cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quantitative assay for binding of Bradyrhizobium japonicum to cultured soybean cells.

Incubation of Bradyrhizobium japonicum with the cultured soybean cell line SB-1 resulted in the adhesion of the bacteria to the plant cells. An antiserum was raised against B. japonicum, and the 125I-labeled immunoglobulin fraction was used to quantitate the number of bacteria bound to the soybean cells. The measurement of 125I-labeled antibody binding correlated well with parallel assays by microscopic observation. Using this quantitation, we have optimized the parameters of the assay in terms of time course, ratio of B. japonicum to SB-1 cells, and pH. We then explored the effects of saccharides, NaCl, EDTA, and culture age of the bacteria and SB-1 cells on B. japonicum binding under these optimal assay conditions. The results showed good correlation between conditions that govern B. japonicum binding to SB-1 cells in culture and those that regulate B. japonicum-induced nodulation in legume roots. Together, they suggest that this binding event may be important in controlling host specificity. Images
In vivo visualization of pre- and postsynaptic changes during synapse elimination in reinnervated mouse muscle

Using a vital nerve terminal dye (4-Di-2-ASP) and fluorescently tagged alpha-bungarotoxin to stain postsynaptic acetylcholine (ACh) receptors, we viewed the same muscle fibers at multiple times in the sternomastoid muscle of living mice during the process of reinnervation following nerve crush. Soon after axons reenter the muscle, they precisely reoccupy the original endplate sites. However, in contrast to normal adult muscle, during the first several weeks of reinnervation, anatomical and physiological measures show that many of the endplate sites are innervated by more than one axon. Typically, one axon reinnervates the original endplate site by growing up the old Schwann cell tube while another originates as a sprout from a nearby endplate. Within 2 weeks after reinnervation nerve terminal staining shows that most of the sprouts have regressed and physiological evidence of multiple innervation has returned to the normal low level. By repeatedly observing the same endplates during the period of synapse elimination, we could directly view this phenomenon. At some endplates, nerve terminal boutons in one region of the endplate were eliminated at the same time a sprout entering that area regressed. These unoccupied sites seemed permanently eliminated as they are not subsequently occupied by sprouts from the axon remaining at the endplate. We were surprised to find that there is a corresponding permanent loss of ACh receptors within the muscle fiber membrane precisely underneath the eliminated nerve terminals. The decrease in receptors at sites of synapse elimination is due to both a selective loss of ACh receptors already incorporated into these sites and to a lack of insertion of new receptors at the same regions. These sites of pre- and postsynaptic loss, however, maintain cholinesterase staining in the basal lamina for long periods. Control experiments showed that endplates that were permanently denervated, incompletely reoccupied by reinnervating axons, or stained and viewed multiple times in normal muscle do not lose postsynaptic receptor regions. Interestingly, receptors appear to be eliminated before there is any obvious change in the staining of the overlying nerve terminal. Because of the lag between receptor and nerve terminal loss, we could predict which synaptic boutons would be eliminated by looking for lightly stained receptor regions. One interpretation of these data is that the removal or redistribution of relevant postsynaptic molecules by one innervating axon may instigate the elimination of competing terminals.
Both Iron Deficiency and Daily Iron Supplements Increase Lipid Peroxidation in Rats

Numerous studies have shown that iron-loaded diets increase markers of lipid peroxidation in rats, but few have addressed the effects of oral iron supplements on these markers. We investigated the effects of daily and intermittent iron supplements on iron and vitamin E status, and lipid peroxidation. Iron supplements were administered in doses equivalent to those often given to pregnant women in the developing world. In Study 1, iron-deficient (D) and iron-normal (N) rats were fed either 0 or 8000 microgram of supplemental iron daily for 21 d. In Study 2, D rats were fed either the same supplements daily or once every 3 d (8 supplements total). Lipid peroxidation was assessed by breath ethane and pentane and by malondialdehyde (MDA) (using GC-MS). In Study 1, daily supplemented N and D rats had liver nonheme iron concentrations that were 1.8- and 2.7-fold higher, respectively, than those in unsupplemented N rats. Breath ethane levels were also higher in supplemented rats (P < 0.05), but MDA (in plasma, liver, kidney) and liver vitamin E did not differ. Unexpectedly, severely D, anemic rats had significant elevations in the levels of breath ethane, liver MDA and kidney MDA. In Study 2, liver iron and breath ethane decreased progressively (P < 0.05) from 1 d to 3 d after the last iron dose in intermittently supplemented rats. We conclude that iron deficiency results in lipid peroxidation, but that its correction with daily iron supplements results in abnormal iron accumulation and increased lipid peroxidation in rats. These effects are mitigated by intermittent iron supplementation.
The use of inappropriate feeding practices by rural parents and their effect on preschoolers' fruit and vegetable preferences and intake.

