cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cryptosporidium parvum appears to lack a plastid genome.

Surprisingly, unlike most Apicomplexa, Cryptosporidium parvum appears to lack a plastid genome. Primers based upon the highly conserved plastid small- or large-subunit rRNA (SSU/LSU rRNA) and the tufA-tRNAPhe genes of other members of the phylum Apicomplexa failed to amplify products from intracellular stages of C. parvum, whereas products were obtained from the plastid-containing apicomplexans Eimeria bovis and Toxoplasma gondii, as well as the plants Allium stellatum and Spinacia oleracea. Dot-blot hybridization of sporozoite genomic DNA (gDNA) supported these PCR results. A T. gondii plastid-specific set of probes containing SSU/LSU rRNA and tufA-tRNAPhe genes strongly hybridized to gDNA from a diverse group of plastid-containing organisms including three Apicomplexa, two plants, and Euglena gracilis, but not to those without this organelle including C. parvum, three kinetoplastids, the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, mammals and the eubacterium Escherichia coli. Since the origin of the plastid in other apicomplexans is postulated to be the result of a secondary symbiogenesis of either a red or a green alga, the most parsimonious explanation for its absence in C. parvum is that it has been secondarily lost. If confirmed, this would indicate an alternative evolutionary fate for this organelle in one member of the Apicomplexa. It also suggests that unlike the situation with other diseases caused by members of the Apicomplexa, drug development against cryptosporidiosis targeting a plastid genome or metabolic pathways associated with it may not be useful.
Differential subcellular localization of the glucocorticoid receptor in distinct neural stem and progenitor populations of the mouse telencephalon in vivo

Glucocorticoids are given to pregnant women at risk for premature delivery to promote lung maturation. Despite reports of detrimental effects of glucocorticoids on telencephalic neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs), the regional and cellular expressions of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) in various NSPC populations in the intact brain have not been thoroughly assessed. Therefore in this study we performed a detailed analysis of GR protein expression in the developing mouse ventral and dorsal telencephalon in vivo. At embryonic day 11.5 (E11.5), the majority of Pax6-positive radial glial cells (RGCs) and Tbr2-positive intermediate progenitor cells (IPCs) expressed nuclear GR, while a small number of RGCs on the apical ventricular zone (aVZ), expressed cytoplasmic GR. However, on E13.5, the latter population of RGCs increased in size, whereas abventricular NSPCs and especially neurons of the cortical plate, expressed nuclear GR. In IPCs, GR was always nuclear. A similar expression profile was observed throughout the ventral telencephalon, hippocampus and olfactory bulb, with NSPCs of the aVZ primarily expressing cytoplasmic GR, while abventricular NSPCs and mature cells primarily expressed nuclear GR. Close to birth, nuclear GR accumulated within specific cortical areas such as layer V, the subplate and CA1 area of the hippocampus. In summary, our data show that GR protein is present in early NSPCs of the dorsal and ventral telencephalon at E11.5 and primarily occupies the nucleus. Moreover, our study suggests that the subcellular localization of the receptor may be subjected to region and neurodevelopmental stage-specific regulation.
Mathematical versus English meaning in implication and disjunction

As mathematicians, we assign rigid meanings to words that may have a variety of interpretations in common language. This article considers meanings of `if¨and `or´from everyday English that have caused students to misinterpret mathematical statements, and that are consistently overlooked by instructional materials in addressing students´mistakes. To fill this gap, this article presents three studies for the classroom that engage students in confronting the differences between mathematical and every day meaning in statements of implication and statements of disjunction.
Three-dimensional multi-modal microscopy

Advances in lasers in recent decades have led to novel techniques of microscopy that are only possible with powerful coherent sources. Modern electronic cameras and computers have made it possible to capture, process, and display the resulting images. The continued growth in computing power now makes it possible to combine images from different microscopic imaging modalities.
A Zero-Voltage Switching Three-Port Isolated Full-Bridge Converter

This paper proposes an integrated single-stage three-port DC-DC converter. The proposed converter interfaces two bidirectional source/storage ports, and a galvanically isolated loading port. The power topology is based on the integration of a bi-phase boost pre-regulator stage into a phase-shift controlled full-bridge converter. The four bridge switches play the combined role of realizing synchronous boost conversion, and driving the transformer. The proposed topology is conditionally able to achieve zero-voltage switching of all bridge switches. Compared to the cascaded converter approach, this topology alleviates the cost overhead associated with introducing a switching leg for boost operation, and saves the switching loss it would exhibit. A constant-frequency switching scheme is adopted that presents two degrees of freedom necessary for proper control. The duty-cycle of the two phase-legs of the bridge is varied to control energy flow in the boost section, while the relative phase-shift between the legs is utilized to regulate the power pushed to the loading port. The operation of the topology is verified using an experimental 1 kW prototype, designed to handle a photovoltaic source, a storage battery bank, and a regulated DC load
Intelligent Multi-Path Selection Based on Parameters Prediction

