cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Policies Supporting Local Food in the United States

Local food has been the subject of federal, state, and local government policies in recent years throughout the United States as consumer demand has grown. Local foods have been linked to several government priorities—including enhancing the rural economy, the environment, and supporting agricultural producers. This article provides an overview of U.S. Federal, State and regional policies designed to support local food systems. It details the latest economic information on policy, relying on findings from several national surveys and a synthesis of recent literature. Federal policies related to local food systems were greatly expanded by the 2008 Farm Bill, and are further expanded in the Agricultural Act of 2014. United States policies address several barriers to the further expansion of local food markets, including scaling up output of small farms to address the needs of larger commercial outlets, lack of infrastructure for increasing local food sales, ability to trace product source, and producer education regarding local food expansion.
The Politics behind Global Food Security

The politics behind food production has never been as newsworthy, and as a result, as polarized as it is today. It seems that the world can be divided into two opposing ideologies, with little room for any sharing of values in between. The food sovereigntists desire that their food be produced in a traditional fashion without modern farming practices such as factory farms, chemical inputs or biotechnology, including the use of genetically modified (GM) crops. The other faction represents those who are in favor of agricultural biotechnology to ensure that crops are both high yielding and low in cost.
The politics of participatory epidemiology: Technologies, social media and influenza surveillance in the US

Abstract Background Health surveillance is now being augmented and transformed by the use of “unofficial” knowledge or sources of information. This unofficial data largely comes from Internet-based systems which gather information from non-state actors through intelligence networks, Internet and media scrawling, metadata analysis (online drug sale reports, Google searches, online forums, etc.) and social media analysis. Objectives The main objective of this article is to explore the policy implications of such a revolution, an issue that has been surprisingly largely ignored by the literature in public policy. The research question underpinning this analysis is: what are the policy implications of the growing use of knowledge/data from Internet-based technologies for health surveillance in the US? The theoretical importance and challenges of these technologies for public policies conclude this paper. Methods Using influenza as a case study, this article conducts a review of the documented impacts, for public health policy, of the use of communication and Internet-based technologies for surveillance. To do so, we inventory different social media-based initiatives currently used for influenza and public health surveillance while evaluating their consequences/impacts for public health policy. Conclusions The main conclusion is that the way we access, produce and distribute data/information about influenza (through the use of communication and Internet-based technologies for surveillance) has a direct impact on the risk perception and, ultimately, on public health policies through an “overload” of data.
CONDUCTANCES OF RAT SKELETAL MUSCLE FIBERS DURING RECOVERY FROM CHRONIC APPLICATION OF VINCRISTINE TO THE MOTOR NERVE

ABSTRACT Membrane potassium and chloride conductances were measured in rat extensor digitorum longus fibers at 1 to 8 months after removal of a silicone cuff containing vincristine (0.05% and 0.1%) from the nerve. Potassium conductance remained high and did not return to normal, whereas chloride conductance overshoots the normal value by about 30%.
Long-term stability of Ni–Sn porous metals for cathode current collector in solid oxide fuel cells

Abstract Ni–Sn porous metals with different concentrations of Sn were prepared as potential current collectors for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). The weight increase of these species was evaluated after heat-treatment under elevated temperatures in air for thousands of hours to evaluate the long-term oxidation resistance. Ni–Sn porous metals with 5–14 wt% of Sn exhibited excellent oxidation resistance at 600 °C, although oxidation became significant above 700 °C. Intermetallic Ni3Sn was formed at 600 °C due to phase transformation of the initially solid solutions of Sn in Ni in the porous metals. For the porous metal with 10 wt% of Sn, the oxidation rate constant at 600 °C in air was estimated to be 8.5 × 10−14 g2 cm−4 s−1 and the electrical resistivity at 600 °C was almost constant at approximately 0.02 Ω cm2 up to an elapsed time of 1000 h. In addition, the gas diffusibility and the power-collecting ability of the porous metal were equivalent to those of a platinum mesh when applied in the cathode current collector of a SOFC operated at 600 °C. Ni–Sn porous metals with adequate contents of Sn are believed to be promising cathode current collector materials for SOFCs for operation at temperatures below 600 °C.
Reduction of hot carrier degradation in high voltage n-channel LDMOS BCD (Bipolar-CMOS-DMOS) technology

This paper reports two methods to reduce HC degradation in high voltage LNDMOS device without sacrificing the device breakdown voltage and Rdson in BCD technology. The first method modifies the front end process by forming a thick oxide in drift region-I. The process modification is achieved with a simple layout change in BCD technology. Experimental data shows this modification has significantly improved HC degradation in the LNDMOS. The second method modifies back end processes by adding a unique SiN barrier layer which we believe reduces plasma induced damage on the LNDMOS. We demonstrate the barrier layer can improve device hot carrier performance in the LNDMOS.
Convection driven by temperature and composition flux with the same diffusivity

