cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Regulation of motility of myogenic cells in filling limb muscle anlagen by Pitx2.

Cells of the ventrolateral dermomyotome delaminate and migrate into the limb buds where they give rise to all muscles of the limbs. The migratory cells proliferate and form myoblasts, which withdraw from the cell cycle to become terminally differentiated myocytes. The myogenic lineage colonizes pre-patterned regions to form muscle anlagen as muscle fibers are assembled. The regulatory mechanisms that control the later steps of this myogenic program are not well understood. The homeodomain transcription factor Pitx2 is expressed specifically in the muscle lineage from the migration of precursors to adult muscle. Ablation of Pitx2 results in distortion, rather than loss, of limb muscle anlagen, suggesting that its function becomes critical during the colonization of, and/or fiber assembly in, the anlagen. Microarrays were used to identify changes in gene expression in flow-sorted migratory muscle precursors, labeled by Lbx1EGFP/+, which resulted from the loss of Pitx2. Very few genes showed changes in expression. Many small-fold, yet significant, changes were observed in genes encoding cytoskeletal and adhesion proteins which play a role in cell motility. Myogenic cells from genetically-tagged mice were cultured and subjected to live cell-tracking analysis using time-lapse imaging. Myogenic cells lacking Pitx2 were smaller, more symmetrical, and had more actin bundling. They also migrated about half of the total distance and velocity. Decreased motility may prevent myogenic cells from filling pre-patterned regions of the limb bud in a timely manner. Altered shape may prevent proper assembly of higher-order fibers within anlagen. Pitx2 therefore appears to regulate muscle anlagen development by appropriately balancing expression of cytoskeletal and adhesion molecules.
A Discrete Approach to the Calculus.

A new approach to the calculus is introduced using the calculus of finite differences and finite sums, both as motivation and as useful tools. The main reason for this development is to create an ideal context in which the computer can be naturally incorporated into calculus courses. Most topics are first developed in the discrete setting and then extended to the continuous case by applying the limit. This provides a constant review of all topics, a definite aid to most students. Furthermore, the numerical techniques used by computers are all within the scope of the finite calculus. Moreover, by starting with the finite calculus, a wider range of topics can be naturally included in the calculus course, including discrete models based on difference equations (especially useful for non‐science majors) and various approximation and interpolation techniques which make calculus usable in practical situations. Detailed analyses of the experimental implementations of the approach in different types of calculus c...
Continued chemical and physiological studies with antigonadotropic fractions from extracts of bovine pineal glands.

A variety of experiments carried out in recent years are reviewed and evidence is presented for the presence of non-indolic, pineal antigonadotropic substances in pineal extracts and partially purified pineal fractions. Other data are presented suggesting the presence of prolactin releasing and release-inhibiting substances in bovine pineal glands. Also, the sulfurcontaining amino acid and putative neurotransmitter taurine was found in large quantities in bovine pineals closely associated with fractions possessing antigonadotropic activity.
Loneliness and innocence: A Kierkegaardian reflection on the paradox of self-realization

In this paper, I explore loneliness as a primordial call to find accord with the self that, as Kierkegaard claims, is born of spirit. I put Kierkegaard’s Anti-Climacan formula, “the more consciousness, the more self,” to work by examining lamentation over loss of the innocent days of youth as symptomatic of primordial loneliness. In loneliness, I argue, we confound loss of naivete (a developmental change) with loss of innocence (a spiritual failing). While each person is fated to lose naivete, no person loses innocence by developmental necessity. Each person loses innocence by his or her own hand in freedom.
Brodsky and Kierkegaard, Language and Time

a lyric poet confronts temporality, the most common approach may be to ground the human experience of the passing moment on its projected opposite, eternity. This typically leads either to an affirmation of metaphysical permanence or to a pessimism about physical transience. When Joseph Brodsky opposes temporality and eternity, however, he frequently puts the question in terms of the human experience of language and concludes? against all rational expectation?that language stands beyond temporality. As he writes in one essay: "Whether we like it or not, we are here to learn not just what time does to man but what language does to time."1 The thought process that leads Brodsky to believe in the literal extratemporality of language has not been clearly traced.2 The aim of this essay is to do so using the writings of Soren Kierkegaard as a guide.
A feminist perspective on rhetorical theory: Toward a clarification of boundaries

In this essay, Kenneth Burke's rhetorical theory, as an exemplar of a mainstream rhetorical theory, is juxtaposed with that of Starhawk, as an exemplar of a feminist rhetorical theory, to suggest ways in which the patriarchal bias of many rhetorical theories limits our understanding of rhetoric. The essay begins with a formulation of Starhawk's rhetorical theory, which describes a rhetoric of inherent value and a rhetoric of domination. Starhawk's notions of the context for rhetoric, the nature of the rhetor, and the primary rhetorical forms are identified for each rhetorical system. Starhawk's notions then are contrasted with major rhetorical concepts developed by Burke. The essay concludes with suggestions for boundaries that circumscribe the rhetorical theories of both Burke and Starhawk.
Comparison of cefpiramide (HR-810) and four anti-pseudomonal β-lactam agents against pseudomonas isolates from children with cystic fibrosis

