cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Shorter time-lines, yet higher hurdles: Mexican families' access to child welfare mandated services

Abstract This paper aims to understand the paths to mandated services experienced by Mexican families who have a recent history of immigration from the perspective of child welfare workers. Sixty to 90 minute in-person semi-structured interviews were completed with 14 child welfare workers. Grounded theory methods were used to complete the content analysis. The findings indicate that families experience different paths to services based on their documentation status and language abilities. Undocumented and non-English speaking families experience numerous barriers to services; thus potentially impacting their ability to comply with court or department mandates. In addition, the worker's and family's knowledge of systems of care played a critical role in families' experiences. Workers are more positively disposed toward compliant parents. Implications for practice, policy, and research are discussed.
An advanced programmed PWM modulator for inverters which simultaneously eliminates harmonics and rejects DC link voltage ripple

A technique for generating programmed pulse width modulated (PWM) waveforms which simultaneously eliminates harmonics and rejects DC-link ripple is proposed. The technique guarantees high-quality inverter output voltage by rejecting the lower-order harmonics generated by the DC-link voltage ripple. In order to achieve this objective, the modulating function in the programmed PWM technique is suitably altered by a feedforward approach. The modulator is useful in situations where voltage ripple in the DC-link is unavoidable, such as when feeding nonlinear loads or when the front-end rectifier supplying the DC-link is fed from a weak AC system which is frequently unbalanced. A design procedure and the digital implementation of the modulator are discussed in detail. >
Organic particulate material levels in the atmosphere: Conditions favoring sensitivity to varying relative humidity and temperature

This study examines the sensitivity in predicted levels of atmospheric organic particulate matter (Mo, μg m-3) as those levels may potentially be affected by changes in relative humidity and temperature. In a given system, for each partitioning compound, fg and fp represent the gaseous and particulate fractions (fg + fp = 1). Sensitivity in the Mo levels becomes dampened as the compounds contributing significantly to Mo are increasingly found in the particle phase (fp → 1). Thus, although local maxima in sensitivity can be encountered as Mo levels increase, because as Mo increases each fp → 1, then increasing Mo levels generally tend to reduce sensitivity in Mo levels to changes in relative humidity and temperature. Experiments designed to elucidate the potential magnitudes of the effects of relative humidity and temperature on Mo levels must be carried out at Mo levels that are relevant for the ambient atmosphere: The fp values for the important partitioning compounds must not be elevated above ambient-relevant values. Systems in which Mo levels are low (e.g., 1–2 μg m-3) and/or composed of unaged secondary organic aerosol are the ones most likely to show sensitivity to changing relative humidity and temperature. Results from two published chamber studies are examined in the above regard: [Warren B, et al. (2009) Atmos Environ 43:1789–1795] and [Prisle NL, et al. (2010) Geophys Res Lett 37:L01802].
Successful aggression as the reinforcer for runway behavior of mice

Male mice graded for aggressiveness ran in a runway for the opportunity to defeat submissive mice as a reinforcer on 0%, 50%, and 100% reinforcement schedules. Half the Ss were given a brief fight immediately before each trial. Reinforcement schedules produced effects analogous to those found with traditional reinforcers. Both the prefight manipulation and high ratings on aggressiveness were found to facilitate running behavior in general, but they did not interact with the schedules of reinforcement.
Capacitance and bandwidth tradeoffs in a cross-coupled CMOS negative capacitor

Recent advances in technology have driven renewed interest in the design of CMOS negative capacitance circuits for diverse applications such as wideband metamaterials and radio frequency integrated circuits. In practice, the particular CMOS fabrication process generally limits the practical range of capacitance values and bandwidths that can be achieved. In addition, the reactive component of the desired impedance is often accompanied by a parasitic resistive component. To address these issues, a CMOS cross-coupled negative capacitance circuit is designed and simulated in a 0.5 micron CMOS process. Results are presented for -5 pF, -10 pF, and -20 pF designs with ten-percent bandwidths of approximately 140 MHz, 100 MHz, and 80 MHz respectively.
Unsaturated Fatty Acids Down-regulate SREBP Isoforms 1a and 1c by Two Mechanisms in HEK-293 Cells

Sterol regulatory element-binding proteins (SREBPs) are membrane-bound transcription factors that increase the synthesis of fatty acids as well as cholesterol in animal cells. All three SREBP isoforms (SREBP-1a, -1c, and -2) are subject to feedback regulation by cholesterol, which blocks their proteolytic release from membranes. Previous data indicate that the SREBPs are also negatively regulated by unsaturated fatty acids, but the mechanism is uncertain. In the current experiments, unsaturated fatty acids decreased the nuclear content of SREBP-1, but not SREBP-2, in cultured human embryonic kidney (HEK)-293 cells. The potency of unsaturated fatty acids increased with increasing chain length and degree of unsaturation. Oleate, linoleate, and arachidonate were all effective, but the saturated fatty acids palmitate and stearate were not effective. Down-regulation occurred at two levels. The mRNAs encoding SREBP-1a and SREBP-1c were markedly reduced, and the proteolytic processing of these SREBPs was inhibited. When SREBP-1a was produced by a cDNA expressed from an independent promoter, unsaturated fatty acids reduced nuclear SREBP-1a without affecting the mRNA level. There was no effect when the cDNA encoded a truncated version that was not membrane-bound. When administered together, sterols and unsaturated fatty acids potentiated each other in reducing nuclear SREBP-1. In the absence of fatty acids, sterols did not cause a sustained reduction of nuclear SREBP-1, but they did reduce nuclear SREBP-2. We conclude that unsaturated fatty acids, as well as sterols, can down-regulate nuclear SREBPs and that unsaturated fatty acids have their greatest inhibitory effects on SREBP-1a and SREBP-1c, whereas sterols have their greatest inhibitory effects on SREBP-2.
Chronic ethanol treatment produces a selective upregulation of the NMDA receptor subunit gene expression in mammalian cultured cortical neurons

