cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cybrid formation in mouse L cells: the influence of cytoplast-to-cell ratio.

The frequency of cybrid colony formation was measured infusions between enucleated chloramphenicol (CAP)-resistant mouse cells and CAP-sensitive mouse cells in varying ratios. By labeling the CAP-resistant cytoplasts with polystyrene beads and then performing the same fusions with CAP-sensitive cells, the frequency of cybrid fusions could be measured. Comparison of the frequency of viable cybrids (cybrid colonies) with the frequency of cybrid fusions showed that, with increasing fusion ratios of cytoplasts to cells, the proportion of cells fused to cytoplasts increased. Further, the viability of cybrid fusions increased from about 1 in 500 to nearly 1 in 60 over the range of cytoplast-to-cell ratios studied.
Water relations advantages for invasive Rubus armeniacus over two native ruderal congeners

Despite species in the Rubus fruticosus complex (wild blackberry) being among the most invasive plants globally in regions with large annual fluctuations in water availability, little is known about their water relations. We compared water relations of a prominent member of the complex, R. armeniacus (Himalayan blackberry), with species native to the Pacific Northwest of North America (PNW), R. spectabilis (salmonberry) and R. parviflorus (thimbleberry). In eight stands of each species located near Portland, Oregon, USA, we measured mid-day hydraulic resistance (R plant), and daily time series of stomatal conductance (g s), leaf water potential (Ψlf), and environmental conditions at four time periods spanning the 2007 growing season. Although all species maintained Ψlf above −0.5 MPa in spring, R. armeniacus maintained less negative Ψlf (≥−1.0 MPa) than the natives in summer, a factor attributable to advantages in both its root and shoot systems. R plant of R. armeniacus was ≤0.1 MPa mmol−1 m2 s for the duration of the study, and approximately 25–50% of R plant for the native species in summer. R. armeniacus had higher g s compared to the native species throughout the spring and summer, with approximately twice their rates in summer. Our R plant and g s results show that R. armeniacus has access to more water during PNW summers than congeneric natives, allowing it to maintain high water-use, and potentially helping it achieve higher growth and reproductive rates. Water relations may therefore be a critical component of the competitive and invasive success of R. armeniacus and other R. fruticosus species worldwide.
Solution of the subsynchronous whirl problem in the high-pressure hydrogen turbomachinery of the Space Shuttle Main Engine

Subsynchronous whirl of the high-pressure fuel turbopump limited operation of the Space Shuttle Main Engine for some months in early 1976. The means by which this problem was successfully attacked is of particular interest to the rotor-dynamics community, not only because this machinery was the highest power-to-weight ratio known (77,000 hp...760 pounds), but because of the multiple forcing functions involved and the means, both analytical and experimental, which were utilized in separating variables, pointing toward successful solutions, and evaluating results. The general means of identifying fundamental characteristics, analyzing data, and conducting computer investigations are delineated. The results of analysis and testing are discussed. Since whirl inception occurs at a shaft speed greater than twice the first system critical, this was increased by stiffening the shaft and bearing supports; the system damping and system stiffness was additionally increased by proper interstage seal design to the extent that the instability threshold is now beyond the operating range.
Influence of customer participation on creating and sharing of new product value

This research applies an institutional arrangement perspective to develop an end-to-end model for the interaction between customers and upstream suppliers to develop a new product to understand how new product value is created and shared. The model is empirically tested by collecting primary data from 188 manufacturers across different industries. The research demonstrates that customer participation affects new product value creation by improving the effectiveness of the new product development process by enhancing information sharing and customer–supplier coordination and by increasing the level of customer and supplier specific investments in the product development effort. In addition, increasing the formalization of the customer participation process enhances both customer and supplier relationship-specific investments in the new product development process. The impact of customer participation on the customer's share of the new product value pie is more complex then is first apparent. Based on the dependence and equity perspectives the results suggest that exchange partners' power (relative dependence) positively influences a partner's ability to capture new product value, but this power is offset by a desire of exchange partners to ensure the distribution of value is “fair” and reflects each party's contribution to the value creation.
REPRODUCTIVE ISOLATION OF TRITICUM BOEOTICUM AND TRITICUM URARTU AND THE ORIGIN OF THE TETRAPLOID WHEATS

