cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Anthelmintics - From Discovery to Resistance III (Indian Rocks Beach, FL, 2018)

The third scientific meeting in the series "Anthelmintics: From Discovery to Resistance" was held in Indian Rocks Beach, Florida, at the end of January 2018. The meeting focused on a variety of topics related to the title, including the identification of novel targets and new leads, the mechanism of action of existing drugs and the genetic basis of resistance against them. Throughout there was an emphasis on the exploitation of new technologies and methods to further these aims. The presentations, oral and poster, covered basic, veterinary and medical science with strong participation by both academic and commercial researchers. This special issue contains selected papers from the meeting.
Heterozygous NPR2 Mutation in Two Family Members with Short Stature and Skeletal Dysplasia

Endochondral ossification at the level of the growth plate, an essential process involved in longitudinal growth, is regulated by hormonal and local factors including C-type natriuretic peptide and its receptor, natriuretic peptide receptor B. Biallelic loss-of-function mutations in the NPR2 gene, which encodes this receptor, cause acromesomelic dysplasia, Maroteaux type (AMDM), a skeletal dysplasia characterized by severe short stature and disproportionate shortening of limbs. Heterozygous NPR2 mutations have been reported in patients previously classified with idiopathic short stature (ISS). We report the presentation of a 7-year-old girl and her mother with short stature, both of whom were identified with the same NPR2 mutation, and who demonstrated clinical and radiological features consistent with a skeletal dysplasia. We also report the patient's response to recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) over a 2-year period. We encourage clinicians who evaluate children with ISS to consider genetic testing, particularly when the presentation is associated with features suggestive of a skeletal dysplasia.
Sexual Behavior, Sexual Attraction, and Sexual Identity in the United States: Data from the 2006–2010 National Survey of Family Growth

This chapter presents national estimates of several types of sexual behavior among men and women 15–44 years of age in the United States in 2006–2010, as well as measures of sexual attraction and identity for adults 18–44. Data are drawn primarily from the 2006–2010 National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG), a nationally-representative, probability-based sample of 22,682 men and women 15–44 in the U.S. household population. Among adults 25–44, about 98 % of women and 97 % of men ever had vaginal intercourse, 89 % of women 91 % of men ever had oral sex with an opposite-sex partner, and 37 % of women and 45 % of men ever had anal sex with an opposite-sex partner. Women 25–44 were twice as likely as men 25–44 to report any same-sex contact in their lifetimes (13 % of women and 5.7 % of men). Sexual attraction and identity correlate closely but not completely with reports of sexual behavior. Sexual behaviors, attraction, and identity vary by age, marital and cohabiting status, education, race and Hispanic origin. These behaviors and characteristics are relevant to birth and pregnancy rates, as well as the incidence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus that causes acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).
Regeneration patterns reveal contraction of ponderosa forests and little upward migration of pinyon-juniper woodlands

Abstract A recent severe drought caused widespread mortality of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) and pinyon pine (Pinus edulis) in forests and woodlands in the southwestern United States. The sustainability of these tree species in the region depends on adequate regeneration and perhaps movement to more climatologically favorable locations. We investigated tree regeneration and species migration along elevation gradients in three community types (pinyon-juniper woodlands, woodland-forest ecotones, and ponderosa pine forests) and three soil parent materials (sedimentary, flow basalt, and volcanic cinder) at 27 sites in northern Arizona. We measured stand characteristics, historic cone production, and density of tree regeneration and small trees. All species produced cones at sites with cinder soil parent material but had little regeneration. Woodlands and woodland-forest ecotones had regeneration of pinyon pine and juniper despite earlier mortality of some mature pinyon trees. Regeneration of ponderosa pine was nearly absent in woodland-forest ecotones, suggesting eventual loss of ponderosa pine and transition to pinyon-juniper woodland. Forests had little regeneration and few small trees of any tree species, indicating little upward migration of pinyon pine and juniper. Occurrence of pinyon pine and juniper regeneration was associated with a suite of biotic and abiotic factors, including a negative relationship with temperature and a positive relationship with precipitation. Regeneration failure of ponderosa pine at woodland-forest ecotone and low-elevation forest sites coupled with limited upward migration of pinyon pine and juniper portends future losses of tree cover as climate continues to warm.
Evolving Narratives of Political Contestation and Geopolitical Rivalry in the Persian Gulf

This chapter examines the interplay of hegemonic competition in the Persian Gulf between Saudi Arabia and Iran alongside the intra-Arab Gulf crises that have erupted since 2011. Regional rivalries between Saudi Arabia and Iran acquired a potent geopolitical dimension following the fall of the Shah in 1979. Whereas Iranian foreign policies moderated after the death of Ayatollah Khomeini in 1989, the narratives framed during the 1980s were hard to dislodge, even during the thaw in cross-waterway relations that occurred in the 1990s. The legacy of years of mutual mistrust became clear after the spread of the Arab uprisings in 2011. Both the Arab Gulf States’ responses to the so-called Arab Spring and the bitter disputes between the trio opposing Qatar illustrate how political narratives continue to polarise the Persian Gulf, albeit in subtly different ways.
Dysphagia Associated with Risk of Depressive Symptoms among Stroke Survivors after Discharge from a Cluster of Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities.