Cefpiramide (HR-810), ceftazidime, piperacillin, ticarcillin, and aztreonam were tested against tobramycin-sensitive and -resistant strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and tobramycin/amikacin-resistant isolates of Ps. cepacia recovered from the sputum of patients with cystic fibrosis. Against Ps. aeruginosa, none of the drugs inhibited 90% of the test strains at levels of less than 128 mg/l. Median minimal, inhibitory concentrations (MIC50) for all of the beta-lactam agents were lower for tobramycin-sensitive versus tobramycin-resistant isolates of Ps. aeruginosa. Ceftazidime was the most effective agent against Ps. cepacia. Aminoglycoside-resistance appears to be associated with significant beta-lactam resistance in Ps. aeruginosa isolated from the sputum of patients with cystic fibrosis.
The synthesis of novel cationic anthraquinone dyes with high potent antimicrobial activity

Abstract Quaternary ammonium salts were incorporated into anthraquinone dyes via a stable alkyl amino linkage. The structures of the antimicrobial colorants were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR), Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and UV–vis spectrometries. The dyes demonstrated excellent antimicrobial ability against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria in aqueous solution, as indicated by very low minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). The colorants showed excellent stability in water under light, continuous heating as well in as acidic and alkaline conditions.
Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer: AUA Guideline

Purpose: This Guideline is intended to provide a rational basis for the management of patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer based on currently available published data.Materials and Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis of the published literature was conducted using controlled vocabulary supplemented with keywords relating to the relevant concepts of prostate cancer and castration resistance. The search strategy was developed and executed by reference librarians and methodologists to create an evidence report limited to English-language, published peer-reviewed literature. This review yielded 303 articles published from 1996 through 2013 that were used to form a majority of the guideline statements. Clinical Principles and Expert Opinions were used for guideline statements lacking sufficient evidence-based data.Results: Guideline statements were created to inform clinicians on the appropriate use of observation, androgen-deprivation and antiandrogen therapy, androgen synthesis inhib...
Comparative peptide analysis of avian oncoviral structural protein markers

Abstract The internal structural proteins of certain avian oncoviruses show strain-specific variation in their electrophoretic mobilities. The primary structures of these gag protein markers were compared by proteolytic digestion and two-dimensional peptide analysis. Specific differences in the peptide fingerprints of homologous p27, p19, and p15 proteins were detected. These differences were consistent with the observed electrophoretic properties of strain-specific structural protein markers and segregated with the markers in genetic recombinants. It is concluded that the altered electrophoretic properties of avian oncoviral gag :markers are due to small differences in amino acid sequences of corresponding proteins.
Transcription factor co-repressors in cancer biology: roles and targeting

Normal transcription displays a high degree of flexibility over the choice, timing and magnitude of mRNA expression levels that tend to oscillate and cycle. These processes allow for combinatorial actions, feedback control and fine-tuning. A central role has emerged for the transcriptional co-repressor proteins such as NCOR1, NCOR2/SMRT, CoREST and CTBPs, to control the actions of many transcriptional factors, in large part, by recruitment and activation of a range of chromatin remodeling enzymes. Thus, co-repressors and chromatin remodeling factors are recruited to transcription factors at specific promoter/enhancer regions and execute changes in the chromatin structure. The specificity of this recruitment is controlled in a spatial-temporal manner. By playing a central role in transcriptional control, as they move and target transcription factors, co-repressors act as a key driver in the epigenetic economy of the nucleus. Co-repressor functions are selectively distorted in malignancy, by both loss and gain of function and contribute to the generation of transcriptional rigidity. Features of transcriptional rigidity apparent in cancer cells include the distorted signaling of nuclear receptors and the WNTs/β-catenin axis. Understanding and predicting the consequences of altered co-repressor expression patterns in cancer cells has diagnostic and prognostic significance, and also have the capacity to be targeted through selective epigenetic therapies.
ON THE ANATOMY OF CHENOPODIUM ALBUM L.