A B ST RA C T The diploid wheats Triticum boeoticum and T. urartu are sympatric with one another throughout the geographic range of the wild tetraploids. Reciprocal crosses between ecogeographic types within each diploid species gave viable seed, but interspecific crosses consistently gave viable seed only when T. boeoticum was the female parent. Apparently urartu cytoplasm in combination with the boeoticum genome resulted in nonviable seed. The endosperm failed to develop normally despite regular endosperm fertilization. The F1 plants obtained were completely self sterile although they showed regular intergenomic pairing (711) at meiosis. Presumably the accumulation of cryptic differences between the two closely related genomes under reproductive isolation accounts for this sterility. The same accumulated cryptic differences could largely account for the preferential diploid pairing in the tetrapolid wheats which presumably were derived from such hybrids by chromosome doubling. The behavior of reciprocal crosses between the diploids and tetraploids suggested that T. boeoticum contributed the cytoplasm to both of the wild tetraploid species. THE EVOLUTION of closely related sympatric species is contingent on their reproductive isolation. In plants, sterility of the F1 hybrid between such species opens the door to amphiploidy and to evolution at the polyploid level based on more or less autonomous and divergent genomes. These factors seem to have played vital roles in speciation within the diploid wheats and in the origin of the tetraploids. The wild tetraploid Triticum dicoccoides K6rn Schweinf., from which early agricultural tribes domesticated the emmer wheats, is endemic primarily to the western arc of the Fertile Crescent from the upper Jordan Valley to southeastern Anatolia (Johnson, 1975). Sporadic collections have been reported from Iraq and Iran (Dagan and Zohary, 1970; Tanaka and Ishii, 1973). The closely related tetraploid T. araraticum Jakubz., ancestral to the cultivated timopheevii wheats, is dispersed from Transcaucasia along the eastern arc of the Fertile Crescent into Iran (Fig. 1). The wild diploid T. boeoticum Boiss. (AA), long recognized as the A-genome parent of both the emmer (AeAeBeBe) and timopheevii (AtAtBt Bt) wheats, occurs throughout the range of the tetraploids, but its geographic distribution is much greater, extending across Anatolia from Transcaucasia to Greece. For many years the B-genome parent of the
Path processes and historical superprocesses

A superprocessX over a Markov process ξ can be obtained by a passage to the limit from a branching particle system for which ξ describes the motion of individual particles.The historical process\(\hat \xi \) for ξ is the process whose state at timet is the path of ξ over time interval [0,t]. The superprocess\(\hat X\) over\(\hat \xi \)the historical superprocess over ξ—reflects not only the particle distribution at any fixed time but also the structure of family trees. The principal property of a historical process\(\hat \xi \) is that\(\hat \xi _s \) is a function of\(\hat \xi _t \) for alls<t. Every process with this property is calleda path process. We develop a theory of superprocesses over path processes whose core is the integration with respect to measure-functionals. By applying this theory to historical superprocesses we construct the first hitting distributions and prove a special Markov property for superprocesses.
Sociocultural Stress, Smoking Risk, and Cessation Among African American Women

The common explanation as to why individuals smoke is that the act of smoking relieves psychological stress, yet very few studies have examined the association between stress and smoking from a sociocultural perspective among African American women. The current study examined the paradigm of sociocultural stress and its association between smoking risk and likelihood of quitting among African American women. One hundred ninety-eight African American women, approximately half of whom were current smokers, completed a battery of questionnaires that included a smoking risk survey and measures of acculturation, stress, and coping. A theoretically based path analytic model revealed that the acculturative stress factors of cultural mistrust (β = .39) and socialization (β = .17) were predictive of perceptions of race-related stress (R 2 = .18), which were predictive of the number of race-related events experienced (R2 = .51), which contributed to reports of general life stress (R2 = .07), which was subsequently ...
Assessment of the nutrient removal effectiveness of floating treatment wetlands applied to urban retention ponds.

The application of floating treatment wetlands (FTWs) in point and non-point source pollution control has received much attention recently. Although the potential of this emerging technology is supported by various studies, quantifying FTW performance in urban retention ponds remains elusive due to significant research gaps. Actual urban retention pond water was utilized in this mesocosm study to evaluate phosphorus and nitrogen removal efficiency of FTWs. Multiple treatments were used to investigate the contribution of each component in the FTW system with a seven-day retention time. The four treatments included a control, floating mat, pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata L.), and softstem bulrush (Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani). The water samples collected on Day 0 (initial) and 7 were analyzed for total phosphorus (TP), total particulate phosphorus, orthophosphate, total nitrogen (TN), organic nitrogen, ammonia nitrogen, nitrate-nitrite nitrogen, and chlorophyll-a. Statistical tests were used to evaluate the differences between the four treatments. The effects of temperature on TP and TN removal rates of the FTWs were described by the modified Arrhenius equation. Our results indicated that all three FTW designs, planted and unplanted floating mats, could significantly improve phosphorus and nitrogen removal efficiency (%, E-TP and E-TN) compared to the control treatment during the growing season, i.e., May through August. The E-TP and E-TN was enhanced by 8.2% and 18.2% in the FTW treatments planted with the pickerelweed and softstem bulrush, respectively. Organic matter decomposition was likely to be the primary contributor of nutrient removal by FTWs in urban retention ponds. Such a mechanism is fostered by microbes within the attached biofilms on the floating mats and plant root surfaces. Among the results of the four treatments, the FTWs planted with pickerelweed had the highest E-TP, and behaved similarly with the other two FTW treatments for nitrogen removal during the growth period. The temperature effects described by the modified Arrhenius equation revealed that pickerelweed is sensitive to temperature and provides considerable phosphorus removal when water temperature is greater than 25 °C. However, the nutrient removal effectiveness of this plant species may be negligible for water temperatures below 15 °C. The study also assessed potential effects of shading from the FTW mats on water temperature, DO, pH, and attached-to-substrate periphyton/vegetation.
Spatial variation in the power of mountain streams in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, New Mexico

