cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Molecular biology of prions causing infectious and genetic encephalopathies of humans as well as scrapie of sheep and BSE of cattle.

Considerable progress has been made in deciphering the role of an abnormal isoform of the prion protein (PrP) in scrapie of animals and Gerstmann-Straussler syndrome (GSS) of humans. Transgenic (Tg) mice expressing both Syrian hamster (Ha) and mouse (Mo) PrP genes, which encode proteins differing at 16 residues out of 254, were used to probe the mechanism of scrapie prion replication. Four Tg lines expressing HaPrP exhibited distinct incubation times ranging from 48 to 277 days after Ha prion inoculation, which were inversely correlated with the steady-state levels of HaPrP mRNA and HaPrPc. Bioassays of brain extracts from two scrapie-infected Tg lines showed that the prion inoculum dictates which prions are synthesized de novo, even though the cells express both PrP genes. Tg mice inoculated with Ha prions had approximately 10(9) ID50 units of Ha prions per gram of brain while less than 10 units of Mo prions were found. Conversely, Tg mice inoculated with Mo prions had approximately 10(6) ID50 units of Mo prions and less than 10 units of Ha prions. Consistent with the analysis of prion synthesis, Tg mice inoculated with Ha prions exhibited neuropathologic changes characteristic of hamsters with scrapie while Mo prions produced changes similar to those in non-Tg mice with scrapie. Our results argue that species specificity of scrapie prions resides in the primary structure of PrP and formation of infectious prions is initiated by a species-specific interaction between PrPSc in the inoculum and homologous, cellular PrP. Studies on Syrian, Armenian and Chinese hamsters suggest that the domain of the PrP molecule between codons 100 and 120 controls both the length of the incubation time and the deposition of PrP in amyloid plaques. Ataxic GSS in families shows genetic linkage to a mutation in the PrP gene leading to the substitution of Leu for Pro at codon 102. Discovery of a point mutation in the PrP gene from humans with GSS established that GSS is unique among human diseases--it is both genetic and infectious. These results have revised thinking about sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) suggesting it may arise from a somatic mutation. Pulse-chase radiolabeling experiments of scrapie-infected cultures of mouse neuroblastoma cells indicate that protease-resistant PrPSc is synthesized during the chase period with t1/2 approximately 15 h from a protease-sensitive precursor, consistent with the conclusion that PrPc and PrPSc differ due to a post-translational event.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Highlights from the Gamma Ray Observatory Mission

The Gamma Ray Observatory was launched on April 7, 1991 for a mission expected to last several years. Its four instruments are designed to study gamma ray emission over a wide energy regime from 0.02 to over 30,000 MeV. Following a brief description of the capabilities of each instrument and their status, the viewing program and is discussed, and some very early results are presented.
Power and Communication: Semantic vs. Pragmatic Messages

Power affects the behavior of people in the workplace. Communication is a prime example of a behavior that can be affected by the level of power that a person holds in an organization. Statements can have both semantic and pragmatic implications. The semantic implication of a statement concerns the literal meaning of the statement, whereas the pragmatic implication of a statement includes the antecedent conditions that led the communicator to make the statement. We hypothesize that high power individuals are more likely to interpret messages semantically, whereas low power individuals are more likely to interpret messages pragmatically. Furthermore, we examine how power level effects an individual's choice to send a message with semantic or pragmatic implications. We believe that low power individuals are more likely to use pragmatic messages, and high power individuals are more likely to use semantic messages. Organizational implications for our findings are discussed.
North American High Plains Paleo-Indian Hunting Strategies and Weaponry Assemblages

The most recent paleoecological data indicate that the last glacial maximum in North America occurred about 20,000 to 18,000 years ago. At this time, the continental ice sheets covered all of present-day Canada and extended a short distance into the northern tier of the Plains states in the western United States to about 48° north latitude. South of the continental ice sheets, there were valley glaciers in the higher elevations of the Rocky Mountains that reached their maximum advance at the same time as the continental glaciers. The Yellowstone Plateau in northwest Wyoming, southwest Montana, and southeast Idaho contained the largest mass of ice south of the continental ice sheets. Consequently, periglacial conditions affected climates, faunal, and floral resources over the entire Northern Plains area (see Porter 1988).
Effect of Diagonal and Off-Diagonal Disorder in the Multiphoton Excitation of an Active Mode Coupled to a Bath: Use of the Irreducible Recursive Residue Generation Method

Passage from the quasiperiodic into the chaotic regime in a quantum system (a radiative active mode coupled to a laser field and in turn, intramolecularly coupled to radiatively inert background modes) is studied. Three main parameters are considered to be crucial in this passage: the radiative/intramolecular relative coupling strength, the effectiveness of the background as a bath, and the nature of the background detuning and coupling to the radiative pump mode.
Using redundant primer sets to detect multiple native Alaskan fish species from environmental DNA