Abstract Objective To describe the frequency of inappropriate feeding practices used by parents of preschoolers and the impact on a child’s preference for and intake of fruits and vegetables (FV). Design Cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from a telephone interview. Setting A community-based program in rural southeastern Missouri. Participants 1555 rural parents participating in the High 5 for Kids project. The mean age of parents was 28.9 years, the mean age for children was 38.0 months, and 52.1% of children were male. Variables Measured Demographic characteristics; intake and preferences for FV; inappropriate child feeding practices. Analysis Inappropriate feeding practices, preferences for and intake of FV were examined using Kruskal-Wallis tests and Spearman’s correlations. Logistic regression was used to assess the relationships between FV intake and preference and inappropriate feeding practices. Results An increasing number of inappropriate feeding practices negatively impacted FV preference of children but positively impacted FV intake. Conclusions and Implications This study documents the public health need to develop programs that guide and advise rural parents on information about how children develop patterns of intake, and how to foster children’s preferences and acceptance of healthful food.
Tridentate Carbene CCC and CNC Pincer Palladium(II) Complexes: Structure, Fluxionality, and Catalytic Activity

Air and thermally stable palladium(II) complexes of CNC and CCC bis-carbene pincer ligands have a twisted conformation and catalyze Heck olefination of activated aryl chlorides.
Evolvability from learning algorithms

Valiant has recently introduced a framework for analyzing the capabilities and the limitations of the evolutionary process of random change guided by selection. In his framework the process of acquiring a complex functionality is viewed as a substantially restricted form of PAC learning of an unknown function from a certain set of functions. Valiant showed that classes of functions evolvable in his model are also learnable in the statistical query (SQ) model of Kearns and asked whether the converse is true. We show that evolvability is equivalent to learnability by a restricted form of statistical queries. Based on this equivalence we prove that for any fixed distribution D over the instance space, every class of functions learnable by SQs over D is evolvable over D. Previously, only the evolvability of monotone conjunctions of Boolean variables over the uniform distribution was known. On the other hand, we prove that the answer to Valiant's question is negative when distribution-independent evolvability is considered. To demonstrate this, we develop a technique for proving lower bounds on evolvability and use it to show that decision lists and linear threshold functions are not evolvable in a distribution-independent way. This is in contrast to distribution-independent learnability of decision lists and linear threshold functions in the statistical query model.
Magnetic fluctuations due to thermally excited Alfvén waves

Magnetic fluctuations resulting from the thermally excited magnetohydrodynamic waves are investigated using fluid and kinetic models to describe a stable, uniform, compressible plasma in the range above the drift wave frequency and below the ion cyclotron frequency. It is shown that the fluid model with resistivity yields spectral densities that are roughly Lorentzian and exhibit equipartition with no apparent cutoff in wavenumber space and a Bohm‐type diffusion coefficient. Under certain conditions, the ensuing transport may be comparable to classical values. For a phenomenological cutoff imposed on the spectrum, the typical fluctuating‐to‐equilibrium magnetic field ratio is found to be of the order of 10−10. Physical mechanisms to obtain decay profiles of the spectra with increasing wavenumber as a result of dispersion and/or different forms of damping are investigated analytically in a cold fluid approximation and numerically, with a kinetic model. The mode dispersion resulting from the finite ion gyro‐frequency is identified as the leading effect determining the spectral profile shapes. It is found that the amplitude of fluctuations may be within a factor of the value suggested by the cold plasma model. The results from both models are presented and compared in low‐ and high‐beta regimes.
Agricultural Paradigms and the Practice of Agriculture1

Abstract This research examines the relationship between endorsement of agricultural paradigms and reported farming practices. An agricultural behavior index is constructed from measures of pesticide use, source of nitrogen fertilizer, farm diversity, and whether or not people grow a home garden. This index and the individual measures of farming practices are then analyzed to determine how they relate to an alternative-conventional agricultural paradigm scale and several of its items. As expected, alternative and conventional agriculturalists differ dramatically on the behavior index. And also as expected, the scale is more closely related to the composite agricultural behavior index than to the individual measures of farming practices, while these more specific agricultural behavior measures tend to be more strongly correlated with the scale items that correspond most closely to them. The major implication is that individuals' agricultural paradigms do impact the way they practice agriculture.
The relationships among iron‐stress response, iron‐efficiency and iron uptake of plants

Abstract The relationships among iron‐stress response, iron‐efficiency and iron uptake in plants is discussed. The literature concerning the relationships among iron‐stress response and iron‐efficiency or chlorosis resistance in plants is confusing. Not all plants which exhibit a classical iron‐stress response in nutrient solution culture are more resistant to chlorosis than plants which do not. The term “iron‐efficiency”; has different meanings for different researchers. For example, there are statements in the literature that monocots are “iron‐inefficient”; based on results of laboratory experiments which show a lack of iron‐stress response. Incongruently, separate studies are done using “iron‐efficient”; varieties of sorghum, oats or other monocots. We suggest that the term iron‐deficiency chlorosis (IDC) resistance be used for observations regarding field‐grown plants. There is still a debate about whether or not iron must be reduced before being transported across the root cell plasmalemma. There is...
Geometric microenvironment directs cell morphology on topographically patterned hydrogel substrates.