The Chenopodiaceae and related families exhibit a most striking anomalous structure of the stem in that the annual secondary thickenings contain several circles of collateral vascular bundles of limited development which are embedded in lignified so-called "conjunctive tissue." Gheorghieff (I) in a series of publications gives a detailed review of the early literature on this subject. His own contributions, furthermore, comprise the most comprehensive study of the anatomy of the Chenopodiaceae. He finds that the plants which he examined show greatly varied forms, transitional in structure to many of the Centrospermae. Sanio (2) in I863 gives the most complete ontogenetic study of members of the Chenopodiaceae. He attributes the anomalous structure of the stem to the activity of a periodically acting cambium which produces collateral vascular bundles and "conjunctive tissue." At the conclusion of his work Sanio draws a comparison between the anomalous stem structure of the Chenopodiaceae and the stem structure of thcse monocotyledons which are characterized by growth in thickness. In his "Comparative Anatomy of the Phanerogams and Ferns," De Bary (3) develops a theory to account for the diverse forms of anomalous growth of the vascular tissue of Chenopodiaceae and related families. He makes four general classes. In the plants of the first grcup, an extrafascicular cambium appears around the primary ring of leaf-trace bundles. This cambium remains permanently active and forms alternately on its inner side collateral vascular bundles and conjunctive tissue; on its outer face it forms a thin layer of phloem or none at all. The plants of the second type develop a ring of primary vascular bundles with normal cambium. The activity of the latter soon ceases, and on the outer face of the primary ring appear in centrifugal order a succession of cambia each of which forms a distinct ring of vascular bundles and intermediary tissue. Classes three and four are types intermediate between the first two. Morot (4) points out that the two modes of growth described by De Bary may be reduced to one type. The cambium in each case retains its bipolarity, giving rise to xylem on the inside and phloem on the outside. Fron (5) subsequently states that the stem of Chenopodium album increases in diameter by the activity of a normal and pericyclic cambium, and that this cambium produces to the inside xylem and parenchyma and to the outside phloem tissue.
Immunogold‐labeled microtubule crossbridges in platinum‐carbon replicas of the marginal band of erythrocyte cytoskeletons

Cytoskeletons of erythrocytes from the toad Bufo marinus are composed of a surface-associated cytoskeleton that encapsulates the annular bundle of microtubules known as the marginal band (MB) and the centrally located nucleus. As seen by phase-contrast microscopy, the microtubules (MTs) of the MB remain tightly bundled after cell lysis without the need for added stabilizing factors. The integrity of this structure suggested that in addition to MTs other components were present in the MB and were responsible for its stability. Thin (less than 18 nm) platinum-carbon (Pt-C) replicas of freeze-dried cytoskeletons prepared by using a modified Balzers 300 system provided a novel method of sample preparation for a high-resolution study of the ultrastructure of the MB. Electron micrographs of replicas revealed that, the MTs of the MB displayed numerous filamentous projections which, when viewed in stereo, appear as side-arm connections between adjacent MTs. Immunofluorescence data show that monospecific antibodies to tubulin and to MT-associated protein 2 (MAP2) from brain each detect cross-reactive material in the MB. The combination of immunogold cytochemistry with Pt-C replication provided the increased resolution required to identify the individual structures recognized by antibodies to tubulin and MAP2. As expected, antitubulin labeled the MTs of the MB. However, anti-MAP2 antibodies were localized specifically to the cross-bridging filaments between adjacent MTs. Thus, a MAP2-like protein was identified in situ as the crossbridging filament that bundles MTs to form a stable MB.
Automated evaluation of search engine performance via implicit user feedback

Measuring the information retrieval effectiveness of Web search engines can be expensive if human relevance judgments are required to evaluate search results. Using implicit user feedback for search engine evaluation provides a cost and time effective manner of addressing this problem. Web search engines can use human evaluation of search results without the expense of human evaluators. An additional advantage of this approach is the availability of real time data regarding system performance. Wecapture user relevance judgments actions such as print, save and bookmark, sending these actions and the corresponding document identifiers to a central server via a client application. We use this implicit feedback to calculate performance metrics, such as precision. We can calculate an overall system performance metric based on a collection of weighted metrics.
Is Nature Enough? Yes

. Religious naturalism encompasses thinkers from Baruch Spinoza, George Santayana, John Dewey, Henry Nelson Wieman, and Ralph Burhoe to recent writers. I offer a generic definition of religious naturalism and then outline my own version, the “minimalist vision of transcendence.” Many standard issues in the science-and-religion dialogue are seen to fade in significance for religious naturalism. I make suggestions for our understanding of science, including the importance of transcognitive abilities, the need for a revised notion of rationality as an alternative to extreme versions of postmodernism, the value of rational dissensus, and the education of appreciation. Finally, I suggest ways to interpret the religious traditions of the world by religious naturalism.
Exposure techniques in the reduction of fear: A comparative review of the procedure in animals and humans

Abstract The clinical procedure of exposure therapy to treat phobias is described and reviewed. The animal analogue, called avoidance response prevention (or simply response prevention or flooding) is also described. The parallel studies of human and animal exposure are compared with emphasis on parameters of response prevention and procedures programmed during response prevention such as distraction, counterconditioning, reinforcement procedures, social facilitation and drug effects. Also, there is commentary on the neuroendocrine effects of exposure and response prevention. Our analyses suggest strong evidence for similar processes occurring during response prevention among both people and laboratory animals. Such a conclusion leads to generalizations being made concerning the most effective way to treat people with phobias. Nevertheless, many lacunae exist in the nearly parallel bodies of literature.
Change in Attitude to Health Behaviors through Teaching with Television

