (EOC) in a twin-screw extruder. Free radical polymerization of styrene and a multifunctional acrylate during melt extrusion has resulted in an enhancement of mechanical properties over the binary blend. The reactive blend exhibits a notched Izod impact strength over 12 times that of pure polypropylene and greater than double the performance of the binary blend. Electron microscopy shows that by grafting onto the polymers, elastomer particle size and interparticle distance decrease, while particle shape becomes less spherical. The acrylate is crucial to achieve superior performance, as infrared spectra correlate an increase in graft yield to improvements in stress–strain behavior and impact strength. In addition, melt flow index (MFI) and melt strength data indicate a reduction in unwanted side reactions of polypropylene and the presence of long-chain branching. Dynamic-mechanical analysis reveals that the reaction promotes miscibility between polypropylene and the EOC and reduces molecular mobility at their glass-transition temperatures. Mechanical properties, graft yield, and MFI are shown to be highly dependent upon the elastomer's concentration, density, and molecular weight, initiator and monomer concentration, as well as processing temperature. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2008. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers
cis-[Pt(NH3)2(9-MeA-N7)(9-EtGH-N7)](PF6)2·1.5H2O (9-MeA = 9-Methyladenine; 9-EtGH = 9-Ethylguanine): A Right-Handed Helicoidal Model Compound for the Intrastrand A,G Cross-Link in Duplex DNA

The counterions X in cis-[Pt(NH3)2(9-MeA-N7)(9-EtGH-N7)]X2 (1) determine, in the solid state, which of the possible orientations the two purine nucleobases display. With X = PF6-, the right-handed helicoidal head−head conformation R2 encountered in double-stranded oligonucleotide adducts of cis-Pt(NH3)22+ is realized, together with its enantiomeric counterpart L2. 1 therefore provides a model of the d(ApG) intrastrand adduct of cisplatin with double-stranded DNA. H-bond formation between the platinated guanine in 1 and 1-methylcytosine in DMSO-d6 is not strictly analogous to that between the Watson−Crick pair of free 9-EtGH and 1-MeC.
Downscaling two versions of a general circulation model to estimate local hydroclimatic factors under climate change

Abstract The regional hydroclimatological effect of global climate change has been estimated and compared using a semi-empirical downscaling method with two versions (T21 and T42) of the general circulation model (GCM) developed at the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, Germany. The comparisons were performed with daily mean temperature and daily precipitation amounts for the continental climate of the state of Nebraska, USA. Both the T21 and the T42 versions resulted in an increase of daily mean temperature under a 2 x C02 climatess. The magnitude of warming was substantially greater for T21 than for T42, except for February and June and at some stations in July where the T42 model suggested greater warming. Both GCMs resulted in a slight decrease in precipitation frequency and an increase in the amount of precipitation on wet days. Here, the T42 model again led to smaller changes. Different locations within Nebraska exhibited somewhat different temperature and precipitation responses with both GCM ve...
ATrypanosoma cruziPolyantigen Obtained by Gene Fusion: Its Expression inStaphylococcus aureusand Rapid Purification

Abstract In order to simplify the large-scale production of three different Trypanosoma cruzi antigens with significant diagnosis value, their coding DNA fragments were fused to produce a single molecule. This tripartite protein was expressed using a shuttle Staphylococcal protein A (SPA) gene fusion vector. The resulting fusion protein location was intracellular when synthesized in Escherichia coli but was also proteolytically degraded during its purification. When the same construct was expressed using the Staphylococcus aureus secretion system, a nondegraded expression product was obtained from the culture medium. A “size effect” seemed to take place in the final yield. The SPA tripartite antigen fusion protein was purified in one step using IgG–Sepharose affinity chromatography. The SPA affinity tail was removed by specific proteolysis with enterokinase and further chromatography on IgG Sepharose. Specific antibodies against individual antigens reacted equally well with the purified tripartite antigen. These results suggest that the simultaneous production of several antigens in a single molecule using the S. aureus secretion system could be a good alternative, when a mixture of cloned antigens is necessary for a strict diagnosis or for immunization experiments.
Comparing coevolution, genetic algorithms, and hill-climbers for finding real-time strategy game plans

This paper evaluates a coevolutionary genetic algorithm's performance at generating competitive strategies in the initial stages of real-time strategy games. Specifically, we evaluate coevolution's performance against an exhaustive search of all possible build orders. Three hand coded strategies outside this exhaustive list provide a quantitative baseline for comparison with other strategy search algorithms. Earlier work had shown that a bit-setting hill-climber only finds the best strategies six percent of the time but takes significantly less time compared to a genetic algorithm that routinely finds the best strategies. Our results here show that coevolved strategies win or tie against hill-climber and genetic algorithm strategies eighty percent of the time but routinely lose to the three hand coded baselines. This work informs our research on improving coevolutionary approaches to real-time strategy game player design.
D-Glucose-sensitive and -insensitive cytochalasin B binding proteins from microvillous plasma membranes of human placenta. Identification of the D-glucose transporter.