Temperature, pressure, and composition determine density of fluids within the earth, the ocean, our atmosphere, stars and planets. In some cases, variation of composition component C competes equally with temperature T to determine buoyancy-driven flow. Properties of two-dimensional cellular convection are calculated with density difference between top and bottom boundaries determined by difference of temperature T (Dirichlet boundary conditions, quantified by Rayleigh number Ra that is positive destabilising), fluxes of C (Neumann boundary conditions quantified by Raf that is positive stabilising), and Prandtl number Pr. Numerical solutions in a 2-dimensional rectangular chamber are analysed for Prandtl numbers Pr=1,∞. For Ra and Raf>0 and Raf above approximately 300, subcritical instability separates T-driven convection from C-dominated stagnation. The flow is steady but a sudden change in Ra or Raf produces decaying pulsations to the new flow. A boundary layer solution for rapid flow exists in which T,...
Case 1: Persistent Tachypnea in an Infant

1. Daniel Hinds, MD* 2. Matthew Cooper, MD* 3. Ameet Daftary, MD* 1. *Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN A 4-month-old boy presents to the hospital with worsening tachypnea. He was born at 34 weeks' gestation via cesarean delivery to a gravida 1 mother owing to preterm labor and cephalopelvic disproportion. After birth, he was admitted to the NICU for prematurity, feeding difficulty, and hypoxemia. He advanced to full feeds by 7 days after birth; however, by day 23 after birth, he had developed tachypnea, and auscultation of his lungs demonstrated slightly diminished breath sounds in the right upper lobe (RUL) with crackles in the left upper lobe (LUL). A chest radiograph showed RUL atelectasis with mild LUL expansion (Fig 1). Because he did not improve with chest physical therapy, a bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage was performed on day 39 after birth and did not show any airway …
Effect of particle aging on chemical characteristics, smoldering, and fire behavior in mixed-conifer masticated fuel

Abstract Mastication is a silvicultural technique that grinds, shreds, or chops trees or shrubs into pieces and redistributes the biomass onto the forest floor to form a layer of woody debris. Unlike other fuel treatments that remove this biomass, masticated biomass often remains on site, which increases total fuel loading and causes concern over how the masticated particles may burn if exposed to prescribed fire or wildfire. Central to the question of how these particles may burn is how the time since mastication affects the decomposition of the wood particles comprising the fuels. We conducted controlled laboratory experiments to investigate how the particles changed chemically over the time since they were masticated and how those chemical changes affected fire behavior characteristics. The objectives were (1) to quantify the chemical differences of masticated materials from different climates and different decomposition stages, (2) determine whether chemical changes occurred similarly in all fuel particles, and (3) describe the fire behavior characteristics exhibited by these fuels. Masticated materials came from mixed-conifer forests at fifteen different sites throughout the Rocky Mountains. Paired stands from these sites were of similar vegetation and forest stage. They represented wet and dry climates, different stages of wood decomposition, and variable piece sizes based on the type of machine used to masticate the biomass. Time since mastication and piece size affected the rate of chemical changes in the masticated particles. Fragmented particles had less heat value, N, and C than intact particles from the same site. C decreased and N increased with time since treatment. In most cases, cellulose decreased as decomposition occurred. Age of the particles, tree species, climate, and quantity of fuel load were all important factors influencing chemical change and burn characteristics. In the smoldering experiments, age was not a significant factor but soil substrate was. Soil surface temperatures in the smoldering tests differed significantly between dry sand and dry duff, and most of the smoldering burns in dry duff easily reached temperatures and durations at the surface between the fuel and the soil that would kill soil plants, microbes, and fauna and severely affect soil ecology. When planning prescribed burns in these treatments, managers need to consider not only the moisture of the fuels, air temperature, and wind, but also the dryness and type of soil, the amount of decomposition (time since mastication) of the fuel particles, fuel depths, fuel loads, and the spatial distribution of the fuel loads left by the masticator.
Timing Performance Profiling of Substation Control Code for IED Malware Detection

We present a binary static analysis approach to detect intelligent electronic device (IED) malware based on the time requirements of electrical substations. We explore graph theory techniques to model the timing performance of an IED executable. Timing performance is subsequently used as a metric for IED malware detection. More specifically, we perform a series of steps to reduce a part of the IED malware detection problem into a classical problem of graph theory, namely finding single-source shortest paths on a weighted directed acyclic graph (DAG). Shortest paths represent execution flows that take the longest time to compute. Their clock cycles are examined to determine if they violate the real-time nature of substation monitoring and control, in which case IED malware detection is attained. We did this work with particular reference to implementations of protection and control algorithms that use the IEC 61850 standard for substation data representation and network communication. We tested our approach against IED exploits and malware, network scanning code, and numerous malware samples involved in recent ICS malware campaigns.
Remotely Close Associations: Openness to Experience and Semantic Memory Structure

