cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
RNase T2 genes from rice and the evolution of secretory ribonucleases in plants

The plant RNase T2 family is divided into two different subfamilies. S-RNases are involved in rejection of self-pollen during the establishment of self-incompatibility in three plant families. S-like RNases, on the other hand, are not involved in self-incompatibility, and although gene expression studies point to a role in plant defense and phosphate recycling, their biological roles are less well understood. Although S-RNases have been subjects of many phylogenetic studies, few have included an extensive analysis of S-like RNases, and genome-wide analyses to determine the number of S-like RNases in fully sequenced plant genomes are missing. We characterized the eight RNase T2 genes present in the Oryza sativa genome; and we also identified the full complement of RNase T2 genes present in other fully sequenced plant genomes. Phylogenetics and gene expression analyses identified two classes among the S-like RNase subfamily. Class I genes show tissue specificity and stress regulation. Inactivation of RNase activity has occurred repeatedly throughout evolution. On the other hand, Class II seems to have conserved more ancestral characteristics; and, unlike other S-like RNases, genes in this class are conserved in all plant species analyzed and most are constitutively expressed. Our results suggest that gene duplication resulted in high diversification of Class I genes. Many of these genes are differentially expressed in response to stress, and we propose that protein characteristics, such as the increase in basic residues can have a defense role independent of RNase activity. On the other hand, constitutive expression and phylogenetic conservation suggest that Class II S-like RNases may have a housekeeping role.
Accidental experiments: ecological and evolutionary insights and opportunities derived from global change

Humans are the dominant ecological and evolutionary force on the planet today, transforming habitats, polluting environments, changing climates, introducing new species, and causing other species to decline in number or go extinct. Th ese worrying anthropogenic impacts, collectively termed global change, are often viewed as a confounding factor to minimize in basic studies and a problem to resolve or quantify in applied studies. However, these ‘ accidental experiments ’ also represent opportunities to gain fundamental insight into ecological and evolutionary processes, especially when they result in perturbations that are large or long in duration and diffi cult or unethical to impose experimentally. We demonstrate this by describing important fundamental insights already gained from studies which utilize global change factors as accidental experiments. In doing so, we highlight why accidental experiments are sometimes more likely to yield insights than traditional approaches. Next, we argue that emerging environmental problems can provide even more opportunities for scientifi c discovery in the future, and provide both examples and guidelines for moving forward. We recommend 1) a greater fl ow of information between basic and applied subfi elds of ecology and evolution to identify emerging opportunities; 2) considering the advantages of the ‘ accidental experiment ’ approach relative to more traditional approaches; and 3) planning for the challenges inherent to uncontrolled accidental experiments. We emphasize that we do not view the accidental experiments provided by global change as replacements for scientifi c studies quantifying the magnitude of anthropogenic impacts or outlining strategies for mitigating impacts. Instead, we believe that accidental experiments are uniquely situated to provide insights into evolutionary and ecological processes that ultimately allow us to better predict and manage change on our human-dominated planet.
Stimulation of radial expansion in arabidopsis roots by inhibitors of actomyosin and vesicle secretion but not by various inhibitors of metabolism

Plant morphogenesis depends on accurate control over growth anisotropy. To learn to what extent the control of growth anisotropy depends on cellular metaolism, we surveyed the response of growing roots to a range of inhibitors. Seedlings of Arabidopsis thaliana L. (Heynh), 7–8 d old, were transplanted onto plates containing an inhibitor, and elongation and radial expansion of roots were measured over the subsequent 2-d period. Fourteen inhibitors of diverse metabolic processes inhibited root elongation but failed to stimulate radial expansion. These inhibitors were aluminum sulfate, aphidicolin (DNA synthesis), caffeine (cell-plate formation), cisplatin (DNA synthesis), cycloheximide (protein synthesis), 3,4-dehydro-l-proline (proline hydroxylation), 6-dimethylaminopurine (protein kinases), dinitrophenol (mitochondrial ATP synthesis), galactose (UDP-glucose formation), Lovastatin, formerly mevinolin (isoprenoid formation), methionine sulfoximine (glutamine synthetase), methotrexate (folate metabolism), XRD-489 (synthesis of branched-chain amino acids), and high or low calcium treatments. These results show that various types of metabolic disruption, although inhibitory to elongation, do not reduce the high degree of anisotropic growth of the root. However, five chemicals did stimulate radial expansion; namely, the detergent, digitonin; two inhibitors of vesicle secretion, monensin and brefeldin A; and two inhibitors of actomyosin, cytochalasin B and butanedione monoxime. The maximum radial expansion induced by these compounds (except butanedione monoxime) was greater than that caused by ethylene, and the morphology of treated roots did not resemble that of roots treated with ethylene. These results indicate that vesicle secretion and actomyosin play a role in controlling anisotropic expansion.
Peruvian Stratus Clouds and the Tropical Pacific Circulation: A Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere GCM Study