Accurate and timely data regarding freshwater fish communities is important for informed decision-making by local, state, tribal, and federal land and resource managers; however, conducting traditional gear-based fish surveys can be an expensive and time-consuming process, particularly in remote areas, like those that characterize much of Alaska. To help address this challenge, we developed and tested five multi-species environmental DNA (eDNA) primer sets for the simultaneous detection of up to 37 target fish species in a single sample. Using these primer sets can reduce the cost and time needed to perform future studies of fish communities. Our results comparing multiple samples from multiple lakes and streams using multiple next-generation sequencing runs show the efficacy and reproducibility of these primers.
Dissociation and Compulsive Eating

ABSTRACT Numerous investigators have noted a correlation between compulsive eating patterns and dissociative symptoms, but there is no systematic explanation for how these two phenomena interact. It is not uncommon for patients with compulsive eating patterns to experience previously dissociated memories of abuse and trauma, but there are no generally accepted interventions that address both the eating disorder and the traumatic experience. Furthermore, there are no commonly accepted guidelines for assessing trauma and dissociative symptoms in the many patients with intractable compulsive eating symptoms who may initially present with no traumatic history. This article presents theoretical formulations, a review of relevant research, and a model that suggests a causal relationship between dissociation and compulsive eating. Guidelines for assessment and intervention are proposed. The theoretical constructs in this paper are based on hunger-based symptom assessment and a feminist interpretation of object r...
Introduction: pregnancy and the media

In this issue of Commentary & Criticism we focus on idealized pregnancy and the neoliberal demands of motherhood upon the body. This includes expanding and interrogating the post-feminist media and...
Two Weight Bump Conditions for Matrix Weights

In this paper we extend the theory of two weight, $$A_p$$ bump conditions to the setting of matrix weights. We prove two matrix weight inequalities for fractional maximal operators, fractional and singular integrals, sparse operators and averaging operators. As applications we prove quantitative, one weight estimates, in terms of the matrix $$A_p$$ constant, for singular integrals, and prove a Poincare inequality related to those that appear in the study of degenerate elliptic PDEs.
Spatial distribution quantification and control of ink flakes in reduced graphene oxide FET inkjet printing

Abstract Inkjet printing for field-effect transistor (FET) sensor fabrication with graphene oxide (GO) is promising because of its attractive features including low costs and scalability. However, the process variation in inkjet printing poses difficulties in achieving stable and high quality FET sensors. In this paper, we focus on the GO flakes variation on the substrate after the ink drying, especially for quantifying and controlling the flake distribution on the FET channel. A spatial statistical model describing the flake center distribution is first developed using Poisson process. Based on this model, we build an optimization framework to achieve the best flake distribution that satisfies FET performance requirement. In the optimization framework, we focus on two key characteristics in the GO ink production process, the flake size and flake concentration, and the exact solutions for these two characteristics are derived. The relationship between the characteristics and the flake distribution is demonstrated and discussed through various simulations. The comparisons between simulation results and the exact solution verify the effectiveness of the proposed methods.
Reproductive and Survival Responses of Overwintered Boll Weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) to Diet

Abstract The boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis grandis Boheman (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is a major pest of cotton (Gossypium spp.) that overwinters in an adult diapause. Diapause is primarily ind...
How COVID-19 deepens child oral health inequities.

ABSTRACT The fallout from COVID-19 will reveal the depth and range of social, economic, and political disparities faced by U.S. families and children. Those same injustices, magnified and worsened by COVID-19, are also responsible for perpetuating child oral health disparities.
Integration of crop and livestock enhanced soil biochemical properties and microbial community structure

Abstract Integrated crop-livestock (ICL) system that include livestock grazing of crop residue and/or cover crops is an agricultural practice that manage crops and livestock on a single farm. Integrated crop-livestock system can provide opportunities to restore ecological services and interactions among different land-use systems to enhance agricultural ecosystems’ efficiency. These systems help to enhance nutrient cycling, soil health, and protect the environment. This study was conducted at four different locations to understand the synergistic effect of the ICL systems on soil health by keeping native grasslands as a reference. Data showed that ICL system significantly increased the cold-water soluble carbon (CWC) by 44.2, 126.2, and 94.8% than the control (CNT) treatment at sites 1, 2, and 4, respectively. At site 2 and 4, the ICL system significantly increased the hot-water soluble carbon (HWC) by 265, and 104% higher compared to the CNT, respectively. The total phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) abundance was 95.4 and 25.5% higher under ICL system compared to the CNT at site 3 and 4, respectively. ICL system significantly increased the dehydrogenase, fluorescein diacetate, urease, and β-glucosidase activity compared to CNT at all the locations. The type of carbon (C) input (easily mineralizable organic matter), substrate availability (labile C and nitrogen), enzyme activities, and suitable soil environment or ecology of the system have been found to be the major influencing factors that determine the shifts in bacterial community structure and composition of the soil. This research finds a clear correlation between the ICL systems and the microbial communities, and soil health. It provides a viable option for restoring the natural ecosystem and achieving food security.
Climate change and the risk industry: the multiplication of fear and value