This paper provides a method for multi-path selection based on parameters prediction. In wireless networks, links with different bandwidths induce different end-to-end delay and the packet loss rate characteristics. It means that we should be able to gain some knowledge of the type of links given the end-to-end delay and the packet loss rate. In this work, we use a neural network machine learning method to infer the types of the links. After predicting the types of the links, we can choose the path based on the prediction of the incremental throughput, for example by choosing the path with the largest potential incremental throughput.
Adaptive lattice bilinear filters

Two fast least-squares lattice algorithms for adaptive nonlinear filters equipped with bilinear system models are presented. The lattice filter formulation transforms the nonlinear filtering problem into an equivalent multichannel linear filtering problem, thus using multichannel lattice filtering algorithms to solve the nonlinear filtering problem. The computational complexity of the algorithms is an order of magnitude smaller than that of previously available methods. The first of the two approaches is an equation error algorithm that uses the measured desired response signal directly to compute the adaptive filter outputs. This method is conceptually very simple, but results in biased system models in the presence of measurement noise. The second is an approximate least-squares output error solution; the past samples of the output of the adaptive system itself are used to produce the filter output at the current time. Results indicate that the output error algorithm is less sensitive to output measurement noise than the equation error method. >
Prevalence of mental health conditions after military blast exposure, their co-occurrence, and their relation to mild traumatic brain injury

AbstractPrimary objectives: To measure common psychiatric conditions after military deployment with blast exposure and test relationships to post-concussion syndrome (PCS) symptoms and mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) history.Research design: Cross-sectional.Methods and procedures: Service members or Veterans (n = 107) within 2 years of blast exposure underwent structured interviews for mTBI, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and multiple mood and anxiety diagnoses.Main outcomes and results: MTBI history and active PTSD were both common, additionally 61% had at least one post-deployment mood or anxiety disorder episode. Psychiatric diagnoses had a high degree of comorbidity. Most dramatically, depression was 43-times (95% CI = 11–165) more likely if an individual had PTSD. PCS symptoms were greater in those with post-deployment PTSD or mood diagnosis. However, neither mTBI nor blast exposure history had an effect on the odds of having PTSD, mood or anxiety condition.Conclusions: These findings suppo...
Business Associations in Latin America: The Venezuelan Case

As the study of Third World politics and development moves away from structuralism and toward the empirical study of social subjects, there is a need for a new theoretical framework to aggregate and interpret such studies. This article employs a postimperialist class-analytical framework and insights drawn from “discourse theory” to examine FEDECAMARAS, the “peak organization” of the Venezuelan business sector. In its examination of FEDECAMARAS's ideologically driven but also self-interested confrontation with the state over the association's demand for a retreat from statism-dirigism, the article demonstrates the utility of conceiving such activity as the action of a bourgeois social movement. Because the social movement under discussion aims at a democratizing transformation of the Venezuelan political order, it is progressive regardless of the motivations of its protagonist. Although additional research is required for verification, it appears that the ability of the Venezuelan bourgeoisie to mount suc...
Prediction of Gamma failure times

Statistically-independent operating components, each of which follows a Gamma failure-law, are simultaneously put into service. Two predictors of later failure times, based on observations of earlier failures, are proposed and investigated. The predictors are in the form of estimated conditional mean and median of the value being predicted. Unknown parameters of the underlying failure law are estimated by the method of maximum likelihood (ML), and the predictors are constructed using a parametric bootstrap. These conditional median and mean predictors provide a relatively easy method to compute predictors of future Gamma order statistics. Simulation indicates that these predictors are effective except when the shape parameter of the Gamma distribution is small. Generally, the larger the fraction of available data and the closer the value being predicted, the more accurate the predictions (as anticipated). The simulation also detected some difficulty in implementing ML for the gamma based on type-II censored data when the sample ratio of the geometric mean to the arithmetic mean is very close to 1. This problem warrants further study.
Behavioral and ecological factors account for variation in the mass-independent energy expenditures of endotherms