Abstract Cell behavior is influenced by numerous factors in the physical environment, and a deep understanding of these interactions can lead to the design of better scaffolds for tissue engineering. In vitro substrates can be used to evaluate a wide range of factors, such as topography, and identify which show promise for further evaluating in vivo. Polyacrylamide hydrogels featuring a combinatorial, micropatterned array of posts with varied shape, width, and spacing were produced using a one-step technique. Substrates were covalently modified with collagen and seeded with D1 ORL UVA mesenchymal stem cells. Patterning was shown to direct several quantitative measures of cell morphology. Cell bodies tended to be located in gaps 15 μm and wider, but on top of posts when gaps were 5 μm and smaller. Cells on substrates with square posts and narrow gaps tended to elongate in the direction of gaps. Finally, smaller gaps on all substrates were also shown to influence the placement of cell extensions. The parameters identified may be incorporated into substrates to direct specific aspects of cell morphology.
Mitral annular descent velocity by tissue Doppler echocardiography as an index of global left ventricular function

Mitral annular descent has been described as an index of left ventricular (LV) systolic function, which is independent of endocardial definition. Echocardiographic tissue Doppler imaging is a new technique that calculates and displays color-coded cardiac tissue velocities on-line. To evaluate mitral annular descent velocity as a rapid index of global LV function, we performed tissue Doppler imaging studies in 55 patients, aged 56 +/-15 years, within 3 hours of radionuclide ventriculographic ejection fraction. Tissue Doppler M-mode studies were obtained from each of 6 mitral annular sites, as follows: inferoseptal and lateral from apical 4-chamber views, anterior and inferior from apical 2-chamber views, and anteroseptal and posterior from apical long-axis views. Only 1 patient with severe mitral annular calcification was excluded. The group mean 6-site average peak mitral annular descent velocity was 5.5 +/- 1.9 cm/s (range 2.4 to 10.5), and the group mean ejection fraction was 49 +/- 18% (range 17 to 80%). The 6-site average peak annular descent velocity correlated linearly with LV ejection fraction (r = 0.86, SEE = 1.02 cm/s): LV ejection fraction = 8.2 (average peak mitral annular descent velocity) + 3%. The 6-site peak mitral annular descent velocity average >5.4 cm/s was 88% sensitive and 97% specific for ejection fraction >50%. The peak mitral annular descent velocity from the apical 4-chamber view (average from inferoseptal and lateral sites) correlated most closely with the LV ejection fraction (r = 0.85) as an individual view. Peak mitral annular descent velocity by tissue Doppler imaging has the potential to estimate rapidly the global LV function.
Health care access problems of medically indigent emergency department walk-in patients.

Objectives: To obtain health care access data on emergency department walk-in patients and to determine factors associated with delayed access to care. Design: Survey of stable ED walk-in patients in the triage area. Setting: University of California Irvine Medical Center, an urban, 493-bed, noncounty, Level I teaching hospital treating 38,000 emergency patients annually. Participants: A quota of 1,000 consecutive patients derived from a representative selection of service days was included; 94% of eligible patients agreed to participate. Patients with obstetrical problems (more than 20 weeks' gestation) were excluded. Interventions: Pretested health access survey, available in both Spanish and English, administered by investigator. Results: Public aid/self-pay insurance status was significantly associated with routine use of the ED for care ( P P P P P P P χ 2 with continuity correction and with the binomial test for comparison of two proportions. Conclusion: Among stable ED walk-in patients surveyed at our facility, low-income individuals and those with public aid/self-pay insurance status were significantly more likely to use the ED as a routine source of health care, and more likely to delay in seeking needed health care, than higher income and fully insured individuals. These data should be useful to health policymakers in formulating rational, cost-effective strategies that improve access to early treatment and prevention.
Voyager experiments outlined

Although the data from the Voyager 1 Saturn encounter has been relayed back to Earth, and Voyager is on its way toward Uranus, planetologists, meteorologists, tectonophysicists, and other geophysicists will be sifting through the information for months. Here's a summary of the primary experiments and their objectives.
Alteration of specific binding of prostaglandin F2α by hyperproliferative skin membrane fractions from essential fatty acid-deficient rats

Abstract Specific binding of [ 3 H]PGE 2 and [ 3 H]PGF 2α to smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER) membranes prepared from rat skin at various stages of the development of essential fatty acid (EFA)-deficiency syndrome was demonstrated in these studies. The normal SER-binding capacity for [ 3 H] PGE 2 per mg of membrane protein was approximately two-fold that for [ 3 H] PGF 2α in control rats fed a diet rich in essential fatty acids (EFA). Two weeks following the feeding of the animals with the EFA-deficient diet: histological evaluation revealed hyperplasia and acanthosis of the epidermal layer; a two-fold increase in labeling index (a marker for DNA synthesis) and no alteration in the SER-binding capacity for [ 3 H] PGE 2 or [ 3 H] PGF 2α . By the 12th week however, labeling index had increased six-fold, accompanied by a five-fold increase in SER-binding capacity for [ 3 H] PGF 2α . SER-binding for [ 3 H] PGE 2 was relatively unaltered. These results have demonstrated a relationship between marked alteration of skin SER-binding capacity for PGF 2α and the increase in epidermal hyperplasia and proliferation characteristic of the skin of the EFA-deficient rat. Refeeding of the animals with EFA-rich diet restored the epidermal proliferation and the SER-binding capacity to PGF 2α to normal conditions.
Cut-elimination for a logic with definitions and induction