Openness to experience—the enjoyment of novel experiences, ideas, and unconventional perspectives—has shown several connections to cognition that suggest open people might have different cognitive processes than those low in openness. People high in openness are more creative, have broader general knowledge, and show greater cognitive flexibility. The associative structure of semantic memory might be one such cognitive process that people in openness differ in. In this study, 497 people completed a measure of openness to experience and verbal fluency. Three groups of high (n = 115), moderate (n = 121), and low (n = 118) openness were created to construct semantic networks—graphical models of semantic associations that provide quantifiable representations of how these associations are organized—from their verbal fluency responses. The groups were compared on graph theory measures of their respective semantic networks. The semantic network analysis revealed that as openness increased, the rigidity of the semantic structure decreased and the interconnectivity increased, suggesting greater flexibility of associations. Semantic structure also became more condensed and had better integration, which facilitates open people’s ability to reach more unique associations. These results were supported by open people coming up with more individual and unique responses, starting with less conventional responses, and having a flatter frequency proportion slope than less open people. In summary, the semantic network structure of people high in openness to experience supports the retrieval of remote concepts via short associative pathways, which promotes unique combinations of disparate concepts that are key for creative cognition.
Effectiveness of motivational interviewing, health education and brief advice in a population of smokers who are not ready to quit.

Motivational Interviewing (MI), Brief Advice (BA) and Health Education (HE) are established smoking cessation induction methods for smokers with low desire to quit. Although randomized controlled trials (RCT’s) have been frequently used to assess these interventions the temporal efficacy and effectiveness of these interventions have been poorly elaborated. The present work endeavors to fill the gap by considering the full range of possible motivational outcomes for all of the participants. As a two-step process, Markov Chain (MC) and Ordinary Differential Equation (ODE) models were successively employed to examine the temporal efficacy and effectiveness of these interventions by computing the gradual movements of participants from an initial stage of unmotivated smoker to stages of increased motivation to quit and cessation. Specifically, in our re-analysis of data from the RCT we examined the proportion of participants in 4 stages of readiness to quit (unmotivated, undecided, motivated, former smokers) over 6 months, across treatment groups [MI (n = 87), BA (n = 43) and HE (n = 91)]. Although HE had greater efficacy compared to MI and BA (i.e., the highest smoking cessation rates), it had lower effectiveness at certain time points. This was due to the fact that HE had the greatest proportion of motivated smokers who quit smoking but simultaneously a large proportion of the motivated smokers became unmotivated to quit. The effectiveness of HE dropped substantially in weeks 3–12 and remained below the effectiveness of BA from week 12 onward. The 2-year ODE model projections show that the prevalence of motivated smokers in HE group may fall below 5%. The prevalence of HE former smokers can reach an equilibrium of 26%, where the prevalence of both BA and MI former smokers exceeds this equilibrium. The methodology proposed in this paper strongly benefits from the capabilities of both MC and ODE modeling approaches, in the event of low observations over the time. Particularly, the temporal population sizes are first estimated by the MC model. Then they are used to parametrize the ODE model and predict future values. The methodology enabes us to determine and compare the temporal efficacy and effectiveness of smoking cessation interventions, yielding predictive and analytic insights related to temporal characteristics and capabilities of these interventions during the study period and beyond. Testing Counseling Styles to Motivate Smokers to Quit, NCT01188018 , (July 4, 2012). This study is registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov NCT01188018.
Simulated Water Budgets for an Annual Grassland Site in the Sierra Foothills

In California’s annual grassland and oak woodland, rainfall is high during winter but almost nonexistent during the hot summers (Major 1977). As a consequence, the season with warm temperatures and the season of high precipitation are out of phase for plant growth. In addition, the length of the period of moisture availability varies, as does the total amount of precipitation (Evans et al. 1975, Major 1977). In this paper, a water-budget model was used to evaluate the effect of these factors on water utilization by plants in relation to streamflow. The objective of this study was to determine for an oak grassland ecosystem (1) the importance of different fates of water (transpiration, evaporation, streamflow), (2) changes in the water budget from year to year, and (3) the impact of oak removal and depth of the soil hardpan on the water budget.
Novel exploitation of a nuclear function by influenza virus: The cellular SF2/ASF splicing factor controls the amount of the essential viral M2 ion channel protein in infected cells

We show that a cellular nuclear protein, the SR splicing factor SF2/ASF, controls the level of production of an essential influenza virus protein, the M2 ion channel protein. The M2 mRNA that encodes the ion channel protein is produced by alternative splicing of another viral mRNA, M1 mRNA. The production of M2 mRNA is controlled in two ways. First, a distal (stronger) 5' splice site in M1 mRNA is blocked by the complex of viral polymerase proteins synthesized during infection, allowing the cellular splicing machinery to switch to the proximal (weaker) M2 5' splice site. Second, utilization of the weak M2 5' splice site requires its activation by the cellular SF2/ASF protein. This activation is mediated by the binding of the SF2/ASF protein to a purine-rich splicing enhancer sequence that is located in the 3' exon of M1 mRNA. We demonstrate that activation of the M2 5' splice site is controlled by the SF2/ASF protein in vivo during influenza virus infection. Utilizing four cell lines that differ in their levels of production of the SF2/ASF protein, we show that during virus infection of these cell lines both M2 mRNA and the M2 ion channel protein are produced in amounts that are proportional to the different expression levels of the SF2/ASF protein.
Epifaunal Foraminifera in an Infaunal World: Insights Into the Influence of Heterogeneity on the Benthic Ecology of Oxygen-Poor, Deep-Sea Habitats

