cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multiple ion-stimulated adenosine triphosphatase activities associated with membranes of the diatom Nitzschia alba.

At least ten distinct ATP-hydrolyzing activities are associated with mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum-, Golgi-, and plasma membrane-enriched fractions from the marine diatom, Nitzschia alba. These activities are divided into four groups: Ca2+-dependent, Mg2+-dependent monovalent cation-stimulated, Mg2+-anion-stimulated ATPases, and Mg2+-dependent nucleotidases. The Mg2+-dependent activities hydrolyze nucleoside triphosphates and, in some membranes, nucleoside diphosphates. Molar ratios of 1:2 ATPMg2+ are preferred. However, their divalent cation requirements are not specific, and they can effectively utilize Ca2+, Mn2+, Mg2+, or Zn2+. The most effective inhibitors of the Mg2+-dependent activities are oligomycin, NaN3, and NaF. Optimal activity of the Mg2+-dependent monovalent cation-stimulated ATPase is obtained at Na+, or Na+ plus K+ concentrations of 100–300 mm. Under these high salt conditions, ATP is hydrolyzed almost exclusively, and Mg2+ is specifically required for activation. Preference is for a molar ratio of ATPMg2+ ≧ 2, and the sulfhydryl-blocking agents, p-chloromecuribenzoate, N-ethylmaleimide, and iodoacetamide strongly or completely inhibit ATP hyrolysis.
WHAT CAN HABITAT PREFERENCE MODELS TELL US? TESTS USING A VIRTUAL TROUT POPULATION

Habitat selection (“preference”) models are widely used to manage fish and wildlife. Their use assumes that (1) habitat with high animal densities (highly selected habitat) is high quality habitat, and low densities indicate low quality habitat; and (2) animal populations respond positively to the availability of highly selected habitat. These assumptions are increasingly questioned but very difficult to test. We evaluated these assumptions in an individual-based model (IBM) of stream trout that reproduces many natural complexities and habitat selection behaviors. Trout in the IBM select habitat to maximize their potential fitness, a function of growth potential (including food competition) and mortality risks. We know each habitat cell's intrinsic habitat quality, the fitness potential a trout in the cell would experience in the absence of competition. There was no strong relation between fitness potential and the density of fish in the IBM; cells where fitness potential was high but density low were com...
The Strategy of Ecosystem Development

The principles of ecological succession bear importantly on the relationships between man and nature. The framework of successional theory needs to be examined as a basis for resolving man’s present environmental crisis. Most ideas pertaining to the development of ecological systems are based on descriptive data obtained by observing changes in biotic communities over long periods, or on highly theoretical assumptions; very few of the generally accepted hypotheses have been tested experimentally. Some of the confusion, vagueness, and lack of experimental work in this area stems from the tendency of ecologists to regard “succession” as a single straightforward idea; in actual fact, it entails an interacting complex of processes, some of which counteract one another.
Infantile colic: incidence and treatment in a Norfolk community

In a prospective study of 1019 infant and mother pairs, 268 infants suffered with 'infantile colic'. Significantly more of these were breast fed, supporting the proposed theory of a colic-producing factor in breast milk. Social class and maternal education were not related to the incidence of colic. Seventy-two percent of our infants with colic suffered from classical evening colic. The symptoms did not disappear from all the infants by 3 months - over 38% continued to have symptoms after 3 1/2 months of age. Treatment is limited, but merbentyl helped to relieve symptoms to a varying degree in over 60% of the infants who tried it. The family relationships are often strained during this period and this appears to persist when at one year of age significantly more of these infants were described as demanding, miserable and bad-tempered by their mothers.
Public Policy, Health Care and Older Women

For the first time in history, long life has become a problem. The most serious problem facing the older generation is the availability and affordability of health care. While the life expectancy of both men and women cbntinues to increase, the older population of the U.S. is becoming increasingly feminine. In the last two decades there has been a dramatic fall in poverty among the aged, yet for many elderly persons and especially older women, Social Security benefits barely keep them above the poverty level. Access to medical care has improved with Medicaid and Medicare, but not to the extent the aging population had anticipated. Proposals for universal health care have been put forth by politicians, legislators and professional organizations, some of which acknowledge the unique health problems of aging women while others are discriminatory to the aged in general and women in particular. Many believe women must assert themselves if their health care needs are to be adequately and fairly addressed. To this end, more women than ever are becoming involved in the political process, running for and being elected to local, state and national offices. It is anticipated that these women will be sensitive to the health care needs of older women and put forth efforts to develop and implement policies which address these needs.
Photothermal Deflection Spectroscopy In Zns Electroluminescent Thin Films

Photothermal,deflection spectroscopy is used to determine optical absorption in ZnS:Mn thin film electroluminescent phosphors. The ZnS:Mn sample is immersed in a transparent liquid and optically pumped with a square-wave intensity modulated monochromatic light source. This produces a thermal gradient in the fluid which is probed by a He-Ne laser beam grazing the sample surface. The optical absorption in the sample can be related to the deflection of the laser beam by the thermal lens in the fluid. The relation of the absorption to the energy levels in ZnS:Mn will be discussed.
Performance of multi user detector based receivers for UWB body area networks