Inundated port cities bringing trade and shipping to its knees: Gulf of Mexico oil production crippled by a series of major hurricanes: lower Manhattan under water, or an overtopping Thames paralyzing global financial markets. These images no longer read like scenes from the wildly apocalyptic film The Day After Tomorrow. They are narratives regularly reported in the press and are commonplace in scenario planning conducted by the phalanxes of risk consultants, policy wonks, and academics concerned with the challenges of adapting to the medium and long term implications of global climate change. Future climate projections coupled with disastrous economic scenarios are not hard to come by, thanks to a forest of reports turned out by multilateral organizations, environmental agencies, global insurers, industry associations, policy think tanks, university research centers, environmental non-governmental organizations, and so on. As the economic risks posed by global warming have become increasingly apparent and publicized, the planetary scale of both financial interdependence and climate change impacts have made it impossible for the institutions managing global capital to ignore them. Potential threats often cited include damage to property and infrastructure from sea level rise and coastal subsidence, declines in agricultural and marine productivity, water shortages, increasing health care and health insurance costs and work days lost, and economic losses due to more frequent or severe weather-related disasters such as heat waves, droughts, floods, winter storms, and tropical cyclones (cf. Nicholls et al. 2007, Epstein and Mills 2005, Downing et al. 1999).1 These are the sorts of impacts that prompted sociologist Ulrich Beck to place climate change in a new category of risks generated by industrial society that are fundamentally “uninsurable” (Beck 1999). But is this in fact the case? In what follows I show that the insurance industry is plowing ahead with its attempts to make climate change impacts insurable, and therefore profitable, lines of business. Moreover, I argue that the ways in which the industry is going about this project reveal theconstellations of science, value, and fear – a political ecology of risk – through which the modern insurance industry broadly construed (the risk industry) reproduces itself.2
Uncovering cellular networks in branching morphogenesis using single-cell transcriptomics

Single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) and related technologies to identify cell types and measure gene expression in space, in time, and within lineages have multiplied rapidly in recent years. As these techniques proliferate, we are seeing an increase in their application to the study of developing tissues. Here, we focus on single-cell investigations of branching morphogenesis. Branched organs are highly complex but typically develop recursively, such that a given developmental stage theoretically contains the entire spectrum of cell identities from progenitor to terminally differentiated. Therefore, branched organs are a highly attractive system for study by scRNA-seq. First, we provide an update on advances in the field of scRNA-seq analysis, focusing on spatial transcriptomics, computational reconstruction of differentiation trajectories, and integration of scRNA-seq with lineage tracing. In addition, we discuss the possibilities and limitations for applying these techniques to studying branched organs. We then discuss exciting advances made using scRNA-seq in the study of branching morphogenesis and differentiation in mammalian organs, with emphasis on the lung, kidney, and mammary gland. We propose ways that scRNA-seq could be used to address outstanding questions in each organ. Finally, we highlight the importance of physical and mechanical signals in branching morphogenesis and speculate about how scRNA-seq and related techniques could be applied to study tissue morphogenesis beyond just differentiation.
Efficient Enforcement in International Law

Abstract Enforcement is a fundamental challenge for international law. Sanctions are costly to impose, difficult to coordinate, and often ineffective at accomplishing their goals. Rewards are likewise costly and domestically unpopular. Thus, efforts to address pressing international problems-such as reversing climate change and coordinating monetary policy-often fall short. This Article offers a novel approach to international enforcement and demonstrates the advantages of such an approach over traditional sanctions or rewards. It develops a mechanism of Reversible Rewards, which combines sticks and carrots in a unique, previously unexplored way. Reversible Rewards require that a sum of money be offered as a reward to the Target for its compliance (Incentive 1). Alternatively, the same amount of money can be used to pay for sanctions in case the Target turns down the reward (Incentive 2). This way, the money earmarked for the enforcement effort "works twice" and thus doubles the Target's incentives to comply. Moreover, Reversible Rewards can be pre-committed in an enforcement fund to solve the problem of credibility. The Article demonstrates that, relative to sanctions or rewards used alone, Reversible Rewards reduce the costs of international enforcement and increase compliance with international rules. Table of Contents I. Introduction.. 376 II. Costly Enforcement 380 A. The Prevalence of Sanctions and Rewards ..380 1. Sanctions.. 380 2. Rewards. 382 3. Sanctions versus rewards. 383 B. The Costs of Sanctions 385 C. TheCostofRewards 391 III. Theory: Reversible Rewards 393 A. Simple Model of Enforcement...... 393 B. Reversible Rewards: Why They Work. 395 1. The double effect. 395 2. Credible commitment... 397 3. Limits of Reversible Rewards.. 399 IV. Applications of Reversible Rewards 400 A. Enforcement Conflicts...... 400 1. Currency manipulation. 401 2. Climate change. 403 B. Sanctions .....408 1. Available sanctions...... 408 2. Cost of sanctions 409 C. Rewards. …
The impact of identity by descent on fitness and disease in dogs