A reduction in dissolved oxygen availability in marine habitats is among the predicted consequences of increasing global temperatures. An understanding of past oxygenation is critical for predictions of future changes in the extent and distribution of oxygen minimum zones (OMZs). Benthic foraminifera have been used to assess changes in paleo-oxygenation, and according to prevailing thought, oxygen-poor marine benthic habitats are dominated by sediment-dwelling infaunal foraminifera, while more oxygenated environments are populated with more epifaunal taxa. However, in this study we found elevated densities of epifaunal taxa in oxygen-poor habitats. A series of sixteen multicores were taken on depth transects (360-3000 m) across an OMZ in the Southern California Bight to investigate the ecology of living (rose Bengal stained) benthic foraminifera. Dissolved oxygen concentrations in bottom water at sampling sites varied from 21 mol/l to 162 mol/l. Sampling focused on bathymetric highs in an effort to collect seafloor surface materials with coarse sediments in areas not typically targeted for sampling. Mean grain size varied from about 131m (gravelly sand) to about 830μm (coarse sand with fine gravel). Vertical distribution patterns (0-2 cm) were consistent with those of conspecifics reported elsewhere, and reconfirm that Cibicidoides wuellerstorfi and Hanzawaia nipponica have a living preference at or near the sediment-water interface. As expected, assemblages were dominated by infaunal taxa, such as Uvigerina and Bolivina, traditionally associated with the supersaturated, unconsolidated mud, characteristic of OMZ habitats, suggesting that these taxa are not sensitive to substrate type. However, despite dysoxic conditions (21 mol/l to 28 mol/l ), epifaunal taxa comprised as much as 36 percent of the stained population at the five sites with the coarsest mean grain size, while other measured environmental parameters remained relatively constant. We suggest that these epifaunal taxa, including C. wuellerstorfi, prefer habitats with coarse grains that allow them to remain at or above the sediment-water interface. These results suggest that seafloor habitat heterogeneity contributes to the distribution of benthic foraminifera, including in low-oxygen environments. We submit that paleo-oxygenation methods that use epifaunal indicator taxa need to reconsider the dissolved oxygen requirements of epifaunal taxa.
What's that Style? A CNN-based Approach for Classification and Retrieval of Building Images

Image classification and content-based image retrieval (CBIR) are important problems in the field of computer vision. In recent years, convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have become the tool of choice for building state-of-the-art image classification systems. In this paper, we propose novel mid-level representations involving the use of a pre-trained CNN for feature extraction and use them to solve both the classification and the retrieval problems on a dataset of building images with different architectural styles. We experimentally establish our intuitive understanding of the CNN features from different layers, and also combine the proposed representations with several different pre-processing and classification techniques to form a novel architectural image classification and retrieval system.
The impact of re-induction prior to salvage autologous stem cell transplantation in multiple myeloma.

Autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) is an integral component of the therapeutic arsenal in multiple myeloma. Given that overall survival (OS) is comparable between patients receiving up-front or delayed ASCT, some opt to collect stem cells and postpone transplant until the time of disease progression (i.e., salvage ASCT). It is unknown if induction should be repeated prior to salvage ASCT, or if patients should proceed directly. We identified 234 patients who underwent salvage ASCT at our institution: 188 (80%) were re-induced, whereas 46 (20%) proceeded directly without re-induction. There was no significant difference in time to next therapy (TNT) or OS from Day 0 between the two groups. Patients who were re-induced had a nonsignificant trend towards a higher rate of complete response post-ASCT (45 vs. 33%, p = .12). In multivariate models, re-induction did not affect TNT/OS. In the subgroup of 188 patients who were re-induced, patients with relapsed/refractory disease at the time of ASCT had significantly shorter TNT/OS compared to patients with deeper pre-ASCT responses. In summary, there was no survival difference for patients who were re-induced before salvage ASCT. However, many factors affect the decision to re-induce, and prospective studies would be required to discern its role definitively.
Sampling from discrete distributions in combinational hardware with application to post-quantum cryptography

Random values from discrete distributions are typically generated from uniformly-random samples. A common technique is to use a cumulative distribution table (CDT) lookup for inversion sampling, but it is also possible to use Boolean functions to map a uniformly-random bit sequence into a value from a discrete distribution. This work presents a methodology for deriving such functions for any discrete distribution, encoding them in VHDL for implementation in combinational hardware, and (for moderate precision and sample space size) confirming the correctness of the produced distribution. The process is demonstrated using a discrete Gaussian distribution with a small sample space, but it is applicable to any discrete distribution with fixed parameters. Results are presented for sampling schemes from several submissions to the NIST PQC standardization process, comparing this method to CDT lookups on a Xilinx Artix-7 FPGA. The process produces compact solutions for distributions up to moderate size and precision.
Hybrid Operating Systems