Recent developments in ultra wideband (UWB) technology have opened a way to create wireless networks for personal health care monitoring. This personal area wireless network with a set of wireless nodes mounted on body is popularly known as body area network (BAN). A typical BAN has a set of thirty to fifty wireless sensors with a low transmit power constraint. Also, the wireless channel seen in by a wireless node is unique when mounted on the human body. It has been shown that UWB supports reliable connectivity at low transmit power for body mounted wireless nodes. Further, the UWB also supports co-existence with other wireless networks and supports higher data rate. Given that large number of nodes are placed in close proximity the BAN operates in a multi-user interference limited environment. Therefore, we discuss the performance of multi-user based detectors for body area networks and compare the performance with conventional receiver architectures. We use the recently proposed channel model for the standard IEEE 802.15.4a. Our simulations show superior performance of MUD based receivers over RAKE based receivers for a body area channel.
A reconfigurable IC for wireless monitoring of chemical or electrical neural activity

A reconfigurable integrated circuit for single-channel wireless monitoring of chemical or electrical neural activity is described. It can perform both amperometry and fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) when configured for neurochemical sensing, and can record extracellular action potentials as well as local field potentials (LFPs) when configured for electrophysiological studies. The chip architecture employs a third-order DeltaSigma modulator (DeltaSigmaM) and a frequency-shift-keyed (FSK) transmitter operating near 433 MHz. It also incorporates a programmable arbitrary waveform generator for FSCV measurements. The chip is fabricated using the AMI 0.5 mum 2P/3M n-well CMOS process, and achieves a measured current resolution of 94.1 pArms in a 5-kHz bandwidth for 300-V/s FSCV and an input-referred noise voltage of 4.69 muVrms in a bandwidth of 1.1-5 kHz. The modulator core, FSCV waveform generator, and RF transmitter draw ~28 muA, ~40 muA, and ~400 muA from a 2.5-V power supply, respectively.
Erosion rates driven by channel network incision in the Bolivian Andes

The Bolivian Andes flank one of Earth’s major topographic features and dominate sediment input into the Amazon Basin. Millennial-scale erosion rates and dominant controls on erosion patterns in this range are poorly known. To define these patterns, we present 48 erosion rate estimates, derived from analysis of in situ 10 Be in quartz-bearing alluvium collected from the Upper Beni River basin. Erosion rates, corrected for the non-uniform distribution of quartz in the sample basins, range from 0·04 mm a −1 to 1·35 mm a −1 and thus integrate over 10 2 ‐10 4 years. Mean and modal values are 0·42 (standard deviation: 0·29) and 0·2‐0·4 mm a −1 respectively, within the range of long-term average erosion rates in this area derived from apatite fission track thermochronology (0·1‐0·6 mm a −1 ). Hence, our data do not record any significant variation in erosion rate over the last several million years. Mean and modal short-term erosion rates for the Andes are an order of magnitude lower than rates in the Ganges River headwaters in the High Himalaya and an order of magnitude greater than rates typical of the European Alps. In the Upper Beni River region of the Bolivian Andes, short-term, basin-averaged erosion rates correlate with normalized channel steepness index, a metric of relative channel gradient corrected for drainage area. Neither normalized channel steepness index nor basin-averaged erosion rate shows strong correlation with mean basin hillslope gradient or mean basin local relief because many hillslopes in the Upper Beni River region are at threshold values of slope and local relief. Patterns of normalized channel steepness index appear primarily to reflect tectonic patterns and transient adjustment to those patterns by channel networks. Climate and lithology do not appear to exert first-order controls on patterns of basin-averaged erosion rates in the Bolivian Andes. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An Approach to the Mesoscale Simulation of Grain Growth

The simulation of curvature driven growth in grain boundary systems is becoming an important tool in understanding the behavior of microstructure evolution and there is much distinguished work in this subject. Here we address the mesoscale simulation of large systems of grain boundaries subject to the Mullins equation of curvature driven growth with the Herring force balance equation imposed at triple junctions. We discuss several novel features of our approach which we anticipate will render it a flexible, scalable, and robust tool to aid in microstructural prediction. What is the result of the simulation? We discuss what such a simulation is capable of predicting, taking as a prototype the histogram of relative area population as it changes through the simulation. We do not use this data to seek the best distribution, like Hillert, Rayleigh, or lognormal. Instead we treat the set of distributions as the solution of an inverse problem for a time varying function and determine the equation they satisfy. This results in a coarse graining of the complex simulation to simpler system governed by a Fokker-Planck Equation. Even so, fundamental questions concerning the predictability of simulations of large metastable systems arise from these considerations.
Optimization of stranded-wire windings and comparison with litz wire on the basis of cost and loss

