cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Genetic Dissection of Snow Mold Tolerance in US Pacific Northwest Winter Wheat Through Genome-Wide Association Study and Genomic Selection

Snow mold is a yield-limiting disease of wheat in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) region of the US, where there is prolonged snow cover. The objectives of this study were to identify genomic regions associated with snow mold tolerance in a diverse panel of PNW winter wheat lines in a genome-wide association study (GWAS) and to evaluate the usefulness of genomic selection (GS) for snow mold tolerance. An association mapping panel (AMP; N = 458 lines) was planted in Mansfield and Waterville, WA in 2017 and 2018 and genotyped using the Illumina® 90K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array. GWAS identified 100 significant markers across 17 chromosomes, where SNPs on chromosomes 5A and 5B coincided with major freezing tolerance and vernalization loci. Increased number of favorable alleles was related to improved snow mold tolerance. Independent predictions using the AMP as a training population (TP) to predict snow mold tolerance of breeding lines evaluated between 2015 and 2018 resulted in a mean accuracy of 0.36 across models and marker sets. Modeling nonadditive effects improved accuracy even in the absence of a close genetic relatedness between the TP and selection candidates. Selecting lines based on genomic estimated breeding values and tolerance scores resulted in a 24% increase in tolerance. The identified genomic regions associated with snow mold tolerance demonstrated the genetic complexity of this trait and the difficulty in selecting tolerant lines using markers. GS was validated and showed potential for use in PNW winter wheat for selecting on complex traits such tolerance to snow mold.
High-temperature stable fiber Bragg gratings with ultra strong cladding modes written using the phase mask technique and an infrared femtosecond laser: erratum.

In this erratum, we correct the mistakes in Eqs. (2) and (2a) in Opt. Lett.45, 443 (2020).OPLEDP0146-959210.1364/OL.381111
(Cyclopentadienone)iron-Catalyzed Transfer Dehydrogenation of Symmetrical and Unsymmetrical Diols to Lactones.

Air-stable iron carbonyl compounds bearing cyclopentadienone ligands with varying substitution were explored as catalysts in dehydrogenative diol lactonization reactions using acetone as both the s...
Laparoscopic microwave ablation for the management of hemorrhage from ruptured hepatocellular carcinoma

Background Treatment of ruptured hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) focuses on hemorrhage control and utilizes tumor vascular anatomy to palliate or temporize selected patients with hepatic artery embolization (HAE). Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and microwave ablation (MWA) are feasible alternatives or adjunct modalities to resection of HCC; the method of energy delivery in MWA allows uniform coagulative necrosis in shorter time compared with RFA. Case description We present the case of an 82-year-old man who presented with a ruptured liver tumor with active intraperitoneal bleeding on angiography. The patient remained hemodynamically stable with evidence of ongoing bleeding following HAE. Tumor destruction and definitive hemostasis were obtained with minimally invasive MWA. Conclusion Tumor rupture remains a negative prognostic factor in the course of HCC. In select patients, MWA allows definitive hemorrhage control with minimal surgical morbidity. Hippokratia 2016, 20(2): 169-171.
Guest Editorial Special Issue on Plenary, Invited, and Selected Minicourse Tutorial Papers From PPPS 2019

The combined IEEE International Conference on Plasma Science (ICOPS) (held annually) and Pulsed Power Conference (held biennially) are merged once every six years, sponsored by the Plasma Science and Applications Committee (PSAC) and the Pulsed Power Science and Technology Committee (PPS&T) of the IEEE Nuclear and Plasma Science Society (NPSS). The joint conference, called the Pulsed Power and Plasma Science Conference, was held on June 23–28, 2019, in Orlando, FL, USA. The conference’s technical program included a wide range of topics, which ranged from fundamental research to traditional and emerging technology applications. The conference had over 800 accepted abstracts, representing scientists from over 30 countries. The program also included a minicourse on “Computational Methods in Plasma Physics.” This year the PPPS sessions were enhanced by a number of exceptional plenary talks.
Misdiagnosis of lamotrigine toxicity as posterior circulation transient ischemic attack or stroke

Abstract Purpose Lamotrigine (LTG) is one of the most used antiseizure medications (ASMs). Titration is indicated for incomplete seizure control, but toxicity with vertigo, ataxia, and diplopia may ensue. Lamotrigine concentration would be the optimal diagnostic test. However, patients often receive a stroke evaluation when presenting to the emergency department (ED), leading to unnecessary cost and delayed management. We investigated the frequency of stroke evaluation for symptoms associated with LTG toxicity and attempted to identify factors leading to this expensive evaluation. Methods We identified adult patients treated with LTG who presented to an emergency room with dizziness, ataxia, or diplopia and received a negative stroke evaluation, between 2003 and 2018. They were among 972 patients treated with LTG for epilepsy. We collected age at time of occurrence, symptoms presented, imaging studies performed, LTG dose and serum concentration, and the time the result was available. As a denominator, we also identified patients who developed clinical LTG toxicity during the same time period. Results Thirteen patients with LTG toxicity had 16 negative stroke evaluations in the emergency room. Their mean age was 62 years (range: 43–79) as compared with 47 years for all patients treated with LTG (p 20. Conclusion Emergency departments will frequently call a stroke alert for patients taking LTG and presenting with symptoms consistent with LTG toxicity, particularly in seniors at greater risk of stroke. This adds not only expense but also radiation and contrast exposure from computed tomography (CT) studies. We recommend that a rapid LTG assay be made available and always ordered in patients receiving LTG, avoiding the considerable expense of an unnecessary stroke evaluation.
Simultaneous Combined Optimal Design and Control Formulation for Aircraft Hybrid-Electric Propulsion Systems