Abstract In order to reason about specifications of computations that are given via the proof search or logic programming paradigm one needs to have at least some forms of induction and some principle for reasoning about the ways in which terms are built and the ways in which computations can progress. The literature contains many approaches to formally adding these reasoning principles with logic specifications. We choose an approach based on the sequent calculus and design an intuitionistic logic FOλ Δ N that includes natural number induction and a notion of definition. We have detailed elsewhere that this logic has a number of applications. In this paper we prove the cut-elimination theorem for FOλ Δ N , adapting a technique due to Tait and Martin-Lof. This cut-elimination proof is technically interesting and significantly extends previous results of this kind.
Nickel-catalyzed reductive coupling of alkynes and epoxides.

Nickel-catalyzed, intramolecular and intermolecular reductive coupling of alkynes and epoxides affords synthetically useful homoallylic alcohols of defined alkene geometry. Very high regioselectivity is generally observed, and cyclizations proceed with complete selectivity for endo epoxide opening. This catalytic reaction represents the first use of a non-π-based electrophile in a growing class of nickel-catalyzed, multicomponent coupling reactions, and is the first catalytic method of reductive coupling of alkynes and epoxides that is effective for both intermolecular and intramolecular cases, and mechanistically distinct from these, possibly involving a nickella(II)oxetane.
The ultrastructure of Mississippian and Archaic Indian bones from various soil and drainage conditions

Indian bones from Mississippian and Archaic periods were examined by the techniques of electron microscopy and electron diffraction. Specimens of all ages containing intact mineral constituents showed numerous areas in which the apatite crystals exhibited typical periodic banding as seen in hard tissues of recent age. Diffraction patterns from the same areas verified the morphological appearance. Phosphotungstic acid stained, decalcified sections exhibited collagen fibrils with typical periodic banding regardless of age or soil conditions. In specimens of Archiac age there were a greater number of “poorly preserved” areas as compared with bones from Mississipian excavations. In these areas the collagen appeared to be degraded and the apatite crystals were randomly oriented. No attempt to quantitate the age changes was made in view of the inherent limitations of the method of investigation.
Government Success in Partnerships: The USDA-ARS Areawide Ecologically Based Invasive Annual Grass Management Program

L ong-term research about complicated pest man- agement issues creates incremental knowledge that systematically solves problems. But once knowledge is well-enough advanced to dramati- cally improve the success of pest management, it is of little value unless that knowledge and technology are transferred to the intended users. Furthermore, the implementation of such technologies on a eld-by- eld level will have little impact on pest issues that cross regions, states, and some- times countries. Since the mid-1990s, the US Department of Agriculture–Agricultural Research Service (USDA- ARS) has funded an Areawide Pest Management program to address both of these issues. DOI: 10.2458/azu_rangelands_v34i4_smith
Introversion-Extraversion and Astrology

Male and female undergraduates (N = 174) completed the Eysenck Personality Inventory, and sun sign and composite planetary sign scores were computed on the basis of their birth dates. No significan...
Coronagraphic and low-emissivity astronomical reflector (CLEAR): heat trap design

The heat trap in a coronagraphic telescope is located at its prime focus and blocks the transmission of radiation from unwanted portions of the solar disk to subsequent optics in the telescope. This reduces light scattered and heat absorbed by these optics. For observations of the corona, the solar disk is completely blocked, whereas for observations of the disk, typically 90% or more of the disk is blocked. The proposed heat trap design is constructed largely of fused silica plates, partially coated with platinum, and cooled with air. It is robust and handles high irradiance, i.e., almost f megawatt/m2 at f/3.75, without degrading the image quality of the telescope or contributing significant stray light to the focal surface.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Development of two-cell mouse embryos in protein-free and protein-supplemented media.

Two-cell mouse embryos from CFW (Swiss-Webster) mice were cultured to the blastocyst stage in Ham's F10, Whittingham's T6, or human tubal fluid medium. Media were used without any protein supplements or were supplemented with human maternal serum, human fetal cord serum, or human serum albumin. Blastocysts were transferred to modified Eagle's basal medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum for postblastocyst development. Blastocyst and postblastocyst development was depressed among embryos cultured during the preimplantation stage in protein-free Whittingham's T6 and human tubal fluid media compared with embryos cultured in protein-free Ham's F10 medium. This advantage of Ham's F10 disappeared when amino acids and vitamins were added to the other two media. Whittingham's T6 and human tubal fluid supplemented with human serum albumin, human maternal serum, or human fetal cord serum also supported excellent embryo development. When supplermented with protein, Ham's F10 was the poorest of the media in supporting embryo development. Although these results suggest that Ham's F10 is not the best medium for culture of mouse embryos, there is need for caution in extrapolating results from the mouse to the human
Sexual activity, endogenous reproductive hormones and ovulation in premenopausal women.

