cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
“Trying to Talk about Paradox, or the Existence of That Which Does Not Exist”: The Transposition of The Blood Oranges from John Hawkes's 1972 Novel to Philip Haas's 1997 Film

A comparison of key features of John Hawkes's novel, The Blood Oranges (1972), with Philip Haas's film (1997) demonstrates the film to be constructed artfully and with meaningful attention to the Hawkes novel. An examination of the treatment of representative stylistic details and scenes in each, however, reveals in the Hawkes novel a fertile landscape for subtlety and interpretive richness, expressed in a wide range of tones—from comic irony to obsession to paradox. The Haas film, in contrast, represents a more limited interpretational manner: a product of specific (but delimiting) interpretive choices that diminish the profundity of the Hawkes text.
Overexpression of Drosophila Rad51 protein (DmRad51) disrupts cell cycle progression and leads to apoptosis

Among proteins involved in homologous recombination, Rad51 is an essential enzyme in DNA repair and recombination. However, little is known about its role in cell cycle regulation and apoptosis. To examine the function of Drosophila Rad51 (DmRad51) in cell cycle regulation and apoptosis, DmRad51 protein was overexpressed using a heat shock-inducible promoter or the UAS–GAL4 binary expression system. We observed that ubiquitous expression of DmRad51 protein in flies carrying hsp26–Rad51 or UAS–Rad51 transgenes was lethal. Induction of DmRad51—more specifically in eye or wing imaginal discs—caused tissue-specific cell death in the domains of DmRad51 expression. Cell death was due to apoptosis, as shown by staining with the TdT-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling assay. Immunocytochemistry revealed that cells expressing DmRad51 colocalized with apoptotic cells. In addition, the phenotypes caused by the overexpression of DmRad51 were similar to those caused by ectopic expression of Reaper, a proapoptotic protein, and were partially suppressed by the coexpression of p35, an antiapoptotic protein. Using an antiphosphohistone H3 antibody, we also observed that the overexpression of DmRad51 protein disrupted normal cell cycle progression in eye imaginal discs. Taken together, these results show that ectopically expressed DmRad51 disrupts cell cycle regulation and induces apoptosis.
Light and electron microscopy of the human fetal thymus.

The human fetal thymus was studied at stages from 9 to 20 weeks of gestation. At 9 weeks of gestation the human fetal thymus contained lymphoid cells and was vascular although it was not yet lobulated nor did it have a cortex and medulla. By 12 weeks the thymus was lobulated and at 14 weeks a cortex and medulla could be distinguished, although the medulla was often more densely cellular than the cortex. By 18 weeks there were many lobules and a mature looking cortex and medulla. Large lymphocytes at all stages of thymus development studied were irregular in shape and often had blunt pseudopodia-like cytoplasmic extensions, or more slender cytoplasmic extensions. They also often possessed numerous elongated mitochondria, a large Golgi complex and strongly basophilic cytoplasm. Large lymphocytes were not attached to the epithelial cells by desmosomes although some of the cytoplasmic extensions from them were in association with extensions from epithelial cells. Primitive medium-sized lymphocytes at all stages studied were round in shape and had fewer mitochondria than the large lymphocytes. Epithelial cells were much less basophilic than the lymphoid cells and usually contained aggregates of glycogen. Occasional macrophages were observed within the developing thymus after 12 weeks of gestation and one granulocyte was observed within the thymus at 9 weeks while numerous granulocytes were seen within an interlobular septa at 14 weeks of gestation. Vessels were present within the thymus at all stages studied and at 9 weeks some had a boundary between the blood and thymus which consisted of only a thin endothelial cell and its basal lamina rather than the usual boundary of an endothelial cell and its basal lamina plus an epithelial cell and its basal lamina.
Microarray Analysis of p53 Target Gene Expression Patterns in the Spleen and Thymus in Response to Ionizing Radiation

The ability of p53 to induce apoptosis through transactivation of its target genes is critical for its function as a tumor suppressor. To identify the critical p53 target genes that mediate apoptosis through these pathways, we examined p53-dependent apoptosis in vivo where these apoptotic pathways are intact. p53 wild-type and null animals were irradiated and the global p53 gene expression patterns in response to ionizing radiation were examined in two tissues (spleen and thymus) which undergo p53-dependent apoptosis in response to ionizing radiation. We found that the vast majority of genes that increased or decreased in a p53-dependent manner did so in a tissue specific manner. Although the spleen and thymus had similar levels of p53-dependent apoptosis after ionizing radiation, there was very little overlap in the induced or repressed targets. This suggested that distinct targets may mediate apoptosis in these tissues. In addition, these microarray analyses also led to the identification of several nov...
Moderate Ethanol Preconditioning of Rat Brain Cultures Engenders Neuroprotection Against Dementia-Inducing Neuroinflammatory Proteins: Possible Signaling Mechanisms

