cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
FRED's happy factory

The primary driver of the recent resurgence in virtual reality has been video gaming, and while VR games are becoming an increasingly saturated market, they are likely to linger as the field's prime mover for several years to come. Additionally, the availability of development tools such as Unity and Unreal, which allow professionals and novices alike to design and build games easily, means that the spring whence VR games issue will not soon be stanched. It is up to game designers and software engineers to map out the frontier that this medium opens up and, moreover, to do so with a careful eye toward not inundating the user in mishmashed sensory overload.
In-vivo regulation of Krüppel-like factor 9 by corticosteroids and their receptors across tissues in tadpoles of Xenopus tropicalis.

Corticosteroids are critical for normal development and for mediating effects of stress during development in all vertebrates. Even though gene knockout studies in mouse and zebrafish have identified a number of developmental roles of corticosteroids and their receptors, the numerous pleiotropic actions of these hormones affecting various aspects of development are understudied. For the most part, neither the endogenous hormone(s) nor their receptor(s) regulating developmental processes during natural development have been determined. Here, we address this issue by elucidating the endogenous regulation of the transcription factor Kruppel-like factor 9 (klf9) across tissues during development by corticosteroid hormones (aldosterone and corticosterone) and their nuclear receptors (type-I and type-II receptors). First, we measured the developmental expression profiles of klf9 and type-I and type-II corticosteroid receptors in key target tissues, brain, lungs, and tail, during larval and metamorphic stages in Xenopus tropicalis. We also studied the corticosteroid regulation of klf9 in these tissues in-vivo using exogenous hormone treatments and receptor antagonists. Klf9 and the corticosteroid receptors were expressed in each tissue and significantly increased in expression reaching a peak at metamorphic climax, except for the type-II receptor in brain and tail whose expression did not change significantly across stages. Both corticosteroid hormones induced klf9 in each tissue, although aldosterone required a five times higher dose than corticosterone to cause a significant induction. The upregulation of klf9 by both corticosteroids was completely blocked by the use of the type-II receptor antagonist RU486 and not the type-I receptor antagonist spironolactone. These results are consistent with previous in-vitro studies and indicate for the first time in-vivo that corticosteroid regulation of klf9 occurs exclusively via corticosterone and type-II receptor interaction across tissues.
Review of Grievance Arbitration Awards: Ontario, the United States, and British Columbia

The balance between arbitral independence in settling industrial dis putes and the necessity of review by a supervising body depends upon the reviewing authority's attitude toward the arbitration process. The author examines the extent of supervisory review of the arbitral process in the United States, the Canadian province of Ontario, and the Canadian prov ince of British Columbia. The traditional common law standard of review in Ontario, the noninterventionist policy in the United States, and a varia tion of that approach as applied in British Columbia are compared. The author advocates the approach of British Columbia as an advantageous balancing of the systems developed in Ontario and the United States, con cluding that the noninterventionist approach to the review of arbitration decisions as refined in British Columbia best serves the interests of speed, economy, and finality vital to the arbitration process.
ADHD Outcome in Community-Based Settings

A total of 158 community physicians from 47 separate practices in Cincinnati, Ohio, participated in an ADHD Collaborative study designed to improve physician adherence to evidence-based AAP/ADHD treatment guidelines.
On Model Averaging Partial Regression Coefficients

Model averaging of partial regression coefficients has been criticized for averaging over a set of models with coefficients that have different meanings from model to model. however, partial regression coefficients from different models have the same meaning if they are used to estimate the effect parameters of a causal model, which derive their meaning from the specified paths and not from the set of covariates. A multiple regression model implicitly specifies a causal model with direct, causal paths from each predictor to the response. Consequently, the partial regression coefficient for any predictor has the same meaning across all sub-models if the goal is estimation of the causal effects that generated the response. In order to clarify the effects of multicollinearity on model-averaged estimates, I compare effect estimates using a small Monte-Carlo simulation. The simulation results show that model-averaged and ridge estimates have increasingly better performance, relative to full model estimates, as multicollinearity increases.
The Experience of Federal Employment

Discussions of government employment, especially federal, usually refer to millions of dollars, and a stereotypical worker. Government service does not exist at that level. Government service is the work of the individual who validates your claim to social security, or the individual who reviews your tax return. This article, a composite of first and second-hand accounts, tells the story of how some individual workers in federal government have experienced working for the sovereign. Readers may draw their own conclusions about the impact of existing terms and conditions of government employment on the productivity, efficiency and effectiveness of some federal government workers.
IT Project Success: The Evaluation of 142 Success Factors by IT PM Professionals

Investigation into the causes for low IT project success rates has dominated both the IT project management literature and the focus of IT project management professionals for decades. Many factors, including a variety of hard skills and soft skills, have been proposed to have an effect on IT project success. This study presented 142 such factors, collected from the IT project management literature over the past 25 years, to members of the Project Management Institute in an effort to ascertain which of these factors had the most impact on IT project success in their respective organizations. Factors were classified into 5 groups: Communication Group, Project Manager/Team Group, Project Group, Organization Group and User Group. Results indicated that 71.8% of respondents agreed that Ability to Communicate at Multiple Levels from the Project Manager/Team Group was the most important factor critical to IT project success of the 142 factors under consideration.
Hypothesis-Free Search for Connections between Birth Month and Disease Prevalence in Large, Geographically Varied Cohorts.

