cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Unique DNA Binding Domain Converts T-Cell Factors into Strong Wnt Effectors

Wnt regulation of gene expression requires binding of LEF/T-cell factor (LEF/TCF) transcription factors to Wnt response elements (WREs) and recruitment of the activator beta-catenin. There are significant differences in the abilities of LEF/TCF family members to regulate Wnt target genes. For example, alternatively spliced isoforms of TCF-1 and TCF-4 with a C-terminal "E" tail are uniquely potent in their activation of LEF1 and CDX1. Here we report that the mechanism responsible for this unique activity is an auxiliary 30-amino-acid DNA interaction motif referred to here as the "cysteine clamp" (or C-clamp). The C-clamp contains invariant cysteine, aromatic, and basic residues, and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) studies with recombinant C-clamp protein showed that it binds double-stranded DNA but not single-stranded DNA or RNA (equilibrium dissociation constant = 16 nM). CASTing (Cyclic Amplification and Selection of Targets) experiments were used to test whether this motif influences WRE recognition. Full-length LEF-1, TCF-1E, and TCF-1E with a mutated C-clamp all bind nearly identical WREs (TYYCTTTGATSTT), showing that the C-clamp does not alter WRE specificity. However, a GC element downstream of the WRE (RCCG) is enriched in wild-type TCF-1E binding sites but not in mutant TCF-1E binding sites. We conclude that the C-clamp is a sequence-specific DNA binding motif. C-clamp mutations destroy the ability of beta-catenin to regulate the LEF1 promoter, and they severely impair the ability of TCF-1 to regulate growth in colon cancer cells. Thus, E-tail isoforms of TCFs utilize two DNA binding activities to access a subset of Wnt targets important for cell growth.
A seismic Q -profile for the lower mantle from short-period P waves

A few studies of the quality factor Q (the ratio of peak-to-dissipated energies of seismic waves) in the Earth's mantle have used a limited data set of spectral ratios for body waves1–3. Most estimates of Q have come from the analysis of surface waves and free oscillations, but use of such data to estimate Q in the deep mantle suffers from a significant lack of resolution. To improve this resolution in the lower mantle, we have compiled a large data base of digital, short-period P-wave recordings from underground nuclear explosions. We have analysed P and PP waves to develop a set of t* (seismic travel time divided by effective path Q) station corrections corresponding to the upper mantle beneath each station and a t*–distance profile. The t*–distance profile is inverted to determine a Q–depth profile for the lower mantle. A thermal activation model used to interpret the Q–depth profile and to estimate a lower mantle geotherm, enables a thermal boundary layer to be identified in the lowermost 200 km of the mantle. This boundary layer is large enough to be indicative of mantle convection driven by heat flow from the Earth's core.
Sulfated and carboxymethylated cyclodextrins and their lanthanide complexes as chiral NMR discriminating agents

Abstract Sulfated and carboxymethylated cyclodextrins are effective at causing enantiomeric discrimination in the 1 H NMR spectra of water-soluble organic cations. The anionic derivatives are more soluble in water than native cyclodextrins and the enantiomeric discrimination is usually larger than observed with native cyclodextrins. Lanthanide ions such as dysprosium(III) and ytterbium(III) associate at the anionic sulfonate and carboxymethylate groups and often cause considerable enhancements in the enantiomeric discrimination in the 1 H NMR spectrum of the substrate. The enantiomeric discrimination caused by addition of lanthanide ions is large enough that much lower concentrations of the cyclodextrin can be used compared to conventional analyses with chiral solvating agents. Sulfated and carboxymethylated cyclodextrins are commercially available, which facilitates their use in NMR applications.
Molecular dynamics simulations of helix folding: The effects of amino acid substitution

Molecular dynamics simulations were applied to helix folding of alanine-based synthetic peptides. A single alanine residue in the middle of the peptide was substituted with various nonpolar amino acids (leucine, isoleucine, valine, glycine or proline) to study the effect of the substitution. Unlike many other molecular dynamics simulations, nonhelical initial conformations were used in our simulations to study the folding process. An average solvent effect was included in the energy function to simplify the solvent calculation and to overcome the multiple minima problem. During the simulations, the peptides folded into helices in nanoseconds. Compact structures containing two helical segments were also observed. The calculated helical ratios of the peptides showed the same rank order as observed experimentally for the alanine-based peptides. Within a peptide, the helical ratio of each residue was calculated and a minimum was found near the center of the sequence for all peptides. The substitutions had different asymmetric effects on the helical ratios of the residues preceding and following the substitution site, indicating different helix capping preferences of the substituting amino acids. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Biopoly 42: 633–644, 1997
Implicit aspects of much systems thinking