We investigated whether sexual activity was associated with reproductive function in the BioCycle Study, a prospective cohort study that followed 259 regularly menstruating women aged 18 to 44years for one (n=9) or two (n=250) menstrual cycles in 2005-2007. Women were not attempting pregnancy nor using hormonal contraceptives. History of ever having been sexually active was assessed at baseline and frequency of sexual activity, defined as vaginal-penile intercourse, was self-reported daily throughout the study. Serum concentrations of estradiol, luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), progesterone, and testosterone were measured up to 8times/cycle. Sporadic anovulation was identified using peak progesterone concentration. Linear mixed models were used to estimate associations between sexual activity and reproductive hormone concentrations and generalized linear models were used to estimate associations with sporadic anovulation. Models were adjusted for age, race, body mass index, perceived stress, and alcohol consumption and accounted for repeated measures within women. Elevated concentrations of estrogen (+14.6%, P .23). Findings from our study suggest that ever having been sexually active is associated with improved reproductive function, even after controlling for factors such as age.
Phacoemulsification in patients with Baerveldt tube shunts.

Purpose To investigate the effects of phacoemulsification in glaucomatous eyes with functioning Baerveldt tube shunts. Setting Department of Ophthalmology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota, USA. Methods This retrospective analysis followed 9 eyes of 8 patients with functioning Baerveldt tube shunts who had clear corneal phacoemulsification. Intraocular pressure (IOP), number of glaucoma medications, corneal thickness, visual acuity, and additional glaucoma surgery were measured. Results The mean follow-up was 21 months ± 3 (SD) (range 17 to 25 months). The mean change in IOP and the number of glaucoma medications used did not significantly change at 1 month (P>.19), 1 year (P>.17), or the last follow-up (P>.17). At the last examination, 2 eyes had IOP increases of 2 to 4 mm Hg, 3 eyes had no change, and 4 eyes had decreases of 4 to 7 mm Hg. Intraocular pressure increased in 1 eye at 8 months and required a tube shunt revision. No eye developed corneal decompensation. Visual acuity improved in 8 eyes; the mean improvement was 4 ± 3 Snellen lines. Conclusion In most cases, phacoemulsification in glaucomatous eyes with a functioning Baerveldt tube shunt improved vision and maintained control of IOP.
Water chemistry influences the toxicity of silver to the green-lipped mussel Perna viridis

The study determined the influence and relative importance of water chemistry parameters (pH, alkalinity, hardness) on the acute toxicity of silver to the green mussel Perna viridis. A preliminary bioassay revealed that 4 mg L − 1 of silver caused 50% mortality (LC50) in 96 h for mussels placed in seawater with pH 8.5, hardness 1,872 mg L − 1, and alkalinity 172 mg L − 1. Mortality of mussels increased with decreasing pH and increasing hardness and alkalinity variables. In contrast the mortality decreased with increasing pH and decreasing hardness and alkalinity values. The water chemistry also affected the concentration of sliver in experimental seawater and bioaccumulation of silver in mussels. The results revealed that the chemical properties of seawater must be considered while conducting toxicity tests with metals like silver. The possible explanations for the influence of water chemistry on silver toxicity to P. viridis are discussed.
Gene Expression Profile Identifies Tyrosine Kinase c-Met as a Targetable Mediator of Antiangiogenic Therapy Resistance

Purpose: To identify mediators of glioblastoma antiangiogenic therapy resistance and target these mediators in xenografts. Experimental Design: We conducted microarray analysis comparing bevacizumab-resistant glioblastomas (BRG) with pretreatment tumors from the same patients. We established novel xenograft models of antiangiogenic therapy resistance to target candidate resistance mediator(s). Results: BRG microarray analysis revealed upregulation versus pretreatment of receptor tyrosine kinase c-Met, which underwent further investigation because of its prior biologic plausibility as a bevacizumab resistance mediator. BRGs exhibited increased hypoxia versus pretreatment in a manner correlating with their c-Met upregulation, increased c-Met phosphorylation, and increased phosphorylation of c-Met–activated focal adhesion kinase and STAT3. We developed 2 novel xenograft models of antiangiogenic therapy resistance. In the first model, serial bevacizumab treatment of an initially responsive xenograft generated a xenograft with acquired bevacizumab resistance, which exhibited upregulated c-Met expression versus pretreatment. In the second model, a BRG-derived xenograft maintained refractoriness to the MRI tumor vasculature alterations and survival-promoting effects of bevacizumab. Growth of this BRG-derived xenograft was inhibited by a c-Met inhibitor. Transducing these xenograft cells with c-Met short hairpin RNA inhibited their invasion and survival in hypoxia, disrupted their mesenchymal morphology, and converted them from bevacizumab-resistant to bevacizumab-responsive. Engineering bevacizumab-responsive cells to express constitutively active c-Met caused these cells to form bevacizumab-resistant xenografts. Conclusion: These findings support the role of c-Met in survival in hypoxia and invasion, features associated with antiangiogenic therapy resistance, and growth and therapeutic resistance of xenografts resistant to antiangiogenic therapy. Therapeutically targeting c-Met could prevent or overcome antiangiogenic therapy resistance. Clin Cancer Res; 19(7); 1773–83. ©2012 AACR .
Comparisons Between Hunter Education Instructors' and Hunters' Behaviors