A key challenge in the design of hybrid-electric propulsion systems (HEPSs) for aircraft is the complexity involved in handling efficient sizing of the components as well as control synergy between...
IFAD RESEARCH SERIES 46 Economic participation of rural youth: what matters?

Employment opportunities (for youth and non-youth) depend on the development of the economy: structural transformation, rural transformation and employment transformation. In rural areas, employment transformation (to steady, more productive wage employment) takes longer than in urban areas. Strategies to facilitate youthâs entry into employment (the youth-specific employment challenge) have to take account of this. We have limited evidence on how youth handle this challenge in rural areas, and on effects of targeted programmes on this challenge â either the impact of non-targeted agricultural productivity and earnings programmes on youthâs challenges or the impact of targeted youth programmes in rural areas. Certainly, the rural-urban gap in education and learning disadvantages rural youth. Anecdotal evidence suggests that when new off-farm opportunities develop in rural areas, youth are able to access them, while entry into farming may be hindered by lack of access to land. Evidence on programmes in urban areas to help youth enter self-employment may hold lessons for programme design for rural youth. A key lesson is that lack of technical skills does not seem to be the biggest obstacle youth face in entering the labour force. Given that most rural tasks (farm or non-farm) do not require a high degree of technical skill, we can expect that this would be even truer in rural areas. Microfinance (or cash grants) has been helpful in urban settings to help youth start non-farm businesses. Evidence on agricultural extension programmes suggests that peer-to-peer learning works best, perhaps arguing for youth-specific programmes to upgrade farming skills and knowledge, but this needs to be tested.
A Brief Theory of Taxation and Framework Public Goods

The literature on the question of how best to distribute the burden of taxation is technical and vast. However, in order for there to be a tax burden to distribute, there must first be a relatively stable social order that establishes, among other things, property rights. But the establishing of property rights is not costless; some revenue must have already been collected. How does one evaluate the distributive implications of a system of revenue collection that is a precondition for distributive questions? The dominant response to this question is to move beyond it by noting that, as a matter of fact, we are no longer in this liminal position and so we can sensibly discuss how best to distribute the tax burden. In this short chapter I argue for two basic points: First, as to the funding of the set of basic goods that make distributive questions possible, which I call “framework” goods, there is a strong argument that we should relax our demands for use of the “best” tax system. Second, there are likely more scenarios in which this insight about the financing of framework goods applies than one might think. Put simply, if we think a developing country would be well-justified in using a sub-optimal set of taxes to provide framework goods, and I think that we should, then it should also follow that a developed country would be well-justified in using a sub-optimal set of taxes to provide near-framework goods.
Neurological divide: an fMRI study of prose and code writing

Software engineering involves writing new code or editing existing code. Recent efforts have investigated the neural processes associated with reading and comprehending code --- however, we lack a thorough understanding of the human cognitive processes underlying code writing. While prose reading and writing have been studied thoroughly, that same scrutiny has not been applied to code writing. In this paper, we leverage functional brain imaging to investigate neural representations of code writing in comparison to prose writing. We present the first human study in which participants wrote code and prose while undergoing a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) brain scan, making use of a full-sized fMRI-safe QWERTY keyboard. We find that code writing and prose writing are significantly dissimilar neural tasks. While prose writing entails significant left hemisphere activity associated with language, code writing involves more activations of the right hemisphere, including regions associated with attention control, working memory, planning and spatial cognition. These findings are unlike existing work in which code and prose comprehension were studied. By contrast, we present the first evidence suggesting that code and prose writing are quite dissimilar at the neural level.
Sound Recording Technology and American Literature: From the Phonograph to the Remix

Phonographs, tapes, stereo LPs, digital remix - how did these remarkable technologies impact American writing? This book explores how twentieth-century writers shaped the ways we listen in our multimedia present. Uncovering a rich new archive of materials, this book offers a resonant reading of how writers across several genres, such as John Dos Passos, Langston Hughes, William S. Burroughs, and others, navigated the intermedial spaces between texts and recordings. Numerous scholars have taken up remix - a term co-opted from DJs and sound engineers - as the defining aesthetic of twenty-first century art and literature. Others have examined modernism's debt to the phonograph. But in the gap between these moments, one finds that the reciprocal relationship between the literary arts and sonic technologies continued to evolve over the twentieth century. A mix of American literary history, sound studies, and media archaeology, this interdisciplinary study will appeal to scholars, students, and audiophiles.
Commercial risks of sea trans-portation in ice navigation conditions