Objectives: To examine the association of stroke-induced dysphagia during an inpatient rehabilitation facility (IRF) stay and depressive symptoms at a 3-month follow-up. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional design using the Stroke Recovery in Underserved Populations 2005-2006 study database. Hierarchical logistic regression models were utilized to examine if stroke-induced dysphagia is a significant predictor for depressive symptoms at 3-month follow-up across the stepwise introduction of the demographics and clinical characteristics at the IRF discharge and 3-month follow-up. Multiple imputations with Markov-chain Monte Carlo method was used to address the covariates with missing observations. Results: In a total of 1,045 stroke survivors, 335 (32.1%) stroke survivors had dysphagia and 710 (67.9%) stroke survivors did not have dysphagia during the IRF stay. The adjusted logistic regression model and multiple imputation method revealed that stroke survivors with dysphagia are more likely to have depressive symptoms at 3-month follow-up (Odds ratio [OR] 3.169, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.379-7.283; OR 1.746, 95% CI 1.153-2.642, respectively). A high level of functional and cognitive status, functional support, and community participation at the 3-month follow-up was inversely associated with depressive symptoms (OR 0.973, 95% CI 0.951- 0.995; OR 0.884, 95% CI 0.829-0.942; OR 0.793, 95% CI 0.714-0.882). Discussion: Stroke survivors experiencing dysphagia during the IRF stay had a higher risk of developing depressive symptoms compared to those without dysphagia at 3-month follow-up. Healthcare providers should pay attention to dysphagia care in IRFs which might prevent the development of depressive symptoms when the stroke survivors are discharged and back in their communities.
Identifying and estimating bias in overlap-sampling free-energy calculations

We examine several methods for detecting or quantifying bias in free energy calculations performed using Bennett's acceptance ratio (BAR) method for combining data from molecular simulations of two...
Development of a High-Fidelity Robot-Assisted Kidney Transplant Simulation Platform Using Three-Dimensional Printing and Hydrogel Casting Technologies.

Introduction and Objective: Despite the adoption of robotic donor nephrectomy, the steep learning curve of robotic recipient transplantation has hindered the implementation of a complete robot-assi...
Behavior-Analytic Treatment Progression for a Child With Tube Dependence: Reaching Age-Typical Feeding:

The current case study outlines a behavior-analytic treatment progression for a child with a pediatric feeding disorder and tube dependence. The child participated in an intensive day-treatment pro...
MicroRNA-21 deficiency suppresses prostate cancer progression through downregulation of the IRS1-SREBP-1 signaling pathway.

Abstract Sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1 (SREBP-1), a master transcription factor in lipogenesis and lipid metabolism, is critical for disease progression and associated with poor outcomes in prostate cancer (PCa) patients. However, the mechanism of SREBP-1 regulation in PCa remains elusive. Here, we report that SREBP-1 is transcriptionally regulated by microRNA-21 (miR-21) in vitro in cultured cells and in vivo in mouse models. We observed aberrant upregulation of SREBP-1, fatty acid synthase (FASN) and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) in Pten/Trp53 double-null mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) and Pten/Trp53 double-null mutant mice. Strikingly, miR-21 loss significantly reduced cell proliferation and suppressed the prostate tumorigenesis of Pten/Trp53 mutant mice. Mechanistically, miR-21 inactivation decreased the levels of SREBP-1, FASN, and ACC in human PCa cells through downregulation of insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS1)-mediated transcription and induction of cellular senescence. Conversely, miR-21 overexpression increased cell proliferation and migration; as well as the levels of IRS1, SREBP-1, FASN, and ACC in human PCa cells. Our findings reveal that miR-21 promotes PCa progression by activating the IRS1/SREBP-1 axis, and targeting miR-21/SREBP-1 signaling pathway can be a novel strategy for controlling PCa malignancy.
Degrees of Unsolvability: A Tutorial

Given a problem \(P\), one associates to \(P\) a degree of unsolvability, i.e., a quantity which measures the amount of algorithmic unsolvability which is inherent in \(P\). We focus on two degree structures: the semilattice of Turing degrees, \(\mathcal {D}_\mathrm {T}\), and its completion, \(\mathcal {D}_\mathrm {w}=\widehat{\mathcal {D}_\mathrm {T}}\), the lattice of Muchnik degrees. We emphasize specific, natural degrees and their relationship to reverse mathematics. We show how Muchnik degrees can be used to classify tiling problems and symbolic dynamical systems of finite type. We describe how the category of sheaves over \(\mathcal {D}_\mathrm {w}\) forms a model of intuitionistic mathematics, known as the Muchnik topos. This model is a rigorous implementation of Kolmogorov’s nonrigorous 1932 interpretation of intuitionism as a “calculus of problems”.
On the appropriate use of rose-colored glasses : Reflections on science in socialist China

