cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A family of conserved bacterial effectors inhibits salicylic acid-mediated basal immunity and promotes disease necrosis in plants

Salicylic acid (SA)-mediated host immunity plays a central role in combating microbial pathogens in plants. Inactivation of SA-mediated immunity, therefore, would be a critical step in the evolution of a successful plant pathogen. It is known that mutations in conserved effector loci (CEL) in the plant pathogens Pseudomonas syringae (the ΔCEL mutation), Erwinia amylovora (the dspA/E mutation), and Pantoea stewartii subsp. stewartii (the wtsE mutation) exert particularly strong negative effects on bacterial virulence in their host plants by unknown mechanisms. We found that the loss of virulence in ΔCEL and dspA/E mutants was linked to their inability to suppress cell wall-based defenses and to cause normal disease necrosis in Arabidopsis and apple host plants. The ΔCEL mutant activated SA-dependent callose deposition in wild-type Arabidopsis but failed to elicit high levels of callose-associated defense in Arabidopsis plants blocked in SA accumulation or synthesis. This mutant also multiplied more aggressively in SA-deficient plants than in wild-type plants. The hopPtoM and avrE genes in the CEL of P. syringae were found to encode suppressors of this SA-dependent basal defense. The widespread conservation of the HopPtoM and AvrE families of effectors in various bacteria suggests that suppression of SA-dependent basal immunity and promotion of host cell death are important virulence strategies for bacterial infection of plants.
Complete nucleotide sequence of a chicken α-globin cDNA

Abstract The entire sequence of a 541 bp insert in recombinant plasmid pHb1003 has been determined. This plasmid, which was shown to carry a cloned cDNA copy of the chicken α-globin mRNA, contains the complete structural gene as well as 19 bp of the 5'-untranslated region and 99 bp of the 3'-untranslated region. This sequence may encode a non-adult α-globin gene, especially since the cDNA clones were generated from phenylhydrazine-induced, globin-specific mRNA extracted from anemic white leghorns. The possibility that this α-globin might represent a stress globin is considered.
Conduits in Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

Modern cardiac practice in the United States is conservative when it comes to using bilateral internal mammary or radial artery grafts in coronary artery bypass surgery. Here, we examine the evidence regarding using other arterial grafts instead of veins as a complement to left internal mammary artery in surgical revascularization. In addition, we put our report in perspective relative to prevailing practice, professional societal guidelines, and future directions in coronary artery bypass grafting.
Droplet Microfluidic Technologies for High-throughput Single-Cell Gene Expression Analysis

In the past 5 years, droplet microfluidics has experienced tremendous growth during which mature methods for high throughput droplet manipulation have been developed. Such methods include controlled droplet generation, fusion, sorting, splitting and storage. A technological bottleneck of current droplet microfluidics is that because droplets are separated, sequential chemical reactions are more difficult to achieve. For example, in order to perform several biochemical reactions using enzymes one needs to deactivate the currently present enzymes before performing the next step. It is also much more difficult to concentrate target molecules, especially since every reaction step adds volume to the droplets.Here we developed a method to extracting and concentrating analytes within droplets in a continuous fashion by introducing functionalized magnetic microparticles into the droplets that can be manipulated by external magnetic fields and concentration is achieved by continuously splitting droplets to separate the part of the droplet that contains microparticles from the part that is devoid of particles.We are presenting progress towards the development of a high throughput (rates up to 3000 cells/sec) microfluidics device to create cRNA libraries of single cells. This is accomplished by encapsulating single cells into picoliter droplets, extracting mRNA from the cell lysate using functionalized magnetic microparticles, and subsequently creating single cell cDNA libraries that are covalently bound to magnetic beads. Our device will outperform current techniques to study single cell gene expression by several orders of magnitude. Our approach can be used for applications in basic research (e.g. stem cell differentiation) and medicine (early cancer diagnostics and cancer treatment monitoring).
Effects of prenatal stress on avoidance acquisition, open-field performance and lordotic behavior in male rats

Abstract Prenatal stress enhanced lordotic behavior potentials in male rats but did not feminize patterns of active avoidance acquisition or open-field performance. These results suggest that prenatal stress selectively feminizes some but not all behavior patterns shown to differentiate under the influence of perinatal gonadal hormones. In the rat, the critical period for the differentiation of active avoidance behavior appears to span prenatal and early neonatal ontogeny.
Composition, coherence, and attachment: The critical role of context in reception