Stranded wire with uninsulated strands has been proposed as a low-cost alternative to litz wire. In this paper, we develop a method to optimize stranded-wire designs on the basis of cost and loss, and compare the results to optimized litz-wire designs. A simply calculated parameter is shown to be useful to predict when each type of wire is preferred. A method to extend both loss prediction and optimization for arbitrary geometries and waveforms is also introduced. Deliberate oxidation of strands is proposed as a method to improve performance of stranded wire, and to increase its range of applicability. Experimental measurements with approximately 0.15 /spl mu/m oxide show dramatic increases in interstrand resistivity, indicating that this approach could be very effective.
Privacy-Aware Profiling and Statistical Data Extraction for Smart Sustainable Energy Systems

The growing population and global warming have been calling for more effective energy usage, which have stimulated the emergence of smart sustainable energy technology. The distinct feature of this newly emerging technology is the incorporation of advanced information and communication technologies (ICT), which collects more detailed information on how energy is generated, distributed, and consumed. Various smart metering technologies have also been proposed to support the optimization on sustainable energy usage. Despite the obvious benefits of these technologies, people may still hesitate to adopt them because of possible privacy breach. On the other hand, we observe that the major target information for making the sustainable energy system smart is the aggregated statistics of energy usage, not the full detailed usage profiles which would compromise customers' privacy. Thus, how to design schemes to collect aggregated statistics while preserving customers' privacy becomes an important research problem. In this paper, we propose two schemes to deal with this problem. The first one can support dynamic profiling, which can extract aggregated statistical information without compromising individual privacy. The second one aims to extract correlation information among various factors for the smart system design and can also be used as an underlying tool for baseline inference and association rule mining.
Opportunities, limitations, and tradeoffs in process programming

Software-process programming faces numerous opportunities, limitations, and tradeoffs. Effective process definitions have been characterized in terms of accuracy, precision, fidelity, and fitness. Some of these properties are inherently limited, while others are subject to tradeoff. The relationship between a software process and an executing process program can be described by correspondence, determinability, and coordination. Program behavior may correspond only in part to process behavior. The ability of a process program to determine the behavior of a software process is limited. Coordination requires a process program to engage developers; limits on coordination imply limits on fidelity and precision. These issues affect the use of process programs as models, the tailorability and flexibility of processes, and process-program modifiability. >
Off the Shelf and Out of the Box: Saving Time, Meeting Outcomes and Reaching Students with Information Literacy Modules

As institutions of higher learning rapidly expand their offerings of online, hybrid and other distance learning opportunities for their students, librarians must adapt, adopt and improve information literacy instruction methods to accommodate instructors they may never meet and classes they may never see. Many responses to these challenges, such as embedded librarians and tutorial development, however, can be time consuming, expensive and resource-draining. This article discusses the process of creating a low-maintenance, wide-reaching solution to providing generic information literacy instruction to students in online, hybrid, distance and face-to-face courses.
European Protectionism in Theory and Practice

In the 1970s, discussion of the international economy frequently turned to the emergence of a “new protectionism” among the industrial countries after the accomplishments of trade liberalization in the 1960s. International organizations such as the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and the International Monetary Fund (I.M.F.) documented an increase in trade barriers erected against imports of manufactures. The protectionism was “new” in two respects: (1) it was directed against dynamic exporters of manufactured goods (especially Japan and the newly industrializing countries) that had recently become important elements in world trade; (2) the means of protection were nontariff barriers —quotas, voluntary export restraints, and a host of governmental impediments to competitive trading practices.1
Effect of GLP-1 mimetics on blood pressure and relationship to weight loss and glycemia lowering: Results of a systematic meta-analysis and meta-regression

background Incretin therapies such as glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) agonists are commonly used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. GLP-1 mimetics, besides improving glycemic control, have been shown to influence multiple pathways regulating blood pressure (BP). We investigated the GLP-1 analogs effects on BP from published randomized studies using a meta-analytic approach. methods Thirty-three trials (12,469 patients) that assessed the efficacy of GLP-1 analogs on glycemic control (HbA1C) over 12–56 weeks that met additional criteria, including the availability of standardized sitting BP assessment and weight parameters, were identified. Comparator ther apy included oral antiglycemic drugs or placebo. The weighted mean difference (WMD) in systolic BP (SBP) change was calculated using a random-effects model after performing a test for heterogeneity. results Forty-one percent of patients were treated with liraglutide (0.3–3 mg once daily), whereas 59% were treated with exenatide (5–10 µg twice daily or 2 mg weekly). GLP-1 treatment achieved a greater SBP reduction than comparator therapy (WMD = 2.22 mm Hg; 95% confidence interval (CI) = −2.97 to −1.47). In the pooled analysis, GLP-1 had beneficial effects on weight loss (WMD = −2.56 kg; 95% CI = −3.12 to −2.00), HbA1c reduction (WMD = −0.41%; 95% CI = −0.78 to −0.04) but was associated with a heart rate increase (WMD = 1.30 bpm; 95% CI = 0.26–2.33). In a separate meta-regression analysis, the degree of SBP change was not related to baseline BP, weight loss, or improvement in HbA1C.
Long-Distance Movement by American Alligators in Southwest Louisiana