Abstract Cytochalasin B was found to bind to at least two distinct sites in human placental microvillous plasma membrane vesicles, one of which is likely to be intimately associated with the glucose transporter. These sites were distinguished by the specificity of agents able to displace bound cytochalasin B. [3H]Cytochalasin B was displaceable at one site by d -glucose but not by dihydrocytochalasin B; it was displaceable from the other by dihydrocytochalasin B but not by d -glucose. Some binding which could not be displaced by d - glucose + dihydrocytochalasin B was displaced by excess unlabeled cytochalasin B and may represent a third cytochalasin B binding site. Cytochalasin B can be photoincorporated into specific binding proteins by ultraviolet irradiation. d -Glucose specifically prevented such photoaffinity labeling of a microvillous protein component(s) of Mr = 60 000 ± 2 000 as determined by urea-sodium dodecyl sulfate acrylamide gel electrophoresis. This d -glucose-sensitive cytochalasin B binding site of the placenta is likely to be either the glucose transporter or be intimately associated with it. The molecular weight of the placental glucose transporter agrees well with the most widely accepted molecular weight for the human erythrocyte glucose transporter. Dihydrocytochalasin B prevented the photoincorporation of [3H]cytochalasin B into a polypeptide(s) of Mr = 53 000 ± 2 000. This component is probably not associated with placental glucose transport. This report presents the first identification of a sodium-independent glucose transporter from a normal human tissue other than the erythrocyte. It also presents the first molecular weight identification of a human glucose-insensitive high-affinity cytochalasin B binding protein.
A bound for the covering time of random walks on graphs

Abstract We give bounds for the covering time of a random walk on an undirected connected graph in terms of the diameter of the graph. The bounds are tight in many instances, particularly when the graph is a tree.
Collaborative digitization programs: a multifaceted approach to sustainability

Purpose – To provide an introduction to the eight articles in the issue that deal with collaborative digitization programs.Design/methodology/approach – This introduction summarizes the articles within the context of sustainability.Findings – In addition to business planning, efforts to build collaborative networks, empower content providers, and engage end‐users are central to developing sustainable programs.Originality/value – Readers gain a quick overview of some of the key issues that digitization programs face.
Effects of benzene and dimethylnaphthalene on homeostatic processes in two species of crabs

Abstract Long-term exposure of animals to sub-lethal doses of toxicants such as benzene (B) and dimethylnaphthalene (DMN) may result in subtle changes in their physiology and biochemistry. In crustaceans such changes include decreased rate of limb regeneration, extended time to molt and decreased growth increment at molt.1,2 These processes depend upon an adequate supply of stored nutrients in the tissues and appropriate release of neuroendocrine substances from the central nervous system.3,4 We are examining the effects of sub-lethal doses of B and DMN on osmotic and ionic regulation and on nutrient storage in the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus, and the green crab, Carcinus maenas. Disturbances in these physiological processes may reflect alterations in neuroendocrine functions brought about by the presence of toxicants. We find that exposure of C. maenas to B or DMN, followed by transfer to a dilute medium, results in impaired osmoregulatory capacity, while addition of these compounds to a dilute medium to which the animal is already acclimated does not affect their regulatory ability. Storage of carbohydrate in the midgut gland (hepatopancreas) is decreased by B or DMN, while the accessory storage tissues (gill, muscle) are not significantly affected.
Fast filtering for seasonal moving average models