ABSTRACT In the 1970s and early 1980s, many Westerners wrote enthusiastically about science as practiced in socialist China. They applauded the mobilization of broad sectors of the population for science that truly “served the people.” By the mid‐1980s, revelations about the many horrors of the Cultural Revolution worked to discredit these early, optimistic accounts. At the same time, the post‐Mao privileging of economic development over social revolution (which meshes well with dominant Western attitudes) now strongly colors almost all analyses of science in socialist China. This essay encourages historians to retrieve the largely discarded rosy accounts of earlier years. Such sources provide insight into the goals of historical actors and challenge us to recognize the specificity and contingency of our own values. Used in tandem with the later sources, they can help us achieve a critical understanding of science in both socialist China and our own historical context.
Variants in estrogen-biosynthesis genes CYP17 and CYP19 and breast cancer risk: a family-based genetic association study

Case-control studies have reported inconsistent results concerning breast cancer risk and polymorphisms in genes that control endogenous estrogen biosynthesis. We report findings from the first family-based association study examining associations between female breast cancer risk and polymorphisms in two key estrogen-biosynthesis genes CYP17 (T→C promoter polymorphism) and CYP19 (TTTA repeat polymorphism). We conducted the study among 278 nuclear families containing one or more daughters with breast cancer, with a total of 1123 family members (702 with available constitutional DNA and questionnaire data and 421 without them). These nuclear families were selected from breast cancer families participating in the Metropolitan New York Registry, one of the six centers of the National Cancer Institute's Breast Cancer Family Registry. We used likelihood-based statistical methods to examine allelic associations. We found the CYP19 allele with 11 TTTA repeats to be associated with breast cancer risk in these families. We also found that maternal (but not paternal) carrier status of CYP19 alleles with 11 repeats tended to be associated with breast cancer risk in daughters (independently of the daughters' own genotype), suggesting a possible in utero effect of CYP19. We found no association of a woman's breast cancer risk either with her own or with her mother's CYP17 genotype. This family-based study indicates that a woman's personal and maternal carrier status of CYP19 11 TTTA repeat allele might be related to increased breast cancer risk. However, because this is the first study to report an association between CYP19 11 TTTA repeat allele and breast cancer, and because multiple comparisons have been made, the associations should be interpreted with caution and need confirmation in future family-based studies.
Small-scale filament eruptions as the driver of X-ray jets in solar coronal holes

A study of the formation of X-ray jets in solar coronal holes suggests that this process does not follow the popular ‘emerging-flux’ model, but instead results from a minifilament eruption akin to the larger-scale filament eruptions that drive larger solar flares and mass ejections. Transient, jetting structures are common in the Sun's atmosphere. The hottest of these are X-ray jets in the corona, which are widely thought to occur when new compact magnetic bipoles emerge from below the surface and reconnect with an ambient, nearly radial coronal field. In a test of this 'emerging-flux' model, Alphonse Sterling et al. report high-resolution X-ray and extreme-ultraviolet observations of 20 randomly selected X-ray jets in polar coronal holes. They find that in each jet, contrary to the emerging-flux model, jet-producing reconnection is driven by the eruption of minifilaments resembling the larger filaments that drive the formation of solar flares. Solar X-ray jets are thought to be made by a burst of reconnection of closed magnetic field at the base of a jet with ambient open field1,2. In the accepted version of the ‘emerging-flux’ model, such a reconnection occurs at a plasma current sheet between the open field and the emerging closed field, and also forms a localized X-ray brightening that is usually observed at the edge of the jet’s base1,3. Here we report high-resolution X-ray and extreme-ultraviolet observations of 20 randomly selected X-ray jets that form in coronal holes at the Sun’s poles. In each jet, contrary to the emerging-flux model, a miniature version of the filament eruptions that initiate coronal mass ejections4,5,6,7 drives the jet-producing reconnection. The X-ray bright point occurs by reconnection of the ‘legs’ of the minifilament-carrying erupting closed field, analogous to the formation of solar flares in larger-scale eruptions. Previous observations have found that some jets are driven by base-field eruptions8,9,10,11, but only one such study, of only one jet, provisionally questioned the emerging-flux model12. Our observations support the view that solar filament eruptions are formed by a fundamental explosive magnetic process that occurs on a vast range of scales, from the biggest mass ejections and flare eruptions down to X-ray jets, and perhaps even down to smaller jets that may power coronal heating10,13,14. A similar scenario has previously been suggested, but was inferred from different observations and based on a different origin of the erupting minifilament15.
Effects of Stimulus Sequence on P300 and Reaction Time in Schizophrenics