Abstract This research demonstrates how context, the location of reception, an often-overlooked component of interpretation, is central to understanding evaluations of cultural objects, specifically art. Two cases of mildly debated sculptures in San Francisco – Mark di Suvero's “Pax Jerusalem” and Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen's “Cupid's Span” – are analyzed in order to ascertain the role context has in reception and debates over art. Reactions to the sculptures found in newspaper articles ( n = 37) and in interviews ( n = 82) conducted at the sites of the sculptures reveal that receivers evaluate art using a “contextual eye.” The contextual eye is a filter of interpretation similar to social characteristics such as gender or education. Individuals who share experiences with place form understandings of them shaping their expectations of future encounters in the same types of places. These sets of expectations are called place expectations. Place expectations inform three types of evaluations: composition (expected arrangement or relationship between things in a place), coherence (art's relationship to the identity of place), and attachment (valued activities in place). All evaluations of art found in the newspapers and interviews were coded into evaluative types based on the criteria used by the receiver. Evidence of context's significance in reception is demonstrated by the frequency of context evaluations (the most mentioned type of evaluation for both sculptures in the newspaper and interview data), how often contextual criteria informed aesthetic evaluations and comprehension of the sculptures, and the socio-economic variety of receivers who used contextual criteria in their responses. Aesthetic style affects the role of context in reception most significantly in coherence evaluations where individuals work to understand how Oldenburg/van Bruggen's bow and arrow relates to the symbolic landscape.
Experiments to determine whether recursive partitioning (CART) or an artificial neural network overcomes theoretical limitations of Cox proportional hazards regression

New computationally intensive tools for medical survival analyses include recursive patitioning (also called CART) and artificial neural networks. A challenge that remains is to better understand the behavior of these techniques in effort to know when they will be effective tools. Theoretically they may overcome limitations of the traditional multivariable survival technique, the Cox proportional hazards regression model. Experiments were designed to test whether the new tools would, in practice, overcome these limitations. Two datasets in which theory suggests CART and the neural network should outperform the Cox model were selected. The first was a published leukemia dataset manipulated to have a strong interaction that CART should detect. The second was a published cirrhosis dataset with pronounced nonlinear effects that a neural network should fit. Repeated sampling of 50 training and testing subsets was applied to each technique. The concordance index C was calculated as a measure of predictive accuracy by each technique on the testing dataset. In the interaction dataset, CART outperformed Cox (P < 0.05) with a C improvement of 0.1 (95% CI, 0.08 to 0.12). In the nonlinear dataset, the neural network outperformed the Cox model (P < 0.05), but by a very slight amount (0.015). As predicted by theory, CART and the neural network were able to overcome limitations of the Cox model. Experiments like these are important to increase our understanding of when one of these new techniques will outperform the standard Cox model. Further research is necessary to predict which technique will do best a priori and to assess the magnitude of superiority.
ASCA Observations of the Unidentified EGRET Source 2EGS J1418–6049

In a 40 ks ASCA exposure of the GeV EGRET error box of the unidentified source 2EGS J1418-6049, we observe diffuse emission surrounding several unusual hard spectrum X-ray sources. Two of these sources have plausible identifications as absorbed active galactic nuclei (AGNs). Our best candidate for the EGRET source counterpart is an extended nonthermal object, which we argue to be a wind nebula surrounding a pulsar with characteristic age τ ~ 104.5 yr. We also discuss optical and radio data supporting the proposal that the GeV source is a young energetic pulsar. This analysis demonstrates how hard X-ray observations can significantly constrain the nature of GeV γ-ray sources.
THE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF ISOLATED CHROMOSOMES.

By means of 1 M NaCl isolated lymphocyte chromosomes can be separated into two fractions, each of which contains nucleoprotein. The fraction soluble in M NaCl consists largely of desoxyribose nucleohistone, and constitutes 90 to 92 per cent of the mass of the chromosome. The insoluble residue (the residual chromosome is a coiled thread containing some 12 to 14 per cent of ribose nucleic and about one-fifth as much desoxyribose nucleic acid; the residual chromosome accounts for 8 to 10 per cent of the mass of the chromosome. The staining of chromosomes—whether by the Feulgen procedure, by hematoxylin, orcein, or by basic dyes such as crystal violet—is due to the nucleohistone fraction which contains about 96 per cent of the nucleic acid of the chromosome. The form of the chromosome is due primarily to the protein thread of the residual chromosome. This thread is the only linear structure of microscopic dimensions in the chromosome that is not readily dispersed. When chromosomes are broken, it must be supposed that a break is made in the protein thread of the residual chromosome. The foregoing provides evidence for considering the residual chromosome to be the basis of the linear order of the genes. This would mean either that the residual chromosome is a structure around which the genes are organized or that the genes form part of its substance.
A Study of Orbits near Saturn's Triangular Lagrangian Points

