cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sites of self-pollen tube inhibition in Papaveraceae (sensu lato)

Papaver rhoeas (Papaveraceae) has a well-characterized gametophytic self-incompatibility system in which self-pollen tube growth ceases either just before, or just after, emergence from the copal aperture. Papaver flowers are unusual, however, in having flat stigmatic rays sitting directly on top of the hard ovary and no style. Immediate self-pollen arrest might be required with this floral architecture. There is much variation in floral architecture among Papaveraceae and self-incompatibility is widespread. However, there are no reports of the site of self-pollen tube inhibition in Papaveraceae other than P. rhoeas. We examined the site of self-pollen tube inhibition in four species (Argemone munita, Lamprocapnos spectabilis, Eschscholzia californica, and Platystemon californicus) representing a broad phylogenetic and morphological sample of Papaveraceae. Squash preparation was used for species with soft stigmas whereas woody tissue was sectioned with a cryostat and images were stitched into a mosaic to visualize pollen tubes on whole stigmas. For three species, self-pollen tube inhibition appeared similar to that described for P. rhoeas. Self-pollen tubes were arrested before any substantial penetration of female tissue and usually did not grow longer than 100 μm. In the fourth species, A. munita, self-pollen tubes grew up to 500 μm in length. However, self-pollen tubes appeared to grow along the stigmatic spines, and growth ceased once tubes contacted the stigma surface. Despite variation in floral architecture, rapid arrest of self-pollen tubes occurred before or just after penetration of female tissue in all species, consistent with the hypothesis that members of the family share the same incompatibility mechanism.
Optimal morphological pattern restoration from noisy binary images

A theoretical analysis of morphological filters for the optimal restoration of noisy binary images is presented. The problem is formulated in a general form, and an optimal solution is obtained by using fundamental tools from mathematical morphology and decision theory. Consideration is given to the set-difference distance function as a measure of comparison between images. This function is used to introduce the mean-difference function as a quantitative measure of the degree of geometrical and topological distortion introduced by morphological filtering. It is proved that the class of alternating sequential filters is a set of parametric, smoothing morphological filters that best preserve the crucial structure of input images in the least-mean-difference sense. >
Design and analysis of novel SRAM PUFs with embedded latch for robustness

Physical Unclonable Function (PUF) is a cost-effective security primitive to address hardware attacks such as cloning, impersonation and Intellectual Property (IP) violation. Static Random-Access Memory (SRAM) PUF has been proposed; however, it suffers from challenges, some of which are environmental fluctuations such as voltage, temperature, and noise. Ensuring the robustness of SRAM PUF under such conditions is challenging. In this paper, we propose 8T SRAM PUF with a back-to-back PMOS latch to improve robustness by 4X. We also propose a low-power 7T SRAM with embedded Magnetic Tunnel Junction (MTJ) devices to enhance the robustness (2.3X to 20X) while lowering the leakage power and area overhead.
In vivo assembly of functional U7 snRNP requires RNA backbone flexibility within the Sm-binding site

Most histone precursor mRNAs (pre-mRNAs) in metazoans are matured by 3'-end cleavage directed by the U7 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein (snRNP). RNA functional groups necessary for in vivo assembly and activity of the U7 snRNP were examined by nucleotide-analog interference mapping and mutagenesis using a chimeric mouse histone H4 pre-mRNA-U7 snRNA construct that is cleaved in cis in Xenopus laevis oocytes. Assembly of the unique U7 Sm protein core is rate limiting for processing in vivo and requires four conserved nucleotides within the U7 Sm-binding site, as well as the correct positioning and size of the U7 terminal stem-loop structure. To our surprise, pseudouridine substitution revealed a requirement for backbone flexibility at a particular position within the U7 Sm site, providing in vivo biochemical evidence that an unusual C2'-endo sugar conformation is necessary for assembly of the Sm ring.
Tapered Fabry-Perot waveguide optical demultiplexer

We describe a novel waveguide spectrometer for use in wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) systems. A high refractive index resonator is coupled to a waveguide and extracts light from the waveguide at its resonance frequency. A taper in the thickness of the resonator allows light of different wavelengths to be extracted at different positions. A structure is fabricated for use at 750 nm with a measured dispersion of 29 nm/cm and a wavelength resolution of 1 nm. The device operation is in good agreement with first-order coupled-mode calculations. >
Response of plant tissue culture to a high shear environment

Abstract Plant cell suspension cultures of Nicotiana tabacum were tested in a Couette-type shearing device to determine the effect of shear rate on culture viability, cell lysis, and the accumulation of secondary metabolites (phenolics). The effects of increasing shear and variable culture age were both investigated. Increasing shear caused an increase in cell death, lysis, and phenolics secretion. In testing suspension cultures of various ages, it was found that those cultures in the latter stages of exponential growth and early in the stationary phase were more susceptible to shear damage than cultures in the lag phase, early exponential phase, or later stationary phase. An increase in extracellular phenolics as a response to shear was more apparent with older cultures. The amount of phenolics secreted from the cells was directly related to the intensity of shear. This may have been due to an increase in cell permeabilization with higher shear rates.
Operating Results from the ANL Booster