Subjects react to a random sequence of binary events as if the series were constrained by sequential rules. The reaction to a stimulus on trial n of a sequence is influenced by stimuli presented as far back as trial n 5 , as indicated by both choice reaction time and P300 measures. For example, subjects tend to respond more quickly to the continuation of a stimulus repetition than to its discontinuation (Kirby, 1976; Remington, 1969). These variations in reaction time and P300 amplitude have been attributed to trial-to-trial changes in the subject's expectancies. Our intent in this study was to determine whether or not patients diagnosed as schizophrenic formulate trial-to-trial expectancies for events in a random series and, if so, how their formulations compare to those of nonpsychiatric control subjects. The expectancy for a stimulus in a random series depends, for a constant level of global probability, on the operation of an exponentially decaying memory for the sequence of immediately preceding events (Audley, 1973; Squires et al., 1976). The P300 is a sensitive index of expectancy, with amplitude increasing monotonically as expectancy decreases (Duncan-Johnson and Donchin, 1977; Johnson and Donchin, 1980; Squires et al., 1976; Tueting et al., 1970). There is accumulating evidence that the P300 component is reduced in amplitude, but equal in latency, in schizophrenic patients compared to nonpsychiatric control subjects (Levit et al., 1973; Roth and Cannon, 1972; Roth et al.. 1980; Shagass et al., 1978; Shagass et al., 1977; Verleger and Cohen, 1978). A possible source of this reduction is a failure to generate trial-to-trial expectancies for events in a random series. This hypothesis is based, in part, on the finding that the sequence of stimuli preceding the eliciting event and the global probability of the event are additive determinants of P300 amplitude (Duncan-Johnson and Donchin, 1977; Squires et al.,
Investigation of the peroxovanadate sol-gel process and characterization of the gels

In general, the peroxovanadate solution sol-gel process can be thought of as consisting of two parts: (1) the decomposition of the peroxo species and (2) cation hydrolysis leading to gelation. By controlling the synthesis conditions, both layered and amorphous compounds can be created. However, the type of water coordination observed in these gels was found to be identical no matter what the long-range order. The current work clarified many of the discrepancies found in the literature and offered much new valuable information. Highlights include the types of vanadium environments present at various stages of hydration, the role of adsorbed water, oxygen exchange from adsorbed water into the gel sites, and the ability to create metastable VMoO solid solution phases. These results could have a variety of impacts on future catalysis research.
Network measurement and path characterization using user datagram protocol

The Internet is very dynamic, unreliable, and complex in nature. Many of its characteristics are not very visible since TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) provides a reliable end-to-end data delivery between two communicating hosts. However, it is possible to design some experiments using UDP (User Datagram Protocol) to observe and measure some of the characteristics of the Internet as well as of a network that supports UDP as a transport protocol. In this paper, some experiments on observing and measuring network characteristics such as round-trip time, throughput, packet loss or duplication, and path bandwidth between two communicating hosts are presented. In addition, an instructive project idea using UDP for understanding the operation of a reliable transport protocol like TCP is presented. These experiments can provide students a good insight on the complexity of the Internet environment and teach how to characterize and measure performance of an Internet path for data delivery.
Characteristics of Penicillinase Secretion by Growing Cells and Protoplasts of Bacillus licheniformis

Cultures of the inducible penicillinase-producing strain 749 of Bacillus licheniformis, induced with small amounts of benzylpenicillin, synthesized penicillinase at a high rate for a short period, after which the rate of synthesis slowly declined. During the period of active synthesis, the rate of secretion, as a fraction of the level of cell-bound penicillinase (which is originally high), gradually decreased to a constant level. Chloramphenicol, at a concentration (40 mug/ml) which completely inhibited synthesis of penicillinase, partially inhibited secretion if added during the period of active synthesis. During the phase of reduced synthesis, chloramphenicol was without effect on secretion. Penicillinase secretion, by actively growing cultures of the constitutive penicillinase-producing mutant 749/C, was inhibited by 75% immediately after addition of chloramphenicol. The secretion of part of the penicillinase released during active growth is probably dependent on synthesis of penicillinase, but part of the secreted penicillinase can be released in the absence of synthesis. Protoplasts were obtained from which periplasmic penicillinase has been removed, and these protoplasts were capable of substantial growth and penicillinase synthesis without lysis. At pH 7.5, there was no net incorporation of penicillinase into the cell membrane; the enzyme released was almost entirely of the exo form and was roughly equivalent to the amount of new enzyme formed. At pH 6.0, there was some incorporation of penicillinase into the plasma membrane, and approximately half of the extracellular penicillinase was in the exo form; the remainder perhaps represented membrane fragments. In the presence of chloramphenicol, a small amount of penicillinase was released at pH 7.5 as the exo form; at pH 6.0, practically none was released. We suggest that, with the removal from protoplasts of the periplasmic penicillinase-containing particles, a restriction on secretion has been lifted.
Heat transport through diffusive interfaces

[1] We perform a series of 3-D Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS) to assess the vertical heat transport through thermohaline staircases in the Arctic Ocean. The diagnostics of DNS, performed for the first time in the realistic parameter range, result in vertical fluxes exceeding those of extant “four-thirds flux laws” by as much as a factor of 2 and suggest that the 4/3 exponent may require downward revision. Through a series of equivalent 2-D DNS, we show that they are consistent with their more resource-intensive 3-D counterparts for sufficiently large density ratio (Rρ) but underestimate heat transport for low Rρ. Finally, we examine the role of boundary conditions in controlling the vertical heat transport. Rigid boundaries—a necessary ingredient in laboratory-derived flux-laws—are shown to reduce the estimates of heat fluxes relative to the corresponding periodic boundary conditions.
Individual differences in circadian waveform of Siberian hamsters under multiple lighting conditions.