The commercial risks of sea transportation in ice navigation conditions differ from the usual shipping conditions due to additional factors that affect the fulfillment of the terms of the sea transportation contract. During ice navigation, disputes and litigation often arise between shipowners, charterers, cargo owners and consignees due to the commercial interests of the parties. Purpose. The purpose of this article is to analyze the commercial risks of maritime transport in ice navigation and identify possible ways to reduce them by making additional amendments to the contract of carriage in the global maritime market. Methods. To solve the problem, the following methods were used: the method of theoretical generalization, the method of analysis and synthesis, the method of systematization, the method of deduction. Results. The analysis of the international regulatory documents regulating commercial conditions and risks of navigation in the conditions of ice navigation is carried out. The main commercial risks arising from the organization of shipping and icebreaking of ships are identified and characterized, and measures to reduce them are proposed. Originality. The need to improve the commercial conditions for sea transport during the ice navigation period is due to an increase in commercial risks and, as a consequence, a decrease in cargo flows in ports in the winter. It is proposed to create new rational approaches to the conclusion of contracts of carriage by sea, taking into account international experience in order to reduce risks and attract cargo. Output. In conditions of ice navigation, the commercial risks of international maritime transport increase significantly due to. This has a significant impact on the business costs of the transport participants due to delays, unforeseen costs and additional risks. All of these factors reduce the commercial efficiency of maritime transport for all participants. It is necessary to constantly refine and improve the charter conditions in ice navigation conditions.
Myofascial pain of the head and neck: diagnosis and management

Myofascial pain (MFP) is a regional muscle pain disorder characterized by localized muscle tenderness and pain and the most common causes of persistent pain in the head and neck. The affected muscles may also display an increased fatigability, stiffness, subjective weakness, pain in movement, and slight restricted range of motion that is unrelated to joint restriction. MFP is frequently overlooked as a diagnosis because it is often accompanied by signs and symptoms in addition to pain, coincidental pathology conditions such as joint disorders, and behavioral and psychosocial problems. As MFP persists, chronic pain characteristics often precede or follow its development. Evaluation of myofascial pain includes locating the trigger points and muscles involved as well as recognition of these contributing factors. Management of the syndrome naturally follows with muscle exercises, therapy to the trigger points, and reducing all contributing factors. The difficulty in managing MFP lies in the critical need to match the level of complexity of the management program with the complexity of the patient.
Cell-free synthesis of rat glucocorticoid receptor in rabbit reticulocyte lysate. In vitro synthesis of receptor in Mr 90,000 heat shock protein-depleted lysate.

The glucocorticoid receptor is present in the cytosol of cell extracts as a large nonactivated (i.e. non-DNA-binding) approximately 9 S (Mr 300,000) complex. Experimental evidence indicates that the purified nonactivated glucocorticoid receptor contains a single steroid-binding protein and two approximately 90-kDa nonsteroid-binding subunits identified as heat shock protein (hsp) 90. Translation of the glucocorticoid receptor mRNA in vitro in reticulocyte lysates produces a large nonactivated glucocorticoid receptor complex similar to that found in cytosols. The cell-free synthesized glucocorticoid receptor is able to bind steroid and can be activated further to the DNA-binding form. To test the hypothesis of an active role played by hsp90 in the stabilization of a competent steroid-binding conformation of the glucocorticoid receptor, we have synthesized the receptor in a reticulocyte lysate that has been depleted of hsp90 by immunoadsorption with AC88 anti-hsp90. Although the translation capacity of the reticulocyte system was reduced considerably upon hsp90 removal, the glucocorticoid receptor was synthesized, and a significant number of molecules were found to bind [3H]triamcinolone acetonide. Chromatography on DEAE-cellulose showed that most of the receptor molecules synthesized in hsp90-depleted lysate had lost the capacity to form an oligomeric receptor complex. Addition of purified rat liver hsp90 to the hsp90-depleted lysate before translation did not increase steroid binding nor did it restore formation of the heteromeric receptor complex. Analysis of [35S] methionine-labeled glucocorticoid receptor molecules synthesized in the hsp90-depleted lysate showed the production of polypeptides differing from the expected chromatographic pattern on DEAE-cellulose. Upon addition of purified hsp90 to the hsp90-depleted lysate, before translation, the 35S-labeled synthesized receptor fractionated on DEAE-cellulose as an intermediate peak between activated and nonactivated receptor forms. The data suggest that hsp90 alone may not be sufficient for the formation of the nonactivated steroid receptor complex.
Algebraic Computation of the Well-Founded Model for General Deductive Databases