The former Cornell 2.2-GeV electron synchrotron has been moved to Argonne, modified, and recommissioned as a developmental booster injector for the Zero Gradient Synchrotron (ZGS). The machine uses H- stripping injection to obtain circulating intensities normally impossible to achieve with conventional proton injection techniques. Results of tests performed to date are discussed in this report.
Heterogeneity of the Glass Fiber Surface from Inverse Gas Chromatography

The chromatographic peak profiles of hexane and butanol on a column packed with E-glass fibers show that the surface of the fiber is homogeneous for hexane and heterogeneous for butanol. The distri...
Advances in crosswell electromagnetics steel cased boreholes

The Crosswell electromagnetic (EM) induction technique ideally measures the resistivity distribution between boreholes which may often be cased with carbon steel. Quantification of the effect of such steel casing on the induced field is the most significant limitation of the technique. Recent data acquired at a site in Richmond, California quantify the effect of steel casing on induction measurements and demonstrate this effect to be separable. This unique site contains adjacent steel and plastic wells in which frequency soundings demonstrate low spectrum (1.0 - 50 Hz) measurements an effective means of isolating the casing response from, the formation response. It is also shown that the steel casing effect on the induction coil is highly localized, and limited to less than 0.30 meters above and below the coil.
Nonprofit foundations for open-source biomedical technology development

For academic discoveries eschewed by traditional venture capital business models, there is now an alternative path.
Three-Dimensional MR-Guided Optical Spectroscopy of the Breast: Optimizing Probe Placement for Improved Image Quality

MRI-guided near infrared spectroscopy has been implemented with a user-positioned three-dimensional fiber interface, allowing acquisition of multiple planes of data and targeting of suspect regions from within the MR exam.
Dependence of the Thermal Conductivity of Dilute Solid Mixtures of Orthohydrogen and Parahydrogen on Orthohydrogen Concentration

The dependence on orthohydrogen ($o\ensuremath{-}{\mathrm{H}}_{2}$) concentration $c$ of the thermal conductivity of solid mixtures of $o\ensuremath{-}{\mathrm{H}}_{2}$ and parahydrogen ($p\ensuremath{-}{\mathrm{H}}_{2}$) is calculated in the single-mode relaxation-time approximation. The contribution of the phonon-phonon and phonon-boundary scattering to the relaxation time is determined phenomenologically from the experimental data on pure $p\ensuremath{-}{\mathrm{H}}_{2}$ due to Bohn and Mate. The phonon-$o\ensuremath{-}{\mathrm{H}}_{2}$ scattering is calculated from the statistical model of $o\ensuremath{-}{\mathrm{H}}_{2}$ in $p\ensuremath{-}{\mathrm{H}}_{2}$. The effect of zero-point motion is found to enhance interaction between the $o\ensuremath{-}{\mathrm{H}}_{2}$ and phonons substantially. Our results are compared with experimental data, and qualitative agreement is obtained.
In vivo Remineralization Using a Sustained Topical Fluoride Delivery System

The efficacy of a new remineralization system was determined in vivo by maintaining a low concentration of approximately 1 ppm fluoride for 48 hrs against a demineralized human tooth. Human subjects were selected who wore removable partial dentures containing two or more of the demineralized teeth with film system. The findings indicate levels of fluoride uptake to 500 ppm at 50 micron depths in experimental sites.
Toxicity of silver, zinc, copper, and nickel to the copepod Acartia tonsa exposed via a phytoplankton diet.

Toxicity tests were conducted with the marine copepod Acartia tonsa to assess the effects of dietary metal exposure. The diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana was cultured with Ag, Zn, Cu, or Ni and used as diets for adult A. tonsa over a 7-d exposure, and copepod survival and reproduction were measured throughout the exposure period. For all metals, reproduction was the most sensitive endpoint, with 20% effect concentrations (EC20s) corresponding to exposures of T. pseudonana to 0.64, 0.3, 1.2, and 2.4 Ig/L for Ag, Zn, Cu, and Ni, respectively. The corresponding metal concentrations in the algae added to copepod test solutions (EC20s) were 5.44, 0.55, 22.3, and 15.3 Ig/g for Ag, Zn, Cu, and Ni, respectively. None of the applied metal concentrations influenced algal growth. The results of this study have potential implications for water quality criteria considering that the estimated EC20s fall below the current criteria of 3, 86, 3, and 8.3 Ig/L for Ag, Zn, Cu, and Ni, respectively.
The use of the thermal dilution principle for measurement of cardiac output in the rat

The thermal dilution principle has been applied to the measurement of cardiac output in small laboratory animals. The circuitry is simple, the components are inexpensive and the performance shows stable, linear characteristics. The volume of injectate need be only 0·05 ml at room temperature (25–27° C). Changes in blood temperature of 0·05°C are easily inscribed as a full scale deflection on a commercial d.c. recorder. Numerous successive determinations of cardiac output may be made with minimal changes in blood volume of the animal. Measurements under controlled conditions did not vary by more than 6 per cent.
Sensory aspects of movement disorders.