The principle indicator of river energy expenditure, stream power, has a significant influence on many forms and process attributes of the fluvial system, yet few basin-wide analyses of stream power variations have ever been conducted. Recent studies hypothesize a peak in the mean stream power distribution in small (10 km2)- to intermediate (100 km2)-sized basins. To test hypothetical stream power profiles in a high mountain setting, 129 cross-sections of stream networks within the Costilla basin of northern New Mexico and southern Colorado were measured for channel form, local sediment conditions, and basin characteristics. Geomorphic and hydrologic analysis of these river sites throughout the Costilla basin yielded evidence of abundant local control over fluvial processes and forms. Within the basin, the spatial deviations of stream power from the hypothetical patterns derived from hydraulic geometry, in some cases >200% deviation, match areas of specific geologic and hydrogeologic control. As an alternative to traditional hydraulic descriptions of downstream channel form, a probabilistic process–response model can incorporate local and basin-scale variables and allow more realistic feedback mechanisms than in traditional regime theory. The probabilistic nature of this type of model also allows prediction of multiple modes of channel adjustment, an ever-present challenge to extremal and physically based simulations.
Large scale pressure fluctuations and the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect

The Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) effect associated with pressure fluctuations of the large scale structure gas distribution will be probed with current and upcoming wide-field small angular scale cosmic microwave background experiments. We study the generation of pressure fluctuations by baryons which are present in virialized dark matter halos and by baryons present in small overdensities. For collapsed halos, assuming the gas distribution is in hydrostatic equilibrium with matter density distribution, we predict the pressure power spectrum and bispectrum associated with the large scale structure gas distribution by extending the dark matter halo approach which describes the density field in terms of correlations between and within halos. The projected pressure power spectrum allows a determination of the resulting SZ power spectrum due to virialized structures. The unshocked photoionized baryons present in smaller overdensities trace the Jeans-scale smoothed dark matter distribution. They provide a lower limit to the SZ effect due to large scale structure in the absence of massive collapsed halos. We extend our calculations to discuss higher order statistics, such as bispectrum and skewness in SZ data. The SZ-weak lensing cross-correlation is suggested as a probe of correlations between dark matter and baryon density fields, while the probability distribution functions of peak statistics of SZ halos in wide field CMB data can be used as a probe of cosmology and non-Gaussian evolution of large scale structure pressure fluctuations.
Aminozuckersynthesen, XVI1). 2‐Amino‐2.6‐didesoxy‐D‐allose und 2‐Amino‐2.6‐didesoxy‐D‐gulose

Aus Benzyl-N-benzoyl-3.4-di-O-mesyl-β-D-allosaminid bzw. aus Benzyl-4-O-acetyl-6-O-mesyl-α-D-gulopyranosido[2.3 : 4′.5′]oxazolidon-(2′) werden uber die 6-Jod-Verbindungen 2-Amino-2.6-didesoxy-D-allose und -D-gulose synthetisiert. 6-Jod-benzyl-glykoside werden selektiv zu 6-Desoxy-benzyl-glykosiden reduziert, wobei O-Acetyl-Gruppen erhalten bleiben.
TURNOVER OF TRANSMITTER AND SYNAPTIC VESICLES AT THE FROG NEUROMUSCULAR JUNCTION

Curarized cutaneous pectoris nerve-muscle preparations from frogs were stimulated at 10/s or at 2/s for periods ranging from 20 min to 4 h. End plate potential were recorded intracellularly and used to estimate the quantity of transmitter secreted during the period of stimulation. At the ends of the periods of stimulation the preparations were either fixed for electron microscopy or treated with black widow spider venom to determine the quantities of transmitter remainind in the terminal. Horseradish peroxidase or dextran was added to the bathing solution and used as a tracer to detect the formation of vesicles from the axolemma. During 4 h of stimulation at 2/s many new vesicles were formed from the axolemma and the quantity of transmitter secreted was several times greater than the quantity in the initial store. After this period of stimulation, the terminals were severely depleted of transmitter, but not of vesicles, and their general morphological organization was normal. During 20 min of stimulation at 10/s the nerve terminals swelled and were severely depleted both of vesicles and of transmitter. During a subsequent hour of rest the changes in morphology were largely reversed, many new vesicles were formed from the axolemma and the stores of transmitter were partially replenished. These results suggest (a) that synaptic vesicles fuse with, and re-form from, the membrane of the nerve terminal during and after stimulation and (b), that the re-formed vesicles can store and release transmitter.
pygopus Encodes a nuclear protein essential for wingless/Wnt signaling.