Abstract We revisit the question whether orbits near Saturn's triangular Lagrangian points (L4 and L5) may be stable for the age of the Solar System. In this paper, asteroids potentially on these orbits are named “Bruins” for short. We numerically integrated orbits around the L4 and L5 Lagrangian points of Jupiter (Trojans) and Saturn: 40 Trojans and 350 Bruins, all of inclination less than 12°. Trojan orbits were numerically integrated along with Bruin orbits, so that by comparing the results, we might better understand Bruin orbital dynamics. Four Bruins were stable when the numerical integration was stopped at 412 Myrs. Properties of these stable orbits were: (1) proper eccentricities less than 0.028; (2) longitudes of perihelion that librate about a point 45° from Saturn's perihelion, such that the perihelia are never close when the Bruin's eccentricity is near maximum; (3) maximum eccentricities that do not occur when perihelia are near Jupiter's aphelion or when Jupiter is near its maximum eccentricity; and (4) libration angle about L4 or L5 of more than 80° (a measure of tadpole length). Orbits with libration angles less than 80° were unstable, the time to instability being correlated with libration angle. In contrast, long-lived Trojans may have very small tadpole orbits and longitudes of perihelion that either circulate or librate with respect to Jupiter's. We numerically integrated various Bruin orbits using different Solar System models to develop a Hamiltonian perturbation theory for low-inclination Bruin orbits. Although only at the beginning stages of development, the theory already identifies three separatrices of Bruin motion due in part to the Great Inequality (GI) between Jupiter and Saturn. These GI separatrices are a major contributor to the unstable region near Saturn's L4 and L5 points. We found a secular resonance between the perihelion precession rates of Saturn and a Bruin in the elliptic, restricted problem of three bodies with imposed motion of Saturn's perihelion. This resonance creates a separatrix of Bruin motion, which may cause low-inclination Bruins with circulating longitudes of perihelion to go unstable when Jupiter is added to the model. Although we still cannot say whether all Bruin orbits eventually go unstable, we can predict candidate stable orbits based on this work.
Ultrastructural study of the encapsulation response of the American cockroach, Periplaneta americana

Pieces of altered allogeneic nerve cords implanted into the body cavity of the American cockroach are rapidly encapsulated by blood cells. The initial cellular response is the lysis of granulocytes on and near the surface of the implant. The discharged cellular components, together with an amorphous, clot-like substance, form a layer of debris which coats the foreign surface. Numerous hemocytes attracted to the reaction sites envelope the implant, forming a multilayered capsule composed of three morphologically distinct regions. Plasmatocytes and granulocytes participate in the cellular immune response, but granulocytes are much more reactive and form most of the structural elements of the capsule. Melanin is not a major component of the capsule as it is in capsules formed around parasites. Some of the intracellular degradative processes which precede lytic activity include autophagy, degranulation, and the development of numerous microvesicles. The early reacting cells may release substances which both are chemotactic for hemocytes and serve to bind the cells together to form the capsule. Since some granulocytes are more labile than others there may be subpopulations of these cells with different surface recognition sites.
Transient gas–liquid two-phase flow in pipes with radial influx or efflux

Abstract A simplified model for transient gas–liquid flow in pipes with radial influx or efflux has been developed in this paper. The resulting governing equations are essentially hyperbolic with U tp + c s and U tp − c s as their eigenvalues. A finite-difference scheme based on the split coefficient matrix (SCM) approach is applied to solve the mass and momentum balance equations. Sample numerical simulation runs are performed. Simulation results agree with experimental observations and clearly show the features of variation in pressure drop, liquid holdup, and two-phase velocity during transient and steady state flow periods.
Solution of stochastic optimal control problems by an alternative state-space representation†

Abstract In this paper, a new method of solving stochastic optimization problems is presented. Specifically, the stochastic problem statement is reformulated as a deterministic one to which well-known methods (i.e. the calculus of variations and the maximum principle) can be applied. The procedure by which this is achieved involves the conditional probability density function of the process; the density function is expanded in an infinite series and conditions necessary for this series to satisfy the Fokker-Planck equation are obtained. These conditions, which are differential constraints on the coefficients of the series, constitute an infinite set of deterministic state equations. The stochastic processes analysed are linear n-dimensional processes and non-linear one-dimensional processes whose dynamics and control are finite-degree polynomials in the random variables that describe the process; solutions are obtained for some processes described by linear differential equations.
Chimpanzees: Self-Recognition

After prolonged exposure to their reflected images in mirrors, chimpanzees marked with red dye showed evidence of being able to recognize their own reflections. Monkeys did not appear to have this capacity.
Congenital histiocytosis X

Congenital histiocytosis X involving multiple organs is a rare disease that causes rapid mortality in intrauterine and neonatal life. The diagnosis of histiocytosis X (Litterer-Siwe disease should be considered in a neonate with vesiculated crusting skin lesions. We present clinical, radiographic and histopathological findings in a neonate with congenital histiocytosis who died of respiratory failure due to diffuse infilteration of lungs with histiocytic cells.
Time Resolved X-ray Plasma Emission in low Current X-Pinches