SUMMARY Pearlman (1980) gives a fast filtering algorithm for an ARMA, i.e. autoregressive-moving average, model. When the algorithm is applied to a seasonal moving average model significant computational savings can be obtained by taking advantage of the structural zeros noted by Kohn & Ansley (1984) and Melard (1984). In this paper we identify a second set of structural zeros which leads to further significant computational savings. Our results can be applied to produce a fast algorithm for obtaining the likelihood of a stationary ARMA model with a seasonal moving average. Pearlman (1980) gave an algorithm for filtering observations from a stationary Gaussian ARMA (P, q) model and used it to compute the likelihood of the observations. This algorithm is based on a general fast filtering algorithm for state space models due to Morf, Sidhu & Kailath (1974). Pearlman's algorithm is efficiently implemented by Melard (1984) who pointed out additional computational savings. By using the backward transformation of Ansley (1979), Kohn & Ansley (1985) further refined Pearlman's algorithm by reducing it to filtering a pure moving average for the first N - p observations, where N is the sample size, and then switching to a Cholesky factorization method for the last p observations. For moderate to large values of N this variant of Pearlman's algorithm is the fastest in the literature for computing the likelihood of an ARMA process. For seasonal moving average models it is clear from Kohn & Ansley (1984) and Melard (1984) that considerable computational savings could be made in Pearlman's algorithms by taking account of structural zeros. These structural zeros were originally obtained for the Cholesky decomposition by Ansley (1979). In this paper we identify a second set of structural zeros, complementary to the first set. Recognizing these zeros makes the algorithm significantly faster, giving a very efficient method for computing the likelihood of a seasonal moving average model, and more generally
If all we knew about women was what we read in Demography, what would we know?

In the 449-page treatise on the Decline if Fertility in Europe between 1870 and 1960 only 5 references in the index were related to womens status and none to mens status or sex. There were 7 references to abstinence. An analysis of subject content in the journal "Demography" revealed that of the 1232 published articles 624 were devoted to fertility and contraception marriage and the family and other women-pertinent topics. In rereading these articles to gain an image of how women were portrayed several questions were kept in mind: whether the article stipulated clearly in the introduction whether it was about women; to what extent were common sense notions about women interpreted in research findings; the nature of variables identified with women; and when men and women were analyzed simultaneously whether there were explanations for the selection of male or female variables. Variables that were excluded in the analysis were also considered such as whether information was provided on the whereabouts of husbands. When fact logic metaphor and stories were used in the articles the question was whether these rhetorical measures were gendered or not. What was the evidence for the influence of feminism on research topics theories or methods? The article described how women were presented and discussed the following topics: womens role in the population crisis as overproducers the domestic sphere gender and science and future prospects. The journal "demography" has advances over the past 30 years to include trends in fertility in many countries of the world and explanations for those trends; progress has been made due to the "development of formal demographic models precise quantitative description and rigorous testing of hypotheses." The conclusion was that much has been taken for granted about women are like and the differences between men and women; men have been virtually excluded in theoretical frameworks. Frameworks also assumed that gender behavior followed a particular social construction of gender based on the 19th century notion of separate spheres. Examples are given of articles that challenged conventional wisdom and showed how the social construction of gender shapes theory and data collection without regard to time and place. Caution is urged in constructing frameworks without first conducting ethnographic research.
The effects of prenatal marijuana exposure on delinquent behaviors are mediated by measures of neurocognitive functioning

We hypothesized that there would be an association between prenatal marijuana exposure (PME) and delinquency and that the effects of PME on neurocognitive development would mediate this association. Mothers and offspring enrolled in a longitudinal study of the effects of prenatal substance exposure on child development, were interviewed from the fourth prenatal month through 14 years. There were 580 mother/child dyads at the 14-year phase. A standardized protocol assessed psychological, neurocognitive, social, environmental, and demographic characteristics, and substance use at each phase. The Self Report Delinquency scale (Loeber et al., 1998) and the Child Behavior checklist (Achenbach, 1991) delinquency subscale were combined to represent delinquent behavior. First trimester PME was used as a dichotomous variable, daily use versus all other use. Offspring of heavier marijuana users were significantly more likely to report delinquent behavior at age 14. The odds ratio for delinquency among those who were exposed to one or more joints per day during gestation was 1.76 (C.I. 1.05-2.96). PME significantly predicted child depressive symptoms and attention problems at age 10, after controlling for other significant covariates. Child depressive symptoms and attention problems at age 10 significantly predicted delinquency at 14 years. The association between PME and delinquent behavior at 14 years was mediated by depressive symptoms and attention problems in the offspring at 10 years.
Evidence of a contribution of genetic factors to dental caries risk

Abstract Original Review Evidence of a heritable component to dental caries surface traits is obscured by the multifactorial etiology and measurement of the phenotype Original Article Shuler CF. Inherited risks for susceptibility to dental caries. J Dent Ed 2001;65:1038–45. Level of Evidence 3a Purpose Literature was searched for evidence of a genetic contribution to dental caries based on inheritance of alterations to dental hard tissues, immune responses, dietary consumption of sugar, and salivary function. Source of Funding Not reported Type of Study/Design Evidence-based Review
Robotic Surgery of the Skull Base