The Wingless (Wg)/Wnt signal transduction pathway regulates many developmental processes through a complex of Armadillo(Arm)/?-catenin and the HMG-box transcription factors of the Tcf family. We report the identification of a new component, Pygopus (Pygo), that plays an essential role in the Wg/Wnt signal transduction pathway. We show that Wg signaling is diminished during embryogenesis and imaginal disc development in the absence of pygo activity. Pygo acts downstream or in parallel with Arm to regulate the nuclear function of Arm protein. pygo encodes a novel and evolutionarily conserved nuclear protein bearing a PHD finger that is essential for its activity. We further show that Pygo can form a complex with Arm in vivo and possesses a transcription activation domain(s). Finally, we have isolated a Xenopus homolog of pygo (Xpygo). Depletion of maternal Xpygo by antisense deoxyoligonucleotides leads to ventralized embryonic defects and a reduction of the expression of Wnt target genes. Together, these findings demonstrate that Pygo is an essential component in the Wg/Wnt signal transduction pathway and is likely to act as a transcription co-activator required for the nuclear function of Arm/?-catenin.
Excision of Helitron Transposons in Maize

Helitrons are novel transposons discovered by bioinformatic analysis of eukaryotic genome sequences. They are believed to move by rolling circle (RC) replication because their predicted transposases are homologous to those of bacterial RC transposons. We report here evidence of somatic Helitron excision in maize, an unexpected finding suggesting that Helitrons can exhibit an excisive mode of transposition.
Giant-cell arteritis in the southern United States. An 11-year retrospective study from the Texas Gulf Coast.

• Giant-cell arteritis (GCA) and polymyalgia rheumatica are systemic disorders that reportedly affect primarily white women older than age 50 years. We conducted an 11-year chart review to determine the relative occurrence and pattern of demographic involvement of GCA in the Gulf Coast region of the United States. Of 101 239 computer-coded entries for individual patients aged 40 years or older, 60 charts listed GCA as a differential diagnosis. Twenty-seven patients had temporal GCA; 21 temporal artery biopsy specimens were identified. Two patients had associated systemic GCA (one with aortitis). A striking finding was that 13 of the 27 patients were black women (about 50% of the entire study population). The group with GCA and polymyalgia rheumatica (17 patients) had a significantly higher mean erythrocyte sedimentation rate than the group with "pure" GCA. Jaw claudication and blindness were rare. We concluded that temporal GCA seems relatively uncommon in the Gulf Coast region and in the southern United States as a whole. Furthermore, GCA seems rare in Hispanics (only one patient identified). Nonetheless, this is the first report to document a proportionally high occurrence of GCA in black patients in this part of the country. ( Arch Intern Med . 1989;149:1561-1565)
Mothers, Wives, and Workers: Explaining Gendered Dimensions of the Welfare State

Feminist criticism has uncovered significant differences in the approach of welfare states to women’s employment and the family not captured by more mainstream, class-based approaches. At the same ...
James V. Neel and Yuri E. Dubrova: Cold War Debates and the Genetic Effects of Low-Dose Radiation

This article traces disagreements about the genetic effects of low-dose radiation exposure as waged by James Neel (1915-2000), a central figure in radiation studies of Japanese populations after World War II, and Yuri Dubrova (1955-), who analyzed the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident. In a 1996 article in Nature, Dubrova reported a statistically significant increase in the minisatellite (junk) DNA mutation rate in the children of parents who received a high dose of radiation from the Chernobyl accident, contradicting studies that found no significant inherited genetic effects among offspring of Japanese A-bomb survivors. Neel's subsequent defense of his large-scale longitudinal studies of the genetic effects of ionizing radiation consolidated current scientific understandings of low-dose ionizing radiation. The article seeks to explain how the Hiroshima/Nagasaki data remain hegemonic in radiation studies, contextualizing the debate with attention to the perceived inferiority of Soviet genetic science during the Cold War.
Modeling Techniques for a Computational Efficient Dynamic Turbofan Engine Model

A transient two-stream engine model has been developed. Individual component models developed exclusively in MATLAB/Simulink including the fan, high pressure compressor, combustor, high pressure turbine, low pressure turbine, plenum volumes, and exit nozzle have been combined to investigate the behavior of a turbofan two-stream engine. Special attention has been paid to the development of transient capabilities throughout the model, increasing physics model, eliminating algebraic constraints, and reducing simulation time through enabling the use of advanced numerical solvers. The lessening of computation time is paramount for conducting future aircraft system-level design trade studies and optimization. The new engine model is simulated for a fuel perturbation and a specified mission while tracking critical parameters. These results, as well as the simulation times, are presented. The new approach significantly reduces the simulation time.
Bidirectional reflectance modeling of data from vegetation obtained in the Changchun Solar Simulation Laboratory