Chapter 16 discusses other approaches to operating system (OS) design. It compares monolithic kernel based OS with microkernel based OS and presents a hybrid system which includes the strength of both approaches. To demonstrate the capability of such a hybrid system, it implements an iso9660 file system server in user space, which communicates with client processes by messages.
Attention Based Residual Network for Effective Detection of COVID-19 and Viral Pneumonia

The current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has led us to the healthcare, global poverty and socioeconomic crisis. One of the most significant task in this pandemic is to accurately and efficiently diagnose the COVID-19 patients and to monitor them to make prompt decisions and take appropriate actions for their monitoring, management and treatment. The early diagnosis of COVID-19 was a very troublesome and difficult challenge that CAD (Computer-Aided Diagnosis) methods successfully tackled. The CXR (chest X-ray) method proved to be a very low-cost and effective alternative to Computed Tomography (CT) scan and Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test, which were previously the most commonly used methods for COVID-19 diagnosis. Till now, very few CAD based techniques have been proposed to effectively detect COVID-19, but their efficiency is limited due to a number of factors. In this study, we have proposed a deep learning model using the Convolutional Block Attention Module with ResNet32. For training the model, Kaggle’s dataset containing CXR images has been used. The dataset contains a total of 3886 images. Moreover, 64% of data has been used for training, 20% for testing and 16% for validation. We have experimented with different CNN architectures with different approaches like Transfer Learning, Data Augmentation and attention module. With 97.69% accuracy, the ResNet32 with attention module outperformed other architectures and approaches, improving the baseline network efficiency. This promising and efficient classification accomplishment of our proposed methodology demonstrates that it is well suited for CXR image classification in COVID-19 diagnosis in terms of both accuracy and cost.
Chapter 6 Electronic screening in metals: from phonons to plasmons

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the progress made recently in the first-principles evaluation of electronic response in metals, and discusses centers on the density-response function and its impact on physical observables, such as the loss spectrum for high-energy electrons and X rays, and dispersion relations of phonons and plasmons. The dynamical screening of a local spin imbalance and the itinerant-spin response in the paramagnetic phase is also discussed. In the static-screening case, the quality of the calculated phonon dispersion curves benefits from the same factors that have had an impact on the ground-state problem—density-functional theory within the local-density approximation (LDA), norm-conserving pseudopotentials, and access to modern, high-performance computers. The net result is that accurate bulk phonon dispersion curves can be obtained for several metals for arbitrary wave vectors in the first Brillouin zone. The study of the screening response of metal surfaces lags behind its counterpart for the bulk, a reflection of the increased computational demands posed by the reduced symmetry of the surface environment. As a consequence, most of survey refers to bulk metals.
Conrad and Dostoevsky, and Natalia and Sonia

The case for the influence of Crime and Punishment on Under Western Eyes has been made so often that it has led Lewitter to speak of the connection as too obvious to be discussed. But the fact of the matter is that the discussions have churned the same stew in a small pot, largely the similar pattern of crime, confession, and punishment. Jocelyn Baines's discussion of verbal echoes some two decades ago is still probably the most helpful comparison and bears reproducing: "In Under Western Eyes there are verbal echoes of Crime and Punishment. It may perhaps be fanciful to suggest that they are deliberate, but the fact remains that some of the most dramatic phrases of Under Western Eyes have their less dramatic counterpart in Dostoevsky's novel. Thus Razumov's 'Do you conceive the desolation of the thought—no one-to-go-to?' recalls Marmeladov's 'Do you understand, sir, do you understand what it means when you have absolutely nowhere to turn?' Razumov calls Natalia Haldin a 'predestined victim' just as Raskolnikov calls Sonia Marmeladov an 'eternal victim.' Natalia Haldin says: 'It is impossible to be more unhappy,' and Sonia says to Raskolnikov: There is no one—no one in the whole world now so unhappy as you.' Then Razumov's 'It was myself, after all, whom I have betrayed' recalls Raskolnikov's 'I murdered myself, not her!'"
Does More Informed Trading Necessarily Lead to Higher Expected Returns

This paper examines the dual e ffects of informed trading on expected returns: information transmission and information risk. We show that the relationship between informed trading and expected returns can be non-linear in theory and is indeed non-linear empirically. Specifically, the relationship turns out to be U-shaped. Further, we demonstrate that these information eff ects are more apparent under high information uncertainty i.e. young, volatile, or no analyst coverage stocks.
Isoleucine Auxotrophy as a Consequence of a Mutationally Altered Isoleucyl-Transfer Ribonucleic Acid Synthetase