There is no question that chronic alcohol (ethanol) abuse, a leading worldwide problem, causes neuronal dysfunction and brain damage. However, various epidemiologic studies in recent years have indicated that in comparisons with abstainers or never-drinkers, light/moderate alcohol consumers have lower risks of age-dependent cognitive decline and/or dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Such reduced risks have been variously attributed to favorable circulatory and/or cerebrovascular effects of moderate ethanol intake, but they could also involve ethanol “preconditioning” phenomena in brain glia and neurons. Here we summarize our experimental studies showing that moderate ethanol preconditioning (MEP; 20–30 mM ethanol) of rat brain cultures prevents neurodegeneration due to β-amyloid, an important protein implicated in AD, and to other neuroinflammatory proteins such as gp120, the human immunodeficiency virus 1 envelope protein linked to AIDS dementia. The MEP neuroprotection is associated with suppression of neurotoxic protein-evoked initial increases in [Ca+2]i and proinflammatory mediators—e.g., superoxide anion, arachidonic acid, and glutamate. Applying a sensor → transducer → effector model to MEP, we find that onset of neuroprotection correlates temporally with elevations in “effector” heat shock proteins (HSP70, HSP27, and phospho-HSP27). The effector status of HSPs is supported by the fact that inhibiting HSP elevations due to MEP largely restores gp120-induced superoxide potentiation and subsequent neurotoxicity. As upstream mediators, synaptic N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors may be initial prosurvival sensors of ethanol, and protein kinase C epsilon and focal adhesion kinase are likely transducers during MEP that are essential for protective HSP elevations. Regarding human consumption, we speculate that moderate ethanol intake might counter incipient cognitive deterioration during advanced aging or AD by exerting preconditioning-like suppression of ongoing neuroinflammation related to amyloidogenic protein accumulation.
An interaction energy integral method for computation of mixed-mode stress intensity factors along non-planar crack fronts in three dimensions

A new interaction energy integral method for extracting mixed-mode stress intensity factors along the fronts of non-planar, three-dimensional cracks is described. In the method, interaction energy contour integrals are defined and expressed in domain form. The mixed-mode stress intensity factors are obtained by evaluating the domain integrals as a post-processing step in the finite element method. To assess the accuracy of the method, two benchmark problems are considered. The first problem is that of an arc crack in an infinitely extended solid subjected to equibiaxial tension. The second is that of a lens-shaped crack embedded in an infinite solid subjected to hydrostatic tension. Excellent agreement is obtained between the numerical and corresponding analytical results obtained from the literature.
RHEOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF HEATED CORN STARCH + SOYBEAN 7S AND 11S GLOBULIN DISPERSIONS

At 10% solids content, magnitudes of G′ and G″ of soybean 7S dispersion were substantially lower than those of corn starch dispersion, while those of soybean 11S dispersion were much higher than those of starch. Profiles of G′ at 30 Hz as a function of starch concentration of starch + 7S and starch + 11S gels were asymmetrical reflecting phase separation due to thermodynamic incompatibility. However, the starch concentration corresponding to the critical point below which no phase separation occurs for the starch + 7S dispersion was about 7% and for the starch + 11S dispersion it was about 3%. At equal starch fractions, values of G′ at 30 rad s-1 of corn starch + 7S dispersions were nearly equal to those of only corn starch. In contrast, at starch concentrations between 6–8%, G′ values of the corn starch + 11S dispersions were much higher than those of only starch and a minimum value occurred at a starch concentration of about 5%. Based on frequency dependence of G′ values, heated corn starch + 7S dispersions may be classified as weak gels, while heated corn starch + 11S dispersions may be classified as true gels.
Free versus bound salicylate concentration in adults and children with chronic inflammatory joint disease

Salicylate (SA) binding to albumin in purified human serum albumin (HSA) solutions was found to be predictably dependent on the concentrations of albumin and total SA. The influence of the presence of other ligands on SA binding in HSA solutions was measured and, in the case of bound fatty acids, free fractions of SA were increased by up to 100%. In sharp contrast, the free fraction of SA present in sera from patients with arthritis who were on long-term aspirin (ASA) therapy was roughly twice that found in HSA solutions. A correlation between serum concentrations of free SA and albumin was evident in sera from one group of children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (r = -0.75) but was not seen in sera from the other patients. This would indicate that in vivo, the albumin level is not the sole, or, in some patients, even the dominant determinant of the free fraction of SA. Additional factors such as fatty acids and other hydrophobic ligands, both endogenous and exogenous, should be studied further, especially in adults.
Is diagnostic judgment influenced by a bias to see pathology

The clinical judgment literature suggests that clinicians are biased to see psychopathology. The social cognition literature shows that people can be biased to search for information relevant only to the hypothesis under test and to ignore information relevant to the alternative. In light of these biases, we asked practicing clinicians (N = 106 respondents) in three conditions to read 1 of 9 biographical essays. The conditions called for the clinicians to judge the writer of the essay as (a) psychologically healthy or not, (b) psychologically healthy or unhealthy, or (c) experiencing psychopathology or not. The latter condition was expected to produce the highest frequency of negative judgments. The opposite result was obtained. To determine if this was due to the extreme wording in the “psychopathology” condition, 30 additional practicing clinicians assessed whether the writer of the essay was psychologically unhealthy or not. A comparison of these data with those from the two less extreme conditions showed no bias. The results were interpreted as an appropriate level of conservativism in clinical judgment with respect to the extreme diagnosis implied by the term psychopathology. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Clin Psychol 55: 513–518, 1999.
Protein and nucleic acid methylating enzymes: mechanisms and regulation.