Much systems thinking involves implicit aspects upon which the validity, credibility, and even the meaning of the products of the thought depend. The consequences of following misguided, implicit presuppositions vary in intensity according to the milieu in which such presuppositions govern. Two important areas in which the consequences can be very severe to society today are (a) large system design and operation and (b) management of organizations that produce or manage such systems. Division of a Concept Several key notions can play a role in converting many of the implicit aspects into explicit features. Among these are the notions of: Integration of Component Concepts Definition by Relationship Gradation of Belief all of which benefit by taking the mathematical Theory of Relations as an underlying language for expression. Much of the implicitness in science and in systems thinking derives from the failure to recognize explicitly three Universal Priors to all science: The human being, language, and reasoning through relationships. Recognition of a body of knowledge as a science ought to be conditional on the studied, relevant, and explicit incorporation of these three features in the science. Referential transparency, a key criterion for any science, is potentially greatly enhanced by replacing implicit or superficial recognition of the Universal Priors with explicit, detailed incorporation of them in the science. Through the combined impact of application of the key notions mentioned above; together with explicit recognition of the Universal Priors in the Foundations of a science or of systems thinking; along with the discipline, steering, and organization provided by measuring the science against the Domain of Science Model; it becomes feasible to upgrade substantially the quality of systems thinking, of science, and of applications of science.
Bayesian diagnosis in presence of pre-existing disease.

Abstract Clinicians are increasingly facing complex diagnostic problems in patients who have a pre-existing disease and in whom new symptoms develop which may be complications of that disease or manifestations of another, perhaps more common, condition. The neurological complications of malignancy fall into this situation. The results of diagnostic tests applied under these circumstances run the risk of being misinterpreted, largely due to lack of appreciation of the powerful effect of the pre-existing disease on a priori estimates of disease which enter the differential diagnosis. A bayesian analysis outlines the basic structure of these novel problems—a transient neurological disturbance in a man with lung cancer but a negative computerised tomographic scan illustrating the points. Bayesian probability revision yields accurate estimates of the predictive values of tests that tend to be different from those generated by intuitive clinical reasoning.
Determination of Nitrate and Nitrite in Biological Samples Using Bacterial Nitrate Reductase Coupled with the Griess Reaction

Abstract In this article we discuss methodology for quantitation of nitrite and nitrate, end products of the biological synthesis of nitric oxide from L-arginine. Both nitrite and nitrate can be measured, with accuracy to the low micromolar range, using bacterial nitrate reductase coupled to the Griess reaction. Methods for preparing nitrate reductases from Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas oleovorans are outlined. Details for using E. coli or P. oleovorans derived nitrate reductases and for performing the Griess reaction also are described.
Temporal Processing Deficits in Middle Age

Purpose The purpose of this brief report is to provide a synopsis of recent work, primarily from the authors' laboratory, that points to the emergence of temporal processing deficits relatively early in the aging process. Method The approach taken was to provide a descriptive summary of selected published and current experiments focusing on the processing of temporal envelopes and fine structure. Conclusion Deficits in both temporal envelope and temporal fine structure processing are evident during middle age even while audiometric hearing sensitivity remains normal.
Doppler radar study of a warm frontal region

The paper presents a case study of the structure of a warm frontal region as deduced from Doppler radar observations. The precipitation occurring ahead of the surface warm front was banded. The dominant precipitation bands were oriented transverse to the mid-level winds, and they were spaced 110 km apart. It is suggested that these bands were formed by highly organized vertical circulations in a 2.5 km thick layer just above the warm frontal zone. The precipitation bands extended from this layer down to the surface. Near the surface additional circulations were produced by pressure perturbations resulting from cooling associated with melting snow. Some diagnostic calculations of ageostrophic winds, frontogenesis and vorticity production are presented. The frontogenesis calculation gives approximately a 2-4 h doubling time of the horizontal potential temperature gradient associated with the warm front, at mid-levels. The highly organized band-associated circulations suggest the importance of their inclusion in diagnostic calculations.
Choline enhances scopolamine-induced acetylcholine release in dorsal hippocampus of conscious, freely-moving rats.

We examined the effects of exogenous choline (30, 60, 120 mg/kg, i.p.) on basal and scopolamine-evoked acetylcholine (ACh) release in awake animals, using in vivo microdialysis. After collection of 3-4 baseline dialysate samples (15 min each), rats received either saline or choline chloride and 4 additional samples were collected. All animals then received scopolamine hydrochloride (0.5 mg/kg, i.p.) and 6 additional samples were collected. Basal ACh release in animals receiving choline did not differ from that in rats given saline, nor from ACh release prior to choline administration. Scopolamine alone increased average ACh levels in dialysates from 1.22 +/- 0.54 to 11.18 +/- 3.07 pmol/15 min (mean +/- SD; p = 0.001); administration of 60 mg/kg or 120 mg/kg of choline chloride significantly enhanced maximal scopolamine responses by about 55%. These results suggest that supplemental choline enhances evoked ACh release in hippocampus of freely-moving rats.
Analysis of shear-wave attenuation in unconsolidated sands and glass beads