Abstract Extensive and persistent stratus cloud decks are prominent climatic features off the Peruvian coast. They are believed to play a key role in the coupled atmosphere-ocean processes that determine the sea surface temperature (SST) throughout the eastern tropical Pacific. This notion is examined and further developed using a coupled ocean-atmosphere general circulation model (GCM): a control simulation, in which the simulated amount of Peruvian stratus clouds is unrealistically low, is compared with an experiment in which a stratus cloud deck is prescribed to persistently cover the ocean off the Peruvian coast. Beneath the prescribed cloud deck SSTs are reduced by up to 5 K, as expected from decreased solar radiation reaching the surface. In addition, there is significant cooling over much of the eastern tropical Pacific south of the equator, and even along the equator well into the central Pacific. The prescribed stratus deck largely alleviates the coupled GCM's warm bias in SST in the southeastern...
Finite Element Modelling of Blood Flow in Artery Stenosis

Recent work by our laboratories suggest that the endothelial cells that line blood vessels respond dramatically to shear stress gradients over millimeter and micrometer length scales, contributing to the progression of the atherosclerosis disease state. In this paper, we present a CFD model for the prediction and quantitative analyses of the hemodynamic behavior of blood flow in stenosed arteries of a guinea pig, comprised of a nearly axisymmetric vessel constriction. The blood is considered to be incompressible and the flow model is described by the Navier-Stokes and the continuity equations. A standard Galerkin finite element technique has been applied for the solution of the flow equations within a 2-D axisymmetric framework. Elemental discretization is based on the use of C0 - continuous Taylor-Hood type isoparametric finite elements that are used for the approximation of the unknown field variables. An implicit-theta time-stepping scheme has been chosen for the temporal discretization of the flow equations. The rheological behaviour of blood is incorporated within the main flow model through the use of different non-Newtonian constitutive equations. Relationships of the stenosis severity and flow data such as flow rate and flow pressure are obtained from the numerical simulations. The results are presented in the form of velocity vectors and pressure surface plots and are examined for stability, convergence and theoretical consistency.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Caries prevalence in Icelandic chilcjren in 1970 and 1983

In the autumn of 1983 a clinical survey was carried out on 756 children aged 6-14 yr, residing in three non-fluoridated communities in Iceland. The aim of the survey was to assess what changes, if any, in caries prevalence may have taken place as a result of the provision of free dental restorative services for these children since 1974. The 1983 prevalence data were compared with data obtained from a caries survey conducted in 1970 in the same areas in Iceland. The same examiner performed all examinations in both studies. Although considerable increase was noted in number of filled teeth with a corresponding decrease in carious and missing teeth, a statistically significant change in caries prevalence, (dft, dfs, DMFT, DMFS) did not manifest itself. The dfs and DMFS in 1983 was 8.9 and 9.5, respectively, compared to 8.5 and 10.4 in 1970. Over 90% of the toothpaste used in Iceland during the 1970's contained fluoride. The children in the three study areas had not been provided with any public preventive programs.
Counterproductive Work Behavior and Organisational Citizenship Behavior: Are They Opposite Forms of Active Behavior?

We question the common supposition that active acts of counterproductive work behavior (CWB) and organisational citizenship behavior (OCB) are negatively related in that people who perform one tend not to perform the other, and that they tend to relate oppositely to potential antecedents. We argue that under some circumstances these active behaviors may occur together or sequentially. Using an emotion focused framework, we discuss five situations that lead from one form of behavior to the other: Understimulation at work, co-worker lack of performance, organisational constraints, lack of expected rewards for OCB, and unjustified (to the actor) acts of CWB. Finally, we provide suggestions for studying these behaviors episodically as opposed to aggregating frequencies of behavior over extended periods of time. Nous mettons en doute l'idee commune selon laquelle les actions relevant d'un comportement professionnel contre-productif (CWB) et les conduites citoyennes dans l'organisation (OCB) sont negativement correlees en ce sens que les individus qui adopteraient les unes auraient tendance a se detourner des autres et qu'elles seraient liees en sens contraire aux antecedents potentiels. Nous pensons que dans certains cas ces comportements actifs peuvent emerger conjointement ou a la suite les uns des autres. A partir d'un schema centre sur l'emotion, nous analysons cinq situations qui orientent d'une forme de comportement vers l'autre: le manque de stimulants au travail, les mediocres performances d'un collegue, les contraintes organisationnelles, l'absence des gratifications attendues pour l'OCB et des actions de CWB injustifiees (contre l'acteur). Nous proposons enfin d'etudier ces conduites sur des laps de temps definis plutot que d'additionner des occurrences de comportement sur de longues periodes.
SELECTIVE REINFORCEMENT OF SCHIZOPHRENICS' INTERVIEW RESPONSES.