A persistent controversy has concerned the identification of the factors that influence the quantitative variation in the physiological characters of species, an example of which is the basal rate of metabolism of endotherms. The most important factor accounting for its variation is body mass as long as the range in mass is appreciable. But mass never accounts for all of the variation and none if species have the same mass. Most of the residual variation around the mass curve is associated with behavioral characters, ecological factors, and phylogeny, i.e., history. These agents influence energy expenditure by different means and at different stages in the life history of species. Phylogeny describes the historic origin, evolution, and distribution of character states in contemporary species. However, the level of energy expenditure is quantitatively determined by the collective of realized states in combination with conditions in the environment. Therefore, two stages determine energy expenditure: (1) the evolution of character states and (2) their impact in conjunction with conditions on the environment. Behavioral characters and ecological factors, when coupled with log10 mass, usually account for >94 % of the variation in the log10 basal rates of birds and mammals, a capacity not found in phylogenetic analyses. The difficulty of determining a direct impact of phylogeny on physiological characters results from its correlation with behavioral characters. When appropriate, the passerine/non-passerine dichotomy in birds and the sub/infraclass dichotomy in mammals combine with behavioral characters, ecological factors, and log10 mass to increase r 2 to account for 96–99 % of the variation in log10 basal rate. This occurs because dichotomies incorporate factors other than those already in the analyses. The clearest demonstration of the direct impact of character states is the equality of energy expenditure in species convergent with species from other clades without any evidence of the clade to which the species belong. A multifactorial approach depends on the inclusion of life history characteristics of species, but this analysis applies only to continuous, quantitative relationships, which are often modified by discontinuous agents. Distinctive character states distinguish species and therefore must be included in any attempt to account for differences in their level of energy expenditure. No analysis that ignores life history characteristics can account for the quantitative variation in energy expenditure beyond that associated with body mass.
Astrocytes going live: advances and challenges

Astrocytes are one of the most numerous cell types in the CNS. They have emerged as sophisticated cells participating in a large and diverse variety of functions vital for normal brain development, adult physiology and pathology. Recent in vivo studies have provided exciting new insight into astrocyte physiology in the intact healthy brain. This review will summarize some of their most intriguing findings, discuss some of their implications, and look ahead at some of the challenges we face in studying astrocyte function in vivo.
SPO71 Mediates Prospore Membrane Size and Maturation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

ABSTRACT The mechanisms that control the size and shape of membranes are not well understood, despite the importance of these structures in determining organelle and cell morphology. The prospore membrane, a double lipid bilayer that is synthesized de novo during sporulation in S. cerevisiae, grows to surround the four meiotic products. This membrane determines the shape of the newly formed spores and serves as the template for spore wall deposition. Ultimately, the inner leaflet of the prospore membrane will become the new plasma membrane of the cell upon germination. Here we show that Spo71, a pleckstrin homology domain protein whose expression is induced during sporulation, is critical for the appropriate growth of the prospore membrane. Without SPO71, prospore membranes surround the nuclei but are abnormally small, and spore wall deposition is disrupted. Sporulating spo71Δ cells have prospore membranes that properly localize components to their growing leading edges yet cannot properly localize septin structures. We also found that SPO71 genetically interacts with SPO1, a gene with homology to the phospholipase B gene that has been previously implicated in determining the shape of the prospore membrane. Together, these results show that SPO71 plays a critical role in prospore membrane development.
Measurements of Heat Transfer to Near-Critical Fluids

This paper reported the experimental results of heat transfer to near- and super-critical fluids using SF6. Measurements of tube temperature and fluid exit temperature at various heat fluxes lent support to the view of heat transfer to near-critical fluids as a transition between boiling at very subcritical pressures, and singlephase convection at very supercritical pressures.
An Analytic Study of Stream Tapping Protocols

We present the first analytic study of stream tapping protocols, a family of protocols that provide the most efficient way to distribute videos on demand at low to medium request arrival rates, say, less than ten requests per hour for a two-hour video. The main results of this study are analytical solutions for the optimal operational points of stream tapping, stream tapping with small client buffers, stream tapping with partial preloading and stream tapping with proactive streams. In addition we introduce a new stream tapping protocol with batching that caps the bandwidth requirements of stream tapping at high to very high arrival rates.
Radioactive fat absorption patterns in obesity and coronary disease.

M ANY attempts have been made to attribute the genesis of atherosclerosis in some manner to an error in fat metabolism. However, the results to date have been inconclusive and frequently conflicting. With the availability of newer technics utilizing radioactive substances it may be anticipated that more informative data will be forthcoming to help elucidate this basic problem. During the past year we have been using radioactive triolein to study the absorption and utilization of fat in normal subjects and in patients with various diseases.’ � This report is concerned with the results obtained in patients with coronary artery disease and/or hypercholesteremia. In addition, because of the frequent association of coronary disease with obesity, the response of a group of obese subjects to a tagged fat meal has also been studied. PROCEDURE
Natural History of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Viremia after Seroconversion and Proximal to AIDS in a Large Cohort of Homosexual Men

The natural history of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) viremia and its association with clinical outcomes after seroconversion was characterized in a cohort of homosexual men. HIV-1 RNA was measured by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in stored longitudinal plasma samples from 269 seroconverters. Subjects were generally antiretroviral drug naive for the first 3 years after seroconversion. The decline in CD4 lymphocyte counts was strongly associated with initial HIV RNA measurements. Both initial HIV RNA levels and slopes were associated with AIDS-free times. Median slopes were +0.18, +0.09, and -0.01 log10 copies/mL, respectively, for subjects developing AIDS 7 years after seroconversion. In contrast, HIV RNA slopes in the 3 years preceding AIDS and HIV RNA levels at AIDS diagnosis showed little variation according to total AIDS-free time. HIV RNA load at the first HIV-seropositive visit ( approximately 3 months after seroconversion) was highly predictive of AIDS, and subsequent HIV RNA measurements showed even better prognostic discrimination.
Flow and Morphological Conditions Associated With Unidirectional Solidification of Aqueous Ammonium Chloride