In order to justify teaching college-level personal health courses by methods other than the traditional lecture format, assessment of attitude change to ten selected health behaviors was undertaken. Methods compared included lecture, television taught classes, and self-instruction using mostly television. Following ten weeks of instruction it was found that the self-instructed method produced the most favorable change in attitudes toward behaviors generally considered conducive to good health.
Age Trends in Recognition Memory for Pictures: The Effects of Delay and Testing Procedure

Experiment 1 examined the effects of three delay intervals (0, 24, and 48 h) on recognition memory performance of 5-, 8-, and 11-year-olds and adults using a forced-choice procedure. Results revealed significant drops in performance after 24 h for 5-year-olds and after 48 h for 8-year-olds, with no performance decrement for older age groups. However, observations made during the first experiment raised the possibility that performance in the forced-choice procedure may have been biased, since subjects could infer which item was presented previously from high confidence that the new item had never been presented. Since age differences in use of this inferential process may have exaggerated the performance differences observed with the forced-choice procedure, Experiment 2 employed a single-item yes-no testing procedure to assess age and delay effects on recognition memory. Performance increased with age and decreased with delay, but no differential performance decrement occurred across delay as a function of age. Together, results confirmed earlier studies in demonstrating age invariance in information loss across time.
Histological and biomechanical assessment of articular cartilage from stored osteochondral shell allografts.

Normal and stored articular cartilage from the medial tibial plateaus of mature canine knee joints were evaluated histologically and biomechanically. The medial plateaus from the right knee (control) were assessed fresh, while the left (stored) were preserved in culture media at 4°C for 3, 7, 14, or 28 days and then evaluated. Biomechanically, confined compression tests were performed on all specimens to determine the aggregate modulus and apparent permeability of the articular cartilage. Histologically, Safranin O– and hematoxylin and eosin (H&E)–stained sections were evaluated. All stored cartilage specimens had an aggregate modulus on average lower than normal, but the differences were not significant (p > 0.10). The apparent permeability was on average higher than but also not significantly different from normal (p > 0.10). Time in storage (up to 28 days) did not have a significant effect on the biomechanical properties of stored cartilage normalized by control values (p > 0.50). Safranin O and H&E histological evaluation also showed no overall changes in cell appearance or staining of the stored cartilage when compared with control for the time periods studied.
Ultimate strength properties of explanted and control Silastic II silicone gel-filled breast implant shells ☆ ☆☆

Background: Amid the controversy surrounding the use and durability of silicone gel-filled breast implants, it is important for patients and physicians to understand the factors influencing the long-term durability of these devices. Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of long-term in vivo implantation on the durability of Silastic II silicone gel-filled breast implants. Methods: The ultimate mechanical properties of shells from Silastic II silicone gel-filled explants with in vivo duration times ranging from 0.3 to 13.2 years were measured and compared with the corresponding properties of unimplanted control implants. The ulti-mate strength data obtained from the present study were combined with data from other institutions to estimate long-term effects. Results: The data show that there is an initial decrease in the shells' ultimate strength properties after implantation but no further significant degradation of the elastomeric shell during long-term in vivo implantation. Moreover, extraction of diluents from the explant shells restores their strength properties nearly to the values measured for unim-planted controls. Conclusions: Implant failure for this type of device is not due to mechanical property degradation during long-term implantation.
Poly(pyridinium phenylene)s: water-soluble N-type polymers

Poly(pyridinium phenylene) conjugated polymers are synthesized by a cross-coupling and cyclization sequence. These polyelectrolytes are freely soluble in water and display high degrees of electroactivity. When reduced (n-doped) these materials display in situ conductivities as high as 160 S/cm. The high conductivity is attributed to the planar structure that is enforced by the cyclic structures of the polymer. The electron affinities are compared to PCBM, a C60 based n-type material. We find that these polymers undergo excited state electron transfer reactions with other donor conjugated polymers and hence may find utility in photovoltaic devices.
Effect of postoperative analgesic protocol on limb function following onychectomy in cats.