Summary form only given. Experiments investigating the long time scale X-ray emission from X-pinches have been performed on a compact laboratory-scale pulser. The device has a maximum current of 80 kA with a rise time of ~40 ns, and wire materials including aluminum, nickel, stainless steel, molybdenum and tungsten were studied. Time resolved X-ray signal data have been recorded and analyzed, which included a set of Si diodes filtered using Ross pair filter sets. Simultaneous optical probing techniques (Schlieren and interferometry) were used to correlate X-ray emission with pinching of the plasma and gap formation. A scan of wire number and wire material was carried out whilst maintaining constant mass in the X-pinch. Various features including peak timing, number of peaks, FWHM, rise time, and time varying spectrum are reviewed. Results show that typically low Z metals have single long rise time peaks, while high Z materials have multiple sharp peaks. This analysis shows that the material and configurations play a profound role in the X-ray emission characteristics of the X-pinch. In addition, the variation of emission from bare Mo wires and Mo wires coated with a thin layer (0.04 mum) of gold was investigated. In cases with the gold coating, 3 distinct, well spaced peaks are observed in the X-ray emission, while uncoated wire signals generally comprise one primary and anywhere from 1-3 secondary peaks. Within a single shot, one can observe peaks with different profiles, and bare Mo X-pinches give peaks with rise times from 2-8 ns. This variable emission suggests that X-rays are produced by various mechanisms, which will be presented and discussed.
Vadose zone-attenuated artificial recharge for input to a ground water model.

Accurate representation of artificial recharge is requisite to calibration of a ground water model of an unconfined aquifer for a semiarid or arid site with a vadose zone that imparts significant attenuation of liquid transmission and substantial anthropogenic liquid discharges. Under such circumstances, artificial recharge occurs in response to liquid disposal to the vadose zone in areas that are small relative to the ground water model domain. Natural recharge, in contrast, is spatially variable and occurs over the entire upper boundary of a typical unconfined ground water model. An improved technique for partitioning artificial recharge from simulated total recharge for inclusion in a ground water model is presented. The improved technique is applied using data from the semiarid Hanford Site. From 1944 until the late 1980s, when Hanford’s mission was the production of nuclear materials, the quantities of liquid discharged from production facilities to the ground vastly exceeded natural recharge. Nearly all hydraulic head data available for use in calibrating a ground water model at this site were collected during this period or later, when the aquifer was under the diminishing influence of the massive water disposals. The vadose zone is typically 80 to 90 m thick at the Central Plateau where most production facilities were located at this semiarid site, and its attenuation of liquid transmission to the aquifer can be significant. The new technique is shown to improve the representation of artificial recharge and thereby contribute to improvement in the calibration of a site-wide ground water model.
Quantitative aspects of drug and toxicant-induced astrogliosis

A universal cellular reaction to damage of the CNS is hypertrophy of astrocytes. The hallmark of this response, often termed 'reactive gliosis', is the enhanced expression of the major intermediate filament protein of astrocytes, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). This latter observation suggests that increased synthesis of GFAP would occur in response to diverse neurotoxic insults. To investigate this possibility, prototype neurotoxicants were administered to experimental animals and the effects of these agents on the tissue content of GFAP was determined by immunoassay. Assays of GFAP were found to reveal dose-, time- and region-dependent patterns of neurotoxicity at toxicant dosages below those that cause light microscopic evidence of cell loss or damage. Moreover, the temporal and regional increments in GFAP correspond to the temporal and regional patterns of argyrophilia, as revealed by the cupric silver degeneration stain of de Olmos. Our findings indicate that assays of GFAP represent a sensitive, simple and quantitative approach for evaluation of nervous system damage. Combining this indirect yet quantitative indicator of neurotoxicity with more traditional neuroanatomical endpoints, should augment the armamentarium of techniques useful for detection and characterization of neurotoxicity.
Metal/TiO2 interfaces for memristive switches

The interfaces between metal electrodes and the oxide in TiO2-based memristive switches play a key role in the switching as well as in the I–V characteristics of the devices in different resistance states. We demonstrate here that the work function of the metal electrode has a surprisingly minor effect in determining the electronic barrier at the interface. In contrast, Ti oxides can be readily reduced by most electrode metals. The amount of oxygen vacancies created by these chemical reactions essentially determines the electronic barrier at the device interfaces.
Adaptive channel queue routing on k-ary n-cubes

This paper introduces a new adaptive method, Channel Queue Routing (CQR), for load-balanced routing on k-ary n-cube interconnection networks. CQR estimates global congestion in the network from its channel queues while relying on the implicit network backpressure to transfer congestion information to these queues. It uses this estimate to decide the directions to route in each dimension. It further load balances the network by routing in the selected directions adaptively. The only other algorithm that uses global congestion in its routing decision is the Globally Adaptive Load-Balance (GAL) algorithm introduced in [13]. GAL performs better than any other known routing algorithm on a wide variety of throughput and latency metrics. However, there are four serious issues with GAL. First, it has very high latency once it starts routing traffic non-minimally. Second, it is slow to adapt to changes in traffic. Third, it requires a complex method to achieve stability. Finally, it is complex to implement. These issues are all related to GAL's use of injection queue length to infer global congestion. CQR uses channel queues rather than injection queues to estimate global congestion. In doing so, it overcomes the limitations of GAL described above while matching its high performance on all the performance metrics described in [13]. CQR gives much lower latency than GAL at loads where non-minimal routing is required. It adapts rapidly to changes in traffic, is unconditionally stable, and is simple to implement.
Chemical characteristics of glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP) extracted from soils of varying organic matter content