This study compared hunter education instructors' (HEI) (n = 806) and deer hunters' (DH) (n = 396) views of hunting safety practices, with an emphasis on hunting from elevated stands. Data were obtained from convenience samples of both groups. HEI self-reported better safety practices than DH on 9 of 14 survey items. A high percentage of both groups (HEI = 14%, DH = 32%), however, reported wearing a fall-arrest device less than 10% of time. Questions regarding the use of a fall arrest during ascending and descending were significantly different between groups (χ2 = 67.75, p < .001). However, both HEI and DH (HEI = ∼41%, DH = ∼68%,) reported having used a fall-arrest device (ascending and descending) less than 10% of the time. Employing engineering controls in addition to administrative safety controls may further enhance elevated stand safety.
Cyclic AMP in G1-arrested BHK21 cells infected with adenovirus type 12

Abstract Changes in intracellular levels of cyclic AMP and activity of adenyl cyclase and cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase were studied in G1-arrested BHK21 cells infected with adenovirus type 12 (Ad12). The intracellular concentration of cyclic AMP is reduced at 8 hours after infection (h.p.i.) and reaches a minimum at 14 h.p.i. The decrease in activity of adenyl cyclase is detected at 7.5 h.p.i.; at 9 h.p.i. the activity is about 50% of that in mock-infected cells. No significant changes were observed in the activity of cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase until 13 h.p.i., thereafter the activity of cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase decreased. It is suggested that the observed changes in cyclic AMP metabolism are related to expression of the viral genome, as the first changes are detected only after appearance of Ad12 mRNA in the infected cells.
Depth-Related Distribution of Postjuvenile Red Snapper in Southeastern U.S. Atlantic Ocean Waters: Ontogenic Patterns and Implications for Management

AbstractFor the economically and ecologically important Red Snapper Lutjanus campechanus, depth distribution patterns across ontogeny are not well understood, particularly in the southeastern U.S. Atlantic Ocean (SEUSA). Using data derived from two fishery-independent surveys targeting hardbottom habitats, we examined patterns of age- and length-specific depth distributions of postjuvenile (age 1+) Red Snapper in the SEUSA. We also compared age and length distributions between fishery-independent surveys and commercial hook-and-line catches to make inferences about gear-specific age and size selectivity, which could have implications for gear-specific interpretations of Red Snapper depth distribution patterns and for determining selectivity functions used in stock assessments. Older, larger Red Snapper were generally distributed throughout all depths, whereas the younger and smaller Red Snapper occurred disproportionately in relatively shallow waters. For Red Snapper equal to or larger than 50 cm FL, we f...
Modeling the order picking function in supply chain systems: formulation, experimentation, and insights

Order picking is found at the interface of production and distribution networks within supply chain systems. In this study the order picking function is modeled to explore its role with respect to inventory deployment and centralized distribution planning, in the presence of production economies of scale and deterministic demand. The results of 5400 numerical experiments suggest that, for certain system cost structures, there may exist an inherent tension between commercially independent stages, owed to the consequences of decentralized planning. Increasing total system cost due to pull style planning over centralized planning appeared to be most heavily influenced by the proportion of costs shared by various system stages around the order picker, and this gap averaged over 30% in worst-case scenarios.
A systems model for safety program evaluation

A system of program evaluation is presented that examines organizational and programmatic aspects of countermeasures as well as three levels of outcome. Level one outcomes include changes in skills, knowledge, attitudes and resources. Change in behavior is the level two outcome. The ultimate or level three outcomes are increased cost effectiveness and reduction in death, disability, discomfort, dissatisfaction and deleterious side effects. Evaluation often requires assessment of level one and two outcomes for gatekeepers as well as for the ultimate population to be reached. Attention also must be paid to separate analysis of high vs low risk situations for injury events. The time series approach to evaluation should be used only on those rare occasions where it is not feasible to apply two by two design or its modifications.
Assessing the Structural Dynamics and Membrane Interactions of the Disordered Protein Alpha-Synuclein

Alpha-Synuclein (aSyn) is a small (140-amino acid), soluble neuronal protein that plays a critical role in Parkinson's Disease (PD). Both its native function and its contribution to the disease state are still incompletely understood at the molecular level. aSyn is intrinsically disordered, displaying little or no secondary structure in solution, although it forms an N-terminal (residues 9 to 93) amphipathic α-helix upon binding to lipid bilayers. Moreover, aSyn can act as a membrane curvature-sensing protein and can remodel lipid membranes to induce high curvature. Here we describe our efforts to understand membrane curvature sensing and generation by aSyn. Using single molecule fluorescence and other techniques, we find that while curvature sensing is generally conserved throughout the membrane binding region of aSyn, curvature generation requires specific binding domains. These results will help to form a model for the interplay between aSyn membrane binding activity and membrane remodeling and may have implications for understanding both aSyn's native role as well as its contribution to PD.
An engineered innate immune defense protects grapevines from Pierce disease

