cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pharmacogenetic testing in psychiatric inpatients with polypharmacy is associated with decreased medication side effects but not via medication changes.

Abstract In psychiatric patients, medication adverse effects are regularly attributed to psychosomatic causes. However, many psychotropic medications are metabolized by cytochrome P450 (CYP450) enzymes. In the setting of polypharmacy, the activity of these enzymes may produce unfavorable drug-drug interactions (DDI) and drug-genotype interactions (DGI) that contribute to morbidity and mortality. This study sought to estimate the risk of adverse DDI and DGI in psychiatric inpatients with polypharmacy. We assessed whether medication changes made after pharmacogenetics (PGx) testing correlated with changes in side effects and overall improvement. Adult psychiatry inpatients with polypharmacy, defined as 5 or more scheduled prescription medications, completed the 24-item Antidepressant Side Effect Checklist (ASEC) questionnaire on enrollment and underwent PGx testing. Analysis of PGx results focused on whether the CYP2D6 and CYP2C19 phenotypes were “extreme,” defined as poor, poor to intermediate, or ultrarapid. Approximately 30 days after PGx results were sent to outpatient providers, patients were contacted to obtain their current medication list and ASEC and Clinical Global Impression Improvement (CGI-I) scores. A total of 80 patients were enrolled, and 52 (65%) completed follow-up. ASEC scores improved from 11.5 (±8.1) to 7.2 (±6.0) (p = 0.0009). Mean CGI-I score was 2.7 (±1.4), between “minimal” to “much improved.” However, linear regression revealed that these improvements were not correlated with whether medications were changed. We concluded that the impact of drug-genotype interactions in this small sample of inpatients with polypharmacy was low, and that patient improvement was related not to PGx-guided medication changes but to other treatments during hospitalization.
Assessing student confidence in interprofessional communication during primary care advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs).

Abstract Background and purpose Students must have experience communicating and interacting with healthcare professionals throughout pharmacy school curricula to effectively develop interprofessional communication abilities and confidence. This study’s purpose was to assess student confidence in interprofessional communication utilizing a rubric and checklist inspired by the situation-background-assessment-recommendation (SBAR) technique throughout five-week primary care advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs). Educational activity and setting A six-item rubric was created for student self-evaluation of interprofessional communication throughout their APPE. Students completed the rubric twice to evaluate change in confidence. Additionally, a pre-post rotation survey was developed to assess students’ comfort level rounding with healthcare professionals and interacting/intervening with other healthcare professionals to address a medication-related problem. A paired t-test was used to evaluate changes in perceived student confidence in rubric self-evaluations and pre- and post-APPE surveys. Findings From May 2017 to April 2019, 93 students completed primary care APPEs with faculty authors, and 181 encounters were self-evaluated using the rubric. Forty-eight students completed all rubric sections twice; their mean self-evaluation score increased significantly from 15.25/18 to 17.10/18 (P Summary Interprofessional communication practice, preceptor observations and feedback, and utilization of an interprofessional SBAR-inspired communication rubric contributed to improved student confidence in making patient care recommendations to physicians.
Letter to the editor: Readers response to "Predicted long-term antibody persistence for a tick-borne encephalitis vaccine: results from a modeling study beyond 10 years after a booster dose following different primary vaccination schedules".

Dear Dr. Ellis, We read the article by Costantini et al. titled “Predicted long-term antibody persistence for a tick-borne encephalitis [TBE] vaccine: results from a modeling study beyond 10 years ...
Bepridil is potent against SARS-CoV-2 In Vitro.

ABSTRACT Guided by a computational docking analysis, about 30 FDA/EMA-approved small molecule medicines were characterized on their inhibition of the SARS-CoV-2 main protease (MPro). Of these tested small molecule medicines, six displayed an IC50 value in inhibiting MPro below 100 μM. Three medicines pimozide, ebastine, and bepridil are basic small molecules. Their uses in COVID-19 patients potentiate dual functions by both raising endosomal pH to slow SARS-CoV-2 entry into the human cell host and inhibiting MPro in infected cells. A live virus-based microneutralization assay showed that bepridil inhibited cytopathogenic effect induced by SARS-CoV-2 in Vero E6 cells completely at and dose-dependently below 5 μM and in A549 cells completely at and dose-dependently below 6.25 μM. Therefore, the current study urges serious considerations of using bepridil in COVID-19 clinical tests.
The roles of histone deacetylases in kidney development and disease

Histone deacetylases (HDACs) are important epigenetic regulators that mediate deacetylation of both histone and non-histone proteins. HDACs, especially class I HDACs, are highly expressed in developing kidney and subject to developmental control. HDACs play an important role in kidney formation, especial nephron progenitor maintenance and differentiation. Several lines of evidence support the critical role of HDACs in the development and progression of various kidney diseases. HDAC inhibitors (HDACis) are very effective in the prevention and treatment of kidney diseases (including kidney cancer). A better understanting of the molecular mechanisms underlying the role(s) of HDACs in the pathogenesis and progression of renal disease are likely to be of great help in developing more effective and less toxic selective HDAC inhibitors and combinatorial therapeutics.
Audit Partners’ Judgments and Challenges in the Audit of Internal Control over Financial Reporting