General logic programs are those that contain both positive and negative subgoals in their clause bodies. For such programs Fitting proposed an elegant 3-valued minimum model semantics that avoids some impracticalities of previous approaches. Here we present a method to compute this model for deductive databases. We introduce partial relations, which are the semantic objects associated with predicate symbols, and define algebraic operators over them. The first step in our model computation method is to convert the database rules into partial relation definitions involving these operators. The second step is to build the minimum model iteratively. We give algorithms for both steps and establish their termination and correctness. We also suggest extensions to our method for computing the well-founded model proposed by van Gelder, Ross and Schlipf.
Cervical Artery Dissection: A Review of the Epidemiology, Pathophysiology, Treatment, and Outcome

including randomized trials, case series and reports, and retrospective reviews that encompass the epidemiology, clinical manifestations, pathophysiology, treatment, and outcome of cervical artery dissection. Results: This paper highlights the mechanisms of cervical artery dissection and stroke in patients with dissection as well as the natural history and treatment. Conclusions: Given the relatively rare incidence of this disease, multicenter studies with collaborative effort among stroke centers worldwide should be considered to enroll patients with cervical artery dissection in a randomized trial comparing the two treatments.
ADENOCARCINOMA OF THE STOMACH AND EXPOSURE TO OCCUPATIONAL DUST

The authors studied 1342 cases of adenocarcinoma of the stomach identified by a population-based cancer registry in Los Angeles County, California. The cases were males aged 20-64 years first diagnosed between 1972 and 1982. To determine whether exposure to occupational dust increased the risk of developing stomach cancer, occupational titles were rated for the likelihood of exposure to various kinds of dust. Men who worked in dusty jobs had a risk for developing stomach cancer 1.3 times that of unexposed men. The association of exposure to dust with stomach cancer was stronger at higher levels of exposure. The risk was not uniform throughout the stomach: the highest risk (1.8 times that of unexposed men) was found for the antrum/pylorus. At that site, exposure to mineral dust carried the greatest risk for cancer (3.7 times the risk for unexposed men). The highest risks from dust exposure were observed in blacks. Risk was related to race, socioeconomic status, and immigrant status, but these factors did not entirely explain the association with dust exposure. The observed relation between dust exposure and stomach cancer is consistent with results of previous mortality and case-control studies of cancer in men who worked in dusty occupations. Ingestedmore » dust may be one factor in the etiology of adenocarcinoma of the stomach.« less
Skim Milk Yankees Fighting: The Battle of Athens, Missouri, August 5, 1861

Review of: "Skim Milk Yankees Fighting: The Battle of Athens, Missouri, August 5, 1861," by Jonathan K. Cooper-Wiele.
An Exact Solution of a New Superconducting State

An exact solution of a new superconducting state is obtained which exists for DC currents larger than the critical current in thin wires. The order-parameter is zero at all times at certain points in the whisker, thereby permitting the phase to slip at a constant rate, a consequence of which is a de potential difference between the separate singly-connected superconducting regions. These solutions are periodic in space and lead to voltage steps in the do voltage-current characteristic. It is proven in the limit when the zeros of the order-parameter are far apart that these solutions are stable. Eine exakte Losung eines neuen supraleitenden Zustands wird berechnet, der in dunnen Drahten bei Gleichstromen, die groser sind als der kritische Strom, vorhanden ist. Der Ordnungsparameter hat zeitunabhangige Nullstellen an gewissen Punkten innerhal b des Drahts, deshalb tritt eine Phasenverschiebung mit konstanter Rate auf, deren Wirkung einen elektrostatischen Potentialunterschied zwischen den getrennten, einfach-verbundenen supraleitenden Gebieten zur Folge hat. Diese Losungen sind raumlich periodisch und fuhren zu Spannungsstufen in den Gleichstrom-Spannungscharakteristiken dunner Drahte. Es wird fur den Grenzfall, wo die Nullstellen weit voneinander entfernt sind, bewiesen, das die Losungen stabil sind.
Adolescent Girls Define Menstruation: A Multiethnic Exploratory Study

Incomplete understanding of menstruation may place girls at risk for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and unintended pregnancy. Prior research suggests that European American and African American girls incompletely understand menstruation, yet little is known about menstrual knowledge in other ethnic groups. Using audiotaped focus group and individual interviews with 73 African American, Mexican American, Arab American, and European American girls, we assessed girls’ menstrual understanding. Responses included reproduction, growing up, cleansing, messages about femininity, and not knowing. We found ethnic differences in the prominence of these themes. We learned that social and cultural factors play an important role in transmission of menstrual knowledge.
Perspectives on prion biology, prion disease pathogenesis, and pharmacologic approaches to treatment.