We have sought to replicate and extend the Season-wide Association Study (SeaWAS) of Boland, et al.1 in identifying birth month-disease associations from electronic health records (EHRs). We used methodology similar to that implemented by Boland on three geographically distinct cohorts, for a total of 11.8 million individuals derived from multiple data sources. We were able to identify eleven out of sixteen literature-supported birth month associations as compared to seven of sixteen for SeaWAS. Of the nine novel cardiovascular birth month associations discovered by SeaWAS, we were able to replicate four. None of the novel non-cardiovascular associations discovered by SeaWAS emerged as significant relations in our study. We identified thirty birth month disease associations not previously reported; of those, only six associations were validated in more than one cohort. These results suggest that differences in cohort composition and location can cause consequential variation in results of hypothesis-free searches.
Size discrepancies in molars and first key to optimal occlusion.

Objective The aim of this research project was to determine whether the sizes of the first molars allow clinicians to achieve the first goal of an ideal clinical outcome. Material and methods Seventy-eight sets of dental casts that have been presented to the American Board of Orthodontics were evaluated. A Boley gauge was used to measure the length from the mesiobuccal cusp to the distobuccal cusp of the maxillary first molar and the length from the mesiobuccal groove of the mandibular first molar to the occlusal embrasure between the mandibular first and second molars. These two measurements were taken on both sides of each set of dental casts for a total of four measurements per set. Results The maxillary measurements ranged from 3.6 to 6.9 mm with an average of 5.2 mm. The mandibular measurements ranged from 5.0 to 8.0 mm with an average of 6.5 mm. The data were tested for normality and found to be equally distributed. A t-test revealed significant differences in tooth sizes between maxillary and mandibular first molars on both sides. On average, the mesiodistal length measured on maxillary first molars was about 80% of that of their mandibular counterparts. Only 5 of the 78 sets of dental casts evaluated had equal maxillary and mandibular measurements on one side (either left or right), and none of them had equal measurements on both sides. Conclusion Clinicians have to understand that tooth size discrepancies do exist in patients and that these discrepancies make the completion of a perfect case challenging.
On Building Bridges: Cultural Agnosia, HipHopEd, and Urban Education.

AbstractIn this article, the author describes a lens for engaging in research and practice in urban education rooted in deep cultural understandings of the concept of building bridges and the impact of cultural agnosia.
Correction to: Phylogenetic Insight into Zika and Emerging Viruses for a Perspective on Potential Hosts

The article Phylogenetic Insight into Zika and Emerging Viruses for a Perspective on Potential Hosts, written by Diana S. Weber, Karen A. Alroy, and Samuel M. Scheiner, was originally published Online First without open access.
Subsidence history of the Ediacaran Johnnie Formation and related strata of southwest Laurentia: Implications for the age and duration of the Shuram isotopic excursion and animal evolution

The Johnnie Formation and associated Ediacaran strata in southwest Laurentia are ~3000 m thick, with a Marinoan cap carbonate sequence at the bottom, and a transition from Ediacaran to Cambrian fauna at the top. About halfway through the sequence, the Shuram negative carbon isotopic excursion occurs within the Rainstorm Member near the top of the Johnnie Formation, followed by a remarkable valley incision event. At its type locality in the northwest Spring Mountains, Nevada, the Johnnie lithostratigraphy consists of three distinctive sand-rich intervals alternating with four siltstone/carbonate-rich intervals, which appear correlative with other regional ­Johnnie Formation outcrops. Carbon isotope ratios in the sub–Rainstorm Member part of the Johnnie Formation are uniformly positive for at least 400 m below the Shuram excursion and compare well with sub–Shuram excursion profiles from the ­Khufai Formation in Oman. There is historical consensus that the Johnnie and overlying formations were deposited on a thermally subsiding passive margin. Following previous authors, we used Paleozoic horizons of known biostratigraphic age to define a time-dependent exponential sub­sidence model, and extrapolated the model back in time to estimate the ages of the Shuram excursion and other prominent Ediacaran horizons. The model suggests that the Shuram excursion occurred from 585 to 579 Ma, and that incision of the Rainstorm Member shelf occurred during the 579 Ma Gaskiers glaciation. It further suggests that the base of the Johnnie Formation is ca. 630 Ma, consistent with the underlying Noonday Formation representing a Marinoan cap carbonate sequence. Our results contrast with suggestions by previous workers that the Shuram excursion followed the Gaskiers event by some 20–30 m.y. We suggest instead that the Shuram and Gaskiers events were contemporaneous with the biostratigraphic transition from acantho­morphic to leiospherid acritarchs, and with the first appearance of widespread macroscopic animal life, 38 m.y. prior to the Ediacaran-Cambrian boundary.
Dysregulation of DAF-16/FOXO3A-mediated stress responses accelerates oxidative DNA damage induced aging.