Abstract In this experiment each of five examiners tested and interviewed four subjects in each of three conditions. The subjects were 60 male, hospitalized schizophrenics. The three conditions were the reinforcement, after an operant period, of “sick talk”, “healthy talk”, or plural nouns during a structured interview. Half the Welsh factor A and R scale items were administered before the interview, half after the interview. Significant differences were found among experimental conditions in terms of changes from operant to reinforced interview periods in percentage of “sick talk” emitted by subjects and changes from pre- to post-testing in terms of Welsh R scores. The correlation between these two measures of change was statistically significant. The results were discussed in terms of the different therapeutic strategies of neoanalytic and behaviour therapists.
Some aspects of price strategy

Abstract A firm's success, within a rapidly growing and dynamic market, depends upon its ability to respond to market demand and to react to competitive forces. A key factor determining success is the pricing policy employed by the firm. Product pricing, however, is not simple; supply and demand, as well as the interaction and reaction of competitors, must be taken into consideration. By simulating a competitive market environment, however, a firm should be able to evaluate different pricing strategies prior to employing a strategy in practice. The goal of this research was to propose a simulation model to serve this purpose. Particularly, the objective was to demonstrate that if an industry can be characterized as one in which cost as well as price decline with cumulative volume, a pricing policy leading to market dominance exists. A simulation model is desirable for evaluating the proper pricing strategy for achieving such a market position.
IONIC THERMOCURRENTS IN ALKALI HALIDE CRYSTALS CONTAINING SUBSTITUTIONAL BERYLLIUM IONS.

Abstract : The dielectric relaxations of NaCl and KCl single crystals containing beryllium ions were studied by using the technique of the ionic thermocurrents (ITC) in the range of temperatures between 1.2K and 300K. The ITC spectra are characterized by three types of relaxations in both host crystals. The analysis of such relaxations and the observed temperature dependence of their relaxation times indicate that: (1) the beryllium ions are, for a large fraction, associated with cation vacancies that occupy nearest neighbor (n.n) positions as well as next nearest neighbor (n.n.n) positions with respect to the impurity; (2) the relaxation rates with which the Be-vacancy dipoles change their orientation under the influence of an electric field are dominated by the frequency of direct interchange between Be and vacancy (omega-2) and by the frequency of jump between (n.n.) and (n.n.n.) positions (omega-3 and omega-4); (3) the activation energy for the diffusion of Be ions is .5 eV for NaCl and .45 eV for KCl. In discussing the results, the possibility that the Be ions occupy off-center positions is considered. (Author)
Mobilities of some positive and negative hydrogen ions in He and H2

Abstract Mobilities of H+ and H− in He and in H2, and of H+2 and H+3 in He, are calculated from ion-neutral potentials derived from theory and ion-beam scattering. Agreement with experiment is reasonable except for H− in H2 and H+2 in He, which present unexplained puzzles.
The bias for a recognition judgement depends on the response emitted in a prior recognition judgement

On each trial of the experimental procedure the participant read a list of words and made successive recognition judgements to multiple test words. The bias for a given recognition judgement was more conservative if the judgement followed a correct positive response to a target than if it followed a correct negative response to a lure. Similar results were not observed for successive semantic recognition judgements. The bias shift was greater when the study list was short than when the list was long. The results suggest that participants in a recognition task have a sense of the size of the set of targets that might possibly be presented on the next trial and that, under conditions in which a word can only be presented once during the test phase, their bias becomes more conservative after a positive response to a target because the set is depleted.
Baculovirus F-Box Protein LEF-7 Modifies the Host DNA Damage Response To Enhance Virus Multiplication

The DNA damage response (DDR) of a host organism represents an effective antiviral defense that is frequently manipulated and exploited by viruses to promote multiplication. We report here that the large DNA baculoviruses, which require host DDR activation for optimal replication, encode a conserved replication factor, LEF-7, that manipulates the DDR via a novel mechanism. LEF-7 suppresses DDR-induced accumulation of phosphorylated host histone variant H2AX (γ-H2AX), a critical regulator of the DDR. LEF-7 was necessary and sufficient to block γ-H2AX accumulation caused by baculovirus infection or DNA damage induced by means of pharmacological agents. Deletion of LEF-7 from the baculovirus genome allowed γ-H2AX accumulation during virus DNA synthesis and impaired both very late viral gene expression and production of infectious progeny. Thus, LEF-7 is essential for efficient baculovirus replication. We determined that LEF-7 is a nuclear F-box protein that interacts with host S-phase kinase-associated protein 1 (SKP1), suggesting that LEF-7 acts as a substrate recognition component of SKP1/Cullin/F-box (SCF) complexes for targeted protein polyubiquitination. Site-directed mutagenesis demonstrated that LEF-7's N-terminal F-box is necessary for γ-H2AX repression and Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) replication events. We concluded that LEF-7 expedites virus replication most likely by selective manipulation of one or more host factors regulating the DDR, including γ-H2AX. Thus, our findings indicate that baculoviruses utilize a unique strategy among viruses for hijacking the host DDR by using a newly recognized F-box protein.
Blood and Guts and HIV: Preferential HIV Persistence in GI Mucosa