Glomalin is described in the literature as a N-linked glycoprotein and the putative gene product of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). Since the link between glomalin and various protein fractions in soil is not yet clearly defined, glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP) more appropriately describes glomalin's existence in natural organic matter (NOM). The objective of this study was to examine the chemical characteristics of GRSP present in several mineral and organic soils of varying organic carbon content. GRSP was isolated using high temperature sodium citrate extraction followed by either trichloroacetic acid (TCA) or hydrochloric acid (HCl) precipitation. GRSP was characterized by quantitative solid-state 13C DPMAS NMR, infrared (IR) spectroscopy, elemental analysis, and the Bradford assay for protein content. GRSP accounted for 25% and 52% of total C in the mineral soils and organic soil, respectively. Molar C/N and H/C ratios reveal that GRSP has less nitrogen than bovine serum albumin (BSA), and that GRSP extracted from the Pahokee peat soil possessed a more unsaturated, and thus aromatic character relative to the mineral soil GRSP, respectively. GRSP's high aromatic (42–49%) and carboxyl (24–30%) carbon contents and low aliphatic (4–11%) and carbohydrate-type carbon contents (4–16%) suggests that GRSP does not resemble a typical glycoprotein. In fact, the NMR spectra of GRSP closely resemble that of humic acid. GRSP extracted from mineral and organic soils possessed the same NMR fingerprint regardless of the precipitation method used (i.e., either TCA or HCl). It is likely that the current GRSP extraction methods, because of their similarity to the method used to extract humic acid, are coextracting both materials.
Experimental and computational studies of mixing in complex Stokes flows: the vortex mixing flow and multicellular cavity flows

A complex Stokes flow has several cells, is subject to bifurcation, and its velocity field is, with rare exceptions, only available from numerical computations. We present experimental and computational studies of two new complex Stokes flows: a vortex mixing flow and multicell flows in slender cavities. We develop topological relations between the geometry of the flow domain and the family of physically realizable flows; we study bifurcations and symmetries, in particular to reveal how the forcing protocol's phase hides or reveals symmetries. Using a variety of dynamical tools, comparisons of boundary integral equation numerical computations to dye advection experiments are made throughout. Several findings challenge commonly accepted wisdom. For example, we show that higher-order periodic points can be more important than period-one points in establishing the advection template and extended regions of large stretching. We demonstrate also that a broad class of forcing functions produces the same qualitative mixing patterns. We experimentally verify the existence of potential mixing zones for adiabatic forcing and investigate the crossover from adiabatic to non-adiabatic behaviour. Finally, we use the entire array of tools to address an optimization problem for a complex flow. We conclude that none of the dynamical tools alone can successfully fulfil the role of a merit function; however, the collection of tools can be applied successively as a dynamical sieve to uncover a global optimum.
Anabolic steroid–induced hypogonadism: diagnosis and treatment

Objective To develop an understanding of hypogonadal men with a history of anabolic-androgenic steroid (AAS) use and to outline recommendations for management. Design Review of published literature and expert opinions. Intended as a meta-analysis, but no quality studies met the inclusion criteria. Setting Not applicable. Patient(s) Men seeking treatment for symptomatic hypogonadism who have used nonprescribed AAS. Intervention(s) History and physical examination followed by medical intervention if necessary. Main Outcome Measures(s) Serum testosterone and gonadotropin levels, symptoms, and fertility restoration. Result(s) Symptomatic hypogonadism is a potential consequence of AAS use and may depend on dose, duration, and type of AAS used. Complete endocrine and metabolic assessment should be conducted. Management strategies for anabolic steroid–associated hypogonadism (ASIH) include judicious use of testosterone replacement therapy, hCG, and selective estrogen receptor modulators. Conclusion(s) Although complications of AAS use are variable and patient specific, they can be successfully managed. Treatment of ASIH depends on the type and duration of AAS use. Specific details regarding a patient's AAS cycle are important in medical management.
Three-dimensional analyses of slip distributions on normal fault arrays with consequences for fault scaling