Abstract DNA damage is presumed to be one type of stochastic macromolecular damage that contributes to aging, yet little is known about the precise mechanism by which DNA damage drives aging. Here, we attempt to address this gap in knowledge using DNA repair-deficient C. elegans and mice. ERCC1-XPF is a nuclear endonuclease required for genomic stability and loss of ERCC1 in humans and mice accelerates the incidence of age-related pathologies. Like mice, ercc-1 worms are UV sensitive, shorter lived, display premature functional decline and they accumulate spontaneous oxidative DNA lesions (cyclopurines) more rapidly than wild-type worms. We found that ercc-1 worms displayed early activation of DAF-16 relative to wild-type worms, which conferred resistance to multiple stressors and was important for maximal longevity of the mutant worms. However, DAF-16 activity was not maintained over the lifespan of ercc-1 animals and this decline in DAF-16 activation corresponded with a loss of stress resistance, a rise in oxidant levels and increased morbidity, all of which were cep-1/ p53 dependent. A similar early activation of FOXO3A (the mammalian homolog of DAF-16), with increased resistance to oxidative stress, followed by a decline in FOXO3A activity and an increase in oxidant abundance was observed in Ercc1-/- primary mouse embryonic fibroblasts. Likewise, in vivo, ERCC1-deficient mice had transient activation of FOXO3A in early adulthood as did middle-aged wild-type mice, followed by a late life decline. The healthspan and mean lifespan of ERCC1 deficient mice was rescued by inactivation of p53. These data indicate that activation of DAF-16/FOXO3A is a highly conserved response to genotoxic stress that is important for suppressing consequent oxidative stress. Correspondingly, dysregulation of DAF-16/FOXO3A appears to underpin shortened healthspan and lifespan, rather than the increased DNA damage burden itself.
Testing of Object-Oriented Programming Systems (OOPS): A Fault-Based Approach

The goal of this paper is to examine the testing of object-oriented systems and to compare and contrast it with the testing of conventional programming language systems, with emphasis on fault-based testing. Conventional system testing, object-oriented system testing, and the application of conventional testing methods to object-oriented software will be examined, followed by a look at the differences between testing of conventional (procedural) software and the testing of object-oriented software. An examination of software faults (defects) will follow, with emphasis on developing a preliminary taxonomy of faults specific to object-oriented systems. Test strategy adequacy will be briefly presented. As a result of these examinations, a set of candidate testing methods for object-oriented programming systems will be identified.
Constitutional Change: No Escaping Hayek

Is there a tension between the “constitutional design” implications of The Calculus of Consent, as well as of Buchanan’s other works on constitutional economics, and Buchanan’s and Tullock’s appreciation for the creative potential of spontaneous-ordering forces? I argue that there is indeed such a tension – one so strong that, in the end, there is no escaping Hayekian conclusions.
OFFSHORE FRONTIER BASINS OF THE PACIFIC STATES AND ALASKA: SOME GENERALIZATIONS ABOUT THEIR GEOLOGIC SETTING AND PETROLEUM POTENTIAL

Publisher Summary The thick accumulations of sedimentary rocks, mostly of Mesozoic and Cenozoic age, underlie major portions of the continental margin, that is, shelf and slope and adjacent deeper-water areas that border California, Oregon, Washington, and Alaska. Some of these sedimentary basins have been partly explored; however, most of them are undrilled or frontier basins. Many of these basins are formed in response to a variety of tectonic circumstances related to the interactions, both direct and indirect, of major lithospheric plates. Regional geologic considerations and the implications of publicly available geologic data allow for speculations about the likelihood that offshore Pacific–Arctic basins contain significant hydrocarbon deposits. Onshore coastal basins in southern California contain large amounts of oil and gas in thick turbidite beds of chiefly Miocene and younger age, while smaller amount occur in other reservoir rocks. The continental shelf and slope that borders Oregon and Washington is underlain by more than 5 km of Eocene and younger sedimentary and volcanic rocks.
Abstract 5901: The role of POU3F2 in the aggressive behavior of neuroendocrine prostate cancer

Neuroendocrine and Small Cell Prostate Cancer (NEPC) is a lethal disease emerging from Castrate Resistant Prostate Cancer (CRPC) after treatment with next-generation anti-androgen therapies such as abiraterone and enzalutamide. The mechanisms by which treatment resistant prostate epithelial cancer cells trans-differentiate to poorly differentiated small cell cancer are not well understood. We and others found that Nervous System-Specific Octamer-Binding Transcription Factor (POU3F2) expression is induced in NEPC. POU3F2 is a reprogramming transcription factor that controls cellular differentiation and can induce stem-like cells from differentiated glioblastoma. POU3F2 also plays a critical role in melanoma progression and in small cell carcinoma of the lung. NEPC shares similarities with small cell carcinoma from other organs. We hypothesized that POU3F2 may be a key transcription factor that is required for transdifferentiation and the survival of NEPC cells. We further hypothesize that the underlying mechanism of therapy resistance in NEPC is that NEPC consists of stem-like cells that were reprogrammed from differentiated prostate cancer cells under the selective pressure of androgen receptor (AR) pathway-targeted therapy. We elucidated the functional role of POU3F2 in the aggressive cancer behavior of NEPC —including stem-cell properties, tumorigenesis, invasion, and chemo-resistance. We also characterized the mechanisms that regulate POU3F2 expression in therapy-resistant NEPC. The study provides a rational for targeted therapy for treatment of NEPC. It could also be used to design a strategy to halt the emergence of NEPC from CRPC. Citation Format: Naoko Kobayashi, Dai Hong, Chun Wang, Joyce Yamashiro, Johnny Guan, Robert E. Reiter. The role of POU3F2 in the aggressive behavior of neuroendocrine prostate cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 5901.
Effect of localized microclimate heating on peripheral skin temperatures and manual dexterity during cold exposure.