Minimally invasive skull base surgery has advanced substantially with the advent of endoscopic technology, novel instrumentation, and intraoperative image-guidance capabilities. Robotic technology has been accepted into the surgeon's armamentarium, with its implementation into abdominal, thoracic, and head and neck surgery. However, the application of surgical robotics to the skull base has yet to be achieved. This article highlights current preclinical research and applications of robotic surgery to the skull base.
Gating of somatosensory perception following movement

Tactile stimuli were applied to the right index finger at selected times following rapid movements of the thumb. The probability of detecting a stimulus was found to be impaired for at least 250 ms after completion of a voluntary movement. This finding complements previous work showing that somatosensory evoked potentials are reduced for a comparable period following movement.
Adolescent Smoking Trajectories: Results from a Population-Based Cohort Study

Abstract Purpose To identify distinct smoking trajectories during adolescence and assess how smoking-related factors relate to trajectory membership. Methods The sample includes 3637 youth from across the state of Minnesota. Measures include tobacco use, smoking behaviors of parents and friends, youth smoking-related attitudes and beliefs, and home smoking policies. A cohort-sequential design was used to identify smoking trajectories, including five cohorts of youth (ages 12–16) followed for 3 years. Results Six distinct trajectories of tobacco use were found: nonsmokers (54%), triers (17%), occasional users (10%), early established (7%), late established (8%), and decliners (4%). Several factors were associated with increased likelihood of being in a smoking trajectory group (vs. the nonsmoking group): parental smoking, friend smoking, greater perceptions of the number of adults and teenagers who smoke, and higher functional meaning of tobacco use. In contrast, higher perceived difficulty smoking in public places, negative perceptions of the tobacco industry, and home smoking policies were associated with less likelihood of being in one of the smoking trajectories (vs. the nonsmoking trajectory). Conclusions Adolescents exhibit diverse patterns of smoking during adolescence and tobacco-related influences were strong predictors of trajectory membership.
Interaction and Modulation of Two Antagonistic Cell Wall Enzymes of Mycobacteria

Bacterial cell growth and division require coordinated cell wall hydrolysis and synthesis, allowing for the removal and expansion of cell wall material. Without proper coordination, unchecked hydrolysis can result in cell lysis. How these opposing activities are simultaneously regulated is poorly understood. In Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the resuscitation-promoting factor B (RpfB), a lytic transglycosylase, interacts and synergizes with Rpf-interacting protein A (RipA), an endopeptidase, to hydrolyze peptidoglycan. However, it remains unclear what governs this synergy and how it is coordinated with cell wall synthesis. Here we identify the bifunctional peptidoglycan-synthesizing enzyme, penicillin binding protein 1 (PBP1), as a RipA-interacting protein. PBP1, like RipA, localizes both at the poles and septa of dividing cells. Depletion of the ponA1 gene, encoding PBP1 in M. smegmatis, results in a severe growth defect and abnormally shaped cells, indicating that PBP1 is necessary for viability and cell wall stability. Finally, PBP1 inhibits the synergistic hydrolysis of peptidoglycan by the RipA-RpfB complex in vitro. These data reveal a post-translational mechanism for regulating cell wall hydrolysis and synthesis through protein–protein interactions between enzymes with antagonistic functions.
The coprecipitation of cations with CaCO3-III. The coprecipitation of Zn2+ with calcite between 50 and 250° C

CaCO3 can be precipitated by the slow introduction of CO2 into initially CO2-free ammoniacal CaCl2 solutions or by the slow release of CO2 from ammoniacal CaCl2 solutions which were initially in equilibrium with a vapor containing a high CO2 pressure. Normally, calcite is the only or dominant polymorph of CaCO3 in the precipitate, but aragonite may be present in small and occasionally in large amounts. The distribution of Sr+2 between solution and precipitate in calcite and aragonite has been measured in precipitates prepared by both the CO2 introduction and CO2 release technique. The results are comparable. The value of the distribution coefficient kcSr of Sr+2 between solution and calcite was found to be 0.076 ± 0.006. The distribution coefficient kASr of Sr+2 between solution and aragonite could not be measured precisely, but the values obtained are compatible with that reported in a previous paper (0.59 ± 0.02). The value of kcSr is independent of both the ionic strength of the solution up to 1.4 m and of the mol fraction of Sr+2 in solution. It is probably also nearly independent of the NaCl concentration in the solutions from which it is precipitated. The value reported here can therefore be used to define the ratio (mSr+2mCa+2) in hydrothermal solutions from which calcite has been deposited at 100°C.
Influence of the "innocent" ligands on the MLCT excited-state behavior of mono(bipyridine)ruthenium(II) complexes: a comparison of X-ray structures and 77 K luminescence properties.