Abstract Many fault arrays consist of echelon segments. Field data on ancient and active faults indicate that such segmented geometries have a pronounced effect on the distribution of fault slip. Outcrop measurements of slip on arrays of fault segments show that: (i) the point of maximum fault slip generally is not located at the centre of a fault segment; (ii) displacement gradients steepen towards the adjacent fault for underlapping faults; and (iii) displacement gradients become more gentle near the tips of overlapping faults. Numerical analyses suggest that mechanical interaction between neighbouring faults may cause such asymmetrical slip distributions. This interaction occurs through local perturbation of the stress field, and does not require the faults to be connected. For normal faults, the degree of fault interaction, and hence the degree of asymmetry in the slip distribution, increases with increasing fault height and fault overlap and with decreasing fault spacing. The slip magnitude along a discontinuous fault array can be nearly equal to that of a single larger continuous fault provided the segments overlap with small spacing. Fault interaction increases the ratio between fault slip and fault length, especially for closely spaced, overlapping faults. Slip-to-length ratios also depend on the three-dimensional fault shape. For normal faults, the slip-to-length ratio increases with increasing fault height. The effects of fault interaction and three-dimensional fault shape together can lead to more than one order of magnitude variation in slip-to-length ratio for the simple case of a single slip event in a homogeneous isotropic rock. One should expect greater variation for the more complex conditions found in nature. Two-dimensional fault scaling models can not represent this behaviour.
Considering the Role of “Need for Cognition” in Students' Acceptance of Climate Change & Evolution

Abstract Anthropogenic climate change (ACC) and evolution are examples of issues that are perceived differently by scientists and the general public. Within the scientific community, there are clear consensuses that human activities are increasing global temperatures (ACC) and that evolutionary mechanisms have led to the biodiversity of life on Earth (evolution). However, there is much debate in the public discourse about the scientific evidence supporting these topics. The purpose of our study was to explore the relationship between a student's need for cognition (NFC) — preference to engage in and enjoy thinking — and the student's acceptance of ACC and evolution. The results revealed that students with a higher NFC were more accepting of both ACC and evolution. Future investigations should include evaluating the efficacy of different instructional techniques on NFC and acceptance of polarizing topics such as evolution and ACC.
Deletion of phenylalanine 508 causes attenuated phosphorylation-dependent activation of CFTR chloride channels

In cell-attached patches stimulated with cAMP agonists, the single-channel open probability (Po) of the phenylalanine 508-deleted cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (DeltaF508-CFTR) channel, the most common disease-associated mutation in cystic fibrosis, was abnormally low (a functional defect). To investigate the mechanism for the poor response of DeltaF508-CFTR to cAMP stimulation, we examined, in excised inside-out patches, protein kinase A (PKA)-dependent phosphorylation activation and ATP-dependent gating of wild-type (WT) and DeltaF508-CFTR channels expressed in NIH3T3 mouse fibroblasts. For WT-CFTR, the activation time course of CFTR channel current upon addition of PKA and ATP followed a sigmoidal function with time constants that decreased as [PKA] was increased. The curvilinear relationship between [PKA] and the apparent activation rate suggests an incremental phosphorylation-dependent activation of CFTR at multiple phosphorylation sites. The time course of PKA-dependent activation of DeltaF508-CFTR channel current also followed a sigmoidal function, but the rate of activation was at least 7-fold slower than that with WT channels. This result suggests that deletion of phenylalanine 508 causes attenuated PKA-dependent phosphorylation of the CFTR chloride channel. Once DeltaF508-CFTR channels were maximally activated with PKA, the mutant channel and WT channel had indistinguishable steady-state Po values, ATP dose-response relationships and single-channel kinetics, indicating that DeltaF508-CFTR is not defective in ATP-dependent gating. By measuring whole-cell current density, we compared the number of functional channels in WT- and DeltaF508-CFTR cell membrane. Our data showed that the estimated channel density for DeltaF508-CFTR was approximately 10-fold lower than that for WT-CFTR, but the cAMP-dependent whole-cell current density differed by approximately 200-fold. We thus conclude that the functional defect (a decrease in Po) of DeltaF508-CFTR is as important as the trafficking defect (a decrease in the number of functional channels in the plasma membrane) in cystic fibrosis pathogenesis.
Discontent Among Male Lawyers, Female Lawyers, and Female Legal Secretaries

Female lawyers, female legal secretaries, and male lawyers were interviewed about their feelings of grievance and three grievance-related attitudes. The working women, like the men, are generally content with their personal situations at work and at home. The women are significantly more upset than are the men about the plight of working women.
The Conservation Reserve Program: Economic Implications for Rural America

This report estimates the impact that high levels of enrollment in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) have had on economic trends in rural counties since the program's inception in 1985 until today. The results of a growth model and quasi-experimental control group analysis indicate no discernible impact by the CRP on aggregate county population trends. Aggregate employment growth may have slowed in some high-CRP counties, but only temporarily. High levels of CRP enrollment appear to have affected farm-related businesses over the long run, but growth in the number of other nonfarm businesses moderated CRP's impact on total employment. If CRP contracts had ended in 2001, simulation models suggest that roughly 51 percent of CRP land would have returned to crop production, and that spending on outdoor recreation would decrease by as much as $300 million per year in rural areas. The resulting impacts on employment and income vary widely among regions having similar CRP enrollments, depending upon local economic conditions.
Metabolic syndrome in postmenopausal women: the influence of oral or transdermal estradiol on inflammation and coagulation markers