Because the circadian clock in the mammalian brain derives from a network of interacting cellular oscillators, characterizing the nature and bases of circadian coupling is fundamental to understanding how the pacemaker operates. Various phenomena involving plasticity in circadian waveform have been theorized to reflect changes in oscillator coupling; however, it remains unclear whether these different behavioral paradigms reference a unitary underlying process. To test whether disparate coupling assays index a common mechanism, we examined whether there is covariation among behavioral responses to various lighting conditions that produce changes in circadian waveform. Siberian hamsters, Phodopus sungorus, were transferred from long to short photoperiods to distinguish short photoperiod responders (SP-R) from nonresponders (SP-NR). Short photoperiod chronotyped hamsters were subsequently transferred, along with unselected controls, to 24-h light:dark:light: dark cycles (LDLD) with dim nighttime illuminatio...
Vibrations of a Stiffened Capped Cylinder

The free vibrations of a shell composed of a ring-reinforced cylinder with spherical end caps were calculated theoretically. First, the eigenvectors of the unreinforced capped shell were obtained. These were then used as expansion modes for the reinforced shell, thereby resulting in an infinite set of coupled simultaneous equations. The final eigenvalues and eigenvectors were then determined by solving the truncated set. The results point out the influence of the ring stiffness and spacing on the frequencies and mode shapes. Comparison is also made with results obtained for unreinforced cylindrical shells having various edge constraints.
PARAMETER IDENTIFICATION OF LINEAR SYSTEMS BASED ON SMOOTHING

A parameter identification algorithm for linear systems is presented. It is based on smoothing test data with successively improved sets of system model parameters. The smoothing pass through the data provides all of the information needed to compute the gradients of the smoothing performance measure with respect to the parameters. The parameters are updated using a quasi-Newton procedure, until convergence is achieved. The advantage of this algorithm over standard maximum likelihood identification algorithms is the computational savings in calculating the gradients. This approach is extended to identify one set of parameters from several test runs. The algorithm is compared to other time-domain algorithms using a simple example with computer simulated data. The performance of this algorithm is demonstrated in identifying the parameters of a linear model describing the rigid body dynamics of the DLR BO-105 research helicopter from flight test data. The identification results are presented and compared to recently published models using maximum likelihood and frequency-domain algorithm. The identified models are in good agreement with each other.
Pulse oximetry to identify a high-risk group of children with wheezing

To investigate the value of pulse oximetry in children with wheezing presenting for emergency medical treatment, initial oxygen saturations (OSAT) were measured in 1,101 of 1,235 patients presenting to a pediatric ED over a 5-month period with wheezing-associated respiratory illnesses. The mean OSATs were 95.4% for wheezing children and 98.7% for controls. An initial OSAT of 95% or more indicated a low need for hospitalization. An initial OSAT less than 85% indicated a high need for hospitalization (positive predictive value, 90%). Pulse oximetry may be useful in identifying children with wheezing who are at high risk, as demonstrated by the need for hospitalization, during the early phase of an ED encounter, at which time more aggressive therapeutic interventions may be considered.
Power and spatial relations

Embodied views of language hold that perceptual and motor simulations are involved during comprehension. Study 1 investigated power-related language in a picture recognition task wherein participants judged whether the picture presented at either the upper or lower screen position matched the sentence. In Study 2, participants chose the picture that best described the sentence between two (identical) images that were aligned vertically. Results demonstrated that participants responded faster to pictures presented at the implied location and chose that picture more often. Such results suggest that spatial information implicit in power-related language is involved in linguistic comprehension.
An endosymbiotic conidial fungus, Scopulariopsis brevicaulis, protects the American dog tick, Dermacentor variabilis, from desiccation imposed by an entomopathogenic fungus.

Abstract The functional role of an endosymbiotic conidial fungus (Scopulariopsis brevicaulis) prevalent within the integumental glands and hemocoel of the American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis) was investigated to explore the nature of this tick/fungus association. D. variabilis is normally highly resistant to Metarhizium anisopliae, a widely-distributed entomopathogenic fungus, but when mature female ticks harboring S. brevicaulis were fed a solution containing a mycotoxin (Amphotericin B) to purge this mycobiont internally, the ticks inoculated with M. anisopliae displayed classic signs of pathogenicity, as evidenced by recovery of M. anisopliae from ticks by internal fungus culture, greatly accelerated net transpiration water loss rates (nearly 3× faster than ticks containing S. brevicaulis naturally) and elevation of critical equilibrium humidity (CEH) closer to saturation, implying a reduced capacity to absorb water vapor and disruption of water balance (water gain ≠ water loss) that resulted in tick death. The presence of S. brevicaulis within the tick was previously puzzling: the fungus is transmitted maternally and there is no apparent harm inflicted to either generation. This study suggests that S. brevicaulis provides protection to D. variabilis ticks against M. anisopliae. Thus, the S. brevicaulis/tick association appears to be mutualistic symbiosis. Given that both organisms are of medical–veterinary importance, disruption of this symbiosis has potential for generating novel tools for disease control.
Infrared absorption intensities in C6D6 (g)