Domestic dogs have experienced population bottlenecks, recent inbreeding, and strong artificial selection. These processes have simplified the genetic architecture of complex traits, allowed deleterious variation to persist, and increased both identity-by-descent (IBD) segments and runs of homozygosity (ROH). As such, dogs provide an excellent model for examining how these evolutionary processes influence disease. We assembled a dataset containing 4,414 breed dogs, 327 village dogs, and 380 wolves genotyped at 117,288 markers and data for clinical and morphological phenotypes. Breed dogs have an enrichment of IBD and ROH, relative to both village dogs and wolves, and we use these patterns to show that breed dogs have experienced differing severities of bottlenecks in their recent past. We then found that ROH burden is associated with phenotypes in breed dogs, such as lymphoma. We next test the prediction that breeds with greater ROH have more disease alleles reported in the Online Mendelian Inheritance in Animals (OMIA). Surprisingly, the number of causal variants identified correlates with the popularity of that breed rather than the ROH or IBD burden, suggesting an ascertainment bias in OMIA. Lastly, we use the distribution of ROH across the genome to identify genes with depletions of ROH as potential hotspots for inbreeding depression and find multiple exons where ROH are never observed. Our results suggest that inbreeding has played a large role in shaping genetic and phenotypic variation in dogs and that future work on understudied breeds may reveal new disease-causing variation.
Locus of Heat Resistance (LHR) in Meat-Borne Escherichia coli: Screening and Genetic Characterization.

ABSTRACT Microbial resistance to processing treatments poses a food safety concern, as treatment tolerant pathogens can emerge. Occasional foodborne outbreaks caused by pathogenic Escherichia coli have led to human and economic losses. Therefore, this study screened for the extreme heat resistance (XHR) phenotype as well as one known genetic marker, the locus of heat resistance (LHR), in 4,123 E. coli isolates from diverse meat animals at different processing stages. The prevalences of XHR and LHR among the meat-borne E. coli were found to be 10.3% and 11.4%, respectively, with 19% agreement between the two. Finished meat products showed the highest LHR prevalence (24.3%) compared to other processing stages (0 to 0.6%). None of the LHR+E. coli in this study would be considered pathogens based on screening for virulence genes. Four high-quality genomes were generated by whole-genome sequencing of representative LHR+ isolates. Nine horizontally acquired LHRs were identified and characterized, four plasmid-borne and five chromosomal. Nine newly identified LHRs belong to ClpK1 LHR or ClpK2 LHR variants sharing 61 to 68% nucleotide sequence identity, while one LHR appears to be a hybrid. Our observations suggest positive correlation between the number of LHR regions present in isolates and the extent of heat resistance. The isolate exhibiting the highest degree of heat resistance possessed four LHRs belonging to three different variant groups. Maintenance of as many as four LHRs in a single genome emphasizes the benefits of the LHR in bacterial physiology and stress response. IMPORTANCE Currently, a “multiple-hurdle” approach based on a combination of different antimicrobial interventions, including heat, is being utilized during meat processing to control the burden of spoilage and pathogenic bacteria. Our recent study (M. Guragain, G. E. Smith, D. A. King, and J. M. Bosilevac, J Food Prot 83:1438–1443, 2020, https://doi.org/10.4315/JFP-20-103) suggests that U.S. beef cattle harbor Escherichia coli that possess the locus of heat resistance (LHR). LHR seemingly contributes to the global stress tolerance in bacteria and hence poses a food safety concern. Therefore, it is important to understand the distribution of the LHRs among meat-borne bacteria identified at different stages of different meat processing systems. Complete genome sequencing and comparative analysis of selected heat-resistant bacteria provide a clearer understanding of stress and heat resistance mechanisms. Further, sequencing data may offer a platform to gain further insights into the genetic background that provides optimal bacterial tolerance against heat and other processing treatments.
Lived Experiences of Recent Russian-Speaking LGBT+ Immigrants in the United States: An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis

The Russian government adopted “anti-gay propaganda” laws in 2013, prompting an exodus of LGBT+ individuals who sought asylum in Western countries. Little is known about this new and diverse group ...
Ammonia electrosynthesis on single-atom catalysts: Mechanistic understanding and recent progress

Ammonia has been regarded as an irreplaceable chemical for human life as its essential role in fertilizers, pharmaceuticals, and renewable energy. At present, ammonia is industrially derived from fossil fuels with the well-known Haber–Bosch process, which is energy-consuming as well as environmentally unfriendly. The electrosynthesis approach is currently under intensive research as a future basis for producing ammonia from renewable sources. This review presents in-depth mechanistic studies and recent progress in single-atom electrocatalysts as an emerging platform for ammonia synthesis from the electroreduction of molecular dinitrogen and nitrogen oxides, particularly nitrate anion. In the conclusions and outlook, our discussion explores some key perspectives of future developments in the field. It is believed that ammonia electrosynthesis from a variety of nitrogen species via renewable electricity is of a great prospect to offer environmental, energy, and sustainability benefits.
Roadway Embeddable Multi-MHz Capacitive Wireless Charging System with Matching Network Realized using Wiring Parasitics