Summary Movement disorders, which include disorders such as Parkinson's disease, dystonia, Tourette's syndrome, restless legs syndrome, and akathisia, have traditionally been considered to be disorders of impaired motor control resulting predominantly from dysfunction of the basal ganglia. This notion has been revised largely because of increasing recognition of associated behavioural, psychiatric, autonomic, and other non-motor symptoms. The sensory aspects of movement disorders include intrinsic sensory abnormalities and the effects of external sensory input on the underlying motor abnormality. The basal ganglia, cerebellum, thalamus, and their connections, coupled with altered sensory input, seem to play a key part in abnormal sensorimotor integration. However, more investigation into the phenomenology and physiological basis of sensory abnormalities, and about the role of the basal ganglia, cerebellum, and related structures in somatosensory processing, and its effect on motor control, is needed.
Work, Income and Human Capital: Beliefs and Knowledge of Urban Elementary Schoolchildren:

This is a descriptive study of the beliefs and knowledge that eighty 8- to 11-year-old US urban school children from low- to moderate-income households hold about the economic concepts of work, income, and human capital. A structured 15-minute, one-on-one interview was used to gather data. The researcher found that by the 3rd grade, the majority of children in the sample visualise themselves in careers often requiring advanced education and training, and even the most economically disadvantaged children are optimistic about their futures. While their reasoning about the set of economic concepts was not fully developed, it could be characterised as emerging. Although most of the children did not fully understand the relationship between human capital acquisition and economic success, many showed understanding of the work-income relationship. Curricular implications for reinforcement of these concepts at the elementary school levels is discussed.
Behavioral Versus Drug Treatment for Overactive Bladder in Men: The Male Overactive Bladder Treatment in Veterans (MOTIVE) Trial

Objectives: To compare the effectiveness of behavioral treatment with that of antimuscarinic therapy in men without bladder outlet obstruction who continue to have overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms with alpha-blocker therapy. Design: The Male Overactive Bladder Treatment in Veterans (MOTIVE) Trial was a two-site randomized, controlled, equivalence trial with 4-week alpha-blocker run-in. Setting: Veterans Affairs Medical Center outpatient clinics. Participants: Volunteer sample of 143 men aged 42 to 88 who continued to have urgency and more than eight voids per day, with or without incontinence, after run-in. Interventions: Participants were randomized to 8 weeks of behavioral treatment (pelvic floor muscle exercises, urge suppression techniques, delayed voiding) or drug therapy (individually titrated, extended-release oxybutynin, 5�30 mg/d). Measurements: Seven-day bladder diaries and a validated urgency scale were used to calculate changes in 24-hour voiding frequency, nocturia, urgency, and incontinence. Secondary outcomes were global patient ratings and American Urological Association Symptom Index. Results: Mean voids per day decreased from 11.3 to 9.1 (-18.8%) with behavioral treatment and 11.5 to 9.5 (-16.9%) with drug therapy. Equivalence analysis indicated that posttreatment means were equivalent (P < .01). After treatment, 85% of participants rated themselves as much better or better; more than 90% were completely or somewhat satisfied, with no between-group differences. The behavioral group showed greater reductions in nocturia (mean = -0.70 vs -0.32 episodes/night; P = .05). The drug group showed greater reductions in maximum urgency scores (mean = -0.44 vs -0.12; P = .02). Other between-group differences were nonsignificant. Conclusion: Behavioral and antimuscarinic therapy are effective when added to alpha-blocker therapy for OAB in men without outlet obstruction. Behavioral treatment is at least as effective as antimuscarinic therapy.
Development of fast algorithms for estimating stress corrosion crack growth rate

A simplified method is proposed for modeling the chemistry and potential distribution in a stress corrosion crack in sensitized stainless steel in boiling water reactor (BWR) coolant environments. The model is based on an assumption that only those species that are present in the largest concentrations in the crevice determine the potential distribution down the crack. The advantage of this method is that it permits simplification of the mathematics and allows predictions to be made of the potential and concentration distributions without knowing various parameters, such as the equilibrium constants for homogeneous chemical reactions in the cavity and diffusion coefficients of species that are present at relatively low concentrations near the crack tip. In some important cases, analytical expressions can be obtained for the pH, potential near the crack tip, and crack propagation rate. The conditions for which the potential on the crack flanks and that in the vicinity of the crack tip coincide with the free corrosion potential in the local environment, and hence, for which there exists a balance between rates of the local anodic and cathodic partial processes, are determined. The impact of the potential drop in the external environment on the potential and concentration distributions down the crack and on the crack propagation rate is also investigated. Excellent agreement is obtained between calculated and measured crack growth rates.
Carbide-based fuel system for undersea vehicles