Twelve years after the introduction of potent combination antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV infection, it remains unclear whether suppressive ART that drives plasma viral RNA below 50 copies/mL also results in complete inhibition of HIV replication. The issue is not merely of academic interest; resolving this controversy could help guide future strategies aimed at eradicating HIV and inform novel management approaches such as induction-maintenance. In this issue of
An education intervention in an incarcerated population to reduce the occurrence of infectious skin diseases

A study conducted at a Midwest county confinement center focused on detainees' intention to wash their hands to prevent the spread of infectious skin diseases. Results of a qualitative interview and learning style inventory were used in conjunction with the theory of planned behavior to develop a Standard Precautions DVD to address hand washing, use of personal protective equipment while cleaning body fluids, and handling of laundry. A postintervention survey revealed significant knowledge-based learning among inmates. A regression model predicting behavioral intention (hand washing) with three predictor variables (attitude toward action, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control) was developed. The highest correlation was found to be between inmates' subjective norms and their intent to wash their hands, which indicates that inmates' behavior after watching the DVD is most influenced by how others view them, with family members having the greatest influence on subjective norms.
Extended Families and the Control of Hypertension in Central Mississippi

In order to evaluate the beneficial support functions of multigenerational extended families, a research and demonstration effort was developed to focus on the management of a chronic disease, hypertension. Conducted in central Mississippi, high blood pressure management self-help groups were established in 4 white and 9 black extended families. An influential member of each family was trained to monitor the blood pressures of all family hypertensives and a self-help group of related hypertensives formed. An 18-month formative evaluation showed that 90% of hypertensives participating in the family-based self-help groups achieved a controlled blood pressure.
Mohs Surgery for the Treatment of Melanoma in Situ: A Review

BACKGROUND Controversy exists in the literature regarding the use of Mohs surgery for the treatment of melanoma in situ (MIS). Mohs surgery provides the advantage of complete margin assessment; however, variations in surgical and laboratory techniques employed, make comparison of outcomes difficult. OBJECTIVE To review the current literature regarding Mohs surgery for treatment of MIS and to evaluate treatment options. METHODS We review the literature regarding traditional excision margins for MIS, the proportion of biopsy-proven MIS lesions that prove to have an invasive component, and the efficacy of Mohs surgery for MIS. RESULTS Many authors report a need for surgical margins larger than the recommended 5 mm, particularly with MIS arising in sun-exposed areas. Further, a review of the literature reveals that nearly one-quarter of biopsy-proven MIS lesions are found to contain invasive melanoma after complete surgical removal and pathologic examination. Substantial evidence supports the value of complete margin assessment in the treatment of MIS, particularly in the head and neck region. CONCLUSION Complete surgical excision with careful margin assessment is required to adequately treat MIS lesions, particularly given the high rate of invasive melanoma in lesions initially thought to be MIS. Mohs surgery remains the treatment of choice for all clinically ill-defined MIS.
Increasing Teachers' Use of Praise with a Response-to-Intervention Approach

A multiple baseline design across teachers was used to evaluate the effects of a systematic, response-to-intervention (RTI) approach on rates of desired teacher behavior. Specifically, teachers whose rates of specific, contingent praise were nonresponsive to typical schoolwide positive behavior support training (primary intervention tier) were provided with targeted training support (secondary tier), and, when necessary, more individualized assistance (tertiary tier). In addition, composite student behavior was examined to determine if concurrent changes in student problem behaviors occurred as teachers responded to differentiated training supports. Results indicate a relationship between an RTI approach to differential levels of performance feedback and teachers’ rates of praise.
Conserving energy with on-demand topology management

To reduce idle-time energy consumption, nodes in ad hoc networks can switch to a power-save mode. However, since operating all nodes in power-save mode limits network capacity, some nodes may need to stay in active mode to support forwarding. The main challenge of selecting nodes to stay in active mode stems from the need to conserve energy while maintaining communication. Although topology management protocols build a forwarding backbone of active nodes by powering down redundant nodes, such protocols incur proactive backbone maintenance overhead. The reactive approach, on-demand power management, manages node transitions from active to power-save mode based on routing information. However, node transitions are only traffic-driven and may result in keeping redundant nodes awake. To this end, we propose TITAN, which builds a backbone reactively using information about both ongoing communication and the current power-management mode of nodes. The design of TITAN is based on the trade-offs between waking up power-saving nodes on shorter routes and using longer routes that contain active nodes. Simulation results show that TITAN conserves energy while maintaining efficient communication without additional control overhead for topology management
The Effect of Gene Conversion on the Divergence between Duplicated Genes