This paper introduces a roadway embeddable multi-MHz capacitive wireless power transfer (WPT) system suitable for EV charging that realizes its roadway-side matching network using the parasitics of the wires connecting the charging pad to the curbside power electronics. Various implementations of this parasitics-based matching network that enable high voltage gain and reactive compensation are investigated and compared in terms of stray electromagnetic fields and overall system efficiency. A novel design for a roadway embeddable charging pad which achieves a favorable tradeoff between system efficiency and pad thickness is also presented. A 13.56-MHz 12-cm air-gap kilowatt-scale capacitive WPT prototype utilizing the proposed parasitics-based roadway-side matching network and roadway embeddable charging pad is designed and built and tested upto 100 W power level. The performance of the prototype is in good agreement with theoretical predictions.
Imperfective Readings: Partitions as Quantificational Domains

In languages which realize the imperfective aspect (IMPF), sentences containing IMPF-marked verbs exhibit at least three distinct readings (e.g. Italian (Romance), Gujarati (Indo-Aryan), Arabic (Semitic, Ryding 2005), and Bambara (Mande, Trobs 2004).1 These are the progressive or event-in-progress reading (with lexically episodic predicates), the habitual/generic or characterizing reading (with lexically episodic predicates) and the continuous reading (with lexically stative predicates). The correlation of IMPF-marking with these three readings has been observed to be a robust cross-linguistic tendency (Comrie 1976, Dahl 1985, Bybee et al. 1994, Deo 2006 and others) that suggests a single semantic core from which the three readings might arise. These readings are illustrated in (1) with examples from Gujarati.2
Introduction: A Sketch of the History and Scope of the Field

Biomechanics is mechanics applied to biology. The word “mechanics” was used by Galileo as a subtitle to his book Two New Sciences* (1638) to describe force, motion, and strength of materials. Through the years its meaning has been extended to cover the study of the motions of all kinds of particles and continua, including quanta, atoms, molecules, gases, liquids, solids, structures, stars, and galaxies. In a generalized sense it is applied to the analysis of any dynamic system. Thus thermodynamics, heat and mass transfer, cybernetics, computing methods, etc., are considered proper provinces of mechanics. The biological world is a part of the physical world around us and naturally is an object of inquiry in mechanics.
Bovine leukemia virus in human breast tissues

Bovine leukemia virus (BLV) is an oncogenic retrovirus that commonly infects cattle and causes a B cell leukemia/lymphoma in ‰ of 1% of infected cattle. BLV is present in much of marketed beef and dairy products, and breast cancer incidence is greatest in countries with high consumption of bovine foodstuffs. We were therefore interested in determining whether humans were infected with BLV, and whether it might play a role in breast cancer. In previous studies we found that many humans had antibodies to BLV envelope glycoprotein (gp51) and capsid protein (p24), suggesting humans might possibly be infected with BLV. We used immunohistochemistry (IHC) and in situ PCR (IS-PCR) to detect viral protein and proviral DNA, respectively, as signs of infection in surgically excised human breast tissue sections. IHC utilized a monoclonal antibody to the BLV p24 capsid protein. IS-PCR utilized primers from the tax region of the BLV genome to amplify a product with directly incorporated digoxigenin-11 dUTP tags, which were then detected with a peroxidase-conjugated antibody to digoxigenin. The majority of the breast tissues had evidence of BLV proviral genome and four out of 27 were positive for BLV capsid protein. We are working to accumulate data on enough samples to determine whether infection of breast tissue is associated with the pathologic classification of the tissue. This research was supported by funds from the California Breast Cancer Research Program.
SII-facilitated transcript cleavage in RNA polymerase II complexes stalled early after initiation occurs in primarily dinucleotide increments.

Abstract RNA polymerase II ternary complex cleaves its nascent transcript in a 3'-->5' direction in the presence of elongation factor SII (Izban, M. G., and Luse, D. S. (1992) Genes & Dev. 6, 1342-1356; Reines, D. (1992) J. Biol. Chem. 267, 3795-3800). We have characterized the cleavage products generated during the truncation process with a variety of stalled RNA polymerase II ternary complexes containing uniformly labeled transcripts. These complexes, which remain elongation competent, had stopped transcription because one nucleoside triphosphate was missing from the reaction mixture. Using a novel assay system, we demonstrate that cleavage occurs in predominantly dinucleotide increments, liberating 5'-phosphodinucleotides (pNpNs). In one instance with a particular C20 complex, the first cleavage event was equally partitioned between either a di-or trinucleotide increment with all subsequent truncations occurring by the preferred dinucleotide step. Our data indicate that both the kinetics and the exact increment of SII-facilitated transcript cleavage are influenced by transcript sequence.
Protein interactions in genetic recombination in Escherichia coli. Interactions involving RecO and RecR overcome the inhibition of RecA by single-stranded DNA-binding protein.