The present study demonstrated that, during sedentary cold air exposure, localized heating that was applied from the beginning of cold exposure on the forearm increases hand and finger temperatures...
Applications of Gas-Phase Cleaning for Removal of Surface Contaminants

Abstract An overview of recent applications of gas-phase cleaning for removal of surface contaminants is presented in this chapter. The wide range of gas chemistries and process variables, such as temperature, pressure, concentration and flow rate, enable effective and efficient removal of a variety of contaminants from various materials. Selected applications are discussed of gas-phase treatment for decontamination of microbially-contaminated materials, sterilization, deposition tool chamber cleaning, dry etching, alternative gas chemistries, and decontamination of nuclear materials.
Update on Apneas of Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction: Emphasis on the Physiology of Treatment: Part 2: Central Sleep Apnea

Central sleep apnea/Hunter-Cheyne-Stokes breathing (CSA/HCSB) is prevalent in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). The acute pathobiologic consequences of CSA/HSCB eventually lead to sustained sympathetic overactivity, repeated hospitalization, and premature mortality. A few randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have shown statistically significant and clinically important reduction in sympathetic activity when CSA/HCSB is attenuated by oxygen or PAP therapy. Yet, the two largest PAP RCTs in patients with HFrEF, one with CPAP and the other with adaptive servoventilation (ASV), were negative with respect to their primary outcomes, and both were associated with excess mortality. However, both trials suffered from significant deficiencies, casting doubt on their results. A second RCT evaluating an ASV device with an advanced algorithm is ongoing. A new modality of therapy, unilateral phrenic nerve stimulation, has undergone an RCT that demonstrated an improvement in CSA that was associated with a reduction in arousals, improvement in sleepiness, and improvement in quality of life. However, a long-term mortality trial has not been performed with this modality. Most recently, the National Institutes of Health has funded a long-term, phase 3 RCT of low-flow oxygen vs sham for the treatment of CSA/HCSB in HFrEF. The composite primary outcome includes all-cause mortality and hospitalization for worsening HF. In this article, we focus on various therapeutic options for the treatment of CSA/HCSB and, when appropriate, emphasize the importance of identifying CSA/HCSB phenotypes to tailor treatment.
COVID-19 and US Tax Policy: What Needs to Change?

The COVID-19 pandemic already feels like a historical turning point akin to Word Wars I and II and the Great Depression It may signal the end of the second period of globalization (1980–2020) and a change in the relative positions of the US and China It could also lead in the US to significant changes in tax policy designed to bolster its social safety net, which was revealed as very porous during the pandemic This article will first discuss some short-term effects of the pandemic on US tax policy, and then some potential longer-term effects In the short term, the article advocates an excess profits tax on companies that benefited from the pandemic In the longer term the article calls for a progressive corporate tax and a VAT © 2020 Kluwer Law International BV, The Netherlands
Abstract 4688: Interaction of LEDGF/p75 with oncogenic transcription factors in docetaxel resistant prostate cancer cells