Abstract Our previous work has shown that chronic ethanol treatment upregulated NMDA receptor function and binding in mammalian cortical neurons. However, the potential molecular mechanisms involved in these phenomenon have yet to be elucidated. In the present study, using RNase protection assay, we investigated the effect of chronic ethanol treatment on the NMDA receptor subunits R1, R2A, and R2B mRNA levels in cultured cortical neurons. We found that chronic ethanol (50 mM, 5 days) exposure did not change the NMDA receptor R1 and R2A subunits mRNA levels. In contrast, the NMDA receptor R2B subunit mRNA level was increased by ∼40% with respect to the control values. The levels of the R2B subunit mRNA returned to the control values following the removal of ethanol for 72 h. In order to determine the involvement of the NMDA receptors in the action of chronic ethanol exposure, we further investigated the effect of the NMDA receptor antagonists on the upregulation induced by chronic ethanol exposure. The results indicate that the increased R2B subunit level was reversed by concomitant chronic exposure of the cortical neurons to the NMDA receptor competitive (10 μM; CPP), and non-competitive (1 μM; MK-801) antagonists, but not by the non-NMDA receptor antagonist, CNQX (10 μM), or the L-type calcium channel blocker, nitrendipine (10 μM). Taken together, these results suggested that chronic ethanol exposure selectively upregulated the NMDA receptor subunit R2B mRNA level in cortical neurons, and this increased NMDA receptor gene expression appears to be a NMDA receptor mediated process. The altered NMDA receptor gene expression may be responsible for the observed upregulation of the NMDA receptor binding and function in the cortical neurons following chronic ethanol exposure.
Fitness and Propensity’s Annulment?

Recent debate on the nature of probabilities in evolutionary biology has focused largely on the propensity interpretation of fitness (PIF), which defines fitness in terms of a conception of probability known as “propensity”. However, proponents of this conception of fitness have misconceived the role of probability in the constitution of fitness. First, discussions of probability and fitness have almost always focused on organism effect probability, the probability that an organism and its environment cause effects. I argue that much of the probability relevant to fitness must be organism circumstance probability, the probability that an organism encounters particular, detailed circumstances within an environment, circumstances which are not the organism’s effects. Second, I argue in favor of the view that organism effect propensities either don’t exist or are not part of the basis of fitness, because they usually have values close to 0 or 1. More generally, I try to show that it is possible to develop a clearer conception of the role of probability in biological processes than earlier discussions have allowed.
Neonatal exposure to genistein adversely impacts the ontogeny of hypothalamic kisspeptin signaling pathways and ovarian development in the peripubertal female rat

Abstract Neonatal exposure to estrogenic endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) can advance pubertal onset and induce premature anestrous in female rats. It was recently discovered that hypothalamic kisspeptin (KISS) signaling pathways are sexually dimorphic and regulate both the timing of pubertal onset and estrous cyclicity. Thus we hypothesized that disrupted sex specific ontogeny of KISS signaling pathways might be a mechanism underlying these EDC effects. We first established the sex specific development of KISS gene expression, cell number and neural fiber density across peripuberty in the anteroventral periventricular nucleus (AVPV) and arcuate nucleus (ARC), hypothesizing that the sexually dimorphic aspects of KISS signaling would be most vulnerable to EDCs. We next exposed female rats to the phytoestrogen genistein (GEN, 1 or 10 mg/kg bw), estradiol benzoate (EB, 10 μg), or vehicle from post natal day (P) 0–3 via subcutaneous (sc) injection. Animals were sacrificed on either P21, 24, 28, or 33 ( n = 5–14 per group at each age). Vaginal opening was significantly advanced by EB and the higher dose of GEN compared to control animals and was accompanied by lower numbers of KISS immunoreactive fibers in the AVPV and ARC. Ovarian morphology was also assessed in all age groups for the presence of multiple oocyte follicles (MOFs). The number of MOFs decreased over time in each group, and none were observed in control animals by P24. MOFs were still present, however, in the EB and 10 mg/kg GEN groups beyond P24 indicating a disruption in the timing of ovarian development.
A tribological investigation of the small bowel lumen surface

Abstract Robotic capsule endoscopy (RCE), where a robotically controlled capsule endoscope is used to navigate the gastrointestinal tract, is a developing technology currently hindered by mobility challenges within the small bowel. This research seeks to engage the frictional characterization of the small bowel with a formally designed experiment which samples the variability within the porcine animal population while parameters such as engineering material, contact area and bowel region were varied. Friction force measurements were collected within an environmental chamber which closely simulates in vivo conditions. The results indicate that micro-patterned polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) yields a statistically significantly higher coefficient of friction (COF) than stainless steel or polycarbonate. The effects of contact area and bowel region vary across the porcine animal population. The COF under these conditions ranged from 0.0004 to 0.018.
Formulation of mycoherbicides using a pasta-like process☆