Internal control over financial reporting (ICFR) audits have been the subject of intensive examination by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) and researchers, and the SEC has signaled ongoing interest in the monitoring of ICFR. However, the process through which auditors make ICFR judgments and decisions has remained largely a “black box”, that has been relatively unexplored. To better understand how auditors make ICFR judgments, we conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews with twenty highly experienced audit partners. Common themes in our interviews suggest that the subjectivity inherent in the ICFR evaluation task contributes to resistance against ICFR audit findings and counterarguments from management. In addition, auditors perceive that their judgments are being second-guessed by PCAOB inspectors. Auditors perceive that managers have difficulty accepting that a material weakness can exist without a detected error, management’s reflexive reaction is to deny/avoid a material weakness finding, and that managers routinely claim that management review controls (MRCs) would have caught the detected control deficiency. Consistent with the PCAOB’s practice alert to auditors on the importance of evaluating MRCs, the partners stressed the importance of evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of their client’s MRCs. Auditors cope with management’s defenses by consulting with national office and leveraging support from strong audit committees. Implications for research, practice, and public policy are discussed.
An analytical study of the Huexotzinco Codex using X-ray fluorescence, fiber optic reflectance spectroscopy, and portable Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy

The Huexotzinco Codex is one of the earliest surviving manuscripts from the early colonial period of Mexico. The codex pertains to the legal case of conquistador Hernan Cortes and contains paintings and documents detailing the seizure of Cortes’ personal properties and over-taxation of his Huexotzincan allies by the colonial government in New Spain (present-day Mexico). Eight paintings within the manuscript were subjected to non-invasive analytical techniques revealing the pigment palette and production methodology. The findings of this study show a mixture of pre- and colonial codex production practices as well a unique Maya blue formulation and the identification of a silicate material used as a matrix for an organic yellow dye.
3D tomography of shark vertebrae via energy dispersive diffraction

Tomography using diffracted x-rays produces reconstructions mapping quantities including crystal lattice parameter(s), crystallite size and crystallographic texture; this information is quite different from that obtained with absorption contrast or phase contrast. Diffraction tomography can be performed using energy dispersive diffraction (EDD) and polychromatic synchrotron x-radiation. In EDD, different, properly-oriented Bragg planes diffract different x-ray energies; these intensities are measured by an energy sensitive detector. A pencil beam defines the irradiated volume, and a collimator before the energy sensitive detector selects which portion of the irradiated column is sampled at any one time. A 3D map is assembled by translating the specimen along X, Y and Z axes. This paper reports results of 3D mapping of the integrated intensity of several reflections from the bioapatite in the mineralized cartilage centrum of a blue shark. The multiple detector EDD system at 6-BM-B, the Advanced Photon Source was used to map an entire blue shark centrum. The shark centrum consists of a double cone structure (corpora calcerea) supported by the intermedialia consisting of four wedges. The integrated intensities of the c-axis reflection and of a reflection with no c-axis component reveals the bioapatite within the cone wall is oriented with its c-axes lateral, i.e., perpendicular to the axis of the backbone, whereas the bioapatite within the wedges is oriented with its c-axes axial. Results of absorption microCT (laboratory and synchrotron) and x-ray excited x-ray fluorescence mapping are included to provide higher resolution data of the structures underlying the EDD maps. Application of EDD tomography to 3D mapping of large specimens promises to add to the understanding of other mineralized tissue samples which cannot be sectioned.
On proofs of certain combinatorial identities

In this paper we formulate combinatorial identities that give representation of positive integers as linear combination of even powers of 2 with binomial coefficients. We present side by side combinatorial as well as computer generated proofs using the Wilf-Zeilberger(WZ) method.
A Three-Decade Retrospective on the Hostile Media Effect

Some 30 years ago, Vallone, Ross, and Lepper (1985) conducted a pioneering study of the hostile media effect in which they demonstrated that partisans perceive media coverage as unfairly biased against their side. Over the ensuing decades, scores of experiments and surveys have extended their findings, demonstrating hostile media effects in a variety of domains. Taking the measure of the research more than 30 years later by systematically reviewing the many studies conducted in different locales, this article summarizes the knowledge base on the hostile media effect. The article integrates findings, clarifies conceptual issues, and presents two research-based models of the effect. Future scholarly pathways are suggested, with a focus on how hostile media biases may change—or continue—in an era vastly different than the mass communication-dominated age in which the concept was pioneered.
Comparative Analysis of the Influence of Sodium and Potassium Silicate Solutions on the Kinetics and Products of Slag Activation