Abstract In underwater applications such as unmanned undersea vehicle (UUV) propulsion, mass and volume constraints often dictate system energy density and specific energy, which are targeted to exceed 300 Wh L −1 and 300 Wh kg −1 , respectively, in order to compete with state-of-the-art battery technologies. To address this need, a novel carbide-based fuel system (CFS) intended for use with a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) is under development that is capable of achieving these energy metrics as well as sequestering carbon dioxide. The proposed CFS uses calcium carbide and calcium hydride that react with water to generate acetylene and hydrogen as the fuel and calcium hydroxide as a carbon dioxide scrubber. The acetylene is hydrogenated to ethane and then reformed to syngas (carbon monoxide and hydrogen) before being utilized by the SOFC. Carbon dioxide effluent from the SOFC is reacted with the calcium hydroxide to produce a storable solid, calcium carbonate, thus eliminating gas evolution from the UUV. A system configuration is proposed and discussion follows concerning energy storage metrics, operational parameters and preliminary safety analysis.
Comparison of analyses of surfactants in cosmetics using high-performance liquid chromatography and high-performance capillary electrophoresis

Separation of anionic, cationic, and amphoteric surfactants containing n-dodecyl groups and hydrophilic moieties was done by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and high-performance capillary electrophoresis (HPCE), and an ultraviolet-visible detector. Quantitation of surfactants in commercial cosmetic and toiletry products was also done using similar methods. Conditions used to separate mixtures of surfactants by HPLC are as follows: stationary phase: ODS 2; mobile phase: MeOH/H2O (80∶20, vol/vol) containing 1.0M NH4Cl, 0.003 M tetrabutylammonium hydrogen sulfate, and 0.005 M diammonium phosphate buffer solution at pH=6.0. Conditions for HPCE are as follows: an uncoated capillary (100 μm i.d., 110 cm in length, effective length of 75 cm) with 25 kV of applied voltage, and an aqueous buffer containing 80 mM sodium borate/20 mM NaOH at pH=9.2. Surfactants were eluted within 15 min. The accuracy of both techniques was evaluated by analyzing the recovery ratio of surfactants in the mixture.
PROMISSE: progress in understanding pregnancy complications in patients with SLE

Pregnancy complications in women with the antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) and/or SLE include recurrent miscarriage, preeclampsia, placental insufficiency, and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). The mechanisms leading to placental and fetal injury in vivo are incompletely understood and treatment remains sub-optimal. We have identified complement as an early effector in pregnancy loss and/or IUGR associated with placental inflammation in a mouse model of APS and shown that complement activation drives angiogenic imbalance, placental insufficiency and endothelial injury [1-3] (Figure ​(Figure1).1). The PROMISSE Study (Predictors of Pregnancy Outcome: Biomarkers in Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus) is a first-time effort to translate our novel findings in mice to humans and determine examine the role of complement as a mediator of complications in patients with antiphospholipid (aPL) antibodies and/or SLE. The following discoveries from PROMISSE will be summarized: lupus anticoagulant is the most powerful predictor of poor pregnancy outcomes in aPL-positive patients [4]; activation of complement early in pregnancy can be detected in the blood of women destined to have preeclampsia; circulating anti-angiogenic factors are biomarkers that predict preeclampsia in patients with SLE and/or aPL antibodies and can be released by products of complement activation; and mutations in complement pathway genes that lead to uncontrolled complement activation are associated with preeclampsia in pregnant patients with SLE and/or aPL antibodies [5]. These findings bring us to closer to identifying those at highest risk for pregnancy complications and intervening to block pathways of injury, such as complement. Figure 1
Biotin Stores in Rodent Lungs: Localization to Clara and Type II Alveolar Cells

Biotin is a cofactor for carboxylases used in fatty acid synthesis, gluconeogenesis, and energy production by the citric acid cycle. Although lung has low levels of this vitamin overall, high concentrations were demonstrated histochemically in Clara cells of mouse, rat, hamster, and guinea pig using avidin conjugated to peroxidase. Lesser concentrations were found in type II cells of mouse, rat, and hamster but not guinea pig. By electron microscopy, biotin stores in mouse Clara cells were localized to mitochondria, while those in type II cells were present in both mitochondria and the cytoplasmic matrix. Biotin stores in type II cells are probably used mainly in fatty acid synthesis but also in gluconeogenesis and energy production. The reason for particularly high concentrations in the mitochondria of Clara cells is unknown.
Propantheline protects the oral mucosa after high-dose ifosfamide, carboplatin, etoposide and autologous stem cell transplantation

Oral mucositis is a dose-limiting toxicity of high-dose etoposide regimens. Since etoposide is excreted in saliva, we tested the hypothesis that the induction of xerostomia would reduce the severity of the mucositis. We designed a phase II trial of propantheline in patients receiving high-dose ICE (ifosfamide 20 mg/m2, carboplatin 1.8 g/m2, etoposide 3 g/m2 in divided doses over 6 days) chemotherapy plus autologous hematopoietic stem cell support. We treated 31 consecutive patients and graded the oral mucositis according to WHO criteria. Mild (WHO grade 0, I, II) mucositis occurred in 28 of 31 (90%) (95% CI 74-98%) patients; severe (WHO grade III, IV) mucositis occurred in three of 31 patients (10%) (95% CI 2-25%) patients. In contrast, a published reference group treated with the same doses and schedule of ICE reported mild mucositis in 10 of 46 (22%) (95% CI 11-36%) patients and severe mucositis in 36 of 46 (78%) (95% CI 64-89%). Propantheline therapy had no protective effect on esophagitis and enteritis associated with high-dose ICE. Minor toxicities were constipation and asymptomatic tachycardia; major toxicities were palpitations in one patient and urinary retention in one patient. We conclude that anticholinergic therapy dramatically reduced the oral mucositis associated with high-dose etoposide and should be considered as a supportive care measure for patients receiving etoposide-containing regimens.
Physico-chemical characterization of alkaline soluble polysaccharides from sugar beet pulp ☆