Nonindependent evolution of duplicated genes is called concerted evolution. In this article, we study the evolutionary process of duplicated regions that involves concerted evolution. The model incorporates mutation and gene conversion: the former increases d, the divergence between two duplicated regions, while the latter decreases d. It is demonstrated that the process consists of three phases. Phase I is the time until d reaches its equilibrium value, d(0). In phase II d fluctuates around d(0), and d increases again in phase III. Our simulation results demonstrate that the length of concerted evolution (i.e., phase II) is highly variable, while the lengths of the other two phases are relatively constant. It is also demonstrated that the length of phase II approximately follows an exponential distribution with mean tau, which is a function of many parameters including gene conversion rate and the length of gene conversion tract. On the basis of these findings, we obtain the probability distribution of the level of divergence between a pair of duplicated regions as a function of time, mutation rate, and tau. Finally, we discuss potential problems in genomic data analysis of duplicated genes when it is based on the molecular clock but concerted evolution is common.
On the effective elasticity of a two-dimensional homogenised incompressible elastic composite

The set of effective elasticity tensors for all two-dimensional mixtures of two isotropic incompressible elastic materials taken in prescribed proportion is described. In two dimensions the effective tensors are completely characterised by bounds on their eigenvalues.
Particles flow pattern and local heat transfer around tube in moving bed

Flow visualization of flowing particles around a tube of various types of tube arrangements in a moving bed was studied using X-ray video films to obtain a relation between particles behavior and local heat-transfer coefficients. A stagnant part of solid particles was observed on the tube in the case of a staggered arrangement. This part did not appear in the case of the single tube and the single row of tubes. The measured local heat-transfer coefficients around a tube was decreased in this stagnant part. Furthermore, influences of different tube arrangements both on flow patterns of particles and on local heat-transfer coefficients between tubes and bed were examined.
Homeless women's perceptions about their families of origin

The purpose of this study was to examine descriptively the families of origin of women who are, or who had been, homeless. The research was done using a descriptive qualitative research design; specifically, intensive interviewing. A feminist framework guided the research process. Lofland and Lofland's (1984) conceptualization of units of social settings was used as the basis for analysis of the data. The sample consisted of 20 women who had been homeless. Twelve of the women were interviewed individually. Six of those 12 women and an additional 8 women were later interviewed as part of two focus groups. Themes within each social unit included: meanings--homelesness, home, family of origin, lack of connectedness, and being without; practices--male privilege, transiency, and abuse issues; episodes--loss of family and being homeless; roles--traditional female-male, scapegoating, and little adult; and relationships--mother/daughter, father/daughter, and sibling. Within the mother/daughter relationships, the dominant themes were betrayal, devaluation of self, enmeshment, emotional void, longing for, emotional cutoff, and destructive coalitions. The themes from the father/daughter relationships social unit were abuse issues, differential treatment, idealized father figure, and banished daughter. Criteria for transferability and adequacy were used to determine scientific rigor.
Intensive, progressive exercise improves quality of life following lumbar microdiskectomy: a randomized controlled trial

Objective:The purpose of the study was to examine changes in quality of life measures in patients who have undergone an intensive exercise program following a single level microdiskectomy.Design:Randomized controlled trial with blinded examiners.Setting:The study was conducted in outpatient physical therapy clinics.Subjects:Ninety-eight participants (53 male, 45 female) who had undergone a single-level lumbar microdiskectomy allocated to receive exercise and education or education only.Interventions:A 12-week periodized exercise program of lumbar extensor strength and endurance training, and mat and upright therapeutic exercises was administered.Outcome measures:Quality of life was tested with the Short Form 36 (SF-36). Measurements were taken 4–6 weeks postsurgery and following completion of the 12-week intervention program. Since some participants selected physical therapy apart from the study, analyses were performed for both an as-randomized (two-group) design and an as-treated (three-group) design.Re...
α2β1 integrin‐specific collagen‐mimetic surfaces supporting osteoblastic differentiation

The interactions of osteoblasts with their surrounding extracellular matrix (ECM) are essential for skeletal development, homeostasis, and maintenance of the mature osteoblastic phenotype. Integrins are the principal transducers of ECM signals that regulate this process of osteoblast commitment and differentiation. Several studies indicate that the alpha(2)beta(1) integrin interaction with type I collagen is a crucial signal for the induction of osteoblastic differentiation and matrix mineralization. Integrin alpha(2)beta(1) recognizes the Gly-Phe-Hyp-Gly-Glu-Arg (GFOGER) motif in residues 502-507 of the alpha(1)[I] chain of type I collagen. This study demonstrates that an alpha(2)beta(1) integrin-specific GFOGER peptide triggers the activation of focal adhesion kinase and alkaline phosphatase in MC3T3-E1 murine immature osteoblast-like cells, two events that have been implicated in the osteoblastic differentiation pathway. These GFOGER-peptide surfaces also support the expression of multiple osteoblast-specific genes, including osteocalcin and bone sialoprotein, and induce matrix mineralization in a manner similar to type I collagen. This triple-helical peptide represents a promising surface modification strategy for the design of collagen-mimetic bioadhesive surfaces that support osteoblastic differentiation.
Vitamin B12 and Antibiotics in Turkey Poult Nutrition