This paper primarily explores the influence of the alkali cation (Na or K) on the reaction kinetics, product formation, gel structure, and mechanical properties of alkali activated slag systems. For the same activator Ms, i.e., molar SiO2–M2O ratio (M = Na or K), a shorter induction period, a larger acceleration peak, and consequently, a higher amount of total heat release under isothermal conditions is observed for the K-silicate activated slag pastes. The early-age compressive strengths in these systems roughly relate to the heat release response. The later-age (7 days and beyond) compressive strengths are observed to be higher for the Na-silicate activated systems, which is corroborated by: (1) higher amounts of C–(A)–S–H gel in this system indicated by a thermal analysis-based approximate quantification method, and (2) higher combined intensities of Q1 and Q2 structures that point to increased degrees of reaction, and lower amounts of unreacted slag obtained from 29Si magic-angle-spinning (MAS) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The NMR spectra also show evidences of Al-substituted C–S–H gel, with a higher amount of substitution when Na-silicates are used.
EASING THE PAIN OF AN ECONOMIC DOWNTURN: MACROECONOMIC CONDITIONS AND EXCESSIVE ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION

Individuals can react to financial stress in a variety of ways, such as reducing discretionary spending or engaging in risky behaviors. This article investigates the effect of changing macroeconomic conditions (measured by the unemployment rate in the state of residence) on one type of risky behavior: excessive alcohol consumption. Using unique and recent panel data from waves 1 and 2 of the National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC) and estimating fixed-effects models, we find that changes in the unemployment rate are positively related to changes in binge drinking, alcohol-involved driving, and alcohol abuse and/or dependence. Some differences are present among demographic groups, primarily in the magnitude of the estimated effects. These results contradict previous studies and suggest that problematic drinking may be an indirect and unfortunate consequence of an economic downturn.
Analytical loss model for power converters with SiC MOSFET and SiC schottky diode pair

In this paper, a simple and accurate analytical loss model for Silicon Carbide (SiC) power devices is proposed. A novel feature of this loss model is that it considers the package and PCB parasitic elements in the circuits, nonlinearity of device junction capacitance and ringing loss. The proposed model identifies the switching waveform subintervals, and develops the analytical equations in each switching subinterval to calculate the switching loss. Inductive turn-on and turn-off are thoroughly analyzed. A double pulse test-bench is built to characterize inductive switching behavior of the SiC devices. The analytical results are compared with experimental results. The results show that the proposed loss model can predict switching loss more accurately than the conventional loss model.
Sex, population, and the physician.

The physician of today is expected, perhaps more than at any time in the past, to keep abreast of advances in the medical sciences. Efforts toward this end have been largely successful. Moreover, it is clear that the effec tive application of medical art and technology to the health needs of the community requires that the physician also be knowledgeable in certain areas of the social sciences. But from some quarters has arisen the criti cism that the medical profession has failed in this regard. There are those who maintain that the medical community as a whole functions in a so cially anachronistic fashion, failing either to recognize or comprehend what is touted as a sexual revolution occurring within our culture. Others have criticized medicine as having been slow to assume a leading and progressive role in dealing with the population explosion. Such matters as whether these criticisms are valid, whether any ongoing changes in our society are truly of revolutionary proportions, or whether our population is, in fact, in a state of explosion are not intended to be at issue here. Considerable attention has been paid recently to these con cerns in both the scientific and popular press. I have assumed through out this article that changes of great import to the health of our popu
Deficient transformation of murine trisomy 16 fetal liver cells by the Abelson and J2 viruses

Mouse trisomy 16 (Ts16), an animal model for human Down syndrome (trisomy 21), exhibits severe abnormalities in the development of lymphoid and myeloid cells. Whereas fetal liver cells from diploid mice can be easily immortalized by retroviral transformation with Ab1-MuLV or J2 virus, fetal livers from Ts16 mice contain significantly fewer transformable cells. Infection of Ts16 fetal liver cells by Ab1-MuLV results in a 52- and 12-fold reduction in the frequency of transformation at days 17 and 18 of gestation, respectively. By contrast, the efficiency of transformation with J2 virus, another retrovirus known to transform fetal liver cells, is only mildly (factor 2-3) affected. The Ig gene rearrangements of Ts16 and diploid retrovirally transformed fetal liver cell lines do not differ from one another. This suggests that there is a deficiency in the early stem cell compartment, rather than in the development of pre-B cells.
Engagement of transgenic Ly49A inhibits mouse CD4 cell activation by disrupting T cell receptor, but not CD28, signaling

Islet specific CD4 cells expressing inhibitory receptors may be a useful therapeutic tool for treating type 1 diabetes (T1D). Engagement of transgenic Ly49A inhibits CD4 cell activation and delays onset of T1D in mice. However, in vitro studies suggest the inhibitory effect of Ly49A is incomplete. Here we report that following simultaneous TCR and Ly49A engagement, phosphorylation of Zap70, Erk1/2 and c-Jun were significantly diminished. Kinetic studies indicated that Ly49A did not simply delay activation but had a long-lasting effect. In contrast, when only costimulatory signals were provided through CD28, Ly49A engagement did not block p38 MapK or Akt phosphorylation. Likewise, expression of the downstream targets Bcl-xl and Baff were unaffected. Together these data suggest that engagement of Ly49A selectively inhibits signals downstream of the TCR but spares those unique to CD28. These results suggest that when considering its use as an immunotherapy, the potency of inhibitory receptors such as Ly49A may be further improved by pairing them with costimulatory blockade.
The Individual, the Family, and Genetic Testing