Abstract A new pasta-like (“Pesta”) process has been developed whereby fungal propagules are encapsulated (entrapped) in a wheat gluten matrix. A dough prepared from wheat flour, filler, fungus, and water was rolled into a thin sheet, air-dried, and ground into granules. The mycoherbicide agents Alternaria cassiae, A. crassa, Colletotrichum truncatum, and Fusarium lateritium were each formulated in Pesta and bioassayed against the target weed sicklepod, jimsonweed, hemp sesbania, or velvetleaf, respectively. The fungi grew and sporulated on the granules after application to soil. C. truncatum produced acervuli with conidia which were embedded in a protective mucilaginous exudate. In the greenhouse, 0.6- to 1.40-mm granules (14–18 and 18–30 mesh) containing the two Alternaria species or the Colletotrichum caused higher levels of weed mortality (68–100%) than did smaller granules (25–40%). When the granules contained F. lateritium, weed mortality was ≤30% regardless of granule size. The Pesta process appears to be a simple and effective way to formulate and deliver mycoherbicide agents.
Functional Analysis of miR-34c as a Putative Tumor Suppressor in High Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer

ABSTRACT Altered microRNA expression patterns are implicated in the formation of many human diseases, including ovarian cancer. Our laboratory previously created Dicerfl/fl/Ptenfl/fl/Amhr2cre/+ mice, which developed high-grade serous carcinomas originating from mouse fallopian tubes, while neither Dicerfl/fl/Amhr2cre/+ nor Ptenfl/fl/Amhr2cre/+ mice developed tumors. To explore miRNAs involved in the tumorigenesis in the double-knockout (DKO) mice, tumor cell lines were established from mouse primary tumors, and the most abundant miRNAs present in mouse normal fallopian tubes, let-7b and miR-34c, were expressed in these cell lines. We found that miR-34c had a more dramatic effect on inhibiting tumor cell viability than let-7b. The action of miR-34c induced tumor cell cycle arrest in G1 phase and apoptosis, and was accompanied with the regulation of key genes involved in cell proliferation and cell cycle G1/S transition. miR-34c suppressed the expression of Ezh2 and Mybl2, which may transcriptionally and fu...
BM-SNP: a Bayesian model for SNP calling using high throughput sequencing data

A single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) is a sole base change in the DNA sequence and is the most common polymorphism. Detection and annotation of SNPs are among the central topics in biomedical research as SNPs are believed to play important roles on the manifestation of phenotypic events, such as disease susceptibility. To take full advantage of the next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology, we propose a Bayesian approach, BM-SNP, to identify SNPs based on the posterior inference using NGS data. In particular, BM-SNP computes the posterior probability of nucleotide variation at each covered genomic position using the contents and frequency of the mapped short reads. The position with a high posterior probability of nucleotide variation is flagged as a potential SNP. We apply BM-SNP to two cell-line NGS data, and the results show a high ratio of overlap (>95 percent) with the dbSNP database. Compared with MAQ, BM-SNP identifies more SNPs that are in dbSNP, with higher quality. The SNPs that are called only by BM-SNP but not in dbSNP may serve as new discoveries. The proposed BM-SNP method integrates information from multiple aspects of NGS data, and therefore achieves high detection power. BM-SNP is fast, capable of processing whole genome data at 20-fold average coverage in a short amount of time.
Biogas plasticization coupled anaerobic digestion: the anaerobic pump stoichiometry.

This paper presents the stoichiometry section of a bioenergetics investigation into the biogas plasticization of wastewater sludge using the Anaerobic Pump (TAP). Three residue samples, an input substrate and two residual products, were collected from two side by side operated AD systems, a conventional continuous flow and stirred reactor, and TAP, and submitted for elemental and calorimetric analyses. The elemental compositions of the residues were fitted to a heterotrophic metabolism model [1] for both systems. To facilitate balanced stoichiometric models, a simple “cell” correction computation separates measured residual composites into “real” residual composition and cell growth (C5H7NO2) components. The elemental data and model results show that the TAP stage II residual composition (C1H0.065O0.0027N0.036) was nearly devoid of hydrogen and oxygen, leaving only fixed carbon and cells grown as the composition of the remaining mass. This quantitative evidence supports prior measurements of very high methane yields from TAP stage II reactor during steady-state experiments [2]. All performance parameters derived from the stoichiometric model(s) showed good agreement with measured steady-state averaged values. These findings are strong evidence that plasticization–disruption (TAP) cycle is the mechanism responsible for the observed increases in methane yield. The accuracy achieved by the stoichiometry models qualifies them for thermodynamic analysis to obtain potentials and bioconversion efficiencies. How applied pressure causes matrix conformation changes triggered by a functional consequence (plasticization and disruption) is this study’s essential focus.
Cochain algebra on manifolds and convergence under refinement

Abstract In this paper we develop several algebraic structures on the simplicial cochains of a triangulated manifold and prove they converge to their differential-geometric analogues as the triangulation becomes small. The first such result is for a cochain cup product converging to the wedge product on differential forms. Moreover, we show any extension of this product to a C ∞ -algebra also converges to the wedge product of forms. For cochains equipped with an inner product, we define a combinatorial star operator and show that for a certain cochain inner product this operator converges to the smooth Hodge star operator.
Investigation into spectral characteristics of multilevel semiconductor inverters