Chotiros and Isakson [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 135, 3264–3279 (2014)] contend that the physics-based grain-shearing (GS) theories of wave propagation in granular materials are not consistent with one particular shear-attenuation data set for water-saturated angular sand that has appeared in the literature. This provides them with the rationale for developing their own model, an extension of the empirical Biot-Stoll model, which they designate the Extended Biot (EB) model. In this article, the EB model and the grain-shearing theories are briefly reviewed, and it is demonstrated that, in fact, the original GS theory accurately matches the frequency-dependent trends of all the shear attenuation data sets that are currently available, including those for saturated angular sands after random fluctuations are suppressed by averaging over several realizations of the medium. It is also pointed out that Chotiros and Isakson's treatment of the available shear-attenuation data is highly selective, and that the format in which they present the selected data makes their comparisons with theoretical models difficult to interpret. Thus, their attempts at validating the EB model and their conclusions concerning alternative theories should be treated with caution.
Plasmid transfer and expression of the transfer (tra) gene product of plasmid pIJ101 are temporally regulated during the Streptomyces lividans life cycle

We previously have shown that a chromosomally integrated copy of the tra gene of plasmid pIJ101 under the control of the KorA repressor protein, which regulates transcription of tra as well as its own synthesis, can promote the conjugal transfer of both chromosomal and plasmid genes in Streptomyces lividans. Using an antibody generated against a fusion protein containing the C-terminal portion of Tra, we show here that this essential conjugation protein is present in membrane fractions of both surface-grown S. lividans, which mate readily, and of cells grown in liquid culture, where mating has not been found. Expression of Tra during the S. lividans life cycle was temporally regulated and was reduced late during vegetative growth so that little or no Tra protein was detected in cells as they began to differentiate morphologically and produce secondary metabolites. Comparison of the membrane concentration of Tra protein with tra mRNA concentration during the S. lividans life cycle indicated that the disappearance of Tra is post-transcriptionally controlled and thus is not mediated by KorA. The results of 'interrupted mating' experiments, together with the time of appearance of Tra in S. lividans membranes, indicate that the intermycelial transfer of pIJ101 in S. lividans is complete by the onset of cellular differentiation.
Tuberculosis in the elderly

Tuberculosis (TB) today remains one of the world's most lethal infectious diseases. An estimated one-third of the world's population is infected with the tubercle bacillus-Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), and 7 to 8 million people develop TB disease each year (27). For purpose of clarity, TB infection (latent TB) is defined as harboring Mtb without evidence of active infection, and TB disease is active infection without Mtb based on clinical and laboratory findings. Recognizing that TB has been one of the most neglected international health problems and that the TB epidemic is rampant in many parts of the world, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared TB to be a global health emergency in 1993 (23). Despite the steady decline in TB cases since this time resulting from the overall implementation of more effective infection control practices, directly observed therapy (DOT), and efforts to control the human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) epidemic, preventive and control strategies among other high-risk populations such as the elderly evidently remain a clinical and epidemiological challenge. The geriatric population among all ethnic groups and both genders, represent the largest reservoir of TB infection, particularly in developed nations (9). Clinical features of TB in older adults may be atypical, non-specific, and confused with concomitant age-related diseases (28). Underlying acute or chronic diseases, malnutrition, and the biological changes with aging, can disrupt integumental barriers, impair microbial clearance mechanisms, and contribute to the expected age-associated decline in cellular immune responses to infecting agents such as Mtb. Diagnosis of TB can be difficult and consequently overlooked; this treatable infection may unfortunately be recognized only at autopsy. Furthermore, therapy of TB in the elderly is challenging because of the increased incidence of adverse drug reactions. Optimal treatment of associated chronic diseases, minimization of invasive procedures, limitation of polypharmacy, and adequate nutritional support are essential for this vulnerable population. The institutionalized elderly in addition are especially at high risk for reactivation of latent TB as well as susceptible to new TB infection. This article will discuss the global epidemiology, pathogenesis and immunologic aspects, unique clinical consideration, treatment and prevention of TB, briefly inclusive of the recent published guidelines for targeted tuberculin testing and treatment of latent TB infection as it pertains to the elderly.
Hedonic and Homeostatic Overlap following Fat Ingestion

Ingestion of fatty foods increases dopamine release in the substantia nigra, producing a positive hedonic state. Tellez et al. (2013) demonstrate that an intestinal signal generated by fat consumption, oleoylethanolamide, stimulates central dopamine activity, thus regulating the reward value of fat and establishing a link between caloric-homeostatic and hedonic-homeostatic controllers.
Semen collection and evaluation in Gorilla gorilla gorilla

Procedures for performing electroejaculation on 24 lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) are described, including the following: rationale for use of this technique to establish fertility, anesthetics employed, technique, testicular measurements, and semen characteristics.
Colleagues in skin cancer prevention: the family practitioner, pediatrician, internist, gynecologist, physician assistant and the nurse.