Genetics plays a role in every disease, yet few health care providers understand basic genetic principles or the science underlying the genetic testing process. An understanding of the science behind genetic advances is necessary, and it is equally important for health professionals to have an understanding of the complex nature of genetic testing for individuals and their families. Much of the debate about the psychological effects of genetic testing has occurred in the absence of empirical data on diseases for which predictive testing has only recently emerged. This article will review selected literature on genetic testing and its implications for the individual and the family. The responses of families and individuals to the diagnosis of a genetic disease will be reviewed, and Huntington disease will be used as the paradigm for examining issues related to genetic testing for adult-onset cancers. Literature addressing the response to genetic susceptibility for adult-onset cancers and the implications of testing children also will be explored. Finally, identification of emerging issues relevant to genetic screening will provide a framework for identifying needed nursing research in genetic testing for adult-onset cancer risk.
The Pediatric Barriers to a Healthy Diet Scale

The Pediatric Barriers to a Healthy Diet Scale (PBHDS) is a 17-item measure developed to assess barriers to healthy dietary habits as perceived by overweight and obese children and adolescents. This study presents preliminary descriptive, psychometric, and factor analytic data for the PBHDS based on a sample of 171 overweight and obese children. The measure provides a Total Barriers score, as well as subscale scores for Access and Desire factors. The Total Barriers score and subscale scores demonstrate adequate internal consistency and convergent validity. Use of the PBHDS can have significant implications for clinicians and researchers involved in program development and the treatment of children struggling with adherence to dietary treatment recommendations.
Dynamical Effects of Isotropic Radiation on Spherical Particles

A spherical particle, moving through an isotropic radiation field, will generally experience a small force that decreases its velocity because the Doppler effect causes a difference of radiation pressure between the front and back side of the particle. However, if the radiation is monochromatic, it is possible that certain particles, because of diffraction, can also absorb momentum from the radiation and increase their velocity. Numerical estimates are made to find the maximum possible effect of the radiation force on the velocity of a particle moving through an isotropic radiation field, such as that which exists inside a galaxy where the radiation from the stars is considered to be isotropic. These estimates indicate that the effects of this radiation generally take place over periods of time that are comparable to the age of the galaxies or longer.
Lower Bound on W +/- -Meson Production in High-Energy Proton-Proton Collisions

A lower bound is obtained for differential cross sections of ${W}^{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}}$-meson production in high-energy proton-proton collisions. Use is made of a current-algebra sum rule derived from time components of weak currents, and of a Regge argument based on duality. Additional physical assumptions enable us to calculate a lower bound on the sum of the total production cross sections for ${W}^{+}$ and ${W}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ mesons. The bound turns out large enough to be of practical significance in future experiments, although it is not applicable to data at presently available energies.
Phase I clinical evaluation of a six-plasmid multiclade HIV-1 DNA candidate vaccine

Abstract Needle-free delivery of a six-plasmid HIV-1 DNA vaccine encoding EnvA, EnvB, EnvC, and subtype B Gag, Pol, and Nef underwent open-label evaluation in 15 subjects; 14 completed the 0, 1, 2 month vaccination schedule. T cell responses to HIV-specific peptide pools were detected by intracellular cytokine staining of CD4 + [13/14 (93%)] and CD8 + [5/14 (36%)], and by ELISpot in 11/14 (79%). Ten of 14 (71%) had ELISA antibody responses to Env proteins. Compared to a four-plasmid product, Gag- and Nef-specific T cell responses were improved, while Env-specific responses were maintained. This candidate vaccine has now advanced to Phase II evaluation.
Human pattern detection and recognition in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence

Potential radio signals from extraterrestrial civilizations will be weak with respect to background noise. We investigated people’s ability (N = 18) to visually detect and recognize signals under noise conditions that simulate those expected to be present in an actual search. Linear signals were detected and identified better than pulses and wavy lines. In addition, observers sometimes agreed on the location of pseudosignals within a visual noise display (no actual signal present). Implications are noted for the search process as well as for advancing knowledge of the human visual system’s capacity to detect and recognize signals.
High power, high conversion gain frequency doublers using SiC MESFETs and AlGaN/GaN HEMTs