Objective—To evaluate the analgesic effects of topi- cal administration of bupivacaine, IM administration of butorphanol, and transdermal administration of fen- tanyl in cats undergoing onychectomy. Design—Prospective study. Animals—27 healthy adult cats. Procedure—Cats were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatment groups, and unilateral (left forefoot) ony- chectomy was performed. Gait analysis was per- formed before and 1, 2, 3, and 12 days after surgery. All forces were expressed as a percentage of the cat's body weight. Results—On day 2, peak vertical force (PVF) was signif- icantly decreased in cats treated with bupivacaine, com- pared with cats treated with butorphanol or fentanyl. The ratio of left forelimb PVF to PVF of the other 3 limbs was significantly lower on day 2 in cats treated with bupiva- caine than in cats treated with fentanyl. No significant differences in vertical impulse (VI) were found between groups on any day. Values for PVF, VI, and the PVF ratio increased progressively following surgery. However, for all 3 groups, values were still significantly decreased, compared with baseline values, 12 days after surgery. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Results sug- gest that limb function following onychectomy is sig- nificantly better in cats treated with fentanyl transder- mally or butorphanol IM than in cats treated with bupivacaine topically. Regardless of the analgesic reg- imen, limb function was still significantly reduced 12 days after surgery, suggesting that long-term anal- gesic treatment should be considered for cats under- going onychectomy. Irrigation of the surgical incisions with bupivacaine prior to wound closure cannot be recommended as the sole method for providing post- operative analgesia in cats undergoing onychectomy. (J Am Vet Med Assoc 2005;227:89-93)
A provisional biopharmaceutical classification of the top 200 oral drug products in the United States, Great Britain, Spain, and Japan.

Orally administered, immediate-release (IR) drug products in the top 200 drug product lists from the United States (US), Great Britain (GB), Spain (ES), and Japan (JP) were provisionally classified based on the Biopharmaceutics Classification System (BCS). The provisional classification is based on the aqueous solubility of the drugs reported in readily available reference literature and a correlation of human intestinal membrane permeability for a set of 29 reference drugs with their calculated partition coefficients. Oral IR drug products constituted more that 50% of the top 200 drug products on all four lists, and ranged from 102 to 113 in number. Drugs with dose numbers less than or equal to unity are defined as high-solubility drugs. More than 50% of the oral IR drug products on each list were determined to be high-solubility drugs (55−59%). The provisional classification of permeability is based on correlations of the human intestinal permeabilities of 29 reference drugs with the calculated Log P or...
Using computational predictions to improve literature-based Gene Ontology annotations: a feasibility study

Annotation using Gene Ontology (GO) terms is one of the most important ways in which biological information about specific gene products can be expressed in a searchable, computable form that may be compared across genomes and organisms. Because literature-based GO annotations are often used to propagate functional predictions between related proteins, their accuracy is critically important. We present a strategy that employs a comparison of literature-based annotations with computational predictions to identify and prioritize genes whose annotations need review. Using this method, we show that comparison of manually assigned ‘unknown’ annotations in the Saccharomyces Genome Database (SGD) with InterPro-based predictions can identify annotations that need to be updated. A survey of literature-based annotations and computational predictions made by the Gene Ontology Annotation (GOA) project at the European Bioinformatics Institute (EBI) across several other databases shows that this comparison strategy could be used to maintain and improve the quality of GO annotations for other organisms besides yeast. The survey also shows that although GOA-assigned predictions are the most comprehensive source of functional information for many genomes, a large proportion of genes in a variety of different organisms entirely lack these predictions but do have manual annotations. This underscores the critical need for manually performed, literature-based curation to provide functional information about genes that are outside the scope of widely used computational methods. Thus, the combination of manual and computational methods is essential to provide the most accurate and complete functional annotation of a genome.
Diagnosis of adrenal disorders in hypertension

Currently, the diagnosis of the major adrenal disorders that cause hypertension is extremely accurate due to the development of precise hormonal analytic methods and radiographic techniques for the localization of specific lesions. The major portion of patient evaluation can be carried out in the office, with hospitalization being reserved only for surgical intervention when indicated. This review concentrates on the diagnosis of primary hyperaldosteronism, Cushing's syndrome, and pheochromocytoma as adrenal causes of hypertension. For a full discussion of all aspects of adrenal disease, the reader is referred to the bookAdrenal Disorders [24].
Community context, women's natal kin ties, and demand for children : Macro-micro linkages in social demography

This study uses survey and qualitative data for examining the impact of kinship relations on fertility and fertility preferences among the Tamang in Nepal. It is argued that individual-level mechanisms depend on the social and cultural context specifically that womens natal kin ties will be linked to fertility and vary with social context within one culture. It is predicted that closer ties to natal kin in Timling will increase womens demand for children and Timling women will have higher fertility than Sangila women who have weaker ties and greater participation in wage labor. Kin ties are measured by whether women still live in their natal village. Womens support from natal kin is measured by inheritance. Data are obtained from ethnographic sources and surveys conducted in Sangila and Timling during 1987-88. Multivariate models control for individual-level factors that affect the supply of children. Findings from logistic models indicate that Sangila women who still lived in natal villages were slightly more likely to desire more children while in Timling living in the natal village reduced the odds of desiring more children. The demand for more children was more strongly affected by strong and supportive ties to natal kin than residence in the natal village. Sangila women who received or expected an inheritance were significantly less likely to desire more children. The impact of inheritance was independent of the impact of living in the natal village. Contact with natal kin and support from natal kin had a large positive impact on the likelihood of Sangila couples adopting contraception to stop childbearing. Support from kin had a stronger impact on contraceptive use than contact with kin. Having or expecting an inheritance increased the odds of desiring more children by nine times in Timling and by 50% in Sangila. Findings show that kin ties can have different effects in different social contexts.
Scaphoid fractures with unusual presentations: a case series