We studied the global (i.e. overall) structure of microwave-assisted alkaline soluble polysaccharides (ASP) isolated from fresh sugar beet pulp. The objective was to minimize the disassembly and possibly the degradation of these polysaccharides during extraction. Prior to ASP microwave-assisted extraction (MAE), pectin was removed and isolated by MAE. Two sub fractions, ASP I and ASP II were isolated. ASP I had about the same ratio of anhydrogalacturonate (AGA) to neutral sugar (NS) by percentage weight (%wt) whereas ASP II had about twice as much AGA to NS by %wt. Unlike the sugar beet pectin isolated, the degree of methyl esterification of AGA in both ASP fractions was very low. Arabinose was the most abundant neutral sugar followed by either rhamnose or galactose. For optimum sample 10/100/30, High Performance Size Exclusion Chromatography with molar mass and viscometric detection revealed that both ASP fractions are about 100,000 Da in Mw and about 10 and 16 nm in Rgz, respectively. ASP I and ASP II had weight average intrinsic viscosities of 0.31 and 0.33 dL/g respectively and their Mark–Houwink exponents indicated that they are relatively compact in shape. Molar Mass distributions of ASP appeared to be bimodal in shape. Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) images of ASP I revealed a bimodal distribution of small and large compact asymmetric subunits when a 0.1 mg/mL air dried, aqueous solution was deposited on freshly cleaved mica and imaged. When the solution concentration was 25 mg/mL in ASP I, the subunits appeared to aggregate into skeletal structures whereas ASP II only formed compact asymmetric structures. Unlike AFM images of sugar beet pectin previously imaged, neither ASP I nor ASP II formed network structures at higher concentrations. Both ASP I and II were found to emulsify orange oil.
Approximately Optimal Solutions to the Finite-Dimensional Witsenhausen Counterexample

Recently, a vector version of Witsenhausen's counterexample was considered and it was shown that in the asymptotic limit of infinite vector length, certain vector-quantization-based control strategies are provably within a constant factor of the asymptotically optimal cost for all possible problem parameters. While suggestive, a constant factor result for the finite-dimensional problem has remained elusive. In this paper, we provide a resolution to this issue. By applying a large-deviation “sphere-packing” philosophy, we derive a lower bound to the optimal cost for the finite dimensional case that uses appropriate shadows of an existing vector lower bound that is the same for all dimensions. Using this new lower bound, we show that good lattice-quantization-based control strategies achieve within a constant factor of the optimal cost uniformly over all possible problem parameters, including the vector length. For Witsenhausen's original problem-which is the scalar case-the gap between regular lattice-quantization-based strategies and the lower bound is provably never more than a factor of 100, and computer calculations strongly suggest that the factor in fact may be no larger than 8. Finally, to obtain a numerical understanding of the possible room for improvement in costs using alternative strategies, we also include numerical comparison with strategies that are conjectured to be optimal. Using this comparison, we posit that there is more room for improvement in our lower bounds than in our upper bounds.
The legitimacy of international-business political behavior

Political behavior on the part of international-business firms must be evaluated, like any other type of business behavior. The concept of legitimacy provides a way of framing this evaluative issue because it definitely includes a consideration of “values” without having to specify which values apply—a task left to ethicists.
The treatment of agitated and depressed mental states with benzedrine sulfate and sodium amytal

1. Twenty-one psychotic patients who presented various degrees of agitation and depression were treated with a combination of benzedrine (amphetamine) and sodium amytal. 2. Five patients were markedly benefited. 3. Nine patients were made more comfortable and accepted a more active hospital program which continued after the therapy was discontinued. 4. Three patients whose psychoses showed schizophrenic features were not benefited.
Sex Effects on Bilateral Bargaining as a Function of Interpersonal Context

The mediating effect of face-to-face vs. non-face-toface interaction on sex differences in bargaining was examined. Male and female subjects were paired with either a sameor different-sexed person. Dyad members worked on a pretask for different periods of time and then bargained either face-to-face or apart over monetary rewards. As predicted, mixed-sex dyads reached agreement more quickly when they bargained face-to-face than when apart, while social context did not affect bargaining behavior in same-sex dyads.
Latino Gender Differences in Public Opinion: Results from the Latino National Political Survey.