High power, high conversion gain microwave frequency doublers using wide bandgap semiconductor devices are developed. A method of determining the optimal harmonic terminations using accurate nonlinear computer models and load- and source-pull simulations is described. Synthesis of these impedances using matching and reflector networks have produced doublers with increased output power, conversion gain and very high suppression of the first and third harmonics. A SiC MESFET-based frequency doubler at f o =2.00GHz producing up to 10.00dB conversion gain and 6.31 Watts 2f o output power is presented. An AlGaN/GaN HEMT-based frequency doubler at f o =3.33GHz producing up to 14.80dB conversion gain and 4.14W 2f o output power is also presented. The second harmonic power measurements confirm the accurate predictions made by the nonlinear model.
Expected Utility and Risk

6 Summary ABSTRACT The rule to maximize expected utility is intended for decisions where options involve risk. In those decisions the decision maker's attitude toward risk is important, and the rule ought to take it into account. Allais's and Ellsberg's paradoxes, however, suggest that the rule ignores attitudes toward risk. This suggestion is supported by recent psychological studies of decisions. These studies present a great variety of cases where apparently rational people violate the rule because of aversion or attraction to risk. Here I attempt to resolve the issue concerning expected utility and risk. I distinguish two versions of the rule to maximize expected utility. One adopts a broad interpretation of the consequences of an option and has great intuitive appeal. The other adopts a narrow interpretation of the consequences of an option and seems to have certain technical and practical advantages. I contend that the version of the rule that interprets consequences narrowly does indeed neglect attitudes toward risk. That version of the rule excludes the risk involved in an option from the consequences of the option and, contrary to what is usually claimed, cannot make up for this exclusion through adjustments in probability and utility assignments. I construct a new, general argument that establishes this in a rigorous way. On the other hand, I contend that the version of the rule that interprets consequences broadly takes account of attitudes toward risk by counting the risk involved in an option among the consequences of the option. I rebut some objections to this version of the rules, in particular, the objection that the rule lacks practical interest. Drawing upon the literature on 'mean-risk' decision rules, I show that this version of the rule can be used to solve some realistic decision problems.
The influence of postnatal nutritional deprivation on the phospholipid content of developing rat lung

Abstract It has been previously reported that fasting may result in decreased lung surfactant production. In order to investigate this relationship and the role of nutrition in lung phospholipid synthesis, 21-day-old rats were exposed for 60 h to one of five dietary regimens: standard rat chow (controls), fasting, pure glucose, pure fat, or pure protein. After the period of fasting there was a 33% decrease in lung protein content, but there was no change in DNA content. Exposure to any of the experimental diets resulted in a decrease in tissue total phospholipid and phosphatidylcholine content per lung, but not per unit lung protein. Similarly lung lavage phospholipid and phosphatidylcholine content was decreased by 25% after fasting when expressed per lung or per unit DNA, but not per unit protein. Pulmonary cholinephosphotransferase (EC 2.7.8.2) activity was decreased in the fasted animals and those fed the protein diet, but not in the glucose or fatfed animals. The activities of acetyl-CoA carboxylase (EC 6.4.1.2) and microsomal fatty acid elongation were decreased in all the experimental groups except for the glucose-fed group. It is concluded that fasting results in a decrease in lung cell size but not in lung cell number. Total phospholipid and phosphatidylcholine content in lung tissue and lung lavage is decreased per cell but not per unit cell mass.
The caloric returns to food collecting: Disruption and change among the Batak of the Philippine tropical forest

The changing economy of a group of tropical forest hunter-gatherers is examined. The Batak of the Philippines today earn many calories by participating in an external market system; once they would have earned these calories within the traditional subsistence system. Gathering and selling Manila copal to purchase rice has partially displaced digging wild yams as the major source of subsistence. Data show that this change has reduced the productive efficiency, of human labor. The Batak must work longer and perform more difficult tasks to obtain the same number of calories by collecting copal as they can obtain by digging wild yams, even as they must today work longer hours anyway to earn necessary cash to satisfy new, nonfood consumer wants. The growing dietary importance of rice is only one aspect of changing food consumption patterns that may be having an unfavorable impact on Batak nutrition.
A capillary GC-MS method for analysis of phenytoin and [13C3]-phenytoin from plasma obtained from pulse dose pharmacokinetic studies1

Abstract Stable isotope analogues of phenytoin are useful for pulse dose pharmacokinetic studies in epilepsy patients. A simultaneous assay was developed to quantitate phenytoin (5,5-diphenylhydantoin) and its stable isotope analogue [13C3]-phenytoin (5,5-diphenyl-2,4,5-13C3-hydantoin) from plasma. Quantitation was achieved by GC-MS analysis of liquid/liquid extracted plasma samples, with [2H10]-phenytoin (5,5-di(pentadeuterophenyl)-hydantoin) as an internal standard. The total coefficients of variance (C.V.t) were
Evidence for plasma membrane-associated forms of sucrose synthase in maize