The variations in the nonchromophoric ligands of [Ru(L)4bpy]2+ complexes are shown to result in large changes in emission band shapes, even when the emission energies are similar. These changes in band shape are systematically examined by means of the generation of empirical reorganizational energy profiles (emreps) from the observed emission spectra (Xie, P.; et al. J. Phys. Chem. A 2005, 109, 4671), where these profiles provide convenient probes of the differences in distortions from the ground-state structures of the 2,2-bipyridine (bpy) ligands (for distortion modes near 1500 cm-1) in the metal-to-ligand charge-transfer (MLCT) excited states for a series of complexes with the same ruthenium(II) bipyridine chromophore. The bpy ligand is nearly planar in the X-ray structures of the complexes with (L)4 = (NH3)4, triethylenetetraamine (trien), and 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane ([12]aneN4). However, for (L)4 = 5,12-rac-5,7,7,12,14,14-hexamethyl-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane, the X-ray crystal structur...
Microcrystalline silicon oxide (μc-SiO:H) alloys as a contact layer for highly efficient Si thin film solar cell

Abstract We observe >6% efficiency enhancement in silicon thin film solar cell using a p-type microcrystalline silicon oxide (μc-SiO:H) contact layer between transparent conducting oxide (TCO) electrode and the hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) layer. The role of the above contact layer is to reduce the Schottky barrier effect as well as the hetero-junction barrier formation at the interface. Despite its nanometer scale thickness, the properties of the contact layer significantly affect the solar parameters. Based on our results, p-type doped μc-SiO:H can be an ideal material as a contact layer due to its good optical response without noticeable degradation in its electrical property.
Online microsurveys for user experience research

This case study presents a critical analysis of microsurveys as a method for conducting user experience research. We focus specifically on Google Consumer Surveys (GCS) and analyze a combination of log data and GCSs run by the authors to investigate how they are used, who the respondents are, and the quality of the data. We find that such microsurveys can be a great way to quickly and cheaply gather large amounts of survey data, but that there are pitfalls that user experience researchers should be aware of when using the method.
Mapping Zr into Zs with Maximal Contraction

Given any bijection f:Zr→f:Zs with s≥ r , easy volume comparisons show that there must be a universal constant K>0 (depending only on r and s ) and infinitely many pairs of points x,y∈Zr such that || f(x)-f(y)|| > K|| x-y||r/s . This puts a bound on how much contraction can be achieved for any such bijection. We show that, conversely, for any s≥ r there is a bijection f:Zr→Zs and a constant C>0 such that for all x,y∈Zr we have || f(x)-f(y)|| <C|| x-y||r/s . Phrased differently there is a bijection f:Zr→Zs which shrinks the distance between the images of any two points as much as possible, up to a constant factor. This generalizes a construction in fractal image processing and answers in the affirmative a question of Michael Freedman.
On Convergence to Pareto Allocations

The recent book by Arrow and Hahn [1] provides an admirable survey of the work on non-tatonnement adjustment processes developed by Uzawa [4], Hahn and Negishi [2] and others. Such processes permit disequilibrium trading as long as successive allocations are Pareto-better, so that all agents have non-decreasing utility indicators through trading periods. In this paper we formalize a similar process which focuses upon the coalition formation problems at the heart of all such trading processes. While our process is somewhat less descriptive of the role of the decision calculus of individuals in determining successive allocations than the bidding process of Hurwicz, Radner and Reiter [3], for example, we do admit such processes as special cases and our coalition formation framework appears to emphasize more naturally the problem of inter-agent communication. Under a particular assumption regarding the implications of costless intercommunication, we show that successive coalition formation must eventually lead to a Pareto allocation with probability one.
Scaling behavior of the Ising model coupled to two-dimensional quantum gravity.

We study the Ising model on dynamical {phi}{sup 3} graphs with spherical topology. A finite-size scaling analysis is carried out both with and without an external field leading to numerical estimates for various critical exponents which are in good agreement with analytical calculations. We further determine the equation of state, and measure the correlation of Ising spins on the ensemble of graphs.
Expression of orphanin FQ and the opioid receptor-like (ORL1) receptor in the developing human and rat brain.