Calculation of spectral characteristics is investigated, and the harmonic distortion of the output voltage of a single-phase three-level voltage inverter is determined. It is shown that the application of multilevel inverters makes it possible to decrease the harmonic distortion over the entire control region of the output voltage compared with a single-level inverter.
Spectroscopic Studies of Microwave Plasma Reactions of Maleic Anhydride on Poly(vinylidene fluoride) Surfaces: Crystallinity and Surface Reactions

These studies show that maleic anhydride and carboxylic acid groups can be chemically bonded to poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) surfaces with the use of microwave plasma energy. Maleic anhydride reacts with the PVDF surface through a CC bond opening of the maleic anhydride ring, and its hydrolysis results in chemically attached carboxylic acid groups on the PVDF surface. The extent of the surface reactions can be monitored using attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR FT-IR) spectroscopy. These studies also show that maleic anhydride CO groups are preferentially parallel to the PVDF surface, and molecular mechanics force field calculations indicate that the most favorable angle between maleic anhydride and a polymer backbone is 25°. Quantitative spectroscopic analysis shows that before hydrolysis, volume concentrations of maleic anhydride vary from 1.32 × 10-5 to 7.94 × 10-5 mg/cm3 (surface concentrations from 1.8 × 10-9 to 6.67 × 10-9 mg/cm2), whereas the carboxylic acid content cha...
Somatic cell hybrids, sequence-tagged sites, simple repeat polymorphisms, and yeast artificial chromosomes for physical and genetic mapping of proximal 17p.

Abstract Somatic cell hybrids retaining the deleted chromosome 17 from 15 unrelated Smith-Magenis syndrome (SMS) del(17)(p11.2p11.2)] patients were obtained by fusion of patient lymphoblasts with thymidine kinase-deficient rodent cell lines. Seventeen sequence-tagged sites (STSs) were developed from anonymous markers and cloned genes mapping to the short arm of chromosome 17. The STSs were used to determine the deletion status of these loci in these and four previously described human chromosome 17-retaining hybrids. Ten STSs were used to identify 28 yeast artificial chromosomes (YACs) from the St. Louis human genomic YAC library. Four of the 17 STSs identified simple repeat polymorphisms. The order and location of deletion breakpoints were confirmed and refined, and the regional assignment of several probes and cloned genes were determined. The cytogenetic band locations and relative order of six markers on 17p were established by fluorescence in situ hybridization mapping to metaphase chromosomes. The latter data confirmed and supplemented the somatic cell hybrid results. Most of the hybrids derived from [del(17)(p11.2p11.2)] patients demonstrated a similar pattern of deletion for the marker loci and were deleted for D17S446, D17S258, D17S29, D17S71, and D17S445. However, one of them demonstrated a unique pattern of deletion. This patient is deleted for several markers known to recognize a large DNA duplication associated with Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease type 1A. These data suggest that the proximal junction of the CMT1A duplication is close to the distal breakpoint in [del(17)(p11.2p11.2)] patients.
Structure and Biosynthesis of Pro-Adrenocorticotropin/Endorphin and Related Peptides*

THIS REVIEW will deal with the biosynthesis of many of the members of the ACTH/lipotropin (LPH) family of peptides (Fig. 1). Peptides in this family fall into two groups: peptides related to ACTH include α-melanotropin (αMSH) and corticotropin-like intermediate lobe peptide (CLIP); peptides related to βLPH include γLPH, βMSH, and β-endorphin. In several species ACTH and βLPH each contain an identical heptapeptide segment located in the region of the molecule that is responsible for melanotropic bioactivity (1, 2). In this review we have taken a somewhat historical approach, and will therefore begin with a discussion of the biosynthesis of ACTH and the characterization of biosynthetic precursors to ACTH. When this work began, βLPH, γLPH, and βMSH were well-characterized pituitary peptides, but the opioid peptides (and β-endorphin in particular) had not yet been identified (3–5). Studies on the biosynthesis of ACTH were heavily influenced by prior work defining the biosynthetic pathways for insulin and para...
Community-based theater and adults with psychiatric disabilities: social activism, performance and community engagement.

The present study is an in-depth qualitative inquiry with an established theater troupe composed of adults living with psychiatric disabilities known as The Stars of Light. A grounded theory methodology is used to describe dimensions of social activism and characteristics of theater as a medium of engagement at the individual, setting/troupe, and community levels of analysis. Analysis of a broad scope of interview data, performance content, community contacts, and historical data from the troupe’s 19-year history led to the identification of eight emergent theoretical concepts formulated from 17 supporting associated themes. The theoretical concepts characterize the impacts of community-based theater in the lives of participants, and theater troupe processes that contribute to community education and positive social change for adults living with psychiatric disabilities. Advantages, limitations, and future directions for research and action in community-based theater settings are discussed within the context of present research findings.
Minimally invasive mitral valve surgery can be performed with optimal outcomes in the presence of left ventricular dysfunction.