Abstract As part of an ongoing study on growth and sexual maturation of Alligator mississippiensis (American Alligator) on Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge, LA, 3601 specimens, ranging in total length from 28 to 361 cm, were captured from June 2000 through August 2004. Additionally, 70 alligators were collected opportunistically as part of a teaching exercise in August 2005, and 248 more were collected in 2006 (and one in January 2007) as part of a study evaluating the effects of Hurricane Rita on alligators. Representative samples from size classes greater than 60 cm were collected in most months of the year between 2000 and 2004. Each animal was tagged, measured, sexed, and released immediately at the site of capture. A large number of these marked alligators were recaptured outside the refuge boundaries during annual alligator hunts in September. Of the 286 recaptured alligators, 214 were males, 68 were females, and four were of undetermined sex. From each recaptured alligator, total body length and date of...
Dissociations of Face and Object Recognition in Developmental Prosopagnosia

Neuropsychological studies with patients suffering from prosopagnosia have provided the main evidence for the hypothesis that the recognition of faces and objects rely on distinct mechanisms. Yet doubts remain, and it has been argued that no case demonstrating an unequivocal dissociation between face and object recognition exists due in part to the lack of appropriate response time measurements (Gauthier et al., 1999). We tested seven developmental prosopagnosics to measure their accuracy and reaction times with multiple tests of face recognition and compared this with a larger battery of object recognition tests. For our systematic comparison, we used an old/new recognition memory paradigm involving memory tests for cars, tools, guns, horses, natural scenes, and houses in addition to two separate tests for faces. Developmental prosopagnosic subjects performed very poorly with the face memory tests as expected. Four of the seven prosopagnosics showed a very strong dissociation between the face and object tests. Systematic comparison of reaction time measurements for all tests indicates that the dissociations cannot be accounted for by differences in reaction times. Contrary to an account based on speed accuracy tradeoffs, prosopagnosics were systematically faster in nonface tests than in face tests. Thus, our findings demonstrate that face and nonface recognition can dissociate over a wide range of testing conditions. This is further support for the hypothesis that face and nonface recognition relies on separate mechanisms and that developmental prosopagnosia constitutes a disorder separate from developmental agnosia.
Microbial composition of purified waters and implications for regrowth control in municipal water systems

The limits of water treatment to control microbial regrowth were examined using highly purified waters. Measurable microbial genetic material was detected in the product water in a survey of thirteen laboratory pure water systems. Illumina 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing revealed surprisingly diverse microbial assemblages, confirmed to be active in bioassays, with no direct relationship to quality or maintenance of the systems. With storage under both light and dark conditions, a 2-log increase in bacterial genetic markers was observed within 10 days, indicating viable oligotrophic communities despite rigorous treatment steps. With growth, microbial communities shifted concurrent with enrichment of Proteobacteria groups capable of nitrogen fixation (Bradyrhizobium) and H2 oxidation (Comamonadaceae). This study has implications not only for laboratory studies, which rely on highly purified waters, but also for municipal drinking water, which depends on treatment to reduce nutrients sufficiently to limit downstream regrowth of microorganisms.
Validation of the Patient Perception of Migraine Questionnaire

Abstract Objective The purpose of this study was to assess the psychometric properties of the Patient Perception of Migraine Questionnaire (PPMQ), which measures patient satisfaction with migraine therapy. Methods and Data The PPMQ was administered to 940 patients as part of a 3-month, multinational, open-label, clinical trial comparing the effects of oral naratriptan 2.5 mg with the patient's customary therapy for the treatment of migraine. Psychometric properties of the PPMQ were evaluated in terms of its latent factor structure, validity, reliability, sensitivity, and development of a scoring method. Classical Test theory and Item Response theory (IRT) modeling were both used to measure reliability. Results The PPMQ was able to detect treatment differences ( P > .001), and all items significantly correlated with diary ratings of headache pain ( r = .18−.51, p > .0001) and the Medical Outcomes Short Form-36 pain scale ( r = .27, p > .0001). A principal components factor analysis revealed that the items on the PPMQ were psychometrically distinct and unidimensional (loadings, 0.74–0.91), with the exclusion of two items. The reliability (i.e., internal item consistency) of the PPMQ post-trial was high in both treatment groups (Cronbach's α = 0.96). An IRT analysis also ensured the formation of homogenous items, which were stable on repeat administration. Items did not require weighting and can be simply summed to yield a total score. Conclusion Based on the data from this one clinical trial, the 15-item PPMQ was shown to be a valid and reliable instrument that seems to efficiently and comprehensively measure patient perception of drug attributes in relation to the treatment of symptoms associated with migraine headaches.
EVIDENCE SUGGESTING CIS ACTION BY THE TNAC LEADER PEPTIDE IN REGULATING TRANSCRIPTION ATTENUATION IN THE TRYPTOPHANASE OPERON OF ESCHERICHIA COLI