Prostate Cancer (PCa) progression leads to an advanced stage called metastatic castration PCa (mCRPC), for which currently there is no cure in spite of advances in treatment with new generation anti-androgen drugs and chemotherapy with taxanes such as docetaxel (DTX). Our group demonstrated previously that the stress oncoprotein Lens Epithelium Derived Growth Factor of 75 kD (LEDGF/p75) is upregulated in clinical prostate tumors and contributes to DTX-resistance in mCRPC cells. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms by which LEDGF/p75 promotes taxane resistance. The C-terminus of LEDGF/p75 contains a domain called the Integrase Binding Domain (IBD), which in T cells is responsible for tethering the HIV-integrase complex to transcriptionally active chromatin. In non-PCa cells, the LEDGF/p75 IBD interacts with transcription complexes, such as Menin-MLL and the c-MYC binding protein JPO2, to promote cell survival. However, the relevance of these and others protein-protein interactions (PPIs) in the context of PCa chemoresistance has never been explored. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that interactions between LEDGF/p75, the c-MYC binding protein JPO2, Menin and MLL in DTX-resistant mCRPC cells contribute to chemoresistance. We demonstrated by immunoblotting a significant co-upregulation of JPO2, c-MYC, Menin, MLL, and LEDGF/p75 in the DTX-resistant PC3-DR and DU145-DR cell lines, compared to the parental, drug sensitive cells. We also observed nuclear co-localization of these proteins by immunofluorescence microscopy and confocal microscopy. Using an immunoprecipitation approach, we confirmed that endogenous JPO2, c-MYC, Menin, and MLL co-immunoprecipitate with LEDGF/p75 in the DTX-resistant PCa cell lines. We are extending these studies to other known interacting partners of LEDGF/p75 to determine if they are also upregulated in DTX-resistant PCa cells and interact with this protein in the chemoresistance context. In addition, we have initiated studies to evaluate the effects of pharmacologic and genetic inhibition of LEDGF/p75 and its interacting partners on sensitization of DR cells to DTX. We predict that targeting LEDGF/p75 PPIs will disrupt transcriptional activity contributing to DTX resistance. Our goals are to establish the contribution of these PPIs to LEDGF/p75-mediated transactivation of DTX resistance-associated genes, and target these interactions to overcome PCa chemoresistance. Citation Format: Greisha L. Ortiz Hernandez, Evelyn S. Sanchez-Hernandez, Carlos A. Casiano. Interaction of LEDGF/p75 with oncogenic transcription factors in docetaxel resistant prostate cancer cells [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 4688.
Depression is associated with poor physical health through lower distress tolerance among adults experiencing homelessness

Research is limited on the association between depression and perceived health status and the underlying mechanisms linking these variables among adults experiencing homelessness. The purpose of th...
COVID-19 Stage Migration (CSM): a New Phenomenon in Oncology?

The current COVID-19 pandemic has led to severe disruptions in health care delivery for cancer patients. These interruptions in cancer care delivery may have an unknown effect on cancer outcomes at the individual and population level. These yet to be known variations in individual and population-level cancer outcomes resulting from COVID-19 related interruptions in care can be labeled as COVID-19 Stage Migration (CSM).
The Effects of Aggression Subtypes on Burnout and Caregiver Instability in Direct Support Professionals

Aggression is a known contributor to burnout and caregiver instability among direct support professionals (DSPs) caring for adults with developmental disabilities. However, few studies have explore...
Application for Locational Intelligence and Geospatial Navigation (ALIGN): Smart Navigation Tool for Generating Routes That Meet Individual Preferences

Efficient mobility and high accessibility to urban services are critical for residents’ quality of life and health. The outdoor environmental barriers, such as uneven sidewalks and missing curb cuts, can significantly impair pedestrian mobility, especially for people with disabilities. Removing those barriers is expensive and time-consuming. The Application for Locational Intelligence and Geospatial Navigation (ALIGN) is an app for mobile devices that intelligently identifies routes that are tailored to the individual’s specific needs and abilities. Since ALIGN is built on real-time or near real-time data, it can complement as well as benefit from other “smart city” related efforts. The ALIGN app is designed to provide customized routes in a city for every user and to create a repository of user behaviour that can inform policy and planning decisions in prioritizing community mobility improvement projects.
Somatic DNA Methylation Changes and Prostatic Carcinogenesis

Prostatic carcinogenesis proceeds via the acquisition of both genetic and epigenetic alterations. The epigenetic changes, principally in DNA methylation patterns and in chromatin structure, are equivalent to genetic changes, and often lead to defects in the functions of critical genes, which contribute to malignant cell behaviors. Epigenetic alterations also tend to appear at the earliest stages of prostate cancer development. As such, analysis of epigenetic genome changes has not only led to a new understanding of how prostate cancers likely arise, but has also provided new translational research opportunities, both for molecular biomarkers likely to aid in prostate cancer detection and diagnosis and for strategies to prevent and treat the disease.
Atomic-Level Properties of Thermal Barrier Coatings: Characterization of Metal-Ceramic Interfaces

Abstract : This chapter considers basic research related to the extreme environment of an aircraft engine and the use of Thermal Barrier Coatings (TBC s) to ameliorate the effects of extreme temperature cycling on metal engine components. The failure of these TBC s is a serious technological problem; one that, if solved, should greatly increase the fuel efficiency and operating lifetimes of airplane engines. These TBC s are comprised of ceramics, with favorably low thermal conductivity, deposited on the engine metals. Accordingly, we are concerned with the characterization of MetalCeramic (M/C) interfaces at a fundamental level. In this chapter, we attempt to provide an overview of experimental techniques for characterizing M/C interfaces. However, since we are theorists, much of the review is focused on providing a detailed, critical analysis of theoretical methods in use today to study such systems. We also give examples from our own modeling at the atomic level that has yielded some insights into the interfacial behavior of TBC s.
DNA replication in SV40 infected cells. I. Analysis of replicating SV40 DNA.