RecA promotes homologous pairing of single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) with double-stranded DNA (dsDNA). This reaction occurs inefficiently if the ssDNA substrate is preincubated with Escherichia coli ssDNA-binding protein (SSB). However, RecO and RecR can act together as accessory factors for RecA to overcome this inhibition by SSB (Umezu, K., Chi, N.-W., and Kolodner, R. D. (1993) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 90, 3875-3879). To elucidate the mechanism that underlies this process, we examined protein-protein interactions between RecA, RecF, RecO, RecR, and SSB, and characterized the structure and activity of the ssDNA complexes formed with different combinations of these proteins. We obtained the following results. (i) RecO physically interacts with both RecR and SSB. The interaction between RecO and SSB is stronger than the RecO-RecR interaction. (ii) RecO and RecR do not remove SSB from SSB.ssDNA complexes, but instead bind to these complexes. The resulting RecO.RecR.SSB.ssDNA complexes were more active in RecA-mediated joint molecule formation than were SSB.ssDNA complexes. (iii) RecA can nucleate on the RecO.RecR.SSB.ssDNA complexes more efficiently than on SSB.ssDNA complexes. (iv) When RecA presynaptic filaments were formed in the presence of SSB, RecO, and RecR, the protein-DNA complexes obtained contained 70% of the amount of RecA required to saturate ssDNA. These complexes, however, can mediate joint molecule formation and strand exchange as efficiently as presynaptic filaments which are fully saturated with RecA. Based on these results, we propose dual roles for RecO and RecR in joint molecule formation. First, RecO and RecR bind to SSB.ssDNA complexes and modify their structure to allow RecA to nucleate on them efficiently. Second, RecO and RecR are retained in RecA presynaptic filaments and play a role in the subsequent homologous pairing process promoted by RecA.
Fertility Transition: Southeast Asia

This article is a revision of the previous edition article by C. Hirschman, volume 8, pp. 5597–5602, © 2001, Elsevier Ltd.
Small but mighty: microRNAs as novel signalling molecules in cancer

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short, noncoding RNAs that silence target messenger RNAs by blocking translation or promoting transcript degradation. While the roles of miRNAs within cells have been extensively characterized, emerging evidence suggests that miRNAs are also transported between cells, providing a novel form of intercellular communication. Circulating miRNAs have been identified, packaged in extracellular vesicles or associated with high-density lipoproteins and Argonaute proteins. Specific extracellular miRNAs have been associated with human cancers. They not only serve as measurable disease biomarkers, but recent findings suggest secreted miRNAs may also mediate crosstalk between cancer cells and other cell types, including those that comprise the prometastatic tumor niche. Previous studies, reviewed here, demonstrate that miRNAs released by cancer cells can be internalized by nearby or distant cells, to modify gene expression and alter the tumor microenvironment. As critical drivers of both oncogenesis and metastasis, miRNAs may be attractive therapeutic targets in a wide range of cancers.
Dielectric Properties and Relaxation in (1−x)BiScO3–xBa(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3 Solid Solutions

The dielectric properties and frequency dispersion associated with a dielectric relaxation were evaluated within the perovskite (1-x)BiScO 3 -xBa(Mg 1/3 Nb 2/3 )O 3 solid solution systems (0.7 ≤ x ≤ 1). With increasing BiScO 3 , the room-temperature dielectric permittivity at low frequency (100 Hz) increased up to 115 at x = 0.7, and a dielectric relaxation phenomenon was evident. Relaxation parameters were analyzed using several Arrhenius-type equations, and the microwave dielectric property measurement using rectangular wave-guide method enabled confirmation of the extrapolated value of the Arrhenius plot. The result of the microwave dielectric property measurement was also checked with J-function fitting based on the frequency-dependent Gaussian distribution of the associated dielectric loss data at low frequency.
Determination of Galactic Spiral Structure at Radiofrequencies

We consider some results of attempts to trace the pattern of galactic spiral structure in HII regions, HI, and CO. There is really no adequate method available for solving this problem, a fact reflected in the lack of consensus regarding the “correct” spiral pattern. The newly-begun process of deriving galactic structure in CO seems to be recapitulating the history laid down by HI observers.
Epidemiology of illicit and abused drugs in the general population, emergency department drug-related episodes, and arrestees

National trends in substance abuse are presented: the civilian noninstitutionalized general population; drug-related emergency department episodes; and booked arrestees. Major metropolitan differences are also noted. This study was based on the primary national data systems for these groups: The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, SAMHSA's Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN), and the National Institute of Justice Drug Use Forecasting (DUF) system. While the most prevalent drug differed in the three data sources, all three showed recent increases in marijuana. Despite the general decline in drug use seen in the general population, both the number of drug-related cases in the DAWN system and the drug use detected in the DUF arrestees showed recent increases.
Avian bornaviruses: diagnosis, isolation, and genotyping.