Using a 27 percent aqueous ammonium chloride solution as a transparent analog, shadowgraph and dye injection techniques have been employed to observe flow and morphological conditions associated with unidirectional solidification (UDS) from below. Dendritic crystals, which initially form at the cold surface, reject lighter, solute deficient fluid, and the attendant instability is manifested by finger-type double-diffusive convection phenomena. As a two-phase (solid/liquid), or mushy, region grows from the bottom surface, vertical channels develop in the muschy region, and solutal plumes that emanate from the channels are characterized primarily by an ascending, oscillatory motion and secondarily by wisps of fluid, which detach and descend from bends in the plumes
A Novel Approach To Undergraduate Decision Sciences Curriculum

This paper describes an unusual approach to the incorporation of decision sciences in the core business curriculum as well as a novel undergraduate major in decision sciences.
Harm reduction for young people who use prescription opioids extra-medically: Obstacles and opportunities

Extra-medical prescription opioid (EMPO) use - intentional use without a prescription or outside of prescribed parameters - is a public health crisis in the United States and around the world. Epidemiological evidence suggests that the prevalence of EMPO use and adverse sequelae, including opioid overdose and hepatitis C infection, are elevated among people aged 18-25. Despite these preventable health risks, many harm reduction interventions are underutilized by, or inaccessible to, EMPO-using youth. In this commentary, we describe key harm reduction strategies for young people who use prescription opioids. We examine individual, social, and policy-level barriers to the implementation of evidence-based approaches that address EMPO use and related harms among young people. We highlight the need for expanded services and new interventions to engage this diverse and heterogeneous at-risk population. A combination of medical, social, and structural harm reduction interventions are recommended. Furthermore, research to inform strategies that mitigate particularly high-risk practices (e.g., polysubstance use) is warranted. Finally, we discuss how the meaningful involvement of youth in the implementation of harm reduction strategies is a critical component of the public health response to the prescription opioid epidemic.
Cemented Total Hip Arthroplasty With Retrograde Ischioacetabular Steinmann Pin Reconstruction for Periacetabular Metastatic Carcinoma.

Abstract Background Surgical management of advanced periacetabular lesions is challenging because of extensive bone loss, particularly for Modified American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Classification defects type IV (pelvic discontinuity with posterior column involvement). Multiple methods for rebuilding the acetabulum have been described; all involve passing Steinmann pins in a retrograde or an antegrade fashion from the anterior iliac wing or iliac crest around the acetabulum in an attempt to recreate the normal bony anatomy. However, these techniques fail to engage the ischium in its entirety. The ischial contribution to the posterior column is a critical element in a stable acetabular construct. Methods After curettage of the acetabular lesion, Steinmann pins are passed through the ischial tuberosity and posterior column into the sciatic buttress in a retrograde manner. The number of pins depends on the size of the defect and involvement of the posterior column. Patients and Methods Medical records of 11 patients with a Modified American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Classification defect type IV treated with retrograde ischioacetabular Steinmann pin reconstruction at our institution between 2007 and 2012 were reviewed. European Quality of Life-5 dimensions and Lower Extremity Functional Scale questionnaires were used to assess patient functional outcomes. Results The 6 patients (4 females and 2 males; age range, 56-81 years) surviving 12 months postoperatively reported improved mobility and good quality-of-life scores. Conclusion We described a new method for posterior acetabular column reconstruction that uses the ischial tuberosity and body as additional points of stabilization during the reconstruction of the posterior column.
The Scatopsidae of Nepal

The 1st Scatopsidae to be collected from Nepal are recorded and described. The collection includes a new genus, Villoscatopse , erected to contain 3 new species. In addition, there are 6 new species of Colobostema and one new species of Anapausis .
Social Media and Scientific Meetings: An Analysis of Twitter Use at the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Neuroradiology.