Data sets of bidirectional reflectance for soy-beans and nasturtium canopies acquired in the Solar Simulation Laboratory at Changchun, PR China, are fit well using a kernel-driven BRDF model. The influence of sampling on the albedo measures retrieved is investigated.
Light-Dependent Development of Circadian Gene Expression in Transgenic Zebrafish

The roles of environmental stimuli in initiation and synchronization of circadian oscillation during development appear to vary among different rhythmic processes. In zebrafish, a variety of rhythms emerge in larvae only after exposure to light-dark (LD) cycles, whereas zebrafish period3 (per3) mRNA has been reported to be rhythmic from day 1 of development in constant conditions. We generated transgenic zebrafish in which expression of the firefly luciferase (luc) gene is driven by the zebrafish per3 promoter. Live larvae from these lines are rhythmically bioluminescent, providing the first vertebrate system for high-throughput measurement of circadian gene expression in vivo. Circadian rhythmicity in constant conditions was observed only after 5–6 d of development, and only if the fish were exposed to LD signals after day 4. Regardless of light exposure, a novel developmental profile was observed, with low expression during the first few days and a rapid increase when active swimming begins. Ambient temperature affected the developmental profile and overall levels of per3 and luc mRNA, as well as the critical days in which LD cycles were needed for robust bioluminescence rhythms. In summary, per3-luc zebrafish has revealed complex interactions among developmental events, light, and temperature in the expression of a clock gene.
Stochastic control techniques applied to chaotic nonlinear systems

Chaotic nonlinear systems exhibit behavior similar in many respects to noise-corrupted systems. The use of stochastic control techniques, in particular a state estimator based on the Kalman filter, enables implementation of a control algorithm for control of these systems whose performance is improved with respect to that obtainable by use of a controller utilizing only the conditional mean of the system state vector. The method is applied to two typical chaotic nonlinear systems, and their behavior with control is explored numerically. It is shown that chaotic nonlinear systems appear to retain their chaotic dynamics when control signals are applied. >
Association between workplace and housing conditions and use of pesticide safety practices and personal protective equipment among North Carolina farmworkers in 2010.

Background: There are inconsistencies about the effects of farmworker housing and workplace conditions and use of self-protective behavior practices and personal protective equipment (PPE). Objective: To investigate the association between workplace and housing conditions and farmworker use of pesticide safety practices and PPE. Methods: This study was conducted in 4 counties in North Carolina, USA, from July to October, 2010, during the agricultural growing season. Farmworkers working in agriculture aged 18 to 62 (n=187) were administered a structured questionnaire to collect self-reported measures on housing and workplace conditions. Use of pesticide safety and PPE were examined by asking questions about wearing gloves, wearing socks, and wearing a hat. Chi-square and multiple logistic regression analyses were used for statistical analyses. Results: Farmworkers reporting availability of enough hot and cold water for bathing and doing laundry were 13.6 times more likely to use pesticide safety practices (adjusted OR: 13.6, 95% CI: 1.4–135.4), whereas, those who reported that soap for handwashing was always or usually available while doing agricultural work were 7.8 times more likely to use pesticide safety practices (adjusted OR: 7.8, 95% CI: 3.3–18.5). Farmworkers that reported access to water to wash their hands with while performing agricultural work were more likely to use PPE (adjusted OR: 3.4, 95% CI: 1.3–9.2). Conclusions: Some migrant farmworker labor camps are not supplying acceptable housing conditions such as 1 handwashing sink per 6 people (n=10, 5.4%). Use of pesticide safety practices and PPE is greater when farmers provide decontamination supplies. Improvement of housing and workplace conditions are crucial to increase use of pesticide safety practices and PPE.
Electric Contact Phenomena in Ultra Clean and Specifically Contaminated Systems

Contact resistance has been used to characterize the processes of physical contact in metallic systems with ultra clean surfaces. The contact resistance versus load curves of iron and two cobalt alloys were used to demonstrate the existence of surface work hardening and interfacial creep during contact as well as the fracture characteristics of an interfacial junction as the load is removed. The presence of an adsorbed film of hydrogen or hydrogen ions on iron completely changes the contact process. A comparison of the contact resistance versus load data for ultra pure iron, an iron-cobalt alloy and a cobalt molybdenum-chromium was used to illustrate the effect of substrate mechanical properties on static adhesion and the ability to convert these data for the estimation of the dynamic coefficient of friction under the particular experimental conditions.
Mifamurtide in osteosarcoma - A practical review