We postulated that a synergistic combination of two innate immune functions, pathogen surface recognition and lysis, in a protein chimera would lead to a robust class of engineered antimicrobial therapeutics for protection against pathogens. In support of our hypothesis, we have engineered such a chimera to protect against the Gram-negative Xylella fastidiosa (Xf), which causes diseases in multiple plants of economic importance. Here we report the design and delivery of this chimera to target the Xf subspecies fastidiosa (Xff), which causes Pierce disease in grapevines and poses a great threat to the wine-growing regions of California. One domain of this chimera is an elastase that recognizes and cleaves MopB, a conserved outer membrane protein of Xff. The second domain is a lytic peptide, cecropin B, which targets conserved lipid moieties and creates pores in the Xff outer membrane. A flexible linker joins the recognition and lysis domains, thereby ensuring correct folding of the individual domains and synergistic combination of their functions. The chimera transgene is fused with an amino-terminal signal sequence to facilitate delivery of the chimera to the plant xylem, the site of Xff colonization. We demonstrate that the protein chimera expressed in the xylem is able to directly target Xff, suppress its growth, and significantly decrease the leaf scorching and xylem clogging commonly associated with Pierce disease in grapevines. We believe that similar strategies involving protein chimeras can be developed to protect against many diseases caused by human and plant pathogens.
Moving beyond Round Pegs and Square Holes: Restructuring Medicare To Improve Chronic Care

Chronic disease is the norm rather than the exception among Medicare beneficiaries, yet Medicare's benefit structure and reimbursement mechanisms are poorly aligned with high-quality chronic care. This disconnect is thought to undermine the quality of chronic care, thereby contributing to excess program spending and placing beneficiaries at risk for undesirable health outcomes. Despite widespread recognition of this mismatch, there is little compelling evidence to suggest that successful quality improvement initiatives would reduce the costs of the Medicare program. This paper describes state-of-the-art chronic care innovations to date, discusses ongoing and planned efforts by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to test related changes to Medicare's benefit structure and provider reimbursement, and suggests opportunities for future progress in this area.
1,3-dinitrobenzene induces age- and region-specific oxidation to mitochondria-related proteins in brain.

Regions of the brain with high energy requirements are especially sensitive to perturbations in mitochondrial function. Hence, neurotoxicant exposures that target mitochondria in regions of high energy demand have the potential to accelerate mitochondrial damage inherently occurring during the aging process. 1,3-Dinitrobenzene (DNB) is a model neurotoxicant that selectively targets mitochondria in brainstem nuclei innervated by the eighth cranial nerve. This study investigates the role of age in the regional susceptibility of brain mitochondria-related proteins (MRPs) to oxidation following exposure to DNB. Male F344 rats (1 month old [young], 3 months old [adult], 18 months old [aged]) were exposed to 10 mg/kg DNB prior to mitochondrial isolation and histopathology experiments. Using a high-throughput proteomic approach, 3 important region- and age-related increases in DNB-induced MRP oxidation were determined: (1) brainstem mitochondria are ×3 more sensitive to DNB-induced oxidation than cortical mitochondria; (2) oxidation of brainstem MRPs is significantly higher than in cortical counterparts; and (3) MRPs from the brainstems of older rats are significantly more oxidized than those from young or adult rats. Furthermore, lower levels of DNB cause signs of intoxication (ataxia, chromodacryorrhea) and vacuolation of the susceptible neuropil in aged animals, while neither is observed in DNB-exposed young rats. Additionally, methemoglobin levels increase significantly in DNB-exposed adult and aged animals, but not young DNB-exposed animals. This suggests that oxidation of key MRPs observed in brainstem of aged animals is necessary for DNB-induced signs of intoxication and lesion formation. These results provide compelling evidence that environmental chemicals such as DNB may aid in the acceleration of injury to specific brain regions by inducing oxidation of sensitive mitochondrial proteins.
Top quark mass and Higgs mass limits in the standard SU(5) supergravity unification

Abstract Radiative breaking of the electroweal symmetry in the standard supergravity SU(5) model under the combined LEP and CDF constraints on the SUSY mass spectrum and under the proton lifetime constraint of Kamiokande is analyzed. The analysis gives an upper bound of 180 GeV for the top quark mass. The allowed domain of masses for the charged and the neutral Higgs are then determined for a given m t over the full allowed m t range. Domains of the Higgs mass accessible at LEP2 and at the SSC are delineated. It is shown that when τ(p→ g nK)>1.3X10 32 yr, then either a light CP even Higgs or a light chargino (or both) should be observable at LEP2.
Action and toxicity of vitamin B6 hydrochloride.