Protein and nucleic acid methylating enzymes are implicated in myriad cellular processes. These enzymes utilize diverse chemical mechanisms ranging from nucleophilic substitution-displacement to a novel radical-based reaction found in bacterial iron–sulfur cluster proteins. Within the cell, methylation activity is governed by interactions with endogenous molecular machinery. Of particular interest are the observations that methylating enzyme activity can be allosterically controlled by regulatory binding partners. Recent advances and emerging trends in the study of methylating enzyme mechanisms and regulation highlight the importance of protein and nucleic acid methylation in cellular physiology and disease.
Raman spectroscopic study of the conformational order of octadecylsilane stationary phases: effects of electrolyte and pH

This study investigates effects of the electrolyte, of acidic and basic compounds, and of pH on the rotational and conformational order of octadecylsilane stationary phases with surface coverages of 3.09 and 6.45 μmol/m2. Both phases exhibit an increase in alkyl chain rotational and conformational order in 5–200 mM aqueous electrolyte solutions relative to water. These stationary phases are effectively “salted-out” of aqueous electrolyte solutions, thereby causing alkyl chain intermolecular interactions to increase with a concomitant increase in alkyl chain order. Although the presence of acidic and basic compounds generally has no effect on the conformational order of either stationary phase as a function of pH, the higher coverage stationary phase does exhibit pH-dependent changes in aqueous solutions of benzoic acid. At pH values below the pKa of benzoic acid, the conformational order of this stationary phase is unchanged relative to that observed in the same pH solution in the absence of benzoic acid. In light of independent evidence that such monosubstituted aromatics interact with the octadecylsilane stationary phase under these conditions, the absence of a measurable effect on alkyl chain order for these conditions is attributed to benzoic acid self-association at the stationary phase-mobile phase interface. In contrast, at pH values above the pKa of benzoic acid, slight disordering of the alkyl chains is observed and is attributed to repulsive interactions between retained benzoate anions.
Two-Photon Antenna-Core Oxygen Probe with Enhanced Performance

Recent development of two-photon phosphorescence lifetime microscopy (2PLM) of oxygen enabled first noninvasive high-resolution measurements of tissue oxygenation in vivo in 3D, providing valuable physiological information. The so far developed two-photon-enhanced phosphorescent probes comprise antenna-core constructs, in which two-photon absorbing chromophores (antenna) capture and channel excitation energy to a phosphorescent core (metalloporphyrin) via intramolecular excitation energy transfer (EET). These probes allowed demonstration of the methods' potential; however, they suffer from a number of limitations, such as partial loss of emissivity to competing triplet state deactivation pathways (e.g., electron transfer) and suboptimal sensitivity to oxygen, thereby limiting spatial and temporal resolution of the method. Here we present a new probe, PtTCHP-C307, designed to overcome these limitations. The key improvements include significant increase in the phosphorescence quantum yield, higher efficiency of the antenna-core energy transfer, minimized quenching of the phosphorescence by electron transfer and increased signal dynamic range. For the same excitation flux, the new probe is able to produce up to 6-fold higher signal output than previously reported molecules. Performance of PtTCHP-C307 was demonstrated in vivo in pO2 measurements through the intact mouse skull into the bone marrow, where all blood cells are made from hematopoietic stem cells.
KinEdit: a tool to help developers refactor manually

Some developers do not trust automated refactoring tools to refactor correctly. Refactoring without tools can be a cumbersome and error-prone process. It is possible for a tool to support developers in refactoring without requiring them to trust in automated code manipulation. This paper contributes KinEdit—a tool which is designed to help developers manually refactor more quickly, with higher quality, and without requiring the developers’ trust.
Lambda waves evoked by retinal stimulation in the absence of eye movements

Abstract The present experiment verified the hypothesis that lambda waves are evoked potentials in response to visual image movement, and are not necessarily associated with eye movement. Retinal stimulation comparable to saccadic eye movement was produced by 200 msec periods of movement of vertical black and white stripes before the immobilized eyes of cats. Potentials identical to the previously described feline lambda waves were elicited by the onset and sometimes termination of stripe movement. They were recorded from chronically implanted macroelectrodes not only at the visual cortex, but also at the optic tract and lateral geniculate nucleus. The amplitude and latency of these potentials varied systematically with stripe width and velocity, but most closely with the frequency of black-white contrast alternation over the retina. Cellular mechanisms for these phenomena were proposed, and the differences between the lambda wave and other eye movement related potentials (PGO wave, EMMD, calcarine cortex potential, corollary discharge and efference copy) were discussed. It was concluded that the lambda wave may be related to that part of perceptual and particularly evoked potential depression which follows the onset of eye movement in a non-homogeneous environment.
Estradiol-induced Phosphorylation of Serine 118 in the Estrogen Receptor Is Independent of p42/p44 Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase

Phosphorylation of Ser118 of human estrogen receptor α (ER) enhances ER-mediated transcription and is induced by hormone binding and by activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. We discovered that phosphorylation of Ser118 reduces the electrophoretic mobility of the ER. Using this mobility shift as an assay, we determined the in vivo stoichiometry and kinetics of Ser118 phosphorylation in response to estradiol, ICI 182,780, epidermal growth factor (EGF), and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA). In human breast cancer MCF-7 cells, estradiol induced a steady state phosphorylation of Ser118 within 20 min with a stoichiometry of 0.67 mol of phosphate/mol of ER. Estradiol did not activate p42/p44 MAPK, and basal p42/p44 MAPK activity was not sufficient to account for phosphorylation of Ser118 in response to estradiol. In contrast, both EGF and PMA induced a rapid, transient phosphorylation of Ser118 with a stoichiometry of ~0.25, and the onset of Ser118 phosphorylation correlated with the onset of p42/p44 MAPK activation by these agents. Either the EGF- or PMA-induced Ser118 phosphorylation could be inhibited without influencing estradiol-induced Ser118phosphorylation. The data suggest that a kinase other than p42/p44 MAPK is involved in the estradiol-induced Ser118phosphorylation. We propose that the hormone-induced change in ER conformation exposes Ser118 for phosphorylation by a constitutively active kinase.
Down-regulation of prostaglandin F2α receptors in rat liver during chronic endotoxemia

Abstract Prostaglandin (PG) F 2α binding parameters were measured in purified plasma membrane preparations isolated from livers of chronically endotoxin-(ET) treated rats and corresponding controls. Two classes of binding sites were detected in both groups: high affinity, low capacity, with a K D of 44.4 ± 8.8 nM for saline- and 28.6 ± 11.3 nM for ET-treated rats (n = 5 for both, p > 0.05) and low affinity, high capacity with a K D of 1.12 ± 0.49 μM for saline- and 1.24 ± 0.43 μM for ET-treated rats (p > 0.05). B max values for high affinity sites were 1.01 ± 0.18 fmol.mg −1 protein for saline- and 1.02 ± 0.54 (same units) for ET-treated rats (p > 0.05). There was a significant difference (p max values for low affinity sites in saline- (675 ± 332 fmol.mg −1 protein) and ET-treated rats (12 ± 1, same units). This decrease in the amount of PGF 2α low affinity high capacity binding sites may underlie the depression of the PGF 2α stimulatory effect on hepatic gluconeogenesis induced by non-lethal, chronic ET treatment of rats, recently described by us (9).
Diagnosis of pulmonary vascular limit to exercise by cardiopulmonary exercise testing.

Abstract Background Given the recent development of newer and less-invasive treatments for pulmonary hypertension, and the long wait for lung transplantation, early and correct diagnosis of this condition is increasingly important. The purpose of this study was to determine and improve the accuracy of a non-invasive, cardiopulmonary exercise-testing algorithm for detecting a pulmonary vascular limit to exercise. Methods We performed 130 consecutive, incremental cycling-exercise tests for exertional symptoms with pulmonary and radial artery catheters in place. Pulmonary vascular limit was defined as pulmonary vascular resistance at maximum exercise >120 dynes · sec/cm 5 and a peak-exercise systemic oxygen delivery Results The sensitivity of the original non-invasive algorithm for pulmonary vascular limit was 79%, specificity was 75%, and accuracy was 76%. Sensitivity did not change with systematic alteration of branch-point threshold values, but specificity and accuracy improved to 88% and 85%, respectively. Accuracy improved most by modifying the threshold values for percent predicted maximum oxygen uptake and carbon dioxide output ventilatory equivalents at lactate threshold. Conclusion Non-invasive cardiopulmonary exercise testing is a useful tool for detecting and excluding a pulmonary vascular limit and for determining whether abnormal pulmonary hemodynamics limit aerobic capacity.
EFFECT of PASTEURIZATION ON MICROBIOLOGICAL and SENSORY QUALITY of WHITE GRAPE JUICE and WINE

The effect of pasteurization on the microbiological and sensory quality of white grape juice and wine was investigated. Heat treatment of less than 3 Pasteurization Units (PUs = minutes at 60°C or equivalent) was sufficient to reduce 106 cells/mL of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Hansenula anomala added to Chenin blanc juice to an undetectable level. In contrast, heat treatment exceeding 105 PUs was required to have a measurable browning effect on juice, as measured by absorbance at 420 nm and by formation of 5-hydroxymethyl-furfural. Furthermore, up to 50,000 PUs did not significantly affect flavor, as determined by duo-trio tests with 18 trained judges. Pasteurized (23 PUs) and nonpasteurized juice fermented at the same rate, although not as rapidly as pasteurized, thiamine-supplemented juice. Tunnel pasteurization (13.7 PUs) reduced 5 × 106 yeast cells/mL added to grape juice to an undetectable level and did not significantly affect juice or wine flavor.
Teaching Negotiation and Dispute Resolution in Colleges of Business: The State of the Practice