This article reviews highlights of the data underlying our current understanding of the biology of the prion protein (PrP), the propagation of prions, and the etiology and pathogenesis of each form of prion disease (familial, sporadic, and infectious). Also reviewed are current rational pharmacologic strategies for treatment of prion diseases. Each of these subjects is presented primarily from the perspective of investigations performed by the prion disease research laboratories at the University of California in San Francisco and by its many collaborators in the United States and abroad. Focus is on key results from the hundreds of transgenic mouse lines expressing different PrP constructs that have been used to determine the roles played by different PrP s c and PrP C domains in prion propagation and the prion disease phenotype.
Rapid Solution and Solid Phase Syntheses of Oligo(1,4-phenylene ethynylene)s with Thioester Termini: Molecular Scale Wires with Alligator Clips. Derivation of Iterative Reaction Efficiencies on a Polymer Support

The syntheses of soluble oligo(2-alkyl-1,4-phenylene ethynylene)s via an iterative divergent/convergent approach starting from 1-(diethyltriazyl)-3-alkyl-4-[(trimethylsilyl)ethynyl]benzenes are described. When the solublizing alkyl group is an ethyl substituent, the monomer, dimer, tetramer, and octamer can be synthesized. The octamer, however, is only minimally soluble. When the alkyl substituent is 3-ethylheptyl or dodecyl, the compounds are easily dissolved even at the 16-mer stage. The 16-mer is 128 A long in its near-linear extended conformation. At each stage in the iteration, the length of the framework doubles. Only three sets of reaction conditions are needed for the entire iterative synthetic sequence: an iodination, a protodesilylation, and a Pd/Cu-catalyzed cross coupling. Synthesis of the dodecyl-containing 16-mer was also achieved on Merrifield's resin using the iterative divergent/convergent approach. The oligomers were characterized spectroscopically and by mass spectrometry. The optical ...
Calculating The Image Flow Field Of A Moving Planar Surface Under Perspective Projection

The image of an object under perspective projection change with time when the object is moving and rotating. These image changes called image deformation, provide important information which can determine the image flow. In this paper, the change in the relative positions of linear structures in two consecutive images as a consequence of deformation are analyzed. Various components of deformation are used to calculate the flow parameters of a moving planar surface.
Image quality assessment for an Intel digital imaging chip set prototype

Image quality assessments for Intel's digital imaging chip set prototype are made using objective and subjective image quality assessment criteria. Objective criteria such as signal to noise ratio, linearity, color error, dynamic range, and resolution are used to provide quantitative metrics for engineering development. Subjective criteria such as mean observer scores derived from single stimulus and paired comparison adjectival ratings provide overall product image quality assessment that are used to determine product acceptability assessments for product marketing analysis. These metrics along with the subjective assessment, serve as development tools which allow the product development team to focus on the critical areas which improve the image quality of the product.
Alabama's Administrative Reorganization of 1939

The 1934 campaign for the Democratic nomination for Governor, of Alabama produced as one of the two leading candidates, Mr. Frank M. Dixon. An utter stranger to state politics, Candidate Dixon was compelled to adopt a dramatic platform and to tell a new story to the people. Fortunately for him, the retiring executive had invited the Brookings Institution to make a survey of the State's government, and the results of this survey had been published in five imposing volumes.! Mr. Dixon acquainted himself with these volumes, discovered that they contained many useful recommendations, and decided to rest his platform principally on the findings of the Brookings Report. The contest he was able to give his opponent revealed that this decision was not wholly unsound, for though handicapped by youth and by inexperience in politics, he polled more than 100,000 votes. He did not win, but he undoubtedly gave the status qiuo politicians pause for thought. From 1934 to 1938, Frank M. Dixon conducted a continuous and vigorous get-acquainted campaign, and it occasioned no surprise when he announced his candidacy for the governorship subject to the Democratic primaries of the latter year. Mr. Dixon had learned many things since 1934, and his 1938 campaign featured no such sweeping demands for reform as had characterized his first race. He couched his platform in generalities and he was equally general in his campaign statements. In short, he left all doors open. When the votes were counted in Mav, it was discovered that Candidate Dixon had almost lapped the field of five candidates. He was so far ahead of the second man that the latter decided not to demand a runoff, and
Pathophysiology of the kidney in rats with Heymann nephritis

Pathophysiology of the kidney in rats with Heymann nephritis. Alterations in kidney function were assessed early in the course of Heymann nephritis that was induced in rats by immunization with Fx1A, an extract prepared from rat kidney cortex. Whole kidney and single nephron function were evaluated by clearance and micropuncture techniques. Kidney function was studied in stage 1 of Heymann nephritis, before the onset of proteinuria, and in stage 2, when antibodies are deposited along the brush border of proximal tubules. Although overall kidney function was similar in rats in stage 1 and normal controls, glucose reabsorption was somewhat depressed in the first part of the proximal convoluted tubule in stage 1. Both whole kidney and single nephron glomerular filtration rates were depressed in stage 2. Proteinuria in stage 2 was characterized by an increased albumin sieving coefficient, which resulted in an elevated excretion of albumin. Furthermore, several proximal tubule functions (glucose and fluid reabsorption and PAH extraction) were substantially depressed in stage 2. These findings demonstrate that immunological injury to the proximal tubules in stage 2 of Heymann nephritis produces a significant impairment of proximal function.
Myrdal's Institutional Theory of the State: From Welfare to Predation - and Back?