Abstract Radioisotope labeling has been used to analyze the replication of SV40 DNA in primary African green monkey kidney cells. The incorporation of [3H]thymidine into viral-specific DNA begins at about 15 hours after infection and reaches a maximum rate at 30 hours. Sedimentation of viral DNA through neutral sucrose gradients indicates that little or no supercoiled viral DNA (20 to 21 s) is synthesized during the first five minutes of labeling with [3H]thymidine (at 30 hr after infection). Instead, a viral DNA form that sedimented at 24 to 25 s is observed. The 3H-labeled 25 s DNA can be chased into viral supercoiled DNA by the addition of unlabeled thymidine to the culture. This viral precursor DNA, unlike mature viral closed circular DNA, is completely denaturable in alkali and bands at a lighter density than closed circular SV40 DNA in an ethidium bromide-cesium chloride equilibrium gradient. Benzoylated-naphthoylated DEAE-cellulose column chromatography was used to fractionate mature (21 s) and replicating (25 s) SV40 DNA. Viral supercoiled DNA elutes from such a column between 0.55 and 0.6 m -NaCl. Under these same conditions, replicating SV40 DNA remains bound to the column and can be eluted later with caffeine. Electron micrographs of viral DNA obtained from the caffeine-eluted fraction of the column show replicating SV40 molecules with two branch points, three branches and no visible ends (circles). About 75% of these molecules have completed 90 to 95% of their replication.
The Academic Organization′s Definition and Assumptions

Efforts to apply discipline in an academic organization are difficult at best, and seemingly impossible in situations where the impetus for a discipline response is unnacceptable performance. It is often postulated that tenure represents a significant barrier to the application of discipline in an academic organization. Reasonable access to discipline actions cannot, however, be viewed as an independent aspect of the academic organization. Rather, such access must be viewed as one of the many interactive attributes that, in total, serve to define the organization. Justifiable access to discipline actions can be expected only as the academic organization begins to meld these many and often disparate attributes into a cohesive statement of the organization′s definition and role. Identifies underlying assumptions necessary for the development of such strategies.
Modeling music and words using a multi-class naïve Bayes approach.

We propose a query-by-text system for modeling a heterogeneous data set of music and words. We quantitatively show that our system can both annotate a novel song with semantically meaningful words and retrieve relevant unlabeled songs from a database given a text-based query. We explain two feature extraction methods useful for summarizing the audio content of a song. We describe a supervised multi-class naive Bayes model and compare two parameter estimation techniques. Our approach is influenced by recent computer vision research on the related tasks of image annotation and retrieval.
Spin-orbit splitting in nuclei near closed shells: (I). Contribution of the two-body spin-orbit interaction

Abstract We have studied the spin-orbit (s.o.) splitting arising from the effective two-body s.o. interaction in the Brueckner-Hartree-Fock (BHF) approximation, considering all of the most commonly used realistic nucleon-nucleon (NN) interactions and three different nuclear models. We conclude that the s.o. interaction alone cannot account for the observed s.o. splitting in nuclei. We derive the one-body s.o. potential arising from the effective NN s.o. interaction in the BHF approximation. The derivation applies to the interaction of a nucleon with a spin-saturated (s.s.) core of nucleons. The expression we obtain is more than a factor of two stronger than some similar expressions obtained by previous investigators. The enhancement results from the exchange term, which had previously been ignored. We discuss, and obtain expressions for, the effective s.o. interaction arising, in the local-density approximation, from the most commonly used realistic NN potentials, namely the Reid soft core (RSC), Reid hard core (RHC), Hamada-Johnston (HJ), Yale, and Gammel-Thaler (GT) potentials. We find that they yield two distinct sets of values for the strength, − 1 2 πS 30 , of the one-body potential: the RSC, RHC, and HJ potentials give − 1 2 πS 30 ≈ 59 MeV · fm 5 while the Yale and GT potentials give − 1 2 πS 30 ≈ 73 MeV · fm 5 . We have calculated the s.o. splitting for three different nuclear models: (a) the spherical harmonic oscillator (h.o.) shell model, (b) a hybrid model which uses a Fermi distribution to describe the nucleons in the s.s. core and h.o. orbitals to describe the single-particle levels, and (c) the self-consistent Brueckner model of Negele. For each of these, quantitative results for the splitting are obtained for the five modern NN potentials listed above. Significant differences between the three models are found, models (b) and (c) giving better agreement with experiment than (a) for the heavier nuclei. We have also used the h.o. model to verify the numerical accuracy of our approach. We find that the effective s.o. interaction gives splittings which are roughly compatible with experiment for the normally unoccupied levels of the entirely s.s. nuclei 16O and 40Ca. For all the other levels of the nuclei studied, it appears that the s.o. interaction alone lacks sufficient strength to account for the entire s.o. splitting.
Role of mga in growth phase regulation of virulence genes of the group A streptococcus.