Abstract Absolute infrared absorption intensities have been measured by the Wilson-Wells method for the four infrared-active fundamentals of fully deuterated benzene. The results are in good agreement with the intensity sum rule and with the values calculated by previous authors.
Rates of protein evolution: a function of amino acid composition

Conservation of secondary and tertiary structure in proteins suggests that rates of sequence variation reflect differences in the total number of amino acid replacements that are compatible with preservation of structure. Consequently, rates of sequence variation depend on whether the constituent amino acids of individual proteins are, over-all, more subject or less subject to evolutionary substitution than normal. Such rates correlate well with a mutability term based on amino acid composition.
Involvement of mitogen-activated protein kinases and protein kinase C in regulation of antioxidant response element activity in human keratinocytes

Antioxidant response element (ARE) is a unique cis-acting regulatory sequence located in the upstream regions of many genes encoding anticarcinogenic/antioxidant proteins. Induction of ARE dependent genes plays an important role in protection of cells against oxidative damage. However, the signaling mechanism(s) involved in regulating transcription of ARE dependent gene expression has not been clearly defined. In this study, we identified protein kinases that are involved in regulation of ARE activity by using specific pharmacological inhibitors of protein kinases in engineered human HaCaT keratinocytes, which stably express the ARE-driven green fluorescent protein (GFP) as a reporter. When HaCaT/GFP cells were treated with tert-butylhydroquinone (tBHQ), a well-known ARE activator, GFP expression was up-regulated in time and dose dependent manner, indicating that tBHQ activates the ARE in these cells. Treatment of cells with SB202190 (a specific inhibitor of p38), staurosporine (a wide-spectrum inhibitor of PKC) or rottlerin (a specific inhibitor of PKCδ) all augmented ARE activation by tBHQ. These results suggest that p38 and PKC, especially PKCδ, play inhibitory roles in ARE activation in human keratinocytes. Furthermore, UVB irradiation minimally affects the basal ARE activity but significantly suppresses tBHQ induced ARE activation, indicating that UVB irradiation interrupts tBHQ signaling. Interestingly, treatment of HaCaT/GFP cells with SP600125 (a specific inhibitor of JNK) could reverse UVB mediated suppression of ARE activation by tBHQ. This suggests that the suppressive effect of UVB on ARE activation by tBHQ is mediated by a JNK pathway(s). These findings provide useful information for developing novel strategies for skin cancer chemoprotection through ARE activation.
Model elicitation of interior permanent magnet synchronous motor drive by sine source

This paper introduces a survey about model elicitation of interior permanent magnet synchronous motors (IPMSMs). In many cases, the magnetic flux of these motors contains significant higher harmonics due to their real design. From this reason, the classic model in d, q reference frame (Clark-Park transformation, space vectors) doesn't describe exactly the motor behavior. For motor without damper winding, the model in a, b, c coordinates has been elected and determined. Elicitation was done by several measurements with 1-phase sinusoidal voltage source and scope. The measured and evaluated parameters, which are carried out on developed laboratory prototype of IPMSM by two proposed measure methods, have been shown and compared.
Inhibiting action of some analogues of folic acid on the growth of plant tumours.

ANALOGUES of folio acid have been found capable of inhibiting the growth of the Rous sarcoma in chickens1 and sarcoma 180 in mice2, of causing a remission in leukaemic children3 and of prolonging the survival of leukaemic mice4. The effect of twelve of these analogues (all samples of folic acid and its analogues were kindly supplied by Lederle Laboratories, Pearl River, New York) on the growth of tumours induced by the crown gall bacterium on carrot tissue has been tested. Cylinders of tissue 10 mm. diameter × 6 mm. high were removed as described in a previous communication5, and inoculated with virulent crown gall bacteria. Four days later, when the first signs of tumour formation became visible along the line of the cambium, 0.05 ml. of a 1/1,000 solution of the folic acid analogue to be tested was dropped on to, and spread over, the surface of the tissue. The amount of substance applied was 0.05 mgm. per fragment. Sterile distilled water was applied to the control group. Twenty carrot fragments were used in each test. The accompanying table shows the percentage of fragments which had developed macroscopically visible tumours four weeks after treatment had been applied.
The Federal Ground‐Water Protection Program — A Reviewa