Background Minimally invasive approaches to mitral valve repair have demonstrated equivalent technical outcomes and more rapid recovery when compared with traditional sternotomy. These techniques have been widely accepted for mitral insufficiency and stenosis. The utilization of minimally invasive techniques in the presence of left ventricular (LV) dysfunction has been controversial. We hypothesized that minimally invasive mitral valve surgery could be safely performed in the presence of compromised myocardial function, thereby minimizing recovery time. Methods All patients undergoing minimally invasive mitral valve surgery at our center from November 1998 through June 2012 were analyzed. During this time 1,103 patients underwent minimally invasive, port access, mitral valve surgery utilizing a video-assisted limited right thoracotomy approach. Patients with LV dysfunction (ejection fraction ≤ 0.40, n = 140) were compared with patients with normal ventricular function (n = 963). Preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative variables were compared between cohorts. Results Patients with LV dysfunction were able to undergo mitral valve surgery with minimal mortality (2.1% vs 1.7%, p = 0.7) and morbidity, that was comparable with patients with normal ventricular function. Postoperative recovery was only slightly longer compared with patients with normal LV function as noted by time to extubation (6.0 vs 7.0 hours, p = 0.005) and hospital length of stay (7.0 vs 6.0 days, p Conclusions Minimally invasive, port-access, mitral valve surgery can be safely performed with minimal morbidity and mortality in the presence of cardiomyopathy. This approach may be considered in patients with isolated mitral valve pathology and LV dysfunction in an experienced center.
Thrombin-E as a Fibrinolytic Enzyme

Thrombin-E has been produced in adequate quantity for pharmacological studies. After intravenous infusion in dogs there were no significantchanges in blood pressure, temperature, pulse rate, and respiratory movements. There were drops in platelet and white cell count, and there was an increase in bloodsugar level. Powerful fibrinolytic phenomena wereobserved.
Tourette's Syndrome: Advances in Treatment and Research: Interoductions

Interest in Tourette's syndrome (TS) has increased dramatically over the past two decades. Once thought to be a medical curiosity, TS is now a well-recognized clinical disorder which appears regularly in the practice of child psychiatry. During the past several years, the scope and pace of clinical research in TS has increased. Epidemiological, neurochemical, genetic, neuropsychological, pharmacological, linguistic, and other clinical research methods have been focused on patients with TS and their families (Friedhoff and Chase, 1982). The articles in this special section of the Journal illustrate many of these approaches and demonstrate how TS may serve as a useful model for the study of neuropsychiatric disorders of childhood. In the context of clinical treatment, patients have been observed over the course of many years, and the natural history of the disorder has been documented more fully. The response of patients to medications has elucidated aspects of the disorder and created new clinical phenomena in need of understanding, such as differential responses to medication and side effects. In this special section, the increase in knowledge of the clinical phenomenology and treatment of TS is reviewed by Ruth Bruun, who has been involved with the pioneering work of Arthur and Elaine Shapiro and who has had the opportunity of studying TS patients from the start of the "modern" history of the disorder (Shapiro et al., 1978). Although the broad, clinical picture of TS has changed little since its first description almost one century ago, many controversies remain concerning its range of clinical expression. As noted by Bruun, a principal area of controversy concerns the "associated" features of TS which have been recognized since Tourette's first report (obsessions, compulsions, attentional difficulties, impulsivity, and personality problems). Are the "associated" features secondary to the patient's tic problems, do they reflect the same
The FGD homologue EXC-5 regulates apical trafficking in C. elegans tubules.

Abstract Maintenance of the shape of biological tubules is critical for development and physiology of metazoan organisms. Loss of function of the Caenorhabditis elegans FGD protein EXC-5 allows large fluid-filled cysts to form in the lumen of the single-cell excretory canal tubules, while overexpression of exc-5 causes defects at the tubule's basolateral surface. We have examined the effects of altering expression levels of exc-5 on the distribution of fluorescently-marked subcellular organelles. In exc-5 mutants, early endosomes build up in the cell, especially in areas close to cysts, while recycling endosomes are depleted. Endosome morphology changes prior to cyst formation. Conversely, when exc-5 is overexpressed, recycling endosomes are enriched. Since FGD proteins activate the small GTPases CDC42 and Rac, these results support the hypothesis that EXC-5 acts through small GTPases to move material from apical early endosomes to recycling endosomes, and that loss of such movement is likely the cause of tubule deformation both in nematodes and in tissues affected by FGD dysfunction such as Charcot–Marie–Tooth Syndrome type 4H.
Utilization of alkaline potato peel waste by fermentation, amylase production byAspergillus foetidus NRRL 337, and alcoholic fermentation

Aspergillus foctidus NRRL337 was cultured on hydrochloric acid neutralized waste from the dry caustic potato peeling process. Alpha-amylase yields of 26–40 SKB units/ml and maltase yields of 6 to 10 units/ml were obtained. The fermented mixture filters very easily to yield an amylase containing liquor and mycelium. Alcoholic fermentation of additional peel waste using the above for amylolytic conversion gave alcohol yields of up to 90% on a stoichiometric carbohydrate basis. This work was done to demonstrate the utility of dry caustic peel waste as a starting material for fermentation processes.
Ultrastructure of echimyid and murid rodent spines