Mifamurtide, also known as liposomal muramyl tripeptide phosphatidyl ethanolamine (L-MTP-PE), has been approved for the treatment of osteosarcoma in Europe. Mifamurtide's rational drug design employs MTP-PE for macrophage activation in a multilamellar liposome drug carrier, containing the synthetic phospholipids 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl phosphatidyl choline (POPC) and 1,2-dioleoyl phosphatidyl serine (OOPS). Although the drug is not cytotoxic towards normal or tumor cells in vitro, immune activation against osteosarcoma lung metastases in vivo accounts for mifamurtide's antiosteosarcoma effects. Phosphatidyl serine-containing lipids signal macrophage cells that have "flipped phosphatidyl serine" to the outer membrane after apoptosis (e.g., after damage of tumor cells from chemotherapy); thus, both mifamurtide's active and inactive ingredients target immune cells in the lungs. Mifamurtide administration has resulted in 8% and 13% improvement in 6- and 5-year overall survivals, when added to chemotherapy in nonmetastatic and metastatic patients with osteosarcoma, respectively. The short-term toxicities of mifamurtide (fever, headache, flu-like symptoms and rigors) are reduced or eliminated using ibuprofen (200 mg) as premedication for the first infusion; an algorithm for pre- and postmedication is presented. To date, no long-term side effects of mifamurtide have been reported. Compassionate access programs based in two major cancer centers (MD Anderson and Memorial Sloan-Kettering), have recently provided this potentially life-saving drug in North America. The experience with mifamurtide provides an outstanding example of successful cooperation among regulatory bodies and agencies, the pharmaceutical industry and pediatric oncologists to improve cancer care and outcomes for children and young people with a rare sarcoma.
Computational tools for understanding sequence variability in recombination signals.

Summary: The recombination signals (RSs) that guide V(D)J rearrangement are remarkably diverse. In mice, fewer than 16% of RSs carry consensus heptamers and nonamers and none also contain a consensus spacer sequence. It is increasingly clear that this variability regulates recombination: genetic variability in RSs may help enforce allelic exclusion, determine the general nature of antigen receptor repertoires, and mitigate autoreactivity in B lymphocytes. The great diversity of RSs has largely precluded, however, empiric determinations of how RS sequence affects recombination. For example, 439 unique 23-RSs are possible or approximately 3 × 1023 sequences; some 7 × 1013 unique 23-RSs can be produced just by changes in the spacer. In contrast, the recombination activities of only 100 or so RSs have been measured, and it is unlikely that the activities of even a tiny fraction of extant RSs can be determined. We have addressed the problem of how sequence determines the efficiency of RS templates by generating computational models that describe the correlation structure of mouse RSs. These models successfully predict RS activity and identify functional, cryptic RSs (cRSs). These models permit studies to identify RSs and cRSs for empiric study and constitute a tool useful for understanding RS structure and function.
The Genetic Origins of Biosynthesis and Light-Responsive Control of the Chemical UV Screen of Land Plants

Most land plants possess the capacity to protect themselves from UV light, and do so by producing pigments that absorb efficiently in the UV-A and UV-B regions of the spectrum while allowing transmission of nearly all photosynthetically useful wavelengths.1,2 These UV-absorbing pigments are mainly phenylpropanoids and flavonoids. This chapter summarizes current understanding of the mechanism of UV protection in higher land plants, evaluates the information available from lower land plants and their green-algal relatives, and then considers the possible evolutionary origins of this use of chemical filters for selectively screening UV light from solar radiation. It is proposed that photocontrol over the biosynthesis of UV-absorbing phenylpropanoids and flavonoids may have evolved in concert with the evolution of the high biosynthetic activity necessary for UV protection. The toxicity of phenylpropanoids and flavonoids has been postulated to have been a barrier to the evolution of an effective chemical UV screen, and that some means for sequestering these compounds and/or for controlling their synthesis probably evolved prior to, or in concert with, the evolution of high rates of biosynthesis. The original photoreceptor and signal transduction system is speculated to have been based on photoisomerization of a phenylpropanoid ester and a pre-existing product feedback mechanism for controlling phenylpropanoid biosynthesis. Understanding the original mechanism for photocontrol of the chemical UV screen of land plants could be valuable for understanding the adaptability of extant land plants to rising levels of solar UV-B radiation and may suggest genetic strategies for engineering improved UV tolerance in crop plants.
Most beautiful and next best: value in the collection of a medieval queen

The 1396 will of Blanche of Navarre (c.1331–98), dowager queen of France, has long been of interest to scholars for the extraordinary detail of its bequests; it is unusual in that it describes the provenance of many of the objects that Blanche owned, and in some cases elaborates on the motivation of the queen for bestowing an object on a particular heir. It is a document of the personal history of collecting for a medieval woman — how her books, reliquaries and other valuable objects came into her possession, what their particular history was, and how she perceived their value — all evidence that is extremely rare for the history of women and collecting in the middle ages. In this paper I suggest that the great detail of the descriptions in Blanche's will derives from a concern about authenticity; the queen, an avid collector of artworks and relics, had been accused of acquiring a fake relic. Through the extraordinary detail of the provenance of her works, Blanche could ensure the value of her works, and ...
Identity Profiling of Cell Surface Markers by Multiplex Gold Nanorod Probes