Despite the high incidence of scaphoid fractures, their diagnosis and treatment is often delayed which can lead to complications such as non-union, avascular necrosis, and future arthritis. We present three cases with non-classical mechanisms of injury, leading to a delayed diagnosis in all three cases. Our cases serve to emphasize the importance of a high index of suspicion for the possibility of scaphoid fractures in order to avoid these potential complications.
Exploring prokaryotic taxonomy

Techniques drawn from exploratory data analysis, using tools found in the S-Plus statistical software package, have been used to inspect and maintain the Bergey's Taxonomic Outline and to move towards an automated and community-based means of working on the outline. These techniques can be used to classify sequences from unnamed and uncultured organisms, to visualize errors in the taxonomy or in the curation of the sequences, to suggest emendations to the taxonomy or to the classification of extant species and to complement the visualization of phylogenies based on treeing methods. A dataset of more than 9200 aligned small-subunit rRNA sequences was analysed in the context of the current taxonomic outline. The use of the algorithm in exploring and modifying the taxonomy is illustrated with an example drawn from the family Comamonadaceae.
"Having another child would be a life or death situation for her": understanding pregnancy termination among couples in rural Bangladesh.

Objectives. We conducted a mixed-method study in rural southwestern Bangladesh, a country in which an estimated 730 000 elective pregnancy terminations occur each year, to explore women's and couples’ motivations to terminate pregnancies.Methods. Quantitative data derived from a 1998 cross-sectional survey and a longitudinal demographic surveillance system (1998–2003) were combined with qualitative data gathered through 84 in-depth interviews conducted with 19 couples during 2004–2005.Results. Quantitative results indicated that 11% of couples reported a pregnancy termination in the study period; the rate was highest among couples who reported in 1998 that they wanted no more children (29%). Both wives’ and husbands’ fertility preferences independently and significantly predicted pregnancy termination. Qualitative findings showed that more than half of the participants had attempted to terminate a pregnancy at least once in their lifetime.Conclusions. Our results highlight the importance of collecting dat...
Advanced fabrication and characterization of epitaxial ferroelectric thin films and multilayers

Understanding the behavior of ferroelectrics on the nanoscale level requires the production of materials of the highest quality and advanced characterization techniques for probing the fascinating properties of these systems with reduced dimensions. Here we give an overview of our recent achievements in this area, which includes the detailed study of the suppression of ferroelectricity in PbTiO3 thin films, the fabrication of PbTiO3/SrTiO3 superlattices in which ferroelectricity shows some surprising behavior, and finally the manipulation of nanoscale ferroelectric domains using the atomic force microscope which leads to the precise analysis of domain wall creep and roughness in Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 thin films
Competition in the US Meatpacking Industry

This article reviews and evaluates the recent literature on competition in the US meatpacking industry. Studies on market power in meatpacking indicate that concentration in procurement of livestock (cattle or hogs) has not adversely affected prices received by producers or prices paid by consumers. Indeed, there is evidence that producers may be better off because of lower processing costs due to the concentration and introduction of new technical innovations. Policies to restrict alternative marketing arrangements such as those proposed by GIPSA would make producers and consumers worse off. The beef and pork industries are quite complex and contain both spatial and temporal dimensions that can affect the level of competition. Fringe producers because of locational shift of industry and thin markets may be worse off. Establishment of niche enterprises may benefit these producers. In the future, incentives are to maintain steady long-run supplies of livestock to fully operate slaughtering and processing f...
Agricultural research policy issues in Latin America: An Overview

Abstract The paper reviews two critical challenges facing research organizations and governments in the region: obsolete institutional structures and lack of stable funding for agricultural and natural resource management research. The paper describes recent trends in research investments, financing alternatives, and the institutional evolution of research organizations in order to meet those challenges. A preliminary conclusion is that the current low level of funding research, together with the dramatic organizational changes taking place in several public research organizations in the region, provide an opportunity to develop truly national agricultural innovation systems.
The Value Of Partnership In Offshoring

Partnership or strategic partnership is a label attributed to client-vendor relationships characterized as highly involved. This high involvement or collaboration is considered a partnership quality. This study uses the social exchange theory to examine the relationship between clients and vendors as partners in offshoring. Social exchange theory requires that as members of an exchange relationship receive benefit, they must return an equivalent amount of benefit to maintain relationship equilibrium (Homans, 1958). Trust is an important element in exchange relationships because it helps to ensure equilibrium. Management of the client-vendor relationship is critical for the success of the IT offshoring arrangement.
Hydroxyphenylation of Histone Lysines: Post-translational Modification by Quinone Imines.