The National Institutes of Health Consensus Conference on Diagnosis and Treatment of Early Melanoma has declared that the major source for patient-screening programs should be as part of routine primary care.1 Primary care providers already detect the majority of melanomas.2 In a population survey, primary care providers discovered 25% of melanomas whereas dermatologists found 3%.3 The National Ambulatory Care survey indicated that there were as many visits (1.2 million) for malignant skin tumors to dermatologists as there were to nondermatologists.4 The significant need for nondermatologist involvement in skin cancer detection has been recognized for over 30 years in the skin cancer empire of Australia. The Australia Melanoma Project is succeeding in making citizens of Queensland melanoma-conscious and practicing physicians being able to detect melanomas early.5,6 It is obvious to Australian skin cancer researchers and practitioners that effective skin cancer prevention and early detection requires a concerted group effort. Generally, skin cancer specialists diagnose melanomas more accurately than dermatologists, who in turn, diagnose skin cancer more accurately than nondermatologists.7,8 However, there is great variability with experience and actual biopsy or detection of skin cancer among both dermatologists and nondermatologists.9 Even skin cancer pathology, considered the reference standard, is not 100% reproducible.10 Although there are limitations to complete skin cancer control, this article suggests ways to successfully involve our nation’s over 230,000 primary care physicians, 12,000 primary care physician assistants, and hundreds of thousands of other practitioners in a concerted effort with the nation’s 7,000 dermatologists for the prevention and early detection of nonmelanoma and melanoma skin cancer.11 The Office Visit
A HANDful of questions: the molecular biology of the heart and neural crest derivatives (HAND)-subclass of basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors.

Abstract The HAND subclass of basic Helix–loop–helix factors is comprised of two members HAND1 and HAND2. HAND genes are present within the genomes of organisms ranging from flies to man. Experiments employing chick embryology, tissue culture, and gene targeting in mice show that HAND function is critical for the specification and/or differentiation of extraembryonic structures that include the yolk sac, placenta, and the cells of the trophoblast lineages. HAND factors also play key roles in cardiac, gut, sympathetic neuronal development and in the proper development of tissues populated by HAND-expressing neural crest cells, including regions of the developing vasculature, the limbs, the jaw, and teeth. Surprisingly, nearly 10 years after their initial identification and characterization, little is understood about the nature of the downstream target genes which HAND1 and HAND2 regulate, whether the nature of their transcriptional regulation is positive or negative, or if they modulate genetic programs common to these diverse tissue types or if they drive unique subsets of genes that contribute to tissue identity. At the core of these questions is by which mechanisms do HAND factors modulate biological activity? Do they behave like classical class B bHLH factors or is their function more complex requiring a rethinking of the dogma? What follows is a review of what is currently known about HAND factors and a reflection on why elucidating their role in the biological programs within which they participate has been so difficult.
Clinical and immunologic observations in patients who stop venom immunotherapy

Abstract It is currently recommended that venom immunotherapy (VIT) be continued as long as the sensitivity persists (indicated by positive venom skin tests or RAST). In this pilot study, we performed a retrospective survey of the clinical and immunologic effects of stopping VIT. The 82 patients studied had received maintenance VIT for a mean of 14 months and had stopped VIT a mean of 43 months before evaluation. Subsequent "field" stings in 28 patients caused systemic reactions in six cases (22%), which is significantly higher than the 1% to 3% systemic reaction rate in patients who remain on maintenance VIT. The 22% reaction rate is a minimal estimate caused by loss of venom sensitivity in some patients and residual venom-specific IgG antibody levels in others. Reevaluation of venom skin tests and IgG levels was possible in 43 patients. A tenfold decline from before VIT skin test results was observed in 27 patients (63%). Skin tests remained clearly positive in 32/43 (74%), became weakly positive in 9/43 (21%), and 2/43 (5%) became negative. The IgG level declined from typical maintenance levels before stopping VIT (mean 7.2 ± 1.2 μg/ml) to levels typical of untreated patients at the time of retesting (mean 1.95 ± 0.3 μg/ml). Despite the marked fall of IgG antibody, one third of the patients still had levels in the average range observed in patients receiving maintenance VIT. We conclude that there is a substantial risk of anaphylactic sting reaction if VIT is stopped while venom sensitivity persists.
Demand for international reserves in developing nations: A quantile regression approach

Abstract I estimate the determinants of the demand for international reserves using quantile regressions. Employing a dataset of 108 developing nations over the period of 1980–2007, I find considerable differences at different points of the conditional distribution of reserves. The estimates of elasticities that were found to be insignificant in ordinary least squares regressions become statistically significant at various quantiles of the distribution. Furthermore, majority of the explanatory variables have lower coefficients for the nations that are located on the right tail of the conditional reserve distribution. This finding shows that the level of reserves is as important as the other determinants of the demand for reserves.
Beyond Form‐Based Drill and Practice: Meaning‐Enhancing CALL on the Macintosh