Given the enormous potential and easy access by using mobile devices, social media are being increasingly used during radiology and other medical specialty meetings ([Figure][1]).[1][2][⇓][3][⇓][4][⇓][5]–[5][6] Social media use during scientific meetings allows attendees to post commentaries
Conducting safe research with at-risk populations: Design strategies from a study with unauthorized immigrant women experiencing intimate abuse

Social science research with vulnerable populations is necessary in order to address social and health problems among those in most need; yet, this research is fraught with inherent risks to its participants. Using the recent experience of conducting a study of Mexican immigrant women’s experience of intimate partner violence and help-seeking, the authors describe strategies used to prevent harm to participants. For this community of women, participation in research has the potential to expose them to physical, psychological, economic, and legal harm. Safety protocols are discussed in the areas of recruitment, interviewing, data management, and the report of findings. These foremost strategies inform the safe design of research with other similarly at-risk populations.
Religious Consumers and Institutional Change in American Public Schooling: Cases from Jewish Education

The paradigm of American K–12 education is shifting as the institution of local educational polities, each responsible for own its 'common schools,' faces competition from programs of school choice. Although charter schools and related reforms are generally studied in terms of quality and equity, the rise of consumer sovereignty as an alternative to political sovereignty as an organizing principle for educational governance has much wider ramifications. Paradigms of choice have already begun dramatically to alter religious education and its relationship to public schooling. Moreover, because these paradigms rely upon consumer preferences and the aggregation of those preferences by markets, the shape of religious activity in state-subsidized schools will be determined increasingly by consumers and producers – parents and schools – rather than by political actors. Government is likely to find its ability to limit and guide religion/school interactions substantially, and increasingly, constrained. In making this argument, this paper draws primarily upon examples from a small but instructive religious sector in American K–12 education, that of Jewish education. It discusses the direct deployment of the charter-school form to provide Jewish education. It then assesses ways in which shifts in the public framing of education from one of politics to one of markets has transformed public school politics in school districts dominated by Orthodox Jews.
Electric Field Analysis and Optimized Design of the Arrester on 500 kV Transmission Lines

Electric field distribution of line surge arresters containing series gapped structure is analyzed. According to these results, to improve the electric field distribution of the surge arrester, the size and the cover depth of the grading rings should be optimally designed to control the electric-field surface strength of the electrical fittings which connect the conductors and the top of insulator strings.The more reasonable size and grading ring depth are designed through the experimental verification.
Building a resource-conserving and environment-friendly modern agricultural production system in Fujian

According to the theory basis of developing a resource-conserving and environment-friendly modern agricultural production system,the urgency and constraints of resource-conserving and environment-friendly agriculture development in Fujian are analyzed,4 countermeasures for promoting are proposed as follows.(1) Carry on the publicity and foster the common awareness.(2) Increase scientific and technological input and set up technological support.(3) Plan two types of agriculture and build the production system.(4) Standardize management procedure and establish long-effect mechanism.
Comparison of the effect of blood cardioplegia to crystalloid cardioplegia on myocardial contractility in man.

The myocardial protection achieved by blood cardioplegia was compared to that achieved by crystalloid cardioplegia in a randomized prospective series of patients having coronary bypass operations. Group BCP (n = 15) was protected with 10° C blood containing potassium, 30 mEq/L; Group KCP (n = 9) by an electrolyte solution at 4° C with mannitol, 25 gm/L, and potassium, 26 mEq/L, and group MgKCP (n =9) by an electrolyte solution at 4° C containing magnesium, 30 mEq/L, and potassium, 19.6 mEq/L. The three groups were comparable in regard to age, sex, preoperative left ventricular function, symptoms, propranolol use, previous myocardial infarction, number of vessels bypassed, and duration of ischemic arrest. In each patient cardiac output, left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP), and maximum contractile element velocity (Vpm) were recorded before and after the ischemic period. All operations were performed in an identical manner with one continuous period of aortic cross-clamping averaging 52.9 minutes. No significant alterations in myocardial function were observed after ischemia within the BCP or KCP groups. However, patients receiving MgKCP had significant (p = 0.02) depression in Vpm from 2.86 ± 7.8 to 2.04 ± 3.6 second-1 and increase (p
New Dimensions for Dietetics in Today’s Health Care1

The basic role of the dietitian is to provide nutritional care. To be effective, however, it must be integrated into all levels of health care, including both those for which governmental agencies must take responsibility and those organized around the health needs of the individual, such as the proposed Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs).
Mechanical properties of the canine mitral valve: effects of autonomic stimulation.

Experiments were designed to determine whether the canine mitral valve actively contracts and, if so, if its mechanical activity can be modulated by the autonomic nervous system. A miniature displacement gauge was sutured to the atrial (muscular) surface of the septal leaflet in 65 dogs under pentothal sodium anesthesia during total cardiopulmonary bypass. During bypass, with blood constantly drained from the left ventricle (LV), the leaflet deflected into the LV during ventricular systole as would be expected with active contraction. With blood present in the LV, leaflet deflection was reversed, indicating a passive displacement. After application of 85% phenol to the atrial surface, ventricular displacement of the leaflet was abolished, whereas the atrial displacement was significantly augmented. There was a positive inotropic effect during sympathetic stimulation and a negative inotropic effect with parasympathetic stimulation, i.e., increased and decreased ventricular deflection, respectively. These effects of autonomic stimulation were abolished by application of phenol to the leaflet muscle. During simultaneous electrical and mechanical recordings from the valve, activation appeared to originate from the atrium, before ventricular depolarization. It was concluded that the valvular muscle actively contracts to assist in bringing the valve leaflets into early apposition. This contraction imparts a measurable level of active "stiffness" to the valve, reducing atrial displacement during ventricular systole. This "stiffness" can be modified by autonomic input and may contribute to dysfunction of morphologically normal mitral valves.
Absence of macrophage humoral recognition factor(s) in patients with carcinoma.