Expression of the tryptophanase (tna) operon in Escherichia coli is regulated by catabolite repression and transcription attenuation. Elevated levels of tryptophan induce transcription antitermination at one or more Rho factor-dependent termination sites in the leader region of the operon. Induction requires translation of a 24-residue coding region, tnaC, located in the 319-nucleotide transcribed leader region preceding tnaA, the structural gene for tryptophanase. In the present paper, we show that two bacterial species that lack tryptophanase activity, Enterobacter aerogenes and Salmonella typhimurium, allow tryptophanase induction and tna operon regulation when they carry a plasmid containing the E. coli tna operon. The role of tnaC in induction was examined by introducing mutations in a 24-nucleotide segment of tnaC of E. coli surrounding and including the crucial Trp codon 12. Some mutations resulted in a noninducible phenotype; these mostly introduced nonconservative amino acid substitutions in TnaC. Other mutations had little or no effect; these generally were in third positions of codons or introduced conservative amino acid replacements. A tryptophan-inserting, UGA-reading glutamine suppressor tRNA was observed to restore partial regulation when Trp codon 12 of tnaC was changed to UGA. Stop codons introduced downstream of Trp codon 12 in all three reading frames established that induction requires translation in the natural tnaC reading frame. Our findings suggest that the TnaC leader peptide acts in cis to prevent Rho-dependent termination.
The Effects of Overfeeding and Dietary Restriction on Sprague-Dawley Rat Survival and Early Pathology Biomarkers of Aging:

A significant correlation exists between average daily food consumption and 2-yr survival in control ad libitum (AL)-fed Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. SD rats were fed Purina Rodent Chow 5002 or a modified chow, 5002-9, with lower protein, fat, metabolizable energy and increased fiber AL or by dietary restriction (DR) to 65% of the AL amount by measurement or time (6.5 hr). At 52 wk, food consumption and key pathology biomarkers correlated with 106-wk survival. The modified chow, 5002-9 fed AL, did not significantly improve survival. SD rats fed either diet AL consumed the greatest amount of feed and kcal/rat but consumed the same amount of feed per gram body weight as DR-fed rats. At 52 wk, AL rats fed either diet had the same brain weights as DR rats, but the AL-fed rats had greater body weight and body fat content and increased heart, lung, kidney, liver, adrenal, thyroid, and pituitary weights as well as an increased incidence and severity of degenerative and/or proliferative lesions in these organs. This study demonstrates that overfeeding best correlates with low 2-yr survival in SD rats and that simple DR by caloric restriction modifies key pathology biomarkers in the pituitary, mammary gland, kidney, and heart of SD rats at 52 wk that are predictive of 106-wk survival.
Cortical Gamma Generators Suggest Abnormal Auditory Circuitry in Early-Onset Psychosis

Neurobiological theories of schizophrenia and related psychoses have increasingly emphasized impaired neuronal coordination (i.e., dysfunctional connectivity) as central to the pathophysiology. Although neuroimaging evidence has mostly corroborated these accounts, the basic mechanism(s) of reduced functional connectivity remains elusive. In this study, we examine the developmental trajectory and underlying mechanism(s) of dysfunctional connectivity by using gamma oscillatory power as an index of local and long-range circuit integrity. An early-onset psychosis group and a matched cohort of typically developing adolescents listened to monaurally presented click-trains, as whole-head magnetoencephalography data were acquired. Consistent with previous work, gamma-band power was significantly higher in right auditory cortices across groups and conditions. However, patients exhibited significantly reduced overall gamma power relative to controls, and showed a reduced ear-of-stimulation effect indicating that ipsi- versus contralateral presentation had less impact on hemispheric power. Gamma-frequency oscillations are thought to be dependent on gamma-aminobutyric acidergic interneuronal networks, thus these patients' impairment in generating and/or maintaining such activity may indicate that local circuit integrity is at least partially compromised early in the disease process. In addition, patients also showed abnormality in long-range networks (i.e., ear-of-stimulation effects) potentially suggesting that multiple stages along auditory pathways contribute to connectivity aberrations found in patients with psychosis.
The Resolution Dependence of Model Physics: Illustrations from Nonhydrostatic Model Experiments

The goal of this paper is to gain insight into the resolution dependence of model physics, the parameterization of moist convection in particular, which is required for accurately predicting large-scale features of the atmosphere. To achieve this goal, experiments using a two-dimensional nonhydrostatic model with different resolutions are conducted under various idealized tropical conditions. For control experiments (CONTROL), the model is run as a cloud-system-resolving model (CSRM). Next, a ‘‘large-scale dynamics model’’ (LSDM) is introduced as a diagnostic tool, which is a coarser-resolution version of the same model but with only partial or no physics. Then, the LSDM is applied to an ensemble of realizations selected from CONTROL and a ‘‘required parameterized source’’ (RPS) is identified for the results of the LSDM to become consistent with CONTROL as far as the resolvable scales are concerned. The analysis of RPS diagnosed in this way confirms that RPS is highly resolution dependent in the range of typical resolutions of mesoscale models even in ensemble/space averages, while ‘‘real source’’ (RS) is not. The time interval of implementing model physics also matters for RPS. It is emphasized that model physics in future prediction models should automatically produce these resolution dependencies so that the need for retuning parameterizations as resolution changes can be minimized.
My Kingdom for a Wave