Objective The objective of the study was to determine whether the route of administration of estrogen therapy in women with metabolic syndrome (MBS) influences inflammation and coagulation parameters. Study Design Fifty symptomatic postmenopausal women with MBS were randomized to receive 1 mg oral estradiol (oE 2 ) or 0.05 mg transdermal E 2 (tE 2 ) for 3 months. Measurements were compared with those of 20 healthy premenopausal women and 74 normal postmenopausal women. Results Compared with both control groups, women with MBS had significantly higher levels of certain inflammation and coagulation markers, which cannot be accounted for based on weight alone. After oE 2 , antithrombin III decreased from 104% to 96% ( P P P 2 , there were no major changes noted. Conclusion Postmenopausal women with MBS have higher levels of certain coagulation and inflammation markers and different responses to oral compared with transdermal estradiol.
Resveratrol: a candidate nutritional substance for prostate cancer prevention.

The dietary stilbene resveratrol is a major constituent of a variety of edible plant products, including grapes and peanuts. Resveratrol has been identified as an excellent candidate cancer chemopreventive, based on its safety and efficacy in animal models of carcinogenesis. Resveratrol is a prototype of a plethora of bioactive polyphenols in the food supply that has just begun to be mined for cancer preventive agents. For example, polyphenolic grapeseed fractions were shown recently to potently antagonize chemical carcinogenesis. Taking into consideration that the identification of resveratrol as a cancer preventive agent is largely owed to its high abundance in nature (e.g., it accounts for 5-10% of the grapeskin biomass), it is logical to expect that naturally occurring stilbenes that are superior to resveratrol in their cancer preventive properties await identification. Thus, resveratrol may represent the tip of the iceberg of a broad class of stilbene and related polyphenolic natural products that include safe and highly effective agents for cancer prevention. We hypothesize that resveratrol may be especially suitable as a lead agent for prostate cancer prevention given its ability to: 1) inhibit each stage of multistage carcinogenesis, 2) scavenge incipient populations of androgen-dependent prostate cancer cells through androgen receptor antagonism, and 3) scavenge incipient populations of androgen-independent prostate cancer cells by short-circuiting the epidermal growth factor-receptor (EGFR)-dependent autocrine loops in the cancer cells.
Absconding Among Juvenile Parolees in Arizona: Constructing and Validating a Gender-Responsive Risk Instrument

Absconding refers to the active or passive avoidance of contact with correctional supervisory agencies by offenders. Absconders are problematic because their whereabouts are unknown and their threat to the public is elevated. The aim of this study was to construct and validate an actuarial instrument designed to assess risk for absconding among juvenile parolees that accounts for gendered differences. The data were gathered from 1,063 juveniles released from the Arizona Department of Juvenile Corrections into community settings in 2008 and 2009. Juveniles were randomly subdivided into construction and validation samples to assess the validity of the instrument. Twelve risk factors were identified to construct the instrument, three of which were found to operate differently for male and female juveniles. Upon application to the validation sample, the instrument correctly classified 70% of juvenile parolees, and a corresponding r value of.37 was observed. The author discusses the substantive and practical implications for assessing absconding risk and modeling gender differences when supervising offenders in community settings. Keywords: Juvenile justice Language: en
IFN-γ downregulates expression of Na+/H+ exchangers NHE2 and NHE3 in rat intestine and human Caco-2/bbe cells

Diarrhea associated with inflammatory bowel diseases has traditionally been attributed to stimulated secretion. The purpose of this study was to determine whether chronic stimulation of intestinal ...
Evaluating Changes in the Prevalence of the Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs).

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are estimated to occur among about one percent of children in the United States. This estimate is in line with estimates from other industrialized countries. However, the identified prevalence of ASDs has increased significantly in a short time period based on data from multiple studies including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network. Whether increases in ASD prevalence are partly attributable to a true increase in the risk of developing ASD or solely to changes in community awareness and identification patterns is not known. It is clear that more children are identified with an ASD now than in the past and the impact on individuals, families, and communities is significant. However, disentangling the many potential reasons for ASD prevalence increases has been challenging. Understanding the relative contribution of multiple factors such as variation in study methods, changes in diagnostic and community identification, and potential changes in risk factors is an important priority for the ADDM Network and for CDC. This article summarizes the discussion from a workshop that was co-sponsored by CDC and Autism Speaks as a forum for sharing knowledge and opinions of a diverse range of stakeholders about changes in ASD prevalence. Panelists discussed recommendations for building on existing infrastructure and developing new initiatives to better understand ASD trends. The information, research, and opinions shared during this workshop add to the knowledge base about ASD prevalence in an effort to stimulate further work to understand the multiple reasons behind increasing ASD prevalence.
Abstract 169: Activation of The Interleukin-1 Receptor Contributes to the Pathogenesis of Angiotensin II-dependent Hypertension by Regulating Sodium Excretion