The objective of this article is to determine whether there exists a Latino gender gap in public opinion. The issue areas selected for this study represent areas likely to reveal a gender gap if the phenomenon is present among Latinos in a manner similar to the general public. The areas studied include (a) support for decreased spending on military spending, (b) support for increased social welfare spending, and (c) attitudes toward women 's political and social roles. Some evidence for a Latino gender gap is found, and it runs in a similar direction on some social welfare issues and for women's social and political roles but is not consistent with the literature on violence and force issues. The results presented here are preliminary, however, and much research remains to be done on gender differences in other public opinion issues, as well as political activities and political orientation.
IMPLEMENTING ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATION: AN INTER-INDUSTRY ANALYSIS

Many studies show that inspections (or the threat there of) promote compliance with environmental law. Therefore, it is important to understand what influences inspections. Existing research tends to focus on plant characteristics when explaining inspections, often reporting conflicting results. In this paper I suggest that regulators may respond to industry-level attributes when deciding whom to inspect. I find that industries that garner a larger share of a state’s manufacturing employment are also inspected less frequently. Moreover, the effect is not limited to employment. Industries garnering a larger share of a state’s manufacturing gross state product are also inspected less frequently.
Oqtans: The RNA-seq Workbench in the Cloud for Complete and Reproducible Quantitative Transcriptome Analysis

We present Oqtans, an open-source workbench for quantitative transcriptome analysis, that is integrated in Galaxy. Its distinguishing features include customizable computational workflows and a modular pipeline architecture that facilitates comparative assessment of tool and data quality. Oqtans integrates an assortment of machine learning-powered tools into Galaxy, which show superior or equal performance to state-of-the-art tools. Implemented tools comprise a complete transcriptome analysis workflow: short-read alignment, transcript identification/quantification and differential expression analysis. Oqtans and Galaxy facilitate persistent storage, data exchange and documentation of intermediate results and analysis workflows. We illustrate how Oqtans aids the interpretation of data from different experiments in easy to understand use cases. Users can easily create their own workflows and extend Oqtans by integrating specific tools. Oqtans is available as (i) a cloud machine image with a demo instance at cloud.oqtans.org, (ii) a public Galaxy instance at galaxy.cbio.mskcc.org, (iii) a git repository containing all installed software (oqtans.org/git); most of which is also available from (iv) the Galaxy Toolshed and (v) a share string to use along with Galaxy CloudMan.
Guidelines for Meta-Analyses of Counseling Psychology Research

This article conceptually describes the steps in conducting quantitative meta-analyses of counseling psychology research with minimal reliance on statistical formulas. The authors identify sources that describe necessary statistical formula for various meta-analytic calculations and describe recent developments in meta-analytic techniques. The authors illustrate meta-analytic procedures with recently published meta-analyses in counseling psychology, and last, they provide a guide for writing up meta-analytic studies for publication.
Secondary Mutations Correct Fitness Defects in Toxoplasma gondii With Dinitroaniline Resistance Mutations

Dinitroanilines (oryzalin, trifluralin, ethafluralin) disrupt microtubules in protozoa but not in vertebrate cells, causing selective death of intracellular Toxoplasma gondii parasites without affecting host cells. Parasites containing α1-tubulin point mutations are dinitroaniline resistant but show increased rates of aberrant replication relative to wild-type parasites. T. gondii parasites bearing the F52Y mutation were previously demonstrated to spontaneously acquire two intragenic mutations that decrease both resistance levels and replication defects. Parasites bearing the G142S mutation are largely dependent on oryzalin for viable growth in culture. We isolated 46 T. gondii lines that have suppressed microtubule defects associated with the G142S or the F52Y mutations by acquiring secondary mutations. These compensatory mutations were α1-tubulin pseudorevertants or extragenic suppressors (the majority alter the β1-tubulin gene). Many secondary mutations were located in tubulin domains that suggest that they function by destabilizing microtubules. Most strikingly, we identified seven novel mutations that localize to an eight-amino-acid insert that stabilizes the α1-tubulin M loop, including one (P364R) that acts as a compensatory mutation in both F52Y and G142S lines. These lines have reduced dinitroaniline resistance but most perform better than parental lines in competition assays, indicating that there is a trade-off between resistance and replication fitness.
A 21-GHz Fractional-N Synthesizer in 130-nm CMOS

A 21-GHz fractional-N PLL was demonstrated in 130-nm CMOS. The PLL consumes 19.6 mW power from a 1.2-V supply. The locking range is from 19 to 21.6 GHz, and the frequency resolution is 10 ppm. The measured in-band phase noise at 50-kHz offset and out-of-band phase noise at 20 MHz offset are -67.8 and -121 dBc/Hz.
Exploring the Concept of “Fit” in Strategic Management

Although the concept of “fit” appears to be a central theme in strategy literature, it has been inadequately defined as it relates to strategic management. A conceptual scheme based on two underlying dimensions—the conceptualization of fit and the domain of fit—is proposed to highlight differences among six schools of thought. Use of the classificatory scheme for addressing theoretical and managerial issues while employing the concept of fit in strategy research is discussed
Influence of suspended inorganic sediment on airborne laser fluorosensor measurements.