A personal account of the trials that await an activist profossor. Of possible interest for those who seek to become activists, study activists, or are interested in the ways ideas make it into public discourse or - fail to gain traction.
Patterns of Occurrence of Ascomycetes Associated with Decomposing Twigs in a Midwestern Stream

Packs of twigs from cherry, oak, silver maple, and sycamore trees were placed in an Illinois stream and samples were recovered periodically over 30 months. Ash-free dry weights remaining over time were determined and twigs were examined for Ascomycetes directly and after incubation. Twigs disappeared at rates much lower than those reported for leaves and provided an enduring substrata for fungi. Thirty-three Ascomycetes were collected: Pseudohalonectria lignicola and Savoryella lignicola are reported from the United States for the first time. Nectria lucidum, Pseudohalonectria lignicola, Leptosphaeria sp. 1, and Aniptodera sp. 1 occurred most frequently. With the exception of the decline of blastocladiaceous and saprolegniaceous species after one week, and the disappearance of N. lucidum after the first year, distinct changes in community structure did not occur during the submersion period. Generally, the numbers of species and the frequencies of occurrence of predominant species increased with increased time of submergence. Long-term incubation of substrata yielded the greatest number of Ascomycetes; incubation in light/dark conditions increased the number of species and the frequencies of occurrence of individual species over dark incubation.
Anatomic vascular considerations in uterine artery ligation at its origin during laparoscopic hysterectomies

Pelvic pathology such as fibroids, endometriosis, adhesions from previous pelvic surgeries, or ovarian remnants can distort anatomy and pose technical challenges during laparoscopic hysterectomies. Retroperitoneal dissection to ligate the uterine artery at its vascular origin can circumvent these obstacles, resulting in a safer procedure. However, detailed anatomic knowledge of the course of the uterine artery and understanding of vascular variations are essential for optimal dissection. We frequently encounter a C-shaped uterine artery variation during retroperitoneal dissection. We describe the key steps in identification and isolation of this variant, approaching the uterine artery origin either from the pararectal space or by utilizing the medial umbilical ligament coursing through the paravesical space. We also review other known uterine artery configurations. These techniques allow for safe completion of complex laparoscopic hysterectomies performed for various gynecologic diseases.
RELIABILITY: COMPUTATION IN THE CEREBELLUM

The proposition that a neuron is an element that computes some function of its various inputs is by McCulloch and Pitts. This chapter describes von Neumann various schemes to deal with the problem of reliability in complex networks. It presents Sabah's simplified approach on the input and output statistics of neural activity. Some of the features of the mossy fiber input are illustrated in this chapter. The mossy fiber branch to two or more folia, where each primary branch may give off two or three preterminal branches, enter the granular layer. Each preterminal branch gives off some 10 characteristic rosettes, each of which synapses with some 20 granule cell dendrites, as well as with deep Golgi cell dendrites.
Alcohol use patterns and alcohol use disorders among young adult, ethnically diverse bariatric surgery patients

ABSTRACTBackground: Research suggests that young adults and racial/ethnic minorities are at an increased risk for problematic alcohol use. Recent studies have also documented patterns of problematic alcohol use among a subset of weight loss surgery (WLS) patients. However, to date, there are no published studies investigating the intersection of these demographic and clinical characteristics. Methods: This study used descriptive and inferential analyses to examine alcohol use patterns, prevalence of pre- and post-WLS alcohol use disorders (AUDs), and predictors of increased alcohol use and problematic alcohol use post-WLS among young adult (mean age 26.5 years, SD = 5.5 years) ethnically diverse (57% Hispanic, 28% non-Hispanic black) WLS patients (N = 69). Results: Over 21% of the sample had a history of a lifetime AUD, and 4.2% of the sample developed an AUD post-WLS. In the past 30 days, 14.5% of respondents reported binge drinking, and 42% reported drinking until intoxication. History of a pre-WLS AUD ...
Communication and Role Development for Zoo Volunteers: Responding to Role-Sending, Role-Making, and Role-Remaking

ABSTRACTHigh turnover among volunteers means organizations spend significant resources recruiting and retaining them. Research on employees indicates the importance of role development in increasing employee identification and satisfaction while reducing turnover, but limited research has addressed these issues for volunteers. This study explored zoo volunteers’ role development in two phases. In phase one, interviews explored how volunteers learned and understood their roles. Results indicated volunteers learned their roles through communication with supervisors and peers and were generally satisfied with them despite limited opportunity to be innovative. In addition, some volunteers became concerned when their roles were changed with limited input from them. In phase two, questionnaires explored relationships between volunteers’ communication experiences and outcomes. Results indicated volunteers responded negatively to role-remaking, but communication with management, education staff, day captains, and...
The poverty experience of lone mothers and their children