Aristiform spines of the rodents Niviventer fulvescens, Maxomys surifer, Hoplomys gymnurus and 17 species of Proechimys (representing both recognized subgenera and all nine species groups) were studied qualitatively using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and quantitatively by measuring seven linear dimensions. SEM was used to examine spine tips, bases, longitudinal furrows and cross sections. Spines of the murid rodents N. fulvescens and M. surifer differed from those of the echimyid rodents H. gymnurus and Proechimys spp. in possessing a smaller base with a longer, narrower neck, scaled rather than ridged longitudinal furrows, and a solid internal core and large lacunae at the spine margins. Spines of H. gymnurus differed from those of Proechimys spp. in being considerably more robust with a stout neck at the base, an abruptly-tapering tip and a dense inner layer with a series of smaller lacunae at the spine margins. A factor analysis of spine measurements revealed major differences among N. fulvescens, M. surifer, H. gymnurus ,t heProechimys subgenus Trinomys and the nine Proechimys species groups within the subgenus Proechimys .H owever, allProechimys species groups clustered closely together. A discriminant function analysis of the nine Proechimys species groups provided generally limited discriminatory power. Although spines are distinct at the generic and subgeneric levels, spines may possess limited diagnostic structure at the level of species within the subgenus Proechimys.
Effects of hypoxia exposure on hepatic cytochrome P450 1A (CYP1A) expression in Atlantic croaker: molecular mechanisms of CYP1A down-regulation.

Hypoxia-inducible factor-α (HIF-α) and cytochrome P450 1A (CYP1A) are biomarkers of environmental exposure to hypoxia and organic xenobiotic chemicals that act through the aryl hydrocarbon receptor, respectively. Many aquatic environments heavily contaminated with organic chemicals, such as harbors, are also hypoxic. Recently, we and other scientists reported HIF-α genes are upregulated by hypoxia exposure in aquatic organisms, but the molecular mechanisms of hypoxia regulation of CYP1A expression have not been investigated in teleost fishes. As a first step in understanding the molecular mechanisms of hypoxia modulation of CYP1A expression in fish, we characterized CYP1A cDNA from croaker liver. Hypoxia exposure (dissolved oxygen, DO: 1.7 mg/L for 2 to 4 weeks) caused significant decreases in hepatic CYP1A mRNA and protein levels compared to CYP1A levels in fish held in normoxic conditions. In vivo studies showed that the nitric oxide (NO)-donor, S-nitroso-N-acetyl-DL-penicillamine, significantly decreased CYP1A expression in croaker livers, whereas the competitive inhibitor of NO synthase (NOS), Nω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester, restored CYP1A mRNA and protein levels in hypoxia-exposed (1.7 mg DO/L for 4 weeks) fish. In vivo hypoxia exposure also markedly increased interleukin-1β (IL-1β, a cytokine), HIF-2α mRNA and endothelial NOS (eNOS) protein levels in croaker livers. Pharmacological treatment with vitamin E, an antioxidant, lowered the IL-1β, HIF-2α mRNA and eNOS protein levels in hypoxia-exposed fish and completely reversed the down-regulation of hepatic CYP1A mRNA and protein levels in response to hypoxia exposure. These results suggest that hypoxia-induced down-regulation of CYP1A is due to alterations of NO and oxidant status, and cellular IL-1β and HIF-α levels. Moreover, the present study provides the first evidence of a role for antioxidants in hepatic eNOS and IL-1β regulation in aquatic vertebrates during hypoxic stress.
LONG-TERM IMPACTS OF AN ARTHROPOD-COMMUNITY INVASION BY THE IMPORTED FIRE ANT, SOLENOPSIS INVICTA

Invasive ant species represent a serious threat to the integrity of many ecological communities, often causing decreases in the abundance and species richness of both native ants and other arthropods. One of the most in-depth and well-known studies of this type documented a severe impact of the imported red fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, on the native ant and arthropod fauna of a biological field reserve in central Texas (USA) during the initial invasion in the late 1980s. I sampled the community again in 1999, 12 years later, utilizing the same methodology, to compare the short- and long-term impacts of this invasion. Pitfall traps and baits were used to obtain quantitative measures of the ant and arthropod community, and hand collecting was additionally employed to determine the overall ant species composition. Although the abundance and species richness of native ants and several other arthropod groups decreased precipitously immediately after the S. invicta invasion, all measures of native ant and arthropod species diversity had returned to preinvasion levels after 12 years. Solenopsis invicta was still the most abundant ant species, but not nearly as abundant as it was during the initial phase of the invasion. The results of this study indicate that the impact of such invasive ants may be greatest during and shortly after the initial phase of an invasion.
Insulin-mediated sympathoexcitation in obesity and type 2 diabetes