The results of Poole and Esaias (1982) are presently extended to an examination of the influence of inorganic sediment on the water Raman normalization procedure, as well as an assessment of the potential for using the Raman signal to monitor surface water attenuation properties. An optically perfect lidar system is assumed which has geometric properties representative of the Airborne Oceanographic Lidar, and is mounted on an airborne platform flying at an altitude of 150 m above the water surface. The results obtained suggest that caution should be exercised in attempts to quantitatively monitor changes in optical attenuation by means of remote measurements of the Raman scattering signal.
Sexual conditioning in the dyeing poison dart frog (Dendrobates tinctorius)

Amphibian populations worldwide are currently in decline. One approach to preventing extinction of some of the affected species is to create assurance colonies. These sustainable populations might some day be used to reestablish wild populations. One issue with creating assurance colonies is successful breeding; often difficulties arise when attempting to breed exotic animals in zoological institutions. Sexual conditioning, a form of Pavlovian conditioning, has been shown to improve breeding behavior. In this study the efficacy of sexual conditioning to improve breeding behavior in the dyeing dart frog (Dendrobates tinctorius) was tested. Pairs of frogs were exposed to one of three conditions. In two conditions pairs were trained with a stimulus (a flashing green light) that was either predictive of (experimental) or independent of (active control) exposure to a member of the opposite sex. The third condition was a no-treatment control. After training all three conditions were given five days to interact. Members of the experimental condition showed shorter latencies to a variety of breeding behaviors and produced more eggs than those in the control conditions. The sexual conditioning procedure was successful in increasing breeding behavior in this population of frogs.
Agonist Gating and Isoflurane Potentiation in the Human γ-Aminobutyric Acid Type A Receptor Determined by the Volume of a Second Transmembrane Domain Residue

γ-Aminobutyric acid type A (GABAA )receptors are targets for allosteric modulation by general anesthetics. Mutation of Ser270 within the second transmembrane domain of the GABAAreceptor α subunit can ablate the modulation of the receptor by the anesthetic ether isoflurane. To investigate further the function of this critical amino acid residue, we made multiple amino acid substitutions at Ser270 and analyzed the concentration-dependent gating by GABA and regulation by isoflurane in each mutant receptor. There is a strong negative correlation between the EC50 for GABA and the molecular volume of the amino acid residue at position 270. Replacement of Ser by large residues such as His and Trp produced a shift of the GABA concentration-response curve to the left, whereas replacement of Ser with Gly had the opposite effect. There also was a strong negative association between the molecular volume of the amino acid residue at 270 and the degree of enhancement of submaximal GABA responses by isoflurane. These results indicate the significance of the amino acid at position α270 in gating of the GABAAreceptor. In addition, the data on isoflurane are consistent with the existence of a cavity of finite size in the region of α270 that may be filled by the anesthetic molecule or by the side chain of a larger residue at α270. The introduction of isoflurane, or of a large residue, into this cavity may stabilize the open state of the GABAA receptor relative to the closed state.
Analog timing recovery architectures for PRML detectors

Analog circuit implementations of decision-directed timing recovery for partial response maximum likelihood (PRML) detectors for disk drives are investigated. First, the basic equations and block diagrams are examined. The parts of the behavioral simulations of the analog system that have significant impact on choosing a topology are discussed. Our results indicate that analog implementations of decision-directed LMS timing recovery are feasible. We anticipate that these implementations will provide higher speed operation at lower power than digital implementations in a comparable technology.
Inflammation and the reciprocal production of granulocytes and lymphocytes in bone marrow

The coordinated production of leukocytes in bone marrow is crucial for innate and adaptive immunity. Inflammation alters normal leukocyte production by promoting granulopoiesis over lymphopoiesis, a response that supports the reactive neutrophilia that follows infection. Here we demonstrate that this specialization for granulopoiesis is determined by inflammation-induced reductions of growth and retention factors, most significantly stem cell factor and CXCL12, which act preferentially to inhibit lymphoid development. These hierarchical effects suggest that the normal equilibrium of leukocyte production in bone marrow is determined by lymphopoiesis' higher demand for specific growth factors and/or retention signals. Inflammation regulates this balance by reducing growth factors that have less impact on developing neutrophils than lymphocytes. We demonstrate that granulopoiesis and lymphopoiesis are coupled specifically in the bone marrow by development in a common niche and propose that the leukopoietic equilibrium is specified by limiting amounts of developmental resources.
Climate Change and Civil Unrest The Impact of Rapid-onset Disasters

This article examines the destabilizing impact of rapid-onset, climate-related disasters. It uses a sample of storms and floods in conjunction with two intensity measures of civil unrest to examine two perspectives on human reactions to disasters (conflictual, cooperative). It also uses insights from the contentious politics literature to understand how emotions posited by the conflictual perspective are transformed into destabilizing acts. While the data show that mean levels of unrest are higher in the wake of disasters, the means poorly reflect the data: the vast majority of episodes do not show higher levels of unrest. Moreover, even when higher levels of unrest emerge, they are not a simple reflection of disaster's human impact; this underscores the importance of the transformational process. Thus, a preliminary model of political violence is investigated; it employs impact, process and institutional variables and it explains three-quarters of the variance in the intensity of violence.
Age: Its Significance in Nonembolic Cerebral Infarction