Abstract Phagocytosis by macrophages requires that certain humoral recognition factors (HRF) be present in order for the macrophage to discriminate between "self", "altered self", and "non-self." Rat liver slices in an incubation medium consisting of rat serum and heparin phagocytized approximately 17 per cent of gelatinized reticuloendothelial (RE) test lipid emulsion per 100 mg. of tissue. Normal human serum in the presence of heparin was as effective as rat serum in promoting phagocytosis by rat liver slices, indicating that human HRF can also enhance the phagocytic activity of the rat macrophage. In contrast, liver slices incubated in serum derived from 17 patients with untreated carcinoma, both metastatic and nonmetastatic, manifested a 90 per cent reduction of particle uptake, denoting essential loss of HRF activity. Of 6 subjects, following radiation or surgical therapy, 5 manifested four- to six-fold elevations of HRF activity as assessed by the capability of their serum to support Kupffer cell phagocytosis. Patients with other clinical disorders, such as pneumonia and diabetes, were found to have essentially normal HRF activity. These findings denote that neoplastic disease in man is associated with profound decreases in HRF activity. In view of the partial restoration of HRF activity with treatment, it is suggested that the loss of humoral recognition factors may be an important element in neoplasia.
Neoadjuvant Hormonal Deprivation in Patients with Locally Advanced Prostate Cancer

AbstractA total of 22 patients with locally advanced prostate cancer (stage B2 to C) was entered into a protocol for 3 months of preoperative hormonal deprivation. Of the patients 8 were judged to have clinical stage B2 and 14 to have stage C disease. The protocol regimen consisted of daily administration of flutamide (250mg. orally 3 times per day) and leuprolide injection (7.5mg. intramuscularly) every month. Patients with objective evidence of downstaging by prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels and transrectal ultrasound were offered surgical therapy.Of the 22 patients 20 have completed the protocol and are evaluable, and 2 of them did not show significant downstaging and elected radiotherapy. Preoperative hormonal therapy produced an average 33% downsizing of the prostate gland as determined by transrectal ultrasound volumetrics. Decreases in serum PSA values were demonstrated from a pre-hormonal average of 30 μg./l. (range 0.7 to 97.7) to an average of 0.53 μg./l. (range 0.2 to 5.7) after hormonal ...
Comparison of the Structural Subunit, B820, of Core Light-Harvesting Complexes of Photosynthetic Bacteria

The photoreceptor complexes of Rhodobacter sphaeroides and Rhodobacter capsulatus have many features in common. Their reaction centers have about 80% homology between the amino acid sequences of their respective L, M, and H polypeptides (1). The electrochemical and spectroscopic details for the primary photochemical events are nearly identical (2). Both have a core light-harvesting (LH) complex with a Qy band near 875 nm and an accessory LH complex, B800–850, whose amount varies inversely with the light intensity used for growing the bacteria.
Return to Cambridge: The Citadel of Learning

I greatly admired Cambridge and its science departments, for I had by now some understanding of the quality of the research work that had been done there. But at the same time, I was quite aware of the stresses and strains in the system, the jockeying for positions, and the cliques that had grown up there. But the good outweighed the bad, and I definitely wanted to return there to do research work.
Population Health Management of Obesity

Obesity is a foundational and systemic disease that underlies most chronic illness in the modern world. The cost of American healthcare has been projected to be over $4 trillion by 2017, with 50 % of the costs assigned to “preventable” disease, including heart disease and diabetes [1]. This chapter proposes a whole new paradigm: patients, health care providers and the public must shift from treating obesity as an individual’s choice, to accepting obesity as a chronic disease that is best managed by early recognition, education and treatment. The three principles of the new paradigm are: Recognition, Education, and Engagement. Implementing a systematic population management strategy for early recognition, education and treatment of overweight and obesity throughout the healthcare system will lower costs, positively effect health outcomes, and improve value in healthcare. Understandably, this is no easy task; a global collaborative effort is required. Patients, health care providers, the public at large, and community leaders in government all must first better understand the science of overweight and obesity, and then be willing to participate in a population management strategy to ensure success of the vision. The paradigm is simple, but its effect would be profound: we can significantly curb, even perhaps cure, obesity and its related diseases if we universally understand, recognize and manage overweight and obesity from its inception in an individual.
Calcineurin, the Ca2+-dependent phosphatase, regulates Rga2, a Cdc42 GTPase-activating protein, to modulate pheromone signaling