This paper argues that Gunnar Myrdal's theory of the state fruitfully elucidates which set of factors contributed to the transformation of the Welfare State into what James K. Galbraith has described as the modern Predator State. Myrdal employs the circular cumulative causation hypothesis (Berger forthcoming; 2008; Berger and Eisner 2007) to explain the evolution of the state as the result of multiple interrelated factors. Myrdal's evolutionary-institutional analysis of the state is found to be compatible with Galbraith's (2008) recent Veblenian approach in that it highlights the role of corruption (pecuniary considerations) in the relationship between big business (the "organized sector") and government.
Dose- and time-dependent hippocampal cholinergic lesions induced by ethylcholine mustard aziridinium ion: effects of nerve growth factor, GM1 ganglioside, and vitamin E

Ethylcholine mustard aziridinium ion (ECMA) was infused intracerebroventricularly (icv) to rats followed by measurement of two markers of presynaptic cholinergic neurons, choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity and high affinity choline transport (HAChT), in the hippocampus and cortex. Bilateral icv administration of 1, 2, or 3 nmol of ECMA per side produced dose-dependent reductions in each marker in the hippocampus, but not in the cortex, one week after treatment. Reductions of 52% and 46% for ChAT activity and HAChT, respectively, were produced in the hippocampus by 3 nmol ECMA. Measurement of these two markers at different times after icv infusion of 2 nmol ECMA/ventricle revealed that the activity of ChAT was reduced to a greater extent than was HAChT in the hippocampus 1 day and 1, 2, 4, and 6 weeks after treatment. The maximal reductions of ChAT activity and HAChT (61% and 53%, respectively) were reached between 1 and 2 weeks after ECMA administration. There was no evidence of regeneration of either marker at 4 or 6 weeks posttreatment. HAChT and ChAT activity in the cortex were not altered at any of the posttreatment times examined. ECMA-induced deficits in hippocampal ChAT activity and HAChT were not counteracted by the following treatments: (i) daily administration of GM1 ganglioside (10 mg/kg, intraperitoneally (ip)) from the day prior to infusion of ECMA until 2 weeks later; (ii) daily administration of GM1 ganglioside between 2 and 6 weeks after infusion of ECMA; and (iii) icv administration of nerve growth factor (NGF) twice per week for 2 weeks after ECMA treatment. Since similar treatments with NGF and GM1 ganglioside ameliorate lesions induced by other methods, these results indicate that the mechanism of lesion formation and the surviving cellular components influence the functional effects of neurotrophic factors. In contrast to the above results, treatment with vitamin E significantly attenuated ECMA-induced deficits of ChAT activity and HAChT. Further studies of the effects of vitamin E on the development of ECMA-induced deficits may help to elucidate the mechanism action of ECMA.
Transgenic λ Medaka as a New Model for Germ Cell Mutagenesis

To address the need for improved approaches to study mutations transmitted to progeny from mutagen-exposed parents, we evaluated λ transgenic medaka, a small fish that carries the cII mutation target gene, as a new model for germ cell mutagenesis. Mutations in the cII gene in progeny derived from ethyl-nitrosourea (ENU)-exposed males were readily detected. Frequencies of mutant offspring, proportions of mosaic or whole body mutant offspring, and mutational spectra differed according to germ cell stage exposed to ENU. Postmeiotic germ cells (spermatozoa/late spermatids) generated a higher frequency of mutant offspring (11%) compared to premeiotic germ cells (3.5%). Individuals with cII mutant frequencies (MF) elevated more than threefold above the spontaneous MF (3 × 10−5) in the range of 10−4 to 10−3 were mosaic mutant offspring, whereas those with MFs approaching 1 × 10−2 were whole body mutant offspring. Mosaic mutant offspring comprised the majority of mutant offspring derived from postmeiotic germ cells, and unexpectedly, from spermatogonial stem cells. Mutational spectra comprised of two different mutations, but at identical sites were unusual and characteristic of delayed mutations, in which fixation of a second mutation was delayed following fertilization. Delayed mutations and prevalence of mosaic mutant offspring add to growing evidence that implicates germ cells in mediating processes postfertilization that contribute to genomic instability in progeny. This model provides an efficient and sensitive approach to assess germ cell mutations, expands opportunities to increase understanding of fundamental mechanisms of mutagenesis, and provides a means for improved assessment of potential genetic health risks. Environ. Mol. Mutagen., 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Behavior related to trained increase in visual cortex excitability

Abstract Operant conditioning techniques were utilized to train cats to increase the amplitude of the short latency (5 msec) cortical response evoked by electrical stimulation of the optic radiation fibers. The cats learned to produce larger evoked potentials, and two distinctly different behaviors were associated with such increase. The first was a general relaxation of skeletal activity. The second was a brisk movement of the head, associated with a transient increase in excitability, lasting several hundred msec, with the maximum effect occurring about 250 msec after a warning stimulus.
C5a delays apoptosis of human neutrophils by a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-signaling pathway