Among mutants which require isoleucine, but not valine, for growth, we have found two distinguishable classes. One is defective in the biosynthetic enzyme threonine deaminase (l-threonine hydro-lyase, deaminating, EC 4.2.1.16) and the other has an altered isoleucyl transfer ribonucleic acid (tRNA) synthetase [l-isoleucine: soluble RNA ligase (adenosine monophosphate), EC 6.1.1.5]. The mutation which affects ileS, the structural gene for isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase, is located between thr and pyrA at 0 min on the map of the Escherichia coli chromosome. This mutationally altered isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase has an apparent Km for isoleucine (∼1 mm) 300-fold higher than that of the enzyme from wild type; on the other hand, the apparent Vmax is altered only slightly. When the mutationally altered ileS allele was introduced into a strain which overproduces isoleucine, the resulting strain could grow without addition of isoleucine. We conclude that the normal intracellular isoleucine level is not high enough to allow efficient charging to tRNAIle by the mutant enzyme because of the Km defect. A consequence of the alteration in isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase was a fourfold derepression of the enzymes responsible for isoleucine biosynthesis. Thus, a functional isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase is needed for isoleucine to act as a regulator of its own biosynthesis.
Electron Transport System Associated with Membranes of Bacillus cereus During Vegetative Growth and Sporulation

Membranes isolated from Bacillus cereus ATCC 4342 during vegetative growth and during sporulation contained cytochromes b, c and a + a 3 as well as flavoprotein as determined from reduced-minus-oxidized difference spectra. Although there appeared to be no qualitative change in the cytochromes, there was a significant increase in the amount of cytochromes associated with membranes isolated from sporulating cells. Succinate and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (reduced form) (NADH) reduced the same cytochromes indicating similar pathways of electron transport. The electron transport inhibitors—cyanide, azide, 2-heptyl-4-hydroxyquinoline- N -oxide, dicumarol and atebrine—were examined for their effect on succinate oxidase (succinate: [O 2 ] oxidoreductase) and NADH oxidase (NADH: [O 2 ] oxidoreductase). NADH oxidase associated with vegetative cell membranes was less sensitive to certain inhibitors than was succinate oxidase, suggesting a branched electron transport pathway for NADH oxidation. In addition to electrons being passed to O 2 through a quinone-cytochrome chain, it appears that these intermediate carriers can be bypassed such that O 2 is reduced by electrons mediated by NADH dehydrogenase. Both oxidases associated with sporulating cell membranes were inhibited to a lesser degree than were the oxidases associated with vegetative cell membranes.
A novel transcriptional regulatory region within the core promoter of the hepatocyte growth factor gene is responsible for its inducibility by cytokines via the C/EBP family of transcription factors.

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is an inducible cytokine that is essential for the normal growth and development of various tissues, such as the liver. To decipher the molecular mechanisms that regulate HGF gene induction at the transcriptional level, we carried out in vitro and in vivo studies on the mouse HGF gene promoter. We have identified a novel regulatory element, located between -6 and +7 bp (from the transcription start site) in the HGF basal promoter region, which binds to inducible transcription factors and dictates responsiveness to extracellular stimuli that activate this gene. The core binding sequence for the inducible cis-acting factors was determined to be TTTGCAA (-4 to +3 bp) within the HGF promoter. Competition and gel mobility supershift assays showed that these binding complexes are composed of C/EBPbeta (CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein beta) and C/EBPdelta. DNA binding analysis also revealed that the binding site for the C/EBP family of transcription factors in the HGF promoter region overlaps that of another binding protein (complex C1), which binds specifically to a novel sequence with a core binding site of ACCGGT located adjacent to the C/EBP site (-9 to -4 bp). C1 binds to this region of the promoter and represses the inducible upregulation by C/EBP through direct competition for their individual binding sites. Partial hepatectomy, which is known to activate HGF gene expression in the liver, increased C/EBP (especially C/EBPbeta) binding activity to this region of the HGF promoter. Thus, our present results provide a mechanistic explanation for the transcriptional induction of the HGF gene by extracellular signals (i.e., cytokines) that induce tissue growth and regeneration.
Pathogenic variations driving malignant follicular lymphoma regulatory circuitry (LB489)

Regulatory elements play a major role in establishing cell-specific gene expression patterns. Perturbations in these non-coding DNA regions (e.g., promoters and enhancers) facilitate gene expression changes associated with lymphomagenesis. To investigate the regulatory circuitry driving follicular lymphoma (FL), a germinal center-derived B cell lymphoma, we generated global chromatin maps of histone modifications associated with active REs in primary FL tumors and normal human B cells. Comparative epigenomic analyses produced a collection of enhancers that are dysregulated during lymphomagenesis. We then identified sequence motifs that are enriched significantly in the augmented regulatory elements (REs) from ten FL samples. The most recurrent and significant motifs bind families of factors known to be important for transcriptional regulation in lymphocytes, including SPI, BCL6, KLF, POU, and TCF. Subsequent informatics analyses revealed transcription factor (TF) binding motifs within a subset of enhancer...
Hyperglycemic endothelial dysfunction: does it happen and does it matter?