Tracing the history of how the study of dispute resolution came into the mainstream of behavioral science courses in business schools, the author gives a positive assessment of the appropriateness of the content and pedagogy of negotiation courses currently taught in business schools for the challenges of the next decade. He proceeds to make recommendations for improving the definition and acquisition of negotiation skills.
Comparison of Outcomes After 123I Versus 131I Preablation Imaging Before Radioiodine Ablation in Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma

Detection of residual tissue after thyroidectomy for papillary or follicular thyroid carcinoma may be performed using diagnostic imaging with either 123 Io r131I. The former is often preferred to avoid ‘‘stunning’’—defined as a reduction in uptake of the therapeutic dose of 131I caused by some form of cell damage from the diagnostic dosage of the radionuclide. Stunning could potentially reduce the therapeutic efficacy of 131 I given to ablate a postthyroidectomy remnant. This study examines the outcomes of ablative 131 I therapy after diagnostic studies with either 123 Io r 131 It o determine if the diagnostic dosages of these radionuclides used in our Thyroid Cancer Center reduce the efficacy of 131 I given for remnant ablation. Methods: Fifty patients with nonmetastatic papillary or follicular carcinoma of the thyroid received total thyroidectomy; this was followed by thyroid hormone withdrawal to achieve a serum thyroid-stimulating hormone level in excess of 30 mIU/mL. They were divided prospectively into 2 groups. Group 1 had diagnostic imaging with 14.8 MBq of 123 I followed by thyroid remnant ablation with 3.7 GBq of 131I. Group 2 had empiric ablation with the same 3.7-GBq 131 I dosage, but the preceding diagnostic scan was performed with 74 MBq of 131 I. Comparisons of equivalence of the 2 population samples and of the postablation outcomes were evaluated by x 2 analysis. Successful ablation required a negative follow-up thyroid scan 6–8 mo after ablation and also an undetectable serum thyroglobulin level in the absence of antithyroglobulin antibodies. Results: There was no significant difference between the 2 groups demographically, in tumor burden or stage, or in the postthyroidectomy ablation rate (group 1, 81%; group 2, 74%; P . 0.05). Conclusion: If thyroid remnant stunning occurs due to 74 MBq 131I used as a diagnostic agent before 131 I ablation, it has no significant clinical correlate, as it yields the same ablation rate as that which occurs after 14.8 MBq of 123 I used for imaging.
A search algorithm for fixed-composition protein design.

We present a computational protein design algorithm for finding low-energy sequences of fixed amino acid composition. The search algorithms used in protein design typically do not restrict amino acid composition. However, the random energy model of Shakhnovich suggests that the use of fixed-composition sequences may circumvent defects in the modeling of the denatured state. Our algorithm, FC_FASTER, links fixed-composition versions of Monte Carlo and the FASTER algorithm. As proof of principle, FC_FASTER was tested on an experimentally validated, full-sequence design of the β1 domain of protein G. For the wild-type composition, FC_FASTER found a lower energy sequence than the experimentally validated sequence. Also, for a different composition, FC_FASTER found the hypothetical lowest-energy sequence in 14 out of 32 trials.
Comparing the Clinical Utility of the Infant Developmental Inventory With the Ages and Stages Questionnaire at 9-Month Well-Child Visits

Objective: The purpose of our study was to compare the clinical utility of administering 2 recommended developmental screening instruments, the Infant Developmental Inventory (IDI) and the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ), at 9-month well-child visits in paper format. Methods: Outcomes of the 2 screens, including correct completion and interpretation by clinician, time of visit, and screen outcome were compared. Results: Out of 33 children administered the ASQ and with documented scores, 12 (36.4%) did not receive passing scores, while 5 (12.2%) of the 41 children administered the IDI did not receive passing scores (P = .014). Out of 41 IDI screens, 12 (29.3%) were completed incorrectly, while there were no ASQ screens completed incorrectly (P < .001) by caregivers. Conclusion: In our pilot study, the ASQ is more often completed correctly by caregivers and identifies more children at risk for delay as compared with the IDI. Additional larger scale studies are needed to evaluate the usefulness of develo...
Foliar and tuber assessment of late blight ( Phytophthora infestans (Mont.) de Bary) reaction in cultivated potato ( Solanum tuberosum L.)