Interleukin 1(IL-1) is an important regulator of inflammation and innate immunity and exerts diverse actions in multiple tissue beds. Previous studies have found increased renal IL-1 production in the setting of angiotensin (Ang) II-induced hypertension. The current study therefore explored whether activation of the IL-1 receptor (IL-1R) contributes to the pathogenesis of Ang II-dependent hypertension. Thus, we chronically infused uni-nephrectomized IL-1R-deficient (IL-1R KO) mice and wild-type (WT) controls (n=9 per group, 129/SvEv strain) with Ang II (1000ng/kg/min) for 4 weeks. At baseline, the mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) was similar in WT and IL-1R KO mice (131±9 vs. 125±6 mm Hg; p=NS). By contrast, after the 1st week of Ang II infusion, IL-1R KO mice had markedly attenuated elevations in BP (169±6 vs.184±3 mm Hg; p st week of Ang II when BPs were also similar. However, during the 2 nd week of Ang II when BPs started to diverge between the groups, the IL-1R KOs excreted 23% more sodium than WT controls (416±23 vs. 337±25 μmol/day; p
Dumpster diving in the trash bin of history

While there is much to like in Simon Springer’s article, in this commentary I would like to re-examine several concepts that Springer consigns (much too prematurely, in my view) to the dustbin. Two of these he identifies quite explicitly—vanguardism and revolution; a third by implication—important dimensions of the state.
SICK ABSENCE FOR MEN AND WOMEN BY MARITAL STATUS.

(1964). Sick Absence for Men and Women by Marital Status. Archives of Environmental Health: An International Journal: Vol. 8, No. 3, pp. 466-470.
Obesity, longevity, quality of life: Alteration by dietary 2-mercaptoethanol

Previous investigations demonstrated that optimization of murine immunological reactivity in tissue culture required a sulfhydryl compound; the most effective being 2-mercaptoethanol (2-Me). Since these reports, 2-Me was found beneficial for both growth/function of other cell-types in vitro, including those of other species, and when fed orally, it impeded and/or reversed some in situ physiological changes associated with aging. More recently, thiol-containing compounds possessing oxidation-reduction potentials weaker than 2-Me were found to impart beneficial effects for many other, including human, diseases. Based on these effects, the research herein addressed the question: What consequences might dietary 2-Me impart on health and disease of mice other than those associated with aging? The main parameters monitored over the lifetime of individual animals exposed to dietary 10⁻³ M 2-Me in their drinking water were: quality of life (obesity and development of recumbent, emaciated and/or cachectic health); longevity; and appearance of tumors. Instead of anticipated toxic attributes, the following unique benefits were found; mean survival of a moderately-lived strain (A/J) was increased 40.8%, high-fat-diet obesity was curtailed in C57BL/10 mice, and a goal of aging intervention protocols, namely preventing loss of quality of life during aging (recumbent, emaciated and/or cachectic) was achieved. Various mechanisms are discussed as they pertain to these findings.
Discussion on the Interconnection of Power Optical Cable Monitoring and Management System in Jiaxing

After many years′ construction and development,the monitoring and management system of power optical cable in Jiaxing have covered all optical cables in the cities and counties with the function of real-time monitoring and resource management.By data exchange platform,the system has realized two-level system interconnection,at the same time,the seamless connection with TNDM,GIS of power transmission and distribution system,and PI seamless real-time database systems have been achieved.This paper introduces the goal,content and key technologies of the system.Practical operation shows that the system software architecture design is reasonable,simple,functional and practical.It enhances the maintenance and management level of power communication.
Perception of Exercise Lifestyle as a Valid Tool for Prevention and Treatment of Depression in Rural Communities.

Background This study examines perception of exercise lifestyle prescription as a valid treatment for depression among rural patients at a primary care clinic in Texas.
Neuroendocrine Regulation of Food Intake

Publisher Summary This chapter explores the regulation of feeding behavior and energy homeostasis from the perspective of neuroendocrinology. Different techniques have been used to localize Lepr in the brain. The first studies used in situ hybridization to detect the LepR mRNA in rat brain, and found significant expression in parts of the hypothalamus, thalamus, hindbrain and cerebellum. The suppression of food intake by peripheral and central leptin administration was one of the first of its properties to be investigated, and has remained a primary target for investigation ever since. Insulin administered directly into the brain decreases food intake and has effects on glucose homeostasis. Three non-exclusive mechanisms have been proposed to help explain these findings, and each shares some overlap with the way that leptin regulates food intake. Endocrine cells in the stomach, and proximal and distal intestine, are the principal source of peptide hormones that influence food intake and energy metabolism by directly targeting specific neurons in the brain and/or by modulating vagal nerve function.