C5a delays apoptosis of human neutrophils by a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-signaling pathway. Background Studies have shown that survival factors including cytokines and growth factors delay apoptosis of human neutrophils via induction of the phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI 3-K)/Akt pathway. In the present study, we explored whether complement fragment C5a has a modulatory effect on neutrophil apoptosis through this signaling pathway. Methods Human neutrophils were isolated and treated with C5a for up to 24 hours, with or without wortmannin, a PI 3-K inhibitor, and staurosporine, a caspase-9 activator. Apoptosis was quantified by flow cytometry, using propidium iodide nuclear staining, and confirmed by the detection of DNA fragmentation on gel electrophoresis. PI 3-K downstream signaling events were evaluated by measuring the expression of cytosolic total and phosphorylated Akt and Bad proteins by Western blot analyses, and caspase-9 activity. Results C5a inhibited neutrophil apoptosis in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The anti-apoptotic effects of C5a were markedly abrogated in the presence of wortmannin. Brief stimulation of neutrophils with C5a induced phosphorylation of Akt and Bad proteins through a PI 3-K–dependent pathway. Caspase-9 activity was minimal in C5a-treated cells, but markedly increased following PI 3-K inhibition by wortmannin. Finally, C5a reduced caspase-9 activity in staurosporine-treated cells. Conclusions This study demonstrates that C5a inhibits neutrophil apoptosis via a PI 3-K signaling pathway. This effect may be an important mechanism that improves cell survival and function in the inflammatory milieu.
COMMUNITY-BASED MEDIATION PROGRAMS: A CASE STUDY AND COMPARISON

In growing numbers advocates of Restorative Justice insist that fully restorative programs should utilize methods of mediation and group conferencing that are fully inclusive of community-interests...
P1-393: Hypertrophy of CA1-hippocampal neurons and APOE frequency in asymptomatic Alzheimer's disease: Findings from the Nun Study

subjects, 28 with MCI and 24 with dementia (17 mild), aged 82.2 5.0 years, 56% female and with educational level of 2.9 2.4 years. No correlation was found between apathy scores and any global or executive cognitive measure. This finding were observed in the whole sample and where replicated in the MCI, mildly demented and demented sub-samples. Apathy scores inversely correlated with DAD scores in the demented subjects (r -0.698; p 0.0011). Conclusions: In this community based sample of low-literacy cognitively impaired oldest old elderly, no correlation was found between executive measures and apathy scores. However, higher apathy scores correlated with worse functional performance in the demented patients.
Photometric titrations—II: Design and construction of a photometric titrator

Abstract The construction of a simple photometric titrator is described. The light receptor is a photo-diode whose design makes it easily possible to exclude external light. Consequently, titrations can be performed with the titration vessel in the open. Methods of treatment of results are discussed, and the possibilities of titrations according to the “ultimate precision method” are studied. The characteristics of the instrument are given, and tests of stability, sensitivity and linearity of response are dealt with. Some representative titration curves are presented.
A Thermal Neutron Velocity Selector and Its Application to the Measurement of the Cross Section of Boron

A mechanical velocity selector for the study of monochromatic neutrons in the range of energies below 0.3 ev is described.The instrument has been applied to the measurement of the cross section of boron, which is found to be 703\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}24}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$ for neutrons of 2200 meters per second velocity.
Populism, paternalism and the state of environmentalism in the US

This article examines the challenges and opportunities faced by US environmental movements, in light of contemporary efforts to address climate change. The author identifies and describes two discourses, which he terms paternalism and populism. These need not describe distinct movements, but reflect differing impulses and ways of engaging the public that are available to environmentalists of various stripes. Discourses are explored through their divergent notions of both environmentalist identity and the relation of environmental concern to the experiences of everyday life.
Can prohibitions on “price gouging” reduce deadweight losses?

Abstract The vast literature on price controls says little about the way laws against “price gouging” differ from generic price ceilings, yet there is an important difference. By creating the foreseeable possibility (not certainty) of a shortage, a prohibition on price gouging may cause rational consumers to increase consumption. This has particularly interesting implications for markets with external benefits – expectations about policy-induced shortages may increase socially beneficial preparedness for times of acute scarcity (e.g., obtaining vaccinations prior to epidemics, keeping goods on hand in preparation for natural disasters). Thus, under some conditions, laws against price gouging may increase total surplus.
Is sustainability optimal? Examining the differences between economists and environmentalists