Abstract The orphanin peptide system, although structurally similar to the endogenous opioid family of peptides and receptors, has been established as a distinct neurochemical entity. The distribution of the opioid receptor-like (ORL1) receptor and its endogenous ligand orphanin FQ (OFQ) in the central nervous system of the adult rat has been recently reported, and although diffusely disseminated throughout the brain, this neuropeptide system is particularly expressed within stress and pain circuitry. Little is known concerning the normal expression of the orphanin system during gestation, nor how opiate or stress exposure may influence its development. Using in situ hybridization techniques, the present study was undertaken to determine the normal pattern of expression of ORL1 mRNA in the human and rat brain at various developmental stages. Rat embryos, postnatal rat brains and postmortem human brains were collected, frozen and cut into 15 μm coronal sections. In situ hybridization was performed using riboprobes generated from cDNA containing representative human and rat ORL1 and OFQ sequences. Both ORL1 and OFQ mRNA is detected as early as E12 in the cortical plate, basal forebrain, brainstem and spinal cord. Expression for both ORL1 and OFQ is strongest during the early postnatal period, remaining strong in the spinal cord, brainstem, ventral forebrain, and neocortex into the adult. Human ORL1 and OFQ expression is observed at 16 weeks gestation, remaining relatively unchanged up to 36 weeks. The influence of early orphanin expression on maturation of stress and pain circuitry in the developing brain remains unknown.
Proteomic identification of HNE-bound proteins in early Alzheimer disease: Insights into the role of lipid peroxidation in the progression of AD

Early Alzheimer's disease (EAD) is the intermediary stage between mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and late-stage Alzheimer's disease (AD). The symptoms of EAD mirror the disease advancement between the two phases. Dementia, memory deficits, and cognitive decline are more pronounced as the disease progresses. Oxidative stress in brain is reported in MCI and AD, including lipid peroxidation indexed by protein-bound 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE). There are limited data regarding the proteomics analysis of brain from subjects with EAD and even less concerning the possible relationship of EAD HNE-modified brain proteins with HNE-modified proteins in MCI and AD. Proteomics was utilized to investigate excessively HNE-bound brain proteins in EAD compared to those in control. These new results provide potentially valuable insight into connecting HNE-bound brain proteins in EAD to those previously identified in MCI and AD, since EAD is a transitional stage between MCI and late-stage AD. In total, six proteins were found to be excessively covalently bound by HNE in EAD inferior parietal lobule (IPL) compared to age-related control brain. These proteins play roles in antioxidant defense (manganese superoxide dismutase), neuronal communication and neurite outgrowth (dihydropyriminidase-related protein 2), and energy metabolism (α-enolase, malate dehydrogenase, triosephosphate isomerase, and F1 ATPase, alpha subunit). This study shows that there is an overlap of brain proteins in EAD with previously identified oxidatively modified proteins in MCI and late-stage AD. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that oxidative stress, in particular lipid peroxidation, is an early event in the progression of AD, and is the first to identify in EAD identical brain proteins previously identified as HNE-modified in MCI and late-state AD.
Ordovician increase in extent and depth of bioturbation: Implications for understanding early Paleozoic ecospace utilization

The infaunal habitat was colonized in the early Phanerozoic primarily by soft-bodied organisms. To understand the early biotic history of this environment, it is necessary to examine the overall record of bioturbation, or ichnofabric. We present here results documenting trends in ichnofabric from Ordovician strata of the Great Basin in California, Nevada, and Utah, collected by a method devised to semiquantitatively measure the extent of early Paleozoic utilization of infaunal ecospace. When combined with similar Cambrian data, a two-phase stepwise pattern of increasing bioturbation contemporaneous with the Cambrian and Ordovician radiations of skeletonized metazoans is apparent. These data represent evidence independent of the body fossil record of increasing ecospace utilization in the early Paleozoic.
Preparation of transparent protein gels from plant seeds

Abstract A commercially viable procedure for the preparation of thermally induced transparent vegetable protein gels is reported. The proteins are seed storage globulins extracted from several legume species. The gels produced have clarities that allow their use as vegetarian replacements for gelatin and additionally show a range of thermal stabilities suitable for applications in hot products.
Safe work practices: a real world implementation

New regulations require electrical safety training for virtually everyone except secretaries and janitors. A program that has been successfully used for nonelectrical, nonengineer personnel is described. The types of hazards are identified. The reasons, concerns, fears, and alternatives are presented with case histories and common pitfalls. The equipment terminology and hands-on experience provide insight into a real world environment. >
Enrollment “Management” Isn't Good Enough Anymore! Enrollment Leadership for a Campus Transformation

In his chapter titled “Integrating Evolving Perspectives: The Roots and Wings of Strategic Enrollment Management,” Stanley Henderson (2012) provides an excellent analysis of the genesis of strategic enrollment management (SEM) and its progression through forty or so years as a profession. He describes a profession born out of necessity which remains critical to the overall decision making on college campuses. Henderson credits the many men and women who have nurtured the profession through the trials and tribulations that refined it into what is now called strategic enrollment management.
Physiologic implications of adding small amounts of carbon dioxide to the gas mixture during inhalation of xenon.