Calcineurin, the conserved Ca2+/calmodulin-activated phosphatase, is required for viability during prolonged exposure to pheromone and acts through multiple substrates to down-regulate yeast pheromone signaling. Calcineurin regulates Dig2 and Rod1/Art4 to inhibit mating-induced gene expression and activate receptor internalization, respectively. Recent systematic approaches identified Rga2, a GTPase-activating protein (GAP) for the Cdc42 Rho-type GTPase, as a calcineurin substrate. Here we establish a physiological context for this regulation and show that calcineurin dephosphorylates and positively regulates Rga2 during pheromone signaling. Mating factor activates the Fus3/MAPK kinase, whose substrates induce gene expression, cell cycle arrest, and formation of the mating projection. Our studies demonstrate that Fus3 also phosphorylates Rga2 at inhibitory S/TP sites, which are targeted by Cdks during the cell cycle, and that calcineurin opposes Fus3 to activate Rga2 and decrease Cdc42 signaling. Yeast expressing an Rga2 mutant that is defective for regulation by calcineurin display increased gene expression in response to pheromone. This work is the first to identify cross-talk between Ca2+/calcineurin and Cdc42 signaling and to demonstrate modulation of Cdc42 activity through a GAP during mating.
The Management of Obesity: An Overview

Obesity is this century’s epidemic, and results from weight gain due to calorie intake in excess of energy expenditure over a prolonged period. This chapter reviews the most common forms of obesity management, focusing on hypocaloric diets, pharmacologic agents, and endoscopic and surgical approaches to the management of obesity. To understand the current approaches to the management of obesity, we review the therapeutic targets in the brain–gut axis, including the mechanisms involved in satiation and appetite centrally and in the gastrointestinal tract. While bariatric surgery remains the most effective treatment for obesity, it appears that interventional therapy by endoscopy, as well as personalized drug therapy based on gastrointestinal and behavioral traits, constitute alternative approaches that have the potential to impact the obesity epidemic.
Comparative Efficacy of Tumor Necrosis Factor-α Inhibitors in Ankylosing Spondylitis: A Systematic Review and Bayesian Network Metaanalysis

Objective. To compare the efficacy of 6 tumor necrosis factor–α inhibitors (TNFi) in treatment of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) at 12 weeks and 24 weeks. Methods. We performed a systematic literature review of randomized controlled trials of TNFi in patients with active AS. We included trials that reported efficacy at 10 to 14 weeks (12–week analysis) and at 24 to 30 weeks (24-week analysis). We used Bayesian network metaanalysis (NMA) to compare their relative efficacy to improve the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI), and C-reactive protein (CRP) level. Results. We included 20 trials of 6 TNFi, with 43 treatment arms and 3220 participants. All TNFi were significantly better than placebo in reducing BASDAI and BASFI at 12 weeks and 24 weeks; all but certolizumab pegol (CZP) were statistically better than placebo in reducing CRP at 12 weeks; all but CZP and infliximab-dyyb (IFX biosimilar) were significantly better than placebo in reducing CRP at 24 weeks. IFX was superior to the other TNFi in decreasing BASDAI at 12 weeks, but not at 24 weeks. Excluding 1 open-label trial, there were no differences among TNFi. Conclusion. Based on this NMA of clinical trials, IFX was superior to other TNFi in reducing BASDAI at 12 weeks, but sensitive to inclusion of an open-label trial, and its efficacy was diminished at 24 weeks. The analysis was limited by few direct comparison trials. Further study of relative safety and longterm effectiveness will help inform the choice of TNFi in treating active AS.
Developing a Method of Critical Thematic Analysis for Qualitative Communication Inquiry

This case study elucidates a method of critical thematic analysis that the authors argue is useful as a methodological tool used to code and interpret in-depth, qualitative interview discourses. Th...
L-stability and multiplicative variation of income

This paper describes a theory of the stationary stochastic variation of income based on a new family of nonGaussian random functions, U ( t). This approach is intimately connected with random walks of log U(t), but no use is made of the “principle of proportionate effect.” Instead, the model is based upon the fact that there exist limits for sums of random functions, in which the effect of chance in time is multiplicative. This feature provides a new type of motivation for the widespread, convenient, and frequently fruitful use of the logarithm of income, considered as a “moral wealth.”
The Police Manager

How can we begin to develop the new form of police agency, to allocate resources more effectively? Probably we should do just that—begin. Not worrying unduly about the other person, each of the principal actors and the supporting cast should get his or her feet wet—now. The principal actors are the politicians and the police managers; the supporting cast are the criminal justicians—the writers and the educators. “Now” in this context, of course, is a relative term: so let us define it as “whenever the reader finishes this book.” The purpose of this section is to offer suggestions for beginning-level approaches for these persons to get their feet wet in the task of working toward this new form of policy agency. The next two chapters suggest Policy Beginnings, respectively, for the police chief and for the politician. Two cautions: others may identify alternative steps more suitable for their own particular locations; and these Policy Beginnings are no more than that- just beginnings.
Sector Level Dynamics and Collective Action in the United States, 1965-1975 *