To determine whether growth phase affects the expression of mga and other virulence-associated genes in the group A streptococcus (GAS), total RNA was isolated from the serotype M6 GAS strain JRS4 at different phases of growth and transcript levels were quantitated by hybridization with radiolabeled DNA probes. Expression of mga (which encodes a multiple gene regulator) and the Mga-regulated genes emm (which encodes M protein) and scpA (which encodes a complement C5a peptidase) was found to be maximal in exponential phase and shut off as the bacteria entered stationary phase, while the housekeeping genes recA and rpsL showed constant transcript levels over the same period of growth. Expression of mga from a foreign phage promoter in a mga-deleted GAS strain (JRS519) altered the wild-type growth phase-dependent transcription profile seen for emm and scpA, as well as for mga. Therefore, the temporal control of mga expression requires its upstream promoter region, and the subsequent growth phase regulation of emm and scpA is Mga dependent. A number of putative virulence genes in JRS4 were shown not to require Mga for their expression, although several exhibited growth phase-dependent regulation that was similar to mga, i.e., slo (which encodes streptolysin O) and plr (encoding the plasmin receptor/glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase). Still others showed a markedly different pattern of expression (the genes for the superantigen toxins MF and SpeC). These results suggest the existence of complex levels of global regulation sensitive to growth phase that directly control the expression of virulence genes and mga in GAS.
Safety Assessment of Biotechnology‐derived Therapeutics

In recent years, the biotechnology field has grown and is now a large part of pharmaceutical therapeutics development. The assessment of safety in the preclinical development of biologically-derived therapeutics differs from that of traditional small molecules. This article focuses on the standard approaches to safety assessment and toxicity evaluation of biologically-derived therapeutics and current issues in the field. Keywords: biotechnology – derived therapeutics; immunogenicity; carcinogenicity; genotoxicity
Chapter 8 Metabolism, regulation, and function of ether-linked glycerolipids and their bioactive species

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the nomenclature, analytical approaches, physical properties, occurrence in nature, biologically active ether lipids, biosynthesis, catabolism, regulatory controls, and functional roles ether-linked glycerolipids and their bioactive species. The regulation of the synthesis and degradation of the ether-linked lipids are necessary for purifying the key enzymes of the biosynthetic and catabolic pathways and for using molecular biology approaches so that their reaction mechanisms can be delineated. Antibodies against these enzymes could be prepared for use as probes to evaluate specific regulatory steps in cellular systems. Information is also lacking about the physical properties of specific molecular species of ether lipids and their functional role as membrane constituents. Although, significant progress has already been made in the understanding of the mechanism of the formation of the alkyl ether bond and of the biological activities, metabolism, and some regulatory aspects of the alkyl-acetylated phospholipids, little is known about the mechanism of the action of these unique bioactive phospholipids.
A Theoretical Study of the Interaction of HCl with Crystalline NAT

Using density-functional-plane-wave-based and localized-orbital computational methods, we systematically examine the binding of molecular HCl at a variety of surface sites on crystalline nitric acid trihydrate (NAT), a step preceding the chlorine activation reactions that contribute to the depletion of stratospheric ozone at high latitudes. We pay particular attention to the role played by surface dangling (non-hydrogen-bonding) OH groups. After optimizing six low index faces, we find that NAT(001) and (001) faces are thermodynamically the most stable. Only one surface site on the (001) face, with one nearby dangling OH group, exhibits a high affinity for HCl. At this binding site, adsorbed HCl forms a strong H...O hydrogen bond with an NO 3 - ion and a weaker Cl...H hydrogen bond with a nearby H 2 O molecule. The interaction energy and enthalpy at 190 K corrected for zero-point energies are 23 and 25 kJ/mol, respectively. The presence of one strong binding site per simulation cell, versus at least three previously reported on the (0001) face of ice Ih (Mantz, Y. A.; Geiger, F. M.; Molina, L. T.; Molina, M. J.; Trout, B. L. J. Phys. Chem. A 2000, 105, 7037), leads to a prediction of a lower HCl surface coverage on NAT than on ice, qualitatively consistent with experiments conducted on these surfaces. Additionally, we present kinetic and thermodynamic evidence that molecular HCl, adsorbed near one or two dangling OH groups, does not dissociate on NAT. By contrast, molecularly adsorbed HCI likely dissociates when interacting strongly with two dangling OH group on the ice Ih (0001) face as reported in previously published theoretical studies (Svanberg, M.; Pettersson, J. B. C.; Bolton, K. J. Phys. Chem. A 2000, 104, 5787; Mantz, Y. A.; Geiger, F. M.; Molina, L. T.; Molina, M. J.; Trout, B. L. Chem. Phys. Lett. 2001, 348, 285).
Fire Hazard Reduction and Economic Opportunity: How Are the Benefits of the National Fire Plan Distributed?