In addition to being a physiologically active tracer of CBF, xenon (Xe) in subanesthetic concentrations produces a relatively mild lowering of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the blood and elevation of transcranial Doppler (TCD) velocity. The addition of small concentrations of CO2 (0.4–1.2%) to the inhaled mixture produced no measurable effect on end tidal (Pet) CO2 or TCD velocity. Cerebral blood flow (CBF) alterations induced by Xe are minimized by allowing PetCO2 to fall, permitting quantitative measurement of CBF by the Xe/CT CBF method.
Elongation of arachidonic and eicosapentaenoic acids limits their availability for thrombin-stimulated release from the glycerolipids of vascular endothelial cells.

Abstract This study has examined the thrombin-stimulated release of polyunsaturated fatty acids from endothelial glycerolipids. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells were incubated with 1.25 μM [14C]arachidonate or [14C]eicosapentaenoate and then exposed to thrombin in buffered saline plus albumin. After an incorporation period of 0.5 h, the thrombin-stimulated release of the two radiolabeled fatty acids was quite similar. By contrast, after 24 h of fatty acid incorporation, the thrombin-stimulated release of radiolabeled fatty acid from cells incubated with [14C]eicosapentaenoate was only 25–30% of that from cells with [14C]arachidonate. Analysis of cellular glycerolipids indicated that 23 and 72%, respectively, of the incorporated [14C]arachidonate and [14C]eicosapentaenoate had been elongated to 22-carbon fatty acids in 24 h. Both 20- and 22-carbon 14C-labeled fatty acids were released to albumin in the medium in control incubations. Addition of thrombin stimulated the release of [14C]arachidonate and [14C]eicosapentaenoate, but not of their respective elongation products. Furthermore, endothelial cells incorporated exogenous [14C]docosatetraenoate into cellular glycerolipids but did not release it in response to thrombin. Thus, the thrombin-stimulated release of polyunsaturated fatty acids from vascular endothelial cells is highly selective for arachidonate and eicosapentaenoate. These results suggest that the extensive elongation of eicosapentaenoate by these cells serves to remove n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids from the pool of cellular acyl groups which are released in response to thrombin and are thus made available for metabolism by cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase enzymes.
Efficacy and safety of intrauterine insemination and assisted reproductive technology in populations serodiscordant for human immunodeficiency virus: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective To assess procreative outcomes for HIV-positive men and women with seronegative partners. Design Systematic review and meta-analysis. Setting Not applicable. Patient(s) Twenty-four studies with extractable data for HIV-serodiscordant couples undergoing intrauterine insemination (IUI) or in vitro fertilization (IVF). Intervention(s) None. Main Outcome Measure(s) Primary outcomes: HIV transmission to a seronegative partner and per cycle fecundability; secondary outcomes: analysis of multiple gestation rates, miscarriage rates, and cancellation rates. Result(s) For serodiscordant couples, HIV-positive men or women undergoing IUI and IVF treatment had a 17%, 30%, 14%, and 16% per cycle fecundability, respectively. Multiple gestation rates were 10%, 33%, 14%, and 29%, respectively. Miscarriage rates were 19%, 25%, 13%, and 20%, respectively. No HIV transmission was observed in 8,212 IUI and 1,254 IVF cycles, resulting in 95% confidence that the true rate is 4.5 transmissions per 10,000 IUI cycles or less. Conclusion(s) In serodiscordant couples, IUI and IVF seem effective and safe based on the literature. Evidence-based practice and social justice suggest that our field should increase access to care for HIV-serodiscordant couples.
UDP-Glucose Dehydrogenase