Plasma membrane fractions were isolated from maize (Zea mays L.) endosperms and etiolated kernels to investigate the possible membrane location of the sucrose synthase (SS) protein. Endosperms from seedlings at both 12 and 21 days after pollination (DAP), representing early and mid-developmental stages, were used, in addition to etiolated leaf and elongation zones from seedlings. Plasma membrane fractions were isolated from this material using differential centrifugation and aqueous two-phase partitioning. The plasma membrane-enriched fraction obtained was then analyzed for the presence of sucrose synthase using protein blots and activity measurements. Both isozymes SS1 and SS2, encoded by the loci Sh1 and Sus1, respectively, were detected in the plasma membrane-enriched fraction using polyclonal and monoclonal antisera to SS1 and SS2 isozymes. In addition, measurements of sucrose synthase activity in plasma membrane fractions of endosperm revealed high levels of specific activity. The sucrose synthase enzyme is tightly associated with the membrane, as shown by Triton X-100 treatment of the plasma membrane-enriched fraction. It is noteworthy that the gene products of both Sh1 and Sus1 were detectable as both soluble and plasma membrane-associated forms.
Vibrational biospectroscopy: from plants to animals to humans. A historical perspective

Abstract Today, more than ever, vibrational spectroscopy means different things to different people. From their roots as molecular fingerprinting techniques, both infrared and Raman spectroscopy have evolved to the point where they play roles in a staggering variety of scientific endeavors. This survey focuses upon biological and medical applications. The past 40 years have witnessed enormous advances in our understanding of the building blocks of life, and vibrational spectroscopy has played an important role. That role is reviewed briefly here. In parallel with these efforts, the near-IR community developed powerful ‘chemometric’ methods to extract a wealth of information from spectra that appeared superficially featureless. As vibrational spectroscopy is finding new niches in the medical and clinical realms, these chemometric methods are proving to be a valuable (but not infallible!) adjunct to conventional spectral interpretation. This survey includes a brief outline of biomedical vibrational spectroscopy and imaging, including several representative examples to illustrate the strengths and pitfalls of a growing reliance upon multivariate quantitation and classification methods.
Technological Specialization and Variety in Urban Invention

O HUallachain B. and Lee D.-S. Technological specialization and variety in urban invention, Regional Studies. Urban economic theory distinguishes between knowledge spillovers that occur within specializations and those that cross technologies. Empirical analysis has sought to gauge their relative strength, but the results are inconclusive. Metropolitan specialization and variety at different aggregation levels of a US patent classification system are assessed using Theil's relative entropy index. The results show that specialization and variety are not competing features of urban technological structure; cities can have both. The invention rate positively associates with specialization in diverse technologies. The cross-fertilization of ideas among skilled professionals with different expertise and the interaction between specialists of narrow fields of knowledge are both important in technological advance. The most inventive cities have deep specializations in different technologies. The results also sho...
Tuning block copolymer phase behavior with a selectively associating homopolymer additive

We use polymer random phase approximation (RPA) theory to calculate the microphase separation transition (MST) spinodal for an AB + C diblock copolymer–homopolymer blend where the C homopolymers are strongly attracted to the A segment of the copolymers. Our calculations indicate that one can shift the MST spinodal value of the A − B segmental interaction parameter (χABN)S to significantly lower values [i.e., (χABN)S < 10.5] upon the addition of a selectively attractive C homopolymer. For a sufficiently attractive C homopolymer, (χABN)S can be pushed to negative values, indicating microphase separation in what would appear to be a completely miscible diblock copolymer. Furthermore, we show that microphase separation can occur in diblock copolymer–homopolymer blends where the segmental interactions between all polymer constituents are attractive. By tuning the value of (χABN)S with a homopolymer additive, one is therefore able to tune the effective copolymer segregation strength and thus dramatically affect the blend phase behavior. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 47: 2083–2090, 2009
Negotiating Language Policy and Practice: Teachers of English Learners in an Arizona Study Group.

Arizona language policy now requires English learners (ELs) to enroll in English language development (ELD) classrooms for 4 hr of skill-based, English-only instruction. In this article, I describe...
The adverse effects of elemental diets on tolerance for 5‐FU toxicity in the rat

The effects of a group of elemental diets on the gastrointestinal toxicity of 5-FU in the Sprague Dawley rat were evaluated. Diarrhea, stomatitis, hypoalbuminemia, and early deaths were more frequent in the animals on elemental diets than in those consuming standard rat chow. Sepsis and hypoalbuminemia were directly related to the extent of protein hydrolysis of the particular elemental diet.
A comparison of the management of pulpal pathosis in deciduous and permanent teeth.

Abstract Endodontic treatment in the adult dentition, as practiced by most endodontists, does not include vital pulp therapy procedures, whereas endodontic treatment in the deciduous teeth, as practiced by most pedodontists, is mostly limited to vital pulp therapy procedures and rarely includes complete root canal therapy. There are many advantages to maintaining pulpless deciduous teeth, and suggestions are presented to assist the clinician in solving the problems of instrumenting and filling these canals. Vital pulp therapy procedures can also enjoy a high success rate in the adult dentition. By combining accurate diagnosis with proper case selection and treatment techniques, successful vital pulp therapy procedures are predictable. Accordingly, complete root canal therapy can often be avoided in the adult dentition.
The next innovation revolution.