9. Babbs C, Warnes TW, Torrance HB, Ballardie FW. IgA nephro17. Lomax-Smith JD, Zabrowarny LA, Howarth GS, Seymour pathy in non-cirrhotic portal hypertension. Gut 1990; 32: AAE, Woodroffe AJ. The immunochemical characterisation of 225–226 mesangial IgA deposits. Am J Pathol 1983; 113: 359–364 10. Berger J, Yaneva H, Nabarra B. Glomerular changes in patients 18. Giron JA, Alvarez-Mon M, Menendez-Caro J et al. Increased with cirrhosis of the liver. Adv Nephrol 1977; 7: 3–14 spontaneous and lymphokine-conditioned IgA and IgG synthesis 11. Kutteh WH, Prince SJ Phillips JO, Spenney JG, by B-cells from alcoholic cirrhotic patients. Hepatology 1992; Mestecky J. Properties of IgA in serum of individuals with liver 16: 664–670 disease and in hepatic bile. Gastroenterology 1982; 82: 184–93 19. Deviere J, Content J, Deny C et al. IgA and Interleukin 6 form 12. Sancho J, Egido J, Sanchez-Crespo M, Blasco R. Detection of a positive secretory feedback loop: study of normal subjects and monomeric and polymeric IgA containing immune complexes alcoholic cirrhotics. Gastroenterology 1992; 103: 1296–1301 in serum and kidney of patients with alcoholic liver disease. Clin 20. Feehally J, Allen AC, Pathogenesis of IgA nephropathy. Ann Exp Immunol 1981; 47: 327–335 Med Interne 1999; 150: 16–23 13. Coppo R, Arico S, Piccoli G et al. Presence and origin of IgA121. Hiki Y, Kokubo T, Iwase H et al. Underglycosylation of IgA1 and IgA2-containing circulating immune complexes in chronic hinge plays a certain role for its glomerular deposition in IgA alcoholic liver disease with and without glomerulonephritis. Clin nephropathy. J Am Soc Nephrol 1999; 10: 760–769 Immunol Immunopathol 1985; 35: 1–8 22. Roccatello D, Picciotto G, Torchio M et al. Removal systems 14. Delacroix DL, Elken KB, Genbel AP, Hodgson HJF, Dive C, of IgA and IgA-containing complexes in IGAN and cirrhosis Vaerman JP. Changes in size, subclass, and metabolic properties patients. Lab Invest 1993; 69(6): 714–723 of serum immunoglobulin A in liver diseases and other diseases 23. Burgess J, Baenziger J, Brown W. Abnormal surface distribution with high serum immunoglobulin A. J Clin Invest 1983; 71: of the human asialoglycoprotein receptor in cirrhosis. 358–367 Hepatology 1992; 15: 702–706 15. Van de Wiel A, Delacroix DL, Van Hattum J, Schuurman H-J, 24. Silvain C, Patry C, Launay P, Lehuen A, Monteiro RC. Altered Kater L. Characteristics of serum IgA and liver IgA deposits in expression of monocyte immunoglobulin A Fc Receptor is alcoholic liver disease. Hepatology 1987; 7(1): 95–99 associated with defective endocytosis in patients with alcoholic 16. Andre C, Berthoux FC, Andre F, Gillon J, Genin C, Sabatier cirrhosis: Potential role for IFN-c. J Immunol 1995; 155: J-C. Prevalence of IgA2 deposits on IgA nephropathies. A clue to their pathogenesis. N Engl J Med 1980; 303(23): 1343–1346 1606–1618
Terrestrial Prey Items in the Diet of Largemouth Bass, Micropterus salmoides, in a Small North Temperate Lake

ABSTRACT We examined the prevalence of terrestrial vertebrates (amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals) in the diet of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) from a small, unexploited, kettle lake in Michigan's Upper Peninsula from 1983 to 2004. The stomach contents from 3,873 bass contained 80 terrestrial vertebrate prey items comprising 15 different species. Numerically, terrestrial vertebrates comprised only 0.03% of the total prey items, and the frequency of occurrence of terrestrial forms was 2.1%. However, in terms of biomass, terrestrial vertebrates represented the third largest prey category (12.3%).
Family- and Individual-Level Predictors of Academic Success for African American Students: A Longitudinal Path Analysis Utilizing National Data

Using data from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88), path analytic procedures were performed to test an ecological model of the effects of family- and individual-level characteristics on the academic achievement of African American students. The study results show that several of the family influence variables directly or indirectly affected 12th-grade academic achievement. Furthermore, most of the individual influence variables were directly related to 12th-grade achievement. A surprising finding from this study was the nonsignificant effect of family income on 12th-grade achievement. Overall, the findings support the notion that family- and individual-level characteristics are important predictors of academic success among African American students.
P- and n-channel InAlAs/InGaAs heterojunction insulated gate FETs (HIGFETs) on InP

The simultaneous fabrication of enhancement-mode p-channel and n-channel heterojunction insulated gate FETs (HIGFETs) using InAlAs/InGaAs/InAlAs heterostructure layers on InP substrates is discussed. Near 1- mu m gate length, e-mode p-channel HIGFETs are shown to have a threshold voltage near -0.66 V, sharp pinchoff, 0.9-V gate diode turn-on, and a room-temperature extrinsic transconductance >20 mS/mm. The adjacent (complementary) n-channel HIGFETs are shown to exhibit e-mode operation (threshold V/sub tn/=0.16 V), low leakage, 0.9-V gate diode turn-on, and high transconductance (g/sub m/>320 mS/mm). >
The Effects of Small-Scale Turbulence on Air-Sea Heat Flux