ABSTRACT By examining options in available software, we differentiate between new software for the Macintosh computer, which extends hypermedia capabilities to enable more meaning-enhancing exercises, and the purely form-based corrective exercises found in existing programs. Many of the programs for teaching foreign languages which are currently on the market are labeled interactive because they provide immediate feedback in the form of error correction and record keeping. In addition, many contain integrated hypermedia, i.e., they incorporate visual, audio, and graphic features in order to simulate genuine language and provide other nonlinguistic stimuli. However, the great majority of these programs are in essence form-based drill and practice exercises. The new software we present contains meaning-enhancing exercises, which provide both thematic and visual context and coherence, and which highlight the differences in meaning resulting from differences in form. Our so-called Communicative Gap Exercises: 1) engage the user in a meaningful interaction or negotiation with the computer (there is missing information that the user tries to uncover or an agreement that needs to be negotiated); and 2) give users the opportunity to input complete sentences and to receive feedback about each word in the sentence, in contrast to the many programs which generally require users to fill in one-word blanks.
Spherical phase growth in superheated liquids

Abstract The growth of vapor bubbles in a superheated liquid has been treated as a series of rate phenomena governed by an equation of continuity for the vapor, the Knudsen equation for interfacial evaporation, the modified Rayleigh equation describing the radial hydrodynamic behavior and a heat diffusion equation representing the temperature distribution in the liquid—these transport equations have been converted into a coupled set of nonlinear integral equations which have been solved numerically on a high-speed digital computer to generate bubble growth curves starting with a nucleus containing saturated vapor. In the period of 10 −10 −10 −6 sec the vapor bubble does not grow significantly but surface evaporation and heat transfer at the bubble wall cause the vapor pressure and temperature to build up internally until in the region 10 −6 to nearly 10 −5 sec the radius begins to increase slowly, the rate of increase being retarded by surface tension and liquid inertial forces described by the hydrodynamic equation. At 10 −5 −10 −3 sec the bubble size increases quite rapidly, the rate determining processes being the combined effects of liquid inertia and heat transfer at the interface. The liquid inertial terms in the hydrodynamic equation become negligible at about 10 −3 sec and the asymptotic growth at large times becomes increasingly dependent upon heat transfer in the liquid around the bubble, the growth curves in the period 10 −3 −10 −2 sec being virtually independent of the initial nucleus size. The agreement, within experimental error, of the computed growth curves with the photographic measurements by Dargarabedian of steam bubbles at times of 10 −3 −10 −2 sec indicates that the present heat transport model, based on a localized source-sink combination at the interface, represents a realistic approximation to the physical behavior of the liquid at the bubble wall.
Stable Encapsulation of Active Enzyme by Application of Multilayer Nanofilm Coatings to Alginate Microspheres

In an effort to improve the stability for long-term biosensor use, layer-by-layer self-assembly was explored as a potential technique to provide a diffusion barrier to encapsulated glucose oxidase inside alginate microspheres (<5 microm), fabricated using an emulsification technique. The total loss of encapsulated enzyme was reduced to less than 25 and 15% with the application of single PAH/PSS and crosslinked PAH/PAA coatings, respectively, in comparison to at least a 45% loss observed with uncoated and PDDA/PSS-coated microspheres. Furthermore, it was found that enzyme within PAH/PSS- and crosslinked PAH/PAA-coated spheres retained more than 84 and 60% of initial activity, respectively, after three months, whereas uncoated and PDDA/PSS-coated microspheres retained less than 20%.
Mouse strain and quality control testing: improved sensitivity of the mouse embryo assay with embryos from outbred mice

Objective To determine the relative sensitivities of embryos from different strains of mice to in vitro stress. Design Laboratory experiment with embryos from different mouse strains. Setting University hospital–based fertility clinic. Animal(s) Mice. Intervention(s) Fresh one-cell embryos from outbred (CF1), inbred (FVB), F1 hybrid (B6/CBA), and cryopreserved F2 hybrid embryos (bcl/B6 × B6/bcl) compared in a mouse embryo assay (MEA) using six doses of each of three in vitro stressors: cumene hydroperoxide in mineral oil, Triton X-100 (TX-100) in media, and hyperosmolality. Main Outcome Measure(s) Blastocyst rate at 96 hours. Result(s) All studies were conducted in triplicate; data were analyzed with chi-square analysis based on fitting a logistic regression model. Both cumene hydroperoxide and Triton X-100 affected blastocyst formation in the outbred strain at concentrations that were less than half of the concentration that affected the other strains. The total number of cells was affected by the treatments in all strains. Conclusion(s) Outbred CF1 embryos are genetically diverse and more sensitive to toxins than either inbred or hybrid mouse embryos. Outbred embryos provide an additional tool for effective quality-control testing.
Xylem-specific gene expression in loblolly pine

Two genes preferentially expressed in differentiating xylem of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) were cloned from cDNA and genomic libraries and designated PtX3H6 and PtX14A9. Transcripts of PtX3H6 and PtX14A9 are very abundant in differentiating xylem, less abundant in needles, and very low or nondetectable in embryos and megagametophytes. PtX3H6 contains a putative signal peptide, a threonine-rich region, a proline-rich region, and a hydrophobic tail. Repeats of Pro-Pro-Pro-Val-X-X are similar to repeats found in proline-rich cell wall proteins. The amino acid compositions of PtX3H6 and PtX14A9 are similar to those of arabinogalactan proteins (AGPs). PtX14A9 contains an 8 amino acid sequence similar to amino terminal sequences of ryegrass, carrot and rose AGPs. Upstream sequences have been determined from genomic clones encoding PtX3H6 and PtX14A9. A 7 bp sequence found in the 5′ flanking regions of both genes has previously been shown to be involved in the vascular-specific expression of GRP 1.8, a glycine-rich protein found in bean. The sequence is also present upstream of another glycine-rich protein from bean, GRP 1.0, and may be partially responsible for the xylem-specific expression of pTx3H6 and PtX14A9.
Hepatic and splanchnic uptake and oxidation of free fatty acids.