U.S. Federal investments in basic research transformed life and commerce in the 20th century. They sent us to the Moon and beyond, revolutionized communications, helped to feed the planet, reinvented work processes, and drove the remarkable economic growth of the post-1950s era in the United States. These advances and more grew out of the convergence between engineering and the early 20th-century discoveries in the physical sciences. The United States can anticipate comparable world-changing innovations in the 21st century if we adapt our education and research funding strategies to capitalize on new opportunities emerging at the convergence of the life sciences with the physical sciences and engineering.
Keratinocyte growth factor promotes the survival, growth, and differentiation of preantral ovarian follicles

Abstract Objective: To determine the effect of treatment with keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) on the survival of cells in cultured preantral follicles and on the growth and differentiation of preantral follicles. Design: Preantral follicles (140–150 μm) were dissected mechanically from the ovaries of 14-day-old rats and cultured for 24 hours with and without KGF. Genomic DNA was extracted, labeled with [ 32 P]-dideoxy-adenosine triphosphate, and fractionated through agarose gels. For growth studies, the follicles were cultured individually in 96-well dishes. After 72 hours, the follicles were collected and their protein or DNA content was evaluated and their inhibin-α content was determined. Result(s): Keratinocyte growth factor suppressed apoptosis in cultured preantral follicles by 60%. Treatment with KGF or FSH increased follicle diameter by 8% and 16%, respectively, and combined treatment with KGF and FSH increased follicle diameter by 26%. Western blot analysis demonstrated increased expression of inhibin-α content after treatment with KGF (2-fold), treatment with FSH (4-fold), and combined treatment with FSH and KGF (12-fold), demonstrating the effect of KGF on preantral follicle differentiation. Conclusion(s): Treatment with KGF promotes the survival, growth, and differentiation of cultured preantral follicles. Keratinocyte growth factor produced by theca cells may play a role in the progression of early follicle development.
MODIFICATION IN AUTONOMICALLY MEDIATED PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES TO COLD PRESSOR BY WORD ASSOCIATIONS

Physiological measures—basal skin resistance (BSR), galvanic skin resistance (GSR), electrocardiogram (EKG), and skin temperatures—were made on 120 consecutive days on 3 male subjects during rest, a 20-item word association test, recovery, a cold-pressor test, a combination of cold-pressor and a second similar word-association test, and final recovery. Each stimulus alone induced increased sympathetic activity. Ongoing stress (cold pressor) responses, however, were depressed during the word-association test. Furthermore, the nature, reaction times, and commonalities of the associations were influenced by the stress. The inhibition was not due to order, threshold, adaptation, or conditioning effects.
Development of Fish Peritoneal Macrophages as a Model for Higher Vertebrates in Immunotoxicological Studies I. Characterization of Trout Macrophage Morphological, Functional, and Biochemical Properties,

The immune defense mechanisms of fish are not as well characterized as those of mammals but seem to be related and similarly competent. Because of this, there is an increased interest in the immune responses of fish as models for higher vertebrates in immunotoxicological studies. Prior to such studies, baseline criteria for specific components of the immune response needed to be established. For this study, we have examined trout macrophage morphology using light and scanning electron microscopy, phagocytic activity, random and stimulus-directed migration, and superoxide anion radical (O2-) production for resident and lipopolysacharide (LPS) or Aeromonas salmonicidae-elicited rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) peritoneal macrophages (M phi). Following peritoneal lavage, greater than 89% of the cells were M phi as determined by differential counts and nonspecific esterase staining. Immunization with LPS and A. salmonicidae increased M phi number approximately 5 and 13-fold, respectively, and overall size. Trout M phi were phagocytically active engulfing serum opsonized latex particles and were mobile, migrating both randomly and in a directed fashion towards formyl-methionine-L-leucine-L-phenylalanine (FMLP) and trout serum-derived complement fragment C5a. Concentrations of FMLP (100 nM) and C5a (0.01-1%) effective for attracting trout M phi are the same as those used to attract rabbit M phi. Resident trout M phi produced negligable quantities of .O2- following stimulation with 1 micrograms/ml phorbol myristate acetate; Aeromonas-elicited M phi produced .O2- in a time-dependent manner which peaked after 60 min at 2.9 nmol per 2 x 10(5) cells and then declined. The results of this study provide a data base for future toxicological studies with trout peritoneal M phi and indicate the usefulness of this system for immunotoxicological studies.
Three-dimensionality of mode transition in vortex-induced vibrations of a circular cylinder