Gold nanorod molecular probes (GNrMPs) were designed and fabricated for multiplex identification of cell surface markers in HBECs. Cells were probed directly using dark field microscopy integrated with a spectral imager for simultaneous detection of up to three surface markers. The immunophenotype composition of these cell lines indicative of their metastasis potential was assessed using the GNrMPs. The technique has the potential to become an important tool for diagnosis and prognosis of breast and other cancers.
Winter survival of female American Black Ducks in Tennessee, USA

ABSTRACT Many migratory bird species, including the American Black Duck (Anas rubripes; hereafter black duck), face challenges to their survival during winter due to potentially limited resources and high energetic demands. These winter processes can be especially important for the population dynamics of migratory species. Despite stabilization of the overall black duck breeding population, historical declines continue for black ducks wintering in the Mississippi Flyway. It remains unclear if declining abundance in this region reflects high winter mortality. We radio-tagged 111 females in the Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge (TNWR), a major wintering area for mid-continent Mississippi Flyway black ducks, from December to February of 2010–2012 to estimate winter survival and investigate factors that may influence survival rates, including body mass, age, hunting period, and weather. Winter survival (0.83–0.85) was greater than or comparable with previous estimates for black duck populations in North Amer...
A report of metachronous orbital involvement by IgG4 disease treated successfully with low-dose radiation therapy

A 27-year-old woman with a history of hypothyroidism presented with a complaint of left eye pain and swelling that had progressed over the period of a year, in addition to a band-like frontal headache. A magnetic resonance imaging scan of the face and orbits was performed, demonstrating a 2.5 × 1.8 × 1.7-cm contrast-enhancing lesion within the intraconal space of the left orbit, inferolateral to and superomedially displacing the optic nerves with extension toward the orbital apex. The distal optic nerve appeared to be encased by the lesion. Representative axial and coronal images are shown in Fig 1A, B. At the time, the right eye did not appear to be involved radiographically or clinically. A biopsy of the left orbital mass demonstrated a chronic inflammatory infiltrate consisting of polyclonal mature B and T lymphocytes. She was treated empirically with a trial of steroids for several months without significant durable relief, including a period of hospitalization for high-dose intravenous steroids. Because of the progression of her orbital pain, opioid analgesics were ultimately required. She was subsequently treated with 3-dimensional conformal radiation therapy to the left orbit for the diagnosis of idiopathic orbital pseudotumor. A total dose of 2550 cGy was prescribed in 17 fractions and delivered with a mix of 6-
Evaluation of Serum Ionic Calcium Measurement in a General Hospital Population

Direct measurement of ionic calcium was evaluated in light of conflicting reports concerning the correlation of ionic calcium with total calcium and ionic calcium as predicted from total calcium and serum protein. Ionic calcium in the sera of normo- hypo-, and hypercalcemic adult hospitalized patients was measured anaerobically using an Orion model 98-20 calcium flow-thorugh electrode. Good correlation (r = .77) was found with the calculated ionic calcium value derived from total protein and total calcium, using the McLean-Hastings nomogram. Good correlation was also present between the measured ionic and total calcium (r = .80). In view of these correlations, the introduction of serum ionic calcium measurements into the general hospital laboratory repertoire is of questionable value.
ETS2 function is required to maintain the transformed state of human prostate cancer cells

The contribution of the ETS2 transcription factor to the transformed state in prostate cancer cells has been assessed. Northern blot analysis easily detects ETS2 in DU145 and PC3, high grade human prostate cell lines, but ETS2 is not present in lower grade LNCaP cells. Stable transfection of PC3 and DU145 prostate cell lines with an antisense ETS2 vector or with a dominant negative ETS2 mutant significantly reduced the ability of DU145 and PC3 cells to form large colonies in soft agar. Thus, the presence of ETS2 is positively correlated with a more transformed phenotype and blockage of ETS2 function can reduce transformed properties of prostate cancer cells.
Affirming life aquatic for the Ediacara biota in China and Australia: COMMENT

[Xiao et al. (2013)][1] argue that Ediacaran fossils were not in paleosols because some Australian beds contain the problematic fossil Eoandromeda also known from Chinese beds they consider marine. They offer no alternative explanations. My preferred alternative is that Eoandromeda was a terrestrial
A tandem cross-metathesis/semipinacol rearrangement reaction.