SummaryThe uptake and oxidation of free fatty acids by the liver and by the non-hepatic splanchnic area were investigated in anesthetized; control and diabetic dogs. The animals received a constant infusion of albumin-bound 1-14C-palmitate. The liver of the control dogs removed 67 μmoles of FFA/min, the NHSA took up 32 μmoles/-min. Hepatic extraction of the labeled FFA was 35%; splanchnic extraction 22% of the arterial level. About 13% of the removed FFA was oxidized both by the liver and by the NHSA. The liver released 13% of the removed labeled carbon as TG, and 7% of the fatty acid carbon as βOHB. Hepatic FFA uptake accounted for 37%, NHSA uptake for 22% of the total body FFA flux. NHSA removed glucose in the control, but not in the diabetic animals. Uptake and oxidation of FFA, both by the liver and by the NHSA, were considerably elevated in the diabetic dogs. However; the ratios of FFA uptake to total FFA flux were not significantly different. The fractional release of TG from the liver was not signi...
Collection Development--Evaluation

Abstract This article argues for explicit evaluation of collection development and discusses means to accomplish that. Evaluating a library's collection is not an acceptable proxy for evaluating collection development.
Ethics and the Single-System Design

This paper offers a beginning sketch of a code of ethics for evaluators using single-system designs. Extending the research section of the NASW Code of Ethics, this paper attempts to add the evaluative dimension to basic Hippocratlc ethics-from "providing help" to "providing demonstrable help," and from "doing no harm" to "demonstrating that no harm is done." Because single-system designs oblige practitioners to be more specific in their practice, such as operationally defining targets of intervention, etc., a new set of ethical issues are raised that require reconsidering every aspect of the scientific practitioner's relationship to the client. This essay is intended to initiate such a reconsideration.
The Tetherin/BST-2 Coiled-Coil Ectodomain Mediates Plasma Membrane Microdomain Localization and Restriction of Particle Release

Tetherin/BST-2 forms a proteinaceous tether that restricts the release of a number of enveloped viruses following viral budding. Tetherin is an unusual membrane glycoprotein with two membrane anchors and an extended coiled-coil ectodomain. The ectodomain itself forms an imperfect coil that may undergo conformational shifts to accommodate membrane dynamics during the budding process. The coiled-coil ectodomain is required for restriction, but precisely how it contributes to the restriction of particle release remains under investigation. In this study, mutagenesis of the ectodomain was used to further define the role of the coiled-coil ectodomain in restriction. Scanning mutagenesis throughout much of the ectodomain failed to disrupt the ability of tetherin to restrict HIV particle release, indicating a high degree of plasticity. Targeted N- and C-terminal substitutions disrupting the coiled coil led to both a loss of restriction and an alteration of subcellular distribution. Two ectodomain mutants deficient in restriction were endocytosed inefficiently, and the levels of these mutants on the cell surface were significantly enhanced. An ectodomain mutant with four targeted serine substitutions (4S) failed to cluster in membrane microdomains, was deficient in restriction of particle release, and exhibited an increase in lateral mobility on the membrane. These results suggest that the tetherin ectodomain contributes to microdomain localization and to constrained lateral mobility. We propose that focal clustering of tetherin via ectodomain interactions plays a role in restriction of particle release.
Effects of Dietary Levels of Forage and Ruminally Undegraded Protein on Early Lactation Milk Yield by Alpine Does and Doelings

Abstract Goetsch, A.L., Puchala, R., Lachica, M., Sahlu, T. and Dawson, L.J. 2000. Effects of dietary levels of forage and ruminally undegraded protein on early lactation milk yield by Alpine does and doelings. J. Appl. Anim. Res., 18: 49–60. Thirty-one Alpine does and 31 doelings (52±1.62 and 34±0.86 kg initial body weight, respectively) were used to determine effects of dietary levels of forage and ruminally undegraded protein (RUP) and change in forage level on early lactation performance. Goats began a 2-week covariate period at 3–9 days after parturition, then were assigned to treatments: 80 = 80% forage diet; 80R = 80 with added RUP; 40 = 40% forage diet; 40R = 40 with RUP added; 40–80 = 80 in weeks 1–3, transition to 40 in weeks 4–5 and 40 in weeks 6–16; and 80R-40R-80R in weeks 1–3, transition to 40R in weeks 4–5 and 40R in weeks 6–16. Diets were 18–19% crude protein (dry matter basis);for 80R and 40R, equal crude protein was supplied by blood, fish and feather meals, substituting for approximatel...
Built environment predictors of active travel to school among rural adolescents.