Host plant resistance is an important component to the management of potato late blight,Phytophthora infestans (Mont.) de Bary. Assessment of potato lines (Solanum tuberosum L.) with various levels of resistance toP. infestans (US8, A2 genotype) were evaluated in field trials, greenhouse controlled environment chambers and inoculated tuber reactions. Five lines (AWN86514-2, B0692-4, B0718-3, Jacqueline Lee, and B0288-17) with strong foliar resistance to late blight were identified in these inoculated field trials. Greenhouse controlled environment chamber studies allowed resistant and susceptible lines to be distinguished, but the 1998 greenhouse results did not correlate well with field data. Four lines (A084275-3, Bzura, MSG007-1, and MSG297-4RD) evaluated by a digital image analysis technique demonstrated tuber resistance based upon average reflective index values in the inoculated tuber studies. Tuber resistance did not correlate with field foliar resistance. Based upon these results, field assessment of foliar reaction toP. infestans provides the best measure for assessing late blight resistance in potato. Tuber resistance to late blight can be identified among lines with varying levels of foliar resistance.
A graph-theoretic data model for genome mapping databases

Graphs are a natural foundation for genome map databases. Mapping and other genomic data can be clearly represented by graphs, and graphs can be stored in a database. Graphs are defined as a collection of nodes and arcs and can represent genomic objects and relationships between them. Mapping databases are needed to store the rapidly growing amount of mapping data. These databases must store the information contained in both published maps and laboratory notebooks. We describe a graph database which can store mapping data directly as graphs and formalize it as a graph-theoretic data model. >
Three-state models of furanose pseudorotation

A general procedure is described to treat the pseudorotation of the furanose ring in terms of a three-state conformational equilibrium. In addition to the principal n (C3'-endo) and s (C2'-endo) puckering domains, the unusual e (01'-endo) intermediate is included in the analysis. Each of these three conformational categories is represented by a blend of five closely related puckered forms rather than by a single rotational isomeric state. Using this model together with experimentally measured nmr coupling constants, the puckering populations of various nucleic acid analogs are estimated. The conventional two-state n/s equilibria is confirmed in ordinary ribose and deoxyribose systems. The e domain, however, is found to be of major importance in several chemically modified furanoses including certain pyrimidine deoxynucleosides damaged by radiation and various nucleosides and nucleotides forced by bulky substituents on the base into unusual syn glycosyl arrangements. The "free" pseudorotation of these modified systems is not detected by conventional two-state puckering analyses.
Effect of clonal reproduction on genetic structure in Pentaclethra macroloba (Fabaceae: Mimosoideae)

The existence of monodominant forests on well-drained soils in tropical regions has been widely reported. Such forests most likely result from a combination of both ecological and evolutionary factors. Under conditions of high seed and seedling mortality, vegetative reproduction could create a reproductive advantage leading to forest dominance, and profoundly affect the distribution of genetic variation in a clonal species. We investigated these effects in a low diversity forest site in Northeastern Costa Rica dominated by the species Pentaclethra macroloba, which sprouts from the root mass of fallen trees and from snapped trunks. We exam- ined the population structure of juvenile P. macroloba growing in different soil types and across an elevational gradient. Using seven molecular markers, we genotyped 173 juvenile P. macroloba from 18 plots (six plots in seasonally inundated swamps, and 12 plots in upland non-swamp) spanning 50-300m in elevation at La Selva Biological Station and the adjacent Reserva Ecologica Bijagual in Northeastern Costa Rica. We answered two specific questions: (1) How extensive is clonal reproduction? and (2) what is the distribution of genetic diversity and structure?. We found that clonal reproduction occurred exclusively within inundated swamp areas. However, there was no significant difference between genetic diversity measures in swamp and non-swamp plots, which were both generally low when compared with other tropical forest species. Genetic structure was significant across all plots (F ST =0.109). However, genetic structure among swamp plots (F ST =0.128) was higher than among non-swamp upland plots (F ST =0.093). Additionally, spatial autocorrelation among individuals within non-swamp upland plots was significant from the 25 to 100m spatial scale, but not within swamp plots. The degree of overall genetic structure we found in P. macroloba is high for a tropical forest tree. The incidence of clonal reproduction is a contributing factor in genetic differentiation, but the high structure among plots without clonal reproduction indicates that other factors contribute as well. Rev. Biol. Trop. 62 (2): 443-454. Epub 2014 June 01.
The Performance-Importance Response Function: Observations and Implications

Services and products possess various attributes, some being more important than others. Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) is a technique for prioritising attributes based on measurements of performance and importance. A weakness of IPA is that it conceptualises attribute importance as a scalar which is independent of attribute performance. In this article we theorise that importance is not adequately represented as a point estimate, but is a function of performance. When attribute performance changes, importance does also, which can change the relative priority of subsequent improvement efforts. Empirical results are presented which support our theory, The nature of the performance-importance response function is discussed, along with implications. Ideas for future research are also discussed, including application of the findings to quality modelling (SERVQUAL) and other decision support methodologies (Quality Function Deployment and the Analytic Hierarchy Process).
Facilitation of Male Sexual Behavior in Syrian Hamsters by the Combined Action of Dihydrotestosterone and Testosterone