An efficient and (E)-selective synthesis of a 6-alkylidenebicyclo[3.2.1]octan-8-one has been developed. The key step is a tandem cross-metathesis/semipinacol rearrangement reaction, wherein the Hoveyda–Grubbs II catalyst, or more likely a derivative thereof, serves as the Lewis acid for the rearrangement. Despite the fact that both the starting alkene and the cross-metathesis product are viable rearrangement substrates, only the latter rearranges, suggesting that the Lewis acidic species is generated only after the cross-metathesis reaction is complete.
Experimental Study on Uplift Bearing Capacity of Micropiles for Transmission Tower

Field tests were done to study the uplift bearing mechanism and the uplift design method of micropiles.Study shows that the uplift bearing capacity of single pile is composed of pile weight and lateral friction;the second grouting can increase the uplift bearing capacity of micropiles,calculating the uplift bearing capacity of two-grouting micropiles must consider the effect of the second grouting;the obliquity of inclined piles in the micropile group can be 10°;under uplift load,the bearing load of the angle pile is maximum,the side pile is the second,and the middle pile is minimum;in this experimental condition,the uplift pile group effect coefficient is 0.7.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder on YouTube: Framing, Anchoring, and Objectification in Social Media

This study investigated videos about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) on YouTube in terms of issues, sources, and episodic–thematic aspects. A total of 685 videos uploaded onto YouTube between 2006 and 2014 were content analyzed. Results demonstrated that the top three key issues about ADHD were symptom, child, and treatment. Doctor, patient, and supporter were the three most interviewed sources. Videos from the public sector including the government, company representative, and public organizations were relatively rare compared to other sources suggesting the potential for a greater role for the government and public sector contributions to YouTube to provide credible information relevant to public awareness, campaigns, and policy announcements. Meanwhile, many personal videos in the episodic frame advocated social solutions. This result implies that YouTube videos about health information from the private sectors have the potential to affect change at the social level.
Bone health after menopause.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW This article reviews recent publications (January 2014-June 2015) on bone health and menopause. RECENT FINDINGS Recent articles suggest that simple instruments, such as the osteoporosis self-assessment tool based on age and weight may identify women age 50-64 for bone mineral density (BMD) testing. Rescreening of women age 50-64 is not recommended because their overall risk of fracture is quite low. A novel risk factor for hip fracture among non-Caucasian women is socioeconomic status. Midlife women with low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (<20 ng/ml) have an increased risk of fracture over the menopausal transition and vitamin D supplementation is warranted. Wrist fractures are the most common fracture in women age 50-64. Women who experience a wrist fracture have an increased risk of subsequent fracture and should have a BMD scan. Results of studies using composite measures of femoral neck strength relative to load emphasize the need for osteoporotic research to move beyond BMD. SUMMARY This recent research has provided new and important findings improving our understanding of osteoporosis during the menopausal transition.
Is Clinical Arteriosclerosis a Manifestation of Absolute or Conditioned Magnesium Deficiency

The major emphasis of the preceding sections on magnesium-lipid interrelationships and on estrogen-lipid/coagulation-lipid interrelationships is predominantly on blood constituents, as they influence the development of atherosclerosis.
Secondary Data Analyses

One of the most efficient and commonly used approaches to investigate a variety of clinical questions is performed by analyzing data that have been previously collected. This is known as secondary data analysis, and it has become a more common form of study methodology, in part because computerized datasets of information are more prevalent and the cost of data collection, storage, and data retrieval has decreased. It is also a popular method of research because the numerous databases available that have been collected by a wide variety of health and business organizations, research centers, hospitals, governments, and international agencies; data from these varied sources allow researchers to address a larger number of study questions. This chapter will discuss common components of these datasets, how they can be used to investigate clinical questions, how to initiate research using these datasets, pitfalls to avoid, and specific examples of datasets.
Control-flow checking for intrusion detection via a real-time debug interface

We propose a hardware-based intrusion detection approach called CONtrol-flow VERification SystEm (CONVERSE), which ensures control-flow integrity by verifying the destination of control-flow branches at runtime. Many techniques exist for an attacker to alter control-flow to trigger malicious behavior, such as stack and heap overflows which overwrite a return address or function pointer. Control-flow modification is used to enable a range of attacks including return-oriented programming attacks. By verifying branch target addresses at runtime, security exploits can be detected as illegal control-flow. Our approach uses the real-time hardware debug interface of the processor to extract branch target addresses at runtime with no performance overhead and no area overhead on-chip. Our approach is compatible with the IEEE-ISTO Nexus 5001 standard debugging interface which is open source and is implemented in a wide range of processors. By using an existing debug interfaces, our approach can be implemented at low cost using a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) design strategy.
Stability Analysis of the Matrix-Free Linearly Implicit Euler Method

Implicit time stepping methods are useful for the simulation of large scale PDE systems because they avoid the time step limitations imposed by explicit stability conditions. To alleviate the challenges posed by computational and memory constraints, many applications solve the resulting linear systems by iterative methods where the Jacobian-vector products are approximated by finite differences. This paper explains the relation between a linearly implicit Euler method, solved using a Jacobian-free Krylov method, and explicit Runge-Kutta methods. The case with preconditioning is equivalent to a Rosenbrock-W method where the approximate Jacobian, inverted at each stage, corresponds directly to the preconditioner. The accuracy of the resulting Runge-Kutta methods can be controlled by constraining the Krylov solution. Numerical experiments confirm the theoretical findings.