Monocyclic aromatic amines are widespread environmental contaminants with multiple sources such as combustion products, pharmaceuticals, and pesticides. Their phenolic metabolites are converted intracellularly to electrophilic quinone imines upon autoxidation and can embed in the cellular matrix through a transimination reaction that leaves a redox-active residue as a substituent of lysine side-chain amino groups. To demonstrate the occurrence of this process within the cellular nucleus, Chinese hamster ovary AA8 cells were treated with the para-phenol of 3,5-dimethylamine, after which the histone proteins were isolated, derivatized, and subjected to tryptic digestion. The resulting peptides were analyzed by tandem mass spectrometry to determine which lysines were modified. Nine residues in histones H2A, H2B, and H4 were identified; these were located in histone tails, close to where DNA makes contact with the nuclear core particle, elsewhere on the protein surface, and deep within the core. Kinetics of d...
Recent Advances in Understanding and Engineering Polyketide Synthesis

Polyketides are a diverse group of natural products that form the basis of many important drugs. The engineering of the polyketide synthase (PKS) enzymes responsible for the formation of these compounds has long been considered to have great potential for producing new bioactive molecules. Recent advances in this field have contributed to the understanding of this powerful and complex enzymatic machinery, particularly with regard to domain activity and engineering, unique building block formation and incorporation, and programming rules and limitations. New developments in tools for in vitro biochemical analysis, full-length megasynthase structural studies, and in vivo heterologous expression will continue to improve our fundamental understanding of polyketide synthesis as well as our ability to engineer the production of polyketides.
SO What? The Value of Scientific Inquiry and Theory Building in Special Operations Research

The authors argue that the pursuit of theory is required for a scientifically-rigorous body of research on special operations. Following a review of the nature of theory and its role in the study of war and warfare, the authors argue against the development of a single, over-arching meta-theory of special operations. Instead, they propose that efforts at theory development should be aimed at a level below that of special operations, and suggest that focusing on the doctrinal division between surgical strike and special warfare offers great promise for developing theories of special warfare and surgical strike.
Performance of the CLA/200 ChemPro Lipid Analyzer for the Measurements of Cholesterol, HDL, and Triglycerides

The CLA/200 ChemPro Lipid Analyzer was compared with the Hitachi-737 for the measurements of cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and triglycerides in serum. The CLA/200 overall precision was acceptable for lipid analyses. For various serumbased control materials, the total CVs (coefficients of variation) of the CLAI 200 were 3.5% and 3.8% for cholesterol, 3.3% and 4.7% for triglycerides, and 3.4% for HDL. CVs of the Hitachi-737 with the same controls were 2.1% and 2.8% for cholesterol, 1.4% and 2.5% for triglycerides, and 5.5% for HDL. Patients' results from the CLA/200 correlated well with those from the Hitachi-737. Interfer-From the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Methodist Hospital of Indiana, Indianapolis, Ind. Reprint requests to Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Methodist Hospital of Indiana, 1701 N Senate Blvd, PO Box 1367, Indianapolis, IN 46202 (Dr Ng). ences caused by icterus, lipemia, and hemolysis were not significantly different from those found with the Hitachi-737. For each test with the CLA/200, a single reagent system in unit-dose packaging was used. The CLA/200 is simple to operate and requires no maintenance. It should be useful for lipid analyses in physician offices and small laboratories.
Production of an Extracutaneous Kidney.

The information gained from observations on the extracutaneous spleen (Barcroft1) has been one of the important factors in advancing our knowledge of the physiology of that organ. A careful review of the literature does not reveal a similar method for the study of the kidney. The spleen is peculiarly adapted to such a study because it is so easily mobilized and is composed histologically of considerable muscular tissue. The kidney, however, is available for a similar investigation despite its more highly specialized character and vast structural differences.The experimental animals in all instances have been female dogs weighing about 10 to 12 kilograms. A very simple procedure to exteriorize the kidney has been employed. An oblique lumbar incision is carried through the skin and subcutaneous tissue to the muscle layer. The muscles are separated by blunt dissection and the kidney fossa exposed. This technique gives sufficient space to lift the intact kidney to the surface of the body where it may be fixed...
KLL Auger Transition Probabilities

$\mathrm{KLL}$ Auger transition rates have been computed for a variety of atoms $Z=1$ to $Z=80$ for all transitions involved. Screened nonrelativistic hydrogenic wave functions were used, with screening constants derived from the limiting screening numbers for self consistent-field functions given by Froese. Auger electron energies were derived from tabulated energy level values. Transition probabilities in the Russell-Saunders coupling forms given by Asaad and Burhop were obtained. They show smooth changes with $Z$, tending to saturate at high $Z$. The $^{1}D_{2}$ and $^{1}P_{1}$ probabilities show much greater increases with $Z$ than do those of $^{1}S_{0}$ and $^{3}P_{J}$. These Auger probabilities for the $\mathrm{sp}$ and ${p}^{2}$ cases are opposite in strength to those found by Asaad using relativistic theory. Variations in the transition rates for several atoms were found when effective atomic charge and ejected electron energy were changed slightly. Additionally, some $K$-shell fluorescence yields were computed and they are compared with other values.
Task Scheduling of Vehicle Management System Based on ACO Algorithm