Background: Testosterone (T) controls male Syrian hamster sexual behavior, however, neither of T’s primary metabolites, dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and estradiol (E2), even in highly supraphysiological doses, fully restores sexual behavior in castrated hamsters. DHT and T apparently interact with androgen receptors differentially to control male sexual behavior (MSB), but whether these two hormones act synergistically or antagonistically to control MSB has received scant experimental attention and is addressed in the present study. Methodology/Principal Findings: Sexually experienced male Syrian hamsters were gonadectomized and monitored 5 weeks later to confirm elimination of the ejaculatory reflex (week 0), at which time they received subcutaneous DHT-filled or empty capsules that remained in situ for the duration of the experiment. Daily injections of a physiological dose of 25 m gT or vehicle commenced two weeks after capsule implantation. MSB was tested 2, 4 and 5 weeks after T treatment began. DHT capsules were no more effective than control treatment for long-term restoration of ejaculation. Combined DHT + T treatment, however, restored the ejaculatory reflex more effectively than T alone, as evidenced by more rapid recovery of ejaculatory behavior, shorter ejaculation latencies, and a greater number of ejaculations in 30 minute tests. Conclusions/Significance: DHT and T administered together restored sexual behavior to pre-castration levels more rapidly than did T alone, whereas DHT and vehicle were largely ineffective. The additive actions of DHT and T on MSB are discussed in relation to different effects of these androgens on androgen receptors in the male hamster brain mating circuit.
Physicians as healthcare surrogate for terminally ill children

The parents of some terminally ill children have reported that being asked to authorise removal of life-sustaining measures is akin to being requested to sign a "death warrant". This dilemma leaves families not only enduring the grief of losing a loved one, but also with feelings of ambivalence, anxiety and guilt. A straightforward method by which the parents of terminally ill children can entrust the role of healthcare surrogate to the treating physician is presented. The cornerstone of this paradigm is parental awareness that the physician will act in the child's best interest, even if that means discontinuing life-sustaining measures. The goal is to mitigate parental guilt and fear of misperception, by self and others, of having given up on their child. From a moral standpoint this concept is an appealing option as it conforms to the four basic principles of medical ethics. While laws in the USA and several European nations prevent members of the medical team from taking on the responsibilities of healthcare surrogate for terminally ill patients, formal and informal precedence for this option already exists in France, The Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the Canadian province of Manitoba.
One port and traveling-wave masers using coupled cavities

Analysis predicts that the gain-bandwidth product of a single cavity maser is fixed by the material parameters and the filling factor. Kuyl has shown that the negative L and C of the solid-state maser may be used to advantage in increasing the gain-bandwidth product of a coupled cavity maser. The present paper describes the experimental verification of this. phenomenon for both one port and traveling-wave masers using coupled cavities. The experiments were conducted at X-band with active solid ruby resonators. The ruby was operated in the push-pull mode with a magnetic Q of 80. The gain-bandwidth product of a single cavity maser of this type is 100 Mc. This value is increased to 250, 450 and 1000 Mc for amplifier gains of 20, 30 and 40 db respectively, when two active coupled cavities are used in a one-port maser. Note that the gain-bandwidth product is not constant but depends upon the magnitude of the gain.
Ethical Implications of Social Stigma Associated with the Promotion and Use of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis for HIV Prevention.

Abstract Identifying sources of and eliminating social stigma associated with the promotion and use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for the prevention of sexually acquired HIV infection among men who have sex with men (MSM) is both a moral imperative and necessary requirement to ensure that public health objectives of HIV prevention can be met. This article will examine and address ethical concerns and criticisms regarding the use of PrEP, barriers to its promotion, and use among MSM and examine the types of social stigma associated with PrEP. An ethical justification for both healthcare and LGBT communities to address and overcome social stigma regarding the use of PrEP among MSM is offered.
Sediment micromechanics in sheet flows induced by asymmetric waves

Understanding the sediment transport in oscillatory flows is essential to the investigation of the overall sediment budget for coastal regions. This overall budget is crucial for the prediction of the morphological change of the coastline in engineering applications. Since the sediment transport in oscillatory flows is dense particle-laden flow, appropriate modeling the particle interaction is critical. Although traditional two-fluid approaches have been applied to the study of sediment transport in oscillatory flows, the approaches do not capture the interaction of the particles. The study of the motion of individual sediment particles and their micromechanics (e.g., packing and contact force) in oscillatory flows is still lacking. In this work, a parallel CFD-DEM solver SediFoam that can model the inter-particle collision is applied to study the granular micromechanics of sediment particles in oscillatory flows. The results obtained from the CFD-DEM solver are validated by using the experimental data of coarse and medium sands. The comparison with experimental results suggests that the flow velocity, the sediment flux and the net sediment transport rate predicted by SediFoam are satisfactory. Moreover, the micromechanic quantities of the sediment bed are presented in detail, including the Voronoi concentration, the coordination number, and the particle interaction force. It is demonstrated that the variation of these micromechanic quantities at different phases in the oscillatory cycle is significant, which is due to different responses of the sediment bed. To investigate the structural properties of the sediment bed, the correlation of the Voronoi volume fraction and coordination number is compared to the results from the fluidized bed simulations. The consistency in the comparison indicates the structural micromechanics of sediment transport and fluidized bed are similar despite the differences in flow patterns. From the prediction of the CFD-DEM model, we observed that the coordination number in rapid sheet flow layer is larger than one, which indicates that a typical particle in the sediment layer is in contact with more than one particles, and thus the binary collision model commonly used in two-fluid approaches may underestimate the contact between the particles. HighlightsSediment transport in asymmetric wave is investigated using CFD-DEM.Motions of individual coarse and medium particle in sheet flow are investigated.The micromechanic quantities of sediment particles in moving bed are presented.The gap in experimental measurement is bridged using results obtained by CFD-DEM.
Electromechanical role of fixed charge in the mammalian tectorial membrane