Abstract End lift forces and hot-wire anemometry in the wake of a flexibly-mounted rigid cylinder, undergoing vortex-induced vibrations within a uniform flow, show that the spanwise correlation undergoes a sharp reduction near conditions of maximum amplitude. Peak lift force and motion amplitudes occur on the low-velocity side of this low-correlation region; the region is bounded above by the advent of frequency lock-in. Certain aspects of this correlation loss are interpreted in the context of other free- and forced-vibration tests, and highlight the sensitivity of three-dimensional effects to the physical parameters.
Transcriptional element H4-site II of cell cycle regulated human H4 histone genes is a multipartite protein/DNA interaction site for factors HiNF-D, HiNF-M, and HiNF-P: involvement of phosphorylation

Cell cycle regulated gene expression was studied by analyzing protein/DNA interactions occurring at the H4-Site II transcriptional element of H4 histone genes using several approaches. We show that this key proximal promoter element interacts with at least three distinct sequence-specific DNA binding activities, designated HiNF-D, HiNF-M, and HiNF-P. HiNF-D binds to an extended series of nucleotides, whereas HiNF-M and HiNF-P recognize sequences internal to the HiNF-D binding domain. Gel retardation assays show that HiNF-D and HiNF-M each are represented by two distinct protein/DNA complexes involving the same DNA binding activity. These results suggest that these factors are subject to post-translational modifications. Dephosphorylation experiments in vitro suggest that both electrophoretic mobility and DNA binding activities of HiNF-D and HiNF-M are sensitive to phosphatase activity. We deduce that these factors may require a basal level of phosphorylation for sequence specific binding to H4-Site II and may represent phosphoproteins occurring in putative hyper- and hypo-phosphorylated forms. Based on dramatic fluctuations in the ratio of the two distinct HiNF-D species both during hepatic development and the cell cycle in normal diploid cells, we postulate that this modification of HiNF-D is related to the cell cycle. However, in several tumor-derived and transformed cell types the putative hyperphosphorylated form of HiNF-D is constitutively present. These data suggest that deregulation of a phosphatase-sensitive post-translational modification required for HiNF-D binding is a molecular event that reflects abrogation of a mechanism controlling cell proliferation. Thus, phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of histone promoter factors may provide a basis for modulation of protein/DNA interactions and H4 histone gene transcription during the cell cycle and at the onset of quiescence and differentiation.
Morphisms for the Maximum Weight Ideal Problem

A notion of morphism for the Maximum Weight Ideal Problem is defined and applied to solve the Edge?Isoperimetric Problem on the graphs of regular solids and their products.
A “New” Black Nationalism in the USA and France

This essay examines the relationship between Black Nationalism and demographic change in the Black population of the USA and France. It shows that, unlike previous generations, most Blacks in France are born in France and share common sociopolitical and cultural reference points. As a result, this Black French population deploys new Black Nationalist expressions advocating that Blackness is an integral part of the French nation and that Black citizens are entitled to the same opportunities as Whites. Subversively, people of African descent are inserting Blackness into a supposedly color-blind nation. In contrast to France, the African Diaspora in the USA is increasingly diverse. But due to the misrepresentation of African-American identities and cultural differences, many Black migrants seek to distance themselves from African Americans, a relationship that ironically mirrors intra-Black relations in France of the 1960s and 1970s. Like France, however, demographic change within the Black population in the USA has also reconfigured the parameters of Black Nationalism. I contend that Black Nationalism in the USA is increasingly transnational in character. Indeed, in the post-civil rights era, the Caribbean and African migration has expanded the scope of Black Nationalism from primarily focusing on empowering Black America to offering Caribbean and African countries a better place in the global village. In the process, as the activities of the numerous African chambers of commerce reveal, not only do these “new” transnational Black Nationalist expressions flirt with neoliberal policies but they also adopt a color-blind perspective.
Current topical corticosteroid preparations

A brief review of the development, desirability, potency, and side effects of topical corticosteroids is presented. Because of potential sensitizing agents present in vehicles delivering corticosteroids and because new products are constantly being marketed, a detailed listing of single and combination products, as well as the constituents of their vehicles, has been compiled to aid the practicing physician.
Spatio-temporally-complex concentration profiles using a tunable chaotic micromixer

The ability to present cells with stimuli that vary in space and time is key for a mechanistic understanding of dynamic processes such as cell migration, growth, adaptation, and differentiation. Microfluidic gradient devices that output multiple concentrations of a given compound exist, but changing the output generally requires a change in flow rates that can be confounding in biological measurements and/or impractical for high-throughput applications. We present chaotic mixers that generate multiple, complex concentration gradients that can be smoothly varied in time without significantly altering the flow rate.
SINO-SOVIET BORDER RELATIONS: CONFLICT AND COMMUNICATION*

China and the Soviet Union have disputed portions of their common border for centuries, sometimes violently. Some analysts base this dispute on competing territorial ambitions and deep‐seated cultural antipathy. The perspective elaborated here, using an historical‐structural rather than quantitative approach, is that modern China uses the border dispute as a convenient means of communicating with the Soviet Union when a particularly forceful, dramatic, or public forum is needed to accomplish Chinese objectives. Support for this hypothesis, derived from an analysis of China's relations with other neighbors, is also discussed.