These protocols apply to all currently known genotypes of avian bornavirus (ABV). First, they include four basic protocols for molecular techniques that should enable an investigator to detect ABV infection in a live or dead bird. These include both reverse transcriptase and real-time PCR assays. Second, they include three protocols enabling ABV infections to be diagnosed by serologic techniques including indirect immunofluorescence assays, western blotting, and enzyme-linked immunoassays. Third, they also include methods by which ABV can be isolated from infected bird tissues by culture in primary duck embryo fibroblasts, as well as in other avian cell lines. Finally, as part of a diagnostic workup, any virus detected should be genotyped by sequencing, and a protocol for this is also provided. Curr. Protoc. Microbiol. 34:15I.1.1-15I.1.33. © 2014 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Keywords: avian bornaviruses; polymerase chain reaction; virus culture; immunofluorescence; western blotting; immunohistochemistry; genotyping
Scaling requirements extraction to the crowd: Experiments with privacy policies

Natural language text sources have increasingly been used to develop new methods and tools for extracting and analyzing requirements. To validate these new approaches, researchers rely on a small number of trained experts to perform a labor-intensive manual analysis of the text. The time and resources needed to conduct manual extraction, however, has limited the size of case studies and thus the generalizability of results. To begin to address this issue, we conducted three experiments to evaluate crowdsourcing a manual requirements extraction task to a larger number of untrained workers. In these experiments, we carefully balance worker payment and overall cost, as well as worker training and data quality to study the feasibility of distributing requirements extraction to the crowd. The task consists of extracting descriptions of data collection, sharing and usage requirements from privacy policies. We present results from two pilot studies and a third experiment to justify applying a task decomposition approach to requirements extraction. Our contributions include the task decomposition workflow and three metrics for measuring worker performance. The final evaluation shows a 60% reduction in the cost of manual extraction with a 16% increase in extraction coverage.
Computational Complexity over thep-adic Numbers

A model of computation over thep-adic numbers, for odd primesp, is defined following the approach of Blum, Shub, and Smale. This model employs branching on the property of being a square inQpand unit height. The feasibility of systems of quadratic polynomials is shown to be NP-complete in this model. A polynomial time algorithm is given for feasibility of a single quadratic polynomial overQp.
Novel CD8+ Treg suppress EAE by TGF-β- and IFN-γ-dependent mechanisms

Although CD8+ Treg-mediated suppression has been described, CD8+ Treg remain poorly characterized. Here we identify a novel subset of CD8+ Treg that express latency-associated peptide (LAP) on their cell surface (CD8+LAP+ cells) and exhibit regulatory activity in vitro and in vivo. Only a small fraction of CD8+LAP+ cells express Foxp3 or CD25, although the expression levels of Foxp3 for these cells are higher than their LAP− counterparts. In addition to TGF-β, CD8+LAP+ cells produce IFN-γ, and these cells suppress EAE that is dependent on both TGF-β and IFN-γ. In an adoptive co-transfer model, CD8+LAP+ cells suppress myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG)-specific immune responses by inducing or expanding Foxp3+ cells and by inhibiting proliferation and IFN-γ production in vivo. Furthermore, in vivo neutralization of IFN-γ and studies with IFN-γ-deficient mice demonstrate an important role for IFN-γ production in the function of CD8+LAP+ cells. Our findings identify the underlying mechanisms that account for the immunoregulatory activity of CD8+ T cells and suggest that induction or amplification of CD8+LAP+ cells may be a therapeutic strategy to help control autoimmune processes.
Software engineering education at Texas Christian University: Adapting a curriculum to changing needs

Abstract In response to the need for skilled software engineers, Texas Christian University, in the Fall of 1978, established a Master's Degree in Software Engineering, the first such degree program of its kind in the country. Because of external pressure, prompted by the absence of an engineering college at TCU, the program was renamed Master's of Software Design and Development (MSDD) in 1980. After three years of experience with the MSDD program, the curriculum was revised in 1981 to reflect the changing needs of the software engineering profession. This revised curriculum, currently in place at Texas Christian University, is described and evaluated. Avenues of future curriculum expansion are explored.
A study of the reaction course of triphenylphosphine with bromomethyltriphenylphosphonium bromide

Abstract A mechanism for the reaction of triphenylphosphine with bromomethyltriphenylphosphonium bromide is proposed to explain the different reaction products in (1) aprotic solvents and (2) in the presence of oxygenated protic compounds.
A Cryogenic Stabilization Scheme for Radio Astronomy Applications