In the September issue of Arteriosclerosis , Thrombosis and Vascular Biology , Loader et al. (1) present the results of a meta-analysis on the effect of acute hyperglycemia on vascular function. The authors did an extensive search of literature and report on findings in 39 studies that measured endothelial function and/or vascular smooth muscle function during euglycemia and during acute induction of hyperglycemia. The studies varied considerably in terms of subject type, age, method of induction of hyperglycemia, and method of measurement of endothelial function. The authors in the analysis specifically focus on differences between studies that measured macrovascular versus microvascular endothelial function.
Factors affecting pregnancy success of human in-vitro fertilization in unstimulated cycles

Successful pregnancies have recently been reported in cycles of unstimulated in-vitro fertilization (IVF) which is a simplification of the standard IVF approach utilizing ovarian stimulation. The purpose of this study was to analyse retrospectively the results of the first 3 years of unstimulated IVF cycles at our institution in order to identify factors which predispose these cycles to success or failure. All patients (n = 57) underwent serial monitoring with transvaginal ultrasound and serum oestradiol determinations. Human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) 10,000 IU was administered when follicles were felt to be mature and aspiration undertaken (n = 98) 34-36 h later. Among nine patients aged > or = 40 years, 13 aspirations resulted in nine embryo transfers and no pregnancies. In one completed cycle in this group, the patient, who was 42 years old had a baseline follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) concentration of 35.3 mIU/ml. The cycle progressed uneventfully and follicle aspiration yielded two oocytes and two morphologically normal embryos which, however, did not implant. In six patients < 40 years with male factor, seven aspirations yielded 18 oocytes of which 15 were inseminated and did not fertilize. One of the immature oocytes was allowed to mature in vitro and was fertilized and cryopreserved. Its transfer in a subsequent cycle yielded a live birth. Among 78 cycles in 42 patients aged < 40 years without male factor, 63 resulted in embryo transfer with 14% clinical pregnancy rates per aspiration and 17% per embryo transfer. Pregnancy was associated with higher oestradiol concentrations at the time of HCG administration and multiple embryos available for embryo transfer.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Cu2 + as an ESR Probe of Protein Structure and Function

Electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy in combination with site-directed spin labeling has been widely used to determine the structure and dynamics of proteins and other biomolecules. The most popular spin label is a nitroxide-based radical which can be attached to a protein via a site-specific reaction with either native cysteines or cysteines engineered into the system via site-directed mutagenesis. Paramagnetic transition metals, including Cu(2+), often serve as cofactors of metalloproteins, and have already been realized as ESR probes to report structural information in these proteins. This chapter summarizes recent methodological development from our laboratory in utilizing Cu(2+) as an ESR spin probe to determine distance information. We focus on detailed experimental procedures, optimized instrumental parameters, and data analysis approaches in order to guide one who is new to the field. Theory and applications of metal ESR have been reviewed in literature and are not the focus of this chapter. A few examples of applications of the methods are listed in the end.
Qualitative Research and Institutional Review Boards

Although it is not their intention, institutional review boards (IRBs) often impede the conduct of studies that are not conventional and/or experimental designs. As a consequence, studies that are ...
GEOGRAPHIC VARIATION IN TOOTH MORPHOLOGY OF THE ARCTIC FOX, VULPES (ALOPEX) LAGOPUS

Data on the shape of teeth can be used to test hypotheses about the relationship between adaptive and stochastic processes involved in morphologic divergence between populations. We used 7 two-dimensional landmarks to quantify shape in the upper 1st molar of the arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus, formerly Alopex lagopus) and tested for differences in molar shape between populations. The arctic fox is widely distributed throughout the Holarctic region, is found on several Bering Sea islands, and occurs in a range of habitats. This broad geographic and ecological distribution allowed for simultaneous testing of the relationship between molar shape and several factors including environmental parameters, geographic distances, and time since population divergence. We identified 11 populations for comparison, located from Siberia to Greenland, including 4 Bering Sea island populations. We found that shape differed only slightly among mainland populations, whereas island populations differed significantly from each other and from all mainland populations. Divergence in tooth shape was significantly correlated with geographic distance. Because differences in annual temperature and annual rainfall often underlie differences in local environmental conditions, we used these variables to test for differences in tooth shape resulting from local adaptation. Shape did not correlate significantly with either mean annual temperature or precipitation. Observed divergences in tooth shape between populations may be explained by local adaptation, allometry related to between-population size differences, and stochastic processes. The results are most consistent with a combination of allometry and stochastic processes, but local adaptation cannot be excluded.
Divergent changes in murine pituitary concentration of free alpha- and thyrotropin beta-subunits in hypothyroidism and after thyroxine administration.