The Nation's ground-water resources constitute a vast and often unprotected resource. The Environmental Protection Agency is about to launch a number of programs designed to protect what is, in many cases, a virtually non-renewable resource. Separate regulatory activities mandated under the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and the Clean Water Act must be carefully coordinated if they are to be effective. The current implementation efforts within the agency are being framed in view of our major principles which will be the focus of public comment in the months ahead. These principles are: First, the administration of the related programs will be a cooperative effort involving Federal, State and local governments, all of which must participate in formulating the program if it is to be effective. Second, the focus of the programs will be on the prevention of contamination rather than on its treatment at the point of withdrawal. Third, the applicable standards will be based primarily on technology rather than ambient ground-water quality considerations since the effects of discharges upon ambient quality are complex, difficult to predict, and of long duration. Fourth, there is a need to balance environmental protection, energy development and continued economic prosperity objectives so that the resulting programs fully protect public health while being realistically implementable. All of us—government, industry and citizens, through acts of commission or omission—have contributed to the potential problem. We must work together if we are to get on with the important task of protecting the quality of the Nation's ground-water resources.
Biomineralization mechanisms: a kinetics and interfacial energy approach

Abstract The calcium phosphates and oxalates are among the most frequently encountered biomineral phases and numerous kinetics studies have been made of their crystallization and dissolution in supersaturated and undersaturated solutions, respectively. These have focused mainly on parameters such as solution composition, ionic strength, pH, temperature, and solid surface characteristics. There is considerable interest in extending such studies to solutions more closely simulating the biological milieu. The constant composition method is especially useful for investigating the mechanisms of these reactions, and in the present work, the interfacial tensions between water and each of these surfaces have been calculated from measured contact angles using surface tension component theory. Values for the calcium phosphate phases such as dicalcium phosphate dihydrate (DCPD), octacalcium phosphate (OCP), hydroxyapatite (HAP), and fluorapatite (FAP) may be compared with data calculated from dissolution kinetics experiments invoking different reaction mechanisms. Agreement between the directly measured interfacial energies and those calculated from the kinetics experiments provides valuable corroborative information about individual growth and dissolution mechanisms. For the calcium phosphates, the much smaller interfacial tensions of OCP and DCPD in contact with water as compared with those of HAP and FAP support the suggestion that the former phases are precursors in HAP and FAP biomineralization. The ability of a surface to nucleate mineral phases is closely related to the magnitude of the interfacial energies. Constant composition studies have also shown that HAP is an effective nucleator of calcium oxalate monohydrate, both of which are frequently observed in renal stones.
Comparative Morphology of Argasid Larvae (Acari: Ixodida: Argasidae), with Notes on Phylogenetic Relationships

A comparative analysis of larval morphology in the Argasidae was conducted, emphasizing the setation of the appendages. Larvae of 76 argasid species, including one or more representatives of all nominal genera and subgenera, were examined and compared with larval and nymphal Ixodidae, Holothyrida, and Mesostigmata (Parasitiformes). Between-species variation in the setation pattern of the appendages is considerable, whereas within-species variability is low. All of the observed variation in setal patterns can be explained as the result of ontogenetic shifts, including both accelerations and delayed additions. Hypotheses of homology for most palpal and leg setae are established based on ontogenetic and comparative evidence. A preliminary analysis of relationships, based on larval characters only, suggests that all bat-associated taxa in the genera Argas and Ornithodoros are part of a monophyletic lineage including the genus Antricola (and possibly Nothoaspis ), the subgenus Argas (Microargas) is more closely related to the subgenus Ornithodoros (s.s.) than to any of the subgenera in Argas , and the subgenera Ornithodoros (Alveonasus), Ornithodoros (Proknekalia), Argas (Ogadenus), and Argas (Secretargas) form a monophyletic group (resembling the genus Alveonasus sensu Filippova 1966). The established genera Argas and Ornithodoros do not appear to be natural groups, but modifications of existing classifications of the Argasidae are delayed until characters from the postlarval stages can be integrated in the systematic analysis.
HDL therapy for the acute treatment of atherosclerosis

Although pharmacologic intervention to treat atherosclerosis originally focused on lowering LDL-cholesterol levels as a therapeutic target, a number of intervention trials have also highlighted the powerful effect of elevating HDL-cholesterol levels to reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Although the mechanism(s) by which HDL beneficially alters the atherosclerotic disease process is (are) still unknown, it is presumed that high levels of HDL facilitate the efflux of cholesterol from the arterial wall, thereby enhancing the transport of cholesterol and other lipids from arteries back to the liver for biliary excretion as fecal sterols and bile acids. It has therefore been hypothesized that through a rapid facilitation of HDL mediated cholesterol efflux from arteries by infusion of synthetic apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I)/phospholipid (A-I/PL) complexes, HDL therapy could have an acute therapeutic application to treat cardiovascular disease at the site of action, namely the vulnerable, unstable atherosclerotic plaque. Single high dose infusions and repeated injections of lower doses of apoA-I variants or mimetics complexed to phospholipids have produced remarkable effects on the progression and regression of atherosclerosis in animal models. The positive results of these preclinical experiments have compelled researchers to perform exploratory studies in human subjects in which reconstituted HDL and synthetic A-I/PL complexes are infused through a peripheral vein. These clinical studies are testing the hypothesis and the potential use of synthetic HDL as a new treatment modality for acute coronary syndromes. Given that there is an unmet medical need for new and more effective therapies to elevate HDL-cholesterol levels and improve HDL function, a historical review, update and discussion of the preclinical and clinical studies which support the use of HDL therapy for reducing cardiovascular morbidity and mortality is warranted.
Calibration of modern pollen along a nutrient gradient in Everglades Water Conservation Area-2A