Abstract McGinnis et al. (1949), Patrick (1950, 1951) andSingsene et al. (1950) obtained with turkey poults receiving an all-vegetable protein ration, greater supplementary value from fish meal than from vitamin B12 concentrates. Patrick (1950) reported that a methanol soluble fraction of fish solubles supplemented a high soybean oil meal ration for poults, while a Fullers’ Earth eluate prepared from the Fullers’ Earth adsorbate of the methanol soluble fraction gave no measurable supplementation . The Fullers’ Earth eluate contained vitamin B12 as assayed with chicks. That the addition of antibiotics to turkey poult rations containing only vegetable protein concentrates or a combination of vegetable and animal protein concentrates resulted in growth stimulation was reported by McGinnis et al. (1950) and Robertson (1950), Stokstad and Jukes (1950). The crystalline antibiotics, aureomycin and streptomycin, Stokstad and Jukes (1950), gave results that were similar to those of the crude concentrates of these . . .
Trends in lifetime risk and years of life lost due to diabetes in the USA, 1985–2011: a modelling study

Summary Background Diabetes incidence has increased and mortality has decreased greatly in the USA, potentially leading to substantial changes in the lifetime risk of diabetes. We aimed to provide updated estimates for the lifetime risk of development of diabetes and to assess the effect of changes in incidence and mortality on lifetime risk and life-years lost to diabetes in the USA. Methods We incorporated data about diabetes incidence from the National Health Interview Survey, and linked data about mortality from 1985 to 2011 for 598 216 adults, into a Markov chain model to estimate remaining lifetime diabetes risk, years spent with and without diagnosed diabetes, and life-years lost due to diabetes in three cohorts: 1985–89, 1990–99, and 2000–11. Diabetes was determined by self-report and was classified as any diabetes, excluding gestational diabetes. We used logistic regression to estimate the incidence of diabetes and Poisson regression to estimate mortality. Findings On the basis of 2000–11 data, lifetime risk of diagnosed diabetes from age 20 years was 40·2% (95% CI 39·2–41·3) for men and 39·6% (38·6–40·5) for women, representing increases of 20 percentage points and 13 percentage points, respectively, since 1985–89. The highest lifetime risks were in Hispanic men and women, and non-Hispanic black women, for whom lifetime risk now exceeds 50%. The number of life-years lost to diabetes when diagnosed at age 40 years decreased from 7·7 years (95% CI 6·5–9·0) in 1990–99 to 5·8 years (4·6–7·1) in 2000–11 in men, and from 8·7 years (8·4–8·9) to 6·8 years (6·7–7·0) in women over the same period. Because of the increasing diabetes prevalence, the average number of years lost due to diabetes for the population as a whole increased by 46% in men and 44% in women. Years spent with diabetes increased by 156% in men and 70% in women. Interpretation Continued increases in the incidence of diagnosed diabetes combined with declining mortality have led to an acceleration of lifetime risk and more years spent with diabetes, but fewer years lost to the disease for the average individual with diabetes. These findings mean that there will be a continued need for health services and extensive costs to manage the disease, and emphasise the need for effective interventions to reduce incidence. Funding None.
The Lipid-binding Domain of Wild Type and Mutant α-Synuclein: COMPACTNESS AND INTERCONVERSION BETWEEN THE BROKEN AND EXTENDED HELIX FORMS*

α-Synuclein (αS) is linked to Parkinson disease through its deposition in an amyloid fibril form within Lewy Body deposits, and by the existence of three αS point mutations that lead to early onset autosomal dominant Parkinsonism. The normal function of αS is thought to be linked to the ability of the protein to bind to the surface of synaptic vesicles. Upon binding to vesicles, αS undergoes a structural reorganization from a dynamic and disordered ensemble to a conformation consisting of a long extended helix. In the presence of small spheroidal detergent micelles, however, this extended helix conformation can convert into a broken helix state, in which a region near the middle of the helix unwinds to form a linker between the two resulting separated helices. Membrane-bound conformations of αS likely mediate the function of the protein, but may also play a role in the aggregation and toxicity of the protein. Here we have undertaken a study of the effects of the three known PD-linked mutations on the detergent- and membrane-bound conformations of αS, as well as factors that govern the transition of the protein between the extended helix and broken helix states. Using pulsed dipolar ESR measurements of distances up to 8.7 nm, we show that all three PD-linked αS mutants retain the ability to transition from the broken helix to the extended helix conformation. In addition, we find that the ratio of protein to detergent, rather than just the absolute detergent concentration, determines whether the protein adopts the broken or extended helix conformation.
Re-conceiving nonhuman animal knowledge through contemporary primate cognitive studies

In this chapter I examine two claims that support the thesis that chimpanzees are substantive epistemic subjects. First, I defend the claim that chimpanzees are evidence gatherers (broadly construed to include the capacity to gather and use evidence). In the course of showing that this claim is probably true I will also show that, in being evidence gatherers, chimpanzees engage in a recognizable epistemic activity. Second, I defend the claim that chimpanzees achieve a degree of epistemic success while engaging in epistemic activity. Though this approach to chimpanzees can be extended to other nonhuman animals, I will restrict my discussion in this chapter to these nonhuman great apes.
Deploying interactive remote labs using the iLab Shared Architecture