A method based on ant colony optimization( ACO) was put forward for solving the problem of multiprocessor task scheduling in Vehicle Management System( VMS). Taking task number,task grade,task load,and the relation between task and flight status into consideration,the single processor risk coefficient function was designed. To balance the risk coefficients among the processors,the objective function of task scheduling was established. Then,the process of ACO for solving VMS task scheduling problem was given. A suboptimal scheduling scheme was obtained through simulation,which verified the effectiveness of proposed method.
Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of infant: a clinicopathologic study of 5 cases

Objective To investigate the clinicopathologic features,diagnosis,differential diagnosis,treatment and prognosis of infantile inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor( IMT). Methods Five cases of infantile IMT with follow-up data were clinicopathologically reviewed. Results There were one male and four females. The age was 8 to 22 months,and the median age was 14 months. The tumor involved in the lung( 2 cases) and in the abdominal cavity( 3 cases).Histologically,infantile IMT was a lesion composed of fascicles of bland myofibroblastic cells with an inflammatory infiltrate consisting of lymphocytes,plasma cells,and eosinophils. There were ganglion-like cells in 2 cases. Anaplastic lymphoma kinase( ALK) expression was positive in 3 cases,2 of which recurred. Two cases were negative for ALK with no recurrence. Conclusion IMT is a rare neoplastic lesion with a high incidence in children,but extremely rare in infant and it must be distinguished from other spindle cell tumors. Careful long-time follow-up after operation is required because of the risk of recurrence and the limited therapeutic options other than surgery.
Intrinsic Optical Changes in Neuronal Tissue: Basic Mechanisms

Associated with changes in the level of physiological activity in neuronal tissue are changes in the intrinsic optical properties of the tissue. As a consequence, it is possible to optically monitor neuronal activity without the use of dyes or other contrast-enhancing agents. Such optical techniques have been applied in the laboratory for more than 50 years. Recent developments in near-infrared spectroscopy and intraoperative optical imaging have suggested a number of clinically important applications of this technology. This article provides an overview of what is known about the physiological correlates and underlying mechanisms associated with activity-evoked optical changes in neuronal tissue.
Barriers to Mental Health Care for an Ethnically and Racially Diverse Sample of Older Adults

Objectives This study examined potential barriers to mental healthcare use of older adults from diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds. Design Data were obtained from the 2007, 2009, 2011–12, and 2013–14 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS), a population-based survey representative of California's noninstitutionalized population. Participants The total sample consisted of 75,324 non-Hispanic white (NHW), 6,600 black, 7,695 Asian and Pacific Islander (API), and 4,319 Hispanic adults aged 55 and older. Results Results from logistic regression analyses that controlled for multiple demographic and health status characteristics revealed ethnic and racial differences in reasons for not seeking treatment and for terminating treatment. Specifically, API and Hispanic adults had greater odds than NHWs of endorsing feeling uncomfortable talking to a professional as a reason for not seeking treatment. Hispanic respondents had lower odds of endorsing concerns about someone finding out than APIs, and APIs and blacks had significantly greater odds of endorsing this concern as a reason for not seeking treatment than NHWs. When asked about reasons for no longer receiving treatment, all respondents, irrespective of race or ethnicity, endorsed that they no longer needed treatment as the most frequent reason for terminating treatment, although specific ethnic and racial differences emerged with respect to perceptions of not getting better, lack of time or transportation, and lack of insurance coverage as reasons for no longer seeking treatment. Conclusion Understanding how barriers to mental health treatment differ for older adults from diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds is an important step toward designing interventions to overcome these obstacles and improve mental health outcomes.
The Surface Active Site Distribution of Ceramic Powders Produced by the Ultra-fine Grinding

Silicon carbide, silicon nitride and silicon dioxide powders were finely ground by a vibration ball mill, a pot and balls which were made of silicon nitride ceramics, in a purified methanol medium free from water. The surface active site distribution of ground powders has been measured by Temperature-Programmed Desorption technique which was carried out by applying gas-chromatography, where ammonia gas was used as the probative molecule.As the result of the mechanochemical activation caused by the fine grinding, the concentration of active sites of ground powders increased remarkably with an increase in grinding time. The active sites were composed of weak and strong active centers. The surface active site distribution of ground powders varied with the grinding time, and differed from each compound powder. A method for seizing the topochemical information of active sites has been proposed.