The mammalian tectorial membrane (TM) is thought to play a purely mechanical role in stimulating cochlear sensory receptors, but the presence of glycosaminoglycans and associated fixed charge groups suggests that electromechanical properties also may be important. Here, we measure the fixed charge concentration of the TM (−7.1 mmol/L at physiological pH), and show that this concentration of fixed charge is sufficient to generate electrokinetic motions of the TM. Electrically-evoked TM motions were nanometer-scaled (5-200 nm), increased linearly with electric field amplitude (0.05-20 kV/m) and decreased with frequency (1–1000 Hz). This frequency dependence can be understood in terms of the interplay between electrophoresis and electro-osmosis. Although the electric fields applied in this study were large, they are comparable in amplitude to the electric fields generated near hair cell transduction channels. TM electrokinetics could thus play a role in the deflection of cochlear hair bundles in vivo.
Metabolite Profiles Predict Acute Kidney Injury and Mortality in Patients Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement.

Background Acute kidney injury (AKI) occurs commonly after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and is associated with markedly increased postoperative mortality. We previously identified plasma metabolites predictive of incident chronic kidney disease, but whether metabolite profiles can identify those at risk of AKI is unknown. Methods and Results We performed liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry–based metabolite profiling on plasma from patients undergoing TAVR and subjects from the community‐based Framingham Heart Study (N=2164). AKI was defined by using the Valve Academic Research Consortium‐2 criteria. Of 44 patients (mean age 82±9 years, 52% female) undergoing TAVR, 22 (50%) had chronic kidney disease and 9 (20%) developed AKI. Of 85 metabolites profiled, we detected markedly concordant cross‐sectional metabolic changes associated with chronic kidney disease in the hospital‐based TAVR and Framingham Heart Study cohorts. Baseline levels of 5‐adenosylhomocysteine predicted AKI after TAVR, despite adjustment for baseline glomerular filtration rate (odds ratio per 1‐SD increase 5.97, 95% CI 1.62–22.0; P =0.007). Of the patients who had AKI, 6 (66.7%) subsequently died, compared with 3 (8.6%) deaths among those patients who did not develop AKI ( P =0.0008) over a median follow‐up of 7.8 months. 5‐adenosylhomocysteine was predictive of all‐cause mortality after TAVR (hazard ratio per 1‐SD increase 2.96, 95% CI 1.33–6.58; P =0.008), independent of baseline glomerular filtration rate. Conclusions In an elderly population with severe aortic stenosis undergoing TAVR, metabolite profiling improves the prediction of AKI. Given the multifactorial nature of AKI after TAVR, metabolite profiles may identify those patients with reduced renal reserve.
From Grunts to Gigabytes: Communications and Society: By Dan Lacy. Urbana and Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1996. 193 pp. Cloth, $29.95.

(1998). From Grunts to Gigabytes: Communications and Society. American Journalism: Vol. 15, No. 2, pp. 107-108.
Confined Space, Structural Biology, Biophysics and Drug Discovery

High-resolution multi-dimensional solution NMR is unique as a biophysical and biochemical tool in its ability to examine both the structure and dynamics of macromolecules at atomic resolution. Conventional non-TROSY/deuteration solution NMR approaches, however, are largely limited to examinations of relatively small (< 25 kDa) molecules, mostly due to the spectroscopic consequences of slow rotational diffusion. Encapsulation of macromolecules within the protective nanoscale aqueous interior of reverse micelles dissolved in low viscosity fluids has been developed as a means through which the ‘slow tumbling problem’ can be overcome. This approach has been successfully applied to diverse proteins and nucleic acids ranging up to 100 kDa, considerably widening the range of biological macromolecules to which the comprehensive small protein solution NMR methodologies can be applied. Recently, we have expanded the library of surfactants used to encapsulate proteins and nucleic acids within the reverse micelle water core with high structural fidelity. In addition, new applications have emerged including studies of protein hydration, dynamic nuclear polarization in solution, structural characterization of integral membrane proteins and membrane-anchored lipidated proteins. The nanoscale interior of the reverse micelle water core also offers the potential for a range of novel applications in drug discovery. With the emergence of fragment based drug discovery, the screening of protein targets for binding to weak ligands has become the focus of some interest. NMR is well positioned to provide detailed site-specific information about ligand binding to proteins. The confined space of the reverse micelle allows a considerable reduction in ligand required for detection of weak binding and can also significantly extend the detection sensitivity into the low mM regime. Examples utilizing dihydrofolate reductase and aldoketoreductase will be presented. Supported by NIH grants R01 GM107829, T32 GM071339, T32 GM008275, F32 GM087099 and NSF grant MCB-115803.