UDP-glucose dehydrogenase (UDPGDH; EC 1.1.1.22) belongs to a small family of NAD+-linked oxidoreductases which transfer four electrons per catalytic cycle. Other examples of four-electron-transferring enzymes include histidinol dehydrogenase, β-hy-droxy-s-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase, and other nucleotide sugar dehydrogenases (Feingold and Franzen, 1981). The bovine liver enzyme is an apparent homohexamer of 52kDa subunits which appears to function as a trimer of dimers due to its half-sites reactivity to iodoacetate and iodoacetamide (Franzen et al., 1980). We have recently completed the first primary structure of UDPGDH from a mammalian source (bovine liver) (Hempel et al., 1994). Here we present additional details of the analysis and results of a search for potentially homologous proteins using profile analysis.
Induction of M3-restricted cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses by N-formylated peptides derived from Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I‐restricted CD8 1 T cells play a critical role in the protective immunity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). However, only a few Mtb peptides recognized by MHC class Ia‐restricted CD8 1 T cells have been identified. Information on epitopes recognized by class Ib‐restricted T cells is even more limited. M3 is an MHC class Ib molecule that preferentially presents N -formylated peptides to CD8 1 T cells. Because bacteria initiate protein synthesis with N -formyl methionine, the unique binding specificity of M3 makes it especially suitable for presenting these particular bacterial epitopes. We have scanned the full sequence of the Mtb genome for NH 2 -terminal peptides that share features with other M3-binding peptides. Synthetic peptides corresponding to these sequences were tested for their ability to bind to M3 in an immunofluorescence-based peptide-binding assay. Four of the N -formylated Mtb peptides were able to elicit cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) from mice immunized with peptide-coated splenocytes. The Mtb peptide‐specific, M3-restricted CTLs lysed the Mtb-infected macrophages effectively, suggesting that these N -formylated Mtb peptides are presented as the naturally processed epitopes by Mtb-infected cells. Furthermore, T cells from Mtb-infected lungs, spleen, and lymph nodes responded to N -formylated Mtb peptides in an M3-restricted manner. Taken together, our data suggest that M3-restricted T cells may participate in the immune response to Mtb.
The Effect of Regular Primary Care Utilization on Long-Term Glycemic and Blood Pressure Control in Adults With Diabetes

Purpose: Complications of diabetes mellitus (DM) can be reduced with regular preventive care and guidance on self-management. We investigated whether regular primary care utilization could improve glycemic control and blood pressure control among American Indian/Alaska Native people with DM. Methods: Patient characteristics, risk factors, and health outcomes were identified from electronic health records of a cohort of 2138 adults with DM who received care between 1995 and 2010 from Southcentral Foundation, a tribal provider. Bivariate probit regression models estimated the probability of glycemic control and blood pressure control as functions of regular primary care, risk factors, and access factors, while taking into account potential bias arising from voluntarily choosing to seek primary care services. Results: Regular primary care was associated with an 89% increased likelihood of blood pressure control (95% confidence interval [CI], 59‐118%) and 177% increased likelihood of glycemic control (95% CI, 123‐222%). Increasing the distance by 10 miles to primary care services reduced the likelihood of regular primary care by 3.7% (95% CI, 2.9% to 4.6%). Conclusions: Regular primary care utilization over 16 years was associated with higher rates of blood pressure control and glycemic control for adults with DM. People living closer to primary care services had a better chance of improved outcomes. (J Am Board Fam Med 2015;28:28‐37.)
Demonstrating That an Ability Does Not Exist

This demonstration illustrates the error of using an inappropriate test to conclude that a specific ability does not exist within a subject or population. Students were asked to add two 5-digit numbers, which were exposed on a flash card for about I s, and write down the sum. Because most students could not successfully complete this task, they were confronted with the conclusion that American college students do not possess the ability to add. The students easily grasped the obvious error in this conclusion. Social and methodological implications of the demonstration are discussed.
The relationship of work stressors, coping and social support to psychological symptoms among female secretarial employees.

A conceptual framework is advanced that assumes that psychological symptoms emerge within multiple contexts, such as the workplace, and are influenced by the interplay of individual and situational risk and protective factors over time. This framework was utilized to examine the impact of work and work-family role stressors, coping, and work-related social support on psychological symptoms among 239 female, secretarial employees in the USA, using both cross-sectional and longitudinal structural equation models. Work stressors and avoidance coping were viewed as risk factors, and active coping and social support as protective factors. Work stressors contributed substantially to increased symptoms, primarily through a direct pathway in the cross-sectional model, but also indirectly to both Time 1 and Time 2 symptoms (4 months later) via pathways through active and avoidance coping. In both models, avoidance coping also predicted increased symptoms. Avoidance coping also served to partially mediate the relat...