To explain varying levels of collective action by social movement organizations in the United States operating during the height of the 1960s protest cycle, this article examines social movement sector-level dynamics alongside indicators of resources and political opportunities. Drawing on hypotheses from neoinstitutional, organizational ecology, and embeddedness perspectives, the paper emphasizes the importance of understanding the sector-level dynamics of legitimacy, competition, and embeddedness when explaining levels of collective action. Results show strong support for neoinstitutional, organizational ecology, and embeddedness theories, but more mixed support for arguments about how political opportunities and resources affect levels of collective action by social movement organizations.
Genetic depletion of 5-HT increases central apnea frequency and duration and dampens arousal but does not impact the circadian modulation of these variables.

The presence of serotonin (5-HT) in the central nervous system diminishes the frequency of central apneic events. This neuromodulator also moderates the duration of central apneic events and promot...
Nanoparticle Size Influences Localized Enzymatic Enhancement-A Case Study with Phosphotriesterase.

Enhancements in enzymatic catalytic activity are frequently observed when an enzyme is displayed on a nanoparticle (NP) surface. The exact mechanisms of how this unique interfacial environment give...
Teacher Education Reform Initiatives: The Case of Mexico

The lack of systematic knowledge about the effectiveness of old and new teacher education approaches in Mexico complicates policy making and threatens to weaken the quality of education teachers receive. Evaluative studies that comparatively assess the merits of approaches to educate teachers are non-existing. Historically, Mexico has been successful in providing educational services for its population. At the preschool level the coverage is 70 percent, and for primary and secondary education is 98 and 80 percent respectively. Mexico was the first among developing countries to successfully implement progressive educational policies such as the provision of free textbooks to the population attending basic education in the 1950s. In the early 1920s along with the creation of the Secretariat for Public Education after the Mexican Revolution, emerges in 1925 the National School for Teachers in both rural and urban areas. These schools have served as a model for the training of pre-service primary school teachers in Mexico.
Measuring youth and college student voter turnout

Abstract Young adulthood is a critical period in civic development. However, measuring electoral participation among this group generally—and the many young people who go to college in particular—is fraught with potential pitfalls stemming from a reliance on survey-based measures of voting. In this note, we compare patterns of youth turnout in two large-scale, survey-based datasets commonly used to measure voting, the Current Population Survey and the Cooperative Congressional Election Study, to two voter-file based datasets: the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement (NSLVE) and a comprehensive nationwide voterfile provided by the Data Trust. We find high levels of concordance between measures in the NSLVE, Data Trust, and the CPS. However, despite linking their sample to validated voter records, the CCES does not mirror these benchmarks. We conclude by discussing the challenges and opportunities that shape the study of youth turnout.
Ultrafast XANES Monitors Femtosecond Sequential Structural Evolution in Photoexcited Coenzyme B12.

Polarized X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) at the Co K-edge and broadband UV–vis transient absorption are used to monitor the sequential evolution of the excited-state structure of coenzyme B12 (adenosylcobalamin) over the first picosecond following excitation. The initial state is characterized by sub-100 fs sequential changes around the central cobalt. These are polarized first in the y-direction orthogonal to the transition dipole and 50 fs later in the x-direction along the transition dipole. Expansion of the axial bonds follows on a ca. 200 fs time scale as the molecule moves out of the Franck–Condon active region of the potential energy surface. On the same 200 fs time scale there are electronic changes that result in the loss of stimulated emission and the appearance of a strong absorption at 340 nm. These measurements provide a cobalt-centered movie of the excited molecule as it evolves to the local excited-state minimum.
A motor axonopathy in a mouse model of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Skeletal muscle weakness due to loss of dystrophin is a well-documented pathological hallmark of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). In contrast, the neuropathology of this disease remains understudied. Here, we characterize an axonopathy in the phrenic and hypoglossal (XII) nerves of mdx mice. We observe nerve dysfunction that we propose contributes to respiratory failure, the most common cause of death in DMD.
Sponsoring actionable science: what public science funders can do to advance sustainability and the social contract for science

Producing actionable science to inform decisions on sustainability is an important opportunity for science to serve society and fulfill expectations that come along with public financial support. In turn, how public science funding is managed may help spur different ways of doing science that are better suited to linking kscience with sustainability action. This review identifies opportunities for science funding program management to bolster the generation of actionable science through different approaches to solicitation design, review processes, implementation support, and evaluation. To understand more about this opportunity space, we argue for a more interactive, iterative, and evaluation-centered approach to the study and practice of public science funding program management.