ABSTRACTLone mothers, as sole caregivers and women, face unique challenges to guaranteeing the economic well-being of their children compared to lone fathers. While all lone parents face a trade-off in time spent earning wages and time spent caring for children, mothers are likely to earn wages lower than fathers, thus increasing their chances of falling into poverty. Using data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2013 Current Population Survey, we estimate the size of the gender poverty gap among lone-parent families. We apply the Oaxaca–Blinder decomposition to assess whether this gap can be solely attributed to parent and family demographics. Much of the poverty gap, however, is attributed to unobservables, suggesting the increased likelihood of being in poverty for lone-mothered families may be, in part, due to gender-based discrimination in labour markets.
Interview with Darrell Kotton

Dr Kotton is the David Seldin Professor of Medicine and the founding Director of the Center for Regenerative Medicine of Boston University and Boston Medical Center. He conducts basic stem cell research as an NIH-funded Principle Investigator in the Kotton Laboratory (focused on stem cell biology and gene therapy related to lung injury and repair). In addition, he attends in the Medical Intensive Care Unit, the Pulmonary Consultation Service, the Alpha-1 Center and the Pulmonary Outpatient Clinic, all at Boston Medical Center.
Plasmonic nanodisc arrays on calcinated titania for multimodal analysis of phosphorylated peptides

A hybrid material of gold nanodiscs on a calcinated titania nanofilm that allows for selective quantitative and qualitative characterization of surface-enriched phosphopeptides has been designed and reported. Fabrication was realized through a combination of layer-by-layer deposition and high temperature calcination for the titania, and hole-mask colloidal lithography for the plasmonic nanostructures. The morphology of the resulting titania material was rigorously characterized, exhibiting substantially decreased surface roughness, which allows for lithographic fabrication of plasmonic nanostructures. Moreover, high specificity in adsorption and enrichment of phosphopeptides was exhibited, which was verified by LSPR shifts and matching peaks under mass spectrometric analysis. The construction of these biochips should inform other combinatorial nanofabrication techniques, in addition to allowing future phosphoproteomic analyses to be performed in a time and resource-efficient manner.
One-nucleon pickup reactions and compound-nuclear decays

One-nucleon transfer reactions, long used as a tool to study the structure of nuclei, are potentially valuable for determining reaction cross sections indirectly. This is significant, as many reactions of interest to astrophysics and other applications involve short-lived isotopes and cannot be measured directly. We describe a procedure for obtaining constraints for calculations of neutron capture cross sections using observables from experiments with transfer reactions. As a first step toward demonstrating the method, we outline the theory developments used to properly describe the production of the compound nucleus 88 Y* via the one-nucleon pickup reaction 89 Y(p,d)88 Y* and test the description with data from a recent experiment. We indicate how this development can be used to extract the unknown 87 Y(n,γ ) cross section from 89 Y(p,dγ ) data. The example illustrates a more generally applicable method for determining unknown cross sections via a combination of theory and transfer (or inelastic scattering) experiments.
Culture and Family Influences

The collective experiences of a group of people comprises what we call culture. The commonality of their experience gives the objects around them and their relationships commonality of meaning. After comparing a number of definitions from anthropology, Rohner (1984) proposed a definition of culture: “the totality of equivalent and complementary learned meanings maintained by a human population, or by identifiable segments of a population, and transmitted from one generation to the next.” (pp. 119-120) Rohner emphasizes the beliefs and values held in common by a group.
What inpatient treatments do we have for acute intractable migraine

We recommend the following combination treatment: Normal saline (0.9% NaCl) 1 to 2 L by intravenous (IV) infusion over 2 to 4 hours. This can be repeated every 6 to 12 hours. Ketorolac 30-mg IV bolus, which can be repeated every 6 hours. However, patients with coronary artery disease, uncontrolled
Going beyond the high-risk patient: the new boundaries for transcatheter device-focused therapy.

Introduction Although congenital interventions continue to evolve to reach smaller and more complex patients, historically, adequate data collection and clinical trials have been lacking in comparison to adult coronary and structural interventions. This leads to difficulty in defining risk and providing meaningful data on risk-adjusted outcomes. Areas covered Risk-adjusted models have been recently developed for congenital interventions, and pre-procedural risk calculators are reaching everyday practice, providing an estimate of procedural risk to gauge the validity of a particular approach. These tools applied appropriately and consistently reviewed provide protection for physicians and patients alike and form the foundation of quality assessment and improvement. This review will outline many of the established and evolving interventions and surmise on how interventions in high-risk patients may be evaluated appropriately to encourage continued development of transcatheter therapies. Pre-assessment tools as well as risk-adjusted outcomes will be discussed, and the benefits and challenges of providing accurate data surrounding risk will be explored. Expert commentary Risk assessment is part of the new frontier of congenital cardiac interventions. For the specialty to continue to meet expectations, appropriate engagement by institutions and physicians in evaluating risk must mirror the development of the technical aspects of procedures.
Shifting mineral and redox controls on carbon cycling in seasonally flooded mineral soils