The MIT iLab project has developed a distributed service infrastructure and software toolkit to support a scalable community of online laboratory experiments. The iLab shared architecture provides a framework for the development and deployment of remote laboratories using a three-tiered model based on Web services consisting of lab clients, service broker middleware, and lab servers. This simplifies the development of remote labs by providing reusable components for common lab administration functions. The initial focus of the iLab project was on hatched labs, which require no interactive control. Following the projectpsilas success in supporting these labs, it has expanded its efforts to include those requiring interactive control. Interactive labs require that the user have active control of lab instruments during the course of an experiment and can generate a large amount of data. In order to accommodate these requirements, the iLab shared architecture has been extended with a highly configurable lab resource scheduling service, a robust data storage system and support for high bandwidth communication between the lab client and server. By integrating these services into the iLab shared architecture, a more diverse set of educationally valuable labs can now be easily deployed online and shared around the world.
Trading Strategies with Options

This technical note provides a brief introduction to option trading strategies. It covers pay-off diagrams and specifically introduces bull spreads, butterfly spreads and calendar spreads. It also introduces straddles, strips, and strangles.
An Introduction to Business-to-Business Exchange

While business-to-consumer e-commerce (B2C) has garnered the most public attention of any online business sector, business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce is proving to account for a much larger slice of the economic pie. A significant portion of B2B e-commerce transactions will occur through online marketplaces called B2B exchanges. The objective of this technical note is to provide an understanding of these exchanges, including their organizational and revenue models.
Experimental Toxoplasmosis. II. Effect of Sulfadiazine and Antiserum on Congenital Toxoplasmosis in Mice

SummaryThe effect of sulfadiazine, antiserum and a combination of these two materials on the course of congenital toxoplasmosis in mice was determined. It was shown that while sulfadiazine and antiserum individually had some beneficial action, a combination of these substances was considerably more effective than either used alone.
The Production of the Shwartzman Phenomenon by Means of Bacterial Extracts

In the course of some experiments, utilizing comparatively pure carbohydrate fractions obtained from B. typhosus, minimal microscopic visceral lesions (resembling those described by Apitz' and by Gerber2 as occurring in the Shwartzman3 phenomenon) were occasionally, but inconstantly, encountered. Attempts were made to increase the incidence of the lesions by employing fractions which presumably contained other bacterial substances in addition to the carbohydrate. After numerous trials, it was found that extracts of B. typhosus prepared in a manner essentially the same as that described by Furth and Landsteiner4 and Levine and Frisch5 invariably produced the skin phenomenon in adult rabbits, if sufficiently large doses of these extracts were used in place of the original Shwartzman filtrate. Method of extraction.-B. typhosus organisms were grown in Blake bottles on beef extract agar for 48 hours at 37.5 C. These were suspended in cold normal saline (10 cc. per bottle), and centrifuged. The sediment was washed in 95% alcohol (10 cc. per bottle) and recentrifuged. The organisms were then refluxed for two hours in 95% alcohol (10 cc. per bottle) on a water bath, following which they were similarly treated with absolute alcohol (5 cc. per bottle) for a like period of time. After each of these operations, the contents of the flask were centrifuged at high speed while hot and the supernatant fluid withdrawn. The extracted bacteria were then refluxed on the water
The Collaborative Construction of Intersubjectivity Mediated by Technology: A Social-Biological Model of Online Communication

Habermas [2] defined communication as social interaction in which “the actors seek to reach an understanding about the action situation and their plans of action in order to coordinate their actions by way of agreement” (p.86). Practical knowledge is not something people acquire by learning but rather emerges in the “communicative action” that is driven by the activity and its social context. The contrast to communicative action is “instrumental mastery” which tends to be constructivist [not constructionist] or “hermeneutic” (p.11). Individual consciousness attained in this way is “merely subjective”, “egocentric” and closed (does not evolve), while intersubjectivity is objective, communal, and open (expands and grows).
Chapter 9 – Numerical Solutions

Chapter 8 introduced a solution procedure for the LWR model, by which a graphical solution can be constructed. Real-world applications typically involve more complicated conditions solved in real time; therefore, numerical solutions become more practical. This chapter introduces a few numerical models, including FREFLO, KRONOS, and the cell transmission model.
Method and analysis of arch settlement measurement by non-prism total station

In order to improve the speed and precision of underground projects construction,a method of arch settlement measurement by non-prism total station was used. The elevation of points were subtracted to eliminate measurement errors of target and instrument height.Difference of twice measurement data can weaken the effect of errors and increase the precision greatly.Measurement data prove that this method is highly effective for improving the speed and precision,but details such as setting station,lighting,measuring distance,vertical angle and so on should be perfected.
Spending for 'Anti-Poverty' Programs: Restoring a True Safety Net