Fire suppression and hazard reduction were first linked to efforts to create economic opportunity during the 1930 s. In funding the National Fire Plan in 2000, Congress gave the Forest Service and Department of the Interior the authority to consider local benefit to rural communities when awarding service contracts funded with Fire Plan money. This article examines whether this local benefit criteria has created economic opportunities for businesses and people in rural communities by evaluating Forest Service procurement of ecosystem management services across Oregon and Washington and through two case studies of isolated rural communities. Results show that while there was some overall benefit from this directive, some isolated rural communities did not benefit.
The plasma regime at comet Giacobini-Zinner

The paper reviews results on the plasma regime at Comet Giacobini-Zinner obtained by the International Cometary Explorer. The observations are consistent with the existence of a weak shock which may be pulsating, but do not exclude the suggestion that the shock, though present around the subsolar point, is an the process of decaying to a wave on the flanks. 'The pick-up' of cometary ions leads to ion cyclotron, mirror, beam, and electrostatic instabilities which cause strong turbulence in the inner coma.
Isotopic ratios in gas‐phase HNO3 and snow nitrate at Summit, Greenland

[1] Measurements of the isotope ratios of snow nitrate and atmospheric gas-phase HNO3 (15N/14N and 18O/16O) from Summit, Greenland provide new observational constraints on postdepositional processing of snowpack nitrate. The δ15N of NO3− is similar in surface snow and in air sampled 1.5 m above the snow surface during Spring and Summer 2006, ranging between −15 and +6‰ versus N2. The δ18O of NO3−, however, is ∼40‰ higher in surface snow than air samples. Photochemical box modeling of HNO3 chemistry at Summit suggests that the δ18O of the air samples is derived predominantly from gas-phase HNO3 originating from photolyzed snow nitrate. Measurements of isotopically labeled nitrate in surface snow confirm that photolytic recycling of snowpack nitrate, in which photolyzed nitrate products recombine to form HNO3 that is subsequently redeposited to the snow surface, does occur at Summit. Calculations incorporating these measurements suggest that photolytic recycling of snow nitrate at Summit will have a maximum −7.5‰ change on the δ18O of nitrate buried in snow, while photolytic loss of snow nitrate will decrease the δ18O of buried nitrate by 0.9‰. Photolytic recycling and loss will increase the δ15N of buried snow nitrate, the degree to which depends on the nitrogen isotope fractionation of nitrate photolysis. Finally, a comparison of surface snow and snowpit samples demonstrates the preservation of the seasonal cycle in isotope ratios of snow nitrate.
Automatic article restoration

One common mistake made by non-native speakers of English is to drop the articles a, an, or the. We apply the log-linear model to automatically restore missing articles based on features of the noun phrase. We first show that the model yields competitive results in article generation. Further, we describe methods to adjust the model with respect to the initial quality of the sentence. Our best results are 20.5% article error rate (insertions, deletions and substitutions) for sentences where 30% of the articles have been dropped, and 38.5% for those where 70% of the articles have been dropped.
Proportionate cancer mortality in methyl methacrylate-exposed orthopedic surgeons compared to general surgeons.

Methyl methacrylate (MMA), a volatile liquid used to make dentures, hearing aids, joint prostheses, and medical adhesives, has been associated with colorectal carcinomas in acrylic sheet manufacturing workers. A case–control proportionate cancer mortality investigation was conducted to determine cancer death differences in orthopedic surgeons performing total joint replacements (TJRs) (MMA-exposed cases) and general surgeons not performing TJRs (unexposed controls). The American Colleges of Orthopedic Surgeons and General Surgeons provided complete demographic information on 468 male orthopedic surgeons and 1,890 male general surgeons who died during 1991–2001. Decedent data was submitted to the National Death Index for matching with underlying causes of death on state death certificates. Proportionate differences in ages at death, deaths from cancer, and deaths from site-specific cancers were analyzed for statistically significant differences by unpaired, two-tailed t tests for continuous variables and by both proportionate cancer mortality ratios and Yates-corrected chi squares for categorical variables. Orthopedic surgeons died of cancer more often (χ2 = 7.699, P = 0.006) and at younger (t = 5.53, P < 0.001) ages (mean = 69.4 years) than general surgeons (mean = 79.2 years). For site-specific cancers, orthopedic surgeons died of esophageal cancer (χ2 = 4.372, P = 0.037) and myeloproliferative malignancies (χ2 = 4.369, P = 0.037) more often than general surgeons. Orthopedic surgeons are chronically exposed to MMA and are proportionately more likely to die from cancer, especially esophageal and myeloproliferative cancers, than general surgeons. MMA-exposed healthcare workers may be at increased risks of untimely deaths from site-specific malignancies.
Place of death of Houston area residents with cancer over a two-year period.

Abstract The majority of cancer patients wish to die at home. Improved understanding of place of death and its relevant demographic predictors is important for the planning of palliative cancer care programs. The purpose of this study was to determine the place and predictors of site of death in cancer patients in a major U.S. metropolitan area. Death certificate data over two years were analyzed for Houston area residents with cancer who died in the Houston area. Information was obtained on factors that might be associated with the place where cancer patients die. For the purpose of this study, we looked at the following variables: primary site of cancer (hematological, breast, genitourinary, gastrointestinal, lung, and other); black, white, Hispanic, or Asian; age at death; marital status; sex; whether or not veteran of U.S. armed forces; levels of education; and area of residency within the Houston area. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed. The majority of patients died in the hospital (51–52% both years), with the next most frequently occurring group dying at home (34–35% both years). Stepwise multivariate analysis resulted in a 6-variable logistic regression model. In this model, the odds of dying in hospital were increased by a factor of 2.7 if the patient had a hematological cancer (P