In the past 100 years, the hydrology and nutrient levels of the Florida Everglades, USA, have been drastically altered by a system of canals and dikes and urban and agricultural development. Levels of soil total phosphorus (TP) have become elevated in the northern part of Water Conservation Area 2A (WCA-2A). Vegetation community changes in the past 20 years in this impacted area are characterized by the invasion ofTypha domingensis into historicallyCladium jamaicense marshes and aquatic slough communities. The objective of this study was to calibrate modern pollen assemblage data from surface soil samples with soil nutrient data and observed macrophyte changes across a TP gradient at 31 sites in WCA-2A. Soil TP, nitrogen, carbon, biogenic silica, and calcium analyses of soils were included in the study. Modern pollen distribution corresponds to living macrophyte community variation along a TP gradient in WCA-2A. Pollen assemblages associated with three major marsh types in WCA-2A (Typha-dominated,Cladium-dominated, mixedTypha-Cladium) can be defined. Multivariate statistics show that the parameters measured explain about half of the variance in pollen data. TP was the only parameter measured that explains a significant amount of the variation. The remaining chemical variables tested were not significant. Clearly, other environmental factors not measured for this study also affect distributions. Although not analyzed statistically, hydrology patterns in WCA-2A probably play an important role based on pollen cluster analysis. A weighted averaging (WA) regression model for TP from the pollen assemblages has a high correlation coefficient (r2=0.76) between observed and inferred values. This model can be used to estimate present plant community structure based on soil TP content in WCA-2A (e.g., optimal TP levels for specific taxa) and past TP levels based on pollen assemblages found in dated soil core subsamples. moreover, historical plant community assemblages can be reconstructed from pollen profiles. Such reconstructions are essential to the restoration of the Everglades.
Growth and metabolic effects of prolactin and growth hormone in the red-spotted newt, Notophthalmus viridescens.

Growth hormone, administered in doses of 4 and 20 μg every other day for five weeks, caused a significant increase in length and weight in the newt Notophthalmus (Triturus) viridescens. Prolactin, similarly administered in the same amounts, likewise increased body length, but failed to elicit a significant body weight increase. Prolactin also caused increased liver weight and liver carbohydrate while growth hormone was without significant effect on the liver. Four weeks of treatment with 4 μg GH/day or 4 μg prolactin/day was without effect on gonad size.
Preoperative evaluation of abdominal aortic aneurysm by MR imaging with aortography correlation.

Sonography, computed tomography, and most recently, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have been advocated as noninvasive imaging methods for the preoperative evaluation of patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). We prospectively assessed the value of MRI in this clinical setying. Twenty of 23 patients with AAA referred for evaluation with biplane aortography underwent MRI within 3 days of aortography. MR and angiographic studies were interpreted prospectively and independently and then the results were compared with each other and with the operative findings. All angiographically demonstrated infrarenal and suprarenal aneurysms except one were documented as such by MRI. The distal extent of the aneurysm on MRI agreed with that on angiography in all but 3 cases. MRI is an accurate method for assessing the size and extent of AAA and its relationship to the main renal artery origins. MRI is not accurate in detecting vascular obstructions or accessory renal arteries. Therefore, the usefulness of MRI and the need for aortography in preoperative assessment of AAA depends upon the specific information the surgeon requires prior to aneurysmectomy in a given patient.
Nucleolin mediates nucleosome disruption critical for DNA double-strand break repair

Recruitment of DNA repair factors and modulation of chromatin structure at sites of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) is a complex and highly orchestrated process. We developed a system that can induce DSBs rapidly at defined endogenous sites in mammalian genomes and enables direct assessment of repair and monitoring of protein recruitment, egress, and modification at DSBs. The tight regulation of the system also permits assessments of relative kinetics and dependencies of events associated with cellular responses to DNA breakage. Distinct advantages of this system over focus formation/disappearance assays for assessing DSB repair are demonstrated. Using ChIP, we found that nucleosomes are partially disassembled around DSBs during nonhomologous end-joining repair in G1-arrested mammalian cells, characterized by a transient loss of the H2A/H2B histone dimer. Nucleolin, a protein with histone chaperone activity, interacts with RAD50 via its arginine-glycine rich domain and is recruited to DSBs rapidly in an MRE11-NBS1-RAD50 complex-dependent manner. Down-regulation of nucleolin abrogates the nucleosome disruption, the recruitment of repair factors, and the repair of the DSB, demonstrating the functional importance of nucleosome disruption in DSB repair and identifying a chromatin-remodeling protein required for the process. Interestingly, the nucleosome disruption that occurs during DSB repair in cycling cells differs in that both H2A/H2B and H3/H4 histone dimers are removed. This complete nucleosome disruption is also dependent on nucleolin and is required for recruitment of replication protein A to DSBs, a marker of DSB processing that is a requisite for homologous recombination repair.