Summary1. Vitamin B1 · HCI is acid in reaction which may be responsible for certain irritating effects in body tissues. 2. A method of bioassay has been described based upon the curing of rats' acrodynia. 3. The acute toxicity of B6 · HC1 in mice and rats by intravenous injection has been determined. 4. Mice can tolerate repeated doses of 100 mg per kg, given intravenously, without pathological changes. 5. No ill effects occur in men when B6 · HC1 is administered orally or intravenously in the dosage of 100 to 200 mg. Pain occurs when the drug is injected intramuscularly. 6. In the concentration of 1:8000, B6 · HC1 inhibits isolated rabbit's small intestines, but contracts the isolated guinea pig's uterus.
Amino Acid Metabolism in Young Pea Seedlings

14. RATNER, S., V. NOCITO, AND D. E. GREEN. 1944. Glycine oxidase. J. Biol. Chem. 152: 119-33. 15. WANG, D. AND M. S. H. HAO. 1960. Effect of benzimidazole oll the formation of sugars from glycine-2-C14 in detached leaves of Khapli wheat. Plant Physiol. 35: xv. 16. WANG, D. AND R. H. BURRIS. 1963. Carbon metabolism of C14-labeled amino acids in wheat leaves. 11. Serine and its role in glycine metabolism. Plant Physiol. 38: 430-39. 17. WANG, D. AND R. H. BURRIS. 1965. Carbon metabolism of C14-labeled amino acids in wheat leaves. III. Further studies on the role of serine in glycine metabolism. Plant Physiol. 40: 415-18. 18. WANG, D. AND E. R. WAYGOOD. 1962. Carbon metabolism of C'4-labeled amino acids in wheat leaves. I. A pathway of glyoxylate-serine metabolism. Plant Physiol. 37: 826-32. 19. WEISSBACH, A. AND B. L. HORECKER. 1955. The formation of glycine from ribose-5-phosphate. In: A Symposium on Amino Acid Metabolism, W. D. McElroy and H. B. Glass, eds. Johns Hopkinis Press, Baltimore. p 741-42. 20. WILKINSON, A. P. AND D. D. DAVIES. 1958. Serine-glycine interconversion in plant tissues. Nature 181: 1070-71. 21. ZELITCH, I. 1955. The isolation and action of crystalline glyoxylic acid reductase from tobacco leaves. J. Biol. Cheni. 216: 553-75.
Commentary: tempo of evolutionary change in ecological systems.

Abstract As ecology and evolutionary biology developed during the 20th century one thing that frustrated an integration of research programs in these areas was the assumption that ecological and evolutionary processes operated on very different time scales. In 1961 the ecologist Lawrence Slobodkin reflected this assumption in his distinction between “evolutionary time” and “ecological time.” This commentary reflects on the four papers in this Special Section that advance our understanding of the history of research at the intersection of phenotypes, genotypes, ecology, and evolution using plants as study organisms. Early in the 20th century at least some researchers, especially in agricultural systems, were already using observations and experiments to show how natural selection could operate over relatively short time periods and small spatial scales. These four studies offer a more nuanced view of the history of our understanding of the rate of phenotypic change via natural selection and the use of experiments to study evolutionary change. They illuminate the route that has led to the current presumption that in many cases ecological and evolutionary processes may indeed operate on similar, not dissimilar, time scales.
Using static single assignment form to improve flow-insensitive pointer analysis

A pointer-analysis algorithm can be either flow-sensitive or flow-insensitive. While flow-sensitive analysis usually provides more precise information, it is also usually considerably more costly in terms of time and space. The main contribution of this paper is the presentation of another option in the form of an algorithm that can be 'tuned' to provide a range of results that fall between the results of flow-insensitive and flow-sensitive analysis. The algorithm combines a flow-insensitive pointer analysis with static single assignment (SSA) form and uses an iterative process to obtain progressively better results.
Stability of the DSI electromagnetic update algorithm on a chevron grid [plasma]

Summary form only given, as follows. The discrete surface integral (DSI) algorithm for solving the Maxwell curl equations in the time domain provides the opportunity to accurately discretize extremely complex geometries. This algorithm is a direct generalization of the standard staggered-grid finite-difference approach using a 3d, non-orthogonal, unstructured grid composed of mixed-polyhedral elements. Little is known about the numerical properties of the DSI method when discretized on these more general grids. However, dispersion characteristics can be determined for idealized non-orthogonal grids which provide some insight on the behavior of the algorithm on more general grids. Results of the dispersion and stability analysis for the DSI algorithm when discretized on a 2d chevron grid are presented. This analysis shows that, for chevron grids, the DSI algorithm supports slowly growing electromagnetic oscillations. Unlike the usual Courant instability, these oscillations have complex frequencies with nonzero growth rates for a vanishing time step. Several numerical examples of the chevron instability, along with some comments about the possible impact of this instability on real problems are presented.
Adult second language acquisition: A selective overview with a focus on the learner linguistic system

This review article selects and elaborates on the important issues of adult second language acquisition research in the second decade of the twenty-first century. The fundamental question of whether adult second language acquisition and child first language acquisition are similar or different is addressed throughout the article. The issues of a critical period for acquisition, the importance of the linguistic input, and processing are discussed. Generative as well as usage-based perspectives are considered. Future research concerns and promising areas of investigation are proposed.