The frequency of occurrence of nonembolic cerebral infarction is linearly related to age. The sexual frequency of nonembolic cerebral infarction is directly related to the age group of the sample studied. The mortality of nonembolic cerebral infarction and its prognosis are most closely related to the age of the patient at the time of stroke. The older the patient, the higher is the mortality and the poorer the prognosis. The cause of death in nonembolic cerebral infarction is as much a function of age-related concurrent diseases, especially cardiac disease, as it is of stroke itself. The natural history of stroke is more related to the natural history of cardiac disease than it is to cerebral vascular disease. These data may be viewed as lending support to the thesis that nonembolic cerebral infarction and the diseases that are frequently found with it, such as diabetes, cardiac disease and hypertension, are related in their occurrence and mortality to aging and may truly be concurrent events and not etiologically related one to the other.
Cytoskeletal sheets of mammalian eggs and embryos: A lattice-like network of intermediate filaments

Mammalian eggs and embryos possess a major cytoskeletal network composed of large planar "sheets" distributed throughout the cytoplasm. Cytoskeletal sheets are found neither in mammalian somatic cells nor in eggs or embryos of non-mammals. In this study, we have investigated the structural composition of the sheets in eggs and embryos of the golden Syrian hamster by (1) analysis of replicas from quick-frozen, deep-etched specimens, (2) analysis of thick, resin-embedded specimens using an intermediate voltage electron microscope (IVEM), (3) laser diffraction of EM images, (4) differential extraction with detergents, and (5) immunocytochemistry. Our results indicate that each sheet is composed of two closely apposed arrays of 10-nm filaments. Each filament within an array is held in register with its neighbor by lateral cross-bridges and the two parallel arrays of filaments are interconnected by periodic cross-bridges about 20 nm in length. Laser diffraction of negatives from IVEM images indicates that each array is composed of fibers that form a square lattice, and the two arrays are positioned in register by cross-bridges forming a single sheet. This lattice forms the skeleton of the sheets which is covered with a tightly packed layer of particulate material. By incubation in media containing different ratios of mixed-micelle detergents, it is possible to remove components sequentially from the sheets and to extract the particulate material. Immunocytochemical localization demonstrates that the sheets bind antibodies to keratin, and to a small extent actin, but do not bind antibodies to vimentin or tubulin. Examination of sheets within embryos at the time of embryonic compaction demonstrates that the sheets begin to fragment and disassemble in regions of blastomeres where desmosomes form, but undergo no structural alterations in interior and basal surfaces of the blastomeres. In regions of blastomere-blastomere contact the sheets fragment and associate with granules resembling keratohyalin granules found in keratinocytes.
Anthracycline‐induced cardiomyopathy in children: A report of six cases

Although anthracycline antibiotics are among the most useful chemotherapy agents, the risk of producing cardiomyopathy and the absence of a reliable noninvasive technique to predict subclinical cardiomyopathy remain a major problem. We retrospectively reviewed our experience with anthracyclines over a 5-year period. Cardiomyopathy developed in 6 of 112 patients (5.3%) treated with anthracyclines and was fatal in 5 of the 6 patients. Our incidence and mortality rates are higher than those previously reported.
Computational Methods for Analysis of Transcriptional Regulation

Understanding the mechanisms of transcriptional regulation is a key step in understanding many biological processes. Many computational algorithms have been developed to tackle this problem by identifying (1) the binding motifs, (2) binding sites, and (3) regulatory targets of given transcription factors. In this chapter, we survey the scope of currently used methods and algorithms for solving each of the above subproblems. We also focus on the newer subarea of machine learning (ML) methods, which have introduced a framework for a new set of approaches to solving these problems. The connections between these machine learning algorithms and conventional position weight matrix (PWM)-based algorithms are also highlighted, with the suggestion that ML algorithms can often generalize and expand the capabilities of existing methods.
Pharmaceutical Characterization of Mycobacterium bovis Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) Vaccine Used for the Treatment of Superficial Bladder Cancer

Abstract Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine, developed in the 1920s as a treatment and prophylactic for tuberculosis, has proved to be a nonspecific stimulant of the immune system and is now the major form of clinical immunotherapy approved for the treatment of superficial bladder cancer in the United States. However, methods for the production and physical characterization of the vaccine have not been significantly developed since Calmette and Guerin first devised their process for attenuating the organism in 1908. When reconstituted with sterile water immediately before use, the vaccine consists of a suspension of cellular fragments and aggregates and a mixture of dead and living cells. The dose is determined by the number of colony-forming units that develop when the vaccine is allowed to grow in a nutrient medium. This measurement of dose and viability is misleading because each cellular aggregate may consist of several hundred individual cells, but only one need be living to give rise to a single visible colony. Viability should therefore be measured on the basis of residual ATP levels. In this report, the mode of action of BCG vaccine against bladder cancer is reviewed, and attention is drawn to some factors that may need to be controlled during manufacturing and subsequent quality assurance procedures. The morphology of the various parts of the complex pleomorphic life cycle of this Mycobacterium species has been investigated, and the vaccine has been physically evaluated to provide a characterization by contemporary methodologies, including measurement of ATP content and particle size distribution of the dispersed mycobacterial aggregates.