The air‐sea exchange of heat is mainly controlled by the molecular diffusive layer adjacent to the surface. With an order of magnitude difference between the kinematic viscosity and thermal diffusivity of water, the thermal sublayer is embedded within its momentum analog: the viscous sublayer. Therefore, the surface heat exchange rates are greatly influenced by the surface kinematics and dynamics; in particular, small-scale phenomena,suchasnear-surfaceturbulence,havethegreatestpotentialtoaffectthesurfacefluxes.Surfacerenewal theory was developed to parameterize the details of the turbulent transfer through the molecular sublayers. The theory assumes that turbulent eddies continuously replace surface water parcels with bulk fluid, which is not in equilibrium with the atmosphere and therefore is able to transfer heat. The so-called controlled-flux technique gives direct measurements of the mean surface lifetime of such surface renewal events. In this paper, the authors present results from field experiments, along with a review of surface renewal theory, and show that previous estimates of air‐sea scalar fluxes using the controlled-flux technique may be erroneous if the probability density function (PDF) of surface renewal time scales is different from the routinely assumed exponential distribution. The authors show good agreement between measured and estimated heat fluxes using asurface renewalPDFthat followsa x distribution. Finally,overthe rangeofforcingconditionsin these field experiments, a clear relationship between direct surface turbulence measurements and the mean surface renewal time scale is established. The relationship is not dependent on the turbulence generation mechanism. The authors suggest that direct surface turbulence measurements may lead to improved estimates of scalar air‐sea fluxes.
Rheological and proteolytic properties of Monterey Jack goat's milk cheese during aging.

To enhance the understanding of the quality traits of goat's milk cheeses, rheological and proteolytic properties of Monterey Jack goat's milk cheese were evaluated during 26 weeks of 4 °C storage. As expected with aging, β-casein levels decreased with concomitant increases in peptide levels and were correlated with changes in rheological properties of the cheese. Hydrolysis of the protein matrix resulted in more flexible (increased viscoelastic properties) and softer (decreased hardness, shear stress, and shear rigidity) cheeses. During the first 4−8 weeks of storage, cheese texture changed significantly (P < 0.05) and then stabilized. Characterization of rheological and proteolytic properties of the goat's milk semihard cheese during aging provided insight into the changes occurring in the protein matrix, the relationship to structure, and a shift in cheese quality. Keywords: Goat cheese; Monterey Jack; aging; rheology; proteolysis
Psychological Well-Being and Ill-Being: Do They Have Distinct or Mirrored Biological Correlates?

Background: Increasingly, researchers attend to both positive and negative aspects of mental health. Such distinctions call for clarifi cation of whether psychological well-being and ill-being comprise opposite ends of a bipolar continuum, or are best construed as separate, independent dimensions of mental health. Biology can help resolve this query – bipolarity predicts ‘mirrored’ biological correlates (i.e. well-being and ill-being correlate similarly with biomarkers, but show opposite directional signs), whereas independence predicts ‘distinct’ biological correlates (i.e. well-being and ill-being have different biological signatures). Methods: Multiple aspects of psychological well-being (eudaimonic, hedonic) and ill-being (depression, anxiety, anger) were assessed in a sample of aging women (n = 135, mean age = 74) on whom diverse neuroendocrine (salivary cortisol, epinephrine, norepinephrine, DHEA-S) and cardiovascular factors (weight, waist-hip ratio, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, HDL cholesterol, total/HDL cholesterol, glycosylated hemoglobin) were also measured. Results:
Identifying tissue-selective transcription factor binding sites in vertebrate promoters

We present a computational method aimed at systematically identifying tissue-selective transcription factor binding sites. Our method focuses on the differences between sets of promoters that are associated with differentially expressed genes, and it is effective at identifying the highly degenerate motifs that characterize vertebrate transcription factor binding sites. Results on simulated data indicate that our method detects motifs with greater accuracy than the leading methods, and its detection of strongly overrepresented motifs is nearly perfect. We present motifs identified by our method as the most overrepresented in promoters of liver- and muscle-selective genes, demonstrating that our method accurately identifies known transcription factor binding sites and previously uncharacterized motifs.
Injuries to the Shoulder in the Throwing Athlete: Part One: Biomechanics/Pathophysiology/Classification of Injury

Over the last decade, significant advances have been made in the study and understanding of shoulder mechanics. Much of this may be attributed to the use of more sophisticated technology to improve our ability to assess the shoulder in real-time athletics. As a consequence of these advances, our understanding of the pathophysiology of injury has also increased. Our manual examination skills have improved and our noninvasive diagnostic techniques have advanced greatly. New insight into forces at play during actions as complex as the throwing motion has allowed us to develop better protocols for the prevention and treatment of the most common injuries. Additionally, paralleling improvements in the understanding of shoulder kinematics and the pathophysiology of injury, advances in surgical techniques, particularly arthroscopy, have aided in the diagnosis of and the development of less invasive surgical treatments for injuries that do not respond to nonoperative measures. Undoubtedly, an up-to-date understanding of the developments in shoulder biomechanics, pathophysiology of injury, diagnostic techniques, and surgical management is necessary for the clinician who wishes to continue to apply proper skills in the sports medicine setting.
Energy landscape of the michaelis complex of lactate dehydrogenase: Relationship to catalytic mechanism

Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) catalyzes the interconversion between pyruvate and lactate with nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) as a cofactor. Using isotope-edited difference Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy on the “live” reaction mixture (LDH·NADH·pyruvate ⇌ LDH·NAD+·lactate) for the wild-type protein and a mutant with an impaired catalytic efficiency, a set of interconverting conformational substates within the pyruvate side of the Michaelis complex tied to chemical activity is revealed. The important structural features of these substates include (1) electronic orbital overlap between pyruvate’s C2═O bond and the nicotinamide ring of NADH, as shown from the observation of a delocalized vibrational mode involving motions from both moieties, and (2) a characteristic hydrogen bond distance between the pyruvate C2═O group and active site residues, as shown by the observation of at least four C2═O stretch bands indicating varying degrees of C2═O bond polarization. These structural features form a...