Abstract This paper examines a number of possible explanations for the apparent differences between economists and environmentalists concerning economic growth and sustainable development. Some of the differences are well known and relate to issues such as resource scarcity, intergenerational equity, and the composition of social capital. However, our analysis finds that while economic notions of optimal growth and the techniques of benefit-cost analysis have important advantages for evaluating complex tradeoffs because they are quantifiable, they may have potentially serious drawbacks as well. The paper focuses on two potential sources of bias in the use of welfare economics for social choice: First, there is a “conservative reinforcement” in benefit-cost analysis which is likely to produce biases against policy interventions to protect a degraded environment. Second, and perhaps more importantly, the aggregation of individual willingness to pay as a measure of social benefits is shown to be invalid in the case of “positional goods”, where the demand for the good reflects the desire of individuals to raise their own relative standing. This error may cause the economic calculus to be biased against non-positional goods, including non-rival goods such as environmental resources. These biases further complicate the already strained assumptions in utilitarian-based welfare economics that, by relying on revealed preference and consumer sovereignty, are unable to distinguish between, or apply different weights to, the satisfaction of different categories of preferences. Furthermore, because the dynamic consequences of even small biases in judging social optimality may give rise to large social costs or advance an unsustainable path, there is a danger in relying solely on a potentially biased measure of welfare as a basis for guiding social choice. The paper concludes by suggesting that efforts to correct these drawbacks of economic analysis are likely to result in approaches to sustainable development that narrow the apparent differences between economists and environmentalists.
Moment-equation representation of the dissipative quantum Liouville equation

Abstract The dissipative quantum Liouville equation describes the evolution of an N-body system interacting dissipatively with its environment. In this work a recently proposed moment-equation representation of the quantum Liouville equation is applied to derive a closed self-consistent set of moment equations for both dissipative and nondissipative quantum systems. Potential applications of these results are found in hydrodynamic descriptions of nuclear collisions, quantum Brownian motion, dissipative quantum tunneling and quantum transport in ultrasmall electronic devices.
Elasticity and strength of hydrous ringwoodite at high pressure

Abstract OH−-bearing (hydrous) ringwoodite compressed non-hydrostatically in a diamond anvil cell supports a differential stress that increases from 2.9 to 4.5 GPa over the pressure range of 6.7–13.2 GPa at room temperature. This result suggests a significant water weakening effect when compared with results from similar experiments on the anhydrous counterpart [Kaver and Duffy, Geophys. Res. Lett. 28 (2001) 2691–2694]. The elastic anisotropy (=2C44/(C11−C12) of hydrous ringwoodite is measured to be 0.87(7) throughout this pressure range, similar to measured values for anhydrous ringwoodite [Kaver and Duffy, Geophys. Res. Lett. 28 (2001) 2691–2694]. This lattice anisotropy cannot be explained by anelastic effects such as faulting and twinning within the structure. These results suggest that hydrous minerals in the upper mantle and transition zone may have higher ductile strain rates for a fixed shear stress at high temperature, resulting in stronger preferred lattice orientation. This, in turn, may be seismically detectable, which opens the possibility of using seismic anisotropy as a marker for local volatile-containing areas within the upper mantle and transition zone.
Mild traumatic brain injury syndrome

The mild post-traumatic brain injury syndrome has continued to pose clinical management problems for medical specialists from the emergency physician to the family practitioner. The contribution of preinjury medical and psychosocial factors, along with the concomitant risk of litigation, complicates the diagnostic task. This review examines selected aspects of this problem, including definition and classification, pathophysiology, symptom constellation, medicolegal pitfalls, diagnostic procedures, and treatment recommendations. Practitioners need to be particularly alert to the optimal strategies for emergency department management to prevent "mild" injuries from becoming major disabilities.
Prediction of the carrier-mediated cation flux through polymer inclusion membranes via fundamental thermodynamic quantities: complexation study of bis(dodecyloxy)calix[4]arene-crown-6 with alkali metal cations

In a systematic study of alkali metal cation transport through a polymer inclusion membrane (PIM) with calixcrown carriers, a model that postulates diffusion-limited flux successfully describes PIM transport behavior. The model developed herein is based on an ion-pair extraction equilibrium at the PIM interface and provides a convenient tool for the quantitative understanding and interpretation of the transport data. Cation permeability coefficients can be easily determined and used for the quantitative correlation of fluxes employing a range of aqueous and PIM compositions. The described approach can be readily extended to competitive-transport experiments. Transport of a single cation as well as several cations in a competitive experiment was related to the stability constants of the carrier-metal complexes and the Gibbs energies of ion partitioning between source and membrane phases. The expected dependence of Cs+ ion transport on the Gibbs energy of anion partitioning was validated in a series of 8 univalent anions. Accordingly, the permeability coefficient once determined for a given metal salt, carrier, and PIM provides the basis for the prediction of the transport fluxes under different initial conditions if the thermochemical quantities which govern the complexation and distribution of the metal species into the membrane phase are known or can be estimated. In support of these efforts, a calorimetric study was carried out to obtain thermodynamic parameters for the complexation of bis(dodecyloxy)calix[4]arene-crown-6 with alkali metal ions in acetonitrile.
An Industry-Occupational Forecast Incorporating Technological Change for Local/Regional Manpower Planning

In this article the authors develop a model for forecasting future manpower demands in a variety of industries, in a variety of regions in the United States. They note that by knowing what the future demand will be in a given industry organizations can compare supply and demand and determine if labor shortages or surpluses are likely to occur. This information can in turn be used by policy makers to decrease gaps between supply and demand and improve conditions for both employers and employees. The authors discuss how improving technology affects the demand for labor and since this is a continual process being able to continually forecast labor demand will benefit employers immensely.