Background Most studies of active travel to school (ATS) have been conducted in urban or suburban areas and focused on young children. Little is known about ATS among rural adolescents. Purpose To describe adolescent ATS in two predominantly rural states and determine if school neighborhood built environment characteristics (BECs) predict ATS after adjusting for school and individual characteristics. Methods Sixteen BECs were assessed through census data and onsite observations of 45 school neighborhoods in 2007. ATS and individual characteristics were assessed through telephone surveys with 1552 adolescents and their parents between 2007 and 2008. Active travelers were defined as those who walked/cycled to/from school ≥1 day/week. Hierarchic linear modeling was used for analysis, conducted in 2009. Results Slightly less than half ( n =735) of the sample lived within 3 miles of school, of whom 388 (52.8%) were active travelers. ATS frequency varied by season, ranging from a mean of 1.7 (SD=2.0) days/week in the winter to 3.7 (SD=1.6) in the spring. Adolescents who attended schools in highly dense residential neighborhoods with sidewalks were most likely to be active travelers. ATS frequency was greater in school neighborhoods with high residential and intersection densities, on-street parking, food outlets, and taller and continuous buildings with small setbacks. Conclusions The BECs that support safe travel may be necessary to allow for ATS, whereas ATS frequency among adolescents may be influenced by a wider variety of design characteristics. Additional strategies to promote ATS and physical activity are needed in rural areas because of long commuting distances for many students.
Transmission Switching in Security-Constrained Unit Commitment

Transmission switching (TS) is introduced in security-constrained unit commitment (SCUC) for alleviating transmission violations and reducing operating costs. The SCUC problem is decomposed into the unit commitment (UC) master problem and the TS subproblem. The UC master problem finds the optimal hourly schedule of generating units. The TS subproblem uses this solution for transmission switching to find the optimal dispatch of units when considering network constraints. The TS subproblem also examines contingencies and identifies required changes to the UC master problem solution when contingencies cannot be mitigated in the TS subproblem. To propose a practical TS model, the standing phase angle difference limit is considered and relevant constraints are added to the TS subproblem. The case studies exhibit the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Efficient wavelet-based predictive Slepian-Wolf coding for hyperspectral imagery

Hyperspectral imagery is usually highly correlated, in some cases within each spectral band, but in particular across neighboring frequency bands. In this paper, we propose to use distributed source coding (DSC) to exploit this correlation with an eye to a more efficient hardware implementation. The theoretical underpinnings of DSC are laid out in the pioneering work of Slepian and Wolf, and Wyner and Ziv, which provide bounds on the achievable compression when encoding correlated sources with side information available at the decoder. We apply DSC principles to hyperspectral images by encoding individual images (each image representing a spectral band) under the assumption that these bands are correlated. Using DSC tools allows us to operate in "open loop" at the encoder, so that encoding a band does not require having access to decoded versions of (spectrally) neighboring bands. We first compute the parameters of a linear predictor to estimate the current spectral band from a neighboring one, and estimate the correlation between these two bands (after prediction). Then a wavelet transform is applied and a bit-plane representation is used for the resulting wavelet coefficients. We observe that in typical hyperspectral images, bit-planes of same frequency and significance located in neighboring spectral bands are correlated. We exploit this correlation by using low-density parity-check (LDPC)-based Slepian-Wolf codes. The code rates are chosen based on the estimated correlation. We demonstrate that set partitioning of wavelet coefficients, such as that introduced in the popular SPIHT algorithm, can be combined with our proposed DSC techniques so that coefficient significance information is sent independently for all spectral bands, while sign and refinement bits can be coded using DSC. Our proposed scheme is appealing for hardware implementation as it is easy to parallelize and has modest memory requirements. In addition to these implementation advantages, our scheme can achieve competitive coding performance. Our results for high-correlation spectral bands from the NASA AVIRIS dataset show, at medium to high reconstructed qualities, gains of up to 5dB as compared to encoding the spectral bands independently using SPIHT. Our proposed techniques are also competitive compared to 3D wavelet coding methods, where filtering is applied spatially within each spectral band, as well as across spectral bands.
Effects of required and optional exchange tasks in online language learning environments

This study investigates the effects of an optional and required (jigsaw) task on learners' quantity and quality of use of language under synchronous and asynchronous conditions. The question raised is: Does performing either of these task types under synchronous conditions cause a compounding effect that either positively or negatively impacts language production? Eighty-six beginning learners of German participated in this study. The results show that the optional task yielded significantly more learner output, both in terms of target language and c-unit counts. The impact of the condition appears to be mixed, favoring the synchronous mode. Regarding quality, students produced fewer errors when performing the required than the optional task. The results of this study have implications for task design and implementation in online learning environments.
Host Ranges of Six Solitary Filth Fly Parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae, Chalcididae) from Florida, Eurasia, Morocco, and Brazil