Federal spending increases for what used to be known as “anti-poverty” programs — food, health insurance, housing, and income support — have become staggering. These programs grew by $100 billion during the eight years of the Bush administration (adjusting for inflation), but they grew by another $150 billion in just the first two years of the Obama administration. Total spending for these four safety net programs stood at $666 billion in 2010, a total larger than Medicare and just slightly smaller than Social Security and national defense. Some of these increases are justified by the deep recession that began in late 2007, due to higher rates of unemployment and poverty. But average benefits per person in poverty increased from $7500 during the early 1990s recession compared to $14,600 for the recent one (correcting for inflation). If all these monies and services were going to the poor, our question would be why the safety net became more costly. Most remarkable, however, and rarely discussed, is that much of the cost increase is explained by benefits going to persons who are above the official poverty line. Today, at least half of the benefits for food programs, Medicaid, and most income assistance programs are going to people who are above the poverty line as defined by the U.S. Census. Federal food program expenditures for 2010 totaled $95 billion, up from just $57 billion in 2007. Most of these expenditures were for food stamps ($68 billion). Of the 40.3 million persons receiving food stamps in 2010, slightly more than half, or 20.4 million, were above the official poverty line as measured by the U.S. Census. Of the 43.8 million non-disabled persons receiving Medicaid and CHIP benefits, fully 25 million are above the official poverty line. More than half of the recipients of Earned Income Tax Credits (EITC) and traditional welfare (TANF) are above the official poverty line. Of the major programs we reviewed, only the federal housing assistance program did not have a majority of recipients above the poverty line. Nevertheless, four out of ten persons receiving housing subsidies are over the line. The debate over federal budget deficits focuses unduly on Medicare and Social Security. The combined spending on anti-poverty programs, and their rate of growth, offers an alternative for reduced federal spending. While anti-poverty programs should clearly help those who are poor, the general public (and perhaps many in Congress) may not be aware that we are giving billions in benefits to persons above the poverty line. By bringing these programs into line with their original purposes, a safety net for the poor, we can save up to $200 billion per year — without reducing benefits for the truly needy.
Geochemical alteration of wellbore cement by CO2 or CO2 + H2S reaction during long‐term carbon storage

Cement samples were reacted with CO2-saturated synthetic groundwater, with or without added H2S (1 wt.%), at 50°C and 10 MPa for up to 13 months (CO2 only) or for up to 3.5 months (CO2 + H2S) under static conditions. After the reaction, X-ray computed tomography (XCT) images revealed that calcium carbonate (CaCO3) precipitation occurred extensively within the fractures in the cement matrix, while micro-fractures with aperture size <∼50 μm at the cement-basalt interface were completely sealed by CaCO3 precipitation. Exposure of a fractured cement sample to CO2-saturated groundwater (50°C and 10 MPa) over a period of 13 months demonstrated progressive healing of cement fractures by CaCO3 precipitation. After reaction with CO2 + H2S-saturated groundwater, CaCO3 precipitation also occurred within the cement fracture as well as along the cement-basalt caprock interfaces. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that major cement carbonation products of the CO2 + H2S-saturated groundwater were calcite, aragonite, and vaterite, all consistent with cement carbonation by CO2-saturated groundwater. While pyrite is thermodynamically favored to form, due to the low H2S concentration it was not identified by XRD in this study. The cement alteration rate into neat Portland cement samples by CO2-saturated groundwater was similar at ∼0.02 mm/d based on XCT images, regardless of the cement-curing pressure and temperature (P-T) conditions, or the presence of H2S in the groundwater. The experimental results imply that wellbore cement with micro-fractures within the cement matrix or along the cement-caprock interface (<∼200 μm aperture under current experimental conditions) is likely to be healed by CaCO3 precipitation during exposure to CO2- or CO2 + H2S-saturated groundwater. Published 2016. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA
Multiphase Ozonolysis of Aqueous α-Terpineol.

Multiphase ozonolysis of aqueous organics presents a potential pathway for the formation of aqueous secondary organic aerosol (aqSOA). We investigated the multiphase ozonolysis of α-terpineol, an oxygenated derivative of limonene, and found that the reaction products and kinetics differ from the gas-phase ozonolysis of α-terpineol. One- and two-dimensional NMR spectroscopies along with GC-MS identified the aqueous ozonolysis reaction products as trans- and cis-lactols [4-(5-hydroxy-2,2-dimethyltetrahydrofuran-3-yl)butan-2-one] and a lactone [4-hydroxy-4-methyl-3-(3-oxobutyl)-valeric acid gamma-lactone], which accounted for 46%, 27%, and 20% of the observed products, respectively. Hydrogen peroxide was also formed in 10% yield consistent with a mechanism involving decomposition of hydroxyl hydroperoxide intermediates followed by hemiacetal ring closure. Multiphase reaction kinetics at gaseous ozone concentrations of 131, 480, and 965 parts-per-billion were analyzed using a resistance model of net ozone upt...