Abstract. Although wetland soils represent a relatively small portion of the terrestrial landscape, they account for an estimated 20 %–30 % of the global soil carbon (C) reservoir. C stored in wetland soils that experience seasonal flooding is likely the most vulnerable to increased severity and duration of droughts in response to climate change. Redox conditions, plant root dynamics, and the abundance of protective mineral phases are well-established controls on soil C persistence, but their relative influence in seasonally flooded mineral soils is largely unknown. To address this knowledge gap, we assessed the relative importance of environmental (temperature, soil moisture, and redox potential) and biogeochemical (mineral composition and root biomass) factors in controlling CO2 efflux, C quantity, and organic matter composition along replicated upland–lowland transitions in seasonally flooded mineral soils. Specifically, we contrasted mineral soils under temperature deciduous forests in lowland positions that undergo seasonal flooding with adjacent upland soils that do not, considering both surface (A) and subsurface (B and C) horizons. We found the lowland soils had lower total annual CO2 efflux than the upland soils, with monthly CO2 efflux in lowlands most strongly correlated with redox potential (E h ). Lower CO2 efflux as compared to the uplands corresponded to greater C content and abundance of lignin-rich, higher-molecular-weight, chemically reduced organic compounds in the lowland surface soils (A horizons). In contrast, subsurface soils in the lowland position (C g horizons) showed lower C content than the upland positions (C horizons), coinciding with lower abundance of root biomass and oxalate-extractable Fe (Fe o , a proxy for protective Fe phases). Our linear mixed-effects model showed that Fe o served as the strongest measured predictor of C content in upland soils, yet Fe o had no predictive power in lowland soils. Instead, our model showed that E h and oxalate-extractable Al (Al o , a proxy of protective Al phases) became significantly stronger predictors in the lowland soils. Combined, our results suggest that low redox potentials are the primary cause for C accumulation in seasonally flooded surface soils, likely due to selective preservation of organic compounds under anaerobic conditions. In seasonally flooded subsurface soils, however, C accumulation is limited due to lower C inputs through root biomass and the removal of reactive Fe phases under reducing conditions. Our findings demonstrate that C accrual in seasonally flooded mineral soil is primarily due to low redox potential in the surface soil and that the lack of protective metal phases leaves these C stocks highly vulnerable to climate change.
PDCD4 Is an Androgen-Repressed Tumor Suppressor that Regulates Prostate Cancer Growth and Castration Resistance

Androgen receptor (AR) transcriptional activity contributes to prostate cancer development and castration resistance. The growth and survival pathways driven by AR remain incompletely defined. Here, we found PDCD4 to be a new target of AR signaling and a potent regulator of prostate cancer cell growth, survival, and castration resistance. The 3' untranslated region of PDCD4 is directly targeted by the androgen-induced miRNA, miR-21. Androgen treatment suppressed PDCD4 expression in a dose responsive and miR-21-dependent manner. Correspondingly, AR inhibition dose-responsively induced PDCD4 expression. Using data from prostate cancer tissue samples in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), we found a significant and inverse correlation between miR-21 and PDCD4 mRNA and protein levels. Higher Gleason grade tumors exhibited significantly higher levels of miR-21 and significantly lower levels of PDCD4 mRNA and protein. PDCD4 knockdown enhanced androgen-dependent cell proliferation and cell-cycle progression, inhibited apoptosis, and was sufficient to drive androgen-independent growth. On the other hand, PDCD4 overexpression inhibited miR-21-mediated growth and androgen independence. The stable knockdown of PDCD4 in androgen-dependent prostate cancer cells enhanced subcutaneous tumor take rate in vivo, accelerated tumor growth, and was sufficient for castration-resistant tumor growth. IMPLICATIONS: This study provides the first evidence that PDCD4 is an androgen-suppressed protein capable of regulating prostate cancer cell proliferation, apoptosis, and castration resistance. These results uncover miR-21 and PDCD4-regulated pathways as potential new targets for castration-resistant prostate cancer.
Matrix-Metalloprotease Resistant Mucin-16 (MUC16) Peptide Mutants Represent a Worse Lung Adenocarcinoma Outcome.

Purpose The relationship of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD)-specific proteases and the mutant profile of cytoskeletal and extracellular matrix proteins (CECMPs) are examined. Experimental design Mutant CECMPs are assessed with an automated application of a protease binding, amino acid-based, scoring database. Results MUC16 (Human Genome Organization symbol for mucin-16 gene) mutants in particular are, more often than not, resistant to matrix-metalloproteases (MMPs) commonly secreted by LUAD cells, and LUAD cases representing the MUC16, MMP resistant mutants have a worse outcome. Similar results are obtained for MUC16 mutants resistant to cathepsins, also commonly secreted by LUAD cells. Analyses also show that MUC16, MMP resistant peptide mutants have greater binding affinities to HLA-A and HLA-B when compared to MUC16, MMP nonresistant peptide mutants. Conclusion These results provide a potential, novel biomarker for lung cancer progression, in particular, protease resistant MUC16 peptides; and suggest a possible mechanism of immune escape entailing the reduction of mutant peptides available for HLA class I binding.