Abstract Attack rates, progeny production, sex ratios, and host use efficiency of Muscidufurax raptor Girualt and Sanders, Spalangia cameroni Perkins, S. endius (Walker), S. nigroaenea Curtis, S. gemina Boucek (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae), and Dirhinus himalayanus (Hymenoptera: Chalcididae) were evaluated in laboratory bioassays with five dipteran hosts: house fly (Musca domestica L.), stable fly (Stomoxys calcitrans L.), horn fly (Hematobia irritans L.), black dump fly [Hydrotaea aenescens (Weidemann)] (Diptera: Muscidae), and a flesh fly (Sarcophaga bullata Parker) (Diptera: Sarcophagidae). M. raptor, S.cameroni, and S. endius readily attacked and produced progeny on all five host species, with substantially lower production from S. bullata than from the muscid hosts. Rates of host attacks by S. nigroaenea and S. gemina were similar on house fly, stable fly, and black dump fly hosts, with lower rates on horn fly; almost no progeny were produced by S. nigroaenea on S. bullata hosts. D. himalayanus, a larg...
Violent Offenders on Probation Profile, Sentence, and Outcome Differences Among Domestic Violence and Other Violent Probationers

Using data from a sample of discharged adult probationers, the authors compared the probationers' profiles, sentencing conditions, and outcomes for offenders convicted of domestic violence and other violent crimes. Analyses revealed a number of differences between the two groups, particularly regarding prior substance abuse histories, the length and conditions of probation sentences, and the degree to which probationers committed new offenses against their original victims. Regarding traditional measures of probation outcomes, such as rearrests, technical violations, and probation revocations, there were no differences that could be attributed to the conviction offense. The findings have implications for future research on how domestic violence offenders are handled in probation as well as policy, from the standpoint that domestic violence offenders tend to receive relatively short periods of probation supervision and, despite treatment being frequently ordered, they are more likely to revictimize the sam...
Sensitivity of the predicted CO‐OH‐CH4 perturbation to tropospheric NO x concentrations

Measurements indicate that ambient NOx(NO + NO2) concentrations vary over at least an order of magnitude in the troposphere. Thus it is of interest to study atmospheric chemistry with NOx concentrations covering this range. In this paper we present steady state calculations which show that as NOx concentrations are increased from very low values, the hydroxyl radical concentration increases at first and then decreases. This change of behavior occurs at a concentration of NO2 of about 0.23 ppb in the model. Also, the response of the atmosphere to increased CO fluxes undergoes a qualitative change as a function of the concentration of NOx. At low levels of NOx concentration, an increase in CO fluxes into the atmosphere depletes the OH concentration and increases the concentrations of CH4 and H2, as reported in the literature. However, at high values of NOx concentration, increased CO fluxes give rise to an increase in the OH concentration and, consequently, a decrease in the concentrations of CH4 and H2.
The emerging role of bortezomib in the treatment of indolent non-Hodgkin's and mantle cell lymphomas.

The elucidation of detailed new signaling pathways in normal cells and how their perturbation contributes to the development of the malignant phenotype has created innumerable venues for the development of novel drugs that can affect these targets in therapeutically meaningful ways. For example, our understanding of the complex biology underlying the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway in normal cells has recently led to the identification of specific agents capable of affecting this biology. Intuitively, one would not presume that inhibiting such a ubiquitous and essential biologic process, such as the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway, would lead to a new therapeutic strategy in cancer patients, although empirical evidence has suggested otherwise. The proteasome is a complex structure of many proteins, some of which are specific proteases, that play a critical role in regulating the balance of intracellular protein. Bortezomib, formerly known as PS-341, is a very potent and selective inhibitor of the chymotryptic-like enzymatic function residing in the 26S proteasome. Inhibition of this particular enzymatic activity has now been associated with an enormous panoply of different biologic effects, including everything from the regulation of nuclear factor-кB to the stabilization of cell-cycle regulatory proteins and the induction of apoptosis through the upregulation of specific proapoptotic proteins. Inhibiting this particular enzymatic function has now been associated with sometimes dramatic clinical effects in a variety of hematologic malignancies, including multiple myeloma and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. This activity has led to the recent US Food and Drug Administration approval of bortezomib for the treatment of relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. This activity has also spawned several clinical studies that have now clearly established activity in a host of different lymphoma subtypes, including the challenging mantle cell lymphomas. These data are simply the tip of the iceberg and will no doubt continue to provide fodder for many years of innovative scientific and clinical development. This development will likely lead to the eventual integration of this promising new class of molecules into the mainstream treatment of many hematologic malignancies, including myeloma and hopefully several different non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas. Understanding how precisely to integrate these novel compounds will require us to learn more regarding the array of different biologic effects proteasome inhibitors have on the cell and how these effects can be further augmented with conventional chemotherapy drugs. The story is testament to the value of recognizing the importance of empiric observations in clinical and preclinical investigations.