Mouse pituitary thyrotropic tumors have been a useful model for the investigation of TSH and subunit regulation; however, little information has been obtained for the normal or hypothyroid mouse pituitary. Using antibodies against the purified mouse glycoproteins, we have developed RIAs for mouse TSH and its β-subunit which decreased or eliminated the nonparallelism routinely observed using rat assays. TSH, TSHβ, and α-subunit were measured in the plasma and pituitary of euthyroid mice and short term (41 days) and long term (13 months) hypothyroid mice with and without treatment with T4 (10 μg/100 g BW, ip) for 12 days. Plasma TSH, free TSHβ and free a concentrations increased progressively with prolongation of hypothyroidism, and treatment with T4 suppressed all three plasma concentrations in both hypothyroid groups. The pituitary TSHβ concentration rose 4-fold in short term hypothyroid mice (P < 0.001) and 23-fold in long term hypothyroid mice (P < 0.02). In contrast, the pituitary a concentration fell ...
A model of inexact reasoning in administration

This paper suggests a model for understanding the character of managerial intuition and offers experimental evidence lending support to it .Verbal protocols were used to examine the information processing strategies used by subjects in reaching a decision. Subjects were divided into two groups, experts and students. It is proposed that (a) decision making by successful executives results not so much from rigorous or exact analysis as it does from the way in which information is organized in the mind of the executive, (b) the dichotomy of decision making styles into rational and intuitive is misleading, and (c) decision making styles change over time. A better integration of research in administrative decision behaviour with the methodology and theory of cognitive science is advocated.
Nonspecific Staining: Its Control in Immunofluorescence Examination of Soil

Gelatin preparations were used to treat soil slides prior to addition of fluorescent antibody. Nonspecific staining was avoided, with no detectable interference to specific staining. Gelatin-rhodamine conjugates served to counterstain as well as to prevent nonspecific staining.
Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Communications with Health Care Providers: A Literature Review

Background Health care providers (HCPs) play an important role in public health emergency preparedness and response (PHEPR) so need to be aware of public health threats and emergencies. To inform HCPs, public health issues PHEPR messages that provide guidelines and updates, and facilitate surveillance so HCPs will recognize and control communicable diseases, prevent excess deaths and mitigate suffering. Public health agencies need to know that the PHEPR messages sent to HCPs reach their target audience and are effective and informative. Public health agencies need to know that the PHEPR messages sent to HCPs reach their target audience and are effective and informative. We conducted a literature review to investigate the systems and tools used by public health to generate PHEPR communications to HCPs, and to identify specific characteristics of message delivery mechanisms and formats that may be associated with effective PHEPR communications.
Corrosion Protection of Aluminum-Matrix Composites

Aluminum-matrix composites are attractive in their combination of low CTE and high thermal conductivity. Anodizing is an effective surface treatment for improving the corrosion resistance of aluminum-matrix composites. ForSiC filled aluminum, anodizing was performed successfully in an acid electrolyte, as usual. However, for AIN filled aluminum, anodizing needed to be performed in an alkaline (NaOH) electrolyte instead of an acid electrolyte, because NaOH reduced the reaction between AIN and water, whereas an acid enhanced this reaction. The concentration of NaOH in the electrolyte was critical; too high a concentration of NaOH caused the dissolution of the anodizing product (A12O3) by the NaOH, whereas too low a concentration of NaOH did not provide enough ions for the electrochemical process.
Comparative study of encainide and quinidine in the treatment of ventricular arrhythmias

The antiarrhythmic efficacy and safety of oral encainide hydrochloride and quinidine sulfate were compared m a nine center double-blind crossover study in 187 outpatients with benign or potentially lethal ventricular arrhythmias. Patients with at least 30 premature ventricular complexes/h were randomized to receive either encainide, 25 mg four times/day, or quinidine, 200 mg four times/day, for 2 weeks. These doses were continued for another 2 weeks if a 75% or greater reduction in premature ventricular complexes was observed. If this reduction was not seen, encainide was increased to 50 mg four times/day or quinidine to 400 mg four times/day for an additional 2 weeks. Both drugs produced a statistically significant reduction in premature ventricular complex frequency compared with baseline values. Encainide produced a statistically significant greater mean reduction in total premature ventricular complexes than did quinidine during the initial dose phase and after dose adjustment. More patients required dose increases of quinidine (60%) than of encainide (51 %). Early discontinuation of treatment resulting in advancement to the next study period occurred in 12 patients taking encainide and 38 patients taking quinidine (p Adverse reactions were more common with quinidine than with encainide. A proarrhythmic effect was noted in eight patients taking encainide (five had an increase in premature ventricular complex frequency and three an increase in the duration of asymptomatic ventricular tachycardia) and in four patients taking quinidine (one had an increase in premature ventricular complex frequency and two an increase in the duration of asymptomatic ventricular tachycardia; and syncope developed in one) (p = NS). Thus, encainide appears to be more effective and has fewer side effects than quinidine and may be a reasonable alternative to quinidine therapy for ventricular arrhythmias.