We report on a scheme to stabilize short term cryogenic temperature variations in equipment used for high frequency radio telescope receivers. A 45.9 cm3 copper helium pot is affixed to a Sumitomo/Daikin 308, GM/JT cold head. 5.7×103 cm3 of helium gas is introduced at the end of the cooling cycle and condensation until zero kPaa is reached. Short term temperature stabilization is achieved through the specific heat of the liquefied helium diminishing thermal deviations up to 46%.© 2009 ASME
Sesquiterpene lactones of artemisia. ridentin

Abstract Ridentin, a new germacranolide, has been isolated from several speices of Artemisia of the Tridentatae complex. The structural relationship of ridentin to other lactones of the complex suggests its position as a precursor in the biosynthetic pathway to the guaianolides of the genus.
Search term combinations and retrieval overlap : a proposed methodology and case study

Une nouvelle methodologie d'etude des effets du choix des termes et des recouvrements des «postages» sur la recherche est proposee, en posant pour hypothese que la mise en commun des resultats de plusieurs chercheurs ou questions peut cacher ou eliminer des inter-relations importantes. La methodologie proposee comporte de vastes analyses quantitatives, basees sur le concept d'ensembles postes elementaires qui doivent etre accomplies, des combinaisons de termes de recherche et d'ensemble de postages pour une seule recherche online. La methodologie est longuement presentee et testee sur un cas particulier. Les resultats en sont ensuite analyses et discutes: ils donnent lieu a de nombreuses hypotheses qui ouvrent des voies interessantes a de futures recherches. (INTD)
Chemical imprecision in the spectrophotometric determination of ruthenium with dithio-oxamide

Abstract The precision of a single spectrophotometric determination of ruthenium as the dithio-oxamide complex is shown to be about 0.5% and to be limited by chemical rather than instrumental irreproducibility. The molar absorptivity of this complex is (1.11±0.02).104 l mole-cm at 654 nm, considerably smaller than reported previously. It is shown that solutions of ruthenium for use as spectrophotometric standards may be prepared with a precision of about 0.3% by dissolving weighed portions of the pure metal powder in alkaline sodium hypochlorite at pH ca. 10, taking precautions to avoid the loss of RuO4 during the dissolution.
Fault characteristics of aircraft electric systems

Aircraft destruction can result from electric installations following the same principles successfully used in a normal industrial installation. Suggestions are made to clear faults of this type.
BAX is required for neuronal death after trophic factor deprivation and during development

Members of the BCL2-related family of proteins either promote or repress programmed cell death. BAX, a death-promoting member, heterodimerizes with multiple death-repressing molecules, suggesting that it could prove critical to cell death. We tested whether Bax is required for neuronal death by trophic factor deprivation and during development. Neonatal sympathetic neurons and facial motor neurons from Bax-deficient mice survived nerve growth factor deprivation and disconnection from their targets by axotomy, respectively. These salvaged neurons displayed remarkable soma atrophy and reduced elaboration of neurities; yet they responded to readdition of trophic factor with soma hypertrophy and enhanced neurite outgrowth. Bax-deficient superior cervical ganglia and facial nuclei possessed increased numbers of neurons. Our observations demonstrate that trophic factor deprivation-induced death of sympathetic and motor neurons depends on Bax.
Behavioral and neural correlates of delay of gratification 40 years later

We examined the neural basis of self-regulation in individuals from a cohort of preschoolers who performed the delay-of-gratification task 4 decades ago. Nearly 60 individuals, now in their mid-forties, were tested on “hot” and “cool” versions of a go/nogo task to assess whether delay of gratification in childhood predicts impulse control abilities and sensitivity to alluring cues (happy faces). Individuals who were less able to delay gratification in preschool and consistently showed low self-control abilities in their twenties and thirties performed more poorly than did high delayers when having to suppress a response to a happy face but not to a neutral or fearful face. This finding suggests that sensitivity to environmental hot cues plays a significant role in individuals’ ability to suppress actions toward such stimuli. A subset of these participants (n = 26) underwent functional imaging for the first time to test for biased recruitment of frontostriatal circuitry when required to suppress responses to alluring cues. Whereas the prefrontal cortex differentiated between nogo and go trials to a greater extent in high delayers, the ventral striatum showed exaggerated recruitment in low delayers. Thus, resistance to temptation as measured originally by the delay-of-gratification task is a relatively stable individual difference that predicts reliable biases in frontostriatal circuitries that integrate motivational and control processes.
Prolate silver particles in glass surfaces

Abstract By ion-exchange of a soda-lime glass in an AgNO 3 NaNO 3 salt melt at a temperature of 400°C for 2 h and following annealing at a temperature of 650°C for 100 h, spherical crystalline silver particles of different sizes were produced in a glass. The particles were deformed by stretching a sample of this glass within a furnace with a maximum temperature of 620°C. Optical spectra were measured before and after deformation. Results of transmission electron microscopy are given for particle sizes as well as the size dependence of particle deformation. The diameters of the particles ranged from 10 to 100 nm within one sample. Measured optical spectra are compared with spectra calculated on the basis of Gan's theory. The dependence of particle deformation on particle size and process parameters is described by a model.